“Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling.” 2 Corinthians 5:2

“OH WOW… look at THAT!” If I said it once, I said it a hundred times! And so did she! The trip to our mountain retreat was much needed, and before we even hit the ground, we could see the evidence of fall from the window of the plane. Beautifully colored leaves covered the mountains and seemed to proclaim, ‘Welcome!’ As the sun shined, the colorful leaves danced. Fall was in full bloom!

The timing was in perfect contrast to what we had just left. In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, fatigue and debris muddled my thoughts beyond simply physical exhaustion. We needed a boost! Thank God I had made arrangements to fly to the mountains months ago. And there we were! Transferred from the tropics to the mountains, and my attitude changed with the altitude!

It wasn’t until we were there for a few days that Katie reminded me WHY the leaves change color. It’s not that the red, yellow and brown hues aren’t existent beforehand, Those are truly their natural color. It is the living green chlorophyll that overpowers their normal state. It is only in dying and being cut off from that living substance, that the earth tones are revealed. Interesting!

It is also interesting that we call the season of leaf dying ‘Fall.’ When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they were naked and didn’t know it, because the Glory of God, and the relationship with Him, covered them. We call the act of their deliberate choice to go their own way as ‘The Fall’ of man. The time when God’s life stopped flowing into them and death became their natural end.

As I write this, some of our own are facing the untimely death of a loved one too young to be going. The situation is hard and awkward. But nonetheless, it is very real. Why is it that when we see the beauty of the changing leaves we cry out ‘Wow!’ but yet when facing physical death, we ‘groan?’ The answer lies in today’s Bible verse and is intended to provide us with purpose and a calming joy.

When leaves fall, we admire their beauty, then curse the work of raking them together. In the mountains, folks just burn them! Which is exactly what satan wants God to do with us. But hiding under the surface, unseen by natural man, is The Spirit’s call to Life Forward! A living invitation from God to be clothed with His Glory to LIVE as intended from the Beginning! Where the Son shines!

Are YOU living and looking forward, allowing The Son to shine on and through YOU? If so, groaning is natural!

“…in Him (Christ Jesus) you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” Ephesians 2:22

“For Rent.” Sounds simple enough, right? But having been blessed with more than 1 property for more than half my life, my experiences have NOT been simple. Having a seasonal rental when Hurricane Ian hit, I thought I could help by offering it for a month to ‘Disaster Workers Exclusively,’ even lowering the rate. Little did I realize the problems and time that decision would cost me!

Almost immediately I began getting desperate requests from displaced families claiming they had lost their house and “would I show compassion and break my rule of ‘workers only.’” Wanting to help the most people, and having had bad experience in reacting to sad stories, I stuck to my original intent. Then my phone started blowing up with ‘workers’ who claims… proved NOT to be true!

Last night Katie and I sat in a restaurant and she overheard a woman bragging about how she had so easily deceived her landlord. When he had allowed her a pet, she snuck in 5, after she got the keys. When they made a mess, she covered it up! After all, it wasn’t fair that HE had property and she didn’t. So her actions became justified in her own mind as she laughed about her own deceptions.

Ephesians 2 is a VERY powerful Chapter. It describes the lengths God went to make ‘us’ humans a worthy habitation for Himself, His Son and the Holy Spirit. The cost and labor were out of this world! But having finished, He not only offered you and I (us) the keys, He went on to make ME a co-owner WITH Him. Which makes ME responsible for what I allow to enter His, and my, mutual abode!

Being in the rental business had never entered my mind growing up. It just sort of happened. When God’s blessings turned into, “What do we do NOW?” renters, along with a HUGE learning curve of blessings and curses, started coming our way! Along with them came cold hard lessons blurring heart feelings with hard legal reality. Holding keys required discernment and responsibility. GREAT!

I admit it… I didn’t WANT to be responsible. I wanted to turn over the keys, sit back and rake in the blessings of ownership. But what I got was headaches and life lessons. I learned that evil exists and it wants my stuff. It will insist on it’s own way and justify itself to get it! Being a Key holder, I am called to be a responsible partner with God, following His lead in the business of sharing His domain!

