“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6

It was a rare occasion that I had this last weekend. My wife was going out of town and I was going to be ”home alone.” Now before you let that sentence sink in too far, you have to remember… I’m not 15 years old! There was no, “Party at K.C.’s house,” plan. I had lots of things to do to keep me busy. I just didn’t have my wife around while I did them. It really was no big deal… until it was!

She had joked to me, when saying goodbye, that maybe the plane will go down and she won’t be back! Yea, yea… sick humor, right?” But when you’ve been around each other for so many years, strange stuff can come out of your mouth. I went about the weekend running here and there and doing my thing as usual. That is, until Sunday afternoon… about 5 hours before she was scheduled to come home (or not… haaaa)! I took a look around the house with my eyes filtered though HERS… and gasped in shock! Gosh… I’m such a pig!

There were at least 5 pairs of shoes with miscellaneous socks laying around the house. The empty container that held Friday’s dinner (sushi from the grocery store) still lay on the counter. Pants, shirts, towels, cups, papers and other stuff of mine were scattered all around the house. The funny thing is, it really hadn’t bothered me… until now. I presumed the plane would land safely and she would be home, so I set about cleaning up the place… MOSTLY for HER eyes!

One of the biggest problems Christians face is the problem of CLEANUP. The Bible CLEARLY tells us that when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become perfectly pure in His Father’s eyes. We are guaranteed a safe ticket to land in Heaven where NO punishment for sin will ever come due. Unfortunately, I still live in this old house called ‘the flesh,’ and it can get REALLY messy. When I ultimately take a look at God and His Word, it isn’t uncommon to freak out and despise my fleshy self! And THAT’S when REALLY bad things can happen!

Seeing God in His perfection genuinely makes me feel messy. Sometimes I can repulse MYSELF so badly that I can’t see Him correctly. The old system of works says that if you mess up, you will HAVE to pay the consequences. Gearing up for that can often drive me even FURTHER from God. Since I don’t FEEL like I DESERVE His love and favor, I put the focus on my failure and NOT on His forgiveness.

John 3:16 says it well. “For God SO Loved K.C.” O.K., I added that part. But you can insert YOUR name as well. I can’t EARN God’s love. He IS love. There is nothing I can do to make Him NOT love, want, care for and desire me. EVER! In fact, joy begins to to creep into my life and motivate me to start picking up the messes, NOT because I am messy, but because I know He is coming home to rest in my heart. Which is right where He belongs… and where He want’s to be.

My wife got home safely and the house looked close enough to her standards that she didn’t remind me of my piggishness. But that last sentence has NOTHING to do with the reality of how God works when HE comes homes to rest in my heart. In fact, after we commune together and enjoy each others company, He is more likely to to say, “sit and take a rest, I’ll take care of this mess!” WOW! What a God.. right?” Maybe next time I’ll remind my wife…. NAHHHHHH! Hee hee!

How do YOU… see you?

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Corinthians 5:1

My brain had forgotten that I needed to prep the church and turn on the air conditioning for Bible Study. So I searched the house for my keys I misplaced and went out into the heat, which increased DRAMATICALLY when I got into my truck. My air conditioning was broken and I hit the only 2 red lights between me and the church… 3 minutes each! By now I was sweating and irritable. The guy in front of me, obviously enjoying his air conditioning and cell phone, just sat there! Hitting my limit, I lost my cool and punched the horn! I immediately sensed some umpire of the universe blow his whistle and yell… “YER OUT!” I had ‘LOSER’ written all over me! But I’m NOT!

It was a joy to read this verse and have the Holy Spirit clarify a long held question for me. It is one I get quite often in Bible Study. “If I die before Jesus returns, will I just float around in heaven until after my body is raptured and restored?” There are plenty of theories out there, but this morning, after yesterday’s experience, I received an ‘AHA’ moment with this verse.

