While thinking about this coming year, and how we should approach it as a faith community, I landed on the following quotation we will use for our Bible study in 2018: “A Living God – A Living Faith.”

These words are very simple, yet so very profound. There are so many ways to try to understand them, and even more ways to try to put the understanding into real-life practice!

Take a pause, right now, and ponder a bit; see where it takes you before you continue reading!

I hope you enjoyed the exercise, and perhaps the few questions that arose in your mind. Feel free to send them to me, questions or just comments, as I’d love to hear any of them. Just hit the ‘comment’ link and I’ll get it sooner or later. 🙂

You see, we do have a Living God, not a dead god. What this means in reality is almost too wonderful to capture into words, albeit overwhelming just to consider. He’s not just alive, He’s everywhere. His ways are not our ways the Bible tells us, and we don’t really know what to do with that because the only ways we seem to understand are man’s ways, which, unfortunately, fail us repeatedly. So we tend to ‘think’ that God fails us, probably because we didn’t get the result we hoped for from some prayer we prayed trying to convince God to act the way we think He should! I’m very good at trying to pray a prayer that is worded so well, even quoting what I think His Word is saying to me, that, well, He HAS to grant the request! Hmmm. Perhaps I need to grow in my understanding of God being God.

A Living God. Yes. Indeed. Which, if believed in, would result in a Living Faith! I wonder if there is a correlation here? How does my ‘belief’ translate into my actual life experience? Is my ‘faith’ alive too? Does ‘faith’ have life? Can it grow? Can it move me, or direct me, or impact in any way what I actually DO in my own…life? I’m not trying to play some game here of stimulating a bunch of questions with no purpose. I think this is big stuff. I think how we approach God, dead or alive, and how we live our faith, dead or alive, translates into actual results here on Earth, here in our very lives!

We know that God wants to Bless us. He says so. And we do want the Blessings, no doubt! Perhaps we can enter into a more prosperous year of Blessings if we reinvigorate our Faith in a Living God, and then dare to actually Follow Him. Perhaps this year will bring many new trials our way, offering even more opportunities for us to be Alive in Christ, seeing Him lead us to new victories, His way!

(When I first typed this, two lines above, I typed ‘trails’ instead of ‘trials.’ Prophetic? I so look forward to the new trails too, which present their own trials, etc.)

Happy New Year
Pastor Skip

Ok, let’s ‘interpret the tongue.’

In my use here, a blog is a fairly short writing about something. This blog, then, is my response to an email I received, from a trusted source. A ‘link’ is a reference to what was emailed to me, which is given below, which is from a law professor, addressing his students. You will need to read the ‘link,’ before my response, if you can.

http://www.dailywire.com/news/24007/law-professor-students-if-you-say-i-feel-rather-i-hank-berrien

(To the person who sent me the email) that is so, … timely! I’ve just been studying Romans 12:2 “be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds,” word by word, in the Greek, to try to “get it.”

You see, it is Christmas-time, and this is a time of year when “feelings” are heightened with all sorts of family issues, financial issues, emotional issues of all kinds … so many based on “feelings.”

Even the “facts” we use to justify the “feelings” are selected to support the “feeling” and avoid the veracity of it all, much less the Word of God.

I’m asking God to really TRANSFORM me, into “another form,” says the Greek, and am completely dependent upon Christ Jesus for any of it to happen, other than my willingness …

Even hospital and doctor visits increase this time of year, as the emotional invades the physical and generate real medical issues to deal with.

I am in no way making light of the power of feelings, of emotions, to impact our physical bodies and certainly our minds. My desire is to learn from God how to deal with it spiritually; Godly; His way. Perhaps we would do well to pray, asking God to fulfill Romans 12:2 in our own, personal lives.

Jesus Christ is the biggest “change agent” of all history, for He comes to change US, into a New Creation. “Create in me a clean heart, Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

From time to time the news brings us to the tragic reality of P.O.W.’s (prisoners of wars), whether current or historical. Immediately we are caught in an emotional war within ourselves. We certainly grieve those who have died, and somehow try to work out the great loss, and how we can continue on with our lives without them. But then the horror that some are still alive, but in captivity, enduring who-knows-what kind of treatment, stirs us up almost unbearably because we can’t do anything about it!

We can go to funerals and Memorial Services to try to get some closure for those who have died, and many other things as well; but what can we DO about the P.O.W. ? We pray. We write letters perhaps. And we hope that our country will get them set free.

The real purpose of this blog is to point instead to the reality that WE ARE ALL P.O.W.’s. We are all in a war; a spiritual war. We are all being held captive, and tortured, daily. Our enemy is fierce, and he hates our Savior. Our enemy wants us to renounce our Citizenship, and join with him. The peer pressure is severe, as so many have gone the wrong Way. We are plied with all sorts of inducements, distortions of truth, even lies, in addition to the pains of various tortures.

