I can live in a lot of guilt sometimes.  I should have visited that person, called this one, handled that situation better, or not done it that way.

Being a husband, a parent, grandparent, pastor and law enforcement chaplain, I have many opportunities to "get it wrong".  Sometimes it is hard when someone doesn't like what I did, or didn't do, or how I did or didn't do it.

Enter guilt.  I might not have even been wrong.  I just didn't meet their expectations.  You can be dead right and still be dead. 

But I try to do what is good and right.  Ultimately there is just one Judge.  I need to let Him be my conscience and my guide.  But as a human, it is hard to face criticism.  And it is hard, too, to admit when I am wrong.

Maybe you are feeling what I am feeling.  Much of our guilt is self-inflicted.  Some is shot at us by people we know.  Either way, guilt has a way of pinning us to the mat, not letting us get up, and therefore immobilizing our ability to serve and to touch others.

So what do you do when you face a time when you just don't feel like you have anything to offer people?  You get up, you look in the mirror of God's Word, and you remember who God is, and who you are in Christ.

Paul said in Romans 8:1, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  That is good news.  But Paul went on to say that living in that truth means keeping our minds on the things of God, rather than on the things of the flesh.

Paul's point was that we need to keep Christ first in our lives.  Jesus said that if we seek God's kingdom first, and His righteousness - in other words, living to be righteous - all the things of the flesh that we need to live will be given to us.  Our focus needs to be Jesus first, and godly living second.  There is no third.

Godly living means trusting God for everything.  If we are keeping in step with the Spirit, we will listen for His voice and go where He sends us, doing what He has prepared for us to do.  Therefore there is no condemnation.  You are living for the only One who has the right to condemn you.  And He has chosen not to condemn you, but to give you abundant life in Himself.

Godly living also means sharing what you have with others.  Especially sharing the truth of Christ's Good News.  And remember, whatever you do for God is better than doing nothing.  Listen for His voice in your life, and as Jesus told Peter, "Follow Me."

D.L. Moody was criticized for the way he evangelized.  His response was, "I like the way I do it better than the way you don't do it."

So get up off the mat, brush yourself off, look in God's mirror and remember that He is the only Judge.  Then remember that you are His child.  You are not condemned.  You have value in His kingdom.

So get up and get out there.  "Right" or "Wrong" in people's eyes isn't what is important.  There are men, women and children who need to hear that Jesus loves them, too.  They need to discover their value in God's kingdom.

Only you can reach the ones that God has given you to reach.  So don't be afraid.  Trust in the One who goes before you, preparing your way.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."     - Ephesians 2:10

Start walking!  And see what He will do through you!

​One night a father helped put his kids to bed as usual.  Then he wandered outside to enjoy the quiet.  For some reason he decided to make a sound like a turkey.  To his amazement, one answered him, & it sounded quite close.  For the next few hours, he had a conversation with the turkey.  The next night he didn’t help with the kids.  He went outside, & sure enough, he got the turkey to answer him every time.  The 3rd night, he stayed outside half the night having his conversation with the turkey.
The next morning, his wife was talking to their next door neighbor.  She said, “You won’t believe it, but my husband stopped helping with the kids at night. All he does is goes outside & makes noises like a turkey.”  The neighbor lady said, “Hey!  My husband does the same thing!”
Happy Father’s Day!  I hope your conversations are more meaningful, & that your family comes before the turkey living next door.
 
