Year: 2018

Dec

2018

Bitter or Better – You Get to Choose

Anger is an emotion we all have, and how we express it is very important. Uncontrolled anger quickly turns to rage, a form of abuse.

Anger, when properly controlled helps shape new ideas, it is a healthy mechanism used to set boundaries and keep us from over reacting to situations. You may recall Moses becoming angry many times, as he encountered difficult people, and God used those moments to help shape the man Moses, and indeed an entire nation of people.

Uncontrolled anger turns to rage, and rage is very destructive, often becoming addictive. Anger in and of itself, is not bad. When we are faced with a situation that causes us to become angry, we need to talk it out, find solutions, set boundaries.

Unresolved anger turns to bitterness

The Bible tells us;

Ephesians 4:29-32

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Did you catch that? “Get rid of all bitterness . . .”

Let’s look at this word for a moment.

The root word used for bitterness is:

Pikros pik-ros’ (piercing); sharp (pungent), that is, acrid – bitter.

Bitterness is a powerful explosive

I grew up in Cameron County, a rather remote area in North Central Pennsylvania, the heart of the Pa. Wilds. Residents are familiar with the term Picric.

Early in the settlement of Cameron County, there was an abundance of Hemlock; it was everywhere. The hemlock trees were debarked, and the hemlock bark processed to produce tannin, in turn used in the process of tanning hides.

Picric (bitter) acid helped pull the tannin out of the hemlock bark. Since there was an abundance of Picric acid, also used to produce the powerful explosive TNT, factories sprung up across Cameron County in the 1800’s.

So . . . “Pikros” or bitterness is a powerful explosive, and the Bible says to get rid of it . . . all of it!

Bitterness usually manifests in three ways, bitterness toward God, toward others, and toward oneself.

Bitterness towards God

Bitterness towards God can happen many different ways, and I have seen it happen many times. A precious loved one is taken away, and there are no clear answers.

Someone prays for a healing, and the object of his or her prayers is suddenly gone!

Someone is faithful to God, serving the church, generous in giving, yet end up losing their job, the house is now in foreclosure, and they are about to lose everything!

The natural question in situations like these are; “why would a loving God allow this to happen?

It is easy to fall into the trap and begin to question God’s love, His mercy, and His wisdom. Perhaps you have been there!

You begin to feel angry at God, and you begin to shrink back from Him. You see God blessing others but you feel cursed and wonder why God is passing you by. I have heard people say; “when is it my time to be blessed!”

Your anger towards God grows, and you become resentful, and question everything God does, you even begin to question the very existence of God. A prime example of this, is found in the Book of Acts.

Acts 8:9-23

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

Simon had a bitter heart because he saw the real power of God being used in common everyday folks and he wanted it!

Bitterness towards others

The second way we become bitter is towards others. This usually begins with an offense and a hurt that is not forgiven. Often this takes a lifetime to develop and can start at an early age. A child, abused emotionally or physically, finding no way to express the pain; become angry, and resentful to their parents or toward others.

I have seen families devastated when a cherished family member passes away. Heirlooms divided unevenly, the estate, managed improperly, and someone gets hurt, resentment sets in. As time progresses, the hurt festers, and bitterness of heart, overtake the person and they become toxic.

When a family lives with a bitter person, life can be almost unbearable! The bitter one cannot truly love, rarely if ever says the words “I love you,” unless spoken with an unhealthy dose of sarcasm.

The bitter person cannot find it within himself or herself, to express hope and encouragement to anyone, life revolves around them and their pain. The bitter heart always sees itself as the victim, the one who is always hurt, and if not hurt now, will most certainly hurt again soon.

The bitter person is almost always angry about something, works hard at producing guilt feelings in others, and when those they must live with distance themselves, more anger and guilt comes rolling out. A bitter person is full of poison and is toxic like picric, an explosion waiting to happen!

Bitterness to oneself

The last form of bitterness expresses inwardly, toward self. Some people see themselves as ugly, sinful, and disgusting. They have committed crimes against God and man, and simply cannot forgive themselves.

They feel as though God could never forgive them for the things they have done. I have encountered many a person with this affliction; when asked; they often say something like; “I hope God will forgive me.” They have not yet believed that God could, or would forgive them.

For this person, God’s forgiveness is just a bridge too far. Many times this person will do works for God, hoping somehow to earn His forgiveness and love!

Bitterness of heart settles in, and in the end, without forgiveness received, the person’s eternal life is lost; a sad end indeed.

The Bible warns us about bitterness;

Hebrews 12:15

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Bitterness will defile many if left unchecked and if you are reading this today, and you know you have the symptoms of bitterness; then let’s get healed of this disease today!

Get free of bitterness, once and for all

To get started, we deal with bitterness toward God. The first step is to realize that we live in a fallen world; a world full of sin and destruction. Remember, bad things happen to good people, and just because we are Christians, does not exempt us from the brokenness of this broken world.

The Bible does give us hope though:

Romans 8:28

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

While there will be pain and suffering in this world, God is working in ways we may not see clearly. In the midst of great pain and suffering, ask God to lead you, hold tight to His hand.

As we encounter painful experiences in this broken world, rather than despise God, let’s ask Him if there is anything that can be discovered from this? Not that God instigated the pain, but rather, can God help me through this and help me learn something too, perhaps something to help another.

Remember the Scriptures . . .

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Many reading this have been through tremendous pain and suffering, yet you still love God! Could one of the blessings be that there is a way for you to comfort others who may be heading into a season of suffering?

Do not become bitter toward God, He is not your enemy, He is your salvation, trust Him, fall into His arms and love Him, let your bitterness toward Him dissolve!

Secondly, let’s deal with the bitterness toward others. Remember to make your anger temporary; recall Ephesians 4:26 “. . . do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.”

Do not allow your anger to cause you to sin; make up your mind you will not do it!

Forgive and forget! Now I know this sounds simplistic, but it works. For someone reading this today, you have kept a running list of every hurt, every offense, and you have learned to nurse them; holding them dear, not realizing that the very thing you clutch to your heart is killing you and is a contagion to those around you!

First, forgive them. That means letting go of the right to retaliate! Give the outcome to God; let Him be the Judge, and the One who has the final say. In your forgiveness, be sure to get rid of all malice, give it up!

Stop wishing harm to those who harm you, stop it!

Once you have made up your mind to forgive; then forget. By forget I mean that you will never bring up the offense again.

A man was meeting with a marriage counselor and he said; “please help me, my wife is historical, she’s absolutely historical!” The doctor said; “Don’t you mean she is hysterical?” “No,” the man replied; “she is historical and is always bringing up the past.”

We will not forget the incident, and the scar may last for a lifetime, but when we forgive, we leave it alone and determine not to bring it back up.

One more thought on this; if you are in an abusive relationship and you have within your power the freedom to leave, then do so; God calls us to live in peace. I have known people who feel it is their duty to live in an abusive relationship, to suffer great pain and humiliation, only to end up bitter, resentful and lost; this is not God’s plan.

It is one thing to suffer for Christ and quite another to suffer for man; you must discern between the two, and make a decision.

Finally, let’s deal with bitterness toward oneself. To tackle this one, you need to believe God’s Word. If you do, then there is real hope, if you do not, then you will suffer a long life of bitterness and die without Christ.

Those who suffer bitterness toward themselves often wallow in self-pity. Many, who struggle in this way, have what we often refer to as a besetting sin, the one thing that always trips them up! They tend to live in a cycle of sin and self abasement.

The Bibles says something wonderful;

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Remember that God has provided everything you need for salvation, including the gift of forgiveness. If you have sinned, then confess it to God, tell Him about it! Once you do, then forgiveness comes, it’s over, and He will remember it no more.

Avoid not forgiving yourself, this makes you become as God in your life. Are you stronger, wiser and more powerful than God? I don’t think so! Let it go!

So, let’s get rid of all bitterness today! Make this the first day of a life without bitterness.

For those of you who have experienced bitterness of soul, this is not easy; it will cause tears and great pain. Bitterness has been part of your life, and living without it will be a frightful thing at first. However, to live with it, will cost you your soul, because there will not be one bitter soul in heaven and if you do not deal with it here, you don’t get to go there!

Time to cast bitterness into the sea

For some of you, you have accumulated a mountain of hurt, so much pain and suffering! You have carried it for years and years; it is time to bring it to God.

Mark 11:22-25

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

It is time to cast off the mountain of bitterness; when you, by faith, release this burden to the Lord, He will cast it away into the sea, and sweet water will begin flowing into your soul!

Dec

2018

Pray Upside Down Series

For many years I have been trying to put together a series of Bible Studies designed to help the Christian understand their true position in Christ.

Finally, I have set aside the time and put them altogether, The studies were born out of my own desire to understand the power of prayer, and how this meshes with our relationship to Jesus.

My experience in pastoral ministry took place in rural Pennsylvania; nestled in the mountains of Cameron County, the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

A small community with big problems

Like many small rural communities, the one my wife, Sherri and I served, had its fair share of problems. Having lived in the community for many years, we knew in detail the problems associated with the town; problems of drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide and sexual abuse. These issues were far more common than folks there care to admit.

As pastors in this community, we saw firsthand the hurt and pain the devil had inflicted upon the community, and we began earnestly to pray for the deliverance of this town.

For many years, every Sunday morning, Sherri and I would head to an overlook that provided a stunning view of our little town, and we would pray there.

On one particular occasion, I went alone and began praying over the town; what happened that day would change my life forever!

An encounter with God on the mountain

I stood where I could see the whole town and began praying against the powers and principalities that had been enslaving the people in my community.

Determined to see a breakthrough, I was passionately praying aloud, fists punching at the sky as if pounding on the devil himself!

It was then the most unexpected thing happened; the Lord seemed to draw near, I could sense His Presence, and while I was praying, He asked me a question. To the best of my recollection, here is how the conversation unfolded.

The Lord said to me; “Rock, what are you doing?”

I was somewhat taken aback, it seemed obvious to me what I was doing, so I answered the Lord; “I am praying.”

He said in the kindest way possible; “Why are you praying like that, punching at the sky?”

I was not sure what He was getting at, and I really did not know how to answer, so I responded; “This is how I do it.”

There was a pause, and then he asked me another question; “Rock, where are you?”

I am getting even more confused now, and all I could do was to say; “I’m here, Lord!” There was another pause, and then He rephrased the same question,

“Rock, spiritually where are you?”

I responded by saying, “I’m with you, Lord.” It was then that the Scripture from Ephesians 2:6 (And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus) came rushing to my heart.

The Lord asked me again; “Rock, where are you?”

I responded; “I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms” What the Lord said next would forever change my life and ministry!

The Lord said to me; “Rock, stop praying with your fists pounding at the sky, as if you were fighting an enemy that you are in subjection to. Start praying from your true position in Me.

God taught me to pray Upside Down

Instead of praying with a down-side up mentality, pray from the up-side down; from the heavenly realm where you are seated; the battle is not over your head, but is under your feet.”

Wow, stunned by what had just taken place, I realized that much of my prayer life took place without recognizing the authority with which one could pray.

I learned that I do have authority and that I can pray expecting powerful answers. That day on the mountain changed everything!

It was out of this encounter with the Lord on that mountain, the idea of Praying Up-side Down and consequently the name of our ministry; Faith Up-side Down came to fruition.

The Faith Upside Down Bible Study Series will help you to understand the truth of who you are in Christ and you will discover the powerful position you have, and your prayer life will take on new passion and power!

You can check out our new series at Pray Upside Down.

Nov

2018

Give it Away

Our world has a growing disparity between those who have much and those who have little. The society sees this, and cries inequality and demands justice!

The answer that quickly comes to the mind of some is the “Robin Hood” answer; take from the rich and give to the poor! We romanticize the story of Robin Hood, the outcast hero outsmarting and outwitting the snobbish, wealthy overlords, gathering their hoarded riches and giving to the poor.

Yet, this tactic of pressuring the wealthy, to give to the poor, seems unfair. Many wealthy people have earned their money legally, working smart and hard to get it. Pressuring them, even extorting them, into giving it to an oft times dishonest government to spend, seems as repulsive as Robin Hood stealing it!

As Christians who champion the teachings of Jesus, why we do we relegate the care of our neighbors to the government? Here is an idea, how about just giving your own money and wealth away, and doing it on your own accord.

To highlight the joy of giving to my congregation, I hatched an idea; we would pray and take the Sunday morning offering as usual; however, whatever amount came in, we would give it ALL AWAY the next Sunday! I talked it over with the leadership team of our church and they wholeheartedly agreed!

We received the offering that morning, and for our church, it was awesome; we took in just over $1600. So the next Sunday, we took 80 envelops with $20 in each one, making sure that everyone who came received an envelope; if you were old enough to walk, you got one!

I preached a message on giving, and the Scripture lesson was from Matthew 6:1-4

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I challenged the folks to; secretly get the $20 bill into the hands of someone you felt could really use it. We would find out later that some folks used the money to put together a meal for a family; another bought the fixings for a steak dinner and gave it to a family. One young boy, about 8 years old, saw an elderly woman in the grocery store and he secretly slipped the $20 bill into her purse.

The stories of that day filtered in over the next few months and it was awesome!

Additionally, it really made no sense from a practical point of view, to give away the offering; our church could have really, really used it then; however God more than compensated what we gave away!

As followers of Jesus, we have the title of ambassador, and we are to represent the Kingdom of God to the residents of this broken world; why then would we willingly give that task to a broken government; let us do what God has called us to do!

Go ahead, get generous and bless a family. If you have enough money to take your family out to eat; then wait an extra couple of weeks setting aside a tip near the amount of your dinner and bless the waiter or waitress; the expression of joy far exceeds the $75 tip!

Pray and ask God to reveal the name of a family that could use a blessing; and then follow through.

An amazing blessing is to take one or two hundred dollar bills and put them in a “Thinking of You” card and write a quick line: “I wanted you to know that you have been on my heart, and I see your need, I hope this helps” ~Jesus

Oh, and remember, your time is more valuable than money, your willingness to befriend someone and walk with them through life, is a blessing that is priceless!

Remember, you are an ambassador and have the authority to use His Name!

Go for it!

Be a blessing and be blessed!

Oct

2018

A Message of Hope

Recently I received a phone call from good friends of mine, sharing that their son of 32 years, took his own life, and would I please conduct a memorial service for him.

I met with the parents of this young man to get a sense of what happened leading up to his decision to end his own life. He was a good-hearted young man, always helping someone, he had two young boys, a job, but struggled with alcohol, and drug abuse.

After a difficult night, he decided that he could no longer take the pain, and left this world on his own accord; it was a sad story; one that is being told with greater frequency.

I would go an do the memorial service which seemed to help many in that packed funeral parlor find hope and help. I am sharing the content of that message below, in hopes that it would another. Please feel free to share this with anyone who may need some hope is this dark world.

A Message of Hope

In the opening salvo of the great message Jesus gave, often referred to as the Sermon on the Mount, He gave these encouraging words; which are appropriate for today.

Matthew 5:3-4

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Jesus also said;

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

The Scripture just quoted is a reference to the workings of the devil, satan. He is on a mission to destroy all that God has created; especially humanity. The Bible describes satan as a created being.

You may not know this, but he was created as an anointed cherub, who used to walk with God, the Bible describes him as being created perfect in beauty, and full of wisdom. Until sin was found in him, and he was cast out of heaven to the earth. (Ezekiel 28:13-17)

The sin of satan had a great deal to do with the creation of man. Mankind was to be created in the image of God, and would be given tremendous access to God Himself.

Man would have access to heaven, have a close relationship with God, would be given the opportunity to love God; and these newly created beings would be called children of God.

The Book of Isaiah 14:12-15 reveals the intensity of his declarations made in response to this new creation of man.

“How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!“But you said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

I will raise my throne above the stars of God,

I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.

‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

“Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.

Ever since that day when the anointed cherub, that powerfully created being sinned and was ejected from heaven to the earth, he has been on a mission to destroy everything God has created; and this is why he has a special hatred for humanity, because from his point of view, we are the reason he was dethroned!

The devil is not the horn headed, blood dripping caricature we make him out to be, he is perfectly beautiful, and wise and is doing everything he can to ruin humanity. The devil was there at the beginning of humanity, and convinced the original pair of created humans, to sin against God; thereby giving him a foothold and a way to forward his agenda of suffering and destruction on humanity.

Since then, the world in which we live is broken, and in desperate need of hope. For many precious ones, trying to traverse the broken landscape of humanity, get caught in snares, craftily laid by this cunning enemy. The desire for the perfect relationships, wealth, fame, status, better jobs, nicer cars, a home, and a host of other wants, take their toll.

Surrounded by increasing expectations at every turn, to be stronger, prettier, more handsome, richer, famous, more, more, and then more; we begin to believe the lie that we are “less than.”

Unable to attain all that the cunning devil says we should be, many turn to substances that make us feel better, turning to a drugs, alcohol, food, sex; anything to make us feel better, if only for an hour!

Time takes its toll, worn down, feeling despair, angry for not measuring up, tired of constant failure, trying and striving to something we cannot attain, one perceived failure after another, we fall into depression, the desire to go on, begins to wane; we just want it all to end! This is the desired end of this crafty enemy’s play; to get us to the point of despair!

For an increasing number of broken folks, people we love so much, the pain reaches a threshold they can no longer bear. The view has narrowed; options have evaporated, and only one option is left, and in a moment of painful desperation, it is over! The crafty enemy has succeeded in destroying another precious life, created in the image of God!

