Living ‘on purpose?’

Tom Brady, now retired outstanding quarterback, was labeled by a player from his team in Tampa Bay as ‘creating an atmosphere of stress.’  Apparently, the high level of play and excellence demanded by the G.O.A.T. was not universally appreciated. Brady answered his critic- “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings." He emphasized his dedication to winning and a champion's mindset, stating, "This wasn't daycare". 

In the context of our Christianity, there is an importance to understanding the call of Christ to true discipleship, to making hard choices in life that will lead us to better outcomes.

Here’s something I know as fact - without constant monitoring of goals and mission, I will wander, spending entire days doing things that are not of primary importance.  The Scripture tells us that “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away…  how shall we escape if we ignore (neglect) so great a salvation?”  (Hebrews 2)

What are the first importance issues for you? Do you know?

Defining a mission, setting goals, and committing ourselves to regular evaluations are the only ways to avoid drifting along, hit or miss in our work, letting ourselves do what is ‘fun’ instead of what is important!

When I was leading a church as a pastor, prior to retiring, I knew that God had entrusted me with the spiritual care of His people. I was to teach the Word, care for those who were hurting, point the way to hope and healing, and keep on encouraging others to serve Him.

In order to fulfill that calling, I had to get myself into my office for study – everyday! I had to pick up my books and read to feed my mind so that I could teach. I was not free to isolate myself behind walls of privacy. My call demanded that I stay in touch and be available to the people of the Lord so that I knew their needs and could be responsive in providing good care. I constantly worked to find that balance between caring for my own spiritual and emotional needs and being a good pastor to my congregation.

Stephen Covey, in his great book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, points out that many of us don’t get to the important because we feel that we must respond to the urgent. He says, “Urgent matters are often visible. They press on us, they insist on action. They’re often popular with others… pleasant, fun to do… and unimportant!” Urgent matters require that we react. Important matters demand that we plan, purpose, and act to do the first things, first.

So, what’s the highest calling we all share?

Jesus lays down this marker about priorities for all of us.
Seek first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33, NIV) What are the ‘all things’ He refers to? Food, drink, and clothing.

Those daily provisions, while important, are not first line issues. What a challenge for us. We spend a lot of time focusing on acquiring and guarding resources to assure that we have enough ‘stuff.’

Jesus promises, if we put God first, God will see to it that we are clothed and fed! Living that way demands a whole different set of values. Jesus told us “Don’t be greedy! Owning a lot of things won’t make your life safe.” (Luke 12:15, CEV) Do we believe that, I mean, really believe it? If so, it will change our priorities significantly. Much of what our society presses on us as urgent, will no longer be an issue of importance for a disciple of Christ.

More specifically, the Spirit of God shapes each one of us uniquely and equips us to serve His purpose with ‘gifts.’  Paul says it like this: “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”  (Romans 12)

In God’s world, you have a place and purpose. For what has God made you responsible?
Are you treating His gifts and callings as a matter of first importance?

Are you committing yourself to be the best you can be for the glory of God?
There is rich reward in this kind of focused living. Others may be put off, accuse you of being ‘too intense,’ or fanatical. God will see a person who loves Him first and serves Him best.

Here is a word from the Word. May it call us into greater and higher service today.
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (Ephesians 5)

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A Great Love

I was privileged to know a great love.  When I was just a boy of 19, I met the woman who captivated me, falling passionately in love with her. Yes, as it is with most young men, at first that ‘love’ was mostly physical. She was a beauty. But it was not long before a deeper kind of connection formed that turned into a partnership that extended over 4 decades, including 4 children, shared ministry, and the most intimate kind of human connection. Our love wrapped around hard times, misunderstandings, differences of opinion, and the stresses of ordinary life. It culminated in the closing days of her life with care that led her home to the arms of Jesus.

Our love was much more than talk, deeper than mere sentiment, and strong!

We, Christians, talk about loving God a lot, singing about love, including much sloppy sentiment in our ‘worship’ but do we really love Him? Or is the ‘love’ of which we speak a more transactional kind of thing formed around hoping for the blessing of God in reward for some level of service?

Jesus said that a factor in our love of the Lord is our understanding of His grace, His willingness to forgive our sins and accept us as His children. His words came in a rich context. Imagine the scene!

Jesus is at the home of a respected local leader, a man who carefully lived his life to avoid outward sin, a Pharisee. He regularly attended synagogue, prayed, studied the Torah, and observed the Law of Moses scrupulously.  As they are enjoying dinner, a woman with a reputation, multiple infidelities, a social outcast, made her way to the table, found Jesus and knelt down at his feet weeping. She did not stop there. She took out a jar of ointment and spread it on Jesus’ feet, the heavy scent of perfume filling the air. Then, most scandalously, she bent down, wiping his feet with her hair and kissing them!  Yes, it was as scandalous as it sounds.

After a shocked silence, Simon muttered that Jesus could not possibly be a godly man, or he would have put an end to such a display.  Jesus’ answer to him nearly brings me to tears each time I read it.

Here’s the passage. “He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”  (Luke 7)

Could it be that our lack of a deep and passionate love of God is the result of our lack of understanding of our naturally sinful state, our alienation from Him that results from our choices?

Seems to me that we do not really think we ‘sin’ these days. Oh yes, we admit to making mistakes, but excuse them as just ‘being human.’  We sometimes face up to our flaws and failures but tend to blame our situation or experience; “if I had better parents,” or “if I had more opportunity,” or  … well, the list of things we blame for our own choices is long.

It is hard, I know personally, to look into the mirror and admit to our sinfulness, our selfishness, our shallowness; to face our depravity.  Now that’s a word that shocks, isn’t it?  One doesn’t have to be especially evil to be sinful.  “Nice” people still sin- failing God, building their lives on empty things like reputation, pleasure, or piling up more stuff. It is even quite possible to be very religious and deeply sinful at the same time!  That’s what Jesus saw in Simon that day.

