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Archive for the ‘Vision’ Category

From a Prison Cell to an Easy Yoke

Posted in Bible Study, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Priorities, Responsibility, Service, Spiritual Growth, Trials, Vision, worldview, tagged , , , , , on October 12, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Matthew 11 · Devotional for Areliablefaith

Matthew 11 opens with John the Baptist in prison. He is there for simply speaking the truth. He spoke the truth to power, and power locked him up. John had called out Herod for taking his brother’s wife, Herodias, and his life is now hanging by a thread.

From that cell, John sends some of his disciples to ask Jesus a question: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3, ESV).

Some read this as doubt. I don’t believe it was unbelief. John had seen God move too clearly. At the Jordan he saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and heard the Father speak. John himself testified, “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34). A man who saw that doesn’t simply stop believing.

What I can easily see is discouragement. He may have felt despair and loneliness. Perhaps he even thought that if Jesus is the Messiah, He could come and rescue him. We don’t know exactly. But John seems to be looking for one final assurance as he awaits his fate.

Jesus gives it. He tells John’s disciples to report what they have seen and heard: “the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Matthew 11:5). These are the very signs Isaiah said the Messiah would bring. In effect, Jesus is telling John, Yes, it’s Me. Hold on.

There’s a lesson here for us. As believers, we are not promised that life will be a cakewalk, all rainbows and joy and happy days. In many ways it’s just the opposite. Following Jesus means standing against the current, standing against the culture, and standing for what is good and right. We stand for God’s kingdom, which runs counter to this world. Sometimes that lands us in our own kind of prison cell, and we need that same assurance.

Greater Still

After John’s disciples leave, Jesus turns to the crowd and honors him: “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).

What on earth? How can the least be greater than the greatest?

I think the answer lies in this: Jesus inaugurates the kingdom of God. John was the last and greatest of the prophets who pointed toward it. Jesus says “all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John” (Matthew 11:13). John stood at the doorway, but through Jesus the kingdom is brought to earth. Those of us who live on this side of the cross and resurrection get to step through that door. That isn’t because we are greater people. It’s because of where we stand.

And that kingdom is advancing, even to this day. I’m a member of it, and most likely you are too.

It advances one soft and supple heart at a time, as hearts respond to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. It advances when God’s people get on their knees, praying and seeking the good of their families and communities. It advances when the Word of God is read and put into practice. Wherever the Holy Spirit is at work and people follow His leading to serve and to love with agape, God’s own love, the kingdom moves forward. Jesus described it this way: it starts as small as a mustard seed and grows until birds nest in its branches (Matthew 13:31–32).

A Yoke That Fits

Jesus closes the chapter with some of the most beautiful words of encouragement in Scripture. I see them as a counterbalance to how the chapter began. It opened with John in prison, discouraged. It ends with this:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

This is truly the secret to life as a follower of Jesus: to take His yoke upon us. We do that by coming to Him and staying with Him, and by seeking to fellowship with Him day by day.

A yoke was the wooden beam that linked two oxen together so they could pull as one. So who is the other one in the yoke with us? It’s the Lord. We are linked to Him. And His yoke fits perfectly. He knows exactly how much we can pull when we’re walking alongside Him.

If I might say it, He does the heavy lifting. He does most of the pulling. And yet He gives us the great privilege of working with Him in advancing His kingdom. He lets us be part of His answer for our families, our friends, our communities, and any place He takes us. Wherever that is, He’s there in the yoke beside us.

Oh, this is glorious to know. Whether we’re standing against the current or sitting in a cell of discouragement like John, we aren’t pulling alone.

Where do you need to stop pulling alone today and step back into the yoke beside Jesus?

Have a blessed day.

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Are We There Yet?

Posted in God, Jesus Christ, The Father, Vision, Bible Study, Bible Study, tagged , , , , , , on October 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

When I was a kid, our family would pile into the car for long road trips to national parks. We’d barely be out of the driveway (fifteen minutes, maybe) before one of us kids would ask, “Are we there yet? How much farther?”

After 273 days walking through the Old Testament, we have finally arrived. It’s like passing through the entrance into Yosemite. Today we open Luke 1 and John 1, and the story we’ve been traveling toward since Genesis comes into view.

Two Writers, Two Lenses

The four Gospels come to us from eyewitness testimony, but each writer views Jesus through a different lens. Luke was a historian. As a Gentile writing a few decades after the resurrection, he set out to explain Jesus the man, rooted in Jewish tradition, to a Gentile audience. He tells us his method right up front:

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1–4)

John, a Jew, writes to show us Jesus as God. That was a sharp left turn from what his people expected. They were looking for a Messiah who would be a military leader and king, one who would drive out Rome. John shows them someone far greater.

The 400 Silent Years

I’ve been thinking about the roughly 400 years between Malachi and the arrival of Jesus. No prophet spoke. No scripture was written. History records a great deal from that time, but none of it was received as God’s Word. And yet those silent years were anything but idle. God was setting the stage.

Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world and spread a common language, Greek, across it. The Romans came behind him as builders, laying a network of roads that would one day carry the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. Rome also refined crucifixion into its cruelest form of execution. And a religious party called the Pharisees, unknown in Malachi’s day, rose up with deep devotion to the Scriptures but also built “fences” of rules around them. Those fences turned faith into religious duty and made it hard for ordinary people to approach God. Jesus would spend much of His ministry tearing them down:

“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.” (Matthew 23:4)

That conflict with the religious leaders would lead to the cross. Paul sums up all of this preparation in one phrase:

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4–5)

The silence wasn’t absence. It was God arranging the world for His Son.

The Sun Rises

Here’s a connection I had never noticed before. The Old Testament closes with this promise:

“But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4:2)

Malachi’s last words also promise a forerunner: “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children” (Malachi 4:5–6). Then, after four centuries of silence, the very first words from heaven in Luke pick up right where Malachi left off. The angel tells Zechariah his son John

“will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children… to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” (Luke 1:17)

When John is born, Zechariah breaks into praise. What strikes me is that he doesn’t get carried away about having a son. He’s overjoyed that God is ushering in a new era, and he knows his boy has a part in preparing for it:

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways… because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76, 78–79)

Malachi’s rising sun becomes Zechariah’s sunrise from on high.

Back to the Beginning

John the disciple takes us even further back, all the way to creation:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1–3)

He’s echoing Genesis on purpose:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1–3)

All three persons of the Trinity are present at creation: God the Father creating, the Spirit hovering, and God speaking, the Word that John identifies as Jesus, the active agent in creation. And notice the thread of light running from the first page to this one. “Let there be light” in Genesis. The rising sun in Malachi. The sunrise from on high in Zechariah’s song. And now John:

“In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4–5)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

We’re Here

Everything written before has been moving toward this moment. Over a hundred prophecies point to Jesus, and now God sovereignly sends Him, the Lamb of God born as a man, to die a death that opens the door for anyone who will call on Him:

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

We’re not fifteen minutes out of the driveway anymore. We’ve arrived. I am ready for this adventure.

For reflection: God’s people waited through 400 silent years while He was quietly arranging everything for the coming of His Son. Where in your life does God seem silent right now, and what might He be preparing in that silence?

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Beginning of Wisdom

Posted in Bible Study, God, Spiritual Growth, The Father, Trials, Vision, worldview, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on January 11, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Job 24-28, Beginning of Wisdom. Unlike most of scripture, the only way to properly read Job is in its entirety. The Bible is amazing in many respects. One of those is that it encompasses a variety of literary styles. In telling Job’s story and capturing the dialog of Job and his three friends, we see descriptions of God and His character that are opinions and not hard facts. The mixture of truth, half-truth, and misunderstanding about God is combined in a way that emphasizes foundational truth about God and His ways, but only when we read the entire story. If you are like me, it has taken multiple reads to get to the point that I can see this and not get tied up in the warped theology espoused by Job’s friends and, to a degree, but Job.

When we get to Job 28:28 I cannot help but release a big sigh. In my mind I have been trying to parse out the truth versus misunderstanding in each person’s dialog. Even Job speaks at times with more emotion and less faith than I am comfortable with. As an engaged reader it is a mental and emotional roller-coaster. But then I read a verse that I can hang my hat on. ‘And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”’ I find this truth throughout scripture. I find this truth in evaluating the world on a macro level. And I have found this to be true in my 65 years on earth.

LORD, you are the source of all wisdom. When things don’t make sense, when evil seems to triumph, we know we can trust you and trust your heart. You have made all things – seen and unseen. You exist outside of time – the past, present, and future are all now to you. We bow to you, acknowledging our great limitations and your limitless nature. That out of all this, that you love us and desire what is best for us, we humbly, reverently, give you thanks and offer you our lives. It is in the mighty Name of Jesus that we pray,

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What’s in Your Diet

Posted in exercise, Priorities, Vision, worldview, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 1, 2026| Leave a Comment »

It’s New Years Day and like many people my mind has been on things I would like to do differently in 2026. Turning the page on a new year always seems like the right time to turn the page to a new and better me. As I woke this morning my mind flitted back and forth between what do I want to exclude and what to include in my diet in 2026. Too many sweets, too large portions, too many snacks were all a challenge in 2025 that I aim to rectify. But as I pondered and prayed (and it is not a bad thing for these to blend together) I sensed the Holy Spirit broadening me to consider ALL that I take in and / or exclude from my life in 2026. His gentle guidance is to continually orient ALL of me toward the Lord and His “kingdom purposes” for me. By definition that must include reorienting myself away from the lesser things that draw me away from Him and from walking in kingdom living.

A friend of mine just sent me this text which fits for flipping the page. It also happens to be the founding verse for our church – NewSpring Church. ‘“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.’ Isaiah 43:18-19

So, I begin with setting the foundation for what we are created for. That is to know God and to make Him known.  To enjoy Him and to share that enjoyment with others naturally flows as we grow closer to Him. His love gradually saturates us and becomes the engine that drives our witness to who He is and what He has done in our life. It really is not about a formula or methodology. It is about living life the way He designed it to be lived and allowing the fruit of that life to grow and be shared with others.

