Author: tommestevenson@gmail.com

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Your Christmas Story

Ever wonder what the essence of a great story includes? There must be three or four critical components. There has to be a protagonist and an antagonist; you know, the good guy and the bad guy. Then there has to be a great adventure, an adventure that draws you in and captivates you. There has to be a dark moment; when the hero seems to be on the brink of destruction. Then there is the ending, a wonderful, thrilling, defying-all-odds moment that takes your breath away.

We were listening to a Robert Ludlum audiobook on the long drive to and from Missouri over the Thanksgiving holiday. Dr. John Smith was the protagonist, surviving death over and over again. Time and again, Ludlum had him in impossible situations, just to be saved in the nick of time. It got me thinking of my life and the most incredible story of all time; The Christmas story.

You can read the beginning here: Luke 2:1-20

The Beginning

Jesus was there in the beginning. He knew our fall, He knew our struggles, and most of all, He knew we needed a hero, not just an ordinary run-of-the-mill hero, but the Savior of all Saviors. The story of our lives is an epic battle between good and evil. We get to choose the part we play, just like when we were kids playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians. This time the playing is real, and the consequences of our decisions last for eternity.

John 1:1-2, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God….”

John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

In the story of my life, I am not the protagonist; I’m not the good guy or the hero; I’m the one needing rescue. The antagonist isn’t life or the decisions I’ve made; it is the dark force that hides the consequences of my choices. Unlike John Smith trying to save the world from diabolic biological weapons, my story is God trying to save me from myself.

The God of the universe looks down on weak humans being buffeted by the plans and schemes of evil. For the average person, evil does not present itself in situations that reek of sulfur. Evil presents itself in everyday decisions that seem right in the moment. Many times sin will even give us a Bible verse to comfort us in our weak moments. Evil knows the story and knows the ending but pushes on anyway.

The Rescue

The story of Christmas is the defying-all-odds over-the-top ending to our impossible predicament. You see, we cannot save ourselves from destruction; we haven’t the power. I would go as far as to say some of us still don’t know we need saving. Without God’s intervention through Christ on the cross, we fail. We cannot be good enough to overcome the impact evil has on our lives. Christ is the only one who can reach down and pull us up from the abyss.

Romans 5:8, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

This Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Savior. Our happy ending starts in a room no one wanted and ends on the cross. It is not the ending we think of in a novel. It is not the hero living with honor and residing on an earthly throne. It’s bigger than that. Our protagonist not only saves us from ourselves, but He also conquers death itself. Through Him, evil is defeated, and we are saved for eternity.

Hebrews 12:2, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author, and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Epilogue

This Christmas spend time with friends, listen to the music of the season, exchange gifts, and eat great food, but take some time to play out your story. Take time to understand that you are not the hero of your story. I am one of the most fortunate men on this earth. I was born in a country of opportunity. God gave me everything a person could want. I have had position, power, and wealth, but I could not save myself. For all that I was, I was helpless. Christ saw me, loved me, and saved me.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”

Christmas is a time of great joy, do not let that pass you by, but take the time to replay your story; you get to choose your ending, make it a good one.

1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”

Share your story of great joy and peace with all you encounter throughout the year, for we are truly blessed.

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Thanksliving

At Thanksgiving, we give thanks for all that God has done in our lives. We thank Him for our family and our friends and our everyday living. We give thanks for all the worldly things he has bestowed upon us. Then we turn our thoughts to Christmas.

1 Corinthians 1:30, “Everything that we have – right thinking and right living, a clean slate, and a fresh start – comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.”

Thanksgiving is an special day because even the secular world stops for a moment to give thanks for their blessings. If even the non-believer is thankful for their gifts, so how much more should we be grateful? Can you think of a single good thing in your life that was not provided by God?

Giving Thanks

For a moment, just a single moment, bask in pure adoration for the miracle of your life. Lift a prayer before you eat that reaches down from the pit of your soul and truly gives thanks that God created you, wrote your life story, and provided for you throughout your journey. Unfortunately, it is after that point that we then turn back to living our lives. Most of us will overeat, enjoy the companionship of family and friends, and then it’s back to the daily grind. Wouldn’t our lives be better served if we lived in that moment? How do we stretch that moment into the lifelong glorification of a life well lived?

