Tattooed forever!

My blog is going to be a little different today. Normally I usually stick to the written word of God, sermonize, preach from the pulpit kind of thing. Not so today! Something has been very heavy on my heart the last few days and I’m going to speak liberally about it. (With a few verses thrown in to show you what God has to say).

(A great sister of Christ calls her deductions ‘ism’s’. I’m calling mine Paul-vision. What I mean by this is this is the way I think.)
Let’s move on…

Paul-vision: Our environment and culture dictate our behavior.
My example for this Blog is:

Tattoos. I am Ex-Navy. When you think of sailors, what’s one of the first things that come to mind? When I was in the Navy, it was drinking, womanizing and Tattoos. Many times did I have the chance to get one of those babies. Yet, I never did. My motivation was pain and not wanting to mark my body for the rest of my life.

The tattoo was until recently reserved for the heavy metal rocker or biker…for criminals and the social outcast of society. But today the tattoo glamorously appears everywhere and anywhere. It’s the latest fashion craze. Tattoos are found on movie stars such as Julia Roberts, Halle Berry, Drew Berrymore and Bruce Willis.

A 2006 a study done by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24% of Americans between 18 and 50 are tattooed; that’s almost one in four. And the survey showed that about 36% of Americans age 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo!
According to US news and World report, tattooing is the country’s sixth-fastest growing retail business. It is estimated that one new tattoo studio opens up every day.
Tattooing has been around for thousands of years. Tattooing has a rich history in Eurasia, Japan, Egypt. Various other cultures have had their own tattoo traditions, ranging from rubbing cuts and other wounds with ashes, to hand-pricking the skin to insert dyes.
Tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts.

I am not going to condemn anyone who has a tattoo or anyone who has some part of their body pierced. Jesus said, “I have not come into this world to condemn it but to save it.” That’s good enough for me too!

My point with this is an example though, some look at people with tattoos and are fearful, ashamed and disgusted. They immediately judge that person based on there decision to have a tattoo. There are some Companies, that won’t hire someone if they have a tattoo. Some people won’t date people with Tattoos…

It’s a image thing!
Paul-vision: How can you see somebody’s faults if your eyes are on Christ?

Why do people get tattoos? I think you could pretty much answer that for yourselves. Here’s a few I’ve heard:

· Because everyone has one - It hard to live in today’s world with all the temptations, hmmmmmmm.
· Because you have a heart of rebellion - If you get a tattoo because of rebellious reasons, it’s only going to be an outward symbol of what was planted in your heart.
· Because you want to appeal to the opposite sex - What happens when you get a tattoo when you’re single and five years later you get married. Especially if your wife’s name is Linda and you have a heart on your chest with the name ‘Sarah’?
· Because you want to be a witness for Christ - I don’t know where we get the idea that we have to conform to the world’s pattern in order for us to save the world. The bible tells us that your witness is through the fruit of your life.

What’s God say about Tattoos?

God said in Lev. 19:28….Don’t cut your body or tattoo it.
God did not want his people to have anything to do with false gods or idol worship or witchcraft. This was the reason then for Tattoos. You don’t have to get God’s attention by cutting yourself or tattooing yourself.

Ok, so that’s just the Old Testament, it’s not for us…right?

In 1 Corinthians, treatment of the body is directly spoken of.
· "The body is meant for the Lord" 1 Corinthians 6:13.
· "Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit." 1 Corinthians 6:19.
· "You are not your own; you were bought at a price." 1 Corinthians 6:19.
· "Honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:20.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
“Didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in you and through your body.”

The principal here seems to be that our bodies belong to God, not ourselves, and that we are to use them in ways that honor and reflect God’s glory. I’m not against Christian tattoos, t-shirts and bumper stickers….but if that is the extent of your witness…then your ability to be a witness is warped.


Again, I’m not putting down people with Tattoos, we all decide how to live our own lives before and after we are saved by his blood. I have done things in the past that have left marks on me, scarred me and left a permanent impression. You may not see it on the outside but they are there. They are a result but not my excuse of the environment and culture.

