I am not trying to be “mushy” in this blog entry but I wanted to take the time to write about the greatest blessing (in a person form) the Lord has brought me in my Christian journey: my wife, Rachel. I certainly received divine favor from the Lord when He gave me her. She has truly been all that I have needed in a “help meet”. We met while in college but didn’t start doing anything together until I was in Seminary and she was still in college as a Junior. I did not date much in college. In fact, my friends use to make fun of me because I wasn’t more active in pursuing dates. I would just answer back, “why worry, when the Lord brings along the right one I will know it” or something to that affect–not that I never dated!. Well, as a seminary bachelor, the Lord kept bringing Rachel into my mind. I hardly knew her and usually wasn’t one to just go up to a girl “cold turkey” an impose upon her. But, anyway, to make a long story short, I found out she wasn’t currently dating anyone and decided to make the plunge and ask her on a date. She said, yes and the rest is history! We married about 1 1/2 years later and now have been married for 4 years and have one son. I am so glad I waited for the Lord’s timing and person for my life. She has been my encouragement in my sorrows, my greatest fan cheering for me, my best friend, helper, and so much more! She has so many wonderful talents and abilities and yet is pliable with each of them. She has ministered in musical groups before as many as 4,000 people and yet is content to do the same before our church now of around 200. How often she has counseled me when I wasn’t sure what to do. How I have seen her give of herself to meet my needs. I have seen her stand against the greatest of adversity for what she knows to be right even though it wasn’t easy (I’m serious when I say that). She has made some of the greatest sacrifices a person could make for the sake of having a Biblical home. Without being cocky, I see in my wife the example of a Proverbs 31 type of woman. Sure I know she is not perfect but neither am I. In fact I see so many more flaws in myself than in Rachel. Yes, the Lord sure has blessed my life.

Let me encourage you, if you are married, to take the time to think about and even write out what your mate means to you and why he or she is so very precious to you. Make sure you also take the time to tell them those things. For those of you that are single, there is hope! If I can get married so can you! Let the Lord lead you to that right one in His proper time. Don’t run ahead of God. He will direct you as you lean and focus on Him. He is the perfect match maker!

Acts 2:46-47: And day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

How easy it is for all of us to just go through the motions in our Christian life without really ever connecting to anyone. We try to do the right things, say the right words, and be the right person yet all on our own. This was not the case in the description of the early church. They needed one another! We should never be so cocky or spiritually naive to think that we don’t need each other. As Proverbs 27:17 says, “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

I am very excited that in our church we are beginning this coming week our small group program which we are calling “Connection Groups“. Our goal in this program is to connect on 3 different levels: 1) spiritually: to God and His Word; 2) socially: to one another through interaction; and 3) emotionally: to the needs of one another on a deeper level. This will not all come over night but I believe that as we grow closer to our Lord we should also grow closer to one another. I’ll let you know how our groups go! I have had the privilege of heading up this program at our church and I believe everyone else is pretty excited as well!

Lastly, I would encourage each one of you to get connected in a small group if your church has one. If not, seek to connect with other fellow believers at your church through whatever avenue you can, whether that be Sunday School, Bible studies, or even just getting together with others in conversation to share your heart. God works through people so be open to that avenue and let Him use you to work in the lives of others as well!

Hope is a very important element in each and everyone’s life. Without it, even the best of people are crushed. In fact, even the book of Proverbs has this to say about hope: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is like a tree of life.” So, in light of this, we must ask ourselves two questions to gain a proper grasp on hope in light of the believer.

1) Can a Christian ever be without hope? Answer this in your head before you continue reading. I believe the answer to this question is “yes”. What? This may take some of you by surprise! Note, that I did not say should a believer ever be without hope or even is he or she, in reality, without hope. Yet, there can come a point in a Christian’s life where his or her focus has been taken so off of God through difficulty or trial that they lose hope in God. You see, perception is an individual responsibility. You may hear all the right words in church. You may get wise counsel from friends. You may even be receiving blessings from the hand of the Lord and yet be missing it the whole time! Why? Because there is a perception problem and no one can get inside your head or heart and change that but you! It is only ’till we make the choice (which is a deliberate decision and will take time and practice) that we will be able to say like David, “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence.” (Ps. 42:5)

2) Are all things really possible with God? Our main Scripture passage above definitely says it is. This marks the validity behind our trust and faith in God. It is useless to place blind faith in something or someone who cannot back up his or its claims. Yet, the Bible repeatedly gives us evidence and promises that we can depend on God. Now, this verse should not be used flippantly to promote our own greed (James 4:3) but shows us that no matter what the difficulty, God is there and will accomplish His purposes, even in the ugliest of circumstances. That is a promise we can depend on despite our feelings.

So, let me ask you, how is your hope today? Is it in a loved one, your possessions, your job, etc.? Unless it is in God, your hope will eventually crumble. Are you lacking any hope at all right now? Stop trusting in your feelings and refocus your perspective on what you know to be true. Only then, will you realize how much hope you really have!

