Testimony

We all go through life, experiencing ups and downs. Some of those events can have profound effects on us. Some can even be life changing.

When we look back on our lives, what are the key "steppingstones" that got us to where we are today? And what if we took those turning points and turned them into a story . . . about God?

That's our testimony. It is a story about how God changed our lives for our good and for His glory. Do you have such a story? You should.

The Apostle Paul had quite a testimony. You can read about it in the Book of Acts.

"About noon as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. ⁷I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?’

⁸‘Who are You, Lord?’ I asked.

‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied. ⁹My companions saw the light, but they could not understand the voice of the One speaking to me.

¹⁰Then I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’

‘Get up and go into Damascus,’ He told me. ‘There you will be told all that you have been appointed to do.’

¹¹Because the brilliance of the light had blinded me, my companions led me by the hand into Damascus. ¹²There a man named Ananias, a devout observer of the law who was highly regarded by all the Jews living there, ¹³came and stood beside me. ‘Brother Saul,’ he said, ‘receive your sight.’ And at that moment I could see him.

¹⁴Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear His voice. ¹⁵You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.’" - Acts 22:6-16

Wow! That's quite the testimony! Most of us don't have a story to tell that can compare with Paul's, but we all have SOME kind of story to tell.

And what does Jesus want us to do with our story? Here's what He told a demon-possessed man to do after he was healed.

“Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him." - Luke 8:39

Ans so should WE do.

If you look at Paul's testimony, he has a before, during, and after phase - his life before meeting Jesus, meeting Jesus, and his life after meeting Jesus. His life after meeting Jesus testified to his changed life.

Our next Youth Night Bible study is about giving our own personal testimony. The three adult leaders will be giving theirs. What is yours?

"They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death." - Revelation 12:11

Here's one more word of advice from an angel of God who was speaking to Lot and his family.

"As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back." - Genesis 19:17

Don't look back at your old life and think about what once was. You have been saved! Saved FROM it. Look at what awaits you in the future instead! Give glory to God by sharing what He has done in your life and how He has helped you to overcome.

Overcome - Jeremy Camp

Are We Obedient?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that was the end of my dream.

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

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

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

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

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

"Okay. What's going on here?

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

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

I then continued . . .

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What's Your Trigger?

A lot of people these days are getting "triggered" by one thing or another. I first heard the term "triggered" being used regarding anything Donald Trump. But it applies to lots of things.

Maybe you're watching the news tonight and you'll see a story about abused pets. Or perhaps you'll be on your way to work when someone pulls out in front of you and you have to slam on the brakes.

There is a neverending supply of triggers in our lives these days, or so it seems.

What IS a trigger anyway? A trigger is something that causes something else to happen. In a gun's case the trigger releases a "hammer" which strikes a bullet, causing an explosion, which sends a hunk of lead flying. Triggers cause reactions. They cause things to happen.

Here's a question: What was it that triggered your conversion to Christ? Do you remember the day? What was it that "triggered" you? A conversion? A sermon? A sudden medical emergency you were saved from? A car accident where you emerged unharmed while your car was totalled?

The key fact in any conversion story is someone somehow encountering Jesus. It's when He becomes REAL in our lives.

We can live our whole lives going to church, doing and saying the right things, but until we meet Jesus, none of it matters.

The Apostle Paul went to church each sabbath. He was VERY religious! Yet it wasn't until he met Jesus on the road to Damascus that his life changed.

"As he (Paul) journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”

Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting." - Acts 9:3-5

That was Paul's trigger.

Not everyone conversion story like Paul. A bright light, sudden blindness, and Jesus actually speaking to him. Wow!

But everyone has a story. What was it that led YOU to Christ?

The Boys In The Boat

Everyone has heard the story of Jesus walking on water. Fewer remember how Peter ALSO walked on water. But today we're not talking about either of them, as you can tell by the title of today's story. 

To be sure, the story about Peter stepping out of the boat and onto the waves is a tremendous example of faith. Peter's faith is a testament to all, as is his losing that faith and sinking like a stone. Ironically, Peter's name, given to him by Jesus, literally means "a stone."

