FUN

John 21:1-3
Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

“I’m going fishing.”

Those were Peter’s words spoken sometime between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into heaven. Why do you suppose Peter decided to go fishing? And why do you suppose six of the other disciples said, “We’re going with you.” I have a suspicion that they were getting bored. It was the same routine each day. The routine of just sitting there and waiting for Jesus’ next instructions was getting pretty long. Peter wanted action, and he simply could not stand just sitting around without an agenda to motivate him.
We are emotional people! We think and we feel. Often emotional thoughts are stronger than rational thoughts. Our emotions are never stable. Sometimes they are high, and other times they are low depending upon what is happening in our lives.

About a month ago, I was lying on the couch and saying, “I’m bored.” I was feeling sorry and hurtful for myself about everything. Life’s routine was affecting my job, thoughts about the church, friends you name it. There was nothing to do, it seemed and no one to entertain me. There was a workout to be done, a house to be cleaned; I could read, I could write down my thoughts or do whatever came to mind, I could do it but I was not motivated, I was having a pity party day. I had become excessively self-focused and that’s when I thought this was a warning sign from God that there was a “disease” in my heart that must be faced. Grow up! You’re not supposed to like your job every day. Perfect church, it doesn’t exist because it is made up of people. It’s not supposed to be fun all the time. That’s why they call it work. If work was supposed to be fun all the time, most places would be spelled F-U-N. Many days you won’t feel like going or being, and if you do, you won’t enjoy it. Big deal. Go anyway. Do what you have to do. And do it with all your heart. Put your passion into your existence your spirituality and see what happens.

A wise man once said, “All of life’s occurrences are to be either enjoyed or learned from.” This is a different perspective from the one we usually hold. We have been conditioned to believe that life is a combination of good and bad and that the price we pay for the good is the bad. Yet there is another way of looking at our life. During the boring times of life, God is working to instill His character in us; with that in mind boredom maybe our opportunity to experience the presence of the Lord.” And yet, it is so hard for some of us to be quiet and listen to what God’s plan is for us.

The hurts and sorrows that we as Christians feel in life are not punishments from our Creator; to me they are messages given to us by a loving God, who is showing us exactly what we need to change in order to grow. As with Peter we must learn the importance’s of quiet time. It is a gift from God. It was in one of those quiet times that God took Peter a step further in his understanding of God’s Kingdom by showing him that Christ had died for all. I used to think that boredom was my enemy but it is a friend. It is the driving force that pushes us out of our comfortable nest and forces us to learn to fly on our own. When times are darkest, we develop the fortitude to rally again and win if we understand the true nature of adversity and life’s challenges. Without it our growth is slow; with it we are transformed from fledglings into masters and that’s when we get those aha moments.

Who can lift you in those times of boredom? Jesus can, but first you have to know him. Do you? Is He yours? Empowered by the Holy Spirit, do you receive Him anew every day? Then He has a mission for you that will erase all boredom. Martin Luther said,” a man should live with the day of his death placarded before his eyes”. Luther managed to turn the world upside down. Life with the Lord taught Peter an important lesson. Nothing happens of importance in the life of a Christian unless there is a regular quiet time with the Lord. He will lead and guide us as to what His will is for our lives.

It is in this routine time of life with the Lord, that you meet your greatest challenges, and when the challenge comes from the Lord, life is no longer boring.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Who listens to them anyway?”

John 18:33-38
Pilate than went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priest who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” You are a king, then!” said Pilate.

Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
“What is truth?” Pilate asked.
We are inundated with questions on every conceivable subject, and with each question there are just as many answers. This leads to confusion, and with a great deal of frustration we ask, what is truth?

Do you remember what it was like as a child attending church every Sunday morning? My favorite hymn was “The Lord is on Our Side.” At the time the words to that song were just words. But today they fall upon my ears with new meaning and truth. After struggling for many years and encountering a host of belief setbacks, at times I have struggled to be consistent in my Christian witness. Have you ever had someone ask you where your Christianity is today, after you made some unkind, critical remark? Or have you ever been conversing with a good friend who reduced Jesus to an insignificant person? That is the perfect time to tell them that Jesus is more than a teacher - he wants to be their Savior. You could encourage them to make him a part of their life. Instead you keep silent, because you don't want to offend your friend plus it is here, that the world says, that Christianity needs to be changed. Reduce Christ to a great martyr and prophet, and the world will admire him; such a change for me is not an option.
That is inconsistency. I have come to the stark realization that the world is tough but simple and that life can sometimes be difficult to swallow, But I welcome the soothing words of that song from my past to help strengthen my beliefs for today and to become a person of action.

Our spiritual/religious beliefs are very important. What we believe controls our lives and provides correction to our lives. What we believe as children is important as well. Some truths (beliefs) never change. Gospel truth never changes. Biblical truth never changes. And these truths make a big difference in the way we live. Recently, I shared the following beliefs with a friend,” I believe that the Bible is still God's Word. It is God-inspired, God-breathed, and God-given. We need to read it, refer to it often, and rejoice in it. As we listen to it, lean on it, learn from it, and allow it to lift us up as we love our neighbors! God works through his Word the Bible, and the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion to empower us as new creations that no longer strive against Him, but are restored to fellowship with him, through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

Jesus says, “Everyone who is on the side of truth listens to me.” Our culture's response to this statement seems to be to take the parts of Jesus' teachings that people will accept and leave the rest for the theologians to write books and argue about. “Who listens to them anyway?”

