Sunday’s Blessing – 07/26/20 – Created to Create; Freedom to Choose

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/26/20 – Created to Create; Freedom to Choose

My pastor is going through a series called “The God Who Is There.” It is a great study so far, looking first at creation, then moving through scripture to see all God is and all He has done. It’s in my wheelhouse! I love learning about the character and nature of God. There are so many misconceptions spoken from pulpits around the world. It frustrates me to hear some talk of “knowing God,” but then prove they have no idea who He is. He gave us so much information about Himself through the writers of both the Old and New Covenants.

One of my favorite statements in scripture is: “God created man in His image.” The very first thing we learn about God comes from Genesis 1:1; the first verse in the Bible: “In the beginning, God created …” He creates! It’s who He is. It’s what He does! And it’s how He created us to be – Creative!

I know we are prone to quickly concede that we are not creative. I’m one of those people. Usually, they are referring to things like art (painting, sculpting, etc.), music (singing, playing an instrument, composing, etc.), writing (poetry, prose, novels, etc.), and the like. Just because you are not labeled an “artist” doesn’t mean you are not creative. Believe it or not, you have created a lifestyle. Admittedly, some of it may have been forced on you by others (parents, siblings, close friends, spouse, teachers, ministers, government, etc.), but even then, you have chosen to continue doing them. Rebellion can be a factor in your lifestyle. It could be pride or a vice. Regardless of how you got to here, there were creative forces at work.

A second attribute God place inside us as part of “His image” was the ability to choose: He gave us a will. That is what separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom. We decide what we want to do as an occupation, where to live, who to marry, etc. But one of the most important aspects of the ability to choose is this: we can decide we do not like where we are in life right now and make a change. That is powerful! Is it easy? No. Many will resist your desire to change because it makes them uncomfortable. Most like life to be a placid lake where there are no waves; nothing to rock the boat.

Back to the first attribute: Creative. The first step in accessing your creativity is to accept the fact that God made you creative. The second is take a truthful look at your life and see the creative things you are already doing. Maybe it’s growing plants, or building things, or even working puzzles and games which draw on your ability to reason or see things outside the box. All of this is creativity. The third step is to look for ways to use this creativity in your work. If you cannot use it in your present job or occupation, perhaps you could look for one that does. Take some classes (they don’t have to be expensive college courses). Check with the library, church, community center, or even the bulletin board at the local grocery store. You would be amazed at how many opportunities there are to learn new things. Read a book, watch a YouTube video, or find other creatives who have like passions and interests as you and follow them.

The primary reason people do not express their creativity is the fear of failure or rejection by others. “What if no one likes it?” God does! “What if I don’t do it right?” You just learned something. Instead ask these questions. “What if it fills a need?” “What if it can provide some income?” “What if it gives me pleasure, making me feel fulfilled?” That’s exactly what God did! After creating things, He stepped back and said, “This is good.” You are your own worst critic. Give yourself some room to gain experience. You cannot grow without exercise. Try something. Anything. As Nike says, “Just do it.”

One of my favorite Bible teachers from the ‘80s was Marilyn Hickey. She had a phrase she used often: “Do it afraid!” Without taking time to tell the whole story (read it in Judges 6-8), Gideon is a prime example for us to follow. Just before his major victory over the Midianites, God directed him to go down to the enemy’s camp. God added, “If you are afraid, take your servant Phurah with you.” The next verse says, “Gideon and Phurah went …” It’s ok to have reservations about new things, but do not let that keep you from taking the next step. Do it afraid!

Today’s blessing:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)

Choose this day whom you will serve. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 (ESV)

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/19/2026 – Coincidence or Confluence?

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/19/2026 – Coincidence or Confluence?

Years ago, I worked with a guy who loved words as much as I do. We used to challenge each other to find words we had never heard before. One of the words he introduced me to was confluence. It is used to describe the place where two rivers join together, for example. It can be applied to any two or more things becoming one as they move toward their appointed place.

Life is like this. It a constant coming together of things as we navigate our paths. Confluence describes a graceful coming together, which builds momentum to create a more powerful force capable of doing so much more than either could do alone. Synergy is often used to describe this by using the phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” However, when things come together, it’s not always a wonderful result. One other word my coworker introduced to me was cacophony. This word defines the sound you hear before an orchestra begins playing the symphony. Each member is getting their instruments warmed up, or tuned, or reviewing a particular phrase of the music. It’s an unpleasant sound filled with dissonance and confusion until the conductor calls them to attention. Under his direction, what was once a cacophony becomes a beautiful confluence of sound which moves the listeners to emotional bliss.

