Author: Scott

Over the years, members of the military have served our country. That means they have served us. Many of them have willingly laid down their lives to protect and defend, in wartime and peace, the Constitution of the United States of America and its freedoms. We can attend a church of our choosing. We can own a Bible. We have the freedom of speech. The freedom of assembly. The freedom of the press. We have the Second Amendment as well. We have these freedoms, rights, and more, all defended and protected by the members of the military.

Today, November 11, is Veterans Day. Today we celebrate all who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. Today we honor and celebrate them. Today let’s take time to pause, reflect and pray for our veterans and their families. Let’s thank God for all of them. Let’s ask God to put his cloak around them and protect them. Let’s ask God to protect their families as well. 

If you are a veteran, know that we love you. We thank you. We honor you and value you. Today we want you to know how much we appreciate you. And we are here for you. We love you. And God loves you.

Yesterday, I was talking to one of our veterans about what they saw during combat. Believe me, it wasn’t pretty. Many of us, if not all of us, have seen or done things that beat us down emotionally and spiritually. Things that we can’t seem to let go of. Things that can take us to dark places. Things that lead us to points of anger. Even to points of rage. Or maybe to points of extreme anxiety or depression. We get caught in the downward spiral and we find ourselves in places we cannot handle, and then we react or respond in ways that are not rational. 

Satan is good at using this tactic against us. But as good at this as he may be, our Lord and Savior has this covered. He has already defeated our enemy. He has already taken our times of emotional turmoil and cast them aside. He has beaten Satan back. He did that for us. He is beating him back now. And he will continue to do so. 

But why? Why does God allow these times in our lives? I believe he allows these moments so we can turn to him. We can pray to him. We can ask for his help. And when we do, we get to witness the awesome power and glory that only his grace provides. His love for us is beyond all reasoning. And these are moments we can learn from and build our faith stronger on. Then just think of the testimonies we will have to share with others. We will be able to witness to them because we’ve been through it. Oh isn’t that incredible! God’s plans are beautiful. And going through tough times are part of his plans. And the reward of eternity is awaiting us who trust in Jesus. Because God loves us. Always has. Always will.

What are you reading? What are you watching on tv? Or listening to on the radio? Is there a blog or a podcast you’re following? The reason I’m asking is because these forms of information can have direct impacts on our lives. How is that? 

What we are thinking does. Our thoughts do. If they are toxic, they can negatively affect our lives. Our relationships. Our everything‘s. I’m not saying that what you are reading, watching, listening to, etc., are bad. What I’m saying is that “how” you take all that in can be.  How you let them impact how you think can be. It’s no secret that I am a 1980s hair band fan. Def Leppard. Motley Crue. Metallica. But they are simply entertaining to me. I don’t let them control how I view things. How I see things. How I think things.

I’m not trying to tell you what to listen to or watch. I’m just trying to tell you that our thoughts do matter. They matter more than we realize. They matter because they are important in determining who we are. Who we become. They matter because they can keep us from God‘s truth. And that’s where the danger lies. Toxic thoughts can destroy us. Without us even realizing it. They can tear our lives apart. They can ruin our relationships. Maybe it’s time to analyze our thoughts and see how they are directing us. Maybe it’s time to let God‘s word take over and let God take control of our thoughts. If we do that, he will take control. And how awesome will that be!

This morning, I looked in the backyard and noticed how many leaves have fallen in the last day or two. Just this past weekend, there was hardly a leaf on the ground. Now the yard is covered. Clearly a sign that Fall is at hand. Just as there are seasons that we live through on earth, there are different seasons that we go through in our lives spiritually. Let me explain.

For 15 years of my life, I was an educator in the high school system. I worked daily with kids trying to figure out and navigate through their teenage years. During a time of development in their lives. Not only was I teaching them the curriculum put in front of us, I worked on trying to show them how God could use them. Not only after high school, but while they were in high school. That season came to an end for me in for me in 2011. In 2006, I began a private basketball program for junior high and high school age. We used basketball to teach morals and values of being young Christians. Basketball was the tool to bring us together. But the purpose was to show God’s glory. That season ended in 2021. It ended because the season that I’m in now is Charlie 22 Outdoors. It requires my attention. And the purpose with is not much different than the seasons before. Just where and who I work with is the difference. 

