“The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” Genesis 6:5

Bzzzzzzzzz! I knew the sound they were making because I’d heard it many times. Not hearing like I used to, I just associated sound with sight as multiple mosquitoes flew around me in the dusk of the day. They were hungry! I knew my new found popularity came because THEY saw me as dinner! Since sucking my blood was grounds for capital punishment, I swatted. They kept coming!

It’s one of the universal questions that gets asked when mosquitoes invade groups of people. “Why did God make mosquitoes?” EVERYONE knows that the very idea of creating mosquitoes is ridiculous! Thus a presumption buzzes in the air, even asked by atheists to make their point. “If God created ALL things… why did He make mosquitoes? JUST WHAT WAS HE THINKING!??”

We had a family get-together the other day and 8 of my grandkids were here hanging out. I love these times because I don’t see them, or kids in general, on a daily basis. My Clan-kids are AMAZING, but even THEY have ‘occasional’ spats or fights, picking on each other and ratting each other out. Parents shared stories and experiences of raising these exceptional wonders of creation. My legacy!

The bubble gum machine I have for them was put to good use. After they left, I walked around and found several sticky blobs of goo on the pool pavers. Closer research revealed them to be wads of chewed gum. Someone in my legacy line had taken my gift of Bubble gum, enjoyed it, then had spit it out on the floor! I didn’t need to draw blood or do a DNA test because I pretty much know the who!

So there you have it! The answer to the big question. God didn’t make thorns, weeds, sweat and mosquitoes originally. They became the result AFTER man abused God’s gift of Life! Buzzing and bloodletting are the result of men choosing to be men, instead of His Legacy. Men are sinful and evil because men chose to be sinful and evil! Simply put… sin is in our blood! It’s what we do!

Adam and Eve had only 1 thing to avoid. Unfortunately, with the birth of sin, sin now comes in swarms! Now I wake up every morning to the buzzing swarms of evil choices just waiting to get a piece of me. But thank God that Jesus Christ gave HIS Blood so that I don’t have to ultimately pay… with mine! Is the Blood of Jesus YOUR sin repellent? Do you apply Him often?

“We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies.“ 2 Thessalonians 3:11

Yesterday I had a plumbing disaster at my 50+ year old house. The drain pipes under the slab are not viewable. Therefore I do not really know their condition. I DO know that they are cast iron and, as we all know, cast iron rusts and deteriorates. After a flush of the toilet and the draining of a tub, a whole lot of nasty water backed up into my shower. I’d show a picture… but it’s too gross!

I know a great guy who is also a plumber. In cases of emergency, he usually accommodates me as soon as he can. When I texted him the picture, he called and said he’d be here in 3 hours! After about an hour of hot sweaty work, the line was cleared and I was left to clean up the mess. Noting several discussions over the last week, I was nudged by God to remember some other sewage issues.

There is no doubt that social media, the wagging of tongues and voicing of opinions are backing up and polluting our world. I was reminded that every time I join in any of those actions, I am polluting myself, and others around me. Like sewage in a shower, messes are difficult and no fun to clean up. Jus SEEING the mess is enough to stop me. When I found this verse, I took it personally.

I don’t watch the news or read the paper. But that doesn’t stop me from hearing things that people are quick to pass on… filtered through their own opinion. It takes time and effort to pay attention to social media and news. It does not take long to have its effect! As bad or discomforting opinion hits my ears, so goes my mood. My mood determines what I do next. If down and defeated… I mope!

What do YOU do with your time? Do you relish in the latest bad news or gossip? Are you quick to ‘pass it on?’ I am either glorifying and promoting God and His Word and Work… or I am being idly disruptive. SO now I have a NEW focus…. and I’m going to work on focusing on Him today. 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:10

“Beep, beep, beep…. URRRRRR… BANG.. GONE!” That was the sound I heard at 5:50 this morning. I knew what it was… and smiled. In the darkness, and with a light rain falling to create miserable conditions, the Waste Management guy was hauling away my junk! I was delighted!