I saw a movie recently which illustrated this confluence of life in a very creative way. The title was “The Map of Tiny Perfect Things.” In similar fashion to Groundhog Day, a teen finds himself living the same day over and over, trying to understand the cause, and eventually, the solution to get out of the loop of time. Unlike Groundhog Day, this young man discovers someone else living in this repetitive cycle. Together, they work at cracking the code to get them back to their usual lives.

By taking a thought the young man shared with her, the young lady embarks on her own to discover the mystery which holds them in this repetitive experience. Several significant events had been logged by the young man who knew they held some significance. The young lady found the dependence the seemingly independent acts came together to form a map. There wasn’t one big reason for the endless cycle, but instead it was many “tiny perfect things” which came together to show them what would eventually bring “tomorrow”.

This is a remarkable way to picture how life is to be lived. In a single moment it is sometimes impossible to see how this will ever shape the future or become a mile post which would one day lead others to a better future. The young lady eventually completed the “map” and the two sojourners finally reached “tomorrow”.

So often I hear people speak of coincidences which seem to just “happen” in life, not realizing these could actually be part of God’s confluence in our life. Never treat an experience as meaningless or insignificant, because what may seem like the onset of cacophony, you could be on the brink of a time of confluence which could propel you forward to your destiny. In essence, life is simply a “Map of Tiny Perfect Things.”

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/12/2026 – Father or Benefactor?

Sunday’s Blessing – 07/12/2026 – Father or Benefactor?

I’m reading a book by C. S. Lewis, one of my favorite authors, on the Psalms. It’s not, by his own admission, an academic treatment of the book in the Bible. Instead, it is a look through various lenses of the book as a whole, drawing certain conclusions about the motivation and meaning of the different writers. One topic discussed is on the view of Old Testament religious thought regarding life and the hereafter.

Lewis makes a statement that really caught my attention. He said it is only after discovering a relationship with the Father that Heaven and Hell make any sense at all. Heaven, by definition, is being present with God. Hell is the absence of God. Prior to a relationship (getting saved in evangelical-speak) with the Creator, the idea of Heaven is something to be obtained only through a rigorous adherence to a set of laws and behavior worthy of acceptance by the Almighty. Hell is the place of eternal torment where those who do not meet the mark are banished.

If “being saved” is driven by the desire to make Heaven when you die, or to miss Hell, what do you really gain in this life by the experience? Instead, the focus of “making disciples” should be introducing others to their Maker, Who made a way for fallen man to get restored into fellowship by receiving the forgiveness provided through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, Who came to earth as the Son of Man in order to die on the cross to pay the price required for the sin of all mankind. He did all of this so that we (mankind) could finally know the Father personally, as friend to friend, in a life changing relationship which we crave but cannot find in another person. This is Heaven! To think otherwise is to discount any experience we can have while we still live on earth. To relegate true happiness to Heaven (the hereafter) is to accept God’s offer to live with Him forever after we die, but treat everything until then as toil and trouble we must endure until the end.

Thus, the title of today’s blog: Father or Benefactor? Did you become a Christian in order to experience closeness with the One Who loves you most or simply appease Him until you inherit Heaven when we die? He has promised Heaven (presence with Him forever) but His primary desire to have a relationship with you now! He wants to be so much more than a Benefactor to bless you in the end. He wants to “walk with you in the cool of the day” like He did with Adam. He wants to visit with you on the mountain like He did with Moses. He wants to inhabit you every minute of every day as He promised He would, through the Holy Spirit. The real joy in being a Christian is the presence of God in your life 24/7 – in THIS life, not just the one to come!

Being adopted by the King is the best thing you could ever do. It’s so simple a child can understand it and act on it. Maybe the problem is the relationship you had with your father wasn’t great. I get that. I lost my father when I was nine. I lost the only grandfather I ever knew when I was nine. Even though I came to faith in Christ just before my tenth birthday, it took a long time for me to understand what it meant to know God as Father; to know the joy of entering his presence (or Him mine); to know the comfort of sharing the issues I face; to hear His voice speak and all the troubles I thought I had diminish to their rightful priority; to realize He will never not be there. 

