Is Your Nose Pressed Against The Window?

It was so funny, one night at Church, you know that some of the funniest things happen at Church! I had to start laughing and shame on me. We were having an awesome move of God in service. I was standing up front playing the guitar and looked over to the side. My brother, Tim, was in the fellowship hall doing children’s ministry. He had come to the door and was peaking in to see what was happening. All I could see was one eye and his nose. I couldn’t help but laugh because it looked so funny.

I remembered an incident back many years ago. You can only remember many years ago when you get old. I was preaching a revival in a little town in Oregon. The revival was only for the weekend, so I had invited one of the young men from the church to accompany me so I wouldn’t have to travel alone. On Monday morning the pastor left early for work and we left, when he did, to head home. We stopped at a little restaurant in town to have breakfast. We were seated right at the window, which looked out over the street. The restaurant was right on a corner which also served as a school bus stop and there were several children standing waiting for the school bus. As we were setting at the table eating, I looked over toward the street and much to my surprise there were three little boys standing at the window with their noses pressed against the glass watching us eat.

You can imagine how funny that looked! We started laughing and they start laughing as well. I couldn’t help but think of those three little boys when I saw the big boy looking through the door. It was as if his nose was pressed against the glass and he was wishing he could have some too. If you know Tim, you know that is exactly what he was wishing!

The Psalmist tells us, “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.” (Ps. 34:8)

How many times have we stood back and watched others get blessed while we wonder how good it tastes?! How often have we looked in, with our noses pressed against the window, wishing we could have some of that?! All along each of us has the opportunity to “taste and see” for ourselves. We don’t have to be a spectator; we can be a participator in everything God offers to the believer.

I have observed as different ones plunge their dipper into the “well of living water” and take a taste. I have watched as the “well of living water” began to bubble up within them and the blessings began to purge away the pressure of the week. I have watched as some were healed, just as a result of worship. I have watched others as the weariness of life was washed from their faces. Some weep with relief. Others have responded with jubilation. They “tasted” and found for themselves the Lord is good. There is a special blessing when we realize we can place our trust in the Lord!

Each and every life is created with a hunger in it that can only be filled by God. Jesus stopped one day at a well and talked with a woman who had come to draw water to meet her natural, physical needs. Jesus offered her water that would meet the longing that was in her soul. In fact, Jesus told her, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14 KJV)

How many times have I wanted to buy a type of food that I was hungry for only to realize it was too expensive? At the price of beef today you need to mortgage your home to buy a steak! There have been times in my life, when we have lived on very simple, basic staples because of a lack of finances. I remember one time when I was young and times were hard, as Dad and Mom were pastoring a home mission Church, we lived on pancakes for several weeks. In the morning we had pancakes with homemade syrup. In the evening we had pancakes with jelly. That was all we could afford and were thankful for it.

However we have this invitation, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Isa 55:1 KJV)

I don’t have to stand outside the window and press my nose against the glass. I have a standing invitation to come inside and eat and drink until I am full. What a blessing to be invited to come in and sit down to eat at the king’s table. What a great opportunity is available, to have the assurance that satisfaction is available to each and every one of us.

Let me encourage you to step back from the window and come on in! Pull up a seat and place your trust in God, you will find out He is GOOD!

It’s just a thought! God Bless

Be Converted and Become as a Little Child

Do you like to watch children playing? I love to just sit and watch and listen to kids as they play. I love to hear the laughter as they run and play their games. I really enjoy hearing the laughter of children, as it echos through the day bouncing off the buildings and filling the air.

This morning, as I was driving my bus route, I watched a young girl walk to the edge of her porch. It was a beautiful morning with just a touch of fall in the air. The little girl might have been about eight years old. She was wearing a backpack and was obviously waiting for the school bus to come by and pick her up. Instead of stepping down each step, she hopped down each one! It was just a small hop, not a jump, and it was done in a casual, carefree manner. Before she had reached the bottom step we had passed her house and she was out of sight.

I couldn’t help to note the difference in the manner in which she went down those stairs and the way I would have gone down them. Her descent was light, carefree and full of anticipation for the day. Mine would have been slower, burdened and wishing I was staying home.

Oh to be a kid again! They don’t walk down steps. They hop! They don’t walk down the street. They skip! Kids don’t walk to the bus. They run! They aren’t worried about what could happen. They aren’t concerned with the weather. They aren’t fretting about the economy. They couldn’t care less if it rains today or tomorrow. Their main focus is on right now and enjoying this moment of life.

On the other hand I dread going down the steps. The question runs through my mind, “Is this going to make my knee hurt?” I really don’t want to walk down the road, the question on my mind is, “How is this going to benefit me?” I drag to the bus because I would rather be going somewhere that is more fun and less demanding. I worry about tomorrow. I am fretting about the economy, especially mine. My focus tends to be on what might happen or on the complexities of the probabilities of the maybes.

A portion of scripture came to my mind. I remembered Jesus saying, “. . . become as little children.” Now my interest is tweaked! I knew God was trying to speak to me and now He had my attention. I have heard, and probably made, many references to becoming as a little child, full of innocence and faith. Was this what I was hearing from God?

I have found that it is always good for me to look up the passage and read it afresh. Being old and feeble minded I have a tendency to forget the whole passage and only remember a portion. Often I don’t even get that right. I have also learned that by finding and reading the passage again, it gives God the opportunity to bring something brand new to my attention from the passage. This is just what happened when I located and read Matthew 18:3, “And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is giving His disciples a lesson in humility. He was asked who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Instead of listing all of the great deeds and accomplishments that must be accomplished, Jesus turns and calls a little child. Rather than cataloging the need of a great family tree, money in the bank and extreme intelligence, Jesus takes a child onto His lap. He tells the crowd they need to be converted and become as a little child.

Why? Why would he use a little child as an example of humility? Why not use someone or something else? Why use a child?

Who understands the simplicity of trust? A little child does. They trust their parents for everything. A child doesn’t worry about food, clothes, housing or transportation because they trust. They don’t feel like they have to handle it themselves because they trust. They don’t worry or fret about tomorrow because they trust mom and dad to take care of tomorrow. All of the worry and fretting is something they learn later, but as a little child they just trust.

The Apostle Peter encourages us to cast ALL of our cares upon Jesus because He cares for us. (1Peter 5:7) Trusting Him with our concerns is a sign of humility. Giving them to Him to take care of is a sign of humbleness. Recognizing that His grace is more than enough is truly trusting. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Becoming dependent upon Him rather than self-sufficient speaks of submission. Taking the way of the child is a requirement.

I need a conversion in my life. There needs to be a transformation to take place in my mind and in my heart. My mind needs to be renewed and I need to stop thinking as an adult thinks. The world with all of its pressures and agendas has influenced my thinking and I need to be converted once again. I need to become as a little child.

While I was writing this thought, Melinda, my beautiful and wonderful wife, came into my study. In her hand she held a mixing bowl and a spatula. Without saying a word she walked up and handed both of them to me. Immediately I knew what I was suppose to do. I became as the little boy I once was, who loved to clean the bowl after mom had mixed a cake. Everything came to a halt as I laughed and went right to work, enjoying the taste of the cake batter and the opportunity to be a kid again.

How often does Jesus try to interrupt our busy lives to give us the opportunity to just enjoy being a kid again? It’s conversion time!

It’s just a thought!

Gotta Have a Good Connection!

You gotta have a good connection! There is no other way if you are working with anything electrical and want it to work properly. If the connection isn’t good, you experience a lot of frustration until it is corrected. If the connection is good, you will find that you never think about it at all.

I have talked, in the past, about the adventure of fixing Jared’s car. We replaced the alternator and the car wouldn’t start. We replaced the battery, which had died when the alternator went out, and the car started but the battery light wouldn’t go off. We found there were fuses out and replaced those. Still the battery light stayed on and the battery would run down. We found there was a bad connection on the battery and fixed that. Still, we had the same problem. We had a diagnostic test done and found the new alternator was bad. We replaced that and drove it for a couple hours only to have the battery light come on again and the battery ran down.

Car problems are no fun! They are not even fun when your car is still under warranty and you have lots of time and money. When it is no longer under warranty and your time and money is limited car problems can be even more frustrating!

Sunday night we found the source of the problem was a small ground wire that connected to the alternator. It had become worn and frayed causing a short-circuit in the system. They just clipped the wire and crimped on a new connector. Three days later it is still working fine. All of these problems were because of a bad connection.

For some reason, at five A.M. this morning, I thought about that bad connection and couldn’t help but think about my connection to God. How much frustration have I experienced in my life because I haven’t made sure I have a "good connection" to God? How often have I struggled and became "spiritually rundown" because my "ground" wire has become frayed causing a spiritual short?

The Psalmist David wrote, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." (Ps 51:10 KJV) He spent some time talking about sin that had been in his life and asking God to cleanse him from those sins. He is exact in his request to God. He wanted a good connection, a clean heart! He wants to make sure there isn’t anything in his life that will cause a short in the circuit between himself and God.

