Stump of Jesse

When we lived in South Dakota, we planted a couple of trees in front of the house. During one of the strong storms that went through, one of the trees blew over, snapping about three feet above the ground. I can’t remember if I didn’t have time at the moment or if the ground was frozen, but I grabbed a saw, cut the fallen part off and left the stump or bottom two feet of the tree. As I was debating whether I wanted to dig it out or see if I could use it there in some decorative way, I noticed a shoot beginning to grow in the center of the stump. I found it interesting, so I decided to let it go. There wasn’t much to it when we left to come serve this church in Wisconsin. I was surprised when I went back out there to visit with friends that the stump was now a tree about six to eight feet high. The last I saw it, it was a beautiful tree again. Who would have thought that there was any hope in a stump. In our first lesson today, Isaiah 11:1-10, we hear of the stump of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, who became the greatest king of Israel, and from his line would come the promised Messiah, that we know today as Jesus. Interestingly, as it talks about a shoot coming from the stump of Jesse, it isn’t speaking of his son David. It is referring, 14 generations later, to Jesus. It basically is saying that Jesse has already passed away, and yet through his lineage comes the life the world has waited for, the Messiah. Then we get some prophetic descriptions of who Jesus would be. In verse 2 we read, The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him — the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord — and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.” As Jesus, He was both God and man, but the Holy Spirit would be upon Him and lead Him. The next section tells us, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.” Unlike most earthly rulers that lord it over everyone, Jesus will rule in righteousness, not showing favoritism. All who follow Him will have eternal life. Thank You Jesus for coming into the world, bringing hope and renewal to all who follow You. Amen

We Are God’s Creation!

I remember watching a little clip of a woman meeting her pompous husband at work. While they are there, the wife bumps into the janitor and they get to talking and catching up on old times. When the husband comes by, she introduces the janitor and mentions that they used to date years ago. The husband looks down on the janitor, and after the couple left, the husband started mocking the man. He says with disbelief to his wife, “If you had married him, you would now be a janitor's wife. Aren’t you glad you married me?” To that she answered, “When we were dating, you were struggling with a lot of ideas. I pushed you to make them a reality. If I had married the janitor, maybe he would be where you are today!” I don’t think that was what the husband was hoping or expecting to hear. Talk about humbling. We have a part to play in who we are, but the input and interaction with family, friends, workers, teachers, church, etc. have a way of shaping us to be more than we likely would have been on our own. Ultimately, we are God’s creation. I like a quote from CS Lewis that stated, “The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” There is so much truth to that. As a believer, I know that there is nothing I can do that will entice God to love me, and yet God refers to believers as holy, saints, and righteous. Through faith, God not only transforms who we are, but through what He did on the cross, the Father sees us as “good”, even when we make mistakes. A parent will not cease to love a child when he/she makes mistakes, but a good parent will also not be satisfied letting the child wallow in sin. We cannot make a child good, but we can train them in the way they should go. God on the other hand, trains us in His word, fills us with the Holy Spirit, and transforms us as a child of God. Our desire is to hear Him say, “Well done good and faithful servant”, but I can only be “faithful” if the Holy Spirit is leading me. What part do I play. Surrender... submission.... shapeable. As God works in our hearts, He gives us the desire and gifts to accomplish His call. I make myself available in prayer, in reading His word, and in faithful obedience. Father, we come before You unfinished and weak. Through Your love, establish Your goodness in us. Amen