The question the Christian must answer is this: How will we be seen in today's culture if we seriously follow the truths Jesus teaches us?

The Lord's love is old, but strong and powerful and ever new. The Lord's commission still stands. And the Lord's return is still promised; old truths, old songs, with refreshing gospel truths that are powerful and eternal. We to me are a Community of all Believers as long as the focus is Christ centered. Remember what Jesus said, “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” Jesus neither taught, nor gave the impression, that the Church is going to be a cozy group, where each can believe what they want to believe, and they are not challenged because unity is all important. This to me is our witness, and it must be consistent. Tell it, sing it and model it whenever you have an opportunity at work or at worship, with Christians or with unbelievers, in all kinds of circumstances and conditions in your life.

The world needs to hear your consistent Christian witness. Where God's word speaks, the Christian is challenged to speak. As we speak, the Holy Spirit works. Love the Church. Christ does. With all of its imperfections, it is still the Body of Christ.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Whoop, There it is”

Corinthians 9:19-23
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.


I don’t know about you, but often the inner promptings I get from God to reach out in love to someone are difficult. I could be preparing a article, a lesson at school or I could be at a conference learning a new computer task or football technique and “Boom! There it is! Love that person!” Now let me poke a bit deeper and I confess that evangelism is frequently hard for me for a number of reasons. I find I’d rather talk to someone about sports or politics or even theology. Plus the statement that God loves you and has sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for you isn’t joyfully received by all people? It isn’t. It wasn’t received two thousand years ago in Corinth, and it isn’t received today by millions of people in America. Evangelism is not as easy as I’d like.

I want to suggest that our inconvenience with living out the Great Commission is tied to the Great Commandments. How so? The best evangelism, as nearly every statistic tells us, emerges from love and out of a relationship. Whatever we call it, the best evangelism is nurtured by love.

When Jesus was asked by a scribe what was the greatest commandment of all, Jesus recited a confession of Jewish faith which is called, “Schema” and then, rather surprising to the scribe, added an obscure command from Leviticus 19:18: “The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-32). Because Jesus amended the historic creed of Israel, the Shema, into a love God and love others command, we can call this “confession of faith” the Jesus Creed.

The essence of living before God is to love God; the essence of living with others is to love others. If we recite the Jesus Creed, as often as the ancient Israelites did it works into our Soul.

Now my ponder: What’s the different between those who let the Jesus Creed work into their DNA and those who let it work through their minds? For me the answer is rather natural: love of God and love of others, the kind of Great Commandments that make the Great Commission our delight that tremble my heart; not one’s based on fact, proof and given enough time, we will solve our problems only through our human intellect.

Those who live the Great Commandments discover themselves setting up Jesus Creed feeders for their neighbors. Well, Paul has a word for us: “To the weak I became weak to win the weak for Christ. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I might share its blessings.” In these words God is telling us to live with a sensitive ear. Without compromising your Christian convictions, learn what it is to be adaptable and be all things to all people that they might see Christ in you. When that unbelieving or confused person visits with you, he or she might not agree with your Christian belief, but they will know that you are different, for the Spirit of Christ dwells in you.

God Bless You and This Ministry!!

“Impacted by Impressions”

Mark 12:18-27

Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question,” Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

This text gives us an excellent example of how the Sadducees evade the big questions in their religious life and try to make the teaching of the resurrection look ridiculous. And today some are still avoiding the big questions of life by asking less important ones. I wonder is it because our society is governed by the power of impressions which can influence our spiritual lives. These impressions flow in a constant stream often times uninvited in ways that make me wonder by what authority it does comes from?

We create our friendships and relationships on them. Careers can be made or stalled depending on how a boss or manager views our work and ability. Politicians are often selected not by what they actually believe and represent, but what people think they believe, represent or what kind of inspirational speaker they are. To me our views of God, of spirituality, and of the church have all been impacted by impressions from our life experiences. So what’s the essential big question? Do we busy ourselves with the less important questions so that we do not have to face the big questions dealing with our relationship with God and the mission of the Church? There is that danger. Or is it we live in a society today that craves spirituality, but does not have an interest in religion?

We live in a time when people are seeking spiritual things, spiritual answers, and yet have no concept of or relationship with their Creator. I wonder if one of the main reasons for these problems lies in the impression that people have concerning Christianity and Jesus Christ today. There are many misconceptions about Jesus; there are a lot of wrong ideas. There are half-truths, and watered-down characterizations about Jesus. Some of those pieces may be accurate, others are not, but the end result is the same, “impressions”. So let me ask you the following questions: what is your impression of Jesus? What happens to our beliefs if Jesus is removed? What would our lives be like without a Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life? I come to the conclusion that it takes Faith to come under authority not faith in man but Faith in God who ultimately controls the outcome of our impressions. At times you might feel alone and uncertain about spiritual things in these times. The truth is; God is never far away and he is in control. Don’t be afraid to take steps of Faith, even if they seem to you to be giant ones. God will never let you down! Let’s learn from Jesus’ visit with the Sadducees and remember to talk about the big questions, “Where do I stand in my relationship with God.” Who do you say Jesus is?” and” Which is the greatest commandment”. The conversation is still relevant.

