“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

Yesterday was the Annual Meeting for The Congregational Church… which is ALWAYS interesting. Due to the so-called pandemic, we didn’t have one last year, which means THIS year’s meeting was going to run a little longer than usual. I hate meetings. And yesterday’s, though excellent in form, reminded me WHY I dislike them.

The 2020 decade started off with an emphasis on UNITY. Across America, the cry for unity may have come with loud demand. But honestly, I can’t think of a more divisive word! Unity is one of those words that is easy to define, but most difficult to live out. Being a Church of firmly committed Believers who love Jesus Christ, it is not difficult to see why.

EVERY human is born in sin. And even though our Church members have been saved, we all still carry around our fleshly nature, which joins us at every gathering. So there we were, every one of us a ‘Child of Most High God’ and future rulers with Christ, but communing together in earthen jars of flesh! And while the meeting WAS EXCELLENT, many of us would rather have been fishin.’ Or something else.

Everybody has an opinion. In ANY meeting, there are people who have more knowledge about a subject than others. Some because of being on a subcommittee, some because of outside related experiences, and some because of personal preference. When the subject of Building Insurance came up, I asked The Congregation weigh in on what THEY thought, to finally settle the internal board discussions. Little did I realize my request would add another 20 minutes to the gathering!

The System Works… because Jesus Works! He was there too! This morning, I remembered the meeting and this Bible verse… and smiled. Psalm 133 is 1 of 15 Psalms called ‘The Songs of Ascents.’ Each year Jewish religious observers were to ‘go up to Jerusalem’ to CELEBRATE one of 3 Festivals. Each of the steps along the journey, including the final 15 stairs up into the temple, we’re harder than the one before… but more Joyful. That is what getting closer to God does to hearts!

Being unified in and WITH the Spirit of God takes work, time and effort ABOVE and beyond our comfort zones. BUT when we DO it, even GOD says there is nothing more pleasant! Oh how I LOVE our Church!

Does each step YOU take in life draw YOU closer to God and His people?

“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22

Yesterday was gym day. As soon as we got in the door, Katie got right after it, jumping on the stationary bikey-skiing contraption. Me? I began doing what I normally do, which is to avoid as much of a workout as I can… USUALLY by talking to people. A woman was sitting there with a T-shirt that said, “Skid-Row”. Remarking to someone standing by, that my laziness COULDN’T be as bad as ‘her shirt’ opened up a good conversation… AND a learning experience.

On the surface I thought it strange she was advertising such a lifestyle choice! How was ‘I’ to know that ‘Skid Row’ was a ‘metal band?’ Informing her that I grew up listening to ‘Elvis,’ and even ‘The Archies’, our jovial conversation moved all over the place. I was enjoying the conversation, trying to remember from our previous Bible Study that “interested is interesting.” Conversation was going well, that is, until I asked THE WRONG QUESTION!

Katie calls me a hammer. So I didn’t think ANYTHING about it when my question blurted out, “So… do you go to church anywhere?” Her reaction was as if I hit her with an 8 pound sledge! Conversation stopped faster than tires on pavement before a baby in the middle of the road! And just like that… it was OVER! What I wanted was a Do-Over!

I write this now as a reminder that not everybody has a great love for God like I do. Being one of His kids is better than being born a Gates, Trump or Rockefeller! Why WOULDN’T someone want to be that blessed and wealthy? But trying to understand that question would take longer than trying to figure out why Jesus created sloths! Because even HE can’t appreciate men’s decision of rejection.

Mankind is drowning in a sea of bad choices. BY CHOICE! God uses this verse like a BANG of a gun to get our attention. Which is a good way to remember where it IS! IS. 45:22, the .45 and the .22 being the most popular, largest and smallest, bullets shot today. God fires it over our heads to get our attention! “TURN TO ME AND BE SAVED!” Sadly, most people, like Skid Row, start splashing in the OTHER direction.

So note to self… not everyone shares your same interests, so don’t ASSUME they’ll take an interest in yours! So BE SURE to ask the RIGHT questions! Just wait until NEXT TIME!

Are you working on becoming an interesting disciple by becoming interested?

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

“WAIT, WAIT, WAIT… STOP!!!!!!” Mr. Wise was telling me to go… then STOP! To proceed… then WAIT! Dan is my pistol shooting instructor AND my friend in Christ. When we get to the range, we trade places and HE becomes the teacher and I… HIS student. It’s been that way for almost 2 years. But now… he was MESSING WITH ME! FOR A PURPOSE!

