Max Lucado is helping me!

I have been reading Max Lucado's "Facing Your Giants"at the recommendation of a good friend. On pages 74-75 he is discussing David and his men at the Brook Besor. At one very discouraging point when almost everyone has turned against him, David turns to the Lord for help. As Max expounds:

"'But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.' (1 Samuel 30:6) How essential that we learn to do the same. Support systems don't always support. Friends aren't always friendly. Pastors can wander off base and churches get out of touch.When no one can help, we have to do what David does here. He turns toward God."

This is a great encouragement and reminder for us all. Thanks, Max! (Great book, by the way, I highly recommend it.)

Our Congregation’s Mission – Building Committed Followers of Jesus Christ

Whatever the season, we each must be about God’s business each day if we are going to fulfill our mission as a congregation. God will use you do help accomplish our mission in the course of your everyday life.

Every follower of Jesus is in full-time ministry – not just pastors. God wants to use you each day, wherever you are, whether working or retired, married or not, rich or poor.

If you have been reluctant to let God fill you and use you to make a difference in someone else’s life, let me strongly encourage you to do so today. “How do I do that?” you ask.

A simple prayer is the first step. There are no magic words. The prayer just needs these simple elements:

1. Just ask God to use you.

2. Ask Him to make clear to you who He wants you to impact.

3. Ask Him to make clear what you are to do for Him.

4. Thank Him in advance for what He will do through you.

Then, like the Nike commercial says… JUST DO IT!

Often, God will give you something very simple to do. It may be a phone call or a hug, stopping to talk with someone and really listen, praying with someone on the spot (yes, even if you are really nervous or in public!), or helping a person with a simple need.

Whatever you do, when they ask why you are being so nice or considerate, just tell them God loves them (and you) and that He sent you to them to prove it. After they ask if you are kidding and you assure them that you are not, tell them in your own words why Jesus is important to you and what a difference He makes in your life.

It doesn’t take fancy words or a good argument, just be genuine with them. Think about it first. Practice what you would tell someone if they asked why you are a Christian.

Keep the focus on what God has done for you, not on what you do for Him. Then expect God to show up and do something only He can do through your life. I know you won’t be disappointed.

After you have told them about the difference God has made in your life, invite them to learn more about Him by coming with you to one of our special events or worship services. You can also ask if they would like me to visit them to answer their questions about God or our church. I would be happy to do that.

May God give you the boldness to ask to be used by Him, the peace and confidence to know the directions He is giving you, the strength to obey what He tells you to do, the wisdom to speak to the person to whom He has led you, and the joy of His Son Jesus as you experience the power of God working through you.

Our Mission – Building Committed Followers of Jesus Christ (Part One)

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1 (NLT)

As we approach the craziness of summer time in Southern California, it is fitting to remind ourselves of our mission as a congregation. During the summer it is easy to become distracted while focusing on vacations and other projects. Yet our work as God’s people goes on from season to season and we are accountable to God for it.

The above verse from Romans reminds us that we are called by God to a high standard. Thankfully, by His grace, God provides the desire, strength, and resources (His Word and Holy Spirit) to work toward this standard and to help others do the same. Because of His mercy, in Jesus He even provides forgiveness when we fall short.

Our mission as a congregation is to introduce these truths to others and to be available to God to be used by Him to equip others to become fully committed followers of Jesus. While there are many noble endeavors, there is no greater or more fulfilling calling in this life.

It is important that we keep this mission ever present in our prayers, our thinking, our planning, and our actions. We will only be successful at accomplishing it when we combine God’s grace and provision with our intentionality and hard work. Over the summer we need to remain diligent about our mission and seeking God’s wisdom, guidance, and provision for finding new ways to fulfill it.

“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

This verse from Ephesians helps us to remember that this is God’s work from start to finish, in us and in others. I am amazed by this truth. The Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe is willing to use us to impact the lives of others! Can you believe it? We cannot boast about anything, only in what God is doing through us as we make ourselves available to Him.

