Mayan Calendar Co. Goes Bankrupt

I guess if I believed in all the mumbo jumbo then this will be my final post, ever.  Sometime tonight, around 10:45, something's going to happen to end civilization.  I was talking about this night with a friend several week ago.  Our conclusion, it'll be a couple moments of sheer terror followed by an eternity of praising.  There's only one problem, it's not going to happen.  Tomorrow morning I'll wake up, drive my girls to school and continue preparations for Christmas.

 Matthew 24:36-39 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.  For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
So, what does this mean?  Basically it means we will all wake up Friday, Dec 21 and Saturday, Dec 22 (my dad's 74th birthday) etc...  If God can keep something from himself, Jesus, then He can easily keep something from us.  Yeah I know, it sounds pretty strange to me too.  This is just another of the great mysteries of God.  But, this is the same God that can forget about all your sin even when you can't.  Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us."  This is a really cool analogy.  Look at or just think about a globe.  If you start on the equator and slide your finger up (north) you'll eventually reach the top and begin to go down (south).  No matter where you start, you'll always unintentionally change directions and the north will meet the south.  Now, start on the equator again.  This time slide your finger to the right (east).  Spinning the globe might be easier.  When you feel like you've changed directions stop.  (I know, bad joke)  No matter how long or how hard you try you will never make the east meet the west.  And that's how far God takes away your sin.  God doesn't use sin to control us, we allow sin to control ourselves.  Each time you ask God for forgiveness He forget and forgives. 

How in the world did I get off talking about that?  Who knows, that's how these things go sometimes.

Back to world devastation.  I don't want to turn this into a history lesson only because it sounds boring.  How come we don't have any Mayans left?  Instead of a ,supposed, Democratic society why aren't we climbing rock temples barefoot to sacrifice virgins?  Besides being gross and totally against all humane beliefs; this might be the reason we don't have any Mayans left.  How are you supposed to reproduce if you kill all your virgins?  You should've thought that one out a little better.  I'll admit, it does make for a good book or movie but doesn't work if you want to be a living thriving society.  I believe their calendars were made by a very optimistic fellow thinking they would be around forever.  I took Archeaology in college as an elective to make me a well rounded student.  It also gave me another "A" to keep my GPA up.  Anyways, part of this class was how to analyze and determine how and when findings ended up where they were.  Here are my findings...

Mayan Mayor realizes they had just murdered their last virgin.  It didn't seem to matter because the gods they were murdering to wasn't working out so they decided to pack up and move on to settle elsewhere.  The exodus wasn't as large as expected since they were a dying nation.  Somehow the calendar maker didn't get the memo to pack up and move.  The next morning he and his family woke to an abandoned city.  In their rush to pack and catch up with their friends; he forgot his premade calendars in the corner.  The calendar maker didn't give it a second thought later when he realized what had happened.  His hope was that some day someone would find his calendars and continue his unfinished work.  Little did he know the chaos he would cause centuries later. 

See you next time.  Only 4 more days till JC's BD.

peace...

totalheel

Counselor and Comforter

 I felt God tugging at my heart to blog about the events that took place this past Friday. I'll summarize just so you'll know what I'm talking about. Friday morning, Dec. 14th, a young man entered a room filled with Kindergarten students and killed 20 of them. He also took the lives of 7 adults and himself. The initial reaction for these kinds of tradgedies always seems to be fists pumping toward the heavens and shouting "why would God allow this to happen". I have to admit, I too reacted in this way but thankfully kept it inside and I began to dig in God's word to find the answer. 

First thing we must understand in these types of events is that it's not in the nature of God to react or think in these ways. Every decision that led to this tragic event was made by man. The nature of God is love, sin has no place in His presence.   Now don't misunderstand me, God doesn't cower back and ignorantly watch from a distance. No matter the situation, no matter what stupid decisions man makes, God is still in supreme control. I heard it said best a few years ago on the radio. Days after the World Trade Center buildings were destroyed people felt closer to God, but questioned His authority. The radio DJ said this, "Not a blade of grass moves without God allowing it." He controls the winds and the seas. He takes care of the birds of the the air and paints the landscape with beautiful flowers.  And as the scriptures say, if He takes the time to take care of these things, He'll surely watch over and care for us too. 

We can find comfort in God's word.  These two scriptures came to mind.  Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." God's words to the prophet Isaiah speak loud and clear.  This past week in a bible study Nathan (one of our ministers) asked us to take time and meditate on the names of God mentioned in Isaiah 9, today was "Counselor".  American Heritage dictionary defines it this way.  'A person who gives counsel; an advisor. An attorney, especially a trial lawyer.'  God is accessible all the time.  He has nothing but time and desires to hear from you.  He is the great Counselor.   Romans 8:28 " And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Two things come to mind; 1) This man was obviously not of God, he was not called for His purpose. Something that we may not fully understand in this world had taken over him and influenced his decision. 2) This tradgedy was not part of God's purpose, but, the after results are. Someone will grow closer to God. Someone will accept Him as their Lord and Savior through this. Man's horrific decisions will ultimately bring glory to God. 

I think instead of asking God "why" we should ask Him to heal his people.  Heal their troubled souls and their hurting hearts.  If you're having problems knowing what to say...go to God's word, it won't fail.  Romans 8:26  Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Hang in there world, the King is coming back soon. 

Only 10 days till JC's BD!

peace...

totalheel

No Wristwatches in Heaven

Seasons Greetings!  Wow, it's been a long time.  I'd like to tell you I just got back from a 2 month mission trip to where they don't have wifi.  Or that I was selected to serve on a jury and was sequestered.  How about, would you believe I woke up one morning and forgot how to type and it's taken me 2 months to reteach myself?  Yeah, I know, pretty lame.  I'm a loser.  Laziness had set in and I've been taking a much unneeded break.

I want to tell you a short story.  There's a young woman at church that isn't related legally but we call each other Cuz.  Well, Cuz asked me last week if I would consider singing with her at a Christmas Eve service.  Of course I accepted, I don't like solos but I do like singing with others.  We were trying to come up with a time and day to meet.  We decided today, December 6th, at 5pm.  Now here's the thing.  I get home at 3:30 when working day shifts so I could have met her as early as 4:15 or even drove directly after work.  Thankfully God is in control and had already put something in my schedule I hadn't been made aware of yet.  I made a quick stop to pick up something for Tina then stopped by her office to drop it off.  She was hanging up the phone as I walked in and looked a little upset.  I won't use names.  The woman on the phone was crying.  She (the one on the phone) had just got news an acquaintance of ours had just walked in and found her father-in-law dead.  After talking to her on the phone briefly I realized this house was only 3 blocks away.  I jumped in the car and headed that way.  For the next 45 minutes while the EMT's discussed their plan and waited for the coroner to arrive I was able to stand with and comfort my distraught friend.  What do you say to someone that just walked into a situation like that?  I don't know.  I will tell you that God took over and healing began right then.  Death is never easy.  I don't know how people deal with it without faith.  I'm thankful for my friend who knows there is a God who is in control even when her world feels like its falling apart.  God is so good, He is our comforter.  After all this I was still able to practice with Cuz.  God makes all things work together.

