December 25

Read John 1:1, 14, I Corinthians 13:12

     I apologize that this devotion may be a little lengthy, but it is Christmas and I cannot let this day go by without writing this.

     When I was a kid, Christmas was my favorite time of year. In Minnesota, in the middle of winter was the best. We would sled and skate and play snow football. My dad also grew up in Minnesota so he knew how awesome winter was. We would be off of school and dad would take a snow blower down the long hill of our driveway and then water it down so that we would just fly down on our sleds. He created a huge skating rink and kept it flooded so it would stay smooth.

     I remember all the baking that my grandma, mom and aunts would do. Invariably we smelled the aroma of Christmas wreath cookies, peanut butter with a Hershey kiss in the middle, and I will never forget the crumb cakes. I remember trying to figure out what I got for Christmas. I remember waking up on Christmas Eve knowing that we would soon be heading to grandma and grandpas for dinner and gifts (I think my mom has turned into the grandma now!). We would have a great time, and everything that was wrong in my young life seemed to fade away. I didn’t worry about math and English and all of my other school responsibilities. I remember when it was time to open gifts, the younger kids would pass out the gifts and we would tear into them. What did grandma get me?  What did my uncle Mike get me (he was just like one of the kids so we always knew it would be cool)? My mind and heart would begin to race because everything seemed perfect.

     Except one thing always bothered me, and it wasn’t just the lutefisk that my grandfather made us all try. As we were opening all of our gifts, it hit me that not all of my family and friends knew the greatest gift of all. From before the foundation of the world God was gift wrapping a plan so that we all could live eternally with Him. Throughout the Old Testament, people wanted to see God, but couldn’t because the package just wasn’t ready.  In Bethlehem, however, God opened up the greatest gift. He gave Himself.

     Imagine how Mary felt as that baby was born and she took Him in her arms. How exciting it was to see that God was beginning to reveal His gift to mankind. However, Mary and Joseph only saw a partial unwrapping of the gift that God truly designed.

     Today, people in the religious world will accept the birth of Jesus as someone that the Father sent, but when we realize that the whole atmosphere around the birth was just another layer of wrapping paper coming off in order to reveal to the world who He is. Everything about the life of Christ was simply more wrapping paper being removed from this great gift. We say today that we know Him. I ask, “Do we really?” Do you know Him beyond the scriptures? Is He so real that you have experienced Him?

 I have said all of that to say this. If God started to unwrap the gift at the beginning of time and He is not finished revealing Himself fully today, is it not safe to assume that God is still trying to reveal Himself in your life today?

     On this Christmas day, do not be satisfied with the celebration of Christ’s birth, but allow the gift to be unwrapped a little further in your spirit. Remember it is the greatest gift of all.

December 20

Read Ephesians 4:25-32

     When I served on the ministerial staff in Dover, DE, we would oftentimes open up the service for testimonies. It was at that time that everyone knew, without a doubt, that my father-in-law would stand and say, “I’m thankful for the love of God shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost.” This was not a one time testimony; it was whenever we had testimonies.

     I am thankful for that testimony. Not only is it scriptural (Romans 5:5), it is very personal. That sentiment states that God was so kind to me that I cannot help but to be thankful. Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), one of the world's leading intellects, was visiting with Houston Smith, a well-known professor of philosophy and religion. As they were driving to an engagement, Huxley said, "You know, Houston, it's rather embarrassing to have spent one's entire lifetime pondering the human condition and . . . find that I really don't have anything more profound to pass on by way of advice than, 'Try to be a little kinder.'"

     The apostle Paul saw kindness in a different light. In Ephesians 4:32, he linked being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving with the way God has treated us. In Titus 3:4, he said that it was "the kindness and the love of God" that provided eternal salvation.

     Especially at this time of season when so many people struggle to express their love and kindness, it is imperative that we do so also. However, we need to celebrate Christmas all year. In a world where callous thoughtlessness and selfish indifference are all too common, kindness can make our lives fruitful when motivated by Christ-like love. When our walk harmonizes with our words of witness, it will make a compelling impact on others by pointing them to the kind of love God has for them in Jesus Christ. If Huxley had learned what Paul had learned, he would have seen that trying to be a little kinder is one of the most profound truths of all.

