tommestevenson@gmail.com, Author at Tomme Stevenson

May 14, 2020May 14, 2020

Visions of Heaven

Think of this as comfort food for my soul. Being human, and living on the great blue orb spinning through the space, I think in terms of what I know. We all have our personal view of Heaven. My view might help you paint yours.

1 Corinthians 2:9 “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”

When I think of Heaven, I think of a vast expanse of glory. It is covered in a brilliant white light that has no origin. The sky is azure blue with puffy white clouds; there are streets with light posts that actually work. There are tree-lined boulevards and gentle streams. There are beautiful mountains and rolling pastures.

I don’t want a grand mansion. I want a small shack on the wrong side of the tracks. I’m a guy who will be elated just to be there. I want to walk down the streets and see the true greats of God’s kingdom. I want to meet Agur and Jabez. I want to remember people who did the small things in my life that kept me going in the right direction, people whose names I have long forgotten or may have never known. These people are pivotal to my being here. It is not only the strong, great Christians that I will always remember for the years they spent mentoring and modeling for me, but it is also the person who saw me in a single dark moment and cared enough to lift me.

I want to go down to the Pearly Gates every sunset to welcome the crowds of people coming home. I want to help them feel welcomed and loved and appreciated. I want them to feel as I do.

What I want, more than anything, is to be sitting in the park by the lake, or maybe a small patio restaurant off the beaten track. As I eat my pizza or hot dog, I remember the great swell in my heart when God called my name. As I am lost in a memory too great to describe, a person breaks the silence to say, “Hey, are you, Tomme Stevenson?’. He’d say, we met in Kenya, or Kyrgyzstan, or prison, or Roswell Day of Hope, or on the street outside a MARTA station. Maybe we met in a parking lot in Asheville or a McDonald’s in Atlanta or the mountains along the Chattooga River. I had said something or did something that changed their heart. I want to know that I made a difference for His kingdom.

I want to know that there are people here, embracing the God of the universe, reveling in all His glory, that I helped get a ticket. I want to know that there are people who did not get left behind because of me.

I want my sidewalk café and my morning coffee. I want Gracie, the greatest Springer Spaniel to ever live, by my side. Most of all, I want God to call me His friend.

Revelation 21:1-4, “Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020

Be Content

Proverbs 30:8-9 , “Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. “

My Monday night bible study got into the discussion about wealth. God says a lot about wealth. But when you dig into it, I’m not sure we get the message about what He is saying. In a broad sense, the love of money is evil.

1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

Luke 12:15, “And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

I got it, no brainer. But, does that mean that God wants us to give away everything? Is God opposed to wealth?

My guess is NO. God wants us to enjoy the experiences of life. He wants us to be content where He has put us. The love of money is not about having money; it is about putting your trust in it rather than God. Where do you look for contentment? When you wrap your future security up in your 401K, you’ve created an idol. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t want you to save money for your future. Just be aware that the future He is having you save for may not be your future.

Ecclesiastes 3:12-13, “So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.”

Let me put a fence around this discussion with a short story. In 2002 I promised a friend of mine I would go with him to a Champions for Life Prison weekend. I didn’t want to go. First of all, it was a full weekend, then there were the convicted felons, and I think there was an expectation that I should share the Gospel. Aside from the inconvenience, and the cultural abyss, I didn’t understand God myself, how could I explain Him to others.

I’m at the hotel in Columbia, SC waiting to register. I’m decked out in my usual work attire, professionally pressed Oxford button-down, worsted wool slacks, Cole Haan slip-on, no socks, hey I’m casual. In front of me is Danny. Danny came in from Tennessee on his Harley. He has on his jeans, t-shirt, leathers and what? Danny had a tattoo. Not your run of the mill tattoo. Danny was bald, like me, he had a tattoo of Christ on the Cross, three colors, forehead to nape of the neck, ear to ear. It was an amazing piece of artwork. All I could think was “Ouch!”. Danny turned around, and I blurted out, “Boy, that had to hurt.”. Danny had a checkered past, but was now completely sold out for Christ.

We talked about it being my first time and how unprepared I was. I felt I had nothing in common with the inmates. Danny said, “you’ll be surprised, there are people just like me, and there are people just like you. The ones like you won’t talk to me, so I’m glad you came.”. That stuck with me. On the way to the Level 4 Maximum Security prison, I did still pray that it would be a win-win for God and me if He made me invisible. I wouldn’t misrepresent Him, and He wouldn’t have to condemn me for eternity for doing it.

