Author: Scott

You never know who God‘s going to put into your path. Never know who you’re going to see that needs to hear what you have to say. Never know who it is you’re going to bump into the you might not have seen in a while. Barbara and I pray daily for God to show us people who need to know him. We pray for strength and wisdom for when that time comes. We pray that we recognize opportunities. We also never know who it is that we’re going to see at moments that we need help from. Who might be there to assist us with our needs. It’s humbling when it happens though. This morning I’m sharing a story that one of our board members shared with me.

Aric Foster is a retired Army Chaplain. Here is his story: “As everyone knows, a tornado went through the town I live in-Shawnee, OK. Because of all the places that didn’t have electricity, it was hard for me to go and see my patients at the nursing homes. So I had to rearrange my schedule. I have a patient who lives an hour away who needed supplies, and I had some time to deliver them. During my downtime, I checked Instagram and saw where the VA was going to have an event at my tribe’s Veteran Center. It was there to help with PACT screenings, filing claims, check on status, and for veterans who were impacted by the tornado to file emergency grant paperwork. Well, I had to go right by the center at the mission to get to my patient’s house. As I check in, the person at registration tells me someone will be with me to help me. I hear my name called, and it is my recruiter who put me in the Army, and then we recruited together for three years. He was the CO, and I was the XO for an 8 state recruiting region for the National Guard Bureau. Haven’t seen him in person since 2015. So he is the person who is going to help me with some claims I filed that day. So we go through the whole filing process for my additional claims. I need my pact screening and the man who is basically herding that line was a supply Sergeant I deployed to Afghanistan with and I haven’t seen since 2012. Never thought I would have seen those men that day. And I didn’t even know about the event until 11 am and this was about 1:30 when I arrived. It’s amazing how God puts us in the places we need to be. There were some things with VA I needed to do, and with my schedule being rearranged, the door opened for that to happen.”

I really have nothing more to add other than this. We serve an amazing God. Out of a tragedy, came this story. God loves us. He always has. He always will.

Yesterday, we talked about unity. How our unity can help us show others who Jesus is. That is very important. Especially when we consider today’s topic: Division. There is so much division in this world, that people are having a difficult time figuring out what is right and wrong. We are seeing this on the international level. We are seeing this on the national level. And we are seeing this on the local level as well. Wrong has become right. Right has become wrong. Evil is now good. Good is now evil. Doesn’t make much sense does it. But that’s where we are. I don’t know why it happened. But it happened quickly. 

And I know this too. People are searching. They are looking for love and hope. They are looking for peace. People are searching for Jesus. Often times, they do not know it until they find him. Jesus is pure love. And that is what people need. They are looking for the love that only comes from him. When people realize that Jesus died for them, they learn how much he loves us. When someone figures this out, it is life-changing. Encountering Jesus truly changes lives. When somebody develops a relationship with Christ, they then find a purpose they didn’t realize they had. And I think that our purpose is to serve others. In whatever capacity we can. If we search for opportunities, we can find them in our every day lives. 

So here is the challenge that we all have. Today, let’s look for opportunities to serve other people. Let’s look for a ways to lift others up. To place them above ourselves. Let’s pray for guidance. Pray for Jesus to show us where we are called to serve. Let’s work on showing the hope and love that comes from him. If we do this, not only will we show others who he is, we can also work on our own hearts. How awesome is that. So today, let’s always remember Jesus loves us so much that he died for us. Let’s remember this and let it motivate us to do what we are called to do.

In team sports, the players work together towards a unified goal. Whether it be basketball, football, baseball, etc. They work in unity. They have to if they want to be successful. It requires a “team” effort. I used to teach that when I was coaching. To put your team before yourself. Working together. United. Our military personnel work with the same guidelines. Working together. United. They do so under much different circumstances. For them it’s not a victory on a scoreboard. It’s life and death. 

As Christians, we should be doing the same thing. We should be working together. United. With the same goal in mind. If we are unified, then we can more easily show others who Jesus is. The world will see him more clearly. Unfortunately, we seem to let doctrine get in the way of that. We seem to let our personal beliefs get into the way. Baptist this. Methodist that. Lutheran this. Catholic that. When we realize this, it’s not hard to see why non-believers get confused. For goodness sake, it’s confusing to believers. Our faith should be built on Jesus. Jesus alone. And that should unify us. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If we work together with the Trinity in mind, humankind will see that. Non-believers will more likely want that too. 