[If you search for the meaning of "Peter" you will find that it means "stone" in Greek, while Cephas is "stone" in Aramaic."]

Back to the boys in the boat. It is wrong to add to scripture, but I'm thinking the rest of the guys must have been questioning Peter and his decision to step out of the boat.

"Peter, what are you doing? Sit down! You'll drown!!"

Do you think that Peter's example of faith that day benefited those who saw it? Do you think that OUR faith was an example to others?

And just as Peter's faith was an example, so was his failing faith. It was an example to everyone that we should not take our eyes off of Jesus during a storm.

Jesus challenged the faith of His disciples many times in the Bible. The healing that Jesus did was ALSO linked to faith, often saying, "Your FAITH has made you well "

"Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” - Matthew 14:31

Quite the teaching moment, wouldn't you say? How has God taught YOU using the trials in YOUR life?

Jesus Walks On Water - All Four Gospels

You Are My Witnesses

"You are my witnesses," says LORD, "And my servant whom I have chosen." - Isaiah 43:10

God repeats that "You are my witnesses" phrase three times in chapters 43 and 44 of Isaiah. Why? Could it be because God wants us to, oh, I don't know, be His witnesses?

In my last story I wrote about King Hezekiah and his thankful prayer to God for extending his life by 15 years. I kind of feel the same way after a visit to the ER last week. Thankful!

But how does being thankful translate into being a witness for God? I mean, what do we do?

This past Tuesday I visited the place where I used to work. Everyone was glad to see me and to SEE that I truly was recovering. Hugs, smiles, and love are wonderful healing tools.

Everyone asked how I was doing. And I told them. I was a witness to God's goodness and healing power. A dozen people heard that day about God, Isaiah, and Hezekiah. They heard Bible verses and could see in my eyes what they meant to me.

THAT is what being a witness for God means. It's a loving conversation between two people who care about each other. It's living out that love in daily life.

I've seen people standing on a street corner with a sign telling me I need to repent because, "the end is near." While that is certainly true, it's not being a very effective witness.

Do you remember what Jesus said was 'the first and greatest commandment?" It's to love (Luke 10:27). More on that next time, but for now, know this.

No one can argue with your personal story, of how God has touched YOUR life. Always be ready to tell it. And, when you tell it, tell it with truth and love. You will be praising God and bringing glory to His name.

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." - 1 Peter 3:15

What's your story?

The Two Witnesses

The Bible's Book of Revelation is filled with many images. Some of them can be quite frightening while others give us reassurance and hope. One of those reassuring stories is found in Revelation 11 - the story of The Two Witnesses.

^"3 And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴ They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”^{[a] 5} If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want." - Revelation 11:3-6

Notice the [a] just before verse 5. The footnote refers the reader back to the Old Testament book of Zechariah, chapter four, to a story entitled The Gold Lampstand and The Two Olive Trees. The story in Zechariah is prophetic, a story about what will happen in the future.

"Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. ² He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³ Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴ I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵ He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

⁶ So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty." - Zechariah 4:1-6

So the lampstands are God's light in this world. The two olive trees are a symbol of never-ending fuel for the lampstands. Back then lamps were fueled with oil - olive oil.

In His Sermon on The Mount, Jesus says, “14You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." - Matthew 5:14-16

We are the lampstands of this world. Our "fuel" comes from The Holy Spirit who fills us. The two olive trees in Revelation 11 represents God's Holy Spirit. Our fuel that will never run out. That's so cool! The question is are our lamps lit? Are we shining our light in this ever darkening world, or have we hidden our light under a basket?

One final thought and something to consider. In the Old Testament, to tell whether someone was telling the truth of not, a person had to present witnesses - TWO WITNESSES.

Jesus is The Light of The World. He is also The Truth. He lights our lamps and fuels them with the Holy Spirit, for this world to see. Light us up, Lord, and may we shine bright for all the world to see. We shine for You and only You, Lord. Light us up!

The Word - Sara Groves

You Are The Sun - Sara Groves 

Note: This message was inspired by the teachings of Pastor Dave Goyke, Calvary Chapel - Waupaca. A link to his message will be posted here as soon as it becomes available.

