Overcoming Temptation

Perhaps you've noticed this in your own life, too, but I tend to see this frequently because of my daily commute to the office.  I'm driving along on the interstate highway system traveling at the speed limit, in the slow lane and on "Cruise Control" when in my mirror I see a vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed.  There are several other open lanes but the vehicle chooses to run up on my bumper and then stays there!!  Dangerously close!!  I'm not doing anything wrong.  I'm not speeding and I'm not going to be intimidated into breaking the law just because this person wants to push me!

Yet, I'm putting myself at risk by allowing this person to be so close to my bumper.  I cannot control the situation.  What if a deer or some other animal comes running out of the woods and onto the highway suddenly?  My life is in danger because someone doesn't want to go around me.  I modify my speed to a slightly slower speed and the person nearly hits me before finally going around me.  As they go by me, they let me know that they are not happy with my speed, or actions or my family heritage through the use of hand gestures and mouthing words that are easily recognizable even though it was their actions that caused the situation.  As they pass me, I see on the back of their vehicle a symbol of a fish with a cross where the eye would be.  They're a Christian???   Really???  They're actions don't reflect being a Christian.

A Christian doesn't intimidate others or try to make them break the law.  A Christian doesn't yell obscenities at people or push blame onto others.  A Christian doesn't put others lives at risk.  But alas, I'm now caught in my own web because I am judging.  I tell myself that person is probably going through some very hard times and needs God's help.  I say a quick prayer for them and try to put it out of my mind but it just won't leave.

It brings to mind the downward spiral of our society.  What has happened to our people?  When did we become so shallow, so self-righteous, so self-centered, so narrow-minded, so short-sided and so entitled?  I think back to how I was raised - when parents disciplined children - with spankings not countdowns.  Somewhere along the way parents tossed aside the rod of discipline for fear that they would scar their children.  In doing so, they also tossed aside a society that follows rules.  Any rules.  And no where is it more obvious than in driving.  I rarely see people stop (which by the way means that your tires are not rolling) at a four way stop anymore.  Sometimes I get a friendly honk from the person behind me when I actually bring my car to a complete stop... as if I'm doing something wrong!

In a Bible study class a few years ago, we were discussing Matthew 25 - specifically the story of the talents - where Jesus says "Well done, my good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so I will give you many more responsibilities.  Let's celebrate together!"

Our discussion started with the focus on money and how it was handled but I pointed out to the group that Jesus isn't just talking about how we handle money.  He is also talking about how we handle ourselves.  If we handle ourselves responsibly in the little things of this life then He will bless us with greater responsibilities.  We have shown ourselves to be trustworthy and righteous in the tiny details and therefore we can be trusted to handle the larger items that he has in store for us.  If we cannot be faithful with the tiny things then there is no way we will ever be able to be faithful in the larger things.

The group thought about this for a few minutes and then one person asked for an example.  I stated that one example would be if you cannot follow the posted speed limit.  If you are consistently breaking a simple law such as speeding then how can you ever be trusted to adhere to more complex rules?  If you cannot overcome the temptation of speeding then how will you ever overcome the temptation of the flesh?  Overcoming temptations is a journey of it's own.  We must first realize that we can overcome temptation by being faithful in the small stuff.  It's like building a muscle.  We must start with small weights and then build to larger weights in order to grow stronger.  Speeding is a very small temptation but one that many consistently fail to overcome.  By building our confidence that we can consistently control our behavior when tempted to speed then we can work on the next step:  completely stopping at stop signs.... and so on.  

Then, after consistently overcoming the small temptations of life, we are better prepared for the larger temptations.  Some day we will be faced with very large temptations that may attempt to destroy our marriage or our careers or our integrity.  Remember, Satan prowls the earth looking for whom to devour.  Let's not allow ourselves to be an easy appetizer.  Stand up to the temptations and grow in your self-control.  You will also be a good role model for your kids who are seeing, and will some day mimic, everything you are doing.  Set a good example so your kids will behave when they grow up.

A life of following rules is a difficult life but in the end God can use a person that adheres to the rules.  He can trust that person to adhere to His rules.  To break the law is to sin and we must work at not sinning in order to draw closer to God.

The Shepherd

Overcoming The Entitlement Attitude

"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?  Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?  You want what you don't have so you scheme and kill to get it.  You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it.  And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong - you want only what will give you pleasure."

                                                                                  -  James   4:1-3
                                                                                     New Living Translation



When you turn on the news these days, it's rare not to see a group rioting about something - what ever it is, what ever the cause, rioting is never the answer.  Acting out in anger is childish behavior and participants should be treated as children.  Under developed brains lashing out in the only way they know how - temper tantrums.

How sad...   Destroying property, businesses, communities, property values, etc...
None of this is going to help your cause - what ever the cause may be.

Spend time reflecting on what is driving the anger.  When you peel back the onion to the core, I believe you'll find what James is referring to in the passage above.  Humans are flawed creatures. Humans have emotions that, if unchecked by wisdom, will drive destructive behavior.


I just returned from filling up my bird feeder.  It's winter here.  The birds have mentally mapped out where all of the feeders are in the neighborhoods.  They make the rounds to get an easy meal.  In the wilderness, these same birds would be working diligently to overturn leaves and search under sticks for their meals but in the city there's no need.  Humans have set out feeding stations to provide for them.

It's interesting to observe the conflict that erupts when birds arrive at a feeder that is already being used.  Regardless of the fact that there is plenty of food to go around for all for at least a week, birds will squabble and squawk to drive others away.  They will fling the very food they are fighting for at the other birds to drive them away rather than calmly share.  There is intimidation and certain birds will call in groups of the same birds to increase their numbers and drive other birds away.  Then once they have claimed the feeder, internal fighting begins until the numbers dwindle and the cycle begins again.

Jealousy, greed, anger...  then loneliness, isolation, despair.

We want what others have!  But why??  Why do we want it??  God knows our hearts!  He knows what we would do with it if we had it.  He knows that it is best kept away from us until we adjust our hearts.  We must first seek God.  We must ask God to help us understand what His purpose is for us. We must have a servant's heart.  In order to have a servant's heart we must first realize that we have a master.  The master is GOD.

Everything we have comes from GOD!  Everything!!  Until we are willing to bow down before the almighty and give Him praise and thanksgiving, He will not help you.  He loves you and wants what is best for you, but, like a two year old throwing a tantrum, you will not receive it until you gain wisdom of how your actions control your outcomes.

