Ripples Ministry

Driving home, the traffic comes to its usual evening halt and looming over me is a large billboard. A beautiful woman stares invitingly down at me with the proclamation “AdultCon” is coming to town. You can’t help but notice the sign. It is referring of course to the adult convention that is coming. It is a week when our resemblance to Sodom and Gomorrah have probably never been closer. All of the lusts of the flesh are covered. There is promise in her smile.

Finally! I think to myself, truth in advertising.

You see, whether they realize it or not, they are for once being truthful – for it is a con. The con is that somehow this indulgence will make you happier. The con is that somehow the things of the flesh will bring you happiness. It is simply not true. Sex outside of the marriage bed is a shallow substitute for what God meant to be a beautiful thing. We fall for this snake oil in droves and lives are shattered.

Truth in advertising has not, unfortunately, spilled over to the church these days. Snake oil and promises abound. For instance, there is the one about God just wanting you to be happy. Then another that God just wants you to prosper. Or, that God just wants you to be healed – the list goes on and on. While there is some truth in some of these things, as God can provide each and every one according to His plan, it misses the point of why we come to Christ to begin with. Apart from Christ, we are all condemned. I know that is perhaps a hard message, but it is the only reason for us to turn to our Savior. The “you are going to hell” message does not make for an attractive welcome to the church.

If you have come to God so that your life will be better, you will be disappointed. If you have come to God for physical healing, at some point you will feel betrayed. And if you come to God for prosperity, you have purchased a lie that may cost you your very soul. So what do we do?

When you realize that by God’s holy standard that you have fallen short, only then do you see your need for forgiveness. God tells us in His word that “all have fallen short” of His glory. You are in good company. Every last one of us is a wretch – myself  a four-star general among them. But God holds out a gift to us, not a con.

The gift is that we are pulled from our wretched state by the righteousness of Christ and His once-and-for-all sacrifice on the cross. This is a gift without equal and beyond our ability to pay its cost. All of the rest in our brief lives here, money, power, health, or whatever else you are seeking, pale by comparison.

Perhaps you have come to Christ with a “feel good” message and are disillusioned. Maybe you find yourself dissatisfied with Christianity because it has not met you needs. Then perhaps it is time to examine your heart and find the real reason for coming to Christ. It will revolutionize your faith. No longer will faith be dependant on prosperity, health or feelings. It will be lived in undying gratitude for what a loving Savior has saved us from. Eternity waits for the rest, when we will no longer fight ourselves, but for now, we need to come to God for the right reasons, not the con of the easy life.

Maybe you have never heard the message of God put this way before. You finally realize that you are in sin, separated from God, who will have no choice but to judge you when you stand before Him. Dont wait another day, don’t wait another minute. Make it right now. Let Christ into your heart and begin His healing work. How can you help but live a life of gratitude from there out – after being saved from what we all deserve?

Yes God loves you, but until you can see your need for forgiveness, He stands as an awesome and terrible promise. He is knocking. Will you answer the door? Go to this page to see how.

If I can pray for you – please email me.

Blessings upon Blessings

Imagine for a moment. It’s late in the evening and you’ve had another long day. You are tired and simply want to relax for a while. So you find yourself a snack in the fridge and park in your favorite spot on the couch and click on the TV to see what’s happening in the world. Just as you take your first bite of that delectable ham sandwich and settle in, the doorbell rings.

Wouldn’t you know it! Precisely at the moment you got comfortable, someone has to harsh your mellow (to use the current vernacular.) Maybe if you sit there quietly, they will go away. No such luck. The bell rings again insistently. Whoever it is appears to be determined to wait until you answer the door. Another soft ding dong rattles your last nerve. With a great sigh and a harumpff, you set aside your haphazard dinner and make for the door.

You are irritated and angry as you approach. This had better be good you decide, or you are going to give whoever is at the door a piece of you mind! After all, they were just about to show the world’s largest Cinnabon after the commercial break. What could possibly be more important than that?

When you reach the door, you immediately sense there is something different about this thing waiting for you on the other side and you hesitate. When you finally open the front door, you are momentarily blinded by a bright light that seems to envelope the handsome man standing on your step. Then like a dream, the light is gone. “May I come in?” the stranger asks. “Of course,” you reply without really knowing why you are letting a stranger in. Something inside tells you it is okay to do so. He moves into the house as though he is floating on a magic carpet.

