Living Life One Day At A Time

It’s been almost 10 months since I’ve blogged … so let’s just jump right out of the gate with this:

“I don’t trust easily” … as a matter of fact, “I trust barely at all.” Now, that may seem rude, rough, and completely stupid to you. And you would be right; however, if I’m honest with you and honest with me, the statement, “I don’t trust easily” applies 100% to me. Why not trust do you ask? Pride; desire to be in control; feeling that I don’t need anyone else; been lied to by people in the past and yes, I’ve lied to people as well. For all of those reasons and more, I just don’t trust easily.

God knows that I don’t trust easily; so recently He ran me through a series of tests to see how much I would rely on Him. Well, to be honest; I failed. 6 Weeks ago, my wife felt led of God to go back to a FT position. We prayed about it and felt that was what God wanted us to do. Unbeknownst to us, our Landlord was in the process of selling our house at that same time. 4 weeks ago, he came to me and said he had sold the house and we had 30 days to move. Within a week, we had found a house, signed the lease and started the process of moving.

Clearly to anyone, God was in complete control the entire time and all I had to do was trust Him and follow His direction. However, because I don’t trust; and even though I could see God’s hand at work the entire time, I found the time to complain to God; get frustrated with God; get frustrated with the process; etc. Thankfully, God didn’t punish me for my lack of trust. He provided in spite of my lack of trust.

In the middle of all of this, He provided even more blessings than a house so quickly. 

He provided a brother-in-law, sister-in-law and mother-in-law to come down here and help us move. He provided my parents to help us move. He provided 6 more men to help load and unload the truck the day we moved. I must also mention it was Memorial Day Weekend. 

So, these families took time off of their holiday with their families to help us move. He also provided 3 women to help unpack and set up our kitchen and living room. Finally, He provided a family that came in, unpacked and set up our Guest Room and Benjamin’s Room. Then yesterday, He wasn’t through and provided a meal for us from a family in our Encounter Class.

What an amazing God we serve that He would reach down and bless us where we were completely moved out and almost completely moved in our new house within 2 weeks of finding out we had to move.

Like all of my blogs, this one is for me. I needed to write these things out as a reminder to trust God in ALL circumstances. To Let Him LEAD me throughout HIS plan for my life. Along the way, I need to ensure that I live a life of Thanksgiving; verbal Thanksgiving and active Thanksgiving.

I’m going to end this particular blog with two things:

#1 – I can’t thank enough the following people for being such a blessing to us:

Robert & Alice Fleshman

Janet Howard

Russell & Dana Howard

David & Jesse Barrett

Jim & Jacob Daniel

Jesse Berry

Edgar & Stephanie Cabrera

Luke & Erin Bowers

Jenifer & Dwight Siemens

I can’t thank them enough for reminding me what the love of Christ constrains us to do; for reminding me what a blessing our Church continues to be to us; for reminding me how I am to follow through in the same manner helping my fellow christian brothers and sisters. Thank you for the Christ-like example you are to me.

#2 – Lyrics from one of my favorite hymns:

1. When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey.

o Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

2. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey.

3. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey.

4. But we never can prove the delights of His love, Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.

5. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet, Or we’ll walk by His side in the way; What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.

Let me be the reminder for you … 

God wants us to simply put our trust in Him and show thanksgiving to those around us. God uses others to be a blessing. We must be willing to be that blessing to others just as others have blessed us.

Have a great weekend!

As you already know, I am an 80’s child. Yes, I love 80’s music. Chicago, Genesis, Huey Lewis & the News, REO Speedwagon, etc. Pretty much I enjoyed it all. Honestly, the 80’s in general(not just the music) was the best decade by far(in my opinion)(yes, I’m biased). So, it stands to reason that I enjoy Contemporary Christian from the 80’s as well.

One song that has been in my mind for quite some time is “Touch of the Master’s Hand”. Now, before you yell at me that I’m wrong(yes, the song was released by Wayne Watson in 1992), however, since I was still in college, I count the early 90’s as the 80’s. Hey … this is my blog … I’ll write it how I want to write it …

Anyway … that’s not the point … the point is that song has been on my mind for a solid month now. I hope by now you’ve listened to it all the way through. Or, you’ve heard it before and now it’s stuck in your head also. If that’s the case … mission accomplished.

I was someone who ran from God as much as I could, for as long as I could. I did whatever I could to make myself be someone that God didn’t want …. that God couldn’t save … that God would decide to give up on. However, God had a plan and continued to pursue me. I’m so grateful that He never gave up. I’m so grateful that He did want … He did save … He didn’t give up on and He does have a plan. I’m so grateful to be a part of that plan.

It gets overwhelming at times when it hits me again how much He loves me and that He never gave up on me and that He saved me. I still don’t understand why. I still know I don’t deserve it. However, one thing I do know …

Because He did save me, I’m a member of God’s family.  I have an eternal home. I can have confidence in Him. I can rest in Him. I can trust Him. I get the opportunity to live for Him. I get the chance to show my thanks by living for Him. Do I make mistakes? ALL DAY LONG … I could start telling you my mistakes now and NEVER finish covering all I do wrong. However, I know that I can live a life of gratefulness because He gave His life for me. I am someone because of the “Touch of the Master’s Hand.”

Feeling down? Feeling depressed? Feeling un-loved? Feeling un-used? Feeling God doesn’t care?

He does care … He does love … He does want to encourage you … He does want to uplift you … He does want to love you … He does want to use you … He does care …

Just be willing for Him to come into your life … save you … and “touch you”

Short blog tonight …

Have a great week knowing God loves you!

About a year ago, Jerry and I begun to train for the Katy Trail Ride across the state of Missouri. Neither of us had ever performed a long ride before. This was hopefully the first of many that we would do starting with this year and continuing every year hereafter. Below is a synopsis of each days’ ride. Of course, if you know me, I always think of an application. Every day this past week translated to an application for me and my Christian walk. So; along with the synopsis, I will give you how God used it to speak to me.

Monday(St. Charles to Hermann):

The high was 98 with a heat index of 105 or more. We rode 64 miles that day. I had not eaten enough carbs the night before nor had I eaten enough carbs for breakfast that next morning. Plus, we didn’t really find a place to eat until around 1 p.m. that afternoon. Needless to say, I was tired and weak as the day progressed.  I ate a couple of bananas between our ride that started at 6 a.m. but that was all until we ate lunch at 1 p.m. It was a hot ride. Our bikes had an extreme amount of dust on them. There was no amount of training that could have prepared us for the dust and the heat that day. However, we finished. With the intent of this week being the last week-long ride we did on the Katy Trail.

Application for me:

Too many times, when the Christian walk gets difficult, it’s easy to want to quit serving God. It’s easy to question why God is allowing some things to happen. The Christian walk isn’t promised by God to be an easy one. It can be a hot, dry, lonely and difficult walk at times. The only way to make it through is to ensure that we are properly grounded in God’s Word; to ensure that we have a daily walk with Him. If we are not grounded in scripture, if we don’t have a close walk with God continuously, then we won’t make it through those difficult times in life.

Tuesday(Hermann to Jefferson City):

Tuesday it rained on us all day long. It wasn’t a downpour, but a steady rain nonetheless. About the time it would lighten up a little and the skies looked as if they were opening up, the rain would start back up again. We only rode 50 miles that day so that helped the day go by quicker. With the rain it was also a little cooler, so that was a blessing. However, the rain made it a muddy muddy trip. By the end of the day we were covered in mud and so were our bikes. However, Big O Tires in Jefferson City provided us a free lunch so that was a blessing. Plus by the time we made it to camp, the rain had subsided and we had clear skies the rest of the day.

Application for me:

Just when you think it can’t get worse, it starts to rain. You think you can’t take anymore and you’re hoping God will start changing your circumstances and it doesn’t happen. However, even in the middle of that rain storm, God provides some extra “shelter” or extra “blessings” to help you make it through this difficult time in your life. He gives us those to help us remember that He still cares and He’s still in control and we CAN trust Him. Then, at the end of that time period in your life, you can see the skies starting to open up.

Wednesday(Jefferson City to Booneville, MO):

This was by far the best day of the week. The rain cooled some things down a little(a little). I had learned my lesson and ate better portions of carbs and protein to keep me energized for a good ride. The rain had also settled the dust on the trail so we didn’t have that to contend with. We saw beautiful bluffs along the way and rode right next to the Missouri River. We were even able to get off; walk right up to the edge of the river and take some pictures. We rode that day for 53 miles. It was a great day and a great ride.

