God's Word All Over Again

Psalm 8:3-4: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him?"

What is your fate? Why do you subsist? Is there a reason, a purpose, for human life? These questions have baffled me lately.
Have you ever pondered the meaning of life? A child naturally wonders, "Where did I come from?" As adults we ask, especially in our twilight years: "Is this physical life all there is? Does my life have a purpose?"
Think about your own existence. Can you see a purpose for your own life with its ups and downs, its mixture of joys and sorrows? Do you sense lasting value in its toil, challenges and uncertainties?
Just why were you/we born? Understanding that only God can reveal His purpose for creating us, the overwhelming majority of people have failed to grasp the amazing future God has in store for those who develop a proper relationship with Him. As the apostle Paul put it: "No eye has seen no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT).
The Scriptures tell us that our destiny can exceed anything we could imagine in our wildest dreams! Isn't it time we let God explain—from His Word—what He has in mind for us?

A prophetic passage gives us our first clue to our fantastic future. Speaking of the resurrection of the dead, it tells us that a time is coming when "many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." It adds: "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3).

Is this but just a hint of the amazing future God has planned for us— to live forever, shining in glory like brilliant stars! Before I/we can grasp man's eternal fate, however, I think we need to clearly understand what man is now. That is how God created us: "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). This to me means a physical being composed of the chemical substances of earth mortal, rather than immortal, Gods servants are those who "seek for glory, honor, and immortality" (Romans 2:7) Immortality is available only through mankind's Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The human spirit is critical to our destiny, since God's Holy Spirit joining with it is what makes us God's children (Romans 8:16). And just as the human spirit gives us human understanding, so God's Spirit gives us higher, godly understanding (1 Corinthians 2:10-16). We are not born with the Holy Spirit but receive it from God following repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38).

Our eternal life “purpose” is the gift God has in store for those who turn from the way of sin and begin obeying Him from the heart. Again, it is not something we inherently possess. Rather, it is something God offers to us— if we turn from our old sinful ways and, through Christ, accept His forgiveness and direction for our life. This to me is what He wants for everyone: "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4). He is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). God desires to give us the precious gift of life forevermore. He will do everything he can to ensure that we receive this timeless destiny he has planned for us!
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Retirement

Philippians 3:7-11
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh – though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
All through out my years, I have pondered these questions, “What plans do you have for the rest of your life Ron?” That is not an uncommon question, is it? We make plans that affect our finance, retirement, housing, and physical needs, just to mention a few concerns that call for serious planning. I often say to myself, “What about your relationship with the Lord in the years to come?”

You ask where I got this thought for my faith journey this month; well it has almost been one year since my departure from an ELCA Lutheran Church and while thinking about that I read a message by St. Paul that caused me to ask the following question: Is Christianity divisive? It can be. That doesn’t seem right, does it? We shy away from people who cause dissension and admire people who are able to unite a group of people. When Paul came to Philippi he came with the Gospel. He told the people that we are sinners. However, God has come into this world in the person of Jesus Christ, who died on the cross as a payment for our sins. He then personalized the message by saying, “If we repent of our sins and trust Jesus Christ as our Savior, we will be forgiven and restored into a personal relationship with God.”

While some people in Philippi believed this Gospel, others bitterly opposed St. Paul’s teaching. They insisted that in order to be saved it was necessary to obey the Jewish laws, such as circumcision, eating special foods, and celebrating Jewish holidays. This group also told the people that Paul was a false prophet and should not be heard.

Paul’s response was, “Watch out for these dogs.” You see at times at that church I was only receiving one part of the gospel message and what a struggle because I did not want to cause divisiveness or to be a righteousness of only the mind I stayed and kept quiet. But my concern never went away and soon I left. “He who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22)
St. Paul tells us in our text what he wants to happen in his relationship with the Lord Jesus, and I believe it is good advice for all God’s children.

