Roseville Church of the Nazarene

Greetings in Christ,

  How many of you have been part of constructing a home or a building?  Perhaps you have watched a house being built in your neighborhood or watch a new building go up in the community.  It is interesting to see all the phases of the project go into place for a house or building, and if you had access to the architectural design, you would see all the different layers of drawings which have been drawn up to go into the building project.  The drawings would give you all the correct dimensions and procedures to start the project all the way from digging in the earth to the last interior detail just before occupancy.  There were a lot of details which had to be thought about in the architectural drawings which had to be put into place.

  The start of the building project is based upon the structure being properly placed on solid ground.  The structure must reside on something which has the ability to withstand the weight of the building and not sink into the ground at the same time.  It is crucial the beginning part of the building project is properly done for the rest of the building project to take place.  In most cases the groundwork and getting the foundation correct and square will take more time then finishing the rest of the project.  The beginning steps of the building project have to be correct and, on the mark, or else the structure will not withstand the building later.  Most of this hard work will eventually be covered up by the earth which will be back filled along the foundation of the building.

  To most people it seems like it is a long process for the project to be completed, but when the foundation work is done, it seems as if the workers kick into high gear and the building goes up in a hurry.  Soon the walls are up, and the roof is on and the next thing you know people are living in the house or working in the building.  The hard work of getting the structure in place and making it sure it has the best foundation and support for the building has been forgotten and all people see is the structure which stands on it.  All the hard has been covered up.

  Job was one of those people who could not see all the hard work God had put into place in creating the earth.  Job was questioning the architect and the architectural design and was trying to give Him advice on how to make it better.  Job did not like how things were going for him and he wanted to change the design and the earth upon which he lived.  Now of course this backfired on him with God asking if he was there when God had created the earth.  Job’s answer had to be no he was not, and it made him think about the forgotten part of God’s design.

  Job had forgotten about the design God had put into place for the earth to be a place for mankind to live.  The waters had to be held back so as not to flood the earth.  Trees and vegetation had to be planted in the ground, the sun had to shine, and the clouds covered the earth as a blanket to keep it warm.  All the things of the earth had its place for mankind.  The most important part in the design was it was supposed to point to the architect who designed the earth and all it contained.  The intention was to make mankind look to God and worship Him for creating this wonderful place.  God even took it several more steps.  He designed the earth to be the foundation for mankind to be able to enjoy residency in heaven.  God had in His design for mankind to worship Him here on earth.  

  Just like building a structure whether it is a house or large building, if the foundation is not on solid ground and correct it will crumble when the rest of the structure is built upon it.  Our spiritual lives are just like a building.  We need a good foundation.  God has thought of everything in His design to aid us in our life with Him.  We have no excuse not to choose to build upon the foundation He has already put into place.

  Take some time and go outside and look at the earth all its beauty.  Look up in the sky and see the sun and the clouds.  Appreciate the trees and the flowers and walk in the grass.  Just remember God had all of this in mind when He designed the earth for us to live on it.  It was meant for it to be the foundation upon which we can stand to look up to Him and give Him the praise for all He has done for us.  God’s building project is not done.  The hard work seems to get covered up by the things of this earth, but it is still a solid foundation upon which to stand.  God’s desire is for us to build on it while He finishes heaven for us later. 

  “The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure.  They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness.  He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; holy and awesome is His name.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”  Psalm 111:7-10

  “The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous; the Lord protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow, but He thwarts the way of the wicked.  The Lord will reign forever, Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 146:8-10

  Lord may not forget Your design and forget to give You the praise for all You do for us.  May the praise be continually on our lips as we serve You.  Amen

  Blessings,

  Greetings in Christ,

  When you think of worship what comes to your mind?  How do you worship God almighty? 

  The normal process of thinking for people to worship God is we get up on Sunday, we get ready, and we drive to the church.  We may attend Sunday school class or a small group meeting before church and we study a lesson.  We discuss what the lesson may entail, and we pray and then go to Sunday service.  We arrive at the sanctuary where they may be coffee and donuts, we grab some coffee to drink, we talk to a few people, and when the music starts playing in the sanctuary, we head in to take our seat.

