Training Up A Child

“He said ‘Love… as I have loved you.’ We cannot love too much.” - Amy Carmichael

That was a quote from one of my morning news emails - The Pour Over. This past week at VBS I ended one of our teaching sessions with this question:

Why do you think they have two "old guys" teaching this class?

There were several answers.

"Experience."

"Because you're old."

"They couldn't get anyone else."

Funny. I then asked this: "What is the first and greatest commandment?"

No one had the answer. Slightly disappointing. So, I told them what it was.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself." - Matthew 22:37

I continued . . .

"We're teaching you about Jesus because we love you. It's as simple as that. We know what awaits those who don't know Jesus. It is because of that knowledge, and our love for you, that we teach. We know what will happen to you if you don't repent of your sins, and refuse to humbly turn to Jesus. It isn't good. We would love to see you placing your faith in Him and begin following Him in your life."

The kids just sat there, staring. "They're not getting it," I thought. But just when I was about to lose hope for this youngest generation, something happened.

Each day we have a contest for the kids. A student from each age group gets randimly picked to receive a prize. In the oldest group a dude named Silas won. He got a big bag of treats. Yes!! He ran up on the stage and grabbed his prize. Just as quickly he returned to his classmates.

But instead of gloating about his treasure, he dumped the bag on the floor and shared it with his friends! He gets it!

Silas chose Jesus last summer and was baptized at our church picnic. Hope is a wonderful thing. But sadly, my buddy Silas and his faith are an endangered species. Their numbers are dwindling.

Thankfully, his parents are both believers and are "train(ing) up their children in the way they should go." - Proverbs 22:6

Are We Obedient?

"At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream." - 1 Kings 3:5

This, and many other verses in the Bible, testify to the fact that God speaks to people in their dreams. Well, here's an interesting little story for ya.

Early Thursday morning, I awoke with a sudden desire to go visit "Uncle John", if you catch my drift. After taking care of that distraction, I tried to get back to sleep in my living room chair but failed.

I finally succeeded in The Chair, but for some reason I was still incredibly exhausted. And, upon hearing my wife stirring in the next room, I headed off to the spare bedroom to hopefully continue catching up on my lost sleep. That's when I had a dream.

I was in a sparsely decorated room with two other people. One was a man, about 15 feet away, setting up some lighting equipment off to the right.

He asked, "So, what was your biggest takeaway from your association with the PDGA?"

[PDGA = Professional Disc Golf Association. Yes, I was a member. Yes, I made money playing disc golf.]

I answered, "Probably my PDGA number - #1127. That's pretty low. But all that means is that I am pretty old."

Then I turned to my left and there was a woman sitting across the table from me. It was Jacqui Heinrich - Fox News' White House correspondent.

What?! Yeah. I have no idea. Anway, she looked troubled and asked, "How do you find the balance between what you do and your personal life?"

Odd questioon, but I smiled and said, "You are an answer to prayer." I continued . . .

"I am a Christian. I follow Jesus. He is my example and my Savior. His life is an example to me of sacrifice and devotion.

I look at MY earthly life. My relationships - my wife, my kids, my friends - and I wonder, do I sacrifice myself for them? I certainly hope so."

And that was the end of my dream.

I have no idea who the guy was nor why Mrs. Heinrich was there. However, it was her question that was my answer to prayer. It was an opportunity to share my faith with others.

I told this whole dream to my wife who pondered it along with me. I told her that in OUR relationship I have tried to sacrifice my own selfish desires and serve her and others FIRST.

Later that same morning, my wife walked into my office as I was reading 1st Kings (The verse above). She kissed me twice and told me that she loved me. That usually doesn't happen.

So, is that it?  Is that all that came out of this dream?

I continued with my day until 3:00, when I turned on the TV. There was an ad playing for some vitamin supplement. I never really noticed this guy's name before but today, after that dream, his name caught my attention. "Heinrich." As in Jacqui Heinrich? Hmm.

