Monthly Archives: November 2018

We love to talk of God’s “still, small voice.” (1 Kings 19:12 NKJV). We’re comfortable with the thought of His “gentle whisper.” (NLT). But what about when He roars like thunder, when His voice shakes the heavens? Do we tremble in fear or shout with joy? The difference lies in how well we know Him.

If we have never spent time with Him, never sought Him with all our heart, we will see only His power and not His love. We will focus on His judgement and not His mercy. We will hear the thunder, but miss the gentle breeze.

However, once we’ve spent time with Him, sitting at His feet, reading His Word, talking to Him in prayer, then we will know Him as He really is. He is our Heavenly Father, who wants only the best for us.

Then we will delight at the sound of His voice, whether it be heard in the breeze or in the tempest. We He speaks we will not fear, but run to Him with open arms. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, His voice will be to us “glorious in the thunder.” Job 37:5. We will delight in His whisper and dance with joy when He shouts!

Someday soon “the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16). On that day, what will be your response?

Will you flee in terror, calling to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne” (Revelation 6:16)? Or will you shout with joy, “Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us…We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation” (Isaiah 25:9)?

The choice is up to you. Fear or joy. Terror or rejoicing. “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts…” Hebrews 3:15. Do not run away. Kneel down. Give Him your heart. Give Him your life. Then listen! He speaks! Glory in the thunder!

God bless and Happy Sabbath!

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How would you live today, if you knew there was no tomorrow?

It’s a legitimate question, especially in light of yesterday’s events in Thousand Oaks. Those poor people woke filled with hopes and dreams, not realizing yesterday was all they’d have. Our hearts break for their families and we shake our heads at the senselessness violence that ended their lives. At the same time, however, we realize that none of us can be confident of tomorrow. Each day may be our last.

This is a depressing thought, but it need not be. In a way it is freeing. It gives us the permission to live each day to the fullest, not worrying about tomorrow, but taking delight in the present. Instead of being distracted by trivial things, it refocuses us on what really matters.

At the same time, this realization does not give us license to act like fools, to “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Why waste the last day of your life being stupid? Instead, realizing each day is precious, we must “be careful, then, how [we] live – not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15 NIV.

God promises to be with us everyday, but He makes no promises about how many days we’ll have. Realizing that, we must make the most of today and “not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:24.

Everyday we must “Seek the Kingdom of God[a] above all else, and live righteously.” (v. 23). We must “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” Isaiah 1:17.

Until tomorrow all you have is today. Enjoy every moment and make every moment count, because this is the day the Lord has made – rejoice and be glad in it!

Have you checked your closets lately? If you’re anything like me, they are filled with stuff you haven’t used in ages, stuff which is just taking up space. With so much stuff we don’t really need there is no more room for what we really want.

It’s a lot like that in our spiritual lives too. We invite Jesus to come live in our hearts, but He looks inside and asks, “Where? We have so stuffed our hearts and minds so full of cares and worries, cherished sins, and harmful habits, that there is no room for Jesus.

2 Corinthians 6:16 describes us as “the temple of the living God”. If this is true then we have some work to do. It’s time for some serious decluttering. The temple is filled with garbage and there is no room for the living God.

We cannot do this work alone. We need God to transform us by changing the way we think (Romans 12:2). We need Him to change our priorities, making Christ and His service the focus of our lives. We must “ purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 1 Corinthians 7:1.

Decluttering is never easy, but it is worth it in the end. This morning determine that today, with God’s help, you will make room in your hearts for Him. If we will do this, He promises, “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God and they will be my people.”

Don’t wait until tomorrow! Jesus knocks at the door of your heart today. Open the door! He’ll help you clean up the mess!

It is Election Day 2018 and few elections have been more important. We are a nation divided by race, religion, economic status and political creed. The decisions made today, the votes which are cast, will determine our nation’s future for decades to come.

