Southtown Blog

Parts From the Creator 11-20-20

I could hear a clanging sound coming from the front of my pickup. I did not notice it as I drove down the road, but I could hear it echoing off the walls as I drove by buildings. It was especially noticeable as I went though a drive through.

I thought it was coming from the front driver's wheel, so I drove home and jacked it up. As I turned that wheel, the front drive shaft for the 4wd also turned. I could tell right away where the problem was. The rear U-joint on the 4wd drive shaft was worn out. Because the needle bearings in the U-joint were gone, there was excess movement in the parts and thus a clanging sound. It was past time for an immediate repair.

I am definitely not a professional mechanic, but I do try to do a lot of my own repairs and I have replaced many U-joints. I figured this would be a typical repair. I stopped at a local auto parts store and picked up the new pieces. I decided to replace all the joints on the shaft and most of them slipped right into place. The rear one, however would not fit. No matter how I tried to place it within the yoke, it was too big to fall into place. I came from many different angles but it just would not go in.

I felt like I was playing with one of those mind puzzles and I was unwilling to give up. Finally I had to admit defeat. It was not going to work. I concluded that I must have gotten the wrong part. I went back to the store where they looked it up and told me they had given the right part. I decided to try a different store. After trying multiple brands of the same part, I could still not make any fit.

I was quite frustrated. I did not want to lose the use of my 4wd, simply because there was no apparent solution to my problem. I called a friend who is a professional mechanic. He suggested that I go to the Dodge dealership and see if the part from the original manufacturer would fit. Sure enough, the Dodge part slipped right into place without any problem. Sadly the cost was $100 higher than the generic part, but I realized that my solution had to come from the creator of the truck.

Our vehicles are not the only things that get messed up though. Our lives are messed up by sin. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God is our creator and He is the one we have to go to for our sin problem. Unlike Dodge, He does not charge us a huge markup. Instead He gives us His solution to our problem for free. In order to have our sins taken care of, all we have to do is exercise faith as we believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

If you are as frustrated over your sin as I was over the U-joint, realize that the creator has the solution. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I John 1:9  

Reach Out to Those Alone  11-8-20

A year ago I had not heard of Covid-19. Today it has become a part of our lives. Even the experts cannot agree about how dangerous it is, but they all agree that it has cost lives. I was recently with two men who began to calmly discuss Covid-19. Although they had different views about it, they respected each other. I stated that it should remind us of the reality of death and that we should make sure that we have trusted Christ so that we know where we would go when this life is over.

Covid is not the only thing that should cross our minds as we think of the reality of mortality. My father died of cancer when he was only 57 years old. In the United States over 600,000 people die of cancer each year. This is a far greater number than the deaths from Covid-19 so far this year.

Later that same day, I had a conversation with my wife and another woman about Covid. They pointed out that they did not know anyone personally who had died of Covid but they knew of 3 people who had committed suicide because of the added challenges in their life related to Covid-19.

Suddenly it dawned on me that I needed to encourage people to trust Christ, not just for the next life, but for help in getting through this life.

Part of the reason I do not spend too much time worrying about cancer is because I know that if I get it, I will not have to go through it alone. I find comfort in the words of Hebrews 13:5 where we are reminded that the Lord will never leave us or forsake us.

Still, I take care to live a healthy lifestyle. I eat healthy, drink plenty of water, get exercise and plenty of sleep, avoid too much unhealthy food, get sunshine, and do not intentionally put poison in my body. These steps should help all of us whether the danger is cancer, Covid, or any other ailment. Nevertheless, they do not guarantee that we will remain healthy.

Further, Covid has reminded us that trials come whether we get sick or not. We are not supposed to go through trials alone. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

When we had Covid, so many came and helped us, but what about so many who never caught the virus, but are struggling with the trials of isolation? What about those who we do not even know about? Don't be afraid to reach out to those who are isolated while still respecting their choice to protect themselves. Further we should remind people that even if we are isolated from others we never have to be isolated from Christ. Jesus promised, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37 NASB) 

Basketball and Perfection 10-25-20

My 10 year old is tall and lanky. He looks like a basketball player, but he has not learned very much about the game. Recently our teenage neighbor began to teach him a little bit about basketball shooting techniques. Soon he was having much greater success at making baskets.

His new coach is actually pretty good at it, but he is definitely not a professional player. As we watched them we saw that all of the boys made some baskets and all of the boys missed some. That was not a surprise. Even the professional players do not make every basket.

When I was younger, I watched the Harlem Globe Trotters. Their ability with a basketball was nothing short of amazing. Still they were not perfect. No matter how much the boys practice, they cannot expect to make a basket every time. All it takes is a brief game of HORSE to show that there are some positions where the basket is more difficult to hit than others.

Sometimes people approach Christianity like basketball. They expect that once they come to Christ, then they will be able to deal with sin like the Globe Trotters deal with basketball. No doubt sin should have less of a pull, once we follow Christ, but that does not mean that we will suddenly lose our struggle with sin. The Apostle Paul expressed his own struggle in this area as he wrote Romans 7:19. Notice what he says, “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” (NASB)

What Paul is saying is that he sins even when he does not want to sin. We must not forget what he also wrote to the Corinthians. “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13 NASB) There is a way to avoid sin. The problem is that we come short of the glory of God and do not always see the way until after we have fallen into the evil behavior.

Sometimes we just react without thinking through what we are doing. Hebrews 12:1 gives this encouragement. “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” (Hebrews 12:1 NASB). The sin so easily entangles us, but we should strive to set it aside. As we strive we will come short, just like the kids came short of the basketball hoop so many times. When we do, our only hope is Jesus Christ. He died for our sins because we were not able to meet God's requirements on our own. Romans 5:20 tells us, “And the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more,” (NASB) In the next chapter the question is asked, “should we sin that grace may abound?” The answer comes back, “God forbid.”

We need to look for the way to escape sin and set aside the sin that so easily entangles us. Still we must realize we will not be perfect. That is why God so loved the world and sent His son. That is why we need to follow Him. When we do come short, we can take comfort in these words, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NASB)  

Good Old Doc Cassle 10-11-20

Living near Sioux Falls, it is easy to take state of the art medical care for granted. I have not always lived close to such large hospitals though. Years ago while living on a farm in Southwest Minnesota I needed stitches after cutting my finger.

I quickly realized I would be treated by a country doctor when the nurse said they had contacted him but it would be a bit before he got there since he was finishing up with his farm chores. I wasn't too worried since I knew who he was and that he lived fairly close by. There were no concerns about traffic on his way to the hospital either. Further, although I needed care, it was not a pressing emergency. In the meantime, the bleeding had stopped and my finger was soaked in an antibiotic solution.

Once the doctor arrived, he began to fumble through his tool chest, looking for the supplies he needed. He said he needed to find his grill igniter. I knew things were kind of casual at this small town hospital, but I said that I was there for stitches, not a barbecue.

Once the grill igniter was located, he then asked for a paper clip. I was really confused now. He still needed one more item. It had a technical name that I did not recognize, but once the item was located I reached into the pouch on my belt, pulled out my pliers and said, “if that is all you needed, I could have let you use this.”

The doctor then proceeded to hold the paper clip in his fancy pliers and heat it up with the grill igniter. I needed stitches through my fingernail, so he simply melted holes with the paper clip so he could sew it up like lacing a shoe. I was thankful for the Novocaine.

It did not take long for the finger to heal. I do, however, still have a small scar. Though the hospital was small, the doctor was quite competent and I got the help that I needed.

I needed stitches because of an accident while cutting a piece of wood. I am confident that my doctor had enough down home ingenuity, to stitch the two pieces of board together as efficiently as he stitched my finger. Once he walked away, however, the wood would not heal like my finger did. The wood was not alive. My finger was.

Not only has God breathed life into us, but He has given us the ability to heal. I am reminded of Psalm 139:14, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

As amazing as it is that my finger healed, it is even more amazing that Jesus came to life again by the power of God. Further, even after I die like the tree that turned into that piece of wood, I will live again if I have trusted Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

It is comforting to know that the God who is powerful enough to create us and to heal our wounds is also powerful enough to raise the dead. It is even more comforting to know that such a powerful God loves us.

A Rider Mower for My Son 9-25-20

My boys have been doing odd jobs around town to earn some extra money. They did not make a lot, but it doesn't take much for an 11 year old to feel rich. My son decided how he wanted to spend his money. He wanted a riding lawn mower. They use a push mower for mowing lawns around town, but he wanted a rider without a deck just to ride around.

He has asthma and when a riding bike with his brothers he has to stop more often to catch his breath. He figured if he had a riding mower, he could go along with them on longer rides without them having to wait for him to rest.

He kept watching auctions and garage sales, but did not find anything in his budget. One evening as my wife and I were diving home after visiting a neighbor, we drove by another neighbor's house and saw a lawn mower sitting in the middle of the driveway. The hood looked lopsided, it had no deck on it, and the seat was missing. I knew the neighbor, so I stopped to ask him about it. He said it ran but the carb needed some work. When he heard that it was for our son, he sold it to us for 20 bucks.

My son was so excited. He dug into his savings and immediately pulled out $20 so that he would be the official owner. He then counted his money and found that he had enough to buy a new battery for it. His brother fixed the hood and I helped him get it running. He was thrilled.

I had multiple boxes of spray paint in the garage that we had picked up at an auction and he asked if he could use some of it. It was cheap, so I said to go ahead. Soon his little Yardman tractor had a new John Deere green and yellow paint job.

The carb is still acting up a bit and does not run as smooth as a new one, but it runs fine at full throttle. It has a hydrostatic transmission so it is easy to drive. By being patient and putting a little effort into his ride, he has something far nicer than he had even planned.

He learned a valuable lesson about both patience and contentment. He was satisfied with a fixer upper and had the foresight to see it's potential. Hebrews 13:5 says, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (NKJV)

Not only was he satisfied with what he got, but he was patient to wait to spend his money on what he could afford. “But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:4 NKJV)

Although he is enjoying his new purchase, I have no doubt that a day will come when it will not run. Such is typical for anything that has a motor. I pray that his patience and contentment will sustain him on such a day. I hope he remembers the promise of the Lord when he said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

I hope then, he is still thankful for his little tractor and remembers that Christ is with him during those times of challenge. In fact, that is what the context of contentment in James 1:4 was all about. It says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4 NKJV) 

God's Love & Feral Cats 9-13-20

It was a warm sunny day. We were at the edge of a bean field bordered by grassland and trees. It was a pretty setting with a steep hill dropping to some flat ground to the south. A breeze rustled in the trees and the grass sounded like a straw broom on a wooden floor.

Suddenly there was a sound that did not seem to belong. It was not a bird. It had the sound of the meow of a lonely kitten. Soon we realized where the sound was coming from. The creature making it was in fact a lonely kitten. It was not even wild. It immediately began to follow my son. It seemed to hope for the slightest bit of attention. There was no sign of other cats or humans around. We had a little a jerky in the truck so we fed this fragile beast. We also fashioned a makeshift dish and poured it some water.

We returned a week later and sure enough our little friend emerged from the bean field. It seemed more interested in our attention than in our food. The kitten had taken a risk in approaching us. What if we had been a predator? What if we had disliked cats and harmed the little animal? Still the kitten took a chance and was rewarded as it received our grace. We again gave it food and water.

Some people approach God as naturally as the kitten approached us. There was no hesitation. Other people are like the feral tom cat I once attempted to coax from hiding. He did not trust me. He watched me closely and was quite eager to be on his way. That feral cat was hardened by battle scars and did not want to get hurt. Not everyone likes feral cats. They eat pheasants so they have a reputation of being evil enemies of the innocent bird. Like Sylvester from the old cartoon, the tom cat was not unwise in his caution.

Even if we have never tried to eat a tweety bird, we have all done more evil than that old tom cat. Romans 3:23 reminds us that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Adam and Eve did not hide in a bean field after sinning, but they did cover themselves in leaves. They were fearful to approach God.

Today, some people are still afraid, but they do not need to be. Jesus died for our sins and He is now alive again so that He can defend us before the Father if we first repent. Because God loved us so much, He sent his son so we could have eternal life if we believe on Him. That means that in spite of our sin, we can have both peace with God and access to Him once we have faith to come to Him. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2 NKJV)

Knowing you are a sinner, it can be scary to come to God in faith, but notice what we are told just a few verses later in Romans 5: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9 NKJV)

God loved us even though He knows about our sin. We can come as confidently as that little kitten did. Consider the promise that Jesus made when He said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.” (John 6:37 NKJV) 

Ice Cream & a Good Deal  8-30-20

I love ice cream. It was a hot day and I was thinking of stopping at the gas station and getting a cup of ice cream. I hesitated because a couple of scoops would cost over $2. I walked into the grocery store and I saw a gallon and a quarter for $5. A package of plastic spoons cost 89 cents. I did not have to be a math genius to know that it was a better deal to buy a large quantity.

Of course I understood that during the half hour drive home, the ice cream would start to melt. I had a plan though. I would eat around the edges as it melted and still have a cold center to place in the freezer once I got home. Everything went according to plan except for one thing. Instead of eating 2 scoops if ice cream I ate at least twice that amount. I was not complaining though. Further I had most of the container left for many more treats in the future. I also had a bunch of extra plastic spoons.

Knowing God is good should be a great encouragement to all of us. If you had never tasted ice cream you would not know why I was so happy to dig in with my plastic spoon. If you do not like ice cream you will not fully grasp my pleasure either. Some do not understand why I get so excited about God either. Psalm 34:8 challenges us, “O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (NASB) The ice cream was a blessing on a hot day, but God is a blessing everyday. Some days we will be challenged by heat. Other days it will be cold. Other days the trials of life will have nothing to do with the weather. Regardless we have a good God that we can turn to.

As good as God is, He is even better than we could have expected. He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. That is a really good deal, but it gets even better. “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (I Corinthians 2:9 NKJV)

God is good and He is much more than the best deal we could ever find. He is our only hope for eternity. He is not just a refuge for the troubles we face now, He is our refuge for the next life as well. Trust Him and realize that you get more than just a couple of scoop fulls of ice cream- you get a good God that is there for you for forever into the future. 

Saddle Pass & A Narrow Gate-8-16-20

We have four boys and they love to climb and hike, so when we found Saddle Pass Trail we were excited. The trail is located in the Badlands of South Dakota near the town of Interior. The modern road that most tourists take goes past a parking area that is just below the pass.

We saw the beautiful scenery and decided to stop, not knowing that the trail headed up this pass. As we set out on the trail, we saw a sign that explained the history of the pass. Before the modern roads were built, this trail was used as a shortcut to get to the town of interior. The early settlers would have to dismount and lead their horses down this steep path.

As we climbed we questioned whether just any horse could navigate this trail. Although it was only moderately difficult for our two legs, we often had to use our arms as well. Once at the top, we felt a sense of accomplishment. We had reached our destination without falling and without meeting any rattle snakes. We had proceeded with caution after seeing a warning sign about the danger of the snakes.

We were not the only ones to take our chances though. Others had set out on this trail as well. We met a number of people as we hiked and a friendly family had even taken a picture for us so we could have a photo of our whole family from the astounding heights we had conquered.

As we sat on our perch above the town of Interior, we could see our vehicle far below us. It was a reminder that our journey was not yet complete. We still had to get back.

The descent was nearly as difficult as the climb. Even on the smooth parts we had to be careful not to go too fast or we would gain too much momentum and would fall. At other times we had to carefully navigate slight drop offs.

We were thankful to get back to our vehicle with its air conditioning and comfortable seats. We were soon driving down a paved two lane road in comfort. There was definitely a contrast between our trip and that of the earlier settlers.

As I think of that narrow trail I think of the words of Jesus Christ where he says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14 NASB)

Saddle pass is such a small trail that had it not been for the parking lot and the signs, we would have missed it. It was not really that difficult to navigate though. We just had to know the way. The same is true about the path to eternity with our Lord. Jesus said the gate is narrow, but He also told us the way. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB)

The gate of Jesus is small, but anyone can go through if they believe on Him. He promised, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.”  (John 6:37 NASB) 

The difficult part is not that you have to crawl through a small gate. The difficult part is that you have to trust Jesus and His authority over your life enough to follow Him through that gate. Still, He is the only way. Follow Him.  

There is a Lot of Good News  8-3-20

I looked over the headlines on a past issue of our local paper. One of the headlines read, “Experts Express Optimism On Future of Small Towns During Virtual Town Hall Discussion.” Another stated, “Canton Helping Canton, We Are In This Together.” The front page had an article about a new business that was opening in Canton.” The back page had pictures of locals enjoying an open air market. It was encouraging to look at the Sioux Valley News because it was filled with good news.

This small town paper stood out because good news is so rare lately. I looked at some online news sources and I had to look hard to find good news. Bad news was easy to find.

When we are discouraged it is good to have a paper like the Sioux Valley News around. It is also good to have my Bible near by. I love reading through the pages of scripture and seeing the happy endings in spite of the tragedy. Joseph is sold into slavery by his own brothers, but then rises to a high position and is able to rescue those same brothers and their families from a famine. Job loses nearly everything but in the end has more than he started with. Jesus dies for our sins, but then comes to life again.

No doubt there is some bad news in the Bible. Romans 6:23 warns us that the wages of sin is death. That is only part of the story though. The rest of the verse tells us that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

At the beginning of the book of Romans, we are told that the letter of Romans is about the gospel. The Greek word translated “gospel” literally means the good message or the good news. Often when people hear the word, “gospel,” they think of truth or even the plan of salvation from God. Although God's salvation through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is good news for the sinner, there is even more good news in the scriptures. The good news includes the truth that God loves us so much that He sent His son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). The good news includes the fact that God is not just our all powerful creator, but He also knows the very hairs of our head and is loving, patient, and merciful.

The scriptures are full of good news and that good news leads people who are far from God to God. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (NASB) The good news (gospel) is the power of God to bring people to salvation as they believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and savior.

As Christians we have a lot of good news about God. Let us share that good news with others so that they might have hope. As others become assured of the good news about God then faith is developed. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (NASB) In order to develop faith with conviction we need to grasp the good news of God. For others to have that faith they must hear the good news about God. Our God is good and that is good news. There is a lot of good news about God. Let us share that good news as we let our lights shine. 

Let That Cat Cross My Path  7-16-20

As I sat visiting with my aunt and her husband, my son played with their cat. It was a friendly cat and it was black. It was a hot day, but the cat did not seem to mind the sun. Instead it rolled on its back and waited to be pet.

As we got up to leave there was a light hearted comment about making sure that the cat did not cross our path. I kind of chuckled as someone made a comment about not believing in such superstitions. I assured them that I did not believe that the black cat crossing my path would be problem. I then went on to say that even if it were true I was not worried.

As a believer in the sovereignty of God, I am not a promoter of luck. I did however relay how what some may regard as bad luck had recently turned out good.

A few years ago I was driving down the interstate pulling a trailer with my mini-excavator. Working as a pastor is not my only job. As I looked in the mirror I could see a cloud of oil vapor. I quickly pulled to an off ramp and realized that an o-ring on the pickup was leaking oil. Thankfully I had stopped before the oil level had dropped below the safe level. That was good, not bad. Further, I was close to home and my wife was able to bring the part and we fixed it right there.

If that were the end of the story we could still say that things worked out in the end, but the story gets even better. A farmer who lived near by stopped to see if we needed help. He saw the excavator and realized that I did farm drainage work. He got my number and ended up calling me to do some work for him. A year later he had me do more work. Next year he wants me to do even more. In addition his hired man and his neighbor also want me to do some work for them.

Now not only do I have new customers, I have new friends. The profit I made from the jobs I have done so far is far greater than the repair expense and time lost on my pickup. The perceived “bad luck” of the pickup breakdown turned out to be good.

I recently wrote about having flat tires and meeting a new friend. I told my aunt that I was not worried about the black cat because it seems like even when bad things happen to me it ends up working out eventually. Romans 5:3-5 says, “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NASB)

It is fun when we can look back on our trials and see how God was actually pouring his love on us even though we did not see it at the time.

I do not know what trial will challenge us next, but I hope I can approach it with faith, knowing that I will not be alone. I pray that it will help me persevere and build my character realizing that I have hope (the idea of full assurance) that God will not forget His love for me. I know that even when I am disappointed with my circumstances, I should not be disappointed with God or His love for me.

I do not have to worry about black cats or bad stuff happening to me. I understand that bad things will happen, but that is okay. I can just pet the cat as I pray.  

Power In the Clouds  7-3-20

When I was a little kid, I thought it would be fun to sit on a cloud. I could enjoy the soft perch and look down on the beautiful scenery below. Of course I would have to be careful not to fall off. As I got older, not only did my respect for heights put a damper on that fantasy, but I also learned that fog was simply a cloud on the ground and that the cloud would not hold me.

Looking back at my early childhood I have to wonder how much my 4 year old mind had been influenced by cartoons. In these make believe worlds, people would come in contact with angles upon clouds and may even meet a godlike figure. As I got older I realized that when God became a man he did actually walk on water. We do not have a record of Jesus ever walking on a cloud but we do have a record of God in a cloud. Exodus 13:21 tells us, “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way.” In Exodus 16:10 we are told that the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.

Then in Exodus 34 we actually see God coming in the cloud and standing before Moses. “And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth;” (Exodus 34:5-6 NASB)

Although God's love and kindness is expressed in the verse, he also warns of the consequences of sin later in the same passage This should not surprise us because right after the world wide flood that was a global consequence for sin, God sent a symbol of mercy in the clouds as He gave us the rainbow- a promise that a flood would never again cover the whole earth.

Sadly the cartoon versions of God on the clouds have too easily distracted us from the true relationship of God with the clouds. Notice that the verses in Exodus show God's power in the clouds. After witnessing some powerful thunderstorms, I can understand the connection between clouds and power. Psalm 104:3 tells us that God makes the clouds His chariot. Rather than the cartoon version of the cloud being a fluffy couch, the scriptures show that the cloud is a powerful vehicle for God's power.

As I hear the thunder and watch the lightning, it is easy for me to tremble. If I look to the clouds and see their power and then the weather radio gives out a warning I tremble even more. The clouds are a reminder that we should tremble before the power of God. The clouds remind me of something else though. God is merciful. He sent a rainbow and in the Old Testament we read that the cloud where He dwelt was above the mercy seat. That reminds me that God is a God of mercy.

Finally, clouds remind us of His future judgment and mercy as Christ returns. "And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:27-28 NASB)

As we see the storms this summer, let the clouds remind us of God's power. Rather than resisting His power, look to Him for mercy.

A Slow Drive To Blessings  6-19-20

I love the interstate. At South Dakota speeds we can travel 20 miles in 15 minutes. There are no stop signs to slow us down. It is a quick and efficient way to get from point “A” to point “B”. There are times however that it is nice to slow down a bit.

Recently my son and I took a drive with a farm tractor. Twenty miles took about an hour. It was a much slower pace. We were able to watch a farmer digging a waterway by hand. We didn't just see him out in the field, we had time to watch what he was doing. On one such drive we watched a raccoon run across a field but also had the vantage point and time to see that it crawled into a culvert as we came closer.

Our slower pace allowed us to see so much that we otherwise would have missed. Sometimes it is good to slow down and enjoy the beauty of God's creation. Sometimes we are forced to slow down even more. As we drove, the trailer we were pulling had 2 flat tires. We were going so slow we did not even notice. We did however notice another farmer working on a sprayer in the farmyard we were approaching. He noticed our flat tires. We smiled and waved as we went by- oblivious to problem following us.

Rather than returning our smile and wave, his hand made a quick pointing motion as he observed our problem. Once I looked back I realized what had happened and quickly pulled to the side of the road. He allowed us to park in the farmyard until we could get the tires fixed.

It was the next day before we were able to return with replacement wheels and tires. An hour drive had turned into a whole day delay. Our plans had been changed. The day before we were not expecting to be replacing tires on that day. I had planned my schedule for that week, but the schedule had been altered. I cannot help but think of James 4:13-14, “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (NASB)

No matter how slow we drive, our lives go by quickly. The next verse says, “Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that.'" (James 4:15 NASB) Sometimes God has other plans for us.

That week His plans included flat tires. They also included a farmer who was fixing his sprayer. As we replaced the tires he came over and talked with us. I found out that we were close to the same age and that we were both Christians. Although we had grown up hours from each other, we had both taken the same Bible Instruction Course as kids. Not only did we share a common faith, but we were now able to share a new friendship.

Through the years I have learned that friends are more valuable than tires or time. If God's plans slow us down to bring new friends into our lives, we should view that as a great blessing.

Praying For Our Enemies  6-7-20

My 12 year old son said, "I realize I really need God's help to pray for that police officer." As upset as he was at that man, he still wanted to pray for him, but needed God's help to do it. What a reminder of how much we need God's mercy and His help to be merciful ourselves.

About a week earlier this son had been asking me a lot of questions about prayer. He had been spending a lot of time praying, and was explaining how he came up with subjects to pray about. He even talked about singing songs in prayer. We talked about how many of the Psalms are prayer songs. I felt like I was learning as much as he was as I listened to him.

Then he told me about praying for the officer. I could understand how hard it would be to pray that prayer. I have had to pray similar prayers throughout my life.

When I was in high school, there was another student in the school that was a real jerk- actually there were a number of them, but one in particular that I had trouble getting along with. He had trouble getting along with others as well.

After he graduated, I do not remember seeing him again, but I heard that he had gotten involved with drugs. I have to admit that I do not remember any pleasant memories of this person, but he does come to my mind from time to time. As he does, I usually pray for him. At first, it was not easy. As time has gone by however, it has become a habit. I pray that after all these years he has become a changed person and has blessed many lives.

As I think of the drug use, I cannot help but wonder if he was struggling with things that the rest of us had no idea about. Was his bullying because of his own insecurities? Was he an abuse victim himself? Decades later I find myself having compassion for him even though I would never condone his behavior and his hateful actions toward others.

We do not have to excuse evil in order to pray for others. Jesus told us, "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44 NKJV)

There is another passage that applies even more specifically to my son's prayer. The police officer did what he did while exercising his authority. Accountability must come with authority and I pray justice is served, but we are also reminded to pray for those in authority. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (I Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV)

As hard as it is to pray for some people, I am reminded that Jesus did not just pray for His enemies, He died for them. 

     Like a Frustrated Horse 5-22-20

When I was a teenager, I rode a beautiful dun mare along the edge of the road. She had never bucked, but was still not a seasoned riding horse. Not only was she just getting used to having a saddle and a person on her back, she was getting used to being ridden in unfamiliar surroundings. Looking back, it must have been both exciting and a bit stressful for her to go on these adventures.

On one such day, as we rode along the edge of the road, she would turn her head and twitch her ears as a car would go past. She had seen cars before, but these were new surroundings. Soon a motorcycle was coming down the road. She raised her head and picked up her step as this two wheeled machine came towards her with a rider on its back. Just as it came even with her, the rider shifted down and laid into the throttle. The machine made a threatening noise that caused the horse to shudder from top to bottom.

I could tell that she wanted to run, but I held her back. She did not run or buck, but I could feel the tension inside her as I sat upon her back. The feeling came though the saddle and up each of the reins. She was feeling panic and wanted to do what her instincts told her to do. She wanted to run. There was a problem though. I had come between her and her instincts and would not allow her to do what she wanted to do in order to relive her stress.

We continued on the same direction at a slow pace until we met another car. The tension was still there. Before the motorcycle incident, she had noticed the cars but was not panicked by them. That had changed. Her stress had not been relieved and she exploded. Suddenly I was not able to keep her under control. Soon I was on the ground and she was headed back to the barn.

If I had simply taken her out in the field and let her run after the motorcycle incident, she could have burned off her tension. She would have known that I would allow her to get away from danger. As time passed I could have then trained her that she does not have to run every time a noise happens. She was not ready for that yet. She and I both had a lot to learn.

As a pastor, I sometimes notice something similar happening in the pews. Instead of trying to wrangle a young horse, parents are trying to corral their toddlers. Like the horse, toddlers quickly feel the pent up frustration as they feel restricted. They are much less likely to explode if they are given a little room to run. I noticed that when we had wider aisles between the rows of chairs. The littlest kids seemed so much calmer. They were able to walk around in the isle in front of their parents and even get down on the ground and move.

I told an older pastor about this and he went on to inform me that in the 1700's (he is not quite that old, but he had heard about it) some of the churches had the pews facing each other and then had a door on the end. This allowed the children to essentially have a supervised play pen within the pews.