I am a new person in Christ now, my past is gone. The marks are still there and they provide a good testimony to my path to Jesus. Yours should be as well, a testimony to your path to Christ!

2 Corinthians 1:21,22
Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal (mark) of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

He put his mark on us to show that we are his, and he put his Spirit in our hearts to be a guarantee for all he has promised.

By accepting Jesus into your life you automatically receive a special mark on your life and guess what? it’s painless. And it is the most beautiful marking you have ever seen. The mark on your life when you receive Jesus Christ by faith into your life isn’t temporary…it’s eternal. It last forever. God put his Spirit into our lives as a guarantee…that you belong to Him.

The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to be branded. He knew that a slave would get tattooed or marked…it was a way to show ownership. You don’t have to get pierced to prove your love for him, or get “God’s Love” tattooed on your hand, you just have to put your faith in him offering him your heart.

That’s how we become, Tattooed forever!

When I'm bad I'm hopeful!

The other day, I was sitting in my accountants office. I told him I had good news and bad news. So he asks, “What’s the bad news?”
I said, “I can’t make my house payment; my truck payment; my electric bill and my cat is pregnant.”
He replied, “Well, what’s the good news?”
I stated, “the good news is I’m going to keep you as my accountant!”

Okay, so this was a joke but I told it to represent that even with bad news there is always good in they’re somewhere. Have you ever had a truly bad day?

I have been reading a lot about Moses lately. Specifically, Exodus Chapter 5 & 6. Moses had accepted the call of God and had secured the release of his father-in-law and began his journey back to Egypt. On the way Moses met up with Aaron whom God had sent out to meet his brother. Bare with me I do have a point here.

When Moses and Aaron arrive they summon a meeting of the elders where they revealed all the words that God had given him and showed them the signs of God’s power .

The people believed and now the easy part was over and it was time to relay to Pharaoh the message of God. The acceptance of the people was very reassuring but confronting Pharaoh was another story. In fact Moses’ bad day began when he gained an audience with the King!

The scene is decidedly a dramatic one as two eighty year old men stand before the most powerful man on earth. That was the start of a bad day and it all went down hill from there. “And Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.”

Pharaoh’s response is completely negative. Pharaoh asks, “Who is Jehovah that, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go?.. I do not know Jehovah.” How tragic! It is not that Pharaoh has never heard of the name of Jehovah, he undoubtedly has, it is that he refuses to recognize the name or the request brought in that name. The point with Pharaoh lies in the word “obey.” He understood that these men were not presenting him with a request but rather a mandate from one greater than himself.

“To appreciate the audacity of the demand we must remember the unbridled power and authority claimed by Pharaohs. For him all other men lived, suffered and died. For him vast armies of priest and magicians and courtiers wrought and ministered.”

At once the situation worsened for the Children of Israel. I want you to note that all these developments were taking place within one twenty four hour period. Pharaoh proclaims, “Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
As desperate as their plight may have been it is about to get worse. Pharaoh’s response was to make slavery more bitter, and the bondage heavier and the tasks more difficult. The apparent hardening of attitude tells us something. Satan is worried. So keep on praying. Sometimes things have to get a whole lot worse before people are ready to hear the truth.

I want you to consider for a moment how the response of the people must have affected Moses. All those memories of rejection and inadequacy came flooding backing to the heart of Moses. He must have had a strong urge to run and hide to escape back to the quiet life of a shepherd.

Moses did run!! But this time he ran straight to his source of strength. Moses poured out all his anxiety to the only one who could answer his questions. In verse 22 it says, “So Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me?”

Moses is saying, “Where did I go wrong?” He had stood before Pharaoh and repeated almost word for word what God had told him to say. When things do not go the way we think they should, we begin asking the how and why questions: “Why me? Why me? Why now? Why did I ever get my hope up? Why did I ever accept this job? If God is on my side why has this happened to me? How am I going to get through this or out of this? ”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. Whoa! That’s scary, take it from me, You don’t want to tick off the Lord! For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.” And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am the LORD.”

