Category: January2020

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Built on Love

Years ago Dave and I had the privilege to share God’s love with the working cowboys of Arizona, Nevada and even into California. Cowboys would gather, sometimes for just a Friday night or a Sunday and other times for a long weekend at what we called Cowboy Campmeetings.

I miss those days. The time with friends, the great Country Gospel music, testimonies of what God was doing on the ranches and in the hearts of the cowboys and the Word. The teaching of the Word was so rich; lives were changed. Folks were saved, baptized and freed from past sin and guilt.

We made dear and life time friends. But the thing that touched me most was the sincerity and simplicity of the faith of those who were there. There was no pretense, no hypocrisy. It was just genuine love for the Lord. Yes, I miss those days.

Wonderful times!

A song we use to sing in Cowboy Church was “I keep falling in love with Him over and over and over and over again. He gets sweeter and sweeter as the days so by – oh, what a love between my Lord and I; I keep falling in love with Him over and over and over and over again.”

This was and is still my daily ambition. Falling in love with Him and getting to know the depth of His love for me. That’s what the Apostle Paul prayed for the Christians who lived at Ephesus nearly 2000 years ago. It is my prayer for us today.

“I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:16-21 ERV

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End of the Weak

Many of you are at the end of another work week and all of us are almost at the end of the month of January. Oh my, that went by so quickly!

How many times has worry captured our attention and weakened our resolve in the past few weeks? How many times have we ended the day exhausted and stressed out because of the circumstances we have faced?

“Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you not to worry about your life!” Luke 12:22

It just doesn’t get much plainer than that. This isn’t a suggestion or a nice idea and it’s not an impossible concept. It is a direct admonition from Jesus and because of that He must have the solution to our propensity for worry.

Plain – simple – truth! I love that the Lord knew we would have multiple opportunities to worry each day yet His instruction is that we do the exact opposite. How can this be?

He knows something we all should be learning daily. He knows how much the Father loves and cares for us.

“Don’t worry about having something to eat or wear. 23 Life is more than food or clothing. 24 Look at the crows! They don’t plant or harvest, and they don’t have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds. 25 Can worry make you live longer? 26 If you don’t have power over small things, why worry about everything else?

27 Look how the wild flowers grow! They don’t work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn’t as well clothed as one of these flowers. 28 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won’t he do even more for you? You have such little faith! 29 Don’t keep worrying about having something to eat or drink.” Luke 12:22-29 CEV

This means that we don’t have to worry about the finances that we will need to buy the groceries, the clothing or to provide a place to live. We can trust our Father. I remember when our kids were younger. They weren’t concerned about having enough to eat; they just expected to open the fridge and find something to eat. They trusted that we would provide for them; in fact, they would add items to the grocery list.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

We can’t trust and worry at the same time. They are contrary to one another. I encourage you, don’t let another week end where you are stressed or worried. Worry weakens the body and the emotions. Each day hand your cares to the Father and trust Him to handle them. He can and He will!

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Coat of Many Colors

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Joseph. There is so much that we can learn from him.

It seems life dealt him an unfair fate. He had ten older brothers but he was his father’s favorite and he knew it. There was definitely some sibling rivalry going on in this family. Joseph told his brothers and his father that he had dreamed they would all bow down to him one day.

Joseph’s brothers were so angry with him that they were tempted to kill him. Cooler heads prevailed and they sold him to slave traders. He was transported to Egypt. His brothers concocted a story of finding Joseph’s coat covered in blood and they told their father they believed he had been killed by wild animals.

Joseph was bought by the official in charge of the palace guard and served him well. Everything Joseph did had a sense of excellence. His master’s wife was a flirtatious woman and she tried continually to get Joseph to go to bed with her. He refused. Frustrated by his constant refusal, she accused Joseph of rape and he was thrown into prison.

Once again, Joseph excelled in his duties and became the servant of the captain of the guard. He was imprisoned for twelve years before he was brought before Pharaoh. Pharaoh recognized that God’s hand was on Joseph and that he was a man filled with wisdom. Pharaoh appointed Joseph to the highest position in Egypt, no one except the Pharaoh had more authority.

Never once do we read of Joseph complaining about the fate that had befallen him. Not once is it recorded that he spoke evil of his brothers. Repeatedly we read that Joseph served God, God blessed him and he was faithful to God.

A famine came to the entire region. Because of Joseph’s wise counsel Egypt had stored grain and had surplus to sell to its people. This is where we encounter Joseph’s brothers again. They came to Egypt to buy grain for their family.

