“For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling;” Palm 27:5

Ever been sick and tired of being sick and tired? Waking up in the middle of the night for the fourth time, I swallowed… and reality startled my senses. My throat was so sore that just swallowing became an involuntary act of punishment. But how do I NOT swallow? KNOWING the pain that was coming, I was powerless to stop it. Then embarrassment settled in! Which made me feel even worse!

Remembering several people in my church who are going through things that are SO much worse than what I have, made me feel unworthy of even reflecting on my own stuff. What I have is some kind of cold. Having no actual ‘tough-guy’ monitor to determine how well I am doing with my own sickness, I can only feel like the worlds biggest wimp! I am sick and tired of even being in this valley. I cringe when my wife asks, “how are you feeling?” I hate even bothering her with the truth again! After all, my trouble assuredly brings HER trouble because, we are in this together.

I know people who are right now facing the loss of a parent through a long illness. Having lived through that process myself, I am reminded of that old familiar pain. All I can do is what I am led to do… I PRAY! I also know people who are battling cancer, and other diseases, that bring about MUCH larger trouble and pain than what I am going through. Which reminds me of my own mortality, making it a little frightening to even think about how THEY must feel. So inside I groan again… in PRAYER… that God will give THEM the power of His presence through their suffering as well.

Looking back, I didn’t really see ‘prayer for others’ as a positive result from my own wimpiness. But it happened! Knowing the Bible, I see that God CAN and DOES use ANYTHING to bring about His love and care into someone else’s difficulty. It is a way He ministers to His people.

In the end, everything is going to be all right. One day I will be in heaven with all those fellow believers, where will never be any sickness, sorrow or death again. I am reminded that it is a blessing that He resides with me.. even now… WITHIN the difficulties of life. No matter how big or small they come.

“pray continually…” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Tossing and turning last night, I fell between awake and asleep. As I moved toward awake mode, the first words out of my mouth were, “Please bless him Lord!” I’d roll over and repeat that cycle until the next time I started to wake up… all night long! There was nothing more I could do! So I did it!

Being a dad and grandfather, there are times when there is nothing else I can do but PRAY! We have all been there. We shall all go through it again. The occasion for my prayer is rather significant. One of my kids is going through the hardest test he has ever taken. All he has to do is score higher than 19 other folks.. and the job is his! Knowing him, I have total confidence in his abilities. But I just need to DO something else! You know… cover ALL the bases! So I pray.

I don’t really know what kind of influence my prayers will have. He has studied for so long and so hard, that I know he is ready. His score will reflect HIS self discipline and brain power. Not mine! There is no way I can help him, as it is HIS mountain to climb. Being a Jesus Guy… I have the privilege of Prayer AND the command to Pray continually. So I do! Even thought though the outcome is 100% on my son! I think!

I noticed something funny happen to me as the date of his test got closer. I found myself talking to God and saying some VERY strange things. Even for me! “Hey God.. I have never really fasted and prayed… but I’ll try that today!” Another thought hit… I am embarrassed to say it.. but I have to be honest.. “Hey God.. give him this and I won’t ask for anything for a while!” Embarrassing right? But don’t we ALL do that… try to bargain with God to get a favorable outcome? Like asking God to influence the outcome of a football game, we KNOW it is ridiculous! But it doesn’t stop us from doing it!

In the end, my son belongs to God! He has prayed like it all depends on God.. and studied like it all depends on himself. Now, only time will tell the outcome. The rest of the family prays, as we ALL want the best for him. If there is something WE can do to give him a 1 up… we do it. But we already know that the one who will get the job is the one who gets the highest score!

I am glad that my destination of Heaven has NOTHING to do with my own preparation and good works. I failed that test before I was even born! But God was not satisfied with my score and REALLY wanted me to pass. So He sent HIS AWESOME Son to pass the test FOR me! “Am I banking on that same heart tug of God to help my son with his test,” is a question I cannot answer. But I DO know THIS… regardless of the outcome… God has my son because my son loves HIS Son. And NOTHING is more important! But I am going to pray anyway! 

