Month: February 2024

My wife will tell you that I definitely hate funerals. They are hard for me. Especially open coffin. I don’t want to go anywhere near those. It’s not death that bothers me. And I’m not afraid of dying. Because…I know where I’m going. So I don’t know what it is about funerals. But they bug me. I’ve been honored and blessed to officiate a couple. And they were difficult. But I got through them because my focus was on the service and not on “being at” a funeral. If that makes sense. 

As I stated earlier, I am not afraid of dying because I know where I’m headed. I’m going to get to spend eternity with Jesus. And I’m going to be reunited with loved ones who have gone before. Nothing better than that. But something else also comes to mind when I think about death. It’s when Jesus came into my life. When I accepted him, a part of me died. He killed the sin in my life. He destroyed it. He took it away. So part of me died. My life began a-new. It was a new beginning. Sin had been in charge of my life before Jesus. I was a slave to it. But no more. 

Now, that doesn’t mean sin goes away. That doesn’t mean temptations go away. Nothing can be further from the truth. They’re not going anywhere. Sin is part of this world. Temptations are part of this world. We face them daily. They are going to try to creep back into our lives and drag us down. Every day from now on. There will be no end. But as powerful as the temptations are, always remember this, Jesus is more powerful. As strong as the sin used to be in our lives, they have no chance against the strength of Jesus. And with Jesus in our lives, there’s no need to fear death. Because when we die here on earth, we will then spend eternity with him. And that is not a punishment or condemnation. That is a blessing. And that is awesome.

What is it that happens when you become a believer? When you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? What is it that takes place? What changes take place? Should I feel different?These are questions that I imagine several people have had. Probably still do now. I know these are questions that I had. I’m not sure that there is a all encompassing answer for everyone. After all, we still have to fight our human nature. And we all differ in that aspect. But I can say this with all confidence. I can say this about all of us. With Jesus in our lives, we become new creations. 100%. We become new creations.

The Bible tells us that we are made new. When Christ comes into our lives, we are made new. Our old lives have died. They are dead. When Christ comes into our lives, we come to know God. And that alone changes us. Our past is now in our past. The things that kept us from knowing God are now gone. We now have the tool, the weapon, to fight against our sinful natures. We can also fight against anxiety, anger, depression, etc. Knowing God has freed us from these things. Knowing God allows us to work on building a relationship with him. And guess what is even more incredible about knowing God. Others are going to want to know him too. They will see the change in your life. That will make them curious. And think of it this way, you just might be what leads them to know the light that comes from Christ. You just might be what leads them to being changed as well! Holy cow! That is incredible.

So today begin believing you have changed. Begin allowing yourself to be transformed. Today is a great day to let go of your sinful past. Put that behind you and build on your relationship with Christ. Today is also a great day to start working on your confidence and strength to show others who Jesus is. To let them see how your life has changed. To let them see the hope that your future has. I also want to challenge you to start each day praying for opportunities to serve God. Pray each morning asking him to show you how to serve him. Who it is that needs to know him. And I also challenge you to pray each morning a prayer of thanks. Being thankful for all the blessings he has given you and will give you. Pray these prayers, and watch how your daily lives change as well.

Family dynamics have always interested me. It really is amazing to me how family members relate to each other. Sometimes as best friends. Other times as worst enemies. Or maybe somewhere in between. Family can be a source of great joy for people. For others, family can be a source of great pain. I wish there was an earthly solution that could end all of the turmoil that some families experience. But there’s not. And that’s unfortunate. But I do know which family we can be a part of that will ultimately bring great joy. That family belongs to Christ. 

Belonging to Christ does not necessarily fix our problems here on earth with our families. It doesn’t automatically bring joy. And there’s no for sure guarantee of ending the pain. But belonging to Christ puts us in a family of God’s people. And there-in we will find joy. Not only do we find joy, we find a hope and a peace that we will not find with our earthly family. Now I’m not saying that we can’t find joy, hope, or peace with our earthly families. A lot of us do. I’d like to think that I find all of those in my family. What I’m saying is, we are guaranteed to find these things in Christ.

In the Bible, Paul writes about this. He talks about through the blood of Christ, people can take part in God’s covenant. No matter what our backgrounds are. No matter where we live. No matter who our family members are. None of that qualifies or disqualifies us from being able to join the family of God. None of it! And that is awesome. Our God is so loving, that the door is open for anyone who accepts him into the heart. He will take us in. All of us. He will cleanse us. He will show us the joy that only can come from him. The peace and the hope. And ultimately in the end, we win. We will rejoice with him for eternity. How incredible is that!

Barbara and I enjoy watching the show America’s Got Talent. Currently, they have a season called the Fantasy League. Each of the judges has a team competing against the others. We are amazed at how talented some of the performers are. In 2019, we watched Kodi Lee. He returned for the AGT All-Stars edition a couple years later. He is back again on this season. He was born with a rare condition called optic nerve hypoplasia, causing him to become legally blind. In addition to being blind, he has autism and Addison’s disease. His mother actually has to walk him onto the stage and get set up. 

