Garden of Friendship

Very often I discover myself considering and sharing concerning the value of friendship; what I often refer to as "Sacred Trusts", in fact in my phone contacts I have my friends listed under this heading to remind me that it is God who have brought the individuals that I call friends into my life.

Ironically, as much as I value friendship, I am not always, by nature the most efficient when it comes to nurturing them. Like the beautiful flowers in a gardener's flower bed, friendships are given to us in seed form, but He allows us the tasks of planting them, watering them and the hard tasks of weeding them.

As most writers, I embrace the competing value of solitude; I'm a homebody and I like to sit alone and think. Such a value is not consistent with tending the garden of friendship. I struggle often and mostly fail with visiting even my closest family; as much as I love them and as certainly as I enjoy visiting with them, ashamedly, I could go for months or years and never visit. While God has apparently given me a great propensity to love, He has also bestowed a limited reserve of creative energy to do any two things simultaneously. At the end of the work day my natural instinct is to crawl into the solitude of home and vanish to the world; such a nature is not conducive to relationship building. As an individual who is a "People-Person" and as one who appreciates all the positive and healing virtues of living community, ironically given the option on most days, I seek solitude. Relaxing on the couch or writing at a desk does little to see the the entrusted garden of God is being well-tended.

Yesterday morning God allowed me to blow the dust off the of my forsaken plants. I think I tired the twine around one of my oldest specimens to give it a fresh start. I used to love to grow gladiolas. Glads are beautiful and showy, pretty easy to plant, easy to weed around and for the most part they are pest resistant, however, because they grow so quickly and to such good height, there tall lanky stems require the additional exterior support of post and twine. With such support there is nothing quit as captivating as a full garden of glads. Let alone the otherwise healthy and potentially beautiful bed becomes an eyesore of twisted and broken stems, blooms buried in dirt and green.

The eldest of our friendships are like those glads; the roots go deep, but the need a little extra attention to keep them at their best. So yesterday, I was blessed with the warmth and sunshine of God to tend to such a relationship.

Dave Smalley has been a friend of mine since before "The Summer of 42", before "Mash" and long before Paul Harvey came to our radios to tell us "The Rest of The Story". I was 15 and biting at the heels of Lennon and McCartney to steal their limelight. I was full of a love of writing and playing music and not much else. I often pulled around me mates who had the same hunger and vision and surprisingly, like the four lads from Liverpool, the resulting sounds were far better collaboratively than they were apart; Joe and Bob Halaz, Jack Deater, J.D. Mace, my twin (when his conscience would allow), Jim Thacker, Mark Justice, Dave and Kennt River and later their sister; Linda, Don Tipton, Frank Lemaster,  Denise Wright, Barb Olson, Tim (whose last name escapes me) and Dave Smalley, as well as his brother Bob.

Not all those musicians and singers formed one band, but most all of us have played together in one combination or another within a period of six years. Whatever variation, the result for a local garden was amazing. I hear "professional bands" and local bands of today and I am amazed at the quality of the planting that God allowed me to be a part of. Two other neglected plants were also pretty good, the first was a black bass guitar player that I think Jack brought into the mix; I forget his name, but he played a mean slap bass and then there was a drummer who auditioned for us one week, we turned him down and he signed with country singer Tom T. Hall in Nashville the very next week. He was good, but was just not a good "fit" for us; he was a like a single Hollyhock in a planting of Gladiolus.

But Dave; Dave was my brother, not by birth, but by choice. We developed a communication that allowed us to move on stage as one. We could "know" what the other was going to do even before we knew ourselves. He and I used to echo one another voice to guitar long before I had ever heard anyone do it. I would scat a melody line and he would echo it back to me note for note on guitar and then he would solo a melody to me and I would sing it back to him. I'm certain that our audiences thought those long and hopefully entertaining bits were well rehearsed, but they never were, they were always impromptu.

The thing about a real relationship is that it perfects the participants within. I sang notes with Dave that I have never hit again and I am certain that he feels that I helped him develop as an artist as well. That's the value of friendship isn't it? God has a garden in mind; blossoms that He desires to see in all the radiant glory, so He hands us the seed. He says, "tend it well!" Gives us the sunshine and the rain and sits back to see if we make of it all that He intended.

As I have already said, yesterday I dug-up the bulb of  a treasured planting, Dave and I blew of the dust, put it back in the grown and are waiting to see the beauty that God has planned.

Don't forsake your gardens of friendship.

Consider the Lillies

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin" Are there any flowers that are more simple in design or a purer white? Are there any of God's flowers with cleaner lines? How graceful they are. See how they so easily sway in the warm summer's breeze. Lovely; quiet and gentle in nature.

How much better off would we be, if like children; we could completely trust our Heavenly Father? How wonderul would it be if, like the lillies through no effort their own, we could grow into the grace and beauty that God has created us to reflect?

How much better would life be if through no effort or our own or anything of our own goodness
 or religion we just came into His likeness, growing tall and strong and pure?

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Father may we grow to be graceful; filled with your grace. May we grow today into your likeness for your glory and for your name's sake. Amen.

The Greatest Blessing We Have Are One Another

The Greatest Blessing We Have Are One Another, perhaps that is why Jesus used the phrase repeatedly. After all, our bodies fail, circumstances change and friendships and even relationships which should remain eternal, sometimes disintegrate. I have long said that Friendship is a Sacred Trust: it is God who bring people into our lives for mutual benefit - whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder! Friendship is a form of marriage, is it not? Doesn't true friendship require commitment and trust and sacrifice and communication? We shouldn't be surprised then in a culture that does not value marriage friendship is no longer cherished as it once was.

The most difficult part of the decision to leave Linden is leaving the good friends I have made there behind. I won't be going far away, but I doubt that Pastor Larry or Pastor Washington or oh, half the community are going to "drop by" Westerville just to say hello.
This past few days I have made two new friends. And our friendship will no doubt span the years ahead, but it will also have to span the globe for they are living in Japan. I already have my spiritual brother and sister Nori and Barbie Kelley over there, but I have just met this beautiful couple and I hope that we can become partners on this journey through life together.

From the moment Talya and Mark sat down with me, I felt a kinship. Even though they had come to make funeral arrangements for her mother, there was a joy and a confidence that said, "They have placed their trust in God".

The wonderful treasure of recent years; meeting people in a time of immediate need and being available to be a balm and a comfort to them, I will sincerely miss. In my new position, I will still be helping people, but to what degree remains to be seen. Hopefully, even more than I am now.

Just yesterday Mrs. J., an elderly lady who comes in monthly to pay on her pre-need funeral arrangements, came in like clockwork with her usual $ 50.73 to the penny in cash. When I told her that I would be leaving, she got upset and began to cry. For over six years we have met monthly and made a "business transaction" , but we have also talked about the Lord; my how she loves Jesus! Before she left, she said "Before I go Pastor, I just need to hug you!" And she did and cried some more. A few years ago I helped her bury her husband and monthly, ever since we have been encouraging one another. I will miss her more than she can guess, because, you know; whatever business you're in, if it's not God's Business and the People's Business, You're in the wrong business!

Anyone can sell a casket, a suit or a car. With training anyone could be an electrician, a dentist or an attorney, but the bottom line is no matter what your business is, if it's not about doing the best you can for others to the Glory of God - you are merely in the funeral business of retail or car sales or whatever. Don't we have enough plumbers, electricians and attorneys? What we need are brothers and sisters who have those skills, but are in their positions because they love people and they work to the Glory of God.

Yes, I am a rich man indeed! I haven't made very much money during the past 6 years. I am grateful for what I have made, but it pales in comparison to the army of friends I have made doing my best to help others heal through a difficult time in their lives.

If you are reading this before bed - say a prayer for your friends. If it is morning and you have been given a few more precious hours; invest them in caring for one another. In the end there is Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is Love!

It's difficult to be so transparent

I never expected to live to be 25 years of age, so you can imagine my surprise to be approaching 57. The problem with not expecting to live long, is that you tend to live for the moment; but moments soon become days and days become weeks and weeks; months and months; years and before you know it you not only lived to be 21 and then 25, but soon you are 55.

I remember the day, I believe I was about 53; that's when I realized that I was no longer a boy. Wasn't it only a few weeks ago that wel-intentioned adults would prod me; asking, "What do you want to be when you grow-up?"

I always thought it a most ridiculas question. What do suppose I will be? Don't all young boys grow-up to be men and then boys again, or was I a rare biological mistake who would morph into some kind of alternative life-form? I always wanted to answer something silly and sometimes did; "I think I would fancy to be a horse, or a cow; yes a cow and then when I am thirsty, I could just milk myself!"

Of couse young men in my day were'nt suppose to answer an adult in such a flippant manner, after all  it hadn't been that long since adults routinely said "Children are supposed to be seen and not heard", so to be spoken to at all was considered an honor and of course we were expected to answer an adult; i.e. "anyone older than yourself - even your brother or sister" with respect. I once said to Mrs. Junk, "with all due respect, I rather think I would fancy to be a horse, no a cow . . ." My father's large hand left a stinging ringing in my left ear and I said immediately, "A Boxer".

