Month: May 2021

I’ve mentioned before that I sing myself to sleep almost every night with Christian songs of all types. I’ve noticed the older I get the more the songs focus on heaven. I wonder why that is? There is a song that I just came across that may give us the answer. “Everybody dreams of going home it seems; lately I’m no excepon to the rule. But home is so much more than windows, walls and doors; it’s a warm embrace and smiling faces awaiting you. Home, where there is no night. Home, where the Son is the light; the place I’ve been dreaming of so long. Loved ones there to welcome me, but His sweet face will be the first I see. When my journey’s over I am going home.”

As the writer of Hebrews puts it, “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) We are traveling through this world on a mission. We are here to let the light of God’s love, mercy and grace shine through us onto all of those around us. In a very real sense, every Christian is on a missionary journey bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our little part of the world. We don’t have to preach; just show others the love and grace God has shown us by simply sharing our blessings, our love and our personal story of what a relationship with God has meant in our life. Every story is different, but they are all very powerful.

I’ve written before that my first real test as a young Christian was the loss of my mother when I was only 14. The young pastor who water baptized my mother and me took me aside at her funeral and assured me that I will be with her again someday. Many years later, when my father died, I was a married man who felt like an orphan. Then the biggest loss of all occurred when my wife of fifty years went on home ahead of me. The only thing that has gotten me through those separations is the knowledge that where they are I will be also someday. As a Christian, I have God’s promise that whether my journey ends tomorrow or after my 100^th birthday, my permanent home is prepared and waiting for me. My mind cannot comprehend a life without that hope.

Maybe you have a Christian grandparent, parent or even your spouse who has reached or is nearing the end of their journey. Take heart in the knowledge that they are going home to be with their Lord and the friends and relatives who are waiting to welcome them. Then, without the pains and limitations of this life, they will join your welcoming party someday. You will come home to a celebration at the end of your journey like nothing you have experienced or even dreamed of here on earth. I look forward to embracing my wife and my parents again; but even more important to me will be embracing and thanking the One who died for my sins and went ahead to prepare a place for me in His presence forever.          

I want to share a story I read several years ago. The famous old time Hollywood actor, director and producer Charles Laughton was fresh out of college and beginning his career as a stage actor in London in 1926. A friend invited him to Christmas dinner at his English manor and he eagerly accepted. They had a delicious five course meal and then they all moved into the parlor. The host announced that it was a family tradition on Christmas that everyone present shares a favorite scripture. As the guest, Charles Laughton started things off by standing and giving a dramatic recitation of the 23^rd Psalm. When he finished everyone applauded and cheered. They continued around the room with each person quoting their favorite verse or passage of scripture. Finally they came to an elderly aunt who had dozed off in her chair. They gently woke her and asked if she had a scripture she would like to share. She nodded yes and in a soft voice she began, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want…” When she finished the 23^rd Psalm, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Later, as they were saying their goodbyes, the host mentioned to the actor about the very different reaction he and the old lady had gotten. Charles Laughton replied, “The answer is simple my friend; I know the Psalm – she knows the Shepherd.” Sadly, reading his biography, it doesn’t appear that Charles Laughton ever got to know the Shepherd.

Many people, including me, have a personal relationship with the Shepherd through scripture. In my case, John 3:16 was what drew me to accept Christ as my Savior. But it was only then that the Bible took on deep significant meaning for me and I began to understand the full depth of that verse. Reading and studying scripture is an important part of the Christian life. However, you can read the Bible from cover to cover again and again memorizing chapter and verse; but without that personal relationship with the Shepherd, it is simply a mental exercise that is of no benefit to you.  

Here is the King James Version that Charles Laughton and that elderly lady quoted. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Here is the NLT version that I normally use in my blog. “The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength; He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”    

My favorite cowboy philosopher, Will Rogers, once said, “The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.” I used to enjoy watching films of him twirling a rope and sharing home spun wisdom, humor and observations. Reading this particular quote reminded me that the devil doesn’t just put obstacles in our path to trip us up; he also tries to sidetrack us on a “short cut” that doesn’t lead to where we want to go and he provides tempting spots to pull off and park for a while.

The New Testament writers compare the Christian life to an endurance race. Here are just a few examples. “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.’ (Philippians 3:14) “Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.” (Philippians 2:16) ‘You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth?” (Galatians 5:7) I have written before that my life as a child of God has truly been a marathon and not a short dash to the finish line.