First, Paul wants to be a righteous man. He writes, “I do not want a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith”. This means to me, I live out of love for Christ and not by trying to obey the law. It seemed to me while attending this one ELCA church that was the only message I heard, “the Law”. As the spiritual relationship with Christ grows, he motivates us to live according to his will. A righteousness that is based on keeping the law says that I must do this or that, because it is what God wants me to do. I am fulfilling an obligation. Sometimes this obligation gets quite heavy.

A righteousness that comes from God and is by faith says that I want to do this or that. Let us take something as simply as going to church on a Sunday morning. When I am living under the law, I go to church because I have to if I am a Christian. It is an obligation. That is what his law tells me to do. When my righteousness is a fruit of the Gospel, I attend church because I love him who first loved me, and I want to be in his house so that I may be fed by his word and fellowship with other believers. Again, it is not that I have to, but that I want to.

Paul knew what a man-made righteousness was. That is what he had experienced in Judaism. It could often be burdensome. When Christ had captured his heart, it was a love relationship and he wanted to please him.

Second, Paul writes, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.” Paul had known Christ and lived in a close relationship with him for many years, but he wanted to know him better. Is that our desire?

For us it means spending time with Jesus in his word and prayer. Through Christ’s resurrection, the Savior has won victory for the believer over sin, death, and the devil. This affects our lifestyle. It means that, when temptation confronts us, Christ gives us the power to overcome it. When life seems like it is coming apart, the Holy Spirit is there to lift us up and assure us that “though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil for (he) is with us.”

Obviously Paul is talking to the Christians in Philippi. These people were aware that they were terrible sinners, but Jesus was a mighty Savior. When they received Christ as Savior, they were justified by grace through faith. Now they were committed to spend the rest of their lives growing in this relationship with God.

This is the desire of every Christian who truly knows the Savior. However, while justification is instantaneous, sanctification is lifelong. We say with St. Paul, “Not that I have already obtained all of this, or been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Is this not our desire also?

Each day we see the need of that power that only the Holy Spirit can give us to press on. Satan has a new set of temptations to confront us with each day of our lives. He never stopped attacking Jesus while he was here in the flesh. Only hours before he was crucified, the tempter was trying to convince our Lord that there was still time to escape this suffering and death. Yet Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, was given strength to pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.” With that power he set his face toward Calvary where he died for the sins of the world.

What about the rest of our lives when we know that it cannot be long before we will die? Our bodies tell us that they are wearing out. We cannot do the things we used to do. We even sell our houses to escape the chores that go with owning property. We are tempted to become very apathetic about carrying any responsibilities in our community or church.

Satan finds a powerful servant who is twenty-five or thirty years younger than you and they suggest that you and your peers move out of the picture and let the younger generation take over. You find yourself saying, “Yes, he is right. It is time for us to quit giving of our time and experience of past years.” It is time to withdraw and bring younger people into places of responsibility. However, it is also possible that it is not an “either-or” but a “both-and.” The old need the young, and the young need the old. There is no substitute for youth, and there is no substitute for age and experience.

The time comes when retirement is in order. However, there is no retirement from serving Christ and his kingdom. Now that is not spiritual chatter. I am willing to admit that we do not have the strength at age 70 that we had at 40 to 50. However, I am also convinced that walking with our Lord for those extra years has equipped us to share insights into God’s plan that will bring blessings to Christ’s church and other people.

What about the rest of your life? I like the counsel given to me by my former coach when I was in my 20s. I pass it on to you. “It is better to wear out than to rust out.” Let us keep on growing spiritually until we die.
God Bless You and This Ministry!

Coaches Ministry

What has Coaches Ministry meant to me?
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The Coaches Ministry has helped me with a deeper understanding of why I coach and what is coaching. Through this ministry I learned that we as coaches should help our student athletes build vision and move toward the future. To me coaching is not reactive, looking back; it’s proactive looking ahead. It is not about healing; it’s about growing. It focuses less on overcoming weaknesses but more on building life skills, discipline and help strengthen our youths faith. It is that discipline that Jesus talked about in Matthew 28:19. I feel that through football, I can teach, witness and share with the student athlete, my life lessons, my spiritual journey and the love of God through Jesus Christ by my Actions.

