Month: September 2021

I saw a photo recently of a sign in front of a church. The message read, “When the power of love becomes stronger than the love of power, we will experience peace.” I don’t believe the enemy will allow that to happen on a world-wide scale until he is finally defeated by Jesus Christ and His heavenly army at Armageddon at the end of the tribulation. But it is very possible on a personal level today. I have become very familiar with the power of love.

It was the power of God’s love that drew me to accept Jesus Christ as my personal savior. Did I experience shame, remorse, fear of eternal punishment and repentance? Sure I did, but it was Jesus’ description of God’s love for me in John 3:16 that sealed the deal. It was God’s powerful love that dropped me to my knees at the altar of that church to be spiritually reborn by His mercy and grace. I have continued to feel that powerful love and return it to Him to the best of my ability throughout my Christian life.

I am very familiar with the power of love between a husband and wife who also know God’s powerful love. The power of such love cannot be exaggerated. I’ve quoted before from the song Living on Love, but this line brings back strong memories from our marriage. “It sounds simple, that’s what you’re thinking, but love can walk through fire without blinking. It doesn’t take much; you’ll get enough, living on love.”

One of the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit within us is love. It is a powerful love that reaches out to everyone around us, even those who don’t love us. (Luke 6:32) It is one of the characteristics that separate us from the world around us and it is hard for others to ignore or understand. Our acts of kindness are that love put into action. (1 John 3:18) It is multiplied when shared between the sons and daughters of God. I cannot describe the power of the love between brothers and sisters in Christ that I experience every day in this stage of my life.

I haven’t mentioned the love of power for a very good reason. Once you know the power of love as I have described it, the desire to have power over others, or even over our own life, loses its attraction for us. To God alone be the power and the glory.  Amen.

I have known a lot of people who think religion, especially the Christian religion, takes all the fun out of life. Their definitions of fun and of Christianity don’t agree with my long experience as a Christian.  When someone says, “Let’s have some fun,” It will usually be at the expense of others. Teasing and humiliating are called “making fun of” them. Religion is seen as living by a strict set of rules with serious life or death consequences; tuning life into a spiritual minefield. Is everything in my Christian life enjoyable? Of Course not! Everyone goes through difficult times in life, but Christians never have to go through them alone. The bad times have been made bearable. I’ve experienced joy in my Christian life that is fun on steroids. I laugh many times each day. I find enjoyment in helping others instead of putting them down. I feel better about myself when I help others feel better. Former atheists like C.S. Lewis and Lee Strobel have expressed their surprise at the added joy and satisfaction they experienced as part of their Christian life. 

Religion used to mean worshipping a deity with offerings and sacrifices in a prescribed ritual with the help of priests to please a god, even the God. But when Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice for all who believe in and follow Him, everything changed drastically. Everyone who repents of sin and believes in Christ Jesus is granted a new spirit and God’s spirit takes up a dwelling place in our heart to show us God’s plans for us and guide us. An important part of receiving a new spirit and the Holy Spirit is being filled with the mercy, grace and love of God. Jesus described it as being born again in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. That rebirth is the beginning of a new life as God’s adopted son or daughter.

God no longer waits for us to come to Him in the tabernacle, temple or church. He is with us everywhere we go. That is why I have written so many times that becoming a Christian is not joining a religion, but beginning a relationship with God through Jesus. We can praise and worship God anywhere in spirit and in truth, but when we meet with other born again believers, God’s Holy Spirit within each of us is magnified and manifest with spiritual power. We worship with thanksgiving and song; we feed on the preaching of God’s word; and we fellowship with each other. Our tithes and offerings are no longer presented to receive salvation for our sins, but as a way to return to God a portion of the blessings He has given us.

The Christian life is positive, not negative. When we follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we are shown so many wholesome, positive things to say and do we don’t have time to worry about what is forbidden. We don’t miss the “fun” of our old life because of the joy that comes from living as our Creator intends us to live.          

Am I the only one guilty of asking God to bless my food to nourish my body even when I know it is not the most nourishing food I could be eating? Can God make that loaded pizza or super sweet treat nourishing? Of course He can, but is it His will to do so? My point is this; how much easier it is to take my wishes, hopes and plans to God for His blessing and approval than it is to ask Him what He knows is best for me.

Some of God’s greatest blessings in my life have been the result of unanswered prayer. Let me clarify that statement.  They resulted from what “seemed like” unanswered prayers. After all of these years, I know God answers every prayer I bring to Him. The answer is always yes, not yet or no; but I am so busy anticipating the yes that I often miss, or ignore, those other answers.      