( Side bar in case you think God might be wasting His time on you: I met Ricky Green in Broad River Correctional on April 13, 2002, he was a lifer. He was afraid his son, Bradley, would follow in his footsteps. He ask me to write to him. I did. Bradley accepted Christ in 2004. I keep the letter. God changed my perception of me. Preparation is God’s expertise, not yours. )

The more significant point is this. People feel comfortable talking to people more like themselves. It is human nature. God wants His people throughout the entire social-economic range so that we can interact with everyone. The point of having-or-not-having isn’t having-or-not having. The point is, what are you doing for Christ where Christ put you.

I don’t think we will ever agree when enough is enough. We know when we see someone way over the line, and we know when we see someone way under the line, but we aren’t sure where the line is. God doesn’t care about the line. If you can afford to live in a posh neighborhood, move there, start a bible study and share the Gospel with the rich. They need it too. If you can only afford to rent an apartment, ditto. It is not about what you have, it is about who you are.

1 Timothy 6:6-8, “Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”

Wealth is just one of God’s many tools for expanding His Kingdom. Money is a crutch that man came up with that God doesn’t need. But it is there, so He uses it. Our issue has two parts. Part one is how much time do we give to thinking about money? Part two is when we do think about money, does the thought glorify God?

I don’t have an answer. I do know, just like Ester, you are where God wants you for a time like this. If you don’t do it, God will raise someone in your place.

May 5, 2020May 4, 2020

A Lesson from Solomon

Ecclesiastes 2: 26 “This also is pointless and chasing after the wind.”

This morning I was lamenting my last days of employment. You heard that right; I was lamenting the prospects of retiring and of never working in my chosen field for the rest of my life. Trust me, I have heard all of the “are you kidding?” comments from friends and relatives. I love what I do and have done it for almost a half-century. I have committed to retiring at 70, so I will.

My dad drilled into me the importance of keeping your commitments, all of them. Seventy was a long way away when I made this commitment to myself; now, it is here. Fear not, there will be another season, the Lord works out everything for its proper end.

Ecclesiastes 2: 18-19, “Then I despised everything I had worked for on earth, that is, the things that I will leave to the person who will succeed me. And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish?”

Many of you are far from the finish line. Some of you can relate to my situation, and some can’t. I can’t imagine spending a third of my adult life doing something from which I couldn’t wait to get away. But that is another story for another time. Whether to love your job or hate it, this message is for you.

My lament is along the lines of; who will take my place? Not that I am narcissistic and believe I am irreplaceable, I’m not. I have no great idea or vast wisdom, but I have a place. I am a cog in the wheel. It is not the tasks I do to keep the company running as much as it is what I do to support the people around me. I have friends and relationships that I cherish. Many of these are younger people that would never “hang” with me after retirement. Work is part of the cadence of my life; it provides a purpose, direction, and a sense of accomplishment. That is a lot to leave to someone else.

This morning King Solomon was asked by God to help me understand my priorities. Ecclesiastes 2 was my reading for this morning. I think of some of the greatest names in history; they’re names with extended biographies. We intellectually know about them, but they are pieces of data. Much of what they accomplish has been rewritten by those who followed.

I am afraid that everything I do here on earth will have minimal value. Sooner or later, it will either be surpassed or forgotten. Every accomplishment, and every idea, will turn to dust. What will be left is my eternal impact for Christ.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 “And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”

Here would be my advice, no matter where you are on your journey, serve only God. Use the position God has given you to move His Kingdom further down the road. Treat your situation as your mission field. It is not the money, or status, or ideas, or accolades that will survive eternity. It is the people you will meet again in Heaven.

Proverbs 16:3-4, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end— even the wicked for a day of disaster.”

I will miss the past. I have more anxiety for me than then the ones I leave behind. I will miss them more then they will miss me. God has turned the page in my life; a new adventure waits for me. He will use what I have learned to keep kicking that can down the road.

Colossians 3:17, “And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Here is the full passage, and it is worth taking the time to read.

Ecclesiastes 2: 18-26 “18 Then I despised everything I had worked for on earth, that is, the things that I will leave to the person who will succeed me. 19 And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Either way, he will take possession of everything that I have done on earth, especially where I have excelled. This also is pointless. 20 So I came to be in despair about everything I had accomplished on earth. 21 For sometimes, people who strive to obtain wisdom, knowledge, and equity leave everything as an inheritance to a person who never worked for it. This, too, is pointless and greatly troublesome.