My best advice for coaches out there who want to coach Biblically? My best advice is to use the’ KISS’ method keeps it simple. As a Christian coach we know that none of us can be completely neutral. I constantly remind myself of my own youthful story (and it was not always perfect). One of my goals in coaching is to ask questions that will help the student athlete identify and clarify his or her own Christian values. Usually as a Christian coach I seek to listen and encourage with short anecdote stories about my life. Avoid imposing my own agendas. I rarely have direct advise unless I am invited, and I never tell people what they should do. Instead, I encourage them to set their own goals and directions, crystallize their own visions, and formulate their own mission and plans of Action. When the situation presents it’s self; stand up to what you believe as a coach, share your faith, be prepared by knowing your doctrine and tell your story. Be ready for some of the follow questions:

1. What you like about Jesus?

2. Why do you go to Church?

3. What about the Bible?

4. When did you become a Christian?

5. Is there a God?

And finally know the following:

Grace- free gift and not earned. Man- Sinner and cannot save himself. God- loves us and he is Just.

Christ- 100% man, 100% God and went to the cross for us. Faith Do you believe it and it is a life change.

God Bless You and this Ministry!

I will leave it to God

I Corinthians 6:9-11
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

In 1980, my mother in-law presented me with a Bible in honor of my adult baptism. She reminded me that this was God’s inspired Word and it had the power to change my life. At that time, I believed this because it was what our church believed and what I had been taught as a youth. Today, however, I believe this because of personal experience. What a powerful gift that Bible was! God’s Word truly has changed my life.

Now, twenty-eight years later, some believe the Bible needs updating. To safeguard against such changes, our church has stated in its confessional writings that the Bible is the inspired Word of God and the only authority in matters of faith and life. If this is true, why are we hearing so many strange statements about biblical changes?

Let me give you an example. One day a man, whom I have always respected, asked if I believe all people are saved. He was visibly upset and went on to say that his pastor told him that all people would go to heaven. I told him to read Jesus’ words: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” He replied that he had shared these words with his pastor and was told that there is more than one way to interpret this statement.

A few days later I was having coffee with a group of teachers when a woman asked me the same question. She told the group that her pastor, who has freshly progressive ideas, had told her that Jesus was not the only way to heaven. When I asked how she responded to his statement, she assured us that she let him know this was not what she had been taught and believed.

It saddened me to hear this woman, who was so disturbed that her pastor had openly denied one of God’s inspired truths.

Another way, in which we see some, clergy and lay alike, attempting to change the Word of God, is in the call to ordain practicing homosexuals, using code words like “a Reconciling in Christ Church” and bless same-sex marriages. If you ask them why they are departing from what Scripture says about these practices, their answer is simply that the Bible must be interpreted in light of its culture. In other words, we need an updated Bible.

Listening to today’s sermons, I ask, why less focused on sins by some and others preach on it routinely. Trying to avoid a debate from either side or being labeled as a sin phobia, I read I Corinthians 6:9-11, which reads, “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy, nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

I asked myself, haven’t the church dealt with all of these sins? None are condoned. We would not ordain a person who was living in adultery. I don’t believe we would ordain drunkards if we were aware of their problem. A person found guilty of stealing would be dismissed from the clergy roster, I pray.

In my mind none of us are without sin. But we can be forgiven if we repent and turn to Christ. Notice, Paul says to the Corinthians that this is the way they used to live, but they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. The practicing homosexual, on the other hand, does not want to repent; rather, he or she wants to remain in this lifestyle and still be ordained by the church. This is the difference.

It is one thing to fall in sin and be forgiven by God’s grace. It is quite another for the church to say that some behaviors should be looked on charitably because of modern cultural changes.