Of all the difficult lessons for me to learn was the one about silence being golden. I would often lie awake at night in my bed, my twin brother snoring a few feet away from me.  I would replay every careless word that I had said throughout the previous day, "You dummy, why did you say THAT?" Why didn't you say something else instead?" "When Cindy Junk asked you if you thought she was cute, why did you say, "yeah - for a girl!" "What does THAT mean? She probably thinks you like boys!"

I would often move from chastising myself for what I said to harping on myself for how much I said; "Tonight,in the Olson car, do you really think that it was necessary to go into a half-hour story about your boring life just because Mike's mom ask you how you were?" "She is never going to drive you anywhere again!"
My worries were not confined to merely the things I said, but I also burn a lot of midnght oil talking out loud to myself about my future failings. You see, there was no question that I might succeed, I had wrinkles by the time I was 15 from hundeds of late night hours of planning to fail. I spent from the time I was 10 until I was 16 arranging alabi's for why I failed my driver's test. Then when my twin wrecked mom's robin blue Ford Falcon the week after our 16th birthday, I wasn't allowed to go for my license for another two years. Another two years of twighlight alabi collecting to do.

I also remember hours of talking to myself about what I would tell everyone when I didn't graduate High School with my class. This didn't really become an obsession until I was in my Freshman year at Adena High School, so I only had four years of jeering over this to endure. Some kids may have worried that they wouldn't finish High School at all. However, in our house, that was not an option. My mother always said that Jerry and I would graduate if we had to keep going until we were 25. I could imagine me walking across the football field to receive my diployma with a wife and two kids in tow.

I did have a wife and 2 kids by the time I was 25, but fortunately, I had already graduated High School, probably because this was before state mandatory testing and A's in Art, Music and Drama were still credits which counted toward a High School diploma. I failed Mr. Vetters practical Math Class 3 times, because, A. I didn't see where it was THAT practical and B. I refused to stand-up at the chalk board and allow him to humiliate me.

Mr. Vetter had a particularly cruel teaching methodology in which it was his practice to make students go to the chalk board to work out problems in front of the whole class. Each time you answered correctly, he would give you another problem and he would continue giving you consistently tougher problems until you missed one, which was his cue to ridicule you with "snappy" little remarks like, "I hope you have a bank someday, I would love to do business with someone who can't count any better than you." This treatment wasn't reserved or just special stuents; Mr. Veters was an equal opportunity humiliater.

The first day in his class he got me to the board once; "Holman, John and Peter are traveling down the road at 60 miles an hour. They run their car off a steep cliff and are falling at a rate of 6 feet per second, if the cliff is a hundred feet high, how long will it take them before they crash into the rocks below - what do you think?" : "Mr. Vetters this is practical math right?" "Yes, Holman, quit stalling, what do you think?" "Well, practically speaking, I think John is grabbing Peter and they could care less how long it's gonna take them to hit the bottom!" The class roared, but not as loud as Mr. Vetters as he ecourted me out into the hallway. I got to sit down but not until he nearly crcked his paddle across my backside.

I never went to the chalk board again. Evey day, Mr. Vetters would come to me first and say, "You get up to the board or you get a zero for the day" And I would say, "I may get a zero, but you are not going to humiliate me in front of the class ever again!" Three years of zeros and X's for the days I skipped his class - my record looked like a giant Tic -Tac Toe Game. However Mr. Vetters never got me to the chalk board again.

On the last day of my Junior year I approached Mr. Vetters after class. "I know you have given me all zeros and you have the right to flunk me again, but if you do I will be in your class again next fall!"

Somehow, I finally passed Freshman Math with a low D, but I passed it.Perhaps it was the honest conversation that I had engaged him in or perhaps it was finding his VW Bug on it's roof in the middle of the gym floor that same day that made him question whether he wanted me as a student again the next year. I am not saying I had anything to do with flipping that car, but finding it minutes after our talk was sort of an exclamation point to how upset a whole lot of students were with his teaching methods and perhaps he was hoping to prevent future demonstrations of frustration the next year by weeding out the most likely suspects.

No, I never expected that a long-haired Rock n Roll playing, math flunkin skinny kid would ever live to be 21 or 25, but here I am today 56 and looking downhill at 57. It hasn't been an easy trip. I hit my mid-life crises at 30. I clearly remember nearly going hysterical to my wife;afraid that I wouldn't get all m songs recorded for posterity before I went horizontal. "What have I done with my life? I have no Grammys or Oscars or Gold or Platinum Records! I don't want to die a failure!" Tammy in her most composed, logical voice argued, What about me and the girls; don't we count for something?" Then, in my most grievous speak-before-you-think moments, I said, "You were easy!" That couldn't be further from the truth and I certainly didn't mean to cast aspersions toward my wife's purity, however it was going to be difficult for me to explain that to the mad woman rushing me. For once in my life my mouth couldn't move fast enough - the words which had always taunted me by their abundant fluidity couldn't find their way out of my big mouth! "Wait!" I stammered looking into the abyss of Hell, "I mean I want to do something meaningful!" "I'm NOT meaningful, no I'm easy!" "No, I meant loving you is easy - (good save Gary) - "and of course having you and the girls are important - you're all great, but I want to be SOMEBODY!' "You are somebody Gary because God loves you." "Yeah, well that's only because He has too - God IS Love, be kind of hard for him not to love me!" With a "you-wanna-bet-look" in her eyes, she stopped coming toward me when I said through sobs, "Tammy, I am not even a has-been; I'm a NEVER-WAS!" Tammy softened and said "I want us to be enough". Now how do you argue with that?

I can finally say, without a lot of effort, I may never get a grammy or the recording career I should have pursued when I was a younger man. I may never get all my songs recorded, although I have gotten some of them done. I may slip out of this life, the way I came in, unnoticed, except by those closest to me, those who love for for who I am, not what I am, and isn't that better than slipping out not noticed or loved at all?
I can now look at the woman who slept with me nearly every night for the past nearly 26 years and I realize that we love each other more now than we ever have and that has to count for something. I look at my four daughter, each so beautiful and yet each so different and I see what lovely young women and hard workers they each are and that has to count for something. I have seen them struggle and persevere and use some of the lessons mom and I have tried to teach them and that has to count for something. I look at my grandchildren; Callie a young woman herself says, "BaBa, I love you." Her sister Jessie hugs my neck and kisses me, Desirae, our granddaughter who is deaf, signs and vocalizes "I uv ou baba" and that counts for so much. My grandson Julian, his shy smile at me and head and shoulders taller than me nearly breaks me in two, Levi and I glue models together and he says, "You're pretty good " . . that all has to count for something and it does. The youngest, little Wyatt can't speak yet at only four months old, but when I speak he smiles and no sunrise has ever warmed me more than his smiles of recognition do, and now, I say, "Give me a kiss" and he turns and pushes his little lips against my cheek and I tell you, that makes-up for all the years of heartache and disappointment it took to get me to see what really matters in life. I am so glad I didn't burn out like Janis and Jimmy. I wouldn't trade all the fame or all the gold records in the world if it meant any of these loved ones not knowing who I was or how much I love them.

I am In The People Business

Whatever you do; do to the glory of God – Whatever you do; do to the Glory of God. How do we best fulfill this command? We must realize that however we treat the people around us is how we are treating God; however we are treating them, mistreating them, loving them or not; we can say we love God, but if we do not love our brother, than the truth is not in us.


Let me tell you just in case you have forgotten or just in case you have never been told; we are all in the people business or should be, at home or at work, wherever we might be.

I am not in the funeral business; I am in the people business. I am not in the process business or the program business or in anything other than the People business.

Whoever you are, whatever you do; if you sell shoes, you are not in the shoe business; if you are an attorney, you’re not in law, if you are an entertainer, you are not in show business; you are in the people business.

The moment you become about what you do and not who you do it for you lose your soul, perhaps not literally, but you certainly eliminate any higher purpose of doing whatever it is you do.

There are thousands in the business of stacking dollars in their bank accounts, accumulating possessions which they will ultimately abandon when they leave this life; others waste years to earn a nameplate on a desk or on a door that will only remain as long as they do.

But you; if you want to add any eternal value to what you do; if you desire your life to live beyond your own existence, than you must invest yourself in people. Whatever you do; make certain you are in the people business and it is certain that what you do will also bring glory to God.

For Debbie Holbrook and My Wife - Covenant Woman - Bob Dylan

Covenant woman got a contract with the Lord

Way up yonder, great will be her reward.
Covenant woman, shining like a morning star,
I know I can trust you to stay where you are.

And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again

For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.

I've been broken, shattered like an empty cup.
I'm just waiting on the Lord to rebuild and fill me up
And I know He will do it 'cause He's faithful and He's true,
He must have loved me so much to send me someone as fine as you.

And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you

Once again
For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.

Covenant woman, intimate little girl
Who knows those most secret things of me that are hidden from the world.
You know we are strangers in a land we're passing through.
I'll always be right by your side, I've got a covenant too.

And I just got to tell you
I do intend
To stay closer than any friend.
I just got to thank you
Once again

For making your prayers known
Unto heaven for me
And to you, always, so grateful
I will forever be.

Some thoughts - reassurances

Spiritual understanding comes to each of us in strange ways. As we wander and grow, God speaks to us and teaches us and enlightens us. What we once would have considered heresy may now bring us unspeakable joy and undeniable comfort. Our “world-view” of the Kingdom of God is so enlarged that none are denied the possibility of salvation and certainly none are separated from the love of God regardless of their own personal imperfections.


