Category: April2020

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Learn What’s Important

I often remember my college days; the friends I made, some hard life lessons and the kindness and wisdom of some of my professors. At the beginning of each semester, one professor in particular would welcome us to class and then explain his expectations of our learning.

He made a statement that we all made note of. He said, “If I say something twice it’s significant and you should retain it to memory, if I repeat something a third time it’s important and will be on the test. Write it down.” He kept his word; when I heard him repeat something I would write it in my syllabus and underline it. This was my indication that it was important.

I don’t know about you but it seems that we have been going through exam week. There have been so many things to test our resolve. The one thing I have been careful not to do is blame God. He’s not at fault – that I know for certain.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Our heavenly Father is the giver of life and peace. His character is to give love and comfort. He is always the same. There is a Psalm that reminds me of what my college professor said. Read these verses and see if you can figure out what’s important to the Father.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

4 Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.
5 Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1-9 NLT

This Psalm has twenty-five verses and each verse boldly proclaims that God’s love for us endures forever. There are two important things we should take away from this Psalm. 1) Give praise to the Lord and 2) His love endures forever. Since the second statement is true it becomes the premise for the first statement.

Since we know that God’s love endures forever we can always give praise to the Lord. No matter what we experience – joys and challenges – if we remember that the Lord loves us unconditionally we can praise Him, knowing that He will protect and provide, knowing that He desires to fill our lives with good and perfect gifts.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.

5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:4-7 ERV

Now, what I think Paul is wanting us to see is that even in difficulty we can remain joy-filled. God will not abandon us or have us figure things out on our own. No, to the contrary, He will be there to give us the wisdom we need and we will come through this time stronger, with greater resolve.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

The question on the exam of life may be this: How do we handle the difficult situations of life? The answer, He repeated it several times to make sure we get it: Give thanks because God’s love for us endures forever!

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Look for the Signs

We live in a rural area; one where coyotes and javelina forage at night. Rarely do we see them during the day but we hear them at night – sometimes in the lot next door or across the street. We see the tracks of the javelina in the morning and before the fence went in, those tracks would be in our backyard.

The javelina eat our cactus and other desert foliage. The coyotes are on the prowl looking for some small rodent to prey upon. We are alerted to their presence by the barking of the neighborhood dogs. Their barking is constant and loud. They sense a danger and are trying to warn us.

It’s annoying when we are awaken from a sound sleep and even more so when we aren’t able to get back to sleep…

Why is it we get annoyed by warnings?

Right now, we are bombarded with warnings. Wash your hands, wear a mask, stay at least six feet apart. But before all this there were signs everywhere. At Disneyland we are told if we have heart problems, are pregnant, under a certain height, etc. we can’t ride certain rides. There are railroad crossing signs, the icy road sign, the do not touch wet paint or slippery when wet signs, the speed limit postings; we have an aversion to all of these and think they apply to others and not to us. So we go blissfully on our way ignoring the warnings and most of the time suffer no consequences. We will master our own universe!

Some people feel the same way about reading the Bible or attending church because they say it cramps their style. It’s just a bunch of rules. Following Jesus is never about rules, it’s relationship!

I may ignore warnings from people I don’t know but if Dave calls me and tells me to stay off the road because there’s a storm headed my way or to stay away from the wood pile because there’s a snake under it, I heed his warning. He loves me and I know he is concerned for my welfare.

When Jesus gave warnings and instructions throughout His ministry He wasn’t being mean. He was showing how much He loves us.

“A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. 11 I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” John 10:10-11 CEV

Paul gives us instruction for living in a way that will keep our blood pressure down, help our heart stay healthy and will please God.

“Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 4:31-5:2 CEV

As we go through our day let’s pay attention to the warnings around us and not ignore them.

God has a wonderful life designed just for us and He wants us to be safe!

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Life At Farmville

How many of us used to occupy our free time with Farmville?

You remember don’t you. We got a little plot of ground, tilled the soil, planted crops and had to have the help of our friends to get a good harvest. It was just a silly game but some of us made real friends with our Farmville neighbors.

