Month: March 2024

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.

March Madness is in full swing. More upsets. Houston. Arizona. Iowa State. North Carolina. All done. I love this time of year. Several years ago my son played basketball for a program out of Kansas City. He was blessed to be able to travel to different parts of the country and play against some of the best players in the country. One event that we went to was in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It was being sponsored by Tyson chicken. There were teams from all across the country there. Several Division I college coaches were there as well. It was the beginning of the open period. That’s the time that the coaches can make contact with the kids.

This tournament had invited a guest speaker to come motivate the kids. His speech took place in the Walton Arena. I’m not gonna mention his name. Because, I’m not a big fan of his. And what he said to the kids really struck a chord with me. Something that really bugged me. As he’s talking, he asked the kids to raise their hands if they were millionaires. Of course none of them did. He asked the people in the crowd to do the same. Of course none of them did. Well except for the owner of Tyson chicken. Who is actually considerably more wealthy than the speaker. Which was kind of funny. The speaker was trying to point out that he was the only millionaire in the room. Then he went on to talk about how the kids had to go out and “Get theirs” in this world. Basically telling them to put their interests and desires in front of everything else. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And I think that is part of the reason why the world is in the state that it is. Putting ourselves above everything else.

We are called to serve others. We are called to put others above ourselves. And that’s in basketball too. It’s a team sport. Therefore, you play for your team. Yes, I understand personal goals. I get that. But to be successful, your team comes first. As believers, everyone else comes first. Just as Jesus did for us. Putting us above himself. To the point that he washed feet. Raising others above himself. And we all know what he did on the cross. We all know that was for us. Or at least we should. We are called to do the same thing. So today, let’s do that. Let’s put others above ourselves. Let’s make it a priority to serve others instead of ourselves.

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.

This is very unfortunate, but it’s very true. And I am sure that many of us have experienced this. I know that I have. I know that members of my family have. But, we have been betrayed by people that we were close to. People that we loved. People that we trusted. It’s so sad to live in a world where this happens. But it’s reality. On the other side of the coin is this, maybe you were the one who betrayed someone who loves you. It’s an ugly truth. But it happens.

In the Bible, we learn about this as well. Joseph is a great example. His brothers tore off his robe. And they threw him into the pit. Can you imagine? He must have felt vulnerable. That he didn’t want him anymore. He must’ve felt all alone. Sound familiar? Joseph didn’t do anything wrong. His brothers were jealous. They were angry. They lashed out because of their emotions. Their human emotions. I’m not saying it’s correct. Or it’s the right thing to do. I’m just saying that’s what happened. And I’m also saying this, God was there for Joseph.

Just as God was there for Joseph, he is there for us. He will never abandon us. Actually, it’s just the opposite. He will be with us all the way through moments like this. And even better, he will bless us. Something good will happen. Even when we are at our lowest point. Even when we experience pain like we could ever imagine. Those are the times that we probably find ourselves closer to God. Because those are times that we seek him more. He doesn’t want us to suffer. But that’s part of being part of this world. And there’s another good point about going through something like this. We will be stronger for doing so. We can build our faith for doing so. And we can witness to others more for doing so. And that is awesome.

Do you believe in the power of prayer? Or let me ask it this way, do you REALLY believe in the power of prayer? I like to think that I do. I believe that there is serious strength in prayer. Sometimes it’s easy for us to get caught up in praying just to pray. I know I have caught myself doing that. But for the past few years, I have been trying to pray prayers of expectation. Where I expect God to hear me. And one thing that I learned a long time ago, be ready for the answer. God may or may not give you the answer you’re looking for. But when he does answer, you’ll know it.

I love it when I get what I call God winks. This morning as one of those times. As I was reading and writing, I am reminded of something that my pastor posted: “Prayer is the single most powerful tool we have on earth. And yet so many people misunderstand it or ignore it all together…prayer is simply our ability to talk directly to God and to listen to God tell us how to live our lives.” Spot on!

