11/30/18 - Rev 1

Nov 30, 2018

Praise to Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.  Rev 1:5, 6

We were made for God's purposes, not Him for ours.

Revelation 1 is an incredible picture of Jesus that’s beyond human words.  John tries to describe Jesus, and does his best to help us understand His holiness and power.  As you read that picture, you have to be amazed at Jesus --- this is not the same Jesus born in a manger or traveling the back hills of Judea.  But notice what is NOT talked about – John isn’t talking about himself.  When you come into contact with Jesus, you’re not thinking about yourself.

When you see Jesus, you stop seeing yourself.  Seeing Jesus will make us see our sin, and make us see His purposes.  All of our plans and goals look like fools play compared to the purposes of God.  All of our good works look like rubbish compared to His holiness.  Seeing Jesus changes everything.

The problem is that people see the works of God, but haven’t seen Jesus.  Some play the game of God without knowing Him, and start thinking that’s good enough.  But when you see the Real Jesus, those substitutes don’t matter any more.

Can you imagine John looking to pursue a bigger house or better retirement plan after seeing THIS Jesus?  No way!  He was exiled on an island, and all John wanted to do was get the word out about how different Jesus is now.  He wrote the Revelation, along with a few profoundly powerful letters, to get the word out that God’s purposes matter, and ours don’t.  John realized that life was about fulfilling God’s purposes, not our purposes, after you come to know Jesus.

Read and study that picture of Jesus from Revelation 1.  Put yourself in the place of John, and consider what God wants you to do after you see Jesus like he did.  You might just discover a whole new plan for your life, and might just open yourself to the power of God.

11/29/18 - Jude

Nov 29, 2018

Watch out for ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ.  Jude 1:4 

Use God’s grace to be freed from sin instead of excusing sin.

You’re driving along in a hurry to get to your destination, and a police officer pulls you over.  After reviewing your speed with you and checking your license, the officer gives you a warning, telling you to slow down.  After thanking the officer, you take off and try to make up the time by driving faster!  What will you say when that same officer catches up with you again?  “You let me off the last time, so I’m expecting you to let me off every time.”  Expect a ticket!

Most wise people realize that when they were given a second chance, it doesn’t invite you to keep doing the wrong thing.  Yet somehow, many people treat God like it does.  You’ve heard people say: “I’m not a bad person”, or “at least I don’t ______”, or “God loves me just the way I am”.  We expect others to change when they get a second chance, but don’t feel obligated when we’re given that reprieve.  God loves us enough to give us MANY second chances, but they aren’t permission to keep sinning.  His grace & mercy are for the purpose of changing our lives, not continuing to damage our lives with sin.

Paul is even more direct when it comes to this type of activity.  He calls it perverted and ungodly.  Paul sees it as anti-grace, and a denial of Jesus.  Get This: grace was designed to change our lives to godliness, not be a license for ungodliness.  The goal is STILL Godliness!  God never changed His standard, He just provided a way to get it for all of us who have sinned. 

The world doesn’t worry about trying to convert us to evil, it just wants to get us to accept sin.  Satan just wants us to watch that lustful show, or lie when it helps us, or give up Sabbath time for something else we enjoy, or justify our anger.  Satan doesn’t care about making us more like himself, he just wants to make us less like Jesus.  Don’t fall for the corruption.  When you and I settle for sin, we are effectively denying Jesus (just like Peter did three times).  That is strong language.

Realize that grace was given to us so that we would HAVE POWER to stop sinning.  God’s mercy forgoes the ticket, but His grace is designed to empower us to overcome the ticket.  Allow God’s grace to have victory in your life.   Obey the ‘speed limits’ of God, and allow His grace to change your life.

11/28/18 - 1John 5

Nov 28, 2018

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.  1John 5:12

Eternal life is simply a relationship with Jesus. Start one today!

I have a few favorite verses, and this is one of them.  Some Scriptures take HUGE ideas and make them very easy to understand.

Jesus was teaching in the famous Sermon on the Mount that many people would one day recite their list of reasons why they should be saved.  But Jesus says He will tell them plainly: I never knew you.  All of the righteous acts we do will not be enough to get us into heaven.  We enter by knowing Jesus, and by Jesus knowing us.  The acts of righteousness all come OUT of our relationship with Jesus.

Salvation is simple.  Start a relationship with Jesus.  Surrender your life to Him and make Him your Lord.  If you have the Son over your life, you have eternal life. 

But … if you haven’t started a relationship with God, this is a good time to get one started!  Don’t lose eternal life trying to hold onto your temporary life.  Start one this Christmas season.