God made us perfectly crafted for our journey ahead. Although we see deficiencies, wrong turns, and rabbit trails, God sees the essence of our perfection. Perfection that will not be achieved this side of Heaven, but is real all the same. We tend to silo our blessings as individual answered prayers rather than view them as a continuum of our story. God does not work on a checklist or a to-do list that is characterized by point-specific blessings. He is always blessing us if we ask Him.

James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

In Dire Circumstances

But what if my circumstances are dire? What if I have strife and conflict and pain that drives what feels like a life unfulfilled and purposeless?  If you are on this side of the dirt, God is not done with you. As long as you have breath in you, God has a mission for you. From personal experience, I can say that the only thing that got me to tomorrow was knowing God had something for me to do today, even in my most dark days. I didn’t always know what it was or why, but I did know it was greater than my pain. I would not go to meet Him unfinished.

1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

The way to rise above your struggles is to distract yourself by immersing yourself in God’s overwhelming love. Remember that God is most gracious to those who are struggling and call on Him. Every moment of every day is a blessing for which we should give thanks.

Isaiah 66:1-2, “This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me?  Where will my resting place be? Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.”

Living With Kingdom Purpose

We live in a broken world. It will serve up bitter fruit at times. Some people seem to get a larger portion than others. I don’t get it. I don’t get it in my own life, and I certainly can’t advise you. I do know this when I take my eyes off of the prize, the struggle intensifies. Living a purposeless life magnifies the difficulties. Knowing that there is a kingdom purpose in all things gives me the strength to move forward. Moment by moment, thanking God that I still stand and that God is not done with me yet, gives me purpose. And with that purpose, I have hope. Commit yourselves to not meet God face-to-face unfinished.

In Revelations, we read what should be our final words.

Revelations 7:12, “ Blessing and glory and wisdom and Thanksgiving and honor and power and strength belong to God forever and ever amen.

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An Apology

When I first started writing, I wanted it to be about the passion of living for Christ. I wanted to help people live the life that God had planned for them.  I thought, like all human plans, God intervened, He now wanted me to spend my time trying to help people cope with today. I was wrong.

I took my eye off of the ball; I got distracted by everyday issues and became nearsighted. Like a bout of vertigo, I thought the world had shifted, but it was all in my head. It wasn’t God who intervened to change my thinking.

“The best-laid schemes of Mice and Men oft go awry, And leave us nothing but grief and pain, For promised joy!” – Robert Burns

One of the things I have become acutely aware of is that everything on the front page of the news today is temporary. Our next President will not be in office 100 months from now. COVID-19 will be a history note as we deal with whatever is new. Unfortunately, new injustice, lurking in the dark recesses of society as it has been for all of written history, will replace today’s injustice. All of our contemporary concerns will dissolve. But one thing will remain constant, God’s love for all of humanity.

Back to Basics

Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God’s plan for our lives is the point on the horizon to which we should all navigate. This promise is the guiding light in the world of darkness. Anything that distracts you from this path is not from the Lord. Anytime you start to believe evil is winning, or even making headway, you have taken your eye off the target. We aren’t the ones that handle overcoming the sins of the world. We are not capable. Our job is to be the person God planned for us to be. If each of us achieves that goal, we will change the world.

Matthew 6:33, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

 Seek first – God did not give us suggestions or guidelines. He gave us commands. If our thoughts and conversations do not follow His command, then we are on the wrong track. If we put contemporary issues in front of seeking God first, we have fallen into a trap. We have allowed ourselves to be shanghaied into serving another. Dark forces use worldly issues, crafted in Biblical principles, to distract us. They divert our passion away from chasing God.

Matthew 7:15, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

It is all too easy to give in to worldly fear. We live here and must cope with what it throws at us. I know, my life is no different than yours. I yearn for security here on earth until the day that God takes me home. I forget that I have that. God commands me not to fear for my life and worldly comfort.

Matthew 10:28, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Our Reality

The foundation of our thinking is also a command. God does not give us the latitude to pick and choose. He makes it perfectly clear.

John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.”

