“Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.'” John 14:23

“Be sure to have your Passport with you when you approach Security!” Heading for a trip we had dreamed of for years, we left our American homeland and proceeded on through Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland and France. But in each country, we were first stopped and checked for acceptable credentials. Desire alone wouldn’t do!

I was blessed to be BORN in America, and didn’t have anything to do with that fact! I am considered a naturalized citizen with big privileges! But those privileges do not extend to other countries, other than to recognize that I am who I say I am. Other countries may let me come for a visit, but only with a passport. And yes, they check!

Passports last 10 years before they need to be renewed and updated. As long as I have mine, I can hop a plane and go! But that right comes with a duty as well. I must guard my Passport, treat it as special and not lose it! Replacement takes a lot of time and effort. So I care for my passport more than I do my wallet! It usually resides in a safe at home.

My relationship to God is SLIGHTLY similar to that with my country. I had no control on when or where I was physically born, but I DO have some control over my spiritual birth! Because God’s love is perfect, He cannot FORCE me to be part of His family. The choice to join Him comes when I deliberately obey His command to LOVE His Son!

Many years ago I was presented the opportunity to “Join” God and give Him my life. In doing so, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit came to live inside me! And like the song says… “Now I belong to Jesus, Jesus belongs to me!” There’s an old saying that goes, “the difficulty in life is the choice!” I made my choice, and now know I will never be lost, or without a home again!

Do YOU have your Heavenly Passport? Have YOU asked Jesus to come into your life, bring His Dad, and then live your life by The Spirit? Once you make that choice, yer in! Experiencing the Love and Grace of God daily is a perk I wouldn’t change for the world! I’m looking forward to one day ‘Going Home.’

“For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” 2 Corinthians 5:4-5

Preparation is key! “Being Prepared,” as the old BSA motto used to say, is key to anything in life. Thinking ahead about what could possibly happen and what I might need in the event of any event, is important. “Failing to plan is planning to fail,” is another quote I remember regularly. Whether storms or travel… preparation is key!

For the last month we’ve been planning. It’s our annual vacation time and making sure everything is taken care of BEFORE we go anywhere has been foremost in our minds. Our vocations demand that we make sure the sheep we tend are fed and kept well. Going somewhere we’ve never been hints at making sure EVERY detail is covered.

I found it fascinating this morning that when I opened my Bible, it fell on this Scripture. Admittedly I have been groaning a lot lately. I’ve had to promise Katie I would leave the grump at home! Which will not take ANY work at all on my FINAL trip home to Heaven. God is going to SEE to it that the old man in me will never be seen again… EVER!

The picture seems to defy reality. My mortal body will be literally swallowed up… with LIFE! Leaving behind any trace of fleshy, icky, mortal me! The verse says that THIS IS GOD’S WILL for me. It is WHY He made me the way He did! To become something immortal… looking like His Son. Talk about a TRIP! WOW! It’s hard to imagine

For now, I keep my eyes on Him and the walk He calls me to walk, knowing that one day the trip will end in a complete transformation of ME. “Oh How Marvelous,” says the Hymn. Are YOU looking forward to the trip that will end ALL of your ills, sufferings and troubles? Have you booked it ahead with Jesus and do you have the Spirit as a deposit?

“‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” Mark 10:7-8

Everybody has them. Anniversaries that is. A time to remember a date that gets marked every year. It could be as simple as a Birthday, a graduation or meeting date, or a wedding. Today… Is my 47^th anniversary with Katie. And what a time it has been!

We only knew each other for 2.5 days when we got engaged. We were married within 2 months! Now.. 47 years! And no… not ALL were perfect. But combined into the package of 47 of them, our years together HAVE been perfect. God has been the center of our relationship from day one. Even when we occasionally wandered off to do our own thing. As time went by., wandering lessons learned kept us from doing it very often.

We both celebrate a special anniversary together each and every morning! We sit in the same room and each spend time with Jesus and His Word. HE and THAT is what makes our relationship so rich. It is no secret! Jesus Works! And having been at this Jesus thing for most of my life… I can say without any uncertainty… if you don’t Have Him… GET HIM! And celebrate Him Every and ALL Day!

Do YOU invest your time DAILY with God’s Word and Jesus? Is He FIRST in YOUR life?  

