364 Days Until Memorial Day

I didn't write yesterday.

Not because I didn't feel it was a worthwhile topic, but because I couldn't think of anything worthy to say. Those who have fallen for our country, and the loved ones they have left behind, deserve more than cliche, better than rhetoric, and that's all I could come up with.

So I remained silent.

But now I realize something dreadful, something sobering, something shameful.

The dead can't speak.

Obviously, right? Then ask yourself how often we don't speak on behalf of the dead when we have the opportunity. How often does someone run down this nation, our military, us . . . and we say nothing. Those who died to ensure our right to speak deserve more than our silence.

I said that I didn't write yesterday because all I could come up with were the same old cliches and well worn rhetoric we always break out on Memorial Day. I didn't feel I could say something new, so I said nothing at all.

I was wrong.

I would have been right to repeat words that honor our fallen heroes. I would have been right to put voice once again to their sacrifice. I would have been right to repeat their words of the past, because they can say nothing at all.

Their voices are silent, but ours are not.

The graves in Arlington, in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and 133 other national cemeteries, cemeteries private and public--graves marked, unmarked, and below the seas--they are silent. They are a powerful statement, a testimony unto themselves, but those laid to rest there are, in this world at least, silenced.

Are we?

Are we so callous that we can enjoy a day off work, cook out on the grill, drink a few beers, and not say anything about why we are celebrating? Are we so ashamed of our nation that we wouldn't dare bring up the memory of those who died for it? Are we too comfortable, too spoiled, too self-absorbed to care?

I hope not. I pray not. I fear so.

Our voices have not been silenced. Our opportunities to speak lay before us, not behind.

Say it loud, and often.

I am deeply grateful to those who have fallen in the name of the United States of America, and humbled by their sacrifice. It's been said a million times, but it's worth repeating. It reminds us what we have, and at what cost. It honors the memory of the fallen. It offers a bit of encouragement to their bereaved.

It's the right thing to do.

We have 364 days until the next Memorial Day, but why wait until then? What if we remembered today, and tomorrow, and every day what we have, and those who secured it for us? What if we didn't let those flags sit around gathering dust until Veterans Day but instead flew them proudly? What if we memorialized the loss of the thousands which gave freedom to us millions?

What if?

I think we might just be a little more grateful for what we have, and respectful of what it cost.



 





 

Give It All You've Got

Whatever you do . . . 

Work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. That's what Colossians 3:23 says. Whatever you do, give it all you've got. Do your best, because everything we do, we do for, and through, Christ.

That gives life a different perspective, doesn't it? That means everything we do, we should do to the best of our ability. With all our heart. With all our soul. All out, 100%, all the time.

No matter what it is.

That means the little stuff, too.

It's sometimes easy to think this little thing doesn't matter. It's not spiritual work. It doesn't really mean anything. I mean, I'm just mowing the yard, or doing laundry, or playing ball. God doesn't care about that stuff, does He?

According to Paul, yes. Because Paul says whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. To me, whatever sounds a whole lot like. . . whatever. Everything. Anything. If you are doing something, do it as though working for the Lord.

If I'm working for Jesus, I'm going to do the best I can. I don't care what it is I'm doing, if it's for Him, I'm going to try harder than if it were for anyone else. I'll work harder, play harder, try again and again, and never, ever give up if it's for Him.

And according to Paul, everything is for Him.

Good enough isn't good enough.

Ever heard the phrase, "That's good enough for who it's for?" There are several variants of that, but basically it means whatever is done isn't perfect, or even the best it could be, but it's good enough. According to Paul, that's wrong. If it's not the best you can do, if it's not done with all your heart and as though you have done it for the Lord, good enough isn't good enough.

That doesn't mean we have to be perfect, or even good, at everything we do. What is means is that we have to try our best. All the time. Just getting it done isn't getting it done. Not if you can do better. Half an effort isn't going to cut it. That's not working as for the Lord.

You've got to give it all you've got. At work. At home. At church. In the community. With your kids. When you're by yourself and no one else can see what you're doing. It all matters.

It's not about earning God's favor with good work.

If you do the best you can, and the work turns out mediocre, you've done it with all your heart. God is pleased. God doesn't expect us to be good at everything; He expects us to be as good as we can be. It's about putting all your effort into whatever you do. It's about understanding that we live for Christ. Not ourselves. Not anyone else. Christ, and Christ alone.

When we realize we work for Him, that He's our boss, it changes our attitude. When we accept that He is Master and Lord over every single aspect of our existence, then we understand that anything and everything we do should be done for Him. That'll keep us out of a lot of trouble, and it'll make us be the best we can be.

So give it all you've got.

I don't care what it is, do it the best you can. Push yourself. Care. Know that it matters, whatever it is.

Because you're not doing it for yourself, or anyone else.

You're doing it for God.

The Lion Of The Tribe Of Judah

He alone is worthy!