Notice that God does not reprimand Moses for asking questions. He never shames or slaps you in the face when you come to Him. God reassures Moses of his intent and purposes. Instead of criticizing Moses for asking, “Why” the Lord, just says wait and watch. God’s response was that it was time to impress Pharaoh. The king needed a good dose of God’s power.

God has great compassion for us and for our need. No matter what our problem, sin or shame he desires to help us. We are more important to God that what we have done or accomplished. This may be difficult to understand in a world that measures us by our accomplishments or the lack of them.

Until you fix your eyes upon Jesus you will not be able to handle those days that go from bad to worse.

Beginning in verse six the LORD reminds Moses of his promises. “Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD.’

Seven times, in verses six through eight, God says, “I will.” “I will bring you out…I will rescue you….I will redeem you…I will take you to me as My people….I will be your God…I will bring you into the land…I will give you as a heritage.”

So what does Moses do when his bad day takes a turn for the worse? You can’t beat Moses’ plan. He came back to the Lord. Moses had been discouraged, he was frustrated, he felt helpless, but he kept coming back. And the Lord met him every time.

Moses, armed only with a piece of wood he had found in the desert to use as a staff and assisted by his brother Aaron, began waging war on the mightiest force in the world at that time, a war that ultimately left the throne of Egypt vacant, the pharaoh dead, all of Egypt in mourning and the children of Israel free.

No matter how bad we’ve had it in life, it was nothing in comparison to the life of Moses. This teaches us a lesson about bad days. WE NEED TO LOOK BEYOND THOSE BAD DAYS. We need to live by faith. We need to realize that the bad things of this world are not the end! In the light of eternity and the glory of heaven, the bad things of this life are nothing!

Hebrews 4:14-16 "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."

Moses understood this even when he was having a BAD DAY! Though Moses went through some really tough times, Jesus went through the worst days of all.

Jesus left heaven for earth. He’s seen it all. Endured it all. Consequently, He understands everything we’re going through. He is completely sympathetic. Let us approach Him, walk with Him, live with Him. He will show us mercy and give us grace to overcome.

When I'm good, I'm very good. But when I'm bad I'm hopeful! Why? God says I’m good, so I must be very good. He doesn’t do things half way. When I’m bad, God is using this as a learning experience; for wisdom; for love and for truth. We must take these bad days as a blessing from God as well. A hurdle given to us for growth!

My prayer is that the word bad would just disappear. How about we change this word. From now on, the word bad means “Hope”!

It’s your serve.

Last night, a group of men set out to make an impact. This is what Men of Action is all about. Our Table from our Wild Mens group decided to take the lives God has given us to the streets. Make an impact for God, set the example.

On Mondays and Tuesdays our Homeless Ministry sets out and feeds both physically and spiritually. They feed at a lot donated by a Local Business. This lot though had a need, a need to be cleaned up and taken care of. As a group, we decided to tackle this as a service to God.

As Christians, what will we be remembered for? As a Church, what will we be known for? People usually connect great man and women with one great ideal, invention, achievement or cause. Mention the name of Lincoln, and most people will say, “freed the slaves”. Mention George Washington and you’ll hear, “father of our country”. Mention Margaret Thatcher and you’ll hear “Prime Minister of Great Britain”.

What they did reflected who they were!

Imagine Jesus going into towns and villages during his ministry without accompanying acts of healing and helping. Do you think our Savior would have gained much of a hearing or established the credibility of His message?

One of the great dangers of the church is that because of fear, we have lost our desire to minister in concrete action and service as we seek to share God’s Word. Jesus tells us:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

When Jesus sent out His disciples, they were to trust God’s care and become directly engaged with those whom they were ministering. They connected others with God’s love by combining Jesus’ Great Commandment with His Great Commission, of showing and telling! Our actions toward others separate real Christianity from mere philosophy.