There is another option, there is One Who CAN make a difference, His Name is Jesus. He came that we could have life, and that, more abundantly.

The broken, fallen nature of humanity compelled God Himself to intervene. The plan was daring, and would require great sacrifice; God Himself would become a Man, and dwell among us, ultimately offering His life sacrificially, to redeem fallen man; restoring us to our rightful place with Him.

Jesus was born to a woman, Mary, whose wild claims that, even though she was a virgin, somehow God impregnated her with His Seed! She was mocked, scorned, and ridiculed, and we can only surmise that throughout Jesus` childhood, mockery and bullying came His way! Jesus knows how we feel in this broken world!

He grew to become a Man, and Oh what a Man; He pointed to a different way, an excellent way. He pointed those who followed Him, to a life whereby our identity focused on Him, and on the ways of His Father. The words He spoke, recorded and written down, and preserved to this day!

Just prior to His death, Jesus went into a Garden to pray; the Bible says He was distressed, even to the point of death, asking His Father to take away the cup He was about to endure; yet He relinquished to the will of His Father instead. Jesus knows emotional and spiritual distress, He most certainly can relate to yours!

Jesus would go willingly to the Cross- offering His Holy, unblemished life, in our place, securing for us the forgiveness of sins, and so much more. We now have opportunity; not only forgiveness, but also to become a part of His family; the broken world we live in NO LONGER DEFINES US! Seated with Christ, in the heavenly realms; for those who would dare follow Him, this is our current address!

Our identity now firmly attached to Him, not to some glitzy automobile, fancy home, or exceedingly large bank account, but to His Kingdom, and all the treasures of heaven are ours . . . NOW!

The invitation to this amazing journey begins with your response to the very words Jesus spoke as He encountered men and women as He journeyed. “Come, follow Me.”

If you, or someone you know is in a dark place, and the brokenness of this world has you trapped, please reach out, call out, shout out, use the Name of JESUS, say it loud, and say it strong, with all you got!

He WILL respond to you.

Call me, message me, call someone you know, who loves Jesus, and they will help you, and your life will turn. Please, don’t listen to the words of an enemy who only means to destroy you, he is a liar!

You . . . are loved!

Sep

2018

Let it Shine

I have been watching with great interest, the ongoing vilification of proposed Supreme Court appointee, Brett Kavanaugh. It is breathtaking to watch, as these allegations of sexual misconduct seem to appear out of nowhere, just days before his confirmation; should his nomination derail; woe to the next one to be chosen!

I have also watched how many people; consumed with utter hatred toward the current president, Donald Trump and the party he represents, seem to have lost their minds. I have never seen such hatred and vile comments ever made toward anyone . . . ever, let alone a sitting president.

As I have pondered these things, I realize too, there is a growing hatred toward those of the Christian faith. We are mocked, ridiculed, vilified, silenced if possible, and are becoming nearly as despised as Mr. Trump!

I have concluded that all these things must come to pass, and what we witness playing out before our eyes, is simply confirmation of what Jesus said to expect.

None of this is new; it has happened before in every generation since Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again.

What we are seeing displayed is the very reason that Jesus went to the Cross in the first place, which was to make it possible for the very people who wanted to kill Him, to have life!

So I watch with curiosity, the brutal and vile hatred demonstrated daily, and I pray!

I pray for those unjustly considered guilty of crimes they never committed.

I pray for those with utter hatred and contempt for those who believe differently than they do.

I pray for opportunities to share the love of Jesus with those who will listen, and I pray for those who despise me because of that!

Finally, I believe this is the greatest time to be a Christian; as darkness settles across the land, those with the Light of the Gospel, which by the way, is the Glory of Christ, will find the light brilliantly showing the way to thousands who simply want to stop stumbling in the darkness!

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Isaiah 9:2

So I think I will sing the little kid’s song which is familiar to many from Sunday School . . . sing it with me!

This Little Light of Mine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

Hide it under a bushel? No!

I’m gonna let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No!

I’m gonna let it shine

Hide it under a bushel? No!

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

Don’t let Satan blow it out,

I’m gonna let it shine

Don’t let Satan blow it out,

I’m gonna let it shine

Don’t let Satan blow it out,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

This little light of mine,

I’m gonna let it shine

Let it shine,

Let it shine.

Sep

2018

Old Man at the Grave

I started a new job driving a tractor-trailer in the spring of 2017. It was a daily route, taking me from my depot in Dubois, down through Philipsburg, then down over Bald Eagle Mountain to Tyrone, where I hang a left and on to Huntington and then to my pick up destination at Mapleton Depot.

When I stop at Mapleton Depot, I am loaded with about 53,000 pounds of silica sand, used in the production of glass. The truck is loaded, and I head back to Tyrone, back up Bald Eagle Mountain, through Philipsburg again, and then hit I-80 at Woodland. I take the Penfield exit, and travel to Port Allegany to make my delivery to the Ardagh Group glass factory there; after unloading, I head back to the Dubois depot and park my truck for the day; round trip, about 320 miles each day. It is a pleasant, scenic drive.

I drive past a cemetery just outside of Philipsburg every day; once on my way down to get my truck loaded, and then again on my way back through. I noticed a freshly dug grave spot as I drove by, causing me to whisper a prayer for the family that was recently grieving.

A little later in the week, as I drove by, I noticed an elderly man sitting near the grave. He had a walker, one you could sit on from time to time if need be.

The man had white hair, and a matching white beard, all neatly trimmed. He sat with his hands folded, looking attentively at the freshly dug grave. My heart ached as I sped by, and I prayed for the man as I drove down over the hill on my way to Mapleton.

I loaded my truck at Mapleton and headed to my destination, and as I crested the hill that cradled the cemetery, I could see the old man, still sitting there as a sentinel at the grave; nearly 2 hours had gone by!

As the summer drifted by, I would see the old man at the grave, two or three times each week. When I saw the old man, I would often whisper a prayer, and think about the person he loved so much. I would also think of people in my own life; people that I loved dearly. I began to appreciate the blessings of cherished loved ones, and I found myself praying for some of those who I had taken for granted.

The summer ended and fall approached, the beautiful leaves exploding in color, then dropping lifeless; taking their beauty with them as they fell to the ground, blown around by the fall winds; until they found their final resting place; returning to the ground from where they came.

Even as the cool fall breezes began to blow, the old man remained at his post. Whenever the weather would permit, I would see his white crop of hair as I crested the hill to the cemetery.

Autumn gave way to winter and the old man no longer came to sit at the cold, frosted grave. Yet, as I drove by daily, I remembered his faithful watch, his unwavering devotion to whoever rested there.

Winter passed and the spring rains began to melt the snow and I wondered if the old man made it through the winter. As I drove past each day, I thought of him.

On one particularly warm spring afternoon, as I made my way back across the mountains, I spied the familiar crop of white hair as I crested the hill; there he was, perched once again at his watchful post.

I felt a sense of joy and sorrow, mixed together. I was glad to see the old man; like a long lost friend, a sense of joy sprang to my heart; then sorrow for him, as he continued to grieve for the one so dear to his heart!

I decided I needed to know more about this man. I wanted to find out who it was he sat by, and how they met; I wanted to know his story. The cemetery had no place to pull over an 18-wheeler, so I made several trips to the area in my car, hoping to catch him as his post. Each time I stopped by, he was not there.

On one occasion to the cemetery, I stopped in my car and gently walked to the grave and looked at the name; then I searched for the obituary and found out that this was certainly the old man’s wife, Grace, and his name was Joe!

I went home, doing a little more research, and found out where Joe was living; it was a large apartment complex with many residents.

I was preparing for an annual personal retreat; a time for me to go out into the woods, to pray and seek God for direction; something I try to do each year. I took a Friday off work so I could have an extended weekend and as I made plans, it was clear the Lord was prompting me to go and see Joe.

I drove to the apartment complex where Joe was living, and as I pulled into the parking lot, I could see the familiar golden colored Chrysler Concord he drove to the cemetery; I knew I was in the right spot, and he was in there somewhere!

The apartment complex required a code to gain access, something I did not have, but as I approached the door, a man simply let me in! I made my way to the elevator and headed to the apartment where Joe lived. I stood outside his door, and then I started having second thoughts! Would he let me in, would I frighten him, and would I be in trouble for “sneaking” in?

I went back down to the first floor and went to the office. I told the attendant that I was looking for a man named Joe. I had told her that I was a truck driver and had seen him sitting by a grave for over a year and I wanted to talk to the man; possibly writing a story. She told me that he was in the social room playing bingo and to follow her, she would show me where he was.

We walked into the room and there he was; I recognized the familiar white hair and neatly trimmed white beard. He was engrossed in a lively game of Bingo with a couple dozen elderly folks. The office attendant went over to him and told him that I was there to see him.

He looked furtively at me across the room and nodded, I nodded back, and then I took a seat to wait for the bingo game to conclude. I waited, and waited and waited some more. The Bingo marathon had just begun when I entered the room. Finally, after 45 minutes of Bingo, the games concluded; Joe called out Bingo three times!

As the room cleared, Joe began to make his way out and I carefully met him in the center of the room. I asked him if I could have a few words with him and he agreed; we headed to a comfortable corner and sat down together.

I told Joe who I was, that I was a trucker that saw him at the cemetery often, and that I admired his faithful devotion to whom, I now knew was his wife. I asked him if he could tell me their story.

He looked at me and said that he was a trucker too, many years ago! The fact we had something in common gave Joe the freedom to share openly.

Joe was born in 1938, now 80 years old, his wife Gracie was three years older than he was. Joe said he knew Gracie from high school. He recalled a school dance where he approached Gracie to dance with him; she was a senior and he was a sophomore.

He said he got the courage to ask her to dance; he said she looked at me and said; “I don’t take seconds.” He said she crushed him! “Boy did she put me down right there, which really hurt me bad!”

As I recall, Joe said that after school he joined the Navy and spend 4 years there. After serving in the Navy, Joe came back home, and began working as a truck driver. I believe he said that his father got a hold of an old Mack truck that had two long gear shift levers, and his father could not shift them right. Joe said at 14 years old he would sit in the passenger seat and shift the truck for dad; learning how to drive a big truck early on.

Not long after he returned from the Navy, he said he went to a local nightclub and a dance going on, and Gracie was there. He said he got a little courage and asked Gracie for a dance, she smiled and said she would dance with him this time.

He said; “we danced a few songs and really hit it off, then they played a slow dance and Gracie said she did not know how to slow dance.” Joe said he looked at her and said; “Just follow my lead.” Joe said they danced the night away and began dating after that.

It did not take long for the two to fall in love; but problems brewing. Gracie had two brothers who did not care for Joe at all; actually, they despised him for some reason. Joe recalled a night when he got in a serious tussle with the two young men.

He was in a tavern after work one night and the two brothers began mocking Joe and calling him some rather ugly names. Joe said he was not going to put with that and called them out on it. He said the next thing you knew a fight broke out, Joe said; “I got in some pretty good licks, but those two boys put a serious hurtin’ on me.”

It was a few days later, after this scuffle, Joe went to Gracie’s house to see her, and Gracie’s father answered the door. Joe said Gracie’s father grabbed him by the neck, nearly lifting him off the ground! He told Joe; “If you ever come around her again, so help me I will put you in the ground.”Joe decided that he probably would never see Gracie again, and made up his mind that he would not go back to her house.

Joe said later that night, around 2:00 in the morning, he felt someone shaking him awake.

He said; “I woke up wondering what was going on and who was in my room trying to wake me up, I reached over and turned on the light to see Gracie, tears streaming down her face.” He said; “I asked her what she was doing there” and she said; “I can’t live in that house with my father anymore, and I am never ever going back.”

Gracie would begin staying with some girl friends while she figured out what to do next. If I recall Joe correctly, this turmoil was taking place in the winter and very near Christmas. Joe recalled Gracie stopping by Christmas Eve, close to midnight, and she asked Joe if he would go with her to a church that was having a midnight service; Joe said I looked at her, and said; “sure, I will go with you” . . . how could I say no!

Not long after those tumultuous days, Gracie and Joe would set their minds to get married, and on June 21, 1962, they tied the knot and began life together. They would have two sons, both of whom Joe is very proud of.

Joe and Gracie had a wonderful life together and Joe recalled the depth of Gracie’s love for him by sharing this following story with me.

One of his best friends was married to a girl from Osceola Mills. Joe’s friend found out his wife was cheating on him and he was heartbroken. Joe talked with his best friend, trying to help him through the pain.

Joe told me that one night his friend jumped in a work van and drove down the hill to Osceola as fast as he could, purposely driving the van into a large tree, taking his own life; this shocked Joe to the core!

Joe, a truck driver, started a trip to Chicago a few weeks after his close friend died, and as he began the drive, he said grief and anxiety overwhelmed him, and he pulled the truck over at a truck stop.

He called Gracie and told her that he was feeling emotional and did not think he could make the trip and he asked Gracie if she would ride along. Gracie said she would love to.

Joe said Gracie drove to the truck stop in her car and jumped in the cold truck with Joe and rode all the way to Chicago, then back to Aurora NY for the return trip. Joe looked at me with tears glistening in his eyes and said; “I sure love that girl, I never could have made that trip without her.”

Gracie died on Friday, April 7, 2017 at her home; they would have been married 55 years that June. Joe said that the last 6 years of Gracie’s life, she developed dementia, and he took care of her until her passing.

Joe told me that he goes out to the cemetery to sit, where he says he prays for friends and family; it is peaceful there. He told me that not only is Gracie in that cemetery, but many relatives and friends are there too. Joe said that when I sit there, I feel surrounded by people I loved and it makes me feel better.

I told Joe that if I see him out by Gracie’s site, I will give a toot; and he said that would be OK.

I told Joe; “you know, in a world where abandoned marriages are normal, and relationships are increasingly hard to keep, it is refreshing to know that there is true love; the kind that endures through the ages; you and Gracie represent that kind of love to me. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with me”

I told Joe that I estimate that on any given day, while he sits there next to Gracie for those two hours, nearly a thousand people whiz by that busy highway; many of them thinking and wondering about the depth of love that old white haired man must have, and feeling a sense of tenderness toward their own loved ones.

Thank you Joe for your silent testimony, it means more than you will ever know!

I will keep watching that hill on my daily run, looking for that familiar crop of white hair, sitting beside the love of his life; now I know his story, and I am sure I only touched the surface. Joe said I could stop by anytime, and I think I might; perhaps I may even play a round of Bingo!

Mark 10:2-9

Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

“What did Moses command you?” he replied.

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’

‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Aug

2018

A Stroll in the Woods – Lesson 3 – Smorgasbord

One of the things I found a little unnerving on my recent hike to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, was the dense terrain that I had to walk through. The area was new to me, as I had never been there before. On my way back to my car, I got somewhat turned around, or uh, you might say, I was taking the scenic route . . . Oh, I’ll just tell the truth, I WAS LOST! There . . . I said it!

As I was walking through this dense, sopping wet forest, I noticed many blackberries, huckleberries, and then I began to see large rotten trees and tree stumps torn apart, then it dawned on me, there were bears rummaging through this area, and I was walking through their kitchen!

I started to feel uneasy. The rain was pouring down; the ground was silent to my steps, and I anticipated coming face to face with a black bear at any moment; possibly surprising the bear, and hoping it was not with a set of cubs, making the encounter even more dangerous.

So I proceeded with an increased level of scrutiny as I took each step, looking this way and that, being very careful as I picked my through.

It reminded me of an old passage in the Bible; the passage in Genesis, shortly before Cain killed his brother Abel. Both had brought offerings to God, Abel’s offering was acceptable to the Lord, but God was not pleased with the offering Cain brought.

Cain got angry and jealous of his brother and began to think ugly thoughts; God spoke to Cain and said; “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:6-7)

We live in a world where “sin is crouching” at every turn, looking to ensnare anyone who falls into the temptation trap! Satan cannot make you sin, but he is very good at setting a tempting table; a smorgasbord for you; and as you pass by, he whispers in your ear . . . “Oh there must be something on this table for you, try a little something, so tasty!”

The Apostle Peter described the devil as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We need to be careful as we negotiate the crazy world we find ourselves immersed in, the dangers out there are far worse than encountering an angry bear!

To coin a phrase used by an old friend, Phil Burkhouse, author of a weekly outdoor column, Wandering Aimlessly; “You be careful out there.”

Aug

2018

A Stroll in the Woods – Lesson 2 – Stuck in Mid-Air

As I was walking through the woods on my way to the Red Moshannon Viaduct, I came across a rather odd-looking site; a leaf stuck in mid-air! I took a picture of the leaf, as it dangled in the air, four feet off the ground.

As I studied the optical anomaly, looking for the solution to the magical dangling leaf, I saw it, a single silky strand, barely visible to the naked eye!

The leaf, released from its lofty perch, sent on a mission to add to the beautiful tapestry of the forest floor. While en-route to the desired destination, a single thread captured it in mid-air, effectively ending the desired journey and the hopeful outcome.

A single spider thread is only about 10 microns thick, that is four ten thousandths of an inch! Yet, as small as that single thread is, it has great strength; a single spider strand is 5 times as strong as a strand of steel the same diameter!

