Peter’s Posts

The door was closed.

She couldn’t get on her flight.

She missed and no one could or would help her.

I was at Seatac. I was at my gate early. Not bragging, just saying I was there early. Next to my gate was another gate flying somewhere far away, Texas maybe? I had seen this lady on the other side,the main terminal. She was being seated in a wheelchair by an airport worker. When she showed up at her gate she was walking. Earlier I had seen the airlines hostesses walking the length of the terminal calling out names of missing passengers and heard multiple announcements asking for passengers to go to the desk, announcing boarding and then final boarding. Then they closed up the desk, walked through the doors and boarded the plane. After all of that happened the lady showed up. She was at the right gate but she was late. She couldn’t find anyone to help her. She walked through the seats asking for help, loudly asking for someone, anyone from her airline to help but they were all in the plane already.

She tried crashing the door. She could see her plane still parked at the gate but she couldn’t get on.

When she crashed the door an alarm sounded and security personnel arrived rather quickly. But they couldn’t get her on the plane either. It didn’t seem to make any difference why she was late or how loud she got with her protests. She could not ride that plane. Even with a boarding pass she could not get aboard the plane.

It was a scene that played out in my life that I️ watched like it was a performance for me. It made me wonder and now over 2 weeks later I am still pondering it. As the character Scrooge says in the Christmas Carol, “why was I privy to this conversation?”.

At the same time I have Been reading 2 Peter. In chapter 2, Peter mentions some times when God’s timing and the peoples time ran out.

“For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;”

2 Peter 2:4-10

So did God show me this so that I would present it as a cautionary tale? As a culture we are constantly exposed to and driven by schedules and time tables. Is it a surprise that God also has a schedule and a time table for his plan for us. None of us knows his time table and schedule. Not even Jesus knew when the end would be. Can we say that God is a meany head for having a schedule? Or can we say thank you to him for his patience with us thus far?

Further into his letter Peter had this to say,

“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:3-9

Mary calls me Debbie Downer because I see the dark side of things, I really don’t want this to be that.

God loves us. He sent Jesus to us not Just to say I love you, but to do I love you. Jesus came to die for sins we cannot pay for or erase. Then he rose from the dead to lead us into God’s heaven. He made a way for us.

We get today. We have today to choose.

I don’t know the outcome for the poor lady who missed her plane. I do know the outcome of everyone who missed Noah’s boat. I do know the outcome for everyone who misses God’s grace in Jesus but I would rather talk about the splendor waiting for those who receive God’s great gift of forgiveness in Jesus.

Today, all aboard.

(Originally posted 11/28/17)

Sometimes we get blessed by having a trait or physical feature passed on into the next generation. Mary and I have 4 kids, Aaron, Rachel, Elizabeth and Hannah. None of them strongly resemble either one of us. Aaron has Mary’s blue eyes and curly hair, the girls all have brown eyes like me. In 2009 we were blessed with the birth of our first grandchild, a little girl and her parents named her Molly, Molly Joy.

From birth we noticed a deep connection between Molly and Mary. (The name Molly is a form of the name Mary). First off there is her physical features, she is blond and blue eyed, she looks like Mary did as a child. Molly also has a deep love of music. She has been Mary’s piano student since she could sit at the bench. As Molly grew up we saw in her an uncanny ability to mimic songs, to figure out melodies and plunk them out on the piano, but then she also started creating her own songs.  When Molly was seven she wrote a little song and called it “White Sheet of Snow”. When Mary’s second CD was coming together Mary wanted to include Molly’s song so Mary added some verses. I think the end result is magical. Kind of like the magic of the first snow of winter, which is what the song is all about. It is pretty exciting to so see part of ones self live on in the next generation and that is what we are seeing in Molly, Mary’s little mini-me.

Please click on the link and listen and if you like the song, please share it with friends and family.

Happy Thanksgiving. May this years celebration bring joy and thankfulness for the bounty God has provided, including his great love and mercy in sending his son Jesus to restore us back to relationship with him and with his family.