"Okay. What's going on here?

So, I went on Facebook, found Jacqui Heinrich's Facebook page, and sent her a message. It was short and to the point and included this verse:

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

I then continued . . .

I am not aware of your relationship status or your faith. I just felt like I should send you this message.

Thanks for reading this. If this is from God, it will find you. May God bless you and guide you.

I have no idea if this whole thing was from God or not, but one thing I DO know, and that is I want to be faithful and obedient.

The message is in her inbox. The rest is up to God and His Holy Spirit.

Are we always obedient to God's leading? I don't think so. We miss many opportunities to witness to someone, or to pray for someone, WITH that person.

We must continue to be bold. Time is getting short.

Like I said, I don't know whether or not this dream was from God, or what it meant. But I DID get two kisses and a hug from my wife so if that's all that comes from this, it was worth it. 🙂

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

Leave

Okay. Trivia time. What was the first command that God gave to Abram?

"The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you." - Genesis 12:1

Other translations use the words 'get out,' 'flee,' 'go from,' and 'get thee out.' You get the idea. God's first command was to leave everything Abram had ever known. God, it seems, had a plan.

We are in a similar situation today. God is still telling us to leave our old self behind and He will lead us to a 'land' He will show us.

“Go now and leave your life of sin.” - John 8:11

Are we following God's command our lives of sin? Uhh . . .

Remember when the angels went to Lots house? They wanted Lot to leave because God was going to destroy the city he was living in. Even when they were fleeing, Lot's wife looked back, and perished for doing so.

Abram followed God's command. It CAN be done. So, why don't we? Lack of faith? Or is it our own comfort? Have we ever felt led by God's Holy Spirit? Then why don't we follow? Good question.

Here's a convicting verse to consider in light of our disobedience.

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?" - Luke 6:46

It's not too late for us to LEAVE our life of sin and follow Jesus. But one day it will be to late. And that day is quickly approaching. 

Two questions remain for each of us to answer. What are we doing today that God wants us to leave behind? What are we waiting for?

Decision Time

Although Vacation Bible School ended just a few months ago it is almost time to signup again for us volunteers. At first I thought that I would retire from active duty. Now I'm not so sure. 

My teaching partner and I are both in our 70's and this past summer's VBS was pretty tiring. My eyes are failing. So is my body. It's hard to keep up with a group of 18 pre-teens. But then, I read my Bible.

"Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord." - Acts 9:36-42

Tabitha was one of those rare Christians who just loved serving others. Acts of service, making clothing, everyone loved her. It begs the question, "Are we like her?"

This past Sunday I was sitting in church before the service began, still wondering about volunteering for VBS. Two of this past summer's VBS kids came running up to me with smiles on their faces. The oldest, a girl, gave me a hug. And then her younger brother did the same. Seeing their smiles and their unconditional love reminded me of when Jesus said this about children: 

"The kingdom belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

I began thinking about the love these kids showed for me and just what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Who am I to decide whether or not to serve? I should be willing to serve these kids in whatever way God chooses. Let the Lord decide.

Then there's this encouragement from Job. He was besieged with sufferings and pain yet . . .

"Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him." - Job 13:15

One final thing. The first kid who gave me the hug last Sunday . . .

Her name was Tabitha.

When the Lord called people in the Old Testament the reply most given was, "Here I am" or "Here I am. Send me." That will be my response also to VBS 2025. Let the Lord be forever praised. Amen!! 

The Eyes Have It

When we ask God for something in prayer, and then receive it, what happens if we don't accept it?

Back in November I was scheduled to have eye surgery. I have cataracts. And my eye doctor recommended getting them removed and having new lenses installed in my eyes.

"Your vision will be clear," they said. "There is a great possibility that you will not have to wear glasses anymore."

Sounds good to me.

So before my surgery I prayed for the surgeon and the nurses and that all might go well. I also prayed that if God didn't want me to have this surgery that it would not happen.