We must remember that God is our Lord and Savior. He is our father in heaven. He wants to hear from us. And a way for him to hear us is when we pray. Now…after we pray, we must learn to try listen to God‘s voice. To hear what he is saying. He will give us the guidance we need. But we must listen. We must look for the answer. If you don’t already, let’s make today the beginning of regular prayer to God. Let’s make today the beginning of believing in the power of prayer. Let’s begin praying prayers of expectation. Expecting him to hear us. Let’s realize that God desires to spend time with us. Let’s let God take control. Let’s put him in charge. And then let’s watch the difference that he makes in our lives.

This past weekend, I was able to attend The Sportsman Banquet held at the Neosho First Baptist Church. We had a booth there. Veterans were running it both nights. Basically, it’s a wild game feed that they host on a Friday and Saturday night each. It’s an amazing time. Full of faith, fellowship, food, and firearms. Anywhere from 400 to 600 people in attendance. This year’s speaker was Jeff Danker. He is with Buck Venture. It’s a hunting show that you can watch. Jeff did an amazing job. One thing stuck out to me that he said, “Men, be the spiritual leaders of your families and your households.“ Such great advice. 

Last year, the guest speaker was TW Norman. For this devotion, I’m going to focus on him. Years ago when I was teaching and coaching in Carthage, I was also the announcer for the football games. When TW was a senior in high school, his team from Stockton came to our school to play. Being that they were a 1A school, I was a little surprised. We were 5A school. Considerably bigger than Stockton. As soon as he walked on the field though, it was very apparent why we had them there. That was the year he was a USA Today All American. We couldn’t stop him. But he couldn’t stop our entire team. So we won.

But the point of this devotion isn’t about football. It’s about conviction, redemption, and grace. TW talked about how he slipped away while in college and made terrible decisions. How his life did a complete 180. Going in the wrong direction. Much like mine. Our lives also are similar in the aspect of building our faith. We both felt God calling us into his arms. We both felt his love. Conviction was the first step. We both were convicted because of our sins. Redemption followed. We were redeemed by God. And then Grace. We both felt the grace that only comes from God. You can have these things too. God is there. He is waiting. And believe me, God will not stop convicting you until you act. He is not going away. I can promise you that. So you might as well act. And then after you do so, you will be redeemed and then you will feel his grace. And that is awesome.

Sometimes people question me why I like to hunt. They look at it like I am simply going out to kill an animal. It’s hard to explain to them what really takes place. But to me, being in a deer blind is a very healing moment. When I’m by myself, I’m able to connect with my Lord and Savior. Talking with him. Praying to him. Listening to what he’s telling me. That’s what I try to do anyway. And every now and then, I am blessed with the opportunity to take a deer or a turkey. That’s simply the icing on the cake.

Other times, I can do the same thing while I’m driving. Especially on the longer trips when I’m by myself. Do you have some place that you enjoy going to be alone? Someplace where you can take refuge? Someplace where you can heal? In the Bible, we learn about Jesus enjoying the Mount of Olives. He would go there for praying. He would go there to be with His Father. Jesus is our perfect example. He would try to be alone and pray. Especially in the mornings. This helped him prepare for the day. Gave him strength. 

Wherever it is you need to go, make it a habit. Make the opportunities happen where you can be alone with God. Praying to him. Talking with him. Listening to him. This is a perfect opportunity for your spirit and your body to be connected with God. The more you do it, the easier it becomes. You will continually strengthen yourself for what is ahead. Whether it be that day, that week, that month, or the year. You will be prepared. Let’s learn from the example that Christ gives us. Let’s help build ourselves up. That way we can serve him better. We can serve others better.

This morning we’re going to build on a writing from before. It’s very fitting for what we have been talking about lately. With the struggles that serveral people that we know have been going through. It also goes hand-in-hand with a part of a movie that Barbara and I watched recently. In essence, people wonder why is it that God allows bad things to happen to good people. People wonder if he is in control, then why is it disasters take place. Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. Types of disasters that kill thousands upon thousands of people. 