Application for me:

What a blessing for me that after those difficult times in my life, God always gives me those days/weeks/etc. that it is clear that He is in control; that He has already provided; and that my trust in Him is the correct thing needed. God DOES give us those “rose gardens” at times to relax and rest in Him. When those times happen, enjoy them, thank God for them, continue to praise Him, and continue to serve Him.

Thursday(Boonville to Sedalia, MO):

With the first 3 longest days of the trip complete, the worse was over. This trip was only a 37 mile ride. However, it was a constant incline 80% of the time. Not a huge incline(4%), but still a gradual incline out in the open sunny area. This made the ride a little warmer. Much like the day we had Monday. We still finished in good time, and we still felt good after the ride. However, it was definitely a hot, dusty day.

Application for me:

The “rose garden” won’t be around continuously. There will be times again where we struggle with some of the same things we struggled with before. There will once again be times of “dusty, dry, and thirsty” Christian living where we find ourselves fighting to win the same fights we’ve fought before.

Friday(Sedalia to Clinton, MO):

This was the last day of the week. It was a 39 mile ride. Little more dry and a little more dusty. But it was only 39 miles and it was the last day. We were full of adrenaline and averaged the fastest we had averaged all week. We felt like we had accomplished a great goal. We set out a year ago to do a bike ride such as this and we had completed it without anything major happening. Although we had questioned whether or not we wanted to do it again, by the end of the week, we decided there wasn’t any doubt; we did want to do this ride or something like it next year. Let the training for next year begin …

Application for me:

Once we’ve gone through those difficult times multiple times; Once, we’ve seen how God works in our lives; once He’s brought us through those times; it’s always a blessing to see how God takes care of us. Where at the beginning, we wanted to quit God, by the end we see how much He cares and how much He provides and we agree that our life is better with Him in control. So, when those times come again, it’s seems easier. Why? Because God has taken care of us before; He’s provided for us before; and now we can just go along serving Him and He provides. It’s almost routine for us. We just come to the point where we trust Him completely. Now, I’m not there yet. But, I hope one day to have enough faith and trust to completely let go and completely let God control my life. That is hard for me. But, it’s what God requires.

Where do you stand in your walk with Him?

Are you in the dry, dusty times? Stay faithful … He will bring you through.

Are you in the downpour of difficult times? Walk close to God … He will provide.

Are you experiencing the blessings God has for you? Be grateful and thankful to Him … He is your all in all.

Wherever you may be in your walk; stay close to Him and let go and let God. That is what He requires.

If you’re curious about more details of our ride, go to my twitter page and search #ktride. Plenty of pics and videos.

In the meantime … have  a great week!

We have some friends from church whose young son recently broke his arm. This morning he sat with his parents. He sat on his mother’s lap. You could tell he was totally content and totally at peace.

That’s the way I am around my mom. I am very blessed to have  an amazing mom. She raised me in a Godly house; with Godly principles; and Godly attributes.  She is what many call “A Prayer Warrior.”  From the moment I can remember anything as a child, I remember always seeing my mom pray. Whether it is daily devotions and prayer each morning(which she still does to this day), or a constant state of prayer throughout the day, or a time for prayer set aside throughout the day to pray for a need(or someone’s need), my mom consistently prays.

I tried my hardest to make my mom’s life miserable. I lied to her; I ran from God; I disobeyed her; I argued with her; I disrespected her; I made fun of her; etc. You name it and I did it, either as a child, teenager, college student, or an adult.  If it would upset my mother, mark it down … I did it.

However, that never took away the fact that she still loved me and still does love me. It never took away the fact that she always went above and beyond in meeting any need I might have. I still remember as a child that she cooked every meal; always served me and dad before herself; always cleaned up the kitchen; always did the laundry; always kept the house clean; etc. She worked tirelessly to make sure her house was always kept in order.

Yes, I’m an only child … yes, I’m spoiled … yes, I’m a mama’s boy … but I’m loved and that is ultimately all that matters. All that matters in life is that a son is loved by his mom; prayed for by his mom; given an example by his mom; and directed to God by his mom. We may not always follow that direction, but it is important that our moms lead us towards God.

As this Mother’s Day winds down, I just wanted one more time to wish my mom a VERY HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. I also wanted to thank for never-ceasing to pray for me(please don’t stop). I wanted to thank her for being such a Godly example to me.  I wanted to thank her for her wisdom, guidance, love and care.

You may argue with me, but it is my firm belief(and I am right), that I have the best mom in the world. Hands down. Not even a contest.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

Did the title catch your eye?  It was intended too …

Have you ever held a baby in your arms or watched someone hold a baby in their arms? When you do, have you ever watched their reaction?  If they’re upset, they usually calm down. Why is that?  Because you give them comfort.  Here is what some of the “experts” say:

If you think your crying baby calms down when you pick him or her up is because of the warm embrace of your loving arms, think again: there is a more scientific reason.

In fact, what happens is that their heart rate slows and they ‘automatically and deeply’ relax.

Japanese scientists say their study is the first to demonstrate that a baby’s response to being carried is a coordinated set of nervous, motor and cardiac regulations.

The researchers, from the RIKEN Brain Science Institute, say that picking up and carrying might be an evolutionarily(right … we know it’s a God Given Gift), and essential, component of mother-baby interaction.

In experiments involving ECG machines, which measure electrical activity of the heart, they found that babies’ heart rates slow down greatly as soon as they are picked up and carried.

Now, it doesn’t take an “expert” or a “study” for us to know that is exactly the truth. God created us as children to calm down in the arms of our parents.

So … next question … why do babies always feel secure when their parents are around? Again … let’s check in with the “experts”:

The attachment bond is the unique emotional relationship between your baby and you as his or her primary caretaker. This wordless interactive emotional exchange draws the two of you together, ensuring that your infant will feel safe and be calm enough to experience optimal development of their nervous system. The attachment bond is a key factor in the way your infant’s brain organizes itself and influences your child’s social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development.

The quality of the attachment bond varies. A secure bond provides your baby with an optimal foundation for life: eagerness to learn, healthy self-awareness, trust, and consideration for others. An insecure attachment bond, one that fails to meet your infant’s need for safety and understanding, can lead to confusion about his or her own identity and difficulties in learning and relating to others in later life.

Now … I haven’t told you anything you didn’t already know.  I’m sure by now IF you’re still reading, you’re asking yourself, “What is the purpose of all this Brent?”  I’m glad you asked.

What happens?  Why does that behavior change as we grow older?  Now, I’ve jumped perspective on you. I’ve gone straight to a spiritual perspective.  When we first accepted Christ we wanted to be around Him all the time.  We wanted to learn about Him all the time.  We wanted to be in His Word; in His Church; worshiping Him; etc.  We spent time in prayer.  When things happened, we went to His Word for answers, or we asked other Christians for advice.

But as we grew “older” in the faith, we stopped doing that.  It’s like we decided we don’t need God anymore. We can handle everything that comes our way.  If that’s our perspective we will not have a fruitful Christian life.  We will not have a content Christian life.  We will struggle with anger, depression, frustration, lack of faith, etc.

Casting Crowns has a song out called “Just Be Held“.  That’s what God wants from us in our relationship with Him.  We feel the most secure when we have that close walk with Him. We make it through difficult times; unhappy times; maddening times; depressing times; frustrating times; etc. when(and only when) we have that close walk with Him.  We need to be close to Him to feel that security we feel when He “holds” us.

Psalm 122:7ESV

Peace be within your walls and security within your towers!”

Jeremiah 33:6ESV

Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security.

Psalm 16:8ESV 

I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 40:2ESV

He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.

Psalm 91:1-12ESV

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, …

1 John 4:18ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

Job 11:18ESV

And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.

Psalm 46:1ESV

To the choirmaster. Of the Sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A Song. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 9:10ESV

And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

As previously mentioned in almost every Blog I write, I get my “inspiration”(if that’s what you call it), from my day-to-day activities.  I’ve continued the bike riding I started more than 2 years ago. I only ride about once a week, but I have worked up to 50+ miles a day most of the time when I go.  If you’re looking for a fun way to keep in shape let me suggest bike riding.  Reward for effort; less strenuous on your body and just plain fun most of the time.  But that’s not the reason for this blog.