“My name in Michael” the man says in silky tones, “and I have been sent here to let you know that God almighty, Yahweh, Creator of heaven and earth, will be stopping by for dinner tomorrow night.”

Simple as that.

Your immediate reaction is to laugh at this lunacy, but the chuckle lodges in your throat like a errant chicken bone. Somehow you know this is not a joke. You believed for a long time in God and your heart tells you that this is genuine. “But why me?” is all that you manage to squeak in reply.

“God does as He will.” Michael says simply and leaves it at that.

You turn around for a second to scratch your head and when you look back, Michael is gone. No closing of the door, no fluttering of the curtains, he is just not there anymore. The room is empty as before, but somehow changed. Your first thought is to drop to your knees, but that would just be silly. Or would it?

You nearly convince yourself after half an hour of arguing with yourself that it didn’t happen. “God does as He will” stills hangs in the air and there is no denying.

So what next?

I would propose to you two scenarios. Bear with me please, it will become apparent later, even if it doesn’t make sense yet.

***

Scenario One:

You immediately drop to your knees and thank God for the honor that He is showing you. As you look around the house, you notice how dirty and cluttered it is. The floors are dirty and, when you think about it, there are a lot of things in your home that you would rather not have there when God arrived. You know they are compromises to your faith but justification for these fails when you believe that God will be in that very place the following day.

You dash to your china cabinet and pull out your very best. You are tired of course but there is work to be done and you have been invigorated by the thought that you are doing it for God. You clean the kitchen and dining room. You are a whirlwind of motion, determined to have your place look its best.

When you get to the fridge, you realize that there is nothing inside fit for God. Without hesitation you grab your wallet and head to the market. You buy only the best of everything you can find and plan a meal that you feel God would appreciate. You put the last of the Groceries away, exhausted, yet somehow filled with excitement.

You arise early, something you never do, and spend a little time reading the bible, something you also rarely do. After all, He might ask a question or two. The Word seems to come alive as it has never done so before, but you have never looked at it like this before, hoping to hear from God.

Off to work and you have to tell all of your friends about God. They think you are nuts. You tell them anyway.

Arriving home, you are renewed as you make a meal for God. You sing as you cook and can’t wait to see Him. You hope everything is right. Cutting the meat, you lay aside the best cut for God. In fact, you give Him the best of everything you have. You hope it’s enough.

The doorbell rings.

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

***

Scenario Two:

After nearly convincing yourself that it wasn’t real, you are just too tired to think about it anymore. You know the place is a mess but you have to work tomorrow. The night is a long way off. You will have plenty of time to prepare later.

Making your way to bed, you notice some movies and magazines laying around that you should probably get rid of. You don’t. God will understand. What’s the big deal anyway? Everyone has this kind of stuff. Most of your friends are way worse than you.

You sleep in. You are going to need your rest if you are to get ready for “The Big Guy” to come over for dinner. And of course it is another horrendous day at work. You don’t mention anything to them about the God thing. They will think you are crazy and you have a reputation to uphold. God will understand. He is gracious and all that stuff.

You meant to go to the store and get some better food and clean the place up but man, you know how it is, life is busy. God will understand. There is leftover pizza in the fridge and some milk (you think it’s still good.) God will probably appreciate some day-old pizza… right?

Well, you did your best under the circumstances. God knows the stress your under.

The doorbell rings.

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

***

Which scenario do you find yourself in most? Take a moment to think about it honestly. I do not want you to say “Oh I am definitely a scenario one person” with confidence. Look at your life right now, in this moment. Where are you? If the doorbell rang right now, would you be ready?

God requires that we give Him our firstfruits. The Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, Yahweh, is dishonored when we give Him our leftovers, our “good enoughs.” Proverbs 3:9 says “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:”

What is it that you possess that God did not give you? Talent? Understanding? Wealth? Compassion? Why are you not setting aside the best of yourself in all things for God? We are to honor God with the best we have to offer in all things at all times.

Jesus says that when we ask Him to come into our hearts, He will enter. We do not have to wait for God to announce who’s coming to dinner. Revelation 3:20 tells us “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” 

Are you ready?

