Sorry - I am catching up!!

March 18

I have been studying the Life of Christ. There was a group of people that He had to deal with on a regular basis that were so religious they deemed their actions worthy of heaven. The name of this group was called the Pharisees. When Jesus walked on the scene, this group was relatively new in order. They were probably only 100 years in existence, but they were the power brokers of the religious world. Jesus didn’t seem to get along very well with, and I think it was because they carried the air of religiosity without possessing the roots of religiosity.
Being religious means to be holy, sacred or spiritual. The Pharisees were able to act like they were religious, but were, in fact, empty of holiness, spirit and sacredness. The Pharisees were the type of people that did everything right when people were watching, but never felt the true nature of religion in their hearts. Pure religion and undefiled, according the book of James, is to visit, or acting upon compassion, to those that are fatherless and widows. The key to pure religion is compassion, or it is its roots. The Pharisees fell far short.
What we do everyday is what we believe, and all the other things is just religious speak. What actions you perform everyday will dictate whether you are truly religious or people without roots. Do you have compassion on the feeble, the fatherless, the widow, the beggar, the poor, or do you shun them and turn away because they may bring you down to their level. How you respond to those types of people is the one action that tells God how you think about Him. Have you fed Him today? Have you clothed Him? Have you given Him warmth? While not easy, these actions are pure and undefiled, and more importantly, pleasing to God.

March 19

Several years ago I read a story that touched my soul. I do not know where it cam from and I do not know if it went just the way I am going to try and share it with you. I know that I will have the context of this story, but I am just not sure if it is totally accurate. It went something like this;
A young boy by the name of Billy decided on Saturday morning that he was going to fix his parents some pancakes for breakfast to surprise them. He found a big bowl and a spoon, and pulled a chair up to the counter. From there he proceeded to open the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling its contents on the floor. He then bent over to put some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added just a little sugar, leaving a little trail of flour, milk and sugar across the kitchen floor, which by now had some added paw prints from his kitten.
Billy was covered from head to foot with flour and getting very frustrated. He wanted this breakfast to be something very good for Mommy and Daddy, but it was quickly becoming a terrible mess. He didn’t know what to do next; whether to put it all in the oven or on the stove (he didn’t know how the stove worked). Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess, but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas white and sticky. Just then, he saw his dad standing at the door.
Big crocodile tears welled up in Billy’s eyes. All he’d wanted to do was something good, but he’d made a terrible disaster. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a spanking, but his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas white and sticky in the process.
That is exactly how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a colossal mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can’t stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can’t think of anything else to do. That is when God picks us up and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him.
Billy continued to try to make pancakes, and we must continue to try and make pancakes. Even when we mess up, we must pick ourselves back up, and try again. Sooner or later we will get it right and then we’ll be glad we did.

March 20

The crowd is hushed. Silence thunders in the air. Tension is so thick it feels as if the very breath of life is being sucked out of you. You stand at the starting line and you begin to shake yourself loose and stretch every muscle you can think of in order to give yourself the best chance at victory. You walk up to the blocks and set your feet in place. You bend over and put one hand on the ground followed by the other. Every muscle is on the edge of the breaking point waiting to spring into action at the sound of the gun going off. Your eyes are so intense that it burns a hole in the finish line where you plan to cross. All of a sudden, the gun explodes in your ear and all the pent up adrenaline kicks in. You begin to exert every amount of energy that your body can exert. Your focus is without distraction and you’re running to reach the prize.
It is amazing to read about what an Olympic athlete goes through in preparation for an Olympic event. It is not just training for a short period of time, but years of preparation go into a race that may last a few short seconds. Cardiovascular training, muscular training and method training all get poured into an individual to perform at the highest level.
It is the same in our walk with God. To be the most effective follower of Christ takes cardio, muscular and method work. Cardiovascular exercise has to do with oxygen intake and endurance, and there are times when we need to endure the things of life, and the only way to do so is if our spirits have been trained to function under duress. It is this that the early church had mastered. I do not know how I would respond if a guard was covering me in tar and getting ready to light a match, but I hope that I have trained myself to endure. Muscular training is necessary because there are times in life that we must just push through with our spiritual strength. The quick and able handle of our two-edged sword, the Word of God, can only be effective if we have trained with it. Method training is the little things like handing the baton off at just the right moment letting go of the javelin at the right level of our bodies. Spiritually, we need to train to pass what we have off to someone else so they can do there part to lead another.
It is exciting to know that our training will pay off when we cross the finish line and we see Him face to face and he crowns us victorious.