Colossians 3:21 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.” (NASB) I learned how easy it was to exasperate a young horse and how doing so actually caused me to lose control of the situation. As I learn from the Christians from 300 years ago, I understand as well that exasperating our children and expecting them to sit perfectly still at all times can also backfire. Let us expect that our kids eventually learn to sit still, but let us not cause unnecessary frustration for them until they are old enough to understand and and have the maturity to follow through. Usually that doesn't happen until they are about 5 years old. 

Signals that Shape Virtue 5-8-20

When I was a child I had a very talented phy ed teacher. He came up with a lot of really neat games. One of my favorite games was “steal the bacon.” Hockey sticks were used as “bacon” and were placed in a marked off area under the basket ball hoops on each end of the court. Once the half court line was crossed you were on the opposing team's side and if you were tagged you had to go to jail. The jail was the out of bounds line behind the “bacon.” You could get out of jail if a teammate tagged you without getting tagged themselves. The object of the game was to steal all the other team's “bacon” before they stole yours.

As these games were developed by our teacher, he would often tweak the rules as he went. Since our teacher was the one making the game, he had the right to make the rules.

We did not always like his rules and sometimes we even resented them. Still those rules brought stability and were much better than the games at recess that were largely unsupervised. During those times it was not unusual for one of the children to want to change the rules. The problem was that others did not agree with those rule changes. Further the rule changes were often for selfish reasons.

I am no longer a child playing during recess, but as I interact with other adults on social media, I sometimes feel a sense of deja vu. Rather than trying to change the rules about stealing the bacon, it seems that some want to make their own rules about what is right and what is wrong. In fact the term “virtue signaling” has developed as way to share frustration with this phenomena.

As a Christian, I am all in favor of reminding people to live lives of virtue. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.” (NKJV)

The problem is not in reminding people of the importance of virtue. The problem is that we as a society are not able to agree about what positions are virtuous and which ones are not. I feel like we need the teacher to step in and to tell us which rules to follow.

Fortunately we have such a teacher. He cares about us even more than any teacher we have ever had. He cares about us so much that he went to the cross and died for our sins. That teacher is Jesus Christ. As God, he has the authority to set the rules and to tell us what they are. Some do not want to accept his authority or his rules, but if we reject his rules, why should we accept theirs?

An ordered society needs to have someone setting some basic rules. I want that somebody to be God. If someone other than God makes all the rules, it will be too easy for the rules to be made for selfish purposes.

Jesus warned about getting our rules from man rather than God. “'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.' "Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men." (Mark 7:7-8 NASB)

For years we have warned about legalism from within the church, but we are also seeing legalism from outside the church. Although we should have rules and virtue within an ordered society, let us make sure that those standards are coming from God and not from some condescending signals apart from God. 

Donuts With Dad's Truck  4-25-20

It will be a few years before my son is old enough to drive on South Dakota roads, but I want him to have some driving experience before that time comes. While working in the field, I had him move the pickup. I looked up from my work to see the pickup driving much too fast in a tight circle with dirt flying up from the wheels. I quickly grabbed my walkie talkie and and said, “knock it off or you won't be driving that truck again.”

It was a beautiful spring day. The wind was blowing, the sun was out, and the temperature was in the low 70's. I was glad to be outside. As a bi-vocational pastor, I get to work on drainage challenges in farm fields. My son came out to help me. I joked with my wife that I thought he was auditioning to take over the business since he was being so helpful. That was before he started doing donuts.

Then I saw the 4wd pickup flying through the field and I needed to use the radio to reign him in. As soon I gave my rebuke, the truck slowed down and he drove like he was supposed to drive. Once he parked the truck he got out and stood beside it with a sheepish look on his face.

I informed him that his wild driving was unacceptable behavior and he was not to do it again. I warned of the dangers to his safety as well as the unneeded abuse to the truck. No punishment was given. None was needed. I needed to give him the warning not to do it again, but I realized I had not told him he was not allowed to do what he had done.

In other words, he had not disobeyed me. In fact, as soon as he heard my warning over his walkie talkie, he instantly did obey. That deserved a commendation rather than a punishment. Fortunately this time I recognized that. I do not always see those things however.

There have been times when I have not been so reasonable with my children. The next day my older son was helping me. I rebuked him for going and sitting in the vehicle when he was supposed to be helping me. I laid into him pretty hard. He was crushed and explained that he went to the vehicle because usually the next step in the process of the job we were doing was to move the trailer with that truck and he did not want me to have to wait for him. He was correct and I had to apologize.

Parenting is not always easy. Ephesians 6:4 warns, “And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (NASB) I want my boys to understand my expectations for them, but more importantly I want them to understand and obey God's expectations for them.

I have not been a perfect father and they have not been perfect sons. I had to apologize to my oldest son and I am thankful that he forgave me. I have also had to forgive them when they have done wrong. We have all had to apply Ephesians 4:32, “Eph 4:32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (NASB)

When I consider how much grace God as shown us as we sort out his expectations for our lives, I realize how much grace we must show to one another. I also realize that God does have expectations for our lives and that He makes them clear in His word. Just like I do not want my boys to ignore me, we should not ignore God either. God has not told us not to do donuts out in the field, but we should not neglect what He has told us either. 

The Restaurant of Love 4-10-20

We found a new restaurant last week. It was literally in our back yard- literally. Our 9 year old son, decided it would be a good idea to grill some pork chops. His brothers, ages 8-12, had joined in the effort. One of the boys came into my office and said that they were ready for their mother and I to come to the back yard, but we had to come out at the same time.

I realized that something was afoot since he seemed to have a bit of a twinkle in his eye. We looked out our back window. We could see the boys hovered around a card table that they had set up near the grill. Farther away in the back yard, they had set up a couple of saw horses with a sheet of wood over the top held in place by a C clamp. Two chairs were available for seating at the saw horse table.

As we stepped onto the back step, we were greeted into our backyard and escorted to our special table. Although the seating arrangement was a bit primitive, it was just the two of us. That was quite special. Still, we could see that much was abuzz on the other side of the backyard fence where the grill was set up.

Our oldest son approached us with a clipboard and two handmade menus. A list of available food options with pictures drawn were listed. We could have pork chops, carrots, onions, and either a sweet potato or regular potato. We each selected everything offered other than I chose the potato and Crystal chose the sweet potato.

We could see our 9 year old manning the grill as the 8 and 11 year old boys delivered the food to our table. We had each been provided a glass of water as well. I had put on a coat since it was a bit cool out. One of our servers noticed that my wife was a bit cold and quickly retrieved a blanket for her.

As we enjoyed our wonderful date, we realized that the food was actually magnificent. They had done an excellent job. They had gotten pointers on grilling from our next door neighbor across the other fence. It was one of the best dates we have had In a long time.

Not every day has gone that smoothly at the Miller household though. The boys have sometimes gotten frustrated at being cooped up and not being able to see many of their friends. Crystal and I have as well. Still our boys taught us a valuable lesson during these challenging times. Sometimes we need to take the focus off our ourselves and instead look to serving others.

Philippians 2:4 says, “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” NASB) Our boys did that. The Philippians passage however continues. It gives an example of someone who did put others ahead of himself. His name is Jesus Christ. Consider the next verses,

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV)

Even though Jesus is God, he put our interests ahead of his own and humbled himself. He set a wonderful example and died for us. He is not dead though. He is alive and I want to serve Him.

As we put others ahead of ourselves, lest us make sure we put Christ first. 

   The Gifted Blessings  3-27-20

Our phone rang. We were told there was a box of candy on our deck. As my wife went to retrieve it the people on the other end of the phone line were sitting in their vehicle at the end of our driveway waving at us. Earlier another couple had dropped an ice cream pail with soup in it on our driveway and waved as our boys went out to retrieve it. Soon a pie and more soup were dropped off. We also received ice cream, pop, and groceries- including some homemade applesauce. We already had plenty of toilet paper.

Our family had been sick and we decided to self quarantine. Our family and friends quickly learned about it and poured their love upon us. 1 John 3:18 says, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.” (NASB)

We got to witness the love of others and it helped us out a lot. For years I have heard people say things like, “if you need anything just let us know.” Of course that is the polite thing to say and usually saying such things holds little risk since many of the people around here don’t often ask for help. Many of our friends however stepped up before we even asked them. Those who we did ask actually went over and above what we asked for.

Years before I became a pastor I was spending a lot of time volunteering at church. I was single at the time, so I could afford to do it, but for a time, I was putting in as much time there as if it were a full time job. I wanted to give and felt it was a blessing to do it. One day a man met me outside of church and wanted to hand me some money for the time I had put in. I refused it. I did not need it. He looked sad as I did so. Another friend saw what was happening and told me that I was depriving our friend of a blessing by not accepting his gift. I realized I had been wrong in not taking it.

Much of my refusal to take the gift had been rooted not just in my lack of need, but also in my pride. Even if I did not need it I could graciously take the gift and then pass it on to someone else. A doctor named Luke wrote the book of Acts. He reminds us in, Ac 20:35 "In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" (NASB)

Knowing that it is more blessed to give than to receive, I can understand all the smiles we saw from the vehicles in our driveway. Their joy was an uplift to us, but we could tell that their joy was not fake. They really were feeling blessed.

It is fun watching people open packages at Christmas time, but the people in our driveway looked way more excited and happy about helping us than what most people do as they unwrap their gifts.

In the days ahead I expect a number of us will be facing new challenges. I understand that there are some who are always taking advantage of others, and many fear becoming like them. Let us be careful that we not overcompensate in the other direction and not take the help that many really desire to give. Not everyone has lost their jobs. Many will have the ability to share and will want to do so. Let us not be too proud to let others have a blessing by graciously accepting their help.

We are so thankful for God’s provision to us through these wonderful people. We are also thankful for the joy they got in helping us. 

It’s Not Over Yet  3-13-20

As I drove into my hometown on a beautiful March morning I could see a fire truck sitting on the side of the road with it’s flashers on. Before long, every intersection along that road would be blocked by fire trucks from across multiple counties.

As I drove by my old High School, I saw a large firefighting ladder truck with the ladder extended over main street. From that ladder hung a huge American Flag with the stars and stripes blowing in the wind. Any car that traveled on that street had to pass under that flag.

We crossed main street and proceeded to our destination- a church that was much too small to hold all the people that would be arriving. As we looked up the hill from the church, we could see firetrucks taking up multiple lanes. The church was filled with firefighters in uniform, but they were not wearing their firefighting gear. There was no fire to fight. Instead there were tears.

There was another truck parked outside the church as well. A white semi that had been driven by a man that so many in the community were remembering.

The man was more than someone who had driven a white truck and had worn a fireman’s uniform. He was someone who had spent time with people. He was part of a community. He had not yet reached 50 years of age when his life ended, but in that short time he had touched many lives. He was more than a volunteer fireman, he was a volunteer at heart. He was willing to help others,

Matthew 22:37-40 has these words, “Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

During the eulogy we heard of his love for others. During the message we heard of his salvation through Christ. What really matters in a life are not the firetrucks and flags, but the love for God and others and a trust in Christ.

The man we were remembering had been to the doctor, but so have so many of us. It was hard knowing that he had eventually taken his last breath.

As we left the church we joined a procession of firetrucks and vehicles filled with mourners. The highway that went past the cemetery had been shut down just for this occasion. As we proceeded to the graveside a different firetruck had been placed at each intersection reminding us of over 2 decades of service as a volunteer fireman by a man who would be missed.

Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold.” The man who was remembered that sad March day, was not perfect. But the testimony of his community showed that he left this world with something precious- a good name that will not be forgotten.

It is even more important that we not forget that we must not leave this world without the salvation of the one who is perfect. He loved us so much that He gave His life for the whole world. Let us love Christ and others as we trust His loving payment for our sins. Then we can know that if we do trust Christ it will not be all over at the end of a magnificent funeral processional. Eternal life with the Lord will await us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 

Light in Grandma's Afghan  2-29-2020

My Grandma Miller spent a lot of time with her yarn and crochet hook. She made my folks a beautiful afghan that they draped over their couch. After a few years, they got a new couch. It was the 1970's and the flower pattern of the new couch was no longer complimented by the the striped afghan the way the plain brown couch had been.

Soon the afghan was packed away and I forgot that my folks even had it. Grandma had made another afghan a few years later. That one did not match any of our couches, but it was just the right size for us kids while we were small. It soon became a favorite to cover up with on a cool day as we watched TV. That afghan was well used and well worn. It had been washed and stretched so often that it barely resembled its original condition. Still it somehow survived decades of use and storage.

Recently Mom took the two afghans and another 2 quilts of of storage and divided them up between myself and my 3 siblings. I ended up with the afghan that was like new. I was thrilled. My sister wanted one of the quilts. One of my brothers was happy to get the other quilt. My youngest brother requested the worn out afghan.

I understood why he wanted that stretched out jumble of yarn. Not only had it been made by the loving hands of our grandmother, but it held countless hours of memories. I remember Dad sitting in the recliner covered with that afghan that his own mother had made. I remember finding comfort in being covered by that familiar blanket as I was suffering from a childhood flu. I remember outgrowing the afghan and wishing it was long enough to cover me like it had been when I was smaller and hooking my big toe in one of the loose loops while stretching the rest around my shoulders. My brother had many of those same wonderful memories and now he has the afghan as well.

My afghan is still in pristine condition. It is tempting to store it away in some trunk so that it is not abused like the other afghan was. The sad truth, however is that my afghan has few memories. It is not nearly as precious as the one my brother has. We decided not to pack it away and to instead let it be used and let it make new memories for our family. Grandma would have liked that.

Jesus says in Matthew 5:14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (NKJV)

In Luke 8:16 Jesus says, "No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.” (NKJV) He repeats the same message in Luke 11:33.

Hope For the Scrap Lumber  2-16-20

My wife asked me to build her a shelf. She did not want anything fancy and she even had a scrap piece of wood that she suggested I use. I informed her that I had some even nicer scrap wood. The piece of wood I chose did not look all that nice at first glance. It had some dings and scratches and was stained with dust and dirt. At first glance her piece of scrap looked much nicer than mine.

Her board was a re purposed portion of chip board that had been painted. Mine was an unused cedar board that had been in storage far too long. An extra coat of paint would have made her board look even nicer. I took a different approach with mine. Rather than covering up the blemishes, I decided to literally remove them. I ran it through my surface planer-removing a small layer of wood along with the blemishes and stains.

After I resurfaced the wood, I built the shelf. My wife was very happy with the results.

I got to thinking that sometimes the best approach is to cover a blemish and other times the best approach is to remove it. There are however some blemishes that cannot be hidden or removed. Even with the added layers of paint, the defects of the chip board would still show through. Running it through the planer would only reveal more layers of defection. Some of my boards have knots that go all the way through them. Some of those knots are lose and planing would cause an ever greater defect to be revealed. Some boards just have to be thrown away or are not fit for anything nice.

Sometimes we can end up feeling like a scrap piece of wood that no one would ever want. Our lives are so marred by sin that we cannot cover it up and there is no way to remove the scars left behind. Who would ever want something so worthless?

I recently watched an artist take a chunk of wood that I would have only used for a campfire and he made an amazing bowl out of it. He saw the beauty in God's creation and used the knotted up portion to create an artistic accomplishment that could not be duplicated.

Let us not forget, that we are all part of God's creation. Some of us are like the tree that has been twisted in the wind and then grows that way. Just because we have been twisted in the wind does not mean God does not have a purpose for us.

Our Lord is like that artist who sees the defect but loves us enough to work with us in spite of that. In fact, He loves us so much that He gave His life to redeem us from the curse of sin. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16).

Christ did not just paint over our sin. He did not plane it off of us. Instead He covered our sin with His blood and washed it away. Like the the board with the deep knot, the scars of the sin still remain, but when we trust Christ He is still able to use us. Often He uses us for a special purpose that the “typical board” wouldn't be suited for.

Because of the love of Christ, we are able to be like the twisted up branch that is made into the special bowl. We should never glory in our sin, but we should also realize that once we die to self and live for God, we can be like the knurled tree that gave up its life to be used in a special way. 

From time to time, Menards has an unadvertised clearance sale. Recently they had a sale on Queen Anne cordial cherries. I am not certain what the regular price was, but they were selling them for a dollar a box. With 10 chocolate covered cherries in sweet sauce, that meant that each once only cost a dime plus tax. I bought a whole stack of them.

As I savored the taste of milk chocolate with a fruity center, I quickly realized that they would not last nearly as long as I had hoped. The box was quite large, but upon opening it I was reminded that most of the container was filled with extravagant plastic packaging and little was filled with the dainties I so desired. Still, upon eating my treat, I was not disappointed.

Sadly the pleasure did not last long and soon the joy had left my mouth and had settled within my stomach leaving me with but a fleeting memory of the goodness. Fortunately there were still 9 more left in the box. The first 5 were quickly eaten before I instituted a measure of restraint.

I quickly realized that if I wanted the enjoyment from these treats to last longer, I would need to limit myself to 1 or 2 per day. Of course, even with that, they would soon be gone.

I had another option available. Since I had purchased so many of them, I could eat to my hearts desire and have a lot of immediate pleasure. The thought of placing another cordial cherry in my mouth just as the last was entering my stomach was exhilarating. After eating 5 of them, however, my stomach was feeling a sensation that had not been present after the first one. I understood the importance of self control and restrained myself.

The scripture actually speaks about a temptation similar to mine. Proverbs 25:16 warns, “Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, Lest you be filled with it and vomit.” (NKJV) I remember my Dad talking about liking sweet corn so much as a kid that he ate it until he was so sick of it that he couldn't eat it for years. I did not want that to happen with my chocolate covered cherries.

I also realized that it would not be a bad idea to share them with others. Of course my wife and children got to enjoy some as well. I also decided to give a box to my aunt when we went to visit her. Upon receiving them she went on and on about how much she loved them. Of course I got a big hug from her that day as well.

Suddenly it occurred to me that the joy on my aunt's face was just as sweet as the chocolate on my lips. Further the memory of her joy was much sweeter than the memory of eating the treat. "And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive."  ( Acts 20:35 NKJV) Further by giving to others, I was able to show love for God and to fulfill a high purpose of fulfilling the royal law of God. James 2:8 says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;” (NKJV)

Eating cordial cherries is definitely fulfilling, but living out the high purpose of loving God and others has a much more lasting joy. 

Ice Cream and Bad Drivers  1-20-20

I love ice cream. My boys love ice cream. My mom loves ice cream. We were recently able to get together for ice cream. As we went up to the counter we were given a variety of selections and the server patiently waited for us to make our choice. She was very nice as she dished up our treat.

As I sat down to eat my delicious bowl of cold goodness, I glanced back up at the counter. The server did not look quite as friendly as she had before. In fact, there was no smile on her face. Suddenly someone approached the counter. As she interacted with them, she again was quite pleasant.

I began to pay more attention to the surroundings. I noticed that a knee cart was parked behind the counter near where she was working. Although I did not get all the details, I found out that she was recovering from a physical condition. That explained why the knee cart was there.

I did not press her for any personal information, but the thought crossed my mind that she could have easily been in pain. That could have explained the strained expression on her face.

That same day I read a meme about a person who was following a car that had a sign in the back window that said, “please be patent with me, I'm learning to drive a stick.” The author went on to explain that the person in the car ahead of them seemed to be doing quite well for someone who was just learning to drive a manual transmission. He also shared that had he not seen the sign, he would have easily become upset by the erratic driving. The meme went on to challenge us to remember that we do not know what others are going through.

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (NASB)

As I observed the ice cream server, I was not trying to be nosy, but my observation made it much easier to understand that her interests were much more serious than ice cream. It reminded me that we need to get out of our own bubble of life and realize that the people around us are also facing challenges. We are commanded by God to love others, but often we do not pay enough attention to their struggles- their interests- to even know how to act in a loving way.

It is also a reminder that sometimes it is okay to let others know what we are going through so that they can display the love that they desire to display. I love how the person put the sign in their car window. It allowed other drivers to give a thumbs up rather than a scowl.

I am not suggesting that we should be scowling at other drivers, but often we have no idea what is really going on around us. As Christians, let us be humble enough to not think the worst of other people, but let us also be humble enough to share our struggles so that others can share their love.

The Philippians passage continues with these words: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (NASB)

Let us follow God's example of love, humility, and care for others.  

Don't Face the Fog Alone  1-6-20

We spent Christmas Eve with my in-laws. They only live about 3 hours away, but we had to drive through the fog to get there. The trip over was not that bad. It was daylight and there were a few breaks in the haze. On the way back, the blanket had descended much more thickly and we did not have the daylight to cut through it.

Fortunately it was not as thick as it has been at other times, but we still drove with caution. We realized that even on a familiar road, we could easily miss our turnoff. The landmarks we were used to seeing could not be identified. It gave me a bit of a feeling of helplessness and a huge feeling of uncertainty.

I am thankful that we were on a familiar road. Imagine how troubling it would have been to have to take a detour on a road we had never driven on in a thick fog. Imagine if we missed a turn because we could not see the signs.

Sometimes life is like that. We end up facing situations that we never had to face before. We have no idea what lies ahead and we cannot see the next turn coming. Even if your life is fairly predictable and is like driving on a familiar road on a cloudless day, there are the times of fog and detour that come upon us.

Must of us are able to handle the bumps along the road without too much trouble. Even a detour or a bit of fog is not that big of a deal. But from time to time there are circumstances in life where the fog detours and bumpy roads all come at the same time. Imagine being on such a road and you are already behind schedule. Driving fast is too dangerous, but being late will also mess up your life. There is no good option, but slowing down and being safe and considering the safety of others is the best option.

In life we often have to chose the best option by asking what would best show my love for God and others and then realize that we cannot go through the fog alone.

As I was driving on Christmas Eve, I was thankful that my wife was there to help me watch for our exit from the interstate. As I go through life I am thankful for those who I can look to for guidance. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.”

One of the huge advantages of a church family is the ability to get together with other people who love God and get their advice as we travel through the fog. Still there are times when none of us can see where to go. That is when we must all call out to God in prayer. We plan out our route, but God puts us where He wants us and is there to guide us along even when we cannot see the way. “The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9 NASB)

As we face the new year, we have no idea what fog or detour lies ahead. Let's not face it alone. Face it with Christ and other Christians. 

Saving Gum For a Month  12-5-19

I became a bit concerned as I listened to my boys talking. My 10 year old was saying that he had the same gum for over a month. His brother asked how he had it for so long and he replied that he just saved it. I was imagining him sticking it on his bed frame at night and then retrieving it the next morning. I was just getting ready to give him a lecture about hygiene and sanitation and the problem of germs, when I suddenly realized that I might be jumping to the wrong conclusion.

I asked him if he was talking about gum that had already been chewed or if he meant that he had been saving gum that was new in the package. He gave me the wrinkled up face “oh gross” look and said that he had been saving it new in the package.

His face made it clear that there was no need for any lecture. He could have given a more passionate lecture on that subject than I could have. It was a reminder that I need to be careful not to create unnecessary conflict by jumping to conclusions. The scripture reminds us in James 1:19, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;” (NASB) We as Christians ought to be careful how we act and that includes being quick to hear and slow to speak.

The gum incident and the words from the book of James remind me to listen before jumping to conclusions. The book of Proverbs actually gives the example of a person who took hasty action and ended up with egg on their face. Proverbs 25:8 says, “Do not go out hastily to argue your case; Otherwise, what will you do in the end, When your neighbor puts you to shame?” (NASB) The next verses tell us that instead we are to go and talk to our neighbor directly. “Argue your case with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret of another, Lest he who hears it reproach you, And the evil report about you not pass away.” (Proverbs 25:9-10 NASB)

If you jump to a wrong conclusion and you act accordingly and start to spread wrong information, you will end up hurting your own reputation. Talking to your neighbor and listening can resolve a lot of misunderstanding. Imagine how silly I would have looked if I started to tell others how gross my son was for saving his gum. Once the truth came out and everyone could see how disciplined he was in not just using up the gum, I would have been the one who looked ridiculous, not him.

Often when we jump to conclusions the damage is much more serious than looking silly over gum. We run the danger of hurting the reputations of others and of ourselves. Further we might end up causing strife between others when it could have been avoided by simply listening after sharing our concerns.

I shared my concern about gum with my son and then listened. His response cleared up the matter immediately. A lot of tension between people could be avoided if we applied this principle on a regular basis. 

 Thankful For God's Provision  11-22-19

I like getting a good deal at auctions. Recently a pickup came up for sale on an online auction and it was not too far away. It was newer than any of our current vehicles, but it had a dent in the drivers door and a few other minor issues. I noticed that the bidding was not going very high so my wife and I talked about it and decided that if it went cheap enough that it would be a good investment. Of course it would have to be a really good deal for us to make that investment.

Once the final auction day arrived, the pickup was still priced within our budget, but I realized that all it would take is one other bidder for the price to be beyond our reach. I also knew that God has a way of supplying for our needs. I do not demand that God give me what I want, but I do bring my cares before Him knowing of His love and unlimited power.

I prayed about the truck and asked for wisdom about how high of a bid I should make. I settled on a price that would make it easy for me to be outbid if God did not want us to have the pickup. I put in my maximum bid a few minutes before the auction was to expire and waited. If another bidder upped their bid, the auction would go into overtime. With 40 seconds left, we were still the high bidder. My boys were excited as they sat next to me waiting for the result. Another bidder upped their bid, but it was not over our high bid.

Finally the auction expired and and we got the truck for about $455 less than my top bid. We ended up getting the truck for about half of what other comparable trucks were selling for. My boys were very excited. We would be getting a newer truck and they did not have to worry about paying for it. I was excited as well. I was also thankful and shared my thankfulness in prayer, but I was the one who had to write the check.

I began to worry a bit. Although God had provided for us in an amazing way- a way that was so reasonable that we actually had the cash on hand to pay for it- that meant that our emergency fund was nearly depleted.

The next day I began to read Matthew ch 6 because I was interested in the first part of the chapter, but then I came to last few verses where it said,

"Do not be anxious then, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'With what shall we clothe ourselves?' "For all these things the Gentiles eagerly seek; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:31-34 NASB)

Not only had God provided an inexpensive vehicle, but He had also provided the reassurance that I needed from His word. He reminded me not to worry about tomorrows unknown emergencies and instead trust in His provision.

These reassurances are not an excuse to be careless with our finances, but we had made a very conservative financial decision where God had provided in an amazing way. There was no need to worry. It is encouraging to know that God cares for us and is concerned with our daily needs of food and clothing. He even cares about our vehicle needs. Best of all, He knows what we need for daily encouragement from His word. We have much to thank God for. 

Thankfully Jingling the Bells   11-7-19

      We are entering the holiday season. Soon we will celebrate Thanksgiving, then Christmas, and finally the new year. Recently one of our boys wanted to sing Away in the Manger and his older brother said that since it was almost Thanksgiving, we could start to sing Christmas songs. Another friend chimed in and said that she had been listening to Christmas songs since July.

      My oldest son who has become somewhat of a walking encyclopedia, then went on to explain that although “Jingle Bells” is often thought of as a Christmas song, it was actually written in reference to Thanksgiving.

      “Jingle Bells” does not reference God or religion, but the song is about rejoicing as it glorifies the fun of riding and singing. Rejoicing in prayer and thanksgiving is really what the November holiday should be all about.

      The song about the one horse open sleigh reminds us that singing and giving of thanks should go hand in hand. The Bible reminds us of that as well.

      In the Old Testament, the ark of the covenant reminded the people of God's covenant. It also reminded them of His presence with them. Since the ark was covered with the mercy seat, it also reminded them of God's mercy. Inside the ark was Aaron's rod and manna from heaven, which reminded them of God's deliverance and provision. The ark of the covenant was a reminder that they had a lot to be thankful for.

      God called King David “a man after mine own heart.” As the ark of the covenant was brought to Jerusalem David gave the nation's choir leader a song to sing for that special occasion. It begins with these words: “Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.” (I Chronicles 16:8-10 NASB)

      The context of that song was the ark of the covenant coming to Jerusalem. The ark was a reminder of God's promises, presence, mercy, deliverance, and provision. It was also a reminder of God's power. It reminds us that there is so much to thank God for and that the thankfulness should lead to rejoicing. That rejoicing took place as Asaph, the choir director, used the song we find in I Chronicles so that he could lead the people in singing a song of praise.

      As I heard about our friend who has been listening to Christmas songs since July, I thought about the reason we as Christians celebrate Christmas. It is about God coming to earth as a baby to bring His promises, presence, mercy, deliverance, provision, and power to the world as He showed His love by dying on the cross for our sins. We get to rejoice with thanksgiving because our God is not dead, He is alive. He rose again and lives and reigns with power and mercy. We have a lot to be thankful for.

