Exploding Hearts

My wife and I were playing a game of Exploding Kittens the other night but we stopped. The instructions were too complicated and confusing. Our desire to continue waned.

Simple is better, we decided, and each of us picked up a book to read. That's when I got the text. That's when my heart exploded.

Relationships are precious things. At least they are supposed to be. We all watched with great sadness as the story of Gabby Petito unfolded these past few weeks. What a sweet, young girl. What a tragedy. But what if the story had turned out differently? What if she had been found alive?

Now you can understand the title of this story a little better. Her families hearts would have exploded!

I retired several years ago but I still visit the office where I used to work. I love return there because that's where many of my very closest friends are.

On one of my visits a few years ago I stopped to see one of those close friends and was saddened to see their office dark and empty. When I asked about them I was told that my friend had resigned.

Well, that hurt. No phone call. No text. Nothing. I thought we were close. I sent messages but responses were few and far between. My heart was not as "full" as it once had been.

But then (there's two amazing words for ya!) I received a message from that person last week, asking if we could have lunch. I thought my heart was going to explode with joy!

Have you ever read Luke 15? The story that Jesus told about The Prodigal Son. What an image of an exploding heart! When the father and the son got back together! Oh, my!

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20

All of our relationships should be like that.

God loves it when we come to Him. Maybe it's been a while since we were with Him in prayer. Perhaps our hearts have grown cold and dark like my friend's office. It's not too late to change things. Reach out to a friend. Get down on your knees and talk to God.

While love is not a one way street, sometimes it just is. Maybe someone needs a "delivery truck" to pull up to their house and deliver some much needed love.

The world is a scary place to be living in right now. Many people have closed their doors AND their hearts. God has commanded us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. The instructions couldn't be more clear. Explode someone's heart today!

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

The Parable of The Broken Refrigerator

It happened a few days ago. The call came from the kitchen that our refrigerator's water dispenser wasn't working. "This is a job for Mr. Fixit!" my wife said.

Of course I had to try it for myself and, indeed, the dispenser failed to produce any water when I pushed the lever. What now?

The first thing we did was search for the owner's manual. It listed off all of the reasons the water dispenser wouldn't be working. I checked them all. None of them worked.

Then, I checked the water supply pipe in the basement. It was filled with water. Next I pressed the lever on the refrigerator door again and listened. I could hear the pump inside the refrigerator kicking in. At least it was TRYING to dispense water, but something was preventing it from doing so.

I tried dispensing ice. That worked. Then I switched back and tried to get some water again. Nothing. Hmm. I elected to partially empty the ice cube dispenser and see if the refrigerator would generate any new ice cubes. It did! Hmm. Water was at least getting to the ice maker. The problem was being isolated now. Something was wrong inside the door of the refrigerator.

As I waited for the refrigerator to produce more ice I searched for a YouTube video and I found one. The repairman said it could be a frozen waterline in the door. He said, "It's a common problem."

So I pulled out my wife's hairdryer and began warming the door. I blew hot air on the dispenser, the door, and the visible portion of the plastic water line, all for 15 minutes. Then I tried dispensing water again and . . . out it came! It was a frozen water line.

This whole process is EXACTLY like finding Jesus. Think about it.

First, we have to realize that we all have a problem in this life. Our hearts ARE "frozen" and in need of repair. We need Mr. Fixit and His name is Jesus. But before He comes to our house we have to do a few things.

We need to take a good look at ourselves to find out what the problem is. We actually need to acknowledge that we DO have a problem.

What are the symptoms? Look at the clues! Sometimes we can come to our own conclusions and determine what needs to be done, but the best and most efficient way is to seek out the advice of someone who has done it before. Talk to someone!

Ask a pastor. Talk to a born-again Christian. Ask them what steps THEY took.

Read the Bible. It's the instruction manual. It will tell you all of the possible causes and remedies for your broken soul.

Finally, realize that you CAN be fixed and made to function again. In the case of our refrigerator, what ultimately fixed the problem was a steady dose of something invisible to the naked eye. Air. Warm air.

