“But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another.” 1 Corinthians 12:24b-25

Gema and Cash spent the weekend with us. Two different grandchildren from one of my children (and her spouse). One a boy. The other is a girl. Two totally unique and special gifts from God. Gema loves to go to the beach. So does Katie. Cash doesn’t like to go to the beach. Neither do I. Like me, Cash likes to fish. I’ll bet you can figure out what we all did.

Lots of people adhere to the saying, “If I knew how much fun grandchildren were, I’d have had them FIRST!” We don’t think like that. We LOVE just having them around. Now that we’re older, we miss having kids around almost as much as we miss the energy we had when they were! There is just something about having family around and doing things together.

God intended the Body of Christ to be just like that. I’ve been told I am a unique individual! But then, so is everybody in the Church. It is just as God has intended it. We are all part of a whole… unique and separate, but one together. The gift God has given me to enhance, encourage and enable the body to function is no greater, or less, than YOUR gift to the Body.

God gets a kick out of me for some reason… that is a fact. But it is no less a fact that God gets a kick out of YOU TOO! God made me a part of a body for a reason. He made YOU that way TOO! If I do not do my part… you can’t do yours. And vice versa. As I read, pray, praise and serve, I thank YOU for YOUR doing YOUR part to Glorify God in His Body. What a team!

How are you and Team Jesus doing?

“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” Isaiah 53:2

Katie called it a “Bad lookin’ truck!” ‘Bad’ meaning good I guess. I knew what she was doing. She was trying to pump up the visual to live up to its intent. I appreciated the attempt. I had just been given a set of fancy black, aluminum wheels for my truck. A man I met had bought them and got stuck. Not able to use them, he gave them to me. I put them on!

It was the very next day that the weather changed and it poured. Driving through several mud puddles, I hadn’t realized, until the sun came up, that my shiny new wheels now needed to be cleaned! To keep up appearances, I worked on doing just that. Cleaning my truck is something I rarely do… but it appears expectation will make me clean it more.

The descriptive image of Jesus at the end of Revelation is MORE than Awesome. When He returns, the Bible says the unrepentant will pray the mountains fall on them to avoid even gazing at Him. That is NOT the image of Jesus at His first coming. Today’s Bible verse says that Jesus did not look like the handsome guy we see today in pictures. He appeared plain!

Being made in God’s image has the potential to be impressive, but what appears great to one person may not appeal to another. God’s intent is that I would paint a reputation of Jesus that others will find desirable enough to emulate. How I look is really up to ME! Father God wants me to stand up and out to represent His Son in the best way possible. Today I will work on that!

How about YOU? How do people see Jesus based upon the image of Him that YOU present?

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.“ Psalm 150:6

As the clouds were darkening the sky in preparation for rain, the sound came for the first time this year. Emanating from where 2 sliding glass doors come together, the sound was memorable and distinctive… “RIBBIT!” The tree frog was back! Katie was joyful and wondered how many generations had come to take that same spot over the years.

For as long as we can remember, the spring rains have brought a tree frog to that very spot. We assume it is a relative, since the average tree frog life span is only 2-5 years. We wondered if there were any official classes taught on how to find that spot. Maybe some inheritance or will or something. But every year… “RIBBIT!” A tree frog finds it home.

There are gazillions of examples of God’s existence that can be found in creation. The fact that a tree frog, which has no real way to communicate other than 1 sound, can somehow pass on a family estate to another generation… and so on and so on… is just an example of nature giving praise and honor to its Creator. When I think about it, it makes me feel small.

As said in Bible study last night, today’s Bible verse is found in the last Psalm. The word ‘Praise’ is written 155 times in the Psalms. It is one of David’s favorite words. I note it is a command… not a suggestion. Somehow, God gets something out of the sound of a Tree Frog when it does what it was created to do. But… I know He wants something a WHOLE lot bigger from ME!

