How are you influenced?

Every night my family sit around the table and have dinner.  No tablets, no mp3 players, no phones.  Just us, as a family, having dinner.  I know it is rare today to do this, but I feel it is very important. 

As part of our dinner, we share the “best” and “worst” part of our day.  However, after our blessing, my youngest spoke up and informed us she said a blessing before lunch at school and some of the other children laughed.  I assured her she was okay and that sometimes people laugh when they don’t understand.

Tonight, she informed us that three of her “friends” joined her in blessing their lunches.  Needless to say, I am more than pleased and proud of her courage.

Today, it is so easy to be influenced by others.  Wanting to be accepted and loved by others is a natural desire we all share.  As Christians though,  there may come a time when we have to go against what is popular and do what we know is right.  We may be laughed at and ridiculed but remember we were told this would happen. 

I believe my daughter was rewarded for her faith and commitment by the Spirit moving the other children to join her.  Now our reward may not be as visible… as a matter of fact, we may never see it here on earth.  We are promised a reward though if we remain faithful to Him.

Find the refuge and influence you need in the Word.

Where is your heart?

Isaiah 29:13. (NKJV) Therefore, the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,”

It seems to be a fad today, lifting “holy hands”. I mean there are even words for it. “Hands of praise”. Google that and see how many images come up. Often times we find ourselves going through the “rituals” of religion. Including going to a place of worship, singing the praise songs, lifting our hands, praying aloud, and listening to the sermon. But where is our heart?

The first time I attended our place of worship, I was a little skeptical. “These people are crazy,” I thought to myself. I was used to the outbursts of emotion but the whole lifting hands during the songs was a little discerning. Later, I began to understand it was a total submission to God and asking for His presence in the service. Okay, I can hang with that. I still found it a little hard to do though, even a little embarrassing. “What would people say,” I thought. “Would they look at me funny?” Because, Lord knows, I was looking at them a little funny to begin with.

After attending a while, I noticed something a little different about some. They didn’t really seem “into it”. You know what I mean? You can tell when someone is really into something by the expression on his or her face. As a musician (I play the drums) I remember my band mates teasing me about closing my eyes while playing. My response would be, “dude, I’m getting into it”. My entire focus was on what the piece of music I was playing. Same thing with my radio production work. A co-worker would tease me because I would listen back to the finished project with my eyes closed, again, totally focused on the task.

Maybe you feel like you’ve been going through the motions but haven’t heard from God lately. If so, that may just be the issue. You’re just going through the motions. So often we find it easy to get into a rut as such. Just simply going through the motions because that’s what we’ve always done. So why change? Because whatever we’re doing is not worth doing if our heart isn’t in it.

So, the next time we’re in worship, let’s make certain we’re not just going through the motions and our hearts are where our hands are. In total submission to the Father.

It is not WHAT but HOW.

     How many times have you prayed for something and felt like God was not listening?  We have all been there.  Praying fervently for what we need only to feel like our requests are hitting the floors of heaven.  Then the enemy steps in.  This will be easy for him too, because you are already vulnerable and doubting.

     “Maybe God is too busy”, he whispers in your ear.  “Maybe God doesn’t feel your prayer isn’t important”.  Or, “maybe YOU aren’t important to God”.

     Maybe it is HOW we pray. 

     Recently we came back from vacation.  Before vacation I was walking the best I had in a long time.  No crutches, no cane.  For over a year I dealt with arthritis and tendonitis.  After vacation I was back on the crutches.  This has gone on for almost two weeks.  I was begging foe God to please heal me.  Perform magic.  Pleading and crying for Him to take away the pain.  Finally, I broke down and asked politely for Him to help me deal with the challenge. 

     Today I was speaking with a colleague.  Now when we get on the phone, it is nothing foe the two of us to talk about seemingly nothing for an hour.  Just two “radio guys” that love to talk.  However, I learned something new about my colleague.  He was describing a medical condition and his symptoms were eerily similar to mine.  Almost exact.  Along with the emotional challenges as well.  I also have this condition, although I haven’t addressed the issue in a while. 

