Give me a break, PLEASE!

38And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,8:38 Greek nor rulers. neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39

I am so glad that God loves me and THAT will never changed.  He looks past my flaws and looks past my sins. 

I wish people could get past the differences, the flaws we have, and still love each other.  We can be so critical of each other and NOW we have social media to air all our flaws, weaknesses, and mistakes. I am greatly saddened by how we treat each other. It is a game we play to point out errors in someone else's lives. Yes, it may be something as simple as pointing out a misspelled word. Yesterday I had an "autocorrect" mistake in a text I sent. I was just waiting for the barrage of corrections. Later last evening, I reposted a pos on Facebook from one of my friends in support of Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. The post had labeled Judge Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court Justice. A good friend had to post the error. The point of my post was lost. Yep, I should have been more critical what I reposted, it wasn't accurate. Forgive me.

I am glad the Lord loves me just the way I am. He does not spend his time criticizing what I do. He doesn't dwell on my weaknesses, my sins, and all the little flaws. I have plenty of them.  We need to do the same with others. It doesn't matter if they are big, small, or in-between. Let's give people a break. Let's concentrate on building people up, just like the Lord loves and supports his children.

I have seen it!

19 Remember the great terrors the Lord your God sent against them. You saw it all with your own eyes! And remember the miraculous signs and wonders, and the strong hand and powerful arm with which he brought you out of Egypt. The Lord your God will use this same power against all the people you fear.
Deuteronomy 7:19

God is amazing! He has brought me through the muck and the mire of 58 years of life with Joy and Love. I can look back and see his powerful hand and rejoice in what he has done in my life. I have seen him heal physically impossible situations. I have seen him deliver my family out of financial ruin. I have seen him heal relationships with friends and family. Forget all the great examples in the Bible. (I don't really mean forget them). I have examples in my life, today, right here, and right now, that match the wonderful miracles written in the word of God. He has used his power in my life. Yes, I rely on those miracles. I anxiously await those miracles and his power to be revealed. I HAVE SEEN IT WITH MY OWN EYES and I am confident I will see it again. 

Dear Lord, I love you so much and can not say enough how awed I am about your love for me. I am so amazed at your work in my life. I am so amazed the path my life has taken and I know YOU have been the reason I have skirted calamity. You are the reason for the joy in my life. You are the reason I have an amazing family and YOU are the reason I can look forward to eternity in Heaven. I praise you for all things. I praise you for my life and I dedicate my life to sharing your message and all you have done for this hopeless sinner! Amen!

It's ALL God!

1 After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. John 17:1

God is amazing. He created the universe, life on this planet and everywhere. He put the sun in the sky, he placed the breath in my lungs. How can we NOT glorify him!  But, here we are, in the middle of the vastness of  the Universe, taking credit for everything and not giving GLORY to GOD.

Jesus knew to give his Father all the glory. He did it often. He didn't wait for the exceptional great times and he didn't wait until he was in the bottomless pit. He gave GOD all the glory ALL the time. It is amazing to me that even Christians do NOT give God ALL the glory. our society is a "ME" centered society. We have a hard time giving credit to others and that is certainly true about giving GOD ALL THE GLORY. We want to be in control and we want all the credit for the GOOD things and blame the Lord for all the bad. 

I turned my life to Christ when I was 13 years old. So, for the past 45 years, the LORD, has been in charge of my life. Despite all my efforts to thwart his plans, I have had an amazingly wonderful life. GOD GETS ALL THE CREDIT. He has brought me great love through my family and friends, he has blessed me with safety and security in each of those years. He has blessed me beyond any plans I could have created. Life is amazing, not because of me, but because of my Heavenly Father.

WE all need to get down on our knees and give God the GLORY he is due. 

Dear Lord, I love you and am humbled that you LOVE me so much. You sacrificed all for me and I am proud to be your servant. I am nothing without you. I am everything BECAUSE of you. I love you Lord and want to serve only you. Use my life for YOUR Glory.   Use my life TODAY for your purposes and NOT my own. Amen!

Life the way it was meant to be!

21It is God who enables us, along with you, to stand firm for Christ. He has commissioned us, 22and he has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment that guarantees everything he has promised us.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22

Have you ever thought about being COMMISSIONED?  The Lord has identified us to serve. He has called us and filled us with his spirit to serve. He has given us the power to stand up to those that oppose us. This power, this commission is just a part of what he has planned for our lives.  He has great plans for us here on earth and when we arrive in heaven. I can't imagine ignoring that commission. Many do. They are missing out on Life in all it's abundance. 

I love it that the Lord enables us and call us to serve others. That might be the reason I get such a thrill when I serve the Lord. When my schedule is filled with serving others, loving others, and sharing the gospel, I FEEL so blessed. I get just as much out of it as those that serve. I LOVE that the Creator of the Universe has promised a wealth of blessings for ME both here on Earth and when we arrive in our heavenly home. 

What are you doing to serve?  Are you fulfilling your commission?  The Lord is calling you to serve. 

Dear Lord, I thank you for choosing me. I thank you for how you have blessed me even when I don't fulfill 100% of my commission. Please Lord, continue to fill me with your Love that I might share that with all that I see each day. I love you Lord. I praise you for THIS day and look forward to what is in store for me. Amen!

Feel the Peace! Feel the Freedom!

'For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is freedom. ' 2 Corinthians 3:17 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/2CO.3.17


The days of riding motorcycles is nearing the end of the season. I haven't ridden as much this year as I would have
like to. Stephanie and I were really busy getting ready for retirement. But, we have had some great rides. If you
haven't ridden a motorcycle, you wouldn't understand. I feel so free while riding. I love being on the open road, feeling
the wind and not having the constraints of a car. I praise God for this wonderful gift. Yes, I truly believe it is a gift and a
gift from God.

There aren't many things in my life that give me the same FEEL of FREEDOM. The greatest feel of freedom, PEACE,
in my life, comes straight from the Lord. Even better than riding my motorcycle, is being with the Lord in prayer. I know
it sounds weird. But, I really love the times I am in prayer with the Lord, praying for my family, life situations, and
opening my heart. Those times bring a real peace to my life and FREEDOM.

Both of these special times in my life bring me closer to God. I know the reason. I feel so much closer to the Lord when
I get rid of the outside influences, the distractions, and can focus my heart on him. Riding does that and prayer does that.
For others that may come from a particular place, or with certain people, at a particular event, or a multitude of other
scenarios. Find that place. Find that time, Find SOMETHING that draws you closer to the Lord. DO IT. Do it as often
you can. Feel the peace. Feel the Freedom!

I disagree with you. I don't hate you!

'“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me.
Remain in my love. ' John 15:9 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/JHN.15.9


It sad to see the amount of hate in this world and particularly in our country. We have
to get past the differences we have in our opinions, our politics, our beliefs, and our
life styles. If I disagree with your stance on Climate Change, doesn't mean I hate you
or this planet. If I believe in a marriage between a man and a woman, does not mean I
hate gays. If I support Donald Trump, I do not hate immigrants. If I yell and support my
child at an athletic event, doesn't mean I want YOUR child to fail.

"JUST BECAUSE WE DISAGREE, DOES NOT MEAN I HATE YOU!"

God does not have a list of conditions before he will love us. He loves us unconditionally.
THAT is how we are to love each other. Jesus loved even the most despised of the
Jewish Society. I don't have to "hangout" with you to love you. I don't have to endorse
your lifestyle to love you. I have friends that are extremely liberal politically and sadly
I have lost friends who are extremely liberal because of our differences. It saddens me
that we put such restrictions on our love.

Dear Lord, Help me to love ALL my fellow man. Help me to show YOUR love to everyone
I meet. Help me to serve those I disagree with and who live life differently than I do. The
only real hope for this world is through YOU AND YOUR LOVE. If I can not love the
imperfect people of this world, how can I expect YOU to love this sinner. Forgive me for
how I treat others. Help me to forgive those that hurt and offend me. I need you Lord. I
need your perfect grace to fill my life. Amen!

The Middle of Anxious Moments

Psalms 40:1 -- I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalms 40:17 -- As for me, since I am poor and needy, let the Lord keep me in his thoughts. You are my helper and my savior. O my God, do not delay.

I found these two verses in my study this morning. The focus of the study was the MIDDLE of your trial. It is easy to praise God when everything is over and you can look back to see the results of God's powerful intervention. But, David was in the midst of trial. Notice he asked God not to delay. He was waiting on the Lord. But he still knew that God was listening, God heard his cry.

God is with you. Do not despair.  God is at work even when you do not see him. He hears the cries of his children, he knows your anxiety. He will not forget you. Keep heart, be at peace in the MIDDLE of your trials. God will show up in powerful ways.

Dear Lord, PLEASE hear our cries. Show your presence. Give you clear guidance in the midst of our trials, stresses, and anxieties. I have seen your power, your mercy, and your grace. I praise you because I know you will never leave me. I praise you because YOU ARE AT WORK right now in my trials. I wait for your power and glory to be revealed. I Love you Lord and am honored to be your child. Amen!

Great day!