  The service moves along at its pace with a song or two with some announcements thrown in the mix along with the offering plate collecting the tithes and offerings.  There may be a time of standing and singing with a few more songs and a few people clapping along with the music.  Most of the people sing when they know the words to the songs, but rarely do you have the entire congregation singing along with the praise team or song leader. 

  The singing portion of the service has now ended, and the musicians take their seat in the sanctuary while the pastor walks up to the platform or pulpit and begins the sermon.  The pastor refers to the scripture and may ask the congregation to stand or read along with the scripture as it is read, and then the three-point sermon begins.  Some may take notes while others nod their head when they think the pastor is looking their way.  There may be the occasional amen thrown in there when a good point is made, but for the most point people sit in their seats just to listen to the words being spoken.

  Then the moment of truth has arrived, and the end of the sermon appears to be coming, and then it happens.  The pastor has asked if anyone has the need to confess their sins or needs to come to the altar to pray for a need.  Some begin to squirm in their seats while others are thinking of how to duck out of the service early so, they can get home to watch the sports channel or get something to eat.  Then it happens the benediction is given, and the people are set free for another week.  Their duty of worship has been complete for another Sunday.

  Now many people call this worshipping God.  They have attended church and have gone through the ritual of doing their duty of going to church.  Did they really worship God?

  John writes about Jesus talking to the women at the well.  She is telling Him how they worship God, and He tells her they do not know who they are worshipping.  They go to a mountain and call out His name but have no idea of who God is.  They are going through the motions without really knowing God.  Jesus goes on to tell her that it is not just about showing up to worship God at a place, but it will be about worshipping God from the spirit which resides in every person.  It must be about the person wholly engaged in worship from the most inner part of their being for it to be worship.

  Jesus spoke these words to her, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  

  So, what is our idea of worship?  Are we really worshipping God or are we just satisfied with just showing up on Sunday?  Our spirit, the one God gave us, craves to be in harmony with Him.  Are we really worshipping God as He had intended?  What are we missing when we go to church?

  “The Lord sustains all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look to You,
and You give them their food in due time.  You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.  The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.  The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.  He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.   The Lord keeps all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.  My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”  Psalm 145:14-21

  Lord may we worship You in spirit and in truth, and may our worship be pleasing to You.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  We all must deal with it, work for it, save it, spend it, and even desire it.  It is one of those things which create more instability and create more wars than anything else.  It turns people against each other, and it ruins lives in the wake of its desire.  It makes people stand in line for hours in hopes to attain it in great sums.  It is a necessary thing we all must have at one point or another—money.

  Many people say the phrase incorrectly by saying money is the root of all evil, but it is the love of money which is the root of all evil.  It is how we look at money which drives us to attain it.  Yes, we all must have money to survive here on earth, and we have to work to attain it, but we do not have to let money be the desire of our hearts.

  In John Grisham’s “The Testament” he writes about a billionaire and his controversial death who is tired of his many ex-wives, children, and grandchildren chasing after his money.  The billionaire is trying to protect his money and assets trying to keep his family away from what he has acquired and trying to frivolously spend.  He writes his last will and testament excluding all his family but one daughter. 

  The family members who desperately want to seek the money are trying every tactic to secure the wealth for themselves and get caught up spending more than they have thinking they will get an enormous inheritance, but they are unaware they are left nothing in the will.  They have grand illusions they will soon have more money than they can spend, and they think this will bring them notoriety in the social circles.  They are fighting amongst themselves and spending more time thinking about how to spend it and keep others from acquiring it.  They think more wealth will bring them happiness, but it has brought them nothing but pain.

  The only one who is not seeking to gain anything is the one daughter who receives the wealth.  She has removed herself from the picture a long time ago and does not want anything to do with her father’s wealth.  She has even gone as far as to change her name so she cannot be found easily, and she has chosen a life of a missionary in the deep Brazilian jungles reaching out to the natives sharing Jesus Christ with them.   She has made everyone who knows her within the missionary group to vow of silence and not share her secret past life so she can be left to serve Jesus.

  I realize this book is fiction, but the story line can be applied to many people in the world.  Those in the family want to have instant success and have everything handed to them.  They do not want to work for their success.  When they do not get their success, they seek other ways to procure them which leads to more failure and disappointment.  They are caught up in the illusion money will bring happiness.

