Reflect the Light of God to The World - A Primer on How to Do it!

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Today my bible study asked me to discuss with friends how to reflect the light of God into the World.  I usually talk to my friends in karate when I want advise or I am confused, but this time I tried it on Facebook, since everyone know you have more friends on Facebook than you really have in the world.  I was thinking I would get opinions that I would normally not get, but I was not hopeful I would learn anything.  I was doing it out of obedience to my pastor, since he had demanded that we study.  I was wrong; he was right. 

This is what I learned when I asked how to reflect Gods Light and Love on the World:

One of my karate friends from nearly 2 decades ago answered:

"By rising up over the common opinion and common practices of the world round us and showing love, mercy, forgiveness to those that need it, but appear to not deserve it, by the worlds standards."

First thing is to do what Jesus would do - love people, especially those people who do not deserve by the worlds standards. We are called to be different, and it is not, at first, easy.  It will require the Grace of God to reflect his Glory, because we too do not deserve it.

Then another friend answers: 

"Remember, the biblical vision of love isn't about the emotion of love. Emotional love is our culture's vision of what love is. The NT vision is agape - which has just what you reference. It is action, it is engaging. Traditional visions of spirituality suggest that there are 3 ways to the presence of God - contemplation, study, and acts of justice. Part of the challenge as I see it is our responsibility to discern/discover what is the true act of love."

Then minutes later, comes LOVE, unconditionally everyone, with a reminder of what my pastor said just yesterday, contemplate or meditate on the Word.  In all cases, this requires work boots.  You have to do something, and then the holy spirit acts within you, allowing you to rise above the world, and reflect the light of God.

And then, the same friend gave me an illustration:

"Yesterday after church a fellow worshipper asked us for a ride, which we provided. As he drove, he hinted at some of the struggles he was having and how some money would help him. (If we had some cash with us, we probably would have given him some, but it turns out that neither Cathey nor I had any.) But the struggle for me in the whole journey was, "How do I love this man? How do I embody the Christ I know?" Faith tells me that God was behind me having nothing in my pocket to give him. So caring about him, loving him, listening to his story, giving him a ride - maybe these were the love I had to give him. Trusting God's presence in me, emptying self (change/transformation?), and giving what I have was what I could do yesterday. And I have to trust that yesterday, that was what I was called to do and who I was called to be. Is that the end of it? No. But it was where I was yesterday. Part of my belief is that my desire to please God is pleasing to God. I'm still a work in progress. I'll pray for your spots. You pray for mine."

An awesome example of what we might want vs. what God wants.  An example of letting go and resting within the will of God, fully allowing that in the end, his will be done, that all things will work together for those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.  Also an awesome example of something I have problems knowing how to do.

But that's ok.  He also had the solution for me not know how. "I will pray for your spots," he said.  God can do it, even though I can not.

And then another Karate friend chimed in, with what in retrospect is a BGO, blinding glimpse of the obvious.  She said something that covers it all, and I had managed to ignore:

Just allow Him to work and get out if the way!

And then, a friend from Church whose opinion on nearly anything my wife and I respect writes:

"The most effective for me lately is to act when God directs me to act. If I feel a direction, I act boldly. If I do not feel a direction, I essentially rely on being consistent with His commands, what I think of as the "basics:" truth, mercy, forgiveness, kindness even when I don't feel them. And, I wait for clarity on what to do next. Sometimes that just looks like doing nothing when what I want to do is something angry or reactive. When I feel a direction, I step right out. You know the areas of your life where God has called you or specific people He has called you to. Another factor is that if you are under the spiritual direction of someone God will completely and totally honor your submission to that person. In that case, just be clear that the submission is appropriate and then don't sweat it. Sometimes you aren't called to do something specific because God means that job for someone else. Love this discussion!!!!"

A couple of important points here.  First, a way to manage my actions in the absents of the Word of God or the Absents of a Calling.  Pretty direct and easy to understand.  The second thing that struck me is that she "loved this discussion."  I was worried about asking for help.  I should have been worried about not asking for help.  God is good!

Finally, another friend basically gave me a real life parable that help up to my eyes not only the how to reflect the light, but they why in real life terms.

"In the last year God has destroyed everything that my husband I tried to build in our own Adamic nature. He is now rebuilding it all in Him. I have learned that the scripture that states pray without ceasing is possible. It is not only possible but it is what God wants. My life is no longer trying to fit Christ into where I prefer for Him to fit. My life is now Christ and all else may fit or it may be dead forever. I no longer have a relationship with the BIble, but with the living God. God can do nothing with the church until we truly seek the Kingdom of God first."