We cannot condone sin and update our Bible. What, then, shall we do? Listen to the words of Paul: “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

In other words, we use church discipline. Who does the disciplining? In most churches, the documents of the church tell us. Within the congregation, it generally falls to the leaders, people chosen by their brothers and sisters in Christ, When clergy are to be disciplined, the responsibility is with the bishops and those trusted people of God who are their counselors. But if the group or leaders has this philosophy and it is affecting your vision of life,"what are you to do?" At this point in my life because of my love for all, I will leave it to God.

The church is in serious trouble. Part of it is because we have given in to diluting the Scripture in order to satisfy the culture of our day “This is the easy way” and if you speak about it you are labeled or told they don’t understand you. however, Jesus never said that the way will be easy. Culture is not to shape the church; the church is to shape culture. We are the salt of the earth, according to the Word of our Lord.

Do we need an updated Bible? Definitely not, instead, we need to take the teachings of God’s word seriously.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

My Dream

Luke 10:25-29
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God; with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”


I truly believe in dreams and that no dream in life is beyond a persons ability to accomplish. God would not plant a seed in your mind if he did not plan to give you the means to nurture and cultivate it into a beautiful flower. God is working with us and we can cherish our dreams as divinely inspired visions of our new life. We must hold firmly to our dreams especially during the moments of doubt and challenge. The key for my transformation has been to keep my mind and heart focused on my dreams in a positive manor by working hard and constantly seeking those moments of ah-ah for Christ.

Your dream is a sprouting creation that needs desire and support to develop to full maturity. Then it returns the care by nourishing the dreamer as well as those who promote it. Every great achievement begins as a dream. A vision of success is a decisive idea that must be cultivated and strengthened by the individual who believes in his or her dream to stand by it in moments of difficulty.

Are you willing to stand by your dream in times of opposition? Especially when someone says they don’t understand you. Are you willing to say yes to yourself and your thoughts (ideas) when others stand against you? For your dream is none other than God’s dream for you, His love”! If you believe you will obey your dream and if you obey you will believe! Sometimes we humans need to be faced up with reality, and that is what Jesus does in his Word. But remember, He does this in love.

My dream sometimes lacks in much understanding I have for Christianity. I like to emphasize in both faith and life in what we believe and how we live. To me if we place all the emphasis on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection for our sins and never talk about the fruits of this faith, we have only told a part of the story. On the other hand, if we talk only about the kind of life that Jesus taught, and place little or no emphasis on our salvation, but Justice there is no power to live this life. Jesus then in that view is no more than another moralist, and with that we have little relationship with our Heavenly Father. A part of that Christian message is never adequate in my mind. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is no way that we can even make a contribution to our salvation, but when Christ’s dream lives in us, this relationship produces fruits of good works, which means helping people plus trusting and walking with Christ. Sing these words to yourself. What does this song remind you of?
“Love and marriage,
Love and marriage,
Go together like a horse and carriage.
Dad was told by mother,
You can’t have one without the other.”

You can’t have just faith or just dreams without love!

God Bless You and This Ministry

“The Other Shoe”

Whether you agree with me or not here are some of my naive thoughts. What is Worship as a Christian Church today? And have we changed to far? After belonging to numerous congregations that were Lutheran (ELCA), the other day this thought came to my mind. What are Lutherans unique perspective on worship and Church issues period? That is one question I have never asked a Pastor with out feeling a little guilty and confused. So I decided to first discus this with a number of people. I prepared myself for the follow type of answers: Worship is praising the Lord" or "Worship is what human beings do to express their thanks to God" or "Worship is going to church," or something like that. Well, I didn’t exactly hear those same words but it wasn’t far from it though. While there is some truth to each of those answers, they did not adequately feed me spiritually, help with describing the main purpose of Lutheran worship today or understand what message I was hearing today. It only has made me wonder where is the Lutheran Church Today?