I love growing and working with plants. Retirement, when it finally comes, will include plenty of time spent with dirty hands amongst green growing things. I have learned that healthy, nutrient rich soil is vital to strong, vibrant, beautiful plants. The plants take these nutrients up through their roots and this feeds the whole of the plant. There are only a few plants that can grow in poor soil and the vast majority of these are weeds, plants that do not add beauty, delight, or in the case of fruit and vegetables, anything worth eating. This truth carries over to our lives. What is the “soil” we are planted in? Where are your roots? Are you getting the nutrients you need to produce good fruit, godly fruit?

Because we are created as more complex beings than the flowers and tomato plants in our yard, lets zero in on the areas of our diet we will consider in 2026. Our complexity can be grouped into our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual needs. I’m sure there are sub-divisions to these and for sure some overlap such as emotional and social, but my feeble brain can work with these divisions, so please bear with me.

The huge number of gym memberships and diet plans started in January of each year testify to the awareness we have of our physical needs. We are overweight and / or out of shape and we want to do something about it. By the end of January something around 2/3 of the diets and workout routines have been abandoned. One of the causes is that a wholistic approach is not considered. Our physical being must align with the other facets of who we are. Improvement in one area alone will not be sustainable.

So, when I consider my diet, I will look at the food and much more. It will include the exercise I will intentionally undertake. It will guide what I do to expand my knowledge of the world I live in. I will be aware of and practice activities that meet my true emotional needs while discerning and addressing the lies that would lead me to bad decisions and emotional harm. I will look for healthy social interactions and ways to make a positive impact in the areas where the Lord leads me. And the true foundation for a believer is how do we nurture our relationship with the Lord of life in such a way that we grow closer to Him and better able to follow His leading in all things.

Here are a few things I am going to do or do differently in 2026. Most are extensions of things I have either done in the past or I am doing now, but need reinforcement. This is my list and should not necessarily be your list. However, these may stir something in you that you want to take to the LORD for consideration. That is truly my hope that the LORD would encourage you in some way that helps you to grow closer to Him in 2026.

I will read the Word every day and capture at least one key thought to share with others. I will share this through a GroupMe group.

I will read through the entire Bible chronologically this year.

I will reestablish a prayer discipline that has waned some in the recent past.

I will read at least 10 pages of non-fiction (other than the Bible) every day.

With the Holy Spirit’s help, I will engage in at least one new ministry this year.

I will revisit the Spiritual Disciplines I am currently using and, with the Holy Spirit’s help, refresh and start anew.

I will drastically reduce the amount of sugar and sweeteners I consume.

I will limit portion size on my meals. It is okay not to clean my plate. At the first sign of fullness, I will stop eating.

I will engage in intentional exercise of 45 minutes duration at least 3 times per week.

I will engage in some form of exercise for at least 20 minutes per day resulting in at least 7000 steps per day.

I will limit my social media viewing to 30 minutes max per day.

I will have a date night at least once per week. Lisa deserves my undivided attention and I am blessed by hers.

I will make at least one new acquaintance each week. This can be while traveling for work, on the golf course with our son, Sam, during one of our “adventure trips”, or through church.

I will complete the story I began writing in 2025 (Titus’s Travels) and share it with at least 10 friends.

I will post at least four longer blogs to areliablefaith.com each month. This is the first one and it is going out on January 1 so I am making a good start.

I will actively support the ministries we have partnered with… NewSpring, More 320 Haven, YWAM-Matthew, CRU-Emily & Forrest, SOW- Coleman, SOW- Lifespring School, Kenya, Hounds of Heaven – South Anderson

Visit, call, or text Mom at least once per day.

Visit, call, or text each of my children at least three times per week.

Visit at least one new National Park.

Visit at least one new Country and learn three things about their culture I did not know.

Write at least two papers / articles / blog posts for work this year.

Speak at a work conference this year.

Have at least one touch base with every Consultant each week.

Participate in Wednesday Men’s Bible Study every Wednesday that I am in town.

Follow up on the possibility of buying property for our retirement home.

I am going to pause for now. I surprised myself with the amount of pent up things to do, things to change, that I had. I can see how these would provide some helpful guardrails that have either not existed or have become ignored over time. Because I am an engineer at heart, there just might be a spreadsheet to track my progress. Again, I don’t know that this is for everyone, but I find it helpful to hold myself accountable.

I encourage anyone who reads this to let me know at least one thing you have taken away from this post.

I wish you all a blessed start to your new year of 2026.

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Yahweh Nissi – The LORD’s Banner Over Me Brings Joy

Posted in God, God Stories, Holy Spirit, Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Trials, Vision, Worship, tagged , , , , , , , on November 21, 2023| 2 Comments »

The LORD draws us close in our weakness.  I can honestly say I am thankful for a cancer diagnosis because of the Lord’s and the Lord’s people’s response.  I have been buoyed by the prayers and I know the Lord is walking with me.  His presence is real and tangible. 

