“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” Romans 1:16

“OH NO!!!! LOOK AT THE LEMON TREE!” Katie was pointing to the tree that was really never much to look at anyway. But now, it was even worse! Hurricane Ian had blown it down to about a 45 degree angle! Not much to look at, it had produced over 300 lemons last season. Now, production was in jeopardy. My sons came to help and said, “we’ll take care of that mom!” And they did!

Since everyone was in need and in a hurry, they placed a chain around the tree and attached it to my truck. Spinning tires and smoke resulted in an upright tree, but we lacked anything to keep it that way. Then ingenuity hit! Grabbing a borrowed trailer they propped it up against the tree, using palm trunks as wheel chocks! I’m proud my sons are wise and industrious. They will never starve!

Going about recovering from Ian, we all set about helping others get out of emergencies and back to normal. Which ultimately meant the owner of the trailer needed his trailer back. Needing a more permanent solution, I was strapping it up when my neighbor came over to help. Little did I realize that event would lead to yet another Gospel sharing opportunity within a couple days.

Coming out of his house to walk his dog last night, he asked me, “are you going to put some Miracle Grow on that tree to help it root and stand straight?” My IMMEDIATE response was somewhat rehearsed and came out, “Nah… I don’t need a miracle, I have Jesus!” And with those words, other words came out like, “Tree of Life, sin, leaning on Jesus and standing up to storms” followed.

For months I have been telling people to prepare with food and necessities for at least a month, since economic conditions required it. When Hurricane Ian was forecast, further preparations had to be made. As a believer in Christ, His Word had commanded me to prepare for tough times ahead, get ready for Heaven and to share The Gospel with neighbors in my world. So I had, then simply did!

Sharing the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Christ should be automatic, since it is the greatest gift on Earth. But those who do not know Jesus are often opposed to hearing about Him. That means we need to work out our own way to prepare and share our own Good News with those who come into our world. That takes work and planning to BE READY! Rewarding results will be out of this world!

Are YOU leaning on Jesus and standing up to share the Good News at any time He gives you the opportunity?

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise saves lives.” Proverbs 11:30

“Oh my Lord!” was all I could say! Turning onto a street in the middle of a town in a part of only 1 county devastated by Hurricane Ian, the sight was overwhelming. The street was straight and seemed at least a mile long, with debris stacked high on both sides. A brother in Christ and I were heading to 1 house, all the way at the end, to lend a hand to 1 family that had called for help.

A large team of Samaritan’s Purse workers were there crawling over the house, inside and out, cleaning up what had been broken or scattered by the storm. Overwhelmed, I looked for a place to jump in and help. Finding it on the roof, I took a moment to survey the damage to the entire housing development. Unfortunately, EVERY house had experienced loss from Ian’s wrath.

While there were hundreds of houses there, there was only 1 that had an army of volunteers to help them. Samaritan’s Purse receives and provides tremendous resources through Christians. They go to a disaster site to help, but then only to the owner of that particular house after they request help. Which, I remembered, is exactly how Jesus does it! Sadly, it appeared, not many had called.

Being overwhelmed is my state of mind these days. I am located behind enemy lines in an area destroyed by a hurricane, in a world that is living and headed for hell. I simply call it a war zone! When Jesus called out to me, He saved me when I heard Him and answered back that I needed and WANTED His hand. We’ve been doing things HIS way since. ‘His Way’ is to send me back in!

God has unlimited resources beyond description. Reading the Bible about what Heaven will be like is as overwhelming as seeing the results of Ian’s winds. It WILL be AWESOMELY WONDERFUL but, I am not there… I am here! Here, the Master gives me the duty of representing Him in rescuing those who are willing to receive His Grace. I am to call out, urge and listen for an affirmative reply!

One of the hardest things I am expected to do requires a kind of sifting through debris. While my Master has unlimited resources, I do not. My strength, time and resources must be carefully directed to remain in line with Jesus’ mission. Hiding is not an option and seeking is my privileged obligation! You see, He is building a Kingdom and has requested my services!

