“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13

Yesterday, my bride and I took on a project that, initially started, seemed rather simple… shovel and wheelbarrow shell into a predefined area. having the tools, it was certainly doable and not that hard at all. A few hours later, fatigue set in and we remembered our age. Later, when soreness set in, we still felt good about accomplishing our goal.

Last night we had at Pizza Party at Bible Study at the church. After eating, we gathered together for ANOTHER kind of work… the Spiritual kind. As we read the Word in Ephesians and broke down each and every sentence, it became apparent, even to me, that we are FAR more blessed and special, because of Jesus, than we thought!

There is just something spectacular and amazing about reading the Word of God. Greater than magic, when I take the time to read, break down, question and meditate upon it, God comes and sits right with me and points out the valuable information that applies to my life and our relationship. It’s work, but the value is ALWAYS worth the cost.

God has done the work of my salvation for me. It cost HIM a LOT. When it was done, He sat down and poured out His Spirit and Mission onto mankind to keep it going. One day, He will call a halt to the process and take us home to be with Him. Till then, ‘working out my salvation’ means reading and putting into practice what He says.

Are YOU putting the work and effort into knowing God, wanting what He wants for YOUR life? The only way to do it is to open your Bible and get started! Go ahead! Even if it hurts, God PROMISES it will be a rewarding experience! After all… you have the tools. 

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-19

Walking in the woods… I saw a turtle. But something didn’t seem right. As I got closer, the shell didn’t have the typical color of a regular turtle. When I got closer still, I noticed that the shell was all that I found. Somehow, the turtle had died right there, and the identifying turtle’s shell was all that could be seen. There was no life at all.

Today’s larger than normal Bible verses are what give me life! In pouring over them, I feel compelled to let them be what they are. They are a prayer of Paul’s that literally becomes supernatural to a believer like me. I pray that you take your time to read and allow them to fill you full of HIS life so your life won’t be empty.

Please take some time to study the possibilities of what God and can will do for YOU.

 “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.” Luke 17:22-24

The day was beautiful and HOT… we had the time, so we went to the beach. Beautiful and hot are 2 words that typically do not go together. Like the beauty of a snowy mountain, when seen through a glass window of a warm house, sub-zero temperatures make enjoying reality very hard. Behind the scene of today’s photo, storm clouds were forming. Would it rain?

The question of ‘rain’ has been on the lips of most Florida residents for many weeks now. Once again, the weather made it to the top of the list of stories in most news broadcasts. It has been very hot and very dry for so long, the drop of a match could wipe out an entire neighborhood with the fire that would result. Brown, dead lawns prove… we need rain!

Toward the evening of this same beautiful day, those clouds got bigger and their color… darker. By nightfall, much needed rain came in a deluge. The sunshine, beautiful as ever, is said to only be temporary, as the entire week’s forecast calls for major rain storms that could actually cause flooding. I couldn’t tell that from the yesterday’s, or this morning’s, sunshine.

As days go by, leading up to an election cycle in November, most everyone is predicting a storm is coming! Seemingly every indicator, from economic to political, threatens a wildfire of epic proportions. Fear, worry and panic rise to make people seem even more worried than normal. What most ‘look for’ is SOMEONE who can rise up to FIX THIS! And I for one, concur!

Since I sat to write this, the beautiful sunshine that was there, has disappeared! Just like that, it is dark and threatening. But inside, lights and air conditioning keep my world humanly acceptable. But 1 big storm could wipe that out as well. The key for me is to remain calm and keep my eyes, in both my head and heart, focused on ‘a time that is coming!’ When Jesus!

What about you? Are you Jesus focused? Or storm and trouble focused? Clouds are coming… but so is Jesus! Happy day to you… no matter the weather! 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

I was loading a trailer with 17 very heavy cement blocks and, having just gotten started, a man approached me and asked if I would like some help! Asking him, “Do you work here?” His answer was “No.” But he reached out, grabbed a heavy block, and handed it to me. Without skipping a beat, I took it from him and asked, “Are you a Jesus Guy?” He simply said, “Yes I am!” How’d ya know?”

Ta-DAAAAA!!! How did I even THINK to THINK up that question? What powers of deduction and observation I must have, eh? Well… no! I just know the Word of God, and knowing it, this verse is one that I try to live my life by. Helping other people, especially fellow believers, is a big deal with me! It is with Jesus too! May I ask you please reread today’s Bible verse and consider YOUR lifestyle?

It took time to load the trailer, but he never missed a beat. I considered him a tough guy buy the way he had NO problem grabbing and moving those cement blocks. I struggled, but kept up by asking questions like, “so what’s your name?” A good first question for anyone starting a conversation. That led to, “So where do you go to Church?” (I assume Christians go… because Jesus does Heb 10:24-25).

We were done, but the smile never left either of our faces. I invited him to come visit us at our church sometime. He said he just might. Before I left, I asked him if he likes to fish. Answering in the affirmative, I then told him that fishing will be part of life on the New Earth when Jesus returns, then told him I’d LOVE to spend some time fishing with him then. He agreed… we have an appointment!

The conversation was quick, simple and completely laced with God’s Holy Spirit. I call those times ‘Divine Appointments’ and look out for them all the time. How about YOU? Do YOU look around and speak up with Jesus on your mind? Are you ready to engage others with God’s love, help and action?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Ephesisans 3:20-21

I hadn’t thought the idea of playing with lions to be so controversial. As it turns out… it is. Lions were created by Jesus to be… well… I don’t know! Seriously! I only know how lions act and react in a world under sin and when hungry or threatened. But now thinking about it… under Jesus Christ and in the New Earth, how WILL a lion act? Will they be dangerous or tame? Or Both?

I was in conversation with a friend just blurted out, “Just imagine a lion coming up to you and nudging YOU to ‘come play!’” Or an eagle, bursting out of the sky with a knowing request to ‘come fly with me!’ Every once in a while, after reading a Scripture referring to the future Kingdom, I take on a ‘what if’ mentality and dream of possibilities on an Earth NOT filled with sin, death or satan.

Today’s Bible verse gives me the childlike permission to simply imagine impossible possibilities. Because there is coming a time, as promised by God, that we WILL live on a renewed Earth where it WILL be just that grand! Where wolves will lie with lambs and little children will lead them (Isaiah 11:6). With an active imagination, it isn’t hard to wistfully dream of the place… for REAL!

As we live in the present world, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see that we are headed for…something! And it doesn’t look good in the long run. Fighting to go backwards in time doesn’t help. What I want to see is NEW! And Jesus has promised us it WILL happen. That being the case, I am finding that letting my imagination run a little wild with great possibilities isn’t a bad thing.

What about YOU? If you know Jesus Christ, can you just imagine the possibilities of an eternity with Him and His creative abilities? Go ahead and try! It might just give you hope and reason to press on through the tough times.

“Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.’” (or within you) Luke 17:20-21

We were at an Atlantic Ocean Beach hanging out with family. To some folks, a beach is a beach is a beach. But being raised near the beach, we know the difference. It’s been reported that there are about 50 words in the Eskimo language for snow. In Florida, when it comes to a beach… we just call it a beach. Even though we know there are differences.

One of the kids filled a bucket full of sand and water. When we tried to dump it out, it stuck to the bucket and wouldn’t come out without a lot of persuading! The sand is different over there. There, sand packs so tightly that they actually drive cars on the beach! One doesn’t dare do that on a gulf beach, unless one has a special vehicle or tires. It’s just different!

But sitting there looking out at the water, from where the sun rises, I noted the same ‘awe’ that I experience here where, on the water, the sun sets! There is a special spirit that resides at the beach. And even folks who don’t believe in God can sense it. ‘I’ know what it is, because I recognize the touch of my Father’s hand. Since He’s the One who made it!

It is hard to imagine not knowing God personally. In fact, I don’t even have to go to the beach to sense His presence. I can sit in a dark room, or simply close my eyes, and see Him with eyes that, many in the world, choose not to see! He is here… NOW! I don’t even need to go to see something different, because he lives inside of Me. Years ago I invited Him in.

When Jesus said today’s verse, He was standing in physical from among men. Today, I can read His words and KNOW He is right here, in MY spirit, in His Spirit. Someone who has not been born of the Spirit wouldn’t know what I was talking about! But it doesn’t allow them an excuse for unbelief. All it takes is to look around and see the handiwork of the Creator.

So as spring rolls into summer, and you find yourself looking around, why not seek the One who made it all possible and ask Him to show you Himself with Spirit eyes! Then you will never be alone and in the dark again. Don’t you see?

“They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’” 2 Peter 2:19

What does one DO with little kids in the summer? The idea wasn’t the first time for our Daughter and their family, because they had annual passes. So we piled into the car and drove the kids to the Zoo. The talk was, “what do we want to see first?” And, “What are you most excited about seeing?” For me, I didn’t remember the zoo being that expensive!

The kids were excited, as we passed by birds, snakes, monkeys and lions. I noticed a zoo representative, posters and a theme at each stop asking for money to help the planet, protect the environment, and stop the extinction of almost all the animals represented in the zoo. Money would make the difference! Then we entered the Giraffe exhibit.

For $5 we could purchase 2 leaves of lettuce to feed the giraffes up close and personally. 5 leaves were on sale for $10. As I looked around and saw the animals grabbing for the food, I wondered what might really be going on. Having an eternal eye, I know that Jesus created all the animals on earth, and I know on the New Earth, all will be present. But then I saw people.

This world offers LOTS of things for people to be attracted to. Hobbies and vacations are fun, but the real danger lies in the dangers and people pushing them on a day to day basis. Satan is very good at drawing people into habits and addictions that do NOT promise long and lasting life. But ensnare people into lifestyles of slavery and even death.

Looking around the zoo, I wasn’t sure if God was trying to show me something or if I was just overcome by the heat. What I saw was bars, chains and fences (slavery), high prices for low cost goods (extortion), and a dependence upon other beings for life’s basic needs (welfare). On top of it all, if I would give them money, I could help perpetuate the entire system!

Naturally this is likely a crazy description of a zoo. But when applied to people, we can see in our world the same system that the devil is laying upon the souls of people in our world today. How we see it may make the difference in how others will be treated… forever. How do YOU see it? Do YOU offer people the freedom that comes only with Jesus Christ?

“I have no greater joy than to hear (& see) that my children are walking in the truth.” 3 John 1:4

They don’t look like they looked the last time I looked. Don’t sound the same either! Last time we came up to see the grand-kids of our youngest kid, her youngest took a little while to warm up to us. Yesterday, her and her mom tried to jump us from behind a door. They were all smiles. Now, when I lean in and focus, I can usually make out what she’s trying to say!

It’s about a 4 hour trip to their house, so we don’t see them very much. Talking on the phone, even on ‘face-time,’ isn’t the same. Personal face to face and hand to hand is a lot better than through a cell phone anyway. Now that they just got out of school, we have the chance to see them and get to see how much they’re learning and growing. It’s a process called ‘Life!’

We came here after Church yesterday, where our Jesus Family gets to gather together every week. There, we get to see and have a hand in teaching and watching the growth of our spiritual family. There’s a good comparison between the 2. In seeing and talking to fellow believers, I can see who’s growing and how far they’ve come in their growth in Jesus.

Reading God’s Word and telling each other what He’s been doing in our lives, along with spending time together, is God’s way of growing His family here… for there! As we gather together over time, we’re not supposed to look the same as we did before. Growing up and maturing is all part of the business of God. The more we grow the more we look like Him.

How are YOU doing in the growing up process of Jesus Christ?

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13 (GNTD)

“Yea Yea… I know… Philippians 4:13.” I carried that Bible verse on a band around my wrist for years. But now.. being stuck in traffic.. AGAIN… I did not find the words very comforting. “I” had planned on being at my destination to have FUN an hour before I had gotten stuck in traffic. MY wants and MY needs were screaming loudly over the verse. I was not happy!

I could expect a traffic jam at that particular time of day in a city like Los Angeles or New York. But I was in rural Florida… AND on a 4 lane road! WHAT THE HECK! As my mind drifted to a proper punishment for the Highway engineer who thought up the idea to change all the exits on I-75, I was NOT thinking about that verse.. or honestly… even God. I was very upset! UGH!

I don’t know WHERE I got the idea that being a Jesus guy should mean that the spiritual gifts of love, joy, peace and patience should be on “auto-load” when I need them. Why don’t they just take over BEFORE a problem hits? Then I’d never have to ‘lose it!’ But alas… the comforting promise eluded me in my time of need, as my emotions avoided God’s terms.

Reciting Philippians 4:13 all by itself doesn’t really help unless I grab the promise through the backdoor of Philippians 4:12! At least that is what I’m getting. I DO know what it is to be in need and to have plenty. But it is OBVIOUS to me that I have NOT LEARNED the ‘secret of being content!’ At almost 69, it seems late to go back to school… but obviously… necessary.

I have discovered that ‘learning’ and ‘discipline’ seem harder, now that I’m older. I make assumptions often, and think I know more than I do. I find that I presume that, since Jesus and I are good buddies, I’m SURE He’ll take care of me in this and EVERY situation!” Then I find myself in a desert AGAIN… with no trace of His footsteps! That’s ‘learning 101!’

Walking with Christ means moving WITH Him. Far too often I don’t. Instead of watching HIS steps, I just assume he’s got MY back. Having found myself ‘stuck’ FAR too often, maybe it’s time I focus on verse 12 instead… and do some learning. How about YOU? Are YOU stuck and expecting something more than a jam? Are YOU trying to drag Jesus along behind YOU?

Take notes! Cuz maybe He’s trying to teach you (as well as me) something!