Lessons from the garden

     I love to go to the garden!  My garden is a place of refuge.  No one comes to the garden with me because they don't want to pull weeds!  So, there I am in the garden (my cell phone left in the house) pulling weeds and all around me are the incredible plants that will feed me this year and into next year.  That is, if I play it right.  The garden has all kinds of vegetables that grow and ripen at different times even thought they were planted at approximately the same time.  My rhubarb is a perennial and I've already had 2 harvests of it's sour fruit.  Both harvests were before the actual planting of the other plants took place.  Last years parsnips and garlic are back and prolific in their production.  Neither of these two crops took any effort on my part.  They, like the rhubarb are perennial.  Then there are the asparagus.  Again perennial in nature they are in their second year.  Next year they will be producing a crop that we can actually consume.  The rest of the garden are filled with annual crops that I plant every year.  In the Christian life we should be perennial in all that God wants in our life and annual with that which we want.  Our needs seem to be miraculously met by God time after time.  The "perennialness" of God's blessings is amazing.  Just consider the air we breath, water we drink and other elements we take for granted.  Daily God plants seeds that are "annual" in nature are daily in what we (once planted) share our blessings with others.
     Two very important elements in my garden are the fertilizer and the water needs.  Should I deplete the soil the produce loses quality and quantity.  Should I not water the plants may wither and die.  So, in the fall of last year I spread a great amount of manure on the soil and just let it sit.  The winter rains washed in the nutrients and this spring when I rototilled the soil, it was very rich in nutrients.  The manure is transformed into what the soil wants and needs to grow the plants I need.  Out of the ugliness of manure and the stench of it's composting comes something good.  This is much like the valleys we travel through in life.  None of us live on the mountain top.  All of us travel to and through the valleys from time to time.  In spite of our focus on where we are God always has a "future" focus for our lives.  He knows better than us that it's the valleys that cause growth.  It's during the valleys that we are in "fallow ground" being enriched even if we don't acknowledge that event.  So, the next time the rain falls and you are in a valley, look forward to the blessings of God to emerge in the spring of your life.  Watch the blessings grow into that mountain top experience where the fruit of the labor you and God have gone through is manifested.
     What would any garden be without weeds.  Where do they come from?  I pulled them all last year!  Why did they come back?  It's kind of like how come our clothes are turned inside out in the washer and dryer.  We don't know the answer.  The weeds can and need to be pulled both in the garden and in my life so both the plants and my life can grow uninhibited by the weeds stealing nutrients and water.  The weeds are the sins in life.  We may think that that "little sin" doesn't hurt.  However, that "little sin" sucks away the life that God wants us to have.  That "little sin" becomes a big weed that steals away the nutrients, water and block sunshine.  The more "weeds" we pull, the greater chance of having a garden where the fruits of the Spirit can be evidenced and the message of the Gospel lived out in our lives.  While I don't have a problem pulling weeds in my garden I seem to have difficulty doing so in my own life.  Why is that?  Why do I resist that which is good and embrace that which is bad? 
     I'll go out to my garden today as I do every day.  I'll go around and survey the crops of vegetables and pull the weeds that weren't there yesterday.  Maybe they are new or maybe they are just one's I've overlooked.  I'll water the garden and continue to wash the nutrients into the soil where the plants can use them to give me a crop of food to meet my needs.  God has a wonderful system for my health.  He has thought of everything whether or not I acknowledge his process.  I live blessed because God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  It's always my choice to be part of his plan or to be outside his plan.  It's your choice as well. 

If a Christian Sins is there hope?

"My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."  (1 John 2:1)

The Bible plainly teaches that Jesus came to destroy the devil's working in our lives (1 Jn 3:8).  The Bible says that God will never allow His children to be tempted beyond what they are able to handle; he himself will make a way for them to stand up under the pressure of every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13).

Temptations to sin are bound to come, according to Jesus (Luke 17:1).  Even as Jesus was tempted by the devil, Christians will also continue to be tempted by the devil. Temptation itself, of course, is not sin and as a Christian relies upon God, no temptation will be too difficult (1 Cor. 10:13). If, however, a Christian takes his eyes off of Christ, sin is almost sure to follow. And so we do not want to overlook the fact that it is still possible for a Christian to sin if he or she does not continue to rely every moment upon God.

"If any man sin..." Notice first of all that this verse says "IF". If a Christian sins then he needs to confess the sin and repent of it. Christians who sin must acknowledge their guilt and seek the mercy that comes from God through Jesus Christ. If the Christian refuses to admit the sin and instead chooses to call it a "mistake" and does not seek the forgiveness of God then he or she is in danger of falling under the wrath of God (Heb. 10:26-31). As James 5:19-20 says, if a Christian wanders from the truth and commits sin, he needs to be restored in order to be saved from death.

Those of us who believe that we need to live holy lives (1 Peter 1:15; 2 Peter 3:11) need to be very careful so that if we do commit a sin we do not explain it away or excuse it as something other than sin. Let us not seek to maintain a false righteousness for the sake of the letter of our doctrines. Rather, let us cleave unto Christ, the one who makes us holy (Heb. 2:11), so that we will not sin. But if any man does sin, let him recognize his shameful act but do not let him think that he is without hope. For there is an Advocate. Let him forsake his sins and call upon God for mercy and forgiveness.

So, if you sin, TURN from your sin. Don't try to turn God's grace into a license to continue in your sin (Gal. 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16). And do not try to cover up your sin. For, "He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Prov 28:13). And after you have confessed and repented of your sin, trust God to give you the grace and strength to overcome it in the future. "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace" (Rom 6:14). Don't be weakened in your faith. Don't let your trust and reliance in God waiver, for he is able to keep you blameless and present you before his presence faultless and with great joy (Jude 24).

Self loathing feelings are NOT from God.

    For most Christians it's easy to think or even visualize the perfect person Christ is and the life he lived here on earth.  We can even think of some of those God considered "righteous" and see that in most of their lives.  Then there is Paul.  "I am the greatest of sinners."  "Those things I know I should do I don't and those things I know I shouldn't do, I do.  Wretched man that I am."  John the Baptist.  "He is coming who's sandals I am unworthy to untie."  "No, it should be you who baptizes me."  Peter the Rock!  "Then the cock crowed three times."  See what I mean.  Those we revel around us are no different than we are.  We are no different than every other person on earth.  I have very few problems seeing the positive in my life most days.  I can look to the past and see where I've come from, look to the future and see where I am going.  What I have trouble with is today.  Today I have to deal with people, places and things.  Today I will be challenged, fail and have to deal with it.  Today I will visit the mountaintop (which is nice) and plummet into the valley (where self loathing waits).  I imagine most Christians will for that matter.  It's was those who are not perfect do.  No one's life is great all the time.  However, the Christian has the perfect Son of God living within them. 
     What do I not get?  Anybody else take the failings of their loved ones, children and even our community upon themselves when things don't go right?  Does anyone feel the sadness of lost opportunities after a day of being run through the mill at work or whatever we do for our day?  When we fail someone do we rejoice or have to work through the self loathing part first?  Living in a self loathing position isn't what God wants us to do.  He wants us to confess our failings as well as our sins, repent and then go on.  Why?  Because he loves us and has a purpose for us that we are not able to give ourselves fully to if we are distracted.  So, where does the self loathing come from?  It doesn't come from God!  It comes from the enemy.  However, the enemy may be working through your spouse, children, family, parents, co-workers and others who are involved in your life.  The enemy doesn't care how or what he has to do to interrupt your Christian life.  He only cares that he incapacitates you and I for as long as he can.  Why?  Because he knows the end of the story as well.  He knows that he will end up in an eternity of fire and brimstone loathing all that is in his realm.  He wants you and I to join him for lunch.  Don't.
     Things will not go as planned today just as they did yesterday and will tomorrow just because we live in a fallen world full of traps and tricks.  We don't need to be incapacitated with these thoughts of what will happen, could happen or even might happen.  The Bible encourages us to think on heavenly things.  The Word became flesh so that we could have life and that life more abundantly.  The Holy Spirit testifies of the love of God in and with us as we face today.  Why should we fear if He who is within us is greater than who is in the world?  Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount that we should take no thought of tomorrow.  He also said that we should ask in faith believing.  Both of these activities require we let go of yesterday and it's failures, bring with us those successes and focus not on tomorrow but today.  Right now!  This very moment!  There is nothing I can do about the past moment or the next moment.  All I have is THE moment.  All you have is THE moment.  Our lives can requested of us in the twinkle of an eye (1/1000th of a nano second).  Living in the present moment by moment will frustrate those who like to plan out their lives.  The problem is THEIR planning out their days and not letting God do the job.  There are many who claim that they need to take charge otherwise "why did God give me a mind of my own."  Second problem.  Our minds, once we give him our lives, belong to him just like our time, relationships, jobs and everything else that intersects ME.
     Choosing to carry yesterday or tomorrow into our today is not a good idea.  It's not even an okay idea.  It's a bad idea.  With those choices you and I bring self loathing and that is NOT from God.  Make the choice today.  It's yours to make.