Present from before the beginning and beyond the end, powerful beyond comprehension, creator and definer of wisdom, He is worthy. Lord of all things, author of truth, risen from the dead,seated at the right hand of God, He is worthy. Wielder of the sword, judge of men and angels, Lamb, Lion, Son of Man--He is worthy!

When He created all things, when He walked the midst of His creation, when He died, when He rose, as He lives, He is worthy. Because He sustains the world and all that is in it, because He is faithful, because He is powerful, holy, true, He is worthy. He is Messiah. He is Emmanuel. He is God. He is worthy!

The Lamb of mercy, the Lion of triumph, the Word of Life, Son of God--He is worthy. Son of Mary, Seed of David, Righteous Servant, Man of Sorrows--He is worthy. The same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and the Omega; the Bridegroom; the Way, the Truth, and the Life--He is worthy!

His name is Jesus. He alone is worthy!

He is . . . 

Love. Mercy. Judgment. Power. Sacrifice. Redemption. Salvation.

Justice. Wisdom. Lord. King. All in all forevermore.

God. Creator. Sustainer.

He is, and will always be.

Mediator. High Priest. Victor.

King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

He is Jesus.

Behold, the Lamb of God, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

He is coming soon!

Isn't That The Way It Goes?

Things only break when you need them.

Like our air conditioner. It's starting to get warm here, and the allergens are horrible, so we decided to turn on the air. Everything was fine, house was cool, life was good. Until my wife called me at work yesterday and told me the AC wasn't working anymore. The house was 82 degrees, and climbing. Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Sure, we can live without AC. We don't really need it, but it sure is nice. And like most things, you don't really realize just how nice it is until you don't have it. I could live without AC, just like I could live without electricity and running water. People did it for thousands of years. But for the sake of marital bliss and household peace, that's not going to happen.

It's not convenient when things break down, because they never seem to break until and unless you need them. That's the way life goes.

It'd be easy to get frustrated.

In fact, I did. I am. I'm hoping I know what the problem is and can fix it as soon as I get the right part. But what if that's not it? What if we have to replace the whole unit? What if that leads to a new furnace as well? We're also replacing our roof in a couple of weeks. Can we afford both? What if . . .

That's when things start going down hill. We start playing the what if game, and all the sudden the situation seems 10 times worse than it really is. That's not a Christian attitude. That's the work of the enemy.

You see, as Christians, we are not to have a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline (II Timothy 1:7). Worrying about the what ifs in life is neither powerful, loving, nor self-disciplined. It's frustration. It's fear

It's wrong.

There is a better way.

Considering the problem at hand, I'm pretty confident I can fix it. If not, then someone else can. It may cost more money than I'd like, but God will provide. He always does. That's the attitude of confidence we are to have. That's the spirit of power, love, and self-discipline we are to call on when times get tough.

Things will break. Life will go wrong. You can bet it will happen at the worst possible moment, too. That is the way it goes. When life happens, we have two choices: Live in fear of the what ifs, or claim the spirit God has given us.

That is the better way.

Are We Fully Committed?

The point of no return.

I've never jumped out of an airplane, and unless God has different plans, I don't think I ever will. It's one of those things you can't change your mind about half way. Once you reach the point of no return, that's it. You're committed. There's no going back.

Following Jesus is, or at least should be, in some ways, like that. When we accept Jesus Christ, when we are saved and born again, we become a new creation. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 

That is a point of no return. When you are created anew, when the old has gone and the new has come, there's no going back. You're committed.

That's radical thinking.

Our small group has been studying the book Radical, by David Platt. It is, for sure, a fitting title. Platt talks about living a life for God, and only for God. He discusses living in such a way that, once you get started, there's no turning back.

He talks about being committed.

I can't tell you I live the life he describes, and even he, in the book, says he doesn't have it all figured out. What I can tell you is that he made me think. Am I living my life in such a way that there is no going back? Have I reached the point of no return, where I couldn't go back to my old life even if I wanted?

Am I committed?

Don't compare yourself to others.

That's one conclusion our group reached during our discussions. Total commitment to Christ looks different for different people. What do I mean? Our group consists of a youth pastor, a young missionary couple on furlough from Africa, an insurance broker, a nurse, two real estate agents, an insurance agent, a nurse, a physical therapist, two office managers, a corrections officer working in a prison, two stay at home moms, a guidance counselor, an engineering supervisor in a factory setting, and a police officer.

That's quite a variety! Each of us is at a different stage in our walk with Christ, and for every one of us, total commitment to Him looks different. Each of us have different resources with which to serve, from time, to talents, to finances. Each of us has a different calling from God, and each of us is uniquely equipped to answer that call.

We cannot gauge our level of commitment based on what somewhat else is doing, or vice-versa. Being committed, and obedient, to God means doing what He intends for you to do, not someone else. My missionary friend told me that just because he's serving in Africa doesn't mean he's any more committed to Christ than someone who serves in their home community. It's not about what you do, it's about how, and how well, you do what God has called you to do.

