Power To Sustain

“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.” Isaiah 40:28

A certain battery brand used to advertise that its batteries would keep going long past the average battery life. The brand was made famous by its pink Bunny mascot, wearing sunglasses and playing a drum, tirelessly marching across the television screen. Viewers were meant to believe that this battery would go on practically forever. That is a quality that people tend to value: unending, unfaltering power.  

We flocked to films about superhuman strength or ability. We take our warm homes, working ovens, and functioning cars for granted. Of course, we know that batteries eventually give up. Superheroes, as strong as they appear, have weaknesses that threaten their victories. Even electricity is not a sure thing, as we can see when the power goes out during a thunderstorm.

The only unending source of power and strength comes from God! He's the very best One to turn to if we need to keep going. His power has a built-in recharge. When we stay plugged in and connected to Him, His restoration of our hearts, habits, attitudes, and energy is automatic. When we are weak, He is strong.

Increasingly, the more we acknowledge our inabilities before God, the more He can do in our lives. The more we lay down the idea of control and power on our own, the more powerful we allow God to be in our circumstances. God will sustain us no matter what.  He keeps going, and going, and going , , ,

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One of the challenges we face in our modern, technological society is that we believe we can do anything ourselves!  We don’t really need anyone.  Couple this with what we see in the lives of people we are around.  People are on their phones all the time.  We live surrounded by people, but we live in isolation.  This fosters the idea that we are in this life all by ourselves.  We have lost the sense of connection with other people and this view of life has even filtered into the Church.

If there is one thing we can learn as we read through the New Testament, it is that God’s people need each other.  We see this throughout the Book of Acts and beyond through the rest of the New Testament.  The Apostles counted on each other.  They taught those early Christian to be there for one another.  The supported each other with their gifts and offerings.  They broke bread together.  They lived in relationship with each other and with God.  

The men who wrote our Scripture by the guidance of God did so with transparent honesty.  The did not sugarcoat anything.  When they were hurting or tired, we see it.  When they are fearful and lonely, it shows.  When they didn’t know where to God or what to do, the turned to God and each other.

Paul even writes: And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

The words of the Apostles are the testimony of God. Their very lives are a witness to the presence of God and His ability to sustain them regardless of the worldly circumstances they faced.  

Think about it!  If you were standing before the executioner and were told, “Recant or die.”  What would you do?  How can a man or woman face their own death when a simple word could mean their “salvation”?  The answer is the power of God to sustain them which enabled them to witness the truth of Jesus even though it meant certain death.  This was the plight of almost all the apostles and countless others throughout the ages.

Thankfully, we are not facing persecution as God’s people today.  But the challenges we face are no less emotionally trying.  We endure hardships, loss, pain, and suffering.  We often feel like we are going through everything alone and in this there can be despair.  But we are not alone!  We are the people of God in the world today!  We are the Church, the Body of Christ.  And we are Family!  

We can count on each other.  But we all can seek to be more diligent in connecting with one another and entering into life together so that we understand what others are facing and be there to support them.  

In addition to all this, there is the presence of God in our lives.  God the Holy Spirit has come to all of us.  He has made His home within our very hearts where He is constantly working to accomplish God’s will in us and through us.  It is the very presence of God in our lives which empowers us to face life In this world with confidence and hope!

Draw close to God and His promise is that He will draw close to you.  Trust in Him for as Isaiah said, He is the Creator of all things and He is your Creator.  You are His Child and He loves you.  Hold onto Him because He is holding onto you and He will never let you go.

Blessings this week,
Pastor Russ

The Peace In Perfect Love

“When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering rock of safety.”
Psalm 62:2

Is anything too hard for God? Never. Would He leave us alone or without the strength we need to overcome anything we face today? Absolutely not. Will we let anything steal our peace, knowing God is with us? No way! Replacing anxious thoughts with confident declarations can keep us from feeling overwhelmed. Peace comes on the heels of thinking about what perfect love would say to us. If the thought isn't something God would say, it's got to go!

Perfect love is the power of truth put into practice. Perfect love kicks out every fear that comes to take the place of faith. Perfect love lifts every hope God sends to carry us through.  Perfect love erases every lie that tries to tell us God has stepped out of our lives. No matter what kind of wilderness it feels like we're walking through, love is in it with an endless river of strength behind it. And there's more beauty then we can imagine up ahead.

God wants us to experience the peace He gives in the midst of the overwhelming days and the seasons of waiting.  Love doesn't leave when it gets hard. It faithfully leads with our best always at the center of its purpose. We can be at peace when things around us look like they're falling apart because we know God is putting them together for our good.  That's why we put our trust in perfect love.  That's why, when our hearts are faint and overwhelmed, we choose to steer our thoughts in the direction of truth.

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And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

It is Paul who reminds us that God is always in charge, working for our God!
I can tell you from personal experience, there have been times in recent years when I felt like my life was falling apart.  There were times I looked for God can could not see Him in the midst of pain and anguish.  I could not see how He was working or what good could come out of the mess I saw around me!  But He was there!

The challenge we often face is that we have our own desires, dreams, and goals for life which are often interrupted and even destroyed in this sinful world.  We want things our way, but they just don’t work out as we want them to work out.  This does not mean what we wanted was bad.  It is a simple reality that sin is at work and often what we desire is dashed to pieces on the rocks of hard life.

The miracle is that God is present, even when we can see Him, working to accomplish good and blessing for us.  The reason is that He is present because He loves us.  He will not abandon His child to the ravages of life, but He is present working in the unseen realms to accomplish what He knows will be a blessing for us.

It is John who tells us the following: There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. 1 John 4:18

John is not telling us we will never fear or face hardships or even emotional challenges in this life. What he is saying is that when we go through the difficult times of life we are to hold onto the perfect love of God which He has revealed to us in Jesus.

What more can God possibly do to reveal to us His great love than all He has already done?  Jesus came!  Jesus suffered!  Jesus died on that horrible cross! What made it possible for Jesus to walk the road of life placed before Him?  The perfect love He knew was in the heart of the Father for Him.  The same love Jesus trusted in is the same love which fills the heart of the Father for each one of His children.  And just in case you have forgotten, you are one of His children.

Jesus knew the Father would not abandon Him in the grave.  He knew the Father’s heart and because of this Jesus knew His day of resurrection would come.  What Jesus knew to be truth about perfect love is what has been revealed to you.

You may feel like all hope is lost.  You may see nothing but darkness in the future.  But know this, God the Father’s perfect love for you will shine brightly on the new day.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ

In the Garden

For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.
Isaiah 61:11

Gardens have been cherished and celebrated since the beginning of time. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of nature's beauty, and for good reason! Many of us find peace in the natural world, feeling a connection to our Creator and coming away with a sense of renewal after spending time in His presence there.

The Lord obviously speaks to the heart through the beauty of His creation. It's easy to forget that, at one time, all the wonders we behold had not appeared but were instead contained in the tiniest seeds! Those seeds were scattered (either naturally or by human hand), watered, and warmed by the sun, finally finding their way to the surface to bloom and grow in what we see today.

No one would ever guess what those little vessels of wonderment would become just by looking at them. So much is orchestrated inside them, unseen, transforming their simple beginning into something unexpectedly marvelous.

Our lives are very much like those seeds, held in the hands of our Creator. Making all things new is His specialty (see Revelation 21:5). Like a master gardener, He knows exactly what wonders will be springing up from our days, even during those times when we doubt anything possibly turning out for our good.  What we often see as ordinary, He sees as opportunity.  What we see as an ending, He sees as a new start.  He sees our amazing potential.

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And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:5

What does it mean that God is making all things new?  I believe it means that we are going to be different in the future than we are today!  All of us have faced trials and struggles in this life.  We have faced sickness and disease.  There has been the loss of loved ones.  People we love and trusted have turned their backs on us.  There have been financial struggles and relationship challenges.  There is not one of us who has journeyed through life unaffected by the struggles common to all people.

This passage speaks of something new!  While we all know that eternity, when we arrive there, will be something new, I do not believe God intends us to wait that long to experience it.  Yes, there is an immediate newness in Christ when we are born anew by the gift of faith.  Yes, we have the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life. But there is more!  So much more God wants us to experience.

Our faith does not shield us from the struggles of life in this broken world.  Our faith enables us to hold on to God’s promises and look for what is new! What He is working to accomplish for our blessings.

In the exercise of His will He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. James 1:18

The amazing thing about a garden is that when it is in full bloom we don’t even remember the months before when it was barren and seemingly dead.  The long, cold, months of winter don’t even come to mind when the Spring breeze is blowing, and the sun is shining brightly.  We see the blossoms budding and the flowers blooming and the apparent death of winter is over.  

We also think very little of the approaching season of Fall when the flowers will fade and the stems will turn brown.  Death seems to draw close but deep down there is still life.  In that unseen region, just beyond our sight, there is still life waiting to burst forth when the rain comes and the sun shines brightly again.  

The cycle of life continues, and we are so used to it we barely pay attention.  What is true of a garden is also true in our own lives.  As the seasons of life progress, we experience the challenges I mentioned above.  We journey through the season of apparent death and wonder if life will ever return.

Then one day, seemingly out of nowhere, the sun begins to shine, and the rains fall and what seems so dead begins to sprout and grow.  New hope is born in our hearts, and we see a way into our future which didn’t seem to be there before.  This is the fruit of a faithful life.  

Yes, fruit can be understood as the good works we do for the Kingdom, but in order for there to be fruit there must also be growth.  The most rapid time of growth comes just beyond the time of struggle.  This is where growth begins and preparation is made for the fruit which will be borne.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

In this text Paul speaks of transformation.  Transformation is a funny word. We imagine one thing becoming another and thus it is transformed.  This is true!  But here we are talking about a human life.  People are not transformed in an instant like flipping a light switch.  Salvation is instant by the grace of God, but transformation is an ongoing process from one moment to the next, and so on until the end.  

The “renewing of your mind” is something that will never stop or reach completion while we are still living and breathing in this world.  Transforming and renewing are the ongoing work of God in our lives until we reach the end.

It is this constant, ever present, work of God in our lives which moves us through the dark times of seeming death to the dawn of a new day of growth and life.  God is faithful and He promises each one of us that regardless of what we face in this life, He will be present to guide us and enable us to see a future with hope.  

