The Swamp

When I was a kid on our farm in Michigan I spent a lot of time in "The Swamp". I'd go down to the swamp and catch frogs, turtles, snakes or anything else that moved. The swamp is where I had my fun. This story is not about THAT swamp.

Sadly, these days "The Swamp" is in Washington D.C. The snakes that live there get THEIR fun out of spending other people's money and making rules and laws that they usually don't obey themselves.

Our latest president won the election based on a word picture that resonated with many American voters. He said he wanted to "drain the swamp". Most Americans would like nothing more than to start over and recall ALL of our senators and congressmen and women from Washington and begin anew. Nothing seems to be getting done.

Our government throws our money at all kinds of ridiculous things.

I saw a video this week about a guy who decided to build some houses for all of the homeless people living in Hollywood. And there are a lot of homeless there! Things were going well with the project. Houses were getting built, people were loving that they had a roof over their heads.

Then the government got involved. They removed their tiny homes and destroyed them. One would think that if someone like the guy building the Tiny Homes wants to build them and give them to people, they would let him. But no.

LA Musician Builds Tiny Homes For The Homeless

Our government spends money on the stupidest things. They spend OUR money watching birds, vacation for people placed on administrative leave, or solar beer. Here's a Top Ten List.

Top Ten Most Ridiculous Government Programs

The model I like for helping others is found in The Book of Acts. If there was a need the members of the church took care of it.

⁴² They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶ Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." - Acts 2 42-47

I'm not saying the church should pay for every government program. I'm saying that when there is a need it should be taken care of, or at least allow people to meet that need if they want to.

Is there someone in YOUR life who has a need? I'll bet there is. When you encounter someone in need, what would YOU do? Think about that. What would God have YOU do?
 
Helping Others

You Are

I'm not sure when it occurred to me. Was it on my ride home? Was it later that night? No, it was yesterday morning during my prayer time. That's when it hit me. It was a message behind the message! See if YOU can figure it out.

First, a little back story. I am building a Tiny Home to be used by those who are in need of a place to stay. Construction has been going slowly all summer. All I have done so far is the floor. It's time to build some walls but I am just one man. So I had an idea - a wall-building party on Saturday. The trouble was, only one person came to help. Together we built and raised one wall. Still, I couldn't have even raised THAT one by myself.

To make things worse the temperature was in the 90's and just about that humid too. By the end of the day I was wiped out - physically, emotionally and spiritually. That's when I made up my mind to hire someone to finish the work. It's nearly October. In Wisconsin! Time is short!! I was depressed at my inability to get more done for those who need homes.

I called a contractor on Sunday but there was no reply. Nor the next day. Remember that bit of information for a few moments.

Monday night I had a meeting with a group of people trying to make a difference in our community. My friend Dana did the opening devotional. It was about Nehemiah and about how the first thing Nehemiah did when we heard about Jerusalem's walls being broken down was he prayed. A great devotional and a great reminder about putting first things first.

But there was a hidden devotional in Dana's devotional about Nehemiah - specifically for me it seemed. Who rebuilt Jerusalem's walls? Most people would answer that Nehemiah did. His name is all over the story. The story is in the Book of Nehemiah. But he did NOT build the walls. The people of Jerusalem did. God used His people to build the walls!

When I told our group about my decision to hire someone to finish building the Tiny Home, they wouldn't hear of it.

"We'll have a barn raising party only for the Tiny Home!"

"I know some carpenter friends."

"I'll make a lunch for everybody."

"I'll help out too!"

Although I am the guy with the trailer and all of the lumber in his garage, I'm not going to be the guy building and raising the walls. It will be the people of our community. Think about it. It's perfect. That's the way it should be! That's why no contractors are returning my calls. Just like in the story about Nehemiah and the Israelites, God had the people build the walls.

God had this plan all along. Who would have ever thought that!! (sarcasm) No wonder things were moving so slowly. It was because I was trying to do things on my own. Without God. God will build this house. I just have to get out of the way.

