“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.” Luke 6:3

I love my neighbor! Rick and I have done a lot of things together. Trimming trees and bushes between our houses is the usual thing we do. Both of our wives like that… so we trim and clean them regularly. Rick has many skills. When I asked if he’d like to go to Barnes (the Church’s house) to work. He gladly said “YES!”

We had just been over there on Monday and spent about 5 hours. He knows drywall… and knows I HATE drywall. I changed out electrical fixtures. Yesterday Rick called to say he was going over there… alone! I had other things to do, he was looking for something TO do. Later, going out to FLAP… I saw Rick.

Rick’s shirt was completely soaked with sweat and his head was reddish… like he’d just taken a hot shower. “Boy it’s hot over there he said!” I suggested he could have turned on the air conditioner… but it never occurred to him. AC costs money… and it sounded like he didn’t want Jesus paying for his efforts.

FLAP (our Churches Bible Study) was a full house. The subject of ‘loving one’s neighbor’ came up. “How do we really do that?” someone asked. ESPECIALLY if someone is evil. AHHHHH… therein lies the rub! Julie, a church member, is going through a lawsuit with a very evil neighbor who is trying to take her property!

With the election pretty much over, we can see that God has intervened. But it’s like summer is over, but the heat remains! The people we consider our enemies, according to the Word of God, are really God’s challenge FOR us. And the heat is NOT going to go away. Neither is the sweaty, tough work that comes along with it.

Jesus calls those who love Him ‘His disciples.’ He has LOTS to say about what, and how, we do things. One of them is this pesky little verse that is repeated about a hundred times throughout His Word. It’s a command… NOT a request! ‘HOW’ we LOVE will take prayerful consideration, and ultimately… ACTION. So… DO YOU?

Have you asked God for the best possible way for you to show love toward another person? Even if that person proves to be your worst, pesky enemy? The heat is on! Jesus expects I take advantage of His resources, go to Him and ask Him HOW to be a cool disciple! Why not ask God, then go be a Rick and… just DO IT!?

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

“I gotta go vote!” That was the final action of James Carpenter before he came home, laid down on the floor under a fan.. and passed away. His ‘I voted’ sticker was still on his shirt when, because of his service as a U.S. Marine, they wrapped him in a U.S. Flag, and took him home to be with Jesus.

James was a one-of-a-kind kind of guy. If you knew him, you could only laugh as you tried to describe him. Swapping stories, Gwen, Josh, Stacey, Katie and I did just that. Remembering him and his stories brought a bit of humor into the sadness of the moment. We talked about what he must be saying to Jesus NOW!

James Dean Carpenter was a lot of things. But what was truly clear was that He loved Jesus. He was not afraid to say so either. When he was off work, he’d come by and stand on the corner with us and hold a sign saying so. You couldn’t miss him… ever… anywhere. For now, we weep and mourn his passing. But soon!

James was a GREAT ambassador for Jesus for our church. James actually, in his own way, brought more people to our church than anyone. Funny how that sounds. But it is true. So who is going to step up, and out, to fill his shoes? They are BIG shoes to fill! The job still needs done… and James would encourage it.

The Election of Trump is a mirror of the Book of Judges. We will gather together tonight at FLAP and talk about what it takes to save a Nation. But the example of James, in HIS country, home and church, would be to GET INVOLVED AND DO IT! “Don’t be a slacker!” He’d say. We will see him again. But now WE are his legacy.

Will YOU stand up and out for Jesus… and America? Because Jesus is taking ALL kinds of characters to do His work.  James Dean Carpenter… is proof!  Now it’s YOUR turn.

“…the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up…” Judges 3:9

“I’m not going to eat tomorrow.” Those were the words Katie said to me after getting home last night from Ladies Bible Study. I didn’t have to ask ‘why,’ because I already knew. Today is Election Day. And by the end of it, we will not be the same… no matter WHO wins. So today is a day to fast and pray.

I’ve never really been a big ‘faster.’  I’ve tried it before… and can STILL see my dad’s face when, over 50 years ago, HE tried it for 3 DAYS!! He was a mess. And no.. it didn’t do anything for Him in his quest for an answer from God. That doesn’t mean I’m throwing fasting away. After all… today is going to be a tense one.

Make no mistake about it. We, like the Israelites in the book of Judges, have failed and fallen as a county. America’s issues are no different. We, too, worship the gods of immorality. I could barely stomach watching TV last night for all the pro abortion ads. Our nation is one of harlots, murderers, thieves, druggies and liars.

I avoided an exclamation mark at the end of that last paragraph because it is no surprise. We we’re a nation founded on Jesus Christ and the Bible. What we are now mimics Israel and their fated country. But we cannot say we haven’t been warned. For now, it is only God’s move. We’ll get a Godly leader… or a butcher!

The Bible is clear that the LORD left evil nations among them to test all the Israelites. Looking at my life I can see MY faltering steps… and failures… when the same exam was laid in front of me. Thankfully I have a Savior. But that doesn’t mean I don’t face testing now and then. I pray we all become wiser and effective.

So today we wait and pray… concentrating on God’s hand on America. Will you join us in prayer today? For ourselves as much as for our Country. 

“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” Galatians 5:17 (NKJV)

Searching for a snack out of boredom, I opened the refrigerator to see what I could find. Instantly, my EYES fell upon some Halloween candy. Then my HAND grabbed a piece and shoved it into my MOUTH! All before my BRAIN had time to think about it! So there I stood… candy breath and all… wondering what just happened! I just proved God doesn’t lie. I had vowed to NOT eat candy.

It really ISN’T a mystery. Paul wrote this verse 2000 years ago to give a heavenly explanation to what every one of us should already know. He gave it even MORE detail in Romans 7. Humans make BAD choices… ALL the time. I listen to the excuses regularly, from myself… AND from others… then ask… “I don’t understand… WHY do I keep choosing the wrong thing!” As if I was genuinely surprised!

NO GOOD THING LIVES IN YOUR FLESH (Romans 7:18).But that is NOT what the WORLD, the FLESH or the DEVIL says about me. The message that screams to ALL of us is, “you’re a winner, believe in yourself, you’re enough or you can do it!” And the dude with the candy breath just refuses to smell it! But I am not alone in asking the question. Paul asked it of himself 2000 years ago!

We are agathokakological beings. That means we consist of both good and evil. We aren’t BORN good and then go bad. actually, it is the reverse. No one teaches a child to be bad. They already KNOW. Steeped in sin, we have the natural tenancy to choose the WRONG things. ALL evidence points out that WE NEED A SAVIOR! A fact that quickly disappears with a whisper of, “Eh…I’m fine!”

If I agree with God as to my lost and dead disposition, why is my natural inclination to defend myself? Why do I fight so hard to be right, when I know that the majority of the time my flesh is wrong? In a world of sin, why is a drink or drug chosen over responsibility? Why is it easier to take a nap then get something done? Why is it easier to quit than press on? If you’ve read this far then you already know the answer. Our flesh stinks!

Sin is a stench in the nose of God. If we even had a HINT of its awful reality, we’d faint! Want a taste? Hold your hand over a candle for 1 second! THAT is a TINY taste of what the wage of sin brings. Now multiply that by a gazillion and add eternity! THAT is GOD’S view! THAT is the price he paid to free me from sin’s penalty. The very LEAST I can do is love Him for it.