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God Bless Him for Being There

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 00:23:35 +0000

On Tuesday I had to go to the Central Office of Elections for Dupage County at 421 County Farm Road in Wheaton, right across the street from the Dupage Convalescent Center. I had to register to vote in Dupage County before I could actually vote on Election Day. You bring two forms of Identification including your Driver’s License to prove residency, then you fill out this form, they enter the information into a computer, and then you go to another room where you vote electronically. When I first got there, there was an elderly man in disheveled clothes, unshaven, who spoke broken English with a thick Russian accent. He was asking a lot of questions and it was obvious he was having a hard time filling out the form. And, when he finally walked into the voting room, he had difficulty understanding what to do, especially using the electronic voting booth. But, you know what…he was there voting without fear or coercion, taking advantage of one of the greatest privileges the world has ever known in the greatest country the world has ever known. It was probably the first time he ever voted! He was there, because he knows what it’s like to live in a country where such a privilege is not provided, and if it is, it is done with fear and intimidation. All I kept thinking is “God Bless Him” for being there making every effort to have his voice heard!

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We Can Be There For Each Other

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 15:59:26 +0000

I once heard somebody say, “Stormy weather is kind of exciting, as long as it doesn’t hit your house.” Which is not too different from what an ancient philosopher once said, “Luck is when the arrow hits the other guy.” Which is not too different from the person in literature complaining about, “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” Which is not too different than the disciples of Jesus grumbling about, “what the future holds.” Which is not too different than the response of Jesus reassuring His disciples that, “even though they may not know what the future holds, they know the One who holds the future.” Which is not too different than Paul speaking about, “the type of perseverance that produces real hope.” Which is not too different than the TV preacher who once talked about, “turning your scars into stars.” Which is not too different than the Vietnam Vet who spoke about, “becoming strong at the broken places.” Which is not too different from the seminary professor who once mentioned that, “When troubles and difficulties do impact our lives, we are called to become wounded healers for the sake of helping others in the midst of their own troubles and difficulties.” So, when stormy weather does impact our lives, we can be there for each other!

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A Hope That Never Ends

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 03:13:38 +0000

With God there is always hope! That’s the whole message of the Christian faith. It has been spoken (proclaimed) throughout the centuries. It has been written down (in the Bible) for all to see. It has been shared (witnessed) by millions. And, most importantly it became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us. Without God, there is no hope of sustaining value. Sure, we can muster up hope within “ourselves”, or in “others”, or within the confines of our “civilized world”, or within the limits of our “modern technology.” But, such hope is fleeting and cannot sustain us even beyond the grave. To live in Christ is to live with an everlasting hope that carries us through the thick and thin of this world and into the realms of glory beyond. I say these things in the midst of skeptical, suspicious world that often mocks and belittles such hope. Why? Because there is nothing that will ever be able to separate us from the love God which has been given to us through Jesus Christ. Can trouble do it, or hardship, or persecution, or hunger, or poverty, or danger, or death itself. No, in all these things we have complete victory through Him who loves us. (Romans 8) Wow, words well spoken by a man (Paul) who was a living, breathing, walking, talking testimony to the existence of such hope. A hope that never ends!

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Wouldn’t it be Nice

Wed, 21 May 2014 03:11:02 +0000

Wouldn’t it be nice if the world was truly a joyful place to live. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was no unnecessary pain or suffering. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all just got along without any major arguments or hurt feelings. Sounds too good to be true, well it’s not! Such a world does exist. Jesus called it the Kingdom God. Yes, that’s right, the Kingdom of God, instituted by God the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, as an alternative way to live. The Kingdom is fully revealed where ever God’s Holy Spirited presence is allowed to rule people’s hearts and minds and the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control) are allowed to dominate people’s lives. Unfortunately, these qualities are illogical, anti-instinctive, counter cultural, and go against the very grain of our human nature, in other words, they “don’t come naturally”. The choice to live by God’s Spirited presence has to be an intentional choice, that of a “free-willed loving and gracious response to a loving and gracious God.” Wouldn’t it be nice though, if everyone took this choice seriously. What a different world it would be!

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A Dash of Time

Mon, 19 May 2014 04:51:56 +0000

It’s scary how quickly time goes by, especially as you get older. It seems like it takes forever to reach that milestone of 21 years, then time flies after that and before you know it, the decades are rolling along. Let’s face it, life is short. Our time on this Earth is but a flash or let’s say more like a dash, you now that “dash” between your birth date and death date. Life is just a “dash” of time between those two dates. But, we are told in the Scriptures, that once your earthly “dash” is done, you actually go on to start an eternal “dash”, one that never ends. The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the “new self” (born through the waters of baptism) inside each one of us will live forever (eternal dash), while the “old self” (born through the waters of our mothers womb) will eventually pass away (earthly dash). So,why not experience some of that eternal “dash” God has to offer, by putting on the “new self”. Try it on for size, you might be surprised at how well it fits, especially as you get older!

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The Son is Still Shining

Wed, 29 Jan 2014 13:47:17 +0000

During these dark, cold days of winter it’s difficult to comprehend that the Sun is still shining; it’s still spreading it’s warmth and light. We do not fully experience that warmth and light right now because of circumstances beyond our control. The same thing goes for those of us who experience the darkness and coldness of circumstances beyond our control. We must faithfully remember that the Son is still shining spreading His warmth and light, and it’s just a matter of time before we will fully experience again the beauty of what He has to offer. So, hang in there, this to will pass!

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A New Perspective

Sat, 11 Jan 2014 17:53:34 +0000

Through the gracious and benevolent power of the Holy Spirit, we are called to be God’s beloved sons and daughters. To humbly recognize, accept, and fully appreciate this Divinely bestowed way of looking at ourselves and those around us can be of great personal an interpersonal benefit.

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Friendship

Wed, 08 Jan 2014 14:41:41 +0000

Friendship is one of he greatest gifts a human being can receive, especially from God. Think about it,actually being “friends” with the omnipotent Creator of the Universe. Blessed are those who lay down their lives for their friends, and that’s exactly what God did for us through Jesus Christ. Now here comes the hard part: “Go and do likewise!”

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God Designed

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 14:24:16 +0000

God designed each one of us to be uniquely significant and to have a positive impact on the world around us. It is the choices we make that determine the impact of our individual lives. So, you and I must start taking steps to remove those negative things from our lives…to lay them down and push them so far away that we’ll never be able to reach them again!

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