Why do you want it?  Are you going to boast to your buddies about how much better you are now that you have what ever IT is?  Are you going to increase the jealousy, greed and anger in someone else?  Are you going to make them feel less worthy?  What does that say about your heart?  Is that what God does?

What are your evil desires?  How do you bring them to light so you can fix them?  Hmmm....  "Bring them to light..."  That's an interesting saying.  We should bring them to THE Light - the light of Jesus Christ - in prayer.  We should ask Jesus to shine a light on the areas of our inner darkness that is keeping our relationship from sprouting, from taking root and flourishing.  Shine Your light on my heart, oh God, and show me where I need to change.  Unveil the actions, the thoughts, the habits and the emotions that are driving a wedge between us.  Replace this wedge with the cross of Jesus and help me change my heart, Lord.

The first step in any change is identifying the root cause of the problem.  Jesus will help you see the problem as He sees the problem.  He will help you lay out a plan to correct the situation and, through constant and consistent prayer, He will walk you through the issue.  As you change your heart, the desires will change as well.  You will begin to see things as they truly are.  They will cease to be your desires.  They will be replaced with the desires of Jesus:  to love everyone as Jesus does, to provide for everyone as Jesus does, to seek only Jesus who will provide for you... ALWAYS!



The Shepherd

Missing Our Purpose In Life

While traveling along a gravel mountain pass to a construction site in the Andes Mountains, I spotted a bag of cement that appeared to have fallen off one of the delivery trucks making it's way to the same destination.  We stopped our vehicle to grab the bag of cement thinking we could put it to use, but when I tried to lift the bag it was heavier than I had anticipated.  The bag had been there longer than I had expected and it was already hardened into a useless cement rock.  The bag of cement was created for a specific purpose but it never fulfilled that purpose because the journey was interrupted. The bag of cement didn't make it to its destination and it became hardened by the elements of nature. On the outside it looked perfectly fine but inside was a different story.

Many people are like this bag of cement.  On the outside they appear to be perfectly fine and usable by God to accomplish His will in this world.  However, God doesn't focus on the outside.  He looks much deeper within us to see the contents of our heart.  He sees our true self - our emotions and our true reasons for doing the things that we do.  He sees how pliable our heart really is and how hardened.  He tries to draw near to us but we have allowed the world to shape our heart rather than God.  We have allowed the world's views to sink into our soul instead of filling our soul with God's word.  Over a very short time, the world's view of life hardens us to God's will.  We no longer are able to hear His loving voice asking softly for us to perform certain tasks.

God still loves us though, and as any loving parent would do when their child is in trouble, God reaches out to help us.  Unfortunately, the issue here is the heart has hardened like the concrete bag and is no longer pliable, modifiable, or useful.  It must be transformed.  Fortunately for us, it's never to late to hear the voice of God.  God can soften any heart.  We just have to ask Him to come into our lives.

Our lives become so filled with material things, things that don't matter, and things that distract us from hearing God's word.  If your life seems out of control or stressful, ask yourself if you have made room for God in your life.  Ask God to come into your life and take control - to guide you to the purpose that He has for your life.  There is no greater joy than being properly delivered to the purpose that God has for you.  Your energy levels will be off the charts and there will be an equally satisfying joy in the work that you are doing.  You will feel God's presence like never before.  You will shine bright like a lighthouse in a very dark world.

People will begin to notice that there is something different about you.  They will begin to ask you what your secret is to life, which will open the door for you to share your story with them.  You can bring more people to Jesus Christ by simply telling them about how you were changed and the process will continue across the globe.

Don't wait another minute.  Find your purpose by asking God to come into your life.  He will shine His light on the path that takes you to your destiny.


The Shepherd

My Mantra - An inspirational reminder of who I am:

I Am A Follower

I'm part of the community of the unashamed

I have the Holy Spirit power.

The die has been cast.

I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ.

I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, 

colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and small goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudity or popularity.

I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.

I now live by faith, lean on God's presence, walk by patience and am uplifted by prayer.

My face is set, my walk is fast, my goal is Heaven.

My road is narrow, my way is rough.  

My companions are few, my guide is reliable, and my mission is clear.

I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured,
lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, 

Hesitate in the presence of adversity,

Negotiate at the table of the enemy,

Pander at the pool of popularity,

or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up or let up,

until I have stayed up, stored up,
prayed up, paid up and preached up
for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. 

I must go till He comes, give till I drop, 

preach until everyone knows,
 and work till He tells me it's enough.

And when He comes for His own...

He will have no problem recognizing me...

My banner will be clear...

I am a Follower!

Removing Our Spiritual Squatters

Where I live, there is a river nearby.  Back in the day, the riverfront was an area of great activity. Warehouses were built to accommodate the massive amounts of merchandise that was being shipped up and down the river.  The owners of the warehouses built strong fences and walls to keep the merchandise from being stolen.  There was only one entrance to the property and that entrance was protected by security personnel 24 hours a day.  No one was allowed onto the property unless they had a reason to be there.  Now, the guard shacks sit empty.  The walls and fences are in disrepair or missing and anyone can find a way into the buildings without any difficulty.  As the weather turns colder, more and more people make their way into these abandoned warehouses and set up living quarters.  They are called "squatters".  They take up residency in property that is not theirs.  Eventually, the word gets out to others that there is room in these abandoned warehouses and they become filled with squatters trying to survive the harsh winter environment. 

Our body is our earthly shelter for our soul.  Like a warehouse, the valuable material is inside the shelter and a layer of defense is around it to protect it.  Our soul is the valuable material and our body protects our soul from the negative influences of this world.  The warehouse has a guard shack at each of the entrances and, when there is valuable material inside, they are fully manned to keep out those that might do harm.  Our body has entrances where messages from the outside world can be funneled into our soul.  The soul receives messages through our ears, our eyes, and our skin.  Our body has the ability to set up guard shacks at these entrances and provide a strong defense against messages that might do harm to our soul.

The question is:  how strong is our defense against the messages that might do harm?  

Before we can answer that question, we must first believe that our soul is worth defending.  If we don't see our soul as being "valuable," then why would we protect it?  If our shelter is empty and void of any value, then who cares what takes up residency in our shelter.

You must first believe that you are valuable to someone.  

How do you assign a value to someone?  

Is there anyone in your life that is happy to see you?  