No matter how dark it might become, there is a new day coming and with the new day comes new life.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ

Garden Growth

“The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly heart and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”  Matthew 13:23

She led you through the halls of her humble home until she reached the back door, where she welcomed you to walk ahead.  As you pushed open the door, it took a moment for your eyes to take in the beautiful scene before you.  Nestled inside the old brick fence lining the perimeter of the property grew the most spectacular garden you had ever seen.  A graceful weeping willow kept the corner guard, surrounded by dozens of daffodils standing at attention.  Brilliant pink and red peonies, encore azaleas, and a variety of ferns and tall grasses lined the pebbled pathway.   “What’s your secret?” you wondered aloud as you inhaled the varied fragrances.  Smiling, she answered, “The secret is in the soil.”

Before she planted a single bulb, she tilled the soil, tested its quality, and added the right nutrients to create the perfect conditions for planting.  Rooted in the right soil, beautiful growth was inevitable.  

Our hearts are much like our gardens.  We may all hear the message of truth about God’s grace and forgiveness, but only hearts that are tilled with humility and repentance receive those spiritual seeds.  When we are open to receive God’s grace, acknowledging our desperate need for Him, the light of His Son streams down, filling us with truth, and our lives sprout up in a beautiful display of His magnificent handiwork.  

Today, ask God to tend to the soil of your soul.  Then watch in wonder at the beautiful growth God will brin to your life.

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Humility and Repentance!  These two words used by the author of our text are the stumbling block for most of the people in our world!

It is the sad failing of sinful humanity that in our sinfulness and rebellion we do not believe we need God!  Now understand, people want to be religious, but they do not want the one true God.  Look at the myriads of religions which captivate the majority of people in the world?  People want to be religious but not real faith.  Real faith is dependence upon God alone for your salvation.  Religion is about what I can do to connect with God as I understand him.  This means I must meet the standards my god demands as I understand them.  When I have done well, I feel justified. When I have failed, I not only feel guilty but fearful.  This is the cycle in which people live; self-justification or fear and guilt.  What a miserable way to live.

Faith in the one true God is not about self-justification or fear and guilt.  True faith is about humility and repentance.  Faith looks to God and believes there is nothing in me and nothing I can do which can justify me in His sight.  I am sinful and unworthy and that is the end of the discussion.  Faith also looks to this same God knowing He is a God of love who desires to forgive and restore not judge and condemn.  

Looking to Jesus as the fulfillment of all the promises of God we see His gracious heart and the price He paid, which we could never pay, and we know our sins are forgiven.  The Good News of the Gospel sinks deep into the fertile soil of our hearts and we believe in Him.  Our sin is forgiven and we are made new!  Made new to bear fruit for His glory!

What do you think is the fruit we are to bear?  Good works is usually the answer people give!  A Christian is a person who does good works to the glory of God!  This is true but this is not where we begin.  We begin with repentance!  Faith moves us to see Jesus as our Savior and that our whole existence today and for eternity is dependent upon Him.  Repentance is my action when I see sin in my life and through faith, I desire to remove it and become an even clearer reflection of Jesus in my life.  

When Jesus taught the Parable of the Sower and the Seed there were four types of soil representing four different responses of the heart to the Word of God.  The hard heart, the rocking soul, then there was the ground full of weeds, and finally the soil of a good heart.  It is faith which allows the Word to sink in, take root, and grow!  It is humility which enables us to cast away our stubborn pride and look to Jesus knowing our own need for forgiveness.  

Where there is humility there will be faith!  Where faith is present then repentance will follow.  And as the old saying goes, “When I spend my time doing the good God desires for me to do, I don’t have time to do the evil He does not want me to do.”  Repentance is always followed by good works seen by others which opens the way for the seed to be planted in someone else’s heart!

Become the beautiful garden of the Grace of God for all the world to marvel at!

Blessings,
Pastor Russ

The Sound of His Voice

“My child, pay attention to what I say.  Listen carefully to my words.
Proverbs 4:20

In a noisy crowd, most of us can pick out the voice of our parent, spouse, or child.  A mother, even though asleep, will wake up to the sound of her teenager coming home late at night.  And many a video-watching office worker can detect the sound of the boss’s footsteps coming from across the hall! Our ears are tuned to hear certain sounds, and we will strain forward to listen when we are trying to discern them.

As God enlivens the ears of your spirit, His voice is unmistakable.  Even though you’re surrounded by the clamor of a busy, noisy, and demanding world, you will hear His words of peace come through.  Say you’re lonely or sad or feel ashamed, and you find your voice to share your heart with Him through whispers in the middle of the night.  Nevertheless, you will discern His tender worlds of assurance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.  Suppose you’d like to live more openly and confidently as one of his own.  Listen!  His encouragement will come through, loud and clear!

God’s ears are always fine-tuned to the sound of your voice.  And it takes a lifetime of learning to hone your own ears to the vibrant sounds of His voice too.  He wants to have that relationship with you, teaching you and speaking in ways that you delight to understand.  The more you lean in, the more you discover the subtleties and unique aspects of His words to your spiritual ears.  Listen close, and His voice will become the most beautiful thing you ever hear.  

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The author of this devotional message is absolutely correct. In the business of life, it can be very difficult to discern the voice of God.  We live in a society in which we are bombarded by so much it can be difficult to hear anything.

As a people we are so busy we do not think we have time to devote to God.  He gets pushed to the back burner of our lives and we keep telling ourselves we will pay attention to Him when we get the time.  Then, all of the sudden, time runs out!

So many people have lived their whole lives with God on hold!  They arrive at the end and in that moment, they realize all the time they wasted and the comfort and assurance which could have been theirs.  

God does not want to simply be a piece of our life, like a slice of pie!  His desire is to be the center of our life, like the hub in a wheel.  The center around which everything else revolves.  When this is true in our lives we are trusting in Him and looking to Him for guidance in every part of life and we move forward.  

When God is the center your life it is so much easier to hear His voice when He speaks to you.  We do not get an audible voice from heaven, but we do get prompting in our heart as He directs us.  He will give us assurance peace for a decision when we are trusting in Him.  He will guide us in our relationships when we are living in a real relationship with Him.  We understand what is truly important in life when we understand how important we are to His heart.

It was the first Reformer who began the Reformation in 1517, Martin Luther, who said; “I have so much to do, I don’t have time not to pray.”  Through all he faced with opposition and the threat of death for standing against the catholic church, Luther learned to depend upon God moment by moment in his life.  

We may not face martyrdom, but we do face challenges everyday we live in this world.  We need God close to us.  We need His presence and we need to learn to discern His voice in the midst of the noise we hear all around us.  

Take a moment to stop and be still.  Listen to your heart and ask God to be with you in your day.  As you go through your day, ask Him to guide you and while you are at it, ask Him to help you learn how to listen to His voice.  He is faithful and this is a prayer our God will joyfully answer!

Blessings in Jesus Name!
Pastor Russ

The Latter and the Former Rain

“Fear the Lord our God that give us rain both the former and the latter in His season.”
Jeremiah 524

Farmers know when a bad cloud comes up they're fixing to have a gully washer.  But the rains in Israel only came twice a year for farmers. Israel was not located near abundant sources of water like the Nile or the Euphrates, probably because God wanted them to depend solely on Him to provide all the water they needed.  The former reigns or Autumn rains, which fall October through November, are gentle showers that soften the ground for planting.  But the latter rains are the Spring rains which fall March through April, and these rains come down harder and can cause flooding and destruction.  But in James 5:7 we see the comparison of the former and latter rains to the Spirit of God; “Be patient then brothers and sisters until the Lord's coming.  See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop patiently waiting for the Autumn and Spring rains.”  These rains represent God's provision and grace to us just as the rains provide water for people crops and animals to survive throughout the year

God has an abundance of blessings in store for us.  He promises that He will pour out His Spirit on all flesh in the last days (Acts 2:17-21).  An outpouring on all God's people from every nation and tongue just as the former rains prepared the land for seed and the latter rains for harvest. God will rain down His Spirit on us in the last days and bring in an abundance of souls to His glory.

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There is no shortage of people who are waiting on God to move and act in this world.  We have the idea that something more is to be expected than what God has already provided.  What more could our gracious God provide for us than He has already done?  

Like the farmer preparing the field for the crop, our God prepared all of creation for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Think about it!  When Jesus came into this world there was, in a sense, a one world government, the Roman Empire.  There was a universal trade language, Greek.  Travel was swift and trouble free because of the Pax Romana, the Roman Peace.  This meant that once the salvation of the world was accomplished by Jesus at His cross and empty tomb, everything was set for the Gospel to be made known throughout the world.  The only challenge was getting those who knew the truth of all Jesus had accomplished out of the house to tell people!

If you recall, after the Ascension of Jesus the apostles retuned to Jerusalem and met together with other believers.  Where were they meeting?  Behind locked doors.  They were living in fear and very few, if any, who did not know Jesus were being told about Him.

Then came Pentecost Sunday!  God poured forth His Spirit and immediately everything changed.  From hiding to standing in the middle of the streets to be seen by everyone.  From silence to the bold proclamation of Jesus as Savior!  From fear to boldness and from silence to glory!

The Church as we know it today was born on that day.  The very same Spirit of God which was given to those first believers is the same Spirit who is both in and with us today.

The world we live in is not so different than the world of that day.  Most people are consumed with the matters of life. Many are living in fear.  Everyone still seems to be living behind locked doors attempting to shut out the world in all its craziness.  It is we who are Christians, those redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus and living with the assurance of forgiveness and eternal life who have been given the Spirit and told to go forth into the world.  We are the Church today!  We can see the long rich history of the Church proclaiming the Gospel to the lost world. This is the legacy we have been given. It is intended to inspire us and move us to action.

We are the Church today.  We are the people of God in this generation who are Spirit filled believers!  We are those who are giving the opportunity to proclaim Jesus for the salvation of souls and the glory of God.  

Look at the world around us!  Is the time not right?  People are lost and hurting, and almost all are living in hopelessness.  We have hope in abundance.  Enough to share!  We can give the people of this world everything they need to become all God desires and dreams for them. All we need to do is give them Jesus.

Just look . . . The Fields are ripe and the time of harvest has come!

In Christ,
Pastor Russ

Wisdom in Eight Words

It is futile for you to rise up early, To stay up late, To eat the bread of painful labor; This is how He gives to His beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2

God wants his loved ones to get their proper rest.

There's a popular Italian phrase – dolce far niente - which means “the art of doing nothing.”  Pleasant idleness. Not everyone understands how to properly rest. I think we like to stay on top of things and control so much of our lives and time as we can. And I admit it's a challenge for me to let go and let God. But if we're going to debate how to rest properly, we can't leave God out of it. As a matter of fact, He has to be the center of it, where we aren't going to enjoy any real rest.

