Ice Cream and your soul

Psalm 75:1 (ESV)

God Will Judge with Equity

We give thanks to you, O God;

    we give thanks, for your name is near.

We recount your wondrous deeds.

Today is August 31 which means its our time to visit the Local Baskin Robins Ice cream shop for the &1.50 cone.

I am always up for ice cream, so we always look forward to the months with 31 days and get to go celebrate with Baskin Robins and a cone of Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream. As I was thinking about the ice cream it reminded me of a story I once read.

The story is told by a dad and goes like this. Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would thank you even more if Mom gets us Ice Cream for dessert. And liberty and justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for Ice Cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added (indicating to the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "too bad she never asks God for Ice Cream. A little Ice Cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kid Ice Cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his Sundae and without a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice Cream is good for the soul sometimes and my soul is good already!"

How is your soul today?

Dear Lord, thank You for all the goodness You give to us. May we never hide Your wonder from our friends and family, but continue to declare Your greatness to anyone who can hear. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Let God be your helper

Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

Life can be really tough at times. People let you down, situations let you down. You experience heartache, disappointment and all these difficult things can sometimes make you want to give up on God. When you experience tough times, what do you do? Where do you go? Who do you lean on?

The answers to these questions show you what your life is built upon. If you drown your sorrows in ice cream and Netflix, then you know that there is where you go to get help. God would like to be your help when things get hard.

The Bible tells us that He is our refuge and strength. He wants to be where you go when things are tough. When you don’t know how you’re going to pass your history class, He wants to be your source of wisdom. When things aren’t going the way you expected, He wants to be the one you turn to. God wants to be your help when things get tough.

It’s up to you though, to decide to let Him have that place in your life. You can choose to go to friends, Netflix and ice cream when things are tough. And by all means, those things have their place, but have you gone to God? Have you let Him be your help too?

If you haven’t yet, choose today to do things differently. Choose to let God be your helper. Let Him speak into your life. Look to the Bible for your answers and see the power of letting God be your help in times of need.

Dear Lord we pray that we would let You be our helper. Help us to not try and do things on our own. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Spiritual diet

John 6:35 (ESV)

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

There is a woman who has eaten only cheese and tomato pizza for 31 years has been told she could die unless she quits her bizarre dining habit.

Claire Simmons, 33, gags if she puts anything but a plain pizza slice in her mouth. She also shakes the moment she is presented with any other type of food. Now doctors have warned that her bizarre condition - known as Selective Eating Disorder - is increasing her risk of a stroke or heart attack in later life.

To stay healthy, experts recommend a varied diet, including five daily portions of fruit and vegetables. But Claire said: "I'm actually scared of fruit and veg. I get so angry when people think I'm being faddy - this is a real medical condition."

When it comes to looking after your physical body, a varied diet is the way to go. But when it comes to your spiritual body, we should be like Claire, and only be able to stomach the one true God; Jesus.

Jesus is all our spiritual bodies need. He alone can bring us back to God. He alone died for our sins. He alone is the God/man. He alone can satisfy.

And we should 'gag', shake and be scared of anything or anyone else who claims the match the claims of Jesus.

Are you sticking to your spiritual diet or are you tempted to binge on other things?

Dear Lord, help us to only diet on the things of You. Help us to fill our self with the truths found only in Your word the Bible. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Who is my neighbor?

Luke 10:29 (ESV)

But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

An expert in the law wanted to cover every detail to justify himself. He wanted to be sure he could inherit eternal life. He knew he had to love God first and to love his neighbor as himself. But now he had one more question for Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?”

The legal expert asked the right person, because someday Jesus will judge everyone according to the way they have served others for his sake (Matthew 25:31-46). And, as we learn from Ephesians 2:8-10, being saved by God’s grace motivates us to do good and show God’s love to others.

Jesus responded with a parable about a man who gets beaten and left by the roadside. Two travelers—a priest and a Levite—do not have the time or the inclination to help the beaten man, so they pass by. But a Samaritan, whom most Jewish people would avoid (John 4:9), stops to help without questions or conditions.

The legal expert got the point. And Jesus pressed the point home: “Go and do likewise.” Would the man’s faith now move him to be a good ­neighbor?

Who are our neighbors? Are there limits on our love? “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10). How can we be good neighbors in Jesus’ name?