Our pride wants to ‘make a deal’ with God, accepting Jesus as the Savior, but then believing that we can live good enough to earn His favor.  The ‘love’ of many collapses when that deal doesn’t work out!  When God allows us to suffer, when He doesn’t act in a way we deem ‘fair’ after all we have done for Him, we turn cold, becoming distant, our prayers are emptied of passion, our hearts are dead to His Presence.

Oh, that we would allow the Spirit to show us our true selves. Only then will the proud Pharisee become the weeping woman at the feet of Jesus.

I knew a great love with Bev, not because I was a stellar husband, but because we chose each other, fixed our affection for each other, and accepted one another for who we were, not some image we conjured in our minds about who we desired.

God loves me (and you) not because I am beautiful, good, desirable, or needed. His love chose me, desires me, and will make me into the best person I can be. “Oh, to grace how great a debtor, I’m constrained to be.” When that becomes clear to me against the backdrop of my sin, love overwhelms me - a GREAT love!

My friend, if you want your devotion to deepen, face your true Self. Admit your failures, without excuse. Stop pretending. At first, it may be hard, disturbing even, to face up to the parts of you that are carefully hidden away from sight. But, if you will carry them to Jesus, you find He forgives, cleanses, and heals. And you will learn to love Him more and better.

Meditate on this word from the Word from the Revelation, an apt description of much of American Christianity in 2025. This is a paraphrase called The Message.
“I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.
 “Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.
 “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!
 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
 “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

Lord, lead me to a great love. Amen.

You expect what kind of outcome?

In a quick conversation with Ralph, I learned a little more about what is demanded of a farmer! A few months ago, he prepped his fields and planted corn and beans with full expectation of a harvest. When I asked if he were ‘finished’ for now, he described the ongoing work of eliminating weeds and applying the chemicals necessary to control fungi that would harm the crop. Yes, Ralph must put in the work but ultimately, he cannot control the sunshine and rain that are critical to a good harvest this Fall. In faith, he plants and by faith he expects.

It is just common sense to know that if he puts bean seeds in that northern 40 acres of the farm, he will not be picking corn in that field. He will harvest what he planted.

The thought renewed itself in me this morning as I asked myself – “What kind of outcomes are you expecting in life, Jerry? What seeds have you planted?”

God spoke through the preacher – “I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and shower righteousness upon you.’  (Hosea 10)

The Scripture speaks to the idea of seed and harvest often. There are some key principles that we learn in that wisdom about God’s ways.

               1. We Reap only if we Plant
               2. We Reap of what we Plant
               3. We will Reap in a Different Season Than We Planted
               4. We will Reap More Than We Plant
               5. We Reap in Proportion to the amount of that We Plant

Paul summarizes these in a Word often used only in reference to financial contributions, but which has a much wider application to life – “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.” (2 Corinthians 9)

The expectation of that harvest of God’s blessings and life is assured just as the growth of a field will happen because of those processes of germination and growth. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he’s asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens." (Mark 4:26-28, NLT)

Today let’s reflect on two key questions.

First, are we inviting the Holy Spirit of God to work deeply in our life implanting the seed of the Gospel of Christ Jesus that grows to eternal life?

We cannot save ourselves from sin, nor can we work our way into God’s grace by any amount of ‘niceness,’ morality, religiosity, or civility.

In a shift the metaphor, Peter teaches us that "You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23, NIV) God, through His Word and, by His Spirit, implants the seed of life in us and a transformational process starts! This is the 'seed principle.'

Without this mysterious, wonderful, and faith-based impartation of divine life, we may become religious, but we will not become truly Christian.

Second, by daily disciplines of the Spirit (things such as prayer, silence, obedience, service, and meditation on God’s Word) cultivating the soil of our heart and mind so that the harvest will be plentiful?

Ralph reminded me that his work was far from over when the planting was finished! There is cultivation to be done. So, in us! The Spirit grants us life that we accept by faith, and the Lord waters the seed so that it grows, but the work of cultivation is given to each of us.

The word from the Word urges us to be engaged in faith. Ponder this truth today as you begin this new week, aiming to live for the glory of God. “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” (Philippians 2:11)

____________

Lord of the harvest, grant that the seeds of love, worship, care, service, generosity, and such things will grow a great harvest in me that feeds the world in which I live and shows the goodness of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name. Amen

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Disrupted and Disturbed!

Here is a question for us – Is God alive to us, the Spirit given access to our lives, Christ first and foremost our hope? The quick response for most Christians would probably be– “of course those things are true!” But is there a gap between what we say we believe and how we live day by day?  Do we, Christians, of this era, comprehend Jesus’ invitation to come and follow Him?

Nietzsche, in the late 19^th century, said that God is dead. His view was that humanity had outgrown the need for the divine mystery, thus the death of God. He went to say that those who eliminate God must now rise to the challenge of being gods, making meaning and value in life that serving God did in the past. His thoughts have come to full fruit in our time, with technology that allows us to manipulate the world and our environment to an almost ‘god-like’ degree.

For millions Christianity has become a tradition for Sunday, entirely separate from Monday. Jesus’ demand that those who are His followers will love and care for the world is a sentimental idea but discarded in societal policies as impractical. The declaration that we exist to know and serve God, that our greatest hope lies in the Resurrection, is lost to a ‘faith’ that is moralistic therapeutic deism asking no more of us than that we are ‘nice people.’

Thus, millions of babies are aborted for no other reason than that their birth would be an inconvenience to those who conceived them.
Euthanasia is no longer a whispered possibility, but a practical solution to aging or terminal illness.
Moral confusion about gender and sexuality flow from the loss of the understanding that intimacy is not just about finding a moment’s pleasure, but also about propagating the human race, a sacred life-enhancing gift.
The social contract that binds society is coming apart before our eyes because we have no consensus formed by deep faith about what is right, what is moral, what is compelling in our choices.