More direct advise.  Seek the Kingdom of God, or God can not act.  You have to do something with the faith that it is for God, and he can and will use it.  She says too that it does not profit us to talk God into what we want, but rather talk ourselves into do what he wants, and he will use it, if it is in Jesus' name.

So, at the end of the day, what I have learned is:

1) Study of the word allows for more rapid change of your knowledge base.  Just reading it is not enough.

2) Involving others speeds up your understanding.

3) If you feel you are called, do it. 

4) If you don't know, check with the Word and follow the basic rules of Christian interaction, and rely on God to make it happen they way he wants it too.

5) Love requires Action.

6) God requires us to Love everyone.

7) We can't love everyone with out the Grace of God.

8) In order to reflect God's Grace with this love, you must realize you are called to it, and step out and do it.  Since God has promised that all things work together for those who are called according to his purpose, it will work.

Day 31 - Trying to Belong - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

John 17:23 - (ESV): "I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me."

I have spent so much of my life trying to fit in; trying to one of the guys; trying to be part of something bigger than I.

It was a waste of time.  According to Jesus himself, He is part of us just as He is part of God the father.  We are already one with the creator of the universe.

And he shows us and the world that we are one with God by showing the world how much he loves us.

Wow.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 28 - Head Butt the Difficult People - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

John 13:34 ~ (MSG): “Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”

Can you remember a group, team or activity, perhaps even at your church, that you were part of and it disintegrated into name calling and back biting?  Most of us can easily bring such a group to mind; perhaps a few of them.

From ROTC training courtesy of my High School, Culver Academies and the US Army; from Boy Scouts leadership from patrol leader through senior patrol leader and eagle scout; from fraternity president at Denison University; from many business experiences in science, sales and karate, I have learned that the best way to over come this feeling of being caught in quick sand of emotions is to ignore it, because it always goes away.  

Actually, the second way of dealing with it I learned at Krav Maga certification was to attack it head on, and since that agreed with what I learned in football an wrestling in high school and college, and since attacking fits with my own self image so well, I have more than often used that approach.  Courage and confrontation.  Be strong.  Overcome. Attack.

They all worked, and the issues have always gone away.  Recently however, I have discovered that my life had become buried in broken friendships, false accusations, thefts and pain.  To be sure, I was on the receiving end of them, and mostly not the cause, but it is hard for me to reflect on my life as a Christian, and see that type of pain in my wake, even if it is my pain or my families more than other people's pain.

This verse gives the solution.  I had been working in Man's wisdom, rather than Gods.  Pretty simple really.  Love one another AS JESUS loves us.  The example is clear.  There is NO ambiguity.  The results are LOVE.  What are you waiting for.  Make a change.  Right Now.  Love on another starting now, and make decisions based on that, rather than on duty, justice, law or fairness.  Love is enough.  Use it.

The only problem is, what you have experienced in your life, Loving the ones that attack you is impossible. You can say with your lips, "I forgive you," but as I am sure you have discovered, it is hard to say it with your heart.

Mission impossible for man.  But again, the solution is in this verse.  Love is a verb.  Do the things that love would have you do, even when your heart does not want to, and the world will change around you. The Spirit of God is with you, and can give you the power to act love out.  The Spirit of God will change everything after that.  Do it.

Mission Accomplished. with God.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 26 - Check into Hotel Jesus - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

2 Timothy 1:7 - (ESV): "for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

Frequently I have been told that all things are answered in the bible, and frequently I have thought, "where is the mention of airplanes, buses and the Internet in the bible."  

The truth is, however, we are encouraged to apply the lessons in the bible to all other areas of our lives. In Luke 16:8 we are told that people of the world are better at looking toward the future than the sons of light.  In other words, they, the unsaved, plan for money on earth better than we plan for treasures in heaven.  As you can see from this example, applying the bible to our immediate lives and to our spiritual lives is both valid and beneficial.

So what does 2 Timothy 1:7 actually mean?  Paul is telling us to be bold about our faith in Jesus.  He reinforces this lesson by telling us that we were not born to Jesus to be afraid or ashamed of the Gospel message that brought us to light to begin with. That in fact, the Holy Spirit indwelt us at our acceptance of Jesus, gives us the Power as well as the Love and Self Control necessary to pass the message on.

