Month: February 2023

Being human, and being part of this world, means that we experience human emotions. That includes anxiety. It is very real. I did a little research and I found out some interesting statistics. An estimated 31.1% of U.S. adults experience any anxiety disorder at some time in their lives. Currently, 40 million adults in the U.S. (19.1%) have an anxiety disorder. In the United States, it is estimated that around 6.2% percent of the population suffers from an anxiety disorder. Wow! That is a lot of people.

Unfortunately, some people live with anxiety on a daily basis. They can’t outrun it. They can’t hide from it. There’s no safe place. Panic sets in. It can become hard to breathe. These can all lead to fear and self doubt. Other emotions can cause the same types of feelings. Depression is an example. Different types of phobias as well. The point that I am trying to make here is that living as humans means that we live with different emotions that are hard to deal with. I was talking to a veteran yesterday. And he said it perfectly: “We don’t live in the Garden of Eden. We lost that.“ Oh how correct he is!

Now here is what is awesome. No matter what we live with. No matter what we go through. No matter what emotion, or emotions, we face. We all can experience God during these times. We can turn to him. We can run to him. We can fall into his arms. We can live “anxious for nothing” because of him. Getting through these emotional experiences isn’t based on anything that we can do. Isn’t based on anything that we can produce. Getting through these things is built on the presence of God. It is through his presence that we find peace. And I believe this final point. I believe that we can overcome anxiety, depression, fear, etc. I believe we can overcome them over time if we continually seek God‘s presence. He can get us through them, and ultimately, over them! But we must seek him.

If you have been keeping up with us through our devotions, you have heard us say several times that God gives us hope, love, and peace. And he does. There’s no doubt he does. He does so in ways that we cannot comprehend. There is no measure. But, I would like to add this to the list: The hope that he gives us, helps guard our hearts. The love that he gives us, helps guard our hearts. The peace that he gives us, helps guard our hearts. And once again, this is beyond anything that we can comprehend. Beyond our understanding. And that is amazing.

Recently, several people have reached out about going through dark times. Going through storms in their lives. That they are living day to day. Going through illness. Going through layoffs. Having a death in the family. Going through uncertain times. Whatever it is, they are going through moments in their lives that seem like they cannot get through. Going through moments where they are questioning “why” these are happening. Even wondering if they can survive. Wondering how they are going to survive. Now I know this might sound crazy to some. And I also know that it sounds impossible to some. But it’s during these times, we should be thankful. Be thankful that God is building us through these storms. Be thankful that he’s guiding us. I always tell my children, when we go through moments like these, if we do it correctly, we will come out on the back end of them stronger than ever before. Our testimonies will be very powerful. And that is true. 100%.

This is what I mean by God will guard our hearts. In the Bible we read about Paul. God sent angels to Paul on the deck of a sinking ship. To give him peace. And this guards his heart. And helps him turn his eyes on the Lord. God will do the same for you. And the peace that you’re going to receive is going to be permanent. And just think about how that will guard your heart. He has a purpose for what you are going through. Don’t give up. Stay the course. He will use the storms to strengthen your faith. To show others who he is. Seek him and you will find him. Always trusting he is there. Pray to him your fears. Tell him your concerns. Tell him your weaknesses. Be honest. And be thankful in your prayers. Pray a prayer of expectation. Expecting him to respond. Pray for strength. For the guidance to get through. Don’t forget to always remember this, you are part of God‘s family. And he loves you. Always has. Always will.

What is a disciple? What makes us disciples of Christ? Do others see us as disciples of Christ? What does a disciple look like? What should one look like? I think a disciple of Christ is someone who trusts him with their life. A disciple is a follower of Jesus. A disciple of Christ studies what he teaches us. Trying to do what Jesus is telling us to do with our lives.

I know that I am nowhere near where I need to be. I try to strive daily on being more Christlike. And I fail miserably. I know that I will never be where I need to be. But that’s the motivation that pushes me each day. If there ever comes a point in my life that I think I have achieved being Christlike, then I really will need to review my beliefs. With Jesus as our teacher, we should try to act more like him each day. Each day we should be building, molding, our lives to be like him.

Something else about being a disciple that we should realize. We should want others to know more about Jesus. We should want others to learn what he’s teaching. As we grow in our faith, we should want others to grow in their faith as well. We should want those that don’t know him, to come to know him. We should want their lives to be transformed. So today, let’s strive to be better disciples. Let’s strive to show others how to be better disciples. Let’s be thankful for what God has given us already. And let’s be thankful for what he’s going to give us. Let’s ask God to bring people into our lives that need to know him. Let’s truly strive to be more like him. I know that life can sometimes make this difficult. But, I also know that it’s doable with Jesus in our lives.

