Category: Relationship

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Time to Worship

Sunday morning and people every where are getting ready for church but don’t limit your worship of the Father to a particular building or location.

Worship is truly a heart issue; a grateful heart will make time to worship whenever and wherever it is touched by God’s goodness, beauty, grace and forgiveness. For years we lead working cowboys and their families in times of praising and thanking the Father for His wonderful love and many blessings.

Now, I take time every morning to thank Him for where He’s brought me and what He teaches me each day while we are here on this mountain, which is like a great cathedral.

“Jesus said, ‘Believe me, woman! The time is coming when you will not have to be in Jerusalem or on this mountain to worship the Father. 22 You Samaritans worship something you don’t understand. We Jews understand what we worship, since salvation comes from the Jews. 23 But the time is coming when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth. In fact, that time is now here. And these are the kind of people the Father wants to be his worshipers. 24 God is spirit. So the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’” John 4:21-24 ERV

This was the instruction that the Lord gave the woman at the well in Samaria. Worship the Lord in Spirit and in truth. She was so touched by her encounter with Jesus that she dropped everything and went to tell her family and friends about the Messiah.

“Then the woman left her water jar and went back to town. She told the people there, 29 ‘A man told me everything I have ever done. Come see him. Maybe he is the Messiah.’ 30 So the people left the town and went to see Jesus.” John 4:28-30 ERV

When was the last time we literally dropped everything to tell someone about Jesus? This woman wasn’t concerned that she would be welcomed by her friends and neighbors or that the message she was bringing was politically correct, she just had to share that she had found the Messiah.

Whatever she said, however she said it, she was convincing. Folks came out to see Jesus. This woman was of low reputation in town, also understand that the Jews and the Samaritans had been opposed to one another for generations but still they came.

“Many of the Samaritan people in that town believed in Jesus. They believed because of what the woman had told them about him. She had told them, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ 40 The Samaritans went to Jesus. They begged him to stay with them. So he stayed there two days. 41 Many more people became believers because of the things he said.

42 The people said to the woman, ‘First we believed in Jesus because of what you told us. But now we believe because we heard him ourselves. We know now that he really is the one who will save the world.’” John 4:39-42 ERV

The Lord will use our testimony to bring people to Christ. We must be willing to share what God has done in our lives and then He can work in the lives of those who know our story.

Make time to worship the Father for Who He is – He is the Almighty God, our everlasting Father!

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More About Contentment

Do you remember being little and “wishing” for everything? Another word for wishing is wanting. If those desires are not guided properly they can lead to disillusionment and discontentment, not only in children but in adults as well.

So, this morning we’re going to learn one more lesson from our wooly, four-legged friends.

There was a time when my conversation was filled with the things I wanted – a new house, a new job, to lose weight, more friends, more money, less bills. But that’s not the mindset of a sheep. They are content to follow the shepherd, they are content in the pasture.

Sheep are known for lacking in intelligence, some would call them dumb. Not to be insulting but isn’t that the way it is with us. We think we know what’s best for us but left by ourselves we will get in trouble. We will be lost and in need of rescuing.

“Then Jesus told them this story: 4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost. What will you do? You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep. You will continue to search for it until you find it. 5 And when you find it, you will be very happy. You will carry it 6 home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’” Luke 15:3-6 ERV

And when we are lost, our Good Shepherd will come searching for us, bringing us to a place of safety and provision.

When we are with the Shepherd, we can be safe and content.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1 KJV

“You, LORD, are my shepherd. I will never be in need.” Psalm 23:1 CEV

The Apostle Paul put it this way in his writing to the Christians in Philippi.

“… for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. 13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13 NLT

How could Paul be content in every situation? The answer is clear. Contentment comes from Christ.

The Lord doesn’t want us worried or wanting. He knows what we need, He wants us living in a place of trust.

“So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. 33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:21-33 NLT

Lord forgive me today for my wanting. I thank you that you bless me beyond measure because of Your great love. You supply all I need and more. You’re the Good Shepherd and I will follow you!

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Hurry Up & Wait

I was telling a co-worker yesterday, as we were waiting for campers to arrive, that a favorite saying of my dad’s was “hurry up and wait”. When we become impatient, we rush about expending unnecessary amounts of energy and we still end up waiting.

Some mornings I wake up knowing what the day has in store or at least I think I do. And then there are mornings like this morning that I start praying over my day and have no idea how it will go or what I will be doing.

