A Morning View

Have you ever said something and as the words leave your mouth you are grabbing at them wishing they had never come out? Have you ever posted something on social media, such as Facebook promoting your stance but have not crossed referenced it with the scriptures and Holy Spirit? Perhaps you have even tried to clarify or justify something you have said and made the situation worse.  Do you find it difficult or easy to control what you say? Would you like to lash out with words to let someone know how wrong or evil they are? Are you hurt because of words you hear and do not understand or have you hurt others with words?  It might even be possible that you are just flat out intending to say something to do harm to someone else. After all, people need to get what they deserve.  The book of James challenges us to " be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James really tells us to be who we claim we are.  I find it interesting that in my life I do not rem...

No matter what happens in our lives, God is there.  We need to give praise for all things and let God do what God does.  “O Lord, I will honor and praise your name,     for you are my God. You do such wonderful things!     You planned them long ago,     and now you have accomplished them.”   - Isaiah 25:1 NLT Thank you God for being there.  Thank you God for all things.  Amen Peace, PB

People need to experience Jesus Christ.  People do not just want to hear about him and how they should change. People should meet Jesus in you and want to change. “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”   - I John 4:7-8 NLT Peace, PB

Question for the day; "When was the last time you led someone into a relationship with Jesus Christ?" Let me make something very clear, I am not talking about having someone repeat a prayer with you and then move on, I am asking when was the last time you walked with someone else in relationship bringing them closer to Agape in Jesus Christ? We do not pray and walk away, we hold another persons hand and walk with them. That is what making a disciple looks like.  “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”     - John 15:12-13 NLT Lead someone to Jesus today, then stop and pray. Peace, PB

I struggle with Christians, or anyone else for that matter, who try to fix everything. There is always a suggestion or answer on how to fix a problem, to deal with a situation, or I am given a Bible verse to solve the problem. Please do not take this wrong, I believe the Bible is there as a support for our daily life. But to say read this and everything will be better is dangerous advice. Everything may not be better or ever get better in this world. I believe the Bible is a road map to follow as I grow in my God relationship. It is God inspired and contains the information necessary for salvation. I read it and experience God in the words read. I apply it to my life, not by doing the words written, but by listening to the voice of God in those words. It is an opportunity to live in my God relationship and be equipped for my daily battle in this world. It is written to draw me close to God. Now after saying this I am going to use a scripture! "I have told you all this so that you ...

This is the time of year the weather is so varying. The temperature is warm like a sunny summer day and by night time it is cool and crisp enough to wear sweatshirts around the fire. Some people like the heat of summertime while others like the crispness of the edge of cold. Many enjoy the transition of the season where they enjoy the best of both worlds. Change in the weather in Ohio is a part of our lives.  Change is very difficult to endure sometimes. Change is a word many people do not like to hear. Some struggle with change in the way things are done. Our society is struggling with change in a pandemic. Health situations, financial situations and family dynamics can create changing moments in our lives. I can struggle with the internal changes of growth in my relationship with God. It is so difficult to change the normal patterns and rhythms of our lives. Change can be difficult.  Are you, am I living different from the world? Have we embraced the Grace change God has aff...

Do you ever feel lonely even in a crowd? Are you all alone because of choices you have made?  No matter how others try to help you be a part, do you still find loneliness?  Even worse, have you asked does God even want to be my friend?  The reminder to us is that God will not leave us. God loves us no matter what and nothing can separate us from God. Well, I believe the only thing that can separate me from God is me.   “Hear me as I pray, O Lord.     Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”     And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.” Do not turn your back on me.     Do not reject your servant in anger.     You have always been my helper. Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,     O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me,     the Lord will hold me close.” - Psalm 27:7-10 NLT Be close to God. Peace, PB

Surrounded by fear Surrounded by illness Surrounded by questions Surrounded by defeat Surrounded by too much Surrounded by the enemy Surrounded by........  “God is our refuge and strength,     always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come     and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam.     Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! ” - Psalm 46:1-3 NLT Be surrounded by God Peace, PB

