Come To Jesus

We had another Youth Night at our church on Friday. I gave a Bible study about three people in the Bible - The Roman Centurian, The Woman at The Well, and the Apostle Peter.

As I was reading the account of the centurion to the kids, this jumped out at me.

"When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. ⁶“Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” - Matthew 8:5

"Come to Jesus." Suddenly I was hearing a song in my head (link at bottom).

I wonder how many "come to Jesus" references there are in the Bible...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day." - John 6:44

"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." - John 7:37

That's probably enough. There ARE more, but you get the idea. The point is we MUST come to Jesus.

There is a verse somewhere (Philippians?) that speaks about every knee bowing and every tongue confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. That needs to be us. We need to come to the end of ourselves, and to the beginning of our lives with Jesus.

Remember those wise men in the Christmas story? They WERE wise, right? THEY came to Jesus. Be wise! Come to Jesus, and live!

Come To Jesus - Chris Rice

According To You

Jesus healed many people in His 3-year ministry here as "God among us." He also brought the dead back to life. So, why then did the blind man in Mark 8 not receive his full sight right away?

"And he (the blind man) looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” - Mark 8:24

Jesus then went on to fully restore the blind man's sight. But the blind man was not totally healed initially. Why not?

As it is said, "The Bible proves The Bible." Here's another passage about Jesus healing the blind.

"As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

²⁸When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

²⁹Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; ³⁰and their sight was restored." - Matthew 9:27-30

"According to your faith."

It kind of sounds like the blind man in our opening verse didn't have a complete 100% faith. Only a partial faith.

Here's another example of this. A man came to Jesus with his son who was demon-posessed and asked . . .

"If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

²³Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” - Mark 9:22-24

Do we have faith enough to be healed? Or is our faith merely superficial? Do we go to church on Sunday only out of obligation? Or do we attend out of 100% faith and worship God? The latter faith is the faith that God seeks from us. What kind of faith do WE have?

Shine

Have you seen it? Sure you have. It happens every spring. Life from lifelessness. In our yard it's the tulips and hydrangeas. I mean, there was nothing there when the snow melted. Then somehow, seemingly overnight, green shoots rose up from the ground.

And it's not just plants. It's trees. It's the spring peepers in the local swamp. It's the birds singing in the tops of the trees. It's a time of renewal and refreshing.

How does all of this happen? Does the dandelion "know" when it is time to burst forth from the ground? Do geese "know" when it is time to fly north? Do we "know" when it is time to put the snowblower in the shed?

Jesus spoke about this cyclical pattern when referencing his own death.

"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." - Matthew 12:24

And this . . .

"He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³²Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”" - Matthew 13:31-32

This pattern of birth, growth, reproduction, and death is prevalent in every living thing. It can be seen in the changing seasons as we go through each year. It is truly a miracle. A cyclical miracle of God's creation.

This same pattern is also visible in our faith, or so it seems. When we become born again, our faith is new. There is tremendous growth. It is abundant and flourishes. Then, we begin to fade. We've lost that 'fire' for Jesus. Our faith grows dormant and sadly, for some, it dies. But God . . .

Oh yes! But God, indeed!! God provided a way to break this endless cycle by eliminating death and replacing it with eternal life. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

As we go through this earthly life, let us shine brightly for all to see. To make visible just what God has done on our hearts.

"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 36:26

Here's a few of the lyrics from a song by the Newsboys:

Shine

Let it shine before all men

Let 'em see good works and then

Let 'em glorify the Lord

A 10-minute message from Peter Furler of the Newsboys . . .

Shine Sermon - Newsboys

Our Golden Calf

Today's story is probably going to be a little hard to swallow for some. That's because they have not taken the time to read the Bible or to worship God by going to church. This lesson is for those who THINK they know God, but whose actions tell a different story.

Did you watch The Ten Comnandments the other night? Much of it is taken from the Book of Exodus. The movie, although it is based on God's Word, does tend to stray from the truth from time to time. Still there  are many lessons worthy of remembering. Like when Moses went up on the mountain to get the ten commandments.

While Moses was gone, the people "corrupted themselves." They thought they knew God but they still made a new god to worship - a golden calf. This angered The Lord and He killed many in the camp for their disobedience.

But then read this:

"²⁵Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, ²⁶and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span." - Exodus 23:25-26

That is, IF you worship the Lord.

I see Facebook posts from some of the youth group kids that I used to shepherd. I must not have done a very good job. I read complaints about miscarriages with boyfriends or the inability to conceive amongst them. We need to have a talk. But they are too busy.

