From The Beginning

"For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." - 1 John 3:11

I cannot sleep tonight, therefore I write.

I'm scrolling through YouTube yesterday in between chores; giving my body some time to recover from yard work, and I came across a video of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer's song "From The Beginning" (1972).

The 70's sure had some good music, and ELP provided a few of the greats, that's for sure. But some songs feature lyrics that can have multiple meanings. Kind of like a parable.

You see it's all clear

You were meant to be here

From the beginning

I touched on this a bit a few stories ago. About how we were chosen before the creation of the world.

For most of my life I was obvilious to God's Word. I knew some verses. But none of them meant anything. I didn't go to church. So what happened?

As near as I could figure, something in me got 'activated.' I began reading the Bible and found out what it was.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me." - Revelation 3:20

Of course, Jesus is not standing at any door. This is a figure of speech. 'The door' is our heart. Jesus wants us to open our hearts to Him. And when we do, THEN He comes in.

God gave us free will. "Our will" is us opening the door that Jesus is knocking on - our heart.

He has been waiting to "come in and eat with us" for a long time. From the beginning. Is Jesus knocking on your door right now?

Nothing got 'activated' in me. I was given something.

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you." - Acts 1:8

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - Acts 2:8

Do youself a favor. Open the door. Let Jesus come into your life.

"For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." - Matthew 7:14

From The Beginning - Emerson Lake & Palmer

The Calling

"No one comes to the me unless the Father who sent me draws them." - John 6:44

Have you ever heard a wolf howling, crying out in the wilderness? They are calling to one another. Assembling the pack - its family. How do we answer when God calls us?

Christian evangelists tells us we must "choose Christ." But is it really OUR choice if we have already been chosen by God?

I see Franklin Graham on television telling people to "pray this prayer." Do we really need to pray a prayer if we already have been chosen?

One of my favorite go-to examples in the Bible is the thief on the cross. Did HE pray a prayer? No, not that we are told anyway. But he DID believe that Jesus was God. And that's all it took for him to be with Jesus "in paradise" later that same day.

So, why even evangelize? Why tell others about God if they have already been drawn to Him?

"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? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent?" - Romans 10:14:15

The answer to these questions is given to us by Paul just two verses later.

"Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." - Romans 10:17

Our belief in God comes from two things. Hearing it and receiving it.

God already knows those who are going to say 'yes.' "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." - Ephesians 1:4

Look at it this way. It's not a matter of praying a prayer, it's in the hearing of the good news about Jesus. And then receiving that word and believing it.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. God demonstrated His own love for us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. And if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." - Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9, 5:1

It is a blessing to have been chosen. We should act like it. And also remember this:

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

"Ask and ye shall receive." - Matthew 7:7

The Wolf Song - Norwegian Lullaby 

The Garden

It's time to plant that garden! Are all of your seeds and plants in the ground? Or are you procrastinating like we are?

Jesus spoke a lot about planting seeds and harvesting crops. But He was really talking about the Gospel and you and me.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was asleep, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and slipped away. When the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.

The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.

So the servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

‘No,’ he said, ‘if you pull the weeds now, you might uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat into my barn.’ ” - Matthew 13:24-30

Gardening is a picture of the Kingdom of God. God planted all the seeds. But then Satan came along and planted weeds in amongst the good plants.

Jesus, the Master Gardener, decided not to have His angels remove the weeds (the bad ones), but instead He had them grow together with the good - not wanting to damage the good when the bad were uprooted.

The only problem with having weeds amongst the desired crop is that the weeds drain half the nutrients out of the soil. That makes it harder for the good crops to grow. And such it is with you and me.

In the end though, at the harvest, we get to go into "the barn" while the weeds get to be burned in the fire. AKA hell.

There is a time for planting and a time for harvesting (according to King Solomon). Don't wait until the harvest to plant YOUR garden. You will be greatly disappointed. 

Keep your eyes open for the Master Gardener. He waters us and looks after us. And it's not long before the harvest!

In His Eyes

An update on my eye surgery and how God works in the lives if those who love Him.

"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." - Romans 8:28

After having lens replacement surgery on my right eye back in January, I emerged from it less that pleased with the results. You can read about it here.