Why the wristwatch?  To some this looks like some silly play on time or being nitpicky with reality.  All I know is that God's time kicked in and I was right where He needed me.  Proverbs 16:9  "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps."

Thank you God for putting me where I needed to be and using me for your work. 

Only 19 days till JC's BD!!
peace...

totalheel

Heaven hath no "Time Out" chair

It won't come as a surprise to anyone when I tell you I was spanked as a child.  Discipline was treated slightly different back in the day.  You might even say that Double Jeopardy was legal.  If I got in trouble in school you better believe I was going to get it at home too.  I believe over time people took discipline and correcting your children all wrong and because of this my generation has successfully created a weaker generation.  Think about it, when did all those books on how to raise your child come out?  All they had back in the 60's was the Dr Spock's Baby and Child Care; which by the way is in its 8th edition.  So what changed?  Today we're taught to give our children a "time out".  I know you're familiar with it.  A designated chair or location set aside for the sole purpose to allow your child to "sit there and think about it".  We had one of those growing up too, it was called our bedroom.  But, the only difference was following the thinking process we received discipline in the form of a belt or palm of the hand.  I'm not saying it worked every time but I will tell you those things stuck in my mind when making decisions later. 

Unfortunately things like this tend to bleed over into our spiritual lives too.  There are several things we know about God.  God is a loving God (1 John 4:8).  He is a forgiving God (Daniel 9:9).  He is a healing God (Luke 4:16-21).  He is a jealous God (Deut 4:24) when it comes to your love for Him.  But the one attribute we all tend to conveniently overlook, He is a just God.  For some reason people tend to think God is this gullible guy who just shrugs his shoulders and tells himself, "kids will be kids".  The following two paragraphs are an excerpt from AW Tozer's "The Knowledge of the Holy".  It describes God's justice in a way that I can't.

Justice, when applied to God, describes the way God is. God's justice is not something external to Him. He is infinitely righteous within Himself. When God acts justly He is not doing so to conform to some outside criteria; some law or principle or standard outside Himself. He is simply acting like Himself in any given situation. God is His own self-existent principle of moral equity. God's perfect law comes from within His own nature.
What we could not do, Messiah, clothed in our nature, did for us. At great cost to Himself, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob sent His Son into this world to become our Justifier. From His infancy in Bethlehem's manger to the garden of Gethsemane, from His death on the cross to His ascension high above all the heavens, He came so that we who are unrighteous and unjust sinners can be made right in the sight of His Father. He made Messiah who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God when we are joined to Him.

God is very decisive.  You might say it's either His way or the highway because His way is right...always.  The truth is there's only two places you can go after you die, heaven or hell.  Nowhere in the bible does it say there's a place for people who were just "ok" or did alot of good things for others.  After you sit here for 1,500 years...quietly, I'll let you in.  It doesn't happen that way.  God cannot be with sin, it's impossible.  You're either sinless or not.  How do you achieve that?  Through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 9:22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.  Christ's blood on the cross paid for our sin.  That act of love on the cross is the reason we can enter into Heaven spotless and pure.

Peace...

totalheel

 

The Rocky Mower Picture Show

I love mowing my yard.  When I'm pushing my mower it's like the whole world disappears.  There's something about that 6.5hp Briggs and Stratton motor with a 22 inch mulching blade that gets my thinking juices flowing (Tim the Tool man grunt).  I believe my last post was about rain or should I say the lack of rain.  Well, we finally started getting rain (thank you Jesus) that makes everything grow once again.  It's like spring in August.  All the grass looks dark and new; I even had some flowers send up shoots and blooms.  The other day I was doing the zombie mower walk and a song popped in my head, "The Eye of the Tiger", and it wouldn't go away!  Don't you hate that?  And the worst part is you only remember the chorus and bits and pieces of 1 verse.  But then I started thinking about the movie this song was written for, Rocky III.  Good movie.  We get introduced to Mr T, aka Clubber Lang...'I pity the fool!'  Anyways, what's this have to do with God?  Well, first of all I have to say that Sylvester Stallone is a genius.  Anyone that can become a millionaire by grunting a dialog, running through the woods while killing the remaining movie cast is just pure genius.  OK, enough about that.

I was going to title this 'The Gospel According to Rocky' but then the title above hit me...kinda catchy.  Each movie is the same, Rocky gets challenged, Rocky trains, Rocky gets the snot beat out of him followed by a close range weyley of punches that always ends up to Rocky's advantage.  I will point out that Rocky didn't win in the original movie but it did prepare him for the sequel.  Now once again you're asking, what's this have to do with God?  Sly Stallone is great at portraying an underdog.  The guy had only lost one fight in all 23 movies (exaggeration), but he's still seen as the underdog in all of them.  Through the adversity he faces in all the movies, through all the horrible dialog and porely choreographed fight scenes Rocky always comes out on top.  Why?  He gets back to the basics.  There are so many scripture verses that can go along with this.  Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you."  Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  The character of Rocky got focused and didn't allow the influences of the world to take over him any longer.  He set his mind on the goal to achieve and didn't let anything get in the way. 

Do you think Sly Stallone had God in mind when he did the Rocky movies?  He did throw in some Catholic involvement with the Father Carmine blessings but I think that was more for show.  In all the movies, Rocky did his best after he calmed down and got back to basics. 

I want to wrap this up by saying.  No matter what adversity, decision or problems you're having in life your best solution is God.  Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

Now, will coming to Christ help you beat up giant Russians?  Probably not but it will help you to see a better life.  A life more fulfilling, a life with more meaning, a life that you'll be able to face the challenges that will arise.  That's because Matthew 11: 28-30 is a promise, a promise from God to you that He will take you no matter what.  So how about it?  Are you ready to get back to the basics?

Peace...

totalheel

Rain rain, come again...

I'm going to admit something that doesn't make me too proud.  I've been kind of frustrated with God lately.  The western/midwest portion of Indiana hasn't seen rain for nearly 9 weeks.  Sure we've had 15-20 minute showers every other week but nothing to sustain our water table.  Crops are dieing, trees are drying up, personal gardens have turned into a waste of time.  I told Tina we're starting to look like those old black and white pictures taken during the dust bowl days of the 20's.  I'm just waiting for a bunch of guys on horses to drive a thousand cattle thru our town.  I know God is in control and I know that He knows best too.  But, I can't help but think why.  I asked God for understanding and this week I got some. 