     Kindness is treating others the way that God treats you. What motivates us to try? There's no better reason than, on my father-in-law’s words, the love of God as shown to us by Jesus.

It's Father's Day and I miss my dad more than ever! I am realizing more each day how much he really taught me. I wish I would have recognized it earlier! I learned from my dad how to be Firm. I will not and cannot waver from Jesus Christ, not only because of who He is, but also because my dad showed me how to never waver! Whenever something wasn't going just like he planned, he never stopped trusting God to lead him (even to his last breath on this earth!) 
He showed me how to be Real. He never put on airs, no matter who was around. He was ALWAYS just him.
He taught me to Awe. To this day, in our house, it is not allowed to have anything sitting on a bible except another bible! I stand in awe every time I am blessed to experience the presence of God because dad never let me take it for granted! He taught me that New is not always bad. Talk about a life of directional changes! He epitomized that and so now I do not fear when God asks something new of me!
Lastly, he taught me Kindness. He treated everyone on a level playing ground. Whether they could add something to his life or take something from his life, he treated the equally kind. He believed that EVERYONE had a purpose in God, and it was his goal to help nourish that in people. Prayerfully, I am attempting to do the same.
Maybe someday I'll become the type of man that my dad was, but until then, I'll do what dad always did - keep on keepin' on!
For those that don't know me, I like acronyms and what I have spelled out very briefly here is simply FRANK!
I love you dad, miss you, and cannot wait to see you someday!

Don't Worry, Just Pray!

Read Ephesians 3:14-21

A missionary wrote a newsletter to thank his supporters for being "prayer warriors." Because of a typing error, though, he called them "prayer worriers." For some of us, that might be a good description.
In his book Growing Your Soul, Neil Wiseman writes, "Prayer must be more than a kind of restatement of fretting worries or a mulling over of problems. Our petitions must move beyond gloomy desperation, which deals mostly with calamity and despair."
I know there have been times in my life where all of my prayers just seem to cry out for help. There are times in each of our lives that we need God just to do something on our behalf, but if that becomes the sole reason for our prayers, we are missing out on what pray is really about.
When we can really learn how to pray for people instead of delivering us from people, we will see mighty moves of God. Instead of praying, “Lord, make a way where I am not so stressed about my boss”, to, “Lord, bless and encourage my boss, and help them to sense your love,” then God will have an avenue to really make a difference. When you think closely about it, wouldn’t you rather have your boss saved, than for you to be delivered from your job? The Lord's amazing answers will not only help others, but also help to cure your own anxiety!
There is an old song that said, “Why worry when you can pray, trust Jesus, He’ll lead the way, don’t be a doubting Thomas, trust fully in His promise, why worry, worry, when you can pray.” That song is still so fitting because we often forget that when we pray, He hears our heart's cry, and will meet our need. We tend to worry even when we pray. I do not mean to sound harsh, but when you worry, you are basically saying that God doesn’t care or is unable to care for you. Do you really believe that?
Paul was no "prayer worrier." He prayed for God's people that they might know the strength, love, and fullness of God, who is able to do far more than we can ask or even think (Ephesians 3:14-21). Such confidence made Paul a true "prayer warrior." Are your prayers like that? Fervent prayer dispels anxious care.

“I believe God is managing affairs and that He doesn't need any advice from me. With God in charge, I believe everything will work out for the best in the end. So what is there to worry about.”
- Henry Ford

This is my annual Mother's Day tribute. Every year I try to write something different, but this keeps coming out! I love the mom's in my life - Trish, you are a GREAT mom to our two boys and I am eternally thankful to you! Kathy Sanders -you are an awesome mom and I am largely what I am today because of how you invested in me - I love you! Patsy Smalley - You are a fantastic mother-in-law! You have shaped me spiritually more than you will ever know and I am forever grateful! To all the other ladies, from my sister to my aunts and cousins and all those that have at one time or another spoken something into my life - Thank you! May you all have a blessed Mother's Day!!!!

