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Yesterday I discussed the benefits of being in the presence of God: getting His perspective, power, peace and passion for the lost. How do we enter in? Before Jesus, one priest was allowed into the Holy of Holies (His presence) and then only once a year. They even use to tie a rope around him so that if something happened he could be dragged out without anyone else having to enter in.  After Jesus, we are not limited in time and place to audience with our God. The set up of the temple provides a type for us of entry into His presence.  Upon entry into the temple one first came upon the brazen altar. This is where sacrifice took place. It reminds us of the cross. Access to the presence of God is no longer limited to one priest, but it is for those who have been to the Cross and who are born again and are His children. When we approach His presence we should remember what Christ did and who we are because of Him. The next item was the water basin. It reminds us of our Baptism. We should examine our selves and confess any […]

What’s your problem? Oh, come on  you know you have one. Everybody has problems. Sometimes it seems that life is nothing but a serial problem, one thing after the other.  Before tackling the problem of problems, a brief side note. Wednesday night at the senior pot luck my wife brought ham and a pea salad. Two other folks thought a pea salad was a good idea. So we had an abundance of peas. This might have been a problem except that we just ate all three. Problem gone. God has answers to our [P]roblems. It’s all in the [P]eas. Most problems can be eliminated if we will thing “P.” Perspective – We can eliminate a bunch of problems if we can have God’s Perspective. What may seem like a problem to us, is not. We just don’t have the entire perspective. We usually have an earth bound, time limited view. God sees all. He sees our present, but also our past and future. With that perspective, He knows that our current situation is not an eternally significant problem. If we could just have His perspective. Power – Some situations we face are a problem because we feel powerless to […]

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. (Ephesians 4:1 NIV) Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez were roommates at University of Florida. Both had super careers as Florida Gators. Earlier this year they were about to be roommates again as both were together as team mates on the New England Patriots. That is until Hernandez was arrested for murder.  Tebow is one of the most respected men in college sports. Hernandez is suspected of more than one murder. Tebow has been trying to positively influence his former room mate for years. He once broke up a fight Hernandez started in a Gainesville restaurant. How can two individuals both given such great opportunities, walk such totally different paths?  With great blessing comes great responsibility. As Christians no one is more blessed than we are. With that blessing comes the responsibility to live a life that brings honor to our Lord. It doesn’t mean that every one who watches our walk will be changed and will join us in following Jesus. We are not responsible for the results, but only for the walk.  Today millions are being blessed […]

“Breaking Bad” is a television series about a timid high school chemistry teacher who becomes a drug lord. I had heard about it for years and finally broke down and starting watching. Through the miracle of Netflix I was able to watch 5 seasons worth in a few days. I don’t recommend the series, especially for children.  But the story powerfully teaches about the nature of sin. I doubt that was the intent of the producers, but that doesn’t matter.  At the beginning of the series the timid teacher learns he has cancer and believes it to be terminal. He is concerned about his family’s future finances if he were to die. His brother-in-law is a DEA agent and he gets the idea he might make some quick money “cooking” some crystal meth. His intentions are “good” but his choices are bad. By the end of the fifth season his family is shattered, people are dead, but he is VERY wealthy. He just never seems to be wealthy or powerful enough. Isn’t that the way sin is. We don’t go from being relative innocent to completely lost over night. We begin with questionable decisions. Then bad choices get a […]

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7 We worship self-reliance. We prize hard work. We work to provide our kids an education so they can get ahead. We know, deep down, that much success is dependent on who you know, but we try not to think about it. It isn’t strange that we struggle with the concept of grace, unmerited favor. Even if we get the idea for a while, we slip back convinced we must have to do something. Accept it. We are control freaks. We love the bumper stickers: “God is my co-pilot.” I’ve never seen one proclaiming, “God is my pilot.”  We are naturally bad at relationships. We’re okay with knowing “about” someone, but struggle with “knowing” someone. Doing years of prison ministry I have met endless inmates who have […]

Some of the most recognizable Christians today aren’t clergy or missionaries. They are the Robertsons from Duck Dynasty. Their program is the most popular “reality” show on television. The program isn’t overtly “Christian.” In fact, the principal christian aspect of it is that each episode ends with the extended family saying a plain spoken grace over a meal. Outside of the program, the family members in interviews and books have made it clear they are Christians and proud of it.  I’m not sure how I feel about that. The bearded leaders of the family look more like mountain men. In fact, one was escorted from a Trump hotel after being mistaken for a homeless person. He told the press later that he was the victim of “facial profiling.” The show is very funny. The family has a business making duck calls which has made them quite wealthy. The program has added to that with books, tshirts, etc.  The public seems to accept this usual group as “Christians” for a couple of reasons. First they aren’t obnoxious about their faith. I also believe that the general public has begun to think of Christians as a bit weird. This group certainly […]

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry Are you not much more valuable than they? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:12-21 NIV) We recognize that we need the power of God to do great things, but we aren’t doing them. Maybe it’s because we don’t realize that we, as Christians, need the power of God for the basics. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would be strengthened in their inner being so that Christ may dwell in their hearts. We take the indwelling Christ […]