No Fear in Death

I was preaching on heaven and hell recently.  As I spoke to the congregation, I said, "We are all going to die.  In fact every breath we take is one step closer to the end."

I was taken aback when just then a man in the service began having a seizure.  He was ok and later that week he joked about how he had that seizure at that point in the message.  He was scared in the moment but later saw the humor in it. 

Google the term "fear of death" and you will get 160,000,000 results.

160 Million!

Coping, ovecoming, medical labels...there is a ton of stuff on the topic.  I get the sense that quite a few people out there must be afraid of dying.  I know that over the years I've been one of them.  

As a kid I was afraid of the dark, afraid of death and at times afraid of my own shadow!  My fear of death was not so much the death itself but the possible pain involved in getting there.  I was afraid of the suffering and misery, the long goodbye that is often associated with death. Even after I became a believer in Jesus Christ, I was worried about death.  I have had panic attacks sitting in doctors offices, heart papatations while getting x-rays and near nervous breakdowns waiting for test results.

I admit it.  I've been weak at times.

I know the Bible talks about fear. I quoted 2 Timothy 1:7 and Phillippians 4:6-7 until I was blue in the face.  No matter what I did, fear would only be tamped down but for a moment.  

I found Proverbs 12: 25 to be true. "Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad."  I was being weighed down by my anxiety.

Yet today, I can testify that that fear is rapidly diminishing.  I have grown more comfortable in my own mortality. Through prayer and God speaking through a friend and brother, I have been healed of that anxiety.  I know I am going to die and I am ok with it.  My eternal destination is one I long for more than dread.

My son CJ and I had a converations about heaven recently and listening to his child like faith, I found myself longing for the day I can spend eternity with no more pain, no more suffering, no more tears.

I get excited because I am literally dying to meet Jesus!

I came across this quote while reading a Civil War history book today:

"Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me. That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave." - General "Stonewall" Jackson.

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

Victory in Jesus!

This I Know

July 31, 1984. 

This was the day I went forward at a vacation Bible school in East Tennessee, repented of my sins  and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

Like most new believers, I was filled with zeal and wanted to learn all I could about the Lord.  I began reading my Bible fervently, attending every service and trying to be a good Christian.

I now know I was not properly discipled. 

I began reading my Bible from the beginning.  (That's where you start a book right?)  I breezed through Genesis and Exodus, bogged down in Leviticus and gave up in Numbers.  It took me awhile to get back on track.  I finally had a fellow believer point me to the NT where I spent a season before eventually reading the whole Bible. 

I had a huge fascination with end times theology and read everything I could get my hand on.  I loved to debate (argue) the Bible and felt I had to defend God to the death!  I even made sure to hand a Bible tract to a kid who was holding a switchblade to my throat...so that I could at least die a martyr!

Ah, youth....

Nearly 31 years since my life changing decision, I have come to learn that less is more.  I have seen the highs and lows of faith.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  The older I get, the more comfortable I am with my faith.  I no longer feel the need to debate every line of Scripture.  In fact, I don't debate at all. 

As I reflect over my relationship with the Lord, I find comfort and peace in who He is and who I am in Him.

After 31 years, this I know:

Prov. 3:5-6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."  The first Scripture that really challenged me.  I tried for too long to lean on my own understanding.  Now, I know that I know nothing.  I have found that as I lean on Him, look to Him, trust in Him...He truly does direct my path.  From TN to TX, Russia to Croatia, the US to Canada, God has directed my path, my days, my life.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Jesus, Only Jesus - I remember hearing this quoted often by a man God used to impact my life.  He often said it boiled down to just that.  I used to think he was being so cliche.  Now I know, I truly want Jesus, only Jesus!

Jesus Christ and Him Crucified - "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." This passage in 1 Cor. 2:2 has become more and more important to me. I don't care to debate how long it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.  My opinion on when Jesus is coming back is just that, my opinion. What I am determined to know is Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Galatians 2:20 -  "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The verse that changed my life.  In my darkest days, God reached out to a man contemplating his own mortality, He broke through the darkness when suicide seemed like the only way out, and He taught me who I am in Him. 

