Living Word

Ponder It

2011-12-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

"But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart." Luke 2:19

On December 23rd, two days before Christmas, I was in a big fabric and crafts store (with my wife, who needed to get something!). The whole front section of the store was a mess, there were five or six almost empty racks of what used to be their Christmas crafts section. As I looked at the picked over and sparse holiday part of the store, I got a familiar sad feeling that told me Christmas was over, and it was still two days before Christmas! I then noticed over to the left, a whole area filled with fresh new craft items. The shelves were full and nothing had been picked through, it was very neat and inviting. The area was filled with red hearts and Cupids. Yes, two days before Christmas the store had already set up its Valentines Day section.
Our faced paced culture is telling us, Christmas is over, hustle over to the mall and exchange those gifts, and by the way you had better hurry because Valentines is coming soon. In the above verse we see Jesus' mother Mary doing the exact opposite. Mary had just been through some pretty crazy days leading up to Jesus' birth, and it says she took the time and "kept" those things in her heart, and "pondered" them.
This is not the season to push on past Christmas, it is the time to all the more dwell on and ponder all of what the season is about. I say we should hit the brakes, slow down a bit and enjoy Christmas some more.
One of the names given Jesus is "Immanuel", which means, God with us. That does not mean that God was just with us that first Christmas two thousand years ago, it means God is with us today. That one thought ought to give us enough to puzzle over, and wonder about, every single day. February 14th is still a long way off, lets slow down and ponder, its still Christmas, for God is indeed with us today.

I Get To

2011-12-12T11:49:00.000-08:00

"And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger."
Luke 2:16

The angel didn't appear to religious or political leaders to announce the birth of Jesus, but he went to some lowly shepherds. I love the response of these men, they went right away, or made haste to fine this newborn Savior. I also love the fact that they did not have to be commanded to go and find Jesus. It seems the angel rightly accepts, that upon hearing the glad tidings of the birth of the savior, that the shepherds would want to find Him. And of course we see that they didn't have to be ordered to go, they believed the message delivered to them from God, and therefore were driven in haste to find Jesus.
The foundation of Christianity is not a set of rules or commands to follow. What motivates us, is our belief in the salvation given us in Jesus, who's birth we celebrate. Ours is not a faith that says, "I have to". Ours is a faith that says, "I want to", or "I get to", or better still, "I love to". We serve, we love, we read the Bible, we worship, because of the love that God has poured into us by His Son. Loving and serving the Lord is never a chore, it is indeed a great privilege. The shepherds have set a great example for us to remember, may the reality of the message of God's grace cause us to make haste, to seek out and worship our precious Jesus.

The Lord Is Good

2011-12-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" Psalm 34:8

The Christmas season is a time when our taste buds really get a full work out, and its wonderful! This past week I was given a cookie snack that looked like an acorn. It looked cute enough, but tasted even better. It is very easy for me to describe to you what the snack looked like, I already mentioned it looked like an acorn, and that is easy for you to picture. It is a much more difficult task to describe to you how it tasted....it was a tasty, crunchy, peanut buttery, and chocolate, sort of treat. The fact is, that the words I use cannot give the true sense of how good this goodie tasted. The best I would be able to do is to give you one of these acorn cookies and say, taste and see for yourself how good it is.
Isn't it the same when we try to share exactly how wonderful it is to walk in Jesus? We can describe Jesus, who He is, what He has accomplished, and how to receive Him as Savior and Lord. But words can fall short when we try to explain His love, joy, and peace in our lives. The best we can do is present who He is, and plead, "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good."
The key for us then, is to be continually walking in, and tasting of, the goodness of the Lord. Our best witness is being able to offer the fullness of life in Jesus, a life we know to be good because we have tasted of it ourselves.

Be Sound

2011-11-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind."
2 Timothy 1:7

Back in my high schools days on some boring Friday night, I talked a group of my friends into going on a scary adventure. We went and found what was rumored to be a haunted farm house. The house was located in the middle of an orange grove, so it was dark and spooky. There were no doors or windows left on the house so it was easy to enter. After looking through the house for a bit, I gathered everyone together so I could tell them why the house was haunted. I began to tell everyone a completely made up story, that was told to me by a completely made person. It was about a crazy farmer that lived in the house, who murdered his whole family. As I was telling this phony story I could see my friends starting to feel a little creepy, so I poured it on more. Pretty soon every noise from inside or outside the house seemed to be magnified, and everyone was getting even more scared. And then something amazing happened, I began to scare myself! I was making the story up, I knew it wasn't true, I knew it was fictitious, yet I was starting to get a little freaked out. At long last, there was a thumping creaking sound that came from another room that made us all scream and run for our lives.
How crazy is that? I was able to get myself into a freaked out fearful state, with my own made up scary story! I had knowingly brought myself to a place of not being of sound mind.
There is good spiritual application to this story. It is very important for us to be of sound mind, to be disciplined in our thoughts and imaginations, and to be clear and sober in our reasoning. Our enemy knows how to get us to the place of an unsound mind, with one fearful thought, our mind begins skipping and our imagination begins to exaggerate situations, and presto, we freak out! At times the unsoundness is not even from the enemy, it is self-inflicted, we magnify circumstances or problems and we create scary scenarios that drive us to fear.
Our enemy loves to keep us unstable through fear. The best way for us to battle this, is to be disciplined in keeping our focus on the Lord and on His word. We need to learn to take our thoughts captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), and as we do, fear will wane and His peace will reign. Search His word for those promises that keep you heart and mind stayed upon Him.

Rest In His Word

2011-11-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:49-50 "Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life."

Words are very powerful. I heard on the radio this morning that the stock market had taken a major plunge because of word from Greece. I was on a hospital visit sitting with a family anxiously waiting word from a nurse. I recently got a prayer request from a man wondering about his health, as he was awaiting word from a medical lab regarding a test he had taken. And then there was the worry of a young man who knew word was coming from his mechanic as to how much money it would take to get his car running. All these folks were waiting on words that would bring sadness or relief, fear or joy.
Words are indeed powerful, and we can get words from anywhere, doctors, friends, teachers, lawyers, or co-workers. It is important to listen to man, but we must be wary not to set our hopes in the words of man, lest our lives be set on an unstable roller coaster type foundation. Our lives are not to be set on the words of man, but on the sure foundation of God's word and His promises. As we trust in His word we have hope, and comfort, and life, not matter what we hear from the world.

Best Effort

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 31:21 "And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered."

A few years back, I was invited by some friends and family to go watch them run the Long Beach Marathon. I let them know I would go, and then decided a couple of weeks before the race, that as long as I was going to be at the race, I may as well run it with them. I had been doing some running and felt I was in pretty good shape, I had also run a couple of marathons so I figured I could run another one pretty easily. I was very casual about the race, and showed up race day having done very little training.
I started the race just fine, but around mile 16, my legs, my back, my lungs, and my stomach, all let me know that I should not have ventured to run this 26.2 miles with such a nonchalant attitude. I finished the race but felt miserable. My legs were cramped, I was dizzy, and I lost my cookies a couple of times. My race recovery, which should have taken a couple of days, took a couple of weeks. Usually when I do something boneheaded the Lord has a lesson for me, and this time the lesson was simple....never take on a difficult task halfheartedly.
This application of this lesson is both practical and spiritual. The Lord desires that our commitment to Him be wholehearted. He does not want dabbling, nonchalant followers, but those who have counted the cost and desire to put forth full effort.
Our halfhearted efforts for the Lord usually end up in our getting hurt or burned, and our witness being discredited. On the contrary, our greatest power and joy and peace come in those times that we give the Lord our best. Our call to the Lord is a long distance race, let's set our hearts to be disciplined, giving Him our best every single day.

Hold Tight

2011-09-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

"For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments which the Lord had commanded Moses." 2 Kings 18:6

I have great memories of bringing my children out into the ocean waves for the first time. I guess I saw it as a fatherly type responsibility, sort of like teaching them to ride a bike. I would let them warm up a bit by playing with them in the ankle deep water, and then I would take them in my arms and venture out into the deeper water and the bigger waves. I can still almost feel the octopus suction grip they would have on me as we would get knocked by the waves. There was always fun and laughter as long as my grip was strong on them, and theirs on me.
To me this gives a great picture of one of Judah's best kings, Hezekiah. The word tells us that as Judah's king, "there was none like him", and we are told the main reason why, "he held fast to the Lord". And so we have a great picture of Hezekiah, one of the best and strongest kings, clinging tightly to his God, like a child clinging to his dad in the waves.
Hezekiah became king in a very difficult time. His father was a horrible king, who promoted idolatry and even went so far as to board up the temple. Also during that time, Assyria was a powerful enemy that kept threatening Hezekiah. The young king was indeed venturing out into the bigger waves, yet we see he was bold and strong because he clung to God.
We are living in days of rough and choppy seas. Our tendency might be to remain on shore, or to stay in the safe ankle deep water. But we all know that the Lord would call us to the adventure of greater depths and bigger waves. Its important to remember, His call it not to the waves, but to His arms, and He will never be shaken, nor will He ever fail. What a blessed lesson we learn from good king Hezekiah, who was a good king because in the midst of difficult days, "he held fast to the Lord".

Don't Move The Furniture!

2011-09-03T12:33:00.000-07:00

2 Kings 16:10 ".....and saw an altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the design of the altar and its pattern, according to all its workmanship."

King Ahaz had been in Damascus, and while there he took a liking to an altar that he saw in one of the pagan temples. He sent the design of the altar back to a priest in Jerusalem, who built a replica of that altar and put it in the temple in Jerusalem. God had given Moses the exact plans for the tabernacle and altar and all the utensils used for worship and sacrifice. Now, Ahaz in his pride saw an altar that fit his tastes better and figured he could replace that which God had designed.
It is always a danger for us to try and develop a god of our own making, to create in our own imaginations a god that suites our tastes better than the true God. God has revealed Himself to us in His word and through His Son Jesus Christ. There are many things God has revealed of Himself that may not be fashionable in society today. At times it gets difficult, as we who trust in the revelation of God's word, might be called intolerant, closed minded, simple, or foolish. The temptation might be to try and spruce up the gospel, to add something to it, or tone it down a bit, so that it might be more palatable to the world.
Ahaz saw an altar in the world that seemed to fit him better than the altar God had planned. We don't know all of the kings motives, perhaps the Damascus altar was more up to date, or more attractive to the world's eyes, or maybe he fell into the trap of thinking that if its new its better. This much we do know, the king clearly felt the altar of the world was better than the altar designed by God. Ahaz eventually began changing the whole temple around so he might worship the way he wanted, and finally just closed the temple off completely.
I pray that we may all be grounded and steadfast in our faith, for we are under constant pressure from every direction, to "update" our God, or to "modernize" our beliefs. Our God is perfect, we need to resist the temptation to move the furniture so as to make Him fit us better.