Today I had the privilege to bike with Jim Daniel, our music director from First Baptist Church Centerton. It was the first time we had ridden together. He mostly does mountain biking(Which automatically means he is a better man than I am. I wimp out when it comes to mountain biking). Since he hadn’t been on the trail as much, I felt obligated to keep him informed as to the bike trails’ difficulty as it occurred. However, feeling obligated and actually doing something about it are two different things as you well know.

Consequently, I found myself letting him know extremely too late … as in once we started up the hill … once we went around the corner and there it was … once we went through the tight curve. Thankfully, he is an experienced mountain biker(did I mention a better man than I am) and didn’t have any issues in spite of my “best intentions.”

As I drove home I couldn’t help but once again(as you should be used to by now) compare that experience with real life. How many times do we do that with each other?  How many times are we that friend who actually warns someone of impending dangers; impending sin; impending temptation; etc?

But, Brent, I don’t want to:

Rock the boat

Lose the friendship

Look like an idiot

Sound like a prude

Sound like I’m no fun

Be the only one

Mention something that blows up out of proportion

Mention something that I misunderstood

I can understand and have felt all of those emotions when someone I knew was walking down the wrong path and/or potentially making a wrong decision. But, here’s what we are faced with … what does the Bible say about friendships/counselors and how to handle them?

Proverbs 18:24
 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 13:20
He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Proverbs 27:5-6
Better is open rebuke than hidden love. 6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-0
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

John 15:12-15
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

Proverbs 12:26
A righteous man is cautious in friendship, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

Job 16:20-21
My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21 on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.

Proverbs 11:14

Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 15:22

Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

James 5:16

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Proverbs 12:15

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Now, that’s just a few of the MANY verses in scripture about how we are to befriend one another and be counselors for one another. So … besides those takeaways what else is there?

1. Men, find a man(or men) for you to be accountable too … who you can “do life with”.  Each of us need that … whether we admit it or not.

2. Women, find a woman(or women) for you to be accountable too … who you can “do life with”. Each of us need that … whether we admit it or not.

3. Be intentional about finding someone. Don’t wait for “God to bring someone.” Put yourself “out there” and God will show you who that is. You’ll probably be surprised over time that it becomes more than one. 

4. Be willing to challenge one another when we are involved in bad habits; bad decision-making; etc. God placed us in that person’s life to help them walk through life. Be willing to speak up. That’s what being a true friend is all about. It’s telling them what God wants us to say … not necessarily what they want to hear. 

5. Be open to criticism. If someone God placed in our life challenges us on our bad habits; bad decision-making; etc. then be open to the fact they may be right. God might be using them to speak to us.  Don’t attack them … accept what they are saying with an open mind and seek God’s face to see how He might be using them to help us “wake up” and stop the negative direction we are headed.

6. Be thankful to that person for being in your life … tell them … often

7. Be thankful to God for bringing that person in your life.

8. Stay in consistent communication with that person throughout your life … you never know when God will use them to be a blessing; challenge; etc. in His timing.

That being said … I can’t finish this without thanking my good friends(just to name two)

Paul Hayden(also Paul Hayden Photography)

and

Chad Coker

God placed these two men in my life at different times for different reasons. To this day we are great friends. We text occasionally or often(depending on the need). They challenge me to stay in the Word; to be the Godly man I need to be; to be the Godly father/husband God requires. They pray for me. They give me Godly advice. I wouldn’t be able to walk through this life without their friendships.

If you don’t have someone like a Paul or a Chad … find someone … be intentional about it and God will bring that man or woman into your life and will bless you for it.

I came down to Dallas this weekend with Chad to attend a Dallas Cowboy game.  Now before you start bashing my Cowboys, keep in mind you cut me I bleed blue and silver.  I love my Cowboys and I love my Sooners. Both of whom lost this weekend, so I’m experiencing “football depression.”  I’m not sure that’s an illness or if there is medication for it.  But, if it is an illness, and there is medication, I might take advantage of it.  Just being honest.

There was, however, a highlight of the trip. Chad suggested we attend @mattchandler74 church called @thevillagechurchtx in Flower Mound, Tx.  It seemed like a good idea, so we went to his church this morning.  They had a service called a “Celebration Service.”  Matt didn’t preach a message per se. There was a time of prayer/dedication of several new babies in the church. Followed by a good time of worship. Then there was 4 people who were baptized. That was followed by a video of several families/singles from The Village Church that had been led by God to serve overseas. The video gave us an update of how they were doing and how we could pray for them.  After the service was over, there was a number of families/singles out in the lobby talking about what area(s) God was leading them to serve as missionaries.

As the service progressed, the same theme seemed to be repeated in my mind. I’ll start with what struck me during the baptisms:

There was 4 different people baptized. Matt had each of them share their story of salvation with the church.  4 different ages. 4 different upbringings.  4 different life experiences. 4 different cultures. 4 different times of salvation. Out of these 4 different people, not a single one was perfect.  Not a single one had earned their salvation.  Not a single one was honored for what they had done, but rather for what God had done and still was doing in their life.

What struck me with the missionary videos was related to the baptisms. As each person(s) told us via video how God was working in their lives and their ministry, I realized that they too came from different cultures, different upbringings, different parents, etc.  Not a single one mentioned how great they were at being missionaries.  Not a single one mentioned what they could offer God.  They all humbly mentioned how they were thrilled to be able to serve God in this manner.

So … what was my takeaway from all of that?  I’m glad you asked!

First of all, I’m so glad that God NEVER gave up on me. Yesterday it has been 5 years since I accepted Christ as my Saviour.  It still overwhelms me that God kept giving me chance after chance after chance.  I still don’t understand why He never gave up on me, but I’m so thankful He didn’t.  Second of all, there is no certain “type” that God uses. There is not a certain “type” that God saves.  He speaks to all the same message of truth and salvation. Think of those he used in the Bible:

~ Noah was a drunk

~ Abraham was too old

~ Isaac was a daydreamer

~ Jacob was a liar

~ Joseph was abused

~ Moses had a stuttering problem and was a murderer

~ Gideon was afraid

~ Samson had long hair and was a womanizer

~ Rahab was a prostitute

~ Jeremiah and Timothy were too young

~ David was an adulterer and a murderer

~ Elijah was suicidal

~ Jonah ran from God

~ Naomi was a widow

~ Job went bankrupt

~ John the Baptist ate bugs

~ Peter denied Christ

~ The disciples fell asleep while praying

~ Martha worried about everything

~ The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once)

~ Zacchaeus was too small

~ Paul was too religious

~ Lazarus was dead!

If you’re waiting until you’re “perfect” to accept Christ as your saviour, you’ll never make it. God accepts you JUST AS YOU ARE … God accepts you WHERE YOU ARE … God saves you AS YOU ARE … changes come AFTER salvation as God begins to mold you into His image.

If you’re waiting until you’ve achieved a certain “level of Christianity” to serve God as a missionary; church worker; Overseas Lay Worker; work witness; etc. you will never serve God … period.  He wants us to serve Him Today … Now … when He directs us.  Our growth comes as we serve Him. We grow because we serve.

Yes … I am a sinner … AND God loves me … no “buts” here … Before time began, God loved me so much that He developed a plan for His son Jesus Christ.  That plan involved unmerited love for me that overwhelms me and makes me thankful.

God did the same for you … If you have never accepted Him as your Saviour, He loves you and will save you AS YOU ARE and WHERE YOU ARE …

If you are wanting to serve God in some capacity, know He loves you and wants to USE YOU NOW and will draw you closer to Him as you serve Him.

The last thing that struck me is God used today’s service to speak to me and who knows how many of the 1,000+ that attended the service.  Matt didn’t even preach a single message.  But the message from the time of prayer, worship, testimonies, etc. was very CLEAR … God wants to save the unsaved AND God wants to use us if we’re willing.

Turn to Him today for salvation and/or to serve Him in some capacity…

 Now don’t get too worried.  Hopefully you’ll read past the heading.  It got your attention didn’t it?  That’s all I wanted.  

Here’s the story of Martha:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.  And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.  But Martha was distracted with much serving.  And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Tell her then to help me.”  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:38-42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/luk.10.38-42.esv

In the biblical account above?  I’m Martha.  My “spiritual gift” is serving.  I’m the doer not the talker.  I’m the guy who moves chairs; sweeps floors; cleans the kitchen; throws away the trash; etc. 

If I’m not careful that consumes me.  I come home and I’m only focused on tasks.  What needs to be done.  What isn’t done because I’m behind.  What am I doing tomorrow.  What am I doing the rest of the week, etc. 