There is a certain internal joy that boils up inside a person when they see someone that obviously cares for them.   But what if the world has removed all of the caring people from your life?  There may not be any caring PEOPLE in your life but there certainly is one that loves you deeply.  God loves you!  He loves you more than you can possibly imagine.  He has assigned a value to you that is greater than any measuring device can measure.  He has given you a gift that is the greatest gift ever.  All you have to do is accept it, and believe in Him.  He has given you the ability to live all of eternity with Him in Heaven.  It cost Him the life of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesus' blood has covered the cost of ALL of our sins... Yes, even that one.  

OK - let's stop right there... because we have to deal with that voice in your head.  Yes, the one that just told you that God would never forgive you for....  (fill in with that awful thing that you did).

We are God's creation!  He created us out of love!  He loves us unconditionally... no matter what.  He want's us to love Him back.  That message needs to be received into our soul.  Repeatedly.  Unfortunately, our guard shacks are unmanned and this message is getting lost in all of the worlds negativity.  We need to man our guard shacks so that only God's message of love can get through.  You see, there are two entities that want your valuable soul.  One has determined to force you into his way of thinking and the other has offered you the free will to choose which one you want.  Which approach is based in love?

Perhaps you've heard the saying "If you love someone, set them free.  If they return, they are yours forever.  If they don't, they never were."  God created us.  God loves us and He gives us the free will to choose.  Satan doesn't want us to know God.  He has provided a great deal of emptiness wrapped in glitz and glamour to force us to choose him.  When we follow his ways, they always lead to eternal emptiness and great loss.

You have great intrinsic value to God and He is the only entity that matters!  He sent His Son to earth to die for your sins so that you could be with Him in heaven for all of eternity.  Your soul is worth defending!  Let's place some guards in those guard shacks!  Let's make sure that the only messages that reach our soul are messages that are going to do good to our soul.  We don't want any "Spiritual Squatters" in our shelter!  You see, once we understand that there is a spiritual war being fought around us (and through us) and what is being sought is our souls, the world becomes a completely different picture.  

So back to that voice in your head.  That is a "Spiritual Squatter" - a negative thought that needs to be evicted.  Negativity flees in the light of love!  It's time to surround ourselves with the light of love.  You are loved and you are valuable.  Our guards need to keep out negativity - but what does that mean?

Let's start with what you hear.  If you listen to music, are you listening to music that is filled with references to love?  Not references to sex, but to love.  There is a HUGE difference.  Sex is NOT love.  There are way too many songs that are enticing society into thinking sex is the answer to everything.  These songs are popularized by the lost.  They always have a good beat and cause us to start gyrating in ways that then entice men to think sexual thoughts.  Don't get me wrong, I love a driving beat and a good dance mix but we need to be aware of the end destination.  These all work together to drive us down a path - a path that can lead to destruction if we let it.

We need to make sure that we are monitoring what we listen to.  We need to be aware of the message.  Too many of us believe that we can listen to the music and not the lyrics and it will be okay.  It is a lie!!  Throughout all of history, music has been used to memorize historical events so they are passed down from generation to generation.  It is far easier to remember something that has a tune around it.  If we take a message and wrap it into a tune it is captured in our brains and is repeated.  "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so."  Here's another example, "I like big butts and I cannot lie...  no other brother can deny..."  (maybe you don't know that one but you get the point)  

Let's set a guard around what we hear.  Let's ask God to strengthen our ability to be aware of what is going into our soul.  Then, let's ask God to give us the strength to remove the messages that aren't nourishing our soul and ask Him to provide messages that will nourish our soul.  Removing this constant barrage of negativity from our ears will have an amazing impact on how we respond to other things in our lives.  Believe it or not, our response to other things in our lives will be different if we control the amount of negativity that enters our soul.

Next, let's discuss what we watch or what our eyes see.  Over my life, I cannot believe the speed at which television has degraded from dramatic entertainment to constant violence, rage and sexual references.  There was a comedian when I was kid that made references to the seven words you can't say on television... that list is now down to just two.  By constantly barraging our souls with messages of graphic violence, anger, rage and hate messages, we change the way we respond to real life situations.  Rather than being concerned about the well-being of the other person involved in an auto accident, we quickly lash out at them for being stupid for not seeing our car or not yielding.  But it's not just television. The internet offers our eyes anything we wish to see without regulation.  Pornography rules the internet and in doing so it enslaves our souls.  Pornography makes us think that every person is just interested in having sex or that sex is the only reason for our existence.   Anything that causes us to change the way we respond to situations in our lives is a "Spiritual Squatter." 

Let's set a guard around what we watch or see.  Let's ask God to strengthen our ability to be aware of what we are watching.  Let's ask God to give us the strength to remove this type of message from our lives and watch something that actually builds up our soul.  

Next, the skin.  Touch is one of the most powerful sensations in this world.  A loving touch can bring so much pleasure and a hateful touch can bring so much pain.  Sex and violence are two polar opposites of the sensational world of touch.  Sex, when used incorrectly, is a "Spiritual Squatter" that destroys our self image.  Oh sure it feels great!!  And it should, because God created us to enjoy each others touch and sex is the ultimate touch... but it's meant for those that have already committed themselves to each other.  When sex occurs between two individuals that are not committed to each, it clouds their thinking.  It causes drama.  It makes the two feel like they have so much in common.  It's one of Satan's most powerful tools to lead souls to emptiness.  Violence is inflicting pain on someone.  At the root of violence is hate and hate is the opposite of love.  It's no surprise that violence is also one of Satan's powerful tools.  It makes the person feel more powerful as they beat another human into submission or oblivion.  

We need to set a guard around our sensation of touch.  Obviously, certain skin to skin contact is desired but once the desire starts to grow, we need to be mindful of where it's going and the damage it may do.  Let's ask God to give us the strength to draw an appropriate line that we will not cross until we are in a committed relationship.  Let's ask God to help us control our anger and rage so that we don't inflict pain on others.  Both of these are "Spiritual Squatters" that will lead to a downward spiral into emptiness and loneliness. 

All of these "Spiritual Squatters" are tools of Satan that will be used to show that we are not worthy of God's love.  You see, Satan roams the world like a lion seeking those in which to devour.  Instead of the phrase, "spiritual squatters" we could use the word "demons."  We allow demons to enter our body when we don't have strong defenses.  God's holy word is the strong defense that opens our eyes to God's love and shines His light into our darkness.  When His light shines, the demons flee.  When the demons flee, they make room for goodness to return to our souls.  When we regularly read the Holy Bible and send nourishment to our souls through scriptures, we are strengthening our security guards in our guard shacks.  The more strength we give them the faster they identify the evil messages that are constantly trying to overcome our defenses.  After awhile, the demons move on to others that don't have strong defenses. That's why we need to be constantly reaching out to others to help build up their defenses.