I thought to myself I know that God's Word and His holy Sacraments are His precious gifts to us and are the tools the Holy Spirit uses to give us forgiveness, life and salvation. Then is the main purpose of our worship and church life to receive these gifts from God? But how do we understand this during this climate of change? Hmm, I am not sure whether we have adequately emphasized this important truth or maybe we are limping with two different gospels. The one we all grew up with at the foot of the cross that is based on repentance, and another that follows a different gospel of acceptance that has been foisted on us. You see this new gospel is emphasizing, “God is love and God is only love, and since Jesus’ ministry was all about love, his followers were to love others in the same way.” Again, love is to be defined solely in terms of inclusion, acceptance and not to be reminded of our ungodliness. The result of this new gospel’s love is not repentance and death to ourselves, but instead love for and acceptance of ourselves because God has accepted and loved us. It has taken me a while to understand this second gospel but given such assumptions, that is why to me our gospel message has focused so much on social justice. (A reason found for the church to exist today). This second gospel mission cannot be proclaiming God’s justification of the ungodly, because the gospel of acceptance does not believe that people are ungodly, except to the extent that they exclude people. Instead, that is why the mission worship message of the church today as been dominated by social and political issues in my view.

But we cannot do both because it divides us.” My ears have been closed to it and it needs to be revisited. God gives His gifts. We receive them. He does this as His Gospel is proclaimed, as His Word is read, as His forgiveness is announced and sinners are absolved, and as we receive our Lord's body and blood in Holy Communion. In these wonderful ways, God is present with us, His people, drawing us to Himself and giving us what we need so much--His mercy, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, power and comfort! The purpose of worship, therefore, is to be gathered by God around His gifts. Then why is this today such a battle between the mind and the heart? Boy oh boy We need to take great care with change today help our visitors as well as ourselves appreciate and understand what is happening with changing things just so that every point is new guy but old perfectly clear.

Then it follows that our worship is Christ-centered from the heart or as we take a look at the liturgical orders of service now I understand why everything said and done is filled with His Word for the mind as well. Why? Remember what St. Paul wrote to the Galatians? “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one that called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to another gospel – which is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6 - 7).”

Because our focus is on Christ and His work, that's why. The focus of church service worship is on Christ, not man. Who is present for us and with us in His Word and Sacraments? He is truly among us. We are not contemplating a far-off Christ, or meditating on abstract ideas. Lutheran worship is not like going to a self-help group or a therapy session. It is God who gathers us for worship around the gifts He gives to us through Word and Sacrament. But I would like to remind you that it is not really our church, it is the Lord's church. As long as the church tries to acknowledge two different gospels, we will never be united or have answer to those little questions, it will never be at peace, and it will never settle all the issues of today.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Numbers in the Pews

READ: Luke 9:57-62

Luke records for us in this passage an account of three men whom Jesus met as He traveled along with His disciples. Two of these men declared that they wished to follow Jesus; to become His disciples. The other was one whom Jesus summoned to follow Him.

What immediately strikes me is the way in which Jesus handles these inquirers (and I think that this is Luke’s reason for recording the details of these meetings). Some think that men with a cause are busy trying to recruit as many as they can. Most preachers, council leaders and lay people are busy trying to get as many members for their church as they possibly can (and most have good intentions). I like seeing new members myself!

It’s natural. It’s what we expect to see. But Jesus is radically different in His approach I think. He seems to spend a great deal of His time trying to advise against men from following after Him - or at least that’s what it looks like.

It’s funny how I can remember advice that was given to me by an aging preacher when I was on church council; I was really concerned about numbers in the pew. This person whom I greatly respected would say to me, Ronnie “Son, always endeavor to keep the church as small as you can!” That’s strange talk isn’t it? And that was coming from a man who himself had pastored quite a large congregation. But what he meant was, preach the truth of God’s salvation, and the demands of following Jesus, clearly that only those who have counted the cost and are ready to give up ALL for Christ will join themselves to you.