March 21

Read Luke 22:42

“I am ready to be offered.” This is a transaction of will, not of sentiment. Tell God that you are ready to be offered and then let things fall where they may. There is no strain of complaint in your heart irregardless of what God chooses. God puts you through a crisis in private where no one else may be able to help. On the outside life may seem to be unchanged, while the difference comes within the will. Go through the crisis of your will and when it comes to the top, the amount of sacrifice will seem irrelevant. If you do not transact with God in the matter of the will, you will end up living in a self induced pity party.
The altar carries with it fire—burning and purification for one purpose only, the destruction of every affinity that has not been started by God and every attachment that is not of God. You do not destroy it, God does; you place the sacrifice upon the altar and then do not have self pity when the fire starts. When you have this fire burning in you there is no oppression or depression. When crisis then enters your life you realize that things cannot touch you like they once did.
The fire must consume your will. Fire does not operate in the level of emotion because emotions change, but in the will there must not be any gray areas.
What are you willing to give up? Would you be willing to sell something? Would you be willing to give your time? How about your dreams? Your finances? How about your family?
Are you ready to face new challenges? Be sure to make yourself flexible because you never know what God will begin to ask of you?

March 22

Read Hebrews 11

It is exciting reading stories from the underground church. There was a house church in old Russia that met in small groups so as not to arouse the KGB. It was at such a meeting after they began to quietly worship that the door burst open and two soldiers quickly entered with automatic weapons raised. They lined everybody up against the wall and threatened to kill anyone that did not denounce Christ. If they would denounce Christ they could leave the room and nothing else would be said. Slowly, several began to leave and yet there were a few that stood against the threat of death. After a few minutes the soldiers gave everyone one last chance to leave. A few more people slipped out the door. Those that were left looked down at their children with a look of reassurance. Finally, the soldiers turned and said to those that stayed to raise their hands one more time, and after a pause, to praise the Lord. These soldiers had been converted at an earlier raid. They made this statement to those that remained, “We have learned from experience that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted.”
Trust is an interesting thing. It is not easily established, but it is often easily destroyed. The thing about trust is that it is based on faithfulness. Faith and trust go hand in hand. God allows us to see that what pleases Him is faith. It is the thing that says, Forsaking All I Take Him.
Faith laughs in the face of death knowing that death is the beginning of true life, eternal life. Faith stands when all others bow because there is no fear, only obedience. Faith oftentimes gets us into more trouble than gets us out because it places us in circumstances that attempt to expose weakness. The temptation of the adversary is meant to expose our weakness, but he fails to remember than in our weakness we become strong through Him.
Are you willing to die for Him? Can He trust you in all aspects of life? Take some time and try, as hard as it may be, to place yourself in that underground church, and see if those guards would find you trustworthy.

March 23

Read Galatians 4:8-31

In this passage the Apostle Paul is not dealing with sin, but with the relation between the natural and the spiritual. The natural must be turned into the spiritual through sacrifice; otherwise a tremendous chasm is created in the actual life. Why should God ordain the natural to be sacrificed? God did not. It is not God’s order, but it has become His will. God’s desire was that the natural would be transformed by obedience, but sin made it necessary for sacrifice to take place.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, it will mock that which God is attempting to produce in each life, and corporately in the body of Christ. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to lay everything on the altar.
It is upon the altar that a transformation will begin to take place. It is at the beginning of our journey that we must decide what we will bring with us to sacrifice. All of our natural belongings are useless in walking after the spiritual. The only way to walk in His path is to live a life based upon that which is spiritual.
The altar of Christ was the cross. He made the ultimate sacrifice in order to provide an avenue for you and your family to enter into a spiritual dimension of relationship with Him. It is through that dimension that we begin to see a picture of life that we were unable to see before we were transformed.
What things in your life are based simply upon carnal, natural thinking? What are you prepared to place upon the altar for transformation? This journey is more than just money; it is about aligning your family with the spirit of God.