God is Greater than Determination  10-27-19

     Our boys are getting taller. My wife informed me that our 9 year old is wearing size 10 jeans but they are about 8 inches too short for him. Our 11 year old told me the other day that he keeps bumping his head. He is growing so fast that places he used to walk under are now too low for him.

     They like getting taller and look forward to being taller than their mom. They might even end up being taller than I am. I have no idea which one of my boys will end up being the tallest. Although good nutrition may help them gain some stature, pure determination will not. I am thankful for that, because my sons are very determined and I cannot imagine how tall they would end up being if they waged a contest over who would be the tallest.

     There are certain things that we can accomplish by sheer determination. I have watched my sons build some amazing forts. Still those forts pale in comparison to some of the amazing cathedrals around the world.

     In Genesis 11, we read about how after the world wide flood, the people of the world got together to build a huge city and tower. “And they said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name; lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." (Genesis 11:4 NASB)

     God saw what they were doing and realized that man's determination would cause him to set even higher goals and that they would achieve those goals. God wanted to slow things down, so He made different languages and thus the tower was called The Tower of Babel. It is a reminder that as determined as man is, he is not more powerful than God.

     Some determined men have build great structures. The pyramids in Egypt and the Great Wall in China are examples. Legends tell of other's determination leading them to search for the fountain of youth. Advances in medicine have allowed us to feel more youthful for a time. Hip and knee replacements are examples. Stints and surgery can even extend the effectiveness of the heart. Still there are limits. Hebrews 9:27 tells us, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” (NASB)

     Although we have not found the fountain of youth or even a medical technique or exercise program to stop all aging, there is a way to find eternal life. It is not found through determination though. It is found by recognizing that God is greater than we are and that He is our only hope for eternal life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (NASB)

     Eternal life is a gift from God when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what John 3:16 is about. It is not something we get through achievement or determination. Rather it is something we get when we realize we cannot get it on our own and that we need God. As we realize He is all powerful and believe on Him and His payment on the cross, we are given a wonderful gift. It is not about determination. It is all about a loving merciful God.

     “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

What Does it Mean to Believe?  10-11-19

I am not a big sports fan, but because I am a Christian I have heard of Tim Tebow. I am just familiar enough with him to realize that like so many other athletes, there are continued debates about his talents. Some believe in him others do not.

The same could be said about Tom Brady. Although his talents are not as debated as Tebow's the controversy over his support among football fans is even greater. Many avid Patriot fans believe in Brady, others hate him.

When I talk about belief in these athletes, I am not talking about a belief in their existence. All we have to do is watch replays of their games to know they are real. When I speak of belief in Brady or Tebow, I am talking about belief in their abilities and their worthiness to be on the field playing the game.

Belief also has the idea of an alliance. If you believe in the New England Patriots, that means you are on their side- rooting for them to win. Throughout history people have taken sides and it was often more serious than wearing the colors of their favorite sports team. Often it meant taking sides in a military conflict or even choosing which king to form an alliance with.

For example after the famous king Solomon passed away, his son Rehaboam dealt harshly with his people. That caused many of them to no longer want to follow him. When they found someone else that they could believe in, many of them followed a man named Jeroboam instead. Soon the kingdom was divided with some people believing in Rehaboam and following him while others believed in Jeroboam, making him a king and following him instead.

I am not a sports fan, so I have not found an athlete to follow and believe in. I have however found a king. The king I have found is a king worth believing in. Not only does he have the abilities and the right to be my king, he is the sort of king that I want to be faithful to. He is concerned about justice and cannot be bribed. He cares about those under his care. In fact he cared so much that he gave his life for his people.

Some may be disappointed to learn that such a great king has died. I too would be disappointed if it were not for the fact that he is now alive again. The Apostle Paul wrote of the good news about my king: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,” (I Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB)

My king is alive and I believe in Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) A Christian belief in Jesus is more than a belief that He exists. It is an alliance with a king. I am following my Lord and savior as His humble servant. He as my King and master. I believe in Jesus Christ. 

Family History of the Heart  9-27-19

Grandpa Miller died when I was 6 years old. I remember coming home with Mom and seeing Dad's John Deere tractor with its front wheels up on the silage pile. The plow was still hooked to the back of the tractor. Grandpa Miller had been plowing with that tractor earlier in the day.

We found out that Grandpa had a heart attack and had died in the tractor trying to make it back from the field. He was only 68 years old. Years later, my dad had a heart attack in his 50's. His brothers also had heart problems. I had a cousin on the Miller side, who died in his 30's after multiple heart attacks.

When my dad went to the doctor for his heart attack they told him that his heart was already damaged from an earlier attack. Friends have warned through the years not to ignore symptoms and that something as simple as a feeling of heartburn might actually be the heart, not the stomach.

I recently had some strange symptoms. I had a heartburn type feeling that radiated into the jaw. I also had some chest tightness along with it. It soon passed. Days later, I went to move some sandbags and I lost my breath much quicker than I normally do. This was followed by pain between and behind the shoulder blades. I decided to go to the Avera Heart Hospital.

They hooked me to a bunch of wires and did an EKG. The EKG was normal, so was the blood test. Because of the symptoms and the family history, they decided to do a stress test- especially since the chest pain was continuing. They did another EKG while I ran on a treadmill. They also did 2 different nuclear die tests- one before and one after the treadmill. The tests were inconclusive, so they followed up with an angiogram. That test showed that there were no blockages, but if there had been they would have fixed them with a stint while they were there.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (NASB) Although this passage is not talking about the physical aspect of the heart, I thought of this verse. The symptoms can be deceptive and the tests inconclusive, but the staff at Avera was doing all they could to know the heart. They even did an ultrasound to see if there was inflammation.

I was both surprised and relieved to discover that I did not have any blockages in my heart. The EKG was good and the blood test showed there had been no damage. They told me to take medication for heartburn and to follow up with a general practitioner.

I am glad I did not ignore the symptoms. I wonder what would have happened if Grandpa had responded to his symptoms earlier or if he had even had a cell phone to call for help.

I hope that others do not ignore their hearts. I also pray that we all respond to the spiritual aspect of the heart. Christ warns in Mark 7:21-23 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (NASB)

All of us have a family history of the heart problem of sin. That is why we need Jesus Christ. Our sin has separated us from God, but Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. He died there, but then rose again. If we believe on Him as our Lord and savior, He heals our sin problem and makes us right with God. He is able to deal with the parts of the heart the hospital does even test for.

I'm Not In the Hurricane  9-13-19

One of the advantages to living in Worthing is that we do not have to fight traffic. The other day I found myself on Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls between 5 and 5:30. It took way longer to get from Avera to 229 than it did to get from 229 to Worthing. We found ourselves in stop and go traffic. Further the air conditioning was not working.

Because the air was not working I had to roll down the windows- well actually I had to push a button so that an electric motor would roll down the windows. It was such an inconvenience. I had to spend some extra time sitting on a cushioned seat as I listened to the radio while waiting for the traffic to progress.

Of course you can see how trivial my concerns were. While I sat in comfort, many had recently lost their homes to a hurricane. Others had recently lost their lives. Still I am not used to so much traffic, so it was hard for me to find the contentment that I needed. It reminds me of I Timothy 6:6-9 which says, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.” (NASB)

By historical standards we in the USA are quite rich. Even some of the worst cars on the road today would be luxury compared to transportation in Bible times. Notice verse 9 again. “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

After the Bahamas were hit by Hurricane Dorian, it was understandable that people would be concerned about having food and clothing. But the more we have, the more we want and the more trivial our concerns become. The evidence of how prosperous we have become is that instead of worrying about if we will have enough to eat we are worried about if our car gets a scratch on it.

I am not suggesting that we be careless with our possessions nor that we should not respect what belongs to other people. Still it is so easy to let the trivial things of life cause needless conflict.

If you are a parent or grandparent you have likely had a couch cushion damaged by a child. If the child was naughty or careless, then that issue must be addressed, but often these things happen without sin or malice of any sort.

Throughout history and even throughout the world today, most people did not have fancy enough furniture to even worry about stains. So many of the things we worry about are quite trivial.

Instead of worrying about getting a nicer couch or car, let us focus on being more godly. If we can learn to be content with what we have, then we will be able to see that godliness is much more important to gain than any riches. “But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.” (I Timothy 6:6)

As followers of Christ, it may be tempting to just live on the streets and be content to get free clothes and food at the shelters. But as we are content with what we have and as we grow in godliness, we should want to help others. That is why we should have jobs if we are able. Ephesians 4:28 challenges, “Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.”

Our godliness and contentment should be evidenced as we show love for God and others. 

We Found the Old Mill 8-30-19

Our boys like hiking trails. On a recent visit to a state park, I decided to look at a map and ignore the trails. The map showed a trail leading to the site of a long abandoned grain mill that had been built along a river in the early 1800's. All that was left was a number of rocks that made up the original foundation. Still, once we reached it, we were able to see the remnants of the mill.

Reaching it was not as easy as we expected though. We looked at the map and the trail that led to the mill seemed to take a longer route than necessary. We concluded that if we took a shortcut and left the trail and headed west instead of south, we would soon reach the river and then we could follow the river to the mill and save a lot of time.

We crested a small hill as we took our shortcut and found that the ground abruptly turned downward in steep grade that led to the river. It was too steep to even walk down. We followed this embankment to point where a ravine diverted runoff into the river. The 25 foot descent was much gentler at this point. As we neared the river, the drop became much steeper. We could see the river flowing at a brisk rate below and watched the rapids spew water giving evidence of dangerous currents. As we approached, we saw that it would be very difficult to walk along the edge of the river, since the banks of the river were extremely steep. There were so many trees that in order to get close enough to follow the river we would have to cling to the trees themselves so that we did not fall in.

After assessing the situation we decided that it was too dangerous to take our shortcut and that it would actually take much longer than the trail that was shown on the map. In order to get back to the trail we took yet another route back up the hill. The climb was so steep we had to hold onto trees to make the trek. Once we reached the top, we found ourselves on a narrow ridge with another steep drop off on the other side. We were able to follow that ridge back to safer ground and soon found the trail.

The trail was marked well and had signs to show us where to go. Soon we found the mill site. We read a sign that said the mill likely failed because it was so difficult to get to. We agreed. The well marked trail we followed was steep and narrow. The way we attempted without the trail was quite wide in the sense that as we headed out, we had not limited ourselves other than heading west and staying on our side of the river. Had we fallen into the river, our way could have easily led to destruction.

The way to God is narrow as well. We cannot just choose our own path. We need to go the way He tells us to go. "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-4 NASB)

The path to God must go through Jesus Christ as we trust Him as our Lord and savior. “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.” (John 14:6 NASB)

I am glad we finally found the site of the old mill. I am even more glad that I found God. 

Fury and Forgiveness  8-6-19

We once visited the zoo and saw a warning sign by the wolf pen. It warned that the wolf was territorial and that visitors should not put their hands in the cages. Rather than wanting to be pet, the wolf could become very angry that his territory had been invaded. We felt quite safe on our side of the fence, but I would not want to run into a wolf in the wild and I would definitely not want to do anything to make it angry.

Angry wolves can be so dangerous that the scriptures even use them to illustrate the dangers of the enemies of God. I am glad that my God is not like the wolf. Still, God does get angry and does defend His commands. Remember that He created the whole universe so everything belongs to Him.

God does not bite simply because we put our hand through a fence, but He does hold us accountable for sin and unbelief. John 3:36 warns, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NASB)

During the time of Danial, the nation of Israel was taken into captivity by the nation of Babylon. This was a result of their sin. It was during that time that Daniel was thrown into the lion's den. Lions are a lot like wolves, yet God protected Daniel. Incidentally, Daniel was thrown in with the lions, not because of his sin, but because of his faithfulness to God. Although Daniel was in Babylon because God was chastening the people for their sin, God was still showing mercy to those who were faithful to Him.

God showed grace and mercy to many others during that time as well. For example, Daniel had three friends who survived being thrown into a fiery furnace by the power of our almighty God. Years later, God showed mercy on the whole nation of Israel by allowing them to return home after more than a generation of captivity. Psalm 85 is actually a song about how God's anger over their sin did not last forever and neither did their captivity in Babylon. Psalm 85:2-3 says, “Thou didst forgive the iniquity of Thy people; Thou didst cover all their sin. Selah. Thou didst withdraw all Thy fury; Thou didst turn away from Thy burning anger.” (NASB)

God does get angry over sin. Jesus demonstrated that when He overthrew the tables of those who were cheating people in the temple. His anger at sin was also shown in the world wide flood, but then His grace and mercy was shown as He gave us the rainbow promising never to send such a flood again.

God does get angry over sin and there are consequences for our actions, but God also forgives. We see that clearly in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASB) As John 3:36 above explained, eternal life comes through Jesus Christ, but the wrath of God abides on us without Him. That is why we must humble ourselves before God as we believe that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. Then we must recognize that our risen savior has authority over our lives.

Both God's wrath over sin and God's forgiveness help us to understand His goodness. Sin is bad, so God has to deal with it, but God forgives, and His wrath does not have to continue. He is not like a wolf that will not back off from the attack. 1 John 1:9 explains, “ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NASB) Confess your sins before God. He does not stay mad, but instead forgives.

Don't Brag When Doing Right  7-19-19

I have a neighbor who has a very good reputation around town. When I first met him, I found him to be a very friendly man. During that first conversation we had, I talked about Christ and this neighbor assured me that he too was a Christian. His behavior since that time has supported his testimony. In fact, others who know him have also said that he is the real deal when it comes to his faith. He reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:17, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” (NASB)

I understand that my neighbor is not perfect, but it is encouraging to have someone who sets a good example for others to follow.

I know of another man who talks a lot about Christ, but does not have the same reputation that my neighbor has. Like my neighbor I have heard multiple times how godly this other man is, but there is a difference. Instead of hearing from other people how godly this other man is, I keep hearing it from that man saying it about himself. Proverbs 27:2 warns, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not your own lips.” (NASB) I remember going to a memorial service and during the eulogy, this man bragged about how much he had helped the deceased .

My godly neighbor does not have to praise himself. Others do it for him. The other man seems to have missed the importance of verses like II Corinthians 10:18 , “For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.” (NASB) "When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:2 NASB) "And when you pray, you are not to be as the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners, in order to be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” (Matthew 6:5 NASB) "And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full” (Matthew 6:16 NASB)

Though Paul encouraged others to follow his example in Philippians 3:17, just before that he stressed how although there was a lot he could brag about, his true boast was in Christ. Philippians 3:9-10 says, “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;” (NASB)

As Christians if we are ever asked about what we are most proud of spiritually, our answer should always be that Christ is our savior. Let us brag on Him, not on ourselves. Bragging on ourselves can actually confuse the gospel message of Jesus dying for our sins and raising from the dead and how it is about Him saving us rather than us saving ourselves. Titus 3:5-6 summarizes it very well when it says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (NASB)

We ought to live godly lives. My neighbor is a good example. Christ is an even better example. As we follow good examples, don't brag about it- just do it.

God & the Sinkhole Mystery  7-6-19

This spring a large sink hole opened up in Rapid city. According to reports, it was nearly 30 feet across and up to 40 feet deep. A road and sidewalk were closed and a large amount of material was hauled in to fill the hole. Officials stated that they expect that the material will not continue to sink, but they still do not know the cause of the sink hole. It remains a mystery.

There is a lot in this world that still remains a mystery. Some of those things- like sinkholes- can become dangerous. With all the unknowns in the world and with all the potential dangers, it is comforting to know that God understands what is happening and that we can trust Him.

Just as we cannot see what is going on under the ground, we cannot see all that God is doing behind the scenes. Events of life and even God's plans for them are some of the greatest mysteries that we face.

A man named Job faced a lot of trials in his life. Some of his friends thought they had solved the mystery about why he was facing so much hardship. They however were wrong. Job himself tried to figure things out and also came to many wrong conclusions.

Job actually had the advantage of hearing from God himself. What he heard, however, was quite humbling. God begins by saying, "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” (Job 38:2 NASB) In other words, God tell Job that Job does not know what he is talking about. God then asks Job a series of questions beginning with, "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements, since you know? Or who stretched the line on it?” (Job 38:4-5 NASB) God is making it clear to Job that man does not know more than his creator and really is not in a place to question the creator's decisions.

God says something very similar in Isiah 45:9, "Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker--An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands'?” (NASB)

As God speaks to Job, He talks of so many of the mysteries of creation including the stars, the seas, the clouds, the behavior and strength of animals, wind, rain, thunderbolts, water turning to ice, death, and birth. God set up all these things. He understands them, we do not. God then asks Job another very direct question when He says, "Will the faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Let him who reproves God answer it." (Job 40:2NASB) As we read the Psalms we find many of the writers questioning what God is doing and trying to understand the trials they are facing. Of course it is good to go to God with our concerns, but it is quite another thing to accuse God of fault for what He is doing. God is also quite direct with Job in vs 8-9, "Will you really annul My judgment? Will you condemn Me that you may be justified? Or do you have an arm like God, And can you thunder with a voice like His?” (Job 40:8 NASB)

After hearing all of this and the rest of what we read in chapters 38-41, Job repents and his answer is quite humble as he says, "I know that Thou canst do all things, And that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' "Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know." (Job 42:2-3 NASB)

Job is a reminder that even when what God is doing is a mystery that baffles us, we can still trust Him. He is the creator who is powerful enough to do what is right even when it is a mystery to the rest of us.

What Do You Look Like?  6-21-19

As I drove down the road I saw flashing lights and a trailer in the ditch. Once I got closer I saw a man in a uniform. The protective vest, radio, and firearm, in addition to the rest of what he was wearing, quickly identified him as a police officer.

When I walk into Walmart and see someone with a blue vest with yellow on the back of it, I recognize them as a Walmart employee.

In a similar manner if I see someone with a yellow reflective vest and a hardhat, I figure that they are a construction worker.

Although farmers do not have a specific uniform, if I see someone wearing a pliers, a Pioneer seed corn hat, and cowboy boots, I have a pretty good inkling about their profession.

Although appearances can be misleading, we can often get some clues about people simply by how they appear. If that is the case, then what should a Christian look like? If that Christian is a Lincoln County Sheriffs Deputy, then he or she should look just like the officer that I saw the other day. If the Christian works at Walmart, then the answer is obvious.

Of course not all farmers wear pliers and cowboy boots nor do they all plant Pioneer seed. Furthermore, all Christians are not going to wear the same kinds of clothes or even cut their hair the same- nor should they.

Still there are things that we should all be able to see as we look at Christians that should make them stand out just as much as a construction worker with a hardhat. These are the sorts of things that should transcend time and culture.

Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (NASB) These are the sorts of things that should stand out in the lives of Christians so that they will be set apart in any country or any point in history.

Romans 12:2 reminds us that as Christians we are not to be worldly. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NASB)  Notice that in order to avoid being worldly there is nothing said about a “Christian uniform.” Instead the focus is on the renewing the mind to God's will. As we trust Christ, His Spirit comes to dwell within us and the fruits of our doing His will are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Philippians 2:14-16 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” (NASB)

Notice that by doing things without complaining and arguing, Christians stand out from the rest of the world and shine as lights. Godly behavior is a far better way to identify a Christian than any outward uniform could ever be. Our behavior is not what rescues us from the wages of sin. Trusting Jesus and His death and resurrection for our sins is what saves us. Still, once we are saved, He will transform us and we should stand out.

Therefore, "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 NASB) 

We Don't Have to Fight  6-9-19

We were able to attend the grand opening of Mill's Fleet Farm in Sioux Falls. I had been in their stores in the past, so I had an idea of what to expect. Still I was pleased with the large selection of items in the store.

I already have a friend who prefers Home Depot over Menard's and now we have yet another store in the mix. Now the debate will not just be between Home Depot, Menard's, and Fleet Farm, but also between what is better, Fleet Farm or Walmart.

Knowing human nature, it would not surprise me if the debate became quite heated, but my prayer and request is that no one use this article to begin that debate. Instead let it be a reminder of how easy it is to find something to argue about.

I recently watched an episode of “When Calls the Heart” where two of the students were given an assignment to debate about whether the car or horse was a better mode of transportation. Rather than having calm debate, two girls ended up getting really mad at each other. It ended up being an opportunity for the teacher to give further instruction- not just on debate, but on character.

As I think about those two child actresses playing the part of the contentious debaters, I realize how closely they were portraying what can happen in real life. I remember my dad talking about 2 of my uncles getting into a fight as teenagers about whether or not to use the tractor or the horses to haul manure. I also think of my childhood and the ridiculous fights I had with my own brothers about Fords and Chevys.

As I think about fighting with my brothers about vehicles, what really motivated me was the desire to win the debate. Not everyone fights for such selfish reason, but my pride kept me in the conflict.

The Apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi where two Christians where having a conflict. Both these people had been faithful to the gospel but were not getting along with each other. In chapter 4, Paul encourages the rest of the people in the church to help them to get along.

Before that he had challenged them all to, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB). In other words, they were to apply the second greatest command and love their neighbor like themselves. That is the essence of the golden rule of treating others like you would like to be treated.

We are to set aside our own self interest and be more concerned for others. If we did that each time we had a conflict, then most arguments would end quickly.

God's word then goes on to show the Philippians- and us- that Jesus is the great example of putting others ahead of oneself. Philippians 2:5-8 shows us that He was and is God, yet He became a servant and died on the cross for others. We ought to follow Christ's example and be humble enough to put others ahead of ourselves instead of wanting to always win every argument.

Of course many of us are hoping the one we are arguing with will read an apply this, but remember that Philippians 2:3-4 tells us to think of others. In other words, consider the one you are arguing with as more important than you are and put yourself in their shoes. If that becomes hard to do, then remember what Christ did for you as He humbled Himself and became a man who was a servant who died for your sins. Also remember that He is now alive, so live for His glory, not your own.

Singing Life's Lessons  5-24-19

Music is all around us. Early in the morning I can hear the birds singing. I walk into stores and can hear music playing in the background. Each of our vehicles has a radio with multiple music stations to choose from.

Much of the music that we hear is quite entertaining. I even enjoy hearing the birds, but music also has value in helping us to learn. For example, if not for the ABC song, I would have struggled much more with my letters. I still find myself singing it in my mind as I go through the alphabet.

As I grew older, music continued to be a great teaching tool. I remember learning about how a bill became a law as I watched “Schoolhouse Rock.” Throughout life music has taught me about history and culture. I became aware of a terrible shipwreck on one of our Great Lakes as I listed to Gordon Lightfoot sing about “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” As I listen to the words of “When Johnny Comes Marching Home,” I get a glimpse of a culture looking for optimism in the aftermath of the devastation of war.

Even listening to the birds can be instructive. It can tell us morning is coming and can even give us some indications about the weather.

Music can also be very instructive in helping us to learn more about God. The song, “Jesus Loves Me,” teaches an important basic truth that we also find in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

The song, “Amazing Grace,” is a somewhat autobiographical song about John Newton. The author, had been a slave trader, but had found Christ and the grace of God that comes with trusting Jesus Christ as savior. The words were originally written as a sermon illustration. In other words, they were a teaching tool. Consider these words from his song;

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
   That sav'd a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
   Was blind, but now I see.

'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
   And grace my fears reliev'd;
How precious did that grace appear
   The hour I first believ'd!

Before trusting Christ, Newton was lost and blind in his sin, but after coming to Christ, he found the grace of God as he believed.

Music as a teaching tool is not new. The Psalms in the Bible were actually songs. Although we only have the words and not the music, they are still instructive. In fact, in verse one of Psalm 78, we are told why this song was written. “(A Maskil of Asaph.) Listen, O my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.” (Psalm 78:1 NASB) Asaph (the song leader) asks that his instruction be listened to. In other words this song will teach something. The song then goes on to speak of the history of the Children of Israel, but more importantly it speaks of their interaction with God. It teaches that God holds people accountable for their sins, but it also teaches that He extends mercy.

Psalm 78 is a great summary of the gospel message that John Newton also wrote about. Psalm 78 teaches that although God must judge sin, His compassion of grace and mercy is still available. This is what John 3:16 is all about. God loved the word so much that He sent His only begotten son to pay the penalty for sin as Jesus died on the cross and then rose again. In order to receive the grace from God we must believe on Jesus Christ as our Lord and risen savior. These songs teach us about God and His love and how we ought to respond to His love. As I read Psalm 78, I learn from a song that was written thousands of years ago, but more important, I am learning from God's word.

Exciting New Discoveries 5-12-19

I recently helped a homeowner dig down near his house to install some drainage to get the water away from his basement. As we dug we found a large amount of rock about 20 feet from his house. Soon we discovered that they were not just random rocks, but that the rocks had been arranged in a specific order. Further we noticed that there was some white powdery substance between the rocks and that the rocks and powdery substance were arranged in a consistent width. It appeared to be an old foundation of some sort.

I asked him if he knew of anther house that had been on the property before the current house was built. He was not aware of any, but knew that the current house had been built in 1912. There was also a barn on the property that had been built well before that. He knew the date the barn was built based on the fact that it had been carved into the wood on the inside. Combining clues from observation and history we were able to come up with some theories about what we had found as we dug. Still, without further information, we could not come up with any definite conclusions. Was the old rock wall part of a basement of an old house? Was it an old root cellar? Had it been a cistern for holding water?

Without further details, we were simply left guessing. If however we found some historical writing or some real old pictures, then we could come to some further details. Even verbal testimony from someone who had talked to someone who lived back then would help us to fill in the details.

Our little archaeological dig was interesting, but there are many more digs going on across the world. For example I recently watched a PBS program where archaeologists were looking for evidence for an old school that used to be in a town that is no longer in existence. They found the decayed remnants of what looked to be posts in the ground and at first assumed they were part of the foundation. After further investigation they decided that the holes were too round for that era and were probably the remnants of fence posts since the area had long been a farm field.

Since there was such limited written history on the area, they were trying to fill in the gaps with their archaeological discoveries.

There are ,however, regions of the world where there is much more historical writing to aid in archaeological investigation. The Bible provides a written history that focuses a lot on the region of the Middle East. Not only is the nation of Israel at the center of the Biblical account, there is a lot of history about the region of Babylon. For example the city of Mosul in Iraq, is at the same location as the Biblical city of Nineveh where the prophet Jonah ministered.

Digging in that city had been limited until world events changed things. About 5 years ago ISIS forces took control of Mosul. In order to finance their efforts, they wanted to find artifacts that they could sell, so they dug tunnels. A few years later, ISIS was defeated and driven out of Mosul. Within the tunnels they had left were ancient inscriptions with the names of ancient kings. They matched the names of the kings of that region that were listed in the Bible. By combining archaeology with the historical account of the Bible we are able to put the clues together in a way that gives us a lot of information.

It is exciting to see that modern day observation shows us that we can trust what the Bible says. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”(NKJV) 

Our faith is based on solid evidence/proof of what we believe. Faith in Christ and His word is not blind. There is a lot of evidence to support our Bible. 

When Prayer Disappoints  4-25-19

What if prayer doesn't work? Imagine that you are facing a time of discouragement, so you lie awake at night and pray, but it doesn't help. You still feel discouraged. You may began to wish that you were more like the great spiritual leaders of the past, so that you did not have that problem.

What if I told you that one of the great spiritual leaders in the Bible faced that problem. His name was Asaph and he was the choirmaster in Jerusalem. He was one of the great ministers leading the worship of God in music. Not only did he lead the music but he wrote songs. Some of those songs became part or our Bible. One of them is recorded as Psalm 77.

He starts this Psalm by saying that he cried aloud to God. He is praying out loud, and talks of stretching his hands out at night as he seeks the Lord. Then at the end of verse 2, he makes this revealing statement, “my soul refuses to be comforted.”

Even though he is crying out to God in prayer and even though he acknowledges that God hears him, he is not able to find comfort. Verse 3 is especially revealing, “When I remember God, then I am disturbed; When I sigh, then my spirit grows faint. Selah.” (NASB)

The word “Selah” is a word that means to pause. It is worth pausing to think about what Asaph was saying. He was saying that he was disturbed and discouraged when he remembered God. That may sound strange coming from a great worship leader who wrote part of the Bible, but it is also a reminder of the reality of our human emotions. It should not surprise us if we end up feeling the same way when we face times of trial.