Wow! I can’t believe that today I am turning 29 years old! That seems so old to me!!! I can still remember when I was 9 let alone 29! And just to think that in only a year I will be hitting my 30′s! I went to a website that counts days and I have been alive for 10, 593 days. In a way it seems like a lot and in a way it really doesn’t. 

The thought that keeps crossing my mind is the great brevity of life! How many birthdays I can remember as a young boy where I could hardly sleep in anticipation for the gifts, food, games, and sleep-over parties with my friends. As I got older it was sometimes still sleep-overs or get togethers with friends and family members at college. Now it is wonderful times with my wife and this year, also my son. How I remember so many of those past birthday parties and how none of them seem very long ago. David wrote that the average length of man’s life is 70 years and if by reason of strength they may be 80 years (Ps. 90:10). Given this is the average, that means my life could just be 6 years short of being half over! What have I done for the Lord during my brief vapor on this earth thus far? Have I been as faithful as I could have been? What memories am I making with my wonderful wife and son? What if this were my last day on earth? These are all questions we each ask ourselves when we realize that time is rapidly moving on. 

Yet, there is also another spectrum to look at when we evaluate our lives and our time on earth. This spectrum has to do with God rather than ourselves. This is the spectrum of His faithfulness and goodness. My how faithful God has been to me in these 29 years of my life! He has picked me up when I had fallen, He has wiped away so many tears, He has providentially met both my inner and outer needs, the list could go on and on. I don’t need to dwell on the future “what-if’s” or the past mistakes because I have a God who is with me and meeting my needs right here in the present. So many times we either get too caught up in the past or the future when we should be thinking about the “right here,” “right now” present! We can only do this however, when we focus on the God spectrum of our lives. This will then enable us to become more productive for Him now and not have so many regrets later on.

With this in mind, let the next 29 years come!!! The Lord has been faithful and He will continue until He is done with me here on earth (Phil. 1:6). I can firmly cling to the following promise from the Lord: 

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.–Jer. 29:11

Yes, when I put all of these truths together, I am truly thankful to be another year older!

How easy it is to take a loved one, friend, or even acquaintance for granted! How many a person have we all heard regret the many moments in their life where they took a special someone for granted. I think of my own life and the failed opportunities to view each day as a gift from the Lord. How many times I take for granted my lovely wife and the moments we share together or the times we can simply talk or give each other an affectionate hug. One day, those opportunities will not be there. One day, all I or she will have is memories of the past and a longing to be reunited in heaven. Yes, how often we take others in our lives for granted! Much like a Christian song states, “You don’t know what ya got ’till its gone.” Now, I really don’t want this to be a depressing devotional! But I do think we each need to step back out of our routines from time to time and ask the Lord to show us what we really do have and then cherish it. The apostle Paul, in our verse today, thought back with loving affections to his fellow Phillipian brothers and sisters in Christ. He made full use of His time there with them teaching and instructing them in the ways of the Lord. When he thought back, his memories brought only thankfulness and appreciation for their faithfulness to Christ. May we too take advantage of each moment we share with our loved ones and each circumstance God puts us in so that we won’t have to regret the “what ifs’” and “I should haves’” but focus in on the blessings and memories. Start realizing what you have now, before it’s too late!!!

A warrior would be considered foolish not to put his confidence at least partially in his military weaponry and resources. A king with few horses was considered poor and unimportant in his status and power. Reliance upon something that is not seen was considered ridiculous. Mighty King Sennacherib himself mocked the Jews for their reliance upon God (II Kings 18:30). Yet this is exactly what the psalmist calls us to do today. It is not our resources, status, or might that we are to rely upon. It is the “name of the LORD our God. By trusting in Him we are, in essence, choosing not to rely upon our own earthly means of trying to make things happen. We are looking to Someone that can do things far greater than what our meager resources could do. Yet, how hard it is to release our trust in the “chariots” and “horses” of our lives! How easy it is to speak of trust and commitment in a church or behind a pulpit only to cringe at the every day circumstances which demand that very thing. May we be willing to rely upon the Lord and not ourselves or our own finagling for those needs we may have today. We can do far less than what our God can do!