Ask yourself if you are all in.

That's how you know if you are committed. Have you passed the point of no return, where your new life and the old are no longer compatible? Have you left behind the old and embraced the new? Are you living to please yourself, or God? Who is in control of your life--you, or the Holy Spirit?

There are a lot of ways to ask the question, but what it comes down to is this: Are you committed to Christ? Are you all in, or are you holding back some chips from the pot, just in case this hand doesn't pan out?

If we are following Christ, truly and fully committed to Him, we don't hold anything back. No part of our lives are untouched by His hand and Spirit. We are so different from what we used to be that we don't fit in back there anymore. We've passed the point of no return. We couldn't go back if we tried.

The greatest part is . . .

I've talked to people who have, for different reasons, jumped out of airplanes. You know what most of them said? I felt like I was flying.

Once they convinced themselves to jump, they experienced a freedom unlike any other.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions from there. 

There's Only One Way Out Of This Mess

The world has gone mad.

That's my conclusion. I don't need to name the social/political issues of the day for you to know what I'm talking about. I don't need to tell you what I saw, what I heard, what I read about in the news. I don't need to say anything about why I came to this conclusion.

You know.

You live in the same world as I. A world full of people wandering around like lab rats in a maze, hoping to find the button that pops out their sweet treat so they can get their fix. A world in which people are attempting to negate absolutes, deny the realities of right and wrong, and pretend to be in control. A world of dead ends, false passageways, and trap doors.

It's madness. Sheer madness.

And it's getting worse.

Every day, things get weirder. I don't know what to expect next, and I'm probably better off. If I knew what was coming tomorrow, I'd probably stay in bed. Seriously. It's getting that bad.

This latest election cycle has been like a really bad reality TV show that could only air on cable after prime time. The state I live in is a . . . disaster seems too light a word. World wide politics are a circus. Morality has become a four letter word. Faith has become blasphemy. Everything is falling apart.

The book of Revelation is making more sense every day.

Is there any hope?

I'm a realist, leaning hard towards pessimism. I doubt very much this train can be stopped before it completely runs off the tracks. Ever seen a train wreck in person? It ain't pretty.

I am also a Christian. I know that God can do anything, and I know that if people turn to Him, this world can be turned around. Are we at that point, prophesied in the Bible, of no return? Maybe, maybe not. Only time will tell.

But if there is any hope, if there is any way to get back on track, it's God. That's right. G. O. D. No man (or woman) is going to fix this mess. No worldly power can help us out of this maze we've trapped ourselves in. As a world community, a nation, a state, a county, a city, families, and individuals. If we don't start looking to God, it's game over.

There's only one way out.

That's to retreat. Turn from the direction we're headed, and get back to where we belong. I'll be honest; I'm not even sure I want that to happen. I'm ready for Christ to return. But if He's not coming tomorrow, I don't want to witness this world get any darker.

The only light that can penetrate this darkness is God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit. If we've any chance of finding our way clear of the calamity ahead, it is by seeking that light, and following it, no matter where it leads.

That starts with you, and me. Until individuals turn around (that's called repentance), abandon sin, and turn to God, things are only going to get worse. And I'll tell you right now--not many will find their way out. That path is narrow, and few will find it. But it's the only way.

One day soon, it'll be too late.

Jesus is coming. When He does, if you're still stuck in the maze of this world, if you haven't found that narrow gate . . . I dread to think about the reality that awaits you. Find Jesus. Trust Him as your Savior. Turn from your sins. Flee from the filth that is filling this world. Do it now. Before it's too late.

This is one maze you don't want to be trapped in when the lights go out.
 

God's Got This

God's got a plan.

Yep, He sure does. Believe it or not, despite what seems like chaos in the world, in your life, in your day today, there is a plan. A purpose. A reason. He's got it all figured out.

And you know what? No one--no person, no group, no government, no power on earth, in heaven, or in hell can stop Him. No movement can push Him aside. No agenda can overpower Him. No cause, no catastrophe, no election, no law can render Him obsolete.

He is in control. He knows what no one else knows--the future. Want to know what happens in the future?

God wins.

I don't know when. I don't know how. Looking around the world today, it sure doesn't seem like God is winning. Few are the battles that could be chalked up as victories. Far between are the engagements where God appears to gain ground.

It looks like God is losing. But He's not.

What do you think people thought in the time of Noah? Do you think they expected God to show up like He did? Were they prepared to lose, big time? No way. The world thought they had God on the ropes. They thought they had him in a corner, beaten down, ready to fall.

God had different plans.

Just like today.

There are a lot of people out there today who think they've got God in a tough spot. They seem to think if they pass a law, get enough people organized against Him, and ignore Him long enough He'll wither and die. They seem to think if they have enough earthly authority they can rival His heavenly authority.

They're wrong.

Just like Satan thought he could be God's equal, so do some people. They want to make their own rules, create their own world, govern their own existence. It doesn't work that way, folks. As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be in the last days. People doing their own thing, ignoring God. Until it's too late.