Staying positive in a negative world

     I'm not talking about pretending we are positive.  Nor am I talking like acting as though all things are well.  You might recognize either or both from your life.  The Christian message is mixed with both.  We live in fear of what people will think both in our positive and in our negative times.  I know that there are times of negative in my life that I want no one to know about, see, or engage with.  There are also those times when I'm so positive in my life that it's offensive to those who are not in that space.  Putting on a happy face isn't always the best choice.  People in the world love to rain on other people's parade and we love to remind the world that we are different from them.  Sometimes that equates to an attitude of superiority.  Definitely not Christian.  I'm positive about a lot of my life but do get overwhelmed with the expectation to be positive by those around me.  Satan has taken great pains to see that we have those in our lives who like to steal our joy.  Whether it be the gossip or the braggart, the damage can mount quickly and the theft has taken place.  We succumb to the event and act like it's a life sentence. 
     Sometimes we need to acknowledge that we are more influenced by the world than we really want to admit.  Take the news media for example.  Their job is to make everything seem worse than it is.  Bad news sells while good news gets the channel changed.  There are people around us who are like that as well.  For every positive you live, they live the negative equivalent.  That's where Murphy's Law comes in, superstitions abound, and doubt destroys the remnant who have held firm to their optimism.  Ever been around negative people when you are happy?  The life in you can be felt leaving your body if you aren't centered on Jesus.  The same goes in your lives around others.  If, as a Christian, are living a negative life, there is little that anyone would want from living a life like yours.  The witness is gone and in place is a plate of food no one wants to eat.  Paul talks about being all things to all people so that they may see Jesus and believe and be saved.  When we are living in negativity we serve a meal that best be left in the fridge.  People want positivity for the most part.  As Christians we have that positivity to give away if we will only get outside of ourselves.
     I've done more than my fair share of complaining over the 63 years of my life.  In fact, I've been guilty of living selfishly many times with my negative thinking.  David, when confronted about his sin of murder and adultery said, "against you and you alone have I sinned, oh Lord."  That's the essence of it.  We come into a negative place where Christ isn't manifested in our life and the real damage is we lose that connection with Jesus.  We don't lose our salvation if we are saved but we lose the "favor" of the Lord.  Turning once again to the positive is essential for the Christian to live an overcoming life.  The positive allows us room to look around, assess all that is right in our lives and then thank God for the blessings he has given us midst the negative world we live in.  Daily and sometimes minute by minute I can choose to be positive.  I can choose to believe in the promises of God.  I can choose to lay my hands on the promises of God and believe that the impossible is possible.  I can choose to share positively with others and let the negativity go back to where it came from.  I can choose to be around positive people and stay away from negative people when I'm weak. 
     It's always my choice.

Backwards thinking isn't productive for Christians

     Thinking that "someone else will do it" is backwards thinking.  Saying, "it's not my calling" is backwards thinking.  Believing "I am to busy to do missions work" is backwards thinking.  Leading others to believe "you can believe however you want" is backwards thinking.  None are productive for the kingdom of God.  None.  We are raised in a Christian community where we grow up with teachers for Sunday school, deacons for church leadership, pastors for preaching and teaching, and on and on.  None of this was instituted by God.  None of it.  We did it.  Yes, the Bible says that some should be designated to do certain jobs.  However, we usually miss the part that says we are all called to do the work of Christ.  That means that we need to be about the business of God instead of dodging the business of God.  You need to know that I've been on both ends of this dilemma.  I was saved on the mission field through the efforts of God through YWAM.  I previously had no religious training so wasn't predisposed to acting or believing in any particular denominational way.  Blank slate.  When I went through my time of contemplation I read the Bible.  When I became a believer I chose to believe what it said.  When I went to training with YWAM they taught the Bible.  I didn't know anything about church structure or denominational thinking until I returned to the US from Europe. 
     Boy was I surprised!  People didn't know what the baptism of the Holy Spirit was.  Christians didn't talk to non-believers about their faith.  Believers stood by and did nothing for the orphan and widow.  There were "rules" for almost everything in conjunction with being a good __________.  Insert most any denomination and you will find what Hal Lindsay calls "doctrines of demons."  Whenever mankind makes rules it's not to further the kingdom of God; it's to regulate their understanding of the kingdom of God.  Lay hands on people and believe in healing?  Didn't happen.  Revival in churches resulted in little or nothing.  What was going on?  I was bothered by this and still am.  For a season I stopped being what I was when I was first saved.  I left my first love and was content to do nothing, say nothing and engage in whatever sin fancied my lifestyle.  Maybe your journey has taken you here as well.  Eventually I returned to be a more involved believer.  I still go to church but my expectations aren't based on the church.  I still listen to the sermons but I'm not necessarily swayed by the preacher.  I still engage with Christians but have not held them to greater accountability.  You are probably thinking, "what good is this guy?"  Here's where the backwards thinking comes back into the picture. 
     When I was first saved I lived my life for Jesus.  Period.  I ate, drank and breathed the Bible and Jesus crucified and risen with the saving blood of Jesus covering my sins.  God used me in many ways and taught me to look to and listen to his Word, his Son and the Holy Spirit.  I became a discipleship teacher and taught people what God had taught me.  I became a pastor and led a Christian church for a time.  Then I became a Christian counselor and worked with people and their problems.  Haven't we all got enough problems!  Then I crashed and burned.  Disabled, paraplegic for a week after surgery (accidently dropped by surgery staff).  Reality was not what I liked.  But it took time for me to see that God could and would use all of me for His purpose.  Being able to share my experiences in very real manner here on this blog.  Bringing Jesus and my story to Facebook and Patientslikeme.com.  There are many venues where forward thinking is where we need to be.  Thinking what has happened won't.  Believing that you can't will only give you an excuse for selfishness.  Acting like having the outward appearances doesn't cut it. 
     Paul said, "forgetting what is behind me I press forward..."  The disciples followed Jesus never looking back.  The saints since then have all preached Jesus and Him crucified and risen without any backwards thinking.  I plant my garden expecting the carrots, beets and other vegetables to grow.  I don't expect them to remain seeds.  I prune my orchard with the expectation  that the crop of fruit will increase and get better. What is it you expect from what you think, say and do?  Do you expect to see Jesus glorified through those thoughts, statements and actions?  If you don't you are locked in backwards thinking.  Jesus needs forward thinkers.  "Put your hands to the plow and don't look back"  It's your choice.

Christian apologies to you and you and you.

