Something happened recently that really stopped me.  I could feel the temperature rising.  Then I stopped.  It was just for a brief moment which turned into the entire evening.  I am truly blessed by God.

 

God has really blessed me.  I have a truck that still runs.  There is a bed to sleep in at night.  A guitar to practice and play music.  A trombone as well.  Great dinner provided by a fantastic chiropractor and friend.  Friends that I can call and vent, laugh, and share jokes. 

 

There is more.  A great weekend with God’s family.  Abi Overdorf singing and leading worship.  Honoring veterans who served this country with a service and a meal.  Friends who came together and prepared a meal.  During that time laughed, joked, and enjoyed each other. 

 

I am truly blessed.  No matter what my enemies do to me, I have a great God who blesses me with riches I have never had before.  Praise God.

Monday is always better when there is a great weekend before.  Something about Monday changes if the weekend is good.  There is optimism about the week.

 

So, my hope for everyone reading this is simple:  have a great week.  Be thankful for what you have.  Give thanks for what you have missed.  Rejoice in your walk, that you can walk.  Smile at the sun.

 

Most of all, thank God for what you had, have,  and will have.  For God is good  All the time. God is good.

In my daily devotion of the book of Galatians, I noticed a small detail that I have overlooked for years.  How am I crucified with Christ?  Galatians 2:20 states: “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.”  Paul writes that he was crucified with Christ.  How does that work?  He was not at the cross or even on the cross with Christ.  So how does this work?

 

Of course, I do what I always do, go to several commentaries.  Mike Baker wrote, “Being crucified with Christi is an awareness that today may be the last day and living our lives accordingly.”  That is interesting, but is that it?  John R. W. Stott writes, “That is, being united in Christ in His sin-bearing death, my sinful past has been blotted out.”  Still confused, so was I. 

 

Until I noticed this verse in Philippians 2:8, “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  Something happened more at the cross then our forgiveness of sin.  Jesus did the ultimate act of obedience, He died.  In the garden Jesus prayed to the Father, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”  Jesus followed the Father’s will.

 

Crucified like Jesus means that we surrender our will and replace it with the Father’s will.  It does not matter how painful that may be (it will be painful).  My will dies on the cross.  His will lives because of the cross.  Think about it.

I raised my right hand 38 years ago to swear an oath.  It was an oath to protect this country, it’s people, and its Constitution.  There was a quiet moment following the oath.  A moment of realization.  Realization of what might come.  Then the process began.  Boot camp. Fire fighting, Gun training.  Everywhere marching.  Hurry up and wait.  Training.  More training.  Then, more training. 

 

Submarine school.  Flooding training.  Memorization. An endless cycle.

 

The day came.  My first submarine.  Eight years of patrols, quick outs, hot situations.  At times wondering if I would make it home.  A beautiful woman and three kids waiting.  Hugs.  Kisses.  Repeat cycle.

 

As I look back, it was not easy times.  The hardship on the family.  In the submarine fleet, divorce was at 75%.  Endless sleepless nights.  Wondering.  Still, thankful to come home.  Play with the kids.  Kiss and hold the wife.  Endless training.  Time away from family.  Nine and a half years.

 

That was my life.  For I am a United States Submarine Veteran. 

 

Today thank a veteran and their family (if they are still together).  Then thank God for men and women who willing placed their selves in harms way for your freedoms.

I quit not the church.

 

For years I have heard this new theology.  It is a belief that God is good.  He is love.  Jesus is not the only way to God.  He might be the best way.  Save Mother Earth.  All roads/religions lead to God.  God will take care of you, as you seek the path that is right for you.  The Bible is full of good stories, some might be wrong, but it is full of good life lessons. We don’t want to hurt their feelings, so we don’t want to follow all the teachings of Jesus.  It goes on and on.

 

The church has adopted these beliefs and really I have had enough.  Why have the Bible if you are not going to believe it all?  Why believe in a God that cannot write a book correctly?  Why go to church, if it is all what I want to believe?  I can do that on the lake. Why preach about the teachings of Jesus if we are afraid they will hurt someone’s feelings?  Why believe in a God that created two sexes, but obviously He got that wrong because there are now 7.1 billion?  Why do this anymore?

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord tells His people at the time of Jeremiah and now to return to the ancient paths.  Jesus put it this way, “Follow Me.”  He is the Ancient of Days.  He is the Old Way.  So if one is truly God’s, they are on an ancient path.  A path despised by modern Christians because it is a path of total surrender.  It is a path that is not easy at times.  It is a path that is all about the Lord.

 

But the modern church has said we will not walk it.  Therefore, I quit listening to this new theology that leads away from God to self.   I want the ancient path.  I want the Ancient of Days, The Lord Almighty.

 

What people want, they do not get.  Now what is that you may ask?  Change.  People do not like change.  They like their life in an order that they desire.  They do not want it to change.  We understand.  Change is difficult.  Just look at the change at the gas pumps.  That change has effected our lifestyles, spending habits, and purchases. 

 

There is a saying in Indiana, “wait five minutes and it will change.”  While we say this about the weather, it is a truth of life.  Change is inevitable.  It comes whether we like it or not.  Most of the times, when we do not want it.

 

However, when one looks at Jesus, his life was full of change.  Daily.  With interaction with people life changes.  Jesus gave each person time.  He stopped and listened, laughed, cried, healed, mended, and even ate with others.   Maybe that is what we have forgotten, life is not about consistency, it is about change.  It is about how we live through the change and what we make of that change. 

 

So wait for it.  It will change.  When it does, do not dread it.  Enjoy it.

Have you ever noticed in the life of Jesus, He hit the pause button at times.  He would just disappear.  He would go off into the mountains.  Walk away from the situation.  Everything just stopped.

 

Adam was created on the sixth day.  What did God do on the seventh day?  Rested.  So what did Adam do on his first day of life?  He rested. 

 

We are so busy that we do not stop and rest with God.  We do not stop and let Him heal us.  We do not stop and listen.

 

All right already.  We have heard this before.  I agree.  Yet, why are we still having issues of stress, unrest, and anxiety?  Why are we always tired? 

 

The first thing of the day is to rest with God.  Try it.

Many years ago, an event happened at two churches  Both ministers admitted to having an affair on their wives.  Both stood before their congregations and begged for forgiveness.  What happened is amazing to say the least.

 

The first church was a congregation of about 100.  It was a healthy mix of people with an active youth group.  One Sunday the minister stood before the congregation and announced that he had an affair.  He asked for forgiveness, which the church gave.  They then released him of his duties and he and his family left the church.  In 20 years the church closed.

 

The second church was an old congregation with about 30 people attending.  Their minister stood up, admitted his sin with his wife at his side.  The old elder had them sit and began to pray from them.  Soon everyone was standing around the couple praying.  In the midst of the prayer, the wife admitted she too was having an affair.  They prayed all the more.  The church decided to follow Galatians 6:1 and re-instate the minister and his with provisions of growth.  They had a counselor, an elder and wife team assigned to them, and a monthly meeting with the elders.  When the minister returned 6 months later, the church was packed with outsiders wanting to see what would happen.  The old elder re-introduced their minister and wife.  The minister and his wife stayed 35 years to watch the church grow to over 2000 members.

 

Which church was blessed by God? 

 

 

Everyone has asked that question about others, sometimes about ourselves.  Why did you do that?  What were you thinking?  Did your brain go out to lunch?  What ever the action, words,  or thoughts, the question has been asked?

 

Even Paul asked that question of the Galatians.  Why did you do that?  The that in this case was accepting a false teaching, instead of staying with the Good News of Jesus.  He could not understand.  It would be like walking away from gold to accept mud.  No one in their right mind would do that …………. right?

 

May times, we do just that.  Why?  I believe that we simply lose focus of what is really important.  We stop looking at Jesus.  We stop looking at what He has done for us.  Then…………..BOOM………………we did what we believed we would never do.

 

Today, stay focused on Jesus and His teachings.  Watch for the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Listen for the still quiet voice of God.  Then that question will be asked less often.

I woke up this morning.  My day began with a list of thanks.  Thanks for a bed to sleep in.  Thanks for a dresser for my clothes.  Thanks for a shower, washer and dryer, and a kitchen to cook breakfast.  Thanks for the big living room (church’s gym).  Thank you for letting me have coffee with a neighbor, for housing a homeless family. 

 

If you stop and think there is a lot to be thankful.  Most of it is small items or events.  These things bring a smile to your face.  Sometimes they remind you of good times which warms the heart.

 

Today just say, “Thank you Lord” for everything.  See what happens.  Watch your soul rest.