I think another analogy of my Christian life would be a long road trip that I am still travelling toward my eternal destination. Unlike an endurance race, I make short stops along the way to refuel. I refuel my spirit with prayer, worship, fellowship and Bible study. I refuel my body with food and water. Each night I stop to rest my mind and body so exhaustion does not put an end to my journey. Along the way, I have encountered rough roads, storms and brief detours. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit is with me every mile; guiding me along the route God wants me to take. He points out every opportunity to help others on their trip. He warns me of obstacles and false short cuts that lead away from my destination. And yes, He warns me of those tempting, shady parking spaces the enemy has placed along my way. The Holy Spirit erects “No Parking” signs to keep me focused on my journey.

We often concentrate on the storms and obstacles of the enemy, but his most effective ploy is to make us comfortably parked on our couch or in our easy chair; stopping our Christian journey far from the finish line. As I’ve said many times before, when the Holy Spirit prompts you to action, there are only two choices; do it or regret it. Whether you think of your Christian journey as a race or a road trip; keep on keeping on!         

Whether you know him as Lucifer, Satan, the devil or just the enemy, he is everything God isn’t. God is love and truth. For this blog post I will call him the devil and there is no love or truth in him. He is a liar and the father of lies. He takes scripture out of context to make his lies seem plausible (like he did when he tempted Jesus). As Lucifer he was an archangel, but he was thrown out of heaven like a lightning bolt along with the angels who followed him in rebellion against God. He found out the hard way that he is not as powerful as his creator. Sadly, a lot of men and women have found that out the hard way too. It reminds me of a Broadway musical in the mid 1970’s titled “Your arms too short to box with God.”  

Ever since then, the devil has been prowling the Earth like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) He will never know us as God knows us. However, one thing is certain; the devil knows our sins and our weakest spots to attack.  It has been said that the devil knows our name but calls us by our sins; God knows our sins but calls us by our name. When you want to know your weaknesses, all you have to do is pay attention to what the devil is tempting you to do, say or think. That is your weakest link; pray for strength in that area. Don’t give the devil more power than he actually has. He can’t separate you from God, but he will try to trip you up as you pursue your calling. The Holy Spirit within you is much more powerful and He gives you authority and power to rebuke the devil and overcome anything he throws at you.      

Personally, I find the devil brings back my painful memories of the past, either in a dream or random thoughts. Feeling the weight of those sad memories I cry out, “Lord help me!” Then I realize He has already forgiven me of that mistake or brought me through that bad experience and I praise Him for it and then get back to serving Him. The devil also brings back memories of temptations I overcame in an attempt to get me to dwell on what would have happened if I had given in to them. I immediately say, “That didn’t happen and never will!” and those thoughts vanish. The next time the devil reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. Revelation 20:10; “Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

One of my friends who is a little younger than me told me recently, “Getting old is certainly not for sissies”. I had to agree, but there are also advantages to being blessed with a long life. I remember reading about a woman who was celebrating her 100^th birthday. The local TV station sent a reporter and cameraman to cover the event. The woman seemed so happy and elated by all of the attention and the reporter asked, “What is the best thing about being 100 years old.” She immediately replied, “No peer pressure!” I can relate to that comment even though I’m still a long way from my 100^th birthday. As a matter of fact, I commented just the other day that my parents taught me to respect my elders, but at my age it is getting harder and harder to find any of them.

One of the biggest advantages I have found of old age is experience. God has given me 78 years of life experiences and He isn’t done with me yet. What is most important is that 67 of those years have been spent experiencing life as a born again child of God. We have all heard the expression “experience is the best teacher”. The problem is that the lessons experience teaches are usually based on our mistakes and that can be painful. I learned at a fairly young age to heed the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” Learning from others’ mistakes is also much less painful. There is a reason God takes us through the history of mankind in the scriptures of the Old Testament. We find stories of the good, bad and ugly on those pages that teach us what we should do or should not do in our personal relationship with God. It bothers me when some people want to rewrite more modern history; eliminating mistakes they deem offensive. Being offended just might keep us from making those same mistakes. I especially hate it when they try to rewrite history while I’m still living it and know the first-hand truth.