This same formula works in our real lives.  If you are responding to the call of God in your daily life, work and relationships, as we should all be doing, then the same spirit will reward our faith with Power, Love and Self-Control.

Wow.  We really do have it all.  Just check into the House of the Lord, and you can wield the tools promised.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 21 - Want Somebody to Love Secret - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

1 John 4:7-8 - (NIV): "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."

In the words of Jefferson Airplane's "Don't You Want Somebody To Love", Don't you want somebody to Love? But this song, though awesome as music, is not a good source of happiness.  There are not answers here. 

In 1 John 4 we are being told that we should love one another, as if loving on another is difficult and not a day to day occurrence.  

Think back to the last time you were angry at someone.  

Got that picture in your mind. 

Good.

That is what John is talking about.  It shouldn't be there, and the Love that should be there comes from only one place.  It comes from God.  So if you lost your cool, as we all do, it means we lost our love, and we need to be in contact with God more often.

So, if you have already been saved, and can say you were born of God, (if you do not know if you are, click the link at the bottom of this message) then you have walked away some how.  Fortunately, in the same verse, we are told the solution.  All love comes from God.  

Want some, walk back to God, or run back, or just stop for a second and hear and see the Love of God. See the bottom for some easy ways to walk back toward God.

Now, if you don't feel as though you have enough love in your life, the answer is just as easy.  You need more God in your life.

How to do that is just as easy.  Here are some clues from the bible.

1) Go to Church.

2) Hang out with others who are born of God,

3) Talk about the stuff in your life that bothers you with fellow Christians.

4) Read the bible daily. (If you run out of time, then you can always just subscribe to this daily verse of inspiration, and use it as a daily devotional.)

5) Smile.  God Loves you.

6) Finally, never forget, Smile, God Loves You.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 16 -The Answer about Thankfulness - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Psalm 107:1 - (NIV1984): "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Some people will tell you that everything you have, you earned, without any help from anyone.  ~ They are wrong.

Some people will tell you that everything you have you had nothing to do with; that it was all a gift from somewhere else.  ~ They are wrong.

I once had a student that was sent to a Christian collage that disagreed with nearly every aspect of what he believed about Jesus.  He hated the rules. He hated the doctrine. He hated it all, and his parent's would not allow him to go somewhere else.  His fellow students from our karate school decided to send him some awesome gifts, including items, cash, food and the like.

A few months later one of our parents told me that she was really disappointed in this person's behavior.  When I asked her why, she said that he never thanked any of the 100's of people who contributed to his rescue package.  That shocked me, so I asked him about it.

His answer shocked me.  He said that he was ONLY thankful to God for that stuff.  God MADE those people send it too him, so he did not owe them any thanks.

God uses people in our lives all the time.  He sends them into our lives to rescue us, to teach us and to help us all the time.  Just because God sent them does not mean they had to answer the call.  Some of them answered it because they were Christians and knew the need for Charity when they saw it.  Some of them answered the call because they were grateful because this young man had made a difference in their lives.  (That happened because he was a Christian.)  Some of them answered the call because others were doing it too, and they always join the group.  The point is, God did not compel any of them to answer the call. They chose to answer the call.

His belief that God did it was valid.  His belief that people did not have a role in his rescue package was wrong.

What's the solution?  Thankfulness to God for supplying the way and thankfulness to the people for being the way is the solution.

God's love will last forever.  People's love will not.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 12 - The Road to Heaven is Paved Too- Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Used by Permission: www.GoodJobNotes.com

1 John 4:19 - (NIV1984)

"We love because he first loved us."

When I was growing up, and all the way through college and young adulthood, I thought that heaven was free, which it is, and easy to lose; based on behavior, which it is not.

Let me give you an example.  "The to hell is paved with good intentions."  It is assumed and implied that you intentions and behavior can alter your state of grace, or the degree to which you are forgiven you sins.

Or, "if you don't change your ways, you will go to hell."  A touch more direct.  Your behavior can send you to hell, but still wrong.

That's not the truth though, and it is not the message Jesus was born and died for.  If he wanted you to know you were going to hell, all he had to do was tell you. Instead he showed you love, and tell you the good news, that heaven was free, and available to everyone. (For a better explanation of how he died for you click here.) He wants you in heaven so much, he died for you.  

Some people think we have to earn our way into heaven, as if we make the first move; as if what YOU could pay the bill for your sin. As if you could compel the Lord into action. As if there was a magic formula.  1 John 4:19 tells us that those people have it wrong.  First he loved us.  All we have to do is love him.  That's it. Love him.

