The Eyes Have It

When we ask God for something in prayer, and then receive it, what happens if we don't accept it?

Back in November I was scheduled to have eye surgery. I have cataracts. And my eye doctor recommended getting them removed and having new lenses installed in my eyes.

"Your vision will be clear," they said. "There is a great possibility that you will not have to wear glasses anymore."

Sounds good to me.

So before my surgery I prayed for the surgeon and the nurses and that all might go well. I also prayed that if God didn't want me to have this surgery that it would not happen.

The morning of the surgery I was laying on the pre-op table. And, as they were inserting the needle into my wrist for my IV, one of the nurses burst in and said, "Don't do that yet! The doctor just called in. He's sick."

So, I went back home. The surgery was rescheduled for January, and I had the lens replaced in my right eye. But things didn't turn out as they had led me to believe they would.

My eye waters now more than it ever did before. I see you reflections in my right eye. My vision is no clearer now than it was before the surgery. Brighter, yes, but still blurry.

The surgeon now has me in a daily regimen of eye drops. He is hoping to reduce some swelling in the back of my eye. My expert medical opinion? They will never work. And here's why.

I prayed a prayer. And when I got an answer to that prayer (the surgeon was sick), I didn't follow it. I didn't accept it. But I do now.

Eye surgeon has told me that the next step would be a complete corneal transplant. Why would I think that would work when this didn't?

I'm going to keep it this defective lens, just as it is. It will be a daily reminder of my disobedience. Of my non-belief.

"If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers." - 1 Samuel 12:15

Here's what I have learned in all of this:

1. Pray, because the Lord does answer the prayers of his children.
2. Listen for the voice of the Lord, and His answer to prayer.
3. Follow his commands and instructions.
4. Praise Him, no matter what the result because He is God. He will make your paths straight.

Letting Go

Life can get pretty overwhelming at times, if we let it. So, what can we do to take some of the weight off of our shoulders?

One of the first things is, of course, prayer. But what specifically should we be praying for? We must be very careful and specific when we pray. Otherwise that situation we have been stressing over just might turn out WAY different than we had hoped.

There is one thing we all should be doing, even BEFORE we pray. It's called self examination. If Paul told the church in Corinth that they should examine themselves (2 Cor 13:5), maybe we should too?

We need to find out just what is giving us stress in the first place. Does stress come from God? No. God is the opposite of stress. He promises rest for our souls.

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am humble and gentle of heart and you will find us your soul." - Matthew 11:28-30

Sometimes we take on SO much stuff we simply can't handle it all. It's time to make some tough choices. Who knows. Perhaps the stress we are experiencing is God telling us to let go of something, or to go in some new direction.

We should pray for God to reveal to us what He wants us to do. Ask Him to eliminate something, or pray for help.

We want to see all of these things on our to-do list accomplished. But who says that WE have to do them all? It's usually us, not God. Ask for some help!

And finally, there is this reminder. David wanted to build a house for the Lord. And God took it off of his plate, telling David "No."

"Now when David lived in his house, David said to Nathan the prophet, “Behold, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.” And Nathan said to David, “Do all that is in your heart, for God is with you.”

But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: It is not you who will build me a house to dwell in." - 1 Chronicles 17:1-4

If you don't take some of the things off your overflowing to-do list, God will.

He's Gonna Pop - The Matrix 

Is He Worthy?

The title of today's story comes from an Andrew Peterson song - Is He Worthy? Perhaps you are familiar with the Chris Tomlin version.

Mr. Peterson, the actual writer of the song, based his lyrics on Revelation 5.

"Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” - Revelation 5:1-5

I love this song for several reasons. One, it is based on scripture. Two, it is prophetic in nature. And three, it is sung like someone is asking questions about Jesus and the church is answering those questions.

"The scroll" referred to in the song contains the seven "seal" judgements against the earth. They are: 

1. White Horse - The Antichrist is revealed.
2. Red Horse - Great wars errupt on earth. 
3. Black Horse - Famine / Inflation
4. Pale/Green Horse - 1/4 of the world's population is killed.
5. Martyrs during the Tribulation cry out.
6. Massive Earthquake / Signs in the heavens. 
7. Silence in heaven.

These are just the beginning of woes. But let's get back to Jesus, our Savior. Believers in Jesus will not have to endure ANY of these judgements.

And Jesus is MORE than worthy to open the scroll. Finally, after all the waiting, the earth will be judged.

"And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” - Revelation 5:13

Amen and amen!

We are living in "The Church Age" right now. At the very end of it. But, as the song says,  "Soon, and very soon, we are going to see The King. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! "

Is He Worthy - Andrew Peterson

The Parable Parable

Each week I publish three of these stories. Sometime they're so-so. Other times I think they're wonderful. But they are always about God.

