Definitions

Forgiveness- Giving up all hope of a better past. -Lily Tomlin

Staggering to Slaughter

Pro 24:11 Deliver those who are being taken away to death, And those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back.
Pro 24:12 If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?

There is a phrase in the text of verse 11 that caught my attention, and made me stop for a moment....to get a visual picture of it.

"Staggering to slaughter".....what a picture!

That's the picture of the human race without God.

Staggering to slaughter....what a sad picture of the lives of those who do not know God.

In a few minutes I am going to preside over a funeral service. It's easy because this dear lady had trusted Christ as her savior years ago, and is now home with the Lord, so the service will be a celebration....a graduation, if you wish...not a sorrowful event, but for those who die without trusting Christ what a horrible eternity.....

And before they even get to eternity they are described as staggering to slaughter. I can't escape the visual picture of that....it' so sad.

Just before lunch I drove through the bank to make a deposit, and the young lady cashier said, "Boy, you're dressed up....wedding or funeral?" (She knows what I do.) I responded, "funeral..." and with that she said, "I hope they knew where they were going..." And off she goes to take care of my banking business. I smiled and knew she had set me up, so when she returned I said, "Now you started this, so I have to ask, do you know where YOU'RE going?" A big smile came across her face and she responded, "yes!"

So my question for the day is this- are you one of those staggering to slaughter or have you trusted Christ as your savior and know your eternal destiny? It's a simple question, and there are only two answers....there is no door #3.

So, do you know where YOU'RE going?

The Lord's Prayer...with a twist

My friend, Joe, sent this to me.....

Our Father Who Art In Heaven.

Yes?

Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.

But — you called ME!

Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying. Our Father who art in Heaven.

There — you did it again!

Did what?

Called ME. You said,"Our Father who art in Heaven" Well, here I am. What's on your mind?

But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty.

Well, all right. Go on.

Okay, Hallowed be thy name...

Hold it right there. What do you mean by that?

By what?

By "Hallowed be thy name"?

It means, it means... good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?

It means honored, holy, wonderful.

Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Do you really mean that?

Sure, why not?

What are you doing about it?

Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there. We're kinda in a mess down here you know.

Yes, I know; but, have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church.

That isn't what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You've really got a problem there, you know. And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?

Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!

Excuse ME. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is to happen, it will have to start with the ones who are praying for it. Like you — for example.

Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.

So could I.

I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.

Good. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll work together — you and ME. I'm proud of You.

Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread.

You need to cut out the bread. You're overweight as it is.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.

Praying is a dangerous thing. You just might get what you ask for. Remember, you called ME — and here I am. It's too late to stop now. Keep praying.

( . . pause . . )

Well, go on.

I'm scared to.

Scared? Of what?

I know what you'll say.

Try ME.

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.

What about Ann?

See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me. I 've sworn to get even with her!

But — your prayer —What about your prayer?

I didn't — mean it.

Well, at least you're honest. But, it's quite a load carrying around all that bitterness and resentment isn't it?

Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.

No, you won't feel any better. You'll feel worse. Revenge isn't sweet. You know how unhappy you are — Well, I can change that.

You can? How?

Forgive Ann. Then the hate and the sin will be Ann's problem — not yours. You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned.

Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You . . (sigh). All right, all right . I forgive her.

There now! Wonderful! How do you feel?

Hmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know.

Yeah, I know. But, you're not through with your prayer are you? Go on.

Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Good! Good! I'll do that. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

You know what I mean.

Yeah. I know.

Okay. Go ahead. Finish your prayer.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Do you know what would bring me glory —What would really make me happy?

No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now. I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me...How do I make you happy?

YOU just did.

I'm a Christ Follower (Mac vs. PC Parody) Part 01

Something fun for a Wednesday. This is the first is a short series of thoughtful videos. Your thoughts?

It's Tuesday...

It's Tuesday, and this morning I went to Starbucks to meet one of our men for coffee. When I walked in there were two of our guys from the church having coffee. Big smiles came across both of their faces. I knew what they were thinking.....I knew they couldn't wait to say it....and they did. One of the guys said, "Mike, I really loved your sermon Sunday, but I can't remember what you talked about." We all laughed and then literally talked for quite a while about the details of the message called "Life Lesson from the Old Testament." I really had a lot of fun teaching this message, and I know it had a great impact on those in our family who heard it. I really love this church, and this church family. What a treat to serve God, teach the bible, and love people. It doesn't get any better than that.