As I stood there pondering this amazing sight, I realized that it only takes a little “sin” to stop a person’s spiritual journey with Jesus. Just as the little leaf stopped in mid-air, so too does the Christian’s journey suspend in time, until the minute thread, cut loose.

Only when we call out to Jesus, declaring we have made an error in judgment, does He stop and cut us loose. It is the confession of the deed, which sets us free. If we choose to ignore the issue at hand, we will remain stranded and more silky thread will be applied, and the bonds grow tighter and tighter, choking the very life out of us!

When walking through dangerous places with Jesus; it is best to keep your eyes on Him; you will be less likely to be enticed off the trail. The Good News; if you do fail, call out quickly to Him, even if you feel embarrassed, or ashamed, tell Him what you did, and how sorry you are. He will come quickly and free you from the snare.

1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Aug

2018

A Stroll in The Woods – Lesson 1

Annually I like to take a weekend and spend it in solitude, deep in the mountains of Pennsylvania. I do this to reflect on God’s Word, to clear my mind and heart, seeking God’s direction for the year ahead.

This year, I chose to hang my hammock and pitch my tent, on a secluded spot on Sandy Ridge, Pa. It was a gorgeous spot overlooking the scenic valley below, surrounded by forest.

I decided to take a day to hike into an area I had always wanted to see, the Red Moshannon Viaduct. My grandfather used to pick cranberries there.

Reuben & Helen Pifer with 119 quarts of Cranberries

My devotional for the morning, prior to my hike, was one of my favorite passages in the Bible, Matthew chapter 5, 6 and 7; we often refer to this section as the “Sermon on the Mount.”

This part of the Bible contains the “Nuts & Bolts” of Christianity. Jesus really laid it out here; I recommend that you read it . . . all three chapters, and then read it again, a little slower, savoring all the nuggets along way; then read it one more time for good measure. I guarantee you will want to go back to this passage, repeatedly, I know I do!

In chapter 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus says this: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

As I headed down over the side of the mountain to reach the Moshannon Viaduct, I found myself paralleling Interstate 80. As I headed down over the bank, I was about 100 yards from that massive highway; the cars and truck roaring by; careening to destinations unknown to me.

I was picking my way through the soggy, dense forest, now on a deer path traversing a 50-degree slope, pushing through thick, wet mountain laurel, stinging twigs slapping my face, brushing off mosquitoes, slipping from time to time! Only 100 yards away was a smooth, flat, easy highway; people whizzing effortlessly past me.

I sat down to rest, and then I realized that this must be what Jesus was talking to me about earlier. Getting on the interstate is easy, and once you get on it, it’s pedal to the metal and off you go!

So many today are flying through life, roaring to new jobs, bigger homes, adding relentlessly to a retirement fund, breathlessly chasing dreams, running fast and hard; all the while unaware at the end of this broad highway, according to Jesus, there is nothing but eternal destruction.

The other option is not so much a road, but a path; this road has a Gatekeeper, and His Name is Jesus; there is no other entrance-way; you MUST go through Him. Once you meet Him, He takes you on a journey. Jesus leads the way, looking back and with a grin stretching from ear to ear, He says; “Come, Follow Me.”

The way is often precarious, the twists and turns can be both frightening and exhilarating. There is danger, mysterious intrigue, and profound wonder, as you follow the Son of God. The narrow road is full of sights and sounds that those, only 100 yards away, never see.

The destination of this road less traveled is life . . . life never ending; it does not end in destruction, but continues; on and on, it is eternal, forever and ever!

If I have wet your whistle and you want to enter this narrow way, then consider Jesus. If drawn to the gatekeeper, and by ANY means, run to Him, and get in on this journey.

I can’t wait to see what’s around the next bend . . . Hey Jesus, wait up . . . I’m coming!

Aug

2018

Hornets’ Nest

I recall one hot summer afternoon when I was about 8 years old my dad, mom and me, went looking for some chokecherries so mom could make some chokecherry jam!

There were a few chokecherry trees not far from our property, so we took a couple of small buckets and off we went. We found a tree loaded with them, but the first few branches were high of the ground, so dad hoisted me up, then handed me the bucket, and I scurried up into the tree.

I was carefully plucking chokecherries, when suddenly; I felt a sting on the back of my neck, then another, and another! In a matter of seconds, I felt stung repeatedly!

I dropped the bucket and started yelling to dad as I made my descent as quickly as possible. When I got to the last branch, I jumped into dads arms and we ran away as fast as we could!

When we got home, mom attended to my stinging wounds; stung about a dozen times or more.

A hornets’ nest, tucked in the tree; unnoticed by us, and disturbed by my presence, the hornets attacked me!

Watch out for Hornets in the wild

I am so glad that my parents rushed me home and took care of my stinging wounds, applying pain-relieving ointments and cold cloths to the afflicted areas. I am sure the temptation was for my dad to knock down that hornet nest and make them “pay” for what they did to me.

The fact is, we have hornets in the wild, and when we get too close to their nests, they react. It is best to be a little more careful when investigating the great wilderness surrounding us, and when we locate a hornets’ nest, give it a wide berth.

It is an entirely different situation when the hornets decide to build near our home; we simply cannot permit it, so we take measures to ensure that does not happen. When we spy those aerial stinging insects, attempting to build a nest on our house, we knock it down and destroy it swiftly.

Furthermore, we remain diligent, keeping close watch, inspecting our homes and properties often, making sure they are safe from these stinging critters.

We are born with a fatal sting

While remembering this almost forgotten event from my childhood, it dawned on me, that we could make an important spiritual application from this story.

We know that, spiritually speaking, we are all born with a sting in our soul, a spiritually fatal sting; we know only one cure for this lethal condition, and that would be Jesus.

Jesus went to the Cross embracing every sting of every person; you could say on the Cross-, He was swarmed. The fierce stings of sin penetrated His flesh, burning deep.

Even after He had given up His Spirit to the Father, one last “sting” for good measure given, as they pierced His side! It was finished!

Of course, we know that the Father raised Jesus up; Praise God for that! The Bible now declares . . .

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

“Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

For those who have come to Christ Jesus, the “sting” of death, now erased, and all our “stings” forgiven; this is great news!

On a mission to remove the sting of death

Now, as followers of Jesus, we are on a mission to show people everywhere, how to get that “sting” of death out, and replaced with the River of Life!

Early in my Christian journey, as I wandered through our community, I noticed all these “hornet” nests established throughout our town; cults, bars, secret societies, and the like. I recall standing in front of these establishments praying against them, invoking the power of God to come and destroy these places of iniquity.

Almost every time I did this, I would feel swarmed by “demonic hornets” throughout the following week; some spiritual attacks were quite vicious and painful; I got the feeling the devil was out for blood!

I began to wonder what I was doing wrong, so I began to examine Jesus’ life and His tactics; and my eyes opened.

During the time of Jesus’ ministry, certainly one HUGE hornet nest, was the Roman Empire. The folks following Jesus, wanted Him to eradicate that nest; to tear it down and bring freedom, political freedom from the oppression everyone felt from that ungodly regime!

Jesus did not go to Rome, standing there praying against it; rather He went to people, offering to remove the “sting” of death from their heart. He knew advancing His Kingdom would happen, one heart at a time!

He focused on His mission; Isaiah 61:1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.

His mission has become our mission; we would do well to follow it!

Do not permit hornets to build in your house

Jesus did not go to the “hornet nests” in the wild; rather He left them alone. However, He would NOT tolerate the building of “hornet nests” in His household; He tore them down quickly, and so should we!

It is one thing to encounter a hornets’ nest in the wild, and another thing to discover one in your house. The ones we find in the wild, we avoid, and give wide berth to; the ones we find in our home, we quickly exterminate, so it is in the Kingdom of Christ!

When Jesus encountered the money-changers, Pharisees, and false teachers of the Law, doing business in His Father’s house, He let them have it, and called them out; even driving them out with a whip!

In light of these truths, I have decided to change my tactics a bit; rather than looking for spiritual hornet nests in the wild, and standing there shouting at them. I have decided to concentrate on identifying hornet nests inside the church (His Body) exposing and knocking them down!

I intend to be intentionally helping persons remove the sting of death in their soul; then warning them to stay away from known hornets nests in the wild.

Now, don’t get me wrong here, if the Holy Spirit directs me to stand in front of a hornet nest and shout at it; I will do so without hesitation, fully expecting that the nest will fall, just like the walls of Jericho fell when the Israelite army shouted at it!

Meanwhile . . . there are stings to remove, soothing salve to apply, a Kingdom to advance . . . one soul at a time!

Get your gear, let’s get at it!

Jul

2018

Lights Out

It was early in my pastoral career; I was serving two small community churches about 16 miles apart. I received a call from a woman at one of the churches. The woman told me that a friend of a friend, heard of a family in the community, whose mother was in critical condition at a local hospital; and would I go see her.

New to ministry, and wanting to be a good pastor, I said that I would go. I put on my pastor suit, grabbed my Bible and headed to the hospital. I was ill prepared for what I was about to encounter.

When I arrived to the hospital, I asked for the room number of the ailing mother. I approached the room with a great deal of anxiety; not knowing what to expect.

The door was open, so I gently entered the room, standing in the doorway. I saw about 8 people in the room, and an elderly woman in the hospital bed. She was on life support; a respirator was helping her breathe; I could tell she was not long for this world.

When the family in the room turned to see who I was, they recognized I was a preacher; two of the teenage granddaughters, burst into tears and ran out of the room past me. The rest of the family just looked at me, not saying a word.

I began to stammer a bit, as I struggled for something to say. I told them that a friend of a friend of theirs had mentioned to a friend of mine, the situation regarding their mother and I thought I should come . . . awkward silence ensued!

As I stood there, in that tongue-tied, odd moment of indecision, the Lord took action; the power went out to the entire hospital! The room went dark for about 30 seconds; which seemed like an eternity.

The magnetic doors to all the rooms slammed shut; the poor woman on the ventilator began to choke and gasp for air, alarms were going off and the family in the room began to panic!

The whole power outage was short lived, but it created quite a stir; the nurses came bursting into the room, caring for the elderly woman; resetting the alarms and making sure she stabilized.

When the pandemonium calmed down; I whispered, “Lord, You don’t ever have to do that again . . . I know what I need to do and why I am here.”

I went to the bedside of the woman and I took her hand. I could not tell if she could hear me or not; she never once opened her eyes. I told her that I was a pastor who came to pray for her. I began to tell her how much Jesus loved her, and that she needed to trust in Him right now.

I shared a little more about Jesus, and then I asked if she was trusting in Jesus right now; at that instant, she gripped my hand hard, an indication to me that she heard everything I was saying, and that she was indeed trusting in Him.

I told her that if Jesus comes to her soon, that it is all right to go to Him. I said a prayer for her, and then quietly left the room.

The next afternoon, Jesus came to receive her and she went quietly with Him.

The family, none of whom attended any church, called me to see if I would do the funeral for their mom, since I knew her. I graciously accepted the request with honor. I began the funeral service by telling the very same story, I just told you!

God helps us in our walk with Him, going to extraordinary steps, to getting our attention. He got mine that day, and reminded me that I am on a mission to let people know, sick or not, that He is near, He loves them, and wants them to follow Him . . . It is that simple!

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,

Because the Lord has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,

And the day of vengeance of our God;

To comfort all who mourn,

To console those who mourn in Zion,

To give them beauty for ashes,

The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;

That they may be called trees of righteousness,

The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

Jul

2018

We Wrestle

Growing up, our family were neighbors with the James Baker family; James (Jim) was the high school biology teacher, and the head wrestling coach. His influence brought all the neighborhood boys into the wresting club. I started my school-wrestling career when I was in the 6^th grade.

When I was in high school, I made the wrestling team; we were called; BAGUBA’s, pronounced BAH-GOO-BAH. It was an acronym that stood for: Brutally Aggressive Guy Uninhibited By Adversity.

To be a wrestler requires tremendous practice and preparation. A typical practice session begins by stretching. We would stretch our legs, arms, and even stretch our necks by doing what we call the arch technique; while laying flat on your back, arms across your chest, you would arch your body upward, using only your neck muscle. I recall the first few weeks of practice everyone had sore necks!

After 15 to 20 minutes of stretching, we would do sprints back and forth across the gymnasium to build up our cardio. We would do this until we thought we would drop!

Once we stretched and got our heart rate pumping, we would go into the wrestling room! The heated room felt like a sauna! The floor and walls were padded, and a ladder attached to the ceiling.

We would each take turns going across the ladder. You jumped up, grabbed a rung, then pulled your knees up to your chest, going across the ladder as fast as possible; it was grueling!

Once all these preliminary steps were out of the way, the “Real” practice began! We would learn wrestling maneuvers and tactics, practicing on each other in that sweltering room.

Finally, we would end the practice session by doing an exercise called, “Shark Bait.” You broke into groups of four, as close to a similar weight class as possible. One wrestler would be the “Bait” and would wrestle the other three, one at a time; one minute each; once finished, a second wrestler would be the “Bait.” The session continued until all had an opportunity to wrestle.

After an hour and a half of wrestling practice, you were exhausted, and trust me, you felt it the next day!

All of this practice and preparation helped get us ready for a real match. When that day came, everything you had leaned and practiced, you needed to remember.

When you entered the ring and looked your opponent in the eyes, it was game on!

Wrestling is a hard sport and not for the squeamish, you will have your limits tested, you will learn what it feels like to be beaten, and what it feels like to win. It is an aggressive sport, and as our name declared; it is “Brutally Aggressive.”

As Christians, the Apostle Paul reminds us, that we are in a spiritual wrestling match; and the stakes are very high! Let us listen in as Paul reveals this truth . . .

Ephesians 6:10-18

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

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

In this amazing passage, the Apostle Paul reveals what we need to do, in order to win this spiritual wrestling match. Let us look into it . . .

BELT OF TRUTH

In the time of the Apostle Paul’s writing to the church in Ephesus, the Romans soldiers were on patrol throughout the area. The Roman soldier wore armor to protect himself in battle. The “BELT” sometimes called the “GIRDLE” set in place, buckled around the middle.

The lower armor hung on the belt, and the sword rested in a sheath attached to the belt. The “BELT” was central to the armor of the Roman soldier, and the Belt of Truth is central to the Christian’s armor too; everything hangs on this.

Truth remains truth, so long as it is not manipulated or twisted. Satan loves to take Scripture out of context, and bend it to get his way, rather than God’s way.

GOD EXPECTS US TO WALK IN TRUTH ALWAYS, even if it may cause pain, we need to be truthful at all times. We must be truthful about ourselves, in our “INMOST PARTS” not holding back from God anything that would keep us from Him.

Psalm 51:6

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Satan referred to as “THE FATHER OF LIES” does some of his most crafty work in this area. Let us be careful not to give him a foothold, but rather buckle firmly the belt of truth around your waist.

BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Roman soldiers wore a breastplate. This piece of armor PROTECTED THE HEART, and other vital organs from attack, and without this essential piece of armor, the soldier was vulnerable to a fatal strike. FOR THE CHRISTIAN, THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS INDISPENSABLE, without this, we would be vulnerable to attack as well, an attack of the heart!

Satan loves to accuse, cast doubt, and instill fear, in the heart of the believer.

Unless we have this covering over our heart, his attacks may prove successful! God’s word declares the believer, righteous in Christ.

Romans 4:6-7

Just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sin are covered. . .

Imputed – to ascribe to or charge (a person) with an act or quality because of the conduct of another over whom one has control or for whose acts or conduct one is responsible.

It is sometimes hard for us to believe that simply by placing faith in JESUS CHRIST, ALL our sins forgiven, and we stand before God as if we never did anything wrong.

Just like Abraham “BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS” we believe God too, and by faith, just like Abraham, we believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Our sins forgiven, WE STAND, NOT IN OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS, BUT IN CHRIST’S.

FEET FITTED WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE

We are now going to get our FEET FITTED with a pair of GOSPEL SHOES!

Following the Lord is not an easy task. The road may get difficult, we see SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS to crush along the way, and hot desert places to walk through. We need the proper equipment to walk this path.

Luke 10:19

Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

God has lifted us up out of dark places and sets us on a solid path; directing our steps.

Psalm 40:2

He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps.

As you can see, our God is able to cause us to stand, and He gives us spiritual SHOES, that will tread down our enemy. This is good news, but there is more.

Once we have our feet fitted with shoes that are able to cause us to stand, and have the ability to crush our enemy, we need to use these shoes to carry forward the incredible message of the GOSPEL OF PEACE.

SHIELD OF FAITH

When Roman soldiers fought, often they would take their arrows and dip them in tar, then set them on fire before shooting at an enemy. If the arrow hit its mark, it would burn deeply into the flesh, causing great pain, and often would lead to further damage by way of infection. The shield would protect the soldiers from these “MISSILES.”

In the spiritual realm, Satan launches “FIRE TIPPED MISSILES” at the Christian, trying to inflict pain and infection, causing deep hurts in the heart. Satan’s goal is to get the Christian to strike back.

When a Christian strikes back, returning evil for evil, the tactic Satan used, is successful. With the Shield of Faith, we protect our heart from the ungodly attacks that WILL come our way.

HELMET OF SALVATION

The helmet was crucial to the Roman soldier. It protected the head. You may recall seeing pictures of Roman soldiers with bright plumage on top of their helmet, this would often indicate what division, or regiment the soldier belonged. Quite often, as soon as you saw the soldier’s helmet, you knew whom you were going to be fighting.

