The Duty To Warn

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

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

The Duty to Warn.

What is it? 

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

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

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

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

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

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

What should we do?

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

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

Drivers Stop To Save Victim

Ambulance Observations

A few observations for you this morning from yesterday's ride in the back of an ambulance. Before I begin however I would like to thank all of my family and friends who prayed for me. I am sitting in my living room today, writing this story, as a result of those prayers, and God's grace. I love you all.

Devotion - This was exemplified by my wife. Always by my side. Driving me to the hospital, holding my hand in the ER, following behind me as I was transported to another hospital. She is a picture of love and devotion.

"Your lovingkindness, O Lord, extends to the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the skies." - Psalm 36:5

Servants -- the staff of two hospitals and an ambulance service. They did their jobs, like they do everyday, often without acknowledgement. Yet their work is essential if anyone is to be saved.

"Love the Lord your God, walk in obedience to him, keep his commands, hold fast to him and serve him with all your heart and with all your soul." - Joshua 22:5

Love - My phone kept lighting up yesterday with messages of encouragement and prayer. Each time I saw their names I thanked God for them.

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

Peace - Through all the needles, tests, and pain of the past few days, none of it bothered me our caused me any amount of anxiety. Why? Because God takes away our fears. His power over all things is amazing.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Hope - These past few days have proven God's grace, mercy and love for those who love him. That provides hope for any and all such encounters in the future. Hope is essential to the living of life.

"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

In our times of trouble, God is always there. When we are alone, He is with us. When we are anxious, God calms all our fears.

So, if you are anxious, in trouble, and feeling alone, that is because you have not fully trusted in God. God is not a cross you wear around your neck. He is the hope and love that we have in your hearts.

"Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Send Me

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” - Isaiah 6:8

There is a tendency these days, especially with all of us as busy as we are, to pass over volunteer opportunities. We simply can't take on anything else in our lives.

At the same time though, if somebody doesn't do it, who will? And how do we know if it isn't the Lord calling us to do something . . . for Him?

Do you know yourself well enough to know whether or not you're good at something? I do. When my church asks for volunteers to bake treats for everyone, I steer clear. Bowing our heads in prayer is good. Bowing our heads in pain after eating one of my 'treats' is not.

But what if your church asks for help in an area where you CAN actually help. Does your hand go up? Do you say "Send me!"

The best test for a compassionate volunteer comes when there is no spoken request at all. No words are needed. But you can sense there IS a need. And you act.

Maybe it's through a Facebook post or in the expression on someone's face. Something's not right. And you want to help.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"May I pray for you?"

This is what Christians do. We serve others. We have compassion for those who are hurting. We 'volunteer' without raising our hands or saying, "Send me." Why? Because we are children of God and we cannot NOT do something. (Bad English?)

Where is there a need in your church, your family, your community, or your group of friends? Remember when Jesus told us about the sheep and the goats? The goats said to Jesus:

"Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’" - Matthew 25:44-45

We don't want to be goats. Sheep volunteer. Be a sheep. We must help our brothers and sisters who are in need. Even if there is no spoken request. If you KNOW there is a need, fill it.

You, You Are God - Gateway Worship

Helping Others

One of the basic elements of the Christian faith is helping others. We can find it in The Golden Rule.

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Matthew 7:12

This principle goes far beyond simply 'helping' someone though. The concept can be found in feeding the poor and clothing the naked. In fact, helping others is SO important to God that, if we DON'T help them, it will cost us . . . big time.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." - Matthew 25:31-33

You do NOT want to be on the left. Or a goat.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” - Matthew 25:41-46

The desire to help others should come naturally to the believer. It is part of who we are. Love someone today, enough to help them through whatever they are going through. You will be blessed. And you will be walking in the will of God.

Numb

I watched a music video last night that got me thinking (link below). In the video a young woman went through a series of depressing events in her life.