How often have I let the things of life and sin bring a bad connection in my relationship with God? It isn’t always bad things that have caused me to have a short. It is sometimes something as simple as a distraction. So I began to ask myself what could cause a bad connection between me and my God?

One of the things that came to mind was distraction. Distractions are those things which divert your attention. Distraction comes so easy and appears in so many disguises. When Jared was young, I would tell him that he was easily distracted by shiny objects. It didn’t take much to make him forget what he was doing and he would be doing something else. I have found this to be so true in my spiritual life.

I go to pray and think of something I need to do first. The next thing I know I haven’t prayed and time is gone. I want to read my Bible but get caught up in answering an email that is important or even something else and time is gone. Pretty soon I realize it has been a while since I talked to God or allowed Him to talk to me and there is a bad connection.

I sometimes find myself struggling in my spiritual walk. I am not experiencing the joy that I know I should be feeling. My attitude isn’t really what I want it to be. Some of the "wonder" is missing in my relationship with God. When I begin to check the connections, I often find that I haven’t been as focused in giving praise to God. My worship hasn’t been as intense as it sometimes is. There is a bad connection between me and my God. It is time for me to stop coasting on what others are doing and make a good connection between me and God.

There are times I find myself stymied, at a stand still. In checking my connections I have found that I haven’t been applying the Word of God to my life. When I read His Word I need to ask Him to show me what I need to do with what I am reading. The Bible is more than a good book. It is the road map to life. If I don’t apply it and live by it the Bible just becomes another book. However, when I allow God to reveal His truth to me and begin to live truth the connection is made.

Now I don’t mind admitting that I am a "Jesus Fanatic." Just to make sure that I am, I looked up the word "fanatic" and this is the definition: Enthusiast; Marked by excessive enthusiasm for and intense devotion to a cause or idea: "rabid isolationist."

I was so excited because that is how I feel about Jesus! I am His biggest fan. I am not afraid that someone will say I go overboard in my lifestyle for Jesus. I do not go through life asking why I can’t do certain things in order to live for Him. I try to make my question, "What more can I do to have a better connection with Jesus?"

Let me encourage you to spend some time checking your connections! Go to God in prayer and ask Him to help you see the areas in your life and walk with Him that are becoming frayed and corroded. Get a good connection and watch the power flow in your life!

Remember. It is just a thought!

Umbrella of Protection and Power Part 2

Every one of us should have a desire to have more power with God and to come under His protection. Several years ago, God impressed upon my mind the importance of having this type of a relationship with Him. I want to have a relationship of protection and power with God. I called it “The Umbrella of Protection and Power.” This is the second blog in a series on this subject.

There is a relationship between pride and self-respect. Pride that leads to self-respect is controlled pride. We must have self-respect, which is a sense of self-value or self-esteem. This is seeing ourselves as God sees us. However, the pride that God hates is uncontrolled pride and it motivates the works of our flesh. This is the pride where the “I” is in control. “P-r-I-d-e” where the big “I” is in the center and dominates.

If I want protection from God, it will only come through my submission. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 5:5-7, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (KJV) It is better to humble ourselves than to have God humble us!

To humble myself requires self-discipline. It means that I must deny myself and bring myself under authority. However, by humbling myself to God I place myself under the “Umbrella of His Protection and Power.” Notice also that by humbling myself to God I am also now the recipient of a great benefit from God. The offer given to me is that I can cast my cares, my anxieties and worries upon Him. He cares about me. He will also take care of all my worries.

Submission does not know distinction. Peter tells us to submit ourselves to our Elders. We need to understand that Peter is writing to the Church and is not talking of age when he uses the terms younger and Elder. The word younger, as used here, speaks of one that is new or fresh. We would call them a Beginner, or Rookie. The word Elder speaks of those who would be the ministry and Spiritual Guides of the Church. He also directs us to submit to one another. We need to put humbleness on as a “cover-all!” By doing so we give ourselves protection from pride, arrogance and insolence. We must submit ourselves to God! This brings us under His protection. It makes us reliant on His power. It also allows God to exalt us.

I have noticed that when we read certain passages of the Bible, which have become familiar to us, we sometimes fail to read all the scriptures that pertain to the subject. For example, we often use 1 Peter 5:7 to say God wants us to give Him all of our cares. Yet we fail to include the condition to be able to cast our cares upon Him is our submission. We quote James 4:7 saying if we resist the devil he will flee from us. Yet we fail to include the first part of the verse that tells us to submit ourselves to God. By missing these key components, we set ourselves up for failure and frustration.

Paul gives us key instructions, in Ephesians 5:21-33, regarding our relationship as the Church with God. He likens the Church to the wife of Christ and likens Christ as the husband of the Church. In this instruction, he tells the wife to submit herself to her husband just as the Church submits to Christ. He instructs the husband to love his wife and give her the same sort of love that Christ gives the Church. We place emphasis upon the wife submitting herself to her husband. However, again, we often fail to read the first verse on this subject and here Paul tells us in verse 21, “Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” (KJV) Paul tells us we need to submit ourselves to each other. That would be wives submit yourself to your husband. In addition, husbands submit yourselves unto your wife!

Paul is instructing us to submit ourselves unto each other because of our commitment to Christ. By doing so, we again bring ourselves under the “Umbrella of Protection.” Here is how the Protection works: Christ protects all under His “Umbrella of Protection.” Through submission to Christ and to his wife, the husband comes under the “Umbrella” of Christ and protects those under his own “Umbrella” which would be his wife and his children. Through submission to her husband and to Christ, the wife is under the “Umbrella” of her husband and the “Umbrella” of Christ. This submission protects those under her “Umbrella” her husband and her children.

Nothing can get to the submitted wife without passing through the “Umbrella of Protection” that her submitted husband has placed over her. Nothing can get to the husband without passing through the “Umbrella of Protection” that a submitted wife has placed over him. Nothing can get to their family without passing through these “Umbrellas” and the “Umbrella of Protection” that Christ places over those living in submission. He gave Himself for His bride!

The enemy of our soul would have us to live in fear of submission! This is a lie of the enemy. He refused submission choosing rather to rebel. When we hear the word “submit” he paints a picture of a mouse, a door mat, weakness and being timid. However, we find that true power comes to us as we submit ourselves to God. In fact, in Matthew 5 as Jesus is teaching what we call the “Beatitudes” His first one tells us they way to receive the Kingdom of God is to realize that we are nothing without Him. The third one tells us if we are meek, submitted, we will inherit the earth. We will be victorious! These are just the opposite of what we would naturally assume to be true.

God somehow help us to realize the power and protection that will come to our lives when we submit ourselves to you and to others. There is power in submission.

This is the second in the series “The Umbrella of Power and Protection.”

It’s Just a Thought…God Bless!
　
　
　

Umbrella of Protection and Power Part 1

Every one of us should have a desire have more power with God and to come under His protection. Several years ago, God impressed upon my mind the importance of having this type of a relationship with Him. I want to have a relationship of protection and power with God. I called it “The Umbrella of Protection and Power.”

There is a relationship between pride and self-respect. Pride that leads to self-respect is controlled pride. We must have self-respect, which is a sense of self-value or self-esteem. This is seeing ourselves as God sees us. However, the pride that God hates is uncontrolled pride and it motivates the works of our flesh. This is the pride where the “I” is in control. “P-r-I-d-e” where the big “I” is in the center and dominates.

James 4:6, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (KJV) James tells us that God resists or opposes the proud. This is because pride represents a direction that is opposing to God. It is like swimming against a strong current. God’s divine nature is not compatible with sin or pride. There is not enough room in the universe for God and the pride of man. God will eventually bring everything into submission to Him. (Romans 14:11 and Philippians 2:10)

You might ask, “Why does God resist and hate pride and why does He humble the proud?” This is a good question. The reason is that pride restrains the wicked from acknowledging God. Pride erects a temple; it constructs a throne and then places a person’s selfish ego upon the throne. Pride deifies the ego, making it God, and the ego demands that worship is given. God has commanded that we have no other God’s before Him.

God loves the person who is humble in their spirit. Pride creates a barrier that holds God distant from the proud. As gravity draws everything to it like a magnet, humility attracts God’s gracious attention. Humility brings the human spirit to the place where God can take our flaws and make something beautiful out of us. Where pride says “I am already perfect and do not need God to improve or help me!”

God elevates the humble. Luke 14:11 tells us that those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. God always defeats the proud and He always promotes the humble.

Our attitude toward God should be to shun pride. 1 John 2:15-17 tells us, “15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” (NIV) Pride is labeled as an objectionable attitude toward God and our fellowman. Shunning pride is to say no to its daily overtures.

I want a right relationship with God and with my fellow man. I want God’s blessings to be upon my life. I want His protection and power to be in my life. I can realize this if I am willing to humble myself before God.

First of the Series “The Umbrella of Protection and Power.”

It’s Just a Thought! God Bless…
　

A Place Where Hope Has Never Dared To Go!