That day is coming. I don't know when. But I know it is.

God's got this.

I don't know how exactly how He plans to deal with all the stuff going on today, but I know He does. He's not surprised, taken aback, or caught off guard. God is, and has been, ready for today. And tomorrow. And until time ends.

God's got this.

Whatever your "this" may be.

Mighty Warriors

Are you a mighty warrior?

No, you say? Don't think you have what it takes? Or maybe you think there's no need. Maybe you're a lover, not a fighter. You don't see yourself ever getting in a scuffle, let alone going to battle.

Well, let me tell you something.

You're in a fight. Right now. A battle is raging around you, and within you. There are no objective observers in this fight, no conscientious objectors. Every single one of us is engaged with the enemy in a full scale war. He's in the trenches with us, and it's mano-a-mano.

It's time to fight, whether you like it, or not.

Strap on your gear and move out!

Ephesians 6:10-18 talks about the armor of God we need to fight this war. Read that passage, and tell me God isn't telling us to get prepared for battle! Not just in the distant future, but now. Today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Until we die or Jesus returns, we are in this for the duration.

We've been mobilized. Our marching orders are to go and make disciples, to confront the enemy wherever he is found and defeat him. We are to fight with courage and confidence. With all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind.

Its a spiritual war we're fighting. Every. Single. Day.

Our enemy is well trained.

That girl above? She's getting ready to fight a battle. Not against flesh and blood, but against the powers and dark forces of this world. At the moment this picture was taken, the enemy was telling her she wasn't ready. The enemy whispered that she couldn't do it, that she would fail.

See those targets behind her? There were 200 of them lined up in a row. 399 other archers shooting all at once. And this was just one line. There were others. 13,000 competitors over the course of 3 days.

The enemy told our young warrior she stood no chance against odds like that. He told her even God couldn't help her in this fight. He did his best to break her faith because he knows once he gets behind our lines, he can sabotage the whole operation. The enemy doesn't always attack head on; he knows a good flanking maneuver when he sees it.

That's spiritual warfare.

What would you do?

What if the odds were stacked against you? If the enemy said you couldn't stand up to your boss if he asked you to do something unethical because you'd lose your job,  what would you do? What if the enemy tells you millions of people think God's laws are outdated? What if he whispered in your ear, "Everybody looks; you just can't touch,"  or "no one else has a problem with this; what's wrong with you?"

What would you do?  

You've got to have armor.

I prayed over and with my daughter for weeks before this monumental battle. Not just for her, but me. The enemy was working on both of us. He wanted me to prepare her for failure, to tell her the same things he wanted her to believe. He wanted us to skip church to practice, skip family to practice, to leave God behind and do it ourselves. He knew we'd fail for sure then.

We didn't listen. You see, we understand it's not us who fights, but God within us. We had two verses for this day: Psalm 46:10 and Philippians 4:13. Be still and know that I am God. That's about not letting the enemy scare you. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. That's about being able to accomplish through God what we could never do ourselves.

We had our armor. We were ready.

We were mighty warriors.

Not because of ourselves, but because of God. That warrior princess with her blonde pony tail and pink camo bow, with her entire 11 years of life experience in rural backwater Illinois to draw from, faced an enemy who'd been training throughout heaven and earth since the dawn of creation.

And she won.

No, she didn't win the NASP National tournament (she placed in the top 10%--this proud dad just has to put that out there!). She won because she did her best. She won because she didn't let the enemy defeat her. She was scared, but there is no courage without fear. She didn't do as well as she wanted, but she did the best she could. All the way through, even when she knew she wouldn't "win."

She won because she leaned on God, and God was there for her.

That's fighting. That's a warrior.

Are you a warrior?

I'm so proud of my kids. I've written several times about this daughter's experiences in archery because I've seen so many parallels to life in her experiences in that sport. I am just as proud of my son who is sacrificing part of two summer vacations to go on a missions trip to Costa Rica. I'm equally proud of my youngest who, in her 8 year old way, tells her friends about Jesus and how they need to go to church (not always in the gentlest of terms!).

They are warriors. And if a 15 year old young man just learning about life can be a warrior, so can you. If an 11 year old girl with a pony tail and pink bow and arrow can face down the enemy, what are you afraid of? If an 8 year old wild child can know which side of the battlefield to be on, what's your excuse?

You're in this fight, whether you want it or not. The only question is whether you're going to be a warrior, or cannon fodder.

I know which one I choose.

OK; Here's The Deal . . .

I need your help.

I post these blogs to a few hundred people on Facebook, and a few thousand people on Google+. That's the extent of my reach. Nobody's beating down my door trying to hear what I have to say, and few enough open the door when I knock. I'm not reaching everyone who needs to be reached.

That's where you come in.