Are YOU being responsible to the Landlord and being a good tenant?

“The fruit of (the Lord’s) righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.“ Isaiah 32:17

“HOOOOOLEEEEEEE COWWWW! LOOK AT THAT!” Kate and I were heading south bound through a busy 4 lane section of 4 lane, U.S. 41 when he caught my eye. Though texting on is not legal while driving, he was doing it anyway! But I couldn’t decide if he was being heroic or crazy, because I had never seen ANYONE do it THAT way before. Paying to see him would have been worth it!

I was glad we caught the red light, since it gave us a chance to stop and stare at the approaching sight. The man was driving on a narrow path heading north, facing the 50 mph south bound lane. While cars zipped by him, he didn’t even notice! An old school wire ran from his phone to a set of earbuds. He was jamming as he held his phone up to his face… peddling a BIKE.. with no hands!

Looking back and analyzing the scene, I can say for certain that the man was experienced. There is NO way he could perform such a dazzling feat otherwise. Like everyone, he had to start at the beginning and learn how to peddle a bike, keep it upright and steer. There’s no doubt he had fallen many times, but he must have kept going because riding with no hands had to come next!

Becoming skilled at anything takes time. Falls and failures are a natural condition to learning, Bumps and bruises become a big part of the process. Becoming a Bible believing, Jesus following, fearless, confident warrior for Christ takes both time… and scars. And while lots of folks might think it crazy to identify as a ‘Warrior’ for Christ, ‘The Word’ is clear… that is EXACTLY what we are called to be!

It seems to me that back when I was a child, the old folks used to tell stories of how THEY did it to teach kids how it’s supposed to be done. “I used to walk 5 miles to school, in the snow, uphill, both ways!” Those stories taught me that perseverance and hard work were a necessary part of life. Today, I look at the world, dazed and confused at where it’s headed. And have only 1 thing to say.

I’m glad I’m not raising kids today. If I were, I’d be tempted to sell everything I own, find a big chunk of land, throw the cell phones and computers in the trash and simply isolate! But then… how would my kids survive when they ultimately faced the dangerous traffic of real life? So I look at that crazy bike rider and tell him the same thing I tell everybody… “You’d better have Jesus!” Bike on brother!

So… do you ride, walk or bike with Jesus everyday? If you do, it will be evident by your peaceful confidence!

“The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.” Proverbs 17:3

“Wow!!!! Look at THAT!” Driving down to the beach to see how it fared after Hurricane Ian, that sentence was on auto-play, as each street proved the event more powerful than man. Whole streets were lined with debris stacked taller than me! The scene did not help my cloudy mood, as a sense of dreadful helplessness filled my soul. That is, until this morning! Today? I’m feeling Son-ee!

Katie was the one who wanted to go to the beach. The scene at the beach before dusk is USUALLY spectacular! After all, it’s hard to beat a good sunset on the Gulf of Mexico! I know she was looking for a spark, a ray of hope among the litter. When we got to the beach, a bunch of yoga folks lay on the sand under a gray sky listening to machine produced tones! I humphed, we left!

Being human, I can appreciate all things human. We all get down, sad, blue and discouraged because ‘Stuff Happens!’ When it does, I want fixed. I want peace. I seek a permanent, solid rock to stand on. I’m smart enough to know that drowning my blues in a sea of self-manufactured peace is both temporary and stupid! Looking at God’s creation, they still refused to see! We didn’t!

Bad theology irritates me. There are folks who believe that God causes calamity, and those folks point to this verse to prove it! I know better. In a world created by man’s sin, God doesn’t need to cause a stir. Death and destruction are a natural part of the terrain! But God can, and does, USE calamities to shake my self made world of security. I won’t search for a rock until I’m sinking!

Metallurgists have tests to determine how strong a metal is. That process always starts with putting the metal under stress… until it fails! And failure is not an option! The stress will continue until it the metal breaks. I’ve discovered that God’s habit is to hang out in calamity because, it is when men break, that they truly may seek the strength and security only He can provide!