Lent Is Not the Stuff that Clings to Your Clothes in the Dryer

“If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from every wrong.” 1 John 1:8-9

While many of us will readily admit we are “sinners”, few of us will ask God to search our hearts as King David at the end of Psalm 139. It is one thing to admit that we sin, after all – everyone does! It is far more intimidating, however, to ask God to search the nooks and crannies of our hearts for the sin that we like to forget about, or worse, the sin to which we’ve grown callous and deaf.

Bringing up these things will almost certainly be embarrassing and probably painful. At a minimum, if God reveals them to us, we must respond. Either we reject God, argue with Him about His definition of sin, or we allow His Holy Spirit to convict us and repent.

Ouch! There is that word so few of us like – repent. Oh, it’s fine when we are pointing out someone else’s sin and calling them to turn back to God. But for the average Christian it is a word that is used as little as possible – like healthy food at a buffet. Sure, we can put a couple of green beans or a little salad on our plate to help us feel better about all the calories we are carelessly consuming. But in the end, they have little positive effect on our bodies and they do little to relieve our guilt for overeating.

The first verse above indicates that refusing to acknowledge the truth about our sin is foolish. A Christ-follower that does not regularly come before the throne of God and ask to have her dirty laundry aired by a just and holy God is robbing herself of both the power of God and the joy that comes from being in His presence. Verse nine reminds us that when we confess our sins to Him, He will forgive us.

By the way, this kind of confession is not the “Okay you caught me! I’m sorry,” we get from children when they are only sorry they got caught, not because they disappointed you by breaking a rule. This kind of confession goes hand in hand with genuine repentance. That is realizing you have missed the mark of God’s perfect standard for your life, and that you don’t want to repeat that mistake ever again. It means humbly asking God’s mercy and forgiveness, and asking for His power to avoid the same mistake in the future.

This is why the season of Lent is so important. We are preparing our hearts to remember and receive with gladness the eternal life our Savior won for us by dying for our sins and conquering death and the grave as He rose from the dead on Easter morning. For a Christ-follower, Easter should be a cause of great joy and celebration.

However, when we do not acknowledge all of our sin and ask God’s forgiveness, we are robbing ourselves of the true joy and transformative power of Easter. Don’t let this happen to you! Spend time this Lent alone with God everyday. Ask Him to take away your fear of having your sin revealed so that you can confess it and experience the true joy of His forgiveness.

Knowing that we are forgiven also removes any unholy fear we have of being in God’s presence and it helps us look forward with greater expectation to living forever with God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ. What extraordinary joy will be ours!

A Reflection on Ash Wednesday and Lent

Fat Tuesday is past. The feasting and the dancing are now done. The time for celebration has past and the time for reflection has come. No longer surrounded by the reveling throngs and cheering crowds, I now sit alone. The darkness around me has changed and is now cold, unattractive. I now begin to see it for what it is – empty, meaningless, and without hope.

Why was I so consumed with it? How could I have been so deceived by the darkness? Why didn’t I realize I was blind and could not see? Where has the light gone? How long will the darkness remain, trying to entice me with its empty promises and surrounding me in hopelessness?

As I wait on God, seeking His light once again, my former attraction to the darkness is now interrupted. The warm light of Christ envelopes me with love and hope. Now I only remember the darkness to bask in this light, so that the light will be clearer and more distinct in my mind and my life.

Now I do not embrace the darkness, nor do I fear it. I allow it only to remind me of the glory of the light and my desperate need for it. The power of the light is now stronger for me than the power of the darkness. The light is more attractive to me once again. Balance is restored. I am at peace.

Things have changed in me. Now I yearn for the light. There is an unquenchable hunger and thirst for the things of God and His presence. Yes, to just bask in the warm soft glow of God, consumed by His glory, that is where I want to linger. Drinking deeply from the infinite well of His love, soaked to my core by the unending waterfall of His joy, and floating carelessly on the calm pool of His peace I rest.

My Savior was raised to new life, and because of Him, so have I. The glory and joy of Easter are now my daily experience, not simply an event once each year. My desire for the light of Christ in my life is now unchallenged. The things of the darkness which I sought in my deception are now pale and insignificant to me. The purpose of Lent is now realized.

