Desperate For You

Someone once asked me, "How do you know when you've found the love of your life?" My answer has always been, "When you know, you'll know." That is very true. But that love, and the sheer depth of it, goes WAY beyond any earthly constraints.

I had a wonderful hour of worship the other night. Unfortunately, it took place between the hours of 2:00 and 3:00 AM! Ah well. It was actually very nice. Quiet. Peaceful. Humble and submissive.

The song at the end of this story was playing in my head. I encourage you to give it a listen. When you get to the words "Your holy presence, living in me" push pause and think about that for a moment. God's Holy Spirit LIVES in the heart of every believer. That should be VERY humbling for the Christian.

Then this . . .

"And I, I'm desperate for you."

Are we DESPERATE for God?  I don't think we are as "desperate" for Him as we should be. How about you? What does desperation look like in the heart of the believer?

We recently had a lot of extreme weather here in Central Wisconsin. Two feet of snow, a major ice storm, and 8" of rain. The result was what they are calling a 100-year flood. Would you be desperate for God if that happened to you?

I drove by one of the flooded towns yesterday. The water covers the main street that runs through town. Further upstream it's just as bad. The picture above looks like sharks swimming in the ocean. Nope. It's sturgeon spawning . . .  in the boat landing parking lot.

Please pray for the people affected by the flooding in New London, Fremont, Shiocton, and all places in between. And that's just in Waupaca County.

And then thank God that no one has perished. May our prayers be desperate for God's protective hand to be over us as we ALL deal with the events of this world. Thank you!

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

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

Breathe - Michael W. Smith

God's Provision

I'm sitting on a bench behind the #6 tee pad at my local disc golf course, known as The WEDGE. This place is where I often go to spend time with God. Like this morning . . .

When I think about this course in particular I think about the man who first put it in. His name Is Neil and he worked many hours to build this place. My friend Neil is a believer, and he goes to my church.

I was out here the other day with another man who was helping me clean up all of the fairways. He is my friend Devin. He too is a believer. He also goes to my church, and has been a great help.

There are two other courses in our area. Two other men helped put those in. One was a mentor of the other - a teenage boy. The mentor is my friend Alex. Alex is a believer. Are you sensing a pattern yet?

All of us men love disc golf, but we also love the Lord. More.

I sit here in awe, contemplating just how much the Lord has provided in this place. I work out here every week. And how did I get permission to create new holes, to put in baskets, and tee pads? I got permission from the high school grounds guy. That's my friend Matt. And he too is a believer in Jesus.

Oh yeah, speaking of sitting on the bench. My friend David helped assemble many of them. Dave is also a believer. We met at a disc golf tournament.

God has truly provided everything on this disc golf course. He has provided inspiration, friendship, and opportunity to reach others with the Gospel. How can we NOT praise Him!

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

"And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

Majesty

"Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." - 1 Chronicles 29:11

There are currently 8.1 billion people living on earth. That's a lot of people! Not to God though. He created the heavens, the stars, the planets. He can number of grains of sand on the seashore and can count the hairs on 8.1 billion heads. He is all-powerful! Yet . . .

He loves us individually. He cares about us. However, many of us choose to ignore Him or to not believe in Him.

For those people, here are a few verses to consider:

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except fhrough me." - John 14-6:44

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

Think about it for a moment. If you are a believer in Jesus, God has chosen you! Out of 8.1 billion people! That fact should have an immediate effect on us. A humbling effect.

"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 4

However, if you are not currently a believer in the God of the Bible, I strongly urge you to consider saying 'yes' to His calling. There are eternal consequences to the answer we give.

Despite God's majesty and power, He allows us to chose, even though He has already chosen us. Does that make sense? He already knows the answer we will give to His calling. We must acknowledge His majesty, repent of our sins, and humble ourselves before Him. Then we will receive in us the greatest of His amazing gifts - Himself.

Majesty - Michael W. Smith

Esther's Example

One of the many things I enjoy about studying the Bible is discovering the hidden treasures that it contains. Gems of wisdom, waiting to be unearthed with just a little bit of digging. Like this little beauty in the Book of Esther.