“Those who have reverence for the LORD will learn from Him the path they should follow.” Psalm 25:12 GNT

I am trying to figure out how to say this. I know it may sound silly… but not NEAR as silly as the Jeremiah 13 story of the loincloth! I was very busy yesterday… doing what I do. An email request came for some help, then a phone call to talk, then another for help, then a couple call outs to set appointments, then a pleasant conversation with an unknown person that ended with clarifying how God works. LOTS of God things came to me in an orderly fashion! Let’s just call them sequenced sequins! See? I told you it’d be silly!

While reading the 25th Psalm, this verse jumped out at me. As my dad used to say, there is NO principle of God that stands on only 1 verse. If I ever argued about the Bible with him, he required at least THREE verses to prove my point. This verse is a sister verse to Proverbs 3:5-6 and it talks about how God directs the steps of someone if that someone is paying attention to directions! It is both a ‘FACT’ and a ‘DIRECTIVE.’

To DISCOVER a Truth to be true, one has to ACCEPT it and then personally APPLY it. There is a lot of hit and miss and trial and error in application. But over the years I have discovered that when I live my life according to the way God proclaims in the Bible, and then start my day off dedicating it to Him… asking for His guidance…He will guide me. But only IF I pay attention! Like I said, it is a practiced art! Yesterday morning was just like that as one by one, I was being led from one thing to another. I was busy… but not CRAZED!

The sequence of yesterday’s events was too perfect to be accidental. I WAS paying attention and it seemed that God was shining all over the place. Which is what made me think of ‘sequins!’ Yea… YOU ought to try living in my head! In EVERY situation, there was opportunity to talk about God and His Word. And in every listening ear, there was opportunity to HEAR and APPLY it. Some did … some didn’t! Which brings me back to sequins!

While Jesus was on earth He called Himself THE Light of the world.’(John 8). Elsewhere, He told a group of people that THEY were the Light of the world! (Matthew 5). It doesn’t take a brainiac to figure out that ‘I’ am a light to the world ONLY IF I reflect HIS light! Sometimes that light is received.. other times it is refused. But the shine’s reflection reception is not up to me! I am only one half of the sequence!

As Believers in Christ we are told to Go and tell! Not Go and convince or demand. Too often I have seen no result from my obedience and think that I have done a poor job. But if I have asked to shine for Him.. and I DO…the reflection reception is NOT up to me! He only promises to sequence my sequins. And I know that sounds silly… but it is Truth!

“He said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.'” Luke 5:4-5

Spending time at the local Youth for Christ center in town, it was quietly billed as a big day! The place has a half pipe for skateboarding and through the leaders connections, some very famous skateboarding celebrities were going to be showing up to show off their skills. I knew they were them because they were older than the kids usually hanging there. But I had NO idea who THEY were. I don’t skate.

Having never hung out at a skate park, I only knew what I had seen the local guys doing. And these guys were spectacular. On of them climbed a tree overlooking the ramp… leaping into the air he landed on the ramp with tremendous applause. I shouted out, “bet ya cant do it from the garage roof!!” So he did! CRAZY is not a large enough word.

One very big guy stood against a wall all by himself. I went over to him, introduced myself and shook his hand. As my hand disappeared into his, I asked, “so what do YOU do?” “I play for the Bucs” he replied. Stuttering I asked “da.. umm… you mean the Tampa BAY Bucs… The football team?” “Yes.” was all he said. Embarrassed, since I don’t follow football much, I quickly sashayed into a subject we might have in common… Jesus Christ! His eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree!

Throughout the course of the evening I listened to those famous visitors as they spoke… NOT about their fame or their games… but about their Master! Which lit ME up even more… because HE has been MY Master for even longer. Being the old guy in the group, I was energized and in awe that My Master continues to work His work in the ‘highly unlikely!’

The story line that flowed from each of their lips was basically the same. It flowed out with, “I USED to be… but THEN… and NOW!” Amazingly.. their pattern was the same as mine! It is the same story line as told in a poem in 1779 by a one time ‘BAD guy’ named John Newton. “Amazing Grace…. How sweet the sound!” As we sat around a smoky fire, our get together sparked the familiar glow that Jesus ALWAYS has a way of bringing into a crowd. The quiet was proof He was there… AND the center of attention!

