He hath made every thing beautiful in His time. Ecc 3:11

We all get some sort of image when the word beautiful is mentioned. We can think of a person’s facial features, physique, or the way one gracefully moves. We could think of describing a sunset, a waterfall, or a sunny day. We could describe a thought, a plan, or an emotional reaction as beautiful. We even have the capacity to be “beautifully” sarcastic. Who hasn’t heard, “Beautiful, just beautiful” to convey an inconvenience or something negative?

From a Biblical perspective, the word “beautiful” suggests God’s perfect timing in action. We get a hint of understanding what that means by watching a great athlete, dancer, or public speaker. Without appropriate timing, greatness in their performance is impossible. We get further understanding when we enjoy an event that is planned, processed, and produced in excellence. This shines a great light on the performance of the Creator in His creation. Take for example the masterful work that is the human being. Psalms 100:3 lays it plain: “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” How humbling! How beautiful! His plan and timing are perfect. Always.

So what does this have to do with us this coming week? If we never realized there was another “timing” going on, then to wake up to that reality is a good start.

Family and friends, let’s pray for God’s beauty in our lives this week—the kind of beauty that allows His glory to gleam so we can see and act to please Him. May His life, love, light, and timing shine upon our attitudes and activities. If we confidently receive and expect that as our personal hope, what could be more beautiful than that?

Gen 1:1; Ps 119:14; Prov 13:12;Rom 10:15; Gen 50:20

It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak to you, they are spirit, and they are life.  John 6:63

American psychologist, William James once said, “The most fiendish punishment for a person to endure is to be part of a group and not be recognized.” The effect of being alive, yet isolated and totally ignored is beyond imagination. Rather than dwell on that horrible position and destiny, let’s start this 2022 year by relying on what God has said.

The Bible says in John 15:16 that Almighty God doesn’t ignore but actually chooses people (you and me). The Father of Creation chooses you and me to be born of His Spirit and to become His child or part of His eternal family. In faith, we are free to live for Him (now and forever) and be led by His Holy Spirit. His Son, Jesus Christ, by the act of His sacrifice on the cross, resurrection, and forgiveness of our sins, sets us free (not to do our own thing anymore) but to believe in and receive Him as our loving Liberator.

Keeping our balance in all this, even though we are chosen and saved by God, we still fall short sometimes and sin. If we confess our sins, however, He is faithful and just to forgive us because He knows our weaknesses and will never give up on us. We are being developed by Him forever!!

So family and friends, even if and when we are alone — in Christ — we are never lonely. Our Lord and Savior loves us loyally and everlastingly; that’s right, God, the lover of our soul doesn’t ignore us. Our amazing oneness in Him is intimate, comforting, and in the exact opposite direction from where fiendish isolation will take us!

Heb 13:5; Eph 1:4; John 1:3; Romans 8:1; Phil 1:6; Romans 5:8; 1John 1:9

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

Cross training refers to an athlete training in sports other than the one in which he or she normally competes. The goal is to improve overall performance (e.g., a golfer who weight lifts, a tennis player who rides a bike and a boxer who jumps rope). Eliminating weaknesses and adding more effective preparation is the idea behind this process.

Surely, cross training holds many benefits for those who practice it. Athletes around the world have seen great improvements in performance as a result of intentionally stretching their bounds. Amazingly, there is another form of “Cross Training” that promises to improve performance at a far greater level. As followers of Christ, we believe the key to heaven and the key to a fulfilled life on earth hung on a Cross over 2000 years ago.

We discover in 1 Cor 6:19 that we are temples of His Holy Spirit; we are not our own, we have been bought with a price, and because we are His, we are to glorify Him in our personality and body. In Romans 12:2, He says we must escape conforming to this corrupted world system by being transformed in the renewing of our mind. In 1 Cor 10:31, His Word says, “Whatever we eat or drink or whatever we do, we are to do to His glory.” In 1 Thes 5:23, apostle Paul connects the divine dots further when he prays, “And may the God of peace sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Some of us may have chosen to be athletes of particular sports. Let’s be encouraged to carefully examine our current training program to help make us perform at an even better level.

Family and friends, in reality, all of us are athletes in “playing life.” So with the new year of  2022 fast approaching, may we run from anything that is not God’s training agenda—the one that renews our mind and helps us to act righteously. May the great Apostle Paul’s primary focus and motivation to preach Christ, the cross, and Him crucified inspire us within to behave in a more holy fashion.

Dedicated belief, an attitude of gratefulness for what He’s done on our behalf, and a burning heart to invite others to join with us in His “Cross Training” is the true life flow and a great place for us to start this wonderful year ahead. .