Learning a New Lesson

I went to Physical Therapist today for a knee problem. It was an amazing therapist that didn’t just tell me what exercises I needed to do, but explained why I was feeling what I was. One of the things I kind of knew, but he brought to mind again was that I might be afraid to walk. That sounds like such a silly statement. After all, I have been walking for many, many years. It’s as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, right? Then I started to think back to when they scoped my right knee. After the procedure, between the pain before and the pain of the procedure, I was very hesitant to walk normally. I had walked with a limp or crutches for long enough to lack confidence that I could trust my knee. Now, I am going through the same idea. He pointed out how I was walking hesitantly and that it actually was putting more pressure on the bad knee. This sounds crazy, but he explained the mechanics of walking and how the hip, knee, and foot worked. With that in mind, I have exercises to strengthen weak muscles, but I also have instructions of how I need to be walking. I have to say that my knee got sore, but I felt like I was relearning what I needed to do. Is it going to be an easy road? Probably not. Does it look possible at this point. Yes. I told you that to tell you this. At one point, our walk with God may have been wonderful, but lately, we may not have a great desire to walk with God. Maybe we just need to learn to walk again. We have forgotten our first love. The world has wounded us and we need to go to the Great Physician, God. Maybe your walk is going wonderfully and this is just a gentle reminder to keep practicing our daily walk with God so that we don’t start having issues. Relearning can be a challenge. Maybe in your faith, you have somehow become afraid to walk. I’m not saying that you don’t have any faith, but you hesitate putting your faith into action without using your crutches. As we spend time with God, be open to Him teaching you through prayer, His word, and Godly instruction from others. My goal, physically, is just to be able to walk unaided. Spiritually, I desire to soar on the wings of eagles and not grow faint. Lord, I claim Isaiah 40. I put my hope in You. Strengthen me so that I will run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint. Amen

Where Did the Family Go?

Today, there are so many families that are broken up. Sometimes it is over political views. Sometimes it is over parenting styles. Sadly, sometimes it is even over spiritual matters. Often people head off for higher education and come back a different people. The different person may have walked away from their faith. They may have adopted a different world view that changes their spiritual outlook as well. We hear, and I often believe, the closest family is not a blood relative, but a brother or sister in Christ. Let us look at the early church. In Acts 2:46-47 we read. "And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." Notice, gathering for worship wasn’t just one hour a week. It wasn’t even going to a midweek Bible study. They gathered daily around the word of God. They gathered together in homes, eating and praising God. They found favor with God, not because of their lineage or their status, but because they humbled themselves before the Lord in all that they did. What was the result? The Lord added to their number daily. I love our church, and it really does feel like a wonderful family, but we spend too little time together, especially around God’s word. I love our Tuesday study. It has become a family. That isn’t a way of saying we don’t want anyone else to join. I know someone who was separated from his family at a young age. About 60+ years later, they find each other. It wasn’t a burden for the family to grow. As a matter of fact, family has become of greater importance, I think. That’s what I want to see. They don’t even have to be members of our church. God tells us that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there in their midst. He doesn’t specify Jew or Gentile. He specifies gathering in His name. We say we want to grow in numbers but are we ready? How can we spend more time together and in the word of God? Our worship should not be about an hour on one day but gathering together before God often. If there is an interest, I’d love to meet with others around God’s word. Lord, give us desire, not just to read the word on our own and pray on our own, but to also hunger for Christian fellowship daily. Amen

Here We Go Again

How can we be thankful in all things. What if things go badly for us... should we still be thankful? Sometimes bad things happen because we live in a sinful and broken world. That doesn’t mean that we give up or spend our days complaining. In the Bible, there were times that God allowed bad things to happen as a means of punishment. For example, God’s people turned from Him and He allowed an enemy nation to come in and take them captive. God used bad things to protect His people. Causing hail to fall on the enemy or the Red Sea to collapse on the whole Egyptian army. There were times bad things happened to help other people understand. Healing the blind man was used to testify to the power of God. Job was struck by the Devil, by God’s permission, to teach that Job's faith was enough. We even hear of the Apostle Paul facing a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from become conceited by what he knew or experienced. Let’s look at Paul’s circumstance. It is found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” I’m not going to compare myself to the Apostle Paul by saying my knee problems are to keep me from becoming conceited, but it gives me opportunity and encouragement to draw closer to the True Physician... God. I can ask God why or I can honestly say, “God’s grace is sufficient.” In my weakness, I find strength in God. We are not told what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, but it kept him focused on God. I am being pushed to greater dependence on God, which is a good thing in the long run. We have been given a life changing message of hope. Nothing should stop us. Father, when ministry is going well, help me not to become conceited. When life get tough, help me find strength in You. Amen

Happy New Year!

