“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

“YEA YEA… EVERYTHING man! Put it on dare!” We were in a restaurant, the kind where you order the food in a line, then pay and receive it at the end. The guy in front of us was a rather healthy sized man from New York, and he was spending and ordering like a king trying to impress. His family waited for him to deliver the bounty to the table. And the show hadn’t even started yet!

They seemed a good family, well mannered and dressed, for about the first 5 minutes. Then the bully showed up! Estimating him to be about 4, and the 4^th kid in the family, he soon made his presence known… “I DON’T WANT DAT!!!” and threw his food across the table. NO one, even dad, blinked an eye!

I was at the end of the restaurant facing them and Katie across from me with her back to it. All I could do was stare in unbelief and watch the show. When I turned to look at Katie’s face, her eyes were squinty and she was nodding her head in the no-no direction, then calmly said… “don’t do it!” After over 5 minutes, enduring a slug-fest of verbal assault in the air, She KNEW that I was preparing to get up and walk in the direction of daddy.

I sat there at her request, but it got worse and worse. EVERYONE in the restaurant was uncomfortable. When bully daddy was done, he got up and walked out. Mom picked the bully child up and said, “now you apologize to everyone in here.” KNOWING he had the power, he simply hollered, “NO!”

As I write this, Russia has invaded Ukraine. The world sits by watching the spectacle as a bully forces his will upon a country not it’s own… YET!  Because of selfish choices, nations sit uncomfortable, waiting for SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING! And the world stews under the spell of its god… satan.

I thank God for my wife. She kept me sane. I honestly don’t know what I would have said if I’d gone to that table, but looking back, it probably wouldn’t have ended well. God’s calls to ME in the verse above. It is CLEARLY an action verse with Godly intent within it. I can influence a big family in the middle of a restaurant about as well as I can Russia right now. But I am NOT absolved from trying to influence elsewhere.

At FLAP we are learning how to talk to the lost and confused world in a non-combative Godly way. It’s good stuff because it is as practical as it is required by our Master. I AM called to be an influencer in GOOD ways. Failing to learn and practice will lead to the end of the world as I know it. He reminds me that He comes back AFTER the Church’s influence has failed! And THAT is something I don’t want to be held responsible for!

Are YOU a Godly, Courageous influencer for Christ?

“’The Father is greater than I’ John 14:28 ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’” John 15:16

My wife loves art! She’s good at drawing and painting it too! Recently she started on one of her outdoor garden projects and, running out of some materials, she asked if I’d pick some up for her at the store. Heading out to do just that, I didn’t realize I was going to get an unwelcome education!

Walmart is right up the road, but approaching the main highway, I saw a traffic accident blocking my return trip. Knowing it would take a LONG time to clear, I went the other direction, since there’s a paint store that way. Walking in, I grabbed a quart of what I needed and approached the checkout. That’ll be $42, he said! When I balked, he said, “But I gave you the Contractor price!”

Now I KNOW inflation has us in a vice, but $42 for a quart of paint is COMPLETELY unacceptable. Apologizing, I left and went the other direction to Walmart, where I purchased the SAME product for $20! The traffic was clear, but I was still baffled, and tried to reason WHY a paint store would charge TWICE what Walmart does. The only thing I came up with was… they MUST think they’re better!??

In the book of John, Jesus lays out His business card. And while it SAYS He is God, Jesus does NOT claim to be THE BOSS! In fact, He clearly stated, “The Father is greater than I.” In other words, God the Son plainly stated that God the Father is ‘Da MAN’! Jesus also CLEARLY stated that He ONLY spoke and did what The Father told Him to. Which provides me with a conundrum!

Jesus is MY Master. HE picked ME to do something for Him, in order to Glorify someone greater than Himself! And while that might sound like middle management, an idea I need to think about, He manages in a way that goes above and beyond ANY example I know of on Earth. He DID EXACTLY what He asked ME to do! TRUST AND OBEY.