I'm a sinner. You're a sinner. Your neighbor, your friend, your brother and sister, that couple you met on vacation last year and "befriended" on Facebook . . . they're all sinners too. Everybody you know, everybody you could possibly reach out to is a sinner. We all need Jesus. Everybody needs to know.

I can't do that alone.

I don't have your Facebook friends. I don't have your Google+ circles. I don't know who you know, and I don't know how to reach them. Except through you.

When John wrote his Revelation of Jesus Christ, he couldn't deliver it to the seven churches it was originally intended for. He was in exile, a prison of sorts, on an island. He had to depend on someone else to deliver it. Now, I don't want to compare myself to John; I'm not writing about the firsthand revelation of Jesus Christ and the end of the world.

And yet I am.

I talked about the Holy Spirit being my lighthouse yesterday. God speaks to me (and you) as surely as He spoke to John. Differently, for certain, but no less assuredly. We all get communication from God. My calling is to write it down.

Then I depend on you.

I'm limited.

John was a prisoner on an island and could not deliver his message himself. On top of that, he was an old man, and the journey to the seven cities would have been difficult even had he been free to travel. He was limited.

I'm limited by my reach, my audience, my platform. I can only speak to you. But you can spread the word to everyone you know. And they spread the word, and then those, and then those . . . pretty soon everybody hears the truth.

That's my goal.

I'm not going to lie--I would like to see 20,000 people hit my blog every day. That would go a long way towards getting me a book deal. But that's not my biggest goal. That's not the reason I write any more. I've realized that my work in writing may very well be these short pieces I post most every day. That may very well be how God wants me to reach people.

So I want to reach everyone I can. My goal is to have the truth of God spread around the world. If that comes through my blogs, fantastic. If it happens because you sit down and talk with everyone you know about God and salvation through His Son, terrific. I don't care how it happens, I just want to see it happen. If you don't know how to start, then sharing these blogs through social media is one way to start. If you believe what I write is God's truth, then share it. That's called spreading the Word, and we are commanded by Jesus to do that very thing.

My goal is to help you, help me.

The deal is, I will write, if you will share.

That's all I'm asking. Hit the share button. Spread the word. Tell people there's this guy who's writing about God, and Jesus, and life, and stuff. Send them to williamsevert.blogspot.com. Write that down and put it in your wallet or your purse and then give it to someone.  If you've been reading my blogs, you must get something from what I've been saying. If you can get something from it, so can someone else.

I didn't want to write this. I don't like to ask for help. But I cannot do this alone.

Will you be on my team? Will you agree to share when I write a truth that reaches to your soul? If you're encouraged, or challenged, or hear a message of salvation in what I write, will you send it out to those tens, hundreds, even thousands of contacts you have? How many of them are not saved? How many are hurting? How many just need a little encouragement, or need to be challenged or shown love? Of those, how many need to hear the truth?

I'll write what God tells me through His Word, through prayer, and through the experiences He gives me in this life. I'm asking you to be my messengers.

That's the deal. Will you help me? 

My Lighthouse

Why do I need a lighthouse?

Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazards in the water, and safe entries to harbors. Although they are not as common in modern times with the widespread use of electronic navigation, they still function as navigational aids, showing the pilot of a ship both areas of danger and places of safety. For hundreds, even thousands of years, they have kept safe those who paid attention to them.

Lighthouses are most useful in unfamiliar territory, or when conditions are less than favorable, such as foul weather. In fog, in a storm, or on unfamiliar waters, the beacon of a lighthouse shows the way.

That's why I need a lighthouse. In this journey of mine called life, I often find myself in unfamiliar waters, and all too frequently encounter foul weather. I need something to guide me away from danger, and to safe harbors.

Dangerous coastlines.

We've seen images of a lighthouse sitting atop a cliff jutting out into the water. It's purpose is to mark that irregularity in the coastline which a ship may otherwise find the hard way.

I've encountered those in my life. Situations and circumstances that jump out quicker than they should, threatening to sink me. Opportunities that seem so good that, without my lighthouse, I wouldn't realize they are too good to be true. Invitations to partake in a part of life that, without my lighthouse, would crush my ship. Outstretched hands which seem welcoming and safe, but in fact are hard and cruel

My lighthouse steers me clear of them all.

Hazards in the water.

These are the stuff of a mariner's worst dreams. Shallow shoals, dangerous reefs, hidden rocks. They lay just below the surface, waiting to rip to pieces the hull of the unwary.

To me, these are the temptations in life. The waters that look so inviting, so promising, so smooth when in fact they hide the instruments of death. These are greed, lust, pride, envy, hatred, and a thousand others. They are sneaky, hidden, and if encountered unprepared, terribly destructive. A ship run aground on such a hazard will be beat to pieces by the power of the waves, if it doesn't sink first.

My lighthouse shows me such dangerous waters, that they may be avoided.

Safe harbors.

In a storm, nothing is more welcoming than a safe harbor. A place out of the wind and waves. A dock where my ship can be safely secured, restocked, and refurbished. A place of rest. A place of security.