Actually, I’m a few days late with that. No, I’m not saying that we are beginning 2026. This last Sunday was the first day of the Church year. Since Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Christ, it makes sense that Jesus birth would begin the church year, but there are four weeks prior to that called Advent, a preparation for Christmas. The greatest way to prepare, tied to the ministry of John the Baptist, is a call to repentance. We know the forgiveness that is ours through Christ, but sometimes, especially in the busy-ness of the season (worldly priorities) we can lose sight of Christ and what He has done. Wanting to grow in the intimacy of our walk of faith, many commit to specific Scripture readings during this time. Someone had mentioned, starting on December 1st, one should read another chapter in Luke, thereby reading an entire Gospel before Christmas, while preparing our hearts. I started a few days late, but I am back on track. Join me in this as it reminds us of who Christ is. A very unique method that no other season has is a special calendar called an Advent Calendar. Typically, this calendar has little cardboard flaps/windows that can be opened, one each day. Behind these windows might be a Scripture verse, a picture or a shepherd or some other part of the season, etc. Some are like a series of compartments with the calendar in front that contains items such as a star, a shepherd's staff, a donkey, etc., again to remind us of the parts of Christmas. I think there are now many secular versions of that calendar that have nothing to do with Christ or the true heart of Christmas. Advent, however, is not just focused on the coming of Jesus, which could include many of the prophesies of the Old Testament. It also is a preparation for when Jesus returns again. There are many passages that speak of Jesus return where the whole world, from Adam to those still alive today, will come bodily before Jesus and will be separated in categories of faithful and faithless. At this point, the faithful will enter eternity with God and the faithless will enter eternal damnation. We want to be doing what God has called us to do. We want the Spirit of God to be stirring in our hearts, drawing us nearer to Himself and strengthening our walk with Him. Are you prepared? Father God, may we not just speak of Your son’s return, but may we be found faithfully living each day in service to You. Amen

Back to Square One

Have you ever gone into a life size maze? You turn down a hall, only to find out it leads to a dead end. We are sometimes tempted to get frustrated because we didn’t get anywhere, but that’s not true. If you remember where you have been, you can rule out the hallway... a step closer. Well, my knee had been getting a little more painful. Today, it decided to create problems again. I started off with a little pain, that progressed to limping, to almost dragging my foot, to being back on crutches again. It seemed like it had been taken care of, but now I am back to square one. Well, that’s not true. They have an x-ray that can eliminate some issues. Now, I know where some of the pain is coming from, so that should help clarify. The next step is to figure out if physical therapy will be beneficial, or if I need another direction. I’m not recovering quite as fast this time. As frustrating as it gets, I know there are still options that are out there. I think sometimes our faith can seem a little like that at times too. One day, God’s word seems so true, His presence seems so close, and I feel like nothing could ever steal that from me. Then distractions, hardships, challenges, etc. get in the way and I stop spending as much time with God in His word and in prayer. The result? Has God left me? No. Do I feel like God has left me. Yes! Why? Because I have started relying on myself to take care of things rather than entrust it to the One that can really change things. When my knee started having issues, I was having problems just trying to get dressed. My wife reminded me of a trick I had told her after some of her surgeries. Now when I needed to use that trick, I struggled because I was trying to figure out how I could do it, rather than use some aids that made the job easier. That is a powerful picture of our own walk when we trust ourselves more than we rely on God. With God, I am never at square one. There are always options. Sometimes what I go through today can help me or others tomorrow. I might be tempted to give up on myself, depending on my circumstances, but with God all things are possible. The lesson is that we need to trust in the One who is greater than all our efforts. Father, here I am again, struggling with my own sinful nature. Whether healed or not, I want to live each day trusting You. Amen.

Unexpected Hurdles

It seems some years, it always snows on the same day of the week. It appears to fall on Saturday evening going into Sunday too often. I don’t like it starting this early in the season though. I woke up to 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. More than I expected by the forecast, but it was a lighter snow. I was able to drive through it ok, but with many older people, I can understand why everyone wasn’t so adventurous. The first service was very small, compared to normal, but the second service was a little bigger than normal. I would love not to have the weather surprises, but I have to admit that I wasn’t really praying for God to provide favorable weather. What if the musicians weren’t able to make it? I would either have to lead acapella (voices only, without instruments) or find some hymns I could play with the guitar. Would it feel normal? Probably not. I guess I figure that if people are there for the worship and not just doing everything by habit, it can still be powerful. We can still worship, even if it doesn’t go the way we always do it. As a matter of fact, sometimes when we change things up, we can actually get more out of that time of worship. Well, how few are too few to have worship? If there is anyone else other than myself, and they are willing to stay for worship, I will gladly do that. I will probably give a more abbreviated version, but we will worship all the same. After all, Jesus said "Where two of three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." I take that at face value. What if there is a power outage? Cars still work, although garage doors might need to be manually lifted. If it is at night, we can light some candles. I remember doing that during a Bible study once. I might need to raise my voice, but generations have worshiped without electricity. What if the pastor can’t make it there. If the musician is able, and we are blessed with such musicians, the congregation can pick hymns to sing to fill in time. The Scripture can still be read, prayers can still be offered up, liturgy and confessions can be included, and a blessing can be given to close the time of worship. Roadblocks cause us to adjust, but they don’t silence the heart's desire. It is very important to still gather to worship, even if it is a shorter time. Father, please keep the snow from interfering with worship this church year. Open our hearts to declare Your praises. Amen