I have had to confess that I didn’t really KNOW know. But Scripture and the Holy Spirit have clarified the message. “I HAVE” a body waiting for me in Heaven. One that will fit me like the me I was meant to be! That makes me smile!

Years ago my kids turned my office into a Bat-cave. Over in the corner is a Batman suit that hangs on a stand. In reality… it is nothing but a joke. If I put it on, it doesn’t give me incredible powers or change me into a super hero. It’s a COSTUME! Just like the real body I live in right now! The one that forgets, sweats, gets sick, angry, tired and is filled with earthly cravings that make me anything BUT a super hero! The Bible calls it a tent. I have slept many nights in tents. They are NOT comfortable.

Now the Marvel Comic series has a great analogy in the Iron-man character. When trouble comes, Tony Stark can simply hit a button and INSTANTLY… Iron-man comes alive.. invincible and SUPER! But the story falls short in its reality. Why would Tony ever want to take the suit OFF to become a simple HUMAN? Well… that will be a question for Jesus, who did it for real!

My body drags me down, man! MOST of the time, I sin because my FLESH gets in the way of my spirit. As the Bible says, I am a heavenly treasure in an earthen vessel. It even goes further to say that my flesh condition WILL CONTINUE… until I am DEAD! BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!

I like this old truth that is new to me. I was MADE for perfection but I live in a sewer! And so do you! FORTUNATELY… God has promised that when I die, I already HAVE a SUPER SUIT WAITING for me when I get to His place. And when I get home, I will be at home IN IT! No more sweat, irritations, fleshy lusts or bathroom breaks! I will feel PERFECTLY at HOME! It kind of gives new significance to the words… UP UP AND AWAY! Don’t you think?

“As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him.” 2 Chronicles 13:10

At this time of the year in Florida, the weather is HOT. ‘Up north, the weather is generally cooling off and there is a smell of fall in the air. Not here. The only thing we can relate to in September in Florida… is the hinges of hell! After a long summer, September is like a football pile-on as the temperature yesterday hit over 100 where I was…with 80 plus percent humidity! And there I was… sweating right in the middle of it.

I generally try to avoid the heat. But my kids were moving to another house and we needed to get stuff out of storage. No problem! The mission was established and weather was not going to be a factor. I had a towel and a big drink glass I kept filled. My sons used to talk about summer football practice, in pads, in this kind of heat. The only way to get through was to keep mind and body on the goal! I was thinking of that when I visited the bathroom.

O.K. this is weird… but God really wants me to tell you this! One of my boys told me about a pee chart on the football locker room wall. It had different colors of yellow with the question, “what color are you?” If your pee was deep yellow, it was an indicator that you weren’t drinking enough water. Lemon yellow simply proved you were “not a TEAM PLAYER!” Yes… I thought that was weird too! Until I gave it more thought! Looking at mine.. it was the color somewhere between Big Bird and Pumpkin pie!!! I immediately realized I was NOT keeping the goal in mind. If I didn’t take more in than I was sweating out… I was not going to achieve the goal.

Today is 911. Do you remember? What we THOUGHT was indestructible, lay in a pile of rubble. What had taken time to build was gone in minutes! People ran to Churches like they hadn’t in years. Prayers and petitions were sent to God as our nation realized its frailty. The heat of terrorism and our own vulnerability hit home causing our nation to sweat and seek answers.

We are in trouble! The clock on the wall is ticking and the thermometer is rising. People have not only left the church, they now deny God and are becoming violent against anything and anyone that is part of His team. God is calling us to pay attention, evaluate our lives and get with His program. To become a team player means reading his Word, getting together with His people and praying for His direction. There is no other way to say it… when it comes to following God… yourIN or yourOUT!

Whose team are YOU on?

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Will is a GIANT of a man who, the more time I spent with him, just kept getting bigger in my eyes. As a Senior Citizen, Will stands about 5’3” tall and moves kinda slow. But it wasn’t his SIZE that made him a legend in my mind. It is what he was DOING that made him spectacular. Will is a beekeeper.