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:3-5

My wife and I were at the plant store at HER request. Me? I don’t care about plants. She had an idea of decorating the side of our house with pots full of plants. I don’t care about decorating, either! But while there, she tried to explain what she was looking for. She said, “I have in mind what I want… I just haven’t found it yet.” We kept looking.

After finding the color that she wanted, I noted the pricing. Plastic pots cost as much as 75% less than Terra Cotta pots. And I DO care about spending money! Standing between 2 aisles of pots, plastic on the left, Terra Cotta on the right, she looked at me and asked, “wha-da-ya-think?” I replied… “Oh.. I don’t know… wha-da-YOU-think?”

To be fair I had already inched my way over to the plastic side, hoping it might sway her to the cheaper pot. But honestly, I really don’t care about plants and pots. Not caring (and Jesus) intended I shouldn’t have an opinion there that matters. A ‘pregnant pause’ settled between us, as she looked me in the eyes and said, “I like the Terra Cotta!”

Admittedly, my uncaring heart let out a silent Mr Scrooge “Bah-humbug!” But what came out of my mouth was, “well, OK then!” To be sure, God and fate had a hand in the words that came from my mouth. I love God and my wife. My entire life is invested in both of them… and in that order. Love, being an action, had moved my lips!

This month we will have been married for 47 years. Every year of marriage has a theme. Once it was sapphires… another time… groceries! It just so happens that when we looked for the 47^th year themed gift, it turned out to be “Plants!” I thought… ‘HA HAAA! Talk about BLESSED! Why… I don’t even have to GO shopping!’ Men hate shopping!

As a Believer in Christ, I KNOW what He wants because I read His Word out of His Book… every day! He put aside HIS life for ME. Now, He wants me to value others’ lives above my own. And who better to do that with than my lovely bride! Another website said the 47^th year is books. But honestly, I don’t care about books! I already have His!

Do YOU place YOURself… second?

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13

Yesterday, my bride and I took on a project that, initially started, seemed rather simple… shovel and wheelbarrow shell into a predefined area. having the tools, it was certainly doable and not that hard at all. A few hours later, fatigue set in and we remembered our age. Later, when soreness set in, we still felt good about accomplishing our goal.

Last night we had at Pizza Party at Bible Study at the church. After eating, we gathered together for ANOTHER kind of work… the Spiritual kind. As we read the Word in Ephesians and broke down each and every sentence, it became apparent, even to me, that we are FAR more blessed and special, because of Jesus, than we thought!

There is just something spectacular and amazing about reading the Word of God. Greater than magic, when I take the time to read, break down, question and meditate upon it, God comes and sits right with me and points out the valuable information that applies to my life and our relationship. It’s work, but the value is ALWAYS worth the cost.

God has done the work of my salvation for me. It cost HIM a LOT. When it was done, He sat down and poured out His Spirit and Mission onto mankind to keep it going. One day, He will call a halt to the process and take us home to be with Him. Till then, ‘working out my salvation’ means reading and putting into practice what He says.

Are YOU putting the work and effort into knowing God, wanting what He wants for YOUR life? The only way to do it is to open your Bible and get started! Go ahead! Even if it hurts, God PROMISES it will be a rewarding experience! After all… you have the tools. 

“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. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-19

Walking in the woods… I saw a turtle. But something didn’t seem right. As I got closer, the shell didn’t have the typical color of a regular turtle. When I got closer still, I noticed that the shell was all that I found. Somehow, the turtle had died right there, and the identifying turtle’s shell was all that could be seen. There was no life at all.

Today’s larger than normal Bible verses are what give me life! In pouring over them, I feel compelled to let them be what they are. They are a prayer of Paul’s that literally becomes supernatural to a believer like me. I pray that you take your time to read and allow them to fill you full of HIS life so your life won’t be empty.

Please take some time to study the possibilities of what God and can will do for YOU.

 “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘Look, there He is!’ or ‘Look, here He is!’ Do not go out or chase after them. For just as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other, so will be the Son of Man in His day.” Luke 17:22-24

The day was beautiful and HOT… we had the time, so we went to the beach. Beautiful and hot are 2 words that typically do not go together. Like the beauty of a snowy mountain, when seen through a glass window of a warm house, sub-zero temperatures make enjoying reality very hard. Behind the scene of today’s photo, storm clouds were forming. Would it rain?

The question of ‘rain’ has been on the lips of most Florida residents for many weeks now. Once again, the weather made it to the top of the list of stories in most news broadcasts. It has been very hot and very dry for so long, the drop of a match could wipe out an entire neighborhood with the fire that would result. Brown, dead lawns prove… we need rain!