Yes, we have determined to be our own little gods, expressing our self-will and finding our personal happiness with something like religious fervor.

Carl Trueman writes that – “On Sundays, he’s a nihilist, going through the motions of religious rituals whose truth extends no further than the church’s sanctuary. And in doing so he also removes any basis upon which we might resist the dehumanizing impulses that lie at the heart of a therapeutic and technological culture—one that embraces both death and transhumanism. With no God to define our limits and ends, and no way of judging in advance the consequences of our votes for death and our experiments with human genetics, we stand on the verge of doing what no other creature has ever achieved: abolishing ourselves.” 

So, what should we do?  Must we reject all of modernity, turn away from scientific advance, and retreat from engagement with our world? That is the answer for some, but a flawed one. Jesus asks us to be ‘salt and light’ preserving and showing the Way and that task is impossible if we live in isolation.

There is a better way to recover the Call. It is humility. I invite us to meditate on the prophet’s call and promise today, with a prayer to rediscover a vital relationship with Christ, the Savior and Lord. (Isaiah 57:14-16)

God says, “Rebuild the road! Clear away the rocks and stones so my people can return from captivity.” The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, the Holy One, says this: “I live in the high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I restore the crushed spirit of the humble and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts. For I will not fight against you forever; I will not always be angry. If I were, all people would pass away— all the souls I have made.”

Jesus says “To all who are victorious, who obey me to the very end, to them I will give authority over all the nations. They will rule the nations with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots. They will have the same authority I received from my Father, and I will also give them the morning star!  “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”  (Revelation 2)

Amen

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“He Leadeth Me”

My soul and mind are a bit unsettled these days. I cannot escape the nagging sadness for the families that mourn deaths in Texas. My son in North Carolina lost a portion of his business to a flood last week, too. That’s not a tragedy of the same magnitude by any measure but a disappointment, none the less. And then there was my 70^th birthday, a milestone which has provoked some angst about my tomorrows. Does ill health lurk in the weeds along life’s pathway?  Will I remain mentally alert and productive?

Life hands us the unexpected, the adverse, doesn’t it? Yes, we also enjoy unanticipated blessings which must not be forgotten. In my anxiousness, I found wisdom and solace in the words of Isaiah that assure, come what may, God is ever-present and always loving. — “Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, He will still be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go.’” (Isaiah 30:20)

The prophet does not require us to deny the reality of our struggles. He does ask that we understand that adversity and suffering are a normal part of our journey, bounded by the will of God! This is the unshakeable promise: God does not abandon us in our need. He is present, teaching, guiding, and leading even as we walk through seasons of difficulty.

The key is that we learn to listen. “Your own ears will hear him,” Isaiah writes. One of the tragedies of the 21^st century Christian is that he often tricked into the belief that the Lord God is distant or impersonal.  He is not!  In the moments—quiet or tumultuous—when we pause to listen, we will find the quiet stirring - “This is the way you should go.”

Paul teaches us that the Lord does NOT just give us grace and comfort for its own sake. We are to become blessers as those who are blessed. “He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation.” (2 Corinthians 1)

I confess that I have become much more compassionate in my later years after enduring some difficult days. The arrogance of the young man deluded by a sense of control has been replaced by the humility of an old man who knows that he is a sinner saved by grace and that others are struggling, too.

The best gifts—comfort, guidance, provision, and life itself—flow from grace and mercy, not from rewards for our perfect performance. It is not through our striving or deserving, but through a loving generosity that is unearned and unending. Yes, friend, suffering teaches us about the dependence on Someone far greater than ourselves and thus open our spirits to the transformative presence of the Divine.

There is a daily choice we make when trouble comes – we believe that, despite circumstances, a way is being made for us. When we feel lost or overwhelmed, we return to the stillness where the guiding voice can be heard. Even when the way forward seems unclear, we choose to step forward in faith, believing that direction will be given just when we need it.

 

 

I have learned to look away from Jerry and towards the Spirit Who is our Comforter, Teacher, and Guide—ever-present, interceding, and empowering me to live with courage and compassion. The promise of eternal life is not simply a hope for the future, but a present reality, as the Spirit breathes new life into our every moment.

Are you struggling today? Has uncertainty overcome your heart and mind?
Here are some simple suggestions that can help you to move towards peace.

Begin Each Day with Reflection:
Take a few moments each morning to ground yourself in gratitude, intentionally opening your mind and heart to Him. Pray – “Come, Holy Spirit.”  Read a passage of Scripture. And, declare your identity as God’s own child.

Practice Active Listening:
Be attentive not only to your own needs but also to those around you. God speaks as often through the words of a friend, a stranger, as He does in the gentle conviction of your heart.

Extend Compassion:
Look for opportunities to comfort the mourning and provide for those in need. Small acts of kindness can have a ripple effect beyond what you can imagine.

Adversity may come along with suffering for a season, but the presence of God is eternal and unfailing. With hearts in tune with the Spirit’s song and eyes open to God’s handiwork, we walk forward. By faith, we trust that the way will be made clear and that we are held in a love that knows no end.

I pray for you and for me that today will bring renewed hope, deepened compassion, and quiet confidence that, wherever we go, the Voice behind us will gently whisper, “This is the way you should go.” And may we have the courage to follow.

______________

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me O blessed thought
O words with heavenly comfort fraught
Whate'er I do where'er I be
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

He leadeth me He leadeth me
By His own hand He leadeth me
His faithful follower I would be
For by His hand He leadeth me

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom
Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom
By water's calm o'er troubled sea

Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me

Lord I would clasp Thy hand in mine
Nor ever murmur nor repine
Content whatever lot I see
Since 'tis my God that leadeth me

And when my task on earth is done
When by Thy grace the victory's won
E'en death's cold waves I would not flee
Since Thou through Jordan leadeth me

 

Joseph Henry Gilmore, William Batchelder Bradbury
© Words: Public Domain; Music: Public Domain

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Take the Next Step!