Remembering miracles

Joye, my wife, and I were sitting in the living room. It had been a typical day for us...the kids were in bed and we were relaxing, reading and watching TV together.

Then it happened.

We heard a gun shot. Then we heard the window shatter. We both fell to the ground, and crawled to the phone to call the police.

We weren't in a bad neighborhood. We didn't have any enemies. It was a shocking experience, but we were only beginning to know what had happened.

The police arrived quickly, secured our home, and then began to investigate what had happened. They looked at the window. They looked over the room, and found the bullet....that's when we found out about the miracle.

The bullet came through the living room window right where Joye was sitting. The bullet hole in the glass was right behind her head. The bullet was on the floor below the window. It was a .45 caliber bullet! It had come through the window and fallen straight to the floor behind Joye's chair. Joye was less than a foot from the window in the direct line of fire. The bullet came through the window and fell to the floor without hurting her. Something had stopped the bullet in mid-air. The police officer said it, although we were thinking it, he said it was a miracle that she was not killed.

In the book of Psalms David often stops in the middle of his life's situations to remember what God had done for him. I just wanted to share with you one thing God has done for us.

I don't ever want to forget God's miracles in our lives....they encourage us to trust him for today too.

It's great to have a big God!

A follow up to this post- I have already been asked several questions about this story, so let me answer them- This really happened to us. It happened in the late 1980's while we lived in Oklahoma. The police did find the shooter. He lived across the street! He was on the porch, playing with his gun when it went off accidently. He was only 100' away from our front window when his .45 handgun discharged! And, finally, yes, God is awesome!

Monday's cartoon

I had a great time preaching yesterday. We spent the day in the Old Testament making some observations on the life of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. I had, what I thought, was a funny illustration to introduce the sermon, but it has quickly turned into a joke on me. I had dozens of people come up to me after the different services and say, "I loved the sermon today, but can't remember what you talked about." So, the joke is on me, and I am smiling....it was funny. I'm glad that our people are listening to how easy it is to hear a sermon, but not hear the message.

I think I will get a T-shirt made that says, "I loved your sermon, but can't remember what you said."

If you want to hear this sermon here's the link-

http://www.crossroadsbible.org/online/lessons.htm

I think it is a very encouraging message.

Monday thoughts

It's Monday morning....for me a day off. After Sunday I need a day to rest. Preaching 3 times, visiting with people I love between services, teaching a class, up early in the day to pray and by the end of a Sunday I'm exhausted, so Monday is my Sabbath...a day of rest.

So, as my fellow pastor Brent often does, let me share a few things I'm thinking about this morning-

-I'm glad for a time to rest. God was really great to add rest as one of our basic needs. I really like it!

-I'm looking forward to fall. I love Texas, but I don't like the fact that the summers are so long. We have 8 months of summer, a month for fall, a month for spring, and two months of winter (if you could call it that.) So, I'm glad summer is almost over....and it's nearly October!

-I am really blessed to have good friends. I only wish I had more time to spend with them. There are some great people in our church family and community....I wish I had more time to just sit and visit...maybe that's what heaven will be like...."Why don't you come over for coffee and visit....we could spend a thousand years just visiting"...and the coffee would always be hot. I guess now I'm just dreaming.

-These last months have been busy. In fact I have been running so hard that I hadn't mowed my yard in a month. The neighbors were wondering if we even lived here anymore....as seldom as I was here I wondered that too. One of my good friends heard me say that I was working all weekend and wouldn't even have time to mow my lawn. He said, "I'll take care of that for you." And he did. I'm blessed!

-I got to speak at a pastor-elder retreat for another church on Saturday. It was a great time to help another pastor and church as they grow. I love doing that, and will be with yet another church in a month. I can't wait.

-It has been great to see God work in my life. I am still growing in my faith, and I love the fact that there is still so much to learn. I am the eternal student and can't wait for the next lesson, the next book, the next new insight into the bible. I'm glad God has given me that hunger.

-I need to get a new coffee roaster. Mine died a month ago, and I miss the taste of "real" coffee...the fresh roasted kind.

Ok.....enough of that. I'm off to make some coffee and spend time reading the bible. Have a great Monday!

A difficult life lived well

My younger brother, Marty, died a few years ago. I had the privilege of speaking at his funeral. There were hundreds of family and friends in attendance to remember his life. Marty was only 49 when he died. He was a neat guy, but not because all had gone well for him.