God Bless You and This Ministry

“Remember”

But when he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! Luke 15:17

Memory can be the first step on your way back. In this verse the prodigal son suddenly remembered his home and is speaking to those who are in the inside but have lost their way. Do you feel you/we have lost our way?

The Bible says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee; and he that ruleth his spirit, than he that taketh a city.” This is a great thought, but have you ever felt just a little frustrated with these kinds of words especially around the New Years when it’s so difficult to keep your mind focused on new objectives, goals or New Year resolutions based on faith? In my preoccupied and sometimes hectic life, I need the patience of a saint to “think on these things” all the time. But I must admit commitment to new goals every year is the engine that makes spiritual growth happen for me, it’s the key part of my heart that drives my being, purpose within this Christian life that seems like a marathon; one we’ll be running the rest of our lives but even in a marathon, you’ll find pit stops where you can have a sense of accomplishment and steps to a finish line.

A day after his checkup a man called his doctor to get his results. The doctor said he had bad news and worse news for him. Which did he want to hear first? The man decided he’d rather hear the bad news first. His doctor said, “The bad news is that you have only twenty four hours to live.” As expected, the man became distraught. He shouted into the phone, “Twenty-four hours to live? I can’t believe this it’s incredible! What could be worse news than this?” The doctor replied, “The worse news is I was supposed to tell you yesterday, but I forgot.”

So what’s the key? How do you stay focused in the midst of turmoil? How do you walk across that room and share your faith with all? Each morning I take just a few precious minutes to mentally visualize on an image from scripture that will set the tone for me the entire day. Jesus was a master at this. When he talked to fishermen he said, “Follow Me. I’ll make you a fisher of men.” They got the picture immediately. When he talked to a farmer, he said, “The Word of God is like seeds. They’ll grow 30, 60, and 100 fold.” He said, “I want to be your shepherd” to people who knew about sheep. Jesus had a way of giving people just the right picture to help them get to their next level of commitment. This mental conditioning helps to slow me down or buoy me up depending on my needs. These precious moments incite me to enthusiasm and calm me with tranquility. Just a few minutes each day can work wonders. By taking time to center ourselves we can approach life in a peaceful state of consciousness. Our faith teaches us that we must lean on our Savior for He alone is our strength and our security. Have you heard my words today? Do you believe it is true? If so the good news is the longer we walk, talk and mentally visualize the model of Christ in His Word, the stronger we become. The more we express our Lord’s faithfulness, the more secure we are. He makes all things new.
My visual picture for you today is, “Fear not. I am with you. I will comfort you and strengthen you. I will direct you.” God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Spiritual Draft”

John 1:1-3

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth.

John’s prayer for his friend Gaius raises an important question. How is the health of your soul?

Have you ever noticed that the longer you put something off, the more difficult it is to make a decision? Ironically we deliberately add to the frustration and maybe unhappiness in our lives that we could so clearly avoid. Sometimes, I wish there was a magical pill that would help me with my spiritual life and soul. But unfortunately there is not one that can help us at those times in our journey that are difficult. So we either seek help from a friend, scripture, prayer or in my case carry that burden as long as we can and keep on marching forward.

The distance to be traveled seems to me, is great and the work becomes much more unpleasant. Its moments like these that lead one to believe that maybe just no way of overcoming our circumstances, of digging out. But there is!

Pick the thing that seem most difficult and get brutally honest with yourself. Stare that issue in the face. Ask, “What is the condition of my soul?” Secondly, Take ownership of your own spiritual life. Don’t play the victim card. Don’t play the, "this is just a busy season" card. You can’t blame the condition of your psyche on your friends, your pastor, your spouse or the church; you are responsible for leading yourself.

Thirdly, identify the things that fill your soul. What refreshes you spiritually? What replenishes your soul? What refuels you emotionally? Do what you have to in order to make room for these things in your life.

You have a soul. It’s who you are at your deepest core. It’s eternal and it requires soul food. Pay attention to it and nurture it Look for a friend who will encourage and kindle spiritual passion in you. Some people call that type of person a soul mate. For me my spirit needs activity, the type that feeds on effort and work. I need to read and study alone as well with others. This will saturates your thinking and your life with God’s word. Think about other out side sources you can use. It’s a matter of soul health. Effort is not a curse; it is the prerequisite of success, the true measure of civilization. God didn’t burden us with work. He blessed us with it.