We have done our civic duty and voted our conscience. But as Christian citizens of this great nation our duty does not end there. God tells us to also “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile.” We must “pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, [we] too will prosper.” Jeremiah 29:7.

We may not like who is in power or approve of their policies, but we must respect their office, being “subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Romans 13:1 NIV. To rebel against that authority is to rebel against God.

As future citizens of Heaven we should be the best citizens we can be here on earth, doing all we can to help our nation once again become “one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” We must continue to remind our leaders that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with the certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This does not mean we do not speak out against injustice or protest abuses of power, but when we do, we do so in the Spirit of Christ, with tears in our voice and love in our hearts. “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.” 1 Corinthians 10:2.

Election 2018 is almost over. When the votes are finally counted we may not be happy with the result, but we must accept them, trusting that God knows what He is doing, trusting that He who “changes times and seasons…deposes kings and raises up others [will give] wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Daniel 2:2.

We must now leave the results in God’s hands, trusting that, no matter what happens, “dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:28. We must remember “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Have a wonderful day and God bless America!

Yesterday Rishana, Alex, Julie, and I were transported to another world. We soared over a volcanic cauldron, felt the heat on our faces and wrinkled our noses at the smell of sulfur in the air. We penetrated deep into the enemy base, did battle with the forces of evil, and, though heavily outnumbered, prevailed, bringing peace once again to the galaxy!

The Void, a Star Wars virtual reality gaming experience, was simply amazing! For a few minutes we forgot where we were, immersing ourselves in battle with the evil Empire, and, of course, coming out heroes at the end, defeating the mighty Darth Vader! It all seemed so real!

Of course, the reality was it was pure fantasy. After removing our headsets and vests, we left that virtual world and stepped back into reality (if Disney can be called reality). Still the experience left an impression on me.

The truth is we all are in an unseen battle every moment of our lives, but this conflict is not between imaginary forces on a VR screen. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV.

If we are to be triumphant in this battle, we cannot depend on ourselves or on weapons of human devising. No, we must “put on the full armor of God.” (v. 13). Truth, Christ’s righteousness, and a willing and ready spirit will be our protection. With faith in God and assurance of salvation we will turn back Satan’s assaults and with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” we will take the fight to the enemy. (v. 17).

The battle will be fierce. Our enemy will not yield the field willingly, but we will prevail, because our King goes before us. Jesus has paid the price! Victory is assured! If we will persevere, we each “will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12.

This morning, before you go forth to join the fray, don’t forget your armor!

Stop for a moment and “put on the full armor of God.” Fortify your mind with God’s Word and ask Him to be with you throughout the day. To do otherwise guarantees your defeat, but with God by your side you cannot fail!

I’m an early riser, usually up by 4:30 or so. This morning I woke up at my usual time, went out to the couch and turned on my tablet to read my morning scripture, just like I always do. I looked at the time on the screen I remembered – Daylight Savings Time had ended! It was only 3:30.

I went back to bed!

Time is a funny thing. It is fleeting, yet sometimes seems to drag. We say, “I’ve got plenty of time”, when in fact we don’t. And how many of us wish we could go back in time and be able to take back that hurtful word, fix that mistake, make another choice?

This morning you get your wish. You get to turn back the clock. True, you don’t get to correct the mistakes of the past, but you get an extra hour to use as you please. “So, be careful how you live….Make the most of every opportunity. ” Ephesians 5:16 NLT.

Use this extra hour wisely. It will not last. Spend a little more time with God before you start your day, striving to “understand what the Lord wants you to do.” (v. 17) . Then get up and give  the ones you love a special gift – your time.

Surprise your spouse with breakfast in bed or play with your children for a few extra minutes. Drop a line to a friend or go help a neighbor. Go volunteer for a worthy cause or just text someone an encouraging word.

Whatever you do “have nothing to with the fruitless deeds of darkness…Instead, be filled with the Spirit…Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:11, 18, 19 NIV)

In other words, celebrate! It’s a new day! “Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 1 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV.