God created our bodies to need rest.  Endless health benefits come from releasing stress, disconnecting from work, and getting a good night's sleep. God wouldn't design us to need something that isn't found in Him. We're created in His image. We live and move and have our being in Him. But it's up to us to mentally and physically surrender to His perfect care.  We've all been at the end of our day feeling exhausted and ready for bed, and as soon as we lie down, the thought reel starts rolling. This reel is never cued by God. We can't let that happen if we want the sweet sleep that He promises.

A few years ago, I met an elderly gentleman who gave me his advice for getting a good night's sleep.  He told me to use the 8 after 8 routine every night. After 8:00 PM, when it's time to start unwinding and think about going to bed, he prepared with eight words: give it to God and go to sleep.  He told me it had worked for him for as long as he could remember. I took it as good advice from a wise soul, and I've used it ever since.

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Psalm 127:2 was written by Solomon!  Since he is known to be the wisest man to ever live, I believe we should listen to his advice!  

How many people have we seen stressed themselves out chasing the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? People work and struggle and strive to seek to build a life while all the time missing what life truly has to offer them.

We all want the new car and the bigger house the fancy clothes and the jewelry.  We want our kids to have the best of everything.  So, we work until we are exhausted, and while we end up with all this stuff, we have an emptiness in our soul.

Now understand, God does not get tired. But He did rest on the 7th day. Not because He needed the rest but because setting aside a time to just be and enjoy what is in our lives is important.

In the Old Testament God gave the children of Israel the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day was to be a day of rest. As the generations went on, they turned the Sabbath day into a day of rules and regulations, but this was never intended by God. It was to be a day to stop, reflect, and be thankful.

What would life be like for each one of us if we simply enjoyed what God has given to us?  How would life be different if we truly understood that the things we acquire are not nearly as valuable as the people God has placed into our lives?

The blessings of family and friends are usually only measured by those who are elderly in our midst, who find their families and friends have passed on leaving them to live life in loneliness. It is my prayer that we would all begin to take stock in the blessings we have been given. That we would value the people God has placed in our lives. That we would invest ourselves and our time into what is most meaningful and not in perishable things like silver and gold.

May God guide you take stock and the blessings you have been given, and rest in His abundant peace.

In Christ,
Pastor Russ

Stress and Rest

Let all that I am wait patiently before God, for my hope is in Him.
Psalm 62:5

Is there ever a time when you look around your desk, peruse your planner, or check your phone and shrug and think, Well, I guess there's nothing for me to do today?

Is there ever a moment when you can't think of anything that could use your attention? If you are a homeowner, then certainly not. If you are a mom, a teacher, a business owner, or a volunteer who cares for others, you are bombarded daily, if not more often. There is always something vying for your attention.

You inhabit an interconnected world that never slows down and never shuts off. The world tempts you to stay up late watching the news, or surfing the Internet, or checking out social media, or gaming, or doing countless other activities that gobble up your time and distract you. But too much late-night screen time robs you of something you need very badly: sleep.

 Are you going to bed at a reasonable hour and sleeping through the night?  If so, you're both wise and blessed. But if you're staying up late with your eyes glued to a screen, overthinking problems, are getting one last thing done, then you're putting your long-term health at risk. And you're probably wasting time too. So, the next time you're tempted to engage in wasting time late at night, resist the temptation. Instead, turn your thoughts and prayers to God. And when you're finished, turn off the lights and go to bed. You need rest.

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Psalm 90:12 – “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

In Psalm 90 we are given Psalm by Moses!  While Moses did not write many Psalms, what he gives us as the Word of God is wisdom for life. This verse reminds us to recognize the brevity of life and to live intentionally, valuing each day as a gift from God.

We are reminded in the devotion above that there are many distractions in this world.  Some come to us from life itself, while others are of our own making.  The statistics on the number of hours young men spend on video gaming is astounding.  Even our small children are being taught at a young age that the “screen” is their best friend.

When most of us were younger, we spent hours outdoors.  Now a young person is rarely seen outside, playing with their friends.  I will say this bluntly!!!  This is not good!

Each one of us are given only a set number of days.  None of us can say with certainty we will live through this day or wake up tomorrow.  We are encouraged by God to make the most of every moment we are given in this life, and to invest ourselves into what has eternal value!

The Apostle Paul echoes same sentiment as Moses when he writes the following;
“So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”  Ephesians 5:15-16

Here, Paul emphasizes living wisely and seizing opportunities to do good, reflecting God’s love in a world full of distractions.  In Paul’s mind, the opportunities we should be seeking are those which have eternal significance.

I am not saying we need to spend 24/7 serving in the church.  What I am saying is that there is more to life than playing video games or watching TV.  We need to spend our days investing in relationships.  There are people I know who live for days with absolutely zero communication with other human beings.  There are times a simple phone call and make an amazing difference in a person’s life.

The encouragement of our devotion today is to make wise choices for our lives.  The choice of a good night’s sleep is the place to begin. Then, while the sun shines, make the most of the opportunities given to you.  If you don’t see the opportunity readily presenting itself, then make one!  There is no better time than now to impact a person’s life with the love of God in Christ.

Blessings to you,
Pastor Russ

Broken to Beautiful

I want to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
Acts 13:38

If you break your favorite vase, no amount of glue will fix it completely. The crack may be difficult to see, but it will always be there. And the vessel will always be weaker than it was before the fall. Our relationship with God has also been broken. There have been many human attempts to put the pieces back together, but our relationship to the holy God can't be mended – only replaced with something new.

Fortunately for us, that's exactly what God has in mind. He has made a way for us to enter into a new relationship with Him – forgiveness through His Son, Jesus.

All we need to do to receive God's forgiveness is to acknowledge our need for it and ask Him for it. It's an act crouched in simplicity, but it isn't necessarily easy.

Our old sin nature doesn't want to examine the places in our hearts where we have failed. We have a hard time admitting our deep need for God. Pride lifts its ugly head, and the invitation goes unanswered. God is patient, however. As soon as you reach up to Him in humility, His hand is extended down to you in love. He loves you so much, and He greatly desires to walk in daily fellowship with you. Maybe you've already accepted His offer. If not, will you let Him replace your old, broken relationship with a brand new one?

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The history of the world has shown that mankind yearns for a relationship with the divine. Every culture from the beginning of time, who did not know the one true God, has created a religion to reach out the god or gods of their own imagination.

The only problem with this is that when man sets out to create a god, the god he creates is always in his own image. Every image of the divine created by man is simply man exalted to a greater status. The ancient gods were filled with all the selfishness, sin, and desires of humanity. This enabled people to understand, and to believe, that if my God is like me than I am not that bad.

The challenge for each one of us to accept is that we are truly broken. And in our brokenness we are separated from the true God. And because God is God and He is holy other than we are, there is nothing, and I mean nothing we can do to reach Him. He is holy and we are sinful. He is pure and we are tainted. He is perfect and we are imperfect.

If that were the end of the story we would all be lost. But fortunately for us by God's grace, that is not the end of the story. While God is a lot of things, He is first and foremost a God of love. It is His love which has moved Him to accomplish reconciliation through His Son Jesus Christ. We could not go to God, so God came to us.

It is the sacrificial blood shed on the cross that is paid for our sins. Through simple faith in Christ and trust in Him they're made whole again. Reconciled to God we can now live moment by moment in a relationship with Him.

But we are not yet what we will be. As we live in this broken sinful world, we still see the cracks. Our old sinful nature holds on, and we still make many mistakes. We sin, and yes, it does grieve the heart of our God. But His love for us never changes. Through the blood of Jesus, we are forgiven and our relationship with Him is never broken. We can live in absolute confidence that we are His children and one day we will be delivered from the brokenness of this world, and of our very own lives.

When that day comes the cracks will no longer be present. Who will rise and ascend and experience a wholeness that we have never known. The broken vase will not just be mended, it will be made new, and we will truly be like our God. We will be perfect and holy and fully reconciled and in union and relationship with the God who has loved us from eternity.

We live in the now and not yet. We live forgiven and restored to God, but it is not yet been revealed what we will be on the day we stand face to face with Him.

Hold on to this truth and may it bless you through the day.
Pastor Russ

Moving Toward A Quiet Trust

Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.
Job 6:24

God created us and put us on this earth to realize how miraculously were made, and to discover that a simple life is anchored in a simple truth. God loves us too much to let us go. Ever.

It doesn't matter if we get it all wrong some days. When we rush past opportunities to listen, to rest, to pray, to stop and get directions, there's a good chance we'll get a whole bunch of things wrong. But grace is patient, certain, and steadying.

Every day is another chance to push away from the chaos. When we get entangled in the idea that we must accomplish a set number of tasks or prove our worth by the world's measure of success, we risk never being able to slow down and learn how to simply be quiet. It's a discipline will master only by asking for God's help.

He sees the things we can't see. He's written our days. He wants us to remember how sufficient He is and how infinitely He cares. It's up to us to quiet the noisy demands in our heads, the loud expectations we put on ourselves, and the nagging and possibility of perfection – in our homes, our jobs, our families, and our social media posts.

Maybe we can start our days in a different way. Our eyes open with a quiet thank you. Our first deep breath brings a quiet smile. A healthy stretch from head to toe releases our hours into God's hands. There is nothing more comforting or faithful than His care. It's as relentless as our list of things to do, but He can be trusted with what gets done, and what doesn't.

Remember the moments that make up the minutes belong to the one who teaches us to simply trust.

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In Psalm 46:10 we read, “Be still and know that I Am God!”  What does it mean to be still before God? There are probably many answers we could give to that question but ultimately it means acknowledging that He is God and we are not.

So often we spend our lives trying to fill God's shoes. We seek to control every aspect of our lives. We make ourselves the managers of everything.  Everything from what happens in the lives of our children, to when, where, and how we will retire. We spend our lives attempting to create our own destiny.

Now there's a word we can play with, destiny! What is our destiny? Is your destiny to get rich, or be famous? Do you want to be remembered as a great success? Or even something more holy like, I want to be remembered as a great Christian. What is your destiny?

We are given the answer but somehow, we just don't listen. Your destiny is to be with God forever. The moment God called you unto Himself through faith in Christ you became His child. Who is He? He is the great I Am. He is the one who existed before creation and He will be all that is there when creation is folded up like a garment and put away. God is God, but remember, He is the God who loves you and wants you.

We do not have to live our lives worried about tomorrow because tomorrow is in God's hands. We can focus on the moments of today and be at peace in our hearts.