How can God command that? Does He not understand the world in which I live? Yes, He does, He created it. He understands it’s weaknesses, it’s flaws, and it’s darkness. But he also created the light. He promised us that if we discard all of our worldly concerns, he will cover us and protect us.

Philippians 4:6-7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I got distracted, and I apologize for that. I don’t want you to be distracted. If the issues don’t directly affect God’s plan for your life, let it go. Maybe this is the time that will open doors that have previously been closed. God can, and will, use this time. But He will use it for His Kingdom, not anyone else’s. He will use it to forwards His message of peace and reconciliation to Him, not the latest talking head. He will use it to encourage and build, not break down and divide.

Chase God, not man.

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

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Where is God in your Neighborhood?

My question to you is this: Where does God live in your neighborhood? Have you met Him in passing at a gathering? Have you engaged in small talk to pass the time? Are you so busy creating yourself that you haven’t taken the time to know and love your creator?

This post is a little different for me; it’s more of an allegory than my typical posts. It is a journey through a broken and lonely world that ends in warmth, redemption, and love. We all travel this same road. Some of us are fortunate enough to arrive at the destination faster than others. Unfortunately, some of us never arrive.

I see in my head this timeline of my life stretching from left to right across the horizon. At the far left is the knowledge that God wrote my story before I came into existence. This story is God’s pre-story of my life. His account of my life was to prosper, filled with hope and a future. But as I move along the timeline toward the right, my life story plays out as I lived it. It goes something like this:

I knew God lived in my neighborhood, but I didn’t know which house was His.

As a child, I went to church and knew there was a God, but He was probably busy with some of the other 4 billion people on earth or maybe building the rest of the universe. I wasn’t sure what He looked like or where He lived, or what He did for a living. I didn’t care; I was busy creating my life.

I knew God lived in my neighborhood as I saw Him around once in a while

Later in life, I would see something that reminded me God was there. It was in the clear azure blue skies, the crisp fall mornings, and in the full moon perched precariously above a mountain range. It was a kind voice or a gentle gesture.  I saw God in the complexity of the world He created that seemed to flow so seamlessly. It was like marveling over the beauty and craftsmanship of a Lamborghini Sián Roadster without ever having met Ferruccio Lamborghini.

I knew God lived in my neighborhood because  He talked to some of the neighbors.

Still, later I met neighbors who had met Him and talked with Him. He even did things for them. I didn’t understand why or how, but they were convinced. I thought you had to be His friend to get His time. He seemed like a nice enough guy but had to be busy most of the time. I envied that they knew Him but felt out of His league.

 I knew God lived in my neighborhood because we talked from time to time.

Finally, a friend introduced me to Him. He seemed open and receptive; our conversations were superficial, mostly me complaining about something I wanted. Maybe I asked Him why He didn’t fix something, but I never allowed myself to get close enough to Him to see him work. I wanted Him to help me but didn’t expect it to amount to much as I hadn’t done much for Him. Generally, you don’t get something without giving something.

I know God lives in my neighborhood because He took me in.

Then one stormy, rainy night, my house burned down. I stood by the curb in the cold, dark rain and watch the smoke rise. The life I had so carefully crafted came to an end. The things I have stored up for myself vanished. It was God who was there to invite me to live in His home. I lost a house, a shell of myself created to satisfy my worldly lust. What God gave me was a home filled with love and compassion. I have lived there since.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 “Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.”

Great stories always start with great tragedies. We all like the overcoming-all-odds ending, but we skip past the overcoming part. The overcoming takes away from the thrill of victory. If we have to look at the cost, the prize seems a little tainted. We don’t like asking ourselves if the prize was worth the cost. We want to rejoice.

When we come out the other end after a traumatic encounter with our broken world, getting to the end seems less daunting than when we were in the middle of it all.

Where does God live in your neighborhood?

Many of us live ordinary lives that don’t strike us as tragedies. We pay our bills and are kind to animals. We try not to be overly angry, but there are many stupid people in the world. We help when we can, but we have a responsibility for our future too. Life is a compromise.

Job 4:19 “How much more those who live in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth.”

That is the tragedy. When we surrender our will to the author of our lives, we no longer live with compromise. We live in the fullness of the life He created. Don’t wait for a storm. Decide to trust your life and all of its decisions to Christ.

