Mark chapter 10, verse 51, from the New Living Translation
So, Jesus asks that question to a blind man. And you know what? He’s still asking that question; not to just the blind–but to everyone. Everyone includes you and me! In fact, it’s a question that He is asking every nano-second of our lives here on this third rock from the sun. So, exactly what do YOU wantfrom Jesus?
Ever heard the expression, “I want my cake and eat it too!”? It’s about wanting what WE want. I would exhort you to be careful about what you want! Not everything we want is worthwhile; neither does it give us the deepest desire of the heart: Life at its richest! I looked up that word translated want and found out it means “to will, have in mind, intend”. Oh, and there’s another meaning: “to take delight in, have pleasure”.
So many today are wanting a life that doesn’t really give any lasting delight. And in the arena of religion, many are wanting Jesus AND! Jesus and their stuff. Honestly, I can’t remember if it was from one of Andrew Murray’s books or Watchman Nee’s books. But I remember the lesson: Jesus AND anything else leaves us with nothing. We can’t have Jesus AND our stuff. Be it traditions, bad habits, sexual desires, property, power, money. . .you name it! We can’t have Jesus and anything else.
When Jesus asks us, “What do you want?”, He isn’t offering Himself along with our preference of cake. He’s offering us life–life where we surrender and submit to Him and His plan and purpose for our life. Don’t forget that the life Jesus offers us stands in direct opposition to what the world offers. So, be careful what you want. Because if you want Jesus AND anything else, you miss out on Jesus and what He offers us!
Yesterday Debbie and I made a trip to Birmingham to see the surgeon who gave her a new knee last year. Debbie was having some pain in that knee and wanted to know it the new knee was still OK. The appointment was at 3:30 p.m. so we hoped we would get out of there before the afternoon work traffic. We didn’t, of course and it was–let’s say a challenge in both patience and hope–that we could even get on the Red Mountain Expressway. Getting onto the Expressway was difficult because of all the traffic. To make a long story short, we finally managed to get on it, and after several minutes, we were moving right along. And what does this have to do with The Kingdom Life? Glad you asked!
On the front porch this morning, thinking about yesterday afternoon, I remembered what is commonly called “The Story of the Rich Young Ruler” (see Matthew chapter 19). He was in a traffic jam of a different sort. He was trying to find real life. According to the Talmud there were 613 rules. Now that’s a lot of rules for one young man to follow. It’s worse than Expressway and Interstate work traffic! So, he came to Jesus trying to get out of his traffic jam with one statement and one question:
“All these things I have observed from my youth. What do I still lack?”
Matthew chapter 19 verse 20 from the World English Bible
You see, this young man thought there was one more thing he needed to add to his plate. Since the 613 rules weren’t giving him what he longed for, then there must be Rule Number 614. But instead of adding Rule Number 614, Jesus told him to let go of everything and follow Him. Jesus doesn’t want to be another thing added to your plate called life. He wants us to wipe the plate clean, and simply follow Him into the life our hearts long for and know it was created for. Not adding another thing–but get rid of everything! And how does this young, successful man respond?
That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crestfallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn’t bear to let go.
Matthew chapter 19 verse 22 from The Message
Is you life like that congested Red Mountain Expressway in work traffic? Trying to squeeze in one more thing? Are you trying to fit Jesus into an already overcrowded life? How’s that working out for you? Why not do what Jesus said and scrape all that’s on your plate and allow Jesus to be that plate? Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!
Tick Tock! Tick Tock! And more TICK TOCK! God created life to be explored and enjoyed. And here’s the thing: We only have so much time to do this on the third rock from the Sun. And we might do more of it–if it wasn’t for that infernal Tick Tock! So many, way TOO many, are living from their calendar. Appointments! Agendas! And STUFF! It all robs us of the adventure and joy in life. So, when Monday rolls around like clockwork (see what I did?) the Tick Tock controls our life. To explore and celebrate life we have to make time to break free from our calendars and the Tick Tock.
Notice that I said MAKE time! The calendar and the clock are the prison wardens that keep us from the very thing we are created for: to explore and enjoy life! You must deliberately fight to provide yourself a season, even if only for an hour or 2, to get away from the Tick Tock! As you are reading this, Debbie and I are either near Bartow, Florida or IN Bartow, Florida beside Lake Millsite. Some might say we are on vacation–but we see and accept this time as the gift of sabbatical. No rushing from this to that to the other. Just being with family and friends. Of all the things we carry with us (my golf clubs go in first!), one thing I do not have is a watch. Time is one of the many gifts that God gives us–not to be busy–but to explore and enjoy!
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!
Yesterday, Friday 14 January 2022 marked the end of this Journey and this Journal. I intended to write this late yesterday afternoon–but I was exhausted. At 1:11 a.m. CST, Dad breathed his last breath on earth and breathed his first breath in eternity. Wednesday had been a fairly good day compared to the day before. Thursday wasn’t so good. Around 11:30 p.m. his breathing was distressed–and we called Hospice. The nurse arrived and confirmed our suspicions–his prayer of going home was about to be answered. And at 1:11 a.m., his prayer and mine were answered. As he was taking those final breaths I realized it was my sister Jacque’s birthday. Jacque died in August, and I told him, “It’s OK, go ahead, we will be OK, and tell Jacque Happy Birthday in person.” Just moments later he stopped breathing and a few more moments later, his physical heart stopped beating. But that new Heart Jesus gave him so many years ago never missed a beat!
Today we sit down with the Funeral Director to make those final arrangements. This will be easy because Dad took care of the major decisions a long time ago. Monday night we will greet friends and share compassion and so many memories at the Funeral Home which, by the way, he worked at for many years after his retirement. Tuesday afternoon we will gather in the sanctuary that he literally helped to build and together celebrate one of the most powerful men who ever lived. He never made the national news, but the power of his influence still rings out in our family and in this community.
My brother from another set of parents who were always our neighbor said something that gave me perspective. Joel White told me, “Can you imagine how many people who are in heaven because of him, met him and greeted him there?” And Joel’s thought gave me a moment of great joy–and I know it did for Dad. And in this, my final entry for this particular Journal is: The End Of One Journey Marks The Beginning Of The Next Journey!
For Dad, his journey of missing his wife, two daughters, family, and friends is over. And the face he longed to see most of all–Jesus–is right there before him. And now he’s on a new journey of life with The Father! Our Journey is now about the final steps–working through our grief while celebrating his marvelous life. This Journey includes preparing for Dad’s Celebration Service, grieving together, and all the other things that go with settling Dad’s affairs, and final wishes. And I am confident that because God was with all of us in THIS Journey, He will faithfully be with us in this NEXT Journey–and in all the Journeys yet to be made. We will make it because of the faithful presence of The Holy Spirit–and the legacy that Dad gave us as his parting gift.
Are you on hold? Maybe you’re calling that alleged “customer service”, only after you’ve been yelling at a computer or punching in 3,678 numbers, and you’re on hold. Maybe you just answered the call about your car warranty about to expire and you’re on hold. Maybe you just called about the latest electronic innovation but you’re having issues getting it up and running, so you hear “Your call is very important to us. Please wait for the next available ‘customer service’ agent.” You’re on hold.
Waiting is not a new human experience, though some treat it that way. We don’t like to be put “on hold” because we see it as the obstacle to the resolution we most desire. Being put “on hold” isn’t enjoyable! And the music you are forced to hear. . .geez where do they get that stuff? Musicians and composers who couldn’t sell a single record? “Alleged Experts” say that elevator music is calming down the person on hold. Really? Who did they interview? Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum? Being “on hold” is annoying and frustrating to the point that no amount of elevator music is going to calm us down–regardless of how they hope it will! So what’s a person to do?
May I make a suggestion–with no elevator music involved? When life feels like you are on hold, switch those 2 words on hold. Now it reads “hold on”. Now, YOU say those 2 words out loud: “Hold on!” Why are you reading my next words when you haven’t done what I asked you to do? . . . I’m waiting! . . . I’m still waiting!! . . . Now you’ve got me “on hold”! OK, you’ve said it. Now I want you to shout it loudly: HOLD ON! Is that as loud as you can scream? Come on, try it again, this time even louder!
Hold on are the two most important words to shout and scream when we need help! But don’t say it to yourself or any other person. Say it to God! Shout it out to God! Scream it to the top of your lungs to God! When everything seems to be falling apart–and when you’re loving it because the plan is coming together–and in every moment between these 2 extremes–we need to allow God to hold on to us. When we are at our best–and especially when we are at our worst–we need to ask God to hold on to us.
God wants to–longs to–hold on to us in the most loving way possible. But He will not–until we allow Him. This is what I learned in this morning’s worship time–and it came through this song. Listen to the words–and when you are not “someone you believe in”–well just listen to the song!
We’ve been gone on a Sabbatical, and I promised my readers that I would resume writing every day when we got home. We left Lake Millsite, Florida on Tuesday, going home by a “different” route. Soooo, in the immortal words made famous by Jack Nicholson:
Not in quaint and beautiful Mt. Vernon, Alabama. Right now I’m in Center Star, Alabama–in the home Dad had built about 59 years ago. Monday night, my son Matthew called and said they had to take Dad to the emergency room. His oxygen concentration was low. Turns out he was having a severe spell with his A-Fib and had caused his heart to have what is called RVR. (Click here to find out about RVR)
So Tuesday morning we packed up and headed to be with him in the hospital. The good news is they were able to restore normal heart rhythm. No more A-Fib or RVR. The bad news is that he has been diagnosed stenosis of the aortic valve in his heart. That’s when the flaps of the aortic valve become thick and stiff, or they fuse together. These problems cause the valve opening to become narrow. The narrowed valve reduces or blocks blood flow from the heart to the rest of the body. The normal size of an adult aortic valve is around 3.0 to 4.0 cm2. His is now 1 cm2.
Normally, the treatment is to replace the diseased valve, going through the femoral artery. However at 95 years old, he is not a candidate for the procedure. Bad news, right? Well. . .the Good News he is ready to go Home; you know, the Eternal Home where there’s no such thing as A-Fib, RVR, arthritis or any of these aches and pains we experience on this orb known as Earth. He has 2 daughters already there and his wife of 73 years. Best of all, he knows Jesus is there.
Our conversations in the hospital revolved around the best care for him now. We talked about Hospice, and agreed it was time. In case you didn’t know, Hospice isn’t just for when death is imminent. It’s also for cases where death is medically determined to be inevitable because there are no longer viable medical treatment options. So today, Thursday, the twenty-eighth day of October in the year 2021 of our Lord, he and we met all of those who will be involved in his care until the inevitable happens.
Great people! We met his social worker, hospice aide, RN, and his chaplain. I enjoyed meeting all of them, as did Dad! But it was something that his chaplain said that is provoking these thoughts tonight. Garry, that’s his name, said, and listen very carefully: Only God Can Unscramble Eggs. Isn’t this rich!!!
When you make scrambled eggs, the shells are broken–and you can’t put the shells back together–I mean, someone might could try like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. But it ain’t gonna be able to hold anything, much less those innards of the egg. Then the egg whites and the egg yellows are all mixed together–the whites are indistinguishable from the yellows–dear Lord, you can’t separate them back into just the egg whites and egg yellows again. It is impossible, I say, impossible!!!
We just can’t do it! But that is just a small thing for God to do. In fact, He is the only one who can unscramble eggs. And this is why The Holy Spirit used Garry’s words to say something important to me–something I needed to hear.
Right now we are walking through the Valley of the Shadow of death. Dad is still alive, and kicking–and in his own words–“just not very high.” But negotiating the rest of the journey through this Valley, well. . .we need a little help. You may remember back in August we made this journey when my sister died.
And the help we are receiving right now and the help that will be with us as we journey from one end of this Valley all the way to the other end–comes from the only One who can unscramble an egg. With that kind of skill–I reckon we will make it just fine.
I am nearly always up long before the sun. Sometimes it’s the alarm clock; most of the time I just wake up. I reckon it’s part of growing older; at least that’s what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes. I do it because I both need and want some quiet time with God. Even this early in the morning, there is some traffic on Alabama Highway 18. I suppose it’s people on their way to work.
Most mornings the vast majority of the drivers are in a hurry, exceeding the posted speed limit. Highway 18 is a two lane road. And the battle is between those who observe the posted limit and those who think they are in a NASCAR race. This morning it’s foggy–really foggy. An advisory has been issued. And between songs and talking with Papa, I noticed this: Most vehicles were driving slower because of this fog. But then–some were driving like the visibility was unlimited–even though it was severely limited. And it got me to thinking. I know, it doesn’t take much for me.
Here’s what I was thinking: It’s dangerous to keep moving at the same speed when we can’t see clearly what’s ahead. I’m not just talking about cars–though around here, deer have a tendency to be moving at this time of morning–and if a car hits a deer, the outcome isn’t good for either. No, I’m talking about life!
Fog isn’t just a meteorological phenomenon; it happens in Life; and sometimes it happens frequently. There are events that happen that hit us hard–so hard that the visibility of what is ahead is limited. And some people, like some cars I witnessed this morning–keep driving fast as if everything will be OK. And when it happens in Life, the results can spell disaster.
So what should we do when the road ahead cannot be clearly seen? Slow down–both our cars and our lives. And to remember, that when we can’t clearly see what’s ahead–our Heavenly Father sees with clarity. All we need to do is heed the advice of David:
I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 42:1 (NLT)
One of the meanings of the Hebrew word translated “waited patiently” is “to wait for, linger for”. Indeed, Life often moves at a fast pace, but it doesn’t mean we have to move at that pace. Linger for a moment, and God will hear your cry. It’s safer for you–and everybody else.
I chuckle a bit when looking at the above image. One would have to be an electrician or electrical engineer to get it–I’m neither, but I get it. It’s the symbol for resistance. So, it means Resistance Is Futile! And in case you were wondering about the title of today’s musings–they are synonyms for Futility! Today’s culture has many issues; even more problems. Among those is Futility; more accurately–the failure to recognize Futility.
Allow me to share what a certain author once wrote. This particular author had the means to do anything he wanted–without anyone telling him he couldn’t. Ever imagine winning the biggest lottery and what all you would do? This author lived his life doing anything and everything he wanted. And after the fact–he writes with brutal honesty about that experience. Here is what he had to say:
“Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless! What do people get for all their hard work under the sun? Generations come and generations go, but the earth never changes. The sun rises and the sun sets, then hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. Rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full. Then the water returns again to the rivers and flows out again to the sea. Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” A few lines later, he adds this: “But I learned firsthand that pursuing all this is like chasing the wind.”
Do these words sound like a cynic? Do these words sound like what is in your own heart, but you are either too stubborn to admit it; or too afraid? Our culture is that proverbial hamster on a wheel. Running as fast and as hard as we can, spinning that wheel, but going and getting nowhere. People try and try to make their own way work. They live by the opinions of others. They live by their feelings. And they live by their own sincere beliefs–be they ever so ineffective. No wonder there is so much hate, frustration, anger, distrust, resentment, and yes–Futility.
It’s going to take more than getting the hamster off the proverbial wheel. When the hamster gets off that wheel, he’s still in a cage–imprisoned. So he gets right back on that wheel hoping it will free him from his prison. So he runs a little faster; tries a little longer; hopes a little more. And when he finally gets too tired to run anymore, he’s still in that cage. Rest a moment, then try again. Rest again. Try again. Listen again to the thoughts of the aforementioned author: “The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles.“ And the resulting sensation after all this? Try these words on for size: “Everything is wearisome beyond description.“
If you listen very carefully you will hear that Sigh Of Futility when we writes: “Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.“ Is that how the world looks to you? Is that how you feel about your life? Sounds like he wrote this just this morning.
Oh, would you like to know the name of this book and the author? Get your pen and paper; write it down so you can get on Amazon and order the correct book. Here it is: Ecclesiastes is the book and the author is King Solomon. And to think, some believe the Bible isn’t relevant for what we are face any and every day. Granted, this all sounds like doom and gloom–because it is. Without understand the Key to what he writes, it seems like we should all give up and live in loud desperation.
I am thankful to Chuck Swindoll for helping me see and understand exactly what Solomon is writing about. I give credit where the credit is due. The key phrase that makes sense of all this “Everything is meaningless, completely meaningless” wretchedness is this repeated phrase: UNDER THE SUN! It comes from living a life completely detached from God–the God revealed in the Bible through The SON.
Life without surrendering to God always feels like, using Solomon’s image, we are chasing the wind. Chasing the wind only gets us winded–and gives us that tsunami of Futility. The Futility of life without The SON isn’t God punishing us for ignoring Him. It’s the reality of life without the Lordship of Jesus over us–how we think, what we say, and what we do. It one of those moments of true cause and effect. Until we quit living under the sun and start living under the SON we will be plagued by Emptiness, Frivolousness, Measliness, Paltriness, and Triviality–which means Futility!
And if you doubt this Wise Man’s opening remarks, then listen to this: “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People leave this world no better off than when they came. All their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry.” Futility ends when we kneel at the Cross and surrender everything under the sun and begin living life under the Kind Rule of The Son!
Many things have them. Passports. Driver’s Licenses. Credit Cards. Debit Cards. Security Clearances. And so does life–the ones around you as well as your own. I’m talking about Expiration Dates. This morning it is not only reasonable–but paramount–that I speak to you about this issue.
In just a short while my Dad will awaken from a not so restful sleep. I spent the night here because my sister has been near death–and I wanted to be here when it happened. At approximately 3:30 a.m. CDT, my sister, his daughter, came to her expiration date. And now I will be the one to share this heart-breaking news.
Here’s my point this morning: We cannot avoid this expiration date–so always make sure there is no unfinished business to deal with. Mend those fences. Forgive the people in your life who you feel haven’t treated you right. Enjoy the scenery. Express gratitude. Find the joy. Stop dwelling on the wrong. Focus on the present, not the past or future. Appreciate, love, and forgive family and friends. One day–the Expiration Date–will come and you will not be able to.
And you will not be able to undo what you never got around to doing. We accuse teenagers of thinking and acting like they are immortal. It’s not just teenagers who think they have plenty of time left. Adults are the world’s worst!
Oh, one more thing. Not only is there this thing called Expiration Date, there is also a:
And this date for you life is RIGHT NOW–THIS VERY MOMENT! Make sure you get right family. Get right with your friends. Make sure you have that life-giving relationship with God made possible only through Jesus. Jacque did. And for this I am thankful. She is reunited with Mother, and is finally meeting face to face with Marilyn–the sister we never met nor knew. Give all the excuses and reasons you want for putting off making things right–but it’s all just a load of bull manure.
Tonight I felt the need to prognosticate the losers of tomorrow’s election. Why the losers? Maybe it comes from listening to a radio program from decades ago called “Leonard’s Losers”. While most football analysts picked winners, Leonard Postero picked the losers in a most entertaining way by using unique words and phrases. I do not have the poetic touch of Leonard, so I will use my best Sgt. Joe Friday style. “Just the facts, mam.”
Before I get to my list of losers, allow me to augment my thoughts this evening. Voting Is NOT A Right! You read correctly. VOTING IS NOT A RIGHT! Before you armchair Constitutional Experts rake me over hot coals, then tar and feather me, read my next thought, THEN decide if you want to continue to pursue your violent intentions against me. Voting Is A Privilege! It is a Privilege because much blood and loss has occurred so that this Representative Republic could continue. It is a Privilege because WE THE VOTERS have been entrusted with the special gift of electing our leaders from the local level all the way up to the highest office of the land. And that, my friends, must be viewed as a Privilege, and not a right. Many nations today would love to have this Privilege. Now, on to “Randy’s Losers”!
The First Loser is the voter whose candidate won the election, but the voter boasts and gloats as if THEY were the candidate.. They insult and belittle those who voted for the other candidate. Rather than encouraging working together, this Loser creates more tension and alienation. Here, the night before the election, we already have too much tension and alienation. We don’t need anymore. But that’s not the only Loser.
The Other Loser is the voter whose candidate did NOT win the election. Unlike The First Loser who gloats and boasts, The Other Loser makes the choice to whine and cry. They will talk about the unfairness of it all. Well, guess what?
The Other Loser defines fairness as them getting what they want. If they don’t get what they want, then it’s Unfair. My deepest concern is that The Other Loser will create more hate and hysteria tomorrow night. Look, we already have too much hate and hysteria tonight. We do not need more tomorrow; or the day after, of the day after that, after that, after that…you get the point.
Our nations needs Winners. A Winner is someone who puts their ideology and political demagoguery aside so that we can become united for the sake of The Republic. The mistake Voters are making is that they love politics more than The Republic. Soldiers suffered and died–not for politics–they suffered and died for The Republic. The United States is more than politics–but when politics becomes more important than working for the betterment of others–well, The Republic known as the United States of America, will not last much longer. Nobody who is worth their weight in salt wants to be around a Loser. And anybody worth their weight in salt wants to be around a Winner.
We are continuing to look at The Boldest Statements Jesus Ever Made. We are looking at some of those rich and powerful moments when Jesus said: “I Am.” Remember that Jesus never said “I Am” because He didn’t speak English. He would have spoken Hebrew and the word he would have used was Yahweh. Yahweh is the name God revealed to Moses.
It Is God’s Eternal Name, His Name For All Generations To Remember. Jesus uses that Name at Mission Critical Moments. He doesn’t just claim to be Yahweh; He backs it up with truth and Kingdom Principles. Let’s look at John 6:32-51 (The Message)
32-33Jesus responded, “The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world.”
34They jumped at that: “Master, give us this bread, now and forever!” 35-38 Jesus said, “I Am The Bread Of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don’t really believe me.
Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don’t let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.
39-40“This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then Aligns With Him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.”
41-42At this, because he said, “I Am The Bread that came down from heaven,” the Jews started arguing over him: “Isn’t this the son of Joseph? Don’t we know his father? Don’t we know his mother? How can he now say, ‘I came down out of heaven’ and expect anyone to believe him?”
43-46Jesus said, “Don’t bicker among yourselves over me. You’re not in charge here. The Father who sent me is in charge. He draws people to me—that’s the only way you’ll ever come.
Only then do I do my work, putting people together, setting them on their feet, ready for the End. This is what the prophets meant when they wrote, ‘And then they will all be personally taught by God.’
Anyone who has spent any time at all listening to the Father, really listening and therefore learning, comes to me to be taught personally—to see it with his own eyes, hear it with his own ears, from me, since I have it firsthand from the Father. No one has seen the Father except the One who has his Being alongside the Father—and you can see Me.
47-51“I’m telling you the most solemn and sober truth now: Whoever believes in me has real life, eternal life. I Am The Bread Of Life. Your ancestors ate the manna bread in the desert and died. But now here is Bread that truly comes down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread will not die, ever. I Am The Bread—Living Bread!—who came down out of heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live—and forever! The Bread that I present to the world so that it can eat and live is myself, this flesh-and-blood self.”
Have you ever thought about how images of bread are used in our ordinary day to day life? “That’s the best thing since sliced bread. He’s rolling in the dough (meaning money). Their bread isn’t buttered on both sides (meaning they lack common sense). Man, he’s toast.” In Middle Eastern culture, and Mediterranean culture, eating bread together is a sign of friendship and connection. Bread is a symbol for life.
When It Comes To People’s Spiritual Lives, They Will Be Living EitherThe Manna Life Or The Living Bread Life. There is a sharp distinction between the two. There is no confusion about which life we are choosing to live. And make no mistake about it; it is our choice whether we live The Manna Life Or The Living Bread Life.
Let’s find something we can all agree on: We have no control over some things that come our way in life. There are some things that happen to us that are absolutely beyond our control. Does everyone agree with this? I didn’t say we liked it; just that it happens.
Now, my next point is something that you may dislike even disagree with, but it’s the truth: We Do Have Control Over How We React To Those Times. How we live each day and our reactions to life as it happens is the result of what we feed upon each day. If you can remember only One Thing today, then remember this:
Your Heart, Life, And Mind Are Being Fed By Either The Manna Life Or Living Bread Life. One life never satisfies and the other will always satisfy and see us through anything that life throws our way. Let’s see the difference by setting up today’s passage. The day before Jesus had fed a large group of people with a young boy’s sack lunch of 5 barley loaves and 2 fish. Now Jesus and the 12 are on the other side of the lake, and the people have come to Jesus again. This time they are seeking a sign. They wanted a sign from Jesus before they would accept Him as Messiah. They pointed out that Moses had given them Manna as a sign that God was with them. Now they want Jesus to give a sign that God was with Him.
OK, excuse me, but He has turned dirty water into the most extraordinary wine, healed every disease put before Him, cast out demons, opened eyes and ears, and gave voice to those who could not talk. And added to all that, He taught the Kingdom principles with authority, like no one else ever had. And Now, they want a sign? Jesus doesn’t waste His time or their time. More Than A Sign, Jesus Talks About Life Through The Images OfManna Life And Living Bread Life. Think about the differences.
1. First, Look At The Manna Life.
What does this life feel like? Let’s go back to the time when God gave them Manna. It appeared every morning on the ground. Each family could pick up enough for just 1 day, and no more—except on Friday. Then they could pick up enough for 2 days. It never lasted longer than that. Every meal was the same. The husband or kids never asked, “What’s for supper?” It would be manna casserole, manna pot pie, manna sandwiches, manna stew, manna soup—and for dessert it was always manna cake. I mean, there was not a whole lot of variety to their meals. And they had to do nothing to do to get it. They didn’t have to trade or buy or barter for it. Every morning, day after day after day, there it was. And here was where the problems started. It produces the same problems today:
They Believed They Were Entitled To It. They did not have to buy it and it was always there every morning. They begin to feel like they were entitled to it. Few things are worse than living every day with a sense of entitlement—that life owes you something simply because you are breathing and alive. Living With That Evil Spirit Of Entitlement Will Remove From Your Heart Any Sense Of Gratitude. Oh, for sure, at first they were grateful. But after only a few weeks of it, things changed. First, they always expected it to be there.
They Got Tired Of It. But can you blame them? The same meal day after day after day is enough to make them want something else. This is what the Manna Life is like. It’s waking up every morning to the same routine.
There Is No Sense Of Excitement In TheManna Life.
There Are No Adventures To Explore in theManna Life.
There Is No Anticipation For Anything Different To Happen In TheManna Life.
It’s The Dull Life. Nothing to inspire the mind or stir up the heart.
It’s The Life That Is Afraid To Get Out Of That Comfort Zone. It produces its own kind of Comfort that becomes more important than Purpose.
It’s The Life That Is Unwilling To Take The Risk. Playing it safe is the key to survival for them.
It’s The Life Spent In Waiting And Then Wondering Why They Never Experience The Great Victories In Life. Now mind you, they haven’t sought great victories, they’ve never engaged in the battle—but they expect great victories and are disappointed.
And For Church People, It’s The Life Sitting In The Pew Sunday After Sunday, Who At Best Think It Is Enough, And At Worst Think This Is All There Is To It. They never get to experience the surprises of God’s presence, God’s grace, and God’s activities. And sadly, they never experience the joyful surprise of being used by God to touch another life and watch God change that life.
It’s routine life, nothing is more unfulfilling, and few things make a life more ungrateful, than the Manna Life. These people around Jesus thought they wanted the Manna Life. But Jesus did not come to bring the Manna Life, but something so much better. He came to bring them and us the Living Bread Life. Jesus is much more than a free lunch or a vending machine dispensing what we want.
2. Now Look At The Living Bread Life.
What does it feel like? Look like? Allow me to sum it up for you.
It Is The Life That Is Deeply And Intimately Connected To Our Heavenly Father Through Christ Living In Us. It is living your life with the assurance and confidence that Jesus actually lives in your heart as more than just a presence—He lives in you so that you can grow to become all God sees in you!
It’s A Life That Is Abundant In Power, Love And Grace. There is more than enough of Jesus living in the heart of every believer to accomplish everything that God wants. It’s more than enough for today. It’s more than enough for tomorrow, and the next day and the next, all the way to eternity. There is more than enough grace, more than enough mercy, and more than enough love to lead us right up to the very throne of God.
It’s The Life Of Adventure. Living Bread Life calls us into an adventure where we trust in Him to provide what we Cannot See Or Even Imagine. God wants to take you on an adventure in life where nothing is bland or dull. It’s the life of excitement knowing that Jesus lives in you, and that He is going to use you in ways you never imagined.
It’s The Life Of Exploration. It’s exciting to be a part of what God wants done. God is anything but predictable when it comes to how He works in this world. It’s going down different paths, trying new things. The only thing we know about the future of this life in grace is that one day, we will end in His eternal presence.
It Is The Life Of Contentment. There will be times of abundance in our life. And there will be times of scarcity. There will be times when all of our ducks are in a perfect row. And there will be times when the ducks will scatter in all directions. There will be times when the sailing is smooth as silk. And there will be times when it will feel like we are on a monster roller coaster. But the one thing about the Living Bread Life is that in every condition and situation, we learn to be content—that we are at peace with God, self and the world.
The only source of life for all of this—comes through the only thing—rather the only ONE—who will be present in both extremes and every point between them. I’m talking about Jesus living in your heart. You know He is the one who blesses us far more than we deserve. And you know He is the ONLY one who will stand with us to strengthen us and guide through the rough waters and over the steep mountains.
We can choose to accept the Manna Life with all its Hollowness. Or we can choose to accept The Living Bread Life with all its Hallowedness—by inviting Jesus, The Living Bread, into our hearts. For someone here today, this may be the very first time for you to invite Jesus into your heart.
For the rest of us, it’s our time to renew our decision by inviting Jesus to go deeper into our hearts. Just bread on the table will leave us hungry again. But the ONE who dares to call Himself Yahweh! Living Bread, can and will satisfy our deepest hunger and deepest thirst. Since you can’t follow Jesus and stay where you are, here’s a Next Step:
Select A Verse Or Passage That Speaks About God And Your Relationship With Him—Then Read That Verse First Thing Every Morning And Make It The Last Thing You Read At Night.
Change the verse or passage every Sunday. Here’s mine for this week: Isaiah 55:10-11
10 “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. 11 It is the same with My Word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.
(Part 4 of my current series “The I Am Sayings Of Jesus”
Here
we are in week 4 of looking at the Boldest Statements Jesus ever made—those
places and moments where He categorically identified Himself as Yahweh—The
Great I Am.
When I am working on a message, I usually look at several different translations, and usually find one that fits the bill for what God is leading me to share. Our text is John 10:1-10. My favorite is to read from the NLT. As I was looking at the different translations, I found that the NLT and more recent translations uses the word “gate” and the KJV and the New King James Version uses the word “door”. There’s something about the image of a door that pushes me deeper into today’s passage. Let’s look at it together and I will be reading it from the NKJV:
1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the Doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice; and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when He brings out his Own sheep, He goes before them; and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am The Door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.9I Am The Door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Doors can also be intimidating. They can deliver the message to keep out and stay away. They become barriers that keep us out and away from potential hope, and even a future. Some doors may even seem scary because we are unsure about what lies behind them. I guess what I’m trying to say is that doors can be entrances to a much deeper and better life, or they can keep us locked out—locked out from the life that God truly wants every person to live and experience. Such is the case in today’s passage. Just before this Jesus had healed a blind man on the Sabbath.
How
dare Jesus do something actually good on the Sabbath Day. Who in the world would ever do something good
on a day like the Sabbath? It’s supposed
to be a solemn day, a quiet day. There’s
a time and a place for everything, and a way to get things done because that’s
the way they’ve always been done. Then
this Jesus comes along and does something that has never been done that way
before.
Well, all this makes for is chaos and confusion. We can’t have someone claiming to be the Messiah making mud packs for the blind and then telling them to wash it off so they can see. Things like this are not supposed to happen that way. He could have healed him on one of the other six days. If that man couldn’t get healed then, well, he just didn’t need healing to begin with. And the Pharisees go on the attack against Jesus, again. They question—His Ways, His Methods, His Teachings, And His Authority. Jesus isn’t playing nice with the Pharisees and they don’t like it one little bit. Sabbath days were designed by God to remind us of that all-important connection with God.
Among
the Jews there was one day every week that was Sabbath—a way to remind them of
their need for God. Then they had Seven
Feasts that were also called Sabbath days—to remember God’s faithful presence
and His everlasting promises. God
designed the Sabbath to be a time for the people to remember their connection
to Him. Sabbath was to be the open door
into the presence of God.
But what was designed as a
door to enter God’s presence became a barrier. The Pharisees had devised 39
different categories of activities that were prohibited on any Sabbath. Any activity which changed the appearance or
nature of anything or anyone was prohibited. If it required 2 or more items to make—prohibited!
And just look at what Jesus had done. He had made a mud pack—prohibited! Told the man to wash it off—prohibited! Then Jesus changed the nature of that man by giving him his sight—that really was prohibited. All these rules and regulations were standing between God and the people He loved. So Jesus didn’t care about their rules and regulations. This Man Needed To Know That God Knew Him, Cared About Him, And Loved Him Enough To Change His Nature—even on a Sabbath.
People
get some crazy ideas about forgiveness. Some think that before they dare ask God for
forgiveness, they need to clean their act up more. It’s like they feel that their life is such a
mess right now, that there is no way God could forgive them. So they work on trying to be better and do
better. I mean, no one wants to go out
to eat at a fancy restaurant wearing dirty work clothes. You want to look your best. We think that God is like that 5 star
restaurant where He won’t let us in unless we have on a coat and tie.
Some people think that they are simply too sick for God to accept
them. So they need to find another way to get
feeling better. Let me ask you a
question. When do you go see a
doctor? When you’re sick or do you wait
until you feel better? If you wait until
you’re feeling better you won’t go.
And
that’s what happens when we try to fix ourselves. If we actually do manage to look better on
the outside by being nicer to others and developing some good habits, then we
start feeling like, “Well, I’m not so bad now.
I don’t need for God to forgive me anymore.” That kind of thinking is wrong on so many
levels.
God’s Doesn’t Turn Anyone Away Because They Are Dirty Or Sick. If anything, He welcomes them because He’s been waiting for them. Jesus didn’t die on the Cross for nice people. He died for sick and broken people like me! You bring it all, all the junk and the sin and the dirt and the filth, and lay it all out before Him. And do you know what? God will not turn away from that disgusting sight. Do you want to know why He won’t turn away from your pile of sins? Because He has already seen it—seen it when they were put on Jesus as He hung on that Cross. God won’t turn away from YOU, because He turned away from Jesus as He paid that awful price for us.
When
life gets unsettled, well more than unsettled—It’s Hard
To Relax When We Can’t See Our Way Through. When the pressures and demands of everyday
life tries to stress us out; when we see our plans unraveling at the seams; or
when we can’t even get our plans together and we are more than ready to panic—but
we are in full panic mode, we need
that deep abiding peace.
We
need more than for someone to say to us, “Oh, it will eventually be OK. You can’t control everything, so just
relax.” It’s hard to feel like
everything is hunky dory when things just aren’t working out like we
planned.
There have been times when my life has felt like I’ve been in the spin cycle of a washing machine that’s been turbo-charged and running on jet fuel. Doing the ordinary things, then extra stuff needed my attention. I remember February 2012. I had been pulled into the Disaster Recovery efforts after the 2011 tornadoes had ravaged our district. I wanted to honor God with this work. I had received a call from a group in Arkansas that wanted to frame and “get in the dry” 2 homes for 2 families of my choice. All I had to do was to get the foundations ready–they would do the rest. Oh, and they were to arrive in the middle of March. It seemed that after I got started on that project, everything was going wrong. Things were not falling into place on either home. Then my Mother was admitted to the hospital. I was stressed out, and I got mad at God and told Him, “Look, I’m trying to do this to honor You. Why is everything going wrong?”
Me
and God had a serious talk, actually, several of them. But I finally heard God say to me, “I am
still in control. And Randy, I am going
to honor the desire of your heart for me.”
Not everything is fixed instantly.
And when I want to panic, I remember, I remember God’s promise to
me. God keeps His promises.
He
doesn’t always work things out in our time schedule, but He does work things
out. Jesus
Is The Doorway To Peace Because He Stays With Us Through Thick And Thin. In good times and bad times—He will never
abandon us. I confess I haven’t always
remembered this, but when I do remember it, the peace always comes back to
me. Do I ever get a bit stressed even
now? Oh yes, but I’m not worried any
more. God is going to take care of me
and because of His love expressed in Jesus, and He is going to take care of you.
That’s our peace. Peace
is not the absence of any conflict or problems—but it is the unending presence
of Jesus.
This same Jesus
wants to live in us with every bit as much power as He did when He walked this
earth in our flesh. If we fight temptation on our own, then we
lose. But the Jesus who faced Satan in
the wilderness, the Jesus who faced Satan through His enemies, and even at
times through His closest friends lives in us.
The
Jesus who faced Satan in Gethsemane, the Jesus who faced Satan on the Cross,
the Jesus who faced Satan in the tomb—and who won every one of those battles,
resides in the heart of every believer who trusts Jesus and only Jesus.
Then His Liberty Also Gives Us The Strength, Courage And Wisdom To Live A Life That Brings Him Honor And Us Immeasurable Joy. He sets us free to live out our relationship in ways that makes changes in the world, makes changes in people’s lives. He gives us the liberty to become who we are created to be. We don’t have to be bound by people’s labels or our own fear of failure. We can dare to do great things for God because Jesus—who gave sight to that blind man—will take up residency in our hearts with every bit as much power as it took to open that man’s eyes!
Life Is What God Wants Us To
Experience. All the laws, rules and traditions of the
Pharisees took the life right out of the people. Jesus is The Door—the
ONLY Door that takes us from the deadness and emptiness that comes from living
with the wrong purpose.
He is
The Door to the life you have been created for.
This life ismore than you can see, think or
imagine. It’s the life
where God gets all, I mean ALL the glory.
It’s
The Life Where He Shines In Us And Through Us.
Are
you loaded down with guilt? Is chaos and
fear running a marathon in your mind and heart?
Do you feel imprisoned by demands and unrealistic expectations? Does your heart ache for a real life?
Is There Some Guilt You Have Been Carrying, That’s Been Weighing You Down?Your next Step is to step towards Jesus. We are not made to carry guilt. The Door is always open for those who need forgiveness.
Are You Overwhelmed? Your next step is to give all your fears, worries and anxieties over to Him. He is The Door to inner peace.
Does Your Ordinary Days Feel Like A Prison Sentence? Your next step is to reclaim the Joy of Living. He’s The Door to Liberty—that fills your life with Great Joy. God wants you to live with an uninhibited, open Joy in your life.
Does Your Life Feel At Best Ordinary Or At Worst A Drag? Your next step is to begin living our His purpose for your life. One of two of the things that keeps people from their purpose is fear—fear of the unknown—or fear of failure. God walks with you in your God-Given Purpose and opens The Door that gives you the freedom to truly live—to live life the way He designed it.
Well, yesterday we looked the the foundation provide by Jesus that the very first believers embraced. But what good is a foundation unless something is built upon it. Right now I remembering from a previous appointment in a certain community, there was something I saw almost every day. It was a foundation for a house. What I noticed was that it was overgrown with weeds even saplings were growing up. Someone had started to build a house but got only as far as the foundation.
I don’t know the story or the reason why–but this morning I see a spiritual truth in that image. A foundation becomes worthless unless something–something worthwhile–is built upon it. In looking at the book of Acts–Acts Of The Holy Spirit In Surrendered People–those surrendered people took that foundation and began building. What they built is a far cry from most “churches” today.
Renewal and Revival are the exclusive works of God through the Holy Spirit. And it comes when we build upon that Foundation that is provided for us. You know I love to throw that phrase Kingdom of God around a lot. And there’s a life that goes along with the Kingdom. I call it The Kingdom Life. But what I’ve discovered in this journey is that it is more accurately The Koinonia Life. Koinonia is that Greek word which means “a shared, or join participation”. Look at Acts 2:43-47
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— 47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Acts 2:43-47 (NLT)
Here is what that first life together looked like; and take a moment to compare it with the life you see at your church:
1] There was an awe and reverence for God. There was something about what was happening that it was clear to nearly all that this was a work of God—the implication is that even those who rejected Peter’s invitation could not deny that God was present.
2] There were signs and wonders. The wonders is what caught their attention. That’s what the Greek word means—to catch the attention of others. The signs, well here’s the Greek definition of that word: that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and known. They were known by the power that was being revealed in them. This is what produced the miracles.
3] They met together. Human connection is important. They actually enjoyed seeing each other. The Benediction wasn’t the sign that church was over. It signaled that it was time to get together.
4] They shared everything. It was their shared concern for each other that they gladly helped each other.
5] They were mission focused. They were willing to give up whatever they owned when someone was in need. Others were more important than self.
6] Worship was central. Notice they did it daily. Worship was important for them. It wasn’t an act they had to do—it was the life they lived.
7] They Met in homes for Communion. They didn’t have church buildings, so homes became the key meeting place. Today in congregations that are growing, one of the key reasons is small groups. This is going back to the very beginning of Koinonia. We have only a limited supply of time, so they invested in key relationships of people who shared their passion for Jesus. Just a side note here. How did they serve Communion with a seminary-trained,-church-ordained clergy to administer it? Have we made Holy Communion so “special” that it’s not sacred unless a pastor administers it? If so, we have robbed this Moment of it’s sacredness and power.
8] They shared meals and everything with great joy. The key word is JOY. To many church pew sitters look like they are chewing on a green lemon rind in one corner of their mouth and a green persimmon in the other. Hold a mirror up to your face and ask yourself, “Would someone really want to follow Jesus based on that image?”
9] They had generous hearts. What could show the heart of God more than Generosity? No one had to earn their way into their hearts. Their hearts were open to love and embrace others.
10] Their lifestyle was characterized by praise. They weren’t complaining about their community—they were doing what the apostles did when the Holy Spirit Indwelled them—telling others of the wonderful things of God! Here’s an application—those outside the church, outside the Koinonia, see us more for what we are against that what we are for.
And the result of building this kind of life?
1] They were respected. Is the church respected today in the U.S.? Not so much. Respect is earned, and maybe we need to get back to the Koinonia Life.
2] Others became followers of Jesus, daily this happened. And make sure you pay attention to the cause of the new followers. Who added? The Lord! We work the fields, HE takes care of the harvest.
If life within a local congregation does not mirror this kind of life, then it has lost its heart, its passion, and its purpose. Remember to Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to Him!
Fantasy is a word that has been hanging around my mental space. I can’t shake that word so I guess it’s the Spirit prompting me to get back to writing. What provoked that word in my gray space is all the hype I’m seeing and hearing about Fantasy Football. I mean, networks, websites, podcasts, even magazines all about this cultural obsession with this thing called Fantasy Football. They form leagues, have drafts, and each week they see how “their” players performed, and in some magical way, determine if their teams won or lost that week.
Me? I’m an active college football fan and I am so excited that College Football begins this week. (Roll Tide!) Real teams gather on the gridiron. Real players who have been practicing and honing their skills go face to face. Real coaches who have been instructing players and working out the game plan put it on the line to see if they are prepared for this clash on the turf. And I admit, I don’t understand this obsession of this alleged sport of football based on something that is not real.
But it has nudged me into thinking of other types of fantasies; fantasies that some people try to get through this thing called life. Think of it from this definition of that word “fantasy“:
a suppositionbased on no solidfoundation
And I look at my culture and I realize that so many are trying to live, cope or simply survive on a supposition that has no solid foundation. And I weep! Many have a Fantasy Family. Instead of providing moral guidance, parents choose to be friends. Kids affections are bought. And to maintain this facade, it’s ad infinitum debt all to maintain this supposition without a foundation that they are a family.
There’s Fantasy Church, where people define the church rather than to be defined BY the Body of Christ. Regular gathering for study, worship and fellowship once meant every week. Now we are being told that regular means once every 3-6 weeks. Worship is defined by entertainment value. Preaching is formed by the latest cultural values. Those who attend expect to be the consumers of what the church produces. Fantasy! A supposition that has no solid foundation.
There’s Fantasy Purpose in life. People give in to and pursue what the culture says is our true purpose. People live for money, status, sexual identity, politics, football and the list goes on ad nauseam. Purpose is rooted either in selfishness or in identities given to them by the culture.
And the list of other “fantasies” goes on. And “life” has become a fantasy. And for many, it’s become more of a nightmare fantasy, and for others? Life seems just an empty pipe dream. So they turn to the fantasy world to escape the vain and empty things. So what is the alternative to the Fantasy Life?
God, the Creator of Life, never designed this life to be a dread, a drudge and a dead-end. In Luke 12:22-32 (NLT) Jesus gives us the Truth about life:
22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear.23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?
27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?
29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things.30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs.31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”
The key to unlocking Life is first to come to the realization that, in Jesus’ own words, “For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing.” Some of you may be thinking, “Well, duh! Tell me something I don’t know!” There is a second step that comes out of Verse 32–“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” It’s living in the Gift of Kingdom Living.
God designed and created life to be lived in deep, caring and loving relationships. As family, friends, neighbors, community, and even with strangers. And these relationships take on meaning and give us purpose when we live them the way HE lives in Relationship with us. It’s through Self-Giving. It’s about caring more about others than self. It is about helping, encouraging and inspiring others. This Life is no fantasy and it’s not just another pipe dream. It’s life as God designed it. So walk with Him. Listen to Him. Talk to Him. Lose your self, your sense of self-importance. Lose your fears, your sense of worthlessness.
Make God happy–accept Life as He designed it to be–lived faithfully in relationship with Him, with others, and with yourself. And don’t forget….
Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to Him!
Kingdom Pastor 