A few years ago, Barbara and I had to sit back and be still. We had to step away from something that we loved dearly. God was telling us to move on. Things had changed. We were heartbroken at that moment. We had to pray for guidance like we never had before. We had to wait for him to answer. Kind of a funny point. Several of our friends reached out and told us they were praying for us. They thought that our marriage might be in trouble. Nothing could have been farther from the truth. Reality is, we had to sit back and wait. It was during that moment God was silent. We didn’t know why. It was a few months later his purpose was revealed. Oh my goodness, was it glorious!

When God seems silent, you are still called to go forward in faith. You are to continue to do the things that please God. Be ready for frustration. It’s going to come. But stay the course. It’s during the times of his silence that he’s building you. Preparing you. Getting you ready for something that’s coming. Be confident knowing that. Trust it. Know that he’s answering your prayers with his silence. And know that he will reveal it to you in his time. Not yours.

It’s also important to remember that sometimes the answer from God is NO. Sometimes he’s preparing you to not do something. To not be a part of something. He’s keeping you away from there because it’s for your own good. You may not like that. You may not agree. But in time you will see why. So maybe today is the day for you to be still. Maybe today is the day for you to search for God‘s answers. To see what he’s telling you. Or what he’s not telling you. And always remember, it’s for your own good. It’s for his glory. Not ours. His.

What happens when you give your life to Jesus? What happens “after” you give your life to Jesus? Do you change? Do you feel a change? What really happens? These are great questions. I know I had them years ago when I accepted Jesus into my life. I didn’t know what to expect. I don’t think any of us do.  I knew then, and I know now, I am going to heaven. And I will be reunited with loved ones who have gone before. I will get to meet Jesus. That’s going to be incredible. Beyond my wildest imaginations. But let’s return to the questions. What happens?

I would like to suggest that the journey begins when we accept Jesus into our lives. The Bible gives us clear instructions. It tells us to give up doing what we want to do. And to start doing what we are called to do. To start following God’s directions. God‘s commands. And we must realize, what he wants us to do is the best for us. He has a great interest in our lives. If we follow his leader ship, we will experience what he has planned for us. That will bring us peace, joy, and a hope for our lives. Following him will give us a meaning. A true meaning. A meaning that means something. A true meaning that can help others as well.

God will use each of us in the capacity he chooses. And that will look different for each of us. He will use our talents and the gifts that he gives us to show others who he is. Even when it seems like there is no hope. Even when the end seems near. Even when the darkness comes and tries to attack. Even when we want to give up. God will use us. He will keep us going. He will give us the strength. He will show us the way. He will never give up. He will never stop loving us. He will never stop giving us the hope we need. So there’s the answer to the questions from earlier. I believe these are the answers to what happens when we accept Jesus. Pretty awesome huh!

Today is my birthday. It has me thinking about gifts. Do you like gifts? I think we all enjoy them to some extent. Especially, gifts from the heart. When someone really put some thought into something that they gave you. And what about gifts from God. Let’s talk about those.

There are different ways to look at this. First, I think the gift of forgiveness might be the most important. To me it is. He forgave me in January 1992. As undeserving as I was, as I still am, he forgave me. And this is available do you as well. To all of us. Pretty amazing gift. Another part of this, is the gift of eternal life in heaven. Once again, I am so undeserving. But he still gives it to me. It’s waiting for me. It’s waiting for you too.

Then there are the spiritual gifts. The gifts he gives us where we can use our talents to serve him. Or maybe where the best use your resources. Do you know yours? Do you know where the best use your talents? Do you know where the best use your resources? These are great questions. But the truth is, as believers we are given gifts to help spread the word about Jesus. And to help Christians learn more about Jesus. If you don’t know yours yet, maybe today is the day to try to figure this out. What did God give you, for you to use, to show others who he is? Find it. Then start using it. And then, be thankful. Just as we say thanks to others for birthday presents, give thanks to God for trusting you with a gift to serve him.