God tells us about what He will do IF we worship Him. Do these complaining kids go to worship? No. Well.....

None of us are immune to sin. We keep repeating our same old practices.

"Will I see you at church on Sunday?"

"Nope. We're going up north."

"Don't they have churches up there?"

"Uhh . . . <silence>."

We're all the same. We worship the gods of convenience and schedules. And yet we wonder why things don't go the way we want them to. Hmm.

"But I believe in God. Why won't He let me have a baby?"

"Have you read the Bible?"

"No. Not all of it."

"Well . . ."

I'm not saying that we all will live perfectly wonderful lives if we read His Word. Jesus Himself said, "In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

All I am saying is that it will be better if we read the Bible and apply God's teaching and commands to our lives than if we don't.

"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near." - Revelation 1:3

When Tears Fall

There is a silent bond amongst the grieving. It lasts a lifetime, and its common thread is love, woven amongst the hearts of those who have lost a loved one. Here's how it works.

It usually begins with a phone call. It's like there's a vacuum on the other end of the line, sucking our joy and happiness right out through our ear. The conversation ends and there we are. Motionless. Having just lost a part of our heart.

The pain eases over time, but the memories are still there. Those too may fade but then, suddenly, a spark rekindles a memory, and there we are,  missing our loved one all over again.

It's good when those memories return. They remind us to appreciate those that God has given us in this life. Time is fleeting and, sadly, so are our loved ones and the time we get to spend with them.

I am reminded of a verse, as I paused to contemplate the next words for this story. It is about unconditional love and the pureness of a young heart.

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14

It is another of those needed reminders that we who believe are ALL God's children. The text says "do not hinder them" from coming to Jesus.

God knows which "children" are His. He wants nothing to get in the way of us coming to Him. That's because He loves us. The common thread in all of this is love. And the important thing to remember is that we get to spend eternity with those we love, IF they believe. IF their name is written in The Book of Life.

The question remains, "Do they believe?" Knowing a loved one's answer to that question, that they do indeed believe, makes it a whole lot easier when they leave us. That's because it is no longer a 'goodbye,' it's a 'see you later.'

"Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." - Romans 12:15

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

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

Top Ten List

Here are today's Top Ten reasons that you should become a Christian (or be grateful that you ARE one):

#10 - Hope - "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." - Isaiah 40:31

#9 - Love - "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." - 1 John 4:16

#8 - New family - "For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” - Matthew 12:50

#7 - Sins forgiven and forgotten - "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." - Psalm 103:12

#6 - The Holy Spirit - "And Peter said to them, “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 2:38

#5 - Heaven - "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." - John 3:36

#4 - Peace. No war - "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." - Isaiah 2:4

#3 - Glorified body - "The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body" - 1 Corinthians 15:42-44

#2 - No darkness - "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." - 1 John 1:5

And the #1 reason for becoming a Christian . . . Jesus!!

"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." - Romans 10:9

This was a fun little Bible study, but these are just ten reasons that I came up with. There are more. What are your top ten reasons to believe?

Bible Basics

As the return of Jesus approaches I have been thinking a lot about those who don't know the Lord. I have also been thinking about those who say they know Him but the fruit they exhibit in their lives tells a different story.

When Jesus reaches down and removes His church there will not be any answer for those who yell out, "Hey wait! What about me!?!"

King David has some advice. David said this to his son before he died. It's good advice. And a little bit scary.

“The Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever." - 1 Chronicles 28:9

So, today I thought I would offer up some basic truths about God's Word.

The Bible

1. Get it
2. Read it
3. Believe it
4. Understand it
5. Apply it
6. Repeat it

We need to understand that some people will never do any of these things. God understands that. That's why there is a hell.

This frustrates the believer because we have compassion for the lost. Even God wishes 'that none should perish' (2 Peter 3:9).

This will frustrate the believer until we are with the Lord. That's just the way it is. But let me encourage you in this way. Think about the future, when we are all with Jesus.

Everyone there will be rejoicing. We will be singing hymns and praising the Just Judge who brought us there - all because of Jesus. Jesus shed His blood and took our place in death so that we could live, forever,  with Him.

God's offer of eternal life is available to all. All we have to do is believe.

"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." - Romans 10:9

Staring

I have been doing a lot of staring lately. Not at anything in particular. Mostly I stare in disbelief and usually it occurs during news broadcasts, when I hear some unbelievably stupid story. That happens a lot. I stare at a lot of politicians.