Gut It Up

2011-08-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

"If you have run with the footmen and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with the horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of Jordan?" Jeremiah 12:5

The Lord knows best how to encourage and motivate us. There are times He might gently nudge or push us, other times He might put air in our tires with words of inspiration. And then there are times like in the above verse, where the Lord speaking to Jeremiah, sounds like a football coach. I suppose a coach may have abbreviated the verse by simply saying, "hey Jerry, just gut it up!"
Don't be surprised if the Lord motivates you the same way He did Jeremiah. I believe in light of the days we are living in, that the Lord desires to toughen us up a bit. We know that God loves us, and that He is if for us and not against us. His word promises that no matter what we are going through, it will turn out for good, and that He will never leave us on our own. In spite of knowing these truths we can still feel discouraged, defeated, or forgotten. In the midst of difficult seasons, I might expect that God should feel sorry for me, yet in His love and wisdom He doesn't. Instead of being coddled most often I hear my heavenly coach holler, "hey Walker, your better then that, just gut it up!" In His love for me He won't baby me, but instead speaks to me as He did His beloved prophet Jeremiah, motivating me to pursue His higher calling for my life. In the midst of the trials of life so often we just need to remember who we are in Christ, trust Him, and "gut it up!"

Don't Be A Brute

2011-07-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

"Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid"
Proverbs 12:1

When I was a youngster I would get in trouble if I called anyone stupid, it may have been an offense worthy of my mouth being washed out with soap. My mom considered it to be a harsh and demeaning word. We see in the above proverb that the Lord uses that harsh word to describe anyone who hates correction. The King James version uses the word "brutish", and the Hebrew word literally means, to be like cattle. I think the Lord feels very strongly about those who don't receive correction!
Frankly, most of us don't like to be corrected. Being corrected stings our egos, and humbles us. Correction should be reserved for those who are not as wise or spiritually mature as us.
The Lord used my first car as an object lesson, to help me understand my own need for continual correction and adjustments. The car was not a very trustworthy auto, and was out of alignment from the day I purchased it. When I drove it I had to always pay very close attention at all times, because it would keep veering to the left. If I did not pay attention and continue to straighten it out, that car would drift into all kinds of trouble. The Lord used my frustration with that old sports car, as a picture of my own walk. I was born out of alignment and in constant need of adjustments and corrections, to keep me from dangerous troubles. As much as my flesh resists it, I know I need the Lord's discipline to keep me in line with His ways and purposes.
We all need the Lord's correction. The foolish, prideful, stupid brute, will fight and resist His discipline. Wisdom would call us to look for and love His correction.

Did You Do This For Me?

2011-07-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

"...did you really fast for Me--for Me? Zechariah 7:4

The above verse is one of those verses that I can't just gloss over, its a stop and ponder verse. The Lord asks the Jewish priests a very penetrating question, that I need to continually ask myself. The priests were fulfilling the letter of the law, as far as offering the proper sacrifices, observing the feasts, and fasting. But the Lord was asking them, are you really doing these things from the heart, or are you doing these things because you are required to? The priests were very similar in Jerusalem during Jesus' time, for He spoke of them as drawing near to God with their lips, but being far away with their hearts. They were doing their jobs as the law required, but there was no heart in it.
Our walk with the Lord can easily slip into a walk of heartless habit, doing religious things, but lacking the life and love that God longs for from us. Why do we read the word, or go to church, or give, or serve in the ministry? If we do any of these out of forced obligation, or empty tradition, then that would seem to place our hearts far from Him. The motivation for all we do ought to be out of love for our God, and a desire to bring Him glory. We need to be guarded, because these hearts of ours can tend to do good things with selfish motives. By nature we might do things for the Lord, but sneak in a little bit of glory and recognition for self. I don't trust my heart, so I think it is a safe practice to invite the Lord to regularly ask that tough question that he posed to the priests of Zechariah's day.....are you really doing this for Me?

Loving To Wait

2011-06-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

"Wait on the Lord; be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord" Psalm 27:4

As a new believer I was told something about answers to prayer, that I know many of you have heard. I was told that when you pray you can expect one of three answers, yes, no, or wait. I'm sure that we are all pretty much the same when it comes to those answers. We all love the yes answers, we aren't crazy about the no answers, but it's the wait answers that we have the hardest time with. At least if you get a no, you can move on to something else, but to wait is tough. There is something we don't like about it, most of us hate to wait.
The Lord gave me a gentle lesson on prayer, through what I would call a living parable, while I was on a run the other day. I had run up to an intersection where the light was red so I couldn't cross. The traffic light was equipped with a new pedestrian crossing button to assist blind pedestrians, that verbally communicates. When the light turns green a mechanical sounding voice tells you to proceed across the street. When the light is red and you push the button, it says in a pretty stern voice, "wait". When I ran up to the light, someone had already been there and pushed the button, and he got the "wait". The person waited all of about five seconds and pushed the button again, and he got another "wait". Sure enough within another few seconds, he pushed it again, and the machine said what it was supposed to say, "wait". It would seem after three "waits" that he would have been content to wait, but indeed he was not, and he began to push the button constantly, and the stern mechanical voice rang out, "wait", "wait", "wait", "wait"! I wanted to scream but kept quiet, I was amazed, frustrated and so very grateful when the light turned green so I could sprint away. Within a few steps the Lord spoke to me of my own prayers and my own impatience. He gently reminded me that when He says "wait", He will make me wait. There is no need to keep pushing the button, I can't speed Him up by pestering Him, or attempting to change His mind, or quicken His pace. When the Lord says "wait", then we should.
There are two important things to remember about waiting. First, is to know who we are waiting on. We are waiting upon the Lord, the One who knows all things, loves us, cares for us, has a plan for us, and desires the best for us. We are not waiting on an unfeeling machine, or an uncaring bureaucrat, we are waiting upon our loving God. Second, the waiting is not just killing time. There is purpose in all that goes on in our lives, even the waiting. God may have us wait until circumstances are right, or until our hearts are right. Waiting helps to purify our motives, and get our focus in line with God's plans. Our time of waiting may be the most profitable time for building and strengthening our faith. Remember when you are waiting upon the Lord it is not wasted time. In fact, when His answer to your prayer is wait, it is the best answer, as the waiting is sure to bring more maturity and depth to your walk. So, be of good courage and wait upon the Lord.

Time Flies

2011-06-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

"For the form of this world is passing away" 1 Corinthians 7:3

Today is the first day of the sixth month of the new year. I know we are six months in, so technically I shouldn't be saying new year, but it still feels like the beginning of the new year! Wasn't the Rose Parade just last week? Didn't I just get over Christmas? What happened to Valentines, and Easter? 2011 has raced full throttle into June, and I'm sure the next six months will pass just as quickly as the previous six months. I know that in what seems like a wink, I will be saying, wow, it's Christmas season already. This first day of the sixth month serves as a healthy reminder to me that time truly does pass very quickly, and we are called to redeem the time, and make the best of each day in the Lord.
I recently ran into a young man who was a student of mine when I taught high school. We had a wonderful time catching up on each others lives. In the midst of our conversation he asked me how old I was when I taught his class. I let him know, and his jaw dropped. He was shocked because he is now two years older then I was, when I was his teacher. We both laughed and spoke of how quickly life flies by. What most blessed me about my conversation with my ex-student, is that he is making the most out of his rapidly moving life. He loves Jesus, has a solid growing walk, is a great husband and dad, and is committed to serving the Lord. He was very excited as he considered the future, because he had entrusted each day to the Lord's glory. As time goes roaring by, it is important for us to realize that one day, our time here in earth will run out. How will that precious time have been spent? What a good reminder on this first day of the sixth month. By the way, I ran into my ex-student this past New Years Eve, wasn't that just last week?

Rapture May 21st?

2011-05-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

"But the day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only"
Matthew 24:36

This Saturday, May 21st, has been set as the day of the rapture of the church, at least according to Harold Camping of Family Radio. Mr. Camping and his followers have purchased billboards across the country proclaiming: Save The Date!...Return of Christ May 21,2011. Camping who is a trained civil engineer started his radio ministry back in 1958 and sends out his messages over 150 radio stations. He teaches that he figured out the date of the rapture using a complicated mathematical formula tied to the date of the Genesis flood. Mr. Camping also predicted that the rapture would take place back in 1994 (oops). When the rapture did not take place in 1994, he said his mathematical formula was off. There are some other things about his teachings that, like his mathematical formula, are a little off. He teaches that believers can not have assurance of salvation, that Jesus died twice (what!?), and he forbids communion and baptism. There is actually more the he is off on, but you get the idea.
The media has picked up on this story, and of course when the rapture doesn't take place on Saturday at 3:00pm, he will be depicted as a nut case along with all others who believe in the rapture. I can't disagree with the nut case description, but I am saddened to be lumped in with Camping and others who have failed in picking the date of the Lord's coming for His church. The Lord has said so plainly that we won't know the day of His coming, so when people claim to know the day, it distracts from and minimizes, the reality of the rapture. By the way, you are not a nut case if you believe in the rapture, in fact scripture says belief in the rapture, brings comfort, edification, and is our blessed hope (1 Thessalonians 4:18; Titus 2:13). Today, even non Christians are wondering at world wide events, and trying to make some sense out of all the political, economic, and even natural upheavals. The Lord is coming back, and all the false predictions will not speed up, nor slow down His coming. Ours is not to predict, but to be faithful, watching, and waiting. Who knows, Jesus may come back before Saturday!