Dedication to Lead

Today marks a landmark day in the history of The Life Church of Kansas City. This was the day that they dedicated their facility to the glory of God. I think all will be amazed at what God is going to do through each individual and as a corporate body of believers when they dedicate themselves and their property to the Lord. Something always happens when a people recommit or rededicate themselves and their possessions to the furthering of the Kingdom of God.
There are reasons why a congregation, and an individual, as well, will grow and why some may decline. There are many factors that go into the equation in both instances, but the two most important are the vision of the leadership and the commitment of the followers. My pastor has often said, “If you’re leading and nobody is following, you’re just taking a walk.” I have also heard it said that if you’re not following a leader, you’re most likely walking in a circle.
Without a doubt the leadership of the church in general has a vision to move forward to fulfill the commission of the Lord. It is the last days before we hear the call of the trumpet, and we must dedicate ourselves to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Whether you are a member of The Life Church, Spirit of Grace Church or a member of some other church, Jesus is looking for leaders and followers to accomplish His desires in this last day. Are you supporting the leaders in your life to accomplish the vision that God has placed in them for you, and are you leading those behind you into greater depths of relationship with God? The greatest people on earth are those that will lead others to become what God wants them to become.
I am thankful for all the leaders that God has allowed me to follow, and I am especially grateful for all those that are trying to follow me in the arenas that God is directing us. So, on this day while I sat in The Life Church's dedication service, I recalled to mind all those that have led, and are leading me, and those that I am leading. When each person comes to mind, I will say a prayer of thanks, and a prayer of dedication to do everything I know the Lord leading me to do. May you do the same.

Because I Said So!

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."

A Few Thoughts

This was from a St. Louis newspaper. I hope you enjoy it.

Nine Rules Kids Won’t Learn In School:
1. Life is not fair. Get used to it. The average teenager uses the phrase, “it’s not fair”, 101 times per day.
2. The real world won’t care as much about your “self esteem” as your school does.
3. Sorry, you will not make $60,000 a year right out of high school, and you won’t be a VP and have a corner office (unless it is in the far corner of the basement). You may even have to wear a uniform that doesn’t carry a designer label.
4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait until you get a boss.
5. Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping. They called it opportunity.
6. It’s not your parents fault if you mess up. You’re responsible. This is the flip side of “It’s my life” and “You’re not my boss.”
7. Before you were born, your parents weren’t boring. They got that way paying your bills and listening to you.
8. Life is not divided into semesters. And you don’t get summers off. Not even spring break. You are expected to show up everyday for eight hours, and you don’t get a new life every ten weeks.
9. Your school may be “outcome based”, but life isn’t. In some schools, you’re given as many times as you want to get the answer right. Standards are set low enough so everyone can meet them. This, of course, bears not the slightest resemblance to anything in real life – as you will find out.
It is up to us, as parents, to supply the “real” needs for the real world for our kids. Remember, what you put in them today will eventually come back to you when they become your caretaker when you are old.

March 13

Read Acts 6

I love to eat! I know that surprises some of you. It is not just that I love to eat; it is that sometimes I do not know when to stop eating. Have you ever sat at the table, having finished eating; you hear this statement, “Well, I ate too much.” When I am with my father, dinner is not over until we hear those words. Sometimes I feel so full that it becomes uncomfortable.
I wonder what it would feel like if I was so full of what God wanted to feed me. Would I get that uncomfortable feeling because He is filling me up so that I can step into areas that I have never walked before? When thinking about this, I remember Stephen.
Do you remember Stephen? He was probably the greatest influencer in the New Testament. He may or may not have been in Jerusalem in Acts chapter two, but he came into truth somewhere. By Acts chapter 6, we see that Stephen is a man full of faith, wisdom and the Holy Ghost. In fact, he was so full of God that he ended up in some uncomfortable situations.
We must be full of faith. If we want to grow as people and as churches, we must be full of faith. We must have trust in what God is able to accomplish through us. We must trust His resources and His desire to bless and lead us into all things. If we get to the point where we are praying, “Lord, increase my faith,” then we will be able to say, “Lord, whatsoever you desire, let it come forth.”
We must be full of wisdom. It is not enough for human ingenuity to decide the path that needs to be walked. We need God’s wisdom to permeate our minds to make the right decision, not the most convenient. I would rather not go to just any place in life, but I desire to go to the “Kingdom” place by following after wisdom.
Finally, we must be full of the Holy Ghost. Our communities deserve and need a people full of the Spirit of God. Remember, it is “not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord.”
However, we must also remember that when we get so full, he will allow us to get into some uncomfortable places. I stated earlier that Stephen was one of the most influential people of the New Testament. However, his influence was fulfilled upon his death. It was at his stoning that the Apostle Paul first saw the glory of God, and so when the light shone from heaven on his way to Damascus, he did not hesitate to address the Lord behind the light. As you may well know, it was this same Paul that is responsible for many churches throughout Asia Minor, and through the books of the bible that he wrote, to you and me. I wonder what would have happened if Paul had not come across a man full of faith, wisdom and the Holy Ghost. Or more directly put, what Paul of 2009 is out there waiting to see a person full of faith, wisdom and the Holy Ghost.