Staring is okay if you're looking at something beautiful - like a landscape, a painting, . . . or a dozen doughnuts of assorted kinds of course. Especially the jellies. Lol! Just kidding.

My phone gets stared at a lot. I often spend hours wondering what I just did to make it suddenly stop working. I'm still staring at it right now, trying to figure out what to write next.

I imagine we'll be doing a lot of staring when we all get to heaven one day. Our mouths will be open in wonder too. That's understandable. We've never seen anything like it.

Some people won't be going to heaven though. They haven't placed their hope in Jesus. They'll be staring at us when we meet Him in the air. They will be doing a LOT of staring! "I thought I was good enough," they will say. Nope. No one is.

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” - Acts 1:11

One way to reserve your spot on the upcoming "flight for life" is to receive the Good News of Jesus Christ. The video below will tell you all about it.

Oh, my dear friends, to be standing in that most perfect of places, staring into the face of Almighty God! What a day, a glorious day, that will be!

The Gospel - Paul Washer

Come To Me

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

This is one of the great promises from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We tend to forget however that the first three words are a command for us and they also imply something - a journey.

Jesus told us that we must first come to Him and THEN He would give us rest. He doesn't tell us how long the journey will be, or how difficult. He just says "Come."

Some people might have a lengthy journey through a trial or an addiction. For others the walk will be a short one. We might walk alongside someone, or we might find ourselves walking alone. Whatever the situation of our journey is, WE must make the effort.

If we keep reading in Matthew we will come across other commands and promises.

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:29-30

This tells us that if we are truly to find rest, we must first do something. We must put a yoke on ourselves. That means we must follow God's commands and be obedient to the Holy Spirit. But, like a dumb old ox "treading out the grain" in our daily lives, we tend to forget that part. We expect Jesus to come to us. That's not how it works. Jesus is Lord, not us.

If we are struggling in this life, why haven't we turned to God for help? He saved Israel time and time again from its sin, but first, God's people had to turn back to God. That word turn means repent.

God always accepts a wayward people if their repentance was true and humble. God requires us to make the journey. He made His people walk through a dessert to find what? His rest.

"Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? 17 And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies perished in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? 19 So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. - Hebrews 3:16-19

Believe in God, THEN enter His rest. It's a journey to be sure. The first step however, is the biggest.

The Ultimate Avenger

Have you watched any of those Avenger movies? My wife and I have watched most. If you distill them down, their plots are pretty much the same - Good vs. Evil.

Did you know that Jesus is an Avenger? It's true. I read it this morning in 1st Thessalonians.

"No one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified." - 1 Thessalonians 4:6 NKJV

Imagine Jesus as the ultimate Avenger. He's the only Avenger we really need because He has all the powers of all the Avengers already. Wow! He has all the power! Yet Jesus chose to die for you. Why?

Because God, The Father insists that there is no evil in His world. Sadly, we are all evil. King David even said so.

"All have turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one." - Psalm 14:3

Look at society today. Haven't we "turned away?" Haven't we "become corrupt?" There is no one who does good. And just like when we were kids and growing up, we must be punished for our doing wrong.

God gave us a choice - good or evil. We chose evil. Sadly, there is are consequences as a result of our choices - life or death. Good equals life, evil equals death. If no one is good, as the Bible says, where can hope be found?

Jesus! Just died in our place. He took OUR punishment upon Himself (Romans 3:21-26). Why?

"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." - 2 Peter 3:9

We all face challenges, every hour of every day. The question becomes, How will we respond? What will be the choices we make?

There are three possible answers to all of life's questions - Do what is right,  do what is wrong, and the third answer is . . . Jesus. If we choose Jesus as our answer to every decision we cannot go wrong. Even if we screw up and actually make a bad choice, God forgives his children . . . those who believe in Him.

Do YOU believe?

Believer's Baptism

Were you baptized as a baby? I was. At least I think I was. I don't really remember. And what did it do? I don't really remember that either. So what good was it? Let's go to the experts!

The Catholic Church has some interesting thoughts. There is a link at the bottom of this story where they will tell you exactly what they think baptism is. The funny thing is they start out their definition by stating  that other churches with different baptism beliefs are wrong.

I wonder what infant baptisms look like in the age of Covid-19. Two masked people handing their vulnerable healthy baby to an unmasked priest. Doesn't sound very smart to me. And, I'm just guessing here but, most infant baptisms have been against the baby's will. But I'm getting off track.