Every once in a while Sean (our youth minister) can't be there Sunday morning and needs someone to fill in, this week I was blessed to be that person.  We were in Psalms this week and verses 13 and 14 hit me.  Psalms 139:13,14  For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  It's very humbling to think that the creator of everything we know took the time to "knit" me in my mother's womb.  God...the one who spoke the cosmos into existence also made me.  Well, this put me in my place.  Of course God knows what's best for me because He knows me better than I know myself.

Later that morning Craig (our childrens minister) taught us from Psalms 91 and took it to a whole new level.  Psalms 91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.  You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,  nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.  You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.  Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge  no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.  For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the adder;
the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.  “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”  I included the entire Psalm because I didn't want to leave anything out.  He is my protector, period.  He will protect me, my family, my friends...but not just me, He will protect you too.  It says that He will send angels to guard us.  He cares deeply for me and you.

Last but not least, we were singing the invitation song "It is well".  I've sang that song a thousand times, I know this one by heart.  But this morning verse 3 gave me the knock-out punch.  And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight.  The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, even so, it is well with my soul.  He has not and will not forget me.  One day my faith will become sight and I'll see His face.

In your time Lord.

Peace...

totalheel

Service with a Speedo

I know it's been a couple of weeks since my last post but I felt like I wasn't allowing God to use me the right way.  I guess it's hard to explain, it was like I was forcing the topics. 

Anyway...I wanted to share with you about a man from our congregation his name is Jack Willard.  Jack was the guy that could and did do anything in the church.  He was usually the first person in the building and the last one out.  If I try to list all the things he did I know I'd forget something.  I guess my title needs a little explanation.  Jack loved to help with the lawn care from time to time.  Rumor has it that his favorite mowing and trimming atire included red Speedos.  I never had the priveledge of seeing Jack in them.  I'll consider that a good thing.  I can't tell you how many times I shook his hand when he opened the door for me.  His desire to serve others far outweighed his own needs.  Jack went home a couple of weeks ago to spend eternity with his Lord and heaven has one more greeter at the gates.  We already have stories and jokes about St. Peter at the pearly gates, well...we can now include Jack in those because he'll be right there with him. 

That reminds me of a great passage from Ephesians.  Ephesians 2:8-10  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  This scripture was sent to me recently from a friend via a text.  Isn't it great when God uses others to remind us of how great and awesome He is.  Jacks life was all about serving.  He didn't do it to gain favor with God or get access to heaven.  I bet he understood this passage better than most.  It's God's grace that saves us, a free gift for our taking.  Works won't get us anywhere.  Verse 10 however spells out why Jack and the rest of us do what we do.  We are His workmanship, His creation...created to do good works in the name of Christ Jesus. 

I want to make this last statement without sounding judgemental or mean.  Good people are going to Hell every day.  Good deeds are worthless when their not done in love or through the saving graces of Jesus Christ.  God doesn't need your lip service, He wants your love.  I want to close with this scripture,              1 Corinthians 13 1-3  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Whatever we do and say we do out of love.

Hope I didn't confuse you.

Peace...

totalheel

From the mouths of Babes.

I realize it's Wednesday evening and I haven't posted anything in a week and a half.  Last week I spent the whole week with 128 middle school students.  You'd think God would speak to me to write about the 27 decisions to accept Christ, or maybe the fact that we haven't seen those kind of numbers in almost 10 years.  I could write about how God spoke through the kids when they gave over $1800 towards the mission.  So many great and wonderful things happened, so many moments God showed His face...but that wasn't what God laid on my heart.  God has never been about numbers, well, I take that back.  One number comes to mind...ALL.  God wants all to hear about Him, to understand Him and to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. 

Last Wednesday night we were priviledged to hear the word of God from Braden Etcheson.  Braden explained good and bad in a way that made complete sense to everyone.  I know this may sound silly, everyone knows about good and bad.  Think about it this way, picture a bold line drawn down the center of your life.  On the right you have beautiful clear blue water.  The water is so pristine you can see the bottom for what seems to be miles.  The sand leading to the waters is perfect, but not necessary.  On the left you have a beautiful beach leading to water that doesn't look that bad.  The deeper you go into this water it gets darker and darker till your so deep you can't escape.  The two bodies of water describe the majority of lives today.  Some days we're in a "spiritual" mood and dip out toes in the blue water.  Sometimes this leads to wading in to our waist.  Other days we don't want any part of God and find ourselves wandering in the dark waters.  What God wants is our all, He wants us to dive in the deep end of the clear blue waters.  Totally immersed in God's word and in His service.  If you want to know God's viewpoint on fence walking then read this.  Revelation 3 14-22  “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!   So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.  For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.   I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.  Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” 
Don't be caught on the fence, pick a side...preferably God's side and give it your all.

This evening Tina and I were invited to a worship session.  We praised God with a trio worship band from Quincy, Illinois.  The frontman was Brandon Jones, a young man we've known since he was a pre-K.  We learned new praise songs, heard God's word read by middle schoolers and was given a message from a young man who had never spoken in public before.  It was amazing.  God didn't speak, he screamed.  Let me tell you a quick story about Brandon.  It was August of 1991, I had just arrived in Indiana after 6 years of the Navy.  Tina signed us up to lead a class in the church VBS program.  I can't tell you how many kids were in that class but I can tell you of one young 4 year old.  This little man had an answer for everything, the wrong one.  He had so much energy he never sat down, and loved to hide.  After the first night she and I had to have a word with his parents.  The advice we got from his dad was "thump him on the head and sit on him".  Thankfully it never got bad enough to thump and sit.  Brandon was one of those kids you couldn't help but love.  God took hold of this young man and is doing great things through him. 

I got schooled from the students and I loved it.  God spoke to me through 2 young men that I had the priviledge of teaching years ago.  Training up the next generation is our responsibility.  Thank you Jesus for the opportunity.

Go gettum guys...

Peace...

totalheel

Mr. Modlin lives in Virginia

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the most wonderful women to ever walk the planet, my mom.  Since mom is now in Heaven my wife of nearly 22 years has graciously stepped in.  Well...I don't want to get into reproduction, but, it does take two to make a family.  This week I want to tell you a little about my dad.  There's so much I could say about the man that helped me develop this flawless sense of humor, taught me the importance in relationships and most importantly, serving God. 

To say my dad knows all about hard work is an understatement.  In High School dad was voted "Most Likely to Succeed".  After school he ventured to Atlanta Christian College where he met a petite southern belle named Mary Dale Mabry.  Circumstances led him to join the Army and serve in Korea.  In July of 1960 he and mom were married.  If I thought about it hard enough I might be able to come up with all the different jobs dad has held.  Those jobs range from Policeman to produce manager to his now favorite job...truck stop attendant.  Dad has officially retired from 2 careers and is still going strong.  I can tell you if it weren't for dad I wouldn't have spoken to the Navy recruiter, and you already know that story.  Dad taught me that hard work pays off.  He taught me that people should be treated with dignity and respect and that the next person you meet will be the most important person you meet that day.  Relationship, relationship, relationship.  I forgot to mention that dad served as a Deacon and for a couple years he and mom travelled and sang together.