I told folks about how honey bees had moved into our birdhouse. We could see them outside our window and watched the bees come and go… and the hive thrive and grow! Something had to be done, so I spread the word in hopes that SOMEONE knew a beekeeper who would want them. When I got home one evening, there was Will, dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt, standing on a ladder taping screen over the holes! Bees flew around and landed on him… but Will just kept plugging the holes! I was mesmerized by his lack of fear! His fearlessness led me to walk closer to him… and the hive!

Normal reaction to a bee invading one’s personal space is immediate and radical. Fleeing while swatting is typical as fear increases in direct proportion to vicinity! Walking TOWARD a HIVE of bees is either a sign of a crazy person, or someone a whole lot smarter than me! If this fearlessness could be learned, I wanted it!

Before long I was right in there with Will, helping him and doing what he told me. As the bees flew around me, I nervously asked ‘the question,’ “aren’t you afraid of being stung?” His reply was interesting! “Oh I LIKE getting stung… it helps my arthritis!” Shocked, I was in too deep to get out now!

Will’s superpower came from knowledge and personal experience. At one point he took a spray bottle of sugar water and sprayed the bees, saying that, “it calms them down and sends them into the hive to clean each other off!” Which is EXACTLY what happened! Will didn’t know it, but he had just provided me a metaphor of Jesus Christ and His Church!

Most Christians really don’t know the power and blessing that they share with the object of their faith. Jesus Christ, who wants us to have His SWEET Life, has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED, to actually live it! Sweetness and abundance comes through learning and ‘knowing’ Him personally. The more we spend time in knowing and experiencing Him, the sweeter OUR life becomes!

Abundant Life is the New Testament promise to beelievers. In the Old Testament, Israel was promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Through the sting of the death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for MY sin and offered me His sweetness… in ABUNDANCE. The Holy Spirit acts like sugar water, drawing beelievers together. Which, to the world, brings fear!

People who do not know Jesus are strangely AFRAID of Him. Christ calls us to come OUT of the world to bee part of HIS. Sadly, the world often only sees a threat. But the Bible tells us that the more we know Jesus, the sweeter we can bee. And beeing sweet just might draw someone else in a little closer!

When it comes to Jesus… how close to YOU want to bee?

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

Yesterday was Grandparents Day and it just so happened that we had 4 of our grandsons with us for the weekend. As per our standard unwritten ‘Kid Policy,’ we did what we always did… because, based upon our own personalities and roles, ‘it’ always worked. I took the boys.. SHE took the baby!

It is what it is… I don’t do babies. Squirming, crying, peeing, drooling, screaming, tired and unsleeping babies are NOT my thing. They never have been. My wife is a master at them! So the other day when that thing went off into a crying spree, I took the other three boys outside for a bike and scooter ride. We had a blast! It wasn’t until last night, when my wife said, “why don’t we all go for a walk,” that I realized just how different our roles really are!

‘Riding,’ for me, was really walking and barking out instructions, warnings and directions to the boys. “Hey guys, ride up THAT driveway! Don’t get TOO far away! Car coming… off the road! Stick close to each other!” When Gigi was with us… she was on the verge of a meltdown. “Oh no… be careful, you’re gonna fall! Watch out for that curb! Slow down!!” I realized, again, that in our roles, we were directly OPPOSITE of each other. I wanted them to learn how to ride better and to safely cooperate with each other. SHE wanted to get them home without a scratch!

Don’t get me wrong! Neither of us are wrong and both of us are necessary. But being a ‘Father means teaching kids how to grow up and stand! Moms are all about safety and security. But at the end of the day… or life, Kids grow into responsible adults as they learn to navigate through the obstacles of life. And yes.. there WILL be pain.