  Leviticus, James, and Luke all have a common theme which is to trust in God.  They give different backgrounds in their stories of what people are to do in life, but they all state not to get caught up the illusion of money and wealth is the answer to their problems.  James even goes even farther and says to rejoice in the trials and tribulations of this world.  Leviticus states the seven-year sabbatical which they do not sow or prune anything they need to eat, but to rather rejoice in God.  In Luke, Jesus calls for the people to lay up treasures in heaven rather than on earth.  They all are pointing to trust in God.

  We all need it, but we do not have to let it be the driving force in our lives—money.  We have figured out it does not grow on trees, and we must work to attain it, but we do not let it be the center of our lives.  God needs to be the center of our lives, and we should strive to let God be the center of our lives, but we have a hard time with the trials and tribulations.  Yes, money will sometimes help to alleviate the trials and tribulations of life, but it does not bring happiness.

  James said it best, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.  But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” 

  Let’s be rich in wisdom from God and lay our treasures up in heaven.   It will last us an eternity!

  “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul will make its boast in the Lord; the humble will hear it and rejoice.  O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.  I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.  They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed.  This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.  The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.  O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”  Psalm 34:1-8

  Lord, may we seek Your wisdom and lay up our treasures with You in heaven.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  When people talk of God often time, they bring with them their concept of what they think God should be, or how He should act.  For example, when things do not go their way, they think God is punishing them, or when things go their way, they feel they are being blessed by Him.  When a person dies at an early age, they blame God for taking them too soon, or if they have physical/medical issues why would God curse them with this problem.  They form their own opinion of what God should be, and how He should act. 

  The theme that seems to surface more times than not is God should be a God of love.  If God is a God of love, why does He let all these things happen to me and to the world?  Why doesn’t He just swoop in and fix all the problems, end all the wars, cure disease, and provide food for the hungry?  This thought process is one which drives God to be one sided to be giving all the time, caring all the time and ready to serve at any moment.  This concept of God is one which is selfish on behalf of people who want everything to go their way.  The idea God is love is correct, but to let it be the only attribute of God is a worldly view which takes who God is out of context.

  While God is a God of love, He does not let things happen to people to get even or to tempt people.  He does not set up traps for people to fall into, nor to get tripped up so He can laugh at them for failing.  The God of love allows people to make decisions in their life.  Many of those decisions were made in the past and currently in the present has led people of this world to desire the things which separate them from God.  The choices people make separate them from God, and those choices often have consequences which people do not like.  People in this world live in the consequences of those bad decisions made many years ago along with the present choices separate them from God.  People are living in the shadows of their ancestors and even their own sins.

  The real God of love desires for us to separate ourselves from the world so we can be righteous in His sight, and that does not mean we will get everything we desire or have everything go our way.  If we really understand God, we will see God is a God of love, but this is only one of His attributes.  We first must understand God is holy first which out of His holiness the other attributes follow.  It is in this holiness God decides what is best for us, and then He guides us in this path of righteousness. 

  The author of Hebrews writes to establish the path of righteousness many had followed, and they encouraged many others to follow the same path.  While the author gives the picture of those witnesses surrounding us, we still must live in this world which is sin depraved.  This world is filled with those bad decisions which lay and wait to trip us up and separate us from God, but we must look to Jesus for our hope and in faith follow the example He gave us to follow.

  While we are not perfect, we will not always be able to attain perfect righteousness all the time, but if we believe and have faith in God, He will guide us back.  This is the part many people get tripped up in their thoughts of God, God is a God of discipline when we start going in the wrong direction. 

  To truly understand God, we must first accept He cannot associate with any sin or sinful acts.  He remains holy and true to His character, and out of this He disciplines those who truly want to follow Jesus’ example of righteousness.  It is out of the discipline the sin is revealed and can be removed, but this does not mean it will be pleasant when it takes place.

  God is a God of love, but it is not the love most people desire.  God’s love is one which results from being holy and separated from sin.  This does not mean people will get their way all the time, nor will the troubles of this world go away.  What it does mean if we really want to be like Jesus, we can have faith God will discipline us so we can be holy just as He is holy.  When we seek to be holy above all else, we will see God to be a God of love.

  “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!  From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established strength because of Your adversaries, to make the enemy and the revengeful cease.  When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?  Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty!  You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, whatever passes through the paths of the seas.  O Lord, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!”  Psalm 8

  Lord, may we seek to be holy.  If we need Your discipline, may we see it as a Father who loves us so much, and He does not want to see us separated from Him.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  How many of us like to go shopping for clothes?  Many people like to go shopping while there are many people who do not like going shopping.  It is one of those things for many it is hard to get into the mindset of shopping for clothes.  It creates a feeling of being dragged into something which seems so tedious and boring to look through clothes for that right match to our desire or taste. 

  For me it is the going through the rack of clothes looking for the right color, pattern, and even proper fit.  I would rather do my research and find the clothes I want, go to the store, pick them out, buy them, and get out fast without wasting too much time.  For me it is like looking for something that is supposed to pop before your eyes, but the exact opposite happens and I cannot find anything I like.

  It would be better for me if the clothes would pop off the rack and do a dance for me giving a better idea of how they look, but instead I must undress and try on the clothes, go look in the mirror, check to see if they make me look fat, and then go take them off to redress again.  It is too much work.  I guess that is why they dress those mannequins, so you get an idea of how the clothes are supposed to look. How many of those mannequins are your size so you really feel good about the clothes you may want to buy?

  When I think about it, I hate the idea the clothes are supposed to make you pop when you enter a room.  People are supposed to stop what they are doing and take notice of what you are wearing.  You are supposed to keep up with the trends of the times, so you stay in fashion.  The clothes are supposed to help make the person, but I have a hard time with the idea the clothes make the person.  I think most people have it turned around.  It is the person who makes the clothes.

  When you think about it, clothes are lifeless without the human being filling the form of the clothes.  It is not until the person puts on the clothes the clothes really begin to take shape.  Until the clothes are filled, they are flat, hang limp on a hanger, folded up laying on a shelf, and really have no basic form to them at all.  It is not until the human form fills the clothes it begins to take shape and become what it should be in the designer’s mind.  Clothes are lifeless without the human being filling them.

  John writes to the people telling them to be careful of those who have strayed from the truth and are making false statements regarding the coming of Jesus.  They who have strayed are making claims they know when Jesus will return and often made claims, they were Jesus.  John is telling the people those who make false claims are not filled with the Spirit of God.  They are basically lifeless, and they are being a bad influence to those who know the truth trying to get them to waiver in their knowledge of the truth.

  John is trying to tell them they are filled with the Holy Spirit who gives them life.  They take of the shape of the Holy Spirit giving them fulfillment of which they should be as a person.   It is the Holy Spirit which gives them the form to live a life free from the corrupt worldly ideas and notions, and they need to continue to allow the Holy Spirit to fill them with His presence.  They are alive with the Spirit of God living in them giving them the form the designer had in mind.

  In Exodus, God is giving Moses instructions on how to design and make the robes/garments Aaron and the high priests were to wear while serving in the temple.  They were to be of a specific design, and they were to have bells, pomegranates, and a breast plate made of gold, with many other distinguishing features to make them to be able to go before God in the inner holy of holies.  This was to help keep them safe as they stood before God, but the clothing was helpless for the priests if they were not holy and righteous in their living.  The clothes were to aid the priests, but it did not give them total protection if they did not live their lives according to the laws God had given them.  They had to be spirit filled to fulfill what the designer had in mind.

  Shopping for clothes remains a joy for some and a drag for others; they are needed to help protect the body from the harsh elements of this world.  Yes, it is nice to wear the latest fashion and to look nice as we walk this earth, but they do not make the person.  The person makes the clothes.  Without the person wearing the clothes the clothes are lifeless and have no form remaining stagnant.  A person must fill the clothes with their form before the clothes take shape.

  It is the same with our bodies.  Until we are filled with the presence of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to fill us with His presence, we are stagnant and lifeless.  We may look good to others, but we lack the full potential of living life here on earth as the designer had in mind.  When we are not spirit filled and living righteous lives for Jesus, we are like clothes hanging on a hanger in the store; we look good, but we lack the form the shape which was intended by the designer for us to have.  The presence of Jesus and the Holy Spirit make us who we should be giving us the protection we need from the harsh world in which we live.  It is the transformation from the inside out which makes us pop for others to take notice making them want to have what we have—Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

  “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.  Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.  Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.  So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.  My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.  When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.  My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”  Psalm 63:1-8

  Lord God fill us with Your presence so we take on the form You intended for us to have.  May we be the examples for others to see so they desire to be filled with You.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  When we think of God, what comes to our mind?  Do we list His attributes?  Do we think of what He has done for us?  Do we consider all the written stories in the Bible of how God worked in other people’s lives?   Just what do we associate with Him in our mind as we think of Him?

  We read in the Bible many different names of God and the qualities He possess.  We read of the stories of how He has worked in people’s lives.  We have many examples of names He has been given and how He has touched so many lives in so many ways, but these are from the human perspective of how God has touched their lives.  Now bear with me in this thinking for just a few more lines.  I am not trying to take away from God’s inspiration with mankind and the Holy Spirit’s interaction with mankind, but to bring out as humans we have a hard time processing God in His full measure with our limited understanding.

  In Exodus, it is recorded Jethro has heard of how God has worked in Egypt to free the Israelites.  Jethro has been taking care of his daughter (Moses’ wife) and sons and he wants to reunite them with Moses.  Jethro brings Zipporah, Gershom, and Eliezer to Moses and they greet each other, but Jethro wants to hear more of how God worked in Egypt.  They move into a tent and Moses begins to tell the stories how God had done many things for the Israelites.  Jethro has been so impressed with the stories he declares God to be greater than all the gods and then he offered sacrifices to God honoring Him and all He had done for the Israelites.

  Jethro did not have a firsthand account of what God had done, but he heard Moses tell the stories and was moved to offer sacrifices to God.  Jethro heard the stories as Moses told them, as Moses remembered them, and knew Moses was telling the truth.  It was how Moses told the stories of how God had worked, but they were from Moses’ perspective.  Moses could only tell the stories to the best of his knowledge with his understanding.

  Mark records the actions of the disciples as they are feeling down and out because they saw Jesus die on the cross.  They have heard several accounts of people seeing Jesus, and He is alive.  The disciples did not want to believe the words spoken to them by those who had witnessed Jesus walking among them.  They were wrapped up in their own perspective of what they believed to be true.

  It was not until Jesus appeared in front of them, they believed what was being said.  They had to see Jesus in the front of them for them to process what they had been hearing, and to process what Jesus had been trying to tell them.  They were trying to process all of what they knew in their minds for them to understand what was taking place in front of them.  Then Jesus gives them one more command.  They are to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.  They were to go and tell others what they know from their perspective.

  When we think of God, what comes to our minds?  We can only understand God from our perspective of what we know.  We can only tell the stories of how God has worked in our lives and our understanding of Who He is.  We can only understand God to the level we are willing to undertake, but if we are willing God will fill in the rest we cannot gain on our own. 

  It is when we allow God to fill the gaps in our understanding, we begin to understand God more and we begin to see the depth of His love, His patience, His perseverance, and His desire to see all of His creation to know Him.  God wants us to tell our stories from our perspective because they include Him as we tell them.

  “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.  Why should the nations say, “Where, now, is their God?”  But our God is in the heavens;
He does whatever He pleases.  Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man’s hands.  They have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see; they have ears, but they cannot hear; they have noses, but they cannot smell; they have hands, but they cannot feel; they have feet, but they cannot walk; they cannot make a sound with their throat.  Those who make them will become like them, everyone who trusts in them.  O Israel, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.   O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; He is their help and their shield.”  Psalm 115:1-11

  Lord may we tell the stories of how You work in our lives.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  Many of us know the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea.  They have left Egypt and they have crossed the desert and reached the Red Sea where they have set up camp.  The level of the water is high and it is impossible to cross at this time, but they are tired and need to rest.  They have just settled getting the camp fires going and the next thing they know they see a cloud of dust in the distance moving closer and closer to them.  It is not long they begin to hear the noise of the horses and chariot wheels as they pound the earth moving at a fast pace.  They instinctively know it is Pharaoh’s army coming to bring them back to Egypt or even worse slaughter them in the barren desert with no one to bury them.  They begin to panic and cry out to Moses asking why he has brought them here with no place to go.  They feel trapped.

