Rest

I look back at my early youth and wonder how I could have missed the beauty of a great nap. I’m assuming I was like ay child that was always on the go. I used get tonsilitis all the time. I would start feeling better and immediately wanted to go out and play with my brothers. Sometimes my mom let me and more than once I ended up right back in bed. I need rest! I stayed up late last night working on the sermon. On top of that, my knees were really causing me pain. By the time the second service was done, I was exhausted. I lay down for a nice log nap. When I woke up, I felt so rested and renewed. I no longer see the nap as a punishment . It has now become a welcomed rest for the body. Speaking of rest. Today is the Sabbath for Christians. It is a day of rest. When God said that, I don’t think He was envisioning a good long nap. As a matter of fact, we must note that it was a Sabbath rest unto the Lord. In other words, we were to find our rest in God. The Jews made the meals the day before so that they didn’t have to work on that. They came up with the number of steps that were allowed on that day. In many ways, this day of rest was to take our minds away from all the things that we think are so important and making sure God had His rightful place. I think sometimes that the Jews had so many requirements for the Sabbath that their rules destroyed any possible rest. Jesus identified Himself as the Lord of the Sabbath. That paints a clearer picture of how to keep the Sabbath Day holy. By honoring the Lord of the Sabbath. How do we honor Him? By making sure we gladly hear and learn His teachings. At one point, Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” He is not speaking just of a physical rest. I think it is pointed much more to being filled with God’s peace that truly satisfies the soul. The rest of the passage goes on to talk about how God would share our burdens so that they don’t overwhelm us. My first thought is that as Christians, do we do enough work that we need that rest? Have we exhausted ourselves doing God’s will? I sometimes wonder how soft we Americans have become. We use so many devices today. I wonder how they used to survive years ago. We find our help in the work of Jesus Christ. Father, Help us first of all to be obedient to Your call, wherever it should lead us. May we find our rest in You every day. Amen

The Richness of Hymns

As we are in the season of Lent, it is a time of preparation, of recognizing our need for God, to see our inability to meet God’s standard on our own,and finding ways to serve God. I know that is oversimplified, but within the Lenten hymns we hear some powerful words. I’d like to look at the hymn “In the hour of trial”. We hear the plea of the believer who understands life without God. It begins, “In the hour of trial, Jesus, plead for me lest by base denial I unworthy be. When you see me waver, with a look recall, nor for fear or favor ever let me fall.” The writer recognizes that their hope rests in what Jesus is doing for them. Even though He died on the cross some 2000 years ago, the writer understands that it is still the basis of our hope today. When we are faced with obstacles, temptation, and spiritual struggles, we need to call out to Jesus for help me so that I don’t fall away. The second verse states, “With forbidden pleasures should this vain world charm or its tempting treasures spread to work me harm, bring to my remembrance sad Gethsemane or, in darker semblance, cross-crowned Calvary.” The world is filled with temptations seducing us to seek comfort and pleasure apart from God. When I recognize the powerful pull of the Devil, the world, and my own sinful nature, I remember Jesus earnest prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and the suffering and death of my Savior. The third verse “Should your mercy send me sorrow, toil, and woe, or should pain attend me on my path below, grant that I may never fail your cross to view; grant that I may ever cast my care on you.” If God allows me to experience sorrow, toil, and pain, may I never take my eyes away from Him. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, blaming God, or giving up, I am reminded again of the great love Jesus expressed as He suffered on the cross for me. No matter what my lot, I know I can bring it to the Lord and find comfort and peace in His presence. The last verse, “When my life is ending, though in grief or pain, when my body changes back to dust again, on your truth relying, through that mortal strife, Jesus, take me, dying, to eternal life.” The faithful will experience persecution and trials, but through faith, death doesn’t become the end. By trusting Jesus, death brings eternal life. God, thank You for the many amazing writers that paint such powerful pictures of your amazing love and mercy. Help us, Jesus. Amen