I am here to help you build up your defenses.  If you have questions, please ask.  If you have prayer requests, please send them.  If you would like to know more, please leave comments.

We must all work together to help each other in this spiritual battle to remove our spiritual squatters.


The Shepherd

Closed-Minded Christians

Society tells us that we should be open-minded to other people's opinions and ideas.  It tells us to embrace cultural differences and grow from them.  By being open-minded, we will learn new ways to think, new approaches to living and possibly find answers to problems that we have been struggling with for some time.  So why is it that Christians try to put everyone in a box by categorizing everything as sin and telling society that if you continue down this path you will spend all of eternity in HELL?  How can a culture be so closed-minded and so non-inclusive and be the right way?  It's like we don't even speak the same language or live in the same world.

Hmmm... how do you respond to comments like that?  

When I was a kid, many, many years ago, there were these popular books that were describing how to live on your own in the wilderness without the need for grocery stores or really a need for society.  It was called self-sustainable living.  Everything you need you either provide yourself or you won't have it.  

To me the interesting area of the book was in the chapter regarding medicine and self-healing.  I've always wondered what kind of a person would actually do these home remedies and think they would work.  For example, I seem to recall that if a person were to get a fever they were supposed to wipe their forehead with a handkerchief until it was soaked.  Then, without wringing it out, wrap it around a potato and bury it under the front porch.  In the morning, the fever would be gone.  It occurred to me that most people get sick in the winter and typically the ground is frozen so how can you bury it in the ground.  Why wouldn't a person go get some medicine and take it?  We have medicine for just about any of the common ailments and diseases. Just go get the cure and be done with it.  

I really think the idea of relying only on what one can do for oneself is the draw here.  If they can't do it by their self, without anyone's help, then they don't want to do it.  You hear them say things like "I am very capable of taking care of myself -- Thank you very much!!"  

Have you ever heard of a more selfish attitude?  It appears to be all about them.  I know none of you are like that, but I have seen people at work that act this way.  Whenever I try to lend a hand, they are offended.  "I don't NEED your help!" they say.  To which I respond, "I know you don't NEED it, but would you LIKE it?"  The load is always lighter with more hands.

What if you had a sickness or a disease that required a doctor's visit and the doctor gave you a list of things that you could choose from but only one of the items on the list was the actual cure and he didn't point out which one it was.  You probably wouldn't go to that doctor anymore.  But here is a doctor that has embraced multiple approaches to curing disease and he certainly isn't forcing you to choose the one cure that works and yet he would be reprimanded for not telling you the only way to cure the disease.  That seems to align with what society says we should embrace, yet, in this example, no one would embrace that.  We would have many names for that approach but "Intelligent" isn't one of them.

When Jesus tells us that sin is a disease and the consequences for sin is death but we can be cured if we just believe in Him, why is it we try to find another approach?  Why do we take our sin soaked handkerchief and wrap it around a potato and bury under the front porch hoping for entrance into heaven?  Are we so self-centered that we don't even want Jesus' help to get to Heaven?  Do we really think there are multiple ways to get into Heaven?  Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  That seems pretty straight forward to me.  

God gives you free will to go try other "gods".  Feel free to search out other religions but remember you're just capturing sweat in your handkerchief.  Christianity is not a religion.  It's a relationship with Jesus Christ.  And just like other relationships, there is an interaction that takes place.  Once you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will begin that relationship.  And you will wonder why you waited so long.  It's funny to me when I hear people try to tell me that God doesn't exist.  I picture it like this.  Suppose you get a text from your friend and a person sees that you received that text.  Then they proceed to tell you that the person that you are in a relationship with, the person who just contacted you, and that you spoke to, doesn't exist.  REALLY?

Your relationship grows stronger the more you interact with Jesus - through prayer and through reading the Bible.  As your relationship grows, Jesus directs you to do certain things... sometimes as if you just received a text from Him.  He has a great sense of humor, too, so just be aware.  You see Christians aren't closed-minded, they know the cure and they're trying to help you.  Won't you trust me and open your heart to Jesus today?  Please?


The Shepherd

In the beginning, God...

I have several cousins who are not believers in God.  I don't use the word "atheists" because they are not opposed to God, they just don't believe in God.  They haven't seen enough proof on either side to make a decision.  We have very good discussions, but when I reach the point where I feel like I've provided enough proof, there is always a push back.

The other day he posted a Facebook status that basically stated that he didn't understand how people could not believe in evolution when chimpanzees have 95% of the same chromosomes as humans.  It's obvious that humans evolved from chimpanzees.  I let the conversation go on a bit and, as it usually does, we eventually began to talk about the most recent episode of "The Big Bang Theory."  My cousin is also a big fan of this show and somewhat of a car nut.  I took the opportunity to talk about one of Sheldon's shirts, you know the one that shows the chimpanzee turning into Neanderthal Man turning into upright Human then into a robot.

I mentioned how fascinating it is that Sheldon believes that eventually machines are going to take over the Earth.  If they do ever take over the earth, imagine what they might think if they started finding old remnants of automobiles buried in the dirt.  They might start to wonder if this is one of their "prehistoric relatives."  Perhaps even start to build a timeline of how they evolved from them.  Let say the first car the find is a 2015 Lamborghini.  Later they find a 1962 Volkswagen Beetle.  They would compare the two and most likely come to the conclusion that these two vehicles are obviously related because they have 95% of the same components in them.

All cars have basically the same components because man created them.  But from a futuristic machine's perspective, a machine that rules the world, there wouldn't have been a creator because the machines are all knowing and all powerful and have always been in charge.  The machines would build a timeline that would link all machines together in a "machinistic" evolutionary timeline disregarding the fact that the machines couldn't have been first because there was no one to build the first machine.  They would come to a point where there timeline would have a question that couldn't be answered...  which came first the screwdriver or the screw?  Or as the evolutionist humans say, which came first the chicken or the egg?

A Christian would never get bogged down on this question because the answer is obvious.  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  He went on to create all of the plants and animals.  Now, He could have started with the eggs of all types of animals but who would raise all of the babies and teach them how survive.  He obviously started with fully grown animals just like He did with Adam and Eve.