1 Tim 4:8; Hebrews 13:5; Psalm 139:14; Phil 1:6

The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. Proverbs 18:15

With so much information flowing through various media outlets these days, it’s become more difficult to discern the credible voices from the pumps of noise, partial truths, misinformation, and outright foolishness. Is there a credible voice in all this, and in whom and what are we supposed to believe?

Long, long ago, the great Apostle Paul was told that he was not only chosen by God, able to know God’s will for his life, see the Just One and become a living testimony for God’s grace and mercy… but he could also hear God’s voice. (Acts 22:14-15). If God never changes and is not a respecter of persons, then you and I have the potential for the same pure Godly communication.

Simply hearing words and or noises is one level of functioning. We are also equipped by our Creator to function beyond our natural ears. By setting our hearts on what His Spirit says and by what is confirmed in His Word, God’s voice becomes very clear. Jesus, the great shepherd, declared His sheep hear His voice; and He certainly wasn’t addressing an earless audience when He said, “He that has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matt 11:15)

We are never alone because the Holy Spirit is always with us. He teaches us all things and brings to our remembrance things we’ve previously heard Him say to us. Scripture says we are able to have a conversation (pray) with God. Building our personal relationship with God helps us to hear Him and understand His will and plan for our lives.

What Paul shared still stands in God’s truth and timeless influence. What we say matters too. We must discipline ourselves to speak faith-filled words because God is not interested in our human vocabulary or emotions. He is focused on hearing how much we believe and trust in Him to carry out His purpose for our lives.

We so appreciate that God knows everything. Therefore, we determine to ask Him for direction everyday. The leadership of God is our awesome privilege and a blessing we must gratefully choose not to ignore. The real issues of life, both for Paul and for us today, are found in our heart. We are a temple of the Holy Spirit; and because we no longer operate under spiritual deafness, we are blessed to be liberated through obedience to His trustworthy voice.

Family and friends, in precious faith, our God is better than any special report, TV news alert, radio broadcast, satellite transmission, or high tech cell phone. He’s free, He never misses a call, and He is always available and true. What a God we serve! If we simply set our spiritual ears to listen, then we’ll hear Him speak back to us in the clarity of love!

Rom 10:17; John 14:26; 1 John 5:14; Gal 3:5; Psalm 143:8; Prov 4:23; Heb 13:5b

** Inspired by 35 Days of Spiritual Personal Training, Rock Church & World Outreach Center (07)

“When peace like a river attendeth my way; when sorrows like sea-billows roll. Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say: It is well, it is well with my soul.” Horatio Spafford

There’s an ancient adage that declares what we sow is what we will reap. A farmer planting corn seed, for example, expects corn… not parsley or wheat as the crop. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could plant a happy seed for our upcoming week and expect only a happy week to harvest? As surely as the good farmer knows, preparing for only a bumper or happy crop is naive, incomplete, and misguided. So before we start planting ourselves into this week, let’s go to our inner lab (our heart) and add a special dose of what we could call a “falling forward” additive to help energize and strengthen the resolve of our journey.

The idea of “falling forward” is captured beautifully in Romans 8:28. “We know that all things are working together for good for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.” Even when things may hurt or seem bleak, if our relationship with God is right and we don’t quit, He’s working within it to assure our ultimate growth, progress, and benefit.

Let’s determine ahead of time, that we will reap some sort of a life improvement. In the events that face us this week, we can be certain of at least three things: 1. We will face challenges, 2. We will be imperfect in our responses and experience some setbacks, and 3. We will also have potential to learn about something, overcome an adversity, help someone, forgive or ask forgiveness, find value, love truth, make a difference, draft a plan, or commit to a new direction.

Let’s see ourselves as the champions we were made to be. There’s something far more wonderful than what our fallen and temporal nature has to offer. Back to our inner lab (heart) for a moment… If we truly believe we are cropped in the image of the One who created us, then we can “see” ourselves as His seed. If our choice is to accept God’s Word, then we plant our lives in His potential, not ours alone. There’s no greater hope for us to know that we’re not ultimately designed to simply exist or to fall, but by God’s grace of light and love to “fall forward” toward His glory forever.

Family and friends — Let’s fight the good fight — Let’s never quit— Never!

Gal 6:7; Romans 15:13; Phil 3:13-14

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jer 29:11

Have you ever thought about what a neat thing a thermostat is? When it’s too cold, we crank it up; when it’s too hot, we adjust it down. Soon the room temperature obeys our initial command. The fact that we control the thermostat doesn’t mean that the temperature in our home will respond immediately. If your system is like ours, when you first make an adjustment, a boiler noise sounds indicating a connection between the regulator and the heating unit. Some time after that, the room will be renewed to our liking.

