College Bound!

Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:19 NIV)

I have a grandson going away to college this fall. He will be attending Dickinson State University in North Dakota. I know, I'm getting old. He and his father just made a visit and Klayton got his official acceptance today. He will study music and wrestle on scholarship. He is a great, talented, young man with a heart that has accepted The Lord. But, I know what's ahead for him. College and the freedoms of being on your own has it's price. Billy Graham talked about college students. They are so anxious to strut their independence. They yell from the roof tops they need to make their own way, discover their individuality and yet, at college, all they do is conform. The pressure of the crowd is so powerful, they don't gain freedom, they lose it. They lose nearly all of their independence by following the crowd. They never gain it back. When they graduate from college, they want to settle down, search for the perfect job, and build the perfect life. It's not possible unless they put Jesus in the center.  There is a battle on college campuses. I hope and pray my grandson has the strength to stand up to the pressures to rebel against God and make destructive decisions. It's not easy to go against the crowd. It's an internal battle and ca have massive consequences. Keeping Jesus at the center of the battle is the only way to win.

Life is full of irony. To gain your freedom, you need to lose it. To live you need to die to your selfishness. To lead you need to serve. Going away to college is not where people learn to think on their own. College is a place to learn to think like everyone else. It's sad, but true. The only real freedom we gain, in this life, is through our commitment to Christ. He alone can grant eternal freedom. He alone can grant you all that you look for. He alone is the only way to acquire eternal life. Your so called independence is false. You are either conforming to the world or conforming to Christ. One grants a life of slavery, the other grants a life of real freedom, grace, and love!

Lord, protect my grandson. Protect him from making destructive decisions at college. Help him to stay focused on you and enjoy a life that is blessed by you. Help him to enjoy the real freedom that comes with a commitment to Christ. Amen!

God is not a myth!

Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12:29-31 MSG)

Last week I had a student say he had outgrown religion. That is sad. It's like they used to believe in Santa Claus and grew out of it. This faith I have is not like believing in the tooth fairy. I have also heard FAITH is  for the weak minded. I guess I'm weak and stupid if society thinks I  can't be intelligent and deeply follow Christ. I'm not among the intellectual elite, but I'm above average and every ounce of intelligence in my body is directed toward loving God. God is not a myth. God is real and I love him more than life itself. 

This faith that I have is to some made up fantasy. The God of my faith is the creator oft he universe. He made everything and has a great desire to be with his creation. He decided to give us the choice wether we follow him or not. His amazing power is given to us in this choice. Many have rejected him, yet he loves us. He loved us so much that he sent his son to live and die with us. He died so that we might choose to live with him forever. He's real and, frankly, I have deep sorrow for anyone who outright rejects him as fantasy. They are missing out on the true joy of life and a life that extends throughout eternity. 

Free at Last!

Galatians 5

¹ It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.


Slavery has been abolished for over 146 years in America. So, you might think this verse is meaningless to us today. We may not have slavery as it was early in American History, but we do have slavery. It may even be more prevalent now than it ever has. Are you free to do whatever you want? More importantly, are you free to do whatever God is calling you to do? In our country we have so many people enslaved by their circumstances. Even our own country is a slave to it's debt. How can we be critical of our country's debt problems when many of us have the same problems.


We are slaves to our jobs, our salaries, our homes, our cars, and a multitude of other possessions. We are slaves to things that are not of God, but things that are of this world. Be honest, how many of you, if God asked, could give up our salaried career in service to him. What you possess says more about your heart and relationship with God than what you say.


I am no different than most of you. My finances are getting better. They do not have as big a control on me as they once did. But, I have some distance to go. I find that , more and more, my decisions are made from the heart instead of the desire for more stuff.  The things important to me are centered on God, Family and service to him. As my heart continues to draw closer to God, he is able to remove the shackles and set me free. Thank You Lord!

A FREEDOM WORTH DYING FOR!

1 Corinthians 9

 ¹⁹ Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 


Tomorrow is Veterans Day. The greatest freedom I have is the freedom to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. This freedom has been earned with the blood of service men all over the world. I know we spend a lot of time talking about defending democracy and I am proud to be a part of this country. On Tuesday, I spent time going to the voting booth just to vote for Mayor. But, the freedom I cherish the most is more precious than the right to vote. The freedom I can't live without is the freedom to OPENLY develop my relationship with Christ and to encourage others to do the same. THERE IS NO FREEDOM GREATER! It is a freedom worth dying for. 


The veterans in our military deserve to be honored, not just tomorrow, but every day because they have unselfishly defended my right to love the Lord. We should use our freedoms to share the Gospel with as many as we can. We should cash in this freedom and become slaves to the message of Christ. What good is this freedom if we don't use it for the kingdom. 


Tomorrow do two things. First honor our veterans in a special way. Do it like you have never done it before. Personally thank them for your freedom. The Second thing you need to do is share that freedom by sharing the gospel message with someone who needs it. You have the freedom to share. Don't waste it!


Praise God for our Troops!