The morning of the surgery I was laying on the pre-op table. And, as they were inserting the needle into my wrist for my IV, one of the nurses burst in and said, "Don't do that yet! The doctor just called in. He's sick."

So, I went back home. The surgery was rescheduled for January, and I had the lens replaced in my right eye. But things didn't turn out as they had led me to believe they would.

My eye waters now more than it ever did before. I see you reflections in my right eye. My vision is no clearer now than it was before the surgery. Brighter, yes, but still blurry.

The surgeon now has me in a daily regimen of eye drops. He is hoping to reduce some swelling in the back of my eye. My expert medical opinion? They will never work. And here's why.

I prayed a prayer. And when I got an answer to that prayer (the surgeon was sick), I didn't follow it. I didn't accept it. But I do now.

Eye surgeon has told me that the next step would be a complete corneal transplant. Why would I think that would work when this didn't?

I'm going to keep it this defective lens, just as it is. It will be a daily reminder of my disobedience. Of my non-belief.

"If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers." - 1 Samuel 12:15

Here's what I have learned in all of this:

1. Pray, because the Lord does answer the prayers of his children.
2. Listen for the voice of the Lord, and His answer to prayer.
3. Follow his commands and instructions.
4. Praise Him, no matter what the result because He is God. He will make your paths straight.

My Shepherd

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." - Psalm 23:1

What does a shepherd do anyway? Besides lead a bunch of sheep around. Here's a list of verbs and synonyms from Merriam-Webster's dictionary.

Coach, Counsel, Lead, Guide, Mentor, Tutor, Teach.

Does Jesus do all of those things in YOUR life? If we don't have Jesus leading us and teaching us all that's left for us to follow is 'the world.'

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

If Jesus is our shepherd, the opening verse says that we shall not want. Is that true? Oh, yes.

When Jesus is our Lord and Savior, our 'want list' diminishes greatly. Our want list also changes from selfish things to godly things.

We no longer seek power and glory for ourselves. Instead we want to serve God, to worship Him, and serve Him and others. Not for OUR glory, but for HIS.

A shepherd’s primary responsibility is the safety and welfare of the flock.

Is Jesus YOUR shepherd? I hope so. Here is a short, five-chapter book you can read to find out:

1st John

I Don't Care

If anyone wants a really good name for a restaurant, try 'I Don't Care.' Half the people on the planet want to eat there.

"Honey, where would you like to eat tonight?'

'I don't care.'

See?

The phrase 'I don't care' can have multiple meanings though. First, a person might not actually care. They like all kinds of food, so it really doesn't matter to them.

Second, someone might be busy doing something and, when asked, they will say 'I don't care' just to make the conversation stop so they can finish doing what they were doing when they got interrupted.

Third, there is the rare person who doesn't really care where they eat, as long as they can be with the person asking the question.

Which one are you? I have been all three.

Jesus was that last person, I believe. It didn't really matter WHERE He ate. He wanted to talk with you about your sin and His Father in heaven.

"While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Mark 2:15-17

Jesus didn't care where He ate or what He was eating. Jesus was there for the conversation.

So, where do YOU want to serve tonight? And why?

Father, what is it that you would have me do for you? I don't really care what it is or where it is. If it is something you want of me, then send me. Encourage me along the way. Guide my steps. Open doors, or close them. Whatever it is that you want, Lord, that is what I want too. I don't care. I love you and want to serve you and you alone. Thank you for your sacrifice on my behalf. Help me to serve you. It is your wonderful name I pray. Amen.

The Heliotrope

There are numerous examples in nature (creation) of how we humans should be living our lives. Our problem is that we are often too busy to notice.

We can see an example of a perfect marriage by watching Canadian geese. They mate for life. Both parents can be found sitting on the eggs and watching over their children.

The "neighborhood watch" concept can be found in the beaver. If they see you getting too close, they will slap their tail on the water, warning all those around them. Then they disappear under water. 