Kodi was so good that he won first place in 2019. After it was announced that he won, his mother was once again on stage with him. They asked her what she thought. Her response was, “I think the world has won tonight.“ During AGT All-Stars, when he finished he proclaimed, “Help me change the world.” I believe that both of these comments are referring to how the world’s views towards each other can change. Because if we can change how we view somebody with a condition like his, can we not change how we basically view everyone? That may be a tall task. I am fully aware of how difficult that might be. But I also believe that there is some truth in that it is possible. 

I believe that the world can change. Because, I believe that Jesus can change the world. I believe this, because he already has. Actually, just saying his name can be “changing”. Just saying his name can change someone’s emotions and feelings at that moment. That’s powerful. So just imagine the change that would take place if everyone had him in their hearts. Just imagine what it would be like if we all would serve others just the way he wants us to. Just imagine! Once again I know this is a tall task. I realize what it would take for it to become reality. But…Jesus is our Lord and Savior. He is our way to heaven.  Even for those who don’t believe in him. He is their Lord and Savior too. He is their way to heaven too. There’s no way around that fact. So maybe today is the day for you to come to know him. Maybe today is the day that you should accept him as your Lord and Savior. Or, if you already know him, maybe today is the day for you to step out of your comfort zone and show others who he is. Maybe today is the day for you to help change the world. We can do this by helping change one person’s heart at a time.

Often times we put out messages and posts to our prayer warriors requesting prayer. Sometimes we ask for prayer over events that we put on for our veterans. Praying over travel. Safety. Fellowship. Praying for the Holy Spirit to be present. Praying that lives are changed. Other times we will put out prayer requests that have been sent our way. People with health issues. Anxiety issues. Sometimes people looking for prayer about decisions they have to make. And other times, we put out prayer requests that are unspoken. People asking for prayers about situations only they know of. Whatever the situation may be, we do this because we believe in the power of prayer. Well…at least we say we do.

Now, I want you to think about this for a minute. And be honest with yourself. Have there been times that you prayed and did not truly expect something? For example, have there been times that you prayed for a miracle but you really didn’t believe it would happen? Have you prayed putting things in God’s hands, but really didn’t think he would do anything about it? Why do we do that? Why is it that we say we believe, but really don’t believe it’s going to take place? I’m not really sure what the answer is. Because I do believe in the power of prayer. And I believe God answers prayers. And I also believe God answers prayers by not answering them. It’s not for us to understand his will. But it is for us to understand and believe that his will is the best for us.

During a conversation with one of our supporters/prayer warriors, he made a comment to me, “Be careful of what you ask for. Because you’re going to get it.” We were talking about my gratitude for those around me holding me accountable. It made me think of this statement as well, “Be careful what you pray for, because chances are you’re going to get it.” There is so much truth in this. I remember in 1994, I was trying to figure out my direction in life. I kept feeling the pull back towards coaching basketball. I prayed about it one day. And I kid you not, I got a phone call that night from a woman asking me to coach their schools high school boys and girls basketball teams. Clearly an answer to prayer. I also remember a time where I prayed for God to give me the suffering that my son was going through. Let me take his pain. And boy did he. My son began to thrive. And I suffered for months on end. I would gladly do that again. The point I am trying to make here is, let’s pray expecting God to answer. Let’s pray fully. Let’s pray with our hearts truly seeking him to take hold of our prayers. And be ready. The answer may not be what you want it to be. But be ready. He answers prayers. Sometimes as visible as the phone call that I received. And other times invisibly because he’s not going to give you what you ask. Either way, remember this. God’s will and plan is the best for us. Because he loves us. He always has. He always will.

Today’s reading might step on somebody’s toes. Believe me when I say, “I hope it does.” Because, I know I’m stepping on mine as I write it. And sometimes the truth hurts. We might not like that or want to hear that. But if we grow stronger….so be it. Let the truth hurt. Now that the warning is out of the way, let’s begin. Remember who Jesus died with? Remember who else were on crosses? Yep. He was in between two thieves. I’d like to suggest that you and I are like one of them. You read that correctly. We are like one of the thieves being executed. Let me explain. 

Studies have proven that we nearly always view ourselves as more moral than others. That we view our actions and behaviors as less harmful than others. We justify what we do by saying it’s not as bad as what “they” do. In the Bible we read about the Pharisees. They were offended by Jesus. In their eyes, they were righteous. They weren’t bad, everything outside their circle was. Jesus refuted that by preaching that evil doesn’t come from the outside in. It actually is the opposite. It comes from the inside out. Ouch!!! 