Are YOU building the Kingdom with Christ?  Or are you hiding from Him?  He wants you a part of HIS Team.

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:8

“UGH…” I thought… “NOW what?” With the whole Hurricane Ian thing dominating EVERYONE’S life in my area, Jesus, work and sleep were the only things on my agenda. I was tired and it was Sunday. Having just preached a Jesus commanded, hard sermon to my Church people about selfishness and discipleship in dark times, I felt bad in body, soul and spirit! Then the doorbell rang!

‘Ding Dong!’ Feeling like one, I didn’t hear the sound because I was asleep on the couch. When Katie said there was someone at the door, I DID hear her and got up to answer. Standing there was a BIG strapping young man I presumed to be a salesman. Driving by, he had noticed the palm tree stump sticking out of the ground from Ian. Seeing his rig, I recognized him a stump grinder!

Supply and demand are the 2 things that run our Democracy in America. He needed money, I needed a stump ground down. Had he been selling windows, painting or insurance, I would not have been interested. But he had just what I needed! So a deal was made for $100! I went in to get the cash, he went out to fire up the stump grinder! Along the way, Jesus got in the middle!

Being a little down, I had been praying for some kind of uplift from Jesus. It was HE who demanded I preach that tough sermon. But it was ME who would catch any heat! But that’s ‘The Call.’ ‘Go, Preach, Teach, and Share the Gospel, they WILL persecute you, but get moving!’ I needed a win and asked for some joy! I could only smile when Jesus whispered… ‘you’re on!”

Going outside I was glad to find I could talk loudly and still be heard over the sound of the grinder. So I asked him, “Where you from?” “New York” he said. Which opened up other questions and prompted more answers, allowing me to get to know him a little. His brother got out of the truck and now I had 2. 20 minutes later, I made my move and asked them some Jesus questions!

“I’m a Christian and I usually give a little more than asked.” Handing him $110 and a gospel track I asked, “are you both Jesus guys and know how to get to heaven?” They confirmed that they were and did, so I said, “then read and pass that on to someone who doesn’t… and here’s the name of a guy I know who needs 4 stumps ground!” They smiled, I smiled, and so did Jesus! 25 minutes!

I had been looking for some Joy. And NOTHING gives me more joy than spending time with my Savior. I believe when I asked for some joy, He supplied it with 2 stump grinders, along with a way to serve Him. Like them, I had been needing and looking for an opportunity to get something from Jesus, Jesus supplied my need with Himself! A WIN-Win-Win!

Are YOU looking for some Jesus joy? Then Jesus is saying… “you’re on!”

“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.” Ephesians 3:16

“RRRRRRR,” said the chainsaw! Cutting fallen and leaning trees, I was fighting time and light because the sun was setting. Musing that Hurricane Ian didn’t need that much time to knock ‘em down, I didn’t hear the incessant ding, ding, ding of my phone. When it turned quiet, I noticed I’d missed 2 phone calls and 16 texts! Sore and tired, it’d been like that for days! I needed some power!

Driving home in the dark and looking at my phone would have been dangerous AND illegal, so I made it my priority to ‘get power’ by heading home to my wife, a shower and some food. When I got home, Katie hollered, “Cori finally got power!” Having no electricity for 9 days, her family could now enjoy the comfort and ease that electrical power brings. Then I remembered the texts… and knew.

Good News spreads FAST, though I’m not so sure it spreads as fast as BAD news. But while I was cutting away, my whole family was on a ‘group text’ with Cori making textiful praises and cheers for her family’s good fortune. My son-in-law texted, “Thank you Jesus!” I had to text remind him that “Jesus didn’t do it, thank the linemen!” Jesus would have had it on in under a minute! Haa Haa!