We live in a world full of sin. It’s all around us. Sometimes we say, “I remember the good old days.” Or we say, “I can’t imagine raising kids today.” Or, “I can’t imagine being a kid today.” I know I’m guilty of saying that. But, I’m not sure there is more sin today than before. I might be wrong. But I think a lot of our reasoning is due to the fact that everything is in our fingertips. We have access to so much information at any given moment. Simply pick up your phone and you can bring up any topic you want. Plus, everything seems to be happening right before our eyes as well. As soon as it happens, we see it. Either way, we live in a world full of sin. And that can make living a Christian life difficult sometimes.

Being a believer does not make us immune to temptation. It does not make us immune to sin. In fact, we might be able to argue that there might be more temptation and sin coming at us. Satan will attack us whenever we are doing good. Whenever life is going well. And he does it in sneaky ways. Because he’s a snake. And I think temptation and sin come from him. Some days we will make poor choices. Other days we will not. Some days we let our decisions define us. Other days we do not. What’s awesome about our God, it’s how he looks at us. We are his children. Nothing, no one, can take that from us. 

Our relationship with our Lord and Savior runs deep. Deeper than we can imagine. Nothing can break that. The bond we have with him is strong. We can rest knowing that our lives are in his hands. We cannot, will not, be separated from him. Now understand, this does not mean go out and do what you want. It does not mean we have a green light to sin. Not at all. It means we have a Lord and Savior in our lives who helps us battle against the temptations that we face. It means that sin will not win. It means that the victory has already been declared. So today, take a few moments and thank God for this. Thank God for his forgiveness. Thank him for your salvation. Thank him for the victory.

Some of us live in circles where we might be the only believer in that group. Especially those who have only recently found their faith. That might possibly include being the only believer in our family. And our age doesn’t dictate this. Both younger and older Christians experience this. And sometimes, believers actually experience hostility from their family members who do not believe. That’s very unfortunate. But true. Situations like these can make it tough to be a Christian. It can’t put a strain on our faith. But I look at it like an opportunity.

Whether or not we find ourselves in situations where we are the only believer in the group, we are still called to serve. We are still called to be the light. We are still called to show others who Jesus is. And whether we like it or not, people around us are watching us. Making sure that we “check the boxes” in their eyes. Watching to see if we live what we say we believe. Watching to make sure that we are not fake. I think that sometimes this is out of curiosity. They want to know more. They want to know what being a Christian looks like. And we find ourselves as the example, quite possibly the only example, that they may have to watch.

I would like to make some suggestions now. Look at this opportunity as an honor. God has chosen you to be the testimony that might reach them. God has chosen you because he sees the strength in you. The strength that he is providing. God has chosen you because you might possibly be the only person, who is a Christian, that the people around you may ever see. It might feel lonely. But he is with you. He is with us all. And just as we should look at this as an honor, we should take this seriously. Second, pray for others. Our family and our friends. Whether they are believers or not. Pray for them. Pray for ourselves. Pray for strength. Pray for guidance. Finally, be ready. There might come a time that they question you. Wanting to know more. And that’s the opportunity that God has prepared you for. How awesome is that! You might be the person who leads them to know Christ. Amazing!

Those around you that don’t know Christ, will probably be curious about your relationship with Christ. Chances are, they’re not going to understand it. They’re not going to “get” it. It’s unfortunate, but sometimes this can strain your relationship with them. Sometimes they might show anger or distrust towards you. Sometimes they might even make fun of you. This may sound crazy, and I might be wrong, but I think this could be due to them being convicted. I believe that there’s a spiritual battle taking place within them. God convicting them and Satan attacking them. I think this because I used to be in that place.

Being a believer can be very difficult in this time and age. The world does not understand our faith. The world can be confused by it. The world can try to disagree with it. When the world wants to show hate, we want to show love. When the world wants to show anger, we want to show peace. When the world wants to point fingers and exclude somebody, we want to welcome them with open arms. Even though we live in this world, we do not belong to the world. We belong to God. 

Remember what happened to Jesus before he was crucified. Definitely shows the divide between the world and being a Christian. And just as he showed compassion and forgiveness, all the while on the cross, how we respond can go along way with witnessing to  those who do not know Jesus. That’s a powerful place to be in. And it can be a difficult place at the same time. But it’s what we are called to do. Show others Jesus. No matter how hard it is. Here’s something that I read: “When we are treated poorly, we treat people nice in return. We pray for people who do not like us or understand Christians. We return hate and rejection with love and acceptance.” Does this sound something worldly? I think not. This is beyond ourselves. It requires God, because we can’t do it alone. I know I can’t anyway. It may be hard to do, but God will enable you to love your enemies. Ask him, and God will show you how.