Satan loves to manipulate and distort God’s Word; he is a master of deception. Often we will find his greatest deceptions have an element of truth to them. We must be on guard at all times.

The HELMET OF SALVATION is vital, as it helps to protect our mind from the continuous attempts by Satan to influence our thoughts. Salvation is not just redemption; it is also restoration; completeness and a new sense of who we are.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

The WORD OF GOD is more than able to slay the enemy, but we MUST know it, in order to use it! We need to “HIDE IT IN OUR HEART,” meditate on it, filling up on the “WHOLE COUNCIL OF GOD” and not just the parts that make us feel good.

We need to grasp the WORD OF GOD, and learn to use it effectively.

In Roman training manuals, it states that a “sword-slash” rarely kills. A soldier needs to take careful aim, and plunge in the sword.

We too, need to be careful not to wield the WORD OF GOD carelessly, but rather study it, and learn to use it wisely.

So, spiritually speaking, are you a BAGUBA: Brutally Aggressive Guy (or Gal) Uninhibited By Adversity?

Let us be clear; if you belong to Jesus, you ARE in a wrestling match! Your opponent is out for keeps; he is relentless, strong and cunning. The Bible refers to him this way. . .

1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

However, with constant training, which includes stretching faith muscles, building perseverance, pressing through the hard trials, enduring persecution, you become stronger and stronger!

Remember, we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS in Christ Jesus!

So suit up, listen to your Coach, follow His lead, and you will most certainly win the championship crown!

The match begins . . . NOW!

Jul

2018

My friend – Justin Willoughby

I have known this young man and have watched his journey; it is nothing short of amazing and is a testimony of what God can do.

Please, take the time to listen and then share his story.

Jul

2018

Carnival Barkers

Every summer I recall my parents would take us kids to the Clearfield County Fair. As we wandered around, the sights and smells gave us a sensory overload!

We would start by walking through all the farm exhibits, cows, rabbits, chickens, hogs, horses; you name it, I think they had it! Mom would want to walk through all the exhibits that highlighted things like canned foods, knitting, quilts, paintings and the like.

While the animals and farm exhibits were interesting, I would catch glimpses of the Mid-Way; the rides, games, and cotton candy were beckoning me to come and see! I would tug on mom and dad’s hand, hoping they would get the hint.

Finally, we entered the Mid-Way . . . WOW what a site. Dad took me on the double Ferris-Wheel, and as we spun high above the clamor, we could see forever, or so it seemed! Getting a bird’s-eye view, we could see it all; and could even see mom; far below waving up at us.

As we began to walk through the gauntlet of games and attractions, some of the game operators began to call out to my dad, and I became a bit uneasy. They would say slightly demeaning things like; Hey you, why don’t show your boy how strong you are, take the hammer and ring the bell; make your boy proud!”

It seemed like every game we went by, some carnival worker would bark out stinging little slogans designed to get my dad to react and buy a ticket to play.

I recall stopping by a game where one of the players was having a dispute with the operator. The game looked simple; a pool ball placed in the center of a circle with a silver dollar on top of the ball.

The idea was to take a cue ball and knock the ball away, dropping the coin in the center of the circle, not touching the lines of the circle drawn on the table. One of the men who had been trying the game, declared it impossible to win; and the argument was heated.

Since we had a pool table at home, I knew I could do it! I asked dad if I could play. He was not too keen on the idea, since I had the money for the game, and he let me play.

I lined up the cue stick and put a hard spin to the left and hit the cue ball hard, it nearly missed the desired ball with the coin on top, but just nipped it, leaving the silver dollar drop perfectly in the center!

The carnival game operator made such a fuss about me accomplishing this task, that he gave me the largest stuffed animal he had; it was nearly as tall as I was! The man, who had been arguing, walked away in disgust!

The experiences at the carnival, reminds me of the current state of political unrest in our country. It’s as if the politicians have become nothing more than “Carnival Barkers” attempting to illicit emotional responses by shouting empty slogans, designed to get a quick reaction.

It seems both sides of the political spectrum are fully engaged with constant “Carnival Barking” hoping to gain the most attention in the shortest amount of time. The goal seems to be convincing those passing by, to join in the hate, and animus of the day.

How are we, as Christians, supposed to negotiate the constant clamor and confusing rhetoric coming from those elected to serve us?

First, we need to keep our “True” citizenship in perspective. Jesus reveals that we are not of this world anymore than He is! “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” (John 17:16)

When we decided to follow Jesus, and make our allegiance to Him, we became part of His Kingdom. The Apostle Paul declares in Colossians 1:13 “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love . . .”

Therefore, even though we love our country deeply, our first and strongest loyalty is to Christ and the advancement of His Kingdom!

So when the political “Carnival Barkers” shout demeaning slogans against people, created in the image of God, as you journey by, you can see it for what it is; an attempt to draw you out of the Kingdom of God and back into the kingdom of darkness.

Secondly, it is OK to get involved with the political system if you choose to. If you decide to jump in, be sure and do so with the prompting and leading of Jesus. Go in with a clear-eyed view of what you are doing.

Just like the little game I played and won; the training, confidence, and the backing of my dad, gave me everything I needed to do it and win; you need the same from your heavenly Father, and you will win too!

So, let the carnival barkers bark; it is what they do! Do not believe every word they shout; most of them are not true at all, it is only a ploy to get YOU off your game and into theirs. Enjoy the carnival . . . but be careful out there!

Jun

2018

Coffee with God

In an ever increasingly distracting world, it is easy to get off course. The constant chatter on TV, social media, radio, and a host of other venues, beckons us into the world of chaos.

Once distracted, we ramble on down a pathway we should never have embarked on and we get in trouble. Too often, once there, we begin to justify our stay, and our trouble only worsens.

Now confused and struggling, we wonder what to do; then God suggests an amazing solution . . .

One of my favorite passages in the Bible . . .

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best from the land;

but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

I just love this Scripture; God says; “Come now, let us reason together.” It is as if God has just poured a cup of coffee for you, and invites you to the table, One on one, to see if there can be a solution. God is awesome!

Even though you have rebelled, God wants to forgive you, but there is a condition, you must be willing and obedient. You have to be both.

It’s not enough to be willing, and it’s not enough to be obedient, you must be willingly obedient.

Settle this one before you start the day!

Jun

2018

The Tail of Two Trains

I want to share something that happened early in my Christian journey, something that would define and shape my call to evangelistic ministry. I would like to share a vision I had while I was working at a local factory; it took place a few months after I met Jesus.

I must be upfront and say, over the course of the many years that I have been following Jesus, I have only had a few, what I call “visions” from God; I could count them all on one hand. This particular vision took place while I was running a rotary hammer, drilling through 12 inches of concrete.

To begin, the Bible reveals two people groups on this planet; those who have had their eyes opened to the truth of Jesus Christ and have chosen to follow Him, and those who remain blinded to the truth and cannot see.

The Bible declares that satan (the god of this age) has kept a certain population blinded from the truth . . .

2 Corinthians 4:4

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God

Satan has done an amazing job of keeping people in the dark about Jesus. So many people have bought into the lies perpetrated by faulty science; a science which denies the existence of God and attempts to tamp down any knowledge of God in the creation around us. The Bible says a few things about these folks . . .

Romans 1:18-20

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness,¹⁹since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

It is a very difficult thing to try to disprove the existence of God, it takes a long, sophisticated, patient process; one thing for sure, the devil is quite patient and has been laying this demonic groundwork for years and has been quite successful!

The second group is those who have heard the Good News and have believed it; however, it is not enough to believe, one MUST follow the One they have believed in, the One who holds the keys to life, and death, heaven and hell. These folks, having heard the Good News about salvation, have decided to follow Him.

There is no middle ground, you can no more be half saved than you can be half-pregnant, you either are, or you are not! To know the truth of Christ and yet refuse to follow Him, places you in a special category, a place despised by God who gave everything, so you could have eternal life with Him!

At the time of my vision, I was not a pastor; I was a welder and maintenance worker at local manufacturing plant called Pennsylvania Pressed Metals.

One afternoon while I was drilling a hole in the concrete floor, a vision flashed through my mind that was so powerful, so strong that I stood there with tears streaming down my face; hot tears dripping in the dust of the concrete floor.

Since I was a little boy, trains have always fascinated me. These machines are so strong, so powerful; they are simply amazing to watch. Growing up in the little Village of Cameron, I would often hike up the mountain behind our house, and if you were on top of the mountain, you could see the whole train go by; from the engine to the caboose, you could see the whole train, it was awesome!

As I stood drilling in the plant that afternoon, I felt transported from the factory, to a high bank overlooking the railroad; it was so real.

Standing there in this vision, I felt the ground began to tremble, and I heard a strong, powerful sound coming down the track. The sound and vibrations grew stronger and stronger.

Suddenly I noticed a train, sleek, streamlined and moving at an incredible speed, careening around the corner coming in my direction. The train was very long and as it sped toward me I began to feel uneasy and wanted to run away, but my feet, fixed firmly to the ground, prevented me from moving!

As the train came into view and began to scream past me, I noticed that it had number on the front and the number was 666 and just above the number, written in large letters “THE BEAST.” I stood motionless, terrified at what I was seeing!

The windows were black as coal, and as the train roared by, sparks were flying off the iron wheels! There was the smell of death and a feeling of despair.

I could sense inside the train were countless souls screaming for release, but they could not get out; bound to a destination that was eternal, a destination bringing fear and torment to their souls.

As I stood there petrified at what I saw, I felt Someone standing next to me; it was the Lord. I asked Him what this all meant. He told me that the train represented the devil and he is taking his own to their final destination.

The Lord told me that the devil is exceedingly angry and is filling the train as fast as he can, with and many souls as he can, because he knows his time is short.

Jesus said that the train was full of those who had rejected His message of salvation. They were the ones, who had heard what He had done for them, who knew the Way, but chose instead, to do life on their own terms and had died without Christ and now were eternally lost.

I saw tears well up in the eyes of the Savior and He spoke these words to me; “some on this train have never heard of what I had done for them; no one ever told them that they could be forgiven, having everlasting life with Me; these are also forever lost, and are on that train too.”

It was as this point I began to weep too and hot tears fell to the dusty floor of that factory! I began to realize that everyone is born with a ticket to ride this long black train! Josh Turner, a Country Western Singer, became popular when he wrote the song “Long Black Train” written about 9 years after my vision!

As I stood there weeping, it became increasingly clear, that the Lord was sorrowful because many who were perishing, did not have to! He was heartbroken that no one was telling them that they could avoid this destruction!

The Bible declares . . .

Romans 10:13-15

. . . “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!

People all around us are perishing because they have never heard the Good News! Moreover, did you know, as a follower of Christ, it is YOUR responsibility to share?

Matthew 28:18-19

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. . .

This is a direct command from Jesus Himself to you and me, to be about making sure this message gets out; it is not secondary, but is His prime directive!

As I stood weeping with the Lord, He pointed in an opposite direction and told me to look and see!

I saw another train, much different from the first. I could sense that it had much more power than the first train. The earth also shook as this train approached. As it rounded the corner, I could hardly contain my excitement at what I saw!

It was beautiful! The train was silver, adorned with gold trimmings and splashed with jewels of every kind and brilliant flashing lights. On the front of this train was a gold emblem “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” and its Conductor’s name is Faithful and True!

As this train went by, I saw an astonishing thing taking place; as the large golden wheels rolled over the rail, it immediately turned to gold!

The windows were large and clear, I could easily see inside, it was beautiful beyond description, and I could see the people, their faces filled with expressions of joy. I could hear beautiful music and singing of praises.

I felt an amazing sense of peace, joy and wonder. The people on this train, also headed to a destination, a place called glory, a place where their joy and happiness would never end!

The Lord told me that only one thing was required to get on this train; a repentant heart, one touched by His Hand, a heart that carried His Spirit!

Oh how the Lord longs for a repentant heart today! The proud stubborn heart has a guaranteed seat on the dark train; it is time to turn in that ugly ticket to hell and get one stamped Glory!

Time is getting short and tickets are running out . . .

2 Peter 3:8-10

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ⁹ The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

The awesome and terrible day of the Lord is drawing near and without a repentant heart, you have no salvation and a black, cold dark train, is bearing down upon your soul!

As I stood there watching this scene play out before my eyes, I saw something terrible and wonderful at the same time!

I realized that these trains were riding on the same track; headed for a collision; one train faces complete destruction, the other would prevail . . . one train would be full of life, the other full of death! One would face an eternity separated from God, tormented day and night forever and ever, the other, unending joy with Jesus!

Today I issue a call and a challenge . . .

First the call . . . there are some reading this today who are unsure of their eternal destiny. Some of you have wanted to follow Jesus, but have been afraid, some have been lulled into a false sense of security, others are fearful of what people may think.

Today the Holy Spirit has uncovered your vulnerability and is giving you an opportunity for life; a chance to get your ticket stamped for glory! Today is the day . . .

2 Corinthians 6:2

For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Please, I beg you; do not let this opportunity slip by, let nothing get in the way of you and Jesus!

Now, the challenge . . .

The dark train is filling fast; many souls are being lost every day! For those of you who are followers of Jesus, you have a job to do! It is your response – “ability” to share the Gospel of Jesus! Take Jesus with you to work, take Him everywhere you go and ask Him to provide opportunities for you to share!

Finally, one last closing story to illustrate this need . . .

A woman was standing before the Lord on judgment day. As she came near to the Lord, she heard Him say these comforting words; “come over here my good and faithful servant, you belong to me.”

As she stood beside the Lord, she saw an old friend approaching the Lord too. When she stood before the Lord, He looked at her, and with sadness in His eyes, told her, “go away from me, I do not know you” and he sent her to the place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth! As the women turned to her fate, she saw her old friend standing by Jesus and cried out; “Why didn’t you tell me about Him? Why?

This is the tale of two trains, one bound for Glory, one bound for Hell, which one are you on?

Apr

2018

Set Sail

Following Jesus and serving Him, is not for the faint-hearted. You will find it a costly endeavor; but one full of great rewards, both in this life, and certainly in the one to come.

God is not safe . . . but He is Good!

To know the depths of His riches and grace, one must surrender to His Lordship.

Remember, a ship in the harbor is safe there . . . but that is not what ships are built for!

Be un-tethered and set sail into the deep waters; the Lord will fill your sail and the adventure of a lifetime gets underway! Hang on; this is going to be Good!

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Apr

2018

Are You Listening To ME?

There is nothing quite as annoying as sharing a life-experience story; you are verbally setting up the ending, the punch line, the grand finale, hopeful to relish in the reaction from the group, only to have a zealous over-talker jump in before you even finish your thought!

Has this ever happened to you? How did that make you feel? If you are like me, it totally turned you off; it invalidated your spoken engagement with the group. Your story just got cut off and you had the same feeling you get when you are in traffic, and some rude driver cuts you off.

I have to admit, I used to be one of those rude conversation usurpers! To be honest, I still need to guard my tongue, or I easily revert to those verbal assault tactics.

God had to do a great deal of work in me in order for me to see this glaring fault in myself; others saw it, but were kind enough to put up with it, allowing me to interrupt, cutting front of other oral traffic.

I have often pondered why I felt the need to “jump in” to a conversation before letting the person finish. God revealed the answer; I was full of myself and wanted to be important, I was self-absorbed! Ouch!

Once God began to reveal to me how disrupting this was, I found that my listening skills began to improve, and I began to notice how often this “verbal road rage” was taking place.

To illustrate this phenomenon, consider a small group of men chatting about their hunting exploits. Invariably, one man will begin sharing his best hunting story, the other men are already thinking of their own legend, one that will outdo the current narrative.

Just like the driver who is rushing home after work is looking for that minuscule opening to dart in front, so does the verbal jouster look for his opening, a breath, a pause in a sentence; then wham, they jump in and full throttle ahead!

When this takes place, it reveals the selfishness of that person and the inherent need of an ego boost. It is rare that someone actually learns how to listen more than talk.

The one, who can master their tongue, will gain the confidence and respect they never could have, by jumping in, and jumping on, other conversations.

The Bible says . . . “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak …” (James 1:19)

Now those are words to live by. Someone once said; “God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we ought to listen twice as much as we talk.”

Are you listening?

Apr

2018

Take His Hand

I have learned that when it comes right down to it, most people when pressed, will admit they believe in God. I think that is a good thing, but simply believing is not enough, there needs to be a bit more.

One needs to believe enough to follow; in fact, that was the very challenge Jesus gave to those He encountered along the way; He said, “Come, follow Me . . .” and many did!

Do you believe enough to follow? Following Jesus may require leaving some things behind, and that may be just what you need! His invitation still stands . . . “Come, Follow Me . . .”

Put your hand in the hand of the Man from Galilee!

Apr

2018

Is It Monday Already?

The weekend is over and it is time for Monday! I can hear the groans already! For many folks, Monday is a dreaded day. It kicks off another 5 days of drudgery, one more countdown to the weekend.

But . . . wait just a minute. Look at this from a different perspective. For many of my friends, we went to a church yesterday, we sang songs to God, we worshiped Him, celebrated His goodness, renewing our trust in His provision.

Yesterday was a celebration of what took place the week before, a renewing of confidence that God will lead us forward in this new week.

Therefore, having just celebrated God’s goodness yesterday, Monday is the Day for the Church to Shine!

