Devotional: Worship

The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me.        -Isaiah 29:13 (CSB)

Have you ever had someone tell you something very nice to your face, but then when they are whispering behind your back, you find out they are saying mean things? It happens a lot. People do not always say what they mean, think, or feel. It happens in schools, work places, and sometimes even at church. Sometimes we do it to God. We say "Praise God in the storm!" and turn and utter blasphemes in the aftermath.

God knows our hearts, he doesn't have to hear our words, but he likes to hear them. When we stick so strictly to the man made rules of worship in our churches, we forget how to really worship God. It is our actions and our hearts that we use to praise God. These are the tools we should be using to worship.

From bible.com

Sticking to "the way it's always been" means nothing to a God who sings new songs. Let's not let human made rules keep us from giving our hearts to the Lord. Do not let your praise and worship be only lip-service, but put your whole heart into life-service for God.

Lord, may the actions of my life and heart praise you.

Devotional: Be Strong

Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Do everything in love.              -1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Keeping things close to your chest, being safe and relaxed is something, I think, all humans do. It comes natural to know we have something to fall back onto when we are troubled. Man caves, she sheds, even just having a roof over our heads, we all want the security and comfort of knowing it is there. When we step out of that zone, it is hard to be courageous. Asking someone out, trying something new, skydiving, there are all sorts of things to fall back into comfort and hide.

From bible.com

But God told us to be courageous. Being strong and courageous is often thought of with Joshua. But it is used a lot, the author of Psalm 27:14 added wait for the Lord. Paul added being alert and standing firm in the faith. We usually look at this quote as an encouragement, something to build your confidence up with, but God gave it as a command. Joshua 1:9 God reminded Joshua that it was a command to be strong and courageous. It isn't a choice Christians have, it is an command from God.

Paul added "Do everything in love." Indeed, with love like God's, we should be a mighty and strong army of believers. Where ever we go, people should look and wonder how we are so loving, and want a piece of this. Love is dangerous, but we have faith in God, who is the best love, and we can face the world with strength and courage. We can change the whole world by doing everything we do if we do it with a strong and courageous love.

Lord, help me go out this day with firm footing in you. Give me courage and strength to love like only you can do.

Devotional: Giving

But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.   -Matthew 6:3-4 (CSB)

People want instant gratification. They want to be in the spot light and be thanked for doing anything even giving to the poor. From time to time you will hear a news story about how a star in Hollywood has donated several thousand dollars to some charity for example making a tweet about how you are going to give $500,000 to charity. This is a good thing, but putting it out there is to get the people to reward you with their praise. Philanthropy is a great thing, but when we do it to get the gratification and instant recognition for doing it, we have already received our reward.

From bible.com

Jesus told us not to sound trumpets like the hypocrites do, but give in secret. Even to the point of hiding it from your own body. When you give in privately, God will be the one who rewards you for it. Just as doing good deeds in front of others so the
y see it, you have your rewards. They applaud you, smack you on the back and say "Good Job." But when you do good, when you give, God will give you a much better reward, and one that will last forever.

Imagine how cool it would be that when you get to heaven, Jesus shows you the place he prepared for you and behind it he shows you a giant warehouse. He turns to you and smiles, "Oh for all the good things you did in private, giving to the poor, doing good things to random people, my Father has given you everything in this building, rewards that are so beyond whatever you could have earned on earth." You get everything you could ever want and Jesus will be there to enjoy it with you. And it is just between you and the Lord of All Creation.

Lord, give me the chance to give in secret, to give with love like you give to us. Give me the chance to brighten someones day and share your great Grace to the world.

Devotional: Love

From bible.com

If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. -1 Corinthians 13:2 (NLT)

There are many superheroes in the (fictional) world today. We have a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe that has become a box office juggernaut. We have decades of comic books, nearly a century actually, to look at as well. Some of these heroes have powers or gifts we can only dream of, flying, laser eyes, able to climb walls, and teleportation just to name a few. The are, in a way, the pinnacle of humanity in what they can do and make us normal humans look like we are nothing. But according to Paul in Corinthians, if they don't love others, they are nothing.

God gives us many gifts to use to further His kingdom here on Earth. If you have never taken a spiritual gifts survey, it is a very good thing to do. It can shed light on things that you might not realize you would be good at. He gives us many things when we ask, Solomon had wisdom unparalleled, but despite all the gifts we have, all the wisdom we could ask for, we are nothing at all if we do not love.