But there is still more in this short verse.  We LOVE because he first loved us.  We learn how to and then we do LOVE, but not just the Lord.  You want to love the lord, then you love his people too.

Jesus has already made the first move.  He loved you.  Balls in your court now!

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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Day 3 - Super God - Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

Romans 8:37-39 - (NIV1984):  "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In the Sunday School in which I teach, there are three classes, Kindergarten, 1st - 2nd Grade  and 3rd - 5th Grade.  The Kindergarten class is taught in a different room, and the 1st - 5th grade start in one room.  After a short lesson, praise and worship and offering, the 1st - 2nd grade go to their own class room. (For some of our lesson plans, see Easy Sunday School Lesson Plans.)

This week, I was rushed all week, so I did not have as much time as I usually have to prepare my lesson plan, so I took it from a bible reading that made my life better this week, Isaiah 41:10 (NIV1984) - "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.I will strengthen you and help you;I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

I spent the first twenty minutes teaching about the Strength, Power and Help that God has for all of us.  It went really well, since it is part of my life daily, and the kids responded better than I expected.

As it turned out, the other teacher in my group was teaching 2 Kings 6:8-23, where God comes to Israel's help with an army of Angels.  They were already there, but a prayer had to be made for one of them to see the army that God had already sent.  The Help was not just the army being there, but the peace that came when he saw the army of angels.  

The other teacher was a little awe stricken, because neither of us had talked to each other about what we were teaching.  We just picked verses about God being the ever present helper, without talking to each other first.

Then the music teacher was amazed, because the song she was going to teach this day was one she had just heard at a Chris Tomlin concert.  The story of the song is very powerful, but the song's name, "Whom Shall I Fear?" and its message, that God is always near us, helping us, made a coincidence into a very awesome display of the power of the Holy spirit.  Three teachers who had not talked to each other, all blowing off the curriculum the same day, and all picking the same lesson to teach the same day in the same class.

It gets even more powerful.  As my wife was walking past the kindergarten class room, she saw the teacher, whom just happens to be our daughter, standing up on the tables teaching the children about God always being there to help them.  She ALWAYS follows a lesson plan, but today, since the clocks had to be turned back due to DST, she had to punt some.  Children kept showing up late, so she changed some of the plan to be about God always being there to help.

He wanted us to teach that lesson, and all 4 of us did teach the same lesson, unknown to the others.  I do not know if it was me, some other teacher or one of the students, but he wanted us to hear that word, and he made it happen.

That is the power of our God.  He wanted us to know that he is a super power all on his own.  No difficulty, so difference between us, no issues known or unknown can prevent God from being there for you.  HE IS SUPER GOD, AND HE IS YOUR SUPER GOD.

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For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

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I Hate the Attack Mode - Be the Blessing not the Curse

I am Not a world class biblical scholar or a classical linguist. Just me, with the aid of the Holy Spirit and a near infinite supply of Bible Translations on my computer and/or on my phone, combined with a all too overwhelming supply of historical work and real time translation of Greek and Hebrew. But mostly, just reading the bible everyday, for 20 years.

One of the sorrows in my life is hearing the word twisted and pointed at a Christian Denomination or a Pastor, as if we, or more personally, I, am not twisted too. As if I am somehow the second human in the history of the world to have avoided the contamination of sin, and am so clean, I can be my brothers or sisters Judge.

Most assuredly, the scripture asks, no, tells us how to correct a brother we think is in error, and demands that we do so; but notice, when I quote it below, that there is no ancient equivalent to "post it on face book," or "Twitter Bomb," them if they are evil. There are many directives on not hurling curses at them however. Think about it for a second. If your final conclusion is that they are not of Christ, why waste your energy on condemning them; it's not your job. They are of the world, and we are NOT to hold them to our standard. A really good example of what Jesus would do in the face of "capital" sin, by one who did not claim knowledge of God, is John 8:7 (ESV) When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

 Just Love them, just as Jesus did. If they are a fellow follower of Jesus, to whose advantage is their public slaughter, other than Satan of course.
Matthew 18:15-17 (ESV) Tells us how to deal with issues with brothers. "“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."  (Just a question though.  How did Jesus talk to and treat tax collectors?  You know, like Matthew, they guy who the Holy Spirit used to write this Gospel. Matthew 9:9  (ESV). )

Why talk to him the first time alone,  rather than just go tell him how evil and un-Godly his behavior is? 

