“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7

While there was nothing particularly interesting about the room I was in, I sat in wonder nonetheless. I wasn’t upset, just in wonder, as I sat waiting, in the ‘waiting room, for my name to be called. The appointment had been made about 6 months ago for a checkup. After several reminders by email, text and phone calls, I was right on time… which was a little early. But the official time came and went. 20 minutes later I was still waiting! I was not upset. Since waiting in normal in a waiting room. But I couldn’t help was wonder… “how much longer.”

Waiting in the Doctor’s office is different than waiting for the traffic light to change or waiting in line at the store. BOTH of which I did this past weekend. When I was at the store, I deliberately chose that line because I could visually SEE how many items the person had in front of me. Only a few items unconsciously meant quicker service. That is, until the lady had questions about payment, then searched her purse for the exact change! I had an ‘I love Jesus,’ hat on and forced myself to appear calm and cool. But my inner alarm was ticking closer to RINGGGGGG by the second. Waiting and patience is NOT my best quality. Turning my thoughts TO Jesus… I forced myself to ‘be still, then began to internally whine!

Years ago I got my first sales job selling computers. I will never forget the first time I saw a dot matrix printer. I stood amazed at the SPEED that it did its thing… at 80 characters per second! Today, that would be long enough for a coronary! My reaction was the same when I witnessed the first FAX machine. It was a thermal model and literally took five minutes to print out 1 page! Technology may be escalating, but patience has not!

Some things are fun to look forward to…like birthdays, weddings, Christmas and weekends. If I have to wait for something good, it isn’t so bad. But if there is pain involved, mental, physical or spiritual, waiting and squirming go hand in hand. I have several folks in my church right now who are waiting for the inevitable thing that will NOT be good. Like seeing a fist coming toward you, KNOWING there is nothing that can be done to stop it, they wait in Hospice, the operating room or for the next test result. While I am blessed to NOT be in their shoes, the Bible clearly tells me that both God and I have a place in their suffering. God promises that He WILL ALWAYS be with them though the valley! He expects ME to be as well.

God is on the job! He has rolled up His sleeves and is moving just as fast as He can. But He isn’t much of an instant God as I’d like to have. In fact, He moves pretty slow! He has hemmed Himself in with rules He has to follow Himself, so that it is IMPOSSIBLE for Him to simply provide a quick fix for every one of my problems. But I have to realize that MY problem… is ME! I read a quote this morning by Ben Patterson who wrote, “What God does in us while we wait is as important as what it is we are waiting for.” And I would add… even MORE important. Faith demands waiting, trusting and believing. And waiting and seeing God’s view of the big picture is FAR more spectacular than mine.

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8

I am about to step over a line here. But knowing what I know, it will be fine. Our church has a shooting league. We like to go to the new shooting range in town and shoot pistols at paper targets. Last night’s session was unusually difficult for my wife. For some reason she was missing the target… even from 10 feet! At one point, she turned to me and said, “you cleaned my gun and now I can’t hit ANYTHING. What did YOU DO to it!” So I’m writing about her!

Our master trainer Dan came over to her and watched for a few moments, then stepped forward and started giving her some instruction. His first words to her were, “You’re holding it wrong.” From there he went down a list of explanations as to WHY she was missing her target, then added corrective measures to help her improve. At one point, when she started to explain… Dan simply told her to “shut up!” And she did!!!

Dan has NO idea that THAT phrase is not allowed in our home. When our kids were growing up, those 2 words coupled together GUARANTEED a stern visitation and correction from Mom. The word “stupid” carried the same penalty. Katie finds those words rude and even disallowed them in our house. But now… she was LISTENING to Dan! Dan is my hero!

The verse today tells us that God is able to bless ME in EVERYTHING I do. This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. But the implied promise comes with an unstated codicil that, in my opinion, starts with the words… “Shut up!” The verse jumps out at me most when I find myself missing too many targets in life. Being a dumb follower, I have a tendency to yell heavenward … ”WHATAYADOIN!” Then, when I remember this verse, the FIRST thing I hear from God is… you guessed it… “Shut up!”

The key word in this verse is the simple word “ABLE!” God doesn’t say He WILL bless me. The unspoken implication is that he CAN… IF… and ONLY IF… I simply shut up, pay attention and DO what HE says! The action of ‘shutting up’ is the first proof of discipleship! A disciple of Jesus Christ ultimately WANTS to follow where He leads. If discipleship isn’t the main goal, what USUALLY follows from the reader is an argument.. “BUT!” At that point, God typically wanders off to ‘ABLE’ someone else!