I'm not God - I am not called to judge.  I no longer see the need to point out the stick in your eye while ignoring the log in mine.  I now endeavor to speak truth in love and show the same grace and mercy that Jesus Christ has shown me.

The Two Greatest Commandments - Jesus is quoted in Matthew 22:36-40 as saying that the two greatest commandments in which are contained the whole law of God is to love the Lord with our whole heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as we do our self!  It really is that simple.  We over complicate Christianity and Jesus boiled it down to this!

Jesus Loves Me - This I know.  I can rest in that. 

You Can't Measure Forever

 My son is at an age where he is trying to quantify and measure things.  His big thing right now is trying to figure out time.  He uses his hands to measure out what he thinks you mean by a half hour, an hour, etc.  He keeps using the word 'forever' as well when he wants something to continue.  So when he was playing with his sister, he mentioned the word 'forever' and spread his hands wide.  My daughter said to him, "You can't measure forever!"

I heard that comment and was immediately impressed by the wisdom of that statement. 

We can't measure forever.  Keep that in mind as you look at Psalm 100:5 which says, "The LORD is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness endures throughout every generation"

I thank God that His mercy does last forever.  I stand in need of His mercy and grace.  The fact that God is eternal and His mercies are everlasting give me cause to sing with joy!  In fact if you read all of Psalm 100, it speaks of just that:

A psalm of thanksgiving. "Shout happily to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD cheerfully. Come into his presence with a joyful song. Realize that the LORD alone is God. He made us, and we are his. We are his people and the sheep in his care. Enter his gates with a song of thanksgiving. Come into his courtyards with a song of praise. Give thanks to him; praise his name. The LORD is good. His mercy endures forever. His faithfulness endures throughout every generation."

I can't read that passage without getting excited. 

There is so much here but I want to point out just a few things.

Serve the Lord cheerfully - We shouldn't act as if serving God is like pulling teeth.  We should do so cheerfully.  In fact we should do EVERYTHING as unto the Lord. (Colossians 3:23) We should do whatever we put our hands to with a cheerful heart.  In fact, it's good for us to do so!  (Proverbs 17:22)

He Made Us - God is the creator of everything.  People can debate the age of the earth and how we came into existence but the Bible says God did it.  That's good enough for me. 

We are His - God sent His Son and purchased us with a price, His own Sons life.  I am glad that I recognized and accepted that gift. 

We are His people, the sheep in His care - I praise God He truly does care for us, watches over us and guides us with His voice, His Word and His provision.

Yes the Lord is good and we have a reason to sing!  We can't measure forever, but I am glad that I have the chance to spend forever with Him!

Adventure Awaits

I became a Christian at 14.  My mom began buying my Christmas and birthday gifts from the local Christian bookstore.  One of the things she bought was a little desk name plate that quoted Proverbs 3:6, "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path."

I made that my "life verse"  for some time after that.  I memorized it, quoted it and wrote it on every card, letter and yearbook I signed.  I was sure I understood it's meaning.

I was kind of like, "Hey God, just wanted to acknowledge (recognize) you.  So look, here is where I am going...can you take the lead now?"  My teenage understanding of guidance was that I made up my mind and expected God to then take the lead.

It took me a few years to realize the Bible wasn't about me!

I never read things on context back then and then one day, I read verse 5 and 6 together.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will direct your paths.

I realized that I was not trusting Him with ALL of my heart.  I was not trusting Him with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  I was acknowledging God but not in the truest sense of the word.  I was not really getting to KNOW Him.  By getting to KNOW Him, I began to understand HIS will a lot better. 

I need to trust that God's plans are far better than my own.  No one knows how much time we have in our jobs or how much time we have left on this earth.  Nobody that is, except God.

We should be about His business. 

I believe if we get to know Him, I mean truly know Him, that we will experience adventure like never before.

So what are you waiting for?

God is...? - Just A Thought #56

Here's a challenge.  When you see the phrase, "God is...?", how do you complete that sentence?  What were the first words that came to your mind?

How you answered might say a lot about where you are right now in your walk with the Lord. 

Did you say God is good? 