  They are tired and weary.  They begin to think they have made the wrong decision listening to Moses and his grand ideas of a promise land.  All they see is an impassible body of water and no retreating place for safety.  They have no weapons, and the men who could use them are tired and hungry.  Many of them are undernourished and could not fight for long even if they had weapons.  They feel like they have no recourse but to beg for mercy from the Pharaoh if he will listen.  They want instant answers from Moses to solve their dilemma backing him into the corner.  Now Moses is feeling the pressure of the situation, but he answers positively with this, “watch and see the salvation of the Lord.”

  Moses of course did not have any idea they were going to cross the Red Sea, but this is what God had in mind.  God asked Moses why are you just standing there tell the people to move forward.  Take your staff and part the Red Sea you are holding up progress.  Now remember they had set up camp and it all had to be torn down and packed away.  There was going to be some time before they could even go forward, but this is where God steps in and does His great work. 

  The angel which went before them to guide them moved to the rear of the camp creating a barrier between the Israelites and the Egyptian army.  God was buying them time to pack up and move forward.  In the time it took for them to pack, God had a mighty wind part the Red Sea drying up the land so they could cross over with no difficulties and in the process of the sea being parted, the water created a wall barrier on both sides.   All the Israelites had to do was to believe and move forward.

  As I read this story I began to put myself in the sandals of the Israelites.  I wondered why they thought God would bring them out to a place where they felt they were going to be abandoned leaving them with no options and more hardship and even possibly death.  Had they not witnessed the hand of God in their lives as they lived in Egypt?  Had they not witnessed the Egyptians fear them as they plundered them before they left Egypt?  Had the not walked out of Egypt with more than they had before?  Why they were forgetting all God had done for them?   Then it hit me.  They had not developed a real relationship with God.

  They had seen the razzle and dazzle of God, but they did not believe.  The fear of death had them so scared they could not see anything possible for an alternative for their lives.  The only one who had any hope was Moses, and He was having some doubt.  They were focusing on their own ideas of what the solutions were going to be for their lives instead of believing and moving forward.

  Jesus said it best, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.  In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.  If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” 

  Most of the battles we have in this world are made worse by our own interpretation of what we think the answer will be.  We want to apply our thoughts to the problems and then apply our answers to them creating limited solutions.  We forget we serve a God Who is limitless and knows no boundaries.  All we have to do is believe and move forward.

  John later writes these words, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life—and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.  These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete.”  1 John 1:1-4 

  We want the instant answers to all of our problems, but we miss out on the joy of the journey with God in the meantime.  We have read the end of the Bible and know God wins in the end, but we miss out on the joy which is to be with the journey to the end.  It is nice to arrive to the end of our journey, but if we do not enjoy the journey we miss out on the relationship with God.  The joy God wants us to have is to believe and move forward.  If we let Him part the Red Sea for us, we will cross over on dry land.  We then have the joy of watching God work in our lives solving those dilemmas.  We have to set aside those tendencies to figure it all out and just let God do His thing.  Believe and move forward.

“Praise the Lord!  I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly.  Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them.  Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever.  He has made His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.  He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will remember His covenant forever.  He has made;  known to His people the power of His works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.  The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are sure.  They are upheld forever and ever; they are performed in truth and uprightness.  He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.”  Psalm 111

  Lord may we believe and move forward with joy in our hearts as we watch You work in our lives.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ, 

  If someone came up with a rating scale for you to assess your life here on earth, how would you rate your life?  Now take in mind your rating would run 1-10 with 1 being the lowest score to 10 being the highest score.  The catch is you had to give an answer for all the ratings you apply to justify your rating.  How would you rate your life here on earth?

  We would have ratings which would go across the scale from the lowest to the highest, and it would depend on the questions being asked.  If the questions were based on your idea of what you thought your life was like compared to other people, would you consider your life to be worse or better?  Now to be fair in this question you might need to know who you are comparing your life against so you could rate your life.  Would you rate your life better if you were comparing it to someone who lived in a third world area?  Would you rate your life worse if you were comparing it to someone who lived here in the USA who was independently wealthy?