So, it is time to buckle up and buckle in, time to set our sights on this brand new, never before seen MONDAY!

It is the beginning of another extravagant week of God’s blessings full of challenges to overcome, opportunities to seize and wonders to behold. Be sure to capture every moment . . . this is gonna be Good!

Let’s do this!

Apr

2018

Jesus + Humility = Friend of Sinners

1 Peter 5:5-7

In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

There may be no other word used in the Bible that congers up more confusion and misunderstanding than the word holiness. The Bible declares that holiness is a very important component to the Christian faith; so important that without it . . . we are in big trouble!

Hebrews 12:14

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord.

In light of this, it is important to understand what this means, since so much depends on this! The word used for “holiness” is this:

Hagiasmos hag-ee-as-mos’

“Purification, a state of purity; to be consecrated, sanctification”

When the Hebrews established a system of sacrificing to God, they eventually built a large temple in Jerusalem. All of the temple equipment went through a ritual of cleansing and was consecrated to God; being made holy.

The best concise definition of holiness; set apart for God, for His purposes only. When we come to faith in Christ, we become holy, by His blood, which He shed for us!

Holiness is a product of Grace; none of us did anything to become holy. In and of ourselves there is nothing holy about us; but by faith and through grace, we came to Christ . . . and He made us holy!

Therefore, it makes sense that if we would experience more holiness in our lives, we need more grace. The road to experiencing more grace in your life is learning the way of humility.

Jesus said . . . “Learn from me; for I am humble and lowly in heart;“Jesus was a humble man. Remember the opening Scripture; “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” We need more grace! So today, we will explore what it means to be humble.

To begin, we must remind ourselves that Jesus did not come to condemn sinners.

John 3:17-18

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

It is interesting to note that Jesus never condemned sinners; He did however denounce and deplore hypocrites!

“A hypocrite is a person who excuses his own sin, while condemning the sins of others.”

The hypocrite does not see his own hypocrisy, because he cannot see, or refuses to see, the flaws in himself. One who cannot see the flaws in themselves rarely, if ever, seek mercy.

Since he does not seek mercy, he has no mercy to give! Moreover, since he is always under God’s judgment, he passes judgment on others.

As a person draws near to God, they become acutely aware of the sins in their own heart. The Holy Spirit is not revealing these sins in order to condemn them, but rather to establish humility and to deepen their knowledge of their own need for more grace.

It is at this critical point that people either humbles themselves before God, or become hypocritical.

Those who choose to follow God will humble themselves and ask God for grace to deliver them from the sin that has entangled them. For those who will try to excuse their sin, the deserving title is hypocrite.

Jesus used a parable to highlight this very issue.

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Holiness is not about obeying a set of rules and regulations; that only breeds more hypocrisy. Holiness is about getting rid of pride, which enables us to come to terms with the true condition of our heart.

If we cannot see the depravity of our own sinful nature, we could become “Christian Pharisees” hypocrites full of contempt and self-righteousness.

Whenever we judge another, too often, we do it with a sense of self-righteousness. Whenever we criticize like this, we do it with contempt as the motivation.

Too often, when you get a group of people together, like those mentioned in Jesus’ parable, those who are confident in their own perceived righteousness, they look others with a sense of superiority.

The idea in their heart is that they are somehow a little more holy than the next one . . . this is in fact the very opposite of holiness, because they lack humility!

The holiness we seek must go beyond the living of proud lives, occasionally interrupted by brief moments of self-abasement; we need to allow meekness and humility to become a way of life; we must make a choice to walk in humility.

The hypocrite loves to judge, it makes them feel superior, and too many Christians fall into this category. Remember, Jesus came into this world not to condemn, but to save. Anyone can pass judgment, but who will promote salvation?

Will the critical one lay down their life?
Will they love the one they are condemning?
Can a critical person spend time fasting and praying for the perceived weaknesses in others?

That is what Jesus would do!

One act of Jesus’ love operating through us, would do more to warm a cold heart than all of our wonderful criticisms. So grow in love, give mercy, be humble in heart, and you will be sure to grow in holiness!

Examine your own heart . . .

Do you insist on finding fault in others?

Do you consider yourself to be spiritually superior?

Jesus’ standard of judgment is very high; remember Jesus said; “he who is without sin, cast the first stone.”

We need to speak out about sin, but our motivation needs to be one of love, with redemptive purposes in mind, not showing others our superficial spiritual superiority!

In the kingdom of God, unless you are first committed to die for people, you are not permitted to judge them.

Apr

2018

Pssst! You are being watched

You TESTIFY by the friends you seek,

By the very manner in which you speak,

By the way you employ your leisure time,

By the way you make use of dollar and dime.

You TESTIFY by the things you wear,

By the spirit in which your burdens bear,

By the kind of things at which you laugh,

By the music you play on your phonograph.

You TESTIFY by the way you walk,

By the things of which you delight to talk,

By the manner in which you speak to a foe,

By the books you read, and the places you go.

For none will take heed of the Gospel you give,

If it isn’t reflected in how you LIVE.

Mar

2018

The Silhouette Man – A Soggy New England Story

Annually our family would take a vacation from North Central Pennsylvania to Bangor Maine, where my mother had grown up. Our journey usually took place in the sweltering heat of August; just a few weeks before school started. Anticipation would build all summer long as we neared the day of departure.

The trip would take place in the old Chevy station wagon; loaded to the brim with camping supplies, snacks of all kinds, and luggage strapped precariously to the roof. Mom and dad, along with me and four sisters all packed in and ready to roll!

We would begin our yearly adventure by heading east, out across Pennsylvania; turning northward up through Schenectady, New York, and then veering eastward again, stopping in New Hampshire for the night.

Pulling into the campground, we would unpack the tent, dad making sure it was all up and secure. Once the tent was up, dad would get the fire going and mom would start getting the food ready; normally hot dogs and burgers, some beans and of course, marshmallows for dessert!

Up early, we would be off to Bangor, where we would spend a week with family; often taking a trip to Bar Harbor to see the ocean; it was a highlight of the trip. The sights and smells of the Atlantic Ocean would overload our senses.

I remember the deep throaty blast of the tugboat blowing, as it pushed big ships into the docks. The smell of the salty sea air and the crashing of waves against the craggy shoreline brought fanciful memories of stories I had read as a young child; Moby Dick, Robinson Caruso, and of course Pirate stories!

I was always fascinated by the ocean and found myself drawn to it. I recall gathering stones, seashells, even seaweed to take home, making the car smell awful; mom drew the line with my seaweed; it had to stay behind!

After a week visiting relatives, our journey home would begin. We would go home a different route, maximizing our ability to experience new sights and sounds; often visiting a lighthouse or two, as we traveled down the coast of Maine.

One particular trip home, we stayed at a small campground near the coast; Salty Acres Campgrounds, near a place called Goose Rocks Beach.

We arrived in the late afternoon, and by the time we got the tent set up, it was nearing 6:30 in the evening. I could hear the waves crashing nearby, and wanted desperately to go and see them before we went to bed. I was 14 years old at the time and felt sure I could get to the beach and back before dark.

Mom and dad reluctantly allowed me to walk around the campground to see if I could get a look at the beckoning ocean. They warned me not to be too late; I agreed, confident that I would find the beach, gather some shells and be right back; things did not go according to plan!

As I headed toward the sound of the crashing waves, I came to a forested area; undaunted, I began to look for a way through the forest; I was sure the ocean was very close. The sun was beginning to set, long shadows from the taller trees began to soften the lighting, and I knew I needed to hurry.

I saw a small trail heading into the woods; I was certain that this was the way in, so I began to hurry down the path. I took a small turn, about 50 feet into the woods and paused to look around.

As I looked to the right, something caught my eye; standing about 10 feet from me, was an old man. He reminded me of the dark silhouette man you might see standing by a tree as a decoration in someone’s yard, only this silhouette, was a real man.

He was a thin man of slight build with white hair flowing down from under the Scottish hat he wore on his head. He was smoking a curly pipe, the kind that the great detective Sherlock Holmes used to smoke. He was leaning against a tree. When I saw him, I nearly jumped out of my skin!

I stopped, my heart beating a mile a minute; he took the pipe out of his mouth and began to speak to me with a pronounced New England drawl, he said;

“Wouldn’t be going out there if I was you. Tide does be coming in soon, and fog with it; nope, I wouldn’t be going out there if I were you.”

He put the pipe back in his mouth and clicked the stem with his teeth.

I heard those words, but I was still tingling from the scare he gave me, and I said quickly; “Oh, I won’t be long” then I went quickly into the woods.

As I sped down the path, still shaking from the encounter with the old man, I quickly lost track of the twists and turns I had made. I did not notice the other trails crossing the one I was on either.

I stopped and listened for the sound of the waves and they seemed to be very close. However, the sun was now down low, and I knew it would be dark within a half hour, so I needed to get back, but I was lost!

I walked quickly in the direction I thought would take me out, but the woods got thicker and thicker. I went in another direction; more trees, and now, it was getting darker; I began to panic.

Finally, I saw what looked like field through the trees and I headed toward it. As I broke out of the trees, the field I saw was actually a salty marsh. It was about a quarter mile across; I could see a highway and a small store of some kind on the other side.

It was getting darker and becoming hard to see where I was going, but I decided my best bet, was to go across the marsh, so I started across. As I headed out into the marsh, I quickly realized that the whole swamp was full of channels of seawater. The channels were not very wide so I jumped over the first few.

After about 15 minutes, I was nearly halfway across. As I looked at the little channels, I realized the water was beginning to swirl and the channels started looking deeper and wider; then the words of the old man came rushing to my mind!

“Wouldn’t be going out there if I was you. Tide does be coming in soon, and fog with it; nope, I wouldn’t be going out there if I were you.”

The tide was coming in quickly, so I got a run for it and tried to leap across one of the channels, but it was too wide. I landed about 2 feet from the other side and went in over my head; the water was deeper than I thought and the bottom that I hit, felt like bottomless mud.

I panicked, I came up out of the channel like a wild-man, clawing and scraping to get out, then I just started running, jumping and splashing my way across the swampy marsh, until I reached the other side. I must have looked like a swamp creature coming out of there.

I recognized the little store and realized the campground was not far away and I started walking toward it. I saw a car coming down the road; it was my mom and dad, worried and looking for me.

They stopped and asked what happened, and I pointed to the marsh and told them of my harrowing ordeal. Dad just shook his head and told me to walk to the campground; I was too messy to get in the car.

When I got the campground, I took a long hot shower. I came over and sat by the fire; still shivering, not because I was cold, but because I was still somewhat traumatized by the whole ordeal.

Had I only listened to the wise old man at the edge of the woods, I would have avoided the whole thing!

I still love the ocean, and whenever I get a chance to spend time there, I cherish every moment. One thing I have never quite gotten over is a certain “feeling” I get whenever I see one of those silhouette men in somebody’s yard.

When I see one, especially in the waning hours of the day, I get a little flutter in my heart and I remember the old man at the edge of the woods.

As I remember this story of my youth, I can recall many times, words of wisdom came to me, and I refused them. The Bible give amazing direction regarding wisdom; one of my favorites from the Book of Proverbs ring loud and clear . . .

Proverbs 2:1-9

My son, if you receive my words,
And treasure my commands within you,

²So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;

³Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,

⁴If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;

⁵Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

⁸He guards the paths of justice,
And preserves the way of His saints.

⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.

Oh that I wish I would have heeded the words of the Silhouette Man on that summer evening on the coast of Maine. I would have avoided the traumatic experience altogether!

Heed the words of wisdom given to you; even those words of wisdom coming to you by surprising people you encounter on your journey of life. Ponder those words, consider their value and avoid discarding them.

If you choose to rebuff those words of wisdom given to you, do not be surprised if you find yourself looking like a swamp monster some evening, walking aimlessly though life, smelling like seaweed!

By all means, go see the ocean, explore the world, be daring and adventurous; but do so with all the wisdom you can gather; it will make the adventure so much more enjoyable and fruitful.

I hear the waves crashing, and a tugboat horn blasting; I think a new adventure is in store for me . . . Mr. Silhouette man, where are you?

Mar

2018

Crying in a Bucket – A Lesson in Humility

The year was 2000 and our church had just undertaken an amazing act of faith; we purchased an old school building. Built in 1924, it served as the High School in our community for many years. Later, it became a middle school; in the year 2000, the school placed it for sale, and by God’s provision; we bought it!

We began to renovate the building, a little at a time, but the task was daunting. As we went about the work of renovating the building, we also went about the work of renovating the hearts of people as well.

We developed a food ministry, and outreach center, along with a variety of ministries aimed at helping g the poor and disenfranchised.

Over the course of the next few years, we met dozens of wonderful people; many of whom came to a saving knowledge of Jesus. The folks we encountered were interesting, to say the least!

One of the folks I was privileged to know, was a gentleman named Brad. He was a tall, lanky man, about 65 years old at the time. He would frequent our center, stopping in several times each week.

Brad was a pleasant man; witty with a wry sense of humor. He was a chain smoker, and chose to live outside, under a bridge during the summer months. He would stop in my office and chat endlessly about everything!

I had a large comfortable, cloth chair, in my office that Brad’s thin, gangly frame would disappear into as he chatted. The chair would retain the “essence” of Brad, long after he left. It was during this time that I learned of the blessing of Febreeze air freshener spray!

As time progressed, I found myself cutting short some of my visits with Brad; not wanting my office overly saturated with the scent of stale cigarettes and campfire smoke.

Sometimes I would see him sauntering down the hall toward my office and I would quickly meet him in the hall; feigning some work project, I needed to get to!

One day, the phone rang in my office and it was one of the wealthiest people in our community. He previously owned a large manufacturing center in our area and was a multi-millionaire! The conversation went something like this . . .

“Hi Rock, this is **** and I would love to come and talk to you about your building, I have some great ideas that may interest you and your church, can I stop down next Tuesday morning and see you?” I was stunned and said, “I would love to meet.”

Over the weekend, my head was spinning. One of the wealthiest men in our community was coming to see me; I wondered what he wanted. I wondered if he would want to help us renovate; with one stroke of the pen, he could cover the entire cost of the project, with room to spare!

Monday came, and I looked at my office and realized how dirty it was. I figured I had better give it a good cleaning, since I was going have a very important meeting the next morning; a meeting that could alter the direction of our church renovation project immensely!

I got a bucket of warm soapy water, a scrub brush and a couple of rags. I got on my knees to wipe the dust off the baseboard. As I was scrubbing, I got the sensation the Lord was nearby.

I continued to scrub and I felt the Lord ask me a simple question; “Rock, what are you doing?” With a little excitement, I began to share that a very important man was stopping by the next day; perhaps he would help finance our project!

There was a moment of silence; I was waiting for some indication that God was listening; perhaps He would help persuade this wealthy man. As I waited for His response, I felt Him ask another question; it was a simple one, and it changed my life.

He asked; “So Rock, how is it that you would clean your office for this very wealthy man, but you never even swept it for Brad?” I was undone, busted if you will! Still on my knees, scrub brush in my hand, tears began to splash in the bucket.

I stopped cleaning, emptied my bucket, and spent most of the day repenting of my foolishness, reminded of the passage of scripture in Matthew . . .

Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

God helped me to see that my motives were askew; revealing that I was more interested in financial support, than I was for the soul of kind old man.

A couple of years later, Brad moved from our area; he stopped to see me before he left. He brought me two antique oil lamps; a gift thanking me for spending time with him. Those lamps meant more to me than anything the other man could have ever done.

Oh, by the way, I did meet with the wealthy man; we had a pleasant, albeit short meeting. He wanted to turn our center into a museum . . . go figure!

God is great; I love Him so much! The lessons He teaches last a lifetime!

Mar

2018

New Life

I enjoy spring, the explosion of greenery; I like wild leeks, rainy weather, and the smell of mud rushing down swollen streams.

I savor the sweet smell of smoke pouring out of the sugar shacks, as the Sugar-Mapler’s boil their sweet brew! I delight seeing the farmer plowing fields getting ready to plant.

I love the way the mountains try to hold their bounty of snow; little pockets of white, peaking out behind the rocks, as winter slowly loses its cold grip on the landscape.

The coming spring season always reminds me of new life. The icy cold grip of winter kept the landscape barren and fruitless; we wondered if it will ever end!

During those cold, frigid days of winter, something stirs deep in the ground. The unseen work of the hand of God is moving, stirring and preparing for an explosion of life!

The same is true regarding the cold heart of man, which remains fruitless, hopeless, and barren. We wonder if there will ever be any change.

You can rest assured that God is working in the dark, cold recesses of those barren hearts. Something is stirring; new life is getting ready to break forth in a profusion of love, mercy and grace!

If you have been praying for someone with a seemingly cold, lifeless heart, do not stop! Persistent prayer brings the warmth of God to that person.

It is your unfailing devotion to the Savior, and your constant, insistent prayer, which causes the ground of that heart to thaw.

In due time, new life with emerge and the fruit will be stunning!

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.” ~ Ezekiel

Mar

2018

A Second Touch

There is a sense today that the church; the people of God, are somewhat weary, tired and maybe even a little confused as to what to do in the face of ever increasing evil in this world. We are certainly living in what the Bible declares to be, “the last days.”

It is easy to drift off and lose sight of our anchor; when this happens, we need help, so today we ask God for that help.

