Holy Holidays...!?

"But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me." Psalm 3:3-5 Here we are, the CHRISTmas holidays have arrived again. I mean, is it really that time already? As I grow older, I realize that time slips away quickly. Once it is gone, you can't retrieve it again--it fades into time known as past. 2018 will soon be just that--behind us, past, over, and part of history. When I think back over the events & happenings of the year, I recall heartaches & hurts, pain & adversity, tragedy & death...depressing, huh? However, I also recall love, great victories and triumphs, miracles that only God could have accomplished, and those things give me hope. I know that when things go wrong, GOD is my Shield. He gives me strength to hold my head high when all of Hell seems to come against me. He answers me when I pray--sometimes in that still, small voice or nudge in my spirit, sometimes in thunderous rumbles, and sometimes through the kindness or words of a friend or stranger--angels He sends to minister to me in times of darkness. He sustains me, covers me with His Peace and grants me rest--even in times of great distress. I read God's Word find this, "Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone." Lamentations 3:32-33 There's more..."For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God." 1 Peter 2:19, and, "But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction." Job 36:15, "My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:2.Then, approaching the end of the Bible in the Book of Revelation, I find this, "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." Revelation 21:4 The proverbial "light bulb" comes on for me and I realize that though there is pain & suffering in this life, there are also wonderful blessings in the present life and, better yet, the hope of what is to come. While much of the world celebrates CHRISTmas with lights & trees, Santa & elves, ornaments & tinsel, etc., I choose to celebrate The Nativity--GOD's Gift to this world in the form of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. While I see nothing inherently wrong with other types of celebration of the holidays, I find it sad that the message of Christ seems lost in the busyness of what has become the holiday season. Suddenly, I find myself reminded of the lyrics to a favorite old song... God sent His son, they called Him Jesus; He came to love, heal and forgive He lived and died to buy my pardon, An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives! Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives! I'm also reminded of a particularly well-known verse of Scripture, "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." John 3:16 Jesus--the One, True, Son of GOD--came as a gift to this world, to love, heal & forgive, so all humanity has the opportunity to come to a saving knowledge of Him so we can spend eternity with GOD in Heaven. I want to celebrate Him! I want to make Him known! I want to the world to recognize this season as a celebration of Him! I guess it's more than sadness I feel--its frustration and downright anger that this world He came to save chooses to ignore Him, to doubt His Existence, to discount His Great Worth and the Sacrifice He made. I'm told I'm a Grinch or a Scrooge, because while I love everything CHRISTmas is, I've come to detest what it has become. I want the world to make room for Him in their celebrations. I want the world to make room for him in their hearts, homes, communities & churches. I want the world to simply acknowledge Him for Who He is and recognize CHRISTmas (and every other day) as a celebration of Him! But, I can't do it alone. Will you help me make Him known? Blessings! Tony

Thanksgiving Ponderings...