With Someone In Mind

Many of these stories that I write come about as a means to respond to a particular person. Either I am writing to someone or I am writing about someone and the situation they have gotten themselves into. I also write about myself - my discoveries, my joys or my sorrows - but ALWAYS I write about God and how He is the solution in all of these scenarios.

Today's story was written with someone in mind. It was one brought to me by a friend - the story of a young woman (married for a few years with children) who professes to be a Christian yet possesses few of the characteristics.

The woman is contemplating divorce as she has found someone more interesting than her current husband. What should our response be to a situation like this? We see these things nearly everyday. What is our responsibility in this world towards the lost or to the straying believer?

First, let us pray. Prayer should be our first and best response. God is the one who changes hearts, not us. Our words can only bring rejection in the ewars of the hearer without God's Holy Spirit laying the ground work.

Second, make sure we have the facts. Is there more than one person involved. Have we talked to both sides in the matter. Perhaps one person is exaggerating things or even telling a lie. Make sure we know where both parties are coming from.

Third, examine scripture for verses that speak to the issues involved. In my friend's case it might be adultery, selfishness or idolatry. Search your Bible for verses that deal with these things. The Internet is a good place to find things like this. I use Google and ssearch for "verses about idolatry."

And now for the tricky part . . .

An experienced sea captain will first chart a course before setting sail. He knows, for example, where the waters are shallow and there is danger of running aground. Experience has taught him the safest routes to arrive at a particular destination. Talking with non-believers or "wanderers" is no different.

What is the ultimate destination? How are we going to get there without endangering ship or crew? From this point forward it is always best to have an experienced captain piloting the ship. His name is Jesus.

Once again, prayer is essential, but the first thing that needs to be done is to make Him known. It is possible that a person knows OF Jesus but doesn't really KNOW Him. That needs to change. How do we do this? Tell stories! Tell them the things He has done. The Bible is filled with them.

The thing we need to remember is we are not steering the boat. Our job is to get people to consider getting IN the boat. And even THAT is not our job. The Holy Spirit does that, SO what do we do? We are the ones who are already on the ship, encouraging others to come join us.

As much as we want a son or a daughter to know Jesus, our job is simple. We are to love them and to pray for them. That's it. If we REALLY want someone to know Jesus let us turn our passion into prayer.

I don't pray nearly as much as I should or as passionately as I should. Yet prayer is the weapon of the Christian in this battle for the lives of our family and friends. I also don't do a good enough job of "Letting go and letting God." I want to be the one to fix things! But only God can do that.

^"16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." - Ephesians 1:16-23

We cannot change people's minds or hearts, but God can. If we truly want to see someone change, let us introduce them to someone who can actually change them. "Love and pray" should be our charge. And tell them about Jesus and what He can do for them. If we desire to go beyond those simple commands and do more we are taking over the responsibilities of God and that is not a good thing. Let us pray. And let us become less than we want to be so that HE can become more.

"1 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8

People Get Ready - Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck
Love Train - O'Jays

Man Overboard!

Did you see the story about the woman who fell off the cruise ship into the middle of the Gulf of Mexico? How horrible! What a tremendous feeling of loneliness and hopelessness she must have been feeling . . . watching the ship she had just been standing on, sailing away and leaving her behind in the darkness.

I think about that situation and wonder, "What would I have done in her place?" How long could I have treaded water? Did anyone see me fall and are they runing for help? Why aren't they turning around?

Our days are numbered on this planet. God tells us in his world . . .

"5 A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set. 6 So now look away from him that he may rest, until he has lived the time set for him like a man paid to work. 7 “For there is hope for a tree, when it is cut down, that it will grow again, and that its branches will not stop growing." - Job 14:5-7

That's an interesting passage. "There is hope for a tree" it says. Makes me wonder . . . If our days are numbered . . . is there hope . . . for us?

The answer to THAT question is, of course, yes, there IS hope. But only for those who place their faith in Jesus. For the rest of humanity it is much like the fate of that woman who fell overboard. Lost and alone.

If you were lost in the middle of the ocean and suddenly saw a light in the distance, what would you do? I'd start to swim. Why? Because I now had hope! Without hope and direction we are eternally lost.