The highlight of my night was not really the famous speakers. One gal looked at my Bible as saw its marked up, wrinkled pages. I was honored beyond belief when she asked… “How do you do that?” Apparently it was MY turn to ‘go deep!’ All I could whisper was, “Thank you for letting me play, Lord.”

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Romans 8:29

While walking through the main hallway from our bedroom to the living room, I noticed a picture upside down on the floor. A small spark of horror shot through me. It seems strange to say that… and just as strange to write. But I have DOZENS of pictures and portraits of my kids hanging on that Hall of Fame! ONE of them had dropped to the floor! I felt like I feel when I see a U.S. Flag touch the ground! UNACCEPTABLE!

Photographic memories are cherished honors to me. When I take the time to look back and remember, I have a better picture of my life than when the picture was actually taken. See those pictures of my kid’s receiving their college diplomas? I REMEMBER how HARD it was to get there… and I am reminded how much HARDER it was to get through! But the triumphant smile on the picture says… DONE!

Those pictures of weddings with everyone dressed in their best, all smiling, tell a story of expansion, as our family has increased over the years BY CHOICE! Each picture in sequence, with little one’s included, count off the blessed increase! Now ONE was on the floor…NOT ACCEPTABLE! I picked up the picture and looked… it brought back a flood of precious memories. As I put it back in its place, I realized that the restoration had an immediate affect on my heart as well. I was reminded that I am a VERY blessed man!

Being ‘Born Again’ into God’s family can be like a photo. The evidence of the moment is there…but I don’t clearly remember it. Looking back on my life, He has grown me up into a MUCH different person than I would have been without Him. Old struggles and trials, now over, serve as victorious snapshots as He was shaping me into the person I have become. What USED to hold fear and uncertainty has become laughing milestones… photos that prompt the question, “remember when?”

Children do not choose to be born. That is the decision of the parents… even if made in ignorance! But Parenting is the most serious business on the planet and my Heavenly Father takes it quite seriously! I was NOT an accident and my Father has an EXACT PURPOSE in my upbringing. He is ALWAYS working to mold me into a carbon copy of His son Jesus Christ… THE Perfect Picture!

There may be times I fall and feel UNACCEPTABLE!… like I deserve to be in the ‘Hall of Shame!’ But MY Father will NEVER allow me to hang there. Because His Son chose to hang on a Cross, I will forever hang on His wall! Take a look… See that smile? It is there because I could NOT be ANY more grateful!

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Ephesians 2:8

In my wallet I held a $25 gift card to a specialized health food store in the next town. Since ‘Health Food’ is not really a thing with us, it had been in my wallet for a LONG time. We went to that store a couple months ago and shopped, walking out with 1 jar of Red Pepper Jelly! Since the card had about $21 left on it, since I was in that town, and since the Red Pepper Jelly was running low, I decided to stop in.

My wife is a preschool teacher and every year, on special occasions, she gets gifts from parents. Some are eclectic… like this gift card. We don’t shop at this store, but apparently they do… did…and thought it a great gift to honor my wife. They picked what THEY loved and passed it on to HER. The card lay unused because we do not treasure the place like they do. Though it does NOT make the gift any less act of love… it DOES make it of little use to US!

The gift card industry is BIG business. BILLIONS are spent on them, as it is a great way to give something without really having to pick out something user specific. Stores love them because a large percentage of gift cards go unused… bringing profit to the merchant without having to provide a product! The cards are store specific, so I can’t use THIS card at the junk food store! Too bad huh?

The biggest need, in this whole wide world of choices, is SALVATION from the lake of Fire. From the Garden of Eden to now, sin sincerely placed a HUGE debt upon every living human being. A debt that NO one could actually pay. But apparently enough distraction was found that eternal death wasn’t really that big of a deal to most humans. Enter God!