22 For what does a person gain from everything that he accomplishes and from his inner life struggles that he undergoes while working on earth? 23 Indeed, all of his days are filled with sorrow, and his struggles bring grief. In fact, his mind remains restless throughout the night. This is pointless, too!

24 The only worthwhile thing for a human being is to eat, drink, and enjoy life’s goodness that he finds in what he accomplishes. This, I observed, is also from the hand of God himself, 25 for who can eat or enjoy life apart from him? 26 After all, to the person who is good in God’s sight, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy, but to the sinner, he gives the troublesome task of acquiring and accumulating in order to leave it to someone who is good in the sight of God. This also is pointless and chasing after the wind.”

April 28, 2020April 21, 2020

Run the Race

I just woke from a dream in which I was talking with Bobby Wright. It is the middle of the night. What made me think of Bobby? I haven’t seen or talked to him in over 50 years. It quickly brought to mind Jack Raikes, Steve Collins, Joe Halterman, and Dennis, I’m sorry I don’t remember your last name, but your image is evident in my mind. All of you have woken me, and I can’t get back to sleep.

Why in the middle of the night am I sleepless for having known all of you? My memory was from a half-century ago when we were all filled with youthful potential. Some like Jack exceeded what I thought they would do, and I never knew that Jack. Others, like Steve, died way too early following a path much too dark. I wanted to talk with that Steve to see if he left this earth with the same kindness is his heart as when I knew him. My lasting memory of Joe was a fight in the school library. He grew up to receive a Grammy in Nashville as a drummer. He had children and grandchildren and just passed away. He doesn’t care, but I was proud of him anyway. Dennis, I have no idea what happened to Dennis. It makes me sad not to know.

Some people are not troubled by growing old. Are they content because they lived a full life and feel complete? Or are they glad it will soon be over because the time was so hard? I don’t fall in either camp. Although I am a Christian and know my fate, I am still troubled.

I have done more in my life then I could have ever imagined, I have traveled the world; I have run big organizations and started small companies. I have rubbed elbows with the greats. Not the greats that you would bring to mind, but the truly great. Men and women with a passion for a cause much greater than I could imagine. People who changed the world I live in, some with inventions, some with ideas. I have volunteered in Prisons and third world nations. I have grown from an angry adolescent to a man chasing God.

Philippians 3: 8, “What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ “

This, I believe, is my discontent. I have robbed God. I have robbed Him of years on my life. I have deprived Him of my worship, my attention, and my dedication to the plan He had for me. I wish I could say I was ignorant of God most of my life and didn’t know better. But that would be a lie. I knew Him since I was a child. I knew Him and didn’t care. My life was not a series of unintentional sins and mistakes; it was willful indifference. And when I grew tired of being me, He picked me up and welcomed me back into the family.

Ephesians 2: 1-3, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.”

I cannot pass on. For when I do, I will no longer serve Christ on earth. To cross over too soon would be to deprive the person I could have been. My old self is dead and gone, but the memory of him still pushes me forward.

Ephesians 2: 8-10, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It is not about earning God’s love or salvation. It is about being the person He knew I could be. It is about completing the task He has set before me, He has blessed me with health and resources, so I know He is not done with me. I must run the race marked out for me, fixing my eyes on Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

April 21, 2020April 21, 2020

I Chose You

John 15:16 “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Let me tell you a story. I remember it was late fall. I remember that because it was dark early and as I walked from the MARTA station to my destination, it was cold. Not the crisp northern cold, but a Georgia winter wet cold. The type that crawls under your jacket and digs into your bones. I was late meeting a friend that I hadn’t seen in a while. Walking head down against the wind, I walked across the courtyard exiting the station and just vaguely remember seeing a shadow of a man. The voice in my head said, “stop.” It seemed loud and real enough that I came to a halt.

I now looked at the man standing in the cold. He had on a trench coat, but it didn’t look warm. He stood looking into the air, moving left, then right. He seemed uncertain as to what he needed to do next. I’m late. I said to myself and started to move on. All I heard was, “To the least of these…” nothing more.

God doesn’t yell or intimidate; He reminds us of both the great privilege it is to know Him and the great joy we can receive by obeying Him. It wasn’t a command or even a request. It was just a quiet voice of truth.