Dear Lord, You have provided all we need. How can we thank you? Keep us from holding back our love for others. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Your wedding anniversary is a big deal; so make it a big deal.

Proverbs 5:18 (ESV)

Let your fountain be blessed,

    and rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Thirty-four years ago I had the wedding rehearsal jitters. It was really happening. We were committing "till death do us part" in less than 24 hours. I felt both excited and scared as I anticipated our new life together.

Becky and I met in a manner only God could have orchestrated. As we look back we are still amazed how God worked and brought us together.  

Our 34 years have been years of growth. There have been many wonderful seasons. There have been a few difficult seasons. We have grown our family from two to four then back to two as we have added children to our home and the grew and moved to their own home. We have experienced a variety of friendships, jobs, and homes.

We have enjoyed one another. We have been frustrated with one another. We have agreed. We have disagreed. But through the ups and downs, we have been committed. We have been committed to love, to stay together, to work through conflict, to apologize, and to change as needed. This weekend we celebrate that commitment.

Our anniversary is an annual event that allows us to stop, remember, celebrate, and recommit to our relationship. It is a time to be just the two of us. It allows us an opportunity to evaluate the time and energy we are giving our marriage on a regular basis.

We have celebrated our anniversary throughout the years in a variety of ways. Some years it was an evening out to dinner. Other years we've gone away for one or two nights and stayed in a cabin in the mountains or in a replica of a lighthouse. No matter what we did we celebrated that there is something sacred and celebratory about another year of marriage. It is sacred because a covenant to God has been fulfilled. And it is celebratory because a man and woman have grown closer to Christ and each other. This marriage milestone is meant to mean something. It is not just another day that comes and goes without recognition.

Our anniversary is a testimony to our commitment to Christ and His commitment to us. In a day when some men trade in their wives like a used car, and some women walk away from their husbands and children like a nuisance to her freedom, much needs to be made about marriages that achieve longevity. “Until death do us part” is not a trite saying but a bold declaration of life-long dedication.

The best celebration of the year is your union with Christ. Your relationship with Jesus is meant to be a mirror of your marriage. They are both by grace through faith. They both require focused attention and going deeper with each another; so hilariously celebrate your marriage anniversary. Enjoy the blessings of being together over time.  It is something to be proud of, because God says marriage is meant to last a lifetime.

Dear Lord, we celebrate the day when You joined us together as Husband and wife.  We thank You for being with us on our daily journey together through life’s ups and downs. Fill us with love, forgiveness, patience and trust. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A simple "Thank You" note

Philippians 1:3-6 (ESV)

3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Thank you notes. Such a simple gesture. You have likely gotten a variety of thank you notes. There are the ones from your students that are handmade and full of their love for you. You may get notes from parents that express their gratitude for your loving attention to their child. You may get a thank you note from a fellow worker for a job well done. While it may be simple, a thank you note can encourage and touch the hearts of the recipient.

We thank God for the blessings of relationships built and strengthened through out the year. Philippians 1 is a wonderful reminder for us to also take the time to stop and thank God for those with whom we work and serve. Those individuals may be at our church, work, kids sporting events or at the local grocery store.  We may not even really know them. But a simple wrd of thanks can make the world of difference. 

So today take a minute and send a thank you note of prayer. Then write a quick note and send it off to someone that you appreciate today.  

Today I send a special thank you note of prayer to God for each of you my friends for the encouragement you always send my way.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the privilege of sharing Your gospel each day. We thank You for those You bring into our life.   Help us to always take the time to thank them and let them know that they are special to us. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

If You're Happy and you Know it

Proverbs 16:20 (ESV)

Whoever gives thought to the word will discover good,

    and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

Probably every one has sung the song, "If You're Happy." You know the one I'm talking about -- "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands."

