When Life Gets Overwhelming

In God is my salvation and my glory; The rock of my strength, And my refuge, is in God. [1]

This verse, taken from Psalm 67, reminds me in so many ways that I don’t have to do it all. I don’t have to be the fixer or the strongest man in the room. I don’t have to have all the answers, though I am often guilty of trying. It reminds me that if there is any good in me, it is because of Him.

When life gets overwhelming, and we all feel at times that it does, we often find ourselves in a whirlwind of emotions that tempt us to try and go it alone, to try and figure it out by ourselves, leaving us in a vulnerable position in this relentless battle we are waging against the forces of darkness.

For some, this might drive us to seclusion and withdraw, two things the enemy desires that we do. Experience has taught us however that on our own we are no match for the wiles of the enemy, especially when we are overwhelmed with the cares of this life.

It is during these times that we must cling to God. He alone offers hope of a better day. Only God can make a way where there seems to be no way. In every situation, He is our way maker. No situation is too hard for Him! [2]

I recently came across this little nugget that says it much better than I ever could, and I trust it will bless someone:

“The deepest level of worship is praising God despite the pain, thanking God during the trials, trusting Him when we’re tempted to lose hope, and loving Him when He seems so distant and far away. At my lowest, God is my hope, At my darkest, God is my light. At my weakest, God is my strength. At my saddest, God is my comforter”. [3]

Truth is, we need a Savior to help us, to walk beside us, and to strengthen us. When I’m feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders, I remember these precious words from the Lord: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing“. [4]

Take heart! Sunday’s coming!

Ron

[1] Psalm 62:7

[2] Jeremiah 32:27

[3] Author unknown

[4] John 15:5

Unthankful?

A few days ago my Princess and I were talking about how it seems as though so many are unthankful today. It feels as though entitlement has trumped thankfulness and gratefulness, and all that’s left is me, myself, and I.

What prompted this discussion was the recent tornado that struck the Indian Lake (Ohio) area. Having lived most of my life less than an hour from there it came as a shock to see the pictures of the devastation. With several lives lost and untold millions of dollars in property damage, this area has been struck a major blow and it will be a long time before any sense of normalcy returns. Having lived through hurricane IAN, we know this situation all too well.

If there is any good to come out of this tragedy it is the gratification of seeing so many individuals and organizations step up to assist with the clean up and to offer help in other ways.

Of course, there are always two sides of any story, and there are (unfortunately) many unhappy voices venting their anger towards the largest employer in the area who has kept their factories running around the clock. This, despite many of it’s workers losing everything they owned. Many see this as it’s business as usual, and people are having a hard time with thinking their employer doesn’t care, or is being insensitive to what the people are dealing with.

I get it. Emotions are raw right now as families bury their dead and scramble to find shelter, all while trying to figure out how to move forward. When emotions are running high and every bit of stability in your life has been taken from you, it can be hard to find a silver lining. We can also forget to be thankful that things weren’t even worse.

The company that the people are upset with is the same company that I spent 27 years working for. During that span of time I witnessed first hand numerous events that severely affected the company’s bottom line. Everything from fires, earthquakes, tsunami’s, recessions, and many other near catastrophic events occurred that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in losses. At one point, things were so bad that I actually had to ask someone to get a battery for my laser pointer and lead for my mechanical pencil from a locked storage area!

Yet despite all of that, not one employee missed a paycheck. Not one bonus sharing check went unpaid. The fantastic benefits continued as though nothing we going on, right down to the free work uniforms and free laundry service. I share this because in times of personal tragedy, we can easily forget all of the blessings we have enjoyed while our employer was suffering tremendous financial loss. And by the way, this company has just donated $350,000 to the community’s relief efforts. That is just the publicized amount.

As my Princess and I continued to talk about these things, I mentioned to her that Paul said that one of the signs of the last days was that men would be unthankful. “For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,” 2nd Timothy 3:2

She then reminded me that “thankful” has, to a great extent, been relegated to one day a year in November. Sadly, she is spot on in her assessment of how people today are ungrateful and unthankful for what they have. This is especially telling here in America, where prosperity and abundance abound.