11/27/18 - 1John 4

Nov 27, 2018

You are from God and have overcome, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  1John 4:4

Believers are not identified by how easy their life goes, but by how much overcoming their life does.

One of the most amazing believers I have ever met is a lady named Anita.  She has been in a fight with cancer over the past decade, facing chemotherapy a number of times, dealing with surgeries, and struggling with dozens of setbacks.  Anita is a passionate believer in Jesus, and continues to trust God for healing.  Some question a God who would allow one of His faithful children to endure such struggle.   Others might question her life habits or look for some reason to blame her for the health problems.  Most people who come to faith have a hidden expectation that God will make them prosper and not suffer.  Only in maturity do we discover the power of God IN the struggles. 

John sat in exile on the island of Patmos.  He was well aware that becoming a Christian doesn’t exclude us from struggles.  In fact, John saw friends and fellow apostles persecuted and even martyred for their faith.  Being a believer was not a trip on easy street … it came with even greater challenges.  The mark of a believer wasn’t the ease of their life, it was the ability to overcome the struggles of life.

Faithfulness and endurance are the marks of a fully devoted Christian.  When life throws us curveballs, true faith will be seen in how we overcome.  Something powerful happens when the Spirit of God is seen overcoming the pain of the world.  Anyone can have ‘faith’ when life is easy.  But when life gets hard, we see the true faith of a person come out.

John shares one of the most quotable and beneficial reminders of Scripture, saying: Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.  You have the power to overcome life’s challenges, because the Spirit of God is far greater than the spirits of the world.  That may not mean we are healed from cancer, or avoid marital struggle, or live without grief.  It does mean we have God’s help to overcome it.

Celebrate the victories of your life, when God overcame the problems you faced.    And count on God to help you overcome the ones you are dealing with. 

Anita is an example of an overcomer.  Be like her when you face your trials.  It will release the power of the one who lives inside of you.

11/26/18 - 1John 3

Nov 26, 2018

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  1John 3:1

Be Thank-FULL you are filled by God's love---give Him praise for loving His kids!

In a season of Thanksgiving, there is much to be thankful for.  What would be on your list?

Most of us would start with the many blessings of our lives.  We would be grateful for our family, our marriage, our job, good health, enjoyable experiences, and more.  Giants fans this year would be thankful for another championship.  Snow enthusiasts would celebrate the recent snowfall.  Some would be praising God for peace in their world.  There are always things to be thankful for.

John tells us to also be thankful for the love God has given us.  But God’s love is not just something that blesses our lives this year, it is designed to fill our lives forever.  His love is far bigger than the events and parameters of your life.  His love is THE reservoir that fills our life to enjoy all good things.  His love empowers our love for family.  His love provides for our skills and opportunities to make a living.  His love manages all of creation to provide us the ability to live.  His love guards our health and grows our faith.  His love blossoms in every good experience, and even generates guilt in the bad ones.  Without His love, we do not exist.

Whether you are a believer or now, you are granted access to the love of God.  So no matter what has happened this past year, you have something to be THANK-FULL for.  You have been filled with His love. 

This Thanksgiving, don’t just celebrate the good things in your life … celebrate the God Filling of your life.  Praise God that He continues to shower your life with his love.  And show that love back to Him by living as His children and loving His family.

11/23/18 - 1John 2

Nov 23, 2018

We know that we have come to know Jesus if we keep his commands. 1John 2:3

Our salvation is not proven by words or intentions, but by loving obedient.  Show your love for Jesus by obeying Him today.

Pursuit is more than just words, it involves action.

Petra Reski wrote a book called The Honored Society outlining the contradictions in faith and lifestyle of the Italian Mafia.  One story notes:

When mafia boss Bernardo Provenzano was arrested, the police found him with five Bibles, with hundreds of his own margin comments and passages underlined. In his home were 91 sacred statues, 73 of them Christ figures. Each one of them bore the inscription: Jesus, I put my trust in you. Mafia boss Michele Greco has four books in his prison cell: two liturgical books, the gospels, and a book entitled Pray, Pray. During his trial, when asked for an explanation to his many murders, he merely replied: "I have an invaluable gift—inner peace."

Many consider faith to be separate from behavior.  It is common to hear people proclaim Christ as their Savior but see little change in their lifestyles.  While our lifestyles are always changing slower than our beliefs, we can make the assertion that lack of change indicates a lack of belief.  If what we believe is not backed up by our action, we don’t really believe it.

To say that we believe in Jesus, but then keep our lifestyle of sinning is a lie.  In the book of Romans, Paul tells the church: Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  Absolutely NOT!  We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?  Don’t resist the calling of God by continuing to live in disobedience.  As a loving father, God will discipline His children when we continue to disobey. 