     Over our vacation, I over indulged, thus triggering this condition.  The conversation with my colleague encouraged me there is hope and to take action for remedy. 

Another example.  We were also low on groceries and my payday is still a few days away.  This afternoon a gentleman showed up from Omega Foods.  He said “post date me a check and I’ll leave the food.”  Dinner was served.

     During dinner my wife admitted she’d prayed for money to buy groceries.  Later she said she simply prayed for God to please “make a way”.  To which He did.

     Once our prayers were changed from “here’s my problem and here is how I want You to fix it,” to “here’s my problem, please help me fix it” we saw them answered. 

     Find refuge in prayer.  Find refuge in knowing that God will help us if we totally give it to Him.  Maybe not how we THINK He should, but how He knows best.

Thank You Father for Your blessings.  Your refuge. 

The Greater Purpose…

              As a member of the media, I was forced to spend most of the day surrounded by what was going on.  So when I got home, I commented to my wife to turn off the television, “I don’t want to see this”.  She had a very poignant response.  “They can’t just change the channel to escape”.  Well said, my dear.

While the details filtered in, we tried to make sense of it all.  Do not waste your time.  We, in our limited, narrow, understanding of the universe, will not be able to come to an acceptable conclusion.

However, I think one FOX News reporter at least brought it into perspective.  Last night he said, “when you’re 5… 6 years old… 10, 11 days away from Christmas… you’re expecting Santa to be at your house in 10 or 11 days.  TODAY… the DEVIL came to their school”.

The only solace and peace I can find is in what Jesus told His disciples when they were trying to prevent the children from coming to Jesus.  Christ said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God”.  The fact that these little angels were flown straight to heaven makes it a little easier.

However, it will not make things better for these parents.  As a father of three, I know.

When told his sister was one of the fallen, a young boy said, “I’m not going to have anyone to play with”.  This is the mindset we are dealing with here, innocent, unsuspecting, children.

Now with what I am about to say, please do not take it as a lack of compassion.  My heart grieves for what these parents are experiencing.

Nevertheless, if you’re a Christian, somewhere in the back of your mind, you’re probably asking, “why God, did you allow this to happen”?  We know He is an almighty and powerful God.  In Exodus 34:6 describes Him as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth”.

It is as simple as this.  You want a gourmet eight-course meal.  However, this is impossible, unless you let the chef in the kitchen.

So why should we expect God’s protection in a place He is NOT allowed?  Now, I am not saying the parents are not God fearing.  They may be.  However, what will bring these people closer to God?  When do we call on Him the most?  When do we look to Him for answers?

When Jesus was born, the reigning king ordered all the first-born males killed for fear that a new King was coming.  Why did God allow this to happen?  Why did He allow evil to prevail.  Just like the parents today, those mothers and fathers had no idea what was coming.

There is a greater purpose beyond all understanding.  The only peace we can find is in Jesus.  The only refuge we can find is in His Word.  Just like on September 11, 2001, more people probably picked up their Bibles today.  More people probably prayed.  A nation is crying, mourning the loss of innocent lives.

Father, I pray Your mercy, grace, and peace for these families.  They are suffering a pain; no parent should endure.  In order for this to happen, I know they must find You first.  Heal our hearts Father, and bring us to a better understanding of Your will.  We need You Father, more than we ever realize sometimes.  It’s in times like this we see this clearly.  Please send Your Spirit of comfort to these families, the community, and our country.  Please be our refuge; our safe haven, our place of safety, a place to hind when the enemy is lurking near.  We humbly ask these things in the matchless name of Your Son Jesus.

 

When God has other plans…

Today, I wrote an e-mail to our Worship leader and church administrator. My reason, to inform him we would not be coming back and he could remove us from the membership. However, I hadn’t sent it yet. I wanted to make sure everything was worded just right. I didn’t want to offend him but still wanted to honest about why were not coming back.