This path is not easy to maintain. We need wisdom from older believers as well as enthusiasm from the young as we try to be accountable in the community of all believers. Yet we are called by faith to follow Jesus as the ultimate missionary. The one who came to demonstrate, preach, and become good news for all is our model and a means to effective mission in the 21st century. We are ever contending for the truth of the gospel and ever walking in the fluid streams of the world. He is our hope, our vision, our life, our truth and our peace as we follow him to reach out without selling out. Today, I will take small steps on this journey and engage in work and thereby ease my burdens with the help of God. How is your soul getting along?

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Hooah, What good is religion?”

I Peter 2: 9-10
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
John 20:24-28
Life has its anxious and fearful moments, and when they occur, we find ourselves uncertain of what is going to happen. But Jesus has a good word for us today: He holds us in the palm of his hand.

In reality all of us are born free and equal. But how many truly find meaning within these words? When one child is born into the lap of luxury with servants to attend his every whim and fancy how can he be said to be born equal to the child who has difficulty securing many of life’s simplest needs-adequate food, shelter, and clothing? How do we account for the great inequality among men and women? I would like to share the following tale and it may provide a clue.

A preacher and a soap maker took a walk together, the soap maker turned to the preacher and asked, “What good is religion? Look at all the trouble and misery within the world after thousands of years of teaching about goodness, truth, and peace-after all the prayers and sermons. If religion is so good for people, why should this be?” The preacher said nothing. They continued to walk until they noticed a child playing in the gutter. Then the preacher said, “Look at that child. You say that soap makes people clean, but see the dirt on that little child? Of what good is soap? With all the soap in the world, that child is still filthy. I wonder how effective soap is after all?” The soap maker protested the analogy and said, “But Preacher, that’s not fair. You know soap is useless unless it is used.” Exactly,” replied the preacher. “So it is with religion.”

Each of us is equal in what counts most: We have equal access to the greatness of God that governs all and knows all. Each of us can draw upon this for all of our needs. But this power lies dormant unless we use it and take actions. Remember God wants our Hands. But I use to wonder what is that hand? , Is it only a relationship or just playing religion… My conclusion was,” I want to know Him and not just know of Him…” And if I/you are going to have a relationship instead of religion… then we have to try to do what Jesus did,” He Watched, He Listened, He Endured, He Did The Work and He Fulfilled His Ministry… By giving His life so that we might live.” Brother and Sisters we are the masters of our fate. We are equal with all men and women before God. Think of what blessings God can bring to our lives if we will take a few minutes every day to let him shape our lives. Many of those unhealthy thoughts that we battle will no longer mold our personalities. The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, will open our eyes and lead us out of the darkness and into the light as He guides us to face each event in life with God as our refuge and strength. The question that I want to ask , “Do You want Religion Or a Relationship…?”

God Bless You and This Ministry

"Uncle Bill"

John 1:1, 14, 16-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory as of a Father's Only Son, full of grace and truth.

From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son who is close to the Father's heart who has made him known.

When I was seven years old, my family lived in a two-room apartment in the projects of Cincinnati called Laurel Homes. Some Sundays as a family we would visit my great-uncle Bill (he was known in his community as uncle grace because he was so forgiving, full of love and his kitchen was always open for the needy). He lived in a small community out side of Cincinnati Ohio, called Hamilton. Often when we we would visit, the house would be filled with adults, other relatives, having a meal and right in front of them all would be my Uncle Bill with a Bible in hand and in deep conversation. My sister and I were quite bored, so Uncle Bill instructed one of the older cousins to walk us down to the school playground, which were a few blocks away. We were glad to go. The cousin took us there and left us on our own to play.

A great deal of time passed, and we decided we probably should get back to Uncle Bill’s house. Unfortunately we could not remember how to get back there. After a couple of attempts with nothing looking familiar to us, I realized we were lost. My sister started crying. I did something I probably should not have done. I took her by the hand and began to knock on doors. In my excitement when people answered I would ask, "Do you know where Grace lives?"

The first few homes looked at me strangely. Finally, I knocked on a door where a younger adult man responded positively to my question, "Do you know where Grace lives?" He had a smile on his face that was as big as a sugar cookie full of love, he told us to wait a minute with excitement. He came back out and said, "Yes, I know where Grace lives. Get into my car and I will drive you there." We got in the car and a few minutes later we were sitting in front of Uncle Bill's house. We were so relieved. My sister ran in and immediately told my parents how we had gotten lost. They were not too happy about that, but were glad to see us. We had a pleasant dinner, piled back into the car, and made the long drive home that evening. All ended well.

Do you know where Grace lives? I am not talking about my uncle, but the experience one has when God steps into your life and you receive His unmerited love and favor. Do you know where to find that? We hear about it now and then. For instance, from the sober alcoholic who testifies that is by the grace of God that he hasn't had a drink in a long time. Or we might hear a friend talk about God as if he lives right in his house with him. Or we hear someone who has gone through a crisis and says, "I would never have made it but by the grace of God." We think to ourselves that we would like to have some of that grace. Where can we find it?

John 1:1, 14, 16-18 tells us in his gospel where to find grace.

He first tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Replace the Word with Jesus, because that is the truth John is sharing with us. Then we learn that the Word was not only with God, but that the Word was God. To me they are one in the same.