For most people, when they see a house on fire, their 1st instinct is not to rush into the flames.  If someone is in the house, & it seems possible to get them out, some will risk their lives to save someone else.  Most will wait for the trained professionals to arrive.  Firemen are much more than people who run into burning buildings.  In fact, most of the time they don’t rush in, either.  They know that it is more effective to assess the situation, check the stability of the structure and make a plan of action.
But they still don’t simply rush into the fire.  They wear flame-proof clothing, they cover their bodies, their hands & their faces.  They make sure they have good air to breath, because a fire takes uses up the oxygen.  Then they go carefully in, looking for any people who might still be in the midst of the fire.
We ended last week in a tough spot.  Daniel 3:19-23   Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king's order was urgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.
These were the friends of Daniel, who believed in God so strongly that they chose to stand for Him rather than bow down to the statue of Nebuchadnezzar.  They would give their lives for the King of kings, instead of bowing down to an earthly king who decided that he was a god.
They rushed into the fire to die for their belief in God.
But they didn’t die.  Vs. 24-25    Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
Often people get caught up on the phrase “son of the gods”, because unfortunately there are translations that say, “the Son of God”.  That is not what the text really says, but let’s explore the idea for a moment.  Some believe this was a pre-incarnate appearing of Christ.  IOW, Jesus appearing before his physical birth 600 years later.  Whether you believe this was Jesus or if you believe it was an angel, I won’t disagree.  I am learning to say what many pastors have a really hard time saying: I don’t know.
In fact, I will go so far as to say that it doesn’t ultimately matter.  If a king did something, or made a statement, he would be listened to and honored.  If His messenger did something or made a statement, it would be considered to be just as if the king had been there in person.  So, whether the King or His messenger, an angel, was walking in the furnace with the 3 men, the miracle is the same, the rescue still happens, & the end result is not altered.
The point is, God intervened on behalf of those who were willing to give their lives for Him.  Does He always?  No.  Men, women & children are martyred every day in the name of Jesus.  Did God forsake them?  No.  Because where are they now? Safe with Jesus.  Even if you are called to die for Jesus, He will never leave you & never forsake you.  He will take you to be with Him forever.
4 were walking around the furnace.  I picture them talking, thanking the One who rushed into the fire on their behalf.  They weren’t scorched.  In fact, they didn’t even smell of smoke.  Notice that the ropes of bondage were the only things that burnt away.  That’s what He does for us.  When we face the flames, & there seems to be no way out, He burns away the ropes of bondage.
You may be facing deep sorrow today, overwhelming family struggles, sickness & pain, relationship challenges, financial burdens, depression, or some other fire.  There are times you just don’t feel like trusting Jesus.  It seems easier just to hide.
I think it takes an act of the will sometimes when we are in the pit, when we are bound & facing the flames, to say, “Jesus, I choose to trust You.  There is nothing in me that has the power to face this situation, but I choose to trust YOU.  I CHOOSE to BELIEVE that You are with me, & that you won’t forsake me, You won’t leave me in this place.  Whatever you do, I will trust in You.”
3 men in a hot place trusted God.  They didn’t know for sure that God would deliver them, but they knew that He could.  Vs. 17-18   …our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
God, I don’t know how you will work in this situation.  I simply choose to trust You, & to live for You.       3 men were put into the fire.  4 had fellowship with each other as they walked around together.
Vs. 26-30   Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king's counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set aside the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar saw the power of God.  He realized that God was greater than the king’s commands.  So he made another decree.  No other god could have done this.  So don’t say anything bad about this God, or else.  One wrong word & I’ll have you ripped apart, your house & family destroyed.  I guess that will show honor to their God.  Instead of worship, the king issued threats.
The king also gave a proclamation.  But he stopped short of saying that he chose to live for God. 
Daniel 4:1-3   King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.  3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders!  His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion endures from generation to generation.
It is amazing how the god of Babylon, our enemy, can blind people to their need for a savior.  Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged that there is a God in heaven, that He is the Most High God, that He does great wonders, that His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, & that His dominion, His glory will never fade.
But he didn’t turn to God.  He acknowledged God as being greater than the ones he worshipped, but he stopped short of living for Him.  Sometimes when you share the Good News of Jesus, the one who hears will agree with everything you say, but they will stop short of accepting Christ.  Don’t be discouraged.  Remember that seeds need to be planted & watered before new life is seen.  It may be that God is bringing that one to Himself.  It might be that someone else at a future point leads that one to Jesus.  But it was you planting the seed, & watering what you could not see, that will lead to that new life.
Nebuchadnezzar needed to see the power of God at work.  It wasn’t until he saw God working up close in his own life that real transformation happened.  But that’s a story for next week.
3 young men were the instruments of God’s power.  They were witnesses to God’s goodness.  They experienced physical salvation so those in Babylon would know that there is also spiritual salvation through their God.  They stood up when everyone else bowed down.  & they never backed down, even when it meant being condemned to death.
When you are in the fire, what do people see?  It depends on what you do before you go into the fire.  If you live for you, & you stand for nothing, don’t expect to have victory in the fire.  But if you live for Jesus, & you stand for Him, when you go into the fire, people will see someone who has victory even in the most difficult situation.  They will see you with a peace they could never understand apart from God, because you are still walking with Jesus, & talking with Him, right in the middle of the fire.
If you haven’t been in the fire, & you aren’t in the fire now, just wait.  If you are living for Jesus, at some point your faith will be tested.  When that happens, remember that you are not alone.  There is Someone who ran into the fire to be with you.  Wherever you go, in whatever situation you find yourself, if you look for Him, you will see God right there beside you.
Psalm 139:7-12   Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
He really will be with you wherever you are.  He won’t leave you.  Even when you don’t feel Him with you, He hasn’t forsaken you.  Simply whisper His name.  Invite Him to walk around in the fire with you. Then thank Him for how He is working in your life & in your situation.

This past weekend, we had significant snow.  I'm talking several inches, breaking off lilacs with their buds.  In fact, I think I heard a couple of bushes talking.  One said to its neighbor, "You bloom first.  If I see it's okay, I'll join you."

Everything seems late this spring.  It was a longer, colder and snowier winter than we have had for a while, and spring just doesn't seem to want to stay.

The robins have been here for a while, along with red-winged blackbirds and other migrants, and the hummingbirds, finches and orioles have been seen around the yard.  But the bushes and trees are slow to join them.

New life.  It takes a while.  It's like sharing Christ.  Paul said that one plants, another waters, and a third often brings in the harvest.  Jesus said, "I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.” (John 4:38)

He was talking about bringing people into God's kingdom.  I have often been on the sowing side of things.  Others have led people to the Lord that I have invested in.  Sometimes I have reaped what others have planted and watered.

This week I had the joy of leading 2 people to Jesus.  Have you experienced that joy?  The only way you can, is to open your mouth and speak the name of Jesus.  Tell the people in your world what He has done for you.

​I pray that you will have joy as you share Jesus with someone today!

Four services were cancelled today:  Sunday School, Worship Service, Nursing Home Service and a Pastor's Open House.  We have blizzard conditions outside with snow coming down and wind speeds up to 50 mph, but inside it is warm and dry.  

We are now officially in the snowiest February in recorded history.  There has not been a day over freezing for about 2 months, so we have run out of places to put the white stuff long ago.

There are many references to snow in the Bible.  "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow."  But when you are so tired of seeing nothing but a white-out, you start looking for other analogies.  

"Have you seen the storehouses of the snow?"  At this point, I am tempted to answer, "Yes!"  Add to that the below zero forecast for this week with wind chills in the teens below, and you get the picture of our last week in February.

It doesn't seem real that spring will be here in a couple of weeks.  The crocuses will appear first through the snow, followed by other brave flowers.  The geese have starting coming back, but if they are smart, they will wait.  

And yet, as I said, we are warm and dry.  God has protected us once again as we drove to and from church this morning.  He has provided a house where we can be out of the wind and snow.  We have food and water.  We are not in need in any way.

That is how God works in our spiritual lives, too.  When the snow comes and the wind howls, and the storms overwhelm us, He is still there.  He reminds us that He is our shelter, and He always will be.  We can trust Him to care for us no matter what we are facing.  And that reality is greater than any storm!

Last week Clemson became the 1st modern era college team to go undefeated as they won the national title.  After the game, coach Dabo Swinney was interviewed:  Swinney had been asked by ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi, “Dabo, there are few coaches in any sport who show more joy than you do. How do you describe the joy of the moment?”  “Well that’s been my word all year, and I tried to be intentional with that, for me personally, joy comes from focusing on Jesus, others and yourself,” Swinney answered.

Dabo Swinney gets it.  It was easy to be happy in that moment, having blown out the number 1 team in the country.  But he wasn't just happy, he had joy.

Joy is not happiness.  God doesn’t tell us to dance our happy dance in the middle of hardship.  He tells us to endure patiently with joy. 

Paul said in Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Rejoice in the Lord always.  Is that even possible?  To answer that, we need to know what joy really is.  Joy is not happiness.  Joy isn’t walking around with a silly grin.  Joy doesn’t mean living in denial when your world is crashing down around you.

Joy is deeper.  It is an awareness that you are not alone, that even when everything seems against you, it isn’t the world against only you.  It is Jesus taking on your world. 

Paul said it best in Romans 8:35-39:  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That is joy.  Joy is experiencing, deep in your soul, the absolute fact that Jesus will never leave you or forsake you.  He knows what it is like to be all alone.  When the Father turned His back to Jesus on the cross, Jesus experienced the hell of being separated from His father.  He has promised that we will never face what He did.  We will never be alone again.

Joy is living in the knowledge of the presence of God.  Even when you can’t see Him, or feel Him in your circumstances, joy is knowing that He is there.  He is always there.

Joy is something that God gives.  It can’t be manufactured by you.  It comes with the presence of God. Joy is a promise for those who believe in Jesus, and who trust Him with their lives.  Do you have joy?

If you are reading this expecting a nice, happy post about the beautiful colors and bright, shining glory of Christmas lights, you will be very disappointed.  What I want to do is lodge a complaint.

i tried to put up our outside lights today.  Yesterday I took out about a dozen bags of lights, some of them with several strings connected together.  Every one had some lights out.  Most of them had whole sections that would not light.  Many of these lights were purchased last year.  I tried to string the lights on bushes using extra strings and stuffing the dead parts into the middle of the bushes.  Finally, I took all the lights down and threw them away.  It just wasn't going to work.

Now before you decide to make a suggestion or sell me a great new light set, let me just say that I'm not interested.  I just want to complain for a while.  I don't understand why the workmanship is so cheap.  And it feels good to complain for a bit.

Isn't that what we do?  Instead of improving our lives, many times we just complain.  Don't tell me how to make it better, just listen to my whining.  Because when I'm complaining and people are listening, I'm the center of attention.  And after all, that is what I really want.

But what about Jesus?  You see, when I am the center, he is not.  So maybe I should just stop complaining and trust Him.  After all, Christmas lights, and my ability of lack of ability to put them up really doesn't matter.  They just come down in January anyway.  And lights are not "the reason for the season".  Jesus is.

I'm sorry, Lord, that I made myself the center.  You are the True Center.  Let me live in that truth, and let me always place you first in my life.  Then I will never miss the best that Christmas has to offer:  YOU!

Many years ago there was a boy who had never seen a circus.  One day fliers showed up in town announcing that a huge circus would arrive in town the next Saturday.  The boy ran home and begged his father to let him go.  They were a very poor family, but the father could tell how much it meant to his son.  So he told the boy that if he got his chores done early, he would have the money to go.

Saturday came, and the chores were done.  The boy excitedly went to his father, who gave him a whole dollar to spend at the circus.  The boy had never seen that much money before.  He thanked his father and ran to town.

As he was nearing Main Street, he could hear music.  When he arrived, he couldn't believe his eyes and ears.  A marching band was coming down the street, followed by ladies standing up on horses.  Next came the acrobats doing amazing tricks, followed by cages of lions and tigers.  There were clowns juggling and playing pranks, and elephants walking in single file, one's trunk holding the tail in front of him.  Next came a huge kaleidoscope pulled by two white horses.  The music boomed from it as bright lights flashed on and off.

The boy stood open-mouthed at all of the wonders he saw pass by.  Finally, when the entire circus has passed before his eyes, a man came with a wheelbarrow, a broom and a shovel to clean the street.  They boy walked silently up to this man, handed him the dollar, and went home.

When his father asked him why he was home so quickly, the boy told him about all he had seen.  The father asked how big the tent was, where he sat, and what he had to eat.  The boy said there was no tent.  There was no food.  He just stood on the sidewalk.

His father said, "Oh, son.  You didn't see the circus.  All you saw was the parade.  That isn't the real thing.  All you saw was the advertisement."

Many of us go to church each week thinking that is the real thing.  We give our money to see the show.  But church is simply the advertisement.  It's were we go to learn ABOUT what is real.  Church is a great thing, but it won't save you.  Only Jesus can do that.

Church is like the parade.  You can see the real thing there, but to fully experience what the Truth, you need to go further.  You need to go beyond watching Christianity go by.  You need to follow Jesus.  The good news is that He is waiting for you go come to Him.  And He's already paid the price.

