The Diversion

There once was a young boy. He wasn't very big by the world's standards. Quite small in stature really. All the neighborhood boys liked to pick on him. They liked to push him around and threaten him every chance they got. Doing so made them feel superior I guess. It made them feel powerful.

This little boy's name was Abe. It was a wonder that Abe was able to survive at all in the neighborhood in which he lived. A miracle really. But Abe had a secret weapon that kept him alive. His friend Sam.

Sam was huge. He was the biggest kid on the block - some say on the entire planet, although they weren't really sure about that. Every time Abe found himself in trouble it seemed like Sam was always there to help. The neighborhood bullies always scattered when big Sam showed up on the scene.

Sam always took care of Abe. No one's exactly sure just why. He just did. Something to do with family I think. Blood's thinker than water and all that. Must be true.

Everything was good between Abe and Sam. It seemed as if the two of them would be friends forever. Nothing could come between them . . . or at least that's what everybody thought . . . including Abe and Sam.

Years later, when all the neighborhood boys were older, the bullies hatched a plan - still trying to get at Abe and teach him all those lessons they wanted him to learn. . . with their fists. But they knew they had to keep Sam away from his friend. Perhaps if they created some kind of diversion. Something to keep Sam occupied and distracted.

The gang members thought long and hard about what to do. Maybe they could drug him and then tie him up as he slept. Sam would probably break all their ropes. No, this trap for Sam had to be something he would never suspect. What to do?

The leader of the gang of bullies stood up, smiling. He offered his nasty plan to the group with great confidence. It really was quite ingenious. His plan for getting at Abe was to distract Sam with . . . a woman. And he knew just the woman for the job - Cindy.

Cindy didn't have a very good reputation. Many men in town had lost everything they had while pursuing her. Families were destroyed, fortunes lost, some men took their own lives after Cindy worked her magic on them, and that is exactly what it was - magic. Black magic.

The gang leader explained that Cindy owed him a favor. He would get her to pursue Sam and eventually lead him away from his small friend. She did it to other unsuspecting souls. She could do it to Sam too.

And so the plan was set into motion. Soon Cindy and Sam were fairly close. Sam thought it was true love. Cindy knew it wasn't. They began going out on dates and hanging around together. Sam and Abe were spending less and less time together. Soon the boys would spring a trap on Abe and finally teach him just who the REAL boss in the neighborhood was.

Friday night was the big dance. It was also time for the boy's plan to go into action. Cindy had asked Sam to take her to the dance and he agreed. Abe wasn't going to the dance - he had to work. The time was right.

That night, as Abe returned from work, the neighborhood bullies were waiting and cornered Abe in an alley. Abe looked around, hoping he might catch a glimpse of Sam but Sam was not there. The boys closed in on Abe and one by one they began to strike out at him. First they taunted Abe, then the pushing began followed by the punches.

There was no place for Abe to go. Sam was nowhere to be found. So Abe did the only thing he could. He began to fight.

And fight he did! For as much as Abe was outnumbered he was actually holding his own. His enemies were landing some punched but so was Abe. But they bullies outnumbered Abe 10-1. There was no way Abe could hold them off forever. That's when they saw it. They ALL saw it and froze right where they stood. It was a light.

A light was coming down towards them from the sky. They all held up their hands trying to shield their eyes form the brightness. Then came the wind. Powerful! What was going on!?!

"Hey, you boys down there! Knock it off! There is a squad car on the way. I want you to stay right where you are until the police get there. You got it?"

The boys nodded. They thought about trying to escape but the light was so bright they couldn't see. SO they just dropped to their knees and waited.

It wasn't long before the cops arrived, the light faded from view and thing began to calm down. One of the police officers asked they gang why they had surrendered to easily.

"Most fights like this end badly. There's a pursuit, handcuffs. What made you guys stop so suddenly?"

"It was the helicopter. That thing was nasty! It blinded us and we couldn't see a thing. When did you guys get that thing?"

"We don't have a helicopter. No one around here does."

 ------------------------------------------------------------------

The preceding story was an allegory of a modern day scenario. Can you figure out what it is and who all the players are? I bet you can if you really think about it. And that is exactly what you will have to do because THIS is where my story ends.

Those who have ears, let them hear.

A Deeper Love

Having lived for nearly 62 years on this planet, I have discovered a few things about love. Like, just when I think I know what love is, along comes another wrinkle or "revelation" about it that causes me to know that . . . I really didn't know what love was at all.

I was having a conversation with a few young adult friends this past week. I think that was when I came to the realization that there is yet another type of love, another level, if you will. But, as with many discussions, in order for us to move forward, it is sometimes necessary to go back. So let's start off with a few words from the apostle Paul.

