These are uncertain times my friends. But we serve a certain God who never changes. The older I get the more I like that about our Father. Jehovah never changes. He cares for you. He is working for your benefit while you sleep at night. Trust in Him! Though your job is unstable or even non-existent, just remember one thing; He has never forsaken the righteous or left their children begging for bread.

Today, I want to look at some passages on what God says about turning back. There are many people in my life who, at one time in the past, were on fire for God. Many have lost the vision and path that God had shown them. That is what the message is about today.

Turn to Genesis Chapter 19 with me, please. This is a very familiar chapter to all who question the immorality of homosexual sin today. There is much discussion as to the actual sin of the men of Sodom. I have heard modern teachers say that the sin was a lack of hospitality! I think it is foolish since we have a term called sodomy which explains it all. But then again, some miss the simplicity of the Word of God, don’t they?

You know the story here; how two angels came in to destroy the city because of the wickedness there and how there were only four righteous people in its population. Living in a wicked city is not where God’s people should be. While it is true that God wants us to go into all the world, there have been places that He has brought missionaries out of before His judgment fell. Sodom and Gomorrah were just such places. Lot had moved there because it was a fertile place. It was a place of prosperity. Many today will overlook sinful ways at the sake of their bank account. Just look at our last election.  Many chose a man because of what they thought he would do for the economy and not based on standards like abortion, supporting Israel, backing a marriage amendment, etc.

Christians sometimes make these mistakes and suffer right along with the un-godly. Then down the road they wonder where God’s blessings are. Lot was probably just like that. He went to a place where he never should have gone. At times he probably lost sleep wondering if he’d made the right decision. But every day he woke up to sufficient material goods and decided that he should be there after all. In verse seventeen the angels are directing Lot and his family to leave immediately. They gave him very specific rules. They were to not look back nor stay in the plain but were to escape to the mountain.

Lot was hesitant. Do you wonder why? Think about why he went to Sodom in the first place. In chapter thirteen Abraham and Lot find that the land will not support them both. A decision has been made for Lot to move and he chose the land of Jordan because it is fertile. Verses twelve and thirteen of that chapter tell us that Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom and that it was a wicked city. Ponder that for a moment. He overlooked the sinfulness of a place in order to prosper financially. Doesn’t that sound a little familiar today? I like how the Lord said he pitched his tent “toward” Sodom. He placed himself in a position so that it began to be in his view.

We often know what is right and wrong and yet we begin to make excuses as to why sin isn’t really that bad. Before it is over, the enemy has convinced us that the act isn’t really sin anyway and we might as well gain while we are here. Believe me, I’ve been there! Lot probably watched from afar and moved his tent closer every day. Before long, he was in the city limits and then downtown Sodom. Let me throw this in at no extra charge here. You cannot live in a wicked place and be untouched by it. Yes, we are to be in the world but not of it. But God never told anyone to move into a crack house. There are some places that Christians should not go.

Getting back on course, Lot ended up in Sodom because he wanted to make money. His family’s spiritual survival was at stake, as we shall see in a moment. Go back to chapter nineteen. Verses eighteen through twenty show that Lot was still stubbornly trying to do this his way. For some reason, he asked to not run to the mountain but to a small town. He emphasized that Zoar was a small town. The angel allowed it. As Lot, his wife and two daughters escaped his wife did something wrong. She looked back and God turned her into a pillar of salt. Her act doesn’t seem like a sin to die for, does it? After all, Lot kept hesitating and putting off the leaving of his home and he lived. His wife was just turning to look.

In Luke 17:32 Jesus makes the statement to remember Lot’s wife. Obviously, the act was something that we need to take note of. She turned back because her heart was back in Sodom. To really understand Jesus’ statement let’s look at the following verse. He told us that if we seek to save our life we will instead lose it. And if we lose our life we will save it. What is this cryptic sounding message that our Lord gives? He is speaking of our life here on earth. If we spend our energy and time to build up this life, home and possessions we will lose the one to come. And if we put the next life first and put little stock in this world then we shall save our life.

Jesus wants us to run from sin and not look back. Too many times we begin the walk; only to find that it is hard, sacrificial and lonely. We give up much of what the world says makes a person successful. Should we decide that Christianity is too hard and turn back to our old life, we will lose it. That is not to say that people don’t stumble. Peter felt like nothing could shake him and then he denied the Lord three times. We all know that Peter finished the race. I think our Lord was cautioning us to beware where our hearts are. Lot’s wife must have had friends in Sodom. She could have had a beautiful home. Whatever it was, she could not bear the thought of leaving it and turned back.

Look at another passage. In Luke 9:62 Jesus said that no man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. I remember my Dad telling us children to never look back when we were hoeing a row of corn. He said to always look toward the end of the row and to what you had to do. It has made a lifelong impression on me! Don’t look back to what you’ve done. Don’t look at your mistakes or your accomplishments. All we should focus on is what lies ahead. If you look at past mistakes you will be discouraged. If you look at past accomplishments you might become complacent. I have one more scripture to share.

In Hebrews 6:4-6 it says that once someone has come to the knowledge of God and has been a partaker of the Holy Ghost and turns back to their old ways it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. I don’t think this means someone who backslides, I think it is someone who intentionally turns back. I have seen quite a few people who were walking in God and knew the Truth only to decide that they wanted to go back. All we like sheep have gone astray. But someone who makes a decision to turn from God after walking with Him is in danger!

Lot’s wife is the ultimate example. Jesus used her to show what happens when we cannot let go of the past even though He is delivering us from it. She just could not give it up.

What about you and I? Does it ever bother you to think that you might be swayed? If so, then you are probably in good spiritual condition. What I mean is that if you are careful in your relationship with God and want to keep it, He will not let you slide. I am careful with my relationship with my wife and try daily to be the best husband that I can. I don’t think she will divorce me and never fear of losing my marriage. But, if I start thinking that she wouldn’t leave me no matter what I did and treated her badly I am in danger of losing her.

Your salvation is not complete until you cross over, friend. Only then will you be finished. Lot and his family were running to safety. One member turned back. There was too much that she was not willing to give up.

I mentioned earlier that living in Sodom will always influence you in the wrong way. I always hear Christians saying that they can go to bars and such to witness and that they won’t be negatively influenced. I doubt that. If someone had a battle as an alcoholic they surely should stay away from bars. The first clue that we have that Lot was seared to sin is that he offered his two daughters to the men outside his door to do as they pleased. Another is that his two daughters saw nothing wrong with incest after they were out of the city.

Living among sin influences us wrongly. You need to stay away from sin and sinful people. Psalm 1:1 gives us that wisdom.

Have you stumbled today? Are you in fear that you have lost your salvation? If there is a spark of life in you to hear God’s voice He will draw you back. The angels were merciful to Lot as he was taken from Sodom. God is merciful to you and I. He knows our weaknesses. The place that you need to fear is complacency. If you don’t need God in your life then you are in danger. Run to Him while there is hope. He is loving and forgiving. He will never forsake you. Don’t forsake him.

Prayer-Father, I ask that anyone who has looked away from You and Your will now be turned back. May all those who read this message today be reminded that our walk is a continual walk. We do not rest on past experiences but rather look to the future challenges. If someone has considered giving up Your salvation I pray that You would snatch them from the fire. May they come back to you before it is too late.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen

          This week I want to look at perspectives. Life is full of different perspectives. Each of us has a series of life experiences that cause us to look through shaded glasses. Our perspectives are somewhat colored according to what we see, hear and feel in life. We have all had tragedies that have occurred and that may cause us to be cautious in certain areas. For instance, if you’ve ever had an automobile accident that caused you to be injured you may have an extra caution about driving. If someone in your family died of a heart attack you will be more cautious about your diet or exercise.