This morning I sat here thinking about what to share. Two words came to mind – Survive or Thrive.

When we face a crisis in life we can do one or the other. We can pull in and emotionally block out all that is around us and hope we survive or we can utilize the resources we have at our disposal and thrive.

Jesus was teaching his disciples about thriving when He told them this parable.

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. Some of it fell on the road; it was tramped down and the birds ate it. Other seed fell in the gravel; it sprouted, but withered because it didn’t have good roots. Other seed fell in the weeds; the weeds grew with it and strangled it. Other seed fell in rich earth and produced a bumper crop.

“Are you listening to this? Really listening?” 9 His disciples asked, “Why did you tell this story?”…11-12 “This story is about some of those people. The seed is the Word of God. The seeds on the road are those who hear the Word, but no sooner do they hear it than the Devil snatches it from them so they won’t believe and be saved.

13 “The seeds in the gravel are those who hear with enthusiasm, but the enthusiasm doesn’t go very deep. It’s only another fad, and the moment there’s trouble it’s gone. 14 “And the seed that fell in the weeds—well, these are the ones who hear, but then the seed is crowded out and nothing comes of it as they go about their lives worrying about tomorrow, making money, and having fun. 15 “But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there’s a harvest.” Luke 8:5-15 MSG

Jesus told his disciples that the seed being planted was God’s word. Many things would try to keep the seed from producing a good harvest; hard hearts, troubles, being too busy, too focused on making a living.

And then there’s the good soil. The rocks have been removed, the soil has been cultivated, watered and some one is there to remove the weeds. Seed planted in that soil will bring a harvest of blessing.

During my lifetime I have been all of those different kinds of soil. God’s word, the seed, has been the same but I have thwarted its growth. But now, I am prepared to pull out the weeds of worry and fear, hard heartedness and selfishness.

Just like we needed our “friends” in Farmville to help us achieve a good crop we need our true friends to pray for us and encourage us, helping us as God’s word grows in our garden.

I am praying for all of you today. I pray that you have the strength and determination to let God’s Word grow and produce a harvest of blessing.

Our heavenly Father wants to us thrive – not just survive!

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Children Are A Blessing

A few weeks back I received a text request from our oldest granddaughter. She asked if Dave and I would write letters to her daughter, our first great granddaughter; she wants them to go in her baby book. We were honored. It isn’t something that we could quickly scribble down on a sheet of paper. This letter would be special, well-thought, it had to convey the love we feel in our heart.

Yesterday was free of projects and so I was able to pray and write a letter of blessing. I’ve only seen pictures of this sweet little angel but she has captured my heart. I am truly blessed. I feel that way about all of my children, grandchildren and now our great grandchild.

As a parent my greatest desire is for my children to love the Lord and have His Word as the foundation of their lives. My opinions, successes and failures in life, my life experience, have no real value unless they are based on the word of God. That is the only sure foundation!

“How can a young person live a pure life? By obeying your word. 10 I try with all my heart to serve you. Help me obey your commands. 11 I study your teachings very carefully so that I will not sin against you. 12 LORD, you are worthy of praise! Teach me your laws. 13 I will repeat the laws we have heard from you. 14 I enjoy following your rules as much as others enjoy great riches. 15 I will study your instructions. I will give thought to your way of life.
16 I enjoy your laws. I will not forget your word.” Psalm 119:9-16 ERV

These are the words of King David. As a young man he grew up trusting the Word of God. He found strength, wisdom and earned favor with those who were his superiors but living what he learned from God’s word. Then he had a few years where he trusted in himself and his station in life. He failed in his personal life and he failed his children. It didn’t take him long to repent, he was restored and his life became an example of godliness again.

His son, Solomon, became king following David’s death. It is said that he was the wisest and wealthiest man to have ever lived. He gave this instruction to his children.