Move out of your house into His home.

Ephesians 2:19-22, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.”

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Casting Out Fear

Fear causes us to live small lives and miss out on opportunities that God puts in front of us. Fear scrunches us into a little ball of mediocracy. Fear stops us from “being all we can be.”

Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

There will always be moments when fear is the natural response to worldly things that happen around us. But I am not thinking of the life-threatening events when fear overwhelms; I’m talking about the day to day encounters. I’m talking about things like fear of failure and fear of rejection, and fear of humiliation. What I am talking about is living a life worth living. I am talking about having the courage to stretch your boundaries, experience God’s power, and live the story He wrote for you.

1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.”

Formula for Change

How do we get from who we are to who God made us to be? A formula called “The Beckhard-Harris Change Equation” states that the value of the new state has to be greater than the value of the old state plus the cost of change before change can effectively occur.

Beckhard-Harris would say, Your dissatisfaction with the life you are currently living, plus a vision of what the new life would look like, plus knowledge of how to get to that new life, has to be greater than what you feel you are giving up.

Let’s put this in Christian terms; The value of an eternity with Christ has to be of greater value to you than that of your current life on earth, plus the cost you put on changing. Until we realize that the experience God has written for us is so much better than the life we have planned for ourselves, we will never reach our true potential and will always live desperate lives. If you are a slave to fear, this equation is out of balance. If your vision of a Christ-centered life is blurred, you won’t move forward.

1 John 2:16, “For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but the world.”

Our Current State

We have to accept that we live broken lives. Much of the stress and dysfunction we experience daily is not life; it is life without Christ. We have become so accustom to comparing the quality of our life with the lives around us that we have missed how broken those lives are. It is not about being less dysfunctional than the Jones. The bar is a lot higher than that. Troubles and challenges will come, we know that, it is how we respond to those events that defines our experience on earth and it’s eternal significance.

The Desired State

Now we have to come to believe that life with Christ is a life worth fighting for. Spending eternity  with the author of the universe is exceptional in and of itself, but as a cowboy once said “I’m not afraid of being dead, it’s the dying that worries me.” We still live on a blue spinning orb. We still have to get up every morning and live. Our desired state has to include God’s plan for us while we are here. God made us; he understands what we are experiencing. God created us not just to survive but to thrive. He did not put us here to see what we could endure. God created us to blossom and grow. He created us to be light in the darkness.

Taking the First Step

Once we see the vision of what life could look like, we need to create a plan to achieve it. We have to know our first step. Once we know it, we have to commit to taking it. Each of us is dealing with our own set of fears. Each of us will attack this a little differently. All of us should have the same objective; get in synch with God’s plan. Some may join a bible study. Some aren’t there yet, what they need is a close Christian friend that can help guide them. All of us need prayer and support through the scriptures. For change to take place you have to take the first step.

Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Change is more about believing in the results than putting in the effort. Change is more about having the faith to let God lead than making an effort to take the lead.

What did Jesus say?

John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Isaiah 43:1, “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

The Psalmist said, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”

Our greatest fear should not be what the world around us fears, but we should fear the lost opportunity to be truly happy living the life God has planned for us.

Don’t be afraid of what God asks you to do; embrace it. More than just embracing it, thirst for it. Make it your mission to stretch your experiences, learn more, be more; grow into a genuine person of God.

Psalm 37:4-14, “ Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will do this:  He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”

Life Worth Living

God wants your heart to burst with Joy. He wants to fill you with His spirit to where you can scarcely breathe. He wants you to hate sleep at night in anticipation of what the morning will bring. He wants you to live a life of purpose and meaning. He does not want you to fear the world. He has already overcome the world.

1 John 5:5, “Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

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Waterproof Your Boat

Ships don’t sink because of the water around them; they sink because of the water in them. Don’t let what is going on around you get inside you.

Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

As we approach election day, the volume of absurdity crescendos until it envelopes the important. I thought about this statement made by a Taoist Priest. “Chaos only exists for those who do not understand.” Chaos exists in the minds of those whose view is earthly and finite. The world can become a maddening, ever-changing, and endless pursuit of meaning. When you let the noise around you become the noise within you, you sink to fear, uncertainty, and despair.