My encouragement to you is a message I've been told numerous times, “Just let go and let God.”

Blessings on your day,
Pastor Russ

Live Totally Surrendered

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
 Proverbs 3:5-6

In 1888 Dora Yu entered medical school at age 15. When she graduated, she offered her diploma to God. As a doctor, she healed many even though she was afflicted with her own infirmity. As an entrepreneur, she started a girl’s school and a church. As an evangelist as she led hundreds of people into a relationship with Christ.

Dora lived a life of total surrender. She embodied prayer without ceasing, engaging in perpetual conversation with God throughout her day. She prayed that God would keep her in total obedience, total surrender, and total compassion. More than anything, she wanted her life to reflect Christ's; she wanted to love others unconditionally. She longed to see the world from God's viewpoint and live in the heavenly realm.

Colossians 4:2-4 says, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with Thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ . . . That I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.”

Dora understood that she had to remain prayerful if she wanted to impact the world for Christ. She knew that a life of prayerlessness was a sign of pride and self-reliance. More than anything, she knew she needed God.

If you lived a life of constant prayer, how might your life change?

True surrender leads us out of our comfort zones and into God's plan and will. When we completely surrender to the Lord, God might ask us to change jobs or move to a different location. But one thing is for sure: being totally surrendered to God brings major world change.

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If you are like me, I had never heard of Dora Yu. But if you take time to Google her name you will find out that she was an amazing woman.  She was one of the first missionaries Korea, and she was sent out as a missionary from China of all places.

Many of you have heard the name Watchman Nee.  He was a great missionary in his day, and he came to faith under the ministry of Dora Yu.  

The devotion for today speaks of constant prayer. So many times, we believe prayer is a ritual when in truth it is a relationship. I find myself talking to God at what most would think would be inappropriate times. I will be watching television and a commercial will come on, and I have learned that in those few moments I have an opportunity to talk to God.  Or when I'm driving through town and gets stuck at one of our very long traffic lights, do you have a few moments where I can talk to God.

Prayer is not only from mealtimes and church services, but it is a life lived in relationship with our savior who loves us.  Our devotion today speaks of pride and self-reliance as the result of a prayerless life. By contrast our lives are to be lived in total dependence upon God. We don't just depend on God for daily food and protection; we depend on God every moment of our life. And if we're honest every moment of our lives is in God's hands. It is God who sustains all creation, and it is our God who sustains us moment by moment.

What we need to fully grasp is that we are so important to the heart of God that he is focused every moment upon us. What was it that Paul said to us? “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will he not also with Him freely give us all things?”

If we are so important to the heart of God that he would give Jesus for us, how could we ever imagine that anything in all creation is more important than we are?

Never forget! You are the focus of God's heart.

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ

Sailing Stones

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.  
1 Peter 2:5

If you've ever heard the expression “A rolling stone gathers no moss,” then you will probably understand the concept of sailing stones found in remote areas of Death Valley, California. These heavy stones etch long tracks behind them across a dried lakebed known as Racetrack Playa.  The stones, which range in size from several ounces to hundreds of pounds, seemed to travel along the desert ground without human or animal intervention.

No one has ever claimed to have actually seen them move, but the trails behind the stones seem to suggest that they do indeed move. In 2014 scientists were able to capture the stones’ movements using time lapse photography.

What the camera revealed was a propelling force of ice, water, and wind. Rains would collect, freezing overnight to create a slick surface that would thaw the next day. Winds would then break down the ice sheets, melting, with the effect of propelling the stones forward across the lake bed.

A rolling stone gathers no moss is a proverb with a bit of advice for people who cannot seem to settle in one place for long. Lichens and mosses grow slowly in stable environments, never on rolling stones. Some people sail through life because they fear settling in one place for too long, or staying with a job or in a relationship, often avoiding responsibilities and the cares of everyday life. But fear and faith are incompatible as rolling stones and moss. Trust in God, the rock of your salvation, is the right move.

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A stone is a dead, lifeless object!  It cannot move on its own.  But as we see in the devotion above, there is the ability of an outside force to impact the lifeless stone which causes it to move from one place to another.  This outside force is for the most part unseen.  Only when scientists became creative could they discover means by which the forces of nature moved the rocks.

What does it say to us that Peter declares that we are “living stones?”  A stone is a lifeless object.  It has no abilities in and of itself.  If there is to be any movement, “life,” then there most come an outside force to impact it.

The same image can be applied to the lifeless lump of clay in the Garden of Eden.  The form was that of a man, but there was no life in it.  Not until an outside force impacted it and changed everything!  God breathed into the form made out of dirt and the form became a living man, Adam!

The physical life given to Adam in the garden could only happen because God moved.  God was a work turning what was dead and lifeless into a living being.  The same reality is what Peter is addressing when he calls us living stones.

We were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God has made us alive in Christ.  We had no life in us and we were completely unable to do anything to move toward God.  We were dead and destined for an eternity in hell.  

But God moved!  God came to us in the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit and we who were dead were given life.  From dead to living stones!  What a miracle conversion truly is!

A contrasting phrase to the one identified above would be the one we have all heard.  We are to “bloom where we are planted.”  How many people have we seen come and go from our churches over the years.  There are many people who can never seem to settle down, dig in deep, and grow.  Once the new wears off, they are off to another church.  

God wants us to dig in deep and become connected and involved in a fellowship of believers.  He wants to use those people to impact and change us while at the same time He wants to use us to impact and change them.  

Think for a moment of those people you know who can never settle down.  Always on the move from one church, or one job to another.  They are always looking and always searching but never remaining long enough to obtain what they desire.  We must not be like this.  God wants us to be settled and grounded where we are at for the purpose of using us for His kingdom’s work.

Pray and ask God for His direction in your life and then truly be present where He wants you to be.  Don’t roll away but bloom and flourish where He places you!

Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Russ

Green Pastures In The Present

The Lord is my shepherd I lack nothing he makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, he refreshes my soul. Psalm 23:1-3

That familiar feeling of panic is about to set in, and you feel it rising from the pit of your stomach, straight to your head. As if on steroids, your mind races ahead of the emotion, rehearsing all the details that must be done or fall into place before you can finally get a grip. In the moment and it turns out there are many of these moments every day, it feels like so much is at stake if you fail. Fear grips you and threatens to sabotage your plans, your work and ultimately your worth.

But as always, fear is a liar. If you are God's child, you are not on your own, struggling to pull all the necessary strings to make life work in your favor. With Jesus at your side, you lack nothing! His all-powerful hand leads you through life's twists and turns, always providing access to the calm, gentle streams of His indwelling Spirit. No matter how crazy the days get, God's presence with you in it is a verdant pasture of peace for your soul.

Today if you feel panicked about an upcoming project or problem, don't let your mind race with all the what-ifs. Instead, put your mind and heart to rest by remembering that your God has this day, and your life, in his hands.  Let the Shepherd lead you through each moment as you acknowledge His presence and goodness in it.  Look to Him for guidance and lie down in His promised care.

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This devotion begins by addressing fear and the power it has in our lives.  Fear, be it valid or irrational fear, can twist us inside out and leave us flailing in the wind.  When fear is our focus, we lost sight of God and all His promises.  

Please understand, God does not want you to live in fear!  God’s desire is for us to trust Him so completely that with our focus on Him we see the fear in our hearts melt away.  

I will put to you that this is a “God Thing!”  The Bible address fear numerous times, but did you know that we are told not to fear 365 times in Scripture?  How would our lives be different if we were to read one verse which addresses fear each day for a whole year. To live a whole year hearing God speak to us with words like; “Fear Not!” or “Do not be afraid!” or as David said in Psalm 23, “I will fear no evil!”  

To begin to develop in our own lives the absolute confidence that all the reasons for fear are removed because God is “our” God and He is faithful!  What a blessing this would be for each one of us as His children.

I encourage you to do just this!  Turn to God’s Word and listen to Him speak to you about the fear which fills you heart and mind.  Hear Him speak to you that there is no reason to fear because He is with you and He will never leave you.

In the 23rd Psalm David speaks of trusting in God throughout each and every aspect of our lives.  From times of rejoicing to times of great sorrow.  Regardless of what life throws at us, we can live with the assurance of God’s presence, guidance, and blessings.  He will not abandon us!  He pledges Himself to be with us!

Fear cannot overcome us when faith in Jesus is present in our hearts.

May God bless you this day!
Pastor Russ

A Day of Rest

Then He said to them “The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.”
Mark 2:27

As Jesus and His hungry disciples passed through the grain field, they picked heads of grain to eat along the way. Now, according to Deuteronomy 23:25, it was lawful to pick heads of grain by hand from a man's grain field, but the Pharisees demanded to know why they were working on the Sabbath. “Six days you shall do your work, but on the 7th day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.”  Exodus 23:12.

The law of Moses (Deuteronomy 5:14) commanded them to keep the Sabbath, but the question was not how to keep it. The Jews added a burdensome number of manmade laws designed toward this end. But as usual, Jesus had a response that cut to the truth and skipped the superficial blame game.  He reminded the Pharisees that David and his men, who were also hungry in their flight from king Saul, ate the showbread, which only priests were allowed to eat. Sure, David technically broke the law of Moses. But under certain conditions of need Jesus demonstrated that the violation was allowable. The true needs of humankind were more important than following religion laws to the letter.

God created the Sabbath as a day of rest from their toil. The Sabbath day is meant to be a blessing to us, a time of rest and restoration, and a day of worship and rejoicing in the Lord, Who made us.

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We live in a world which loves rules and hates rule breakers.  What is true in our society is also true in the church, and it has always been this way.  The previous devotional message testifies to the Grace of God rather than the Law.  

Yes, the Law of God is pure and holy, but the religious leaders of Jesus’ day had turned what was to be a blessing into a ridged set of rules by which you were either acceptable to God or rejected by Him.  

The church of today is guilty of the same error.  We make rules on how we are to dress, act, speak, participate, etc.  We set a standard and in doing so we forget about Grace!  
Jesus never met a person He did not love.  God the Father never looks upon a person in this world He does not want as His child.  Jesus came into this world precisely because God loves everyone equally!

God does not just love the “good” people!  Jesus died for all people because all of us are sinful and we all stand in need of forgiveness.  Jesus accomplished this on the cross and we come to God purely by His grace through faith.

The Law of God given in the Old Testament was intended to guide God’s people on how to live as the people of God.  It was not given to establish them as God’s children, but rather to bless them in their life as the people of God.

