Triple Threat

This past weekend, three storms were observed heading towards the United States. Left to right on a map, they were named Rachel, Simon, Isaias (or Isaiah).

Do you ever remember three hurricanes ever hitting the United States at the same time? I sure don't.

And did you notice that all three storms are named after Biblical characters? It's true!

Rachel was the bride of Jacob, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin. In Hebrew, Rachel means "ewe" - a female sheep.

Simon was the disciple Peter's original name, before Jesus changed it to Cephas (Peter). It means "to hear" or "listen" in Hebrew.

And the name Isaias (Spanish or Portuguese for Isaiah) means "Yahweh is salvation." Isaiah the prophet prophesied about the coming of Messiah.

If you read the Hebrew meanings of these three names all together, left to right, you actually get a sentence!

"Sheep, listen, Yahweh is salvation."

But Hebrew is read right to left. No problem.

"Yahweh is salvation. Listen, sheep."

Even if you use "female sheep" in the sentence it works. In our relationship with Jesus, we are "the sheep of his pasture" (Psalm 100:3) But also remember, Jesus is the bridegroom, and we are the bride, the "female," if you will, in our relationship with Jesus. We are the female sheep!

So, what do you think? Coincidence? Or is this a warning from God Most High? I have no idea, but it sure is interesting.

If it IS a warning, what should we do?

Prayer - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:7

Care - "When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." - Matthew 9:36

Share - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20

One last word about "storms."

"The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet." - Nahum 1:3

Do you know Jesus? I hope you do.

The Overhang

This is a picture of the overhang on our house. There are several reasons houses are equipped with these things but their most important function is that of protection.

I have never actually thanked my overhangs for their protection. They ARE inanimate afterall. They have no feelings or emotions. They simply do what they do.

When I designed our house I just naturally put overhangs on the roof because "that's what people do." The housing company that I worked for had them on THEIR houses so . . . why not.

Overhangs allow us to open the windows when it's raining. They provide shade when the sun and heat are trying to get inside. They divert the rain AWAY from the house, helping to keep even the foundation dry.

"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you." - Psalm 5:11

Hmm. Isn't that what Jesus did for the disciples when they were in the boat and a storm came along?

"A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” - Mark 4:37-41

Jesus protected those He loved from the storm. They should have had more faith in Him, but they didn't really know Him, asking, "Who is this?"

One way to keep the weather outside our homes is to have overhangs on our roofs. The key to avoiding the effects of "storms" in our daily lives is knowing Jesus. Trust in Him today.

Knowing You, Jesus - Graham Kendrick

Wonderful Counselor

I know it's not time for Christmas songs but every time I come across Isaiah 9 in my reading, I always sing one. Why? I can't help it.

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." - Isaiah 9:6-7

See. Now you're singing it too. That's Handel's Messiah.

A couple nights ago I was awakened by a passing thunderstorm. Lots of lightning lit up the bedroom along with claps of thunder rattling the windows. I was pretty much wide awake, so I began to think about our Wonderful Counselor. You know, Almighty God. Our Wonderful Father. Suddenly I found myself praising Him in the midst of the storm. And it wasn't long before the storm had passed away to the east.

There's a lesson to be learned here, but let's let God do the teaching.

"Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." - Mark 4:36-39

Do you have a storm raging in your life right now? Notice that in the story we just read, Jesus did nothing until the disciples came to Him. It's the same with us.

We must remember to go to Jesus in prayer and praise Him for His amazing power over ALL things. Then we must simply wait and watch. The storm in OUR life will either pass by quickly or we will find things suddenly calm in our lives. Either way, let us praise Him for all that he does. And not just on stormy days, but EVERY day.

Oh, and Merry Christmas!

For Unto Us A Child Is Born - London Symphony Orchestra

Treading Water

I have a friend who has Stage 4 lung cancer. He's undergoing chemo right now. His brother-in-law describes him as "not lookin' very good" and that the chills he gets from the chemo are "hard to watch."

Neither of these guys professes a faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Have you ever seen the movie The Perfect Storm? Sadly, it's a true story. It doesn't end well for the crew of a small fishing boat, battling against a giant wave.

At the end of the movie Mark Wahlberg's character ends up treading water in the middle of the ocean.

All alone. Without hope.

That reminded me of an old Bill Cosby comedy routine entitled Noah. Cosby told a humorous story of the Genesis 6 accounted, twisting it to make it funny.

"Noah."

"What do you want!?"

God then gave Noah a command regarding some hippos, and when Noah complained to God, telling Him that he was "sick and tired" of the whole project, God replied, "How long can you tread water?"

We can get pretty frustrated and upset when things don't go the way we want them to. Instead of trusting in God, we fight Him at every turn because we like to have things OUR way. According to OUR plan.