The brothers didn’t recognize Joseph when they came to buy grain. Through a series of circumstances the brothers came before Joseph several more times before Joseph revealed his true identity. Now the brothers were scared; they were frightened Joseph would retaliate by taking their lives or imprisoning them. Look at Joseph’s reaction:

“Joseph could stand it no longer. There were many people in the room, and he said to his attendants, “Out, all of you!” So he was alone with his brothers when he told them who he was. 2 Then he broke down and wept. He wept so loudly the Egyptians could hear him, and word of it quickly carried to Pharaoh’s palace.

3 “I am Joseph!” he said to his brothers. “Is my father still alive?” But his brothers were speechless! They were stunned to realize that Joseph was standing there in front of them. 4 “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. 5 But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. 6 This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. 7 God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. 8 So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.” Genesis 45:1-8 NLT

Joseph treated his brothers with loving kindness. His focus was to provide for the well being of those who hated him and had lied about him. He didn’t hold the hurt that such a betrayal would foster. Joseph used each situation to honor God. (I encourage you to read Joseph’s life story in Genesis from chapters 37-50.)

Everyone of us have probably experienced some sort of betrayal from loved ones, maybe not as severe as what Joseph did but betrayal all the same. We can spend our days looking back in bitterness or looking up with gratitude for God’s provision.

“I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” Isaiah 61:10 NLT

Joseph’s coat of many colors was a sign of his father’s love. We have been given a robe of righteousness; it too is a sign of our Father’s love. Let’s be like Joseph.

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Winning Strategy

Have you ever struggled with something – a new computer program, a project at work, or a relationship? You were sure you knew exactly what to do to make it work but your efforts ended in failure.

Not long before King David died, he told Solomon:

“My son, I will soon die, as everyone must. But I want you to be strong and brave. 3 Do what the Lord your God commands and follow his teachings. Obey everything written in the Law of Moses. Then you will be a success, no matter what you do or where you go.” I Kings 2:1-3 CEV

Our thinking or reasoning isn’t always the best. Take Joshua as an example. He was tasked with conquering the city of Jericho. It was a walled, well fortified city, many people lived there and the city was guarded. I’m sure Joshua was developing a plan of attack when the Lord spoke to him.

“Meanwhile, the people of Jericho had been locking the gates in their town wall because they were afraid of the Israelites. No one could go out or come in. 2-3 The Lord said to Joshua: With my help, you and your army will defeat the king of Jericho and his army, and you will capture the town. Here is how to do it: March slowly around Jericho once a day for six days. 4 Take along the sacred chest and have seven priests walk in front of it, carrying trumpets. But on the seventh day, march slowly around the town seven times while the priests blow their trumpets. 5 Then the priests will blast on their trumpets, and everyone else will shout. The wall will fall down, and your soldiers can go straight in from every side.” Joshua 6:1-5 CEV

Seriously, was he supposed to take a city by marching around and blowing trumpets? It wasn’t the tactic that caused Joshua to be successful. He captured it by being obedient to what the Lord has said!

“The priests blew their trumpets again, and the soldiers shouted as loud as they could. The walls of Jericho fell flat. Then the soldiers rushed up the hill, went straight into the town, and captured it.” Joshua 6:20 CEV

What is our “Jericho”? Is it the challenges we face at work, a rocky relationship with someone who had been a close friend or loved family member, a looming financial crisis or perhaps a health issue?

If we’ve been trying to figure out the correct strategy on our own it’s time to listen to the One who has the perfect solution. When we do, we’ll be victorious!

“No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” Romans 8:37 NLT

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The Crowning Touch

When I was in high school we were required to write an essay for English. In it, we were to describe what we wanted to do as a career. I thought long and hard, then it came to me, I would like to be a florist.

I worked at the local Dairy Queen after school and on weekends. Right next door was a florist. I would see the people come and go, picking up beautiful bouquets and arrangements. They all had smiling faces. When you stepped in the door, the fragrance was heavenly. I decided I would like to bring that kind of joy to people!

That career path never came to be. However, my love for fresh cut flowers and the beautiful arrangements is still close to the top of the list of things that bring a smile to my face. This morning I found these verses in Proverbs and I thought “how wonderful, God has blessed me with the beauty of flowers”.

“Be wise and learn good sense; remember my teachings and do what I say. 6 If you love Wisdom and don’t reject her, she will watch over you. 7 The best thing about Wisdom is Wisdom herself; good sense is more important than anything else. 8 If you value Wisdom and hold tightly to her, great honors will be yours. 9 It will be like wearing
a glorious crown of beautiful flowers.” Proverbs 4:5-9 CEV

Each day I can come to God’s Word and find wisdom. Did you notice that Solomon talks about Wisdom as a person, a beautiful woman? That she is. Wisdom provides direction, nurturing, common sense and loving provision. She is a wonderful asset and she adds beauty to our lives.