If Heaven is all there is then why do we stay on earth for so long after we become the Children of God? Get a new perspective today. Realize the present IS Heaven (the presence of God). As a Christian, you will never experience Hell (separation from God). Live your life from that reality and it will make all the difference.

Sunday's Blessing - 07/05/2026 - God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

Sunday's Blessing - 07/05/2026 - God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

One of the first books I wrote was The Names of God. It has quite a few names (or phrases) describing God's character and and nature. Recently I started writing on this topic again. One of the most recent is God of Jeshurun. I wanted to share it here. Let me know your thoughts.

God of Jeshurun (Upright - a Name for Israel)

Deuteronomy 33:26 (ESV) 

There is none like God, O Jeshurun,

who rides through the heavens to your help,

through the skies in his majesty.

If there was ever a human who knew the character and nature of God, with the possible exception of Adam and Eve, Moses would be at the top of the list. God revealed Himself to Moses in so many ways during his lifetime: the fiery visits on Mt. Sinai, passing before him in the cleft of the rock, the face-to-face visits in the Tabernacle, and the list goes on.

The last time Moses spoke to Israel before his death, he gave a blessing to each tribe which made up the people of God, His Chosen People. While speaking to Asher (which means “happy one”), Moses said, “May Asher be the most blessed of sons; may he be the most favored among his brothers and dip his foot in oil.” Deuteronomy 33:24 (ESV). He followed that with the comment about “the God of Jeshurun” riding through the heavens to your aid.

Jeshurun is used four times in scripture to refer to Israel; three times in Deuteronomy and once in Isaiah. It means “upright one.” After all that had occurred the previous forty years in the wilderness, and the four hundred and thirty years before that in Egypt, God now refers to Israel as His “Upright One.” Shortly after this talk from Moses, Israel would finally cross the Jordan and take possession of the Promised Land. God, speaking through Moses, gave them a promise in the blessing for Asher that He would be their God and would come to their aid.

This blessing given to Asher was the last words Moses spoke. He ended the blessing with, “Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord, the shield of your help, and the sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their backs.” Deuteronomy 33:29 (ESV)

The wonderful truth about this scripture is it applies to us, the Church, as well. We have not taken Israel’s place as the Chosen Ones, but through the blood of Jesus we have been made “Upright Ones” by redemption. The God of Jeshurun not only came to the aid of Israel, but He also comes to our aid to enforce the New Covenant which includes better promises. God no longer “rides through the skies in His majesty” to get to us because He indwells us by the Holy Spirit. He is ever-present to comfort, protect, guide, or empower – whatever is needed – in the life of His sons and daughters.

Let us live as Asher – the Happy One – as we are the most blessed because of the favor shown to us by our Lord, knowing the same God of Jeshurun is also our God. We have been “dipped” in the oil of the Holy Spirit, anointed for service of the King of kings and Lord of lords. We, too, have “the shield of your help and the sword of your triumph!” As Christians, we have the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, as described in Ephesians 6.

Seeing how God interacts with His people, Israel, and later His Church, shows so much about His character and nature. He loved Israel and would call them by different names to reflect the love He had for them then, and now us. We live from the position of knowing God considers us to be “upright” because of Jesus’ sacrifice. We have the freedom to be happy without the weight of guilt and condemnation now that we have been reconciled to the Father as His own.

Receive the blessing Moses gave to Asher as your own. The Father loves you so much!

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/28/2026 – What Do You Do with Ordinary Time?

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/28/2026 – What Do You Do with Ordinary Time?

I’ve mentioned this many times, but I’m just enamored with the idea of “Ordinary Time” in the liturgical calendar. It helps me realize that everything is not always “supernatural” or overtly “spiritual” in our life. I spent many years in charismatic churches where the Book of Acts was used often as examples of how to live the Christian life. What folks don’t realize is that even the disciples had “ordinary” days. Many were fishermen by trade, so they fished. Often. It wasn’t every day that they pulled in a cache of fish so large the boat almost sank. That happened one day, but not every day.

Peter walked by a lame man and when his shadow fell upon the man he was immediately healed. That didn’t happen every day, but it did happen one day. Jesus healed many in the three years of His “earthly ministry” as it is called. But He didn’t heal everyone. There may have been days where He did heal anyone. There may have been days where He didn’t speak to the multitudes or chastise the religious elite. There were days where He did, but sometimes He had “ordinary” days.