     The focus of the world is upon us.  Whenever we do or don't do something the world assumes Christians should or should not do, there is the expectation for us, who call ourselves Christian, to apologize for that which we did or did not do, say or even think.  Heaven forbid we go through our day feeling like we are respectful Christians representing the Lord Jesus!  God needs no apology.  Never.  Not ever.  The God of all eternity and your and my life need not apologize for anything.  The world seems to think that God and Christianity is at fault for everything "wrong" and should be held accountable for that perceived "wrong".  I can honestly say that I have broken every commandment but one.  I have never murdered anyone.  That's not something I am proud of.  It's merely an explanation as to why Christianity and God get the bum rap.  It's my behaviors AFTER I became a Christian that either establish or refute the belief about God for those who observe me.  So, I apologize for not being perfect and for sinning which poked and broke your balloon.  Let it go.  It was me, not God.  Whenever you feel the need to apologize for your faith, don't.  It's not the Bible tells us to do.  We are told to live our Christian life in such a way that there is no need for apology.  We are told that we are more than conquerors in Christ.  We are told that we do not need to defend the Gospel in which we have hope and belief.  When we don't see the Christian life as something to apologize for; we see the Christian life for what it is...an answer to the sick world we live in. 
     William James once penned: "We may have a God in heaven that forgives us our sin but mankind does not."  I don't think that Mr. James truly understood the profound nature of his statement.  The statement is part of the problem and not part of the solution.  We are asked to believe that if mankind doesn't forgive us that we lose our ability to represent God who does forgive us.  Doesn't make sense to me either.  That doesn't take away the truth of the statement.  It allows us to make an apology for ourselves and our fellow man because we are an unforgiving lot.  Jesus said that we should forgive, even are expected to forgive, in the same manner that he forgives us.  Gulp!  I'm sorry world!  No, that's not the import of what is being said in Scripture.  The Scripture encourages and the world discourages.  Jesus asks us to forgive others as he forgives us.  He offers us grace and we need to offer grace to those who have broken the Ten Commandments (except one).  The Bible says that God takes our confessed sin (because we give it to him) and casts it into the sea of forgetfulness.  This is NOT a vacation destination!  He also says that he "remembers our sin no more."  As if that's not clear enough, we are told that he casts our sin away from himself "as far as east is to west."  Think about that.  If you travel East you never get to West.  Likewise, if you travel from West to East, you never get to East.  However, if you travel from North to South you reach an end.  What am  trying to say? 
     We need to forget as well and we need to stop apologizing for sins that are forgiven and gone.  The world expects us to keep apologizing for the same thing over and over so that we stay captive to the world as they define it.  We aren't citizens of this world.  We are travelers moving through on our way home to heaven.  As such, we are representatives of God and not of ourselves.  When I do wrong I need to make right with God by confession and repentance.  When I do wrong with man I need to make amends in like fashion.  Then it's done.  It's over.  It's gone and there is no further apology needed.  Now, here is the clincher.  We need to stop expecting those in the world to apologize to us.  If we truly have been saved and Jesus lives in us; then their sin is towards God and not me.  Secondly, we don't need to have an apology from a world that thinks what they think, say and do is right when it's wrong in our world.  While the non-believer serves the world, we serve a living breathing, loving forgiving God who forgives and doesn't ask for an apology for our sin over and over.  He doesn't remember our sin. 
     The world wants to enslave us to our past while God wants to release us into his future.  It's a choice each of us makes every day.  Choose to be released from the past.  Only you can do it.
    

Here is the problem and the solution

     Identifying the problem is essential in order for all of us to begin the process of finding a reasonable solution and applying the tools to correct the problem.  For instance, finding a problem in my garden involving insects requires me to do some research for a natural solution (like ladybugs) as I want to keep my garden as organic as possible.  In order to accomplish this solution I need to research were I can find ladybugs and for a price I can afford on my limited budget.  Then once the ladybugs arrive I need to place them where they will do the most good and not fall prey to birds.  The solution often brings up the possibility of additional problems but that's the nature of the beast.  Sometimes the solution doesn't work and we need to begin again with understanding the problem.  Problems have a beginning like everything else in life.  There are symptoms of the problem that come up but they aren't the problem.  I may get angry and need to calm down.  But calming down doesn't identify the reason "why" I am angry.  Looking at the "first cause" of a problem allows us the best chance of dealing with the problem and not just put band aids on the symptom.
     The problems in my Christian life are myriad.  Having many problems leads me to either put my finger in the dike like the Dutch boy (you need to be old to understand this example).  I only have so many fingers and when the leaks become more than I can handle the problem is way out of control.  Solutions range from having someone come alongside you to plug the leaks with their fingers but they too will run out of fingers.  They have their own problems in life that need attending to and certainly don't need to be burdened down with my problems.  That's not to say we shouldn't bring our problems to the body of Christ for their help because we should do so.  We really need to look at the first cause.  The first cause of my sins is selfishness.  End the selfishness and the first cause is done.  It's not that simple.  There is a daily and often moment by moment battle going on for my life and soul.  My salvation is the anchor that keeps the enemy from having me.  That doesn't mean he is unable to bring trials and temptations on me.  Again, he is a symptom and not the problem.  The problem is me.  The problem is my selfishness. 
     How do we deal with selfishness?  We surrender our desires and our wants along with our needs.  The Bible says that God waits to pour the blessings of heaven upon us so much that we cannot contain them.  So, why don't we?  James says it's because we ask and don't receive because we ask with the wrong motive...selfishness.  We see to consume the blessings of God with no thought of God or others.  At least I find that to be a problem in my life.  I wrote yesterday that true love is the absence of selfishness.  In order to be unselfishness I am in need of abandoning Steve.  Putting Jesus first in all areas of my life, listening to the Holy Spirit direct my life moment by moment, and being accountable to the Father.  Notice there is no mention of any of the thoughts, concerns and conditions the world has us running circles around.  Why?  Because in Christ we have all we need.  In Christ we are blessed beyond our imagination.  Because in Christ we are focused on His will and not ours.  In Christ we approach problems and not with our own wisdom (which only proves my foolish thoughts).  The solution to the problem is Jesus. 
     The problem is not in our belief but in our faith.  We are happy to believe that which we see and touch like Thomas but have difficulty with what we don't see and touch.  When we are boxed in (Christians never should be) the first person we run to is "ME".  When we live a life outside of the box and live the life Jesus wants us to live there is no room for "ME".  It's a daily and difficult choice.  Like any habit it takes time to establish giving our life, day, and yes, our problems to Jesus.  It's a conscious choice and it needs reinforcement every moment of every day.  Given time, that choice, will allow others to see Jesus through our daily living.  You won't need to speak a word for people to know you love Jesus.  It's our choice.  It's your choice.  It's my choice...always.

Love is...complicated and yet simple.

     I can't even imagine all the times I have been told "I love you" by children and adults.  Sometimes they were genuine and sometimes they were not.  We all come to the table with our own definitions of what love is and what love isn't.  For instance, "I love my beer." is different from "I love your spirit."  Get the point?  In order to live the Christian life we must understand that we may have been given a defective definition of what love is between people.  My love of my friend Steve is healthy and good for both of us.  My love for my children is good and also healthy.  My love for my car gets me nowhere!  Because it's an old car and currently not running.  It's not able to give me anything in return for what I give or don't give it.  Love isn't about what we do either.  We have jobs, activities, passions and professions we have loved or even currently still love.  For me the love of being out on the property doing the gardening, taking care of the garden and greenhouse and constructing things from wood and glass are important.  However, not everyone loves what I love and I certainly don't love everything about what others love.  Loving a sports team is not high on my list and neither is going to the local bar after work for a "drink with the boys."
     So, when it comes to relationships we are in a bit of a quandary.  Without the basic understanding of where love comes from, what it is made up of and knowing how to love we are lost before we begin.  We are destined to repeat what we saw in our family of origin circle, the relationships of those who were older than us in our community and the world in a general sense.  For some this is a simple subject and shouldn't be cluttered with facts and emotions.  For the Christian (we are on a Christian blog!) love comes from what we are taught in church remaining congruent with what we were and are being taught at home combined with that which the community expects of Christians. "I thought you said you were a Christian?"  That is one of the most loaded questions to come before a Christian with it's implication that our failure disqualifies us to represent the faith.  So, what is the Christian to do?  When we look at our example of Jesus and his love for us, what do we do with our lives and our choices?
     I was recently asked about what my definition of love was.  Here is what I believe Godly love expressed through Christians is...absence of selfishness.  That may sound rather simple.  When I look at the life of Christ as an example and definition of love I understand he was and is perfect and I'm not able to be perfect every second of every day.  Here is where Christ comes in.  We cannot love.  We are fallen creation born in sin.  We lost the ability to be godly when Eve and Adam sinned.  The first sin was an act of selfishness even if it came out of a situation where they were tempted.  Sin and love cannot exist in the same space.  We are unable to be sinless so we are unable to fully love.  What we can do is understand that we are able to love only to the extent that we receive love from God.  Just because we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, we don't necessarily make the jump to loving ourselves as Jesus loves us.  If we aren't able to accept the love of God we have no means to pass on something we don't have.  God sees us as completely righteous after we turn our lives to him.  His love is available for us to have should we also believe that he has forgiven us.  When we live as forgiven instead of forgotten, the love of God can manifest itself in us.  When the love of God is manifested in us we are able to give away the love of God to others to that degree we have received.  Jesus was selfless in his life on earth to the point of laying down his life for me.  If I had been the only sinner on earth he would have still done this for me. 
     We are encouraged to love God and love others with the love he gives us.  God never intends anything negative toward us in his love for us.  Can we say the same about the love we think is from God that we exercise and pass onto others?  None of us can give away something we don't have.  If we don't have the love of God, we cannot give it away.  We are unable to get the love of God without the surrender of our lives to him.  If we retain possession of sections of our lives the love of God cannot remain in those areas.  Whatever is keeping us from relinquishing those areas of our lives is the god of those areas of our lives.  In that state we pass on what that god has for us.  I love sex but sex is not love.  I love good food but good food is not love.  I love friends but friends are not love.  I love books, gardening, woodworking but none of them are love.  I love God and God is love.  See the difference?  Do you love God?  In the end, it will not matter what we have said and done.  What will matter is what we have done with the love of God given to us.  Let go of self and see what the love of God can do through you.  The more you experience His love the less you will want the love of the world.  The more you separate yourself from the love of the world the more love God will open your eyes to.  What is your choice?