Blessings upon Blessings

Blame – it’s the battle cry of the 21^st century. Now I must admit that blame has been around from the very beginning. In fact, it was Adam that blamed his sin on the woman God gave him (Genesis 3:12). Through the ages, we have blamed our insufficiencies on others. Never however, in my opinion, has it reached the level we see today.

“Everybody’s doing it” has replaced core values and our mindset now seems to be dictated by the capricious winds of the crowd. We are easily blown to this opinion and that – not because we feel morally compelled to support a position, but simply because “everybody’s doing it.” We have no foundation to rest our morals on and we find ourselves adrift in a sea of conflicting opinions.

One particular opinion seems to be rising more and more to the surface these days. It is a life ring that says you don’t have to take any personal responsibility in your life. After all, it’s not your fault is it? When people treat each other badly after a disaster, it’s because the government didn’t act fast enough. When greed and short-sighted, selfish men ravage our financial institutions, it’s simply because there “weren’t enough controls in place.” When we get ourselves buried under crushing amounts of debts to live a lifestyle we can’t afford, we were merely “taken advantage of.” The culture of blame is so deeply embedded that we don’t even think of it as blame anymore. It’s just the way things are.

Perhaps that is why so few people are turning to real Christianity these days. The very first step is that we must admit that we are a sinner in need of a savior – we must agree with God that we are flawed and take personal responsibility for our poor behavior. It is much easier to follow a watered-down Christianity that says you are basically good, that God just wants you to be happy, healthy, and of course… wealthy. This is hardly the Christianity given to us by Jesus.

Don’t misunderstand that I am trying to say that every time something bad happens it is your fault. We live in a fallen world and there is a lot of evil in it. Bad things do happen to good people. If our lives focus on that one dimension however, we are ripe for the “it is not your fault” lie.

In order to make things better, whether that is financial, taking care of each other, or taking care of this world, it must first start with me. We cannot fix things with people who are want to admit that they are ever responsible for the mistakes they make. It is why we still see so much pain and suffering in this world.

How can I fix me though? I have been this way all of my life and don’t know another way? It is a question that resonates today as much as it ever did. At one time we would turn toward scripture for the answer. Today we turn to a plethora of self-help books which miss the point. The problem is self. Our problem is that we place our own desires and needs above that of anyone else. Don’t believe me? Look at the latest divorce statistics. See how many people are so easily walking away from the debt they happily took and agreed to repay. We never could fix ourselves, so another self-help book is wasted time and money.

Are things falling apart in your life? Take an honest look and ask yourself “what part of this is my responsibility?” I think if you really analyze it, you will be surprised by the answer. You can’t fix it however until you get you fixed. The bible tells us that “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) If you think you can fix your life, really fix it without fixing your heart you are sadly mistaken. We are led by our hearts and by their unredeemed nature they are selfish and cruel. How many atheist or self-help groups do you see feeding starving children or helping the homeless?

Maybe you are a Christian but you have been too busy to spend time in the word of God or perhaps you have allowed that selfish nature to take over. Now would be a good time to get the priorities straight. God has bigger plans for you than a big screen for your living room or a big car for your driveway. There are lost and hurting people out there that need to know the love of God. Open His word and hear from Him today. Ask Him to guide you in being part of the solution in a world that is so desperately in need. Be that lighthouse on the edge of the sea of confusion for your friends and family, pointing the way to safe haven.

So, my beloved, has it gotten out of control? Are your tired of blaming your life on something or someone else? There is a better way. There is hope. You can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Salvation is just a prayer away. We are ALL SINNERS in need of a savior. Jesus said “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
(Revelation 3:20) So, again I ask you, what are you waiting for?

Remember, if you grab the life ring of blame, you are still adrift.

In His love,

Blessings upon blessings.

Tim

For the last 10 months I have been in pain. It started out as no big deal. My feet would just hurt at the end of the day. I paid this no mind however. After all, I work 12 hour shifts and spend most of the time on my feet. They are supposed to hurt right?

As the weeks progressed, so did the pain. I am stubborn though and refused to see the doctor. I was sure they would take care of themselves.

Sometimes we deal with our spiritual lives in the same manner. We know things aren’t quite right. Something is missing or we have pain that shouldn’t be there. But time heals all wounds… right?

Wrong.

