Trust God but don’t leave your keys in your car.

When does trust mean that we do nothing except let go and sit and wait for God? When does trust mean that we get active and make some plans and start to do things and allow God to empower and guide while we are in motion?

When I went on my yearlong mission back in 1986, one of the jobs I did was roofing. While installing a roof on a two story home, I slipped and started to fall off the roof. At the last moment my hand reached out and grabbed the gutter. In my terror, I yelled for help.

The foreman (one of my brothers on the mission) yelled back, “do you believe?”
Still very scared I answered a quick, “Yes!”
“How about faith, do you have faith?”
I really couldn’t believe he was asking me this while my life was in peril… “Yes” I screamed, “now help me!”
He said, “Then Let go!”

When I first started attending Church, I had a real problem with tithing because I had a lot of bills. I decided to speak with a Pastor about this. The pastor replied, "Paul, if I promise to make up the difference in your bills if you should fall short, do you think you could try tithing for just one month?"

"Sure” I stated, “if you promise to make up any shortage, I guess I could try tithing for one month."

"Now, what do you think of that," he replied. "You say you’d be willing to put your trust in a mere man like myself’ who possesses so little materially, but you couldn’t trust your Heavenly Father who owns the whole universe!"

In the first account, trust meant letting go and in the second, trust meant doing something and then trusting in God. Does trusting mean that we do nothing and wait on God, or does it mean that we seek God actively as we get moving along? We really experience the depth of God’s promises - in dangerous, uncomfortable, and unsafe situations.

Remember how the city of Jericho falls into the hands of the Israelites? They take the city simply by marching around it for seven days, and then God miraculously tears down the walls at the shout (yes, shout) of the Israelite army. God had a plan for the fall of Jericho; He knew how it was going to happen.

Before this all happened though, Joshua had sent a couple spies into the city. Secretly, meaning he did this on his own, this wasn’t part of God’s plan. They obviously weren’t going to need detailed reconnaissance on the military readiness of the people of Jericho. Why send the spies if God was going to do a miracle? Even worse, isn’t this whole spy thing contrary to the very nature of what it means to trust God – isn’t it an example of Joshua acting in his strength rather than in God’s?

Obviously God was not upset at Joshua, or there definitely would have been consequences for doing his own thing. Sometimes it is ok for us to get busy and do the things that make the most sense. I have known people who wanted to walk with God and be so dependent on Him that they would literally wake up in the morning and pray about which pair of socks to put on.

God gave us the ability to make decisions. We often take that and run with it and try to make all the decisions ourselves, without involving God in our daily lives, and that is wrong. But it is also wrong to never make decisions.

Trusting God means that we wait on Him for guidance and direction and leadership – and it also means that we get going in the direction He points us in.

Sometimes in life we get stuck. We get in a rut, we feel like we’re spinning our wheels, we’re discouraged and down and going nowhere. Are you stuck because you don’t know where to go, or are you stuck because you do know where to go but are waiting for something else to happen before heading that direction?

God has it under control. He knows the hurdles and the pitfalls and the obstacles, and He is bigger than all of them. If you are going in the direction He wants you to go in, trust Him to take care and let go.

Trusting God means waiting on Him for direction; it also means using the minds and gifts that He has given us to head in that direction. As long as we head in that direction in His strength and not in our own, as long as we continue to trust Him along the way and even let Him make mid-course corrections, we can be confident that we are to trust in Him and walk in His power and not our own.

Ulterior Motive

About 9 months ago, I asked God to give me wisdom as I examined my motives. The conclusions I came up with is too long of a list for me to give here. To really sum it up, I had my hands in too many cookie jars. I was overwhelmed with commitments and responsibilities. I was doing the right things for the wrong reasons. My motives, though genuine and caring, weren’t properly aligned.

Every action we participate in is fueled by motives. But when motives become misaligned, there are major problems that can occur. When there is a mixture of good actions with wrong motives, we call that having an ulterior motive.

In Matthew 20:20-24 we are introduced to Salome. Salome’s name means clothing, and clothing can be used to conceal. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:15, as He issued a warning to be on the lookout for wolves in sheep’s clothing.

In the 20th verse, "Then came the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him." Though she came worshipping, it also seems to suggest that worship was not her pure motive. We are told that she came with something else on her mind, on her heart, something she wanted Jesus to do.

So she, along with her sons, came to Jesus with a plan, a scheme, with an ulterior motive. Part of this being another word that usually falls into motives called, “manipulation”. That is always at the root of any actions produced by ulterior motives. Businesses do it; Church’s do it; Husbands do it, wives do it, and children do it. They seek to secretively sway the circumstances in a position that will be favorable for them.

God doesn’t do it though, he looks at the heart. He doesn’t look at the clothing, but He sees beyond the facade, and into your motives! Worship does move God, but it does not manipulate God! Yet, you would be shocked to know how many people involve themselves in Spiritual activities for the wrong reasons.

So we see here, a woman with her sons, coming in what should be a sacred act of worship, but they come with a plan, a scheme, and another desire. They’re not coming because they want to give honor to Jesus. They’re coming to get something from Jesus! There are many people today who come to the Lord for the wrong reason!

That’s one reason why some people don’t last. Because they came to the Lord "with an understanding" that God would do what they want Him to do. And when that didn’t happen, they quit! You see, when people do something for the wrong reason, they won’t do it for long!

Jesus wasn’t ignorant of Salome’s intentions; Jesus was disheartened, because the motive wasn’t right. She was doing the right thing, but for the wrong reason. I can hear Him say, "What do you want when you act like that?" Because that’s what it was - it was an act!

She came scheming, saying, "You like worship? Okay, I will give you worship. And in return, hook my boys up!" And Jesus told her, "You don’t even know what you’re talking about!" One of the things she wanted was to bypass the process involved in attaining the next level. People do it all the time.

"I’ll go to church, and God can get me a job." "I’ll pay my tithes, and God can get me out of debt." But worship, or any other spiritual act, is not a shortcut for processes. You can’t worship your way out of debt if you’re coming to God with a scheme; a plan, or with an ulterior motive.

Many people want to lay out stipulations to God, based on what they have given up to serve Him. They want Him to know what they walked away from to be with Him. But no one has given up as much to get with God, as God has given up getting with you! He gave His Son!

You put at risk the very thing you want God to do, plus everything else He could do on your behalf. If you’ve been bargaining, scheming, coming to God to see what He can do for you, you may need to examine your motives.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

(Re-posted from my Thanksgiving Blog from Last year)

Oh wonderful God, Savior, my Lord.
I open my heart to you in prayer, continuous.
Even though my thanks is only one word.
Our praise in words is always endless.

