“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13

Yesterday was Grandparents Day and it just so happened that we had 4 of our grandsons with us for the weekend. As per our standard unwritten ‘Kid Policy,’ we did what we always did… because, based upon our own personalities and roles, ‘it’ always worked. I took the boys.. SHE took the baby!

It is what it is… I don’t do babies. Squirming, crying, peeing, drooling, screaming, tired and unsleeping babies are NOT my thing. They never have been. My wife is a master at them! So the other day when that thing went off into a crying spree, I took the other three boys outside for a bike and scooter ride. We had a blast! It wasn’t until last night, when my wife said, “why don’t we all go for a walk,” that I realized just how different our roles really are!

‘Riding,’ for me, was really walking and barking out instructions, warnings and directions to the boys. “Hey guys, ride up THAT driveway! Don’t get TOO far away! Car coming… off the road! Stick close to each other!” When Gigi was with us… she was on the verge of a meltdown. “Oh no… be careful, you’re gonna fall! Watch out for that curb! Slow down!!” I realized, again, that in our roles, we were directly OPPOSITE of each other. I wanted them to learn how to ride better and to safely cooperate with each other. SHE wanted to get them home without a scratch!

Don’t get me wrong! Neither of us are wrong and both of us are necessary. But being a ‘Father means teaching kids how to grow up and stand! Moms are all about safety and security. But at the end of the day… or life, Kids grow into responsible adults as they learn to navigate through the obstacles of life. And yes.. there WILL be pain.

There is a reason God is called Father! His desire for us is to grow up ‘In’ Him and STAND up ‘FOR’ Him. His Word give us instructions and directives on how to live independently and within the scope of the World. The verse today says that ‘evil is coming!’ God is encouraging His children to prepare for it and stand. Apparently, shielding us from hurt and pain is not a part of His plan!

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

Last weekend out of boredom we decided to watch the latest Marvel movie. After renting, we settled in and prepared to be blown away by action and adventure. It was amazing to watch as each super hero AND super villain was dramatically introduced. But after some time we realized we had already seen this movie! In haste, we had hit the wrong button at the Red Box machine. I was disappointed because the FIRST time I had seen this movie, it was evident that the producers had only one thing in mind. To ‘sell’ another sequel. I turned it off!

We all love heroes, don’t we? When I was a kid, way back in the black and white TV days, I would rush in and turn on the TV to watch ‘The Lone Ranger.’ Film production has come a LONG way since then. Watching those old chase scenes and gun fights now, I realize they weren’t really close to anything resembling reality. When I really started thinking about the Lone Ranger, the Holy Spirit started to convict me about my appeal to ‘Super Heroes.’

“Let’s take a look at The Lone Ranger,” God seemed to say. So I did. Now think about it. Here’s a guy that hides behind a mask, rides dusty trails on a horse, roaming from town to town looking for trouble. His only companion is a ‘time period inferior’ who praises his judgment “oooo that good,” & occasionally asks… “what we do now Kemosabe?” All so the Lone Ranger can play the hero…and then LEAVE! Hmmmm… isn’t that kind of self gratifying and messed up? Then God led me to consider HIS heroes.

In Matthew, Jesus calls His original 12 disciples and gives them a secret mission. “I’m sending you like sheep among wolves!” We might hear Peter say… “what’s that Jesus?” Then Jesus adds, “Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” No super powers, no weapons, no cape! But just like Mom might add… “be REALLY careful out there… but SPEAK up!!” WHAAAAAAA? But…. But… THAT kind of advice can get a guy KILLED!!! And it DID!

I look around me and see a violent world that is dying but too proud to realize it. I see satan touching and permeating every facet of society and spoiling it with dark powers of deception. I see the world running after evil with an appetite that only grows and demands ‘MORE!” Then I am reminded of The Master’s words to His disciples, HIS heroes…The Church… “Hey you… sheep!!! Go into YOUR world and speak ‘The Good News.’”