What to do as a Christian when you hit the wall.

     No, I'm not talking about when you have been pushed a bit to far and hit an actual wall.  That would be easy to talk about.  You shouldn't hit the wall for fear of injuring yourself and the wall.  I'm talking about the spiritual, psychological, and emotional walls we hit in everyday life.  I have limits as most people do.  Some are spiritual, some are psychological and some are emotional.  There are also some limits on me physically.  I'd like to be able to lift 300 pounds.  That's not going to happen anytime soon.  I'd like to not have things from my past bother me and interrupt my life.  That's not going to happen either.  I'd like to be able to lift myself above depression and live what others call a "normal" life.  Then I found out that "normal" is a setting on your dryer!  Some days I hit the wall in every area I just identified.  It makes it difficult to go through the day and sometimes that particular hour when I hit the wall. 
     The Israelites were tasked with entering the promised land and taking over that land.  God had said he would go with them.  The people were marching across the sand and someone asked Joshua how they were going to take this city.  Understand this was a large city that was surrounded with two wall.  The outer wall was wide enough that 2 chariots were able to go around it side by side without touching each other.  There was a space between the outer wall and the inner wall.  The inner wall was a strong secondary defense but not so big.  These walls were thought to be at least 20 feet high.  The inner wall had built in housing where people lived.  Rahab the harlot was one such person.  She had hidden the Israelite spies and then let them out of the city so they wouldn't be caught and killed.  Inside the walls was the city.  Many of the homes were multiple and single rooms all connected together like some condo units here in the world.  The population was dense and the city itself was thriving.  Enter the little Israelites coming up to the gate demanding they surrender.  God said, have a party and the walls will fall down.  Imagine this city where it took multiple days to go around being the object of God's directions.  Ridiculous!  The Israelites had hit a wall. 
     Daniel was taken into captivity and then trained to be a young leader of his captors.  Only problem was that Daniel refused to dishonor God by worshipping any other god.  Daniel's wall?  He had to choose to be true to his faith or to abandon his faith.  All of our choices have consequences and Daniel was no different.  His consequence was to be cast into the lions den where certain death faced him.   So, he had his last meal and was marched to the opening of the lion's den.  He had hit his wall.  Jesus was faced with every temptation that mankind is subject to.  He had his wall as well.  He went to the garden with his faithful followers to pray.  He asked them to wait and pray while he went a ways away and prayed as well.  He knew that the time had come when he would be betrayed into the hands of the enemy and asked the Father to take the cup from him.  BUT not his will be the will of the Father be done.  Peter was crucified upside down.  John was thrust into a vat of boiling oil.  Paul was stoned and put in prison.  Steven was killed by stoning.  The list goes on and on.  If you are a human being expect to hit a wall.  If you are a Christian human being expect to hit a wall.  No one is excluded from this phenomena. 
     If you are a non-believer the reality of a "wall" situation is different than for those who know God.  The ability of the Israelites and you and I to call upon a God for whom nothing is impossible puts us one up over the non-believer.  God is our deliverer and our strength.  He puts his path before us and ushers us through life by the power of the Holy Spirit.  With God there is no wall.  None!  He has through Jesus taken the walls away.  Pay particular attention here.  If the walls have been taken down we no longer need to live in the "box".  The world lives in a box.  Christians have no box.  There is no end to the love and grace of God.  The blessings of God are poured out on us more than we can count or measure.  How did those previously listed conquer the wall?  The did a couple of things.  The remembered what God had already done in their lives.  The second thing they did was to believe that God would do it again.  The third and final thing they did was they took action.  They obeyed and the walls fell down. 
     Just as it was their choice, it's also your choice today. 

God is bigger than the boogey man!

     Unfortunately most of us have an image of God as being the same size as us and maybe less.  We tend to utilize that size of faith when we are confronted with need for faith. I understand that this is backwards but it's the truth.  Don't believe me?  How many times a day do you go about your life not depending on God for every facet of your life?  Do you make decisions based on His wisdom our your wisdom?  Do you ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit because "you know better"?  I don't always pick up hitchhikers not because of who they may be but because the Spirit warns me to not do so.  I do pick up hitch hikers that God tells me to because I know He will keep me safe from harm.  God is in both decisions.  We drive past the homeless and think "how tragic" or "poor man/woman" and go home to a shelter, food and bed.  What would happen if you actually believed that God could do through you what he said he can do through you?  Would your definition or view of God change?  Would you go through your closet and give away what you haven't used in years?  Would you pack up your leftovers from dinner and drive them down to the homeless or would you put them in your fridge where two weeks later you would throw them out? 
     We like to think we have a grasp on our world through the media and our own perceptions.  What would it look like if you saw the media and your perceptions through God's eyes?  Would you see faith or lack of faith?  Would you see a faith that knows that God is in control and is able to bring you to where he wants you?  Would you see a faith that doesn't falter in the storm and soars in the sunny weather?  Would you see a faith that actually believes God can heal your sick child on his own or would you frantically be going about finding ways to take care of the situation yourself?  There are numerous times that we think we are having faith in God when in actuality we are having more faith in ourselves, our professionals and our friends and family.  That's not good.  Should people use my faith as a standard for believing in God?  Heaven's no!  I represent a minuscule part of that which God is.  You see the tip of the iceberg that is God in my life.  If you have my faith then you too are lacking the ability to see the bigger picture.
     We believe in a God we don't physically see.  We say his is there beside us, before us and behind us as we go through life.  That's true.  So, then, why do we take matters into our own hands?  If God is really bigger than the boogey man, why do we fear the boogey man?  The world through many different forms of media hype up events to bring up the fear and apprehension of people.  That's what sells stories.  The world doesn't see the huge army of God in angelic form standing with us, before us, beside us, and behind us.  The world doesn't see these same angels battling Satan's demons in order to keep our children and family/friends safe.  The world doesn't see because the world doesn't believe that God is bigger than the boogey man.  How often we step into the world and live our lives on the worlds terms rather than God's terms. 
     When I read through the Bible I encounter men and women of God who did amazing things as God directed their path.  These men and women chose to abandon self in order to build a boat on dry ground.  These are the amazing saints of God who in faith walked on dry ground between walls of water.  These are the gallant men and women who carried a weapon in one hand while rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.  These are the same disciples who told the religious authorities they needed to obey God rather than man.  Wait!  Didn't these people also fail?  Yes, that's part of the lesson.  Failure reminds us that we need God and his success.  Coming down to this point requires one thing and one thing only.  We need to choose God.  It's always my choice and it's always your choice. 

This is all of our stories and they are intertwined.

Piano Man

By Billy Joel

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes."

 

La la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

 

Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright

 

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me."
As the smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

 

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

 

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

 

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

 

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

 

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

 

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

 

Greetings from a friend.