There is tremendous hope in Christ. The promise of a future, a hope FOR that future, and a purpose or direction for our lives.

If you fell overboard with a friend and you saw a light in the darkness, wouldn't you encourage your friend to swim with you? Sure! Is there a friend in YOUR life who is "drowning" Is there someone you know who doesn't know Jesus? Shouldn't we help them? If they died tomorrow, what excuse would you give Jesus for not talking to them about Him?

I heard someone make a statement this week that I think rings true with our witnessing for Jesus. And I am just as much at fault in this as anyone.

"We always have time for the things we WANT to do."

Witnessing to someone can be difficult but it can also be life-saving. When the situation is desperate, we often will take action. But if there is now immediate need we tend to find other things to do with our time. Until one day . . . one day too late.

One Day To Late - Skillet

He's Waiting For You

We never seem to know when it is that God will surprise us. Just when we think we have Him just about figured out, He does something totally unexpected. Like this week. This week I thought I heard God talking to me. That surprised me. He didn't sound ANYTHING like Charlton Heston either. More like an 80-year old woman. Let me explain.

My friend and I had just finished praying at work and I had decided to go for a walk, reading the Bible as I went down the path behind our office. I was all jacked up from my prayers because I had laid my frustrations with myself at God's feet. I was sick of my procrastination in a few areas - letters I should write but wasn't getting around to . . . a building project I was having trouble getting off the ground. I, quite often, am my own worst enemy with these things.

As I began to read, I looked up and noticed someone walking towards me far away in the distance. That's when I did something I had never done before. I began praying for them while also praying that God might provide an opportunity for me to talk with them.

The text I was reading that morning was from 1 Samuel, about how Samuel's sons didn't really do what was right in the eyes of the Lord. "That's me," I thought to myself. I didn't really want to be that person, but I was. I am.

The person walking towards me was closer now. I could tell it was an older woman. Older than even I am! She was walking her dog. I had seen her on the trail before with some of her lady friends and their dogs. I kept praying.

We met at a place when the trail crosses a busy road. We both were waiting to cross. Finally an opening appeared and I ran across. When I got to the other side, the lady, her name was Judy as I was soon to discover, said something that got my attention. She delivered a message from God. At least it seemed to me that it came from Him. She said . . .

"I think He's waiting for YOU."

Those were the first words out of her mouth. I thought to myself, "What? He's waiting for me? Oh, now I get it. And God is waiting for me alright. Waiting for me to get off my butt and start being Jesus to the people of this world! "Those words really penetrated. This lady's words were like an answer to prayer. Like they came right from God!

"I think he was waiting for you," the lady repeated. "My dog. He was waiting for you."

"What?"

The lady and her dog turned and walked with me for a bit. I shared my testimony with her that morning and she shared hers. I eventually turned around and headed back to the office. She kept on walking . . . somewhere. And as soon as I turned around I looked up to heaven and praised God for giving me an opportunity to speak about Him to someone.

That morning God encouraged me to get going in my witnessing and also in my efforts to help others. I feel rejuvenated with a new sense of purpose. I had been praying about how I had been compromising my ideas and procrastinating in my dreams and goals.

"Time to get to work," I said as I walked into the office. More about what happened next in a future installment of this blog. But let me just tell you this. There is nothing quite like serving the Lord. The rewards are "out of this world!"

"22 And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams.” - 1 Samuel 15:22

What Are You Waiting For? - Nickleback

This is the gospel: The Gospel

The Wake

When a boat passes through water it leaves a wake behind it. Wakes are interesting things. They are the result of an external force (a boat for example) on something else (a body of water in the case of a wake). Wakes are a testimony to the boat who made it.

Can you think of other things we see in our daily lives that give testimony to something else?

How about the contrails behind a plane? I wrote about them a few weeks ago. They are the visible evidence left behind by a plane, vapor trails, a wake in the air if you will, one thing caused by something else.

What else? What about footprints? Footprints are a visible reminder that someone has walked through a particular place. If they are crisp and well-defined we can know that they are fresh. The relative size of the foot print leaver and the direction they are traveling in can also be determined. Hmm. Interesting thoughts coming into my head. Yours?