It is said that you can’t speak the Gospel without the word ‘Go!’ And it is true. God is calling us to GO out in that rough, tough world and to STAY there and TALK…. About HIM! The Gospels and letters are very clear about the world’s conditions AND their reactions. ‘They will hate you, persecute you, mock you and worse… but keep your head down and be sure to SPEAK!’ 2000 years later, the Master of the Universe STILL directs His ‘sheepish’ warriors in the same way. No cape, no shield, no magic and no glory. Just HIM!

May I add this as incentive. Jesus didn’t hide behind a mask, and He isn’t asking us to do anything He hasn’t done Himself. He simply says, “Go… stay…don’t hide… and SPEAK… I’ll be back soon!” HIIIIIHOOOOOOOOO…. boy! It’s gonna get rough!

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

I do not like getting out of bed when it is still dark outside. Something inside just rebels at the notion. As fall comes closer, darkness hangs out longer. Which means when the alarm goes off, one of the FIRST things I need to do is turn on a light in order to see! The usual sequence of our dark mornings is to get coffee and then send time with God. Recently, an annoying ‘buzz’ invaded our quiet routine, leaving us a little unsettled.

When my wife called me into the other room I was shocked. There, on the big sliding glass door, crawled MILLIONS of bees. At least it SOUNDED like millions! Without realizing, Katie’s perfect little serene garden of trees and plants had been invaded. The decorative, wooden birdhouse she had hung in the tree for looks had been turned into a home for honey bees. They had been awakened by the artificial light inside the house and they REALLLY wanted to come inside! GREAAAAT!

Bees are generally active during the day and stay in their hives at night. Doing a little research, I learned that our inside light was triggering a positive ‘photo-tactic response’ in the bees. This response interrupts their normal bee-havioral pattern of beeing dormant at night and causes them to seek out the light. How did I get so lucky?

It just so happened that a devotional I subscribe to was about bees and honey. God was trying to tel me something! Bees have long been a symbol of the Church because they work for the common good of the hive and not for themselves. A hive of bees will collectively travel as much as 55,000 miles and tap more than 2 million flowers to make just 1 pound of honey! And get this… a good hive can produce up to 2 pounds of honey a DAY! I’m exhausted just thinking about it!

I am not too excited about these bees. Something has to be done with them. I’ve read honey bees are endangered and that beekeepers will come and get them for free. So far I haven’t found any who will. My daughter suggested I become a beekeeper myself. When I offered them to HER… she declined.

The Bible tells me that as a Christian, I have been born with a tendency toward a kind of ‘photo-taxis.’ God, my Father, has called ME into HIS family… FROM the darkness… INTO His wonderful light… and for a purpose. My worker bee purpose is to declare to the world just how awesome, wonderful, trustworthy, joyful, loving and graceful God really is! This verse clearly reminds me that ‘I’ am called to ‘bee His BUZZZZ!’ SWEEEEEET!!!!

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

“What do you want to do today?” It was a question I posed to my wife on this peculiar Labor Day weekend. I say peculiar because it started off with warnings of a possible Category 4 to 5 hurricane! Though it was far off, the news media and weather services spoke as though all of Florida would be erased from the earth! Planning something to do for entertainment seemed downright irreligious!

There were LOTS of things we COULD have done. Organize some rooms, paint the house or visit one of many venues Florida has to offer. Doing those things, while not knowing if your life is about to be run through a blender, seemed counter productive. Especially when forecasters called for rain and the sun came out… and vice versa! I believe weather people should be paid ‘commission.’ If wrong… no pay! But I digress! We were trapped between action and boredom. A desire to ‘enjoy’ time off or rush to prepare for Armageddon! Neither choice appealed to us.

When my wife asked, “What do YOU want to do today?” no desire erupted within to point to any good direction. We ended up DOING a bunch of NOTHING! Yesterday, with the sun blaring and weather reports calling for sunshine until later afternoon, we went for a ride on the motorcycle to an outlet mall. Katie doesn’t like riding the Goldwing on the interstate and I don’t like malls. But being bored and desperate… off we went!