The Great Thaw

After all the snow we had last weekend, I was overwhelmed. Suddenly the sun came out and the weather warmed up and the snow began to melt. I was struggling to just remove enough snow to make it drive-able, and now the sidewalks and most of the driveway are dry and snow free. The clothesline that seemed to be built for munchkins, with the snow almost reaching the lines, now looks normal again. I felt bad because our propane tank was filled, meaning they had to push through a lot of snow to get to the tank. I was just too worn out to do it after the snows. I would say about 30% of the snow has now melted. It is amazing how something that days ago seemed impossible to battle with, has now become a manageable obstacle. I looked at the snow from my own perspective of shoveling, blowing, being shut in, with no clear resolution. Now, without my help, the sun came out, the weather warmed up, and the snow is disappearing. How often we let the obstacles in life become overbearing. We look at it based on the solutions we can control. God is not bound by our foolish and finite thinking. He calls us to trust in Him. God has the solutions to every situation. Sometimes in the storms, God gives us an opportunity to trust His protection and solutions. Just as the media and the world have a way of hyping things up and making our problems look insurmountable, God has a way of meeting each challenge with solutions. We need to see the storms and obstacles in life through God’s eyes. It is only then that they don’t seem so terrifying. I am so thankful for all of God’s provisions. I think of all the men and women that worked on emergency crews, law enforcement, snowplows, linemen, ambulances, etc. There are so many ways that God watches over us and provides for us. We tend to think about those provisions as physical things of the world, but what about spiritual things. He offers forgiveness to all who confess. He gives eternal life in heaven to all believers. He gives us peace, even in the midst of the storms. He has given us family, many of whom are not related by blood but a shared faith in Jesus. He gives insight, understanding, revelation, restoration, etc. I have almost forgotten the big March storm of 2026, but may we never forget the rescuer of our souls. Father, thank You for protection in the midst of the storms, but even more importantly, thank You for life and salvation. Amen

Biblical Recipes

I see adds all over the place trying to piggy back off of someone else’s fame. Maybe it is a movie star that speaks for a specific product, which is their right to do, but they have no more authority on how something works than the average Joe. Now, Artificial Intelligence is creating ads using people that I know didn’t personally do the add. I don’t know if they agree with it, but it was not done by them. Those bother me a little. What bothers me the most is using God’s name or the Bible to sell a product. That sounds strange to say, but I have been seeing so many adds about how the Bible has a diet plan, a recipe for how to improve sight, how to cleanse your system, get rid of diabetes, and so much more. The only specific recipe or diet that I know of was what Daniel did when he was in Babylon. I don’t, however, see the Bible telling everybody that they had to eat like that all the time. When people try to get specific coded or hidden formulas for various ailments, I have to wonder if it would read the same way if looking at the original Greek or Hebrew. When someone tries to say that if you turn to a specific book of the Bible and take every 5th letter, that it spells something out. It only works in that one version of the Bible. With a computer, you can find what appear to be hidden messages in almost any written book. When I do any sort of a search on these secret formulas, they don’t really stand up to any scholarly testing. To set things straight, God’s message is much clearer. The Bible isn’t a self-help book, but rather points us to the One who can truly help us, Jesus Christ. There can be helpful passages like “Do not be discouraged. Be not afraid” or “I can to all things through Him who gives us strength”, but that is not a formula. It is God’s promise and aid. Those that search God’s word to benefit them in a worldly way are building on a foundation of sand. Our rock, our strength, or hope is in God Himself. The goal of the Christian life is not prosperity and comfort, but rather, faithfulness and obedience. We are not saved by our status or wealth. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. When people are telling you there is a secret way to improve your life, understand this - the Holy Spirit is the one that brings healing, direction, understanding, etc. as He chooses. O Holy Spirit, give us a deeper understanding of who You are and how we should be living our lives. Strengthen our faith. Amen

Does Denomination Matter?

There are many different churches that have variations of understanding. There is Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, Catholic, Assemblies of God, etc. Within each of those classifications are a series of different teaching. When God speaks of the church, He speaks of one faith, one baptism, one God. So, why don’t they just all get along and form one Christian church. Well, for centuries, that was the case. The Catholic church was that universal church. Unfortunately, over time, any organization run by people, will falter. At times they too will stray from the truth. At one point in history, a man named Martin Luther who was taught that God was a demanding God and that unless we were perfect, confessed every sin we have committed, did all the right things, fulfilled what the church wanted, we had no hope. As he trained to be a priest, He ran from presiding over the Eucharist (communion) because he felt he was so unworthy. One day he discovered that God tells us we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, not by works lest any man boast. He found such a hope and peace from this knowledge that he tried to share it in the existing church but was rejected. Since there were many that believed what Luther was teaching, and so it didn’t get confused with the current church, they called it Lutheran... Christianity as explained by Luther. Now there were two groups. Other teachers began to share slightly different interpretations of God’s word and so was born, more and more denominations. Is this ok since God speaks of there being one church? It is not ideal. We are to serve God and not a specific church or teaching. The problem is that many of these churches are trying to be faithful to God’s word, but topics such as communion, baptism, works, the function of the Holy Spirit, the end times, are understood differently. The truth is, what we were first taught will often influences how we interpret God’s word. No matter how much we say we follow what God’s word says, we still interpret it through our experiences. We need to study God’s word for ourselves so we can rightly, with the help of the Holy Spirit, determine what is good and true. As much as I want one church with all the same teachings, there are too many variations in teaching. Father, I am ashamed of how many different denominations there are, but each is seeking to be faithful. Reveal Yourself to us today. Amen