Now, what does an “ordinary” day in the life of Jesus look like? He spent time in prayer, conversing with His Father. He spent time resting. He may have even spent time working. He did something for thirty years prior to His encounter with John the Baptist. Even if there is no record of it (because why would you record in the books that Jesus built a shed for the Joneses) Jesus may have still worked when He wasn’t healing the sick, blessing the multitudes, training His disciples, or correcting wrong understanding about the Father’s desire for His creation to be loved and to love.

When you wake up in the morning, don’t bemoan the fact that you didn’t raise the dead yesterday. Don’t think God doesn’t like you anymore because you didn’t prophecy to ten people or pray in tongues for three hours. Just be thankful that God is still God even on the mundane days. God still loves you just as much as He did yesterday. There is still grace and mercy waiting for you at every turn. And maybe, just maybe, you will have an encounter with someone which can alter their life forever, or possibly you will be the one changed. But if not, it’s still an “ordinary” day with the Father, and that is pretty extraordinary.

Today’s blessing:

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. Mark 10:1 (ESV)

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. Luke 22:39 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. Mark 6:31 (ESV)

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/21/2026 – When Heroes Falter

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/21/2026 – When Heroes Falter

It is in our human nature to want a hero. Look at the resurgence in the past several decades of the Marvel superheroes. We crave something or someone we can trust. With the advent of social media, it is so easy to invent heroic characters in “real life” who quickly gain a massive following. This occurs in every aspect of life: political, social, spiritual, emotional, physical, etc. We need a go-to in a pinch to ensure our success in whatever activity we find ourselves.

Children place parents in this role, or even an older sibling. Couples elevate their mate to a place of expecting them to always come through with the solution or aid needed in the moment. Citizens endear politicians who can make their life more tolerable. Employees will empower a corporate leader who has the loudest vision for how to make everyone wealthy. Parishioners will begin to revere a spiritual leader who seems to be closer to God than anyone else they know.

We need someone to follow. Even those at the front of the line are following the vision inspired by someone they respect or admire, using their strategies, methods, or passions to goad them on to greatness. None of this is inherently wrong until we begin to set our own will and aspirations aside in deference to the hero. After all, they know what is best for us.

The problem with placing our life into another human’s hands is that it will ultimately – always – fail. People change. People falter. People die. When this occurs, it will leave those with complete trust in them without wind in their sail, no rudder to guide them, no light on their pathway, no voice in their ears encouraging them with words of affirmation, no outstretched hand to grasp when we lose our footing, and no hope of a good outcome.

It happens every day. The patriarch or matriarch of the family passes after a long and fruitful life. These do not hurt quite as much because there is time to set expectations and formulate plans for the next phase. Founding CEOs pass the torch to their protégé with hopes they will continue the direction which has brought success. Seasoned ministers retire, leaving behind faithful leaders in place to carry on the work of the ministry. Those are less painful and more easily managed transitions which we know will come.

But when it is not expected, it can be like a nuclear bomb on our physical and emotional landscape. Everything we can see or feel simply fades to black, leaving us with no thought of what to do or say. The silence is deafening. The numbness only masks the sharp pains which will follow. This is not right! This is not fair! This was so unexpected! How could this happen to me?!?! It is in these moments that lives literally hang in the balance. The next move can greatly alter life’s trajectory, causing either continued growth and success or plummeting to loss and possible destruction.

My hero died when I was nine. My dad was bigger than life. I’ve written about this many times, but it bears repeating. Just about everything hanging in his closet was a uniform. He was a police officer, master sergeant in the Army Reserve, Cub Scout pack master, Boy Scout assistant scoutmaster, deacon at our church, husband to my mom, and father of five. In addition to all of this, he was the handyman to several widows that lived on our block, shade-tree mechanic converting a school bus into a camper, and heaven only knows what else he did in his spare time. In my eyes, dad could do it all … and he did. I never saw him respond in anger toward my mom or siblings. Everyone I’ve ever heard speak of him said he was one of the nicest people they knew.

When he died from a robber’s bullet which struck him just above his right eye, I could not really comprehend how my life was about to change. Standing wide-eyed at the largest funeral Elmwood Cemetery had ever held up to that point in time, to the massive outpouring of kindness shown to my mom and our family from people I didn’t even know, life, for the most part, settled into a new normal which didn’t seem all that different. Yes, dad never came home again, but he was gone most of the time anyway. That is not intended as criticism, just reality. A beat cop didn’t make a lot of money. Everything else he did, except for the Army Reserve, did not pay anything; and probably actually cost him money. He made up the deficit by working as an off-duty officer anywhere he could. One of those jobs cost him his life.

