“The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:28

As we are considered ‘senior citizens,’ Katie and I often go out to eat based upon what coupons or discounts we have on hand. Settling on one of our favorite eateries, we approached the doorway and could see through the glass that there was going to be quite a wait. I opened the door for my wife and ‘felt’ like there was someone behind me. Turning, I did not recognize the monster!

An older lady was coming up unusually fast, about 10 feet behind me, with her husband about 8 feet behind her. Doing what I always do, I held the door for her… and then for her husband. Katie was waiting just inside the door for me when the couple blew right past her and up to the receptionist! Though I swear I could see a tail dragging behind her, I didn’t even notice the horns as they began protruding from my own brain! And then it happened!

We prefer eating to waiting, so have no problems sitting in the bar area when seats are immediately available. As I looked over the heads of the crowd to the bar, there… RIGHT IN FRONT of the big screen TV, were 2 seats. Before I could even take one step… the monster and her man rushed up and took them!!!!! My face flushed red with… rage!??!!

When I get like that it takes a little time for me to cool down. I turned and saw my favorite waiter standing there. He extended his hand, happy to see me, when I said, “did you see that? DID YOU SEE THAT!!!” He hadn’t. But his remark about me being HIS kinda’ pastor when I suggested we ‘tip her off her chair’ – woke me up! OOPS!! Right then I began to recognize that the monster… was ME! When my wife rolled her eyes… it was confirmed!

I am in the running to beat ‘Paul the Apostle’ for the title of “Chiefest of Sinners!’ I’m convinced I’m pretty much of a shoe-in! But for some reason Jesus is NOT content to let me win that medal! He wants to make me more WINSOME! Knowing myself, I guess I COULD be a great example of what HE can do with a monster like me after all!

This morning my Master gently laid this thought on my heart. “If you were WILLING to let her go in front of you at the door, why would you NOT be willing to let her go in font of you to the bar?” Hanging my head in sorrow, I had no good answer. I had let Him down again. But then, as I should have expected, at the touch of the Master’s hand… I felt the monster simply disappear!

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.” Psalm 95:1-2

And they’re OFF! Leading off is Rebecca, Cori and Katie on garland with Schane and Jaden on hanging technology. Coming up the side is Jason, Jacob, Grace and Kris on lights. Howie & Seth jump up front with Paula, Lisa and a host of helpers on ‘The Tree.’ Donna and Chris pull ahead on wreath production while Lauren, Joe, Janine, Elizabeth and Ashley tamed the kids. With Michelle on pics and Mike and Kim on seasonal sounds, Bill, Todd, Mike and Randy surveyed the scene. As the pizza disappeared and children played, ‘The Church’ appeared… more beautiful than ever!

The occasion was our annual Christmas church decorating and pizza party. With almost everyone there, and there isn’t room for every name, all were wanting to help out in some way. Though it was sometimes tough to find a job for each one, they all discovered one. Even Galen!

There was some balking when I switched the date to the week before Thanksgiving, as SOME traditions are not supposed to be broken. But due to some folks not being here later, and with a prompt of the Holy Spirit, it was a switch AND a home run! Some folks hesitated in committing to coming because they were busy. But when they came, ALL of them were glad they did. It became a Jesus infused Joyful event!

Not yet receiving the pictures, I looked online for some. I typed in several possibilities like, ‘people decorating church for Christmas.’ I didn’t find many. I think that is because decorating is USUALLY done by a small committee, when they have the church to themselves. SOME people are particular about how it turns out and want to avoid ‘trashy.’ But we have been doing it this way for decades. And I think it has eternity in its roots!

The Church is called to be a place where believers gather to sing, worship and pray JOYFULLY to God. As a ‘Congregational’ type of church, it only makes sense that we do everything, even decorating the church for Christmas…together. I have found that ‘FEELING FOLLOWS FAITH.’ When we operate in faith FIRST… the feelings of joy WILL follow! Those who came, even reluctantly, went away feeling blessed.

Singing, Joy, thanksgiving and family ties are by-products of coming together in the House of God. Seasonal celebration TOGETHER is magnified exponentially. So it doesn’t matter if you are on lights, wreaths, the tree or just part of the singing… EVERYONE is a winner.    How do you start YOUR Holiday Season?  Happy Joyfulmas!