I knew what he was doing, even though I never got out of bed. Yesterday I had asked my friend and neighbor to help me haul out a big couch and a loveseat to the curb. I had called the County and scheduled the pickup, but it was MY job to set the stuff out there! Those 2 items have been in this same house for 30 years! Katie FINALLY found a new set she likes. So… out with the old!

It took us YEARS to finally find something that she liked. It took and hour for me to get the stuff together, and with Rick’s help, out the door to the curb. It took the Waste Management guy about 3 minutes to hoist it up, up and away! Now it is gone FOREVER! I still have another couch and loveseat (both 32 years old) to get rid of before the new one arrives. But that’s next week!

The furniture was loved and well used for a LONG time. It’s still in usable condition! I never found a more comfortable couch in my life! The new one coming may not even be better! But comfort isn’t the golden rule when it comes to living room furniture. Setting out by the road, Katie said, “WOW we look like bums! Those were NASTY!” She was right. It was time for ‘New!”

I like my old way of life! It’s comfortable, well worn and suits me. I have my own hurts, habits, and hangups and I’m used to them. But many are no more than dirty, nasty, junk! Jesus tells me so. There are times when He says…. “that one’s GOT to go!” Sometimes I readily agree. Other times I argue for comfort. But the verse today tells me that Jesus isn’t in the recovering business!

Jesus lived to die so I could die to live! Think about that! He offers me BRAND NEW and BEAUTIFUL in EVERY area of my life! The crazy part is, time ticks away and there are STILL some old sofas lying around my life that are just too comfortable for me to take Him seriously. BUT… one day will be TOTAL TRASH DAY… and He’ll come and get rid of it… in the twinkling of an eye!

What soft sofas are YOU holding onto in your life? DO YOU need help in getting it to the curb? That is what the Church is for!

“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” 1 Peter 3:15

“THAT is the BEST RANCH DRESSING EVER!” I was holding the bottle of dressing in my hand, reading the label, when the voice came from behind me. I turned to see a woman with a big smile, standing there with her daughter. She went on to tell me a LOT more about the dressing than I could have read on the label. Her enthusiasm was contagious and conversation flowed to other subjects.

We hadn’t needed much from the store, but Ranch dressing had come up the day before. We didn’t have any and it is Katie’s favorite. Since I had to drive by Aldi anyway I thought, “I’ll just stop in and grab some.” As I reached for my keys, I saw a “Your Invited” card laying there. It’s a card we pass out to invite people to our church. I felt a nudge to grab it, but remembered I had one in my wallet.

Pulling into Aldi and exiting my truck I looked down and saw another one of those cards sitting on my consul, then felt another nudge with, “take that with you!” so I stuck it in my pocket. As I talked with ‘enthusiastic Ranch lady,’ we discussed many things… where she lived, where she was from, the hot weather, her daughter etc. When we started to part ways I felt the nudge… “give her the card!” So I did.

You’d have thought I had handed her a diamond! When I told her about the church and that I was the pastor, her joy was overwhelming. She said, “we just moved here and talked about looking for a church! This is just such a coincidence!” I smiled because… I don’t believe in coincidences. God smiled too because, I think He was worried I’d miss what He was trying to get me to do! WHEW!!

I have discovered that the longer I read His Word and walk with Jesus, the more opportunities I get to hear and act on His Heavenly Nudges. As I pay attention, good things happen. It just takes concerted effort and practice to hear that ‘still small voice.’ AND to ‘be prepared to give an answer from ‘The Hope’ that is in me from Christ Jesus. And all over a bottle of Ranch Dressing!!!! Hmmmmm!

Are YOU prepared? 

“Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.” Hosea 10:12

Everyone’s been talking about it for a couple months at least! “When is it going to rain? It is SOOO DRY! We REALLY NEED IT!” Well last night, at my house, we finally got it! The night before we got teased when a slight tinkling shower breezed by. But last night! BOOM! The sight, sound and smell of the freshly falling rain had been missed. The pool that had dropped 8” rose 1”. A welcome sight!

This morning, as I looked at the yard, the color had changed overnight! Drab, dead brown turned to bright, lush green as thirsty grass got a drink of life giving blessing. As the rain fell, it was hard to see out the window clearly, as semi-darkness and raindrops, beating against the window, blocked the sight of the promise of what was coming. But sunrise brought clarity and hope. Thank You Lord!

It is a blessing to be here… at 68! I have gone through those years of having to make a living working out in the hot Florida sun to support a family. It was HARD! I think and pray for those who find themselves there now… sweating and struggling to ‘make it.’ It was in THOSE times that I heard God’s call to ‘Sow righteousness, break up unplowed ground and seek the LORD ‘for myself!’ I did.

But living backwards doesn’t work. Looking back at the way things were doesn’t help to get me where I need to go. God promises showers of righteousness and blessing AFTER the seasons of suffering, difficulty and preparation. It’s just the way His system works. He offers us the blessing at the END! He HAS to. The reward of Faith can only come after faith has had it’s walk. With difficulty.

Soon enough, I know tongues will complain again. As hurricane season approaches, the wagging of the tongue will be, “When will it STOP!” From both views we see that this earth and the life we live is NOT how it was intended to be. Someday there WILL be perfection. THAT will be Heaven. Until then, He calls me to sow, plow, dig and sweat, looking forward to His future Reign of Righteousness!

Reading His Word, singing and praising are HIS tools to get us through. Left to ourselves, we usually find artificial substitutes, then complain and grumble! Sooo… how does YOUR field look? How do YOU see it?  

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12

Forget yesterday… ‘cuz that is EXACTLY what I’d like to do! Yesterday was simply a bad day! From the very start I was whining… and for me, whining only tends to get worse. My foot ached as I headed to a Podiatrist with a case of Planter Fasciitis. I KNEW God was not to blame for my pain and I wasn’t expecting a miracle. Looking back on the day, I probably should have been.

It started when the Doctor prescribed a steroid shot in my heel. I’ve had LOTS of shots in my life. I’m a tough guy. Until then! I should have seen it coming when he asked the nurse to ‘hold down his leg.’ Not remembering that kind of pain before, I tried hard to hold-fast. As I groaned in agony, I did not feel the slightest compassion or kindness toward the Doctor, which made me feel worse as I left!

Later, at The Dollar Tree, I simply wanted to go in and get some Advil. It should have been a 58 second transaction. As I approached the cashier, a lady seemed to jump right in front of me and said, “it should be an even swap!” Huh??? She laid down a pile of about 25 items, right beside what looked like another pile of 25 items she was returning. ‘Patience’ was not among either pile!

Then, having decided to buy a pre-roasted chicken for dinner, Katie went to bring the car around, since my foot was still throbbing. An older lady was the acting cashier.  As she took care of the customer ahead of me, the pain and seconds co-mingled.  Impatiently I noted ‘speed’ was not her forte!  When it was my turn I warned her about the soggy bag, just as the chicken dropped out of the bottom. I groaned!

Have ya ever felt like the very next thing that should come from the hand of God was a slap to the head? I KNOW when I am not behaving or feeling like I should. Being a Follower of Jesus… AND as a called Minister of the Gospel, teaching classes on this stuff IS my forte! But following and LIVING it… isn’t always! Today’s verse tells me to ‘cloth myself’ with what Jesus hands me!’ See the list!!

Pain, sorrow, circumstances etc. only make bad things worse. I KNOW what Jesus wants and expects of me… but I can sense His ‘UGH!’ when He is trying to get me on His page. The GOOD news is that today is better! And for YOU… YOU don’t have to worry as much about being the target of Jesus’ glance of displeasure. I already hold the title for ‘slowest-learner!’ Thank you Jesus for YOUR Patience! And PLEASE Jesus… show me how to be, and act, JUST LIKE YOU!  

“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!