I want to share with you a very personal illustration. My parents had to move from Indiana to Missouri the summer before my junior year of high school. That first year in a new school I noticed a beautiful red haired girl in my class. I felt she was out of my league, like Charlie Brown in the Peanuts comic strip. I never even got the courage to talk to her, but I prayed that someday we would get to know each other.

The summer before my senior year I met Carol on a blind date. She had just graduated from another high school in the area and I began to fall for that older woman with the Mona Lisa smile. Her senior year in a strange school she didn’t attend the prom, so I invited her to my senior prom. By then we had found so much in common, including our faith in Jesus Christ.

The senior trip was to Washington D.C. that year and we took a chartered bus all the way from Missouri to the nation’s capital. I no sooner got seated on the bus than that beautiful red haired young lady named Mary grabbed the seat next to me. She snuggled up close to me and slept with her head on my shoulder on our overnight bus ride. We didn’t talk much, but she was by my side most of the trip. During a moonlight cruise on the Potomac River, we kissed. It should have been a dream come true – an answer to my prayer. But the moment we kissed, all I could think about was Carol and how guilty and uncomfortable I felt. I don’t know exactly what I said, but I think I mentioned Carol and Mary suddenly disappeared and I never saw her again.

God held off answering my prayer about Mary, because He had chosen Carol for my wife. He then permitted the encounter on the trip later to show me just how much Carol meant to me and was truly the one I wanted to spend my life with. We need to be aware when God answers our prayer with not now or no. Like the loving Father He is, there is always a very good reason. It is because we are not ready for it yet, or He has something better planned for us. It would be even better if we could pray as Jesus did in the garden, “I want your will to be done and not mine.” (Mark 14:36)  

A friend shared something with me that I want to share with you. “I don’t walk with God; I can’t keep up with Him. He walks with me and patiently waits for me when I fall behind.” Looking back on my Christian life I can relate to that statement. New Christians often say that they have found God. That would certainly be nothing to brag about. God is all around us. The truth is, it was God who found me. He called me to become His adopted child through the life, death and resurrection of His true Son, Jesus Christ. As C.S. Lewis so aptly put it; “The Son of God became a man, so that men could become the sons of God.” God placed His Holy Spirit in my heart to show me how to walk the path my heavenly Father chose for me even before I was born. God has been walking with me step by step all of these years. It has been quite a journey.

God’s mercy and grace did not remove my free will turning me into a robot programmed to worship and obey God. There were times in my life when I wandered off on an interesting side trail on my own and suddenly realized I didn’t feel God walking with me. You see, God doesn’t just patiently wait for me to catch up; He also patiently waits for me to return and resume our walk together. The Holy Spirit has always led me back to the spot where I got off track; where my Father is waiting.to continue our walk together. It reminds me of the story I’ve written about before. A mother and her young son were waiting to cross the street. As the light turned green she told the boy to take her hand. He said, “No mommy. You take my hand.” She asked, “What’s the difference?” He replied, “If I take your hand I might let go; but if you take my hand I know you won’t let go of me.” It was when I prayed for God to take my hand and not let go of me that my will and God’s will for me became one. From that time on, I not only have felt the presence and promptings of the Holy Spirit within me; I have known that my Father walks ahead of me to clear my path, beside me to hold tightly to my hand and behind me to cover my back. What a marvelous God we serve!

Today, He still walks every step with me. I couldn’t even make it on my walker the twenty-five feet from my living room chair to my chair at the kitchen table without His strong grip holding me up on my weak, arthritic knees. Our God is greater than words can describe! Even with the physical limitations of age I face, I still say with the Apolstle Paul, “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

My dear reader, have you asked God to take a tight grip on your hand and walk life’s road with you? If not, why not do it now? I can testify that it is a decision you will never regret.  

A friend picked out a large coffee cup for me with 1 Thessalonians 5:18 on it. “In everything give thanks.” I told her how much I loved it, but then I got to thinking; everything? Really? Then, as usual, the Holy Spirit straightened it out for me. It doesn’t say for everything give thanks. I suddenly understood! There are things in our life for which we can never be thankful, but in every situation there are always other things to sincerely thank God for.

I sure wasn’t feeling thankful when my mother died when I was only 14 or even when my wife died when I was 71. When I thought about the serious illnesses my mother nursed me through, leaving me in good health and then our pastor assured me we will be together again, I found I had reason to give thanks even in that time of  sorrow. I’ve told how lost I was when Carol  died, When I realized how blessed I was to have shared life with her for more than fifty years, my gratitude eased my pain and began to heal my heart. The Holy Spirit also reminded me that we will be together again. I know I’ve written about those events before, but those lessons are worth repeating.

