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- Help Us to Be Wise… - Help us to Be Wise: How about those times when you are not plummeting to the earth from 14,000 feet, or on the verge of a medical crisis, or on that roller coaster wishing you weren’t, and things are good and you’re not scared, confused or lost? You know, when things are going smoothly, and you’re enjoying life. Or, maybe you have a decision that you must make, A or B, two good choices, but simply cannot make up your mind. While either is good, which is better? One way seems colored with service for others, while the other is one you favor. What to do? Help us to be wise…when we don’t know. Indeed, wisdom has power, and God-given wisdom has a special purpose. Has the “help” come when, with confidence, we make choices and stand by them with strength and purpose? “Guide us with your Grace“. Grace? What is Grace? Grace is God’s unmerited favor. Continue reading
- Tribute to Mac - Tribute to Mac: Dr. Mac McKinley, Dentist, and a beautiful force within our little community departed on an adventure we all must take when he joined our Lord and Savior less than a week ago. His absence is felt by so many, especially those of us who have gone through the departure of a loved one and so we can relate to the void that seems to exist right here within our lives. Continue reading
- Give Us Faith So… - Give Us Faith So... : You stand at the open hatch of the of the Cirrus SR20. You had packed your own parachute, under the watchful eye of your instructor, and you are ready for your first solo jump. but your mouth is dry and your heart is beating loud enough to be heard over the roar of the engines. You wait for the tap on your shoulder, then, without another thought, launch yourself out into the void. You follow instructions, and throw your arms and legs out, spread Eagle, to slow your descent, you let out a cry of joy and excitement; For perhaps 40 seconds you free-fall, the air rushing by, you enjoy the ride, then your focus shifts to the altimeter, waiting for that target number of 4,500 feet to click, when you must deploy your chute. Okay, it’s time. You reach for the ring that would release the pilot chute. The ring comes off in your hand! Your decent continues, but the first edges of panic begin... Continue reading
- The Prayer - Safe: Such a little word. We know what it means in baseball and in banks. When we use it to describe our sense of presence, it strongly implies physical safety. It is a little like security, but a bit closer to peace. Safe. David Foster and Carol Bayer Sager have written a beautiful, special song, “The Prayer“, which captures the meaning and importance of a spiritual presence, which, by its very nature, is part and parcel of being “safe”: I pray you’ll be our eyes, and watch us where we go, and help us to be wise, in times when we don’t know... So, what about your life, what would change in you, unexpectantly, under the watchful eye of God? Continue reading
- Miracles at Work - Miracles at Work: Have you ever seen a miracle? No? Are you sure? Maybe you were part of it, and you have no recollection of having been there, or seen it, or heard it. Maybe, without you knowing it, someone had observed you doing something for the Lord, and it caused them to think, to pray, to act. Just a little thing, a seedling. There are some who believe miracles are all around us, all the time. Are you one of those? We hear about miracle drugs, miracle this, miracle that, and maybe that’s just advertising. Or is it? None of these things seem like miracles, at the time, but each one is a grace handed down by God. Maybe that’s the definition of miracle that we should cling to. Continue reading
- What? Exercise? - What? Exercise?: I'm a lazy guy. I mean seriously lazy. I avoid exercise, mainly because I don’t like to expend the effort and the thought of going for a walk was boring.Let's say God intervenes. Doctors find that I have a defective valve in my heart that must be replaced. My life depends upon it. So, of course, I have the surgery. But then this doctor of mine prescribes, Cardiac Rehab, another word for exercise. What does all that have to do with a devotional? There is common ground between physical and spiritual disciplines. With physical discipline it took a crisis and a good number of sessions before I could exert myself and breathe normally. Spiritual discipline often starts with a crisis that cause us to turn to God, and the result is immediate;the doorway to love, joy, peace, and other graces. Continue reading
- Idol Clarification - Idol Clarification: Back in the days when I was doing value clarification workshops, I had the participants make list all those things they value the most. Then, through the course of the workshop we did a series of exercises, including more list-making. In the end, what emerged were items we highly cherish, or value. The result being the values that we cherish were the ones we spent time on, were the ones we spent money on, were the ones we worried about. These were not necessarily the ones we had placed on the first list of things we valued. Maybe what we have done is simply to reveal our idols. Now, what do you do with them? Our God is a jealous God. He asks us to worship only him. And yet, do we put Him first? I Continue reading
- Your Promised Land - Your Promised Land: Are you standing on the east side of the Jordan river, looking toward your promised land that the Lord has laid out for you? Do you fear what you might encounter is that what prevents you from taking those steps that would bring you into that questions and gifted destination? What do you fear? Are you battling other giants that carry the names pride, money, lust, envy, or any other name that distracts you from what is important. Those giants play upon your mind and reduce your faith in God to an afterthought Continue reading
- The 99 - The 99: Chapter 15 of Luke is one of the most beloved chapters in the Bible because it is made-up of Jesus parables in response to challenges, difficulties, and accusations. Jesus strongly responded to the challenges relating them to discipleship and commitment. His strong challenge did not drive people away, in fact it attracted more and more to Himself. What He was telling them was something they longed to hear. I wonder if we feel the same way. Do we sometimes drift away because we want solid proof of what we believe and our faith is shaky, at best. Continue reading
- Doing the Impossible - Doing the Impossible: Read Romans 8:38-39, and be reassured that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ. Paul goes on to say that some of the most difficult things that we are confronted with in our everyday lives, that are exhausting, irritating, painful, causing us to fear, none of these is able to separate us from the love of Christ. Can we get that through our thick heads, and believe it, and act on it, day by day? Why is it we have a hard time with the reality of God’s presence, all around us and within? If on one level we say that God's love will hold fast to us, get us beyond these difficult times, and never leave us, then we turn right around and slip into cautiousness, fear, uncertainty, in other words we cave in to what Satan wants us to believe. Continue reading
- What Is a Gift? - What Is a Gift? Have you thought about the fact that we may not really know or understand or even accept the power of a gift? Maybe it's just a little thing of no consequence but there it is we have received something we didn't earn and didn't work for, and it's ours. Do we take credit? Do we look upon the tithe as a gift? Do we understand it's returning to God what he has already given us. It's not a gift to the church. It's not a gift at all, it's a recognition where all the graces in our lives have come from, the graces that surround our very lives in every form all of which have come from him. Continue reading
- America and the Cross - America and the Cross: In the early years of Christianity, the cross was a symbol of discipleship. In reality, the cross was an implement of slow torturous death, and becoming a disciple means that our daily walk with Jesus was a process of daily death to selfish desires and of the willingness to bear reproach for His name’s sake. If people revile us for being Christians, we, in turn, must bless them. You know this state of discipleship does not come over us, in a flash of a ‘born-again’ emotion, or an altar call. It is a process in which we all must grow. If we blow it, and we do, we must confess it to the Lord and seek to be obedient next time we have an opportunity to suffer for him. Continue reading
- Put Yourself in His Story - Put Yourself in His Story: In some ways, the Luke 18 scripture story is our dilemma, as well. We may understand the cost of our following Christ, but in the reality of our everyday lives, in our social or career interactions, most of us have a tendency to down-play our discipleship. Whether we are seeking Him out, or coming to Him with prayer requests, we come to Him as Savior. We come to Him because we believe, and in our belief, we are disciples. Continue reading
- Cost of Following Christ - Cost of Following Christ: Over the months, we have heard a great deal about polls and the census, and what they might reveal. George Gallup contends that fewer than 10% of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed. Most of those who profess Christianity don’t know basic teachings and don’t act differently because of their Christian commitment. Fewer than 50% say they read their Bible once a week, or not at all. Being a disciple of Jesus can be hard. Salvation is both absolutely free and yet it costs you your very life. You receive it freely at no expense to you, but once you receive it, you have just committed everything you are to Jesus Christ. Absolutely free? Continue reading
- Jesus Prayer - Jesus Prayer: Several years ago I wrote a devotional where I listed a number of classics of Christian literature that were important for the walk of a Christian. One of the books listed was The Way of a Pilgrim. It was written by an unknown author, who tells the tale of a pilgrim wandering Russia sharing his beliefs and, in particular, the Jesus Prayer. As you read, you get the impression, that the author is that pilgrim on his own odyssey of faith. The story of the Pilgrim is our story, or, at least, could be our story. Continue reading
- Birds, Bugs and Weeds - Birds, Bugs and Weeds: I probably could’ve included sheep. Jesus liked to share parables, lessons and instructions from nature. Peter was in the process of being forgiven and I believe he knew exactly what Jesus was saying to him. It wasn't about sheep, but it was about being a shepherd. He was not saying that Peter was to convert to his own way of thinking, but he was saying see that followers of Jesus get nourished in the knowledge of him. Now about the birds and the bugs... Continue reading
- Where Is Your Sting? - Where Is Your Sting? Do we fear death? With some frequency, you may hear of people who, due to incurable illness, age, pain or loss of faculties, say they are “Ready to go.” They wish to leave this vale of tears. They may say they “long to be with Jesus”. I have a friend who is not in good health, has lost the spouse, and has expressed that very wish, to be with Jesus. This person has the will made out, funeral planned, all bills paid, insurance in place, and has said goodbye to those important in their life. I cannot walk in another’s shoes, or feel their pain, or know their thoughts. From our standpoint, it is hard to fully understand what is going on in their lives, or how their mind is working. The only gauge is our own, and the comparison is foggy, at best. Continue reading
- Keep Your Spiritual Balance - Watchword: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Thessalonians 5:16-17 So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 Continue reading
- Thy Will Be Done - Thy Will Be Done: How do you pray? Do you pray as Jesus did: “If it be thy will, take this cup from me”, or do you skip the first part, about ‘thy will, and go right to the second, take this cup, this fear, this uncertainty from me. Lord, it’s uncomfortable. Help me. Is that us? In our desperation, in our inner discomfort, in our fear, do we make one last desperate plea to the fisherman, to Our Father who art in Heaven, or perhaps The Lord is my Shepherd? Of course, we do. He is our Father, our Lord and Savior, our Shepherd, the One we trust, the One we place all of our faith in. Continue reading
- This Very Moment - This Very Moment: This is the day the Lord made and I’m glad. Sure enough, just look at the sky! Oh, my goodness – Carolina-blue broken up with little puffs of white, lookin’ all the world like a Colorado mountain top. It must be close to 70° out, and the breeze, perfumed by fresh-cut grass, is heaven scented. I drive slowly out into the country with the windows down, taking in all this beauty, lovin’ every minute of it. But, that was a memory. As I write this the rain is pouring down, the wind is blowing and I just heard thunder. In my mind a rainy day has beauty of its own, often with just the touch of the rare ozone perfume. God never leaves us. We know that when we get up every morning. We may look out on a gloomy day, with hard work and difficult times ahead for us, but this is the day that God created just for times like that. This is when thankfulness floods our souls with peace and joy, knowing we are His. Continue reading