Each one of us has a purpose. Ultimately, it is to pursue and serve God. But how we do so is probably different for each of us. And chances are, how we do so, probably changes as we go through our lives. Thus, the different seasons. And chances are also that while some of us may know our purpose, others are still trying to figure theirs out.  And that is fine. Don’t fret. Don’t worry. Just keep striving. Just keep asking for him to show you how to use you for his kingdom. And he will. God will show you when the time is right. He will guide you through the different seasons of your life. But you must ask him to do so.

Sometimes we find ourselves holding on to things that we can’t seem to let go of. Sometimes we have a guilt of some thing that we have done. Other times we have hatred or despise others for what they have done. These are easy for us to do because we are human. Our minds and our feelings can be dangerous places for us to go. Because they can keep us from being close to God.

Satan will use our minds against us. He will use our thoughts and our feelings. That’s how he does things. He sneaks around behind the scenes attacking us without us even knowing it. Sometimes he uses our guilt. Sometimes he uses others against us. All in his plan to keep us from God‘s grace.

But there is good news. God has you. God has me. God has all of us. He is in our corners. Helping us fight these battles daily against the attacks that come from Satan. The attacks that come from inside our own heads as well as from others around us. Even better, victory has already been declared for us. The cross did that. The sacrifice was for us. As terrible as it must’ve been for Jesus, he did it for us. So we can grow closer to God. God will renew our hearts and our minds. He will take away all of the outside noise that’s keeping us from growing closer to him. All we have to do is let him in and help us fight this battle. I know these battles may not be easy. I have been through them. I still am. But God will see us through. And as we said earlier, the victory has already been declared.

I imagine that everyone of us has gone through times of heartache. If some of you have not, I’m going to bet that it’s going to happen at some point. Things happen that just seem to crush us. Maybe it’s a divorce. Maybe it’s losing a job. Or maybe it’s losing a loved one. Whatever the case, heartache happens. It’s part of being on earth. It’s part of us being human. It’s not easy. In fact, it’s very hard. But it happens. Broken hearts happen. And I’ve had my fair share of them.

Our hearts are also the center of our “physical” lives. It’s our pump to keep the blood flowing in our bodies. Without it, our bodies will not function. But what about our spiritual lives? There are some strong arguments that our spiritual lives are centered around our hearts. One of those being…It’s what is in our hearts that dictates how we live our spiritual lives. And since that is the case, we must strive to have Christ as the center of our hearts. No question about it. He must be the center. If we do this, people will be able to see Christ through our actions. That means, people will see Christ in all that we do.

So here’s today’s challenge. Let’s allow God to continuously work in our hearts. Let’s allow God to continuously build us spiritually. Doesn’t matter where we work. Where we live. Nothing should block us from letting God work in us. Nothing! So today, let’s strive to commit our hearts to God. To commit our hearts to what God is calling us to do. If we do this, our hearts will remain pure. Then that will help us better serve him. Now I realize that this may be easier said than it is to do. I get that. But it’s doable. And since it’s doable, we must strive to do it. And that’s because God loves us. He always has. He always will.

When we are saved in Christ, we are renewed. The old sinful person we once were has gone. It has left. But that doesn’t mean we are sin-free. It doesn’t mean we are not going to sin. Or not be tempted by sin. It means that the sacrifice on the cross has taken the burdens of our sins away from us. 

But we must be aware that this “renewed” life comes with some responsibilities. We weren’t given a free pass to heaven when we were saved. We weren’t given a “get out of jail free” card. Our salvation has given us a path to follow to receive the glory of eternity with our Lord and Savior. And that requires action on our part.

For me it was a struggle to remove the old sinful self. I had been living my own life far longer than I had been saved. I still face temptations. I still live in this world full of sin. We all do. But I know these truths: If I stay steadfast in my relationship with God, He will continually work in my life. He will continue to “renew” me. He will continue guiding me down the path to rid me of the stains of my sin. He we continue leading to the moment when I will see him and be in his presence for eternity. And as much as I know these truths are for me, I know that they are for you too. Jesus didn’t pay the price just for me. He paid the price for us all. Because he loves us. Always has. Always will.