By the end of the sixth month, the pain was so bad that, after driving home from work, I nearly could not make the walk from my car to the front door. My pride did not want to go to the doctor, but the pain drove me to make an appointment. My entire leg was now hurting and I had trouble walking when I got up in the morning. Even though I had purchased better shoes to remedy the situation, I had not solved my problem.

When I did finally see the doctor, I was sure I had already figured out the root of my problem (part of the reason I had not gone in the first place). I was sure that I had circulation problems in my legs and my feet were dying a little at a time.

Again… wrong!

The Doctor informed me that I had plantar fasciitis. It means that the muscle/tendon in the arch of my foot keeps tearing because of the way I walk and the way my foot is. It is something that happens gradually, but when it gains a hold, the pain is crippling.

How true this is when we are outside of the will of God. We drift away gradually, our walk just outside of where we should be. Then we face pain, but our pride keeps us from dealing with it and we injure ourselves a little more and the wounds reach deeper. Finally we are so outside of the will of God we are spiritual cripples.

My doctor sent me to a specialist, a doctor that specializes in feet. He looked at my feet and told me that I should start by wrapping my feet. But if my feet were ever to heal, I would need orthotics. These were specially-made inserts that would correct the way I walked and would prevent further injury.

His assistant showed me how to wrap my foot. It was so simple I did not think that it would do that much good. My pain was beyond a simple wrap. I followed their advice though. What did I have to lose? I could barely walk as it was.

To my surprise, the wrapping helped and within a week, the pain began to subside. However, it was not gone entirely.

When we come to God broken, The Spirit begins to sooth our hurts as the forgiveness of God washes over us and our souls begin to heal. Asking for forgiveness seems like such a simple thing. How could it possibly help me? You don’t know my pain!

Don’t count out the simple.

Next in my course of treatment was the application of orthotics. These were inserts made especially for me to correct the way that I walked. When I first put them in, I was only able to wear them for a little time. They hurt nearly as bad as the plantar fasciitis that I had been dealing with. I had been warned though. The inserts would change the way I walked and my knees ankles and even hips would hurt for a while as I adjusted to walking correctly. I hated those things! (But I wore them anyway.)

Asking for forgiveness if we are not willing to apply the word of God to our lives is not enough. We will simply to continue to hurt ourselves through sin and compromise and the pain will continue. Romans 12:2 tells us
2- Do not be conformed to this world, but continually be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you may be able to determine what God’s will is—what is proper, pleasing, and perfect. If we cannot honestly say to God “change me“, we will never know the freedom from the wrenching pain of disobedience. Our pride keeps us from wanting to humble ourselves and admit that we do not have all the answers.

If I had taken the same approach to my foot injury, my feet would still be hurting. Thank God I got over myself and my pride and sought help. Is it perfect yet? No. But it is getting better every day.

Perhaps, your life, or things in it, are just not making sense. The pain is so great or the distance from God so far, that it seems impossible to be set free or bridge the gap. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We must first realize that we can’t do it without His help. Then we must come to Him and ask for forgiveness. Finally we must apply the word of God to our lives and ask Him to straighten our walk to keep us from unnecessary pain.

Maybe you have been walking wrong all of your life. You don’t even have a health plan. No worries, God accepts all and His treatment is free. Just turn your life over to Him and you will see healing in your life. That is a promise from God.

I still put in my orthotics every day and my feet are healing. I also open God’s word every day and my walk is getting straighter all the time. Things are not perfect, but I have peace and hope – a hope that you can have as well. Don’t be afraid. Don’t spend another day with your soul in pain. Relief is just a prayer away.

If I can pray for you email me.

Blessings upon blessings

Tim

Problems – I think you have to agree with me that we are surrounded by problems. Today, more than ever before, the problems seems to be getting larger and larger are of more consequence. Not so long ago, our problems consisted of whether or not the crops would come in and if we had time to bring in the harvest before the weather changed.

Now we are facing problems of global impact. We are pumping tons if pollutants into the air that may change the planet for the worse and might even make it unlivable. And yet, we debate. We are using our resources at an alarming rate and give no thought to the future. The list goes on and on.

We focus however, more often than not, not on the problem but rather the consequences. After wrecking a car, we are obsessed with putting it back together as quickly as possible but little thought is often given to actually changing the behavior which led to the accident. We blame others for the bad things in our lives without honestly dealing with our own part. We are people determined to take care of the aftermath but often unwilling or unable to stop ourselves from allowing it to happen in the first place.