On the other side, we have good experiences that make us tie certain events with happiness. Perhaps listening to certain music reminds us of a younger day when we had parties or fellowship that we enjoyed. If we hear that music again it can give us a certain temporary elation. Having a new experience for us can be either good or bad. This depends on whether or not we feel like we’ve had a string of good or bad new experiences. Just as an example, I am not a risk taker. I always seem to regret things that changed and so whenever something does I immediately begin to be concerned. I think this attribute of my personality came from something back in my past. I have to force myself to do things that God leads me to do where risk is involved.

Our emotions and thought processes can be fooled into thinking something is not there. As children, many of us saw shadows that were imagined to be frightening things. In our minds, we were sure that the monster was there and that we were in danger. I can even prove my point with you right over the internet today. I want you to imagine a bright, yellow lemon right now. Imagine that it is fresh and juicy. Not imagine that you are cutting it open. You feel the juice run out when you do this and the lemon fragrance fills the air. Finally, I want you to imagine that you take half of it and hold it to your tongue. Let me ask you honestly; did it make your jaws tighten a little bit? Mine did in just writing about it! Your senses can be fooled into believing something is there that doesn’t exist.

Perhaps we can look at other things that make us who we are. We can imagine ourselves to be really good at something. When we were younger we may have felt like we were masters at certain things. Perhaps you played sports in school and were a star athlete. In your arena you might have been the best. But given that our arenas change you could have only been a big fish in a little pond. Later, you might have gone to college and discovered that you are a little fish in a big pond. When the pond changes, so does our perspective.

My points today are to get us all thinking. We may have had something that happened to us to make us fear, love or hate something wrongly. We also could have had something that caused us to feel as if we had reached perfection. It could have been an accidental thing or intentional. Whatever it was, it can cloud our judgment.

I was once a whitewater kayaker. I never was extremely proficient at it but I did enjoy the hobby. I had one or two occurrences, shall we say, that caused me to lose interest. Even with hundreds of dollars invested in a hobby you can decide to give it up as you are dragged upside down in the water while your helmet bashes the rocks. It only takes a few seconds and you can be ready to sell out.

While kayaking is just a hobby, we can get that way with anything. I once knew a man that gave up work when the store that he managed was robbed at gunpoint. There was no one harmed but he allowed his fear to rob his family of the income he had made. The man’s wife later divorced him because he refused to leave the house. Fear can be a crippling thing. It can make us more cautious, yes. But it also can steal away our good judgment.

I may sound like I am rambling but I want you to follow me some more. In the same way that we can be tricked into thinking negatively about ourselves the enemy has another weapon called pride that does the opposite thing. Just think about what happens in warfare. One tactic would be to put fear into their enemy to disrupt their thoughts and scatter them on the battlefield. But another tactic would be to make your enemy think he has you outnumbered. Hiding your weaponry and number of troops will give them an air of confidence that could be their downfall. The enemy will charge in half prepared because they believe you are outnumbered.

We all have certain things that we are good at in life. If you are a professional you probably had schooling to get you to where you are today. It could be that you are very talented in your field. If you are very good at your profession you might actually get the impression that you are a perfect man and in need of nothing. A man who has become a good manager of a workforce of people may go home and be a terrible manager of his family and not even know it. Because we excel in one area of life does not mean that there isn’t another area that we have a deficit in.

I am speaking from personal experiences. People often get prideful because they’ve mastered one part of their lives and can’t grasp that other areas are terribly off course. Just look at the Hollywood crowd of actors. The very best in that business always seem to have trouble with failed marriages, drugs, and even suicide. I believe that this is a perfect example of what we are looking at today.

Turn to Isaiah chapter five. Verse twenty-one of that chapter is a warning to men who are wise in their own site. This is the man who feels that he is right even though he isn’t. What do you think would cause a man to think this way? I believe it is because he has done well in a certain area of life. There is a part of him that has become the best and it blinds him into thinking that he is the best-period. He has been fooled into thinking that he is the best husband, father, friend and citizen. This is the arrogant, prideful crowd of Hollywood and also your neck of the woods. It can happen to the unsaved as well as the saved. Pride is a tool the devil uses to deceive us into a confidence that blinds. It makes the husband who is a senior manager at his company bully his wife in a way he would never do his employees.

There have been many Christian men who ended in divorce because they felt like their wives would never leave them. They felt the only reason for them to leave was adultery and since they hadn’t committed that sin they were sure that she would have no right to leave. It mattered not that they abused them verbally to the point of punching holes in the wall, towered over the children and constantly put their own desires ahead of their families needs. In their minds, they are good managers so therefore they must be great husbands.

Isn’t pride a blinding sin? My Dad used to warn me when I was riding a motorcycle that I wouldn’t fall unless I thought I was good at it. Sure enough, when I became so confident that I thought I knew what I was doing and no one could tell me any different I fell. (My Dad gets smarter every year) There is something called humility that the child of God needs. Our Lord had it and He was the Son of God. He created the Heavens and Earth and still walked in Supreme Humility. His example was for us to not be high-minded and haughty. Our attitude should be abased from what our flesh wants. Our flesh tells us that we have arrived. Confidence and pride are traits that the world teaches. Our confidence should never be in ourselves but in Jesus alone.

I mentioned earlier that we are big fish in a little pond if we are prideful. If this is where you find yourself today you need to change ponds. Perhaps you haven’t mastered the other areas of your life. You treat your coworkers better than you do your family. Maybe you can deal with everyone else’s children except your own. It’s possible that your charity is with everyone else except your own household. You need to change ponds, my friend. Let the Holy Spirit show you just who you are. Then, let Him show you just who Jesus is. That should be enough to take you to the big pond. Don’t be wise in your own eyes. It’s very probable that you are not perfect. Search for ways to become more like Jesus this day.

I have a phrase that I repeatedly tell my family. I have told them that if they didn’t remember anything else Daddy said they should always remember this. “We are so far from God”. The more I grow in Christ the greater I discover was the gap that Christ bridged for me. As I learn about Jesus and myself I realize a little more how sinful I am. We are so far from God.

Friend, take another look at your life today. You may be a leader in your church and have children that are going astray. You could be the greatest mechanic that walks the earth and your wife’s car can be falling apart. You might be a manager of a huge budget where you work and still fail to meet your family’s needs. Take stock in who you are. There is room for improvement—believe me.

Father-I pray that You reveal pride in us today. If there is some area of our lives that we’ve been deceived in I pray that you reveal it. May we not be wise in our own eyes.

I pray for those who are sick today for a healing touch. May you heal relationships that are slowly falling apart. I ask that you provide jobs for those who have lost them in this perilous time. Provide a home for those who are facing foreclosure. Bring our nation to the cross.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen

This week I am looking at stones. Have you ever thought much about them? We have pretty good soil that doesn’t have many rocks in it but we do have an outcropping of rocks in sporadic places. Just a few feet up the hill there is a pile of rocks where someone in the past marked a grave. These are neatly arranged to show the place where three people were laid to rest. I am always amazed at the talent it takes to build with stones.

At our last home Angie built a retaining wall around a flower bed using random rocks she collected. It was beautiful work and I admired her talent. I guess I always admire people with talent to things I can’t do. I have never been very good with puzzles. Whenever the family sits around the table in the winter evenings putting together a picture puzzle I get frustrated. I seem to sit for hours trying piece after piece while the girls snap together sections of the puzzle. I have a hard time imagining the part in various positions to see if it fits. While each piece of a puzzle does have a place, stones are even more mismatched in that no two are the same. For someone to actually produce a building or bridge with rocks is totally amazing to me.

I am thinking about a passage of scripture this week about a stone that goes along with these thoughts. Look at Psalms 118 and verse 22. The Psalmist gives a prophecy of the coming Messiah who would be rejected but would end up as the chief cornerstone. I get a mental image of an oddly shaped puzzle piece here that doesn’t fit in to my picture. It might be tossed aside and forgotten. But as I get to a certain point I remember it and try again to make it work. It is then that I realize it is the most important piece that exists.