Read I Samuel 1:1-28

I remember how we felt. The excitement and the anxiety were intense. The questions and the supposed answers just seemed to line up after years of emptiness. My wife and I wanted to have children desperately, but because of medical reasons were unable to do so. The phone rang one day, and an opportunity to adopt seemed very real. We bought baby boy items such as clothes and toys, all the things that expectant parents do when a new baby is on the way. We had been married for eight years and really wanted to have a child. Then the other call came. Instant devastation. Heart breaking, red-hot tears. Not understanding why God had allowed the boy we were to adopt to be still-born. There is something special about mothers. It does not matter what kind of mother she is; moms are just special people. So here is my tribute to mothers.
For those we call moms: biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual mothers, whether mothers by birth, by marriage or by choice, I say, “Thank you for making sacrifices that were never seen; for taking risks that were never recorded, for loving more than we deserved.” It is because of you we are here today, and I honor you.
For those who long to be mothers: the path of obedience thus far has not led you into marriage or motherhood. For those who ache each Mother’s Day, taking a handkerchief to the cheek as you listen to the steady rhythm of a biological clock rounding past midnight again as you continue to believe that God is indeed good. I offer my honor to you.
For those who risk hope month after month waiting for God to give you a child, riding the roller coaster of hope and disappointment, excitement and despair, faith and fact, I pour out my heart to you.
For those who have held a child in your womb, or in your arms and later committed them to God’s eternal embrace, or for those who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with our heavenly Father who also knows what it is like to bury a son, I give honor to your strength.
For those who were faithful to nurture a child in your womb and then in love placed your baby in the arms of another, on behalf of all adoptive mothers and adopted children everywhere, thank you for your courage and thank you for your sacrifice.
My story did not end in the pain of that loss. We received news about a year later that my wife was indeed pregnant. Now, my sons and I, along with millions of other husbands and children, say thank you to the mothers that have changed our lives. Make sure that “Mom” knows you are thankful for her today.
It was Washington Irving that said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

I Know What Prayer Can Do

When we lived in Dover, Delaware from 1988-1993 a gospel singing group of ladies would get up to sing and they would proceed to sing about knowing what prayer could do! What a testimony from these ladies. All these years later and the statement is even more real today - I know what prayer can do!!! The Lord is leading His people to a return to prayer!

I know what you might be saying, "There are churches everywhere praying. In fact, the church hasn't really stopped praying." I would respond by saying that I am not talking about more prayers, I am talking about more prayer. There are churches all over the world that can say that someone has been praying every hour of every day for years, and I commend them for it. However, what has been the structure of their prayers - are they praying for something, a deliverance, revelation, anointing, revival, harvest, healing, etc., or are they really just conversing in a relationship with Jesus?

His desire in this day is that all people everywhere would fall in love with Him so much that they would just want to spend time with Him. He yearns for our fellowship, we are the part of creation that chooses whether to be with Him or reject Him.

David prayed a prayer in Psalm 86:11, "Unite my heart to fear you..." He is looking for people that are consumed with being close to Him. He is looking for people who desire to converse about their days with Him. He may even share part of His day with you! So while prayer can do many things like open blind eyes, unstop deaf ears, raise the dead, restore the broken and a host of other "things", what I have found prayer to do best is draw me near to Him in a relationship that is closer than any other relationship!! How about you? Do you know what prayer can do???

"For prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God."
                                                                                                                        Saint Teresa of Avila

As I'm sitting here getting ready for our service in the morning, I began to play some old music from our college chorale. (Yes, Face to Face, Waymaker, Shine de Light and many others were moved from the old cassettes to my computer!!!) While this music was playing I began to see all the faces that were so present in my life at that time. I remember very clearly some things that happened in those wonderful years. I remember our first talent show and the flight of the terydactels, the chapel services and sitting out at the dorm. So many people from so many different backgrounds converging in one place with a desire to serve the Lord. Thankfully, through social media, we have been able to reconnect with so many. If you were at Kent Christian College from 88-92, you will never know what you all meant to me and my history and legacy!