It has been a while since I sat down to write. There are a lot of things bouncing around in my head so this might just be a bit of rambling but hopefully I can share some of the things that are on my heart.

I was reading in my Bible in the third chapter of Acts. It is one of my favorite stories. Peter and John are on their way to the Temple to pray. This is something they must have done on a regular basis from the way it reads. As they approach the door of the Temple, a man calls to them in an effort to get their attention.

This man had been lame all of his life. For years, people had carried him to the Temple and laid him beside the busiest entrance so he could beg money of those coming and going by him. This was all he had known and this was all he expected from life. When he saw the two men approach, he once again asked for money. To what must have been his surprise, instead of ignoring him or tossing a coin his way, one of them said. “Look at us!”

His heart must have began to beat a bit faster as he thought he was about to receive a memorable amount of money from them. Then as equally fast, it must have plunged to his crippled feet as the next words spoken were, “We don’t have any money!”

Here was a man whose only hope everyday was that people would have pity on him. His hope was that he would receive enough from others that he could slip through life. His greatest hope was that someone would be kind enough to give him just a little more and make his life a bit easier. That was his hope. However, his hopes are crushed! Then God moves on a couple of preachers to take him to “a place where hope had never dared to go!” Peter said, “I don’t have money but I will give you what I have!” Taking him by the right hand, he commanded the man who had been lame to arise and walk! As he lifted him, the lame man’s feet and ankles received strength. He not only arose, he not only walked, but he went leaping, running, and praising God through the temple. For the first time in his life, he entered the temple because those who were lame were not permitted to enter the temple. He was no longer lame! The ban had been lifted!
God’s greatest desire for us is to take us to “a place where hope has never dared to go!” If we are children of the King of Kings then we have the right to the benefits of the kingdom. We are too often afraid to dream or even to hope that life can be different. Too often, we are content to ask for the leftovers, the spare change. God’s desire is to give us more that we can dare to hope. The world tells us think positive thoughts, but in our despair, we cannot even hope!

Paul speaks to us from Ephesians chapter three about God’s feeling for us. I do not have the time or space to go into a deep study on this but let me briefly share what God spoke to me. God fills us with His Spirit to help us to understand the magnitude of His love for us. To allow us to share the power and fullness of life that comes from Him. His Spirit living in us is to allow Him to do so much more than we can ever hope for or dream. It is His desire to take us to a “place where hope has never dared to go!”

We are not destined to live with broken hearts. Yes they will come. Life will happen and our hearts will be broken. Bad choices that we make will lead us to broken hearts. Life happening will often results in broken hearts. Sins of loved ones and those dear to us will often lead to broken hearts. However, we must realize that we are not fated to live with them. They are just opportunities for God to take us to “a place where hope has never dared to go!” He came to heal the broken heart! He came to make it new again! The broken heart is an opportunity for God to show His power and His love in a life!

Failures and defeat are part of life. We make mistakes. We fail in judgment! Oh if we could only live the moment again we would do it so differently. We cannot call back or relive those moments. Chains hold us captive by the mistakes and failures of yesterdays gone by. Fear holds us captive! Bonds of fear chain us. We are listening to the haunting taunts of failure! We will be happy with a couple of additional links in the chains to let us to move. We would never dare to hope those chains would be removed and we would be free to live and hope again! Hey! I have great news for you! Jesus Christ came to set the captive free! He came to take you to a place where hope has never dared to go! You can be free from you yesterdays. You can know a brand new tomorrow walking with Jesus Christ and allowing Him to set you free!

I have known people who lived in fear. Fear blinds you. You cannot see because of fear. Hurts and wrongs in your life will cause you to live in fear. This fear will blind you to what God wants to do in your life. A person who is blinded will always remember the last thing they saw before the injury. Too many people have allowed life to blind them and they live with a picture of the hurts and injuries that have happened to them. It is all they see. God has touched their lives, but all they see is the hurt. God has filled them with His Spirit, but all they see is the hurt. God has promised them joy, peace and righteousness, but all they see is the hurt! Again, I want you to know He came to heal the blinded eyes. Not just those physical eyes that are unable to see, He came to heal the spiritual, emotional eyes that are unable to see past yesterday! He came to take you to a “place where hope has never dared to go!”

Life impacts us! Sometimes it impacts in a good way. Many times life impacts in ways of sorrow and pain. Impact, a crash, blow or shock to our body will leave a bruise. We all have had bruises. We know them to be both ugly and painful reminders of the impact. They tell me that the bruise is the result of stopping the blood from flowing through that area. Until the blow resumes to flow there will be a bruise and healing will not take place for healing is in the blood. When the blood is set free to flow again then healing begins to take place and soon the bruise is gone and the impact is behind us. He came to liberate the bruised! Life shocks us. Life hurts us. Life affects us leaving bruises in its place. Once again, God is the difference maker! The blood of Jesus Christ will heal. God will take us to “a place where hope never dared to go.”

I remember several years ago that God spoke to me, as if in an audible voice, about being a God of Comfort. (Read my blog on the Great God of Comfort). The passage was from Second Corinthians chapter one and Paul speaks to tell us that God allows us to go through suffering, pain and misfortune so that we can experience His Comfort. However, it does not stop there. We experience His Comfort so that we might share that Comfort with others when they also go through suffering, pain and misfortune.

I had this driven home fourteen months ago. I was standing in an ICU waiting room with my son Jared. In the ICU, room was his fiancé. They were to be married in about five weeks. All of his hopes and dreams lay at deaths door. I am his father. All of his life I have tried to protect him from pain, suffering and misfortune. I have tried to fix those things that were wrong and make them right. That day I stood helpless.

I was talking on the phone to Abby, my daughter and I began to weep. Just a few years earlier, I had stood with her and Kelsey when they had lost their baby. Again, I had been unable to protect them or to fix things so they would not hurt. As I began to weep, I told her how helpless I felt. I had not been able to protect her and I could not do anything for Jared. It hurt so badly and my heart broke. I will never forget what Abby told me that day. She said, “Dad it is alright. You and mom have taught us there are times we just have to rely on God. Because we have gone through these times, we can now put our arms around others and tell them from experience that God will be there and God will heal and deliver! This is the only way we can really know that.” Once again, God took me to “a place where hope never dared to go!”

The lame man only hoped for a couple of dimes. God took him to “place where hope never dared to go.” How about you, what is it that you are dealing with that has broken you heart. What is it that has you bound, blinded or bruised? Is it the past? Is it the failure of a marriage? Is it the repeated mistakes? Is it the death of a loved one? There are so many things? However, I promise you God wants to take you to “a place where hope has never dared to go!” Let Him…

It’s just a thought…God Bless!

Write a Message on Your Shoe!

Several years ago, actually about 3 decades back, my wife and I were at a concert and a song was sang by the group that stuck in my mind. I was able to find the song online, Let me share the words with you;

You're about to hear a truth that will loose you from the noose
The devil's been using to defeat you
To you it may be shockin', to him you will be lockin'
The power you thought he had over you
I learned that God put all things under Jesus' feet
And since we are His body, I'm sure we are His feet
I think you've got the picture and now know what to do
Write a message to the devil (devil) on the bottom of your shoe (shoe, shoe, shoe)

Chorus:Write a message to the devil on the bottom of your shoe
Tell him you rebuke him and he's a liar too
You've finished list'nin' to him, God's word you will do
And be sure to write this message on the bottom of your shoe (shoe, shoe, shoe)

When Satan tries to blind you by depression or confusion
He's trying hard to defeat you
To you he is lyin', tell him you're denyin'
The power you let him have over you
Remember God put all things under Jesus' feet
And since we are His body I'm sure we are His feet
Now that you've got the picture, remember what to do

Write a message to the devil (devil) on the bottom of your shoe

Words and Music: Dianne Mays © 1979 Emmanuel Music

Too often we listen to our enemy rather than the voice of our Savior! Let me share a couple of passages with you, I think the song says everything else that needs to be said:

"And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." Ephesians 1:22-23

"And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen." Rom 16:20"

And do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:27

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James 4:7

It's just a thought! God Bless...

Don Doran
TEAM Ministry

View of the Father's House, First Look...

We have read and heard the story of the prodigal son told in so many ways and so many times that it can easily become “old hat.” There is a danger when that happens because then we tend to miss some of the less obvious truths that Jesus is trying to get across to us. I know I have a tendency to gloss over passages that are familiar to me. Just today I was reading a familiar story in the Gospels, it is told in three of the four, and found a small bit of information I had never noticed or heard anyone else mention. Not earth changing, it is just interesting…ok, I will share. Did you know there were two demoniacs in Gadera? That is right; you will find the account in Matthew 8:28. However, Mark and Luke only speak of one in the same account. Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Jesus shares with us a story of a father and two sons in Luke 15:11. Jesus is trying to convey to His listeners how exciting when you are able to restore that which was lost. He is trying to help them understand the blessing that comes in finding what was lost! He speaks of some natural things to which His listeners will relate. If they had ever lost a sheep they would understand how excited the shepherd is when he is able to return with the lost sheep! Anyone who has ever lost some money, especially a goodly sum, knows how excited he or she was when he or she found the lost money!

Jesus takes the lost and found stories just a bit further as He speaks of a father with two sons and one decides it is time to leave home and strike out on his own. I will never forget the day my oldest son left home.

I remember quite vividly the time just before Justin got his drivers license. I was so troubled and disturbed. It was not that I did not want him to drive or did not trust him that was not the problem at all. I recall sitting with Melinda in a restaurant that was close to the freeway near where we lived. The lights of emergency vehicles flying down the freeway caught our attention. It seemed they kept going by forever. Just a while later, as we were heading home, we passed the scene of a tragic accident and later found out that a person had gone down the wrong side of the freeway and ran head on into another car.

As we passed, I began to weep. Melinda looked at me as if I were crazy and asked what was wrong. It was at that point that I realized what had been bothering me about Justin getting his drivers license. Up to that point, I had been able to protect him. Now, along with the independence gained by him in having a license to drive there was the fact that I would not be able to protect him as I had in the past.

Just a few years later, just weeks before his twentieth birthday, I recall standing on the porch of our home and waving goodbye as he walked to his truck and headed for Arkansas, leaving us in California. Now the plan was that he would be traveling with his uncle and his family. He was going to live with some friends of ours. We were planning to move to Arkansas within a week ourselves. Yet I knew that it would never be the same and it has not.

I can feel for this father as his son came and asked for his portion of the inheritance. This was not a bad thing! It was legal and acceptable in the time in which they lived. At any time, an heir could ask for their portion of their inheritance and receive it. Yet I am sure the father was aware that things would never be the same as before and it was not.

The son, after a couple of days, left home and journeyed to a far away place. The independence that he had so recently obtained became an unrestrained lifestyle. The young man made foolish choices. The results were devastating and it was not long until he spent the whole inheritance, leaving nothing!

The Bible says the young man “came to himself” which leads me to believe that he had not been thinking right. He experienced a brief moment of “temporary insanity” that came from having more money than he was accustomed to. Adding to that unbridled freedom. From that lifetime “high”, he slams into an all time “low” as he struggles for survival without any money, any friends and a famine in the land where he is living. It would be enough to make you unaware of who you are or even where you are.

I can picture the father, in my mind, getting up every morning and looking outside to see if maybe his son had returned during the night. I can see him looking anxiously toward the door every time it opens unexpectedly. I can just imagine him walking to the front porch and looking down the road, hoping to catch a glimpse of his son returning. However days and weeks go by without a word. The rejection of the son to his father sets in to the point that the mourning and loss of the father are as if his son had actually died.

Yet in a distant land, the son comes to himself. He realizes he does not have to continue this lifestyle. He is not destined to a pig pin. Yes, he has made a mistake and yes, he has done wrong. Yet in his heart, he knows the heart of his father and knows that if he returns and asks forgiveness his father will at least find it in his heart to let him be a servant. Being a servant in the Father’s house is better than taking care of the hogs in a distant land. Being a servant in the Father’s house is better than anything he had experienced.

He returns to his Father’s house. The picture in his mind of what will take place is much different from the actual event. He expects chastisement but instead of a rebuke for his foolishness, he is welcomed with open arms. He has pictured a time of making amends and earning his father’s love or maybe just acceptance. However, after a few words of repentance and remorse his father expresses his love and acceptance.

What the son finds on his return to the Father’s house is compassion and restoration. He had made a mistake. He had rejected the Father and all that was his. He had lived a life that brought shame and disgrace to the Father. Yet on his return all, the Father needed to know was that his son was sorry and wanted to live in the Father’s house. Upon seeing him, the father had compassion! He ran to him, grabbed him in a bear hug, and kissed him. Upon hearing his words of repentance, he turns to the servants and declares that his son who was dead is alive and it is time to have a party in his honor.

This reminds me of a passage of scripture that is so dear to me. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9
John warns us in this passage we will all make mistakes. How certain he and the other disciples had been in their ability not to ever fail, yet they had. He is alerting us to that fact; there will be times of failure. He is making us aware that anyone can and will fail. Yet, he is also letting us know that in those times of failure we can be certain to find compassion and restoration from our heavenly Father. If we repent, He will forgive and restore.

We as Christians can learn so much from the Father. Be quick to show compassion. Be quick to restore those who have fallen. Lift them up and let them know they are welcome in the Father’s house. Compare the spirit of the Father to that of the eldest son. The Father’s house is a house of compassion and restoration.

Just a Thought…God Bless!

The Blind Pillow Fighter

Have you ever felt battered by life (not as in cooking batter) from all sides and had no idea where the blows were coming from? Feeling harried unable to find a target to strike back?

I remember when we were teens my brother and I took a couple of weeks, one summer, and spent them with our uncle and his family. They lived on a farm in southern Oregon and we loved spending time with them. Uncle Bill and Aunt Marilyn were fun people and of course, our cousins were too. There was always some type of adventure when we got together. Trust me the truths and details of these shall always remain our secrets.

This particular time we all decided we needed to have a party and invite as many people as possible to it. We carefully planned what to eat, even to the ingredients of the concoctions that we had decided to serve. We planned each game (more like prank), carefully choosing each of the victims, I mean participants. One of the “games” that we picked was a pillow fight; well that is what we called it. We took the two victims and tied a blind fold on them. We then tied a rope around their waist explaining this was to keep them from wondering off and getting hurt. We tied one end of each rope to a pole and we brought the victims together so they knew they could reach each other. We then led them back to their corners, (i.e.) pole, to start the fight. While they were at the pole, we shortened their ropes so they were now unable to reach each other. When the bell rang they eagerly headed to the middle of the area and began swinging their pillows as hard as they could, of course they were unable to hit the other victim because they could not reach them. Now, what made this so interesting and added to the comedy of the situation was a third person also had a pillow but no rope and no blindfold. This person would go back and forth between the victims and willfully hit them with the pillow while the crowd cheered the victims on. The victims would swing wildly and as hard as they could to no avail. They wanderer all over the area their ropes would allow them to reach, again without success. Soon you would recognize puzzlement and then frustration of the victims, as they were unable to hit back while being hit.

It was so funny to those of us watching but was actually a bit mean to the victims. Soon they either became very angry (we did not expect this in all honesty) or they became so frustrated they would just stop and stand there. They gave up trying at all.

Just recently, I came across a passage of scripture that has just been eating away at my heart. In Matthew 9:35-36 Jesus is ministering to the people. He is teaching them and preaching to them. He is healing them of every sickness and every disease. Suddenly He looks at the multitude and it is as if He sees them for the very first time. The words, which are, actually used say, “But when He saw the multitudes…” something takes place in the heart of Jesus at that moment. It goes on to say, “…he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” It was as if the real problem of the multitudes was not the sicknesses or diseases He was healing, but really something else.

The word that I noticed, which did not really seem to fit with the rest of the description of what Jesus saw, was the word “fainted.” As I thought about this, in my minds eye I saw people just falling out on the ground everywhere, unconscious. I saw medical people and friends running to them trying to get them to respond! On street corners, they sold smelling salts at a premium price! This just did not seem to fit the scenario so I decided I had better look up the word. Much to my surprise, the word “fainted” used here means to “flay or to harass!” It also means to skin, to mangle or to vex, trouble or annoy.

Upon, please stay with me a moment and I will try my best not to bore you, further investigation I found the word was used by the Greeks to talk of being so troubled it was as if they were being flayed alive! They were troubled on every hand.

Therefore, when Jesus looked at the multitude He saw people who were so troubled with life they were harassed. Some even felted their troubles were so great they were being flayed alive. In my minds eye I now saw the blindfolded pillow fighter never knowing where or how to respond. He is feeling helpless and hopeless receiving blow after blow!

Have you had life come at you from all directions and realized you had no idea how to respond to it? You had no idea which way to turn or what to do. Coming to the place where you finally just stood there taking blow after blow with no response! I am not talking about good things happening to you in this manner, I am talking about the pains, fear, disappointments of life. I am talking about experiencing feelings of depression and despair!

Jesus went on to think of these people being like sheep without a shepherd. They were fearful and confused! Not knowing where safety lay! They did not know which way to turn or to whom they should turn. Troubled and ready to just stand there and take whatever came their way.
As this dismal picture unfolded before me, I was encouraged to realize that when Jesus saw these people in this condition He had compassion on them. Their needs touched Him. He yearned for them from the depth of His emotions. He felt sympathy and pity for them. To sympathize with a person is to share the feelings of someone else. To say I can understand how you are feeling I have felt the same thing.

When Jesus saw the multitude and saw that, they fainted and were as sheep without a shepherd He sympathized with them. He said I understand how that they feel I have been where they are. From His deepest emotions, He yearned for them. He wanted to help them so much and yet realized the difficulty that would be involved in meeting that need.

When life comes at us, as it does the Blind Pillow-fighter, and bombards us from all sides we need to know there is hope. When life seems hopeless, it only seems that way if we try to handle it ourselves there is hope. When our hearts have been broken, there is hope of healing. When the disappointments and frustrations of life hold us captive in chains of hopelessness, there is hope of deliverance. When we are blind by the failures of the past and the dismal picture of our future, there is hope we will see the beautiful promise that lies before us. When we have suffered at the brutal hand of life, bruised and broken, there is hope of liberty and healing! It is only in Jesus Christ who yearns with sympathy to make all the difference in our lives. In Him is our hope.
Luke 4:18 tells us that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted, to set the captive free, to open the blind eyes, to set at liberty them that are bruised. Luke also told us that Jesus came to seek and to save those that are lost. He came to save the sheep looking for a shepherd. He came to seek the lost sheep who are wandering without direction. He came to lead us to safety!

Do not lose heart! Do not give up! Jesus can and will make the difference in your life. You no longer have to face life as the Blind Pillow-fighter, not knowing which way to turn, feeling flayed alive by life. You can know that Jesus knows your pain and is willing to make the difference…He is moved with compassion for you!

It is Just a thought! God Bless…
　

Value?

Good morning! I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July holiday. Spend some time with your family and friends and also take a few moments to thank God for this wonderful country.

I was struck by a thought yesterday (I won't go to the funny side of that comment) and thought I would share it with you. I have written several articles and thoughts about forgiveness in the past several months and of over two hundred articles I have written these have generated the greatest response, someone always has something to say. I have written several thoughts about our value, to ourselves, others and especially to God and these have received little or most times no response.

This observation has made me to wonder...is it easy to see that we need forgiveness? That we need to forgive? Yet is it hard to see that we are loved and chosen by God? That He places great value in us? That we are special to Him?

John 3:16 tells us that God was motivated by love. You love someone because you value them. You love someone because you recognize the worth of the person loved. If you consider the to be so invaluable that they are not worth the gunpowder it would take to blow their nose, you don't love them! They are worthless...

We must understand how God sees us! We must begin to look upon ourselves the way God looks upon us, with love. In fact Jesus said the second greatest commandment is that we love our neighbors as we love ourselves. We have to love ourselves, to place value upon ourselves, in order to obey this commandment.

Remember, God loves you, not because He has to, but because you are special and you are special because God loves you.

Just a thought! God Bless...
Don Doran

Lot, Why Did You Chose Sodom?

Have you ever wondered why a person made a certain decision? Maybe you are looking back in time, like in a history book, and wondering why they made a decision that had a devastating effect on their lives and from your vantage point you can see they should have done something different. I have often asked, “I wonder why they did what they did?” “What were they thinking? “ Those are questions that came to my mind recently concerning Lot.

Now, let me assure you, I do not have an inside track into the mind of Lot. I really have no way of knowing exactly what he was thinking or any way to find out exactly what he was thinking. However, I asked myself the question, as if I were speaking to Lot, “Lot, why did you move to Sodom? Why did you make that choice?”

When Abraham left Haran at the direction of God, he brought with him Lot, his brother’s son. God had spoken to Abraham and told him to go to a place that God would show him. Abraham and his family end up in the land of Canaan. Upon their arrival here, the Lord appears to Abraham and promises him this land and that the promise and the land would be passed on to Abraham’s children. Every thing seems to be going along great and then they hit a snag. A famine comes over the land. With the famine, Abraham decides to continue south to Egypt.
After being in Egypt a short time, Abraham and Lot leave Egypt and return to Bethel, where they had pitched their tents prior to their trip to Egypt. Things still are not normal. They were already rich and both Lot and Abraham have lots of herds and people working for them. Now, settled in one place there is conflict between the two camps. The bickering becomes so unsettling that Abraham finally approaches Lot and suggests they part ways. Abraham offers Lot first choice and promises to go in the opposite direction. The Bibles says Lot looked at the well watered plains of Jordon that were like the Garden of God and he wanted to live there. So Lot made the choice and lived in the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

Why would he choose to live here? Did he not see the dangers of living in an area that was so perverse and ungodly? Was he not worried about his family and the exposure they would receive from these cities? Why would he choose Sodom, for the next time we read of Lot he is not living in the plains, he is not living in the cities in the plains, nor is he living with his tent door facing Sodom? He is living in Sodom and is a highly respected citizen sitting in the gate of the city. WHY!?

I think the clue is found in the scripture that describes the plains and cities let me quote:
“And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.” Gen 13:10 (emphasis mine)

Lot chose Sodom because it reminded him of Egypt. In his journey to Egypt he had gotten a taste for it and when he saw Sodom he disregarded all of the danger to satisfy that hunger. Of course, all through the Old Testament Egypt is an example of sin and the world. It is a type of a place that is far from God and the things God stands for. It is often typical of slavery and bondage. Lot had a taste for Egypt.

We as Christians would do well to be careful to protect ourselves from Egypt. There are going to be times in our walk with God when we will be in the blessings of God, yet it will seem the blessing will not last. Heed the warning; do not go to Egypt to find another blessing! Stand on the promise of God. Abraham left Canaan and Bethel where God had promised blessings and went to Egypt because of a famine. Lot was introduced to Egypt while there.

Parents, how often do we introduce our children to the world and its ways just because we are unsure of the promises of God? Do we give them a taste for Egypt in our moment of weakness? How often do we introduce ourselves to the bounty of Egypt and then wonder why we are struggling with ungodly desires and hungers. Have we looked at the cities of the plains and pitched our tents toward their offerings because of a trip to Egypt?

Sometimes we make mistakes, we are only human. There are times when we will fail to trust God in a moment of weakness and take a trip to Egypt. However when we come to ourselves we must realize we do have a choice. We can return to the place of God’s promise and claim His blessings or we can turn toward the place that reminds us of Egypt. The choice is ours.
Lot, why did you choose Sodom? It reminded me of Egypt…

Just a thought! God Bless…

Momma's House, Daddy's at Home!

I drive a bus for a day school here in the city we live in. I have passengers who are over the age of eighteen and under the age of four or five. All of these are developmentally disabled for various reasons. One of the four year olds on my bus has cerebral palsy. A couple of the children are autistic and others have behavioral problems. At first I was a bit apprehensive about working in this environment because they tell you a lot of the bad things that you will have to deal with, however, I have been touched in many ways be the sweetness of these people.

The other day, at about 6:55 AM we pulled up in front of a home to pick up a little two year child. The child was standing out front with their mother and when they saw the bus approach they got so excited the child was jumping up and down. I stopped and then tooted the horn to make the child laugh. This child struggled to climb up the steps with their little short legs and stopped beside me to show me their new shirt. One of the aides took the child back to their seat and got them strapped into their car seat. The mother stood on the steps and watched the process, talking to me for a moment. Then her child stretched out their arms toward her indicating they had to have a kiss good-bye. Momma went back and gave them a kiss then climbed off the bus and headed toward the door of the house. As we rolled down to the end of the road to turn around the little one began to cry and say “Home! Home! Home!”

I looked over at the house that the child lives in. It is an old mobile home with unpainted wood siding. It sets in the trees and never sees the sun at all. The side that is visible from the road is the north side and it is cover with green moss. The yard is neatly kept with a few interesting landscape additions. As I looked at the house and its kind of dismal appearance I thought to myself, “Why would anyone want to go to that home?” Then just as quickly I realized it wasn’t the house they were talking about. The child wanted to be where Momma was. That was home.

I have another three year old who is adopted from the foster care system. This child’s mother or father brings them out to the bus every morning and again there is a big production of goodbyes after they are in their car seat. I love to see the love and care they show this child. I also love to see the adoration this child has for the parents. This child thinks that the father “hung the moon.” When we return in the evening as we pull up to the house the child begins to watch to see if the father’s truck is in the drive way. If it is there the child begins to holler, “Daddy home! Daddy home! Daddy home!” This happens so often that now all of the children will holler with him, “Daddy home!”

It is amazing, some of these children can barely talk, even at four years old, but when it comes time for them to be the next stop they know they are getting close to home. One of the students cannot speak at all. I noticed that she shows her happiness and stress by voice inflections not words. One afternoon, right after she began to ride my bus, I had to run to route a little different and failed to turn on her street but drove past it. She immediately began to holler and carry on. I realized she knew where home was. I am now careful to take her home the same way everyday and she is happy.

The other day another child’s mother went on an out of town field trip with an older sibling. This child stayed with a grandparent who met us each morning at the home to put the child on the bus. The first morning the child was fine, Momma had just left and they had Grandma. However, the next morning it was a different story. The child was crying when they got out of the car. Grandma promised them the world if they would stop crying. She said, “I will take you anywhere you want to go tonight, just don’t cry!” It didn’t matter they kept on crying. As we were pulling away I was surprised to hear the child saying, “I want my Momma!” I had thought they were crying because they didn’t want to leave Grandma, but it was Momma who was being missed. There just isn’t a substitute for Momma, not even grandma.

Someone once said, “Home is where the heart is.” I would have to say this is very true. I would also have to say that with these children, home is where the loving parent is, and be it Momma or Daddy. They are what make it home. It isn’t the appearance of the house that makes it home. Neither is it the location of the house but it is the recognition of who and what is there, Momma and Daddy and lots of love.

I have found the same to be true in my relationship to God. Home is where Momma is. The Church is our spiritual mother. It births us. It nourishes us. It is where we are fed. It is where we go when we hurt. It is where we go when we need loving. It doesn’t matter so much what the house looks like. It can be a store front or it can be a beautiful edifice. I have seen it housed in garages, school houses and exquisite buildings, it really doesn’t matter as long as Momma is there. Momma is going to make it all right!

Of course Daddy provides the security and provides. He is there with His strength and power. That quite strength that reassures us the world can be shaking on the outside, but as long as Daddy, our Heavenly Father, is home, everything is going to be alright!

I love to drive up to the house and begin to feel the anticipation of knowing that Momma is there. All of the problems and pressures of the day and week will be shared with her. Those bumps, scrapes and boo-boos are going to be doctored. The emptiness inside me is going to be replaced with satisfaction. The loneliness I am feeling will leave with the sweet fellowship of Momma’s loving care.

I love to walk into the house and recognize that Daddy’s home. The fear and uncertainty is gone, Daddy’s home. There is safety and security now because Daddy’s home. Those around me can also feel the excitement from with in me and they too come to recognize that Daddy’s home.

There just isn’t a substitute for Momma! There is nothing in the world that can ever take her place. When you are away from Momma there is something inside your soul that cries out for her. There are a lot of things that try to take her place in our lives, but nothing and no one can take the place of Momma!

No, it doesn’t matter where it is nor does it matter what it looks like on the outside, just as long as it’s Momma’s house and Daddy’s home! That is where my soul longs to be…

Just a Thought! God Bless…

Another Day

Each morning on my bus route I get to enjoy the sun rise, that is about the only thing to enjoy that early in the morning. The bus is quiet. My assistants are catching last minute naps before the have to start attending children. I am usually fighting to wake up, myself. Yet I have found that this quiet time is a good time to meditate on the Lord. I don't ask Him for anything but just take this time to think about Him and His goodness.

Recently, on one of those mornings I pulled up to a stop sign and right before me was one of the most beautiful sunrises I have witnessed in a long time. I thought someone should write a song about something so beautiful and spoke a word of praise for the beauty of God. These words began to come to me and I thought they might bless you as they have me every morning since then...

When the sun comes up in the east in the morning,
And spreads red and purple across the sky,
It brings to each of us this testimony,
It's another day our Lord to magnify.

As I walk thru this valley so lonely,
Fighting for my very life.
I know victory is coming in the morning,
And another day our Lord to magnify.

Another day to praise the name of Jesus.
One more day to tell of His love and grace.
I will love Him worship and adore Him,
Another day our Lord to magnify.

"O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together." Ps 34:3

Just a thought! God Bless...

Oops! They Were At the Airport!

There is an old expression I have heard many times, “I am waiting for my ship to come in, but when it does come in I will probably be at the airport.” It is a classic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Another old expression I have heard is that you can’t get respect at home. You will always be remembered as you were not as you are.
Jesus had paid a visit to His home town of Nazareth. He shows up at the synagogue, as He usually did. He is given the book of Isaiah and begins to read a very powerful passage of scripture to them:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19
Jesus then hands the book back and makes this statement, “Today is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
What a wonderful opportunity was given to the people of Nazareth. Here was Jesus, the Messiah. Here was the one they had been looking for, waiting generations for His coming. He is standing in their midst telling them the prophecy was being fulfilled right then and there. Oops! They are at the airport!
Jesus is telling them they can have their hearts, which have been broken by life, healed and made whole again. He is telling them that the chains of life that has held them captive, those chains can be broken and they can be delivered. He is telling them that those who have been blinded by life, by the lies of the enemy, can receive their sight again. He is promising them that those who have received bruising blows from life and sin, blows that have left them hurting, can experience the liberating power of the blood flowing through their lives. He tells them it is happening right there, at that exact moment, this prophecy is being fulfilled. Oops! They are at the airport!
Instead of excitement! Rather that being exuberant! They look at each other and their response is, “He speaks well. Where did he get this information, this knowledge? Isn’t he the son of Joseph the carpenter?” Oops! They were at the airport!
Jesus then shares a thought with them which was not well received, yet you and I should really pay attention to what He said, “There were a lot of widows in Israel in the days of the draught during Elijah’s ministry, but God sent him to a widow in another country. There were a lot of lepers in Israel during the days of Elisha, but again Israel missed out on the blessing as a man from Syria received the miraculous healing.” He was telling them Israel was at the airport!
The opportunity for a miracle was right there. Many widows were in desperate need of a miracle of oil and meal, yet they were not open to a miracle. They were at the airport. Many lepers were in need of being healed and restored to their family yet the faith and trust in God was not there. They were at the airport.
How often do you and I miss out on blessings from God because we are “at the airport?” I am talking about things that we are in desperate need of. Our heart might have been broken. Some tragedy in our lives that has left us crushed feeling like we will never be whole again. Yet we don’t trust God to heal that broken heart. We don’t believe He will do it. We are “at the airport!”
Have you been held captive by the past? Mistakes you have made in times gone by can hold you in chains of fear and doubt. Are your eyes blinded by the lies of the enemy? Is he tearing down your faith and confidence in God to the point you cannot see the possibilities God has for you. Are you bruised by life? Has the failures of yesterday left bruises in your life? The scripture tells us that God is the remedy to our situation, yet too often we don’t think He will do it for us. We are “at the airport!”
We read and hear about miracles taking place in Africa, South America and other distant places. We hear of wonders and signs happening in great numbers and then wonder why it doesn’t happen to me? We are at the airport. We have the confidence God can do it for everyone else but not us. We are looking for our ship at the airport!
He said the anointing was there for the healing, for the deliverance, for the opening of the eyes, for the liberation of the bruised. We can have it! It is a promise to the child of God! We just need to believe it can happen to us and then accept our promise. This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears! Where are you at? Are you at the airport waiting for you ship to come in?
Just a thought! God Bless…

Chaos of Life

Wow, where does time go? Here we are, already into the third month of the year 2009 and it seems just like yesterday we were getting ready for Christmas. Zoom and time passes you by. If you are not careful today is here and gone without you realizing it.
I noticed that it had been a few weeks since I have been able to write a blog. So many things have happened and changed in that time since the last blog. Job changes have taken place for both Melinda and I. Both of our mothers have been ill, needing more of our attention. Some life changing decisions have been made by all of us. A good friend became ill and then passed from this life. Time changed, messing me up a lot. Some of these things happened one at a time and others piled on top of each other.
As I thought of these “events” I realized these are just part of life. Life sometimes comes at us so fast, but it is just life. Life has its good times and it also has its not so good times. There are those moments of tranquility and then those moments pandemonium. Times when we feel like we are in control and it is all going our way. Then there are those times when we would grab life by the tail if we could only find the tail. That is life!
I have come to notice, in fact a friend brought it to my attention, that when life becomes chaotic it is often the enemy trying to cause us to lose our focus. In the past weeks we have been so blessed to witness God moving in special ways in every service we have been in. Lives are being changed! Broken hearts are being healed! Bruised lives are being liberated! Eyes that have been blinded by the lies of the enemy are being opened to what God is doing! Lives that have been held captive by the past with its disappointments and failures are being set free! God is filling people with the Holy Ghost! He is refreshing and renewing! The enemy would like nothing better than to distract us and get us worried about the things of life rather than the things of God.
A passage has been running through my mind
“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” Is 59:19
How many times have you felt like life was overwhelming you? I remember a few years back hearing a gurgle and realized the basement of the Church was flooding. It rained ten inches in less than twenty-four hours and we ended up with a flooded basement. We just happened to be living in the basement at the time. We struggled for seventeen hours before we became so exhausted we had to stop. The water just kept coming and coming and then it kept coming. Life sometimes comes at us that way.
This passage tells us that when we feel about to be overwhelmed, God will bring it to a stop. One writer said He will blow on it and make it disappear.
“But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.” 1 Cor 10:13
I guess when life gets chaotic we need to remember to rely on Jesus! When life is changing on us at an accelerated pace we need to remember that Jesus Christ is always the same, He never changes. We can always depend upon His constancy.
Just a Thought! God Bless

Forgiveness is NOT an Option!

Don’t you just love those evenings when for some odd reason you have nothing that you have to do? You can stop and ask yourself the question, “What am I going to do tonight? Will I read a book? Should I listen to some music? What am I going to do?” Aren’t those rare occasions great?

Several years ago I remember having one of those nights. At that time they were very rare. We had all three of our children at home. We were pastoring two churches and had a daughter work also. Between those responsibilities, along with teaching Home Bible Studies, being the principal of a Christian School and trying to be a husband, father and a son, there were not a lot of evenings when I didn’t have something that was demanding my attention. On this particular evening, not only was it free, but I was home by myself, which meant I could pretty much do what I wanted to do.

I remember deciding I wanted to have someone preach to me. I felt I needed to be spiritually fed, I needed some input. I went to our preaching tape library and just grabbed a tape and put it in. I wasn’t really caring who I was going to listen to or what subject they would preach on, I just was going to relax and say, “Pour it on!” Then let whatever happened happen. Needless to say, God obviously had something totally different in mind!

I don’t believe there are any accidents with God. You might have an accident while driving. You might even have an accident in that you drop a glass of water. However, I don’t believe it is an accident when you hear a message that is from God and it makes a difference in your heart. I believe these are actually “divine appointments.” Times when God desires to mold and shape us into the person He wants us to be.

The message that I listened to that night was about “Forgiveness.” As the title was given and the message started I kind of sat back in my chair and thought, “Well there is no problem here, I will get some good information for a message. However, I don’t have anyone that I need to forgive.” Yet as the message began to unfold I began to get uncomfortable. So much for a night of relaxation! I began to get a good old case of conviction, to the point I had to ask God who I needed to forgive. I went down the list in my mind and couldn’t really think of anybody and so I told God that.

Can you imagine my shock when I felt God speak to me and tell me, “You have forgiven everyone else but you haven’t forgiven me?” My response was first shock and then it was horror. I quickly moved just in case fire came from heaven just for the thought that I might have something against God! As I began to converse with God about this He led me to understand that I had feelings that I was afraid to admit, because of disappointments and failures from my past. In my heart I felt that God had let me down and I had failed to forgive God. This started me to begin to study forgiveness. Let me share a few thoughts with you.

In Matthew chapter 18 Jesus likens the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who takes inventory. In doing so he finds there is a servant who owes him a large sum of money. The king sends for the man and asks to be paid. The servant explains he doesn’t have the money, we have all been there, but will do his best to raise it. The king feels the man has had enough time and commands that he, his wife and children all be thrown into prison. The servant falls on his knees and begs for mercy and the king is merciful. The king doesn’t give him more time, he completely forgives the servant of the debt that is owed. One writer says he canceled what was owed.

The servant leaves the kings court. He walks down the street and it reads as if he is on the prowl, looking for someone who owes him money. He finds a fellow servant who owes him a few dollars. He grabs the man and demands payment. The fellow servant says he also doesn’t have the money to pay the debt. Now the servant pays no heed to the promise of payment or the plea for mercy. He has the fellow servant thrown into prison for the owed debt. The amazing thing is the servant was forgiven ten thousand talents and he was owed only one hundred pence. In today’s money and I mean as of 9:11 PM Central Time on September 23, 2008, this man was owed $11,594.99 and he owed the king $3,580,532.19. He had been forgiven an incredible debt yet couldn’t find it in his heart to forgive a fellow servant a debt that was owed him.

There are a couple of things I would like to bring to our attention. It is obvious the king is likened unto God. It is also obvious that Jesus is talking about forgiving our brother when He is speaking of the two servants. Peter has asked Jesus how often a person is required to forgive someone who sins against them. Jesus said we are to forgive seventy times seven and then Jesus goes on to say the Kingdom of heaven is like a king and then tells the story. He ends by saying so likewise shall my heavenly Father do unto you.

The first thing we need to understand is God has forgiven a great debt that we owe. Each and every one of us owed Him a debt that we could have never paid. The only hope that we had was damnation. Yet God was merciful to each of us and forgave us that debt. He did not just give us time to try and figure out a way to pay it, He forgave it. That means He pardoned us. We were absolved from the debt. We have been exonerated or completely set free from what we owed. It is gone and forgotten.

On the flip side, we have been done wrong. We will have people do us wrong again. We will even feel if we are honest with ourselves that God hasn’t completely done right by us. Yet, no matter how big the wrong which someone does to us it will never compare to the debt we owe! The debt I owe is far greater than any and all debts owed to me. So, with this in mind, the key to feeling forgiveness is forgiving. I didn’t think this up, someone shared this with me and I put it into practice and it works.

Watch this! The servant is forgiven by the king. He is feeling good, in fact it seems as if he has found a new power in life in that when he finds the fellow servant he grabs him and demands payment of the debt owed to him. Now when he refuses to forgive the debt owed to him he is brought before the king a second time. The king reminds him of the mercy that is showed to him regarding his great debt. Then the king reinstates the debt and the Bible says he has the servant turned over to the tormenters. What had been forgiven was no longer forgiven because of the forgiven would not forgive.

When I fail or refuse to forgive then I lose the privilege of being forgiven. I come to an altar of repentance and confess my sins and feel God cleanse me of those sins. I am free! I feel so good and refreshed! Yet a day or so later, it may even be a week or so, I begin to deal with the same feelings of guilt, shame and condemnation. It is inner torment! Why? Because I have not forgiven those who I feel owe me, who have done me wrong.

In His pattern of prayer, Jesus prayed, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” If we don’t forgive, can God forgive us? It is a small price to pay for freedom, for peace. You see forgiveness is not an option. We must have it to live free from torment. We also must give it to live free from torment.

Forgiveness is not an option. Neither is it something we will only have to do one time. I have had to go to my knees many times and ask forgiveness and also forgive. I have had to seek the face of God for help in forgiving. I have had to forgive God and make sure things were right between me and God. I have had to forgive others who have knowingly and unknowingly hurt me. I have to make sure things are right between us. Yes, I have also had to forgive myself. I have hurt myself so many times. I have let myself down and disappointed myself many, many times. Yet, if I want peace in my heart and a relationship with my Savior, forgiveness is not an option!

Just a Thought! God Bless!

Where are You Sleeping Tonight?

Have you ever gone camping and slept in a tent? When our kids were growing up, camping was our family activity. We really enjoyed it for several different reasons. We could get away, seemingly far away, and yet be within thirty miles from home. We could relax and never hear a phone ring or anyone knock on the door. It was inexpensive yet lots of fun. Most of all, we spent time together as a family.

I remember one of the first times we went camping. Everyone went to bed, all was quiet and I opened my eyes to see the shadow of someone standing right outside our tent. My heart raced! I was wishing I had thought to bring a gun! Then he moved away. I quietly got out of the sleeping bag, unzipped the tent and realized the man who was standing next to my tent was actually in another campsite a hundred feet or so away. He had just walked between the camp fire and our tent making it seem he was right there.

I was recently talking to someone and a passage of scripture came to my mind. It is the twenty-seventh Psalm. The psalmist speaks of the Lord being his light and salvation. There is no need to be afraid because we can depend on Him. No matter how great the enemy is that comes against me and even if I am surrounded, I don’t have to be afraid, I can keep my confidence in the Lord.

The part of this psalm that actually came to my mind is when the psalmist said that in the time of trouble God would hide him in His pavilion. It is my understanding the pavilion was the tent in which the king or captain of the army slept in when they were at war. It was placed in the center of the army’s encampment with the whole army surrounding it. If the enemy wanted to get to the king, they had to go through the whole army. Their chances of survival were very slim if they were to try this. Yet the chances of the king surviving were very great. The psalmist said in the time of trouble God would hide us in his pavilion. In the center of his protection!

Peter speaks of the child of God being a “peculiar people.” A lot of people like to use that to say it is ok for Christians to be weird because we are peculiar. That word doesn’t actually mean odd, strange or weird. What it actually means is to be set apart because of value. God looks upon us as being valuable to Him, as being special to Him so He sets us apart.

It goes a little further in its meaning to speak of being inside a circle of protection with God. He has surrounded us with His love and protection and as long as we remain within that circle nothing can get to us without His permission.

We read about a time when the Lord was meeting with the host of heaven. As they were conversing Satan came before the Lord also. God asked where he had been and Satan’s reply was he had been to and fro through the earth. The Lord knew what he was doing and asked him if he had considered God’s servant Job?

Satan said he had checked out Job but God was protecting Job so that Satan couldn’t get to him. God had great confidence in Job and allowed Satan to come against Job to prove the faithfulness of Job was because of devotion not just blessing. Satan returned a second time and a second time God allowed Satan to afflict Job.

You will notice in both cases God protected Job. In both cases Satan was unable to get close to Job. In both cases God limited the access Satan had to Job. Job was in the pavilion of God.

We often wonder why we deal with some of the things in life that we must deal with if God really loves us. There are more than one answer to these questions, however, let me try to keep it simple. One reason is sin, both our sins and the sins of others. The second reason is our imperfections. God allows things to happen in our lives to bring these imperfections to our attention so we can remove them from our lives, thus making us more like him.