Marty had a hard life. From the age of three his health was never good. At an early age it was discovered that he had a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy. Marty had to have a kidney transplant at the age of 12, and our whole family became “residents” of the Mayo Clinic during those difficult days in May. At that time in 1969, Marty was one of the youngest and earliest kidney transplant recipients in the United States. It was a very difficult time for our family, but both Marty and our Mom - who donated her kidney to him - came through the twelve hour surgeries well. The next 37 years would prove to be more difficult for Marty than anyone could imagine.

We always called him “the six-million dollar man” because of his uncounted times in hospitals for hip replacements, knee replacements, tendon grafts, skin grafts, cancer removals, hearing aids, eye surgeries, etc. In those early days of kidney transplants, the anti-rejection drugs used were steroids- prednisone to be specific - and they are devastating to the body if used over time. Marty was on prednisone for over 35 years! After the initial transplant, most of the problems that developed for him were related to all the medications he had to take. Ironic, isn’t it, that the cure proved worse than the cause?

Marty, because of his circumstances, should have been a miserable man. But he wasn’t. He married, had three great kids, six wonderful grandchildren so far, loved his wife, went to church, served God where he could, and made the best of a difficult life. Marty was a happy guy!

If you asked him how he was doing his reply was always the same. He would quote an old southern ditty,

“I’m tired and sore,
and I’m not gonna do it for a nickel no more.
A dime’s more my price,
and for a quarter I’ll do it twice…
SHOESHINE!”

In fact, this little ditty so captured Marty’s outlook and life that his wife, Debbie, put those words as an epitaph on his gravestone!

Yet those of us close to him knew he was in constant pain. Suffering constantly and on a tremendous number of drugs and painkillers, yet through it all he enjoyed his life. He was happy to be here, and even in his last month he was planning a cruise with his wife “when he got out of the hospital”. He never did.

How do some people do that while most of us complain about a broken fingernail? What is it about those few of us who see beyond our circumstance to something bigger, to someone bigger? Where do these unique people get this perspective and attitude that makes them stand out from the rest of us?

The Bible gives us an interesting, and yet very simple answer to these questions:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your body,
And refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8

How do some people live above their circumstances? It’s amazingly simple, yet profound:

Truth for life is a Person and our relationship with Him.

Our situations, good or bad, have no effect on that relationship. Solomon wrote these verses to communicate this vital truth - the key to life is not knowing something, it is knowing someone, and living a life of trust and dependence upon Him.

In Marty’s last month in hospital the oncologist came in to see him with some news. He told Marty that he had bone cancer, and at best would live four months. He lived thirty days. After the doctor left mom asked him, “Marty, what do you think?” His reply told more truth than you can communicate in such a simple sentence at such a serious time. Marty said,

“I’m going to trust God anyway.”

In that simple confession Marty revealed his secret. The secret to a difficult life lived well is in knowing someone - the eternal, loving, all-sufficient God. It is in that relationship Marty had built the foundation to live out his life, and it is that relationship that sustained him during his personal crisis of faith. It's that same loving God who holds him now.

Marty is the first member of the "Finishing Well Hall of Fame"

A blog I like

A friend of mine, James, has just started blogging. I love his insights when we meet for coffee and talk, so I know you will enjoy his thoughts as he begins the blogging adventure. I invite you to check out his blog.

The Finishing Well "Hall of Fame"

One thing I have wanted to do with this blog is celebrate the lives of those who have finished well. I know this is not the Bema (judgement seat of Christ), but I do want to acknowledge those who have run the race well (both living and dead) and celebrate their lives. So as you see the trophy appear on my blog take a moment to read the story because it will be a story of a life lived well. I also plan to start a "Finishing Well Hall of Fame" on the right column, so I'm open to nominees from those you know in your life. Obviously I want this to be inspirational and encouraging, so there will be a focus on lives lived and finished well. I want to highlight lives lived as Paul described:
Php 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Php 1:28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

It's so easy for us to lose our way, and fall on the side of the road, but to finish well....those are lives worth celebrating!

Understanding the problem

I think I know the problem....it's me!

It's not God who's keeping me "out"...it's me!

His "door" isn't locked....it's me!

I'm trying to grow in my faith. I'm trying to be all God wants me to be. I'm trying....and to be honest that's the problem....I'm trying.