Earlier this month I was traveling south of our house when I came upon a field of sunflowers. It was early in the morning and all the sunflowers seemed to be looking at me through my passager side window.

From that information alone you can tell that the picture above was taken looking west. The road I was traveling on was running north/south. And I was heading south. How can you know all that?

Sunflowers are heliotropes. They follow the sun. In the morning they all face east. Throughout the day they rotate, following the sun as they go. At sunset they are all facing west.

Christians are heliotropes. At least we should be. We should ALWAYS be keeping ourselves focused on The Son - Jesus.

If Christ is our center and our focus it is SO much easier for us to grow and find the things we need to survive life in this hostile world.

How does the sunflower know it's time to rotated it's head 180°? Ask God. How does a Christian know to follow Jesus? Same answer.

Have you ever sung this old hymn?

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace."

Keep focused on The Light of the world and all of life's problems will fade away. You will also find nourishment for your soul.

"As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” - John 9:4:5

Capital A

If you have seen the movie The Ten Commandments, then this is probably a familiar scene to you. Moses with his staff held high, a pillar of fire in the distance and Egyptians on chariots on the hill beyond. The Israelites are trapped against the Red Sea.

I'd like to show you some text from the Book of Exodus to see if you notice the same thing I did.

"And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them." - Exodus 14:19

Notice that the word "Angel" is capitalized in the NKJV that I am using. Just about every other translation uses a small "a" in the word angel. Why? DO the New King James translators know something the others don't?

Usually in the Bible when other words for 'God' and 'Jesus' are used they are always capitalized. A 'He' or 'Me' is always capitalized when the e=text refers to God Himself. Is the pillar of fire actually God? I don't think so. The verse refers to The Angel OF God. Is it Jesus then?

Think about it. What was the pillar of fire for? Let the Bible tell us.

"By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night." - Exodus 13:21

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

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

One final thing. The word LORD, all capital letters, is the Old Testament Hebrew way of not pronouncing the name of God. The Hebrew word is YHWH or Yahweh.

I think the pillar of fire was a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus. What do YOU think?

I'll Follow The Son

Here's how my mind works. I can go from a 'cat' to 'The Beatles' to 'Jesus' in 0.5 seconds.

I was sitting in the living room the other day when my wife comes walking in. She looked at our cat and said, "The last time I came in here he was sitting over there and now he's over here."

"He likes to follow the sun," I replied. Sun . . . SON.

And there you have it. I'm thinking about Jesus. AND for a special bonus, I am singing a Beatles song along the way.

"One day, you'll look to see I've gone, for tomorrow may rain so I'll follow the sun."

Only I sing "sun" with a capitol 'S' and an "O' instead of a "U."

Jesus has that effect on people. Once you meet Him you will become changed. You will never be able to forget Him.

Some people don't like to "follow the Son" and that's their choice. It's a fatal choice, but it is theirs to make, even though that choice will lead to their death.

I have non-believing friends and family members, as I am sure you do. I've tried talking to them, as I am sure you have too. Walls go up, defense systems are armed and active. Still, I think, we must never stop trying. Our words and our actions WILL have an effect.

We all have struggles in our lives. Life 'rains' on our happy times. Still, through all of our struggles, through all of our pain, we'll follow the Son. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." - Joshua 24:15

“Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you.

For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live;

your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

17Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.

May the LORD punish me, and ever so severely,

if anything but death separates you and me.” - Ruth 1:16-17

I'll Follow The Sun - The Beatles

I Will Follow - Chris Tomlin

Stand Alone

So, what is your breaking point? At what point do you no longer care about what other people think and you stand up for what YOU believe in?

There have been a lot of hot topics on social media lately. I'm not going to list them all but here's a few. Masks or no masks, Republican or Democrat, Ford or Chevy, Toilet paper - over or under? It's a battle field out there.

San Francisco Giants relief pitcher Sam Coonrod stood up recently - literally standing alone during the national anthem. Later, he said this to reporters.