How do YOU acknowledge and Praise the God of the Universe? Why not practice today? He’d LOVE to hear from you. 

 “I will go before you And make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” Isaiah 45:2 NKJV

His name had been changed to Danno Askew… because he just can’t handle when something’s not straight. We were at the range and the target had been sent out to about 15 yards. As soon as I heard “WAIT WAIT WAIT” I KNEW what was wrong. Danno couldn’t handle that the target was slightly askew. So he pulled it back and adjusted it. UGH!

Now I ask… if a round target is drawn on a rectangular paper… does it MATTER that the paper is crooked? Not to me. But Danno Askew goes crazy. He’s methodical and deliberate in his actions and desires. Me? I’m more of an impatient fellow and would rather not waste the time in straightening out things that don’t really matter to me. And that is the point!

When we are on the range, DAN is the MAN in charge. If he doesn’t like it, it gets changed. “WAIT WAIT WAIT” is a common phrase of his. I hate waiting. But as I thought about the process, I realized that the ‘wait trait’ of Dan isn’t really a bad thing. In fact, I deliberately looked up today’s verse to remind myself that GOD doesn’t care for crooked stuff either!

In talking with someone going through the mourning process yesterday, I explained that the reason that death and mourning are so tough is that… deep inside… we KNOW we were not created for this. We were created in God’s image to live and glorify Him FOREVER. When death comes, we can’t wrap our heads around the theory and the reality as they clash!

I am SOOO glad that God hates crooked and out of place stuff. AND that He is committed to straightening out all the stuff that has been made askew by the choices of His created ones. I look FORWARD to a perfectly straight and corrected world with Him. Do you?

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” John 15:16a

It’s a call really. One that no one can really miss. The story, heard when I was little, was of my grandfather and his way of getting his kids in for dinner. He’d walk out onto the landing overlooking the Pittsburgh hills and whistle… ONCE! Once done, kids had better be running for home. The whistle was what had me intrigued. I asked him to do it… once!

The idea that a human body could produce a sound so dangerously loud on the decibel scale whistled to me. I just HAD to learn how. Meeting another guy who knew how, I asked questions… and PRACTICED! It took quite a while to learn how, but determination and persistence won the day. My family knows when it’s me instantly when that sound goes out!

I whistled the other day around a couple of my grand-kids. “Hey Grampa… how do you do that?” I smiled because asking how, and learning how, are 2 VERY different things. Soon, a granddaughter started REALLY asking and practicing. I smiled. In all these years none of my family have pursued the learning of ‘The Whistle.’ Maybe there will be someone after all.

The call of God is just as piercing and original as my grandfather’s whistle. When I hear it, I know it. The command to COME is not given as a suggestion. It is a call to come… and then GO! God’s purpose for me is to hear, respond, listen, practice and then go into the world and spread the call to others that THEY may respond as well. Not all do. Have YOU?

“What and honor it is to be called by The Father…  I pray you hear Him

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

Well here it is… finally! Rain! It’s the same story every year. The weather is beautiful through the winter. Then it starts to get hot. With the heat comes the need for rain to produce flowers, fruits and vegetables. But there is always a tease. It seems that for at least a month, the talk is about how dry everything is. How we REALLY need rain. BAD! Well… it’s here!

Every year the subject comes up! Then… when there is no longer a need… the subject changes. Pretty soon the discussions will be about “when is it ever going to stop raining?” As I sat in the comfortable, dry, chair looking out at the dark rain clouds, I felt a peace that comes with knowing Jesus as The, and my, Great I AM! Then this verse came to mind.

There are times when I feel I am straining to simply get a drink just to survive. At other times, I am flooded with so many blessings I can’t help but Praise, Thank and Share Him and His bounty. Today, as I look out at the dark clouds and the rain, I am simply grateful to know 2 very important things. 1. There IS a God! 2. I am not Him!

Are you sharing your needs and blessings… praising God for His wonderful care? YOU are VERY special to Him. 