When we have a life threatening illness or some other major event in our lives, we can complain all we want. Our complaining won't change anything. What we need to do is get right with God.

When Mark Wahlberg's character was left alone in the middle of the ocean, do you think he prayed? Maybe. My cancer-stricken friend. Do you think that HE prayed? Maybe. But here's the key. God only listens to the prayers of His children.

“The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;” - Psalm 34:15

And how do we become righteous in God's sight? Bow do we become one of Hos children? Only By repenting of our sins,  acknowledging God for who He is, and placing our faith, hope, and love in Jesus.

He may not take us out of the storm we are going through, but He has proven that He can calm storms and ride with us through them.

"He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm." - Mark 4:35

God can calm the storms in our lives IF we let Him, and IF we believe.

The Perfect Storm Trailer

Noah - Bill Cosby

The Wee Small Hours

A couple of nights ago I was on YouTube listening to music when I came across One More Light by Linkin Park. I watched the video. I probably shouldn't have.

Chester Bennington (lead singer) sang a song about suicide and how he cared when people chose to end their lives instead of talking to someone. Of course, Chester would later do the very thing he sang about, taking his own life in 2017. 

As the song repeated in my head I thought about all the people I have known who took the same sad option. Austin, Kameron, Bill, Jesse, Oksana.

So there I was, thinking about suicide victims at 3:00 AM. Perhaps if I wrote about it . . .

So, I jotted down some notes for this story on my phone. I then discovered I had already written a story about this topic. What now? It's 3:00 in the bloody morning! Lol! It's the wee small hours!

(Ding!)

And there you have it. The answer to getting songs out of one's head. Sort of. Change the song!

Now I'm on YouTube again, searching, only it's now 4 AM. . . . In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning . . .

(Ding!)

In the wee small hours of the morning,

When the whole wide world is fast asleep,

You lie awake and think about that girl,

And never ever think of counting sheep.

When your lonely heart has learned its lesson,

You'd be hers if only she would call.

In the wee small hours of the morning,

That's the time you miss her most of all.

And now, with THAT song playing in the background of my mind, I returned to bed and prayed for the families of my friends who are gone.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." - Psalm 147:3

"The Lord is near to those who are discouraged; He saves those who have lost all hope. Good people suffer many troubles, but the Lord saves them from them all." - Psalm 34:18-19

When we find ourselves feeling sad, change life's soundtrack, and pray. You will find that soon you will be sleeping like a baby. And falling asleep as you pray is a wonderfully calming thing.

I slept like a rock. THEE Rock.

"Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." - Matthew 8:24-26

In The Wee Small Hours - Chris Botti & Sting

Ka-Boom!

This fascinates me, probably more than it should. It's bubbling gas from the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline in the Baltic Sea. May I suggest a tanker filled with Rolaids?

Who did it? And why? All questions without answers at this point. But someone knows, and they're not telling.

There are several theories running unbridled in the media of course, Ukraine thinks that Russia did it. Russia thinks that the United States did it. But no one has any proof, at least for now.

There are all kinds of rabbit holes we could go down, but all of that is just a waste of time. In the end, someone caused it, and others won't like it. Isn't that the story of our world these days?

How about some facts. The pipeline runs from Russia to Germany. This event is a major blow to the environment - all that methane gas being released into the atmosphere. AOC must be catatonic. Swedish, Finish and Norwegian seismologists all detected explosions off their coast. And most importantly, God is still on His thrown.

How do we deal with such catasteophic news headlines and happenjngs in our lives?

Prayer.

We ourselves don't have ANY power over these things. But God does. Wars, hurricanes, nations, people's hearts, are all under God's control. None of this stuff happens without His say-so.

"The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He wishes." -Proverbs 21:1

"For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness and treads on the high places of the earth, the Lord God of hosts is His name." - Amos 4:13

We see all these things happening in the world. Should we be afraid? No! God is in control. These things are happening for a reason.

Let it rain. And trust in The Lord!

Who Is He?

Jesus did a lot of things in His brief three-year ministry. Most of what He said and did was with a purpose - to make God, The Father, known. He rebuked the religious leaders of His day, and did things that left even His disciples wondering, "Who is this guy?"

Following Jesus seems a whole lot easier today than back when He was actually walking the earth. Knowing what we know today, would YOU get into a boat with Him if He said, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." - Luke 8:22

I'd be asking a few questions.

Why are we crossing the lake? What's on the other side? Just how deep is this lake? Are there enough floatation devices on board? Have you looked at the weather radar? What lesson are you going to be teaching us by randomly climbing into someone's boat and taking off? Thou shalt not steal?

Jesus, being fully God, knew exactly what was going to happen to them. And wouldn't you know it, a storm came up and the boat was in danger of sinking.