“For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools“, Romans 1:20-22

We live in a world that can be cruel, unforgiving, and unthankful. The reality is, however, that as Christians we have everything to be thankful for. Despite the fears and struggles that all of us endure from time to time, there is hope in the risen Christ. Circumstances are often less than desirable, of that there can be no doubt, yet still we have hope in a future where thankfulness will be erased from our memories.

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives! Bill & Gloria Gaither

With all this in mind, today is Palm Sunday, a day that most assuredly calls for us to be thankful. This day was marked by the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem, where the people placed palm branches and their own clothes on the ground out of reverence to Him. Shouts of “Hosanna to the King” rang out as the people, for a few moments anyhow, worshiped Jesus as their King.

Unthankful? Not here. Not in our house. I hope you too will take a few moments today and give the Lord thanks for the blessings you have. Because He lives we can face every tomorrow with a grateful and thankful heart!

Have a blessed Palm Sunday,

Ron

Listen to His Voice

Have you ever noticed how quickly people dismiss God’s word today? Whether it’s an encounter with a stranger in the grocery store, or a long-time member of the church, people today seem to have settled it in their minds that they already know all they need to know and therefore don’t need to hear it any longer, or they don’t care to know anything at all about it and just want to be left alone.

As many of you that spend a lot of time in the Bible are aware, this is not exactly a new phenomenon. It’s been like this since the beginning. Remember that couple in the garden that decided that they knew better than God what was best for them?  

I was reminded of this as I was studying in the book of Jeremiah this week, and it came as no great surprise to find yet another example of it. The prophet had just delivered a thundering rebuke to the kings of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem because they had rejected the Lord and polluted His house.

As you read the words that Jeremiah delivered to the people, it should be obvious to them that they have brought upon themselves a level of punishment they were not expecting.

“Hear the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will bring such a catastrophe on this place, that whoever hears of it, his ears will tingle”. [1]

Now, I would like to think that had I been there and heard this proclamation, I would have immediately repented and turned my heart towards the Lord. At the very least, one would think such a prophecy would strike terror in the hearts of all that heard it. You would think, right?

Unfortunately, however, when God’s people turn away from Him, their ears quickly dull of hearing His voice, which in itself is a mystery, because those same ears have no difficulty in hearing what a million other voices are saying to them. Maybe there is some truth to the whole ‘selective hearing’ thing after all?

Be that as it may, and whether we receive it or not, God’s word is never spoken in vain. There is always a purpose when the Lord speaks. Whether through the pages of His word or from a pulpit on Sunday morning, the word of God declares the very heart of God. Listen to another prophet as he likens God’s word to the snow and rain that falls in order to provide water for growth.

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it”.  [2]

By this we understand that God has given us His word as a great benefit for us. The tragedy, however, is when it is rejected. When we consider it as unnecessary for our lives or judge it to be of no value to us, or if we refuse to humble our hearts and accept it because it offends us, we miss out on all its benefits.

Some might ask “well, why then did the Lord say His word would not return to him void, but would accomplish what He pleased if in fact we reject it? What has been accomplished”?

What has been accomplished is that in our rejection of His word, we have considered it, and to a nation whose ears are dull of hearing this is enough. Our decision to reject the word of God stands as a testimony against us, a testimony that will be revealed in that great day when we give account for the life we’ve lived.  

Judah refused to hear the word of the Lord and suffered terribly, ultimately enslaved by Babylon. America has refused to hear the word of the Lord and is even now suffering terribly, with far more severe judgments to come shortly. The entire world has refused to hear the word of the Lord and is teetering on the brink of WWIII. I wouldn’t wonder if many of our ears don’t tingle at the thought of the catastrophe that awaits us!

My prayer for you all is to listen to what the Lord is saying to you today. Let His word work in your heart, your home, and in your family. God’s “word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”.  [3]

May it guide you safely through the troubled waters of this life.