Lord, you are the God of these people. You are the light in this darkness. Who's building this tTiny Home, Lord? It's obvious. YOU are.

God Of This City - Chris Tomlin
Chris Tomlin talks about "God Of This City"
Building The Barn - Witness

Nehemiah

Who rebuilt the walls?

Distilled Water

We humans love to complicate things. We take very simple concepts, like love for example, and we apply all kinds of conditions and qualifications to it. God's command is simple. Love.

“‘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.’ - Matthew 22:36-39

There's no conditions present. There are no buts or yeah-buts. We are commanded to love. Pure and simple.

Speaking of "pure". A year or so ago my wife was having trouble with her iron. The steam wasn't coming out when she pushed the button to make hot steam come out. She asked me to take a look at it. I noticed a build up of mineral deposits around the steam vent. I suggested using pure, distilled water to make the steam - water that had all of the minerals removed from it. Problem solved.

There is a saying, "The devil is in the details." That's true. I think we are better off keeping things simple.

There was some talk about September 23rd and the Revelation 12 prophesy. I wrote a story about it. Constellations and stars lined up, just like in the prophesy. My summation in that story was simple. Let's keep it simple. We must be ready, whenever Jesus returns. That's it. Forget about dates and times. Our job is not in the details. We get hung up on all of the details to the point where we can lose our focus on the important things. Like being ready!

I watch all these football players on television, protesting; taking a knee during the national anthem. They are protesting details in their lives by kneeling against a song about freedom - the very thing that gave them right to do what they are doing. Keep it simple guys. Distill things down to the basics. The national anthem isn't the problem. If you feel oppressed somehow, or wronged by someone, go talk to them personally. And on your way to talk to them, read Matthew 22:36-39 over and over again until it sinks in.

I see all these "religious channels" on television.  It seems like everyone has their own version of "Christianity". There is only one Gospel. Anything else needs to be distilled out. Jesus in Living Water. Any other message just brings impurities into the picture, clogging up the truth.

People say that Christianity is too exclusive. They're missing the point. They're confused by all of the details. ALL are welcome at the foot of the cross.

³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” - John 7:37-38

Are you thirsty? Try drinking PURE water. LIVING water. You will find that water never tasted so good.

All Who Are Thirsty - Kutless

A Light In The Darkness

We've all been there at one time or another - sad, depressed and alone. We get into certain moods where we're not really happy OR sad. Just kind of floating along, in neutral.

We find ourselves staring out windows, watching the world go by. Not really blinking as we look. That would wreck the mood we're in.

I was in one of those moods Thursday morning. On my way to work in the pre-dawn darkness. It had rained the night before. Everything was wet and foggy. Wet, foggy and dark. Perfect weather for feeling depressed.

I'm trying to build a tiny home and am at the point where I need some help. I can build the walls all by myself. That's not a problem. My struggle comes when trying to tip up the walls and put them into place - at LEAST a two-man job. Three would be better.

So I created a Facebook event and thought I'd have a wall building party on Saturday. Today. As of Friday nobody had signed up to come. Looks like I'll be building the walls all by myself.

That's how I was feeling Thursday morning driving in to work. Sad, alone, depressed. But then something happened. The dark interior of my car lit up. It was an incoming text from a friend at work, wanting to know if I'd like some breakfast. The text couldn't have come at a more perfect time.

I smiled.

We all have times like that, when it seems as if we're all alone. That's when God does some of his best work. It's during the depressing times, during the struggles,  that we reach out to God in our darkness.

Elijah struggled with being alone. He was a prophet bringing bad news to the people of Israel. Everybody hated him for the messages he delivered from God. HE was alone in HIS darkness and ended up hiding in a cave. But then God delivered a message to Elijah, letting him know that he was NOT alone!