Fifteen years ago, I had a life plan! Today, just a few of the pieces of that plan are in place. Was my strategy flawed? Not so much. Things I could not have foreseen changed the course of my life, Bev’s illness and death, the COVID pandemic, just to name a couple of those. Yet, I am still in God’s hands and at peace. What I learned is the importance of taking the next right step along the way, even when the future is unclear.

James, the pastor of Jerusalem Church, wrote these inspired words to us. "Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog-it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15, NLT)

The real issue for Christians is greater than some detailed life plan. It is our daily obedience. But what is His will? Do you ever wish God would be clearer in His directions? We wonder if we should take that position or stay where we are, if we should invest in that effort or walk away, if it is the right time to buy a house, go to school, get married, go for a second career. We love our options. True disciples of Christ realize that all these plans are made in submission to the will of One who sees beyond today. So, we hold onto our plans loosely, ready to respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading.

How does that happen? While reading about Paul in the book of Acts, we might mistakenly conclude that a voice from the heavens sounded in his ears, pointing him in the right direction. Well, think again. “Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them not to go into the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the city of Troas. “Acts 16:6-8 NLT Study a map and you will find that these apostles wandered! Their plans kept changing.

The impressive lesson in this passage is their faithful endurance as they kept walking and waiting. They pushed in one direction until the Spirit said, "No," then they went in another direction. Maybe they wondered IF they had heard from God at all, but they kept moving forward. In the next few verses, we see that God led them into a new region, and they were privileged to extend the borders of Christianity into Macedonia and Phillippi.

Pastor Mike Woodruff wisely observes that often we just ‘do the next thing.’  “After Jesus raised Jairus’s daughter from the dead, he instructed her parents to keep the miracle a secret. He also told them to get her something to eat. In the past, I’ve wondered about the secrecy. I’m now intrigued by the sandwich. Why? Because it fits a pattern.

After healing a paralytic, Jesus told him to pick up his mat and walk. After cleansing a leper, he told him to report to a priest. After preventing a stoning, Jesus told the woman to “go and sin no more.” Jesus didn’t demand people develop a life plan. Nor did he leave them alone. Instead, he directed them to do the next right thing. It was an immediate and simple step forward.”

IF we choose a daily response of obedience to love Him, to love others, keeping our heart and mind in a worshipful place, HE WILL GUIDE US. Many choices need no special revelation to us. These things are always the right choice.
Love others.
Be forgiving.
Do good works.
Stay in fellowship with God’s people.
Tell others about His love.
Have a servant’s heart.
Keep a prayerful heart.”

A heart yielded to His Lordship is the key to ultimately finding our way to peace and contentment and will cause us to know the greater fulfillment in His service. There are so many reasons we don't always sense the Spirit guiding us as clearly as we might wish. There are -
-the tests that come to lead us to deeper trust and greater intimacy with God,
-the circumstances unknown to us but known to God Who is always at work for our good,
-the sins that make us insensitive to God’s Spirit,
-the pride and/or prejudice that makes prayerless and self-willed.

If you're feeling like you’re on a detour from your plans, if you feel like you are just wandering at the moment, stay faithful! Do the next right thing.
Keep praying. Don't sit down and feel sorry for yourself! God is alive and well. He is actively working out His plans and purposes, so keep the faith. Keep walking and waiting, listening, and responding.

The word from the Word is a beautiful passage, packed with promise. Take it with you today and live in His peace. “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  (Romans 8:13)

Amen

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Meaning?

With my 70^th birthday a few days away I am reflecting on life; choices made, days invested or wasted. My reveries are part nostalgia and more importantly, evaluation. I think these thoughts are common to people of a certain age.  There are so many ways to measure one’s life, aren’t there?  Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, with a net worth estimated at more than $200 billion, is getting married in Venice today. The wedding will gather 200 of the world’s glitterati and cost more than $75 million! Such excess is one way to attempt to declare one’s worth.

We more common folk look a bit differently on life, right?

We might ask -
*How much money do I have in the bank?
*What kind of status do I enjoy?
*What positions did I hold?
*What awards with my name etched on them hang on a wall somewhere?
*Was I happy?
*Did I make family relationships work? Who loves me/hates me?
*Is a street named in my honor?
*Did my life add net worth to my place in this world?

There is a book in the Bible that asks and answers the question of meaning.
An old king named Solomon wrote it, calling himself “the Teacher.”  He had a whole list of accomplishments – cities and buildings he had brought into existence, a prosperous nation he had led, hedonistic pleasures beyond the imagination of most enjoyed, great wealth amassed, envy and recognition of many… and in summary he cynically recognizes that none of it proves a thing about his meaning, purpose, or ultimate value.

He cries “as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.” (Ecclesiastes 2)

When life comes down to the essence of our existence, there are just two measures of worth and value. Jesus calls them the ‘greatest commandments.’ “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22)

Rich or poor, famous or obscure, accomplished or not, what pleases God and gives us the deepest satisfaction is knowing and living in God’s love, gifted to us through Christ Jesus, and then boldly loving others – not just in words, but with profound care, respect, and compassion. He asks, “what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?” (Mark 8)

Solomon set aside his cynicism in the end and left this inspired wisdom to us. We do well to heed his words so that when we are near the end of the race, we will not cry that life has been a ‘vanity of vanities,’  without meaning! He says “Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.”… Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.”  (Ecclesiastes 12)

Here is a prayer of Augustine. As we make his words our own, may our choices make our lives full of holy purpose and eternal significance. Let us pray -

“Grant me, even me, my dearest Lord, to know you, and love you, and rejoice in you.
And, if I cannot do these perfectly in this life, let me at least advance to higher degrees every day, until I can come to do them in perfection.