I've got to share this story with you.  During my High School years dad worked in a different city and would come home on the weekends.  It made things a little rough but we adapted and survived.  During my Junior year dad took time off of work to visit the recruiters offices with me.  We actually filled out and signed papers that day.  He was as excited about living on a Nuclear Submarine and working on Nuclear Missiles as I was.  I reported to boot camp in July of '85 then went to Sub school for a couple months followed by my "C" school which taught me how to service Missiles (I know...sweet!).  I had been in the military for nearly 2 years before reporting to my first permanent duty station.  Seeing I was a little nervous and anxious dad took time off and drove with me to Charleston, SC.  The first thing we did when arriving to Charleston was we found a church.  Dad knew that would help me more than anything to have a church family around me, he was right.  Not too long after that I was watching the Greyhound bus pull out taking dad back to Waynesboro.  Mission accomplished.

I think dad's classmates nailed it on the head.  Dad was very successful.  All three sons involved in churches, one as a full time minister.  Success isn't measured with money or promotions.  True success happens in the home. 

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  This is the scripture I think of when talking about my dad.

Love ya dad!
Peace...

totalheel

God doesn't have call waiting

It's kind of amazing, kind of funny but mostly I just feel in awe of God's power.  God never fails, each week He gives me something to blog about, this week was no different.  This week I received inspiration from my oldest daughter.  My wife and daughter were standing in the doorway of our tv room.  I was getting ready to leave for work when I asked this simple question.  What should I blog about this week?  My wife came through like a champ last week but this week Amanda showed up.  Why don't you just randomly open the bible and write about what you find?  So I did. 

When I opened my bible I came to Acts 16.  Here's a link to this chapter  (Acts chapter 16 )

We have two really neat stories in this chapter.  First we're introduced to a young Jewish man named Timothy.  Timothy, the name that will always be synonymous with Lay ministers that receive training then go out to do God's work elsewhere.  The same Timothy that received the letters of 1st and 2nd Timothy from the Apostle Paul which gave us the prerequisites for church leadership.  A young man, that even though his father was a heathen Greek, answered the call to join Paul in the ministry.  A young man that was so devoted to teaching and preaching the word of God that he allowed Paul to circumcise him so he would be accepted by the Jews.  Not to get off subject, but, if I had to wait till I was a young man to get circumcised...it wouldn't have happened. 

The second short story begins in verse 16 and goes through the end of the chapter, verse 40.  In this story we find Paul and Silas travelling and doing God's work in Phillipi.  While travelling around they were followed by a young lady said to have powers of fortune telling.  It tells us that Paul became annoyed with the young lady, he turned to her and in the name of Jesus Christ drive out a spirit that had occupied her.  The young ladies owner wasn't too happy that Paul had taken away his money maker so he had them (Paul and Silas) thrown in jail.  How crazy does that sound?  Thrown in jail for doing a good thing...casting out a demon.  This isn't the end of the story though.  While in jail Paul and Silas are praying and singing when an earthquake opened up the cell doors and released their shackles...that's cool.  The jailer was about to kill himself for losing his prisoners when Paul cried out telling him that they were still there.  The jailer then asked Paul and Silas what must he do to be saved.  That night the jailer and his family accepted Christ as their savoir and were baptized.  Whoa.  So doing the right thing Paul and Silas were beaten, wrongfully accused and thrown in jail; through this a man and his family came to know Christ.

All this in one chapter.  I guess when God calls the answer is "yes", not "hold on a minute".  I really needed to read this again, thanks Amanda.

Peace...

totalheel

Being Gods pinky toe

If you read my blog last week I wrote about how the church is made up of the people...not a building.  This week I wanted to go a little deeper and try to explain more. 

I help out when I can with Sunday morning Junior High classes.  I've been working with the same bunch of young men for 2 years now.  We try to teach them how to serve and what service looks like.  My favorite example is always the pinky toe of God.  If we are the body of Christ as mentioned in the book of 1st Corinthians then each of us has a role to play.  Someone has to be the pinky toe of the body.  So is this an important role?  Let's talk about the importance of the pinky toe for a minute.  The pinky toe, or the little toe, has a purpose: It affects your ability to balance. When you are walking, running or step onto an uneven surface, your foot deals with this by changing its orientation and its shape. All of your toes play a role in maintaining your balance, even though the pinky toe does not play the most important role. The little toe is not as critical as your other toes. You could get along without it, although you would have to adapt to the new configuration of your foot.  Even though your body could still function without its pinky toe you'd need therapy to relearn how to walk and run.  You may need a little therapy to get over how your foot looks without it too.  So what would the role of the pinky toe look like on the body of God?  How about a teachers helper?  Not a crucial role but very helpful for the teachers in keeping the class on track and in control.  I see this as kind of a stepping stone (nice play on words) to a bigger role in serving God.

In the past I've tried to become several things at once...that doesn't work too well.  In a previous church my wife and I served in I filled the roles of Deacon, Trustee, Sunday School Teacher, Youth Sponsor, Worship Team member, Committee Chairperson, Chairman of the Board...all at the same time.  Later I accepted a position as an Elder.  I was what I like to call a "Professional Christian".  Someone who thinks the more they serve the closer to God they'll become.  If having more stress in your life makes you feel closer to God then have at it.  Have you heard the 90/10 rule?  Some people like to say 80/20 instead.  This means that 90% of the work being done in the church is being performed by 10% of its members.  I think the 90/10 is the most accurate, the 80/20 probably applies to smaller churches. 

Here's a hard thought to swallow.  God could do it without you.  Do what you may ask...  Grow His kingdom.  God could do it all, He could plant the desire to worship Him into all mankind.  How would you like to be a Christian Robot?  God created us to worship Him, but, He also gave us free will.  This means that we choose to love Him and obey Him.  It tells us in Exodus 20 that God is a jealous God.  Exodus 20 4-6  “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.  You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."  I don't know about you, but a God who has the power to do anything He wants, command the wind to blow the grass in the fields and can speak a universe into existence deserves my praise and service.  Who knows, maybe after a few years of being God's pinky toe I'll graduate to spleen.

Keep serving God, we are His hands and feet.

Peace...

totalheel




 

Can't see the Church for the people.