By now you realize that this story is NOT about my wife. It is about me. I have to admit that I am a stubborn follower of Jesus, walking a few paces behind, holding my walking stick wrong, wandering off to look at something I’m not supposed to, asking questions that are off topic and generally acting like a child. God’s patience with me goes FAR beyond mine. But when I get into the brambles and work up a lather of sweat, at just the right time I will hear Him respond to my complaint with those loving words… “shut up, K.C.!” THEN another verse pops into my head with the instruction starting with the words… “Be still and know that I AM God!!” In other words… “Shut up K.C. and stop being a stupid disciple!!!! And BANG!!! Just like that… I get it!

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14 ESV

Coming home for lunch yesterday, I entered the house to the sound of a screaming alarm! It didn’t take me long to figure out what that sound was because I had been alarmed by it all week. It was an alarm clock that refused to turn off! Having tried everything I could think of, I did the next to the last thing that would silence the ridiculous noise forever!

I have 2 clocks in my living room. One is a decorative cuckoo clock and the other an alarm clock that faces out from our TV area. It’s lighted face works well as I can instantly know the time from anywhere in the room, night or day. Somehow, when we moved some things around last week, that alarm clock had gotten turned ‘on.’ Everyday about 11am, it did what it was made to do… BEEP BEEP BEEP! Though I had tried numerous times, I could not get it to shut off! It was a conundrum that was driving me crazy! So I googled it!

Technology comes with it’s pluses and minuses. I discovered that this clock was put out about 2006. History had shown that I wasn’t the ONLY one with this particular problem. One guy got so frustrated, he had taken a sledge hammer to his! The internet of 2019 allowed me to find the owners manual online and learn that you had to hold 2 particular buttons down at the same time to disable the alarm feature! I’d have NEVER figured that one out on my own! The verse today presents a similar conundrum!

Anyone who has not been ‘born again’ will add this verse to their ‘can’t understand it’ list. That list then becomes the reason they don’t ever READ the Bible since, “I can’t understand it anyway.” The merry-go-round continues through life until they either ‘wake up’ and live or die from deliberate ignorance. The Lord of the Universe, Jesus Christ, tells us that men exist in a deadly sleep. His offer and purpose is to wake us up and shine on, in and through us! But ONLY if we WANT to wake up! Oh… there is no snooze button!

Inside of every person exists the knowledge that there is a God, that we are sinful failures and that unless something is done, we WILL all perish in judgment. How can sinful people enter God’s perfect presence? It is clear God WANTS us there WITH Him. But WE have to CHOOSE to wake up! God’s alarm clock regularly goes off in our hearts. We can’t unplug it or smash it. We can either wake up to it or try to live WITH it’s piercing noise by artificial means.

That fact that Jesus Christ WANTS to shine on me should be enough to motivate me. His light will either highlight my deadly sin or highlight the Savior who rescues me from it. His manual, The Bible, tells me all I need to know… if I will just wake up and simply follow His instructions. He will not ‘SNOOZE’ or STOP until I either respond… or die without a response! BEEP BEEP BEEP!

“Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from Him.” Psalm 62:5

I should have been sleeping… but now I was wide awake. My body should have been at rest… but my guts were a raging fire. I should have been smart… but the consequence that crept into the room was now convulsing at my own stupidity. My mind joined my soul, shaking their bowed head in shame and wonder. I had done it… AGAIN!???

Acid indigestion is a common problem for me. That I inherited GERD from my dad is a great excuse… but like, “the dog ate my homework,” not really a good one. Normal people don’t normally go around hitting themselves with hammers. But that, in essence, is what I do! I had eaten too much at dinner, then ice cream just before bed seemed like a pretty good idea! Before I allowed logic and history to shake hands, I had grabbed the container from the freezer and dug in! “Who needs a bowl,” I thought! Now, It was 1am and my stomach was in flames!

I am my own science experiment. I realize that at my age I should be, do and act a WHOLE lot smarter than I am. Unfortunately, I often live life swinging somewhere between the ages of 11 and 18! When the consequences hit, I slide backward to age 2. I want what I want, when I want, how I want it… WITH extra scoops! Shame and discomfort, 2 natural and good emotions meant to keep me from further harm, lay like sleeping dogs in the corner thinking, “why bark, the idiot won’t pay attention anyway!”

Please forgive my whining. I know this story doesn’t apply to you. I’m the guy that people like you laugh about when you get together. I’m ‘the perfect bad example.’ To be honest, I even frustrate ME! Then I remember the words of Apostle Paul (I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. Romans 7:15). Then I think about David (the adulterous, murdering, ‘man after God’s own heart’). But them I actually begin feel BETTER about myself! Which then makes me think, ‘at least I’m not THAT bad!’ Which naturally leads to… “Oh boy, let’s do that again!” and, “Where’s the baking soda???”