I was thinking back on my childhood and observing from a more mature point of view. I must have looked like quite a strange person when I was a teenager. In my high school days I didn’t fit in with any group. You know the groups that I’m talking about. I was never athletic so I didn’t fit in with that group. I was so un-athletic that during P.E. they rarely threw the ball to me and when they did I dropped it. Even though I play several instruments now I wasn’t in the marching band and so I didn’t fit in there. I wasn’t a partying person so the party group didn’t accept me. My family wasn’t affluent so I didn’t fit in with the rich kids group. Basically, I wasn’t like anyone. I was very introverted and didn’t attend many school activities like ballgames or dances. I used to wonder how God could use someone like me. If you looked at me back then you might have wondered that, too. I’m sure no one picked me out of a crowd to be successful. While I did well academically, I had little to no help from the school counselor. With what I know now I am sure I could have gotten a scholarship. But washing pots and pans at a restaurant put me through school and here I am today.

There was another stone that was rejected by builders. You know what rejection is like, right? You and I have not fit into this world since the day we were born-again. We’ve been add shaped rocks just like Jesus. That stone wall that you see is held together in strength because of stones placed exactly in the correct places. Each one is unique. No two are alike. A stone arch is even more amazing because it holds up its own weight. There is a keystone or corner stone that fits in place. That keystone is critical to the structure. No other stone will do.

The Psalmists foresaw that the Messiah would be overlooked. Jesus was missed by Jewish leaders. He did not fit into what they imagined the Messiah would be. They saw Messiah as someone who would build a world kingdom and overcome every kingdom on this world. Have you noticed how many people still miss Jesus for who He is because of the same reason? Look at verse twenty-three. This is the Lord’s doing. We serve a God who is above us. His ways are higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. I would not want a God that I could figure out. He wouldn’t be God if I could. If I could figure out how God created the Heavens and the Earth He would not be God. God had a wonderful plan to bring Jesus into the world as a baby. He grew up to be a man who died for the sins of the world. And He is God.

Look at Matthew chapter twenty-one. In verse forty-two Jesus quoted this passage from Psalms. His use of this passage is showing them that the Kingdom would be taken from the Pharisees and given to another nation that accepted the stone. Continue reading and see that anyone who falls on this stone would be broken but the person on whom the stone falls will be ground into powder.

Peter used this passage in his sermon of Acts chapter four. Paul had an interesting observation about this as well. In 1^st Corinthians chapter one and verse twenty-three Paul says that Christ is preached and received by the Jews as a stumbling block. Have you ever had something that was in your path and it became an irritant to you? Perhaps a child’s toy was in your walkway and you tripped over it. How about a large rock? We have rocks lining our pathway to our door and they sometimes get moved in the way. Paul said that Jesus was a stumblingblock to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks.

This same Jesus is the one that people today still trip all over and around. He irritates people who are trying to do things their own way. They don’t see that Jesus doesn’t have to be something to trip over. He can be the steppingstone to reach God. He was rejected and despised of men and we esteemed Him not (Isaiah 53:3). Jesus is our only path to God. Don’t overlook this Rock today. He may not fit into your plans because your plans are wrong. He fits perfectly into God’s Plan for your life. Try Him today and you will be amazed at how your life finally fits together. Only Jesus can do it.

Prayer-Father, we thank You for the Stone that was rejected by others. Thank You that You opened our eyes to how it all fits together. I pray that if someone is reading this today and their life seems out of order may they see that Jesus can put it back together again. My Your Spirit be the architect for their lives.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen

I’ve been thinking a lot about life this week. With the tragedies that happened in Boston, Waco and southwest China it makes a person think about their own lives. We’ve all been given a limited number of days to spend on this planet; some have only a few days while some have many years. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t matter if someone lives to be a hundred they still seem to leave too soon.  Each of us will get to the end of our lives one day when we probably don’t want to. Today I want to look at that time.

I was reading in Deuteronomy chapter thirty-four a few weeks back about the end of Moses life. As I read through Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy over a few months I examined the incredible life of Moses. This great man had patience like no other with God’s people. Time and time again they rebelled against God and Moses went to plead their defense. Time and time again he saved their lives. No wonder he is a type of Christ. And yet, this man was only human. He did not live a perfect life. He had his own skeletons in the closet as we all do. He drifted away from God’s plan on more than one occasion. Once he murdered an Egyptian and had to run away for forty years.

As I read about the Children of Israel turning again to their own ways in spite of obvious miracles happening I felt a frustration in my own life. Since Moses is a type of Christ are the Israelites symbolic of the Church?  They surely are. We all have had to depend on Jesus to sit at the right hand of the Father and make intercession for us just as Moses did for Israel (Numbers 14). In our rebellion we would have been destroyed if not for the Savior.

Moses lived a more righteous life than anyone I have ever met. Yet, he failed to fully obey God and suffered the consequences of his sin. Look at Deuteronomy chapter thirty four starting in verse one. God showed Moses the Promised Land from a mountain. It was his life’s goal to lead Israel to this land. For forty years he had lived in Egypt. Then, he lived in the wilderness forty years until God called him from a burning bush to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. After many miracles God brought them out of slavery. But in their rebellion the Promised Land was taken away from them and given to their children. They were forced to wander for forty years in the wilderness until that generation died away. Moses would still have been able to take this new generation into Canaan but he failed God. In verse four God told him he would not go in.

In spite of always being patient with the people Moses lost his temper one day. In Numbers chapter twenty we read that the people reached a point where they had no water. This was not the first time they had to trust God for water in a desert and He had provided it miraculously before (Ex 17:6). Moses was told to strike a rock and water gushed forth to quench their thirst. In Numbers twenty they again had no water. Instead of humbly trusting in God as they should have they rebelled against Moses again. They cried out wishing they were back in Egypt. As I read this I was reminded by the Spirit of the many times I had doubted God in need of the same thing He had already done before. Healing? He has healed me many times before. Provision? A Job? God has always provided for my needs and the needs of my family. I have seen God faithful for years in every area of my life. So why does my flesh still cause me to doubt at times?

While there are many characters in the Bible who are a type of Christ none of them perfectly act out Jesus since all of them are simply humans. Moses was no exception to this rule. He faithfully stood in the gap between God and His people. But this second time that the people doubted God about water Moses lost his temper. Make no mistake-Christ faithfully defends you and me and never gives up His case for us. He became the propitiation of our sins. He never loses His temper with us.

The first time they cried for water Moses went to God asking for an answer (Ex 17:4). God told him to strike a rock with his staff and that water would flow. When it happened a second time (Numbers 20) God told Moses to speak to the rock and that water would flow. Instead of speaking to the rock as God commanded he struck it with his staff twice (v 11). When he did this God provided water but told Moses that he would not go into the Promised Land (v12).

And so we come to the end of Moses life in Deuteronomy chapter thirty-four. God indeed brought him to Mount Nebo and allowed him to see that which he worked so hard for but never was able to partake of. When I pondered these events it occurred to me that all of us would someday have one last look. We will be faced with the events of our lives-our triumphs and failures and see that which we could have done. If Moses, that great man of God failed I don’t believe anyone will think they did everything they should have. We all must remain diligent.

The lessons here are that life is short and each decision can make or break us. God has a perfect will for our life. He allows challenges to make us into the people we need to be. He stretches our faith and builds us into the strong people of God if we will remain faithful to Him. All of us will fail in some areas but some people will fail Him completely. Look in Luke chapter nineteen. Starting in verse twelve Jesus gave a parable of ten servants. In this story the master gave each servant a talent (a measure of money) to invest while he went away. Some of the servants declared that they would never follow this master. When he returned from his trip he called them all to account for their actions.

The first one had made ten times the amount and presented it to his master. The second one had made five times the amount. The third one announced that he only had the original talent. He stated that he hid it because he knew his master was a harsh man. The master rebuked him and took away even the talent he originally had. He gave it to the servant who had made ten times the amount.

What lesson are we to learn in all this; first, Moses’ life and then this parable? The lesson is that God expects us to be productive in this life and follow His plan to the best of our ability. We probably will make mistakes but God expects us to try. The servants all had the same opportunity. They had the same amount of money to invest, buy and sell with. Two are mentioned as having done something with it. One did nothing and the rest seemed to rebel against being under this man (v14). The man who did nothing with his talent lost it all. The rebellious servants were taken and killed (v27).