"11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. - 1 Corinthians 13:11

For this topic I think that's where we need to begin. It is when we leave our childhood behind, our childlike love, and we begin a journey of discovery that ultimately leads us right back to where we began. Here's another verse that hints at what I'm trying to get at. These words come from Jesus.

"14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” - Matthew 19:14

Close your eyes and think about the kind of love a child offers. Do you see the images in your mind? A child running into his mother's arms. A young girl hugging a puppy. Stuff like that. Warm and fuzzy images to be sure. There is a reason we find those mental pictures so pleasing and desirable. It is because, I believe, we long for them. We long to experience a love like that again. That childlike love that contains no fear or doubt.

Children trust. They offer love openly and freely, without fear of rejection, without doubt. They love completely and without question. So . . . that begs another question, "What happened to us?" I think we became afraid to love deeply and unconditionally because, to some degree, we have become afraid to see love as a commitment. If not afraid, perhaps . . . apprehensively cautious. That is not a healthy fear.

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear." - 1 John 4:18

We spend much of our lives, after childhood, trying to get back to that simple kind of love we once had as a child. First finding it and then loving in it . . . again. It is more of a longing though, not really an active search. We will never find it that way. We should get off our butts and crave it!

The world in which we live today is much different from the world of our youth. Love comes with many more descriptors than it once did. Some think love will never find them because love has burned them too many times and they fear being hurt again. Others would give anything to be loved because they can't seem to find it anywhere. Still others are doomed to never find that perfect, child-like love because, as that old country song goes, they are searching for love in all the wrong places.

I was listening to a young friend recently. As she talked I listened . . . with my eyes. She was saying one thing with her lips but her eyes were telling me something else. She is longing for, and deep down, desiring, something deeper. That's when I began to see this need in her for this higher love I am writing about today. I began to see it through the compassion and love I have for my friend. The love of Jesus.

There is a desire within each of us, I think, for a deeper, more intimate, unconditional love. The kind of love we used to have as children, we long to have and experience that again. It IS possible to find that kind of love. The kind of love we all seek requires us to go back to the beginning . . . to the source. But we are often afraid to make the trip, to take the first step. And that is where we fail.

The young lady I was talking with is in a same-sex relationship. These kinds of relationships are embraced by our society these days and encouraged in our schools. Yet, same-sex relationships are "discouraged," to say the least, in the Bible. So what are we to do? What do we do when people we love make choices and decisions that lead down a path that is contrary to God's desires for us? Back to basics.

"30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” - Mark 12:30-31

Hey, let's face it, we are ALL sinners. We spend so much time concerning ourselves with what we think OTHER people should be doing, we forget to examine ourselves, to see what it is that WE should be doing. We spend so much time talking about other people's sins, we forget to assess our own sinful nature and hold ourselves accountable. And most importantly, we forget to love.

"8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." - 1 John 4:8

As the discussion and the evening ended that night with my young friend, we parted company. But before we left, we hugged, and we exchanged I love you's. You see, this life is a journey - not to accomplish all we can, not to point out the faults of others, but to love all we meet. Jesus lived His life as an example of love. Something we should emulate. I don't judge or convict those who sin, because . . . that's me too.

Instead, I pray my young friend and others might see in me, not an old, uncaring man, but someone who exudes the love of his savior, Jesus Christ. Someone who has God's Holy Spirit living in me and loving through me.

The secret to the deeper love we all desire is found in Christ. It is found in the Bible. The information we all need for that "perfect love" and life has already been given to us. We just need to read it and apply it. So, do you desire a deeper, higher love? What are you waiting for? Run into His arms . . . like a little child. He is waiting, patiently, for you. He waited 53 years for me, he'll wait for you.

Here is a secular song written in 1957 for the musical The Music Man. A small group named The Beatles did a cover of the song five years later. Imagine the lead singer, Paul, singing this song, not to a would-be lover, but as a prayer to God. The song then takes on whole new meaning if you think of it that way. May you find the true meaning of love, as I did, in the arms of Christ. Then you too will finally know what love truly is. And you will realize there can be no love at all in our lives until we can finally sing . . . till there was You.

Till There Was You - The Beatles

Love Tracks

Do you know where you are going in life? Is your life on track to where you want it to go? How are your relationships?

I was talking with a young friend of mine this morning. He is in a relationship with a young lady - both of them believers.

Most relationships these days seem to be instantaneous. A young guy might look twice at a young lady and the next thing you know, it's Facebook official!