"A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger." - Luke 8:23

And where was Jesus during this time? He was asleep in the back of the boat. Seriously? It's almost like He KNEW things would turn out okay.

When His disciple woke Him, he asked them a question about their belief system.

"He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25“Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples." - Luke 8:24-25

This whole thing was a setup to test the faith of His disciples. That raises a question for us here today in this present state of affairs - where is OUR faith?

When we see gas prices soar and the economy tanking, where is our faith? When our 401k is taking a nosedive, where is our faith? Is our faith in government systems? In money? In our leaders?

Our faith should be in God! Sometimes it might seem like He's sleeping or that He doesn't care. Don't believe it. Where is your faith? Who is Jesus in YOUR life?

"I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1

Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Today's message inspired by Pastor David Goyke's sermon, Calvary Chapel, Waupaca, WI

Act of God?

Why do insurance companies call storm damage "acts of God"? Did God actually cause them? Or are they just naturally occurring phenomenon resulting from warm temperatures and air formations?

Today Florida is going to get hit with a Category 5 hurricane. Wind gusts last night reached 225 MPH. In the days to come we will see news reports of hurricane damage and deaths caused by this massive storm. Did God cause this hurricane to happen?

We know from reading our Bibles that God CAN manipulate the natural environment. He parted the Red Sea, He stopped the Jordan river from flowing and then there was that time when He made it rain for 40 days and 40 nights resulting in a MASSIVE flood.

The proof already exists that God CAN create storms. The question is did He create THIS one and other storms like it? We can't really tell. But what would God's purpose be if He DID create such a storm? Punishment? A warning?

This latest storm is heading right at Florida. It is then anticipated to make a right turn and head north up the eastern coast of the U.S. causing major damage all along the way. What can we learn from this storm?

One, we humans are powerless against it. We can only prepare for it and we will even fail at that. Two, if God wanted to punish us for our disobedience (and we HAVE been disobedient as a nation) this is one way He could do just that.

So what do we do against such a powerful storm and a God that has a long history of pouring out His wrath on disobedient nations?

We must examine ourselves, repent of all our transgressions, and turn in obedience to God. You know, the very God we are taking out of our schools and our government. The One whose babies we are killing on the altar of convenience. And the One whose throne we have placed ourselves upon rather than lifting HIM up. Yeah.

^"26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." - Mark 10:26-27

Did God cause Hurricane Dorian? I don't know. Only God knows. Would God have reason to create such a thing to dole out punishment to the disobedient?

Absolutely. He's done it before. We just never learn. But we must become MORE than simply obedient. We must become disciples in addition to being His obedient children.

Hello Hurricane - Switchfoot

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

Earthquake!!

Each time there is an earthquake someplace I always think about two things - how powerful they are and how powerless WE are. And I must confess that, when I see them happening in California, part of me says "And still they will not see."

God uses earthquakes and other phenomenon to deliver messages, or dole out punishment. Basically, God accomplishes HIS will by using events such as earthquakes, parting seas, stopping rivers, causing mighty storms and displaying heavenly signs using the stars and planets, all in an effort to get our attention or deliver a message.

Not ALL of these things are messages. But some of them have been in the past. So who's to say whether or not these things are signs or warnings of things to come? God. That's who.

God parted the Red Sea, God stopped the Jordan River from flowing, God made the shadow from the sun go backward, God created signs in the heavens and storms on the sea. Why? To remind us just how big God is and how small we are.

I've learned a few things by reading the Bible. First, it is ALWAYS a good idea to walk in God's will. Second, it is never a good idea to be disobedient with God. God is a great teacher of lessons. He will keep teaching the same lesson over and over again until we learn it. California has not learned much.

But the same can be said for us. Our government passes laws contrary to God's will. We are removing Him and His names from our governmental proceedings. Remember that phrase from our swearing in ceremonies, "so help me God?" Gone. At least in the United States House of Representatives. Watch the video below.

This nation and this world will pay the price one day when Jesus returns and sets up His throne. He will judge the living and the dead. All of us will come up lacking. Unless, of course, you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Have you seen signs of His return? I have. Many Have. The biggest question though is "Are you ready?" The House of Representative, at least its current majority leadership, are NOT.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

All Who Are Thirsty - Kutless
So Help Me God Omitted

Hello Hurricane

Does it always seem like there's a hurricane going on in your head? Thoughts, emotions, to-do lists, all swirling around out of control? We wake up in the middle of the night, thinking, worrying. We should be sleeping! Why do we do that?

The cure is a simple one, found in Paul's letter to the church in Philippi.

"Do not be anxious about anything, 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 your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

Easier said than done, right? Even the Disciples had trouble "letting things go" during their boat ride with Jesus.