Exercising

They say it is good to get plenty of exercise, but shoveling snow wasn’t what I had in mind. All things considered, I have had a great workout over the last couple of days. That has also translated into sore muscles and a back that is threatening to go out on me. Truth is, I should be getting much more exercise than I am, so this might be a blessing in disguise. I just need to keep it up and push through the sore muscles. Exercise can be an amazing thing. We can get our body into shape. It can make us healthier, unless we go crazy with it. It enables us to do certain tasks more efficiently. It can help us be more alert and help burn fat. Football teams have specific exercises for their sport. Even specific positions played on the team may have very specific exercises for their needs. A body builder has yet another routine. If they are the right exercises, being faithful to do them will have a beneficial result. So it is spiritually. We don’t think about exercising, but Paul talks about going into training so as to finish the race. Spiritual training does not have to do with treadmills and weights. Just as those exercising need to eat well and drink plenty of liquids, so as Christians, we need to be nourished on God’s word and the Spirit. When it comes to sharing our faith with others, the first time you tried probably felt awkward and uncomfortable. The first time someone walks into a gym to exercise can have a similar feeling, however, the more we do it, the easier things get, especially when what you are doing has eternal consequences. Most people aren’t comfortable the first time that they pray. Praying for more than a minute or two seems like forever. With practice, 20-30 minutes of prayer becomes very do-able. Sometimes we struggle with reading God’s word because we commit to reading too much at the start. Read a smaller section, praying that God would reveal its meaning and find a nugget of wisdom to hang on to and put into practice. When church is a chore, it can be hard to endure, but when we are exercising our faith, worship becomes an important part of that. It is good to exercise physically if you ar able. It is of the utmost importance to exercise our spiritual walk with God. What are some things God has put on your heart to do? Take baby steps and begin to accomplish this new task. Father, I don’t need to be a spiritual body builder. Just help me to exercise my faith in a way that is pleasing to You. Amen

Wind Blows

I remember, when I was serving a couple congregations in South Dakota, church services were called off, even though there was only an inch or two on the ground. I know in the southern states that this might have caused some issues, but up north, it usually takes 8 inches or more to start closing things. The reason we cancelled was because the winds created a whiteout condition that basically made it almost impossible to see. Now, I sit in the house, looking outside at the wind blowing like crazy. I didn’t snow blow because it would just drift in again. I was surprised though. Usually the snow piles up on the north end of the house, in front of the garage. Today, that part is almost clear, but the drifts are pushing in around the front door. You see, when the winds blow, it can be unpredictable. In the Summer time, a breeze is welcomed to keep insects away and cool things down. In the Winter time, that same breeze causes a very chilling effect. In the Summer, twisting winds called huricanes create so much damage and predicting their touchdown and path can be a challenge. There is also a straight line wind that is like a hurricane without the twisting. It also can create a lot of damage. Wind sheers are winds in a downward direction that can cause planes to crash, while updrafts are winds that lift the eagles high in the sky as they soar. As you can see, some winds are predictable while other winds can suddenly appear. We read in John 3, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." We do not control the Spirit of God, but if we are truly born of the Spirit, He will lead us where we should go. There are things predictable about the Holy Spirit - faith and understanding of God’s word. There are also things that are unpredictable, when God puts something on our hearts to do or calls us to a specific ministry. He told the Apostles in the Bible not to worry about what they should say, but that the Spirit would give them the words to speak. Most of us should be much more in tune to the Holy Spirit’s leading. Sadly, many who seek the Holy Spirit seek what the Spirit can do for them, rather than what the Spirit is leading them to do for the Kingdom of God. Come, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, give us faith, wisdom, and understanding so that we might hear Your word and put it into practice. Amen