So, how does a P.O.W. survive his captivity? A common report from those who did endure and get set free was the mental determination, the focus, the resolve to never give up and to keep remembering the purpose the war was fought for. Let Freedom Ring is an American mantra, but a Christian one even more-so.

For this Thanksgiving, we can do much more than say ‘grace’ at mealtime. We can understand that Jesus Christ has won our Freedom, and offers it to us. We may have to endure for a season, but the outcome is sure: He wins. We can even die in our captivity, secure in the knowledge we will be resurrected in Glory! The Bible declares that our citizenship is in Heaven, not in a cage here on Earth, which is only a temporary dwelling place.

For most of us Americans we can easily rejoice this Thanksgiving, for we have so much. Let’s not let ourselves be numbed by the stuff. Let’s continue to Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow! Let’s renew our confession of Faith, and our resolve to be Disciples of Jesus Christ. It might be good to reflect not only on the war that has us captive, but also on God Almighty, Who will bring about our Deliverance!

May the Lord immerse you in His Holy Spirit, this Thanksgiving, with thanks-giving. Amen.

In our Church we are reading through the Bible in a year. One year. Entire Bible. Yes, it’s a lot of material to cover, especially when we have so many TV shows to watch and sports events to attend, not to mention vacations and family reunions; but what a great read!

It’s now July, and we are in The Psalms. Here we have King David, mostly, writing poems to be sung as songs of praise, or Hymns of Worship, to his God. We can picture him with a musical instrument of some kind working his way through the creative process. But our picture shouldn’t be a scene of complete peace and meditative praise, with the poetry flowing from a contented heart. David isn’t on a tropical island basking in the tranquility of uninterrupted nature. Perhaps some of the time he is at peace, but much of the time he is in full-blown crisis!

I find as I read Psalms that every possible human emotion is not only revealed, but explored. It’s almost as if God were showing us HOW to talk to Him. With honesty and transparency. If you were writing a love letter you would probably use different language and a different approach than if you were writing to some business or other entity. You would probably be more intimate, more personal, and, if wise, more honest about things, especially feelings and perceptions.

You see, we cannot approach God Almighty and act as if things inside us were somehow hidden or secret. He knows everything. We can’t con Him and we can’t manipulate Him with clever speech. God knows it all. I think He waits, patiently, for us to come to Him with openness and honesty about how we feel, even if it is sometimes a rant or a scream. Even if it’s a rant or a scream about Him!

Prayer seems to be a hard thing for many people to do. I’ve heard folks say they don’t “know how to pray.” I’ve witnessed, so many times, folks who defer to others, almost ANY other, when asked to pray. It’s like they don’t feel competent somehow; not trained; unable to “do it right.”

Have we forgotten to Whom we pray? Is that why we are timid? Is it really just better to NOT talk to God? Or is it that we just don’t want to do so in public where others may get an idea about our real life? I’m sure there are lots of reasons, each one personal and valid, yet each one missing the point.

You see, I believe God wants you to open up to Him and tell Him what’s on YOUR mind. If it’s thanksgiving, wonderful! If it’s a call to help someone else, terrific! If it’s just the stated understanding of how Great God is, that’s amazing! But also, if you’re hurting or scared or confused or panicking….whatever, tell Him. By getting honest with God you show that you understand the situation, and by asking Him for help you begin the process of yielding, which, you see, is the deal.

I’m a convict!
Because I’ve been convicted!
But now I guess I’m an EX con.
A former convict.
No longer a convict.
Not because I’ve done the time.
I didn’t do the time.
Someone else did it for me!
“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment.” (John 16:8)
I’ve been set free.
I’m no longer a prisoner.
Who is this who has done this for me?
Why would He pay for my sin, make me righteous, and so help me to avoid judgment?
Could it be because He loves me?
Yes. That’s it. He loves me.
Jesus loves me.
Can I believe it?
Yes. I believe it.

During our men’s Bible study on Monday nights we try to “make real” the stuff we’re learning, so it isn’t just head-knowledge, but gets into our feet, thus into our lives. In doing this we share from our own personal lives and are encouraged to learn that other men are facing some of the questions we each seem to have.

Sometimes “the light goes on” and Epiphany happens, but much of the time the questions pile up without answer and we have to just move on, waiting for later. People aren’t very good at this kind of waiting. We’re impatient. If we don’t get a quick fix we tend to leave the issue, because the frustration is worse than just not knowing.

Faith, you see, is a constant learning issue.

Over the years, two statements about Faith have developed and seem to be deeply ingrained into not only our culture, but also our spiritual walk. “Blind faith,” and “Leap of faith.”

Is faith really blind? Can it be? Would you really jump off a cliff to “prove” you believed? I think not.

What I think God wants from us, and what I know the Bible does for us as we read, is to develop our faith. Working together they take the “seed of faith” we are born with and nurture it and feed it and grow it. This, then, develops in us not a “blind” faith, but a CONFIDENT faith! A faith that trusts in God Almighty, AS the Almighty, and exercises those muscles of faith into maturity, strength, endurance, and everything else we need for a dynamic relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfector of our faith!

If one is really in tune with how and where Jesus is leading, then one doesn’t need to take any “leaps of faith into the unknown,” because one will KNOW what one is to do. This is the essence of relationship, isn’t it? This is the benefit of actually being IN Christ; recognizing not only Him, but where He is and what He is doing and what He is asking.

I suppose one could say “I’m willing to take this leap, because I trust in God and know that He will save me.” Fine. But I think it is much healthier to say “I’m doing such and such because God has spoken to me.”

There’s an old joke about a guy trying to walk on water, after watching Jesus do it, and immediately sinking. An angel says to another angel, “Should we tell him where the rocks are?” Ok, it’s not a very funny joke, but it does make a point. Jesus KNOWS where the rocks are! So we can choose to run and sink on our own, or to wait for Him to reveal to us “the path.”
Choose faith, but develop Confident faith, and the frustrations will minimize…

Why are we so stubborn when it comes to God Almighty?
Why are we so selfish?
Do we just have it too good? Are we just spoiled … rotten?
Do we not suffer enough to BE dependent?

I’m asking all these questions, and many more, because I am trying to answer a greater question: “What kind of God is this that we say we believe in?”

What kind of God would create and then destroy? What kind of God would say He loves us and then kill us?

Should we search for a different God? A better God?

One who would do what WE want???? A god we could control with sacrifices and worship.

In 2,017 years since Christ’s resurrection, have we forgotten faith itself? The faith that says God will keep His promises, if we will obey Him, follow Him, and serve Him?

Have we lost the zeal of the new disciple? Those who were blinded to this world by being exposed to the world to come?

Have we lost the adventure, the excitement, the expectation….the very wonder of it all? To see God Almighty at work!!!!
Are we just bored? (means to weary by dullness and repetition)

If our lives are dull and repetitive, are we even following God? Or have we somehow gotten off on a different path, not of His choosing, but of ours?

If we pray for revival, are we ready to accept that God may shake the place up, and make a lot of changes? Will we even know it if He comes?

“Our God is an awesome God…” the song goes, and He comes to set the captives FREE. Free from boredom. Free from bondage. Free from the temptation of trying to tell God what to do. Free TO the exciting journey of faith and the experience of living a life of service to Him. What a ride!

Temptation? How to face it and how to beat it!!!

Ok, so I like cars. I’d love to spend a LOT of money and buy a very expensive one. This, of course, would cause me to feel really guilty, knowing that the money could have been used so much better otherwise, especially if I asked God about it! Not that God doesn’t want to Bless us, just that the tempter is also at work and we need to be careful! So, I go to the car show, have a good couple of hours lusting after them, beat down the monster, and go home victorious … without a car! Then, on Sunday, I can rejoice ever more with the Lord as I give my offering cheerfully and free of guilt. Win/win for ministry and me, lose/lose for the enemy and his tempters.

Here, then, is a spiritual blog about the show:

The 2017 Portland Auto Show … of the Nations: (Canada), Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, (Mexico), Sweden, United Kingdom, United States! Canada and Mexico listed as manufacturing countries, but not branded by such. (This may be an incomplete listing but is the most obvious to the casual observer).

All these industrialized nations competing for a piece of the U.S.A. market is a good thing for us, I think, as the cars being made today all seem vastly superior to the ones I grew up with, made mostly here! I can’t think of a U.S. made car in the 60’s or 70’s that holds a candle to any of today’s makes from any of the countries listed.

My personal rating system this year contains 3 elements, which would easily be changed by any other person looking at the same cars I did. This is because cars have become so personal, not to mention so diverse in engineering, design, and features. Still, here is my analysis:

1. My first Element does not consider the ‘type’ of car, meaning sedan, SUV, van, etc. Rather, I focus on the cabin. The cabin of the automobile has become a cockpit. It is no longer the place you just steer the car from, but now where you operate and entire assortment of technologies. This means, of course, that the more technologies you put IN the cockpit the more variables you introduce into how that cockpit operates. My favorite excelled in cockpit feel and look. I wish I could say how it performed but I didn’t try it out. Will work on that.
2. Before you laugh at my number 2 element, think about it for a moment: cup holder placement. Too many cars treat this as an after-thought, when everyone I know drinks beverages while they are in the car! A poorly placed cup holder is dangerous in addition to being annoying. Considering the time we spend in our cars now and the food we eat in them, this is both practical AND a safety item!
3. Value is my 3rd element, and probably the main reason you buy a certain car once you’ve decided upon ‘type.’ Value is also personal, not just financial. Some of us simply will not buy a car if it doesn’t have certain features, so comparing feature-sets is essential to comparing value. The car manufacturers excel at feature-set escalation! Meaning, they know just how to tempt you UP the ladder of features, appealing to every perceived need, and then creating new ones! My newest must-have is Adaptive Cruise Control, which is ‘set and forget’ technology offered by everyone now. Not only is it convenient, but it improves safety, and for those of us driving Interstate 5 so very appreciated.