I looked at the man’s face. This moment was the first time I saw him. You know if you avoid eye contact, it’s not real. But I did see him; his eyes were sad and pain-filled. There were a lot of years in those young eyes. He knew disappointment; they were traveling buddies. He had lost something important, and he was at a loss as to what to do. I knew to speak to him was to take on his burden. Once I knew, I couldn’t turn back. Reluctantly I asked, “Can I help you?”

God is an incredibly loving God. He is amazing. This man’s need was everything to him. It was insurmountable in his circumstances. But to him, it was just another hard day on earth. To me, it was simple. I gave him what I had, and it was more than enough. He stood erect, shook my hand with thanks, and a nod. But his eye gave it away, relief and surrender. I started to walk away, but I stopped. I turned and said, “You know, God really loves you; that is why I am here now.” He smiled and said, “Yes, sir, I truly know that.”

Answer God’s call folks. Be that person. I don’t have words that can accurately paint the picture of how it will change your life forever.

There are big things that God will nag us over. He will plant the seed, he’ll water and fertilize it. God will come back over and over to prune it. He just won’t let it go. Those things we eventually come around to acknowledging. They’re BHAG’s (Big Hairy Aggressive Goals). They take time and energy and planning, but they are worth it in the end.

What I love, and crave, are the whispered moments when God has a single opportunity to share. It is like God says, “Tomme, see that rainbow?” “Look, it’s over there.” And when I turn, it takes my breath away. I stand in awe. These are the rocks in my memorial. I pick each one up and remember a time when He loved me so much He asked me to be in His plan for someone else. The stones are the BHAG’s that I could have never accomplished without Him. The rocks are His way of telling me how much He loves me for the little thing that makes life worth living.

I don’t know that man and he doesn’t know me. But I do remember the emotion of the moment when God rest His hand on my should and said “well done.” Be that person.

April 14, 2020April 13, 2020

Disconsolate Love

This are unusual times. We are sequestered, against our will, for extended periods of time. It is only human nature that we befriend that little voice in our head. As time flies, the discussions turn personal. For most of us that voice isn’t our best friend. It has a tendency to want to dwell on our shortcoming and things we should have done better. If we listen too long we can go to a very deep dark place and start to believe the lies.

What brings me to my knees is that lonely dark domicile of desperation. It is the oppression of my soul. It is the unquenchable hunger to be loved, accompanied by the nonsensical perception that I am not. It is not quiet desperation; it is a roar, a thunder; it is the sound of a thousand freight trains overwhelming my existence. There is no foe to be defeated. There is only a vast endless nothingness to fill. My brain shuts down, and I am lost.

There is no greater sadness then the thought of not being loved. These thoughts defy logic. We have family and friends, but in these times, they don’t seem to be enough. The hole is too big, and we are too small. It is not their ability to give that creates this vacuum, but our ability to accept.

I have been there, praying that a merciful God would not allow the sun to rise on another day of my life. Thankfully He knew better.

Two Great Truths

Truth One

John 15:9, “Jesus loves us with the same love that the Father loves him.”

The God of the universe loves you, specifically you. The God of the universe that created billions of stars, billions of light-years across, who also created 7 billion people, multitudes of animals and fish, a staggering number of insects, molecules, atoms, and sub-atomic particles, knows you with absolute clarity, and loves you.

Psalm 139:13-16. “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

You are unique in God’s kingdom. You were created for a specific purpose. God’s greatest joy is to see you achieve that. You were created to further God’s Kingdom on earth. You are that important.

These two great passages show the extent He will go to that you might know His love.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

That God cared so much for you that he gave, that which is most precious to Himself, for your atonement. He could have wiped us out and started over. But God loves you; you are worth more than any of His other creations.

Then comes the big part. God could have wanted to save His creation. He could watch over us because He has compassion over the whole of what He has done. We could be a grand experiment that He didn’t want to end. But then there is the second passage.

John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

He calls us friends. We are not organic matter in a petri dish; we are His friends. When you pray, you are not talking to a dispassionate God who is benevolent toward His creation. You are talking with your best friend that wants everything for you.

Truth Two

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.

God wants you to experience love and acceptance. It is not enough for Him to want you to know of His love for you; he wants you to experience what He experiences when He loves you.

