The Old Man in the Back of the Sanctuary

I have always been open and honest in this blog about the trials and concerns I face in my life as a Christian. God has brought me through a lot these past 81 years and  now I’m facing another big mountain. Since I have been back home, my health has improved physically, mentally and spiritually. I need to stay here as long as possible. The VA and Catholic Charities have certainly done their part to help do that, but my mortgage and the skyrocketing costs of utilities have become more than my Social Security check can handle. I have asked my church’s financial pastor to find help for me through the church or other faith based organizations. Until then, I will struggle to keep all of my utilities on.

This is not a request for money!!! There is a reason there are no ads or links to other websites here. God’s message, like His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, is a free gift that we could never afford. God provided this website free for me and I intend to keep it free to you, my readers.

It is a request for your prayers. Simply pray that Jim Anderson receives the resources needed to continue blogging God’s message from home. Thank you for the love and encouragement you have given me these last seven years. Even though I have never met most of you personally, you can be sure you are always in my thoughts and prayers.

Have you ever heard the audible voice of God? If not, don’t feel alone. In my nearly 81 years of life and my nearly 69 years as a Christian, I have never heard God speak audibly and I have only met three people who have. In the first chapter of John, Jesus is called “the Word” before He took on human form and the name Yeshua (Jesus). God does speak to us through Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection as described in the Gospel accounts and those words in red found in Matthew, Mark, Luke , John and Revelation carry the weight of God’s direct communication with us through His Son.

Another way God communicates with us and the one I’m most familiar with, is the prompting of the Holy Spirit that He has placed in us. It is often called God’s still small voice or whisper, but most of the time it is more of a feeling that urges our action. When a Christian says, “Something told me to…” that “something” is usually the Holy Spirit prompting action.

I very recently lost a good friend and sister in Christ Jesus, Cheryl Jones. My loss is heaven’s gain. She is one of the three people I mentioned above who heard God’s voice and a few years ago she also shared with me an experience that she had that illustrates how the Holy Spirit guides us. Late one Sunday morning, she was on her way to a bird fair. She said it was like her car had a mind of its own and turned off at the expressway  exit nearest my church, which she often attended.  She arrived just as the noon service started. After the service, she was almost to the exit in the back of the church when “something told her” to turn around. She saw a young woman kneeling alone in prayer in front of her seat.  My friend walked back to where she was kneeling and asked if there was something she could pray with her about. With a surprised look on her face, the young woman told her, “I was just praying that God would send an older woman to explain this problem I’m facing and pray with me about it.” They talked and prayed together and my friend told me they left the church together walking on air and had  exchanged phone numbers.

Obey God’s message and you just might be the answer to someone’s prayer.

Over my nearly 70 years of life as a child of God through Jesus Christ, I’ve learned a lot about living the Christian life. Some from experiences – good and bad; some directly from God’s word or from the Holy Spirit He placed in my heart. I want to share what I’ve learned with you.

The Christian life here on Earth is easiest when you take it one day at a time. Satan loves to dredge up our past sins and mistakes that we have already laid at God’s feet. He also loves to put fear in our heart with what might lie  ahead tomorrow. Put guilt and fear aside and concentrate on what God has for you to do today.

God gives us two ways to counter the stress of daily life – prayer and laughter. My wife and I prayed together and laughed together every day of our long marriage. It helped to ease the stress that would have taken its toll on our bodies and our marriage.

Most of what we experience in our life on Earth is temporary, both good and bad. Even the body that houses our spirit and God’s Holy Spirit will become useless at the end of our life here. Therefore, it is important that we concentrate on those things that are permanent: God, God’s love for you and me, God’s promises in His word, Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and His promise of eternal life which He demonstrated when he stepped out of that tomb in Jerusalem and ascended back to heaven to prepare a place for us.

Are these the only things I’ve learned? Of course not! But I believe they are the most important.

 

 

I have written about the storms we must go through as Christians. Once in a while Jesus speaks peace be still to the storm we are in, but most of the time He speaks peace be still to our spirit as He takes us through the storm. We must ask ourselves if we are still at peace in the sunshine beyond the storm.

In my long life as a Christian, I have lost my peace several times when a storm was over, the sky was bright and the way ahead seemed smooth. I told God, “I can take it from here” and I slipped back into the driver’s seat of my life. That never ended well. The view from behind the wheel was always rougher than it appeared when God was in control. That undue pressure robbed me of my peace and always ended with me begging God to take control again.