Sometimes my Lord, we forget to pray,
Over the wonderful things you give.
Our worldly wishes and dreams may stay,
Though it is in you that we should live.

Sometimes we fail to see the loving stand,
That Jesus, your son endured for us all.
The pain, torment by many a mistaken hand,
And completing his divine altar call.

Sometimes we know not what to pray,
And forget what to be Thankful for.
We miss the blessings every single day,
Even the lost hearts that you restore.

So this is my prayer,
Thanks for always being there,
Lord
Keeping us in your loving care,
Lord
Comfort in the things I can’t bare,
Lord
Thanks for the heart to always share,
Lord
For the Grace that I wear,
Lord
In Jesus’s wonderful name we declare
You’re Love!
Amen

It is neither Turkey day nor even Thanksgiving day in my eyes…
It is Thanks-God-for-Giving day.

God Bless!

Selective Memory

My Memory isn’t what it used to be. Especially with names! I tried many different techniques of remembering people’s names; repeating their names over and over; familiarization of their name and something about them specifically; and many others. It didn’t work for me. I even tried an old trick where you ask the person to spell their name for you as if you were taking notes. The last person I tried this method with replied sarcastically,
“S, M, I, T, H”.

The longer we live, the more there is to remember. And yet the more we remember, the more we forget as well. Isn’t that ironic? That could be due to several things. That could be memory loss. Or it could be selective memory.

How much do you remember? They say that as we grow older, our long-term memory may stay in place, but our short-term memory has problems. I know that I can remember lots of things from way back, like when I climbed the tree in the front yard. I remember that because I got stuck and my Mom had to climb up to get me. Yes, my Mom was cool that way!

I remember the last time my Dad laughed. I was 7 or something. I had taken my Schwinn Bicycle (pretty cool back then) and rode down the biggest hill in our neighborhood. A dog ran out in front of me and I T-boned (no pun intended) the dog with the front wheel of my bike. I went flying over the handle bars and slid down most of the asphalt hill on my side. Not Pretty! My Dad thought it was the funniest thing.

My short term memory though, sometimes I forget where I leave it. I think it may have something to do with selective memory. Selective memory: meaning that we remember certain things and forget other things, on the basis of our feelings. If it feels good, our selective memory remembers certain things and forgets others. Not consciously, maybe, but subconsciously.

Think about it, I can tell you the day, hour and minute I got my last promotion. (Good Selective memory=ON!) When I had my surgery last year and I woke up in a lot of pain. Spent 2 days in the hospital but I can’t remember what actually transpired while I was there. (Bad Selective Memory =OFF!)

We do this with sin. Selective memory can mean that we just turn a blind eye to our sin. We wipe out all the stuff that hurts, we concentrate on the good times, and we hope the pain and the sin will go away. If we think we can deal with the issue of sin just by forgetting about it, we are off the mark. It won’t work.

The Bible says, “You can be sure that your sins will find you out.” Just when you least expect it, that thing called guilt will jump up and grab you by the throat, and the memories will come back. The pain and the shame, the guilt and the wrong, it will come back to haunt us. Selective memory will not, by any means, get rid of sin.

If your selective memory is stuck in remembering only the fun and frothy moments, and you do not recall your sin, you will have missed the grace of God. But it is also true that if your selective memory is stuck in remembering only the painful and the shameful, and you do not recall the mercies of God, you too will have missed the wonderful grace of God. Either way, you have missed the grace of God. Either way, selective memory is a deep, deep spiritual issue.

The good news is that God too has selective memory! God has provided a way through which He will choose to remember selectively. The Scripture puts it, “He will remember our sins no more.” God’s selective memory is an occasion of grace for us.

Here are a couple things you should SELECT to REMEMBER!

Remember how God has been gracious.

Remember how God has given life and life abundant.

Remember and be thankful.

Remember to come to God’s Table, unashamed and unafraid, here to remember the Lord’s death until he comes again.

Remember!

Have you heard the one about…

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven…A time to cry and a time to LAUGH. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 The dancing and grieving you can have, I’m more than laughing type.

A cheerful heart is good medicine. Proverbs 17:22a

A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life. Proverbs 14:30

Our body performs "rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory, and involuntary actions." Fifteen facial muscles contract and there is electrical stimulation of the zygomatic major muscle. That’s the muscle that extends from each cheekbone to the corners of the mouth. It raises the corners of the mouth. Currents of varying intensity produce a wide range of facial responses. The respiratory system is upset by the epiglottis half-closing, so that air intake occurs in irregular gasps, rather than calm breaths.

Under extreme circumstances, the tear ducts are activated, so that while the mouth is opening and closing and there is a struggle for a sufficient amount of oxygen intake, the face becomes moist and often red. Sounds more like a disease than what happens when we laugh. (I’m not a doctor, I got this from WebMD!)

Noises often accompany this odd behavior "ranging from controlled snickers, escaped chortles, and spontaneous giggles, to ridiculous cackles, noisy hoots, and up-roars and guffaws. It’s a tension dissolver. It’s an antidote to anxiety. It’s just like a tranquilizer, but without any side effects. And it’s free!

No matter what you may have heard, or how you were raised, it’s okay for Christians to have a good time. Jesus was criticized by His enemies for partying with sinners. He believed it was okay to celebrate at weddings, to enjoy the hospitality of His friends, etc. When’s last time someone looked at how you respond to life and said, “What amazing things has the Lord done for you?” Being critical and grumpy aren’t qualities that make people want to have what you have.

Even when you can’t see the funny in your everyday life, on the basis of Scripture, we need to learn to look for the right times to laugh. God has given us this capacity for enjoying good humor so we need to intentionally incorporate laughter into your daily routine!

Ready to laugh?

A Pastor and his wife decided to get a new dog. They visited kennel after kennel and explained their need for a Christian minded dog. Finally, they found a kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they wanted. The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor and his wife. "Fetch the Bible," he commanded. The dog bounded to the bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and brought it to the owner. "Now find Psalm 23," he commanded. The dog dropped the Bible to the floor, and showing marvelous dexterity with his paws, leafed through and finding the correct passage, pointed to it with his paw. The pastor and his wife were very impressed and purchased the dog. That evening, a group of church members came to visit. The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog, having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors were very impressed. One man asked, "Can he do regular dog tricks, too?" "I haven’t tried yet," the pastor replied. He pointed his finger at the dog. "HEEL!" the pastor commanded. The dog immediately jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor’s forehead and began to howl.

