Picture Perfect

Between worship services today, we had a photographer take pictures of member to put into a directory. It was amazing how quickly she did them. I think it took about a minute to get us posed correctly and then it was done. I find it amazing that in a blink of an eye, our image is recorded, possibly for decades, centuries, or beyond, should the Lord tarry. Sometimes images can be manipulated, but in general, when the picture is taken, that is what people will see. Did you ever think about what your image might mean to those around you? The biggest question is, when they consider your image, imprint of life, is the first thing that comes to mind a God fearing Christian? If they would be surprised to know that, something is already way off base. When they consider your presence, do they see someone that loves others... including their enemies? Do they see some one who is filled with passion for God and His word? If there is no desire to truly grow in faith through a deep understanding of the Bible, our image will probably be getting quite blurry. It might be time to step back and consider what that image looks like to others. When people look at you, do they see compassion for the lost, the sick, the hurting, etc.? When the world looks at you, do they see honesty, integrity, and faithfulness? It is not how you act around other people that really tells the true measure of a person, but rather how you act when no one else is around to see you. We may act well enough on Sunday as we gather before the Lord in worship, but what do people see later in the day? Would some soul searching for the truth be confident that they see it in you? If not, why? So, why is the image we leave behind so important? What we do may be the most powerful part of our testimony. Very few people have ever been debated into the kingdom of God. If we were always conscious of the fact that people are watching our lives to see if they match God’s word, wouldn’t we think harder about what we do? We are part of one church. We, together with others that walk by faith, are to be a living representative into the world. Our image, action, work is not a means of earning salvation, but the true representation of the heart. Does your heart give a true reflection of your living faith. Father, I know that I am not picture perfect and that my life needs to be developed by You each day. Let me shine for you. Amen

Continually Renewing

Since our yard is a little too big for a push mower, I have a rider mower. With some recent mechanical problems, the cutting deck was removed from the tractor until things are fixed. After looking at the small tractor and cutting deck, I realized there are things that should be updated. I have made several trips to the dealer getting the parts as I saw the need. It was working nicely, but not at its best. Why? There is upkeep that needs to be done. I need to replace a part here and there so that it can get back to what it was fully designed to do. Sound familiar? In our walk with God, we also need to continually be renewed by the Spirit. In Lamentations 3 we read, “Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” It is when we consider we are doing ok or not paying attention to our need for spiritual growth that we see things begin to break down. God’s own people fell away from faith multiple times in their history. It was never because God turned away, but that His people (us) turned away from Him. The big difference is that when the tractor needed repair it was my failure to keep up with the needs. When our spiritual walk with God is in jeopardy, it will never have been God’s fault. He created us to be in perfect unity with Him. The failure is not in God’s design. It is definitely not the fault of the One who created us. We thought we could get “more miles” out of this mortal body without the need for renewal or change. It is like running a motor without getting the oil changed. Without intervention, the motor will seize. With the oil changed regularly, the effectiveness of the mower will be close to optimal. Being renewed day by day in our faith renews our spirit. We need to stop worrying about what someone else with think of us and instead, we need to get totally honest with God. Have we been negligent with our time? Surrender that to God. Have we judged others instead of loving them as Christ does? Holy Spirit, change our hearts. Have we been faithful, not only in continue to grow in our knowledge of God and His word, but in living in out in our daily lives? Keep us faithful in Your word. Keep us steadfast each day. Father, we all need a spiritual tune up. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and direct our hearts. Amen

Waiting for the Lord’s Return

You have probably heard about Jesus returning at the end of time, as we know it. Some people speak of a terrifying judgement... some speak of bodies rising from the dead... some speak of a rapture where the faithful are taken home instantly and the unfaithful remain here... and the list goes on. So what are we meant to think? The Bible tells us that we are to wait for Christ’s return, but what does it mean to wait? I would compare it to having special company come over. You can have the meal cooking, the table set, the bathroom cleaned, etc., but usually you are not just sitting around waiting for them to come. There is always more to do. Maybe you are wiping down counters, doing more clean up, straightening the table one more time.... Waiting, in that sense, is not idleness. It is actively anticipating the arrival and wanting to have everything done that needs to be done. When Jesus calls us to wait for His return, it is meant in an active sense. Each day we should be about God’s work as we wait His return. Some of that may have to do with our spiritual growth... studying God’s word, spending time in prayer, putting our gifts into practice in service to God. Some of that waiting is actively reaching out to others so that they might be ready too. As far as when and how the end will take place? There are so many versions, all supported by God’s word, to an extent. Does it matter about the specific details? According to God’s word, that times will come so that the faithful would not fall away on account of the worlds condition. In other words, at that point, you will either be a believer or you will be lost. No one will be straddling the fence anymore. The only thing that will matter is that Jesus will return and that only believers will be saved. We can argue how it will happen, but that is not as important as having submitted to Jesus. No one will be saved by knowing how... only by faith. What about when? We have many events that will happen before Jesus return... earth quakes, famines, wars, and rumors or wars, etc. The only thing, I believe, that hasn’t been fulfilled yet is how bad it will get, but during Covid, we saw how quickly things change. Jesus tells us no on except the Father knows. Lord, we know that only those who walk by faith will be saved. Help us to focus on the basics and share that with others too. Amen