There’s a shooting competition coming up and my teacher wants me ready. Apparently, he got info from somewhere that practicing distractions prepares one for the real thing. I guess being unflappable at practice makes one unflappable in the real competition. But being with him for so long, all it made ME do… was LAUGH! Which is distracting.

Being at our church Bible Study, last night was an overwhelming honor! With a room FULL of Jesus Warriors-in-training, we began to learn HOW to be wise, to make the most of every opportunity and to be graceful in reaching people for Jesus Christ. All in a fun, easy, questioning approach. Which is opposed to an ‘in-your-face,’ confrontational battle. After it was over, I noticed a more open and much more interested attitude in the room.

It was afterward that Don (not Dan) came up to me and told me that before service, HE had apparently gone into the same store I had previously left. AND that HE had talked to the very same guy I had! Like a bolt out of the blue, I could hear Jesus, OUR Instructor, hollering out “WAIT, WAIT WAIT… STOP!” He was trying to teach me something! And it made me smile!

If you and I are His, and HE has assigned us the role to to out into the world and to share His Good News, THEN went on to add, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” doesn’t it stand to reason that HE will be WITH me when I am talking about HIM? Will He not guide my heart, mind and steps to perfectly place me in a perfect position to do the job?? How was I to know that God would follow up MY visit with the check out guy, with Don’s visit? I couldn’t! But Jesus DID!

That was the point I was getting! Following Jesus means FOLLOWING Jesus! HE goes FIRST and I am supposed to follow in CONFIDENCE, realizing that HE has already set the path before me. Rather than be fearful, I should just be ready to SEE, with my own eyes, what HE has already started! THEN… to be interested in the person HE places me in front of! The rest is just WAITING for the opportunity to ask questions in order to be interesting for Jesus!  Who knew that being interesting for Jesus could be such fun?

So… Mr. or Ms. Wise Guy… what are YOU waiting for?

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?'”. John 5:6

There was NO WAY AROUND IT! I was STUCK…just like everyone else on I-75! We were either stopped, or moving at an average of 20mph! With no turnarounds or exits, there was nothing anyone could do to avoid the frustrating situation… or so it appeared!

I HATE being stuck. I also HATE STUPID stuff. Never mind that ‘Hate’ and ‘Stupid’ are 2 swear words to my wife, sometimes I just have to call it as I see it! This traffic jam was BOTH! As I sat there thinking of an appropriate punishment for the individual in charge of the road work causing this delay, several OTHER poster-child candidates started to appear.

It became rather clear that MUCH of the delay was caused by people who came up with OTHER things to do instead of DRIVE! Most of which was illegal. Several vehicles had gaps between them, and the car in front of them, as long as a football field! And they were TEXTING! Soon I became enraged and started dodging in between cars to make up for the space and slowness of traffic. As cars honked at ME… I realized ‘I’ was being stupid!

The story found in John 4, as told by Jesus Himself, is a perfect example of how foolish humans can be, as Jesus came across a man who had laid beside a pool for 38 years. The man had some cockamamie excuse about not being able to jump in when angels stirred the water, and thus get healed. As if God did such things! Jesus saw the error in the man’s argument and asked a simple, yet profound, question. ‘Do YOU… WANT to get healed?”

There is no doubt Jesus was calling the man out! ‘Stupid is a stupid does,’ they say, and Jesus no doubt had an inkling that this guy had a least a LITTLE ray of hope inside of him. So Jesus asked, what appeared to be, a stupid question!

Now I know Jesus rather well. Hanging out with Him all these years I have learned, the HARD way, that the Creator of the Universe NEVER asks stupid questions. NEVER! Now I marvel at Jesus’ patience to even bother to ASK the question… “do you WANT to get well?” Setting on I-75, enraged at the stupidity of the whole situation, He had to almost YELL that same question to ME! And HECK!! I didn’t even think there was anything WRONG with me! HONK HONK!

What do YOU want?

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

We BOTH needed a vacation, some time alone with just the 2 of us, where we could relax and enjoy each other. When Katie told me a month ago that she didn’t have to work on Presidents Day, I did what I usually do and forgot about it. Two days before, I remembered, which sent me scrambling! I needed to make reservations FAST!