My conversation with my friend made me stop and think about our earthly relationships and what it is we are after?

"The world" would have us meet someone and "fall in love." It might be romantic. It might not. We might date or we might not. The relationship might be with someone of the opposite sex but it might not. There are so many different tracks for relationships these days, it can be frightening.

Do you read the Bible at all? You don't even have to read the entire thing to be able to get some sage advice. Google "relationship verses" and see what you get. Here's one I found by doing that very thing. It's pretty good advice in my opinion.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:2-3

Yea, that was good. Is the relationship you are in right now like that verse? Are you completely humble and gentle in your relationship? Do you put up with the other person, and all of their little quirks, in love? Do you make EVERY effort to treat your significant other the way God wants you to treat them? Have you found peace in your relationship?

All good questions.

May God bless your earthly relationships. May you love others like Christ loved us when He gave Himself up for us and took the penalty for OUR sins on Himself and died because of it. That is an AGAPE love. Sacrificial, no thought of self, totally focused on what is best for the other person. If we can do that with our relationships God will bless them.

Cisterns

Do you know what a cistern is? This definition is from Wikipedia . . .

A cistern (Middle English cisterne, from Latin cisterna, from cista, "box", from Greek κίστη, kistê, "basket") is a waterproof receptacle for holding liquids, usually water. Cisterns are often built to catch and store rainwater. Cisterns are distinguished from wells by their waterproof linings. Modern cisterns range in capacity from a few liters to thousands of cubic meters, effectively forming covered reservoirs.


With that definition in mind, read this verse from the Book of Jeremiah . . .

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water" - Jeremiah 2:13

Did anything in that verse sound familiar? Like the two words I highlighted in bold? Read this from The Book of John:


"13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - John 4:13-14

More proof that Jesus is God in my opinion. Back to the verse from Jeremiah.What do you think God means when he says that we have dug our own cisterns? The verse sounds like we are trying to find other gods instead of The One True God. Do we do that?

Back in the day people worshiped other gods like Baal, Asherah, Molek, etc. Today we have other gods that people worship - Allah, Buddha. Hindus have thousands of gods? How about you?

What are the cisterns in YOUR life? What do you store up our faith in?

Do you believe in Karma? That is a Hindu or Buddhist belief. If you believe in Karma, can you truly call yourself a Christian? Hmm. I think many people believe that when someone gets what they deserve, it's karma. IS that true?

And what about Yoga. Do you take a yoga class to stretch your muscles and soul? Yoga is a Hindu and Buddhist practice. If a Christian practices yoga is he worshiping another god without even knowing it? SO often we just do things without really thinking.

There is only one source of living water and that is The One True God, Elohim, Yahweh . . . The Great I Am.

I am not a believer in Karma. Nor I do not practice yoga, and I do not believe in "luck." I believe in God. He is the only God in my eyes. The God of The Bible. He is the ONLY source of living water. He is . . . "The Well."

The Well - Casting Crowns

We Are An Adulterous People

Do you recognize this image? You might. It's from The Passion of The Christ movie. It is the story from John 8 about the adulterous woman. We read . . .

"2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” - John 8: 2-11

This is an interesting story. Many people read it and think, "Gee, Jesus didn't condemn her. He let her off without punishment. It looks like Jesus broke the law!" Did He? The law clearly states that both the man and the woman should be put to death.

10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." - Leviticus 20:10

According to the law she should have been put to death. Why did Jesus let her off?

Jesus knew she had sinned and that she was guilty; hence the "go and sin no more" statement. But do you see anything that is missing from this story? Something required according to Mosaic law?

There are several thing missing in this story. Ready?

Where was her partner in the alleged adulterous act? Hmm. Nowhere. Interesting. The law clearly states that "BOTH the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." Where's the dude.

Something else is missing. Turn to Deuteronomy 17 . . .

"On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness." - Deuteronomy 17:6

There are no witnesses present. It says the woman was "caught in the act" yets the witnesses were not present at this potential stoning. Let's keep reading in Deuteronomy.

"7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst." - Deuteronomy 17:7

The two witnesses are supposed to throw the first stones at the adulterous couple. None of the Pharisees were willing to throw the first stones. My guess is because the actually witnesses, if there were any, were not even present.

So Jesus obeyed the law. AND He turned the situation around to confront the Pharisees - questioning them about THEIR sin? Interesting.

So let's talk about you and me for a moment. When we sin, and we ALL do, are there witnesses? Are there TWO witnesses present to convict us of our sin? I would submit that there ARE two witnesses - ourselves and God. We know what we did. So does God. Are our sins on the level of adultery though? I also say yes.