It’s then I remembered all the places we have lived where sheep were raised. They were a part of the natural landscape and I learned much from them. Sheep are rarely in a hurry; they moved slowly. There is no rush to their day.

Last night sheep settled in the pasture. They laid down to rest and felt safe. They will begin stirring in about 30 minutes or so as the new day starts to dawn. They have no agenda and feel no anxiousness over what they will do or where they will go. Unless the shepherd comes to lead them to a new field, they will be content to eat well in this pasture. But the minute they are aware of the shepherd’s presence, they become attentive – their senses heighten, their tails flick and their heads come up. They are ready to follow!

I need to learn that. I need to be content in this pasture until I hear the shepherd and then be ready to follow. It’s a lesson I have had to learn many times. But today, I will be content and wait for the shepherd. Following Him brings me to a place of provision and protection.

“Jesus said, ‘It is certainly true that when a man enters the sheep pen, he should use the gate. If he climbs in some other way, he is a robber. He is trying to steal the sheep. 2 But the man who takes care of the sheep enters through the gate. He is the shepherd. 3 The man who guards the gate opens the gate for the shepherd. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep, using their names, and he leads them out. 4 He brings all of his sheep out. Then he goes ahead of them and leads them. The sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 But sheep will never follow someone they don’t know. They will run away from him, because they don’t know his voice.’

6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant….10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came to give life—life that is full and good. 11 ‘I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep…14-15 ‘I am the shepherd who cares for the sheep. I know my sheep just as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me just as I know the Father. I give my life for these sheep.” John 10:1-15 ERV

Let’s follow the Shepherd. Wait patiently, be content and then follow His lead!

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Wanting More

This morning I was greeted by this photo I had taken a few years back. It brought a smile to my face and a thought to my heart. This little fellow and his many friends came every morning, afternoon and evening to my feeders, always wanting more.

I have no idea how many pounds of sugar and gallons of water I would prepare each summer for the hummingbirds who visited my yard.

Come they did – 50+ at a feeding. I would take the feeders down, all eight of them, wash them and refill them. From the inside of the house I could hear their little wings whirling as they waited impatiently for me to bring them back to the yard, filled with nectar.

They were always wanting more.

Do you know that our heavenly Father does no less for us?

“Then Jesus said, ‘I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty.'” John 6:35 ERV

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.’ 15 The woman said to Jesus, ‘Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to get more water.’” John 4:13-15 ERV

He planned for all of life’s other necessities as well.

“‘Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.'” Matthew 6:31-33 ERV

The Father provides for our needs and Jesus said what we should want most, our number one need, is to know Him and His kingdom. The Apostle Paul said this in his teaching to young christians:

“…now I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I lost all these things, and now I know that they are all worthless trash. All I want now is Christ. 9 I want to belong to him. In Christ I am right with God, but my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death.” Philippians 3:8-10

Just like those little hummingbirds who were always wanting more, “All I want is to know Christ”, I want more.

The Father has meticulously planned for our every need. His plan is perfect. Our responsibility is to trust Him and make relationship with Him our top priority.

We should always be wanting more!

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On Fire

Something that most every camper enjoys is their campfires.

Early in the season the vegetation was so dry that the Forest Service executed a Stage 2, Red Flag fire restriction. No campfires, not even charcoal – anything that could cause a spark was restricted. Everyone understood the reasoning, but they weren’t happy.

Then the rains came and the restriction was lifted. I have no idea how many bags of firewood we have sold. There’s something mesmerizing about watching those yellow and gold flames. It’s soothing, comforting, inviting.

Campers love to sit around those campfires and visit. It’s definitely a time of relationship building, memory-making.

That is how our conversations should be as we interact with others. Remember yesterday’s verses – we are salt and light. Fire is a type of light, a warming and welcoming light. Those who are chilled from the circumstances of life can come and be warmed, those who are hungry for what’s missing in their hearts can come and be fed.

Those lacking joy can come to the fire within us and find fellowship.

Jeremiah was a prophet in a wicked and perverse generation. His nation was under siege because of their sins and their disobedience to God. He was a prophet whose message had been ignored and in fact, he had been jailed because of his message.

Just listen to what he said:

“Sometimes I say to myself, “I will forget about him.
    I will not speak anymore in his name.”
But when I say that, his message is like a fire burning inside me!
    It feels like it is burning deep in my bones!
I get tired of trying to hold his message inside.
    And finally, I am not able to hold it in.” Jeremiah 20:9 ERV

The message of God is a fire inside of me, I can’t hold it in. His was a message of repentance and forgiveness.

Is the message of God a fire inside us? We have a message of God’s love and forgiveness to offer those around us; a message of comfort, of nourishment, of acceptance.

There is a line from an Alicia Keys song that I want to ring true in my life. “This girl is on fire”.

Lord, let Your word burn within me, a fire that can’t be contained. Let me not hold back on the message you have given me. May I warm and console those around me with your love.

“John’s answer to this was, “I baptize you in water, but there is someone coming later who is able to do more than I can. I am not good enough to be the slave who unties his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Luke 3:16 ERV

Holy Spirit, light the fire in my soul!

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Answering the Why

Sometimes it may feel like you’re a flower amongst the weeds. So much around us is negative, pessimistic and ugly.

Then comes the “why”?

Why am I placed among these people? Neighbors who are unfriendly, co-workers who are antagonistic and family who are unloving.

Why?

Jesus may have asked that very question, but He also knew the answer. His Father loved the world…He was sent to bring knowledge of that love and forgiveness to us all.

Now here’s another “why”.

Why do I love the Lord? Why am I willing to stand for Him when others think my ways and ideas are old fashioned, out of date, archaic and foolish? Why do I believe in a God I can’t see and why am I willing to base my life on His word?

Why?

How do I answer these questions to others and how do I answer them in my heart?

In a nutshell – I love the Lord because He loved me first! In all my life my heavenly Father has never had a bad thought about me; He has never belittled me, never lied to me and He has never abandoned me and He never will!

Has He approved of everything I’ve done? NO

Has He corrected and instructed me? ABSOLUTELY

He has loved me unconditionally and without embarrassment.

My greatest form of worship is to love Him and then to love others as He has loved me.

“Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his only Son into the world to give us life through him. 10 True love is God’s love for us, not our love for God. He sent his Son as the way to take away our sins.

11 That is how much God loved us, dear friends! So we also must love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us. If we love each other, God’s love has reached its goal—it is made perfect in us.

13 We know that we live in God and God lives in us. We know this because he gave us his Spirit. 14 We have seen that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world, and this is what we tell people now. 15 Anyone who says, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God,” is a person who lives in God, and God lives in that person. 16 So we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love.

God is love. Everyone who lives in love lives in God, and God lives in them. 17 If God’s love is made perfect in us, we can be without fear on the day when God judges the world. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like Jesus. 18 Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love takes away fear…19 We love because God first loved us.” I John 4:8-19 ERV

Like that flower among the weeds, we are here to bring the beauty of God’s love to the world.

I pray that you have an intimate knowledge of how much God loves you – it’s life changing!

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A Long Night

I consider it a pleasure and a privilege to share with you each day. Most of you I don’t know by sight but only by name. However, you fill my prayers, prayers for peace and health, prayers for a growing relationship with the Father.

I know life is filled with many challenges and for that reason I pray.

You may have gone to bed heavy-hearted last night. Maybe there were things rolling over and over in your mind while you tried to sleep. Some thoughts may have condemned while others just agitated but this is a new day and a time for a fresh start.

“Just thinking of my troubles and my lonely wandering makes me miserable. 20 That’s all I ever think about, and I am depressed. 21 Then I remember something that fills me with hope. 22 The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. 24 Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’ 25 The Lord is kind to everyone who trusts and obeys him. 26 It is good to wait patiently for the Lord to save us.” Lamentations 3:19-26 CEV

It may have been a long night but this morning the Father remains faithful. The Lord’s kindness NEVER fails. The Lord can ALWAYS be trusted. The Lord is ALL I need. I can DEPEND on Him. The Lord’s mercies are new every morning – great is His faithfulness!

The long night is over.

Start fresh today and know that God has not and will not abandon you and He will deliver you in every situation. Let Him FILL you with hope!

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Time to Sing

Remember yesterday I told you “God’s Got This”! Well, we had the opportunity to live that out last night when we helped a camper and her kids who were in need.

Because of that, today’s post is later than normal. In fact, it’s one I recycled from years back. However, the truth conveyed has not changed.

Today’s mandate:

“Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels. The angels were around the throne, the four living beings, and the elders. There were thousands and thousands of angels—10,000 times 10,000. 12 The angels said in a loud voice,

“All power, wealth, wisdom, and strength belong to the Lamb who was killed. He is worthy to receive honor, glory, and praise!” 13 Then I heard every created being that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in all these places, saying, “All praise and honor and glory and power forever and ever to the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!” Revelation 5:11-13 ERV

Sing with me and all the heavenly hosts:

To Him who sits on the throne and unto the Lamb – be blessing and glory and honor and power forever!

On Labor Day, labor to enter into the rest that God has called you too.

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God’s Got This

I had the strongest impression this morning that some of you have recently received bad news. It’s been unnerving, unsettling and even frightening.

When that happens it’s time to run to the Father.

“Light shines in the darkness for the godly…6 Such people will not be overcome by evil. Those who are righteous will be long remembered. 7 They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them. 8 They are confident and fearless and can face their foes triumphantly.” Psalm 112:4-8 NLT

Do not fear bad news but instead, confidently trust the Lord to care for you!

“This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection. 5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.” Psalm 91:2-5 NLT

A pastor we know used to say, “the first report is not the final report”. When a father heard “your daughter is dead”, the first report, Jesus said, “fear not, she’s only sleeping” and the young girl was restored to life. When Joseph was sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, the Father had the final say and Joseph was promoted to 2nd in command of all of Egypt.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

Come boldly, bravely, to the Father’s throne. Tell Him your heart and receive the help you need.

“ It is true, we live in a body of flesh. But we do not fight like people of the world. 4 We do not use those things to fight with that the world uses. We use the things God gives to fight with and they have power. Those things God gives to fight with destroy the strong-places of the devil. 5 We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ.” II Corinthians 10:3-5 NLV

Take hold of every thought.

All through the Bible we read the phrase “fear not”. Fear has never been a godly trait. It goes counter to all God is. He wants us to trust in His goodness, not fear the unknown. He provides and protects, we are never abandon or deserted.

“Hear my cry, O God. Listen to my prayer. 2 I call to You from the end of the earth when my heart is weak. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For You have been a safe place for me, a tower of strength where I am safe from those who fight against me. 4 Let me live in Your tent forever. Let me be safe under the covering of Your wings.” Psalm 61:1-4 NLV

Let me close with this prayer. “Father, I pray for all those who have received a bad report, those whose hearts have been shaken. You are the Father who brings peace, peace that passes all understanding. I say, according to Your word, peace be still. Help comes from You in Jesus name, amen.”

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A Full Tank

When I was a teenager, my Dad always reminded me to make sure I had plenty of gas in my car. He would tell me to never let my tank get below 1/4. “You never know if the gauge is correct”, he would say.

It was an important lesson and one we tried to impart to our kids as they were becoming responsible drivers. But more importantly, it is necessary for us to keep our “joy full”. It makes such an impact on our daily lives.

Before our day gets started, have we filled our tank?

A joy-full day. Let’s get that joy tank filled first thing. I must admit I get distracted sometimes – I forget that I am in the Father’s presence and then I discover that attempting to do things in my own strength and power is tiring at best and always frustrating.

“ My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. 3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. 4 But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.” James 1:2-4 CEV

In the King James version, this verse reads “Count it all joy”. Count it joy when we face temptations – really? Yes. The joy comes from knowing that we’re not in this alone!

God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. We are always in His presence and in His presence there is fullness of joy! Joy in knowing we are not alone, joy in knowing that we aren’t operating under our own power or our own wisdom, joy to know that He has created us to be victorious! And when we realize that it is a sign of growth and maturity. We are becoming more Christ-like .

“You will teach me the right way to live. Just being with you will bring complete happiness.
Being at your right side will make me happy forever.” Psalm 16:11 ERV

In John 16, Jesus was talking with his disciples the night before His crucifixion. He was giving them last minute instructions. He told them that they would all abandon Him and that He would be alone but He quickly added that the Father would be with Him so He wouldn’t really be alone. (In His presence is fullness of joy)!

He then told the disciples that they would have troubles in this world. Not as big as the crucifixion but troubles all the same. His next words may have seem strange to them, He said “Be of good cheer (find joy), for I have overcome the world”. Jesus had just told them how he was overcoming the trials in His life – He wasn’t looking for the support of friends and followers but He was simply looking to the One who would never leave or forsake, the Father and in the Father’s presence is victory and fullness of joy.

Be determined to have a joy-filled day. Keep your mind focused on the Father and in His presence you will find fullness of joy!

Keep your tank full.

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