“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

When I was in Junior High School, my father went ‘all in’ to satisfy an old desire. I came home from school and there in the basement were huge boxes, their contents being assembled into large power tools. Ultimately their various pieces became a 12” radial arm saw (with shop vac and attachments) and a wood lathe. My father’s secret desire was born.

Dad told me that his favorite class in high school was wood shop. I knew that he had dropped out of school to join the Navy, but didn’t know this part of his story. So I pressed him for details. Apparently his shop teacher took a liking to the guys and knew just how to relate to them. He even let them, “smoke cigarettes and play mumbly peg!” Yes… you read that right! The impression of that teacher was long lasting because, there before me, lay a tribute to his educational technique.

As time went on I learned that my dad’s passion for wood shop had absolutely nothing to do with wood. He couldn’t build a thing! After the blades and chisels got dull, all they produced was smoke! He didn’t know how to sharpen them or care. So the tools mostly just sat.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am NOT dishonoring my father. ALL of us have tried new things that we thought we would like, only to find out that they actually SOUNDED better than they were. I learned a lot of lessons from his desire. My brother and I learned how to play ‘mumbly peg’ pretty well… AND how to make ‘billy clubs!’

After getting married, my first job was carpentry. As a frame carpenter in training, I learned that when smoke comes off the saw while cutting lumber, it’s time to stop and sharpen your blade. I thought, “OH… new concept!” And therein lies another great lesson in life.

Being a Christian, a male and a pastor, I have run into LOTS of smoking lumber. Having been there myself, I can recognize it quickly. There are really only 2 choices in life. Like ‘good and evil,’ we can choose to either walk ‘by sight,’ or walk ‘by faith.’ And the verse today clearly tells us what God expects of His own.

Today’s verse shows that the way God tunes us is by using other folks of faith to spark, grind and sharpen us into the people He wants us to be. An old saying says ‘where there is smoke there is fire.’ In God’s world, we can also say. “Where there are sparks, God’s heroes are being sharpened!” And that is MY heavenly Father’s ‘NOT so secret’ desire.

So… how sharp are YOU? And what do YOU really want? 

“But you, dear friends, continue to build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.” Jude 20

It was 7:55am and I had already blown it. Like watching David Banner transform into ‘The Hulk,’ I KNEW what was happening, yet was helpless to stop it. Since it was easier to just go with and let it out, rather than try to control it, I morphed into a crazier man than usual. And hated myself for the transference. The clock now said 7:56 am!

I had an appointment at 8am. The place was on a busy road I had been on MANY times before, so ASSUMED I could easily find it. Upon realizing that I had failed in my assumption and was wrong, I did the next most logical thing and stopped to put the address into Google Maps. It was then I SHOULD have gotten some relief by realizing that there are more stupid people out there than ME! As Google took me even FURTHER away from my destination, I started to yell and bang the steering wheel! I was glad my clothes didn’t rip!

When I got to my appointment I was 15 minutes late! Which is TOTALLY unacceptable for me. In my frame of mind I knew I HAD to calm down before I went in. Not wanting to be seen as a Hulk out of place, I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit to get ME back. It took a minute but I knew He had already started the process.

I heard it well said years ago that I am a Heavenly Treasure in an Earthen vessel. That the process of complete and actual sanctification into a perfect being will never happen HERE! God is at work in me and slowly convicts and changes me into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. It’s not HIS failure, but an inherent problem with the material He has to work with. The process is universal and has no shortcut.

My selfish and sinful nature, called the flesh, is ALWAYS opposed to God. It takes a cooperation of my spirit with God’s Holy Spirit to conform myself into what God expects. It is ALWAYS up to ME to start the yielding, and it is ALWAYS HARD WORK! I HATE that I transfer into ‘The Hulk’ as frequently as I do. And anger is only ONE of my triggers! But the fact that I HATE that part of me is evidence that I really belong to God in the first place!