The thing about these stories, and about the parables of Jesus, is that not everyone is receptive to the message, or the subject. Either people don't care about Jesus, or the good news of the Gospel, or they love it!

"This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ - Matthew 13:13:15

I don't expect everyone to read these stories, just like Jesus KNEW that not everyone would receive HIS message. So, why do I bother writing them?

For me, I can't help but write. I see God at work in so many things around me. I simply just write it down. Easy. Writing stories about God is an act of worship for me. I use a gift that I have been given to me by God and I use it for His glory.

God knows that not everyone will respond to His message. He knew that not everyone would listen to His prophets. Not that I am a prophet. Hardly. But we are all servants of The Most High God.

When something pops into my head, I simply write it down. It's my e-journal. This story is an example of that. It was written at 2:00 AM.

Recently, I wrote a story that I thought was absolutely wonderful. I was so excited to share it. Yet, when I did so, hardly anyone read it.

Doesn't that hurt? A little. But I don't write these stories for MY glory, but for God's. There are plenty of writers who are more eloquent than me. More talented. But I am compelled to write. I can't NOT write.

There are over 1,760 stories in this blog. The topics may vary, but the subject never changes. Like the old Bryan Adams song says, "Everything I do, I do it for you."

If you are reading this, I thank you. I appreciate you. As for me, now that I have these thoughts all written down, I'm going back to bed.

Divergent

I was flippin' around the TV channels, looking for something to waste my time watching while I ate lunch, when I came across Allegient, one of the Divergent series of movies.

It only took a few minutes of watching it before I began to see the similarities between the plot of the movie and the world we are all living in today.

In the first movie of this trilogy, Divergent, society is divided up into "factions." Have you ever seen OUR country so divided as it is today?

There are those in our society who like to separate people into "factions" based on a person's race or gender. Watch the national news tonight. It doesn't matter what channel. Listen for key words like 'black,' 'white,' 'hispanic,' or 'trans.' This is all wrong. There is only one race - the HUMAN race.

"From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." - Acts 17:26

"He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them “mankind” on the day when they were created." - Genesis 5:12

In the Divergent movies the elites (called the Erudites) are trying to rule over the other factions. Are our governments today any different? It's all about power and money.

Ultimately the 'deplorable' factions in the movie rebel. This has happened once before in our country. It was called The Civil War.

There were four basic reasons for The Civil War - the economy, cultural issues, power of the federal government over the states, and of course, slavery.

Is today any different? The economy has taken a nose dive, there are many cultural divides, the federal government is WAY too powerful and we, the taxpayers, are the slaves.

We haven't learned.

Abraham Lincoln was the president back then. What did HE think? Did he have a solution?

"Whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord."

Amen, brother! This is our challenge today. We must become divergent. But not with guns and war. We must repent and follow God. The choice is ours. 

"The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul." - Deuteronomy 30:9-10

Finally . . .

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

- Robert Frost

Castle of Glass

Have you ever lost a loved one? Someone who is very near and dear to you? Then today's story just might be for you.

Thursday was a day unlike any other in recent memory. It all began by watching a very powerful Linkin Park video.

In the video a boy is visited by a naval officer who tells him that his father (a SEAL team soldier) has been killed in combat. He struggles mightily with this fact and ultimately comes to a heart felt decision - to follow in his father's footsteps - serving his country.

However, the grown boy then takes a slightly different path and becomes the one who tells other Gold Star families about THEIR lost loved ones. He, better than anyone else, knows exactly how they feel when they hear the sad news.

What a brave and powerfully moving video.

When we experience someone's death - someone we love - we can react in any number of ways. We can withdraw, we can lash out, or . . . we can turn a negative into a positive like this young man did.

At the end of the video there is this quote: 

"All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." - Winston Churchill

I would add a few words to Mr. Churchill's list - "faith" and "love."

"Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Later, that same Thursday, I visited a dear friend of mine. We spoke about her relative's cancer diagnosis. We also spoke about the death of her husband several years ago. She had also just lost one of her godparents to cancer.

Then, on my way home, I received a message from a young friend who had just lost her aunt to cancer. Stories like theirs seem to come in waves. 

How can we help the hurting people in our lives? The verse above is all we really need to remember.

Our faith in God is what gives us hope. And that hope flows out of our hearts in the form of love. We can help ease their pain with a generous helping of love. Selfless, sacrificial love.

And, here's another single word to consider for your list of great things, Mr. Churchill.

Jesus.

There is a line in today's featured song that could be a prayer to our Lord and Savior.

"Wash the sorrow from off my skin
And show me how to be whole again."

Castle of Glass - Linkin Park

For Myshelle, Bob, Katie, Becky, Sky, Dave, Destiny, Dakota, Alex, Miranda, Jeanne, Kathy, Nate, Vicki, Tammy, and anyone else who has experienced loss. There is hope and love out there. His name is Jesus. Love you all.