What’s wrong with that?  It becomes how I value who I am.  Instead of walking with Christ I’m working for Christ.  It can become more about legalism and less about relationship.  My family can be neglected.  My walk with God can be neglected.  My relationship with other Christians can be neglected.  Because I’m focused on the next thing I have to do. 

What’s the remedy?  Proper balance.  The work is necessary.  The serving is necessary.  But there must be worship.  There must be prayer time.  There must be a time of Bible Study.   

Where do you stand?  Do you focus primarily on tasks in the Christian life?  Do you believe that shows how “strong of a Christian” you are?  

Do you focus primarily on worship?  Do you believe that shows how “strong of a Christian” you are?  I’m in the first category, but neither one is true. The Bible clearly says “by your fruits you shall know them.” 

“Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

http://bible.com/59/mat.7.20.esv

I don’t know about you.  I can only speak for myself but I have a LONG way to go in that category.  I’m not the servant I should be and I’m not the worshipper I should be. As the children’s church song goes; “He’s Still Working On Me.”

It’s that time of year again. As the weather warms, I love the fact I get to pull out my bike and enjoy the beautiful afternoons. To me there’s not much more exhilarating than going down a hill on your bike with the wind at your face. I like being able to coast if I want … go slower if I want … go faster if I want …

Every time before on my long rides, I have always gone by myself. Yesterday, a friend of mine(shout out to Jerry) came with me.  The longest he had gone was 11 miles. I told him I normally try to do close to 20. He said he was game and would hang with me the entire time. You know how us guys are … we’re competitive about everything with every one and don’t like to lose.

Several things happened yesterday on our bike ride:

1.  We rode for 20 miles

2.  We went a direction I had never gone before

3.  I almost lost control going down a hill too fast

4. I got sunburned. Yes, I didn’t put on sunscreen. Yes, I’m not smart

5.  We pushed each other(passing each other) on the tough hills

6.  We talked and communicated along the ride

   1. We talked about the different equipment on our bike
   2. We talked about plans for the summer
   3. We talked about our families

7. We went through construction areas

8. We went by fields, rivers, ponds, streams, across bridges and along streets

Now you know what’s coming next. It’s time for an application for me. It doesn’t matter what I do in life, I always think of how it applies to my spiritual walk. My problem is that I can develop illustrations for living for God, but it’s always harder to do the actual living. “God, help me to live a life that is pleasing to you … every single day.”

So, how does bike riding apply to our Christian walk?

1. Life is a journey. It’s not a sprint; it’s not even a marathon; it’s not a 20 mile bike ride. It’s eternal life. The question we must face is what will we do with Jesus in that journey? Will we accept Him as Savior and live for Him daily? Or will we reject Him and spend eternity separated from Him and the blessing of Heaven.

2. In life there will be times that we walk down paths we’ve never been before. Those paths may be unsure; those paths may be scary; those paths may be uneven; those paths may be dark; no one but us may even go down those paths. However, God promises to always walk beside us down that path. It doesn’t matter how dark, unsure, scary or traveled those paths are. God will always walk with us in our journey.

3. Sometimes in life, we get so confident we don’t think we need God. We start flying through life with no controls at all. We lose control of our thoughts, emotions, etc. When we take control away from God we have no way to slow down the consequences of sin. It doesn’t matter how good things are currently in our life. We must always follow His guidance; in His timing.

4. We need to be in God’s Word daily. If we aren’t familiar with His Word, we won’t be protected from the schemes of Satan. We will fall victim to temptation. Don’t ever underestimate the power of knowing scripture and having a consistent prayer life.

5. We need each other to walk this journey. We(I) can’t walk this Christian life alone. We need other Christians to push us up those tough hills. We need other Christians to pray for us as we go through Valleys. We need other Christians to challenge us to live lives pleasing to God. God instructs us throughout His Word that we need each other to live for Him.

6. We also need each other for fellowship. God created us to be relational. As Christians we need to be relational to each other. We shouldn’t bicker, fight, argue, etc. We are all walking the same Christian walk for Christ. The more we communicate with each other, the easier that Christian life will be.

7. There will be times in our life that God uses circumstances to shape us; mold us; and grow us. Peter spoke of us being tried and coming forth as gold. We must be willing to be molded through different avenues in order for us to draw closer to God and live a better life for Him.

8. When we live for Him, there will be beautiful stages in our life. We will go through struggles, but along the way He gives us moments to rejoice; moments to be thankful; moments to remember and moments to cherish for a lifetime.

It’s in those moments that I remember how thankful I am that God never gave up on me; that He convicted me of my sin and lack of salvation; that He saved me almost 5 years ago. My life is like a bike ride. Up and down …. up and down …. up and down … but, even still, God walks beside me convicting, encouraging, loving, etc.

I’m thankful for Him …

John 20:1,11-18

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 

¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her,“Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,^[b] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

In this mornings Easter Service, our Pastor, Bro. Stuart started out by reading the above passage from the Bible. As he read, two things struck me that I hadn’t thought of before:

#1. She didn’t remember what Jesus had promised them. She was shocked to find the tomb empty. She thought someone had done something to His body. She never gave thought to the fact that Jesus had told them exactly what would happen and that he would rise again. All she could see is the circumstances in front of her. All she knew is there was an empty tomb, the body of Jesus was gone, she couldn’t anoint His body, she couldn’t follow through on her plan, and now she had no idea what to do next.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Jesus promises us throughout His Word that:

He will never leave us nor forsake us

He will comfort us

He will provide for us

He will protect us

He will strengthen us

He will give us victory over death

His Grace is sufficient

The list of promises continues throughout scripture. Yet, in spite of those promises, we still struggle believing when we are in the middle of something we don’t understand or can’t comprehend. We automatically look for every answer but God. We look at each angle except one that involves putting our trust in Him. We do just like Mary. We agonize over what we’ve lost; where we are; what’s going to happen; etc. All we see is our circumstances. We don’t see God at work.

#2. At that exact moment of hopelessness; helplessness; confusion; sorrow and tears flowing; Jesus showed up. Jesus could have been out having a celebration proving his resurrection; He could have been leading a parade to show God’s power; He could have been going from house to house saying “I told you so”; etc. However, He recognized that in that moment, Mary needed His presence; she needed His reassurance that His Word was true; and that He had not left her. He was right behind her and she didn’t even know it.

I’m so thankful that in those times of despair, frustration, anger, sorrow, etc. that God chooses THOSE times to show up in our lives. A friend of mine from Little Rock(Jason H.), always says, “God we need you to show up big in this situation.” or “God showed up in a big way in that occurrence.” That’s exactly what God does. In spite of our unbelief; in spite of our refusal to trust; in spite of our pride in trying to “fix” things ourselves; in spite of our thinking God has failed us; God shows up EXACTLY when we need Him too and He always knows exactly what to say to calm our fears and reassure us that He’s still in control. When we least expect it, God will be right beside us; behind us; lifting us up; holding our hand; sharing our burdens, sorrows, etc.

This Easter Sunday, I’m so thankful that the tomb is empty! That we serve a RISEN Savior! That He saved me in spite of my running from Him over many years. That He provides for me grace, hope, encouragement, protection and yes, even chastisement when needed. He is truly sufficient for EACH and EVERY part of our lives.

If you haven’t stopped to thank Him for all He’s done … do it today …

If you haven’t accepted Him as your Lord and Savior … do it today …

Happy Easter Everyone!

The hard truth to the matter is I’m not much of a prayer warrior. I grew up around a mom who prayed every single morning and throughout the day. However, I never picked up that habit and quality trait unfortunately. Prayer to me has the tendency to be a second choice. I try to manipulate things myself. Then if that doesn’t work … after I have exhausted all means … then I choose prayer. Why is that? Why don’t I go to God first in prayer and follow His lead? If I were to be honest, I would say it’s a pride thing. If you’ve read any of my blogs previous to this one, you know pride is something I have mentioned before. It is a continual weakness that I have yet to overcome.

Now, I didn’t say I didn’t pray and haven’t prayed. I just don’t do it as consistently as I should. Thankfully(as with many things), God hasn’t held that against me.

For the past 14 years, I have had a singular prayer request. Those of you who know me well know the request and have been praying with me. You can never underestimate the power of prayer. Prayer of yourself to God and prayer of others to God on behalf of you.