I know you've all played the game, join in.  Lace your fingers inward then fold your palms around them...here we go.  Here is the church, here is the steeple (point your index fingers and touch to a point).  Open the doors (open up your palms), and here's all the people (wiggle, wiggle, wiggle).  To allot of people this is their view of the church that it's where all the Christians hide and only come out to live their sinful half.  The church is where people go when they want to justify a wild partying lifestyle or to make them feel good about their life.  There is some truth is this.  The church is a place where people can come to find help, spiritually and physically.  The church is a place of protection and comfort.  Maybe I should point something out, the church has nothing to do with the building.  The church building is only a place where people gather to worship and serve.  I'm starting to sound like a broken record "the church is, the church is, the church is". 

The truth is, we are the church.  The church is not made up of brick and mortar; it's flesh and blood.  The church is not confined to one location; it's world wide wherever people confess His name and seek His will.  It says it best in 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.  For the body does not consist of one member but of many.  If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell?  But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose.  If all were a single member, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.  The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”  On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,  and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty,  which our more presentable parts do not require.  But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,  that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together."    That's a mouthful, but I think what it's trying to say is this.  God put us in a place where He needs us most.  He knows our talents and our weaknesses.  He knows where we'll make the greatest impact on His behalf. 

There, now that I said that, I want to say this.  Don't you hate it when people go "Church Shopping"?  Have you ever heard that term?  Church shopping...when people or families go from church to church because they're looking for a place that they will get the most out of it.  I think they're looking for a place to hide.  The thought of involvment scares them to death, but, they want all the benefits that come with holding down a pew for an hour a week.  A wise friend once said, I'm sure he heard it from somewhere else.  Sitting in a church building doesn't make you a Christian like standing in a garage doesn't make you a car.  I looked and found nothing where is says to kick back and let God serve you.  Ok, it does say in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”  This isn't talking to the ones who want to come and do nothing but the ones who are being too busy to take time for God (and that's another topic). 

Let's go back to the original statement, "Can't see the Church for the people".  I hope now you understand why I said it that way.  The church isn't hiding behind the people...the church IS the people.  I'm so lame.

Peace...

totalheel

     

Faith, the only thing harder than Chinese checkers.

A toss of a coin decides who starts. Players take turns to move a single peg of their own colour. In one turn a peg may either be simply moved into an adjacent hole OR it may make one or more hops over other pegs. Where a hopping move is made, each hop must be over an adjacent peg and into a the vacant hole directly beyond it. Each hop may be over any coloured peg including the player's own and can proceed in any one of the six directions. After each hop, the player may either finish or, if possible and desired, continue by hopping over another peg. Occasionally, a player will be able to move a peg all the way from the starting triangle across the board and into the opposite triangle in one turn!  Easy enough, let's play.

Crazy as it may sound, mastering a game of colored marbles and triangles is allot easier than understanding faith.  Depending on the translation faith is mentioned roughly 500 times in the bible so it must be pretty important.  The bible defines faith like this, Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."  I guess to put it simply, faith is putting hope and belief in something you can't see.  Faith is the base in Christian belief and understanding.  In Romans it tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of God.  So, the more we know and understand God's word the more faith we'll have.  Gee, it doesn't sound that hard when you put it that way.  Here's a stupid question for you.  When was the last time you moved a mountain with your mind?  In the book of Matthew Jesus was teaching  His disciples a lesson on faith.  A young boy was brought to the disciples because he was possessed with a demon; but they weren't able to get it out.  Jesus then rebuked the demon and made it leave.    He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”  Because of the little faith of the disciples they weren't able to perform a miracle.  Mustard seed faith isn't very much.  If you're not familiar with the mustard seed, it's the smallest plant producing seed in the world.  I must not have squat for faith then.  

The book of Hebrews has one whole chapter devoted to faith, chapter 11.  One chapter but so many great examples of how people were able to do extraordinary things through faith.  There would not be a Jewish nation today if there forefathers didn't have faith.  We can say the same thing about our country.  Jamestown Virginia was founded by people trying to seek religious freedom.  Their faith in God told them that He would lead them to a place where they could worship freely.  Please take the time and read Hebrews chapter 11.   Link to Hebrews 11. 

I guess the most important thing to me is this.  God created the heavens and the earth.  He created man and women and all the creatures great and small.  Man screwed up (sinned) and now needed forgiveness through sacrifice.  God sent His son.  Jesus came to earth as a baby and lived a perfect life.  Throughout Jesus' life He performed great miracles.  Jesus was wrongfully arrested and put on trial for crimes He did not commit.  He died on a cross.  Taking the weight of the world's sins with Him Jesus went to Hell and defeated Satan.  On the third day He rose from the dead.  Jesus now sits victoriuosly at the right hand of God.  God is preparing a place.  A place so beautiful it's beyond comprehension.  One day He will come back to judge us.  On that day He will decide if I/you go with Him to Heaven or spend eternity without Him...Hell.  Faith tells me that all this really happened and will happen one day.  Faith tells me if I call upon His name He will hear me and answer my prayers according to His will.  Faith tells me that He will never leave me or forsake me. 

The other day we were enjoying our backyard deck when Tina heard a noise by the house.  She went over to check it out and found a baby bluejay stuck in a hole.  I got some gloves and picked it up.  The whole time this little guy wouldn't stop squawking and pecking at my fingers.  Jenna thought it was hilarious.  I carefully carried it to the back part of our yard and placed it in the grass.  In about a minute mom and dad bluejay came down and rescued their baby.  It made me think of this, Matthew 6 25-33  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 

Don't worry, God will take care of you...that's faith.

Peace...

totalheel




 

What do you get a mom that has everything?

I know that sounds like the statement of an arrogant man.  What else could a mother need when she has a son like me?  I'm going to get a little personal with you...no not that way.  Listen up, Mother's Day used to be my least favorite celebrated holiday.  Let me share a little about my family history.  July 8, 1995, one of the worst days I've ever experienced in my life.  On that day my mom lost her battle with brain cancer.  On that day Mother's Day lost all meaning.  Mother's day all of a sudden was just another day.  As horrible as that sounds, here's the worst part.  I was pretty mad at God after this.  28 year olds shouldn't be attending their mothers funerals.  What greater purpose could this have?  Mom was the gell that held the family together.  I could count on her calling me at least once a week. 

I remember calling her one night from the Navy barracks with what I thought was a major problem.  I had just began taking classes to learn my new job in the Navy.  The class was called, get this, Strategic Weapons Systems Electronics Mathmatics.  In this 2 week class they took you from 1+1 to calculus.  Uncle Sam wasn't very forgiving either.  If you failed this class you were sent to the fleet.  This was the Navy's way of weeding out guys they didn't want to further invest the education in.  That night on the phone mom convinced me to stick it out, hang in there she said, it'll all work out...and it did.  I learned so many lessons from that lady.  This small town Virginia boy got to experience things that most people only see in movies all because mom convinced me I could.  I think she got that idea from this verse...Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  

Mom was the Sunday School director, the VBS coordinator, the small group leader (when there wasn't such a thing).  She had a beautiful saprano voice that inspired me to sing.  Mark Lowry, a Christian comedian/singer, said it best.  He had a major drug problem growing up.  When the church doors were open, his mom drug him there...my mom was that way too.  She instilled in us the foundation and desire to grow and learn more of God's word daily.  Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."  Mom lived this, as a parent today I try to also.  I'm not Super Christian, but I do love serving in the church.  Singing on the praise team, helping in the junior high, fix-it things around the building.  Mom taught me and showed me through her life how to serve.