     Greetings are dependent upon the reason for the greeting.  Saying hi to a stranger on a street is maybe part of your witness as it is mine.  Being friendly is a good thing.  Greetings through email or social media or even just texting tend to be more instant and not as important as that phone call or knock on the door.  We can tell a lot about a greeting from facial expressions and tone of voice.  Neither of which we get through email, text or social media.  Unless of course you attach a picture.  It's hard to be "in the moment" with these types of communication.  When you are face to face with someone or on the phone you can have greater insight to what is really going on.  Being able to "read" people is important in our daily interactions.  Why all this focus on greetings?  Glad  you asked. 
     I had a greeting with an old friend (44 years old) whom I hadn't heard from in some months.  She connected via messenger to see how I was.  Sensing that there might be more to this than she was letting on I learned that her husband had died last month.  Needless to say it was important we converse.  She and her husband were believers.  I didn't know he was in poor health at 56.  They were newlyweds and had been married only a few months.  After a couple of chats back and forth I called her on the phone and talked with her.  There were lots of grief issues that began to boil to the top.  I let her talk.  At one point she said, "I shouldn't be bothering you."  To which I replied that this wasn't a bother at all.  My friends are important to me and when they are in need like she was, I'm available.  We talked for some time and she was feeling better at the end of the conversation.  She was happy that we had talked.  I will be talking with her again.  Her voice said she would like to have a call again.  She didn't need to say the words.
     My 15 year old daughter and I like to text, chat or just call and talk.  She has this habit when she is nervous or things aren't okay where she adds: "hahah" after her text or chat message.  It's a cue I've picked up on when she wants to go deeper and talk about things that bother her.  I'm not sure that others pick up on it but perhaps they do.  My 19 year old son connects with me when his self-confidence is low.  So, when I receive a text (his chosen way of communicating) I pay attention.  He never starts with his feels but goes straight to the facts.  I listen and then when he gets to the real reason for his text, I reassure him of who he is in my eyes and in God's eyes.  My other kids have their separate style of greetings as well.  I just want you to understand that we can see and hear what is going on in people's lives if we will take a moment reflect.
     It's the same way with our greeting God in prayer or just the activities of our daily life.  If we are in the habit of greeting God with only our immediate needs then our relationship is limited to a "want" mentality.  When we approach God with our "needs" it's another story entirely.  When we seek to be with God in prayer our needs and wants don't really matter because we are focused on God and our love for our relationship with him.  There is an old acronym ACTS as a formula for prayer.  I normally like to go with the flow and let the Spirit guide me.  However ACTS is a wonderful way to develop a prayer life.  A:  Adoration, celebrating the greatness and goodness of God.  C: Confession of our failures and of our sins.   T:  Thanksgiving for all that we have received, been blessed with.  S:  Supplication, asking God for what is really on our hearts.  It's a simple formula but you get the idea of what the sequence is all about. It's about priority.  It's all about putting God first.  This "attitude" can also be used for greetings from and to friends.  When we encounter a person we can see the best or worst.  See the best.  We can look at what they have done or not done.  See the best.  We can reflect on where they have missed the boat or failed.  See the best.  We can be thankful for their presence in our lives.  See the best. 
     You don't know who is depending on you today.  Choose to grasp the moment and use the greeting to bless someone...anyone.  You and they need it.  It's your choice.

I like to walk in the dirt and mud.

     Problem is that when I come inside I track dirt and mud throughout the house.  It's not a problem for me as I just sweep it up and throw it away.  When others are in the home it becomes a different situation.  So, I take my boots off at the back door and place them in this rubber mat so the dirt doesn't get tracked around.  Then when I go outside I put on my boots and everything is great.  Sometimes I get so dirty that I wash off my boots before I come inside.  That definitely helps.  Finally, I've purchased one of those "magical" rugs that is supposed to take the dirt away from my shoes.  It sits in front of the door and does a good job.  Sometimes my clothing is dirty or muddy and I go in and change clothes.  Then of course my hands, arms and other body parts get dirty and that's what the sink or the shower are for.  Why the dialogue on dirt and mud?  It's an object lesson on what we do with the sin of everyday living.  I like to walk in the dirt and mud.  Sometimes, though I know I shouldn't, I like to entertain sin for my own pleasure.  You do as well.
     There is good news and bad news to this allegory.  The good news is that Jesus died for my sins.  The bad news is that I take what he did to lightly.  The good news is that he offers grace and mercy.  The bad news is that I take advantage of that grace and mercy.  The good news is that whatever failure I've had he always has a new and better plan for me.  The bad news is that so many opportunities are missed because I fight the better plan.  The good news is that I can still be a valuable witness of his love.  The bad news is that I am a less that I should be witness of his love.  The good news is that he can wipe out the past and forgive us our sins.  The bad news is that mankind does not.  The good news is that our life in Jesus is new every morning.  The bad news is that we take one step forward and two steps back.  The good news is that he has a perfect way for us.  The bad news is that we are sinners and unable to be perfect.  The good news is he loves us anyway.
     I like to walk in the dirt and mud.  That certainly can have more than one meaning.  If I'm working in the dirt and mud I am brushing elbows with sinners like me and letting them see Jesus in my life.  It's in the trenches where the mud and the dirt are that our faith and our purpose are put to the test.  Like being stuck in a foxhole for days on end waiting for salvation to come, we maintain the battle.  When someone comes to know Jesus we, like the angels of heaven, celebrate and are happy that another soul will be living eternally with God.  People criticize me when I go to the lost.  Not because I shouldn't but they don't want me to get any of that dirt and mud on them.  Ask them to go with me?  Been there and done that.  It's the mission put before me by God.  If they feel the call they can go themselves.  People are stuck in the dirt and mud and need to have help getting out of their situation.  If you and I don't give our help who will?  If we don't offer the saving grace of Christ, who will?  If I don't make the choice to get dirty and if you don't make the choice to get muddy we may remain clean.  But what good is clean if we can't get dirty? 
     Play in the dirt and mud today.  It's a great choice and only you can make it.

The Bridge Keeper

     There was once a bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass thru freely on both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river, allowing a train to cross it.
A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed. One evening as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance thru the dimming twilight and caught sight of the trainlights. He stepped to the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train came onto it, causing the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with many people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually. He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man’s strength.
     Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold. “Daddy, where are you?” His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, “Run! Run!” But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost left his lever to run and snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever. Either the people on the train or his little son must die. He took a moment to make his decision.
     The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the onrushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging tightly to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked: to tell his wife how their son had brutally died.
     Now if you comprehend the emotions which went this man’s heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life. Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along thru life without giving a thought to what was done for us thru Jesus Christ?


 

The shortest verse in the Bible: John 11:33 "Jesus wept."

     I was up early this morning.  To early!  At 3:00 I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep because of all the "things" on my mind.  I tossed and turned for a half hour before giving up and getting up.  Ever have a short night's sleep?  Lazarus had been dead for several days.  The King James says that "he stinketh".  You have to love the language!  For the people mourning his loss those days had begun while he was yet alive but ill and heading towards death.  Weary from their waiting and loss they were worn down and spent.  It's difficult to imagine the scenario that happened next.  The disciples had their agenda, the people had their agenda and the Son of God had his.  He had delayed going to see Lazarus because the situation would bring glory to God.  The disciples were tagging along and not really understanding the kingdom of God thing very well.  The relatives had different relationships with Jesus with some being close and others acquaintances.  When Jesus finally came upon the scene Lazarus was dead and buried.  He looked upon the people and the Bible tells us "Jesus wept."  What was it he wept about?
     There is a lot that is said in that which is unspoken.  Sometimes we need to be able to see behind the scene and gain a different perspective in order to understand what is going on, what part we play and how we can facilitate His will in our lives.  In John 8 we are told the story of the religious authorities who brought the woman caught "in the very act of adultery" to Jesus with questions aimed at cornering Jesus.  He looks at the crowd and asks what the law says.  He bends down and writes on the ground.  I believe he was writing their names in the dirt.  He then tells them that whoever is sinless to cast the first stone.  He bends down again and writes in the dirt.  I believe he was writing their sins by their names.  Why?  Because as he was doing so they, one at a time, began to drop the stones and walk away.  When he is done they are gone.  He asks the woman where her accusers are.  She tells him there is no one.  He says that he forgives her and she is to go and sin no more.  What was left unsaid?  What lesson did he teach to his disciples and those who sought justice?
     Imagine if you will that you are in a desert community much like the Mideast today.  You have your band of merry men with you.  You send them into a nearby village to buy food and remain behind.  That's what Jesus did.  He then went to the well where he asked a Samaritan woman for something to drink.  She confronts him that she is a Samaritan woman and he shouldn't be talking with her.  He says to her that he can give her water so that she will never thirst again.  She questions him but he puts this information in front of her.  He tells her what she knows and he couldn't have known.  He tells her the past and her relationships.  When she returns to the village she tells everyone about the man who told me everything about me.  They are urged by her to go and see this man.  The disciples return and are, as usual, dim and short sighted.  They can't see the mercy and grace but only the law that binds.  Jesus set a woman free.  They see he crossed the line and associated with someone he shouldn't have. 
     In the first scenario we are the people who did not believe the power of God.  He wept over them.  He weeps over us.  In the second scenario we are those who bring the allegations against others while we sit comfortably in our sin.  He called them out in such a way that they, as we, have no escape from the truth about ourselves.  In the third scenario we are the woman at the well.  We know who we are and know that we don't deserve the goodness and graciousness of God.  We seek that which we don't deserve.  In the first scenario we are Lazarus being risen from the dead by the power of God.  In the second scenario we are the woman caught in adultery but offered grace and mercy.  In the third scenario we are the woman whom shouldn't be approached by the religious much less the Son of God.  In the first scenario we are the disciples not understanding but enthralled with what Jesus was doing.  In the second scenario we are the disciples who thought Lazarus was just asleep and Jesus was going to wake him.  In the third scenario we are the disciples who couldn't get past their own religiosity long enough to see that the mercy and grace of God is sent to all mankind. 
     We are players on the stage of life Shakespeare said...or something close to that.  We have choices as to what our lives reflect.  We make choices day and night that affect how we bring the Gospel to the world (or don't).  It's your choice.  Who will you choose to be today?