Terrorist Behind The Terrosist

2011-05-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

"The devil who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."
Revelation 20:10

Osama Bin Laden has been the main front page news story this past week, and I'm sure will be for the next little while. I have to admit, I hadn't given much thought to Osama for quite some time. I figured he was already dead, or living a miserable life on the run, hopping from cave to cave in some remote god forsaken part of the world. As we all know now, he was alive and well and not hopping from cave to cave. Now that the world's most wanted terrorist has been dealt with, it is important that we remember that the worst of all terrorists is still alive and well, and lurking about seeking whom he might devour. There is a terrorist behind all terrorists and he is still busy at his work. His day of judgment will come, and all of creation will truly rejoice, but that time has not yet come, so we must always be wary and alert concerning his workings. The Bible gives many names to this terrorist, all of which describe areas of his character, these names ought to be enough to stir us all to walk in vigilance. This we know, the Bible calls this terrorist our enemy, he hates our God, and therefore hates us. When you add to enemy, the other names describing him you realize he makes Bin Laden look like a girl scout. These names include.....murderer, destroyer, thief, adversary, wicked, corrupt, accuser, ruler of darkness, prince of demons, evil one, serpent, tempter.....I think you get the point! We ought always to be awake, for this terrorist enemy of ours is still doing his murderous work from the spiritual realm. The end of our enemy will joyously come at the coming of Jesus, but he is still out and about today, and we can't rely on Navy Seals for help. The battle is ours, and the victory is assured. We must be a people of prayer, an army on our knees, walking in the authority of the name of Jesus, and the certainty of triumph in His cross.

I Need Understanding

2011-04-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:45 "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the scriptures."

On a number of occasions, Jesus had clearly taught His apostles about His death, burial, and resurrection. Obviously, the apostles did not understand what He was saying. It is easy for us, these many years later, to wonder how in the world they could have missed the fulfillment of the Lord's words as they unfolded right before their eyes. I believe though, that if we were in the apostles shoes (or sandals), we would not have caught all that Jesus said either. It is no wonder that after the resurrection that Jesus spent time in the word with His apostles. It was important that they have a clear understanding and comprehension of the scriptures. Jesus knew that things would not get easier for them, and that He would not be physically with them. The understanding and teaching of the word would become paramount. In these unstable last days it is of utmost importance that we wait upon our Lord's Holy Spirit to open His word to our hearts, that we might clearly discern the events of the day. Let's not miss what the Lord is doing!

Catching Up?

2011-03-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

Psalm 119:160 "The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever."

The NCAA basketball tournament is in full swing and the field is now down to the "sweet sixteen". One of the interesting stories of the tournament is the team from BYU. The Cougars have been ranked as one of the best teams in the nation, and they are still in the tournament in spite of the fact that one of their best players was kicked off of the team the last week of the season. He was kicked off the team because he had broken the schools honor code. Though it was never released how he had broken the code, word got out that it had to do with his sexual relationship with his girl friend. BYU is a Mormon school, and we are worlds apart from them as far as Biblical truth, but I have to give them props for sticking to their rules. I'm sure it must have been tempting to hide this, or put off any discipline until after the season, but they didn't. All of this made for a good deal of conversation on sports talk radio. As I was listening the other morning one of the commentators who was stirred by "unjust" way the school handled this, decided to give advise to churches and religious people on how to reach young people. He said if we are ever going to reach young people we need to catch up with the times. Now this isn't word for word, but he went on to say that the world is evolving at light speed, that morals and what is right and wrong are evolving. Then he compared religious people to some grouchy old man behind the counter at a local hardware store with a dial up phone yelling at little kids to get off of his lawn. What this sports guy said is really pretty main-stream, and I'm sure most off his listeners were nodding in agreement. The idea of sticking to Biblical morals truly is out of step with society. The belief in absolute truth and absolute morals is thought to be really out of touch and almost backward. The world tells us, things change, you need to catch up with the times, open your eyes, get out a little more. You religious folks are stuck in the past, we have cell phones now, color televisions, micro waves, and computers. Don't you see, abstinence is like the dial up phone and eight tracks, you need to catch up, it's time to evolve, and stop judging. I know we don't stand on the popular side of this discussion, but we old backward Bible believers have to stick to the truth that God has revealed to us in His word. Society will always change and follow it's whims, but the word of God does not evolve and change with the times. His truth was true six thousand years ago and is true today. His truth and righteousness are established from eternity to eternity. Our job is not to change truth, or water it down to make it more palatable to the taste of modern man. Our job is to know His truth, live His truth, and to share His truth as clearly as we can. Rest assured in these dark and unstable days, the best way to reach young people will be to present to them the unchanging true gospel of Jesus.

Heed the Warnings

2011-03-14T11:07:00.000-07:00

Luke 17:26-27 "And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: they ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all"

It took Noah over one hundred years to build the ark. The moment he began to build the ark, it became a testimony and warning of a coming judgment of God. Anyone who paid any attention at all over those one hundred years would have seen the progression of the construction, and as it drew nearer to completion, they could have concluded that the judgment it pointed to must be drawing near. Sadly for the people of that day, they ignored the warning, and kept living as if there were no sentence hanging over them. This past week most of us saw the unbelievable devastation of the earth quake and tsunami in Japan. Not long after the quake a tsunami warning was given for the U.S. western coast. We were told to prepare for the wave to reach here around 8:30 in the morning. I'm enough inland so I didn't worry at all, but I was amazed to hear reports of people actually going down to the coast to check things out. One reporter on the radio was shocked to see joggers, bikers, and even a family with an infant in a stroller. The warning was given yet somehow people did not heed, perhaps they were thinking nothing could ever happen to them. My thoughts immediately turned toward the days of Noah, and the warning that Jesus gave us in the above verses. Jesus warns us that in the last days signs and warnings of His return will abound, yet people will live as if nothing is happening! We are living in dynamic times, and many Biblical prophesies are being fulfilled before our eyes, yet so many are taking no notice, so many are ignoring the warnings. How about us? It seems to me the ark is almost complete, but I wonder, are we living like it?

Happy Lent

2011-03-09T15:59:00.000-08:00

"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

Today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. Lent used to be a big deal to me, since I grew up in the Catholic Church, attending a Catholic school. On Ash Wednesday the day would begin with mass, and we would all have a black cross of ash smudged on our foreheads. The nuns in our school would have us fill out cards listing all the things we would give up for the forty days of Lent. We would also list all the extra devotions we would do in preparation for Easter Week. In my younger years my family took the season pretty seriously. We usually gave up all sweets (except on St. Patrick's day), we would also attend the stations of the cross on Fridays and say the rosary every night. I really don't have any problem with the practice of giving things up for Lent, as long as ones heart is right, in the giving up of things. As a youngster my heart wasn't exactly right, my primary motivation was scoring bunches of spiritual points with God, and my parents, and the nuns. Jesus warns us about fasting with wrong intent. He tells us that God is in that secret place, that is our hearts, He knows our unseen motives and intents. It is easy for us to look upon our fasting in a prideful or competitive way as the Pharisees did. If pride is involved it can lead to comparisons with others, expecting that the more I give up, the more spiritual I am, and the more God owes me. The right motive in fasting or giving things up for a season, is not the giving up, but setting our focus. Our tendency is to be too flesh centered or self focused. The fast is to get my focus off of me and my flesh, and set it upon the Lord and the spiritual. If I give up television or the computer, or newspaper, or meal, I do so that I might take that time that was for physical activity and fill it with something spiritual, like prayer, worship, or the word. Again, the focus is not the giving up of something, but in setting my heart to focus on the Lord. I remember another problem I had with Lent as a youngster, those forty days were the only days I gave up anything for the Lord. I would put in my time at Lent, and bingo, I was done for the year! It is not about spiritually gutting it up for forty days. We ought to have a Lenten type lifestyle throughout the year, looking to always live more and more unto the Lord, and less and less unto ourselves. There is no need for you to run out and put ashes on your forehead today, just let the beginning of this season remind you of the great grace we celebrate in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. And let that great grace stir your heart to live all the more for our precious Lord.

My Big Mouth

2011-02-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

"A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Proverbs 15:4

The students in my classroom where cracking up, but my gaze was fixed on the young man's face. The laughing was contagious, it had begun as an instant burst, there was no hint of it being a courtesy laugh, the students were giving a unanimous belly laugh. The comment that brought the hysterics was quick, witty, comical, and cutting. The comment also came from the mouth of the teacher.... me. I have to admit that at first I took joy in the response to my rapid fire humor. It came forth with hardly a thought or filter and the laughter tickled my ego. All was well until I caught the look on the face of the young man to whom the comment was directed. He was trying to hold a smile, while shaking his head. He knew he was the brunt of my humor and the brunt of his friend's laughter. He was putting up a decent front, but his eyes gave up what had really happened, I had broken his spirit. When I saw his eyes I felt a familiar ache in my stomach, and as swiftly as the sharp funny words flew, my heart sank. The Lord's conviction hit me like a hammer and I was as broken as my student. As I looked at him trying to hide the hurt, I swore in my heart I would never again bring that kind of brokenness so that I would seem clever. I tried to divert the attention from the student by making some wise cracks and putting myself down. But even after the laughter died down, there seemed to be a heaviness about his countenance. I grabbed him when class was over to assure him I cared about him, and told him I was sorry for my harsh tongue. He assured me it was no big deal. I hope it really was no big deal to him, and that it wasn't something he carried with him. I do know this, I have carried it with me, as a healthy reminder of the power of the tongue. I haven't mastered my mouth yet, but this I know, it is much better to use it to bring life rather than brokenness. May we all be guarded.

A Whole Lot Of Shaking

2011-02-01T11:18:00.000-08:00

"Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear." Hebrews 12:28

Today the streets of Cairo Egypt are packed with thousands upon thousands of people demanding a change of government in their country. For the past week we have seen on the news, the demonstrations that have turned violent. There has been rioting, looting, vehicles burning, and government offices set ablaze. Many of the police force have left, and it is estimated that 60 percent of the police stations have now been burned. The military has been called into the chaos to establish some order. With the number of people packed into Cairo today we can only pray that things remain peaceful. Many feel the events in Egypt were actually triggered by demonstrations in Tunisia, which eventually lead to the toppling of that government. There have also been demonstrations in Yemen, Syria, and Jordan, leading to a good deal of global anxiety over the instability in the region. A major concern in Egypt, is the question of who will fill the power void in the Egyptian government if Hosni Mubarak is removed. One group taking advantage of the situation and seemingly poised for a power grab, is the radical group, the Muslim Brotherhood. This would not be good for the people of Egypt or for the region, pray that this does not happen. As we see these things quickly unfold, and listen to the experts try to guess what the future might hold, it is easy get uneasy. These are days we need to remember who is in control. We serve a God enthroned in heaven, who is sovereign over the affairs of nations and men. His hand has been working in history past, and is still working today, bringing all things together in Jesus Christ. The Lord is returning and the events we see now are not random, they are a continuation of birth pangs, leading to the final redemption of this world. We are not to be caught up in the confusion and anxiety of these days, instead our best witness will be seen in our peace and stability, as we trust in our soon coming King. There is now, and will continue to be, a whole lot of shaking going on, but ours is a kingdom which cannot be shaken.