What about our level of hope this week? If you’re already content, loaded with hope, and prepared to experience a great measure of victory in the week ahead, then great!! If, however, you are anything like my wife Cynthia and me, then a “Hope Thermostat” is a must. Whatever measure of hope we expect to be comfortable living in this week, then let’s make the adjustment before the week either cools down or heats up on its own. So, let’s set our minds and remember to be patient. It will take a while for the targeted hope to respond to our hope setting. Just be assured by the good noise that will be coming from the boiler room of our hearts. Of course, there may be some who choose not to preset their “Hope Thermostat.” This leaves many possibilities—including such things as cold waves of despair, heated hopelessness, or even nothing at all!

We just set our level of hope to high. Our heart pumps have kicked in! We’re now anticipating a hope-filled week, one with certain victory! What about you?

In case any of us need some help in getting going, here is a prayer that will do just that…

Heavenly Father, please set Your Thermostat for our lives. Let the glory of your power and majesty flow through us this week as we experience the comfort, confidence, and safety of your guiding hand. Thank you for being the source of all hope, including the amount we need for this coming week. Bless those who read this with what You know is best for each of us. Thank you for ensuring our victory, in Jesus’ precious name. AMEN.

Rom 15:13; 1 Cor 2:9; Ps 146:5

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Ps 37:4

I made popcorn a few nights ago. Consider this: All I had to do was take a flame-resistant bag of corn kernels, follow the “this-side-up” directions, stick it into a microwave oven, press a built-in “popcorn” button, wait for 120 seconds, take it out, open it, and—voilà!—a tasty snack was ready to go. Upon working my way to the bottom of the bag, I noticed that nearly all of the kernels had popped and none were burnt. I couldn’t help but be impressed. The makers of this treat really had it down pat.  As far as the nutritional value was concerned, well, that’s another story.

Just imagine for a moment if we were all kernels in the bag of life. The question is what will be the source of heat we choose to make us “pop” this week?  Will it be the scorch of trials and tribulations?  Will it come from the grind of the workday? Will it come from the friction we experience in our travels and interactions?  Or will we choose to sizzle under the faithful “macrowaves” of the One whose deepest desire is to enlighten our mind of understanding and warm the affections of our hearts, so that we may love Him, ourselves, and those around us?  I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to see unpopped or burnt kernels in our bag.

Trusting our Maker to guide us this week is our best suggestion. That inspiration existed well before popcorn, comes readily, and was designed for us to digest at any time.  As far as the nutritional value is concerned, well, that’s an eternal story.

Have a great week!

John 10:10; Prov 3:5-6; Psalm 27:14; Jer 17:7; Job 22:26; Is 7:14-15

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 1 Peter 5:7

Why do we care about anything?  Where does that tendency or passion come from?

If someone asked a room full of people the following general question…. Who Cares? (And you were present in the room), would you be one to raise your hand?  What you cared about specifically would be an entirely different matter.

From a worldly perspective, there have always been passionate voices and accompanying actions for caring about people, nature, things, and ideas.  They are all around us these days too. The spirit, attitude or atmosphere of our time is clamoring and claiming almost everyone to care about something.  The biggest, loudest, and most obvious is the one calling for health care. There are other voices that can be heard in the sea of concern as well….child care, earth care, voting care, plant care, pet care, car care, and home care, to name just a fair sample.  Make no mistake they all have merit.

There is one voice, however, that heralds most profoundly, yet in a still, quiet, and purely victorious way; it’s the loving Providential One that never wavers or changes.  It’s the One authoritative and balanced voice that calls for doing what is right, in the right way and in the right timing.

In Matthew 6:33, it says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added unto you.”  In other words, if our communication and relationship with the One who created us is in order in terms of divinely inspired self-care, then health care, plant care, pet care, car care, home care, child care, earth care and every other legitimate care would fall into its appropriate place.

The two great commandments call for us to love God with all we have and to love our neighbor as our self. So reverencing the God of Creation is primary to knowing Him well enough to experience His love and care on a personal basis. Socializing with God’s love from within flows supernaturally to others, empowering us to care His way.

Revisiting our initial question of … Who Cares?, please consider your best answer.  This time pick the One who cares most. Is it you?  If not you, is it your parents, a friend, a teacher, a Congressman, Senator, Supreme Court Justice, or the President?  Before you answer, please read John 3:16 in the Bible.  Here is what it says:

“God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever shall believe in Him, will have everlasting life.”  If you qualify as part of “the world”, then God sent Jesus to care specifically and profoundly for you, not just now…. but forever.  One more time, family and friends….Who Cares?

So family and friends, this week, may we walk not as mere creations, but sensitively as cared for children of the living God.

 Rom 5:8; John 10:10; 1 Tim 2:6