The solution to life's problems often begin with the problem itself. Praise God for the problem! Problems create a desire in us to fix them - to find a solution. The solution is Jesus. He's the repair man. The means by which He works is the Holy Spirit. Once the Holy Spirit enters your house (you) your problems are over and living water will flow in your and through you, forever.

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” - John 7:37-38

The Cure For Anxiety

A lot of people are worried these days. Anxious about life, Nervous about the future. And rightly so. But what can we do about it? How can we get rid of it?

"More coffee please!" would be the cry of some. "Can I have another?" might be someone else's solution.

This picture might be a mom who has had too much of there kids. But from another point of view we are actually looking at the solution for anxiety - prayer.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

First off, 'do not be anxious' is a command.

There are different types of anxiety - good and bad.

Example 1: I was contacted by a friend who I haven't seen in a while. We are having lunch next week. I an anxious for that day to get here. That's good anxiety.

Example 2: My wife gets a text telling her that the person she was just with a few days ago has tested positive. Our minds start racing and we get worried about our health. That's a bad type of anxiety.

When we feel anxiety about something we should turn to God for help and comfort. God wants us to do that and has actually commanded us to do so. Here's another verse to remember:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10

When we turn to God in prayer and give everything over to HIS care, the stress and anxiety are lifted from us. Unless we are actually not giving God everything. We tend to want to do things on our own, and that's where our troubles begin.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

David was pursued by a king who wanted to kill him. He was hunted down, attacked with spears, and plotted against. What did David do? He prayed. And what was the result of his prayers? He was protected and comforted by God.

"When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." - Psalm 94:19

What's has been stressing you out lately? What is making you anxious? Package it up and give it to God! Or do you believe that God cannot handle your anxiety? Is your stress too much for the Creator of everything? No! Then give everything to God!

If we cannot give our anxiety to God, we have a bigger problem to be anxious about.

We Are Alita

Do you know who you are? Really and truly, I mean. Deep down, hidden in your heart. Do you really know?

One of the first questions we get asked when we are kids is, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Our typical childhood answers to that question range from astronaut, to fireman, to president of the United States. Seldom do our childhood dreams come true.

One of the first questions we get asked when me meet someone as an adult is, "So, what do you do?" Why is our job one of the first things things people want to know about us? Do our jobs define us?

I think a better question to ask someone, if you are truly interested in finding out about that person, is, "Who are you? or maybe, "What defines you as a human being?" It is often hard to answer those questions unless we first dig deep and examine ourselves, truthfully.

I watched a movie recently called Alita: Battle Angel. Alita didn't know who she was.at the beginning of the movie but eventually she figured it out. Who she truly was soon became apparent as she encountered life and reacted to it.

After Alita discovered who she was, her father told her, "Now you know who you are."

Who are YOU?

Jesus KNEW who HE was. This passage from Matthew indicates the best way for each of us to define who we are in this life. Pay close attention.

"When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:13-16

Who do OTHERS say that we are? What do others think about us? What do others think we are good at?

Peter knew that Jesus was the Son of God. And Peter's statement also defined who HE was.

What defines us as human beings? Is it our jobs? Is it our education? I don't think so. I think it is our compassion and love for others that defines us.

I had lunch with a young friend of mine recently. She is compassionate and cares deeply for others. But at the same time she is also unsure of her future. My prayer for her was that God would open and close doors in her life and that His Holy Spirit would lead her to where He wants her to be.

We can try to figure things out for ourselves but that often leads nowhere, working in dead end jobs. If we follow our hearts and follow God's leading, we are sure to end up exactly where God wants us to be.

When God asks us who we are in heaven one day, what will we say? Based on what we just read in Matthew, the best answer has to be, "I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God."

Alita: Battle Angel Trailer

The Parable of The Stairs

There was a time when we could run up and down the stairs with great ease. Two steps at a time! We had tremendous energy. These days however, going down the stairs can be a dangerous thing!

Stairs go up and stairs go down. Stairs are designed to get us from one level to another. The choice is up to us which way we want to go.

Until this year my wife and I had just one step to get up into our house. This year I added a single step to make our journey easier and safer. Our old knees just aren't what they used to be.

We humans like things easy. In addition to plain old stairs we also have ramps, escalators, elevators and lifts. They all accomplish the same thing - getting us from one place to another, up or down.