Good deeds and good news summed up Jesus’ ministry. What would the combination of good deeds and good news accomplish? Good deeds are not just the wrapping for the Gospel. Acts of love, compassion, kindness and justice to help people in a broken world is something the Lord requires of us.

Micah 6:8: He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Giving a cup of cool water, food to the hungry and clothing to the shivering is something the Lord wants us to do regardless if that person comes to faith or ever attends our church. We love and serve because we are followers of Jesus Christ.

I John 3 says: If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

We are helping people who are disconnected to become connected with God’s people and with God Himself.

Matt. 5:16: let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

The Bible says, we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors(2 Corinthians 5:20), God is making his appeal through us. An ambassador is a delegate and spokesperson who represents God. The Bible says that No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us(1 John 4:12).

People are often led to the Lord by the love and kindness of God’s people. Through God’s people, they get a glimpse of who God is; His character, His love, His compassion and His desire to have a personal relationship with Him. Are people connecting to the Lord because of us and our church’s ministry?

Combine the Great Commandment of “loving God and loving others” with the Great Commission of “making disciples.” Reaching out to others with the love of God and connecting them with the love of Jesus, that’s the vision, the goal and the objective it’s all about making connections through our service.

Our Church is creating a “Dream Center” for inner city kids to be safe and to receive a example of Christ in Action and Love. This is what I see happening with this. The children attending feel the Love of God present within. The example set is reflected in their intense desire to be at this location all the time.

The parents of these children see a change within their kids. They wonder what they have gotten into and go to satisfy their curiosities. The parents observe the love of God, they get saved!!! God’s is glorified!!!

Hundreds have been connected to Christ through ministries that understand that to win a hearing for the gospel; the church must respond to the needs of people in real, tangible and effective ways that community social services alone cannot provide. They are made by God and in the image of God and he wants us to help them get reconnected with Him.

The church can and should be all about change. Though we may see different causes to problems, identify different solutions and have different perspectives on humanity, we can work with community organizations to show the love of God.


If an organization is morally positive and spiritually neutral, then we as a church can honor God through serving the needs of the community by creating relationships with those leading local agencies and serving along side them. And through these connecting points we may have the opportunity to show and tell them of God’s great and amazing grace. Let’s not limit the Lord.


Good deeds are insufficient to lead a person to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Good deeds can be a bridge or a road, but they are not the saving message that crosses that bridge or travels the road. Good deeds provide numerous connecting points, but they are never a substitute for connecting the dots between good deeds and the Gospel.
Remember, the Gospel means “Good News” and that it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes (Rom. 1:16).

And faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ .Rom 10:17

By connecting with those we serve and those with whom we serve, we are opening the doors of our hearts to share the hope we have in Christ. And people’s hearts are open when they see that we really care about them and their needs.

Last night we cared and although we didn’t directly speak to anyone, God was there with us. We went about our work with not many words being said, we had a purpose. As we worked, a stillness enveloped us all. God loved on us! Sometimes the result of service may not be evident. God saw!

Action can speak louder than words! What are you doing to glorify God Today?

It’s your serve!

IT's not my Fault!

You are wearing a shirt that needs to be ironed. Instead of taking it off, you try to iron with it on and guess what? That’s right, you get burned. (I’ve done this but let’s not go there. ) So you call your lawyer and sue the manufacturer of the iron.

You pull through McDonalds for some HOT coffee. While trying to drive your car, eat your Egg McMuffun, you spill your HOT coffee all over yourself. It’s McDonalds fault for making that coffee too hot!

We blame fast food restaurants for making us fat. We blame tobacco companies for giving us cancer. We blame the church for our lack of spiritual growth. We blame God for the results of our poor choices.

Ridiculous right? The truth is this happens everyday and some of the stories are even more radical than the ones I have given here. So, who really is to blame? Who is really at fault here? Most of the time it’s through our misjudgments and errors, keyword: OURS. (I refuse to use the words stupid, moronic or idiocy. We are Gods kids, were better than that!)