2:1 The Festival of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover (when Jesus was crucified).Acts 2:1-4 -- On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,2:4 Or in other tongues. as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

The day of Pentecost is an amazing event in the lives of ALL of us. The presence of the Holy Spirit descending on the world has changed all of us. I remember my own life changing event, when the Lord came down to fill ME. It changed me forever. No, I am not perfect. I am still working on being the person GOD would have me to be, but I have been changed. There are so many life changing moments I have seen in my life. These events are all tied to that moment where I gave my life to the God of the Universe. God continues to show up in my life in ver powerful ways. 

Yesterday, was a great day. It was an answer to prayer. We got to see two young lives changed forever. My daughter OFFICIALLY adopted two of the foster kids they have had for well over a year. These two awesome kids became PERMANENT members of our family. God answered our prayers and showed up in a great way. We will all be changed forever. I am so proud of my daughter and her family and how they open their home. God has filled them with the spirit of love and desire to make a difference in the lives of these kids. PRAISE GOD for his presence and the lives that were permanently changed yesterday!

Irrational!

Isaiah 41:10 -- Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

What are you afraid of?  I know you are afraid of something. I would also venture to say you probably have some IRRATIONAL fears. I know I do and I can tell you that I can really work my self into a "tizzy" with those irrational fears. Being a follower of Christ I can not forget the message from Isaiah 41:10.  I am not left to battle my fears on my own. I am not left to battle discouragement, tiredness, or depression on my own. I only have to look to the Lord and HE will provide the strength. His powerful right hand will life me up in victory.

Stephanie and I are traveling into the unknown at the end of this school year. We are retiring and there are many things that we could fear. We do not. The Lord is with us and we will not be afraid. Praise God for his love for us!

Thank you Lord for Family

Psalms 111:9 He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!

We had such a wonderful weekend with our CMA INDIANA FAMILY.  We had our state rally this past weekend and spent 4 days praising God, having great fun, fellowship, and relaxing. We really are a family. We lift each other up. We serve each other and as our National Evangelist said, "We REALLY Like each other."  I Love this ministry and how God is using us to reach others for Christ. We certainly aren't perfect but God doesn't need perfect people to use them for his kingdom.  We left the Rally yesterday and headed right to our OTHER family to celebrate a birthday party for one of amazing grandchildren. IT was a crazy busy weekend but I just love spending time with FAMILY. 

I really hope people have a FAMILY they can count on. Sadly even many biological families don't .REALLY serve as family. A family should always be there when you need them. You SHOULD actually like each other, you should serve each other, you should lift each other when you are down, and you should inspire each other to be the best you can be. CMA does that for me, but so does my own family. My wife, my wonderful daughters, their husbands, and my awesome grandkids including our youngest GREAT granddaughter all make my life complete. My family is the type of family God intended us to live our lives with. I praise God for each of my family members, both the biological family and my CMA family. I can not imagine life without either of them. Thank you Lord for Family. Thank you for giving me wonderful people to serve with, people that want nothing more than to bring the WORLD to know you. I thank you for the commitment to serve even at great sacrifice. I thank you LORD for the families you have given me. I am humbled and blessed by all my family members.

Prayers

“And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people......”
‭‭Revelation‬ ‭5:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/rev.5.8-9.nlt

I’ve never been one to study, in depth, the book of Revelation. I have read it and enjoy the thoughts of the end times when I get to spend eternity worshipping Jesus. All the details in between haven’t been on my mind. But these verses were in my devotional today and struck me as wonderful.

My prayers are sweet smelling incense to God and they are the absolute focus of heaven. It is so comforting to know that today. Steph and I had a great day with our family yesterday. At the end of the day we had special prayer for a very special little girl. The chaos of 11 grandkids  was silenced, briefly, while we prayed for God’s power and wisdom in this little girls life. We prayed for McKenzie and Jeff and all those in authority over this situation.  We prayed specifically for God to intervene . Now, after reading these verses I am at peace because I know God has heard these prayers as they were presented in Gold Bowls to him in elaborate honor. I can’t wait to see his powerful right hand in action!

God loves our prayers. He loves to hear from us and Heaven treats all our requests with the honor of the King. Thank you Lord for hearing our cries. Thank you Lord for blessing us beyond measure. All praise and honor and glory to him who sits on the throne! Amen and Amen!

Be different!

“Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1co.3.16-17.nlt

So, to continue from yesterday, since we are the church (temple), if we destroy each other, God will destroy us. I am never more surprised than when I hear Christians battling other Christians. I have been witness to this in churches and in biker ministry. We can be so cruel to out fellow believers, our pastors, and our church leaders. This is where we should be totally different than the rest of the world. We should be setting the example, instead we follow the cruel path of the lost. I’m saddened.

We are to love one another. We are to demonstrate to the WORLD that we are above the caddyness, the cruelness, of our society. Christians need to stick together. We need to bond ourselves together to form the temple. WE ARE THE TEMPLE, THE DWELLING PLACE OF THE LORD. We are the stones the temple of the Lord is built with. Are we sandstone or bedrock? 

Dear Lord, I am humbled that you have chosen to dwell in me. I am amazed that you call ME to be a part of your temple. Please Lord help me to show others your love, mercy, and grace. Let your light shine through me and help me to build up your church and not tear it down. Forgive me when I am not a productive member of that church. I want nothing more than to serve you and honor your name. Amen!

Is this the right Question?

“This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.” Ephesians 5:32

I had a dear friend in ministry post a profound question the other day:

"What do you look for in a church?"

I struggled with my answer. I know I am a part of a great church. The pastors ALL preach straight from the word. They are sincere and real. The church works hard to serve others and promote true worship. Those are all qualities that I look for. But, I still struggled with the question and tonight when I started a new devotion by Francis Chan called "Letters to the Church" I realized why.

We have such a narrow version of the church AND if we are a part of the "Body of Believers" as Ephesians 5:29-30 tells us:

“For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.” Ephesians 5:29–30

 Isn't the question wrong?  Have you ever asked your left hand why it isn't as great as your right hand?  Do you chastise your pinky for not being a thumb?  Isn't it more important to ask HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE TO THE BODY OF BELIEVERS (aka the CHURCH)? Instead of asking what I can get out of the Church?

I know my friend didn't mean to imply that we need to look for a church that ONLY gives to us. But, I really think sometimes that's what people look for. They ask "How can the church feed me?" instead of how can I feed the church.  AND we look at such a narrow vision of what the Church really is. Isn't the church the ENTIRE BODY OF BELIEVERS and not just some location on County Line Road between Allen and Dekalb County.

We are a part of a wonderful mystery, a magnificently complex body of believers known as THE CHURCH. It is not a denomination. It is not meant to serve us. But, as a member of this body, we are to serve it and use our own special gifts to reach out with that body to people who aren't a part of it.  

I praise God for my entire church family, including my family, County Line Church family, my CMA family, my teacher believers, and ALL those that take their faith in the Lord and reach out to others. I am humbled to be a small part of that wonderfully AWESOME BODY of CHRIST.

Don't Judge Me

2 Corinthians 5:10 -- 10For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

I read a great comment about judgement day in a devotional yesterday -- "All people will be judged by Christ. Believers will be judged THROUGH Christ."

"Don't Judge me" is a common quip by teens in my classroom at school. It's always meant in fun. In a serious way none of us like to be judged for our flaws ans shortcomings. We don't like to be judged unfairly or by people that don't know us and our motives. But, there will be a day when we ALL will be judged. I am not perfect. I have flaws like everyone else. I have sinned. But, those flaws disappear through my savior. I am humbled to know the God of the Universe sent his son to die for my flaws, my sins, and the things I will be judged for. This great sacrifice will earn me eternal life. On judgment day my slate will be cleaned. Praise God for his love. 

Join me. Turn your Life to Jesus. Admit your flaws and the sins of your life. Watch them fade away when Christ stands up for you on Judgement Day. 

Complaining!

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
http://bible.com/116/1jn.1.9.nlt

Stephanie and I had a very full three day weekend. We rode over 350 miles, fellowshipped with our CMA family, cleaned, replaced a window, had great fun with the family, and enjoyed time together. I had a strange observation throughout the past 72 hours .

People are never satisfied.

I know you’ve seen it. It happens in sports where coaches and fans are only happy with perfection. It happens in ministry, churches, families, just about everywhere.  We need more members, more fellowship, less fellowship, more money,  for ministry. It happens on fellowship rides, the rides are too long, too short, the food is too cold, too expensive, service too slow. IT happens in families where the kids not good enough, mom and dad are too tough, or don't care. It happens at work where the boss is too tough, doesn't care, or the work is not fulfilling. We whine and complain about everything. Don't even get me started on Politics. 

We are never happy.

I am SO GLAD the Lord doesn't have the same attitude. He Loves us regardless what we do. Some of the things we do must sadden him, but he looks WAY past our flaws. He doesn't spend eternity criticizing his children. He doesn't spend time complaining about how we have messed things up in his creation. He just loves us through it all. He loves us so much that regardless of knowing us and our sinfulness he sent his son to die for us.

Dear Lord, Help me to recognize the GOOD in this life. Help me to NOT be one of those people that complain about everything. Help me to find the good in others and to show the GOOD in my life. I love you Lord and praise you for my wonderful family, friends, and the life I live. Help me to continue to serve you. You are amazing and I am humbled by you. Amen!