Have you ever seen one of these things? A pile of stone on the beach or some other place? They are called cairns. What can they tell us? Well, they can tell us that someone was there. Stones just don't stack themselves! The builder also knew something about construction (wide base, narrow top). It took some skill to make this.

Do you know who made the first cairn ever? God did. At least He was The One who came up with the idea. One representative of each Jewish tribe made it. Why?

"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 4:1-7

Question time.

• Do you leave a wake as you live the life you were given? A wake for good? A positive wake for God? We should be doing that. We should be touching our community for Christ. We should be loving others as God first loved us (1 John 4:19).
• Do leave a wake for God wherever you go? Leaving a wake is one thing. Who you leave it for is another. We should be spreading The Gospel, in addition to living it,  as we walk through this world. 
• Are we to be a monument to Christ? Crossing the Jordan was a visual representation of us crossing from death to life when we placed our faith in Christ. Our lives are OUR monument. DO we live them like Jesus did?

The life of a Christian is a hard one. And it will get harder. Perhaps you have already faced some persecution in YOUR life for what you believe. I have. Still, despite that, we are to be salt and light to this world we live in. We are to spread God's truth, God's love and God's grace as we walk through our temporary home. We are to be a blessing to God and a blessing to others. Each day let us start anew. Let it be said of us that we lived to be a blessing.

The Blessing - John Waller

Cube

Most of the things that happen in our lives do so with us right in the middle of them. It's like we are the star of our own movie sometimes . . . and it's all about us. Our family, our friends, all interacting in OUR own personal "videos." We are at the center, the focal point. We are the stars! In actuality though, things couldn't be further from the truth.

In the grand scheme of things, we are actually just bit players, "extras" if you will, in a full-length feature film about God. I was reminded of that this week at work in a VERY impactful way.

I work as an architectural draftsman at and A/E firm in The Fox Valley. I draw plans for some of the buildings you might see if you traveled to our portion of God's creation. My "office" is a 9'x10' cubicle in a honeycomb of other cubicles - all a part of the larger "hive".

Late Wednesday morning I was down in our print room picking up a set of drawings when Terri, a friend of mine, and a sister in the faith, called out to me.

"Hey, Bob. I think this is for you," she said, handing me an unopened envelope. This is how it was addressed:

McMahon Group
Attn: "Christian" Architect

On the way back to my cube I thought, "Well, I am not an architect. But I AM a Christian. I'll open it and if it's for someone else I'll just deliver it. I wasn't really expecting what I was about to get hit with. But that is often how God works in our lives - in unexpected ways.

There was a letter inside the envelope. This is what it said.

To Whom it may Concern,

This letter is written to the architect in a cubicle that has Jesus magnified throughout. The architect that collects cans.I briefly worked for your cleaning service at which time I had really been dealing with a lot and enduring some very difficult times. I am inspired by the spirit to write this letter to you to let you know that your empty cubicle was a source of light on some very dark days. It testified even in your absence. It was, for me, a reminder that I was straying and a source of strength and contemplation. I just figured that if I didn't write this letter you would never know that the stand you are taking for Jesus Christ has impacted me. As I entered your cubicle to dust and clean my conscience began to ring out and because of you I was faced with the truth when at the time in and on a path where the truth wasn't present. Again, stand strong in Jesus. Our stand affects others in ways unimaginable.

Your brother,
"in Christ"

Travis

. . . wow.

I looked around at the contents of my cube. There on the floor was the collection of cans the guy wrote about (Diet Pepsi). There was a wooden cross from my daughter, a stringer of "Jesus fish" from my best friend and on my 60th birthday, a picture of me and my youth leader buddies taken at a Power of One concert. There was a picture of Essie and me, my Native American friend from a mission trip, a picture of Tara, my friend working for God in Australia. There were notes about God from kids I had taken to Lifest, another Christian music event.

This guy Travis had definitely been in my cube.

The last thing my eyes settled on was a box, made for me by my best friend Gayle. It was made out of an old cardboard record cover. The words on the album jacket read "The Works of God."

