Life Goes On

Have you ever given thought to the best way to die? Well I have. Personally, I like the way Moses went out; Deuteronomy 34:7 "Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished." Now that's the way to go!!! What I probably dread most is a lingering death due to illness. As a matter of fact, I pray regularly for my dad (who is almost 96). He loves to walk at the track at Sports First, and work out on the machines. I would not want to see him unable to do that, so I ask God that when it is time, He will just take Dad in his sleep. Well, enough about death; that's not what this is about. In the continuing saga of the end of my ministry at FBC Sebring, I'm dealing with what I call a "lingering ending". I want to say, "Let's just get this over with already." Although this "process" has only been less than two weeks, it seems like an eternity. From the hour that I...

I've learned a lot lately from King David. I just today completed reading through 2 Samuel. The final chapter presented a strange scenario. In the 1st verse we're told that, "The anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them..." What David did was order a census, or numbering of the people. This served a no practical purpose if David was trusting God for protection and deliverance in battle as he had done in the past. This act meant that David had moved from trusting the Lord to trusting the number of fighting men he had in his standing army. By verse 10 David figured out that he had sinned by ceasing to trust God. However, the damage had been done. Although he confessed and repented, there was a price to pay for his unbelief, and God gave him a choice of punishments. David chose the one which put the people of Israel in the hands of God for discipline. The end result was that 70,000 people died in a plague. The lesson I...

Any time we're confronted with unexpected, and perhaps unpleasant, circumstances, we have a choice. We can REACT or we can RESPOND. When we react, we're allowing the circumstances to dictate the situation. When we RESPOND we're taking a measured, thoughtful approach which allows us to put a positive spin on the situation. Here's how I've learned to RESPOND. Realize that God is in control, and was not at all surprised with the circumstances. Recognize that possibly, we have contributed to the situation by word, deed, inaction or attitude, and taking responsibility for our part. Look for the positive. What can we learn, or how can we grow from the circumstances? Pray for those who may have knowingly or unknowingly contributed to the negative things that you're experiencing. Look for the open door or window that God provides on the other side of the circumstance. That is where I am at the moment. I'm in the midst of some circumstances that I had not antic...

This is my first blog post employment. Actually I'll be at the church officially for another week and a half, but, for all practical purposes, I'll be using that time to pack the office, and clean out the clutter. I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that for the first time since high school, I soon will not be gainfully employed. That is kinda scary. However, I've been reading in 2 Samuel about some of the experiences that David went through (some of his own making) and I'm beginning to get a better grasp of how God works in the midst of adversity. I"ve also been praying and meditating through the 23rd Psalm. I'm especially intrigued by the passage, "He prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies; He anoints my head with oil; my cups runs over.". James Maxwell interprets that to mean that God Himself will vindicate us by blessing us in the presence of those who have mis-used us. I like that. As a matter of fact, ...