In verse 14, John announces that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and lived among us. That is John's way of saying that Word became a human being and tabernacle among us. We reminded of God's presence with his people in wilderness as he led them to the Promised Land. His presence was in the Tabernacle. I once remember hearing a Pastor, paraphrase or interprets this as: "The Word moved into our neighborhood and became one of us." He came to get personal with us. That phrase has stuck with me and often made me think of my Uncle Bills community of believers.

Then he wraps his story up by saying, "It is God - the only Son who is intimately tied to God - who has made God known." He has taken us on a personal God tour. He has shown us God's heart.

Later in John's Gospel Jesus will say, "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father."
To look into the face of Jesus Christ is to look into the face of God. Looking into that face a person will find, receive, and experience GRACE. Grace has a face - Jesus Christ!

We no longer have to guess about God in terms of how he feels about me and what he thinks. Christ has made him known as he stepped into our world filled with grace and truth. Grace is available and it has a face - the face of Jesus Christ. So . . .

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of his glory and grace.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

“What I Need”

Philippians 4:607
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Experiencing worry is a part of living. When we live as responsible people, we will experience some concern in our lives. In fact, stress/worry can cause a positive effect. Stress gets us going and adds excitement to our lives. Facing an examination causes a student to study, and learning takes place.

Have you ever laid awake at night worrying about things? I know I have in the past, and I probably will continue to do so once in a while in the future. Each of us has a list of worries with the potential of keeping us awake at night: job worries, family worries, health worries, and financial worries just to name a few. When we are shaken or confused, we get anxious with uncertainty.

In my life, I have hd my own particular worries list like when I was a member of Messiah Lutheran church council I found myself worrying about church matters. It was the start of fall and attendance was continually to down. That means the finances are down as well and also many aren’t being filled with the fullness of life through Jesus Christ. I also have observed many members with problems (death, sickness, faith issues etc.,), and I worried about them. We had some devoted council members, and I found myself worrying about them praying for them. Are they happy? Are they burning out? Will they stay on? Should we add worship service or have only one, and I worry about that change? And what should we do with our new monetary gifts? “The band just plays on”. It seems to never change. Today at a different Church my worry has changed but similar.

But you know life without some kind of stress would make us lazy, unproductive people. But I must add, I use to have doubt and blame everything in my life until I discovered that it rains on everyone once in a while and my worries are worries. When I discovered that worries are an example of control on my part I felt relied. Christian brothers and sisters these are stressful times in the church today I truly believe we need to take a deep breath and open our eyes and recapture our sense of who we are and what we believe as a Community.

So, my purpose in this article is not just to suggest we eliminate all worry and just say, “don’t worry be happy”, but to remind you what our purpose is and learn from the life of Jesus how to manage those times of tension. He has much to teach us.

Jesus talked about this subject in his parable of the sower (Mark 4). A seed fell among thorns and was choked out. Later he told the disciples that seed represented the Word being heard by a person, but the troubles and worries of the world prevented him from enjoying it and growing.

Worry can strangle us as well. It can harm us physically as we go without sleeping and stress out over things that might happen. A Greek proverb says, “The bow that is always bent will soon break.” How true that is for us. The person who is always under pressure will soon break into a million pieces. We get headaches, ulcers, and all sorts of serious ailments.

Worry can affect us emotionally as well. Being a loving person when you are tired and crabby is difficult. It can sour our attitudes and make us negative and emotionally weak. Author Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.” We just find ourselves emotionally strung out.

Worry hurts us spiritually. It shrinks our view of God and his greatness, his bigness, and his ability to take care of us. As we get caught up in it, we stop maturing and therefore cannot bear fruit to honor our heavenly Father. He does not tell us to work at adopting more moderate views in our Christian witness. No, instead we are to remain strong, and steadfast to our faith so when those hours of constant worry come, listen to what He says in his Word:
"Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
As God makes us more Christ like, stress will not be eliminated from our lives. Instead, we will know how to handle those tough hours as we are drawn closer to our blessed Lord.
One last thing:
A weary Christian lay awake one night, trying to hold the world together with his worrying. Then he heard the Lord say to him, “Now you go to sleep, _____, and I will sit up.” That is the promise. Our Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is there for you.

So do not worry about anything. But pray about everything. Hand it over to GOD!

God Bless You and This Ministry!

"Cap Nap"

II Samuel 18:32-33
The king asked the Cushite, “Is the young man Absalom safe?”
The Cushite replied, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up to harm you be like that young man”
The king was shaken. He went up to the room over the gateway and wept. As he wept, he said: “O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you-O Absalom, my son, my son!”

Dinner was over. The host of the party and guest assembled in the living room. We chatted idly before the conversation turned serious. We talked of personal setbacks and obstacles to success, and of the great need for courage and faith in overcoming such experiences. Can some of you remember your attitude toward Christ and His Church when you were beginning to grow up? Maybe this was not your case, but many can remember those times when you felt church was boring. Sunday School or Confirmation was not fun, and you did not want to go. However, you were fortunate enough to have parents or individuals in your life that said firmly, “Enough of that,” and off to church and Sunday school you went. Then came those years when the lessons learned under duress became precious to you. You came back to Christ and His Church,

One experience that I have seldom spoken about is when I was in an orphanage at the age nine due to my mother’s cancer illness. In order to adjust to my situation at the orphanage or change my scenery, I would often just write and image I was at another place and time with God. I wrote the following letter to God with the hope that he would relieve my mother of here pain. Help me receive bad news about her health in the “right perspective” and alleviate my difficult situation.