The paint store may have an inflated view of themselves, but THINKING one is better and actually BEING better are 2 different things! Having tried the world… THEN Jesus, I have found and PROVEN that Jesus is even GREATER than I had possibly imagined. Now my job is to go into the world and paint it better WITH Him, using the BIG broad strokes of HIS AND His Father’s character. Because HE>I!

How do you see YOURSELF?

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

Yesterday was the Annual Meeting for The Congregational Church… which is ALWAYS interesting. Due to the so-called pandemic, we didn’t have one last year, which means THIS year’s meeting was going to run a little longer than usual. I hate meetings. And yesterday’s, though excellent in form, reminded me WHY I dislike them.

The 2020 decade started off with an emphasis on UNITY. Across America, the cry for unity may have come with loud demand. But honestly, I can’t think of a more divisive word! Unity is one of those words that is easy to define, but most difficult to live out. Being a Church of firmly committed Believers who love Jesus Christ, it is not difficult to see why.

EVERY human is born in sin. And even though our Church members have been saved, we all still carry around our fleshly nature, which joins us at every gathering. So there we were, every one of us a ‘Child of Most High God’ and future rulers with Christ, but communing together in earthen jars of flesh! And while the meeting WAS EXCELLENT, many of us would rather have been fishin.’ Or something else.

Everybody has an opinion. In ANY meeting, there are people who have more knowledge about a subject than others. Some because of being on a subcommittee, some because of outside related experiences, and some because of personal preference. When the subject of Building Insurance came up, I asked The Congregation weigh in on what THEY thought, to finally settle the internal board discussions. Little did I realize my request would add another 20 minutes to the gathering!

The System Works… because Jesus Works! He was there too! This morning, I remembered the meeting and this Bible verse… and smiled. Psalm 133 is 1 of 15 Psalms called ‘The Songs of Ascents.’ Each year Jewish religious observers were to ‘go up to Jerusalem’ to CELEBRATE one of 3 Festivals. Each of the steps along the journey, including the final 15 stairs up into the temple, we’re harder than the one before… but more Joyful. That is what getting closer to God does to hearts!

Being unified in and WITH the Spirit of God takes work, time and effort ABOVE and beyond our comfort zones. BUT when we DO it, even GOD says there is nothing more pleasant! Oh how I LOVE our Church!

Does each step YOU take in life draw YOU closer to God and His people?

“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22

Yesterday was gym day. As soon as we got in the door, Katie got right after it, jumping on the stationary bikey-skiing contraption. Me? I began doing what I normally do, which is to avoid as much of a workout as I can… USUALLY by talking to people. A woman was sitting there with a T-shirt that said, “Skid-Row”. Remarking to someone standing by, that my laziness COULDN’T be as bad as ‘her shirt’ opened up a good conversation… AND a learning experience.

On the surface I thought it strange she was advertising such a lifestyle choice! How was ‘I’ to know that ‘Skid Row’ was a ‘metal band?’ Informing her that I grew up listening to ‘Elvis,’ and even ‘The Archies’, our jovial conversation moved all over the place. I was enjoying the conversation, trying to remember from our previous Bible Study that “interested is interesting.” Conversation was going well, that is, until I asked THE WRONG QUESTION!

Katie calls me a hammer. So I didn’t think ANYTHING about it when my question blurted out, “So… do you go to church anywhere?” Her reaction was as if I hit her with an 8 pound sledge! Conversation stopped faster than tires on pavement before a baby in the middle of the road! And just like that… it was OVER! What I wanted was a Do-Over!

I write this now as a reminder that not everybody has a great love for God like I do. Being one of His kids is better than being born a Gates, Trump or Rockefeller! Why WOULDN’T someone want to be that blessed and wealthy? But trying to understand that question would take longer than trying to figure out why Jesus created sloths! Because even HE can’t appreciate men’s decision of rejection.

