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!

How strong is your trust?

   Conversations with my oldest daughter, who is 10, are so much fun.  She is so much like me it’s crazy.  How many guys get to have a conversation with an exact female replica?  It can be very intriguing at times.

This time just as compelling, for a 10 year old.  I was replacing batteries in my electric trimmer.  This is one of those that is just big enough to trim a gentleman’s beard and / or mustache.  Not one of those large one’s you could shave your head or the dog’s with.  Now, I don’t know if you’ve seen the commercials for “No-No” the electronic hair removal system but it plays into this.

When my youngest daughter saw it for the first time, she inquired, “I didn’t know daddy had a ‘no-no'”.  Which made my wife laugh uncontrolably for a few minutes.  Then she calmly responded, “no, that’s daddy’s beard trimmer”.
“Still looks like a ‘no-no’ to me”, the “baby” said, not to be out done.

Now, while replacing the batteries, I was turning it on and off stating, “no-no”, “no-no”!  My wife thought I was telling my youngest daughter “no”, she shouldn’t be playing with that.  My oldest was sitting on the couch, playing an old-school game I’d download on for our gaming system, laughing at us.  I said, “that was me ‘playing’ with it saying no-no”.
“It wouldn’t have hurt her anyway, see” I continued while pressing the trimmer blades against my skin while engaging the unit.

My oldest questioned, “what would you have done if it would have cut you”?
“It can’t”, I stated, “the blades aren’t strong enough.  They’re too small and designed to only cut small hair.  You couldn’t shave your head or anything with it”.

I trusted, that even though I’d never tried it before, that the blades on my electric beard trimmer wouldn’t cut my skin.  Because I knew the limitations of the product and how far out the blades could go past the metal guard.  I was protected.

The enemy has limitations too.  He can’t get to us because of our “Guard”.  This is a place to find refuge.  If we are children of the true and living God, then we have protection.  Does this mean we’ll never have trouble or pain?  No.  That’s just a part of the natural world we live in.  But having trust in  our “Guard” means no matter what happens, we know we’ll come out ahead.

Find refuge in knowing that He is there.  All WE have to do is come to Him.  He’s wanting to spend eternity with you.  That’s nice to know, isn’t it.  Just accept that you’re a sinner and the face Jesus died as the ultimate sacrifice for your sins and you’ll claim your space.

Have a blessed day!

 

 

Welcome to the world. Where being nice gets you…

              “Welcome to the world.  Where being nice never gets you anywhere”.  This was graphic I saw on a couple friend’s Facebook pages.  My first thought was, “wow, is that how you really see things”?  However, I know what a couple of these friends are going through.  Life has been a little rough on them and they are plagued with medical problems.  Both have had major surgeries and are keeping a couple of doctors in business.

This follows right in line with one of the messages God has given me.  “What’s Your Point of View”?  With it, I go back to the Old Testament and the story of Joseph.  A little side note, my youngest brother’s name is Joseph.  It’s, of course, a Hebrew name meaning “Jehovah Increases”.  Now, you want to talk about a dude with a dysfunctional family life, Joseph of the Bible would be it!

Joe was a good looking guy and favored by his father.  His brothers didn’t like that fact, so when He was a teen, they wanted to kill him.  Rather than do that, they threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery.  The worst thing my brother ever did to me was take one of my teenage girl friends.  So I didn’t have it that bad.  But Joseph chose to look at things a certain way and continued to trust in God.  Eventually Joe was the head of his master’s house.

At that point, Joseph was in his twenties and a handsome man.  His master’s wife thought so too.  She even tried to seduce Joe.  When he refused on the basis of, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God”?  What a statement!  So what was his reward?  Jail!  She told her husband, Joseph’s master that Joe tried to seduce HER.

In prison, Joseph met a couple of Pharaoh’s employees.  Talk about a harsh work environment.  Most bosses don’t like your work they just give you a pink slip.  Pharaoh threw his guys in jail.  Nevertheless, it was at this point little Joe started interpreting dreams.

In the end, Joe became a supreme power in Egypt helping save his family during a time of famine.  ALL BECAUSE he chose how he looked at things.  He never gave up and never stopped trusting God.  Now this was a couple of decades in the making.  However, Joseph never gave up!

Oh, and by the way; Joseph was “nice” to his brothers who had sold him into slavery when they came to him for help.  They didn’t recognize Joseph at the time but he knew who they were.  Joseph predicted this would happen but because Joe was “nice”, he was eventually reunited with his family.

Joe had every right by our standards to be angry.  He went from slave, to prisoner, to ruler, partly because of his brothers’ jealousy.  I’d like to think it was MOSTLY because God had a bigger plan than any of them could imagine.  Joe was able to accomplish that plan because he was obedient to God and CHOSE how he would look at his situation.