Are you laughing yet?

Jesus saw a crowd chasing down a woman to stone her and approached them. "What's going on here, anyway?" he asked.
"This woman was found committing adultery, and the law says we should stone her!" one of the crowd responded.
"Wait," yelled Jesus. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Suddenly, a stone was thrown from out of the sky, and knocked the woman on the side of her head.
"Aw, c'mon, Dad..." Jesus cried, "I'm trying to make a point here!"

Laughing now?

Moses, Jesus and an old man are golfing. Moses steps up to the tee and hits the ball. It goes sailing over the fairway and lands in the water trap. Moses parts the water and chips the ball onto the green. Jesus steps up to the tee and hits the ball. It goes ailing over the fairway and lands in the water trap. Jesus just walks on the water and chips the ball onto the green. The old man steps up to the tee and hits the ball. It goes sailing over the fairway and heads for the water trap. But, just before it falls into the water, a fish jumps up and grabs the ball in its mouth. As the fish is falling back down into the water, an eagle swoops down and grabs the fish in its claws. The eagle flies over the green where a lightning bolt shoots from the sky and barely misses it.
Startled, the eagle drops the fish. When the fish hits the ground, the ball pops out of its mouth and rolls into the hole for a hole-in-one.
Jesus then turns to the old man and says, "Dad, if you don't stop
fooling around, we won't bring you next time."

If you need a laugh, come see me.

As Christians, we should be the HAPPIEST people on earth!

Paid in Full!

Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus tells a parable about a business owner. He talks about the owner of a vineyard who hires workers for the day. In the early morning he goes out and finds people who will work and agrees to pay them a living wage. They go out to the fields and start to work. Around nine he goes to the square and finds more people, and this time he says “I will pay you what is right”. They go out to the fields too. He does this again at noon, and then at three. And at five he goes out and finds people who haven’t been hired yet, and he hires them and sends them to the fields.

When it comes time for everyone to be paid, he starts with the ones who came at 5pm. And they get a full day’s wages. Now, can you imagine being those folks who were hired at 9am? The people who were hired eight hours later got a full day’s wage. They must have been thinking, “If they got paid for the full day, we are surely going to get even more!”

Except they don’t. They get the full day’s wage that they agreed on earlier in the day. And they grumble about how unfair it is. You get the same pay whether you worked one hour or nine hours. The owner of the vineyard answers, “I did you no wrong. I paid you for the day. Are you angry because I was generous and gave what was mine to give to the others? The last shall be first. And the first shall be last.”

If you’re like me, you read this parable and you feel a little uneasy. It doesn’t seem right that the ones who came at 5pm get paid as much as the ones at 9am. That’s not good business; I would lose my profits for my business if I did this. It’s not what we’re taught our whole lives. It’s not fair. That vineyard owner had it all wrong.

But I was wrong.

The main character, the business owner, represents God. And the workers in the vineyard, whether they came at daybreak or 5pm, really represent us. Jesus is trying to teach us all something about God, and one another. We all like to believe that we will be rewarded, if we just work hard enough. It’s what we have heard since we were in grade school. If we worked hard enough, we could do anything we wanted. And so many of us burn ourselves out, run ourselves into the ground, in order to try to create the future we want.

I don’t fault hard work. I often work long days, and have a hard time disconnecting when I should. I check email when I’m out with friends, I pick up the phone on my day off, I have an inability to shut off. I am a workaholic. I sometimes find that despite my best laid plans, despite my hard work, in the end things don’t always go exactly my way. And sometimes that feels really unfair. Especially when we see someone else get something that we feel like they haven’t earned.

Right?

Still remember that the vineyard owner is God. And remember that none of us gets what we deserve. Instead, we get a whole lot better. That’s not the point of God’s grace. We don’t do what we do as Christians to earn God’s love, you can’t...sorry. We do what we do because we already have God’s grace, and we are so filled with gratitude for that grace that we can’t help but glorify God through our actions.

We don’t donate to the food pantry to get to heaven. We don’t volunteer on the Second Saturday of each month for fear of eternal damnation. We don’t serve as ushers, greeters, production assistants, or in hospitality services because we want to get to heaven. We do all these things not because we were the workers waiting at the vineyard at sunrise. We do these things because we were the ones God went out and found at 5pm, and we were chosen to go into the vineyards anyways. And we were not treated fairly. We were treated better than fairly. We were treated with grace.

When you really feel that grace for the first time, when you really believe it, you are free. You are free to labor in a vineyard where all are paid not according to the work they do, but according to what God does.

You don’t need a resume.

You have already been interviewed.

You’re already fully qualified for the job.

Do you want the job?

Are you offensive?

I love this time of year! Football! Being an Expert Football Couch Coach, I can tell you what a good football team should have or be. Defense is good. Defense is important. Defense is needed. BUT… in order to win football games you must score points. Second, it’s extremely difficult to score points on defense.

If the cornerback intercepts the football that defensive player is now an offensive player. The same is true for a linebacker who picks up a fumble. Once these defensive players have possession of the football they are now on offense.

In Matthew 5, Jesus explains to His disciples that they must be salt and light to the world. Light in darkness is obtrusive. Light in darkness will stand out. Light in a world filled with darkness will be offensive.

I don’t think Jesus meant that we should be rude, distasteful, or discriminatory. Being offensive does not mean that we should be judgmental. I don’t think that is how Jesus was telling us to be offensive.

Safety Points (2):

Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines offensive as “making an attack.” The basis for the attack is not violence but instead the unexpected love and peace of Christ.

Field Goal Points (3):

Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines offensive as “giving painful or unpleasant sensations.” Jesus is saying that the foulness is overpowering the world and we need to bring the sweet sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch of grace. People are so used to the foulness of this world that the salt and light can be painful and unpleasant. It will be offensive.

Touchdown Points (6):

Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines offensive as “causing displeasure or resentment.” Just before Jesus calls His followers to be light, he warns that those who follow him will suffer persecution.

You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom. Not only that--count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit Jesus.

What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. The displeasure and resentment should not result from being rude or mean. Instead the resentment will be the consequence of being offensive to a socially relative culture. By being offensive in this way we will be resented by many. Yet, we must still be that offensive light shining in darkness.

By being light we are being offensive. We are making an attack. We are giving painful and unwelcome sensations to this dark world. When we are light in darkness we are offensive, on the offense, and we will score for Jesus. We will plant seeds and win souls for Christ. We will introduce people to the transforming grace of God. When we are offensive we make our world a better place.

That’s what Jesus means as He tells us to be light in a dark and mixed up world. He wants us to be offensive.

He wants us to score for HIM!

Worship Connections

I love going to the movies. I love the smell of popcorn, the comfortable seats, the experience of being with friends and family. You know what I mean? You’re sitting there in a barely lit room; there is a sense of excitement as you wait for the movie to start. Then the lights begin to dim…the screen changes from trivia questions to previews of upcoming movies. The sense of anticipation builds even more as the previews end and everyone stops talking.

There’s a sense that you are about to experience something truly amazing. I get the same feeling when I go to a concert, or to a professional football game. There’s that sense that I am about to experience something that will energize me and stay with me for days, weeks, or even years.

When was the last time that you had a sense of anticipation for what you are about to experience?

When was the last time that you walked through your Church doors with the sense that you are about to experience something that will energize you and stay with you for days, weeks, or even years?

God spoke these words to the prophet Isaiah, “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” This would often be referred to as half-hearted worship. We go through the motions, but there is missed connection between our words and our hearts. We participate almost as if we were half asleep, rather than fully alive. We treat worship as the previews, rather than the feature presentation.

To worship is to experience God. It is to know, to feel, to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the community. It is breaking into the glory of God. God is actively seeking worshipers. Jesus declares, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23

During worship, do you raise your arms to the Lord? I never could figure that out either. When I tried it, it didn’t physically do a thing for me except make my arms ache. There always were these people in front of me too that raised their arms in worship. How was I supposed to have a clear view of the stage with their arms in my way? I was wrong in this thinking.

Some people sing along, some people dance, some people kneel and a lot of people raise their arms to the Lord. It’s not about the physical action at all; it’s about worshipping the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind! There has been a connection with God. This connection can only happen if we remove all of the obstacles between God and ourselves.

You see, God didn’t design worship to be an expensive meal at a fancy restaurant. He designed worship to be a family meal, a time to come together in a comfortable setting, with your brothers and sisters. Does it really matter whether you raise your hands or clap with the song? No one is going to look at you any differently because of it. Our focus cannot be on pleasing people with our worship; our focus must be on pleasing God.

I took a Navy course called “LMET”, Leadership, Management and Education Training. As a teaching tool, our instructor brought us out to the Obstacle course. As we viewed this very difficult obstacle course he chose me to be the first. Before I was allowed to start, he blindfolded me, WHAT? How could he expect me to do the obstacle course?

What I didn’t know, is he steered me not towards the obstacle course but the open field alongside of it. So, you can imagine what was going through my mind and actions. Even though there were no obstacles, the obstacles were still in my mind. I stumbled about trying to keep from falling or hurting myself.

The instructor never said, I had to navigate the obstacle course, this is something we assumed.

We do this with God a lot! We assume there are obstacles but God has removed them already. The obstacles that prevent us from worshiping God are most often imaginary. God has removed all of the obstacles that could prevent us from being the people He wants us to be. Yet, the reality is that our progress is much like the progress of my obstacle course experience: fearful, erratic, and slow.

We all need to pursue an authentic worship experience with God.

Don’t let it be said, “These people come near to God with their mouths and honor Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.”

You’re my Hero

Where have all the heroes gone?

I remember that as a child, I had many heroes. On television I would sit for hours watching Tarzan, Batman & Robin, Superman and many others who fought for the cause of good. I remember in the world of sports, names like Jim Thorpe, Gehrig and Ruth, Seevers, Mantle, Staubach, Unitas, Starr, Lombardi, Dale Earnhardt - how they all stirred-up dreams of succeeding and becoming something bigger than life.

Then I grew up.

In the world we now live in, the heroes of my youth have all been stripped of their dignity and the magic torn away from my childhood. Babe Ruth was an Alcoholic, Batman and Robin isn’t real...etc.

I even remember as a child thinking my own father as a huge man, powerful and strong. Yet his addictions his weakness, his imperfection, is what I remember most now. He died in 1996 of a massive Heart Attack and severe stroke.

Where have all the heroes gone?

Can they be found in Bart Simpson, in Beavis and Butthead, in Al Bundy, Howard Stern, Dennis Rodman or RuPaul? Not to mention the President of the United States?

In Hebrews 11 the definition for faith is, “Assurance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen.” The rest of chapter 11 lists examples of faith in those Godly men and women who were known for their belief in God - People like Abel, Enoch, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Rahab the harlot.

Though all were imperfect, and they all lived at various times in uncommon situations, they all set their feet upon the same track. I challenge every one of us to take to the track and strive to become a hero for the next generation to follow. How?

Have you ever tried to run a marathon while carrying a couple of bowling balls? Silly, isn’t it? You have a much better chance of winning if you cast off the extra weight. Often as Christians, we continue to carry the burden of sin when we don’t have to. Rid yourself of sin.

Peter walked on water until he took his eyes off of Jesus - He lost his focus.

Jesus is our coach and guide - it is Jesus who shows us how to run the race. Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love just as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us." Real heroes fix their eyes on Jesus.

So many begin the race, but so few Heroes complete it! Remember this - Nothings matters if you do not finish! I desperately desire to be a hero to my son, Logan, but I cannot be the hero he needs without finishing the race God has set before me.

Where have all the heroes gone?

Our heroes are still here striving to finish the race, I’ve seen;

A seventy-nine year old man who has dedicated his life to loving God and loving people more than anyone I’ve ever seen;

A struggling young single mother, trying desperately to instill her belief in God in her children;

An elderly lady on a fixed income who mails out at least 200 cards a month to others to encourage them;

A Crippled man who aches with physical pains daily who constantly puts others before himself;

These are just few of my heroes• Just look around, think about others in this heroic sense – you’ll find many heroes of the faith in your Church, all striving to follow the one - Christ - to the end.

If you love Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind… we are heroes!

Hebrew 12:3, 4 "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

Jesus, our hero, shed his blood! And he did it for us!

Allow him to be your hero for now and eternity.

A Half Time Talk

I love Football, watching it, playing it and even just talking about it. As the particular game I was watching went into half time, I began my half time festivities. You know what I’m talking about here, snacks, drinks and the call of nature.

I got back to my seat with my provisions and realized it was still half time, the game hadn’t restarted yet. As I listened to the sports announcers talk about what needs to be done and why this or that might work. One of them said, “Well, Dan. I’m sure (insert football team here) is getting an earful in the locker room as we speak.”

My mind thought on to what may be talking about or doing in the locker room at half time. The objective of a half-time talk is to tell the team what they may not want to hear. There may be yelling, screaming or maybe pats on the back and joy. Or maybe the things they really need to hear in order to succeed in the 2nd half.

In Mark 14, Jesus is telling his disciples some things they don’t want to hear. Team Jesus (God’s Football Team) has been doing really good. Jesus performed many miracles, healed hundreds of people and even raised Lazarus from the dead.

And then they entered into Jerusalem where the crowd goes wild. “Team Jesus” has gone into the locker room with a 20 point lead… and victory is assured. Yet, Jesus knows this illusion of success will soon disappear… and so will His team. He knows He needs to tell His team things they don’t want to hear… things He needs to tell them - they need to hear if they’re ever going to overcome the tragedy and despair of the next few days.

On at least 3 separate occasions Jesus specifically told the disciples about the coming days. The disciples were never quite willing to accept this idea because this wasn’t how the game was supposed to be played.
So now, here they are at half-time. They’re about to face the hardest challenge they’ll ever encounter.

They’re about to see their Master arrested, beaten, condemned and crucified. And ultimately, they are all going to fail Him. Not just Judas but every single disciple is going to run away and hide. They’re going to be afraid that the same forces that will arrest and crucify Jesus will come for them.

Its half time, and they’re about to go into a part of the game they’re not prepared to handle. Its half time, and they’re about to face forces of darkness that’ll overwhelm and fill them with despair. It’s half time, and it’s at this point that Jesus sees the need to give them “the talk”.

Jesus gave this half-time talk because He wanted His disciples to understand: the crucifixion was the victory over the opposing team. The crucifixion was the entire reason they had come out onto the field to begin with. If Jesus hadn’t gone to the cross for our sins they would have lost. And we would have lost.

His crucifixion was not an accident. Jesus didn’t get caught by surprise.

It was the GAME PLAN!

We all must go to Jesus for that Half time talk. You may not like what you hear; you may think you don’t have the ability or energy for victory.

Guess what though, “He Knows YOU can win!” You’re on the winning team!

Let’s run out onto the field already victorious.

Half times over… for now!

Wimp or Warrior?

When I was in 5th grade, I was terrorized by a bully. Lunch at the time, was .35 cents a day and the bully would wait for me on the playground, every day. As I saw it I had 2 choices, get beaten up and he’d take my money, or just give him my money and hope he didn’t beat me up. I don’t have enough paper to explain the many ways I tried to get out of this. Let’s just say, they never worked.

Finally, I decided I would get even with him and start taking Karate. When I went down to the Dojo (GYM), I found out it would cost me $5.00 a week to learn Karate. It was cheaper to give the bully my lunch money than to take Karate lessons.

Aren’t we like that as Christians sometimes? We believe it’s cheaper to pay the bully than to learn how to defeat him? The problem is that many Christians do not understand the reality of the situation. We are involved in a battle in this inv isible world with an experienced and strong bully.

You want to be a “Spiritual Warrior?”

Following these 4 guidelines and you will become one.

1. A spiritual warrior knows his enemy.
It’s easy for believers to lose sight of the enemy. We are so easily side-tracked. We put ourselves whole-heartedly into a fight that has no eternal relevance. In fact, that fight can sometimes damage the cause of Christ. As spiritual warriors, we need to have a clear picture of the enemy.

Throughout history, wars have been fought. Some have been local conflicts. Some have been national conflicts and some have been international incidents. The common thread throughout these wars has been that there is a specific enemy.

There is a specific enemy. Above all, when in war, it is imperative to maintain focus on your enemy.

2. A Spiritual warrior knows how the enemy operates.
In Ephesians Paul states,
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes”. I love the use of the word “scheme”. It gives a good picture of our enemy. He is scheming, manipulative, devious enemy.

He’s a bit like a guerilla warrior. Guerrilla warfare is characterized as unconventional. They don’t operate as a traditional army. Guerrilla warriors attack their enemy at different areas of weakness to inflict maximum damage. Each enemy is attacked in different ways to ensure premium loses. Sound familiar?

Our enemy operates the same. For many of us, Satan does not come to us and tempt us to murder or steal. These are some of our areas of strength. But our enemy studies us, looking for a weakness, and when he finds that weakness, he exploits it. That’s why we so often stumble over the little things. We lie. We gossip. We slander. We curse. Satan attacks our weaknesses.

When we know our enemy, when we understand the motivation and his strategies, we understand how we can combat him. We can launch countermeasures. We will be able to arm ourselves against our enemy.

3. A spiritual warrior trains for battle.
Remember the movie “Rocky”? What Rocky knew is that to defeat his formidable opponent, Clubber Lang, he had to train hard. He had to work hard to be able to overcome the odds and defeat his enemy. I’m sure Sylvester Stallone didn’t intend to have such strong spiritual parallels, but we can get so much out of that.

As spiritual warriors, we cannot simply go into battle against our opponent. What we need to realize is that our enemy is fierce and strong and on our own merits, we cannot beat him. Not without God!

4. A spiritual warrior has the right tools.
We have been given tools to help us in battle. A big part of training is properly utilizing the tools at your disposal. This is something that soldiers, fighters, and athletes alike understand. Hockey players don’t play without using all their equipment. To do otherwise would be foolish. A soldier doesn’t go into battle without his weapon. To do so would be foolish.

We have many tools, all important in their own way. In my opinion though, the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and coupled with that is prayer as the most important.

You see, as spiritual warriors, we have an advantage that most armies don’t get. We know the outcome. While our enemy is strong, we serve a God that is stronger. In fact, we serve a God that has already defeated the enemy.

Spiritual Veteran’s Day

I volunteered, at the age of 17, to join the US Navy. At first, it was just a job, not a 9 – 5, thing but I did my work and took my pay. I found God and was saved earlier in my Naval Career. As my heart was changed and I devoted my life to Jesus, my job turned into a commitment. I started to faithfully serve God and my country and realized my duty as both a Christian and a Soldier.

Now our country no longer requires us to serve, were volunteer only countries. God does not force anyone to serve in the service of His Kingdom, but He does plead with us to volunteer and come to salvation through Christ our Lord. He also sends out recruitment officers to urge people to serve in His Army.

On this Veteran’s Day, I’m listing some key points to be a Spiritual veteran... in comparison to a guardian of our country.

Veteran’s Faith:
When you serve our country, you must have faith in the American government that it will supply your every need. Your food, clothing, shelter, medical needs, and even your companions are supplied by your government. When you serve God, you must also have faith as you are called into His service that He will supply your every need. You will not have to worry about your physical needs when you serve Christ.

Matthew 6:31-33 therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek :) for your heavenly Father knows that ye have need of all these things but seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

When it comes to faith, the Lord wants us to be true veterans; “experienced through long service and practice.”

Veteran’s Commitment:
When you serve our country, you are expected to be completely committed to your country and to allow nothing to prevent you from performing your duties and serving faithfully. When you serve God, you are also expected to be completely committed to Christ and His Kingdom. You are expected to serve Him faithfully, not allowing anything to keep you from doing His will.

Veteran’s Obedience:
When you serve our country, you are required to follow orders and are expected to be obedient to the letter. When you serve God, Christ expects and requires nothing less.

Isaiah 1:19-20 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

For a Christ follower, the important thing isn’t what God has us doing; the important thing is that we’re doing what God wants us to do."

Veteran’s Devotion:
When you serve our country, you are expected to be completely devoted to the country it represents. When you serve God, Christ expects you to be completely devoted to Him and His Kingdom.

To be a true spiritual veteran, one must be completely devoted to the service of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Being a soldier and serving this great nation is an honor and it is one thing that I am personally very proud of within my life. But as I think of my military service, I can’t help but to think of a greater calling to a service that God has called all of us to. We are all called to be Soldiers of Christ!!!

2 Timothy 2: 3-4 you therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

To become true veterans of the cross, we must first be good soldiers of the cross.

God has made us all true Spiritual Veterans.

Successful Joe

Some people measure success by money. Some people measure success by power. Some people measure success by public opinion. I believe many people have the wrong idea about success.

There is a joke about a Woman who was married 4 times. She married a Banker, a Famous Actor, a Pastor and then finally an Undertaker. When asked, she felt her life was pretty successful.
Her reasoning for this:
She explained, “One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go!”

It’s a joke of course… or is it? Aren’t some people this way? Maybe not to this extreme but hopefully you get my point. Success should not be measured by money. Success should not be measured by popularity. Success should be measured by God.

One of my favorite, Men of God (and action) was Joseph. Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelite’s who had taken him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.” (Gen. 39:1-2)

Joseph was a young Israelite man. He ran into conflict with his brothers and they sold him to a group of Ishmaelite traders who in turn sold him into Egypt. In the middle of that bad situation God called Joseph a success. If Joseph could be a slave in the land of Egypt and still be a success, there is hope for all of us.

Do you have faith?

Real faith involves a personal relationship whereby we know the assurance of God’s abiding. In verse 2 it states, “The Lord was with Joseph” a personal relationship. Faith involves the realization that everything you have and everything you own belongs to God.

In Chicago, there was a boy named James. His desire was to be the most famous manufacturer and salesman of cheese in the world. He planned on becoming rich and famous by making and selling cheese and began with a little buggy pulled by a pony named Paddy. As the months passed, the young boy began to despair because he was not making any money, in spite of his long hours and hard work.

One day he pulled his pony to a stop and began to talk to him. He said, "Paddy, there is something wrong. We are not doing it right. I am afraid we have things turned around and our priorities are not where they ought to be. Maybe we ought to serve God and place him first in our lives."
Every time you take a take a bite of Philadelphia Cream cheese, cook a pot of Macaroni & Cheese, spread some Grey Poupon, slurp down some Jell-O or eat the cream out of the middle of an Oreo cookie. Remember a boy and his pony named Paddy, and the promise little James L. Kraft made to serve God and work as He directed.

James Kraft became who he was because God put him there. Everything you have comes from God.

Are you faithful?

Joseph was faithful to God, even in a hostile environment. He was a slave! He was living in Egypt!

Remember the saying, “It’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game?”

God does not call us to win or lose but to become more Christ-like. Life is not a game but becoming more Christ-like should be yours. He calls us to be faithful. God will give us the strength to be faithful to our circumstances.

Being faithful to our circumstances is like this other joke I heard. These doctors wanted to learn more about optimism and pessimism. They took one boy and stuck him in this room full of Horse manure and a shovel. The boy wined and cried and sat in the corner crying and saying, “This is my lot in life, I ask for toys they give me manure!” They removed him from the room. It was obvious, he was a pessimist.

The stuck the second boy in the room who promptly grabbed the shovel and started flinging manure all around the room and laughing. When the doctors asked him why he did this he explained, “With all this manure, there’s got to be a pony in here somewhere!”

This may be an exaggerated story but it makes a point. We need to be faithful to our circumstance no matter what! Which boy are you?

Are you focused?

Joseph remained focused on God’s plan for his life. Yes, he was a slave in Egypt. Yes, he faced a bum rap. Yes, he had a bad situation. However, he focused on the sovereignty of God in his life. Focus is such a powerful force.

The successful person is the person who believes that God can take the hurts, the pains, and the disappointment of your life and use them to help others and bring glory to His name.

If you live by faith, remain faithful, and focus on God’s sovereign will for your life you will be a success.

Warped Mirrors

Why do we all have mirrors in our bathrooms? They don’t compromise. They don’t gloss over our defects and tell us we’re better-looking than we really are. They show us every wrinkle and every gray hair. As unpleasant as it may be to confront our own faces first thing in the morning, we know that if we don’t take a look at ourselves, and make some major adjustments, the rest of the world is going to see that morning face!

I figure, it’s better to “face” the truth, so we can make the changes we think are necessary to make ourselves presentable to the rest of the world. If we are going to be all that God wants us to be, then we must be able to have a clear vision of which we are and what needs to change in our life.

My side view mirror has been crackled for the last few weeks. Instead of replacing it, I procrastinated fixing it. I have been driving around for weeks with a cracked view of the world. The things is though, I got used to seeing this reflection. So much, when I replaced it with a brand new mirror, it was very difficult for me to discern the image I was seeing in the mirror.

That’s when I began to realize that all of us look at life in slightly different ways. All based on the quality of the mirror and the damage that has occurred over time. We each see things differently because we are seeing a reflection of who we think we are. But where is that reflection coming from? What kind of mirror are we looking into? Is your mirror cracked?

In Corinthians it says, "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face now I know in part; but then shall I know fully just as I also have been fully known." None of us can see ourselves as clearly as we should, but there are some people who don’t see much at all.

Some people look at themselves, at their image, as though they were looking into a very tiny mirror. You know the mirror I’m talking about. Every woman seems to have one in their purse. I have looked at my own life at times through a tiny mirror. You fix a little something here. You cover up a little something there. And if you can’t fix it or cover it up you move the mirror away so you won’t have to look at anymore.