While you were sleeping

     I think I've fallen asleep in just about any situation you can imagine.  I've fallen asleep while my hair has been cut, fallen asleep while sitting on top of a table, fallen asleep behind the wheel and so many other situations.  Never mind that I have a slight case of narcolepsy!  I've fallen asleep with babies in my arms and children on my lap.  I've fallen asleep on the job and while people were talking with me.  Some of the incidents are funny and some are not.  Some were rather serious while others gave people a chance to laugh at me and just maybe themselves.  I've been left in a room while everyone quietly left and also awakened when someone dropped a book on my desk.  Rude is not good.  Abandonment isn't either.  When I was a gardener I could fall asleep on my breaks just about anywhere.  Perhaps you don't have the sleep problem but rather have the sleep blessing.  Being able to fall asleep is wonderful unless you can't stay asleep or have your sleep in turmoil with nightmares or night terrors.  Of all the times and situations where I've fallen asleep I think the most serious were the times I've fallen asleep spiritually.  Like the disciples who were left to "watch and pray" while Jesus went off to pray, I too have fallen asleep. 
     While I have been spiritually asleep people have come into and out of my life who needed to be pointed to the Savior.  But I was asleep and didn't wake for the task given to me.  Missed opportunities come to mind over and over for many of us.  We may have missed the opportunity and not done what we should have done while sleeping on the job.  Don't get me wrong, our bodies need sleep and more importantly rest.  It's the way God designed us to recharge and stay healthy.  With my PTSD there are times I'm fearful of going to sleep knowing that nightmares possibly await me.  It's not a good thing but it is real.  The nightmares are triggered from remembrances of times when I was awake and experienced more than I could of or should of.  Sleep escapes me at times and I just have to deal with it.  We are told in Scripture to rest in the Lord for the hour is coming when we will not be able to rest.  We are encouraged to stand firm on Christ and face whatever comes our ways because He can keep us in his care.  While I was sleeping a deep work is being done inside of my subconscious.  God is taking care of what is going on inside of me.  But what else is happening while I am sleeping?  While you are sleeping?
     When I turn on the computer in the morning I see the headlines of some of the more attention grabbing events that have taken place or are taking place all over the world.  There is sometimes so much information about so many events that I have to go somewhere else to deal with the overload.  It's not a pleasant world that we live in.  Every day while Christians sleep thousands of babies are aborted, families are being destroyed, kids are becoming addicted to drugs, gang violence and school violence is injuring or killing hundreds if not thousands.  Hookers are "making a living" and robbers are taking because they think they can.  Wars are ravishing countries and peoples everywhere and the cults are knocking on someone's door.  Every day.  While Christians sleep.  Spiritually asleep Christians are not able to do much if anything to further the Gospel of Christ to the world we are set in.  Confronted by Jesus the disciples woke and he once again went apart to pray telling them to be watching and waiting.  What happened?  They went back to sleep.  We do that too.  It's called going to church on Sunday and then living as we wish the rest of the week. 
     The pews are full of people who have confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Yet, they sleep.  Yet, we sleep.  Christians homes are not recognized because of the sleeping Christians who live there.  While you were choosing to sleep the world around you was not seeing, hearing or experiencing the love of Jesus.  Is that something we can live with?  Choosing to be spiritually awake is essential for our love of God to be expressed to the world we live in.  Without that love being expressed, how can they know Jesus?  If they don't know Jesus, how can the be saved?  If they aren't being saved, what happens to their souls?  Choose to wake up.  It's your choice.

Whatever happened to my neighbor?

     In my 62 years of life I have had numerous neighbors.  The definition of who my neighbor is has changed over time as the world has changed.  However the definition God gives has never changed.  Growing up in a farming community as a child and then young adult, I learned that our neighbors were there when we needed them and likewise, we were there for them when they needed us.  We didn't do the 4th of July BBQ or get together's for fun.  But, if our cattle got out or their cattle got out we joined forces to bring them back into confinement.  Run out of gas?  Go to the closest neighbor and "borrow" some even if no one was home.  That's what neighbors do.  No one locked their doors or even took the keys from the vehicles.  No one was going to steal them or go into your house and take stuff.  Neighbors changed when I grew up and went into the military.  You slept beside your "neighbors" 40 to a building.  You counted on your neighbor in different ways than I previously enjoyed.  These men were there to defend the country and to stand alongside you as you did the same thing.  As a police officer my status as neighbor was both welcome and not desired.  Depending on what side of the law you were on.  We knew our neighbors but not necessarily their names.  You didn't loan things to neighbors you didn't know or trust.  Distance was present in those relationships.  Now I am living in the country and have 3 acres to roam.  I have neighbors and get along with them.  They have their lives and I have mine.  My interactions with people in a Biblical neighbor fashion is relegated to those at church, relatives some distance away and my local hardware store. 
     Jesus said that we should "love our neighbors as ourselves."  That's a far cry from what is present in most people's lives.  Yes, I pray for our neighbors.  The neighbor to my south is non-receptive while the neighbor on my north is open and friendly.  Which one do you think I focus my energy on?  The path of least resistance is what we choose in the world.  In the kingdom of God the choice is to choose the path of greatest resistance to the purpose and goal of God in their lives.  Christians usually take the path of least resistance.  My neighbors across the street are there and greet me and wave as they drive by.  I do the same thing.  The drug house down the block has adults outside frequently.  After a year and a half of waving to them they waved back for the first time yesterday!  They are the path of greatest resistance.  My next step is to get them to say hello to me.  I can't see the neighbors behind me because there are too many trees.  They are real trees but we also have imaginary forests that prevent us from seeing our neighbor in need.  My neighbor, according to the Bible, is everyone.  The need of my neighbor is the saving grace of Jesus and mercy God gives through the Son. 
     Our neighbor, then, is everyone.  How we interact with our neighbor is as individual as they are.  The same goes back to me from them.  We often forget that we have Christian neighbors who can and will bless us...if we let them.  We, like they, have no excuse to our lack of neighborliness.  Jesus told of the man who was robbed and left for dead in the ditch at the side of the road.  There were players in this scenario that covered the breadth of society.  We find ourselves there.  We may not like it but each of us should be the Samaritan.  We find excuses why we can't feed or clothe the homeless, rescue the defenseless, be a friend to the friendless.  In the end, that's all they are...excuses to not be Jesus to the world he has placed us in to be his witness.  The greatest commandment is to love God. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself.  Do we love others as God has loved us?  Probably not.  God has lavishly placed his love upon us and blessed us more than we can contain.  Take an assessment of your life and your world.  Now compare it with your neighbor.  Then tell God you aren't able to love your neighbor.  Not the right choice.  God loves you and all mankind being willing to take the form of man, live among man and then be killed by man so that you can have the love of God.  What a great neighbor!
     Whether we love or not is our choice.  Whether we receive love or not is our choice.  Whether we give love or not is our choice.  What is your choice?

Christians who "aren't hurting anyone".

