As a child I remember my favorite days in school were snow days (though I normally got in trouble on those days) and days we had a substitute teacher.  It was like a holiday.  There was always work to finish but as a consummate OVER-achiever I ALWAYS finished within an hour or two and spent the rest of the day playing games or involving myself in any number of mischievous activities. I know what you’re thinking—“Brian was mischievous???  NEVER!!!”  Though I was an angel most of the time I must admit, I had my moments. [go ahead and roll your eyes, I know it’s coming, ha ha!]  Surprisingly, after a few days of dealing with a substitute there was always a part of me that desired my real teacher to return.  We never learned much with a substitute teacher simply because he/she was unaware of what was going on.  I hate to say it but I think they were there simply to babysit us.  While it was nice to have a break from the norm the substitute was just that; a substitute.  He/She was a sad imitation of the real thing.  In most cases the substitute was ill-equipped to help me further my education.

Look around you.  You are surrounded by those seeking fulfillment—and you can number yourself among them.  We are all born with a desire for something deeper.  And so the search ensues.  That same desire leaves us all attempting to fill voids with any number of activities, purchases, unhealthy relationships, and more.  We quickly learn those things never quite give us the feeling of fulfillment we thought it would.  They are only a ‘quick-fix.’  Frustrated, we trot off to the next thing. NEWS FLASH: We won’t experience genuine fulfillment until we have developed a meaningful relationship with Christ.  Sadly we find this same issue in the church when dealing with surface Christians.  You know the ones I’m talking about.  They attend church and live with integrity but are simply going through the motions without seeking a genuine relationship in Christ.  I remember asking Christ in my heart at a young age.  It took me many years to learn the importance of intimacy.  Genuine intimacy.  I have found the more I know Him, the more I love Him.  As I’ve matured I have realized it’s less about what I need Him to do for me and more about knowing and serving Him better.  The more I seek and know Him I realize there’s nothing I need but God.  You can take the rest of this stuff.  It’s temporary.  The love I have for the Father supplies my every longing.  Psalm 16:11 says, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”  I say to the world—take your riches—just give me Jesus!  I don’t want a relationship that amounts to nothing more than a meaningless ‘fling.’  As far as I’m concerned, substitutes need not apply.  Give me the REAL thing.

Final words and encouragement:  I’m reminded of an old hymn that states, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.  Look full in His wonderful face.  And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”  The more I focus on Him the less my focus is on my own desires or needs.  Scripture says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” [Jer 29:13]  Looking for fulfillment?  It’s found ONLY in Him!!!  I pray blessings over you as you search!

I have found myself becoming increasingly uncomfortable in the past few months.  Decisions are being made in our local, state, and federal government putting Christians in compromising positions.  Many are being made to choose between their biblically held beliefs and, in some cases, their livelihood.  The latest story dominating headlines is a woman named Kim Davis.  Rather than issue a marriage license to a gay couple, as ordered by the court systems, she chose to go to jail.  It’s my understanding she was also given the choice to resign her position.  Instead she chose a jail stay.  I’m not impressed by her stance and here’s why.  Romans 13:1-2 specifically states, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.”  We know through scripture we serve a God of order, justice, and the punishment of evil.  Do I think Ms. Davis should have issued the marriage license?  I proclaim a resounding—NO!  Doing so would have gone against the word of God.  But the word also tells us we are to obey the laws of the land.  Is that my Final Answer on this subject?  Nope.  Acts 5:27-29 reminds us of a stipulation to the aforementioned scripture.  Here we find Peter and the other apostles standing trial before the Sanhedrin.  They had been told by the government officials not to teach in the name of Jesus.  Their reply was, “We must obey God rather than men!”  From this we learn we are expected to obey the laws of the land unless they contradict the law of God.  There’s still another ‘BUT’ in there.  BUT-when we disobey the laws of the land we must be ready to deal with the consequences.  This too is illustrated in Acts 5:40-42 as we find Peter and John rejoicing in their suffering for Christ.

What’s your point, Brian?  Glad you asked.  Conservative media outlets and some Christians are touting Ms. Davis as modern-day martyr for the faith.  I boldly proclaim to this woman – make no mistake, you are not a martyr.  Far from it.  As Christians we must stand up for what we believe lest we lose our “saltiness” [Matt 5:13].  This woman is not a hero.  In my summation she simply did what I would expect any Christian to do.  Though, her jail time could have been avoided if she had resigned her position.  This may not be a popular opinion but her self-imposed jail sentence makes her look like a bit of a hypocrite.  As Christians we must take the Bible in its entirety.  We can’t pick and choose what parts we will follow and which we will not.  I understand her stance and support her choice not to issue the license.  In this instance, thankfully, the judge provided her a way out without violating her beliefs.  She purposefully chose not to take it.  Men and women of the faith are being martyred daily—meaning—they are actually losing their lives for choosing not to renounce Christ.  THAT is a martyr.  We are not there in the United States—yet.  But I have no doubt it’s coming.  We have already experienced glimpses of it.  Living a Christian life is going to become increasingly harder.  We are all just dead men/women walking and, oddly, I take pride in that fact.  My life is not my own and hasn’t been since I asked Christ to become my Savior.  It’s time we take a page from Jesus’ playbook.  Consider this—even as He was hanging on the cross He exclaimed, “…Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” [Luke 23:34]  Even as He was approaching death His heart was still crying out for the lost.  The world will continue to change and we Christians probably won’t like it.  But the fact remains our hearts cry MUST be for the lost.

Final thoughts and remarks:  As Christians we are called to obey the laws of the land.  But not at the expense of disobeying God’s law.  We must be prepared to lose all we hold dear in order to further the kingdom.  Turning the other cheek will become harder and harder but we must, “….choose this day whom [we] will serve..”  It’s imperative we know all the facts of a matter before we decide to jump on a bandwagon.  If our actions are going to bring reproach to the kingdom then we must stray from doing such.  What are YOUR thoughts?  I’d love to hear from you.  Leave me a comment below—but please be respectful of others opinions.  I’m not looking to open this forum as a debate on current events.

Parent’s-who are you taking your cues from?  In other words, who are you looking up to and learning from?  Whether someone from your past or the present, we ALL take our cues from someone.  They’re that person you watch whose actions challenge you to be a better parent.  Someone whose life serves as an example for how you think you should parent your own children.  I’ve been blessed with Godly parents.  Were they perfect?  Absolutely not.  I’m sure if I tried hard enough I would be able to list what I consider as a few of their faults (Sorry, Ronnie and Pam Rhodes).  I’m also confident if they were to create their own list of perceived failures it would be much longer.  Why?  Because as parents we tend to be our worst critic.  We focus on our worst aspects rather than what we’re good at.  Let me debunk the greatest parenting myth of all times.  You WILL make mistakes.  You are never going to be the perfect parent.  There.  I said it.  Sorry to burst your bubble.  Even this morning was a true parenting failure for me though I’ll save that story for another blog.  Lately I find my son watching my EVERY move.  Quite frankly—It scares me to death!  The little stinker follows me around constantly.  When I shave he wants to pretend he’s shaving. As I’m getting dressed and putting on deodorant or cologne he’s beside me responding, “Pray [spray] me, Daddy—‘pray’ me!!”  At times he’s my little shadow.  While I think it’s cute reality kicks in a reminds he’s watching me.  I frequently question if I’m being the Father I need to be for BOTH my children, my daughter included.  My son takes his “How to be a man/father” cues from me.  My daughter takes her “How a man should love and treat me” cues from me.  If I’m being transparent I’ve- as recently as yesterday- thought, “Maybe my kids would be better off with someone else as their father because I SUCK at this!!”  [pardon the crude language but I’m sharing my honest inner-dialogue]

Looking at my children is like looking in a mirror.  Sometimes I don’t like what I see because their actions reflect my own bad habits.  It’s a reminder of my own failures.  At times I don’t feel like trying because I know I’m going to screw up.  Unfortunately, not trying isn’t a valid option.  It’s my job to “train up” my children in the way they should go.  God has entrusted me (and my wife) with this responsibility.  And it is a great responsibility.  The word reminds us, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.” [Mark 9:42]  It’s a fact—I’m going to make mistakes—LOT’s of them.  But that doesn’t grant me a free pass not to try to be the best parent I can be.  Every action I take should point my children right back to God.  I’ve encouraged my children on many occasions to dust themselves off and try again.  Sometimes I’m forced to practice what I’m preach.  Parent’s—who are you taking your cues from?  You will fail.  It’s a fact.  But allowing things to take our focus from our Heavenly Father isn’t a valid option.  God is the ultimate example of Father/Mother of the Year.  [Yes, I included mother’s.  We are ALL made in his image so, apparently, He has female characteristics/attributes of some type.  Please don’t attempt to engage me in a theological debate – just hear my heart]  Parent’s-our children aren’t looking for perfection.  They’re looking for love and acceptance.  Coincidentally, God isn’t looking for perfection either.  He’s looking for someone willing to do give their best on the journey.  And that can be said of most anything we involve ourselves in.  The object of your focus will determine your successes or failures.  Who are you taking your cues from?

Final thoughts:  Keep your heads held high, parents.  Things won’t always turn out the way they are supposed to.  Thankfully, transparency breeds endearment.  If you make a mistake own it, fix it, and move on.  Wallowing in past regrets benefits no one.  Coincidentally, most of the ideals mentioned in this particular blog can be applied to most any life situation, not just parenting.  Just a thought.  God bless you in the journey!

One minute you are floating happily above it all. The next, you find yourself thrashing frantically to reach the surface. What happened? Who or what knocked you down? It doesn’t matter. You are drowning with no help in site. The waves pull you under threatening to literally drown the life out of you. What exactly am I referring to? Grief. A casual glance of the word leaves it seeming harmless. To those encountering it, the experience is much different. At its most defining moment it feels like someone has dropped you in the middle of an ocean. No lifejacket. No hope. You feel alone.

As men, our solution is ball it up, shove it away, and not deal with it. If we hide it, it’s not really there. Right? Wrong! I know because I’ve experienced it. I’ve lost family members and friends I loved dearly. I’ve received the negative prognosis from the doctors. One of my darkest days was the moment I was informed by the doctor my wife and I would not be able to conceive a child naturally or even with the help of current technologies. How can a child not even physically conceived yet leave such a void? Because that very child was conceived mentally and spiritually as I knew they were a promise given to me from God. I had already taught ‘him’ how to play baseball and protect his sister. I had already danced with ‘her’ at our first Father/Daughter banquet and we had sat down for ‘tea time’ on multiple occasions in my mind. Though I had not physically touched my children those hopes and dreams still burned strong in my heart and mind.

Denying feelings and hiding them away only makes matters worse. I’m not a psychiatrist but I know hidden frustrations spill out. Biting comments leave those around you, especially those closest to you, feeling just as bad as you do. My inability to express those feelings to my wife left her feeling just as lonely. The same venom eating me alive now becomes the venom I spread.

Men like to fix things– but some things can’t be fixed. But, the One who can has been referred to as the ‘Great Physician.’ I know, you don’t want to pray. I’ve been there too. Do it anyway. I know, you don’t want to allow yourself to cry, get mad, or show any emotion for that matter. Do it anyway. You can’t move on until you have. We like to write our own stories. In this instance someone took the pencil from your hand and began placing periods where you never wanted them placed. Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is waiting to reclaim that pencil, erase the period, and place a comma instead. As long as you have God leading you it’s never the end, only the beginning.

Grief leaves us all feeling helpless. It seems odd but, feeling helpless is a good place to be. When we finally back away God steps in and works out the details. In his darkest hour the author of Psalms 119 states the following, “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Comfort can be found in suffering? Yep. He’s never left nor forsaken you. Did God promise you a family when the doctors said it’s impossible? It’s done! If he promised it He’s obligated to do it. Did God promise you your children would be saved? It’s done! Did God promise those chains of addiction would be broken? It’s done! I don’t know the shape, size, or package it will come in but I know He’s not a liar. If God said it he will do it!

Hebrews 12:1 reminds us, “let us throw off everything that hinders [this includes your broken dreams, frustrations, hurts, etc] and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” You simply run the race and let Him work out the details. Stand back and watch God move on your behalf. He will do what He said He will do. How do I know? I have two beautiful babies I hug and kiss every night at bedtime. They may not be biologically mine but they are still mine because they were conceived and birthed from my heart. They are my promise. Write your plans in pencil– and give Him the eraser.

After reading the title I’m sure some of you think I’ve lost my mind.  I haven’t.  As most of you know I’m a minister.  More precisely, I’m a Worship Pastor.  Like any area of ministry there are times I experience struggles but I’ve always walked away feeling fulfilled by my job and wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.  I genuinely love it.  But if I’m being honest, there have been times over the years I have found myself thinking, “Somebody PLEASE take my job!!!!”  Let me explain.  As a minister (it doesn’t matter the role as I think all ministers probably feel that same way at certain times) standing on stage can be intimidating.  The looks a congregation gives leaves whomever is on stage questioning if they’ve done their jobs correctly.  Some Sunday’s its like attempting to pull a parked car from one place to another with the emergency brake engaged.  We find ourselves staring at faces that have been beaten down by life’s struggles, family pressures, work stress, frustrations, and so much more.  It genuinely breaks my heart.  Life is hard sometimes.  Sadly, by the time we arrive to church it seems there’s nothing left to give to God-and that’s the way Satan wants it.  After we encounter constant struggles and beat-down’s we want to come to church, sit, and watch (if we come to church at all–sometimes we just want to stay in bed).  Please realize I speak with transparency and a non-judgmental heart as I too have felt this same way on NUMEROUS occasions.  More than I care to admit.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Psalms.  It’s like reading someone’s personal journal.  In certain chapters the author is ready to give up feeling forsaken by God.  In certain chapters the author is bursting at the seams to lift up the name of God.  It’s like a roller coaster ride of emotions.  It’s true life as we live it.  But throughout the book the reader is encouraged to actively pursue, praise, and worship God through singing, dancing, with instruments, and more.  It would thrill my heart to show up to church one day and find the service has started early – and without me.  Possibly the congregation was so excited to enter the house of God they came early and chose to worship without being prompted.  What if we came through the doors of our churches worshipping God before ever entering the sanctuary?  Isn’t that what we’re commanded to do anyway?  “ENTER [emphasis is mine] his gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise; give thanks to him and bless his name.”  [Ps. 100:4]  I’ve said it before.  For this to happen our praise and worship must begin BEFORE darkening the doors of the church.  Praise and worship can’t simply be a choice–it must become the air we breathe!  Praise and worship to the Father should be something we can’t live without.  If we’re breathing we should be praising!  His word says-“Let everything that has breath praise The Lord.  Praise ye the Lord!” [Ps 150:6].  I’m appreciative for the weekly paycheck I receive and I have no doubt the Lord will always supply my needs should it be taken some day.  Seems weird to say but, as a minister, it would thrill my heart to know I was no longer needed (please don’t take my words and allow them to be twisted. I hope you hear my heart and not the words being typed).  Can you imagine if pastor’s everywhere had to start looking for other sources of income because the church began doing the work of God unprompted?  Would somebody PLEASE take my job?

Final words and encouragement: I pray this blog is read as it was intended. It’s my prayer that the people of God, myself included, would learn to see past the ‘smoke screen’ of bad news and frustrations the devil throws at us. If we could KEEP our focus on Him we would genuinely experience what the old hymn says as, “the things of this world will grow strangely dim.” You’re not alone in this journey of faith. Do you need prayer today? Feel free to leave me a message here on the blog, drop me a private message via my FB page, call my cell, send me an email—just get in touch with me and lets be the definition of, “where two or three or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.” [Matt 18:20] You’re not alone today!

All of my life I’ve looked forward to having a family of my own. My paternal instinct was strong and unwavering. I grew up with great dreams and desires for how my family would look in years to come. I must admit, things didn’t quite turn out like I expected –and I couldn’t be more thankful. It all started with an unplanned pregnancy. For some it may seem like a curse. For my wife and I it became the greatest blessing we’ve ever experienced. No, I’m not referring to my wife and myself. I’m referring to my daughter’s biological mother. Our story may be little different than others. Jennifer and I found out in 2005 we would be unable to have children naturally.  As we received the news from our fertility doctor our hearts felt a loss we never knew existed.  Those first few days were like a dark abyss with no sign of relief or the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ so many refer to. Many months later hope and great joy came in the form of an 8.4 pound, brown eyed, and bald headed baby girl whose smile still takes our breath away. The pregnancy that resulted in my daughter’s birth may have seemed like a mistake to many, possibly even her biological mother. But to us, it wasn’t. Something that seemed like a mistake actually became one of the greatest gifts either of us ever received. Funny thing is, it’s not the first time it has happened. Coincidentally, it has happened to you too!

Over two thousand years ago the world received a gift through an unplanned pregnancy. My human brain has trouble comprehending how God can take terrible situations and bring such beauty.  But, thankfully, He does. God’s ‘heavenly bank’ does better business than anything you’ll find on this earth. And his exchange rates are out-of-this-world good (literally and figuratively). He takes our screw-ups, our ashes-if you will, and gives great beauty. Does this mean I condone sin or encourage anyone to make wrong decisions? Nope! But I can say when we do make a bad mistake or sin—IT ISN’T THE END OF THE WORLD!! We can choose to wallow in our own self-pity or we can get up and make things right. Once a mistake has been made it then becomes our job to work even harder making sure it never happens again. We are His children and He has great plans for us all. He has a road we should travel that serves as His perfect will for our lives. Sometimes we ignorantly decide to take side streets. Those side trips always lead to a dead ends. He says today, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” [Jer 29:11] He has a perfect plan!  Now it becomes OUR job to search out His plan and will for our lives. And just think-it all started with an unplanned pregnancy.

Final thoughts and encouragement: Continue pressing ‘toward the mark.’ As the song says, “It’s not over….it’s not finished….it’s not ending…..it’s only the beginning. When God is in it, all things are new.” He can turn your/our mistakes into something that will bring glory to His name—if you let him. KEEP PRESSING FORWARD!!!!

Ever had one of those moments you felt so convicted by your actions you simply wanted to dig a hole and crawl in it? Yeah, I just had that moment. As I’m typing this I’m on vacation with my family [this was written a week and a half ago]. To say it has been a busy day would be an understatement. It’s the evening and we’ve finally settled in for the night. A short while ago my wife asked me to buy her a bottle of water from the local gas station down the street. Deciding to pass on the $3 bottle in our room I grabbed the kids and set off for my destination.  As I was returning to my hotel I noticed someone of Middle Eastern descent dressed in traditional attire, and of (I assume) the Islamic faith, on a prayer mat praying outside our hotel.  If I’m being totally transparent – I’ll admit, my first instinct was one of a judgmental spirit. A form of disgust was attempting to rear its head.  Just as I was about to allow those negative thoughts to run rampant something in my spirit questioned me, “When was the last time YOU prayed today?” My response, “I, uhhhh, ummmm, I was…..uhhhhhh–see what had happened was….” I just hung my head in shame and walked to my room with the water and my children in tow.  Truth be told, the last time I prayed today was as we were leaving at 4am this morning. I was asking God for protection for my family as we traveled. That was it. No, “Good morning, God!” or “Thanks for letting me live to see another day.” Just something I was adding to my daily “To-Do” list for God. No interaction just a list of desires.

In that moment the one thing that caught my attention was the person’s lack of concern or embarrassment of those passing by.  This person was unashamed of their faith.  Every day that passes it’s more apparent we live in a society where we’re expected to be ‘Politically Correct.’  If your actions offend someone you’re expected to change or alter them. I question, how does a ‘PC’ response make Christians any different from anyone else. How does conforming to the PC agenda make us better Christians?  How is it even possible to be salt and light in that instance? I’m not saying we should go around purposefully attempting to offend others but I question how are our actions are setting us apart?  WHAT makes us different? Mark 8:38 states, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”  While I’m positive I don’t agree with the beliefs of the Muslim I just came in contact with I must admit something I never thought I would say.  Today was the day I found admiration for a Muslim.  There was nothing in that person’s demeanor that gave any recognition of my presence. They were concentrated on the task at hand. Simply stated, the prayers being prayed were their highest priority and they gave no regard to what others thought.  When was the last time YOU prayed today?  I’m not talking about a prayer where you were asking God for something or to intervene on your behalf.  When was the last time you prayed to simply speak to God and spend quality time with Him? Why does it take emergency-type situations for us to spend time with God in prayer?  If something goes wrong and we will pray ALL day, EVERY day.  Let life begin moving along positively and we go our merry way without a passing thought of praying.  What is preventing us from shining our lights brightly wherever we go?  I’m not even referring to praying in public I’m talking about simple things like show love, care, and concern for our fellow man regardless of social standing, race, etc.  Allowing the God in me to be a light to those I come in contact with should be MY highest priority. It’s not my job to shove God down other’s throats rather live my life in a way that point’s people back to Him.  I guess I’ve always known it but I received a reminder from an unlikely source today. Sometimes we have to be unashamedly Politically INcorrect.

Final thoughts and encouragement:  Among other things prayer must become our daily priority.  Our Heavenly Father longs to hear from us.  Rather than using our prayer time asking for ‘stuff’ maybe we should use that time to simply talk to him.  Choose to purposefully spend intimate moments with the Savior every day and I assure you it will change the entire outcome of every day.

Something just wasn’t right.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but something didn’t feel normal.  It started out simple enough.  A symptom here or there though every abnormal symptom could be explained.  I was thirsty a lot……well, I had been working outside in the summer heat quite a bit.  I was constantly tired all the time…..again, I had been working outside.  Maybe I was overworking myself and I just needed to slow down.  There was still that nagging in the back of my head that something was wrong.  I finally went to the doctor.  He ran a few tests and asked, “Who is the diabetic in your family?”  My response was, “Huh?  There aren’t any diabetics in my family, I don’t think?!?”  His response, “Well there are now.”  My head was spinning with the implications.  All I could see was a shortened life span and needles…….LOTS of needles.  I HATE needles!  “How can we fix it?  What do I need to do?”  I craved answers to my questions, all the while kicking myself for not going sooner.  He sat down beside me and we spoke for about fifteen minutes.  Everything else faded as I hung to his every word.  This diagnosis felt unbelievable.  Honestly, it felt like a death sentence.  My response may seem dramatic to you but this prognosis was unexpected.  I had just received a punch to the gut.  I should have expected as much, after all, my lifestyle reflected the diagnosis.  It was 2002 and I was morbidly obese at that time, tipping the scales at nearly 400 pounds.  I was unhealthy and didn’t see a need to change.  The symptoms were there all along but I ignored or reasoned them away.

You know what I’m talking about because you’ve experienced it to.  Something just isn’t/wasn’t quite right.  We convince ourselves there’s nothing to worry about.  That’s the way sin works.  Rarely does the devil slap us in the face with a blatant invitation to involve ourselves in something spiritually unhealthy.  It starts small.  You let your Bible reading slip, stop praying like you should, skip a few church services.  Things that once bothered you don’t seem important any longer.  You begin allowing your morals to slip a little.  You begin the process of convincing yourself, “It isn’t THAT bad, is it?  Nah!  I’m fine.”  We conveniently turn a blind eye while sin slips in because we desire to please the flesh.  When we finally realize things are out of hand it’s too late.  The damage has been done.  You feel guilty and, quite frankly, like a total failure.  But with God there’s ALWAYS hope.  Scripture reminds us, “…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  [Rom 3:23]  You’re in good company.  The decision to overcome lies solely in your hands.  Don’t like the way things have turned out?  Make better decisions.  Frustrated with the consequences you’re left to face because of your actions?  Change your habits.  We know when something is wrong.  We sense it.  When you feed that “flesh” monster long enough he will grow and eventually wreak havoc in your life spiritually, mentally, financially, and so forth.  Our Christian lives are a constant dying to the old man and taking on that Christ-like identity instead.  Maybe it’s time to kill somebody–maybe it’s time to crucify that fleshly man.  But be warned, you will have to kill him EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!  Not only is it important to accept God’s grace and mercy in our own lives but to extend that same compassion and forgiveness to others.  I’m not encouraging you to become a door mat for people to walk over.  But if we can’t forgive others how to we expect God to, “…forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  [1 John 1:9]  No one said the Christian life would be easy but He did assure us we wouldn’t walk this road alone.

Be encouraged today.  We all make mistakes but it is imperative we get up, dust ourselves off, deal with the consequences, and continue moving forward.  The opinions of others don’t matter.  One day, “every knee will bow and every tongue confess…” that Jesus is Lord.  We are all in the same boat here.  You have one Judge and His opinion is the only one that matters.

How were they to believe something they had never seen nor experienced for themselves? And let’s face it, they probably thought he was crazy. Noah, the original creator of the cruise ship, tried to warn the people of his time but they chose not to listen. Could you imagine being told it was going to rain and the earth would flood though you had never experienced rain for yourself?  Oh yeah, and to avoid dying you need to hop on a huge ship full of smelly animals.  Do you think you would have believed? I would like to think I would have been smart enough to listen but I question if I would have thought he was a little crazy too. By that point in history the world was so wrapped up in pleasing their flesh they didn’t care about much else.  Sounds a little like what we’re experiencing now, don’t you think?  I firmly believe God sends along periodic wake up calls to His people.  Sadly, many times, we fail to heed those warnings and are left to suffer the consequences.

Days ago the church received another wake-up call as the Supreme Court of the U.S. ruled in favor of recognizing the marital union of homosexual couples.  Truthfully, I can’t say I’m surprised though admittedly I was mildly shocked it happened so quickly.  Many in the Christian world can still be found walking around in fear, worried for the future–and rightfully so.  But, all due respect, if it took this particular ruling to bring concern I question if you’ve really been paying attention to the things around you.  The warning signs have been there since before my birth, [none of your business] years ago 🙂  All my life I’ve heard the old-timers say, “Get ready!  He’s coming back soon!”  Just because those in Noah’s time had not experienced rain doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. Just because we haven’t seen God with our own eyes doesn’t make Him a myth.  Just because we have yet to experience the ‘Second Coming’ doesn’t mean it isn’t real and will not happen. The alarm is sounding and warnings are all around us. As Christians we can’t afford back down from speaking the truth—though, as I’ve stated before, it MUST be done in love. We can speak biblical truths but can’t make others believe. The ‘red flags’ are all around us as time is running out to win the lost. I’m not attempting to be a prophet of doom but the signs around us are proof things WILL get worse. Now comes the time to make a decision. Do we run for the hills or stand firm in the cause for Christ? The choice is yours but the decision must be made.  The author of 2 Timothy 1:12 puts it best, “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.”  Though he was in jail and being tortured when this particular section was written, he made the choice to stand firm in his beliefs and what he knew God had called him to accomplish.  How long will we hit the snooze button or attempt to turn a blind eye?  If you pretend it’s not there long enough you’ll start to believe your own lies. Like Noah, you can show others the truth but you can’t make them get on the boat.

Be encouraged and stand firm today.  Don’t grow weary in well-doing.  Even when we can’t see it God is STILL working!