If were honest about that image that we think were covering up and is seen not only by God but by those around us. Sometimes we think we are hiding something very well, that others see so very clearly. It isn’t that we can’t get a bigger or better mirror. It’s that we have become comfortable with the false image and maybe we have even convinced ourselves that we are fine just the way we are.

Have you ever been into the house of mirrors at a carnival? I remember going to every mirror and would make all kinds of different poses and stick my tongue out and watch it get so long that it looked like it touched the floor. Have you been there?

Some of the mirrors make you look like you are much taller than you really are. Have you ever let your image be warped into thinking you are better than someone else? I have. You let yourself become much taller in your own eyes than they really are.

Then there are the small mirrors, those who look into a warped mirror and see an image of themselves; that is much shorter than it truly is. People who use this mirror to see themselves often believe that they can never be special.

To them, every silver lining has a dark cloud. Their lack of faith is evident because they can never trust God or believe God for anything.
I have looked through this mirror also. Sometimes we look through this mirror when we are stressed, depressed or wondering why God would ever use a sinner like me. We need to quit looking at these warped mirrors and see ourselves the way that God sees us.

We need to look into the perfect mirror of God’s Word and gain spiritual power from the Words written there. We need to look into a perfect mirror to see the real person that we are. The only perfect mirror is the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. The perfect image is Jesus. We need to look into a perfect mirror to see the real person the real image.

James tells us how to look in the mirror, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror…And he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was."

We must compare ourselves only to the image of Jesus Christ.

Only a perfect mirror can give you a perfect image.

Job Opportunities Available

When it comes to our career, most of us have our dream job and then we have our real job. How did you end up in the career choice that you made? Would you describe yourself as being happy with that choice? Have you ever considered the link between your work and how that impacts your walk with Christ? Are you searching for work? Your job is a big deal to God.

In talking with a few people that are unemployed this weekend, I heard something that really alarmed me. Most of these people were doing everything they believe possible to find employment. Most of these people turned down work that was either beneath them or not enough money to pay the bills.

A year ago, I was unemployed and disabled. I thought that I couldn’t work because of my disability and therefore didn’t qualify for any position. I volunteered my butt off at church and around the community to keep myself busy. Because of my heart of service, God sent work to me even though I didn’t think I was looking.

My Church offered me a job, part time, in maintenance and the staff bent over backward to keep me within the limits of my requirements for Disability. In other words, I could keep receiving my benefits from the government and work for pay. What a great opportunity which I jumped on immediately.

Now, let me explain something. Since I was 17, I always knew that I had a special aptitude for Computers. My Mom actually gave me the inspiration and passion for technology. For 20+ years I have been working in the computer field and my degree is in Software Engineering.

So, why did I take a job that involved cleaning bathrooms and setting up rooms for events? God told me too, that’s why. I had absolutely no idea what he intended for me but I wasn’t going to tell God ‘NO’. Apparently God wanted me working and may or may not reveal to me why. I will say this, everyone I worked with at the Church were very supportive and I learned quite a bit while I was there.

But….I was let go. I could have done a few things as a result of being let go. I could have got upset and left the Church…angry. I could have put a chip on my shoulder and spoke against the staff of the church. What I did do was, change my mind and Thank God for the things I learned as a staff member.

A week later I was offered a position with a Christian Software company and the rest is just pure joy. I currently work for a great company and have been provided not only financial peace but also a great and joyful working environment. Why? God is good…all the time!

My point with this story is this, “If God Knocks on your door…ANSWER IT!” It may be the backdoor, side door or even a window! ANSWER IT!

It may not be the best job in the world but who are you to limit God and what he is trying to provide you. How do you know where this job may possibly lead? Maybe God is giving you this job to point them towards God’s love? Maybe he is giving you this job to teach you.

In the book of Genesis, Joseph was a shepherd and then a slave. Yet, God rose him up! God rose Joseph the slave up to be the Pharaoh’s right hand man. Of course, Joseph went through a few awful jobs and even prison. Joseph never turned his eyes away from God though. Joseph new God had a bigger plan for him.

Colossians 3:23-24 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

The implication of this verse is clear: as a Christian, it is much more important HOW you do what you do to earn a living than that it is WHAT you do to earn a living. We have this unfortunate practice of attributing greater worth to some people because of the job that they hold. We also tend to look down on people who serve in jobs we may not fully appreciate. The truth of the matter – any job you hold may be transformed when you view it as a way to serve the Lord and glorify God in whatever it is that you do.

Whatever work you do, think of it as God wants to show His greatness by using our Nothingness. Mother Teresa described her life in being God’s Pencil. The pencil is useless without the Masters hand guiding it.

Let God write your life’s work!

Not Selfish

When I first joined the Navy and at my first Training school I had a real close friend. His name was Lou and we were roommates as well as party pals. We did everything together; we studied together; went bar hopping together and we even liked the same things. It was like we were twins, separated from birth and rejoined again.

2 weeks before we graduated from our training course, he just disappeared. I didn’t see him till the last day of class. I had just finished my final tests and walked back to my empty room but it wasn’t empty. Lou was in the room and packing his things.

The reason Lou was gone was because he had gone to sick call 2 weeks ago. Lou said he had gotten sick, real sick. They admitted him to the hospital only to find he had a rare type of brain cancer. They gave him 2 weeks to live and were sending him home to be with his family. To make a long story short, he died before he made it home.

I made myself very mad, how could Lou do this to me? How could God do this to me!

• I see people lash out at waitresses, fast food workers and the like when they have had to wait to long for their food.
• I see people cutting other people off on the highway weaving in and out of traffic to get further ahead in line.
• I see people who refuse to help others out because their life is already too busy with their self-centered interests and wants.
• I see marriages that are in shambles because neither one wants to die to themselves.
• I hear of employees who steal from their employers because they feel that the employer owes them something.
• I see parents who would rather spend all their time doing their hobbies than spend time with their kids or spouse.
• I see parents who spend inordinate amounts of money on themselves and neglect to support their own children or spouse.
• I see dead beat dads who refuse to pay child support for their own children.
• I see other parents who give their kids everything they want and think this is good for them.

Romans 15:1-3 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”

1 Corinthians 10:24 - Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

Philippians 2:4 - Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

God frowns on selfish behavior and he repeatedly told us to root it out of our lives. This type of lifestyle, mindset, or attitude is not from heaven but originates from the world’s value system. Today the self is elevated and servant hood is deflated by our society and by some in the church.