"18 Yet I will leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed him.” - 1 Kings 19:18

We can often think that we are alone but God always seems to have some people in reserve for us to lean on. My friend Gayle is one such friend in MY life. And, of course, God Himself. How many times have I turned to Him in need? Who are your friends? . . . the ones YOU lean on? And do we lean on God as much as we do our earthly friends? Probably not. Not to the extent that we should.

When we find ourselves feeling alone, let us reach out to Jesus. He is not only our Lord and Savior but He is our friend. He wants nothing more than for you to reach out in the darkness. If you have never done so, do so today. He will ALWAYS answer your call.

Oh, and last night my phone lit up again. It was another friend offering to help build some walls with me.

I smiled.

See? God DOES provide. :)

^"29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." - Luke 12: 29-31

Reach Out In The Darkness - Friend and Lover

The End of The Age?

^"3 As He (Jesus) was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” - Matthew 24:3-4

Have you seen any of the Revelation 12 videos about what is going to happen on the 23rd of September? I finally got around to watching one and it contained some very interesting astronomical information. Something amazing is going to happen on the 23rd of this month - this coming Saturday - that has never happened before. Could this be a sign of . . . the end?

Watch this short video and see a description of this amazing sign that will be appearing in the heavens on Saturday.

Revelation 12 Sign

All that celestial stuff is fascinating all by itself. Those are facts and WILL be happening. But when you read the Bible, specifically Revelation 12, one has to wonder . . . what else will be happening?

Here is the text of revelation 12. What does this coming sign in the stars mean? You tell me.

"12 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth." - Revelation 12:1-2

Jesus told us we will never know the day or the hour of his coming. I believe that. It isn't our job to know these things or to make predictions. Our job as followers of Jesus Christ is to be ready for His return when EVER it is. So that's the question I guess. Are we ready?

Are You Ready? - Pacific Gas & Electric

"3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" - 2 Timothy 3:1-4

-------------------------

 

"Those who have ears to hear, let them hear."

The Power of Love

We never know when it will happen. We could be walking down the street or down a crowded corridor at school. It could happen at work, at home, or at the mall. It happened to me this past Saturday, right in the middle of a parking lot.

What am I talking about? The opportunity to love someone - "not as the world loves, but as Christ first loved us."

Look at the couple in this picture. They are actually total strangers, yet they found themselves in a loving embrace. Why? The guy was heading to the checkout line with the store's last generator. They were selling fast ahead of Hurricane Irma.

The woman in the picture began to cry because her father needs oxygen to survive. If the power went out in the hurricane the oxygen would stop and her father would very likely die. The man in the picture, seeing the woman crying, gave her his generator. Wow!

Saturday I was at Ruby's Pantry, a local food distribution for those in need. My job is per-registering people outside while they wait in line. This gives me the opportunity to interact with people and ask them how they are doing in life. I always do that. But I wasn't prepared for the answer I received on Saturday. Or was I?

One lady responded to my "How are you?" question with a lukewarm response so I dug deeper. "Anything I can pray for?" I asked.

"Me. A few weeks ago I made a suicide attempt."

Okay. What do you say to that?

I asked a few more questions and then offered to pray with her. I placed my arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close. My prayer was all about the unconditional love of God, who sacrificed His Son so that we might have life. Eternal life. I tried to be as encouraging as I could and then, at the end I told her I loved her.

I know that's kind of a weird thing to say to a total stranger but I felt like I needed to tell her that.

Later on I saw her in her car, driving up to get her groceries from the loading dock. She stopped her car short and then got out. She came over and gave me a hug and thanked me for my prayer.

We never know when we will be presented with a God-orchestrated opportunity to speak into the lives of others about God's amazing unconditional love. "Generator Man" was an amazing example of what God's love looks like. He sacrificed his needs in favor of someone else's. May God bless him for his example and his love for a total stranger.