Let me show you. When Job began his trial he was a righteous man. So much so that God brought him to the attention of Satan by saying, “Have you considered Job?” Job was so careful in his relationship with God and his family that he offered sacrifices for his children just in case they forgot to offer the sacrifices. Many times during the trial Job was firm with his assurance that he had not sinned. He was falsely accused by his friends of sinning, but he was firm in his innocence.

He even brought that to the attention of the Lord. He wanted to know why God was allowing this to happen to him. Yet in one place he actually answers his own question when he tells us that although he couldn’t find God, God knew where he was a when it was finished he would be purified as gold.

God finally lets Job know that although he is a righteous man God is still God. He asked Job where were you when I did all of this…? After Job and God have this discussion Job realizes he has stepped out of place and gives God the right to do what he desires in Jobs life. He actually forgives God.

God had been protecting Job, only allowing in just enough of the temptation and trial to help Job to realize his shortcoming. Not allowing enough to destroy him, but allowing enough to make him stronger if Job would seize the opportunity. Job forgave God! Job forgave his friends! As a result God tremendously blessed Job in his latter days more than his earlier days. I can’t help but think that is a spiritual blessing also.

So, my question is, “Where are you sleeping?” Have you allowed God to hide you in His pavilion? Are you sleeping in His tent? Are you in the protection of His love and mercy? Where do you run when you feel the enemy is surrounding you and trying to overwhelm you?

The servant came running to his master with a look of dismay! He is sure the end has come. He is sure it is all over now! He had just taken a look out the window and then out all of the windows and the sight was the same. They were completely surrounded by the enemy! It was surely a hopeless situation. However, that all changed when Elisha took him again to the window and he was now able to see the army of the Lord had surrounded the army of the enemy!

If we look at life and its situations through our natural eyes we will be overwhelmed. If we look at our mistakes which we have made and the results of those mistakes through natural eyes we will be overwhelmed. It is at this time that we need to run to his pavilion. It is at this time that we should allow God to surround us with his blessings of protection and love.

Where are you sleeping tonight? In a tent that is close to the fire of the enemy so that he can frighten you with his shadow? Will you sleep outside the protection of the power for God? Are you going to sleep in His pavilion, in His protection? Where are you sleeping tonight?

Just a Thought! God Bless

Waters to Swim In

Do you enjoy swimming? To me there is nothing as refreshing on a hot day as getting into the swimming pool and just letting the water totally cover you! It seems like every part of your body is refreshed and cooled.

I remember when we were kids we lived just a little ways from the river. In fact, you could see the Eel River from our back porch. We would spend as much time as possible at the river playing, hunting, and fishing. However, we were never allowed to swim unless we had an adult with us. For some reason my Mom is terrified of water. My Dad didn’t learn how to swim. He said his Dad threw him in the creek and told him to swim out! He sank to the bottom and walked out. He and his Dad repeated this a few times and finally his Dad gave up.

When we could talk Mom into taking us swimming, which would happen only one or two times a summer, she was very rigid in what we could do. We were never allowed to get in the water past our knees. Really! If we went out past our knees she would panic and make us come back.
Now the problem with this is simply it is hard to get wet and have a great time in knee deep water. You can’t swim! You can’t really float! All you can do is splash around a bit and maybe lay in the water, moving around with your hands on the bottom. It is not really fun, but it is better than nothing.

I will never forget the summer when I was able to go without Mom’s permission. A couple of friends and I went to a swimming hole and I learned to swim. One of my friends had some ski belts which we put on. We climbed up on this log and jumped into about 12 feet of water. It was so awesome! This is how I learned to swim. I loved it because I found out that water that is over your head enables you to do so much more and have so much more fun.

It reminds me of the passage where Ezekiel speaks of being taken out into the water. It started out shallow but eventually he was led into water that was waters to swim in. I remember my Dad preaching from this passage many times a message called “Wade out into the Deep!” He would preach about our relationship with God and how some people are happy to stay close to shore just kicking around in shallow water. We need to venture out into the deeper waters that we are able to swim in.

The same is true in our worship. Many times we are content to splash around in the shallow waters. I want to be very careful because I have no intention of making light of any sacrifice of praise that is made to the Lord, so please stay with me. Yet we go home and have never left sight of the shore. We have not gone far enough to get into the water to swim in; we have hung around the shore, that which is safe and familiar.

Let me give you an example that I have seen happen many times through the years. We come to Church really excited about the service. We are remembering past services and the touch of God we have received upon our lives. We begin to sing praises to Him. We sing of His mercy and grace. We sing of His name and heaven. At first it is just “our self” that is doing it but soon we begin to feel a little something! The more we praise Him the better we feel and others are feeling it too. Someone might begin to jump up and down a bit! Someone might break into a run or a dance! There are times when this might go on for a time period of great praise to the Lord.
How many times do we stop there? How many times do we stop and catch our breath and say, “We could go home now. We have already had Church?” Many times we do just that. My question is simply this, what would happen if we pressed on into deeper waters. What would happen if we would wade on out until we were in waters in which we were totally submerged in the Spirit? Let’s think about this for a moment.

The word “baptize” is used five times in the New Testament in three different scriptures. In three of those scriptures it is quoting John the Baptist prophesying that Jesus would come and baptize us with the Holy Ghost. We know that baptism only happens when you are totally submerged. We know that the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God. I do not believe the baptism of the Holy Ghost to be only a one time event in our life. I do believe that God wants to baptize us repeatedly with His Spirit. We have to wade out into the swimming waters in order for this to happen.

Every day we deal with life. We deal with hurts and disappointments. We deal with anger, pain, bitterness, abuse, fear, deceit and all of the other things that life throws our way on a daily basis. Being emotional we feel these pains and our soul filters these emotions. After awhile the filter will become clogged with the debris of life. At that point we come to the place where we feel we can’t take any more. We become overwhelmed!

However, when we push past the familiar in our praise, we begin to allow God to do a work in us. Let me share this thought. There are seven words in the Old Testament for praise, I won’t take time to go into all of them, but I noticed many of them were words, powerful words, which just speak of a commitment of our relationship with God, whether or not we are feeling anything special. They speak of raising our hands, being thankful, shouting, playing music, to boast, and to celebrate. All of these are wonderful and I love them, they are so much a part of who we are. Yet I also noticed that in part they are a testimony to others, as well as God, of how we feel about God and His goodness. There is also one word that is a little different and it speaks of blessing the Lord from a prostrate position.

Now I am not bringing about a new doctrine, I am just sharing a thought that has been on my heart for a while. If you look this word up in the scripture you will find that it is the same word that is used when God blesses us. Let’s take a look at a couple of Psalms where it is used.

“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” Ps 95:6

This is more of a positional type of worship, whether physically or spiritually and emotionally, we bow before Him. It also speaks of adoration. So the reason we bow before Him is because we adore Him. Let’s go a bit further.

“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” Ps 100:4

This speaks to me of going further than praise and thanksgiving, which seem to be the starting point. This speaks to me of entering into a worshipful attitude that is deeper. With this thought in mind, check this out…

“Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” Ps 103:1-2

The rest of the Psalms list the reasons to adore Him, all of reasons we should adore Him. This is, to me, speaking of wading into those waters where you totally become submerged in the Spirit of God, waters to swim in. You are worshipping Him with all that is within you! Every part of your being adores Him.

Consider this! Jesus takes a little side trip to Samaria. There He meets a lady and begins to talk to her of Spiritual things. She spoke to Him of His being a Prophet and of places to worship. Jesus said there would come a time when worship would not be required to happen in a certain place. He went on to say that it was time when those who worshipped God openly would do so in spirit and in truth.

He then makes this statement which I will quote because of the power of it:

“…for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24

The words used here speak of worship meant to adore. It also means to kiss like a dog licking his master’s hand. It means to prostrate your self before Him in adoration. It goes on to use the words spirit and truth. Spirit speaks of God’s Spirit, entering into a realm beyond our spirit to where the Spirit of God is one with ours. Truth speaks of verity or something real, true, genuine. Men will worship Him in unity with His Spirit in a real and genuine manner. The most powerful part of everything Jesus says to the woman is this, “God is looking for us to worship Him in this manner.”

This is worship that cannot take place in the shallow water; this is when you get out in the waters to swim in. This is when you have lowered yourself and exalted Him in your adoration. This is when you magnify the Lord and exalt His name. You adore Him!

Let’s go back to the filter we spoke of earlier. Jesus stood on the last day of the Feast and said if any man is thirsty he can come to me and drink. If He believes on me scripturally out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water. Then the writer makes sure we understand that Jesus was talking of the Holy Ghost. When we begin to worship God as a true believer, one who adores Him, the Holy Ghost is going to flow through our heart. All of the debris that has been caught in our filter is going to be flushed out by the power of the Holy Ghost. There will be a flowing of the Spirit. Our emotions will be cleaned as our spirit communes with the Spirit of God.

Paul tells us to be filled with the Spirit of God. He is telling us to come under the influence of God’s Spirit. He tells us to allow the Spirit to control us. Could I go as far as to say, to wade out from our comfort zone into the swimming waters!

Just a thought! God Bless.