I am Christian, Live Like Christ! I go to Church, Live Like Christ! I sing in the choir, Live Like Christ! I am a pastor, Live Like Christ! I teach Sunday School and VBS, Live Like Christ! I love my neighbor, Live Like Christ! “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” - Romans 12:1-2 Live Like Christ! Peace, PB

Do you ever gossip? Have you been gossiped about? You know, you get a good bit of information which may or may not be true and you share it with someone else? Perhaps even a better way of justifying it, is, that we can share a "prayer request" with another believer and tell them all the partial and twisted truths. After all, the more information I have about you, the more specifically I am able to pray for you. Twisted truths and lies destroy people. Sometimes lies are calculated and used to intentionally hurt others. We need to stop hurting people.  What if you are the victim of gossip? The Psalmist shares the following from Psalm 5.  “My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.     Their deepest desire is to destroy others. Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.     Their tongues are filled with flattery. O God, declare them guilty.     Let them be caught in their own traps. Drive them away because of their many sins,    ...

Lately, I have found myself focusing on how much some others around me bother me. Privately I mumble about them, judge them and label them into a position where they do not have a chance for me to see the good in them. That is not fair. I was nudged in a meeting last week to begin to pray for that person that they might change. Since then, I have been trying to practice the same discipline. God change that person. What I have found is I do not know if they have changed, but I have seen that my attitude has been adjusted as I strive to see them as a part of God's creation. I do have a long way to go in this practice, but thanks be to God.  “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to ge...

Does this not sound like many conversations of the day today? How long, O Lord, must I call for help?     But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry,     but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds?     Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look,     I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people     who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed,     and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous,     so that justice has become perverted.                              - Habakkuk 1:1-4 NLT   The Lord replied, “Look around at the nations;     look and be amazed! For I am doing something in your own day,     something you wouldn’t believe     even if someone told you about it.             ...

Perhaps there is something wrong with me, but as I look around at the "Christian" world, I wonder where Jesus has disappeared to? I ask myself what has happened to the followers of Jesus of Nazareth? There are times I question myself and wonder if the Jesus who lives within my heart has taken up another residence, or at minimum has gone on a very long vacation?   Seriously look around, First we hang white Jesus pictures in our churches. Jesus was born and raised in the Middle East. Our politics have Jesus wearing a campaign button supporting the Democrats, Republicans or other political parties. Nationalism proclaims God is favoring the good old USA. There is a very unhealthy prosperity gospel in our culture and society. The Church is focused more on numbers of people we can attract to come in and sit in our pews to become one of us instead of inviting people to come in and be one like Jesus. We are comfortable with change as long as those new people come in and change to be ...

Be honest Be real Be sincere Be compassionate Be friendly Be caring Be together Be unified Be loving  “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”   - Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT BE JESUS Peace, PB

Do you ever get tired and weary?  Do you feel overwhelmed with all the tasks set before you and little time to do them?  Do you ever question your ability to accomplish life?  Does it seem like the Holy Spirit is even hiding from you and your soul is empty?  What can we do? Rejoice. Sounds pretty foolish to me......... “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” - Romans 5:3-8 NLT Hang in there and hang on. Rejoice and be filled. Peace, PB

As I prepare to worship this Sunday morning I read this Psalm. Who may worship in your sanctuary,  Lord ?      Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? 2  Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,      speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3  Those who refuse to gossip      or harm their neighbors      or speak evil of their friends. 4  Those who despise flagrant sinners,      and honor the faithful followers of the  Lord ,      and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5  Those who lend money without charging interest,      and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever. - Psalm 15 NLT  Please re-read this a couple times. I am so challenged to get myself ready for worship because the core of my heart and soul do not match this passage well this morning....