“These are the proverbs of Solomon, the son of David and king of Israel. 2 They will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings. 3 They will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair. 4 These proverbs will make even those without education smart. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned. 5 Even the wise could become wiser by listening to these proverbs. They will gain understanding and learn to solve difficult problems. 6 These sayings will help you understand proverbs, stories with hidden meanings, words of the wise, and other difficult sayings. 7 Knowledge begins with fear and respect for the LORD, but stubborn fools hate wisdom and refuse to learn.8 My son, listen to your father when he corrects you, and don’t ignore what your mother teaches you. 9 What you learn from your parents will bring you honor and respect, like a crown or a gold medal.” Proverbs 1: 1-8 ERV

As parents and grandparents, let’s keep the word of God before our children and grandchildren. Let it be our instruction to them. We don’t need to preach AT them but live the Word of God before them.

Pray with them – Pray for them. Plant God’s word in their lives and watch it grow and bring a harvest of good for them. They are worth it!

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Building Trust

I have spent my life learning, growing and developing trust.

I’m not sure I can say that I have complete trust – if that shocks some of you, I apologize but I am being honest. I know in my heart of hearts that God is always faithful and His love is unconditional and His Word never fails but I don’t always let that lead me. Sometimes I get out ahead of God and sometimes I fall behind.

However, I trust the Lord more now than I did ten years ago. I have experienced more and experience builds trust. It works this way with the people in our lives and also in our relationship with the Lord.

“Your teachings are wonderful, and I respect them all. 130 Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people. 131 I honestly want to know everything you teach.
132 Think about me and be kind,  just as you are to everyone who loves your name. 133 Keep your promise and don’t let me stumble or let sin control my life. 134 Protect me from abuse, so I can obey your laws. 135Smile on me, your servant,  and teach me your laws. 136 When anyone disobeys you, my eyes overflow with tears. 137 Our Lord, you always do right,  and your decisions are fair. 138 All of your teachings are true and trustworthy.” Psalm 119:129-138 CEV

As I read God’s word it teaches me and gives me amazing insight. I know that God can’t and doesn’t lie – I know His love never fails – I know that He is faithful to a thousand generations! I know that He is my Savior, my healer, my provider, my counselor, my peace, my protection, my all-in-all!

Then why do I let fear or anxiety, frustration or anger, or self will invade my world? It’s because, like Peter, I take my eyes off Jesus and look at the winds and the waves. I neglect to “consider” the one thing that always provides the right answer. “All your teachings are true and trustworthy”.

Joshua and King David both said that we are to meditate on the law of the Lord day and night, then we will prosper and have good success. The Apostle Paul said that we are to renew our minds and not be conformed to this world. Jesus went aside to pray and spent time with His Father on many occasions, renewing His mind and refreshing His spirit.

Complete Trust! It’s something we grow toward and grow in as we spend more time in God’s word and in prayer. We bring our minds into obedience with His word. There is only one thing that has always been right – God and His word!

We can trust Him with our today and all of our tomorrows. I love the words of an old hymn, “Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey”.

Keep building trust!

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Number One Necessity!

In this social-distancing, stay-at-home lifestyle that we are experiencing I know there has been a lot of watching old movies – or maybe that’s just in our house. This morning one of my old favorites came to mind.

City Slickers.

Mitch, Phil & Ed give an account of their crazy misadverntures – they traveled the world and then they met Curly.
Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? [holds up one finger] This.
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and the rest don’t mean ….
Mitch: But, what is the “one thing?”
Curly: [smiles] That’s what *you* have to find out.

Most people spend their lives searching for the “one thing”. Jesus was asked this same question by a young lawyer. Jesus didn’t tell him “that’s what you have to find out” – Jesus gave him the answer.

“Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36 He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?” 37 Jesus answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:35-40 ERV

Loving the Lord with all your heart comes when we realize how very much He loves us. It isn’t something that we really have to work at. Truly knowing that God’s love is unconditional and His mercy endures forever is the foundation of our relationship. When we know, experience and accept God’s love we can return that love and as a result we can love ourselves and those around us.