March 14

Read Romans 1:7

I like sports. Really, I could watch just about any sport; however, there are two sports that I love to watch; hockey and football. I grew up in Minnesota, and I still and always will, follow the Vikings and the University hockey team. The Vikings are the football team that I have cheered for my entire life. I remember the days of Fran Tarkenton, Ahmad Rashad and Ron Yary.
The interesting thing about the three men I named is that most football fans would easily recognize the first two, but Ron Yary would not be so recognizable. The first two were stars that had their name mentioned all the time while Ron Yary’s name was only usually mentioned in a game where he made a mistake.
He was an offensive lineman which means that his primary responsibility was to block for the rest of the offense so that they could score and get all the glory. However, as is often the case in life, it is not the star that makes the team go; it is the unknown men and women that allow the team to flourish. Without men like Ron Yary, Fran Tarkenton and Ahmad Rashad would not be recognized today. The unfortunate thing is that an offensive lineman is the epitome of the statement, “People never notice the little things you do, but everyone will notice them if you don’t do them.”
A saint is like an offensive lineman. They are oftentimes not recognized, but without them, the team is nothing. We often identify churches with the name of the pastor. It is Gleason’s church, Mangun’s church, Smith’s church, etc. However, we all know that the church identified by the name would be nothing if it were not for the saints.
In fact, Paul thought so highly of the saints that he referred to it as a calling. The greatest Apostle knew the value of the “offensive linemen” of the church. The saint cannot be taken lightly in any church setting. I know that some of you wonder why the saint doesn’t have there name “called” often, but remember this, people may not see the small things, but if the small things were not being done, everyone would notice. If the saint wasn’t being the saint, we would have no need of a pastor.
Today, I applaud the saint. We are all called to be saints first. The saint is the life of the church. God is not coming back for pastors and teachers and prophets and evangelists. He is coming back for His saints. If you are a saint in the church of the living God today, would you please pat yourself on the back, and in your best announcer’s voice say, “What a play by ____________. If it were not for that saint, the score would not have been made!”

March 15

I have heard it said that life is a little backwards. If we knew what we did at 50 years old and be able to apply it to our life at 20 years old, how different would we be? There is something that God had in mind when he created us the way He did. Have you ever wondered why you weren’t created ready to go into the world and accomplish all you can. Could it be that God designed a yearning to grow?
I remember when I was young that I wanted to be a hockey player. Or was it a fireman. Maybe it was a doctor or lawyer. Really, there was so many things that I remember wanting to be that I ended up having to make choices as to the direction my life would go. The wisdom that I had when I was a child pales with what I know today. I believe God designed it that way so that we would learn to trust in Him.
The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. I learned fear (awe and reverence) when I was just a child and was able to see all the things that God had done. If I had been full grown, I would have thought that I was in control because as a child I knew I needed my parents and teachers and all the others that have impacted my life to guide me into maturity.
When you don’t fear, then you don’t hear and when you don’t hear, you don’t learn, and when you don’t learn, you don’t grow, and when you don’t grow, you die. Where are you in that sentence? Do you stand in the presence of God with head bowed in awe of His majesty? Are you listening both to the written and spoken word of God? Have you spent any time learning what God desires for your life? Are you growing in maturity and relationship with Him, or are you spiritually dead or dying?
The answer to those questions will either give you confidence to continue in Him, or conviction to draw closer to Him. I hope everyone that reads this today spends some time growing.

Do You Have Time?