"I'm a Christian, like I said, and I just can't get on board with a couple of things that I have read about Black Lives Matter," Coonrod added to the network. "How they lean toward Marxism, and they've said some negative things about the nuclear family. I just can't get on board with that."

Now there's a REAL "stand-up" guy! Faith, family and country are more important than taking a knee.

After Moses died, Joshua was put in charge of taking Israel into the promised land. He did a wonderful job, following the Lord's commands all the way. But when he was old and near death, Joshua warned the people in a little pep talk. We would do well to heed his words today.

14 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord! 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” - Joshua 24:14-15

Joshua stood up for God, but the people ultimately failed God after Joshua's death. They strayed and worshipped other gods. And God's anger grew. God eventually punished His people, giving them over to their enemies. Let that not be us. May we stand tall and choose this day whom we will serve.

BLM Destroyed American Sports - Mike Nificent

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.

Redirection

We all have made bad choices in life. It's part of growing up - the "learning experience" that life hands to us whether we want it or not. But what happens when we make the wrong choices in a world that doesn't offer many "do-overs"?

What is supposed to happen is that we learn from our mistakes and move on - learning d strengthening ourselves as we go. But often we don't do that. We don't learn. We just keep making one wrong choice after the other.

"Those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it." - Gorge Santayana.

One way to make good decisions is to look at all of the possibilities and ask, "What could go wrong?" If something CAN go wrong, it probably will. That's called Murphy's law. Weigh the negatives against the positive things that could come out of it.

But the best way to make good decisions is to pray about them and then wait patiently on The Lord. The main problem with "waiting patiently" is that we usually don't want to wait and the patience is not in our DNA.

I made a decision recently that I thought was God-honoring. I thought I had waited an appropriate amount of time. I was sure I had made the right choice but when I took a step in that direction I soon found out that God wanted me to take another course of action.

What do we do then? We could doubt our decision making ability or we could simply move ahead, acknowledging that God has redirected us for His glory. Are we willing to follow God's leading? Or will we stand by our original decision, not wanting to admit that we were wrong.

And not necessarily "wrong" but just not what God wants us to do right now.

God wants us to be obedient. He also wants us to move. We should not be paralyzed by our lack of confidence. Instead we should swallow hard, take a deep breath and move ahead. If God wants us to do something it will most likely succeed. But we have to be the ones willing to move. We must allow ourselves to be redirected.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6

On The Trail

Life is full of decisions. We face them every day. So how do we know what is the right thing to do? Look for the trail markers.

I love to hike. Living where I do, there is really only one place to do that - The Ice Age Trail (IAT). The IAT runs for 1,000 miles throughout Wisconsin.

The trail is marked along the way with yellow markings like the one in the picture or a simple splotch of yellow paint on a tree. However sometimes things happen and you're not really sure if you're on the right path or not.

For example, the trail is not continuous. Sometimes there are roadways between segments. Those aren't always well marked. What do we do then? There are trail maps available. It's always good to have one of those along . . . just in case.

Sometimes there are actual obstacles on the trail. Yesterday I came upon a downed tree that fell across the trail. I also encountered an overfilled lake that made the trail impassable. What happens then? How do we complete our journey?

In our walk with Christ we often face similar obstacles. How do we navigate those? The picture above contains a clue. See the yellow marker? We know that they mark the trail. If you look closely you can see the next one up ahead. There is another marker on the trail ahead (in the snow to the left). We know where we want to go. It's just a matter of getting there.

God has given us His Word - The Holy Bible. By reading it we know where God wants us to go in life. We know the direction for our lives. It is our job to follow in obedience, regardless of what might come.

People always ask, "What is God's will for me in my life?" Here's the answer. Read the Bible!! Study God's character and emulate it. Having a knowledge of what God wants us to do is an excellent way to stay in His will.

What is the goal of life? For the Christian it is to live life, worshiping and praising God in all that we do. It is to arrive at the final destination without deviating from the path God has put us on.