I know many people who have said that.  One person told me recently that they know He is good but they don't always feel He is good.  Their head says yes, their heart says I don't know.  The question becomes, does God have my best interest at heart?  The truth can be pointed out through the Scriptures but when the rubber meets the road, do we truly believe it in our hearts and live it out in practice? 

Did you say God is great?

What does that mean to you?  Great at what?  Or is great defined as "having considerable power?"  If God is great, how does that effect the way we live? 

Did you say God was loving?

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16)  Do we feel that love?  We may know that we are loved but do we really believe it?  Do we live as though we know God truly cares about our needs? 

All these questions and it all goes back to one thing in my opinion.  Do we trust God to be the God of all?  Do we believe He truly is fair, loving, kind and filled with truth, or is He only those things when we get our own way?

Proverbs 3:5 says we are to trust in the Lord with ALL of our hearts and not to trust in our own wisdom or way of understanding things. 

We may not feel it, we may not truly believe it, but it does not negate this truth:

"For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." (Psalm 100:5)

Be encouraged.

Everyone Has A Story

For the past six years I have worked with the Salvation Army.  I have seen a lot over these 6 years, not all of it pretty.  I’ve learned a lot as well.

One thing I have learned is to listen for the story.   

There is a cynicism that has crept into our society where we act like everyone on the street is a substance abuser, makes the wrong choices and “has an excuse (story)” for their actions.  I have learned how far from the truth that really is.

It’s true, some of the “street” people abuse substances and make other poor choices, but many have suffered sickness, got behind on a bill or were laid off when the company downsized due to a poor economy.  Lest we forget though, ALL were created in the image of God.  (Genesis 1:27)

“Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all.” Proverbs 22:2

When we walk down the street and see those in need, do we see God’s image in the person we try to ignore?  Do we see the image of God in the poor, the needy, and yes, even the substance abuser?

How often do we think about the soul of the man or woman on the street? 

I will say this, God thinks of them DAILY!  (Psalm 139)

He loved them enough to send His Son for them.  (John 3:16)

Can we not stop and hear their story? 

I mentioned that I have learned to listen to the story.  It isn’t always easy but with practice, we can look beyond the symptoms and listen to what is going on in the heart of the down-and-out person.  A cup of coffee with a stranger may place us outside of our comfort zone for a moment, but it can change a life forever.

These are my neighbors.  This is my mission field. 

Will you listen to someone’s story this week?

No Distractions - Just A Thought #53

"Dad! Don't talk to me when I am in town!"

It began with my two year old son playing in the yard. I was resting in the hammock and smiling as I watched him play throughout the yard with his little riding car. He had moved to the farthest edge of the yard and was fiddling with the back of his car. He was definitely in his own world.

I called out to him, "Caleb are you fixing your car?" He hollered out, "Dad!" and then marched back across the yard to finish his statement, "Don't talk to me when I am in town!" I am sure some parents might see that as disrespectful, but I saw something different.

I saw an intense focus.

Caleb was focused on what he was playing and by talking to him, I brought distraction, thus taking him out of the moment.

Proverbs 4:25 says "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you."

I have found at various times in my life, when my focus is distracted, I take my eyes off of Jesus Christ and I stumble and fall.

When I keep my gaze firmly planted on Jesus Christ, when I focus on Him day in and day out, my joy is firm, my faith refreshed, my strength renewed. When I seek God with my whole heart, I find that nothing seems impossible because we serve a God of the impossible.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." Matthew 6:33

No distractions are worth missing all that God has for us. I don't know where you are at right now but God knows. Fix your gaze on Him

Markers Along the Way

Looking back over my Christian walk, I see some markers along the way. They are Bible verses that became my "life verse" for a time. Ones that spoke to where I was at in my journey with the Lord. It started off as a new believer. That first Christmas, my Mom purchased me a little desktop plaque that quoted Prov. 3:5-6. This verse says "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

I was 14 and trying o figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I kept going back to that verse over and over through my teens and 20's.

Gal. 2:20 says "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

Around the age of 29 this verse took on fresh meaning for me as I became more aware of my identity in Christ. This marked a time of new beginnings as my faith went deeper and the Lord strengthened and redeemed a struggling marriage.