Jeremiah 25:32, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil is going forth from nation to nation, and a great storm is being stirred up from the remotest parts of the earth.”

We have a God that loves us unconditionally. We have a God that wrote the story of our existence. We have a God that is both omnificent and omnipresent. When we start thinking that our future is in others’ hands, we have lost sight of what matters. Christians are not, and never will be, the victim of random chance or evil forces. Our environment maybe, but we will not.

When we allow worldly thinking to seep into our inner thoughts, we start to sink. When we allow the words of others to dictate our response, we begin to sink. When we rationalize our reaction based on the actions of others, we start to sink. When we let an earthly event poke a hole in the bulkhead of our existence, we sink.

Proverbs 1:27-29, “when disaster comes over you like a storm, when trouble strikes you like a whirlwind, when pain and trouble overwhelm you. Then you will call to me, but I will not answer. You will look for me, but you will not find me. It is because you rejected knowledge and did not choose to respect the Lord.”

I am starting to see the world differently. God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, made me His ark. The choice animals that I allowed in are; Christian friends, a welcoming church community, daily and weekly scripture readings, Bible study, and prayer. The Gospel is my bulkhead; bible verses are the caulk between the planks. The water will rise around me, but I will be safe.

Psalm 107:29, “He caused the storm to be still so that the waves of the sea were hushed.

In the middle of the tempest of life, I must fight the urge to open a window to take in a worldly view. In doing so, I may let water in. Do it enough times, and I start to sink. Life will rage on. There will always be another storm, but I must stay safe.

Matthew 8:26, “He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.”

Being safe is not becoming ambivalent to the world around us; it is about not letting that world become us. We serve the world with love and compassion as Christ serves us. We help individuals find the shipwright that builds boats that can never sink. Remember, it is not about changing the world; it is about changing the people in the world, one person at a time; when that happens, the world changes.

2 Corinthians 1:4, “who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

Christ has built an invincible armada that no power on earth can destroy. We are indestructible as long as we do not let the water in.

Joshua 23:9, “For the Lord has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no man has stood before you to this day.”

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Live for What Matters

You are blessed when you become content with who and what you are because it is only then that you receive everything you ever really wanted. It is in that moment that you truly become free to live a life worth living.

Psalm 37:4, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

Most of the struggle we have with other people is a struggle within ourselves. It is a struggle to have meaning and value. It is a struggle to be seen and heard. The struggle is not a question of who is right and who is wrong; it is a spiritual struggle to matter in a noisy, confusing and increasingly evil world.

James 4:2, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

God had made each of us uniquely gifted to live the story He had created for us before we even came into existence. I used to think of that story, much like a novel. It has a plot with antagonists and protagonists; it has a journey and an overcoming. Most of all, it had a happy ending, at least mostly. This story is written in the context of the world in which I lived. The decisions I made about love and jobs, and destinations all had a specific impact on the plotline. I could deviate from the original plot, but then the story lost continuity and rhythm.

But then I started to realize that my assumption was flawed. Maybe the story wasn’t so much about the worldly aspect of  my life, but spiritual? What if the story written by God, especially for me, was to glorify Him in all that I do? What if I was free to choose my path, but the intent remained the same; every step was an opportunity to glorify God?

Now, this new thesis has a caveat. The caveat is that God gave me a unique set of skills and attributes that are to be used to glorify Him, such that a specific path is better than all other ways. But the intent stays the same for all of us; that is to glorify God in what we become. Some paths give us challenges outside of our natural gifts and cause us to stumble. Some people make us struggle with our identity and cause us to take our eyes off of the original intent. We need to stay focused not on our talents and gifts, but God.

Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

We are to be peacemakers. We are to take strife and conflict out of the world, not to be at war with it. We intend to attract others to seek God by them wanting the peace and contentment in which we live. We want everyone to be called a child of God.

John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,”

God made us in His image. He made us so that He could enjoy communion with us. We must learn to be content with who God made us because; He created us for a specific purpose that no other can accomplish. He did not design us to compete with His other creations. They all have a purpose. All are meant to glorify their maker, each in their own way.