Some blame it on the lawyers for giving us the opportunity to take legal action; some fault the political and economical situation the government has put us in; some blame their parents and/or upbringing. Some just blame God, like they think he has it out for them. But whose fault is it really?

In Genesis, Eve had given Adam the fruit and the serpent had deceived Eve. Don’t they have valid excuses? Adam could say, “Don’t blame me, I didn’t take the fruit from the tree; she gave me some fruit and I ate it. I wouldn’t have eaten it if it hadn’t been for that woman.” Eve said, “Don’t blame me. I was tricked into eating it. I wouldn’t have eaten it if it hadn’t been for that serpent.”

Are they responsible? They knew the rules!
Genesis 2:16,17, 3:17:
And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
(I was thinking while writing this that this would be a great place to tell a joke. BUT, this is no joke!)



They had a choice. Since they knew the rule and the consequence for breaking that rule, they were given fair warning and therefore, left without excuse. The serpent played a role in Eve eating the fruit and Eve played a role in Adam eating the fruit but ultimately, the choice was each of theirs.

They had the power necessary to resist temptation. They were given incentive to stay away. Spiritual death should’ve been a good incentive to stay away from something. Besides, they had access to everything else. Aren’t some of us earthlings just like that though. Even when we have everything that we need to live an abundant life, we still want more?


In Exodus 32:1-24:
Verse 7: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. 8 They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, ‘These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.’

Verse 22: “Do not be angry, my lord,” Aaron answered. “You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.’ So I told them, ‘Whoever has any gold jewelry, take it off.’ Then they gave me the gold, and I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!”

Aaron said to Moses , “Hey, these people wanted a god. You know how they are; what was I supposed to do? You were gone, up on that mountain all this time; don’t blame me. In fact, blame the furnace because all I did was throw the gold in there and out came this calf.”

We will go to great lengths to try to shift the blame. We concoct elaborate stories to keep from owning up to our wrongdoing. Then, when the heat (pun intended) is on we need to come up with new lies to collaborate with the old lies. What a tangled web we weave when we desire to deceive.

We have this tendency to blame our parents for all our defects of character. Many of the traits we produce are learned behaviors we saw displayed through our parents actions. But we have to stop blaming them and start accepting responsibility.

Our society tells us that we don’t have to take responsibility for our actions. We can blame someone else. We say, I don’t have to accept any responsibility; I’m the victim. We continue to sin and blame it on what happened to us years ago.

I can’t go back to church because I was hurt there before. I can’t shake this habit because it’s been going on for so long. I can’t stop feeling sorry for myself because everybody else is against me.

We also blame God when we say things like, God, if I had more money I would tithe. God, if I had a car I could find a job. God you know I tried a couple of times and nothing happened so I guess you don’t want me to succeed. Well, God, I tried to wait but you’re not moving fast enough so I guess I’ll have to do it myself. When we act, or fail to act according to God’s will and it doesn’t work out, it’s God’s fault. We’re to blame if we don’t seek God’s direction or accept God’s timing.

Often times we’re quick to blame God when things go wrong and slow to thank him when things go right. Instead of blaming God for allowing evil, our attitude should be thanking Him that it isn’t worse. When God allowed Satan to go after Job, he allowed him to go only so far. Satan is on God’s leash. If God took Satan off his leash there would be a surge of unimaginable evil inflicted upon us all. Playing all these games with God keeps us from understanding and appreciating God.

The “it’s not my fault” game doesn’t make things better; it makes them worse. When we blame others we avoid taking responsibility for our actions and when we do that, we will never grow. And when we blame God we see Him incorrectly and we fail to see Him for who He really is-a loving God whose desire is to see us stop blaming and start living a blameless life.

Men and woman of action! It’s only your fault if you take your eyes off God and try to do it yourself!

