“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8

WHAT A MESS! And the SMELL??? As much as I did NOT want to clean it up, no one ELSE was going to! So reluctantly, and minus enthusiasm, I got started. After all, it was my fault! I had set a garbage bag, filled with old refrigerator food leftovers, on the corner of the garage floor. Moving the lawn mower around in a hurry, I didn’t see the garbage bag lying there. Ever noticed how plastic bags and metal mowers don’t go well together?

Garbage day around here is Thursday and it was Friday morning. Which meant that I had missed setting a garbage bag out. Now that the mess and smell were dripping over the floor, the horribly stinky contents had to be SUPER wrapped… since it was going to lie around for almost another week until NEXT trash day next week!  What a nasty job.

Last night, listening to some good Christian music, I found myself in an uncomfortable conundrum. While listening to songs about the ideal Christian Life, something started to smell…REALLY bad! I was reminded by my conscience, or an ugly little demon, of some things I had recently said, done and felt.  I realized that the smell was coming from ME, and soon started to FEEL like what I was smelling! Garbage!

One of the hardest concepts to understand is the one concerning who I AM in Christ. Romans 8 says that, “There is NO condemnation to those who are in Christ.” But at the moment, I sure didn’t feel or SMELL that way! I FELT like a piece of rotting garbage. And it was time to take out the trash!

If the King continually points out to his son, the Prince, that he is a failure, he’ll soon have a failure for a Prince. When the father points out that the Prince is ROYAL and NOBLE by BIRTH, and that the title carries expectations and favor, he’ll see a Prince arise! The difference is the point of view. According to God, there is ONLY ONE view that matters. HIS!

I was feeling down, like a failure,  Stinky, smelly and disgusting!  But that was not God talking to me. I knew the ONLY way to eliminate that trash was to TAKE IT OUT! I had to replace it with what GOD says about me… because of what His Son did on MY behalf! But “I” HAD to be the one to remove and replace my stinking thinking!

I AM the Righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21). The ONLY person who can make me feel like garbage… is ME! I just felt like that surpassing knowledge was worth passing on! Are YOU focusing and living by the Words of The King?

“To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.” Romans 5:13

Katie asked me, “Can I plug in my Kindle, it’s only at 3%?” It was 10:15pm and we were preparing for bed. The sentence wasn’t new and, in fact, it’s a regular occurrence at my house. She has a Kindle, a phone and a watch that need charged regularly. The problem is, regularly ain’t regular. Liking to lay in bed and read before she goes to sleep, she was only going to get about 2% more at best.

The charger she uses for her Kindle just so happens to be the same kind I use for my phone. Often she can’t find where she left hers. Her request meant unplugging my phone in order to use MY charger to charger HER KINDLE. Which is not a big deal because, what’s mine is hers and what’s hers is mine! But the lack of charging thing she doesn’t regularly do affects me as well.

I am NOT publicly calling out my wonderful wife. Comparing the list of MY failures, weaknesses and bad propensities overshadows hers like an eclipse! I actually drive HER even MORE crazy with the STUFF I leave lying around. I asked her, “why don’t you keep your stuff charged? All you have to do is plug it in and you won’t be scrambling around all the time?” Then I looked at the counter!

Today’s verse is NOT a ‘little thang!’ Jesus knew that taking care of the penalty of my sin was going to be inconvenient. The BIG problem was not so much the offense… as it was in ‘The Law’ itself! ‘The Law’ not only set the tone for right and wrong, it established the penalty for being broken and DEMANDED PAYMENT. To do a proper job, Jesus had to do something with ‘The Law!’ And He did!

The 10 commandments are not all of them. Actually, there are 613 laws in the Old Testament! And we break them regularly! To do the ‘Work of Salvation,’ Jesus had to pay the penalty for my sin AND get the Law out of the way, which could nail me again later. He did that by nailing the Law to His cross as well as my sin! ‘Taking it out of the way!’ (See Colossians 2:14).

That fact of the Law’s death is something I fail to plug into often. Since I have been Born Again and Christ lives inside of me, I CANNOT be charged with sin any longer. My life is His, His life is mine, and The Law that COULD have separated us has been REMOVED and LOST! Kind of like my wife’s chargers! Now, I have the means to plug in to Christ as STAY Charged… If I so choose!

Staying ‘Charged’ is a ‘Charge’ Jesus gives to me. He WANTS me plugged into Him, at 100%, ALL THE TIME! His Charger is the Word… The Bible. And when I spend time reading, resting and meditating on His Word, He fills me. Just like He can fill you. So… when it comes to Jesus, at what percent are YOU? Oh.. And please don’t tell my wife about this ok?

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” John 15:18-19

Meet Bullwinkle… cuz that’s what the locals call him! He was hanging out near my cabin, at morning and dusk, in the same field he usually does. His daily life is like a routine. We saw him in the same field last year, the only difference was, there were several OTHER big bull (male) elk in the same field he occupied. They were further away… but they were there. This year, Bullwinkle was all alone.

One doesn’t have to look close at the picture to see that Bullwinkle is not your typical Bull Elk. See his antlers? Note that they do not stand up, but rather stretch out to the side. Did you notice that the 2 sides of his antlers do not match? That observation is the same one the cow (female) elk notice as well. What crowns his head turns them off and… he gives off no threat to other bulls.

Pondering these facts, alone myself one morning, I watched him graze and thought about the ‘why’ of his existence. Bullwinkle is a loner! And he’s a loner because of what crown’s the top of his head! At the basics of nature, the Elk world isn’t really all that different from man’s. ‘Sex appeal’ and ‘machismo’ are at the top of a social order where Bullwinkle doesn’t even rank! “So sad,” you say?

Today’s verse might give a clue as to why I don’t always fit in with the crowd. The words came out of Jesus’ mouth, so they are true. His words come with both a warning and a responsibility. Putting Jesus at the ‘Top’ of my life is going to affect my social popularity! But I am required to remember that Jesus has ‘chosen me’ to be on His Team, which is NOT the most popular one, BECAUSE of Him!

Walking and grazing with Jesus is MORE than O.K. with me.  Is it O.K. with you?  If so, like Bullwinkle, you can expect to be called out, isolated at times and even given special instructions (or missions) for The Master!

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself.” Ephesians 4:14-15

In taking our vacation this year, Katie and I decided to take Granddaughter Gema along with us. Having only flown in a plane once before at the age of 2, she was looking forward to the trip. None of us, including her, anticipated a problem. We probably should have. You see, Gema is prone to getting car-sick and often suffers from motion sickness. But WE were going by Jet!

It all started as a slight case of nausea, as her mom drove us to the airport. But Gema was feeling a lot better by the time we boarded the plane. We sat her beside the window for the exciting view and she was all smiles as we lifted off into the air! That is until about 20 minutes later when the Captain announced what Gema didn’t want to hear. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride folks… ALL THE WAY!”

I felt SO bad for her, wishing there was something we could do to help. None of us thought car sickness would transfer to a PLANE! If she had known, she could have taken medicine that helps with that condition. But she had none, and neither did the flight attendants. Covering herself, she closed the window and leaned against it. I couldn’t resist a picture. She laughed after she saw it later.

As far as I can tell, just about EVERYONE EXPECTS that life should be smooth, fun, easy and comfortable. You don’t believe that? TRY Listen to comments of people traveling along life’s road. Or listen closely to yourself! I know I whine and moan a LOT when things get hard or absurd around me. That whining or complaining comes from an expectation of something BETTER I had anticipated.

Jesus pulls no punches. NO WHERE in the Bible does He promise a care free, fun, healthy, untroubled existence! NO WHERE! The sad part is, when things go wrong the tendency is to blame HIM for every nauseous moment, believing that He has the ability to fix anything… which is absolutely not true! His promise is to go THROUGH the waves of turbulence WITH us. NOT to eliminate them!

Gema learned more about her weaknesses and will be better prepared the next time. We will too. Learning and growing in His Truth with Him as our leader is EXACTLY what this bumpy ride of life is all about! Are YOU looking to Him for life’s travel directions? Or are you just winging it?

“Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.” Mark 6:45

Sleeping well, FINALLY after a night of restlessness, I was awakened by a boom! Drifting off again, the boom came just a little louder! Then again, only longer. Initially thinking it was a dump-truck, my brain started paying attention to determine just what that sound was. Once concentration entered the game, sleep was no longer possible. So looking outside at the sunlight, I lay thinking.

It was only 6:45am and it’s summer. Katie doesn’t need to be up for school, so neither do it. But I was! The thought shot across my clouded mind, “Why not spend some time with me?” Recognizing the nudge as coming from the Master of the Universe, I really couldn’t come up with a reason to turn Him down. Besides, I was awake anyway. Walking to get coffee, I heard BOOOM!

My bedroom window faces east. It was sunny that direction. As I looked to the west, it was dark and cloudy. A much needed rain storm was brewing out there, so I smiled at the thought of a quiet rainy morning with Jesus. Opening my Bible to where I had left off, it fell on the same time I was awakened… Mark that 6:45! I had some questions last time I read, so I looked up the Greek words.

After feeding the 5000, Jesus IMMEDIATELY COMPELLED (made, forced, constrained) His disciples to get into a boat and head across the lake. I had questions, so I asked Him… ‘Why did you have to FORCE them to get into the boat?” When I heard another ‘boom,’ an answer hit me. Some of His disciples were fishermen. Maybe they SAW a storm brewing and didn’t want to go! ‘MINDBOMB!