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

The hardest part of climbing out of the pit of despair is taking the first step. The effort required to put one foot in front of another seems massive. The single nugget of encouragement I can give you is that God never fails. Trust me, God doesn’t want this for you. We live in a fallen world that sometimes deals us a bad hand. It is God alone that can and will deliver you. Healing starts when we decide to give to others what has been given to us. When we reach out to show love when we least feel it, it is the act of loving others that heals us. Don’t focus on tomorrow or next week. Get through today by turning your attention toward showing God’s love to someone else.

Romans 8:37-39, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

April 7, 2020April 5, 2020

Joy

James 1:2, ” Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, “

A common question, “If I have a foundation in Christ, why is it that I have trouble finding joy?” Joy is a choice; much different than happiness, which is an experience. The lack of joy generally comes from a conscious decision. I don’t mean to be judgmental, it’s just an observation.

Happiness is a fleeting experience in a fallen world; it is unpredictable. It comes from strange places and hides from the obvious. An antagonist fails; we find happiness in the act. A promotion or a vacation leave us indifferent, why? If finding happiness in life is your thing, welcome to the world of sporadic, maddening, and inconsistent fulfillment.

James 4: 1-2, ” What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 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. “

Joy is another issue. Joy can be created, at will, regardless of the situation. It is critical that we, as Christian, know the difference. We need to understand that there will always be challenges, but the challenges need not define us. What defines us is the way we react to the challenges. Do we lean into Christ, or do we separate from Him?

Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”

There are two main obstacles to creating joy; one is to avoid running after other gods, and the other is focusing on the right question.

Running after other gods.

Psalm 16:4, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.”

One of my vices is that I do not always see other gods in my life as other gods. I have a passion for or dedication to something; I don’t recognize that it might slowly elevate itself to a god in my life. Most of the things I am talking about are good things, like family. The problem comes from me putting it before Christ. Do I derive my happiness from it, then allow my joy to be an extension of that happiness?

“You must have more joy in Christ than anything, or you are an idolater.” – John Piper

Our Children are important, we can sometime elevate them. You want them to be well rounded. You want them to have experiences that broaden their horizon. You’re in the car seven days a week taking them everywhere, sports practice, music lessons, dance lessons, tutoring, you are exhausted. Between the kids, housework and a job there is no time for sleep. Exhaustion brings on mistakes, mistakes create conflict, conflict can separate us from God. But you won’t give it up; it is your kids. You have a responsibility.

We can say the same thing about marriage, jobs, careers, school, vacations, hobbies, and even church (little c). The goal is admirable, the process sucks the life out of you, yet you continue.

Wrong Focus

Sheryl Crow “Soak Up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want; It’s wanting what you’ve got.”

It’s all about focus and perspective. I remember several years ago at a Champions for Life Weekend; I heard the testimony of Bruce Collie. Bruce won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. Bruce was a hard-charging, live life to the fullest kind of guy. But after the Super Bowl wins, he was left empty. He spent his whole life wanting a ring; now, he had two. He talked about it not being the highlight of his life, but the low point. He questioned his whole existence. Luckily for Bruce, he went to the Philadelphia Eagles and ran into Reggie White. Reggie opened his eyes to the Gospel and turned his life around. Christ gave Bruce a real purpose that never disappoints.

John 15:9, “Jesus loves us with the same love that the Father loves him.”

How do I change my focus to eliminate the idols in my life? Here is the hard part. It should be the natural part, but it’s not. You have to believe in your heart of hearts that God cares about you. I mean, really cares about everything you do. He cares about your kids, your job, your education, your life. There is nothing about which he does not care. In everything He wants the best for you.

James 1:16–17, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”

The massive things that I can’t handle alone, I give to God. Why not, it’s too big for me anyway. It is the small things, the things I want, and I think I can do by myself, that I hold to myself. These are the things that build up stress and anxiety and eventual disappointment. It is at this point I have a choice. I can pout because bad things happen to good people, or I can decide that God is in control of everything, and this will prove to be the best. It has always been about Him, not me.

To believe that God redeems even when I can’t see takes faith. It takes faith to believe that God really cares about me. It takes faith to believe that the small things in my life are just important to God as the big things. All things work for His glory (Romans 8:28).

Joy is a choice, but it is a big choice. Many times, it is a hard choice. It is counter-intuitive. The God that created the universe cares about my bad day. The fact that He can even see that I am having a bad day is mind-boggling. You would think He had better things to do. He doesn’t, He cares that much about you.

Psalm 37:4-6, “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.”