I was at a baptism yesterday. It was great. The pastor asked each person if the truly placed their faith in Jesus and that they have freely chosen to follow Him. All confessed their faith and were indeed baptized. Isn't that the way it should be?

All through the book of Acts, when the Apostles were spreading the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, it repeated says that people believed and were baptized. Not that people were baptized and then came to faith.

"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." - Acts 8:12

It is really the baptism of the Holy Spirit that matters. Baptism by water is only symbolic. And what about the thief on the cross, hanging next to Jesus. He was never baptized. At least not that we know of.

The baptism I was at yesterday featured two men, a woman, and a young pre-teen girl. They all love Jesus and have given themselves freely to Him. Isn't that how it should be?

Infant Baptism - Catholic Answers

The Lightbulb

We have all had those moments of enlightenment when, all of a sudden, we actually get it. Maybe it was the first time that someone said "I love you" or when we first realized that God is real. The lightbulb goes on and we become changed.

I got to witness one of those "lightbulb moments" this week in the eyes of a 12-year-old girl named Savana. I have known this pre-teen kid for ten whole days now. She is a student in one of the disc golf classes I teach. When we first met she was the stereotypical kid - shy, quiet, self-conscious and awkward . . . with glasses.

Savana couldn't throw very well in our first class but in class number two something happened. Something clicked and the lightbulb came on.

The class that day was about different ways to throw a disc. Discs were flying everywhere and I do mean everywhere! We got around to a throw called "the flick roller" and for Savana, that was her lightbulb moment. She could really throw those things! She was throwing them better than the football guy standing next to her!

You should have seen her smile. Her confidence level soared. A smile came to her face that never left. She was experiencing joy in the knowledge that she actually was GOOD at something.

Do you remember how you felt when you first came to faith in Christ? That moment when you first came to believe? The knowledge that God chose you! Even though you were awkward and felt unworthy.

None of us measures up to God's high standard of perfection. But Jesus did! It is through our faith in Jesus and His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf that MAKES us good enough. Doesn't that bring a smile to your face? Doesn't that lift your confidence? It should! Because we are all children of God!

"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." - Galatians 3:26-29

I Will Come Back Stronger - Paige Shue
Forehand Rollers - Eric Oakley

Missing You

I have a prediction. When all of these "safer at home" restrictions finally end, there's gonna be a WHOLE lotta huggin' goin' on.

The one thing we have missed the most during this time of isolation and quarantine has been our personal relationships.

We all have friends and family members who we love and miss. Maybe we've even snuck out and visited some of them - from a distance of course. It's going to be crazy when we finally get the "all clear" and we can restore our relationships to the way they were meant to be - close, personal and loving.

Restoring relationships is one of the best God-honoring things we can do as humans.

There is one relationship we can restore right now. We don't have to wait for any kind of permission slip or signal from the government. We can do it right now! Right there where you are. It's our relationship with God.

Our sins are what separates us from God. Just ask Adam and Eve. They ate some fruit, they got quarantined from God and the rest is history. But God has given us a way of restoring our relationship with Him. Repenting of our sins and believing in His Son, Jesus.

Will our ultimate reunion with God be like the photo above? I kinda think it will be. It can be. All it takes is for us to humble ourselves and repent.

Father, I'm sorry. I know I have sinned against you. I've done things I shouldn't have done. I apologize. I can't seem to help myself. I realize now that I need your help. I need your forgiveness. I need You. I have known all along really that you are who the Bible says you are. I need You. Can You forgive me?

Praying a prayer like that or even coming to that realization in our hearts is all it takes. And, just as I predicted above, all of the restored relationships will be happening after we emerge from this pandemic, I see the same thing happening when Jesus returns or when we see Him with our own eyes in heaven.

And, oh boy, what a glorious day that will be!

"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." - Romans 10:9-10

What A Day That Will Be - The Gospel Plowboys

Toddler Besties Share Hug

The Struggle Is Real

Today's story is quite personal in nature. A "chance" encounter in the parking lot of a local food pantry on Saturday.

I volunteer there as basically a greeter but during this corona virus situation I have become more of a chaplain than anything else.

Each conversation usually goes something like this.

"Hi! How are you guys doing?" Most people say they are fine. But with this virus floating around, I ask more pointed questions like, "How are you surviving with the shut down?" That's when the REAL conversation begins.

I met one lady Saturday morning who had never been to a food pantry before in her life. She didn't really know what to do. A friend told her about the food pantry so she came. She was clearly struggling. She told me she had been laid off from her job. She had been a school bus driver but the schools in Wisconsin had just been closed for the rest of the school year. She was now without income until September.