The talk of the Town

1. Biblical scholars recently unearthed a previously unknown gospel written by a disciple named "Rusty".
2. Shania Twain is Mark Twain's great-granddaughter.
3. John F. Kennedy was an accomplished ventriloquist.
4. Contrary to popular belief, the white is not the healthiest part of an egg. It's actually the shell.
5. Adding baking soda and vinegar will make your scrambled eggs fluffier.
6. Penguins can smell toothpaste from several miles away.
7. In 1984, an Ohio family visiting New York City stood at a broken DON'T WALK sign for three days.
8. M & Ms were candy-coated peas during a chocolate shortage in the 1950s.
9. The flush toilet was invented in Flushing, NY.
10. At thirteen hospitals around the country, there is a Dr. Pepper on staff.

Of course, none of the preceding statements are true. They are slander and gossip! Lately I have been battling this enemy of God. As far as I know, I didn’t start, spread or agree with what I heard. But I have heard quite a bit in the last few weeks. Not only at work and my personal life but also at Church.

It has concerned me and it has been wearing on my soul. So my topic for this Men of Action writing is, “How can we be an effective witness for Christ if we are deceiving ourselves with our own words?”

Remember this, “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” Try telling that to a wife whose husband screams, “I hate you.” Try telling that to a middle- aged woman who tells herself, I’m’ fat and ugly.” - Words can and do hurt all the time. They hurt us, others, and God.


Proverbs 18:8 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts.

This tells us “That what we say, we take in ourselves, into our inmost parts.” You are what you eat. This is something we have heard most of our lives. It’s really common sense isn’t it? If we want to keep our physical body running healthy, we need to eat healthy. If we want to keep our spiritual bodies healthy, we must choose our words in a healthy sense.

Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.


We must abstain from Gossip, name calling, and sarcasm. It is very tempting at times and we want to act out, we want to scream, we want to cave in and lash out at individuals or situations. And sometimes we do. Maybe we say something negative about someone but it is something small and we try to justify it and tell ourselves “It’s no big deal, it’s just a small word and it won’t really hurt us at all.” Then we wake up the next day and we feel horrible about what we said.

Maybe the world’s temptations are too strong at times and we cave in completely and gorge ourselves with Gossip, Slander, Cursing, and Screaming. It may feel great at the time but then it sets in and we realize that we have just hurt our example and we cannot perform as we need to as a Christian.

James 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

Careless words hurt us and our testimony. How can we expect to do God’s will if we are corrupting ourselves with harmful words? Some of us beat ourselves up verbally don’t we? We beat ourselves up with negative thoughts. “I’m fat, I’m unattractive, I’m stupid, and I’m a horrible person.”

What kind of words do you speak to yourself? Are they words of encouragement and self-esteem? Do your words reflect the fact that God created you in His image and that He loves you? If not, they should!


Leviticus 19:16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people. Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life.

Gossip and slander can ruin friendships, by placing doubt in our minds; it can ruin reputations and tear apart lives. Gossip can have devastating lifelong effects on lives. Like a glowing ember in a forest of dry trees, the fire of gossip is far from harmless. One dropped spark from its fire has the potential to set off a blaze that burns a person’s dignity and reputation.

Don’t fan the flame of gossip by repainting it. Carefully keep sensitive matters concerning others on a need-to-know basis, respecting privacy as you would like them to respect yours.

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Slander” is a word that has an interesting origin. It comes from the word “Devil.” According to the Dictionary, slander means “malicious talk; to spread damaging information; to defame; to speak ill of.” Is it no wonder where slander derives its name?


Slander is the work of the Devil, and those who slander is on his team. In fact the Bible says that Satan is called the “accuser of the brethren”

Exodus 16:20 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”

“Gossip” is derived from the idea of “whispering.” Gossip” means “To indulge in idle talk or rumors about others; spreading of sensational stories.”

As a Christian do you occasionally slip up and commit a murder here or there? Or how about theft, burglary or steal things from the store? You may think this is silly to ask. Christian lifestyles shouldn’t behave that way. But how about gossip or slander?