It’s cyber Monday. (Posted in 2017). A busy day for shopping. Mary has been asking me what I want for Christmas and I I’ve been humbly replying “I am content with life, I want for nothing” but then I went to Home Depot with my son in law Michael. SO much stuff, so many tools and gadgets that I don’t have yet. It’s all so shiny and new and exciting!

But I caution myself with what the apostle Peter says in his second letter.

“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

2 Peter 3:8-13

Everything we see and know will eventually be destroyed by God as he prepares a new heaven and a new earth. All of those widgets and gadgets and hobbies and must haves. Even my beloved 57 Chevy truck that I named Rusty. What? Even Rusty? Yes even old Rusty. Only two things will remain, the word of God and the souls of men. We are created to live forever. And we will, but where will we spend eternity?

God loves us and longs to spend eternity with us but our sins separate us from him. He knew that and prepared a way for us to be forgiven and cleansed from our sin through his only son Jesus. By accepting Jesus death as payment and believing in his resurrection we can spend eternity with our Heavenly father.

I’m going to try to not let this holiday season be about the stuff of life in stores but about hastening the return of Jesus by expanding his kingdom through sharing the story of a God who loves me enough to die in my place. A baby who came to save me, save us. He doesn’t want to have anyone die without knowing about his free gift of salvation. He is waiting to return until the last person who ever will believe in him, gets to hear the story and chooses to believe.

Who can I tell about Jesus today?

It has been said of my wife Mary that she is the Queen of Christmas. (Ok, it was me, I was the one that said it). Even queens have a childhood, I guess in childhood they are called Princess. Princess Mary’s childhood took place in Ephrata Washington, a tiny little town in the center of Washington state. Ephrata is to Seattle like a saltine cracker is to a wet sponge. The city Washington state is famous for, Seattle,  gets on average 37.5 inches of rain, in 2017 it got 47 inches. Ephrata gets 8 inches of precipitation per year. Seattle gets rain and rarely gets snow but that’s okay because of all the rain it is green all of the time. Ephrata in contrast, is dry, and grey, and drab. In summer we get the green of irrigated crops and orchards, watered trees, grass and flowers. But winter is different. Winter can be monotone. Winter can be drab. Winter can be long and boring. One of the blessings we receive in winter because it is colder here than in Seattle,  is that some of that precipitation falls in the form of snow.

Mary wrote about a Christmas from her childhood where the magic happened, there was a Christmas snow.

Please listen to Mary’s song Merry Mary and enjoy a peek into princess Mary’s Christmas memories. If you like the song, please share it with your family and friends. You folks that read my posts have been deputized into being our distribution system  for Mary’s Christmas album. Please help us spread these free samples of a Christmas filled with joy, joy because God remembered our need and sent a savior, Jesus.

Mary recorded this song to honor her Scottish heritage. It is a hymn traditionally sung on during midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Mary sings the first verse in Gaelic. I like to use my imagination as I listen. I try to go back in my mind to when the song was new. It was written in the mid 1800s, when it was first sung the sanctuary would have been lit by candle light. The room was probably cold and everyone would’ve been bundled against it and snuggling as much as possible to stay warm. The hymn has 29 verses, it took a while to sing. No one was in a hurry to go anywhere, the room was filled with people who were there for one purpose, to worship a king, a king who entered our world as a baby. This was no ordinary king, this king was not a king of city or country or a land mass, he was THE king, the king over all of it, all of us over all of creation. He didn’t get crowned as king, he was born the king. this little baby was God in the flesh.

The song touches on the mix of the mother and baby, but the baby was the savior and king. He was (and is) fully God, but he was also fully a human baby and he still needed his mother and needed a soft lullaby to sleep.

Please click on the link to listen. If you like the song, please share with your friends and family.

James 5.

Riches. Having some makes us want more. On the eve of the day we as a nation give thanks for Gods abundance that he has given to us, James has this to say to us.

“And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment.

4-6 All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you’ve done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it.”

Will our fattened corpse that we leave behind testify against our indulgent lifestyle? How much is enough? What have we done to earn what we have? Is having more our goal or is having enough and sharing the rest?

“7-8 Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.