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1 NIV We live in a society defined by division & negativity. In general, we seem to focus on what's wrong far more so than on what is right with our world. Everyone is offended by something or someone and seems to look for opportunities to take offense. I know we all fall into that at times. It's part of the ups & downs of life. However, we need to look at the positives & work at minimizing the negatives. In spite of what may appear, GOD is still on His Throne. America, with all her problems, is still a blessed & prosperous land. Families, although sometimes fractured & distant, are still connected by blood and love. How about we praise GOD for His blessings? How about we pray for our country & our leaders? How about we love one another in spite of failures, disappointments and hurts? We have so much to be thankful for but we want to focus on what we lack rather than on what we have. While my family sometimes frustrates me--I love them all. While my job is sometimes difficult & challenging, I'm grateful to follow my calling, do what I love & earn a salary for doing so. While I know much is amiss in society & the country as a whole, I am grateful to live in these United States where I can pursue my dreams and live comfortably, while having the rights & freedoms to make personal choices about my faith, my work, my health, etc. While I know I have failed much, I'm grateful for the love & forgiveness of family members I have hurt along the way in my journey. I'm grateful for a multitude of friends, who love me in spite of my many shortcomings. Most of all, I am thankful that GOD knows me personally--my thoughts, my weaknesses, my heart--and that He loves me & forgives me time & time again when I stumble on the pathway of life He has laid out for me. He draws me back when I wander the wrong way. He restores me daily. He surrounds me with people who lead, guide and love me along the way. You see--its about perspective. One finds what one looks for. If we look for negative, it is easy to find & fixate on. However, if we look for good and positive things, they also are easy to find & fixate on. The battle does truly begin in our minds. What we allow there takes root and shapes our thoughts & attitudes. "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15 NIV "The fear of the LORD leads to life; then one rests content, untouched by trouble." Proverbs 19:23 NIV God gives us what we need and shows us in His Word how to refocus & redirect ourselves--if we will seek out His Knowledge & Wisdom and not allow the negative pull of the world to distract us. It's a choice that each one of us makes daily. Determine today to focus on the positive, to love others unconditionally, and to be thankful in all things--knowing that GOD will take care of you... Blessings! Tony

I'm Tired, Boss...

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 Remember the movie, "The Green Mile"? John Coffey made the statement, "I'm tired, boss," to the prison warden regarding the gift he had been given. I always liked that movie & often pondered the potential spiritual connection there. Lately, I have felt a lot like our friend, John Coffey. I'm aware that God has given me gifts and talents to be utilized for the furtherance of the Kingdom and I enjoy what I do. But some days, I simply feel pulled in multiple directions with all sorts of variables thrown in and it completely exhausts me. I find myself saying, "I'm tired, Boss!" just like John did. It's not that I don't appreciate all I have been given & Lord knows my desire is to be used by God to make an eternal difference in the lives of others, I just sometimes feel like I've been put into a blender & life is spinning out of control with a variety of new items (be they hobbies, church, family or work obligations) that mix all in and leave me feeling as if I've been chopped & shredded like the makings of an old-fashioned cole slaw. Sometimes, I just need to merry-go-round of life to stop & let me off for a while--just to catch my breath and regain my wits so I am fit to fight the next round. Still, at the same time, I'm grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded me & the last thing I want to do is complain in any way about what God is doing in and through me. Maybe a vacation is needed, just a time to relax & refresh and not go at a 100 mile per hour rate from 5am-10pm every day. The Tasmanian Devil ain't go nothing on me! I can churn up a lot of dust and make noise but not feel like I am actually accomplishing anything at all. Somehow, God finds a way to use me in spite of me & occasionally someone tells me that something I said or did really made a difference in their life. I know that my rewards are in Heaven & I look forward to the day I arrive to throw those accomplishments at the feet of Jesus and move into a place of peace. For now, life is what it is & I hope to continue forth and make The Father proud of me. It is He who deserves the glory & praise, not myself I'm just hoping to rest a little along the way & be successful in what He has given me to do. My fear is that at times I allow myself to be spread so thin that I'm not effective at anything I'm attempting to do. Surely there are others who can relate... In the end, God is good & I am blessed! He does give me strength to do and I must press on towards the prize that awaits me... Blessings! Tony

How Can Jesus Love me?