Mark 8:22-25

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Before meeting Jesus, we were all very much like this blind man. Oh, we could see with our eyes all right, but spiritually speaking, we were quite blind! We may have known a thing or two about God; we may have known that Christ was God’s Son.

Most of us know about Christmas and Easter, for some of us, it was the only two days of the year, that we really stopped for a moment to consider Christianity; even going so far as to set foot in church on one of those two days!

For most of us, that was the extent of our knowledge of God! We were quite blind . . . and for good reason; the Bible declares that the god of this age (satan) had blinded our minds . . .

2 Corinthians 4:4

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

You see, satan did a wonderful job of keeping us in the dark; while we were without Christ and in unbelief, we could not see the truth, no matter how many times we heard it!

Then something miraculous began to take place. We began to feel something stirring inside; our heart touched in ways, we could not understand. The mention of God and the work of His Son Jesus began to spark an interest in us.

Maybe you heard a message on the radio or TV, perhaps at one of those annual church events you reluctantly attended.

You heard the dramatic message concerning your sin, and about Jesus mission to come to this earth and give His life as a ransom for yours; offering forgiveness for your life of sin. Drawn to Christ, you could not explain it. The Bible reveals an interesting truth about this . . .

John 6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

As God drew you in, you realized that you were a sinner, not in a generic sense, but you felt it and knew it, to the point where you wanted to hide from God, yet He kept pulling you near. The Bible declares to us . . .

Romans 3:23

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

This glaring truth stared you in the heart, and you knew that without some intervention you would be eternally lost and that there would be a high price to be paid for the sin you were enveloped in!

You became aware that if you persisted in this sinful state, you would be forever lost, with no hope of redemption! Again, the Bible reveals more truth . . .

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It was at this crucial point that you decided to go “all in.”

You risked everything and trusted in Jesus! You went to Him burdened with guilt and perhaps shame for the way you lived your life. You fell at His feet, sorrowful for the way you lived your life, you told Him that you would repent and live for Him! You asked Jesus to come into your heart, into your life . . . and He did!

Romans 10:9-10

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

This you did, openly and freely, unashamed of your allegiance with Jesus. The people around you knew; there was no mistake, you changed, and not just a little, old habits discarded and new ways began to unfold!

The joy you began to feel was awesome; the reality that your sins, which were many; completely forgiven! You had fellowship and friendship with Jesus. You developed an unquenchable hunger for the words of God. You dove into the Bible like a starving man who just sat down for a Thanksgiving dinner!

Your hunger and passion to know more about this Jesus would cause you to skip meals, just so you could read, pray and learn more about Him! Nothing was about to come between you and Him!

Do you still have that desire?
Do you still hunger and thirst for His Word?
Have you lost any of that first love?

Does your heart still burn with the fire it once had, or are you like the man in the opening Scripture who saw people, but they looked like trees walking around. Is your vision blurred? If so, then you, like that man, may need a second touch from Jesus!

I know firsthand how this happens. At an early age, I came to believe in Christ; through a Sunday school, teacher my heart opened to the things of God, and I believed.

As God began to reveal Himself to me, I started reading the Bible daily. The Bible is not an easy Book to read, especially for an 11-year-old boy, but I was determined to know more about God.

As the years passed by and I became a teenager, I began to drift away from those moments with the Bible.It was not a sudden falling away, but a gradual, gentle slipping away; I hardly noticed it happening.

Then one day a handful of us, young teenagers at the time, decided to camp out one night. As we were getting ready to go camp, we decided that we would swipe a 6-pack of beer from my friend’s dad . . . and we did!

I recall with clarity, sitting under the train bridge in near the village we lived in, and as the sun was going down, we all guzzled down that 6-pack; it was awful, but we pretended that it was good! When I grabbed that beer, something stirred inside, there was a powerful voice beckoning me not to do it.

I realized later that it was the Holy Spirit of God who was trying to prevent the problems that were about to arise in my life! The peer pressure was too great and I gave in, just like the rest! That evening, I grieved the Holy Spirit of God!

As He gently tried to woo me back in His direction, I resisted. I wanted to spend my time the way I wanted, and I did not want God interfering! I wanted to be with my friends, I wanted to experience what they experienced!

Over the next few years, alcohol was not enough, and I found new and interesting friends, who had other things I could try . . . and I did! By the time I was 18 years old, I was a wreck!

However, even then, God was trying to get through to me, but I continued to resist Him. Each time I resisted, my heart would be hardened just a little bit more!

The farther from God I drifted, the worse I began to feel. The devil began to whisper in my ear, things like; “see, you are bad and God will never forgive you” or “you will never be good enough for God, so why try.” The Bible declares that satan is a liar . . .

John 8:44

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan is a formidable foe, and he is always looking for ways to distract you from God. He will tempt you in a thousand different ways; his goal is to get your eyes off the things of God and onto the things of this world; if he can accomplish this, then he is well on the way to destroying your life.

There is great temporary pleasure in sin; the excitement and adrenaline it can produce are addictive. The spiritual side of sin is deadly. The feelings of guilt, shame and frustration can cripple you.

Sin is fun until you drink too much and while driving home, you hit a small child on a bike, taking a life. Sex is fun until you find out from the doctor that you have aids, or you find out you are pregnant and now you need to decide what your next steps are, taking a life, or allowing one to live! Drugs are fun until you see your friend lying dead from an overdose.

As I continued through life, I began to believe the lie that God was done with me. I can still vividly remember sitting in a bar Jamestown New York one night. The bar tender was flipping through the channels; he stopped briefly on a station long enough, for me to see Billy Graham with that striking pose of his; arms crossed and one hand under his chin, and he declared; “what you need in your live is Jesus.”

I remember running out of that bar in tears; as much as I wanted Jesus, I thought I had sinned too much and had resisted Him too long!

Do you feel beyond forgiveness?
Do you feel like you will never live up to His expectations?

If you feel this way, then I have some good news for you! You see, after 18 years of running from God, He kept drawing me back to Himself. When I finally stopped long enough to turn around, He was standing right there, arms open; ready to forgive . . . and boy did I need forgiven!

Just like the blind man in the opening Scripture, I received a second touch from Jesus and I could see clearly.

How about you . . . is your vision blurred?
Are your spiritual eyes seeing clearly?
Do you need a second touch?

Perhaps, the hand of Jesus has never touched you, if so; this is your Day! Maybe you can relate to my story; you wandered off, never intending to go too far, but you lost your way and now you are hurt, confused by life, wondering where God is, and if He even really exists; He is here and would love to have a conversation with you!

If you want salvation, if you want restoration, if you want healing, whatever the case may be, please take a moment and talk to Him about it; it will be a turning point for you!

Satan wants you to miss the opportunity, he wants you to believe his lies, he wants you to wait until the next time, today is not right, he wants you to believe that God will not forgive you, remember, he is a liar!

Listen to the words of God Himself from the Book of Isaiah . . .

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Mar

2018

Open Door

It is often said that when one door closes, another opens. Be careful not to look so long and so ruefully at the closed door, that you do not see the new one that is opening for you.

Matthew 7:7-8

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” ~Jesus

Mar

2018

Loving those Who Hate You

Matthew 5:38-48 ~ The words of Jesus; pretty radical stuff here!

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

We are taught to “FIGHT BACK” and inflict pain when hurt by others. “You hurt me, now I am going to hurt you.” Some folks you lay awake at night thinking of ways to inflict pain on those who have hurt them!

Someone in your world absolutely despises you; the mention of his or her name causes you great angst! You will run scenarios in your mind of how that person could be taken down a notch.

Jesus does not operate that way, and those who would follow in His steps, are commanded to operate like He did! Let it go! Stop hating! Stop gossiping about those you dislike!

Instead of tearing down, build up! Be an advocate for those that God has created, especially those who hate you! If you only talk nice about those who love you, what is that!

How about sticking up for those who hate you! Those that despise you! The next time someone starts a rant on a person you don’t care too much for, instead of jumping on the trash so and so wagon, shut it down!

Our grandson came home from school one day and told his parents that a kid in school was picking on him. He said the boy threatened to “kill him” as young boys are prone to say sometimes. Our grandson said to the boy, you can’t kill me, cause you’re going to be my best friend!” Today, about three years later, they are best buddies!

Be like our grandson and say something kind; come to their defense! To do less is to indicate that you despise them too!

You have now become as they are; the only difference is that you have cloaked your “meanness” in religious sounding words, while they are simply telling the truth about how they feel!

So. . . . do you love your neighbor as yourself? Why not?

Mar

2018

Hearing the Voice of God

1 Kings 19:9-13

Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁰He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

¹¹So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹²After the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. ¹³When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

The voice that Elijah heard was a rather quiet voice; a gentle whisper. Most of us would rather that God would yell; but do you really want God to yell at you?

Most conversations that I have with my wife Sherri are very gentle; we do not need to yell to one another in order to be heard. Now to be sure, I can be dull sometimes and on a rare occasion, be hard of hearing; in which case Sherri may need to turn up the volume so I can hear her over my own internal noise!

There are those occasions while driving that I tend to be day-dreaming and Sherri may need to shout to get my attention; I can’t tell you how many times a disaster has been avoided because she shouted words of caution.

God works pretty much the same way. Most conversations are intimate and easily understood; a gentle whisper; after all, He is living in me, so He should not need to yell at me!

However, if I am running headlong into some moral danger or temptation of some sort, God will turn up the volume and get my attention!

One of the most amazing things that God has done for us is to preserve His most treasured words in the form of a Book we can read; we call it the Bible.

While it does not contain everything God ever said, nor does it contain every act that God has done, it does have everything we need to know about Him until we meet Him face to Face.

As a small child, one of the most cherished times took place when I visited my grandma. She would break out a children’s book, and I would curl up next to her and she would read to me.

I would drink in every word; my emotions would rise and fall with every inflection in her voice and I would be totally enthralled as she excitedly read the book to me.

The next time you open up the Bible to read; ask God to read it to you! Let Him be the voice you hear as the words tumble off the pages! Let His joy be felt as He tells of the great exploits that those of faith did in His great name!

Listen to the sadness in His voice as He recalls those times that people He loved turned and walked away. Hear the fiery indignation as He recounts how he dealt with His enemies and hear the sweetness as He shares a love story in the Song of Solomon!

Hear the hopefulness in His voice as He shares the great Gospel message of Hope found through His Son; hear the pride in His voice as He thunders from Heaven; “This is My Son. . . In Him I am Well Pleased.” Hear the excitement in His voice as He describes the Day when He is finally united with His bride!

God uses everything at His disposal to speak to His children; He can yell; but He chooses to whisper. He can shout, but He would rather talk across the table with you. He would love to sit down with you and read to you the words preserved for us.

If you will develop your relationship with God, then you will begin to say things like; “The Lord told me . . . or The Lord said to me . . .” It will be as natural to you as talking to your spouse or close friend. It may seem mysterious to those around you, but to you, as natural as breathing!

I remember talking to a dear friend and evangelist, Gene Vincent; Sherri and I met him at a prayer conference in Atlanta Georgia years ago. Gene has a close walk with God and during the course of a conversation at one of the tables; Gene was talking about hearing from God.

Someone at the table asked Gene; “Did you really hear God’s voice speak to you; was it audible?” Gene looked up and said; “Oh, it was louder than that!”

What Gene was trying to convey is that when God speaks to you, it is more than a sound; it is a deep sense of knowing, a deep down conviction, and an abiding awareness that God is communicating something to you. It is undeniable and sure!

Have you had a conversation with God . . . lately?

Mar

2018

Unfurled

A sailor can never adjust the direction of the wind; it blows wherever it chooses to blow. However, a sailor can adjust his sails in such a manner that he collaborates with the wind, and together they can go far!

The Spirit of God moves in ways we do not always understand. He is relentless and many grow weary trying to divert His breath.

Perhaps it would be better to unfurl your spiritual sail to maximize your exposure to Him. In doing so, you may just begin the adventure of a lifetime!

“The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ~Jesus

Mar

2018

Passing Judgement

On weekends, I love to preach the Gospel whenever and wherever I can. During the week however, I drive a big-rig; racking up about 2000 miles weekly.

I have lots of time to think and pray as I drive along. Occasionally the Lord tests my patience and internal motives while driving, and He does it in the most creative way.

Recently while driving along a very twisty road, an old beat up Ford Explorer pulled out in front of me then went really, really slow!

I saw that the back bumper of his Ford was barely hanging on, and the left taillight was broken too. As I moved closer to him, he put on his right turn signal; I braked sharply, thinking he was going to turn.

As I backed off, he turned his right signal off. I quickly realized that he had no brake lights and was using the turn signal instead. It seemed as though he was turning the right turn signal on every time he slowed down.

As this behavior continued for the next few miles, I found myself becoming indignant about this driver. I thought how foolish it was to drive like this and how dangerous; it was an accident waiting to happen!

After about 4 miles of this driving this way, and judging this man’s actions, I looked down at my dashboard to do a quick check on my speed and gauges. I noticed that my right turn signal was blinking; probably since my last turn, nearly 6 miles ago!

It dawned on me that the man was trying to send ME a signal that I left my right turn signal was still flashing! I felt like a real dummy! Here I was, judging the man ; all the while, he was only trying to help me!

As I continued to drive along, I wondered how many times I misjudged someone based on appearances, preferences, or some other external influence; I cannot count how many times I have done that!

I am reminded of an Old Testament Scripture let me share it with you.

1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (Italics mine)

That verse reminds me to stop judging by outward appearances; the results of which produce faulty thinking; God does not do it, so why should I?

Lesson learned!

Feb

2018

Dance with Me

The following story I wrote for my true love, Sherri for Valentine’s Day, 2018.

Falling in love is easy, and can happen instantly, staying in love and living life together can be hard. A marriage is like a dance, It requires give and take, and yielding to each another.

This true life love story, is a heart-warming journey of one couple and the dance of life they began together.

Would they make it; or would they need an intervention from the Master Dancer?

Dance with Me

I dedicate this story to Sherri, the love of my life. She captured my heart many years ago, and I am still captivated by those inviting, mysterious eyes.

I have uncovered many treasures exploring the heart of this amazing girl; perhaps there are still undiscovered treasures; I will keep searching until I have them all!

A silver thread

It is January, and getting late in the evening; it is cold outside, four below zero, according to the weatherman. The wintry wind is gusting hard, and there is a chill in the house.

I glance across the living room and I see her, sitting sideways on the couch, feet stretched out, her favorite blanket snuggly tucked in around her.

As look over at her, I smile to myself; so glad she is warm on this cold night. As I walk past her, on my way to the kitchen, I see something unusual; a small silver strand, could it be? On my way back from the kitchen I walk closer to her, looking to see if my suspicions are true, and yes, there it is, a single silver thread, peeking out from her beautiful golden blond hair.

She notices my glance and quickly asks what I am looking at; “Oh, nothing” I say, as I head back to my seat, across from her, in our living room.

I dare not tell her what I found, or she would certainly be off to the hairdresser to vanquish that silver thread from the other recently highlighted strands. As I sit there, looking in her direction, she notices and asks what I am looking at; I just smile.

The silver thread causes my mind to drift back in time, the silver tint bringing memories of our first meeting; well at least the meeting that stands out to me. She recalls meeting me much earlier, and I vaguely recall it.

I do not dance!

I had just turned sixteen years old, recently getting my driver’s license and was out cruising. I decided to check out a school dance. As I went in to see what was going on, I recall a little blond-haired girl, all bubbly and chatty, bouncing over to me with some of her little friends; asking me to dance. I do not recall having ever seen her before, but as it turned out, she was best friends with my kid sister.

I looked at her and said quickly; “I do not dance;” thinking to myself, even if I did dance, I would not be dancing with a little twelve-year-old girl. I decided I had better get out of there, and off I went, never thinking again of the little blond-haired girl I had just met.

Little did I know that after I left the dance, she would go and tell all her friends that one day she was going to marry that boy she just asked to dance!

She recalls that meeting clearly, for me, it was a vague memory. Five years later, however, I would meet her again, a meeting that would change my world, and I will never forget it!

Who is that girl?

I had been away for nearly a year, living in the Pacific Northwest. I had returned home that winter, certain I would be heading back soon. I had been home for a few weeks and on one occasion, while stopping in to see my parents, there she was; the same little blond-haired girl that asked me to dance 5 years ago; wow . . . could this be the same girl?

She was still best friends with my kid sister and was down at my parent’s house visiting when I stopped in. My sister introduced me to her; reminding me that I had seen her before. If I ever did see her before, I never took much notice, but today, she had my full attention.

She was wearing blue jeans and a super soft, tight-fitting, long-sleeved turtleneck sweater; grayish silver in color, a perfect match to the silver strand I saw just peeking out from her golden hair a few moments ago in our living room.

She was all grown up now, she had all the right parts, in all the right places, and I took notice! I often joke with her, that I fell in lust with her that day, but truth be told, there was something much more intriguing to me than her perfect looks.

She makes my heart giggle

Our conversation was not very long that day, but as we chatted, I began to study what I was seeing, and I liked it . . . a lot!

She had a cute little thing she did with her glasses that made my heart giggle. She wore glasses that would occasionally slip down on her gently upturned nose; rather than constantly push them up with her finger, she would wrinkle her nose a little, and while doing that, her eyebrows and ears would lift a wee bit too; it was the cutest thing ever!

She still does it, and it is as cute today, as it was then.