When the metallurgist puts the metal under stress, he watches it closely. This morning, I realized that process is a 2 way street! God always watches me to see if I’m am looking for Him! Only when our eyes meet can I recognize His Mercy and Grace, and His Love for me. Nothing can actually happen until I recognize that HE is God and I am not! Looking at His Son Jesus is better than any sunset!

What are YOU looking at?     

“When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’” Psalm 30:6      haaaaaa… right!

“I am SOOOOO sorry!” It was all I could think and say… after feeling like a failure! It’d been 2 weeks since Ian stormed through here, and folks are on edge. But me? “Oh, I’m fine!” Yesterday, my head swarmed with things to do, people to talk to, LED sign messages to create, a church and a lesson to prepare for Bible Study. I thought, “Yup! I’m ready!” And last night, during the lesson, I crashed!

The idea was a good one, suggested by a church member… ‘How to share The Gospel with people in our world.’ While pulling resources, writing notes and even coming up with a fun activity, distractions came and I didn’t even notice my brain had stalled. At the last minute, the printer didn’t work, the choir song was terrible and a surprise phone call took longer. Then I fell into a hole.

To say ‘things didn’t go according to plan’ is an understatement. Having been a Bible teacher for over 50 years, I think I have it down. ‘Holy Spirit Inspiration, Bible study, creative strategy while following God’s lead’ usually comes naturally. Having run at high speed trying to take care of so many things, I’m ashamed to admit that the macho guy got ahead of God… God stopped and watched me crash!

The Psalms have always been the place to run when I am feeling out of sorts. Strange that I hadn’t noticed I’d been reading them for the last week. What should have been a clue to my personal mental state, I took for ideas to encourage others in this storm torn paradise. Last night I had to admit it. I’m a mess! I have hit a wall and I can’t go on like this any more. A lesson from David!

Katie told me years ago that I have a heart like David. David was a warrior and a man of Faith. But David was MOST often a WHACK job! If he wasn’t running toward some trouble, he was running from it! And His notes reveal he was almost schizophrenic in his emotions… up then down! But he wasn’t afraid to fall apart and cry out to God when he did! But God ALWAYS heard David.

I don’t want to sound a downer or a failure. Rather I feel like God has placed His hand on my heart, telling me to stop and let HIM be the fixer. My security, strength and peace are ONLY going to be found IN HIM! Even when I think ‘I’ve got this!’ I’m reminded by failure that He doesn’t call me to be a Super-man! He calls me to be Humbly HIS! As Forrest Gump said after a run, ‘I think I’ll stop now!’

Are YOU running on empty trying to save the world? Why not join David and me in running to God, letting go and letting HIM be Him? I thank my Church people for their patience with me. 

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16

“OH NO!!!! LOOK AT THE LEMON TREE!” Katie was pointing to the tree that was really never much to look at anyway. But now, it was even worse! Hurricane Ian had blown it down to about a 45 degree angle! Not much to look at, it had produced over 300 lemons last season. Now, production was in jeopardy. My sons came to help and said, “we’ll take care of that mom!” And they did!

Since everyone was in need and in a hurry, they placed a chain around the tree and attached it to my truck. Spinning tires and smoke resulted in an upright tree, but we lacked anything to keep it that way. Then ingenuity hit! Grabbing a borrowed trailer they propped it up against the tree, using palm trunks as wheel chocks! I’m proud my sons are wise and industrious. They will never starve!

Going about recovering from Ian, we all set about helping others get out of emergencies and back to normal. Which ultimately meant the owner of the trailer needed his trailer back. Needing a more permanent solution, I was strapping it up when my neighbor came over to help. Little did I realize that event would lead to yet another Gospel sharing opportunity within a couple days.

