Interviews to Destroy

 Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. Even while I served in a political office for years I hated “politics”.

Recently I heard a person interviewed on the television and I felt sorry for the man. The interviewer was not asking questions for the man to answer, but instead he was trying to trap the individual to make a mistake.

Later that night I saw the “commentary” of the interview and they had pulled six words out of the interview and for the next three minutes they proceeded to tear at the man’s character over how he phrased those six words.   Thinking a few minutes about what was miss-spoken, I wondered how an interview with Jesus would be accomplished.  

Then I heard a lady reporter make an observation.

She noted that she had already prepared a list of questions that would prove him not to be anything but a terrorist that incited people to rebel. Questions included those like, “How did you fool all those people into thinking you were dead?” “Did you have a twin that walked the city after your death and stole your body to fool people into believing that you were the Messiah?’ “Why didn’t you stay on earth and lead the nations, heal the sick, or do Godly stuff?”

Her list of questions went on and on and her co-anchor noted that she would give Him an interview He would never forget. Shocking as it may seem, I believe she would do everything in her power to destroy the character of Jesus for her own satisfaction and political gain. What have we shrunk to as a nation?

It seems that God is not feared, reverenced, or respected by our media. They do not conceive “faith” or “grace” in any part of their imagination. They are so set on self gratification and the humiliation of others which does not build up people but destroys them. If I sound frustrated, it is because the Lord told us to build people up and not tear them down.

We will not agree with everything they say or do, but we are called to love them as Jesus loves us. Through my frustration with the attacking portion of the media, I am sad because I know that one day they will get a chance to talk to Jesus face to face and he will interview them. Matthew 7:23. “Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

We need to pray for our nation.  There are demonstrations in our own cities with no direction but they want everything to change. Funny, but they have that freedom to protest because people fought battles for our freedom.

As for me, I have starting praying for our media, even the ones that want to interview Jesus. 

Do You Hate Upgrades?

Sitting in front of the computer, I am working away in a given program and then I get a pop up screen that says, "Upgrade available".    My mind is on what program I'm using and so I say, "Later".  Well sometimes you get an email that says, "You have a FREE upgrade for _____ program."  So you think, I guess I need to upgrade and reply to the email only to see the blue screen of death flash in your face.

Naturally you become slow to upgrade your computer because you are not sure of the results.

Well we all get the upgrade message every morning when we get out of bed and get started for our work.  The Lord nudges us with the thought "Upgrade available".  That upgrade comes from spending time in His word and having a little talk with Him each day.  Yet many of us normally hit the delete button in our minds or the "later" button.

It does not take long for us to start and finish each day without an upgrade to our lives.  Then we wonder why we get sluggish, frustrated, insecure, anger easily, and many times depressed.  It is because you did not get today's upgrade to spend a little time with the Lord.  It does not have to be hours on end but just to do two things.  Open your heart to learn something from Him and to communicate with Him.  He will dump his love, direction, and peace on you for today.  Then tomorrow you will be ready for your next upgrade. 

As for me I am getting upgrade 21,535.0.  I have not uploaded each one since becoming a Christ Follower, but I know the Lord has had that upload there for me.

Are you going to hit the "delete" button each day or maybe the "later" button.  Why not just hit the "Upload Now" button in your life and see what happens next.  You will be amazed at the great program the Lord has for your life today.

Want to be a Caterpiller or a Butterfly

Another strange question today from this dreamer.  Do you want to be a caterpillar or a Butterfly?  Do you ever stop and watch a caterpillar as is slowly crawls on the ground or up a tree?  Most of us never notice the crawly creatures or if we do many times we just squish them under our feet.

Yet if you never watch a caterpillar then you are missing an important lesson.  The caterpillar matures and converts to a cocoon state.  To many of us it is never seen because it blends so well with its surroundings.  Yet metamorphosis occurs because the Lord has endowed it to the life cycle process.

But at any given time, the cocoon opens and a beautiful butterfly emerges.   It immediately it slowly spreads it's wing looks for food.  This butterfly usually will live no longer than 30 days but during that time, it will travel many miles whereby the caterpillar will only travel a matter of feet in its lifetime.

In your life are you content to be just blend in and keep a low profile?  Or are you willing to learn something new and watch the change that not only takes place in your life but also see the change in those around you.

