“And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

We own two dogs. Kiki, a Reindeer Chihuahua, has been with us over 6 years. She came to us as a puppy. Since moving into our current home in 2016, she had been afraid of walking through the kitchen to the garage door to go outside to do her business. We’d have to carry her to the door and set her down in the garage, then pick her up and carry her inside because she was afraid of crossing the threshold. She gained a brother almost 2 years ago.  Rocky, a Chipoo (Chihuahua/poodle mix,) had no such fears. Rocky became our shepherd, often pushing Kiki towards the door when it was time to come in, but we still had to pick her up.

Eventually, I placed a bathtub mat outside the door in the garage and Kiki got over her fear of the threshold and would come inside on her own.  A few months ago, we decided it was time to end Kiki’s life of luxury and teach her to walk outside on her own. It took a while, but she now will walk to the door and go out without us carrying her. Rocky has been a big help with that. Recently, we have noticed Rocky has become an even bigger help.

Yesterday I was doing some work on my computer when Rocky walked up to me and started barking. I glanced at their food and water bowls and saw they were full. I noticed Kiki out of the corner of my eye near the kitchen floor looking to the door. I made a move to get up and Rocky went over to Kiki and nudged her from behind. By the time I got up and headed to the kitchen, Kiki was waiting by the door to go out, which she and Rocky did when I opened the door. Kiki and Rocky have developed a bond. And I have learned to discern the meaning of Rocky’s various barks. That would not be the case if I had not learned to pay attention to it.

So it is with Christ. We must learn to see Him in everything around us, big and small. Pay attention to what He is trying to tell us. The above scripture is from a letter Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites held captive in Babylon. In that letter, Jeremiah tells them that God said He would come for them and return them to their land after 70 years. Two verses before the one above God says one of the better known scriptures: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (vs 29:11) And tucked between verse 11 and 13 is this one: “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (29:12)

GOD KNOWS! Nothing is a surprise to Him. He has plans for you, good plans designed for hope.  But it is up to us to accept His will for our lives.  Keep our focus on Him. Pray to him.  Seek Him in the world around us.  Be tuned in to His voice. He is listening to us. Are we listening to Him in return?

Be Blessed!

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

The moment my wife revealed to me her word for the year on New Year’s Day, my own word was revealed to me, and confirmed the next day at Sunday service.

In November, 2019, I was given the word “Revival” for 2020. That was before the public realization of the pandemic outbreak. We had survived 2020, but not much more was visible. So, my word for 2021 remained the same. During the year, much was revealed to me, some of which I have already shared. I thought, as we went into 2022, my word would stay the same, but as Pat revealed her word and explained why God had given it to her, one word came to mind: VICTORY. I said nothing at the time.  The next morning, one of the songs the Worship team led concerned victory. And a piece read at the service concerned Victory as well.

No other scripture defines victory as much as the above scripture.  Because of the blood shed at the cross by Jesus Christ, our salvation of eternal life begins the moment we believe in Him.  There is no sweeter Victory than that: Eternal Life, in the presence of God, forever.

VICTORY! That is my word for the year. He is already victorious over all your brokenness and problems. You just may not see it yet, but it will manifest itself, on God’s time. Revival is here and it is already celebrating its VICTORY!

Be Blessed!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, the I am strong.”

(2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

It’s all in the attitude. My new year is off to a great start.

     I forgot to set my alarm last night for 5 am.

     And my backup alarm was on the fritz as the dogs themselves were up past midnight and crashed out, so no whining at our bedroom door to get up.

I needed up at that time so I could take the dogs out back for an hour before we left for a 5k run. Well, so I could take Pat for a 5k run (and I could cheer her on.) We are dog sitting 2 dogs (our daughter’s pug and Weimaraner puppy).  The first morning I let the dogs out and they (and our 2) were ready to come in after 15 minutes. Big mistake as the Weimaraner needed more time to do her business outside. Yep! She left two BIG deposits inside. So, I learned to actually go out with them and stay out there for an hour first thing every morning. Doesn’t help with the male dog marking territory thing, but a quick mop up is better than deposit pick up. Anyway. . .

This morning, my incoming text notification chime woke me up. It was some random spam text from CVS. I could have been upset, thus starting my new year off on the wrong foot, but no. I saw the text was a spam, but also saw that it was 5 am. I realized I had forgotten to set my alarm and had this text not come in at 5 am, I might still be sleeping instead of enjoying a cool breeze on the back porch, with my Rocky curled up in my lap and the other 2 roaming around an hour later. Thus my first thought in this New Year was, “Thank You Jesus,” and not, “Oh Cr . . .”

Paul had pleaded with the Lord three times to remove the thorn placed in his side. Instead, he got the above response from the Lord. Though he pled three times his attitude remained Christ centered. He knew his strength came from Christ. He boasted in his infirmities, knowing the power of Christ would rest in him. He pressed ahead in faith, with a positive attitude, giving Him all the praise.

I wrote the last paragraph while my wife was running her 5k on the Bay Front. Before leaving she commented on her foot hurting a little, and had some concern for the wind. As we arrived, there was a strong breeze blowing. Going out it would be a tail wind but coming back it would be a head wind. She almost bailed out, but decided to go for it anyway. She completed it and was only off her regular time by a minute, despite the wind. And her foot didn’t bother her until after she had completed the run. Right attitude.

