Month: April 2023

Today was the end of Operation Stockton Lake. We had around 20 veterans and volunteers on site. It was a weekend of faith, fellowship, and fishing. Nothing better. Great way for people to heal. Working together through their issues while having a line in the water. One of our volunteers is a retired Army Colonel. Mark Costello. We met a couple years ago. I like to say that we have developed a friendship during this time. It’s more than acquaintances through the ministry. I’m bringing him up, because he was our speaker last night. And he spoke on hope.

Let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about hope. Let’s talk about what that looks like for different people. I look at hope like this. Hope gives us something to look forward to. Something to count on. Something to believe in. Knowing that the result is going to be amazing no matter what happens. It may sound far-fetched. But that’s how I view it. Jesus is my hope. Actually, Jesus is everyone’s hope. Many people just don’t realize it. It’s a sad state to have no hope. It might be a sadder state to have your hope placed in the wrong things. I know that feeling. I know what it’s like to have no hope. Because, I didn’t at one time.

I bet most of us know somebody who tries to find hope in a beer bottle. I bet most of us know somebody who tries to find hope in something that they smoke. Or maybe they put it in their arm. I think you get the point. When people do that, when they place their hope in something so temporary, when it ends, so does their hope. When the bottle is empty, their hope is gone. And I know something else. And this is awesome. Jesus will never end. He will never end. Never! He’s not going anywhere. He will always be here. Always waiting. Always welcoming. Therefore, when we have hope in Jesus, our hope never ends. And that is incredible. So today, put your hope in Jesus. And watch how your life changes forever.

Ever catch yourself just on the go? The minutes, hours, and days, all seem to be go-go-go. You accomplish one task and then move onto the next. Almost robotic. Your time ends up simply “doing” things. It’s easy to get into that kind of rhythm. I know I sometimes find myself doing that. Nothing wrong with setting out to accomplish something. Nothing wrong with having goals in mind. A destination to head towards. But we need to be mindful of our purpose. Our goals need to have reason. Why is that?

I think that if we keep our priorities straight, then we can set time to be still with God. We can rest for a moment with God. This is important. It helps keep us from burning out. It helps us continue to find joy in what we are doing. And makes us less vulnerable to attacks  from the great deceiver. These all then help us keep our accomplishments in line with the plan God has for us. 

So today let’s do some self-reflection. Let’s take time to reconnect with God. Let’s focus on working on what He’s called us to do. God wants to bless us. Let’s let him. Let’s let God start doing more with our lives. If we do, we will feel his grace. We will see that what we work to do, will in fact accomplish what we’re called to do. God’s plan is perfect. And it will be perfect if we stay focused on it, and not focused on simply “doing” things. 

Today is National Superhero Day. Pretty neat day for all of the DC Comics and Marvel Comics fans. I’m not so much anymore. But when I was a kid, I was a big Spider-Man fan. I liked most of the superheroes back then. But Spider-Man was my favorite. I also really liked Thor. There was a time that I was a pretty decent artist. I used to draw all my favorites. Nowadays, I have to admit that I have enjoyed watching the Iron Man movies. But I’ve lost interest in watching the rest of those stories. I guess for me, there are too many of them. Hard to keep up. But I know several people who love them.

I think it’s obvious to most everybody who reads what I write, that my heroes have changed over the years. The obvious ones are my family members. Like my children. Watching them battle through struggles that they have had. Illnesses. Emotional draining times. Spiritual battles. Makes me proud to be their father. And my wife…what an amazing trooper she has been. The things that she has had to overcome the last 5 to 10 years. Never wavering in her faith. We can all learn from that. My other heroes are the veterans that I get to serve. Not only them, I actually look at all veterans and other military personnel as heroic. I know they wouldn’t call themselves that. But I do. 

Then there is Jesus. Or I should say, there’s Jesus, and then there’s everyone else. There are so many reasons why I view him as a hero. I’m fully aware that he is our Lord and Savior. I’m fully aware that we receive eternity with him because of what he has done for us. I get it. I’m not sure calling him a hero is powerful enough. He is beyond heroic. Need an example? Let’s go back 2000 years. The Bible tells us that there’s no love greater than laying down your life for someone else. Definitely heroic. So the sacrifice Jesus made for us qualifies beyond measure. The crucifixion was horrific. And he did that for us. Plain and simple. For us! There are many things that we can call this. And I think heroic is one of them. Jesus did this because he loves us. So we should look at him in a light like no other. So today, enjoy talking about your superheroes. Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, etc. But don’t lose sight on who we should really be revering. Jesus.