At least I thought that was my reason.

God has other plans.

As my wife was preparing dinner, I get a facebook message from an old friend saying she’d missed seeing us. Okay, this is strange. Because she and I talk occasionally but nothing regular. Her mother and my father had a friendly relationship back in the day but nothing to really talk about. I responded with my thoughts and this is what she said.

“I’m sorry to hear this! Conflict in families make it hard! Please pray hard about this and don’t let other people’s failures become yours by stopping you to serve where God wants and will use you! Just a little thought I want to share with you.  I too have been hurt and not attended like I should but I am trying to push through because I know that the hurt feelings and everything that gets in the way is nothing but the enemy keeping me away! I will be praying for y’all for guidance but don’t just quit!!”

“DON’T JUST QUIT!!”

When God has other plans…

I should KNOW where to find MY Refuge.

You Are More…

Copyright Sony Pictures

Okay, so I just saw “Soul Surfer” today.  You know the story of Bethany Hamilton.  If you haven’t seen it… apparently you’re busier than I am.  Bless your heart.  Here’s the condensed version.  A young girl who had always surfed was training one day for a surfing tournament when she lost her arm in a shark attack.  After which she questioned God’s plan for her life.

Along with being a strong athlete, she was close with God and very active in her youth group.  So, you begin to question, “why would God allow something like this to happen”?  Why would He allow someone who was truly one of His children to be mauled by a beast?  Why didn’t He intervene and stop the shark from attacking her?  That one I can’t explain.  I wish I could.  Sometimes bad things happen to good people.  But WE have to CHOOSE how we handle the situation.

What really moved me to write again, specifically about this, was the e-mail that followed.  It was titled, “You Have More In You Than You Think”.  Now what is the chance I watch this movie at this particular time followed by THAT e-mail immediately following the movie?  I would say very slim.  Except for Divine intervention.  It’s a little scary though.  Because I’m wondering if it is preparing me for something I think I can’t handle?  God does that you know?  Not only does he prepare us, He walks with us through whatever the challenge in life may be.  Why?  Because He wants us to trust Him with everything.  I mean EVERYthing.   Which brings me to a tweet I saw from Rick Warren today.  “You haven’t really trust God until you’ve attempted something you could never do in your own power”.  What an amazing statement!

This young girl used her faith to get her through a very trying time.  In the process she learned what is really important in life, which is our relationship with God and with each other.  When Christ spoke to a crowd of people that were following him He said we should not only love people who love US put people who don’t. (Mathew 5).  In that same chapter He called Christians “the light of the world”.

So whatever your loss may be today, remember that God is with you and wants you to trust Him.  Will you get an answer immediately?  Probably not.  Will you get the answer you WANT?  Maybe not.  Will you be happier having gone through this trial and knowing that God had everything under control?  Absolutely!  If you’re a Christian, put some works with your faith.  Follow the lead of God, get into His word, and be ready to hear what He wants you to do.  Let Him show YOU how He can take a significant loss and use it for His glory and honor!  He wants to take your financial hardship and bring you closer to people you may not have met if not for this challenge.  Let Him take a broken spirit and bring you closer to someone who really needs what you can offer.

If you’re not a believer, I really wish you’d give God a chance.  He loves you.  There are so many theories as to how we should live our lives.  But there are only two final destinations, neither of which we can fathom.  One is of eternal bliss.  The other is eternal torment.

Pick up a Bible and see what the wonderful God that created the universe and everything in it has to offer for those that believe and trust in Him.

Thank you Father for your grace and mercy.  Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share Your Word with those who need to hear.  Help me to be a better servant and witness for You.  In the precious name of Your Son Jesus, who died an agonizing death so we could have life, Amen!

Is Forgiveness for EVERYONE?

Is Forgiveness for Everybody?

I just read an article about a rapist who now wants visitation right with the child he “fathered” because of the rape.  The guy was 20 at the time and the girl was 14!  Making it even worse, they attended the same church.  My first reaction was shock and disbelief; first, that it happened and second that he would have the audacity to make such a request.