Being a work in progress means that I will always have a job! But it doesn’t mean that I am a hopeless case. There are LOTS of us out there! A point the receptionist must have assumed in the appointment process. When I apologized for my tardiness she said, “You weren’t REALLY due until 8:30. We just give everyone an earlier time to make sure they get here!” Feeling a hint of another transfer, I wondered if God doesn’t do the same thing!

Are YOU looking better every day?

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

For the last week I have become the butt of other peoples jokes. After a blood test, my friend and doctor decided that he needed a little more information to determine if I have a condition. So he scheduled me for an MRI. It wasn’t long before I received a call from a representative of the radiology company with a list of requirements BEFORE I showed up for the appointment. And THAT’S when it all started.

Among the do’s and don’ts, I was required to NOT eat certain foods 3 days before. And to NOT eat anything they day before and TO drink plenty of water. The final instruction was to have an enema. At my age I have never had one before! Just the thought of it turned me a little unsure, and turned my FRIENDS into comedians.

I have been through MRI’s before. Having learned from my father a LONG time ago that fear is more of an enemy than the actual event, I just decided that I was not going to let fear drive me. It’s a lesson that he taught me as a little boy, when I had to get those allergy shots with the square needles! It is ALSO one that I learned in Church when it came to Bible prophecy.

Both Christians and Non Christians have a fascination with what is going to happen to the world?” The Bible is FULL of action packed warnings and visions of wars, wrath and judgment to come. Because of world events, it’s natural to read the Bible and speculate if we’re at the end. Analyzing speculators are quick to jump on the bandwagon because… fear sells books and movies. But I don’t buy into it.

Jesus said to put my life into HIS hand and to TRUST HIM. Several hundred times the phrase FEAR NOT is found in the Bible. For those of us who place our lives and hopes in Jesus Christ, NO FEAR should be our mantra and PEACE our standard demeanor. An in depth and educated discussion on Biblical prophecy can be fun, exciting and theologically beneficial. Butt in the end… we really don’t KNOW how everything will turn out EXACTLY.

I know Jesus Christ. I am personally an expert on Him. My relationship with Him is rock solid and continues to grow. So when this whole enema thing came up, I looked at it like I did shots, needles MRI’s and Biblical Prophecy. Because I know Jesus, I don’t have to fear. Turns out in the end…there was nothing to worry about after all!

Are YOU NERVOUS?

“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 8:31-32

It was the second day in a row that I entered the business. And just like the first, there, right at the door, was ‘The Doorkeeper!’ Call him the screener, security, front man or whatever…his job was to make sure EVERYONE obeyed the rules. And the rule was, wear a mask and answer the questions. Because the day before took far too much time, I was irritable.

MY opinion is that the whole mask thing is wrong, unscientific, politically motivated and it has gone on for FAR too long. But I wasn’t ASKED my opinion. I was asked to “answer the questions.” AGAIN! When I joked, “I already said ‘no’ to ‘em yesterday,” he took offense. “Sounds like you’re telling me how to do my job!” was his response. I was IMMEDIATELY contrite and apologized, adding “I’m not a normal kind of preacher!” Then round 2 happened!

I watched his face soften as I had hit common ground. His next question was, “what version you think is best?” Knowing I was being set up, I said, “NIV or ESV…you?” “King James,” was his reply. When I asked “Why,” “1 John 5:7,” was his response. And just like that, we were friends! Sorta!

When I get a Bible verse with a ‘disputation’ attached to it. I like to do the research. EVERY common version of the Bible will lead you to today’s Bible verse and point out that Jesus Christ is God and THE ONLY Savior of mankind. When disputing comes into the discussion, reading ALL the versions, along with the original language and commentaries, is a CINCH in the ‘smart phone’ age and usually clears things up. Not this time!

It happens that I HAVE both versions of the Bible AND a smart phone. It took me all of about 8 minutes to find out what his beef was. I had fun because I also LEARNED something new. Now that I understand his position, and have an even clearer opinion of mine, I am ready to face ‘The Doorkeeper’ again and pick up where we left off. You see…I am DETERMINED to WIN!