     "Harmless fun", "Innocent lies", and other such statements are all to frequent within the Christian community.  I'm not talking about celebrating Satan's holiday Halloween.  Nor am I talking about keeping a surprise party a surprise party.  There is a difference between what we think inside our hearts and heads than what we put forth out of our hearts and heads.  I can think one thing and say another and so can you.  We do it more often than we like.  For instance, when you see an attractive man or woman do you think, "I wonder if they are a Christian?" or do you think, "Wow, how sexy can you get.  I'd love to..."?  One is the outside manifestation of what you know you should think or say and the other is the inside manifestation of what your heart is desiring.  That desire being not what Jesus would do.  The Bible says that man looks at the outside while God looks at the heart.  The Bible says garbage in, garbage out.  Or something like that.  What do we think and what do we live?  Are they congruous or are they opposites?  Does my harmless fun and innocent lies reflect what Jesus has done in me or does it reflect what the old man is hanging onto? 
     Just what do we see when we look around us?  Do we see the pleasures of the world or the mission of God?  Maybe you live in both worlds.  I do.  Not all the time but I still have part of the old man trashing my mind and heart.  What can we do to squelch the one voice while giving life to the other?  For beginners we can look at the cause and skip trying to control the symptoms.  I cannot control my thinking.  God can.  He says that we should take every thought captive.  He says we should tear down every stronghold.  He says we need to die to self so that Jesus can live in and through us.  We say, "But I like my sin."  Well, maybe not those words but our actions say it.  Our thoughts say it and we refuse to do anything about it.  There is the "look but do not touch." and the "it's not hurting anyone to look." mentality lurking in many of us.  I'm sure there is someone out there who has let go of all their demons.  So, the symptoms remain.  What do we do about this problem?  How do we get to that place where God is supreme in our lives?  It's not just as easy as "let go and let God." 
     Recognizing that we are sinners and full of sin is the first step.  Calling our thoughts, actions and words what they really are is the first step.l  Being honest with God is the first step.  Understanding there is nothing lovely about our sin is the first step.  We are powerless over ourselves.  Like an addict we are addicted to sin.  Try as we may, sin has a hold on us like nothing else.  Acknowledging the first step of our reality brings us to that place where we now are sick of being sick.  When we understand that the sin contaminates our soul and restricts God in our lives as well as destroys our intimacy with God; we can begin to reach for the only source of help...Jesus.  It's one of those times that we need to evaluate the Scripture where Jesus said, "not everyone who calls on my name is saved."  "Lord, Lord, didn't we..." and he will say, "No. you didn't."  "If you haven't done this to the least of these, you haven't done this for me." Done what?  Here is where we have to focus.  Deep concentration is essential.  Being absolutely enthralled and drawn to the love of God causes us to be Christ to the world.  If we are so captivated by the love of God, Jesus, that all we see is Jesus then we are doing what he wants us to do, thinking what he wants us to think and saying what he wants us to say.  There is no more room for any part of me and my old man. 
     "Easier said than done."  That's something I frequently have said and heard from other believers.  For us it may be hard.  For us it may be difficult.  For us the decision to give it all up for Christ may be daunting.  BUT for God nothing is impossible.  We are back to the root issue.  Do we choose to let God be Lord of ALL of our life rooms or do we choose only to let him in the living room where the dusty Bible sits on the coffee table?  Are you convinced that Jesus is walking beside you, before you and behind you to the point where you can talk with him anytime, anywhere with anyone?  Do you feel the empowering of the Holy Spirit or the draw of the world?  It's up to you and I to give up.  Give it over and get on with His life.  Your and my choice.  It's always been. 

With all this talk about who we associate as being; I'm choosing sane.

     I simply do not understand why people would choose to associate with the world as a man when they are a woman, woman when they are a man or any other combination.  It doesn't change our DNA.  We are who God created us to be.  At least that's what the Bible says.  So, if we change our name, we are still the same person.  If we change our relationships we are still the same person.  If we change our clothing we are still the same person.  If we have surgery and change our face we are still the same person.  You get the message.  If we change our mind we often cannot go back.  There is finality to some of the changes we make in our lives.  But, we are still the same person God has created.  Over the years I've seen a lot of changes in my life, the lives of people I care and don't care about, and in our society.  What I haven't seen is change in God.  He's the same yesterday, today and will be tomorrow.  God sees us from a different perspective than man does.  He sees the inside man and we present the outside man to our sphere of influence. 
     While society has been bending over backwards to "make others comfortable" they have also been advancing the discomfort within some Christians lives.  It's okay for boys to go in the girls bathroom at school while it's not okay for someone to read their Bible during lunch in those same schools.  It's okay for someone to associate with being a different race deceiving those who are that actual race in order to gain what they want.  Yet, it's not okay for you or I to associate as Christians at our place of work as they don't want us offending anyone who associates as lost.  While the world turns in turmoil confusing the masses with fancy dances and spin control God remains steadfast in who he is, what he does and what he has to say to us.  There is no shadow of turning for God...why should there be for us?  With promises of greatness, being our own person and success in what we do, all the world asks us to do is deny who we are in Christ.  Sounds a bit like a prophecy coming true to me.  If I give up my representation as a Christian in any place in my life then I give up my right to be called a son of God.  Who do you represent yourself to be?  Do you, like many Christians become whatever the world wants so that you can get what they have?
     It's difficult living in a situation where we are called upon daily to obey laws that don't represent who we are.  As a Christian I live in a country where I'm forced to accept that those of the world kill 1.5 million babies through abortion every year.  I'm forced to accept that my tax dollars go to pay for the procedure that many use simply as a means of birth control.  It's difficult to be backed into my "faith" corner with issues where atheists can celebrate pagan holidays but I can't say Merry Christmas but have to put up with pagan holidays where I shouldn't be offended.  People forget that Paul said that the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing.  He also said that we should expect those who say this is good to not be able to recognize it as evil.  Whatever we do as Christians in regards to this manner has a significant effect on our children, other Christians, and the non-believing.  We can stand firm and live the Gospel and suffer the persecution or we can avoid the Gospel for temporary peace.  What a choice!  But, it's your choice.  I choose to be politically incorrect.  I choose to associate as a believer.  I choose to stand firm and let people think what they may, make laws as they wish and punish myself and others like me should that be their choice.  I choose to not roll over and play dead.  Dead Christians should be in heaven and not here on earth amongst the living. 
     Who do you associate as being?  What is your choice?

There is no meeting in the middle.

     Middle ground is usually thought of as a place where people come to when they are in agreement, have reached an agreement or are in the process of making an agreement.  The old duel comes to my mind.  You start with your backs to each other and on a signal take however many paces (let's say 10) and you turn around and fire at the other person.  One or both of you is wounded, dies or "wins".  Not exactly a win/win situation if you ask me.  Whenever I've been asked to meet on middle ground for anything I am slightly apprehensive as someone has to win making the situation a win/lose situation.  For that very reason the Bible tells us to meet with our adversary on the way to court and settle the issue before the court declares you a winner or loser.  Middle ground speaks of a place where we can be in agreement to not agree.  The justice system has an "Alford plea" that does the same thing.  The person accused admits there is enough evidence to convict them but maintains their innocence.  Where am I going with this?  We use all kinds of devices in order to avoid being accountable for our own sin.  When we do so, we seek to have "middle ground" with God.  Since he is God and has made middle ground for us in Jesus, there is no device we can manufacture to level the playing field.  We are dead before being made alive in Jesus.  If you haven't been made alive in Jesus you are still dead.
     When I look around me and examine my life I can see many times that I settled for middle ground and missed the opportunity to either be blessed or to bless others.  These times also brought about grief as I have fallen into sin and brought shame on my testimony of what God did on the cross for me.  It's hard to justify any wrong and try to find middle ground with God.  But, that's what Christian and non-Christian do.  They seek to meet God and to meet with God in what we consider middle ground.  God has no middle ground.  He met Moses in the burning bush and told Moses to take off his sandals as he was standing on "holy ground."  God is the middle ground for the Christian.  There is no calling God to our place of sin and expect him to be comfortable with the life we are living.  That would be contrary to his character.  Compromising his stance and his love and mercy is not even part of the equation.  Why do we think we can make a bargain with God on our terms.  The middle ground with God is at the foot of the cross.  There are no other terms or conditions.  Mankind can only be saved through calling on the name of Jesus Christ who lived, died and rose from the dead so that one cay we can stand on holy ground.
     Middle ground also brings up thoughts of compromise.  If you give in to this, I'll give into that and we can meet in the middle.  With a world gone crazy we have sayings like, "different but not wrong."  and "why can't we all coexist."  Politicians and peasants alike utilize this system for self promotion, profit and of course to win.  Christians do as well.  As a pastor I was once told by the deacons that they would have to choose to sin against God rather than take disciplinary action to a church member in sin.  I was shocked beyond belief.  You could feel the presence of God leaving the meeting.  Meeting or making middle ground your "agreement" with God costs.  It doesn't just cost you; it costs everyone involved.  When our government tells us that we cannot raise our kids as the Bible says we should we see all kinds of ramifications fall upon both them and our society.  Giving middle ground to those who hate God isn't justice, it's sin.  Thinking that we have a right or the right to compromise and seek middle ground when God says otherwise in his Word is sin.  Call it what you may.  Live with what you want.  However, know that you have made the choice.  Can you live with middle ground as a Christian when God isn't there?
     It's your choice.  Why don't you stop choosing middle ground.  It doesn't exist for the Christian.