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 NIV You know, I look back over my life--all the mistakes, all the pain, all the problems, all the mess...all the SIN--and I wonder, just how is it possible that God could love someone like me? I mean really, I've done some pretty bad things during my time on this old earth. I've broken God's Laws and man's laws, and I've hurt people who genuinely loved me & wanted the best for me. I've been a thief, a drunk, a womanizer. I've been lazy, covetous, mean-spirited, and harsh. I've lied, cheated, gossiped--all in all, I'm just a low-down sinner. But, one day in January of 1991, in a broken heap in my living room in Bessemer, Alabama. I finally surrendered to God. After running from Him for many years--I decided to run to him instead. Has life been perfect since then? Heavens NO! But, God Himself has walked with me through my troubles & trials. He's loved me through a multitude of poor choices and some staggering heartbreaks. I refer to my old self as "Old Testament Tony" & my current self as "New Testament Tony." Just as Christ's coming divided time, His breakthrough in my life divided time for me as well. So, when I start thinking that I'm unlovable, unworthy, etc., I remember that Jesus loved me enough to die for me. Because of that and because I claim Him as my Savior, when God looks at me--it's not me He sees. He looks at me through the filter of Jesus' blood & sees the Jesus in me rather than this old sinful man. Oh, what a Savior! These were just some ponderings in my head that I thought Id share with others. I'm sure I'm not the only one who asks the question, "How can Jesus love me?" Blessings! Tony

Distractions, Distractions...

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV Surely I'm not the only one who feels like they run in circles all the time? There's always something to do related to family, church, work, social circles, etc. Not that any of those things are necessarily bad, they just overwhelm us at times with the magnitude of what we need to accomplish in one short 24 hour period. I constantly have to remind myself that all good things are not necessarily GOD things. It is possible to take on more than needed & to spread oneself so thin that we become ineffective in all respects. It's not for lack of trying, it's just that we try to juggle so much that it becomes impossible to do. Stress walks into our lives followed by insomnia & we can't rest for thinking of all we need to do & we can't do all we need to do because we're completely fatigued from the busyness of it all, compounded by the stress & lack of sleep. It's a vicious cycle that Satan loves to get us caught up in. He's a sneaky old cuss--yes, he is! Truth is that once we surrender our lives to GOD, the devil has lost us. He doesn't like that, but it's done and as long as we remain focused on our relationship with the Lord, there's little he can do about it. However, he can inject things into our lives under the guise of "doing good" and distract us from what GOD has called us to do and be. It is up to us to make certain that we go to GOD with any new undertakings & determine--with His guidance & direction--if it is part of His Plan for us. Don't be fooled into thinking that just because it's charity, it can't be meant to derail us from the track GOD intends for us. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to go about doing good & serving others. What I'm saying is make sure what we do is of GOD. We need to be so in tune with GOD that the devil can't give us any trouble. The battle begins in our minds. Personally, I'm a very logic-minded person. If it makes logical sense, I can get on board with it. But, all the logic & reason in the world is completely invaluable if GOD isn't in what we're doing. Old Lucifer's plan is to give us trouble, cause us to stumble, an trip us up any way he can. We just have to trust GOD & let Him lead us, so we don't fall in to the devil's traps. Maybe it is time to pare down our list of activities & projects so we can reconnect with GOD & family. After all, those are the things that are most important. Just my thoughts.... Blessings to you all! Tony