Let the knowledge of you increase in me here, that it may be full hereafter. Let the love of you grow every day more and more here, that it may be perfect hereafter; that my joy may be full in you.

I know, O God, that you are a God of truth, O make good your gracious promises to me, that my joy may be full; to your honor and glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and forever. Amen." (Augustine - 354-430)

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Lesser Things?

In the Summer of 1974, I fell in love, really madly in love! I thought of Bev when I awakened, dreamed about her when I went to sleep. When I was driving to pick her up for a date, I planned ways to surprise her with little gifts. As I discovered more and more about her likes and desires, I made it my purpose to delight her. There were cards, flowers, and phone calls – because I was focused on her.

40 years later, as she was dying, my life centered around her for those final months- sitting with her through the evenings, often just silent, coming home from the office early to care for her needs. It was not an effort because of our connection, the priority of love we had cultivated for decades!

Christians who want to know the real joy promised by Christ Jesus will make a similar kind of choice to prioritize Him in life. They will choose a higher focus, a daily connection, keeping Him in mind and heart through the day. The Spirit-inspired words of Colossians 3 teach us that. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”

 A key to this kind of focus is the Resurrection of Jesus, that pivotal event that reveals our eternal nature and God’s promise of forever life. Christians tend to focus on the Cross, where Jesus satisfied the holiness of God and opened the way for our reconciliation to our Creator Father. What happened at Calvary is important, but it is not the whole of the God-story. The completion, the ultimate moment was triumph over Death!

That is why in the passage I quoted earlier we read that we are ‘raised to new life with Christ.’  Our Christian hope is not just to live a bit better for a few decades on this earth. In Christ we become creatures of eternity, our goal a home with God in Heaven.

Make no mistake, there is a whole lot of living to be done before we go on Home, BUT the way in which we live is to be shaped by the promise of our Heavenly home. “Set your sights on the realities of Heaven” we are told. Let that hope captivate your heart and mind so that every thought is aimed at that moment when we step over time’s threshold into the unimaginable splendor of the Father’s house.

Yes, I live in the same world in which you live. I know fully well how easily attention is diverted to the new shiny things that can be bought. I know that promised wealth and greater pleasure can obscure our vision. Oh yes, I believe that we can and should live to enjoy love, to find a place of connection with others, and to experience the satisfaction that can be found in a great meal, a comfortable home, and rich relationships.

HOWEVER, those things are all transitory, easily taken from us by storms, wars, economic cycles, or cruel, selfish people. So, we remember always that our “real life is hidden with Christ in God.”  

What is most amazing about being possessed by the promise of eternal life through Christ is that we will live and love better in this world! That same passage continues making a direct connection between what we know of Heaven’s promise and the life we live.

The word from the Word comes from the practical instructions about the ‘new life’ we enjoy. Make the Risen Lord and the hope of Heaven your focus then go bless your world.

“Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. …
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”

Amen

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AI Christians?

The world is being changed, very rapidly, by a technology called AI - Artificial Intelligence. It is an amazing development that increasingly is being used by people to create ‘better’ images of themselves. Need a great letter written? Enter a few prompts into ChatGPT and in a few seconds you will have what you requested. Want your resume’ polished? AI will do it for you. Do you need a headshot photo that makes you appear a few pounds slimmer and a decade younger? And so it goes.

As the technology improves the task of sorting out what is generated by AI is becoming more difficult, if not impossible. We can support the careful edits on social media that burnish our public image in ways that make being a ‘fake’ easier and more common. That is a real problem, especially for those who are committed to an authentic life of following Christ. Are we truly ‘becomers,’ growing in faith and commitment or are we just AI productions, without reality and substance?

Paul wrote about people who would come into the church who are posers! He tells us that they will learn the language of Christianity and be able, from time to time, to appear to be the ‘real’ thing, while lacking a genuine experience of the Holy Spirit.

Paul uses this telling line about their ‘spirituality.’ "They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!" (2 Timothy 3:5, NLT) Those pseudo-Christians were not changed by the Power of the Holy Spirit from the inside out and therefore they were, in the candid moments, still "heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. … They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure." (2 Timothy 3:3-4 CEV)

The apostle’s next lines were not AI generated. They are inspired words of truth. "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them." (2 Timothy 3:10-12, NIV) 

Paul says, in so many words, “Tim, look at who I really am. Observe my day-to-day life. I have been through some rough times, but Jesus has held onto me as I held onto Him.”

Friend, does your claim to discipleship hold up in the candid moments? When you are disappointed, frustrated, under pressure, short on cash, uncertain – does your faith shine brightly still? Is Jesus Lord of all? Are you a Christian, through and through? I am not writing about perfection! That is the goal of AI. Our aim is growth and authenticity.

In another letter Paul speaks of his own growth in the life to which Christ called him. “I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ^I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3) He confesses, as all Christians should, that he is a work in process!

 

Our aim should be to ‘keep step with the Spirit,’ to learn to be responsive to His call to surrender Self and embrace the way of Christ. Here is what I know – if we present ourselves to Him in honest humility He will transform us, from the inside out, creating an authentic faith that shows up in the best of times and the worst days.

Don’t slip into the trap of being a poser, a pseudo-Christian.
Pray to be real.
Invite others, not pridefully, but because you are authentic, to follow you as you follow Christ Jesus.

Here is a word from the Word.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. …
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.
Hate what is wrong.
Hold tightly to what is good.
Love each other with genuine affection, and
take delight in honoring each other.
Never be lazy but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
Rejoice in our confident hope.
Be patient in trouble and keep on praying.”  (Romans 12)

God, keep us from fakery, pretense, and polished images.
Rather, may we be authentic followers of Jesus, growing in grace each day.
Help us to know the Way and to invite others to walk it with us.
In Jesus’ Name. Amen

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You wanna fight?