To the religious such talk sounds threatening and spiritually naïve, however to the man or woman listening for the whisper of God, the once-embraced claims of spiritual perfection obtained on this earthly plain screams of intellectual dishonesty and religious manipulation.

What if God’s ways are indeed higher than our own? What if, it is true that He looks at the heart, while we can only know the exterior of a man? Is it then not possible that some whom we would never expect to see in Heaven are already there before us? Is it also not possible that some of the religious folks who have so carefully walked to follow religious rule, but with impure hearts will hear, “Depart from me, I never knew you”? We know by God’s word it is true; the thief on the cross made it into the Kingdom of God before any of the disciples whom had forsaken all to follow Christ. Indeed the thief could be considered the 12th apostle, who took Judas’ place at God’s banquet table.

Who is to say that God’s forgiveness doesn’t extend further into lives that we reject? What if a man is truly spiritual, but somehow remains enslaved to an addiction, is that possible? The religious man shouts “no!” But did Jesus not say to the religious leader s of his day that some drunks and some prostitutes would see the Kingdom God before them? The assumption has always been that they would most certainly need stop their destructive behavior before being worthy of the Kingdom, but we speak in terms of spiritual warfare; in war there are prisoners of war and there are those who are missing in action. While many MIAs are dead, some are found alive and when they are found they are no fewer patriots than the comrade who has already returned home safely. When a man is being tortured and kept caged, he is no less loyalist to his country than the man back home walking his dog in the park. Could it be believers who have been abused by church leaders and the religion of Christianity are seen by God as being missing in action? While they may no longer attend religious services their hearts still long for the presence of God?

I have personally seen such a man, he had for years been a pastor’s “best friend” and head Elder. For years he and his family shared life with the Pastor and his household. Holidays were spent together, vacations shared of course every church function and celebration, every triumph and heartache the two men stood side by side, closer than most natural brothers. The little church grew from handful of faithful to a thriving congregation of several hundred. The elder continued to serve as faithfully as ever, but the pastor’s heart began to focus upon “His Ministry”, the prospect of national recognition, radio, television and a huge building program. The pastor's focus became more and more inward, while the outreach that had driven the growth of the church and attracted so many died away.

The Elders of the church became alarmed and tried to caution the pastor, but he not only rejected their counsel, he became paranoid and suspicious. Old friendships were broken; lives long intertwined were torn asunder by the Pastor's greed and hunger for everything the enemy offered Christ in the desert. The men were called disloyal and traitorous and worse. They were accosted verbally and publically until all the elders including the chief elder, the pastor’s “best friend” was all forced to resign. In the years that followed, not only did the pastor refuse to communicate in any manner with any of these men, not even his former “best friend”, but he forbid anyone in the church to communicate with them in any manner as well. Most of those men never walked through the doors of another church. The chief elder who had served so diligently day and night, loved the pastor as his brother, raised their children together, shared holidays and vacations, never stepped foot again in church.

And yet, on his deathbed, though unconscious he talked aloud to the Lord. I stood at his bed side on his final day; he hadn’t spoken in days at this point. Suddenly, he startled his wife and I and one of the other Elders who were there; he cried out in a loud clear voice, “Hey, wait!” He raised one hand toward the ceiling, eyes closed, smiling, he pointed to an unseen friend, someone he knew well and though lying on the bed, began “walking." HE raised one foot, then the other off the bed, stepping and following and in just a little time was gone from this world. There was no doubt who he was following and though he had never stepped a foot back into church this side of Glory, even though he was MIA, if you will; missing in action, there is no doubt he walked into Heaven. We witnessed it. The Elder’s former “best friend” didn’t attend the funeral, didn’t call, nor did he send a note or flowers.

In the same way I have come to believe that there are prisoners of war; men and women who have been redeemed, tasted the salvation of God, love Jesus and yet do not fully taste the promised abundant life of Christ. They find salvation, and while Christ offers  them complete freedom, they are for whatever reason prisoners within themselves. While their liberty is available, they become prisoners of war. It is so easy to cast judgment upon these believers, but to criticize them is to ridicule the skill and resolve of the man who is captured by the enemy. “If he were a good soldier” we say, “He wouldn’t have been taken prisoner!” Does becoming a prisoner of war make you less of a soldier or a patriot; does, for whatever reason, not finding your deliverance through a lifetime of struggling make you less sincere in your love for God than the person who has never faced the battle of addiction?

Is God’s grace insufficient to overcome our weaknesses? Is His mercy limited by our understanding or is it HE who measures the man by the integrity of his heart? God evaluates King David as a man with a heart after God and yet by the actions of David, we no doubt, would judge him unfit to come to our churches, let alone serve again in ministry.

Qualification Team; “what are your qualifications for serving in our church?”

DAVID; “Well, I was the youngest in my family – so I guess I don’t have the leadership skills of a first-born. I was a shepherd by trade – not really on par with the religious training of the Scribes and Pharisees. I do play some instruments, Saul likes my playing, but I was never good enough to play in Temple. I killed a man, a really big man – a giant in fact and he was an enemy of Israel. I did become a King of Israel and a valiant warrior.

Qualification Team: We have heard that you are adept at killing.

DAVID: Well, I suppose you could say that, a lion, bear, tens of thousands on the battlefield….

Qualification Team: How about Uriah? What is the story behind your newest wife? We’ve heard some talk.

DAVID: “Well, yeah – Uriah; uh, Bathsheba. Well, I do have several wives, but to be honest, I was a little negligent one day; I should have been out leading the troops in battle . . .

QUALIFICATION TEAM; But you weren’t, where were you? What were you doing?

DAVID: I was at home, out on the roof and I saw this woman bathing . . .

QUALIFICATION TEAM; Uriah’s Wife. .

DAVID: Yes, but I didn’t realize that at the time, I just saw this really beautiful naked woman. I knew I had to have her and being King gave me the authority to have her brought to me and so I did.

QUALIFICATION TEAM: And did you uphold the Word of God or did you sin?

DAVID: Look, I’ve already told all this to Nathan . .

Qualification Team; if you are looking to work in this church, we need to know

David: I prefer to say that I made love to Bathsheba. She is like my soul mate

QT We would say you committed adultery and fornication, it all began with you coveting what wasn’t yours, another man’s wife,

DAVID: “But remember at the time I didn’t even know she was married

QT seems to us there was some lying and manipulation and sexual impurity and how did this all end?

DAVID; Bathsheba and I got married and made things right
QT But Bathsheba was already married to Uriah, what happened to Uriah?

DAVID: Uriah died in battle, ok, I placed Uriah on the front line where I knew he would get killed and being a loyal soldier to me, he did what I asked of him and indeed he was killed”

QT; So in fact, in order to have Bathsheba for yourself, you had her husband killed

Would you hire such a man for your church? Would you and your wife fellowship with such a believer? We only see the outward results of the sin that branded David’s life and yet God sees his heart and proclaims it to be knitted to His own.

My father struggled throughout his life with the bottle. He was, what most would call a functioning alcoholic. He grew-up with a Christian mother and an unbelieving father. Through the years I saw my father delight in God and at other times struggle with the booze which branded his life and yet, even though he died with a high level of alcohol in his blood, I have always been assured in my Spirit that he is with Our Father in Heaven. Again and again, God has reassured me that while my father was in fact a prisoner of war, he was in the end still a child of God whom was ushered into His Kingdom. Some, no doubt would say such reassurances are merely the hope born of love of a son for his father, or it could be said instead that such assurance comes from the abundant love of the Father, which covers a multitude of sin.

Last night God gave me another such assurance; I dreamed I was organizing a night of worship. I was surrounded by various worship musicians and singers and we were going to have an unscripted time of praise. The aforementioned pastor who turned his back on his elders tried to get into the room but was denied entrance.

As I was standing with a group of singers warming-up an arm reached around my right side from behind as I turned toward it, a large left fist was playfully pushed into my belly like a mock punch. It was my father slowly sneaking up behind me and smiling all the way. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me here, did you?” He asked with a smile. “I don’t suppose so” I said. In truth, I was at first startled, then overjoyed to see him. I had long ago forgotten that my father used to do this gesture of sneaking up behind me and giving me a belly punch as a way of playing with me. So not only was this dream a reassurance of my father’s security in God, but also a reminder of something personal that I had long ago forgotten and that as we worship before the Father we are always joined by an unseen host of our loved ones who have gone on before.

It has been said and is eternally true; we will find in Heaven, many we would never expect to see there and many will be missing whom we thought would be. Truly only God decides who abides within His Kingdom.

Be a boss people want to follow

I've been working to develop a seminar for church management, found these tips, we can all use, even in everyday relationships (just substitute co-worker or friend in place of workers);

"Protect, back up and defend your workers."

"Listen twice as much as you speak."

"Do not always seek to find bad behavior to punish, but also seek good behavior to reward."

"Promote within."

"Encourage a work environment that is conducive to success."