An evolutionist looks right past this because they have their "God doesn't exist" goggles on.  When people are looking for supporting evidence for a theory, they tend to look right past the obvious because it doesn't support their theory.  It's called a "scotoma."  It acts as a screen or a filter that only let's us see or hear what we want to see or hear.

When we become Christians, we have a different scotoma.  We know God exists because we interact with Him through prayer on a daily basis.  If He doesn't exist then how did all of this come into being.  Genesis 1:1 says "In the beginning, God..."  and scientists have proven that everything in existence today originated from a very violent explosion but they trip over what exploded.  From nothing came something.  Genesis 1:3 says "Then God spoke into the darkness and said "Let there be light, and there was light."   BOOM - The big bang occurred.  It's not a theory.  It's in the first paragraph of the Bible.  Then He created the oceans and the land and the animals, fish and birds - all living creatures...  and then MAN.

We were all created from the same creator, so naturally we have many of the same chromosomes.  I believe this is much easier to believe than a pool of DNA peptides mysteriously and magically aligning to create a living being.   And oh, by the way, it would have to create two living beings at the same time in order to have the continuation of life.  If the likelihood of one living being coming into existence randomly is staggering, think how much more staggering it would be to have two of the same living beings randomly coming into existence at the same time so they could breed and continue with "life."  

To me, this is a MUCH LARGER LEAP OF FAITH than believing in the existence of God.


The Shepherd

Following the Owner's Manual

It's been a long time since a product was introduced to the marketplace that required the buyer to actually read and follow the owner's manual.  I honestly am having a difficult time coming up with an example.  I remember when I bought my first car, which was several decades ago, I pulled out the owner's manual and read it cover to cover so that I knew how to properly operate ALL of the functions that the car had to offer, which back then wasn't much.  Today, car's have so much technology built into them that I can picture someone sitting down to read the owner's manual to fully understand how to correctly operate the new technology.

Most of the basics are still the same, though.  Oil goes in one spot and it needs to be of a certain grade.  Fuel goes into another spot and it should be of a certain type.  It's important to understand and follow the manufacturer's recommendations so the car will have a long and productive life.  After all, we are relying on this product to get us to and from our jobs and to take us around this beautiful country.  We want the car to function properly, so we follow what the manufacturer recommends.

We don't typically hear about people providing feedback to the manufacturers about how narrow-minded they are with their oil or fuel choices.  Or how they need to be more inclusive of other peoples ideas of what could be used in place of oil or fuel.  If we want the car to perform best, we follow what the manufacturer recommends.  If I save all of my bacon grease and then decide to pour it into my gas tank as fuel, I really shouldn't be too amazed when my car's engine stops running and leaves me stranded somewhere.  The creator of the car told me to use gasoline and I used bacon grease.  I didn't follow the manufacturer's recommendations and I received a different outcome.

Our creator has provided us with an owner's manual as well.  It's a manual that tells us how to best live our lives.  It's full of history, real-life situations, consequences for not operating within the safe zone, pearls of wisdom to help with daily living, songs to praise the creator who gave us this manual, and a view of what is to come.  Of course, the owner's manual is the Holy Bible.

In His owner's manual, God has given us the definition of marriage to be between one man and one woman.  Does that mean we have to follow it?  NO.  He also gives us free will to choose what ever path we want to take.  He isn't going to force us to follow Him.  He's not that kind of authoritarian ruler.  He allows us to decide if we want to put bacon grease in our gas tank.  However, we shouldn't be surprised when things don't work out as we expected if we don't follow the owner's manual. 

You see, not following the owner's manual is a personal choice that reflects a personal attitude of "I know more than the manufacturer,"  and with cars, that may be true, but we're not talking about cars anymore.  In order for you to know more than God - you would have to BE God.  There are a lot of people out there that think they are God - but here's a news flash - you're not!  Not even close!  Oh, and just so you know, Satan thinks he is more powerful than God, too.  He isn't.  Hmmm.  Here's an interesting point: people that think this way are more aligned with Satan than they are with God.  It's no wonder their lives seem to be spiraling out of control. 

If you want to get more control over your life, perhaps you should read the owner's manual and begin following the creator's advice.  Start operating more within the safe zones instead of following the world's advice. 

The book of Proverbs has a great list of pearls of wisdom to help you with daily life.  Give it a try!
Take the Proverbs Challenge and let me know how it goes.

The Shepherd
  

Arrived in Alausi, Ecuador! - August 3, 2014

What a beautiful day for a drive through the Andes Mountains!  It never ceases to amaze me how people adapt to the differences in the climate, landscape or constantly changing terrain.  There were several places on the drive where the bridges had been washed away and replaced a couple of times.  The roads are simply moved over a little further and cut into the mountain side.  

Corn is grown at 7000 ft and higher and at a 75 degree incline.  Of course, it's planted and harvested by hand.  Houses are built along the roads and at every possible location.  Maneuvering corners that open up to spectacular views of cities nestled in valleys along rivers is breathtaking.  Cities like Huigra and Alausi are both surrounded by incredible vistas:  patchworks of greens and yellows that cause this flatlander to feel smaller than ever.  What a humbling experience!  

I have met up with Team Ecuador 2014 at Hotel Gampala in Alausi.  The city is bustling with activity!  The Sunday market has a large crowd and most of the shops are open and active as well.  Street vendors and carts are making there way along the busy roads trying to sell their wares.  The temperature is 68 degrees and sunny but the sun is headed to the mountain ridges and in an hour will be gone for the day.

I'm going out for a walk and mingle with the people to practice my Spanish.

The Shepherd

Follow the team at TeamEcuador.us

Guayaquil, Ecuador - August 3, 2014

Awakened to the sounds of car whistles and car alarms.  That's right - now I remember.  I'm in South America.  Guayaquil, Ecuador to be exact.  

The sounds of Ecuadorian cities are very different from the sounds of other cities in  the world.  The Latin American culture has it's own flair.  It's own rhythm and heartbeat.  The cars are typically equipped with an electronic whistle to help with getting the attention of others.  The drivers use them constantly.  There are approximately 2.3 million people in Guayaquil and THAT is why I always travel with earplugs!

As the sun rises over the city, the details in the architecture of the Guayaquil Cathedral become even more intriguing.  I'll have to venture over there to take a closer look.  I'm staying at the UniPark Hotel which is adjacent to the cathedral and the Iguana Park.  The park has hundreds of large iguanas that are "free ranging".  You can get right up close but you shouldn't touch them.  The bigger ones are easily 1.5 meters long.