Starting Over

Starting Over

Even though January 1 is really simply another day like any other, the change from one year to the next is a milestone in our lives. It gives us an opportunity to start over. Typically, starting over takes the form of setting New Year’s resolutions and goals. We resolve to reach a goal at some point in the year ahead of us.

For many of us, these goals are very similar to the goals of last year because we failed to achieve them, so we decide to start over. One of the main reasons we are less than successful in our “do-overs” is that we do not sufficiently seek or utilize God’s wisdom and power to help us achieve our goal. Here’s how:

1. We must first seek and apply God’s wisdom in setting our goals and then developing the action plan to reach them. James 1:5-8 says, “If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. People like that should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. They can't make up their minds. They waver back and forth in everything they do.”

2. Secondly, we must ask for and then apply God’s strength to accomplish the things He tells us to do in order to accomplish the goal we have set with His wisdom. In his letter to the Christ followers in Philippi, Paul gives us an example of doing this. “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” Philippians 4:12-13.

3. We often need resources to help us achieve our goals. After we have sought God’s wisdom in setting our goal and the plan to reach it, and after we have asked for God’s power to implement the plan, we may also need to ask God to provide what we need. Later in that same letter to the Philippians, Paul thanks them for helping to supply his needs and encourages them by telling them, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19.

Be careful not to fall into the trap of setting your own goals and then asking God to bless them. If you have not consulted God before you set them or have not been remaining faithful to Him, it is presumptuous to ask His blessing. Again, this is an area where James gives us some good advice:

“Look here, you people who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.” James 4:13-16.

If you charged ahead of God and have already made some resolutions or set some goals, bring them humbly before Him and ask if He agrees with them, and give Him the permission to change them if He sees fit. Then ask His help to remain faithful to Him in worship, serving, prayer, and studying His Word. Remember “But don’t just to listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” James 1:22. May God bless you as you work to accomplish His goals for you.

Your fellow traveler following Christ,

Pastor Tim

Being the Family of God

“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. You love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35

The approach of the holidays often brings mixed feelings for many people. There is the joy of the celebrations, the worship of our new born King, and the expectation of a new year. These positive emotions are sometimes overwhelmed by other feelings, however.

The stress of planning and preparing for parties, battling crowds, and purchasing gifts can diminish the feelings of joy we experience. For some people, though, there is an even more powerful source of stress – our family. The first holidays after a loved one has died can bring up new feelings of grief and sorrow.

Then, for a variety of reasons, there are some family members we’d rather not have to deal with each holiday season. These are the people we secretly hope will decide not to visit us this year. Occasionally, our feelings about them are so strong we don’t even invite them to join us any longer.

Whether its grief or broken relationships, these powerful feelings can rob us of the joy we could be experiencing during the holidays. They draw our attention away from the real reason for the season, Jesus Christ. When our focus wanders from our Savior, we can easily become consumed by our negative emotions and become depressed or hopeless.

This is both ironic and tragic, since Christmas in particular is intended to remind us of the hope we have because Jesus came to earth to save us from our sins, to bring us back into God’s family, and to provide us the ability to fulfill the command He gave us above through the Holy Spirit.

As God’s family, our love for one another should be the hallmark of our faith. It should be a source of comfort and encouragement when our earthly families disappoint us. Unfortunately, personality differences, misunderstandings, and conflicts can get in the way of our loving one another in the manner which Christ commands. This is why our Lord emphasizes the need to be loving and forgiving.

In Matthew 6:14-15 Jesus says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” In Luke 6:37-38 Jesus expands on this idea, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together and to make room for more, running over, pouring into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

When we as members of God’s family practice these things in the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit, we can fulfill Christ’s command to love one another as He has loved us. Though our earthly families may make the holidays more challenging, we should be able to turn to God’s family and receive the unconditional love and acceptance which God gives us to share generously with one another.

Let us resolve to love one another in God’s family with the love of Jesus our Savior and Lord, and may we pray for ourselves and each other that God will give us the desire, strength, and grace to do so for His glory, and so that others will see His love in us and come to faith in Him!