March 31, 2020March 30, 2020

Being Our Best

These are historic times. We, as Christians, have an opportunity to lead by example. When others spread discord and rumors, we can spread calm and truth. When others feel anxiety and fear, we can spread hope and courage.

John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”

As Christians, everything we do either draws others closer to Christ or drives them away. If Christ is Lord over your life, He must be Lord over your everyday relationships. It is at times like this that everyone is watching to see how we react. Do we believe what we believe or is it all a show?

1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with words or with tongue, but with deed and truth.”

One of my challenges is to spend more time looking inward rather than outward. I need to focus on my footprint, not the footprint of others. God commands us to love with deeds. In this time of social distancing that may be more challenging, but not impossible.

Ephesians 4:30, “and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you”

We are going to spend some time in close quarters. We are going to experience financial pressure from our livelihoods and from our supplier. Toilet paper is now worth more than gold and far scarcer. Hours have been shortened or eliminated altogether. All kids are being home schooled. We are adapting to new ways of communicating. All of this creates stress, stress creates friction, friction creates heat. Sooner or later everyone reaches a boiling point. We have a God that both understands and forgives.

Through His understanding He gives us an inner voice of calm. He constantly reminds us that He and He alone is in control of all things. He will not give us more than we can handle. He will not set us up for failure. Tough times are the exact crucible needed to test our beliefs. It is in tough times we either lean into God or push away. We have been given the perfect situation to prove what we believe and that we know we have a God that can deliver. The moment you are living right now is not a surprise to Him. Plus, He wrote the ending.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

But when we do falter, when we do not lean into God as hard as we should, what should we do? One Christian can have a profound negative impact on God’s Kingdom on earth. All of us can inadvertently do this in small ways almost every day. We can join in on the local gossip, or we can speak negatively about others. We do not do our best when given an assignment. We cannot turn our beliefs on and off like a light switch. Every time we do this, a non-believer is listening and watching. It may not even be someone directly involved. It might be someone casually observing from a distance. As professing Christians, we have accepted the obligation to be light and salt in the world.

Psalm 39: 1, “I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

We cannot expect ourselves to be perfect; that would be insane. What we should expect of ourselves is to be mindful. When we transgress, recognize it and rectify it. Go back to those whom we harmed, make it right, if possible, and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is not to be back in the injured parties’ good graces; it is to be back into God’s good blessings. After all that God has done for us, should we not be sensitive to how we portray Him to others? We need to show remorse and humility when we do falter as a sign of repentance.

As professing Christians, we have shown a light on who we are and what we believe. Everything we do has an eternal impact on someone. Be mindful. When required, be remorseful and humble, knowing we, too, will meet God’s judgment. Not for our sin, but for what we have done for Christ since we met Him.

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020

Political Deception and the Enemy

I have had this on my mind for some time. At first, it was a mild annoyance, then a whining irritant, but it has crescendoed into a roaring beast that I can not ignore. It starts when friends of mine on the right or the left cherry-picking their facts, or ignore them altogether in support of their chosen political party. Most of my friends, but not all, are Christians. They are on the right and the left, even though each claims the other cannot be a Christian based on the party affiliation. To hear the animosity and caustic claims of these people have against each other is more than disheartening, it is worth crying over.

I’m frustrated and quite frankly angry that self-professing Christians are putting this front to the world. We are supposed to be the guiding light. Who would follow this claptrap of nonsense? The visceral hatred in some of the comments is alarming. Many of us seem to have lost sight of who is in control. It is not Wall Street or the Deep State.

2 Corinthians 11:14, “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

The enemy (evil) is using this current state of affairs to spread fear and anxiety. The significant part of his plan is that he is using Christians to do it. He gives us something that resembles the truth. It supports the things we want. He tells us the other side is evil and wants to take it away from us. As good Christians, we should fight against that evil. But he is telling both sides the same story, but with different facts.

He stands back and watches us tear into each other. He points to the non-believer and says, “Do you see that? They go after each other like mad dogs fighting over a bone. Is that the God of the universe? Is that the God of love and compassion?”

2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

The enemy creates these invisible bogeymen with apparent superpowers that allow them to manipulate people at will. “The other side are all sheep; we are the only thinkers,” say both sides. We stop believing that God will watch over us. We stop believing God is in control. We stop understanding that our God is the God of the people, not the Democrats or the Republicans. In the end, He wins, no plan “B.”

We forget that we are the reflection on earth of our heavenly Father. We don’t get to pick and chose when to wear that coat. Once we decided to follow, it is ours to wear every day, all day long.