There is not a one of us who is holy by our own merits to stand before God.  The next time you feel the urge to judge someone because of how they look or what they are doing, stop and think for a moment.  The old phrase, “There but for the grace of God go I” is a fitting thought when you are tempted to judge. Then instead of being filled with indignation, make the choice to love and pray for the person you are watching.  Let your heart feel what God’s heart is feeling at that moment.  Let God’s love in you flow through you to bless and just possibly that person will be able to see Jesus in you!

Blessings on your week,
Pastor Russ

BiTS & piEcES

A Modern Day Parable (inspired by Matthew 13:1-23)
On that day Jesus had gone out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.

3 And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. 6 But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 7 Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. 8 But others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much. 9 The one who has ears, let him hear.”

10 And the disciples came up and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” 11 And Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. 12 For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘ You shall keep on listening,  but shall not understand; And  you shall keep on looking,  but shall not perceive; 15 For the heart of this people has become dull, With their ears they scarcely hear, And they have closed their eyes, Otherwise they might see with their eyes, Hear with their ears, Understand with their heart, and return, And I would heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Listen then to the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. 20 The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.”

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The days have become painfully long, and the nights unbearably longer. Life has profoundly changed, and will never be the same. It was pretty stressful before, but now the choice is to stay home alone, yet another day, or venture out into what feels like an apocalyptic movie. Everyone is forced to hide behind masks and stay away from each other. It is exhausting trying to make some connections through eye contact, trying to decipher the muffled sounds coming through the thick cloth. It can leave you feeling lonelier than actually being alone.

William hasn’t been getting out much since the pandemic hit. He awakens early and searches for things to do around the house to keep him busy and distracted.

This morning, as he walked down the long hallway, he paused in front of the beautiful vase they had brought back from Italy. It has been in this place of honor for years, serving no purpose other than to give beauty and receive admiration.

William just stood there frozen, looking at the intricate details, the small lines painted into the design that gave life to the vase. Maryanne had especially loved this piece of art. It really looked so strong, and stable, and beautiful. William just stood and stared at the empty vase.

The house was painfully quiet since Maryanne had gone. Complete silence begins to fill your ears after a while. Then, it works its way into your mind, sometimes bringing peace, sometimes pain. After nearly thirty minutes staring at the vase, William took a deep breath and broke the silence with a long, whispering sigh.

He shifted his weight and uncrossed his arms, realizing the tight grip he had on himself. This ever so subtle movement allowed a sunbeam to find its way to the top of the vase. Amazingly, the vase looked completely different in this new light.  

William could see a thin layer of dust clinging to all of those delicately painted lines. He peered over the edge into the opening to discover it wasn’t empty at all! It was filled with dirt and darkness. He squinted his eyes trying to see all the way to the bottom. But, it was impossible. He used his phone as a flashlight to see inside, but it was impossible. The curves and angles kept the bottom third of the vase a complete mystery. He felt an overwhelming desire to see every inch of the inside of this vase. It was as though he wouldn’t be able to do another thing today, unless he could accomplish this!

Without thinking, William grabbed the beautiful vase by the neck and smashed it to the floor. All the feelings, memories, and questions he had kept at bay flooded the hall with each broken shard. His mind screamed the question that had entangled him for so long -- Why????? All he could muster the strength to do at this moment was turn and walk away. He closed the door behind him, leaving all the broken pieces scattered on the floor.  

It took William several weeks to clean up all the fragments. Some days, he marched into that hallway, swept up a section, and quickly disposed of those pieces and dust so they would never be seen again. Sometimes he lingered, selecting a few large chunks of the porcelain, and spent hours trying to fit them together and restore the original pattern. He worked at it with great determination until his energy waned, and he became discouraged and saddened by the reality that the missing pieces he had discarded meant full restoration was impossible. Occasionally, he would carry one portion to his favorite easy chair and stay totally fixated on it for hours, until the memories choked him and left him physically exhausted and emotionally spent.

Finally, the day came when William entered the hallway and cleared away the last bits of the broken mess. As he looked up and down the space, he stood a little straighter. He felt a little lighter. His shoulders weren’t as slumped by the weight of it all. Much work had been done here. He noticed a sunbeam peeking through to shine on the clean slate of the floor. He turned toward the window and realized that he could hear the birds singing in the trees just outside. He had never noticed them before. The tree had always been there, surely the birds had been there, too. But, he had no memory of them.  

William didn’t understand why …… but, he no longer needed to.

Think about it!
Pastor Russ

It's All For Nothing

There was a boy who indulged himself in the virtual world. He spent a great amount of time daily on a Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) called Isle of Adventure, all the while neglecting his family and studies. In the game, he was a player of great success; he was
a hero, with his own guild and many followers. He had a beautiful wife and countless rare pieces of equipment. To put it simply, he was the "Obama" (now Trump) of Isle of Adventure. He devoted his time, his life, his love and his sense of worth to the game.

As the years passed by, he realized that the number of players in the game were dwindling because many had transferred to play another new popular game - "Sword Online". Many of his followers, even his in-game wife, left him to play the new game. Yet, he was determined to stay in his game because he could neither give up the glory and wealth he had in the game, nor let the time, blood and sweat he had devoted go to waste. He continued to log in daily to play on his own, even when the Game Master announced that the game would be shut down.

The Game Master could not bear to see him stay in the game so desperately and decided to create a character to play with him to try and convince him to give it up. The Game Master asked the boy to think about his life, because after all, he would have to face reality after the game ended. However, the boy refused to listen, still unable to give up on all that he had in the game.

The day came for the game to be shut down. The boy lost everything; all those years of hard work and time turned into nothing. He sat in his room, staring blankly at his poor examination results and thinking about the broken relationships he had with his family. He wanted to escape reality, only to realize that his parents had grown old and could no longer provide for him. It was his turn now to earn his own living and to take care of his parents. No matter how he wanted to jump into the virtual world again, the time to face reality had come. However, he had nothing to face reality with.

Mark 8:34-37
And He summoned the crowd together with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? 37 For what could a person give in exchange for his soul?

No MMORPG lasts forever; all will face the day of its closure. This world is like an MMORPG, it is short and limited and will face destruction one day. It is so with life; everyone will face the reality of physical death and can carry nothing of this world with us as we step into death. Yet, how much of our time, our life, our worth have we devoted into this "virtual world" we are in now? As we step into eternity, what will await us? Jesus came into our world, to warn us to repent and believe because the Kingdom of Heaven is near. He warned us to be prepared for the eternity to come. He does not want us to gather treasures in this world, but in the Kingdom of Heaven. He wants us to put away what we have and follow Him, to become His disciples and God's children. Are we still refusing to act on what is truly important in life?

Be blessed today!
Pastor Russ

Parable of the Night Sky

A woman was on her way to the market and overheard two men in deep discussion. “The most beautiful thing about the night sky is the moon! Look at its silvery light that shines most beautifully!” The other man disagreed and said, “No, it is the myriad of stars that illuminate the sky above us that make it beautiful!”

The woman stopped in her tracks and said to both of them, “What do you see when you look up into the night sky? You see the moon, and you, the stars. But what of the clouds? Or the darkness that is above you? The night sky is more than each of these on their own and it is more than each of these put together.

The moon speaks to us through its phases, the stars chart our paths, the clouds hint at the mysteries of life when it shrouds the familiar glow and shine of the moon and stars, and the darkness reminds us how beautiful and necessary light is when all seems lost.

Yet neither of these are what the night sky is. Only when each is set in its place, set in its season, and set against each other, does the night sky become whole and truly beautiful.”

The men angrily rebuked the woman, and one said, “What do you know about the night sky? Have you studied it? Be on your way and leave the talking to the men!”

Explanation
This parable speaks mainly of unity and diversity – and the resulting beauty from the sum total of both. It is similar in some sense to the ‘many parts, one body’ parable that Paul uses, except I wish to emphasize the resulting beauty that comes from recognizing each part of the greater whole, rather than mere functionality.


1 Corinthians 12:4-26
Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.
12 For just as the body is one and yet has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one part, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has arranged the parts, each one of them in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many parts, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again, the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the parts of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those parts of the body which we consider less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor, and our less presentable parts become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable parts have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that part which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the parts may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one part of the body suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if a part is honored, all the parts rejoice with it.

An additional dimension that could be a result of this parable is the fact that it is subjective; yes, perhaps we pick on things that grab our attention and we focus on those things. However, that does not negate the value of the other things. By not giving the other diverse parts of the ‘night sky’ (or ‘body’ if you prefer Paul's metaphor) their due credit, we are poorer for it.  

Think for a moment of our church, Spirit and Truth.  We are a very diverse gathering of people.  We come from varied backgrounds and may of us come with a great amount of baggage.  Yet, we are the body of Christ in this place.  In our midst there are those who lead and those who serve selflessly.  There are those who love to cook. Those who sew and those who love to paint.  Some find great joy in cleaning a bathroom. There are others who stand watch during our services.  We are all very different, yet if one is missing, we are all lacking.

Please hear me!  Never sell yourself short.  You, each one of you, are valued for who you are.  You are each a special blessing to our church.  We need you and more than this, we want you.  Together we are the body of Christ in this place and there is no other place in God’s green earth which is as unique as we are together.  The same is true for any and every other church.  

Be blessed today!
Pastor Russ

The Parable of the Frog in Need of Water

This Parable of the Frog teaches that sometimes we overlook the help that God gives us.

Parable of the Frog Ferrdie the Frog needed relief from the heat. Life sure was hard, and if Ferrdie didn’t do something very, very soon to make his situation better, he’d dry out and fry!

Where he lived, it had gotten quite dry, and as you know, frogs like water. Frogs love water. Frogs need water to survive. Or, rather, they need water so that their happiness can survive. And Ferrdie had become quite unhappy. His house — that little niche in the soil that he had carefully carved out for himself — shaded him nicely and kept him cool when the sun was bright and hot, but this wasn’t enough to keep him happy and content, being that he was a frog and he loved water.

Normally, it rained every day in the late afternoon, and this rain brought moisture into his home. Sweet, cool, delightful moisture. What a way to live! He didn’t have to go anywhere in search of a pond or a lake or a puddle, because the water came right into his home. The rain brought out the bugs, and he would dine with ease. All he had to do was poke his head out of his hole and wait and watch. Soon, very soon, in practically no time at all, the soaking rain would sprout an insect out of the ground, and schwip! He would capture that insect with his agile tongue and enjoy its exquisite nourishment.