Show your love for Jesus today.  Obey His teachings.  Love God with everything you have.  Love your neighbor in the same way you want to be loved.  Be obedient in baptism.  Give first to the Kingdom.  Show your devotion by serving others.  Make it your goal to seek God and know Him.  Pray continually.  Treat people with respect.

People will know we are Christians by our love for God and others.  And we will know we are true believers by our obedience.

11/21/18 - 1John 1

Nov 21, 2018

If we claim to know Jesus and yet walk in sin, we lie and do not live out the truth. 1John 1:6

We can't love Jesus and keep sinning---choose.

Over the years, this short book has grown to be one of my favorites in the Bible.  It is rich with memorable verses that each show the Gospel of Jesus, and challenge our lifestyles to be the best possible.  One of my favorites is 1John 1:9 – if we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  WHAT AN AMAZING PROMISE!

But the power of that verse is lost if we don’t grapple with verse 6.  As big of a truth as confession is, sin is just as big of a lie.  Before we approach God in confession to receive forgiveness, we must come to grips with what sin is.

Humans think we have the right to define the boundaries of sin.  We have the audacity to think that our moral standards or political platforms can determine what is right and wrong.  Just in our generation, we have seen the legalization of abortion, euthanasia, recreational drugs, same-sex marriage, and more.  I’m not saying that we are all in agreement with those practices, nor is our measure of righteousness in life defined by the party we vote for.  But the fact is, we believe WE define the standards of sin.  That’s a LIE deep from the pit itself. 

The creation doesn’t define the rules.  It’s not the parts that write the installation guide, it’s the designer that does that.  Until we stop claiming Jesus while living out our sin, we’ll never get to the point of true confession to find forgiveness.  That’s not God’s fault --- He keeps offering us the deal of a lifetime (eternal lifetime)!  That’s our fault for not listening to the Designer of Life.

Take a moment and OWN your sinful practices.  What are you doing these days that is against the Word of God?  What behaviors do NOT reflect the New Creation God intended you to be?  How are you justifying your sin by claiming God forgives you anyway?

-          You are NOT good enough (so thinking you’re a good person is a lie).

-          God didn’t create you that way (we don’t get to blame God for the sin we choose to do).

-          Your upbringing or life situation is not the cause (they contribute, but you’re still choosing).

Jesus offers you grace and mercy, not as a license to sin, but as a freedom FROM sin.  Stop lieing to yourself and others.  Confess your sins, accept the forgiveness, and get the help you need to stop living in those sins!  The sooner you change, the quicker you can find God’s forgiveness & blessing.

John tells us plainly:  You can’t claim the love of Jesus while you practice the sin of Satan – choose!

11/20/18 - 2Peter 3

Nov 20, 2018

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.  2Peter 3:9

Gods patience has a limit, so stop pursuing sin and turn to Him before it’s too late.

Your forbearance is the entry door for another’s salvation!

That may not please you so much when you have suffered great pain or difficulty.  Your pain may not seem fair, nor right, when you are going through it.  And God doesn’t tell you what the duration will be, so often our hope is damaged as well.  But rest assured that every suffering is a component of helping others find Him. 

Jesus is the ultimate example of that, suffering the rejection of men and the limitations of life to die on a cross for the sake of our eternities.  His suffering was so great it caused Him to sweat blood in the garden.  His pain was so intolerable it caused him to cry out on the cross.  He not only felt the physical pain of crucifixion, Jesus felt the emotional and spiritual pain of loneliness from men and from His Father.

But others in the Bible also demonstrate this principle:  Abraham waiting for a son, Isaac suffering under Laban’s control, David & the pursuit of Saul, the prophets in their rejection from their countrymen, the disciples and Paul in their rejection and eventual martyrdom.

Your suffering does not go unnoticed, it is God’s tool for growing our character and for reaching the lost.  That doesn’t mean we need to sign up for suffering or look to increase it, life does enough of that.  It DOES mean we need to stay faithful and trust God to use it, because our testimony is lost if we don’t.  Your forbearance really does matter!

Before you get frustrated by that, remember that YOU come to faith the same way!  Someone suffered so that YOU would know God too!

That church you complain about… it was their members who paid for the staff, facilities, ministries, and more to help you hear the message of grace.  Those parents that made mistakes and didn’t understand… they are also the ones who paid the bills and kept food on the table. The Bible you struggle to read… it was created out of the sacrifice of thousands of scribes, writers, and eventually other scholars to get it into a form you could read and have in print.  And don’t forget all the teachers, mentors, coaches, family & friends that have given up their own desires to help you meet yours!  Even if you don’t subscribe to the idea of a God in control, you can’t escape the sacrifice people have endured for you.  Their forbearance was the avenue to your blessing.