I wonder how that song would go if it were sung by a bunch of birds? Maybe it would go like this, "If you're happy and you know it, flap your wings. (flap, flap) " What do you think a dog would do to show that he was happy? Wag his tail? "If you're happy and you know it, wag your tail. (swish-swish) If you're happy and you know it wag your tail. (swish-swish) If you're happy and you know it, then your tail will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it, wag your tail. (swish-swish)"

I heard a story about a little puppy that noticed that whenever he was happy, his tail wagged, so the thought he had found the secret to happiness. One day he shared the secret of happiness with an older dog. He said, "I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness, and that happiness is in my tail. So I am going to chase my tail; and when I catch it, I shall have happiness!" The old dog replied, "I too, believe that happiness is a marvelous thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail. But I have noticed that when I chase it, my tail keeps running away from me; but when I go about my business, it follows me wherever I go."

The Bible has a lot to say about being happy. It doesn't say, "Happy are they who have a lot of money" or "Happy are they who live in big houses and drive fancy cars." It doesn't even say, "Happy are they who only have good things happen to them." What the Bible does say is, "Happy are the merciful, happy are the peacemakers, and happy are the pure in heart." The Bible also says, Happy is he who trusts in the Lord. Many of us are like that little puppy chasing his tail -- trying to find true happiness that is always just out of our reach. What we need to do is learn that if we will just go about our business and trust in the Lord, happiness will follow us wherever we go.

Dear Lord, help us to place our trust in You so that we may experience the happiness that only You can bring. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The power of habit: Bible reading

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

What if you were told you that you would die tomorrow unless you took one pill? Would you miss it? Probably not. You would probably set an alarm. You would do something to make sure that you always took that pill every single day, because you know it is a matter of life and death.

There are other things like that in our life, things that aren’t a matter of life and death, but still very important to us. We have daily routines and habits that are really important—brushing your teeth, taking a shower, doing your homework, or eating meals. These things have become part of your regular life, and you wouldn’t really consider cutting them out.

Let’s look at a disciplines that is important for your spiritual health. We need to be diligent about practicing this. If we don’t practice it we put our faith at risk. We risk falling from the faith and losing out on eternity. Jesus himself tells us to “watch and pray” so that we don’t fall into temptation.

The habit is Bible reading. It’s something that Paul tells Timothy to continue. He urged him, “Continue in what you learned and have become convinced of.” Paul wants to Timothy to make a habit of remembering what he had been taught. He wanted Timothy to keep Scripture on the front of his mind, continuing to remember it.

Then he tells him, and us, why.

The Scriptures make us wise for salvation. There is no better or higher reason than this. God’s Word rebukes us when we are wrong. It teaches us of God’s love for us. It points us to God’s forgiveness of our sins in Christ. It equips us for a life of righteousness. It gives and strengthens our faith in Jesus.

God’s Word is good for everything else in this life too. In short, God’s Word is also a personal trainer for our daily walk as Christians. It equips and trains us to live as God’s people in this world.

Would you ever skip brushing your teeth on purpose? Of course not! It wouldn’t be healthy. The same goes for daily Bible reading. Sustain your spiritual health and grow in it by including God’s Word in your daily life.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the many opportunities You give us to make Your Word a part of our daily routines. Strengthen our bond with You and help us realize the importance Your Word has on our daily lives. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

The power of habit: Prayer

James 5:16-18 (ESV)

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Why we don’t pray more? I can only speak for myself, but I sometimes don’t pray more because I think I can get more done if I actually “do” it than if I pray about it first. I think that my thinking, my working, my worrying, and my planning are more powerful than actually praying about it.

When I write it down it sounds pretty foolish, doesn’t it? But our lack of prayer says just that. Our lack of praying says to God that our activity and our working is more important than asking him to act and work and do.

James inspires us to believe that prayer is a powerful thing. He tells us that our prayers are powerful and effective. Our prayers matter. Our prayers change things. Our prayers make a difference.

If you believed that something was powerful, would you do it? Of course. If you thought something would make all the difference in the world, you would make sure it happened. If you thought something mattered, you would make time for it, intentionally, purposefully, regularly. That’s what we do for things that make a difference and matter to us.

James gives an example of an effective prayer. He reminds us of the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 17 and 18. Elijah prayed that it would not rain—and it didn’t rain. God withheld rain for three and a half years because of Elijah’s prayer. Then Elijah prayed again that it would rain—and God sent rain.

Prayer works. Prayer matters. It is powerful and effective, not because of the person who is praying, but because the person praying invokes God’s powerful name and humbly relies on God’s gracious promises and saving will. The story of Elijah—and many other stories throughout the Bible—show us that this is true.

So pray. Make a habit of it. Your Father in heaven loves you. He has forgiven all your sins, and he now invites you to call on him in prayer. In his love for you, he hears your prayers and works powerfully for you and for the world.

Dear Lord, You teach us that prayer is a powerful thing. In Your grace, Father, you invite us to pray. Help us to understand how powerful prayer is so that we make it a part of the very fiber of our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

We need to be really connected

Hebrews 10:23-25 (ESV)

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

These are the days when we are more connected and yet more disconnected at the same time. We are more connected on our phones, more connected through social media. At the very same time, we are also quite disconnected as we live life. We’re connected thumb-to-thumb but not face-to-face and not soul-to-soul.

That can be a dangerous thing. Social media can lead us to be fake with other people. We easily filter the way life is really going. We can easily hide what is really going on with us. We can easily isolate ourselves from the Christ-centered community that we so desperately need. The truth is: The lone wolf gets picked off. That’s who the devil goes after because there is no one around to help when tempted.

God’s people need each other. We need other people in our lives. That is precisely why the writer wrote these words to us. He knew that we needed a Christ-centered community around us.

On the one hand, we need each other to see the blind spots in our faith and the sins that hide in the corners of our lives that we can’t see. We need other Christians to show us our sins. Even more than that, we need them to show us Jesus’ forgiveness. We need a Christ-centered community around us to keep us close to our Savior.

On the other hand, other people need us just as deeply in their lives. They need us to lovingly show them the blind spots of their faith, the sins that hide in the corners of their life. They need us to show them their sins and even more than that to tell them that Jesus has forgiven it all! They need us to spur them on with gospel encouragement!

We all need the family of believers, the community of Christ-followers, around us. In fact, they are God’s gift to you to keep you close to Jesus until he returns. And in the very same way, you are God’s gift to them to keep them close to Jesus.

Dear Lord, thank You for blessing us with many wonderful friends. Be with our friends and me. Help us to encourage each other to grow in Your Word. Keep Christ as the center of our lives and bring us closer to each other by bringing us closer to You. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Who is the witness?

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

When I was in high school and college, I had to give speeches. Everybody did. Some speeches were better than others. You could always tell who had taken a speech class, because their speeches were just better. I was never that good, because I had never learned the art of delivering a speech.

That’s what it is. Delivering a speech is an art form that takes years of experience and training. A good speech is one that draws the audience in so they are interested in the topic. It must be ordered properly. It must be logical and interesting. The speaker should be prepared, confident, and even convincing. These things make giving a good speech so difficult. It’s what makes public speaking difficult and fear inducing for so many people.

And now Jesus wants us to talk about our faith? That’s what he says here. He told his disciples (and us too!) that this is who we are. We are witnesses of who he is and what he has done. We are his witnesses here, there, and everywhere. We’re supposed to talk about Jesus and share our faith?

But what will we say?

How will we say it?

How will we know what to say?

Will people listen?

Will they agree with what we’ve got to say?

Jesus doesn’t ask us to figure that out. Being a witness is not at all like delivering a speech.

Did you notice what he says? First, there is this amazing promise that we’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. Jesus is promising here, and in other places, that he’ll give us the Holy Spirit so that we’re confident, so that we have words.

Then, he says, “You will be witnesses.” Jesus isn’t asking us to say it just right or to win the argument. Jesus isn’t asking us to put together a “good speech.” Jesus isn’t even asking to convince anybody about anything. He’s asking us to be witnesses. A witness doesn’t have to convince. A witness has to tell the story. It is the job of the attorney to do the convincing. Jesus is asking us to tell the world about the good things that He’s done. His Holy Spirit will do the rest.

You are the witness. Witnessing is not like giving a speech. It’s simply telling the story of Jesus. This is who you are. The Holy Spirit will be with you.

Dear Lord, thank you for Your Holy Spirit. Remind us that we are your witnesses and all you ask us to do is share the message. You will give us the words. You will give us the confidence. And You will do good things through the Word we share; You promise it. Make us Your witness in all that we do and say today. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Numbers don't count

Judges 7:15 (ESV)

As soon as Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped. And he returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the host of Midian into your hand.”

Everyone loves underdog stories. We all want to see the scrappy team from the small town win the state championship. People love to root for the underdog. But nobody wants to be the underdog. When it gets down to it, we would definitely prefer to be the top dog with no one to challenge us.

Gideon didn’t want to be the underdog either. He was given the job of rescuing God’s people, the Israelites, from the invading Midianites. Israel was outnumbered badly. From a military point of view, their best course of action would be surrender and hope they were treated well as prisoners. Gideon knew that, but he still tried his best to muster the best fighting force he could, a little over 32,000 men. He was as ready as he could be to face the enemy. The opening whistle of the most important match in Gideon’s life was about to sound.

But God had a lesson to teach Gideon.

You see, God had already promised to save the Israelites and to help them defeat Midian. And God wanted them to trust his promise to the win that victory for them. So, what did God do? He commanded Gideon to dismiss almost his entire army. At the end of that day, Gideon was left with less than one percent of his original force, only 300 men! You can’t even fill a large gym with 300 men, but that was Israel’s entire army. This meager army was up against an enemy so large that you couldn’t even count their camels, let alone soldiers. Gideon was about to learn a lesson on trust.

Israel did win the battle that day. But they didn’t win because of numbers, or strategy, or ferocity. They won because God was on their side.

God wants us to know the same thing. God is on our side so power, might, wisdom, or numbers don’t matter. If God is for us, who can be against us? With our trust in God, we really have nothing to fear.

It is true that even Christians sometimes suffer during their lives. Does this mean they didn’t trust in God enough? Or maybe God doesn’t care about them? No.

We believe that God will protect us spiritually above all else. He has already won the greatest victory possible for us. When Jesus Christ died on the cross, he suffered for every person through all of time. Jesus death paid the price for our sins. The battles against sin, death, and the devil have all been won for us. “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:31-32)

God may not help our team win every championship. In fact, we will face troubles in life, but that doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we can trust God’s promise that He has won the final victory for us and is waiting for us in heaven.

That inspires the same confidence in us as in Gideon to call out, “Get up! The Lord has given this into our hands!” If God is for us, who can be against us? He will for fight for us in life so that we might enjoy an eternity with him.

Dear Lord, thank You for fighting the battles we couldn’t. Thank You for watching over us and protecting us. Help us to remember Your promises and to always put our trust in You. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Back to school

Acts 2:46 (ESV)

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts.

It’s game day, time to start school. You know what you have to do, so you get out on the court or field to face your opponents. Then you realize something’s wrong. You’re all by yourself. The other team is there, looming over you like a dark storm cloud from the other end of the field. However, not one of your teammates can be seen. Not on the court. Not on the bench. Nowhere. You have no one on your side.

Do you ever feel like that is your spiritual situation? Maybe you feel like the only Christian at your school facing the whole science department that teaches evolution as truth. Maybe you’re the only one at your job who doesn’t want to take a longer break than allowed.

In those situations, you may feel alone and unable to handle the pressure. You know his promise to always be with you, yet the present situation makes you question God’s presence.

That’s one of the reasons God surrounds us with the church and puts other Christians in our lives. God does not want us to be alone. He wants us to be together.

God equips your Christian friends to help you through all kinds of life’s problems, earthly or spiritual. Whether you have questions about the Bible or about your homework, whether you’re trying to pick a college or what to wear to school tomorrow, Christian friends can help because they (like you) know where to find answers to life’s critical questions. Christian brothers and sisters can remind you of God’s promises and give encouragement, comfort, or even correction from God’s Word. And not only do you get to enjoy these benefits, but to share them! God calls you to be that encouraging, supportive Christian friend to others too.

Most importantly, when you do crack under the pressure and give in to sin, your Christian friends are there to point you to Jesus. Your Christian friends are there to show and give you Jesus’s forgiveness. His perfect life and innocent death paid the penalty for all your sins. That’s the message you need to hear most of all. That’s also the message your friends need to hear from you most of all.

Do you have Christian friends? Thank God for them! Surround yourself with them. Then be one for them!

Dear Lord, thank You so much for blessing us with Christian friends so we can encourage each other to stay close to You. Forgive us for the times we haven’t been the friend You want us to be. Thank You for being the perfect friend. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

When it seems out of control

Ephesians 1:22-23 (ESV)

22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

For twenty minutes, 149 passengers were absolutely out of control. A fan blade broke off, causing one of the engines of their plane to explode. For those twenty minutes, they didn’t know whether they would live or die, and they couldn’t do anything about it except sit and wait. They were absolutely helpless and couldn’t do anything except pray.

We can relate when we hit that patch of black ice on the road in the middle of the winter. We can relate when the other driver rear-ends us or crosses the middle of the road into our lane. We can relate when sickness or cancer comes without any cause at all. We can relate when someone suddenly loses a job through no fault of their own.

We couldn’t stop our tire from going flat or our car battery from dying over night. We couldn’t stop the other driver from falling asleep at the wheel or rear-ending us. There is so much in our lives over which we have no control at all. It’s such a helpless feeling, because there is nothing we can do about it.

That’s why these words from Paul are so important to remember, especially when life seems out of control. Do you see what Paul says about Jesus? Do you see what God did? He put all things under the feet of Jesus. All things. Things like the exploding engine in that Southwest plane. He ruled over those moments when the engine exploded and the plane suddenly lurched toward the ground. He ruled over those moments when your car skidded out of control on black ice. He ruled over those moments when you or someone you love suddenly got sick or lost a job.

He is Lord and ruler over all things “for the church.” That’s Paul’s way of saying that Jesus is Lord for the people who believe in him. He is Lord over all things for you, for your good, for your benefit.

Things may be out of your control, but they are never outside of his control. He sits as King over all.

Dear Lord, when our life seems out of control, remind us that You are Lord and ruler over all things. Remind us that things are never outside of Your control. Calm our heart with the truth that things are never outside of Your rule. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Training

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV)

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

I love to watch the Olympics. It’s a fun time to watch the athletes compete for the gold medal. These athletes have trained their entire lives for this one moment. They know the battles they will face. They will need to endure trial and suffering. They will have to give up certain luxuries that other people can take. But, yet they give up those things and focus on their one goal. They train for one purpose—to win their event. So, they keep training for years and years.

And then the event arrives. The pressure builds. In that moment, what do the Olympic athletes rely on? Their training, their coach, and their form. They have practiced and practiced. They have trained and built their strength so that when the pressure is on, they know exactly what to do and can do it without even thinking. Their training has become a part of them.

The Christian life is similar to the training of an Olympic athlete, except a Christian isn’t training for a one-time event like the 800m run, the 100m dash, figure skating, or speed skating. Being a Christian isn’t an event; it is a way of life. And the Christian path is filled with trials and temptations. The devil and the world, who influence you and your friends, will want you to do certain things, to “enjoy” sinful things, and to give up all your training for a good time.

In those moments, there is a lot of pressure. When temptation is standing right in front of you, the pressure is on. You can feel it. In moments of temptation, what can you do?

Many times, our strength isn’t as great as the Olympic athlete, and we fall to temptation. In those moments of weakness, what can you do?

Like an Olympic athlete, you have something to rely on in moments of temptation and weakness. You have God’s Word. You already know God’s Word and can learn to know it better. Read again Paul’s words to young Timothy. Paul encourages Timothy to continue in God’s Word! Paul encourages Timothy to not give up his “training” but to continue in reading, studying, and applying God’s Word. Why? God’s Word gives you the power to tell the devil and all the temptations, “No.” God’s Word points you to Jesus and reminds you he’s won the contest for you. God’s Word tells you about forgiveness from all your guilt—yes even your secret guilt—because of what Jesus did.

When temptation’s pressure is on, remember your training. Run to God’s Word.

Dear Lord, help us constantly train in God’s Word, so that by Your grace we may fight the temptation that are all around us.  In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

False teachers

Matthew 7:15-20 (ESV)

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Remember Little Red Riding Hood? On the way to her grandmother’s house, she runs into the Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat her. The wolf goes to her grandmother’s house and tries to trick her by dressing up like her grandma. The wolf tries to get Little Red Riding Hood to come close so that he could eat her. But Little Red Riding Hood knew it wasn’t her grandma because of the wolf’s teeth. She recognized her enemy and escaped.

Jesus warned his disciples about false teachers. He warned them not to follow these teachers because they would be led to destruction and hell. Here, Jesus tells his listeners how to discern between good teachers and false teachers—by their fruit.

In our Christian life, we are going to run into people who talk to us about the Bible but don’t accurately teach what it says. We call these people “false teachers.” They seem harmless and look innocent like sheep. They might be nice people. It is easy to listen to their message because it seems right. They have great youth programs. If a lot of other people follow them, they must be ok. The teachers appear safe, but their teachings are harmful and dangerous.

Why are they so dangerous? Because they don’t point us to the Jesus of the Bible. They point us to a different version of Jesus, a different version of the cross, and a different version of how God wants us to live. They point us to ourselves rather than to Jesus.

Jesus says, “You’ll know a false teacher by looking at their fruit.” Their fruit is what they say about the Bible and about Jesus. We can look at what they teach, what they do, and even their attitudes. It was easy for the Big Bad Wolf to say the right things. But he couldn’t hide his teeth and his bad breath. It’s easy in the church world to say some of the right things, but mix in false things too. False teachers put on a good show and make a good argument but can’t hide their false teachings. We need to watch out for those false teachers.

God’s Word and his Spirit help us. We can watch out for false teachers because we have the Word. With the Word, we can learn to identify truth and lies. The Holy Spirit leads us to the truth. We know the message of the Bible: We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Good teachers will always point to Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.

Dear Lord, keep us safe from false teachers. Help us discern good teachers from bad teachers so that we may be with You forever in heaven. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

What are you sweating?

Mark 14:34 (ESV)

And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.”

I don’t think anybody saw it coming. I don’t think anyone expected to hear that Robin Williams had committed suicide. Robin Williams was a comedian who brought joy and laughter to many people from many generations. And just like that, we discovered that he had an inner darkness and a deep sadness that led him to take his own life.

What’s scary is that his story isn’t so strange. There is a darkness and a deep sadness in many people that lies hidden behind smiles and laughter. What are you sweating?

I’m talking about the trivial things we worry about—making it to a meeting on time, looming deadlines, family crises, broken devices, the news, terrorist threats, the dwindling oil supply, another downturn in the economy, or an endless number of other things.

Maybe it’s more serious than all that. Are you sweating bullets? Maybe it’s an illness in the family, an impending move, a job loss, struggling to pay the bills, even a relationship on the rocks. This is the bigger stuff, the stuff that really affects our lives.

Maybe there is something so heavy on your hearts that you’re sweating blood. You may be so overwhelmed with fear, sadness, and depression that you’re sweating drops of blood, overwhelmed to the point of death.

That’s what Jesus felt when he prayed in Gethsemane. Jesus was sweating blood because of his anguish. That is precisely what he confessed to his disciples. Jesus was so overwhelmed by what he was carrying and by what he was about to do that he turned to his disciples and asked them to pray with him. That’s how heavy this burden was.

But that’s just it. He already carried this burden to give you peace. He did it willingly and gladly to lighten your burden and to wipe the sweat from your brow. He carried your burden to heal you and give you peace. That’s what Isaiah promised he would do: The punishment that brought us peace was upon him and by his wounds we are healed.

Dear Lord, You sweat drops of blood and carried our burden to bring us healing and peace. Give us this hope and this healing when we are sweating all the things that happen in our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

A friend loves

Proverbs 17:17 (ESV)

A friend loves at all times,

    and a brother is born for adversity.

I Always try to be conscious of thanking those that served in the military. I recall one time as I thanked a gentleman for his service, he thanked me politely and then looked down for a few seconds. When he looked up again he said, “I miss the friendships…What I miss most is the friendships.” Then he walked away. I spent the next few minutes thinking about those friendships built between this man and his brothers in arms as they faced all kinds of adversity.

We need a friend who will stick by us during times of stress and trouble. That person becomes more than just a friend, they become a brother…a sister.

Can you picture the disciples sprinting away from Gethsemane in the moments after the soldiers began tying Jesus up? Can you see the desperate glances thrown back over their shoulders? The adversity has hit them hard, but they are certainly not acting like they are Jesus’ brothers.

It’s sad to consider how little adversity it can sometimes take for us to stop being someone’s friend. Maybe there was someone you used to hang out with in grade school, someone who was like a brother or sister to you. Lots of memories from sleepovers or camping trips. Then you got to high school, and other people decided that friend of yours was weird. Nerdy. Someone to be AVOIDED or MOCKED. You saw it happen. You saw the abuse they were taking. Rather than drawing close to them during their trouble, did you run away instead?

Jesus didn’t give up on the disciples as he was led away to the cross that night. He doesn’t give up on us bad friends either. In fact, his entire existence on earth was to prevent our ruin. He refused to leave us, even when it cost him dearly. He continues to stick closer than a friend or brother. Look at yourselves through Jesus’ eyes. You were the perfect candidates to be ignored and avoided. Yet Jesus still seeks a closer relationship with us and never leaves us.

As I think about the people in my life that God has graciously placed around me, I think about sitting on a dorm room bed and talking with some of them about guilt, about family struggles, about worries for the future. I think about them sticking up for me, even when they would have been better off sprinting away, casting desperate glances over their shoulders. I am grateful for friends who are closer to me than brothers and sisters, and I am well aware that I don’t deserve them. I pray that God allows me to be the kind of friend who supports people on the battlefield that is this entire life.

Dear Lord, only You can teach us how to be a truly good friend. Give us the love and courage to support others, even when it will cost us something. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Personal faith-sharer

2 Timothy 3:14 (ESV)

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the pan, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla; stir in the cake flour, pour it into the pan and bake for 75 minutes. I remember mom teaching me this as a kid. I was interested in how to make more than PB&J, so I listened, watched, and learned. To this day I still like to create in the kitchen.

It’s fun when you can continue to do the things you were taught when you were little. It’s fun to build on what you learned from the important people in your life.

My parents taught me a lot of other things too. I did wood working, I planted a garden and learned to do the laundry. I learned habits too—like patience, compassion, and hard work. Most importantly, my parents taught me about Jesus. I say “most importantly” because if they had not shared Jesus with me, who would have?

Maybe you have had some of the same thoughts. Maybe you’ve thought something like this: “If so and so wouldn’t have shared the good about Jesus, would I have ever learned about my God and my Savior?”

The good news is that many of you do know who Jesus is because someone told you about the need for a Savior and Jesus, the solution. Maybe it was a pastor, a teacher, a friend, parents, or another family member. Maybe you’re just starting to hear about Jesus from these devotions. All of that is God’s work in your life, sending faith-sharers to help you know who Jesus is.

So, remember to take the apostle Paul’s words to heart and continue to grow in what you have learned. Keep growing so that you can be that person who shares Jesus with someone else. In the meantime, say “Thank you, God” for bringing me Jesus through my own 2 Timothy 3:14 (ESV)

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease the pan, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla; stir in the cake flour, pour it into the pan and bake for 75 minutes. I remember mom teaching me this as a kid. I was interested in how to make more than PB&J, so I listened, watched, and learned. To this day I still like to create in the kitchen.

It’s fun when you can continue to do the things you were taught when you were little. It’s fun to build on what you learned from the important people in your life.

My parents taught me a lot of other things too. I did wood working, I planted a garden and learned to do the laundry. I learned habits too—like patience, compassion, and hard work. Most importantly, my parents taught me about Jesus. I say “most importantly” because if they had not shared Jesus with me, who would have?

Maybe you have had some of the same thoughts. Maybe you’ve thought something like this: “If so and so wouldn’t have shared the good about Jesus, would I have ever learned about my God and my Savior?”

The good news is that many of you do know who Jesus is because someone told you about the need for a Savior and Jesus, the solution. Maybe it was a pastor, a teacher, a friend, parents, or another family member. Maybe you’re just starting to hear about Jesus from these devotions. All of that is God’s work in your life, sending faith-sharers to help you know who Jesus is.

So, remember to take the apostle Paul’s words to heart and continue to grow in what you have learned. Keep growing so that you can be that person who shares Jesus with someone else. In the meantime, say “Thank you, God” for bringing me Jesus through my own personal faith-sharer.

Dear Lord, thank You for sending people into our life to share the good news about Jesus. Through Your Word and sacrament, we have the greatest treasure ever given. In the Name of Jesus, Amen..

Dear Lord, thank You for sending people into our life to share the good news about Jesus. Through Your Word and sacrament, we have the greatest treasure ever given. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.