It seems like most of my friends have faced serious problems in the past several months. Illnesses, surgeries and injuries have taken their toll, not to mention the aches and pains that come with an aging body. Add to those woes the mechanical failures. My air conditioner has been out all summer and my refrigerator also conked out on me. Then, my caregiver told me my washing machine was also no longer working. Several friends have had car trouble. We obviously aren’t the only ones showing the effects of aging. Even our physically convenient appliances and transportation we so often take for granted are showing the wear and tear of years of use as well. As grim as all of this sounds, we have all found things in our life to thank God for even while going through those situations.

Have you been going through some rough times too?  I hope you have been able to count your blessings and give God thanks in spite of your situation. Counting our blessings isn’t just a phrase in a song; it is an important part of living the Christian life. After all, if we aren’t thankful for what we have, what makes us think we will be happy with more?

Albert Einstein wasn’t just a brilliant math and physics professor, he was a wise man. I have quoted him before. The most recent quote I came across was this.  ”Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Do not cease to stand like curious children before the Great Mystery into which we were born.” It reminded me of something else he wrote; “Do not listen to the person with all of the answers. Listen to the person with questions.” It was curiosity and not superior intellect that led Albert Einstein to discover the formula for atomic energy.

My Christian reader, are you curious? Do you wonder about what heaven is like? Do you seek to find out where God is leading you and why? Do you want to know more about the mysteries of God and His Creation? If so, you are on the exciting path to discovery and satisfaction. Whether I’m researching for my blog or simply digging deeper into my daily devotions, my greatest discoveries and blessings have come as a result of me wondering what the Bible teaches about a specific topic. As a young Christian, I used to wear out my King James Bible’s concordance and index. Today, we have the luxury of word or phrase search in almost any translation.

Curiosity is not always considered a positive trait. I remember a cartoon of a cat sitting on the table in an examining room. Another cat in a white coat with a clipboard was saying, “Bad news. It’s curiosity.” When someone becomes too nosey, we warn them that curiosity killed the cat. It is taken from an old proverb, but do you know the full proverb? Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.

The word curiosity does not appear in the NLT, but this promise from Jesus appears in both Matthew 7:7-8 and Luke 11:9-10. “Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; everyone who seeks finds; and everyone who knocks the door will open.” Jesus is teaching about prayer. So if we really want to satisfy our curiosity, all we have to do is go to the Creator in prayer. Spending time with God is a major part of the Christian life, but it brings us added blessings when we allow Him to satisfy our curiosity.   

I have known for some time now that common sense is no longer common, but this Labor Day I witnessed the extreme example of that.  I can’t go into detail because it might still end up in litigation, but it was an act that was unnecessary, shocking and totally unexpected behavior for anyone over the age of five. It was also illegal. I’m still asking myself why any adult human being would ever think that act was acceptable. I should not be surprised. Ridiculous warning labels are printed because someone lacked common sense. The first automobile owner manuals told you how to adjust the timing belt. Today, they warn you not to drink the content of the battery. Somehow the term battery acid never made me thirsty.  

What is common sense? One definition is to know the difference between reality and fantasy. I grew up watching cartoons on Saturday mornings. Tom and Jerry; Road Runner and Wiley Coyote; Popeye and Bluto; Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd; and Daffy Duck to name a few; all of them were full of violence, but I never once thought of dropping an anvil on someone’s head or strapping myself to a sky rocket. We never needed the warning, “Don’t try this at home, kids.” We knew cartoon violence was not real. I also knew the difference between a cap pistol and a real gun. Although they appeared more real, I quickly learned movies were not real. When the director would shout cut all of the dead actors would come back to life. So I knew like the blanks used in movie guns, my cap gun would harm no one.

Another definition of common sense is the ability to visualize the results of an action before you do it. My first experience with this at a young age involved knowing my parents’ negative reaction to certain actions and refraining from those actions, It was the way they taught me the boundaries of acceptable behavior.          

Where am I going with all of this? Christians should be able to look at the world around us and determine reality from fantasy. We do that by comparing everything with the truth of God’s word and prompting of the Holy Spirit. The more we pay attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and study the Bible, we learn how God reacts to certain behavior and we learn the boundaries He has set for us as a loving Father should. You will find God’s warning labels throughout scripture, but most of them cause our spirit to shout, “I know that!” 