These are real thoughts people have. They are questions people have for God. And I bet if we’re honest, they are questions many of us have ACTUALLY asked God. Why this? Why that? It’s human nature to want to know why. I remember when the tornado hit Joplin, I was interviewing people who had been in the middle of it. One of them was a manager of a local store. Had people around him die. Another guy I interviewed lost his son. They were together on their way home from his son’s high school graduation. The young man was literally pulled out of the driver’s seat and died. During the interviews, I asked both of these individuals, “Where was God during the storm?” Their answers amazed me.

The store manager told me that it’s not our place to question that. Questioning death is not for us to do. God‘s plan will be revealed. If anything, he said it made him closer to God. One reason was he believed that he needed to seek God more often. Another reason was because, hundreds around him survived. The father’s answer was even more amazing. He told me that God was there and allowed him to hand his son over to him. Read that again! He allowed him to hand his son over to him. Very powerful. I have been asked, “If God is such a loving God, why did he paralyze you? Why hasn’t he healed you? Why does he let you struggle each day being paralyzed?” My answer is simple. “He didn’t paralyze me. I did. He kept me alive. Because he uses me daily in this chair, more than he would have out of it.” It’s in these questioning times that we have to stand on what the truth is about God. And let’s remember this as well. God loves us. He always has. He always will.

We all have heard the saying: “I wish I could go back 20 years ago, knowing what I know now.” Or you might say 30 years, or 40 years. The years really aren’t important for the saying. It’s the “knowing what I know now” part that makes it interesting. Another interesting question to add to this is, “Would you really want to change anything if you went back?” Think about your life now. How different would it be if you were to make changes years ago? That’s some real food for thought isn’t it.

Let’s go a different direction now. Let’s think about what life would look like if we knew the outcome in the future. If we knew where we’d be, or what we’d be doing. Would our decisions now be different? Would how we view our daily lives be different? I would like to suggest, that yes things probably would be different for us now. Knowing what’s coming ahead. We would definitely make preparations. That would be human nature.

Here is what is awesome about being a believer. We don’t have to know what’s ahead if we know God. God has a plan for us. Our futures are in his hands. We can rest assured knowing the path has been paved. He will see us through. Through both our triumphs and our trials. Being human, and being part of this world, we get to make decisions. Sometimes those decisions have real lasting impacts on our lives. Like the one that I made 30+ years ago that led to me being paralyzed. But, now with God in my life, I know what my future holds. I know the lasting impact of being a believer. That is eternity. Eternity with him. And that my friends…IS AWESOME!

Let’s start today off with an activity. A simple activity. Raise your hand this morning if you have never struggled with anything. Raise your hand if everything has came easily to you with no obstacles. Raise your hand if life has been so smooth for you, you have never worried about anything. I’m guessing every one of you kept your hands down. I know I did. Because one thing I know, or at least I believe, is that everyone struggles at one point or another. If you breathe, you have struggled. Or you will struggle with something.

Being human comes with trials. We all have that in common. That was the point of the breathe comment. Being human requires breathing. If you breathe, you will struggle at some point in your life. You can count on that. And it seems lately, several of my friends have been going through things that have caused real struggle in their lives. Divorce. Financial. Accusations. Anxiety. PTSD. The list goes on, and on, and on. It’s moments like these that we find ourselves doing anything within our power to get out of them. Which is natural. Nobody wants to go through hard times. Sometimes we even catch ourselves begging to God. Begging that he would take the difficulties away.

If you don’t mind, I would like to share a couple thoughts on this. I believe that God is able to remove whatever he sees fit. I also believe that God chooses to allow us to go through hard times intentionally. No pain no gain has a whole new meaning here. Some may call it punishment. I’m not sure I agree with that. Although he can punish us if he wants to. And maybe he does. But I look at these as times that we are being built for what’s coming ahead. These are times that we seek God like never before. We trust him like never before. We have our faith in him like never before. And that builds us. Strengthens us for what lies ahead. I realize that at the moment, during the struggles, it may seem impossible to get through. But you can. And you will if you let him help you. God loves us. Loves us all. Always has. Always will.