Is the Devil a Magician?

I had shared a few day ago how our sound system was having technical difficulties. With the 100th Anniversary celebration for the church on September 13th, we were scrambling to figure out what the cause was. If you have ever worked with sound systems, you realize how hard it is sometimes to pin point the problem. We thought we had the problem nailed down and the fix was going to be about 500-600 dollars. Not what we wanted to do. One of our musicians kept insisting it happened during the sermon, but I hadn’t really noticed. We turned on the whole system, as it was on Sunday, and were trying to duplicate the sound to figure out its source. We were convinced it was in the mixer, the unit that controls the volume and controls. I thought that if indeed it happened when I was preaching, I would start reading from the Bible and see if there was something about that location. As I looked down, I noticed there was an adapter and some cords connected to a CD player to provide music during Holy Communion. I moved my foot and lightly touched the chord. SNAP! That was it! I was the cause. I believe my new robe spread out a little wider, and bumped that ultra-sensitive connection, causing the loud snap. You see, as long as I didn’t pay attention to exactly when it happened, I was content blaming the mixer. It is kind of like a magicians slight of hand. He wants you looking at one hand while he is actually doing something with the other. Once I listened to our musician and duplicated the sermon, I was able to solve the problem. I am 99.9% sure we have it solved, at least for this situation. I couldn’t help thinking about how the Devil does the same thing. With Eve, he told half truths about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Instead of Eve staying focused on what God said, she bought into the distraction and didn’t see what was coming... sin... death... separation from God. Today, I think he gets us focused and complaining about our circumstances, when things started to break down, and grieve because things aren’t as they used to be. He keeps us complaining and not doing anything, like praying, rebuilding, and restoring. Stay focused on God through prayer. Lord, forgive us for the times we allow the Devil to distract us. Keep us focused on You and doing what You call us to do. Praise God for answers! Amen

The Power of Love

We live in a time where love increasingly has lost true meaning. People casually talk about falling in and out of love, as if it was just an emotion. When it comes to marriage or just being partnered with someone, we see again the lack of work, commitment, and value to traditional understanding. What I am saying is not my opinion or meant to be political, but rather what God’s word tells us. The churches silence has created much of the problems we see today. I believe we are to love all people, but it doesn’t mean we have to agree. Love without boundaries is not true love... it gives the appearance of validating things. Traditional marriages were watered down with the concept of same sex relationships. Marriage began, as God outlined... between a man and a woman. Then there was a multitude of versions that questioned what a man and a woman really were. God created them male and female. Now, we find that more and more people are living together outside of marriage. There is no binding commitment that cements a couple together and nothing that ensures that one or the other will fight to keep things going. God’s word intimately binds love and obedience together. Love is not primarily a feeling or emotion, but rather a commitment that is to be worked on every day. I see more people use love as a weapon than a desire to build each other up. I hear, “If you loved me then you would...” or “You don’t love because you won't let me ...” When God talks of true love, He is referring to an unconditional love. God loves us in spite of what we have done. That doesn’t mean that everyone well enter heaven. Faith is a pre-requisite. I think some people love their pets more than a spouse or family. This was not ultimately how God created us. If we truly want to understand love, we need to look to 1 Corinthians 13 which states, “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” This is the love by which we love the world. So, how are you doing with love? Father, thank You for the greatest example of love... Your Son taking our punishment so that we might live. Thank You. Amen

