Mid-Week Message - How Are You Spending Your Dash?

 "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Micah 6:8  (NIV)  

I take part in a number of pages on a particular social media site that are Christmas related.  With Christmas being my favorite holiday, I enjoy seeing the pictures all year round and sharing that enjoyment with others,  On one of those pages, in order to contribute, I have been researching the stories behind Christmas songs, and have found some pretty interesting facts about some of them.  

Just as every song has a story, so does every person.  We may, at times, forget that the person begging on the street, just like us, has a history that includes people that have loved them.  They had a childhood.  They went to school.  They had friendships, hopes and dreams.  There is a story behind how they ended up where they are now.  

When you look at a tombstone, generally you see at least three things.  One is the name that identifies the person buried there.  Accompanying the name are two dates.  One is the date of birth and the other is the date of death.  But in between those two dates there is usually a dash.  That dash signifies the period of time when that person was living and experiencing life.  

Here is the question of the day.  How are you spending your dash?  Hebrews 9:27 tells us that people are destined to die.  Although we are aware of that, it is so easy to assume that the day of our death is far in the future.  In truth, we have no idea how long our dash will be, and, as we grow older, our death grows nearer.  Is that scary?  It doesn't have to be.  

In John 10:9-10 Jesus tells us, "Yes, I am the gate.  Those who come in through me will be saved.  They will come and go freely and find good pastures.  The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  

And in John 14:2-3 He says, "My Father's house has many rooms; if that we not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  

From those two verses we gain assurance that Jesus will be with us during our lives and that we will be where He is after our earthly deaths.  As we live through the dash years, our responsibility is to seek His guidance, through the Word of God, as to how to navigate our days.  Todays verse gives us some direction.  We are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.  

Our days upon this earth will come to an end.  But we have this day, this moment, to make the most of the life the Lord has gifted us with.  That man or woman on the street, or in line at the grocery store, or showing road rage on the highway, may not know that Jesus gave His life to atone for their sins and was resurrected to conquer death and give them eternal life in Heaven.  As believers, we have so much to share with them!  If there is an opportunity to share Christ with another person, we need to lay the fear of rejection aside and tell them.  We need to be praying for those around us and asking the Father to guide them through their dashes too.  Friend, stranger or enemy - everyone needs to hear the Gospel.  

This day is part of our dashes.  It is up to us how we spend it.  I hope we all make it count for eternity.  God bless.  

Mid-Week Message - The Dash

 "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  Micah 6:8  (NIV)  

I take part in a number of pages on a particular social media site that are Christmas related.  With Christmas being my favorite holiday, I enjoy seeing the pictures all year round and sharing that enjoyment with others,  On one of those pages, in order to contribute, I have been researching the stories behind Christmas songs, and have found some pretty interesting facts about some of them.  

Just as every song has a story, so does every person.  We may, at times, forget that the person begging on the street, just like us, has a history that includes people that have loved them.  They had a childhood.  They went to school.  They had friendships, hopes and dreams.  There is a story behind how they ended up where they are now.  

When you look at a tombstone, generally you see at least three things.  One is the name that identifies the person buried there.  Accompanying the name are two dates.  One is the date of birth and the other is the date of death.  But in between those two dates there is usually a dash.  That dash signifies the period of time when that person was living and experiencing life.  

Here is the question of the day.  How are you spending your dash?  Hebrews 9:27 tells us that people are destined to die.  Although we are aware of that, it is so easy to assume that the day of our death is far in the future.  In truth, we have no idea how long our dash will be, and, as we grow older, our death grows nearer.  Is that scary?  I doesn't have to be.  

In John 10:9-10 Jesus tells us, "Yes, I am the gate.  Those who come in through me will be saved.  They will come and go freely and find good pastures.  The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  

And in John 14:2-3 He says, "My Father's house has many rooms; if that we not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."  

From those two verses we gain assurance that Jesus will be with us during our lives and that we will be where He is after our deaths.  As we live through the dash years, our responsibility is to seek His guidance, through the Word of God, as to how to navigate our days.  Todays verse gives us some direction.  We are to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.  