Mankind is drowning in a sea of bad choices. BY CHOICE! God uses this verse like a BANG of a gun to get our attention. Which is a good way to remember where it IS! IS. 45:22, the .45 and the .22 being the most popular, largest and smallest, bullets shot today. God fires it over our heads to get our attention! “TURN TO ME AND BE SAVED!” Sadly, most people, like Skid Row, start splashing in the OTHER direction.

So note to self… not everyone shares your same interests, so don’t ASSUME they’ll take an interest in yours! So BE SURE to ask the RIGHT questions! Just wait until NEXT TIME!

Are you working on becoming an interesting disciple by becoming interested?

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 4:5-6

“WAIT, WAIT, WAIT… STOP!!!!!!” Mr. Wise was telling me to go… then STOP! To proceed… then WAIT! Dan is my pistol shooting instructor AND my friend in Christ. When we get to the range, we trade places and HE becomes the teacher and I… HIS student. It’s been that way for almost 2 years. But now… he was MESSING WITH ME! FOR A PURPOSE!

There’s a shooting competition coming up and my teacher wants me ready. Apparently, he got info from somewhere that practicing distractions prepares one for the real thing. I guess being unflappable at practice makes one unflappable in the real competition. But being with him for so long, all it made ME do… was LAUGH! Which is distracting.

Being at our church Bible Study, last night was an overwhelming honor! With a room FULL of Jesus Warriors-in-training, we began to learn HOW to be wise, to make the most of every opportunity and to be graceful in reaching people for Jesus Christ. All in a fun, easy, questioning approach. Which is opposed to an ‘in-your-face,’ confrontational battle. After it was over, I noticed a more open and much more interested attitude in the room.

It was afterward that Don (not Dan) came up to me and told me that before service, HE had apparently gone into the same store I had previously left. AND that HE had talked to the very same guy I had! Like a bolt out of the blue, I could hear Jesus, OUR Instructor, hollering out “WAIT, WAIT WAIT… STOP!” He was trying to teach me something! And it made me smile!

If you and I are His, and HE has assigned us the role to to out into the world and to share His Good News, THEN went on to add, “Surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” doesn’t it stand to reason that HE will be WITH me when I am talking about HIM? Will He not guide my heart, mind and steps to perfectly place me in a perfect position to do the job?? How was I to know that God would follow up MY visit with the check out guy, with Don’s visit? I couldn’t! But Jesus DID!

That was the point I was getting! Following Jesus means FOLLOWING Jesus! HE goes FIRST and I am supposed to follow in CONFIDENCE, realizing that HE has already set the path before me. Rather than be fearful, I should just be ready to SEE, with my own eyes, what HE has already started! THEN… to be interested in the person HE places me in front of! The rest is just WAITING for the opportunity to ask questions in order to be interesting for Jesus!  Who knew that being interesting for Jesus could be such fun?

So… Mr. or Ms. Wise Guy… what are YOU waiting for?

“When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?'”. John 5:6

There was NO WAY AROUND IT! I was STUCK…just like everyone else on I-75! We were either stopped, or moving at an average of 20mph! With no turnarounds or exits, there was nothing anyone could do to avoid the frustrating situation… or so it appeared!

I HATE being stuck. I also HATE STUPID stuff. Never mind that ‘Hate’ and ‘Stupid’ are 2 swear words to my wife, sometimes I just have to call it as I see it! This traffic jam was BOTH! As I sat there thinking of an appropriate punishment for the individual in charge of the road work causing this delay, several OTHER poster-child candidates started to appear.

It became rather clear that MUCH of the delay was caused by people who came up with OTHER things to do instead of DRIVE! Most of which was illegal. Several vehicles had gaps between them, and the car in front of them, as long as a football field! And they were TEXTING! Soon I became enraged and started dodging in between cars to make up for the space and slowness of traffic. As cars honked at ME… I realized ‘I’ was being stupid!