It's time for breakfast. 

The Shepherd 

Joining Up With The Team

I am currently in flight to Miami where I will catch another flight to Guayaquil, Ecuador.  I will make my way up the Andes Mountains to the city of Alausi, Ecuador.  This is the "Base Camp" for  Team Ecuador 2014 from St. John's Lutheran Church of Bloomington, IL.  They are currently staying at Hotel Gampala in Alausi.  The team is made up of 18 individuals from all over central and northern Illinois as well as a woman from Missouri.  This adventurous team has been building churches, schools, and providing fresh water to the Quichua by digging wells in the remote areas of Ecuador for eight years now.  You can follow their progress at TeamEcuador.us and also read about past projects.

I'll post pictures as I can.  For now, I'm going to try to sleep.

The Shepherd

A Spotlight on Missions - Ecuador

Team Ecuador 2014

Base Camp  -  Aluasi, Ecuador  -  Altitude:  2347 M  (or 7700 feet)
Final Destination - Jardin de Primavera - Altitude:  ???  TBA in a few days

Follow this mission team from St. John's Lutheran Church in Bloomington, IL as they work in the Andes mountains to complete a church building project, a children's bible study, a mother's retreat and provide needed medical attention to the people of Jardin de Primavera and other surrounding villages.

www.teamecuador.us


If you would like to donate funds for future Ecuadorian mission trips you can do so by selecting "Ecuador Missions" at this donation page.

Please follow the team and spread the word of the good things that are happening in Ecuador!

Day 15 - Psalm 71 - 75

Psalm 71:  

As we get older, we have more experiences in our lives that we can draw upon as examples of how God was there for us.  The more active we are for God in our lives also helps to magnify God's support for us.  Inactive spiritual lives leave us without examples of God in our lives and also leaves us questioning if God exists.  If you're questioning whether or not God exists, ask yourself this:  when was the last time I did something for God?  If you have to really reflect on that question, then it's not because God doesn't exist - it's because you are not living for God.  When you begin moving toward God, you will begin to feel His already existing love for you, His support for you and it will become blatantly obvious that He exists.  You will get to the point where you wonder how it was possible that you ever questioned His existence in the first place.

When I hear people discussing the existence of God, it is a signal flare to me that I need to get into that discussion to help direct these people to Jesus.  I need to be an example in their lives of someone that has felt the very presence of God's love wrapped around me as I ventured off to some far off land to help God's people.  Once I was out of my comfort zone, God supported me in my journey - through ALL of the things that typically would terrify me -  He was there, comforting me and letting me know it would be all right.  It's not until you take the leap of faith by trusting in God that God removes the blinders from your eyes and shows you that He is real.

The author is reflecting on his life experiences and re-committing his life to God's work.  There is no greater joy in this world than doing God's work.  Nothing compares to the greatness of knowing His name, His grace and His mercy.  Nothing!  

Experience it once and you'll never listen to the world's views on life ever again.


Psalm 72:

We have such issues with our worldly leaders today.  They seem to be one thing, but end up being something different once they get into office.  The power of the office, and most likely the unwise leadership from their key cabinet members, cause the leaders to make poor decisions. The decisions they make are probably the correct decisions based on the information they are given, but when you only receive guidance from power hungry humans you will always make the wrong spiritual choice.  We need leaders that spend time in prayer.  Forget the stupidity of "Separation of church and state!"  That's a load crap that somehow worked it's way into society through unwise humans.  The purpose of that statement came from a liberty given by our founding fathers to allow us to ALWAYS be able to worship God - not to have God removed from society.  

Our leaders need to spend time in worship and in prayer in order to receive God's plan for our nation.  We need to realign our priorities with God's priorities.  We need to teach the Bible in ALL schools.  We need to bring the people back to God.  Then, and only then, will we start to see a nation that, once again, will be blessed by God.  God cares for the poor and oppressed. He wants us to care for them, too, - not with an obligatory hand out but with a helpful hand up. Take someone under your wing today and help provide a future for them.  You will be an excellent example of God's love to them and you will be blessed beyond your wildest imaginations - and so will our nation.


This ends the second Book of Psalms.

Psalm 73:

Day 14 - Psalms 66-70

Psalm 66:

The author of this psalm is reminding the reader of the many things God has done for His people over the ages. The author is giving his testimony as to why we should give praise to God.  It's always important to give God the praise.


Psalm 67:

If only the author of this psalm could have seen how the gospel has been shared throughout the earth and to all the nations.  Even today miracles continue to happen that bring people to Jesus Christ.  In the Koran, Jesus is named as a great healer of all people.  So when the people of Islam have medical needs they pray to Jesus for healing.  There have been thousands of reports of people that have been visited by Jesus in a dream (go ahead - Google it!) and they have been saved for all eternity.  


Psalm 68:

This psalm highlights the final stages of the journey of the Arc of the Covenant from Mount Sinai to Mount Zion.  God sets his people free and crushes His enemies.  Those that refuse to embrace God will be crushed as enemies of God.  They will be crushed by the sin they loved and destroyed by the death they feared.  How much better will be for those who love the God and fear the consequences of sin.


Psalm 69:

David cried out until he was physically exhausted, with a parched throat and eyes swollen from weeping.  Yet he still trusted God to save him.  When devastated by death or tragedy, we need not collapse or despair because we can turn to God and ask Him to save us and help us.  The tears will still come, but we will not be crying in vain.

David faced so many problems, but he still prayed.  When we are completely beaten down, we are tempted to turn from God, give up, and quit trusting him.  When your situation seems hopeless, determine that no matter how bad things are you will continue to pray.  God will hear your prayer and he will rescue you.  When others reject us, we need God the most.  Don't turn from your most faithful friend.


Psalm 70:

Praise is important part of our prayers.  Too many times we fill our prayers with requests for ourselves and our friend and we forget to praise God for what He has done.  Don't take God for granted or treat Him like a vending machine.  Praise God through the good times and the bad.


The Shepherd


Psalms 71-75

Day 13 - Psalms 61-65

Psalm 61:

Hear my prayer, Oh  Lord, from the ends of the earth I cry.  Your peace will lead me to the rock that is higher than I.  For you have been my strength in times of trouble, a tower above my enemies.  And Lord, I will abide in you forever, in the shelter of your wings.