Psalm 62 is one of my favorites. It is all about resting in God in the face of bad choices. The beauty of God’s strength and love leap from the page and into my heart, giving me hope. Until the very last verse. “Also to you, Lord, belongs gracious love, because you reward each person according to what he does.” And I freak!

Almost EVERY Bible translation I found says that God will reward each person according to his work! Which kind of leaves me stuck in the desert of no man’s land. Then I got a nudge from Him. “K.C., Reward, not punishment, comes from the work that HE, MY SON JESUS, has done. THAT is how big and strong my love is! It is BIGGER than your age, deeds, thoughts, heart and impulse control. Please try to remember… this is NOT about YOU! It is about my son Jesus!” “uhhhhhhhh o.k.”was my only response.

What a joy to be reminded that God is bigger than EVERYTHING! Which reminds me of a song! God on the Mountain by Lynda Randle

FINALLY… after a lightning strike, our church is getting our LED sign fixed… early this morning. So, today’s Words of the Day are from Max Lucado…Take it Max!

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him. — Romans 8:28

Haman had it out for the Israelites. We read about his story in the book of Esther. A few hundred years earlier, the Israelites had defeated Haman’s people, the Amalekites. Haman was an Amalekite carrying a huge grudge and vendetta on his shoulders. It just so happened that Haman was promoted to a very influential position by King Xerxes of Persia. With this access to power, Haman planned to completely exterminate the Jews on Adar 13, a date somewhere around the months of February and March on our calendar.

Yet, there was another storyline developing that would eventually collide with Haman’s story in a big way: King Xerxes selected a new queen, Queen Esther, who was Jewish.

What situation are you facing right now that stirs in you the same kind of fear the Jews had for Adar 13? Illness? Not enough money? Then take a tip from Esther. She used her influence as queen to talk to King Xerxes. She asked him to allow her people to defend themselves on Adar 13. He agreed. Because of this, when the day came, the Israelites were victorious and Haman was executed.

Early in his dealing with mankind, God promised to bless obedience:

If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. — Deuteronomy 28:13 NIV

Esther did what was right. She took a step of faith, and God blessed her obedience. He will do the same for you. No matter what situation you find yourself in today, God will ultimately win.

Promises from God

This God — how perfect are His deeds! How dependable His words! He is like a shield for all who seek His protection. The Lord alone is God; God alone is our defense. He is the God who makes me strong, who makes my pathway safe. — Psalm 18:30-32 GNT

We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall. — Proverbs 16:33 NLT (interesting verse…??)

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. — 1 Corinthians 15:56-58

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? — 1 John 5:4-5

Praying God’s Promises

Almighty God, You have promised to honor obedience. Help me walk steadfastly in Your Word and in Your promise. Remind me of Your power. Give me the courage to take steps of faith, remembering that everything will end all right.

Thank You that even if my circumstances may cause me to fear, I have the final victory in Christ. I only have to do what is right and place my trust in You. You are my hope. You are my victory.

God, You will accomplish what you set out to accomplish. You are always working for the good of those who love You. I praise You for these promises. Amen.

I Will

I will do what is right and trust God for the outcome. I will not try to manipulate or control my situation. I will let God do His mighty work, and I will serve Him no matter what. He has said all will be right, and it will.

The Best Is Yet to Be

“The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,” says the Lord of hosts. “And in this place I will give peace,” says the Lord of hosts. — Haggai 2:9

What do you see?

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” Job 42:5-6

It was a rare occasion that I had this last weekend. My wife was going out of town and I was going to be ”home alone.” Now before you let that sentence sink in too far, you have to remember… I’m not 15 years old! There was no, “Party at K.C.’s house,” plan. I had lots of things to do to keep me busy. I just didn’t have my wife around while I did them. It really was no big deal… until it was!

She had joked to me, when saying goodbye, that maybe the plane will go down and she won’t be back! Yea, yea… sick humor, right?” But when you’ve been around each other for so many years, strange stuff can come out of your mouth. I went about the weekend running here and there and doing my thing as usual. That is, until Sunday afternoon… about 5 hours before she was scheduled to come home (or not… haaaa)! I took a look around the house with my eyes filtered though HERS… and gasped in shock! Gosh… I’m such a pig!