Have a blessed day, in Jesus name!

Ron

[1] Jeremiah 19:3

[2] Isaiah 55:11

[3] Psalm 119:105

What Does Your Heart Desire?

This was the title of a sermon I delivered this morning at our church. Taken from Psalm 27, it speaks about what King David considered to be the most important thing in his life.

I’d like to share my text with you, as well a few notes that may be of encouragement to someone.

³ Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.

⁴ One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
⁵ For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.

⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

⁷ Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice

⁸ When You said, “Seek My face,”
My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”

If you have ever felt that overwhelming feeling like it’s you against the world, you can appreciate what David is saying here. I can relate to what he is saying, because just like a lot of you I’ve been in that scary place where I’m surrounded by trouble and despair.

David uses a military analogy to describe his approach to such a situation. Whether it’s a person or an army, or even war itself, should it come against him David said that he would be confident.

The question that immediately comes to mind is confident in what? What David was saying here was that I’ve experienced God’s deliverance many times over the course of my lifetime, and I believe He will do it again.

How about you? Do you believe God will do it again? Is he still able to deliver? I know He is more than able!

David then reveals something from the depths of his heart, something that people in positions of great power and authority rarely do.

He says that he has desired just one thing of the Lord, and that was to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Does that sound like something a man of war would say? How unusual would it be to hear a king say that his desire is to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his temple?

Pretty bizarre, if you ask me.

My mind immediately goes to thoughts of “is this the same David who committed adultery? The same David who conspired to murder? The same David of whom they sang of killing tens of thousands”?

Yes! Warts and all it was that David!

The David whose life was marred by sin and destruction.

The David who would pay dearly for the sins he committed.

The David who carried an enormous amount of baggage throughout his life.

Want to know something? All of us are marred. All of us carry with us the scars of our past.

Scripture reminds us that there is none righteous, not even one(Romans 3:10).

David was saying to the Lord that he desired to be in the presence of the Lord more than anything else. 

David was King, and as such could have asked for and received anything he desired. But it wasn’t riches, or real estate, or battlefield victories he wanted.

He wanted God. Despite his history and despite the mistakes of his past, what he longed for was intimacy with God.

What are you longing for today? What does your heart desire?

I find it encouraging that David wasn’t looking for entertainment in God’s house. He wasn’t looking to be seen. He wasn’t looking for accolades from the meek and lowly.

He simply wanted to dwell in God’s house, to bask in His presence.

Isn’t that why all of us should desire to be in God’s house? 

David also recognized that in God’s house was safety and security. In the time of trouble David said that God would hide him in His pavilion. In the secret of the tabernacle God would hide him.

God’s house was the one place that David felt safe from his enemies. As King of Israel, David had a target on his back, yet in God’s house he felt safe.

In Psalm 46:1 David declares that “God is our refuge, a very present help in trouble”. 

So many times in my own life I have ran to the Lord seeking refuge from the storm that was raging. Like David, I can testify that He is indeed a “very present help in trouble”.

As I ponder this Psalm of David about being in God’s house, my mind wanders back to an old gospel song that goes something like this:

“When I walk through the doors, I felt His presence.

And I knew this was the place where love abounds.

For this is the temple, Jehovah God abides here.

And we are standing in His presence, on holy ground”.

That’s how I see being in God’s house. A holy place on holy ground.

David then tells us that in God’s house he will offer sacrifices of joy, and that he will sing praises unto the Lord.

I wonder, is this what we do when we enter His courts? Do we come in to the presence of God with a complaint or a praise?

Something to think about, isn’t it?

As a matter of fact, I asked our congregation this morning how long will we remain mute in the house of God. What would it take for us to shake off the heavy bands and lift up holy hands in praise to the King of Kings?

I shared with them how that in Psalm 22:3 David had said “But thou are holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel”.