She dealt with a domineering mother at home, she was abused and alienated at her school. Ultimately, she came running into a church only to find that no one was there.

Has the church of today forgotten its purpose? Have we become "numb" to the problems we see happening in the world? And what about us as individuals? Have we become numb as well?

Jesus said the following to the "numb" church in Ephesus:

"You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." - Revelation 4:5

We can see examples of churches doing God's work in Ukraine for example. Samaritan's Purse does not hold back when it comes to going where the love of God is needed, in Jesus' name. But what about us on the individual level?

Why did God give us arms and legs? Could it be because God wanted us to GO where we are needed and to USE the arms He gave us to embrace those who need to feel loved?

Getting back to the video, we are left wondering what happened to the woman. Did she kill herself after her "last resort" - the church - failed to love?

The singer and writer of the song, Chester Bennington, killed himself in 2017. Did HE run into a church at one point in his life only to find it "empty?"

Let us not "become so numb" as a church that we forget what Jesus commanded us to do. Having our lampstand removed by Jesus is NOT something we want to have happen.

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

Heavenly Father, I don't want to become numb. Help me to love others who are in need. May my arms always be open to anyone you would place in my path. May my legs always be willing to take me to the places you want me to be. My desire is to be known as one of your disciples - loving, embracing, and moving. It is in Your merciful name that I pray. Amen.

Numb - Linkin Park

The Parable of The Life Preserver

"We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." - 1 John 4:14

Here's a picture I hope you never get to see in real life. It's a life preserver - mid-flight. If this is your viewpoint of a life preserver in action, you are in some serious trouble, my friend.

There are three aspects of a life preserver's use that are critical to its successful operation.

First is the thrower. Without a strong and accurate throw by the thrower nobody is going to have a good day.

Second, the recipient has to be capable of reaching out to the preserver. Without the desire and ability to be saved, everybody's efforts will be useless.

And lastly, there's the life preserver itself. Unless it is in good shape and ready to be used it could sink or come apart at the seams. It will be useless unless the life preserver is properly taken care of and maintained.

The parable part of this story comes by examining this entire scenario through God's eyes. In life's struggles, God is the always the thrower. Some might say He is also the life preserver and that's true sometimes, but not always. Quite often God uses other people as His life preservers. God uses us to speak to people, to walk along with people who are struggling in life.

The recipient of any life saving effort is usually someone that God has placed in our lives - for a moment, for a season, but always for a reason. When this scenario works perfectly it is a beautiful thing to behold.

Oh, I forgot one aspect to this parable - the rope itself. The rope is love. God's love is always there to save us from ANY situation. And God has promised to never let go of His life-saving love. It is always there.

Notice that the thrower is directly connected to the life preserver. God's love, through His Holy Spirit, makes everything work. Our Christian brothers and sister are the earthly connection to the struggling soul.

Is there someone in your life who is in danger of drowning right now? Tell them about God's life-saving love. All they have to do is to reach out their hand and receive Him into their hearts.

Remember, even after the struggling person reaches out, God is the one that pulls them to Himself. It's a beautiful thing.

Keep a lookout on the horizon in YOUR life. Is someone struggling? Is someone sinking? God has a hold of you. Are you willing to be used to save a life?

Sure Footing

Some local men and I are restoring an old, abandoned disc golf course at one of our area schools. It is enjoyable work but sometimes we run into some difficulties, like this past Monday when we were cutting down some trees.

I had my trusty Stihl chainsaw with me and it was working well but one of the trees we had flagged for cutting was on the sloping bank of a river. And by sloping I mean 40 degrees. Steep.

Climbing down was awkward enough. The bank was constructed out of 2" crushed rock. With every step I took I slid even further. After reaching the tree I solidified my stance and made the cut. But then I tried to climb back up the steep slope while also carrying my chainsaw. It wasn't working. I was struggling big time.

But then I looked up and saw one of the guys had extended a branch for me to hold onto. Suddenly I had something "solid" in my climb and I was lifted right up. Amazingly simple.

Jesus can be that man in our lives, if we let him. We like to do things on own own, with out any help. That's called pride. If I wouldn't have accepted the help of my friend that day I would STILL be trying to get up that river bank!

God can be a tremendous help for those of us struggling to gain footing in this life. He was not the branch in today's illustration. He was the one holding the branch. But I had to look up and accept the offer.

We all have brothers and sisters in our lives, fellow believers. They love to help. But their help only works if WE let them help. When help is offered, reach out and grab it. Not only will you be lifted out of trouble but you will have also gained a good friend in the process.

"The Lord is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock - I take refuge in him! - he’s my shield, my salvation’s strength, my place of safety." - Psalm 18:2

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:5

On Christ The Solid Rock I Stand - Magen Thurman

The Blessings

Blessings from God are wonderful things. We are never able to predict them, they usually come at the weirdest times, and they are always, ALWAYS, something you would never expect.

One of God's many blessings rained down on me Monday around lunchtime as I was driving home from town.

I was in the process of finishing off my amazing KwikTrip Mushroom & Swiss burger (on sale) when I came upon two people walking down the road.

The lady waved. I waved back. Then I noticed it was Jan, a friend of mine from church. She was probably out walking with her son Chris I thought. Nope. It was Paul!

I slammed on the brakes as I passed them and turned around. You see my friend Paul is being treated for a cancerous brain tumor and I hadn't seen him since his diagnosis.

It was SO good to see my friend Paul. So many times I had driven by their house on my way home. "I should really stop and visit Paul." or "I should tell Jan that if she needs anything that I live close by." I never did. But apparently God thought I should do ALL those things so He made it happen. And I'm glad He did.

The three of us stood by the side of the road and talked, and laughed and then laughed some more. Just what all three of us needed. And God therefore provided.

There is a lesson to be learned here. ALWAYS take the time when presented with opportunities to "love your neighbor." You will be blessed. THEY will be blessed. GOD will be blessed.

As evidence of this I give you the faces in this picture. Do you see any signs of a grim diagnosis on their faces? No. All you can see joy! And do you know why? It's because each of us knows a great God who saves.

Look at my friend Paul's face. Two words come to my mind. Gritty determination. Paul hopes to take a trip to Florida to ride on a roller coaster. He'll do it. Gritty determination!

But now two other words are popping into my head and they are the best of all. God's grace.

My friends, if you don't know the Lord, please consider it. There is such joy to be found.

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. 20Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death." - Psalm 68:19-20

Our God Saves - Paul Baloche

The Parable of The Clorox Wipes

Why are these things so popular right now? I'll tell you why. It's because they kill germs and everyone is a germaphobe these days. And with good reason!

When the corona virus pandemic first started to show it's ugly face around here, people started hording personal hygiene products like toilet paper and . . . Clorox wipes.

My wife ran out, so did our daughter-in-law - both of them clean freaks, or so they tell me. My wife looked in every store she went to, trying to find those darned wipes and nobody had them.

Soon, the bathroom smelled of a new odor - a substitute concoction some Facebook Susie-homemaker came up with. Nasty smelling stuff. I'm not sure it killed any germs but it probably made them leave town due to the smell.

Each time my wife and I go shopping she always checks for her hard-to-find wipes. Each time she has been denied. Until last weekend that is.

We were at our local hardware / farm / hunting / garden store last week. My wife went to check for her wipes. The shelves were bare. She hung her head and slumped her shoulders in disappointment. "When are you going to get more of these wipes?" she asked a nearby clerk.

She wasn't really expecting an answer. It was more of a frustrated, rhetorical question. But the clerk replied, "Just a minute. I'll check in the back." She disappeared but soon she returned with a single container of Clorox disinfectant wipes - tucked under her work vest. She gave the wipes to my wife.

It might as well have been Christmas because my wife's face lit up like a Christmas tree! Her day was totally made. Day? Her MONTH was made! She was SO excited to finally have some or her long sought after wipes! Then she did something that caught my attention, and the attention of the Lord God Almighty I should think. She gave them away.

While our daughter still had some, our daughter-in-law was out. A meeting was arranged, the transfer was made, and it was Christmas time all over again. Only in someone else's eyes.

That single act of selflessness impressed the heck out of me. What an amazing thing to do. Despite having searched for those stupid wipes for over a month, when she finally found what she was looking for, my wife gave them away to someone who needed them more.

That's exactly what we are supposed to do with the Gospel. We are not to keep such wonderfulness to ourselves. We are commanded to share it with everyone we meet.

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, (her lack of wipes) put in everything—all she had to live on.” - Mark 12:41-44

The people who hoarded all of the personal hygiene supplies did so for their own good. They were being extremely selfish during a difficult time for everyone, leaving mothers, and those REALLY in need of these items, without.

But not my wife. She did what was right in the eyes of The Lord. And I was very proud of her for doing so.

Your Help

When you get into trouble, where do you look to find help? The first thing many of us think of is the police. "Better watch out cuz I'm calling the cops! 9-1-1 baby!" But sometimes it can take 10-15 minutes before the police arrive. A lot can happen in 15 minutes. Are you prepared to deal with all of the things that can happen in a quarter of an hour, filled with desperation? Probably not.

Where do you look for help when you lose your job or have no real source of income? Many turn to our government for help with food assistance, disability checks, or low-income housing. Those things CAN help but they can also become habit forming leading to downright dependence on our government.

How about a serious illness? Lots of people are concerned about that right now. We go to the Emergency Room, see the best doctors and specialists but even THEY don't have a clue sometimes.

There really is no place to turn in this world if we truly want to be 100% safe or 100% healed. Even our faith in Christ doesn't prevent disaster from striking our lives. Christians are martyred everyday for they faith.

The thing we have to remember is this: "It is appointed unto man once to die, but after that, the judgement." - Hebrews 9:27

But then it's too late to ask for help. We need to ask for that help now!

Look, lots of restaurants are closed right now. You can't go there and get a meal with everything shut down. But you CAN call in ahead of time and place an order. Then, when you arrive at the restaurant, you can get just what you came for. But without calling ahead, you'll just be sitting there in the parking lot . . . forever.

When we place our faith in Jesus a lot of stuff begins to happen. We no longer become anxious at every little thing that crosses our path. We receive a sense of "God's got this." We also receive forgiveness of all of our sins - MORE weight listed off of our shoulders!

Where do you get YOUR help. Here's where I get mine.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -
where does my help come from?
2My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

Praise You In The Storm - Casting Crowns

The Joy Of Suffering

I had kind of a rough night last night, spending it sitting in a chair trying to sleep. Somehow I had strained my back and also gotten heartburn. It's a great combination. I'd recommend them both highly if you are looking for ways to get closer to God.

What do you do at night when you'd rather be sleeping but can't? The mind starts to wander. The next thing I knew, at 1:00 in the morning, was I was "sure" I was having a heart ache and how my family would have to clean up all my junk in the basement. And who was going to attend my funeral and what they would say about me?!? Lol!

Minds can be wild, untamed things. They tend to wander off by themselves and get into trouble, thinking about things they really shouldn't. But at least brains have one positive thing going for them - Christian brains that is. The Christian mind, eventually, will turn to God for help in times of need or trouble.

Yes, I prayed last night. I think we all do that when things get bad enough. Pain is a great pastor. It reminds us of just who is in charge and who it is that has the power to heal and restore.

I woke up this morning and the heartburn was gone. The pain in my back had subsided. I thanked God for watching over me and taking care of me.

Some people might ask, "How do you know that it was God who made you feel better?" To that I reply, "How do you know it wasn't Him?" Believe what you want. "As for me and MY house" . . .

"And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond 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 24:15

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, a whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:2-4

The thing pain and suffering teach us about life is that we must trust and rely on God more than we do. And is that such a bad thing? No. But I DO think we need to thank God for the reminders and pay more attention to Him than we do. We should be grateful that we have a God who loves us and cares about us enough to rebuke us and teach us lessons we need to learn them.

What pain would YOU like to get rid of today? Is it painful enough for you to get on your knees and pray? I hope so. That's where the healing begins.

Healing Begins - Tenth Avenue North

The Parable of The Generator

We all experience storms in our lives. It's part of growing up. Some people manage to get through them. Others simply succumb to them. But the REAL survivors are the ones who learn from them.

We had a bad storm go through our area Saturday morning. It spawned several tornadoes and wrought a lot of damage in the lives of a lot of people around here. Today, many are still in recovery mode. Fallen trees are being removed, houses are being repaired, new powerlines are replacing old.

In the aftermath of such storms there are powerful lessons to be learned. However most chose to ignore the opportunity. They simply want life to get back to the way it was. They want to be comfortable again with electricity and running water and a dry place to sleep. But there is so much more to life than comfortableness.

Saturday, after the storm passed, I walked to four of the houses in my neighborhood and offered to share my generator with them. They all refused the help. One simply abandoned their house and threw out all their food, another thought they could last until the power was restored and a third said the same. It has now been 48 hours since the storm went through.

"How you have helped the powerless! How you have saved the arm that is feeble!" - Job 26:2

Sunday afternoon I listened to a young friend of mine tell me about a storm in her life. It too had caused a lot of damage. She has endured many such storms in her life and was in need of some "power" in her life. The power of Jesus.

Sometimes we get drained of life's energy. We get weak and wonder how we can ever get through the next storm. Jesus gave Paul the answer.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

When we turn to God and surrender our hearts to Him, THAT is when we become strong. That is when we receive power to withstand the strongest storm. Most people try to muddle through on their own. They seldom reach out. They are the fools. They are passing up The Generator of Life.

Reach out. Cry out. All the energy you will ever need is available for the asking. But first you must humble yourself, acknowledge your weakness (sin) and ask for help. Don't be afraid. Time and time again in the Bible God tells us ,"Do not be afraid." We never listen.

"1 I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

I dare you to take that first step. Accept the fact that you can't make it through another storm without Jesus by your side. You are the one who has to make the choice. I dare you. I dare you to move.

I Dare You To Move - Switchfoot

The Co-Op

Back in 2014 my friend Gayle had an idea. It was based on something the Cloe character came up with in the Left Behind series of novels. A Co-Op. A cooperative where people would barter and trade, give and receive, without the use of money. It's not really a NEW idea. It's in the Bible.

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

My friend's idea has conjoined with my idea for a tiny home village into an actual company called Wee Build. Wee Build is more than a company though. It's an idea. Sharing the gifts that God has given us with others in our community. We do these things not to make us rich or to gain fame. We do ALL of this in the name of Jesus. God gets the glory. We get blessed. Everyone benefits.

You can do the same thing right there where you are! What are YOU good at? What are some of the things you can do? My friend Gayle was once a professional seamstress - making costumes for the actors at Busch Gardens. She now teaches others to sew and to make their own clothes. What can YOU do?

A friend of mine had a need for some house plans. That's something I can do! So I am drawing him a house . . . for free. They gave to anyone who had need. And guess what? My friend gave back to me. He gave me food to eat. He gave me the use of this home when it gets done. That's how the Wee Build concept works.

Is there a need in YOUR community for something like Wee Build? There is always a need for love and compassion for one another. Do something for someone today without thought of receiving payment. You will be blessed in so many ways. And whatever you do, do it in the name of Christ. You will truly be blessed beyond measure.

What's A Worker's Cooperative?

Falling Inside The Black

(photo by Katherine Chase)

I was searching for some photos to use on a web site when I happened upon this beauty. I like the photo because it tells a story. A sad story though. A story about being left behind or falling through the cracks perhaps. A sign of what's wrong in our country. And what's wrong with our hearts.

I was in town this past Friday, measuring up a building for some gratis work my company is doing at a local non-profit. I was talking to their volunteer coordinator about a young man the had been there as a client. He struggled with some mental health issues. They tried everything to help this guy but nothing seemed to work. He either couldn't be helped or wasn't interested in being helped at all.

Last week he went missing from the facility he was at. Three days later they found his body in a nearby river. Sad. There simply is no helping some people I guess, but that doesn't stop people from wanting to help or from trying to. It breaks people's hearts when they hear that there is no longer any hope.

I look at this photo and a verse keeps repeating in my head. It's Jesus speaking to His disciples.

"The poor you will always have with you." - Matthew 26:11

Why did Jesus say that?

I think he said it because the sick and the poor WILL always be with us . . . FOR us . . . as a test. The sick and the poor in our lives may be there for us so God can see just how we treat them. A test to see how "healthy" WE are, how "RICH" we are.

Are we spiritually rich enough to have compassion on someone who has a mental illness? Are we spiritually healthy enough to have that desire to help the sick and the hurting?

The news these days is filled with people who are struggling to fit in. When no one notices them or seems to care about them, they lash out at society. They fight back, in their usually fatal way, at the very people (in general) who have abandoned them. Even at the ones who could help them!

We, as a society, are failing the Jesus test. We choose to ignore the mentally challenged and often just stand by as we watch them slip through the cracks and fall into the black abyss below. We need more people to be Jesus in the lives of the mentally ill. More people to lift them up in prayer. More people to fill the cracks . . . with hope.

Falling Inside The Black - Skillet
My Son was a Columbine Shooter - Sue Klebold

The Swamp

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

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

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

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

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

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

LA Musician Builds Tiny Homes For The Homeless

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

Top Ten Most Ridiculous Government Programs

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

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

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

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

Help!!

The office where I work is currently being remodeled. Old materials are being replaced with new. There is new paint on the walls, new carpet on the floors, and new music on the intercom system. The all-Beatles channel!

Now, I like the Beatles as much as the next guy but I've been listening to the Beatles for five weeks straight now at work and . . . I need some . . . Help!!

However, this sudden immersion into the songs of my teen years has allowed me to hear these songs in a new way. There are many songs that can be taken "two ways" and the Beatles song Help! is one of those songs. The interpretation of the lyrics depends on your view of the world.

Let's examine the first line of the song for example.

"When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in anyway."

Form a secular world view it sounds like an older person, remembering his or her youth, and how they never asked for anybody's help back then. They were too prideful perhaps.

Now read that same line again only from a Biblical world view.

"When I was younger so much younger than today, I never needed anybody's help in anyway."

Suddenly it sounds like a mature believer reflecting on his immature youth and recognizing his need for help . . . for a Savior.

"Now I find I've changed my mind I've opened up the doors."
He's changed his mind.  And opened up the door?

"7 Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!" - Psalm 24:7

And the chorus sounds more like a prayer than anything else.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
 And I do appreciate you being 'round
 Help me get my feet back on the ground
 Won't you please, please help me?

^"16 Turn to me and have mercy on me; show your strength in behalf of your servant; save me, because I serve you just as my mother did. ¹⁷ Give me a sign of your goodness, that my enemies may see it and be put to shame, for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me." - Psalm 86:16-17

When we place out faith in Jesus, calling out to God to help us in our time of need, He will answer that prayer. He will open the door. He will help us get back on our feet. Whenever we are down, He will lift us up. How wonderful to have a God who cares, who provides a solid rock upon which we can stand. Our great God who helps those who love Him.

Help! - The Beatles