Walking around the outlet mall only proved again why I hate malls. Even 70% off a pair of shoes that were marked $165 is a scam. Though we bought nothing, we were together and enjoyed the time. Getting back on the highway, all went well. That is until we hit a rainstorm and Katie started to get nervous. She talks a lot when she does… and it wasn’t good!

It was at a perfect time when the exit appeared and I did just that. The storm was east of us, so I scooted west. MY goal was to keep her dry! That worked until it didn’t, and we started getting soaked! We found ourselves asking the same question that GOT us into this situation, “So… what do you want to do NOW?” We had 2 choices. Stop and wait or continue on in the rain! Her answer surprised me!

I am not a genius, but at times when she is scared, I feel led to let my bride make the decision!!! She responded, “I’m wet, I don’t want to go in air conditioning… I’ll freeze!” And then, “This isn’t so bad… keep going!” Then she added, “I want you to remember how much I love you!” It was HER way of saying, “had I known THIS was going to happen, we’d have stayed home.” When she relaxed, we actually enjoyed it! When I told he how brave she was…she smiled!

Storms of life come. God never promises that they won’t. But He DOES promise that He will be WITH us when they do. The way ‘TO’ someWHERE often means going ‘THROUGH’ someTHING. And the best way to DO that is to put faith in the ONLY someONE who is smarter you!

May God be exalted in everything we do, everywhere we go!

Many of the names in the Bible that refer to our Lord are nothing less than palatial and august: Son of God, The Lamb of God, The Light of the World, The Resurrection and the Life, The Bright and Morning Star, He that Should Come, Alpha and Omega.

They are phrases that stretch the boundaries of human language in an effort to capture the uncapturable, the grandeur of God. And try as they might to draw as near as they may, they always fall short. Hearing them is somewhat like hearing a Salvation Army Christmas band on the street corner play Handel’s Messiah. Good try, but it doesn’t work. The message is too majestic for the medium. And such it is with language.

The phrase “There are no words to express…” is really the only one that can honestly be applied to God. No names do Him justice.

But there is one name which recalls a quality of the Master that bewildered and compelled those who knew Him. It reveals a side of Him that, when recognized, is enough to make you fall on your face.

It is not too small, nor is it too grand. It is a name that fits like the shoe fit Cinderella’s foot.

Jesus.

In the gospels it’s His most common name — used almost six hundred times. And a common name it was. Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, Jeshua, and Jehoshua — all familiar Old Testament names. There were at least five high priests known as Jesus. The writings of the historian Josephus refer to about twenty people called Jesus. The New Testament speaks of Jesus Justus, the friend of Paul, and the sorcerer of Paphos is called Bar-Jesus. Some manuscripts give Jesus as the first name of Barabbas. “Which would you like me to release to you — Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called the Messiah?”

What’s the point? Jesus could have been a “Joe.” If Jesus came today, His name might have been John or Bob or Jim.

Were He here today, it is doubtful He would distance Himself with a lofty name like Reverend Holiness Angelic Divinity III. No, when God chose the name His Son would carry, He chose a human name. He chose a name so typical that it would appear two or three times on any given class roll.

“The Word became flesh,” John said, in other words.

He was touchable, approachable, reachable. And, what’s more, He was ordinary. If He were here today, you probably wouldn’t notice Him as He walked through a shopping mall. He wouldn’t turn heads by the clothes He wore or the jewelry He flashed.

“Just call me Jesus,” you can almost hear Him say.

He was the kind of fellow you’d invite to watch the Rams-Giants game at your house. He’d wrestle on the floor with your kids, doze on your couch, and cook steaks on your grill. He’d laugh at your jokes and tell a few of His own. And when you spoke, He’d listen to you as if He had all the time in eternity.

And one thing’s for sure, you’d invite Him back.

It is worth noting that those who knew Him best remembered Him as Jesus.  The titles Jesus Christ and Lord Jesus are seen only six times. Those who walked with Him remembered Him not with a title or designation, but with a name — Jesus.

Think about the implications. When God chose to reveal Himself to mankind, what medium did He use? A book? No, that was secondary. A church? No. That was consequential. A moral code? No. To limit God’s revelation to a cold list of dos and don’ts is as tragic as looking at a Colorado road map and saying that you’d seen the Rockies.

When God chose to reveal Himself, He did so (surprise of surprises) through a human body. The tongue that called forth the dead was a human one. The hand that touched the leper had dirt under its nails. The feet upon which the woman wept were calloused and dusty. And His tears… oh, don’t miss the tears… they came from a heart as broken as yours or mine ever has been.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. — Hebrews 4:15

So, people came to Him. My, how they came to Him! They came at night; they touched Him as He walked down the street; they followed Him around the sea; they invited Him into their homes and placed their children at His feet. Why? Because He refused to be a statue in a cathedral or a priest in an elevated pulpit. He chose instead to be Jesus.

There is not a hint of one person who was afraid to draw near Him. There were those who mocked Him. There were those who were envious of Him. There were those who misunderstood Him. There were those who revered Him. But there was not one person who considered Him too holy, too divine, or too celestial to touch. There was not one person who was reluctant to approach Him for fear of being rejected.

Remember that.

Remember that the next time you find yourself amazed at your own failures. Or the next time acidic accusations burn holes in your soul. Or the next time you see a cold cathedral or hear a lifeless liturgy.

Remember. It is man who creates the distance. It is Jesus who builds the bridge.

“Just call me Jesus.” Do You KNOW Him?

Excerpted with permission from God Came Near by Max Lucado, copyright Max Lucado.

“Take away the stone,” Jesus John 11:39

While on vacation my refrigerator broke. Then a few days ago, while cutting the grass, the lawnmower broke. I used it to write a story about my ‘self-propulsion problem,’ then forced the thing to a spot on my porch! It was broken, so it didn’t deserve a place in the garage out of the rain! For days my mind grappled with the ugly reality that I would have to spend $3-400 for a new mower. Something I did NOT want to do! Last night I had an epiphany! “Why not try to FIX it?!”

Out of necessity, I have learned to be handy. When the mower broke LAST year, I ended up rebuilding the whole front end. It was a long and tedious project that I did NOT want to repeat. Throwing the thing away seemed a better ‘long term’ option. The pain of the COST is what held me back. Until I remembered YouTube!

Whatever did we do before ‘ YouTube?” I mean, even as I wrote that word, the word processor highlighted it as misspelled! Clicking on it showed that the ‘T’ in ‘tube’ is supposed to be capitalized! ‘YouTube’ is now an official word in the dictionary! I have fixed all kinds of things by watching a YouTube video. I had doubted a ‘self propelled lawnmower repair’ video was there, but was surprised to find SEVERAL! I got downright giddy!

The best video was the first one. A guy actually recorded himself saying, “I am not very handy but wanted to see if I could fix this myself!” My kind of guy! I watched, got some clues, got my tools, propped my lawnmower up on a cement block and got started. MY problem could have been even MORE serious than HIS. He had an ‘easy access’ door to the gear housing. MINE would require a major overhaul! So I started with the simplest thing first. Removing the front wheel I found a nail had locked up the whole works. 2 minutes and $400 richer, she was running like a top! Or… a MOWER!

I have been broken for a while now. It would not be right to not tell about it. The Joy of Jesus, the Power of His Presence and the Cause of His Call have been eluding me for a while. Problems and people have just gotten me stuck to a point where I just didn’t want to ‘GO’ anymore. Looking over my journal, if I can call it that, I see that God has been sitting back waiting for me to freeze up! And then I did!

What a blessing it is to know Jesus. I should have remembered that He runs the biggest repair shop in the universe. I’ve successfully come out of it many times before. But somehow, my life just kind of took on a life of its own. Running ahead I found myself running behind… then broken down…going ‘no where!’ What was a ‘BIG DEAL’ to ME… was nothing more than a ‘quick and gentle fix’ for Him. I had forgotten!