Three days after receiving the diagnosis, I was in a hotel in Atlanta.  I woke up around 5 and immediately slipped into prayer.  We are commended to “pray in the spirit” and pray with understanding.  I did not have to be at the office until around 9 so I was able to tarry and do both.  Interestingly, one of the Old Testament names of God came to me as I was praying – Jehovah Nissi which is from the book of Exodus when God had saved the Hebrew people from the Amalekites. 

Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. Ex 17:15

I incorporated that into my worship that morning as I gave praise to the Lord under whose Banner I live and move and have my being.  I remember a specific exchange when I said, “LORD, thank you that your Banner over me is love and it is very good, but I was kind of thinking and hoping you would have given me your name, Jehovah Rapha.”  (Jehovah Rapha is the LORD is my healer.)  I said it with a smile and in sincerity.  The Holy Spirit immediately brought to mind James 1:2-4 to mind. 

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

As soon as that scripture came to mind, joy bubbled up within me.  I started chuckling realizing that the Lord has a perfect plan through all of this and that I can trust Him completely.  God’s Word is faithful and true.  He has allowed this time of trial and uncertainty to build perseverance and maturity in me.  From His perspective there is nothing uncertain about this.  It is for my good, and for the good of others around me.  (My fervent prayer is that you, my friend, are one of those God blesses through this.)

Now that alone would have been enough to make my day.  I went to work with a song of praise in my heart and joy percolating within.  I got a call from a previous co-worker that I hadn’t spoken to in several months.  I knew he was a believer so at the end of our conversation I shared the news.  His first wife had passed from a battle with cancer about a decade prior so he could relate.  While he shared a few words of encouragement from his own experience, the blessing came when he said, “Let me pray for you.”  As he began to pray, he didn’t ask immediately for me to be healed, he prayed, “Lord, you are sovereign and in control.  We love you and trust you because you are in this with Dan and you will be victorious…”  When he prayed you are victorious, I saw the LORD’s Banner unfurl and begin waving. 

I didn’t hear the rest of what he prayed because the Lord had given me a clear sign that His Word is true.  I am not alone.  The victorious King is walking with me.  Whatever may come, God is going to get the glory.  And when He is glorified, I am satisfied.

It doesn’t require a cancer diagnosis for us to look to the LORD for His peace.  He desires we walk-in ever-increasing intimacy with Him day-by-day.  Just talk to Him.  Ask Him to illuminate the scripture then read it.  Find a believer and ask them to pray with you.  Friend, I pray the Lord’s encouragement upon you today wherever you are and in whatever situation you are dealing with.  God loves you and He is fighting for you because He is Yahweh Nissi – the LORD is my Banner!

Be blessed and be a blessing!

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And Yet They Smile

Posted in God Stories, Jesus Christ, Mission to Kenya, Orphans, Photography, Prayer, Priorities, Responsibility, Service, The Father, Vision, tagged , , , , , , , on May 25, 2019| Leave a Comment »

mI visited Agape Hope House in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month. My thoughts and emotions ran the gambit that first day as we spent 6 or 7 hours with the children in the orphanage and then talked (and prayed) with Oliver and Maggie that day and over the next few days. My thoughts have turned back to Kenya and the children many times in the two weeks I have been home. Today, I hope to convey something of the raw… actually a better word is pure, emotion that God is stirring in me as I pray and ponder what I can do to help… how can I further God’s work in these children’s lives and in the lives of those God wants to use to join Maggie and Oliver, LJ and Danee, Coleman and Serving Orphans Worldwide, and me in ministering to “the least of these”.

 

The smiles belie a sad reality. Opportunity in Kenya is scarce. The path ahead for these children is not well trod. There are many obstacles in their path and the way is overgrown and hardly discernable. Yet smile they do. Because they are children they don’t comprehend how difficult the path ahead is.

  • These children have never slept in their own bed… and yet they smile.
  • These children have never had a birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese, or McDonalds, or the skating rink… and yet they smile.
  • These children have never bought a new piece of clothing or shoes… and yet they smile.
  • These children don’t have a clue what it is like to have your own room, your own bed, your own “stuff”… and yet they smile.
  • These children eat every meal in masse, attend class in masse, go to bed in masse, and generally get attention in masse. With individual attention given by so few to so many, rare is the child who knows the tender love and attention my children (and grandchildren) get on a regular basis… and yet they smile.
  • The mental picture of “Mom” and “Dad” for many of these children is sketchy… and yet they smile. (Thank God for Maggie and Oliver who pour into them as much as they humanly can and who bring some balance to the term Momma and Daddy.)
  • These children have never had anyone wash their clothes, make their beds, clean up their room… and yet they smile.
  • These children have never had a choice of what they would like to eat… and yet they smile.

But, because of Agape Hope House and a few faithful donors these children have hope and a window of opportunity that is greater than their peers living outside the compound walls. The path from where they are may have as many obstacles, but the education, the encouragement, the guidance, and the faith they gain at Agape Hope House equips them to navigate a path to a better life. Today there are those who have walked the path to a better, faith-filled life of adulthood from Agape Hope House. While still a challenging path, knowing that others have taken the path and been successful is in itself a great encouragement. Some of those who have grown into adults with the benefit of Agape Hope have returned to mentor, to support, and to help.

The love of Jesus and the children is the motivator for Oliver and Maggie. They have given their lives to the work. The ½ acre piece of ground with 19 buildings, 140 orphans the day I was there, and a school enrolment of 487 stands as a light in a dark and difficult environment. The contrasts on this day buffeted me. The time of play with the children was just plain fun. The talk with some of the children on how they came to be at Agape Hope tore at my heart. The shy smiles of some and the mugging for the camera by others made me laugh. Noticing the girl sitting alone after doing her laundry while all the others played made me wonder – “what’s her story?” And every time a child slipped their hand in mine or Coleman’s or one of the other adults the bitter sweetness of the moment stung and stirred.

If this touches you, stirs you, or simply makes you curious, please take a few moments to look up Serving Orphans Worldwide on the internet at soworldwide.org. Visit Agape Hope Children’s Home on their page to learn more about the work Oliver and Maggie are doing for children in Nairobi.  Finally please join us in prayer.

‘ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ ‘ Matthew 25:31-40

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Why Am I Here? Why Are You Here?

Posted in Church, God, Holy Spirit, Holy Week, Jesus Christ, Priorities, The Father, Vision, worldview, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 28, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Introspection in context of an on-going conversation with our Creator God is an awesome thing. We were created on purpose by God for a purpose. We are not cosmic accidents. There are plenty of voices that strive to either convince us that we are purposeless accidents or, at the very least, distract us from what our true purpose is. But you and I are divinely created, eternal beings with a God-given purpose. Now many philosophers, poets, and apologists throughout history have contemplated this question. Depending upon their assumptions they differ greatly in their answers. Fortunately, Truth is not as relative as some would have us believe. If you determine to let Truth be your guide and actively engage a discussion with the Almighty, you will be given an answer to the question, “Why Am I Here?” That’s what I’d like to talk about today.

There are a couple life purpose statements that I have heard that I embrace. One is “To Know God and to Make Him Known.” That’s pretty high level, but it is true. Another that has been running around in my mind this morning is “To Do the Greatest Amount of Good To the Greatest Amount of People While I Have the Ability To Do So.” If we give definitions to the terms such as good being helping people to know Jesus and grow in their relationship with Him, then this is a pretty good one. As a Christ-follower, how I fulfill my purpose flows out of seeing what Jesus did and is currently doing, gaining His direction and empowerment, and then doing it.

In the midst of Holy Week, my thoughts have repeatedly turned to Jesus and what His final week was like. Jesus had crystal clarity of His ultimate purpose. He was sent to redeem mankind. That purpose finds its fulfillment in His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. Everything we know about Jesus is aligned with His ultimate purpose. Jesus redemption of mankind is for all generations; therefore He selected a small group of ordinary folks to carry on His message after He returned to heaven. The lives He touched with His simple, yet extraordinary message attested to by the multitude of miracles He performed were further evidence of a reality beyond the mundane existence so many were experiencing. Where it is healthy and maturing, the Church today is faithfully continuing Jesus’ work of redemption.

So why am I here? Why are you here? Have you taken time to figure out your specific purpose? God has a purpose for you that is good. The ramifications of your purpose will resonate into eternity. That is true whether you find and walk in your divine purpose or not. You see, God is sovereign. He knows the length, breadth, and depth of our lives. If we chose to miss out on God’s call upon our lives, He is still weaves this into His plan of redemption. There are eternal consequences for us and many of those in our proximity, but God’s ultimate plan will march on to completion.

Yet, when we partner with God… when we become Jesus-followers committed to living life under the guidance of His Holy Spirit, we will be given God-ordained tasks every single day that further God’s revelation and fulfillment of our purpose. And our true purpose is always aligned with Jesus’ purpose – the redemption of mankind.

Take time to ask the Lord to give you a clear sense of your purpose today. Read the Word with eyes open to what the Spirit says to you about your next steps with Jesus. Understand that your life is to be lived in partnership with God. He knows what He is doing. He knows the role He has created you to fulfill. He will reveal it to you. At times He will lift you high and allow you to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture. Hint, this takes place when we are close to Jesus. At other times we may only see the small circle immediately around us and the view of our purpose narrows in to the faith we can muster to hold tightly to Jesus’ hand while the storm rages. Most days though, my purpose is simplified to living as close to Jesus as I possibly can and loving Him and the people He brings into my life that day the best I can.

Why am I here? It’s really simple. To point to Jesus in every way I can.

Blessings my friends. And let the Lord bless others through you.