In the Bible we read this. Jesus prayed for unity. He knows that the world will believe if the “church” is united. He knows that just the opposite happens if there’s disunity. Here’s something I read: “Unity is so attractive, and it’s meant to be in the Church. One day there will be perfect unity in the Church before the throne of God. The sooner the Church on Earth looks like the Church in heaven, the more effective it will be.” Drop the microphone! No more needs to be said. So today, let’s work on a unified front. Let’s strive to show there is a perfect unity awaiting us.

We live in a world where information is in our hands within seconds if we want it. What’s happening on the other side of the planet is something that we can see as it takes place. Outside stimulus coming from every direction. Technology has made all of this possible. So many benefits to technology. But at the same time, there are a lot of downsides. Things we don’t need to see, or hear, can get through because of no filters. Smart phones are great tools if used correctly. But they are just the opposite when they are not used correctly. There are so many things that want our attention. We must learn to stand fast and focus in on what God wants us to hear. 

I once received a sermon link from one of our supporters. His friend video records short sermons and messages. The message he sent me was on endurance. Endurance is an interesting topic for sure. But, what does it have to do with our faith? Actually a lot. As mentioned earlier, so many things are competing for attention. We must have the endurance to withstand the onslaught. The distractions are not going away. They’re probably going to increase. So let’s work on building our endurance up to face what comes at us.

With God as our lead, the outcome of our obedience to him is always going to be freedom and victory. Plain and simple. There is a catch though. We cannot place our obedience on what we desire to be the outcome. That’s not how it works. Our obedience must be placed fully on trusting God. Believing in God. We must trust and believe…that what he provides…is what is best for us. Not what the world provides. And this goes hand-in-hand with our endurance. Being obedient, and being able to endure, are weapons in our arsenal to battle against all the outside distractions. So let’s make today the day that we work on being obedient. And work on our endurance. Because God loves us. Always has. Always will.

The Boston Marathon takes place every year close to this date. Men and women, ages 18 and up, able-bodied and wheelchair-bound, will take to the course that is 26.2 miles long. Completing the course is an incredible feat. Completing any marathon is an incredible feat in my eyes. What might be more incredible, is the preparation that it takes to run one of these. But, let’s talk about something else that is forever tied to the marathon.

Barbara and I took Anna on a cruise years ago. While we were on our trip going through the gulf of Mexico, the news broadcasted about two bombs detonating at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It became obvious that it was a terrorist attack. There were multiple injuries. Including several people losing limbs. And there were three deaths. The youngest was an eight year old boy. His name was Martin Richards. He was there as a spectator with his family. One member lost their leg. Another was blinded in one eye. And his father now has hearing problems. I’m sure they would gladly accept those injuries, if in return, Martin was still alive.

As with many terrible events like this, there seems to be incredible human stories. Martin’s is one example. He was a second grader at the time. At school, his class was doing a study on non-violent protesting. He made a poster during that lesson. You could find a photo of it online pretty easily. The photo went viral after the bombing and his death. It went viral because of what he put on the poster: “No more hurting people. Peace.” Almost like a rally cry after the attack. President Obama made reference to it as well. We talk a lot about the innocence of children. How much wisdom there is in the things that they say. Even though they might not understand the depth of what it is they are saying. His poster is an example. We all want peace. And I think that the only way of finding true peace, is by finding Jesus. His peace is greater than anything we can ever imagine. I’m sure many people found peace in his love after the tragedy in Boston. And we should all realize, it is available for us. It’s available for all of us. And all we have to do is ask for it.

Today is Easter Sunday. The day we celebrate Jesus being resurrected and defeating death. The day that shows us the hope that comes from knowing him. The love. The peace. It’s amazing that we have a Lord and Savior willing to sacrifice himself for us. Last night I was scrolling through Facebook before going to bed. Facebook has so many good uses. Reconnecting with friends. Talking about upcoming events. Having civil discussions. Birthday wishes. Anniversary wishes. So many more. Which is why I love using it. But it also has so many bad uses. So much drama. Last night I came across several threads like that. As I read through them, I was tempted to get engaged. But I learned a long time ago, not to do so.