When seemingly ‘nothing’ is happening for SO LONG… it is easy to do the human thing and MAKE it happen! ‘DO something’ became the goal. But I have never been good at inventing things that work well. And God is NOT in the Kool-Aid (oops.. capital ‘A’) business! AGAIN I have learned that He will NOT honor something DONE in His Name if it wasn’t first BORN from His heart! Somewhere along the line I had reversed the order and expected Jesus to ‘Follow ME!” He never does!

I rejoice that my God is in the repair and ‘stone’ removal business! Even when I don’t deserve it! ‘What a Savior!”

“May the favor[beauty] of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:17

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

his face is on a dime.

You can count a pile of them

10 at a time!

It is called ‘The Dime Song.’ I know this because my wife composed it. And you ought to hear the tune because, it’s quite catchy! Especially when she sings it while playing the ukulele! Though you may have never heard it before, that song is a big hit with her crowd! You see, she is a pre-school teacher. Her audience is composed of well…PRE-schoolers. My wife is COOL!

Years ago she mentioned she might like to take up an instrument. Being rather quirky, she was asked “which one?” When she mentioned the ukulele out loud, our son bought her a nice one. She quickly mastered about 5 chords and set out to become an entertainer! Though she is no Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, her legend is growing.

There are entertainers, speakers and comedians who work hard for YEARS to be able to capture and hold their audience’s attention. Katie has mastered the technique with 2 unique natural qualities. 1. She loves kids and 2. She loves to teach. Combining those 2 loves, there is NOTHING that she can’t use to creatively press knowledge into a child’s brain! A ukulele is just 1 of many mastered tools in her hands. ‘The Dime Song’ and ‘A nickle is Worth 5 Cents,” are songs to teach kids about money values. Because they are quirky, they work! And God uses her… MIGHTILY!

The Bible verse today is her favorite. Every single Believer in Jesus Christ has been given the gift of ABUNDANT Grace and Eternal Life. The gift ALSO comes with a call…”Go and tell others about what YOU have received!” And while Christendom is FILLED with people FILLED with what God has to offer, most people don’t willingly set out to fulFILL the Great Commission call! This verse promises us that if we were to do a simple honest survey of our hearts, ANYONE can find a quality or 2 that God can energize and use for His Purpose! If we would only offer them!

People need Jesus. Little people, big people, rich people, poor people, witchy people and itchy people alike! NO one has been created who is not meant to be a container for the Joy of God. God’s way is simple… He gives to us.. and simply wants us to pass it on! How easy should THAT be? ANY effort will be blessed and used by God for HIS Glory. When you combine what YOU love with HIS love, you are GUARANTEED to be FAMOUS… to HIM!

The other day she was practicing when I just smiled, rolled my eyes and shook my head! “Yer crazy,” I said! She went to school and told her fans what I said! They responded… “We LOVE you miss Katie, You’re so COOL! Now put on your sunglasses and play ‘The Dime Song’ for us!” Now how can I POSSIBLY compete with someone so famous? Well THAT… my friends, is the EXACT same question GOD asks of ALL of us!

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5

I was invited to attend a Pastor’s training conference with a friend of mine… which STILL makes me giggle inside. I mean… who am ‘I’ that I should be picked by God to do ANYTHING for Him. I gladly accepted and we headed on to the event. Arriving, we were seated at the ‘speakers table’ directly in front of the podium. I didn’t immediately grasp what that meant, but took the seat pointed out for me. Then… I recognized the movie star across from me and REALLY felt out of place!

When someone from a national ministry began to set at our table saying, ‘I think I’m supposed to sit here,’ I thought nothing of it. “Welcome!” I said. But when she was told she had to move elsewhere I became embarrassed and replied, “you can have MY seat… I’m not sure ‘I’M’ supposed to be here!” The director then asked me, ”Are you here with Kevin?” When I said “Yes,” He factually stated… “Then THAT is YOUR seat!” I stayed right were I was, as ordered!