Now, as we lead a great congregation of believers in a great community that needs this congregation, I am reminded that we are all a part of the kingdom of God. No matter how much time passes, how much we age or how much life changes, we were knit together and are still knit together all these years later by the Spirit of the Lord. That same Spirit has now led all of us to unite with others, and what we have done is expand the kingdom of God. So, wherever you are tomorrow, we will be there in spirit and the kingdom will advance.

I find it an honor to be accepted by the Lord in His army. I have been chosen by the grace of the Creator to serve on a kingdom team that is vast and powerful! Whenever I feel alone, I just remember those faces that were knot to my spirit so long ago and I am ready to march once again. I pray and expect that Christ's kingdom will have a powerful Sunday tomorrow!!!!

Recalled for Repair

Read Ezekiel 18:26-32

We purchased a car in 1996. It was a Dodge Intrepid. It had been a very good vehicle. After a decade of driving, we received a notice in the mail. It stated that the manufacturers had made a recall to fix something that had gone wrong in other Intrepids. After ten years, it was amazing that they were still putting out warnings about defective instruments.
During the past year, cars, trucks, tires, window blinds, and toy xylophones have been recalled by their manufacturers. In every case, the message was similar: “This product is defective or dangerous and could cause serious injury or even death. Return it to us and we will correct the problem.” Nevertheless, it is up to the consumer to heed the warning and return the dangerous item.
Suppose God put this warning on the heart and soul of every person: “Because of a fatal attraction to sin and willful misuse, this item is defective. Failure to correct this problem will result in certain spiritual death.” How many “consumers” would be quick to take that defective instrument to the manufacturer?
Honestly, our Intrepid had never needed to be taken into the dealer for the warning that we received. Fortunately, we had no problems (at least in that area) with the car. Our hearts are deceitfully wicked above all things, and unless we deal with it at the cross of Calvary, it will become defective and cause us to fail. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God said that the hearts of His people had become adulterous (Ezekiel 6:9) and as hard as a rock (11:19). Yet, the Lord longed for their hearts to be softened, and for them to come back to Him. He made this impassioned plea: “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin . . . Get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies . . . Therefore turn and live!”
Tallulah Bankhead stated what we all are very well when she said, “My heart is as pure as the driven slush.” However, if you could just take your heart back into the Dealership, the Great Physician will do open heart surgery and draw you into His arms and embrace you like you were never broken in the first place. Look at this poem:

The power of God can turn a heart
From evil and the power of sin;
The love of God can change a life
And make it new and cleansed within. —Fasick

The exciting thing about salvation is that it is not turning over a new leaf, but receiving a new life. How’s your heart today?

“If we were faultless we should not be so much annoyed by the defects of those with whom we associate.”
- Francois Fenelon

Seeking for Wisdom

Read James 1:5

I love to read. In fact, I usually have about three different books going at one time. I also love cross-word puzzles because it helps me exercise my brain. I love obtaining knowledge. Games like Scrabble, Trivia Pursuit and other games that have to do with facts and knowledge are my forte. My uncle used to be amazed because I could rattle off all of the statistics of any Minnesota sports team. I could do that because I spent time absorbing knowledge about those statistics. One of my favorite pages in the paper is the sports statistics page.
I read this account of someone that walks the same road for knowledge as I do. Brewster Kahle has a vision for the Internet. He dreams of universal access to all human knowledge. As Digital Librarian and Director and co-founder of Internet Archive, Kahle believes we have only begun to tap the vast potential of the Internet to change and improve our world. “My interest,” he says, “is to build the great library. . . . It is now technically possible to live up to the dream of the Library of Alexandria.” He’s referring to a huge vault of writings in ancient Egypt that was said to house all of the world’s knowledge.
But knowledge is not the same as wisdom. I have known people that were brilliant in a classroom setting, but they couldn’t find their way out of a parking lot if their life depended on it. There was a guy in college that would literally sleep through almost all of his classes and still get straight A’s because he had no problem with absorbing and reciting knowledge. However, he did not have the common sense to throw the previous week’s pizza away, but rather, let it fester in his dorm room. There are many a times we went looking for that dead animal stench.
King Solomon was a man of vast knowledge. In his better moments, he used his God-given capacity to collect information and insight from every corner of life. In unguarded moments, however, he showed that all the knowledge in the world does not keep a person from missing the purpose of life. In spite of his knowledge, Solomon married many women, and when he was old he built altars to their gods. His foolishness eventually led to his downfall.
Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Don’t get caught in a web of knowledge without true wisdom that comes from the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). I would rather have the fear of the Lord that begins my road to wisdom than all the data that knowledge can carry. Yes, we need knowledge, but more than ever, we need wisdom to handle that knowledge properly. Remember James told us to ask God for wisdom, not knowledge, and when asked, the Lord will give liberally.