There’s so much division in our country right now. Left versus Right is the big one. There’s so much division, that one side could be completely correct. Spot on. Have the issue covered. And the other side will do all it can to discredit that. Nothing to do about the issue. Simply do all it can to discredit the other party. Unfortunately, I see both sides doing that. Not just in Washington DC. Friends have become enemies through Facebook. Friends can no longer agree to disagree. If you don’t see eye to eye, then you can’t be friends. When did that happen? I don’t know. But I know it happened quickly. Almost overnight.

What is crazy about all of this, it’s how much of the arguments are based off of speculation and scrolling through the Internet. Sometimes even scrolling through Facebook people form their opinions. Long before they read the truth. I have been guilty of that in the past. We don’t have a problem that exists because of disagreeing. Our country has a problem of the heart. A problem of the spirit. We aren’t allowing God to lead us. We aren’t seeking his wisdom. We are allowing our differences of opinion lead us. So today, we need to start focusing on God‘s wisdom. Seeking it in all that we do. Searching for it daily. Letting it control us. So today, we need to remember that his plan is good. I know it may be too late for that. I get that. I’m sorry to say that. But I also know that he is a God of miracles. Easter is proof of that. Proof that he loves us all. Even those who disagree with you. He loves them too.

There are so many things that I love about Charlie 22 Outdoors. So many, that I can’t put them all into words. I couldn’t fit them into three paragraphs. The ministry has been blessed beyond anything we can imagine. Here we are in our eighth year. Here we are with over 100 opportunities this year for veterans to serve, or be served. Here we are with over 1000 being served this year alone. How amazing! Watching God work has been incredible. But one of the things that really sticks out to me, is the volunteers giving all they can. Doing so without seeking anything in return. This is biblical.

In the Bible, we read that God will see what we are doing because he knows our hearts. He knows why we do, what we do. There’s no hiding it. Not from him. We also read that as believers, we should be serving others. That’s part of our faith. Giving to others. Putting others above our “selves”. Serving them, to serve them. Not serving them, to serve our selves. If we do this, we will be rewarded by our Lord and Savior. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But we will be rewarded. we will be blessed. It will be as God sees it. And I promise you this, it will be lasting. Something you will truly feel and treasure.

Years ago, when I began serving veterans, I went into it with the intention of giving back to them. Just trying to make their day better. Doing what I could to let them know that I love them for who they are. I had no idea how God was going to bless me in return. I’m not talking about any “outside” gain. I’m not talking about anything, anyone can see. It’s internal. Internally, I cannot tell you how much I was blessed. how much I am blessed now. I can’t measure it. I had no idea how God would fill my heart. Emotions that I felt, that I still feel today, are impossible for me to explain. So now here is the challenge I have for you today. I want you to find some place to serve others. Find some place to use your talents. We all have the capability to serve others. Find some place to put them above your self. Serve them, to simply serve them. Pray for wisdom and for God‘s guidance. Do this with a pure intentional heart. God will bless the entire process. He will bless everything about it. Because that’s what he does.

Good Friday. What a day. What an amazing day. Think about what happened 2000 years ago. Think about Jesus on the cross. Goodness gracious. Couldn’t imagine what that must’ve been like. The pain. The hurt. Coming out of the betrayal from those that he loved. Now, take a moment and think of a time that you were deeply hurt. A time when someone you knew, or didn’t know, caused you pain. Emotional pain. Spiritual pain. Possibly even physical pain. Maybe you were criticized unfairly. Maybe you were left out of something you wanted to be a part of. There are so many “maybes” that can answer the question. I know it can be hard to relive those. But take a moment and think of one. Or a couple.

When those times happened, did you come to a breaking point? Were you at an end? No matter what it was you went through, or maybe going through now, you can take this, and everything you face, to the Lord. You can take them to the Lord knowing he will provide you comfort. He will provide you peace. He will provide you an understanding. And all of these will be beyond anything you can imagine.