Toward the evening of this same beautiful day, those clouds got bigger and their color… darker. By nightfall, much needed rain came in a deluge. The sunshine, beautiful as ever, is said to only be temporary, as the entire week’s forecast calls for major rain storms that could actually cause flooding. I couldn’t tell that from the yesterday’s, or this morning’s, sunshine.

As days go by, leading up to an election cycle in November, most everyone is predicting a storm is coming! Seemingly every indicator, from economic to political, threatens a wildfire of epic proportions. Fear, worry and panic rise to make people seem even more worried than normal. What most ‘look for’ is SOMEONE who can rise up to FIX THIS! And I for one, concur!

Since I sat to write this, the beautiful sunshine that was there, has disappeared! Just like that, it is dark and threatening. But inside, lights and air conditioning keep my world humanly acceptable. But 1 big storm could wipe that out as well. The key for me is to remain calm and keep my eyes, in both my head and heart, focused on ‘a time that is coming!’ When Jesus!

What about you? Are you Jesus focused? Or storm and trouble focused? Clouds are coming… but so is Jesus! Happy day to you… no matter the weather! 

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Galatians 6:10

I was loading a trailer with 17 very heavy cement blocks and, having just gotten started, a man approached me and asked if I would like some help! Asking him, “Do you work here?” His answer was “No.” But he reached out, grabbed a heavy block, and handed it to me. Without skipping a beat, I took it from him and asked, “Are you a Jesus Guy?” He simply said, “Yes I am!” How’d ya know?”

Ta-DAAAAA!!! How did I even THINK to THINK up that question? What powers of deduction and observation I must have, eh? Well… no! I just know the Word of God, and knowing it, this verse is one that I try to live my life by. Helping other people, especially fellow believers, is a big deal with me! It is with Jesus too! May I ask you please reread today’s Bible verse and consider YOUR lifestyle?

It took time to load the trailer, but he never missed a beat. I considered him a tough guy buy the way he had NO problem grabbing and moving those cement blocks. I struggled, but kept up by asking questions like, “so what’s your name?” A good first question for anyone starting a conversation. That led to, “So where do you go to Church?” (I assume Christians go… because Jesus does Heb 10:24-25).

We were done, but the smile never left either of our faces. I invited him to come visit us at our church sometime. He said he just might. Before I left, I asked him if he likes to fish. Answering in the affirmative, I then told him that fishing will be part of life on the New Earth when Jesus returns, then told him I’d LOVE to spend some time fishing with him then. He agreed… we have an appointment!

The conversation was quick, simple and completely laced with God’s Holy Spirit. I call those times ‘Divine Appointments’ and look out for them all the time. How about YOU? Do YOU look around and speak up with Jesus on your mind? Are you ready to engage others with God’s love, help and action?

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Ephesisans 3:20-21

I hadn’t thought the idea of playing with lions to be so controversial. As it turns out… it is. Lions were created by Jesus to be… well… I don’t know! Seriously! I only know how lions act and react in a world under sin and when hungry or threatened. But now thinking about it… under Jesus Christ and in the New Earth, how WILL a lion act? Will they be dangerous or tame? Or Both?

I was in conversation with a friend just blurted out, “Just imagine a lion coming up to you and nudging YOU to ‘come play!’” Or an eagle, bursting out of the sky with a knowing request to ‘come fly with me!’ Every once in a while, after reading a Scripture referring to the future Kingdom, I take on a ‘what if’ mentality and dream of possibilities on an Earth NOT filled with sin, death or satan.

Today’s Bible verse gives me the childlike permission to simply imagine impossible possibilities. Because there is coming a time, as promised by God, that we WILL live on a renewed Earth where it WILL be just that grand! Where wolves will lie with lambs and little children will lead them (Isaiah 11:6). With an active imagination, it isn’t hard to wistfully dream of the place… for REAL!

As we live in the present world, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see that we are headed for…something! And it doesn’t look good in the long run. Fighting to go backwards in time doesn’t help. What I want to see is NEW! And Jesus has promised us it WILL happen. That being the case, I am finding that letting my imagination run a little wild with great possibilities isn’t a bad thing.

What about YOU? If you know Jesus Christ, can you just imagine the possibilities of an eternity with Him and His creative abilities? Go ahead and try! It might just give you hope and reason to press on through the tough times.