We Are Not in Control

We experienced technical difficulties during our worship. The sound system decided to pop very loudly periodically. The good news is that everyone stayed awake during worship. The bad news is that it drew away from God’s word. We think about praying for living, breathing creation, but we can also pray for sound equipment as our God is the God over all things. The message was looking at the glory of God and honoring Him only, and yet the things of the world continued to hold us hostage (sound system). There are many things in the world that can be beneficial such as money, science, technology, internet, but only if they are servant to God. What do I mean? If we put our trust in these items as our first hope, they can become an idol to us. If, on the other hand, they are used as a means of living our lives for the Lord, they can be a great blessing. I should have stopped worship and prayed for a miracle, like on Pentecost Day, when the Apostles preached and thousands were able to understand them clearly in their own language. I paused and prayed in my mind quickly, but I was trying to figure out what needed to happen next. If I had asked everyone to join me in praying, who knows what God might have done. Recently, in Bible study, several people have shared how items have been lost and they went to the Lord in prayer (not angels or saints). The items were found in odd places in unusual ways. God cares for us even in the small things. We need to come before Him, not only when we are in trouble, but in the good times as well. Our greatest call is to worship and praise God all of our days. We need to break the pattern that God somehow serves us or caters to our wants rather than acknowledge Him as Sovereign over all things. Romans 12 tells us that offering our bodies as a living sacrifice to God is the least we should be doing. We are called to not conform to this world of sin, but to be transformed by the work of the Holy Spirit so that we better understand God’s desire and will for us. So, when problems arise, we lift it to the Lord. Yes, we are to do what we can, but we must never lose that dependence on God. We indeed serve an Awesome God that supplies all our needs. Father, we lift up the sound system, our lives, our schedule, our health, and all that we have to You. Lead us in all things. Amen

Being Directed

The grass was getting long and so I went out to get it mowed. The yard's too large to mow by hand, so I have a small rider mower. I made one pass around the front yard, then I was part way through the next pass when I noticed the mower wasn’t responding well. I turned the wheel to the left, but the mower kept going straight. Then I noticed the one front tire was turned to the left while the other tire was aiming straight ahead. Not a good combination. When I got off the mower and looked under the tractor, I noticed a metal rod dragging on the ground. I managed to “limp” up to the house to park it. I went to a tractor dealer and got the new part. Then I went about installing it. I had to take off the mower deck to get to the right place. After a struggle to unbolt the metal arm from a tight place, I managed to get the new rod bolted in. It wasn’t till I was going to bolt it to the wheel that I realized I had put it in backwards. I took it off, turned it, and put it on again. As I was connecting it to the wheel, I felt a few rain drops. About the time I finished tightening, the rain started pouring down. I guess the deck will be my project for another day. When I got on the tractor that day, I was confident that I could control the direction. How often we feel confident in what we are doing, so much so that we don’t stop to ask God to lead us. It isn’t until we are headed for trouble that we realize we need help. On the tractor, I had the right part, but I put it in wrong. Again, even when we realize that we failed to ask God to lead and direct us, we don't always ask God, as much as we tell God what we want Him to do. Again, we likely won’t end up where we are meant to be. We want the simple, comfortable solution. Sometimes, when God is calling us to follow Him, we fail to hear because of all the other distractions... schedule, hobbies, desires, etc. Just as I had to remove the mower deck to get to the steering, sometimes we need to remove some things from our own life before we are listening well... love of phones, TV, sports, family schedules, lists, etc. Just as the deck can go back on after the steering is fixed, we can balance activities after hearing God’s voice. O Holy Spirit, give me ears to hear Your word, Your voice, Your people. Then lead me to respond as You desire me to. Amen

God’s Got It

The main highway that runs through this area has been closed due to road construction... not just for a day or two, but a month. It has taken me about 15 more minutes to get into town. Yesterday, they started on the section that goes north of us. I drove into town on the road I haven’t been able to take for a month and it was wonderful. Sometimes areas have to be closed down so that things can be improved on. The road blocks are now gone and I have a greater appreciation for this road. In life, opportunities can get shut down. There can be roadblocks that slow us down and try to force us to look the other way for solutions. Sometimes we accept those roadblocks as a normal part of life. One of our great downfalls is that we take God out of the equation. If we can’t see a way, we tend to give up or go along with the status quo. If God truly is in control, we need to be seeking Him for direction. Just as the road needed to be closed so that the culverts along the way could be replaced, I believe God can use the roadblocks in our lives to strengthen our faith and redirect our hearts. Some of the people that seem to have the deepest faith got there through some of the tough times in life. When God’s people got to comfortable with their life, they often forgot God, which eventually led to God’s punishment. Job’s faith was redirected during his great suffering. The Apostle Paul’s faith was transformed after God took his sight while he was on the way to persecute Christians. Not only did God give him back the sight that was lost, but his spiritual sight became so much clearer. Maybe you are facing a desert time in your life where you are wondering where God is. Maybe you never really knew God, but you are hungering for something better and deeper. In these times when our lives feel out of control, we are given the opportunity to let God have control. Why do we wait until things get dire? The phrase, “Let go and let God” is so true. We try to remove the roadblocks by our own wisdom and strength. No matter what the obstacles you may face in life, know that God is bigger than anything you face. He’s got it. These trials that we face could end up being great opportunities to give it all to God. Father, We know that we will face trials in life, but do not let them overwhelm us. Remind us that with You, we’ve got it. Amen

