Coming back from vacation for me is worse than all the preparation to go. It seems like every time we go away, we come back to some major crisis or event. Coming back from our trip to Minnesota was no different. I came back with several major things that needed to be addressed, and quite frankly, I started to stress out big time. But I decided to get alone with the Lord and talk with Him about the matters that were of concern to me. He didn’t take away the situations that I needed to address, but He sure gave me wisdom, strength, peace, and all the necessary things that I needed for handling them.

At just the right time yesterday, the Lord sent me to a devotional book and I believe led me to a particular passage that I needed to read. Hear these words from Dr. John Piper . . .

“Prayer is the walkie-talkie on the battlefield of the world. It calls on God for courage (Ephesians 6:19). It calls in for troop deployment (Acts 13:1-3). It calls for protection and air cover (Matthew 6:13; Luke 21:36). It calls in for fire power to blast open a way for the Word of God (Colossians 4:3). It calls in for the miracle of healing for the wounded soldiers (James 5:16). It calls in for the supplies for the forces (Matthew 6:11; Philippians 4:6) And it calls in for needed
reinforcements (Matthew 9:38). This is the place of prayer — on the battlefield of the world. It is a war-time walk talkie for spiritual warfare, not a domestic intercom to increase the comforts of the saints. And one of the reasons it malfunctions in the hands of many Christian soldiers is that they have gone AWOL!”

(from Magnificent Prayer by Nick Harrison published by Zondervan) Thank you in advance for not leaving your post. Please don’t go AWOL!

Reminds me of a familiar hymn:

What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear.
What a privilege to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we OFTEN forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble everywhere?
We should never be discouraged, TAKE IT TO THE LORD IN PRAYER!
Can we find a friend so faithful — Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our Refuge — take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer.
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.

I needed those words this morning. Maybe you did too!

“The Christian believes that in Christ he has died, yet he is more alive than before and he fully expects to live forever. He walks on earth while seated in heaven and though born on earth he finds that after his conversion he is not at home here. Like the nighthawk, which in the air
is the essence of grace and beauty but on the ground is awkward and ugly, so the Christian appears at his best in the heavenly places but does not fit well into the ways of the very society into which he was born.

The Christian soon learns that if he would be victorious as a son of heaven among men on earth he must not follow the common pattern of mankind, but rather the contrary. That he may be safe he puts himself in jeopardy; he loses his life to save it and is in danger of losing it if he attempts to preserve it. He goes down to get up. If he refuses to go down he is already down, but when he starts down he is on his way up.

He is strongest when he is weakest and weakest when he is strong. Though poor he has the power to make others rich but when he becomes rich his ability to enrich others vanishes. He has most after he has given most away and has least when he possesses most.

He may be and often is highest when he feels lowest and most sinless when he is most conscious of sin. He is wisest when he knows that he knows not and knows least when he has acquired the greatest amount of knowledge. He sometimes does most by doing nothing and goes furtherest
when standing still. In heaviness he manages to rejoice and keeps his heart glad even in sorrow.

He believes he is saved now, nevertheless he expects to be saved later and looks forward joyfully to complete salvation. He fears God but is not afraid of Him. In God’s presence he feels overwhelmed and undone, yet there is nowhere he would rather be than in that presence. He knows that he has been cleansed from his sin, yet he is painfully conscious that in his flesh dwells no good thing.

He loves supremely One whom he has never seen, and though himself poor and lowly he talks familiarly with the One who is King of all kinds and Lord of all lord, and is aware of no incongruity in doing so. He feels he is in his own right altogether less than nothing, yet he believes without question that he is the apple of God’s eye and that for him the
Eternal Son became flesh and died on the cross of shame.”

from the writings of A.W. Tozer in his timely classic, THAT INCREDIBLE CHRISTIAN
published by Christian Publications

What an incredible life we have IN CHRIST!

Have you ever had insomnia? If not, I trust you never experience it. I have faced some sleepless nights and it is not fun. Sleep aids have become a huge money maker for the medical industry and the pharmaceutical companies. There are sleep clinics and sleep specialists. You can find all kinds of supplements, medications, and gadgets that will help you fall asleep.

The Bible has the answers to life’s challenges and has much to say about the topic of sleep. Proverbs has some really neat insight into our need for sleep and rest. Dr. Mark Swenson in his classic book, MARGIN, says this about insomnia . . . “If insomnia strikes, don’t panic! It happens
to everybody from time to time, and one or two nights of sleeplessness do not constitute a crisis. What can become a crisis, however, is your REACTION to the experience.

After one or two nights of sleeplessness, a pattern develops. Annoyance turns to fear, then fear turns to panic. And nothing retards sleep like panic. Trying to force yourself to sleep is the surest way of PREVENTING sleep. A persistent pattern of insomnia sometimes begins with exactly this reaction of desperation. ‘Sleep is one of the few things in life that cannot be improved upon trying harder,’ explains sleep expert Dr. Peter Hauri.

If insomnia is a problem, don’t stay in bed awake. Get up, sit in a comfortable chair or lie on the couch, read, write a letter, have a light snack, drink some milk, take a walk, soak in the bathtub, watch television. Don’t worry. Consider turning the night into a conversation with God. Pray. Listen. Meditate. Read the Word. Begin a spiritual journal. List to Christian music. And don’t forget to thank Him for the special opportunity of this time together. When tiredness begins to
overtake you, retire once again with gratitude for the double blessing of this night: that of fellowship and now that of sleep.”

There are some legitimate physical and emotional reasons why some people can’t sleep. If you have a persistent problem, you should seek medical attention. But I also encourage you to commit to memory (I’m working on this right now) some of the promises from God’s Word about sleep. Here are several that I read in my devotional time this morning:

“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for YOU alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels
charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. When you lie down and your sleep will be sweet. So he gives His beloved sleep.” (Psalm 4:8; Psalm 9:9-11; Proverbs 3:24; Psalm 127:2)

Good words to ponder today!

I have a hard time with Father’s Day! I’m being honest with you. I can make it through most holidays, but this one is tough for me. I walked by the card section at Wal-Mart this week and saw all the Father’s Day cards. I got a lump in my throat and my eyes filled with tears as I was
reminded that my Dad is in heaven. He is enjoying Father’s Day with the REAL Father. How awesome!

I am amazed at the number of men that I have met that have little or no communication with their earthly fathers. Some of you have been through painful times with your Dads, and that makes this day a tough one for you as well. Some of us have been hurt by our Dads and have allowed bitterness to turn into hardened hearts. That robs and sucks the joy out of your life. Your Heavenly Father wants to heal that broken relationship and restore it! The prophet Malachi talked about this day in Malachi 4:6 — “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to his
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers . . .”

Today can be a day of new beginnings — ask your HEAVENLY FATHER to turn your heart towards your earthly father. Purpose in your heart to pick up the phone and call your Dad. Wish him a “Happy Father’s Day.” Honor your Dad and thank God for him.

Have a great Father’s Day.

On Thursday we had the opportunity to get “up close and personal” with one of the hundreds of windmills not being operated in Minnesota. From a distance they don’t look that big — but we were able to stand right beside one. THEY ARE HUGE. I have a picture of my son Zach standing at the base of the windmill and he looks like a little bug next to this enormous structure that has unbelievable power in providing electricity to thousands of people.

As I was standing at the base looking up at the huge propellers, David’s words from Psalm 8 came to my mind. I wonder if he penned these words while sitting on a Judean hillside looking into the heavens while tending his sheep at night . . . “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your
name in all the earth! You have set your glory ABOVE the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the some of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet . . . O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

You were created by the Master Designer — the One who calls the stars by their names has called you His own. Wow! Thank You, Lord for your love for me!

Good words to ponder on this Saturday, June 18, 2005.

One of the things we enjoy doing as a family is visiting antique shops. We have been doing it for years and hardly ever buy anything. We enjoy seeing stuff that our Mom’s had when we were kids being sold for ridiculous prices. Simple things like Hershey Cocoa containers that are empty, but now selling for $25.

There was a huge antique store in Sioux Falls called “Monks Junk” that was really cool. It was an old “kwanza” building turned into a store with two floors filled with stuff. The community people laughed about it because they all new that the prices were way to high. How could “junk” be so costly?

When God created Adam, he created him out of dust! Nothing fancy — dust! And yet think about how important that dust is in God’s eyes. He created and fashioned you with his own hands (Psalm 139:13) and then He purchased us with the blood of His only Son (I Corinthians 6:20).

My friend, Pastor Tom Mahairas, reminds me that “God don’t make no junk!” You might be discouraged today believing the lies of the enemy that you are worthless nobody. Don’t believe the lie! You are of great value to Him.

Read Psalm 139 and thank Him for His care and concern for you.

SPECIAL DINNER CONCERT — Join us next Saturday evening for another outstanding dinner concert at America’s KESWICK with Stuart Neil. Stuart travels worldwide with the world’s major orchestra’s and has an incredible testimony. To make your reservations, call today — 800-453-7942.

There is something very spectacular about the skies in Minnesota. Maybe I have grown accustomed to the smog-filled skies on the east coast, or maybe the skies stand out because there is so much open space. The skies have been just glorious to look at.

We witnessed our first real mid-west thunderstorm the other day and it was something. Nothing to block the view as the lightning streaked across the sky. At the end of the thunderstorm we witnessed a magnificent rainbow that seemed to spring from the earth and shoot straight up to the heavens. (I will try and get the picture on the web site for you to see . . . )

I am reminded that God’s magnificent promises can be an encouragement and anchor during the storms of life. While many promises were made to specific people for a specific period of time, the Scriptures are filled with many promises that you can rightfully claim as YOURS! As you spend time reading the Word today, ask the Holy Spirit to show you one of God’s magnificent promises. Take that promise and commit it to memory. Meditate on it. Write it in your journal. And even better — memorize it. Some day that promise will become an anchor in your life when you face a storm.

“Yet he (Abraham) did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised!” Romans 4:20-21

Good words for you to consider today.

I think my grandson has inherited one of my life-long struggles . . . HE LOVES TO EAT! He is doomed if he is not careful. This little-big-guy loves food. He has broken all the rules that our modern-day pediatricians have outlined for a baby’s normal food progression. At seven months he eats everything from fruit to pretzels to pizza and, even cheese.

When he sees food, forget it — he doesn’t want you — he wants the food. He will pout, yell, scream, wail until he gets what he wants. He loves food.

King David, writer of most of the Psalms, wrote an incredible Psalm that tells us how much he loved God’s Word. He loved God’s Word so much that he meditated in it day and night. He loved the Word and it was a part of the fabric of his life. He had a hunger for the Word of God that was almost insatiable.

How about you? Are you hungry for God’s Word? Are you so in love with it that you would yell, scream, wail until you were fed by it? May we come to that place where we will declare with David, “I LOVE YOUR LAW . . . I MEDITATE ON IT ALL DAY LONG.” (Psalm 119:97)

Have a great day!

“Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? ” . . . Seek (focus) and you will find. (See Luke 11:9)

Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent — so satisfied with your own experiences that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. BEWARE OF BUILDING YOUR FAITH ON EXPERIENCE, OR YOUR LIFE WILL NOT RING TRUE AND WILL ONLY SOUND THE NOTE OF A CRITICAL SPIRIT.

How do you seek? ” . . . knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9)
“Draw near to God . . .” (James 4:8) Knock — the door is closed, and your heart races as you knock.
“Cleanse your hands . . .” (James 4:8) Knock a bit louder — you will

This morning I did a word study from Ephesians 5:1 on the subject of being an imitator. The English definition of the word imitator means “to copy exactly.” The derivative of the Greek word is “to mime.”

There is a huge difference between the word “imitator” and “imitation.” An imitation is often not an exact copy, but a “cheap representation.” We can purchase “imitation leather” Bibles. Bakers will sometimes substitute “imitation vanilla” for the real deal as real vanilla is quite costly. Some of us tightwads will purchase imitation fragrances for ourselves and our significant other. While they have a similar “smell” they are cheap imitations.

Paul isn’t asking us to be cheap imitations — he wants us to be the real deal. Charles Spurgeon says that “we are to be like Christ at all times, imitating Him in public. Most of us live in some sort of publicity, many of us are called to work before our fellow men every day. We are watched; our words are caught; our lives are examined — taken to pieces. The eagle-eyes, argue-eyed world observes everything we do; and sharp critics are upon us. Let us live the life of Christ in public. Let is take care that we exhibit our Master and not ourselves, so that we can say, ‘It is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. Take this into your home as well. Carry your godliness into you family. Let every one say that you have practical religion. Let it be known and read in the house, as well as in the world. Take care of your character there; for what we are there, we really are.”

Don’t be a “cheap imitation” — be the real deal — IMITATE HIM!