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Dead Wrong to Just Plain Dead

Posted in God, Priorities, Salvation, Vision, worldview, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »

The world noted the passing of Stephen Hawking yesterday.  Hawking was a renowned physicist.  He was also a very outspoken atheist whose godless beliefs were routinely touted as the height of intellectual honesty concerning origins of the universe and the fairy tales some people believe.  I did not personally know the man.  And I do not know if there is anything that I could have done to help him.  But I do feel a degree of sadness at his passing.  You see as intelligent as he was and despite all his accolades, he was dead wrong about the most important things concerning life and death.  Even more sad is the fact that his position upon the pedestal of worldly acclaim meant that his theories about God, or the non-existence of God, were viewed by many with the weight of truth.  But they were dead wrong.

Like Mr. Hawking, my belief system is the result of my life experiences, the things I’ve read, my observations of life and assumptions I have made related to those things.  A huge factor in our belief system is our frame of reference or the paradigm we establish.  Our paradigm influences how we receive and process all the information that comes our way.  The scientific mind seeks to have a truly open mind, to be impartial in observation and interpretation of the results.  Unfortunately it’s not possible to completely divorce ourselves from our paradigms.  Our paradigms therefore create in us blind-spots where we cannot see correctly.  We all have blind-spots.  The solution to blind-spots is to be aware we have them and then constantly strive to see things from multiple perspectives.

For a reminder, everyone has a worldview.  It is simply the combination of thoughts and beliefs that make up how we understand and view the world.  This in turn sets up our paradigm about how we interpret everything.  I recognize this to be true in me and therefore I have chosen to compartmentalize the information that makes up my worldview into three buckets.

The largest bucket is my “Things I Think” bucket which contains a lot of things I am reasonably sure are true and accurate.  This is also the information that, while I am fairly confident is true, I give my confidence about a 75%.  These are things I might joke about and debate on, but I won’t argue over.

The second bucket is my “Things I Believe” bucket.  This is a good bit more serious because I live my life in accordance to my understanding of the Things I Believe and the third bucket.  I would be hard-pressed to give up these beliefs, however, I do not hold these so rigid that I would fight for them.  I would argue my point and not concede without strong evidence contrary to my belief.  I do leave a little wiggle room for new information to adjust my belief though.  The opening is narrow and the bar for new information to become a paradigm-changing truth is pretty high, but I know my beliefs are not complete.  God has routinely revealed subtle errors in me, or more accurately, fuller understanding of things to me, that cause me to realize there is so much more I don’t know than I do.

Then there is the third and smallest bucket which is the “Things I Know” bucket.  While this bucket is not large, it contains the things that define the core of who I am.  If the things I believe are the lens I view everything in the world, then the things I know are the indestructible frame that holds it all together.  These are the things which I will die believing, the things I will die for.  These are absolute truths and they are not open to correction because they are the established as true on multiple levels and been verified as absolute.  One of them is that there is a God Whom we will all stand before in judgement.  Mr. Hawking knows that now.  No matter how firmly he believed there was no God while he walked this earth, he has learned he was wrong.

Here are the three primary reasons I know Mr. Hawking was wrong.  The first is the evidence of intelligent design in the universe.  It surprises me greatly that anyone who closely studies the universe in all it’s complexity AND order doesn’t see the absolutely essential need for a intelligent designer behind the design.  The odds of the things that have had to occur in the creation of all that is happening by random chance are truly insurmountable.  They are literally impossible.  And yet from a paradigm that says there cannot be a God, an otherwise intelligent human being, argues for something that is mathematically impossible.

Second is a two-fold answer – the deep and historically accurate information from the bible and the person of Jesus.  We have a book compiled over the course of some 2000 years by over 3 dozen different authors that uniformly holds together as a testament to a God that is real, active, and seeking to be known by humankind.  There are many things identified in this book as future-looking prophecies that have been fulfilled that the uniqueness and veracity of the book are beyond reproach.  The prophecies about God’s messiah such as the virgin birth, the birth in Bethlehem, Herod’s murder of the innocent children around Bethlehem, Jesus crucifixion… the list goes on with dozens of old testament prophecies that were exactly fulfilled by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection that are, again, mathematically impossible to have happened by chance.  Yet there is an absolutely clear historical record that shows that these impossibilities occurred.

There is so much to say about Jesus, but for the sake of hopefully debunking the late Mr. Hawking’s biggest error, I would point to the resurrection as the hinge point.  For persons who hold an atheistic, agnostic, or even a religious world view other than Christianity, there is one event that Christianity either rises or falls on and that is the resurrection.  If it didn’t happen then we are fools, our religion is a lie, and our hope is in vain.  It truly is that simple.

However, if the resurrection is a true historical event, then God is validated as the God revealed in the bible and the Christian faith is upheld as true.  Furthermore atheists, agnostics, and any religion that does not have Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of the world are wrong.  History, even recent history, is full of persons who have set out as committed atheists to disprove the resurrection and, after careful research, found the claims of Christianity and the veracity of the resurrection to be paradigm-shifting and life changing.  Two very good authors to research on this are Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel.