Look at the picture. If my goal is to find the end of the trail, what are my choices?

• Give up - Well, turning around is not an option. That's not going to get me where I'm supposed to go. I'd be fine physically but I would never know what blessings might await me at the end of life's road.
• Continue On - I could walk right through life's obstacles (the water in the picture) and continue on, all on my own. My feet would be wet and I would become miserable. Hypothermia would be a possibility. Death perhaps.
• Ignore the markers - I could also go around the obstacle, but to do this I'd have to leave the trail. The chances of getting lost go way up when I try to find my own way without a map or directions. This too could be deadly.

Most of us try to figure out how to do things on our own. We ignore the most powerful tool we have in our backpacks. God.

You see, there is a fourth way to get to the end of the trail. It is possible to get to the destination by following the markers, staying on the trail and not "getting our feet wet" in the obstacles life throws at us. Do you know what it is?

Patience.

If I wait long enough the flood waters will recede and I can walk right though without a moment's hesitation. How many of us truthfully wait on The Lord. If an obstacle stands before us, do we wait and pray? Or do we forge ahead, trying to do things our way? How will we walk through life's decisions today? Will we trust in the Lord today?

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

God's Will - Martina McBride

The Parable of The Painter

I absolutely love this picture. Want to know why? To me it tells a story. A story of what God wants us to do with our lives. Today's story is about hope and a future we'd ALL like to see.

There once was a painter who was given the job of painting a rather large house. When he showed up for work the owner of the house gave him some instructions.

"Paint the whole house. I have given you all the paint you need in those cans over there. When I get back at the end of the week I expect the house to be painted. At that time, if you have done as I have asked, I will pay you the wage you deserve."

With that, the man left, excited for what he hoped would be a beautifully painted house upon his return. When the man came home however the house looked the same as when he had left. Confused, he asked the painter, "What happened? You were supposed to paint the house?"

"I would have done as you asked but no one opened the paint cans for me. No one put any paint on my brush. I brushed your whole house though. Here's my bill."

The owner of the house was rather upset and refused to pay the man. The painter went away sad because he was looking forward to his promised payment. There is a lesson to be learned here. This story is a parable of our lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

God is the owner of the house. WE are that house. The paint is God's Word - The Gospel - contained within the cans - The Bible. The painter is you and me.

In the parable, the painter didn't apply the paint to the house even though he knew where it was. In the same way you and I can profess a faith in Jesus yet, but if we don't apply His teachings to our lives (the house) how can we expect to receive our reward in heaven?

People will say, "Yes, but we can't lose our salvation. If we believe we will receive."

I would answer them in this way. I believe it is true, that we cannot lose our salvation IF we truly believe and IF the Holy Spirit lives within us. God's Holy Spirit is the can opener. If the painter truly had the Holy Spirit living within him he would have asked, "How many coats would you like me to apply to the house, Lord?"

Unless we LIVE our faith, a reflection of Jesus and His obedience to The Father, our faith is meaningless. Jesus will judge each of us one day. When we stand before Him on that day, will we be unsure of our place in heaven? Or will we have paint stains on our clothes from the life we just painted?

APPLY God's Word to your life. LIVE the Gospel every day. BE Jesus to other people in need of salvation. Paint until the can is empty.

"Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God .." - 1 Peter 2:12

Jesus Painting

Abraham

I will not miss too many things about my morning commute when I retire. Driving into the sun for example. That, coupled with deer herd movement in spring and fall, can make for an interesting drive to the salt mine. The only thing I WILL miss while driving through the early morning darkness is my friend Chuck.

I listen to Christian radio, both to and from work. Chuck Swindoll preaches each morning from 5:00 - 5:30 AM. Many of the stories in this blog have been inspired by his messages. Like this one for example.

Chuck just ended a message series on Abraham. His last message about this man of faith contained four things to remember in our relationship with God. Here they are.

• Where God leads, follow.
• When God promises, believe.
• When we experience doubt, trust.
• When God blesses, share.