I am a firm believer that when we lift our praise and worship to the Almighty, He will come down and inhabit, or bask in our worship. Call me a fanatic, but that’s how I see it!

This is the Readers Digest version of my message this morning, and I sincerely hope you will derive some comfort from it.

I will close this blog just as I did the message this morning by asking the question:

“What Does Your Heart Desire”? 

Until the next time, may the Lord keep you safe in His arms.

Ron

 

 

 

Marking a Tragedy

Tragedy:

an event causing great suffering, destruction, and distress, such as a serious accident, crime, or natural catastrophe.

“a tragedy that killed 95 people”   [1]

Do you know someone who has suffered a tragedy? Most of us do.

Perhaps it is you that has suffered a tragedy? I know I have. Several of them actually.

How does one recover from a tragedy? Does one ever really recover from a tragedy?

Are there people who never recover from a tragedy? I believe there are.

I know someone like this. This person keeps a “death calendar”. Every year when it’s time to buy a new calendar, this person will go through it marking the dates when the people they loved died. This is a “death calendar”.

Certain dates are marked with personal notes such as “this is the day my world ended”. This day is marked for mourning and little else. This is a day for closing the curtains and sitting in the dark, alone with the distant memories of the day when life stopped.

This is what I refer to as Marking a Tragedy. An event so traumatic that it causes us to put our life on hold. We don’t move past it because we either cannot or will not.

All life now centers around the tragedy. Indeed, it has become larger than life itself.

In a lifetime of dealing with my own personal tragedies and in observing the tragedies of others,I have come to the conclusion that there is a very fine line between those who suffer tragedy and never recover, and those who suffer tragedy and go on to lead productive lives.

So I wonder, what makes the difference? Why doesn’t everyone recover from their personal tragedy and go on to lead a fulfilling and productive life?

The answer, at least in part, I believe is found in the word purpose. I like the word purpose because it speaks of something, a force perhaps, beyond our own limitations.

When we realize our purpose for being, it propels us forward in life and gives us the necessary strength and courage to overcome life’s challenges. And yes, that includes tragedy.

In my own life, I can say with the utmost confidence that a sense of purpose has kept me grounded and on track(for the most part), enabling me to move beyond situations that otherwise would have likely destroyed me.

As a young man of 23 I accepted the call into ministry, a decision that completely altered my life. For the first time, I had discovered purpose and that discovery was instrumental in seeing me through some very hard times.

For example, I quickly learned that accepting this calling was not met by those nearest to me with the same joy and excitement as I felt. Far from it actually. Because of their “lack of enthusiasm” towards what I was sure God was calling me to do, it caused me to question everything about what I believed. So much so, that I wanted to throw in the towel at least once or twice a month.

Yet for all of that, and there was a lot of “that”, I could never shake the sense of purpose that I felt when doing the work of the ministry. In ways that I could not understand, it seemed that every time I was ready to quit that sense of purpose would become even stronger.

As the weeks and months turned into years and now into decades, several events have occurred in my life that meet the definition of tragedy. At least a couple of those events should have destroyed my life, and even now they continue to try to hinder me.

As someone who has spent a great deal of time studying the scriptures, I have found them to be the antidote for life’s challenges. I have lost count of how many times God’s word has pulled me back from the brink.

Like the time I was sitting in my living room, Bible in my hands, crying out to the Lord that I couldn’t take it any longer. Having been blindsided by what was soon to turn into yet another tragedy, I had reached the end of my ability to hold on.

It was then that I felt the urge to turn in my Bible to the book of Job. Now, those of you who know Job’s story also know that this isn’t the most likely place to turn for encouragement when you are at the end of your rope.

Yet when I opened the book of Job to the 38th chapter, I saw it. In verse 1 it says “The the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said”,

Did you see the “hidden message” that I so desperately need to hear from the Lord that day?

While all along I had been asking, pleading with the Lord to take away my pain and hurt, the Lord used this verse to let me know that He could speak to me in the midst of my storm. He didn’t need to wait until the storm had passed, He could speak out of my storm!