Verses 5-9 explain why he is discouraged as he thinks about God. Asaph remembers what God has done in the past but recognizes that what he wants to happen is not happening now. He quite bluntly asks in vs 9, “Has God forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.” (NASB)

Imagine trying to encourage a farmer who has not yet gotten into his fields because it is so wet out. Talking about the years that everything was planted before the first of May will not likely be a comfort. In a similar way, when you feel like your back is against the wall, reading about the parting of the Red Sea may not bring you comfort, since you are not seeing any way opening before you now.

Asaph knew how that felt, but he also understood God as he was praying to Him. As discouraged as he had become he continued to think about God and the more he thought, the better he understood. Notice what he says, “I will meditate on all Thy work, And muse on Thy deeds. Thy way, O God, is holy; What god is great like our God? Thou art the God who workest wonders; Thou hast made known Thy strength among the peoples.” (Psalm 77:12-14 NASB)

He even reflects on God opening up the way through the Red Sea as he says, “Thy way was in the sea, And Thy paths in the mighty waters, And Thy footprints may not be known. Thou didst lead Thy people like a flock, By the hand of Moses and Aaron.” (Psalm 77:19-20 NASB)

When praying doesn't seem to help, do not stop reflecting on how great God is. Asaph did not forget that he could trust God, even when he did not “feel” comforted. In our humanity we are not always going to feel like we wished we felt, but we should always remember that our God is not only powerful enough to help, but He loved us enough to die on the cross for our sins and then He showed His power in raising from the dead. We can trust Him. Trust Christ even when you do not feel like it.

Handle the Worst Stain  4-12-19

With 4 boys in the house we end up with a lot of spills. To be honest, not all the spills are caused by them. I spill too. We are happy that the main living areas of our house (kitchen, dining and living room) do not have carpet. It is much easier to clean up spills on a solid floor.

The church, however does have carpet. Not only do we have spills, but this time of year we also have mud. At church, food and fellowship go hand in hand and like at home, it is not only the kids that spill.

We recently found a refurbished Rug Doctor online that was purchased to be used to keep the church carpet clean. It quickly conquered a couple of stains in the hallway from the foyer to the main meeting room.

The first Sunday we had it, I announced our new purchase and said that spills would be easy to clean up now. Since we have snacks and juice right after the service, there is always a potential for a spill. We were not disappointed. Had the person who spilled not been so young, I would have wondered if it was planned just so we could see the new tool in action.

The Rug Doctor efficiently tackled the juice spill as one of the mothers got to try it out. Although the Rug Doctor did not reverse the incident, it did take care of a big problem -the messy carpet. Stained carpets are a concern, but they are not nearly as serious as stained lives.

Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, all our lives have been stained by sin. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23) A Rug Doctor will not work for every kind of carpet stain, and it definitely can not get rid of the stain of sin.

God however can. He knew that Adam and Eve would sin and He planned how to deal with sin so that we could be washed and cleansed from our sin stains. God said in Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.” (NASB)

When we trust Christ as Lord and savior, our sins are washed away just like the juice was washed out of the carpet. There may still be some affects on our lives because of our sin. In our carpet example, there was less juice to drink even though the carpet was clean. In a similar way, our lives are still affected by past sin even when we are forgiven.

The most important consideration, however, is about the next life. If we trust Christ, the stain of sin does not follow us. Instead we are given forgiveness and eternal cleansing along with eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

You may not have had any juice spilled on your lap today, but your life has been stained by sin. The only way to take care of that sin is through Christ. Trust Him and then strive to not spill anymore sin into your life. Realize however that it will still happen. 1John 1:8 reminds us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” And then we are told in the next chapter, “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” (I John 2:1 NASB)

Flooded With Complaints  3-29-19

We have had some flooding in our immediate area, but my sister lives in Nebraska. Many there have faced very serious challenges. My brother in-law was not even able to make it into Columbus to work for multiple days because some of the main roads were either under water or washed out. They were more fortunate than others. Whole towns were under water. Not only were homes lost but so were businesses. Many who lost homes also lost jobs. Some lost their lives.

Quite a few people had a lot to complain and feel bad about. Many of them were too busy figuring out what to do next to even process all of their feelings. As the flood waters receded they had time to realize the fuller impact of what had happened. For some, discouragement began to set in.

It is easy to feel guilty for being discouraged when you look at others that have it a lot worse. If you have lost your house, but still have a job, you may be thinking of others that have lost both. Perhaps you lost both, but have insurance, while others have nothing. Making such comparisons can remind us that we have much to be thankful for, but they do not negate the reality of our own loss.

As Christians we understand that we can loose all material possessions and even lose our health, but we still have God. We may even reflect on Job and his trials and realize we do not have it as bad as he had it after losing all his children, his wealth, and then becoming sick. Compared to Job, we may feel that we have no right to complain. Still, those thoughts do not always take away the despair.

This brings us to a more pointed question: Should we as Christians ever complain? Consider the introduction to Psalm 102 along with the first verse which reads, “(A Prayer of the Afflicted, when he is faint, and pours out his complaint) (before the LORD.) Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry for help come to Thee.” (NASB)

Notice that the introduction to this Psalm shows us that it was to be a prayer for those in trouble when they are weary and needed to complain. When we are discouraged, the best place to bring our complaints is to God. Notice that the introduction even shows that these complaints were to be brought to HIM.

When we are overwhelmed we should pray and let our cries for help come to God. We should never feel guilty about talking to Him about our heartaches and fears- even if those talks include complaining about our circumstances. Who better to complain to than the one who can actually help in the most hopeless of situations.

“I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou didst know my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. I cried out to Thee, O LORD; I said, "Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.” (Ps 142:2-5 NASB)

David did just that in Psalm 142 as he states that he brings his complaints to God because God is his refuge.

In both these Psalms, the writer is complaining about his circumstances, not about his God. He is complaining to God because he trusts God, not because he hates God.

Realize that God is powerful enough to create the whole world and that He loves us enough to send His son. With that realization, who better to bring our complaints to than God. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Should We Bring Bacon?   3-15-19

I like bacon. Bacon is an amazing addition to a cheeseburger. Without bacon a filet mignon is just another chunk of beef. I did not realize how obsessed some people were with bacon until I realized that you could buy bacon scented cologne, sunscreen, pillow cases, and even envelopes. You can even get bacon flavored coffee, soda, jelly beans, toothpaste, chocolate, and lollipops. No doubt, bacon has become a marketing bonanza.

In the Bible, Leviticus 11:1-8, tells what animals may be eaten and it also makes it clear that pigs are not to be eaten. Still most Christians eat pork- including bacon. In fact, ham is one of the most popular meats eaten during Christian fellowship meals. So why are Christians doing this when so many of them claim to be following God and living their lives to please Him?

We often hear statements like Leviticus is Old Testament and we follow the New Testament. The problem is that we should follow the whole Bible and only disregard specific commandments if there is a good reason to do so. Jesus made it clear in Matthew 5:18 that the smallest letter or stroke of the law would not pass away until all was accomplished. In order to decide if we are released from the law that Moses gave, we need to find out if all was accomplished.

John 19:30 tells us that when Jesus hung on the cross, He said, “It is finished!” The Apostle Paul helps us better understand what that meant in Romans 7 as he explains how law works. He uses the example of a married couple and how the marriage bond is dissolved when one of them dies and then they are free to marry someone else. He then explains how that relates to the law for the Christian.

“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:4-6 NASB)

Because of Jesus death and resurrection we are now under a new law. Galatians 3:23-25 shows how the law was an instructor to bring us to Christ and how once faith comes, we are no longer under the law since we are no longer under the instructor. Further, Colossians 2:14-17 shows how since the cross, no one should judge us in what we eat.

Christians are able to eat pork because the law that Moses gave was replaced when Jesus died. Some argue that God has always wanted people to avoid unclean animals and that we should still avoid pork. The problem is that when we go back to the Old Testament, we find what God's position actually is. In Genesis 9, God gave specific instructions to Noah right after the ark landed when He says, "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.”  (Genesis 9:3 NASB)

Other religions do still impose dietary restrictions on certain animals. Christians traditionally do not. The reason they do not is because of what the New Testament scriptures have taught and how they explain why we have been released from certain portions of the Old Testament law through Christ. 

Not Too Cold for Christ 2-15-19

A friend of ours recently took a trip to Florida. Their family chose the perfect time to go. While it was below zero here in South Dakota, they enjoyed the warm southern temperatures. Still, it was colder than usual there as well. She noticed that the “tourists” from the north were in shorts and T shirts while those from the south were in heavy coats and hats.

I have often thought that the idea of cold was quite relative. When I have worked outside on a 95 degree summer day and then come into a 70 degree building, I feel cold. Still that is nothing like the negative 40 degree temperatures I heard about in Alaska.

I recently attended an outdoor farm auction on a 10 degree day. I was dressed in 8 layers of clothing: T shirt, insulated shirt, sweat shirt, 2 flannel shirts, hooded Carhart, bib coveralls, and parka. Had the wind not been blowing, I could have stayed warm, but I got very cold and so did many others who were there. After I got home the temp had dropped even more and my son came in from outside and said, “It's too cold out there to play, I already tried.”

As I reflected on the cold, I looked up Psalm 147:17 where it says, “He casts forth His ice as fragments; Who can stand before His cold?” (NASB). A few weeks ago we had below zero temps with dangerous wind chills. Warnings were issued and I remember one that said that a person could only last for about 4 minutes out in the open in those conditions. I assumed that they meant that they could only last that long if they were not dressed in multiple layers. Still it was a reminder of the reality of the question, “who can stand before His cold?”

When I think of the fear of God, I often think of hell and the lake of fire and all the heat that is there. But on these cold days, I start to think of how scary it would be if hell really did freeze over. If it were that cold, no one could stand before that cold.

As frightening as the cold can be, the next verse of Psalm 147 gives us some wonderful encouragement. “He sends forth His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.” (Psalm 147:18 NASB) The same God who sends the cold is the same God who sends the blessings of thawing temperatures. This should help to remind us that the same God who sends punishment for sin is the same God who sends deliverance from the wages of sin. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASB) That free gift was provided as Jesus went to the cross. In order to accept that gift, you must believe on Him as your lord and savior. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:13 NASB)

The night before Jesus died on the cross, He was arrested. It was also cold on that night. “Now the slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire, for it was cold and they were warming themselves; and Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself. The high priest therefore questioned Jesus about His disciples, and about His teaching. (John 18:18-19 NASB)

As you stand before the cold, remember God's power and judgment, but then also remember that on a cold night, Jesus was getting ready to go to the cross to pay for your sins.

Defending My Brothers  2-2-19

As a kid I used to joke that I was the only one who was allowed to fight with my brothers. What I meant by that statement was that in spite of the fact that my brothers and I would have an occasional conflict, we still had each others backs. After all these years, we still do. Because of my love for my brothers, I will quickly come to their defense. I am reminded of Proverbs 10:12 which says, “Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all transgressions.” (NASB)

When we don't like someone, it is not natural to come to their defense- even if they have done nothing wrong. Hate stirs up strife. When we love someone- like I do my brothers- it is easy to overlook something they did wrong and come to their defense even when we should not.

How we feel about others can affect how much slack we give them. Not only are we more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to those we love, but we are often too ready to condemn those we hate. Often our reaction to an offense is based more on who committed the offense than on what the offense actually was.

When our love covers transgressions in a way where we are merciful rather than condemning that is a good thing. We should remember the mercy God showed toward us in sending His son to die for us when we deserved the punishment. His love covered the sins of the world. Still love should not cause us to ignore sinful behavior. God did not ignore our sin when He sent His son. He understood that our sin was so serious that it had to be dealt with on the cross. Further God's word challenges us in asking, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2 NASB)

So when we are tempted to give those we love a pass on sinful behavior we should consider the context of 1Peter 4:8 where it says, “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (NASB) In the verses leading up to this statement the apostle warns of that an account must be given to God for sinful actions. He then shows that the gospel is given so that we can live in the spirit according to God's will. Love should not be an excuse to sin, but love provides both mercy and accountability when we do sin.

As much as I love my brothers, if they ever do wrong, I need to love them enough to tell them to repent. Further, I am not to just love my brothers, but others as well. Love should not show partiality.

In Luke chapter 10, a lawyer is asking Jesus questions. When they agree that God expects us to love Him and our neighbor, the lawyer asks who our neighbor is. Verse 29 tells us he asked that question in order to justify himself. The implication was that there were some people he did not love as much as others. During that time in history the Jews and the Samaritans did not get along very well. There was not much love between them. Jesus uses this tension to make a point. He gives the parable of the good Samaritan stopping to help a man when others would not. The Jewish lawyer got the point that the one who showed mercy was his neighbor. Even though the Samaritan was not the one who the lawyer would have naturally loved, he needed to get past his bias and judge the actions, not his predetermined feelings.

Often the level of outrage we see towards others is not based so much on what was done, but on who did it. I fear we are too much like the lawyer. We have missed the point if we have forgotten that the Samaritans are also worthy of our love. Let us remember to love God and our neighbor even when it doesn't come naturally.

The Holy 5 Gallon Pail  1-17-19

I love five gallon pails. I have a lot of them in the garage. They are handy for putting things into. I also use them for a work stool to sit on as I tinker in the shed. I have even used one for a short ladder to stand on, although I do not recommend that others try this.

Most of my pails are quite dirty though. Some have had mud in them. Others have been filled with used oil or even garbage. Some were used for paint.

We also have some of these containers in the house. In fact, one of them has a screw on lid that we fill with Cheerios. For the food, we did not use the ones from the garage. Instead we buy new food grade buckets that were clean and not contaminated by dangerous chemicals.

The buckets from the house are not taken to the garage. These food containers are set apart for special use. The ones in the garage are for common use. If we were to use theological terms, we could say the food grade buckets are holy and the garage buckets are profane.

At Southtown, we have been studying the book of Exodus and we have been looking at the furnishings in the Tabernacle. Each of the furnishings had a special use. They were set aside for that use and were not to be used for other things. Thus they were holy. Since their use was religious in nature, it is not surprising that a word like “holy” would be used to describe them.

One of the reasons that “holy” is so connected to religion is that religion sets both its followers and its objects apart from others.

Although Judaism (where Christianity has its roots) set apart objects to be used in the worship of God, their worship was directed toward God, not the objects. Ultimately that meant that God was the one who was truly set apart. No wonder the angel in Isaiah 6:3 called out, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Although there are tools used for ministry within the Christian church today, there are not specific items like they had in Old Testament times. We do not set apart a lamp stand, an altar for sacrifices, or a table for show bread. Still, there is something that every Christian should set apart. They should set apart themselves. 1 Peter 1:15-16 says, “but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." (NKJV) This command was a quote from Leviticus 19:2 which states, "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”(NKJV)

This makes it clear that we are to be set apart for a special purpose, but what does that mean? Are we to only carry food and not garbage or used oil? Man has often distorted religion to come up with a lot of strange ways to set people apart. Jesus gave a very direct sermon on the Mount of Olives that showed how we should be different from the rest of the world, but He summed things up in a much shorter statement in Matthew 22:37-39, “Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'"This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” (NKJV)

If we are truly holy, we need to love God and others. Christians are to be set apart as servants of the Lord Jesus Christ. That means loving Christ enough to obey Him and loving our neighbors in a way that applies the golden rule. 

Appreciating the Dishwasher 1-6-19

Our dishwasher has been giving us trouble. It is the same problem over and over. The inlet valve keeps failing. It is a fairly easy fix. It only takes about 10 minutes for a do-it-yourselfer to put in the new valve. The valve costs less than $30. The problem is that each valve lasts less than a year. I went online to try to figure out why these valves were failing or if I could find a better valve. I found out that it is common for them to fail if the dishwasher is used every day or if there is a change in water pressure. With 4 boys in the house, we have multiple loads of dishes each day. Further our water pressure changes and is often low.

I have come to accept that unless we get a different dishwasher, this will just become a part of our lives. As I considered another dishwasher, I realized that there is no guarantee that one would not have a valve failure also. It might even have a more expensive repair. Thus I ordered 2 new valves so that I have an extra on hand with the expectation that it will eventually be needed.

I must admit that this has caused some frustration in our family. The boys are responsible for taking turns loading and unloading the dishwasher. Now they have to hand wash a lot more. I wish I could say that this has really made us appreciate our dishwasher, but instead it has caused us to despise it. I even priced a new one.

As I reflect on how silly this is, I remember that my mother-in-law just got her first dishwasher in the last couple of years. She has 11 kids, and they got along fine without one. Further, a large number of people in this world do not even have a set of dishes, let alone a dishwasher. I need to appreciate what we have even though it lets me down now and then.

I do not like comparing God to my dishwasher, because God does not fail. Still, there are times in life where it feels like He has let us down. It may even feel like He has turned his back on us. I think of David's words in Psalm 22 when he says, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.” (Ps 22:1 NASB)

David's words show us how easy it is forget to appreciate God. When it seems like He has let us down we can end up despising Him just like I was despising the dishwasher. At those times we need to remember that God has not failed. We should also use those times to remind us how dependent we are on Him. Another Psalm expresses this. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for Thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42:1-2 NASB)

Rather than letting our times of trouble turn into times of despising God, let them remind us of how much we appreciate Him. “And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Romans 5:3-5 NASB)

As God uses trials to build character in our lives, He is not failing us. He is actually showing His love for us. We should remember to appreciate that.

Exposing the Porch Pirates  12-21-18

This week I learned about “porch pirates.” I had never heard of them before, but after realizing what they were doing, I realized that it was a very appropriate label. A “porch pirate” is a person who sees a package on someone else's doorstep that has been dropped off by the mailman or a delivery service and then simply steals the package. Imagine how many children had fewer gifts under the tree this year because their Amazon order was absconded with. Porch pirate, Scrooge, or Grinch are all terms that come to mind.

I recently watched an online video from one man's surveillance camera where the “pirates” could be seen stealing the package. They did not look like pirates though. They looked like a typical middle class couple out for a stroll with backpacks over their shoulders. The package was taken and placed into the backpack and they went on their way as if no one would ever know. Many people know now since the video is on the world wide web. Even if they had not been caught on surveillance, God would still know. There is another term other than Scrooge, or Grinch that could be used to describe the porch pirate. That term is “sinner.” Psalm 69:5 says, “O God, You know my foolishness; And my sins are not hidden from You.” (NKJV)

The man who caught the people on surveillance, happened to be an engineer. He decided to take things to another level. He built a device that looked like a delivered package. Looks can be deceiving. It had a tracking device and numerous hidden cameras that would be triggered as soon as the package was taken. Not only would the cameras record and store what had happened, but they would send the video to a cloud storage so he could watch it even if he was not able to recover the device. He also rigged it so that as soon as it was opened it would spray glitter all over. Still, that was not enough to satisfy his desire to put the porch pirates in their place. He also wired in a mechanism to spray fart odor every 30 seconds after the package was opened. This engineer got sweet revenge as he recovered his device and posted the videos of the thieves opening it.

As much as I enjoyed the measure of justice he was able to execute, I understand that our God will bring even greater justice to sin. Romans 6:23a tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” A glitter bomb and fart spray are hilarious. The lake of fire for eternity is not. Even if you are not a porch pirate, if you have ever stole anything- ever lied, coveted, or idolized anything other than God- realize that God knows it. Realize that you deserve the penalty for your sin.

That means that we are all guilty because “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). The reality is we have all been caught by God's surveillance. That is the bad news for us, but the good news is found in Proverbs 28:13, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (NKJV)

That mercy from God comes when we confess our sins and trust Christ as our savior. Romans 6:23 warned about the wages of sin, but listen to the rest of the verse. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NKJV)

Whether you're a porch pirate or just another sinner, your only hope for redemption is Jesus Christ. God knows all you have done. “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12 NKJV) When we give that account our only hope is to admit we have come short, but that we have trusted Christ and now desire to live for Him. If you have not yet done that, pray and talk to God about it.

Mary Did You Know?  7-7-18

As I work in my office, my 8 eight year old is down the hall listening to Christmas carols on the radio. Not only is he listening, he is singing along at the top of his lungs. I also heard his younger brother say, “Re-doice, Re-doice, e-man you well.” The songs they sing have a common theme- a baby was born and we are celebrating.

My sons are now old enough to sing, but I think back to when they were born. Those too were days of celebration. For months, we had anticipated an arrival and finally I was able to hold my sons in my arms. I also got to to see joy fill my wife's face each time she held her newborn baby boys.

I cannot help but imagine the joy that filled Mary as she held the newborn baby Jesus in her arms. One of my favorite Christmas songs is “Mary Did You Know.” The last line of the first verse has this play on words, “This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.”

As parents age, sometimes the children that they used to care for end up taking care of them. My wife is currently recovering from ankle surgery, and the boys have been helping her a lot, but that is not what the song is singing about as it talks of baby Jesus growing up to deliver Mary. The last line of the second verse says, “When you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God.”

Baby Jesus was not just another baby who would grow up to help his mom. Jesus was and is and always has been God. The prophet Micah told of His coming and wrote, "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Micah 5:2 NASB) That scripture not only told that the savior would be born in Bethlehem, but that He would be a ruler and that He has been going forth from eternity. In other words, He has always existed.

No wonder Jesus stated in Revelation 1:8, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8 NASB) Jesus is no longer a baby. In that same Revelation passage, John describes Him as having white hair. Notice what John describes, “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Revelation 1:17-18 NASB).

The baby Jesus grew up to die for our sins, but He is no longer dead. He is alive. He did not grow up just to assist Mary- in fact before He died, he asked John the author of Revelation to take care of his earthly mother (John 19:26-27). Still He provided something far more important for her than earthly care. He provided eternal life for her just like He offered it to the rest of us. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NASB)

In order to receive that eternal life, one must believe. Did Mary know and did she believe? Before Jesus was even born she said, “And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” (Luke 1:47 NASB) She understood that even though she had been blessed by God in such a special way, she too needed a savior. That savior is Christ our Lord. He chose to enter this world through Mary as she gave birth in Bethlehem. We sing songs about that today, but we must remember, Jesus was more than a baby, He was and is God. Trust Him for who He is- the savior of the world.

The Frightening Fires  11-22-18

A friend of mine recently burned a small area that had some tall grass. By burning off the dead grass, he was able to see the topography better to know how to best improve the use of the land. Further, once the old dry grass was removed, the new grass could come in better in the spring. Managed fires can have a positive effect on the environment. He did not burn the whole area, so there was still plenty of old grass for the wildlife over the winter. The earlier thicker new growth would also benefit them in the spring.

Not all fires have the positive impact that my friend's small fire had. For example, the wildfires in California have cost many human lives. Further, homes and businesses have been lost as the landscape was transformed. Even those who were not in the immediate path of the fire were suffering it's effects. Many had to wear breathing masks to protect their lungs from the smoke that hung in the air.

One of the more frightening articles I read, told about what to do if trapped in a vehicle during a forest or brush fire. They recommended staying in the vehicle, but then exiting the vehicle after the fire passed if the vehicle had caught on fire. In other words, don't get out too soon or the forest fire will kill you, but do not say in too long or your burning car will get you.

As frightening as that article was, at least it left hope for survival. In the Bible, Luke chapter 16, we are told of a man who is trapped in the fire of hell with no way of escape. "And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue; for I am in agony in this flame.'” (Luke 16:23-24 NASB)

As I read the article about being trapped in a car during a fire, the writer emphasized the importance of heeding the warning and evacuating before it was too late. For the man in hell, it was too late, but he wanted his family to heed the warnings. "And he said, 'Then I beg you, Father, that you send him to my father's house-- for I have five brothers--that he may warn them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'” (Luke 16:27-28 NASB)

Abraham then tells the man in hell that his brothers have already been warned. He explains that if they will not listen to the warning they were already given, they will not listen to the warning from Lazarus either. Just like some people do not listen to the warning to evacuate as a forest fire is approaching, many people do not listen to the warning to trust Christ. John 3:36 warns, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NASB)

It was too late for the man in hell, but it is not too late for the rest of us. Jesus promised, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37 NASB)

If you were trapped in a wildfire and were told how to escape, I hope you would listen. We have a way to escape an even worse fire. That way is Jesus Christ. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:4-5 NASB)

Jesus came to save us, but in order to be saved, we have to trust Him. Then just like the new grass and the fresh new tree growth that comes after the fire, we are able to have a new life in Christ. 

Refining the Stuck Combine  11-9-18

There has been a lot of rain this year. It has been really really wet. The area farmers have especially been impacted by the weather. My cousin and his wife recently shared a picture of their stuck combine on facebook. One of the pictures showed the front wheel of the combine about 2/3 of the way below the surface of the mud. Another showed water in the tracks and the back wheel also sunk in the mud.

They had a long list of comments from friends with most of them saying “oh no” or “sorry.” This showed that their friends cared about their struggles, but there was little that they could do to help get 20 tons of green and yellow out of the mud. I understood that an expensive piece of equipment was in a place where it could be easily damaged. I also grasped that while it was there, valuable crops were not being harvested from the fields. My heart aches thinking of the stress my cousin must have been under as he faced this trying challenge.

Fortunately my concern for them did not last long because within a minute of posting the first pictures they also posted a video of a dozer slowly and gently pulling the combine from the mud. It did not look like the dozer even struggled and the driver skillfully eased the large harvester from its pit of doom. The headline above the video had these words, “One of the struggles and obstacles of the 2018 Harvest! All is in one piece and all humans are safe!”

That comment showed that although they were thankful that no serious damage had been done to the machine, they also recognized that it was important that no one got hurt. Although they had faced a gut punching trial, they still understood that there was much to be thankful for.

Their difficulty and their response reminds me of Psalm 66. Consider verses 10 & 11: “For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.” (NKJV) Instead of being trapped in a net, the combine was trapped in the mud. What makes this especially sobering is that God was still in control even as this was happening. Why would He allow or even cause this? The answer is in verse 10. To refine us like you would refine a precious metal.

The very next verse says, “You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.” (NKJV Psalm 66:12) The same God who allowed that combine to get stuck in the mud allowed it to easily come up out of the mud and water. He then gave my cousin and his family reason to rejoice as no one was hurt and they were then able to look forward to continuing to reap the rewards of harvest.

As bad as the trial was, the pictures and videos on facebook were a reminder that we can trust God even when things look hopeless. A combine can be replaced and getting stuck can be undone, but what about our sin problem. We cannot undo our past sins, but we can have them forgiven by trusting in Jesus Christ alone. Sin is more hopeless than a stuck combine, but Jesus is more powerful than a big bulldozer. My cousin called on the dozer to solve his combine problem. All of us need to call on Jesus to solve our sin problem. I am thankful that my cousin has both Jesus and a bulldozer to save him.

If we can trust God to refine us through a challenge like a stuck combine, then we can trust God to refine us through the challenges of a sinful past. 1 John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NKJV) I am so thankful for both God's refining and His forgiveness in my life.

Hypocrites and Halloween  10-25-18

As a child I never thought of trick or treating as extortion. In fact, I didn't even think about the words. Instead I remember the adults being excited to see how creative we were with our costumes. It was not until I was older that I realized that the words “trick or treat” were actually a threat of a trick if a treat were not given. I didn't consider myself a mafia thug who was extorting protection money and neither did the people whose houses we visited.

As a child I was also unaware of the Satanic connections to Halloween. The origins of the celebration are debated, but even today the connections are real. That does not mean that everyone who exchanges candy or dresses up is promoting the Satanic aspect of this time of year, but we should not be ignorant of the connections either.

As a child I usually dressed up like a cowboy, but as I got older I noticed that some people dressed up like demons or witches. Essentially they were wearing the costumes of the servants of Satan. As a Christian, that seemed strange to me and it still does.

It is concerning that some want to emulate demonic forces. Still, I have an even greater concern. As servants of Christ, how should we as Christians look? I am not talking about dressing up with a halo and angel wings. In fact, that should not be our focus at all. Consider what the scripture says in I Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” (NKJV)

Although the I Peter passage was addressing wives specifically, Jesus gave a similar challenge when He addressed the scribes and Pharisees.

"You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "Even so you too outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” (Matthew 23:24-28 NASB)

Notice that they were called hypocrites. That means that they were pretenders- deceivers- they were being phony. When I was a kid and I put on a hat and my cap gun with the toy holster, it was obvious that I was pretending to be a cowboy. These adults that Jesus was rebuking were using their deception to try to gain power. They were more like the mob than the trick or treaters of today are.

As Christians we need to be careful that we are not just pretending. Are we more concerned with being viewed with halos and angel wings so that we can look good in others eyes, or are we more concerned with being obedient to God and thus filled with the Holy Spirit so that we are seen as true servants of Christ?

Ga 5:19-23 says,

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (NASB)

This time of year, many Halloween celebrations give opportunities to indulge in the works of the flesh. Instead let us focus on living for God as we walk in His Spirit.

I Wanted Sunny and 75   10-12-18

This last week I was disappointed. I wanted every day to be sunny and 75 with no rain. I did not get what I wanted and I became discouraged. The overcast skies and the lack of sun contributed to a bit of a gloomy mood on my part.

As often happens, that darkness within led me to the ultimate source of light as I poured my heart out to God in prayer. I reflected on the Psalms and David's times of discouragement and his trust in almighty God. I was reminded that my source of sunshine for my soul was not behind the clouds, but rather right there with me. I understood that once I believed on Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, God's spirit came to live within me. “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16 NASB)

The challenge is that our circumstances affect our delights. It is easier to be joyful and optimistic when the sun is shining. In fact, some people actually sit under artificial sunlight during the winter months to escape the doldrums. I remind myself that joy is one of the fruits of God's Spirit that lives within me. That means that I can be joyful even when my world seems gloomy.

Because God's Spirit is within us as believers, we are encouraged to avoid the use of our bodies for ungodly purposes. We are also encouraged to glorify God with our bodies. Consider I Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” (NASB)

Because I had to be outside quite a bit, not only did I notice the overcast sky, I also had to bear the bone chilling cold. My body did not feel very confortable. I had to remember that no matter what I was doing, my main job was to glorify God. 1Corinthians 10:31 states, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (NASB) That meant that even if I had to dress in layers to stay warm, I still needed to get my joy from living for God's glory.

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” (NASB) As I put my focus on God and found my delight in Him, I was able to have joy. I did not get a week of sunny and 75 though. So what happened? It was not that God broke His promise about giving me what I wanted. Instead, God changed what I wanted. Instead of delighting myself in a sunny day, I was delighting myself in God Himself.

I got what I desired as He was right there with me. Jesus promised, in John 6:37 "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (NASB) Delight yourself in Christ, and you will have Him there with you for eternity. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

The Greed of the Gold Mine  9-14-18

We recently toured an abandoned gold mine on a trip to the Black Hills. The mine was a speculative venture by a couple of demolition experts. They had been working for other miners by blowing holes in the rock to speed the mining prospects. As they did so, they were able to find out where other miners had found gold. This prompted them to purchase a small claim after calculating where to dig to reach the same vein of gold that the neighboring miners had found.

Since they already had a day job of blowing things up, their time in their own mine was somewhat limited. It ended up taking them about 14 years to actually reach the vein that extended into their claim. Once reaching that vein, they found gold. The only problem was that it was only about $20 worth. Not only had they spent a lot of time, but they had invested a lot in tools and equipment to reach this small amount. Still they continued to dig into the rock.

Their claim only allowed them to go so far. They had invested so much with little to show for their years of labor, so they trespassed into government land (underground) in the hopes of finding more gold. After about 35 years of digging, they found more gold (which they stole since it was not even on their land). Ironically it was such a small amount that it did not even cover their expenses.

The tour guide went on to explain that while they were trespassing underground they came dangerously close to another mine. Their actions could have jeopardized the structural integrity of both mine shafts, endangering both their lives and the lives of the other miners.

The tales of greed did not end once we left the mine shaft. We next toured a replica of the gold mill. This was where the ore from the area mines was crushed and the gold extracted. The millers would go through this process for a percentage of the gold.

They would use mercury to separate the gold from the other material. The problem was that the mercury would poison the workers and many either died or went mad due to the mercury's effects on the brain.

Not only did the milling company get a share of the gold, but many of the workers would steal bits of gold as they worked. The problem was so bad that they would use portable toilets and then sift through the dung to find any gold that thieves had swallowed to smuggle away.

The tour was fascinating since it provided an insight into a part of our American history. In fact, the tour guide pointed out how after the discovery of gold, the native Americans had the land taken from them.

There was a lot of evil going on because of the gold. As we stood in the far end of the gold mine, the tour guide lit a couple of candles and shut off the other lights to show us how dark it was as the miners worked. As he turned the lights back on I quoted from John 3:19, "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.” (NASB)

Jesus Christ is the light of the world, but many would rather live in darkness because they are pursing their self interest instead of loving God and their neighbor. As discouraging as it would be to work your whole life in a gold mine and not even recapture your initial investment, it would be even more discouraging to live you whole life apart from Christ and spend eternity in the darkness of hell. Several verses after John 3:19 we are warned: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB) Come to the light of Jesus Christ and have eternal life with Him. 

He Ain't Rude, He Can't Hear  7-21-18

I have a friend who is a bit elderly. When I first met Aldie I tried to carry on a conversation with him, but he seemed a bit distant- even aloof. Suddenly that all changed. Not only was he very friendly, but he had a quick sense of humor that he was eager to share. Not only was he friendly to me, but I saw how friendly he was to others. Although he has white hairs on his head, he loves spending time with noisy kids that some his age would be impatient with.

I spent years wondering why I had gotten off to a bad start with him. I didn't say anything to him about it, since I didn't want to make him feel bad. I recently discovered an answer. My family and I were attending a conference with Aldie and his wife. We were gathered in a dining hall for breakfast and as we were sitting around talking, my friend was barely contributing to the conversation. Someone said something to him and he did not respond. His wife then rolled her eyes and said, “He didn't put his hearing aids in.”

We chuckled at her response, but I was smiling for another reason as well. Now I understood how one of the most friendly guys I have ever met could sometimes seem so distant.

Leviticus 19:18 says, “'You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.” (NASB) God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. As I have gotten to know Aldie, I have seem him living out that commandment in his life. When he was not wearing his hearing aids, his love for others did not cease, he just couldn't hear what they were saying very well and thus could not participate fully in the conversations. Had I bore a grudge over my misunderstanding, I would have not only missed an opportunity to extend love toward him, but I would have also missed out on a great friendship.

The command from Leviticus 19:18 is so important that Jesus emphasized it during His ministry. “And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'”

(Matthew 22:37-39 NASB)

Matthew 5:43-44 makes it clear that we are even to love our enemies. Christ set the perfect example of that when He died for us. Romans 5:10 tells us, “For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” (NASB)

Sometimes people look at what God is doing and do not see the big picture and they start to think that He does not love them. God is not hard of hearing like Aldie, but we do not know all that He is doing behind the scenes. As sad it it would have been for me to miss out on a friendship with Aldie because I did not understand his hearing aids, it would be even worse for someone to miss out on following Christ because they did not take time to get to know God and to see His love.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8 NASB) As loving as my friend Aldie is, God is even more loving. Make friends with Him by following Jesus Christ as your Lord, savior, and friend.

My Speedy Consequences 7-7-18

I got my first speeding ticket when I was about 19 years old. Not long after that, a second speeding ticket followed. The action of speeding had an effect on my auto insurance. I was warned that if I got another ticket, then I would have to go on risk insurance and the cost would be much much higher than it already was.

These consequences had a result. I began to use the cruise control and to carefully watch my speed. I slowed down and became a much safer driver. I was being held accountable for my actions and although I had been a law breaker, I responded to the accountability.

I must admit that back then I did not want to slow down. I liked driving fast and getting where I was going quicker. I would have preferred to just pay the fine and go right back to speeding, but the additional cost of the insurance was my motivator to change.

I was not truly repentant. I was simply being conditioned to change. The problem was that I should have been obeying the law to start with. That is often how sin works. When we justify our behavior and excuse the sin, we are not admitting that we did wrong. At those times, only the consequences will get our attention. The problem with the consequences is that even if they change the behavior they do not necessarily change the heart. Still, if the behavior is changed, then others are protected. Even though my heart attitude about speeding did not change until years later, both other drivers and myself were protected by the fact that my behavior was modified.

What happened when my heart attitude changed? Eventually I decided that I needed to slow down because it was the right thing to do. I became thankful for the police officers who would pull me over if I began to speed because they were there to make sure the roads stayed safe. I now understand that this was a real safety issue. As a teenager I would sometimes drive over 100 mph. I could have hurt myself or others.

Once we realize that our behavior is wrong, we should be thankful for accountability. Rather than simply functioning as behavior modification, consequences can even protect the repentant sinner. Consider what happened to King David after his sin. “Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."” (II Samuel 12:13-14 NASB)

One of the concerns was what the enemies of the Lord would do if there were no consequences. Imagine that a man were convicted of embezzlement, and then repented and never stole again. Would it be more merciful to leave his embezzlement in the past and allow him to become the church treasurer or would it be more merciful to implement a consequence and not allow him to be the treasurer?

He has been forgiven and there does not appear to be any more need to change his behavior. Still, because of his past, he would be under suspicion if there were ever an innocent accounting error. Therefore in that case, the consequence is a protection for him from an accusation that he would not deserve. At the same time, if he were not actually repentant, the consequence would be a protection for the rest of the church.

Consequences have multiple benefits. They can protect others and the person who was forgiven. Further, they do not negate forgiveness. The Lord had taken away David's sin, but there were still consequences. www.southtownchurch.com

Cover Up Worse than Scandal  6-22-18

     From time to time there is a scandal within the Christian community. This past year has been no exception. In fact, as the “me too” movement has drawn attention to a number of injustices, people in positions of Christian leadership have also been implicated.

     The “me too” movement has shown how widespread these injustices have been, so it should not surprise us that sin has affected Christian ministries as well. As Christians we turn to Christ because we understand that sin is such a huge problem and that Christ is our only solution. First, He provides forgiveness. Next, as we follow Him, we should be motivated to do right and to live as He lived. That does not mean we will be sinless, but it should mean that we will sin less. In other words, even though we do not expect Christians to be perfect, we should expect that there would be less sin among the followers of Christ than there is within a statistical cross section of society.

     Although it is true that even godly men like David in the Bible would have been implicated in a “me too” scandal (he abused his position of power as a king when he pursued Bathsheba and then had her husband killed), we should not use this as a reason to excuse others. God had Nathan confront David about his sin and there were serious consequences (II Samuel 11-12).

     Today some people think that Christians should cover up the sins of their leaders because they are afraid that if people who have not yet trusted Christ find out about it, then they will not want to be Christians. That is a sad approach. First, it is counterproductive because often these scandals come to light anyway and then non Christians are even more upset about the cover up than they are about the sin. This is understandable.

     Furthermore, the scripture tells us that we are not to cover up the sins of our leaders, but that we are to address them so that others may fear and not follow the same path. I Timothy 5:20-21 says, “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also may be fearful of sinning. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.” (NASB)

     The hope is that the sinning Christian leader will repent and turn from their sin, but that does not mean that the warning should not be given. Consider King David. He repented once confronted by Nathan, yet his sin was not hidden. It was recorded in scripture and has been used as a warning for thousands of years.

     Recently we received a letter from a missionary that we had helped several years ago. We were excited about the ministry of this missionary couple, but sadly we found out in the letter that the husband had been embezzling money that had been given to him and had been caught up in immorality. Rather than hiding what had happened, his wife sent out letters to those who had given to them and confessed what had happened. That took great courage. It showed that she takes her faith in Christ so seriously that she is willing to confess the truth even if is embarrassing. It also gives others a opportunity to pray for her husband with the hope that he will admit his sin and repent. Next, it sends a warning to others that would consider doing something similar that they could get caught. Finally, it shows non Christians that Christians are willing to admit that there are scandals in our lives as well, but that we should not excuse them or cover them up, even when it is embarrassing.

     My hope is that others will learn and be encouraged by this missionary wife's example, and that Christians will have the courage to admit that we have scandals too. When we do face scandal, we must turn to Christ and His grace and accept the consequences rather than encouraging the cover up. 

Was the Sphinx in the Flood?  6-9-18

     I love Google Earth. Not only can I use it as a map, I can also measure the length and width of my house while sitting at my desk. I also love the history feature. I can scroll back over several years and see how our yard has changed. We see cars parked in different places and can see what our yard looked like before the garage was built.

     I recently found another online site called vintageaerial.com. They have archives of aerial pictures of farm sites. I found the farm I grew up on in Minnesota as well as relative's farms. These photos were much older than Google Earth.

     I wish that I had pictures of this area back when Lewis and Clark traveled through. So much has changed just during my lifetime. Imagine how much has changed over thousands of years.

     My boys and I watched some documentaries on ancient history this last week. We learned some more about the pyramids in Egypt. We also learned something new about the Sphinx. The Sphinx is a huge carving more than 60 ft tall and about 240 ft long. It has the feet of a lion and the head of a man. Much of the main part of the body seems to have eroded away over time.

     At the beginning of the documentary, a researcher asked a geologist if he could tell the difference between wind and water erosion on rock. The geologist assured him that he could, so he was shown a picture of the body of the Spinx with the head, feet, and tail covered so that it looked like a natural rock formation. Conclusion was that without doubt, the picture showed water erosion.

     The covering was then removed to reveal the head and feet of the Spinx. This was such a surprising revelation because the Spinx is located in a desert area without water around to erode it. Genesis 7:18-19 describes Noah's flood, “And the water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark floated on the surface of the water. And the water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains everywhere under the heavens were covered.” (NASB)

     According to the Bible, the area where the Sphinx is located was once covered with water. Although we do not know the exact date of its construction or all the details of the environment around it, a world wide flood would explain the erosion. If the feet had quickly been covered with sediment, they would have been more protected from that erosion. Another theory is that the Sphinx orignally had the head of a lion or some other animal, but that it was so eroded that it was replaced by the face of a Pharaoh. Since no world wide flood happened since that time, the man's face was not eroded by water like the body was.

     Although we cannot go back thousands of years on Google Earth to see the pictures, we can look to the scriptures to find clues about the past to come up with possible explanations for the present. If you would like to see the Sphinx on Google Earth, type in “The Great Sphinx of Giza.”

What Are You Creating?  6-9-18

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Rather than creating a fort or a piece of art, this person creates an idol- a false god. Not only does he worship it, he begins to ask it to do things for him. Essentially he creates it so it can serve him. Of course a piece of wood cannot answer his prayers or do anything he asks it to do. Still, it is not completely irrational for the creator to expect his creation to serve him.

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Let us not forget that the true God, Jesus Christ, is our creator and we are the creation. Unlike the leftover piece of the tree, we have knowledge, intellect, and will. Therefore, Christ can expect us to do what He asks us to do. Unlike the man in Isaiah, though, God does not worship us. Instead he expects us to worship Him.

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Today it is not that popular for people to make wooden gods, but they do try to create their own ideas of what God is like. As they do that, they often expect God to serve them, rather than they worshiping Him.

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Essentially, man in his creativity, has gotten it backwards. If man can come up with an idea about God in his own mind, then man is the creator and man is in charge. Thus man becomes the god and God becomes the servant. As creative as this idea is, it is wrong. The true God will not be mocked. We must submit to Him.

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No wonder God commands us: “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” (I John 5:21 NASB) As bad as it is to worship a statue, it is just as bad to worship yourself. Notice what the scripture says about Lucifer: "But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'” (Isaiah 14:13-14 NASB) Lucifer did not get away with it, and neither will anyone else. Verse 15 says, "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit. (NASB) Romans 6:23 warns us all that the wages of sin is death. Instead let us embrace the gift of God, which is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord as we worship only Him. Remember He is in charge, not us.

Christ and the Root Beer  4-28-18

Most of life's trials are fairly small. In fact, many of the most aggravating trials are practically trivial. For example, I opened a bottle of Root Beer while I was driving and it had been shook up more than I expected. Since my eyes were on the road, I did not notice the problem until just before the bottle reached my lips. Thankfully very little fizz had run out- it had not even reached my hands yet- but it was coming fast and I had to think fast.

I opened my mouth and placed the bottle there and quickly realized that my mouth was not big enough to hold 20 ounces of fizz. More important, I had to keep the vehicle on the road. Fortunately no one was there to encourage me to laugh. That would have likely resulted in a windshield covered with a mixture of carbonated corn syrup.

There were a number of ways to escape this trial. Spraying the foamy Root Beer on the window, would NOT have been the best. A less dramatic option would have been to let the pop spill all over the seat or even down the front of my shirt and onto my lap. That is actually what I expected to happen, but then, just in time, I had an idea. I closed my mouth while holding the bottle to my face and let my lips firmly seal the opening.

TRAGEDY AVERTED, but now a new crisis developed. I was holding a Root Beer bottle that would explode with force if I pulled it away from my face. Still, this gave me some time to plan and to think. I calculated that once the pressure was released, that the pop bottle would once again be safe. After swallowing the fizz that had already entered my mouth, I very carefully allowed a little more to seep in. I repeated the process until all the danger was past.

I Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it.” (NASB) The word translated “temptation” in this verse, is the idea of a trial. Sometimes the trial may involve the temptation to sin, other times the trial may involve a pop bottle. Notice that the verse does not say that God will always make the problem go away. Instead He gives us a way to get through it as He enables us to bear it.

Too often this verse is taken out of context and is focused on us and our getting what we want, instead of focusing on Christ and how we need to depend on AND obey Him. It really has little to do with my being delivered from a pop mess other than that it reminded me to pray as it was happening.

The context of the promise in I Corinthians 10, helps us to further understand it. The chapter starts out with the children of Israel in the wilderness. It shows that even during the time of Moses, Christ was with them (see vs 4). Still they decided to follow their selfish desires instead of following Christ. Then when they did not get what they wanted, they complained about it. Thus God sent punishment. Finally right before the promise of vs 13, a warning is given in vs 12., “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (NASB)

If we think we can go it alone without Christ, then expect to fall- do not count on the way of escape promised in vs 13. In fact, the very next verse brings an important command, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (1Co 10:14 NASB) Idolatry is worshiping something other than the true God. Therefore, if you are putting your own desires above Christ, you need to stop.

As I prayed about the pop bottle, I applied the promise of vs 13, by asking God for help, expressing my trust, asking forgiveness for cursing, and thanking Him. 

Accountable to Christ or Karma?  4-14-18

Living in a house with four boys age 10 and under we get to answer a lot of questions. They are constantly learning, and that leads to even more questions. I have had many more years to ask questions than my sons have had, yet I have not yet exhausted my questions. No doubt, there are a lot of questions I would like to ask God, but for now, I am thankful that I have the Bible to go to in order to find most of the answers I am looking for.

As much as I trust the Bible, it may surprise some of my readers to realize that I do not find all the answers to my questions there. For example, when I needed to fix the car, I go to Youtube for the answer instead of the Bible.

Recently I was able to ask a question about another religion. The Bible is the book for Judaeo/Christian beliefs, but there are many other religions in the world. There are so many spiritual beliefs that it is impossible to keep up with all of them- especially when many people form their own religious beliefs.

Thus, I had the chance to learn something new as I asked a non-Christian about what established her moral boundaries. I already knew she had boundaries because of comments she had made about what anther person had done wrong. She responded that her boundary was to do no harm. She also explained that if she did harm, she could expect karma to come back with three times as much harm done to her.

I appreciated her response, but I was still unclear about what actually constituted harm, so asked if harm only included causing physical pain or if emotional pain would also be included? She said that harm included physical, emotional, and mental harm but did not give any more parameters about what would qualify as harm.

This conversation was very interesting to me, since this woman and another woman had had some conflict over some things that were said. Each felt offended by the other person and I wanted to know how to address the concerns within some sort of moral framework. Since I am a Christian, the Bible was the framework that I go to, but I understood that the person I was talking with did not regard the Bible at all, so I wanted to know if there was anywhere that she would go to discuss right and wrong in order to see why she felt what the other person had done was wrong.

The conversation ended and I still did not have her definition of harm. I was thankful that the Bible has given clear boundaries about right and wrong. I understand that everyone does not accept those boundaries, but for those of us who do, it makes life much easier. Although Christians do not agree on everything, we still have some basic limits of right and wrong that we all recognize. What I love about that is that another Christian cannot just make up their own rules to use against me, nor can I do that to them. We go to the Bible to let God be our arbitrator. I was hoping this woman would see the contrast.

I had one final question for her. Since karma brings harm back, does that mean that humans are actually accountable to karma and that karma has authority over them? I then let her know that the point I wanted to make is that we all understand that we are accountable to some outside force. As a Christian, I believe in Jesus Christ and I believe I am accountable to Him. Although I could not measure up to His expectations for me, He loved me so much that He died for my sins and then rose again. If I am going to be accountable to someone, I want it to be someone like Jesus. He is much more merciful than karma. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) 

Our King Lives Forever  4-1-18

     Imagine that it were the beginning of July. You go to buy charcoal for the grill and the kids are begging you to buy fireworks. Of course you are preparing for the the 4^thof July- Independence Day. We recently celebrated the Resurrection, but the celebration began much earlier. Palm Sunday happened a week earlier. As Jesus rode into the capital city of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Israelites were getting ready to celebrate the Passover. That was essentially their independence from Egypt that had happened about 1500 years earlier.

     The Passover was the event where Moses had them put the blood of the lamb on their door frame and then their firstborn would be spared from death. After this event and the death of the firstborn among the Egyptians, Pharaoh finally let the people go. Thus the Passover was a celebration of God's saving from death and His deliverance from slavery as the blood of the lamb was used to mark the doors of God's followers.

     As Jesus rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the Israelites are now under a new oppressor- Rome. Caesar is the main leader, but he has appointed a puppet king over Israel named Herod. He also has a military governor over the region named Pontius Pilate. Pilate did not stay in Jerusalem, but often went on military campaigns with his soldiers. However, history tells us that he came back to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday because he knew the people were getting ready to celebrate their independence day- the Passover.

     Thus you have the oppressive governor entering Jerusalem from the west and Jesus entering from the east the same day. It seemed impossible to defeat a powerful nation like Rome, but remember Jesus could feed 5000 men plus the women and children with 5 loaves and 2 fish and still have 12 baskets left over. That means he could feed an army. Further he had raised Lazarus from the dead. Imagine if he did that with his soldiers on the battle field. No wonder the people are excited.

     But instead of going straight to Pilate and challenging him, Jesus enters the temple. There He turns over the tables of the money changers who had been using religion to cheat the people. The religious leaders who had already rejected Jesus because they had long ago rejected the ways of God, were upset that He had disrupted their profit margin. Soon they are scheming even more diligently to have Him taken out of the way.

     They try to convince Pilate that Jesus wants to take on Caesar and overthrow Rome. Pilate is so arrogant he doesn't even view Jesus as a serious threat and declares Him innocent. Still he wants to appease the Hebrew people and prevent any sort of uprising, so he lets them chose between Jesus and Barabbas.

     Jesus is killed on the cross. His blood saves all those who believe on Him as their Lord and savior from eternal death, just like the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites. He died on the same day the Passover lamb was to be killed as they celebrated their independence day.

     Then 3 days later, He rose from the dead. He did not go on with a military attack against Pilate, but let us remember that today Caesar, Herod, and Pilate are all dead, but Jesus is alive.

     We have celebrated Resurrection Sunday, but let us not forget what we celebrated. Our King is alive. He will live forever because He is God. Do you believe in that King- King Jesus?

     He is powerful enough to defeat Rome. Rome is no longer an empire. All is under God's control. But so is your very soul. Do not fight the King. Join Him and have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Hope For Dyslexic Hopelessness  3-16-18

Our son is reading and understanding what he reads. The sentences are simple and he is not yet up to grade level, but we are excited at his progress. Our son has dyslexia. This is more than just getting his d's and b's mixed up. This is a severe challenge that hindered his ability to read no matter how hard he tried.

I remember taking him through the Mcguffey primer hoping to give him the basics of reading. He worked hard and struggled through it. Even though he could sound out words with much effort, he did not comprehend what he read.

I finally told a friend about it and he said that, they had a similar problem with one of his sons. The teachers and special education programs at school had tried to help, but it seemed nothing could be done. Finally they hired a tutor who used a program especially designed for dyslexia. After using the Barton program, he began to read and catch up with the other students.

We are now using that same program and it is giving us hope. The word “hope” means to expect with confidence- to trust. Because of the progress our son has already made, we now have the confidence to expect that his reading will continue to improve.

Not all such stories have a happy ending. My wife was to a dyslexia conference put on by the state of South Dakota last fall. Educators were frustrated that they did not have the knowledge or the resources to help so many students who were facing such struggles. Often it was assumed that the students were not even trying. In reality, some of the students had given up after trying for so long and not being given any hope.

As positive as the word “hope” is, the word “hopeless” is the the opposite. The word “hopeless” has the idea of despair and inadequacy. Our son definitely felt inadequate when his friends could read and he could not. It is exciting to see him now have hope.

The truth is that we all face times of despair and inadequacy in our lives. We are especially inadequate when it comes to righteousness. Romans 3:10 tells us, “as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;” (NASB). A few verses later, Romans 3:23 underscores the point, as it states, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (NASB). As hopeless as all of this sounds, it gets even worse because the first part of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death,” (NASB)

As hopeless as all this sounds, God gives us hope. A hope even better than our son's hope of reading. A hope that lasts into the next life. The whole verse of Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (NASB)

The sin problem is hopeless and none of our good works can take care of it (read Ephesians 2:8-9). No matter how hard we work, we cannot overcome sin. The cure for sin is not a tutoring program. Instead is is a great teacher who is God in the flesh. That teacher is Jesus Christ who came to earth and died on the cross. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NASB)

We may face hopeless situations from time to time, but the big picture does not have to be hopeless. Find your hope in Christ Jesus.

Fear God or Fear Guns?  3-4-18

February 14^th is supposed to be a day to celebrate love. Instead it turned into a day when someone went on a murderous rampage killing other people in a school shooting. Not only is our country grieving, but it is looking for answers. Why did this happen? What can be done to make sure it does not happen again?

It has been interesting how people on opposite sides of the political spectrum think that the answer to both these questions has to do with guns. For example those on the left believe that this happened because there are not enough restrictions on guns and that the solution is to implement more restrictions. Their solution is less guns. Those on the right think this happened because there are too many restrictions on guns. They believe that if more people had guns, then the shooter would not have dared do what he did or would have been stopped sooner if others had guns as well. Of course their solution is more guns.

Although there is a lot of controversy over who should have a gun, one of the least controversial suggestions is to have more armed police presence at our schools. This approach actually reminds me of Romans 13:3-4, “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil.” (NASB)

During Roman times the soldiers carried swords instead of guns, but the principle was the same. The fear of the sword in the hands of a government authority was a deterrent to evil. No doubt private individuals in the Roman empire could have swords as well and Jesus even encouraged the purchase of one (Luke 22:36). Still the threat from a trained soldier who could bring additional consequences for a crime was a greater deterrent.

Let me suggest that the best solution to our nations problems does not lie in the fear of guns or swords (either as a deterrent or as an item to be banned), but rather in the fear of someone far more powerful than a Roman soldier. Our nation needs to fear God. "And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 NASB)

I want everyone to love and trust Jesus as they come to God, but even if they don't if they still fear Him and the consequences of sin, there will be more restraint on evil. Sadly, even some Christians today are suggesting that we should not fear God. That is wrong and goes contrary to scripture. We are not to dread God, but we must fear Him. If Christians are saying we should not fear God, why are we surprised when the rest of the nation doesn't fear Him either. Proverbs 3:7 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.” (NASB)

A soldier with a gun may deter someone from committing murder, but that soldier cannot be all places at all times. We cannot even depend on having a concealed carry holder around to deter evil at every critical moment, but God is always there. If people fear Him, He is able to deter other social ills in addition to murder. Fear God and avoid immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (list from Galatians 5:19-21).

Are You a Fan of Christ?  2/16/18

I am not a football fan. Normally I would rather watch heavy equipment on a construction site than to watch guys run around with a ball. Thus it was surprising when I recently wanted to watch a football play. I even enjoyed it once I watched it.

So many people were talking about the end of the Vikings vs Saints game that even my wife was telling me about it. I went online to read the news and I saw headlines and articles everywhere about the end of that game. What had happened was so exciting that a lot of people were talking about it. Time was running out and a long pass was made by a Viking, and his teammate caught it and made a touchdown. The only Saint's player that was close enough to tackle the receiver was afraid that if he rushed in too fast he would be fouled. His hesitation allowed the Viking to score.

My description does not do justice to the excitement of that play. Listening to football fans describe it, there was no doubt that this was something special. So many people were excited about what had happened that I wanted to watch it myself.

Many of you are probably not interested in watching big machinery on a construction site. Did you realize that there is a video online of an excavator rescuing a young deer from a mud hole? Imagine someone told you about that video. Imagine that they were really excited about it. Now imagine that almost everyone you ran into was talking about it. The more you heard about it and the more excited people were about it, the more likely you would be to want to see it for yourself.

Now imagine that you heard about an Air force pilot that gave his life to intercept a nuclear weapon and everyone was talking about it. Then imagine that you found out that if he had not intercepted the missile, that it would have hit right on top of where you were at. That would make you even more interested in learning more about him.

So what does football, a deer stuck in the mud, and an imaginary story about a heroic pilot have to do with Christ? As Christians, we understand that we should be witnesses for Christ, yet, many are discouraged because others do not want to hear about Him. Remember, many people are about as interested in Christ as I am in football.

If we want people to be interested in what Christ did, then we need to let them know how passionate we are about Him. What He did is even more exciting than the Viking/Saints game. He did not just rescue a deer, He gave His life for the whole world after He created the whole world.

Most people do not keep talking to me about football once they see I am not that interested. Still, I am not offended if people talk about things I am not interested in. Many are that way about Christ. As Christians we need to be sensitive to wait until people are ready to talk. That does not mean that we should never bring up the subject that we should be the most passionate about.

What Christ did is an exciting message. Some will not be interested in hearing it. Still, if they hear more and more people talking about Him, perhaps they will start to pay attention. That is what happened to me when I finally went and watched a Vikings play.

The more we know about Jesus the more we should love Him and the more good news we will have to share about Him. Let us continue to learn about Christ so we can share the exciting message that eternal life comes only through believing in Him as Lord and Savior. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

Not Feeling the Power of Prayer?  2-3-18

      I often see Christian articles promoting the keys to having a powerful prayer life. I do not “feel” like I have a real powerful prayer life. What I mean by that is that I do not get some amazing feeling of power as I go to God in prayer. I do not feel some kind of tingle, touch, or movement within me each time I pray.

      I must admit that there have been times where I have felt deep emotion as I prayed. There have also been other times where I have felt little or no emotion as I prayed. I have come to realize that I need to stop focusing on how I “feel” as I pray and instead just pray. 1Thessalonians 5:17 simply commands us to “pray without ceasing.” The full sentence where that verse is located reads, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  (I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB)

      Notice that the command regarding prayer is that we pray. Further the command regards what we are to do along with our prayer rather than how we are to feel. First we are to rejoice. That means we are to be glad. No doubt there is an element of “feeling” in gladness, but it is more of a choice or call to action than just how we feel. In order to really understand how it can be a choice we should look at the last part of the sentence which tells us to give thanks in everything.

      I find myself praying a lot when I have trouble. I bring my cares to God as I realize He can handle what I cannot handle. Often I am feeling discouraged as I come to Him with my problems. As I come to God, I am able to rejoice knowing that He loves me enough that He became a man and died for my sins. I rejoice knowing that Jesus rose from the dead and that He wants me to call out in prayer. I rejoice knowing that He has the power to deal with the problems that are out of my control. These are all things to be thankful for.

      I have come to realize that I am not thankful for the power of my prayers, but instead I am thankful for the power of my God. Thus it is okay that I do not “feel” like I have a powerful prayer as long I rejoice that I have a powerful God. The point is that my dependence is on my God, not on my prayer. That means that my focus is His power, not mine.

      One of the reasons I go to Him is because I realize how powerless I am. That means it is okay if my prayers are not powerful, because my God is powerful.

      As I look back on the prayers I have prayed over the years, I could share many examples of how seemingly impossible situations have been resolved after prayer. These are not testimonies to how good I pray. As I said, my prayers do not “feel” powerful at all. Instead these answers to prayer are a testimony to the power of my almighty God.

      We are commanded to pray without ceasing. There are some prayers that I continue to pray even as I do not see the results I had hoped for. I pray them with thanksgiving as well. I rejoice knowing that God may have a better plan than what I requested and that I can trust Him no matter what.

What Happens When God is Angry?   1-20-18

Imagine if you found out that someone had taken a baseball bat to your car and had let the air out of all the tires. You would likely be angry about it. The scripture warns about the dangers of anger, but it also makes it clear that anger itself is not sinful. Ephesians 4:26 says, “BE ANGRY, AND yet DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (NASB).

Anger is not always wrong. In fact, it would not be wrong to be angry that your car was vandalized. Still, if that anger is not kept in check, it could lead you to react in a sinful manner. Further, the anger should not be carried around for a long time and allowed to ferment.

Because anger can lead to so many sinful actions, we sometimes start to think that the anger itself is wrong rather than our ungodly reactions to our anger. It may even surprise some to realize that God gets angry. Because God is perfect, He is able to control His anger and never sin.

When I was a kid, I watched the Incredible Hulk. I remember David Banner saying, “you won't like me when I'm angry.” When he let his anger get out of control he turned into a super strong green monster. God is much more powerful than the Incredible Hulk, but He keeps His anger under control.

As fearful as it would be to have the Hulk mad at me, it should be even more scary to have God mad at us. Hebrews 10:31 says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (NASB) Consider as well the words of Jesus, "But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who after He has killed has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:5 NASB)

There is reason to fear a holy God who gets angry at sin. In fact, He is so angry at sin that He makes it clear that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a).

Knowing that God has power over everything- including our eternal soul- it is a comfort that although the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). No doubt, God gets mad at sin, yet He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).

As we read in Ephesians 4:26, the sun should not go down on our anger. In Psalm 30:5 we read about God's anger and how it does not last long. Psalm 30:5 says, “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.” (NASB)

Knowing how powerful God is, I am glad that His anger does not last long and that He has provided forgiveness for my sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the same time a realization of His anger is sobering, because I know that not everyone has put a trusting belief in Christ. For then the results of God's anger will be eternal judgment. John 3:36 gives comfort to believers but warns those who reject Christ's authority in their lives when Jesus says, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NASB)

Putting Up With Each Other  1-7-18

I saw a really cool picture on the internet. A father had built dividers between his children's car seats. Having traveled with kids, I understand why. Putting up with each other in tight confined spaces is not easy. Add the immaturity of childhood to the mix and soon you have someone yelling, “he touched me!”

As we grow into adulthood, that annoyance with others does not instantly go away. In fact, the scriptures tell us to bear with each other. That means we should put up with each other even when it is not easy. Colossians 3:12-15 says,

And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. (NASB)

Notice the call for compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience as we put up with each other and love each other. Imagine if the kids in the back seat could just do this. Sadly, many grown adults struggle with these basic principles of the Christian life. Notice though that the key is to remember that the Lord Jesus Christ set the example. As we apply these standards to our lives, we must let his peace rule in our hearts. In other words, Christ is the key to putting up with each other.

As we continue to read the passage we find out that this applies to the people that we live the closest to. Colossians 3:18-21 tells us, “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be embittered against them. Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not exasperate your children, that they may not lose heart.” (NASB)

Verse 18 is a bit controversial because it tells the wives to submit to their husbands. Although this is true, the passage also holds a rebuke for the overbearing husband. First, notice that the wives are to be subject “as is fitting in the Lord.” This means that God sees this as fitting, but it also is a reminder that as Peter said, we ought to obey God rather than men. In other words, wives are not required to submit in areas that would cause them to sin.

Further, husbands are to love their wives. A husband that puts excessive demands on his wife is not being loving. If a husband loves his wife like Christ loves the church, it will be much easier for his wife to let him make some of the important decisions- especially if he loves her enough to consult with her first and gets her perspective.

Along those lines, verse 21 shows that the fathers are not to provoke their children to wrath or exasperate them. This is right after the children are told to obey their parents. Even though there is an order of authority in the household, if we are to put up with each other and live with the peace of Christ as our guide, then the leader in the house must step up and do right. That means that the father/husband, must be humble, compassionate, kind, meek, patient, forgiving, and loving just like Jesus is (see verse 12).

That does not mean that the wife and children do not have to be like Christ, it just means that verse 21 makes a specific point of making sure that the leader of the house understands that he has a special duty in this area.

The point is that if we are to get along and not quarrel like little kids in the back seat, then all of us must focus on being Christlike. As we start this new year, let us all live for Christ by being more like Him.

Scripture and Sexual Harassment

12-28-17

     As I read the headlines lately, the word “scandal” comes to my mind. There have been so many scandals of sexual harassment, that we almost expect a new one daily. At Southtown, we have been preaching through the book of Colossians. As we came to chapter 3, we found out that even though this letter was written almost 2000 years ago, it is still able to address the issue we are having to deal with today.

     Let us look at Colossians 3:5-6, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is on account of these things that the wrath of God will come,” (NASB)

     The letter to the Colossians is a letter to Christians where they are told to live in a way that they are dead to immorality. Many of the men who have been accused of sexual harassment have used the defense that the relationship was consensual. If they can prove that is was consensual, that may get them off the hook legally, but it does not get them off the hook with God. Sexual immorality is wrong, whether consensual or not. If not consensual, then there is additional sin, but even consensual sex outside of marriage is wrong.

     Notice as well that greed and evil desires are wrong. As we read the headlines we find out that evil men in positions of power used their influence to manipulate women into doing sinful things. Many of the women were fearful of losing their jobs. As Christians, we must realize that we must say no to sin even if it has major financial implications. My brother was faced with a similar situation in a non sexual way. His boss wanted him to lie to customers in order to make more profit. He quit instead and had to take a lower paying job for a while. The point is that he was more concerned about obeying God than he was about his job. Notice that Colossians 3:5 addresses both immorality and greed. Any man who puts a woman in a place where she must chose between immorality and her job must be held accountable (take comfort in the wrath of God in vs 6). At the same time, Christian men and women must trust God enough to say no even if it means losing a job or a promotion.

     The letter to the Colossians continues, “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,” (Colossians 3:8-9 NASB)

     The sexual acts are obviously wrong, but notice that the scripture also addresses the issue of abusive speech. Regardless of what the law says or what sort of sexual harassment policy your company has in place, as Christians, we have an even higher standard. We are to set aside our old way of behavior (the way we acted before following Christ) and that includes being careful that our speech is not abusive. That means we should not be rude, but it also means we should not be crude.

What to Give Jesus For Christmas  12-7-17

At Christmas time we think about giving and receiving gifts. Little kids are easy to shop for, but it can be more of a challenge to find the perfect gift for some adults. What if we were to go Christmas shopping for God? What would you give HIM?

This time of year we remember the greatest gift of all as God gave us Himself as He became a man and was born into this world as a little baby. He then grew up and ministered to many people as He healed the sick, raised the dead, and reached out to sinners. Finally He paid the ultimate price as He gave His life for our sins when He died on the cross.

Knowing all that Jesus has done for us, we should want to give what we can to Him. But what do you give to someone who created the whole world? What do you give to someone who is so powerful that He even made and sustains you? “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17 NASB) Knowing that Jesus is the creator and that He existed before all things shows us that He existed before He took on the body of a baby and was born in Bethlehem. It also tells me that He made the gold that was given to Him when He was a baby.

As we think about what Jesus would want, we should not just think about giving it to Him at Christmas time. We should be giving Him what He asks for our whole lives. When Jesus came to this earth as a baby and then grew up, He said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NASB)

So we find out that Jesus wants us to obey Him. If we are to obey Him, we should know what the most important commands are. He even told us what the 2 most important commandments where when asked about them in Matthew 22:37-38. “And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'” (NASB)

So if we really love Jesus enough that we want to give a gift to Him, then we should do what He says. As we do what He says, we must remember that His most important command is to love Him and to love others. He then goes on to say that all the laws and what the prophets said were based on these 2 commands.

So what do we give to God when He already has everything and needs nothing from us? We give Him our love and obedience.

God gave us Himself as He was born in Bethlehem and laid in a manger. He became one of us as He entered this world, but His love did not stop there. He wanted to make sure that our sin did not stand between us and Him. He had so much love for us, that He provided a way for us to have a clean slate with Him. He did not stay a baby. He grew up and died on the cross to pay for our sins and then rose from the dead as our victorious King and savior and all He asks of us is that we believe in Him as our authority and love Him with our all as we strive to obey Him.

This Christmas, if you are wondering what to give to Jesus, give Him yourself. Give Him your trust and allegiance. Give Him your love. 

Are You Caught in a Net?  11-24-17

Life is not always easy. Sometimes it is so hard that it feels like we are trapped in a net with no way to escape. David talked about that in Psalm 25:15 when he said, “My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of the net.” (NASB) Notice that although David felt trapped in the net, he looked to the Lord for help and hope.

Consider the analogy of being trapped in a net. Unless you suffer from claustrophobia, it is not that big of a deal to have your feet trapped in a net for a short period of time. In fact, as kids we would tie each other up by the feet and make a game out of seeing how fast we could get free. Today, people pay money to be locked into an escape room with clues for how to get out.

The anxiety of being trapped is not nearly as severe as the anxiety of worrying about not ever being able to be free. In the examples of the escape room and of our childhood game there was always a certainty of being free eventually. If my brother tied me up good enough that I could not get free, all I had to do was call for Mom's help. I could even just tell my brother that I gave up and he won, so he would untie me or cut the rope.

When we face the trials of life, the trials themselves are often not as severe as wondering where the trials will lead. For example, I think of loved ones who have been caught in the net of a cancer diagnosis but still feel fairly healthy. The challenge comes not from the current situation, but from the fear of what the future will bring.

During those times we should remember to be thankful for our current situation and to be thankful that the net around us has not yet begun to choke us. That is hard to do until we, like David, remember that God is still there regardless of the trials around us. God does not promise to keep our feet out the nets of life. Instead we are told that Christ's godly followers shall suffer persecution. (II Timothy 3:12).

As we face the trials of life, let us not forget the words of Jesus, "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 NASB)

A while back as I was reflecting on the Psalms and trusting God, I wrote this song:

In this moment of time, my world is crashing down.
In this moment of time, hope cannot be found.
In this moment of time, I don't know what to do.
In this moment of time, I simply look to you.

I know that when my moments struggle you are still there.
I know that when my heart is heavy you are the one who cares.

If I could just hold this moment in time, as the world is passing by.
Then I could have a moment without the need to cry.

With your everlasting kindness, your mercy is on me. (Is 54:8)
My God my Redeemer, to you alone I plead.

In this moment of time, the problems are at bay.
What the morrow brings, is what the morrow may. (Matt 6:34)

But in this moment of time, I am still alive
In this moment of time, my God is by my side.

I have another moment in time. One that is new.
In this moment of time, hope shines anew.

As we face the trials of life, let us take them one moment at a time with a realization that we have an all powerful God who cared so much about us that He sent His son to die for our sins. That is something to be thankful for.

Belief for Everlasting Life  11-11-2017

     Writing about politics can be quite risky. The statistics suggest that on a wide range of issues you can end up offending nearly half the population regardless of which position you take. For example about a year ago we had a very close Presidential election and emotions on both sides ran very high. Some people believed in Donald Trump. Others believed in Hilary Clinton. Each side voted accordingly. Others did not believe in either but voted for one of them anyway. Some believed in another candidate and voted accordingly. Some did not believe in any and did not vote at all.

     As I reflect back on that political contest, I realize that the candidates had true believers behind them. They also had supporters behind them, and then they just had people who went through the motions of voting for them.

     I believe that there are also similar responses to Jesus Christ. Some really believe in Him, others give a level of support to Him, and others just go through the motions of following Him.

     Jesus said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” What kind of following was Christ talking about when He made that promise to those who believe? In order to answer that question let us consider James 2:19, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.” (NASB) Along with this passage realize what Christ said about the demons. "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” (Matthew 25:41 NASB).

     Rather than everlasting life, the devil and his followers will have everlasting punishment even though they believe in one true God and realize that Jesus Christ is that one true God. Thus, a belief in Christ for eternal life must be more than just a belief in His existence. In fact, it has to be even more than a belief that Jesus is God. Notice what happened when a demon possessed man encounters Jesus: “And seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, 'What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.'" (Luke 8:28 NASB)

     The devil and his followers know exactly who Jesus is. They believe the facts.

     Consider that today Donald Trump is the President of the United States of America. Some people fully support him. Others do not believe that he should be the President nor do they believe that he has the authority to rule. Some even argue that because of the popular vote, Hilary should be the President. Thus we have many shades of belief about the current occupant of the Oval Office.

     In Mark 1:15, Jesus said, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (NASB) Notice He said to repent and believe. Repenting is the idea of changing mind and direction. A belief in Jesus for eternal life is a change in direction to follow Jesus as your God and your authority. It is a belief in Him that totally supports Him as your leader.

     Consider the interaction between Martha and Jesus in John 11:26-27, “and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." (NASB) Martha was a first century Jew. For her, a belief in the Christ was a belief in a savior who came to rule. It was a belief that meant she was a committed follower, not just someone who acknowledged His existence. Is your belief in Jesus Christ a committed following? That is the kind of belief you must have for eternal life.

So Much Death at Halloween  10-27-17

     Summer has passed and fall has arrived. With fall comes harvest and Halloween decorations. Now I like pumpkins- especially pumpkin pie, but I am not a fan of the creepy Halloween decorations that pop up this time of year.

     Much of Halloween centers on the theme of death. Ghosts represent the spirits of the dead. Zombies are essentially animated corpses. Sculls, skeletons, coffins, graveyards, mummies, and murderers, contribute to the Halloween scene. Even witches and wizards have a connection to death. In I Samuel 28 King Saul consults with the witch of Endor in order to try and contact a dead man.

     Satan also has a connection to Halloween. Some people dress up like him. Some even call it his holy day. He even has a special connection to this holiday because of the theme of death.

     There are reasons why the devil would be fascinated with death. First of all, man is put here to glorify God, and once we die, we can no longer glorify Him in life. Further, it seems that God has given Satan a certain amount of power in the area of death. Hebrews 2:14 tells us, “Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil;” (NASB)

     This intriguing passage suggests that the devil had some sort of power relating to death. It also shows that by dying, Christ was able to destroy that power. Consider Christ’s words in Revelation 1:18, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.”  Although the devil has been given some sort of power relating to death, Christ holds the keys- the real power. 

     I do not want to encourage the devil by promoting death at Halloween. Instead, I want to use the themes of death as a way to remind others that life does not have to end with eternal death, but rather with eternal life. That life can only come through Jesus Christ. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12 NASB) 

There Is A Lot of Evil Here  10-14-17

     Both local and national headlines have been shocking lately. A mass shooting took place in Las Vegas, NV. A murder suicide took place in Lennox, SD.  Hollywood is filled with scandal.

     As these events were being reported on in the news, I had to preach through a passage in the book of Judges. It was also a shocking event. In Judges 19, a woman is raped and killed. Her husband is upset and divides her dead body into parts and sends them to the leaders of the 12 tribes of Israel in order to raise awareness of the terrible crime. Once the awareness is raised, a civil war takes place.

     This is one of the most shocking passages in scripture. It shows how gross sin really is. It may even cause us to ask why such an event is even recorded in scripture when it is the sort of literature we might expect to be censored. It would definitely not get a G rating.

     Part of the explanation comes when we consider the context of the passage. Just 2 chapters earlier in Judges 17:6 we read, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (NASB)

     Today, more and more people are doing what is right in their own eyes rather than looking to what God says about right and wrong. In fact, many people are literally attacking the idea of looking to God for our moral values. These same people want to force their morality on the rest of us, but hate the idea of having God as the ultimate authority. When men get to decide what is right and wrong instead of looking to God, it is no wonder that we have so much evil running rampant in our world.

     The scriptures describe in detail a society that pushes God aside and this is what it looks like:

“For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:25-32 NASB)

     A society without God is a mess. In fact, it is characterized by the works of the flesh that we read of in Galatians 5:19-21:

“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” (NASB)

     When a person really follows God and is reconciled to God through trusting Jesus payment on the cross, God's spirit transforms them and if enough of them are transformed it brings amazing stability to a society. Consider the results of the Spirits transformation: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)

Consequences After Repentance 10-7-17

     We have taught our boys that when they are not nice to each other, that they should say that they are sorry. The problem is that the words, “I'm sorry,” can become little more than a ritual that is expected rather than a real sorrow over sin. In fact, the words can even become a way to avoid the consequences of their actions. The scripture addresses this problem in II Corinthians 7:10, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” (NASB)

     True repentance should not be about saying that I am sorry that you were offended. True repentance should be about saying that I am sorry that I sinned. Still, even as adults it is so easy to treat repentance like we did when we were kids. Many of us learned that if we said we were sorry, then our parents were less severe with the punishment.

     As Christians, we also learned that we are to forgive one another because God forgave us. Consider Christ's answer to Peter considering a question about forgiveness. “Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22 NASB)

     Some use this verse to teach that as long as someone says that they are sorry, then all consequences should be removed. Notice that the command to forgiven in Matthew 18 says nothing about the offender saying that they are sorry or even about confessing. It simply talks about forgiveness. Therefore, we must be careful not to tie confession and apology to a removal of consequence for sin.

     For example, imagine that a church greeter started punching everyone in the face as they entered the church, but each time he did it he admitted he was wrong and asked for forgiveness. Of course this person should be removed from his position and there should be consequences- in our society there would even have to be criminal charges brought against him because he had broken the law by assaulting innocent people.

     We understand in a practical sense that forgiveness does not negate consequences, yet many Christians become confused on the issue once it becomes much more personal. In fact, Christianity has recently been plagued by scandals of pedophilia because once caught the offender apologized and then was allowed to return to work with children without any warnings to those around. First of all, that is illegal, because of mandatory reporting laws. Further it is unChristlike because it is failing to protect the innocent.

     We must be willing to forgive and we must be gracious because God is gracious. We must also be willing to warn and to hold people accountable for their actions even when there is repentance.

     If a person is really repentant (godly sorrow) then they should welcome the consequence and the warning. True repentance should recognize the two greatest commands of scripture- love God and love your neighbor. Thus the offender should be more concerned about God's glory and about the person they sinned against than they are about their own reputation. The truth about their sin and the warning to others should be viewed as a help for them and for others rather than a lack of forgiveness.

     Consider the pedophile who has served his time and then returns to the church. Forgiveness should be granted but it will help him to have the truth out in the open so that others can help him to not fail in that same area again. Further, having everyone aware of the past and having others watching and helping him to not ever be alone with a child can protect him from false allegations.

     Let us realize that consequences and truth are not a lack of love or a lack of forgiveness. Rather they are loving accountability that helps us all to serve Christ better.

Man Making His Own God  9-15-17

     Have you ever thought of making a statue and having that statue be your god? I believe most of us realize how ridiculous it would be to carve a statue and expect it to function as a god.

Isa 44:14-17 says, “Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak, and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image, and falls down before it. Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast, and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, "Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire." But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, "Deliver me, for thou art my god." (NASB)

     Our culture is sophisticated enough to understand that a piece of wood can be used to warm us when burned but that it has no power to help us as a god. Still that process of making a god out of a piece of wood has a certain allure. If you get to make your own god, it can look however you want it to look. Further, if you planted the tree that you make the god out of, then you can claim that the god's very existence is because of you. Essentially you have created a god that you are in total control of.

     If you make a god out of wood and burned the scraps, what is to keep you from burning the statue? You have the power to get rid of the god you made if it ever displeases you. Essentially by making your own god, you are god of the god.

     What if you carved a statue and then named it Jesus Christ? Would that statue actually be Jesus? Of course we understand that it would not. What if you claimed to worship the Jesus Christ of the Bible, but you reshaped and remolded him into something other than who He really is?

     Carving gods out of wood is not very common in our society, but reshaping the true God into whatever we want Him to be has become very popular. Redefining the true God is not only idolatry, it is blasphemy. When man reshapes a piece of wood, that wood has no power to be upset about how it is represented. On the other hand, when man tries to reshape God, man must remember that God created him, not that he created God. Further man is accountable to the true God, not the other way around.

     Whether man is making a statue to worship or redefining the true God, man is trying to be in control rather than letting God be in control.

     We need to study the Bible to find out who our God really is, rather than just deciding how we want to shape our god. We have no right to make our own god. If you are defining Jesus by who you want Him to be rather than by who He declares Himself to be in the Bible, then you have no right to call yourself a Christian. Such a person has formed a new god and is simply calling that god, Jesus. Jesus Christ is the creator God come to earth to pay for our sins. Read the Bible and learn more about who He is instead of trying form Him into who you want Him to be. 

Do you Need to Love God?  9-2-17

     Garth Brooks is coming to Sioux Falls. You can see videos of him performing with screaming fans dancing and extending their arms out to him. It is obvious that they love him and his music. They like what he is doing and are showing their love with enthusiasm. I would even describe the scene as worshipful.

     Although worship should be reserved for the true God, I actually want to address a bit of a different subject. How many people who call themselves Christians actually adore God as much as a Garth Brooks fan adores the country singer?

     Matthew 22:37-38 says, “Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.'” (NKJV) This command was listed way back in Deuteronomy 6:5 and is repeated throughout both the Old and New Testaments of scripture.

     We understand that a person becomes a Christian by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) For the Christian, belief in Jesus Christ must be much more than just an intellectual agreement with facts. For example, a classical music professor could analyze a Garth Brooks song and agree that he sung the notes correctly and still not be a fan. He could agree that Garth had a level of talent and still not “believe” that he should be selling a lot of records. This music professor would thus not be a follower of Garth Brooks and you would not expect to see him cheering in the front row of a Garth concert unless his best friends who were Garth fans drug him along. Then suddenly the professor pretends to be a fan because of the peer pressure. If he still hated country music, his belief about Garth would not change simply because his behavior had changed.

     What if people are doing the same thing with Jesus?  What if they are simply going through the motions of changed behavior because of pressure from other people? What if that change of behavior has nothing to do with a love for Christ? Can they really say that they believe in all that Christ stands for if they do not have a love for Him?

     Jesus actually rebuked the pharisees for this very thing in Luke 11:42, "But woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe of mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” (NASB)

     I love studying about God. The more I learn about Him the more I love Him. As I read the Old Testament I see many times when people face trials and God comes to their rescue. I see a God of justice, but I also see a God of mercy. If it were not for God's justice and His punishment of sinners, then the innocent would have no hope of God punishing their oppressors. Thus even in His judgment we see His mercy.

     The reason it is so easy to love Him is because He first loved us. Even before we loved Him, He showed His love by dying for us. 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (NASB)

Who Gets to Break The Tie?  8-4-17

     Last year we got a different van. Buying a different vehicle was one of the bigger decisions that we made during the year. Of course in making such a decision, I wanted to get some advice, so I researched a number of vehicles on the internet. I also talked to real people to get their advice. The first person that I talked to was my wife. As my best friend, I value her input. Further, she would be the one most affected by our decision. Therefore, it made sense that we made the decision together.

     As we began to talk about updating vehicles, she also did some internet research. I was researching gas mileage, reliability, and price. She was looking at safety, room for kids, and storage. Although we initially had different priorities, the insight we were both gaining helped us to narrow down our search to a vehicle that would be best for our family.

     By the time we found the Grand Caravan that we bought, we were in full agreement that it would really work well for us.

Our van story has a happy ending, but we do not always come to an agreement on every subject that comes up. Sometimes a decision has to be made and there is no time to to wait for agreement. Sometimes there are differences of opinion, that no amount of time will change.

     So how do we navigate these challenges? Some would suggest that the man is the head of the household and therefore he should just make the decision without even consulting his wife. I am glad I did not do that, since I would have missed out on many important insights. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.” (NASB)

     Others would suggest that in order to balance out the patriarchal excesses, the husband should just let his wife make the decisions. That may sound like a compassionate approach, until we realize that there is often a lot of stress and pressure that comes with having to make important decisions. That is why we make these decisions together. Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” (NASB)

     Still there are times when a decision must be make and there is not yet agreement. Essentially my wife gets a vote and I get a vote and we are at a stalemate. At this point someone has to cast the tie breaking vote. Right after Ephesians 5:21 comes verse 22. It says, “Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (NASB). That means I get the tie breaking vote.

     Before I ever cast that vote, I must remember another verse from the same chapter. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;” (Ephesians 5:25 NASB) A loving husband should set aside selfish motives and cast the tie breaking vote in a way that puts God and others ahead of himself. Sometimes that means changing his vote after he hears his wife's reasons for her vote being different than his. He must also guard against his own selfish interests in making his decision. He may even be tempted to vote in her favor for his selfish interests- thinking he will get something in return from her.

     As the husband casts the tie breaking vote, he must do so with care, knowing that the final responsibility for the decision rests on his shoulders. He should do so in a way that takes the stress of the decision off of his wife, thus showing love for her. His love for her should also motive him to carefully consider her position. Once he makes the decision, he cannot blame her for the outcome. This allows for a decision to be made at times of deadlock. It also allows a chance to display love during a time when both husband and wife must be reminded of the importance of submitting to each other. 

A Lego Lesson on Sharing  7-22-17

     Our boys love Legos. We like to buy used Legos in bulk, thus we have a large plastic tote with about 40 pounds of Legos in it that the boys share. Even with that large stash of Legos, our 7 year old used some of his birthday money to buy a special Lego set. He keeps this separate from the other Legos. It is his, not his brothers'.

     This brings up a question: as Christians, should we allow our sons to have their own possessions, or should we teach them to share everything they have?

     We read in the book of Acts how the early Christians shared their possessions so that they could help each other meet any need that came up. We have no record of these Christians being commanded to do this, but we do have verses like Hebrews 13:16 which says, “And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (NASB) This same idea is also taught in 1Timothy 6:17-18, “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,” (NASB).

     By giving all 4 of our boys a big bulk supply of Legos for Christmas, we are teaching them to share with each other, but now the 7 year old has his own Lego set. Is that fair?

     Although the scripture teaches the importance of sharing and the problems of greed, it also teaches that individuals have a right to own certain things. In fact, the problem with greed is wanting to get what someone else owns. There is even a command against covetousness within the 10 commandments. There is also a command against stealing. Both these commands are found in the Old Testament and clearly repeated in the New Testament. If there were no personal property rights, then we would not have to worry about stealing, because everything would already belong to everyone.

     Ephesians 4:28 should guide the Christian in this area. “Let him who steals steal no longer; but rather let him labor, performing with his own hands what is good, in order that he may have something to share with him who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28 NASB)

     In other words, instead of taking what does not belong to us, we should work to earn our own private possessions. Then we should use those private possessions to help others.

     As I was writing this article my 3 oldest boys walked into my office and I asked them if they should share all their toys, or if they had to a right to have some of their toys as just their own. One said share, one said own, then they thought for a moment and they all agreed that they should do both. They understood that they had a right to their own property, but that as Christians they should be willing to share what they had with each other.

     Their Legos have helped them to understand a basic concept of Christianity. Respect other people's property, realize that all we have really belongs to God, and then be willing to share what we have with others while being careful not let people just steal what we have by taking advantage of us.

Amazing Random Creations   7-8-17

     I heard the sound of sirens and other noises coming from our backyard. The fire station is near our house, but this sounded much different. It sounded like it was coming from the mouth of a little boy. Sure enough, I looked out our back door to see our boys sitting on the top landing playing with their toy cars and making the sounds to go along with their play.

     Not only had they made up sounds, they had also made a whole play area. They had found an old piece of cement block, a small metal frame from a toy wagon, a scrap piece of wood, a metal screen, an empty flower pot, and other random toy parts that they had used to make some sort of building that they were driving their cars through.

     I must admit that their creativity was inspiring. I got to thinking, “they had made their little garage out of existing materials, but God created the whole world without any physical material.” “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3 NASB)

     The toy garage that my boys had cobbled together still took some design. It was obvious that the wind had not just blown a bunch of junk around to make their small structure. Still it was a very simple creation. A few years ago the boys had helped to build our garage. That was even more complex. It was not built out of random pieces of wood. Instead each stud was of a consistent length and spacing as were the trusses and other structural components. Still the garage is a very simple building. The tallest building in the world is over a half a mile high and required much planning. None of these structures happened by chance.

     Even the most basic life form is much more complex than the tallest building. The human body is extremely complex. The more we study science the more complex we realize our world is. So is it scientific to believe that man evolved from nothing to an extremely complex being, simply by chance or even by some big bang?

     Consider that half mile tall building. If totally left alone without a designer, what would happen to it over the course of millions or even billions of years? It would not get taller and more complex. It would become less ordered and may even cease to stand- especially if there were some sort of large bang. I therefore find it quite strange that some think that it is scientific to believe that with enough time, things will go from less order to more order without the aid of a designer.

     Isaiah 44:24 reminds us that the same God who created the whole world also made us. “Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, "I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself, And spreading out the earth all alone,” (Isaiah 44:24 NASB) This verse tells us something else important. Our creator is also our redeemer. God did not make us and then just forget about us. The Bible describes Jesus Christ as both redeemer and creator in Colossians where it says,

“in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. And He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created by Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:14-17 NASB)

     The random creations that my boys made, can remind us that Jesus Christ is our creator and redeemer. Therefore we are accountable to Him. That means we should believe in Him and His authority over our lives.

Should We all Be Ministers?  6-23-17

I wear many different hats. I have more than one hat from Menards because they are free with a mail in rebate. My favorite hat is the one I bought from Sheels. It is a camouflage hat with their store name on it and I like how it looks. I also have a gray work hat with another company logo on it that I often wear. My friend Phil gave it to me. If it is real hot and I am out in the sun, I have a ventilated wide brimmed hat that covers my ears, eyes, and back of my neck. If it is real cold I wear a stocking hat.

A Catastrophe of Crayons  6-9-17

     Our youngest son is autistic. Back in the late 1980's the only thing many people knew about autism is what they had seen in the 1988 movie, Rain Man. Today, most people know someone with autism. We do not know if autism is more common than it used to be, or if we are just more aware of it. Growing up one of my friends was diagnosed with autism and I knew him before even watched the movie Rain Man. Looking back I knew other people growing up who to this day have not been diagnosed as autism but share some of the same characteristics.

Jesus Our Almighty King  5-27-17

Our boys like to role play. They will pretend to be soldiers, cowboys, or dinosaur hunters. Seldom do they pretend to be kings. In our society, the idea of being a dinosaur hunter is easier to grasp than the idea of having a king.

Don't Manipulate the Bible  5-12-17

Imagine that you walk into a French hospital and you see a man dressed in white and he says he has the cockroach. Your first thought may be that he is an exterminator, but then you are informed that when the French talk of having the cockroach, they mean they are depressed. With this added information, you then understand that this person is likely a patient rather than an exterminator.
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It is amazing how a little additional information can change ones perspective. Often as I talk about the Bible, others will point out how there are so many different interpretations. I must agree that this is true. Since I preach through the Bible verse by verse there are occasions when I must admit that there are a number of views on a particular verse. Still, most of the Bible is quite straight forward. For example there is little room for variations of interpretation when declaring that lying, stealing and murder are sins.
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But what do we do with the areas that we are not quite so sure about? Like the illustration about the French cockroach, we must strive for as much information as possible and grasp for the original meaning and intent of words that are used in scripture, realizing that they were not originally written in English. Further, we need to get as much information as possible from the text. In other words we should not just isolate a passage, but we should look both at the immediate context as well as the rest of scripture.
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Imagine if you started to read the story of The Three Little Pigs but only read the first two thirds of it. You could easily come to the conclusion that any house that a pig built, a wolf could destroy. You would actually miss the whole moral of the story and end up replacing that moral with one that the story never intended. Sadly the same thing often happens with Biblical interpretation.
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I once listened to an online sermon and I was exposed to such careless interpretation. The pastor pointed out that each of the 5 times the word “breeches” was used in the Bible, that it referred to men wearing them. His conclusion, based upon that information, was that women should never wear pants because only men had worn breeches in those verses. What he neglected to point out is that each of those 5 verses also referred to the priests. Based on his logic, only priests should wear pants. Further, he also missed another important piece of information. Every time the word “skirt” is found (10 verses), it always refers to men. Based on that preachers logic, only men should wear skirts.
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It has often been said that a person can make the Bible say anything they want it to say. The truth is, people try to convince others that the Bible is saying something different than what it says, but that does not change the actual text. The problem with some Biblical interpretation is that people try to manipulate the truth rather than just looking at what it says.
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2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” The person who missed the moral of the Three Little Pigs, and the pastor who drew an unreasonable conclusion from the word “breeches,” had reason to be ashamed. I fear that often such foolishness is not the result of ignorance, but rather of manipulation. That is why all Christians, not just pastors, need to study God’s Word. It really can be understood.

The Kids Lived Me a Lesson  4-28-17

     We live in a small town, but that does not mean that there is nothing to do. A few weeks ago we went to the Easter egg hunt, and recently the Worthing elementary school hosted a carnival for the kids. At that carnival my young boys reminded me of a valuable lesson about contentment.

     I was so happy that rather than complaining about not being able to play in the bouncy houses, they were enjoying what they could do right then. Further they were looking forward to what they would get to do in the future. In the short time we were at the carnival, the boys got to do the shooting gallery and go on a train ride.

     The shooting gallery was simply some paper plates and Nurf guns. The train ride was a bunch of barrel trailers pulled behind a lawn mower made to look like a train engine. I actually started to have a bad attitude in my heart as I realized I had spent $10 to get the boys in, only to have them take down the inflatables right after we got there. But then, I realized that the boys did not even care and were having a great time. Not having the bouncy houses did not ruin their night at all, but my bad attitude could have easily ruined it if I had not kept it in check.

     The boys also got a gift bag and cotton candy at the carnival. Inside the bag was more candy and a token to a free kids meal at the Texas Road House. Since we had come late, we were given a discount on our admission price and those tokens alone were worth more than what we had paid. It was not until we got back home that the boys found the tokens and told me about them and I realized that instead of complaining inside, I needed to be rejoicing.

     Seeing the good attitude that my kids had that night reminds me of Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (NKJV)

     There are so many things that we could complain about in life when instead we should be thanking God and letting the peace of Christ work in our lives. So often we as parents are trying to train and teach our children to do right, but recently my boys were the ones who reminded me of a valuable lesson- a lesson that I have so often taught myself, but had started to forget. “But godliness with contentment is great gain.” (I Timothy 6:6)

Easter Eggs, Bunnies, and Jesus  4-14-17

Our boys had a lot of fun at Worthing's annual Easter egg hunt. The organizers divided the activity by age groups so that the younger kids did not have to compete with the older ones in order to find eggs. The 0-4 year old's got to go first and for some of them it was a challenge just to figure out what was expected. Once those little kids figured out that those brightly colored eggs contained candy, suddenly they found motivation to find the next prize.

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Our youngest son is 5, so he and his 6 year old brother got to go with the second group. They already knew just what to do. Still our youngest had just as much fun picking up the empty eggs as he did finding the ones with candy. He is at the age where the fun of the game is more important than the quest for the prize. Ironically, he was rewarded when he won the drawing and got a rubber ball AND a basketball. They were in an Easter basket and the package was almost as tall as he was, but he insisted on carrying it home himself.

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Our biggest boys were in the oldest group. They were the largest and fastest and had to compete with the other big and fast kids to be the first to get their eggs. Realizing the challenge, our 9 year old ran as fast as he could from egg to egg. Our 8 year old, however, took his time and noticed that there were a lot of eggs in one area that no one else was picking up. He simply went from egg to egg without hurry and ended up with more than his big brother had.

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Worthing's Easter egg hunt actually occurred the weekend before Easter. I am not sure why it was planned that way, but I am glad it was for a variety of reasons. First, it allowed kids that may be traveling for the holiday to participate. Still, from a spiritual perspective, I can see an even more important reason to like the timing. By having this event a week before Resurrection Sunday it allows for more of a disconnect between the secular holiday and the religious aspect of an important event for Christians.

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Eggs and bunnies can become a huge distraction from a very important event that is celebrated this time of year. Technically Easter is not even a Christian term and has nothing to do with Christianity at all, however this ancient religious holiday occurred around the same time as the Resurrection celebration and thus through the years the term has been redefined to represent the Resurrection.

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Regardless of the origins of the original Easter holiday, today our society promotes eggs and bunnies as a way to sell products and entertain children, not as a way to promote any ancient religion. For the Christian, I do not see a great danger of the Easter egg leading our families into paganism. Rather Easter is a reminder of how there are so many things in society that can end up distracting us from God. In Matthew 6:33 Christ reminds us to first seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness. He also warns, “And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” (Mark 4:19)

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Like the Easter egg hunt, there are a lot of things we can do with our time. Many of those things are not bad in themselves, but they can easily distract us from our savior. May this special time of year remind us that God loved us enough that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. May that motivate us to not forget nor neglect Him in our lives.

Get R Done South Dakotans 2-2-17

Our 6 year old is a true South Dakotan. He recently told us that his feet hurt while he was standing barefoot on a crate, but that he just “cowboyed up” until he was done. I grew up in Southwest Minnesota- just across the South Dakota border- so we had much of the same culture as this area.

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For me, the independent, tough it out, pull yourself up by your boot strap approach to life is normal. For example, one evening as I parked the vehicle to go into the house, I looked across the road and saw my neighbor unloading a very large upright air compressor from his trailer. Of course he was doing it by himself. It was on a pallet so he was able to anchor a winch in his garage and slowly pull the heavy tool off of his trailer.

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A few years earlier another neighbor was moving and had to get a large container out of his basement. He anchored his ATV to a tree and was using the ATV winch to pull the container up the steps. Both these neighbors were doing exactly what I would do- figuring out how to do it yourself instead of asking for help.

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Of course I did just what either of them would have done as well- I went straight over and helped them. The help was appreciated, but they had not asked for it. They were just living out the rural Dakota attitude of “git r done.”

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For many a rural South Dakotan, it is much more comfortable to help someone else than it is to ask for help. In many ways I admire such an attitude. In fact, I have that same attitude myself. Still there can be a problem with this attitude from a Christian perspective.

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Although I cannot speak for my neighbors, I realize that my independent attitude is rooted to a certain extent in pride. I am often too proud to ask for help. I want to prove that I do not need help and that I can get it done on my own. Such an attitude becomes a huge problem when we have that attitude with God.

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Too often we are too proud to ask God for help. The very issue of coming to God to save our souls is all about admitting that we cannot do it ourselves and that we need Him to do it for us. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” (NASB) In other words, God does the saving of our souls so we cannot brag about it. The very next verse however, may be encouraging to the “git r done” South Dakotan. It says, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (NASB) In other words, once you trust Christ, you need to realize that you were created to get to work for Him. That means you can apply that independent work ethic you have learned for the glory of God.

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But as we work for God, we need to be careful that we not be too independent about it. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.” (NASB) For many of us that verse is not such a challenge until we realize that if Christians are to bear each other's burdens, than that means we need to let others help us with our burdens. That is not an excuse to let us mooch off of others (I think we have all met such people and I am not defending them). This is however a challenge to be humble enough to admit that we sometimes need help and that we can be a blessing to others by letting them help us.

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Most of all, we need to realize that we need God- not just to help us, but to sustain our very lives.

My Mom's Love and Justice  9-16-16

     One of my childhood memories involves sugar cubes. I remember mom storing them on the top shelf of the kitchen cupboard. I remember them as a treat for the horses, but I think that my mom had them on hand so Grandpa could add them to his coffee.

     I suspect that they were kept on the top shelf so that children could not easily get to them. Grandpa and the horses were not the only ones who liked them. I enjoyed letting them melt in my mouth as I enjoyed the sweet savor that seemed to increase as the cube crumbled.

     Since Mom knew how much I liked them, why didn't she just put them within my reach? The reason was because Mom loved me even more than I loved sugar cubes. As a loving mother, she wanted to protect her son. She understood that too much sugar would not be good for me. She also understood that climbing to that top shelf as a 3 year old would not be good for me either. That meant that Mom's love was often demonstrated through her punishment. Proverbs 13:24 says, “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” (NASB)

     Mom did not spank often, but we knew there would be consequences for disobedience. We also knew it was because she loved us.

     Love and discipline are not contradictory. Not only did my mother punish wrongdoing, but she was also concerned about justice. To this day, she tries to treat all her children fairly. As a child, that meant that if I wronged my brothers or my sister, I could expect consequences from Mom. That did not negate her love, since I also knew that my siblings would be treated the same if they wronged me.

     I believe that my mother's example helped me to better understand how God's love and justice can coexist. I also realize that not all parents are as consistent as my mother was. My dad was not. I am not suggesting we compare our parents to God, but rather that we learn more about God's love and justice.

     John 3:16 shows us that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Just 20 verses later we also read, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB).

     God's wrath is serious.  It is even more strict than my mom's spanking. Matthew 25:41 says, "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” (NASB). God's justice is so severe that if we do not repent and follow Christ, then we end up punished along with the devil.

     God's justice may seem severe until we remember how my mom would hold us accountable if we wronged our siblings. We have all been the victims of the sinful actions of others. God's justice will not overlook their sin, but since He is just, He will not overlook yours either.

     We have all sinned (Romans 3:23). Even my mom has sinned. We all deserve God's wrath, but His love is so strong that He provided a way to have that wrath appeased (propitiated). 1 John 2:1-2 says, “My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (NASB)

     God loves me even more than my mom loves me. Knowing of His love and also realizing His justice, I cannot imagine ignoring His call for repentance. I cannot image life without Him as my Lord and Savior.

The Bible and Church History  9-5-16

     I have been having a Bible study with a friend. He is a new believer in Jesus Christ, and so much of the Bible is totally new to him. He has been excited as we have studied the book of Acts.

     Acts is a book of church history. It tells about key events in the church just shortly after Christ ascended into heaven. This young man commented about how exciting the account was. We read about people getting stoned. We also saw innocent people thrown in jail and then released. We read about mobs getting upset and riots ensuing. We will soon read about a storm and a shipwreck. We also read about the conversion of many people as they trusted Christ and their lives were changed.

     The Bible book of Acts is really exciting. Still the history of Christianity did not end with the book of Acts. In fact, there have been about 2000 years of history since that time. The historical events of the church after about 90 AD have not been recorded in scripture, but there are other records that outline many key events.

     Our fellowship is sponsoring a church history series to look at a number of key events that happened after the book of Acts. The first 13 lesson series covers the years AD 100- AD 600. Because it covers such a wide time span, the series will cover some key issues that ended up shaping so much of church history.

     The historical events that we will focus on are not part of the Bible, however they do give us valuable insight into what is considered orthodox Christianity. “Orthodox” means what is established and approved. Even thought there is wide variation of belief among Christians today and many of those differences are quite important, there are still a number of core beliefs that for years were held in common by the vast majority of Christians. This is what we would refer to as orthodox beliefs.

     Today, many of those beliefs are being challenged. This is nothing new. History shows us that they have been challenged for thousands of years. History also shows us that Christians have been going back to the Bible to determine what we should believe. Although the Church history series that we will be studying deals with events that occurred after the Bible was written, that does not mean we will not be looking at the Bible. Instead we will be looking at history and seeing how the Bible shaped events in our world. We will also be challenged to continue to study the Bible and to make sure that we are acting faithfully in our place in history.

     We should be reminded that the Bible is a relevant book. It is so relevant that its pages have impacted the whole world. We can see that in history and we can still see it today. We should also see it in our own lives.

     September 11^th is a historical day. It is also the day Southtown Baptist Fellowship will start our church history series in Worthing. Join us at 116 Main St. (just across from the Old Town Dinner Theater) in downtown Worthing, SD. We will continue to meet at 3 p.m. Sunday afternoons to study church history and look into the scriptures.

God's Awe-inspiring Power          8-5-16

      A few weeks ago we got to see the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels are a group of United States Navy fighter planes that put on an airshow as a means of public outreach from the US military. They are able to show the power of our military to protect this nation as we see the amazing capability of both our aircraft and our pilots.

      As powerful as these Blue Angels and the rest of our fighting force is, God is even more powerful. Thousands of years ago, countries would look to horses and chariots for military supremacy rather than fighter planes, yet king David recognized an important truth. He wrote, “Some boast in chariots, and some in horses; But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God.” (Psalm 20:7 NASB)

      I am not suggesting that we disband our military. King David kept a fighting force, but he understood that his forces would only be successful if God permitted it.

     As the air show in Sioux Falls was going on, a plane flew right over our yard. I could hear the sound and I could even feel the vibration. About a week later I was shaken awake in my bed. I felt the house moving and I heard loud banging sounds. Soon I heard the sound of water running as well. I had been awakened by a thunderstorm. The thunder was so powerful that the house shook. It was much louder than the plane had been.

      As I lay in bed I felt comfort from those sounds, since they reminded me how powerful my God is. If He can send such power in a simple rainstorm, He can take care of me. Romans 8:31 says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (NKJV) Military historians are well aware that many battles were won and lost simply because of the weather. What a reminder that God is in control and that we must trust in Him.

      But what about those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ? "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB) The same power that shook my house during the thunderstorm is the power that will judge man.

And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 NASB)

      The book of life is the book of everlasting life. The only way to be in that book is to have a believing trust in Jesus Christ- a life changing belief. Jesus called this change “born again” at the beginning of John chapter 3. In the middle of that chapter He said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

      Knowing how powerful God is, why would we even consider resisting Him when we know that He loves us so much? 

Christian Love and Forgiveness  7-23-16

     Imagine that your cup holder is broken so you set your 52 oz drink on the dash of your car. Now imagine that you hit a small bump in the road and it lands on your lap. You look down startled and then look up just in time to see that the the stop light has turned red. You hit the brakes but it is too late. You end up just barely hitting the car in front of you. Further, you stopped so quickly that the car behind you also hits you. Both of the other drivers are very upset and you are forced to endure their yelling- knowing that you are the cause of the whole fiasco.

     I recently read about a similar situation, but with a different reaction. A man received a phone call from his wife saying that she had been rear ended. His immediate response was similar to the drivers in the example above. He became upset and to speculate about whether texting had been involved. His wife calmly assured him that everything was fine (other than the vehicle) and that he needed to hear the rest of the story instead of getting upset.

     She relayed that the first thing she did when she got out of her vehicle was to go to the other vehicle and ask if the driver was okay. The other driver, who had caused the accident, then told her that she had just received a chemotherapy treatment for her cancer. She was very apologetic. The cause was not a carelessly placed Pepsi, but rather the side effects of a medical treatment along with the stress of having a life threatening disease.

     Upon realizing that they were both okay, the two drivers then stood in the street and hugged each other. They were both Christians and although strangers before this point, realized that their love for each other was far more important than the damage to their cars.

     Once the police officer arrived he was shocked to see these two drivers showing such love for each other. Christian love should not shock people. Such behavior should be the norm among the followers of Christ. In fact, Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35 NASB)

     Notice that both the ladies acted the way that Christians should act. The first lady was concerned about the other lady before even knowing the circumstances. The second lady did not hide her responsibility for causing the accident, but rather immediately apologized. Then the first lady showed love and helped the second lady bear her burdens with a hug.

     There is a small single chapter book in the Bible called Philemon. It is written to a Christian man named Philemon who was wronged by a man named Onesimus. These two men have not seen each other for some time, and Onesimus has since become a Christian and is returning to Philemon. As he does, the Apostle Paul writes this letter encouraging Philemon to show love and forgiveness. In the letter Paul says to Philemon, “I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;” (vs 5). Because Paul knows that Philemon is a loving Christian, he is confident that he will show love toward Onesimus and forgive him (vs 21).

     May we as Christians be like Philemon and the lady who gave the hug and show our love by our actions.

Are You God's Frenemy?  7-8-16

     Do you have any frenemies? A frenemy is defined as a person with whom one is friendly despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry (google).  Frenemies are not strangers, they are people that we personally know- people we actually have a relationship with. Thus you could say that you have a personal relationship with your frenemy even though you do not like him.

      For years I have heard about the importance of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and I agree that it is important. The problem is that in some cases the phrase “personal relationship” has been equated with the gospel itself. Man has a sin problem and must be reconciled to God, but simply having a personal relationship does not reconcile someone.

      A criminal can have a personal relationship with their probation officer. In most small businesses the employees have a personal relationship with their boss. The problem is that sin has caused humans to be enemies of God and a personal relationship does not take care of sin.

     Colossians 1:21-22 actually describes the frenemy relationship between man and God and how that relationship can change through Jesus Christ. “ And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--”(NASB)

      Notice how the word of God describes us apart from Christ- alienated, hostile, evil. If a person claims to have a personal relationship with Jesus, yet their mind is still hostile toward Him and alienated from God, then that person has not been reconciled to God. Instead, they are thinking of Him more as a frenemy than as Lord and master

      So how serious is it to be God's frenemy? “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (Romans 1:18 NASB) If we do not agree with God and if we maintain a rivalry with Him, we are promised His wrath. I for one do not want to mess around with the creator of the universe. Instead I want to agree with whatever He says and not argue with Him. That is really the essence of repentance. It is the idea of changing my mind to agree with God and then changing my direction to align with what He says I should do.

      Jesus died so that we might be reconciled to God. That means that Jesus died in order that we would no longer have to be enemies of God. He died to pay for our sins and then rose again. If we simply think that some sort of superficial relationship is all that we need, then we have not grasped the fact that sin is so serious that the son of God had to die so that God's wrath could be appeased.

      When the greatest command of all is to love God with all we have, then how could we think that we could be frenemies of God and still be saved? “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NASB)

Orlando Shooting Response   6-24-16

     Many Christians have been trying to sort out what sort of response they should have had to the recent Orlando shooting incident. A Muslim man walked into a gay nightclub and shot about a hundred people. Around half of them were killed and others were injured.

     God tells us to love our neighbors. God also makes it clear that homosexual behavior is sinful. These are not contradictions. Christians must show love and compassion to those who were injured in this terrible event. That same love and compassion should go out to those who lost people that they dearly cared about.

     The challenge is that there are some people who would suggest that love and compassion toward a homosexual would imply an acceptance of their behavior. Some of these people actually pour out hate rather than love. There are also people on the opposite extreme that would suggest that if the behavior of a person is not accepted, then there is no love. Neither position is correct. Consider John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die for our sins. He did that without ever accepting sin as okay. In fact, it was just the opposite. Sin is so serious that God would not overlook it unless Jesus paid for it with His death. Even though God would not overlook sin, He showed love.

     God's example should help us to respond to this situation as well. We can and must show love, without accepting sin as okay. As Christians, we must take a stand against those like Westboro Baptist Church who are showing hate rather than love.

     At the same time, we must also take a stand against the idea that in order to show love, we must tolerate sin. Sadly, the idea of tolerance has practically become its own religion. The preachers of this movement have replaced God's morality with their own. For many of them, it is not enough to care about the victims of the shooting, we must also support their homosexual lifestyle. Some of these preachers of tolerance are quite tolerant of sin, but are very intolerant of what God says about sin.

     The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. A homosexual is just as much our neighbor as the Samaritan was. In Jesus' day it was taboo to show love for the Samaritans yet He made it clear that they were neighbors to be loved (see Luke 10:27-37). Sadly, some Christians today think it is taboo to show love for homosexuals. Christians must do what is right regardless of what others think.

     Next, the Christian must not endorse sin, but that stand can also anger some. Once we grasp the truth that love and condemnation of actions can go hand in hand we also understand that such an approach will set us apart from those around us. It can also challenge us to be holy like God is holy, realizing that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

Is Covetousness Wrong?      6-9-16

     For those who are caught up in covetousness or any other sin, there is hope. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The wages of all sin- including covetousness- is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let us realize that our God is a holy God who must punish all sin. Let us take our sin seriously and realize that our only hope for eternal life is to agree with God about our sin and trust Christ's payment and His righteousness applied to our account.

What Do Christians Obey?  5-30-16

     There are other Old Testament commands that I do not follow either. Does this mean that I think it is okay for Christians to just pick and chose which of God's commands that we want to follow? Not at all! Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15)

     To better understand this issue, let us look at the human history of God's interaction with mankind. First, God gave a simple command to Adam and Eve about not eating from a tree. They could not keep that one simple command. As time went on men ignored God so much that He sent a worldwide flood and only Noah and his family were saved. After the flood God told them that they could eat any animal (Genesis 9:3), but that they could not eat the blood from the animals. Further they were not to murder other humans. The commands to Noah were given in the context of a covenant with him and all his descendants. All humans have descended from Noah, so this applies to all of us.

     As we continue reading the history of the Bible, we come to Genesis 17 and a man named Abraham. God makes a covenant with him and his descendants. With that covenant there was a promise of a land. God then gives a special command that only applies to Abraham's descendants- they are to be circumcised as a token of God's promise to them. The Israelites (Hebrews/Jews) were descendants of Abraham, so this command was important to them.

     God ended up setting the Israelites apart from other nations and dealing with them in a very special way. As we read the Old Testament of the Bible we see the History of God's interaction with them. Moses ends up leading them out of slavery in Egypt and as he does so, he gives them the 10 commandments as well as other ordinances including the restriction about eating pork. This was a new restriction- remember that Noah had not been given this command. Further this command only applied to the Israelites.

     The strict rules that the Israelites were given were important because Jesus Christ- the savior of all mankind- would come from that nation and these rules showed that just like Adam and Eve, all of mankind could not perfectly obey God's rules and therefore needed someone who could pay for their sins. Jesus was the first sinless person to walk this earth because He is God in the flesh. Therefore the rules that God gave the Israelites showed them they needed a savior. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:24-25)

     In other words, after we have trusted Christ there is no more need for the Hebrew law. Other passages such as Romans 10:4; Galatians 2:16; Colossians 2:13-17; and Ephesians 2:15 also show that the Hebrew law is no longer in effect for the Christian. This issue actually came up in the early Christian church and we can read how it was dealt with in Acts 15:1-20. At the end of that passage the Christians are told to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. This shows that although the Christian is not under the Hebrew law given by Moses, there are still expectations for the Christian. In fact the Old Testament law given to Noah still applies as we see the continued restriction on blood. Further as we read the New Testament is clear that Christians are not to lie, steal, covet, murder, or commit adultery. Further there is condemnation for gossip, drunkenness and extortion. We are not picking and choosing what we obey, we simply obey the commands of God that apply to us today.

Doing The Father's Work   5-14-16

      He is the son of the man I was working for and he had learned to hand screws while helping his daddy. His older sister wanted to help me as well, so I had her pile up the little scrap pieces of board. Since I was working by the hour on this particular job I told her that her help would save her dad some money. She grinned and told me that her dad would be smiling when he got home because he likes saving money.

      It is a joy to see kids learning a work ethic at a young age. In the Hebrew culture children would usually began an apprenticeship at the age of 12 in order to learn a trade. We know very little about the childhood of Jesus. The only Bible passage we have about that subject is at the end of Luke 2 where it talks about what happened when Jesus was 12- the age when a Hebrew young man would start to be an apprentice. “And when He became twelve, they went up there according to the custom of the Feast; and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. And His parents were unaware of it, but supposed Him to be in the caravan, and went a day's journey; and they began looking for Him among their relatives and acquaintances. And when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, looking for Him.” (Luke 2:42-44 NASB)

      Notice that Jesus was 12 when this happened. He was the age where He was expected to start learning a trade. His step father Joseph was a carpenter like I am, so it would not have been unusual for Him to learn to do that job. In the temple, we find Him doing the work of His heavenly father instead of the work of his step father. “And it came about that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them, and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.” (Luke 2:46-47 NASB)

      I am not aware of any carpenters in my ancestry, but I am guessing there was probably someone who ground grain (a Miller). As we look at the ancestry of Jesus on His father's side, the line goes directly to God in Heaven. In Mark 6:3, Jesus is called a carpenter, so it is likely that His step father, Joseph, did teach Him that trade. Jesus was more than a carpenter though. The last 3 years of His life, we find Jesus teaching, healing the sick and even bringing justice as He chases thieves out to the temple. This is truly the work of His heavenly father.

      Jesus Christ was completely faithful in His heavenly father's work. He went to the cross to satisfy the wrath of God against sin. God's justice demands that sin must be dealt with. That is why it is no surprise that He would chase the money changers out of the temple. That is also why Jesus would say, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (John 3:36 NASB)

Illustrating for Understanding  5-2-16

I love to watch old westerns. I like to sit and watch “Gunsmoke” with my boys. Festus is Marshall Dillon's sidekick and is one of my favorite western characters. He is actually smarter than he first appears and has a caring side behind his rough exterior. My boys just think he is funny.

I read the Bible to my boys more often than I watch “Gunsmoke” with them. Recently we have been reading in the book of Acts, and actually came across a man named “Festus.” He wasn't a sidekick, instead he was a ruler. When the Apostle Paul got in trouble with the authorities, he had to appear before this man named Festus. After reading about him, our boys were told that it was a different Festus than they had seen on the cowboy show.

We actually got a bit of chuckle out of it since these two men seemed so different. One of the biggest differences is that the man we read about in Acts chapters 24-26 was a real man. The one we watch on TV is actually a make believe character played by a real man named Ken Curtis. Still it got me to thinking. My boys actually understand more about the culture and expectations of the make believe world of the old west as portrayed by these movies, then they do about the culture of the Bible times.

Although we have seen many episodes of “Gunsmoke” we do not actually have a true understanding of what life was like in Kansas during the 1800's. Instead we have a sensationalized Hollywood version of that setting. When we read the Bible account, we are separated by much more time and geography than we are from 1800's Kansas. Still we have an advantage. The Biblical account is real. Still there are large advantages to gaining insight into the culture of that time period and location. Many of the illustrations that Christ used (we call them parables) are better understood once we realize the significance of what He was saying in the day to day lives of those He was speaking to.

Although we should hold scripture in such high regard that we not change it, we like Christ can use illustrations to help others better understand it. For example I was recently teaching about the encounter that David had with a foolish man named Nabal (I Samuel chapter 25). I was explaining it to a man who watched westerns, so I said that what happened would have been similar to some guys on a cattle drive. David would have been like a cavalry colonel who came across the cattle drive with his men and protected them from being raided by Indians. Since no cattle were lost, at the end of the drive he asked that a steer be given to his men to feed them since they were out of food. Imagine how upset the colonel would have been if the man were rude to him and would not even give him any food. Nabal in the Biblical story was like the rude cattleman.

A bit later, we were talking about David trying to avoid King Saul who wanted to kill him. David did not want to fight Saul so he went and lived with the Philistines even though they had been his enemies. The young man I was talking to then said, “It would be like him going to live with the Apaches.” Exactly! This new Christian had figured out how to use illustrations to make a connection to real life events. He took something that he understood and used it to help him relate to a culture and time that he was far removed from. The Bible text was not changed, it was simply explained in a way that he could relate to.

Although our parables cannot compare to Christ's mastery of the illustration, we should not overlook this powerful tool for gaining better insight into the scriptures. At the same time we must be cautious not to carry our illustrations too far so that they distort the original narrative.

How Serious Is God's Wrath?   4-16-16

     A political candidate has made headlines for claiming that he has never asked God for forgiveness. He also said, “I fully think apologizing’s a great thing, but you have to be wrong.” Of course it does not make sense to apologize if we have done no wrong, but the truth is that all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Further the Bible tells us that there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10).

      We live in a society that blushes less and less over sin. In fact, sin is being redefined. Fewer people are looking to God and the Bible to determine what is sinful and are instead looking to the media and their peers on Facebook to decide what is right and wrong.

      Suddenly we have people arguing that it is wrong to burn fossil fuel, but it is not wrong to commit adultery. Once we leave God out of the equation, then no one has the right to tell another person that they have sinned. I have not asked forgiveness for burning fossil fuel because I do not believe that it is wrong. Perhaps others have not asked forgiveness for adultery because they do not believe that it is wrong.

      What we need to realize is that regardless of our own opinions about right and wrong, God is still in control. God is a God of love, but He is also a God of judgment and He warns: ”But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” (Jeremiah 10:10) Romans 1:18 also says, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,” (NASB). Heed this warning as well: “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.” (Ephesians 5:5-6 NASB) "But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8 NASB)

     We are all sinners and God has warned us that the consequences of sin are serious. That is why we are warned to repent. Repent means to literally change direction. In other words instead of resisting God we need to submit to Him. "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent,” (Acts 17:30 NASB).

      Although God must punish sin, He is also gracious, but in order to receive His grace, we must humble ourselves before Him. “But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." (James 4:6 NASB)

      God's grace is provided through His son the Lord Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to pay for our sins. In order to have that payment applied to our lives- in order to appease the wrath of God- we must humble ourselves before God as we believe on Jesus and His payment. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

      We can be too proud to humble ourselves before God and therefore face His wrath and end up in the lake of fire for eternity, or we can humble ourselves before God and live with Him forever. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

We Have Been Fighting the Flu 4-4-16

We have been fighting colds and fevers in the Miller house. We started out with the coughs and runny noses and then the first boy got a fever. A day or two later another of our boys woke up saying that he dreamed that he was dizzy and and after he woke up, he was still dizzy. He too had a fever. Each boy would end up with a fever and so did I. We would get over the fever and then about a day later we would have another, but the cough and runny nose would continue for another week. Crystal got sick too, but not quite as bad.

It is not fun being sick for multiple weeks, but it does help me to appreciate the times when I am healthy. God allows the trials of sickness even to those who are faithful. For example Job (Jobe) was a man who faced terrible trials, yet God said of him, "Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to ruin him without cause."  (Job 2:3 NASB)

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Job was an example of a righteous man who suffered, but the Bible also warns in Hebrews 12:4-11 that God disciplines Christians when they do wrong. In other words, there are times that we might get sick so that God can get our attention. The passage in Romans showed how trials can build character even in a righteous man, but Hebrews shows that trials can also build character in a Christian is who not living so righteously. “Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:9-11 NASB)

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Trusting God in Our Elections  3-18-2016

Our 7 year old son was disappointed when he heard that Marco Rubio was no longer running for President. His mother and I were actually supporting a different candidate, but when our son heard Marco Rubio's name on the radio he asked me if he would be a good President. I told him that I thought he would. From that point on, he was rooting for Marco.

Not everyone agreed with his choice, just as not everyone agrees with mine. The fact that my choice is not the front runner proves that point. I actually heard a discussion on the radio concerning this topic and one of the people began to speculate about who Jesus would vote for. I turned to my wife and said, “well I guess we will find out. He voted for President Obama last time.”

I, however, did not vote for President Obama in either of the last 2 elections, so why would I not vote for a man that I believed Jesus had voted for? When I say that Jesus voted for our current President, I mean that God ultimately decided to allow or stop every President or potential President our country has ever had. “Daniel answered and said, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. "And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding.” (Daniel 2:20-21 NASB) Daniel shows that God has the power to remove and set up kings. He continues, "This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers, And the decision is a command of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, And bestows it on whom He wishes, And sets over it the lowliest of men."  (Daniel 4:17 NASB)

God is in control of who rules over nations, but notice that He does not always chose the best men to rule. “He sets over it the lowliest of men.” Every candidate running for President has sinned and come short of the glory of God. In fact every past President- even George Washington- has sinned. As I go to the ballot box, I must make a judgment call based on the information that I have, realizing that God is ultimately in charge of who actually becomes our next President and that He does not promise to give us the most righteous or smartest ruler.

Still there are benefits to having a righteous ruler. Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.” (NASB) We understand that God is ultimately in control, but He also gives man a certain amount of freedom to make decisions. How all that balances out is decided by God Himself. Thus with an understanding of God's sovereignty over our elections, I also understand our responsibility to do what is right. With that in mind, I vote for those who I believe would be a righteous leader. For example, I look at their view of the unborn in making a determination.

I also realize that God allows evil men to rule. In I Kings 11:31 we read of His selection of Jeroboam who was an evil king over Israel. Though they did not have an electoral college like we do, Jeroboam rose to power as the people rallied around him. This is a reminder that an all powerful God is able to use even sinful men to accomplish His ultimate purposes.

Romans 13 reminds us that the governmental powers are ordained by God. As Christians we should prayerfully consider our voting choices and should realize the benefits of voting for a righteous ruler. At the same time, we need to trust God even if we are given an evil ruler that may end up causing much grief for our country.

Conforming vs Transformation  3-4-16

When I was a child, my little brother asked who would win if a mountain lion attacked a horse. Well, about a month ago we found out that the Broncos defeated the Panthers in the Super Bowl. Imagine that you were a Broncos' fan, but you had been invited to go to the super bowl by a group of friends who were die hard Panthers fans. They agreed to give you a ticket and to pay your way to the game as long as you wore a Panthers jersey to the game.

You still wanted the Broncos to win, but you did not want to pass up the chance to go to the Super Bowl, so you conformed to their request. Wearing the jersey did not turn you into a Panthers fan, but it got you into the game.

You were not actually transformed into a Panthers fan, you simply conformed to your friends request. How does this fit into the issue of faith? Christianity should not be about being conformed to some outward appearance or even conformed to some set of ideas, but rather to being transformed by Christ. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” (NASB)

Obviously Christians should not be conformed to the sinful behaviors of the world, but what if we are simply conformed to the idea of presenting ourselves as Christians without actually having an inward transformation? Christ had to address this very issue when He says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence.” (Matthew 23:25 NASB) The scribes and Pharisees were conforming on the outside, but inside there was no transformation. They were conforming both to an external appearance to be seen of other men, and also to a set of rules and standards drawn up by man. The problem was not with their zeal to obey God, but rather a zeal to follow man's standards while rejecting God's. Sadly that is still what happens today when religious people focus on conforming to religious expectations rather than being transformed by God.

True transformation should have an affect on our lives. In the Matthew passage Jesus next says, Mt 23:26 "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.” (NASB) True transformation should cause the Christian to conform to God's standards, but simply conforming gets men stuck in ritual rather than renewal.

If you really become a Panthers fan, you will want to promote that team. It will be transformation rather than conformation. If you think that Christianity is simply going through the motions of religious expectation, you do not understand transformation. Christianity is about realizing you are a sinner in need of forgiveness. It is about changing direction in your life to follow Jesus Christ. It is realizing that He is your only hope for forgiveness. At that point old things are become new and you are completely transformed from a lost sinner on his way to the lake of fire, to a Christian saint who is now following the risen Savior.

Conforming is about following people. Christian transformation is about following and obeying Christ no matter what people think.

Finding the Right Way  2-18-16

      I then drove to St. John's and found the street that I was told that he lived on, but I still could not find his apartment. I did find another apartment. I called my wife to see if this was the right building. As I described it to her, we realized I was again in the wrong place. After more confusion, we discovered that I had also been given the wrong street. No wonder I could not find my destination.

      Fortunately, I was very close by this time. In fact I was only about a block and a half away, but I needed to turn down another street from the street that I had been told to go on. Once I found the correct street, I quickly found the apartment.

      What if you were searching for eternal life with God, rather than your brother-in-law? What if you missed out because you had been given the wrong directions? This issue is so serious that the Apostle Paul wrote, “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-9 NASB)

      The word “gospel” means good news. In the Bible, it refers to the good news of eternal life through Jesus Christ. So how does a person apply the gospel to their lives in order to have eternal life? John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

      A jailer asked the Apostle Paul and his fellow minister Silas how to be saved. The answer was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.” (Acts 16:30-31). That same offer was extended not just to the jailer, but to his whole household.

      Notice that belief must be in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Acts 4:12 says, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved." (NASB)

      I am often asked about those who have never heard about Jesus. For them to try to find eternal life would be like me trying to find the apartment with the wrong directions. Let us not forget that the same God who is powerful enough to create heaven and earth knows the very thoughts of men's minds. He can know who would and would not believe if they heard. That means He is able to get the right directions to those who are truly seeking Him. In Acts chapter 10, Cornelius prayed and God sent Peter to tell him about Jesus. As hearts are moved and the truth is shared, people all over the world are able to hear the gospel and realize that the only directions to an eternity with God are by believing that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior who died for your sins and rose again. www.southtownchurch.com

Faith Like a Mustard Seed   2-5-16

      My little boys are still at the age where they think that their daddy can do almost anything he sets his mind to. Part of me enjoys that they have such confidence in me, but I also want them to understand reality- even if I become less of a hero to them. I would rather they understand the truth now than to have them face a major letdown later.

      As Christians, we need to be cautious how we teach on faith, otherwise both children and adults can end up facing a similar letdown. Are there dangers in teaching that if we have enough faith, then we can do whatever we set our minds to do? Does the Bible support such teaching? What about Luke 17:6 which says, “If you had faith like a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and be planted in the sea'; and it would obey you.” (NASB)?

     In order to understand Christ's statement in Luke 17, we must look at the context of what He was talking about. He had just finished teaching about how Christians should not be a stumbling block to others and how we should forgive a brother even if they repent 7 times in one day. It is difficult- seemingly impossible- to consistently obey these expectations, thus in Luke 17:5 the disciples ask the Lord to “increase our faith.” The reason they are requesting faith is so that they can obey what Christ has commanded them to do. Upon hearing that request, Jesus gives the mustard seed illustration.

     James shows in 4:3, that prayer requests are not granted because they are asked for out of selfish motives. In other words, they are man's requests rather than God's will. The point is that if we pray according to God's will rather than our own, then all it takes is faith like a mustard seed for what we prayed about to happen.

     The challenge is to know God's will. In Luke 17, Jesus had just shown the will of God when He taught on forgiveness and not being a stumbling block. In other words, the context shows us that all it takes to obey God is faith like a mustard seed. This is supported further as we continue to read the next verses. In Luke 17:7-8, Jesus talks about a servant who worked hard all day, but then still had to work more to prepare a meal for his master at the end of the day instead of expecting his master to make the meal for him. The point is that in a servant master relationship, the servant does not get to order the master around even if the servant has been working hard.

     Christians must remember that our Lord is our master and even if we have been working hard, we do not have the right to order Him around. We do not have the right to make demands of God in our prayers. Instead we should focus on obeying Him.

     To suggest that an increase in faith gives us a right to make demands of God totally contradicts the teaching of Luke 17:1-10. The faith of a mustard seed is the power to obey God, not the power to order God around. Realizing that God is all powerful, loving, merciful, and must judge sin, we should be thankful that He restrains us from doing whatever we decide while showing us that it only takes faith like a mustard seed to obey Him.

Is There a Key To Heaven?    1-22-16

     Have you ever lost your keys? Imagine being outside your own house and not being able to get in because you do not have the key.

     What if you do not have a key to heaven? Can you simply slide the locks on the pearly gates? How about just climbing over the gates? It is not that simple. Without Christ, you cannot even get close to heaven. Consider the account from Luke 16, where Jesus tells of two men who died. "And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. "Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' "But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 'And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'” (Luke 16:23-26 NKJV)

     In this parable Jesus tells us that there is a great gulf between the place of torments and the place of comfort. Even if you think of hell simply as the grave, Jesus shows us in Luke 16 that the place of the departed dead has a place of comfort and a place of torments and that there is no way to get from the one place to the other. Notice as well that the place of torments had flames.

     As bad as this place of torments is, things will get even worse. “Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:14-15 NKJV)

     Right before this we are told of the dead standing before God. This is referred to as the Great White Throne Judgment. Those who are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire along with the place called Hades/Hell.

Is the Bible Too Hard?            1-8-16

Our oldest son just turned 8.  We were excited when he finished his math worksheet and said, "Tomorrow I want to do more like this. I like them."  That wasn't always his response to schoolwork.  In fact, when he first started school he struggled with grasping concepts and did not like it very well.  Now that he "gets it," his schoolwork has become fun.  

The individual books of the Bible are divided into chapter and verse simply to make them easier to study.  These were not part of the original Bible. Realizing that the Bible can be kind of intimidating, I like to start out with a Bible study just in the book of John. This allows the “student” to get used to the chapter and verse divisions without having to find a number of different books. If you are interested in a 4 lesson study in the Gospel of John, please contact me at jdpastor@yahoo.com.

New Babies & Christmas Grace  12-27-15

As we traveled to spend Christmas with my in-laws, Crystal's brother's wife was in labor.  We were blessed with a new niece at about 11 p.m. Christmas Eve.  They named her Jana Grace.  What a wonderful Christmas gift.

Yes, we are sinners who need to repent.  Yes, God is gracious and if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)  

Christians & Christmas Giving   12-12-15

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our wonderful Thanksgiving meal. Recently we sat down to another meal, but at the end of it, or boys said that they were still hungry. Crystal told them that they could have more chicken, but they wanted more potatoes. The potatoes were gone but they did not want more chicken. The truth was that they were not THAT hungry.

We had a similar issue happen when I was a pastor in small town Iowa. We got a phone call asking for food. The person said that their food stamp payment would be late and that they needed food. We were being very careful with our budget and ate a lot of rice. We could get a 25 lb bag for less than $9. We offered to share our rice and a few other basics, but the response I got was similar to when my wife offered more chicken to our boys.

I then looked up the Iowa food stamp payment. It was about double what our food budget was at that time. I did not think it was right that we were expected to give up our hamburger for someone who could afford to buy steak if they ate more rice like we did.

The scripture is clear that we are to help others. Jesus said in Luke 3:11, “He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.” The Apostle Paul says in Acts 20:35, “I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Consider as well 1John 3:17, “But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (NKJV)

The scripture teaches us that we are to help others. That does not mean that we are always expected to help everyone who has less than we have.

During the time of the Apostle Paul, the widows were among the most needy people in society. In First Timothy 5:3-10, he gives a list of requirements that widows must meet before the church would take care of all their needs. First, if she has children or grandchildren, they are to take care of her. Further, she is to be faithful in prayer and not just living her life for pleasure. She is to be blameless (not sinless, but not scandalous either). She is to be at least 60 years old and is to have a good reputation which includes having helped others.

These standards do not mean that we should not help others if they do not meet all these requirements. These are simply standards for whether or not to help these widows for the rest of their lives. There are some individuals in our society that expect to be helped for the rest of their lives regardless of whether they meet any standard. The Christians is not obligated to help all these people.

At the same time there are many people who find themselves in temporary circumstances of need. Things come up that there was no way to plan for. As Christians we must be willing to help those with needs without allowing them to have an expectation that they will no longer have a responsibility to work themselves. “For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.” (II Thessalonians 3”11-12 NKJV)

We can and should have compassion for those in need. That compassion should translate into action (James 2:16). Christmas time is a wonderful time to give to those who could really use a gift. At the same time, Christians are not required to become slaves to those who would take advantage of them.

Be Thankful, not Covetous  11-27-15

We had another wonderful Thanksgiving. We were able to go to Crystal's parents where our boys got to see cousins, aunts, uncles, Grandma, and Grandpa. I enjoyed visiting and playing a game of Scrabble. I also enjoyed the meal. There was turkey, ham, potatoes, gravy, string beans, corn, cranberries, numerous kinds of pickles, bread, crackers, pickled herring, jello, punkin pie, apple pie, other desserts, etc, etc. There was much to be thankful for as we sat down to eat. In fact there was so much good food that I did not even notice until later that there was no stuffing. I was so appreciative of the abundance we had. There was no thought of what we lacked.

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If we end up focusing on what we do not have instead of what we do have, it is easy to become a complainer rather than a thankful person. We actually witnessed that when we sat down to eat the evening meal. Our boys were given leftovers from the noon meal and one of them responded by asking, “didn't we just have this?”

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As we drove home, I turned on the radio and we heard about some orphans from Ukraine who were brought to a McDonald's for the first time in their life. A little six year old girl was unaware that they could get free refills, yet she still shared her drink with her little sister. Another little girl only ate half of her hamburger, because she wanted to share the other half with a friend back at the orphanage. They all saved their empty happy meal boxes.

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As I listed to this, I realized how much we have to be thankful for. No doubt there are poor people in our own country who have slipped through the cracks, but those who are crying the loudest for more assistance already have so much more than those poor orphans do.

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I Timothy 6:6-8 says, “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” (NKJV) Notice we are to be content with food and clothing- or basic needs. Few people are content with such things. In fact, political movements have been formed to demand that if anyone has more than another, then they should share it. Too few involved in these movements are thinking of the little girls in Ukraine, but instead many are thinking about what they can get for themselves. In the very next verse of Paul's letter to Timothy he writes, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.” (I Timothy 6:9 NKJV)

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You can be in the lower class socially and still have a preoccupation with being rich. Paul is warning us to be content with food and clothing and not to get distracted by wanting riches. Why would he give such a warning about foolish and harmful lusts? If we go back to the 10 commandments we are warned not to covet what other people have. Many of the “demands” being made today are not “requests” for food and clothing, but rather a call to have covetous desires satisfied.

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Though we as Christians must have compassion on those who are truly in need, we must not encourage sinful behavior. In fact, we should call it what it is. Exodus 20:17 says not to covet anything that is thy neighbors. Romans 13:9 repeats the command not to covet. To covet is to disobey God. To disobey God is sinful.

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Instead of demanding a share of the worlds riches, let us work hard so we can share what we have when we see a true need. “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Ephesians 4:28 NKJV) 

 Did Jesus Die on Friday?        4-6-2015

If Jesus died on Friday, how did He spend 3 nights in the tomb before raising from the dead on Sunday morning? (Matthew 12:40)  This question could easily be resolved, by simply suggesting that the crucifixion took place on Thursday instead of Friday.  This view does face some challenges, but a better understanding of the Hebrew holidays and Jewish culture helps to bring much clarification.
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The problem with a Thursday crucifixion is that Mark 15:42 tells us that Jesus was crucified the day before the Sabbath (the day of rest).  The Hebrew Sabbath occurred each week on what we call Saturday, thus the day before Saturday is Friday, not Thursday.  This only gives part of the picture however.  The Hebrews also observed other Sabbaths in addition to weekly Sabbath.  For example there was to be a day of rest in conjunction with the Passover which was taking place that very same week.  John clarifies this in his gospel account as he points out that this was one of the special Sabbaths.  John 19:31 states,  “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.”  (NKJV)
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The preparation day was the day that the Passover lamb was killed and prepared for the big Passover feast.  Jesus was killed on that very day showing us that just as the blood of the Passover lamb delivered the nation of Israel prior to the Exodus, Jesus blood delivers us from our sins.  The next day was a special day of rest.  The next Hebrew day started at 6 p.m. rather than at midnight.  Thus when Jesus died at 3 p.m. there would have only been 3 hours before the high Sabbath.  That is why there was such impatience to get the bodies of all 3 men off the cross before this time.  Please note that the Romans used midnight as the start of the new day and counted hours from that time thus we find Jesus before the Roman authority at the 6th hour (6 a.m.) in John 19:14, whereas Mark and Luke record Him on the cross from the 6th-9th hours (Jewish time calculated from  our 6 a.m. thus noon to 3 p.m. our time).
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Since there was such a short window of time between Jesus being taken off the cross and placed in the tomb, the women who wanted to anoint Him did not have time to both prepare the spices and apply them.  Luke 23:54-56 tells us that they went to see where He was laid and then went to prepare the spices as the Sabbath was getting close and that then they rested on the Sabbath just as they were commanded.
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Then fast forward to Sunday morning (the resurrection day).  They arrive at the tomb to apply the spices and find it empty.  Why did they wait so long to arrive?  Friday was a high Sabbath, so they were not allowed to work on that day.  Then Saturday was the weekly Sabbath and they were not allowed to work on that day either.  That Sabbath would have ended at 6 p.m. Saturday, but they were likely finishing up preparations that night, so they wait until early morning on Sunday and arrive at the tomb to find it empty. (see Matthew 28:1 and Mark 16:1).
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Thus we would have Jesus placed in the tomb on Thursday, remaining there Friday and Saturday (3 days- the scripture does not specify that they were 3 full days).  Further He would have been there Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.  Therefore I believe He was crucified on Thursday, not Friday.

  Racism, Bias, & Christianity    1-9-2015

On August 9th of 2014 in Ferguson, MO, a young man named Michael Brown was shot by another young man- a police officer named Darren Wilson.  Michael died as a result of the encounter.   This incident was more than just a passing news story though.  Another component was involved.  The two young men, Michael and Darren, were of different ethnic backgrounds.  Soon racial tensions across the United States were heightened even more than they had been before.
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The incident at Ferguson and the surrounding controversies were not the beginnings of racial tension in our country, they were just further evidence of its existence.
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Racism is not a new problem.  As we read the New Testament, we see much racial tension.  Jesus’ encounter with the woman at the well is the encounter of a Jewish man with a Samaritan woman.  As we look at the encounter we find that much of the tension has more to do with ideology than it has to do with race.  She says, "Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." (John 4:20 NASB).
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The “you people” comment is often used by racist people today as well.  One of the difficulties with the whole discussion is that racism is not limited to one particular ethnic or ideological group.   
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Racism can come in so many forms.  Often there is a cultural, ideological, religious, or even political component.  It is not uncommon for people to excuse racism as long as the racist has similar religious or political views.  This brings in another component- bias.  Bias is an unfair preference or dislike for something.  It is very similar to racism.
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Racism is basically bias directed at ethnic heritage.  Such bias is wrong whether it comes from the majority or minority of the population.  
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Even when dealing with the leaders in the church, Paul warned Timothy, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”  (I Timothy 5:21 NASB)  
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James also deals with the issue when he talks about wisdom from God.  “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17)  In the verses right before this statement, James warns about the wisdom that does not come from God and the damaging results.  “But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:14-16)
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Much of today’s racism is rooted in bitterness, envy and strife.  All races ought to judge others by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.  Christians need to remember that we are all created in the image of God no matter what race we are; therefore, there should be no racial preferences.  Consider Colossians 3:9-11 NASB) “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him --a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”