For the past few weeks I had been experiencing doubt in a particular ministry in my life. Should I continue in it? Is it something God wants me to do? Should I leave the ministry all together or simply wait for things to get better?

I think we Christians all want to follow wherever God leads, but what if we're unsure? What is we doubt? That's when we pray. That's when we must trust.

Hearing Chuck's message this week was a good reminder. Ultimately I decided to continue on in the ministry, trusting that it is what God wanted. A handful of days later I was blessed by meeting with two members of the same ministry. I left that meeting feeling renewed and refreshed, confident that we are walking in God's will.

Is there something in YOUR life that you are experiencing doubt about? Are you having trouble trusting God with something? Are you reading God's Word? Are you praying? Have you sought the advice of other Godly believers?

Believe, follow, trust and share. Good advice from my friend Chuck and from the example of Abraham.

The Sacrifice of Isaac

Sudden Life

Did you watch the Superbowl this past Sunday? What a comeback!! From 25 points down, the New England Patriots came back to win the game in overtime. They won the game in . . . sudden death. Death does indeed come suddenly.

Speaking of "sudden death," Monday morning I came into work and asked one of my friends how her weekend was. Before she even spoke a word her eyes told me everything I needed to know.

"What's wrong?"

A 23-year old young man from her community had died over the weekend - a snowmobile accident. My friend knew the young man and his family and was totally saddened by the loss. A sad loss indeed - someone so young.

The question that always pops into my head when I hear about someone's death is, "Did they know Jesus?" I hesitate to ask the question most times though because, if they didn't, well, why make things worse, right? I just hope and pray that they did.

The world we live in is an incredible distraction. It pulls at us and demands everything from us. And it is never, ever satisfied. If it weren't for God and His Holy Spirit, we wouldn't have a chance. We all would simply die and that would be it.

But God . . .

(Two of my all-time favorite words)

But God . . . allows us to escape the finality of this world by simply placing our faith in His Son. It seems like such an easy thing to do. Yet, for most, it is the absolute hardest.

I don't want to make this sound too dramatic but this morning I had a dream. It is why I am typing this at 4:47 in the morning. In the dream my brother-in-law Curt was standing in front of a church. I was there too. Curt, who has done amazingly well delivering eulogies was about to speak at someone's funeral but for some reason could not, so he turned to me and asked me to do it.

This is what I said. Open your Bibles to the Book of Joshua. The first chapter is key. Moses has just died and now God told Joshua, Moses' aide, that he (Joshua) was going to lead His people into the promised land.

Look at the name Joshua. Now look at the name Jesus. In Aramaic and Greek the name of Jesus is pronounced Eoshoa. Close enough to Joshua for you? In the Old Testament Moses was synonymous with "The Law" but now Moses was dead. The Law is dead. We are under God's grace now. God provided Joshua, just as He provided Eoshua (Jesus), to get His people into the promised land. The real key is the God's people needed to follow a leader into the Promised Land. And so do we. We need to follow Jesus.

I don't know if the young who died this past weekend was a follower of Christ or not. But I know this. NO ONE is getting into the Promised Land with out following Jesus. No one! Not Hindu, not Buddhist, not Mormon, not Jehovah's Witness, not Catholic or Lutheran, Baptist or Calvary Chapel. It is our faith in Christ that is key, not a denomination. Follow Christ!

Are you prepared to cross the Jordan? Have you placed your faith in Christ? He is the ticket you need to make the trip.

"1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: ² “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. ³ Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. ⁴ From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. ⁵ No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. ⁷ Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. ⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. ⁹ Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” - Joshua 1:1-9

God tells us to "be strong and courageous" three times in this passage. He also tells us He will never leave us - His children. We all have people in "the world." They need to hear about Jesus. If we truly want them to live, we need to tell them.

The following clip is from the movie The Matrix. Watch it as Morpheus explains to Neo what the Matrix is. It is "the world" WE live in. Listen to his words in that context.