Let me ask you something. If today was the last day you would wake up would you say that your life has been successful? Would you stand before the Master and tell Him that you had done all within your power to be productive according to His will for your life? Or would you be like the man who hid his talent in fear that he would fail? Finally, would you be like the remainder who simply rebelled against the Master and did as they pleased? All of us fall into some category here. All of us must someday give an account of our lives.

We spend each day in habits that we have formed through the years. We go through the same routines on weekdays and another on weekends. We take life reactively instead of proactively. When something happens we then act. We never listen to God or ask for His guidance and in failing that area we fail all others. He wants to make us successful. He has a plan if we will only act. We cannot sit by and watch life go by any longer. We must act. And like Moses, we must be cautious. Given the choice I would rather be like Moses and fail in some area than to sit by in fear of trying.

Peter was one of the greatest Disciples. He was known for his brash and bold personality. We might think of Peter as stumbling and loud mouthed. He often spoke out of ignorance while others sat in silence. We remember him for trying to walk on water with Jesus and sinking. But remember, he did walk a few steps! I’d rather be like Peter and try walking on water than be one of the others sitting safely in the boat.

One day we will be given a view of what we could have had. God will show us all how our lives were supposed to be and where we would have ended up. I personally have failed Him in so many areas of my life. I spent so much time on things that really didn’t matter. I ignored the needs of my family and friends when I should have helped. I held my money when I should have freely given to the needy. I turned away when someone asked for assistance in matters of life. I studied just enough to pass the test when I should have given my all because He deserves my best.

What about you, friend? Have you done well with the life the Master has given you? Did you go about it half-hearted like the servant who received back five? Maybe you are in fear of failing so you’ve hid your talent and produced nothing for Him. I encourage you today to make the most of your life from this moment on. He is worthy of our best. Will there be mistakes? Yes, but don’t give up. The only real mistake is not trying.

Father-I pray for courage for someone today who is afraid to step out for You. They have hidden their talents and have never tried to live for You or in Your will. May they see the joy possible when they take a step towards the wonderful plan You have for them. Help us all to forgive ourselves in our failures and to pick up and press on toward the mark and high calling of Christ Jesus.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen

We’ve had a problem that began a couple of years back with drainage in the chicken coop area. The chickens have an outside area that they can get to for sunlight and air. It’s fenced in and through the years it slowly filled in with manure, old hay and feed that was not consumed. When it rained the water back flowed into the barn because there was no place for it to go. Now, functionally the coop works fine. The chickens lay eggs in a nest box that can be accessed from outside. There is a feeder that goes through the wall so I don’t have to go inside to feed them. Also, there is an automatic waterer that only requires weekly cleaning. The chickens all live healthy lives.

Along with the drainage problem the poultry netting was rusted and there have been holes patched with anything at hand through the years. Repairing this was at the top of my springtime projects list. We decided to clean it up and put new wire around it. There were four trees that we originally left for shade. It turned out that they dropped leaves and sweet gum balls in the gutter, further hindering the drainage.

This morning we began bright and early with the cleanup. Once the fencing was taken down I was able to get in and cut the trees. I was quite apprehensive about dropping trees so close to a structure but the day went very well. After that I took the tractor and began to grade down the area. To my surprise this area was at least ten inches higher than when we originally built the barn. It came up past the bottom rail of the barn that much and load after load of manure came out.

As I was running the tractor a Proverb came to mind. Proverbs 14:4 says “Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox”. I thought about what it meant. When you look in a farm magazine you see pictures of horse stables or barns that look picture perfect. They look clean enough to walk through barefoot. But we all know that these were cleaned up just before the pictures. In reality the feed trough gets just as dirty as your finest china when you eat. The water trough collects debris that must be washed out and there is always something to shovel! If you drive past a cattle ranch you will see muddy areas where the cattle are fed. On the other side of our barn opposite the chicken coop is the area where we feed the sheep and goats. Sheep and goat manure is small and round like raisins. Some of you may be surprised to know that even this area has to be shoveled or scooped out from where they stand when they eat. It also builds up a ten to twelve inch layer of composted manure which we take to the garden regularly.

Most people only know animals by seeing them at the zoo or reading a book on them. The rest of what comes with livestock is often a surprise to non-farm types. The fresh air of the country sometimes changes to a stink. Solomon was trying to get us to realize something with his proverb. If you have oxen the stall will need cleaning. If you don’t have oxen it will all be clean, but what is the point of it all anyway? I believe the reason Solomon told us something that seems to be something that would be understood is because it’s really not understood ahead of time.

We often want things in our lives that, after we get them are surprised at the amount of work they take. My family loves to garden but it is non-stop work. There is always weeding to do. Insects will have to be carefully watched for and if found they will have to be stopped to prevent crop failure. Sometime during the growing season the rain will subside and the garden hose will have to be used to water the plants. Once the vegetables produce there is canning and preparing to store the harvest. Then, when the growing cycle is over the soil must be turned under for the next round.

Anything of value takes effort. A young man wants a wife but after he marries he finds that there is a fair amount of maintenance to keep the relationship strong. Later he and his wife want children and when the baby arrives it seems to consume all of their time.  They have a second child and it seems logical because they already have a baby bed, car seat, stroller and infant supplies. Then their lives seem like a juggling act in trying to keep both children tended to and occasionally spend time with each other.

Marriage is a lot of work but what about our relationship with others? We meet people and become friends. During the first few visits we learn all the common things that bring us even closer. Then, there is “stuff” that is discovered and we realize that our new friend is not perfect. They have habits that irritate us or beliefs that go against ours. We have to deal with these as they occur to keep the friendship going.

I have noticed whole churches in desperate need of revival that could learn a thing or two from Solomon’s proverb. They go week after week with the same people on the same pews. No new faces are ever seen. A guest speaker arrives and the members invite visitors to hear him. During the week there are people saved and they begin to come to church regularly. At first everyone is excited about the new people. Then, problems arrive. One family has a baby that cries during the message. Another family comes in and sits on Mr. Jones’ pew; the one that his father donated money for and has the brass plaque that testifies to this act. He always sat there before but now when he arrives the new family is on it, end to end. Another problem arises when these new people want to do different things that have never been done. One plays the guitar and asks if he can join the piano during the worship. Another actually claps out loud to the music. A third raises his hands in the service and the “original” church members begin to complain. If you want revival you must be willing to adapt to the changes coming. All of these kinds of adjustments go along with new church members, family changes or owning an ox.

At first we may be like the Israelites in the wilderness. When they realized how much work there was they whined and said they had it better in Egypt. They thought of the food they’d been spoiled with. They moaned to Moses about every little thing that came up. They believed that slavery was better than freedom because the learned freedom isn’t free. If we stop to think about the proverb we learn that Solomon wants us to remember the power of the oxen. The last part of that proverb says much increase is in the power of the ox.

If we want much increase in our lives we need to be willing to do the work that goes along with it. Jesus said that to whom much was given much would be required (Luke 12:48). Going to school is very hard work. Once we get out of mandatory school we might think getting a degree or specialized skill is not worth the effort, but it is. I made a commitment out of high school to get training in electronics. Once I started I worked a full time job washing pots and pans and went to school four more hours a day. After I graduated I immediately doubled my salary. Soon I made more than three times the salary I made washing dishes at the restaurant. Solomon’s point is that there are a lot of things extra that we must put up with to enjoy the increase of the oxen.

People often give up on things way too soon. When I started my electronics class there was one hundred and ten students in it. By the time we graduated there was only thirty. Everyone in our class was offered at least two jobs on graduation day and some people were offered three. I almost quit school, too. During the hardest days I called my Dad to tell him I was quitting. It seemed to be overwhelming for me and everything piled up all at once. Daddy talked calmly to me over the payphone and told me what to do, step by step to get caught up. Within a few weeks I had a routine worked out that I learned to live with. Routines are the key to dealing with the mess. If you let things pile up you will have a mess on your hands!

Today was the perfect example of handling a large job bit by bit. I knew that the trees would have to be dropped carefully. Angie and I discussed it and put ropes on the ones leaning over the barn. I cut those first. Then, I cut the next one in order of how I hoped it would fall. With God’s blessings they all fell where I needed them.

What is going on in your life right now that seems to be too much trouble? Is it a relationship or maybe a job? Perhaps there is someone in your path that needs Jesus and they appear to need a lot of work. Would you be willing to do the work for the great increase of saving a lost soul from Hell? Maybe there is a young man in your life who needs mentoring. He is being raised by his mother and needs a man in his life. Would you be willing to stand in the gap? Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox.

Prayer-Father, there are times when we take on something in our lives that suddenly seem too much trouble. If there are those who have committed themselves to something allow them to see the increase that comes from staying with it. You promised that we would reap if we don’t give up. May we all be willing to step out of our comfort zone and do those things which are risky and uncomfortable for us To Your Glory.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen!

            Welcome to the message from Shepherd’s Hill. I would like to wish you all a happy Resurrection Sunday. This day is the pinnacle in the year for Christians. Many people go to churches on this day and forget about God the rest of the year. A man once said that he overheard someone leaving church after a Resurrection Sunday service. The man told his wife that he was going to stop coming to church because they always sang the same two songs-“He Arose” and Silent Night”! Truthfully though many people seem to believe that going to church on two days a year make for a good relationship with God. The same logic would suggest that a man would go home to see his wife twice a year; on her birthday and on their anniversary. That would not be a marriage relationship just as going to church for special services doesn’t make you a Christian.

During this special time of the year we do focus on what Jesus did for mankind. Before the foundation of the world God had a plan to redeem fallen man. Can you grasp that? I can’t. How could God even create a world where man would fall into rebellion against his own Creator? The more one ponders it the more difficult it is to understand. No wonder we stop during this special season to remember what Jesus did for us.

I was thinking about the word “Savior” this week. What does that word mean to you? A while back we had a small fire in the office building that I work in. I was in my office when the alarm went off. I got up and went down the stairs to our designated meeting area in the parking lot. About a minute later I was called back in and told that the alarm was in my equipment room. When I arrived the room was so full of smoke I couldn’t see the far wall. The building services manager had turned off the air conditioner as he felt the belt had burned up on the fan. I inspected it and the belts were loose but not burned. I had to leave very quickly as the smoke was choking me. We decided to open doors up and get some fans to get the smoke out.

A couple of minutes later I turned around and firemen were standing all around me. It was quite a site as they had on their full suits, helmets, respirators and axes. As they inspected the room I thought about all they must have been through and all they might go through in the future. I remembered stories of firemen on September eleventh going up the twin towers . They were going straight to their death to try and save any who couldn’t get out. Why do men chose a job that requires them to risk their lives for very little pay? We sometimes refer to the people in these jobs as heroes, but not often enough. People who are in burning buildings know they are in trouble. They see the fire, hear the alarm and smell the smoke. Fear is in them and they know that death is imminent if help doesn’t come. These heroes arrive and deliver people from the fire regardless of who they might be. They are called heroes, but could also be called saviors. The word means “one who saves”.

We refer to Jesus as the Savior (capital S). But exactly what did He do on that cross? There was a world that didn’t know it was even in trouble. Men walked in sin and lead miserable lives, but they knew no better. The Jews were waiting on Messiah but they thought He would come as an Earthly leader and set His kingdom up here. They believed the sacrificial system was sufficient and that the law would redeem them. The Messiah was just needed to deliver them from the oppression of the world. Men did not consider the real need for a Savior. John the Baptist came and preached repentance. He paved the way for this Savior. His job was the same as the fire alarm. It got people to thinking about their lives. His message was clear-you are in trouble and you need delivering.

I must admit that there was something in me that said “false alarm” when the alarm went off. I have been working on a project that has a deadline of next Friday. I felt inconvenienced by this and wanted to hear that they were testing the alarm. The building services manager sits next to me and he assured me that it wasn’t a test. When I got to the parking lot I found that I had brought two envelopes with me to mail in the basement-just in case it was a smoke sensor bad. My mind was on my daily routine and considered this to be an inconvenience.

When Jesus came to Earth He arrived in the form of a baby. His family was poor and insignificant. This was definitely not the picture of the Messiah for the Jews. When He grew up John the Baptist went forth preparing the way for Him. When Jesus ministered, He performed miracles demonstrating the great love God has for man. Some believed but for many people Jesus’ message was just an inconvenience. They wanted their lives to go ahead and wished that this troublemaker would disappear. In spite of fulfilling hundreds of prophecies that proved He was Messiah they chose to ignore the fire alarm. Everything verified that there was a problem but they refused to believe it. In fact, it made them angry at this man for interrupting their life.

Have you ever had an interruption like this? You have your life all planned out and them something happens that causes you to get setback. It was God’s plan to have Jesus go to the cross. He was the only way men might be saved. Without Jesus giving the ultimate sacrifice mankind would be lost. The sacrificial system of lambs only temporarily covered the problem. Sin ultimately has to be dealt with.

What is the significance of Jesus dying on a cross? What does it have to do with you and me? People often don’t listen to warning signs. A cross-arm comes down at a railroad track and motorists drive around it. A person begins to have chest pain that goes down their arm and they believe its indigestion so they ignore it. We really don’t want to admit we’ve got a problem. In our minds, we are good people and God would not send us to an eternal lake of fire, would He? Some people put their faith in their actions. Others do it in religions. We who know Christ have realized the great need we have and have given ourselves completely to Him and God’s will for our lives.

People who are in danger and are rescued need to go back to that moment of salvation and regularly remember. I suppose that is why the victims of Muslim terrorists on September eleventh are seen back at ground-zero. We who are born-again still need to be reminded why Jesus died.  It’s easy to get delivered and then act as if you really could have gotten out of the building on your own. I am quite amazed at those who call themselves Christians and yet walk around acting as if they were Christ Himself. They have forgotten that they are still just sinners saved by grace.

When I was a child I knew nothing. I learned from my parents and those around me and I slowly grew up with knowledge. By the time I turned twenty I thought that I knew more than those who taught me. It seemed that the older I got the smarter I was and I needed no one. Then one day I had a great fall and was brought back to my knees.

I have noticed a trend in Christians to start with repentance and come to God, but then forget that they are sinners. We had a pastor years back that strutted around proclaiming “Don’t say you are a sinner saved by grace. You are a King’s Kid and are now royalty”. Let me show you something in the Gospels that Paul wrote.

Paul was saved on the road to Damascus by a blinding flash of light. His zeal for God in killing Christians was turned around and used for the real purpose of God. He wrote much of the New Testament and was known to be a great Pharisee and learned man of the scripture. The first letter he wrote was Galatians (they’re not in chronological order in our Bibles). Look at how he opens this letter in Galatians 1:1.

Paul refers to himself as an Apostle. I can just imagine that since he hunted down Christians before he was saved he would have had some explaining to do to be accepted by the church. He took authority and told the church at Galatia that he was, indeed an Apostle.

Now look at 1^st Corinthians 15:9. Paul here says that he is least of the Apostles and not worthy to be called an apostle because he persecuted the Christians. In Philippians chapter three Paul begins to explain his status in Christ and where he stands. He gives his credentials in verse four. His statement was that if anyone could have made it through works, he could (my paraphrase). He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, zealous for God and blameless in the law. All of those were not enough to bring him to salvation. He needed the knowledge of God and the power over death that only comes through Christ. He needed a Savior. Paul stated his desire in verse ten. He wanted to know Jesus and the power of His resurrection.

Why would the Apostle Paul go back to this if from the moment of his salvation experience on Damascus Road he knew the power of His resurrection? It’s because it wasn’t complete. Salvation is not just an event. It’s a change in us that keeps changing.