Genesis 1:27, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them”

We are to be led by the spirit to use the talents and gifts attributed explicitly to each of us to glorify God. We do not have to fight for meaning or value; they have already been established. If we do not have the right hair color, height or weight, job, education, or whatever your vice is, it’s OK. You are perfect in God’s eyes just as you are. He made you. The greatness in you comes from the contentment of being just who you are. Everything else is dust-to-dust. Live for what matters.

Are we actively seeking God’s kingdom in all that we do and say?

Romans 8:14, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”

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Contentment

King Solomon was not only favored by God; he was considered one of the wisest men ever to walk the earth. He made this statement:

Ecclesiastes 9:11, “I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.”

We all struggle with insecurity. That insecurity can be job security, basic provisions, self-worth, or purpose. We live in a marketing-driven world that demands that we strive for perfection. We are continually comparing ourselves to others. It is not always vanity that drives us; sometimes, it is pure competition, the need to matter, the need to stand out in a noisy world.

Galatians 6:4, “Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else”

When I think about what Solomon said, I sometimes go to Hugh Heffner. That is right, Mr. Playboy. By almost any standard, Hugh Heffner lived a bohemian lifestyle, devoid of a moral foundation. He promoted a completely hedonistic lifestyle, not just for himself but also for everyone; He carried the banner for Godlessness, yet he was a multi-millionaire. The Playboy Enterprise was called an Empire. What killed his business model was their success. Pornography has become so widespread and free; Playboy could no longer make money from it.

If the measure of Godliness is worldly wealth and fame, why do the Hugh Heffner’s exist? Just as Job’s friends tried to explain, we should be able to look at the material value of a person and see their Godliness. But it doesn’t work that way.

 1 Timothy 6:6-8, “But Godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”

King Solomon reminds us that we are not in control of our future. We can do everything right, and it still can go wrong. We can watch others do everything wrong and prosper. Timothy tells us to be content with whatever happens. He reminds us that we should seek Godliness with contentment.

Romans 14:17, “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

Our purpose in life, as Christians, is to know God and bring Him glory. In everything, we should first seek His glory and be content with the outcome. Larry Crabb talks about making the first things first. He warns us about putting worldly issues in front of God’s glory. He states, “The forces of darkness value blessings; they call them life, they feel entitled to them, and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get them.”

Augustine said, “There can be only two basic loves, the love of God -unto the forgetfulness of self, or the love of self-unto the forgetfulness of God.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

Do our words and deeds glorify God, or do they glorify ourselves? If we live a life focused on glorifying God, are we content with the outcome? God knows what we need as aliens on the earth. He understands the environment in which we live. He wants us to live a life that is attractive to others so that we can share the Gospel. Everything we have or experience should glorify His name to attract non-believers to the contentment within us.

We should use the gifts that God gave us, in the environment that He has put us in, to succeed in what He has set before us. But we do this for His glory, not ours. We are working for Him, not for our gratification.

Live a life worth living. Live a life of contentment and meaning. Live a life that puts you to sleep at night counting your blessings. Glorifying God brings goodness, and peace, and joy to our souls.

Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”

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Nameless, Unremembered Acts of Kindness

“The best portion of a good man’s life is his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.” – William Wordsworth

“Nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” are these ever little? Maya Angelou said it best in her award-winning book “Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” In the future, we have forgotten the tiff or the argument or the strife, but we remember the hurt. Similarly, songs of our youth bring us great joy, not because of the lyrics or tune, but because of the emotion of that time wafting back into our memory. We do not remember who we were with or what we were doing, but we remember how we felt.

John McAlister was one of the great men in my life. I knew him for a very short time through work; he was an older man of about fifty, and I was in my early twenties. He spoke hard truth to me with kindness. I ruthlessly drove to prove myself in everything. I was a go-fast kind of kid. It was never my intention to mistreat others; I didn’t know they were there. I ran over them like a fullback on the two-yard line. John would remind me; to be great, I had to understand and appreciate others around me. They would take me farther than I could bring myself.

Proverbs 11:17,” A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”

Years later, I heard the African proverb “to go fast, go alone: to go far, go together.” and John immediately came to mind. I think of him often, although I cannot recall a single conversation. I do hope I will see him again. John is a permanent tattoo on my heart.