“In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it - thou art a fool.”
- Lord Chesterfield

Are You A Success Story?

Read Joshua 1:8

Success seems to be a fleeting concept. People have defined success in many different ways, and yet it sometimes is still difficult to comprehend, let alone attain. I want to throw my two cents in today because I feel there are those that do not feel they are successful even though they are.

A man or a woman is a success:
-When they can make steppingstones to higher experiences out of defeats,
-When they can see a silver lining on the edge of a dark cloud that left desolation in the path of life’s prospects,
-When they have a great concept of God and a true sense of their own smallness,
-When their faith and courage are as unwavering when things look bright and lovely as when they appear dark and fearful,
-When they place a higher value on service and efficiency than on money and expediency.

We will look at more ways people are successful over the next few days, but I encourage you to look at the previous list and go beyond the phrase to real applications in your life. Have defeats in your life been used to advance your family? Then you are a success. When everything seems to have been destroyed and you are even fearful to dream, can you still see that ever so faint glimmer of silver on that cloud? Then you are a success. Do you understand how big God is and how small you really are? Then you are a success. It is sometimes easy to lean on God when everything seems to fall apart because it seems no one else can help, but what about when everything is well? Do you still have your faith in Him, or do you begin to trust your resources in good times? If you continue to trust in Him, you are a success. When you can get to the place in life where your heartbeat focuses on helping others rather than yourself, you have become a success.
Just think, you have every opportunity to be successful today. Why not give it a try?

“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.”
-George Edward Woodberry

Read Psalm 66:4

“Keep on traveling on. Keep on . . .” sang the sanctuary choir. They had just sung the first five words of their Sunday evening concert when everything went dark. All power was gone. Well, not all power. Not true power.
The choir kept singing. Flashlights were found to shine on the chorale as they sang their entire repertoire without accompaniment. Midway through the concert, the director asked the congregation to sing along. It was goose-bump time as God’s name was lifted high in that darkened church. “Hallelujah” never seemed so heavenly.
When I read the above story, it reminded me of a phrase that I heard in Bible College. It was, “Power cannot go from the rushing water to the high tension wire without first going through the power house.”
I am sure, as any group would, before the concert; everyone had worked hard to make sure all the electrical equipment was working. There were probably sound checks upon sound checks. Lights were triple-checked to make sure everything was operating at an optimum level. However, I think that the best thing that may have happened was for that power to go out. As a result of a lack of natural power, God’s power was highlighted. God’s light, not electric light, shone through. Jesus was praised. It was probably not the ideal situation, but because God was present, there was more power present than ever needed.
Sometimes our plans break down and our efforts fall short. When things happen that we can’t control, we must “keep on traveling” and remember where the real power for godly living and true praise comes from. When our efforts falter, we need to keep praising and lifting up Jesus. It’s all about Him anyway. God’s great power deserves our grateful praise.