Jesus loved us so much as to die upon the cross for us. God loved us so much that he sent his son to die. Jesus summed up all the laws when he reminded us the greatest commandment is love God with all you are, and love your neighbor as yourself. Love is always the answer. Let's be something more than we are, let's be superheroes in a world of hurt and pain, and love everyone with such an overwhelming love it can only be God.

Lord, as I go through the day, remind me to love. Teach me how to love like you do. Help me to be something in the world, a superhero even, by showing this world your overwhelming love. 

Devotional: Strong Refuge

From bible.com

The Lord is good, a strong refuge when trouble comes. He is close to those who trust him."     Nahum 1:7 NLT

You ever feel like the world is crushing you with trouble after trouble? It is very easy to relate to other people through the troubles. The wildfires in California have devastated many peoples lives. Troubles do not come much harder than losing everything you own. Natural disasters all over the world have left so many people hurting, feeling destroyed, like God is out to get them. But hard times and troubles will come to everyone at some point. It is what we do during those times that make a difference in our lives.

Some people just drop, crying, blaming everyone and everything they can. While others lash out at people trying to help. Sadly troubles do not show the best side of humans. But Christians, we know that troubles come every day, while sometimes they are worse than others, we have a place we can go to find peace. God told the people of Nineveh of destruction and devastation that would befall them. Something that could happen to any of us at any time as well. But as the prophet told them about his anger, like a fire turning even the mountains to dust, He gave them a hope and a comfort.

The Lord is the refuge we all need when troubles come, and the fires devastate, the earthquakes destroy, and our loved ones die. If we trust in the Lord, we will have a peace amidst the flame. We have an assurance that we will be ok. A chance to remember that we are not of this world, but we are of Heaven, where all our tears will be wiped away, and we will be a peace forever. It is hard to deal with at the moment, but try hard to keep God close

Lord as I face daily troubles, and hope against the life changing kind, I ask that you pull me closer to your mighty refuge. That I trust in you completely no matter what comes my way. 

Devotional: By Grace

From bible.com

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. -Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

Do you know someone who likes to boast about the things they've done? Maybe it is boasting about their Gamerscore, or how much money they make. Maybe it is about things they own, or some thing in their life they hold as very high importance. A lot of people boast about a lot of things. I understand boasting is more about showing how you are better than the person you are talking to. I have a problem with people when they boast to put others down, but I also know that I sometimes boast like this as well. And we are in good company, so did the early church.

It seems to me, that Paul had to remind the people of Ephesus that it the salvation that God gives us is not because of something we have done, but something God did for us, through Grace. Paul is reminding us that salvation is not something we earned, something we work day in and day out to get. No it was given to us by God because we believed in his Son. In fact, we have done nothing to even earn his grace but he loved us so completely anyways.

So if you have a feeling to boast about anything today, boast about the abundant love God has for us. How when we did nothing to earn it, God gave us a way to salvation through his Son and the love God has for us. God is truly something boast-worthy.

Lord, when I feel the need to try one up someone, remind me that the only thing I have to boast is you. Help me to share you with the world so they too may be able to boast You.

Devotional: Victory

Hey everyone, it, again, has been a long time. I have had a really hard time writing anything. I have many drafts of things that I haven't been able to work out yet. Yet nothing to post, so I thought I would try something new. I am going to take the daily verse from the bible app I use. I don't think these will be long, kind of like devotional size, or maybe not. We will see. I am hoping I can do this for more than one post.... We will see.

From bible.com

"No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is our through Christ, who loved us."

-Romans 8:37 NLT

It is easy in this world to feel broken, lost, defeated. Sometimes you feel so very far from Jesus, maybe even think he no longer loves you because of all the pain you face, but we have an assurance that few others have in hard times. Despite everything that can go wrong, everything that we can lose, we have the final victory through Jesus. The CJB version says we are superconquerors, I like that. We are not just the winners, we are in every way possible, so much over just being a winner, we have God's own promise of victory over death, and eternity with him.

How are we so sure that we have this "overwhelming victory" in every battle we may face? We have "...Christ, who loved us." This takes me back to John. How much did Christ Jesus love us? That he gave his life on the cross for whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life. This is a guarantee. Jesus was the first to be risen, not by someone else, but by his own hand, and he is our key to a door we will open at the end of all things. And if Jesus loved us so much that he was willing to die for us, how much more the love of God is that he sent Him to die for us, to bring us back to Him.