Dear God, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to write, but my paper was destroyed the other day because of a fight with Billy he called me a racial name. God it’s hard for me to sleep at night because all of the kids here, yelling bad things about me; all I think about is my mother and her disease. I was wondering God if you could help my mother, she is in so much pain and is really sick. Thank you your friend Ronnie.

My mother die a year later of cancer and for me there was temporary loneliness. While I was often remind there is light at the of the tunnel, separation from her meant long nights because I thought we were separated forever. I turned my back on Christ and Hi Church. But my experiences at church as a youth with the promises in “God’s Word” to which have brought to me comfort and strength, I share this story and remind you that God always comes down for us during good times and bad.

I urge you to become part of a small group of Christian people- Christian people who know the Lord and walk with Him in a personal relationship. These are the people with whom you meet regularly to pray and study the Bible. As you meet with these people over a period of time, you share feelings. Without a doubt one of these feelings is loneliness. You can tell them what you are going through in the lonesome hours. Those hours will still be there, but it helps to share these times with a Heavenly Father who cares and with brothers and sisters in Christ who stand ready to help you.
Your Bible has powerful answers to difficult times. Open it daily and let God help you. God Bless You and this Ministry

“Always Faithful”

Most of us normally perform far below our capabilities simply because we lack faith in ourselves. This can be changed when we talk, hear, read about faith and grace, for me most of the time I refer to the greatest book ever written with the greatest teacher of the ages. He summed it up when he said, “Go thy way; and as thou believed, so be it done unto thee.”

This simple statement for me cuts both directions, like a double edge sword. Faith is in some aspects the key to unlocking your doors of successes. Or it could be the lock that imprisons and keeps you from experiencing change. What I mean by that is for those of us who stand on grace need to be very careful not to just stand on a life in Jesus that is mushy, lazy and easy, just because it is centered and grounded in love. Faith for me keeps the man who keeps his faith with action, which gives us courage to endure the present as we anticipate and adjust for the future.

To be a changed people it all begins with love. But, not for a moment do I think we should underestimate just how powerful that love could be. Love really does change everything. I don’t know why, but I think it is at least a little strange that I learned so much about what a powerful force love is from a former military person, my stepbrother, William (we called him Billy). He had served two tours in Vietnam as both a Marine and in the Army. Don’t ask me how we began discussing this, but before I knew it he was explaining to me the meaning of this Latin phrase. I don’t remember the exact words I just remember it meant, “always faithful.” My brother explained that, for a military person especially a Marine, this loyalty extends beyond just loyalty to country but to one another. He would say to me, “Ronnie if you can’t trust and count on someone or each other this thing faith is meanly ness.” Trust and absolute loyalty to one another makes it possible for people to do what they could never do otherwise.” That statement has influenced me throughout my life.

Yes, indeed. The Bible is full of stories about people whose lives were transformed when the God who loves them met them where and as they were; for example in Luke 19, when Jesus called little Zacchaeus down out of the tree. Zacchaeus thought he was going to get scolded because of his cheating ways but Jesus invited him to get a meal. So overwhelmed by such a surprise Zacchaeus gave Jesus his heart. That is why to me we need to be reminded of God’s love daily. God’s love gives us confidence and courage and inspiration to do things we would never do otherwise. The apostle Paul, who spent most of his letters clarifying the priority of grace and the message that it is Love that sets us free and for us to lead a life worthy of God. But we cannot stand on grace along we need action (the law) as well and that takes hard work.

Finally, faith to me is the promise of the realization of things hoped for and unseen. Faith comes by doing. We learn by doing. We don’t learn to talk by listening to others talk, but by talking. We learn to love not by discussing love, but by loving; we learn to hope by hoping. We learn to add to our faith by expressing faith; this needs to be effective, it cannot exist in the passive state. Faith must be applied! “So add to your faith by helping the least and doing Justice”. Now that you and Jesus have met, what in the world is holding you back?

God of heaven and earth, you are truly the Lord of our lives. Your love has changed us. Give us the courage to follow you, now, wherever you lead. Help us grow closer to you and clearer about what you are calling us to do and to be. Assist us to be more and more like Jesus every day. In Jesus’ name. Amen

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“It’s Your Call”

I Corinthians 3:5-15
What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe – as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

The Old Testament book of Leviticus describes the sacred custom of using a scapegoat once a year to atone for the sins, mistakes, and failures of the Israelite nation. In a solemn ceremony Aaron, the high priest, would lead a goat to the out skirts of the camp. There he would place his hands on the goat’s head and confess over it all the sins of the Israelite people. Through this symbolic act the goat took on the sins. It was then allowed to escape and wander in the wilderness, presumably to die.