It took me several years to understand that my mom still deserved a present on Mothers Day.  You can only give so many figurines and cards that play happy mom songs.  Could you imagine the postage on a card to Heaven?  Well, really there's just one present I can still give her.  A present that even now could bring joy to her...a legacy.  I'm not sure how timing works in Heaven.  I don't know exactly how or when we'll see Jesus or loved ones again.  But I do know mom would love to see her children there and her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren...and so on.  Tina and I have 2 beautiful girls that I'm very proud of.  This past summer I was priviledged to baptise my oldest.  On Sunday mornings she helps out with the childrens classes. My youngest one anxiously listens to bible stories each night.  Sometimes she'll surprise me with a recap of what we talked about days before.  God is so good!

I know what you're thinking, 'how about your dad'?  His day is coming, he and mom made a great team.  Every once in a while I call out to mom.  I know she can't hear me, but maybe...just maybe, God will relay a message to her and let her know I can't wait to see her again.  Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Peace...

totalheel

 

The meek shall get their faces bashed in

Pretty catchy title, now to make sense out of it.  I have actually been accused of being too nice.  People have told me that I let others walk all over me.  The bible tells us in so many words or less that the meek shall get their faces bashed in.  Wow, there's alot of incentive to become a Christian.  Ok, I'm exagerating a little.  I believe you may have heard it this way.  Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth."  If you're not familiar with this verse, it was taken from the sermon on the mount when Jesus spoke to thousands on a mountain side when He shared with them the beatitudes.  I know what you're thinking...gee, that really helps alot.  Ok, what is a beatitude?  The Roget's thesaurus says this about the word beatitude.  A condition of supreme well-being and good spirits: blessedness, bliss, cheer, cheerfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, joy, joyfulness.  Now wait a minute, there's nothing in that discription that says anything about people putting "the smack down", on me.  To make this easier I'll copy the rest of them, see if you get my point.  Matthew 5:3-12:  3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
      4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
      5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
      6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
      7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
      8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
      9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.
    10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
    11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

So, does all this mean God wants us to be wishy washy pansy followers?  Au contraire mon frere.  Jesus isn't asking us to cower and give up.  My wife has an alter-ego she calls "Big Dog".  When things get a little tough, Big Dog comes out and takes over.  Jesus is asking us to be the same, unashamed and bold in our beliefs.  He wants us to be good followers...disciples.  If you look at each one, Jesus spells out what is required to be a follower.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Only the poor in spirit will enter into the kingdom of God. Why? Because they come to God having full knowledge of their own lostness (is that a word?) and their own sinfulness. They readily confess that they are full of guilt and are totally unqualified to enter into the kingdom of God. The poor in spirit are the ones who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  The mourning of Christians referred to in this beatitude is not because of financial loss, terminal sickness, the death of loved ones, loneliness, a divorce, or some rejection being experienced. Christians mourn because they realize that they have sinned against a holy God and have brought dishonor to his name. And this dishonor of God's very name brings great mourning to the true believer. The true believer mourns when he sins because he knows that the sin just committed brings great pain and sorrow to God.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.  A meek man is not a weak man. He is not wishy-washy, effeminate or timid. He is not someone who you can walk all over. A meek man is not passive and spineless. In fact the meek man is just the opposite. The one who has put their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ will be meek before God, but mighty and bold before the world and before satan.  A meek man is patient. He has a long view of life, knowing in the end it is not the wicked who win, but the meek. How can he be sure of this? The meek person knows that in the end God wins, and if God wins then the meek win. God himself tells us that the meek, not the wicked, will inherit the earth. The wicked may indeed possess the earth for a short time today, but the Lord tells us that when he comes back, the meek shall possess this earth. Psalms 76:9 "Then God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth".

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Hunger and thirst are appetites that return frequently and they require that they be met often during the day. Similarly the true believer calls for constant meals of righteousness to do his daily Godly work, just as the living body calls for its daily food. When a believer hungers and thirsts after righteousness he becomes a new man and this new man now bears the image of God. This new man greatly desires to do the will of God for he now has great interest in Christ and all that Christ said and promised.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  The merciful are indeed those special people who love all men as themselves: The merciful truly believe that whatever mercy they desire from God, they in turn will show to all men everywhere. The merciful are the ones who realize that our Heavenly Father demands that we be merciful, and they also realize that our acts of mercy will be repaid a thousand fold. Mercy is extremely important to Jesus Christ and much of the Bible either directly or indirectly deals in some way with mercy and kindness shown to others.  This one goes along with the Golden Rule, Matthew 7:12 So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.  The path to a pure heart begins with the realization that we have impure hearts. The entire Bible revolves around the central theme that the Lord looks at the heart of the person and not at their external appearance, their behavior, or their achievements. The Lord does not acclaim education, intellect, business success, or social position, as the world does.  God alone is able to make rotten people pure in their imaginations, thoughts, words, deeds, and desires.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  The peacemakers are those children of God who not only have great love for God, but also have love for all of mankind and they attempt to do everything possible for the advancement of peace everywhere. The term "peacemakers" includes all who make peace between men, whether as individuals or as communities. It includes even those who endeavor to make peace even though they fail.

Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Persecution in the United States at this time, frequently comes verbally, usually in the form of cruel mocking and colorful language, or by deeds such as confiscation of goods, banishment from a group, or even in the workplace where one may be fired, demoted, or spoken against because of one's Christian faith. In today's society to tell others that you are a born again Christian who has put his entire faith and trust in Jesus Christ, is to bring on smirks and laughs, rude and disgusting comments, and alienation and retaliation.

These are simply stated, but are profound in meaning. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values if followed, can not only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.

Peace...

totalheel

Chill pills for all

This weeks blog entry is based on a communion meditation a friend of mine gave one Sunday morning. (thanks Craig)  You're going to have to use your imagination.  Picture with me in your mind I'm holding one white pill in each hand.  To the naked eye they're identical.  Each one is perfectly round and smooth.  They both look like they were made in the same facility.  There's only one major difference.  The pill in my right hand is an aspirin.  The pill in my left hand is cyanide.  One pill could save your life, the other take it.  The pill in my right hand is used worldwide to relieve aches and pains, to reduce fever, and as an anti-flammatory.  The pill in my left hand has been used to deliberately kill thousands throughout history.  Seemingly the same but huge, major differences.  The same can be said about world religions.