Psalm 61:1-2 says "Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

I think I found my new favorite verse. As I posted earlier, 2011 was rough and this is the verse I have been meditating on this year. I keep going back to it over and over and over.

What are the mile-marker verses in your life?

Working it Out

Over the last few months I have been going back to one Scripture passage over and over again:

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13 Emphasis mine)

Many people will go to the doctor for a regular check-up. They want to make sure everything is working ok and that there are no problems. If there are any problems they want to catch it at the earliest possible chance.

Others ignore their health, too their detriment, out of fear or ignorance.

Just as we shouldn't ignore our physical health, we should also pay attention to our spiritual health as well.

Sadly, many try to muddle through and do things in their own strength. Dare we forget Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

God works in us. We need to let Him work out what He is working in. We should be willing to let Him shine His light of truth into the very crevices of our life.

What's the worst that can happen?

I Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy....

Joy...I believe this is one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian faith. When you hear the word joy, may feel they need to paste a sickly, unnatural smile on their face and act like everything in the world is just peachy keen...

Insert a gagging noise here.

Who hasn't experienced the happy, happy, joy, joy Christians who want no one to mention adversity and seem to deny the reality that bad things DO happen? I remember one time someone asked how my wife was, I mentioned she had a cold and then was blasted for "negatively confessing" these things.

What does the Bible say about joy? I like Proverbs 17:22, "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

What do we have to be joyful about anyways?

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE." Jeremiah 29:11

We have a HOPE AND A FUTURE! That is what we have to be joyful about.

Yeah bad things happen. However we should remember this: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 says, "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

There is also this passage in Romans: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

Life isn't always peaches and cream...my prayer for you is this: May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Colossians 1:11-14

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13

Reality vs. Perception

Sometimes what is said and how we perceive or “hear” what is said are two different things.

I remember numerous occasions over the years where someone spoke truth and I was hurt because even though they meant it for good, my filters took it in as, "they don't like me."

I remember in Russia, maybe because I had experienced hunger as a teen when we lost everything, I would race to get in the food line first. Our leaders took me aside one day and said they noticed this and asked me to consider others and to hold back. I was "righteously indignant!". In reality, I was being rude and they called me on it. Later, many years later, the Lord broke through my hard shell and let me know how right they were!

Sometimes though people say hurtful things without realizing it.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.”

We should seek to bridle our tongue just as the Bible mentions. (James 1:26) Our words can impact others for eternity!

The reality is that we are all far from perfect and none of us can cast the first stone. Instead of trying to hurl rocks, we should let people see the love of God emanating from us. If we do this, our perceptions will match our realities.

April Fools

April 1st is the day kids and some adults like to try and prank their friends. They hope, with little or no planning, that their "trick" will convince their target long enough for them to say, "April Fools".

Of course most know it's coming.

I remember when I was in the 3rd grade, every kid getting on the bus that morning seemed to have the same "bright" idea. We each, not knowing the others plans, told the bus driver our Mom was pregnant. Of course he feigned surprise at each revelation.

I decided to look up the word fools in the Bible. Fools are mentioned quite often. Mostly in Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. The verses that speak to me he most are found in Psalms 14:1 and 53:1.

Both say that a "fool says in his heart there is no God."

By that definition, I have met a few fools over the years. They are convinced there is no God.

There is another verse that I think can be used to apply to believers:

Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice."

I have met a lot of believers who do what they think is right or whatever feels good. They only seek or listen to the wisdom that confirms their ideas and choices. Some feel that a true friend should support you no matter what. I don't agree. I would rather have a friend who warns me when I am in danger and will let me know if I am wrong!

Lord, spare us from wanting to have our ears tickled and help us to walk in and listen to wisdom.

Fear, Doubt and Pain

As I am getting older, I am looking at things like fear, doubt and pain just a bit differently.

I actually consider them...dare I say...blessings. Let me explain.

When I say fear is a blessing it is because I am not talking about heart palpitating, terror of the unknown. I am talking about the kind of fear found in Proverbs 9:10 which says, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

I want to develop this kind of fear (reverence) of the Lord.