This morning, God has given you a wonderful gift – TIME! Make the most of it! Put Him in charge of every minute and see what happens. It’s going to be amazing!

It’s been wonderful having Alex, Julie, and Rishana here with us in Florida! Our only disappointment is Andrew and Paige couldn’t make it. Still, it’s been great getting to spend special time with 3 of our kids. Since we live several hours apart, we rarely see each other, so it’s really nice to get away together for some fun and relaxation.

Besides, I think we all needed the break. What with work and all our other duties we were all kind of worn out. We needed this time to rest and recharge and just have a little fun together.

Jesus understood his disciples needed time to get away too. They had been so busy taking care of people they were in danger of burnout, so Jesus called a timeout. He said to them, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” Mark 6:31 NLT.

Time hasn’t changed our need for some time away for rest. The vacation industry makes billions every year meeting this need. Life is busy and we all need to take a break or else we’ll breakdown.

But God knew a vacation once a year would not be enough. That’s why He gave us the Sabbath, a special time each week for us to get away together ‘to a quiet place and get some rest.” It’s like a mini-vacation every seven days when we get to stop working and reconnect with Him, with our families, and with fellow Christians.

Although God will gladly meet with us any day of the week, the seventh day of the week, Saturday, is a special appointment set aside by Him to spend quality time with us and we only hurt ourselves if we miss it.

Today, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’ Exodus 20:8. You’ve been so busy this week. Take a break. Besides your Heavenly Father would love to spend some time with you. Why not accept His invitation and come away with Him “to a quiet place and get some rest.” You’ll be glad you did!

Yesterday we went to Seaworld and had a great time!

We got to feed stingrays, watch dolphins flip in the air, and hear sea lions calling out to each other (they’re noisy!). We saw rescued manatees and sea turtles. There were beautiful birds, graceful sharks, and even some alligators. The grounds were beautiful and the temperature was just right.

The best part of all were the roller coasters!

We rode the Manta, where you spend the whole ride flying face first through the air, and the Kraken, with its dizzying spins and loops. Both rides were amazing!

My favorite, though, was the Mako. At 200 feet high and reaching speeds of 73 mph, it is the tallest, fastest, roller coaster in the area. At the top of the hills you are momentarily weightless, floating above your seat. Then you go hurtling down, only to be thrown into a series of twisting turns and loops. I could have ridden it all day!

Highs and Lows

Life can be like a roller coaster at times, with lots of highs and lows. One moment we can be riding on the heights, feeling like we can almost touch the heavens, but the next we are plunged into the depths of despair and hopelessness by circumstances beyond our control.

The good news is our God never leaves us. Psalm 139:8 says about our Heavenly Father, “If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.” It doesn’t matter where I am, whether safe at home or wandering in a foreign land, because “even there [His] hand will guide me, and [His] strength will support me.” (v. 10).

I don’t know where you find yourself this morning; whether at the top of the ride, enjoying the view, or plunging down a steep slope, screaming with fear, feeling like the bottom has fallen out of your hopes and dreams. However, I do know this – wherever you are, God is near!

Be Strong and Courageous

So be “strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified…for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV. No matter what highs or lows you’re experiencing, call on Him today and He will lift you up and carry you safely home. You can count on it!

I’ve been traveling the last couple days, so I haven’t been able to post anything, but you have been in my thoughts and prayers.

In fact, you are often in my thoughts. I pray for my blog readers, Facebook friends, Twitter and LinkedIn followers, everyday. “I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called…” Ephesians 1:18 NLT.

When I pray I ask God “to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.” Ephesians 1:17. Why? Because “this is the way to have eternal life-to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one [He] sent to earth.” John 17:3.

This morning I would like to ask you to join me in prayer. James 5:16 tells us, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”

Please “Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18. Pray for each other and each others’ families. Pray for your friends, for their protection and salvation.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to pray for our nation in these troubled times. Remember God promises, “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.

And please, “pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan…that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19, 20.

Thanks and have a wonderful day! I’ll be praying for you!