No matter what takes you down in your day, be assured that things will get better. You will have the victory and peace in your life, when we become one with God. We can face anything that the world throws at us because we already won, 2000 years ago at the cross.

Lord, when I hit a hard time in my life, remind me that it will not last, that I already have victory through your Son and will have eternity to revel in Your victory.

Wesley's Three Historical Questions

There are so many things I have to do to become a pastor. They tell us not to look at it as jumping through hoops, but I will be honest, I feel like I am in a circus of craziness. I feel rather lost-at-sea as I progress further. Most recent was a series of questions John Wesley wrote. These questions are used by the churches as they approve the candidate for the ministry, or not.

They are rather hard questions that really make you look at yourself deeply. I have no idea if they are correct, or if there is even a right and wrong way of answering them. (I guess if your answer is a no to anything then it might be the wrong answer.) But I thought I would share with you my answers, and the questions themselves so that maybe someone out there will find these while they are discerning their call and help them as others had helped me. I really think that they would benefit all of us if we were to sit and ponder them more often even if we are not going to be pastors.


1. Do they know God as pardoning God? Have they the love of God abiding in them? Do they desire nothing but God? Are they Holy in all manner of conversation?

I know God is a pardoning God by acknowledging I am a sinner, and He has removed my sin by the death of his son on the cross. God’s love abides in me, and I wish to better express and demonstrate his love by loving those who have wronged me and forgiving them and myself of all sins past and future. I desire nothing but God and continue to try and live every day as close to God as I can. I struggle to show God in everyday life, but I desire to grow closer and replace my every thought with God’s voice. And it is by God’s grace that even when I am not holy in conversation, I am forgiven and have another chance to better myself and share God’s love to those I talk with.


2. Have they gifts, as well as evidence of God’s Grace, for the work? Have they a clear, sound understanding; a right judgment in the things of God; a just conception of salvation by faith? Do they speak justly, readily, clearly?

I have been given gifts of leadership, knowledge, and teaching and I have continued to grow these through my job, and will continue to grow and add to them through continued education and study. I try and look at things of God from multiple angles, to discern and understand God’s will in what I hear, read, or see. I know I am saved by faith, because I understand I could never do anything to save myself, but that salvation is given to me by the grace God gave me when I believed fully. I feel I need work in my speaking, being someone who is shy to a near crippling degree, I dread having to be in the front of people, but I know and have experienced how God calms those fears and allows me to speak for him.

3. Have they fruit? Have they been truly convinced of sin and converted to God, and are believers edified by their service?

I am convinced of sin and how it keeps us from God. I want to leave all my sin behind so that there is nothing left in me but God. I want to show my friends and those near me the love of God and how it can change a soul. I want to lift and build up believers so they can go out and also lift and build up others. I want to share the grace and love of God with those who have not yet believed, to help them see that there is a better way out there. Something that fills all those holes in their hearts they think can never be filled.

Sermon: Hardened

Mark 1:16-20 (NIV)

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

Today at work, though it is not the today that you read this, but the today that I write this, which will probably be a quite a few yesterdays from today, was a fairly normal day, not too busy, but not to slow and I had dealt with a good amount of customers. While most of them were friendly a few weren't. The last few really pushed my buttons, if you know what I mean. They came in seconds before I could get off the counter for the evening, and one of them thought it was a good a time as any to browse the tool section for something to install a leaf spring bushing. He was looking for a tool to pull the bushing into the spring. I tried to explain to him that it would be easier to push the bushing in with a c-clamp or something like it. I told him that had worked well for me n the past and for several other customers. Just seconds before the automatic lights shut off, I rang him out and he left.

I quickly shut the registers off and took the drawers into the back to count the drawer. While I was doing that I heard a knocking on the door, but ignored it since I cannot open the door with money out. Then the phone began to ring while I finished up and with just one more thing to do I answered the phone, saying we were closed. Long story short, a part was wrong in the box, but I didn’t have another one to give him. He was angry and hung up on me.