“What is a soul? It's like electricity - we don't really know what it is, but it's a force that can light a room.”
- Ray Charles

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Dream and Soar

Dream and Soar

Read Psalm 16:8

Yesterday, I took Declynn to the park while we were waiting for Owen to get out of school. He loved everything about the park. He would climb all over the jumbo gym set with the ladders and the slides. It seemed that he really enjoyed everything. However, the trip would not have been complete if he had not been able to soar through the air upon the swing that Dad pushed.
Swing sets have come a long way since I was a kid. I remember the one that we had in our backyard. It was one of those hollow steel sets that when you got to a certain height in swinging the legs would come out of the ground and you thought your life was surely coming to an end every time you experienced the thump of the legs hitting the earth once again. Today, swing sets are riveted to the ground so that tiny human armies are unable to move them. The swings, for just a moment let you defy the laws of gravity, and for a brief second you are able to fly.
Dreams do much the same thing. As we dream, we press past the confines of what is and what has been. As our minds dare to see the unseen, our imagination fuels our faith and we begin to trust God for something more. Many people gave up dreaming years ago because the process became too dangerous. Just when they would let themselves get a little air under them, the legs of the dream would seem to come out of the ground and strike terror into their hearts. However, God is not like the old, hollow steel swing sets that move when you get too high. God is immovable and if we allow ourselves to get connected to Him, we are safe to dream and soar once again.
How long has it been since you dreamed? When was the last time you jumped into the swing set of life and allowed the soaring Spirit of God to push beyond your wildest imaginations? Today, I believe that God is calling all dreamers everywhere to either begin, restart or make our dreams bigger. The bigger the dream, the more glory He gets when He makes that dream come true!! Go ahead, try it!

“I have learned, that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
- Henry David Thoreau

Happy Mother's Day - My Tribute

Read I Samuel 1:1-28

I remember how we felt. The excitement and the anxiety were intense. The questions and the supposed answers just seemed to line up after years of emptiness. My wife and I wanted to have children desperately, but because of medical reasons were unable to do so. The phone rang one day, and an opportunity to adopt seemed very real. We bought baby boy items such as clothes and toys, all the things that expectant parents do when a new baby is on the way. We had been married for eight years and really wanted to have a child. Then the other call came. Instant devastation. Heart breaking, red-hot tears. Not understanding why God had allowed the boy we were to adopt to be still-born. There is something special about mothers. It does not matter what kind of mother she is; moms are just special people. So here is my tribute to mothers.
For those we call moms: biological, adoptive, foster, and spiritual mothers, whether mothers by birth, by marriage or by choice, I say, “Thank you for making sacrifices that were never seen; for taking risks that were never recorded, for loving more than we deserved.” It is because of you we are here today, and I honor you.
For those who long to be mothers: the path of obedience thus far has not led you into marriage or motherhood. For those who ache each Mother’s Day, taking a handkerchief to the cheek as you listen to the steady rhythm of a biological clock rounding past midnight again as you continue to believe that God is indeed good. I offer my honor to you.
For those who risk hope month after month waiting for God to give you a child, riding the roller coaster of hope and disappointment, excitement and despair, faith and fact, I pour out my heart to you.
For those who have held a child in your womb, or in your arms and later committed them to God’s eternal embrace, or for those who have walked through the valley of the shadow of death with our heavenly Father who also knows what it is like to bury a son, I give honor to your strength.
For those who were faithful to nurture a child in your womb and then in love placed your baby in the arms of another, on behalf of all adoptive mothers and adopted children everywhere, thank you for your courage and thank you for your sacrifice.
My story did not end in the pain of that loss. We received news about a year later that my wife was indeed pregnant. Now, my sons and I, along with millions of other husbands and children, say thank you to the mothers that have changed our lives. Make sure that “Mom” knows you are thankful for her today.
It was Washington Irving that said, “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”

Isaiah 45:13 “I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Navigating past the camels and the sheep, the young man found the elder. John was leading his household toward the setting sun, his staff crunching a steady rhythm in the dirt and sand. For several minutes the youth hesitated. John seemed lost in thought, like he was remembering some conversation with a dear friend. Matthew was only a servant, but the master had always taken time to speak with him. Taking a deep breath, the youth asked the burning question in his mind, “Master, I was wondering, didn’t God give you any details?”