How God Answers Prayer

There can be times in our lives when it can seem like God doesn't hear our prayers. And scripture backs that up.

"When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening." - Isaiah 1:15

Of course, God was speaking to a disobedient Israel. WE haven't been disobedient, have we? Nooooooo.

There are two keys to answered prayer. One, you have to believe in God. Second, you have to be righteous.

Are you righteous? Have you lived a perfect life? Of course not! Neither have I. But Jesus has, and Jesus is righteous.

"The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous." - Proverbs 15:29

What that means is that God hears the prayers of those who believe in His Son.

And HOW God answers our prayers is often WAY different than how we were expecting Him to answer them.

There are never any audible words from heaven. Not now anyway. But there used to be. Now God speaks to us through His Word - The Bible. And He answers prayer, often through the subtle actions of others.

Example: I went into town for a meeting with another disc golfer. While the two of us were talking, another car pulls in. It was a long-time friend who was looking for help with his golf game.

The three of us played a round together, instructing as we went. That was answered prayer for me. I prayed for that very thing - that God would show me a way that I could serve Him. I played nine holes with God's answer to that prayer.

I didn't pray a specific prayer, targeted prayer. Just a general one. God provided someone for me to teach (and more than just disc golf). He provided someone to walk alongside, and not on the disc golf course, but in life.

God always hears the prayers of His children. And He answers those prayers in ways that are according to His will and in His perfect timing.

We should not be surprised when He does this, but we SHOULD be ready. May God bless you today, as you serve Him.

The Love List

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me."- 1 Corinthians 13:11

There is a transformation that takes place when one becomes a follower of Jesus. Paul alludes to it in the verse above saying, "I put the ways of childhood behind me." He left one way of thinking in favor of another, better way.

This transformation is brought about by the Holy Spirit. And what a wonderful transformation it is!

Paul continues, just two verses later, to tell us what his 'top three' benefits are in becoming 'a believer.'

"These three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

It is our faith in God that brings us hope. Hope is a wonderful thing. Without it, why are we still here? People have taken their own lives because they do not have any hope left. Hope is an essential.

Faith leads to hope. And hope leads to love. If we say we believe in Jesus and also say,  "no one loves me" we are a liar and The Truth (Jesus) is not in us. Jesus loves us.

"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." - John 14:6

Here's a fun little exercise. Make a list of all the people you love. They may not love you, but you love them. Hopefully, your list is lengthy. Would you be willing to die so that they might live?

I am wrote this story the morning we celebrate Jesus rising from the dead. He died once, for all. Even his enemies!

Do you remember the Roman Centurion? He was one of those who had just crucified Jesus. After Jesus had given up His spirit the Centurion said this, "Truly, this man was the Son of God." - Matthew 27:54

What do you think the Centurion's life was like after that day? Knowing that he helped kill the Son of the Living God?

We meet people every day. In line at the grocery store, at school, at the gas station. Do we love them? If we do, would they be able to tell? Maybe they need some hope. Do they know Jesus?

Tell them about Him and what He has done in your life. How He has given you hope through your faith. You will soon find yourself adding to that 'love list' you just made. And isn't that love list really a prayer list?

The key is faith. The gift that awaits is love.

"You have received, freely give." - Matthew 10:8

Freely, Freely - Aaron & Esther

The Untold Story

There is something about the Baltimore bridge collapse on Tuesday that no one is talking about. It's rather significant but nobody sees it. It is the symbolism of what happened on that dark, tragic morning.

First, the word allegory is defined this way - The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.

On the surface this event seems like a horrible accident. There are questions about the ship's owner (Singapore) and if it was an act of terrorism. Who knows? Not me. But here is what I found interesting.

The name of the bridge. It's the Francis Scott Key Bridge. And who is Francis Scott Key? He is the writer of our national anthem. He was born in Maryland, where the collapsed bridge is located.

The Star Spangled Banner is a song written out of pride for our great nation. It is a symbol of American patriotism, sung at sporting events and other major happenings.

The allegory is that a bridge named after the writer of our nation's anthem was destroyed by a foreign merchant ship. Isn't 'America's economy' being destroyed by those of the rest of the world? Or are we destroying our OWN economy?

Could God have allowed this event to happen as a warning to our country for the direction it is taking on just about everything?

Our nation is led by corrupt politicians, of both parties. Corruption trickles down through federal, to state, to local officials. We all have lost our way.

In the Bible, God uses allegory in the Books of Daniel, Ezekiel, and other places. But nowhere is it as prevalent as it is in the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Genesis 12 says, "I will bless those who bless you (Israel) and curse those who curse you." Hasn't our government turned its back on Israel?

