Youth Group 3.0

Well, here we go again.

Shortly after coming to faith in Christ 19 years ago, I joined a youth group as one of the adult leaders. That was an absolute blast. It became rather clear to me that I had found my calling. Sadly, the teachings of that church strayed from God's Word so I departed "with weeping and gnashing of teeth."

God provided a new wonderful church to pour myself into, which I did. Another youth group and many more teens to love and minister to. That was an amazing time of doing what I felt God had wanted me to do. But then the lead pastor left and the new replacement pastor led the church in a different direction. Many people left that church, including me.

Again, God provided a new church, my current church home. The teaching is excellent. Right out of the Bible. Just what I was looking for. However, there was no youth group. No opportunity to serve as a youth leader. That was fine with me.

But then the church began a Vacation Bible School program. I joined that and was made a teacher. I absolutely love serving the Lord in that capacity. However, VBS only lasts one week. Still I was okay with that. I love the people AND the teaching.

Recently however, I felt led to create a young men's Bible study on Biblical Manhood. I've written about that before in this blog. Near it's completion, I approached the pastor and offered it to him. That's when God's plan began to show itself.

He told me that two of our parents had asked to start a youth group at our church and wondered if I would be interested in being the teacher. Hmm. What do YOU think I said? Lol!

[pause]

Think about this now. Within two weeks' time, three people approached the pastor about starting a youth group / bible study. I'm beginning to think that God wants us to pour into the lives of some teens in our church, in His name.🤔 Well, that is happening October 24th.

I'm just a little excited to see what God will be doing.🙂

"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

"Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord." - Psalm 24:11

Lead Us!

Did you see President Zelenskyy's speech to Congress last week? It was wonderful. Emotional. It was a speech from a leader. A true leader. In that speech he called out our president. He asked President Biden to do one thing. Lead.

"I’m addressing the President Biden. You are the leader of the nation, of your great nation. I wish you to be the leader of the world. Being the leader of the world means to be the leader of peace." - Volodymyr Zelenskyy

When you and I were kids, did you ever se anyone getting beat up on the school play ground? Did you ever experience being bullied in the back of the school bus? What did you hope for when you witnessed those things? A leader! Someone to step up and say, "Stop that!"

That's the kind of leader we need today. Someone to stand up to Putin, and all the rest of the bullies in our world, and put them in their place.

I was reading about King David this morning. Now there was a leader! There are many such leaders in the Bible. Moses, Johua, and of course, Jesus. Our problem today is that not a lot of people are reading God's Word, much less putting its lessons into action.

These Biblical leaders did two things - they consulted God before they did anything. They also asked God what they should do. We need a Biblical leader right now, that's for sure.

Our biggest obstacle to receiving God's help with our world's problems today is that we have largely turned our backs on God. God says that, if we do that, He will not hear our prayers for help. That's not a good position to be in.

"Although they fast, I will not listen to their cry; though they offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Instead, I will destroy them with the sword, famine and plague.” - Jeremiah 14:12

Does any of that sound like what's happening today? So, what do we do? God's children must pray! We must pray for the redemption of sinners, we must pray for our enemies. We must pray for our forgiveness. And we must pray for God to deliver us from this mess we have made.

"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 is the answer to the pain the world is in right now. God loves everyone, but look what we are doing to ourselves right now. It is time to return to our King. We need somebody to lead us out of this bondage we have enshackled ourselves with. We need a deliverer! And His name is The Lord God Almighty.

The Last Shall Be First

(photo: Krystle Baumgarten)

I witnessed something kind of cool this week. Our dinky little town of 6,080 (2010 census) won the boys Division 2 state baseball championship! That was pretty cool. But on that day I experienced something even cooler than that. It all started with a phone call from my daughter.

"Hey . . . umm, you wanna go watch the Comets play?" she asked.

"Well, I'm at work." I replied.

Then I thought for a few seconds. Hey! The Comets are playing for the state title!!!

"Let's go!"

The Comets were playing Milwaukee Lutheran. It was small town against the big city. An incredible story, just waiting to unfold. And unfold it did. I'm not going to give you the box score here, or the play-by-play. I'm going to give you new meaning to an Old Testament Bible verse.

"6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

(photo: Krystle Baumgarten)

In your mind's eye, zoom back from the field of play until you begin to see people in the stands. The first thing you noticed that day was all the uniforms. There were dozens of them. They were everywhere. And I'm not talking about the adults or the booster club. Every Little Leaguer from Waupaca was there! Watching. Observing. Learning.

Behind the other dugout there were also parents of the players and a small contingent from Milwaukee to cheer their team on - the defending state champions. There were few kids but here was tiny Waupaca, our fans outnumbering the opposition 4-or 5-to-one.

(photo: Krystle Baumgarten)

I watched as Kronk (that's the coach nickname) worked with his players. Clapping hands, encouraging them, very calm in his demeanor. He placed his arm around the shoulder of one of his players, explaining how the runner had missed a sign. Not yelling, but teaching. He's mighty good at teaching his "children" as it says in Proverbs.

One more thing I noticed. Before the game began the coach walked over to the stands. His son was standing there, holding the coach's granddaughter. It was easy to tell the priorities in this man's life. Others.

There were times in years gone by when the Comet baseball team had been last. This year they finished first. But all that pales, I think, to where his players, and our children, finish in life.

Go back up to the top of this page and take a second look at that first picture. Yes, the coach is excited. But not at anything HE has done. And guess who he's looking at. Go on . . . guess.

He's not looking at his adoring, cheering crowd. He's looking at his wife and his kids. And all the Waupaca Little Leaguers? They were looking at him.

"6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

Someone trained Kronk pretty good too, I thought. And, as I turned my head and looked at my daughter sitting next to me, I thought her mom and I did pretty good as well. Our children are the future. Wise parents train them in such a way that they one day will lead . . . by following.

God writes amazing stories and this one was no exception. You see, this was Kronk's very last game as their coach. What a fitting end to an amazing career. But the teaching and the training of his children will always go on.

Waupaca Comets Win First State Baseball Title - Post Crescent

What Are YOUR Walls?

Yesterday morning on my way in to work I was listening to a sermon by Chuck Swindoll. It was the first message in a series about Nehemiah. The series was entitled Hand Me Another Brick and it spoke about leadership. But the message also equated "the walls" in Nehemiah's story with our walk with Jesus.

If one reads through the first few chapters of Nehemiah  we can begin to see the steps he takes to the successful conclusion of his task.

1. Nehemiah prayed (Nehemiah 1). When Nehemiah's brother told him about the state of Jerusalem, Nehemiah wept, he fasted and he prayed. That should be OUR first step as well.
2. Nehemiah had a steady job (Nehemiah 1). Although it had its challenges, Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king - fully employed at the time of his calling. He risked his job and his very life to pursue his calling. Do you and I have that kind of courage?
3. The burden was obvious on Nehemiah's heart (Nehemiah 2). Nehemiah heard about the people he loved in the city he loved and he longed to help. He mourned for them and it was rather obvious - he longed to re-build the city.
4. Nehemiah returned home and inspected the damage (Nehemiah 2:11). He did this in secret but he thoroughly assessed the damage and determined what needed to be done.
5. Nehemiah persevered through criticism and nay-sayers (Nehemiah 2:19). There may be many people that try to talk you out of what you are trying to do. Make sure you are in God's will and press on towards the goal.
6. Nehemiah re-built the walls. We can do anything we set our minds to . . . as long as God

Walls like those around the city of Jerusalem were designed to keep the people safe by keeping the enemy out. They were designed to protect. In Jerusalem's case the city walls were destroyed by an enemy. Question . . . Who is OUR enemy? And has he broken down any of OUR walls?

Each of us has "walls" around our soul. They are in various states of disrepair. The enemy prowls around the wall looking for breeches . . . a way to enter OUR "city" and destroy it. We cannot allow that to happen. We need a Nehemiah for our souls. Where can we find someone like that ?

Remember, Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king. He tasted all the King's food and drink to make sure it was safe. Nehemiah, who stood at the right hand of the king, was the intermediary between the king and his people. Doesn't Jesus play that same role today. He sits at the right hand of God. Our only hope for a right relationship with our King is through His Son, Jesus. Interesting.

"11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?” - John 18:11

Intercessor - Eric Ludy

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

Yoke

When my wife and I were in Alaska for our 30th wedding anniversary we stopped at a training facility for sled dogs. That sounds more impressive than it was. It was just a house at the edge of the woods with lots of barking dogs . . . and mosquitoes.

The guy who owned the place came out and gave a pre-packaged little talk about the Iditarod sled dog race and then began hooking up the dogs to his summer-time sled, an old rusty ATV. He let a few of us hook up some of the dogs. My wife did that. I took pictures. It was a cool to watch the dogs pulling the ATV down the gravel road (the motor was not running) Their trainer just sat on the ATV, watching the dogs. No "Mush!" No "On, you Huskies!" He just sat there, yelling an occasion "Hup." And he watched.

The reason the trainer watches the dogs is to sort out which ones run well next to other dogs. Some dogs just don't like each other, he has to watch out for that. In the middle of the Iditarod race, when temperatures have dropped down as low as 41 below zero, is not the time to be discovering that Ralphie and Brutus don't like each other.

The trainer also watches for that one special dog - a dog who can lead. Good lead dogs are hard to find. They control the tempo and overall performance of the entire team of dogs. Lead dogs are a special breed. But it is the whole team, pulling together, equally, that is important.

Do you know what a yoke is? No, it's not a bad pun. And no, I'm not talking about eggs either. A yoke is a means of hooking animals to one another so they can pull something together, like the dogs in the Iditarod race. Or like a couple oxen pulling a wagon.

When the mushers have a strong dog on one side and a weaker dog on the other, there is a tendency for the stronger dog to do more work than necessary. When a farmer has two oxen yokes together he wants them to be "equally yoked" so when they pull the plow, their furrows are straight and true.

Being un-equally yoked is not as productive and being equally yoked. Whether it be animals or humans, pulling together is far more productive than pulling in opposite directions. Human relationships are like that. Whether it's in our friendships or marriages, being equally yoked with one another is vital to the success of those relationships. Marriages that have different beliefs and different desires have a built-in friction that is not always easy to overcome.

The wedding of my nephew a few weeks ago is an example of a couple being equally yoked. They both are followers of Jesus. They both love Him more than they love each other, or themselves. God is the "lead dog" in their lives. Their relationships is poised to succeed. It will be enjoyable to watch as they "run the good race" (2 Tim 4:7) together, behind Jesus, their "musher", their King.

"28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30

As we go through this life may we all have relationships that are equally yoked. Life would be so much easier if we all lived that way. There would be fewer traffic accidents traveling at the same speed. Our politicians could pull equally to serve us instead of them each pulling in their own direction, or in the direction of their particular parties. If we all were equally yoked with one another, in Christ, imagine the productivity for God's Kingdom. Let's pray for that.

Iditarod Web Page

Come To Me by Aaron Shust

"14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God." - 2 Corinthians 6:14-16

Leaders

Each year, Bill Hybels and his Willow Creek Church, hold a "Global Leadership Summit." Here is their mission statement.

"To transform Christian leaders around the world with an injection of vision, skill development and inspiration for the local church."

Well, that certainly sounds . . . like a mission statement. And who wouldn't want to be injected with "vision", right? But what are the attending Christian leaders being "transformed" into? It doesn't really say in their mission statement, but apparently those in attendance are going to be transformed, injected, developed and inspired en mas somewhere near Chicago in early August.

I was reading Romans 12:2 the other day. It's a good "every day" verse. We are supposed to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. And from what I gather, this can be accomplished right where we are. As Christians, isn't God's Holy Spirit transforming us already? And shouldn't we be looking to Jesus when seeking transformation? And leadership? Hmm, I wonder . . . How did all of the world's past Christian leaders ever become great Christian leaders without Mr. Bill's leadership event to transform them? Mind boggling!

This year Bill's keynote speaker is Colin Powell. Mr. Powell first became a public figure during the Gulf War back in the early 90's. He was a general in the army and was a very good leader . . . in the army. But where does he stand as a Christian? As a Christian leader? And should we be really following HIS example like Bill Hybels obviously does?