May each of us ALWAYS be ready to display the love of Christ to everyone we meet. In that way God will be honored and that is why you and I were created - to worship Him in everything we think, do and say.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

(I just used that verse last week I think but it's an important thing to say, especially now in these last days)

Man Gives His Generator To A Stranger - CNN
The Power of Love -  Huey Lewis and The News
Father, Spirit, Jesus - Casting Crowns

The Parable of The Old Lawmower

Broken relationships. How do they happen? Someone we once thought would be in our life . . . forever . . . suddenly, they're gone. They leave us for some unknown reason - ripping a giant hole in our heart. Was it something we said? Was it something we did? Or, was it something we didn't do . . .

It may seem painfully obvious but unanswered questions like those are the most difficult questions to find answers to. That's why they are unanswered. If we only knew what caused a valued relationship to end we could at least deal with it. Or take steps to fix it.

I was mowing the lawn Thursday night. I gassed up "old reliable" - our lawn mower for the past 30 years - and began to cut the grass. Suddenly, something wasn't sounding quite right in our "relationship". Then BANG!! Something blew a hole in the side of the engine and our long term relationship was over. Just like that.

Why did it happen? Well, as I look back on things, it was probably my abusing it in some thick brush and stumps this past summer. Our "relationship" was never meant to be tested to that extreme. I had damaged my lawnmower to accomplish something I wanted. I didn't think about the health of my lawnmower, just like we often neglect our most treasured relationships.

Relationships with others are far more valuable in God's eyes than an old lawn mower.

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:34-35

Red letters. That's Jesus talking my friends. Commanding us to love one another. He's not ASKING us. He is COMMANDING us! Yet the divorce rate among Christians is basically same as in secular marriages. Why? Because we love ourselves MORE than we love others.

Look at the second part of verse 34. "As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

How did Jesus "love" us? Well, He died for us. Do we have that kind of love for others? Would you die to save your spouse? Your child? Your friend? Would you die to save the life of someone who doesn't like you? Think about that. Re-read the words of Jesus again.

Are you a disciple of Jesus? Do you love everybody? EVERYBODY? The opposite political party? Your ex? Islamic extremists? Do you love them?

Try this:

Have you talked with Jesus about your relationships lately? Try it. Tell Him about them all - the good, the bad and the ugly relationships in your life. Ask Jesus to help you love, even the unlovable. Keep asking. He will grant you this request because it is HIS will that you do this. Ask!

Forgiveness - Matthew West
Ask, And You Will Receive - InfuzeLight

Total Recall

I received a recall notice in the mail for my car this past week. Something about a malfunctioning steering system. Yeah. So I opted to schedule an appointment rather than wait for the steering wheel to become detached. Smart. :O

We don't have to be experts in discernment when someone sends us a postcard telling us we are in danger of dying. We usually don't want that to happen to us. Dying that is. We are thankful for the warning and the car company taking care of it for free.

Did you ever think about that? Why they repair your car for free? It's because the alternative - a wrongful death lawsuit - is probably more expensive than the fix. It's cheaper just to fix the thing and move on.

And what triggers the recall in the first place? How many people have to die before Detroit figures out, "Hey, there's something wrong with the steering system"? Probably one too many.

It's good having people who tell us when something is wrong. It can literally save our lives.

My wife and I like the commercial on television where there's a guy in the dentist chair. The "dental monitor" looks into his mouth and tells him something is terribly wrong. Then he and the dentil hygienist leave saying, "Oh, I'm not a dentist. I'm a dental monitor. I just tell you when you have a bad cavity."

The poor patient asks, "Where are you going?"

He desires to have his problem fixed but is then abandoned by the very person he believed could do that.

Jesus is far more than just a sin monitor. He can fix our sin problems simply by our placing our hope and trust in Him. And He has promised to NEVER leave us.

Look, we are all in danger of dying. It can happen at any moment. The question is, "Are we ready?" If this was your last day on earth, where would you be spending tomorrow? The choice is yours. Your destination location is up to you. Heaven or hell?

Most people wait to the last possible moment to consider Jesus. They're too busy. Too busy to make the most important decision of your life?

Hey, we ALL have a sin problem. Get that problem fixed today by placing your faith, trust and hope in Jesus. Do it before something in your life breaks and "free repairs" are no longer an option.