People who are self-centered ask this question frequently, “What’s in it for me?” This thinking in life creates a person who is useless to the Kingdom of God. This person thinks that Jesus is his personal Santa Claus and He owes them something. This person thinks of church as the place to be served but not as a place where you give.

They point the finger at others and say – you are not a Christian because you did not do this for me!

• A person who is gripped with selfishness will always do what they want first – it will be their priority in life.
• Life will center on meeting all their whims and wants and God will always take a back seat to their wants.
• These individuals will miss church a lot for selfish reasons.
• God will not be a priority in person’s life because their god is themselves.
• These individuals will blame others for their failure to serve God.

No one is Christ-like unless he is unselfish. The Son of man “came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

I fail to see selfishness in this.

Then how can we not be unselfish?

Not a Failure

Continuing my series on ‘NOT’ Have you ever felt like Charlie Brown? I sure have. I have failed miserably in my life time and time again. I have failed in:

1. Not drinking enough water - Experts say you should drink eight glasses of water a day.
2. Not Brushing or flossing my teeth enough - Dentists say you should brush your teeth after every meal and floss every day.
3. Let my gas tank in my truck run lower than a 1/8th of a tank – Studies have shown letting your gas tank get to Empty is bad for the engine.
4. I haven’t made my bed every day.
5. Not gotten more than 6 hours of sleep at night for the last few years - Doctors say the average adult should get no less than 8 hours of sleep per night.
6. Not observed the posted speed limit – speeding is against the law.

These may sound silly but this list is not complete. I failed in telling you ALL my failures…LOL!

Guess what?

All of us fail occasionally – don’t we? It is not out desire or intent but it happens. Everybody experiences failure, and everybody experiences the fear of failure. In fact, just the fear of failure paralyzes millions of people. Yet, many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

No one likes to talk about his or her Failures. How then can we overcome the fear of failure so that it does not paralyze us to move forward?
James 3:2 - We all stumble in many ways.

Everybody fails. Nobody is perfect. We all blow it. You can’t get away from that principle in Scripture. Great men of the Bible failed.

Romans 3:23 - for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.

FAILURE IS WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR BEST JUST ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH!

Proverbs 24:16 - For though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.

Even Christians stumble. All of them!!! George Washington lost 2/3 of all the battles he fought during the American Revolution, but eventually won the war and became the first President of the United States. Billy Graham said that when he was asked to preach his first sermon. He had 4 sermons prepared and he was so nervous he preached all four of them in under 10 minutes.

Can you imagine if Billy Graham had said, “You know, I’m just not cut out for this. I don’t want to endure that kind of embarrassment again”? The world would have missed one of the most inspired preachers of all time. Failure doesn’t have to be final.

Isn’t it true that many of us give up too quickly? But one of the best ways to learn is through failure. You become a success through failure. One of the reasons why mature people stop growing and learning is that they become less and less willing to risk failure.

Paul said of the Romans in Romans 8: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…according to His purpose.

One of the most well-known people of the New Testament is a man named Simon. He knew all about failure. He gave up when he walked on water. He failed when he refused to let Jesus wash his feet. He failed when he took out his sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest. He failed to stand up for Jesus during the trial before Herod. He failed to stand with Jesus at the foot of the cross. When you read through the Gospels, it seems like Simon messes up almost everything he tries.

But Jesus gave Simon the name, “Peter” which means “rock.” He offered forgiveness for all of Simon’s failings, and Peter preached one of the greatest sermons in the history of Christianity where 3,000 people became followers of Jesus Christ.

You ever notice when God’s plan for you is greatness, he changes your name? Simon to Peter, Saul to Paul? Hopeless to Forgiven. Sinner to Saved. What’s your name?
When you fail at something, maybe God is developing a skill that you didn’t know you had. You see, God uses failure to direct us into a new area. Some of us have tried a ministry and we feel as if we’ve failed and so we just kind of washed our hands and walked away. That’s not what God wants for us. He wants us to develop our skills.

If we want to conquer the fear of failure, we have to discover that everyone fails, determine that failure is not final, discern the benefits of failure.

The only failure that is complete is when we fail to respond to God’s love.

Loving God is “Not a Failure”!

Not Economy Dependent

Having finished the book, “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman…again. I decided to write a series on the word ‘not’. Hence the title for this writing, “Not Economy Dependent”. This series will be in relation to God’s promise of an “Abundant Life”.
God doesn’t need a healthy economy, to be able to supply our needs.

Many of you know by experience how God can do more with 90% of our income than we can do with 100%. God can supply our needs in a bad economy just as easily as He can in a prosperous economy.

A few years ago, I was on disability and what the government sent me… just wasn’t enough. I had enough for rent, gas and utilities but not enough for food. So I prayed. I kept checking my mailbox day after day for money; I kept checking my refrigerator to see if God had put food in there for me and when I found nothing… I asked God why. God just said be patient.

What I did have left for food was running very low. It was a pretty good assessment in a day; I would be out of food. That morning, I received a call from my brother in Christ, John. He gave me a phone number to call about a possible donation to the church.

When I called, there was a food distribution company opening a retail outlet nearby and wanted to donate food to my church. They not only donated food that day but it’s been almost 2 years since I made that call. They are still donating food to this day by the truck load.

Oh, God gave me food…..but not the way I was thinking!

God frequently provides just enough at just the right time. (Exodus 16:1-35)

Exodus 16:4 - Then the LORD said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day. I will test them in this to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 On the sixth day they will gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

God can sustain us through extended periods of need in our lives. (I Kings 17:1-16)

1 Kings 17:14 - For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!”

God can make bitter water sweet. (Exodus 15:22-27)

Exodus 15: 24, 25 - Then the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink?” they demanded. So Moses cried out to the LORD for help, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. Moses threw it into the water, and this made the water good to drink.

God can bring water out of a rock. Numbers (20:1-13)

Numbers 20:11 - Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

God wants daily trust in Him, not trust in our reserve funds. We must plan for the future, but trust God with the future! It’s unwise not to invest for the future, and not to save for the unexpected.

Prov. 21:20 “20 There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.”

God can supply our needs in a bad economy just as easily as He can in a prosperous economy. We are living in an economic crisis now. Our lives are a little less comfortable than the past, but our needs will be provided for.

Social Security may be there and it may not be but God will always have enough for our needs. God’s resources are inexhaustible and limitless. Let’s stop worrying about your future needs and let God take care of it.

God’s provisions are not governed by the economy!