I only knew one of my grandfathers; my mom’s dad. He also died while I was nine, just six months before my dad. I’m sure that made it doubly hard for my mother. Now, without a father-figure in my life, the relationship with my older brothers sort of took that place. All my teachers at the time – fourth grade – were women. The only real male role models I had left were uncles, whom I rarely saw, and the pastor of the church we attended at the time. My Sunday school teacher stepped up a little after dad was gone. This relationship was short-lived because we changed churches soon after this.

It wasn’t until my third year of college that I met a man who would take an interest in me. Not like the church leaders, who mainly wanted me in “their” group, but one who spoke to me with clarity and hope; something I had felt very little of from a man. Tom Cheatham said these words which changed the direction of my life: “You have a real aptitude for this.” Seven words. I felt my sail catch the wind, which until this time had been limp while adrift in the doldrums. I finally found something which I was good at. I pursued it hard, and then found this career again after wasting over twenty years following a “calling” in the church. Sure, there were accolades in vocational ministry, but usually by those who wanted something from me. Since words of affirmation is my primary love language, I responded to those compliments and gave the congregation some of the best years of my life, only to find at the end an escort to the door, giving way to fresh young talent who were gone within a few years.

When heroes falter it becomes a line of demarcation. You cannot maintain the same lifestyle. The old patterns and habits based upon your hero being present will not last. There has to be tough choices made which will have direct consequences. That’s not necessarily a bad word – consequences. It simply means the things which follow: with sequences. Those consequences will either propel you forward into a positive trajectory, or it will cause you to slide back into old habits which may keep you from progressing. Since there is no “hero” store, you don’t just happen up on that special someone who will inspire you toward growth and development. It takes time to grow new relationships. In the meantime, what can you do?

I wrote a book several years ago called Wonder in the Wilderness. In it, I describe many characters from the Bible who found themselves in a lost or uncomfortable place. I call that place “wilderness”. What you decide to do in these moments determines how long you will stay there. What I found to be the tactic used by most in these vignettes included in the book is this: They chose to begin to “wonder” at the magnificence of God. He, of course is the greatest “Hero” you can ever have. The best thing about Him is He will never falter. He will never fail. He will never quit. He will never die. Plus, when you get the focus off of your shattered existence brought on by the stumbling of your hero, you tend to gain a better peace of mind, realizing there is still hope ahead. There is still life to live. There are still dreams to chase. And maybe, just maybe, you could become someone else’s hero.

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/14/2026 – He is God!

Sunday’s Blessing – 06/14/2026 – He is God!

One of my favorite topics to use in speaking and writing is observable signs of God in creation. Things like noticeable similarity of the spiral of a galaxy being exactly the same as the spiral a conch shell and the pattern of seeds on a sunflower. I do not believe that is coincidence. I call it the fingerprint of God.

There are other things I’ve written about before (blog post titled “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”) like the fact that PI and e (numbers occurring naturally in our world) are irrational, but I have struggled finding a good analogy until now. Last Sunday, my pastor started a new series on “The God Who Is.” As part of this introduction, get gave the following illustration.

In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history by becoming the first human to journey into outer space. He circled earth one time then returned safely. After landing, he spoke at a press conference, declaring, “I have seen the whole earth and I did not see God.”

C. S. Lewis, notable writer and Christian apologist, responded with the following:

Looking for God in space is like Hamlet exploring the attic of the castle trying to find his creator, Shakespeare. The only way Hamlet would ever encounter Shakespeare would be if the author wrote himself into the play.

I love that! Because God did exactly that. He wrote Himself into our story by appearing multiple times and in many ways, as Hebrews 1:1 tells us. But the ultimate revelation of God is when He became a man, Jesus, and lived among us to show us His nature and Character, and to provide a way for us to know Him. This is the reason I started writing many years ago. My first effort was to compile as many “names” for God I could find. The first list was over 200 names or expressions found in scripture which refer to God. That list now stands well over 1000.

If you want to know where to find God, simply inhale. He is closer than the air you breathe and is more real than your next heartbeat.

Today’s blessing:

And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?” And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 

Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. Exodus 33:15-19 (ESV)