Collin Powell is pro-choice. That means he supports abortion. The following statement is from his speech during the 1996 Republican National Convention . . .

"You all know that I believe in a woman’s right to choose and I strongly support affirmative action. And, I was invited here by my party to share my views with you because we are a big enough party -- and big enough people -- to disagree on individual issues and still work together for our common goal: restoring the American Dream."

Why would someone who supports abortion be asked to speak as an example of a Christian leader at a Christian leadership conference? I thought most Christians were against abortion? I thought GOD was against abortion?

And "a woman's right to chose" . . . You mean someone has the "right" to "choose" to take someone elses' life just because just because they want to? Isn't that . . . umm, like . . . murder? Or in the case of abortion, maybe genocide. As a Christian, am I to follow a leader like that?

As a side note, do you know what those who favor abortion like to call it now? They no longer call it "pro-choice." Now they call it, are you ready for this? They call it . . . "women's health." Who could possibly be against women's health, right? (sigh)

President Obama on Women's Health.

I'd like you to read a verse and dwell in its meaning for a few moments. Take as much time as you need. Read it over a couple of times and let it sink in.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart" - Jeremiah 1:5

God knew us BEFORE we were born. How does a Christian embrace abortion and yet claim to follow Christ? And Colin Powell, this leader Bill Hybels wants our pastors and church elders to learn from and emulate, supports killing living babies BEFORE the wonder of God's creation can even see the light of day. That sickens me.

This leadership summit of Mr. Bill's . . . I wonder where those in attendance are being led?

God uses a very different training method from those Bill Hybels suggests. I'm kind of glad too. He tends to use untrained, inadequate, inept, bungling, stuttering leaders to accomplish His will. Look at Moses. Most would say we was a great leader, yet he had a speech impediment.

"10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” - Exodus 4:10

Why does God use inadequate people to lead? Psst. It's so that everyone will know that GOD did the leading, not the "leader."

Looking to other men for leadership is complete foolishness. There is only one place to look for leadership and that is God. God raises up leaders, not man.

This past weekend I attended a conference on biblical leadership up in Green Bay.

Stand Up For The Truth - Watchman Conference on Biblical Leadership.

There were over 300 pastors and elders and other church leaders in attendance. What an uplifting yet frightening experience. The leadership examples we were given were all out of the Bible, except for Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Probably the best take-away from this past weekend was the concept of what makes up a good leader - a BIBLICAL leader. We are to lead . . . by following. Perhaps Mr. Hybels should have a FOLLOWING Summit! There should be no opinions of man in our leadership, only the following Christ. He is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). Later in Hebrews we read this, good instruction for those who would be leaders. Oh, and we ALL are leaders my friends. Every last one of us. So lead. Lead . . . by following . . . Christ.

"12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears." - Hebrews 12:12-17

"15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." - Ephesians 5:15-17

You Lead by Jamie Grace

Trust

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard;" - Matthew 10:16-17

There is nothing more frightening than a group of bored teenagers. Someone is bound to come up with a really stupid idea and the rest will say "Sure!" because they are also bored and have nothing better to do. How do I know this? Because I was a really bored teenager one day when a friend said to me, "Let's drive 2 1/2 hours to northern Wisconsin and climb some cliffs, without using ropes or anything else important, like, oh, I don't know . . . OUR BRAINS!?!?"

"What a stupid thing to do," I told myself, as I clung to a little nub of a rock, 2/3 of the way up a 100-foot cliff in Door County's Peninsula State Park. No ropes, no real free-climbing experience except for the occasional childhood tree. And now, through my idealistic "I am invincible" thinking, I had led myself and a friend into a life-or-death scenario, dependant solely on one huge leap of faith. Literally.

There was nowhere to go, looking up at our hopeful destination, and we sure as heck weren't going to try inching our way back down that cliff. My eyes became focused on a tree root, just beyond my reach to the right. It looked strong enough, and there was a climbing route above it, but in order to reach our means of escape I would have to let go of the rock I was clinging to. The one "sure thing" I knew, I was going to have to leave behind, in hopes of continuing the climb to safety. I had to have faith in that tree root, that it would hold my weight. If it broke, I knew I would soon be doing the same thing on the rocks below. But I had no choice. I had to jump so . . . I jumped.