So, I'm standing there outside the driver's side window feeling so sad for this person so I asked, "May I pray for you?"

"Sure," was her answer.

"May I touch you," I asked?

"Please."

And so I prayed for her, my bare hand on the shoulder of her coat.

The bare-hand thing probably wasn't too smart for me to do from a corona prevention standpoint but I would do it again in a heartbeat from a compassion point of view. The lady thanked me, then pulled a Kleenex to her face to wipe away the tears. Lots of people were struggling in that parking lot. Not because of the virus, but because they had lost their jobs due to FEAR of the virus.

I shared that story of my prayer with all of the volunteers afterwards and with many in their cars hoping to receive food. All were touched by her struggle. Many others were in similar situations. Our governor extending his "safer at home" executive order until the end of May and I could see it taking its toll.

I was reminded of the story when Jesus healed the leper.

"When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "LORD, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy." - Matthew 6:1-3

People need hope during a struggle, no matter WHAT the situation is. Jesus provides that hope. But, just like the leper in the story, we have to ask. We also have to BELIEVE that Jesus can heal. That is where many of us fail. The leper believed Jesus could heal him (verse 2) and Jesus did just that.

It was also against the law for a leper to approach within a stone's throw of any clean person. Yet the leper took a chance with Jesus and walked up to Him. May we, the Christians, be the ones who are willing to reach out and touch others who are suffering in life. It is right and fitting that we do so.

Yes, we must be smart about it. But we must also live a life without fear. A life Jesus told us to live.

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

Jesus Heals The Leper - The Chosen
Heal Me - Terry MacAlmon

The Wilderness

If you have ever felt alone, you know what I'm about to say. You've been there. Maybe you ARE still there right now. No worries.

My wife and I were watching a show this week about a guy who spent 30 years living alone in the wilderness. Not a lifestyle that's for everybody, that's for sure, but he seemed to enjoy it.

I got thinking about what that would be like, living alone like that, and I have decided I never would have made it. Living alone for short periods of time is okay - even desirable sometimes. But 30 years?

God said, "It is not right for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18) and I think He's right. No, I KNOW He's right. God is NEVER wrong. Remember that.

So, why do we feel so alone sometimes? Sometimes it is a choice, subconscious maybe, but it is a choice. The guy in the picture didn't want to live with people anymore. He got tired of them. He made a choice.

Sometimes however aloneness is forced upon us, or so it seems. Why? Why am I alone when I don't want to be? Maybe the love of your life was ripped from you and you are feeling so very alone. Why? If God created me for a relationship, why did He take me best relationship from me? You have probably asked God that very question. What was His answer? Did you wait for it?

I wonder, when we are alone, is it actually OUR choice to be that way? Do we get tired of the dating scene, disappointing humans, and being hurt? Maybe. It's also possible that we simply get tired of waiting. We just give up looking. Hoping. Again, we have made a choice.

We were created for relationships - Adam . . .and Eve. God created them for each other. So, where is our Adam? Where is our Eve? Oh, they are out there. And if they ARE indeed out there, why have we stopped searching for them?

Hope is an amazing thing. Hope is why I get excited thinking about the life after this one. It is why we get up in the morning. It is why we seek God. There MUST be something out there. If not, why do we hope?

Whatever your situation is right now, if you have hope you HAVE a future. Maybe living in the wilderness is enjoyable to you. That's fine. But if you enjoy relationship and you are currently alone maybe this will give you what you need this morning:

Why do you complain, Jacob?
    Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord;

    my cause is disregarded by my God”?

28 Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,

    and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary

    and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,

    and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:27-31

Trust in God. "He WILL give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). That is a promise. Be one who trusts in the Lord, no matter how long it takes.

Trust, Hope, Praise.

Winning

Have you ever won anything? It's kind of a weird feeling - being given something you didn't actually earn.

I was scrolling down through the ol' Facebook news feed the other day when I came across a picture of this beautiful blue golf disc. Purtty!!

The post said that all I had to do to have a chance of winning the disc was to say what color was by favorite. Seemed easy enough so I typed in "blue". Well, out of 318 comments, mine was somehow chosen. And that's really weird because I had been praying about something disc golf related all week and then . . . Boom! This gift drops in my lap. A sign?

You know what this gift reminds me of? The Gospel of salvation through our faith in Jesus.

Our salvation is a free gift from God. It's called grace. It's not earned, it is given. All we have to do is repent of our sins and call on the name of The Lord. That's it! Pretty easy.