Boy what an impact that statement made on me during a time in my spiritual journey when I thought church was only to be worked on, maintenance wise, it has been my desire to see as many as possible come to Christ - I pray to see them come in their hundreds and even thousands - BUT I DON‘T JUST WANT TO GET A CROWD . . . that doesn’t interest me at all! I want to see men and women, young people, boys and girls turning to Christ with whole hearts; becoming true sold out disciples committed to the fullness of Life in Jesus Christ for all. Hallelujah!

And so, it’s interesting to read of Jesus’ way of dealing with those who expressed a desire to follow Him; He seems to be trying to discourage them. But not really. In actual fact Jesus’ desire is that people will follow Him but He wants them to think it through first . . . to count the cost involved . . . so that once they do follow Him they’ll never turn back. Even as He spells out what is required in such clear, shocking terms, inside He is longing for them to accept it - He’s rooting for them - but the cost is the cost . . . it’s non-negotiable . . . and they/we MUST be prepared for it.

What can the call to discipleship, the faithfulness to the word of Jesus, mean today for us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on one of many of my summer readings, The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. For me Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing an influential reading of the separation between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship.... Costly grace is the gospel, which must be sought again and again, the girl, which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know.... It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life.” Man’ these words are strong, aren’t they? Here is what it will cost you to follow after Jesus. In short, it will cost you EVERYTHING. He calls for us to commit ourselves completely to Him, and hold nothing back and help all in need. And that to me is the picture of the authentic numbers of Christian in the Pews.

Jesus said to the first man: “COUNT THE COST”. He said to the second man: “LEAVE IT BEHIND”. And He said to the third man: “DON’T LOOK BACK”. The bell to your heart's door rings today. There stands Jesus. He is recruiting you to join Him in the mighty job of “Building” numbers in the pews, and help those who are vulnerable, which is forever.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

This-ness

“This is My Father’s World”

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres, This is my father’s world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies And seas; His hand the wonders wrought, This is my father’s world, the birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise. This is my father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me every where.

Can you believe I’ve sung that hymn a million times and never once stopped to consider what it was saying? Go figure. What does it mean to You?

Recently my wife and I were planning a trip to San Francisco. As we planned our trip, I learned a valuable lesson about mutual support from California majestic redwood trees. Redwoods are inclusive trees as they grow, they incorporate into their basic structure objects around them, including rocks and other plants. Although redwoods have shallow roots, they are noted for their strength and longevity because they share their roots with others. Each individual tree is invited into the whole and in turn helps support the entire group. This adaptation appears to have worked, for redwoods are among the oldest living species of vegetation on earth.

We as Christians could learn a lesson about inclusiveness and sharing from the redwoods during these times. Sometimes, I am a little embarrassed by how little I think about the relationship between my faith and the natural everyday world. What about outside the church building in a different context, do we really love to tell the story to our neighbor? To our unchurched friends, our family, our coworkers, or our fellow students? I suppose, if we are really honest about it, many of us would say, No, I guess telling the story about Jesus in public makes me a little uncomfortable at times.

I recently read a book entitled, The Embarrassed Believer, by Hugh Hewitt. The author writes, “Many Christians today can hardly make themselves say the 'J' word, pray in a restaurant, or invite a colleague to church. They cringe at anything that makes their commitment visible in this current environment. Every Sunday in the safety of the sanctuary, many believers sit and pray with sincerity and gusto, then vanish and go silent the next six days.” What’s the reason? Public expression of faith is not only unfashionable, but it is seen as slightly bizarre. No one likes to think people are looking at them, thinking they are bizarre. So they are discouraged into thinking that maybe their critics are right. 'Why should we bother? It won’t make any difference anyway.' Jesus instructs us to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the ‘whole of creation.’ We must share our roots, heritage and faith with each other, to ask for encouragement and support when we need it, as we stand ready to give the same to all of creation. You and I have one life to live and many stories. This life has many chapters. What is He doing in your life today? How will this chapter read? And how will you share it with others! So, brothers and sisters in Christ, he who has ears to hear, listen: that seed is good and powerful! As you tell the story, remember, many people are ready to hear it, and the harvest will be great. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That is our Good News.