The psalms are the basis for many of our hymns as you may have already noticed.  This particular psalm is a cry for security and safety.  When we need assurance that God is with us, where ever we may find ourselves, we can trust that God is with us and will answer our cries for help.  David made a vow to praise God daily through the good times and the bad.  Can you find something to praise God about on a daily basis?  When you do you will find your heart elevated above the daily distractions to a level of lasting confidence.

Try it, and if you have difficulties coming up with something you can always praise him for your ability to read this blog.  


Psalm 62:

In times of emotional stress, prayer has a way of releasing our tensions.  David poured out his heart to God in prayer and reaffirmed trust in God as his rock, his salvation and his fortress.  His entire outlook changed through this process.  When you follow this simple process, your outlook on life will change as well.  No longer will you feel locked into a cell of resentment when others turn against you.  When we fully rely on God (FROG), we rest in God's strength and nothing can shake us.

David warns us not to use the world's benchmark measure the wealth and prestige of a person. Instead, we should focus on God's work and God's will and not be concerned with measuring the value of people.  God values all equally - wealth, power, honor and prestige do not add to our value in God's eyes.  Only our faithful works done in His name and for His glory have any eternal value.  But let's be clear... our works do not gain our salvation.  Accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior is the only way to get to heaven.  Once we receive this gift, we show our appreciation for this gift by staying in the word, and performing God's will in this world.  These task add to our eternal value but do nothing toward gaining our salvation.

Psalm 63:

If the word of God is like a river flowing through a thirsty land, then when we spend time in the word, we give our thirsty souls a refreshing and renewing drink of water.  The satisfaction we get from this "refreshing drink" is something that nothing else compares to.  We thirst for more.  I guess you could say that spending time in God's word is very addicting... but in a very good way.  Since there are so many people that do not spend time in God's word, David refers to them as a parched and weary land.  Their souls thirst for this refreshing drink from God's word.

When the world was keeping David awake at night, he would spend time thinking of God instead of counting sheep.  He would give thanks to God and praise Him for all the benefits that He has bestowed on him.  This gave reminded him that God was always with him and gave him comfort so he could sleep.  This is a comfort that surpasses all understanding by those that don't spend time in His word.  


Psalm 64:

Now that my kids are grown and out on their own, my wife and I love to hear from them as often as we can.  It really doesn't matter what we talk about - it's more about hearing their voice and hearing about their experiences from their perspective.  That's how God feels when we spend time with Him.  He wants to hear from us.  It doesn't matter what you share with Him - remember He knows everything that you're doing already, but to hear it from your perspective is very fulfilling to Him.  Spend time with Him.


Psalm 65:

Access to God was reserved for the members of the tribe of Levi.  They were chosen by God to serve as the Temple priests and had the honor of being the only ones allowed to enter the sacred rooms where God's presence resided.  When Jesus died on the cross, the access to the sacred rooms given to ALL believers through the tearing of the veil.  Believer's today have access to God's presence in every place and at any time.

This psalm is often referred to as the harvest psalm because it glorifies God the Creator as reflected in the beauty of nature.  Nature helps us understand the complexity and beauty of God's character.  The Jews believed that God's care of nature was a sign of His love and provision for them.  Nature shows God's generosity - giving us more than we need or deserve.  God's abundant generosity should make us grateful to Him and generous to others.

Please share your thoughts and comments.



The Shepherd


Psalms 66-70

Day 12 - Psalms 56-60

Psalm 56:

What can mere mortals do to me, indeed?  They cannot strip my name from the Lord's Book of Life or capture my soul from the Lord's grasp.  My purpose in life is to praise Jesus and direct others to the Bible so they may be saved.  I put my trust in the Lord and focus on His works. When He is done with me and my tasks have been completed then He will call me home.

God cares about us and knows everything about us.  This is difficult to understand but He knows us better than we know ourselves.  He knows what brings us the most happiness.  He knows this because He created us.  We don't know ourselves well enough to know what brings us THE MOST happiness.  We can only think back through all of our earthly experiences to see what has brought us the most happiness thus far.  God knows what will fill us to overflowing happiness.  And, He wants to give us that joy.  He only asks that you allow Him to do that.

Won't you ask Him to come into your life today so He can provide you with this happiness?


Psalm 57:

Bible scholars tell us that this psalm was most likely written when David was thinking back to the time when he was hiding out from King Saul in the caves.  Throughout our lives we may encounter situations where strangers, friends or even family members are trying to destroy us.  Continue praise God and seek His guidance.  Do not turn inward to self-pity or turn outward in revenge but instead turn upward to God.  When confronted with attacks, the best defense is simply to be quiet and praise God, realizing that our confidence is in His love and faithfulness.


Psalm 58:

Justice - do you rulers know the meaning of the word?  David starts this psalm with an intense cry for justice and then seems to drive right into the heart of intense revenge.  His words create graphic images of the results of sin on our lives.  The ironic part of this psalm is that David would later occupy the throne and then be subject to the vengeful deeds he called down on others.  We can be grateful that God hears our prayers, but we can also be grateful that He doesn't act on our requests.


Psalm 59:

Someone told me once that the true character of a man is found in what he does when no one is looking.  So many people go through life as if no one is looking.  They'll never know who did that... or  they'll never catch me if I do this...   God sees all.  He is always with us and sees what we do.  We must be careful to fully evaluate the consequences of all of our actions.  We may think that we can steal and not get caught by the police but our actions are recorded for God to judge us with when we die.  We need to make sure we are trying to keep others from sinning as well as trying to keep ourselves from sinning.  Yes, it's very difficult!  But remember the path to heaven is very narrow and traveled by very few.  As Robert Frost said, "and I, - I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference."


Psalm 60:

David was fighting Aram to the north and was surrounded by enemy nations.  Israel had Edom to the south, Moab to the east and Philistia to the west.  Although David was surrounded he remembered that God had promised triumph over these nations.  He knew that Israel's future was closely tied to God's reputation of keeping His promises.  Although, David's forces met with stiff resistance, and apparently even a temporary defeat, he continue to praise God and trust that He would hand David a victory.  The closer we get to God the more our enemies will attack us because we threaten their evil and selfish way of living.  

Satan has been given dominion over this world and he does not like it when we trample on his authority.  When we win over people to Christ, we deplete his army.  He focuses his attacks on us to keep us from winning over more of his people.  If you're not feeling his pressures, you may need to take a detailed look at where your allegiances really lie.  If Christianity were to become a crime, and trust me if will be in the near future, would there be enough evidence to convict you.  If not, you may be on the wrong side and not even realize it.