Why did Jesus die on a cross?  All mankind needed a Savior. Think on this: See Him brutally beaten and abandoned by His friends. Watch as He is made to carry His own cross up a hill. View that dark hour as the sky grows black when even His Father turns around. When the weight of the sin of mankind was fully His He completed His mission. After acknowledging that it was finished He chose to give up His life. Even death would not take Him until he decided. When He was laid in a tomb His followers thought it was the end of the story. When you ponder on all He has done remember-you and I really are that bad. When the first day of the week came around they discovered that the world was changed. Never again would man have to be separated from God. That day is celebrated by Christians all over the world today. It is acknowledged as the most Holy of Days.

Perhaps you claim Jesus as your Lord. Maybe you do recognize His role as Savior of the world. But have you realized that you still need Him? Jesus doesn’t just help us out of the burning building and then go back to the fire station. He is still carrying us throughout our lives. Until that day when we see Him face to face His Holy Spirit walks with us to get us through this life successfully. Without Him we won’t make it. If you’ve never given your life to Him then today is your day. On April 14^th I will celebrate my 41st Born-again day. It was on that day in 1972 that I gave my heart to Jesus. He has never left my side. You can have that today.

Prayer-Father, help us on this Holy Day to remember what Jesus did on the cross. Help us understand our continual need for His changing power. May we walk with Your Holy Spirit every moment of our lives. Thank You for giving Your Son. Thank You Jesus for being my Savior.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen

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I quickly turned off the radio so that I could meditate on that statement. I knew that something was there for me spiritually. Is this a condition that Christians can get into while trying to walk their beliefs? I think it is. Anytime I get a thought like that I always have to go to the Word and see if it’s true. You see, the Word of God is truth. As I prayed about this I started thinking about Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. This sermon can be found in Matthew chapters five through seven. Jesus talked about the Law and how it stated certain things. Several times He said ,”You have heard it said” and then finished the thought with “But I say”. In each statement Jesus made it clear that He taught a stricter and more difficult way to live.

For example in verse thirty-eight He talked about the law of an Eye for and Eye. When someone is negligent or intentionally harms someone by the old law they would have the same suffering applied to them. His teaching on this was that we should not resist evil but rather turn the other cheek when someone is harmful to us. This goes against out flesh and that is exactly the point He was trying to make.

In verse forty-three He talked about the law to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. His response was to love your enemy and to do good to those that hate you and to pray for those who abuse you. Again, we see that we are to overcome the flesh and to go against that thing inside us that would want us to get even. It is a difficult thing to do. In fact, it is impossible without God helping us. We cannot, of our own will love our enemies. It just won’t happen. Look at Matthew chapter seven and verse thirteen. Jesus told us that the entrance to heaven is a narrow place and few will get in. Hell has a broad path and many will go there. Whenever someone calls you narrow-minded that may be a good thing if you are narrowly focused on God. If you are it will make the majority angry. They want to believe that everyone who is sincere will go to heaven even if they believe in other paths. Only Jesus can lead a person to Heaven. So, how is all of this playing to win instead of playing to not lose? Stay with me because I’ve got more scripture to cover first.

The Holy Spirit took me to the story of the Widows Mite in Luke chapter twenty-one. Jesus sat and watched as people gave money to the Temple. He saw many people drop money in but then a poor widow came through and dropped in a couple of pennies. This small act caused Him to comment on her situation.  All gave some but she gave all. She did not give out of her abundance but totally gave all she had. Have you considered that Jesus is observing your giving habits? Did you know that He sees your acts for what they are? The world may think we are living right but Jesus knows if we are really doing our best.

God demands the best we have. He always has. When the Old Covenant was in place the only sacrifice that He would accept was the spotless lamb. If the lamb had a blemish it was unacceptable as a covering for sin. In that day you could not give a blemished animal simply because it had little worth to you. Your best was required. Ultimately, this is a picture of Jesus and the sacrifice He made for us on the cross. He was the lamb without spot or blemish. If we look again to the Old Covenant as an example (Gal 3:24) we see that not only did the sacrifice have to be perfect but the priest had to be pure before he could enter the Holy of Holies. The people themselves had to sanctify themselves (Lev 20:7-8). They were required to obey the law and their hearts had to be right(2 Chron 30:18-20). So you see, even in the Old Covenant we understand that God required His people to do their best. What about the New Covenant? Are we exempt from trying to live a holy and pure life? Can we live haphazardly just so we don’t go to Hell and make it to Heaven? I don’t think so.

I think that we might assume that since Jesus was perfect we don’t have to be. But that’s not the case. Look at Matthew 5:48. Jesus said to be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect. In Hebrews 12:14 it states that without Holiness no one will see God. In 1^st Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul uses an illustration of running a race to win. Paul says to run to win. Not all win but only the one who runs to win. If we are living our lives in a lackadaisical manner thinking we are doing just good enough for God we will never win this race.

Consider this; there were men and women who held on to their faith and gave their lives instead of denouncing Christ. They believed Jesus’ statement that if they denied God before men He would deny them before God (Mat 10:32-33). Are we to believe we can barely get into Heaven and live happily for eternity missing Hell? Do we actually think God will allow us to do any less than those who willingly gave all?

My friends, I sincerely believe that the person who is not in right standing with God cannot be in right standing with his fellow man. Nor can the man who is not in right standing with his brother be right with God. John said that if we do not love our Brother we do not love God (1 John 4:20). Since this principal works both ways (our relationship with God and our Brother) it can be deduced that living halfway for God will mean we are living halfway for our Brother. In other words, if you do not care enough to give everything within you for God you are probably not giving everything for your spouse, supervisor, neighbor, country, etc.

Are you living so that you don’t lose heaven or are you living in a manner worthy of winning Heaven? Is your marriage one where you do what you have to do just so you don’t get divorced? Or, is it a marriage where you lay your life down for your spouse and live selflessly for them? One indication of both is that you no longer do what you did when you first were married or came to God. When I first came to God I was so sorrowful for my sin. For weeks I realized what a sinner I was and prayed constantly for God to use me. Then, the weeks and months went by and I began to go through the motions. My marriage was the same way. Once the honeymoon was over and I was sure I had won her heart I lived anyway I wanted. The courting was done and she was mine. Of course I always snapped to attention anytime things got rough and it looked like she would leave me. My marriage was lived just so I would not get divorced.

What an awakening it is when we realize that our problems are our own fault. My coldness with God was the reason my prayers were unanswered. My half-hearted approach to my spouse was the reason my marriage was rocky.

Would you consider your own life today? Are you doing just enough to get by or are you truly doing everything within your power for God and your Brother? Sadly, we live in a day when many churches teach that you can do whatever you want without consequences. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Starting today I encourage you to run the race to win. Your life will have so much more joy if you do. Your marriage will blossom into the beautiful ordained bond that it was meant to be. Your walk with God will grow sweeter than it has ever been.

Prayer-Father God, I pray that those who are living just enough in You to try and miss Hell would be shaken today. Change their hearts so that they see the joy of a fully devoted life to Christ. May we all live a little closer to You and each other than we did before.

In Jesus’ Name–Amen

Here we read a story of someone who is planting his seed and it lands on four different soils. Each place that receives it has a different result. Now, this is a sermon all to itself but for today we are going to focus on one thing; the seed. Briefly, the four areas are the wayside, on stony ground, among thorns and on good ground. Now you can imagine that a person who has land would want to make the most use of it. When we planted our garden there was one end of it that didn’t do as well as the other. The soil wasn’t as rich and deep and also there wasn’t as much sun that got to it. While it did produce, we had to work much harder with it.

Perhaps we spend too much time looking at the receiver in this story and fail to glorify the giver. You have probably heard many sermons and devotions on this parable. I suppose that the main intent of the Lord was to enlighten us since we are the soil. The seed was explained later as the Word (verse 14). As He taught from the boat to a crowd on the shore He has four different kinds of listeners. They all heard the same thing. It’s just that they responded to it differently.  What I’d like to point out is the simple word. It’s so powerful, the spoken word. When Jesus came to Earth he had all power to do His work and truly He did do miracles. But the thing that has remained for centuries is His words.