There is one, more personal reason I know Mr. Hawking is wrong.  It is because he denies the existence of a person he has never personally met.  He argues that a place doesn’t exist that he has never been (until now) nor ever researched.  The funny thing, he has to argue against people who have met God and people who have thoroughly researched (and a few who have been to and returned from) heaven.  I am one who has met God.  I have personally experienced a number of miracles in my life and the lives of people I know well.  Miracles that have no other explanation… a dream that sent me to the doctor to find and repair three blockages in my heart, nudges to pray for people out of the blue that turned out to be at exactly when an urgent need arose, healings of illnesses including cancer, divine peace in times of great difficulty.  I have literally a dozen or more verifiable instances of miracles that God brought about because His people prayed.  That is simply counting the ones I have been directly involved in.  Multiplying that by the millions of believers around the world who have stories of God’s direct intervention, and the body of evidence is overwhelming.

Yes, I am sad as I consider Mr. Hawking’s passing.  But it is not so much for him.  He had a lifetime to seek God, but he chose not to.  And God allowed him to chose an eternity of separation from all that is good.  God, Who is love, grants us the right to choose.  So my sadness is not really for Mr. Hawking, but for all the persons Mr. Hawking represents.  People who refuse to consider, “Is God real?”  People who fail to seek Him.  People who are gullible enough to be duped by the many half-truths, lies, and falsehoods that distract and lead away from knowledge of the One True God.

If you don’t know God, I suggest a couple simple steps.  Right where you are say this simple prayer.  “God, I don’t know if you are real or not.  But if you are, please reveal yourself to me.  Please show me who you are and what I am to do to get to know you.”  Pretty simple, right?  And thinking logically, there is nothing at risk if you do this and I am wrong and everything to gain if I am right.

That is the first thing.  The second thing is to get a bible, preferably a more recent translation like a New International Version or the New Living Translation and start reading in the gospels.  Actually you can get the free bible app, YouVersion, and read multiple translations.   I suggest beginning with John.  These are simple steps that, if God isn’t real you won’t be losing anything.  But if He is real (and I can assure you that He is, but you must realize that for yourself) He will open your mind to truth and lead you to people that will help you to know Him.

There are many things in life that being wrong about doesn’t really matter much.  This is not one of those things.  Not believing in God, not recognizing Jesus for Who the bible shows us He is, is not something you want to be wrong on.  It is appointed unto mankind to live one life and then die.  And after that to face judgement.  For those who have accepted Jesus sacrificial death on their behalf and submitted to His leadership, death is no longer the end, but rather the beginning of a larger life spent in the presence of God.

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Why “Trusting God” is NOT a Good Plan B

Posted in God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Priorities, The Father, Vision, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 1, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Rather than taking a long time to get to the point let me state it up front.  Trusting God is not a good Plan B because if Trusting God is in position B then something else must be your Plan A.  There is nothing that rightfully supplants putting your hope first in God and His provision.  Now there are numerous situations where the Lord will work through others to accomplish His will in our life, but allowing God to be our source and then trusting Him to chose whatever means He determines to meet our need is always the right response.

God is fully equipped to be our confidant, our counselor, our healer, our deliverer, and our comforter.  In fact those are all specifically spelled out as roles God will fulfill in the believer’s life.  We also are given insight into what qualifies Him to fill those roles.  He is omniscient.  He is sovereign.  He is omnipresent.  He is all together good.  He is love.

So what does Trusting God as Plan A mean?  While I understand that many of you know God through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, I am prompted to cover the basics before we touch on deeper elements of Trusting God.

God is the Creator and Father of mankind.  Intimate fellowship with God was broken in the Garden when sin entered the world.  There is a price to be paid for sin.  God’s answer for sin which broke our intimacy with Him was to send His Son, Jesus into the world.  Jesus paid the debt for our sin so we could be reconciled to God.  So Trusting God begins with trusting Jesus as your Savior and Lord.  This is the way God has established for mankind to be put in right relationship with Him.  But making this decision is only the beginning of what it means to Trust God.

God has spent over a millennia creating a love story between mankind and himself.  This love story is captured in the bible or Word of God.  In this inspired book, God provides everything necessary for life.  Wisdom, guidance, encouragement, inspiration, comfort, challenge – all the essentials for living life in intimacy with God is in this book.  The bible makes the claim, backed up by the testimony of millions of us, that the truth contained in the bible is God-breathed and life changing.

Then there is the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives to His followers.  Every born again believer is sealed with the Holy Spirit who indwells us.  Jesus talked about the Holy Spirit being our comforter and counselor in His final extended discourse with the disciples.  (See John 14 and 15)  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.  He knows the plans of God and the heart of Jesus.  He will lead us in the right path, always, every time, without fail.  Our role is to train our hearts to listen, understand, and follow His leading.

I am pretty confident I know why we sometimes make Trusting God Plan B.  It gets back to the point of a few days ago.  We would rather be doing something than doing nothing.  And we often make the mistake of thinking that waiting upon the Lord is the same as doing nothing.  In the most minor of ways it may appear as if we are not actively doing, but to lay our cares upon the Lord and leave them there takes an exercise of faith that is one of the most important and challenging of spiritual exercises.  And like any exercise it takes practice over time to become proficient.