About a month ago I was home on a day off when the doorbell rang.  I answered the door and found two well dressed young men.  One of the men asked me if I died today where would I find myself tomorrow.  I told him Heaven.  I guess that was the right answer because both of them smiled.  I was asked if our family attended a church and what I felt my role in that church was.  I answered yes and to seek the lost and help them on the road to becoming a disciple of Christ.  Also, to live my life in a way that God would be glorified in my every action, realizing that I would fail but with God's help is very possible.  Both of their expressions changed, I guess they didn't like that answer.  After a couple more minutes of talking I finally got it out of them they were representatives for the Mormons.  Our conversation abruptly ended when I brought up my personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  Turns out they don't think everyone can develop that personal relationship; or maybe they thought I was already "brainwashed".  Only certain men that they deem "worthy" are allowed to be trained to receive revelations from God.  I don't want this to turn into something that just slams without building up too.  These two men have been caught up in a religion that limits their relationship with God, the creator.  To them Jesus was nothing more than a founder of the LDS church...sad, very sad.  The worst part is if you look at the LDS church and your typical Non-denominational church you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.  Both reach out to the misfortunate.  Both teach giving tithes and offerings.  Both have beautiful buildings filled with happy beautiful people.  But, only one will allow you to have a close personal relationship with your Lord and Savior.  When you take Jesus out of the equation there's a problem.  John 14:6  "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  Jesus IS the way, the only way to get to God.

Here's a simple test.  First, don't get caught up in a "religion".  Anything can be a religion.  Instead, you want to develop a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  How to do this may be a future blog entry.  Second, if any of the teaching puts someone else above Jesus...don't do it.  This only makes something or someone more important than Jesus.  Don't forget that Jesus is God in flesh.  How can anyone or anything be more important than that?  The reason Jesus came to the world was to save us from ourselves.  I know, I know...there's alot more that I haven't touched on.  I want you to understand that without Jesus we wouldn't stand a chance.  The world would just chew us up and spit us out, then go to the next poor sap.  1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”  God know's the way of man and unfortunately people are going to try and profit using God.  Check things with God's word.  If something sounds too good too be true then maybe it is.  If something smells kind of fishy then maybe that's telling you something.  We all have to be very careful because the world is getting better at making things sound biblical and churchy. God's word has stood the test of time, it's perfect and true and really all we need.  I use a webpage to help me do this, biblegateway.com .

I thought it might be appropriate to close with the final words written in the book of Revelation.  This is Revelation 22:18-21  I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.   He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.  Amen.  This may or may not apply to just the book of Revelation, but, check this out.  Deuteronomy 4:2 "Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."    Sorry Joseph Smith, sorry Sun Myung Moon,  sorry Dalai Lama and this last one may get me in trouble...sorry Pope.  (the Pope is still alive...right?) 

I feel like I'm leaving this weeks entry open and unfinished.  I guess I hope that  I've said something to light a small spark in you to dig a little deeper in God's word.  Feel free to comment, maybe drop me an idea.  Trust me, you won't hurt my feelings if you don't like what I've said.

Peace...

totalheel 

Sweet minute of prayer

Ok, here's the scene. The year is 1972. The American troops were leaving Vietnam. Bellbottoms are in as well as flared collar silky shirts. You either had long hair with wings or a bowl cut...guess which one I had. We're sitting in our kindergarten class and the teacher, Ms. Asbury, is talking about how long a minute is. My mom had already taught me how to count seconds so I was ready. We were all asked to count 60 seconds. I began, in my head of course...one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand, etc... Before I could reach 18, one of the other guys threw up his hand and yelled he was finished. The teacher smiled and said just as I thought, you all need practice. I immediately stood up and yelled I didn't need this lesson, I already knew how. To prove it I began to count out loud; so loud that I couldn't hear the teacher asking me to stop. Back in the early 70's the teachers had special ways to punish us, my teacher was no exception. While the other kids went outside to play I was left in the classroom. I was standing, arms straight out beside me with palms up and a school book balanced on each hand. All this while counting to 60. I had to do this 30 times...guess how long that recess was?

What in the world would make me remember that? I'll tell you. This past weekend I went to a men's retreat at Camp Allendale. The guest speaker was a slow southern talking minister from eastern Tennessee. His name was Tommy Oaks. Tommy told stories, he was very good at it, so good in fact that he has a Doctorate (PhD) in story telling. Dr Tommy introduced a concept that I think will revolutionize prayer. Here it is...pray for 60 seconds five times a day. Math was never my strong subject. That's 5 minutes a day, 35 minutes a week, 2 hours 20 minutes a month and finally...28 hours a year. That's more than having your own personal 24 hour prayer vigil. Pretty cool. One minute at a time. Dr Tommy was trying to get 1,000 people to sign up and take the committment to pray for one minute five times daily. That comes out to 28,000 hours a year. I don't know about you but I think 28,000 additional hours of prayer a year will make a huge difference in the world.
How do you start? Well, listen closely because here comes the tricky part. Last night I was at Wal-mart buying something to eat. It's 2am, remember I work a goofy schedule, and the only other people around are stocking shelves. I walk up to the checkout and there stands Edgar the Wal-mart night shift cash register guy. We'll call him Ed for short. Get your pen and paper ready because here it comes. I asked Ed how he was doing and he told me he would be alot better if his wive's knee would stop hurting. Inside I'm estatic, God just gave me something to pray about. On the outside I'm soaking up all I can. Ed and his wife had been married for 37 years, she has a bad knee and the surgery so far hadn't relieved any of her pain. All this started by asking "How are you?" Now...what do I do with this? As I turned to walk out I realized it would take at least a minute to walk to my truck. See where I'm going with this? One minute down, four to go, but don't stop there. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing." Sometimes you can take that time just to thank God for what He's done for you. Sometimes you can sing to Him or simply just be quiet and listen and allow Him to speak to you.

Dr Tommy said to have a way to remind you. He and his family use an I-phone app that sounds an alarm 5 times a day. When the alarm sounds then it's time to pray. I haven't found a way to remind me yet. I don't have a fancy phone. Till I find a more fool proof method I'll rely on God to provide. The title of this weeks entry is "Sweet minute of prayer". Dr Tommy gave me permission to use and talk about this. They have a website I would encourage you to check out, sweetminuteofprayer.com. Kinda catchy.

In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Take a minute and talk to God or just let God talk to you. It's amazing, truly amazing.

Peace...

totalheel

Holy Week Batman

Last weekend we just experienced my favorite holiday, Easter. Easter is one of those holidays that last all week, let me explain. Have you ever wondered why all the extra days? Don't we just need one day to get chocolate and look for eggs? (thank you Wal-mart for ruining the resurrection) I do like chocolate and every once in a while I'll enjoy a boiled egg or two. I think people all over the world have missed the point and don't know what Easter is truly about. Step into my time machine and go back with me...back to a time when thongs were sandals.