"For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:13

But the gift I received did come with a price. Someone bought the disc and then customized it. Made it more beautiful. That's what Jesus did. He paid the price for OUR sins by His shed blood on the cross. He "customized" us when we came to believe. We are different now with our belief compared to before without it.

Do you see the words "First Run"? It means that there were never any like it before. This disc is the first of its kind. There has never been anyone like Jesus before either. Fully God, fully many, born to die, a holy sacrifice, given once for all.

And look at the crown! What could that be a sign of? Oh, I don't know. Maybe Jesus, our King?

"On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords." - Revelation 19:6

Do you see that pattern in the background on the disc - kind of a sunburst, like the sun shining through some clouds? That's actually the name of the disc. Its official title is a Burst First Run Hyzer Dyes Maverick. A light shining through the storms in our lives? That's Jesus! He IS The Light!

I know I'm probably reading too much into all this but I am seeing this gift as a kind of answer to my prayers about how I should proceed in a new venture I am considering.

Will I ever throw this special gift? Probably. That's what these things were made to do. But I know this. I will treasure this free gift fir sure . . . and we all should do the same with our free gift of salvation.

Eagles Wings Disc Golf
Hyzer Dyes Facebook Page

Only Hope

Everyone wants to have that perfect relationship. The one who gives us everything we are hoping for in life. Someone to complete us or to mesh perfectly with our hopes, dreams and beliefs. Here are three easy steps you can take towards reaching that goal.

First, quit trying so hard. That seems like contrary advice here but it's really not. If God has someone in mind for you, you WILL meet them, you WILL find each other.

Second, be choosey. Recognize that all humans are flawed. There is no "perfect someone" out there. The only perfect person who ever lived was Jesus and He was God so . . . trust in the Lord!

Which brings us to the third step you can take in seeking that perfect relationship. Choose God first. Place God where you want your perfect someone to be. If you trust in the Lord completely there can never be any disappointment in your life. Then wait for the prefect one that God has for you.

Have you read the story about Isaac and Rebekah in the Bible? Isaac really had no part in choosing his wife at all. He never met her before they were married. Someone went and got her. Yet she was the perfect one - chosen by God.

And how did that person who was sent to find Rebekah know that she was the perfect one for Isaac? He prayed and asked God to verify who the bride was. And He did!

You say, "I HAVE prayed and God has not provided!" There are two possibilities here. Either God has not willed that you have anyone in your life OR you don't have enough patience and trust.

You see, also in the Book of Genesis, Sarah was getting old and wanted to have a child for Abraham. She prayed and nothing happened. Yet God heard her and HE made it happen . . . when HE wanted it to happen, not on Sarah's schedule. Sarah was not patient, but God was.

That perfect relationship awaits us all. It is with Jesus Christ. Some of us have already met Him and are enjoying that relationship today. Some haven't submitted themselves fully yet to His marriage proposal. I pray that they would do so.

And sadly, some never will have that relationship with Jesus. That good, and perfect relationship that will last forever and ever. That's not God's fault. He has been extremely patient in His waiting for each of us. But, unlike His love, His patience with our refusal to join Him in a relationship is not eternal. It has an end. And that end is coming soon.

Get on your knees today. Right now. And pray that God would come into your life. Tell Him how tired you are of the disappointment that your earthly relationships bring. Tell Him you want the kind of love that lasts forever. If you do that, that one prayer, God WILL hear you and He WILL give you the desires of your heart.

"1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
4Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
5Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass."

- Psalm 37:1-5

Only Hope - Mandy Moore

Oh Lord, My God!

I have often wondered what it will be like when I see Jesus for the first time. How will I react when I see Him lift His head and look at me? Will I run to Him? Will I just stare in awe? Or will I drop to the ground, not wanting to look Him in the eyes.

Stare at this picture a while and then think about how YOU would react. What would YOU do?

None of us have ever seen Jesus. Will we recognize Him? Or will we just KNOW it's Him. We'll just know! It's hard to say from our present viewpoint.

"Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

Will we ever be able to take our eyes of Him? His magnificence? His majesty? I kind of think that we'll just start singing. Somehow we'll know all the words to the same worship song and we'll simply begin to sing.

Look at the picture again. I think tears of joy will begin to form in our eyes. We'll forget about all the pain and suffering we experienced in the world and we will only focus on Jesus - "the author and finisher of our faith."

"What a day, a glorious day that will be."

How Great Thou Art - Pentatonix
What A Day That Will Be - Gifted Brothers