But one year, the rains didn’t come on schedule. The ground became very dry. Ferrdie’s house grew warmer and warmer as the sun soaked the soil with its dry heat. Bugs crawled by his door less and less frequently. To satisfy his hunger, Ferrdie had to leave the shaded shelter of his home and hop across the hot dry dirt until he spotted a bug and schwipped it for his meal. That was not fun. That was not easy. But Ferrdie comforted himself with the knowledge that soon the rains would come back, and his life would return to the normal level of comfort that he’d been used to.

Soon did not happen soon enough. Day after day, the drought continued. Ferrdie cried out to complain of his misery. When would life be comfortable again? He wanted to know.

His home dried out. His skin dried out. He had to find water! He would die if he didn’t find water soon, very soon – today even! He knew of one solution: He could burrow deeper into the ground, where the soil was damp, like he always did in the wintertime. There, he could wait however long was necessary for the rains to begin. But he didn’t like that solution. It wasn’t wintertime. He shouldn’t have to hibernate right now. He should be able to enjoy life as he normally did in the springtime, feeling damp and snacking on bugs that the rain brought to his doorstep.

Ferrdie became very impatient. He could wait no longer. He had to do something! So, he left his home to find a nice, wet pond.

A few hops later he made a magnificent discovery! Right there, so close by to where he lived, was a pond! The water sparkled clear and blue and wet. There were steep cliffs all around the edge of the pond, and Ferrdie realized that once he got into that water, he might have a hard time getting out. But oh how wet the water looked!

Splash! Ferrdie ended his long wait for rain. Oh how good the water felt on his skin! Oh how wonderful it felt to swim in. The pond had a strange smell to it – no mucky smell, no algae, no plant growth, no lily pads with their fragrant flowers. But it was wet! And cool! How delightful!

After the sheer enjoyment of just swimming around wherever he pleased, he began to get tired, so he relaxed and let himself float. Suddenly, a huge hand swooped down into the water right in front of him. What was this! Why did it want to capture him? He darted off in the opposite direction and swam down deep into the pond. The hand could not reach him there. But eventually he had to go back up to get air. Cautiously, he returned to the surface and breathed. No hand. Wow, what a relief! But oh my, how tired he felt! He swam to the side of the pond. He tried to climb up the cliff on the side of the pond, but it was too smooth and steep. He failed.

The giant hand swooped down again, and this time it enclosed around him. Ferrdie panicked. Ferrdie squirmed. Ferrdie fought against the hand to squeeze through a crack in the fingers, but the hand was too strong, too big, too frightening. Then, at last, the hand opened up. Now was his chance! With a quick glance, he determined which direction to jump to get back into the pond, and with a great push from his hind legs, he flew through the air and plopped into the wet, cool water.

Again, Ferrdie stayed down in the safe depths until he needed to breath. Cautiously, he searched for that hand. Not seeing it, he allowed himself to calm down. Exhausted, he relaxed his tired body. Then he noticed he felt hungry. But there were no bugs in this water. The time had come to get out of the pond and get back to the soil where he knew there was plenty to eat.

Ferrdie summoned the energy to whoosh himself over to the side of the pond. He reached up to cling to the cliff wall, but the side of the cliff was smooth, way too smooth. He tried again. And again and again and again. He’d have to seek out a better side of the pond. Something about this pond water was draining his energy, but he made it to the other side, and again he tried to climb up the cliff. Again, it was too flat and too smooth to climb up.

He needed to rest. He needed to recollect his energy. But whether he rested or swam, he felt weaker and weaker. Water had always refreshed him in the past, so he forced his legs to carry him deeper into the pond. That didn’t help, so he floated up to the surface. After a time, floating was all he could manage with his little remaining strength. Then his lungs began to burn and he could no longer pull in air. The world grew blurry. He could no longer think, not about rain, not about bugs, not about the hand that had pulled him out of the water.

The next day, the hand scooped up his lifeless body. “Poor frog,” said the person of the hand. “I tried to tell you that the chlorinated pool water would hurt you. Why didn’t you let me save you?”



+++

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1

The story of Ferrdie is a good reminder for us that God is always seeking to help us but often we don’t recognize Him and far too often we don’t want His help.

It is so easy in this world in which we live to become deceived by the circumstances we are in and believe we are doing what is best.  All the time, God is working to redirect us what is better or even safer.  In the end, we find ourselves warn out and drained by the struggle and crying out in hopelessness.

Like Ferrdie, there are times we place ourselves in danger and we don’t even realize it.  Most often it is spiritual danger.  We are pretty good at recognizing physical danger, but we are often blind to the spiritual dangers around us.  We jump without thinking and God is there to scoop us up and set is safely down where we can be protected.  But what do we do?  We jump back into dangerous waters and find ourselves suffering.

The point of truth is that we often are not content with the blessings we have received and we wander off into new areas which drain the life out of us.  God will be present to rescue us but He will not force us to stay in a safe place. He will allow us to drown and hit bottom if  we refuse His help.  

Sadly, for many of us, we have to hit rock bottom before we realize the mistake we have made.  But thank God His grace and forgiveness is abundant.  When we realize  the mistake we have made, repent of our sin and turn to Him, He will be there with open arms to welcome us home and bless us once more.

We can’t see everything and we are often unaware of the dangers around us.  Trust His leading hand to guide you and keep you safe.

Blessings to you,
Pastor Russ

The Parable of the Dog Named Gigi

Once upon a time, there was a cute little dog named Gigi. She loved meeting up with friendly dogs and playing fetch-the-ball with them. One of her favorite companions was a big German Shepherd named Cocoa.

One day, Cocoa brought a shiny new squishy ball to the dog park. Cocoa was very good at pushing the ball around with her nose and running all around the park this way. Gigi decided to join in with Cocoa’s game. Since the German Shepherd was having so much fun and was so friendly, wagging her tail whenever she looked at Gigi, Gigi figured that Cocoa would appreciate Gigi’s involvement.

So Gigi ran in front of Cocoa to catch the ball. Then she ran ahead and placed the ball on the ground, eagerly waiting for Cocoa to run over and push the ball with her nose again.

But to Gigi’s surprise, Cocoa just stood there and growled.

“What have I done wrong?” Gigi wondered.

“You took my ball,” the German Shepherd growled.

Nearby, a great big Rottweiler was watching everything. The Rottweiler trotted over to Gigi and woofed, “You took Cocoa’s ball. I’m going to bite you so you will learn to never do that again.”

“But I don’t have Cocoa’s ball,” Gigi whimpered. “I thought I was just contributing to Cocoa’s game. And see, there is the ball on the ground waiting for Cocoa to push it around with her nose.”

The German Shepherd snarled, “You stole my ball.” The Rottweiler woofed in agreement.

Gigi looked at them both. They could tear her apart if they had a mind to. “Believe me, that was not my intention. I thought you would like to have me join your game. It’s still your game. It’s still your ball. I wasn’t trying to steal anything.” She looked at their eyes and saw no softening, no understanding. So she said, “I apologize for doing the wrong thing.” And she sadly walked away.

The German Shepherd looked at the Rottweiler and said, “Well, that’s good enough for me.”

On the other side of the dog park, Gigi laid down in the sunshine. She thought about what had just happened. “I will never be able to trust them with the truths in my heart. It will never be fun to play with them because they might misinterpret how I play.”

Gigi looked around at the dogs who were nearby and she spotted an old friend, a Shitzu named Mona. “I’m safe with her,” Gigi said. So she trotted over to Mona, tapped her on the shoulder to invite her to play, and began a fun round of wrestling.

The moral of the story is: When you think someone has done you wrong, listen well to their heart. You might discover a truth that deepens your friendship.

Arf arf!

+++
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” – Galatians 6:1

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” – Luke 6:41

It is so easy to read intentions into another person’s actions and miss what is truly in their hearts.  Have you ever been misunderstood when you did something?  You thought you were doing the right thing, but others became angry.

Sometimes we feel like Gigi.  We do the best we can at it is not good enough.  We want to simply go away and hide, and possibly cry.

We have all made the mistake of the bigger dogs as well.  We read into a person’s actions the first negative thought that comes to mind and our anger flairs.  We lash out and hurt the other person because we are not seeking to listen to their heart and motives.  

Often when our emotions do flair up the best thing we can do is take a step back and reflect on what happened!  BEFORE we open our mouths to speak!!!  Often, we will find that our knee-jerk reaction would have been so wrong.  If we take the time to see past the action to look at the person, love will prevail.  

May we all take the time to be patient with one another and seek to love rather than judge and we will abide in so much more peace!

Blessings this week,
Pastor Russ

The Biker: A Modern Day Version of the Good Samaritan Parable

A commandment of Scripture, but sometimes difficult to interpret. How far does our obligation go? After all, who is our neighbor? Most of us who live in large cities don’t even know our neighbors! How can we love them? What do these words really mean, to love our neighbor? Listen to this tale, and decipher for yourself!

Early one evening, a successful young man took his new Nissan Maxima to the mall to buy his girlfriend a Christmas present. He had heard on the radio that his usual route was closed off, so he decided to chance it and go through the crazy-dangerous area of town to get there. He figured it was a better choice than having to go all the way around the city, thus adding two hours to his journey.

Well, the area he had to cut through was in the North End of the city, known for its gang warfare and biker bars, and he had chosen the completely wrong time to go through, too, as young punks started to gather for their nightly escapades, and certain young ladies went outside to claim their piece of the sidewalk for their nightly business of selling themselves.
At a red light, the young man stopped and found himself in the middle of a gang war. The gang member from one group took a shot at his enemy across the street, and the young man in the Maxima was the unfortunate barrier between them. The bullet barely grazed his shoulder, and he cried out in sharp pain, managing to pull over and stop the car.
He got out of the car, intending to go get help, but in his weakened state, he attracted the wrong kind of attention. A couple of kids looking for some quick drug money noticed his stupor and decided it would be easier to give him a couple of punches than try to break into a store. They also noticed his car keys and the car running close by and put the two and two together. Soon, he was out of a car, a cell phone and a wallet.

By the time they were gone, he was in rough shape and lay smashed and dirty on the sidewalk. He lay there for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes. He was thrilled when he looked up and saw a pastor from his local church walk by. “Help, John!” he cried out feebly, but the leader crossed over to the other side of the sidewalk and did not even look his way.