There is a reason God is called Father! His desire for us is to grow up ‘In’ Him and STAND up ‘FOR’ Him. His Word give us instructions and directives on how to live independently and within the scope of the World. The verse today says that ‘evil is coming!’ God is encouraging His children to prepare for it and stand. Apparently, shielding us from hurt and pain is not a part of His plan!

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

Last weekend out of boredom we decided to watch the latest Marvel movie. After renting, we settled in and prepared to be blown away by action and adventure. It was amazing to watch as each super hero AND super villain was dramatically introduced. But after some time we realized we had already seen this movie! In haste, we had hit the wrong button at the Red Box machine. I was disappointed because the FIRST time I had seen this movie, it was evident that the producers had only one thing in mind. To ‘sell’ another sequel. I turned it off!

We all love heroes, don’t we? When I was a kid, way back in the black and white TV days, I would rush in and turn on the TV to watch ‘The Lone Ranger.’ Film production has come a LONG way since then. Watching those old chase scenes and gun fights now, I realize they weren’t really close to anything resembling reality. When I really started thinking about the Lone Ranger, the Holy Spirit started to convict me about my appeal to ‘Super Heroes.’

“Let’s take a look at The Lone Ranger,” God seemed to say. So I did. Now think about it. Here’s a guy that hides behind a mask, rides dusty trails on a horse, roaming from town to town looking for trouble. His only companion is a ‘time period inferior’ who praises his judgment “oooo that good,” & occasionally asks… “what we do now Kemosabe?” All so the Lone Ranger can play the hero…and then LEAVE! Hmmmm… isn’t that kind of self gratifying and messed up? Then God led me to consider HIS heroes.

In Matthew, Jesus calls His original 12 disciples and gives them a secret mission. “I’m sending you like sheep among wolves!” We might hear Peter say… “what’s that Jesus?” Then Jesus adds, “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” No super powers, no weapons, no cape! But just like Mom might add… “be REALLY careful out there… but SPEAK up!!” WHAAAAAAA? But…. But… THAT kind of advice can get a guy KILLED!!! And it DID!

I look around me and see a violent world that is dying but too proud to realize it. I see satan touching and permeating every facet of society and spoiling it with dark powers of deception. I see the world running after evil with an appetite that only grows and demands ‘MORE!” Then I am reminded of The Master’s words to His disciples, HIS heroes…The Church… “Hey you… sheep!!! Go into YOUR world and speak ‘The Good News.’”

It is said that you can’t speak the Gospel without the word ‘Go!’ And it is true. God is calling us to GO out in that rough, tough world and to STAY there and TALK…. About HIM! The Gospels and letters are very clear about the world’s conditions AND their reactions. ‘They will hate you, persecute you, mock you and worse… but keep your head down and be sure to SPEAK!’ 2000 years later, the Master of the Universe STILL directs His ‘sheepish’ warriors in the same way. No cape, no shield, no magic and no glory. Just HIM!

May I add this as incentive. Jesus didn’t hide behind a mask, and He isn’t asking us to do anything He hasn’t done Himself. He simply says, “Go… stay…don’t hide… and SPEAK… I’ll be back soon!” HIIIIIHOOOOOOOOO…. boy! It’s gonna get rough!

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

I do not like getting out of bed when it is still dark outside. Something inside just rebels at the notion. As fall comes closer, darkness hangs out longer. Which means when the alarm goes off, one of the FIRST things I need to do is turn on a light in order to see! The usual sequence of our dark mornings is to get coffee and then send time with God. Recently, an annoying ‘buzz’ invaded our quiet routine, leaving us a little unsettled.

When my wife called me into the other room I was shocked. There, on the big sliding glass door, crawled MILLIONS of bees. At least it SOUNDED like millions! Without realizing, Katie’s perfect little serene garden of trees and plants had been invaded. The decorative, wooden birdhouse she had hung in the tree for looks had been turned into a home for honey bees. They had been awakened by the artificial light inside the house and they REALLLY wanted to come inside! GREAAAAT!