  We struggle with the idea we could have our life better here on earth, and it is in the process of thinking we have it bad we would rate our lives according to others who live in the world.  We get caught up the idea that other people have it better than us, or they have it worse than us and it is this analysis we lose sight of where our real focus should be.

  In writing this I have a confession along the lines of rating my life.  I filled up my truck today and I was fretting the gas prices we must pay for the gasoline we put into our vehicles.  I was feeling like it is a hard hit to the wallet and another financial burden we already endure with the shortage of items in the stores due to the Covid 19 pandemic dilemma.  I was cringing as the dollar amount rolled over faster than the gallons of fuel going into the gas tank. 

  I begin to realize there was someone else out there who was dreaming my life wishing they had a vehicle to be driving and to be filling up with gasoline.  I began to think this life here on earth is temporary and if I am a child of God, God will provide for me.  I needed to trust God had my back and would not leave me stranded.  I my not have as much money to buy other things, but I do not need many other things.

  Paul writes to the Philippians telling them to rejoice in all things no matter the circumstances and to be in constant prayer for everything.  He goes on to tell them to be on their best behavior doing whatever is true and right, pure and honorable, and to dwell on the good things worthy of praise.  When they do these things the peace of God will dwell with them.

  I fell short in my rating of my life because I was asking myself the wrong questions.  I was comparing myself to those who looked like they were problem free, but my focus should have been on God and the blessings He has given me.  My rating would have been different if I was more focused on the good things in my life instead of the problems, I would have been praising instead of complaining.

  How often do we let the little things in our lives determine our outlook?  God is much bigger than anything we undergo, and He is definitely worthy of the praise for what He has done for us even when it seems we are on the short end of the stick in life.  Take time to rate your life and count the blessings you have received from God, and then take time to praise Him for them.

  “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also.  For my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing; my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away.  Because of all my adversaries, I have become a reproach, especially to my neighbors, and an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.  I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.  For I have heard the slander of many, terror is on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life.  But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.”  My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me.  Make Your face to shine upon Your servant; save me in Your lovingkindness.”  Psalm 31:9-16

  Lord may we give You the praise for all You have blessings You have given us and let them be our focus so our hope remains strong in You.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  How many of you have ever played a game where you had to answer questions about your spouse or significant other?  The questions can be about the details of the other persons’ life for example: shoe size, first car, high school attended etc.  The questions reveal the knowledge of the couples and how well they know each other.  My wife Susan and I played such a game, and it revealed many areas of our lives which could only be known by us if we shared with each other all of the details of our lives. The list of answers required would make for a long list, or a very good memory. 

  Susan and I did not fair out so well.  We knew the least about each other for example: I did not know the exact shoe size Susan wore, or the exact date I proposed to her; she did not know my exact height, nor what was my first car.  We have talked about those things and some of them may have been necessary in life to remember, but for the purpose of the game we failed to really know each other to pass the test.  The ironic part of the game was to reveal who did not know that much about each other, and to that end we won the game and the prize so we could get to know each other better.

  While the game revealed Susan and I did not know each other in detail which pertained to the questions, it does not mean we do not know each other.  If we had known all the answers, would it have meant we really knew each other, or we were good at details and had a good memory?  The whole idea of being in a relationship is to know the person inside.  It is getting to know someone in their moments no one else would know or have ever seen.  Moses faced a situation just like Susan and I and he did not do so well either.

  God is calling Moses to go to Egypt to free the Israelites from bondage, but Moses is failing to recognize God for Who He was and is.  Moses gives every excuse to avoid going to Egypt fearing he will fail.  He gives many reasons for not wanting to go even one where he cannot talk eloquently.  He feels he needs to be gifted with speech, but God answers back with His answer.  Did I not make your mouth?  Moses was trying very hard to back out on God’s proposal because he did not know God. 

  The Jews faced the same issue when they confronted Jesus.  They claimed Jesus to be demon possessed because of the way He spoke of Himself to the other people.  He claimed to be the Son of God, and God was the witness to this proclamation.  Jesus knew the Father and what He was saying was true, but the Jews claimed He could not make such a claim.  Jesus responded if they knew God, they would know Him.  The Jews retorted they knew what was written down in recorded history and it did not fit what Jesus was claiming.  They relied on facts and memory to give them reason to doubt Jesus which revealed they did not know God.