Time here on earth is short so are your willing to make changes in your life to metamorphosis into the best that God has planned for your life or just lay low and get by each day.  First, realize that what you have planned or just let happen in your life may not be God's plan, so don't go on doing what you have always done because you'll get what you have always gotten. Second, it takes a decision to not be a caterpillar any longer but become a butterfly that gives beauty to everyone  who is a part of your life?

  Decision time - Caterpillar or Butterfly!

Seeing His Power

                                     

“My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” 1 Cor. 2:4-5 (NAS)

On a recent trip to California, Lynnette and I decided to take a walk on the beach in DelMar.  In order to get to the beach from the hotel, we had to cross a railroad track and then head down a steep cliff.  The flowers in people’s yards were bright and cheery.  The plants along the cliff also showed off the beautiful yellow, blue and purple blooms that allowed us to be amazed at God’s creation.

But as the commuter train rushed by I looked back at the railroad tracks.  There, through the rail bed of gravel, were blooming yellow daisies.  How could that be?  The ground was so hard and full of rocks, yet not only had the plant made its way through the ground, it had bloomed into a beautiful flower.

When thinking about God’s power in our lives, we should realize that it begins with faith.  Our lives get turned inside out on a daily basis, and we often lose the desire to seek God or the determination to make the best of each day.  So, having a strong faith in the Lord allows the Holy Spirit to show us God’s power. 

The flower in the railroad track allows us to see the power and determination of nature to grow and flourish.  Through our struggles in life, we can know the power of God as He corrects, teaches, and delivers. Then, like the flower rising out of the gravel, we can experience the miracle of God’s power.

Forgiven Mistakes

John 8:3 – 5     The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery.  Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?"

Mistakes I made years ago can sometimes creep back upon me as guilt.  Some of those mistakes focus around my relationship with my daughter.  There were times in her life when I should have been there for her, but while she was still a teenager, I moved hundreds of miles away to another state.

Sure, I was only a telephone call away, but it hurt her deeply that I was not right there just to hold her and tell her everything would be all right like I had when she was just a little girl.

Years have passed and many times I have regretted my actions and the resulting consequences. 

This summer I spent some real one on one time in the mountains with my daughter just talking with her and once again understanding how much I had hurt her.  I had told her that I was sorry before, but the difference this time is that she now understands what was going on inside me during that time.  “Daddy, I forgive you.”  When she spoke those words, the hurt and regret I had been living with all these years began to heal.

As each of us live our lives, we make mistakes.  Sometimes the consequences of those mistakes means that we have hurt someone very dear to us. 

There are people who have strained relationships and have not spoken for years because of mistakes.  The sad situation is that one of them may pass away with those issues not being resolved.

When we look at today’s scripture a little further, we see Jesus say, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."  

Many times we hold grudges for years and allow the mistakes to fester into a sore, robbing us of joy and peace and a relationship with others.  It is usually with someone we love a lot, but our pride just drives us forward without asking for or giving forgiveness.

Therefore we need to read the rest of the story by listening to what Jesus says in today’s verses. 

But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again."  John 8: 9-11

Pray for someone who has hurt you or that you have hurt.  Ask the Lord to show you a way to forgive or be forgiven.  Seek out the person who you hurt or the one who has hurt you and talk of forgiveness.  You don’t have to resolve or even discuss the issues that tore you apart.  Instead just tell them you love them and ask for forgiveness.

I still regret the mistakes I made years ago, but I know the Lord has forgiven me and now my daughter, the most precious one I offended has forgiven me as well. 

Is there someone you need to talk with?

The Joy of Death

OK the title really sounds strange, but I had the opportunity to be near a close friend last week who had lost his wife.  The lady had a brain surgery and had been struggling with pain, loss of her voice, weight loss, and ability to eat any food for over a year.

They found a problem that needed surgery but that the results had a 25% chance to even survive a surgery for a brain aneurism, yet she was ready to go through the surgery in a hope that it would fix all the issues she had endured.  She beat the odds and made it through the surgery and was on her way to recovery.  The pain again was enormous but she doing well and was moved from intensive care to a room and then on to an assisted care unit.  The family was excited on her progress.  Then she was moved to a chair to get circulation back in her frail body,  but the assistant  walked out of the room for a minute and she lost her strength and fell to the floor.  Everything that was done, was undone.  She passed away two days later.

Her family was so sad on the loss of their mother but found joy in the life she led.  I heard one of her son's say, "It hurts, but I am happy to know that she is dancing in heaven and talking to anyone she sees because it was so long since she could talk."  They had joy in her death by knowing she had accepted the Lord and was in Heaven.