It was not the glasses or the cute way she moved them with her nose that gripped me that day, nor was it her perfectly proportioned body; it was her eyes; gentle, olive green, with brown accents; tiny specks of gold dancing behind the lens of her glasses.

It is getting hot in here!

When I moved a little closer to her and she looked at me, I was startled; I felt flushed and could feel my face beginning to redden, so I moved off to the side of the room, pretending to look out the window, hoping she would not notice my reaction.

When I regained my composure, I wandered back over to her and we spoke some more; I needed to get another look at those eyes. There they were, captivating and mysterious. I could see that there was treasure hidden inside those eyes, there was an adventure in those eyes, and those eyes were calling me.

In that brief moment, time seemed to stop, those eyes were calling me to dance; not in the sense of being on a dance floor, but more like; “do the dance of life with me.” Her eyes were not asking me to dance; they were challenging me to dance; almost like, “I dare you, to dance the dance of life with me!”

Whoa! What was happening to me! Again, I felt flushed and I knew I needed to get some air. I made some lame excuse to leave, and jumped into my car and sped away, going for a long drive.

It was still winter, but I drove with the window down, trying to cool off, trying to shake the crazy feelings going through my being!

Was I falling in love?

A few weeks went by, and I still could not shake the feeling I had; was I in love? How can that be? Torn inside, all I could see were those eyes, calling me, beckoning me, and daring me.

Well, it turned out that my kid sister had a crush on my best friend, so it seemed like a good idea, to get together for a double date. Yes! I was so excited, I would get to spend a whole evening with this girl; I could not wait.

A day before the date, we got word that she could not go; her parents refused to allow it. Not wanting to ruin the weekend for my sister, another girl would take the place of her best friend on the date.

She was a cute little blond-haired girl, bubbly and full of herself. We all went out and tried to have fun, but my mind was in another place; all I could see were those eyes, those beautiful eyes, calling me.

I tried to be attentive to this other girl, but was distracted; to be honest, I could not wait for the night to be over. I am sure the little blonde-haired girl knew I was distracted too; the night finally ended and I laid awake, thinking of how I could get close to those eyes again.

It is time to meet her father

I got courage a couple of weeks later and decided to go to her house and take her for a ride. I recall knocking on the door of her home and her father answered the door. I stood there and I said to her father; “Hi, I am here to see your daughter.” It only took him a millisecond to say; “no you’re not” and he promptly shut the door in my face! Well, that did not go the way I thought it would!

I found out that she was a babysitter on the weekends, so I decided to stop in and “help” her. I would go week after week; then my car broke down, and then I would walk, run, or hitchhike the 6 miles to town just to see her. I had fallen deeply in love with this girl; I was in, lock, stock, and barrel; I wanted to dance!

Later that summer, I had a job offer; it would take me to Ohio. I needed work, and was having trouble finding a job in our hometown; I made the decision I would go to Ohio and take the job. I would be leaving in a couple of days.

Arrest warrant issued for kidnapping . . .

I asked her if she wanted to go too, and those eyes looked back at me and in a flash, said yes! I would pick her up at midnight; she came sneaking out of her house, with a pillow and some clothes; jumping into the car, we sped off into the night . . . is this what it means to dance?

We ran off to Ohio, soon to realize that her family was not happy about this; since I was 21 now and she was still only 17, there were warrants put out for my arrest; the charge was kidnapping! Her father was best friends with the county sheriff!

She was able to call home and told her father if he ever wanted to see her again, to get the charges dropped, which he did, and we proceeded to dance in Ohio.

Neither of us knew how to dance the dance of life, so we just went for it; creating our own dance moves; some of those moves were wild, crazy; even dangerous.

No constraints to hold us back, no idea of what the future looked like, we were dancing out of control but did not care, we were together, and that was all that mattered!

My mind comes back to the living room, I glance back over at her, still snuggled in her favorite blanket; a new pair of pink slippers, caressing her feet; a recent Christmas gift from our daughter; our firstborn child, and the memories return once again, and my mind drifts back . . .

We are going to have a baby!

Later that fall; still living in Ohio, I came home from work one afternoon, she looked at me, her eyes full of concern; she was pregnant; we were going to have a baby!

Oh no, what are we going to do? We decided it was best for us to head back to our hometown and I would find a new job. In May, we are going to have a baby!

I will never forget the week our daughter was born. It began Sunday evening; labor pains began in earnest, but a false alarm, no baby yet. The next day the pains would come again, even stronger now, still no baby.

I remember on the 27^th, the pains were unbearable and she was struggling. She motions for me to come near and I bend down close to her; as she begins to have another contraction, she reaches up, grabbing my beard, pulling me close to those eyes and she says; “I hate you, I hate you.”

I pull back a bit, her eyes are full of fear, unsure of what is next, she grabs my hand and pulls me in closer, and says; “I love you, I love you.”

Those beautiful eyes looking into mine and they say; “Is this dancing?”

On the 28^th, we became proud parents of the most beautiful baby girl; and we continued to dance the dance of life together.

Time for a wedding

Not long after our daughter was born, we decided it was time to tie the knot, so we got married. I remember the excitement of that day. It came time for the wedding dance, and she stood on my feet; eyes sparkling, and she looked at me and said; “Dance!”

I laughed as we danced around and around, her feet on top of mine.

After the wedding, we jumped on my dad’s motorcycle; I did not have a license to drive one, but it did not matter. We had a small overnight bag strapped on the back of the motorcycle and we headed off to the movies, watching The Fox and the Hound on our wedding night!

Not many years after our wedding, we began to realize that our dancing was becoming harder to do. I was working away from home each week; she was raising our daughter alone and without much support.

It seemed that we were each dancing a different dance and our lives seemed to be drifting apart.

Her eyes were on fire!

I recall one night, coming home from work, and rather than heading straight home to be with my wife and daughter, I decided to stop at a nearby pub to unwind.

I recall hearing a loud noise, it was the front door of the pub slamming hard, everyone turned to see, and there she stood, holding our little daughter in her arms; those beautiful eyes that once dared me to dance, were now on fire!

Her words were sharp; “Your wife and your daughter would like to see you this weekend if that’s not too much to ask!”

She spun around, taking our daughter home; I felt like she just threw her dance shoes at me. I wondered; are we finished dancing? Is this the end?

We tried to change our lives, but it was so hard. We would have another child soon, a son and we did our best to keep dancing.

Our dance moves became confused; I still wanted to dance to all the fast songs, she wanted to dance the slow dance. We began to step on each other’s toes, and the dance of life was getting harder and harder to bear. We were growing weary and did not know what to do.

Back in my living room, emotions are welling up, as my mind takes me on the roller coaster ride, which was our life. She is still over there, and she looks over at me and asks if I am ok, I smile and say; “I’m fine.”

I noticed a new purple Bible in her hand, another recent gift. She has become a real student of that Book, and once again, the memories come in like a flood!

The Master Dancer

One hot summer night, we found ourselves in a new dance hall; a place we had never been to before, with people we barely knew.

As the last song was being played, I found myself at one side of the dance hall, and she at the other; both of us in tears, not knowing what the future would bring; we were both out of dance moves, perhaps this was, the last dance.

As the last song began to wind down, the Master Dancer brought both of us together. He looked into our eyes, and without saying a word, His eyes said it all; “Dance with Me.” It was there, in that hot, musty old dance hall, we said yes to the Master Dancer, and we asked Him to teach us how to dance.

We learned new dance moves

Since then, we have learned some new moves, we have learned how to let the other lead, we have learned when to slow dance and when to dance fast. The Master Choreographer has given us new dance steps; dance moves we never knew existed.

Not long after we met the Master Dancer, we found out that we were going to have another baby; something we did not expect! We would have another son, and what a blessing! Is this what it means to dance?

Oh, occasionally we have stepped on each other’s toes, but we have the best Coach, He is always there to help us when we falter. We have learned to love the Master; He has taught us so much about life, about ourselves, and about Him.

Over the years, we have danced in front of hundreds of people. The Master called us to lead by example, showing others how to dance the dance of life.

The Master has allowed us to dance in many places; we have danced in Canada, Norway and we have danced all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back. We have danced in the Caribbean Ocean, in Puerto Rico, and a hundred places in between.

I am a blessed man!

Back in my living room, as I look over at that beautiful person across from me, I truly begin to understand how blessed I am. I have been dancing with this girl for nearly 40 years, and I plan to finish the dance of life with her. She is my lover, my confidant, and my best friend.

Someone once said, that falling in love is not a choice; but staying in love is; those words are true. When I walked past that 17-year-old girl in my parents’ house that winter afternoon, and I saw those eyes looking at me; calling to me; I fell in love; smitten if you will! No dating necessary, no long courtship needed, I was in love.

To stay in love required more than I was capable of giving, my own shortcomings got in the way, my own wants, my own desires, began pushing out hers, and this would become a great problem.

I am forever grateful for the intervention of the Master Dancer in our lives; He rescued us in so many ways.

To the dear blond-haired girl, with the captivating eyes, I just want you to know how very much I love you. You mean the world to me; thank you for dancing with me for all these years. I cannot wait to see what new moves the Master Dancer has in store for us; whatever they are, dancing with you, will always be a joy.

To those who have been listening in . . .

To my children, grandchildren, or anyone else, who may have a chance to read this love story, I encourage you; do not be afraid to dance.

If you choose to live your life as a single person, make sure your dance partner is the Master Dancer. Life with Him will NEVER be dull, boring, or unfulfilled, learn His steps, and do the dance with Him; your life will have meaning, substance and great joy.

A single person can live a life unfettered by the demands of raising a family and can do amazing things with the Master.

If on the other hand, you wish to fall in love, as we did, let me warn you, it is risky business. Look into those eyes if you dare, and if it is the right person, you will know. Open your heart to them, keep nothing back, and keep pressing in.

A married life is not easy, it requires that you submit to one another, it requires a yielding of your lives to each other; this can be very difficult; you will need much help.

Be sure that the Master Dancer is a part of your lives. Learn from Him, trust Him, and let Him lead. If you do this, your life together will one of tremendous joy full of many great rewards.

Life is risky, after all, none of us get out of this life alive; however, with the Master Dancer, the dancing does not stop when this life ends; it continues and with much more fervor and energy!

So . . . are going to just sit there, or are you going to dance? The music is playing, it’s time to put your dancing shoes on . . . Go!

What the Master Dancer says about Marriage

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Feb

2018

A Distant Rumbling – Do You Hear It!

Hallelujah! Spring is in the air!

A smile came to my face the other day as I rounded a corner on the road and saw several hundred buckets collecting sugar maple sap from a grove of trees.

It seems like we have had a “real” winter this year, and I for one, am looking forward to the smells of flowers, and fresh cut lawns!

Living in the mountains of Northwest Pennsylvania, we sometimes get to witness an awesome event. If the winter is cold enough, the mountain streams ice over, and depending on how cold it is; the ice can get thick.

When the weather warms up enough, the rivers begin to melt and at just the right time; the ice begins to break up and go down the river. If you have never experienced the ice going out, you need to see it once in your lifetime; the power is incredible!

I remember growing up in the Village of Cameron, and one night, I believe it was during March, the ice went out. It had been raining off and on all day and the water was coming up over the top of the ice.

It was about 9:30 at night, and we heard the windows shake in the house, we could even feel the vibrations rumbling in the ground. Dad and I, along with a neighbor, grabbed flashlights and headed down to the river behind our house, which was only about 300 yards away.

When we reached the river, the sight was unbelievable! Behind our house, there is a long sweeping corner in the river, and the ice was jamming up. There are two big rocks back there, that are about 15 to 20 feet tall, and ice was going up over-top and crashing down on them.

We could feel the earth shake under the incredible crushing power, of about 6 miles of ice, pressing down around the corner. I will never forget the power and awe of that night!

Once that ice begins to move, nothing can stop it!

How crazy it would be if a person were to get in the way of such a powerful force. A person would be very crazy to go and stand on the ice in front of that flow. They would be ground to pieces!

Yet, today so many are resisting another incredible force; a power that is even stronger and mightier than any ice flow. I am amazed at the flagrant violations of God’s Holy Way that are taking place in our world, and I fear for those who do not know what is coming down the valley.

Some mock God openly, taunting Him to action, while others are just oblivious to the pending danger. We know that God is a God of love, but time is running out for many, and the time of God’s favor is ebbing.

For those of us who know God, we must remember that God is also a God of wrath! His wrath is not for us, but for those who will not inherit the Kingdom of heaven.

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

There is a mighty power coming, and those who do not heed the rumblings, will be ground to pieces, I think it is time that we get serious about gathering in the lost, while we still have time.

To experience the wrath of God will be more terrifying than any ice flow. Let’s gently warn those around us of the pending danger, if they choose to get on board, praise God, if not, well then at least they were warned.

Luke 20:17-18

Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’? “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

See you down by the river

Feb

2018

Lost Love

Today is Valentine’s Day and I thought it would be appropriate for us to talk about love. We are going to take a look at the Book of Revelation in just a moment, but first, for informational sake, St Valentine was a real person.

Who was St Valentine?

He was a Roman priest during the time of the emperor Claudius. This emperor had issued an edict that young people not be married. Due to his desire to have the strongest military, he felt it was important that ALL of his young soldiers be unmarried.

He reasoned that those who were married would be less likely to die for the Roman cause, since they would be worried about their families.

St Valentine would secretly marry these young couples. Eventually he was caught and was put to death for his actions.

“One of the men who was to judge him in line with the Roman law at the time was a man called Asterius, whose daughter was blind. Valentine was supposed to have prayed with and healed the young girl with such astonishing effect that Asterius himself became Christian as a result.”

In the year 269 AD, Valentine was sentenced to death; the story goes that the last words he wrote were in a note to Asterius’ daughter. He inspired today’s romantic missives by signing it, “from your Valentine.”

Today however, we are going to move past St Valentine to Another in Whom our love and affection needs to remain constant. To do this, we will take a look into the Book of Revelation.

Have you lost your first love?

In chapter 2, the risen Christ begins addressing the seven churches; the first of which is the church of Ephesus, and this will be our focus today.

Revelation 2:1-7

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: ² I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. ³ You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.

⁴ Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.⁵Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. ⁶ But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

The letter to the church of Ephesus begins with several affirmations; and they are:

deeds done
hard work
perseverance
intolerant of wicked men

After these 4 affirmations, the Lord now shares something that He is holding against them.

If you were the church in Ephesus, and just received this letter from a messenger sent from God, and heard those words; “Yet I hold this against you” you would get that nagging pit in your stomach, and the words following would cut to the heart; let’s look at what Christ had to say in greater detail.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

The word that is translated “forsaken” comes from the Greek word:

aphiēmi af-ee’-ay-mee forsake, lay aside, leave, let alone

It means to lay aside, or let alone.

The second word in this phrase is this:

prōtos pro’-tos foremost, best

The last word in the phrase is the word used for love:

agapē ag-ah’-pay love, that is, affection or benevolence

When we put these altogether, we begin to get an idea of what Christ was saying. A paraphrase of this verse might read;

“You have set aside your best and foremost, affectionate love.”

You might ask the question; how does a person get to this place of laying aside their foremost and first love? Does it happen overnight? What is the driving factor?

How does one go about losing their first love?

To begin, what was it like when you first fell in love with Jesus? For most there was:

Passion
Hunger for His word
Fearlessness
Unashamed
Joy unspeakable
Faithfulness
Relentless pursuit

Then, slowly, over time, the pressures of this world encroach. People change, Christians turn on each other, the ugliness begins to press hard and you become disillusioned.

You cry out to God for relief, yet sometimes He seems distant. The passion you once had begins to cool and you struggle.

Matthew 24 contains a clue to the mystery . . .

The disciples had asked Jesus what things would be like prior to His coming again.

Matthew 24:9-14

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

One of the things we need to be on the alert to, is the increase of wickedness that is taking place today. This increase of wickedness has a numbing effect on our senses. It is a gradual thing, a gentle slide, if you will.

We live in a wicked world; evil is rampant!

In our society, wickedness is quite rampant, and because of the increase of technologies, we are able to see it in a moments notice. We hear of atrocities happening all around the world. Even today’s popular TV shows and movies invoke great evil.

We become desensitized to the wickedness around us, the faces of the people involved begin to blur, we lose compassion for the lost, we slowly enter into tunnel vision, and we tune out the reality of living in a lost, broken, evil world.

This coupled with painful experiences; some of which may have taken place in the context of “church-ianity”, can lead to the chilling affect that Jesus spoke of!

Those closest to Jesus, experienced this phenomenon too; do you recall James and John, nicknamed “sons of commotion” or “sons of thunder.” I do not suspect that you will get this kind of reputation by being gentle and easy going, but by being boisterous, loud, and perhaps even confrontational. In the Gospel of Luke we get an insiders look, let’s take a peek!

Luke 9:51-56

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. ⁵² And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; ⁵³ but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. ⁵⁴ When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” ⁵⁵ But Jesus turned and rebuked them, ⁵⁶ and they went to another village.

By the way, John who mentioned here is the same one who wrote the Book of Revelation!

What was going on here? James and John were beginning to go into what I might call an intolerant protective mode. By that, I mean they were getting the first hand view of how the increase of wickedness was affecting the world around them.

When Jesus was insulted, they took it personally; even having a desire to destroy those who would come against Jesus!

Peter really highlighted this! You will recall Peter, was the first of the disciples to “get it.” Recall the Scriptures . . .