My sons are in the business of shipping in Tampa. So when I asked Colt His recommendation for a hotel, he gave me one. In my search, I also found an advertisement for a dinner cruise. When I asked both sons what they thought about it, I received 2 thumbs up… then a phone call from Clint.

When Clint calls, there’s usually an interesting story to follow. He told me to pay particular attention, once I got on board the dinner cruise, and to look across the channel. As a Harbor Pilot, he had JUST docked THAT ship not 30 minutes before! With all the ships and ports in Tampa, what were the odds we’d see his handiwork RIGHT THERE, as our first time?

As with many things in life, our trip started off with the credit card smoking! Had I planned ahead, I may have been able to save some money. But it was too late now! As we drove to Tampa, ‘go for it’ was all I heard my heart say. Valet, meals, snacks and tips only climbed the number and made the card hotter! When the total hit close to $1000, Katie said, “let’s just get a souvenir and guarantee we hit that number!” SO we did!

All in all, it was a PERFECT 30 hours to relax and unwind. Every time I’d get lost in a downtown area, we’d find a fun destination to explore. When we left Tampa to head home, we ended up somewhere in St. Petersburg for a lunch that was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. It was there we found the ‘one of a kind,’ God given, PERFECT souvenir! AND hit the $1000 mark!

Wherever Katie and I go, Jesus is there! If He isn’t, we bring Him along! In times of difficulty, when work and life get intense, we rely on Him to cut a path before us. We don’t take steps without Him. When it comes to money, He owns everything of ours. So we BOTH felt a little guilty for WASTING that much money in 1 day… perfect as it was.

We were almost home when Katie made a gasping kind of sound. Looking at her, she was smiling. She had just remembered that she was going to be receiving, ANY DAY NOW, a check from the State of Florida because, as a Teacher, she had WORKED when other schools had shut down during the pandemic! She then asked, “Do you know how much the check is for?”

God Promised to care for and provide for us when we walk and trust in Him. I felt a little ashamed because I don’t usually expect such lavish care. We are both in His debt and service is what we give. NOT EXPECTING, like the ship my son docked, to see HIS Handiwork of blessing right in front of us. Pointing to the ship I told everyone in my vicinity, “MY SON put that there!” Just like I tell folks about the goodness of the God I serve!

What kind of course are YOU on and how has God blessed YOU?

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  1 Thessalonians 4:17

I simply could not believe my eyes! So I blinked a couple times, then moved in for a better look! But my eyes hadn’t deceived me because standing not 20 feet from me was an old friend from long ago. And I was about to catch up!

I was at a hobby store talking with a fellow friend and hobbyist about our hobby. Together we were awaiting another hobbyist to join us in our mutual hobby. Looking around at the same time I was talking, my eyes caught the sight of someone I remembered as an old friend. My conversation stopped because of the interruption, as I just HAD to get a better look to confirm.

As it turns out, it WAS him! Not only that, he was talking to the hobby store OWNER. It appeared that THEY were friends as well! Though a lot bigger than me, Dan was always the calm type. So I didn’t think anything about sneaking up behind him and thumping my hands on his broad shoulders. True to his nature as I remembered, and THANKFULLY, he didn’t spin around and take a swing at me. When he finally saw my smiling eyes, we moved in for a big hug, then caught up.

It was the second time that happened this last week. On Tuesday I saw an old friend from my sons’ high school days. They used to hang out together regularly at my house, but after graduation Josh had moved away. But he was apparently back now, His hair starting to turn gray. We caught up.

It doesn’t happen often, but when I see an old friend I haven’t seen in a long while, I immediately think of Heaven and this Bible verse. Because this verse is FILLED with hope and joy for my future! A future that INCLUDES Jesus Christ IN PERSON… along WITH my family and friends as well.

I love stopping along life’s hard way and considering that future REUNION DAY when we will be reunited. In fact, it is a GREAT way for me to get through the hard stuff here. Laying even a potential life of 100 years here on Earth, beside eternity, is a non-comparison. This verse gives me joy because THAT REAL and GENUINE joy will NEVER end!

God is a God of PROMISES. And He NEVER breaks them. He has promised that there IS a perfect place at HIS place, where love, joy, peace and contentment will NEVER go out of style. He has promised me and the world that reality, if we simply choose to join HIS family. Because I have been sharing Jesus for a LONG time, I know there will be some old friends and forgotten acquaintances there too! And we will rejoice together AS Friends and Family FOREVER!

