I wrote the below for my brother Paul who asked me to stand with him at his wedding and speak over and into him and his now wife, Deborah. I was honored to do so. Here is what I said:

Paul and Deborah
August 16, 2014

I want to welcome everyone for being here to rejoice with Paul and Deborah in this celebration of their union.  For those who don’t know, I am one of Paul’s brothers and I am thrilled that I could stand up here with them for this ceremony. 

A wedding is and should be a celebration. Those that don’t take the time to really read the bible might be surprised to know that Jesus loved a good party. What He was all about, what He has always been about, is relationships and fellowship; and what a better way to fellowship and celebrate than at a wedding.

Paul, Deborah, I want to share three stories with you; each of these a story of great love. It is my wish, hope and prayer that you and everyone here will listen carefully as these stories unfold. Listen to and soak in the true nature of what real love is all about. There are many love stories I could have chosen, but these three in particular have greatly impacted me personally and I believe they can impact you equally as well.

The Apostle Paul says, in the book of 1 Corinthians that:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.   1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Marriage needs to be built on that kind of love. These three stories I am about to share exemplify that type of love; an unconditional love that does not say “I love you because” or “I’ll love you if”, but one that says, “I love you… no matter what!”

The first of these three great loves I want to address is one that is deeply personal to me because it involves my wife, Mirka.

It would be a disservice to her and dishonoring to our marriage if I were to share with you some of the crap that she has endured from me though some of our 29 years together and crap is indeed the correct term. Yet she showed unconditional love for me when it would have been so much easier for her to walk away. The hurt and the pain I caused her had to be unbearable at times, of this I am quite convinced and still she chose to love me. She showed the love that the Corinthians passage talks about; always trusting, always hoping, always protecting, always persevering, and keeping no record of wrongs. When I see her, I see my Savior. All I can see is her deep love for Christ and the benefit I receive because of that love. Because of her unconditional love for me, it inspires me to love her back in the same way.
I love you Mirka!

The next story concerns our parents Paul. Anyone here today that knows them knows that theirs is indeed a great love story. In fact, a week from today, mom and dad will be celebrating their 66^th wedding anniversary. What a testimony and an example to enduring love!

As much as I know they both love each other deeply, I want to focus more on mom’s love for dad. 

It is easy to say you love someone and it is quite another thing when that love is tested. As much as it was not a test Mirka wanted to go through, she demonstrated her love for me while I was not very lovable. In a different kind of way, but testing nonetheless, mom has had her love tested in having to help care for dad.  When someone you love is injured or sick or disabled or infirmed, it does not matter what the issue is, love that is real and that is genuine means that you are going to be there to do whatever it takes to assist that person you love.

Being away from PA these past 15 years, I don’t get to see mom and dad interact as much as I would like, but one thing I do take notice of when I am there and that is the interaction and love they have for each other and especially mom’s love for dad.

There are selfish people out in the world who in similar circumstances might say that they have their own medical issues and problems that they needed to deal with and might only give superficial attention to their partner. Not mom!! She does indeed have her own medical issues and problems, yet she dotes over dad like they were still dating. She cares for him even though he cannot really reciprocate. She knows that true love is patient and kind and she knows it is not self-seeking or proud. She rejoices in the truth of her love for her husband and she is another clear demonstration of Christ for me.

The last of these three love stories is the greatest love story ever told; the greatest love story that will ever come to pass. This love was fully demonstrated on a wooden cross, erected in Judea some 2000 years ago.

Jesus said this in the book of John, “Greater love has no man than this… that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

When He was born, there was one goal, one objective and one purpose for Jesus, and that was the cross. He willingly chose to bear the full wrath of God, who demands payment, perfect payment, for a debt we could never repay. Perfection that we cannot give, but He could.

In the book of Romans it says this:

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5: 7-9

In fact, it goes on to say a few verses later that God considered us to be His enemies. That is how He viewed us. And even though we were His enemies, He still chose to die for us so that we could be reconciled back to Him.

When we say that God is love…. this is the full demonstration of that love!

There is nothing we can do to earn His love, nothing that we can do to make us good enough to deserve that love. Yet he chooses to love us….not because we are good enough, (because we can never be), not if we will do something or be something for Him, because there is nothing we have that is good enough for Him. He loves us….no matter what! He cannot love us any more than He does already, and He refuses to love us any less.

What should our response be to such a great love? How do you respond to someone who you are enemies with, and yet chooses to die in your place for wrongs you have committed?

The bible is very clear at what our response should be. When asked by a Roman jailer what he needed to do to be saved, the Apostle Paul gave this response, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31

In fact, prior to his death, in the book of John, someone came up to Jesus and asked Him, “Rabbi, what good work must we do, to do the work that God requires?”

Isn't it human nature that we always feel the need to pay our fair share and do our part? What good work can we do to make God happy? (and thus feel like we did our part)

Jesus’s response was similar to Paul’s. He said this:

“The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:28-29

All the effort, all the work was done by Jesus. It cost Him everything. The very truest nature of love; giving our all for someone we love. There is nothing we can do and nothing He would accept. We can’t be good enough, because we can’t be perfect. That was what was demanded, a perfect sacrifice.

So again, what then should our response be to so great a love? All we can do is accept and receive that free gift that cost Him so much. Trusting the Lord for our salvation is the only thing that we can do and the only thing that saves us from an eternity of separation from Him. It is the only thing that He will accept. It is my extreme hope and prayer that this is something everyone within earshot of my voice will want to seriously consider and accept on their own.

This love that Christ has for people is reflected in what He calls the Church. The Church is not a building. It is the body of believers who have placed their faith in Christ for their salvation. In fact, the bible is very clear that it is for the Church that He died. There is some Scripture that I want to read to you and then afterwards, I want to challenge you to live up to what is said.

In chapter 4 of the book of Ephesians, while in a Roman jail, the Apostle Paul penned these words:        

Ephesians 4:1-3
Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

He then says in the next chapter:

So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, making the best use of your time because the times are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit. Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; you will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts; you will consistently give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, Christ; and you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. It is he who is the Savior of the body. Indeed, just as the church is submissive to Christ, so wives must be submissive to their husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it, so that he might make it holy by cleansing it, washing it with water and the word, and might present the church to himself in all its glory, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind, but holy and without fault. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, as Christ does the church.

For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones. “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I am talking about Christ and the church. But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves himself; and may the wife respect her husband. Ephesians 5:16-33

He says that “this is a great mystery”; that a man and woman can be one flesh. But he says this union is an analogy for Christ and His bride, the Church.

In this, he tells a man and his wife how they are to interact with each other. This interaction is also an example and analogy of Christ and His bride.

My challenge to you Deborah is to honor Paul, respect him and submit to the God given headship he has been given in this marriage. Submission for all of us is pleasing to the Lord. We are told to submit to one another as we in turn submit to the Lord.

I know one of the things Paul and I got from our father is the fondness to quote lines from movies when an opportune moment arises. With that said, in the movie Patton, General Patton was leading his 3^rd Army across France under dire circumstances, General Omar Bradley is looking at a newspaper that says, “Patton Dashes Across France; 3^rd Army Bags 20,000 Germans”

Bradley says to one of his officers, “Give George a headline, and he's good for another 30 miles.”

It’s that move quote I want you to pay attention to Deborah. Men, whether we want to admit it or not, have fragile egos. The fuel that makes our engine run is recognition and support especially from the one that we have decided to make our mate.  You have the ability with your words alone to build up Paul or tear him down. I charge you and challenge you to build Paul up as often as possible, There will inevitably be issues and problems; work them out between the two of you and not to your friends or others. To your friends and others, tell them how much you love Paul and even brag about him. Let him know that you respect him and cherish him. Let him find out from others that you talk about him in a positive way. Give him a headline and he will easily go another 30 miles for you.

Paul, you have the more difficult part of this relationship. Your charge is to love Deborah like Christ loved the church. He gave His life for her. You need to love Deborah that way. Don’t forget, Jesus died for us while we were still His enemies; when we were unlovable. You therefore need to love her even if she becomes unlovable.  You need to love her with the kind of love that is reflective of Christ; willing to die for her. If you love her like that, I can guarantee you Deborah will have no issue submitting to your headship and respecting you and bragging about you and giving you that headline.

It says in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing,
And obtains favor from the Lord.

Paul, you have found favor from the Lord because you have found a good thing in Deborah. Love her, cherish her, listen to her opinion. I tell you that I get more sound advice from Mirka than from anyone else. Please allow her to speak into you and in return love her unconditionally.

With that, Paul and Deborah are now going to exchange vows to each other

Happy Thanksgiving

I am not like other people. (That’s for sure if you really knew me!) There is a deep part of me that would love to write in this blog every day. There are these “flashes of thought” that spray across my brain/soul/spirit and I know I should be jotting them down. But the time is not right….I am either at work or driving somewhere or at some other inconvenient place and I just so not have the opportunity at that moment. Then I think to myself, when I get home, I will write that down and expand on it….then I don’t. I think there is always tomorrow to write that down. There is always another time….but look at the date of the prior post. It was in excess of over a month ago!!! Where did the days go and where did all those “flashes” that I had vaporize off to? (Someone mentioned the other day to never end a sentence in a preposition. I know that do so is grammatically incorrect. But, and here is the kicker…I do love it. Forgive me.)

 

About a month ago I had the opportunity to watch a former runner, who now runs in college, race for her new team. I went to lunch with her and her family afterwards and there was a language that was spoken that was clearly English, but clearly unique all unto itself. This is one of those “flashes” I had. I still want to write about this one. I hope I do.

 

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US. God has been so good to this nation and especially to me. I do know that He is longsuffering and for that I am so grateful…so thankful. I met with my men’s group yesterday morning. There were only 5 of us there as several guys were out of town because of the holiday. We all told each other what we were thankful for and we also shared where we would love God to “show up big” in our lives. Here was my list:

¨       My salvation. (Thank you Jesus for what you did for me! I am still overwhelmed when I think about that!)

¨       My wife…she has her flaws, but she was sent from God, no doubt about that. She is the model of forgiveness that the Lord wants demonstrated in our lives.

¨       My children…I owe the fact that they are as well grounded as they are to the Lord for being gracious and to their mother who showed them God’s love. If there is any part in them that is “screwed up”, I’ll take the responsibility for that.

¨       My family…I love them dearly. Most are saved and for that I am very thankful. Some think they are and I hope they indeed are. But some of the things they say and do lead me to suspect otherwise. I hope they will be given opportunities to have their blinders removed and to truly see the GRACE that the Lord gives. There is freedom in Christ. I want them to experience that freedom.

¨       My friends. I once said to a very good friend of mine, who was attempting to talk me out of a very stupid sin I was engaged in at the time, “Is my Christianity all tied in my friendships and my relationships? Is that the sum total of who I am as a believer?” My point at the time was that when we moved from Pennsylvania to Georgia some 6 years prior at that time, I left my “support group” so to speak, and the friends I used to fellowship with on a regular basis were now far away and rarely heard from. His response and our discussion needs to be reserved for another entry…way too long and too intense. But I will say this, friends are a gift from God and they need to be cherished and nourished and appreciated. I have some great friends still in PA and have some great ones here in GA… They love Jesus and for some crazy reason, they love me too. They keep me pointed towards Jesus and for that I am VERY Thankful!!! Thanks Steve, Luke, Jim, Chris, Chase, Weldon, John, Mike, Marcus, (others I have temporarily forgotten) and especially …..Freddie!

¨       And finally, here is the one that took everyone back a notch, even though that was not my intent. I told everyone I was thankful for…Unanswered Prayers. There were times in my not so distant past that I literally cried out to the Lord and wept before His face. What I wanted was not what God wanted and deep down I knew that…but I was like a little child who could only see what was in front of me and not what was up ahead. God knew better as He always knows better. He did not answer my prayer…in fact, what He did do was quite remarkable. Again, to go into the details of this story would be tough right now. It is way too complicated…way too painful, which means that I need to journal it. I have had impressed upon my soul that the Lord does want me to share that painful journey with others. I need a good swift kick in the…  

¨       I am thankful for my pastor and His love for Jesus…his love for his wife and children…his love for lost people…his love for Compass and what the Lord is doing there…his love for his staff. Thanks Jim for the friendship and the fellowship.

¨       I am thankful that the Lord is ALWAYS in control.

¨       I am thankful for the USA. The election did not go as I would have liked, but see the point just above this one….He is in control!

 

Here is a Psalm that every believer and every citizen of the US should have on their lips and heart at all times..

 

Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving thanks

 1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.

 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; 
       come before him with joyful songs.

 3 Know that the LORD is God. 
       It is he who made us, and we are his
       we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving 
       and his courts with praise; 
       give thanks to him and praise his name.

 5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; 
       his faithfulness continues through all generations.

为中国祈祷 Pray for China

为中国祈祷

Pray for China

About a month or so before the 2008 Summer Olympics started, I received an e-mail from Voice of the Martyrs asking if I would like a wristband that simply said, Pray for China. On this gray wristband, those words were written in English on one side and in Chinese on the other. I accepted their gracious offer and when it arrived, I placed it on my wrist and I have been wearing it ever since.

The Summer Games have long ended and I still wear the wristband. I don’t even like wearing a watch, so I don’t….but I wear this! It is a good reminder for me. It is a reminder that the church is suffering, that the church is being persecuted. It is a reminder that the body of Christ is hurting. There is a “body part” that is feeling pressure, pain, hurt. They feel the direct impact of that persecution, but as a member of the body, I suffer as well. If you are a believer, you do too!

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

We are ONE body!!!! Let that sink in because I think too often we do not. As crazy as it sounds, we sometimes see other believers as competition as opposed to brothers. We treat them like the enemy instead of like brothers and sisters in the Lord. When one part of the body suffers, the entire body suffers…we have just numbed ourselves to the pain. We turn a blind eye and not only do we not recognize the pain, we are oblivious to it.

Here is something I heard just last week at Catalyst:

“We need to let God break our hearts with the things that break His heart.” Craig Groeschel

We do…we need to have our hearts beat like His…have a passion and compassion like His….have a desire like His….and have our hearts broken….just like Jesus! And that includes seeing/feeling His body being persecuted and hurting, and then doing what we can do to alleviate that pain; starting with praying for the persecuted church…not just in China, but globally. I am sure God’s heart breaks for His people. He loves us and He sent Jesus to die for us! We need to have a heart like that.

One more quote from Catalyst:

“If we are looking at God then there is no way we can stay the way we are.” Brenda Salter McNeal

23 Years and counting….

23 Years and counting….

This past Sunday, my wife and I celebrated our 23^rd wedding anniversary. I would love to tell you all that it has been 23 years of marital bliss. We certainly have had some wonderful years, but we also had some not so wonderful years. I have to admit at this point that the years that were not so great were definitely all my fault.

I will not go into what went wrong” during those lean years (mainly because it is none of your business!) But I will attempt to discuss some biblical principles that we should glean from marriage…not just my marriage, but all marriages.

Marriage is something that has been ordained by God Himself. He said in Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." That relationship that the Lord wants us to have with our spouse is very synonymous with the relationship He wants to have with us. The Lord desires that we have this intimate, close, deep, personal, blissful, (did I mention intimate) relationship with Him. That same kind of relationship each of us desires to have with someone from the opposite sex, guess what, that is the kind of relationship He wants with us….only deeper!

This is one of those subjects that require WAY TOO MUCH more space than this little one page blog is going to give…at least today. I would like to revisit this subject in the near future due to the shear importance of it. And I pray that the Lord will shake me and take hold of me and not let go until I write something that will glorify Him. Until then, before this ends, there is something very important that needs to be said. Here goes….

Here is why the marriage is important to God: Those of us that are saved, those of us that are believers, those of us that are redeemed by Jesus, those of us that are His…we are “the bride of Christ”. That phrase should say it all so I will say it again; we are the bride of Christ. When we mess with the marriage, we are messing up a “type”. The type we are messing with is one in which Jesus and His bride lives in that intimate relationship. It is a FOREVER thing. God promises to never leave us nor forsake us. He promises that we will be His forever. Marriage on earth is a great example, or type of that.

Thank you Mirka for 23 years!!!

God forgive us…forgive me when I don’t take and hold sacred what you hold sacred!

Lessons from Annie

Dont know why, but I wanted to post something that I wrote about 2 years ago. So here it is, I hope you can take something from it:

Lessons from Annie 

This is not meant to be sacrilegious or blasphemous.  If anything, what I want more than anything else is to magnify and glorify my Lord in what I wrote here. To Him…to my Savior this is dedicated. It is my wish that He is pleased!

I wish I could tell you the exact date that I brought Annie home. It was August, I think. I bet if you asked my kids they would know! We all do know when she was born, May 15, 1999. (And again the only reason I know is because my children would always celebrate her birthday.) If “all dogs go to heaven”, then our little Annie went to be with the Lord on November 17, 2006. She was a great dog! She was a gift from God in so many ways. Of the many ways she made us smile or was a lift to our spirits, I will have a tough time recalling them all. I hope that you will see something special in our Lord by reading what I have to say about Annie.

 

Annie was our dog…our first dog. I fought against having a dog when we lived in Pennsylvania because I knew the responsibility and care and cost involved. But when we moved to Georgia, the children were not “overly-thrilled” with the move. In fact, they were not happy at all! So Mirka and I talked about what we could do to make the transition smoother...easier. A puppy would be the perfect gift; something that they could attach themselves to and this new home. A puppy would be something that they could love and not be so homesick over the move. She could help us teach the kids how to adjust and how to be happy where they were. And one thing about Annie, wherever she was, she was always happy to be there. 

What kind of dog was Annie? She was a Rat Terrier. If you know anything about this breed of dog, they are a small short haired dog, very similar in appearance and closely related to Jack Russell Terriers. (At least that is what I see and what I am told.) The thing about Rat Terriers is that they are very high strung. I think they were bred originally to hunt for and chase small animals like squirrels and rabbits. Believe me, if she was allowed to, Annie would chase a squirrel or a bird wherever it went and sometimes that was fun to watch, other times it got scary, especially when she was younger. Whenever a squirrel would be on the lawn or somewhere in the sight of her vision, Annie would go crazy wanting to go after that animal. If she was in the house, she would bark incessantly and go from window to window attempting to somehow find a way to “get at” that animal. Eventually she would calm down and lie back down on the couch, but only after she had her say in the matter. 

It used to amaze me that she had such uncanny instincts. She could be lying on the couch, resting or sleeping and all of a sudden her ears would perk up and stand at attention. (I used to say that she would have her antenna up when she did that.) But when she did that, you knew that she was sensing something. And that something was most likely an animal or a person in the yard. I never could understand how she would know that, but she always did. The truly amazing thing is that sometimes, the person or animal would be on the street and if you have not seen or been to our house, then let me tell you that the house is a good 100+ feet from the street…with woods in between. How she would know someone was “nearby”, while she was sleeping on the couch still fascinates me to this day! 

As I stated earlier, Annie was a gift from God. She was a gift from the moment I brought her home all the way until the moment of her death. “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” Hebrews 13:2 

I believe in angels! I believe with all my heart that the Lord has these beings in His service for whatever reason He chooses to use them. Like many people, perhaps many of you have had this same thought; I wonder if the verse above from Hebrews is one I have actually experienced at some point in my life. I am quite convinced that the Lord was talking about angels “masquerading” as people. There are too many references to that fact in the bible for me to argue that point. But I now wonder if at various times and in various places if the angels could take on the form of an animal…perhaps even a small dog named Annie! I make that comment because of what I feel Annie was able to teach me over the years. (If you talk to Mirka, Toma Ania or Andy, I am sure they all have their own stories and memories that are precious to them. I am equally sure they have their own lessons they learned from her as well.)

Annie was ALWAYS glad to see me. She was always glad to see people. She would bark and her tail would wag whenever anyone came to the door or was in the yard. But when one of us came home, she would go crazy. As I just mentioned, the others would have to speak for themselves, but for myself, I got the distinct impression that Annie was in love with me! She would want me to pet her, to hold her and to let her lick my face over and over. She would not leave me alone until I acknowledged her love for me. And that is an important point I need to make…she wanted to show me her love for me and she would not take rejection or ignoring her as an appropriate response. She would “love me to death” until I agreed with her…acknowledged her love and allowed her to love me. Isn’t that the way God is at times. He will love us and love us and love us…way beyond what we deserve or even ask for. Yet he will “pester us” with His continual shower of love until we see and acknowledge what a great love for us He truly has!!! What I came to discover over the years is that Annie was saying loud and clear, “I am so glad you are here!!!!! I am so happy that you are finally home to be with me.” And again, isn’t that just like the Lord! He always wants to see us. He always wants for us to come home and when we do, He is so happy and He lavishes His love upon us. 

There were many times when I would get home very tired and Annie would get excited as she always did and I just did not want to pet her, hold her etc… So I would push her away and she would still show me she still loved me. She would never be upset with me or cop an attitude. Her love was truly unconditional.

I know that if any of you own or have owned a dog or some pet that you loved very much, you can relate to what I just said. Annie loved to see me! Annie ALWAYS wanted to see me! I could push her away time and time again and the next time I came home, she still was very excited to see me! I miss that! I miss that a lot! Forgiveness can only be asked for by people; sometimes to people whom we may have offended…always to God whom we do offend often. Asking a Rat Terrier for forgiveness does not make sense, but if I could, I would ask Annie to forgive me for pushing her away all those times! All she wanted to do was to show me she loved me. She had no ulterior motive, only a devotion to me...to us!

Annie died by getting hold of some chocolate that she dug up somewhere. We took her to the Vet and we thought that Annie would be okay, but that night she slipped into eternity and left us. But her memory is still very strong and her love remains! And even in death, she was used by the Lord to help out this family. I would not and will not betray any confidences, but very soon after her death, something came to our attention that was very impactful to Mirka and me. Someone that is very close to us was struggling with a serious sin issue in their life. And only this person and the Lord could tell you why Annie’s death had such a profound impact on them, but they told Mirka and I about it and they told us that they felt Annie’s death was a wake up call for them. They were slowly getting sucked into a habit that was not good for them and not pleasing to the Lord. And all pleasantries aside, it was sin, plain and simple. It was a sin that the “world” would say, “what’s the big deal!” But to this person, to us, but more importantly, to the Lord, it is a big deal…a very big deal!!!

Sin has this very alluring appeal to it and on the surface shows a very pleasing appearance. That allure can be almost intoxicating and it will slowly real us in and like a fish going after a worm or some lure, we are about to be ensnared without ever realizing it. Sin has its moments of pleasure (from a worldly perspective that is), but inside, sin is dark, insidious and dank and has a stench to the nostrils. Sin is an offense to God and it is why Jesus had to die.

The wonderful thing about God is that He promises that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We will all have this tendency to sin. That is our human flesh nature wanting, craving desiring to fulfill what pleases it. For those of us that know the Lord, we also have a spirit nature…the very Holy Spirit dwelling within us. The Lord promises in His Word that in every temptation that the enemy throws at us, He will provide a way to escape it. We all get tempted…even Jesus was tempted. But in our temptations, we can be like Jesus and not sin. We can escape because the Lord promised us He would help us.

When Annie ate that chocolate, I am sure she had much pleasure in consuming it. I bet it tasted good and she was quite pleased with herself. And for a moment, she enjoyed the pleasure of what she did. Then the reality of the situation hit her and she knew something was not right and she began to moan and she began to cry and she knew she messed up and that something was wrong.

Her “dog nature”, her instincts told her to sniff out food and eat it. She did not “think” about what the consequences would be. She just acted. The aroma was pleasing to her keen sense of smell and she got into something that was very bad for her. Like the sins in our lives that so easily entangle, we sometimes do not think…we just act. And as much as the Lord promises to forgive us, He does not promise to stop any consequences that result out of our sin. In Annie’s case, it was death. For each of us, it could be a number of things including death, but know this; the consequences of our actions affect more than just us. It affects those around us. It affects those we love and usually a lot of innocent people are hurt and deeply affect by the sin in our life.

We miss Annie and we are sad at her loss. We expected to have her around for a long time. In fact, as the kids got older, and eventually move out of the house, I often wondered if one of them would take her with them or of she would stay with us. Now we will never know.

There is so much more about Annie I wanted to write and maybe someday I will sit back and do just that, write some more. In the meantime, take these lessons from Annie:

• Love unconditionally
• Be joyful wherever you are in life
• Be a gift from God to someone in your life. Allow them to see that you are in their lives because God knew it would please and benefit you both
• Forgive when wronged…always!
• Be glad for the people in your life, even the ones that push you away.
• Be happy to see people come home (I know Jesus is)
• Have your spiritual antennae up at all times, even if you are sleeping
• Stay away from something that looks, feels, smells, and has all the appearance of something beautiful and good, when you KNOW that it is not!!!
• Know that this life is way too brief it will pass by very quickly.
• Finally, be willing to die if you have to, in order to save someone from destruction. (Annie moved on her instincts, but I bet with all my heart, that if she could have “volunteered” to die for this person who was getting into that sin, she would have. That’s how much she loved unconditionally.)

Not until I am in heaven, will I truly understand the depth of the love that God has for me. I know it is immense and I know it is vast and I know it is beyond my comprehension. Until I am in His presence, all I can do is live by faith that He will see me through everything in my life and know that His love is far reaching and everlasting!!!

We miss you Annie! 

Always with us…always in our hearts!

What does the Lord require of you?

"He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:6-8

What does the Lord require of us? If the above verse is true then it is quite obvious. Why then do we have such a tough time “understanding” God’s will? Could it be “our” interpretation of what we feel is just….what we think is mercy and our impression of humility? Could it be that we think we know, but in reality we don’t?

God loves people! There is one thing you can bank on, God loves people. We are His creation and He made us in His image. I am not sure how God’s heart breaks (using human terminology), but I am quite convinced that we break God’s heart when He sees His creation in rebellion, in sin, in all kinds of muck and mire He never intended for us to be in...especially those He has redeemed! We are like pigs in slop, thinking we are enjoying ourselves, thinking “this is the life”. All the while we are living ….like pigs! The Lord wants to lift us out of that mess and into a life fit for royalty. He came to rescue us…to redeem us. He wants to commune and fellowship with us.

Jesus said that He came to give life and give it more abundantly. He absolutely was talking about eternal life. But He has an abundant life for us to live here and now as well. If we are His children, then we are royalty….we are part of a royal priesthood and our lives should reflect that. All of us are all at different stages and situations in life. We all have different experiences and varying circumstances. Regardless of “our lot in life”, even if we are the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich, we can choose to live a life that is abundant...a life pleasing to the Lord. Not one bogged down by rules and regulations, but one that has freedom. There is liberty and freedom in Christ! When we are in Christ, we have that option!!!! There is joy in the journey if we allow it to be so. That is what the Lord wants, why don't we?

We are going through the book of Philippians in our connection group. It is sometimes referred to as a book of joy because of the things the Apostle Paul wrote under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The amazing thing is that he wrote this letter while in prison. If you can find “joy” in prison, you can find it anywhere. He said in Philippians 4:4, " Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice" And so I will!

So what does the Lord require of ME?

• To be joyful in every and all circumstances
• To live a life where “justice” guides my every thought and action
• To live a life where the “right thing” is the only option I will even consider
• To live a life that is an example for others to see….a life that displays honesty and integrity
• To show compassion and empathy for those around me and for those around the world
• To put into action the steps that are necessary to help people that are hurting
• To demonstrate the love of God by accepting people unconditionally and loving them just as unconditionally
• To see other people as He see them….lost sheep without a shepherd
• To know that people (all people, non-Christians, et al) are NOT the enemy!!!! They are being deceived by the enemy and being held in bondage by him….just as those of us that are His all were at one time or another
• To come before my Heavenly Father every day, and even moment by moment and recognize and acknowledge His Lordship in my life
• To ask forgiveness and accept His forgiveness every time I sin…knowing He desires that I come to Him
• To know and understand that I can do NOTHING without Him and without His strength

So let me put my name in that verse:
"He has shown you, Sean, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Micah 6:6-8

I know what to do…He has shown me and told me. Now as the Nike commercial says, "Just do it!"

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ... James 1:22

What a difference a day makes!

Last night, Wednesday evening, we had at our house, our Connection Group. What our church calls connection groups is nothing more than a group of people/friends, who circle up and "do life together". We are admonished in Galatians 6:2 to carry or “bear” one another’s burdens. That same verse goes on to say that when we do, “we fulfill the law of Christ”. That’s some pretty weighty stuff!

It is almost like a paradox. (One of the things I LOVE about God’s word are all the paradoxes. Humans at times feel they are so intelligent and yet we know absolutely nothing…especially compared to the mind of God! But I digress.) Since we are under grace, we have a freedom, a liberty in Christ, and yet we are told by bearing one another’s burdens we fulfill the law of Christ. This topic needs further investigation and I will jump on this very soon.

In the meantime, back to last night...
We had a new member stop by our little group. She is a new believer and what a joy it was to have her there. Like every single one of us that are believers, she was lost, but now she is found. She was dead in her sins and now she has a new life in Christ! Jesus meets us and accepts us right where we are. We can’t get “cleaned up” for Him. No sir! If we try, then we are diluting and perverting the gospel. And since we all come from different backgrounds, different childhoods, different circumstances and life experiences, different everything, then her story is uniquely hers. It may be similar to yours or someone you know, but it is not…it is hers.

I will not go into any detail about her only to say how precious she is to the Lord and therefore to us. She has struggles and problems, like we all do. But I am convinced of this (and we discussed this a little last night) that there is no such thing as coincidence. I told her I heard once that Jewish Rabbi’s claim that ‘coincidence is not kosher’. If we believe that kind of statement, then we believe that God truly is in control of the universe. If that is true, then we also believe that God ordains and orders our steps. Therefore, coincidence can never happen.. God supernaturally engineers all our circumstances.

I am convinced that this person, and hopefully one day her husband, are in our lives because the Lord wants them in our lives. As a group, we MUST fulfill the law of Christ. I am convinced there is not an “option” here. We must put into practice what we believe. We must, not because it gains us salvation or anything along those lines. We must because the love of Christ compels us.

What a difference a day makes! Why did I choose that title? Who is going to walk into your life…into your group that needs to have help with their burden? What are you going to do when they cross your path? Are you keeping your “spiritual antennae” up so that you are looking out for what God is doing and the circumstances He is engineering around and with you?

It could and will make all the difference to the person whom you meet. God has you in their life for a reason. Find out what it is.