I can be a slob and my manners can slip to hillbilly level (no offense to hillbillies). But I HAVE been TAUGHT manners and KNEW what I was SUPPOSED to do in a setting like that. I placed my napkin in my lap, ate carefully and paid attention with my body language so as not to offend. Mid-speech, I had an itch to go get more shrimp before the line closed! But I KNEW not to stand up because that action would take the eyes of the room off the speaker and place them on ME! I SAT CAREFULLY, in fear that someone might focus their attention on me instead of the messenger’s message! And THAT is EXACTLY what I was SUPPOSED to do.

If you are reading this, YOU sat right there with me! If you have ANY part in this church, then YOU were right there WITH me. What ‘I’ did… YOU did! Because you are associated with me. LOTS of churches had been invited. But the number of attendees was much lower than the invites. That ‘I’ was there, was an honor. My friend, being more important than even ‘I’ had thought, was there for the same reason ‘You and I’ were! God EXPECTS something from us. It is apparent He has faith that we will DO what He will ask!

The world is becoming more and more hostile to Jesus Christ. Our ‘Good News’ message is increasingly perceived as hostile and unwelcome. But His call does not change. Our churches, communities and Nation are setting on a dangerous ‘’fault line.’ And the earth is rumbling! Being picked out from the masses, set at a table before the enemy and anointed by the King Himself MIGHT produce arrogance in some. But if you know that Master like I do… YOU and I are not called to be the focus! We are called to pay attention to what is coming from our Host!

The King is choosing us for action. But even if, like me, you feel yourself an ugly duckling among the swans… my advice is to “sit down.. shut up.. and pay attention! Because it is about to get interesting! WE are being invited to the King’s Table…for a REASON!

“You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands.” Psalm 119:73 NLT

I have a self-propulsion problem! I was cutting my lawn and got 90% of it done. This is the point where I can sense the finish line. It’s hot and I’m soaked in sweat but… ‘I’m almost done!’ Then, my self propelled lawnmower decided differently… and froze! The engine was running like a top! But the wheels refused to turn! After numerous attempts to get it to work, then KICKING at it… I shut it down and quit.

My last lawnmower pulled this ‘not propelling’ thing too. I had ordered parts and tried to fix it. But it was only temporary. When the ‘self-propulsion’ system failed again I could at least ‘push it’ the old fashioned way. Eventually I just got tired and bought a new one. This model and breakdown is different. The wheels are ‘locked’ and I can’t even PUSH it! It is useless to me.

Speaking to a church member who was going in for serious surgery, I sat down in the empty chair between him and a man awaiting admittance for a hip replacement. We all chatted and joked. Jokes are a good distraction when facing serious stuff. When my guy went into pre-op, I went in with him. Once inside, we got serious in the Word and I prayed… HARD! I could tell that my guy’s motor was running just fine. When leaving, I found the other guy still sitting in the waiting room. So I took a seat beside him… again.

When facing surgery, EVERYONE gets nervous. Having joked before, I just did what I usually do and asked my inevitable question… “So… are you a Jesus guy?” That is a direct and ‘to the point’ question intended to find out what propels someone. His smile faded into a quizzical expression as he said, “I believe in a higher power.” I probed again, “But do you know His NAME?” His face continued downward into a scowl as he replied… “Don’t gimmie that crap… I’m good!” My diagnosis was… he had a self-propulsion’ problem!

When my lawnmower quit running, it would have been great to have its designer standing right there beside me. No doubt, he could have told me what and why HIS mower froze. He could have quickly fixed the problem because, being the designer, he would know what parts had failed. He would NOT have appreciated me pushing and kicking the thing to try to get it moving! But I was alone!

I am designed BY and belong TO… All-mighty God! I was NEVER created to be self-propelled! My inner workings are intricate and complex and it does not take much for me to ‘freeze up’ and stop. It DOES take going to my designer and placing my trouble into HIS hands for diagnosis and repair. My designer requires MY cooperation! Lord.. PLEASE give me the ‘SENSE’ to read and follow your command when I freeze. I do NOT want to be self-propelled.

What propels YOU?