When i say doubt, I am talking about the kind of doubt that drives me to the Son of God. The doubt expressed in Mark 9:24 where a boys father says to Jesus Christ, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

I feel doubt is a blessing when it causes me to draw near to God. When I cling to Him, reach for His Word, well it causes me to trust Him more.

Pain...ok call me silly but lately I look at pain as a blessing. Not that I wish it on myself or anyone else. Pain is a blessing WHEN it reminds me that I am alive. It also is God's warning system that something is wrong. In the end, it causes me to PRAY more.

Fear, Doubt and Pain are 3 things I used to avoid. 20 years ago I would have told a Christian to avoid these things like the plague. Now, I recognize the value WHEN they bring me closer to God.

Holding My Tongue

Sometimes it is better to leave things alone.

I learned that recently when an issue of gossip cropped up on my radar. Keeping the details sparse, let me just say this:

Things were said about others by others and it got back to them. As it came up at work, I tried to speak into the issue and see if it could be resolved and the outside rumoring stopped. I thought that by going to the source, I could bring resolution.

Yeah that didn't work. Mushroom clouds were fairly obvious and it only created more issues.

I think it's under control now...

But I learned some lessons...

"Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles." Proverbs 21:23

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4:29

and the best answer of all:

"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us." Titus 2:7-8

Needless to say, even though I was not involved in the gossip, only trying to bring resolution, I will be seeking to guard my tongue as well.

We Are Family!

How do you define family? Some listings I saw included "shared values, ancestry and lineage." This to me would also describe the body of Christ.

What does family mean to you?

For me, I think about words. The words of a family member can hurt even more than words from a stranger or friend.

Whoever said sticks and stones will break your bones but words will never hurt you.....they need to be taken out and beaten with sticks and stones!

Proverbs 18:21 says the tongue has the power of life and death.

If you have ever been on the receiving end of a withering verbal attack or had someone make unkind and cutting remarks...then you'll know that it can feel miserable. You can feel less than human. Like a failure. Worthless.

Family has a way of doing that as well. Yes, even the family of God. The church has a nasty habit of taking it's wounded members out and shooting them!

Many, when they constantly receive a barrage of negativity, they began to embrace the hurtful things people say as part of their identity.

Gal. 2:20 says our identity is in Christ. Eph. 2:10 says we are His workmanship.

If you have been hurt by the words of others know that God loves you and He cares. Your identity is in Him not in the negative comments of others.

Which identity are you embracing?

Moonshine Madness

There are places in Tennessee where, if you know the right person, you can still acquire a big ol' jar of corn liquor, known to most people as moonshine. Now these places usually involve back roads, car trunks and late night meetings.

One place you would NOT expect to be able to acquire this illegal brew is a major theme park. It's been a few years ago now, but that was exactly what happened at a park in the hills of TN. During a festival celebrating old time culture a still had been set up for "Educational" purposes. Only water was to be run through the machine to show tourists how it "used to be!" The gentleman they had running the display, well he thought he would make a bit of brew on the side. He was going along fairly well for awhile and then made the "mistake" of letting a few folks sample his wares.

That was when the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) team rolled up and took him and parts of the still away.

"You have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23

How often we try to hide our sins. Not many are brazen enough to conduct their sin in broad daylight for all to see. Oh some are, but most of us like to do our sinning in private.

The thing about sin is it has a way of bubbling to the surface like a festering wound. Eventually it's going to pop and the gunk will ooze out for all to see. Nasty description isn't it? Sin is just as nasty.

I have heard to many storied of people who feel sorry for their sin only AFTER they are caught. I was that way myself.

Proverbs 10:9 says, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."

Are you walking securely or glancing over your shoulder hoping no one sees you sinning?
Do you have peace of mind or fear?
Do you act like a believer in private as well as public?

Only you know the answer to that. Well, you and God!

Listed - My Fav's for 2009

My 2nd annual end of the year list.

Top 3 books I read this year:

1. Mad Church Disease by Anne Jackson
2. Busted by Fred von Kamecke
3. The Fine Line by Kary Oberbrunner

I read a lot and many books could have made the list but these were the 3 I have referred people to the most this year.