Are YOU going to be there? If so, who are YOU looking forward to seeing?

“May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel.” Psalm 69:6

It was an accident really! Unintentional though it might have been, it STILL created a disturbance. Well, at least in ONE individual anyway. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was jarred into remembering it while it was fresh, and to commit to NOT embarrassing someone in public again! That is… if I can HELP it!

In front of about 40 people I picked one gal to make a point. Our families have spent time together on vacation and I’ve known her for several years. That said, I had no way of anticipating her failure to answer the question, “if you were to die today, would you KNOW for CERTAIN YOU would go to Heaven?” Her answer, “Well I think so?” Made the WHOLE room go… “OHHHHHH!” Which meant there was NO way I could back up!

She is a sweet, kind and quiet sort of gal. Very polite and not wanting to be the center of attention. But she found herself there, unexpectedly! Interestingly enough, her brother had had the EXACT same experience several months ago. But he’s a tough guy and it didn’t bother him like it did his sister. Last night, as he sat beside her, he tried to give her brotherly advice, “DON’T YOU LIE NOW!” Which only caused her face to redden even more!

As it turns out, she already had been saved, and remembered the time she asked Jesus Christ for forgiveness of her sin and Him into her heart. In reality, SHE shouldn’t have been embarrassed as much as the person who had shared the Gospel with her! Because whoever did, failed to make the point of salvation CRYSTAL CLEAR! Because HOPING so and KNOWING so are 2 different things.

EVERY Christian is called to share the Gospel of Salvation with people in their world. But there ARE distinctions. As Gregory Koukl says in his book ‘Tactics,’ Some of us are planters, while some of us are reapers. Unfortunately, planters who are not reapers, will often use that point as reason to not plant! And they SHOULD be embarrassed.

For me, there is NOTHING more important on this Earth than knowing, loving and following Jesus Christ. He is my Creator, life giver, forgiver and sustainer for my whole reason to be here on this planet in the first place. He asks ME to SHARE HIM with those who do not know Him. Doing so should NEVER be an embarrassment for me. Neither should embarrassing others. So I apologize to our young and future powerful planter if you got a little red-faced. But I am sure you are VERY clear now.

Are YOU embarrassed to share Jesus?  

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God, Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27 NKJV

Redemption in the Face of Tribulation

Despite the storms that rage against me, Lord God, I will not become embittered against You. Would that I respond to hardship like Job who refused to doubt Your goodness in the face of relentless tragedy and loss.

For I know that my Redeemer lives. You are my Redeemer. You transform the crude sketches in my life into priceless works of art. In Your time, You make all things beautiful (Ecclesiastes 3:11), including my life. Perform Your redemptive work — but give me Your strength to hold on until the end.

My heart’s desire is to be more like You. As gold is refined in the fire, purge me of the dross that tarnishes your character in me (Romans 5:1-4). I look forward to the day when I will be able to see the changes You have made in my life.

You see the big picture — the forest — while I can see only the trees.

Although I may not fully understand the reason why I’m in this situation, one thing I do know: You are good, and Your mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1).

Therefore, I will not give up. I will not allow the hardships I face to dictate to me my emotions and responses. Lord, I rest myself in Your care. I trust You. You are in control, and You know what You’re doing.

Magnifying the Lord

“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.” Psalm 34:1-4 NKJV

This day, O God, I choose to bless Your name. I bless You because You are great, and Your greatness does not depend upon my circumstances. The problems of this world are mere child’s play in comparison to Your ability to overcome. So, I choose to focus on the Problem Solver rather than any problem. I will boast in You, O God, because nothing is impossible for You (Matthew 19:26). Only You can make the impossible possible.

I proclaim Your name, O Lord. I ascribe greatness to You, my God, for You are the Rock. Your work is perfect and all Your ways are just (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). For this reason, I place my trust in You with confidence. You are greater than my problems; greater than my sins; greater than my sickness; greater than those who oppose me; greater than the powers of darkness; greater than my own shortcomings; greater than the failings of Your people; greater than the powers of human government; greater than my limited conceptions of how big You really are. My God You are greater!

My power to overcome any situation comes only from You, because greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4). My heart’s desire is that Your great name will be made known throughout the earth, beginning in my life.

I lift my arms in surrender to the One who reigns above the heavens and the earth. There is no power on earth greater than Yours. No love stronger. No wisdom deeper. You alone stand above the earth, but You have willingly chosen to also stand beside me.