The term scapegoat is still with us today, but it is not used in reference to a sacred ceremony. Now it may be used to describe why there are problems, declining worship attendance or decreasing membership rolls with angry/depressed congregational members at some mainline churches. Some say it’s a lack of advertisement; others not enough good programming (Sunday School), the worship service needs to be contemporary, we need a better looking web site, our building needs updating, and our leadership or even suggest it’s a generation problem. We all want our congregation to be vibrant, growing places that make a difference in people’s lives and in the world. We want to do what Jesus asked us to do. But we don’t see it happening. We must be doing something wrong!

In fact, I believe just doing things differently doesn’t matter at all. Don’t get me wrong how we do things does matter; we do need to keep God’s house up. But that’s not the real issue. To me, the only factor that counts is whether we have a clear vision of where God wants us to go, are we willing to do whatever it takes to follow (change) and do we really know who we ARE! This to me is the place to begin.

Lately, I have been trying to work on things inwardly as a Christian (personal responsibilities and accountability) and it’s hard. It’s always easier and more convenient to assume that the answer or the blame lays elsewhere. My/our transformation of the Church and our congregations will not come through some secret, fail safe, see it at a work shop (video) or read it in a book that you can take home, mix with water, bake in our easy bake oven and serve. This transformation will began with me/us with our hearts our minds and life first with a keen sense of tradition and scripture. This will happen as we turn to God in prayer, turn to one another in meaningful and lively conversation about what we believe in and take personal responsibility for just doing God’s work. My question, what are your visions as Christians for the church? Remember Changed people change churches there is no other way!

God Bless You and This Ministry

“Investment Tip”

I have a philosophy that has evolved over the years. It has helped me through every disappointment through out my life. It has helped me be calm have serenity and oftentimes I can rise above every distressing circumstance while moving on with courage and hope. My grandmother shared this advice with me before she passed away, “What looks like the end of the road,” she would say, “is only a turn in the road, the beginning of a new and more profitable experience. You are never beaten unless you give up.” I have tried hard to live by this philosophy, but sometimes I just need a better investment tip that would guaranteed me to never fade.

Listen to Jeremiah 9: 23-24 Thus says the LORD: “ Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD. The only true road to me is to try to understand and know God. God says that the source of our joy and sense of importance ought to come not from our own wisdom or abilities or possessions, but from the fact that we know Him.

From to time during quiet times, I imagine for a moment living way back in the first century and my favorite apostle, Paul has written a letter or investment tip prayer for me/us today. What do you think would be his first request to God for us? I believe it would be that we increase our knowledge of God and know our history. This knowledge is more than an intellectual knowledge of God but one of a personal kind. In today’s world I have come to the conclusion that two things will determine whether or not we will get to know God better: We must realize that it is possible; and we must desire it.
Salvation is not the end of the Christian life; it is merely the beginning. It is only the first step. It is comparable to birth.

Can a Christian be content with only a casual acquaintance with God?
How can we increase our knowledge of God? How can we get close to Him? How can we know Him better? These are questions that I continually ask and search for.
How do you get to know anyone better? Well, I have determined by spending time with that person? The only way to get to know God better is by spending time with Him.
How can we spend time with Him? By reading His Word, hearing and meditating upon it. Going over it again and again until it becomes truly precious in the heart. Finally, I ask, “are you closer to God now then you were ten years ago?” I am thankful that God chose to reveal himself in such a way that we cannot only apprehend him but also have a personal relationship with him. “May the words of our mouths and the mediations of our hearts be pleasing unto You, our Rock and our Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)

God Bless You and this Ministry

That’s all Folks!

That’s all Folks!
John 15:15-17
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

The more I study the Bible, the more it becomes abundantly clear to me that God wants to have a strong personal relationship with us. It is also difficult to confess our spiritual need publicly. After all our religion is a very personal matter – just between God and us. Therefore, our relationship with God usually is not discussed with others, not even a spouse, children, or our closest friends. It seems wrong to express one’s relationship with God in the public square. I often wondered why? Listen to these words: “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead I call you friends, for everything I have learned from the Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”

When the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the meaning of these words, we hear God saying, I want you for my friends. I have big plans for you. Together we are going to build an eternal kingdom, and you will have a major role in serving as my ambassadors. You are far more than servants. Servants don’t know their master’s business, but I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from my Father. I have kept nothing from you. We have no secrets. You may not understand all these revelations that have come from the Father, but in faith, you know they are true. You will have many opportunities and challenges in life, but none will be as great as this one. Always remember that you did not choose me, but I chose you to live with me in this Father-child relationship.
This means to me that he wants his children to be a part of building the Kingdom of God.

Let me try to humanize the story. A young boy was doing his best to lift a rock that was too large for someone his size. He huffed and puffed as he tried in vain to lift the huge stone. In spite of his efforts the rock wouldn’t budge. His father walked by and, after watching his son’s struggle, asked if he was having trouble. The boy answered, “Yes, I’ve tried everything, and it won’t move!” The father replied, “Are you sure you have used every resource at your disposal?” The boy looked up, frustration filling his face, and blurted out, “Yes!” Kindly his father bent over and said softly, “No, my son. You haven’t. You haven’t asked for my help”. John 15:16 says “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t need anybody? I’ll go it alone.” In my younger years, when I had more ambition than common sense, I vaguely recall saying those words. We can’t go it alone. We need and must depend upon each other.