Coming out of his house to walk his dog last night, he asked me, “are you going to put some Miracle Grow on that tree to help it root and stand straight?” My IMMEDIATE response was somewhat rehearsed and came out, “Nah… I don’t need a miracle, I have Jesus!” And with those words, other words came out like, “Tree of Life, sin, leaning on Jesus and standing up to storms” followed.

For months I have been telling people to prepare with food and necessities for at least a month, since economic conditions required it. When Hurricane Ian was forecast, further preparations had to be made. As a believer in Christ, His Word had commanded me to prepare for tough times ahead, get ready for Heaven and to share The Gospel with neighbors in my world. So I had, then simply did!

Sharing the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ should be automatic, since it is the greatest gift on Earth. But those who do not know Jesus are often opposed to hearing about Him. That means we need to work out our own way to prepare and share our own Good News with those who come into our world. That takes work and planning to BE READY! Rewarding results will be out of this world!

Are YOU leaning on Jesus and standing up to share the Good News at any time He gives you the opportunity?

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” Proverbs 11:30

“Oh my Lord!” was all I could say! Turning onto a street in the middle of a town in a part of only 1 county devastated by Hurricane Ian, the sight was overwhelming. The street was straight and seemed at least a mile long, with debris stacked high on both sides. A brother in Christ and I were heading to 1 house, all the way at the end, to lend a hand to 1 family that had called for help.

A large team of Samaritan’s Purse workers were there crawling over the house, inside and out, cleaning up what had been broken or scattered by the storm. Overwhelmed, I looked for a place to jump in and help. Finding it on the roof, I took a moment to survey the damage to the entire housing development. Unfortunately, EVERY house had experienced loss from Ian’s wrath.

While there were hundreds of houses there, there was only 1 that had an army of volunteers to help them. Samaritan’s Purse receives and provides tremendous resources through Christians. They go to a disaster site to help, but then only to the owner of that particular house after they request help. Which, I remembered, is exactly how Jesus does it! Sadly, it appeared, not many had called.

Being overwhelmed is my state of mind these days. I am located behind enemy lines in an area destroyed by a hurricane, in a world that is living and headed for hell. I simply call it a war zone! When Jesus called out to me, He saved me when I heard Him and answered back that I needed and WANTED His hand. We’ve been doing things HIS way since. ‘His Way’ is to send me back in!

God has unlimited resources beyond description. Reading the Bible about what Heaven will be like is as overwhelming as seeing the results of Ian’s winds. It WILL be AWESOMELY WONDERFUL but, I am not there… I am here! Here, the Master gives me the duty of representing Him in rescuing those who are willing to receive His Grace. I am to call out, urge and listen for an affirmative reply!

One of the hardest things I am expected to do requires a kind of sifting through debris. While my Master has unlimited resources, I do not. My strength, time and resources must be carefully directed to remain in line with Jesus’ mission. Hiding is not an option and seeking is my privileged obligation! You see, He is building a Kingdom and has requested my services!

Are YOU building the Kingdom with Christ?  Or are you hiding from Him?  He wants you a part of HIS Team.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8

“UGH…” I thought… “NOW what?” With the whole Hurricane Ian thing dominating EVERYONE’S life in my area, Jesus, work and sleep were the only things on my agenda. I was tired and it was Sunday. Having just preached a Jesus commanded, hard sermon to my Church people about selfishness and discipleship in dark times, I felt bad in body, soul and spirit! Then the doorbell rang!

‘Ding Dong!’ Feeling like one, I didn’t hear the sound because I was asleep on the couch. When Katie said there was someone at the door, I DID hear her and got up to answer. Standing there was a BIG strapping young man I presumed to be a salesman. Driving by, he had noticed the palm tree stump sticking out of the ground from Ian. Seeing his rig, I recognized him a stump grinder!

Supply and demand are the 2 things that run our Democracy in America. He needed money, I needed a stump ground down. Had he been selling windows, painting or insurance, I would not have been interested. But he had just what I needed! So a deal was made for $100! I went in to get the cash, he went out to fire up the stump grinder! Along the way, Jesus got in the middle!