Let me wrap up for tonight.  Trusting in God as Plan A is altogether good.  Plan A is not sticking our head in the sand or ignoring the sound counsel of others, but it is trusting God to lead us in our decision-making.  In many cases we will use the natural gifts and talents of others around us.  When I broke my shoulder last year I was in a foreign country.  I had a few options.  But rather than simply lean on my own wisdom, I consulted others and I prayed.  God led me to fly back to the US to have the surgery to set my shoulder.  But within my Plan A was the possibility God could have said to have the procedure done there or something else.  I was totally seeking His guidance.  Flying home seemed like the right thing to do.  When I didn’t feel any check about it after praying, we flew home.  The miraculously minimal amount of pain I suffered over the  day of transatlantic travel and then waiting 5 days for my surgery was confirmation I was Trusting Him correctly.

‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.‘ Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV

Make knowing and growing in intimacy with God your priority.  Make Trusting the Lord your Plan A.  Allow the fruit of the Holy Spirit to bloom and grow in your life.  Seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit to operate in your life.  And God’s peace will overflow in a life well-lived and the richest of praise.

Be blessed my friend and be a blessing!

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The Kingdom of God – Present Reality, Partially Revealed

Posted in God, God Stories, Responsibility, Vision, tagged , , , , , , , on February 16, 2018| Leave a Comment »

Jesus talked about the kingdom of God a lot.  I was told He mentions the Kingdom of God 84 times in the Gospels.  At the very start of His ministry He proclaims in Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:15 ESV   https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MRK.1.15.ESV  The Kingdom of God was not a future event Jesus was calling people to prepare for eventually.  The Kingdom of God was a present reality He was calling them to join now.  He is still calling people to join the Kingdom and to partake of the benefits and responsibilities of kingdom citizenship.

Some may ask, if God is good and His Kingdom is present now, then why do we still have school shootings, and wars, and conspiracies, and child molesters and on and on.  Two primary reasons come to mind.  The first is God is patient and desires everyone to have an opportunity to hear and respond to the Gospel.  Jesus died so that all may enter into the Kingdom of God.  But entrance into the Kingdom is not automatic.

The Kingdom of God is unique.  God the Father is the King and like all Kingdoms He reigns supreme.  I have studied a bit of history the past few years and one of the realizations that I came away with is just how long civilization has existed with monarchies as the primary form of government.  And under good, benevolent kings life flourished.  God is the ultimate in good and benevolent.  His people are not simply subjects to be ruled, but when we enter His kingdom we become His children.  We are heirs with Christ Jesus becoming daughters and sons of the Lord God.  Unique to God’s family, we enter through a dual process.  In a natural family you are either born into it or you can be adopted into it.  But for God’s family we are both born into it and we are adopted into it.

‘Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ‘  John 3:1-8
https://www.bible.com/bible/59/JHN.3.1-8

‘For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. ‘  Romans 8:15-17  https://www.bible.com/bible/59/ROM.8.15-17

Jesus ushered in the Kingdom of God with His life, death, and resurrection.  The Kingdom of God is a present reality.  But as mentioned in the second paragraph, why are there still bad things that happen?  So God’s mercy is one reason.  God’s plan is the second reason.

There is war in the heavenly realms.  Satan was once an angelic being of high status.  Unfortunately he desired higher status still and pride brought about his downfall.  Since that time he has lead a rebellion against the Lord God.  Humanity is the battlefield.  Mankind is God’s crowning creation.  We are specifically created to be able to choose to love.  That is God’s plan and our purpose.  Satan strives to thwart that.  God will not “make” us love Him because then it wouldn’t truly be love.  And thus we have the reason the Kingdom of God is not fully revealed.  God desires for the Kingdom to be revealed through His children living in such a selfless, loving, sacrificial way that those who are not yet His children will question, will wonder, will be drawn to Him.  He desires that those who don’t yet know Him will become seekers of the Truth behind a people who are manifestly different than the rest.

Being a Jesus-follower for many years now, I can see the Kingdom of God all around me.  But I know it remains obscured to many.  God has called me, along with every born-again child of God, to live in and display the reality of the Kingdom of God right now.  It is not something far off, but here and now.

I thought about today’s post a good bit yesterday as I had a 3-hr drive late in the evening.  I had the title and I had thought about a lot of different things to share about the Kingdom of God, but as I neared my destination, I whispered a prayer, “Lord, give me the words you want me to share.” and I knew He would provide.  As I dreamed last night I met my best friend from high school, Scott.  He was playing in a band.  He had either a clarinet or some other marching band type instrument in his hand.  We haven’t seen each other in quite some time so we hugged and celebrated getting to see each other.  He was preparing for a parade.  I laugh because he told me he was playing three different instruments now.  It was great to see Scott and my heart was full from the visit.  You see, my friend Scott passed away over 17 years ago.  He was an athlete and as far as I know he never played any musical instruments.  But in the presence of the King, he has learned new ways to celebrate and make a joyful sound.

Yes, the Kingdom of God is here right now and it is bigger and better than we realize.

Be blessed my friends.

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