Matrix Explained

What's On You Doorpost?

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm a little strange. There are people who would argue otherwise. Not that I am NOT a little strange, rather that I am REALLY strange. I tend to come up with a different view of things than most people. Like this for example . . .

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18, "20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” - Matthew 18:20. If Jesus is with us in church or around the dining room table, why don't we take our shoes off when we are praying or in worship? Moses was told to take off His sandals when He was in the presence of The Lord (Exodus 3:5). Shouldn't there be lines of shoes on the floor outside our sanctuaries?

Here's another thought. When God told His people TWICE (Deuteronomy 6 & 11)

"6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." - Deuteronomy 6:6-9

How come we don't have God's Word written on our doorposts? Maybe that's figurative speech but I'm not so sure. Lambs blood was painted on the doorposts at Passover. Jesus was the lamb that was slain. Jesus is The Word. Perhaps the doorposts we are to place Jesus on are the door posts of our hearts.

Have you given your life to Christ? You most likely will answer 'yes' to that question but have you REALLY done that? If God the most important thing in your life? Have you allowed Jesus to take over control of your decisions? Your bank account? Your schedule? Your life?

Try going through a day totally devoted to living a life like Jesus lived. Can you do it? I would encourage you to try it. Just for one day. Pour into someone's life like Jesus did for the woman at the well. Question your church leaders when you see His Father's house turning into a house of merchandise. Love others who are hurting by telling them of the hope you have found in Christ.

There are so many things we can do for our God and King. Let us be about HIS business today. In HIS name. For HIS glory. May people look at us and know WHOSE we are as we praise Him with our lives.

I Surrender - Hillsong

The Commands of Jesus: Follow Me

[This is the second in a series of articles about The Commands of Jesus.]

As a guy, I don't like to stop and ask for directions when I'm lost. I'd rather figure things out on my own. That usually takes a little time. More time than my wife is willing to spend, should she be in the car with me.

"Why don't you stop at a gas station!" she'll ask.

I usually reply with something like this. "I know exactly where I'm going. Right over there (points at some unseen destination) . . . Be patient. It's right over the next hill . . . somewhere . .  ."

The modern day GPS unit has taken all the fun out of dead-reckoning driving. It (usually) takes you right where you want to go. But driving by the seat of my pants always gets me to where I'm going. It just takes a little longer. And we get to see new things along the way that we wouldn't otherwise have gotten to see! The truth is though, if I would stop and ask directions from someone who knew the way, I would arrive at my destination a WHOLE lot quicker.

When Jesus was calling his disciples he didn't ask them if they would like to come with Him. He told them!"

"18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” - Matthew 4:18-19

Guess what they did. They obeyed his command. IMMEDIATELY! Verse 20

"20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him." - Matthew 4:20

The Greek words used in this text are "deute opiso mou" which means "come after me", or basically, follow me. But what strikes me most about verse 20 is that they IMMEDIATELY followed Jesus. How many of us can say we dropped everything and followed Jesus when we first came to believe?

Although Jesus was specifically calling his disciples at the time, He really is calling us too. And if you combine this command to follow with the first command Jesus gave us - to repent or "turn around" - it's rather easy to see what Jesus is asking us . . . no . . . telling, us to do. Turn around and come after Him. Repent and follow.

Have you repented and followed Jesus? That's a MAJOR question in the life of a Christian. We are commanded to do this. It's not a half-way thing. If we have not repented . . . if we are not following Jesus in the way we live our lives and in our hearts, then we cannot call ourselves Christians. There is no "half-way" with Jesus. It's all or nothing.

Look, we are all sinners. Yet we all tend to wander off the path once in a while. Okay, DAILY! We're just like a bunch of sheep in need of a shepherd. Jesus IS that shepherd. We need to be FOLLOWING His voice, not our own or anyone else's. We are called to Repent and Follow.

"3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." - Luke 15:3-7

What Keeps You From Following God? - The Skit Guys