God With Us

2010-12-13T12:52:00.000-08:00

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

I have to be honest, when ever I fly I pray that the seat next to me will be empty. I like the room and would prefer it, but I also tell the Lord if he doesn't answer that prayer I am more then willing to share with whoever sits next to me. On one trip I was flying to Oregon to speak at a church. The flight was full and I was jammed in the middle seat, I pulled out my Bible hoping to get some last minute studying done on the flight. Just a few moments after pulling out my Bible, the man seated to my left began asking questions, and we began a conversation that lasted the entire flight. Somewhere in our conversation we began to talk about Christmas and the incarnation of Jesus. Though he was not a Christian he found it amazing that God would come to earth as a man. As time went on I had to just smile because I wasn't witnessing to the man, he was witnessing to himself. As we spoke of Jesus' birth, he told me a story that he insisted was true. It had to do with a family that had all become Christians except for the dad. He didn't mind his family becoming Christians, in fact he liked the changes that their new faith had brought about in his home. He had heard the message of Christ but felt it wasn't for him. One Christmas eve his family went off to the church service and he stayed at home. The night was very cold and snowy, and after they had been gone for a little bit, he began to hear a funny thumping at the windows of their enclose patio. At first he thought it was the wind, or maybe some snow dropping from the roof. After the noise continued and began to annoy him, he threw on a coat and opened the front door to check the noise on the patio. In an instant he found the cause of the thumping, it was a little bird that had somehow gotten trapped in the screened-in patio. He knew that if the bird remained in the patio it would soon freeze to death. He then began an hour long process of trying to shoo the bird out of the patio, to somewhere it might find warmth, either under the house or even in the house. He failed at every attempt to save the bird because the little guy was so afraid of him. He tried to communicate his good intentions to the bird, first by speaking in a calm voice.... "don't be afraid I'm trying to save you", then in a not so calm voice.... "you crazy bird listen to me I'm trying to save your stupid life!!". As he was doing all he could to save the bird, the thought struck him, that if he could for only a moment become a bird, that the little bird would not fear him and he could then save the birds life. That very moment his eyes were opened and the truth of the gospel hit him. This man suddenly understood Christmas, man's need for a savior, and why God had come as man. He stood on that cold patio and gave his life to the Lord. After the telling of the story, the man to my left didn't need much convincing either! What a wonderful season we are now celebrating, God's everlasting love toward us is so great that He would come to us as man.

Crossing The Line

2010-12-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

"There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness."
Proverbs 30:12

There is a parental discipline technique that has been passed on from one generation to the next. My parents did it, and I'm sure their parents did it. It doesn't work, yet it seems every parent at one time or another uses it. I have seen it used at home, in stores, at church, in cars, and I'm betting it is used in many different cultures and tongues. I'm speaking of the dreaded count to three technique, as in, Bobby stop doing that.....one, two, three! I think there must be some power in the number three, why not say, Bobby, I'm going to count to twelve! It all begins of course with a strong "one", when the offense has just begun. When things intensify and clear disobedience is occurring, the count of "two" is given. If the count gets to "three", it must be done with a shout, and it has become clear that little Bobby has crossed some line set up by mom and dad, hopefully some sort of discipline will follow. Like I said it really doesn't work, but it illustrates that mom and dad are saying to the child that there is a line of disobedience or rebellion set, that cannot be crossed without some sort of consequences. Having said that, its important for us to know that God does not count to three. He has commands and standards and expects that we obey. He is very clear in setting the standards, and what the consequences of disobedience are. Man has never been able to live up to God's standards and God has clearly shown that He is patient and long-suffering toward this sinful world. Yet, I have wondered many times if we as mankind have crossed the line of arrogance and mutiny, and that God, will finally in one instant say enough, the line has been crossed. I just read of what I see as a line crossed, that grieves my heart. There is some web-site I've never heard of called Gawker.com, please stay away from it, my guess is its trashy. Well, this site has introduced to the internet world a couple, Pete and Alisha Arnold. Alisha is said to be 17 weeks pregnant, and the Arnolds have decided to let the people who visit the sight vote as to whether they should keep the baby until birth, or abort the baby. I don't have the right words to reflect my heart. My only solace and hope is that this is just some fake publicity stunt, because I can't fathom that it would be real. Still, it is a sad commentary on the depth to which the morality of our society has fallen. That a couple would think of it, that a web-site would publish it, and that people would vote on it, just screams out that we have crossed the line. That is the sad news, the good news is that this world is still under God's grace, and that this is the same rebellious world that Jesus died for. His love is such that He is even today, wooing this world unto salvation. How amazing that you and I have been raised up in this generation to bring forth the message of God's grace and salvation in Jesus. May these days drive us to pray, to intercede, and share the gospel. Alan Redpath had an exhortation that I keep filed away, it reminds me of the task set before us this very day, his exhortation was, "chin up, knees down!"

Give Thanks

2010-11-25T08:40:00.000-08:00

"Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms" Psalm 95:2

Most everyone knows today is Thanksgiving day. This is a day we set aside to be grateful for all of our blessings, and yet it is very strange that so many need to be reminded to give thanks on Thanksgiving day! I watched the news last night for just a few minutes, and the commentators never once called Thanksgiving day....Thanksgiving day. When referring to my favorite holiday, they called it turkey day, the beginning of the shopping season, get away weekend, big football weekend, and even the beginning of the most stress filled time of the year. They never said it was a day set aside to reflect on how good God is. I know it is not within our human nature to be grateful, that is why most of the time thanksgiving or praise is spoken of in scripture, it is preceded by a command or exhortation to give thanks or praise. Today of all days should be a day that we reflect upon our God, and not wait for the command to be thankful, but with natural and spontaneous joy give thanks to our Loving Father. Oh how good the Lord is to us, He is so worthy of our love and praise.

Magnify The Lord

2010-11-16T10:28:00.000-08:00

Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; and let those who love Your salvation say continually, let God be magnified!" Psalm 70:4

We all know that magnified means to enlarge or to increase. When you put something under a magnifying glass it looks bigger, my tired eyes are grateful for my reading glasses as they enlarge or magnify the small print for me. The psalmist is calling us to "let God be magnified". Now, God is God and He remains constant, He will never get bigger or more powerful. To magnify the Lord does not mean we can change God or make Him greater. What the psalmist is calling us to do is to magnify the truth of who God is, and to increase our perception of the reality of His omnipotence. God truly is big enough to handle our problems, but our tendency is to magnify our problems and not Him. Our difficult circumstances become our focus, and we mull things over and over in our minds, we work out different scenarios and plots, and in our imaginations the problem grows, and the molehill becomes a mountain. So many of us are masters at allowing the problem to become so magnified that not even God can handle it. The matter for us is to magnify the Lord, and to let God be God. As we change our focus, the problem will shrink back down to size. Remember, God is not stressing, He's not afraid or confused and wondering what to do. As you turn from magnifying the problem and begin to magnify the Lord, His peace will begin to rule and guard your heart.

Remain Faithful

2010-11-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

2 Timothy 2:6 "The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops."

A farmer does not dictate when to do his hard work, that work is determined by the seasons. The plowing, planting, watering, waiting, and the harvesting, are all done in the proper season, and those seasons are out of the control of the farmer. The farmer can't skip seasons, nor the work that must be done in each season. Wouldn't it be nice to just skip right through to the harvest? The hardworking farmer discerns the season and is faithful to do the work that each season requires, with an eye toward the goal of a generous harvest. A farmer who is not faithful in the plowing or planting seasons, can not expect the blessings of a good harvest. With this we are reminded of our walks with the Lord. We are to be faithful in whatever season we are in, and recognize that the season is not determined by us, but by our loving Father. There have been many times I would have liked to fast forward through, or flat out skip a season. But I didn't understand that it was for my benefit, and that it was the Lord's hand plowing or planting, and preparing for a harvest of good fruit. Trust the Lord and be faithful in whatever season the Lord has you in right now, He has begun a good work and is faithful to complete it. I pray that His Spirit might fill you with His joy, as you place your confidence in the Lord of the seasons and the harvest.

Wise Guy?

2010-10-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 26:12 "Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him."

We have seen them, we have heard them, and we know them, the wise guys and the wise girls who seem to know it all. From sports to parenting, from politics to dating, from preaching to shopping, they seem to have all the answers, and love to enlighten all who would listen. I was in a bagel shop the other day and overheard two buddies sharing their vast wisdom on everything. First they discussed how to make I-Phones better, they then moved on to how to make the New York Yankees better, from there they debated how to make some other guy's marriage better. I unfortunately had to leave as they were fixing the economy. The above proverb is so profound as it rebukes the worst kind fool, the fool who thinks he is wise. The placement of this verse is perfect in that it kind of sets you up for the truth to smack you between the eyes. In the first eleven verses Solomon rails on fools. By verse eleven it is easy to get angry at fools, you begin to apply the verses to those you consider fools, and you begin to thank God that you are not a fool. Just when you are feeling pretty good about your own wisdom, the devastating truth of verse twelve hits you, there is more hope for a fool, then for someone who thinks he is wise. Ouch! Yes, the truth hits close to home, and the truth does hurt. We are taught that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7). I must recognize that I don't have my act together, I don't have all the answers, and I am in desperate need of the Lord's wisdom. As much as I may not want to admit it, I must settle this as fact, I am a dunce without the Lord. To walk in wisdom today and everyday, we must humble or foolish hearts, and be set to listen to and obey our God who alone is wise (1 Timothy 1:17).

Schedule For The Day

2010-10-19T08:54:00.000-07:00

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:8

How humbling and convicting is this verse. The apostle Paul is stating his priorities for life, and he says that he counts everything as rubbish compared to knowing Jesus. He is very simply and clearly telling us, that there is nothing more important in our lives then our relationship with the Lord. For Paul anything that he might contrast with Jesus would pale so much that it would be to him as trash. Now think about your plans for today, the priority list you have made, the order of things you need to accomplish today. Where have you placed Jesus on that list? Now, I know that we all, as Christians, make the sentimental confession that Jesus is first in our hearts and plans. But what is the concrete reality of your schedule today? Have you set aside time this day to get to know Jesus more, to commune with your Lord, to hear from His word, and to worship Him? If you haven't then you may want to check your priorities. Is there any rubbish you can move aside that you might be about the most important business of the day?

Trust Him....it is good!