As the realization of this truth became more clear to me, I literally jumped up out of my chair shouting “YES”! I knew then that everything was going to be alright. No, the storm didn’t dissipate immediately, in fact the worst was yet to come. That didn’t matter however, because I was assured that God had a purpose for me and therefore would see me through this tragedy.

My prayer for you today is that you will understand that you have purpose. You are needed, and you are most certainly loved. Life may have knocked you down to the point where you don’t want to get back up. Get back up anyway.

Seasons come and seasons go. Seasons of joy, excitement, and hope, along with seasons of tragedy, despair, and discouragement. Seasons are, however, just that. A season.

I leave you with the 2nd half of Psalm 30:5…

”Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning”.

Be blessed this day, in Jesus name!

Ron

[1] Bing search

Catching up!

I can hardly believe that it’s been nearly a whole month since my last blog! This certainly wasn’t planned, so I thought I would share with you what has me so preoccupied these days.

If you will remember, several weeks ago I accepted the position of Associate Pastor of our church. Since then, my responsibilities have grown exponentially leaving me little free time to attend to this blog.

At our church we have Sunday School, Sunday morning worship, and a Wednesday mid-week service, all of which I have some responsibility for.

I minister at every Wednesday service, which of course requires study time as well as prayer time. I also teach the adult Sunday School class every other Sunday. Again, more study and prep time.

For all of our services I am also part of the worship team, playing guitar while my wife Debbie plays the keyboard. Even our daughter has joined in the festivities as a children’s Sunday School teacher.

One of my most time consuming responsibilities is editing the video of our services. This is something I have never done before so it has been quite the learning experience for me. Especially since I’m learning completely on my own!

Learning a new software program is challenging enough, but trying to edit a video on a woefully underpowered laptop is the essence of frustration. My computer is so old and underpowered that it actually overheats and shuts down in the middle of what I’m doing!

If you know anything about this type of work, you know that to edit 4K video requires a beast of a computer, which neither our church or myself has. We are currently looking into a new PC that can handle this type of task, but because we are a small church money is tight. We simply don’t have the $2000 (low end!) to purchase what we need. So we continue to pray that God will make a way for us.

I roughly calculated that using my old PC to edit video is taking about 15-20 hours. For ONE video! As someone who is always looking for the most efficient method of getting a task completed, this activity has been “somewhat trying” on me.

One of my other responsibilities is that of managing our church website. It is a work in progress, with yours truly learning on the fly once again. We are locked into the current site hosting plan for the next year, but after that we will reevaluate things and see if we might move it to WordPress or some other platform that gives us more control over our content. For now, it does the job. If you’d care to check it out, head on over to cognocatee.org. Please remember, it still has a ways to go but it is far beyond what it was when I started.

One other thing I’m heading up now is our daily devotional outreach ministry. This is where we send out an encouraging scripture text each day, and include any urgent prayer requests along with it. So, I have had to learn a couple of new communication systems pretty quickly, which is actually very interesting to me.

Ironically, of the many things I am now doing in ministry I doubt I could have gotten up to speed so quickly had I not had the career I had at Honda. Being immersed in various forms of technology there enabled me to bring much of that same aptitude to my ministry work. It almost makes me think this was God’s plan all along. What do you think?

So there you have it.  I know I left something out, but I cannot remember what it is. At any rate, I think you get the picture. This is my new “retired life”, and I love it!

Of course, like every church ours struggles with the whole Covid-19 issue. Reorganizing the sanctuary to ensure safe distance was no easy task, and it severely limits the number of worshipers we can have.

Nonetheless, I am thrilled to be waist deep in ministry during this season of my life. I am blessed beyond measure to have a wife who is not only supportive of what I’m doing, but is right there with me when she can be. She remains my biggest supporter and I am thankful the Lord uses her gifts and talents as well.

With that I will say “thank you” to you who have prayed for me and encouraged me faithfully to press onward. I am always amazed at how faithful God is when we put our hand to the plow.