When I told the surgeon about the problem I was having, the surgeon prescribed a series of eye drops, hoping to reduce the swelling at the back of my eye. They didn't work.

For my follow up visit I had a speech all prepared for exactly what I thought should happen next. Should he suggest more surgery, my answer would be, "No way! Not until this eye gets fixed first!"

So, I went in for my appointment a few weeks ago. I had prayed and was feeling quite sure about things. But how would the surgeon feel? Here's what he told me.

"Well, the eye drops didn't work. I think we should wait with any further surgery until your right eyes is better than your left eye. Let's check your vision and we'll give you a prescription for new lenses. Come back in a year and we'll reassess."

Wow! He stole my whole speech! That's exactly what I wanted!

Plus, I feel reassured that, through prayer and faith, that God really does work all things together for good. For those who love Him.

As I write this I have new lenses for my glasses. Things are a bit clearer and brighter. My vision is still a little blurry but that's okay. I'm satisfied for now. God is so good!

Also, I am really looking forward to getting that new glorified body that the Bible tells us about. All things will be made new - including my eyes!

"For we live by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians 5:7

The Unprayed Prayer

In our silent moments, prayerful thoughts come to the surface. When there are no distractions, no input, only the outflow of hidden needs or fears.

We close our eyes and think of someone. Are they loved? Are they well? Are they happy? Or are they sad and scarred?

It is not a long journey from those thoughts into a prayer. We picture our loved ones in our mind's eye. The process is simple. We love them, and we pray for them.

Today I am praying for a young friend that I met at a Christian music festival, maybe ten or more years ago (Once a youth leader, always a youth leader, right?). She is a mother of two now but then she was an insecure teen then, uncertain of her future.

The innocence of her youth was ripped away from her by an uncaring and abusive mother. An experience that still hurts her all these years later. Especially on Mother's Day.

I can still see her in my memory - that teen of ten years ago - a slight smile, quiet, not sure about trusting anyone. Fragile.

If prayers were movies, my prayer for her would look like this:

It's a summer day, not hot, but comfortable. The two of us are walking, and talking, down a path through a meadow.

I ask questions. The answers come, but slowly, cautiously. There's a bench up ahead so we sit and talk some more. And then I ask if I can pray for her. She says 'yes' but she's not really sure.

When I say 'Amen' and we open our eyes, there is Jesus. He is right there with us. He walks up to this young girl and smiles at her. He takes his hand and places it softly on her cheek, wiping away a tear as it falls.

She leans into His chest, sobbing, and He wraps His arms around her. Then, looking over at me, He smiles.

And that is my prayer for my young friend, that she would come to know Jesus. Her broken heart would be healed. But there's more. He's not done yet. He's about to answer an unprayed prayer.

Stepping out from behind Him is the girl's mother. He has healed HER heart as well.

We all have scars. We all have had our hearts broken in one way or another. But we are too proud to ask for help for ourselves.

Great philosophers have wondered, "Why are we here?" The answer is simple. We are here to love one another.

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

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:30-31

People You May Know

As you scroll down through Facebook you will eventually come across a lovely little diversion called "People You May Know."

What an annoying feature. Why does Facebook think I might know these people? Oh, they might know somebody that I know. But then there are some that I wouldn't touch with a 10-ft pole based on their profile picture.

Some people look like dogs. Literally. While others look like only what they want you to see. They look like horses, cars, bunnies, flowers, cartions, etc.

I got so sick of this feature that one day I just started hitting the 'remove' button. Remove. Remove. Remove. And then this thought occurred to me:

Isn't this is exactly what God will do when people come before him trying to get into heaven.

"And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" - Matthew 7:23

Those are words you never want to hear. Those words are a one-way ticket to hell. For eternity.

Instead, wouldn't it make more sense to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant?"

Then the doors will open, and we'll walk in. And we will be welcomed and eternally loved. That sounds WAY better to me.

In heaven, we will see "people you may know" but there will be WAY more of them that we don't know. But you know what? They will ALL love us.

Would you like to be eternally loved?