2010-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Philippians 1:6 "being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Can I make a suggestion to you? Get out your bible and look up the above verse and underline with a very bright color the word "good". It will serve as an important reminder of something we can all easily forget. In the midst of trials, or rough days, or a difficult season, it is easy to forget that God is doing a "good" work in our lives. This is not a cross your fingers or wishful thinking verse, Paul speaks with great confidence that God is indeed doing a "good" work. We have all had those times when we consider the happenings of life and wonder what good can ever come from these things. In those difficult times we may not be able to answer all the questions, but we can surely place our confidence in the certain promise of God. I used to work for a landscaper who was a true artist. He hired me to do the demolition work. I would rip up and uproot, and he would beautifully rebuild. My boss was very gifted at what he did, he could look at any yard and catch a well-formed vision for what it could be. That vision would begin taking form with my demolition. I have to admit when I first started working for him, I would rip things up with a little fear, wondering how the mess I was making could ever turn out good. After working with him on several jobs my doubts were done away with, as this artist would amaze me with the beauty of his finished work. There were times during my demolition work, that I would have to assure the homeowner that we knew what we were doing. I with confidence would say, trust us it will turn out awesome, and it always did! And so it is with our Lord. You may be wondering why this is being torn down, or that is being uprooted. It may hurt some and there may be some discomfort, but trust the Lord, for He is faithful and has begun a good work in you. He already knows the end that work, and it is beautiful.

Go For It

2010-08-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 11:6 "Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David."

Since I'm not a surfer it's hard to use a surfing analogy. The story fits my point perfectly, but I'm afraid the terms may not be in perfect surfer expressions, so I will apologize in advance to the surfers. Anyway, so this dude was telling me about a totally awesome swell that had come in. The waves were as big as he had ever surfed in, he was like, totally afraid, but having a marvelous time. So, like, there was this one set that he was out in that had him totally freaked out. He paddled to catch this one wave, and as he got ready to ride it, he realized this was the biggest mongo wave he had ever been on. He was paralyzed for a second, and then in another second knew that he had to make some sort of total commitment or be crushed. He had to paddle forward without reservation and catch the wave, or pull back and get out of the wave. If he was halfhearted either in moving forward or pulling back, he would for sure be pummeled by the mongo wave. Well, the reason why he was telling me the story was because he chose to fully commit to paddle into the swell, and he caught the wave for one of the most fearful and exciting rides of his life. I have actually heard this same type of story from many surfers. These great ride adventures all seem to turn on a split second decision. The surfer has to decide....am I in, or am I out? Whichever way is decided, in or out, there has to be full commitment, for to be halfhearted is to get crushed. What a most excellent picture of our relationship with the Lord. Jesus has called us to be fully committed in following Him. His lordship requires complete surrender to Him and nothing less. To dabble in Christ is to get crushed in the world's swells. To play at Christianity, especially in the days we are in, is misery. Jesus' call to us leaves no room for halfheartedness. So dude, are you in, or are you out? If you are in, then go for it with all your heart, you'll be in for the greatest ride ever.

I'm Younger Then That Now

2010-08-17T09:33:00.000-07:00

Matthew 18:3-4 "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

What an eye opening command Jesus gives us here, we are commanded to "become as little children". Notice He doesn't say we are to be childish or act like children, but to "become as children". The obvious application for us is easy to grasp. Little children are in a place of dependence and trust, and we are to be as children in our trusting in, and depending upon the Lord. I believe there is another application for us to consider. In most children there is a blessed innocence and joy. To children, life is grand, they find adventure in the small things, and excitement in the ordinary. Discovery is right outside on the back patio, with ants and snails and spider webs. I'm so glad that Jesus' didn't command us to become as an old boring fuddy duddy. His precept to us is to become as children, to depend upon Him, to trust in Him, to cast our cares upon Him, and to embark on daily adventures as we walk in His ways. Back in my high school days I remember a line from a song by a popular group, The Byrds. I don't remember the title of the song, or even most of the words, but one line stuck out to me. The line went something like this: "ah, but I was so much older then I'm younger then that now". To me the line was saying, I want to keep getting younger, not immature or childish, but more as a child. I want to stay young in the Lord, to grow in dependence and trust. I want to be less weighted down by the cares of this world, and to regain the thrill of a simple life lived for Jesus. What excitement and discoveries might He have in store for those who would dare to live in childlike faith each day. We are never called to be old geezers for Jesus, so today let's obey His command and be His kids.

Too Big For Your Britches

2010-08-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Psalm 9:19-20 "Arise, O Lord, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men."

Man's biggest problem from the beginning of time has been pride. Our first sin of rebellion and disobedience was spurred on by pride, manifested in wanting to be like God. From that day until now, every man has the heart to be his own little god. Even in our early years we proved this out. When I was a youngster my mom used to tell me I was acting too big for my britches. I'm still not sure exactly what that means, but I got the point. I suppose if the movie Top Gun had been released in those days, she might have used the line....Terry, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. She didn't really need to to explain the meaning of the saying, because I knew exactly what my attitude was like. I was being a prideful spoiled little brat. I was wanting to do what I wanted, when I wanted, and was attempting to be my own little god. Even today I can get too big for my britches. You'd think I would have learned by now, that my worst days are those days lived for me, and my biggest problems are those authored by me. The psalmist prayed, "do not let man prevail". In truth we need to make that very personal, and pray, Lord don't let me prevail. The psalmist also said, "may they know themselves to be but men". Again, I need to take that to heart and pray, Lord help me to remember that I am but man and You are God. The issue for us daily, is who will call the shots in my life? Will today be a too big for my britches day, or a day lived in dependence upon God? Oh what a blessed day as you would allow Jesus the Lordship of your life and allow His will to prevail.

You Are Not Just A Number

2010-08-02T12:08:00.000-07:00

Psalm 33:5 "The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works."

I had to call a company to get some banking information, and I experienced the same trial that many of you have experienced. I wanted to talk to a real live person, hoping it might accomplish more. After listening through all the options and punching all the right numbers, I was put on hold for a long while. I determined not to lose my place in line so I remained holding for what seemed like an hour, though I'm sure it was much less than that. I listened to some great music, that was every so often interrupted by a commercial telling me of all the benefits I have because I'm doing business with the company that has me on hold for so long. When at last I was able to speak to a real person, I identified myself and told her what I needed. She didn't respond to what I needed, but straight away began asking me for all the numbers that would coincide with who I was. Can I have your account number? Can I have your phone number? Can I have the last four number of your social security number? Can I have your account security password number? No that's not it sir......oops, try this one....no sir that's not it either....oh boy, try this.....that's it ,well Terence how might I help you. You all know the drill, and for me there is nothing like that warmth I get from being known by a bunch of numbers, and by the name Terence. In fact, the only folks who ever called me Terence were the nuns back in my Catholic school days, talk about warm memories! On this occasion the lady on the line was not able to help me, so she directed me to a web site for more personal service.
You may wonder at times, with all the people in the world, does God really know you? Does He know your thoughts, your hurts and doubts, your laughter and smiles? The answer is yes! Some of the most precious teachings we have from Jesus are those that reveal to us just how much God loves us and cares for us a individuals. When teaching us to pray, Jesus has us refer to God as Father, and He gives us the example of praying using the more personal term of Abba or Dad. Jesus tells us that the Father knows every sparrow that lives, and if He knows a sparrow that is worth perhaps a penny, how much more does the He know us, because we are of such great value to Him. Our Lord said, that God knows us so well that even the hairs on our heads are numbered (insert bald joke here). Finally just think of the great price the Father paid in sending Jesus to die for us, that we might have fellowship with Him. Never think that you are just a number to God, He knows you well and has loved you with His everlasting love.

Prayer For The Day

2010-07-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

Luke 11:13 "....how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

So I'm studying at my desk this morning listening to the online station that I listen to everyday....it says: Christian, instrumental, non-vocal, conservative, sacred, and traditional, 48kbps, (yes, I am one boring dude). A hymn came on that made me stop and pray. It was of course, Christian, instrumental, and non-vocal, but I knew most of the words. I could not help but whisper this prayer along with the music, "Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me". Is that not the great need of this day and every single day? I can walk in the dryness and drought of this dusty flesh of mine, or I can live a fresh, lush, new life in the Holy Spirit. The choice is ours today, to walk in the Spirit or in the flesh, to walk in the fictitious life of this world, or the real life of His Spirit. The marvelous thing is, all we have to do is ask. Oh, how the Father must love it when we ask for a fresh movement of His Spirit in our lives. How blessed the day will be, if we stop and pray, "Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me".

Word Won't Wither

2010-07-26T15:10:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever."

I was listening to a talk show on the radio this morning, it was a sports show but the hosts were talking about different places to hang out to see celebrities. I'm not sure how, but the conversation eventually got around to celebrities and plastic surgery. Isn't it amazing the great cost and pain people will go through to maintain a youthful veneer. It is a subject that I guess is both funny and sad. Sad because it is the way of the world....everything fades....we all get old, and funny because there are so many spending huge amounts of money attempting to put off the inevitable. They hope to appear younger, and yet to me they often look worse after their procedure. We are living in a world that withers and fades. There is nothing in all the world that does not break down, or rust, or wilt. That fresh new outfit you bought will soon lose its newness and freshness. It will fade and you will buy another new fresh outfit, that will fade. The new car looses its new car smell and shine. The child's new toy so quickly gets old. And yes, our physical beauty fades. Though we try hard and spend much to slow it down, our flesh like the grass also wanes. Knowing this ought to ought to bring us all to a place of setting up proper priorities. Isaiah tells us that in this world everything withers and fades, but only the Word of God stands forever. Are we spending our best time and energy on that which is temporal and fading, or on that which is eternal and enduring? Today give your best over to that which stands forever.

We Should Love Tests

2010-07-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

Psalm 11:5 "The Lord tests the righteous...."

It seems to me the above verse should include a question mark, as in....The Lord tests the righteous? At first it doesn't seem fair, or make sense, shouldn't the Lord be testing the unrighteous and letting the righteous take a nap or go on vacation? None of us enjoys trials, but as we review our lives we can see one test after another. Don't feel alone or singled out in this, understand that when tested you are in good company. We see in the Bible that none of the great men and women of faith lived trial free lives. It has be said that faith that hasn't been tested, isn't faith. It is important for us to understand that testing is good for us. The Lord does not test us to make us miserable or to fail us, but to instruct, mature, and grow us up. There may be pain in the trail you are in right now, but know that the Lord has allowed it, and will see you through it. Best of all this is not a meaningless test, it is part of the good work He has begun in you, and is being used to conform you more into the perfect image of Jesus.