Snow More, Please

The forecasts were all right. I don’t know what the exact snowfall was, but with drifting, we have some areas that exceed four feet. And to think that about half a week ago, we basically had no snow left. I have snow blown more snow in the last few days than I think I have done the last five years combined, and I’m not even done. There will be some areas that undoubtedly will not be cleared out until the Spring thaw. My first though was about Jesus asking His disciples about a blind man... “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” In Biblical times, they believed that every tragic event was caused by someone. (Actually, growing up in Papua New Guinea, the same mind-set was present.) I jokingly looked at the snow and asked my wife, “Who sinned that caused all this snow?” The truth is that bad things happen because of original sin in the world, caused by Adam and Eve. Could there be judgement in it? Possible, but unless God clearly reveals that to us, we shouldn’t be going down that road or accusing any group. Why does God allow it to happen? Maybe because we haven’t been faithfully calling on Him? Maybe He wants us to trust Him for our future and knows that, often in suffering, people turn to Him. It is frustrating that it happens at a time that shuts down most of the churches in the area, but they are God’s churches and His people. He can work out the details. We just need to be available to follow Him. I was also drawn to the passage that tells us that though our sin is as scarlet, they will be made white as snow. Note, unlike the snow outside that covers everything, God doesn’t cover our sins, He washes us and removes our sin, if we walk by faith. The snow that we have is much lighter than the snow we had several days ago which makes the areas that I have to shovel much easier to do. With this snow, I could wait until God brings out the sun and warms the weather to have it removed, or I could use the gifts and abilities - shovels, snow-blowers, and muscles, to remove it more quickly... letting God remove those areas that don’t get done. I think that sometimes we are faced with the same choices in our spiritual walk. It is good to wait on the Lord for His power and leading, but until that happens, we need to be faithfully doing what He enables us to do... love and pray. Father, as sin and the struggles of this world seem to keep piling up, help us to turn to You for forgiveness, healing, and direction. Amen

Preparing for Worship

With the possible storm coming, we need to decide what to do. The storm, pending a miracle from God, was going to prevent us from gathering. I was trying to determine if I needed to print the bulletin or get anything else ready for worship. The cancellation settled that. When we were buying last minute stuff at the store, I realized that I could have recorded a message to put on the internet. It takes a while to do that, so I was too late to accomplish that. Then I heard of another church that decided to call around and see who could make it on Saturday for the worship. Then I was really mad at myself for not thinking of that. We called around to everyone in the church, plus a bunch of others, letting them know that church was called off. We need to fine tune that list to make it easier and more efficient next time. Even without the service, there still seemed to be a lot of things that needed to be done. I look out the window now and the snow is starting. Just because we can’t get to church doesn’t mean we skip worship altogether. There are other services on the radio, TV, internet that can be a great help. Just be cautious as there are many “churches” that teach things a little contrary to God’s word or maybe even not God’s word. We need to exercise discernment. We can also look to past services that have been posted already on the internet. We can also just spend a little extra time in God’s presence... reading the Bible, a devotional and then spend some time in prayer, asking God to help us to apply the message we read. You may not have the greatest voice, but if you can find words to some of the hymns you know from memory, books that you have, or even looking them up on the internet, you can lift your voice to the Lord. I believe that music is an amazing gift to express our hearts, even if our singing isn’t perfect. It does say, after all, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord”. The joy flows from the depth of our souls as we lift our praise and worship to the Lord. A storm can change a lot of our plans, but they can’t take God from us. These ideas aren’t just for days when church has been cancelled, but a good practice for daily devotion. So, as you prepare for the storm, begin with a prayer, a hymn, God’s word, and a desire to worship the Lord our God. Father, fill our hearts with Your Holy Spirit and lead us daily into a deeper walk with You. You are the One we worship. Amen

What Is Yet to Come

For quite a few days now, the weather forecasters have predicted a storm that could be 2-4 feet of snow. This is an inconceivable amount for us in northern Wisconsin. It would fluctuate a little here and there, but if anything, it was becoming more dire. I have to admit that having seen many storms lose power, I considered that fact that this could all be hype. But what if the predictions are true. I need to make sure I have gas for the snow blower, any food, bread, milk, eggs, etc. that I might need. I’m still not convinced it is going to be all they say it is, but I would be foolish to completely ignore it. Stay tuned on the outcome. Why did I share this information? Well, there is a book in the Bible that also predicts some very dire consequences. It doesn’t have to do with a storm we probably can clean up after. It has to do with our eternity... with God, or with the Devil. I believe there are some very specific things that are predicted including an unprecedented amount of people falling away from faith, the appearing of the Anti-Christ, plagues and destruction. God’s word even says that if Jesus didn’t return when He did, even the faithful would not be able to continue to stand. There are many that don’t take this seriously. Some consider it a scare tactic. Some figure since it hasn’t happened in several thousand years, that it at least won’t happen in our lifetime. Some simply deny Christ. Like the snowstorm, if it is real, I want to be ready. The Messiah had been predicted for a few thousand years and yet so many didn’t recognize Him, even though He did exactly what the Scriptures said He would do. The church leaders and a crowd called for His execution... on a cross. It didn’t matter if the people believed, God still did what He had promised. God’s word has always proven to be true. So, what do we need to do to be prepared for Jesus? Believe. Not just go to church, read the Bible, do good stuff. Believe with all your heart! It is not like betting, where we don’t’ put everything on the line. We try to cover all the bases just in case we lose the bet. But with Jesus... with this living faith... it is all in or completely out. There is no safety line. We can’t wait and see, and then change. It is a complete surrender. We can only serve one Master and that is God - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Father, there is a part of me that doesn’t want to let go of worldly pleasures and treasures, but I want to love You more. Amen