Matthew16:13-19

When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” ¹⁴ So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” ¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

Peter knew who Jesus was; truth revealed to Him by God Himself. As Peter began to get an understanding of this reality, he became overly protective of Jesus. Recall Peter was the only disciple who had the nerve to rebuke Jesus.

Matthew 16:21-23

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must

go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. ²² Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” ²³Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

The fact Jesus mentioned that evil men would do bodily harm to Him, repulsed Peter; he (Peter) would never stand for it! Peter got angry at the mob came to arrest Jesus . . .

John 18:10-11

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) ¹¹ Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”

What was happening to Peter, to James and John? The increase of wickedness was “on.” They saw the hatred in the eyes of those coming against them; but more specifically, against Jesus, the only begotten Son of God!

These men began to lose their first love. Perhaps they had forgotten the joy of “agape love” when they provided thousands of men, women and children, a meal of fish and bread; looking into those eyes, hungering for sustenance that day.

Maybe they forgot the wonder of “agape love” as commanded by Jesus, to go out into the villages and towns, healing the sick, casting out demons; doing the work of a “sent one.”

Now, as the reality of living in an evil world begins to press in, they felt the need to protect God, as if God needs protecting! The love they once had for fallen humankind was waning, and they started to become part of the problem, instead of the cure.

Now we begin to get an idea of why Jesus places this rebuke right after He affirmed the church in Ephesus concerning their testing of false apostles.

They would have certainly put the false apostles out of the church, but perhaps they did so with a sense of pride. Maybe they began to take on the old attitudes that James, John, and Peter had.

Perhaps they forgot that behind the false prophet was man, a sinner in need of redemption. Maybe the fact that another human being could be eternally lost no longer broke their heart.

They had indeed lost their first love. The flame was dangerously low, if lit at all, and Jesus tells them; “Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

What a rebuke! A powerful warning to everyone who have ears to hear!

Love being restored

We will conclude our talk today by looking at an encounter that Peter had with Jesus after the resurrection. Remember, Jesus rebuked Peter; after trying to kill one of the crowd who came to arrest Jesus, and he had denied Jesus three times; in Peter’s estimation, quite a failure.

Let’s pull up a seat by the fireside chat, and listen in. . . .

John 21:1-19

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”

In this remarkable story, Jesus reaffirmed His love for Peter by His actions. He could have criticized Peter, ridiculed him, and said; “I told you so!”

Sitting by that fire, Peter experienced what I would call blazing, majestic, overwhelming love, coming from the Risen Christ! It must have been overwhelming!

The issue that Jesus was trying to bring to Peter’s attention was not that He (Jesus) loved Peter; that was now very evident. The question was; Peter, do you love Me?

Jesus simply asks you; “Do you love Me?”

Jesus calls us to repent, and do the things we did at first. I encourage you today, to renew your commitment, not only to Jesus, but also to the lost, wicked world around us. Recall the greatest commandment:

Matthew 22:37-39

‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

Feb

2018

Get Up . . . It’s a NEW DAY!

It is easy to fall into a boring routine if we are not careful. I do not know how many times I have walked into the nearby convenience store to grab morning coffee and bump into an old acquaintance.

The standard greeting; “Hi, how are you doing today?” unfortunately the common reply is usually something like; “Same stuff, different day” or “another day, another dollar” or some other variation.

Have you ever felt like that? It is an easy trap to fall in. I would like to encourage you to think differently today as you begin the new week . . . it IS NEW!

Think of this; the day you about to embark on has NEVER been lived before; it is NEW. As you head out the door, look for it! Look for the blessing of God. Look for His fingerprints on the day ahead; you will find them!

Ask God to reveal Himself to you today; ask Him to give you a new vision and clarity of heart and mind; you will be surprised at what you see! Hang on . . . this is going to be good!

Lamentations 3:21-23

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Jan

2018

Busted!

The day started with a doctor’s appointment, which set me back about an hour and a half from my usual scheduled work time. I am accustomed to starting my secular job, driving an 18-wheeler, at around 10 am.

The time for me to be working is not set in stone, so I can go in an hour earlier, or I could go a couple hours later if I needed to. Like many folks, I am a creature of habit when it comes to working, so I prefer to leave at a set time each day.

I am traveling a little faster than I should today, and I know it. Since I travel this road five days a week, I know the spots where police like to hide, running radar traps, so I am constantly on the lookout.

As I come down over this one hill, where I know the police are prone to wait for speeders, I’m watching my speedometer, I know I’m going a little too fast, but there’s fresh snow on the ground, certainly not a day anyone will be running radar.

Heading down this very familiar slope, the road drops sharply, followed by a nice wide-open area; you can see clearly in every direction. I knew I was going faster than I should, but again, I was sure no one would be running radar on a day like today. I let my car drift faster than normal, as I came down off that incline and into the sweeping corner at the bottom.

After I careened around the corner at the bottom of the hill, satisfied I made it undetected, I took a quick glance in my rear-view mirror, and there, approaching quickly, the familiar silhouette of a State Police car; a quarter-mile later, his lights came on and I pulled over.

The trooper was pleasant and all business, issuing me a ticket for $221, I was going 61 miles an hour in a 45 mile-an-hour zone. I told the officer I was guilty, I knew I was going too fast, no reason to argue with him, or make excuses.

I went on to work that day, an extra half hour later now, due to the stop, and a couple hundred bucks in fines that I would have to explain to my wife soon, Oh boy!

I began pondering what happened, it certainly was no accident. I did not have to be to work that soon, another couple of minutes would not have made any difference at all. I knew I was breaking the law, and I thought I could get away with it.

I was actively looking across the landscape, to see if I could find out where the police were. I was wrong and deserved the fine.

That got me thinking about my spiritual walk, my daily spiritual drive if you will. I wondered how many times have I broken God’s will, or how many times I tried to skirt one of His directives, knowing that I was wrong, sometimes trying to outwit God.

I wondered how many times I made lame excuses to God for my bad behavior. I wondered how many times I knew ahead of time I was going to do something God would disapprove.

I began to wonder what the consequences of those actions are going to be for me. Disregarding God’s commands is a very dangerous thing, and the consequences have eternal implications. You cannot just write a check to God and pay a fine.

I recalled the Scripture about giving an account for the actions we have done in this life, whether good or bad; a wave of conviction flooded over me!

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The next scripture that came to my mind was the one where God declared that if we confess our sins to Him, he would forgive those sins; but more than that, He promises to purify us from ALL sin!

I spent the rest of the day talking to God as I drove my truck around my route. I remembered things I had said or had done, that I knew were displeasing to Him and I began confessing them.

His forgiveness washed over me that day, and since then, I am more aware of my actions and thoughts; keeping short accounts with God.

Perhaps the $221 fine had greater value than I thought. God was using this encounter with the police as a way of getting my attention, a way of reminding me that my Father in heaven always has His eye on me!

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I wonder if I am alone in this endeavor, or if perhaps this rings a bell in your own Christian journey. If it does, then take time to think about your own life, avoid making excuses for the sin that you commit.

Do not ignore it, go straight to God and tell him what you have done, and perhaps He will show you grace and mercy and forgive you still; He did it for me that day.

Do it now, before it costs you more than you can pay!

Jan

2018

Distractions

I was living in Longview, Washington at the time; moving there in the spring, driving from Pennsylvania in an old beat up Chevy Nova. I had taken everything I owned, along with my faithful companion Brandy, a frisky little wire-haired Terrier.

I went on a whim, looking for work and at 20 years old, I was ready to make my millions. I took a job with a local contractor; working in new home construction.

I recall one particular Saturday evening; it was mid-summer, and it was very hot that night. Looking for something to do, I decided to go for a drive downtown, on the strip. On weekends, everyone would head to the “strip” and cruise.

The strip was about a mile long and ran through the city of Longview. The procedure was to start at one end and drive to the other end; turning around and then do it again. Fast cars and cute girls were sure to be on this popular stretch.

After several trips through; Brandy sitting was on my lap, nose out the window, catching brief breezes as we moved from one red light to another, we caught a red light.

Next to me was a carload of pretty girls and they began swooning over Brandy; “Oh what a cute little puppy, he’s so adorable.”

I whispered to Brandy; “Turn on the charm pal, this is working!” The girls were cute and my silly head was spinning.

I recall the driver of the car hollers over; “Our light’s changing, we have to go; love your puppy.” I look over, sad to see them pulling away, I yelled back; “me too” and still looking at them I pulled away.

The problem was, the traffic directly in front, had not moved yet, and I promptly ran into the rear-end of a very nice, custom Camaro!

Two big guys jumped out of the car and looked at the bumper of the Camaro. With great anger, the driver shouted a few choice words at me and told me to pull over and that I had better pray to God, his car has no damage!

I distinctly recall hearing the carload of girls I was dreaming of, laughing as they pulled away. I looked at Brandy and said; “I think we are going to die tonight.”

Thankfully, no damage to the Camaro, and since we were on a very populated avenue, the guys decided not to beat the daylights out of me. After that encounter, Brandy and I went home and spent the night watching TV and eating popcorn.

Distractions easily draw us off course. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 4:25; “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.” In our Christian journey, we are tempted daily to avert our gaze from Jesus to something else.

Recall the story of Peter in the Gospel of Matthew 14:22-33; Jesus calls Peter out of the boat, and Peter begins to walk on the water; how awesome is that!

However, as the story declares, Peter diverted his eyes from Jesus, looking at the wind and the wave, and that distraction caused him to sink!

Whatever the distraction you may be facing each day; whether the storms of life or as in my story, a pretty face, proceed with great caution and keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, otherwise, you just might run into something or someone and the outcome can be quite embarrassing.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jan

2018

The Mite Song

The Mite Song

Only a drop in the bucket.

But every drop will tell,

The bucket would soon be empty;

Without the drops in the well.

“Only a poor little penny,

It was all I had to give;

But as pennies make the dollars.

It may help some cause to live.

“A few little bits of ribbon,

And some toys—they were not new,

But they made the sick child happy,

And that made me happy, too.

“Only some out-grown garments:

They were all I had to spare:

But they’ll help to clothe the needy,

And the poor are everywhere.

“A word now and then of comfort,

That cost me nothing to say:

But the poor old man died happy,

And it helped him on the way.

“God loveth the cheerful giver,

Though the gifts be poor and small:

But what must he think of his children

Who never give at all?

Jan

2018

Holier than Thou

Early in my pastoral career, I felt I had a corner on what it meant to be a Christian. My views were set, or so I thought! As an evangelical Christian, I always found it difficult to listen to opposing views; perhaps more accurately, different views, and I would do my best, to keep “my people” away from those who saw Christianity through a different lens than mine.

Annually, in our small rural community, through the season of Lent, area churches would come together in a show of Christian unity and share pulpits.

We would invite guest speakers from the local ministerial association to speak in our home churches each week, as the Lenten season progressed.

It was great; a Baptist preacher would share the message at the Catholic Church one week, then a Pentecostal preacher would share a message in the Baptist church the next week. The Christian community traveled to different churches, meeting new friends and sharing times of fellowship following the services.

Some of the more evangelical pastors were skeptical of having a “non-evangelical” pastor preach in their church, so they would quietly ask evangelical pastors if they would speak in their church the week the community came to their place of worship. I was one of those pastors.

On one particular week of the Lenten services, a “non-evangelical” pastor, known for occasionally shooting down claims made by the more evangelical pastors, would soon preach at one of the churches.

As the week for him to speak approached, I purposefully “forgot” to announce the location of that week’s Lenten meeting; secretly hoping many of my people would “forget” too.

The night of the Lenten service arrived, and I felt obligated to go to the service. I went prepared for a message that would be high and lofty, with very little, if any mention of Jesus Name; I was not disappointed.

I found myself analyzing every word; glad in my heart that few of “my” people attended!

Following his message, a fellowship gathering in an adjacent room, separated by a narrow hallway was getting underway. As people began to make their way to the fellowship gathering, I decided I would join them for a moment and headed in that direction.

As I moved into the narrowing hallway, and kindly old woman, with a crown of white hair, came toward me, gently grabbing my arms, pulling me in. She looked at me, her eyes looking larger than life, through glasses with thick lens, fogged up as tears streamed down her cheeks.

As she drew me in, she said to me; “Pastor Rock, was that not the most moving message you ever heard?”

I was speechless; I mean . . . I had nothing, not a word! The best I could do was gently form a smile; she smiled too, then released her grip and ambled down the hallway.

I stood motionless for a moment, stunned by her words, and I distinctly heard the voice of God; “Rock, you missed it; you missed Me, I was there, where were you?”

I focused entirely on my own narrow view and my own self-righteousness; so much so, that I never noticed God’s Holy Spirit moving in that place. I Left quietly and went out to my car and sat there sobbing, sorry for my ignorance and pride.

God taught me, one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned, and that is He has far more grace than I ever will have.

He taught me that I do not have a corner on Christianity; others have a place at the table too. I have heard it said; “someone does not have to be wrong, for me to be right.”

A Scripture in the Gospel of Mark reveals an important truth . . .

Mark 9:38-41

“Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”

“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.

I think the point Jesus was making to John was a simple one; just because they do not belong to your group, does not mean they do not belong to Me.

I have seen Jesus work miracles in ways I never dreamed of and He uses people that I never would! His grace is indeed great, and I for one am very glad; He even has space for someone like me!

Jan

2018

Caged

Years ago, we got our daughter a beautiful little green canary for Christmas and she affectionately called it Tweety. It was a happy little bird and when it was hungry, it would live up to its name, tweeting loudly until someone took care of the empty food dish.

Every couple of weeks we needed to clean the cage, and while cleaning the cage, Tweety would often escape; flying around the house tweeting gleefully. Once the cage was clean, we now had the task of getting Tweety back inside.

To get Tweety back in the cage, one particular technique worked very well. I would gently carry the cage to where Tweety was perched, lifting the cage to the tiny bird, calling its name.

Tweety would usually hop into the cage; perhaps enticed by the pristine condition of his home, not to mention clean water and food.

Our little bird flew right out the back door

One particularly beautiful afternoon, while cleaning the cage, Tweety was flitting about the house as we were cleaning his abode. Since it was such a beautiful day, we forgot the back door to the house was wide open.

Tweety saw that the door was open, and just had to go see what was out there! In a flash, Tweety was out the back door!

In a panic, we all ran outside to see where he went. We stood there in the backyard, and then we heard the unmistakable “tweeting” of Tweety. His tweeting was loud and robust; you could hear the excitement in his tone.

We looked up into the tree and there he was, his emerald colors nearly blending into the bright green leaves of the maple tree. He was perched on the second branch of the tree; perhaps I could coax him back into the cage.

I rushed into the house and came running back out holding his cage up toward the branches calling his name; “Tweety, Tweety.” When Tweety saw the cage, he decided that he was not ready to go back in and he flew up higher into the tree.

With my wife and kids looking concerned and worried, I did what any good dad would do; I started climbing the tree after that little green parakeet; taking the cage with me.

I found myself climbing a maple tree with a bird cage in my hand

I climbed about halfway up the maple tree and got really close to Tweety, once again calling his name; but he was enjoying his newfound freedom and decided to go even higher in the tree.

I finally found myself as high in the tree as I could go; the limbs were getting smaller and smaller and Tweety was chirping away, just out of my reach. I recall hanging on for dear life; one hand on the tree branches, the other extending the cage as far as I could, while calling, “Tweety, Tweety.”

I recall the elderly next-door neighbor coming out on her back porch, looking inquisitively at me in the top of the tree calling “Tweety;” she just shook her head and went back inside!

In that final precarious position, stretched out, and as close as I could get, begging Tweety to come back, the little bird decided his freedom would not be denied, and he launched out into the wild blue yonder, never to be seen again!

We were sad to see Tweety depart, but we understood his desire to be free. I think for most people, their lives resemble Tweety’s life; mine certainly did. I felt caged, trapped in a lifestyle I could not escape.

Occasionally I would try and break out of the bondage of the cage by trying drugs, alcohol, sex or some other vice, giving me an illusion of freedom, but I was still trapped, unable to be truly free.

If the Son sets you free . . .

Then Jesus, knocking on the door of my life, He beckons me to open the door to Him. I open the door and stand there; I see the amazing world that I only dreamed could exist. I can smell the fresh clean air, I can see the crystal clear river of life flowing nearby, and my senses are overwhelmed.

Jesus, standing outside of my caged existence, gently calls my name, and with a winsome smile, says; “Come, follow Me.” I step out and my journey begins . . . free at last.

Oh, the devil is never far away, always trying to tempt me back into the cage, calling my name, but the further I walk with Jesus, the less I hear him calling and that old familiar caged life is just a memory.

How about you, are you still caged? Come on outside and follow the Master; He is calling your name, and remember; If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

Unresolved anger turns to bitterness

Bitterness is a powerful explosive

Bitterness towards God

Bitterness towards others

Bitterness to oneself

Get free of bitterness, once and for all

Time to cast bitterness into the sea

A small community with big problems

An encounter with God on the mountain

God taught me to pray Upside Down

Watch out for Hornets in the wild

We are born with a fatal sting

On a mission to remove the sting of death

Do not permit hornets to build in your house

Who was St Valentine?

Have you lost your first love?

How does one go about losing their first love?

We live in a wicked world; evil is rampant!

Love being restored

Our little bird flew right out the back door

I found myself climbing a maple tree with a bird cage in my hand

If the Son sets you free . . .

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