Stop seeing sin as your right or your outlet, and recognize it as damage to the salvation of others.  Choose to get stronger in forbearance as a way to free others from their bondage.  Turn to God and bear the cost of righteousness for your sake and the sake of others.

11/19/18 - 2Peter 2

Nov 19, 2018

The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.  2Peter 2:9

God's patience doesn't indicate his permission---He will judge every person in His timing.

It’s not fair!

Sooner or later, we come to the conclusion that life is not fair.  No matter what your situation, there is someone who seems to be gaining in spite of wrong behavior or methods.  While we deal with undeserved challenges, others seem to live the easy life.   One of our siblings gets more opportunities earlier than we do… a coworker gets promoted while we stay stuck in our current role… what takes us hours of effort comes easy for another… and about that time we are ready to scream “It’s Not Fair!”

The problem with fairness is really not the result, but the timeframe.  We want it faster than it comes.

Waiting in a Starbucks line, I was surprised by the kindness of a person in front of the line who kindly bought the coffee of the person behind them.  The gesture was appreciated, and people were talking about it.  But in my warped and selfish mind, I thought how nice it would be if someone would have done that for me … Where was my benefactor?  Why didn’t I come in five minutes earlier to get in that spot?  Why does it always happen to someone else?  So I pulled out the gift card given to me by a friend and bought my own coffee.  J

Sometimes we get so preoccupied with the current situation that we miss the bigger picture.  It easy to think life isn’t fair until we start seeing the whole picture. 

God sees the WHOLE PICTURE!  To many, God looks unfair because of the misery some suffer.  But that’s because we can’t see the whole picture.  We don’t see what would happen if the situation were different.  We don’t see the eternal ramifications.  We only see the interim period before our eyes.  But God sees everything.  He practices patience to create the final conclusion.  He permits some things to happen because of the greater results they create.  That’s why He is God and we are not.

Peter warns us to look at the whole picture, and trust God’s ultimate fairness.  Don’t assume that just because God is showing patience to people He is giving them permission to sin.  There is a final chapter to every story, and God solves all the “unfair” appearances in the conclusion of the story.  He will judge every action & every person to bring fairness back into balance for eternity.

11/16/18 - 2Peter 1

Nov 16, 2018

Make every effort to add to your faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, & love.  2Peter 1:5-7

The goal of a Christian life is to accumulate the character of Christ, not the bucket list of the world.

Dave Freeman wrote the book “100 Things to Do before you Die”.  It was the book that led to the popular movie called “The Bucket List”.  Freeman’s life was spent trying to accomplish all 100 activities, but he died from a fall in his home at the young age of 47, only accomplishing half of the list. 

Some believe life is about accumulating a list.  That list could be a set of experiences, a list of assets, a set of skills, or a mixture of these.  But God is not interested in any of them.  What God is looking for on our list is the character qualities of Jesus.  Character is not like experiences or assets … you don’t own character qualities, they must be practiced to be built.  And by working on one character quality, you open the door to grow others.

Peter recognized the need for work on his own character out of all his mistakes, and continued to work on his character the rest of his life.  Later, when he wrote letters to the churches, Peter encouraged others to devote their efforts toward character development, by starting with faith and building from there.

It is impossible to have strong character without having a growing faith.  Faith is the first quality that grows goodness, knowledge, self-control and more.  As you build on faith, you can begin to build the other qualities of Jesus in your life.   In the end, the strongest character quality is built – that of healthy love.  (Hint: If you’re lacking love in your life, it is advisable to check out the other character qualities first.)

It’s easy to be distracted by all of the potential “things to do” in life.  But none of these are carried over to eternity.  Your character DOES last eternally, and it has the blessing of keeping loved ones around you as well.    Dave Freeman died alone, divorced and away from his family.   Better to have character and be surrounded by loving people than experience great moments alone. 

What are you doing to grow your character today?

11/15/18 - 1Peter 5

Nov 15, 2018

Cast all your anxiety on Jesus because he cares for you.  1Peter 5:7

Tomorrows are God's responsibility, todays are ours--- so do what God wants done today and let Him take care of tomorrow.

How much of your time & thoughts are spent on ‘tomorrows’? 