9 Friends, don’t complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner.”

Patience, waiting, delayed gratification. Those are not popular practices in our culture. We are not of this culture. Christians have been waiting for the return of our messiah for 2 thousand years. He is closer now then he has ever been and each day is closer still. We Look around, we watch and wait, we stay busy building the kingdom planting the flag in a heart here or there. Gods kingdom doesn’t exist on the soil, it exists in the hearts of people. We can’t claim America for Jesus but we can claim Americans for Jesus.

Pray. Pray for Americans, pray for each other, pray for the sick. Pray for needs to be met. Prayer works because God is all powerful and He works. Not like a genie but like an all knowing, all powerful God.

Sing praise to our great God because no matter what situation we are in, he is worth praising. There is none other like him.

“19-20 My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.”

(Originally posted 11/25/15)

James 4

I abruptly left off in verse 6 yesterday. It was an unusual morning, there was a baby asleep in the bedroom off the kitchen and my truck was on loan so I scrambled for a ride and for food and for the liquid of life, (aka coffee) and for quiet, for me and the sleeping baby.

Plus I kinda chickened out of the next verses. I will quote them using the message because it makes more sense to me. Besides it uses the word graffiti. First we’ll talk about how to deal with temptation.

“7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

Say no. Yell no, then run. Do not run away, but run to God. I tried this the other day. I told God exactly what I was being tempted by. And then I napped. That is not a practical way to live my life 98% of the time but that day? It was just what I needed.

“11-12 Don’t bad-mouth each other, friends. It’s God’s Word, his Message, his Royal Rule, that takes a beating in that kind of talk. You’re supposed to be honoring the Message, not writing graffiti all over it. God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others?”

I was driving home last night and some one to my left didn’t yield to my right of way, then didn’t signal or stop at the stop sign. I didn’t either but this is not about me, or is it. How many times have I pronounced judgement on the terrible driver in front of me while being guilty of the same mistakes? What if I take s broader picture of my life? Can I condemn someone when I am guilty of the same or worse? I will try to leave the condemning to our gracious and merciful God, who knows men’s hearts.

“13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”

16-17 As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil. In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don’t do it, that, for you, is evil.”

Who knows what a day will bring forth? No one. No one except God. Honor God in our plans and in our speech.

Knowing the right thing to do and not doing it? That’s just as wrong as doing wrong thing. Sin. Sinning and repenting and being forgiven. That is the Christian Life.

(Originally posted 11/24/15)

James 4

This book is really about practical living as a Christian.

“You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

Just because I’m a Christian doesn’t mean I now need or want for nothing. We live in a world of stuff and we actually need some of it to survive. How many of my needs are just wants with my Sunday suit draped over them?

“4 You adulterous people,[a] don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

Friendship with the world, the systems and cultures, makes us enemies to God. The world and its systems run counter to the way the Christian system works. In order to be great in Gods kingdom we must become servants, slaves.

We can’t have dual citizenship. We are either a displaced citizen of heaven living in the world or we are a citizen of the world with no access or entrance to heaven.

Citizenship is about loyalty and allegiances. Whose am I? Who is my master? Who can tell me what to do? Sometimes it’s not by a direct order but by cultural influence.

Jesus is my Lord if he can say go and I go, do and I do, stay and I stay don’t do that and I stop doing that. How am I doing with this? I fail sometimes. Grace, Jesus forgiveness covers over my failures.

(Originally posted 11/23/15)

I finished reading through the Psalms. I actually finished yesterday but I read through the last 3 again today.

148 is great because it reminds all of Gods creation from sea creatures to stars to praise the Lord.

Why?

“13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b]

the praise of all his faithful servants,

of Israel, the people close to his heart.

Praise the Lord.”

Gods horn was the psalmists’ hope. That “horn” we know today is Jesus. Our hope is in Gods son Jesus. Our hope for forgiveness, for freedom, for life both here and in eternity is all in Jesus. This hope is not disappointed.

psalm 149 has a different reason to praise God, still valid but not as light and hopeful.