I promise I will try not to stay away so long before posting again. Believe me, I have a million words stored away for this blog but I am lacking the time to express them for now. As in all things, God knows and understands best doesn’t He?

I pray the Lord blesses you and encourages you daily. In these trying times we need the Lord like never before, and it is a great comfort to know that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”. Psalm 46:1

Ron

Death does not have the final say

In this post I want to speak about a subject that we all try to avoid thinking about: the subject of death. As I am sure you would agree, there isn’t a more unlikely or unwelcoming topic for a blog. Yet because death affects us all, and it has been front and center with me as of late, I felt it important enough to address in this post.

Over the past few days I have found myself in the unenviable position of having to deal with the subject of death far more than I care to. From the recent deaths of three brothers in Christ to the impending deaths of a couple more, it would seem that death is running unabated among my small circle of influence.

One of the men who recently passed was a millionaire many, many times over. His homes and incredible possessions spoke volumes as to his great wealth, and the exorbitant medical care costs associated with prolonging his life for a few months more meant little to him.

The other two men were about as far from wealthy as one could get I suppose. For these two, there were no millions of dollars from which to buy expensive medical treatments in the hopes of buying a little more time. The only thing they had to look forward to was to be released from the excruciating pain of an incurable disease.

It’s a peculiar thing, this thing called death and dying. It spares no one. It does not discriminate according to your wealth, or lack thereof. It plays no favorites. Leaving this life a pauper or a multi-millionaire makes no difference in the end, for death has a 100% success rate.

Should the Lord delay His coming, everyone reading this post will have their date with death. There’s no use in pretending otherwise, and while it is certainly not an uplifting subject, death is nonetheless coming for us all.

When it does, the only thing that will matter then will be whether we have prepared ourselves for what waits on the other side. You see, the Bible makes it clear that after we pass on, there is a judgement from which no one is excused. [1]

How we have lived in this life will dictate where we spend eternity. If we have lived our lives in service to the Lord, we know that Heaven and all of its splendor awaits us. Conversely, if we have rejected the Lord and chosen instead to live our lives selfishly without regard for others, we will spend eternity separated from God in a place of unimaginable suffering.

The greatest news of all however is that although death awaits us all, every born again child of God is assured that upon our last breath here on earth, we will take our first breath in Glory. In other words…death does NOT have the final say!

Jesus paid it all. His blood redeemed us from every curse, even the curse of death. For you see, whom the Son sets free is free indeed, and that includes freedom from the bondage of death. [2]

All of the men I have spoken about in this blog loved the Lord. All of them had made their preparations for eternity and are now enjoying a peace that I cannot even begin to fathom.

That’s what real freedom is. It’s knowing that death has been defeated at Calvary, and that life eternal awaits all who have surrendered their hearts to Christ. A life free of pain, discouragement, depression, tears, and any other thing that would not bring joy to us.

Sounds like the life for me, how about you?

Ron

[1] Acts 17:31, Hebrews 9:27

[2] John 8:36

O that I had wings like a dove…

Have you ever wished you could just fly away to someplace where the cares and burdens of this life could not reach you? Or perhaps have your own remote island, far away from the noise and vitriol that envelops us today?

I must confess that escaping to such a place, where evil and hurt  cannot be found is becoming an all too frequent wish of mine. 

When I think of the fear, anguish, and overwhelming anxiety so prevalent in the world today I am drawn to thoughts of a place that Jesus said he had gone to prepare for us.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.   [1]

That sounds like exactly the place I’m longing for. Truthfully, I don’t even care about the mansion part, it’s that last part that has me captivated.

Trouble, pain, and fear don’t only come calling to the average person like you and me, of course. The Psalmist David also knew what it felt like to have the world come crashing in all around him.

Having fallen from the lofty heights of the throne of Israel when he committed adultery and murder, David was surrounded by his enemies, including those of his own family.