-          Do you worry about things that might happen tomorrow (or next week, month, year)…

-          Do you live for something you’re dreaming to happen tomorrow…

-          Do you tell people you’ll do something you’re asked tomorrow…

In the classic musical “The Music Man”, Marian the librarian wants to delay an invitation, and the Professor responds:  “Oh, my dear little librarian. You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering.”

God designed life to be lived one day at a time.  That doesn’t mean we avoid planning or saving, but it does call for perspective on how much we focus on tomorrow.  If we spend so much of our energy on tomorrow, we’ll miss out on the blessings of God today!   The Bible talks about making the most of today:

-          Give us TODAY our daily bread … Matt 6:11

-          Today is the day of salvation … 2Cor 6:2

-          Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts … Heb 3:15

-          Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today & forever … Heb 13:8

So many people are delaying their obedience to Jesus until tomorrow.  In spite of the calls to believe, to be baptized, to obey … they want to ‘sow their oats’, or accomplish a personal goal, or deal with the command later.  Don’t assume God’s patience indicates His permission!  Today is the only day you have been granted.  Tomorrow is a gift yet to be given.  Make decisions today, and take action on them. 

Funny thing happens when we focus on today, and do what we’ve been called to do ---- it takes all of our anxieties away!  Giving our tomorrows to God allows us to enjoy our moments today!  God promises to take care of our tomorrows, so put your effort into TODAY!

11/14/18 - 1Peter 4

Nov 14, 2018

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.  1Peter 4:8

Don't love people in order to receive blessing, love in order to create blessing.

Thanksgiving may be the best thing America has ever created!   (Yes, that’s a bold theory.)

Consider what that season means to our lives.  Thanksgiving marks the end of a season of harvest, where we take time to appreciate what has been produced.  It is usually a time when people take a step back and remember their blessings, which creates a much more positive attitude.  It tends to kick off our Holiday season, giving everyone a chance to join together in celebration.  It brings together families, builds communities, offers a Sabbath, and much more.

One of the joys of that holiday is the chance to count our blessings.

Most people interchange the idea of “blessing” with “gain”.  In our humanness, we think of blessing as something we gained – whether it is a better career, new job, more income, birth of a child, greater relationships or improvement in life.  But Jesus doesn’t associate blessing with gain.  In fact, looking at the Beatitudes, you would never consider those blessings as gain (persecution, mourning, meekness, purity, etc.).  That’s because blessing is not about gaining more in the world, blessing is about receiving God’s Lasting Goodness. 

A child was being extra special to their dad one holiday season, trying to make up for his poor treatment over the year when dad and mom divorced.  One of the other siblings noticed the change in attitude, and watched carefully while he cleaned up dishes and served his father.  Later that evening in a private moment, the older sibling asked the child why the change.  The serving child responded: “Christmas is coming and I don’t want to lose out on getting his gifts.”

Unfortunately, we can look at God the same way.  Loving to Get is a philosophy that seems to work for us.  So we try that with God.  We want His gifts, His protection, His provision, and certainly His blessings as long as they mean gain.  So we’ll attend church a few times, say our prayers for a week, treat our spouse or family a little better, and try to “be good”, hoping God will bless our lives.  But if God wants change or wants to give us things that are good FOR us, we’re not interested. 

Here’s the catch to blessing – Loving is not designed to receive blessing… it’s designed to create blessing!  There is a BIG Difference.  Loving to get NEVER works, because loving is not about getting, it’s about giving.  Love isn’t designed to be a vacuum cleaner, sucking in all the blessings.  Love is designed to be more like a dishwasher, creating blessing for everything it touches. 

This thanksgiving, take time to consider your blessings – but instead of listing your gains, consider your creations.  How has God used you to create blessings?  Most likely, you were the one more blessed than the recipients.

11/13/18 - 1Peter 3

Nov 13, 2018

Finally, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.  1Peter 3:8

Kindness marks the Christian life better than corrections.

Do you have the spiritual gift of correction?

Many years ago, I was sitting in an interview of a couple being considered for a ministry position.  Several people were part of the interview, and it was a positive atmosphere where everyone was trying to get acquainted.  As several folks asked the couple questions, it became clear that one spouse was “gifted” with an unlisted spiritual gift of correction.  Every time the candidate gave an answer, the spouse would have something to correct in the response.  Eventually, the spouse started making most of the answers for the candidate. 

You guessed it --- we didn’t hire the candidate.  (That wasn’t the only reason, but it didn’t help.)

MANY, MANY people feel like it is there job to correct other’s mistakes.  Somewhere along the line, we have decided it is our job to point out mistakes, to bring up the past, to alter the answers, to tell people where they can do it better.  In our own arrogance, we believe our knowledge or experience or wisdom is superior, and the person needs correction.  So we initiate it without being asked, interjecting our great pearls of wisdom to improve their lives.