Prayer

We talk about prayer all the time in church and Christian circles. Sadly, I think sometimes we offer to pray for people as a form of gossip... finding out something that others don’t know. However, if we know the information, we can pray specifically, but we still can’t tell God how He has to do things. We don’t need to know the details to lift someone up into the throne room of God. We just have to lift them up because God knows what needs to be done. We also have to be cautious about what we promise. If someone shares a struggle or a surgery that is coming up, it is easy to say that we will remember them in prayer... but do we? As Christians, we need to be more than words. We need to live out our faith and keep our promises. I read recently that, “The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.” That is where prayer needs to be. Maybe we can’t physically get on our knees before God, but we can humble our hearts before Him. If we can get on our knees, our physical actions often encourage the heart, and thus our spiritual condition. Our natural reaction is to try to fix things on our own and then maybe we remember to pray. Some use prayer as a backup rather than the first line of action. I’m always reminded of the prayer meeting that was called for during a long drought. They gathered together to petition God for rain. In the crowd, only one person, a young boy, believed enough to bring an umbrella. That is the faith, the humble heart, the expectation that we should all have. Prayer is not an inconvenience or a chore we need to accomplish. It is the opportunity to interact with the God who created all things. If we were invited to visit with royalty, most of us would consider it a great honor and yet when we have been invited to come before Almighty God, suddenly we struggle. What does that say about our faith. I know that prayer can become so predictable that we sometimes pray without even thinking about it. This can be particularly true with table prayers. If we always pray the same thing, we might not think about it or we might try to pray quickly so that we can get back to watching TV or get to eating. Just remember that when problems arise, there is an obvious first step. With a humble heart, we need to pray. Father, help us to rely on You in all things. Help us in our struggles and enable us to help others in Your name. Amen

New Life in Christ

At Christmas time, we had purchased a poinsettia for the church. Towards the end of December, we took that plant home. I wanted to keep it going until spring and plant it outside. I didn’t water it as faithfully as I should, although I’m not sure it would make a lot of difference. Red leaves started drying up and falling off. My wife would ask to throw it away, but I would just add more water. I noticed about a week ago that it has a bunch of new leaves popping out. Its success had nothing to do with my great care. In spite of me, it is growing and I think will make a beautiful plant this summer. What a beautiful picture that is of our relationship with God. Isaiah talks about “a bruised reed He will not break and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out”. God is not in the business of destroying lives...He came to save lives. Many, if not most people, would have given up on that plant. Even if there was a glimpse of new life, it would take too much time and it would not look beautiful for quite a while. There are many Christians that fall and the “beauty” they once held is gone. Maybe they were caught in adultery, had a divorce, lost a job, struggled with health issues, or got on the bad side of the wrong person. We may say we care, but how do our actions show that? Do we try to help them get back on their feet again or are we OK with them falling away from the church, the family, the community, etc. Truthfully, our churches should be filled with people that are hurting, wounded, and ignored. They deserve to be loved and cared for too. Just as my watering and the sunshine are bringing new life to my plant, God is able to bring new life into others. Wait a second. Who needs this new life? Just the outcast? No! We all are in need of this new life that is offered through Jesus. As we surrender to the King of kings, we find that His work on the cross washes all who come to Him in faith. He renews us, restores us, and empowers us to represent Him wherever we go. This new life is in Christ. You might say it is for all who are born again. His mercies are new every morning. God’s family is not filled with the rich and famous. Many of the rich are trusting in their own power. It is the sick and wounded that truly need spiritual hospitals. Who is God calling you to nurture and encourage today. Holy Spirit, there are so many that are wounded and so few that are there to love them. Use us to reach the lost. Amen