The Shepherd



Psalms 61-65

Day 11 - Psalms 51-55

Psalm 51:

This is an excellent example of a repentant heart.  David is aware of the sins he's committed and he says they haunt him continuously.  He knows that he did wrong in God's eyes and he is asking for forgiveness.  Through his words you can feel his remorse.  You can also feel that he has confidence that God will forgive him.  Being able to let the sins go is very important.  When you present your sins to God know that He has forgiven them completely.  Let them go.  Satan will try to dig these up and throw them in your face in the future in order to show that you're not worthy of something.  You must have confidence that God has forgiven your sins and they are no longer an issue.  Trust that God will do this.  Have confidence that He has done this.

Sometimes I hear people say 'Well, God may forgive me but I can't forgive myself."  I'm not really sure what sins you may have committed but keep in mind David committed murder over an adulterous affair.  God forgave David's sins - He has forgiven your sins as well.  When someone says "God may forgive me but I can't forgive myself."  they are saying that they have a higher standard for perfection than God does.  Also, they need to understand that they don't have the power to forgive sins.  Only God does... and it sounds like it's good thing because God forgave their sins and they wouldn't.  Let go of those sins.  Don't hold onto them like a security blanket.  They will not ever comfort you.  Drop them and grab hold of Jesus' hand.  That's all the comfort you will ever need!


Psalm 52:

David wrote this psalm about the Edomite named Doeg who considered himself to be a great warrior.  He killed God's priests and boasted about it as if it were a great deed.  Sometimes we confuse doing a job well and doing good for God.  He certainly was proficient at killing but God did not see it as a good deed.  David compared himself to an olive tree that thrives in the house of the Lord by trusting in God's unfailing love.  An olive tree is one of the most longest living trees so David was referring to eternal life in God when he made this comparison.  Some trust in their own skills to get them through life, David puts his trust in God, and by doing so receives guidance, providence and eternal life.


Psalm 53:

There is a school of thought that is unfortunately growing across the land that goes something like this:  "The more educated you become the less you need to rely on the existence of a god because only the uneducated believe in such udder foolishness."  At some point, the educated start to believe in their own importance and, like Satan, believe that they know everything... that they are more knowledgeable than others... that they are more powerful because of this knowledge.   Oh, how foolish they are!!  This is nothing more than their prideful nature taking over their vision, their thinking, their life.  Their whole being is so wrapped up in themselves that their couldn't possibly be a god because there's not enough room in the universe for both the atheist and a god.  When you speak to an atheist, and I mean have a heart-to-heart with one (if you can), you most likely will find that some where in their past something awful happened that caused them to hate God... to lash out at Him in anger... in rage...  with a vengeful nature.  They are going to make sure that everyone knows that God doesn't exist.   

Charles Darwin, for example the author of "On the Origin of Species", was well-known and respected for his biological knowledge of all creatures.  What most people don't realize is that his mother died when he was 8 yrs old.  He began to question the existence of God since God did not save her.  But it wasn't until later in life, when his 10-year old daughter Annie died from a disease, that he focused his hatred on God, Christianity and all religions for not saving her.  His goal was to create a theory that would undermine and destroy the basis for a god.  His theory of "natural selection" was created and embraced by a society eager to believe anything - except God.  Just before dying, he made it known that he had embellished major sections of the work in order to make the theory more plausible.  Unfortunately, this non-sense is what is taught to our children today, even though there isn't ANY substantial proof to support the hypothesis.

Need another example, research Stephen Hawking.  His own research and findings support the fact that the universe was created in a "Big Bang" yet his own pride keeps him from aligning that big bang to Genesis 1:3 "God spoke into the darkness saying 'Let there be light, and there was.'"  Come on, Stephen.  How smart do you have to be to know that.  It's on page 1 of the Bible!!!  Everything that science has uncovered, is in the Bible, which is why the schools should just use the Bible as a textbook.

I could go on and on and on in this area but I need to focus.  Perhaps, you could post your questions and we could chat about it.  I'd love to share some of my conversations with atheist (Ha - even there title is lie - it has God in it.  If God doesn't exist then how can you be anti-God - you'd be against nothing).  I truly relish these conversational opportunities when they present themselves.  


Psalm 54:

Many of the psalms move from prayer to praise as David's spirit is lifted up through the process of communicating with God.  This will happen to you as well.  As you lay your emotional baggage at the foot of the cross, God will put His arm around you and comfort you and give you the guidance you're looking for.  Try it - I dare you.  

I'm reminded of a story about a man and his wife who spent their entire life working in the mission fields of Africa.  They were finally leaving the mission fields and heading back to the states.  They had raised their family in the mission fields but they had grown and went their separate ways.  Now they were going to have more time to spend with their children and grandchildren.  They really didn't know what they were going to do when they got to New York but they knew that God would help them figure it out.  As they boarded the ocean liner, there was much fanfare.  It turns out the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was going to be on the same ship.  He was returning from one of his famous big game hunting trips. 

All the pomp and circumstance of having the president on board was beginning to agitate the man.  He had spent his entire adult life tending to the needs of the tribal people of Africa.  Here the president had gone hunting for a few days and was receiving all kinds of attention.  As they came into the harbor, there were marching bands playing and thousands of people cheering for the president, but no one was there for them.  No signs waving welcoming the home, no fanfare whatsoever.  This continued to eat at the man more and more.  

Finally, the couple made there way to there modest little apartment and unpacked.  The man said to his wife that he just can't stand it any more.  It's just not right and it's eating at me.  I've got to do something about this.  His wife told him to go into the bedroom and pray about.  Ask God to help you understand.  So he did.  He prayed for a long time and when emerged from the bedroom he had a new perspective.  His wife asked him how he was doing and what God had said.  He turned to his wife and said "God listened and comforted me as I laid all of my concerns out to him.  Then it was as if He put His arm around me and told me "You're not home yet, my son."  

As Christians, we must realize that this world is not our home, we're just passing through.  The world has everything upside down.  The things the world puts importance on, Christians do not.
I'm sure when those missionaries returned home to heaven there was great fanfare and a party like never before.


Psalm 55:

God wants us to give our burdens over to Him so He can dispose of them for us.  Trust Him to take them from us and replace their weight on our shoulders with unending joy in our hearts!  He is the truth, the way and the life.  Find the truth and the truth shall set you free.  Free at last, free at last, thank God above, I'm free at last!


The Shepherd


Psalms 56-60