This is the arms of God. During the storms of my life, I've only felt secure when in the presence of God. I've felt this when surrounded by other Christians supporting me as I struggle. I've experienced this in quiet times of prayer and meditation. I've felt God come to me when I've simply opened my soul and cried out to Him.

Each time, it was my lighthouse who showed me the way. It was Him who pointed me to the safe harbor God had prepared for me, for just the right time. It's always Him who leads me to safety.

My lighthouse is the Holy Spirit.

That presence of God, the very being of God, dwelling within me. When I listen, He points the way. He shows me the dangerous coastlines, He points out the hazards ahead, and He, only He, leads me to safe harbors.

God is my Father. Jesus is my Savior. The Holy Spirit is my lighthouse.

With God leading me, of what should I be afraid?

Where Has God Gone?

Where is God?

Does anyone know where He has gone? Because I'm pretty sure, looking around this world, that He must have packed up and left town. I mean, if He were here, He'd be doing something about this mess we've made, wouldn't He?

You know where I'm coming from? Sure you do. We've taken His world and turned it upside down and inside out. We're taking the wondrous creation He gave us, tearing it apart, and pasting it back together in total randomness, like Picasso gone wild. We're redefining the fundamental order and laws that He laid down. We've taken His place. We're playing God.

So where is He?

Doesn't He know?

Can't He see what's going on? Doesn't He care? Can He not see how dark and lonely this place has become for those who love Him, serve Him, believe Him? Is He so far removed that even when we say what He made was wrong, that He made a mistake, He does nothing? When what He called an abomination is accepted as the norm, has He decided to simply give up and go home?

Doesn't He know how hard this is? Doesn't He know that my children have to live in this world, wade through the filth and garbage piling up in the streets? Does He even recognize how far we've fallen, or where we are headed? Can He see it? Does it matter to Him?

I know where God is.

God is here. God is watching. And He cares. Oh, He cares a lot!

He has a plan.

One day, when wickedness has reached its fullness, the world will see and know. On that day, when the skies darken with His wrath, when the Horsemen are turned loose and fire rains from heaven, all will know. When the earth trembles, the oceans boil, and men hid themselves in futility from His face, they will understand.

God knows. God cares. God is here.

God hasn't gone anywhere.

No matter how hard the world tries, they can't run God off. They cannot take from Him what is rightfully His. As they did with His Son they now do with His creation, but now as then, they know not what they do. Then, Jesus begged His Father to forgive them. Now, creation begs her Father to rid her of the decay of sin.

When judgment comes, there will be mercy no more. Hell hath no fury compared to the God who created it.

God isn't gone. He's waiting, building His wrath. Every insult, every deed, every sin wracks up and one day, one day soon, they will be piled up to heaven. That's when God will show His hand. As in the days of Noah, they will be eating and drinking, partying it up to the very end. When the flood of His wrath comes, there'll be no hiding.

Because God is here. Watching. Knowing. Patiently waiting for the day He has chosen. To act. To judge. To pour out His wrath.

God hasn't gone anywhere. God isn't going anywhere. One day, one day soon, He's going to take back what belongs to Him.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come!

Who Am I?

Who am I?

A question we all ask ourselves. It ranks right up there with, "Why am I here?" and "What am I supposed to do?". It's not a question of identity as much as a question of purpose.

How we answer this question is important, and perhaps not as obvious as it may at first appear. For some, the answer is muddled and unclear, leading to confusion, misdirection, and a true identity crisis. For others, the answer they come up with is disappointing, leading to depression, self abuse, and a failure to live the productive life they are capable of.

Most of us have at least an idea of who we are, but I doubt many of us understand all of who we are. That's because we only see ourselves from our point of view.

The full picture of who we are is seen not only through our eyes, but the eyes of others as well.

Through the eyes of my family.

To my family I am a husband, a father, a son, a grandson, and a brother. I am an uncle, a nephew, and a cousin. Of course, as genealogy goes, I have many other relationships in my family, but you get my point. Depending on which family member you ask, who I am will vary according to where I fall in the family tree compared to them.

My identity, therefore, depends not only on where I stand, but where others stand as well. The view looks a whole lot different from over there, than it does right here. Who I am to my mother is much different than who I am to my wife, even though I am the same.

Do you get my point? I'm not only who I see me as; I'm also who others see me to be. That is a very, very important thought to keep in mind.

Through the eyes of my friends. 

To some, I am one who comes to them for advice. To others, I am someone sought after for the same reason. Most often, those roles switch back and forth, depending on the question at hand. To some of my friends I am a soccer or softball player. To others I am a hunter and fisherman. Some see me as bold, while compared to others I am not.

Many of my friends are mutual friends with my wife, and they see us as a couple. Others hardly know my better half, if at all. Most of my friends know a little bit about me, but only a few know much more than that, and fewer still know me to any significant depth. Who I am to them is what they know about me.

Through the eyes of God.