There were at least 5 pairs of shoes with miscellaneous socks laying around the house. The empty container that held Friday’s dinner (sushi from the grocery store) still lay on the counter. Pants, shirts, towels, cups, papers and other stuff of mine were scattered all around the house. The funny thing is, it really hadn’t bothered me… until now. I presumed the plane would land safely and she would be home, so I set about cleaning up the place… MOSTLY for HER eyes!

One of the biggest problems Christians face is the problem of CLEANUP. The Bible CLEARLY tells us that when we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we become perfectly pure in His Father’s eyes. We are guaranteed a safe ticket to land in Heaven where NO punishment for sin will ever come due. Unfortunately, I still live in this old house called ‘the flesh,’ and it can get REALLY messy. When I ultimately take a look at God and His Word, it isn’t uncommon to freak out and despise my fleshy self! And THAT’S when REALLY bad things can happen!

Seeing God in His perfection genuinely makes me feel messy. Sometimes I can repulse MYSELF so badly that I can’t see Him correctly. The old system of works says that if you mess up, you will HAVE to pay the consequences. Gearing up for that can often drive me even FURTHER from God. Since I don’t FEEL like I DESERVE His love and favor, I put the focus on my failure and NOT on His forgiveness.

John 3:16 says it well. “For God SO Loved K.C.” O.K., I added that part. But you can insert YOUR name as well. I can’t EARN God’s love. He IS love. There is nothing I can do to make Him NOT love, want, care for and desire me. EVER! In fact, joy begins to to creep into my life and motivate me to start picking up the messes, NOT because I am messy, but because I know He is coming home to rest in my heart. Which is right where He belongs… and where He want’s to be.

My wife got home safely and the house looked close enough to her standards that she didn’t remind me of my piggishness. But that last sentence has NOTHING to do with the reality of how God works when HE comes homes to rest in my heart. In fact, after we commune together and enjoy each others company, He is more likely to to say, “sit and take a rest, I’ll take care of this mess!” WOW! What a God.. right?” Maybe next time I’ll remind my wife…. NAHHHHHH! Hee hee!

How do YOU… see you?

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Corinthians 5:1

My brain had forgotten that I needed to prep the church and turn on the air conditioning for Bible Study. So I searched the house for my keys I misplaced and went out into the heat, which increased DRAMATICALLY when I got into my truck. My air conditioning was broken and I hit the only 2 red lights between me and the church… 3 minutes each! By now I was sweating and irritable. The guy in front of me, obviously enjoying his air conditioning and cell phone, just sat there! Hitting my limit, I lost my cool and punched the horn! I immediately sensed some umpire of the universe blow his whistle and yell… “YER OUT!” I had ‘LOSER’ written all over me! But I’m NOT!

It was a joy to read this verse and have the Holy Spirit clarify a long held question for me. It is one I get quite often in Bible Study. “If I die before Jesus returns, will I just float around in heaven until after my body is raptured and restored?” There are plenty of theories out there, but this morning, after yesterday’s experience, I received an ‘AHA’ moment with this verse.

I have had to confess that I didn’t really KNOW know. But Scripture and the Holy Spirit have clarified the message. “I HAVE” a body waiting for me in Heaven. One that will fit me like the me I was meant to be! That makes me smile!

Years ago my kids turned my office into a Bat-cave. Over in the corner is a Batman suit that hangs on a stand. In reality… it is nothing but a joke. If I put it on, it doesn’t give me incredible powers or change me into a super hero. It’s a COSTUME! Just like the real body I live in right now! The one that forgets, sweats, gets sick, angry, tired and is filled with earthly cravings that make me anything BUT a super hero! The Bible calls it a tent. I have slept many nights in tents. They are NOT comfortable.

Now the Marvel Comic series has a great analogy in the Iron-man character. When trouble comes, Tony Stark can simply hit a button and INSTANTLY… Iron-man comes alive.. invincible and SUPER! But the story falls short in its reality. Why would Tony ever want to take the suit OFF to become a simple HUMAN? Well… that will be a question for Jesus, who did it for real!

My body drags me down, man! MOST of the time, I sin because my FLESH gets in the way of my spirit. As the Bible says, I am a heavenly treasure in an earthen vessel. It even goes further to say that my flesh condition WILL CONTINUE… until I am DEAD! BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!

I like this old truth that is new to me. I was MADE for perfection but I live in a sewer! And so do you! FORTUNATELY… God has promised that when I die, I already HAVE a SUPER SUIT WAITING for me when I get to His place. And when I get home, I will be at home IN IT! No more sweat, irritations, fleshy lusts or bathroom breaks! I will feel PERFECTLY at HOME! It kind of gives new significance to the words… UP UP AND AWAY! Don’t you think?