Just for today!

     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff! 
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff! 
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff! 
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff! 
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff! 
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!
     Just for today I will try to not do stupid stuff!

     I could write that statement all day long and somewhere along the way I would fail.  Ever feel the same way?  It's not that I wake up and say to myself: "Why don't you think of something really stupid to think, say or do."  I don't do that...at least consciously.  I get up, see the awesomeness of a new day, enjoy nature, listen to my dog snore and get out of bed.  Once I have my coffee I can begin to think and thank God for the day, my dog and the coffee.  It's when my mind wakes up that my behaviors begin to wander from the straight and narrow.  I know I'm preaching to the choir today.  We are all in this same boat one way or another.  God understands this and yet continues to love us as his kids.  Well, we are his kids. 
     It's not easy to make the good choices unless we've first made the great choice of having Jesus take over our lives.  Even then I still struggle because the old man inside of me isn't dead...yet.  I also do a lot of good thinking, doing and saying throughout the day.  Most of that is done alone with God.  When I encounter people the odds increase that I will go off road with all three.  Maybe people are there by the will of God to strengthen me so that I can make the good choices.

     Just for today I will try to die to self and live for Jesus!

Christians don't have to celebrate everyone or everything.

     I'm not speaking in a legalistic way or trying to justify anyone's avoiding the need to gather.  This subject is touchy for many because it's contrary to what we are taught.  People are taught to put on a happy face and deal with it.  That's not what the Bible says.  Read the book of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon.  While there is a time to celebrate and to celebrate well, there is also a time to not do so.  Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent's Day, Veterans' Day, and so many other days are bad memories for many.  Celebrating them opens up wounds that people thought were healed.  They are cause for dissension among families and churches.  It's nice to "honor" those in various groups and yet it's not mutually inclusive.  Women who are childless have little joy on Mother's Day and yet the church doesn't honor childless women.  Father's Day is not necessarily a good thing to celebrate for those who didn't have a father or their father was abusive.  Those who are grandparents know the heartache of not being able to be a part of their grandchildren's lives.  Yet, there is little solace when other grandparents are  a reminder of what they don't have.  Veterans are important and essential to remember.  We also need to remember how traumatized some are.  There is a time to celebrate and a time to not celebrate.  The church does a poor job of balancing the many issues that come up with celebrating everyone and everything. 
     I grew up in a physically abusive home (by my father) and was unprotected by my mother (codependent to my father) and was also sexually abused by my grandfather.  I've forgiven them.  That doesn't mean the memories have gone away or the trauma erased.  So, when we "celebrate" I usually don't.  Just wanted to put that out there so you can understand where I am coming from.  My past has made me more aware of and sympathetic to those who are in the same boat.  I've lost 2 children as babies and still feel the loss.   Perhaps you have as well.  Those losses take a lifetime to deal with.  Maybe you were abused by a church who "celebrated" their wonderfulness.  I was and now am very leery of churches in general.  Having a pastor aid in the destruction of your marriage will do that to you.  When we celebrate, we should have the right frame of heart and mind.  Unlike many and like many others I am okay with some things and not with others.  I'm okay if you celebrate an area of life that I don't.  Be okay with me not celebrating.  I'm okay with your acknowledging special days or groups.  Please don't think less of me if I don't join in.  You see, we all have imperfect lives.  With these kinds of issues we need to both give and receive grace in order to help the Christian church heal and thrive. 
     In today's blog I'm saying things that many people think but wouldn't speak.  Some would rather be a wallflower or even leave the body of Christ rather than say something.  What is it that Jesus wants us to celebrate?  What would Jesus want to say to those out there who are broken and hurting when others are celebrating what they don't have?  Would he sit by and ignore the broken and hurting while celebrating others who aren't?  It's a difficult call to make.  Again, it's mercy and grace that should guide us in this very sensitive area.  There is a mandate to "love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul and mind."  There is a mandate to worship Jesus and to honor the Holy Spirit's guidance in our lives.  The Christian is called to celebrate the goodness and provision of God.  Then why the distraction?  If celebrating someone, something or whatever is not for all should it be for some?  Being aware of those needs around us is extremely important.  What we think, say and do should be a reflection of what the Holy Spirit puts on our hearts and minds and not something the pagan world wants to insert into our belief system.
     There is no Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, or Santa Claus.  Halloween has nothing to do with Christianity.  The watering down of the Christian message is our fault.  Those who do not stand for something will fall for anything.  Teaching generations of Christians and non-Christians to celebrate someone other than Jesus is wrong.  "Harmless" is what some call the celebrations.  Are they really?  Just as we need to be cognizant of our witness within the world where we are planted, we need to understand what undermines our witness.  The Bible tells us to honor our mother and father, pray for those who have done wrong to us, and to forgive as we forgive others.  The Bible tells us to celebrate new life in Christ and to celebrate the message of the resurrection.  The Bible tells us there will be a celebration in heaven when a sinner is saved and when we go home to be with Jesus.  There are plenty of instances when we can celebrate and have that celebration be Christ centered.  It has been, is now and always be our choice who and what we celebrate.  That choice needs to be Christ centered.  What is your choice?

Funny things happen when you are trying to be serious!

     Ever get the feeling that someone has set you up and a prank is about to land on your front door step?  How about having to play innocent when it's clear you are guilty?  Maybe you knew about the surprise birthday party and played along anyway.  There are lots of times when we "play the game".  Sometimes it turns from innocence to guilt.  Sometimes it turns from good to bad and sometimes it's just funny.  I have a lot of funny things in my life that happened when I was trying to be serious.  Being in the middle of a very serious conversation over a business proposition when the man I was talking with quietly mentions my zipper was open is one that comes to mind.  There is no recovery from that!  Ever try to train your dog or cat only to have them do something totally out of character and cause you to wish you had video rolling?  How about when you are at a family gathering and your 3 year old blurts out something private like it's normal?  There are lots of times when our seriousness is broken up with funny events.  There are also times when our seriousness is broken up with tragic events because we couldn't be funny or engage funny. 
     If you are like me there are lines you have drawn in your life where no one is allowed to step over.  Don't insult my wife.  Don't push your agenda on me.  Don't do anything to mess with my kids or cause them to not be safe.  Don't talk behind my back.  You get the picture.  we all have lines drawn in the sand that we don't cross and don't let others cross.  It's a preservation and protection thing.  I believe that Jesus was both serious and funny.  I don't read about jokes he told but he probably knew a few.  He too had lines where no one was allowed to step across.  One such line was drawn when he chased the money changers out of the temple.  Transgressing against the Father's house was a line drawn in concrete.  He went to parties and had a good time.  Yet, he drew the line at creating some wine for the party.  When we consider the times we have drawn the line only to cross it ourselves; there is some hilarity that goes along with the seriousness of the situation.  There is the saying that "we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously."  It's true.  We should take Jesus seriously though.  That means when I talk about Jesus laughing, partying, and playing soccer with the disciples or children I'm not stepping over the line.  There is a time for seriousness and a time for funny.  At least Solomon said so.
     When we approach others to have a serious talk about Jesus we need to keep all of this in mind.  If people don't know much we care, they won't care about how much we know.  It's a simple formula.  KISS=keep it simple Steven!  We can use words like pontification but really what people want to hear is that we love them.  Nothing fancy but the love of God in deed more than word.  When we are funny and serious at the same time we are seen as real and approachable.  When we are funny and serious at the same time some Christians see us as irreverent.  When we are funny and serious at the same time we are pleasing to God.  Understanding the Holy Spirit is directing the funny and serious is vital to pleasing God.  Being able to laugh at yourself as well as other events is totally good!  There is a time for funny and a time for serious.  Funny can lead to serious.  Serious can then ask the question: "Would you like to know Jesus as your Savior?"  There is nothing funny about that question.  However, we can laugh with Jesus for the rest of our lives here on earth and then for eternity in Heaven.  I've been to serious and to funny but the best part of both worlds is found when I realize that God has me in his hands in both situations.  God wants us to be able to laugh at ourselves as well as seriously share the love of God.  Sometimes that is when we are playing soccer or trying to train our children or dogs.  all of this requires we make a choice.  Are you ready to choose Jesus?  It's your choice.