"Allow for failure." -- Michael Coritsidis
 
Most people do not understand the value of allowing for failue. The Olympian becomes great having tried and failed thousands of times; if we say there is no room for failure, then there is no room for improvement and we must settle for mediocre at best.John Maxwell teaches a principal of falling forward. If we are going to fall (and we all are) then we should fall attempting to reach a goal; it is better to fail reaching high than to fail by refusing to reach. You've heard it said, no doubt that the greatest homerun hitters in history are also the same men who have struckout the greatest number of times. We may maintain, but we can never exceed until we are willing to fail in the process. Human Acheivement is rapt with examples of how perserverance rewards those who are not afraid to fail, even repeatedly in order to achieve what has never before been achieved. In order to have exceptional success whether in relationship or business, we must allow the other guy room to grow, which in the short run is room to fail.

PUT ON CHRIST

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ROMANS 13:13-14 “BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE DAY, WE MUST LIVE DECENT LIVES FOR ALL TO SEE. DON’T PARTICIPATE IN THE DARKNESS OF WILD PARTIES AND DRUNKENESS, OR IN SEXUAL PROMISCUITY AND IMMORAL LIVING, OR IN QUARRELING AND JEALOUSY. INSTEAD, CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.”

We live in a darkened age where temptation abounds. Like the waves of the ocean, which encompasses land on every side, wave after wave of temptation beats against the shores of our lives, erodes the shoreline of our moral selves, while wild parties, drunkenness, sexual promiscuity and immoral living, quarreling and jealousy are the norm, all fragments which comprise the darkness which rolls in like fog upon us, we are called to be the Light, even as He, Christ Jesus is the Light. Jesus said, “YOU now are the light of the world”.

The command is clear; because you are the day, do not participate in such darkened living, rather, CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.”

Notice the Apostle does not say that you will not have evil desires; too many Christians want to believe they are beyond the temptations of sin and while they may not indulge in drunkenness or sexual immorality or sexual promiscuity they love to quarrel and indulge in petty jealousies. They take pleasure in causing controversies and delving into drama; confusion hangs on them like a cloak, wherever they go there is disruption and debate.

There is instruction though; “CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.” The old hymn says, “Take Time To Be Holy”; daily take the time to enter into your prayer closet and put on the presence of Christ. Before you step out into the darkened world, you must put on your armor of light. Allow yourself to be covered with the protection of Christ from your feet firm on the truth of the Word of God to the helmet which protects your mind from devising or surrendering to evil thinking; devising ways to satisfy your evil desires.

TODAY; “BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE DAY, WE MUST LIVE DECENT LIVES FOR ALL TO SEE. DON’T PARTICIPATE IN THE DARKNESS OF WILD PARTIES AND DRUNKENESS, OR IN SEXUAL PROMISCUITY AND IMMORAL LIVING, OR IN QUARRELING AND JEALOUSY. INSTEAD, CLOTHE YOURSELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND DON’T LET YOURSELF THINK ABOUT WAYS TO INDULGE YOUR EVIL DESIRES.” AMEN.

Freedom Isn't Free

Well should then, we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more kindness and forgiveness? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we became Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God. So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Romans 6:1-12


The problem with freedom is that it is never free. True freedom comes at the cost of life by the shedding of blood. When the price for our freedom is paid by others we can often mistake our liberty as a license to abuse the freedom. We forget the high cost by which our freedom comes. While we have liberty from the law, such liberty does not dictate that we are free to do whatever we desire. However, such misunderstanding has plagued man from his creation. Adam was given the perfect environment, the perfect promise of eternal life, the perfect Father and only one commandment.

Oddly enough man is usually separated from God by the one thing they are unwilling to surrender to the Lordship of Christ; one man wanted to bury his father, another could not surrender his wealth, yet another wanted the assurance of where disciple might lead before he would follow Christ. You and I never fall by the abundance of sins, which will not let us go; we each fall by the one sin of which we will not let go.

As God’s children, the price for our freedom has been paid; our refusal to abandon that which separates us from our God and robs us of our potential in God is indeed sin. The wages of sin is death; this eternal cancer threatens, not only us, but threatens those for whom we are also responsible; Eve’s deception becomes Adam’s sin, the penalty for each is the same.

The Apostle closes this passage with a command; only one command, but is it too much for us to consider? “Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.” It is just one command, but is it too much for you and I to consider in order finding our way back to God? Let us pray. Amen!

Are You Ready For Christian Community?

“AND THEY, CONTINUING DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD IN THE TEMPLE, AND BREAKING BREAD FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE, DID EAT THEIR MEAT WITH GLADNESS AND SINGLENESS OF HEART,” ACTS 2:46

There is good reason that most of the church is not modeled after the early church; it is easier to practice religion than it is to live together in Christian Community.

Within what I call the Traditional Church Model, I may need to be able to tolerate you once to three times a week, if we are both active in our church. Our relationship can remain superficial, perhaps as superficial as the occasional “hello” or “goodbye”. If the church is large enough I can avoid you altogether if I am upset with you.
In an organic church modeled after the first church we must not merely tolerate one another, but we must love one another in spite of our differences until we come into the Unity of The Faith, where the purpose of Christ is more important than our petty differences and disagreements. Note the emphasis of the above passage; “AND THEY, CONTINUING DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD” - DID EAT THEIR MEAT WITH GLADNESS AND SINGLENESS OF HEART,” In the Temple where they ministered together and from house to house where they lived, they came together “DAILY WITH ONE ACCORD, WITH GLADNESS AND SINGLENESS OF HEART”
It is easy to say, “Let’s be like the first church and eat meals together” But what set the first church apart was that their shared life was born out of the community of the church, not the other way around. They came together because they shared life, they didn’t share life and because they came together.
The real key to unity is not how well do you get along. The real key to experiencing family unity is how well do you handle it when you DO NOT Get Along? Do you run? Do you hide? MUST you be right? What if you aren’t? Must everyone agree with you? How do you handle it when they don’t? Unity is not born out of mutual agreement. Community is born out of the unconditional love we share with one another in spite of our disagreements.
“CONTINUING DAILY” implies continued effort – daily striving and working. For what end; to be right? No! To come together in “ONE ACCORD”, to be able to live and love those who hurt you, mistreat you and misunderstand you. To allow love to cover a multitude of sin, so that God family can live with a “SINGLENESS OF HEART”.
ARE YOU READY FOR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY? I doubt it. How do we prepare ourselves? Jesus told His Disciples to go into the upper room and wait until the Holy Spirit had come upon them. And so they waited and prayed and waited and prayed and waited and prayed and in Acts 2:1 we see the result; “AND WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY COME, THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN ONE PLACE.” He doesn’t say go or be alone; He says come together and allow me to knit your hearts and your lives together into one Body with One Heart and One Mind with One Purpose. Amen!

“AND EVEN WHEN YOU DO ASK, YOU DON’T GET IT BECAUSE YOUR WHOLE MOTIVE IS WRONG - - YOU WANT ONLY WHAT WILL GIVE YOU PLEASURE.” JAMES 4:3

We’re all familiar with the preceding verse; we quote it all the time. The truth is we misquote the last few words of it, we say, Jesus said “YOU HAVE NOT BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT”! The implication being that if we want something all we need to do is ask, but this is NOT what Jesus was saying. In fact the point He was making was not about how to get what we want from God; His message was that our hearts are wrong in their lusting for what we do not have.

Within context what Jesus said was, “YOU WANT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE, SO YOU SCEME AND KILL TO GET IT. YOU ARE JEALOUS FOR WHAT OTHERS HAVE; YOU CAN’T POSESS IT, SO YOU FIGHT AND QUARREL TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THEM. AND YET THE REASON YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT YOU WANT IS THAT YOU DON’T ASK GOD FOR IT. AND EVEN WHEN YOU DO ASK, YOU DON’T GET IT BECAUSE YOUR WHOLE MOTIVE IS WRONG - - YOU WANT ONLY WHAT WILL GIVE YOU PLEASURE.”

It’s amazing to me that we can use the very conversation of Christ concerning our greed and lust to kindle fires of more greed and lust. I have long heard people pray, “God, give them the desires of their hearts!” The better prayer is, “God help us to desire what you desire for us.”

Too often our hearts are out of alignment with God’s. We ought to be praying align our hearts for then we will have no trouble asking for and receiving what God has for us.

In Gethsemane, Jesus had a choice; His will or the Father’s. The work of our salvation was actually decided in the Garden when Jesus prayed, “NEVERTHELESS, NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE”. Certainly, we can ask God for whatever our heart’s desire, but we often don’t for when we do; we ask outside of His will for us or we know better than to even ask. Remember as a kid wanting something, but knowing better than to ask your parents?
Are you needy or greedy? He wants to supply your needs, but a good Father never wants to feed his children’s greed. The good Father that He is, He takes pleasure in blessing us, but in His wisdom, He understands the difference between what we want, what we think we want and what is best for us. My 15, soon to be 16 year old may want a high powered, high performance car, but there is not a 16 year old who would not be in danger of destroying himself with such a vehicle. God knows us better than we know ourselves and so He warns us, “Check your motives when you pray; is it for you or for the glory of God that you ask?” Lust is sin, regardless of what it is that we are lusting after.
Hear the words of Jesus in context with what He is saying, “YOU WANT WHAT YOU DON’T HAVE, SO YOU SCEME AND KILL TO GET IT. YOU ARE JEALOUS FOR WHAT OTHERS HAVE; YOU CAN’T POSESS IT, SO YOU FIGHT AND QUARREL TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THEM. AND YET THE REASON YOU DON’T HAVE WHAT YOU WANT IS THAT YOU DON’T ASK GOD FOR IT. AND EVEN WHEN YOU DO ASK, YOU DON’T GET IT BECAUSE YOUR WHOLE MOTIVE IS WRONG - - YOU WANT ONLY WHAT WILL GIVE YOU PLEASURE.” AMEN!