“As for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken Him.” 2 Chronicles 13:10

At this time of the year in Florida, the weather is HOT. ‘Up north, the weather is generally cooling off and there is a smell of fall in the air. Not here. The only thing we can relate to in September in Florida… is the hinges of hell! After a long summer, September is like a football pile-on as the temperature yesterday hit over 100 where I was…with 80 plus percent humidity! And there I was… sweating right in the middle of it.

I generally try to avoid the heat. But my kids were moving to another house and we needed to get stuff out of storage. No problem! The mission was established and weather was not going to be a factor. I had a towel and a big drink glass I kept filled. My sons used to talk about summer football practice, in pads, in this kind of heat. The only way to get through was to keep mind and body on the goal! I was thinking of that when I visited the bathroom.

O.K. this is weird… but God really wants me to tell you this! One of my boys told me about a pee chart on the football locker room wall. It had different colors of yellow with the question, “what color are you?” If your pee was deep yellow, it was an indicator that you weren’t drinking enough water. Lemon yellow simply proved you were “not a TEAM PLAYER!” Yes… I thought that was weird too! Until I gave it more thought! Looking at mine.. it was the color somewhere between Big Bird and Pumpkin pie!!! I immediately realized I was NOT keeping the goal in mind. If I didn’t take more in than I was sweating out… I was not going to achieve the goal.

Today is 911. Do you remember? What we THOUGHT was indestructible, lay in a pile of rubble. What had taken time to build was gone in minutes! People ran to Churches like they hadn’t in years. Prayers and petitions were sent to God as our nation realized its frailty. The heat of terrorism and our own vulnerability hit home causing our nation to sweat and seek answers.

We are in trouble! The clock on the wall is ticking and the thermometer is rising. People have not only left the church, they now deny God and are becoming violent against anything and anyone that is part of His team. God is calling us to pay attention, evaluate our lives and get with His program. To become a team player means reading his Word, getting together with His people and praying for His direction. There is no other way to say it… when it comes to following God… yourIN or yourOUT!

Whose team are YOU on?

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1:3

Will is a GIANT of a man who, the more time I spent with him, just kept getting bigger in my eyes. As a Senior Citizen, Will stands about 5’3” tall and moves kinda slow. But it wasn’t his SIZE that made him a legend in my mind. It is what he was DOING that made him spectacular. Will is a beekeeper.

I told folks about how honey bees had moved into our birdhouse. We could see them outside our window and watched the bees come and go… and the hive thrive and grow! Something had to be done, so I spread the word in hopes that SOMEONE knew a beekeeper who would want them. When I got home one evening, there was Will, dressed only in jeans and a T-shirt, standing on a ladder taping screen over the holes! Bees flew around and landed on him… but Will just kept plugging the holes! I was mesmerized by his lack of fear! His fearlessness led me to walk closer to him… and the hive!

Normal reaction to a bee invading one’s personal space is immediate and radical. Fleeing while swatting is typical as fear increases in direct proportion to vicinity! Walking TOWARD a HIVE of bees is either a sign of a crazy person, or someone a whole lot smarter than me! If this fearlessness could be learned, I wanted it!

Before long I was right in there with Will, helping him and doing what he told me. As the bees flew around me, I nervously asked ‘the question,’ “aren’t you afraid of being stung?” His reply was interesting! “Oh I LIKE getting stung… it helps my arthritis!” Shocked, I was in too deep to get out now!

Will’s superpower came from knowledge and personal experience. At one point he took a spray bottle of sugar water and sprayed the bees, saying that, “it calms them down and sends them into the hive to clean each other off!” Which is EXACTLY what happened! Will didn’t know it, but he had just provided me a metaphor of Jesus Christ and His Church!

Most Christians really don’t know the power and blessing that they share with the object of their faith. Jesus Christ, who wants us to have His SWEET Life, has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED, to actually live it! Sweetness and abundance comes through learning and ‘knowing’ Him personally. The more we spend time in knowing and experiencing Him, the sweeter OUR life becomes!

Abundant Life is the New Testament promise to beelievers. In the Old Testament, Israel was promised a land flowing with milk and honey. Through the sting of the death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for MY sin and offered me His sweetness… in ABUNDANCE. The Holy Spirit acts like sugar water, drawing beelievers together. Which, to the world, brings fear!

People who do not know Jesus are strangely AFRAID of Him. Christ calls us to come OUT of the world to bee part of HIS. Sadly, the world often only sees a threat. But the Bible tells us that the more we know Jesus, the sweeter we can bee. And beeing sweet just might draw someone else in a little closer!

When it comes to Jesus… how close to YOU want to bee?