What about you?  Will your family have joy in your death?  Have you given your life away in serving and helping?  What will everyone say about you?  Will they know where you are after taking your last breath?  Or will they just hope or be sad?  People will miss you and your interaction with your life with them, but find a way to know that there will be joy in your passing from this life to the next.

The clock is ticking,  how do you want to be remembered?

Being on the "A" Team

Mark 16: 15   He said to them, "Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all people. 

Here’s a memory from the past that continues to impact me today.  Lynnette and I were at the Ocala movie theater and as we sat waiting for the movie to start, memories began flooding through my mind. It was not the movie we were watching but instead it was recalling the excitement of seeing this theater become a church. When I first discovered The Church at the Springs, they were preparing to become “portable”. In fact, the first time I attended was the first day they held services at the Hollywood 16 Theater. Imagine sitting in a rocking chair seat with my Diet Coke to give praise, worship, and learn a life lesson. It was a great new experience. At first it was great getting to know the Lord again but at a movie theater?   Yet it was not very long before I couldn’t be just a spectator.

Waiting for the movie to start I remembered the “A Team”? This was a group of people who helped each week by opening storage crates, setting up equipment, running the power lines, practicing with video and slides, previewing the music, arranging the toys in other sections of the theater, setting up tables in the entry way, and preparing the literature for distribution.

Then I thought about the greeters! Those were the people who gave the first impression of our church to visitors. The most exciting task of the day was sometimes the 15 to 30 minute breakdown after church was over. The theater opened for regular business by noon, so if the Pastor talked too long, the “A Team” became the “Super A Team” by getting everything packed, cleaned, and hauled off to storage before they opened.

 Funny how waiting on a movie to begin can bring back wonderful memories of a church family united for one purpose. Reaching those far from God!  We need to remember that our purpose of reaching those far from God has not changed over the years. The reality is that there are numerous “A Teams” at work each day. They may not be called that but they are all focused on the same goal.

Just as it was back in 1998! No matter where you may be located in the world, you have the obligation to do what Jesus tells us in Mark 16. Not every situation will be the same because the needs of people are different so we just need to find out what it is that we can do to encourage people to have a personal relationship with the Lord.

We will find that for most people it can be just meeting their needs and to share with them that God really loves them, no matter what they have done. The most important part is to not limit where and how God works. You never know, you may even find God in a movie theater.

Do not sit on the sidelines any more but get on the “A” Team and give your life away.  It will be the greatest memory you’ll ever know! 

Peace Shaken

Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . Romans 5:1

 

Each Saturday for  twenty some weeks in 2004 we have entered our home under construction and had known the peace and security that is part of a gated community.   But this week as we walked around the house, something was different. Something was missing. 

First it was that the door to the bathroom was gone. Looking around again we saw a closet door was missing. Upstairs another closet door and bathroom door were taken right off their hinges. Now I was getting concerned. 

Peace was gone and then a sense of invasion enveloped all my thoughts. Looking further I noticed a weed whip was not to be found. This was serious. Our search everywhere brought more puzzlement to us. There was no sign of a break-in. Some very expensive tools were still there, in plain sight while others were gone. Why just these doors and a select number of other items?   All other doors were still in place. The plumber knew the doors were there just a couple of days earlier and the only time he left the house was during lunch.  IN an area we thought was secure, we were violated.

We have no idea what has happened, but I immediately installed dead bolt locks to give us more protection. Some of the peace that was there just a week earlier is now filled with apprehension. 

What doors do we have in place in our lives that can give us a false sense of peace? Some may be physical or emotional doors that keep people out. We believe we are at peace. No one can bother us. Satan has other ideas for our lives. Just when we think we have a wonderful peace in our life, he steals the doors that protect us and we are exposed to the potential dangers near us. 

An old friend of mine once said, “When life is peaceful and everything is wonderful in your walk with the Lord, watch out! Satan will always try and stop you from being close to the Lord.” Where are you on your journey? If you are at peace with everything and have a great daily relationship with the Lord, be on guard. Satan may be ready to shake your peace. Just focus on the Lord more during those times and He will lift you up. Higher than you have ever been before.

Walking on Water

Matthew 14: 28-30 “Lord, if it’s you, “ Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”  “Come,” Jesus replied.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord save me!”

Directing a Christian camp for students was a great experience and gave me an opportunity to stay young through interacting with the teachers and leaders each week.  The facility had a ¾ - acre lake located next to our dining area and evening campfires and worship sessions were held on its shore.