"35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” - Mark 4:35-40

Is Jesus asleep in the back of YOUR boat? When we get into a storm do we run to Him to save us from it? Or do we try to get through it by ourselves?

As I write this, Hurricane Florence is pummeling North Carolina. See that pier in the picture to the right? It didn't make it through the storm very well. It's just wood. It can't call on the name of The Lord. But we can.

Why are we so afraid? Do we still have no faith?

Jesus has already proven He can calm anything He wants to. Even the wind and the waves. He can calm the storm in our lives too. But we DO need to ask. And trust. How will our faith be tested today?

Hello Hurricane - Switchfoot

In The Storm

We all have an idea of what our lives will be like in the future - where we'd like to see ourselves. We all have a way we'd like to answer the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" But what happens when all of our hopes and dreams suddenly change?

Sometimes our lives change based on our own decisions.  Deciding to drink and drive can lead to some pretty substantial consequences. We often do things in the dark that we would never do in the light. Bad decisions change lives in a bad way.

But what happens when we get a call from the doctor with some bad news or when a uniformed soldier knocks on the front door. Our lives can change in a second. "Why" has got to be the most often-asked question at times like that.

So, what do we do? There are no answers that pop into our heads to make life all warm and fuzzy again. What do we do? Where do we turn? Where can we possibly find hope?

Right now I am reading through the Book of Job. Now there's a guy who definitely went through the wringer. His entire family died, he lost all of his possessions AND he got extremely ill. He had it all, then he lost it all. Far from where Job thought he would end up.

Why? Why did God allow this to happen? The main reason was that God wanted to prove a point. These are things that we can take away from the Book of Job. They will help us walk through the toughest of storms.

1. God is God. We are not. When life gets "comfortable" we humans tend to not rely on God so much. That is a mistake.
2. God allows things in our lives for a reason. God always has a purpose or goal in mind. Sometimes God wants to get our attention.
3. God will bless us IF we are faithful. To those who believe and follow God, He has promised to bless us. Forgiveness of sins, eternal life, no more pain or suffering.

Although Job complained and whined through most of the book, God blessed Job for his faithfulness. We need to remember ALL of these things when we struggle in life. We all have hopes and dreams but the only way we can be truly blessed in the end is if God is at the center, the focus, of those dreams.

"And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” - Job 1:21

I'm not saying that everything bad that happens is from God. What I AM saying is that, WHEN bad things happen, how we react to them defines who we are in God's eyes.

None of us knows WHY painful things happen in our lives. The important thing for us to remember is to praise God through them.

"1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." - Psalm 46:1-3

Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Promises

Sometimes the struggles and trials we find ourselves in can be pretty deep and dark. There are times when the storms seem almost unbearable. We'd give anything to make the pain and the hurting stop. So what do we do? Where can we find hope? The answer is as simple as opening a door.

Sometimes, when we have the windows open in our house and the wind is blowing, doors can open and close by themselves. It's weird to see but sometimes, without us doing anything, doors can slam shut. That's not a super bad deal but when the litter box is downstairs and our cats are upstairs it CAN be an issue.

Sometimes our life can be like that. We can get so busy with a particular struggle or event that our focus on God disappears. The "door" of communication that once was open becomes shut. That's not good.

One way I've found to keep the door between myself and God open is to remind myself of His promises. When I feel alone, I remind myself that He has promised to never leave me. When I screw up and commit a sin I remind myself that God has promised to remove my sins as far as the east is from the west.

Sadly, there are many people who don't know Jesus and refuse to open any doors that might lead to Him. They are choosing to remain alone. Choosing to live with their sin burden. That is a terrible way to live.

The love of Christ is an open door. Once opened He promises that He will come into our lives and live with us . . . IN us.

God transforms lives through His forgiveness. He loves His children. Won't you please consider loving Him in return? Open the door.

^"20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. " - Revelation 3:20

On my way to work yesterday I heard a song on the radio. I usually don't listen to the music on this particular station but I did that day for some reason. The lyrics reminded me of God's promises and sparked this story. Listen to it, then, let Him in. :)

The Promise - The Martins

Let 'Em In - Paul McCartney

Riders On The Storm

Have you noticed all of the storms we've been having lately? Not only did Hurricane Harry do some incredible damage in Texas, but Hurricane Irma is bearing down on the Caribbean and Florida right now. It kind of makes you wonder . . . what's next?

There are more kinds of storms out there than just hurricanes though. There are political storms. We've been seeing those for over a year now. There is also a major storm brewing on the Korean peninsula as Kim Jong-un flexes his pudgy little nuclear muscles. And then there are all of the physical and emotional storms we face in life each and every day. Someone we know might be battling cancer or feeling alone late at night and life’s unknowns are keeping them awake. So many storms! TOO many.

