Memorial Day Messages

 We had two great Memorial Day messages this past Sunday. One about making memories through caring and ministering to others and one about giving honor to those who deserve it whether you like them or not. I am glad to go to church where we are ministered to by great pastors and where we can fellowship with great people.

I will never write here all that our pastors have said. You need to be there in person to hear them for yourself. I only share how their words affected me and any inspiration that the Holy Spirit gave me while they were preaching.

Bridget in Church

 It was good to have our sister Bridget in service last night. She seems very thin and frail but she seemed to be clear headed and in good spirits. Bridget still has a long road of recovery ahead of her. But at least she was strong enough to go to church last night. Thank God for that!

Thoughts On Uvalde

 There is a troubling thought about school shootings that is overlooked or ignored in the reporting. There is some evidence and understanding that homosexual rape of a boy by a man produces such shame and rage that it could easily turn a troubled, weak boy into a mass murderer.

You cannot research this on Google. But there is truth in the Story of Lot in Sodom that shows just a glimpse into the irrational rage of homosexual men towards outsiders. This was well know to ancient people, but it is hidden from our modern world.

The Uvalde shooting will devolve into a gun ownership argument. Gun laws make it hard to own a gun but those laws did nothing to stop mass murder. And this poor 18 year old boy will be labeled as troubled or a loser or a monster to dehumanize him without understanding why a young boy is so filled with rage against society.

We reap what we sow. God is not mocked. 

One final thought. People who murder the unborn with no shred of remorse are up in arms and distraught over 19 young children murdered in cold blood. Hypocrites!

Troubling Thoughts of Job

 "Does it seem good to you that you should oppress, that you should despise the work of your hands, and smile on the counsel of the wicked?" Job10:3

When our pastor mentioned this verse recently it struck me that just maybe Job was more aware of what was happening than we might understand. Job felt hurt that God would treat him so badly and afflict him in such a cruel manner. Persistent pain and overwhelming grief and financial pressure one on top of the other. Would you or I be able to bear up under even one of those things? Job tried hard to stay righteous with his mouth. To believe that God is good when He seems to be acting against us is hard.

Job felt that God had forsaken him in the darkest hour of Job's life. Job wondered why God would turn blessing into cursing. And Job questioned God's goodness towards him. Job felt oppressed and Job felt abandoned.

One final thought. Job wondered why God would be happy with the one who devised all of this evil against him. Why would God smile at the plans to hurt him? Why is God pleased while Job is suffering? 

It is easy to bear up under the attacks of our enemies. But it is devastating to suffer at the hand of our Father and our God. The wonder of the whole story of Job is that Job didn't turn away and forsake God.

People have turned away from Christ and the church over smaller issues than I have gone through. I'm still here and I trust that God will act for me right now. Amen!

Good Folks

 I am amazed at the kindness and the helpfulness of the people in my new church. They never cease to amaze me. God bless these good hearted people.

God blesses those who bless me. Amen.

Sleeping Through The Storm

 "But he was in the stern, asleep on a pillow." Mark 4:38

There are three men in the Bible that I can think of who were found sleeping on a boat in the midst of a storm where all around them were afraid. One of those is in this text. Jesus was sleeping through the storm. One was Jonah who also was found sleeping through a storm and the third was Paul on his way to Rome where he was sleeping below deck.

How do we find a place in Christ where we are able to sleep through a storm that is raging around us? Jesus said it is faith that allows us to be at peace when all those around us are in turmoil. Also, Jesus might be asleep on the boat but he is still on the boat. Storms are what make life interesting and surviving storms gives us something to rest on and boast in God over.

God never sleeps. But His son did. And if God is always vigilant about what is going on in our lives then why do we worry about things that we have no control over?

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." John 14:27

An Important Concept To Understand

 One thing that we must always keep in mind is that the bible is strictly focused on God, not on history. The Bible is God's word to humanity. The Bible tells us how Christ got here and why he came and how God worked through human history to bring bout redemption. 

There is history in the Bible but it is not a history book. You can go crazy trying to make historical sense out of the Biblical record. There may be benefit in speculation over what is not written and recorded but the focus of the Bible is so clear and easy to understand that we are without excuse.

It does not matter where Cain got his wife or how long it took Noah to build the ark or why God did not criticize Abraham for not defending his wife's honor. Do we really need to know if Paul was married or how did men travel and ignore their families?

God had a plan before the world began. We are involved in some kind of eternal Divine drama. We have to take the bible for what it is and not try to force onto it more than is there. It is only required that we be faithful to what we know and leave the rest to God.

A Word For Today

 "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, Oh Jacob, and He who formed you, Oh Israel; fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine." Isaiah 43:1

Tonight in service we watched the first episode of The Chosen series. This verse was prominently mentioned in the show. And it is God's word not only to ancient Israel but also to us today.

God knows us by name. He knows who we are and He knows what we need. He is a strong redeemer who is able to do things impossible to us. Like the old song says, man's extremity is God's opportunity; and help is on the way!

Amen.

Big New Building And Me

 Once the Prescott church had settled in to it's new building it gave me time to reflect on that building. After the initial crowds for conference and men's discipleship had waned. Once we all had found new seats to sit in. After a short time in the new conference center I began to notice something. I began to feel like that building felt sterile. It was big, it held a lot of people, it was high tech, and it felt more like a museum than a local church.

A big building changes everything for the local church. It changes the sound and the feel of a service. It changes how the pastor interacts with the audience. It makes ministering to individuals harder and less personal. It changes how Sunday school is conducted. Everything was new and clean and perfect. And it felt like visiting someone's perfect home where you cannot touch anything or do anything and where the greatest sin is to make a mess.

Last night I was enjoying our pastor being back home and I was looking around at our enormous and bright new building. It is big, it is bright, it is sparkling, it is clean, and it sucks up sound like an audio sponge. I won't go so far as to describe it as sterile. But it definitely changes a lot about the feel and the spirit of our church.

One reason why our church is still warm feeling in our gigantic conference center, AKA our church, is the warmth and friendliness and the love of the San Antonio saints for one another and for new people. The hospitality and the openness is tangible. I have gained a few pounds from all of the fellowship that I have enjoyed since I moved here.

This big new building will change us as a local church. It will change how we worship. It will change how our pastors minister. And once the rush of the new building wears off we can have this new building for our church home, not just for conference. 

Church buildings are for the church. They are a place where common people can assemble to be in the presence of God. We get what we need to keep going. And we learn how to love others.

Real Love And Marriage

 "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Ephesians 5:31-33

Last night in our home Bible study group we learned about God's great love for us and His commitment to us based on love. And I thought how in wisdom God gave us an example of what real love is by giving us marriage. In a marriage bond we experience the best in human satisfaction. The security and the acceptance and the confidence that comes from true love.

I believe that God loves me because it says so in the Bible. We believe by faith, not because we were there when they crucified the Lord. Faith is taking God at His word. Faith is acting on the basis of what the Bible says. Church is an example of how Heaven will be. 

Marriage is a legal contract. You say I will, and then you sign the license. You do not think about the legality of marriage at the time. But in time things will happen to bring that legal aspect to the forefront. I know a man who was living with a woman without getting married. She died and he had to buy her house to legally continue to live in it. When my wife died I was legally allowed to keep everything we had accumulated in 40 years because we were married.

Love is emotional, but it is deeper than emotions. People try to keep the physical aspects of love alive and fail to understand that marriage is more than sex. If your marriage is only physical you will not last. Seven years is the standard length of sex focused marriages. Sex in marriage is the icing on the cake, but it is not the whole cake. Good marriages illustrate Christ's love for the church. Does your marriage show us how much Jesus loves us? Does your marriage illustrate what commitment and adjustment look like?

Marriage is not salvation. You must repent and believe to be saved. But Christian marriage is profound and satisfying and comfortable. God said that it was not good for the man to be alone. We prove the wisdom of those words every day.