His Word abides forever. For three years Jesus ministered on this earth. He had no possessions which were left for us to place in a museum. The physical things which He could have done, to stand for time, were not done. For instance, He could have blessed a tree that grew for thousands of years. Or He could have miraculously created a building that never changed through time. Anything like that would have been made out to be legend with the passing of time and would have lost its importance. What He left was more lasting than any of that; His words.

Thinking again of the agrarian sermons, isn’t it interesting how a seed has life in it? Look at a kernel of corn. The plant grows and produces the ear. Then, if it’s dried it can be ground into corn meal and used for food. But one little kernel of that corn can be saved and replanted to produce hundreds more. There have been seeds found in the pyramids of Egypt that actually grew when they were planted. This small dead-appearing thing has life in it!

When God wanted to build a church he could have started with thousands of men. Instead, He chose twelve. When He wanted to spread the gospel throughout the land He had a few missionaries to use. In the Old Covenant, when He wanted Israel to overcome the Midianites, He used Gideon. In Judges chapter 6 you can read where Gideon, in verse 15, he describes himself as the least in the house of a poor family. Yet there is enough life in him for God to use and bring results. In 1^st Samuel chapter 17 God used a little boy named David with a slingshot and rocks to save Israel. In 1^st Kings 17 we see how God used a widow with a handful of meal to sustain a prophet.

In the New Testament we read where our Lord used a small boy’s lunch to feed five thousand. He made mud from spit and dirt and created eyes for a blind man. He told us that two pennies from a poor widow are seen in Heaven as a great sacrifice. In Acts we see great revivals because of a few men willing to stick their necks out.

Yes, the little things always turn out to be the most powerful, the most enduring, and the most important things. God has always used small things to do great things throughout scripture. But likewise satan has used small things, too. Look at the Garden of Eden. There were thousands of things that Adam could do and only one that He was forbidden from. That was the one thing the enemy wanted him to do. And he tricked him with a few words.

When Esau got weak he sold his entire inheritance for a bowl of soup. When Lot was fleeing Sodom, his wife turned back because of her love of a temporary home and a few possessions. Because of a coat Joseph’s brothers became jealous enough to sell him into slavery. When Judas betrayed our Lord he did it for a little money (about $50).When he revealed Him in the crowd, he did it with a simple kiss. And when the Creator of the Universe was killed it was with three nails and a wooden cross.

In Proverbs 24:30-34, Solomon told how he saw a vineyard that is overgrown. He pondered this and realized that it didn’t happen overnight. Then he tells us that it was a little sleep and a little slumber that caused it. In modern life we put great emphasis on things that are showy. Just look at what kinds of stories make up the news. It’s always the flashy tales of Hollywood stars and those with money. Indeed, it has to be a BIG story to make the news. Sometimes, when I read these I wonder why they are important.

But the untold stories are the real news. Think about your own life. What has happened to you that influenced you in a great way? Was it a big life changing event or the quiet things of life that you remember?  Did a teacher give you some kindness or maybe even hatred that influenced you? Those things often stay with us for life.

We often witness the little things coming back to people as tears flow from those who remember something from their past. We’ve seen grown men cry in front of Angie while she was spinning her wool. One man said his grandmother taught him scripture while she spun and he’d forgotten about it until just that moment. The smell of the biscuits cooking in the wood stove is enough to bring back some sweet memory for others. I once squatted down in front of a large fan in a garage to cool off during a radio installation I was doing in a truck. Within a few seconds I began to taste sweet tea as if I had a glass! I couldn’t understand what was happening and then a memory came back. My grandparents had a window fan that made the same rumble as the one I was in front of. My grandmother made the best sweet tea and I always had a glass in the hot summer listening to that fan.

How powerful are the little things in this life! I suppose that we won’t see the full impact of our influence on others until we reach judgment day. We often can see that good things have lasting effect but we fail to see that bad things are equally powerful, even if it’s a small thing.

For instance, we fail to grasp that a marriage will fall apart one argument at a time. In fact, any relationship can for that reason. We gain weight one spoonful at a time, failing to restrain that “next” bite. Wars between nations happen one word at a time. Men fall into lust one thought at a time. I often hear of someone whose life was changed and they always go back to a single moment when they made a small decision. What we fail to see is that making bad choices can lead us the other way for an evil end.

I have recently seen several men’s lives ruined because of pornography. It seems so harmless when it’s done. It always starts out as a small battle in a man’s mind. It progressively creates greater desire for more vulgar things. I watched an interview with James Dobson many years ago. He talked with Ted Bundy about what drove him to be a serial killer. It started with pornography. You might not end up a serial killer but you will end up being destroyed if you pursue pornography.

Young people often are lured into cigarettes. One at a time they begin. Perhaps it’s a “friend” that offers them one. Little by little they do it. On that first puff they cough. Then each draw becomes easier. Soon they are addicted. I’ve never seen an older person that didn’t want to quit. Never. Think about that…

Drinking alcohol is the same way. We often get into theological battles with other people about alcohol. It seems that some church people feel it is ok to drink if it’s done in moderation. Yet, doctors state that alcohol is the most abused drug that there is. One drink at a time is all it takes for the devil to hook you in. There was never an alcoholic who didn’t start out as a social drinker. Never.

Those two young men who did the killing at Columbine High School were driven one step at a time to do it. Beginning with video games of a violent nature and being propelled with gothic music the two young men were lead to an end of destruction.

Solomon tells us in his Song that it’s the little foxes that spoil the grape vines. We often see our vegetables healthy one week and the next week they are ruined by small insects that little by little eat away at our work. Had we daily watched and inspected the garden they would not have taken control.

The next time that you drive by a new car dealership look at the most expensive car on the lot. That car will end up in the junkyard in a few years. Time will take its toll on it. Rust will eat away at the fenders and wear will destroy the engine. Friend, your life is the same way. Little things will make or break you in every area of life: physically, mentally and spiritually.

If you decide to abuse your body and eat unhealthy things you will suffer for it. You might not suffer today or even tomorrow. But the little things that you eat do affect you. Pound by pound you can gain until pound by pound you will have to fight to loose it. If you decide to allow fear to control you, little by little you will loose control of your mind. Every time you have a bad thought you have to control it. Through time you will lose the battle unless you control your thoughts.

If you have a lustful thought it won’t appear harmful at first. But if you don’t take every thought captive, little by little you will loose control until you are destroyed. In James 1:14-15 we are told the steps of sin. The reverse of that is in Isaiah 28:10-11. Line upon line and precept upon precept is how we overcome.
The Lord gave us little things to do that bring Him glory. He said that we could give a cup of water in His name and reap benefits in heaven! He never asked us to build orphanages or stop wars between nations. He only asked us to deal with little things and even those are only for today. How often we get bogged down with dealing with too much! If we simply dealt with today’s trouble, He said it would be enough (Matt 6:34)

Friend, have you dealt with the little sins in your life? Have you realized the power that they have on you? Do you remember that every angry word; every lustful thought creates sin? That one little fox will surely do you in.

On the other side of the coin, do you comprehend that every small act of kindness, every good word and deed glorifies God? Every step that you take with a desire to do the will of God will cause you to prosper. Your life is a wall built of small bricks and those are laid one at a time. Those bricks are choices. The choices are done one at a time.

Today make the decision to notice the little things in life. They are surely the things that are most important in your life.

Zech 4:10 “For who has despised the day of small things?”…

Prayer-Father, I pray that we all might become more aware of the little things in our lives. May we see the effects a small act of kindness has as well as the effects of a negative word spoken. Show us where we fail You and show us when we please You. Then, may we all walk in Your path.

I                       n Jesus’ Name-Amen

          It’s frustrating to be misunderstood, isn’t it? If you have something that you truly want to get across to someone and you explain it in the best way possible, it’s frustrating when the information is taken wrong or ignored.