It never works when I try to do it my way. I pull with all my might....using both feet to help me get those "doors" open....but they don't budge.

So I get mad at God,

mad at the "doors",

mad at the church,

just plain frustrated with how hard living the Christian life seems to be....it's hard because I have made it harder than it really is.

God hasn't made it hard....I have. In fact his "doors" are not even locked! So why is this so hard? It is hard because I insist on doing it my way.

Major Ian Thomas described the easy way....he said this, "If it pleases you, always and only, to do what pleases God...then you can do as you please."

That's God's way.

"Broke down" in Nowhere, Oklahoma

Sounds like a country song, doesn't it? It felt like we were in a country song! That's the problem with living in Dallas, Texas....we can do anything here....get anything here.....24 hours a day.

Which mall do you want to go to? There are at least 50 in the Dallas area.

What kind of food do you want to eat? We have it all here!

Not so in Nowhere, Oklahoma.

As we settled in to wait for the car to be repaired we asked the hotel desk clerk, "Where's the mall?" Her response was a surprise to our Dallas ears, "We don't have a mall, but Wal-Mart is just down the road." What a reality check for us....we had gotten spoiled with all that a big city offers, and forgotten how life really is in Nowhere, Oklahoma.

What to do? I'm sure we looked funny....not sure what to do with ourselves....but we roamed around Wal-Mart and made the best of what this little town had to offer. It sure makes you realize how blessed you are when you have to do without all that you take for granted.

It was a great experience. An opportunity to slow down, and realize how blessed we are....even in Nowhere, Oklahoma.

Quote of the day

“The people of God are not merely to mark time, waiting for God to step in and set right all that is wrong. Rather, they are to model the new heaven and new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what God will someday bring to pass.”

— Phillip Yancy

Monday's cartoon

The biggest problem with being in the wilderness is that you never really know where "here" is. But wherever you find yourself one thing is sure....God is "here" with you. Have a great Monday.

Here we are again

What a weekend! As I write this I'm in a hotel room in McAlester, Oklahoma....not a planned stay, but a necessary one. Once again we find ourselves in this quaint little town with car trouble. We made a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas for a wedding yesterday, and today made our way back home. Part way back the battery light came on. What does that mean?

I thought, "if it stays on for a while I will have to do something about that..." and I continue to drive, but it didn't go out. We find our way to a Wal-Mart. I buy a battery, some tools, and put a new battery in the car. Problem solved!.....NOT!

As we drive away that pesky little light comes back on. Now I know what it means...the alternator is going. We check our position, estimate how far it is to the next dealer and how long a new battery will last, and off we go. So here we are, in a motel across from the dealer, waiting for them to open first thing Monday morning. I got as far as I could before I ran out of "electric cord."

McAlester, Oklahoma....it's our new favorite place to get our car worked on...too bad it's 150 miles from home. But we made it, and here we wait. It's just part of life...a few annoyances, a few problems...a chance to trust God....and a night in McAlester, Oklahoma.

Focus

I can't believe it, but I did it again!

This morning, coming into the church, I was listening to a sermon on the radio. It was a great message about the testimony of a Christian man living with a handicap. Suddenly I thought, "I can't believe it, but I did it again!"

What's funny is that my thoughts had nothing to do directly with the message I was listening to, but the message and the Holy Spirit directed my thoughts towards what I had done....

You're asking, aren't you, what did he do?

First, let me tell you that this last year has been extremely difficult. We have been in spiritual warfare in ways I have never experienced before, but in all of it we have seen God work in amazing ways. For this last year I have been busy serving, caring, teaching, praying, herding, advising, loving, grieving....it's been spiritually and emotionally intense and draining.

So, what did I do? I lost my focus. I got so busy serving God I forgot that what God wants is a relationship with me. He wants a son, and I've been acting like a servant. I can't believe I did it again! So now, like a dear friend of mine from the old testament, I have to change my focus once more. Here's what my friend had to do:

2Ch 20:3 Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

I know most of you probably never struggle with this, but it's a constant battle for me....to keep my focus on God's face and not his hands. To pursue a relationship not simply try to serve him.

Once more I adjust my focus, once more I must turn my attention to see the Lord as David did in Psalms:

Psa 27:8 When You said, "Seek My face," my heart said to You, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."
Psa 27:9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation!

