Month: August 2022

The Power Of Forgiveness

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“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Matthew 6:14

In 1979 two drifters entered the home of an Oklahoma pastor and his family. At gunpoint they proceeded to rape the pastors twelve year old daughter before shooting and killing the pastor and his wife, and also shooting their 16 year old son and 12 year old daughter.  Through a miracle of God both children survived the ordeal. Years ago I had the opportunity to meet this pastor’s son, Brooks Douglass, and hear his story. I’ve never forgotten the encounter, for as an adult Brooks went to the prison to meet one of his parents killers in prison face to face. The man took one look at Brooks and said, “I’m sorry for what I did to you and your family.” This was a response Brooks was not expecting. Somehow after those words were spoken Brooks could feel God at work within him.

Was It Possible To Forgive This Man?

Could he say the words? Would he mean them? Somehow, and only by the Grace of God, before Brooks walked out of that prison cell he actually looked his parents killer in the eye and said, “I forgive you.” Instantly Brooks felt a waterfall of poison wash out of his body. As he left the prison that day he felt like he could breathe for the first time in years. That gnawing underlying sense of anger and resentment was gone. Today, we all carry resentments in our lives against someone who has hurt us in one way or another. In this moment, do yourself a favor. Say the words I forgive you as you picture in your mind that person God is asking you to forgive. They may be hardest words you’ve ever spoken, but the sweetest sensation of relief you have ever felt is waiting to embrace you.   

Arise!

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“Jesus said to him, Arise, take up your bed and walk” John 5:8

In 1842 the Croton Aqueduct was completed, bringing fresh water to the City of New York. A few years later to commemorate this milestone, the Bethesda Fountain was dedicated in Central Park. At the fountains dedication ceremony, the sculptor, Emma Stebbins, read the passage from John chapter 5, describing the healing powers of the waters as they were stirred by an Angel. This tribute was meant to signify how healing a fresh water supply would be to New York City. Today this Angel statue is known world wide, and in pop culture films such as “Elf” staring Will Ferrell, where the Angels wing knocks the engine off Santa’s sleigh as it flies by. Yet, few know of the history behind this commemorative statue. Today, let it remind you to,

Take Up Your Bed And Walk!

From the preceding verses in John 5 we know there was a man among many infirmed people by a pool called Bethesda in Jerusalem who had an infirmity for 38 years. They would gather at the pool because an Angel of the Lord would regularly stir the waters and all who went in would be healed. As Jesus himself comes to the pool he sees this man and says to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The man simply responds, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming another steps in before me.” Jesus responds by saying, “Rise, take up your bed and walk. And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed and walked.” Every time I read this story I’m reminded that it’s all about Christ, and not about us and our doubts. When asked a question if he wanted to be healed the man made an excuse. He didn’t say yes, he didn’t jump at the chance offered to him. Thirty eight years of disappointment had turned all thoughts negative. In his mind he wasn’t strong enough, or quick enough to make anything happen. None of this mattered to Christ. Jesus simply said “arise” and everything changed. Today you may be shouldering a mountain of self doubt. In your mind you are believing the lie that you are not good enough or strong enough for whatever you are facing. Today its time for you to take your eyes off your circumstances and place them where they belong, on Jesus. He’s softly saying to you today, Arise! For in Him all things are possible! 

Dress Rehearsal

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“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be,” 1 John 3:2

Everywhere I turn the world shouts, improve yourself! Exercise your body! Strengthen your heart! Cosmetic surgery is your answer to a better you! Education will make you more valuable! You can’t help walking into a bookstore or searching the web without encountering the world called “self improvement”. But have you ever thought of

Who You Really Are? 

Interesting question that most of us like to avoid asking. But walk with me for a minute and you will be happy you did. For whenever I feel a little down about myself it’s time to read 1 John 3:2.  “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He (Jesus) is revealed, we shall be like Him (Jesus), for we shall see Him as He is.” Let’s unwind this verse. There is an amazing version of you that you have never seen before. An amazing you that will be revealed when you see Jesus face to face. The version of you with all your flaws, and aches, and pains, and fears erased with His loving eraser. That’s worth waiting for! So, you may ask, what about this frail and often broken down body and mind I’m stuck in today? Think of your body as a dress rehearsal suit. This life of a mere 100 years, give or take, is simply a dress rehearsal for eternity with Jesus. And while we’re here, our job here is very simple; Worship the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. So, how’s your dress rehearsal time coming along? Try focusing on the job at hand and watch the joy in your life multiply.

Be Still

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“Be Still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

As Jesus hung on the cross His mother, His disciples, and His followers believed all was lost. This was it. The end was at hand. All the patience in the world was not going to stop this crucifixion. Jesus was going to die. Their hope was gone. Yet they forgot one very important scripture. God alone said in Psalm 46:10,

“Be Still, And Know That I Am God!”

Because what seems hopeless on Friday is resurrected on Sunday when we have the patience to let God’s perfect plan unfold! The same is true in your life. What seems hopeless for you one day will be resurrected the next by the loving, guiding, masterful hand of your Savior Jesus Christ. Today, every time you look at a cross, or wear a cross, or see a cross, remember these calming words from God and take the advice to heart, “Be still, and know that I am God”.

                   

Hide & Seek

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“For thus says the Lord…“And you will seek me and find me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

Many consider God a mystery. I hear things like, how do I know God’s will for my life? How do I know He is listening when I pray to Him? I’ve been there myself, but at one point during a dark period of my life so far away from God I remembered a single bible verse, where God makes a promise. He said, “If with all your heart you seek Me,

You Will Find Me”

So I looked, and I found Him literally right in front of me. I simply said with all my heart, “God, I believe in you,” and suddenly He took it from there. Instantly I knew He was real. And contrary to popular belief, God is not passive. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. In fact, the greatest lie that you can ever tell yourself is that God is apathetic, disinterested or disengaged from you and your life. Daily living with that kind of lie breeds hopelessness, despair, and loneliness. Seeking God with all your heart brings joy, happiness, and peace! This week, every day, start a conversation with God. It is as simple as breathing. “God, I believe in you. How amazing You are! That You, the Creator of Heaven and earth, would want to have a conversation with me. Thank you! Can I tell you about my day?” Then tell the Lord about your day. Tell the Lord what are you going through. Seek His council. Seek His blessing. Don’t be shy or feel awkward. Remember God’s promise, “if with all your heart you seek Me, you will find Me!”

 

Confetti Cannon Day!

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“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.” Philippians 3:1

I miss seeing the great ticker tape parades of yesteryear in New York. Give me a joyful reason to celebrate life under the colorful rain of confetti cannons and I’m a happy man. Such a scene proclaims, “We did it, finally!” Today, whenever I need a pick me up I remember Philippians 3:1, a verse that begins with the word, Finally! What a word. “Finally” means that no matter what I’m going through, no matter what the day hits me with, no matter what my mood, or physical state, or bank balance, or discouragement from others,

I Still Have Reason To Praise My Lord! So Do You! 

But, you say, isn’t that being a bit polyanna? Actually, it’s looking at the world through the eyes of FAITH! For the man who wrote this scripture, the apostle Paul, was sitting in a prison cell when he wrote them. Imagine that ancient roman prison, stinky, filthy, rats scurrying about here and there. And here sits Paul with two things in his hand, his faith, and his pen. And armed with faith he writes and encourages us today by saying in Chapter 3 verse 3, “have no confidence in the flesh.” In other words, your circumstances are not what’s important! Circumstances are just the window dressing of life. Sometimes that window dressing looks good, sometimes it looks tattered. Paul acknowledges this in verse 8 after both recounting and discounting his pedigreed upbringing by saying, “I count all things as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for Him I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ.” A man who can write those words is a man who has put the circumstances of his life into perspective. For what loss would you be willing suffer just to know Jesus? Say you lost every possession tomorrow just as Paul did. Would you be able to say as Paul does, I count my former wealth as rubbish in light of knowing my Savior Jesus? I know that’s a tough question, but when you become able to fix your mind on this kind of faith, the world will begin to look differently to you. Faith and trust in Jesus will take on a whole new perspective. You will be looking at the world through faith glasses. And when you do, then, and only then, will you begin to change the world because Christ will have changed you!  

Turn The Page

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“Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” Luke 5:5

Late August is always the time of year when Major League Baseball pennant races really start to heat up. Yet what I find so fascinating about Baseball is that it’s the only sport where a 30% success rate is worth a big money contract for its players. That’s right, a major league hitter who can average a hit 30% of the time is considered elite. That means 70% of the time they will fail to even reach 1st base. In the midst of that failure, there’s a saying that players use. When asked about the failure, they will respond by saying,

“Turn The Page”

It means, just put the failure behind you and move on. Another chance will come soon enough. In Luke chapter 5, Jesus commands His disciples to launch out into the deep water and let down their nets for a catch. Simon’s response was much like ours seems to be much of the time today. “But Jesus, I tried that. I tried and failed, so why would it work this time?” Yet Simon was also wise enough to “turn the page” on yesterday’s failures and submit to Jesus’ command by saying, “nevertheless, at your command we will let down our nets.” What followed was a catch large enough to swamp their boat! Are you willing to turn the page on yesterday’s failures in your life? Failure is only final if you give in to the negative thoughts flooding your mind that it will always be for you as it has been in the past. Why settle for mediocrity when Jesus is commanding you to launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch! 

Dream A Little Dream

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“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1

I still crack a smile every time I watch the film “Grumpier Old Men” with Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon and Burgess Meredith. There is something about their fun-loving “Curmudgeon” attitudes that makes you want to pull up a couch and stay awhile. Yet my favorite scene is Burgess tucking his granddaughter into bed and singing Doris Day’s classic tune, “Dream A Little Dream Of Me.” Catch it on YouTube and try to keep your eyes dry. Perhaps “dreaming a little dream” is something you need to start doing again. You have permission! You have a calling. You have a purpose. It does not matter where you have come from. It does not matter what past mistakes you have made. It’s time to dream again. You’ve been through a divorce or breakup or job loss and the pain still lingers. But worse than that, you’ve lost your nerve to do it again. God is saying to you today,

It’s Time To Dream Again! 

The great New York Yankee baseball player Yoggi Berra was famous for saying “it’s never over till it’s over”. He only got it half right! When you are living with Jesus as the Lord of your life, it’s never over – Period! YOU ARE more than conquerors through Him who loves you. YOU CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you. YOU ARE the light of the world. YOU ARE the salt of the earth! Anyone seeing a pattern here? Have you woken up yet? God has a plan for your life! Time to dream a little dream again! 

Wisdom

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“Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Solomon was a man who found favor with God. So much so that in 1 Kings 3:5 God appeared to Solomon in a dream and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give to you?” What would your answer have been? I’ve often wondered what mine would have been at various times in my life. Solomon’s answer was actually an unlikely one. In 1 Kings 3:9 Solomon answered “Give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” The world was laid at his doorstep and Solomon chooses to ask for Wisdom. God response? “because you have asked for such a thing, and have not asked for long life for yourself, nor have asked for riches for yourself, nor have asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold I have done according to your words: see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have given to you what you have not asked; both riches and honor.” The moral of the story is very simple, we should continually,

Pray For Wisdom To Understand God’s Desire For Our Lives

As I read the Proverbs of Solomon I often think that here’s the wisest person we shall ever know. A man endowed with wisdom from God himself. And here, among the great statements of Solomon’s Proverbs is a gem for us to live by. “Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established.” Do you commit your works to the Lord each day? Putting your hand to whatever you do in life, is it done with the thought of doing it for God’s glory? I know this is a standard I certainly don’t live up to. But what’s interesting is, when I do commit something to the Lord, my thoughts are established. Performing a task for the honor and glory of God becomes effortless because our mind set changes, for God himself changes it. Try it in your own life. Commit whatever it is that you do to the Lord, and then witness the results for yourself. Be prepared to be amazed.   

The Path of Abundance

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“Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase.” Psalm 67:5

Are you ready to live a life of abundance? Are you tired of fear and anxiety and circumstances pulling you in all different directions? One thing I am sure of is that you will always have trials in your life. Jesus himself said, “in this world you will have tribulations”. That may sound like a dire statement until you read what Jesus said next, “but be not dismayed for I have overcome the world!” Because Jesus is on the throne I think of trials as nothing more than mosquito bites. Some irritate more than others. Some cause more pain than others. Some swell and get more infected than others. But just as with time that bite will heal, so time spent in prayer and praise has the ability to repair and heal the scattered circumstances in your life. 

The Secret To Abundant Living Is Worship!

I vividly remember my father going through the painful time of closing his business, yet I saw him in the choir loft every Sunday singing with a smile. I remember my grandmother slowly losing her husband to Alzheimer’s yet she would sing from a heart of love. Today when life throws me curve balls, I swat them away with one simple phrase, Jesus, I trust you – you got this. Be thankful in all situations. Give praise in all situations. Give praise not out of selfish ambition, but out of a heart filled with love for Jesus. “Let all the peoples praise You, O God” the Psalmist says. “Then the earth shall yield her increase.”