“He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.” Revelation 22:21-21

It’s FRIDAY!!! That thought hits my head every time it comes around. Funny thing is, the reality of the day hasn’t really applied to me for a very long time. In fact, since becoming a pastor, it SHOULD have an opposite effect, since the weekend is when I do most of my work. But Friday still gives me a special inner joy. The end of work… a time of rest.

Reading Revelation this morning, I saw notes I had written in my Bible about today’s Bible verses. Jesus is talking, and He’s making a promise… “I am coming SOON!” That Greek word, I learned, is ‘tachy.’ It doesn’t really mean QUICK as I like to think, but that His coming is IMMINENT. And once it gets started… will be soon. I am to LOOK FORWARD to Him.

So finding myself on Friday and reading Revelation, I couldn’t help but be even MORE joyful that I’m living in a time that is tick tick ticking along toward the coming of Jesus Christ. To set me and all the saints into a place of peace and rest, right beside HIM. It is a thought that brings me GREAT JOY. So Maranatha (bring it on Lord) to you this Friday!

Are YOU looking forward to Jesus’ return? Oh.. and a reminder. Sunday is Mother’s Day

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

My pool turned green. And it seemed… right before my eyes. The water was crystal clear, and just like that, it got green. Well… maybe it wasn’t ‘just like that!’ It took some time and negligence. I head off to the pool store to get chlorine and chemicals to fix the mess. I’d just gotten a new pool pump and the settings on it aren’t helping either. So it’s time for Science!

The Scientific method is probably the best way I know to clean this up. I saw the problem, formed an idea, conducted some experiments and drew up some conclusions. Adding a certain amount of Chlorine and acid did the trick. But it had to be balanced just right. Just like I try to do with my Walk with Jesus. Simply believing in Jesus doesn’t get results either!

In observing happy, healthy Christians, I find that there is more to it than meets the eye. Having Him in my heart is a great start. From there He guides me to DO certain things to be a good disciple. Today’s Bible verse gives me the method. Observing my status with Him, I am called to be all in, Study His Word, then correctly apply it to my life through prayer and work.

The walk of a Believer can be scientifically verified as well. If I claim to belong to Jesus, yet don’t do what He tells me, like read His word daily, pray, tell others, show up and be involved in His ministry, then there’s a good chance something is being neglected. Joy, and peace roll in when the algae of life goes away. Why not try the method for yourself and see!

“Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19

“OOO… ya GOT ONE!” was the cry from everyone on the boat, when a slack line went taunt and a pole began to dance with a catch. Sometimes, “Oh he’s a nice one too,” would be thrown in, IF the fight seemed aggressive. Most of the time, after being landed, the fish was thrown back because of size or species issue. But new bait was applied and thrown again.

Fishing… now there’s a pastime. I’ve tried to count the cost many times, but dropped the math when a fish, caught by me, cost 4 x’s or more than what I could buy it for at the store. But I always go back to it. It’s an expensive thrill. But a thrill… still. When the thrill is gone, gear collects dust in the back room. Reflecting on the act, I related it to Jesus’ call to Peter.

It’s an unknown and surreal feeling to be called to Christ. When the bait is taken by a lost soul who is hungry for something more, a thrill comes to the heart of both the taker AND presenter. When a seemingly big one gets away, it dampens my spirit with, ‘what if’? But I do not control the waves. I can only answer His call. “Try again! He says. Will I?

Every Christian is called to be a Fisher of people for Christ. Also called ‘witnesses,’ it sticks to people who habitually do it. But NO ONE is absolved from being one… for Him. People see me for who I am by what I DO. If I stand with a pole at the water’s edge, I am a fisherman. If I call myself a Christian, I am expected by my Master to do and act like one.

A Believer’s cost to ‘self’ is expensive. It requires an ‘all-in’ attitude that includes time, money, talents and service. But there is not a better, more secure and exciting place to be than in Jesus boat… doing His thing. Are you?