I read through the book last month and didn't notice this. Then, during our pastor's sermon on Sunday about how we should approach God in prayer, the lightbulb came on.

We were studying Luke 11 in church but I was mentally pawing through the Old Testament book of Esther. There IS a connection. This was from Luke 11.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Luke 11:9

Our pastor then said this regarding Luke 11:9:

"Rudeness or inappropriate boldness should never be part of our prayer."

When Esther's people were threatened with annihilation she knew she had to ask the king for help. But to enter his court without permission meant certain death. UNLESS the king extended his scepter.

Esther approached the king anyway but she did so with a HUMBLE boldness. She was willing to sacrifice her life for her people.

Esther approaching the king is the perfect example of how we should approach God in our prayers.

The king loved Esther. And God loves us. But we cannot just blurt out our prayers expecting God to respond to our needs like some genie.

Shouldn't we bow down to our king and ask Him permission to enter His presence? And THEN seek His help by our knock on His door.

"On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.” - Esther 5:1-3

Now THAT is an answer to prayer!

You will notice in verse 1 in the Esther passage it says, "On the third day." Esther and her people had already been fasting and praying for two full days before she went to see the king.

Do you and I prepare our hearts and minds before we pray as Esther did? Perhaps, if we first asked God for permission to enter His throne room in prayer, rather than barging in, God's answer to our prayer might be more readily given.

The Humble Servant

 

Yesterday was an interesting day. I didn't realize that I had signed up for a life lesson in humility but that's what I received. And I am grateful for receiving it.

My wife and I drove down to Milwaukee yesterday to visit her father. He is nearing the end of his life and is in hospice.

He woke up and looked at us both as we arrived but then returned to sleeping. Then a CNA came in with his lunch and my humility lesson got underway.

This woman caringly fed my father-in-law while at the same time reassuring my wife about how well he was doing during this transition time. A spoon full of chicken casserole, a spoon full of water, a wiping of the lips. How gentle she was. How caring.

My wife left the room to fill the bird feeder outside his window, not that he would ever see it, but the birds would appreciate the effort. I took the opportunity to pray for my father-in-law. And upon my wife's return, I read him the Christmas story from Luke 2. That was all good.

As we drove back home, we remarked how wonderful the CNA was to my wife's father. Even commenting that she was an angel. We didn't even catch her name.

Arriving in Appleton, we stopped at a store so my wife could pick up a book she ordered. Pulling into the store's driveway we noticed a man seated on the sidewalk and leaning up against the building. He had just fallen on the slippery sidewalk and was waiting for help to arrive.

Perhaps inspired by the CNA we had witnessed earlier in the day, I went over to the stranger and asked if I could pray for him. He said 'yes' and so I did. When I opened my eyes the EMT crew was there. I backed away and left them to their work.

It was a good day.

Am I always open to, and observant of, opportunities to pray for someone or to serve someone? It was nine degrees that day. Would I have so easily offered prayer on a "normal" day, without the example of the caring CNA to follow?

It seems to me that we should ALWAYS be prepared to serve and to pray for those who are in need. Jesus is our example. Shouldn't we be following His example if we are "followers" of Christ? Are we followers only on SOME days when we feel like it?

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first must be your slave - 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:26-28

This is the season for miracles. We must keep our eyes open for opportunities to love and to serve, in humility and with compassion. We must reflect God's love for us by loving others. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

What Am I Missing?

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

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

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

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

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

"Lord, what am I missing?"

The answer came quickly.

Get down on your hands and knees.

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

"Thank you, Lord!"

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

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

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

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

It's Never Too Late

A friend of mine once told me, "God could never forgive me for the things I've done." Her statement told me two things. One, she was believing a lie and, two, she simply did not know God. She only knew what she believed Him to be.

Believing a lie about someone has two possible outcomes. You can continue to believe it and live with the result of that belief, or you can examine your belief to make sure it is true.

I offer the case of Manasseh, King of Judah.

Manasseh began his reign when he was 12 years old. His father was Hezekiah, a good king. Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of The Lord. He tore down all the worship places of the other gods. But Manasseh did not follow in his father's footsteps.