This lake was a little different because it had been rebuilt to twice its original size.  There was a concrete dam about four feet wide across one end when the lake was first built.  But with the lake being doubled in size, the new dam which was built increased the water table about three feet higher than the original dam.

One evening the dean decided that he would portray Jesus by walking on the water. The heat of summer had lowered the water table so the top of the dam was only about four inches under the water. With three hundred junior high students gathered around the shoreline campfire, the dean, dressed like Jesus, walked out on the water.  The students were amazed to say the least.  As he spoke to them he casually continued to walk across the lake. However, in his lack of concentration he forgot about the “gap” in the dam.  That gap was cut to allow fish to move from one side of the lake to the other.

As a “wet Jesus” took his place in front of the campfire, the staff couldn’t help but laugh quietly in the back of the crowd. He had taken on the appearance of Jesus, but he too had lost his focus. 

  

Sometimes we become very active in our church, and often give our time and money to its work.  We may even help those in need in a variety of ways.  But in our desire to do “religious” things, we lose sight of our relationship to Jesus, the giver of grace.  We take our eyes off of Him and busy ourselves with doing what we think He wants us to do.  It is then that we fall into the water of troubles.

 

Walking on water requires faith and focusing solely on Him. Otherwise, you will just end up all wet.  It's great to be busy and religious but don't lose your focus on the relationship.

What to Look For

All the events around  four torn and  a detached retina has made interesting conversation,  The very first question I get is how did it happen.  Well a light blow on the head  can be as bad as a car accident  when it comes to a detached retina.  A standing compressor that falls over and taps you on the head was all it took.  But that is not the story. 

People want to know, "How did you know to go to the doctor?"  It took about four days for the first symptoms to surface.  First was the small black dots like the floaters in your eyes began moving around in my sight.  I thought hum but discounted  any issue.  Then the next day I had a film develop over the vision of the right eye.  My thought was, "Maybe I should see our eye doctor?"  So we made an appointment for the next evening.   Then I woke up the next morning and saw a dark semi circle in the bottom of my vision.  It was a black circle and restricted my lower vision.  We went to the doctor and they said you have to see a specialist immediately.  So the next morning we were off to the specialist.   The doctor took a long look at the eye and said you need to have surgery.  Then he said, "Tonight!"    Now I was concerned.

So with the black oval moving higher into my vision, I was ready for surgery.  The night I went into surgery and that was an adventure.

First they numb the entire eye area and I was asleep for less than a minute during that time.  Next I was  awake and staring into a bright light.  As I told Jason, the nurse, it was like a was watching the intro to the show, "The Outer Limits" where an eyeball approaches and you see all the blood vessels in the eye except I knew it was MY eye.  Now a tube enters from the right and I see all the floaters that I had had for years being sucked out through the tube.  While the tube is still there I see another instrument enter the eye and see a little red spark and heard a sound.  The doctor noted that he was cauterizing the tears.  I relaxed as the zaps continued.  

Now that instrument is pulled out of my eye and enters another one.  Then I hear the doctors say, "Laser at 150".  I was waiting for him to say, "Clear" (like on a cardiac patient)  but  it never got that far.  I then saw a green light flash throughout my eye several times.  Then the doctors asked for 200 and then the light turns yellow as the doctor worked.  Finally he said, "250 should do it".  Now the light turned orange which was appropriate since I was at the University of Tennessee hospital.

When that instrument was retracted, another one entered and the vision area and light went darker as he inserted a gas bubble in front of the retina so it would hold the retina in place for healing.  After three hours in recovery with my head facing down, we were headed home about 1:30 in the morning.

I tell you all this so you can know the warning signs of a serious eye problem.  We are only given our two eyes and so if you encounter anything like what I describe at the top, see a specialist immediately.  

Next do not be afraid of the surgery experience even though you are awake the entire time.   People think I am strange when I said that I enjoyed the experience because I was afforded the opportunity to seeing the master of eye surgery in action.  I believe the Lord uses these specialists to help save your sight.  Appreciate their talent and do not be afraid.  Do not be stubborn and have the beauty you see around you taken away. 

Even though the gas bubble is going away and my full sight is not back, I look at the leaves turning and the beginning of fall with more appreciation than I have ever before.    Look around you and thank the Lord for seeing all the beautiful colors.  Sight is His gift to you!  Thank HIM!