“No, in all these things we are MORE than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Coming home last night we were stopped at a red-light. When it flashed to green I moved forward and was IMMEDIATELY passed by a new model Camarostangcharger kind of thing with about an 85 liter engine! For fun, it got slightly in front of us and the guy punched the gas! The tail end ROARED to life and slid back and forth as physics did took over. Easing off the throttle and gaining control, the driver then roared on down the road… until he hit a red light. THAT is where I caught him!

I’d like to say I resisted temptation. But we were in our 2004 Nissan Murano and just had to have a laugh. Pulling up beside the car I saw it was a kid. It was obvious the car wasn’t his. That privilege had to be held by the guy in the passenger seat. They were both smiling! That is until I roared my engine to signify I wanted to race. THEN… they laughed! We did too!

The boys were kind… I punched it to the floor and quickly accelerated ahead. Looking behind, they just stayed back there! I don’t know if it was embarrassment or respect! But either way.. it didn’t last long. Soon, my rear-view lit up like a Christmas tree and here they came!!! VAAAAROOOOM!! Naturally… I was smoked! BUT… and I want you to remember this.. .for about ¼ of a mile.. I beat those boys! No excuses allowed!

Some things just aren’t right. I found this picture of a Firebird Station wagon that needs NO explanation as to WHY it never made it to the assembly line! Whoever introduced it in the first place should have been fired! But the concept obviously made it through several meetings and on to a prototype! And for just a few blips in time… the impossible became.. well!!!!

My Salvation from the lake of fire and my current position as a Child of God is kind of like that. The devil knew there was NO way the concept would fly. Sinners deserve death and death is what they get… EVERYtime. It is NOT a laughing matter! Until it became one!

Over 2000 Christmases ago, God’s son came as a little baby, implanted in a peasant girl. His life and horrific death should have signaled a REAL win for the devil. Until it didn’t! And when the God of the Universe blew past the plans of ol Scratch… Christ never looked back! Until He looked back at ME!

The Bible tells me what GOD the Father thinks of me, now that I belong to Him. My Heavenly Father says that because of what Jesus did, and because I received His free offer to become His son… I AM untouchable. NO condemnation. EVER! He even calls me MORE than a conqueror! Which is something I don‘t know how I can be. But God said it! And that’s all that matters! And NOTHING will EVER change that! Take THAT.. devil!

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. “John 14:12

I was a personal witness to a miracle today. A bona fide, absolute, guaranteed miracle of God. Have YOU ever seen one of those feeding the 5000 or the raising the dead kind of miracles like Jesus did? Well… me neither! But I tell you again! I saw a miracle today. And it didn’t surprise me one bit!

Now you might think I am crazy. And you might be right. But I tell you I have never put a whole lot of substance into the healing of Cancer, flu or the growing out of a limb! I am NOT saying I do not believe it if you have experienced it yourself. Not saying He DOESN’T do that either! I am just saying I do not put a whole lot of stock in it… being as rare as it is. You can quote me that when THAT kind of miracle takes place, the recipient need be nervous as to what comes next! God typically doesn’t do the impossible without a requirement. But the OTHER kind? Well… let’s just say it happens every day!

The occasion was a meeting with a bunch of teenage kids. About 300 of them would be a good guess. The speaker wasn’t very good. In fact, as speakers go, I’d have given him a C- for presentation, content and delivery. As he wrapped it up, he asked if anyone would like to come and receive prayer and the gift of eternal life. And right there.. about 80 kids came rushing to the front! I stood there in absolute astonishment with a SMILE on my face! But NOT in disbelief!

I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I know God’s hand when I see it. And I LOVE when He does that kind of cool stuff! All I could do was shake my head and praise Him. Later, I had an opportunity to talk with the speaker.. and I told him.. “you know, that really wasn’t very good!” He looked at me with a grin and said… “tell me about it! I was exhausted! But JESUS showed up, right!?” And we just laughed together. Because… Indeed He did!

If you’ve ever seen God’s miracle hand of salvation touch a life and make it whole right before your eyes, you know EXACTLY what I am talking about. You understand that the REALTY of TRUTH doesn’t exist in what is seen with the eye.. but what is seen in by the Holy Spirit.

God is STILL in the saving business. And He is making people alive for eternity even NOW! If you are waiting around for one of those other miracles, I can’t make any promises. But if you want new, eternal abundant life that sets lives free… well… all you have to do is step up, grab it and keep walking with Him. After all – He does THAT kind of thing.. EVERY DAY!

“Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Psalm 1:1-2

I have a floor jack for jacking up a car. I also have a son. Well… 2 sons AND 2 daughters! My oldest wanted to borrow my floor jack. I also have a garage. You know… a place to park a vehicle. I have 2 vehicles AND a motorcycle. I can only fit 1 car and the motorcycle in the garage. Right now it is a squeeze to do even that…since I ALSO have 2 truckloads of Christmas stuff piled in the garage… blocking the door… that holds my jack.. that my son wants to borrow! I guess you could say I am a blessed man!

You’ve heard the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins?” It is a facetious statement about the STUFF men collect. Another saying puts that one into perspective…. “You’ll never see a Hearse pulling a trailer!” I have been evaluating my life lately, and I can honestly say that I am a VERY blessed man. But NOT because of my ‘stuff!’

I know lots of people… miserable, unhappy people… who have WAY more ‘STUFF’ than me. I do not envy them and have learned, the hard way, that stuff can be VERY distracting! In fact, it can be a downright curse! Ever hear of a White Elephant? If so, then you understand the point.

This Psalm is the very first one in the book of Psalms. It CLEARLY tells mankind what we SHOULD be striving for and how we should be living our lives. The BLESSED person is NOT one who has a bunch of STUFF… but the one who delights in God and His Word. Who loves to spend time thinking, pondering and applying His Word to their daily lives. It is ‘The Proper’ collection for every man, woman and child. Yet… sadly… it is the one most ignored.

Stuff comes with its own set of distractions. Where to put it, how to organize it, and how to get to or find it when the need arises. All require time and focus, which steals time and focus from the most important thing… GOD and HIS stuff! Which is the REAL reason no hearse pulls a trailer. God doesn’t NEED our stuff! So He’s made it impossible to take it with us when we go!

The older I get the more I love God and the less I want earthly stuff! Lately I have been thinking about what to do with all my earthly blessings. Do I give it all away, sell it or just leave it for my kids to sort through? While I ponder the answer, I am dedicating my time to focusing on God’s stuff instead. For THAT is where my REAL blessing lies. And THAT”S the stuff I can take with me when I go!

“From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord’s name is to be praised.” Psalm 113:3

I had this in my inbox and could not believe the timing.  It was the basis of what we discussed last night for FLAP at Church.  FAR TOO many of you are rolling through life driving your own train… while up ahead the bridge it OUT!  Driving to every whim or desire, you may feel like you’ve got this.  YOU DON’T!  God wants us all WALKING DAILY WITH HIM.  Taking on HIS life and characteristics and dying to ourselves and our petty wants.  

It is often said that God it in control.  He is NOT!  He SHARES control with YOU!  FOR NOW!  Are you living to grow up, and old with Him today and everyday, so that stepping off into heaven will be a natural adjustment instead of a shock?  If you are not spending at least 15 minutes a day with Him in His Word and prayer to get closer… to get your marching orders (that is equivalent to a baby bottle) then, as a preacher told me when I was young and selfish… you are a fool!  Yes.. I just said that!  My job is to challenge you… not make you feel good about yourself.  This is a long one… Grow up and read on please… and be blessed.

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“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.” Romans 13:8

Once again I was reminded, by text, that I owed money for services rendered. Drat!!! Discovered AGAIN! I honestly had NO intention of filching on the debt. I had even tried to pay it. But one thing led to another and I just could not complete the transaction. It was not for lack of trying! This time, I was determined to do what was necessary to clear my good name. Even though it was going to frustrate me completely.

Dialing the number for the company to which I was indebted, they SOUNDED nice over the phone. Until it got to the point of having to actually make the transaction. I was told AGAIN, that I needed to log on to my account and follow the instructions. And there it was… The WALL! Impenetrable and unyielding. All because 1. I had forgotten my password.. and 2. They wanted me to make up a new one.. with an unacceptable caveat. I was NOT allowed to use any password that I had used before. It had to be a NEW one!

Have you been forced to change a password on one of your own accounts? To me, writing down a password would be very secure. And REMEMBERING something not normal is well… not normal! All I wanted to do was use the password of MY choosing. But NO! NOT PERMITTED! Again we were at a stalemate. It never was about the money, but about the PRINCIPLE behind gaining access to my own account. Both of us were being stubborn and unreasonable. It made me think of the ongoing unreasonableness of sin and the process of restoration with a stubborn God.

Mankind owes a debt to God for our own sin. And God WILL exact payment. But with only ONE acceptable way to pay! The Blood of His Son, Jesus Christ! Talk about an impasse!!! And it has been the same way for thousands of years. 1 debt… only 1 way to pay. And men have been trying to invent ways to circumvent God’s plan with NO resolution and both parties are stubborn. But God can afford to be!

I remember realizing that His stubborn love was both unyielding AND complete. No other terms were acceptable. So to clear my name and be in good standing… I did what I did online.. I did what they demanded! I made up a new password that I’ll probably never remember, just to meet the requirement.

I am SO Glad that God will NEVER ever forget about ME! My debt has been PAID IN FULL!  I love Him for that!

“For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

This Christmas was a little different for me for a good reason. With my daughter soon to have our 10^th grandchild, it means that the other 9 have been growing right along. This year, my oldest grandson is 10. It was time to have some fun!

Looking through the list of who and possible what’s for each, I remembered back when MY sons were that age. “Double numbers,”my dad called it! A right of passage. So thinking about it, and asking my son if it was OK, I ordered a Swiss Army knife and a whittling book. I couldn’t wait for the gift giving to begin. When he opened it… he lit up like a Christmas tree! Just as I had figured! The fun was about to begin!

While everyone was busy playing with dolls and games, we slipped out to the side of the house and I cut come tree branches. Taking the time to teach him the safe way to handle a knife, we commenced to ‘whittlin’! Now we didn’t MAKE anything. We just skinned the bark off the branches… and talked! Matter of fact, I let him in on a little secret… whittlin’ is REALLY just about killing time… and talkin! But it’s how men are made!

In a way, the Bible is called a knife! And a SHARP one too! I told my grandson all the safety tips, then handed him a band-aid saying, “WHEN you cut yourself, don’t tell your mom. Moms tend to freak out at blood! Just wrap it up and go tell dad. He’ll know what to do.” I don’t know ANYONE who has ever used a knife that didn’t end up getting cut sooner or later. Come to think it it.. I don’t know ANYONE who’s handled God’s Word, with any seriousness at all, who hasn’t had their life cut up and changed because of the experience.

God knows EVERYTHING. And the very cool part about Him being our Father is that He isn’t interested in keeping it to Himself. He WANTS us to know and grow up ‘in Him.’ Cutting away that bad stuff is just part of the deal. WHEN we get cut, He’s right there to show us what He wants us to know.

My grandson and I got together over the weekend and whittled some more. Which brought my curious 7 year old grandson around wanting to join in. After asking permission of his mom, AND his cousin, we wasted more time… just whittlin’ n talkin! I asked the oldest if he had cut himself yet. “Nope,” was his answer. I smiled at both my teaching AND his learning prowess. But not too serious a smile. Cuz just like life and God’s Word… the cut’s comin! 

“For God so loved ______ He gave His only begotten Son…” John 3:16

Signing up for a 7 night cruise over the Christmas vacation was a wish come true. My wife and I were tired and needed the rest. The price was unbelievably low for a cruise over New Years. But hey… who was ‘I’ to complain. I figured, as long as I didn’t have to row… how bad could it be? Expecting nothing, I couldn’t be deceived. We headed off the day after Christmas.

I am happy to say that the cruise was a phenomenal success. Since I hadn’t expected anything, everything was far beyond wonderful. But halfway through the cruise, we received a notice that the policy for tipping had changed and was going to be automatically billed to the tune of $12.50 per person/per room! The attitude on the ship was mutinous! Some of the folks we had talked to were unhappy with the service of some of the staff… and now we knew why. Staff wasn’t getting paid much.

Since I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, I always want to leave a witness and good impression for. But now the gratuity was being forced, and another entity, the shipping company, was going to determine the tip for me. Motivation for excellent service had just gone out the window. Having been a 100% commissioned salesman most of my career… I knew how that felt!

Being on the ocean with no where to go gives plenty of time to read and think. I rolled that idea of motivation around in my head and considered WHY ‘I’ do what ‘I’ do. Soon, verses of the Bible started popping up to feed my train of thought. That could mean only one thing…God was trying to tell me something.

Why did God send His son to die for ME? The Bible is clear. While Christ ‘came to destroy the works of the devil’ (1 John 3:8) that was NOT his primary motivation. His motivation … was His LOVE FOR ME! John 14 records Jesus words telling us that if we love HIM… WE will do what HE says in return. I was convicted… and even preached a sermon on it! The theme? “How much do I REALLY love Jesus?” When asked the question, “what is the greatest commandment,” Jesus didn’t hesitate! He simply said… ‘Love God more than anything else’ (my paraphrase)! I had to look back over 2018 and ask myself the hard question… “did I?”

I am grateful that God placed my failure on His Son and I do not have to bear it. Receiving His grace, I am free because of His love gift. But it doesn’t let me off the hook. I have a life of love and service He still expects from me. And I am committing to doing what He wants… So I tipped my waiter and room steward really well anyway.. and left them with Jesus! Yup… 2019!!! So far so good! 

“Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.” Nehemiah 8:6

In the aftermath of terrors from without and injustices from within, how does a society regain stability and safety? The after effects of trauma make it difficult for any community to experience a sense of normalcy. How is daily life restored?

God sent Nehemiah to help the people reestablish life in and around Jerusalem. Those who worked to restore the city walls faced jeers, accusations, and abuse from outside their ranks, and extortion, fear and exhaustion from within. Ezra gathered all together and read the Law aloud in their hearing. When the people understood, they responded with praise, and the healing began.

The crucial first step toward recovery for an individual or a community is to hear and comprehend God’s Word. Belief gives birth to faith, and faith fortified with truth responds in worship.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” John 1:1-3

Before it all, the Word of God has always been there, sure and steadfast, holding up the world in constant rotation as we go about our daily life. Without thinking so much about it, we live our life on a planet not made with hands while enjoying much of its resources to our own consumption. Regardless of one’s belief, the Word of God is yet faithful to His command, as the sun is to rising and the rain is to falling. Even in times of crisis, heartache and despair, His Word abides still.  

From our natural point of view, we will never understand it all, but God does. His infinite understanding is never shocked or surprised by anything, for that is a human characteristic. However, it is a perfect example of why we must rely and trust so heavily in the Word of God and not the imperfect world we live in. His Word is His
bond. His bond is who He is.