Can you think of a better way to end your ministry than what we call Holy Week? Up to this time Jesus had turned water to wine, made a blind man see and He brought people back to life. These are just a few of the many miracles He performed. He spoke with such authority and confidence that people wanted to follow Him just to listen. So much authority that the Clerics and Priests of the day felt threatened. The final week of Jesus' earthly life was a whirlwind of activity.

The week begins with Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. The people were shouting "Hosanna" and waving and laying down palm branches before Him. Jesus knew the same people that were praising Him would soon be crying out for Him to be crucified. He didn't come to kick out the Romans as the people thought. He came to fulfill His destiny on the cross. If there happened to be someone that didn't know Jesus arrived; they sure knew after He entered the Temple. Jesus cleansed the Temple by chasing off the money changers and flipping tables. Several people had "set up shop" and turned the Tabernacle into an indoor mall. This didn't go over too well with Jesus. After everything had been cleared up the blind and lame came to Him and He healed them. This made the Clerics and Priests furious and they began to look for a way to arrest Jesus.

On Tuesday Jesus predicted His execution and argued with the Priests answering their questions that eventually lead to His arrest. Meanwhile back at the Temple Judas completed the contract to betray Jesus and identify Him to the Romans.

Maundy Thursday is one of those days that some wonder is there was some kind of horrible mispelling. That afternoon Jesus dined with His disciples in the upper room. I know you've seen the picture made famous by Leonardo Da Vinci. During this meal Jesus introduced communion to symbolize the crucifixion so that we may never forget His sacrifice. I have heard two different perspectives on what this day meant. One, it's Jesus' way to show His disciples humility and service by washing their feet. Two, it signifies how we turned/turn our back on Him. Think about it. This day will end horribly for Jesus. He told the disciples that the one who dips bread with will be the one who betrays Him. Judas was sitting next to Jesus so He meant that literally. Things were falling into place, just as scripture said.

Later that evening Jesus took three disciples, Peter, John and James to the Garden of Gethsemane. I feel this next scene was the best proof we have of Jesus' human side. After leaving the three disciples to watch, Jesus found a quiet spot and prayed. Matthew 26:39 “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” The bible tells us that Jesus was very troubled and uneasy about what He was sent to do. It was here that Judas led a group of Roman guards to arrest Jesus.

After He was arrested, Jesus was passed around to different government officials. They knew that they had nothing against Him so they finally decided to allow the people to decide His fate. Crucify Him, they shouted. The same people that cried out Hosanna are now demanding His death. Pilate (the Governor) offered the people a choice, Jesus or a man named Barabbas. Barabbas was a known and convicted killer. The people chose him to be released instead of Jesus. I'm not going to get into the torture and beating Jesus took before He was hung on the cross. I will say that most average men wouldn't have survived it. Jesus was tired from no sleep and was made to carry His own cross. He was already bloody from the beating. It's believed that Jesus hung on the cross for about 3 hours before His death. Without trying to get all medically technical, the cause of Jesus' death was a broken heart...literally. His heart exploded. At that precise time, Jesus took on the sin of the world. God, the Father, turned His back on His son and allowed Him to die bearing all that sin. No wonder His heart exploded. This moment in time changed everything. Time as they knew it was now different. We would now use AD instead of BC. The curtain that kept us from God was now torn and gone. The sky turned black as night for 6 hours. No more would we have to sacrifice animals for forgiveness, the blood of Christ covered all of that now.

Jesus, God's son, was now dead, filled with the sin of all man kind. Sin has no place in the presence of a perfect God so Jesus was sent to Hell. In Hell Jesus proved His power over evil and defeated Satan. Revelation 1:18 I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Finally on the third day Jesus proved to the world He was who He said He was...the son of God. He rose from the dead. Death had been defeated, sin had been conquered through His blood. Direct access to God had been given to us through Jesus. I'm so thankful Jesus did this for me, now I don't have to face eternity in Hell. I know there's probably a better way to tell this story and help you understand.

If you would like to learn more about these events that changed the world read Luke 19:28 to the end of luke, chapter 24.

Peace...

totalheel

Waking at 3:16

I work a swing shift which means every other week I work nights and sleep days. When I say morning it's really the afternoon in the real world. One of the few things I like about the shift work is when I'm sleeping in the daytime I don't set an alarm clock. Most of the time my internal alarm clock wakes me after 6 or 7 hours of sleep. This morning (afternoon) wasn't any different. My eyes opened, I rolled over and noticed the clock read "3:16". This is going to sound a little strange. God spoke to me at that moment. It's hard to explain, I didn't hear an audible voice but I felt compelled to check out some scripture. I felt led to read the 3:16 verses of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). This would be chapter 3, verse 16 of each book. Sorry if my description is too much information (TMI), I just want you to understand where I'm at.

Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
Cool, the baptism of Jesus. If you continue and read verse 17 it says the voice of God bellowed from heaven saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." Two things come to mind, first it reminds me of the trinity. This is the first time we hear of these three together. Second it reminds me of the what baptism symbolizes, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. And let's not forget the receipt of the Holy Spirit.

Mark 3:16-19 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
To me, this is a reminder of the great things Jesus did with mediocre guys. You have 4 fishermen: Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John. One guy, Phillip, was listed as a friend to Simon Peter and Andrew. Matthew, the tax collector and Simon the Zealot...a political mercenary. The rest of the guys they're not sure what they did. This sure looks like a strange bunch of guys to change the world. I won't say that I'm better off than any of these guys. I can say that I'm a college educated guy working in an advanced technical field of electronics, big deal. These guys had the trump card, Jesus. He hand picked these men because He wanted disciples not fishermen or tax collectors. Jesus wants me to be a Christian that happens to work with electricity.

Luke 3:16 John (the Baptist) answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."
This reminds me that the only way is through Jesus. Do not follow man and get caught up in smooth talking preachers.

John 3:16,17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
This is the grand daddy of them all. How many times have you been watching a sporting event and some guy with a rainbow afro is waving a poster with this on it? One thing I've noticed is they always leave off verse 17. I think verse 17 is more important than verse 16. Let me tell you why. Jesus came to save me, not condemn me. His motive for the trip wasn't to see how many He could point the finger at and send to hell. Trust me, He is the only one in history that could do this. He didn't come for that, He came so that you and I would have a chance to accept His free gift of grace. Yes He loves you and I. He loves us so much He wants to spend eternity with us and was willing to give up everything. Everything meaning a throne in heaven, countless angels to serve Him, unexplainable beauty.

God can work through an alarm clock. Some may say that's reaching and creating an illusion of God's presence. How big is your God? My God works through all creation. He can be your God too.

Peace...

totalheel