Looking Out the Window

Kick, our cat, is an in door cat and he got out the other day and spent three days in unfamiliar surroundings. He was in all practical purposes lost. Alone and scared to the point of not responding to his master's call.

On the third day I found him hiding in our neighbor's shed. Still too scared to even respond to my out stretched hand but then my fingers touched his head. Instantly his body relaxed and I heard him purrr. Slowly I coxed him out into the open so that I could take him up in my arms. Holding him tight I moved to the house. Now he is safe inside.

This morning as I was having my coffee I noticed Kick was looking out the window that looks at the neighbors shed. It seemed he was longing to be back outside and experiencing the adventure again. I began to think about the times God's Holy Spirit has rescued me from my failings and sin and how I sometimes sit looking at the past remembering the excitement sin brings. I am in constant need of the comforter's arms around my life protecting me from what I am weak to.

God answered my prayers about our cat Kick and if He will answer such a ridiculously little prayer like that imagine what He will do when we pray for the big things in life. Big things like getting to work and home safely, protection for our children, blessings in our labor, healing of broken hearts and bodies and the deliverance and forgiveness of sins.

God will not force Himself on you but when you ask Him to get involved He will rush to action. Be aware though that often how He acts is not what we expect but it is what we need. It is hard sometimes but we still need to believe that He is faithful even when His actions do not add up to what we think we need.

Go ahead and ask Him for something BIG or something SMALL. Wait and see what He does.

Scared and Alone No More

Today as I walked around my place of employment I got the assurance that my cat, Kick, was okay and then as I drove home I got the sense that I would rescue him this evening. Both proved out to be true.

I and my grandkids have been praying the last couple of days about this little cat. Praying for God to protect him and to deliver him from being lost.

What really struck me today is this question: "Do I spend as much energy and time praying for people who are hurting or who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior?"

I have to admit I am guilty of being more concerned over my cat than I have been for others.

Not only did the Holy Spirit give me comfort and encouragement but He convicted me of my failure to be concerned about others.

Scared and Alone

Have you ever felt scared and alone? Have you ever been so scared that you ran from the very one who could save you?

Yesterday our house cat, Kickin, got out of the house. He was out all day without us knowing about it. When we got home we began to look for him outside. We found him under the neighbors porch but he was too scared to come out. When he did come out it was because the neighbor came home and stepped on the porch and off he went. We still have not found him.

All night I keep thinking how alone Kickin must feel and how each noise adds to his feelings of begin afraid.

I have to admit there have been times because of my sins I have been afraid of the one who can save me. My fear like Kickin's is unfounded fear.

I have no doubts that God experiences many of the same feelings I am right now. I am concerned about Kickin's safety, about his feeling afraid and his feeling of being alone. As I sit here writing this I am grieving just as God must do over my little fury friend. The really good thing is God can provide through the Holy Spirit the comfort and safety that I cannot provide for Kickin. Like Kickin is right now I am totally helpless to solve his feelings or even my own. The good news for me is unlike Kickin who has a limited master I am loved by the one who holds everything together.

Although Kickin is just an animal I know that God cares about him and that gives me comfort.

Are you feeling afraid because of the sins in your life? You might have had an abortion, stolen from someone, or even killed someone. Your fears are valid but our Creator desires that you call upon Him for His justice found His Mercy and Grace. Of course His forgiveness does not release us from the consequences of our actions but it does relieve us of the debt we owe to Him for our sin.

If you are someone fearing God's judgment on your sins stop right now and ask Him for His forgiveness and discover the peace that will come when He spreads His arms around you relieving your fears.

Simple Actions Do Make A Difference

I have a rule I try to go by when either meeting with women other than my wife. I try to include another male, leave my office door open and in the case of having to drive some place I either drive separately or make sure we have another man present with us.

I do this not because my wife doesn't trust me or because I have temptations but I do it because it avoids a possible situation where temptation does occur and then my wife will have reason to not trust me.

Today I went to look at some real estate and our agent is an attractive female. I met her at the real estate office and since the property we were going to look at was about 30 miles away she asked if I would like to ride with her. I politely declined and let her know that I have a rule that I do not ride alone with any female other than my wife.