When I play golf I always try to anticipate the next shot. Often I visualize what it should look like, line it up in the towards I desire it to go and am set to swing. I swing, hit it and probably more often than not am disappointed in the results because it was nowhere near what I thought it should be. I wonder if I think I am a better golfer than I really am? Sometimes I hit it well but not exactly how I'd like and occasionally I catch one just perfect and am proud of that moment.  I think I struggle the same in my relationship with God and with others. I anticipate what is coming next, I believe I am well prepared and I am I lined up correctly. My intentions are good but the results are most often less than desirable than I desire them to be. Sometimes it is good and the experience is good, but often the bad shots overwhelm the good results. I wonder if I think I am a better person/Christian than I really am? Golf is difficult, life is difficult and being a Jesus model is diffic...

Communication is important Communication with love and grace is vital Communication with God is life giving “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”   - Ephesians 4:31-31 NLT “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”   - Philippians 4:6-8 NLT Peace, PB

God is with us. It does not always "feel" like it, but God is....... “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.     Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.     I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10 NLT Peace, PB

The view in the morning is getting darker. The seasons of light are getting shorter making it more difficult to see everything around the patio. The sun will come up and light up the area, but not quite as long as a few short months ago.  Life can be this way. It often seems like darkness prevails shutting out the light. The days seem darker making it more difficult to see the goodness of God.  Remember, we do not need to walk in darkness when we live in the light of Jesus. Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” - John 8:12 The Son will shine in the darkness.  Peace, PB  

We sometimes really mess up what the Church is supposed to look like! We get caught up in our small worlds and forget that our building and mission are just a small part of the Body of Christ. We are all about us and what we do but not necessarily in agreement with our brothers and sisters in Christ. So the picture portrayed of Jesus sometimes doesn't even look like Jesus. The believers push to change non-believers into a loving relationship with Jesus and people may change for people. That type of salvation is dangerous. Only Jesus saves! The Church needs to be in the business of representing Jesus Christ and invoking the power and presence of The Holy Spirit into the lives of others. Give your heart to God and live in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclai...

Isaiah 60 is a passage about the future glory of Jerusalem. It is telling what it is going to be like. It is not explaining how it is, but what is coming for the City of God.  I often struggle when life always seems so difficult. Just when there are strong steps forward, difficult happens. It seems like when there is a light coming stronger in the end of the tunnel, another barrier gets in the way. I can become selfish and hurt because where is the victory for me? I ask God what have I done to deserve this?  I do believe we are promised the goodness of God, God's blessing, joy and contentment. But where is it?  The last sentence in Isaiah 60 is a gentle reminder.  “At the right time, I, the Lord, will make it happen.” - Isaiah 60:22b NLT   Peace in the waiting, PB

Good Morning World! There is nothing better than seeing a morning post on Facebook from someone who is excited to see you which reminds you how much you are loved and appreciated. It is easy to live in the one negative comment directed toward you and focus on the hurt, when in reality there are 10 other people out there who love you, lift you up and would go to the end of the earth for you! To top it off, the CREATOR of EVERYTHING, including you, LOVES YOU NO MATTER WHAT! Yes I realize life stinks at times, death happens, struggles are still there! We push through the desert and enjoy the mountains. But remember people love you and God loves you! “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in th...

I believe it is difficult for humans to believe that we are created in God's image, loved by the Creator, and forgiven from our sin. Why do I have this thought today? Because I find myself, at times, living like I do not believe! I question how God could love me.   You may say to yourself, "I do not struggle, I know the right way to live and I do the right things without question." Both ends of the spectrum seem dangerous to me. Humanity needs to have confidence in their God relationship and does not need to live in suffering and self-deprecation. Humanity needs to be humble and not live in one's own rightness! Where is balance in our Christian walk and how can we tell? "In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godlin...

Do you see yourself as others see you? So you see yourself as Jesus sees you?  Do you even see yourself? "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 Peace, PB