Manasseh built UP the altars of the other gods and did evil in the eyes of The Lord. Yet, despite all the evil that he did, this happened.

God spoke to Manasseh and his people but they would not listen so God punished them and sent and army against Judah and they captured Manasseh and took him away. As Manasseh lay in prison this is what he did. He prayed.

"12 In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God." - 2 Chronicles 33:12-13

There is a lesson for us to learn here. Many of us go through life doing whatever we want. We're basically worshiping our own gods. God then teaches us a lesson. At that point we have a choice. What will we choose?

Manasseh chose to pray and repent. After that, Manasseh did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. His people, however, did not.

The key to Manasseh's story is his realization that he had sinned. He then repented and was forgiven. That story can happen to anyone. God is willing to forgive ANYONE as long as that person comes to The Lord humbly and honestly and seeks that forgiveness.

Is there something you need to repent of today? Pray. Seek God's forgiveness. If you do so honestly and truthfully, God is mighty to save.

Mighty To Save - Michael W. Smith

The Parable of The Forgotten Gift

On Christmas Eve this year, discarded wrapping paper strewn all over the sunroom floor, we were all standing in the kitchen, feasting on Christmas goodies. Suddenly our grandson came running in from the other room and shouted, "I found another present under the tree!!"

"Who's it for?" his mother asked.

"It's for me!" was the reply.

"Well, you'd better open it." his mom suggested. Only too happy to obey, he quickly sat down and began to shred.

Look at the expression on our grandson's face. What emotions can you see? Joy? Excitement? Anticipation? Hope? Wonder? I saw all those in my grandson as he unwrapped his forgotten present.

After all the family had left my wife and I went to church and heard a message about the TRUE meaning of Christmas. The source of the message did not come from the typical Luke 2 Christmas story. It came from the Book of Philippians instead.

"5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - 2 Philippians 2:6-8

The true meaning of Christmas is that Jesus, part of the Trinity, took human form, He became a servant and Jesus humbled Himself. He gave up nearly everything that He was. Why? So He could become "obedient to death". Death on a cross. For us.

After church I thought back on our grandson opening that package - the present that had been forgotten - and I wondered how many of us have left Jesus under the tree. Even though Jesus died "once for all" still many have yet to receive Him.

For those of us who have unwrapped our hidden present, Jesus, may we all have the look on our faces that our grandson had. As we talk about Jesus, as we live out our daily lives. When people look at us may they think about Him. May we take this most special and perfect of gifts and not let it be hidden under a tree, but let us unwrap it and wear it for all to see.

"Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:10-11

Silent Night - Manheim Steamroller

Beneath The Surface

To the world around us we appear happy. It can seem to others that everything is fine and dandy in our lives, but beneath the surface, hidden just out of sight, things are way different than most people think.

To the untrained eye the picture we see of others can look rather peaceful. Perhaps there is even a smile or an "I'm okay" that convinces us that things are fine, when in fact they are not.

Why do we try to hide our feelings from others? Are we embarrassed that someone might see us crying or "unstable" in some way? We always want to make a good impression, as if there's nothing wrong. Why do we do that?

Some of my deepest and most honest relationships are with people who have made themselves vulnerable, rather than put on a false face and lied about how they are feeling. The best relationships are honest ones - ones where there is trust, not deceit.

In our relationship with Jesus, are we being honest? Or do we try to pretend everything is alright? And how do we act in church? Do we try to smile despite the pain inside. Or do we open up and share our burdens with each other? What does God want us to do?

^"2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. ³ For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself." - Galatians 6:2-3

It is easy to share the burdens of someone we love, but what about the unlovable? Is our desire to help THEM as strong as it should be?

There is a lot of tension in our nation right now. Either you're for Trump or you're against him. And that's okay. We all have our own opinions. But do we pray for those who oppose us and our beliefs?

"44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Matthew 5:44-48

May we be honest about our feelings. May we be transparent. May we not hide our pain for fear of being hurt or embarrassed. Rather, let us be vulnerable and give someone the opportunity to love us like Jesus loves us. In doing so we will be fulfilling God's law, spoken to us by Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Jesus humbled Himself. Why won't we?

Beneath The Surface - Dream Theater

Hidden Treasure

Since my retirement began I have been going through all of my "stuff", weeding out things I don't need or no longer find useful. My wife calls it "death cleaning" - getting rid of stuff so my kids don't have to go through it after I'm gone. Ha ha! I call it "a treasure hunt."

It's amazing some of the things we can find when we go through our old junk. Some of it is just plan garbage but then there are things we find that are absolutely priceless. Like the hidden treasure I found yesterday in my dad's old fishing creel.

I was in Michigan last month, visiting my mother. She asked me to go through the garage and take whatever I wanted of my dad's stuff. So I grabbed his creel. My dad and I used to go fishing together. We each had a creel (the bag you carry the fish you caught in). Now I had two. I took it just to get it out of her garage.

Well, I picked it up today to put it someplace else and I felt something hard inside. "It better not be a fish!" I thought. Luckily is was just a small box, but what a box! It was my dad's fly-box. There were probably a couple hundred flies in there! Wet flies, dry flies, but they were all  flies my dad had used.

As I looked through his fly collection I found one very special fly. Nothing eye catching by any means but it was a fly that I had made him years ago. How cool and yet somehow humbling. Useless to some, yet precious to me.

In the book of 2nd Kings there is a story about Josiah. He was 8 years old when he became king. He had someone go through HIS stuff and they found the Book of the Law. Hidden treasure! He read it and found out that he and his people had been living contrary to God's wishes all their lives. He immediately felt convicted and humbled himself before the Lord.

Repentance is an amazing thing. It is such a blessing to finally be doing what is right in God's eyes. It's a relief. Being forgiven, even punished for our sins, is worth it in the end, if we are doing what God desires for us to do.

Finding my dad's box of flies instantly took me back to the Middle Branch River in Michigan where my dad taught me how to fish. He was watching me when I caught my first fish. What a blessing it is to do what is right in our Father's eyes - both our earthly father's and our Heavenly Father's.

"19 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord." - 2 Kinds 22:19

There is nothing like doing what is right, right there in front of your father. Hmm. Maybe it's time to go fishing again . . . and remember that simpler time, when everything was . . . well, it was perfect.

Fishing With Father - A River Runs Through It

Oasis

We all have days that don't go the way we had hoped. Sometimes those days can string together into weeks of frustration and exhaustion. Why can't we just start over or take a break from it all? What we need is a vacation or some way to take a break from "walking through the desert." What we need is an oasis.

I've been reading through some of the more"arid" books of the Old Testament lately. Judges, First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles. Reading them is a lot like walking through a desert. That's why, when I came upon this verse in 2nd Chronicles, I paused and refreshed myself with its comforting words. I left that verse behind with a feeling of hope. See if you don't agree.

"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

God gives us some promises here. God's promises are good. He will hear us from heaven. That's good. He will forgive our sins. That's good too. And he will heal our land. That's amazing. Those are all good things BUT before God does those things WE have to do a few things of our own.

We have to humble ourselves, we have to pray, we have to seek God, and we have to turn from our wicked ways. That can be a tall order for most of us. Impossible for some. I think this verse is where we must ask ourselves, "Do we do all of these things that God asks of us?"

They are prerequisites for God answering our prayers.

Do we humble ourselves when we pray? Do we seek God's will when we pray or when we make our decisions? And when we sin, do we feel bad about it? Is there any repentance? Read this prayer from David and see if he exhibits a humble, repentant heart, seeking God in what he asks.

“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. 11 Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. 12 Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 13 Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 15 We are foreigners and strangers in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow, without hope. 16 Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you." - 1 Chronicles 29:10-16

Now, that is a prayer. David, the most powerful man of his time, is humble, as WE should be. To often my prayers are more like a laundry list of requests that I hope God would fulfill. When was the last time I asked God, "Who am I that you should send me?" or "How may I better serve you, Lord?

If God is going to heal our land (and our hearts) don't we need to do as He asks, first? If we are wandering through a desert in this life, don't we need to seek His face before He will deliver us to the oasis we so desperately need? The only prayer that God hears from a sinner is a prayer of humble repentance. THEN, and ONLY then, will He hear and heal and forgive.

What If His People Prayed - Casting Crowns

Walk Humbly

It's funny how God teaches us lessons. Well, it's not really "funny" I guess. Sometimes it hurts. USUALLY it hurts. Like just the other day . . .

I am building a tiny home. For the most part I have been doing it by myself. Sometimes my wife helps me or a friend comes over and pounds some nails for a bit. I enjoy the work. I enjoy designing and then building what I have designed.

But then this 64-year-old body tries to do what it once did at age 25 and things just don't go the way we thought they should. A lesson learned in human body dynamics at the expense of human emotion and pride.

I have some young friends who once thought they were above the law. Then they got arrested and spent some time in jail. That "alone time" changed them - for the better. Still they carried with them the stigmatism of having a record. Jobs and housing were hard to come by as a result.

There is a lesson to be learned in the humbling of one's self. Either we do it ourselves or God will do it for us. We are to become humble as we walk with our God, not remain narcissistic our entire lives. If we need to change our all-about-self status, God will be more than happy to help us do that.

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8

This song doesn't have too much to do with my story today but it contains that verse from Micah. Therefore, I chose it. It's a good reminder of what it means to be a man. Whether 25 or 65, we were made for a purpose - to seek justice, love mercy. and walk humbly with our God.

Courageous - Casting Crowns

My Depression Cure

It never fails. When ever I am feeling down or depressed, or feeling sad in some way, there is a cure I have discovered that will snap me right out of the lowest possible funk. Want to know what it is? I bet you do. So would half the people on the planet.

Well, the solution, at least for me anyway, is rather easy. Here is my simple four-step program for getting rid of depression.

1. Become a Christian. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit." - John 3:6. This is essential to combating depression (in addition to a ton of other amazing things). Why? See reason #2.
2. Receive God's Holy Spirit. When you do you become changed . . . well, things change! Your whole LIFE changes! "the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one" - 1 Corinthians 12:7
3. Receive your spiritual gift and the "fruit of the spirit". Everybody gets at least one gift. What's yours? We all receive the fruit of the spirit. That is "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23 but what is your gift?
4. Find a place to use that special gift for God's glory. Not your glory, God's glory. "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace". - 1 Peter 4:10

That's it!

Now I know that many people suffer from depression. I'm not saying this will cure everybody. After all, Charles Spurgeon, the "prince of preachers", suffered from depression. I don't mean to make light of the condition in any way, but my depression cure really does work. At least it does for me.

By becoming a Christian we are supposed to humble ourselves and become a servant to God and to others. We are to place everyone's needs above our own. There should be no thinking of ourselves or our condition.

When we receive God's promised Holy Spirit we DO become changed. We actually WANT to be humbled. We want to grow closer to God and to serve Him. And to know that God loves us and knew us in our mother's womb . . . how can we be depressed when we remember that!

Using our spiritual gifts to honor God is tremendously uplifting. My gift, for example, is the gift of mercy. When someone is hurting my first instinct is to come along side them and walk with them through whatever storm they might be going through. Need someone to talk to? I'm there. Need some food? Let's go to the store. I try to honor God by serving others in this way. It makes me feel good.

I use my spiritual gift at work, I use it at home, I use it at Ruby's Pantry where I volunteer each month. What about you? Where and how do use YOUR spiritual gift(s).

Do you have the gift of leadership or teaching? Perhaps you should lead a Bible study or teach Sunday school. The gift of service can be used in many places. Find your gift and use it . . . for God.

A pretty good listing of spiritual gifts can be obtained by reading Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4. Check it out. You might just find you don't feel so bad after your done reading. :)

Discovering Your Spiritual Gift - Pastor John MacArthur

Prayer

Do you think God ever gets tired of hearing our prayers? If He were like us, then yes . . . absolutely. We humans bore so easily. I, for one, am grateful that God is not like us. My prayer is that we might strive to become more like Him instead.

The Bible says that God's Holy Spirit takes our prayers and makes then presentable to The Lord. That's good, especially in the case of MY pitiful prayers.

Usually I run through a laundry list of things and people I am praying for. That's not the best type of praying. There have been times however, when my prayers have been deep and passionate, sometimes to the point of tears. Those are good prayers I think.

I need to praise God more in my prayers. It's good to pray about God's character because it reminds us just how big and amazing He is. It humbles us in our prayers. Another good thing. If we can approach God humbly in our prayers instead of just laying out our to-do list for God to take care of, well, I'm just thinking more of our prayers would be answered.

A few weeks ago at work I offered to pray for someone who had just lost a friend. I put myself in this person's shoes and imagined what it would be like if I lost my best friend. The tears came easily.

I'm no different than the next guy. Probably worse than most when it comes to praying. I need to forget all that and just pray - honestly, openly and hopefully.

It says in James that the prayers of a righteous man are effective.

"16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." - James 5:16

I rad that and think, "I haven't got a shot of getting my prayers answered. I'm certainly not a righteous man. Abraham was a righteous man. I'm just Bob. I'm not righteous. But . . .

Jesus is righteous. And that is the key!

I believe that Jesus died for my sins. I believe He died and then rose from the dead. I believe Jesus is the Son of God, fully God, fully man. And I believe God's Holy Spirit lives within me. I believe that! And if you do too, guess what? We are made righteous in God's eyes, through His Son, Jesus.

If we are righteous in God's eyes, how can our prayers not be heard? How can our prayers not "availeth much"?

If is an honor to come before God in prayer and bring the lives of those we love with us. When we lift up our friends in prayer, in the name of Jesus, how can that not be a wonderful thing?

Let us be on our knees in prayer. Let us bring those we love into the throne room, boldly. And let us pray.

"1 Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief. 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. 3 The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. 4 So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed. 5 I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. 6 I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land." - Psalm 143:1-6

The Prayer - Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli

Behold! His Mighty Hand

Do you remember in The Ten Commandments movie, when God parted the Red Sea? Wow!! What a sight that must have been! How could a nation such as Israel ever turn away from a God who did such a thing to save His people? Yet they did.

These days God works more quietly than in the days of old, but He is still in the business of saving people.

The times I usually see God at work are shortly after I have done something I thought was noteworthy. Then, something else happens that tops what I had just done, by a ton. God never passes up an opportunity to teach me a lesson. And I am glad. :)

I was talking with a young friend of mine, telling her about my failings as a father before I had placed my faith and hope in Jesus. I had shirked my responsibility to "train up a child in the way he should go and, when he is old, he will not part from it" (Proverbs 22:6). Neither of my kids was a believer after college, following the sad example their father had set.

How I craved a second chance. How I kicked myself for not coming to faith in Jesus before I did. But I eventually came to believe, and God placed me in a youth group at my church. Suddenly God had provided me with dozens of kids to train up. Plus, both of my kids now attend church. That's WAY better than parting the Red Sea in this dad's opinion.

What miracle has God wrought in YOUR life? Have you beheld His mighty hand? He is always working. Sometimes in major ways, but most of the time quietly and subtly, with little or no notice.

This world, this country, is in need of a Godly miracle. I think if we approach His Holy Ground with our sandals off in repentance and humility, He will heal our land . . . if we pray.

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

"Behold His Mighty Hand" - Moses

The Commands of Jesus: Don't Be a Hypocrite!

Nobody's likes a hypocrite - somebody who pretends to be one thing but really believes something else. I see examples of hypocrites everyday on Facebook. It's sad.

The number of hypocrites in our country is incredible! I even say one in the mirror this morning. They're everywhere!

Jesus often criticized the Pharisees and religious leaders of this day and quite often referred to them as hypocrites. God does not like the notion of hypocrisy because it breaks a few of the ten commandments, most notably of which is "Do not bear false witness." Do not lie.