The fact that You are great, yet You choose to reveal Yourself to me through Your Son, Jesus, through Your Word, and through Your Holy Spirit, drives me to my knees in gratitude. You didn’t have to reveal Yourself to me, but You did. Now may Your greatness be revealed in my life so that others may see Your glory as well (Ezekiel 38:23).

Meditating on His Omnipotence and Omnipresence

“And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, ‘Alleluia! For the LORD God Omnipotent reigns!’” Revelation 19:6 NKJV

Hallelujah! For the Lord God almighty reigns! The heavens and the earth are no match for Your awesome power and might. As You spoke through Your prophet Jeremiah,

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?” Jeremiah 32:27 NKJV

There is no mountain or battle too great that Your might cannot cast it into the deepest sea. Nothing is too hard for You.

Despite Your great power, I have nothing to fear. I revere Your great name, but I need not be afraid of You because Your love is as great as Your power.

Through Your Son, Jesus, Emmanuel, You are “God with us” (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Clothing Yourself in human flesh, You prove Your love and willingness to meet me at the point of my need. Jesus, You are God’s power and presence revealed. Only through You can I truly be freed from my bondage to sin.

God, where can I go to outrun Your love (Romans 8:35)? You have positioned Yourself right beside me, carrying me, encouraging me, believing in me. At the end of my rope, when I feel all alone, Your Word promises that You are with me (Hebrews 13:5) and that no one can snatch me from Your hand (John 10:28-29).

And because I cannot escape Your love, I also know I can go to You in prayer. You alone have the ability to answer my requests according to Your power and might.

Because You are all powerful, all present, all wise, and all loving, I can entrust the control of my life to You without fear of being unloved and uncared for. You have raised up Your people for the express purpose that You would show Your power in us, and that Your name would be declared in all the earth (Exodus 9:16). And so here I am Lord, willingly giving to You the praise and honor befitting only You.

Excerpted with permission from Battle Prayers by Michael Klassen & Thomas Freiling, copyright Michael Klassen and Thomas Freiling.

Your Turn

Struggle comes to us all, doesn’t it? Let’s face it with worship and adoration remembering that God is so much bigger and powerful than any trial we endure. He is with us!  Tonight at FLAP we will come together and pray for Galen and Paula as they face a Battle ahead in making the decision about his leg.  Thank you in advance. 

“His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Ephesians 3:10-11

My least favorite day of the week is Gym Day. Unfortunately, we have 3 of those every week. Showing up at the gym is rather daunting for many reasons. Michael, the owner of the Gym, is my friend. He’s my friend because he loves Jesus. But Michael can be intimidating because he is built like… well… a Gymian!

Wearing a Batman shirt as I pretended to ‘work out,’ Michael came out of the office wearing a Superman hat! I thought, “it figures!” After seeing each other’s garb, we discussed the reasons for each of our choices for favorite superhero. I had to admit that HIS made MUCH more sense. Super-Man looks and does just like his name sounds. Bat-Man??? Eh…not so much!! This got me thinking about God’s names.

Knowing how my brain does or doesn’t work, I KNEW it HAD to be the Holy Spirit dropping the word into that muddy quagmire under my hair because, “Superintendent” is not a Bible word. I had read the word in a story, which had nothing to do WITH the story. But it caught my eye, swam around a while, then connected to a question that needed an answer. “What is the ‘intent’ of Almighty God?’ So I went fishing!

The original Greek word for Christian is “Christianos” which comes from the two Greek words “Christ and “tian.” The word Christ means “anointed” and “tian” means “little.” So the word “Christian” literally means “little anointed ones.” Which is what God expects me to be and look like. Today, the word ‘superintendent’ is the title of someone in charge. But I suspected there was more to be considered.

God has purpose, intention and an overall objective for mankind. As a created being, it seems logical to me that if I find out what that is, and conform to it, my life will find meaning and fulfillment. I had to wrestle among SEVERAL verses to pick out an ultimate one to define what God’s purpose is… And I like this one.

God’s intent and purpose is that His Church should make known ALL the wisdom of God to everything… everywhere! Especially the satanic and evil human world. Which means I SHOULD be focusing LESS on the tough MAN side of my favorite superhero, and focus more on FLITTING and SQUEAKING for Jesus wherever I go in this dark world!

How do YOU picture YOURSELF for Christ?