After that, I started thinking about forgiveness.

Please don’t think I’m condoning the rapist’s actions.

The family of the victim says the rapist only wants a relationship because the court ordered child support has finally taken affect.  Nothing was mention about the rapists reasoning.  To some, his reasoning may not matter.  He defiled her and took away something that can never be returned, her innocence.

According to the “Laws of Sexual Morality” in Deuteronomy, the guy is supposed to die.  Stoning was the preferred method mentioned.  That was under the “law” given to the Israelites heading into Canaan, which was given to keep an unruly group of nomads under control.  They were also making lamb sacrifices at the time; which isn’t needed any longer because Christ became the ultimate sacrifice.  Yes, I had to work all of this out in my head and heart.  Because as a father of 3 very beautiful girls, I would be absolutely FURIOUS.  Actually, I’m not aware of a word strong enough to describe the amount of anger I would feel.

This is where it gets sticky and starts to hurt, bad.  If we want honestly to reflect Christ, which we strive to do as Christians, if asked, we MUST forgive.  You may be thinking, “how can you say that”?  He raped her and took away her choices.  Since they attended church together, she probably trusted him and he defiled that trust.

Nevertheless, think about a man.  This man never sinned… never told a lie.  He did nothing wrong.  At all.  Still, he was killed.  In addition, while he was being killed he prayed, “Father, forgive them”.

Matthew 6:14 – 15

Peter, one of Christ’s Apostles asked, “How often should we forgive our brother”?  Jesus responded, “seventy times seven”.  That’s 490 times for each offense.

Mathew 18:21 – 35

Now, I don’t know the true intentions of the rapist.  However, if he has honestly repented and is forgiven by God, who are WE to judge otherwise.  I know it is a painful message to hear.  But I have to share with you what God directs me to.  He wants you to read this… because He loves you.

I challenge you (as I do myself) to think about someone who had done you wrong.  Maybe nowhere near as bad as this victim.  Now put it under the Blood and forget about it.  Not only will we be following Christ’s example… we will allow ourselves to loosen the burden of anger and hate we’ve carried for this person or person(s) and we’ll live a much happier and healthier life!

Science Says They Can Prove There is No God.

I read an article on Yahoo! the other day saying in a few years, science will be able to prove there is no God. That the “big bang” happened without a greater entity to “push the button” per say.

So I must ask what is the purpose of life? With God you get a purpose. Without God, we’re just specks in the realm of eternity without any goal. Think about weight loss. You’re successful when you have a goal and motivation. The goal could be a target weight or wearing certain clothes. Your motivation could be the clothes as well, being able to walk further… or sitting in a restaurant booth. With the ultimate reason being your health. Whatever the reasons, there IS a reason. So without the goal and the motivation, there would be no reason to loose weight.

Now, we’ll take out Heaven and a personal relationship with Jesus. What is left? You live 80, 90, 100 years if you’re lucky. Maybe you have a couple of children, a successful career, and put back a nice little nest egg. So once you’ve live your life, what is there? Take God and Heaven out of the equation and there’s no real reason to exist. We’d simply be a blip in time. No purpose. No point.

Science may THINK they can prove there is no God – but remember, they thought the earth was flat once too. Remember when you were a teenager? You may have one (or even be one). You thought you had all the answers. But when you matured and saw the truth, the way you thought seemed a little silly. Same thing I think with these scientists. I just hope they find out before it is too late.

There is a Refuge. If you’re feeling like no one loves you and there is no reason to live. Find a good church. And I don’t just mean a building with a steeple with “church” in the title. A good church, meaning group of believers, will not judge you. They will love you and help you find meaning. A Refuge. In the one that loves you so much He gave His life.

Are miracles for today?

A miracle is an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpassing all known human or natural powers and credited to a supernatural cause.