“But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deuteronomy 8:18

I was standing in line at the Dollar Tree where everything’s… well… you know! The lady in front of me was having her purchases checked out… MOSTLY! There was a problem! PRETENDING not to notice, the time ticked by until, after much internal struggle, I started to get a little ticked. She was waiting for someone in her family to bring something to the checkout. I waited some more.

The mystery before me began to get more interesting as I played my part with unusual calm. Glancing at the lady, she looked sheepish. The Checkout guy was growing pensive. When the lady said, “my daughter,” that was all I needed to hear. She then added, in frustration, “go ahead and check me out.” And He did.

As soon as her credit card cleared, ‘daughter’ came running up, out of breath, saying, “I found it!” ‘It,’ mom explained, was a necessary element for a school report due… you guessed it again… TOMORROW! Cost? You guessed it again… a dollar! But she didn’t HAVE a dollar! And time stood still!

The silence was only about 2.7 seconds. But it seemed like 5 minutes as everyone felt embarrassment. That is, everyone but me. Shocking, huh? Though I hadn’t planned it, it just came out… “Please put that on my bill. I’d be happy to pay for it!” It was then that the heavens opened and… well.. let’s not go TOO far!

It was a DOLLAR! NO BIG DEAL! The truth? I was more in a hurry than I was upset. And a DOLLAR saved me some time? But what happened AFTER I paid it was almost embarrassing. You’d have thought I’d given them a Corvette, they were so happy! One thank you led to another and I finally had to say… “hey.. it’s no big deal.” And it wasn’t. Until it became one!

Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the bend. This little $1 illustration served to REMIND me that, as God’s son, I hadn’t been as generously minded lately as He would like. The joy it invoked in me made me smile inside… AND then dedicate myself to doing more of it. NOT because I HAVE TO or even because it makes ME feel good. But because the action of ‘giving’ glorifies God as HE becomes my eyes and ears!

I am praying and formulating a GOD plan for how to be a secret agent for God in THIS Holiday season. MAYBE this just jarred something in YOUR heart and mind as well. If so.. why not ‘check out” the plan He may be formulating in you! What have YOU got to lose? A DOLLAR?

“But Jesus said, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.” Matthew 5:22 NLT

Sitting on a soft chair in my living room, I received a distressing call from a crazy man! It was a seasonal, infraction report… and apparently a number of people were involved. My friend filled me in on the details as foreigners had made their way here and were committing BLATANT crimes. They were easy to pick out of the crowd because they drove slow in the left lane and had tags on their cars labeling them… ‘New York,’ ‘Rhode Island’ and the dreaded ONTARIO!!!! I felt his pain!

It is Florida and it is tourist season. When the cold weather ‘blows in’ up north a lot of people ‘blow out’… and land HERE! Crowded roads become even MORE crowded as both NATIVE and SNOWBIRD tempers become explosive! Which, according to Jesus, makes murderers of us ALL!

Years ago there were bumper stickers that tried to nudge snowbirds toward more considerate driving. “Not all of us are here on vacation,” and “If it’s tourist season, why can’t we shoot em?” were funny attempts to get the point across. But NOTHING.. and I mean NOTHING seems to stop ‘Snowbirds’ from pulling out in front of natives, then driving S L O W in the passing lane! And NOTHING causes of more murders in the state of Florida!

NONE of us are perfect! ALL of us have lost our temper and called people bad names! God calls that MURDER! Looking long and hard at that 84 year old driving the red Corvette or sporting a big honking diamond doesn’t help! Wanting our own way… even at the expense of the OTHER PERSON… is sinfully human. Which is a terminal illness NONE of us can cure on our own.

Let’s face it. I need a Savior! So do YOU! THANKFULLY, God loves us SO much He provided one.. His own Son, Who came here and drove REAL slow in the left lane, to take the heat and wrath for MY stubborn and deliberate failures. And THEN… He produced a REALLY COOL ‘Travel Brochure’ about a place we can go where NO one drives slow in the fast lane!

Now please don’t get me wrong. Floridians LOVE Snowbirds! It is because of them we have a good economy and don’t have to pay State Income Tax! It’s just that crowded roads, stores and restaurants tend to bring out the worst in all of us. I thank God that a murderer like my friend… (o.k. and like me too) CAN be free from such a devastating crash when we ‘Let the Son-shine in!!’

I need a new license plate for the state of my vehicle… “HEAVEN!”

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:35

I got ‘taken’ last week! It all started when a fellow homeowner told me he was going to the tax office to pay his property taxes. “We have until the end of the month to save 4%,” he said. I had COMPLETELY forgotten that this was the month of giving! When I got home and went to the mailbox, I had 4 letters. 3 from organizations asking for donations and 1 from my agent wanting payment for my flood insurance. After calling and GIVING my agent my credit card number, I drove to the tax office and GAVE them a check! Funny….I didn’t feel blessed!

I learned about giving a long time ago. My earliest lesson on the subject was to let go of what was mine, simply because it was a ‘nice’ thing to do. Giving my cookie to another was more of a demand that just left ME… cookie-less! Later, I learned the act of giving to God ‘by Faith!’ Giving because I was ‘SUPPOSED TO’ started with the same feelings… I had felt TAKEN! That is until I LEARNED the joyful blessing that comes when giving with the right motive… from the HEART!

I have to admit that this year I am feeling a little ‘humbug’ in the giving area. As the Holiday Season nears, I am finding more and more requests for opportunities to feel blessed! A LOT of requests trace back to when I had given before! It is obvious that they got, and kept, my address! Now they want MORE. It is hard to NOT feel… ’taken!’

We’ve all seen it. The wheelchair guy on the corner with the sign wanting money… while tucked in behind the trees is his bicycle… or car!! Their need is never satisfied, as begging can make for a good living! They turn me into a bitter tightwad! When Christian organizations do it, I feel even worse! MY NEED to NOT be a Scrooge seeks for an answer.

EVERYBODY has needs where a little more money can help. And being ‘taken’ is easier now than ever before. So this year I am asking God to help me out. NOT so much in the area of my wallet, but in the area of my ‘heart!’ But before I can make any progress, I need to send a message of my own!

Dear Lord, I give you my heart. Please take it and replace it with yours so it will overflow with love that only YOU can give. Help me see how YOU see, and respond as YOU would respond. Amen

“All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.” Psalm 38:9

Watching the Steelers-Browns football game last night, my desire for 1 team to win was overpowered by a desire for a snack. Right there, on a critical 3^rd and 10 play, I got up and walked to the kitchen! Opening the door to the refrigerator, then to the pantry, nothing really appealed to me. I settled on a piece of cheese and walked back into the room. “Hmmm,” I thought… “apparently they didn’t make it!” Then I thought, “Ohhh… good cheese!”

This morning, as I was online, an ad popped up that showed a fat guy holding his belly and the caption, “Worried about fatty liver?” I couldn’t hold back a belly laugh until a zing went through my brain, “well… I WASN’T!” Budweiser used the same ad technique for trying to sell more Bud Light. Ye Old knights are pulling a huge barrel labeled ‘corn syrup’ to deliver it elsewhere. The message? “Worried about artificial sweeteners in your beer?” Even though I don’t drink beer, I got a zing!

The subliminal message scam has been around since the Garden of Eden, where satan turned that beautiful fruit into a ‘desire’ for something else. And man has been fighting mixed messages ever since. Sadly, the ONLY difference between a ‘saved’ man and a ‘not saved’ one is their ultimate destination. We ALL have desires and we ALL fail at keeping the ‘zing’ of false advertising at bay.

This verse is in the middle of a Psalm where David is absolutely feeling AWFUL because of sin. Faced with the guilty repercussions of succumbing to the ‘zing,’ he is now faced with the problem of how to get RID of the dirty feeling and come clean. What makes David “a man after God’s own heart” is that David does the abnormal. He actually RUNS TO the God he deliberately offended… and unloads.

I am not a quarterback of a major football team who carries the weight of a victory on his shoulders. I am not an ‘ad man’ tasked with the responsibility of selling more beer or liver pills. What ‘I am’ is a born again man living in a fleshy body where warring desires seeking fulfillment are the norm… NOT the exception.

I thank God that my situation is not perilous. I have God’s Word to give me direction and God’s Holy Spirit to lead and guide. And even when I go ‘off road,’ I have God’s guarantee that He KNOWS my desires and will ALWAYS be here… to get me there! His ad? Jesus Christ is ultimately GUARANTEED more powerful and permanent than any ‘zing’ from anywhere else! Thank GOD I already invested in His program!

“Are YOU worried about eternity?”

“But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” Matthew 14:30

Running into a friend yesterday I asked about his wife. He told me she was a little down today. They had just received a new couch, but the company had reneged on removing the old one! For her, 2 couches in the room was an issue. Discussing some options he asked, “What are you doing now?” And THAT was the exact question that got me!

I THOUGHT he was talking in general terms but HE was being specific. Now meant NOW! I IMMEDIATELY found myself following him home. Having never been to his house before, seeing he lived in a 2 story only confirmed that this couch must be pretty small. After all, 2 old guys and a big couch could NEVER happen. Until it did!

When I SAW the couch I started to laugh. “You’ve got to be KIDDING ME!” A tall counter, 2 – 90 degree turns and a high railing going down the steps were probably the REASONS the couch was still there. When I doubted, my friend pulled a Tim Allen.. “Arrr Arrr Arrrrh! We can DO IT!” Which seemed a reasonable motivator! So we did!

I wish I had it filmed. It was a laborious, slow, hilarious process. But I’ll leave that between the 2 of us, just like Peter and his walking on water! You see, Pete ALMOST got away with an embarrassing moment, until 1 of the 4 Gospel writers spilled the beans! And while the majority of commentators give credit to Peter for his attempt at water walking, I personally think he was being an idiot!

In the storm, ALL the disciples were afraid. Jesus used the same ‘God words’ spoken often in the Bible. “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” THAT was Jesus command. Apparently it wasn’t enough for Peter. “IF” is a VERY big word, and it landed Pete in VERY deep water. I often wonder if Jesus shook His head, or if He let Pete suck in some water before He grabbed and rescued him. You know… just to teach Pete a lesson about failing confidently!

Please note that at NO time did Jesus ASK Peter out onto the water! It wasn’t expected! Loud mouthed Pete did that to himself. Jesus never gave Pete an, “Atta boy,” for stepping out. Nor did He chide the other disciples for NOT following their pal. I am convinced that this is an embarrassing story, NOT about failed faith, but about attempting something you have NO business doing!

Peter is NOT Jesus. And neither am I. Lots of folks use the Peter story to show that faith can do the miraculous, JUST LIKE PETER! But Peter moments usually end badly! Don’t get me wrong. Jesus STILL does the miraculous. We just don’t typically see the REAL ones that way! And it shows in our day to day actions and attitudes.

When the Church was born Jesus gave it ONE command. “GO INTO THE WORLD, TELL THE GOOD NEWS AND MAKE DISCIPLES!” I’m like Pete and SO many other followers when it hits me…”How boring?” Where’s the flair and fantastic in THAT?” Then begin to DO what I was NEVER COMMANDED TO DO IN THE FIRST PLACE!

There is NO greater miracle than seeing a soul saved from Hell. Jesus PROVED that miracles CANNOT guarantee those results. I believe Peter learned his lesson because, later at Pentecost, loud mouthed Peter preached a sermon on the ‘saving grace’ of Jesus Christ and 3000+ people were saved from hell’s storm! Not a bad day for ol Pete! So…What are YOU doing now?

Jesus told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” Mark 16:15

In retrospect, this could be considered silly. But there I was, getting up from a perfectly comfortable chair, getting dressed, and preparing to go OUT into the world! I do it everyday! Having places to go, things to do and people to see, off I went. When, and wherever I GO, my mind goes with me. If I’m not filling it with radio, I’m chewing on whatever is already in there… like a cow chews its cud. So walking up to the store counter I wasn’t really paying attention to the lady speaking to me. “HUH?” I said. “How are you today?” she repeated. And I froze!

I had a list and conversation was not on it! Not prepared to ENGAGE with anyone, I had to come up with something quick! “Blessed,” came out of my mouth, and then, for a lack of brainpower, I countered with, “and how are YOUUUUU?” as a diversionary tactic! She did NOT respond as expected and said, “I guess I’m blessed because my husband is blessed… and I live with him…so!” And just like that… I was focused!

I am certain she was not expecting to have THIS conversation. Sadly, neither was I. Usually I LOOK for openings like that! But this one had caught me like a sucker punch in the stomach. When I took the time and noticed, pain surrounded her eyes. When I asked her why she felt that way, she lowered her eyes and said, “I’m not a very good person.” I realized in an instant that THIS was a Divine Appointment!

Yes…I shared the Gospel with her! I only had about 2 minutes, but got it done, handed her a ‘Good News Band’ from my wrist, and explained how to look up the verses concerning Eternal, Abundant Life and how to get it. I left in a MUCH better mood than when I came in. I smiled at the thought that while I had been ‘chewing cud,’ Jesus had been WORKING! I was honored that He wanted me to join Him.

I got to thinking that as far as jobs go, Christians are more like a ‘UPS truck’ than a ‘Septic Removal Truck.’ The Good News is a package to be delivered. NOT a clean out service. When I tell the ‘Good News‘ that JESUS can change and give NEW life, I have done what He has asked of me in this verse and HE does all the cleaning. I am simply to DELIVER the PACKAGE!

I left with a different attitude and prepared my mind… and got a TWO-FER! In my next conversation, I paid attention. When a subtle hint came up, I heard it and made another delivery. If you asked me how my day was… I’d HAVE to say I was Blessed! And all I did was ‘Go!’

Looking back, I can honestly say that ‘going’ is NOT an option. But going PREPARED is better!

“Simon, Simon, look out! Satan has asked to sift you like wheat.” Luke 22:10 HCSB

My cell phone is usually within hearing distance. It is close, easy to use and obedient. Whatever I want to find, or whomever I wish to communicate with, can be done in an instant! Yesterday, the second I had the urge, I picked it up and dialed. ‘Ring, ring, ring, ring voicemail!’ I left a message, then did something rather strange. I immediately dialed someone else… and got the same result! Then my mood changed!

With easy access to phones and caller ID it is easy to know who is calling before I even answer the phone. The thought hit…”are they DELIBERATELY IGNORING ME?” Then “What did I DO? Are they mad at me?” When no return call came, even hours later, that nagging feeling persisted! We ALL experience it.

I remember when phones sat on end tables and had NO answering machines. While they were a convenience, they were not the primary means of communication. I even remember when I used to wait for the mailman to come. I can STILL remember the sound of his footprints on the porch, the groan of the mailbox as he lifted its lid and then thinking, “Is there anything for ME?”

This scripture is a letter TO Jesus… FROM His archenemy, satan! Though it is in the form of a request, it is actually a demand. Why? Because satan OWNS Peter! Peter is a sinner deserving of hell! And because Christ has not yet died to pay for Peter’s redemption, Jesus HAS to grant satan his request. Out of love for Pete… Jesus warns him what is coming!

As it happens sometimes, this verse in MY Bible is not completely correct! Why? Because the word ‘YOU’ is NOT singular, but plural! Jesus is saying, ‘Satan has asked to sift ‘ALL OF YOU’ as wheat!’ It should frighten me a little that… ‘YOU’ also means ‘ME!’ In hindsight, we KNOW what happened to Peter and the disciples and…it wasn’t good! Jesus ‘next words’ are CRITICAL to remember. “But I have PRAYED for you!”

Though I have been a Bible student for years, I have been sucked into the modern world where INSTANT is normal and patience is for hospitals! When I don’t get an answer IMMEDIATELY, I tend toward anxiousness. But thank God I HAVE the Bible. Because His WORD is a letter to ME telling ME that… ‘sifting is on the way!’ And, for now, I must go back to the OLD days when the ‘last letter’ in the mail box held THE words I needed to hold onto… “K.C., I am praying for you!” signed “Jesus!”