That same Scripture states that Jesus remained behind and DISMISSED (sent away, released, set free) the crowd. When another boom struck, it was slightly quieter. I could tell the storm was NOT coming my direction, but I had been left with a great question and lesson. Would I prefer to be His disciple sent into a storm, or to be a part of the crowd released from under His guiding hand?

The foolish statement that ‘God is in control’ isn’t even backed up by Scripture! The disciples had already voluntarily placed their lives into the guiding hands of Jesus, giving Him the right to point to difficult times ,trials and troubles… even if only to teach them His Faithfulness. Those who came to get free food and miracles were sent away to become empty again. The lesson was clear.

The Allen’s, like the Watson’s, have faced a tremendously difficult storm, seeming only to lose… at least according to the world’s standards. Jesus didn’t cause Keri or Larry’s death, but He sure is using it to teach them, and all of us, a lesson of His Faithfulness in life’s most difficult of storms! And though often not fun, for ME, choosing to go where HE points is better than being dismissed by ‘The Master!’

What do YOU think?

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55

This 2 sentence Bible verse when a time of mourning arrives, leaves 2 questions begging to be asked. Turns out that this verse is THE answer to an entire chapter in the Bible, where Paul is presenting the ultimate, technical case for what happens to a person when they die, now that Christ has ultimately defeated ‘Death’ by His own! But in their form, they are still questions!

Lifting off in a jet to come home from vacation, I knew that Keri Allen, one of our very special ‘Jesus Gals’ in church, had recently been placed under Hospice care. With a broken phone, I had no other information. I didn’t know that as our plane flew us home, Keri had already arrived in the arms of Jesus… perfectly safe and secure… FOREVER! OR that I was flying into a storm!

6 hours later, when I got the word Keri had passed, darkness fell. But the Allen family had already been intercepted by the greatest enemy of all mankind. Visiting them, they sat at my daughters house together, family and friends, remembering, reliving and telling stories in the form of ‘remember when?” Talking and crying through the first baby steps toward mourning, where Jesus rules.

The verse today is meant to be a victory shout. An ‘in your face’ punch in the air to satan and the darkness of death. Now that Jesus Christ has beaten death, we Believers are untouchable… ULTIMATELY. Keri can testify to that! But in reality, the promise is a ‘not yet’ for us now. Next to the loss of a child, the loss of a spouse or parent is the greatest emotional pain on this earth. Friend is not far down the list!

Death Sucks! I hate it! But so does God! He didn’t send it, cause it or invent it. But death IS a reality that REALLY hurts. And while the shock and pain diminish over time, it never really goes away… until WE reach Heaven. For those who choose Hell, it NEVER disappears. The answer to the question, ‘Oh Death, where is your sting?” is easily answered by experience. That ‘Sting’ is right here and NOW!

If you are blessed to know Keri and her wonderful family, YOU are in mourning. Add to the pain your remembrance when you experienced it as a spouse or child yourself, it’s a serious gut punch… relived. But now that you know, it comes with serious responsibility. Knowing gives us legs and knees! Legs to ‘Go tell the Good News’ and knees to ‘Pray and comfort those who mourn.’

The greatest ‘Mourning’ lesson I have ever learned is to ‘Be kind to yourself.’ The Bible tells us that there is a TIME to mourn. TAKE IT! We are not untouchable super heroes. Death and mourning are not things we can easily shake off. They take serious time and yielding as we walk through that valley. So take it! Remembering with each step that… Eternal Life is a promise right around the corner for those who, like Keri, choose to follow The King of The Sting! Jesus promises.  We will see Keri again!

Last Night at our FLAP Bible Study, Participants were asked to present THEIR PERSONAL and ABSOLUTE PROVEN Promises that they have tried and God has proven faithful.  THese are NOT just scriptures out of ‘The Book,’ but rather time tested promises that THEY have grabbed onto, tested and found to be 100% faithful and true.  All promises came with personal stories of difficulty, struggle and trial.  I think it only proper to share them.  Thank you participants for your input, and thank you Heather for writing them down.  ‘The List’ is NOT comprehensive of EVERY blessing GOd has for His People. Perhaps YOU may want to share YOUR personal experience and ‘God Promise’ to add to the list. Simply send it to me.  If you are lacking in any of these areas, God has a PROVEN PROMISE for YOU. 

PROMISES PROMISES – FLAP COMPILATION OF GOD’S GUARANTEES

Philippians 4:4-7

“The peace, of God, that transcends all understanding…”

• Salvation story – I was lost and blind.  Now I am found and see.  

Luke 6:27-35

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you..” “then your reward will be great”

• Praying for co-workers who are without joy and not lovable… but God supplied the Love 

Isaiah 40 – 41:10

“Hope in the Lord” will renew strength

“Do not fear ….I will strengthen you and help you”

• Going through cancer treatment

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“He is the father of compassion and the God of all comfort”

• We can use our experiences to help comfort others

James 1:5

“If any of you lacks wisdom you should ask God, and it will be given to you”

• Questions, health concerns – if we pray we get the answers of what God would have us to do

Romans 8:15

“For you did not receive a spirit of fear, but a spirit of sonship”

• Fear, anxiety, problems with society – all gone

John 14:6

“I am the way, the truth, and the life”

• Politics becomes a religion  Stick with Jesus

Philippians 1:6

“because of your partnership with the gospel from the first day until now”

“He who began a good work in you…WILL finish it”

• Don’t forget God is working in you, he will complete what he has planned for my life

Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid…”

• trusting God

Romans 8:1

“There is now no commendation for those who are in Christ Jesus… sets you free”

• no matter what, we are redeemed, even in our sin!.  We have grace

John 15:11

“These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be full”

• Joy  No matter the difficulty or sadness, underlying we have the possession of His Joy ALWAYS

John 15:11

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Abundant Life – Money sex and power are NOT LIFE!  Only God can give satisfying and meaningful purpose

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

Because I don’t see it often, I wasn’t really sure what I was seeing. The choice was mine to make. I could turn from it and look elsewhere, ignoring the situation, or I could turn to it, focus and seek to find out more. “It” was a problem, an issue, a something that was not normal or even welcome. But THIS ‘it’ was embedded and surrounded the person that I love the most. And she was down!

Normally up and going a hundred miles an hour, she wasn’t going anywhere. She just sat, head down, staring at the floor. She didn’t even know I was watching her… wondering what I could do to help her to not feel so… whatever. All the things she would normally be doing, along with all the fun things she COULD be doing on a free day, she couldn’t. Her fractured foot wouldn’t let her.

It is no secret. Physical pain leads to mental pain and ultimately to a spiritual desert. When it gets to that point, words simply cannot help. Trying to make light of or to joke about the problem only made it worse. She was down. So we sat in the desert… together. Because even though neither of us wanted to, that’s what loving married people do. For better or worse, in sickness or in health.

It is times like that that my love for Jesus reminds me that seeking to move somewhere more pleasurable or more comfortable robs me of one of the greatest gifts God has for me. Love gives. That is what it does. And the blessing of receiving Life ABUNDANTLY more only comes AFTER it has been given. That is what Jesus did. And that is what He calls me to. It is what Love and Hope mean.

I am blessed and rich because of His life inside me. I am even MORE blessed because I have partnered with someone else who’s hope is in Him as well. Sharing His hope, even when it seems dark or painful, is what He calls me to do. Do YOU place your hope in Him?  

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1

It started a couple days ago, as it usually does every year. Boom! Bang! Wizzzzzz! With the 4^th of July approaching, those who bought fireworks for the occasion simply can’t wait for the actual day to arrive. The temptation to ‘shoot off 1 or 2’ is much too strong. Today being the 4^th, it is time to pull ‘em ALL out and let them fly! Spectators encourage sounds and display by their applause.

WAYYY back when I was in Junior High School, a friend gave me a couple ‘firecrackers.’ To this day I will never forget the anticipation and thrill I experienced as I leaned over it, struck a match and lit the fuse. And To this day I am not sure if there was something wrong with it, or if God was trying to teach me an early lesson. Cuz I didn’t get the usual time to ‘RUN!’ before it exploded in my face!

Every American knows that the sights and sounds of Fireworks are meant as a celebration of our Independence. The term ‘Revolutionary War’ describes what it took to free America from the financial hardship that came with the yoke of slavery imposed by England. Daily living was replaced with daily revolting until July 4^th1776, when American Freedom was finally won.

Reading today’s Bible verse alludes to another date in history when man’s ‘spiritual’ freedom was won by God on a cross and through an empty grave over 2000 years ago. The first part of the verse is the ‘Wizzz Bang’ of celebration for those of us who have chosen to receive Life in Christ. The second part issues a warning. Freedom is, and never will be… free! The struggle continues.

Every person born knows that they are not perfect. Inside our being we KNOW what right and wrong are, but even though we have the rules written down, we STILL can’t keep from breaking them in our hearts. Anger, desire, lust, greed ALL convict us as slaves to rules that cannot be kept. This poses a problem! How can imperfect people share Heaven with perfect God? God answers!

Keeping rules isn’t the thing that sets me free. JESUS set me free when He paid for my revolting rebellion. When I gave him my life, I was set FREE from sin and death. But I was NOT set free from my selfish heart. Because try as I may… it still revolts. The remedy isn’t trying to be good! It comes by resting and trusting in HIM! Because only HE can keep me free! Are YOU free… really?

Don’t let life explode in your face… Follow Jesus.