Thankful Hearts

We have been pretty dry most of the summer and could really use some rain. On Sunday, I was talking with a few people and mentioned that we really should have been praying that God would provide. Well, I went to town to do a little shopping and there was a spot somewhat near the building (next to the shopping cart return) so I decided to park there. Not wanting to crowd the car on the other side of me, I parked closer to the carts than I should have. It was a little challenge trying to squeeze out. I remember seeing the dark clouds and thinking that it might be hard to get back in, especially if it was raining. I got my shopping done and as I headed towards the front of the store, the rain started coming down. It was so loud on the roof of the building that it was hard to hear anyone talking. Just when I thought things were done, the sound got even louder. I saw several couples having to yell just to communicate. There was a little hail in the rain as well. What do you think most of the people were thinking as they looked out? How am I going to get to my car without getting soaked. What should they have been thinking? Thank You Lord for the wonderful rain that waters Your creation. Why was that not the first thought (assuming one is a believer)? Because we were inconvenienced by the timing. If it had come at night when we were sleeping, it would have been wonderful. If it had happened at a time I didn’t need to go out, I might have really enjoyed watching it. It makes me wonder how conditional our thanks are. God tells us to be thankful in all things. Is our thanksgiving tied to how the gift is given or to the fact it was given? If we asked for help or supplies and they are delivered by someone that we don’t get along with very well, will we still thank God for answered prayers? If we have aches and pains in life, are we still thankful? If, on those days that everything seems to be going wrong, we can still be thankful, then we know our faith is grounded correctly. We are thankful because God is enough and I know that, if I walk by faith, I can trust Him. We are to adopt and attitude of gratitude that is anchored in our relationship with God. It is hard to be truly thankful in all things, but with God’s help, we can. Thank You Jesus for this day and the opportunities to serve You. Forgive us for the times we make it about ourselves. Amen

The Glory of God

I was recently at a Bible study where the topic was about the glory of God. The comment was made that those in the city miss out on so many expressions of our Awesome God. Then somebody made the comment that being out in the country, there are so many reminders of the majesty of God such as the stars, a deer wandering through the yard, a multitude of different birds that can be seen, etc. Someone else, trying to encourage us to soak in God’s beauty reminded us that this month is full of shooting stars. He said, “Everyone should grab a blanket, go out into the yard or field, lay down and just watch the stars in the heavens”. After a pause as we were all appreciating what was said, a voice broke the silence with the question, “How do we get up again?” The room was filled with those in their 70's, 80's, and 90's. We all had to laugh and agree. The truth is, this may be one of the single most important things to ponder. I have a question. When you pray, how much time is spent worshiping, acknowledging, praising, and keep God always before us. Then consider how much of your time is spent asking God for things, praying for Him to act, such as healing others, or seeking some benefit. I always have to remind myself that if my glory and hope is not in God, then my prayers and spiritual walk are shakey at best. God is sovereign over all things. When we remove Him from that place in our heart, things of the world begin to fill that void. In the Old Testament, that void was filled with idol worship. Today, it is filled with money, material things, and selfish ambitions. If Eve had kept her eyes on God, she never would have been tempted by anything the Devil came at her with. That is just as true for us today. When we as individuals or the church begin to look at what we are doing, what we want to accomplish, or what ministries seems too challenging, we are often sliding away from God. Don’t get me wrong... we should be praying for the sick and seeking God’s direction in our life, but not at the expense of removing God from His rightful place in our lives. This is why so many of the Psalms are filled with worship and praise. If we loose that, we are a step closer to losing everything. Father, You created the heavens and the earth. You continue to give us life and breath. Fill our hearts with awe as we enter Your presence. Amen