Have you ever read Matthew 8? If you have storms in YOUR life you should commit it to memory. Watch what Jesus does to the storm He and His disciples were in.

“23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. 25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” - Matthew 8:23-27

Could it really be that simple? Could we simple ask God to save us and . . . He'd do it?

When I was in Mississippi several years back as part of a group restoring homes after Hurricane Katrina devastated that area, we saw a tree . . . the Angel Tree . . . where a man tied his family during the storm. They survived. You can read about it here:

Angel Tree

When we returned from the trip each of us stood up in front of the church to talk about our most memorable moment. Mine was that tree. I recited this scripture after I talked about the dad, hoping to keep his family safe. Where did HIS hope come from?

"I lift my eyes unto the hills,

Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The maker of heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1-2

If you are going through a storm in your life, please, forget your stupid pride and consider Christ. He has the power to calm the storms, no matter what they are. Trust in Him! Then watch the winds calm and the waves fade away. Our only hope is Jesus. Please, trust it Him today.

Riders On The Storm - The Doors
Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Red Sky At Night

When you see the weather reports from distant lands, somehow the storms don't seem so bad. They're just videos of storms. We don't "experience" them. We just watch them. Until one comes rolling down the street where we live.

We had a line of thunderstorms go through our area last night. The sky turned a greenish-grey, street lights came on it was so dark. And then the wind. 60 miles per hour we heard later. Where would we have been without weather radar. We knew well in advance that the storm was coming.

We had an opportunity to prepare ourselves. We put things away in the shed, carried potted plants into the garage. By the time the storm hit we were safely inside, watching from the comfort of our living room chairs. But sometimes storms can hit with little or no notice at all.

Sailors have a saying, "Red Sky at morning, sailor's take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight." A "red sky" is caused by the sun's rays reflecting off the bottom of clouds. In the morning the sun is in the east. In the evening the sun is in the west. Most storms move from west to east. A red sky in the morning means a storm is coming. A red sky at night? It means that the storm has passed and the sun has come out from behind the clouds.

I have a friend from work who went through a nasty divorce. Her husband came home from work one day and said, "I'm leaving you. We're done." My friend had no idea that storm was coming. It hit with a suddenness and surprise that left her reeling.

Are you going through a storm in your life right now? Maybe someone else you know is having a "red sky" morning" as they try to navigate through some personal storm. Or maybe it's us? What do we do?

First, when we see the warning signs we must act. Maybe we take steps to strengthen our relationships. We must examine ourselves to make sure it's not us that's causing the problem. And then move to change things.

Another thing we can do is prepare for any "life storms"  by reading the Bible. There are many helpful verses that can encourage us as we ride out the storms we face in life.

Prayer is a great way to navigate storms. There are just some things we can't fix by ourselves . . . most things. Praying to God, the only one who can repair the unfixable or heal the incurable, is a mighty weapon against any storm.

Delight in the "red sky at night," Jesus. He is The Light at the end of the tunnel. There is shelter from the fiercest storm in Him. Run to Him!

We can be a light in someone else's life as well. Part of the reason God called us is to help others. We should be helping our brothers and sisters as they struggle and as the storm clouds gather.

May God watch over you. May He keep the storms we face from causing too much damage. And may He see us all through our storms . . . to a brand new day.

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

"34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35

Red Sky At Night - David Gilmour

The Coming Storm

Watching the weather last week was pretty depressing. There was a prediction for a winter storm that will supposedly dump a foot and a half of snow on us this coming Tuesday. How do these weathermen know all this stuff? After all, like the great prognosticator Yoda said, "Always in motion is the future."

Well, these weather guys and gals all have their computer "models" that analyze temperature, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, humidity and then they compare all these things with what has happened in the past. They predict future events by analyzing data and generating weather patterns with a computer program.

For the most part, these weather programs are pretty good. They predicted the Washington D.C. area would get a lot of snow last week and they did. Still, their computer programs can be wrong. One of our area's retired weather men used to say that before he went on the air he always stuck his head out the back door . . . just to make sure.
 



Have you ever heard of Biblical Prophesy? God, speaking through prophets, often predicted future events. Isaiah was a prophet. In the book of Isaiah, chapter 53, God used Isaiah to describe the coming messiah, Jesus and what He (Jesus) was going to endure . . . and why. Here's excerpt but I encourage you to read the whole chapter.

Isaiah 53

"4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." - Isaiah 53:4-6

This was written 772 years before it came true . . . in Jesus.

I wonder . . . the more sophisticated we get with our computer programs, will there ever come a time that they will either confirm or deny God? It's possible I guess. What if one night during the local weather the forecaster said, "SO, look to the skies tonight. There will be a total lunar eclipse and all signs point to the imminent return of Jesus Christ. I know that's probably bad news for the Jewish people and the Muslims who thought Jesus was not a God. Oops! More after the break."