I’m not going to tell you the controversy. Betting you a dime to a donut (an old saying that probably should be changed to $1 to a donut) I’ll bet YOU HAVE a smartphone and know how to use it. I’ll let YOU have your OWN fun if you want to look it up yourself! Me? I’m ready! And when I see ‘The Doorkeeper’ again, I’m not even going to bring it up! I’m going to WIN by keeping my mouth SHUT and him as my friend.

On…I’m just curious…how do YOU spell that circular shaped delicacy of goodness with the hole in the middle? And who really cares? The main thing… is to keep the main thing… the main thing! Are YOU FREE?

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet He did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15

If you’ve been to my church lately, you know Dickie. Dickie is my friend and REAL superhero. He is ALWAYS excited to see me, and makes such a fuss when he does. I like him as a friend because he has NEVER, EVER pointed to, or called me out on, ANY of my faults or weaknesses. Dickie is my encourager for Jesus. Because HE loves and trusts Jesus so much, it makes it MUCH easier for me to do so as well. Dickie has Cerebral Palsy.

At 72, Dickie lives in a wheelchair… when he’s not in a bed. He can’t walk or do ANYTHING for himself. When he talks, there’s only a couple people in the world who know what he is saying. I’m not one of them. But he grunts, squeals and moans to try to communicate. When I walk into his room, his face ALWAYS lights up! That’s what it did when I went to visit him yesterday in the hospital.

It was an honor to visit him and, just like usual, his face lit up when he saw me. But when I saw what was happening, I got upset. Dickie can only eat pureed food…and ONLY when someone spoons it into his mouth for him. But he was in the hospital because he hadn’t been able to swallow ANYTHING but liquid. But there, on the table beside him, lay untouched scrambled eggs and toast! IMMEDIATELY… I started barking.

This is NOT a complaint, criticism of medical staff, or anything even resembling that. This is about Dickie, and HIS favorite person… Jesus Christ. And the point is SO SHARP, I could cry at the reality. You see, I have absolutely NO IDEA what Dickie is going through, how he feels or what he is thinking. I can ONLY imagine. And that alone breaks my heart. ALMOST like I broke God’s!

God is perfect, Omnipotent, Almighty and Omnipresent…ALMOST! God DIDN’T know what sin or temptation felt like. But in order to understand and rescue ME, He had to get His hands dirty! Which makes the story of Jesus Christ all the more miraculous. Like following footprints in the snow, Jesus walked in my shoes in order to know what I know. Which SHOULD make it easier for ME to walk in HIS!

I have been charged with the honor of sharing Christ and His Gospel with those who do not know Him. If you love Jesus, you have been too. One of the biggest barriers to evangelizing is overcoming people’s apathy toward God. Knowing Dickie helps me to ‘get it’ though. You see, it is not natural for me to walk into Dickie’s room. My initial human reaction is to be repulsed! Because HE… could be ME! A VERY SCARY THOUGHT!

Jesus is my Paraclete before God (go ahead and look that word up). That means He is my intercessor and defense attorney before His father, The Righteous Judge. Jesus NEVER argues the Law before His Dad because He’d lose! His ONLY defense for me is His own invested life and blood. And because He KNOWS what it’s like to be tempted, He pleads MY case passionately before His Father. And because of God the Father’s LOVE for His son, NO charge against me can or will stick…EVER!S

Seeing Saint Dickie is both humbling and encouraging. Because of HIS experience, he makes ME want to be a better believer. My respect and love for Dickie compels me to help, spend time with and try to make him feel more comfortable. Christ’s love and learned knowledge of temptation compels Him to make me sanctified before God. BOTH of them make me…BETTER!

Do YOU know The Paraclete? 

“…know that a person is not justified by (observing) the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus…” Galatians 2:15

Every once in a while I stop in to say hello to my wife at her job. Katie teaches at a VERY special, advance and unique preschool. Every time I walk into her room 2 sensations overwhelm me. Wonder and royalty! Her room is decorated, top to bottom, with colorful reminders of basic learning tools. When I walk in, the kids know exactly who I am. And while I like to tell them I’m Batman, they all know me as Mr. Katie!

I was listening to her teach reading to some 4 year olds and I heard her say, “when 2 vowels go walking, the first one does the talking, and it’s usually long!” I didn’t remember ever hearing that before!. Later, when I asked her about it, she started firing off rules on how to teach kids to learn to read, explaining how hard it really is! I was amazed!

I have been reading now for a long time. I don’t sit there and try to figure out how to pronounce a word because, unless it’s one I’ve never seen, I already KNOW! Or at least THINK I do! Once I learned how to read, I forgot all the rules because I didn’t NEED them anymore! Now I just DO it! But KNOWING HOW to read does not make me qualified to TEACH someone how to read! And therein lies a HUGE problem.

Today, in the aftermath of a so-called pandemic, our kids have been isolated from professionals trained HOW to teach. Left to learn online, or from people who THINK they know, too many kids are falling WAY behind in the basics of education. Add to that an indoctrination agenda that ISN’T about education, I can see a future catastrophe! The same problem exists with masses of people who THINK they know God.

I have asked LOTS of people what they know about God, and I can tell you most aren’t even close! People who DON’T know God will usually say that to get to His house (heaven) you just have to be a good person! The next task is to explain how they qualify! “I’ve never killed anyone and try to live by the 10 commandments!” BEEEEEEEP! Wrong! Here’s a rule…anyone bringing up Old Testament laws as qualification is lost!

I KNOW God because I KNOW His son Jesus Christ! PERSONALLY! I put my faith in Him long ago and continue to grow up, under His Love and Grace, by studying His Word. And UNLIKE Ms. Katie’s reading rules like, “when 2 vowels go walking…” there are NEVER any exceptions to HIS rules. All I can say to that is…”YEAH!!!”

Have YOU placed your faith in, and KNOW Jesus Christ?

“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;” 1 Peter 5:2

THE question came from my lovely wife. And, depending on what we’ve done recently or upon what I have planned, it CAN be an irritating one. “So what are we eating tonight?” THE question can be loaded. Like last night. I told her my idea and she said, “if I don’t eat a salad tonight I’m gonna kill somebody!” “WHAAA?” I was shocked, because Katie doesn’t get serious about food. But the look on her face showed… she was now!

When it comes to food, I’m more picky than her. Since she’s at her job all day, the mystery of “what’s for dinner” has been picked up by me! SOMETIMES, like last night, she doesn’t LIKE what I plan. When that happens, it’s easy to take the rejection personally. A simple comment like, “the meat was too tough,” can make me feel like it was MY job to make sure the cow was relaxed when I killed it! And I’ve never killed a cow in my life!

This week at church, the subject of how to give and take criticism came up. It came up because “I” brought it up. I had just read an article about it and was intrigued. It is MY job, as the King James Version says of this verse, to “Feed the Flock of God.” For the last 10 months that hasn’t been easy. Lots of sheep don’t WANT fed or don’t LIKE what’s in the trough! I’ve gone to take the bleatings, or lack thereof, personal!

I am honored to have the best dog gone herd of sheep there is. And since I don’t HAVE a dog, I am it! Having been ‘it’ for so long, and growing up in a house where my dad was always ‘it,’ I know that it is a fine line between ‘supplying’ and ‘force feeding.’ Every once in a while, I cross it. But thank God I’m reminded when the “eager to serve” meter tips to “I’m gonna kill someone!”

The term the writer of the article used to describe herself was as a “serial-advice-giver.” Standing in the middle of the room with all eyes on me, the ‘staff’ hit me hard. It was embarrassing!! And I KNEW the shepherd who threw it! Jesus was simply showing me that I had crossed the line! I had taken the comment, “what’s for dinner,” WAY to personally.

I care! Sometimes too much! But that care comes with a problem because, SOMETIMES…the sheep don’t! And OFTEN…what has slipped into the herd is not a sheep at all! It is times like this that I have to take a break, back off and ignore the bleating (or lack thereof). Even Jesus honors the free will of the flock. If they don’t like what He’s serving, He LETS them go graze where they wish.

After some suggestions from some sheep who love me, I made adjustments. Yesterday, my wife got salad, I took a break, and I’m working on a cure to not force feed those who don’t want what’s on the menu. I’ve also returned the flocks $50,000 bonus. Those dog gone, flocking sheep…don’t they know I can’t be bribed!!!??? 

“How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you.” Psalm 31:19

For the last year I have been taking shooting lessons from a GREAT instructor. Yesterday was class. At this point we are practicing and working on pulling everything together… over and over and over again. Because all of this practice will SOON be put to the test. There is a competition coming up in less than 2 weeks.

I didn’t really decide to start this hobby. My friend and fellow Church member simply TOLD me where to be and when. Then INSISTED! Honestly I simply showed up to honor him…and to shut him up! I didn’t realize I could have this much fun and enjoy shooting so much. But I never HAVE succeeded in shutting him up! Which is a good thing.

Dan is a GREAT instructor. He knows his stuff and how to teach it. He doesn’t put up with any nonsense either. MANY times he has told me, “QUIT FOOLIN’ AROUND AND FOCUS!” Something I have ALWAYS had a hard time doing. My listening to HIM, and not focusing on what ‘I’ think is important at the time, has made me better… in more ways than one.

The thing I shoot at is called a target. As a target, it is what I aim at. AFTER I shoot, it really isn’t a target anymore. It becomes a gauge where everyone, including myself, can SEE how well I actually shot! After reading Psalm 31 today, this verse stuck out and I saw how I could make a point here! And here it is… GOD LOVES to SHOW OFF!

The biggest problem between people and God is unbelief. People focused on themselves can find LOTS of excuses NOT to believe in God. But when I SEE Him as He is, it becomes easy to spot him all over the place! This verse today says that He LOVES to show off the target of His love (ME), to those who don’t know Him. You can easily see the bullet holes of grace, love, power and benefits of God by looking at MY life. Because honesty, I SHOULD be nothing more than a disgusting gutter monkey!

How shot up are YOU and are YOU showing off as God’s target? 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1

Having made several trips this week to various stores, I was shocked to enter one that had a gal setting behind a desk, right at the doorway. The paraphernalia on the desk included Covid warnings, safety instructions, masks and hand sanitizer. Since I don’t wear a mask, the lady asked me, “would you like a face covering?” Because my sensibilities had been violated, my answer came with an angry edge to it…”No!”

A year, even 6 months ago, I could understand. But now, this mask thing has gone so far, it has become a political tool with dangerous repercussions. ‘Faith’ is what made America strong and resilient. But ‘Fear’ is being peddled as the new normal. And the masses seem to have lapped it up. Is it possible that, as a nation, we may have entirely lost our most precious commodity?

The U.S.A. was founded upon Faith in God. If God is taken out, there is really no foundational basis for our country to rest. What is left is nothing but fear. What I see and hear everyday is proof that our nation is losing its heart and soul to a lie… and all under the umbrella of personal peace and safety.

I grew up watching the Lone Ranger. The stories were predictable. It was usually a whole town that had succumbed to an evil that had overtaken it. Everyone KNEW what was wrong, but no one DID anything about it. That is until the ‘masked man’ showed up, evil was conquered, and righteousness prevailed. The final scene was a silver bullet left behind with the Lone Ranger heading toward another town. I miss him!

The former greatness of America is PROOF that Jesus works. He said in Mark 8:35, “If you lose your life, you will save it.” Which is a 180 degree turn from what I see today. What made America great is self sacrifice, working hard toward a greater good, loving and caring for one another, and drawing closer in crisis…not isolation.

The Lone Ranger wore a mask over his eyes to give him anonymity. He wasn’t looking for fame or personal wealth. I STILL have NO idea why people wear them today! But personally, I’d rather live by Faith than die in fear!

If you’re afraid to die, you’re already dead!