No Wasted Effort

2010-06-15T11:44:00.000-07:00

Colossians 3:1-2 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth."

This happened some years ago, but I still remember the hard learned lesson. I was playing a pick-up flag football game with some buddies, and I was going out for a long pass. I was wide open when the pass was thrown, but it was heaved past me by a step or two. Not thinking, and caught up in a moment of competition, I dove hoping to make a great catch. You guessed it, I missed the ball by inches. The guy who was covering me caught up and with a big smile hollered, great try, but wasted effort. I got up and we both laughed, and I knew of course that he was right. My near spectacular catch left me sore the next couple of days, but my scraped arms and legs took not days but weeks to heal. I subjected myself to this pain for a missed pass in a meaningless pick-up flag football game. My hard learned lesson was clear, don't waste energy, effort, or your body on unimportant things. We all expend a good deal of effort and energy every single day. I wonder how much of it is wasted effort, spent on things that ought not be top priority in our lives. The above verses set forth a good challenge on how to spend our energy. First we are exhorted to seek those things which are in heaven, where the Lord is. The word "seek" is a strong word, giving the idea of expending energy and effort, literally meaning "strive to find". We are told to give priority and our best efforts to strive after the things of God. The next challenge of the verses, is to set our minds on the things above, not on the things on earth. To "set your minds", is again another strong phrase having to do with our affections. We are to set our affections toward the heavenly and eternal things, not the earthly and temporal things. Today you will spend yourself and your energies on something, don't let this day be a day of wasted effort. Spend your effort today on the things of Christ, if you do I promise it will not be a day of wasted effort.

Let's Be Fools

2010-06-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Hosea 9:7 "....Israel knows! The prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is insane, because of the greatness of your iniquity and great enmity."

I was standing and preaching in the free speech area at U.C. Irvine, when a professor broke through the crowd of students to stand right in front of me. Most of the sixty or so students kept their distance from me. They were standing in a ring around me, I'm guessing about twelve feet away. As I spoke I would keep turning in a slow circle, but when the professor moved up close within a couple of feet, I stopped my slow spin and spoke just facing her. I kept thinking she was going to try to enter into a debate at any moment, but she didn't say anything. By her facial expressions I could see she was unhappy, then after a couple of minutes she sort of dismissed me with a wave of her hand and a loud ttttshshsh sound. As she walked away shaking her head, her message to me and the students seemed pretty clear, she thought I was an ignorant crazy fool. I felt a sadness not for what she thought of me, but because at the moment of the ttttshshsh, I wasn't setting forth my concepts or opinions, I was simply reading the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. We are living in days that mirror the days of the prophet Hosea. Things had gotten so bad in Israel that God's prophets were considered fools and those who loved God were thought to be crazy, and yes it is that way today! How sorry that when we proclaim the words of Jesus we are thought of as fools. The issue for us today, is are we willing to appear foolish to the world for the sake of the truth? Will we shine forth the Gospel in an ever darkening world, even if the think we're crazy? Remember in these last days we shouldn't worry about what the world thinks of us, our main concern is to faithfully and lovingly proclaim our Savior Jesus.

You Are Beloved

2010-05-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

"That Your beloved may be delivered. Save with Your right hand, and hear me." Psalm 108:6

In the above prayer the psalmist David refers to himself as the Lord's beloved. David seemed to grasp a truth that many of us have a hard time laying hold of. This man who had a heart after God, knew his relationship with his Lord was a tender loving relationship, he understood he was greatly loved and cherished. It is easy for me to see God as liking me, or caring for me, or even me and God being "BFF", but being the Lord's beloved is a bit beyond me. This truth of being the Lord's beloved may be hard to grasp, but it is a foundational truth that we all need to grow in. Is the wonder of His great love for you fixed in your heart? Do you know that God is crazy in love with you? There is no greater proof for His love, in that He gave His life for you. Take some time to ponder the fact that you truly are the Lord's beloved. As you grow in the marvelous understanding of His great love for you, I promise you will have an increase of peace and joy and strength. Oh how very much He loves you.

Fresh Hearts

2010-05-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

"strengthening the souls of the disciples...." Acts 14:22

World War One had become a stalemate. Neither side was winning and they were locked in horrible trench warfare. The war had become a war of attrition, which is a slow grinding down process, until one side loses the will to fight or resist. I am absolutely convinced through experience, that attrition is a favorite strategy of the enemy of our souls. We all burden ourselves with a busy day to day grind which begins the attrition process. Then the enemy or the world throws in who knows what....a physical ailment, an unexpected bill, your child's school project, a discouraging word, fearful news, a looming pay cut, a funny clunking noise from the car, or any number of things. The daily toil can wear you down and weaken the soul. The above words from Acts 14 describe Paul and Barnabas' ministry to the churches they had visited. These shepherds knew that their disciples had been in tribulation and therefore needed their souls fortified. I love J.B. Phillips' translation of the verse, he says, "they put fresh heart into the disciples." I love the idea of the "fresh heart", because so often the daily onslaught leaves us disheartened, and unable to fight or resist. God's desire is to strengthen our souls and make us stout of heart. No doubt if Paul and Barnabas were passing through our town today they would look to put "fresh heart" into weary troops. They would set our hearts right in reminding us that our battle is not a stalemate. We have already won in Christ, the enemy is defeated and victory is assured. The proper heavenly perspective is crucial. If our eyes are fixed on the battle alone we will grow weary, but if we fix our hearts on the triumph of Jesus, we will be heartened.

"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony...." Revelation 12:11

The River Is Full

2010-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

Psalm 65:9 "You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God if full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it."

I can still see the drinking faucets in my mind. These faucets were the most crowded place after the lunchtime recess at St. Joseph school. There were six all together, three to the right, and three to the left. The three on the left were for girls only, so this was forbidden territory, even for the most thirsty boy. One day I ventured over to the girl's faucet and was very surprised to find that the girl's water tasted pretty much the same as the boy's water. Unfortunately, a nun caught me committing this dastardly crime, and I had to spend the rest of the day kneeling next to my desk....but I digress. To a sweaty thirsty boy after the lunchtime recess, the water faucets were frustrating and disappointing. The line was too long, and there were way too many of us packed three across. But the real disappointment was when I finally arrived at the much needed water source. Due to poor water pressure and heavy use from all the thirsty boys, the water only came out in a trickle, and was warm. There wasn't much else to do, these were the water faucets, it was the only place to get water in the school. Remember this was before you carried a water bottle with you everywhere, mommy didn't put expensive store bought water in your fancy backpack with wheels. In fact we didn't have backpacks, we carried our books in our arms, with rocks, in the snow....but I digress. In John chapter four, Jesus spoke to a woman about spiritual thirst. He promised that whoever drank of Him would never thirst, and His water would become a "fountain of water springing up into everlasting life". We all know the letdown of standing in line at the world's faucet, slurping the warm trickle, and leaving dry. The Lord's promise is sure, "the river of God is full of water". His call to us all is to come to the river of life and freely drink, honest, you will not leave dry!

The Tomb Is Still Empty

2010-04-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

Every Easter we reflect on the empty tomb and are reminded, that in spite of all the difficulties of this life, all is well, for Jesus Christ is alive. But today is Monday, we are back to life, and life has a way of robbing us of the joy and confidence gained in knowing that Jesus is truly alive. Jesus' resurrection puts a new light on everything, and though I may not understand life's headaches, or the Lord's methods and timing, this I do know He is alive and reigning. I've discovered in my Christian journey that it is important for me to take a regular reflective pilgrimage to the empty tomb. In doing so my heart and mind get centered and stable. So, I know it's Monday, but the tomb is still empty. I know that bill is still hanging over your head, but the tomb is still empty. Your boss is a "#!$*%", but the tomb is still empty. He or she or they were mean to you, but the tomb is still empty. Those kids drain you and won't listen, but the tomb is still empty! The power of His resurrection is available to us every single day, may you find in it strength and joy.

Watch Your Words

2010-03-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:24 "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."

I was told a funny story of a brand new state of the art music center at a major city here in the States. Apparently this fancy opera house had an orchestra pit that could be raised and lowered by powerful lifts. These lifts worked on a wireless system and would go into affect with the push of a button. I don't know all the technical details, but the fact that this system somehow works using sound waves, caused a bit of a problem on opening night. At some point in the evenings performance a woman with a beautiful and powerful operatic voice, hit a certain note or pitch, that caused the lifts for the orchestra pit to spring into action. The orchestra was lifted into plain view, but not long after, the singer hit the same note and the orchestra slowly vanished. This happened a number of times during her singing, and soon the serious song became a comedy act. Laughter and applause followed every disappearance and reappearance of the orchestra. What a great picture, this woman with the power of her voice was able to lift up, and to bring down. The Bible teaches us, and warns us, that our voices have that very same power. The words we use can encourage or discourage, can bring joy, or dejection, can carry up, or carry down. Keep the picture of the orchestra pit in your mind as you speak. When speaking of someone, or to someone, are your words lifting up, or bringing down?

Name That Tune

2010-03-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Psalm 84:5-6 "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, whose heart is set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it spring; the rain also covers it with pools."

Working retail management can a be grind, so I remember being very happy I hired a particular employee who was hilarious. This guy always kept me entertained, and his antics usually helped store morale. One game he would play was to hum or whistle a tune that he felt represented certain people walking around the store. He was good at it too, his song always seemed to match whoever might be wandering the aisles. Through the day the tunes would come out of nowhere, "Bad to the Bone", "Viva Las Vegas", "Mellow Yellow", and sure enough I'd look up and passing right in front of me would be someone matching that song. I don't remember him ever being mean about it, and it always brought his desired end, a shake of the head and a smile on my face. His little game did teach me something that I carry with me to this day. Wherever I go or whatever I do, I carry with me a song, or attitude, or vibe. The question for me is what sort of vibe am I giving off? As a Christian I carry my Lord with me, so wherever I am, ought to be blessed with His holy song or attitude. The above verses from Psalm 84 speak of this. The blessed of the Lord are passing through the Valley of Baca, and make it spring to life. The Valley of Baca is literally the Valley of Weeping. How amazing, a place of tears and lamenting becomes a place springing with life, because the blessed of the Lord are passing through. The psalmist often speaks of the Lord giving him a new song. This is a song of our loving God, a song that is holy, and right, and joyous, a heavenly song. As we pass through the work place, or sit in the food court, or wander the valley, may it be that whomever we pass will be moved to hum or whistle a new song, as they recognize our Lord's life in us.

Hate Sin

2010-03-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good."

I have never been one to think much about germs, I know they are around me and can make me sick, but unlike some, I've never really made a big deal about them. I lived very happily in my insensibility toward germs, until our current cold and flu season hit. This year it seems like we are being bombarded with too much germ information. On television, on the radio, in articles, and even on billboards we are being warned on how not to catch, or spread these bugs. I have to be honest for the first time, germs are starting to creep me out. I think we are supposed to wash our hands a hundred times a day. To make sure you wash long enough, sing happy birthday or the alphabet song all the way through while washing. To keep from spreading germs, we have been taught how to sneeze, and how to properly dispose of tissues. The list of things we shouldn't touch is endless. Don't touch: door knobs, stair rails, counter tops, other people's pens, kitchen sponges, elevator buttons, cell phones, key pads, gas pumps, and never ever touch your own nose or eyes. I'm pretty sure it's alright to breathe in most places, except it might be best to hold your breath in elevators, airplanes, and public restrooms. As I'm writing this I'm fighting a cold, so I'm kicking myself for going out in public and breathing and touching things. There is a dangerous germ out there that gets too little attention, in fact I have never seen a public service announcement warning us how to avoid it. This bug spreads quickly and is devastating to all who are infected by it. You are all sharp enough to know where I'm going with this. That foul germ is SIN. Sadly we can feel more creepy about all the microorganisms that encompass us, then about the sin bug that abounds. God hates sin, and calls us to abhor it. Let us therefore be vigilant in cleansing, be wise in what we touch, and careful what we breathe in.

GIVE THE AD A BREAK

2010-02-09T17:22:00.000-08:00

I've heard a few pro-life folks complaining about the Focus on the Family Tim Tebow ad on the Super Bowl telecast. I have to admit when I first saw it, I was a bit disappointed. But upon further review (clever football analogy), I had a change of heart. I think my disappointment stemmed from all of the pre-ad hype. There was plenty of press coverage, there were threats and accusations, and the pro-abortion crowd was saying that CBS should not run the ad because it was dangerous and anti-women. All of the controversy got me in a fighting mood, I couldn't wait for Sunday, and not because of the game. I knew the ad was running in the first quarter, so I sat a little nervous waiting for Tim and his mom to come out throwing pro-life blows. I anticipated an aggressive attack on abortion, sort of a counter-punch for all the pro-abortion antics I'd been subjected to for the past two weeks. What I then saw was a sweet, loving mom telling us that life is precious, not one punch was thrown, and abortion wasn't even mentioned. I'm not an expert on using mass-media to reach people, but I'm sure that those who did the commercial know more about it than me, they took a step of faith and chose a subtle approach. My disappointment came because I was told there was going to be a fight at the bike racks and one of the kids wouldn't fight, he had a better idea. By the way, Focus on the Family never said there would be a fight, they just said don't judge the ad until you see it. Focus didn't cop out, and they aren't afraid. They have taken the lead in the battle against same-sex marriage, pornography, gambling, and most certainly abortion. They have been at this a long while, and I trust that they put a great deal of prayer into it, so let's cut them some slack. I believe if I hadn't heard all of the hoopla beforehand and saw the ad fresh, that I would have been thrilled that Tim and his mom, in the midst of screaming chickens, go daddy, and beer can houses, were able to share a brief message of life. Focus on the Family and the Tebow's took a big step of faith. I'm praying that through that faith many eyes will be opened, and little lives saved.

Wise Love

2010-02-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

Philippians 1:9 "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment."

The grocery store is a great place to witness interesting parenting skills. It seems most times I'm in some local store I'll be treated to a parent either over disciplining or under disciplining or entertaining a child. Poor mom or dad are just doing whatever they can to quickly get enough for dinner, and get out of the store with some sanity intact. Now that my kids are grown it's fun to observe. I forget what aisle I was on, but I saw a round little boy tugging at his mom wanting some snack he was holding. The boy was very tenacious and kept asking, even though mom was saying no and trying to ignore him. I kept my eyes on the shelves but was paying close attention to the drama, because I wanted to see if mom would stick to her guns. I was rooting for mom not to give in, so I was a bit disappointed when she caved. The worst thing about her letting him get the snack was what she said to him. She said something like this..."well ok you can have it but only because I love you". I know when it comes down to it, it was none of my business, but I was so tempted to pull mom aside and give her a little advice. I wanted to tell her that to say no to your son is very loving, and sometimes more loving than saying yes. I would have liked to explain how a simple "no" might be hard right now, but would pay dividends later down the line. If I was feeling extra bold I would have quoted the above verse and given her a mini Bible study, right there in Ralphs. The lesson would have been simple, and would have applied to us all. We need to learn and discern how best to love. Love can be difficult, it's not always warm and fuzzy. Love says no, love rebukes and confronts, and love at times may appear unloving to the person to whom it is extended. The most powerful love requires a heavenly discernment, so that we might know how best to love. I didn't give mom a sermon, and I'm sure she loves her son, it just seemed at that moment that her love was not in knowledge and all discernment. Lord, teach us how to love, give us the wisdom we need to love as You would love.

I Need To Workout

2010-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

The hardest part of me doing my physical exercise, whether it's going for a run or hitting the gym, is getting out the front door. I love working out, in fact I can't think of a time, after the gym or a run, that I was disappointed that I went. Once I take that first step and get going, I'm glad, and seem to always be energized and healthy afterwards. Knowing these things, why in the world do I find it so hard to take that first step out the front door? I have in fact become quite good at making excuses, and would share some with you, but I don't want you to use them yourself. This in the forefront of my thoughts today, because the cold and rainy weather has made my excuse making far to easy, and my workouts have slacked off a bit. Now, I'm not sharing this because I think you care about my exercise habits. I'm sharing this because I see clear application in our spiritual lives. As with physical workouts, so it is with our spiritual workouts, it seems the hardest thing is getting started, taking that first step. We know once we get started and open the Word or begin to pray, we''ll be blessed. How is it that excuses can be made for not doing something so needful and healthy? I guess there is no easy or soft way of looking at this, the bottom line is, we need to be disciplined and just do what we need to do. Turn off the big screen, set aside the I pod, the I phone, the I pad, and the I anything else, and open our Bible. We all know there is no good excuse, so take the first step, begin your spiritual workout and I know you will be blessed.

Search Me

2010-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I was at the Dermatologist today when the above verse came to mind. I find it necessary to visit the Dermatologist on a regular basis. It seems my bald head and Irish complexion attract nasty sun rays, and this makes me a prime candidate for skin cancer. My appointments are usually the same, I arrive and ask the doctor to search me, and try me, and see if there is any wicked cancer in me. The doctor thankfully is very diligent in the searching, and when something suspicious is found, she brings out a device that looks like a blowtorch and burns it away. I've never been a big fan of these doctor visits, but I make the appointments because the stinging of the blowtorch is much better than cancer. In Psalm 139 David does an important and scary thing, he invites God to be like a Dermatologist and search his heart, and try him, to see if there is any wicked way in him. David knew what we all know, that we are all prime candidates to fall into sin. He also had a clear understanding of the danger and deadliness of sin, and thus he boldly asked God to examine him and remove any trace of the cancer. We all know the wisdom of regular check-ups at the doctors that can detect a deadly disease. How much more than, do we need to invite God and His blowtorch, to search, and try, and cleanse, that we might be free from the deadliest of all diseases.

Guide With The Eyes

2010-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

A sure sign that you know someone well, is that you are able to communicate with them without speaking. My wife and have known each other long enough to become pretty adept at "speaking" non-verbally. It comes it handy in telegraphing from across rooms or tables, or most especially from the front row to the pulpit! The eyes are key in communicating without words. How amazing that sentences can be found in a glance or a wink. A lecture can be given in a scowl, or a poem in a twinkle. I'm sure you will agree with me that it is hard to properly define the words coming from ones mouth if you can't see the persons eyes. In Psalm 32:8, the Lord says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." Don't you find it amazing that the Lord desires to establish non-verbal communication with us. He wants our relationship with Him to be such that we might be able to discern His will by just looking at His eyes. Now, clearly He is not calling us to stare up toward heaven, looking for a big eye in the sky. But He is calling us to set our gaze toward Him, through spending time in the word, through communion in prayer, and intimacy in worship. What a privileged call we have, God has invited us to be such friends with Him, that He can guide us with His eyes. There have been too many times that the Lord has had to flick my ear or pull out a megaphone to get me to move. Oh how I desire that my friendship with the Lord would be such, that at the slightest glance I'm able to discern His heart and amen His will.

Count Those Days

2010-01-02T12:38:00.000-08:00

I always get a little sad when I take down Christmas decorations. I'm not one who puts things off, so if the decorations make it to New Years day that's pretty long for me. I'm not a Grinch or anything but when Christmas is over its over, and when Christmas is over the decorations should come down. Is there anything as sorry as a house still decked out for Christmas around Valentines day? I've gone through a fair number of holiday seasons, and one consistent thought I have while "un-decorating", is how quickly I'll be putting this stuff back up again. Isn't it amazing how rapidly time takes us from year to year, and from Holiday to Holiday? The other day as I was putting away decorations and pondering the speed of our years, I was reminded of the words of Moses in Psalm 90. He said, "So teach us to number or days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom". Moses lived to be 120 years old, and in this psalm he speaks of how quickly life goes by, wow! We should learn that our days are few, and each is a gift from the Lord. Time seems to have accelerated, so let's make the most of each day. What a powerful 2010 we can all have, if we count every day as dear, and use every day to love and serve the Lord.

World's Worst Wrapper

2009-12-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

Once again this Christmas I have realized that I am probably the world's worst gift wrapper. It's not that I choose ugly paper or ribbons, it's that my hands don't work properly. I can't seem to fit or fold or cut just right, thus the gifts I wrap don't look nearly as appealing as the others around the tree. I'm not really ashamed of being the world's worst gift wrapper, because we all know spiritually speaking that the gift inside is always much more important than the wrapping. The paper that wraps the gift is torn up and tossed out, while the gift is treasured. In Jesus, God has given us the greatest gift of all time. I wonder how much time was spent in wrapping this most precious gift? Scripture actually indicates that Jesus' "looks" or His "packaging", were not very important at all. The latter part of Isaiah 53:2 says: "He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." This is amazing to me, Jesus being God could have chosen to be the most incredibly handsome dude ever, with cut abs and great hair! But God in flesh chose to wrap Himself so simply, that man would hardly take note of the package. The application of this is evident and convicting. How much time do we spend on our outward adornment, versus the inward gift of Jesus? How much thought and worry over that which will perish while neglecting that which is eternal? I am convinced of this, that our spiritual lives will be so much richer if we would give greater priority to the gift than the wrapping.