“Details? Let me see. He said, ‘Follow’, what more do I need?” as a smile began to form upon his lips.

Matthew was astonished and threw up his hands, “With all due respect master, we need directions. We need to identify our ultimate destination and map out a route.”

“Our ultimate destination is wherever God leads. Our route is clear: obedience,” John said. “It is difficult for you Matthew because you are concerned with where we are going, but I am concerned with who we are following.”

We often times get wrapped up in where we are going instead of who we are following. God will lead us wherever He pleases, but are we willing to follow. It is not important where we go, but who we follow to get there. Our true home is not a place, but it is a person, Jesus Christ.
Today, we do not need to be anxious about how we are going to get there, the cost or any obstacles. We need to look no further than who we are following.

"He who is to be a good ruler must have first been ruled." Aristotle

Hello Everyone!

Thank you so much for visiting me on this site. You can find updated blogs on our new site at www.spiritofgracechurch.org under "from the Pastor" section. We hope our words have been and will continue to be a blessing to all!!

Tim

The Power in Thankfulness

Read I Thessalonians 5:16-18, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 92:1-2

The death of a child. The abuse of a loved one. The report of cancer. The betrayal of a friend, the closest friend. A rebellious child. The searing pains of life that leave us marred and overflowing with depression. The phone call relaying the message that a loved one is not returning from war. What emotions well up? Anger. Resentment. Fury. Self-pity. Despair. Hopelessness. Thankfulness?
Many divine commands seem perfectly reasonable—for example, no adultery, no idols, and no murder. However, the Lord also gave some instructions that ostensibly make little sense. One of those commands is the seemingly impossible task of giving thanks in everything. The Scriptures clearly teach that giving thanks is meant to be a way of life, not just a seasonal event. The problem is that we often do not feel appreciative, particularly when facing painful circumstances or tests of our faith. In fact, expressing gratitude for bad news seems irrational. Our limited claim to rationality, however, cannot compete with God's greater knowledge of what is best for His children. Just like the natural parent realizes that the struggle a child has to learn their “ABC’s” will one day allow that child to read, God knows that sometimes the struggle and disappointments of life prepare us for future blessing. As a result, we live a successful Christian life only by choosing to thank Him for everything He sends or allows across our path.
What the Lord knows is that gratitude powerfully impacts the believer. Tribulation can leave us feeling isolated, but thanking God for His ongoing care or provision reminds us of His constant presence. Equipped with the knowledge that He is in control, we can submit our will to His. Though our circumstances remain the same, our attitude is divinely changed through trust. In God's perfect time, the divine plan is revealed, and we can tell Him with sincere hearts, "Lord, thank You!"

“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Perhaps the most used words by a parent are, “Because I said so.” Do you agree? When that darling young child finally learns the famous question, “Why”, very soon you can hear the response, “because I said so.” If things got really intense between child and parent, the response might grow into this; “because I am you MOTHER, and I said so.” How many remember hearing those words in your lifetime. I remember them plenty.
Have you ever thought about God in those terms? I think that there are times when God just finally must say, “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to love my enemy?” “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to fast and pray?” “Because I said so.”
“Why do I have to tithe and give?” “Because I said so.”
“Why did my father have to die?” “Because I said so.”
There are so many instances when the only answer to our question is, “Because I said so.” The problem that we have with that answer is that so many of us are more educated than our level of obedience. What I mean by that is we are trained from childhood to figure out and find the truth in everything. Think about it. All through grade school, we are taught math and science and English, and we are taught by equations and methods and sentence structures to the point that everything has a nice, tidy answer to it. Unfortunately, I have found since graduating the third grade, that life does not supply many nice and tidy answers. There seems to be more gray areas than an old black and white photo.
It is when we are wandering through those gray areas that we must learn to accept His answer of “Because I said so,” and be obedient without understanding it all. Why do some people pass away and others live? I don’t really know, but I trust that He does, and I must continue to be obedient to him. Why do institutions of ill repute flourish, and churches struggle to pay the bills? I am not always sure, but I still am obedient to Him.
Is your day warm and sunny, or is it cloudy and cool? Either way, the best advice anyone can give is; obey, “Because He said so." Like the old song says, "God is too wise to be mistaken, God is too good to be unkind, so when you don't understand, when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand, trust His heart."