“But, Sister Smith, I just don’t have time!”
The question had just been posed by the Sunday school teacher in the front of the room asking why some had not been memorizing their verses or turning in their weekly activity sheets. The response was met with a firm lip and a wrinkled brow. Pausing a moment, she took a deep breath and began her own studied response.
“Okay, we don’t have time. Let’s figure this out. Are you ready? Now, how many hours are there in a day?”
Hands raised and voices responded, “Twenty-four!”
“Right. Now let’s say you sleep for eight hours and go to school for another eight hours. That is sixteen hours. How many are left?”
This time a few of the older kids raised their hands and hesitantly answered, “Eight?”
“Great, eight hours left at home. Let’s say you take an hour for supper and an hour for homework, now how many are left?”
“Six!” quickly responded a few brave junior Math freaks.
“That is correct! Now help me understand this. After you account for all of the necessary things you have to do, you’re left with maybe six hours of free time? Let’s say we made a mistake somewhere and you only have half of that, that there is three hours of free time every evening, am I right?”
A few kids began to see where the teacher was headed and slowly nodded their heads.
“Well, tell me, if you have three hours of free time every day to do whatever you wanted to do, what were you doing with that free time?”
After sorting through several responses, the most common reason by all of the children came down to playing on the computer, video games or watching TV. The conclusion was clear; we have time for everything we want, but not enough time for God.
Upon reading this story from an old newsletter in my files, I realized that the problem would be one thing if it only applied to our kids. However, this problem is generated by me and my fellow adults. How can I expect my son to find time with God, if he doesn’t see me spend time with God?
Does my son see me reading the Bible or hear me calling out to God? Does he see me spend time studying to make myself find greater depths in God? Has he seen ME memorizing scripture?
As unrealistic as it is that we would spend all of our free time on spiritual endeavors, it is not unrealistic to realize that God does deserve more of our time than we have allowed. God always has time for me. I do not remember a time when I cried out to Him, and He responded, “But Tim, I just don’t have the time!”

I'm Back!

Sorry it has been so long since I've posted. I have been laid up with a bad ankle and no access to the web until now.

March 4
Hurry. Deadlines. Rush hour. Deadlines. Appointments. Deadlines. Our lives, every day, run on a schedule. From sun up to sun down, our schedules are packed with the proverbial phrase, “places to go…people to see.” In fact, right now, I received a call from my wife telling me she was on her way to pick me up (it felt like an hour, not three hours since she dropped me off). The thing most people need is space. Space is that entity that makes it possible to run life’s race with grace.
The first thing we need to do to create space is to stop. A man was pulled over for running through a stop sign. When the policeman came up to this man’s window, he said, “Officer, I slowed down and looked both ways.” The officer replied that slowing down wasn’t good enough, he needed to stop. This banter continued for a few minutes until the officer had enough. He told the man to get out of the car. When the man exited the car, the policeman began to beat the man with his night stick. The police officer then asked the man, “Sir, would you like me to slow down or stop?” We have to learn to stop and not just slow down. There is a difference.
Second, we must learn to concentrate. Concentration is discovering what our gifts are and what they are not. We have to wise up and do what we are good at more often. Beethoven never cleaned his house. When it got too dirty, he just moved. I’m not saying that we have to go that far, but we need to learn to access our gifts and allow those things that we don’t do well to be picked up by those that do them well. Remember, sometimes we can do too much for God that we fail to fulfill the desires of God.
And third, we need to exercise energy renewing activities. The difference between space and stress is your limit compared to your load. When your limit is at the same level as your load then you have the chance for frustration. It is therefore, important that we do things that increase our limits. This is important because a lot of times it is too difficult, if not impossible, to change the amount of your load.
A young boy was standing next to his father’s recliner. The father was relaxed and entrenched in the daily paper while the young boy was slapping his hand against the inside of his ball glove. Finally, after the boy realized that his father was not getting the clue, he said, “Play with me or trade me.”
Sometimes our situations are more draining than energizing so we need to learn in those situations to say, “Play me or trade me.” But never forget, there are times when it is okay, if not better, to spend some time on the bench.