Once I had made that decision and survived, my friend, who was following me all the way, quickly made the same leap of faith. For him it was much easier because he had seen me do it first. And he KNEW the tree root had held my weight. Sometimes it is safer to be a follower than it is being a leader. Read on.

Leaders and teachers have a tremendous responsibility. But followers have a tremendous responsibility as well. Who are the examples you are following in YOUR faith walk?

When I first came to believe, I trusted everybody. Everything in my Christian life was sweetness and light. I listened intently to sermons. I read many books - absorbing all kinds of information as my spiritual knowledge grew. What a naive little lamb I was. Then one day, all that changed.

I listened to an eighth grade confirmation lesson at a local Lutheran church of the ELCA variety. It was a simple multiple-choice question: "The Bible _____." a) is a history book, b) is the inerrant word of God, c) is a collection of stories to learn from and d) contains errors and contradictions.

That seemed like a rather easy question to me. I smiled as I waited for one of the teens to answer. As a relatively young "student" myself, I selected "b", the inerrant word of God. Then came the answer. It's a good feeling, knowing the answer. I KNEW I was right. God's Word is true! Yet, when the answer was revealed, the youth pastor said the correct answer was "d." - contains errors and contradictions. What!?

How can the Bible contain errors and contradictions? Which of God's wonderful statements was in error? I thought God's Word was true. Doubt began to creep in. Into my mind as well as the minds of the students.

Do you see the dangers of what they were teaching? And they were teaching this to young, growing minds. That was the beginning of the end for me at that church. Those poor, helpless little lambs.

But, as God always does, he turned a bad thing into something good. I began to dig my heals in. I began to study. And I grew stronger in my faith and in my beliefs as a result. I became a Berean!

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - Acts 17:11

Today, we see different faiths, different pastors leading different flocks. Unfortunately, worshipping different gods than ours I'm afraid. Who can we trust? Ever hear the phrase, "wolves in sheep's clothing? "Baaah."

There was a band back in the 60's named Sam the Sham and the Pharohs. They had a song called Little Red Riding Hood. It was their rendition of an old French fairy tale, sung from the viewpoint of the wolf. Near the end of the song you can hear the wolf howl, "A-ooo" then say, . . . "I mean, baaah." Yup. A wolf in sheep's clothing. Unfortunately, they exist in our world today and it ain't no fairy tale.

Former pastor Rob Bell now spends his time teaching that there is no hell. "A-ooo! I mean, baaah." Joel Osteen teaches that we can just "declare" our wants to God and have them fulfilled. "A-ooo! I mean baaah." Oprah Winfrey says she is a Christian, yet she denies that Jesus is the only way to heaven. "A-ooo! I mean baaah." Emergent leader Tony Jones questions the validity of the atonement of Jesus Christ, calling it, "the depraved doctrine of original sin." "A-ooo! I mean, baaah."

When I listen to anyone speak these days, whether on TV or delivering a message on a Sunday morning, I now listen through a filter. This filter is available to anyone who wishes to use it. It's called God's Word - the Bible.

The aforementioned television is an especially dangerous place to learn about trust and/or the Bible. I trust only in what I have learned from God, NOT in what others would have us believe.

The current mini-series on The History Channel for example - "The Bible." Is it truthful? Can we trust it? Is it correct? Hey, it's on TV. It must be true, right? Hmm. I have compared The Bible's version of their chosen biblical stories against what the Bible actually says about them and sadly, there ARE mistakes, "errors and omissions", in their depiction of things. "Ninja" angels might make for a more interesting Sodom and Gomorrah story but their leaping, spinning, double-sword wielding antics are not in the Bible. The exclusion of certain important elements of the story (like the townspeople wanting to have sex with the angels) creates a "new version" of the story for the audience to "believe" in. It may be politically correct perhaps, but their program is leading potential believers astray. "A-ooo, I mean baaah."

Matthew 24:4-5 - "Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many."

In our human relationships, we often find ourselves as lambs among wolves. Human relationships rarely are perfect. Even the best earthly relationships encounter bumps in the road from time to time. We learn through experience. But if our spiritual leaders and churches begin straying from God's written Word in their teaching, they are leading us, their flocks, into dangerous territory. DEADLY territory. And our very souls are at stake. "A-oooooooo!"