Out of his anguish and distress he cried aloud “O that I had wings to fly like a dove, for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness”. Selah  [2]

I cannot begin to tell you how compelling it sounds to be able to wander far away and remain hidden, away from the evil turmoil of this age. Can any of you relate?

Of course, one does not have to commit adultery, murder, or any other egregious sin in order to feel the pressures of life weighing heavily upon them.

Life, all by itself, is often more than enough to cause us to become weary and discouraged. The oppressive isolation brought about due to the pandemic for example has left many of us drained and stressed. Who among us hasn’t felt this way?

Thanks be to God, however, that we can rise above the feelings of hopelessness and despair. David himself reminds us that God is our sustainer and burden bearer.

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.   [3]

It’s true, many of us would rather take to the air and fly away from all of the problems this life presents to us. Unfortunately, the last time I checked that was not an option. Instead, we can look to Scripture for support and encouragement.

Paul, in his wonderful exhortation to the Ephesians, tells us the position we must take when facing the storms of this life. He told them no less than three times to “stand”.   

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.   [4]

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.   [5]

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,   [6]

Indiana Audubon Society

So, rather than wish we could fly away like the beautiful doves that are always at my house, God has called us to make our stand with Him.

I encourage everyone to spend an hour or two this week searching the Scriptures for examples of how that our God is a helper and sustainer to those who call out to Him.

I believe you will come away strengthened and encouraged by what you find.

Be blessed in Jesus name!

Ron

[1] John 14:2,3

[2] Psalm 55:6,7

[3] Psalm 55:22

[4] Eph. 6:11

[5] Eph. 6:13

[6] Eph. 6:14

Sorry America, but your rage is misplaced

Coming out of the recent pandemic that saw a near complete shutdown of our society along with critical shortages of many essential items, I am struck by the things we now seem to have an abundance of.

Anger comes to mind as something we have in abundance. And hatred, let’s not forget the overflow of hatred in America. Oh, and I don’t want to forget one other thing we have in great abundance today; finger pointing. Can’t forget that now, can I?

Almost beyond belief, it would seem that the cataclysmic virus that had doomed us all to certain death really wasn’t the apocalyptic event prophesied by the media after all. How could it be, when hundreds of thousands are marching side by side not wearing a mask? Imagine that would you?

Things were so bad that we were strictly forbidden to go to church for fear of spreading this death defying virus, yet somehow or another congregating in crowds of tens of thousands doesn’t pose any health risks at all.

I mean, who knew?

Honestly, I’m thinking the wrong crowds are filling the streets of America. I’m thinking we awful, disease spreading, unenlightened Christians ought to be the ones pouring out into the streets of America to protest the theft of our Constitutionally guaranteed freedom of worship. [1]

Speaking of pouring out into the streets, I have lived on this earth for just over 65 years, and in that time I have seen many instances where people took to the streets out of frustration and anger over issues beyond their control.

I was just a boy of eight years of age when Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.

I was thirteen when the infamous “Chicago Seven” were arrested for their anti war activities during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago.

Just two years later when I was a 15 year old, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on a crowd of Vietnam War protestors, killing four and wounding nine. Living just a couple of hours from Kent State University, it seemed like it was in my backyard.

Since those tumultuous times of decades past, there have been several other noteworthy examples of citizens taking to the streets to protest for one reason or another. Abortion, LBGTQ, Environment, Guns, Women’s rights, Anti-war, and the Million man and Million woman marches have all made their mark on the fabric of American society.

Today, as our nation once again seethes with anger in the wake of the brutal, heinous murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, millions are again taking to the streets in a show of indignation and defiance of the status quo.

Of course, the violence that has erupted during the peaceful marches is the result of a well planned and well funded attempt to destroy the fabric of American society from within. There is only one word that most aptly describes what is being played out before our eyes: EVIL.

We can dress it up any way we like to, but it’s still EVIL. We can call it racism or bigotry or any number of other names, but it’s still EVIL. And this is what those marching and protesting in the streets do not understand. This is NOT an issue of race. It is an issue of EVIL. Even those violent criminals that have been unleashed upon our society are completely misguided. The issue here is not one group hating another. It goes much, much deeper than that.