March 5

Read Mark 16:20

The phrase in this passage that stands off of the page is, “…the Lord working with them…” This phrase is not only powerful, but it is the key to apostolic ministry and harvest.
A man once said, “Instead of asking God to bless what we are doing, why don’t we just do what God is blessing?” It is a question of incomparable depth. The first thing that comes to mind is that God may not be blessing what I would like to do, so am I willing to forsake my desires for His? If I am willing to follow Him, the question then is, where do I go?
How many times have we scheduled our day timers with our personal agendas and plans with a weak afterthought about whether or not God has placed His stamp of approval upon it?
It is common practice for engineers or draftsmen who do not have the proper credentials to make drawings and then seek the signature of a certified engineer. In this simple analogy is wrapped the struggle of our every day lives. I have seen all too often a church, a group or an individual frantically looking for a program that we think is the best. We then ask, and sometimes beg, God to bless it rather than seek Him until we find out what He is already doing and blessing so that He can work through us.
God wants to work with us. Before this can happen, we must know what His will is and have the faith to obey it. We need to seek God until we know what He wants to do, where he wants to do it and when. Then, we just need to show up at the right place at the right time.

March 6

Read Psalm 69:13

I hope you enjoy this poem:

I knelt to pray, but not for long,
I had too much to do.
Must hurry off and get to work,
For bills would soon be overdue.
And so I said a hurried prayer,
Jumped up from off my knees;
My Christian duty now was done,
My soul could be at ease.

All through the day I had no time
To speak a word of cheer,
No time to speak of Christ to friends,
They’d laugh at me I’d feared.
No time, no time, too much to do;
That was my constant cry;
No time to give to those in need,
At last ‘twas time to die.

And when before the Lord I came,
I stood with downcast eyes,
Within His hands He held a book,
It was the Book of Life.
God looked into his book and said,
“Your name I cannot find,
I once was going to write it down,
But never found the time.
How has your time been spent? I have often heard it stated that the most important time of life is the dash between the beginning and end of your life.

March 7

Read James 4:35-36

Hanging from a winding and crooked tree the apple glistens in the sunlight. Rich hues of red and amber magnifies the apple’s glory, yet, deep in the core of its soul its heart begins to soften. He is dying. Painted on smiles, brilliant splashes of color hanging from a winding and crooked trees.
We live in a world that attempts to cover all of the scars and pain that life has given. Painted on faces with painted on smiles drive to high dollar shopping districts to purchase the latest fashion trends. They work for Fortune 500 companies and drive expensive cars. You can also find the middle and lower class that run factories and bakeries. You know the printer down the block and the teacher around the corner.
I am talking about your neighbor. You do have them, don’t you? They are all around you. Have you looked out your back door lately? Has the church (you and I) been so consumed in chasing the American dream that we have failed to notice the apple getting soft?
We are in the harvest. We have been planted in the midst of the greatest field of all time; the field of souls. We need to make a difference in our families and friends. They hang there just like the apple, brilliant and wonderful, yet, deep down in their hearts, they are crying for a Savior.

March 8

Today is my dad’s birthday. It got me to thinking about him. He has a unique story. He grew up in the house that I was able to grow up in, and that my sister now owns. His parents made sure that he was active in all areas of the church. My father received the Holy Ghost at a young age, and God placed a call on his life that was put on delay by the actions of my father. You see, I can proudly say, for those of you that do not know, my father is a United States Olympian. Growing up in Minnesota, the thing to do in the winter is to skate. A large percentage of the kids desire to play hockey at all levels. My dad possessed the talent to play at all levels.
When I was born, he was playing for the University of Minnesota hockey team. This team was always one of the best in the nation (still is!). When I was 1 year old, he was the captain of the WCHA champion Minnesota team, just losing in the national championship game. When I was 2-3 years old, he played for the United States as a 1972 Olympian, winning the silver medal in Sapporo, Japan. When I was 4-5 years old, he played professionally for the Minnesota Fighting Saints (either you’re a Saint or you ain’t!) in our hometown of St. Paul, MN. Any kid growing up in Minnesota would love to be able to brag about a pedigree of their father like I did (the silver medal always won the show and tell times in school). However, as I look back over the last thirty years, the highlight for me is the fact that he gave me the opportunity to find God. He quit playing hockey to answer that call that came years before, and by doing so, set me on the path to where I am today. I probably would not be doing what I am doing today if he would not have taken that step. (Unless grandma Cele got a hold of me) Today, he has three children and 8 grandchildren living for God. Today, I say thank you dad, and because of your choices, I can raise my son in the ways of the Lord.