But consider for a moment … how often has unrequested correction been helpful?  Does it not create more gaps in the relationship with the corrector?   Hasn’t it felt more defeating than encouraging when it comes to initiative?    Has the correction really advanced your life --- or maybe through maturity you have chosen to learn from it and make your own corrections in the future?

Jesus taught with authority as the Son of God, but He spent His effort on correcting principals instead of correcting people.  Even in His correction, you see Jesus show sympathy and compassion, instead of arrogance & control.   That doesn’t mean correction is NEVER to be used – it just means the correction is less public, more loving, out of example instead of condemnation.

Realize that even now, God STILL teaches us through experience and results way more than pre-determining correction.  His Grace and mercy is sufficient to cover our mistakes, and for the most part, God lets us make them until we learn the lessons.    Peter knew that very well!

Peter shows us the same courtesy by writing to all believers and calling us to be like-minded with Jesus – showing sympathy, love, compassion & humility.  Those aren’t words of correction, their words of encouragement.  The spirit of love is far better than corrective words for directing people toward the right path.  That may be why we commonly say that Love is Kind.

11/12/18 - 1Peter 1

Nov 12, 2018

With a sober mind, set your hope on the grace we receive when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 1Peter 1:13

Don't let the world cloud your judgment, stay focused on eternal things instead of temporary ones.

One of the greatest ingredients of success (and failure) is the issue of FOCUS!

As a young boy, I always loved to play baseball.  As soon as I was old enough, my parents let me start playing in the local kids leagues, and I became a baseball junkie.  Throwing and catching came easy, but the hitting took some time.   It seemed like the bat never went where the ball was coming.  About the third year of playing, my coach made a keen observation that helped me start hitting well --- he suggested I keep my eyes open and WATCH the ball hit the bat!  Wow… what a difference that made!  For some reason, I had come to believe the ball would go farther if I closed my eyes while swinging J.  Soon, I was hitting line drives, and ended up batting cleanup for much of my youth.

Good lesson:  The secret to hitting a baseball happens to be FOCUS.  It’s also the secret to running a business, raising children, mastering a project, growing a marriage, building a career, and pursuing God.  If we don’t learn how to stay focused, we’ll never get very far.

That’s what makes today’s generation struggle so much … we have devalued the importance of FOCUS. 

-          Media has trained us to be scanning for many threads of activity – from video games to news.

-          We expect our brain to drive a car while talking on the phone, listening to music, and eating French fries.

-          Changing jobs and careers has become the norm, never allowing us to grow expertise in an area.

-          Our schedules are so cluttered, we see people seldom finish anything they start, and see less quality in the work accomplished.

-          Even Christians who surrendered their lives to Jesus find themselves unable to focus on regular prayer, or a daily devotional reading, or weekly worship. 

Sadly – ALL of the things that distract us are temporary ones!  Just like hitting a baseball, we find ourselves struggling to keep our eye on the ball, and more concerned about the crowd noise, the chatter of the defense, the atmospheric conditions, or the type of bat we’re using. 

Hitting is simple … stay focused on the ball and swing the bat to meet the ball.  Following God is pretty simple too … stay focused on Jesus and obey His principles.  If we’re ever going to find success navigating through this life as followers of Jesus, we’re going to have to learn how to stay focused on Jesus, and not on all of the other things around us.

11/09/18 - 1Peter 2

Nov 09, 2018

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.  1Peter 2:17

Love and respect changes lives more than pride and power.

The Bible doesn’t have much in the way of direct instruction on marriage and parenting.  Much of the teaching on those subjects is drawn out from stories and results of people’s lives.  But what it does have recorded is certainly deep and powerful!

Ephesians chapter 5 is one of those short, powerful texts.  While some dislike the wording used, most people agree that the call to respect and to love is a proven formula for success in relationships.  Those two ingredients are the foundational elements of every relationship: in business, politics, families and especially in marriage. 

Yet when it comes to most of those settings, we tend to see more pride & power displayed over love & respect.  For example:

-          The boss doesn’t to come off weak, so he asserts power to drive forward the agenda.

-          The mom is tired from all the day’s activities, and starts yelling to get the kids moving on chores.

-          The husband feels like his wife is always negative, so his pride refuses to listen to her ideas.

-          The kids are wanting to have some autonomy, so they rebel against mom & dad’s rules.

-          The worshipper sees everyone else doing whatever they want on a Sunday, so they decide it’s time to sleep in and take a break.

-          In spite of making the wrong choice and committing the sin, the violator will not apologize and seek to make amends.