Top 3 CD's I listened to this year:

1. While I'm Waiting by John Waller
2. 10 by Mercy Me
3. CompassionArt by Various Artists

Top 3 Favorite Bible Books this year:

1. Proverbs
2. John
3. Psalms

So there you have it.

Twilight and New Moon: Evil Abounds!

I am not a legalist. I have no problem going to movies, watching TV, etc as long as wisdom is used. However, we live in a world that is fascinated with evil. A few years back witches and witchcraft were all the rage. Everyone, including quite a few Christians, seemed to be into Harry Potter. Even though the Bible clearly speaks against witchcraft many soaked it up like baby pablum!

Now we have Twilight, New Moon and a fascination with evil. Vampires and werewolves are all the rage. Last night I saw over 100 teens lined up outside the theater waiting for the doors to open so they could flock to see New Moon.

Half the believers I talk seem to have no problem with this film even though it clearly is something Jesus would not endorse. Philippians 4:8 comes to mind!

I keep hearing about Team Jacob and Team Edward and I wish that Christians would start rallying around Team Jesus!

Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you. Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure. Do not lean to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27)

Habakkuk 1:13 says, "Your eyes are too pure to look at evil. You can't watch wickedness. Why do you keep watching treacherous people?"

Don't despise what God has revealed. Instead, test everything. Hold on to what is good. Keep away from every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22)

I have heard people say this is a romance story. Really? Do you really think Jesus would endorse dating a vampire? A werewolf?

Give your head a shake and open the Word of God.

Spark plugs and Faith!

I was thinking about my childhood recently and remembered that I was about 11 when it happened.

My 10 year old brother and I were out mowing the lawn and could not keep the lawnmower going. Every time we would start to push the machine the thing would die on us. My Dad was at work and so my brother and I decided we would try to solve the problem.

We looked high and low and fiddled with the mower for a bit to no avail. Finally I glanced down and noticed the spark plug and that the little attachment was off. I put the metal ring back on the plug and we started the mower for a few seconds before it popped off again and the mower died.

I came up with the, ahem, ingenious idea of holding the wire onto the spark plug while my brother started the lawnmower. Now, in my defense, I was not to mechanically inclined back then. So as I was hlding the spark plug my brother gave the string a pull and I was knocked on my backside by the electrical current! Not keying in on what happened I repeated the experiment again......and again.......and again.

Finally the light dawned and I realized what I was doing wrong. So I gave up and waited for my Dad to get home.

Same thing happens in my faith walk. I try to fix things on my own and make them worse. Sometimes I have to get knocked onto my backside a few times before I realize I am trying to do things in my own strength. I then have to willingly let the Father handle it.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5)

Laughter Anyone? - Just A Thought #35

Do you ever laugh? Not just a slight chuckle or an amused smile, but a hearty, deep down, slap your knee belly laugh, with tears streaming down your face? A laugh that makes your side hurt?
If so, do you ever notice how good you feel afterward?

Doctors do. Numerous medical studies have shown that laughter is truly good medicine. Doctors and scientists have found that laughter helps your respiratory system, reduces stress, strengthens your heart, lowers your blood pressure and even improves circulation.

It would seem those in the medical field have discovered what God knew all along:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

So if the Doctor says it's good for you and THE Doctor (God) says it's good for you, why do so many of His children walk around with sour faces? I remember sitting in church once in TN and people were singing "the joy of the Lord is my strength", and you would have thought they were at a funeral. In fact one preacher told me to slip into a funeral message half way through the service and see if anyone noticed. If not, he said to bury them and move on...

Yes, we experience hard times. Life can be rough. Yet God also included this little passage in Ecclesiastes:

"A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance" Ecclesiastes 3:4

There is a time to laugh. We need to experience His Joy more. Yes, Christians can have fun...I know that may shock some of you, it's OK...you'll live. Christians can have fun and not only that, they can have wholesome fun! We can laugh, tell jokes and smile. It won't kill us and it may just make an impact on the world around us.

Remember Jesus...you found him at feasts, weddings, etc...I bet He laughed to!

Imagine that.