​The apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 1:21 :   For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.      

Paul was ready to die because his life was all about Jesus.  The evidence of grace in his life was undeniable.

What about you and me?  Ask yourself, “ If I knew I was going to die at midnight, what would I do today?”  I know the answer.  You would do what I would do.  You would suddenly become very spiritual.  You would call people, see people and pray for people.

I have good news & bad news.  Actually, it is the same news.  We could all die at midnight.  So, what should we do today?  I don’t mean we need to live in a panic, or spend every minute in a super-spiritual frenzy.  (Who could live that way?)  But we need to take every opportunity that the Holy Spirit gives to us.  We need to make it personal.

Someone wrote that if you want a deeper commitment, and you want to make a greater impact, have a wider influence and leave a lasting mark, you need to make it personal.

“Think about it this way:  Things changed when Jesus called Zacchaeus by name; addressed the Samaritan woman’s past; spent time in Mary and Martha’s home; invited each individual disciple to follow Him; intercepted Saul on the road to Damascus.

Jesus made a difference, because Jesus made it personal.”     (Unknown Source)

Let’s make it personal.  Let’s share Jesus with someone who needs to know Him.  Grace is a free gift, but it isn’t just for some.  Grace isn’t just for the elite, the rich & the powerful.  In fact, Jesus came to earth in a humble way.  He was born in a stable.  He grew up in a poor family in a despised village.  He invited fishermen, tax collectors, common men and women to follow Him.
He still calls common men and women. 

​Grace is for everyone who will receive it.  Jesus came to earth, died and rose again for every man and every woman.  He offers forgiveness to all.  You just need to accept it as a gift, and to live for Him.  Grace is the gift of God in our lives, given to us to share with others.  Who do you know who needs to know Jesus?  Share God’s grace with them.  Make it personal.  Someone’s eternity depends on it.

I don't know what it is about HOME that feels so good.  I hope your home is a relaxing place where you can just be yourself.  Maybe that is what makes it so good.  You don't have to pretend, or to be any certain way for anybody.  You can just be yourself, in your old fuzzy slippers and worn robe.  And nobody cares how you dress or act (except your wife, but she has gotten used to you!)  You can fall asleep to a movie or dance in your living room.  It is YOUR home.  You can just be you, with the one(s) who love you.

That is what makes Jesus' words in John 14 so remarkable.  He said that He was going to prepare a place for us in His Father's house.  He used the image of a groom preparing for his bride to let us know that when we die knowing Him, we are going home!

We will be "at home with the Lord".  Paul wrote, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  He knew that he was going home.

If you are living for Jesus, some day you will be going home.  Ah!  To be home, where you can just be yourself, right where you belong.  And the best part will be being with the One who loves you more than anyone on earth ever could.  

Picture the best part of being at home.  Add the image of being in the one place you most belong.  Now remember that Jesus has been preparing a place FOR YOU for about 2000 years.  It only took 6 days to create the universe and everything in it.  But now he is preparing a place FOR YOU.  Specially designed to be a perfect fit.  It is the place you belong the most.

So tell me, are you going home?  Do you know Jesus?  Would you like to know more about Jesus and heaven?  Go to the home page and click the big "Find Answers To Life's Hard Questions" button to learn more.  Then if you are willing, I would love to share with you some more about living for Jesus.  May God bless you and your journey!

Church was cancelled this morning because we are under a blizzard warning.  As I write this, the snow is coming down and the wind is blowing.  It is the first real blizzard I remember being in.  It has been a crazy Sprinter, as one person has called it.  Every time it looks like spring is here, winter comes back.  

It is just one more reminder to trust God in everything.  I pray that you are safe, and that you too will trust God for everything.  The Bible tells us that He knows the beginning from the end, and that His ways are above our ways.

In our human-ness, we would have said that being in church this morning was the greatest good we could do.  But in God's truth, there is a higher good.  That is to love Him, trust Him and live in His presence, whether we meet together at church or stay home one Sunday to marvel at the amazing power that He exhibits in the wind and the snow.

Happy Tax Day Blizzard!  May we trust God in all the seasons of our lives, and may He remind us that He brings new life not only in spring, but in our hearts all year long!