Here are some words of advice from someone you CAN trust . . . God, through King Solomon . . . you know, he's the one who prayed for wisdom and received it.

"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

Ruts

I didn't really watch the weather the other night. I probably should have. The total extent of my weather information that day consisted of my wife telling me that "we're supposed to get half a foot of snow over night" as we went to bed. "You can take MY car if you want."

My wife drives a family-sized sedan while I drive a little Ford Focus. She knew my front tires were wearing out. Or as one of my "friends" tells me, your front tires are a lot like your head . . . balding. Funny.

I wasn't really looking forward to my 40-mile commute to work through all that snow so, thinking I should be better safe than sorry, I took my wife's car. Boy, was I glad I did. As I backed out of the driveway I took a quick look at my tire tracks. There was probably more like 7-8 inches of new snow in our driveway. I never would have made it in the Focus.

We live way out in the country, about six miles out of town. We're usually plowed out pretty early in the morning because we live on a school bus route. "Usually" being the keyword there. We're USUALLY plowed out pretty early . . . on days that school isn't canceled and . . . guess what. Yeah.

No snowplow had gone through. 7-8 inches of snow on the roadways. And my headlights were shining on a beautifully prestine, sparkling snowscape because, at 4:45 in the morning, no one had been on the road yet! And I was about to drive 40 miles through that stuff going to work. Nice.

When I got to the bottom of the hill exiting our subdivision, I glanced over at the stop sign and, thinking better of it, decided just to continue on through the deserted intersection. Nobody was on the road anyway. Only fools, right? Ha ha! Yeah . . .

Not stopping turned out to be a good choice. The going was kind of rough and I wasn't about to stop for anything. And then God provided something I desperately needed, as He often does. As I turned onto the road that led to the highway, that's when I saw them. Ruts.

Someone had traveled this next stretch of road before I did. There were ruts laid down through the snow, guiding me. I knew that as long as I stayed in the ruts, the path that had been marked out in front of me, I'd be alright. Unless of course the tire tracks suddenly veered off the road and into the ditch. I therefore decided to proceed slowly and cautiously and, eventually, I made it to work.

When I had come across those ruts in the road I said a brief prayer of thanks for the person who had gone through before me. It was through their efforts and struggles with the unplowed road that MY travels had been made easier. And I was grateful for that.

When I became a Christian a little over seven years ago, I was blessed to have someone in my life to lead me through the snow-covered roadways of MY faith. If I had questions, my friend was there to answer them, or at least point me in the right direction. It is SO valuable to someone who is new in their faith to have a mentor, a guide if you will. Someone to watch their footsteps, making sure they are set on the right path.

These days I now find myself in the role of a mentor. There are many young people in my life who are in the same situation that I was in when I first believed. They are new in their faith. And they are encountering more obstacles in life than just an un-plowed road. They need someone to guide them . . . to blaze a trail.

There is a lot of pressure being a mentor, someone who others look to for guidance. Just like that person creating a trail through the snow the other day, our own path as leaders and mentors must be correct and true or they will lead others falsly, perhaps even to some undesired destination.

So how do we as Christians, as mentors and leaders, know what is true? How do we know which is the right path to choose for those we are leading? The answer is simple. Follow the one, true leader of our faith . . . Jesus Christ. And always go to the one, true source of truth - God's Word. The Bible.

The universalists out there tell us that there are many paths to God. There are many different snow-covered roads. But just like the snowmobile trails I see every day on my way to work, they often lead right back to where they began. We must examine ouselves, and our walk with Christ, daily. One of my favorite verses:

"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

There are many paths out there, each offering their own form of afterlife. But there is only one true path that leads to heaven and that is through Jesus. Others will be following us, watching us, as we live out our faith, or lack thereof. Where are we leading the ones who are following? Here are a few words of advice . . . from God.

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

Proverbs 3:5 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding."

Matthew 6:13 - "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

To summarize all these great verses, here are a few bumper sticker-like words for you. What is the best way to lead others? It's simple - Lead . . . by following.