"But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him." - Jeremiah 17:7

¹¹ For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”  ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. ¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” - Romans 10:11-13

Dental Monitor Commercial - Lifelock
Come Thou Fount / Amazing Grace - David Crowder

The Unexpected

I was on my way to church Sunday morning when I came around a bend in the road and saw a rather unusual sight - a hot air balloon sitting there right beside the road. I slowed down, rolled down my window and asked, "Good morning! Need any help?"

"No, but thanks for stopping."

I supposed hot air balloons land in fields all the time. It's normal for them to do so. But it sure was unusual to see one that had landed right beside the road. I was NOT expecting that!

Later, after I had arrived at church, I was telling a friend about it and how we humans react seeing those unexpected things. What must it have been like when the disciples of Jesus were gathered in a locked room the night after Jesus was crucified?

^"19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord." - John 20:19-20

That must have been an incredibly unexpected moment. Can you imagine? Seeing your friend dead? Seeing him taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb? No one was really expecting to see him again. And then . . .

What would you say? What would you do?

All of us will see Jesus one day. For some of us it will be a joyous occasion. For others . . . Mmm, not so good. 

If you haven't done so yet, please, place your trust and hope in Jesus. We never know what is going to be around the next corner in life. Maybe it's an earthquake. Maybe it's a hurricane. Or two. Or three. Maybe it's a hot air balloon on a Sunday morning or an airplane flying into the World Trade Center. The question is, "Are we ready?"

People Get Ready - Eva Cassidy

Extended Warranty

My friend's husband is a good man. He watches after his wife's car like a hawk watches for inattentive mice. He noticed a small oil leak a few days ago and told her to have it checked out. Good thing she did.

It may have been a small leak but it was a big fix requiring leaving her car in the shop for several days. She would have had a rather hefty bill to pay as well, if she had not purchased the "extended warranty". Smart girl.

You never know what's going to happen when you buy a used car. Things can seem wonderful at first but then something goes wrong and the result can be quite costly. Or even terminal.

Sometimes I think that I need an extended warranty for this old body of mine. No, I don't have any "fluid leaks". But some of the suspension is getting old, my sag rods are failing and my sway bars are not doing their job anymore. LOL!

Have you considered God and HIS "extended warranty plan"? All Christians get an extended warranty for free, you know. As soon as we believe. :)

^"42Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. ⁴³ Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. ⁴⁴ They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies." - 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to getting my new body. Maybe I will have muscles . . . and hair on my head! But all that doesn't matter really. What matters most is the length of God's extended warranty.

It lasts forever!

Life Is Good - Stellar Kart

Riders On The Storm

Have you noticed all of the storms we've been having lately? Not only did Hurricane Harry do some incredible damage in Texas, but Hurricane Irma is bearing down on the Caribbean and Florida right now. It kind of makes you wonder . . . what's next?

There are more kinds of storms out there than just hurricanes though. There are political storms. We've been seeing those for over a year now. There is also a major storm brewing on the Korean peninsula as Kim Jong-un flexes his pudgy little nuclear muscles. And then there are all of the physical and emotional storms we face in life each and every day. Someone we know might be battling cancer or feeling alone late at night and life’s unknowns are keeping them awake. So many storms! TOO many.

Have you ever read Matthew 8? If you have storms in YOUR life you should commit it to memory. Watch what Jesus does to the storm He and His disciples were in.

“23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” - Matthew 8:23-27

Could it really be that simple? Could we simple ask God to save us and . . . He'd do it?

When I was in Mississippi several years back as part of a group restoring homes after Hurricane Katrina devastated that area, we saw a tree . . . the Angel Tree . . . where a man tied his family during the storm. They survived. You can read about it here:

Angel Tree

When we returned from the trip each of us stood up in front of the church to talk about our most memorable moment. Mine was that tree. I recited this scripture after I talked about the dad, hoping to keep his family safe. Where did HIS hope come from?

"I lift my eyes unto the hills,

Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

If you are going through a storm in your life, please, forget your stupid pride and consider Christ. He has the power to calm the storms, no matter what they are. Trust in Him! Then watch the winds calm and the waves fade away. Our only hope is Jesus. Please, trust it Him today.

Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Laborless Day?

So, it's Labor Day. Big deal. I get a day off from my real job so I can "labor" harder than I would if I didn't have the day off. Of course, we all like to get a jump on the holiday and we usually work our butts off in the yard or around the house the days leading up to our "day off". So by the time we actually get to Labor Day we're already too tired to enjoy it.

There might be a parade we could go watch or we might celebrate "the last official day of summer" by taking the family camping or on a picnic to a park but most people will spend it working anyway - mowing the lawn, seal-coating the driveway, or canning tomato sauce.

It could be worse though. For some reason I have this picture in my mind of Charlton Heston stomping straw into the mud so the Hebrew slaves could make bricks. I bet they would LOVE to have a day off from THAT labor!

If you think about it though, Labor Day is a day to celebrate God and the gifts He has given us. God has given us each certain abilities or "gifts". He gave us these skills, not only to put food on our tables, but He gave us the things we are good at to honor Him.

This Labor Day take a look at your job and ask yourself this question. How does what I do honor God? Think about it. You can probably come up with a list of things to thank God for.

Placing food on the table is one thing. What about the roof over our heads? Or the car we drive to work each day? And the relationships we have at work.

So, on this day let us give God thanks and praise for all of HIS labors on our behalf. It is only right and fitting to do so. Otherwise we labor in vain.

^"23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24
 
The Ten Commandments: How To Make Bricks
Working For A Living - Huey Lewis and The News

Bad Dreams

Where do dreams come from? I'm not so much interested in where GOOD dreams come from, just the bad ones. I'd like to know where bad dreams come from so I could go there and shut the door!

I don't have many bad dreams anymore, since allowing Christ into my life, but they still happen. That must mean something.

Maybe it's just my already-ancient mind getting older still but I don't think so. I have a theory. See what you think.

I am currently reading through the Book of Jeremiah. Chapters 39-42 specifically. God had used the prophet Jeremiah to warn His people in earlier chapters about their disobedience. They refused to listen, so Israel was about to receive its punishment.

God instructed those who wanted to escape punishment to follow His instructions and turn themselves over to the enemy. They would live, He told them, in servitude for 70 years, but they would live. If they chose to stay and fight the enemy however, they would die by the sword.

There is a simple message in those chapters - obey the Lord and live, disobey and die. So, what does that have to do with dreams? There are good dreams and then there are bad ones. If dreams are birthed somewhere deep in our minds, what controls the content of those dreams?

I have heard that some Muslims are coming to faith in Jesus through dreams. What a joyous dream that must have been! Could our bad dreams be some kind of warning? Are we being totally disobedient to God in our lives and that is what warrants our bad dreams? Or maybe God is seeking us, like He did with the Muslims. Could He be seeking a closer relationship with us than the one we currently have with Him?

I woke up from my bad dream this morning thinking that I need to walk more closely with God. I need to follow His commands in my life, not what the world tells me to do. Following Jesus will not stop our sin, but it should. I think stopping the sin part is up to us. God gave us free will. Are we using that free will to follow God, or to follow "our dreams"?

There is only one answer that leads to life . . . that leads to GOOD dreams, not bad - and that is to trust in the Lord, with all our hearts & souls, all of our mind and strength. Only then will we have peace in the land that God promised. Only then will good dreams replace the bad.

^"10 This is what the Lord says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. ¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” - Jeremiah 29:10-14

Trust in the Lord. Follow Him in all of your ways. He had promised to give us peace. We must repent of our sins, placing our hope and trust in Jesus. Then, and only then, will the bad dreams lessen and the good dreams abound.

All I Have To Do Is Dream - The Everly Brothers
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac