Tue, Jun 27th - 12:46PM

Where is the answer to my prayers?

Exodus 4: 10-12 "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." 

It is very easy for me to get caught up in the flesh, I hope you understand what I mean when I say that.  I often put the Lord on a human level and so my thoughts about Him stay at that level as well.  It’s not intentional and I know the Lord does not view it that way, and Praise his name that he has never left my side.  So what am I talking about you might wonder?  I would like to show you how Christ has really worked with me, held my hand and guided me in a direction that he choose, and I didn’t have a clue what was going on because I somehow was looking in wrong direction.  This is a nasty habit that I have and always seem to find myself laughing when and answer to my prayer is revealed.  About two years ago I was having a very nice conversation with my sister-in-law, her husband, and my wife.  I was telling them how God began to speak in my life (post two of this blog).  It had come to my attention that the Lord told me two very distinctive things. 1. To go out into the wilderness and 2. To start speaking with my father. How would one come up with such an assumption?  After some prayer and contemplation it could only be the Holy Spirit Speaking to my heart.  First I will address the wilderness portion, and then move to number 2, so save any questions you might have for I pray they will be answered after my explanation.  I found myself pondering this “wilderness” and thought the strangest things you ever did hear.  Was I to go into the woods and pitch a tent?  What if I did and the Lord spoke to me?  Hundreds of ideas were swarming through my head, always coming back to the same thought.  What in the world does the Lord mean?  Shortly after that my wife and I (who are big outdoors people and love to hike) were heading off for a vacation in the woods to do some very intense hiking.  I thought, well, this must be what the Lord wanted?  I felt sort of amused at the fact that it all made sense and was coming about just as the Lord had said.  It was a wonderful vacation and I witnessed many wonderful things, but I felt the urge to still go out into the wilderness.  Odd, I thought to myself.  What could the Lord possibly be talking about?  There was an itching in my spirit.  The only possible way that I could describe this “itch” to you is by relating it to a sneeze.  Imagine the feeling you had to sneeze, and yet, there was no relief from the actual action of sneezing.  That was the feeling in my spirit.  I had just spent three days in the wilderness and yet I felt that wasn’t what the Lord wanted or what he was talking about.  So I decided to move onto my father.  It was a beautiful summer afternoon and my mother and my wife were doing some shopping as my father and I sat quietly on a park bench.  I thought this was the opportune time to “talk with my father.”  I laid it all out on the table.  The whole notion of the “sneezing” feeling in my spirit and thought I would get some sort of divine inspiration from my father.  I remember telling my wife that “all my dad said was that he would pray for me and I could find all the answers I was looking for in the Bible.”   A thought that I appreciated, but not what I was looking for.  So, I prayed and struggled with some things, but never received the answer I was looking for.  Notice the last few words in the last sentence (answer I was looking for.)  I was sitting on my back deck one night about a week ago, just chatting with the Lord, a very informal conversation when all of all of a sudden it hit me.  I reflected back on the past two years of my life in a moment.  I realized the situations (many I would never want to relive again and yet many that were completely wonderful) that I had faced in the past two years brought me very close to Christ.  I realized that during those two years I was completely in the wilderness.  I praised the Lord and gave a smile.  He never, ever ceases to amaze me.  After my Mom went to be with the Lord, my father opened up.  I can’t even begin to tell you the amazing conversations we have had, most centered on our Lord and Savior!  One thing that I am learning is our Lord is a very patient God.  He will not always act and respond the way we want because he is God and we are his children, and we are human.  It was wonderful to have my prayers answered and to see what I learned.  So, why am I babbling on about this subject?  I think the person who said “the Lord works in mysterious and wonderful ways” took the words right out of my mouth.  Maybe you will think about that the next time you find yourself questioning God, questioning yourself.  May your thoughts be enlightened by the Lord!

Fri, Jun 16th - 10:51AM

What's your story?

What is it all about?  Interesting question.  Ephesians 1:13-14

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.  Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.

I was reflecting back on some of the people who have touched my life, who have helped shape my understanding, who have taken just a moment of time out of there life to share a thought with me.  I greatly appreciated those moments, even if those “moments” (and their meaning) took some time to reveal themselves.  I will say that I have found all my answer in the Holy Bible, the living Word of God.   It is also very nice to have support, encouragement and wisdom from my brothers and sisters in Christ.  Yes, God has put one big family here on Earth.  It is a family that I am very blessed to have fellowship with, and yes my good friends, this includes those of you who are currently reading this.  Amen!  J.R.R Tolkien once wrote wisdom through his character Gandalf.  In a time of struggle on Earth Frodo wished that he had never come about the situations he was now facing.  “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All that we must decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.  There are other forces at work besides those of Evil Frodo.  And let that be an encouraging thought.”  I appreciated that Tolkien shared that point of view with me.  Lewis, in the Chronicles of Narnia wrote “If the Witch understood the true meaning of sacrifice, she would have interpreted the deep magic differently. That when a willing victim who has committed no wrong, offers himself in a traitor's stead, the stone table will crack, and death itself will go backwards.”  In A Christmas Carol Dickens describes Christmas as "the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of other people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”  The three quotes above have made much sense to me over the years, but this last one just recently really touched my heart.  I was saved as a very small child, quite capable of the understanding of who my Savior was.  It took many years of nourishment to get to where I am today, but still, I was in the Lord’s hands very much my whole life.  I’m not sure exactly what the non-believer thinks of this life here on Earth.  I’m not sure what they think when they see or hear someone witness the gospel of Jesus Christ.  If for some reason you are a non-believer and your reading this (or if you’re a Christian and are going through a wilderness time), know that I am not writing these things for my own glory, so that one day when I stand before the Lord I can say to him, well I wrote in a blog, isn’t that what you wanted me to do?  No my friend that is not my reasoning.  I do these things for the Glory of the Lord only, that somehow maybe he would grant me a stronger understanding of this Life and my walk with him.  We, like Dickens has said, will all go to the grave.  This life is temporary and there is not one human who can disagree with that.  I believe that I am here to learn, that this life is a temporary training ground.  I believe that I have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.  I will only live on this Earth so long before I can finally walk with the peace of God in his kingdom.  I pray you will see this peace as well.  I have learned so much from God’s children on this Earth and the stories that have been shared.  I know there are so many stories I have not heard, wisdoms that have not been spoken.  Moses told the Lord that he was not gifted with his tongue.  Exodus 4: 10-12 Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD?  Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."  Maybe there is wisdom in your own speech, blessings to others by your own walk.  Your story is important to God or he never would have created you, even those that are lost at this time are so important to the Lord.  On a more personal note,  if you have accepted Christ, won’t you come find me in Heaven some day and share your story with me?  I’ll pull up a bench and have a good listen.  Thanks and blessings to all my brothers and sisters for your wisdom and guidance. Praise always be to the Lord.  I look forward to hearing more of it.  Yes, there are people out there watching and listening to you, even if you might not know it.  May the Holy Spirit shine in all of us.  Never be afraid to let your story and your thoughts known (myself included ;-) )

Peace to all!

MAT 5: 14-16

Mon, Jun 5th - 11:22AM

Learning through the loss of a loved one.

 Life continues to get interesting and I’m growing closer to the Lord as every minute passes.  I was recently faced with a situation that I was not prepared for, although now that I look back the Lord (and I praise Him for this) was preparing me.  On May 21, 2006 I watched as my mother slowly passed away (I like to think of it as “departing”.)  Although she had been dealing with cancer for a very long time, I didn’t think her life would be consumed by it so quickly, or so my earthly thoughts were telling me.  However, I can not even begin to express my emotions, the many I have come to experience.  God certainly does take care of his children.  I realized that there are many beliefs that I hold because of the awesome Word of the Lord.  However, it is fascinating to actually experience those beliefs first hand.  What am I talking about?  The Lord certainly does take care of his children.  I was at my Mother’s bed side when I felt the Holy Spirit consuming her room.  Of course there was some sadness in my thoughts, but there was an overwhelming sense of joy, a proud moment for a Son, whose Mother’s work on this earth had finally been completed, knowing she would soon return to the arms of the Lord.  It was strange.  I felt like I should have been trying to hang onto her, trying not to let go so freely, but that seems to be the ways and thoughts of our flesh, not of the Spirit.  I found myself quoting James 5: 15 and remember thinking that the Lord was going to heal her.  I don’t mean heal her in the sense that she would sit up and resume life as if nothing had taken place, but really, truly heal her.  (REV 7: 16-17).  I took her hand, now very cold, and told her to go home.  I long for the day when we can all go back home.  It was a magnificent and wonderful time.  My Mother was a visual interpretation of MAT 5: 14 – 16.  She was filled with Love and carried the grace that Christ had given her.  I felt honored to have shared the last 29 years of my life with her, and to be there when that came to an end (temporarily).  How happy she must have been when her spirit entered Heaven, knowing that there were rooms reserved for her family.  How can I not wake up in the morning and praise God for this wonderful life, with its understanding, knowing that one day we will all be rejoined?  I praise His name.

I also realized that our family has been an incredible witness, not only to ourselves and to each other, but to the people around us.  The Lord has taken what we feel here on earth is a tragedy and made the family “rock solid” in his Word and teachings.  We have broken down walls and began to love each other just as Christ commanded.  It is a struggle to watch my father grieve and I do not pretend to understand his emotions.  It is much different to lose a mother then it is to lose a wife, especially of 41 years.  The Lord has taught me again, by allowing me to be still and watch my father’s reactions, listen to his thoughts, his struggles, his praise to the Lord almighty, watching as the Lord begins to re-shape my father, re-shape the family.  I will never be sure where this event and learning will lead me, but as said in my father’s post, “The Lord never makes a mistake.”  I hold the wonderful memories in my heart and praise Jesus for his wonderful gift of grace.  I truly understand how the Lord must grieve every time his loses a child who has not accepted Christ.  I understand that now (to a point.)  I once had a friend who asked me how I could believe God was so good when there was so much bad happening in the world?  I wish he would have been with me that night, in the hospital, when the Lord sent his spirit upon my family, wrapped us in His loving arms, the way that a father only can, and whispered in my ear that everything will be alright, that my Mother was a good and faithful servant obedient to his will. In my Father's house are many mansions: if [it were] not [so], I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, [there] ye may be also. John 14:2-3  And may that be an encouraging thought.  My father asked me if this experience has brought me closer to the Lord, closer to Heaven.  I said yes, and I pray that one day he will see just how close I have come.  Amen!