We know that love & respect work better, but still prefer the ways of pride & power.  Then, when things get worse, we start making accusations or justifications instead of showing humility.

Peter knew ALL about this from his own life.  He failed many times with Jesus when it came to love & respect.  Peter was the first one to want to condemn people who didn’t join the bandwagon.  He was ready to use a sword more than love.  His pride brought about the scolding of Jesus at times, and caused the darkest moment after denying Jesus three times.  Peter learned the hard way that pride & power look like the most expedient tools, but do a terrible job of building relationships. 

This is the same Peter that later calls for Christians to live humble lives – using love & respect toward their neighbors and leaders.  It looks like Peter figured something out.

Don’t wait decades to learn this lesson.  Trust in Jesus, Paul & Peter’s instructions – respond with Love & Respect instead of command & control.  Try using this Holiday season as a test of the tools – and demonstrate real love & respect to everyone you come in contact with.  See if it improves your relationships and changes your life.  You might just discover a far more peace-filled life than you have ever had before!

11/08/18 - James 5

Nov 08, 2018

Remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.   James 5:20

One person coming to know Jesus changes thousands in the generations to come.

One person’s choices affects thousands afterward.

Someone needed to tell Abram that.  While he traveled the desert and waited on God’s promise for the uncountable generations to come, Abram dealt with several threatening situations.  Knowing that he was at risk of being killed because of the beauty of his wife, Abram chose to lie in order to protect himself, and permit Sarai to be pursued by other men.  His choice to use lying as an exception later turned into normal practice, as every generation after Abram took on the practice of lying.  First Isaac lied in the same way to protect himself from death because of the beauty of Rebekah.  Then Jacob used lying and deception to gain his brother’s blessing & birthright, as well as lying to grow success from Laban.  It really got out of hand when all of Jacob’s sons lied after selling their brother Joseph off into slavery.  One man’s exception led to generational sin and failure.

If one man’s sinful choices affect generations, it’s also possible that one man’s righteousness can affect generations too.  Look at David … while his sins were damaging to generations, we also see that his heart for God blessed generations!  In fact, David’s lineage (not Saul’s), was the one blessed to have a king on the throne for many generations.  And David’s lineage led to the birth of Jesus.  David was a man after God’s own heart, and the righteousness from that blessed his family, as well as the nation of Judah, for many generations.

You might see that as just interesting history, but the principle applies to us too!  One person’s heart for God can not only rescue him or her from hell, but it can pour out blessings to every person they come in contact with, and pass on blessings to generations that follow them.  It makes me think of my grandfather, Allen Fry.  He and grandma came to know Jesus, and made it a consistent practice to follow God in their home.  They worked hard in farming & construction, and raised their six kids to know Jesus.  All of those children developed a faith of their own, and most of them came to know Jesus in their families.  From that group came a second generation of followers, many who now serve and worship in their churches, and have kids & grandkids who follow the Lord.  As one of them, I have been deeply blessed by the heritage of Grandpa & Grandma Fry, and the long history of faithfulness they showed God.  Their choices mattered, and are STILL affecting generations long after their deaths.

James said it well – one person’s faith can make a difference.  So when we work to help someone turn away from evil and follow the Lord, we’re not only showing love to that person, we’re loving their future generations, as well as their friends & contacts!  It is truly amazing how far-reaching salvation really is.

After all – One person’s resurrection has brought about the salvation of BILLIONS since!!!

11/07/18 - James 4

Nov 7, 2018

Come near to God and he will come near to you.  James 4:8

God wants to be in our lives but He waits on us to take the first step.

We take God for granted way too much.

Jesus taught us: “Come to me, all who are weary, and I will give you rest.”   James repeats it, saying:  “Come to God and He will come near to you.”  I wonder if we ever really think about how amazing and blessed that gift from God really is.

Remember that this is the God who is Creator and Lord over the universe.  This is the same God who made man in His own image, and gave us life and breath.  It is also the one who offered us free will, and permitted us to sin against Him.  This same God created multitudes from Abraham, protected Noah in a cataclysmic flood, rescued a million Israelites from Egypt, positioned David to lead His kingdom, and gave Solomon his wisdom.  Then this God was willing to send His Son as a man, and let Jesus die in our place.  That God, who is beyond us, wants us to come near Him!!!  How blessed and fortunate we are!!