Erase Before Starting

We have been recording our services at Community Lutheran Church in McAllister, WI since covid-19 hit. We don’t have the internet at church to record it live so I record it onto a SD card and from there, there is a process to get it on YouTube so that others can see. On service pretty much fills up the card, so we have to keep erasing it so that the next service can be recorded. We have a number of cards that we keep rotating. I have had times that I try to put the card in the camera and camera tells me that it won’t work. Sometimes the card doesn’t make the right contact, so I have to try several times to get it to connect properly. I did it once where I had three cards in my pocket that I brought from home. The first card didn’t work. I tried the second card and that failed too. The third card didn’t do any better. The fourth card, that was already at church, did the trick. I took the other three cards home and realized I had never erased them. To record, I need a clean slate... a new start... a removal of the past. This brings me to our walk with God. We cannot try to hang onto the “data” of the world and think that we can absorb what God wants us to know too. Adam and Eve tried that and failed miserably. This is where our surrender comes into play. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to remove the things of the past and of the world that we sometimes cling to so that we can be fully available for God. It sounds easy, but sadly, it is often much more of a challenge. We like to believe we have turned from the world only to find that it once again has control over us... maybe it is a bad habit, an addiction, or just a longing for what we should have left behind. Like Sodom and Gomorrah, God tells us not to look back, but we want to take a little peek. That didn’t work out well for Lot’s wife and usually it creates a problem for us as well. We read a number of times where God tells certain people to sell all they have, give it to the poor, and follow Him. Their love for money often became too great to walk away from. With the video, I can’t hang on to the past and still record the present. With our spiritual walk, we cannot hang onto the world and somehow think we are truly ready to follow God. We cannot serve both. It is like being married and flirting with a mistress. Lead us, Holy Spirit. Dear God, the world is filled with temptations, but none can compare to You. Help us to renew our desire for You each day. Amen

In the Heat of the Day

As I was preparing for Sunday's message, I had looked at the Gospel lesson which was about the woman at the well. For those that are not familiar with it, it is taken from John chapter 4. No one went to the well to get water in the heat of the day... only one who was outcast and despised by many in the village. Jesus arrived at the well at this time and sees a Samaritan woman pulling up water from the well. Jesus’ disciples had gone to town to get food. No respectable Jew, by himself, would have talked with any woman, let alone this outcast. On top of that, she was a Samaritan women and Jews pretty much despised all Samaritans. However, Jesus started a conversation by asking for a drink. As this woman was questioning Jesus’ motives, He responded by saying that if she knew who He was, she would ask Him for living water (either the Holy Spirit or God’s Word) and she would thirst no more. Not understanding this water wasn’t from the well, she asked for some so she would not have to continue to go to the well to fetch water. Jesus asks her to bring her husband. She states that she has none. He confirms that and then tells her she has had 5 husbands and the one she is with now is not her husband. She recognizes His spiritual gift to see her life. Then Jesus confirms that He is the Messiah, the promised Savior. She, the one that has been outcast, goes to tell the town who Jesus is saying, “He told me everything I have ever done.” Can you imagine that you would rejoice that Jesus can see all your sin and shame? She wasn’t focusing on what she had done, but who Jesus was. Maybe she hadn’t thought about her sin, or she was thankful that Jesus still cared for her in spite of her sin. She was celebrating the fact that Jesus might very well be the Christ, the waited Savior. Jesus spoke of salvation (being restored) and worship. I think she hungered for that renewal. Jesus states, “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Maybe you know of someone like the woman at the well. Maybe you are in her shoes. Maybe you will bump into someone longing for redemption. Will we look at their outward appearance and life mistakes and stay clear of her, or will we offer her to promises and hope of God? Father, like the woman at the well, we have been guilty of things we are not proud of. Remind us of our new life in You. Amen

Trusting in God

I always love taking time to look at the meaning and heart of our beloved hymns. Today I wanted to look at the hymn “If You but Trust in God to Guide You”. It is so basic to our faith. Without trust, we really have nothing. Without trust, His promises are of no value to us. The first verse states, “If you but trust in God to guide you And place your confidence in Him, You’ll find Him always there beside you, To give you hope and strength within. For those who trust God’s changeless love Build on the rock that will not move.” The sign that we really trust Him is when we go from talking about ideas and philosophies to putting the trust and confidence in the only One who holds all things in His hands. As we walk in that faith, we can have confidence of His presence and leading. That trust that we have in God is not wasted because it lays the foundation on what the rest of our life will be built on. Verse 2 goes on, “What gain is there in futile weeping, In helpless anger and distress? If you are in His care and keeping, In sorrow will He love you less? For He who took for you a cross Will bring you safe through every loss.” There are many times that we get overwhelmed with life and our circumstances. Too many times, this seems to overwhelm us and render us helpless. No matter what we are going through, know that if you walk by faith, He will not leave you in your sorrow, but lifts you up to begin again. The assurance that we have is in what Jesus willing did for us on the cross to free us from the things pull us down. Verse 3, “In patient trust await His leisure In cheerful hope, with heart content To take whate’er your Father’s pleasure And all discerning love have sent; Doubt not your inmost wants are known To Him who chose you for His own.” We can get confused between trusting God and His timing and expecting God to do for us as we please. We await Him and His call for our lives. When God is slow to answer (from our perspective), do not see it as uncaring or indifferent. His timing is perfect and He knows your every need. Verse 4, “Sing, pray, and keep His ways unswerving, Offer your service faithfully, And trust His word; though undeserving, You’ll find His promise true to be. God never will forsake in need The soul that trusts in Him indeed.” So, trust his with all that you have. Lord, How quickly we trust what the world says and how slow we are to really trust You. Change our heart, O Lord. Amen