Dangerous Theology

We were watching a video this afternoon. It seemed like a lower grade production but I was still curious how they were going to tie everything together. In the movie, the lead man found the lead woman unconscious on the deck in wintertime. I was shocked that he didn’t call 911 but took her to the bed and started covering her with blankets. My thought, “If she is not conscious, call for medical help”. But it got worse, at least theologically. He started asking his recently deceased dad to help make this woman conscious again. This is dangerous on so many different levels. The Bible clearly says that we are not to contact the dead. Mediums and spiritists are detestable to God. Even more egregious is that he is not praying or talking to God. The command, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other God’s beside me” comes to mind. A little later in the movie, they see an angel decoration and comment that it is like grandpa there watching over them. We do not become angels. I have noticed more and more that movies are adopting Christian ideas but work them into secular means. There are comments made about eternity without mentioning God at all. The concept of salvation, but it is through our works or some earthly means. There truly is nothing that Christians believe that the world has not tried to hijack with worldly concepts. God is irrelevant to so many that live today. People don’t fear death because they don’t know the predicament they are in. After the Bible talks about God loving the world and sending His Son, it continues with “if they don’t believe, they stand condemned already”. I watched another movie that ended with the elderly wife talking to her husband that had passed away, which is understandable if she was expressing her feelings knowing that this person is not actually listening. What bothered me was that she was looking to the top of the Christmas tree, again as if the angel was her husband. We are removing God from His rightful place in our hearts. We are not to pray to angels, demons, the dead, the saints, Mary, or anyone other than Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lord, the world keeps trusting in things other than You. Keep us strong. Help us to look to You in all things. Amen We were watching a video this afternoon. It seemed like a lower grade production but I was still curious how they were going to tie everything together. In the movie, the lead man found the lead woman unconscious on the deck in wintertime. I was shocked that he didn’t call 911 but took her to the bed and started covering her with blankets. My thought, “If she is not conscious, call for medical help”. But it got worse, at least theologically. He started asking his recently deceased dad to help make this woman conscious again. This is dangerous on so many different levels. The Bible clearly says that we are not to contact the dead. Mediums and spiritists are detestable to God. Even more egregious is that he is not praying or talking to God. The command, “I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other God’s beside me” comes to mind. A little later in the movie, they see an angel decoration and comment that it is like grandpa there watching over them. We do not become angels. I have noticed more and more that movies are adopting Christian ideas but work them into secular means. There are comments made about eternity without mentioning God at all. The concept of salvation, but it is through our works or some earthly means. There truly is nothing that Christians believe that the world has not tried to hijack with worldly concepts. God is irrelevant to so many that live today. People don’t fear death because they don’t know the predicament they are in. After the Bible talks about God loving the world and sending His Son, it continues with “if they don’t believe, they stand condemned already”. I watched another movie that ended with the elderly wife talking to her husband that had passed away, which is understandable if she was expressing her feelings knowing that this person is not actually listening. What bothered me was that she was looking to the top of the Christmas tree, again as if the angel was her husband. We are removing God from His rightful place in our hearts. We are not to pray to angels, demons, the dead, the saints, Mary, or anyone other than Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lord, the world keeps trusting in things other than You. Keep us strong. Help us to look to You in all things. Amen

What Consumes Your Thoughts?