1 Timothy 3:7, “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

I want to try to talk sense with these people, but they’re so angry and self-righteous. I’m exhausted and tired. I don’t want to deal with this ignorance anymore. I’m going to throw in the towel and let God do what He is going to do. I have neither the strength nor the ability to overcome this evil. I don’t know what I was thinking in the first place.

One Last Request

My email is clogged with rumors and theories concerning the COVID-19 virus. It is absolutely ridiculous. The “truths” that people will pass on without a second thought is mind-boggling. Just stop, no matter how important you think it is that everyone knows, just stop. Enough already.

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020

We Serve an Awesome God

Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

We serve a awesome God – Creator of the universe – we should weep with joy seeing the beautiful things he has made. In a time of worry such as these, that is hard.

I am an engineer and programmer by training. I am a plan-your-work – work-your-plan type of guy. I believe that the God of the universe made all of creation and all of science. If we find a conflict between the two, it is because we do not understand something. I’m not smart enough to know what. But I am smart enough to know that I don’t know.

John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

If we want to glorify ourselves, we don’t do something easy or bland; we stretch our creativity to the max to demonstrate the totality of our ability. We want to stand back, gaze at our creation, and say, “WOW, I did that.”

Hebrews 3:4, “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”

An artist does not paint a picture of a stick-man and put it on display. They paint a picture that stretches their imagination and talent. An image that causes people to look deep at the canvass to discover the complexity, the color, the movement, the depth of the imagery. The viewer not only sees all that the painter wanted them to see, but their imagination brings a deeper meaning to the imagery—each person taking away a fresh perspective of the painter’s work.

Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Over my sofa, I have a large photograph of the milky way taken at Fiordland National Park in New Zealand, by Tom Hall; it is billions of specks of light on an immense canvass of blackness. We, as mere humans, cannot fathom the greatness of God’s creation. It not only overwhelms our senses with the vast, unimaginable majesty of the heavens, but it amazes us with the intricacy of new life. When I first set eyes on my newborn daughter, my life changed forever. She was the most perfect creature I had ever seen. She was so small and beautiful. To this day, that image, planted deep in my mind, brings me peace, joy, and, most of all, hope for humanity.

Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”

I love to hike. I love the quiet outdoors where God and I can have these long, intricate, astounding conversations uninterrupted by the world in which I must live. The beauty in nature is never-ending. Everything from the leaf’s brilliant colors in fall, to the delicate new sprouts popping up through the earth in the spring, to how deer stay looking so pristine while living in the woods speaks of God’s creation. Folks, that last part is amazing, we have a multi-trillion-dollar industry built around making us look good, and we pale in comparison. I love sunsets and sunrise and waterfalls, unique bends in the trail, and rock formations that remind me of Aunt Sally. My best moments are setting on a rocky crag jutting out of the forest canopy overlooking a river and listening to the wind and the sound of birds. It is the perfect moment. I am so close to God; it takes my breath away.

God has glorified Himself through His creation. He put everything into it. He wanted to demonstrate the breadth and depth of His abilities. He does set back and say, “WOW, I did that.”

In the greatness of His creation, there are human-made flaws. God gave us a choice that we might choose Him. Some do not choose wisely.

A friend, Ron Gastin, said it best when he described this scene: You imagine yourself on a vast and deserted beach. The beautiful white shoreline spreads out before you to the horizon, the aqua blue sea rhythmically splashing to the shore, the azure blue sky shining from above. There is a warm, slight breeze washing over your skin, and the sound of seabird are echoing in the distance: this is God’s macro view, and He loves it infinitely. However, if you kneel and pick up a small handful of sand, you can see the individual specks of sand. These specks are the individual acts of both goodness and sinfulness that, when taken together, make up that vast and beautiful beach. God hates the sinful and evil specks of sand but loves what it ultimately becomes.

So how does darkness fit into all of this?

We are in the throes of a viral pandemic. The media is stoking fear as a means to make money off of advertising, the old newspaper adage “If it bleeds, it leads.” It is easy to get sucked into the vortex of this fear. Is this the beginning of the tribulation, or is it just the next in a line of challenges facing a fallen world? We should live each day as if it was our last. In doing this, we do not need to know the exact day of His coming, for we will be prepared. Rather than spend our time fretting over the end, we should take the time to awe at His creation. When we soak in the beauty that God made around us, it is hard to live in fear.

Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”