Giving Our Best

I remember reading a story, probably not a true story, about a project manager. He had served a boss for pretty much all his life, building house after house. He finally got to the point in life where he was going to retire. His boss asked him if he could build one more house. The manager thought to himself, "I don’t have that much saved up for retirement and this house is valued pretty highly". He decided that he was going to cut corners and pocket the difference. He used inferior windows, doors, floor boards, etc. He finally finished the job and handed the keys to his boss. The boss announced because the manager had been such a good worker and hadn’t complained, even though he didn’t get paid that much, that the keys were his. The boss announced that he was given his retiring project manager the house that he had built (with cheap products). How do you think that manager was feeling. Imagine what was going through his mind when the cold radiated off of the low quality windows in the winter, or imagine the electric bill going up because the cooling system wasn’t very efficient. As time went on, he became aware of how quickly the doors squeaked, how often the sinks plugged up, how the paint began to peel after the first hot summer, and so on. If that manager knew what was at stake, do you think he would have done things differently? I think the response of most people is, he really messed up. If only he knew what was at hand and had truly given his best. We are tempted to think he was such a fool, and yet are we any better? God calls us to be fishers of men. How much effort have you truly poured into that? The natural fisherman can’t wait to get to the lake to fish. He will get up before the sun rises. Even if he comes home empty handed, he usually has a story to tell of his efforts. So many that have been called to be fishers of men make excuses for why they can’t go, they keep putting off the call, and there is often no story because there was almost no effort. If you have been faithful fishers of men, praise God. If this catches you feeling a little sheepish or even embarrassed, don’t forget that feeling. It is not the time to start cutting corners and making half hearted efforts. Today is the opening fishing in the world. Lord, help us to recognize what gifts You have given us and how we can fully use those gifts faithfully, to Your glory. Amen

God Answers Prayers

I don’t know why God answers some prayers immediately when we ask and others may take years... and we may not even see the answers. If, however, we stop praying, then I am certain that many things we might otherwise have prayed for will not happen. Someone was sharing with me about an answered prayer. They had gone to the hospital and so instead of leaving valuables, including the phone, on the counter, it was handed to the spouse. Partway through the stay, it became obvious that the phone was nowhere to be found. They back tracked everywhere, searching rooms they were in, bedding, etc. They continued to pray about it on the way home. The one that had been sick stayed at home that Sunday while the spouse went to church alone. On the way, she prayed once again for the phone to appear. At that point, she hears a ding. Her first thought was that a message came in. Her second thought was that her phone didn’t chime. She decided to call the missing phone and there it was. We might be quick to think that maybe they just didn’t remember and had forgotten it was still in the car. Well, right after sharing that experience, another member made the comment that he had lost his phone the day before. The last time he remembered it was when he went through the checkout at Walmart. I know there were several people that were praying for God to help locate the wallet. Right after the second service, we heard that he went back into the woods and, you guessed it, the wallet was right there on the ground. Praise God for answered prayers. It was great to hear of those two answers, and I know God cares for our whole life, but there are prayers that are even more important to lift before the Lord. We need to be praying for the lost and those searching for the truth that they may find the truth in Jesus Christ. We need to be praying for families that they may teach their children what God’s plan and desire is for their lives. We need to be praying for churches and all the members that God would fill each with the Holy Spirit and transform each according to His will. We need to be prying for leaders that they may faithfully serve, accomplishing what God desires. God indeed answers our prayers. O Lord our God, raise up prayer warriors to dedicate themselves to lifting the needs of the community to You, spiritual and other. Amen