I will give you an example.  A close friend recently gave me some news about a pastor, whom I follow and read and trust, dealing with Eastern Thought, specifically Meditation.  I know quite a bit about that, because in the '70s I was into TM hook line and sinker.  I was way past exploring it, I have since discovered it's non-biblical roots and its traps.  For me, it was the serpent that encouraged me to be god, rather than follow God. I flipped out at hearing this news.  How Could he, I thought.  That particular form of eastern thought is a pillar in a non-Christ religious system.  When the founder was asked in the late 70's why they had dropped the official sanction of religion in TM, he said that it did not matter if the practitioners knew they were talking to the cosmic consciousness or not.  They were talking to he/it, and he/it talked back.  In other words, if you practice mediation like TM, you are hooked on not-God even if you think you are not.  So I whipped out a killer crush email to this pastor.  Good thing for me that it was stopped by his official office staff wall of protection, as I got standard boiler plate email in response.  Like you get from your Representative to congress when you email them.  Thank you for caring.  Pastor XXXX is happy to help. Blah Blah Blah.Etc.  

Now I was really angry.  I tried step one, talking to him directly, and failed.  Well, kinda step one.  Writing and email is not like talking to someone face to face or on the phone.  It is the cowards way out.  Face to face or voice to voice requires a higher degree of social grace.  Any fool can email.  I was any fool.

So I skipped step two, and went to my pastor to tell him how wrong he was, and did not know he was wrong, because his friend was sponsoring this evil pastor who was dealing with Eastern Thought.  Shame on him.  My super power personal experience would be enough to convince anyone with a lesser experience.

My pastor listened to my rant.  When I came up for air, he told me that this pastor was NOT suggesting the use of meditation as I knew it.  Rather, he was allowing these non-christian elements into his sphere, because it was most likely the only way he could get them into a church, to hear the gospel.  He was operating under the totally Christ-like behavior of talking to everyone, especially the tax collections and thieves, buy showing them the churches love, and then telling them the truth.

Oh, I said.  He is preaching to them when they are in his church?

Yes, that is the only reason he is doing it.

I do that in Sunday School.  I don't care which friends the students bring.  Saved, or unsaved, Jesus loves them.  Unsaved, however, need the word even more.  Yea to the unsaved coming to Sunday School because it is Fun, rather than for God.  Who cares why they first came, as long as all the time they hear the word and feel the love of Christ.

So, now all such attacks seem the same to me.  Catholics are twisted.  Really?  Without them, there would be no church.  They stood up for Christ when no one else would for 1500 years.  Did the Catholics make mistakes?  Sure.  Has your denomination?  Sure.

I teach martial arts.  In my town some not so nice person is putting up posters everywhere that tell you to google Martial Arts and Sex Crimes.  Why?  Because he wants people to think there is a connection.  What do you think you will find if you google that?  Martial Arts and Sex crimes is my guess.  Duh.  If you would google Martial Arts and Changing Lives you would find a lot too.  You get what you look for.  This guy is angry.

So, let me google some things for you.

Is 1.2 Million a Lot?

1.4 Million for Those Who Preach Christ

I'm a Baptist ....  Am I therefor Evil?

If you are looking for dirt to throw at your fellow Christians, it's not hard to find. But that is not what we are supposed to do.

I know we are supposed to be each other's humble servants: John 13:14 (NIV) "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet."

I know we are supposed to honor one another: Romans 12:10 (NIV) Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

I know we are supposed to be convinced that we are all full of goodness: Romans 15:14 (NIV) I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.

I know we are supposed to be patient with each other: Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

I know we are supposed to encourage each other so sin will not get us down: Hebrews 3:13 (NIV) But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

So, I want to apologize for all the harsh not so blessing filled things I have ever said about or to any fellow brothers and sister's in Christ.  We are not supposed to be about that.  We are supposed to be about love.

Spread the Word.  God is Love.  None of us is worthy at all, much less more worthy than another fellow Christian. Spread the Word.  We are the hands and feet of Christ, and each other's servants.  Let us begin to change the world with the Word and Power and Christ. Today.  Right Now.

Faith without Works is Hypocrisy or My Wife is Super Women

8:10am - Anne in Group Two at the Start of Run for Home Base 2012

Sunday Morning, at 8:10am, Anne McCoy, my wife, started the 9k road race fund raiser called Run to Home Base, 2012. The 9k, put on by Mass General Hospital, the Red Sox Foundation and New Balance, along with many other sponsors and helpers, is run primarily to provide support for soldiers who return from war with TBI ( Traumatic Brain Injury) and to support their families, who are at least as damaged by the injury as their soldier is.