Our faith journeys involve similar stairways. Each comes with an accompanying decisions. Are we going to go up, or down? Will our journey be difficult of easy? The choice is ours.

He's a little tip from someone who has gone up and down stairs his entire life. Going up the staircase is more difficult than going down, but the view from the top is fantastic.

You know, by choosing Jesus to be lord of your life, you can instantly get from one level to another. You can change levels by not choosing Christ too, but the view!

Choosing Christ is like coming out of a dark basement, into the light. Not choosing Christ is like . . . well, it's like doing down and endless flight of stairs into a darker and darker world. We DO have a choice however. Let's go UP!!

A Heart That Hears

Just when we thought we've heard it all, something else comes along to make us think, "We ain't heard nothin' yet."

Everyone has reasons why they believe what they believe. And that's fine. The problem comes when a person or group thinks that YOU should have the same opinion about something that THEY do. Then the battle truly begins. Battle lines get drawn, volleys of words go back and forth, it can really get ugly. Friends and family members take hits, all because of our beliefs and our unwillingness to listen and truly hear what someone is telling us.

Solomon was a wise man. When God asked him what it was that he wanted, Solomon asked for something rather unexpected - an understanding heart. A heart that hears.

"Now, O Lord my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” - 1 Kings 3:7-9

Do we listen to people with an understanding heart?

Someone might think I should wear a mask or take a shot. They want me to vote for their candidate and give up my guns. They want me to have an extended car warrantee! They want THEIR will to be imposed on ME. Is that right? What happened to free will?

I recently had a discussion about the vaccine. Someone thought I should get it. This is what they said to me.

"Your free will ends when someone else is hurt."

Did you get that? In their opinion, my not taking the shot is HURTING someone else. Really?

Listening with an understanding heart tells me that this person is very compassionate for others. SO compassionate that they are "willing" to sacrifice MY freedom for their peace of mind.

But I also sense fear. Though they profess faith in Christ, why then do they live in fear? The two are not compatible.

We need to be compassionate for others, like my friend is. But the compassionate thing to do is to spread the Gospel, not fear. Why are people afraid of getting the virus? It has a 99% survival rate! Could it be that they truly ARE afraid of dying?

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

We all have decisions to make in life. Personal decisions. Decisions about our health, about what we watch on TV, about who we vote for. We should always make those decisions with and understanding heart. A heart that hears.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart. and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" - Proverbs 3:5-6

What Am I Missing?

This story is about prayer, our need for it right now in this world, and my deficiency and inability to do it well.

I was playing disc golf the other day and lost my favorite long-distance driver in the tall grass. I walked all over the place looking for that thing. I couldn't find it anywhere. I was getting sad and frustrated.

Finally, after about 30 minutes of searching, a verse came to mind.

"You do not have because you do not ask." - James 4:2

I'm not going to pray for God to help me find my disc. He's got more important things to do these days. That's when another thought popped into me head and I prayed a short little prayer.

"Lord, what am I missing?"

The answer came quickly.

Get down on your hands and knees.

So I followed that "suggestion" and within 2-3 minutes I had found my disc.

"Thank you, Lord!"

That whole searching process made me examine my prayer life. And honestly, I found it lacking. Are my prayers REALLY heart-felt? Do my prayers convey a sense of urgency and dependence on God? Am I so desperate in prayer that I fall down on my hands and knees and pray earnestly for God's will to be done, and not my own?

Too many times I have gone through my laundry-list of prayer requests. In doing so, am I treating God like a magic genie? DO I make my three wishes and say 'amen'? I hope not.

This world needs prayer. I think it is now beyond the time for "now I lay me down to sleep" type prayers and time to 'put on the full armor of God' prayers. We need to be warriors now! Prayer warriors! Can I get an 'amen'?

Let's get busy doing God's will in our lives and let us be found doing so when He returns. Which may literally be any moment now. Pray!!

Bad Days?

Bad Days. We all have them. We all experience them. So, how do we get rid of them? How do we keep them from happening to us again and again? Try these things.

First, examine your bad day. Why did it happen? Was it something YOU did? Or was it something that was done to you? Did your bad day come from someone in particular? Was your bad day due to an event of some sort? What caused it?