“6 May the praise of God be in their mouths

and a double-edged sword in their hands,

7 to inflict vengeance on the nations

and punishment on the peoples,

8 to bind their kings with fetters,

their nobles with shackles of iron,

9 to carry out the sentence written against them—

this is the glory of all his faithful people.

Praise the Lord.”

There is a day coming when evil will be punished. God will set things right. Injustice will be punished. God is watching everyone and everything. The pain that I have caused, the rules that I have broken, the people that I have hurt, the damage I have done? All these things are under the covering of Jesus’ forgiveness. Somehow God will set it right and I will not be punished because Jesus took my punishment upon himself. His beating and death on a cross should have been mine. But he loved me enough, loved us enough, to die in my, in our place.

Psalm 150 ends with an admonition.

“Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with timbrel and dancing,

praise him with the strings and pipe,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.”

If I am breathing? I should be praising. God is always, eternally and in each moment of my life, worth praise.

(Originally posted 11/23/16)

My wife Mary is the queen of Christmas. You need not bow, she is very humble and discreet about her royal personhood. I say that facetiously, what I mean is that she loves Christmas. Our sons-in-law have been blessed and surprised by experiencing a Mary Loeffelbein Christmas. They thought they had celebrated Christmas before they married into our lives but then they joined us for our celebration and each one has said that Mary takes celebrating Christmas to a new level.  Every year our tree is spectacular. Every space is filled with beauty but it never looks overdone. Our house gets decorated so that no matter where you look, there is a sparkle and a reminder that this season is special, that we are about to celebrate a very big event. When gifts come out her generosity and thoughtfulness can sometimes be life altering.

Mary loves Christmas because Mary loves Jesus. Mary loves Jesus because he gave himself for us. He came to earth to give himself as a gift, as a ransom for us all. So what happens to all the love and joy and sparkle after Christmas? In Mary’s heart and in our home, even when we stuff the christmas tree back into its box, and all the bits and baubles get put away, the love and joy stay. Even after all of the presents are unwrapped and used up, His presence, his Spirit, are present. It was because of this that Mary wrote her song “The Whole Year Long”.

Please click on the link and listen. If you like the song, please share it wherever and whenever you can. We want the world to hear the message, that Jesus came not just for a Christmas holiday, but to be with us the whole year long.

 

I am a sinner.

I am a Christian.

I still occasionally sin.

I believe in Jesus, I believe in the Bible and try to follow God. Jesus summed up the rules. 1- Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all your soul, all of your mind and all of your strength and 2- love your neighbor as yourself.

I fail in various and numerous ways.

Yesterday I really wanted to beat someone up. There’s a person in my life who behaves in a way that is like fingernails on the chalkboard of my soul. I wanted to slug, slap, hit, kick and beat that person until they stopped behaving in the way that was annoying me.

I did not do it but it was in my heart to do it. I even briefly fantasized about how it would feel. I guess you could say that I hated them. Jesus said that hating someone in my head is the same as killing them because it comes from the same place in the heart. Hating someone breaks rule number two.

What am I to do?

Psalm 51 discusses sin and repentance. I was prompted to read it today in my devotional guide.

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you. You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

Psalm 51:7-17 NLT

If My heart is repentant this morning, God will wash away the stain of my sin. He will create in me a clean heart. He will restore my relationship with him, he will refresh his presence in my life with his Holy Spirit.

God I repent of my anger and ask you to forgive me. Clean my heart, that place where I plotted evil, clean that out and fill up the space with you, your Holy Spirit. I want to tell others about your goodness so restore me to right standing with you and with that person that yesterday I wanted to hurt. May I see them as you see them. I forgive their fallenness because you have forgiven mine.

Mary’s Dad Harold Ledgerwood was Mary’s second biggest fan, (second only to me) although he was her first and biggest supporter, (until I came along). Her Dad loved a song that Mary wrote a long time ago. The song is called “Glory”. It was on the list to be recorded on her first album but got bumped by others on the list. Harold was a little miffed that his favorite song didn’t make it onto the CD so we made a half hearted promise that if we record another album, it will be on there. Harold passed away before we got the recording done. We are confident that Harold is now in God’s presence surrounded by His Glory.