A little back ground.  Anne is 54 years old for this race.  It is her third race.  She runs it to help the families of those injured.  This is because her husband has had TBI for nearly 25 years, and during that whole time, the McCoy's have beat the odds, and she wants to help others beat the odds too.

It is NOT just another race to her. It is working out her faith. In Micah 7:7, Micah says: "But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me." It is hard to explain how living with a family member with TBI changes everything.  The person you married is not longer there, and is replaced by someone else.  In our case, Paul was a physicist.  He now can not add 2 digit numbers in his head, and lives in a world of fear, brought on by the injury, and it's full array of affective disorders.  Anne finds herself in the position of primary care giver for a person who is not the person she married, and is only getting worse.  Add to that a fairly major loss of memory both short and long term, and you get a picture of a spouse under attack.  But she leans on the Lord, and he has heard her.  In return, she is reaching out so others can find peace.  With this injury, it is all about faith, because the reality of the whole thing is hard to fathom.

So, every year she and Paul get up at 2:15am, so they can leave their home to pick up there adult daughter Barbara, and drive to Boston, so she can run in the race.  In order to run in the race, you must raise a minimum of $1000.  Anne and her daughter own a small business in Massachusetts called McCoy's Action Karate, and as you might imagine, in this or any economy, $1000 commitment is large, but such is the nature of her faith and her desire to help.  To say nothing of waking up that early in the morning.

By 5:00am, they have arrived at Riverside MBTA, the first stop on the Greenline, for a 30 minute ride on a train to Fenway park.  Why this early?  Because the organizers want you to check in by 6:30am.  You can see from the picture, she is far more awake than at 3:00am, and still far from awake.

15 minutes after this picture was taken, the train showed up.  On its 12 or so stops before she got off the train, maybe 20 people got on and rode the train.  That is how early it was on a Sunday morning.

Opening Ceremony - 8:15am

From 6:30 to 8:15, you get to walk around Fenway park, read the signs and history, learn about TBI, and wait for the opening speeches.  In our case, 90% of the displays talks about getting help soon, in order to limit the damage.  When Paul was damaged in the mid 80's, few even knew what TBI was, and there was no treatment to speak off.  Constant battles with insurance companies, one of which ended badly in 2007ish.  TBI is not really recognized by anyone, except the person with it, and every once in a while, the families of those with TBI.  So most of this stuff just reminded us that Paul was permanently damaged, and there is no road back.  It is over, and the only hope is that the slide down the hill will be slow.  Not really inspiring. Yet, Barbara and Anne McCoy found material that will help their Karate Instructors help parents prevent injury in their student at karate and at any other sport.  So, though it is an atmosphere of no hope for Paul, it was an atmosphere of Hope for others.  That is how faith works.  You love your neighbor, and you let God take care of you.

Then the race starts, and the picture of that is at the top of this blog.  During the race, which for Anne took 1 hour and 20 minutes, you hear stories of soldiers and family members who have been injured and suffered from TBI, the "invisible wound."  This year, they had a vet from Desert Storm as a Marine, who when he returned home, became a State Police Officer.  When 9/11 shocked the US, he re-enlisted, this time as a member of the US Army Special Forces.  When he returned, his life went down hill, because, as he put it, he did not wish to admit he was wounded with a brain injury.  He was arrested, tried, and Run to Home Base became his salvation and way back to life in the world.  He accepts that he is responsible for his actions, loss of impulse control being one of the most common symptoms of TBI, and urged us to help others with this horrible injury.

Anne Finished at 9:20am

This is a hard thing to hear when you have lived a life that is close to what you are hearing.  It is hard to admit you are injured.  Far easier to accept responsibility for your actions in fact.  Admitting that you can not help yourself is the HARDEST part of TBI, and is one of the biggest reason so many with the injury end up dead or in jail.

Anne runs this race to make a statement that only God helped her, since TBI was unknown when Paul was injured.  Now, she can be the hands and feet of God by reaching out to others, and that is what she did, so far 3 years in a row.

We finished our trip by returning home by 1:30pm Sunday afternoon.  

Let me summarize.  TBI is horrible to live with, but once you have the injury for 20 years, you are not going to get any better.  You only have a few choices.  One,  the most common, is to destroy your marriage and life, perhaps even end your life.  The other is to live with it.  Anne has picked option 3.  She is helping others, out of Love for them and because of the Love the Lord has shown her.  Faith in action.