  How well do we know God?  More importantly how well does God know us?  Will we know all the details of God in our lives?  Probably not?  Is it important?  No, but do we know Him well enough we will follow Him anywhere He leads us, and trust Him to provide for us?  Do we give up all the details of our lives to Him holding nothing back letting Him have access to our lives, or do we hold back wanting to keep secrets from Him?  How well do we know God?

  To know and be known by God.  That is something to really consider.  How important is it?  It will depend on our thoughts of eternity, and where we want to spend it. 

  “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.   This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it.  I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation.  The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.  This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.  This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.  O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity!  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you from the house of the Lord.  The Lord is God, and He has given us light; bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.  You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol You.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.”                    Psalm 118:19-29

  Lord, may we know and more importantly may You know us.  Draw us close to You as we walk with You.  Amen

  Blessings,

Greetings in Christ,

  Have you ever had the desire to be in a vehicle with unlimited horsepower?  I have.  I have often wondered what it would be like to be in a drag car going down the track at three hundred miles an hour plus in less than four seconds.  To be able to feel the unleashed horsepower when you hit the accelerator and feel the rumble of the engine and the g-force which puts you back in the seat as the car launches forward.

  Maybe perhaps you would like to go as fast as you can in a car.  Taking a trip to the salt flats and letting the car you drive reach top speed as you hold the accelerator to the floor watching the objects fly by you as you speed across the salt.  To finally see just what it would be like to actually test drive those cars advertised on the television which can reach top speeds of two hundred plus.

  Maybe you would like to be in a stock car going around in circles feeling the car come alive as you shift the gears as you approach those highly banked turns and feel the car stick to the track.  The ability to navigate through traffic as your car seems to have more power than you can unleash given you are in traffic, but then the opportunity arrives and break through the traffic jam to leave them all in your dust.

  For me the sense of the rush which can result from this activity can be exciting.  To be in something which has more power than I could ever use at any given moment, but to know it is there when I need it.  To be able to depend on that power to get me out of trouble or to go around someone quickly is nice, but more so just to know it is there for me to use.  It is even more exciting knowing I do not have to expend a lot of energy to tap into the available power I need.

  Our spiritual lives are a lot like riding in a car with all the horsepower we need.  We can apply all the available power we need when we need it, and we do not have to expend a lot of energy to do it.  We sometimes regress and go back to the Flintstone’s car and try to power our vehicle using our own energy.  We wear ourselves out forgetting we have an accelerator available for us to apply.  We are trying to pedal our way through our spiritual lives using our own power. We forget to tap into the available horsepower we have in Jesus.

  There is something wonderful which happens when we use the accelerator in our spiritual vehicle.  Jesus arrives and we feel His power take over and we get pushed back into our seat.  We feel the unlimited power which He has as we move right along, and all we need to do is push on our accelerator.  Before we know it, we have passed all of our problems and we have left them in the dust.

  We forget that sometimes we get caught up in the traffic of life and we want to go faster, but the traffic jam holds up the progress of moving forward, but once the traffic jam breaks, we are moving right along pulling out front of all of those issues and we feel Jesus apply the power He has as we move forward in our spiritual life.  We are tapping into more power than we can ever use, but it is nice to know we have it available to get us out of trouble.

  Driving a race car would be nice, but if I cannot do that in this life, I am happy to be able to feel the power Jesus has for me, and that is satisfying enough for me.  To know I have all the available power I need to apply to my spiritual life when I need it gives me more energy to do the things I can do.  I do not want to forget the accelerator when I need it and apply it so I do not wear myself out trying to power my spiritual life on my own.  I would rather experience the power of Jesus as it roars to life and puts me back in the seat.  Jesus has all the power I need when I need it.

  “The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.  They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.  Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression.  Let the words of my mouth and the  meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.”  Psalm 19:7-14

  Lord, may we tap into Your power anytime we need.  May Your power enable us to do things we could not on our own.  Amen

  Blessings,