If you have a couple of minutes to spare, please click on the link and listen to Mary’s song Glory, the reason we started the recording that ended up being called “The Whole Year Long”. If you like the song, please share this. You folks are our sound sample distribution network and we so appreciate all of you who listen and share these links.

For all of you you listen, like and share, Thank you.

This morning I read Psalm 146. The psalms even cover and/or apply to post election pre-holiday America.

“1 Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord, my soul.

2 I will praise the Lord all my life;

I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

3 Do not put your trust in princes,

in human beings, who cannot save.

4 When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;

on that very day their plans come to nothing.

5 Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He is the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them—

he remains faithful forever.

7 He upholds the cause of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free,

8 the Lord gives sight to the blind,

the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,

the Lord loves the righteous.

9 The Lord watches over the foreigner

and sustains the fatherless and the widow,

but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns forever,

your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.”

As christians, We have a mission. It hasn’t changed since Jesus left to prepare a place for us. We are to let the world know about Him.

After Jesus rose from the grave and before he ascended into heaven he left us with these words, “4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”

6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

In light of the election don’t lose hope. In light of the election don’t put your hope in the wrong person. In light of the fact that we are alive today let’s remind ourselves of who is King no matter who is president and let’s get on with our mission. Who can I tell about What Jesus has done in my life? How can I live to best show the change in my heart? Remember that we can be empowered to be his witnesses.

Just a reminder about how we should treat our leaders, Paul wrote this to his young pastor friend Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.”

1 Timothy 2:1-6 -NIV

And as the psalmist started and ended his song, Praise the Lord!

(Originally posted 11/21/16)

We are 2000 years plus into the new era. For Christians it is easy to take for granted that God would come to earth and visit us. Sometimes it is easy to accept without much thought that he would come as King and creator of all of creation and yet be born in a most humble state. Born to peasants and sleeping in a barn, his cradle a feeding trough.

Mary’s song “God with us” starts out with our grandchildren singing “Away in a manger” and then Mary and our son Aaron Loeffelbein sing Mary’s song.

As I listen I try to take away the 21st century knowledge of the event and listen with fresh ears to the message that God has come to live among us. It was and is miraculous.

Click on the link to listen for free. If you like it, please share. We are using you folks that read these posts as our free sample hosts to spread this music out to ears that are longing to hear some good news, God with us.

James 3

“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.”

Today’s chapter starts out with this statement, and it’s true, I am a sinner, I mess up. I should probably not be doing this. I don’t have it all together. In my posts I quote the Bible so there will always at least the words of the Bible, it is truth you can trust in. Listen to what the bible is saying, that’s the part that isn’t flawed. The rest is me telling you how I am applying the words of the Bible to my life.

“All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”

The tongue, the fingers, in my case, the heart and brain behind what I communicate. Not many People hear me speak but there are a few who “hear”my thoughts by reading my words here. My buddy Steve Selig gets to hear my unfiltered rants. We ride together to and from work. Work can be frustrating and difficult. I have said things, things that hurt, things that defame, things that are destructive. I am fortunate to have a good Christian friend who can listen to me without judgement but who can correct or redirect me back to the life of a Christian, the life of forgiveness and mercy, for others and for myself. We can’t unsay something like we can’t Un-ring a bell. We can’t un-splash a pond. So it is with our words. There is forgiveness in Jesus and there is value in guarding what we say, carefully considering the words. There is no back button in speech.

“13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”

Using Gods wisdom can result in people turning to Jesus to have their sin forgiven, a harvest of righteousness. I am one of those flawed yet forgiven people. Will you accept Jesus gift of forgiveness today? Today is the only day we get. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow never arrives. We have today. What will we do with it?

(Originally posted 11/20/19)

I read Luke chapter 15 yesterday. It is a collection of 3 parables. All 3 talk about something lost and the seeker of the lost thing. The most famous of these is the prodigal son. For some reason on this day I was captivated by the first story, the lost sheep.

“4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”

Luke 15:4-7 NIV

I have been that lost sheep. God sought me out and found me and gathered me up and carried me back home.