Reach out. Talk to a friend. Make a phone call. Just talking or venting to someone can make you feel better. Do it!

Examine yourself. What makes you happy? What things do you enjoy doing? Why aren't you doing more of them? Is there something in YOU that needs to change?

Take some positive steps to keep your bad day from happening again. Was it a hurtful conversation? Talk it out. A bad relationship? Maybe it's time for a change. Or, if it was really bad, leave! Nobody needs abusive relationships in their life.

Set some goals. Define what makes up a good day in your life and begin your walking towards those goals. It might take some time but you will get there.

Make the change. If bad days keep happening in your life, something's wrong. Something's out of place. Something is broken and it needs to be fixed.

There is one thing you could try that is life-altering. It will change your perspective on things and it will greatly reduce the number of "bad days" you experience in life. Each one of the steps I have mentioned above can be addressed all at once.

Talk to Jesus. Examine yourself to see where you are lacking. Take a positive step and make Jesus Lord of your life. Let your relationships with Him be your goal. Take the steps you need to take in order to meet Him. And make the change. Jesus will definitely change your life. Do it today and make "bad days" a thing of the past.

Here's one final question for you to consider. Could God be allowing bad days in your life so that you will finally and completely turn yourself over to Him for help? Think about it. Make the change.

"I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18

Forever Changed?

Twenty years ago today our lives changed. Forever. We say that, but did they really? Did we really change?

History is supposed to be a great teacher. It reminds us of things we should and shouldn't do. It reminds us of past events, anniversaries, it's good that way, but only if we choose to use history as it is intended.

These days we seem focused on rewriting history. We wouldn't want to offend anyone so we rewrite the history books.

I wonder how long it will be before 9/11 is removed from history class. Will we even HAVE history books or classes in our schools?

Do you remember the day after 9/11 and how people flocked to churches all across our country? People were looking for hope. Well, we're over that now.

Events like 9/11 should change us. Forever. But they don't. They might change a generation of people but the next generation will forget and regress. It's been that way throughout history. Why would we change now?

That's why we need God's help to accomplish that change. We can't change ourselves. We've proven that for thousands of years. We need God. We need Jesus.

If we place our faith  in our own abilities and strength we will fail. We may have built a new skyscraper but we have failed as a people. God alone saves. God alone is who we should worship. Not ourselves.

Until we turn to God and die to self we will never be changed. Make the change.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Transplanted

I was reading through the first chapter in Psalms this week and was struck by the use of a single word, or more exactly, a single word's translation. I have highlighted that word in the following passage. The word is "planted."

"Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers." - Psalm 1:1-4

I read out of a study Bible and in the notes at the bottom of the page for Psalm 1 there is a comment that says the best translation should have been "transplanted," instead of "planted."

Think about that for a moment. Planted implies growing something from a seed. Transplanted means moving something that is already BEEN planted - from one place to another.

Didn't God do that with each of us? Hasn't He transplanted us from the lives we were living and placed us into other lives, after we came to faith in Christ? And it was all for His glory, wasn't it?

It indicates to me that our faith is not so much OUR doing as it is God's. We are "like a tree transplanted." Does a tree transplant itself? No! Then who is the transplanter? It's God!!

How blessed are we that God would care enough about us to dig us up out of the poor, lifeless soil where we once lived and place us next to a life-giving river, Jesus Christ, where we will flourish!

The next time you doubt your faith or question your worth in God's eyes, remember Psalm 1. Your leaves will never "wither" because you have eternal life through faith in the Lord God Almighty!

Trumpets

Each year at this time I always get excited. My heart is filled with anticipation as I wonder what it will be like to "be transformed in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye."

You see, when God handed down the law to Moses He created seven festivals. Each was on a specific day and had a specific meaning. But what many don't realize is that each of those festivals also have prophetic significance. And Jesus has already fulfilled the first four of those seven prophecies - each fulfilled on the specific festival day.

What's really neat is that the next prophetic festival that is due to be fulfilled is the Festival of Trumpets. Rosh Hashanah. That begins today.

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." - 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Interestingly, when Paul wrote the verse above to the Church in Corinth, he used the phrase "at the last trumpet." There is great significance to the sound of "the last trumpet."

There are 100 blasts of the shofar (the Jewish trumpet made from a ram's horn) in the prayer service. The last of those is important because that is the moment all of God's children will be changed. We also will be gone from this earth. We will then be with Jesus.

I am writing this story the night before Rosh Hashanah. My computer has been programmed to post this story whether I am here or not. My story is in the cloud you see. And someday, on Rosh Hashanah, so will we be. Amen and amen.

This link will take you to a story about Rosh Hashanah Read it and learn from it. Place your faith in Jesus before it's too late. It will be too late when the last trumpet sounds.

If you are still on earth after all the Christians leave there is still a chance for you. You MUST place your faith in Christ! That's number one. But you will then have to endure seven years of tribulation like you have never seen. Stay strong abd nay God be with you.

The Feast of Trumpets - Rapture Day

The Journey Home

Each of us is on our own spiritual journey in this life. Some of us take short walks around the block while others travel long distances, searching for the truth.

We all assume that we are on the right path in our walk. But what happens when the trail fades or we find ourselves standing on the edge of a cliff? Should we turn back? Or should we take a giant leap of faith?

Occasionally we encounter people on our journey who act as guides for us. They might say something of offer up some piece of advice that finds its way into our hearts. They act as guides for our walk. Have you met someone like that in YOUR life?

We ourselves might be influencing someone else's journey. Something we say or do might cause someone to stop and take notice, or even alter the path they choose to walk on.

I have a guide book that I use for my spiritual journey. It is filled with all kinds of tips and warnings of things to watch out for along the way. Guidebooks can be handy if we know that we can trust the author.

The authority of our guidebooks and and trail guides is of critical importance. Are they trustworthy? Are they true? Our life depends on the advice they give.

I have chosen to trust in God, Jesus (His Son), and the Holy Spirit. The Bible is my guide book. None of these has failed me. Not once.

Others might choose to walk a particular path in life and follow a particular belief system. That is their choice. But as for me and my house . . .

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus - Elevation Worship

"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose." - Philippians 2:12-13

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6

The Reprobate Mind

One verse keeps coming into my mind lately. One WORD actually. Reprobate.

"And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting." - Romans 1:28

What exactly does 'reprobate' mean anyway? If we go through the various translations of the Bible, these are the synonyms we will find for 'reprobate': depraved, foolish thinking, debased, corrupt, worthless, useless, immoral, degraded, disapproved and utterly worthless. None of those sound very good. But they sound all too familiar.

Here's the official dictionary meaning of the word reprobate: an unprincipled or depraved person : scoundrel, rogue.

Not many pastors preach on Romans 1 these days. It's a hot potato in this politically correct, woke world that we live in. Well, I'm not going to preach on it either but I am going to use part of it today to make a point. Romans 1:30

"they invent ways of doing evil." - Romans 1:30

I believe that 'we the people' are guilty of this. We have invented new ways of doing evil. There apparently weren't enough deadly viruses in the world. Let's alter them and create deadlier version! They call that "gain of function". Sounds like LOSS of function to me. In our brains!!

I believe God is punishing us for our disobedience. Read through 1st and 2nd Chronicles sometime. The whole Old Testament for that matter. God has punished nations for their disobedience and turning their backs on God.

Will we ever repent of our sins as a nation? As a people? No, I don't think so. Some will, some already have. But the overall nation? Nope. Not unless God extends us mercy. But He has already done that through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus. He's waiting for us. God is patient! But not tolerant.

Not that I know what God is thinking, but it seems to me like it's about time for Him to rapture His church on outta here and let Satan have his way for the next seven years. God will increase His punishment on a world that has turned their backs on Him.

There is still hope though. Have you ever read the story of King Hezekiah? "He did what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God" - 2nd Chronicles 31:20 And guess what happened as a result of all the reforms King Hezekiah put in place? Revival. Revival came to Judah.

Is it too late for revival in this country. Maybe. I don't have any idea. But God does. I think we should pray for that. Who's with me? But above all, we must pray for God's will to be done, even if this mess we are in right now IS His will.