Joyful News

2009-12-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

"Then the angel said to them, do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

The heavenly messenger had come to the shepherds with a wonderful announcement, he called it good and joyful news for everyone. God was now going to meet every man's greatest need, by sending a Savior. Notice He didn't send an economist to fix our financial woes, nor an inventor so we could have more gadgets to make life easy. The good news wasn't the coming of a doctor to cure every disease, nor an administrator to make every government run right. No, this news of great joy is that God sent His only Son as Savior of all mankind. What a wonderful marvelous God we have, who has not left us to drown in our sin but has sent one to rescue. Good tidings of great joy, indeed! May the love of our Father fill your heart as you ponder His great mercy. Merry Christmas!

Around and Around

2009-12-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

One ride I've never been a big fan of is the Merry-go-Round. There are several reasons for my dislike of the ride. The fact that the animals on the ride all appear angry tops my list. As a little kid my fear of these animals was right up there with my fear of clowns. If they just had horses on the ride I think I'd been alright, but they throw in all kinds of other animals, like lions and tigers and bears, oh my. I was at an outdoor mall that has a Merry-go-round with a rabbit all saddled and ready to ride. Tell me that's not a nightmare waiting to happen. The thought of being chased by an angry rabbit is frightening, good grief I might find it hard to sleep tonight. Another reason I'm not a big fan of the ride, is the ride itself; there is nothing to do except sit there going around and around. The first couple of laps may not be so bad, but it certainly doesn't take long for it to get pretty old. The only thing that makes the around and around bearable is the really cool music they play! So, why am I making such a big deal about a silly ride I don't like? Well, I've had a young guy on my heart who is discouraged because he said he feels like his life is stuck on a Merry-go-Round. If you know the ride you know how he feels. Another disheartened individual described his life as a stationary bike, he was expending a great deal of energy but getting nowhere. I have also had others describe life as a treadmill or a car spinning its wheels, I think you get the idea. A classic Biblical example of this is in Deuteronomy 1:3 which states: "It is eleven days journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barrnea." This is an astounding verse because it speaks of an eleven day journey that took Israel forty years. Now that's a Merry-go-Round. God had not intended for Israel to wander for forty years, yet that is what they brought upon themselves because of their own disobedience and rebellion. They tested God and refused to go into His promised land and God pretty much said fine, you can just wander. We best learn from Israel's mistake. Remember God knows where you are, and He doesn't just have you wandering around until you die. It may appear to you that He has got you going nowhere, but rest assured that isn't His way. He is sovereign in your life and desires to bring meaning and purpose to every single day. Don't ditch the ride just yet. If you set your heart to learn and mature, to trust and obey and to walk in faithfulness to the Lord, He will be faithful in guiding you. I pray you will soon look back and see that you were not on a Merry-go-Round after all, but moving in the Lord's will at His perfect pace, while being transformed into the glorious image of Jesus.

Saving Christmas

2009-12-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

Don't tell anybody this but I'm sort of a sucker for those made for television Christmas movies. I know the storyline is corny, the script is weak, and the acting is less than stellar, but there is something that draws me to watch them. I'm sure its that weird instinct in all of us where you can't help but look at a car accident sort of thing. There is a common theme that runs through these movies its the idea of saving Christmas or recapturing something that is missing from Christmas. Of course the hero of the story saves Christmas or gets everyone to rediscover the missing joy of the season. There are many a hero starting with Rudolph with his nose so bright all the way to Slater from Saved by the Bell (but I forget how he saved Christmas). I suppose this common theme of saving Christmas is because most people have a longing for Christmas to be more than what it has become, I have no doubt that the Holy Spirit has a hand in planting that craving, for that craving is for a true Savior. If indeed hearts are ripe and looking, then let us have ready lips to speak forth the name of the only true hero of Christmas our precious Jesus born that blessed day.

Drive Circumspectly

2009-12-08T11:18:00.000-08:00

The first big storm of the season has hit and it looks like there are more to come. We need the rain and I love the rain but I hate what it does to Southern California drivers. I have a weakness in my impatience with poor drivers and the rain seems to draw more of them onto the highways. The two worst are those who drive as if the streets are dry and slip and slide around as if the road is their own, and those who drive like an Amish behind the wheel for the first time figuring going 15 is plenty fast. Bad weather has been predicted so please pay attention and be on guard as you are driving out there, seriously I will be praying for your safety. Which reminds me, Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15 "See then that you walk circumspectly....because the days are evil." To walk circumspectly would mean to walk cautiously or exactly, in other words with eyes wide open and on guard. Several years back I was with the family in snowy Mammoth, we were in a shopping center and I had to go back to the car or something and decided to jog, I hit a patch of ice and went flying. Whenever my kids have a downer day they just call to mind the picture of dear old dad hands in his pockets legs high in the air and landing on his wallet, no matter how tough a day it is I know they smile! Needless to say I was not walking circumspectly. Why should we be careful, and cautious, and exact, because the days are evil and rainy. I'll be praying for your driving and especially for your walks, bad weather has been predicted for the days ahead.

Salsa shopping

2009-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

I was in a grocery store getting the makings for taco salad when I found the store didn't carry my favorite salsa. This left me dazed in front of rows of salsa jars. I never knew how many brands and styles of salsa there were. Fortunately for me one of the brands really aided in my purchase. You see right there on the jar it said "voted #1 worlds best tasting", well that settled it how could I chose anything less than #1. I was actually pretty excited about getting home to taste this new salsa (I know I need to get out more!). Well I tasted it and I was sorely disappointed, how could this have been voted #1 worlds best tasting? Of course they don't tell us who voted, most likely the guy who came up with the recipe and his mom or people who like caviar and oysters. The promise on the outside of the jar didn't match what was inside the jar. I guess I'm just upset because I know better then to fall for empty promises. Alas I've learned again, in fact just this morning I didn't fall for it when I heard on my car radio that I would never have a bad nights sleep again if I bought a certain mattress, which I'm sure was voted best in the world. I also didn't fall for the next ad which promised weight loss without diet or exercise. I am so glad that when God makes a promise we can be sure He will follow through, He's not trying to sell us anything or tickle our ears. I give a hearty amen to what I heard a pastor say of God some years ago: "He says what He means and means what He says". In 1Kings 8:56 Solomon proclaims "....There has not failed one word of all His promise, which He promised through His servant Moses." There are no empty promises in God! May you find peace and joy in the faithfulness of our loving Lord.

Tiger hit a tree

2009-12-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods hitting a tree has sadly become the top story this week. As the news unfolded the words describing Mr. Woods injuries kept changing from critical to serious and then to minor. And seriously isn't this whole thing like his injuries, pretty minor? Yet I heard one reporter up in arms demanding that the public deserves to know the whole truth. Yes our lives must be put on hold until we get to the bottom of this. How did....? Was he....? Did she....? A girl in New York....? Cuts on the face...? What's with the golf club....? And when the whole truth does come out we will all sleep better and our trees will be safer. Meanwhile back on planet earth there are a couple of things that deserve our attention and prayers. Our president is going to address the nation concerning our military strategy in Afghanistan, the commanders on the ground say these are crucial days. And Iran continues to defiantly pursue nuclear weapons, in fact word is that they are much further along then previously believed. Israel has already promised that they will not allow a nuclear Iran and history tells us that Israel is pretty adept at keeping promises. If Israel strikes how will the nations that hate her and surround her respond? What will Russia and China do? Are we living in the days that will witness the prophesies of Ezekiel 38 and 39 fulfilled? Oh, and by the way Tiger hit a tree. "And for this reason God will send them a strong delusion...." (2 Thessalonians 2:11). We can't let ourselves be among those who get so easily distracted, let us remain wide awake and prayerful.

Adam Lambert at the AMA

2009-11-25T12:16:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you caught Adam Lambert's act at the American Music Awards on Monday night. I didn't see it live but caught it on the news. From what I saw it was very risque' and improper..... if you haven't seen it click below.......just kidding!!! I wouldn't want you to view it. My first reaction was, I can't believe they are showing this, my second was embarrassment and sadness for Mr. Lambert, my third was I'm sure glad he didn't win American Idol. I'm certain he and his publicist are happy because his act seemed to be the most talked about moment for the show. Our eyes are constantly being bombarded by such images making it tough to be holy in an unholy world. Because we are surrounded by so many unholy things it is easy for us to lose our distaste for the sinful. Our discernment can easily become numb because of overexposure to the world. My prayer for us all is that we be wise in those things we allow into our lives, and that we will be diligent in cleansing our hearts and minds with the pure Word of God. "....but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil." Romans 16:19

Pray Without Ceasing

2009-11-24T11:04:00.000-08:00

In 1Thessalonians 5:17 a seemingly impossible command is given us when we are told to "pray without ceasing". There are many who suffer with what might be called spiritual attention deficit disorder, prayer begins and you might get in five or so minutes of solid prayer and then start to drift in thoughts or imagination. You catch yourself and get back to the solid prayer only to drift again a few minutes down the line. I cringe at the number of times my prayers have followed this pattern. Think of how dysfunctional our relationships would be if we communicated with our friends and loved ones the same way we communicate with the Lord. Now I don't believe the command to pray without ceasing is given to us to frustrate or bring guilt, but to set forth a standard and challenge. What the Lord desires from us is a consistent readiness for prayer and praise. There is a wonderful picture in the Old Testament that might help in this area. In Leviticus 6:13 the priests who were to minister in the tabernacle were told that the fire on the altar of sacrifice was never to go out "a fire shall always be burning on the altar". The altar was to always be at the ready, a fire ready for use in sacrifice or worship unto the Lord. What a great picture for us when it comes to our prayer lives, our minds can't be in prayer every moment, but our hearts can be in a place of readiness the fire burning prepared without having to warm up instant in praise or petition. The great news for us is that we don't have to create the fire on the altar, the Holy Spirit is the fire upon the altar of our hearts. Our job is to be expecting throughout every day the quickening of the Holy Spirit to pray and then submitting to it and praying. The result is an exciting and powerful habit of praying without ceasing. Through the years I have learned to love and be eager for the Spirit to prick my heart to pray for my sheep at any time of the day. May we all daily ask the Holy Spirit to stoke the fire and help us to be attentive to His moving us to pray.