These are the words of the wisest man who ever lived. When the Lord asked him what he desired from the Lord his answer was Wisdom. Solomon wanted to rule wisely; he wanted His kingdom to be respected and honored. God blessed him with his request.

We can bring beauty to our kingdom by gaining wisdom. Our homes can be filled with it; we can bring respect and honor to our places of business and the schools we attend.

You may be feeling that you lack wisdom. I know that feeling well. However, God has not abandon us or left us to our own devices.

“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:5-8 NLT

Let’s take some beauty to the world. Wear wisdom like a crown, a crown of beautiful flowers!

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Choosing Sides

Whose side are you on anyway?

Have you ever asked that question or been asked that question? Choosing sides in an argument can be risky business. Choosing sides in life is a necessity!

There are political affiliations, sports teams, environmental issues, auto preferences, dietary selections and those are just the trivial. Each day our life is filled with decisions, choosing one side over another.

But there isn’t always two sides to every story or situation. Joshua, the leader of Israel, found that out very quickly.

“One day, Joshua was near Jericho when he saw a man standing some distance in front of him. The man was holding a sword, so Joshua walked up to him and asked, “Are you on our side or on our enemies’ side?” 14 “Neither,” he answered. “I am here because I am the commander of the Lord’s army.” Joshua fell to his knees and bowed down to the ground. “I am your servant,” he said. “Tell me what to do.” 15 “Take off your sandals,” the commander answered. “This is a holy place.” So Joshua took off his sandals.” Joshua 5:13-15 CEV

It’s not my side or your side of things that’s important. It’s God side. If we want to be right, we need to be on God’s side and then there is no other side. Joshua immediately recognized what he needed to do, he needed to be on God’s side. He recognized God’s authority and made himself, and as a result the children of Israel, subservient to the Lord.

There are many choices before us. The important thing is to choose the premise or foundation for our lives that we are willing to build everything else on. Then we make the smaller decisions line up with our foundational purpose and we have true direction.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 20 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 NLT

The winning side is always the best and when God is leading there should be no hesitation. Whose side are you on?

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But God

We had a wonderful time yesterday while on our family camping weekend. We visited a local attraction known as the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. The animals were amazing and we had a great time. (I’ll tell you more about this in another blog.) While feeding the animals I was particularly focused on some of the birds that we hand fed.

A few days back I reminded you that God’s love for us is so much greater than His love for the birds, and since it is, we can trust Him in all things. He is rich in mercy and love. Anytime things seemed stacked against us, remember this, BUT GOD! God is in control and He loves us so deeply. How can we not come out a winner when we know that no matter what happens BUT GOD?

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.” Ephesians 2:4-8

There isn’t a problem too big or a reward so great that they aren’t solved or enriched by BUT GOD. The enemy of every Christian is satan and he sends many challenges and problems to discourage and destroy BUT GOD… Then we also have rewards and opportunities that look too good to pass up BUT GOD will show us if they are traps to get us off course or if they are really opportunities He is sending to bless us.

The old saying no ifs, ands or buts about it, was used to drive home a point that something was solid or unchangeable. The Lord is our miracle worker and nothing is impossible with Him.

“So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32

As you go about your day, when things come up and they will, remember BUT GOD and know that He is for you so anyone or anything that is against you has to face no one else BUT GOD!

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Stacking Stones

My morning Bible reading has been in the book of Genesis. The last few days I have been reliving the experiences of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jacob is a very interesting character. He’s a conniver, a schemer – a real con man. And then he has a personal encounter with God; in his sleep he dreamt he saw a ladder leading to heaven.

“The next morning Jacob got up very early. He took the stone he had rested his head against, and he set it upright as a memorial pillar. Then he poured olive oil over it. 19 He named that place Bethel (which means “house of God”), although it was previously called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made this vow: “If God will indeed be with me and protect me on this journey, and if he will provide me with food and clothing, 21 and if I return safely to my father’s home, then the Lord will certainly be my God. 22 And this memorial pillar I have set up will become a place for worshiping God, and I will present to God a tenth of everything he gives me.” Genesis 28:18-22 NLT

Joshua also stacked stones as a memorial for the people of Israel when they crossed in to the Promised Land. Jesus is called the chief cornerstone. Stones were used to mark important occasions in the Bible. They were permanent, they couldn’t be destroyed.

When we moved to our home in Southern Arizona I enjoyed looking at the yards of our neighbors as I would be out on a walk. Most of the yards had stacks of rocks piled at one corner of the property. Some stacks were tall, others were just 3 or 4 large rocks set one upon the other.