What we’re dealing with here is of the spiritual nature. Don’t believe that? Read what the Apostle Paul had to say about the subject of EVIL.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (emphasis mine)

Did you understand what Paul meant? Our battle, your battle, is not with mankind. It is NOT with your neighbor who is of a different skin color than yours. It is NOT with those whose belief system differs from your own. No, the battle is against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

In other words, the battle is against the spiritual forces of darkness that exist in high places. Who is leading the charge of these forces of darkness at play in our society? Why, it’s none other than Satan himself. That’s right, and every person storming the streets today is being played by the devil. Not a popular sentiment, is it?

Why do you suppose racism still exists at the level it does today? Why haven’t supposedly educated, enlightened individuals been able to come up with a permanent cure for racism? The answer is so simple that its almost too simple. The reason racism still exists at its current level is because the cure for racism is the love of God, and the world has largely rejected the Source of this love.

It’s like the old adage about taking a knife into a gunfight. You can be the very best at using a knife, but against a gun you have virtually zero chance of success against your adversary. Fighting systemic racism by protests, even violent protests does nothing to address the root of the problem! To be sure, these marches have gotten the attention of the entire world. They have no doubt spawned new discussions (or soon will) on how best to deal with the problem.

But not one thing is being done to address the root of the problem: we have forsaken God.

And that, dear readers, is not something that can be corrected by marching down Main Street USA. It can only be corrected at an altar.

Have a blessed day,

Ron

 

Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? Psalm 2:1

 

[1] The Bill of Rights: Amendment 1

This Little Light of Mine

How many have heard the old gospel song “This Little Light of Mine”?

It’s a song recognized around the world as a favorite of children. Many of you may have first learned this song in Sunday School or children’s church.

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

Oh this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

 

Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine,

Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine,

Hide it under a bushel? No! I’m gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

 

Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine,

Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine,

Won’t let Satan blow it out, I’m gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Though originally written as a song of love, hope, and devotion to our Savior, This Little Light of Mine was also sung as an anthem of hope and courage during the American civil rights movement of the 1960’s. In fact, it’s still being sung today during times of civil unrest.

America could sure use a little hope right about now, wouldn’t you agree? And we certainly need to shed some light on these times of uncertainty, when it seems that this present darkness is overpowering what little light remains.

Thinking about all of this as I watch the carnage unfolding across the landscape of America, about how desperately we now need the Church to be a beacon of light and a sanctuary of love, I can’t help but be reminded of the words of Jesus when he told the Disciples to let their light shine.  

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.   

¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand , and it gives light to all who are in the house.   

¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. [1]   

The Church, that is You and Me, has the answer to the cancer that is racism. We have the antidote within us to calm the fears of a nation bordering on collapse.

The love of God is that light of the world. It is shed abroad in our hearts so that men might see Christ in us. It is given to us that men might see our good works and give praise to God for them.

Now is not the time to hide our lights. It is for such a time as this that God has given you this light, that those stumbling in the darkness may see.

While the politicians and the media are consumed with finger pointing and spewing forth their poisonous venom, the Church must be the Church.

Whether your church’s doors are open or closed has no bearing on who you are in Christ. What God has placed in your heart is not regulated by politicians, but guided rather by a higher Power.

The command to “let your light so shine before men” is in essence the marching orders of every Christian. The light within you is the antidote for hatred, and it must not be hidden from society.

I encourage everyone to pray for the situation in America. Pray that men would desire peace, and that the Lord would send peace that “passes all understanding”. [2]

I know that many today hold to the opinion that prayer doesn’t work. The Bible, however, tells us that “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much”. [3]

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

Oh this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine,

Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Don’t let anything stop your light from shining. America and the rest of the world need to see it!

Ron 

[1] Matthew 15:14-16    

[2] Philippians 4:7  

[3] James 5:16