I have known people who have lost their peace while chasing after happiness and contentment. God gives the gift of joy as we keep the line of communication open with Him through Jesus, but happiness is a choice we have to make. What makes people think that more would make them happy if they aren’t happy with what they already have? A friend posted this on Facebook and it describes this threat to our peace. “Beware of Destination Addiction – an obsession that happiness is in the next place, the next job or with the next partner. Until you give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, it will never be where you are.”

Keep the peace God gives you in the storm always by keeping Him in control of your life and choosing happiness every day in sunshine or rain.

I avoid politics in this blog, but I must express my love for my country. I was a student of our Constitution long before I joined the Air Force and swore to protect that document from enemies. That vow I took 62 years ago won’t expire until I do. Some have falsely identified my country as a “Christian Nation”. There has never been or will ever be a religious requirement for citizenship or public service here. The only sad part is that many of us tend to take our freedom for granted.

I know I have readers from around the world and some of you are reading this where there is severe government persecution of Christians. I want you to know that you are in my prayers that you remain safe and strong in your faith in Jesus Christ.

One of my heroes of the Christian faith is Corrie ten Boom,During World War II, she and her sister hid Jews from the German occupiers in Holland. They were eventually caught and sent to a German concentration camp which she described as the deepest darkest hell man has ever created. In spite of the horrible conditions, she and her sister conducted Bible studies with the women prisoners until her sister was killed and she was scheduled for execution. God created a paperwork glitch and she was released. This is one of my favorite quotes from Corrie; “When you forgive someone, you set a prisoner free. It is then you will discover that prisoner was you.”

I want to share with you a personal praise report. Inflation has driven up prices of everything the last few years and as an 80 year old man with limited mobility, it has been difficult making ends meet on Social Security. To make matters worse, I get paid on the third Wednesday of each month and the third Wednesday of February and March isn’t until the 21st of the month this year. After my mortgage and utilities were paid, I began to run short on money for groceries. Two food pantries I’ve used before have closed so I contacted my church to see if they could direct me to one in the area that I could send a caregiver to pick up some food for me. They gave me the number of two faith based food pantries in my area that are still open one day a week. Then they asked if I needed something right away. I told them about four items I was completely out of. They called me back a few minutes later and told me they were having those items and others they thought I could use delivered to my home this evening. When the food arrived, it was four bags full with the four items I requested plus an entire fried chicken.I had two pieces for dinner It was delicious and there is enough for three more meals. They also sent a box of cereal,two large bags of snacks, fresh fruit and orange juice.

I am blown away with God’s provision. When Jesus teaches us in His sermon on the mount that God will feed us as he feeds the sparrows, It is almost always through the love and generosity of his sons and daughters in Christ Jesus. Throughout our fifty years of marriage Carol and I gave to our church and donated to other faith based organizations. We prayed that God would direct that help to those who need it the most and I know He did. I’m sure that scripture is true that “it is more blessed to give than to receive,” but I am very blessed this evening. My brother or sister in Christ, be the answer to someone’s prayer by giving your time and resources. You will never regret it.

In my previous post, I quoted Jesus’ prayer for you and me to be united with God and each other. (John 17:20-23) May we always feel God’s Holy Spirit in us and feel ourselves in Jesus and our Heavenly Father. We can foster and deepen our relationship with God through daily prayer, Bible study and through our obedience to God’s Word and the promptings of His Holy Spirit within us. I encourage you to pray for God to take your hand and guide you through the mine fields of this life into the next life. I have done just that because I know I can be distracted and weak and might let go if I try to hold His hand, but I know that whatever happens He will never let go of me.

That leaves one question -what does He mean when He says you and I and all believers are to be united? Jesus teaches us to love one another as He loves us. Is love the unifying force? Love is a strong force in our Christian life, but we are also commanded to love our unsaved neighbors and even our enemies. As usual,God provides the answer when we pay attention. The reason Jesus wants believers to be unified is to show to the world that God sent Him. So, it is our testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that must unify us. That must begin with my words and actions agreeing to form a strong testimony. Then my testimony must agree with yours and all other believers providing iron clad proof that Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life.

Over two thousand years before we were born physically and reborn spiritually, you and I were in the heart and mind of Jesus. John 17:20-23 records Jesus’ prayer for you and for me before He went to the cross in our place. “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” Even after He paid the price for our sins, Jesus told Thomas that you and I are blessed because of our faith. “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe and have not seen me.” (See John 20:29)

Do you think Jesus forgot about us when He returned to heaven? Of course not! Every time we pray to our heavenly Father in Jesus’ name, He will lean over and whisper to our Father “That is my brother (or sister) I told you about.” Our Father will then stamp our request “High Priority” and assign an angel to provide the answer. I am living proof of God’s answers to prayers and I’m sure you are too.