Today there is a big football game. Our Green Bay Packers are in THE NFC Championship game. Many people will be tailgating at Lambeau Field . . . even though the game is in Seattle! Packers fans will be partying it up all over the planet. Will they be passing up worship today to do so? Will they be getting drunk out of their minds? Some WILL get "stoned" in a different way than described in The Bible.

In the Old Testament days people were stoned for adultery. I am grateful we don't do that to each other today because I would be one of those to be stoned. How many times have I put off reading His Holy Word to us? How many times have I not prayed? In other words, how many time have I cheated on my God by spending time with someone or something else? Yeah. I am worthy of death. So are you I'm guessin'.

However, we serve an amazing God. A God of grace and forgiveness. A God of mercy and compassion. As a matter of fact, God is SO gracious and merciful, so loving and forgiving, that He makes me want to worship and praise Him more!

My prayer is that we each would think about the adulterous lives we ALL lead, lthe time we spend ignoring God or replacing worship with something else, and come to Him on our knees in humility, seeking His forgiveness. Please, won't you join me in doing so today? The Packer game isn't until later. What are you doing right now?

Mighty To Save - Hillsong

The True Secret of Happiness

I'm not exactly sure when it occurred to me - this "secret" of happiness - but it did. And as soon as I realized just what that "secret" was, and started living it in my own life, this amazing, life-changing "secret" has proven itself to be true time and time again.

First, I should tell you that I am a Christian. I tell you that not to flaunt it or try to persuade you to give your life to Jesus . . . although I think that's a really good idea. ;) No, I tell you that so that those of you who want to follow this trail I am about to lay out before you can know where to start.

I use quotation marks around the word "secret" because this "secret" really isn't a secret at all. It has been known for thousands of years. The problem is, we as a people have chosen to ignore it and not live it out in our lives for others to see. The good news is we can begin to live it at anytime and discover for ourselves the true meaning of happiness - love.

Let's start our little journey of love today with a few verses from the Bible. Again, I am not trying to sway anyone or convict anyone or judge anyone. I just want to show you something. If you have a Bible, go get it. Otherwise, read them here in this text.

The first clue to true happiness can be found several places in the Bible (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27). This is from Luke . . .

"27 He answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Luke 10:27

It is pretty clear that Jesus wants us to love God and love each other. But what is this "love" He is talking about? We can "love" many things and in many ways. I love potato salad, I love my wife, I love my friend. With what kind of love are we to love God and others?

The ancient Greek word "love" used in this text is "agape" - an unconditional, sacrificial love. Do you love others unconditionally?

Clue number two is found in in Book of 1 John, the fourth chapter, verses 7-21. This is an incredible passage of scripture and contains many wonderful truths.

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." - 1 John 4:7-21

This is amazing stuff!! These two paragraphs contain so many breadcrumbs along the trail of true happiness, it is hard NOT to find one's way.

The third thing I would like to show you is found in the opening paragraph of the Book of John.

"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word (Jesus) was with God, and the Word (Jesus) was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." - John 1:1-5

Verse one states things pretty clearly - Jesus is God. And if Jesus is God, and God is love, I guess one could safely say that Jesus is love.

Here's another verse for you to consider. One that will really separate the wheat from the chaff.

"13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

There's that word love again. And again, from the Greek, it is an "agape" love - that sacrificial, unconditional love. A question for you: Would you die in the place of one of your friends? Would you sacrifice YOUR life for the life of another? For someone you didn't like? For an enemy? The answer should be yes.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

If we read this verse knowing that Jesus is the Christ, that Jesus IS God and that God is love, we could easily interpret that verse as "To live is love." Another question: Do I live my life loving others? Do I live my life lovingly towards all people? The answer, again, should be yes.

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments." - John 14:15

And so we are left with this: The true secret of happiness is love. To find this love that everyone seeks these days we must first find God, love Him and then love others, unconditionally. Remember, Jesus IS God. Seek Him. Find Him. Love Him. Only then will you find true love and true happiness. I thought I knew what love was in my life before I found Jesus. But after I came to know Him, I found that I really did not know love at all. Ever since then however, that love we all search for has found me. It will find you too . . . if you let it.

There is nothing like experiencing true love. Open up your heart to Him today.

My Jesus, I Love Thee - Bart Millard

How cold is cold?

Thirteen below zero!! That was the temperature my car’s thermometer registered this past Monday. That's pretty cold!