This morning‘s devotion is going to resonate more with those of us that grew up without the Internet or smart phones. Back before the worldwide web or AOL existed. There was a time that I could go trick-or-treating without having a parent watching over it. I know that sounds funny for this devotion. But stick with me. I think I can explain.

Technological advances really are incredible. Many things can be performed and conducted much easier. But there’s a downside. Actually a couple downsides. One, we are losing more of the one on one skills. The in-person skills. The people skills. The kind where you shake hands when you make a deal. The kind where we look someone in the eyes as you discuss things. And that I think has led to much of the distrust that we have. The trick-or-treating example shows this. I don’t know any parents that just allow their kids to go on the road now. That’s because of the distrust. 

Another downside is this. Yes, things are much easier. Things happen at a quicker rate. But…that puts us in a hurry. In a rush. Trying to get as much accomplished as fast as we can. Nothing wrong with accomplishing things. Nothing wrong with getting things done quickly. The problem lies within losing sight on what we should be focused on. We can lose sight on the “why” we are doing things. We can lose being in the moment. In the Bible, Jesus never ran anywhere. Never seemed to be in a hurry. Let’s learn from this. Let’s not simply be driven. Let’s let the Holy Spirit lead us. Guide us. Let’s look at our lives and make sure we keep the focus on the ”why” we are doing things. Let’s allow our lives to be blessed by slowing down some. Keeping focus where it should be.

A lot of us wake up and have a routine that we go about each morning. For some of us, that includes several different tasks. Start the coffee. Put dishes away. Fold the laundry. Get the kids up. Etc. For others of us, that might include one daily task. Maybe it’s a shower. Breakfast. Read the news. Etc. I would like to challenge all of us to do something each morning. To begin our day with God. In someway, to begin our day with God.

If we wake up in the morning and turn to him first, that is a sign that we are placing him first in our lives. That we are asking him to help us before we do anything else. Asking him to guide us. Although he knows our hearts, this is our act of submission to him. Letting him know, that we know, that he is first in our hearts. If we don’t do this, we run the risk of taking control. And that can lead to bad decisions. Bad actions. Bad thoughts. And more.

Sometimes we are concerned about not having enough time to do this. But maybe today would be a great day to build time in the morning to spend with our Lord and Savior. To spend time with the Holy Spirit. 5 minutes. 10 minutes. 15 minutes. However long it is, build it in. And make that time count. Focus on those few moments. You can pray. You can read. You can talk to him. Whatever you decide to do, be present in that moment. And I promise you this, you will begin to see the benefits of doing this. Your daily lives will be impacted by this time. God will bless you. It might be by simply giving you the strength to face the day. It might be by helping you become productive instead of just being busy. However he sees fit, he will bless you. Because he loves you. He loves us all. He always has. He always will.

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 that 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. 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. 

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. People are searching. They’re looking for love and hope. They are looking for peace. People are searching for Jesus. Often times, they don’t 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, then they 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’s 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. 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. 

Yesterday, I received a sermon link from one of our supporters. His friend videos short sermons and messages. Yesterday was on endurance. 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 with stand 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. We must trust 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. 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.

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.

Yesterday, we put out a prayer request that was answered very quickly. There is strength in numbers. We know this. And that is with prayer as well. For those of you that didn’t see it, here is part of the request: “Prayer Warriors! Time to mount up! Dieter Rademacher, Pastor at Community Fellowship of Christians Church, has a possible brain clot. He is in ICU at the moment. Undergoing evaluations…Please lift him up in prayer. Lift his family up as well. And lift the doctors up. Pray that they can make the best decisions for him.”

A little while later, we put this update out: “Scotty, Please thank your Prayer Warriors!  Within an hour, we had people all over the world praying for Dieter and the doctors. We have good news! He is alert and is acting like his wonderful self! The doctors have him on a drip medicine to “blast” the blood clot away. No surgery is being suggested. And he is feeling so well that he is hoping that he can go home tomorrow! I just love to see God’s miracles unfold before my eyes! Trudy Buck, Church Secretary.” Simply amazing. We have an awesome God.