Yesterday the world was treated to the spectacle of two American billionaires have a public fight, trading insults for all to see. Whatever your political persuasions, it was unpleasant to see Musk and Trump acting like two little boys on a playground. I grew sadder with each comment. Fighting and anger are so common.

Karl Pillemer, a professor studying human relationships, found that “27% of Americans 18 and older had cut off contact with a family member, most of whom reported that they were upset by such a rift. That translates to at least 67 million people nationally – likely an underestimate since some are reluctant to acknowledge the problem.”   

Anger tears families apart. 
Friends stop speaking over differing political ideas. 
Churches split over petty preferences.
The sad history of humanity, both inside and outside of the Church, is one of anger, conflict, and fighting despite Jesus’ commands that we live peaceably and in unity. 

Christians must, for Christ’s sake, do better!

Paul, writing to the church in Corinth where divisions over personality and preference broke out, did not regard their fights as acceptable or ‘just being human.’ He tells them to repent because their fighting was evidence of sin and spiritual immaturity.

"Now, dear brothers and sisters, I appeal to you by the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ to stop arguing among yourselves. Let there be real harmony so there won’t be divisions in the church. I plead with you to be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Corinthians 1:10-13, NLT) Pointedly, he speaks to their spiritual immaturity.  “You are still controlled by your own sinful desires. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your own desires? You are acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord…  you are acting like who are not Christians. " (1 Corinthians 3:3-4, NLT)

So, how can you and I become people of peace, who build, not tear down?

First, we put our identity in Christ FIRST.
When we are secure in the love of God, fully living in His forgiveness and grace, the Spirit in us will help us to ‘let it go’ when necessary.  He will teach us to live with grace and gentleness. Indeed, we will learn who to get far beyond ‘tolerance’ to seek the best and highest for others, just as Jesus did for us.

Second, we work to be loving even more than being ‘right.’
Sometimes people are just flat wrong and we know it!  Sure, we all have our own perspective, shaped by our experience, training, and information.  None of us can lay claim to complete knowledge. With maturity in Christ we can learn to graciously accept the differences that exist, listening and learning.

If someone persists in utter nonsense, we gently engage with the facts, not with disgust or disdain, but with the gentleness of Jesus. Living with grace will allow us to create a space for change and patiently pursue relationships.

Third, we refuse to elevate secondary issues into primary ones.
"There are three things that will endure—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13, NLT) Prayerfully, learn to sort through your differences with others.  Ask yourself if the issue at hand is worth the emotional effort being invested in it.

There are not many things in life that require us to bare our fangs and put out our claws!

Fourth, we will need to die to self to maintain relationships. 
Bev and I were married for almost 41 years before she went home to heaven and we had our share of disagreements. Staying married, we both knew, demanded that we set aside our personal preferences, that we give up “me” to live as “we.”  Any married person can tell you that it is very hard to do.

Over the years, when I have felt myself drawn in conflict, I also have experienced the gentle voice of the Spirit asking me to surrender my personal comfort (dying to Self). When I was obedient (tragically not all of time!) and was willing to adopt a position of love that worked ‘first to understand’ the person and to prioritize the relationship, peace followed. Yes, sadly, when I fail and fire back at the other with a snarky remark the conflict only escalates.

Christian we cannot descend to the level of those who live by their natural instincts or their own wisdom. We are ‘of Christ.’ We are to be filled with His loving heart. Can you even imagine Jesus writing off a family member or a friend over a difference of opinion or preference?

In a world full of noise and fury, bullets and bombs, snarky social media posts and thinly veiled insults, let’s commit – for Jesus’ sake- to be different, people who work to create peace in our families, our places of work, our nation, and our world.

Here is a word from the Word, a directive for all Christians.
 "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5.8)

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More than Heaven’s Promise

In days past, some ridiculed Christianity’s hope with words that suggested that the Gospel was just a story about ‘pie in the sky by and by!”  In a more sincere conversation, I had with a young man, raised in the church, he wondered aloud about the Gospel he heard that made much of being ‘forgiven for his sins so he could go to Heaven.’

I appreciated his honesty when he said something like this: “Heaven is not all that close to me at this stage in life, so what does Christ Jesus mean to me now?”  I replied by reminding him that life is short and we are just a breath from eternity and then, to his point, we looked at this passage about being “Christian.”   Peter reminds us that the Gospel offers us real joy, real benefits right here, right now.

“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  (1 Peter 2)

We want to know that our lives count for something. The idea that we exist just to eat, gather possessions, procreate, grow old and die is depressing! When we come to Christ Jesus, He brings a purpose; becoming part of His Church that is commissioned with making God seen and known in this world. The church I served is a beautiful place of worship. There are thousands of bricks that form the walls. Singularly they are just a little red block of clay. Together they are beautiful!

The Gospel turns my little insignificant life into one that is part of God’s great work – stretching across time, through many cultures, touching millions – and with real purpose.

Peter goes on to speak of the amazing identity that is found through Christ.

“Chosen” reminds us that God seeks us, desires us. It is amplified in the phrase that says we are “God’s special possession.”  When I own something, I care for it. The greater the treasure, the greater my interest in keeping it safe and in good condition. God’s love owns my heart and assures me that I am kept in His care, never set to the side in favor of someone better.

“Royal priesthood” and “holy nation” teach us about our high calling – to represent God in the world with our praise and worship. As the Spirit lives in us, we shine like a light in the dark despair of this world. Our lives, marked by His beauty, filled with His love, turn the attention of others to Him. Beyond that we are also given the privilege of carrying the world to Him in our prayers. More than just ‘God bless my family, my friends,” we pray for peace, for new life, for hope, for those in sorrow. This is work of importance.

“People of God” is a phrase we so need to understand. In Christ we are given a place in God’s family, called to live out an identity.  While I am glad to be an American my greater joy is to be part of God’s family. Paul teaches us that “in Christ” all the old labels we once wore framed by nationality, ethnicity, race, or social status are eclipsed when we are ‘baptized into Christ.’