I stared at those words for a moment - "The Works of God." And as I scanned my eyes around my cube again I began to realize I was not the star of this movie I was in. God's Holy Spirit was the main player in THIS one.

All of the faith-based items were given to me - by others and by God. I had just chosen to display them. Or was it God's Holy Spirit wanting me to display them, saving them for the day Travis walked into my cube?

I felt very humble at that moment, and honored, that God would choose my cube to witness to someone else about who He is. It had nothing to do with me, really. And that was the lesson I learned in this. It's all about God and HIS glory, not mine.

I was listening to a message that afternoon by Ravi Zacharias. He was speaking about worshiping God and the sermons our pastors give to us in church. Dr. Zacharias said this . . .

"Our sermons are first worship to God. If there is anything in them that is self-aggrandizing, it must be removed. It is not serving anyone but ourselves."

The same can be said for each of us and the lives we lead. We are told in scripture to examine ourselves daily to see whether or not we are walking in the faith. If there is anything that diverts our focus from God during our service to Him is should be removed. And if there is any thought that WE are impacting other people's lives through our sermons or our witnessing or our daily lives, we should remove those thoughts as well. I learned that this week. It's all God. It's all Jesus. And it is all His Holy Spirit. The Trinity gets all the credit, not us. We just get to witness it. And what an honor that is!!

"4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." - Titus 3:4-7

Witness

I must have looked like an absolute fool yesterday at work - some kind of non-caring, cold-hearted, lousy excuse for a human if there ever was one. The day after burying my dad I was back at work . . . smiling and telling people what a wonderful weekend it was. Why was I feeling do good?

There are may reasons for my joy just one day after burying my father in Michigan. Here's a short list:

Everyone had safe travels to and from the funeral, my father was no longer suffering due to his Alzheimer's or pneumonia, my mother's burden of caring for an Alzheimer's patient (a 24/7/365 job) had now been lifted, all immediate family members got to say good bye and tell my dad that we loved him, my dad is now in heaven with Jesus, and I have complete confidence that I will see my dad again. Other than the fact that we will miss him I really see no down-side. In fact, there were additional benefits I never even imagined.

My first day back at work, I felt a little like John the Baptist. The feeling was amazing! I have never felt like that before. I was actually feeling joy two days after my dad's funeral! And I was sharing it! I believe that the confidence and joy I was experiencing was a gift from God and as the opportunities came to witness to others I was able to recognize them . . . and didn't miss a one.

The people I work with are amazing. They are much like family in many ways. We care about each other. We pray for each other. We love each other. It was only natural that people would seek me out and ask me how I was doing. So I told them.

I told them that I was actually feeling great. I told them about the compassion and the mercy of God and how He had blessed us in the ways I mentioned above. And I said, "How merciful was God as He slowly, painlessly, took my dad to be with Him." Some might look at death as a VERY final thing. But the Christian does not. It is the beginning and God is so kind.

Have you ever heard the Seals & Crofts song "Wayland The Rabbit"? It is a song of mercy and God's compassion, even in death (There's a link at the bottom of this post). The song is a story about a father and son who happened upon a dead rabbit (Wayland), frozen in the snow. The son was sad but the father remarked how merciful God had been, much less than if the rabbit had been killed by a wolf or an owl.

Whenever I hear the word "witness" I think about my audio Bible version of The Book of John. In chapter one the narrator reads this verse and places an strong emphasis on the word "witness."

"6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness . . ." John 1:6-7

I witnessed to 18 people about the love, grace and mercy of Jesus Christ Tuesday! The final one as I was leaving the office. I can't help it. People ask me how I am doing and the first words that come out of my mouth are, "I'm going amazing! Other than the fact tat I will miss my dad greatly, there is no down-side to his death. His suffering is over, the burden on my mom and sister of caring for an Alzheimer's victim has ended, me dad's in heaven, I KNOW that I will see him again." PLUS, I get to tell others about Jesus!

There has never been nor will there ever be a more merciful, compassionate, caring, love God that my King! And as the song goes . . .

"And God is so kind."

Wayland The Rabbit - Seals & Crofts