Why else?  Because Anne, my wife, is a Super Hero.

Oh, and to get this picture ....  Super Hero Anne with another Super Hero,

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Did you Know we have a Facebook page where a daily bible verse and at times some awesome help from others is available?  Visit DoesGodServeYou on Facebook.

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If you would like to help Anne build her fund for the race she just ran, or for next year, donate here.  Do something.  Love is an action.

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Peace

Credit: Free images from acobox.com

John 14:27 - (ESV): "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."


My mind races with the consequences of my actions every moment of my waking life it seems.  For example, 2 months ago, I hit a car in a parking lot.  At the time, I was not sure I hit it.  I looked, it did not appear damaged, so i parked 10 feet from the car, and waited for my wife to do her business within the building I was parked in front of.  She came out and told me to drive next door to pick her up.  On the way out, just to make sure I did not hit the car, and if I did hit it, I did not damage it, I looked again.  Seemed whole to me.  I pulled out of the parking lot, turned left, saw why wife, pulled to the side of the road, picked her up, and spent the next 45 minutes going from business to business for her within the same town.


Then, as I was entering the Geo Tag in facebook, for the business she was then inside of, a local police officer scared the tar out of me by sticking his head in the van's window.  You gotta know that this was a 15 passenger van, and was very tall, so his head actually was right in front of mine, face to face.  He then told me we had a problem.  Since I was still thinking about the near miss I had in the parking lot, when he told me that I had hit the car, I said "Oh Crap  --  I did hit it?"

Credit: Free photos from acobox.com

He flipped out. Reminded me of a DI. Screaming, pointing, being rude, calling my wife a Girl, refusing to accept the registration which in CT in on the windshield, refusing the insurance card at first, never letting me tell him what happened.  He just went nuts.


Since then I have been told that he was probably not used to people telling him the truth, so he just assumed I had hit the car and left the area.  He was told that I had hit the car, sped away, picking my wife up on the side of the road, and beat feet to get out of the area.  No one told him I had been there for 10 minutes after I evidently did hit the car.  It did not occur to him that I was still within a mile of the store where this happened 45 minutes later. 


Rather, in his rush to PROVE that I was an idiot, he wrote on the report that there was food wrapping trash from the store I was parked at when all this happened.  There was trash on the floor, for sure, but not from there.  We don't eat there.  It makes me ill.  In addition, my wife and spent 10 minutes talking to friends inside the store, and they have volunteered to tell the law that we did not buy any food.  Further, I have the Geo Tags which are time stamped to show how long I was there.  No one fled the scene.  10 minutes I was parked within 10 feet, and there were only 2 or 3 cars in the parking lot.


He never asked.  He just assumed I was a bad guy.  After I got the citation, he finally asked why I left.  I said, "If I remember -- "  He yelled, "What do you mean, if I remember, it only happened 30 minutes ago?"  I apologized, and said, "I have a brain injury, and I ...." He yelled, "I don't care."  I lost it.  I walked into his personal space, put my face inches from his face, and said, "Excuse me?"  The reason I told him I have a brain injury is because I have VERY poor short term memory.  I only remember emotional things, and those poorly.  This one I wrote down.


Why is this important?  Because I failed the Lord.  I know I did not do much wrong.  I should have called the police, even though I could find no damage, or was even sure I hit that car.  I should have looked more carefully.  I did not, I am not at peace because of it.  I am afraid of the court date too. Why?  Because the officers report was horrible.  His vision of what happened is all one sided.  Makes me look very bad.  I could have prevented that, if I just remembered who this life is all about.  I abandoned the peace of the Lord and tried to do it on my own.


The problem only escalates for TBI patients though.  Now, since I can not really remember what happened, only what I tell people happened, and fear rules my day, I see myself in prison for 15 years.  Not possible, but that is the nature of my illness.


So why don't I have the peace of the Lord?  Am I not forgiven?


Perhaps my conservative friends are right, and the Lord is punishing me for my loss of control.  You know, Forgiven but still responsible.  I don't buy that, but that is running around in my head.


Perhaps God just does not care about me right now.  I don't buy that either, but obviously I have thought it.

But then I ran across this verse.  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Jesus, as he was dying, left us a gift far bigger than I at first understood.


He left us Peace, and not just any Peace, His Peace.  


Wow.


Jesus did not leave it there, just in case I misunderstood.  He said, Not the world's peace - you know, the forgive but don't forget type, but His peace.


And just to make sure I did not miss the point, he tells me to not be troubled or afraid.


So why was I troubled and afraid when I started writing this?  
Because I allowed the world's peace to be my guide.


Why am I sitting up straighter and breathing slowly right now, without the fear or trouble?
Because I accepted this gift too.  Right here.  Right now.


Read the Bible, listen to Holy Spirit within you, and be at peace.  It is your new birth right.  Own it.

Hold on Baby, Cause God is On the Job

The other night, Anne and I attended High Pointe Church's annual Christmas show. The year it was a remake of "One Wintry Night - Seeing is Believing."


At the end, as is the custom at most churches I have attended, the Pastor go up and made a passionate and spiritual presentation about salvation, and it's importance.  He spent a lot of time on the concept that God frequently picks people to do things that do not volunteer, such as Abraham not asking God to move; Moses not asking God to send a burning bush his way; Daniel not asking to be sent to the lions den.  This was interesting, and not at all what I was thinking, but it is important enough for me to mention.


However, I learned something else that never occurred to me.  First you have to know, though I am an evangelical Christian, I am not an "in your face" Christian.  In fact, I am a Christian that has learned from my study of the bible that yelling about hell at people who do not know God was NOT what Jesus did.  He helped people, loved people and yanked the chains only of those who should have know better.


Friday I was talking to a friend that is having some serrious issues in her life, issues that go beyond the TBI injury we share; Issues that go beyond the depression that all of us in the group that was gathered shared.  She has some serious stress based on life.  In the back of my head, I hear a voice say, "Tell her that there is a way out."  I waited, because I do NOT normally bring God into a situation where I have not been invited to.  The situation, however, was serious.  I heard the voice again, decided it was a calling for me to act, and I suggested to her that I was going to say something that if she ignored, I would not be unhappy.  I pointed out that most of us in the discussion leaned on God from time to time for our lives.  That God was not just and end point resident in heaven, but a living God.


She said, "I don't buy that, 'God only gives me what I can handle' thing.  This is too Big.  Again, it is big.  I said that it was cool, but if she ever wanted to talk about it, any of us would be happy to talk to her about it.


If you are searching you brain for the scripture support for what she said, it is: 1 Corinthians 10:13 and speaks of not Temptation being able to overcome us.


Most sermons, homily and articles I have read about this verse always point out that it is often misquoted as only giving us what we can handle rather than being about temptation.


I disagree strongly.  I recently read a book called Good News for Those Trying Harder, and the author pointed out to me that the first commandment is, Thou shall have not other God before me.  Anytime we try to handle a situation that is bigger than us; anytime we try to do anything without God, we are making our own skill and power more important that God. That is called idolatry.  So, assuming we can or should be able to handle a problem on our own, without God, is temptation.  So 1 Corinthians 10:13 is for our problems.

Knowing that makes the Christmas Story way different for me.  The major theme of the performance we watched was the difficulty that each person in the Christmas story had nothing easy to overcome.


Mary was faced with the loss of her intended husband and even her life. At the time she was was pregnant, without being married, they stoned women for adultary.  So, when the angel told Mary what was going to happen in Luke 1:26-38, she should have freaked out, cause she was going to die.  Instead, she accepted her role, and God protected her.


Joseph could have acted as any male would have when he found out his wife to be was pregnant, and he risked be thrown out of the village, which was pretty close to a death sentence.  Instead, he chose to follow God in Matthew 1:18-21, and God protected him.


The "wise men" knew of the birth of the king, and risked their lives, in a journey to a foreign land, saw the current king, and left without telling him what was going on, as we read in Matthew 2:1-12  In those days, that would have been enough to be killed.  Yet, God protected them.


Then an angle shows up, and tells the family they have to leave their country, or they are going to be killed as we can read in Matthew 2:16-18.  This too is a death sentence for poor people, yet God provided the money .... the gifts from the wise men.


Common theme. If God asks you to do something, even in our own lives, then he will protect you and provide for you.  Jesus is the supreme example for everything in our lives, and is here too.  The down side is the world is going to mess with you, because the world does not love God.  The world will fight back.  All hope will seem to be lost. Yet, God will provide as he has always done.  1 John 4:4 says it all.  God is greater than he who is in the world.


So Fear NOT, for God is with you.  He will help.  He will Support.  Isaiah 41:10.