Right now, we are still in the deer hunting season. They can start with bow, then rifle, and I believe there is even a section in there for black powder hunting. I have seen hunters consumed with that. They start looking forward to and preparing as soon as the hunting ends this year. There are the quilters that are often consumed with fabric and quilt making. I saw one cartoon where the wife said, “The only basting I will be doing this Thanksgiving is on my quilt”. There are many that are so consumed that they have to hide it from their husbands. I have heard of some even hiding their fabric in the freezer. That is truly consumed. There is the athlete that lives for the next game. There is the football fan that will cheer on their team, even if they are coming in dead last. If they are coming in first, then you’ll never hear the end of it. We all know of people that are consumed with something. You may very well be consumed too. How many of us, however, are consumed with God so that it overflows in our lives into the lives of others? I heard this quote today, “People who are obsessed with Jesus aren't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God's kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.” We have been so brought up to think that when we retire, or even as we work for our daily living, we deserve to sit back and be comfortable. I am not saying that this is not allowed, but I wonder how far we take that comfort. One thing we must realize is that nothing that we have can be taken with us. What we have is destined to the people of this world. Second, the more comfortable we are, and the less engaged we are in our faith, the less we are focused on God. He should not just be a thought in the morning when we wake up and a thought at night before we go to bed. We are told to pray continuously... not to give up meeting together... to go and make disciples of all nations... etc. It does not say to relax and disengage. As we age our participation changes, but the desire... the obsession to be obedient must supersede everything. Father, stir in our hearts that we don’t become bystanders, but may our lives be consumed with following You. Amen

Thanksgiving

This page is a little longer than normal, but I ran across Lincoln’s first Thanksgiving proclamation. Those that don’t think the USA was founded on Christian principals has not read our history.

LINCOLN’S FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

Gather in Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving, not because of all the wonderful food (which is very nice), but because the world pauses, at least for a few seconds (hopefully) to give thanks. We are bombarded from stores and advertisers trying to get us to buy their products. We have a culture that tries to tell us we are not complete unless we have all these material things. We may have family members or others that want this or that. We don’t have to look far to see all sorts of greed and selfishness. It is good... it is needed... to count our blessings and give thanks. The question that always comes to mind is who are we giving thanks to? Understanding that I am a sinner in need of a Savior makes it so easy to identify my blessings... everything. By His grace and mercy, we are who we are and have what we have. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, our church, for years, has had a Thanksgiving worship named “Praise and Pie”. Actually, it used to be “Pie and Praise” which sounds better but we realized the praise should be our first priority. Anyway, those that come bring a pie to share so that after a worship of Thanksgiving, we follow it with great fellowship. I had high hopes of getting a few more people out that haven’t joined us before, but the weather put a damper on that. The parking lot ended up icy from rain/snow/cold weather. I must say I was very Thankful for those who came and even more thankful that no one, to the best of my knowledge, fell or hurt themselves. We always have a time to share what we are thankful for. I’m not sure why, but some years not much is said. This year was one of those wonderful years where many people shared things - deep, personal, spiritual. It was very moving and expressed such a deep gratitude for who God is and what He has done. My challenge to you is to incorporate giving thanks into your daily lives. When somebody does something nice, like hold a door open, thank them. Those that serve in our community - council members, musicians, teachers, law enforcement, firemen, medical workers, cashiers at stores, restaurant personal, etc.- make sure you thank them. Most of all, make sure every time you stop to pray to God, give thanks for who He is, what He has done, for His word, and what He will do. Father, thank You for giving me another day to serve You. Lead us all to a more grateful heart. Thank You. Alleluia. Amen

Times of Refreshing

After being on my feet for many hours, I find myself wearing down. I can try drinking coffee or stretching, but what I desire more than anything else is to sit down and put my feet up. To take the weight that is burdening my knees and feet and enjoy the sweet relief. Many of you know that feeling of refreshing. In our Bible study, we were looking at the book of Acts chapter 3. Peter and John are speaking to a Jewish crowd in the temple that were likely among those that cried out, “Crucify Him!” Peter heals a cripple in the name of Jesus. Then he goes on, in no uncertain terms, to say they are guilty of killing the Holy and Righteous One of Israel. I was thinking that the people felt guilty, but someone else said they probably felt terrified. I have to agree with that sentiment. They have just been accused of being responsible for the death of the Messiah that they had long awaited for. Then a man is healed in this same name. Without taking the blame away from them, Peter goes on to say that this even was prophesied and that it was God’s will that Jesus would die for the sin of the world. What are they to do? Repent! Acts 3:19, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord”. As Peter kept charging them with crime after crime against God, he lets them know there is hope. If you repent... “to feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” Peter didn’t hold back any punches, but he didn’t hold back any hope either. If they repented of their part of Christ’s death, if by faith they desired to turn from that sin to Him, then there was forgiveness. Where this forgiveness takes place, it makes it clear that there will be times of refreshing. It is so much more than a burden relieved by sitting down and putting your feet up. It is not making the burden easier to handle, but the burden is completely removed. The section in Acts closes in a strong warning. If we don’t believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ, we will be condemned. This is also true today. We must submit to God’s word, repent of our failures and wickedness, and then experience the times of refreshing that come. Father, thank You for the sweet refreshing that comes from both our walk with You and how we interact with others. Amen