Looking back on all of the countless experiences I’ve had as a Christian, it is hard for me to imagine a future situation that will not seem like familiar territory to me. God got me through it before and He will do it again. You younger Christians reading this haven’t experienced as many situations as I have, but you do have the Holy Spirit within you and He is never surprised or at a loss in any situation. I have never made a mistake when I have followed His prompting. I always learn to get through it with His help because it is all familiar territory to Him. 

I mentioned in a previous post that one of the gifts God gives us is peace. “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:27) Jesus’ inner peace allowed Him to be sound asleep while the boat He was in was being battered by wind and waves frightening even the seasoned fishermen among His disciples. (Matthew 8:23-27) Now, He has left that same peace not only to His disciples, but to every Christian believer and follower.

We most often think of peace as a cease of war or hostility. World War I was billed as “the war to end all wars”. It obviously didn’t live up to its billing, because we have had another World War and continue to experience countless regional wars and armed conflicts to this day; more than a century after the end of World War I. Jesus tells His disciples (and us), “And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic Yes, these things must take place but the end won’t follow immediately.” (Mark 13:7) So, that definition of peace doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight as we look around the world.

One of the reasons physical conflicts and hostilities continue is that there is a constant spiritual battle going on between good and evil. That battle not only takes place between angels and demons and between the children of God and the follows of Satan; but that spiritual battle goes on in the mind and heart of every unbeliever. Do you remember that battle within you before you accepted Jesus Christ? I do, even at the age of eleven. Now I have the Holy Spirit within me to help me fight off the attacks from the enemy and find inner peace despite the storm that is rocking my boat.

Like salvation, inner peace is a gift from God that we must accept and open before we possess it. How often do we Christians leave the presents God has given us wrapped and unopen? My Christian brother or sister, if you are troubled or afraid, open that gift Jesus has left for you and enjoy the inner peace you can’t find in the world; inner peace that is oblivious to the storms and conflicts around you. I assure you when your mind and heart are at peace no matter what is going on around you, the prompting of the Holy Spirit will become louder and clearer and your Christian life will be full. “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 4:7)         

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living from what we get. We make a life from what we give.” There is a lot of wisdom in those words. I have written before about the joy of sharing our blessings with others. The Bible has a lot to say about giving. The most familiar verses are those we hear quoted when a TV evangelist is seeking financial support. We are reminded, “For the Lord loves a person who gives cheerfully.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) But we don’t often hear the first part of that same verse; “You must each decide in your own heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure.” We are also encouraged to sow “seed money” in order to reap a harvest of wealth. It is true that we will reap what we sow, but that applies to a whole lot more than money.

The Apostle Paul tells us something about giving that seems quite obvious. “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” (2 Corinthians 8:12) I think Paul is telling us if we concentrate on what we don’t have we will be less willing to give some of what we have. But if we concentrate on what we have, we will be more likely to share some of it with those less fortunate than ourselves. In a much broader sense, people sometimes do try to give what they don’t have. Have you ever known an unwise person who tries to give others “wise” advice? I think sometimes Christians try to give others encouragement when they lack it in their own life. You cannot share or give what you don’t possess. I want us to concentrate for a moment on why Christians give rather than what we give.

As Christians, we are children of a very generous Heavenly Father. He gave His own son to die so that we may live a new and eternal life. He doesn’t just give us our daily bread; He gives us every breath in our lungs and every beat of our hearts. As I think back on 50 years of marriage, I am reminded of Proverbs 19:14. “Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.” God has blessed me with so much more than earthly treasures. He gives me peace that the world can’t give. (See John 14:27) He gives me rest from my burdens (See Matthew 11:28-30) He gives me all of these priceless gifts and so much more that no one can take from me. So what am I to give Him in return for all He has given me – a bright colored tie on Fathers’ Day? Of course not! I want to give Him whatever He wants. All He wants is for us to obey His Holy Spirit within us; to love Him with all of our mind, heart and soul; and then to love and share with others as if we were doing it directly to Him. In a very real sense that is exactly the way we give to Him. (Matthew 25:40) We love and obey because He loves us. We give because He has given us life.

I thought 2020 was bad with illness, shut downs and restrictions; but 2021 doesn’t seem that much better so far. Some restrictions are being lifted, but just about all of my Christian friends are going through some sort of difficulty or problem and it seems there is an increase in the number of prayer requests coming to our prayer team. The good news is that there is also an increase in the number of praise reports of answered prayer as well. I have admitted before that I am neither a prophet nor a student of end time prophesy. But this increase of activity by the enemy and his demons on earth matched by the increased presence of God and His angels seems to point to an ominous escalation of that battle that has been raging since Adam and Eve.