I’ve experienced some colder temperatures in my lifetime. The coldest was 31 years ago when our daughter was born. It was -27 degrees Fahrenheit. -75 with the wind chill that day. Now dat be chilly! Still it DOES get colder than that.

The coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -128.6 degrees. That was July 21, 1983 at Vostok Station in Antarctica. I have no idea what -128 degrees feels like. I’m not sure I WANT to know either. Let’s just agree that -128 degrees is very, VERY cold.

In the book of Matthew, when Jesus is telling His disciples about what will happen at “The End of The Age” He says this in verse nine . . .

"12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." - Matthew 24:12

First off, the Greeks have several words for our word love – eros, phileo, agape – so I looked up the Greek word used in this particular text. Honestly, I was expecting to see Phileo (a friendly love) but I didn’t. I saw the word Agape. Unconditional, sacrificial love.

Agape is the ultimate form of love and Jesus said in Matthew 24 that even those who feel Agape love for Jesus and others . . . their sacrificial, unconditional love will grow cold. Now THAT is cold!!

Picture the flame on a candle as it extinguishes, leaving everything in the room in total darkness. That kind of cold - a life without light and without love. Welcome to hell.

So how can we keep our love from going cold even when everything around us is falling apart? How can we keep our light from going out? The answer, of course, is Jesus.

"12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12

It is easy to find our eyes and hearts focused on other things these days. Even those of us who profess a faith in Christ get sucked away from our faith by living in a world that contradicts it. With all the civil unrest these days? People are actually chanting in the streets for others to be killed. Any love THOSE people might have had at one point in their lives for their fellow man surely has grown cold. Calling for others to be killed?

That is really the $1,000,000 question. Is our love for Jesus strong enough to withstand anything? Anything?

We Christians tend to answer "yes" to that question while we are sitting in our comfortable pews, listening to our pastor's Sunday morning sermon, but would our answer be the same if we found ourselves in an orange jumpsuit with a man in black standing behind us, holding a knife to our throats?

You may never face such a test, but it WILL happen to some. For other people the test of faith might be a phone call in the middle of the night. There has been an accident. For others it might be a diagnosis from a doctor. When things get dark in our lives what will we do? How will we react?
 

The answer is simple. When things get dark, get closer to The Light. When love grows cold get closer to The Fire. When situations in this world make you weak, get strength through Christ. And when times seem like things just couldn't get any worse, seek Jesus. When you are "drowning" in a world that doesn't know God, lift up your hand. He'll grab it.

So when it turns cold outside, remember the love of Jesus and the warmth of His embrace. Then warm yourself in His Word, ask for warmth in your prayers and rest in the knowledge that warmer days are coming for those who believe.

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

I Once Was Blind But Now I See

Scrolling down through my Facebook news feed yesterday, I came upon this quote. "If the whole world was blind, who would you impress?" - Boonaa Mohammed.

I thought about that statement for a moment and wondered what the world would be like if none of us could see. "You know, there might just be something to that statement, " I thought to myself. At least at first blush.

Think out it. We wouldn't have to worry about what to wear because no one could see us. For that matter, we wouldn't have to wear ANYTHING! We would probably just wear something comfortable - to keep us warm instead of wearing something that looks good in the eyes of someone else.

If we couldn't see, we wouldn't be tempted by members of the opposite sex who like to flaunt their "stuff". No more "heaving breasts", as my wife calls them, by women trying to get a man's attention. There also would be no more ogling a man's abs or his "ripped" physique for the women. None of these things could be seen.

There would be no need to design fancy, eye-catching sports cars if we all were blind. "Sounds nice" could be our only comment. No need for beautiful architecture. We couldn't see a building until we ran into it!

And if you were walking towards a 1000-foot cliff, wouldn't you rather have your sight?

If we were totally blind, physical beauty would mean nothing. The most beautiful man or woman in the world could be standing next to us and we wouldn't notice. The same could be said for the ugliest person. Beauty and ugliness would not have the same meanings as they do now. So is that opening quote correct? I think not.

The quote I opened with DOES have true meaning if you live a life without Christ. The quote only rings true from a secular world view and therefore, in my opinion, falls short.

So I thought I would modify the quote by Boonaa Mohammed, whoever that is, and come up with one of my own. One that fits the life God wants us to live.

"If the whole world could see through the eyes of God, who would be left to impress?" - Bob Hall

Think about that for a moment. If everyone worshiped the God of The Bible there would be no more war. There would be no more fighting, only peace. There would be no more beauty contests. There would be no need for People Magazine to designate the Sexiest Man Alive. No one would care about that. Only love for ALL.