The Minister

The minister did not usually walk this way, but he was on his way to a board meeting for all the churches in his district. Unfortunately, it was in one of the rougher areas of town, and John really wasn’t used to this environment. He wished he had been able to find parking closer, but he had been forced to walk several blocks to his destination.
He saw the man lying down from a few feet away and felt nervous. Who knows what that man had been imbibing in order to be that intoxicated? Often, these people were dangerous and unpredictable. Just for security’s sake, he crossed over to the other side of the street. He was already late for the meeting, and he didn’t want any complications. “I’m sure the police will deal with him,” he thought. “I need to get going.”
A faint wave of guilt washed over him, hoping this man would be okay, but he quickly told himself that he wasn’t responsible for saving the world. “They have people for that,” he thought. “It’s not my calling.”

The Church Lady

About a half hour later, a very frequent church-going lady walked by in a rush. She was carrying a Bible, and the injured young man thought for sure she would help him. He tried to call out to her, but she did not help. Instead, she put her nose in the air and quickly walked away in horror and disgust.

The woman had lived on that street for years and had seen everything decline in the last decade. What had once been a hard-working population had been overrun by hookers, pimps and drug addicts. Every day, she heard of more horrors on the nightly news, and it made her sick. She had once been proud to live here, but now she lived in fear.

When she heard the young man call out to her, she was sure he would be begging for money to buy some more booze. She was tired of being lambasted by these welfare-dependent bums. She looked at him in disgust, anger at the way the country was going, and hurried home to her little apartment, safe with bars on the windows and a good security system. She knew she shouldn’t have gone out so late in the afternoon.

The Biker

Just as he was almost passing into unconsciousness, the young man caught a glimpse of a man in a jean vest covered with decals and tight pants. He would have been afraid of this biker under different circumstances but he had no fear left, only vacuous curiosity. “I wonder what kind of bike he drives,” he pondered.

The man, who was dressed like a biker, parked his Harley-Davidson and decided to hoof it to the bar where he was going to relax for a few hours. He had had a hard week at the mill and was looking forward to forgetting his troubles with some good friends. Later, he would grab a cab and pick up his bike in the morning. No one on the street would dare to touch it.
Just as he neared his destination, he noticed a young man who looked like he’d been beaten up pretty badly. Feeling sorry for him, he went over and gently felt his wrist. Yes, he was still breathing. “Are you okay?” he whispered, not wanting to startle him. “Not really,” the young man replied. Let me call you an ambulance …. you look like you’re in pretty bad shape. He used his cell phone to call 911, waited with the young man until they arrived, and paid the ambulance driver the $500 fee. “Take my cell,” he told the young man, “use it to call your Mom and Dad and girlfriend about where you are. And here’s a couple hundred to tide you over until you get all your I.D. straightened out. Sorry for what happened to you, man. Those guys were jerks.”

The young man left in the ambulance and went to the hospital, used the cell phone to call his family and friends and afterward called the biker to give him back his cell phone. “How can I repay you,” he asked. “Don’t worry about it,” the biker told him. “There are still a few good guys left in this world.”

Who Is Your Neighbor?

Three people passed by our young man and saw three different things. One saw a dangerous drunk, another saw a lazy bum, and one saw a person who needed help. Who was the one that helped his neighbor?
It is said to love your neighbor as yourself. Who is your neighbor? Think about this tale, and discover for yourself.

This an adaptation of a parable told by Jesus, as recounted in Luke: 10:25-37.

+++
How sad! We often find ourselves in the same situation.  Either we are the one in need or the one looking the other way.  There are many people who sit in the church pew every week but who put blinders on when they walk out the doors.  We are called to be witnesses of Jesus in the world!!! Not in the Church!  It is the people in the world who need to see the love of God in and through us.  

I am not saying we need to hand out money to every person standing on the street corner.  This often does more harm than good.  What I am saying is that we need to be alert and looking for those individuals who are truly in pain and who need our help.  

It could be a man or woman going through a divorce and whose heart is breaking.  It can be an elderly person who is all alone in this world who is sick and needs a friend.  It may even be the person living in your own house who feels like an outsider.  

It is only when we lift our eyes off ourselves and see our world through God’s eyes that we can begin to love our neighbor as ourselves.  Only then will people see and experience the love of God in a tangible way.

Think about it!
Pastor Russ

The Oncologist vs. The Optometrist

During his annual physical, Jim somewhat apologetically told his doctor about a specific pain he’d felt the last few weeks. In his mind, the pain was merely part of the cost of aging. No big deal. Similar to how his increasingly creaky knees and aching back seem to increase with each birthday. The doctor, however, didn’t respond to Jim’s hastily tossed out information as Jim expected.

“Really?” the doctor shot back with a furrowed brow.

A little taken aback by the doctor’s reaction, Jim shrugged it off. “Yeah. It’s no big deal. I’m just getting older, right?” he laughed.

Grunting a response, the doctor typed something on his laptop and then snapped his head up. “I’ve ordered some additional blood work.” Seeing the look of concern invade Jim’s face, he quickly added, “but it’s probably nothing.”

A few days later, Jim’s phone rang. It was the doctor’s office.

After hanging up a few minutes later, Jim tried to focus on the doctor’s assurance of “it’s probably nothing” but the word “oncologist” drug his thoughts through fear.

After more bloodwork, tests, and an MRI, Jim finally sat across the desk from the oncologist, hoping for answers – good answers.

Silently shuffling through her notes for what felt like an eternity, the oncologist finally looked up and said, “Well, Jim, I have some bad news, some good news, and some less good but not necessarily bad news.”

“Let’s get the bad news out of the way,” Jim attempted to laugh. A lump had somehow developed in his throat, though, and Jim thought his words made him sound like he was drunk as he listened to himself speak.

“You have cancer. That’s the bad news. However, the good news is that this type of cancer is treatable. If you go through the treatment plan and follow the diet and lifestyle regiment I prescribe, you’re almost completely assured of beating this.”

Jim couldn’t help but release a sigh as he said, “Oh. Okay. That’s good. Right? But what’s the ‘some less good but not necessarily bad news you mentioned’?”

Looking Jim squarely in the eyes, the oncologist responded gravely, “I’m not going to lie; it’s going to be a hard road. The treatment is harsh and will make you feel terrible. You’ll likely be out of commission from almost everything for a couple of months, at least. The diet and lifestyle regiment are very rigid and not fun. I promise you, though, that if you trust me and stick to the plan, you’ll beat this cancer and get your life back.”

While driving home, after finally wrapping his brain somewhat around everything he’d just heard, Jim decided to phone his longtime friend Dave.

Knowing that Jim was visiting the oncologist that day, Dave was quick to answer the phone. “Hey, man. What’s the news? Good, right?”

After relaying everything he could remember the oncologist telling him, Jim moved to the real purpose of his call. “Dave, I have a favor to ask.”

“Sure,” Dave was quick to respond. “Anything. You know that. All you have to do is ask.”

“Thanks. I know you’re in my corner. But I want you to almost literally be in my corner. The next few months are going to be rough. From what I understand, the treatment plan is going to kick my butt, and the diet and lifestyle plans aren’t going to be easy. But the oncologist assured me that if I trust her and do what she says, I’ll beat this. However, I’m afraid that I’m going to want to give up. That I can’t do this. I want you to make me. Don’t let me quit, man.”

“Definitely,” Dave assured Jim. “I will 1980s-era P.E. teacher this thing. You’ll get to the top of this dang rope even if I have to throw things at you while screaming nonsensical insults. You may hate me in the moment, but on the other side you and I are going to laugh about it over beers.”

A few days later, while getting his eyes checked, Jim noticed the optometrist peering at him. “How many years have you been coming to me?” the optometrist blurted out. “Almost fifteen? A long time. This is the quietest you’ve ever been. Maybe it’s none of my business, but is everything okay?”

Relieved to be able to tell someone, Jim brought his optometrist up to speed. While Jim was telling him about the treatment plan and the diet and lifestyle regiment, the optometrist shifted uncomfortably on his stool. “Jim,” he said quietly. “I don’t want to overstep, but your oncologist is wrong. I’ve done some research on this type of cancer and it’s not that difficult to beat. There’s no reason to suffer that terrible treatment plan nor to adhere to such a strict diet and lifestyle regiment. If you have a few minutes, I’d love to tell you how to beat this cancer.”

On his way back to his car, Jim felt noticeably lighter. “That’s what they mean when they say a burden’s been lifted,” Jim happily thought.

Once again, Jim phoned Dave from the car.

“Guess what?” Jim blurted out before Dave even had the chance to say hi.

Speaking quickly in his excitement, Jim shared with Dave the good news that his optometrist had told him. “It looks like I don’t need you to be in my corner after all, man! My optometrist has told me what to do to beat this cancer and it’s so much easier than what that oncologist lady said. Great news, right?”

What do you think Dave’s response should be?

+++

How many times have we had someone tell us, “What you did isn’t that bad!  It’s not like you killed someone or anything.”  We all love to be told that things are ok.  We are really not a bad person.  We are doing better than most people do as we live our lives.  We love to be told everything is going to be ok.

We often take this attitude in our approach to our Christian life and our relationship with God.  We compare ourselves to others and tell ourselves that God is no doubt pleased with us and how we are living.  There is only one problem – We are comparing what is broken with what is broken.

If I want to fix my truck, I do not by a less broken part to replace a badly broken part.  I want a new part to replace the broken part!  Comparing ourselves to others is like comparing two broken parts.  One may be more broken, but both are broken!

The only way we are to approach God is to compare ourselves with Him.  He is pure, righteous, and holy!  Until we can honestly say we are exactly like God, we have no business in the comparison game and since we will never be pure or righteous or holy, we can never look to God and say, “Aren’t you proud of me!”

There is one standard for who we are to be, and we cannot look to an Optometrist to accomplish what only an Oncologist can do.  Only the Oncologist can address our cancer and only God can address our sin.  Thankfully, God has already done this when Jesus went to the cross for us.  His shed blood paid for our sin and only in Him are we declared holy and acceptable to God.

The bad news is that you are a sinner who deserves hell.  The not so bad news is that you are bound to a sinful nature and you will always struggle with sin in this life.  The great news is that Jesus paid for your sin and there is absolute healing in Him.  

The challenge is that if we do as He says and live as He has called us to live, we will overcome bondage to sin in this life and reflect Him more and more clearly until the day comes and we are fully healed.

The road is long and the struggle is real, but the day will come when we will celebrate no more sin!  There will be total and complete healing in Jesus!

Blessings To You This Week.
Pastor Russ

The Lowly Brown Caterpillar
A Parable about True Identity

Once upon a time, in a great big forest, at the bottom of a very tall tree, there crawled along in the soft, dirty, dark earth a caterpillar who was brown and fat and squishy. His name was Bumpadoo.