This life is full of times where we catch ourselves waiting. Sometimes it’s at a stoplight. Sitting there waiting for it to turn green. Seems like that takes forever. It can be frustrating. Other times, it’s waiting for something glorious. Like the birth of a grandchild. Frustration is replaced with nervous anticipation. But it can also seem like it takes forever. Either way, we find ourselves waiting at different times of our daily lives. 

When we find ourselves in moments where we are waiting, I suggest that we turn our thoughts towards God. And that means in both types of moments. Those that are frustrating. And those that are glorious. Maybe you already have. And you feel like you have been left to deal with the situation on your own. I know I have felt that before. I have been there just looking for a small sign that God is there. And it was hard to hold onto hope when I didn’t see him. Or I don’t see him now. But I know this too. When I don’t see God, is when I’m not focused on God. And that’s on me.

God is not absent unless we make him absent. God will not forget us. He is there for our frustrations. And he is there for times that are glorious. God cares so much that he wants us to turn all things over to him. That’s hard for us to do. I’m aware of that. But that’s what he wants. And that includes those times where we find ourselves waiting. Maybe even more so during those times. Because, it’s during those moments that we may have “more time” on our hands to focus on him. Finally, here is something else that I read about waiting. And it is spot on. “It is in the waiting that God will change you, but maybe not your situation immediately. In the waiting that your very heart will change from pleading to gratitude. From patience to grace. From failure to freedom.” Wow! How powerful. 

Sometimes our lives get into such a funk that it’s hard for us to believe that God is near. It’s hard for us to hear him. When that happens, maybe it’s time for us to focus on trying to hear him. Practice and work at hearing him. But be ready. Because sometimes what you’re going to hear, is not what you want to hear.

Here’s what I know. There are times that we get desperate. We want to lift our hands up. We want to surrender our hearts. We can’t go on anymore. We can’t do it the way we’ve been doing it. And we long to hear God. But we don’t. And I know this, we cannot go on like this. There is no hope this way. And most likely, we don’t hear God because we are not listening like we should.

When I was playing basketball, I would imagine situations before they happened. I would close my eyes and put myself in the situations and visualize playing through them. It would even include details down to the point that my shooting form was perfect. This was a tool that I used to help me be better prepared for what was going to come. So here is some advice. Try to spend a few moments imagining Jesus. Try to visualize him and feel his presence. Try to listen to what he’s telling you. Imagine him walking you through the hardships and obstacles that you face. Look at the picture of him in your mind and know he is always with you. No matter what it is that you’re bearing. And know this always: God loves you. Always has. Always will.

What is it that you prepare for? What is it that takes your time and attention to get ready for? If you ask yourself that question, and you’re honest about it, I bet you realize that whatever you prepare for is important to you. Things that require your attention and time are important to you. God has prepared eternity for us. Let’s read that again. God has prepared eternity for us. That is awesome. But we must be aware of this other truth as well. Satan has done the same thing. Let that sink in. And if they are preparing eternity for us, then it must be important. Actually, probably better put it this way: They are at war over our eternity. Therefore, you better believe that it is important.

We are all going to die someday. That’s reality. Reality is that we will all spend eternity somewhere. So living on this earth isn’t our forever home. As Christians, we rejoice in knowing where we are going. And how glorious that is going to be. 

But, we don’t have a free ticket to heaven. To get there requires action on our part. And here are probably the two best pieces of advice I can give you. I may be off a little bit, but this is what I believe. I believe that we must repent and ask for forgiveness. I believe those are the two foundations to live as believers and to achieve life in heaven with Jesus. The Bible tells us that the way to heaven is through Jesus. No way around that. And with that reward awaiting us, we should live our lives serving others trying to show them the glory that is awaiting them as well. Eternity with Jesus! Wow! We can’t even begin to imagine what that’s going to look like. Now go and love God. Love others. Serve the world.