God is so good to patiently wait for me. I find myself busy serving him, and what he wants is for me to stop, sit down, and spend time with him. So, once again, I find myself acting like his servant instead of his son. Sorry Lord, I know it will happen again, but for now I will stop.....rest....and spend time with you. As David prayed, "Your face, O LORD, I shall seek."

Hope

One of the reasons that I'm a Christian is because of hope. The Christian faith offers a hope for mankind....a hope for now, and for the future. A hope of reaching the unreachable. A hope beyond ourselves. Built into us is a "hope engine." We all will reach for the unreachable, try to bridge the unbridgeable....anything we can do to provide us with a hope for life and what's ahead. One man said, "I feel much better since I gave up hope." but that is simply not true. We cannot live without hope. When prisoners of war gave up hope of ever getting out of their prison they would literally die within days. We cannot live without hope.....the hope of reaching the unreachable. I, personally, believe that this hunger for hope is God given and only fulfilled in a relationship with God...the God of the bible.

There are a lot of religions in the world, and most of them are "hope-so" religions. In other words you cannot know for sure that your faith was well founded until you die. But the Christian faith is built on hope. At it's core is the promise of life and a future. It gives us who believe a hope for now and the life ahead. It makes us stretch.....using our hope and faith to reach for the impossible...because we believe in a big God who specializes in the impossible. There is no other religion that offers such assurance as the Christian faith does....a hope for this life, and a promise for the life to come.

Rom 15:4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Eph 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Col 1:3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
Col 1:4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;
Col 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
Col 1:6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

Perspectives

For sale: Beautiful tropical island. Wonderful view, isolated location, very private, tree studded lot, ideal for just the right vacation home.

It's all in how we view things, isn't it? One sees a problem, another sees an opportunity. We describe it as glass-half-full or glass-half-empty thinking. I think that's why James writes these words as he does:

Jas 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
Jas 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
Jas 1:4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Verse two is the decision, verses three and four are the reasons. Because of what I know from verses three and four I can consider my trials in a completely different way...I can choose a different perspective...I can consider trials a joy! That sounds so strange in our world today, but when I know what God is doing it changes how I view everything!

So what is God doing? Paul tells us God's goal in Romans:

Rom 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

All that we go through, all the trials we endure, are used by God to help us grow, to conform us to someone who looks like Christ. You can view the trials of life as a bother, an annoyance, a curse.....or you can see them as James describes...a reason for joy because we know the outcome- us molded into the image of Christ.

So, as you encounter your trials of this day choose to be joyful knowing what God is doing in your life. It's a matter of perspective.

Better than you can imagine

Photographer Michael Wolf took 100 photographs of residents in their flats in Hong Kong's oldest public housing estate: 100 rooms, each 100 square feet in size. Here is just one of the rooms. You can see all 100 here. I was fascinated by this photojournalist's project, and more by the fact that each of these families lives in just 100 square feet!

I had several thoughts as I looked through the 100 flats.... I thought "boy am I blessed!" and "I wonder if I could live in only that much space" and "I couldn't have much stuff in there".....you get the idea. It's a real challenge to my thinking.....I'm very spoiled. I have a house and it's full of "stuff."

Then my thoughts ran out into the future...out to another place to live. These photos made my mind race to a passage in the bible:

John 14:1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:2 "In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
John 14:3 "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

In this world we all live in "temporary housing" waiting for the day when we get our real home. I have no idea what that place will look like, but the King James version translates dwelling places as mansions. It gives a hint of how grand God's housing provisions will be in his kingdom. Until then, whether small or large, all of this is just temporary housing....all of us are waiting for that place we can only imagine.

Bobby Mcferrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy

One of my readers said she reads my blog to check my pulse...to see how I'm doing. This classic song by Bobby Mcferrin says it all. I am doing great! I am blessed, having fun working at our church, and excited about what lies ahead of us...so if you're worried about me just take a moment, watch this video, relax, smile, and have a great day. God is good, and he is in charge....how much better could it be?

Monday's cartoon

Seeing Jesus

I am constantly humored by the news reports of people who have seen Jesus.....in a piece of toast, in a water stain, in a knot of wood. They gather from all directions to pray at these aberrations, hoping for a miracle. I'm glad they are looking for Jesus...that's encouraging, but they are looking in the wrong places.

People are seeing Jesus everywhere, but missing him in the only place where he said he would be seen- in the lives of his children! He never planned to be seen where we are looking, but he did say clearly he wants to be seen in you and me. Now, I have to tell you that no one has ever said to me, "Mike, your remind me of Jesus, in fact you act just like him." I wish it were so, but not yet. But this was Jesus' plan...to be seen in our lives.