Do you engage in idle talk or rumors about others? Do you participate in bad-mouthing or spreading rumors about others? According to the Bible, which sin is less severe? Murder or gossip? Paul said, BOTH are sins equally worthy of death.

Words can and do hurt all the time! They hurt us, others, and they hurt God. You can be the talk of the town by saying, “You are God’s kids! And God loves you”

That’s the only gossip I want to hear!

Focal Points

As I spoke of in my last two blogs, I have been getting some wisdom on the rest of the human condition. That is, rest, multi tasking, and dealing with stress. It really has a lot to do with focus. If our thoughts and hopes are elsewhere, it is impossible for us to set our faces steadily toward the work required of us.

There are really four things that cause loss of focus and dealing with the stress in our lives.
1. People - Learning to live together and share space. Learning to compromise, learning to solve conflicts like deciding whether the toilet paper goes over or under.
Dealing with the stress of all the different roles that parents have to fill like nurse, teacher, referee, problem solver, etc. Then there’s the stress outside of the immediate family with your parents, siblings or in-laws. Family can be stressful.
2. Events - The stress of work would include your workload as well as dealing with our boss or co-workers. The high demands of productivity, the boss breathing down your neck, ready to critique your every move.
Driving can be a source of tension. We can be on edge just getting behind the wheel. What do you think road rage is caused by?
3. Thoughts
4. Emotions
Thoughts and emotions blend together in cause like, things I cannot change. Sometimes the stress I’m under has less to do with outside circumstances and more to do with the battles already going on inside of me. Much of the time, our anxious thoughts have to do with something we cannot change. We get anxious and anticipate something negative about a future event and 9 times out of 10 it never ends up how we made it in our minds to be. It’s wasted energy.
We can be stressed over what others are doing or not doing. I can try to persuade someone to think, say and do differently but in the end when it’s obvious that someone isn’t listening.

Stress can cause physical ailments. Think about it: high blood pressure, Hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and ulcers. Stress has been linked to all the leading causes of death, including heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis, and suicide.

Stress can cause spiritual ailments. Stress strangles, stagnates and stifles us spiritually. The biggest stress I have ever faced, spiritually, is when I first got baptized. I started out joyous, ready to save everybody! I got hit with resistance; sharing the word and lost focus.

Focus is very important and when you lose it, stress, worry and fear take over. Satan wants to keep us too busy to focus on Jesus. He wants to make us worried and upset about many things. Jesus would be telling us to slow down and focus on him. We need to remember what the priority is.

I read this online but I thought it was a interesting demonstration on our focus in life. Try this, on a piece of white paper (8x10) draw a black spot right in the center. I’ll wait till your done…

Good, now look at the paper and tell me what you see. Did you see the black spot? Of course you did, but what else did you see?

Life is like that piece of paper, most people only see the black spot and not the white paper. In life we are often distracted by small disappointments, and we forget the innumerable blessings we receive from the Lord. Like the sheet of paper, the good things in life are overwhelmed by the adversities that monopolize our attention .

Life has many distractions that can overwhelm us, even divert us from fully sensing Jesus’ peace and presence. Our relationship with Christ cannot grow properly or fully if we are living with constant distractions.

In Luke 10:38-42, a verse I shared a few blogs ago, demonstrates the obstacles within our lives.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha ," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Martha was distracted. Life is so full of distractions that people end up living for no higher purpose than to get through another day. It’s interesting to note that Jesus repeats a name when he wanted to make a impressive statement.
"you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.”

What’s that one thing? Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Our primary concern in this life should not be pleasing and serving ourselves. It should be knowing and serving God.

When we focus correctly, stress can be a great teacher and motivator.

“Have you ever looked at the rubber band? I mean really look at its purpose!

A rubber band is made for only one purpose. That purpose is to be stretched so it can hold something together. Now, if it is not stretched, it is not fulfilling its purpose at all, is it?