While we were sinners, God’s Son came and made a purchase. HE didn’t need the gift, didn’t NEED man, but LOVED us more than we deserved. His action at the cross paid for my debt… IN FULL! Afterward, He presented that free gift in the form of a card. “Here ya go! Life for FREE!” It is presented to man as “The Gospel!” It has to be CHOSEN and REDEEMED to work! Sadly, it mostly goes unused!

Far too many folks buy into satan’s lie that hell is about sinning, and that the chances of going there are diminished if sin is. Focus on sin is silly… since 1 sin kills us forever! NO one can reverse that fact. But there IS a GIFT CARD that EVERYONE has at their disposal. But to USE it.. you have to CHOOSE to accept it, GO to the only 1 place that honors it and purchase the ONE item for which it was given… Eternal LIFE!

SOOOOO… as the commercial asks.. “What’s in YOUR wallet?”

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.” Psalm 84:10

It was this last Saturday. The cleaning person who prepares the church for Sunday morning ended up being the same person who was going to be standing at the pulpit giving the sermon. That person was me. After gathering the trash from the receptacles in the various room, I went to the broom closet, you know…the same place Superman used to go to change from his earthly garb, and did the very same thing. Except on the way out – I grabbed the broom and dustpan!

Now this may sound ridiculous to some… but to me, cleaning the church is a Holy occasion. It isn’t mystical or magical. But neither is it a chore or a job. Long ago Jesus taught me that before I could have the PRIVILEGE of serving Him as HIS janitor, I had to FIRST remove my earthly garments and replace them with His Holy ones. And the very FIRST thing that ALWAYS has to go… is my attitude!

Before looking at even 1 speck of dirt, I had to remind myself that HE is perfect and beautiful and that I am not. I had remind myself that this is HIS house and not mine. That this is NOT JUST another building. That the specks of dirt on the floor, even though small, are to be removed. That while others may not even notice… HE ALWAYS does. Because this Church I am discussing is not just some structure made of earthly materials… this Church is ME! I had to remind myself that what I was about to DO was a Holy Honor… NOT a menial job!

It is SO easy to get SO caught up in life that I forget my place. What the world sees as just another guy, God sees as His Prince. It is far too easy to forget that in myself. Contrary to the world, losing sight of who I am in HIS eyes, The Prince… causes me to forget my place AND my task. To forget that I am on THE Mission representing HIM… NOT myself… is a dangerous place to fall. I MUST remember that The King’s training, AND His expectation for His kids is FAR removed from those in human palaces.

Royal children often live a life of ease and pampering. But God sees to it that His kids learn how to get down on their knees FIRST. That is why cleaning a floor or weeding a garden is where you’ll often find His prince or princess. The scepter He requires His kids master is not made of gold, but of bristles. Dirty fingernails are more beautiful to Him than the most luxurious manicure! They are the signs of a servant. And to BE a servant, one must have the HEART of a servant! And THAT is exactly what the word ‘deacon’ means.

YUPP!!! I can say it for certain… even though it gets messy at times, I would rather be a floor cleaner in the house of my Father than a dignitary anywhere else on Earth. And that is straight from the heart!

“In God, whose Word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Psalm 56:4

Moving toward an appointment I had made, irony seemed to be lurking from every angle. For the second day in a row I found myself driving to a busy section of town. Driving during Florida tourist season just makes me irritable. Being ‘frugal,’ I also hate paying for things that are no fun. Yesterday it was $180. Today was going to be $1200! All because a man I highly trusted had sent me here. Topping it off, I was greeted by the staff, not once, but 3 times with, “HEY.. HOW YA DOIN?” Smiling, I rolled my eyes and said… “I’m Blessed… but do you really use that same line on EVERYBODY?”

Normally, people freak out at the thought of a root canal. Mention the word ‘dentist’ and most folks break out in a sweat! Ironically, the first thing the assistant did was take my blood pressure! Though it had never been checked on any previous dentistry, I knew my blood pressure would be normal. The gauge to register the ‘off the chart’ reading has not been invented yet and would have to go around my wallet! But in my mind, the money was already gone! So I thought I’d make the best of it.