The Gospel does include the assurance of Heaven as my eternal home, a promise that I treasure. And, the Good News of Christ offers much more, as Jesus says, “life to the full.”  He makes us noble people capable of doing much more than we could do through our own abilities. He shapes our lives and gives us love, joy, and peace. Who could ask for more?

Have you trusted Him? Would you respond to His invitation in Faith?  The word from the Word today is a familiar passage. Let the Truth find you anew.

(I pray) “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. … that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. …that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. “(Ephesians 1) Amen

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Stressed to the max?

Stress, coupled with anxiety, is as common an ailment as the ordinary cold! Pressures, conflicts, chaos, misunderstandings, and disappointments conspire to give us knotted muscles, tension headaches, and restlessness that drives sleep away until the early hours of the morning. Many do not understand that the anger or depression they are experiencing are rooted in a failure to deal with life’s stress in a healthy way!

What’s stressing you today? Financial problems, perhaps? Health issues? A marriage that is faltering? Expectations at your place of work that conflict with your family life? Internal struggles with some habit you cannot overcome? Kids? …

In fact, stress is part of life and can make us stronger and more productive, IF we manage it. How?

Scripture tells us to “Let the peace of Christ rule your heart... live in peace... be thankful!’ " (Colossians 3;15) There is great wisdom there, reminding us that we have a choice in how we respond to the pressures of life. We can become victims, panicked by things we believe to be out of control OR we can choose to accept a gift of God – peace of mind.

REAL peace is not circumstantial. Even if we change our place, position, or find greater resources, the relief will be temporary, and we will find ourselves in yet another situation that causes stress.

True peace transcends our present situation!
Peace is not discovered; it grows from deep faith.
It is a gift from our Abba.

The Bible tells the story of Gideon, a farmer in Israel at a time when raiders were attacking God’s people, stealing their resources, and driving them into the hills where they hid in caves. Desperation was everywhere! Gideon needed to feed his family despite the raids and attacks in Israel. So, he ventured from the caves, down to the fields. Judges 6 says that he was hiding out near a winepress, threshing grain, fearing for his life.

Suddenly he is aware of a Presence and a voice! "The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you!" {Judges 6:12 NLT} Gideon knew he was no “mighty hero!”   In that moment of desperation, God spoke. “Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family." (Judges 6:15, NIV)

He questions God's messenger about the hard times that his people are experiencing. But, when he sees the evidence of God's power, he chooses to accept the promise of God with faith, and he found something wonderful – peace! "Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!" But the LORD said to him, "Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die." So, Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. (Yahweh Shalom)" {Judges 6:22-24 NIV}

The Lord God desires to be our “Shalom.”   "Shalom" means more than the absence of conflict. The Hebrew word, “shalom” includes the ideas of wholeness, restfulness, and satisfaction.

IF we will come to God, willing to let go of our need to control, faithfully and worshipfully, we can enter Presence of God right where we are. We do not have to go to a church, find a retreat center, or go into some altered mental state. We ‘let the peace of Christ rule.’

His Spirit produces serenity. When the world around us is falling apart, when others are stressed to the max, we are productive, at peace in the middle of the storm.

Pray a simple prayer - “Lord, teach me to live in your holy ‘shalom.’  When you want to try to manage the world, attempting to fix things and people by imposing a 'peace' of your agenda, turn to the God of the universe and invite Him to take charge. Hard? Yes, it is! He seldom works at the pace we want and often in ways that are beyond our understanding at the moment. However, if we accept His offer of peace, patiently waiting to receive His wisdom, we will live remarkably differently from those around us.

Even if the situation remains the same, we are changed and able to experience peace and bring peace into it.

God’s peace is NOT a Zen-like detachment from life.
God’s peace is NOT an escape into denial or delusions.

God’s peace is a gift- His Spirit owning our mind and heart, giving us the resources we need so that we are partners with Him in His work: healing to the broken, defeat evil powers wherever they make their ugliness apparent. His peace is like a river that flows through us.

How did Jesus say it? “Out of you will flow rivers of living water.”
We can get exhausted, yet serene! He stands alongside us to steady us, to quiet our fear.

Serenity is learned, much easier to talk about than to live. Like Jesus’ disciples that stormy day on the Sea of Galilee, sometimes my first impulse is the cry out - “Lord, don’t you care that we’re drowning?”  He does care. Sometimes He stills the storm. Sometimes He stills my soul in the middle of the storm.

Today, before you engage in life's challenges, present yourself to your heavenly Abba. Meditate on His Word and give that problem, person, or pressure to Him. Invite the Spirit to impart holy ‘shalom’ to your soul. Breathe a prayer for peace. Here’s the word from the Word:  "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7 (NIV)

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Dunked!

Yesterday our church witnessed baptisms, the public declaration of faith in Jesus made by new Believers. I love those moments! At Faith Discovery Church we practice baptism by full immersion in water as did the first Christians. Why?

When that Believer is plunged under the water by the Pastor, their previous life is ‘buried’ and they emerge, raised to new life with Christ Jesus. That is what Paul wrote to the Romans. “We died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was.”  (Romans 6)

Those baptized are called to a whole new way of living, beyond just this world, focused on the promise of God’s purposes, their day-to-day experience not just physical but spiritual.

Jesus taught the Church that baptism was a moment of initiation. His words to us tell us to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28) What has taken place in the heart through faith is made evident in the moment of baptism.

The significance of the moment is amplified in Galatians 3. “All who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus.”  The primary identified of the baptized Believer becomes “Christian,” not American, not white nor black, not man or woman, not rich nor poor. Those social identities are erased by the ONE unifying truth – “I am a Christian.”

One of the reasons that Christianity spread so quickly throughout the Roman Empire was that people found a place to belong regardless of their race, gender, or social status. In the Church they were ‘brothers and sisters,’ the family of God; “ONE in Christ Jesus.