March 9

Read Psalm 34

The Psalmist states in verse 3, “O, magnify the Lord with me…” I’ve often wondered how I, in my greatest state could possibly ever truly magnify the Lord. The word “magnify” means to “increase the apparent size of…” How can you and I make God appear larger than He already is?
Near my home is a church that has a board upon which they change phrases or sayings on a regular basis. Most of these saying are off the wall, in my humble opinion, but every once in a while, something on that sign stirs my mind.
A few years back, this is exactly what happened. I saw the sign as I drove to work, and it said, “Is your life shedding light or casting shadows?” This phrase sent my mind into a whirlwind, thinking of all the times that my life actually decreased the Lord that lives inside of me instead of magnifying Him.
In order to have shadows, something has to be hindering the light. Even as I write this devotion, I can see the shadow of my fingers upon the keyboard. There is nothing like a shadow on a hot summer day because it offers a place to rest and get out of the heat. However, if it is a cool, or cold, day those same shadows can cause it to be even cooler. You just search everywhere trying to find the warmth of the sun.
In a world that is full of darkness and cold hearts, shadows are the last thing that people need. It is our responsibility not to add to those shadows, but carry the true light into those dark places. Our responsibility is to shed light in this dark world.
This takes me back to the concept of magnification. When I was a boy, I remember taking a magnifying glass and using the magnification of the sun, I would burn up paper (and other things!!). Holding that glass made the power of the sun that much stronger.
The same effect can take place when you and I join hands and unite our minds and spirits. When this unification takes place we become the magnifying glass, and we enlarge the perception of the Lord in our community. We magnify the SON, the true Light when we work together and slowly the darkness of this world dissipates and the true Light begins to warm the hearts of those caught in the shadows. So, will you magnify the Lord with me?

March 10

If you have a dream (and there is a good chance you do, for God is very liberal at handing those out), then you can be assured that your dream is very durable. Ask Joseph. A dream can be thrown into a pit, sold as a slave and forgotten in prison, but it will survive.
In fact, it is not unusual for a dream’s future to look bleak, and that’s the thing that often confuses people. For you see, dreams are like seeds…they must be planted…watered…and cultivated before they bloom.
Now planting a dream is not something you have to work at. There are plenty of circumstances that will conspire to bury it for you; envying brothers ready to throw dirt, plenty of pits that act as receptacles for dreams, plenty of Ishmaelites to make sure the dreams stay buried.
Oh, yes, your dream must be watered – with tears. Tears of fathers who thought the dream had died, or your own tears, because you thought that you had died with the dream. They’re singing the mourning song now for your dream – quite buried, stripped of its original colors and shredded beyond recognition. Time has made allies with a scheming Potiphar’s wife and a jealous husband to keep your dream buried for a long time.
In the prison times of your life, it is important to remember one thing; dreams don’t die. That is, your dream won’t die if you cultivate it with your prayers, nourish it with your faith, don’t let it go and don’t trade it in for another model.
This season of waiting can try even the most patient of dreamers. In this forgotten soil, however, it is God who will breathe renewed life into your dream. When it begins to sprout, there are not enough prison bars in all of Egypt to hold it captive. First, the miracle of life, and then strength, and then abundance.
When your dream brings forth fruit, the graineries of Egypt will overflow, a nation will be saved and the world will be fed by your dream. Who needs your dreams? Dreams are for confused Pharoah’s and worried butlers. Dreams are for hungry brothers and grieving fathers. There is a Benjamin out there, who wants to see you, so don’t let your dreams die in prison. There is a father who thought the dream was already dead, only to see it resurrect before his eyes. When your dream comes to pass, remember that it was not for you alone that this dream was given. A dream outlives the dreamer. It is never tucked away neatly in a trophy case or set on a mantle, but the bones of this dream will be carried into future generations. It will follow clouds, pass through the sea, defeat Egyptians and rout Amalekites. No, the bones of this dream will not be left in Egypt – for there are three million people to take it into the Promised Land.
And that is why you must clutch tightly to your dream; there are millions watching you.

Friends

Read Proverbs 18:24

Everyone wants to have friends. The question becomes, “what determines a friend?” I read the following somewhere, sometime because I wrote it in one of my books. I apologize that I do not know where it comes from, but know this; it is not mine. I would like to share it with you, however.
What is a friend? A friend should be radical, fanatical, but most of all, a friend should be mathematical.
A friend should be radical – they should love when you’re unlovable, hug when you’re unhuggable, and bear when you’re unbearable.
A friend should be fanatical – they should cheer when the whole world boos, dance when you get good news, and cry when you cry too.
But most of all, a friend should be mathematical – they should multiply the joy and divide the sorrow, subtract the past and add to tomorrow, calculate the need deep in your heart, and always be more than the sum of its parts.
How friendly are you? Maybe you should run and give that friend a call right now; they may need some help with their math.