Like the Pharisees, we want to see ourselves as good people. We long for that. We even compare our sins to others. We don’t steal. We don’t harm others. Murder others. We tell ourselves…Our lies are small. Our arrogance isn’t hurting anyone. We talk behind other’s backs. But are friendly to their faces. The list of our “harmless” sins is lengthy. Any of this sound familiar? Now, let’s return to the thieves. One mocked Jesus. The other knew he was guilty. So how are we like one of them? Here is my answer. They both needed a Savior. But, only one recognized that. And he asked for forgiveness. Which one are you?

This morning I came across some more thoughts on forgiveness. I’d like to share with you what I read. I believe this is important because it helps keep our hearts pure. And I believe we need to strive to have pure hearts in order for us to serve God to the fullest. Having a pure heart is something that I have to work on daily. Some days are easier than others. But it’s a daily thing for me. 

Forgiveness is by the grace of God. Not something you earn. Not by our acts of service. It is not a prize. You can’t work for it. You can’t buy it. Forgiveness is a blessing. It’s a blessing that is received the instant you accept Jesus as your Savior. Forgiveness is a matter of fact. And being forgiven gives us hope. What Christ did on the cross paid for our sins. And get this…the blood he shed on the cross has cleansed you. Read that again and believe it…the blood he shed on the cross has cleansed you. Wow!!!

Now comes the challenge. Forgiveness is a continuous act. It’s requires action on our parts. It requires us to remove the emotions and feelings from our hearts, that we have been holding on to. Forgiving others shows God’s love. It’s uniting. It’s freedom. It’s joy, peace, and happiness. Even though those that harmed us don’t deserve it. We must remember that God has forgiven us. Did we deserve it? Do we deserve it now? I think not. And remember this as well. The moment you forgive, and I mean truly forgive, you will experience a calm and contentment like never before. It’s beyond your imagination. You’ll feel the power of God. You’ll feel the Holy Spirit move. So today work on forgiving. And let Christ show you the way.

There is a series on ESPN called Man in the Arena. Basically, it is nine episodes interviewing Tom Brady about his personal life and football career. I admit that I am a Tom Brady fan. I began watching him when he was playing at Michigan. And I have admired his NFL career. But that is not what I took from watching the series. Something else caught my attention. He told a story that I thought was powerful. 

There was a Chinese farmer who had a horse that ran away. All the village people came to him and said they were sorry about that. He responded, “Maybe.” The next day, the horse returned and with him he had nine other horses. All the village people came to him and said he must be happy about that. He lost a horse and ended up with several. He responded, “Maybe.” His son and him began breaking the wild horses. Unfortunately, his son broke his leg after being bucked off. All the village people came to him and said they were sorry about his son breaking his leg. He responded, “Maybe.” The next day war broke out. The Army came to his house to check on his son serving. He did not have to go because of his leg. All of the village people came to him and said he must be thankful. It must be a blessing. He responded, “Maybe.”

The point of the story was that we don’t know what the future holds. We don’t know if what we are going through right now if it’s going to end up being good or bad. There’s no way of knowing until the future happens. But, it made me think of this. As believers, we do know what the future holds. As followers of Christ, we do know what the future holds. As followers of our Lord and Savior, we do know what the future holds. We know that eternity in heaven awaits us. That is a promise. That is a fact. We know without a doubt that our Lord and Savior is waiting for us. He has prepared a place for us. He paved the way for us. And that is an awesome feeling. A calming feeling. A feeling of hope. There is a peace to it. Our Lord and Savior provides this for us. He provides us a future of hope. There is no “Maybe” about it. As followers of Christ, our futures our set. Because God loves us. He always has. He always will.

If we were to ask what is wrong with the world today, I bet there would be a pretty common theme to answers people give. Obvious answers would include corruption, greed, war, natural disasters, etc. COVID would make the list. Some people would mention politics. And others would possibly say in the Middle East. Although I do agree these are all issues, I think that the main problem in the world today is sin. 

Now let’s ask a tough question. And let’s analyze our hearts. Be honest with yourself. Are there sins that you treat as if they are not anything to be too concerned about? Things that you justify because you want to do them? But you realize and know that they are wrong? If the answer is yes, maybe it’s time to work on pushing them aside. Maybe it’s time to get them out of your life. We may view them as simple and small. We may view them as not being anything to be concerned about. But that is a slippery slope. Very dangerous. Let me explain why.

Sin can break up our relationship with God. Sin keeps our hearts unclean. We can get stuck in thinking that it’s ok, and that can lead to thinking other sins are ok too. Then the next thing we know…we have blurred everything together. Possibly to the point that we can’t determine what’s right and wrong anymore. And that is where the danger lies. Wrong has become right. Right has become wrong. Evil has become good. Good has become evil. And we begin believing it. Here’s the good news though, with Jesus we can be right with God. We have the tool to fight sin. We have the tool to clean our hearts. We have the weapon to defeat Satan. Sin is not going away. We are all sinners. But that doesn’t make it right. More importantly though, Jesus is not going away either. He will always be here. Let’s remember that he died for us. He paved the way. Always willing to help us fight back our sinful natures. Because he loves us. Always has. Always will.