Because I am not God, there is only so much I can humanly do. Add to it the sorrow that comes with NOT being able to do more, plus the difficulty of accessing and setting priorities, Hurricane Ian had turned into a storm that still churns within my soul. Hearing the praises of victory and restoration can easily be squashed by bad, sad news of loss and pain. Either way, because I am His, I want to cry!

Coming to Jesus and receiving the Holy Spirit’s power takes a toll on a person. Because His heart is my heart, I am much more sensitive and caring… and driven. I hurt when I see people hurt. But I also hate evil and selfish stupidity with a passion that is holy and intense. Speaking out makes a Christian a target! But Jesus warned that with power, comes light! Darkness HATES Light!

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 warrants a reading of the whole chapter. It is ALL about power and HOW to get it! ‘Power Central’ is God, ‘The Lineman’ is Jesus Christ, and The Power’ is the Holy Spirit. With that formula in mind, it is simply a logical statement that, “if someone doesn’t have power… it is their OWN fault! And “Why?” Because HIS power is ALWAYS available! ALWAYS!

If I do not have and use His power I will be a joyless, human being walking around in dark weakness. Focusing on bad circumstances, instead of the Holy Spirit’s power to endure, simply keeps me lost and unlit for Him. A fault of my own, requiring me to plug in to Him through His Word, and POWER UP! I am called and BY GOD to simply, “Be like the moon – REFLECT The SON! NOW – HIS light is on – IN me!

Are YOU a power receiving, beacon of light for Jesus Christ? A Shocking Revelation for God?

“Reach down from on high; set me free and rescue me from the deep waters… (then) I will sing to You a new song, O God.” Psalm 144:7-9

‘LOOK UP!’ That was the first thought I had when an urgent call came with a need to provide a tarp for a blown off roof from Hurricane Ian. What had been, in this area anyway, the worst storm in history, where black skies churned with as much as 155 MPH winds, now displayed a sky with not a cloud in sight! After looking up, I determined I needed more information, so I started looking around.

Quickly going to my smart phone and seeing I had been blessed to not lose cell service. I typed in ‘WEATHER’ for my local area. The forecast called for ZERO rain for the next 7 days! Not only that, but Hurricane Ian had actually sucked the heat and humidity out of most of the air, leaving the weather beautiful! Then I learned, today is the beginning of Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement. I smiled.

Reading the Old Testament can be difficult. Which is why I suggest that new believers avoid most of it, until they have a working understanding of the New Testament. In the Old Testament Law, Yom Kippur was a time of fasting and praying for the forgiveness of sins from God, along with a LOT of regulations, rules and LOTS of BLOOD from sacrificed animals. It used to be LOT of WORK to get free!

In reading today’s verses out of Psalm 144, I can hear David calling out to God for help and rescue from the perils of deep waters as well. Thinking about that, it hit me that when those deep waters hit, God’s command to David HAD to be the same one He had given me… “LOOK UP!” And David did! But the blessing of God’s presence didn’t, and couldn’t, come to David until he first LOOKED UP!

Once David looked up and perceived the presence of God, he was able to look around and see the benefits of what God had already supplied! Instead of freaking out, David was able to rest in the love and deliverance God had already supplied. Today, I do not work hard to keep rules and spill animal blood, because Jesus Christ has already paid the complete price for my sin. COMPLETELY!

There are times when the storms of life seem to deliver a dark cloud, followed by what could seem to be a ‘knock-out’ blow! Because Jesus Died for me and sent The Holy Spirit to live inside of me, I have the ability to hear His voice through His Word as He gently whispers… ‘Look Up!’ It is then I can drop my cares and rest in the arms of His provision. So I’m glad I’m not an Old Testament guy!

As I write, there are organizations and people FLOODING into our area by the THOUSANDS! They are bringing help and resources I have NO way of meeting myself. Every power or tree truck I see, I wave and give a thumbs up. Because, whether they know it or not, they were sent by God to help us all out of deep water! SO I look up and thank God, humbly asking for His love, joy, and patience.

Are you looking up or freaking out in your storm tossed life?

“I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy (I) will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:1-4

A B C D…. L M N Ohhhhhh! The lesson is elementary. My Katie is a preschool teacher whose job it is to teach children the basics… like the alphabet! It’s harder than imaginable because, once memorized, it becomes basic common sense. But initial learning is tough! 1 letter off or out of place… and oops! Like last week when ‘I AM’ became IAN! 1 letter off… and we’re blown to hell!

I THOUGHT I’d memorized the basics, until Category 5 Hurricane Ian visited. The long hard lessons of following God for decades found me giving… not taking. As a pastor, selfishness had learned to shift to give way to Service. When calls of inquiry turned into “I need,” my focus began to moving by a ‘1 letter off’ shift in priority. From I AM to IAN! Looking back 1 letter, I see I must return to the basics.

Writing a letter to God after being so exhausted this last week, I started with, “Help Lord!” then stopped. Funny and presumptuous, those 2 words. Because why should He? After all I was created BY Him for the purpose of HIS Glory and HIS ability to live and reign in me for the purpose of showing the Devil… WHAT? DO I really need or deserve to know? Is it my place or right to demand or expect equal rights with God? How dare I!

In living in a worldly hell of people fighting to have their way, do I follow their lead to add my 2 cents? How foolish! Yet in my search and climb to fall into the Maker’s lap, I can see how glorious He is, then slip back to! But then it is easy to slip, turn my head around and see and judge the greedy sin of others! A place I had just left! My focus has shifted 1 position to look at them instead of Him!

I AM… YOU ARE! Joining with Isaiah, the writer of this Scripture, I cry out, “I love you Lord, and I long for you! I wish us to be us again. Not because I deserve or add anything to your equation. But because ‘I’VE’e tasted your ‘L’ove and LIVE for another. Be exalted, Oh God, in, by and through me. For I need and want only you! My JOY only comes from I AM. Ian deserves NONE of my attention.

What is it you think YOU need or want?

Waking up earlier, on purpose, it was still dark outside. Taking coffee to the place that always starts my mornings I wondered, ‘Do I read my Bible first or check the weather report?’ It’s not a question that often comes. But then, neither do hurricanes! Since there is a statistically probable chance one may come, I decided It best to be open to God’s directive by first knowing what I’m facing!

For the first time in years, the thought hit me yesterday to dig out the plywood to cover the windows. Where it came from I can’t be certain… but it came. Looking at the weather and praying my heart out in faith had not changed the direction of the predicted storm… as I had believed. God’s hand HAS moved bigger storms than this away from us. But so far… not yet. So the plywood thought occurred!

Both life and Scouting have taught me the importance of being prepared in the wake of any kind of difficulty. Faith, being neither blind nor stupid, requires evaluation! Simply saying, “eh… it’ll be fine,” does not make it so and Scripture never gives awards for leaping off the cliffs of life without first evaluating what, when, why and how! FACTS, ‘a hurricane is on the way, I have plywood… put it up!’

Fear is something I don’t do very well. The Master of my life has told me, through His Word, to NOT fear, so I actively work on trusting Him. While I know that there is NO verse in the Bible that says, ‘God helps those that help themselves.’ Neither is there a verse that says, ‘Just have Faith and life will be smooth!’ After all, Noah had to build the ark! It took him, and God’s patience, 100 years to do so.

Like Paul, I am supposed to live my life in Christ as an example to follow. That means being careful what I do because people are watching. So if there are folks watching me today, I want them to see me praying in Faith that my God will move the Storm away, but see me preparing as if He won’t! Either way, He remains the quiet in the midst of all my storms!

“I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” – Paul – Philippians 4:12

“Hey!! How about a cheap frozen Pizza tonight?” The words came out of my mouth after Katie asked what we could eat for dinner. We usually eat something quick and cheap on Sunday nights… so $5.50 and hour later, the oven was pre-heating. 8 minutes into a 10 minute process, I began making adjustments because the pizza wasn’t looking like it would meet my expectations!

Our oven runs hot, so instead of 425, I set it to 415. Under the oven light, the pizza was looking under-done. So I cranked the heat up a little. A minute later, I turned it off completely because it was too brown around the edges. Pulling it out after 12 minutes, it was what it was! DONE! Half the pizza was over-cooked, half was under-cooked. But being hungry, we ate it with contentment!

While writing this, my phone went off with an urgent text telling me that Tropical Storm Ian, which was SUPPOSED to turn away from us, had made an adjustment in the night and now MAY actually strengthen and hit us! His text came from anxiousness because, while he has a house here, he’s actually 5 states away! I’ve learned that anxious pre-storm calls are more predictable than weather!

If you’ve lived in Florida for as long as I have, you have lived through MANY storm warnings. And if the media and retailers have learned anything, it’s that ‘fear sells!’ Preying on those who fear is profitable because of what I call ‘The Contentment Factor!’ People don’t like unpredictable, uncomfortable situations and will spend lots of money to acquire just a small shot at contentment!

Today’s verse rests right in the middle of a list of experienced variables. From good to bad, Paul had seen them all. Through him, God is trying to warn and teach us that there are 2 possible directions from which contentment can arrive. From the outside or inside. God goes to extreme measures to prepare us to choose HIS REAL contentment, which ONLY comes from Him and from the inside.

Adjusting the oven and fiddling with externals may change the look of a pizza, but if contentment is determined by meeting external expectations, then disappointment and anxiousness are guaranteed! Like Paul, I have learned that preparing for the worst, expecting the least, and trusting GOD to meet my needs no matter what, is the key to being truly content. Weather forecasts do not even faze me!

Have YOU, like Paul, learned ‘the secret to being truly content in every situation?’ Because there WILL be tests!

F.A.I.T.H. – Fear Ain’t In This House!

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25-26

I fell into a hole last night and didn’t even see it coming! We were out with some friends singing Karaoke when Karen came up and asked if I had attended the funeral of Dylan. If you have ever had a punch in the heart like this one, you know the feeling. In an instant, my life changed. The ‘falling into the hole’ process starts with a dark, confusing attempt to find something solid to stand on.

I met Dylan after meeting Karen. We had been at the same place doing the same thing we were last night. She was a teacher, and after finding out what I did, she asked if I’d be interested in mentoring a 9^th grader who could use some help. One thing led to another and, about a month later, I met Dylan. Soon, Dylan brought 2 friends and we had weekly appointments. Then time moved us.

For about 2 years Dylan and I got together. Two years of creative thinking, adapting and praying to discover what I could do that would be beneficial. Donuts and Breakfast Sandwiches soon became a staple. But I ALWAYS made sure that Jesus was there as well. I know he heard every word. But time and events move, and the desires of a 14 year old are a lot different than at 16.

Other than desire over time, there was no 1 reason we stopped getting together. After a while, and after too many no shows, we just grew apart. I couldn’t MAKE him meet with me, so time brought us to a fork in the road where he went in another direction. I’d call him once in a while… he was doing well. My last call was around Thanksgiving last year. Last night I heard he had been killed in January!

I’m still in shock and didn’t sleep well last night. I’d wake up and he was on my mind with questions that I had no answers for. Finally, after running to Jesus in the midst of them, I placed those questions into His hands by faith. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet this young man and share what I could about life and The Savior.

One thing I have discovered out of this news is that I am honored to have met, gotten to know and to share the real meaning of life with a young man that no longer has a life here on this Earth. The sad story makes me want to remember that life is sad. And that there is truly only 1 hope in all of it. The ability to share the love of Christ and His Grace is never wasted. So I will continue to share.

Are YOU telling people about The Savior?