Now, this is not just me complaining, giving background to the thoughts I had on the way home. If you were not aware before, but might be now, I have started the first steps to become a pastor. I am still far from that and have many more things to do toward that, but I have already had doubts that I can do this, or that it is really what God wants me to do. I thought about playing the game with the powers that be at work and trying to get my own store, doing a safe and mostly benign job selling car parts. It’s something I know well and can do well. Becoming a pastor, is something I have no clue what to do, how to do it, and I’m scared of the possibility that I will no longer be in control of anything.

As these doubts came into my head, a thought occurred to me. I said to myself, “And God hardened his heart.” I don’t know why I thought of that, but I chuckled to myself afterwards. The stress and anger at situations like what I mentioned at closing time at work, is actually a help in pushing me forward to this call God has been telling me for 20 years now. It is not that God made my heart a stone, to resist and become something I am not. Truth is, I have been burned out at work and stretched thin on what I still liked about my job. What God did was give me the ability to realize that I do not want to sell car parts anymore. I DO want to become whatever it is God is going to make me.

Maybe that is the same thing He did to Pharaoh during the Exodus. God did not make Pharaoh change his mind, He knew what Pharaoh would do, and what he wanted to do. Even though Pharaoh had given permission, maybe an adviser reminded him about things the Jews had done. Maybe it made him angry again so he changed his mind so the next part of God’s plan could happen. I never liked the idea that God made Pharaoh be a jerk, that He made him do something he didn’t want to do. I think God knew intimately how Pharaoh thought, that his own thoughts would steel his heart into refusing to let the Jews go, because this was already what he wanted to do.

Despite everything that happened, God was able to show how great He is. He was able to get His people out of a place they were not happy in, but comfortable in the situation. They had food, water and housing, but God wanted to lead them to a place where they could be so much more, a plan where they could truly become the people of God. I think that same sort of thing is happening in my heart as I venture this path.

It was more that 20 years ago right here, in this very building (Lighthouse UMC) that I first told my mom that I thought God wanted me to be a pastor. It was never that I wanted to be one, but God wanted me to be one. That is a significant difference, because sometimes we do not want to do what we are called to do. Every time I feel a bit of panic about my call, God puts something in my path to harden my heart towards the safe path, and turn me towards Him, like the hours, closing so often I dread that shift, rude and frustrating customers. All of that so I do not take the easy way out. Maybe keeping me angry or stubborn enough or even happy enough at work to keep me pushing until I am where I am should be.

I think there are many things that we push through and might not realize this is God hardening our hearts towards the safe and familiar. Try looking into your life, your call and the things God has been asking you to do, and not just in the recent months, but even years ago. Has He been putting roadblocks in your heart trying to keep you on path? Maybe you jumped the fence and headed back to a safety zone because you had an abundance there or comfort there. Keep in mind the Jews in the wilderness. They had to rely on God and only Him. He gave them bread from heaven, manna, that only lasted for a day. They could eat their fill, but had to rely on God to bring them more food the next day.

When we keep on the path God has laid out for us, the path he wants us on for our own good and His glory, He still gives us bread from heaven. Now instead of flaky stuff gathered from the ground, we have Jesus keeping our hearts nourished and happy as we travel. I think that is a much better bread that what the Jews had in the wilderness.

Ask yourself today, is God calling me to do something new or different? Is it taking on a new position or job here at church, or a mission out in the world? Until I pass through the Red Sea and make it safely to God, I will continue to give thanks to Him for the hardships and difficulties that may come. I will pray He hardens my heart when I need it, and keeps it soft for when He needs it. I pray that He will also do that for yours

Tired of Hate

I have grown very tired of hate. I don't want it in my life anymore, I don't want to be around people who are hateful, I don't want to have to see it every time I turn on the TV. Yet the media pushes hate more than anything. Facebook pages that used to have great humor, now only seems to be spreading hate news. They may not be the ones hating, but they share the stories about someone hating on someone else. People often use passive hate when the believe something else someone doesn't. I'm looking at you politics... "Oh those stupid (pick a side)-wing nuts." Hate is popular. Hate sells. Hate sadly is.

Completely unrelated picture just so this blog had one. :)

Everyone hates, I know I do. There are two parts of me in my head, one of them sees a person, talks to them, and thinks to itself, I can see why God would love this person. It tries to share in the love that God has for every person on this planet. (And elsewhere, because I believe God also saved the aliens or will when the time is right.) I smile and get all sappy because it feels good to love, and not judge any part of this person. The other part says, "Ugh, shut up already and go away." Guess which side is more common? Sadly this is very much how the world sees other people.

If YOU agree with them, (Never them agree with you) then they will love you forever. But if you disagree with them or they disagree with you, (Why are these two things not the same?) then they will hate you, and unless you change your mind, then it will stay that way. It is easy to hate someone at anytime. It's hard to love someone completely even at the best of times. I am reminded of lyrics of a Showbread song, "It's easier to speak your mind when the world loves what you have to say."

I want to feel more love toward people. I have grown to be aware of my hate, and though as I am aware, I cannot stop myself from doing it. And then it occurred to me why hate is the norm now. It is easy. Loving someone you like can be hard at times, but loving someone you don't like, that is near impossible. But as Christians, we should be loving everyone and if we really loved everyone, then we would not dislike anyone. But our personalities sometimes clash with people, but that should never stop our love for them.

So how do we love more if it is harder. Practice, hard work, and a healthy dose of Jesus. If someone came and beat my loved ones, or me even. I do not think I would be able to love them, yet Jesus did. He cried out to God to forgive them. I call myself a follower of Christ, yet I cannot do it. I cannot follow his love he had for everyone. I am tired, weary of hating. Yet it is all I can do sometimes. Though they are few, the moments when I look at someone and think to myself, I bet God loves that aspect of this person, maybe I should too, I feel a completeness like none other.

I guess that is why we need to cling to the Gospel like we have nothing else. In fact, we do not have anything else. When we die, we lose everything we have ever had here. Nothing can go with us beyond the final call of Death. That is, nothing but the pure love of God for his creation. It is with this love that we will awake new and whole. That is the power of Love.

Hate is leading the world through darker and darker times, yet all around us, there is a light that, if we are willing to look at, will heal all the hate in the world. God's love is the only love that can break down the walls that divide the world today.

3D Printing the Universe

Hey guys, I know it has been a while since my last blog (YIKES! Not since August!), and I have been doing less of them overall. Firstly I am sorry for that, I have been busy though. I have been doing a lot of new things with my 3d printer; and I am having a blast with it!

Some might not know, but last Christmas (2016)  I got a 3d printer, and, though I have been using it a lot since then, I have recently started using more for creative things. I ran a small batch of Karate Institute of America logos for my karate school. Printed some small things for friends and I have loved every minute.

One of my more recent big projects was a hand drill all made with the 3d printer. It was a lot of fun. Every time I print something, I still sit there watching it for a little bit thinking how cool this is. Every print is something new and exciting to watch. Watching the printer make parts that, once assembled, will make a working and useful item, if even only mildly useful is a thing of beauty. A few simple lines of code, a bit of heated plastic, and time will produce a product that can be useful, fun, or a combination of both. This got me thinking, like so many things do, about everything else.

You all know that God is kinda a big thing for me. He is in many aspects of my life, though I wish it were all of them. (I better work harder on that bit.) Plus my deep love of science, how things work and continue to work forever, and now my new found joy of printing things on my 3d printer got me thinking how the universe is very much like my printer.

On a giant cosmic scale, there are laws set in place that keep things the way they are supposed to work. Sure some of them sound like they are right out of a science fiction movie, Quantum Entanglement anyone? Still, they are working in a predetermined way. We are still learning many new things on how things work Macro-ly as well as Micro-ly. Yet with my belief in God, I think he is the Great Scientist, He set all of the things into motion and keeps it there by his own hand. He understands why things need to work they way they do and as we learn those things, we can understand how God does what he did.

God gave the universe a set of commands, a code if you will, that it must follow according to His will. And the universe followed his commands and stars took form. From there Solar systems and galaxies, and everything as it is now were set into place. Just like I do with my 3d printer. I make a model, it doesn't exist physically yet, but after telling my printer a very exact set of commands, plastic begins to ooze out of the nozzle, and is set onto a glass plate. The glass plate is warmed up to a certain temperature to ensure things stick well. And after a few hours an object appears that looks like what was in my mind, what I had commanded. The Universe had a very specific set of commands given to it, it took much longer, but it still built itself out of the building blocks it had and became what God had in mind, what He had commanded.

People sometimes say that God and science are incompatible, but that is the furthest from the truth. Science is the study of the methods, the commands, the code, that God used to set things to be how he wanted them to be. You could almost say God 3d printed the universe.