I am reminded of the salmon industry. As an avid fisherman, and especially fond of king salmon fishing, this is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Last year they shut down nearly all the sport and commercial fishing off the California coast. The salmon fisheries are collapsing. The numbers have plummeted in recent years. Not only here, but in Alaska as well. Thirty years ago, it was decided in Alaska that farming salmon would be a good idea to meet the growing need. However, we are learning that the salmon farms may end up destroying that which we are trying to save. It takes two pounds of protein from the sea (i.e. krill) for every pound of fish that is raised. That means we are taking more out of the sea in order to raise less. Additionally, the large fish have sea lice and these are killing the wild juvenile fish and in some areas the salmon run has completely collapsed. So what do we do about this…? We debate.

Can you not see that the problem in nearly everything today has a common cause? Think about it. What do all the things I have mentioned here have in common? Us of course!

The problem is that we are the problem.

So then, what exactly is our problem? Why, after all these years and all of these great advances do our problems not only continue, but continue to grow in scale? P. T. Forsyth (1848–1921) said “You must live with people to know their problems, and live with God in order to solve them.” Our problem is sin.

We know how people are getting hurt and who is hurting them. Our petty differences keep us from solving the issues. We know how our planet is being ravaged and yet greed and politics are preventing us from doing what is right. Greed, envy, power, lust, sense of entitlement and all the rest is the sin that keeps us from treating each other and our home as we should.

So what can be done? How can this monumental problem be solved? There is only one way. As long as we are in sin, we will continue to be selfish and to put the needs of ourselves above others and the cycle continues. Only through Christ can that error be corrected, can we begin again to be the people that God has called us to be.

Perhaps you are struggling with problems in your life? Some of them no doubt of your own design and failures. If you are a Christian, ask God to reveal to you the changes that you need to make in order to set things right. Then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, make those changes! If you are in conflict with someone, try sharing the gospel with them. They have the same problem you do. It’s called sin.

And maybe you would say, Tim I have these problems, but how can I know that God will take away my sin if I come to Him? It is because God has promised us He will. In John 1:29-The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Even though the world cannot be counted on, you can count on the promises of God.

If you do this, if you take this step of faith, will all of your problems disappear? Unfortunately no. We live in a fallen world. But at least you will be one more with the answer. God will be with you to comfort you. He tells us that He will never leave us nor forsake us – A strong promise in a world full of problems.

If you see the problem and want to correct it in your life, click HERE for the answer.

Blessings upon blessings

Tim

Don’t you wish some things in life had an escape hatch? How about when you say the wrong thing at the worst possible moment? There are times in all of our lives, I would imagine, when we would like to climb through an invisible escape hatch and just disappear.

Unfortunately, most of the things, and by things I mean mistakes, slip-ups, uncomfortable situations etc., we must just endure. The bible does tell us however about a built-in escape hatch that God has provided all of us, if we will only use it. It is an escape hatch for something that inevitably draws us away from God and out of His will.

Of course I am talking about temptation. You know, those things in life that you struggle with every time they are near. Maybe you are tempted by gambling, or food, or a desire for pleasure, or drugs, or alcohol. Well, fellow Christian, I have good news for you today. The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings. But God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Instead, along with the temptation he will also provide a way out, so that you may be able to endure it.” (International Standard Version) We always have an escape hatch, “a way out”.

I want you to note that the verse says that “God is faithful.” That is a comfort to me because I know that people are not. Many times we are faced with temptation just because we are not faithful. We are exactly where we know we ought not to be. And yet, we put ourselves time and time again in places where we will certainly face temptation. Was it an accident that you were alone with that pretty woman, even though you are married? Were you somehow beamed into the bar with your friends, knowing that you have trouble with alcohol? I think not. Most crises are of our own design.

However, we can count on the faithfulness of God to provide a way out for us. He first gave us a way out of sin, when He sent His Son to die for us on the cross. And I want you to understand that if you are reading this and have not taken advantage of His offer of forgiveness, then you might as well stop reading right here. He looks after His children and you must first choose to be His child. That is the first step to escaping the snare of sin in this world. Go to our “Good News” page and make this happen right now. You know you have waited too long already.