Bearing fruit to me knows two truths. First that Jesus calls us as friends. Secondly we must learn to be friends with Jesus we must love him and love others! How are you doing? Are you a friend to Jesus? Are you a friend to others? When was the last time you phoned and talked to past and present friends? A friend steps in when others step out. In life and death we all need friends to help us bear fruit.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

“Weary”

Are you tired? I don’t know how many times I have asked people, how are you doing? And can you do… more commonly than not, the answer is “too busy”. It has become a badge of honor to wear, it seems. I’m not asking people how busy they are but genuinely want to know how they are doing spiritually. I know I’ve come to the place in life where I want to see the church involvement make a difference. I want it to instruct and to lead people into genuine righteousness. I’m troubled with maintenance issues in the church while outside the souls of people are being lost.

Have you found yourself coming over to church night after night, two, three and four nights in one week attending some kind of meeting or activity? Just thinking about it makes me feel tired. If, on a rare occasion the worship service went past eleven thirty, did you feel you were tired? I think part of the spiritual weariness has come from church activities that weary us instead of refreshing lives.

How are we to get control of our lives? This is a big question for me. Work runs many. Family runs others. As Christians, church activities can be over whelming as well. In fact it can be worse at times, because we might confuse seeking God’s kingdom with church mechanics. Matt. 6:33 gives us our big, over arching thrust for our lives. I believe Jesus answers this in the two great commandments he gave for our lives, and he shows us how to prioritize our lives in a way that works and actually simplifies it.

Messiah we are facing lots of challenges and priorities; about finances, building, missions, ministries, youth and being just being tired. We have had some battles over those challenges and we will probably have some more. That’s natural and healthy. But the secret is we must not get weary in doing what is right; the secret is to keep church connected with compassion; the secret is to keep church focused on that fundamental relationship with the Lord and to work for the good of all. Then maybe, just maybe we will not be to busy.

Priorities are hard to set and hard to maintain. However God has given us ours, so it’s easy, and we can know that we’re doing what we should be doing when we are keeping priorities. We need to focus on God, spouse, and family then others. If we’ll keep this order of things in our lives, we’ll do what is most important.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

“Keep Pressing On”

Prayer:

Dear Lord, my God above, I thank you for your everlasting love. God, I realize and admit that the last couple of years it has been difficult for me to change. I have not been the best that I could have been. Lord help me to understand how to spread your word, I’ll try to become a person of purpose for your church. Oh heavenly father I know the work of salvation is “all of Christ and none of me” help me understand in order to live out my purpose it must be “ all of Christ and all of me.” Amen

There are many questions that need to be addressed continually when a church moves from one of maintenance to one of purpose. How committed are the new people? How receptive to change are our present membership? Do we really know what we believe and how to properly shepherd to all people? How far spiritually has each one of us really come in the last few years?

Years ago on a variety show, a guest appeared who was a body builder. The crowd went crazy as he entered the stage with his huge muscular body and began to flex his muscles and show his power. After a brief demonstration the body builder sat down and prepared to receive some questions from the audience. The first question asked of him was this: “What do you use all those muscles for?” Without answering, the body builder again stood up and began flexing his muscles while the crowd cheered wildly. A second time, the question was asked, “What do you do with those muscles? Again, the body builder flexed his muscles and the crowd became almost ecstatic.

After asking three times, “What do you do with all those muscles?” the body builder just sat in silence and had no answers. The man possessed a tremendous amount of power, but his power had no purpose other than to show off and bring attention to himself.

I believe there are a lot of people in the world today that are asking the same kind of question as they look at the church. They look inquisitively at the average church gathering and say, “I see the beautiful building and the list of activities. I hear the joyous music and notice the smiles on people’s faces. But what do you really do? Why do you get together every week? What are you really accomplishing? Like the body builder, many Christians don’t have answers to these questions. But these are questions that have answers and deserve to be answered and remembered.

Our task (Purpose) is to sow the seed of the gospel, water it and rejoice in whatever increase God may give. Presently the greatest temptation we may have to over come is to think the tasks at hand are complete. Purpose defines our existence. It is what we are called by God to be. It is our true identity. It is our created intention. It is a matter of our being or essence. It is who we are. Remember it is imperative that we keep the relationship between a purpose driven church and a maintenance one in the proper perspective in order to fulfill God’s purpose for all. So what are God’s purposes for the Church? We can see God’s purpose and design for the church in Matthew 22:36-40 and Matthew 28: 18-20


The road to change requires persistence. Little progress will be made if we think we have arrived. We must maximize the excitement for the ministry continually. In spite of all the positive things that have occurred in the last several years, we need to keep pressing on. How we fulfill God’s purposed will, of necessity, change with the changing needs of the church and the community, but why we exist remains ever the same.
God Bless You and This Ministry