Everything Is Connected

I have been struggling over the last few days with a sore neck and a killer headache. I believe I slept on it wrong, starting with the sore neck, which caused a headache, which flared up a few other things as well. Tomorrow, I will see a chiropractor to try to get my neck back in line. God has made the body so interconnected that when one part struggles, the rest begin to struggle too. When one part is finally feeling good, it seems to energize the rest of the body as well. When my neck gets adjusted, I will likely feel some immediate relief, but it will take some time for the rest of the body to heal. The body of Christ is made up of all believers who in turn have a multitude of gifts and abilities to share. We want to see a thriving healthy church, but we expect someone else to do that, like the pastor. What would happen if you used your gifts! Look for ways you can connect with people in the community. Maybe there is s shut-in that we can visit or help with transportation. Maybe someone else needs repairs in their home and we might be able to assist with labor and skills. If you are a tax preparer, offer classes to help those struggling. If you are good at teaching, maybe the church could make time available for tutoring. If the parents are always busy working, maybe you can invest some time in the kids, taking them fishing, to a park, etc. If you are a great cook, maybe you can provide a meal for those that have just lost loved ones or are facing crisis. If you have been blessed financially, maybe you can support some of those reaching out to others. You need to first determine what your gifts are, spiritual or common, and then ask God how you can use it for His glory. As we help, there is a result that comes from it. Some will desire to know why you do it, while others will selfishly try to take advantage of you. Even some selfish folks will be drawn to Christ through the sharing of your gifts. There is healing and growth that is needed as well. I believe that everyone (not just some) should be involved in Bible Studies, whether at church, meeting in homes, or hearing it on the radio. The knowledge that comes from God’s word brings healing to us and healing to the nations. Lastly, pray! Father, I want to see the body strong and healthy. Help me to be a faithful part of growth and not the cause of division. Amen

Discipleship vs. Consumerism

Someone had posted an article about how people see the church. I would like to share it with you. “The longer I pastor, the more I am convinced that one of the great mistakes of modern Christianity is that we keep arguing about traditional church versus contemporary church. That is not the deepest divide. The deeper divide is discipleship versus consumerism. You can build a consumer church with a worship band, stage, lights, coffee, and skinny jeans. You can also build one with hymnals, pews, choirs, suits, and a King James Bible. Consumerism is not an aesthetic. It is a posture of the heart. Consumerism ask: Do I like the music? Do I like the preaching? Are there programs for my children? Do people dress the way I think they should? Does this church share my politics? Does this church make me comfortable? And when the answer becomes no, we start looking somewhere else. Discipleship asks an entirely different set of questions. Where can I serve? Who can I love? Where do I need to grow? What preferences do I need to surrender? How can I help carry the burden of this community? Where is Jesus asking me to die to myself? The problem was never primarily organs versus guitars. The problem is that we have spent decades teaching Christians to evaluate church as consumers rather than belong to them as disciples." Discipleship is not some archaic concept from Jesus day. It is a process by which we discipline our life after the teaching of Jesus Christ and then in turn, gather with others that can see the example that we set for them to follow. This is not shown just in the good times, but also in how we handle disappointments, grief, doubts, and temptations. It is a very humbling process because how many of us feel adequate enough to mirror Chris's life? Discipleship done right, comes with humility and much prayer. The command Jesus left with us just before He went back to heaven was to make disciples. How? By going, baptizing, and teaching them to obey all that Jesus taught. Who should we disciple? Anyone who wants to grow in their walk with God. It would include teaching God’s word, being in prayer, asking question, answering question, and encouraging. Father, help us to discipline our lives after Your word and commands. Help us also to reach out to others seeking You. Amen

True Repentance

I was watching a clip showing a foul in a women’s basketball game. Many of you have probably watched it as it occured many days ago. It was between DiJonai Carrington of Chicago Sky and Sophie Cunningham of the Indiana Fever. It was clear that Dijonai wasn’t jumping high enough to block the ball, nor was her arm appearing to reach for the ball. She didn’t even try to avoid a collision. Her arm wrapped around Sophia’s head in a very brutal attack. It was initially just called a foul, but after a lot of protest and reviews, it was changed to a flagrant foul and she was kicked out of the game. I wasn’t even thinking of a black on white issue until DiJonai posted from the locker room, “White Privilege”. My thought is, if she doesn’t see what she did as a flagrant foul, then she has no right to play in a league and put other players in danger. I don’t know for sure, but I believe she was finally suspended pending further review. If I was on the board, determining how long she would be suspended for, I would weigh heavily against her due to a lack of repentance. If there is no repentance, the action will be repeated again. On Sundays, after the confession of sins, we hear a passage from 1 John that states, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” We usually miss the next verse which states, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” None of us are free from sin and to say otherwise would be terribly dishonest. If, however, we refuse to confess our sin or repent of them, there is no hope of forgiveness. It is not like a presidential pardon that may not always consider if someone is truly innocent before granting them freedom, on principal or personal favor. Our forgiveness is not automatic. If there is no faith, no confession, no repentance, not real contrition, there will also be no forgiveness. We are not to confess just because we got caught. We confess because we were wrong... we sinned. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Father, we want to walk daily with You and so we acknowledge that we have sinned and need Your healing. Amen