Our days upon this earth will come to an end.  But we have this day, this moment, to make the most of the life the Lord has gifted us with.  That man or woman on the street, or in line at the grocery store, or showing road rage on the highway, may not know that Jesus gave His life to atone for their sins and was resurrected to conquer death and give them eternal life in heaven.  As believers, we have so much to share with them!  If there is an opportunity to share Christ with another person, we need to lay the fear of rejection aside and tell them.  We need to be praying for those around us and asking the Father to guide them through their dashes too.  Friend, stranger or enemy - everyone needs to hear the Gospel.  

This day is part of our dashes.  It is up to us how we spend it.  I hope we all make it count for eternity.  God bless.  

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Pleasing the Lord

With the end of 2020 almost in sight, many are already looking forward to 2021 and hoping that it will be a lot better than this year. When you start to reflect on the events of this year, you see a lot of tragedy, violence, social unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic. Just the other day, I was talking with a nurse about the pandemic. He said that we all knew it was going to happen. It wasn’t a case of if it would happen, but, rather, when it would happen. He went on further to say that it was inevitable and that we should have been prepared for it. I have had similar conversations with others about the social unrest and the violence in the streets. Everything that we faced this year was inevitable. 

If that is the case, what could we have done differently to prepare or, maybe, even avoid all of the death and destruction from disease and violence? That is a good question and it deserves an answer that requires us to truly think about our next steps as we approach the end of 2020 and begin to take our first steps into 2021.

The answer is already in front of us and is as plain as day. It doesn’t require us to dig very deep into the Bible.

The minor prophet, Micah, provides us with an answer for today’s problems that we face. Micah warned God’s children of His judgment against them. In the same breath, Micah also told them of God’s plan of hope and what He asks of His people. 

In chapter six of his book, Micah brings the Lord’s indictment of His children and details what they have done. 

Micah brings us the words of the Lord and writes, “What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating? What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures? How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights? The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence. Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.”

In just a few sentences, God described exactly what He saw going on each and every day among His children. Cheating, extorting, lying and every sin associated with those was being committed every single day. 

Now, compare what God saw then to what He sees going on today in our nation and the rest of the world. We see virtually the same things occurring but amplified even more. It seems that the news is filled with stories of dishonesty, theft, lying and extortion daily. 

When you take a look at the elections, we hear the same thing over and over. Each candidate calls his or her opponent a liar and the opponent returns the same accusation. In the end, no one can tell the truth. Falsehoods and still more accusations flood the television, radio and Internet. When I go to the mailbox, it is overflowing with still more accusations. 

It seems that we have lost our way and accept all of this as normal and business as usual. But, God doesn’t see it that way. We are not only being disobedient to God, but we are also hurting His children. Each time we tell a lie or we cheat someone, it is being disobedient.     

Our wickedness can only lead to a lesson that will be a bitter pill to swallow. We would like to believe that we can easily skate through life and that we are under God’s radar. We are foolish to believe that God will not punish us for our disobedience. The Bible is full of stories of His lessons to His children.

Going back to chapter six of Micah, the Lord is quite clear to His children about what He will do, “Therefore, I will wound you! I will bring you to ruin for all your sins. You will eat but never have enough. Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain. And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end. You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you. You will plant crops but not harvest them. You will press your olives but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves. You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine. You keep only the laws of evil King Omri;  you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab! Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin. You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you.”

As you reflect on the events of this year, can you not see God’s hands all over the predicament we are all in? Our nation and the nations of the world have turned away from God and from each other. We treat each other with contempt each day. We no longer look after the widows and orphans. We are more interested in our own personal comfort and fail to see those who are in need of food, clothing, drink and shelter. Why have we done this? Is it because we believe that we can remain under God’s radar and that we can slip past Him?

I am here to tell you that there is a day of judgment that is at hand. The writing is already on the wall and we need to heed the lesson and return to the Father without delay. Everything that we have is a blessing from the Lord. It is so very easy to take that blessing for granted and assume that God will just let things slide. I can assure you that God doesn’t let you slide through life and do as you please. Our days are already numbered. We will soon find ourselves being weighed and measured and we will come up short. In time, we will see all those blessings taken away and will see only desolation and destruction.

But, things can change. God gives us the way to redemption through His Son, Christ Jesus. If we turn away from our wicked ways and return to God and live our lives in accordance with Jesus’ teachings by loving God totally and completely and loving each other unconditionally, we can return to God’s good graces. We cannot buy our way out of His judgment by paying a fine or just by doing some sort of community service. We must follow His plan for redemption and salvation.

Once again, reading from chapter six, Micah writes, “What can we bring to the Lord? Should we bring him burnt offerings? Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves? Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Should we sacrifice our firstborn children to pay for our sins? No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

It is pure arrogance to believe that we can buy our way out of His judgment. We cannot just simply make a lot of sacrifices and call it good. The only way for us to receive God’s mercy is “to do what is right, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”. When we do those things with a heart filled with love for the Father, God will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! When that happens, you will know that you can stand firm in His grace all of the days of your life and dwell in His house forever.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. 

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Anticipation

As we begin to look towards the blessed birth of Christ Jesus, we anticipate his birth and celebrate that wonderful night. Our homes will soon be filled with the trappings of Christmas. There will be trees decorated with ornaments that have been collected over the years. Each ornament has a story attached to it. Those stories bring laughter and smiles while others have bittersweet memories. Lights will be added to the tree and to the home. Evergreen garland and wreaths will be hung up and little handmade art projects made by children will adorn the home and hearth. The spirit of Christmas will not only fill our homes but soon will also fill our hearts.

For children, the magic of Christmas never seems to change. Toys may change, but the magic never does. As I reflect on my own childhood, which sometimes seems so distant, I remember all of the things my father and mother would do to prepare for that one special night. Dad would decorate the outside while Mom spent her time decorating the inside of the home. Dad, along with my brother and myself, would assemble the Christmas tree and bring the boxes and boxes and still more boxes of ornaments that Mom had collected over a lifetime.

My brother and I would look forward to getting the mail. Each hoping to be the first to lay his eyes on the Christmas catalogs. One of those catalogs, the “Sears Wish Book”, had everything and anything a child could desire or want. My brother and I could barely contain our joy when that catalog finally came in the mail. Between the Thanksgiving parades and the “Sears Wish Book”, we knew Christmas was right around the corner.

The anticipation we had could not be contained. My brother and I couldn’t wait for that glorious day when we got presents and more presents from that jolly old elf, Santa Claus. Later, we found out that parents were the givers of those gifts. Each gift wrapped and place gently under the tree by the hands of our loving parents who often scrimped and saved and sacrificed to make sure that their children would have the best Christmas ever.

Just like the excitement of children waiting for their gifts, we, as Christians, cannot contain the love we have in our hearts and the joy of the season. We eagerly anticipate that wonderful moment when a small child wrapped in swaddling clothes was placed gently into an animal feeding trough. Unlike children who had wonderful gifts under the tree, there was no tree, lights, garland or wreaths adorning his home. His home was borrowed and it was a stable. But, if you asked that child who would grow up to be the Savior and King of Kings, whether or not he thought that night was horrible, he would look at you with love in his eyes and tell you that it was the best Christmas ever. It is because of his birth that we are able to face tomorrow with hope and know that God gave us his one and only son to pay our debt of sin and give us the gift of eternal life with Him.

The birth of Jesus and the anticipation felt by all should never fade. The Israelites were told of the coming of a king and what he would do for them. Each person waited and waited in anticipation of that birth.

Almost 700 years before the birth of that small child, God told his prophets to share the news of this birth. Those prophecies gave hope not only to the Israelites but also to the entire world and for each generation to come. 

In chapter twenty-three of the Book of Jeremiah, God speaks to His children and tells them, “For the time is coming when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land. And this will be his name: ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’ In that day Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety.”

The Lord spoke to all and there was great anticipation for this new king. Years passed by and people continued to anticipate the arrival of their Lord. I am sure that people did grow impatient and wanted things to hurry along so that they could see the fulfillment of the prophecies. 

Micah records, in chapter five of his book, the words of the Lord, “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come from you on my behalf.”

God reminded His children of that promise through each of His prophets. Anticipation continued to build with each year and each prophecy. The Israelites continued to hope for that king. 

Isaiah tells the Israelites to remain patient and wait for the Lord. In chapter seven of his book, Isaiah speaks to the children, “Listen well, you royal family of David! Isn’t it enough to exhaust human patience? Must you exhaust the patience of my God as well? All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).”

As the blessed day approaches, let us always remain patient with the Lord and allow things to happen in accordance with His will. While growing up, my brother and I learned very early in our lives that you cannot rush things. All happen in accordance to time and planning. Although we wanted Christmas to come faster, it came when it came. No matter how much we wanted or anticipated that moment. Christmas came on its schedule and not ours.

In his letter to his brothers and sisters in Rome, Paul, in chapter eight, writes, “But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.”

Although he is talking about receiving our future glory from the Father, those same words can be applied to our anticipation of that glorious moment when the Word became flesh. Paul reminds us all that we must temper our anticipation with patience and confidently know that the promises of the Lord will be fulfilled. As the old adage goes, all good things come in time. Just be patient and wait. The coming of the Lord is at hand.

As you continue through this season of advent, temper your anticipation with patience and remain confident in your hope. Continue to be joyful and show the love of the Lord through all that you do. Share with those who walk in darkness the story of the small child who came into this world not to judge it but, rather, to save it.

When you share God’s love and the story of Jesus’ birth, you are giving a gift that many need and want. It is through sharing God’s love that you are able to stand firm in His grace.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Sunday Praise & Worship Message - Humble Before the Lord

Last week I celebrated the first anniversary of two events that changed my life forever. Those two events taught me some very important lessons. They taught me that God’s grace is sufficient and that I am to be humble not only before the Lord but also to act humbly as a servant.

It was one year ago that I was admitted to a local hospital with a life-threatening illness. According to the members of my healthcare team, I was within hours of dying in a most horrific and painful way. What other doctors thought was a simple sinus infection or sinusitis turned out to be a very rare infection that required two surgeries that resulted in the removal of most of the bone in and near my right sinus and the right side of my palate. During the battle to save my life, I endured medical treatments that many describe as the worst and most terrible. I underwent treatments that were almost as devastating as chemo and equally as fraught with horrible side-effects and danger. 

For weeks and months on end, I suffered through this illness and its treatment with only the love and prayers of my wife, family, friends and, most importantly, the grace and love of the Lord. Each day was a challenge to get through. I lost over 70 pounds and most of my hair. The medications that I was taking were extremely expensive. Between battling the illness and dealing with the crushing medical expenses, I felt that I was doomed and would not survive both or either of those battles.

All along the way, I tried very hard to remain faithful to our Heavenly Father. Each day was a struggle. There were moments during my treatment when I was literally on my hands and knees with tears pouring to the floor. I cried out to the Lord and asked why I had to endure all of this. I prayed for the miracle of complete and instantaneous healing, but did not realize it.

During all of this I remember the words from the Book of Job and the words of Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians. Both men suffered through the hardest moments of their lives and were able to maintain their faith in God. As I remembered their words, I found within my soul the faith that would sustain me through the darkest of times.

As I continued to write and serve in our online ministry, my story was being shared with others who were going through their own problems. Some of them had medical problems like cancer while others faced financial problems. Each, when told my story, found their faith and continued their walk with the Lord. One of my dearest friends and fellow brothers in Christ Jesus described it as being in many places at one time and witnessing to all. My own doctors told other patients about my life and the illness. Each found the comfort and the strength needed to rise above their situation.

My daily walk with the Lord during my illness and financial problems took on a different meaning. I learned to humble myself before the Lord and lean completely upon Him. In Micah 6, the prophet records the words of the Lord, “3 O my people, what have I done to you? What have I done to make you tired of me? Answer me! 4 For I brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from slavery. I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you. 5 Don’t you remember, my people, how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead? And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal, when I, the Lord, did everything I could to teach you about my faithfulness.”

God, through my illness, taught me more about His faithfulness and His love in the many months of my illness than I had ever learned in the many years of my life. Through God’s own words, He reminded me that He and He alone got me through my slavery to sin and through the valley of darkness that I was facing. He reminded me of His blessings and those around me who prayed for me and encouraged me to remain faithful. My spirit was lifted up and I learned what it truly meant to be a child of our Heavenly Father.

Later in Micah 6, God tells the Israelites, “8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

For me, the most important lesson was to walk humbly each day with the Lord. As I suffered through my illness, I walked humbly with Him daily and worked as a humble servant to spread His word and plan of salvation to all those who would listen. Each day was not only another step in my walk with Him but also another lesson from Him to serve.

As I served and followed His will for my life, my attitude changed completely. I forgot about my illness and the financial problems that my wife and I faced. We were able to transcend all those things and focus on God and His will for our lives. We ministered to all and prayed for all those who needed comfort and strength. In the words of Paul in his letter to the Philippians, we fixed our “thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable” and only thought about “things that are excellent and worthy of praise”. Because we knew that God would provide for us, our thoughts did not linger on my illness or our financial difficulties.

After one year of treatment and two surgeries, the infection was finally eradicated. God provided for our financial needs daily. We had nothing to worry about, because we knew, according to Psalm 55, that we could give our burdens to the Lord, and that he will take care of us. We knew that He would not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Instead of worrying about tomorrow, we praised Him daily for blessings of shelter, food and clothing. We never went without and we were able to pay our bills on time. Because of all of this, I knew what it meant to walk humbly with the Lord. All that I have and am came from Him. He knitted me together in my mother’s womb and blessed me with a loving wife and daughter and with brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus who continued to pray for me.

The psalmist writes in Psalm 139, “22 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

In that one year of my illness and financial problems, I learned that I am nothing without Him. He is everything to me and that His will for my life is my will. His desire for me is now my heart’s desire. I am nothing without Him. It is only through His plan of salvation through His son, Christ Jesus, that I am saved and have life eternal with my Father and Creator. My one and only duty is to love Him and to love those around me. No matter who they are, friend or foe, I am to love, pray and provide what I can to all.

These lessons came at very high cost but they cannot compare to the one lesson that I learned so many years ago. I learned that He loved me so much that He gave His one and only son for me as a sin sacrifice so that I would have eternal life and would not perish. 

As I continue my daily humble walk with the Lord, I ask that you reflect upon your own life and think of all the times that He has blessed you and given you all that you needed when you needed it. When you remember those times, I can assure you that you will be humbled by them and that you can stand firm in His grace.
  
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Morning Scripture Reading - Micah 6:6-8

Micah 6:6-8 New International Version (NIV)

6 With what shall I come before the Lord
    and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
    with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
    with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
    the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humbly[a] with your God.

Footnotes:
Micah 6:8 Or prudently

Daily Word of God - Micah 5:2-5

Micah 5:2-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

A Ruler from Bethlehem
2 [a]But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
    whose origins are in the distant past,
    will come from you on my behalf.
3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies
    until the woman in labor gives birth.
Then at last his fellow countrymen
    will return from exile to their own land.
4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
    for he will be highly honored around the world.
5     And he will be the source of peace.

When the Assyrians invade our land
    and break through our defenses,
we will appoint seven rulers to watch over us,
    eight princes to lead us.

Footnotes:
5:2 Verses 5:2-15 are numbered 5:1-14 in Hebrew text.

Daily Word of God - Micah 4:1-5

Micah 4:1-5 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Lord’s Future Reign
1 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
2 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem.
3 The Lord will mediate between peoples
    and will settle disputes between strong nations far away.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
    nor train for war anymore.
4 Everyone will live in peace and prosperity,
    enjoying their own grapevines and fig trees,
    for there will be nothing to fear.
The Lord of Heaven’s Armies
    has made this promise!
5 Though the nations around us follow their idols,
    we will follow the Lord our God forever and ever.

Daily Word of God - Micah 6:8

Micah 6:8 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Daily Word of God - Micah 5:4

Micah 5:4 New Living Translation (NLT)

And he will stand to lead his flock with the Lord’s strength,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
Then his people will live there undisturbed,
    for he will be highly honored around the world.

Daily Word of God - Micah 4:2

Micah 4:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem.

Answers Inside - Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:8 New Living Translation (NLT)