That's why he planned to leave earth, send the Holy Spirit to live in us, and show himself, by the millions, through our lives. Looking for Jesus? He is alive and active on planet earth and can be seen.....in the lives of those who have trusted him as savior. Live your life in such a way, surrendered to him living through you, so that people will see Jesus in YOU and say, "You remind me so much of Jesus."

Eph 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;

A book report

Richard Dawkins, the leading atheist-apologist and author recently wrote a book that has been touted by Skeptic Magazine as the end of religion as we know it. That very commentary made me extremely curious about such a work, so I read it.

I anticipated being angry. I wasn't.

I anticipated being overwhelmed with "over-my-head" information, I wasn't.

I have to tell you that I was humored. The book wasn't profound. It wasn't revealing. It wasn't a great work that was the end of religion as we know it.

Actually it was a little boring, tedious, silly, repetitive, and arrogant. I couldn't understand why anyone thought it was such a great work proving that God doesn't exist, it didn't do that at all!

If you're curious, don't waste your money. Dawkins didn't prove anything other than the fact that he's just a silly man saying nothing. It confirms a verse that comes to my mind as I write this:

Psa 14:1 A David psalm. Bilious and bloated, they gas, "God is gone." Their words are poison gas, fouling the air; they poison Rivers and skies; thistles are their cash crop.

A small favor

So many of you tell me that you stop by and "peek in" on what I'm writing once in a while, but you don't leave a comment. Can I ask a small favor?

Would you take just a moment and leave a brief comment and your name so I will know you were here?

It's a small favor to a curious writer who is just wondering who is "peeking in."

thanks.

Quotes of the day

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

— C. S. Lewis

We Christians must simplify our lives or lose untold treasures on earth and in eternity. Modern civilization is so complex as to make the devotional life all but impossible. The need for solitude and quietness was never greater than it is today.

— A. W. Tozer

Little pleasures

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm an addict.

Yes, it's true.....I am a food addict! I love food! I even watch the food channel to see how they make food!

If you saw me you would know that's true. (I'm working on that, so be patient.) I am so grateful that God gave us taste buds, and that he made food taste good. We do need it for nourishment, but how great is it that it tastes good too? It's like we get two great things at the same time! Nourishment AND taste!

I like all the tastes....all of them! I love Mexican, Indian, American, Chinese, Japanese, and yes Robyn.....German food too! It's scriptural, you know....we are supposed to enjoy food, just look at the wisdom of Solomon on this issue:

Ecc 9:7 Go then, eat your bread in happiness and drink your wine with a cheerful heart; for God has already approved your works.
Ecc 9:8 Let your clothes be white all the time, and let not oil be lacking on your head.
Ecc 9:9 Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun.
Ecc 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;

Food is part of God's blessings! Not just the nourishment of it, but the taste too....isn't that great?

Now, I know I have to trim down a little, but even while doing that I'm grateful for one of God's little pleasures.

Dreams of more...

Every child dreams of flying. Most of us have jumped off of something in the hope of being "Superman!"...of flying. I don't think I know of anyone who would deny dreaming of flying. It's every parent's fear and every child's dream...to fly!

We all have imagined that we are more than we are, that we can do something other mortals only dream of doing. We all know that we were meant for more than we are...more than we can do now....we were meant to "fly."

I really believe these dreams we dream are hints of what more God has in store for us...the "more" we were meant to do....the more we were meant to be, and so we find ourselves dreaming of more....

Paul wrote, 1Co 2:9 but just as it is written, "THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."

What does God have prepared for us? What could it be that we can't even imagine? This verse has always left me wanting more. What things will I see? What will I hear? What does God have in store for us? Honestly, I can't wait to see it! We know there is something better ahead, we dream of it. And one day it will be reality. We will be in awe when we see all that God has planned.

I look forward to seeing the dreams become reality. I can't wait to "fly."

Monday's cartoon

Joye and I went to the funeral of one of her very close relatives this weekend. Donna was only 52. A short life finished unexpectedly. Of course death is usually unexpected, and then....one day without warning we are done. A whirlwind of quickly lived days makes a life, and soon it's over. So, live today for all you can squeeze out of it...you only get to use this day once, and sooner than you know it's over......