I could go on and on about how I look to different people depending on my relationship to them and what they know about me, but I think you get my point. We look different to different people based on how they see us.

God, on the other hand, knows who we truly are.

This part of our identity, who we are in the eyes of God, is the most important of all. This determines our eternal destiny, and there is nothing more important than that.

Amazingly, who we are in God's eyes isn't about where we've been or what we've done. If that was the case, we'd all be seen by Him as sinners unworthy of His presence. God doesn't look at us that way, though.

God sees us as either His children, or lost orphans He wants to claim. You see, we are either His children because we have Jesus Christ as our Savior, and are therefore part of His family, or we are spiritually fatherless. If the latter, God desires nothing more than for us to accept His invitation to be His son or daughter.

No matter who I am to anyone else, to God I am His child.

As long as I know that, I know exactly who I am.

My God Is God

He has many names.

Jehovah, the great I AM WHO I AM.
Elohim, Power and Strength.
Adonai, Master and Lord.
El-Shaddai, God Almighty.
Jehovah-jireh, Provider.

Father. Creator. Judge. Holy One. Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End. Almighty God. Fortress. Ancient of Days. Consuming Fire. King. Living God. Maker. Majesty. Mercy. Rock. Rose of Sharon. Strength. The One. Wonderful.

Jesus. Bread of Life. Son of God. Son of Man. Cornerstone. Foundation. Faithful and True. Savior. Shepherd. Servant. Christ. Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Great High Priest. Messiah. Deliverer. The Lamb.  Emmanuel. Friend. Hope. Life. Light. Living Stone. Living Water. Lord of All. Prince of Peace. Redeemer. Righteous One. Word of God.

Spirit. Counselor. Guide. Holy Ghost. Spirit of Truth. Helper.

Trinity. Triune. Three-In-One. God.


And many more.

My God is so great I cannot begin to define Him, understand Him, or otherwise put Him in a box and say, "This is my God." His attributes are without number, His nature unfathomable. He is beyond comparing to anything known to lowly man or highest angel. He is God.

When I see Him, I will know Him. There is none other like Him, none who can impersonate or replace Him. His power is beyond description, His glory fills the heavens. Heaven and earth tremble at His name. Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that He is God.

My God is God.

I do not fully understand what that means, but I know this: He alone is worthy of worship, honor, and praise. I cannot know Him fully, but I know enough to fear Him, love Him, serve Him, desire Him.

He is the One True God.

I believe in Him. I serve Him. In Him, and Him alone, do I trust.

My God Is Better

People worship some strange gods.

Some gods are angry, mean, and deceitful, like the ancient Greek gods. Others are powerful but flawed, basically just humans with super powers. People follow gods who are distant, detached, and unreachable. Selfish. Self absorbed. Cruel. Evil.

My God isn't like that.

My God is better.

My God cares.

He cares so much, in fact, that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not die for their sins, but have eternal life (John 3:16). He cares so much that He keeps track of even the hairs on my head (Matthew 10:30). He cares so much that He listens when I talk to Him. Every. Single. Time.

God cares so much for us that nothing is too great, or too small, for us to take it to Him knowing that He can, and will, give us every good thing. So great is His care that when we stumble, He lifts us gently to our feet like the children we are. He cares so much that He disciplines us so that we will learn. He weeps. He rejoices. He jealously protects.

My God cares. A lot.

My God gives.

My God provides all things. It is said in scientific circles that our sun gives us life. Well, my God created the sun, and gave it to us. He gives us food and water, clothing and shelter. He provides comfort to the downcast heart, strength to the weary, courage to the faint of heart. He gives even when we do not deserve.

Everything we have is from God, and we have everything we need. My God provides richly and abundantly. Not because He must, but because that is His heart.

My God is a giver.

My God is close.

God does not remain secluded on some unreachable mountain top, nor locked away in some unapproachable fortress. My God is here, with me, right now. My Father lives in heaven, but His presence is everywhere. Even more, my God has chosen, of His own free will, to dwell not only with me, but within me. His Spirit has taken up residence side by side with mine.

That's close.

My God is better in every way.

My God is more powerful than any other. My God is more caring, loving, giving, and personal than any other. There is no god greater than mine, because my God is the only true God.

My God is the best.

My God Is Bigger

This is a picture of a pulsar.

A pulsar is a type of a neutron star, which is the incredibly dense core of a star that is left over after a supernova. A supernova, of course, is the explosion that takes place when the most massive stars in the universe die. Sometimes they form black holes. Sometimes they form neutron stars.

These are massively powerful objects which we are just beginning to understand, and then poorly. Their forces can only be described by mathematical equations that cover pages and take a PhD to comprehend. They are incredible.

They are puny compared to God.

God created the stars.

There are an estimated 100,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy has an estimated average 100,000,000,000 stars. Multiply those together, and you get the estimated number of stars in the universe. And that's actually an old number--it grows as telescope technology improves.