Bees are generally active during the day and stay in their hives at night. Doing a little research, I learned that our inside light was triggering a positive ‘photo-tactic response’ in the bees. This response interrupts their normal bee-havioral pattern of beeing dormant at night and causes them to seek out the light. How did I get so lucky?

It just so happened that a devotional I subscribe to was about bees and honey. God was trying to tel me something! Bees have long been a symbol of the Church because they work for the common good of the hive and not for themselves. A hive of bees will collectively travel as much as 55,000 miles and tap more than 2 million flowers to make just 1 pound of honey! And get this… a good hive can produce up to 2 pounds of honey a DAY! I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

I am not too excited about these bees. Something has to be done with them. I’ve read honey bees are endangered and that beekeepers will come and get them for free. So far I haven’t found any who will. My daughter suggested I become a beekeeper myself. When I offered them to HER… she declined.

The Bible tells me that as a Christian, I have been born with a tendency toward a kind of ‘photo-taxis.’ God, my Father, has called ME into HIS family… FROM the darkness… INTO His wonderful light… and for a purpose. My worker bee purpose is to declare to the world just how awesome, wonderful, trustworthy, joyful, loving and graceful God really is! This verse clearly reminds me that ‘I’ am called to ‘bee His BUZZZZ!’ SWEEEEEET!!!!

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

“What do you want to do today?” It was a question I posed to my wife on this peculiar Labor Day weekend. I say peculiar because it started off with warnings of a possible Category 4 to 5 hurricane! Though it was far off, the news media and weather services spoke as though all of Florida would be erased from the earth! Planning something to do for entertainment seemed downright irreligious!

There were LOTS of things we COULD have done. Organize some rooms, paint the house or visit one of many venues Florida has to offer. Doing those things, while not knowing if your life is about to be run through a blender, seemed counter productive. Especially when forecasters called for rain and the sun came out… and vice versa! I believe weather people should be paid ‘commission.’ If wrong… no pay! But I digress! We were trapped between action and boredom. A desire to ‘enjoy’ time off or rush to prepare for Armageddon! Neither choice appealed to us.

When my wife asked, “What do YOU want to do today?” no desire erupted within to point to any good direction. We ended up DOING a bunch of NOTHING! Yesterday, with the sun blaring and weather reports calling for sunshine until later afternoon, we went for a ride on the motorcycle to an outlet mall. Katie doesn’t like riding the Goldwing on the interstate and I don’t like malls. But being bored and desperate… off we went!

Walking around the outlet mall only proved again why I hate malls. Even 70% off a pair of shoes that were marked $165 is a scam. Though we bought nothing, we were together and enjoyed the time. Getting back on the highway, all went well. That is until we hit a rainstorm and Katie started to get nervous. She talks a lot when she does… and it wasn’t good!

It was at a perfect time when the exit appeared and I did just that. The storm was east of us, so I scooted west. MY goal was to keep her dry! That worked until it didn’t, and we started getting soaked! We found ourselves asking the same question that GOT us into this situation, “So… what do you want to do NOW?” We had 2 choices. Stop and wait or continue on in the rain! Her answer surprised me!

I am not a genius, but at times when she is scared, I feel led to let my bride make the decision!!! She responded, “I’m wet, I don’t want to go in air conditioning… I’ll freeze!” And then, “This isn’t so bad… keep going!” Then she added, “I want you to remember how much I love you!” It was HER way of saying, “had I known THIS was going to happen, we’d have stayed home.” When she relaxed, we actually enjoyed it! When I told he how brave she was…she smiled!

Storms of life come. God never promises that they won’t. But He DOES promise that He will be WITH us when they do. The way ‘TO’ someWHERE often means going ‘THROUGH’ someTHING. And the best way to DO that is to put faith in the ONLY someONE who is smarter you!

May God be exalted in everything we do, everywhere we go!

Many of the names in the Bible that refer to our Lord are nothing less than palatial and august: Son of God, The Lamb of God, The Light of the World, The Resurrection and the Life, The Bright and Morning Star, He that Should Come, Alpha and Omega.

They are phrases that stretch the boundaries of human language in an effort to capture the uncapturable, the grandeur of God. And try as they might to draw as near as they may, they always fall short. Hearing them is somewhat like hearing a Salvation Army Christmas band on the street corner play Handel’s Messiah. Good try, but it doesn’t work. The message is too majestic for the medium. And such it is with language.

The phrase “There are no words to express…” is really the only one that can honestly be applied to God. No names do Him justice.

But there is one name which recalls a quality of the Master that bewildered and compelled those who knew Him. It reveals a side of Him that, when recognized, is enough to make you fall on your face.

It is not too small, nor is it too grand. It is a name that fits like the shoe fit Cinderella’s foot.

Jesus.

In the gospels it’s His most common name — used almost six hundred times. And a common name it was. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, Jeshua, and Jehoshua — all familiar Old Testament names. There were at least five high priests known as Jesus. The writings of the historian Josephus refer to about twenty people called Jesus. The New Testament speaks of Jesus Justus, the friend of Paul, and the sorcerer of Paphos is called Bar-Jesus. Some manuscripts give Jesus as the first name of Barabbas. “Which would you like me to release to you — Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?”

What’s the point? Jesus could have been a “Joe.” If Jesus came today, His name might have been John or Bob or Jim.

Were He here today, it is doubtful He would distance Himself with a lofty name like Reverend Holiness Angelic Divinity III. No, when God chose the name His Son would carry, He chose a human name. He chose a name so typical that it would appear two or three times on any given class roll.

“The Word became flesh,” John said, in other words.

He was touchable, approachable, reachable. And, what’s more, He was ordinary. If He were here today, you probably wouldn’t notice Him as He walked through a shopping mall. He wouldn’t turn heads by the clothes He wore or the jewelry He flashed.

“Just call me Jesus,” you can almost hear Him say.

He was the kind of fellow you’d invite to watch the Rams-Giants game at your house. He’d wrestle on the floor with your kids, doze on your couch, and cook steaks on your grill. He’d laugh at your jokes and tell a few of His own. And when you spoke, He’d listen to you as if He had all the time in eternity.

And one thing’s for sure, you’d invite Him back.

It is worth noting that those who knew Him best remembered Him as Jesus.  The titles Jesus Christ and Lord Jesus are seen only six times. Those who walked with Him remembered Him not with a title or designation, but with a name — Jesus.

Think about the implications. When God chose to reveal Himself to mankind, what medium did He use? A book? No, that was secondary. A church? No. That was consequential. A moral code? No. To limit God’s revelation to a cold list of dos and don’ts is as tragic as looking at a Colorado road map and saying that you’d seen the Rockies.

When God chose to reveal Himself, He did so (surprise of surprises) through a human body. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And His tears… oh, don’t miss the tears… they came from a heart as broken as yours or mine ever has been.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. — Hebrews 4:15

So, people came to Him. My, how they came to Him! They came at night; they touched Him as He walked down the street; they followed Him around the sea; they invited Him into their homes and placed their children at His feet. Why? Because He refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. He chose instead to be Jesus.

There is not a hint of one person who was afraid to draw near Him. There were those who mocked Him. There were those who were envious of Him. There were those who misunderstood Him. There were those who revered Him. But there was not one person who considered Him too holy, too divine, or too celestial to touch. There was not one person who was reluctant to approach Him for fear of being rejected.

Remember that.

Remember that the next time you find yourself amazed at your own failures. Or the next time acidic accusations burn holes in your soul. Or the next time you see a cold cathedral or hear a lifeless liturgy.

Remember. It is man who creates the distance. It is Jesus who builds the bridge.

“Just call me Jesus.” Do You KNOW Him?

Excerpted with permission from God Came Near by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.