The Job is Never Done

I have been noticing the back part of my car getting dustier and dustier. It is a little too cold to wash the car by hand, so I was trying to figure out the best time to get it done. Well, I was in town, and it was a nice evening. A perfect evening to get the car washed. I paid for the wash and drove the car in. It took a while, but I was just thankful that I was finally getting the dirt off. As I pulled out of the car wash, I was trying to debate it the water was blowing off the car onto the windshield, or if it was starting to rain. Then the misting turned to drizzle that turned to rain. By the time I got home, the back of the car was probably dirtier than when I went into town. There isn’t much solace in saying that at least it was fresh dirt. Our best efforts are often so far short of what needs to be. We try to help those in need around us, because that is what God wants us to do. We no sooner get it done than something else needs our attention. Those that think being a Christian, doing something now and then, fulfills God’s desire for us might be shocked to know that the job is never done until God calls us home. I don’t know for sure what all we might be doing in heaven, but I know there are many things for us to do here. We need to understand that our lives, our wants, our abilities were not given so that we can live a comfortable life or just serve ourselves. We have truly been blessed to be a blessing. Everyone can pray. We are told to pray without ceasing. Encouraging others in their faith can be so important. Imagine if we all took time to encourage someone from our community. Maybe if someone hasn’t been in church for a while, we could offer to pick them up and invite them to worship with us. We can reach out to a neighbor, a friend, or someone we meet who could use a little extra help... no money taken. We can visit those that are shut in or don’t have many friends. Offer to read from God’s word or pray with/for them. Look at the gifts that you have and then ask God how you might be able to use it to serve those around you. Without being “preachy”, you can say that God has blessed you and you wanted to be a blessing to others. Don’t give up. Like my car, it is an ongoing opportunity to do the best we can... with God’s leading. Father, there are so many that have been blessed but keep those blessings to themselves. Help us use what we have been given. Amen

Embarrassed About Being Helped

We can be a very proud group of people, at least that’s how it used to be. We were afraid to ask for financial assistance when we hit a hard patch because we thought it made us look incapable. We didn’t want anyone to help us physically because that meant we had to admit we couldn’t do it ourselves, it bruised our ego, and we felt we would then somehow owe that person. If that were the case, why does God’s word tell us that we should help the needy, the poor, and the sick. I’ve already gone through times when I needed to depend on others, although I tried to do what I could. Sadly, my ego got in the way of me using crutches as long as I should. The reason wasn’t because I was embarrassed to use the crutches, but I was struggling to use them consistently. What does that mean, you may ask? Well, both my knees were a little sore, but about 5 days ago, my left knee gave out on me. I had been using crutches on and off for most of those days. The kicker? I found myself switching back and forth between favoring the right leg and favoring the left leg. Even though they both benefitted from it, I felt like someone would think that I was trying to elicit sympathy but couldn’t keep my story right... or in this case, protect the same leg consistently. As we near the end of today, I’m noticing a little bit more pain in my knees, but in fear of being a hypocrite, forgetting which knee was the bad knee, I am choosing not to use the crutches at all. The big question is, why do we care so much what others think. If we know them, we can explain the circumstances, and if they don’t know me, why do I feel compelled to justify myself before them. We are concerned about pride even when it comes to prayer. We are quick to lift up friends and family in prayer, but if we have a need for prayer, we are often silent. Whether having a great disability or almost no problems, we need to reign in our pridefulness and accept the gift. It is nice to express our thanks, but we don’t always have to pay for it. We don’t’ want to steal the joy of the one with the gift of service. I might still use my crutches for longer walks so as not to wear out my knee unnecessarily. I am experiencing one other debilitating issue, the need for sleep and so I bid you a good night. Father, Thank You for life and breath, physical and spiritual, plus needy and self-sufficient. Help me deal with my prideful ways. Amen