My picks:

1. Jaguar XF Sport. A great combination of features into a platform of elegance and distinction, priced below $50,000!
2. Almost tied for first, the Volvo V70. Their European Delivery program may tip the scales to buying this one over the Jag, but then again, the Jag is, well, a Jag!
3. A car I would actually buy is the Subaru Impreza, all new for this year. Lots of goodies in this package, and you can almost buy 2 of them for 1 Jaguar!

Being able to go to the auto show while most folks are working is quite a luxury. At 10 am on a Friday most of the attendees were of the Senior variety so the actual looking and sitting in the cars moved along slowly! The men were mostly interested in power and technology, while the women seemed most interested in color, style, and comfort. Since the manufacturers know all this they play to our weaknesses and make most of the displayed cars powerful and pretty! That said, there was actually a more impressive Number 1 vehicle at this show: The US Army had some kind of enormous vehicle, not a small-ish Humvee, that was incredible, AND pulled a 105mm Howitzer cannon behind it. This thing can stop and set up the cannon in 5 minutes and hit a target 40 miles away with laser/satellite guidance, meaning, the Sgt. told me, he can put the shell in your window! I asked him what the turret thing on top was meant to hold, knowing it had a bracket for some kind of weapon. He told me it was classified Top Secret … Go Army! Win! And, thank you for your service!

After reading in Genesis and ‘seeing’ all the deception that took place in the lives of people, and then going to the book of Exodus and reading about more and more deception, well, it’s pretty clear this is a topic God wants us to be aware of.

None of us likes being deceived. We now have an ‘almost epidemic’ with what is called ‘identity theft,’ which, when you think about it, is personal deception at its worst because not only are we deceived, but the ‘stolen we’ are then used over and over to deceive others.

A friend wrote to me about being helped this week just by having the veil pulled off, and being able to more clearly see how powerful the work of the enemy is. The goal of the enemy is to defeat us, and the strategy is often by way of confusion, and the tactic is often deceit. Do you follow this?

I found myself writing back: “As much as I hate being fooled, tricked, and had by some scammer, I have to face the fact that I am the one being deceived! And it probably is possible because of some root in me that is not ‘pruned’ to God. And this betrays another issue; that I don’t ‘like’ being pruned!!!! It just gets better and better, this walk with Jesus!!!!”

Can we choose to be pruned? Can we surrender to pruning? Or are we so stuck in the ways of this world that we simply have to depend upon God to do the pruning, whether we are aware of it at the time or not? Yes, we can depend upon God, and yes, it’s better to volunteer first.

Dear Dayspring: It’s Jan 3 and I’m rollin’! Ok, no side comments about my roll, just try to keep up with the direction here!

It’s a New Year, but for many it’s the same ol’ stuff over and over. Some folks are ‘stuck’ in situations and can’t seem to get un-stuck. You’ve got yours and I’ve got mine, and we learn to just move along anyway and sort of agree not to ‘go there.’

But Jesus Christ comes to change things. He comes to save, of course, but He also comes to heal and to deliver and to lead and to shine light, and to do whatever else needs to be done IN OUR LIVES.

If you wish to participate, check out the attached 10 Questions and let me know your responses, by return email or by letter. It’s just a beginning, but, after all, that’s where everything starts! “In the beginning….”

A New Year’s Review – 2017 – 10 Questions
As you read the following, please take some time to answer the questions before moving along to the next, as it will be more meaningful to you. Maybe even write out some short comments to help anchor your process of thinking this through.

1. What is your view of humanity?
2. What is your actual perception of humanity, which means humans, which ultimately means you!?
3. Is your view of humanity high or low?

Ok, by now you’re read 3 questions and probably not written anything down. You have opinions about this stuff and you know what you feel. Terrific. Now see if you can put them on paper…BEFORE going on to the next questions.

4. Are you good or bad?
5. Who made you?
6. Did your Maker make you good or bad?

Ok, you just read 3 more questions. Did you stop to write anything down? Why not?

7. Have you inherited anything from your Maker?
8. What?
9. Was the incarnation (Jesus becoming flesh) a step down for God?
10. Why or why not?

Would you be willing to send me your thoughts? Those answers to the above? Obviously there is no right or wrong to how you feel, but it may reveal some things.

Love to you,
Pastor Skip