We must remember one thing though. Computer programs are created by humans. They can be wrong. So how can we "stick our head out the window" to know what is true" God's Word, The Bible, was written by men as dictated by God through His Holy Spirit. I would trust that more than an earthly computer program.

So, I will watch out for the snow that is coming our way this week. But  will also keep my "eyes on the skies" for another reason - the prophesied return of Jesus to planet Earth. I can do without the snow, but I can't do without Jesus. Can you?

End Times: How Close Are We? - The Watchman

Canoe

If you have ever been to our house and happened to look out into the backyard, you have probably seen an old "birch bark" fiberglass canoe that's been sitting there for years. It's all of 40 years old and is scratched, cracked, bent, faded and it hasn't seen any white water in years. Kind of like me.

One could easily say, "Why don't you get rid of that old eye-sore? What good is it? It just sits there." One could easily say the same thing about me. Well, today I will let the world know why I don't simply put my old canoe in a dumpster. Hopefully, this story will provide encouragement to you, just like that old canoe does for me.

When I was in my early 20's me and my best friend Chris did a lot of canoeing. And I do mean A LOT of canoeing. Our summers were filled with trips "up north" to run as many whitewater rivers as we could. The nastier the river, the better.

One spring we decided to run the Namekogan, a tributary of the St. Croix River in Northwestern Wisconsin. One could tell that it was springtime because it was still cold and the river was rather swollen. High water levels can be both good and bad when canoeing a river. It's good in shallow parts of the river so the canoe doesn't scrape it's way along the gravely bottom.

[That's why I chose a fiberglass canoe over aluminum. There is nothing louder in the otherwise quiet wilderness than an aluminum canoe scraping across gravel or rocks.]

The bad part of running a river in springtime is that all that extra water from the melting snow makes the rapids more dangerous. I have seen aluminum canoes literally wrapped around rocks by the force of the current. Springtime canoeing can really be rather dangerous.

Chris and I were canoe camping that weekend, taking a two day trip to one of our favorite rivers. We were veteran canoeists but we were also young and over-confident - not a good combination as we approached our first major set of rapids.

We got out of the river upstream of the first big rapids we encountered and scouted which route to take through the rocks. We did that for half an hour. Then we emptied all of our camping supplies on shore "just in case" and ran the #3 rapid with relative ease. Rapids are rated 1 through 5 . . . 1 = easy, 5 = portage. We had just gone through a #3, which is actually more like a #4 in springtime with that extra water.

"Wow! That was easy!!" we said to ourselves. Over confidence, coupled with high water levels is a VERY dangerous thing. Our overconfidence, pride and youthful exuberance were about to do us in.

We loaded all of our supplies back in the canoe and headed down the swollen river to the next #3. This time we didn't even bother to scout it. We didn't bother to empty our canoe of the things we wanted to keep dry. We just went on ahead . . . through the 3-foot high standing waves in the middle of the channel. Our canoe immediately filled with water and swamped. Our supplies were floating down stream and so were we. A random kayaker, who just happened to be there, grabbed our tent and sleeping bags as we rode the rest of the rapids as swimmers.

As I tried to keep my head above water I also looked around for my canoe. Nowhere. Then suddenly, it shot out of the water like a breaching whale, landed upright in the water, and began floating away downstream. I swam to shore and began running through the woods after it.

I eventually caught up to the canoe and we started placing our supplies back in the boat, although everything was wet, and we continued on. What were we going to do that night? Sleep in wet sleeping bags in the 40-degree wilderness? Our only hope of surviving hypothermia was to paddle our butts off and try to get back to my truck, parked 24 miles downstream . . . and it was already late afternoon.

So we paddled . . . and we paddled. The sun set . . . and we paddled some more. Finally we saw the lights of the dam, where my truck was parked. Exhausted, frozen, and weary, the lights became our focus. If we could just make it to the lights.

Then through the mist that floated just above the river, we suddenly saw something approaching us. Something white, bobbing up and down. What was it!? It was coming right towards us. Well, it was a bald eagle, flying three feet above the water. It flew right past us, turning its head to look at us. That was a sign if we ever saw one! We had made it!

You have probably had events in your life that have made you grow, in one way or another. Sometimes that growth can be painful but that pain is usually accompanied by growth. Why do those events happen? Are they just random occurrences? Or does God put certain events into motion in order to grow or develop us in some way, for His ultimate use in the future? Interesting question.

My incident with the canoe taught me and my friend that we are NOT the most indestructible forces on the planet. That our lives are capable of taking turns for the worse at any moment. But it also taught me that life's challenges can be overcome through a reliance on things unseen, through the help of others and by meeting our challenges instead of succumbing to them.