I have two questions for us today.

First, have you trusted Jesus, finding the new life in Him that is promised, and baptized as a declaration of faith? It’s not just a ritual; it is a moment of obedience to His command that opens the door to wonderful life in the Spirit.

Second, if you have been baptized is your new identity as a Christian evident?
Do you know the Presence of the Spirit, live in love, and enjoy the privilege of being part of God’s great big family?

Here is the word from the Word. May the truth inspire us.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call. With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2)

Yes, we dunked those Believers in water yesterday, but the reality was more than that! They were immersed in the water, buried with Christ Jesus, now raised to new life. What a promise.

Your Best Life

It is a delight to watch a person develop a skill, seeing them put in the time and effort necessary that makes it possible for them to do that thing they do with excellence and joy. Many of us dream about ‘what could be’ but our wishes never turn into a reality … be it a toned body, a solid marriage, a useful skill, or a mature Christianity. Why? We do not value the process.

The folly of merely wishing for the best life comes through this humorous old proverb – “If wishes were horses, then all beggars would ride.”  Think about that.

Generally, we have little patience, right? We are accustomed to quick fixes. We love the self-help gurus that offer us 3 easy steps to our goal, whose words imply there is a single thread that we can follow to success. That has not been my experience.
 *Our marriage that brought me much joy demanded that Bev and I work hard on our relationship consistently.
*Becoming an effective Pastor was a process encouraged by many, over time, including making mistakes along the way that required change and development.
*Christian maturity that allows me to have a rich relationship with God has been the result, at least partially, of living out the disciplines of the Spirit over time.

The holy Scripture says “do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere (patient endurance) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-37) The writer was addressing people who were going through persecution for their faith, who wondered about the reward of serving Jesus. His counsel? “Never give up. God is faithful!”

An inspired dream is a wonderful thing, but it only becomes reality when we are willing to sweat, to learn, to adapt, all parts of the process of becoming!

Paul teaches us to live with purpose. “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” (1 Corinthians 9)

Have you prayed for real vision, asking God to give you a glimpse of what He can do in your life, through your service, which will lead you to joy?

Have you committed yourself to Him, letting Him form a God-shaped vision, not for just more money, happiness, or temporal success, but for a life that has eternal purpose?

The ancient preacher, Habakkuk, received a vision from God. Listen to the counsel about that vision. “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets … For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

Refine your dream. Write it down. Pray over them for clarity asking God, the Spirit, to make it clear. Seek godly counsel, then commit to the work of living God’s best life, planned for you.

This is not just a plan for some ‘super-saints.’  God invites each one of us to live by the Spirit, gifted in the unique way He plans, so that we will find His rich commendation as we enter the Father’s house for eternity.

The word from the Word encourages me, I pray it does you, as well.
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.”  (1 Corinthians 3)

Lord, help us to be faithful to Your work, for Christ’s glory. Amen

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Fear’s awful cost

Most adults experience those wakeful moments at 2 am when fear takes over. That lump that appeared in the body might be cancer. The note from the kid’s teacher seems ominous, signaling a deeper emotional issue. The spouse’s distance becomes a concern for the marriage. The mood at work is sour and might mean a pending cutback in staff.

Fear exacts a terrible toll from us. Next to the promise of reward, fear is a powerful motivator for our choices. T. Dalrymple, in Christianity Today (May 2025) notes that “panic is profitable.”  A torrent of information warns us of all kinds of pending disasters and advertisers answer our correspondent fear by offering us cures, diversions, and distractions ranging from the newest medicine (“ask your doctor”), a vacation, a new car, or even a cruise. For some the cost of fear includes addiction to work, to alcohol, to sex, or to illegal drugs!

Christian, God gives us the best way to overcome our fears. He invites us to live in FAITH. The Word says “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5) Jesus invites us to lean on God as our good Father, promising that HE is able to provide what we need.

Faith is a choice we make even in moments of crisis. The book of Daniel has great lessons in faith for us. Remember the three Hebrew men – Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego – who were commanded to kneel to the king’s image? A refusal meant being burnt alive! They did refuse and the king flew in a rage but tempered his anger by giving them one more chance to show their loyalty. Certainly they were terrified! The fire was already burning that would consume them if they would not obey his edict.

But they chose faith! Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”  (Daniel 3 NLT) Their faith was greater than their fear.

Daniel also faced a terrible choice. Ordered not to pray to anyone other than the king, he chose to go to his room as he had always done and pray to the LORD God of Heaven. His choice earned him a night in the lion’s den. He did not think he would survive but he, too, chose faith over fear.

We must remember that faith does not promise us we will never feel afraid, nor does faith always clear the pathway ahead of us of every obstacle. Faith does fuel hope and gives us strength to overcome our fear and to remain steady in our commitment to God.

The Bible defines faith this way – “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”  (Hebrews 11) Faith is based in the Person of God, revealed to us in Christ Jesus, and is anchored to eternity, beyond time.

Faith is informed by the truth that there is more to our existence than what we see, feel, or experience. It finds a foundation in the fact of eternity, made evident to us by the resurrection of Christ. We, as Christians, know while we are alive in this world we are blessed by His love, but the best is yet to come when we are welcomed home to the Father’s house.

Without a solid belief in Eternal Life in Heaven our faith will weaken and crumble. Indeed, Paul reminds us that “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. … if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. … If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  (1 Corinthians 15)

Answer fear with faith, real faith not mere bravado.
Built faith by making Christ your true hope, gaining a new identity as a child of God through Him.
When fear rises refuse panic and choose to pray, even if that prayer is just a desperate cry.
Declare to yourself, to your world, even to the Devil – “I am a child of God, held secure in the grace gift of Jesus!”

The word from the Word is my declaration of hopeful faith. Make it yours today.
“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? … No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8)

Choose faith!

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