Loving God becomes our number one necessity!

There was another time when Jesus was teaching in the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. Martha was very busy making the meal and having things just perfect for the Master. Her sister, Mary, was ignoring the work and listening attentively to Jesus. Martha handled it as long as she could and then she complained.

“The Lord and his disciples were traveling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said. 40 Martha was worried about all that had to be done. Finally, she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

41 The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, 42 but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 CEV

What is it that has us worried and upset? What is distracting us today?

Let’s experience our “one thing”. As we walk in love with the Lord and His love fills us, we can overflow with love to those around us.

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Stand Tall – Stand Strong

About twenty years back a movie, A Knight’s Tale, was released. It is a movie I enjoy and there is a lesson in that movie that has stuck with me all this time.

An old knight dies and one of his servants takes his place in the jousting tournaments. He has to produce patents of nobility (papers that attest to his noble lineage) in order to complete. His papers are forged. As the story goes, this knight begins winning many of the events and advances to the final games. He is discovered as a fraud and is about to be beheaded when a man steps from the crowd to validate his standing as a true knight. The man removes his hooded cloak and declares “I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable.”

The first time I heard it, that phrase burned in me like a fire! “I am the king and as such my words are uncontestable”. It still does.

Over and over again in the movie, the knight is challenged to produce his patent of nobility. Our daily life makes the same challenge. What college did we go to; what company do we work for; which area of town do we live in…the list of challenges is endless. Those are the external rebuffs to our character. The emotional ones, which we often bring on ourselves, are even more daunting. We deal with feelings of unworthiness and criticism. Satan is referred to as the “accuser of the brethren” however what God says about us exceeds any accusations that he may bring.

We have a King who is willing to attest to our rights and standing. He is Jesus Christ, King of Kings. What He say about me, trumps anything else. His word is uncontestable!!

“The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them. 15 The Spirit that we received is not a spirit that makes us slaves again and causes us to fear. The Spirit that we have makes us God’s chosen children. And with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba, Father.” Romans 8:14-15 ERV

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us.” Romans 8:31 ERV

“But you are his chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God. He chose you to tell about the wonderful things he has done. He brought you out of the darkness of sin into his wonderful light.” I Peter 2:9 ERV

“and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He is first among all who will be raised from death. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the one who loves us and has made us free from our sins with his blood sacrifice. 6 He made us his kingdom and priests who serve God his Father. To Jesus be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 ERV

Read the verses above again. Those are our patents of nobility. We walk worthy because the King says we are. His Word is without contestation!

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Welcome the Day

Yesterday morning after I posted the blog, Dave and I headed over to the canyon’s edge for an unobstructed view of the sunrise. It’s amazing to watch the valley floor begin to lighten. The clouds were hanging low over the river, the pastures were green and a golden hue chased away the night’s shadows and welcomed the day.

As the sun rose over the mountains ridge we sat in the truck and thanked our heavenly Father for the beauty of His creation; we thanked Jesus for His sacrifice of death on a cross and we thanked the Holy Spirit for His constant companionship each and every day.

They, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, have an amazing impact in my life each day. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, I am forgiven and have a life that is reconciled to God the Father. The Holy Spirit leads, instructs and gives me guidance from God’s word. My heavenly Father has filled my life with power and purpose.

“For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” II Corinthians 4:6-7 NLT

God the Father has chosen to invest His power in our lives. He doesn’t want us living a defeated, contrary and worrisome existence. He wants our lives to be filled with hope, joy and peace.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned that he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so that his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

The beauty of each morning’s sunrise is a testament to God’s faithfulness and power. He lights the world for the day’s activities and He has placed the light of His love in our hearts to be a ray of hope to all we meet.

Welcome the day with light of God’s love!

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See the Sonrise

I hope you will join me this morning for a virtual Easter Sonrise Service. It won’t be a streaming service but I pray that the light that Resurrection Morning will stream into your hearts.