When we see a beautiful landscape before our eyes, I would rather praise God and admire His Creation. If I was blind I would not even know that beautiful view was there. I would be missing the beauty I was meant to see when God gave me my two eyes.

Tough question of the day: If a person could only know Jesus by what they saw in you, would they see Him? Or would they still be blind to the truth?

Ouch.

I will leave you with a few verses today.

“Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?" - Luke 6:39

And this one . . .

"29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” - John 20:29

This is a sculpture of the veiled Christ . . . by blind sculptor Felice Tagliaferri. Incredible!

Are You Ready For A New Beginning?

This is the last day of the year. A time when we traditionally make New Year's resolutions. It is a very optimistic time. A time when we look forward with hope to a new year . . . a chance to do better, a chance to start fresh, a chance to begin again.

So what kinds of resolutions do we usually make? Here is a top ten list of last year's New Year's resolutions:

1. Lose Weight
2. Getting Organized
3. Spend Less, Save More
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest
5. Staying Fit and Healthy
6. Learn Something Exciting
7. Quit Smoking
8. Help Others in Their Dreams
9. Fall in Love
10. Spend More Time with Family

Is there anything on that list from 2014 that is on YOUR New Year's resolution list for this year? Are you desiring to lose weight perhaps? Or maybe you are resolving to fall in love with someone who won't hurt you when you trust them with your heart? Or maybe it's spending more time with your family than you did last year.

What if I told you that there was ONE resolution you could make this year that could help you accomplish all ten of the resolutions listed above. Would you be interested? Heck yeah!!

Try this one:

"I resolve in 2015 to give my life to Christ. I have tried everything I can think of to make my life work out how I want it but things never work out." Let me tell you how a life with Jesus at the center of it can help you accomplish ALL TEN New Year's resolutions listed above.

1. Lose Weight -The Bible advises against gluttony (overeating). Proverbs 23:20-21
2. Getting Organized - Get rid of the excess in your life. Make things more simple. Mark 10:21
3. Spend Less, Save More - Do you buy only what you need or everything you want? 1 Timothy 6:10
4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest - There is nothing wrong with having fun. Enjoy life! Ecclesiastes 8:15
5. Staying Fit and Healthy - Exercise is good for your body. Do it! Isaiah 40:29-31
6. Learn Something Exciting - Read the Bible. There are tons of exciting lessons waiting to be learned. Proverbs 1:5
7. Quit Smoking - You only have one body in this life. Take care of it! 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
8. Help Others in Their Dreams - Placing others first brings joy to God. Hebrews 13:16
9. Fall in Love - Nothing can separate us from God's love. Romans 8:37-39
10. Spend More Time with Family - There is nothing like a loving family and that is what you get when you place your hope and faith in Jesus. Romans 8:16-17

You and I are born sinners. We find it very easy to eat too much. Most of us live cluttered lives. We tend to spend our money foolishly. We think we can enjoy life by partying and drinking. We are fools. There is so much more in Christ!

I'm not writing this to tell you that Jesus can help you fulfill all your New Year's resolutions. I am writing this to say that by placing your faith in Jesus, by giving Him control of your life, there will be no need for New Year's resolutions.Your desire will be to please Him and the rest will take care of itself.

Jesus died for our sins. God demands a blood sacrifice, a perfectly spotless lamb, to atone for our sins. Jesus did that for us. Repay Jesus today by offering YOUR life for the one HE gave . . . for you. Give up the life you had in 2014 and grab a hold of the one He offers you for 2015.

It seems like each year we long to start over. Why not give control of your life to Jesus and let Him make your choices as you follow Him in 2015. New Year's resolutions are man-made things. We are humans often failing in OUR selfish desires. Let our New Year's resolution be this:

I resolve to please God and live my life for Him.

Have a Happy, Healthy and Blessed New Year!

A Line In The Sand

This is a picture of a line that has been drawn in the sand. The intent of such drawn lines is that we don't want people to cross them. They are somewhat like fences, only with little or no height. The only thing that keeps someone from crossing a line in the sand is usually a threat of some kind by the person who drew it towards another person. "Lines in the sand" are a visible representation of an invisible consequence.

Politicians sometimes draw lines in the sand. We did that to Syria last year. Didn't work too well. No further comment.

Lines in the sand are supposed to be ultimatums. "I dare you to cross this line!" The only thing about lines in the sand is that when someone crosses one, it is now OUR turn to do something . . . or not.

I heard something in church yesterday from my buddy Ron (our church's family pastor) that caught my attention and made my pick up a pen and take note. He challenged us to draw a line in the sand . . . BEHIND us. Huh?

Yup.

He was talking about sin and how we humans tend to keep backsliding in our faith. How we tend to sin, repent of those sins, and then go back and commit the very same sins over and over again. An example of this can be seen in Jesus' incounter with the woman caught in adultery.

"Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

[Could Jesus have been drawing a line in the sand?]

9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

11 “No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:1-11

When we come to faith in Jesus Christ we are in effect drawing a line in the sand for ourselves. The line represents the point in time when we began following Jesus. We draw a line in the sand, step over it. and we never go back. At least that's the plan.

Each time we sin we are supposed to repent, effectively drawing a line in the sand. We must never go back over that line. This is a process called sanctification, as we gradually strip of our old ways and live a new life style . . . in Christ.

What can we draw a line with today?

It could be an addiction. It could be premarital sex. It could be having a second helping of desert. There are so many things that get between us and God. All of them sin.

I don't know about you but I need to start drawing some lines. I need to draw a line between myself and the computer. There are many people in my life who could probably benefit from drawing a line between themselves and their phones.

The question is, where do we draw the line? And when.

We need to draw a line when our selfish desires get in the way of our relationship with God.

"I 'need' to check Facebook just one more time before I go to sleep."

No. Perhaps you should pray before you go to sleep. Draw a line in the sand! Do it today. Do it again tomorrow.

Here's a question for you. What if Jesus drew a line in the sand and told you not to step over it? Here's the kicker. He already did. It's that moment you came to believe. The line was drawn, separating you from the world. Romans 12:2

"2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, [line in the sand] but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

What lines need to be drawn today in YOUR life? Pray about that. Seek God's help in drawing and maintaining those lines of defense. It is a command of God! "Go, and sin no more."

Or is Jesus Himself your line in the sand? If so, I would encourage you to step over that line and never look back. And if we do fall back across that line, let us stand back up today and step over that line towards Jesus.

Woman Caught In Adultery from Passion Of The Christ

[Thank you Ron, for your message yesterday]

Seasons Seasonings

I was watching my son prepare the corn for our Christmas meal this year. He was helping my wife prepare things so she didn't have to do EVERYTHING like she usually does. He had placed some butter on the corn after he had extracted the dish from the microwave. Then he picked up some seasoning salt and began sprinkling it on the corn.

"Too much salt," I thought to myself. "That's really going to be more seasoning than I would like." I began to wonder how I could un-season the corn, if that were even possible. More butter perhaps?

My son is a good cook. We have eaten many meals that he has prepared, each one tasted good. He knew what he was doing. Even so, this time I thought he might be making things too salty.

Guess what. The corn tasted fine despite my concern.

We all have our opinions about how much seasoning should be put on our food. Here's a question for you. Do you salt your french fries before you even taste them? I do. Why? Maybe those fries are super-salty already and you are just adding to the seasoning, making them inedible. Yet I still feel that I need to add something to the mix. Why? Do I feel like I have to be in charge of the seasoning?

How much "salt" are we supposed to apply to the people we meet? Will too much salt (too much talk about Jesus) make people think that Christianity doesn't taste very good?

It is true that Jesus called us the salt of the earth alright. But then He said something else as well. Apparently we can lose our saltiness. And if we don't season the lives of those around us we are called "good-for-nothings."

13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet." - Matthew 5:13

There are some people I can talk to about Jesus all day long. We love to talk about Him and His Word, The Bible. Conversations about God and His Holy Spirit never seem too burdensome. We just love talking about Jesus! But not everyone does. Not everyone believes. So are we still supposed to talk to them? Even those who have turned their back on Jesus? YES!

BUT we need to remember that while we are the ones who season, we are NOT the ones who provide the meal. We are not the ones who do the saving. There is nothing that WE ourselves can do to save anyone! God can get along just fine without us. We don't have to pray The Sinner's Prayer with everyone, nor should we. Such instructions from Jesus simply do not exist. But we DO need to love everyone. Think back a moment. What was it that Jesus said about the greatest commandment?

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 22:36-40

Instead of trying to figure out ways we can get to pray the sinners prayer with people, we need to think of ways we can show them the love of Christ. God's Holy Spirit will take care of the rest.

My brother-in-law prayed the sinners prayer with his mother before she died. Did that save her? No. I believe that what saved his mom was her realization that what my brother-in-law was saying was true. She came to realize that truth through the love he showed her in telling her about Jesus. I believe it was his actions, his loving acts that got her attention and made her believe, through the Holy Spirit, that what he was saying about Jesus was true. It was God's Holy Spirit working on her, not my brother-in-law. He did the seasoning.

"8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

We are the seasoning. God in His mercy and grace is the meal. Our job is to love others. And the best way to do that is to tell people about Jesus. We shouldn't apply too much seasoning . . . just enough. It is the meal that is the deal. We really just need to invite people to dinner.

"16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matthew 5:16

Salt and Light - John Piper

Christmas 2014

This is not going to be a typical Christmas letter. Why? Well, because this has not been a "typical" year. As I paged through my 2014 pocket calendar, trying to recall all the things that had happened in 2014, I came across one event that made me stop and reflect. That event was the death of my father.

This will be the first year our family will be celebrating the birth of Jesus without my dad. Alzheimer's had already taken most of his memory from us and this past June pneumonia took the rest of him. Needless to say, my mother will be having a different Christmas than normal this year, the first in 60+ years without her husband. And for my sister, brother and I, it will be the first Christmas we spend, ever, without our dad in this world. This COULD be a very sad time for our family. But I don't believe that it will be, and I can tell you why in two simple words. Family and Faith.

In that regard, this has been an incredible year. God has used me more this year than He ever has. I pray that He would continue to do so. Relationships have increased in number and quality. Work is going great and I have been blessed by being able to pour into the spiritual lives of many young adults and teens. My life basically boils down to two things. Here are those words again - faith and family.

The following is a story about a family from long ago. It isn't really a Christmas story like the one Linus recited from Luke 2 but it IS an amazing story of family, hope & faith, repentance & forgiveness. It is a story of a father and a son. It is a story about faith and family.

“A certain man had two sons.  12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.  13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.  14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.  15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.  16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!  18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,  19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.  21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.  23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;  24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’" - Luke 15:11-23

I'd like you to think about the prodigal son in this story for a moment. Are YOU a prodigal? I sure was. In the story you just read there was a point in the prodigal's life when he realized that he had screwed up. He repented of his sins and he went home to seek his father’s forgiveness. That is exactly what we ALL must do in our lives. Things finally got so bad in his life that he returned home to face the almost certain punishment that was awaiting him.
 
I once heard someone say, "God would never forgive me for all the things I've done."

That person, sadly, does not know God. If they did they would know that God is all about forgiving those who come to a saving faith in Him. Read again what happened in verse 20.  "His father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him."

Does that sound like someone unwilling to forgive? God has promised that He would forgive us, casting our sins “as far as the east is from the west.” Why would God do that? It is because we are His creation. It is because of his tremendous, sacrificial love for us. No matter what we have done, we simply cannot out-sin God's grace.

"16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

The prodigal in the story initially turned his back on his father and lived a life focused on himself. I have some atypical Christmas questions for you. Is there someone you are turning your back on this Christmas? Is it God? Do you get uncomfortable talking about God, even at Christmas time? Do you ignore him as you live your daily life? Do you find satisfaction in the gifts you receive rather than in the God who provides ALL things? Tough question for what is supposed to be a cheery, fun-filled Christmas letter. I have a reason for asking.

You see, I was once the person described in all those questions . . . that is, until I opened God’s previously overlooked gift one cold, January day in 2006. The gift had always been there for me but I chose to ignore it - foolishness on my part. Since that day my life has totally changed, and for the better. I have received more gifts than anyone has the right to expect - gifts from God in the form of family and friends. I tell you all these things because the same gifts await you. That is my prayer for you!

This year, when all the carnage of Christmas is over and you find yourself picking up the shreds of wrapping paper amongst the broken candy canes and tinsel, take a look around your house. There is still one more gift for you, waiting to be opened. You will typically find it hidden on a shelf. It is a book whose title reads "The Holy Bible." Find it, open it to the Book of John and begin reading. Let God's Word fill your mind and your heart  and receive the gift that was purchased for you 2,000 years ago by Jesus. By opening God's gift of salvation this Christmas and accepting it you will become part of a family whose members will never leave you and will NEVER die. You will experience love like you have never known. My prayer for you this Christmas is that you would open God’s gift that was given to a dying world on a wooden cross two millennia ago. Open your heart this Christmas . . . and live.

Father, I pray for everyone reading this letter. Some may already know you but if they haven't done so already, I pray that they would ask you into their lives today. Please tug at their hearts, through your Holy Spirit, and encourage them to turn and seek you. I pray that all people would open their hearts to you and receive the love and forgiveness you offer. And I pray that you would kiss them on the cheek, Father, and welcome them into your arms and into your family. Amen.

Have a Merry Christmas. May your family be filled with all the love, joy, peace and hope that only Christ can bring. I love you all.
 
Come To Jesus - Chris Rice