Yes, please.🙂❤🙏

Build-A-God

A young girl went to a Build-A-Bear shop in the mall. She got to create the exact bear she wanted. Color, style, clothing options, everything.

Her bear was unique, with all of its own qualities and characteristics. It seems that we adults like to have everything our way as well. I blame Burger King for this.

We are just like the kids these days when it comes to our designer belief systems. Our politics, our religions, even the way we like our coffee are designed to please US.

It's all about US.

A church should be all about God, not pleasing its people. However, many of our churches seem to feel that WE are the ones responsible for bringing people to the Lord, so we had better draw them to church however we can. That's not true.

"No one can come to the Me unless the Father who sent Me draws them." - John 6:44

There is one God. He is who He is. We can't change Him to become more presentable in our own eyes. We can't recreate him in OUR image. Yet, we seem to persist in our efforts. One day we shall ALL stand before the One True God.

Too late.

"Do people make their own gods? Yes, but they are not God's." - Jeremiah 16:20

Blessings and Cursings

I'm reading through the book of Jeremiah right now. Some of these verses are really speaking to me. Like this one:

"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD." - Jeremiah 17:5

And then, a few verses later, there's this one:

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

Would you rather feel blessed, or cursed? I don't know about you, but to me blessings sound better than cursings.

There are lots of people in this world that do not trust the Lord. They can be living their lives, all perfectly happy and content. But then they die, and that's when their cursings come. An eternity in hell.

But let's get back to the blessing part. That sounds more fun. When we place our faith in Christ, and receive His Holy Spirit, it is then that we humble ourselves and realize our shortcomings. That's when the blessings start.

When we watch the news, do you think our nation is blessed? Or is God trying to get our attention through his cursings? It's hard to say with any certainty. But this verse from The Book of Psalms gives us a clue:

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD." - Psalm 33:12

Maybe it's time we as a nation 

sought the Lord more than we do.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." - Numbers 6:24-26

Oblivion

What will life be like in the future? We've already gone through a pandemic, edured two world wars, and a third one seems like a real possibility these days. What will this place look like in 10 years? In 5 years?

Have you ever seen the 2013 movie Oblivion? (There's a link at the bottom of this page. You can watch it for free).

Oblivion is a futuristic apocalyptic Sci-Fi movie. It's good vs evil. On one side are people who live above the earth in the clouds. They're all nice and clean. On the other side are people who live on the surface in a cave. They're dirty scavengers.

As I watched the movie I thought, "This is nothing like our planet's future." Although there will always be a good vs evil plot, at least until our Lord returns.

Hollywood likes to make movies about the future. They are always wrong.

Our actual future also contains an apocalyptic battle. But we who believe will not be here to see it. We have a loving God who watches over us and "has not appointed us to suffer wrath." (1 Thes 5:9).

God has other plans for us.

"Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” - Revelation 21:1-4

Now there's a futuristic movie worth watching!

The meaning of the word oblivion is the fact or condition of not remembering : a state marked by lack of awareness or consciousness. the condition or state of being forgotten or unknown.

We are becoming oblivious to what it's like to live godly lives, to worship God in spirit in truth, to love our neighbor and to love God. We are becoming oblivious to God. And that's not good.

“Now consider this, you who forget (or are oblivious to) God, Or I will tear you in pieces, and there will be no one to save you." - Psalm 50:22

Oblivion movie

Emotional Echoes

Loneliness. We've all experienced it. Sometimes it lasts a few hours. Other times loneliness can last an entire lifetime.

We were meant to live out our lives in community with one another, and with God.

"And the Lord God said, "It is not good that man should be alone." - Genesis 2:18

Examples of loneliness can be heard outside our bedroom windows. A dove cooes in springtime, hoping for a reply. Hearing nothing, it flies elsewhere.

Loneliness, it seems, is hearing nothing to our cries for love. Or food.

Killer whales, Sperm whales, dolphins, and even bats use ecolocation (sonar) when locating food. If their cry never returns, they go hungry.

But what about OUR cries to God? What happens when we hear nothing in response to our prayers? That can be a very lonely feeling. But our relationship with God is different.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” - 1 Peter 3:12

Even though the Bible says that "no one is good, no, not one (Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1, Romans 3:12) we are made righteous through our faith in Jesus Christ. THEN God hears our prayers.