This God, who by all rights should have rejected every one of us for our sin & rebellion, gives us love unconditionally.  This is Holy God – in fact, He is Holy, Holy, Holy!!!  By all rights, we are unable to enter His Presence, and so filthy with sin, we should never be saved.  This God is patient, waiting and watching for us to come to Him.  And at the first sign we are ready to take a step toward Him, God comes running to us!!!  Like the story of the prodigal son, God is a prodigal Father – ready to shower us with His extravagant eternal blessings whenever we come back to Him.

That’s why James exhorts us to Come Near to God!  We cannot make the trip alone, because we are unable to enter His Presence.  Yet God draws near to us, longing for fellowship with His children.  What an amazing God!  What an incredible blessing!  What an awesome privilege!

Yet here we are, too busy for church, too tired to crack open His Word, too worried to pray.  This amazing God is ready to come running, but we stand off in the distance, living for ourselves, looking for our own fortunes, expecting God to meet our desires yet butt out of our lives. 

You and I have been given a privilege beyond measure.  Don’t take it for granted, and don’t leave the gift unopened.  Draw near to God, and watch the miracle that happens when He draws near to you.

Go ahead, take that first step!

11/06/18 - James 3

Nov 6, 2018

Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.   James 3:18 

Having peace in your life takes effort and investment --- by building relationships, confronting issues, and working for unity.

There is a difference between peace-keeping and peace-making.

Peace-keepers try to avoid conflicts.  They often calm people down, but seldom bring a solution to the problem.  Often, peace-keepers operate out of the desire to keep everyone happy.  In a home, the peace-keeper will try to resolve the emotion but overlook the cause.  In the end, it only sweeps the problems under the rug until later, causing deeper problems and longer-lasting strife.  Peacekeeping is not an attribute God is looking for – because it only stalls relationships in order to keep ‘peace’.

But Jesus said blessed are the peace-makers.  Those who make the effort to bring peace face great trial.  Instead of avoiding the conflict, they enter it.  Peace-makers likely will become the target for ridicule and attack.  Often, they gain little or no reward, other than the possibility of a peace happening.   But to God, they are the righteous ones, because making peace is the nature of God.

Jesus was the greatest peace-maker.  He chose to come into the conflict, and sacrifice Himself to bring peace between us and God.  His effort cost Jesus everything, but gained eternal peace for anyone willing to accept His sacrifice.  To follow Him means becoming a peace-maker for others.

You and I have been blessed by the peace-makers in our lives.  Pastors, loving parents, mentors, wise friends, military, police, fire, and many others serve as “peace-makers”.  And if you follow Jesus, you are called to be a peace-maker as well.

There is one main requirement for becoming a peace-maker.  You must be a peace-lover.  That doesn’t mean loving ‘peace & quiet’.  It means loving peace of the heart and soul.  The only way to have peace in your soul is to make peace with God and with your neighbors.  Peace-lovers choose not to live with broken relationships, they seek to reconcile them.  Peace-lovers don’t like confrontation, so they solve the conflicts, peace-lovers enjoy seeing unity more than having power or pleasure.  Peace-lovers give up self to serve.

So the next time you hit a conflict, ask yourself if you want to be a peace-maker or a peace-keeper.  By knowing the difference, you will be able to address the problem better. 

11/05/18 - James 2

Nov 5, 2018

A person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.   James 2:24 

True believers are not known by their intentions but by their actions---show God you love Him by your obedience.

The book of James is very practical teaching, constantly calling us to act out our faith in specific ways.  So often we talk about our faith in theoretical ways, but James tells us to let our actions do the talking.  Every paragraph has actions that demonstrate our faith --- persevering under pressure, asking for wisdom, avoiding temptation, listening & doing, not showing favoritism, and much more.  In the midst of this laundry list of faithful actions, James makes a theoretical argument about faith and deeds.  He finds no value in faith that doesn’t obey.  James calls believers to demonstrate their faith, not just talk about it.

James’ point is consistent with how we think as well.  If a husband tells his wife he loves her, but never does anything to show it, the wife will doubt his love.  If a woman tells the boss she is a hard worker, but spends all her work time reading a novel or doing her nails, the employer will fire her for laziness.  If a student takes the homework home but turns it in without being done, the teacher doesn’t reward his intentions, they get an ‘F’ for incomplete work.

God is no different.  He knows our heart and can see it in our actions.  And so does everyone else around us.  Our faith is displayed in our behavior.

Feeding the poor is a good idea and a righteous behavior.  Who have you fed?

Reading & knowing Scripture gives wisdom and directs our lives.  When did you study the bible recently?

Going to church is your way of being with the Body of Christ.  How consistent do you worship?

Working for your employer is how you stay employed.  Are you giving work your best effort?

Don’t spend your life having good intentions.  Take action.  What action do you need to take today?