Once we reached our destination she made the comment how much she appreciated what I said when she asked if I wanted to ride with her.

Just a simple action made a big impression. By the way she has read REAL Men RoCK and I could have very easily have made a bad impression because I did not live up to what I talk about here.

Now of course I am not perfect and I often fail at even the smallest things I write about here but this time I passed the test.

Simple Actions Do Make A Difference.

Maybe Land for the Dream

The other day my wife, Kat, and I looked at 27 acres that we hope to turn into a farm. It would be a farm with Hoop houses, goats, chickens, ducks and guineas. Here is a slide show of the property. I hope you enjoy it.

27 Acres

Has Your Check to God Bounced?

Have you ever written a check thinking that you had the funds in the bank to cover it only to find out a few days later that it bounced?

I have some bad news for you: "Every day you write one to God only to have it bouncing on you." Wait you might be saying I have never had a check bounce that I write to the church or I have not failed on my obligations to the church because I do all of these good deeds or even as some think "I keep the Sabbath, the Holy Days and observe all of the rules, or I go to church every Sunday and pay my tithes, etc.".

Let me explain what I am talking about. We often have the idea that the checks we write to the church or the good deeds we perform make us right with God. That is a wrong way of thinking because it is a gospel of Jesus plus. It is also wrong because no matter how hard we try we will always end up sinning. Oh we might not commit murder, rob a bank, have an affair but almost every day we are going to get angry with someone, lie, think more highly of ourselves than others, or not grant grace or mercy to others. At that point our check bounces and we again owe God.

Paul tells us in Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

and he tells us in Romans 4: 4 when we try to work for our salvation we miss the mark

Romans 4: 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.

Now you might be thinking so what is the good news in all of this. What can I do to be made right in God's eyes?

Paul answers that in Romans 3: 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;

and in Romans 5: 9-11 Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

The Good News about your bounced check is the Banker has set up an over draft system that covers you. God knew you and I could not possibly go through a day, a week, a month, a year or a life without sinning and there by bouncing our check to Him and falling back into debt. To cover our failing to have sufficient fund deposited in His bank He provided a way to have our bounced check covered through the sacrifice of His son.

The bad news you will never be perfect in this life and the Good News is God knows that and made a way to shield you from your sin. All you have to do is recognize He is God, His son Jesus died for you and rely on His Holy Spirit to help you in your daily walk.

Sounds simple doesn't it? The answer is Yes and No.

This post resulted from a sermon heard at Vineyard Church in Overland Park, KS.

The American Dream Stolen

It is true! The American Dream has been stolen and replaced by one of success, fortune and fame. It is not only true about the American society as a whole but it is also true in the Church.

It seems everyone is dreaming of a bigger home, a faster car, more powerful ipod, iphone, or laptop. It seems that success is measured by the clothes one wears, the car one drives or the home or area one lives in.

Let's look at what the founding fathers of the United States saw as measurements of success.

From the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

The United States Constitution was written to protect the people from their government taking away those rights.

The American Dream is really about being free and having the security that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness protected.

The American Dream is not found in a bigger home, a faster car or even wealth. Our founding father's knew that a home can burn to the ground, wealth can disappear over night and those can be replaced but freedom true freedom is much more valuable than any material thing.

Today we find mega-churches and other church organizations preaching a wealth and health message instead about the freedom found in Jesus Christ. I believe God is not against good health or even wealth but He detests a life that is focused and measured in those.

I am reading a book by David Platt that encourages us to "Take back your faith from the American Dream". The book is called, "Radical" and is all about Jesus teaching about what it means to follow Him. I encourage you to get this book and read it with an open mind. Let God show you where in your own life you have abandoned Jesus idea of what being His follower is all about. Then if you are Radical enough make the changes to become His disciple.

WARNING!!!! To be a follower of Jesus will mean buying completely into His teachings and selling out to His way of life.

David Platt is the pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, which is a 4,000 member congregation so I think he knows what it means to get caught up in the thrill of seeing numbers as success.