I wore short sleeves and had a couple Christian Bible bands around my wrist. Mentioning I was in ministry as my profession, I had dropped Jesus hints all over the place. For obvious reasons I did NOT want to be the irritable one in the room. When the dentist placed that tent thing over my mouth and I could no longer talk, I prayed, covertly twisted my wrist so the full message of those bands might come into their view… then fell asleep.

Though I had never met this specialist before today, I had total trust in the doctor’s abilities. Why? Because I trusted the man who had sent me here. I went to him to check out an increasing pain in my tooth, he analyzed it and appointed me here. There was NOTHING MORE for me to do than to follow through on his recommendation. Even though it was going to COST ME more!

I can say for sure that NO one in that office sensed my irritability at losing both time and money. I made SURE of that! I wanted them to see ‘JESUS’ in me. NOT ‘ME’ in me. The cavity being fixed was caused by a natural degenerative process in which I had proven incapable and incompetent at stopping. Ironically… mortal life has the same issue!

I was born into death. In my own strength and ability, I am incapable and incompetent at stopping its consequence. But I have discovered that the painful process of restoration had already been paid by someone else FOR me. To me, the pains of life are an inconvenience. To HIM… they were DEADLY and BRUTAL! Giving my life into His hands in exchange for His, I need not be anxious…EVER! In fact, He asks I be His representative to the world THROUGH any pain I run into. Ironic huh?

Since getting home, yesterday I have brushed my teeth 6 times and gargled 3 times with a fluoride rinse! So… “How are YOU doing?” 

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18

Knowing it was going to be a crazy day before it even started, I ran through the places and schedule of where and when I had to be. After a phone call had come in, my 3 appointments had just turned into 6. When the time was approaching event # 3, I noticed that my grass was NOT up to par with the neighbors. In fact… it was VERY long and stringy. The question popped into my head, “do I have enough time to fit this in?” I BELIEVED I DID… but I was wasting time.

Quickly changing into my work clothes after deciding to race the clock, I realized that I just added a #8 to the mix! I was going to need a shower! With no time to think about it, I ran through the list! I have a lawn mower AND the gas to run it. I believed that mixing 3 things together could get the job done and on time! So gas in mower and mower in hand… I pulled the starter and off I went!

Having been on a FAITH study for a while, and with plenty of time to think as I mowed, it came to my mind that cutting the crass is NOT MYSTICAL. Jesus was trying to teach me something! I KNEW and BELIEVED that the mower was in working order and KNEW and BELIEVED that with fuel and MY energy, the tool COULD and WOULD cut the lawn. But… KNOWING and BELIEVING did NOT cut the grass. “I did!”

FAITH is a VERY BIG word! But I think man, along with satan’s help, has watered it down to a fraction of its original size. Especially in the Church’s mind! Faith has turned into some mystical, cloudy idea that has no meat or teeth to it. And I believe Christ is not happy about it either! Slogans like, “have faith and everything will work out OK.” and “I have faith that ‘so and so’ will do the right thing,” are not FAITH! They are WISHES! And wishing is NOT Faith!

My grass did NOT get cut because of my faith. It got cut because I used the TOOLS of faith to CUT IT! I had to actually DO something to EXERCISE my Faith in order to get the job DONE! To this, I lay my question. Do you believe that God can save your family member or friend? Then what are YOU DOING to see to it that the saving gets done? Do YOU believe that God can stop that weak area of your life and turn it into victory for Him? Then what are YOU DOING to apply His power and promises to YOUR problem?

FAITH, as I see it, is an ACTION word. It cannot, will not and does not work if elbow grease is not applied. And just like there is a method to cutting my grass ( I do not push it around in circles with no plan) there is ALSO a method to applying God’s resources to any task at hand. If you don’t know HOW… you can easily get help. Just ASK a brother or sister who has a nice looking yard!

FAITH is WORK! FAITH gets dirty and messy! FAITH does NOT come with ease! And FAITH usually requires an occasional shower. But make no mistake… if you are sitting on your haunches and looking at a messy yard, know for sure that GOD is using that vision to get you to GET UP AND MOVE!

The clock it ticking!