God created every one of them, and knows them by name! (Psalm 147:4). He keeps track of their coming and going. More than that, He controls their coming and going. Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus, who is God, sustains all things. He sustains the stars--He's the force behind their force!

That's power.

My God is bigger.

I don't care what you want to compare Him to, my God is bigger. He's more powerful, more awesome, more incredible than anything, because He made everything! Not only that, but He controls everything and sustains it. Without God, there would be no forces of nature. There would be no energy. Without His sustaining power, there would be nothing.

You might think such a massively powerful God would be distant and impersonal, but nothing could be further from the truth. Matthew 10:30 tells us that God is so personal, and cares for us so much, that even the hairs on our heads are numbered.

My God sustains the universe, and still keeps track of every detail of the insignificant speck that is me.

That's love.

And you think God can't take care of your problems?

A supernova is the most powerful event we know of. The generated force of the explosion is mind blowing--astronomers estimate that an observed supernova exploded with a luminosity (brightness) that was 600 billion times brighter than our sun! To put it another way, the energy emitted in about the minute and a half a supernova lasts exceeds the amount of energy the sun will release in its 10 billion year lifetime. 

Here's the wild part. Because of the number of stars (see above), a supernova probably occurs somewhere in the universe about once every second. That means, if a supernova last 100 seconds, there are about a 100 supernovae going off right now. Take a moment and consider the amount of energy, the raw power we are talking about.

God's in control of that.

How big are your problems again?

I've tried to give you an idea of the power of God, and certainly have only scratched the surface. But considering God controls and sustains these incredible forces, and yet still keeps track of every hair on your head, how big are your problems compared to His ability to deal with them?

The next time you think a problem is too big for God, maybe thinking about the supernova will put things in perspective. And the next time you don't think God cares enough about you to do something, answer this one, simple question:

Do you know how many hairs are on your own head?

Practice Makes . . . Good

It takes a lot of practice to be good.

This is a target from my daughter's state archery tournament. You can see that both she and her shooting partner have done pretty well. They scored 5 tens, 4 nines, and an eight on that round. That's pretty darn good shooting.

But it's not perfect.

I don't know about the other shooter, but I know how much my daughter practiced to accomplish this. A lot of hours. A lot of tears. Sore fingers. Bruised forearms. Failure, adjustment, success, and more failure preceded this target. Hours and hours of work, study, and effort.

And still, it's good, but not perfect.

It seems simple enough.

Archery, that is. You find an aiming point that puts you in the ten-ring and aim at the same spot each time. Don't twist the bow. Anchor. Smooth release. Follow through. Repeat.

Once you learn your technique and find your aiming point, you should be able to hit the ten every time. Or so it seems.

But it's not that simple.

I know. I've tried. I've hit the ten. Hit it several times, in fact. Even a few in a row. But I've never scored a perfect 50 in one round, let alone all 6 rounds of a competition. Even the great archers, the ones who win National and even World level competitions don't shoot a perfect 300 every time, very often, or even ever.

Despite hundreds, even thousands of hours of practice, the best are not perfect.

Life is a lot like that.

We all have a lot of practice at life, right? I mean, I practice every day. My ten-ring is the purpose of life: Love God, love my neighbors. My bow is the life God has given me. My arrows are what I say and do. My anchoring point is Jesus Christ. My release (letting go of the arrow) is my motivations.

Anchor, aim, release.

After I hit the ten a few times, I should be able to aim at the same point and do it over and over. I've practiced so many times it should be more reflex than conscious thought, more "muscle-memory" than intentional action. It should be easy.

Should be.

But it isn't.

Sometimes I don't only miss the ten, I miss the whole darn target! I can't blame the environment or my equipment. It's me. I get distracted. I take my eye off the target. I twist my bow of life or grip it too tightly. I don't anchor correctly on Jesus. I flub my release, the motivations for what I do, and the arrows of my words and actions fly all wonky. I make a thousand little mistakes, and the occasional big one.

That means I hit a nine instead of ten. Or an eight. On a bad day, I'll shoot a no-score, an arrow that doesn't even hit the target. Despite all the practice, which is every single day of my life.

You'd think I'd be getting better by now.

Practice makes good, but not perfect.

We'll never be perfect; not in this life, at least. No matter how long we live, no matter how many arrows we shoot, you're going to have the occasional "flier."

That's a hard reality for my daughter to accept, and me as well. It is, however, a life lesson for all of us. We're all going to mess up, sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. In competition, and in life, how you handle that reality matters.

I tell my daughter, "One arrow at a time." Don't get over-confident because your last one was a ten. Don't lose faith because you shot a five. Focus on the fundamentals, and do your very best with every arrow you have.

That's advice that I've been trying to follow myself. When things are going well, don't think that means I've got this all figured out. When I screw up, don't give up. Try again. Do your best.

Anchor, aim, release. Shoot for ten every time.

Practice will never make us perfect, but if we try each day, we'll be better than we were before.