I think it's about time for a change. If we don't repent of our ways we will soon be facing the wrath of Almighty God. It is written . . .

"It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God." - Hebrews 10:31

Why did the ship loose power? Why did it strike that particular bridge? We may never know. But regardless, it's time for a change of heart in this country, and around the world. A time is coming when things will get much worse.

"The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast - all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Whoever has ears, let them hear." - Revelation 13:5-9

Majesty

"Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." - 1 Chronicles 29:11

There are currently 8.1 billion people living on earth. That's a lot of people! Not to God though. He created the heavens, the stars, the planets. He can number of grains of sand on the seashore and can count the hairs on 8.1 billion heads. He is all-powerful! Yet . . .

He loves us individually. He cares about us. However, many of us choose to ignore Him or to not believe in Him.

For those people, here are a few verses to consider:

"I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except fhrough me." - John 14-6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them." - John 6:44

Think about it for a moment. If you are a believer in Jesus, God has chosen you! Out of 8.1 billion people! That fact should have an immediate effect on us. A humbling effect.

"Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens. Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" - Psalm 4

However, if you are not currently a believer in the God of the Bible, I strongly urge you to consider saying 'yes' to His calling. There are eternal consequences to the answer we give.

Despite God's majesty and power, He allows us to chose, even though He has already chosen us. Does that make sense? He already knows the answer we will give to His calling. We must acknowledge His majesty, repent of our sins, and humble ourselves before Him. Then we will receive in us the greatest of His amazing gifts - Himself.

Majesty - Michael W. Smith

The Parable of The Snow Storm

Neither my wife nor I watched the weather Saturday night. Perhaps we should have. We were both planning to go hear our granddaughter sing in church on Sunday but, when we awoke, snow covered the ground. It was then that we found out it was supposed to snow all day.

"It can't!" my wife exclaimed. "I have to take treats in to church. I want to hear my granddaughter sing!" Yet the storm had come, whether we liked it or not. And there we were.

Just yesterday we were outside. I went walking in the woods, enjoying the clear, cloudless sky and bright sunshine. This all reminded me of something Jesus said.

“Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all." - Luke 17:26-27

Oh, wonderful.

Have we become too busy these days? Maybe it's just me in my retirement looking back at the busy life I too used to live. But people just seem so busy. Too busy to even care about Jesus.

Maybe that's to harsh. Maybe people care about Jesus but just don't have time to read or study or serve or worship or even love.

It has been said that 'idle hands are the devils workshop.' I think Satan likes busy hands as well. Too busy for God.

And I'm just as bad. When I saw it snowing Sunday morning I didn't really want to drive into church. And I didn't. Is my safety more important than worshipping God? Ouch.

The point is this: Life can be full of distractions, if we let it get that way. Satan will try anything to keep us from worshipping, praying, and serving in Jesus' name. The question is, what would Jesus be doing? We're supposed to be like Him. Where would Jesus be?

Being safe is one thing, but allowing ourselves to become too busy is another.

Can we worship "in spirit and in truth" if we keep looking at our watches because the pastor is running late with his message? Or do we eventually stop going to church just because we don't like the church we're going to? "It's too inconvenient" or, "I don't like the music."

Decisions, decisions. We need to get beyond ourselves and do what is right in God's eyes.

If we have chosen Christ, the answer should be simple. Then why isn't it?

The Perishing

Are there people in your life who don't know Jesus? Who put Him off in favor of living their own lifestyle? We need to pray for them boldly, as we see the day of our Lord quickly approaching.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

Perishing . . .

God has given us a sign here, an indicator for us to observe fruit in others regarding their faith, or in this case, their lack of faith.

Of course, we cannot know what is truly in someone's heart, but we can see their "fruit."

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." - Matthew 7:16-19

Jesus was talking about false teachers here, but the same fruit inspection concept applies to ALL people. Scripture even supplies us with a fruit inspection guide.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." - Galatians 5:22-23

So, we can know who these people in our lives are by observing their fruit. Next, we must pray for them and talk to them lovingly about the lifestyle they have chosen. Which is really no life at all. It is a death sentence - "cut down and thrown into the fire" as Jesus calls it.

The first thing I would do is ask to meet with them - one-on-one. Then, ask them straight out, "So, what do you think about Jesus? I mean, who is He in your life?"

Their answer should clarify things. It will be the starting point.

It may be they have a different idea about who Jesus is. A warm and fuzzy Jesus perhaps rather than the one  who brings division and a sword.

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword." - Matthew 10:34

If a blind person was waiting to get on a train and you saw them standing a bit to close to the track, would you say anything to them before the train came? Of course you would.

Jesus is the train. It's time to get onboard.

"There is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!" - Luke 15:7

People Get Ready - Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck