“Jesus answered them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’” Luke 5:31-32

We were all together in 1 place but doing our own thing. My daughter was looking at her phone to pass the time when she suddenly blurted out…”EWWWWWWWW!” She had just received a picture of a friend who had gotten a deep cut on their leg. NATURALLY… everyone wanted to SEE it TOO. That is… until they saw it! When my grandson looked at it, he IMMEDIATELY turned away and almost threw up. Ahh the power of a visual!

Last night at church, my wife and a good friend were talking about God and bantering about His tolerance toward evil. Having just had a fun study about Easter, the question came up, “why did God ‘forsake’ or ‘turn away’ from His Son on the cross?” I guess we were trying to draw a line of just how close God COULD get to sin without getting TOO close! Maybe a gross picture of a nasty, deep cut, might help provide an answer. Because the answer MATTERS!

There are LOTS of opinions out there about sin and how it removes us from God because he cannot tolerate it. I listened to a national preacher repeat the ridiculous statement that unless you ‘confess’ to a particular sin, you won’t be forgiven! Being an expert at sin and having a short memory myself, I know that there is NO way I could even ‘keep up’ to get total forgiveness! My cut is WAYYYY too deep! Enter Jesus!

I have a Doctor friend that has no problem looking at pictures like this. He has seen SO many real life cuts that it is NORMAL for him. He can even go to the extreme end, smile and say, “oh… cool!” Such is the outcome of familiarity! Unless you are God!

God will not and cannot not dwell with evil. You might say He has a weak stomach for sin and, because He is perfect, can NEVER get used to it. When His own Son took on ALL of my sin, evil and punishment… along with yours, God could not even LOOK! And THAT, my friends, was the eternal deal!

I was lost in sin. God and I could not reach each other. But because of His love for both His Father AND for me, Jesus said, “no worries dad, I’ll take care of this!” And He did! EVEN THOUGH HE KNEW THE PRICE! I don’t know about you…but with a love offer like that, I simply CAN’T turn away.

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

I had stepped into hell. I KNEW what I was doing when I did it…but did it anyway. Even though I had put on my best attitude and ‘nice’ hat, it took less than 60 seconds to explode. Even though I had been respectfully determined it wouldn’t. I had taken a deep breath, smiled inside and then stepped onto the Auto Dealer’s lot.

I made my career in sales. I know the process, the techniques, the do’s and the don’ts. I understand that most people cringe when you tell them you are a salesperson. I also know car salesmen have the reputation for being the worst. But the person that met me at the car was more like a terrorist!

I had gone to the car dealer because I wanted to SEE the difference between 2 car models. The only thing on the salesperson’s mind was my wallet! When I asked to see the inside of a locked vehicle, I was informed me, “that’s not how its done!” It quickly spiraled downhill and ended with him cussing me. I was glad my wife was there to confirm that it was all him and not me! At least THIS time!

I have always said that a man’s greatest strength is also his greatest weakness. One of my strengths is, I am INTENSE when it comes to Jesus. Having learned the lostness and hopelessness that comes from being alienated from God, I have discovered Salvation and the wonders of life WITH Him and His Son Jesus Christ! And ALL at HIS expense!

It is Lent. That means Easter, the celebration of The Savior’s resurrection from the dead to give me life, is right around the corner. If there is ANY time of the year that should cause me to draw closer to see just how wonderful and expensive His sacrifice for ME was…it is now! Sadly, I haven’t found many who feel the same way. If my wife wasn’t with me confirming the quiet, I’d think it was just me!

Telling people what they want to hear is a quick way to gain a crowd. But if the crowd is on the Titanic, it serves no purpose. Our nation and world are in deep trouble, if only due to the lack of zeal for their Creator and Savior. The salesman and customer in me sees EVERYONE without Jesus Christ…as LOST and needing to be SAVED! That is what the Bible says. And if one is saved, but partying on another ship, they’re as good as lost! God’s Word says THAT TOO!

So what kind of customer and salesperson are YOU? Are you INTENSE for Jesus in your showing and growing? Because that is the kind of life He wants You to have! Only Jesus! There is ‘NO’ other way!

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” Proverbs 3:7-8

We were driving to North Carolina in a rental vehicle and my daughter’s family was with us. The straight line of the map dictated we take a short cut through horse country near Ocala, Florida. The large stables, pastures and long fences verified that fact. Suddenly, my daughter emphatically stated…“I just saw a monkey!” We all rolled our eyes and laughed!

I hadn’t seen it, but both her and my granddaughter were looking out the window and had. Though my granddaughter called it a raccoon… my daughter was adamant. “It was a monkey I tell ya!” Again, we all laughed as the van got quiet. A few minutes later the silence was broken as she shouted out, “AHHH HAAAA! SEE…I TOLD YA!” Looking at her phone, she began reading a local news story confirming that wild monkeys had indeed invaded horse country! After a few comments and wows…the van fell silent once more.

My daughter is both logical and inquisitive. When she saw something that seemed out of place, she said what she saw. When everyone thought she was nuts, she took the time to research the crazy to find out if what she had seen was really what she saw. To her, the discrepancy between theory and reality HAD to proved… one way or the other. As I read this verse today, I had to stop and think about what IT was saying.

This verse follows the directive to ‘trust in the LORD with ALL YOUR HEART.” It is a command, not a request. The implied subject is…”YOU!” And even though the ‘subject’ doesn’t change, the ‘command’ turns into a ‘warning’ with a ‘promise.’ And just like seeing monkeys in horse country, the statement demands some verification.

“Do not put faith or trust in yourself!” is the pivot point of that verse. The warning issued is there because we humans generally follow what we feel, think or desire. God’s Word gives me LOTS of information that runs contrary to what ‘I’ want or think, and then demands my doing the complete OPPOSITE of what “I” think! The difficulty comes with choosing who’s vision is to win.       How do YOU see things?

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.” Job 42:5

There comes a time and place where what has been planned, comes together in reality. This past weekend was one of those rare times that old pictures are made of. Since it was my wife’s dad’s 90 birthday, a family reunion was planned. Katie’s sister and husband planned the surprise event, all WE had to do was get 17 family members (grandkids, spouses and great-grandkids) the almost 700 miles to BE there!

It’ been a long time since we have seen the old goat! I tease him that way because 43 years ago when he met ME for the first time, he wasn’t much impressed that I’d be around this long! Decades, and many kids later, I still like to tease him about that. Some of his great grandkids have NEVER seen him, or can remember when they did. So this special reunion came with lots of anticipation.

Some folks wondered if the surprise might be to much for him! remembering his constitution I said, “Nah.. he’ll be fine!” Preparations were made as we all started talking about it among ourselves. The great-grandkids were pumped up and primed for the main event. As he walked through the door and saw his legacy in kid form, I was surprised that it WAS almost too much for him! Darn if those kids didn’t find a soft spot in the ol goat! As tears ran down his cheeks, little children laid theirs on the one they had heard about… for the first time.

It has been said that the day we are born we begin to die. Now I know that sounds morbid. But at the party, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for people who have decided to deny God. The feeling and joy of family was something that no money on earth could buy. And it helped me, once again, to look at the reason I am alive.

If you love Jesus as I do, I can’t think of ANYTHING this side of heaven that is more wonderful than the anticipation of GOING there and SEEING HIM… face to face! Those loved ones who passed on before you…the ones you have heard about for so long, will BE THERE… alive. And do I have to mention the excitement of meeting Peter, Paul and Mary…and the REST of the ancient gang!

700 miles, 17 people and 3 days is a lot of time and distance to move to be at one in 1 place. But it was worth EVERY effort. As I sit here remembering, and smiling, I can’t help but look forward to a time and place where we will ALL be together with the one we have loved and heard about from afar. And where ‘goodbye’ will be a thing of the past! Are YOU looking forward?

“So we make it our goal to please Him.” 2 Cor 5:9

It was a day just like every other. I received 3 phone calls from numbers that neither I nor my phone ID recognized. I didn’t answer them. Having heard the mail truck, I went to my mail box and found it stuffed FULL! After sorting it all, there was not even 1 envelope of any importance. I threw is all in the trash! Then the thought hit me…‘all that came because of a meeting!’

Having been in sales most of my working career, I understand the importance of what companies call ‘getting leads.’ This ‘marketing’ area has grown more and more sophisticated over time as companies glean and analyze information to find the most cost effective ways to get me interested, and then buy, their product. Whether I like it or not!

I am turning 65 this year and I didn’t know there were so many insurance and retirement companies. But my mailbox does! Hundreds of people I don’t even know…know who I am, where I live and when my birthday is! Christian organizations know I am a pastor and send me correspondence in order to get an order… or simply a ‘gift.’ May I be honest? The more sophisticated the marketing, the more cynical I become. AND apathetic! Now throw Jesus into the mix!

God our creator speaks loud and clear. His desire and COMMAND is that I put ALL of me into His hands and put ALL of HIM…FIRST! It’s #1 on His Big 10 list! Throw in 2020 marketing, the expenses of living, family, work, regulations and sinful desires, and it is easy to allow Him to slide right out of sight. But after consideration, I realize I have NEVER ONCE gotten mail, or an email, from Jesus!

Jesus Christ is not not pushy. I can guess that if He were a commissioned only salesman, He’d starve to death! He created us and then gave us the choice to reach out to Him. When we sinned, He came, paid sin’s price Himself, backed away and simply said, “Come to me!” Which means for EVERYTHING! Then He waits.

I know God’s marketing strategy is completely by ‘word of mouth.’ MY mouth! He thrills, excites, helps, gives, and blesses me more than ANYTHING on the face of this earth. HE knows what I need, but is perfectly fine with letting me lose, fail, fall and reject my own best interests, which is Him. I’m making my own Lenten strategy. The company of ‘me, myself and I’ needs to call a daily meeting and ask the marketing question…”What can I do to please HIM?”

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35

Yesterday was a great day. Wanting to borrow some of that feeling for today, I began going through its experiences to see what made it so special. From the time my feet hit the floor in the morning I hadn’t stopped running until late. When I retired… I was tired. Reliving it, I was laughed at, criticized, badgered, yelled at, misunderstood and made fun of. Oh…did I say that yesterday was a great day?

The day was spent visiting and communicating with church people. People who LIVE the life statement that Jesus Christ is their Savior. People who genuinely care about each other. My first encounter was with a guy that is teaching me how to competitively shoot. He’s one of my favorites. When we get together, our roles reverse and HE becomes the teacher. He is gruff, short and to the point. When I don’t do what he says, or presume to know what he WILL say next, he yells at me. Well… it SOUNDS like yelling to ME. And I smile!

The next person I met is my 71 year old good friend who is in a wheel chair. His condition leaves him unable to do ANYTHING by himself. Even talk! There’s only 1 person who can understand what he says and she wasn’t in the room. So I talked, he tried, and I know he had to think I was nuts. I misunderstood what he was trying to say while he put up with my incessant speaking to fill space. I was blessed and so was he. He’s one of my favorites.

The next person I spent time with had a combination of serious responsibility problems, physical pain and a sense of humor like mine! I am sure that anyone listening to us would have backed out of the room as we teased, vented and verbally degraded anyone and anything that has ever caused us pain. Then we laughed about it. She’s one of my favorites!

I have the honor of meeting with a young man and mentoring him. Actually…It’s kind of funny because while I am supposed to be teaching HIM how to mature in an adult world, I find HE is teaching ME as well. We laughed, joked, badgered, learned and grew up a little more… together. He’s DEFINITELY one of my favorites.

Of course NONE of this could have happened if we didn’t all have the one thing in common that MAKES it all work! And that is LOVE for each other. Christ’s love! It isn’t a surface, fake, mean or pretend kind of love. It puts up with silly offenses and, even what some might consider, rude remarks! Why? Because we are anchored together by our mutual Savior… Jesus Christ. And HE is DEFINITELY my favorite. And THAT is LOVE-PROOF!

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” 2 Peter 3:8

It was not a good start for today… and now I feel small. Last night I took a decongestant and THIS time it made me restless. So before I even start the day…I am exhausted. As I lay there in the dark in a semi-conscious state, people’s faces came flooding into my head. And so did their problems. After trying to think about something else so I could get some sleep, I finally got hit by the train!

This last weekend I was asked to add 2 children to the prayer list. One little girl was to have major surgery on her teeth. A little boy is undergoing surgery on his brain. The train that hit me was the one thing I COULD do in the dark. That train is called prayer! I know it should be a given, but in my dark, groggy state, I had to figure it out! With help from the Holy Spirit, I finally got it! But it was late!

This morning I texted to find out what time our special church girl was to go in, only to discover that it was YESTERDAY! I thought our Jesus boy was tomorrow. Turns out… it’s today! And on the hinge of both events, one done and one coming, I had prayed. Now that it is today, I wondered if the effort had made any difference? Then I remembered this verse.

This verse is kind of a play on words. Like the Bible verse that says, “The last shall be first and the first shall be last.” Rolling both verses around in my head, I realize the possibilities before God are ENDLESS! He is not distracted by the tick of a clock or a position in space. He has an ETERNITY to concentrate on EACH of those children. And HE doesn’t get tired.