The odd thing about Bumpadoo was that he didn’t know he was a caterpillar. He thought he was a worm. That is why he crawled at the bottom of the very tall tree instead of climbing up into the tree and into the branches and out onto the stems into the bright sunlight to feast on the banquet of abundant green leaves.

Bumpadoo had not always lived in the dirt. A long time ago, he had followed his true nature into the tree and out onto the leaves, and as he dined there in the bright sunshine, he grew bigger and fatter and happier, as should happen from eating lots and lots of good green nourishment. But a wind came along, rustled through the tree branches and shook the leaves mightily. Bumpadoo thought he was going to fall. Bumpadoo thought he was going to die. And so he scurried off of the leaves and over the branches and down the bark of the tree to the safety of the quiet, still and dirty earth.

In the earth, he met other creatures who crawled where he liked to crawl. They identified themselves as worms, and since Bumpadoo liked the quietness and stillness of the dirty earth, he began to think that he, too, was a worm. Over time, he forgot how yummy the abundant green leaves had been. He forgot how beautiful the forest could look when viewed from very high up in the very tall tree. And he forgot that there was more to life than crawling around in the dirty earth like the worms.

One dreary rainy day, in the quiet muddy earth, Bumpadoo suddenly heard something bounce with a little plop. He poked his head out of the ground to see what had happened and came face to face with a big worm that looked just like him — brown and fat and squishy.

“Who are you?” asked Bumpadoo.

“Oh my! Where am I?” exclaimed the stranger. “I was munching on my dinner,” she said, “hanging on as best I could to the slippery wet leaf, and a wind came along and it shook me and I fell, and here I am, but where am I?”

“You are with me!” said Bumpadoo.

“But I do not know your name. Would you please tell me what it is? I am a worm called Bumpadoo.”

“Oh my apologies, I briefly forgot my manners,” said the stranger. “It’s nice to meet you. My name is Faddawolladee. I’m a caterpillar, and I must climb back up into that tree to the place where I live.” She looked up, up, up the side of her very tall tree.

Bumpadoo laughed. “A caterpillar, you say? But you look like me. You must be a worm, just like me.”

Faddawolladee turned her gaze to Bumpadoo. She eyed him carefully. “Yes we do look very much alike. That means you are not a worm. That means you are a caterpillar.”

Bumpadoo shook the head of his fat and squishy brown body and said, “You and I cannot possibly be caterpillars. Caterpillars are glorious creatures that live in the trees instead of the earth, and they build cocoons in the leaves and become gorgeous butterflies. You are just a worm like me. Come, follow me, and I will show you where to find some dirt that is really delightful to wiggle through.”

Faddawolladee replied, “Oh no, my friend! I am in-deed a caterpillar. In fact, I was about to start building my cocoon when along came this rain storm and its wind, and I failed to hang on tight enough, so I fell.”

Her attitude astounded Bumpadoo. “How arrogant for you to claim to be a caterpillar!” he said. “You are telling me that you’re better than I am, and yet we are alike.”

Faddawolladee sighed. “You are not a worm, my friend. You are a caterpillar like me. You should be feasting on the banquet of abundant green leaves that are high up in the very tall tree. I’m going to start the long climb up there now. Why don’t you join me?”

“How can you say I am not a worm?” insisted Bumpadoo. “Can’t you see that I live and crawl and eat in the soft, dirty earth? And you certainly are no better than I. You have no right to claim that you are a caterpillar or by that claim to imply that someday you will be-come a gorgeous butterfly!”

Faddawolladee stared silently at Bumpadoo for a minute. Then she turned around and started to head for the tree.

“It’s a very long climb back up to the leaves,” she said, “but it’s a climb I must take. I can’t force you to come with me. I can’t make you believe that I am indeed a caterpillar and that you are too. I can tell you that up in the tree, a very long journey from here, there is an abundance of delicious green leaves in the bright sunshine, but I can’t make you understand how delightful they are to feast upon. It’s worth all the hardship of getting up there. I invite you to come along — but the choice is yours.”

Bumpadoo looked high, high, high up into the roof of the forest. “Aren’t you afraid of falling again when the wind returns?” he asked. “A worm who thinks he can live there and eat there and not fall off is living in an illusion.”

Faddawolladee attached her front feet to the base of the tree. “The fall is not what we should fear,” she said. “Staying in the dirt after the fall — now that is what should make us tremble with motivation to do what we have to do to become the butterflies we were created to be.”

And with one last look at Bumpadoo, she said, “You cannot see the real me, nor can you know the real you, unless you give this tree a good try.”

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How many of us have been like Bumpadoo?  We have failed to rise to the potential God has given us.  Or, maybe I should say that God has called us too!

In Christ we have been delivered from bondage to sin and offered the opportunity to become a pure reflection of who God is as we live in this world.  

We have not been called out of sin to continue to wallow in the mud!  We have been called to something glorious.  Like the caterpillar who becomes a butterfly, we have been made for so much more than a sin filled life.

Consider the following passages we are given in Scripture:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” – Ephesians 2:10

Ultimately, what God has in store for us is beyond our imagination.  We cannot fully grasp all that God has planned for us.  Hold onto these two passages in your heart because these are your divine destiny.

“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.” 1 John 3:2

“The one who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat with My Father on His throne.” Revelation 3:21

In Christ,
Pastor Russ

Sharing the Water of Life

The land was dry and arid. It rarely rained. Because of this the desert had no vegetation and there was no shelter from the burning heat of the sun. But in the midst of the desert was an oasis, a well was fed by a spring that bubbled up from the ground. A small community had settled at the oasis and some weary travelers found refreshment and rest there. But there were other travelers who did not know about the oasis and perished in the midst of the desert.

The villagers who lived at the oasis were troubled by this. Each day they would send out search parties looking for travelers and pointing them towards the oasis where they would find water and shelter. They put up signs pointing people towards the oasis and warning travelers about the dangers of travelling in the desert.

Then one day a wise woman suggested that instead of going out to the desert to find travelers they could take water in big containers out into the desert. They loaded up the camels and took the water with them. By this means they were able to help more travelers.

Then the wise woman had an even better idea. She suggested that they should dig deep holes in the desert and fill them with water from the well. That way travelers would find water even when the villagers were not in that area.

One day a traveler found his way to the oasis. Grateful for the cool, refreshing water, he started talking with the villagers and commended them for their hard work to save the lives of travelers. But, he wondered, what if they dug irrigation channels from the oasis out into the desert? Could the desert itself be transformed?

Jesus talked about the gift of living water that only He can offer.  If we are Christians we have received that gift, but how will we share it with others?

Do we just try to tell people about Jesus?

Do we just try to get people to church?

Do we want to help people to know Jesus for themselves?

How will we share the water of life? One thing is for sure; it is too good to keep to ourselves!

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If we use the imagery of a desert and an oasis, it is easy to understand what Jesus can do for a person.  

The people of our world or simply our community are dying of thirst.  How many people walk into our local funeral homes to make final arrangements for their loved ones, but who have no assurance in that moment for their loved one or for themselves?

How many are living aimless lives simply existing.  Like the parched traveler in the desert who is simply taking one more step, headed in a direction to he knows not what.  So many people are simply existing but who have no real life in them.

How many families are struggling in the midst of friction and chaos because they do not really know how to love or what it means to truly love others.  

Our schools are a mess!  Crimes are taking place every day.  Businesses open and close!  Hopes and dreams are shattered while all the time alcohol and drug use are on the rise.  These are the world’s “go to” for escape!  People wandering aimlessly in the desert and dying of thirst.  

We have so much to offer to our world.  We have the Wellspring of Life not only with us but in us! Jesus said, “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14

What is already in you, what you have as your very own can overflow and water the desert!  Share what you have with those who are dying of thirst!  We Well will never run dry!

Be Blessed!
Pastor Russ

Shall we be Friends (Part 2)

Bill sat in his hotel room feeling lousy. He hadn’t talked to Pete for 3 years and life just wasn’t the same anymore.

At first, he hadn’t noticed the difference because work had been so busy that it had demanded all of his attention. He traveled around the world negotiating and closing deals, but lately, even the thrill of winning a contract had gone. Bill was plodding through life, and he knew that there was something missing.

As he thought about what was wrong, Bill realized that he missed the purpose, fulfillment, strength and guidance that he had found in his friendship with Pete. He still remembered Pete’s final words to him: “Call me anytime you like, I’m always available to talk to you.”

When Bill had got a new phone, he hadn’t given Pete the number. It had been so long since they had talked and he felt too embarrassed to call, he wasn’t even sure what he would say, and he knew he had really let his friend down.

As Bill sat there feeling depressed, he found a card with a website address on it which had been left by the ‘Dingoes’ organization. (Bill thought that this was quite a strange name, and he decided that one day he would have to rearrange the letters to come up with something better).

The address was http://www.PetesWord.net and as he opened it on his phone and began to read he was astonished by what he found. All of the things that Pete had said to him were written down plus there was some new information there as well. As he read, long into the night he was reminded about Pete’s love for every human being. Eventually he couldn’t help himself, he picked up the phone and called Pete.

He blurted out “Hi, Pete, it’s Bill here” and then came the reply he had been hoping for, “I’ve missed you Bill”.

They talked for hours and Bill was completely overwhelmed by Pete’s love and acceptance for him and that night marked a new start in his life. Accessing, reading and obeying Pete’s Word became a regular and important part of his life, as did talking with Pete several times a day. Bill had felt lost and alone but now he was found and he was so grateful!

“All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3.16).

Do we believe that reading the Bible can be life changing? If we do, then how much time will we make to read it and to talk with Jesus about what we find within it?

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I will admit, sometimes it feels like prayer is a one way street.  We do all the talking and God is on the other end of the line!  How long will you talk on the phone when the person on the other end says nothing?

It can feel that way, but truly it is not.  Prayer is our talking to God.  While the Spirit of God does speak to our hearts, most of the talking done from God to us is in and through His Word.

Too many of us find ourselves too busy or distracted to read the Bible.  Sometimes we think it is just old and boring.  But truthfully, since the Spirit of God inspired it and since the Spirit is at work in it, the Bible is the living and active Word of God.

The same power Word which called creation into being is present in our hands when we open the Bible to read.  It is as we read it that the Spirit is working in us to deepen our relationship with God.  This thrills our Father who desires nothing more than to reveal Himself to us in greater ways.

In this day and age, almost everyone has a cell phone.  Try listening to the Bible as it is read to you off a Bible app.  Many are available and if you need a good one, just ask.  It is a great way to allow God to share His heart with you.

Have a blessed week.  See you on Sunday!
Pastor Russ