For the child of God however, it is especially difficult when we have done something that we know is wrong. God’s still, small, voice tugs at the strings of our heart and we are wracked with guilt. Fear not, my beloved for “He is faithful”. When Joseph was faced with a choice at his master’s house to either give in to the advances of his master’s wife or flee, he fled. This lead of course to prison, but it was all part of the plan of God.

You see, fleeing from sin does not necessarily bring comfort. When you jump from a sinking ship, you may be tossed into the middle of the storm. But remember “God is faithful.” When we find the escape hatch He has provided and use it, He will rescue us.

So I ask you. What is your struggle today? Where is the way out? Are you really looking for rescue? Then pray to Father and ask Him to show the way out of sin. And remember “He is faithful”.

Let me know if I can pray for you today.

Blessings upon Blessings

Tim

The search for happiness seems to consume us. We seek happiness in people, possessions, situations, lifestyles, power, and the list goes on and on. So then, why is happiness so elusive when it seems to be the fabric of so many things? There is an old saying that “money can’t buy happiness.” And scripture tells us that that “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows..” 1 Timothy 6:10.

Why is it with so much wealth, so much leisure, so many things at our fingertips, that we find ourselves more unhappy than ever? I think it is because we are seeking happiness and not joy. Happiness is fleeting. It comes and goes on a gentle summer breeze and is quickly forgotten in the bluster of winter. We are seeking to hold onto smoke and when we open our hands it is gone.

The richest man in the world was once asked, “How much is enough?” “Just a little more,” he replied. Do you find yourself spending a great deal of energy to get something, believing that once you have it you will be happy, and then once it is obtained, it is not enough. Let me let you in on a little secret… it will NEVER be enough.

When the bible speaks of love it is expressed in three different ways. There is the love we have that is brotherly love, the love we have that is romantic love, and then there is a love that is Godly – called agape love. The first two kinds of love depend on receiving something in return. The last is a sacrificial love that is given without condition. And agape love is the only love that endures.

Happiness is dependant on something or someone. Therefore, if it is your desire to have happiness, you will always find yourself lacking, looking over that hill or around the next corner for the thing that will bring you happiness. You will constantly compare what you have to someone else and the dissatisfaction will creep back in.

Why not seek that which endures? Why not look for joy? Paul and Silas hung in a prison and sang to the Lord for they had joy. Jesus told his disciples “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
John 16:22 (KJV)
You see, their joy was not dependant on their circumstance.

How then do we find joy? First, quit looking for something to make you happy. Begin with what God has already blessed you with. Jesus said “And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” Next, realize that only in Christ can we find true joy. When His spirit fills us and we realize what a truly wonderful gift we have been given through Him, how can we help but have joy? His gift is eternal and that means our joy is eternal, not the smoke of this world.

It is said that the rich man is not the man that has the most, it is the man who needs the least. Find riches of joy today in the salvation through Christ. This world will pass away but agape love will remain and in that there is real joy.

Blessings upon blessings

TIm

When I was growing up, I remember the Beatles playing a song called “Twist and Shout”. It was catchy to say the least and people were dancing and partying to music of the Fab Four from Liverpool. Today, we have a new version of twist and shout – it is where someone of note twists the words of God and then shouts from the rooftops about how clever they are.

This kind of twisting will lead to more than a sore back I’m afraid and all of the shouting simply proclaims our ignorance to the world. The greater danger however, is that you, ignorant of the word of God, will accept these proclamations as the genuine article. And certain deviations from God’s truth can cost you eternity. In Jeremiah 23:32 God says “Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the LORD. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the LORD.”

The world today is awash with false prophets that would lead astray the people of God. Consider that Oprah Winfrey recently told her audience that Jesus did not come to save us but to merely “Show us the mind of God.” Last time I checked the word of God Jesus said that He was the way and the truth and the life and that NO MAN could come to the Father, except by Him (John 14:16). Such proclamations as the one Oprah made can lead a Christian to following a false doctrine.

These “twists” of the word of God can only be avoided if you can tell the counterfeit from the original. Too often though we are students of sermons and not the word of God. We can only tell a fake if we are intimately acquainted with the original. You need to spend time in the love letter that God sent to us if you expect to be able to know when you are being fed a lie.

This busy life is pulling us away from the bible. But is it also pulling you away from sound doctrine? Are you being led off the path of eternal life instead of on it? There is nothing more important in this world than the free gift of salvation that God holds out to us. It is a priceless wonder that carries no price (for us at least.) But it cost our savior everything. Don’t cheapen it or miss it altogether by falling for false doctrine. Know your bible! Spend time each day in the Word of God.