It was a very dangerous and troubling time for these Roman Christians. Nero’s tolerance to Christians was becoming less and less and danger was imminent. With such dangerous and frightening circumstance, these Christians had to be reminded of some things. After all, these people were just like you and me. They had families and cares of their own, were trying to grow in their faith, many were new Christians, and on top of all of this, were having to deal with hostility from without. What were they to do? How could they remain firm under pressure? All of these questions flooded their minds. To bow their knees to the pagan gods of Rome was not an option. In this verse, Peter gives them some help in facing these struggles. In verse 15 he tells them they are blessed if the Lord entrusts them to suffer for His name. But he gives some key points concerning how thet were to react in the midst of that suffering and turmoil. They were to be ready. Ready for what? To give a defense or an answer to those who see the hope amidst their suffering and can’t refrain from asking them about it. Yes, they were to be ready for this very moment. Now let’s bring this to the practical. Are you ready for those unexpected moments when someone may ask you about the hope that is in you? Do you have an answer ready for them? Will you take such an opportunity for granted and drop the ball? Perhaps an even more revealing question is this: are you living in light of your hope? Would someone even say that you are living with a hope?  If you are not, then your words probably won’t mean much to those who are seeking for something that really satisfies. But, how are you to live in light of your hope? How are you to be ready? Peter gives us the answer to this question at the beginning of our devotional verse. We are to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts. That means we are to seperate our devotion and affections to Him alone as oppossed to the cares, concerns, and passions of this world. When our hearts are devoted and focused on Him, we drowned out the worries, cares, and tugs of the world. We allow the Holy Spirit to do a work in our lives that we could not do alone. He gives us a song in our hearts and something to say to those who are wondering. Let the Holy Spirit do a work in your heart today by setting yourself apart to God. Then you will truly have something to say. Are you ready to give an answer today?

What a sad day this must have been! Paul had spent so much time and given so much to these Ephesian believers and now he had something sad to announce. He was on his way to Jerusalem and would not see the face of these brothers and comrades of the faith anymore. What was the Ephesian elders response to this news? Verse 37 of the chapter says “And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him.” The language that is used here refers not simply to a solemn spirit where a few tears trickle down one’s cheek but to an intense outburst of emotion, a heavy, uncontrollable weeping. Wow! Imagine the scene! We don’t know how many elders were in the group that Paul spoke to that day but here you have the spiritual pillars of the city, the pastors, in dire need of comfort. These men had uncompromisingly stood for the truths of the faith amidst idolatry and false teachings. They were champions for the cause of Christ. Yet, they still hurt. They were still touched with emotion and tears. They were human just like you and I and their greatest challenge now lay before them. Would they continue in the faith as Paul taught them and exemplified to them or would the news of Paul’s permanent departure cause them to cower in fear or give up the battle? You see, emotion and tears is no sign of weakness. In fact, it would have been unordinary for these elders who had been so long with Paul to not have shown emotion at Paul’s news. It was good and proper that they did so. What would not have been good and proper is if this news had caused them to give up in their service for Christ. How often this is the case in our churches today. I remember when I was a teenager our youth pastor announced he was accepting a call to another church. All of a sudden, each of us as teens had to do a reality check. Was all of our service in our youth group done for the Lord or for the approval and recognition of our youth pastor? Would we keep doing the things we were doing even in his permanent absence. Far too many times we serve the Lord because of a person. And when that person is taken away, so is our motivation and drive to serve. Don’t let this happen. “Goodbye’s” will come. When they come, they will be very painful and emotional. Ask yourself a direct question today. If I was left alone, would I still serve God with my whole heart? If the answer is no, ask the Lord to give you a love for Him above all others. Don’t depend on others to do for you what only you can do.

Have you ever wondered about the “all your needs” part of this verse? Does it not seem that at least some of the times our needs are not met? After all, if all of our needs were met, then what room would people have to get bitter at God over so many things? And, as someone brought up recently, what about all of those people in foreign countries who go hungry and do not have their basic needs met? These are all tough questions, are they not? Did the apostle Paul really know what he was talking about? Do some situations just slip through God’s “radar”? We know, or at least should know, that the answer to this question is “no.” Yet we must be so careful to not let our circumstance or feelings do away with our “theological” knowledge of this promise. After all, it is easy to praise God and say that He is good and provides when things are going well, our bellies are full, and their is plenty of money in the bank. But what about when tragedy strikes? Job said, “Though He slay me I will hope in Him…” That means no matter how things may appear, we must still trust God to be true to what He says about Himself. It’s easy to forget that before Paul ever gets to v. 19 of Philippians 4, He first states in v. 12,  ”I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.” Now, did you catch the last two words of this verse when he said he had faced times of “suffering need”? Is that a contradiction to v.19 where Paul says God will provide all his needs? How could the both be true? The answer is this. There may be times in all of our lives where we have genuine needs and for a time they may go or seem to go unprovided for. Yet, God’s promise to provide for each and every need that we have still holds true. See, we cannot ever put God in a mental box where we try to direct and expect God to do certain things at a certain time. Isaiah 55:8-9 teaches us that God’s ways and our ways are many times in direct conflict. Who are we going to trust at times of such seeming contradiction: ourselves or God? Yes, there will be many times where we will have to put our own expectations on hold and simply trust a God who promises to provide and do so in His own timing way. After all, He is the one who knows what our true needs are and waiting may just be what that true need is. Always remember, when God makes a promise it is never half-hearted!