I suppose that the very worse cases are where some information is given to someone that is of an important, life-changing topic. I sit through regular safety-meetings where I work and we still have accidents. The accidents that people have are almost always preventable if the safety information that was given in the prior meetings had been used. I tried to figure out why some people just don’t pay attention. The information is clear but the advice or facts are just not received.

As far as personal things, I feel the person just doesn’t care to spend enough time to understand what I am trying to say. I keep reminding myself that Jesus was misunderstood many times. I try and give them the benefit of the doubt and take blame myself, too. I conclude that it was my entire fault and that I probably just wasn’t a good enough communicator. I always try and connect with someone in the Bible whenever I think about such things and try and find an answer. When I meditated on it the Holy Spirit took me to the story of Saul in the Old Testament. Saul was a man who just couldn’t connect all the dots.

Saul was the first King of Israel. In 1^st Samuel 8 Samuel was pressed by the people to get them a King. God had Samuel explain to the people that a king was not in their best interest. But they insisted that they wanted one to be like other nations. I compared this to how our nation wanted to change from being a Christian nation to being more like other nations in the world. Saul was definitely anointed by God in the beginning. God chose him and Samuel anointed him as king in 1^st Samuel 9:17 and 10:1. He outwardly had the signs of having the anointing of the Holy Spirit in him. Look at Chapter 10 verse 6. Samuel prophesied that Saul would have the Spirit of God come over him and that he would “be turned into another man”.

In verse 9 we see that as he turned to go from Samuel God did indeed change Saul’s heart. We find that a man of God is born and Israel has a king. Saul was a good king to begin with. In chapters 11 and 12 Saul’s kingdom was established. But in chapter 13 two years later he had changed. Something happened to Saul that he never recovered from. Look at verse 8. Saul has the people of God with him and they are waiting on Samuel to come. They are distressed with the enemy. Samuel tarried and Saul got impatient and made a bad decision. He sacrificed an offering to God. This sounds very holy on the surface. It sounds like a man who turned to God in a desperate situation. If a man stepped forward to worship God we would immediately say that he was a devoted man. But there is something wrong in this act. Saul is out of order here. In fact, Saul’s worship is not worship at all.

Samuel is the priest and therefore the only one qualified to offer up a burnt offering to God. Saul tried to explain that he “forced himself” (v12) to do this. The truth is that Saul wanted to look like the only one that Israel needed. You have heard that we are not saved by works lest any man should boast (Eph 2:9). Here Saul tries to impart his works. He wants it to be his act that saves Israel. God will never let anyone gain glory where He deserves it. He alone is worthy of praise.

Saul stepped out of line but really thought that he had made the right choice. Samuel told him that his kingdom would not continue but would be taken away from him (v14). Saul did win the immediate battle with the Philistines. But, little by little he again made foolish mistakes. God is the God of second chances. In Chapter 15 Saul is given another chance. This is the Mercy of God on display. Samuel came to him to anoint him as king again (V1). Samuel gave Saul specific instructions to take Amalek and every living thing that belonged to his kingdom.

We often do not understand such passages where Israel killed men, women, and children. But these Amalekites were steeped in pagan worship. Their entire society was occultic beyond anything we have ever imagined. There is symbolism here to those of us under the new covenant. This parallel shows that we need to get rid of every sin; no matter how small it seems. Saul was given a mandate to destroy the Amalekites and leave no survivors. Again he disobeyed. In verses 8 and 9 Saul is said to have killed the rest but he saved the king and also the best of the livestock.

We might, again, feel like he did a good thing to save the good livestock. But the next verse shows that he did make a mistake. In fact, God directly said that Saul had not obeyed His commandments. Examine Saul’s comment in verse 13. Saul was so spiritually blind that he thought he had done exactly what God required. Samuel told him that the sound of livestock proclaimed a different story. Isn’t it amazing that someone can truly believe that they are correct to the point where they don’t even try to hide their disobedience? Just think; they can be blatantly in sin and openly practicing something that is directly against God’s Word. And yet, they truly believe that they are living in the middle of God’s will.

What causes this spiritual block where men cannot see the connection? Is it something that you and I need be concerned about? Let us continue in this chapter and we will find the answer. Samuel gives Saul the reason in verse 17. Saul was brought in when he was small in his own mind and followed God. It was only when he became prideful and thought well of himself that he sinned. Saul was so proud that he thought that his way was better than God’s.   Pride will do that. It will mislead you into thinking that you are something more than you really are.

The company that I work for is an electrical utility. As I mentioned, we have regular safety meetings to keep us all focused and to remember that we can make mistakes that can cause a fatality. I have looked at many accident reports where several men were killed down through the years because of pride. These men were skilled lead linemen who had over 20 years of working with high-voltage. But something felt common to them and they forgot to respect the job and remember their weaknesses. When linemen fail to respect electricity they slip up and get hurt. When we fail to listen to God’s Word we fall and get hurt. We might think it doesn’t apply to us, but it does.

I remember my Dad saying something when I was learning to ride a motorcycle in my youth. He said that I would be careful and wouldn’t have any trouble unless I felt like I had mastered it. He was right. I had several spills after I got comfortable riding. I had several falls showing off to my friends or trying to impress some girl. Before that, I was still cautious and never got hurt. Pride is just like that. We need God in the beginning. We realize that we are sinners and we come to Him. He saves us and gives us a new heart just like He did for Saul. We ride carefully as we are learning about Him and study His Word.

But at some point we can become prideful. We might feel like we have all the answers and someone may start telling us how wise that we are. We may get to a point where we win battle after battle and forget that it is God who wins them for us. And just like the enemy sneaking up on us we fail to see it coming. When it overtakes us we don’t even know it. We still think we are acting according to God’s commandments. The fact is we are directly disobeying Him.

Saul tried to confess but didn’t even know what sin he should be confessing. In verse 24 he tried to explain that he had feared the people. The fact is that he had no reason to fear them. Saul’s haughtiness caused him to sin and believe that he was in the right.

Have you ever seen pride at work on someone? It blinds them into thinking that they are better than the rest of us. It distorts their direction and they end up somewhere other than where they wanted to be. When the time comes in which they want to find their way back they will be so disoriented that they won’t be able to tell up from down. Saul had already been given another chance. Now, God took the kingdom away from him. You know the rest of the story. David was anointed but had to hide until after Saul’s death because Saul kept trying to kill him. He refused to accept that God had rejected his kingdom.

What about us? Is pride something that can sneak up on us and slowly keep us from hearing God’s voice? Yes, it is. Proverbs 16:18 says that “pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. Pride was Satan’s downfall that permanently separated him from God (Isaiah 14:12-14). If we ever begin to think that we are more than a sinner saved by grace we are in danger. There are many that I have known who fell because of pride. I’ve known ministers who felt like God had done His part and the rest was up to them. They boasted and shouted about; strutting around like the rooster who tried to get attention when it was the chicken who laid the egg! Their lives all came crashing down. You’ve read about many in the news who once stood on the pinnacle of public attention.

You and I are not immune to pride. It can sneak up on us just like Saul. He was placed in power by God and God took him down. God will make us more than conquerors through Jesus Christ, yes. But if we ever start thinking that we are the ones defeating the enemy, watch out!

I ask you today to connect the dots. Maybe there is a broken connection in facts. We sometimes jump over information right in front of us. How many marriages have we all seen fail in which the victims stated that they never even knew that there was a problem? How many employees do you know of who were terminated because of breaking company rules? How many people die on the highway each day because of breaking basic, simple driving laws?

Don’t be fooled today. Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We are not immune to his attacks. Pride will keep you from seeing clearly. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Don’t forget where we came from. Without Him we would be nothing!

Prayer-Father, I ask that You help us to see who we are and who You are. Again, remind us so that we remember where You’ve brought us from and where we are going. Keep us humble, Dear Lord. When we begin to drift bring us back on course. As we read Your Word help us all to remember the importance of connecting the dots.

In Jesus’ Name-Amen