Keep this in mind.

A lie told – seconds

Time in the word – fifteen minutes a day.

Everlasting life – timeless.

So, if you feel the need to twist, try twisting open the Bible. And if you have to shout, shout of God and His goodness! For only He is worthy of our praise.

Blessings upon blessings,

Tim

Seems like everyone today is either struggling with a big burden or is at least intimately affect by someone who is. Perhaps you have lost your job. Maybe there has been a loss of someone you loved or just maybe life isn’t making sense anymore. There is good news for you. You do not have to bear your burden alone.

The million dollar question is though… can you give your burden up?

Right now perhaps your face is twisted in an “What are you talking about? Of course I can give it up!” look. However, on closer scrutiny this question is not as easy as it first appears. Jesus exhorts us “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest… For my burden is easy and my yoke light” Matthew 11:28,30 Do you notice that Jesus says His burden is light? That means we must turn our burdens over to Him and take the Yoke He has for us.

You may think you have it handled. But you don’t really do you? Your burden grows heavier every day as you grow wearier. Sometimes you just feel like giving up don’t you? Well… there’s your answer! Don’t give up though – give it up! Your burden that is. Give it to Christ knowing that it could be in no better hands. And then ask Him to give you His burden to replace that which you gave up.

What exactly is the burden of Christ you ask? Think for a moment. What was it that He came to do anyway? To save the lost of course! That is the burden of Christ. He wants you to have a heart for the lost. You will find that when you have a heart for the lost and a longing to ease the suffering of others, your problems will seem small in the scheme of things. Did you eat today? Have a roof over your head? We are blessed beyond what we are willing to admit.

Your problems are important to God. Give them to Him and you can rest assured that they will be handled to His glory. You can relax that the creator of everything holds you in His hands and will never let you go. Pick up the burdens that God has for you and you will find new purpose and rest – even in the midst of a fallen world.

Blessings upon blessings

Tim

This morning I was considering a famous piece of scripture and something struck me. Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (Emphasis mine)

Did you notice it says walk? So often we try to run through our problems and I believe today that is even more evident in this “microwave” society that wants a solution to its problem in a minute or less. God tells us to walk when we are in the midst of difficulty. Why?

Perhaps God instructs us to walk because we will miss important lessons and therefore may be worse off than before. We can be so busy trying to solve a problem that we ignore sometimes the cause of it. It becomes like a weed in the garden that only has its leaves pulled off. Meanwhile the roots grow larger and deeper and we can’t even see the extent of the problem.

I consider the economic situation of today. Everyone wants a simple and easy solution to the problem that will fix it today! But they, in my opinion, are missing the boat. We are in trouble because we no longer make anything here. Our economy is built entirely on buying stuff. There is the real problem. But in order to fix it, we would have to tell the rest of the world that they will no longer have an advantage selling their goods in the US. This would mean that we would need to heavily tariff incoming products. People would have to get used to paying more if we are to get a living wage making things. But the hardest thing of all? It would probably take ten years before we saw any real improvement – And we just can’t have that can we?

We treat the problems in our lives in the same manner, looking for the quick fix, unwilling to do the hard work that might mean it would be a long time before we climbed out of the Valley of the Shadow. So, we find ourselves back down, again and again. Have you been looking for a quick fix?

The verse goes on to say that “your rod and your staff comfort me.” The rod is a rod of discipline. Are you aware that God disciplines you for your good? He hopes that you will see your mistake and learn from it. The staff guides. When we make a mistake, we must humble ourselves before the throne of God and seek His guidance. Only He knows the best way out of the valley.

Maybe you are in the midst of the valley right now. Maybe the shadows in life are closing in. There is a shepherd that loves you and is willing to take you through if you will walk with Him. Jesus said, “Come to me those who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Slow down and walk with the savior. You can find rest even in the valley.

Perhaps you are trying to run from your problems, but be assured, they will catch you no matter how fast you are. Why not find a real solution for a change? Ask God to show you the root of the weed and to help you to pull it out. We are weak but He is strong scripture tells us. Lean on His strength today.

I hope and pray today is the day of salvation for you.

Blessings upon Blessings.

Tim