Christians are much like the rubber band. We were put on this earth to be doers of God word. We must stretch ourselves out of our comfort zones so that we can be effective. One of the hardest things for us to do, is to get out of our comfort zones, but to be effective for God, we must do it.

I have never seen anywhere in the Bible that says God wants us to be all comfortable and cozy. I have never read where God wants us to have it really easy and smooth, have you?”

Don’t lose your focus!

The REST of the story…..

Last week, I did something that has been waiting in the wings for 6 years. I took a vacation. God has been telling me to take some time off for a while. You know how God sometimes hits you with a 2x4? Sometimes a 4x8? Sometimes an 8x8! I needed REST! And I have the splinters to prove it!

By and large, Americans don’t value rest and relaxation. We’ve made a virtue of unceasing labor; we brag about how busy we are. Our busy lives are proof that we’re important and significant, right?

We feel guilty when we’re not working, and if you don’t work, we sometimes have negative views on them. Take vacations, for example. In Europe , the standard is five or six weeks of time off per year. In France, the whole country basically shuts down for the month of August, and everyone heads to the beach or the mountains. And while the number of public holidays in the U.S. is seven; in Europe it’s ten or eleven.

Japan is the only country that takes less time off then we do. The Japanese work so hard that one of the most serious health issues in Japan is "karoshi," or "death by overwork”. The Europeans simply have a different attitude as to the proper balance between work and leisure.

Americans tend to be fairly materialistic, measuring success in terms of wealth and possessions. You do have to work long and hard to accumulate all that stuff. The result of all this is that America has the strongest economy in the world, one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, the most advanced medical and health system in the world – and along with it, one of the highest rates of stress-related illness in the world.

Let me say that again, the USA has one of the highest rates of stress-related illness in the world!

Why is rest so important? For several reasons. One of the most important functions of rest is to allow us to listen to God. Often, we get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life that we become deaf to the still, small voice of God. We become so busy doing things for Christ that we forget to simply be with Christ. We get tunnel vision, becoming so fixated on completing our list of assigned tasks that we have no time.

Ok, so now you know God wants us to rest but do you value times of rest? Do you plan for them, and schedule them, and protect them? Do you plan for regular times alone with the Lord? Parents, do you ensure that your children have times of rest, times when there are no demands on them from school work. or sports?

Do you plan time away with your family, time when you can be together without distractions from work, school and even church? And most importantly, are you resting in Christ? Have you given up all attempts to earn God’s love and acceptance, and have you come to trust in Christ alone for salvation?

Genesis 2:2,3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Does God need to rest, I should think not. He’s making a point here though, do you want to be more Christ like as Men of Action?

Mark 6:30, 31 The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

Jesus did not demand, nor desire, that his disciples labor to the point of exhaustion and burn-out. He knew that they needed periods of rest in order to remain strong, just as we do. Jesus said, Listen, let's get away. Let's go away to a deserted place and let's just rest for a while.

You've got to know the rest of the story: no sooner did they get there than the crowds find out about it, and they all come there, too! Oh, great, now what? Jesus didn't say, "GO AWAY!" He welcomed them, He even fed them.

There are those times in your Christian life when you're just really, really busy, and it just seems like a lot, and you try to get away to get a rest, and you go off with Jesus, and you find out the work even follows you there.
But the problem is not that we need to be doing nothing; the problem is that we need to stop doing the wrong things. That's usually what's making us weary.
It seems hard in an outward sense, not in an inward sense, when we're right with Him. When we come to Him, He doesn't just set us free from anything. He gives us an assignment. But it's a different assignment. It's not the one we would have picked. It's the one that comes from Him.

You'll find rest in the work that He gives. You will find rest for your souls. This is the promise that He gives us. I'll bet you'll agree with me, rest for your soul is far more satisfying than rest for your body.

And that my friends, is the REST of the story!

But not the end of the story…

("The Rest of story" expression/phrase used by Paul Harvey in his Radio Show)