One day I asked a neighbor why the rocks? He told me that is was something that had been done in our area for hundreds of years. It was a way of marking a particular area. He wasn’t sure why, but they decided to place a traditional stack of rocks in their yard.

The stones that Jacob stacked had meaning. He even named the place so that all who came that way would know of his meeting with God. Through the years the stones were a testimony of God’s goodness. They spoke of Jacob’s faith in God.

There are things in each of our lives that should be memorialized. Times when the Lord has met us in a special way. We should tell our children and our neighbors of God’s goodness. The first big stone we place can be a reminder of when God showed us His overwhelming love and brought us into relationship with Himself. Then there could be more stones stacked throughout the years; healing, deliverance, baptism of the Holy Spirit, protection, provision, etc.

We have placed a stack of seven large stones in our front yard. It took seven years to sell our home in Montana and move back to Arizona. Those stones commemorate God’s faithfulness to us.

“Then Joshua told the people: Years from now your children will ask you why these rocks are here. 22-23 Tell them, “The Lord our God dried up the Jordan River so we could walk across. He did the same thing here for us that he did for our people at the Red Sea, 24 because he wants everyone on earth to know how powerful he is. And he wants us to worship only him.” Joshua 4:21-24 CEV

I’m sure you have plenty of reasons to make your own stack of stones. Don’t stack stones as a matter of tradition but as a source of testimony.

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A Trusted Friend

Who is your most trusted friend? Your spouse, someone you’ve known for years or someone new in your life? This is the person that you know would never lie to you…when they give their word, they keep it even if it is detrimental to their own well being. They know you are counting on them and they would never let you down.

Think about them for a minute. I’ll wait…(silly fact, I am sitting here waiting for you to think).

Now let me share with you what I found in God’s word this morning.

“We believe what people tell us. But we can trust what God says even more, and God is the one who has spoken about his Son. 10 If we have faith in God’s Son, we have believed what God has said. But if we don’t believe what God has said about his Son, it is the same as calling God a liar. 11 God has also said that he gave us eternal life and that this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God’s Son, we have this life. But if we don’t have the Son, we don’t have this life.” I John 5:9-12 CEV

We can trust what God says even more than we trust our closest friend. When we read God’s word and hear what He has promised do we believe He is telling us the truth; that it really will happen or are we just wishing and hoping that God’s word is true and going to work for us?

How would our relationship with that “trusted” friend be hindered if they knew we weren’t really confident that they were going to do what they said they would? It would weaken the relationship for sure.

I’m encouraging you this morning to strengthen your relationship with the Father. Don’t hope His word is true – spend time talking with Him, watching Him and listening to Him speak through the pages of His word and then confidently trust Him to do what He says He will do.

I grew up with the mindset that we hope for the best but never really know what to expect from God. We just never know what He might do. Yes, God’s ways are higher than ours. He never lies or misrepresents. He doesn’t mislead by insinuation. His thoughts and ways are so much better than anything we can imagine.

Can you imagine if you had been David facing Goliath and only “hoping” that God would show up and things would work out right? Or Moses standing at the edge of the Red Sea with the Egyptians behind him and hoping that God was going to provide a way across to safety? These men had trusted God, taken Him at His word and they knew God would not lie.

Trust, complete trust, should be our response to God’s word. It has never failed and it never will! That’s why I’ve chosen Numbers 23:19 as my favorite verse in the Bible.

“God is not a man; he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change. If he says he will do something, then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” ERV

When we make God’s word the final authority in every area of life we will never be disappointed. His counsel is trustworthy.

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Working Together

I love to bake and quite frankly my family and friends like it when I do. They become the recipients of the cinnamon rolls, banana breads, dinner rolls and cookies. It works well. Most of the time I find myself working alone in the kitchen but I really enjoy having someone there with me, working side by side.

That’s the way it is with the things of life; the load is lighter, the chore becomes more enjoyable, when we have someone to do it with. Washing the car turns into a child like experience of playing in the water; yardwork becomes a nature lesson and house cleaning can become a dance party.

Can you imagine a loaf of bread with no leavening? It would just be crackers. All the ingredients are necessary to accomplished the desired end. A car may look pretty but without fuel it will go nowhere; garden soil can be properly prepared and planted but without water and sunshine the harvest will be limited.

The same is true for us who call ourselves Christians. We need one another. The Apostle Paul said we are one body, each with different parts, working together to glorify Christ Jesus, who is the head of the body.

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:15-16 NLT

There’s really no reason to be jealous of what someone else can do. We have all been given special talents and abilities to help those around us grow. We are God’s one-of-a-kind design and no one else can do our part as well as we can.

Ask the Lord to show you who you can help today. Who needs a word of encouragement, who needs a helping hand? When we work together we are an example of His love.

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