FAITH IN WHOM?

“SO THEN, FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.” ROMANS 10:17


While at the recent Organic Church Conference, God opened this verse to me in a way I had never seen before; a favorite verse of Preachers who like to use it as a hammer of legalism, it is usually preached as a way to compel people to read their Bibles or to “faithfully” attend their local congregations (based upon whatever the local pastor determines “faithful” to be).

It is, in fact saying so much more; “SO THEN, FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD”, This passage has so much more to do with “WHO” than it does with “WHAT”, it begs the question, “Who” is The Word of God?

Faith can only come through relationship with Jesus Christ. This verse is prefaced by the Apostle saying, “FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED.” ROMANS 10:13 Paul was saying much more than we need to hear a lot of preaching. We can hear preaching our entire lives and yet experience true faith. We know by context that He was not saying you need to read your Bibles, because they didn’t yet have The Bible and yet how many times have we hear this verse preached that way?

No! “FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD”; Jesus said over and over, “HE THAT HATH EARS TO HEAR, LET HIM HEAR.” MATTHEW 11:15 Frail man, cannot upon his own, see God or find God or know God; thus we have all the man-made religions that worship man-made gods, they are born of the feeble attempt of the carnal to experience the spiritual. However Jesus IS The Word of God and He is The Light; He expels our darkness that we might see God, Jesus is The Way, The Door, He said “NO MAN COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME.” Jesus is The Truth; We can only See, Hear and Know the Father in as much as we SEE, HEAR and KNOW The One who is The Truth; Jesus said, “HE THAT HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER” JOHN 14:9 The Apostle Paul was saying so much more about knowing Jesus; being in relationship with Jesus, experiencing life in Jesus than he was enforcing religious dogma.

“SO THEN, FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY JESUS (who IS THE Word of God) ”; KNOWING HIM (not merely knowing about Him), EXPERIENCING HIM (having relationship as a brother and friend), living now and forever through Him for as Paul says, “FOR IN HIM WE LIVE, AND MOVE, AND HAVE OUR BEING” ACT 17:28 Not only is Christ the Word; He is also the “Preacher” of the Word, “SO THEN, FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD” AMEN!

The Parson

For many years, I have had a standing appointment with Brother John Brock at 6:00am at the local McDonalds. I have always said that we met to mentor one another; lest that sound like impossibility, consider Jesus said, “CONFESS YOUR SINS ONE TO ANOTHER”.


Dr. John has been there to support me and I have been there to support him as well, by support I mean encourage, comfort, chastise and rebuke. To talk, but more importantly to listen; to confess to one another our shortcomings in the ministry and life, to celebrate the many victories and to comfort one another through many abuses that go along with being in the ministry.

I have never had anyone so consistent in keeping their meetings with me, so much so that the one day John was not there and I didn’t hear anything I knew something was wrong and indeed the something turned out to be the heart attack that he had experienced and the subsequent trip into the hospital that prevented him from calling. Through winter blizzards, spring rains and summer heat, through triumphs and disasters we have met.

He drove the greater distance and even when his eyesight should have prevented him from driving, he was so determined, that we still met. On those days, his wife Patti would call me and say, “John is on his way. Will you let me know when he gets there?” As worried as she was about him at times, she never tried to prevent us from meeting, knowing how vital out time was together.

So now another season of my life has finished; John has taken a church in Northern Ohio, too far for us to meet weekly, but I am certain that our brotherhood which stretches back thirty years or so, will be kept intact, if not by our weekly face to face times of ministry. Tuesdays won’t be the same; life won’t be the same; ministry will never be the same without the love, correction and support we have both so dutifully shared together.

I have served with others more directly and for longer periods of time, but my heart has been knit to John’s in such a manner through these regular breakfasts that while I have not missed others at all, I miss him and he is not even gone yet.

As a going away present, I presented him with one of my favorite paintings that I have created called “THE PARSON: “Pastor” _________. (Name omitted to protect the guilty). The figure is that of a Pastor in his robes standing in front of a flawed stained-glass window. The colors are bright and vibrant, however while the preacher has a head, he has no eyes, ears or mouth. I inscribed on the back; this is Pastor _______, he has no eyes because he does not see, he has no ears because he does not hear; he has no mouth for he does NOT have a right to speak.” I told John, “Hang it where it can serve as a warning to you. Hang it where it reminds you of what NOT to be in the ministry. The man, who does not care to listen or to see the hurts of the lives around him, has not earned the right to speak into those lives.”

A calling is without repentance, however when the bureaucracy of the church, the buildings or programs or plans of the church; in short, when “Ministry” becomes more important the people of the church, you are no longer functioning as a Pastor – you have forsaken the ministry because people are your ministry. After all these years together, it’s the most importance advice I can send with my dear brother John. I will miss our times together, but John, you know I love you. Look at the picture of a man I knew and remember the man you are not to be. Amen!

I JESUS?

I arrived at Starbuck’s at a quarter ‘till 6 this morning. Out in front of the store are people waiting to get in, not one or two but easily a dozen or more.


My first thought was some poor bedraggled youth worker had drug his entire youth group out for coffee after an all-night lock-in or something. Upon second look, these aren’t kids under blankets and on lawn chairs camped out in front of my destination, these are adults.

Not being use to needing to get in line for my early morning coffee and being a curious fellow, I ambled up to one of the men on the outer edge and asked, “What’s everyone doing here?” “The new I Phone 5 comes out today, were in line to get ours.

I will get-up at 5am to mentor and be mentored in the Lord. I will stay up all night at a hospital, if need be, but I CANNOT imagine that I would ever camp out all night in order to buy a telephone, “There are over 500 people over at The Apple Store” my informant volunteered. “You must be expecting some important phone calls” I answered, to which Johnny-at – the- end of- the- line just smiled.

What a deep recession we are in; when people will camp out all night for the opportunity to pay hundreds of dollars for a new cell phone! I was tempted to walk the line asking the people waiting there if they had any unpaid bills at home, but I decided there are better ways to die than by a mob in front of AT&T.

It really does make me wonder how addicted we are to convenience when the release of a new model phone is a reason to sleep on the sidewalk. I watched one young man as he was listening to his Ipod, working on his Mac Book and waiting in line to but the new I Phone 5 which will replace his I Phone 4 and pondered the possibilities for the next generation. Is such addiction to gadgets really progress?

Don’t get me wrong, I practically live on the computer and my Ipod is my favorite possession and my wife would argue that I could not live without either, but my phone is my phone and there are times I wish it just hung on the wall at home like the one I grew-up with. Times I wish I could turn-off the ringer and enjoy the evening with Tammy without interruption and be in the car without people being able to call me, and yet I never leave work without calling my wife on the way home and she seldom leaves home without us speaking to each other a couple times a day.
I guess as long as people have time to play with new gadgets, there will be new gadgets to play with, but I wonder; how many people would camp out all night to get into a church? How many would sleep on the sidewalk to spend time with a friend in need? How many would invest hundreds of dollars in ministry which has eternal implications, but no new apps? Just wondering. Amen!

Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Matthew 5:11


The most intolerant of men are those who prop themselves up before God upon the thrones of their religious traditions. They see any who vary from them in form or direction as heretic or cultish. They never take into account that their form of worship would be suspect other than within their own communion.

Do not misunderstand me; I am not a Deist. I believe with all that is within me that there is One God, One son who is fully man and fully God; who came and died for our sins providing the only path for the salvation of men and One Holy Spirit who is the instrument of God’s guidance. I believe Jesus when He said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no man comes to the Father except through me.” John 14

I am speaking of we who claim to know Christ as our only Savior who war against one another for traditions sake. They (we) ignorantly say, “You don’t do church like we do, your faith is no good!” Or you question long-held practices of Christian worship, you must be a cult!” or “You read your sermons or sing the wrong songs or don’t sing at all, you must not love God as we do!” And God, who is ever present and eternally compassionate toward all His children, weeps.

The mark of Christian maturity is tolerance for another’s differences, including how they choose to worship Christ, unconditional compassion, as we each learn to live as Christ and acceptance, as we all wait for the return of Christ.

Let us each one work our own salvation with fear and trembling as Scripture dictates and let us each consider one another above ourselves. Amen

Amen

Is Christian Community A Farce?

Does true Christian Community exist? Is it even possible in this day and age? Is it possible in an age when few seem to value honesty or love or correction or sincerity? We love farce and entertainment and show, but we run from instruction,correction or discipline.

Is true Christian Community possible in an age when mothers refuse to tell their daughters, "No!" and fathers are more afraid of thier wive's disdain than their son's destruction and thus also refuse to say the wonderful word, "No" to thier off-spring?

Does anyone one love enough to give corection? Does anyone love enough to receive it? Without honest love we make Hell a closer reality for one another than Christian Community.