As I get older I become more forgetful. I now have a special app on my phone for lists of things to do or remember. Now I have to concern myself with remembering what to put ON it! But before I got to beating myself up for memory failure, God reminded me of ‘who’ and ‘whose’ I really am. And ALL the time…I AM HIS!

I am learning over time is to keep Him as my focus. He is ALWAYS there with me as I go thorough the day. Over time I have come to realize that He wants ME to be with HIM… ALL THE TIME! Just like it will be in Heaven, where there will be no clocks!!!

“He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” Matthew 8:26

Though born in Pennsylvania, I have lived MOST of my life in Florida. I can tell you for a fact that Florida is a very special place…especially in the winter. Last weekend we had northern friends visit, which reminded me of just how blessed we really are. They had left 19 degree blizzard conditions and landed in 68 degree sunshine. The cold was far from their minds… until!

The next day we planned a trip to a local preserve on the inter-coastal waterway. The sun was bright with not a cloud in the sky. Venturing into the outdoors quickly made all of us stop, go back in the house and grab some jackets. When we got to our location and stood on the shoreline, we all shivered, as the 60 degree air was cut by a cold, blustering wind from the north. What we SAW was interrupted by what we COULDN’T” see.

It’s not something easily explained to someone who doesn’t live here. When we got back to the car, which had been parked in the sun, the inside temperature had to be over 100 degrees. Outside, the thermometer read 60. But standing in it felt like it was 30! We ALL felt the chill, even though what we experienced did not match up with what we saw.

There is no doubt that the disciples were MORE than grumbling when they sat in their little boat in the midst of a blustering storm. As Jesus slept, they rebuked Him for taking a lackadaisical approach to their surroundings. Jesus responded by rebuking the wind! And it OBEYED! When what the disciples SAW didn’t measure up to anything they had previously experienced, they they were frightened!

I live a lot of my life while shaking my head! Being comprised of a fleshy body, soul and new spirit, I don’t understand how many people can’t, or refuse, to see Jesus! But then I amaze myself when I respond like a demonically possessed curmudgeon when I hit standing traffic on the interstate! My own moods can EASILY flap about like a flag in a rushing wind, when what I SEE doesn’t match up with what I KNOW.

Jesus chided His disciples for not having faith in the middle of that storm. They were SUPPOSED to KNOW that HE was God. AND… that as long as they could SEE God right there WITH them, they had NO need or cause to fear! Today He is reminding me that He is ALWAYS in my boat (or am I in His?)! Come hell or high water!

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22

We have been anticipating and preparing for a special event…and today is the day for which we have prepared. We have some very dear friends coming from ‘up north’ to visit for a few days. We have known them for decades and eagerly await their arrival. Proof of our affection has been evident for weeks. But has it been enough?

When we go to our ‘cabin’ in the mountains, one of the FIRST things I do is to run next door and greet my friends. Our place up there is nice… but it is old and strictly used for vacations. They know it, so do we. But they are now coming to our HOME. And apparently to my wife, that makes a big difference.

We have built a Murphy bed, arranged the house, cleaned and primped the inside and out. Yesterday I found out my OWN level of commitment when, after cleaning the pool, I saw a gum-wrapper sized piece of paper at the bottom. Having just put away the pole, I found myself asking myself, “does that REALLY matter?” Before I could really THINK about it, I was already fetching the tool to retrieve the offending debris! I guess at gut level, it matters to me too!

There has been an argument about verse 22 forever. Common thought translates it, “avoid even the APPEARANCE of evil.” Which goes like this…’don’t even go NEAR a bar or a strip club because you will be guilty of sin.’ I have read commentaries that ‘bad’ that ‘minton’ back and forth to determine just how close… is NEAR? I guess in my own sinfully honest mind, I have to admit that ANY argument is simply a search for permission!

I will never forget the time, as a kid, that I saw a church deacon smoking a cigarette and drinking a beer! It was not a church function, but made a HUGE negative impression upon me anyway. And even though neither of those actions are grounds for hell, my inner heart and opinion of that person was changed. EVEN though ‘I’ have done worse!

I guess the question becomes, “how far can I go before I go too far?” And “do appearances REALLY matter?” I know my friends couldn’t care less about that piece of paper in the pool. But something deep inside makes ME care. So out of love and respect, I fetched!

My number 1 in life is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit resides within me at all times. What I think and do reflects EXACTLY how much I really love and appreciate our relationship. And while HIS love for ME has FORGIVEN me of ALL uncleanliness, I just can’t avoid the deep down conviction that, when it comes to The King, appearances really DO matter.

How do YOU see it?