God is an amazing teacher. He uses any method He wishes in his universal classroom. Sometimes we get wet in the process but we always reach our destination, praising His name. So why is that old battered canoe still in my back yard? It is a memorial . . . to a lesson learned and to a great God who saves.

Do you have things that you hold on to, mementos, that remind you of special moments where your life became forever change? God's chosen people did.

"Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. 2 At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3 and commanded the people, “As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it. 4 Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” 5 Then Joshua said to the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.” 6 And Joshua said to the priests, “Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

7 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” 9 And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. 13 And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”

14 So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as soon as those bearing the ark had come as far as the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water (now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest), 16 the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away, at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, and those flowing down toward the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. And the people passed over opposite Jericho. 17 Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.

4 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests' feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” - Joshua 3:1-17-4:1-7

The following in not a Christian song but it is a good song nonetheless, encouraging us to ALWAYS . . . remember.

Remember - Harry Nilsson

Handle

Have you ever heard somebody say, "God will never give you more than you can handle?" That sounds nice. It's kind of reassuring in a way. Just knowing that we can handle whatever God throws our way should encourage us and make us feel better, right? However, there is one thing you should know about the statement that God will never give us anything we can't handle . . . it's a lie!!

Where did we come up with that saying? It sounds biblical enough and it sounds like something a wonderful, loving God would say. The only problem is, nowhere in the Bible does it say that. In fact, the Bible is filled with tons of examples of God giving people WAY more than they can handle! Scripture is overflowing with example after example of how God tested His children by heaping up calamity upon catastrophe upon tragedy on them. Why? To make a stiff-necked people see that they CAN'T handle things by themselves.

Take the example of Job. He was given more than most people could handle. Open up your Bible's and read the first chapter of Job. He possessed 11,000 animals and many servants. His sons and daughter held many feasts and celebrated often. He was the richest man in all the land. Then, the next day . . .


"13 Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 14 and there came a messenger to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”16 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 17 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “The Chaldeans formed three groups and made a raid on the camels and took them and struck down the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” 18 While he was yet speaking, there came another and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother's house, 19 and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” - Job 1:13-19

But wait, there's more . . .

"7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in the ashes.

9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” - Job 2:7-9

To summarize and place in a modern context, how would you like it if one day you lost your job, your only means of making a living, and you came home and found your house had been trashed by a tornado. Someone had stolen everything you had and killed your entire family and then butchered your puppy just for fun. Your car also burned up, as if the tornado wasn't enough, all your money at the bank disappeared and then you developed sores from head to toe and you couldn't stand the itching they caused. Oh, and FINALLY, you were left with a nagging wife who thought you should simply curl up someplace and die. And then you were provided with a weapon to accomplish the feat (verse 8). Nice. Would something like that be more than most of us could handle? My guess is yes.

When things back in the day got to be more than the people could handle, what did they do? When they finally had no hope. When they were just about to give up on life itself, what did they do? What did Job do? Check this: Job worshiped God.

"20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. 21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

22 In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." - Job 1:20-22

Will God give us more than we can handle? Absolutely! Why? So that we will turn from worshiping ourselves and turn to Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to worship Him in any and all circumstances. God allows us into these situations so that the only way we could possibly emerge on the other side of them is with God's help. Then it is HE who gets the glory, not us.

If God only gives us things we can handle, then WE would get the glory and credit for getting through them, not God.

A young friend of mind once texted me an acronym - F.R.O.G. That stands for Fully Rely On God. Good advice for those who are facing a trial in their lives. Don't try to "handle" things on your own. Give them to God in prayer and then fully rely on God's grace and His tender mercy. Do so, and in the end, just like Job, you will be blessed.

Perhaps you have heard the following song. It's a wonderful song about praising God even during our toughest trials. But perhaps you haven't heard the story behind the song and just what it means to praise Him in a storm. I encourage you to listen to the story behind the song and then the song itself. You will be blessed. May your storms be few and may you ALWAYS fully rely on God.

The Story Behind "Praise You In This Storm"

Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns

Tattoo

I was talking with a young friend of mine a few weeks ago about some of the decisions we humans make. How sometimes we can think we're making the right decision but then afterwards . . . well, they sometimes turn out to be mistakes.

For example, my young friend has some tattoos. She has one on her right arm and one on her left arm. As she was showing me the one her right arm she said, "I don't really like this one. If I could I'd get rid of it but, oh well."

Isn't that the way life goes sometimes? We make decisions and then regret them later. Have you ever made a decision like that? One you wished you could change? I know I have.

It's always good to have a clear mind when making important decisions. It's never a good idea to make life-changing decisions while we are mentally out of sorts. Yet, it seems as if that's exactly when we choose to make some of the biggest decisions of our lives. We end up with "tattoos" on our lives that we don't really want.