The story found in John 4, as told by Jesus Himself, is a perfect example of how foolish humans can be, as Jesus came across a man who had laid beside a pool for 38 years. The man had some cockamamie excuse about not being able to jump in when angels stirred the water, and thus get healed. As if God did such things! Jesus saw the error in the man’s argument and asked a simple, yet profound, question. ‘Do YOU… WANT to get healed?”

There is no doubt Jesus was calling the man out! ‘Stupid is a stupid does,’ they say, and Jesus no doubt had an inkling that this guy had a least a LITTLE ray of hope inside of him. So Jesus asked, what appeared to be, a stupid question!

Now I know Jesus rather well. Hanging out with Him all these years I have learned, the HARD way, that the Creator of the Universe NEVER asks stupid questions. NEVER! Now I marvel at Jesus’ patience to even bother to ASK the question… “do you WANT to get well?” Setting on I-75, enraged at the stupidity of the whole situation, He had to almost YELL that same question to ME! And HECK!! I didn’t even think there was anything WRONG with me! HONK HONK!

What do YOU want?

“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9

We BOTH needed a vacation, some time alone with just the 2 of us, where we could relax and enjoy each other. When Katie told me a month ago that she didn’t have to work on Presidents Day, I did what I usually do and forgot about it. Two days before, I remembered, which sent me scrambling! I needed to make reservations FAST!

My sons are in the business of shipping in Tampa. So when I asked Colt His recommendation for a hotel, he gave me one. In my search, I also found an advertisement for a dinner cruise. When I asked both sons what they thought about it, I received 2 thumbs up… then a phone call from Clint.

When Clint calls, there’s usually an interesting story to follow. He told me to pay particular attention, once I got on board the dinner cruise, and to look across the channel. As a Harbor Pilot, he had JUST docked THAT ship not 30 minutes before! With all the ships and ports in Tampa, what were the odds we’d see his handiwork RIGHT THERE, as our first time?

As with many things in life, our trip started off with the credit card smoking! Had I planned ahead, I may have been able to save some money. But it was too late now! As we drove to Tampa, ‘go for it’ was all I heard my heart say. Valet, meals, snacks and tips only climbed the number and made the card hotter! When the total hit close to $1000, Katie said, “let’s just get a souvenir and guarantee we hit that number!” SO we did!

All in all, it was a PERFECT 30 hours to relax and unwind. Every time I’d get lost in a downtown area, we’d find a fun destination to explore. When we left Tampa to head home, we ended up somewhere in St. Petersburg for a lunch that was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. It was there we found the ‘one of a kind,’ God given, PERFECT souvenir! AND hit the $1000 mark!

Wherever Katie and I go, Jesus is there! If He isn’t, we bring Him along! In times of difficulty, when work and life get intense, we rely on Him to cut a path before us. We don’t take steps without Him. When it comes to money, He owns everything of ours. So we BOTH felt a little guilty for WASTING that much money in 1 day… perfect as it was.

We were almost home when Katie made a gasping kind of sound. Looking at her, she was smiling. She had just remembered that she was going to be receiving, ANY DAY NOW, a check from the State of Florida because, as a Teacher, she had WORKED when other schools had shut down during the pandemic! She then asked, “Do you know how much the check is for?”

God Promised to care for and provide for us when we walk and trust in Him. I felt a little ashamed because I don’t usually expect such lavish care. We are both in His debt and service is what we give. NOT EXPECTING, like the ship my son docked, to see HIS Handiwork of blessing right in front of us. Pointing to the ship I told everyone in my vicinity, “MY SON put that there!” Just like I tell folks about the goodness of the God I serve!

What kind of course are YOU on and how has God blessed YOU?

“After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  1 Thessalonians 4:17

I simply could not believe my eyes! So I blinked a couple times, then moved in for a better look! But my eyes hadn’t deceived me because standing not 20 feet from me was an old friend from long ago. And I was about to catch up!

I was at a hobby store talking with a fellow friend and hobbyist about our hobby. Together we were awaiting another hobbyist to join us in our mutual hobby. Looking around at the same time I was talking, my eyes caught the sight of someone I remembered as an old friend. My conversation stopped because of the interruption, as I just HAD to get a better look to confirm.