I assume that the disciples sat alone and afraid in their homes honoring the Sabbath following the crucifixion but now it was the first day of the week. What would the days ahead hold for them?

The women had a plan. They would go to the tomb and finish preparing Jesus body for his burial. They left early – about sunrise and headed to the tomb where He had been laid. They were almost at their destination when there was a great earthquake. An angel appeared to roll away the stone from the opening and when the soldiers who were there guarding the tomb saw him they fainted dead away.

The women arrived to this strange scene. They were afraid. The angel spoke to them and told them that Jesus had been raised to life again. He invited them to look inside and see that the tomb was empty and then he gave them the honor of delivering the glorious message to the disciples.

“‘Now hurry! Tell his disciples that he has been raised to life and is on his way to Galilee. Go there, and you will see him. That is what I came to tell you.’ 8 The women were frightened and yet very happy, as they hurried from the tomb and ran to tell his disciples.” Matthew 28:7-8 CEV

This is really special to me. The first ones to preach the message of Jesus’ resurrection were women.

As the women were leaving the garden and heading back to tell the disciples that Jesus was alive, Jesus appeared to Mary in the garden. He called her by name.

“Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.” 16 Jesus said, “Mary.” Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!” John 20:15-16 MSG

He called her by name – that impacts me every time I read it. All through His ministry Jesus reached out to them in a personal way. Here in the garden, Jesus appears as the resurrected Son of God, in all His glory, and He hasn’t changed. He is still involving Himself personally into the lives of those who are hurting and afraid.

He called Mary by name. He knows each one of us by name too. He speaks to our hearts on a daily basis, sometimes we’re just too busy to hear Him.

I hope you will take time to listen today. Let Him speak to your heart and calm your fears. Let Him wrap you in His love. Receive forgiveness for your sin and be reconciled to the One Who died for you.

Celebrate Easter at Sonrise! Let Him rise to a place of honor in your heart.

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What Now?

We’ve been living through some dark and stormy times, wondering what’s going to happen next. Maybe you’ve been asking yourself the question “What do I do now?”. Working from home has been good, less traffic when you do go out, shorter lines in the grocery store and more time with family has all been good. However, there is the unanswered question of how much longer this will go on and what do we do now.

Some of you reading this are on the front lines. You are medical personnel; doctors, nurses, lab technicians, urgent care staff and hospital support staff. You are joined by police, fire, ambulance, truck drivers and grocery store teammates who are overworked and under appreciated. You, too, are asking what now?

It’s a place we’ve never been before and hopefully we will never go again. We need to make it through. We need to support and encourage one another.

There’s one other group that I inadvertently left out and they deserve our attention. They are a mixed group; fisherman, tax collectors, housewives, doctors and a some religious zealots. They are grouped together and asking the same question – what now?

They aren’t getting any recognition at all. Their world has been turned upside down and they are in danger of loosing their lives. Right now we find them locked behind closed doors not wanting to step out into the light of day. Maybe you’ve guessed who I’m talking about – these are Jesus disciples.

There’s really nothing written in the Bible about what they were doing the day following the crucifixion. But I can imagine that their world was reeling like a small boat on a stormy sea. Jesus was dead, would they be next? What now? The One they had always turned too in crisis wasn’t there, what now?

Were they too frazzled to remember the instruction Jesus had given them just a couple days before?

“Jesus said to his disciples, “Don’t be worried! Have faith in God and have faith in me.” John 14:1 CEV

His final words before He was arrested are recorded in John 14, 15, 16 and 17. Jesus was preparing them for what was to come. He was also spending time with the Father, in prayer, preparing Himself for what He would go through.

What now?

“I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.

27 “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.” John 14:25-29 ERV

This is the answer to our question of what now. This is the instruction Jesus left for us. Don’t be worried, have faith in God. The Holy Spirit has come to be our Helper and Jesus has given us His peace so we don’t have to be troubled and afraid.

On this day before the victory of the resurrection, our answer to the question “what now” is trust God!

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