You know, sometimes God uses adversity to bring us closer to Him.  His goal all along has been to have a personal relationship with His creation.  Maybe He is calling you closer to Him if you’d just listen.

I encourage you to look to God and trust in His promises.  And try to be nice to someone today.  You might actually like it.

Please click the “contact” button above or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.  I’d love to stay in-touch and hear what “nice” things God is doing for you.

President Obama Supports Gay Marriage…

© whitehouse.gov

I never thought I’d see this day.  Although, I can’t say I’m surprised.  The President, leader, man in charge of the United States of America, says he supports gay marriage.  Is it getting that tough on him?  That he has to make sure he has their vote to win?  If he is re-elected, what will he do next?  THAT is what frightens me MOST.

Remember in the Bible it says no leader is put into position that isn’t ordained by God?  What could God be setting this country up for?  If the leader is not shy about supporting homosexuals getting married when the Bible very clearly states in more than one section that it’s wrong.

Lev. 18:22-24, Jud. 19:22-24.

Of course, the argument I’ve always heard is that it’s not mentioned in the New Testament.

Rom. 1:24-27,  1Cor. 6:9-10.

What could the Father be setting us up for?  Although, it’s not His fault.  God is love.  He also can not tolerate sin.  This isn’t a time to fear though, if you know Christ.  This is a time to be cautious, diligent, and stay close to God.  Temptation may be at its worst but don’t give in.  Misery loves company and the king of all misery wants as much company as possible.

Now don’t use this as an excuse to mistreat people who are homosexual.  Remember we as Christians are supposed to love everyone.  Yes, we can hate the sin.  We shouldn’t hate the person.  Welcome the person with open arms, with love, and understanding.  Love the sinner not the sin.

Is homosexuality any worse a sin that any other?  No.  Ouch… that hurt, didn’t it.

But we can find refuge in the fact that if we come to Christ, admit our sins, ask for the forgiveness that has already been paid for, we will be forgiven.

1 Pet. 1:3-5, “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

He IS our refuge.

Do We Need it as a Holiday?

Today is recognized as the National Day of Prayer.  Now I appreciate what this day is supposed to do.  But I have to ask, “do we really need a holiday”?  It’s like Valentines.  Do I love my wife more that one paticular day of the year than the rest?  No.  Although I do love her more everyday. 

Praying is something we should do everyday.  Remember when you were in love for the first time?  You wanted to talk to that person every chance you’d get.  On the phone all hours of the night with conversations that lasted hours.  You were happy just being with them whether you did anything or not.  Just being in their presence and communicating with them is all you wanted.  Part of growing your relationship was regular communication.

You know, we should be the same way with God.  Happy to just be in His presence, talking with Him about what’s going on in our lives and appreciating Him.  Spending endless hours in prayer, talking with Him, spending time is His Word, and trying to find out what makes Him happy.  Although that is very plainly laid out in the Bible.  That’s all God wants anyway.  A personal relationship with His creation.

So, hopefully, the National Day of Prayer can bring others into the realization that they need God.  But for Christians, it should simply be just another day that we communicate with our Father and find refuge with Him and in His Word.

 

 

If you run with dogs…

That’s something my grandmother would say all the time. “Son, if your run with dogs, you’re gonna catch fleas”. So I was afraid of dogs. I didn’t want fleas. Often I did find myself with the wrong crowd though.

My excuse for not attending church was always, “I don’t need to go to church, I can talk to God in my living room”. Which is true. I can talk to Him in my car, in the kitchen, or at the office. He is everywhere. But talking to God is not the primary reason for attending a house of worship. Sometimes I’d say, “I don’t go because that church is full of hypocrites”. Well, come on in there’s always room for one more.

We are judge by the company we keep. We are also influenced by the company we keep. If you think back to why you started smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or anything thing else, you’ll notice everyone else around you was doing it. Maybe you were influenced to be with someone you were dating before marriage. Maybe not verbally, but the general consensus in your group or clique was it was okay.

We all need people. That’s how we’re designed. And who we associate with can influence our decisions no matter how strong or dominate a personality we are. In the Word we’re encouraged to fellowship with other believers. Now, I’m not saying never to speak to anyone outside of church. How else are we going to share with the them the joy we’ve found in Jesus. We are in the world but we are not to be of the world.

Let’s let the light of Jesus shine through us and be an influence rather than allow ourselves to be influenced by others outside the church. Get together with like minded Christians who really want the world to see the difference Jesus in them. But make sure you invite and welcome with open arms as many as you can into you group.

Then we can all take a flea bath together!!

Be blessed!