We are having a wonderful vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and when I awoke this morning and looked out from our deck, I was reminded of the wonderful creative love of God. It seems that just as we begin to wonder how bad this world may seem to be getting, He has this beautiful tendency to walk me above the clouds and give me a different perspective. When I looked out today, I saw the picture that I have attached to this post. While the picture doesn't do you justice - it is amazing in person.

What I am so grateful for today is that from God's perspective, all things are quiet and in control. As I looked from the deck, I couldn't see the "rat race" that was happening below the tree level. All I could see was the calm, glorious view of His creation. When He looks at us, He doesn't have to dwell on our stress, busyness, worry or any of the other things we have to constantly "think" about. He just sees His creation and when He sees us, He sees His creation and declares that He did a pretty good job? When we can get to the point that we agree with the Master Designer, we will become everything that He wants us to become and stop fretting about "not being enough"! After all, He is the Creator!

The Intersection of Hunger and Desire

I felt the Lord minister a word to me yesterday. It was one of those things where my mind began to jump when I realized the key to a move of God.

It is found in the story of the blind beggar in Mark 10:46 - 52. Bartimaeus when he heard that is was Jesus (Dare I say he heard the Word) and faith came by his hearing of Jesus. Most of us stop there and think that if we hear the Word of the Lord, then we can expect a miraculous move of God. The blind man didn't settle for just hearing about the Lord, he wanted an experience with the Lord. He realized two things: what he needed and what he wanted! What he was hungry for and what he desired!

You see, he knew that he needed the mercy of the Lord, thus that is what he shouted. Need is expressed through hunger, and Jesus promised that the hungry would be filled. However, I noticed in this story that his hunger is what stopped Jesus in his tracks. Now I believe that Jesus knew what was getting ready to happen, but nevertheless, he asked this man what he desired. It is at this point that the miracle of God takes place. It is at this intersection of the blind man's hunger and his desire that the power of God would be made manifest! His hunger was for mercy, but his desire was his sight, and when these two things collided, Jesus responded by not just meeting his desires, but also feeding him by making him WHOLE! He didn't just receive his sight, he was made whole!!!!

How about you? Have you been looking for a move of God in your life? If so, has your hunger intersected with your desire? If it has, get ready for the miraculous power of God. If it hasn't, you now know where to begin your prayer - Lord, lead us to the intersection of hunger and desire!!!

"Everyday holds the possibility of a miracle."                               Elizabeth David

 Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Those who belong to Him learn to recognize His voice and listen carefully to it. God’s goal in speaking to us include that we--Comprehend the truth. God wants His perfect Word to take root in our mind and become a permanent part of our thinking. Scripture is central to God’s plan to understand who He is and what His purposes are.
Conform to the truth. His objective is that biblical truth will be reflected in our daily choices and lifestyle.
Communicate the truth. God not only wants us to assimilate His Word and be transformed by it; He also desires to work through us to impact others’ lives. If we are not submitted to the truth and been changed by it, our words will lack divine power and have little effect on the listener. If we are absorbing the Scriptures and allowing God to mold us, then His divine “fingerprints” will be visible in our plans, schedules, thoughts, and attitudes. As a result, our conversation will reflect His viewpoint and include topics important to Him.
When we comprehend the truth, conform to the truth and communicate the truth, we become a force that the prince of darkness does not want to deal with. If these three attitudes are evident in our lives, submission to God is easy. When we are submitted to God, we can resist the devil and he will flee.
Achieving God’s goals requires a teachable heart, a cooperative spirit, and a listening ear. Do you have all three? God desires to be intimate with us; to whisper with His still small voice into our lives. He does not want to have to yell through the whirlwind. Are you ready to listen?

"Society speaks and all men listen, mountains speak and wise men listen."
John Muir