We ignore "Faithful are the wounds of a friend" and we surround ourselves with others who enable us in our disfunction, we embrace those who smile to our face and lie behind our backs., We fire pastors we disagree with, with no regard for their welfare or the future of their families. Years of service is forgotten or ignored while we gather to ourselves lying teachers so please our itching ears.
Is Christian Community even a possibility anymore? I sometimes wonder; God wants it, His Son died for it and the Holy Spirit desires to epose it, but He isn't going to force it upon us and I don't see many who desire it.

TEMPTATIONS

This morning, I was reflecting upon the years I spent in a spiritually abusive church. I was trying to remember what held us there. Out of my mouth came a prophetic utterance that said it all.

There was a time that Tammy and I were given the opportunity to become Pastors of a wonderful church in a little town in northeast Ohio. I went to our pastor for guidance; his advice was, “You have so much talent, you don’t want to bury it up there where it will be isolated and hidden.” He followed that with the promise of full-time employment “just as soon as the church can swing it” and thus we decided to stay where we were.

As Tammy and I were talking, I said, “I promise you the Kingdom’s of the world”. Where we were, I was being seen on the Pastor’s TV show, the Church was on the verge of imploding, but we thought it was on the verge of exploding and the pastor I was under had a lot of connections and was widely known.

As the words slipped out of my mouth I was reminded of Jesus in the wilderness and I began to analyze the tricks the devil had used to keep me enslaved. The devil has NOTHING original; in this instance, the pastor was saying it would be a sin for my ministry to be hidden, what was the temptation of Jesus in Luke 4:5? “And the devil, taking him up into a high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.” He said, “This will all be yours’” We stayed because this little church in a secluded burg could not offer our ministry the exposure that surely God wanted for us – how foolish!

Secondly, through the years another “tool” that was used was first the promise and then our dependence upon financial support from this church. I wanted to be “full-time in the ministry” so badly that promise after promise held us there and once we were put-on full-time, our dependence upon the support kept us there. What was the first temptation to Christ? Luke 4:2” Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” The devil said, “here’s the stone, turn it into bread!” He used sustenance to tempt him, nothing new.

Finally, when all else failed and he was through with us and we had awakened spiritually to the abusiveness of the situation, the Pastor vowed to destroy me. If the enemy can’t woo you or when you awaken to his lies, he will seek to destroy you, but he can’t because you belong to God. Luke 4:9-11 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence: For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee: And in [their] hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.” Satan tempted Christ to kill himself, knowing that he couldn’t do it to him. This pastor tried to ruin my marriage, my reputation and although he sent us out with “his blessing”, later publicly vowed to destroy our ministry.

Tammy asked me a valid question this morning; she asked does any of that matter after all these years? And it does, only to warn others that the enemy will use even ministers and churches to abuse you. He will use “Ministry opportunities” to sidetrack you; he will fatten you up, just to dine off of you and when all else fails he will seek to destroy you. You needn’t fear, the enemy cannot defeat you; 1Jo 2:13, 14 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him [that is] from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” AMEN!

YOUR CHOICE

Your choice is simple; how will you live TODAY? Will you live selfishly or selflessly? Will you live for yourself or will you live for others? Will you be self-focused or other-focused? Will you look inward or will you start the day with a new outlook?

If your thoughts are continually focused upon you; you are in danger. The person who does not think beyond themselves is carnal and apt to fall easily to temptation. If on the other hand you love God more than yourself and your neighbor more than yourself your thoughts will be higher than much of the temptation that is put in your way.
Every temptation that Satan tempted Jesus with in the wilderness was aimed at a selfish man; are you hungry? Are you spiritual? (You are so special to God you could even throw yourself off this building and He would have His angels catch you) Do you desire wealth, fame, all this world has to offer? Fortunately Jesus wasn't self-focused; He was focused on doing what His Father had called Him to do and to be whom He was created to be.
How about you? It really is very simple; it’s your choice.

WHAT IF . . . .

What would happen if....this Sunday people went to church because they really desired to be there and not out of obligation? What if the Preacher confessed his sins to the congregation and encouraged them to do the same? What if the people in the congregation who are angry with each other and not speaking would go to each other and repent and ask forgiveness of one another (regardless of who started the argument or hard feelings)? What would happen if every person who ever left another church in anger returned and apologized to their former congregation and fellow congregants? What if every church leader refused to manipulate, control or coerce another single person? What if every board, committee and pastor would voluntarily surrender "their authority" and sought the priesthood of every believer? What if we dismissed our “service as usual" attitudes and dismissed the praise bands, put away the hymnals, turned-off the projectors, and threw away our sermons? What would happen if we removed all the chairs or pews and bowed together, waiting for the move of God? What would happen if we left our church buildings altogether and went out into our community to do community service of some kind? What do you suppose would happen if we refused to pass the collection plate and instructed people to give only as they could cheerfully give? What if believers everywhere would join together in Jesus' Name and do NOTHING but wait?

Would we call such an event church?

A Study of Two Lives

I have spent the past few months reading the book JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough. It is an interesting history as much personal as public in to the life of a truly great patriot without whom we would have never become a nation.


The unexpected treasure of this volume is the unavoidable contrast between Mr. Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In my estimation, both men have their place in history; Adams as the ultimate Patriot son and Jefferson as the equal politician.

Men signed the Declaration of Independence, both men desired to create a free nation, throughout public life Jefferson often undermined the friendship and the cause of liberty by selfish ambition and Mr. Adams on occasion publicly called Mr. Jefferson to task for the inconsistencies between his stated beliefs and the life he personally led, but in later years both men expressed great admiration and forgiveness toward one another, both men lived long lives, died on the same day, within hours of one another; July 4th, on the Nations 50th Birthday.

Throughout his life Jefferson lived a life of contradictions; he authored the greatest decree of self-government ever put to paper and yet would have been happier had our little republic been more like France, where indeed he spent much of the early years of the Revolution as Ambassador for this nation, often doing little more than soaking-up the culture and bedding whom he might.

While Jefferson wrote “early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’, he habit was to party late into the night and sleep in late into the day. The man wrote so eloquently and rightly wrote of “all men, being created equal”, until his dying day was dependant upon slaves to keep and build his ever-expanding Monticello.

During his lifetime, Jefferson freed only six of his slaves, ironically none of them included his concubine or the illegitimate children that her fathered by her. After his death the remaining slaves were auctioned-off on his front lawn.

In spite of coming from means, while Jefferson wrote, “Never a borrower or lender be” he remained heavily in debt his entire life and died over $100.000 in debt, more than everything he owned, including his homes and land were worth. Soon all that he had, including furnishings, personal effects and his beloved Monticello, which had fallen into disrepair were all sold far below their value in a feeble attempt to erase his debt.

Jefferson at times expressed great faith in the God of Heaven, at other times and as demonstrated by his life considered himself something other than a Christian; what the man truly believed is impossible to say. At the end of his life he expressed regret and wished he could live life over; Jefferson died a broken man and wrote his own epitaph, which he had put into stone and placed upon his grave, it reads;

Here Was Buried

THOMAS JEFFERSON

Author of the Declaration of American Independence,

Of the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom,

And Father of the University of Virginia

Throughout his life Adams lived a life of Christian devotion and public service; he singed the greatest decree of self-government ever put to paper and fought for self-government of the people, by the people and for the people, although such sentiment wouldn’t be put into those eloquent words until generations later by another truly great President.

Adams served his country as Ambassador, but was not a stranger to loss or toil. He and his family sacrificed much for the ideals alive in his heart. When others including Jefferson might have quit the experiment of a free nation, it was the zeal and determination of John Adams that would not be compromised. The man worked tirelessly, spent years apart from his family and home in order to secure the future of a struggling colt of a nation.

The man not only believed as Jefferson did that slavery was wrong, he often fought Jefferson over the subject of slavery and indeed refused to keep slaves, believing with all his heart; “that all men are created equal.” Until his dying day Adams fought “the evil of slavery” at every turn.

Adams was not only a professed Christian man; he was a moral man whose life ever reflected his devotion to his God, family and nation.

Never a rich man, always worried about making ends meet, John Adams did not accumulate many material good during his lifetime, however when he died, his net worth was approximately $100,000. He left a hardy estate to his heirs.

He was buried modestly and his family refused a funeral held at public expense at the State House for they wanted no part of what could appear a “forcing” of public tributes; they instead heeded the expressed wishes of their father.

Adams always expressed great faith in the God of Heaven, in spite many, many personal tragedies. By the end of his life he had attained an ability to see God and His blessings in every situation. Once when a huge winter storm fell trees and buried New England in ice and snow, he looked across his battered homeland and rejoiced at the beauty of the crystals which he thought shone brighter than diamonds. He lauded the beauty of the white carpet which covers all the ugliness beneath. When questioned by Jefferson whether he would like to begin life again, Adams replied that he was quit content to leave this old world and ready to see the next.

Adams had an epithet written for his great-great grandfather; the first Mr. Adams who set foot upon American soil, but did not prepare anything to boast of his own attainments.

I sum-up the lesson of the life of John Adams with the eternal truth it is better to give than to receive. “Men who aspire to greatness must write their own epithets, posterity remembers sincere men who are truly great.” Gary Holman

Mahalia Jackson used to sing a song, “JESUS MET THE WOMAN AT THE WELL”, II love the account that song gives of the meeting. Jesus meets her, not by accident; His intent is always to meet us when we are ready to listen, He begins conversation about something that was relevant to the woman; and then leads her into conversation toward something that was relevant to Him; her spiritual condition. The woman is converted and is soon telling everyone about Jesus.