The Church of Great Compromise

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 NKJV Many times through the years I have made the statement, "The world is having far more of an impact on the church than the church is on the world." Now, I know many will not appreciate my views, and that's OK. Just as I am entitled to my opinion, you are as well. Sometimes, we just have to agree to disagree & continue doing life. Nevertheless, I still feel that in our efforts to become more "seeker friendly", many churches have allowed the world to creep into the sanctuary and in doing so, have more or less evicted GOD and His Holy Spirit in the process. We've adopted the customs & culture of the world in all respects. Evidently, good Christian people desire to look & act more like the world around them than like Christ followers. Our homes, our cars, our clothing, our personal tastes, our speech, our music...our very goals & desires, look just like those of the unchurched, the athiest, the agnostic & those of other faiths. And, not only that, but, we've also become so accepting of everything & everybody that we basically attend church services with the devil himself. Before I go further, allow me to say that I know the church is supposed to reach out to the lost and to love people in spite of their sin. However, when someone comes to Christ, there should be changes reflected in that individual. They should no longer want to live a lifestyle of sin. Their life should now be one lived for Christ and, to as large a degree as possible, to live by His commands & statutes set forth in God's Holy Word--The BIBLE! We should not, however, encourage a professing Christian to live in a way that is contrary to Christ and we should be careful not to allow ourselves to become so accepting of SIN that we open doors in our own lives that should remain closed to the life of one living for GOD. Sin needs to be exposed & dealt with by biblical standards. Otherwise, Sin becomes overlooked & accepted and Christians become complacent in their lives & beliefs. Church should be a place where GOD's Word is taught, sin is addressed, and lives are changed for the good. Sadly, many churches are much like nightclubs or country clubs, rather than being temples of GOD. May pastors fear addressing any topic that might be perceived as "too heavy" or "offensive" in any way for fear of losing their following and the associated monies that are part of that following. Remember this? "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJV Candy-coated preaching is not really preaching at all. Light & darkness cannot dwell together. As preachers & teachers, we will be held to a higher standard & judged more harshly because of the gift & calling bestowed upon us. GOD's people deserve more than a mediocre, warmed over, rehashed message borrowed from others. They need to know that we are spending time with GOD, that we are seeking His Face, that we are pouring our heart out in prayer to obtain His guidance & direction for our own lives so we can properly teach & lead them. We must find a balance in reaching out to & loving sinners without welcoming open sin into our midst. I seem to recall a story about sin in the camp & its effects on the group as a whole. Maybe church leaders need to revisit that...? Now, the verse that follows the text listed above reads, "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:11 NKJV Yes, we need to remember that we were once lost sinners in need of GOD's grace and mercy. But, we need to help new Christians grow in their faith & leave the old, sinful lifestyle behind or risk it becoming a cancer in the church body. This is where discipleship comes in and sadly most churches are failing miserably at this. The good news is that there is hope! We, as church leaders and as Christians, need to repent ourselves & recommit to making GOD a priority in our churches. It's not to late to get back up, dust ourselves off, seek GOD's forgiveness and continue on in the battle. But, we must be willing to take the first step. When we do, GOD will take the lead & show us where areas of error might be. So, fellow Christians, put your armor on & get back in the battle! Just my thoughts, but maybe it's something others should take time to ponder... Blessings! Tony

New Things...

Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:18-19 NASB We all awoke this morning to a brand new year, a fresh start, somewhat of a reboot in life--if you will. We can now put to bed the things of the past & begin anew...or can we? How well do we do that? How much do we trust GOD? When we read His Word & it tells us that if we confess our sin, He is faithful & just to forgive us (1 John 1:9), do we really believe it? Do we "lay it all down" and trust GOD to handle it for us? In my observation, through my counseling experiences, and in my own life--I find that most of us have difficulty letting go, releasing, taking our hands off, & dropping the baggage of the past. Like Scrooge's old business partner, Jacob Marley, we allow ourselves to be chained to and burdened by the things of our yesterdays. In holding on to those things, we struggle to move forward into the future that GOD has for us without great pain and effort. I've heard it said that the rearview mirror is smaller than the windshield because what's ahead (our future) is far bigger than what's behind us (our past). It's time we hand those old suitcases full of garbage--the shortcomings, failures, hurts, etc., of the past off to GOD and leave them there so we can be free of them and move into the plan and purpose He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). We need to get back to the basics of GOD, family & country. We've filled our lives with so much stuff, so many activities, so many commitments--that it has all become an interference with our relationship with GOD. Simply put, it's time to simplify life. Dust off your Bible, get on your knees, fellowship with GOD. Then, love those around you--family, friends and strangers alike. GOD put you in their lives for a reason...just like He put them in your life for a reason. Little things really do make a difference--a hug, a handshake, a smile, a prayer. Celebrate your heritage and wave the American flag. I guess, in the end, the old ways & old things are the new things we need to re-introduce into our lives. I'm gonna give "new things" a try. I pray you will too... Blessings! Tony