How many hours, days, weeks, months, years have you bemoaned your bad luck, circumstances, lack of something? How has that worked out? This year put on a new attitude! Instead of begging for His help, thank Him and praise Him for what He has done in your life. Whether you realize it or not, He has placed everything that you need inside of you: Himself, through the Holy Spirit! You are already blessed. Surrender to Him and your gifts will be revealed to you according to His plan. Let the right attitude (faith in Christ) carry you through today and every day of 2022 . . . and beyond!

Have a Blessed Year!

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”  (Matthew 1:18 – 21)

“… the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:27 – 34)

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness and many will rejoice at his birth… “ (Luke 1:11 – 14)

“And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.’ And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.’” (Luke 1:18 – 20)

My late wife, Kathy, and I were married April 6, 1974, and our son, Shawn, was born on Feb 20. 1975. At the time you could see the people in our Catholic church counting in their heads the months between our wedding and the birth of our son which was 10 months.  What a stain it would have been had the time been less than 9 months. Today, unfortunately, it is no big deal for women to have children, outside of marriage, in the world view. Even among Christians.

Things could have been rough for us 45 years ago, had the time been less than 9 months. So, you can imagine how much rougher things were over 2000 years ago. Women were stoned for getting pregnant out of wedlock then.  Yet, Mary said, “Yes.” And Joseph said, “Yes,” and took her as his bride. That had to take supreme courage to agree for both of them. Zacharias was married to Elizabeth, both beyond childbearing years, yet Elizabeth became pregnant. That had to be rough on them, at that age.  When Zacharias questioned the circumstances when the angel told him Elizabeth, though barren and old, would conceive a child, he was struck mute and was unable to speak for nine months, because of his disbelief.

From a Kingdom perspective, this season is one of Hope, but is also a product of supreme sacrifice. In GriefShare we talk about the Christmas season as being the Sufferer’s Holiday. Jesus Christ was born to end our own suffering, by taking on the weight of our sins through His death on a cross. We can’t truly celebrate and appreciate this season without embracing all that this season represents. We celebrate Christ’s coming to this world as a man. We celebrate His life and ministry. We embrace with hope the sacrifice He made for dying in our place so that we might have eternal life.  As we gather this Christmas season, make sure to take a moment to remember those who are no longer gathered with us, but are celebrating with the One who willingly gave all for us.

There would have been no Christmas had Mary and Joseph not said “Yes.” There would be no Resurrection Sunday had there been no Christmas, and Christmas would be meaningless had there been no Resurrection Sunday. Consider the possible ramifications to saying “No” when God is looking for a “Yes” from you.

Believe! Hope! Say “YES!” Be Blessed this Holiday Season!

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:11-16)

“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace’ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)

“Do you believe Senate Republicans should continue standing for conservative priorities against the far-left Democrats who dominate Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s House Caucus?” (Nueces County Republican Party Area Assessment, Question 9)

I was reading some Facebook posts this morning and two planted a seed for a Kingdom post. As I turned to researching for that blog (to be titled Kingdom Blessings,) though the Scriptures I read supported the topic, they also spoke of another topic, prompted by questions raised on an assessment I received in the mail yesterday. So, Kingdom Blessings will be for another time.

As children we start responding to verbal attacks with counter attacks:

                Attack: “Your momma’s ugly.”

                Counterattack: “Your momma’s uglier.”

As we grow older and mature, our response sometimes becomes more counterpoint: “My momma’s the most beautiful woman in the world!” Rather than attacking we become more positive, standing on our beliefs and faith.  And then we become adults, when many of us devolve into those early childhood responses, most highly visible in the political arena.  This is not a political statement, but the status is used as an example.  There was a time when political parties spoke on what the party platform exemplified. Commercials represented what the party stood for clearly.  Not so today. Few politicians speak about what they, and their party, stand for.  Rather, they attack the other party’s platform and statements. The days of “Point – Counterpoint” are gone.

I received a Republican Part Area Assessment in the mail yesterday. 1/3 of the 29 questions were anti-Democratic Party attacks, questioning their stance on issues, rather than eliciting support for the Republican Party platform issues. This tactic is the exact opposite of how Scriptures tell us to comport ourselves – speaking the Truth in Love.

Ephesians 6:10-20 talks about the Armor of God. Armor on the battlefield included metal material to protect the body, a shield and some offensive weapon, like a sword, spear, mace, etc. The armor of God, however, were spiritual attributes: truth, righteousness, gospel of peace (peaceful speech,) faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Bible.) The battleplan consisted of prayer and supplications and speaking the truth (unveiling the mystery of the gospel) boldly.

As Christians we are not to go on the offensive by attacking others. We are to speak the truth (gird our waist with truth,) walk with Christ (breastplate of righteousness,) study God’s word for knowledge (shod our feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace,) stand impervious to attacks hurled by our enemies (shield of faith,) hold fast to our promises of eternal life (helmet of salvation,) and be the light by spreading God’s Word (sword.) Rather than attacking the other person’s position, we must respond with positivity found in God’s Word. Instead of asking Question 9, as stated above, it could have been better phrased by stating, “Do you believe Senate Republicans should continue standing for the Party’s conservative priorities of . . . .” and state specific Republican Party priorities.

Jesus turned the world upside down 2000 years ago, with such “radical” concepts as “to live, one must die to self.” It is time we turned this world around by living as Christ did and speaking the Truth in love.  Be His light-bearer!

And be Blessed!