Thankfulness as a Lifestyle

Thankfulness as a Lifestyle

“Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews13:15-16

This is the month when our thoughts become preoccupied with the holidays. There are so many things to do. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, the next two months will be filled with traveling, parties, shopping, and other commitments that are far beyond the normal routine for many of us. At this time of year, “doing” can easily consume “being.”

As we DO the things necessary to prepare for Thanksgiving Day, we are told to BE thankful. Have you ever found this to be a challenge? I have! Sometimes when the actual day comes, I AM thankful… thankful it’s over! Until I realize that there are only so many “shopping days” left until Christmas.

Slightly beyond normal fatigue gives way to exhaustion just at the thought… more parties, more shopping, more preparations. And yet, I am confronted with God’s Word which in so many places and ways tells me to “BE”.

Psalm 46:10 says “BE still, and know that I am God!” In Philippians 4:4 we are told, “Always BE full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice!” And in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Paul tells us “Always BE joyful. Never stop praying. BE thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Clearly, BEING is as important as DOING is to God.

We can maintain a thankful heart attitude in the midst of the busy-ness by focusing on God and others. The quote above from the book of Hebrews helps us keep this focus. Take time to think about the reasons we have to BE thankful, by starting with what God has done for us in Christ. Let that draw your spirit into praise of God and proclaim again your allegiance to Him.

And then… do good to others and share with those in need. Remember, this is not only sharing material things, but your time, a listening ear, praying for others, and most importantly, sharing with them the Good News of Jesus. We can learn to BE content in life and fully satisfied with the many blessings God has given us when we make the kinds of sacrifices in life that truly please God.

BEING so in love with God that His heart for others becomes yours is the best antidote to the stress of the upcoming holidays. Don’t forget the derivation of that word is from “Holy Days.” May all your days BE Holy Days, filled with God’s love and compassion, directed by His Spirit, and overflowing with thanksgiving and praises to Him.

October 2009 - Putting Feet to Our Faith

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16

The Apostle Paul wrote this nearly 2,000 years ago to encourage his young protégé Timothy. Do you really believe this applies to you, too? Try reading the verse again, only replace the word sinners with your name. Ask the Holy Spirit to cause this passage to open your mind and your heart to the truth of this Scripture. Go ahead, read it several more times using your own name until it resonates deep within your soul.

Hopefully, these verses convict us of two things. First, that we are sinners by nature, and that we would be condemned by God apart from Christ. We should be dead because of our sin, our rebellion against God and our constant desire to have our own way in life.

Second, however, it should reaffirm for us that in God’s wonderful grace and mercy He has redeemed us through His Son Jesus’ death and resurrection. In response to this extraordinary act of mercy from God, we should be stepping out and telling others about the amazing thing God has done for us. He has saved us from certain death and eternal punishment for our sin!

This unbelievable free gift is something to be celebrated and shared with others! Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887) put it this way, “If you want your neighbor to know what Christ will do for him, let the neighbor see what Christ has done for you.”

Have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and talked to someone about your faith, telling them about our church or about Jesus and they immediately shut you down? “I have my own belief,” they say, or something like that.

A great preacher, Oswald Chambers (1874–1917) once said, “We preach to men as if they were conscious they were dying sinners, they are not; they are having a good time.” He was speaking at the turn of the last century. It is amazing how little people have changed in 100 years!

People do not know there are eternal consequences for their choices unless they are told. They also will not know there is a Savior, one who offers forgiveness and mercy, unless they are told.

Whose job is it to tell them, to warn them of the coming time of judgment? It is ours! Those of us who know we are sinful and have accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness and profess faith in Christ as our Savior and Lord. It is our job, yours and mine.

You may think this is too difficult or that you are not equipped for the task. Oswald Chambers reminds us, ”People say that it is so hard to bring Jesus Christ and present Him before the lives of men today. Of course it is, it is so hard that it is impossible except by the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost.”

Stop and pray right now. Ask God to fill you with His Spirit and to give you His heart for those who have not accepted God’s free gift of forgiveness through Christ. Ask Him to give you the words you need to communicate His love and the hope you have in Jesus with someone who needs to hear that message today. Will you? Are you willing to be God’s example like the Apostle Paul was? It will change your life for the better! Try it today! Put feet to your faith!

Your fellow traveler following Christ,

Pastor Tim

September 2009 Church Newsletter Article

Back to School

Perhaps you are like me; there are some things which never cease to amaze me. Sometimes I will hear well-meaning people say, “I want my kids to make their own decision about God, I don’t want to influence them to my faith. They should choose for themselves.”

There is no greater music to the Devil’s ears! This kind of statement is the equivalent of saying to the Devil, “My children are yours to do with as you please. I don’t care if I see them again in heaven.” This statement may sound harsh, but it is the spiritual reality affecting the lives of our kids each day.

Those of us with young children and grandchildren work hard to get them prepared and ready for school, and often closely monitor their learning. But do we approach their spiritual instruction with the same diligence and devotion? Like getting them ready for school, helping our kids grow in the things of God each day takes planning and work and intentionality.

Through Moses, God puts it this way:“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord you God with your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:4-7

Like children, we all can become distracted by the many demands and pleasures of life. While many of these demands and pleasures seem good and worthwhile at the time, their importance is greatly diminished in the light of eternity.

How well manicured we kept our lawn, the kinds of cars and recreational equipment we acquired, the status we attained at work, etc. will only affect our eternity to the extent that they kept us from paying attention to the things that really matter, and the things for which God holds us accountable.

It is not only our responsibility to learn, but also to teach our children and grandchildren about God, about Jesus and His life, death, and resurrection for our sins, and to encourage them to make their lives a witness for Him.

If we try to delegate this responsibility to others, or neglect it altogether, we are being disobedient to God. He holds us accountable for the spiritual instruction of our children. Spiritual instruction is not the work of the church alone. It must start and be reinforced in the home.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and the church to train us, thankfully, God gives us the resources and ability we need to do this. Through Christ, God’s forgiveness is available for the ways we fallen short in this area in the past.

Pray and ask for God’s wisdom and strength to be a part of instructing your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in Him. God is faithful and will supply your needs in this and all aspects of your life.

Your fellow traveler following Christ,

Pastor Tim

August 2009 Church Newsletter Article

Preparation

Summer is flying by at a rapid clip and for many of us our thoughts are turning to fall. In Oceanside, school begins at the end of this month. For others, scheduling trips or planning to host friends and relatives for the upcoming holidays is just beginning. Whether it is school, holidays, or just the change in routines, the end of summer is usually a season of preparation.

The busy-ness of life can be all-consuming. All too often we find ourselves putting more thought into and spending more of our time preparing for the temporal events of this life and less and less time preparing our hearts and minds for eternity with God in Heaven.

When determining priorities, common sense indicates we should spend the most time on the things that will have the greatest and most lasting impact. Yet, for many of us, we “major in the minors” of life. We devote extraordinary amounts of time and energy to things that will have little or no impact from an eternal perspective.

What kind of car we drove, how big of a house we owned, what title we earned at work, the salary level we attained, and the influential people we knew will have no impact on whether or not we spend eternity with God in Heaven.

Therefore, it is important in this season of preparation to re-examine our priorities and to ask God’s help in re-setting our agenda to be more focused on the things that will draw us closer to Him and help us to bear “fruit that will last” for His Kingdom (John 15:1-8, 16). Jesus was concerned about our eternal life much more than our temporal life here on earth.

Later in John 17 Jesus is praying to the Father about His followers, “And this is the way to have eternal life – to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth… Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me” (John 17:3, 7-8).

We can only “accept” God’s message to us by hearing it, reading it, and studying it in His Word, the Bible. In writing to his protégé Timothy, the Apostle Paul reminds him that, “All Scripture [the Bible] is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

By spending more time in His Word and growing to know it better and better, God actually helps us re-orient our priorities and prepares us for eternal life, as well as aiding us through this life on earth. As this summer begins to draw to a close, thank God for sending Jesus to save us from our sins and to make it possible for us to inherit eternal life with Him in Heaven.

After Jesus rose from the dead and returned to Heaven, God sent His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) to live permanently in us. It is God’s Spirit that equips us to understand and apply God’s Word to our lives. We do not “go it alone”, but God goes with us, every hour, every day, helping us to make decisions and do the things that will prepare us for an incredible, jaw-dropping, glorious eternity with Him in Heaven.

I want to be prepared for that day, my first day in Heaven. With God’s help and through His grace I will be prepared, and you can be, too. Jesus died and rose again to prepare the way for us, won’t you spend some time preparing to be with Him there?

Pull the plug on Atheism

A rose by any other name...

People often ask me how do you know God is speaking to you. They are generally surprised when I tell them that God generally speaks to me through a still small voice in my thoughts, rather than a booming voice penetrating through parting clouds. It reminds me of the story of Elijah when he was hiding in a cave on a desert mountaintop. He was running away from Queen Jezebel who wanted him killed.

What has always been curious to me about his story was that his flight from Jezebel was right after his defeat of her prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. It was an amazing encounter in which God's power was manifest through Elijah's amazing boldness and God's fire falling from heaven. One would think Elijah would be fearless. His God proved faithful once again, and in such a demonstrative way. Merely a few days later, Elijah is in a cave cowering in fear because of a threat from one person.

God causes a great wind that draws Elijah to the front of the cave, but God was not in the wind. Then there was a great earthquake shaking the mountain, but God was not in the earthquake. Next the mountain was engulfed in fire, but God was not in the fire, either. Confused, Elijah wonders why God has not appeared in power as he had before. Instead, God follows the fire with a gentle and quiet breeze. It was in this soft way that God spoke to Elijah. He wanted Elijah's undivided attention.

So it is with us. God wants us to listen, in the same way we tell our children to take their eyes and ears off of the television when we are speaking to them. We want to know they are really listening, and that they really want to hear from us. As the perfect parent, God wants the same from us.

As I was picking out flowers for my wife for Mother's Day, the florist provided me several options. In spite of the beautiful choices in front of me, a voice confirmed later to be the Holy Spirit told me the one to choose - a bouquet of red roses, nothing less would do. There were more colorful bouquets, but I just knew they would not be sufficient. I chose the rose.

Not knowing my choice, over lunch my wife was already lamenting that again she would probably be disappointed because I would forget her favorite flower - a red rose. Even one or two would make her happy she said. She had even been crying out to God asking Him why she had been disappointed in the past. I just smiled knowing the Holy Spirit not only heard her prayer but that He communicated it to me as a still small voice of a persistent thought in the middle of a florist shop.

When we arrived home and my wife saw the beautiful bouquet of a dozen red roses you would have thought she just won the lottery. That is how God often answers our prayers - bigger and better than we can ever imagine. He loves to bless us. He loves when we take the time to cry out to Him with the desires of our heart. He especially loves when we take the time to listen to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit in our mind that God uses to guide and direct us moment by moment so that we can be used by Him.

I often wonder how many blessings go unspoken and are never received because we are so busy we ignore or don't even hear the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit calling out to us. Will God speak to you about a choice of flowers? Absolutely! Why wouldn't He? And if He will guide you to be a blessing in such small things, will He not use you in much greater ways if you will but listen and obey? The answer again is absolutely He will.

Ask God to tune your physical, mental, and spiritual ears to hear His voice however it appears. When you hear it, obey! Then thank Him for speaking to you and helping you obey. Then be sure to thank Him for His wonderful grace through His Son Jesus Christ that makes all of this possible with His gentle but unbelievably powerful Holy Spirit.

Sermons Now Available!

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And so it begins...

With the encouragement of a dear friend and a life-long love of writing, I begin my journey into the blogosphere. I dive in head first, without the aid of breathing apparatus or swim fins. It is here that I will pour out my musings about life and ministry and the events of the day. I begin with this simple but continual prayer that God will grant me wisdom as I write and speak, and that what I compose and publish here will be to His glory alone. In His infinite mercy and grace may He grant me the blessing that my words will be used to bring the truth of Jesus Christ, His light and love, and His wonderful Good News into someone's life in a meaningful and life-changing way.