I asked a group of friends if they believed in miracles or was that only for the early church.  Of course, if you believe in the deity of God, you have to believe in miracles or the whole concept is a mute point, right?

I loved the responses I got.

Leslie said her life as a whole was a miracle.  Surviving a car accident at age 5 and meeting her husband after some rough teenage and young adult years.

Carol said, “Every child is a miracle”.

Candice said, “God is always working miracles but sometimes we are (too) blind to see what he has done”.

Kathy said, “God healed me from cancer”.

Michelle said, “Every time one of my babies was born! And the day he gave them back to me!”

David said, “One day as I was working I met a man that I had never seen before.   As we talked, he said he was sick and asked if I would pray with him so he could make it through the day at work.   As we walked in his house, I did not trust him, so as we prayed I kept my eyes open.  When we finished praying, He said, ‘God gave me a message’.   I thought, ‘Oh well this dude is a nut’.  Then he said, ‘God said Joe is ok he is with me cry no more’.  Joe was my stepson and he had shot and killed himself 5 months earlier and I had been crying every day. God is alive and well, we just have to listen when he speaks”

Miracles have are a staple of God’s presence from the very beginning.  He created the Universe by just speaking.  Man was formed from the dust of the ground.  Then there are the popular miracles we all remember from our Sunday school classes.  The fish and the loafs (Mark 6:32-44, Mark 8, Matt, Matt. 14:13-21, Matt. 15:32-38) which he did twice by the way, the miracles performed through Moses (start with Exodus 4), Jonah and the Whale, Sodom and Gomorrah, and so forth.

But let’s go back to Mark 8 for a second.  Specifically verses 11-13. (NKJV)

“Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.  But Hesighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you,no sign shall be given to this generation.”  And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.

I’ll go back to Candice’s statement.  “Sometimes we are (too) blind to see what He has done.” 

When we think of miracles, we expect them on the magnitude of those in the Bible or like David’s above.  Miracles WE WANT to see.  What are we looking for?  Many times, I have thought God was not there because I felt He had not answered my prayer with a miracle.  However, what if the correct answer, not the one I was looking for, was beyond my understanding.  Maybe we should spend more time looking for what God has for US rather than what WE have for God?

Let us think about it like cable or satellite television.  It is always there, in color and high-definition for many channels.  Now we can enjoy the programming if we have the right receiver.  Without the proper receiver, we will not get anything, even though it is there.

It is possible to receive all that God has to offer us IF WE ARE WILLING TO RECEIVE IT!  Miracles included.

As David said, “we just have to listen when He speaks”.

Why God, why? Where is the refuge?

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Why do good people have to die? Why does a person go into a movie theater and kill innocent people. Other human beings. Mothers, fathers, children, no one was spared. Did God know this was going to happen? Of course. He is everywhere. At this point we ask ourselves, “why”? Why God, why? Why didn’t You intercede? Why didn’t You stop this evil from coming?

Think of the first brothers. Why did Cain kill Abel. Because He was jealous of his brother. He was influenced by the evil that the first man allowed access by disobedience. So am I saying these innocent people were disobedient? No. But they were the unfortunate victims of life as we know it.

So where is the escape? Where is our refuge? Life in Jesus. Does this mean we will be protected from all evil? Not necessarily. Because we have allowed evil, whether intentionally or unintentionally to gain more and more control on this earth. But when we walk with Jesus and are close enough to Him to hear his guidance, we have a better chance of being protected from evil. A good parent knows what their children need. They guide them and instruct them in the right way to go. But after a certain point, it is solely up to the child to head the instructions of the parent. It is the same way with our heavenly Father. He instructs us through His word and guides us with the Holy Spirit. It is up to us to be close enough to Him to hear Him and follow the direction. The same way we have the choice to accept His gift of salvation.

Why get mad and angry at God for not protecting us when you don’t know him? Would you do something like that for some one you don’t know? God set up the plan and did His part with the death and resurrection of His son. Long before we were every thought of on this earth. He set up the refuge. Now, we have to accept it.