As it turns out, it WAS him! Not only that, he was talking to the hobby store OWNER. It appeared that THEY were friends as well! Though a lot bigger than me, Dan was always the calm type. So I didn’t think anything about sneaking up behind him and thumping my hands on his broad shoulders. True to his nature as I remembered, and THANKFULLY, he didn’t spin around and take a swing at me. When he finally saw my smiling eyes, we moved in for a big hug, then caught up.

It was the second time that happened this last week. On Tuesday I saw an old friend from my sons’ high school days. They used to hang out together regularly at my house, but after graduation Josh had moved away. But he was apparently back now, His hair starting to turn gray. We caught up.

It doesn’t happen often, but when I see an old friend I haven’t seen in a long while, I immediately think of Heaven and this Bible verse. Because this verse is FILLED with hope and joy for my future! A future that INCLUDES Jesus Christ IN PERSON… along WITH my family and friends as well.

I love stopping along life’s hard way and considering that future REUNION DAY when we will be reunited. In fact, it is a GREAT way for me to get through the hard stuff here. Laying even a potential life of 100 years here on Earth, beside eternity, is a non-comparison. This verse gives me joy because THAT REAL and GENUINE joy will NEVER end!

God is a God of PROMISES. And He NEVER breaks them. He has promised that there IS a perfect place at HIS place, where love, joy, peace and contentment will NEVER go out of style. He has promised me and the world that reality, if we simply choose to join HIS family. Because I have been sharing Jesus for a LONG time, I know there will be some old friends and forgotten acquaintances there too! And we will rejoice together AS Friends and Family FOREVER!

Are YOU going to be there? If so, who are YOU looking forward to seeing?

“May those who wait for You not be ashamed through me, O Lord God of hosts; May those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Israel.” Psalm 69:6

It was an accident really! Unintentional though it might have been, it STILL created a disturbance. Well, at least in ONE individual anyway. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I was jarred into remembering it while it was fresh, and to commit to NOT embarrassing someone in public again! That is… if I can HELP it!

In front of about 40 people I picked one gal to make a point. Our families have spent time together on vacation and I’ve known her for several years. That said, I had no way of anticipating her failure to answer the question, “if you were to die today, would you KNOW for CERTAIN YOU would go to Heaven?” Her answer, “Well I think so?” Made the WHOLE room go… “OHHHHHH!” Which meant there was NO way I could back up!

She is a sweet, kind and quiet sort of gal. Very polite and not wanting to be the center of attention. But she found herself there, unexpectedly! Interestingly enough, her brother had had the EXACT same experience several months ago. But he’s a tough guy and it didn’t bother him like it did his sister. Last night, as he sat beside her, he tried to give her brotherly advice, “DON’T YOU LIE NOW!” Which only caused her face to redden even more!

As it turns out, she already had been saved, and remembered the time she asked Jesus Christ for forgiveness of her sin and Him into her heart. In reality, SHE shouldn’t have been embarrassed as much as the person who had shared the Gospel with her! Because whoever did, failed to make the point of salvation CRYSTAL CLEAR! Because HOPING so and KNOWING so are 2 different things.

EVERY Christian is called to share the Gospel of Salvation with people in their world. But there ARE distinctions. As Gregory Koukl says in his book ‘Tactics,’ Some of us are planters, while some of us are reapers. Unfortunately, planters who are not reapers, will often use that point as reason to not plant! And they SHOULD be embarrassed.

For me, there is NOTHING more important on this Earth than knowing, loving and following Jesus Christ. He is my Creator, life giver, forgiver and sustainer for my whole reason to be here on this planet in the first place. He asks ME to SHARE HIM with those who do not know Him. Doing so should NEVER be an embarrassment for me. Neither should embarrassing others. So I apologize to our young and future powerful planter if you got a little red-faced. But I am sure you are VERY clear now.

Are YOU embarrassed to share Jesus?