Being a little down, I had been praying for some kind of uplift from Jesus. It was HE who demanded I preach that tough sermon. But it was ME who would catch any heat! But that’s ‘The Call.’ ‘Go, Preach, Teach, and Share the Gospel, they WILL persecute you, but get moving!’ I needed a win and asked for some joy! I could only smile when Jesus whispered… ‘you’re on!”

Going outside I was glad to find I could talk loudly and still be heard over the sound of the grinder. So I asked him, “Where you from?” “New York” he said. Which opened up other questions and prompted more answers, allowing me to get to know him a little. His brother got out of the truck and now I had 2. 20 minutes later, I made my move and asked them some Jesus questions!

“I’m a Christian and I usually give a little more than asked.” Handing him $110 and a gospel track I asked, “are you both Jesus guys and know how to get to heaven?” They confirmed that they were and did, so I said, “then read and pass that on to someone who doesn’t… and here’s the name of a guy I know who needs 4 stumps ground!” They smiled, I smiled, and so did Jesus! 25 minutes!

I had been looking for some Joy. And NOTHING gives me more joy than spending time with my Savior. I believe when I asked for some joy, He supplied it with 2 stump grinders, along with a way to serve Him. Like them, I had been needing and looking for an opportunity to get something from Jesus, Jesus supplied my need with Himself! A WIN-Win-Win!

Are YOU looking for some Jesus joy? Then Jesus is saying… “you’re on!”

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:16

“RRRRRRR,” said the chainsaw! Cutting fallen and leaning trees, I was fighting time and light because the sun was setting. Musing that Hurricane Ian didn’t need that much time to knock ‘em down, I didn’t hear the incessant ding, ding, ding of my phone. When it turned quiet, I noticed I’d missed 2 phone calls and 16 texts! Sore and tired, it’d been like that for days! I needed some power!

Driving home in the dark and looking at my phone would have been dangerous AND illegal, so I made it my priority to ‘get power’ by heading home to my wife, a shower and some food. When I got home, Katie hollered, “Cori finally got power!” Having no electricity for 9 days, her family could now enjoy the comfort and ease that electrical power brings. Then I remembered the texts… and knew.

Good News spreads FAST, though I’m not so sure it spreads as fast as BAD news. But while I was cutting away, my whole family was on a ‘group text’ with Cori making textiful praises and cheers for her family’s good fortune. My son-in-law texted, “Thank you Jesus!” I had to text remind him that “Jesus didn’t do it, thank the linemen!” Jesus would have had it on in under a minute! Haa Haa!

Because I am not God, there is only so much I can humanly do. Add to it the sorrow that comes with NOT being able to do more, plus the difficulty of accessing and setting priorities, Hurricane Ian had turned into a storm that still churns within my soul. Hearing the praises of victory and restoration can easily be squashed by bad, sad news of loss and pain. Either way, because I am His, I want to cry!

Coming to Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit’s power takes a toll on a person. Because His heart is my heart, I am much more sensitive and caring… and driven. I hurt when I see people hurt. But I also hate evil and selfish stupidity with a passion that is holy and intense. Speaking out makes a Christian a target! But Jesus warned that with power, comes light! Darkness HATES Light!

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 warrants a reading of the whole chapter. It is ALL about power and HOW to get it! ‘Power Central’ is God, ‘The Lineman’ is Jesus Christ, and The Power’ is the Holy Spirit. With that formula in mind, it is simply a logical statement that, “if someone doesn’t have power… it is their OWN fault! And “Why?” Because HIS power is ALWAYS available! ALWAYS!

If I do not have and use His power I will be a joyless, human being walking around in dark weakness. Focusing on bad circumstances, instead of the Holy Spirit’s power to endure, simply keeps me lost and unlit for Him. A fault of my own, requiring me to plug in to Him through His Word, and POWER UP! I am called and BY GOD to simply, “Be like the moon – REFLECT The SON! NOW – HIS light is on – IN me!

Are YOU a power receiving, beacon of light for Jesus Christ? A Shocking Revelation for God?