Creatures of Habit

The area in which we live is not particularly crime ridden, especially in the country. Even so, I have always had a habit of locking the doors of my car after I get out. Today, I went to the church for a Bible Study. It was a little warm and so I decided to leave my car windows open. As I got out, guess what I did. You got it... I locked the car doors. I realized that after I got into the church. I had the choice of going out to lock it, I could assume that no one would do anything, or hope that if a thief came by, he’d be too foolish to notice the window was open. I had to laugh at how much of a creature of habit I had become. I do the same thing with our garage door. I back out and am almost out to the road when I forget if I closed the door. Most of the time I have to back up and check. Could age be a factor? I suppose, but I have been doing things habitually for years. If I am not careful, it could almost seem like I blindly follow without really considering what I am doing and why. What have we done in our spiritual life to combat this danger? My guess is there are times you have gone to church and haven’t really heard a thing or ever thought about what the liturgy is about. I’m also guessing there are times, when praying, that you have said what you have always said, but haven’t really thought about it. Yes, God knows what is on our mind, but if we are just saying words, it is like smoke that rises but has no real benefit. How can we improve the depth of our worship at church? First, spend some time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to lead your heart and mind. This should start at home before you begin to head to church. When you arrive, read through the hymns so that the message is familiar to you because once music is added, the phrasing gets a little choppy at times. Mark the Scripture readings in the Bible so you can read along. Even better, if you know what the readings will be, read them at home so you are more familiar with them. Take a notebook and take notes of the message so that you are listening more actively and can review it during the week, pondering what God’s revealing to you. Find ways to put what you heard into practice. If you are not alone, discuss it on your way home. Father, I don’t want to ever take You or Your word for granted. Help me to stay focused on You wherever I go. Amen

Worship

Worship can be a noun as in we are going to worship. When used as a noun, there is no guarantee that anything spiritual is going on. Growing up in Papua New Guinea, they used the phrase see the church (translated). However, if it is used as a verb, it describes the act of the heart submitting to God and recognizing His awesome majesty. I ran across the following definition which I thought was right on - “reverent, heartfelt response of the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—to the majesty, holiness, and love of God and the Bible. It is both an internal attitude and an external expression, rooted in Scripture and shaped by the knowledge of God’s nature as eternal, sovereign, and supremely good”. True worship is not just praying, or praising, or reading God’s word. True worship encompasses everything that has to do with rightly seeing God. Worship fills the whole being in an unspeakable sense of God’s presence, His character, and His supremacy over all things. Often, the trials that we face can forge a deeper sense of His grace, which in turn gives us greater love and devotion. I read a quote the other day that said, “My worship echoes in places my tears once lived.” Our worship replaces the doubt, the sin, the addictions, the temptations, our pride, and the love of the world. In Isaiah 35, as the prophet speaks of the coming of the Messiah, who we know as Jesus, it speaks of the miracles and the work Jesus will do. I love the image of transformation as Isaiah say, “In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.” In our own lives, the jackals might represent sin, the world, the Devil, our own sinful nature, or all the above. True worship transforms us. Romans 12 speaks of our true act of worship being “offering ourselves as living sacrifices”. The outcome will be that we will no longer conform to the world but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Our worship doesn’t lead us to look back at where we have been or focus on the many ways we have failed God, but rather to look forward toward what God is directing us to do. Worship is not a single act but should be a totality of all we say and do. Everything we do is related to God and should be a deep heartfelt expression of our faith. Father, to You we lift up our hearts in praise and worship, setting aside the things of the world that tempt us and focusing on You. Amen

Pastor's Pondering

I haven’t written anything for a while as we have been leading Vacation Bible School at our church. We had a much smaller group than normal, but it takes the same work and energy to succeed. It seemed like I started behind this year and was playing catchup. Now that the week is done, preparation and worship is complete, and my body got some long-needed rest, I can begin to move forward again. This last group really surprised me. We normally present a program on Friday night, but we had so few people, we had to adapt skits and plays to make it work. Let me tell you, this small group sang like a choir that was four times its size. They were loud, clear, and musical. I was so proud of what they did. When I think about the phrase small but mighty, I can’t help but think of King David. As a boy, he fought off lions and bears that attacked his heard. Then, while still a boy, he willingly went to battle against a giant named Goliath. The King offered David his armor, but it was too heavy for David. Truth is, even if it hadn’t been too heavy, it was foreign to David. His God, not his armor, kept him safe. David went up against the mighty giant and won. Then there is Samuel that was called to be a prophet at age six. He became one of, if not the greatest of those called by God. King Josiah, who began to rule at age 8, was God fearing and brought his people back to God. Jesus at age twelve was teaching and asking questions before the church leaders. There are also countless people that were not mighty in their own right that God used to accomplish great things. It is not the age or the influence that God is looking for... He looks at the heart. One person, fully devoted to God, can accomplish awesome things as the Spirit moves among them. The excuses that we use not to serve God are just that... excuses. God can, and does, equip those whom He calls to serve. When God directs our hearts to do His bidding, it should not be, “I can’t...” but rather, “I will... with the help of God.” We need to wake up each day with the knowledge that God can do anything through us if we are surrendered to Him. Are you willing to accept the call to follow Him? What are the false narratives that you tell yourself that deny God? Father, when we are tempted to give in, thinking that we are out of our league, remind us that nothing is impossible with God. Amen