Luke 6:35, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, …”

Today this verse comes to mind, not because I have enemies, but because I have friends I sometimes treat like enemies. Some of my friends are interesting characters, some experience bad days or have strange passions. There are times when my reactions to these oddities are less than loving. Generally, it happens when I am low on emotional energy. As an introvert, my batteries have to be recharged regularly, or my responses become, let us say, unfiltered.

Epictetus is famous for saying’, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” It is quoted so often that it has become a cliché. Paul says it in a more meaningful way. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to it. Much like Luke, the critical element is to love.

Ephesians 4:2, “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other’s faults because of your love.”

Love, what an incredible emotion. There is nothing more exhilarating than being overtaken by the tsunami called love.  As humans, we crave it as much as the air we breathe. If this thing called love is what drives us, why do we keep it from others? Why, in an unfiltered moment, do I revert away from love, not toward it? I don’t know; pride, ego, downright meanness. It is one of the flaws of a fallen world; we inflict pain to avoid pain. It is a thing I have spent many a prayerful night over.

I do know this; always try to demonstrate love. For me, it is easier to do something then say something. Maybe that is a guy thing, or perhaps it is just a Tomme thing.

1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

I am human, I am flawed, and I am trying to get better. That is all any of us can do. Chase God until there is not a fiber of your being that isn’t screaming out in pure joy. Make every moment count like it was your last; it might be. In that unfiltered moment that will come, call on the God that loved you first to help you love others. Channel the exhilaration of being loved into loving others. Remember you were made in the image of God.

Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

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Love; Falling into the Great Abyss

This morning I struggle with great truth. I have the joy of being chosen to serve people that God has set aside for great things. The love that God speaks through me to them is a love I covet for myself. It is an amazing, burning love; it is so deep and sincere. It exists not for flattery or vanity or self. These people will impact God’s kingdom and a way that I could only hope. I am not lessor for their greatness; I’m just not them. God has His plan for me. Mine is no less relevant or meaningful. I feel His love for these people, and it overwhelms me.

I was meant to be in their lives. It was part of God’s plan for each of us. What they are doing I could never do, it is not my gift, but I love it. When they doubt, God gives me a word or two that builds them back up. You see, they are very good at choosing joy. They are good at walking through the pain and hard times to come out the other end as an encourager. But some of them seldom have the welling in their heart that explodes into uncontrollable joy. This grieves God.

1 John 4:16, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.”

God doesn’t want us to spend our lives choosing joy. He wants us to experience it. God wants us to feel the love He has for us. He wants us to love as He loves. He knows to do that we have to experience pain along the way.

1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.”

To guard against that pain is to resign yourself to choosing joy, not experiencing it. Do you have the courage to love like God? What type of love does it take to endure the humiliation and pain of the cross? What does it take to be rejected by those you love most and have come to save? What does it take to love so deeply and so purely and still face their scorn?

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Do you have that courage? Will you allow yourself to be vulnerable enough to ride that roller coaster? Can you face the pain without anger or resentment?

I have to tell you that when God speaks to me about this, it’s incredible. I want to be them. I want to be loved and love as they are. But you see, I see my failings, I see my sin, my shame. I see the dark shadow in the mirror in front of me and say no, that is not for me.

I allow another greater sin. I authorize the evil one to blind my eyes. I believe that God’s love is only for the deserving and the great. A man like me can never be loved like that.

If I give you one thing this morning and this one thing sticks in your brain, know this: God loves you like that. God loves you with a passion and a purity that defies description. It will overwhelm your soul. It does not matter your past. It does not matter who you think you are. What matters is what God knows you to be.

This morning I am glad that God does not allow me to determine His love for me. I am blessed that I don’t get to set the boundaries. I am thankful that He does not see me as I see myself.

Folks, put aside the old self and allow God’s love to wash over you like a high tide. Fill your heart with desperation and longing for even more. Send your senses to the brink, to the edge of the great abyss, and fall in love. Feel the fear and thrill of being uncontrollably loved. Allow God to love you as no person can or ever will. You will become an addict and will never be the same.

I’m working on that. God has shown me the abyss, but I have not chosen to fall into it. I want to more than anything. I’m afraid that I am not worthy. That is why these people are in my life; to teach me that I am.

Romans 8:38, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love”.

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