I think if each of us examines ourselves we don't have to dig too deep to find the hypocrite inside. Recently there was a news story about some dentist killing a lion while on safari in Africa. People were really upset. Yet we, as a people kill millions of babies each year and think nothing of it. We object to the taking of life yet tolerate the taking of life at the same time. Hypocritical? I think so.

How about the Christian who professes a faith in Christ yet does not bear the fruit of the spirit. Hypocritical? Mmm. I don't know. I think I would refer to them as . . . unsaved.

I sin every day. I think things I shouldn't. I don't do things that I should. I am just as big of a hypocrite as anyone else. So what must I do to be saved?

Some would argue that my professed faith in Christ is enough. But then I read the Book of James and I am told that "faith without works is dead." Is my faith dead if I deny my faith by continuing to live in the lifestyle I have become accustomed to?

We who believe are called to"be holy as I am holy." But we fail at that. We try to be holy but we trip up and we fall down. We humans tend to lead hypocritical lives and we can't seem to stop. So what hope do we have is Jesus doesn't like hypocrites and He is the one who will judge us for what we have done. We HAVE not hope . . . apart from Christ.

Our only hope is Jesus who told us to repent of out sins. That is the only thing we can do. Repent. We must get down on our knees . . . daily . . . hourly . . . and ask God's forgiveness. We need His grace and mercy or we are done.

The scripture for today's message has several commands in it. We are not to boastfully pray for all to see. We are not advertise our religious practices in a boastful or bragging way - kind of a "Look what I did!" and therefore I am better than you. No. We are to be humble, doing unto others without thought of recognition or praise. We are set apart. We are not like this world, right? Then why do we so often act like it?

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." - Matthew 6:5-8

The Commands of Jesus: No Trumpets!

Maybe I should wait with this command of Jesus until after the 2016 presidential election. Every politician who has ever run for office is guilty of this one. But so are we from time to time - bragging about what we've done. Here's the text for today.

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." - Matthew 6:1-4

God does not like us bragging about the good things we have done. He already knows we have done them. That should be enough. But there is still a tendency to tell others some of the good things we have done. But that is wrong. It's boastful.

Still, there ARE verses where some of the apostles boast. Only they boast about God - someone other than themselves. Self-promotion is not a desirable trait. So what about our politicians? Yeah . . . they need prayer alright.

I'm not going to torment you with political speeches. I've already heard enough of those to make myself ill and we still have over a year to go! Instead I thought I would show you a video of someone who thought he was not only PRETTY good, he thought he was the greatest of all time. Mohammad Ali.

I Am The Greatest - Mohammad Ali

Wow. What an incredibly humble guy. Not!

Jesus tells us we should be humble and that the last shall be first (Matthew 20:16). If we are indeed to be humble and last how in the world could anyone become a leader. Unless . . . unless, we lead by being humble and not desiring to be first. Is that even possible? Of course it is. :)

As we walk through this world, may we not be blowing our own horn. May we instead be sounding the trumpet for our King. May we spread the Gospel wherever we go, and in doing so, humble ourselves. The meek shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5)

"23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first." - Matthew 19:23-30

Lead Me - Sanctus Real

A Stinking Bag of Maggots

It's a Friday night as I write this and I am sitting in the house all alone. No television. Only the lovely high-pitched sounds of tinnitus ringing in my aging ears. Other than that, all's quiet.

I didn't have a very good day at work on Thursday. Nothing to do with work. It had everything to do with my faith. Nothing really changed regarding God. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The change was within me.

Ones realization of brokenness can, and should be, very humbling. Recognizing my depravity at a new level had a very sobering effect on me that day as I came to realize that I have been failing my God and King . . . in my opinion.

Perhaps "failing" is too hard a word, but that's what it felt like to me. It's probably more like I wasn't committing myself enough. I wasn't living my faith enough. I wasn't giving everything I could give to my God in terms of my attention, my worship, my love. He wants my everything and I was holding it back.

So I have decided not to hold back any more. There are some who will say, "Gee Bob, you are already over the top with this religion thing." To them I would simply reply, "No. I haven't come close to serving enough, to loving enough, reading enough or worshiping enough, to praying enough. I am beginning to understand Martin Luther when he referred to himself as a  . . . well, I'll let you read it.

“The first thing I ask is that people should not make use of my name, and should not call themselves Lutherans but Christians. What is Luther? The teaching is not mine. Nor was I crucified for anyone . . . . How did I, poor stinking bag of maggots that I am, come to the point where people call the children of Christ by my evil name?”

Yeah, that's me. A bag of maggots.

So, what am I going to do about it?

First, I am going to think of myself less. John the Baptist had that one figured out.

"30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” - John 3:30-36

Second, God must always be in my thoughts and deeds. Every minute of every hour. Every thought . . . His.

" . . . and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:5

EVERY thought!

That's a tall order. My mind tends to wander all over the place. Sinful thoughts often slip in through some hidden trap door someplace. Just as quickly I try to sweep them out but it bothers me that they found their way into my mind in the first place. I need some caulk to seal up the cracks!!

Third, I must improve my worship. This goes beyond attending Sunday services, although I need to change that too. I need to be more devoted to God in my service of others. Reach out to the hurting, mourn with those who mourn, love the unlovable, and act like I am actually a disciple of Christ!

For example, a few days ago I reached out to someone on Facebook. I don't do that TOO often but today I did and I got this back. "Feels nice to know someone actual cares." I need to do that more. I need to be more open to being used.

Today I told someone at work that I loved them. Sounds pretty risky to the average church elder - a married man telling another woman he loves her. But guess what, I have told several women (not my wife) that I love them (agape). My sister, my mother, my daughter, but also several other close friends. And I've told several men that I love them too. Never got punched once. Hey, guess what. We Christians are supposed to love one another!! We should do it!!

Fourth, I need to examine my life, compare it to Jesus, and repair the parts of it that fall short. Too many to list here.

"5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" - 2 Corinthians 13:5

We as Christians are to become more and more like Jesus as we walk through this world. Each step in that direction, at least for me, comes with a heavy dose of humility and self-judgement. But in the end, if we keep changing and becoming more like Jesus, perhaps the world will come to know us for who we are, and WHOSE we are - disciples of Jesus Christ.

"Let it be said of us that our hearts belong to Jesus." - John Waller

The  Blessing - John Waller

Humble

Humility is a rare commodity in today's world. Instead, our culture tends to encourage self-promotion and self-aggrandizing behavior.

From an early age we are encouraged to get the best grades in school so that we can go to the best schools and get the best jobs. Our resumes are often filled with the most flattering information, often to the point of making us look better and more appealing than we really are. I wonder how a potential employer would react to a truthful resume . . .

"I'm not all that excited about working for your company. I'm here because my overly-protective, 90-year-old mother wants me to move out of the house. Although I sometimes drink too much on weekends and tend to sometimes be abusive towards others, I am a good worker on the days I feel like showing up. To be honest, I have tried to get hired at other places but none of them would give me a shot after hearing about my pedophilia conviction. By the way, is that a picture of your daughter on the wall?."

Yeah. Truth is often something we tend to avoid or even hide.

I was at a funeral this weekend where my brother-in-law delivered the eulogy. He did a wonderful job. He spoke about humility and about what it REALLY takes for us to come to a saving faith in Christ.

He said that we must humble ourselves. He is right.

Do you remember the movie The Ten Commandments? Of course you do. Everybody does. DO you remember the scene when Moses went up on the mountain because he had seen a burning bush? As he approached the bush the voice of God said," Remove your sandals for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." Moses did as he was told.

God then told Moses that he (Moses) was to lead God's people into the promised land. Then Moses, on his knees . . . on his FACE at times . . . asked God, "Who am I that you should send me?" Moses was humble before the Lord and God blessed him.

As we go through this day may we think of others before we think of ourselves. May we think of GOD before we do ANYTHING. May we become least in this world that encourages us to be the best. May we live our lives FOR God by serving others . . . not helping ourselves.

"30 He must increase, but I must decrease.” 31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all." - John 3:30-31

"6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen." - 1 Peter 5:6-11

Humble Thyself In The Sight of The Lord