Human Limitations

That title probably doesn’t even surprise you. Of course humans are limited. We can’t fly, can’t tell the future, can’t create life, can’t... can’t... can’t. I ran across a situation today that frustrated me so much. My wife was going to have a video conference with someone, and she was hoping that she could do it on my laptop. I had used it for zoom meetings and other video conferencing, so I wasn’t too worried. For security, I usually cancel permission for my computer to allow anyone to use the microphone or the camera. In the past, once I give permission to connect the video meeting, everything is ok. My problem is finding where that page is that allows me to do that. Well, today, I opened up the video conference link. It wanted me to test if everything was in working order. I realized I didn't open the camera or mic. I found the page pretty quickly and then had the connection tested. The video came in beautifully, but the microphone didn’t work. I tried for 20-30 minutes with no success. Finally, as time was running out, she connected on her phone with the much smaller screen. I still don’t know what went wrong. It has always worked before. I knew what needed to be done, but I was unable to make it happen. I will probably have to take it to a specialist to figure out what little thing I missed. My guess is that it will take no time to figure out. It is a very humbling feeling. How often we do a similar thing in our Christian walk. We get lax because we think we have the answers or know what we have done in the past that has helped. Maybe it is someone we have counted on in the past that is no longer interested. Maybe there is an unexpected interruption, and we aren’t sure how to handle this new situation. Maybe we have been able to buy things to solve a situation, but this time it won’t work. At those moments, we realized that we were never really in control of our circumstances. What do we do when we realize that we can’t solve our situation? Some run away from any responsibility. Some try making excuses or blaming someone else. The proper response is to admit that we can’t do it on our own and seek expertise... Jesus. Let us remember to start there next time. Father, too often I like to think of myself more than I ought. Help me to see myself honestly and learn to seek Your direction. Amen

Dangers of Comfort

I recently heard a story which I assume was to be an illustration. I don’t know if this happened, but it could have. It is about a mouse that crawled into a jar filled with rice. At first, it nibbled the rice that surround it. Since the jar was filled to the top, the mouse could have left at any time. A day or two later, the mouse still could easily jump out of the container, but it was getting used to being comfortable. As the days passed, the rice level continued to drop. By the time the rice ran out, the distance to the top was getting too high. What it might have been able to escape from when the ordeal began, now was impossible due to the out of shape of mouse. The mouse wasn’t forced into the jar as a prisoner. It wasn’t tricked into staying. The problem was that the mouse became too used to the comfort that it never desired to escape... until it was too late. What a sad story. There are a lot of such “mice” in the church today. These people are not focused on what God is calling them to do. As a matter of fact, they might vote against doing things that are not appealing to them or easy to do. They see God’s word as a directive to someone else... often the pastor. Now I am not saying that a pastor should not be doing these things, but I believe it is a call for all believers. God says to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them... not stay and wait for them to come to you. In most churches, less than 10-15% of the congregation is serving God actively. That means the vast majority may be inactive when it comes to serving God. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate them coming to church, and I pray that the word will begin to grow in their hearts but imagine if 100% of the church was active. I’m not just talking about serving on the church council or ushering. I’m talking about being ambassadors, representing Jesus to the people around us. I’m not saying that we should never be comfortable, but when comfort becomes a goal and serving God takes a back seat, we are out of step with God. There is a time for everything under the sun. How to we justify taking up our cross and following Jesus... with relaxing and being comfortable? Each of us have been given gifts, but we must use them. Father, You call us to represent You, but being comfortable is often more appealing than being obedient. Help is Holy Spirit. Amen