Where Is Your Lighthouse?

Read Matthew 5:12-17

A few years back I read a story about the moving of a lighthouse on the east coast. It was an interesting story. The most intriguing thing to me is when I realize that we are the lighthouse to our world. It is the lighthouses of this world that can show forth the light of safety in this drowning society.
The thing that struck a chord in my heart while reading this story was that they were moving it. The lighthouse was more than 100 years old, and had been the safety beacon for many ships. The lighthouse had been placed when it was built at 1600 feet from the rocks along the shore. Someone thought it was safer to bring the lighthouse back because the shoreline had grown closer. They moved this lighthouse to where it was still 1600 feet from the water, but it was now 3200 feet from the dangerous rocks along the shore. The surf moved closer to the lighthouse so they simply moved the lighthouse.
While they were moving this enormous structure, they obviously could only move it inch by inch. It was a long and gradual shift. It was so slow that, “…the 500 people or so watching when the lighthouse moved the first few feet did not respond until a park service volunteer announced that it had been moved."
The other thing that concerned me was what one worker stated upon the finish of that move. He exclaimed, “It was much easier to move than I imagined it would be.”
Today, lighthouses all over the spiritual world are being moved back from the dangers of the surf. While people are sailing along the shorelines, lighthouses have shifted away. No longer can you look at the name of a church and trust that it is in the same spiritual position that it was a year ago.
Under the guise of safety and accessibility, churches have wavered on their core principles. They have given away some of their identity. They have compromised the things that got them to where they are. It frightens me to think that little by little some churches have gone so far as to give up their core beliefs and doctrines because the “surf” has come too close.
I am thankful that I belong to a church that believes in its foundations. A church that believes in its core principles and will not waver is becoming unheard of. I believe it is up to us to withstand the beatings of the sea and stand as the lighthouse to safety and salvation. We will not move, we will not waver. We will consistently and conscientiously shed the light of truth to those around us.

The Great Creator

Read John 1:1-14

There was a knock at the door. The man behind the big desk simply said, “Enter.” The associate walked into a large room that seemed to exude comfort. The associate noticed that one wall contained numerous pictures of constellations, moons, planets, and the opposite wall contained pictures of clouds, rain, snow and a beautiful sunset. Behind the associate on the wall facing the desk was filled with all manner of plant and animal life, from a seed to an amoeba to the cedars of Lebanon and even a few elephants. The associate noticed a peculiar thing, however. While three of the four walls of this spacious facility were filled with pictures of all sorts of creation, the wall behind the desk held one solitary picture. Under the picture was the nameplate that read: “The first man: Adam.”
The man behind the desk asked if he could help the associate in any way. The associate responded in a frantic tone, “Yes, sir, this business you’ve created is ready to fall apart. The managers are fighting, not only with employees, but also other managers. There is hatred, envy, strife and all manners of other wickedness. The people are at each other’s throats with no concern for one another, and could care less about this company. We have sent delegates time and again and the people have refused to heed their words. In fact, some of our delegates have been chastised, ridiculed and even destroyed. Sir, if something doesn’t happen soon, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
Quietly, the man behind the desk rose from his chair and went to a closet. From the closet he pulled a second picture. He took three nails and a hammer and placed the picture next to the first one on the wall behind the desk. He stepped back from the wall allowing the associate a clear view of who it portrayed. The associate, when realizing that it was a picture of the man behind the desk was confused. He began to ask a question, but was halted by the eyes of his friend. From the top drawer of his desk, a second nameplate was retrieved. As the man behind the desk began to attach it to the second picture, the associate caught a glimpse of the inscription. It read; “the second man: Jesus.”
The associate’s mouth dropped open as ha said in awe to his friend, “You mean…you mean you’re going to go down there?”
Yes,” replied the man, “yes, Gabriel, I must.” As he grabbed his coat, he turned and said, “Now if you will excuse me, I have an appointment in Bethlehem.”
With that statement, God, the Creator, left the comforts of his heavenly office and went to save his creation. He came to save you and me. Isn’t a blessed event that He did not send someone else to save the world, he came himself.