Our problem is that when we are in those moments we tend to be focused on one of two things - ourselves or what someone else thinks about . . . ourselves.

The cost of decisions begins to increase wit age, especially through the teenage years as more and more "options" become available. So how can we avoid those high-cost mistakes, those tattoos that will stay with us for the rest of our lives?

The first thing I would do is start living a lifestyle that doesn't feature any of the tough decisions. What do I mean? I don't allow myself to get into situations where I would make dumb decisions. For example, "Would you like a beer?" is always answered with "No, thanks." Why? Because, although drinking A beer might be alright. Drinking LOTS of beers leads to bad decisions. I'm just not going to go down that road. It leads to "waking up with tattoos." Know what I mean?

I don't smoke, I don't drink. I don't have sex outside of marriage. I don't steal. I don't lie. I don't even watch television because all those things lead to "tattoos" I would rather not have.

I have found that life gets a whole lot less complicated when I give all of my decisions to Jesus. If I run everything past Him and His Holy Spirit, I have found that life gets a whole lot simpler. Oh, I still have scars. I have been wounded emotionally and physically. But I don't have any tattoos.

The great thing about a life in Christ is that, even if we wake up in the morning and find ourselves with a new tattoo or two (that sounded weird) is that . . . now listen to this because it's important . . .unlike my young friends tattoo that she no longer wanted, Jesus can remove all of our unwanted tattoos from life. He can make them all fade away? Why? Why would He do that?  Because He loves us and He has the power to "make all things new."

"5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” - Revelation 21:5

Do you have any unwanted tattoos? Let Jesus remove them today. He can make you brand new.

The following is a song, written from the perspective of a father, to his daughter . . . who became a tattoo in his life when the mother chose to abort her. Jesus can remove the pain from such tattoos but you have to want that. You have to trust Him. Please, do so today.

Lucy - Skillet

Peace

There is a peace that faith in Jesus brings. There is a calm. A knowledge down deep inside that, no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright. Perhaps it's God's Holy Spirit that creates that calm. Or perhaps it is simply the knowledge, the understanding, that God is in control. God is on His throne and He always will be.

I had many reasons to be frustrated this week. A friend of mine had been "uninvited" to speak at a large festival near Madison when some of the city council members learned that my friend was a Christian and took a pro-life stance. The organizers of the event then pulled back their invitation, calling him a "controversial activist." The only thing "controversial" about my friend is that his smile is too big for his face. He's a big teddy bear.

It was a frustrating day at work as well. At least it could have been. Work piling up. Deadlines approaching. Not enough time to get things done. Have you ever felt pressure in the workplace? It is VERY easy to get frustrated. However, I have found that my frustration level has decreased since I placed my faith in Christ.

I don't want to create the wrong impression here. Jesus is not someone who makes us feel better, like he's a chiropractor or a massage therapist. No. The reason I feel better is because none of the pressure at work matters to me anymore. Yes, I want to do a good job. Yes, I want to get things done on time. But I give all that pressure to Jesus - in prayer, in my service to others. I just relax and work until the job is done.

In Paul's letter to the Philippians, Paul tells them to chill out and place their faith in Jesus. We should do the same. :)

"7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

I went on a high ropes course with our youth group once. Several of the women leaders were freaking out about the possibility that they might fall. Trying to calm their fears I said, "Hey, what's the worst that could happen? You'd fall, the safety harness would fail and you'd plummet to your death. But then you'd get to meet Jesus!"

I thought what I had said was encouraging. Apparently not. I received an evil glare and this:

"No. Falling and dying is not the worst thing that could happen. Falling, living, yet getting horribly disfigured and handicapped for the rest of your life."

What an optimist!

Sometimes we do get frustrated though. We get scared and worried and think we might fall, even though Jesus tells us not to.

"Fear not." - numerous people, literally hundreds of verses in the Bible

"Do not worry," - Jesus, Matthew 6:24-35

We are pitiful at following Gods directions. But if we do? If we can relinquish all our fears and worries to Jesus, guess what awaits us? His Peace . . .

"27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." - John 14:27

Last night I received a text from my sister, carrying with it some bad news. Someone in our family is dying. So how do we handle it as Christians?It is going to hurt. It is going to cause worry and fear. The death of a loved one is one of those time when we see what we are made of . . . what we truly believe.

 So this morning I pray for my brother-in-law and the battle his mother is facing this morning. I pray for "the peace that surpasses all understanding" to rain down on him and his family. And for his mother I also pray for peace . . . the peace that comes through faith in Jesus. I pray that Jesus would have mercy on her and lavish her in His grace. And that she would receive Him into her heart, even at this late hour. May God bless you and keep you. Amen.

I Will Bring You Peace - Daniel & Catherine Lovett