God Existence Brings Hope

I have been in small boats in strong currents and even stronger winds. One can tire very quickly if trying to row against that. On lakes, when I have wanted to go fishing, the boat would drift over seaweed, which then would get wrapped around my fishing line and hook. The solution to the current or wind is to put an anchor down. If the wind is too strong and the anchor is too small, the boat will drag that anchor across the lake or ocean bottom. If the anchor is too big, it can be too awkward and impractical to use. The right anchor has a way of keeping the boat aiming in the right direction and keeping it from drifting out of control. I recently read a quote from C.S. Lewis that said, “Once people stop believing in God, the problem is not that they will believe in nothing; rather, the problem is that they will believe anything.” Pause a few minutes and really consider the depth of the wisdom in that statement. Other than the absence of God’s hand leading us, the great danger is without God, our anchor in hope and reality, we have no control on where we will drift. There are cults that will try to gain control There are other religions that will try to replace the hole in our lives, left by God’s absence, since He created us to be in relationship with Himself. The Devil will have a hay day because we have no mooring or foundation. When we are not filled with the Holy Spirit and our spiritual foundation has been shattered and destroyed, we have nothing left to build on. There are no rules, no absolute truth, and no unshakable hope. I think CS Lewis was 100% right in saying without God, we will believe in anything. I look at the foolishness in the world today, primarily being pushed by those that don’t see God’s word as the absolute truth and authority, but at best, a norm for living. This is why people believe men can be women, men can compete in women’s sports, communism is a good form of government, something is true if it benefits me, but then becomes false when it helps someone else, and so on. The heroes serve a cause, but don’t necessarily live a law-abiding life. We are falling into insanity because God is missing. Father, Help us to live in common sense again. Instill in us right and wrong, good and evil, and fill us with love for each other. Amen

Don’t Jump to Conclusions

I was going with my wife to a doctor’s appointment. It was to examine the knee, so shorts were worn. It was cool but not freezing. As we entered the medical facility, a woman that was walking out looked with disgust on her face and made it clear that wearing shorts in that weather was unacceptable. I almost wanted to say, can you pull your jeans up above your knees? Obviously, that would not have been a good response. The thing is, especially at a medical facility, there are many reasons why people might be wearing shorts. Maybe they were in too much pain to put pants on. Maybe they had something on the leg that needed to be examined. Maybe the skin was super sensitive from shingles or some other dermatological irritation. To me, it is similar to questioning someone who has a handicapped parking sticker but no visible physical scars. Someone might tire quickly, have muscle issues, or a disease that makes long walks impossible. We need to spend less time trying to judge people or make ourselves appear to be more righteous, and more time actually befriending and treating them with compassion. If they are handicapped in some way, we can offer assistance. If we do find out they're using someone else’s parking sticker, we can explain how that might make it harder for someone with real medical issues. We read in James 1:19-21, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” Even though this is addressed to a specific situation, I feel that compassion should be a large part of who we are. We have probably all been guilty on multiple situations of jumping to conclusions. We might question why someone is speeding, not wearing what we would like to see others in, or maybe why they seem distracted or lacking in social graces. We might want to ask ourselves why this really matters. Luther talked about this in the meaning to the eighth commandment on not giving false testimony. “We should fear and love God, that we do not falsely deceive, betray, or slander our neighbor, or give him a bad reputation; but defend him, speak well of him, and put the best construction on everything.” Lord, help us to seek to understand the people that we meet and minister to them with compassion and Your truth. Amen

All I Can Do Is Pray!

This is a phrase that we use so often with good intent. We are saying that we wish we could contribute time, actively help, or assist in some way. The problem with that is that when we say all we can do is pray, the other person may hear us saying that prayer isn’t that much of a deal or that it isn't effective. We make it sound like anything else might be of more value than prayer. In most cases, I do not believe that this is the intent. When pushed, I hope that most Christians would quickly admit how essential prayer is to daily living, and yet we still say it. A better response would be, “The most important thing I can do is keeping you in prayer. I was hoping there would be other ways I might be able to help.” Our language can be used in a very powerful way, or we can foolishly let our words detract from the true meaning. Prayer can literally move mountains. Jesus said so. We are told that nothing is impossible with God. We speak to God in prayer. Jesus got up early in the morning to pray, which wouldn’t make sense if prayer wasn’t so vital. In James 5:16 we read, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” There are many other passages about prayer as well. Prayer is not the only thing we can do, but it is by far one of the greatest things we can do. We need to make sure we give God control of our lives. I have heard people say that God is my co-pilot. I have heard them corrected by saying if God is our co-pilot, He is in the wrong seat. That we should be the co-pilot. I struggle even with that concept. A co-pilot has the same training as the pilot does. He is there to assist and to take over if something happens to the pilot. We are not equal to God, although we are to be imitators. We don’t assist, we follow His command and leading. Lastly, God will never need us to take over. He rules over all. When we first get up... pray! As we head off to work and begin our projects... pray. When we drive, when we shop, when we visit, when we “play”... pray. When the evening is ending and sleep fills our eyes... prayer. Seek His direction and be obedient. Father, Help us each day to not only know Your will for us, but give us the commitment and strength to accomplish it. Amen

Being Like Jesus

What does that really mean? Isn’t Jesus perfect? That doesn’t sound like me. We read in Ephesians 4, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” I understand that there is a lot of “old self” stuff that pulls us down, but when we are told to put it off, how is that possible? I can’t just flip a switch and become someone else. Then we read 1 John 2, “This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” I don’t know if that helps or gets even more terrifying. Jesus didn’t have a home, once He started ministry. He had to deal with impossible people, cast out demons, heal the sick, deal with the teachers of the law, etc. Those are tough shoes to fill. Wait, Jesus even went to the cross and died for sinners and those that mocked Him. Can I do that? Well, Romans 12 helps, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This call to be like Christ or imitators of Christ is not all on us. First, we must completely surrender, offering our whole being to God. Second, we need to walk away from worldly thinking and things, with God’s help. Third, we must allow God to transform us... from our old way of life to be who He has called us to be. This is more than just going to church. It is a transformation of our lives, faith, and actions. I read an interesting quote, “If you really wanna be like Jesus: Be the one that stays when everyone else walks away. Be the one who forgives even when it’s undeserved. Be the one to show grace when everyone else is casting stones. Be the one to show love even when they betray you. Because that’s who Jesus was.” If that scares you it should. If it doesn’t scare you, either you have no spiritual sense or you have already allowed Jesus to be Lord of your life. Only God transforms us. Lord, I don’t want to be a Christian by name only. I want to serve you with all my heart, soul, strength, and mind. Amen

Losing Control

This morning, I got up and barely took 40 steps when my left knee just collapsed on me. Fortunately, I had a pair of crutches that I had used from a previous knee injury. Unfortunately, I was unable to safely navigate to said crutches. Thankfully my wife was home and was able to grab them for me. I didn’t jump, twist, sidestep, or any such thing. It just went out from underneath me. I was grateful for the table near me that I was able to grab to keep from going all the way down to the floor. I went to the doctor, got some x-rays taken. They found nothing. Now I have to wait for an appointment with a specialist to figure out what is really wrong. It is a little terrifying to think that at any moment my feet might give out under me. What if it was on the stairs? What if it was in the middle of the worship service? What if it was...? It is hard enough to imagine my body won’t do what it did in my 20's, but to realize there is so much I have no control over. What am I to do? I can pursue what the medical field can do. I can try getting exercise and therapy to strengthen those muscles. Most importantly, I can pray. If God knew me before I was born, He knows exactly what I am going through now. It is a time to come before Him in prayer, admitting that I don’t have control over everything in my life... if any. It is a time to ask for healing. More to the point, a time to seek God’s direction, and purpose for me. There are things I can do... like exercising more, eating right, losing some (a lot) of weight, and trying to stay as active as I can. It is too easy to give up and accept defeat. If it is God’s will that I don’t find the healing, then I, and my wife, especially need His strength to meet the days ahead. If, however, there is more that He wants me to do that require greater mobility and ability, then I trust that He will make that clear to me as well. I’m not giving up. I am going to fight to get back full mobility. I also know that God puts people in different circumstances to give them an opportunity to minister to those we might otherwise not notice or have opportunity to meet. I am, however, noticing that my knee is better than it was. Thanks be to God. Father, If it is Your will, heal me from all that holds me back. Help me to use what I have to serve and honor You. Amen