A few weeks ago, God partially answered this prayer. It overwhelmed me that He gave me an opportunity that I have been praying for for a long time. It was such a joy to see Him at work! My regret is I tried too many times to manipulate that answer myself and didn’t just let Him lead the situation.

Now I said He “partially answered this prayer.” That means I continue to pray for Him to open doors. But, I had to take the time to thank Him for bringing me this far and answering my prayer in a way I had hoped He would.

Of course, you’ve heard the old adage(which I believe) before that God ALWAYS answers prayer.

Sometimes the answer is YES

Sometimes the answer is NO

Sometimes the answer is WAIT

It’s the waiting part I don’t particularly like. That’s where I like to “help God out” and move things along.

However, that’s not my place in my Christian life. My place is to:

1. Do my best to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

2. Spend time in prayer for those around me that need Him in their lives

3. Be a witness to those around me that need Him in their lives

4. Request for God’s will to be accomplished in the areas of my life I need His power and involvement

5. Accept either YES, NO, or WAIT as His Will and continue to serve Him.

How’s your prayer life?

I KNOW God always answers prayer

I KNOW God wants us to be content and happy in Him

I KNOW God wants us to serve Him

I KNOW I must accept His will no matter what that may entail

Need God to work in a miraculous way in your life? I know He will answer your prayer. As a matter of fact, He already has … it could be the answer to WAIT and see what He will do.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Simple question with a complicated answer. Who really wants to admit they’re a Pharisee? I know with my pride I have no desire to admit that I am a Pharisee. Of course, just saying that I am prideful puts me in the company of the Pharisees. Let’s look at the two separate people from Scripture:

Samaritans

Luke 10:33

“But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.”

Here you have a Jewish guy(most likely) that has been attacked and left for dead. You have a Priest and a Levite who ignore this man; going to the point of crossing the other side of the street. But, a man who is a Samaritan stops, washes his wounds, and pays out of his own pocket for the man to rest in an inn until he recovers from his wounds.  A man who according to tradition should have nothing to do with a Jew is the ONLY one who stops and cares for him.

Luke 17:15-16

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”

Here you have a group of ten lepers that Jesus miraculously healed. ONLY one returned to give thanks. The Word mentions that this one thankful man was a Samaritan. The fact that Luke felt it necessary for us to know he was a Samaritan leads me to believe that some of the other lepers were Jews. So, once again, a Samaritan is the ONLY one to offer thanksgiving for what Jesus did in his life.

John 4:39

“Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

Read the story of the Samaritan woman in John 4. She was shocked that Jesus would even talk to her. Jews weren’t supposed to talk to Samaritans. Not only did Jesus change this woman’s life but the minute she accepted Him as her Savior, she went and told others about Him. Because of her testimony and because Jesus was willing to speak to them, “many” were saved. Based on the humility of ONE Samaritan women.

Those are just a few of the passages that mention Samaritans. Notice that in each instance you see humility, thanksgiving, love, willingness to listen, forgiveness, no prejudice, etc. In each case they exhibit the traits God wants us to exhibit.

Pharisees

John 15:2

“And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”

They were angry … angry that Jesus spent time with the needy; the down trodden; the brokenhearted; etc. Their ONLY focus was how dare He spend time with those who can’t repay Him back or make him(or them) look better in everyone’s eyes.

Luke 16:14

“The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.”

Jesus had just finished teaching that money can’t take the place of God. The Pharisees immediately mocked Him. Why? Because they desired fame and fortune more than anything. Their only focus was “filling their pockets” and getting recognition from those around them.

Luke 18:11-12

“The Pharisee,standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.”

This is one of the more popular passages about the Pharisees. Here you see a man who cares ONLY about himself and how much he follows all that he’s supposed to follow and do all that he’s supposed to do. Doesn’t care about others … ONLY cares about his image and his popularity.

Those are just a few of the passages that mention Pharisees. Notice that in each instance you see pride, hatred, boasting, mocking, prejudice, etc.  In each case they exhibit the traits God wants us to avoid.

In conclusion, I ask the title question again … Are You A Samaritan or a Pharisee?

I’ll tell you my answer. I want to be the Samaritan 24/7 … but that doesn’t always happen. There are times that I am Pharisaical. There are times that I am prideful, hateful, boastful, etc. There are times I think I’m better than those around me. In those times, God once again convicts me of my sin and sets me right again.

My prayer is that I am always the Samaritan when dealing with those God brings into my life. It’s an overused saying but still holds true … “I may be the ONLY Jesus some may ever meet”. I want them to have a hunger for knowing Christ after they have met me … I’m not there yet … but I’m trying … so please be patient because God’s still working on me …

How about you … Pharisee or Samaritan?

Choose wisely … 

James 1:8

“A double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.”

I have recently been listening to podcasts of James MacDonald. One of the verses he used in the most recent message I listened to was James 1:8. It convicted me immediately.

I admit fully that based on this verse, I am at times unstable. God is a jealous God. He wants our full attention. He deserves our full attention and more. However, when things in my life become more important than God, then my mind dwells more on those things and less on God. When God becomes less in my mind, that is the definition of a “double minded man”. i.e. a man who focuses on more than just God. That man becomes unstable. Why? because he is focusing on more than he can handle.

Just being transparent, here are things that can overcome God in my mind:

Work
Sports
Family
Self
Television

I have found that the more I bury myself in these categories, the less I spend time with God. When I spend less time with God, my walk with Him suffers.

Sounds so easy, right? Stay focused on God … He takes care of everything in your life … and you’re not unstable anymore.

How’s your walk with God? How stable are you? How balanced are you? What’s coming in between you and Christ? Whatever it may be for you will cause you to struggle in your walk? You will become “unstable.” You will find yourself farther and farther from God.

What’s the solution? For me it’s several things:

Daily time with God and His Word
Weekly devotional time with my wife
Nightly prayer time with my wife
My wife and I holding each other accountable in our walk with Christ
Being a part of a men’s group that meets weekly and holds each other accountable
Being a part of a good, gospel preaching church

It’s not rocket science … It’s not some magic formula … It’s just simply following these steps. When I do these things regularly, my walk with God is better.

I don’t know what hinders you from serving God the way you should. But, whatever it is, get it out of your life. I don’t think any of us want to be classified as “unstable.” The only way to keep that from happening is to stay focused on Christ and His Word.

Tuesday’s are normally my half days. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, I’m going to try(I said try) and ride my bike in the afternoon. I tried running, but my heart just wasn’t in it. I enjoy bike riding though and if you ride long enough, it is good exercise. I was unable to take my half day Tuesday, so I took it today. I got home a little before 4 p.m. and decided to still go ahead and bike for about an hour. These are the items I had with me:

Helmet … water … house key … iphone … ear buds … sleeve for my iphone to attach around my arm … driver’s license in case I ever get hit and they need to know where I love(I know … OCD … what can I say)

I had ridden bout a 1/3 of my trip and was about 5 miles from home when … yep … you guessed it … I heard an unusual sound from the back of my bike. I looked back and it was flat as a pancake …

Hand tire pump? … nope

Money to get to the closest gas station and use their air pump? … nope

Debit card to get to the closest gas station and use their pump? … nope

Repair Kit? … nope

My only option? Call my wife and have her come get me. Unfortunately for me, she was 30 minutes away at an appt. So … I started the long trek of walking my bike back towards our home. Needless to say, I had a long time to think on my walk back … don’t worry, my wife made it after her appt. I was only walking with my bike for about 45 minutes.

As I was walking my bike back towards our home, I made the decision that from now on, I will have some cash or a debit card with me; I will buy a hand pump that attaches to my bike. Next time that happens to me; I will be better prepared.

It’s kind of that way in our Christian life. We go through life and depend on everything else for our success. As long as we have a nice house; two cars; in-ground pool; good paying jobs; the right social connections and the “perfect family” then we don’t really need God, right? That is what we count on … that is what we trust in … until some(or all) of that changes. Then when things happen and our life goes “flat” we realize then that the things that are most important; that the things that we need close to us to help us endure life’s struggles aren’t immediately at our disposal.  Then we call out to God to come deliver us. He does … and things are great again.

I couldn’t help but think of Ephesians 6:10-17

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

1. Be strong in the Lord … Rest in Him … Trust in Him

2. Recognize that we aren’t to attack people when things don’t go our way … Let God fight for us

3. Trust in God’s truth … If we aren’t studying His Word; attending a good Bible teaching church; we won’t know the truth

4. Live a life of “rightness” before God. The closer we are to God, the better life we’ll live

5. Be ready to serve wherever/whenever God requests you to serve

6. Live a life of peace before God … When we walk close to God, we’ll be at peace during the struggles

7. Shield of faith … Trust in God … that’s really the key through all of this(and why it’s mentioned so many times throughout scripture); we must have complete trust in God

8. Know the Word of God … without it, we will have no tools to overcome temptation and sin

So, as you walk through your Christian life, keep in mind that we can’t keep our faith, trust and hope in material possessions, social status, etc. Those will fail us when our life goes “flat.” We must keep our faith, trust and hope in Christ alone and we must keep a close walk with Him. We can’t live this life without Him. “I Need Thee Every Hour.”

By the way … I’m glad our phones didn’t die … my % was at 13% and hers died just as I sent her my location …

So, from the beginning, let me get a couple disclaimers out there:

#1 – I didn’t say I hate church. I said I hate “Church Shopping”. Both of those things are completely different. I love Church! I need Church. I don’t understand those who say they don’t need church; that they can live their lives without attending a church; that they can have a close relationship with God without attending a church. If I don’t stay involved in a church; if I don’t get plugged into a life group; then my Christian walk suffers.

#2 – I don’t mean to be sacrilegious by comparing finding a church with the retail world I work in daily. If that offends you, then I’m sorry. However, you have to admit that shopping for something at the store has comparisions to finding a church home. You look for a certain “checklist of items” you expect to be there; you hope to see friendly faces; you hope things are just as you like them and “just your size.”

I had the great blessing of attending Geyer Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock, AR over the last 5 years. I can honestly say it is the best church I have ever attended. Largely because that is the church where I finally quit fighting God and accepted Him as my Saviour. It’s also the place where I met my amazing wife, Arlyn.

However, it is more than that. GSFBC was filled with friendly, caring, non-judging people. God blessed us so much by allowing us to be involved with a class full of couples that struggled with the same things we struggle with. A class of men and women that we could call friends no matter what; that we could call on in a moment when we needed prayer; counseling; etc. There was so much love in that class, it would always overwhelm me(and still does) when I would think of the strength of God in that class.

But, it’s even more than that. God has blessed that church with a man of God who humbly proclaims God’s Word without apology. Bro. Jeff Williams is a Pastor who is transparent with his flock; he doesn’t back down from what the Word says and what the Word requires. However, he is also very quick to show and preach love and grace. I have never been around a Pastor of whom I had so much love and respect.

Then God moved us to NWA. There was no doubt(and still isn’t) that this move was of God. It still humbles me when I think of the many ways he has blessed me and blessed us. But, when we moved here, we had to find a place to serve God. As I said before, I must be involved in a church to keep my relationship with Christ strong.

Over the past 4 months, we visited 5 different churches. We looked at another 5 or more online listening to some of their Pastor’s sermons, reading about “what they had to offer”(real spiritual I know), etc. I can’t tell begin to tell you the frustration we experienced.

If you know me at all, you know that I have a pride problem and I have a judgmental spirit at times. Those two combined make it difficult for me(and especially my wife having to live with me) when it comes to finding a church. We go to one church and the people aren’t friendly and the Pastor seems arrogant(funny coming from me, right?) We go to another church and the people in the service are extremely friendly in the main service. The sermon is okay; but the 2 different life groups we attend, there is no attempt to reach out and connect with us.

Now, part of that responsibility lies on me to be someone who is “reachable”(still working on that pride problem again); but it is also nice to have someone walk up to you, introduce themselves and find out a little bit about you. We go to another church and fill out a card requesting how to join; never hear back; there is no mention at invitation time on what to do to join the church. We continue to go and a few weeks later ask someone how to join. They don’t know but they get our phone number and tell us someone will call us this week to tell us what we need to do to join their church. We never hear back. We finally determine that must mean God doesn’t want us there.

So, we continue to look for where God has a place for us. We joined a church this morning. The people are extremely friendly; the Pastor preaches the Word without apology and seems to have a close walk with God.

So, what’s the point of this blog? I really have no idea. I guess to tell you that I still struggle with Pride and having judgmental attitudes. It could be to tell you what an amazing blessing GSFBC has been and continues to be to me and Arlyn. It could also be to tell you what an amazing blessing Bro. Jeff was to us. I’m so thankful we can listen to his podcasts. And it could also be to help remind you(and especially remind me) how important it is that we reach out to those around us that visit our churches; that visit our life groups; that live next door to us; that work right beside us; that God brings into our lives; etc. As the very familiar phrase goes, “we may be the only Jesus some will ever see.”

No pictures this time … no scripture passages … no impactful testimony …

Just to let you know that God has led us to a church home. Now, we have to find where God would have us serve in this church. Plus, I need to heed all of my words listed above and make sure that each AND every time, we have a visitor or God leads someone into my path that I reach out and show them God’s love.

My WALK TALKS a whole lot louder than my TALK TALKS ..

A little over a year ago, I attended a Men’s Conference at Geyer Springs First Baptist Church(my church). After the conference, I was part of a Men’s Bible Study that was to last 6 wks. We have now been meeting every Saturday at 6:30 a.m. for the past 14 months. About 8 months ago, Paul suggested we do a guys wknd get away. It would involve Sports, Food and a little Bible thrown in. Yep … I’m in! You mention Sports and Food and I’m there! Seven of us agreed to get together of this weekend.

This was/is the wknd Paul picked. Needless to say, since it has involved Sports and food, we have had a great time! However, there are several things I have learned this weekend:

*If there is a a wreck on I-40 between Little Rock and Conway Friday evening at 6:30, you will have no where to go, so you better be full of food, not need to go to the bathroom and have a full tank of gas. What was supposed to be a 90 minute drive at the most ended up being a 210 minute journey. When we finally reached an exit to get some dinner(most important thing), there was a long line of people at KFC/Taco Bell doing the same thing. A 10 minute in and out meal turned into a 30 minute dinner.

*Paul is good at any sport he plays. He beat us in Ping Pong, Pool, Golf, Cards, Tennis, etc. You name it … he embarrassed us. He is no longer allowed to do anything like this again. He either doesn’t come or doesn’t participate. We lost a little bit of Ego this weekend thanks to Paul.

*I’m extremely rusty at Ping Pong. It’s been 2 yrs since I played at all and that time was with Arlyn for about 30 minutes. Other than that, it has been about 10 yrs since I’ve played. I don’t see Ping Pong playing competitively in my future any time soon.

*I’m even worse at golf. I haven’t played in 15 yrs and it showed in a big way! Of course, I was never any good, but it was even worse yesterday.

*What you like/don’t like is all about perspective. We ate lunch halfway through 18 holes yesterday and the water was horrible. It tasted like dirty dishwater. When I asked the waitress to bring me some unsweet tea instead, she told me that their water was delicicious! Said it’s local water everyone loves. Her perspective was limited to her experience.

*I hope you didn’t start reading this looking for some type of wisdom. It won’t be in this blog … sorry …

*I learned that I want a large 4 door, Red Pick up truck, with large knobby tires and a loud engine. Please Alan, let me drive it for a week. That’s all I ask …

*I learned that guys from any background can get along. Brant mentioned this last night. He stated that it dawned on him while golfing that each of us came from different backgrounds and we were all having a great time. Each one of us was raised differently and have different life experiences. However, we have several things in common. We love God and try daily to serve Him. We love our wives and try daily to be a good husband. We love our children and try daily to be a good father. We always are drawn to hang around people we have everything in common with. Maybe we would learn more if we just connect with the people God brings into our lives and not worry about whether our income level, clothing styles, sports teams, attitudes, etc. match with our approval.

*I learned that guys can talk … non stop … for 3 days … There was never a quiet moment in our house. Until it was time for bed. Guys are way more “chatty” than we care to admit …

*I learned that I can’t do the life of a Christian on my own. For the longest time, I have been extremely independent. I don’t allow people in my “bubble”. I keep my life private. I don’t need friends. Acquaintances are good, but friends are unnecessary. The past year of my life has been completely different than any other year I have had. I have men that I can call true friends. I can text/call/email/etc about a prayer request, praise, etc and they will pray with me; rejoice with me; etc. They share with me wisdom, experiences, etc. that have helped me in so many ways.

*I learned that in order to have Godly men in your life, you have to take a chance and be vulnerable. We spent over 2 hrs discussing our backgrounds, experiences, struggles, etc. last night. It was such a blessing to know that God has used every one of them in an amazing way. It was also a blessing to know that we all have different backgrounds but the same struggles. We always think a man who shares his heart is a weak man and is throwing away his man card when he opens up. Maybe it’s time we realized our families would benefit more if we admitted our weaknesses and showed them our vulnerabilities.

*I learned that God has blessed me far more than I deserve. I got choked up last night thinking of how much God has given me when I deserve so little. I’m so thankful that He loves me unconditionally. I’m so thankful He doesn’t hold grudges. I’m so thankful He forgives AND forgets and NEVER gives up. I’m so thankful for the amazing wife He has given me. I’m so thankful for the circle of men He has placed in my life that I can call FRIENDS.

So, Paul, Brant, Jason B., Matt, Eric, Alan, Jason H., Bryan, and Luke … thank you for praying for me; praying with me; challenging me; listening to me; and being willing to be used by God … and to Paul, Brant, Jason B., Eric, Matt & Alan, thank you for a fun weekend that started out being sports, food and a little bit of spiritual and ended up being a lot about God and a little about sports and food. Each of you are a blessing to me and a help to my walk in Christ. I love each of you as Christian brothers …

If you’re doing life alone … DON’T … men need men in their lives … women need women in their lives

It means you have to be vulnerable some and trust God a lot! When you do that, you might be surprised what God does in your life!

I found this “compiled Proverb” last night online under Proverbs 32 Man … it was a blessing to me:

PROVERBS 32
Portrait of the man of integrity
32 Who can find a man of integrity? The just [man] walketh in his integrity: his children [are] blessed after him. (20:7 )
2 He is wise and will hear and will increase learning; and as a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. (1:5)
3 He walks in the way of good [men], and keeps the paths of the righteous. (2:20)
4 Therefore, he finds favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. (3:4)
5 His children hear his instruction and attend to know understanding. (4:1)
6 He avoids the strange woman (5:8) and rejoices with the wife of his youth. (5:18)
7 For he keeps the commandment of his father and forsakes not the law of his mother: (6:20)
8 Blessed is he for he heareth me[wisdom], watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. (8:34)
9 He receives [instruction] and becomes yet wiser: Because he is a righteous man, he will receive teaching and increase in learning. (9:9)
10 As a wise son; he gathereth in summer.(10:5)
11 His strength enables him to obtain riches. (11:16)
12 And his worthy wife is a crown to his life. (12:4)
13 For he even shows tender mercies to the life of his beast. (12:10)
14 Because he tilleth his land, he has stored up plenty of bread. (12:11)
15 Because he is diligent, his hand bears rule. (12:24)
16 Because he walks with wise men, he is wise. Fools are not his companions. (13:20)
17 He is good and leaves an inheritance to his children’s children. (13:22)
18 For he hath so loved his son; that he hath chasteneth him. (13:24)
19 And his ways please Jehovah, so that the Lord maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (16:7)
20 Slow to anger , he ruleth his spirit as a victorious commander. (16:32)
21 In old age his children’s children are a crown to him; and the glory of his children are his glory. (17:6)
22 His words are [as] deep waters; a wellspring of wisdom like a flowing brook. (18:4)
23 He knoweth his wife is a good thing because the Lord has favored him to have found her, a prudent wife. (18:22, 19:14)
24 Because he shows himself friendly, he has
friends, for he is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (18:24)
25 Diligent in his business, he stands before kings and not before mean men. (22:29)
26 He holds not correction from his child; (23:13)
27 Neither is he found among winebibbers, nor gluttonous eaters of flesh. (23:20)
28 Yet, he hearkens unto his father that begat him despising not his mother when she is old. (23:22)
29 As iron sharpeneth iron; so he sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. (27:17)
30 Because he hideth not his eyes from the poor, he does not lack. (28:27)
31 As a husband, he is known in the gates, where he sitteth among the elders of the land. (31:23)

I get two weeks of vacation each year.  One week we usually do a “staycation.”  Then one week we do a “travel vacation.”   We try and do the “travel vacation” in the Fall when it is cooler and an easier drive in the car.  Last week was our “travel vacation.”  Here was the plan:

Dallas Cowboys v. Denver Broncos game

Drive to the Grand Canyon for 3 days

Yep … you know where this Blog is headed

We received word that the Govt would be shutting down the Parks a few days before we were to leave for Dallas.  We waited as long as we could hoping things would change and we could still go.  Finally, when we could wait no longer, we canceled the trip.  Thankfully all of our reservations were refunded.  The next dilemma was to find somewhere else to go on such short notice.  We discussed going to one of the Beaches in Florida, Georgia, or the Carolinas.  However, there was a potential hurricane coming close to the beaches during that time frame plus there was a heavy chance of rain at all of the beaches even if the hurricane didn’t come to shore.  

We looked at several different options and there was always a roadblock that kept us from going to those locations.   So, we ended up just going to Branson, MO.  Both of us have been to Branson before(first dating day trip).  We drove from Dallas Monday and spent the night at the Fleshman Hotel.   Tuesday morning we slept in(first time in a long time I can remember sleeping in) and drove to Branson.  We had a great dinner at the Keeter Center located on the campus of the College of the Ozarks.   If you have a child approaching college age, I would suggest you look into the College of the Ozarks.  Very unique and intriguing program.  

Wednesday we visited the Shepherd of the Hills Center.  I went down a zipline off of Inspiration Point(tried to convince Arlyn to go with me to no avail).  We also drove go carts on a 4 level track and played putt-putt.  Thursday we spent the day at Silver Dollar City. While there we went down into Marvel Cave, rode some rides, attended some shows and visited the craft booths.   Friday we spent the morning shopping at the Outlet Mall and then headed to NWA to spend the afternoon and evening with my parents.  We got up Saturday morning and came back home.  

I have to tell you that we thoroughly enjoyed the week of vacation we had.  I forgot all about being disappointed in not going to the Grand Canyon.  I was extrememly frustrated the day I cancelled our reservations.  However, by the end of that day, God had convicted me of my bad attitude.  How dare I get upset because my vacation plans had to change.  We had friends who had been furloughed by the Govt and wouldn’t be receiving a paycheck for an indefinite period of time.  Our little “vacation plans” having to be canceled just didn’t seem as important as other real trials that people were going through.  

At the end of the day, we were glad for how it turned out.  We drove less miles, got more sleep and had a lot of fun.  Interesting how that worked out ….

I say interesting because isn’t that how we behave in life?

We have our own plans for our life … we make the arrangements … we dictate it out … we tell everyone what we’re going to do … we manipulate people and situations to complete the plan we have for ourselves…

Then God comes along and completely “rocks our boat” …

He changes our plan … leads us down a different path … takes away a promotion or a job … takes away “a chance of a lifetime” … purchases of items fall through … etc.

Then, when all is said and done and we look back on what God took us through we see how we grew … we see how we were a testimony to Him and to others … we see the positive impact on our friends and our families … we see that God’s plan was the right plan and much better than our plan.

Of course, that doesn’t happen until all is said and done.  I couldn’t see halfway through our vacation that I was getting more sleep and having a great time.  I didn’t realize it until we got home Saturday and realized just how thankful I was that we didn’t go to the Grand Canyon.  Was Branson as beautiful as the Grand Canyon?  Absolutely not!  Was it as awe inspiring?  Not even close!  However, the Grand Canyon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.  There will be other opportunities for us to go visit there.  For this time in our life, Branson was where we needed to spend our vacation.   

The next time God changes your plans … remember … He knows what you need … let Him take you through it … and after all is said and done, you will see how God used you and how He brought you through.  Then you will be able to say like Paul, “I have run the race, I have stayed the course, I have finished the job” …

Stay faithful in your Branson even though you want the Grand Canyon …

I hate running.   There is no way around it.   I just don’t like it.  I would much rather bike ride.  However, I ran for the first time in about 10 months this past Sunday morning.  Why you ask?  For a couple of reasons.  First of all, my church hosts a 5K every year in August.  Not sure why we choose the hottest time of the year to host this 5K, but that’s when it is.  I have ran it 2 years in a row. So, I started something I have to continue(if you are a OCD person or know someone who is OCD you know what I mean) on an annual basis.  Plus, I find myself gaining back some of the weight I fought hard to get off.  In order to help ensure I keep that weight off, I thought running would help.

Sunday morning was the first morning I started training for the Run With The Son 5K at GSFBC.  I started out doing real well.  I convinced myself I would go the entire 3.1 miles without stopping.  I was DETERMINED.  After the first mile, I was proud of myself.  So, I went into justification mode.  Since I was doing so well, I could walk for a minute and then pick it back up again.  That wasn’t smart.  Over the next 25 minutes, I justified walking a couple of times.

As I started back up to our house, I saw Arlyn walking.  She walked while I ran.  So of course, I caught up with her; walked with her for a minute and then went back to jogging so I could impress her with my great shape.  As I was running I couldn’t help but think about the correlations to the Christian walk.  It’s no wonder Paul used running as an example.

  Do you ever think of yourself as a runner as you go through the Christian life?  We start out at the beginning of our Christian walk on fire for Him.  We’re excited …. we want to tell people how He saved us … we attend church on a regular basis … we ask a lot of questions of other Christians … it’s new, exciting, fresh and fun.  Or, think of our life right after a major blessing or answer to pray from God.  We experience the same  emotions …. excitement, confidence, determination, etc. But then, we get tired.  When we get tired, we justify being “lazy for God” with all kinds of reasons.   The road is too steep …. I’m tired of being the only one …. surely, God understands and doesn’t want me to go to the extremes … insert your excuse here …

I didn’t pass out from my run Sunday morning.  I’m a little stiff … a little sore … but I can still function and still get around.  I’ll continue to train over the coming weeks and as time progresses, I’ll get in better shape; the runs will get a LITTLE easier and I’ll survive the 5K Run with the Son in August.  Then, I’ll look back at the time period and be glad I participated in the event.  I’ll see the good it did for me and I’ll be satisfied.

We can’t see the end result of living for God faithfully.  We can’t see the plans He has for us and how our lives will play out.  But, at the end of a trial or at the end of a struggle, we can always look back and see that God made us better and stronger because of what He took us through.  Then we can be glad He took us through the way He did because it made us stronger Christians; gave us stronger testimonies, and drew us closer to God. Plus, when we walk through this life living close to God, we lead our families for Him and leave a legacy for our children.  It helped me run better when I saw my wife and knew I had to impress her.  If we remember the legacy we are leaving our families, it will help us walk through difficulties.  We make them stronger and more apt to follow God when we serve Him faithfully.

Next time life gets difficult, remember, you are in a race.  God is on your side and He will carry you through.  Plus, He will use you to grow His Gospel.

Stay in the race …

I Corinthians 9:24-27

Hebrews 12:1

Philippians 3:13-14

Isaiah 40:31

I still think we need a Bike for the Son instead of a Run with the Son …

Anybody … Anybody???

For some reason, I’ve had this saying in my head the past couple of days.  Probably because of the time of year.  Tomorrow is SUNDAY!  EASTER SUNDAY!  The day we celebrate the resurrection and ascension of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Simon Peter and ALL of the Disciples “forsook Him and fled” when the chips were laid out on the table.  When things didn’t go as planned, they ran.  They assumed Jesus would set up His Kingdom then and there.  They assumed Jesus would make them rulers in His new Kingdom then and there.  They had a different agenda than Jesus did.  When things didn’t go as planned, they ran.  

Just as Jesus promised, He ROSE AGAIN!  However, to the disciples confusion, He still didn’t set up His Kingdom.  He still didn’t nominate them as rulers in His new Kingdom.  Confused and frustrated Simon Peter says “I go a fishing”.  You can read about it in John 21.  I love the King James Version of that phrase.  You can just hear the frustration in his voice.  He’s tired of not being the first to know what’s going on.  He’s tired of not being included in the plan of Christ.  He expected to be ruling by now.  Well, that apparently is not going to happen.  So he goes back to the only thing he knows … fishing.  He’s done living for Jesus.  He’s going back to his lifestyle before he found Christ.

He goes out fishing and unfortunately, he has no luck.  He is a skilled fisherman and he can’t catch a single fish.  All the human experience; all the human strength; all the human knowledge; and yet, nothing helps him in this moment to catch fish.

Jesus shows up while they are fishing.  A very familiar scene to Peter begins to unfold.  He has a “deja vu” moment.  Jesus tells them to fish on the other side.  This time, instead of arguing with Jesus, Peter does what Jesus says.  You know the result.  The nets become full, overflowing and begin to break.  Peter doesn’t waste anytime.  He jumps in the water and heads to the shore.  

There Jesus and Peter have a very intimate conversation about where Peter is in his walk.  Jesus shares with him that His love and compassion for Him are still real.  Peter sees himself as Jesus sees him.  Peter sees his plan isn’t important.  Peter sees all that matters is Christ.

It is so awesome to see how Peter is used of Christ throughout the Book of Acts.  Peter becomes all Christ wants him to be.  Peter is responsible for thousands upon thousands coming to know Christ as their Savior   Peter is responsible for a young man named Saul eventually becoming the one who leads thousands of Gentiles to Christ.  

All this happened because Peter finally realized that although he didn’t understand the plan of Christ; although the plan didn’t follow the same time frame he preferred; although the plan didn’t provide all the human glory he expected; God still used him in a powerful way to spread the Gospel.  I wonder if he knew that 2,000 yrs later we would still be using him as an example of how God can use a man to lead others to Christ.  He is an amazing example of a proud man who became a humble servant for Christ.

There are so many things in our life that frustrate us.  There are so many things in our life that don’t go as planned.  There are so many of us that get angry when we don’t get the honor, glory and recognition we feel deserve.  There are so many times that our plan doesn’t match God’s plan.  There are so many times we just want to “quit on God” and go back to living how we used to live before we found Christ.

Can I just encourage you that God has a plan?  Can I tell you that He will use you if you allow it? Can I tell you that you can be “successful” in the Christian life?  It just takes us recognizing that God is in control; that God has a plan; that God’s plan is all that matters; and that God’s direction is the only one I should follow.

He is Risen!

He is Risen!

He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to Oklahoma City for work.  Arlyn and I spent the weekend there.  We arrived at a restaurant Saturday evening(Zio’s Italian(delicious by the way)). When we got out of the car to enter the restaurant we noticed a fire in a dumpster across the street by a business.  

Like all good citizens, we went to get as close as we could.  It was a large fire.  As we got closer, we could hear the sirens of the firefighters arriving to put out the blaze.  We stood there and watched them work together to put it out.  Several other people arrived to watch with us.  Several cars stopped in the parking lot as well.  Then as you can see from the video, one of the engines finally blocked our view.  Since the show was over for us, we went inside to eat.

In the last several months, a lot of things have happened to cause us to ask the question why:

Shooting in a Theater in Aurora, CO

Shooting at a school in Newtown, CT

Superstorm Sandy wreaks havoc on East Coast

NYC Nanny stabs a 1 yr old and a 6 yr old 

Benghazi attack

37 Hostages killed in Alegeria

The list could go on and on.  In 2012, I found myself asking “why?” more than any other time.  Why has our country and our world gone so far off the deep end?  How did we get this far gone? I can only come up with one answer.  Because we as Christians have chosen to run from and water down the truth.  We have lowered our principles until there is no difference between the way we live and the way the unsaved world lives.  This past weekend, we ate lunch with some friends of ours.  The wife is volunteering to work with teenage girls who are pregnant and in difficult home situations.  She said most of them are raised in family situations where “abortion is the norm.”  She said it’s hard to teach them about abortion when their whole life, they’ve been taught something entirely different.  They don’t see abortion as taking a life.  They see it as what you do when you get pregnant.  We as Christians have tolerated sin and hid our heads in the sand for entirely way too long.  Now, the world we live in is crumbling around us morally and spiritually.  Sin is on a rampage like the fire in this dumpster.  

The only way this fire was put out was because a lot of firefighters from all over the city arrived on the scene and worked together as a team to put it out.  Plus, when it became a spectacle, they hid the fire from view so the team could continue to work together.  They didn’t allow “gawking, gossip”, etc.  

The only way we can see this world come to know Christ as their Savior is if we as Christians work together to be a witness to all those around us.  Instead of asking why this world is crumbling, I need to be asking, “Why aren’t I doing more?; Why aren’t I being a better witness?; Why aren’t I serving God to the best of my ability? and Why aren’t I avoiding gossip and slander and focusing on witnessing for Him?”

Who can you be a witness to this week?  Start praying for them today.  Start asking the Holy Spirit to open the door for you to witness.  When He opens the door; walk through.  It’s the only way this world will change.  When we decide to focus on God and God Alone.