During the course of this encounter, Jesus erects a sign for future generations to read; “JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HER, WHOSOEVER DRINKETH OF THIS WATER SHALL THIRST AGAIN” Physically, He’s referring to the physical water in the well, spiritually, He is speaking of the pleasures of this earth which never satisfy.

What an important lesson is given for you and me. Jesus is saying, “You can drink this water and in time, you’re going to get thirsty again”. Have you noticed how the things of this world promise happiness and fulfillment, but always leave you thirsty for more? If a person is feeling sexually aroused and they seek out a partner purely for sexual fulfillment, it isn’t long before they are looking for another partner. If a person is sexually aroused and is drawn to pornography to satisfy their needs, are those needs satisfied or is the person’s desire further increased?

Who can eat just one Lay’s Potato Chip? Do you remember that ad? It is based upon the reality that if you like something, you will want more and more of that thing, which you desire.

I have known men and women who have looked for a mate or a spouse to “complete them”; in fact I have been that person, as has my wife. The truth is that no one except God can complete you.

It is terribly unfair to expect a mere mortal to accomplish something that is only available to you and God. Couples often say, “Make me Happy” to one another; just a proposition is IMPOSSIBLE. Happiness is a personal choice; I can choose to look on the sunny side of life or I can look for the negative.

Every piece of gold has a little dross in it. Imagine the foolishness of the miner who would throw away every piece of gold because he saw some impurities in it, and yet we do this all the time. We often abandon relationships because they are not perfect. Rather than submit that relationship to God’s furnace where such impurities are vanquished, we toss the gold aside and look for a better nugget. It’s hard work to allow God to purify us – something has to die.
Interestingly, the problem within the life of the woman at the well was her relationship with men. Jesus said, “YOU HAD SEVERAL HUSBANDS AND THE ONE YOU’RE LIVING WITH NOW IS NOT EVEN YOUR OWN!” Jesus was saying, “You’re trying to find Spiritual value through carnal relationships this will never work!” WHOSOEVER DRINKETH OF THIS WATER SHALL THIRST AGAIN”.
So what God-space within you are you trying to fill with fluff? Perhaps you are filling the God-void in your heart with “Church”; the traditions and meetings and programs and regulations. You have done it so long that you only attend out of obligation. On top of it all, you are told that you aren’t a good “Christian” because this fluff doesn’t satisfy you. Perhaps you are trying to fill the God-space with a different relationship; you may like skinny women or tall men or short fat men (someone needs to love us short fat men), however – if your desire is for that other person to make your life perfect, you will soon be out shopping for a skinnier or taller or shorter/fatter man (it could happen), you get the point.
Only drinking the eternal water from God’s well is going to satisfy the eternal thirst within you. Jesus goes on to say, “HE WHO DRINKS OF THIS WATER (GOD’S SPIRITUAL WATER) WILL NEVER THIRST AGAIN.” And that my friends, is what we are looking for. Amen!

YOU MAY BE ALONE; BUT YOU NEEDN'T BE LONELY

You may be alone; but you needn’t be lonely.

We live with a massive society with thousands of people within miles of most of us at any given time and yet we live a life that is mostly separated, highly isolated. We wake, go to work, come home; such is life. Such lives are often lonely and while we are often alone, we needn’t ever be lonely.

“AND WHEN HE HAD SENT THE MULTITUDES AWAY, HE WENT UP INTO THE MOUNTAIN APART TO PRAY: AND WHEN THE EVENING WAS COME, HE WAS THERE ALONE.” MATTHEW 14:23 Jesus often intentionally separated Himself with the intent to be alone, but He was not lonely while in these seasons of isolation, because these seasons of isolation were also seasons of prayer. While He was apart from people He was in presence of His Heavenly Father, so He was not alone at all.

If you and I are to learn the value of being alone, we must first defeat the specter of loneliness. We can most easily do this by entering into a living relationship with our Creator God. The old hymn says, “AND HE WALKS WITH ME AND HE TALKS WITH ME AND HE TELLS ME I AM HIS OWN AND THE VOICE I HEAR FALLING ON MY EAR, NONE OTHER HAS EVER KNOWN.” Is the writer trying to indicate that God has never had conversation with any other person? No! He is saying though that his relationship to God is a personal one, where they fellowship together in such intimacy that he is never alone.

Secondly, you may be alone, but needn’t be lonely because there are others around you who have needs greater than your own. While Jesus was often alone, he was never lonely because He was constantly about His father’s business of caring for others; “AND JESUS WENT ABOUT ALL THE CITIES AND VILLAGES, TEACHING IN THEIR SYNAGOGUES, AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, AND HEALING EVERY SICKNESS AND EVERY DISEASE AMONG THE PEOPLE. MATTHEW 9:35 Nothing keeps youth in our bones as does the practice of caring more about others than you do for yourself. Nothing makes us more aware of God’s mercy than seeing it poured out around us. I never minister that I do not get ministered to, whether that is my intent or not. If I need hope, I should become hope, if I need mercy, I should show mercy, if I am sick and I need healing, I should pray for the needs of others. Nothing heals or ministers or encourages us more than when we allow God to use us to become vessels of healing, ministers, and encouragers for others.

Finally, we who believe live only by to points of doctrine; “LOVE GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL AND MIND AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. If only we endeavor to love God and others more than ourselves, we may be alone, but we needn’t ever be lonely. For before we can love either God or man more, we, like John the Baptist must love ourselves less; with him we must say, “HE MUST INCREASE AND I MUST DECREASE”. If when we are alone we are focusing upon ourselves, we become lonely, if however we always keep God and others before ourselves we will seldom be lonely.

Father God, we have each one, suffered loss. We are each given repeated opportunities to become lonely, my pray is that our seasons alone may become seasons of prayer and times of worship to you through service for others. AMEN!


VISIT OUR WEBSITE; http://www.newhopecommunityfellowship.com N.H.C.F. Touching Hearts - Changing Lives

TAKE REFUGE

“MAY THE LORD REPAY YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. MAY YOU BE RICHLY REWARDED BY THE LORD, GOD OF ISRAEL, UNDER WHOSE WINGS YOU HAVE COME TO TAKE REFUGE.” RUTH 2:12
Is there a better prayer to offer? I echo this sentiment of old for each of you who have come to trust Him. Some of you, being wearied by the politics of church, have stumbled away from Him and you feel empty and alone. The prize goes to the one who finishes the race; do not trip over a line drawn by man. Listen to the echo of His Word within your heart. Some of you have grown weary running due to others who stand between you and your God; like little Zacchaeus , you cannot see God because men are in your way. Climb, climb, whatever tree to whatever height you must in order to clearly see your Lord again. He is always much closer than you KNOW, climb if you must to see His face. Right now some of you are being battered by circumstances, why? Did God not know what is happening at this very moment would happen? Didn’t he know, before the foundation of the earth, that you would be in this circumstance? Yes, and so He promised, “I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU NOR WILL I FORSAKE YOU!” However do not confuse your desires with God’s will; only when you can pray, “NEVERTHELESS, FATHER, NOT MY WILL BUT THINE BE DONE” are you apt to see His will blossom fully before you.

“TAKE REFUGE”, this word says. Refuge is being able to rest in safety, knowing God is in charge. Jesus took REFUGE in the bottom of the boat and was sleeping through the great storm when his disciples awakened Him due to their fears. They were in the storm, He was resting secure in His Father in spite of it. The Disciples were watching the clouds, the winds and the waves, Jesus was resting in confidence in God. He knew the storm was coming before the others ever began to experience the winds and so He is aware of what you are experiencing in your life; “TAKE REFUGE”.
God’s reward is so much grander than you expect. By our finite minds and trivial appetites we expect little, but what He holds for we who are faithful is beyond what we could ever expect or envision or hope for. So I will pray for you again, “MAY THE LORD REPAY YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE. MAY YOU BE RICHLY REWARDED BY THE LORD, GOD OF ISRAEL, UNDER WHOSE WINGS YOU HAVE COME TO TAKE REFUGE.” AMEN!

What Am I Doing?

I went to be at midnight, it's now 5:30 am and I am sitting in Starbucks on my day-off, what am I doing? Well, I am doing the only part of life that feels like ministry to me anymore; I am mentoring. I do this at least three days a week and I sure do hope it's making a difference in the lives of the men I meet. I know it makes a difference in mine. For nearly ten years I got up at 6am and wrote a daily devotion; thousands of essays written upon the Word of God. I don't know how they benefitted no one else, but they certainly built m faith and the absence of this discipline has weakened my faith (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God). Life has been crowding out all but what is the most vital to my own existence as of late.

This is a strange time in which we live; an age of shattered relationships, non-commitment and individual asphyxiation; isolating ourselves to the point of suffocating the life out of our very beings. We live much of our lives based upon felt-needs, perceived “needs”; where we work, where we worship, how we live; many of us live to be entertained – What any I going to do today to have fun” we ask, rather than what ought we do today to prepare for tomorrow. We have become an id driven society of relaxation and rest rather than one of hard work and commerce. This explains the flippant way we discard relationships both inside and outside of the church. Our relationships as well as our worship experiences, as well as the rest of our lives are based upon “what will please me today?” rather than what do I need or what commitment have I made?