Where are you today? There are only two options, in the sheepfold or out of the sheepfold. If you are out, God is seeking you, not to punish you but to gather you up and bring you back to the safety of his flock.

Later on in Luke Jesus says this about himself and mission “10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Luke 19:10 NIV

When we decided to record Mary’s second album we already knew some of the challenges of recording independently. One big challenge is there is no distribution network and there is no support or promotional platform. Last year when we released the CD we did a couple of concerts. This year Mary is doing some local spots. I decided to post a song from her album at least 5 days a week from November through December. I just want folks to hear the music that rings through our house all season long. The album is called “The Whole Year Long” because the message of Jesus is not just for December and Christmas but it is for every day and every season. The message is that God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son to die for us, to pay a debt of sin that we cannot pay, and that payment enables us to become God’s children, to be adopted into his family and live with him forever.

Please take a couple of minutes and listen to Mary’s title track, “The Whole Year Long”.

If you like it, please share it with a friend.

James 2b.

Or not 2b. That’s not the question.

“14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Can a we have a saving faith in Jesus without it changing our behavior? Is our faith in Jesus real if it doesn’t prompt us to act on the behalf of those around us with needs that we can meet? Real faith will change us. Real faith will not only cleanse our hearts, cleanse our minds, break chains from the past, change our thoughts and emotions but it will also cause us to do. Do stuff. Do stuff for people. Otherwise this faith in Jesus is not faith but an idea about or an opinion of Jesus. It’s not faith in Him until it grabs ahold of us and we start sharing the love we have been given with others.

The 2 examples James gives us, Abraham and Rahab acted on what they believed and showed by their actions that their faith in God was real.

At the end of the storm in Spokane this week there were 206,000 people without power. No heat, no way to cook, no lights, no refrigerators. 2 of those households are my kids. I’m not sure how I will help but can it be just “stay warm guys, love ya”? How will I help? How will my faith take action? (This was 3 years ago. I didn’t get an opportunity to help)

Where can I help?

Closer to home I have friend who has appliances that aren’t working and can’t afford a repairman. Will my faith move me from my couch to my garage to get my tools and to his house to help?

“26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

It is cloudy and cold. The days are short and the nights are long. The leaves have fallen and the flowers and vegetable gardens are all finished for the year. There is no color, except for the monotone bland grey-ness. What can save us from all this winter blah?

Snow.

Please click and listen for free to the cute little song co-written by my granddaughter Molly and my wife Mary. Performed by Molly and Mary.

James 2

“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?”

Maybe it’s contagious. This wealth thing. We tend to want to hang out with wealthy people. Remember the show “lifestyles of the poor and destitute”? No wait, that wasn’t it, it was the “rich and famous”. Our human nature wants to associate with wealth and success. Could it be that we think it might rub off? At the very least, rich people have cool stuff. Cool stuff is fun and expensive and so it is rare. Hanging with rich people we might get to play with their stuff. But human nature is almost always counter to Christian belief and practice.

The kingdom of God is upside down to the world. Our king laid down his life and died for us. Our king washed his friends feet. Our king never had a palace or a throne or a scepter. Our king was born in a barn and slept in a feeding trough. Our king carried his own cross.

Christianity is counter cultural and sometimes counter intuitive. It doesn’t always make sense.

“5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?”

Favoritism = adultery = murder. That is not good math. Not in my mind. It’s like saying a penny equals a million dollars because favoritism is a penny sin, murder? That’s a million dollar sin. Am I right? No. I am completely wrong. Sin = all other sin. Sin is sin.

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,”[a] you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. 11 For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,”[b] also said, “You shall not murder.”[c] If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

There is hope. Our God is merciful. He expects us, once we have experienced his mercy, to extend his mercy to the world around us.

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

Mercy. Not getting what we do deserve. Grace. Getting what we do not deserve. They are what distinguishes Christianity. That and the fact our savior rose from the dead. Yes, I said fact. Feels harsh to leave it there but I’m going to.

No I can’t. Jesus loves us. He died to wash away our sin. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and now He lives to intercede on our behalf. Will  you consider accepting His gift today?

(originally posted 11/18/15)