Food for the Soul

An area of my life that I really struggle with is eating too much. My greatest weakness comes with snacking and eating past 6 pm. I feel all the more guilty because I know there are so many that have so little. I seem to hold out ok until I decide to have a few crackers. Soon I have gone way beyond that. The blame for my behavior rests on me, and me alone. Why is it that it is so easy to snack on food, but it often seems so hard to feed on God’s word? I have a hard time stopping the snacking, and yet, at times, it seems like reading God’s word is such a chore. When I am snacking, the end result is initially feeling famished, only to have an uncomfortableness with being too full. On the other hand, when it comes to God’s word, when my soul hungers for the true word from God, there is not enough time to read all of God’s word that I desire. The physical food leaves me feeling lethargic and uncomfortable while the word of God fills me with a deep passion for God and a renewed energy. When I am snacking, I often am searching for a specific taste or texture, and other foods like veggies are often far from what my taste buds desire. When feeding on God’s word, the variety only adds a deeper interest and passion to God’s word. When snacking, I tend to push myself away from people, maybe because I don’t want anyone to know what I am doing. When I am feeding on God’s word, I have this great desire to share it with all those that I meet. When I finally use self-discipline, I struggle the first few nights and then it ceases to have that control over me. When we break the habit, it no longer holds us prisoner. When we commit to reading God’s word, it may seem like work at first, however, the more we do it, the easier the pattern becomes. What negative habits have we allowed to reside in us? I want to replace the effort to read God’s word with a deep desire to know Him. If we have a choice, we seek the best, tastiest, crunchiest food to fill our stomach. What are you hungering for? Are you seeking God’s leading in your life? Do you read beyond what your devotions direct you to do? When my heart starts to really burn, I try to expose myself to many cross references that add depth to what God is trying to say to us. I don’t ever want to run from God’s word, but rather to joyfully embrace it. Father, help me to desire Your word more than I desire the food of this world. Give me a deep longing to dig into Your word. Amen

Soap Operas

I hate to admit it, but I remember a time that I was hooked on a soap opera. I would anxiously wait for the next day so I could figure out what was going to happen next. Then there were days that I couldn’t see it, and low and behold, I didn’t seem to miss anything important. I realized how much time I was wasting and the fact that if I looked around, there were many soap operas running in real everyday relationships. Funny thing was, or maybe not so funny, I saw one of the soap operas after about 5 years and realized that I still hadn’t missed that much... I still knew the storyline. Why is it that we get so interested in watching someone else’s life and all their drama, but we fail to realize that we too have our own storyline going. The soap operas were good at getting you thinking there was something big going on when in reality the viewer was led inch by inch into nothingness. I was thinking about some quotes from C.S.Lewis’ “Screwtape Letters”, where Lewis looked at the Christian life from the Devil’s point of view. For example, one of the demons says, “Whatever their bodies do affects their souls. It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out....” The Devil wants us to act without thinking... desire without restraint... and convince us that the Devil made me do it instead of taking responsibility. An empty mind is not a worshiping mind. Another condemning statement that truly fits the soap opera life, “Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” Most people don’t usually, on the spur of the moment, choose to walk away from God. It is a long gradual road that slowly turns from God and seeks the comforts of self. Much of the American culture along with many churches are so caught up in our comfort and desires that we don’t even realize how close we are to the gates of Hell. The last quote I will share from the Devil’s perspective is, “A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all—and more amusing.” As long as we are playing church, our souls are in danger. It is the difference between a child playing a fireman and an adult being one. True faith is not a game, but it is life itself. Father, forgive us for all the times we go through the motions, but fail to worship and serve You fully. Amen

Intercessory Prayer

To define this type of prayer is most basically to pray on someone else’s behalf. It can be praying for health, for guidance, for spiritual encouragement, or whatever needs we may feel need to be lifted up. It can be for one person or a group of people. Most often in the Bible is Jesus interceding for us. We read in Romans 8 that “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died — more than that, who was raised to life — is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” In this section, it was talking about who can separate us from the love of Christ. Clearly we are the only ones that can do that by walking away from faith. Jesus is interceding for us before the thrown of God. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, the Father no longer looks at the faithful as they are with sin and rebellion, but sees us as one cleansed by Christ. We read again in Hebrews 9, “For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.” Again, it is not a wish or an attempt to lift something in prayer in hopes that God might hear and even answer us. Jesus is appearing before our heavenly Father to present our prayers before God Himself. Again we read in 1 John 2, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” This interceding is not just Jesus representing us to the Father. Yes, Jesus is the mediator between us and God, but we are also called to pray on behalf of others. In Revelation 8, it says, “Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.” We do not pray to the saints, but the saints (forgiven sinners) lift up prayers on behalf of those in need. Sometimes God just puts a situation or an individual on our hearts. This is most likely because God is calling us to lift them in prayer. Not matter where or when, God’s people should be praying for others. Father, teach us not only to lift our own hearts and needs before you, but lead us in praying for all of Your people. Amen

Are You Ready?

Recently, I visited a classmate that had just had surgery. He was almost back to his normal self, which for our group still may not have been normal. Anyway, a few days later, I heard he was back in the hospital with an infection. As time went on, he passed away from that infection. It was such a shock. I never imagined that that was possible. We had the funeral today. It was good to catch up with some friends, but I wish it could have been under different circumstances. Last summer, he had sent me a postcard from a trip he and his wife had gone on. Then he had left a message on my machine saying that we should get together just to visit. At the time, I had quite a few things going on and ended up not getting back to him. I regret not having met up with him, especially now that he is no longer around. Don’t take life for granted. We never know when our time will end here on earth. Take a little extra time to be with friends and family. Our length of life is unknown to us. Even more importantly is sharing our faith with others. From what my friend said before he passed, I believe he knew the Lord. The question is, “How many of the people that you know don’t really have a genuine faith in God. One can faithfully go to church without believing that Jesus is the only way. Write an old-fashioned letter and share why Jesus is so important to you. Visit someone that is having a hard time and share how you have found peace in God. Ask them if they know for sure where they are going to be spending eternity and why they believe that. Might they be offended by your questions and your sudden interest in their faith? That is a real possibility. If, however, they die unexpectedly, will you be ok with the fact that you didn’t reach out when you could? I am not trying to guilt you but make it very plain what is at stake. I’d rather someone hate me and make it to heaven than be friends with those in the world and then see them condemned to hell. John 3:18 says that if they don’t believe, they stand condemned already. What does it mean to believe? To know and call out for God’s forgiveness, to know Jesus died for all sins, and that through salvation bought by Jesus, I will live eternally with Him. Do you have that faith? Does everyone in your family have that faith? Who do you need to tell? Father, help us to hear this warning and put it into practice because too many people die without the assurance of heaven. Amen

Impacting Lives

There was a funeral for a friend of mine who was on the fire department. Over the years, as he moved around, he served on quite a few departments. There was an overwhelming presence of firefighters in their dress blues. I know that part of it was because he was only in his 40s, but also, part of it is that he had impacted a lot of lives. I even talked with some that weren’t on a department with him that had worked side by side with him when mutual aid was given. I could list a lot of characteristics that made him into a great friend and fellow fireman. Part of this pondering is to honor all those that serve their communities. Part of it is to honor him as a friend. The main reason, however, is that this is a great example of what the body of Christ should look like. The first quality I see is a desire to serve those around him. As Christians, that doesn’t just look like assisting one in need, although that is part of it. It is a desire to bring Christ wherever we go. Another quality is his desire to jump in and help. When he moved to a different township, he would join the fire department there because he knew how to serve through that. As Christians, are we so quick to want to jump in and share the gifts and abilities that we have? A third quality was that he was generous. I know of so many people he helped materially and by lending a helping hand. Yet another quality was that of asking questions and seeking clarity. He always wanted to do the best that he could. How many times as Christians are we not sure of something theologically or just clarity on a passage but never followed up to find out what it meant. This fireman was friendly, gentle, helpful, hardworking, etc. It was hard to say goodbye. Now we need to focus on moving forward, displaying many of the characteristics that defined who he was. I should put it the proper way and say that we need to pattern our lives after Christ and those characteristics will be ours as well. As we think about gifts that we can pass on, the greatest gift we can offer others is the hope and knowledge of God. The biggest gift we can offer is our heart to God, fully surrendered. My prayer is that many of those that gathered for the funeral, that don’t have a deep relationship with God, might hunger to know that comfort, peace and assurance from God. Father, open the hearts of those that gathered to mourn, that they might draw nearer to You and hunger for what only You can giver. Amen