It has been said that the only thing that is consistent in life is change. I have certainly found that to be true in my life. We sometimes bring about good changes by our aspiration and perspiration; and bad changes by our mistakes and bad decisions. But most changes are out of our control. I have written about the first major change I experienced at the age of nine when a house fire left us with the clothes we were wearing that day, our family car and a small book case the firemen pulled out before the ceilings began to cave in. Then, several years later, my mother died much too soon. Those traumatic changes were completely out of our control.

While going through those stressful times, it is comforting to know that change for the better is sure to come. On the other hand, when we are enjoying success and pleasant times we often forget about change. When any of my friends on social media have a wedding anniversary, I always wish them a happy anniversary and then remind them to continue cherishing every precious moment together. They all know my present situation and why I offer that advice.

Even when change is predictable, it is often difficult. My father worked at an auto assembly plant. His job was to keep a specific segment of the assembly line stocked with the needed parts to install on the vehicles. Every year the plant would close for two weeks for model change. The assembly line would be updated and the new parts would be delivered. I remember my father rattling off part numbers in his sleep during those stressful times.

Some people handle change better than others. My wife was very organized and enjoyed having a set routine. At her memorial service, I described how every change in her life was a mountain for her to climb until she reached a level routine stage again. Then I shared that my biggest mountain to climb was facing life without her.

While change is a part of life, as Christians we have the unchangeable mercy, grace, love and Spirit of God within us. When smooth sailing suddenly becomes a tidal wave of stormy seas, the steady, peaceful hand of our Lord is the anchor we can depend on. The change may be out of our control, but nothing is out of His control.  I can’t imagine going through the changes of life without the stability of my heavenly Father right there with me. Even when I face that final change from mortal life to eternal life with Him, I won’t have to face it alone,       

It has been said that the only thing that is consistent in life is change. I have certainly found that to be true in my life. We sometimes bring about good changes by our aspiration and perspiration; and bad changes by our mistakes and bad decisions. But most changes are out of our control. I have written about the first major change I experienced at the age of nine when a house fire left us with the clothes we were wearing that day, our family car and a small book case the firemen pulled out before the ceilings began to cave in. Then, several years later, my mother died much too soon. Those traumatic changes were completely out of our control.

While going through those stressful times, it is comforting to know that change for the better is sure to come. On the other hand, when we are enjoying success and pleasant times we often forget about change. When any of my friends on social media have a wedding anniversary, I always wish them a happy anniversary and then remind them to continue cherishing every precious moment together. They all know my present situation and why I offer that advice.

Even when change is predictable, it is often difficult. My father worked at an auto assembly plant. His job was to keep a specific segment of the assembly line stocked with the needed parts to install on the vehicles. Every year the plant would close for two weeks for model change. The assembly line would be updated and the new parts would be delivered. I remember my father rattling off part numbers in his sleep during those stressful times.

Some people handle change better than others. My wife was very organized and enjoyed having a set routine. At her memorial service, I described how every change in her life was a mountain for her to climb until she reached a level routine stage again. Then I shared that my biggest mountain to climb was facing life without her.

While change is a part of life, as Christians we have the unchangeable mercy, grace, love and Spirit of God within us. When smooth sailing suddenly becomes a  tidal wave of stormy seas, the steady, peaceful hand of our Lord is the anchor we can depend on.  I can’t imagine going through the changes of life without the stability of my heavenly Father  with me, even when I face that final change from mortal life to eternal life with Him,       

In my last blog post i wrote about the increased attacks of the enemy and how God is responding to them by answering our prayers. I’m sure there have been times in history when spiritual warfare has been this brutal, but it seems to be the worst I have seen in my lifetime. In addition to the worries and fears that we can fend off with prayer, there are increased temptations and doubts.

I think the biggest temptation is to counter attack those the enemy uses to attack us with the same intensity as them. That is exactly what the enemy wants. The Apostle Paul reminds us, “For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) During the ultimate personal attack on Him, Jesus did not attack the men who were driving nails into his hands and feet. Instead, He asked His heavenly Father to forgive them. I am so glad God hates sin but loves sinners like me enough to send His Son to die in my place. He expects us to follow that example.

The world will never understand how it is possible to separate sin from the sinner. They feel sin is a permanent part of their life. We know that sin can be forgiven and removed from our life by God’s mercy and grace.  So never counter attack a person who attacks you. Instead, lean on the promise of Exodus 14:14, “The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Instead of attacking your attacker, stay calm and pray for them and then for God to attack the evil spirit behind the attack.   

When it comes to fending off temptation and doubt, we can fill our heart and mind with God’s word and love so that there is no room for anything the enemy tries to squeeze in. That is the way to resist him and when we resist him, he will flee from us. (James 4:7)