As you go on your way, may Christ go with you;
may be go before you to show you the way,
behind you to encourage you,
beside you to befriend you,
above you to watch over,
and within you to give you his peace.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

If we build it they will come

Acts 8: 26-40
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked.
"How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:
"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, And as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."

The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

This points out to me that Philip an ordinary man (not one of the apostles) like you and I, was taught how to minister not only to one man but to a nation who would be introduced to Christ by this new convert. Now one could say, three cheers for Philip! We thank God for his powerful witness which was fluent with words and had the personality which made it easy for him to talk with other people about Christ, but was Philip the exception.

Believers in Christ were not ashamed to tell others about Jesus Christ! The Christian witness was heard clearly in the New Testament Church. Is that witness as strong in the Church today? That's the question I ask in this message today? "How does the witness of the Church in the 21st century compare with the Church in the New Testament? Or is that a fair question?”

What made the Christian Church grow in those years? God was using great preaching to make Christ known. But more than that, the streets were filled with those verbal witnesses who used the opportunity to tell the story of Christ and the way of salvation.

It would be unfair and incorrect to say that there is little or no verbal witness in our churches today or even to suggest we need to go door to door in our witnessing. So, do we get an A+ for doing a good job in the department of witnessing within the church? No, especially when the Church is decreasing in membership, or even remaining status quo, it is evident that our message of evangelism does not have a high priority in our ministry, or have we loss touch today in teaching how to spread the message of Christianity in our time.
Just recently I read a book by Gustav Nelson, “Service is the Point” in the book it tells us that in the mainline churches there has been a major decline in membership compared to the Mega Evangelical Churches. Nelson says, "The disturbing part is that of those still in church, about one-third are not very active. They show up on the doorsteps of the church (guest) with surprising regularity. They are looking for the transcendent, and we give them an invitation to sit on a committee. This description, argues Gustav Nelson, demonstrates what is wrong with the model of church membership that has dominated in churches for quite some time. According to this participatory model, the principal responsibility of church membership is to participate in the programs and functions of the local congregation. While the participatory model has been successful in recruiting individuals to be there while the church doors are open, how well has it prepared those same individuals for Christian life apart from the church? What would happen if we really took seriously our rhetoric about service in the world as the focus of Christian discipleship? The answer, Gustav Nelson contends, would be a new model of membership, in which the church exists to empower believers for the ministries in the workplace and home to which God has already called us. Worship would become the central activity of the gathered congregation, the time when assurance of forgiveness is given, new life in Christ celebrated, and Christians are commissioned anew for the ministries of the week. The vision of the church would turn outward, with the purpose of training Christians to bear witness to Jesus Christ through service in the community throughout the week. The educational ministries of the church would focus on giving depth and vigor to our understanding of the vocations we fill daily.

It doesn't paint a promising picture for mainline churches today. And while some of our mainline churches are having success with change, we need to ask ourselves,” what are they doing? How can we model that change? And better yet how will you as a leader lead the change?” I know from experience that asking people to share their faith does not come natural for the average Christian in the congregation. Is the answer, to start yearly vision quests of encouragement in-which Christians teach some of the basic principles on “ how to share our Christian faith”; or do we engage in things like hospitality, prayer, studying scripture, knowing our church history with reflection, service and paying attention to people’s spiritual lives. This is serious, for Christ's mandate to His Church was to tell the story of God's love. If the Church does not do this on a one-to-one basis, it is not being faithful to the mission Christ gave us to do. Or do we continue to have the attitude if we build it they will come.

Yes, in the early Church lives were being changed and Christ's Body was growing. The question? And I quote,” If the old village and all the old answers have vanished, then how do seekers determine goodness, truthfulness and beauty?” by Diana Butler Bass,” Christianity For the Rest of Us “. (a great read for all!)

Is there a strong witness for Christ coming from our congregation and denomination? What are we called to be and is it God Honoring? These are questions that must be given much consideration, for the life of the Church to me depends on it.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

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