In the Bible, we read about God wanting to comfort us. Wanting to provide us peace. Wanting to provide us joy. He does these because he is our father. Just as a father here on earth wants to provide for his children. I know I do. For all three of my kids. And my grandkids. They face heartache, I want to take it away from them. I want to suffer for them. And that is exactly what God does. He provides comfort and peace while he heals your heart. He provides understanding and joy to help you move forward. And he will suffer for you. Think about Jesus. What he did on the cross for us was truly suffering for us. Suffering beyond anything we could ever comprehend. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will.

Prayer is our direct line to our Lord and Savior. It is our way to communicate with him. Our way to talk with him. Prayer affords us the opportunity to bring our concerns to God. It’s the same for bringing our celebrations to God. He likes to hear those too. Sometimes, we have direct/exact prayer requests. Where we lift up a person by name. Lift up their needs. And sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in saying a prayer just to say it. To say a prayer in passing. I think that is because we are busy to the point we don’t pray believing it will be answered. We just pray to get it done. But, I believe God answers all of our prayers. Sometimes his answers are so visible and obvious, there is no way of denying what he is telling us. We can see his answer. Other times, he answers them, by simply not acting on them. That is his way of telling us…not getting what we are praying for is best for us.

Just last night, I had a phone call with one of our Veterans/Volunteers. It seems like the last few days there have been a lot of prayer requests. And I mean a lot. Believe me, I’m not complaining. I’m just saying that there has been a lot of requests. People doing what they should do. Lifting their concerns up to God. A veteran in the hospital battling infection. A child of a veteran having emergency surgery for appendicitis. Family members of veterans having very serious health issues. Family members of volunteers have been very serious health issues. Unspoken requests for various issues. And several more other requests. Then there is Barbara and I having our daily morning prayer. asking for opportunities to be a light to those that don’t know Jesus. 

There is strength in numbers. We know this. And that is with prayer as well. When our prayer warriors mount up, the requests we receive are lifted up all across the country. Corner to corner. When we have an event, prayer covering that event is lifted up all across the country. Corner to corner. People going to their knees, and praying to God. We have an awesome God. We have an awesome God that hears our prayers. We have an awesome God that answers our prayers. Whether we like how he answers or not….HE ANSWERS OUR PRAYERS! We have an awesome God that loves us. So take time to pray. Make time to pray. And watch God work.

I know this may not be popular with everyone. But, I think that Top Gun: Maverick might be one of the best movies ever made. There are a lot of reasons for me thinking that. Too many to go into. It’s simply one of the best movies I’ve ever seen. Barbara will tell you, I am always looking for life lessons out of movies. Things that I can learn from. Even though they are for our entertainment, I believe movies can teach us some things if we look for them. There are three lessons in this movie that stuck out to me: Preparation, Protection, and Doing what is right even though it is not popular. And these can also be lessons for our Faith.

Preparation: Jesus prepared a place for us. He is still preparing it. He ascended to heaven and is awaiting us. What are we doing about it on earth? Are we secure in our faith? Do we have salvation awaiting us? We need to accept Jesus in our hearts to receive it. That is first preparing. If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. Scary thought when thinking about eternity. Protection: Satan is on the prowl. Sneaking around. Just like the snake that he is. Waiting for that one moment to strike. Using our emotions against us. Our thoughts. Our struggles. And even our triumphs. He has so many tactics. And he’s good at what he does. More importantly though, God is better at what he does. He will protect us from Satan if we let him. Attacks will come. But, protection will come from our Lord and Savior if we turn to him. Doing what is right even though it is not popular: The world tells us that certain things are right. And right now, there’s a lot of evil that is considered right. There’s a lot of “wrong” that is considered right. Following Jesus, is not the most popular thing to do. Actually, some people are being condemned for doing so. But, following Jesus… Is the right thing to do. Plain and simple.

There we have it. Preparation, Protection, and Doing what is right even though it is not popular. To wrap this up, let’s remember that Jesus is there. He is ever present. He’s not going away. He is waiting for us. How awesome is that! There are no words. God does so many things for us. We can’t list them all. But what we can do is prepare our hearts to be with him. If anything, he deserves us doing that. Especially, when we consider the sacrifice on the cross.