What we miss, in chasing our perceived needs, we neglect our real needs. In chasing after what we desire to do, we neglect the productive, life-giving things that we need to do. We recognize our innate need for community and relationship, but such endeavors require hard work and commitment and most of us with our pleasure mentality find it easier to continually shop around for the greener grass of every aspect of life rather than relax in the meadow where God has placed us. Jesus said, “HE WHO TRIES TO FIND HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, WHILE THOSE WHO ARE WILLING TO LOSE THEIR LIVES FOR MY SAKE WILL FIND IT.” The work of our salvation was finished on Calvary; the cost for our salvation was paid in Gethsemane, for it was there that Jesus made the hard commitment to do His Father’s will.

Ill you commit to doing the hard work of community and relationship or will you continue to look for the greener pastures which do not exist?

True and Undefiled Religion

What is missing in the “Church” today? How about “true and undefiled religion”? While the word religion doesn’t sit well with me personally, this is the phrase that Jesus used and in this context it is right.


What is “true and undefiled religion” according to the Son of God? “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” JAMES 1:27

By Christ’s definition of what it means to be a Christian, how are you doing? According to these words, how is your Church doing? How is the universal church doing?

I am not asking if your church gives money to other ministries. Personally what are you and the other members of your congregation doing to fulfill these words of Christ? When is the last time you personally visited a widow or orphan? Broadening this bit when have you last time you made a home visit to care for ad pray with anyone who is sick r hurting or lonely?

May I boldly say that I believe most of the institutional church is failing miserably on all three counts? Let me stress that having a “Home Missions Ministry” or “Outreach Ministry” or “A Care Ministry” does NOT fulfill your personal or the churches corporate need for pure and genuine, or as KJB say it “a true and undefiled religion”.

The church knows how to organize services and dinners, we know how to host car washes and pot lucks; we have Sunday Morning, Sunday Night, Wednesday Night, and Special Worship Services, but we have forgotten what it means to “care one for another”. Unless someone organizes it and the church bus drives us there, we don’t do it.

Here I a challenge for you, ask yourself, “When was the last time I entered a home of someone in need in order to pray or care or love them? When is the last time, I personally spent time with someone in the hospital or nursing home? What would the impact be on this Nation if every Christian believer adopted a widow or orphan to care for? Hey are all around us, lonely, hurting people that we don’ have time for.

I have found that as I am busy doing God’s commands, I find myself less tempted by the world’s demands. The more I give myself, my time, my finances and my energy into the lives of hurting- others, I have less struggle with the temptations of the world. I have also discovered as I give more of myself in Jesus name, the more others are drawn to Him.

Rather than plan another day of fun for yourself or your children, why not find an opportunity to serve someone who doesn’t have the family blessings that you do have?

“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” AMEN!

HOW HAVE YOU TREATED JESUS THIS WEEK?

How have you treated Jesus this week? Have you reverenced Him? Have you even spoken to Him? Have you been so busy that you have refused to spend any time with Him? How have you treated Jesus this week?
I don’t suppose you have been so foolish as to think that you could think or say negative or even nasty things concerning Him without Him knowing, have you? Are you ever disappointed in Jesus? Have you ever felt that He has let you down? Have you been angry with Him? Have you dare spoken that or have you silently held your anger inside until it boiled and solidified into resentment or even hatred?
Have you told Him that you love Him? Would you tell Him if you didn’t? Have you invited Him to come with you wherever you go or are there times and places where you’d rather Him not go with you? Are there friends He might embarrass you around?

Again, allow me to ask you; how have YOU treated Jesus this week? Before you answer, allow me to ask you another question; how have you treated your Preacher, your teacher, your parent, your boss at work or that bully at school? How have you treated that person you despise the most? How have you treated the one who has used you, abused you, abandoned you, stole from you, cheated on you?
Friend, your answer to the second set of questions answer the initial set; how you have treated the people in your life you consider the least; your egotistical preacher, unfair teacher, your lousy parent, your overbearing boss at work, the bully who frightens you; your worst enemy, the person you despise the most, the way you have treated them is how you have treated Jesus; who died for your sins. The way you have you treated the one who has used you, abused you, abandoned you, stole from you, or cheated on you is the way you have treated Jesus who would never do any of those things to you, for Christ has said, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. MATTHEW 25:40

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE?

As the old Beach Boy's song says, "WOULDN'T IT BE NICE?" Wouldn't it be nice if every day was sunny and only cooling breezes blew? Wouldn't it be nice if we had everything we wanted and never had to want again? Wouldn't it be nice if we were all wonderfully beautiful with perfect faces and desirable bodies and perfect personalities? Wouldn't it be nice if there were never any disappointments, no let-downs, no betrayals or misunderstandings; if everybody always did what was right at the right time and never lied and were totally honest? Wouldn't it be nice if, as the old saying goes "everyday would be Christmas all-year long?" WOULDN'T IT BE NICE?
NO! It would be boring and bland and we would soon forget our need for Father God. Adam and Eve had the perfect Father; the perfect environment, no work, only pleasure; they were beautiful in the perfect beautiful world and then that little gift from God; free-will got in the way. They didn't realize the garden they had been given until they had been cast from it. As they say, "You never know what you have until you lose it!" It's so true. They had the perfect environment and perfect situation for perfect communion with God and they didn't take advantage of it, and neither would we.
Life is messy, but it is in the messiness that we understand our need for something greater than ourselves. In our weakness He is made strong. It is our trials through which we strive and learn. What more can a man desire if has everything?
Doesn't loving one another in spite of our imperfections prove something of a deeper love? Isn't unconditional love the character of God? Heaven will be perfect, but we live there eternally will also be perfected. Heaven is the place for perfection; here on earth, we need God and we need one another and we come closest to both as we pass through the valleys and the storms. Amen!

Listen

THEN JESUS SAID, “HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR.”


MARK 4:9



In my long experience of this adventure called life, I have found a certain truth; those who most need to hear the truth are unable or most likely unwilling to listen.



Character flaws which glare like neon upon their lives to others remain hidden and unaddressed by those possessing them. Loving friends who do their best to illuminate these flaws are either ignored or shunned or dismissed. Friendship crumble, relationships ruin, beautiful, fulfilling interactions rot like fresh-caught fish left out in the summer sun for too long.



Jesus knew this ignorant side of man. He knew every time that He spoke a few would respond, but most would not. And so often before He was about to handout a potential life-changing truth, He would preface it by saying, “HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR.” This curious oft-used phrase was Christ’s way of saying, “Most of you who need to hear this won’t; you will hear, but you will not listen” or “You will listen but you will not follow through, knowing the cost of discipleship is the submission of your own desires and will.



I have toyed with the idea of hosting a seminar of corporate management. I know many pastors and small business leaders who would benefit from a weekend of examination of their treatment of their employees. The problem is that to the person, not one of those employers would be willing to attend such a weekend even if it were cost them nothing more than their time. Why? Because they are quite content to do business as they always have, even though they struggle with employee and customer loyalty. They just don’t have the ears to hear.



Within the institutional church the problem is much the same; congregants gather hoping to hear truths that might change their lives, but weekly reject those truths for life as usual; we desire intimacy and community, but we shun it out of fear of venerability, which is little more than acknowledging our own personal need to change and grow. One of my favorite personal quotes was from a poignant popular song of years gone by, it goes, “THERE ARE NONE WHO ARE SO BLIND AS THOSE WHO WILL NOT SEE”.



What is God trying to say to you today? The very thought that makes your heart pulse and your palms swear; the very thing you need to say or to do or to change is as simple as facing the fear and doing what you know you ought.

This message is for you; “HE WHO HAS EARS, LET HIM HEAR.” AMEN!

The Treasure of Friendship

Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy. Proverbs 27:6


Friends are like bananas, when they come in bunches, they quickly go bad. Like “love”; friend is a word that is overused. True friends don’t come in bunches, in fact if you find one or two sincere friends in this life you are entirely blessed.

As a young man I wore my heart on my sleeve and “fell in love” with nearly every girl I ever had any kind of a relationship with. I was usually certain by the second date that we would eventually be married. This behavior started long before I was in school and continued until I found my true love in my wife.

As a man, I have made the same fatal error with acquaintances. I always assume that each acquaintance is going to be my sincere friend for life; that our friendship is unconditional and a sacred trust. I have spent most of my adult life being repeatedly hurt by people whom I have cared about more than they care about me.

An honest friend speaks the truth in love to you; an honest friend doesn’t tell you how wonderful you are, when you’re not, but an honest friend is equally committed to being a part of your life for the remainder of their lives. A sincere friend, like a sincere love, cares for you even when they don’t care for how you are being. What a rare gift it is to find people who will allow you to invest in their lives and in return are willing to invest in yours.

We would all do well to remember the words of Jesus, “ Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.” Luke 6:26

Empty kisses leave behind broken hearts. When I think of my friends, my sincere friends; the ones who go back years and years, I don’t think of their kind words or their flattery or their praise; what I know, even when we don’t see one another for months or years is that when we do, we pick-up right where we left off. In as much as NOTHING can separate us from the Love of God, there is Nothing that destroys a real friendship.

Just as the desire for love may leave you with a broken heart, the desire for sincere friendship will do the same, but in both cases, the treasure you find is worth all the pain endured in seeking.