It has never been more important for Christians to be active for our Lord. We need to increase our prayer time and our scripture based devotions. We need to reach out with love and the Gospel of Christ to those who are hurting; lifting them up in every way we possibly can. As the world becomes darker, God’s light within us will become brighter and brighter. We are in the world but it must become obvious that we are not of the world. As the battle lines are being drawn we need to strengthen our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God hears and answers our prayers. A few months ago, when prayer requests from friends and church goers increased, I began to close each intercessory prayer with praise to God for hearing and answering my prayer even before the word “Amen” crossed my lips. I now close all of my prayers with that same confidence.

Daniel gives us a behind the scenes look at what happens when we fervently pray. In response to Daniel’s prayer, the angel Gabriel explained to him, “The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God.” (Daniel 9:23) In the next chapter, Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days. Again Gabriel showed up in answer to his prayer and told him the order went out from God the moment he began praying, but a spirit prince of the enemy blocked his way until the archangel Michael took on the spirit prince allowing Gabriel to get to Daniel 21 days after he had received the order from God. These passages of scripture give us insight into three things. First, God hears and responds to our prayers even before we finish them. Second, the spiritual battle between good and evil has been raging for a long time although not as apparent as it is today. Last, but certainly not least, we are precious to God.   

Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we have God’s Holy Spirit within us. God doesn’t have to dispatch an angel to explain something to us as He did Daniel. Peter assures us that, like Daniel, we are precious to God. “You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:4) So my precious brother or sister in Christ pray with complete confidence in every circumstance. 

It has never been more important for Christians to be active for our Lord. We need to increase our prayer time and our scripture based devotions. We need to reach out with love and the Gospel of Christ to those who are hurting; lifting them up in every way we possibly can. As the world becomes darker, God’s light within us will become brighter and brighter. We are in the world but it must become obvious that we are not of the world. As the battle lines are being drawn we need to strengthen our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. God hears and answers our prayers. A few months ago, when prayer requests from friends and church goers increased, I began to close each intercessory prayer with praise to God for hearing and answering my prayer even before the word “Amen” crossed my lips. I now close all of my prayers with that same confidence.

Daniel gives us a behind the scenes look at what happens when we fervently pray. In response to Daniel’s prayer, the angel Gabriel explained to him, “The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God.” (Daniel 9:23) In the next chapter, Daniel prayed and fasted for 21 days. Again Gabriel showed up in answer to his prayer and told him the order went out from God the moment he began praying, but a spirit prince of the enemy blocked his way until the archangel Michael took on the spirit prince allowing Gabriel to get to Daniel 21 days after he had received the order from God. These passages of scripture give us insight into three things. First, God hears and responds to our prayers even before we finish them. Second, the spiritual battle between good and evil has been raging for a long time although not as apparent as it is today. Last, but certainly not least, we are precious to God.   

Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we have God’s Holy Spirit within us. God doesn’t have to dispatch an angel to explain something to us as He did Daniel. Peter assures us that, like Daniel, we are precious to God. “You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.” (1 Peter 3:4) So my precious brother or sister in Christ pray with complete confidence in every circumstance. 

After reading some especially hateful posts on social media, the words of an old song came to my mind. “What the world needs now is love, sweet love. It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of. What the world needs now is love, sweet love; no not just for some, but for everyone.” That song came out in 1965, the year I left the Air Force to return to civilian life; but it has never been more appropriate than it is today.

John 3:16 describes the depth of God’s love for us. It is a love that is beyond our human understanding. The entire gospel of John is a tribute to Jesus’ love; which John experienced firsthand. It is the Apostle Paul who gives us a definition of love we are capable of understanding and practicing; it is a way of life and not a temporary emotion. I have referenced that scripture before comparing it to the love Carol and I shared as husband and wife, but it applies equally to any and all relationships.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!…Three things will last forever – faith, hope and love – and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 & 13)

We entered this world with only our body, mind and soul. When we leave this world, we will be traveling even lighter without our used body and we can’t take any earthly possessions when we depart. There are three things we can take with us when we leave this world; faith, hope and love. We can’t take them with us if we haven’t learned to possess them here on earth by making them part of our life. As you pack them for your final journey, don’t forget the most important one is love!