The key here our faith. Do we TRULY believe? Faith is more than wearing a necklace around our neck or going to church. It is truly believing, no matter what.

THEN God will answer our prayers. THEN God will place people in our lives. Are you failing a test from God right now? Could be.

The problem is not with God. The problem is with us. Trust in The Lord, obey His commands, examine yourself to make sure you are actually walking in the faith. THEN wait and see what God does in your life.

God is omnipresent. That means He is everywhere. He is with you right now. You Are Not Alone. It just seems that way. Reach out to God and live! You are NEVER alone.

Echoes - Pink Floyd

The Duty To Warn

Do you remember the concert massacre in Russia back in March? 139 dead, 182 wounded. The Islamic State claimed responsibility. A terrible tragedy to be sure.

The United States actually warned Russia of the possibility of this terrorist attack before it occurred. Our intelligence service got some information and passed it along to the Russians, whom many consider to be our enemy. Why did we do that?

The Duty to Warn.

What is it? 

"A duty to warn is a concept that arises in the law of torts in a number of circumstances, indicating that a party will be held liable for injuries caused to another, where the party had the opportunity to warn the other of a hazard and failed to do so."

Did you know that this "duty to warn" concept is biblical? It is.

"When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood." - Ezekiel 3:18

When we see a brother or a sister in sin the Bible says that we are supposed to confront them with their sin. Lovingly. That can be pretty uncomfortable to do. And yet we are commanded to do it.

"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." - Galatians 6:1

A typical example of this would be a young couple living together before they get married. This is clearly a sin in God's eyes, yet most of us simply shake our heads and pray for them when we encounter something like this.

What should we do?

I recently saw a video on the news of a man who was stuck in a burning car. Some people stopped, ran to the car, and pulled the driver out. I suppose they could have just yelled, "Hey Dude, your car's on fire!" But they took action instead. They did what was right in the eyes the Lord. They could have just watched the car burn and said, "I'll pray for you," but they saved the man's life.

"If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." - James 2:16-17

Drivers Stop To Save Victim

In The Storm

This past week we had a lot of storms in our area. We even lost power for a while. Being without power really gave us an appreciation for the things we often take for granted.

I was reading in the Book of Job after our power outage and came across this verse.

"Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm." - Job 40:6

We can feel quite "powerless" at times. Perhaps someone is sick and not getting any better. Or maybe it's a pet getting on in years. We know the end for them is coming and we feel powerless to change things.

There is tremendous power in prayer. And we should absolutely be praying every time we struggle. But I want you to notice something in that verse from Job.

Where was God when He spoke to Job? He was IN the storm! He wasn't outside of it or above it. God spoke to Job out of the storm. In the midst of it.

Another example of this is when Jesus calmed the storm.

"He (Jesus) got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." - Mark 4:38

Jesus in the storm with the disciples. 

That reminds me of something - a Monday Night Football game. Brett Favre's father had died just the day before. Please watch the video and see the power of a son's love for his father. Listen to Favre's bride, Deanna, talking about her husband Brett, the bridegroom.

It is in the midst of our storms that God speaks to us. Not with words, as in Job's case, but in spirit. It is in the midst of our pain that we are finally willing to listen and seek His help. And that is when prayers get answered.

"If there was ever divine intervention He was there that night." - Brett Favre

Favre's Dad Game

Peace

Peace. That's something the world needs more of these days isn't it. Peace can be hard to come by in this world in which we live. Unless you know where to look.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27

Do you have peace in your life? I hope that you do. That verse we just read came from Jesus. The Prince of . . . yessss. The Prince  of Peace.

Peace is something one receives upon placing faith in Jesus.

Life in this world is not easy. We can go through tough times. Plenty of them. But one thing than nobody can take away from us is our faith and hope in The Lord.

Do you have worries and struggles in your life? We worry because of uncertainty. We struggle because we want things to go OUR way instead of God's way.

Place your faith in Jesus. I did. And I woke up with this worship song in my head instead of worries or fears. I have peace in my life. You can too.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

My Peace - Maranatha Singers