Do you hear me?

Comedian Jeff Allen has some schtick where he talks about communicating with his wife, “Buttercup.”  He says he now realizes that it’s not always what he actually SAYS that gets him in trouble… it’s what Buttercup “hears” that is the problem!  When he sees her response to something he says, he asks, “What did you HEAR me say?”  Then he can decide whether he’s got a problem or if Buttercup is only hearing things.

I completely get this.  I understand that one reader thought that the phrase “Buck Up” was rude.  As a southerner (Texan and proud of it), it means no more than “cheer up”, “get a grip, friend” or even “it’s not so bad” depending on the situation.  I’m sure it has more encouraging uses than those alone (don’t flame me if you didn’t read them right!)  Everyone has a right to their opinion, to be sure.  Where is this going? 

Today, I found out that my brother wanted the whole family to write a note of encouragement to his wife (my sis-in-law or s-i-l) for a 1st time spiritual retreat she is attending on Friday.  He emailed our parents, and our other 2 sisters, but deliberately left me out (again… he thinks I don’t love his wife because of something that happened about a decade ago that I have apologized for many times and wasn’t even my fault and he hasn’t forgiven me, obviously…. sigh… but that’s another blog better left unwritten).

Well… he didn’t want to ASK me to write a letter of encouragement to my s-i-l.  My mom TOLD me I should go ahead and write one to her and forwarded the email to me…. however she added that I should not write anything about our past issues.  Okay, my brother doesn’t tell me.  Mom tells me but maternally admonishes me on how to respond.  My husband hears my written response of loving encouragement and hope for her future and all she is learning and discovering on her retreat. My Sugar Bear & I get into a heated dialogue on the possiblity of one word or phrase being misconstrued by her or my brother and if anything could possibly be read between the written lines….

I vow that I wrote from the heart to encourage her and bring her love and hope.  I used a lovely card and decorated envelope.  I picked out a matching stamp!  I took extra pains in my penmanship and words were chosen very prayerfully.  I mentioned none of our relationship past or present.  Father’s love… a bright future… much ahead for her… yet:  when words are scrutinized so carefully that it borders on paranoia, what can anyone say to anyone?

Someone claims they don’t want to hurt our feelings, yet says the things that are oddly, well… hurtful.  It’s okay if love motivates and there is some help offered in the spoken word.  But why are we a people who are so worried about what’s behind the words?  Father God sent Jesus, the Logos (Greek for Word).  Jesus spoke God’s words and acted on them perfectly yet people wanted to kill Him all the time.  Jesus offended lots of people even as He healed multitudes.  He was motivated by love but the living Word was often misunderstood.  He must have gotten frustrated, too!

In an age where a President and lawyer can say, “It depends on what your definition of “is” is,”  is it any wonder that reading between the lines will often distort the clear message?  That people are distrustful and jaded?  That even with blackberry’s, text messaging, emails and more, we are so bad at communicating?

It’s not always what I say that gets me in trouble, it’s often what you hear that is the problem.  Sometimes it’s best to remember 1 Corinthians 13… love changes things, colors things, and even repairs things.  If we listen with love to what is spoken in love we will be communicating.  If we listen with our heart and stop scrutinizing every syllable for some shade of darkness, we will be happier, too.  Yeah, people can be stupid, cruel and mean.  BUT, we don’t have to hear it like that.  Hurt people… well they tend to hurt people!  We are a healed people in Christ.  With the mind of Jesus Christ our hearing should be much improved.  Let’s give it a try, eh?

Love never fails.

Peace, PC
 

Hearts and Flowers… who cares!?

We just “celebrated” Valentine’s Day in America.  From shore to shore and border to border the pressure to prove your love and devotion to some significant (or even in-significant) “other” is on!

Candy, flowers, dinner reservations, jewelry & bling-bling and anything that even remotely looks like romance or that is colored RED is on the shelves, minds and credit cards of millions.  The lucky ones receive… the rest of us don’t.  Those that are not on the receiving end are left feeling neglected, dejected and rejected.  Why?  Our TV’s, radios, magazines and Madison Avenues guru’s say so!

On Friday the 15th we threw a “Love Fest” for 22 people.  There was a party table spread with flowers, candles, candies, gift bags, good food, games with prizes, and over all was the wonderful strains of love songs & broadway melodies played live by a gifted musician on our baby grand piano.  The conversation was animated and upbeat. We even laughed until our sides ached as we watched a DVD of a Christian comedian. 

Who were our guests?  Married couples, couples with strained relationships, single women, widows & widowers (3 of our ladies had buried 5 husbands between them), women whose husbands wouldn’t escort them to the party, teenagers and sweethearts.  They were Catholic, Jewish and Christian… and maybe even not-yet-committed.  But we all had something in common:  we desperately needed to be loved.

God, Poppa, Father God said that He has engraved our names on the palms of His hands.  We are loved dearly and perfectly by Him.  We are accepted by Him and not rejected.  We are never neglected and His love never abandons us.  The Church, those who are believers in Jesus Christ as their Savior & Messiah, are treated as His Bride ~ precious and wonderfully cared for by Him (the Bridegroom).

Poppa God gives us flowers several seasons of the year.  His bees make honey and sweet fruits hang on the vines of His earthly gardens, kissed by the dew and rains He sends us each season.   His birds sing love songs as we rise up each morning and His crickets & “knee-deeps” chirp us to sleep each night.  The breeze cools our heated brows in the summer and the sun warms our faces in the winter.  His ear is always attentive to us as He hungers for conversation with us and to hear what’s on our minds.  IS there a better lover, friend, husband than God Himself?

Forget the Madison Avenue hype… skip the credit card debts for the flowers that wilt in a week (or less) or the chocolates that last a moment on our lips and a lifetime on our hips!

Draw close to God and find Him willing to lavish His extravagant love on you.  Men or Women… it doesn’t matter.  His love is equal to all of His precious children.  We all need His love and care.  We can all experience His love… just ask Him.

“God is love.”   “God so loved the world {us} that He gave {His best – Jesus, His Son}…”  Buck up, my friend, you ARE loved and the world is at your feet as you grasp the hand of your loving Bridegroom… With Him, EVERYDAY is a celebration of Love!

Peace,

Pastor Che’

2008 = A Jubliee Year… New Beginnings… A Leap Year!

Think about it:  2008 is a Jubilee Year of fresh starts and forgiveness of debts.  It’s also “08″, a number meaning new beginnings.  And February has the rare leap day, too.  Father God knew all that when He looked down the ages to this year.

Personally, I am excited to think that a new year is for fresh starts.  The old is over and the new is promising.  I don’t do new years “resolutions” because they are pie crust promises:  easily made and easily broken.  However, I DO think about what I would love to see change in my life for the short and long-term.  If you read my last post, you’d see that I haven’t written in a while.  The thing is… I haven’t changed what I want since then.  I still haven’t accomplished it, either!  I’m still working on things and waiting to see the effort pay off… and it will!

I am hoping to write a weekly blog to journal life as it happens here.  This is the first attempt at that effort.

You see, God has done amazing things for this small church.  We are small but powerful.  God has regularly shown us that He is here and working with and through us, and that He loves us.  THAT is exciting and always challenging or interesting!

We saw a miracle of OIL… we lost a couple thousand dollars when a local oil company went belly up leaving us high and dry with lots of winter to go!   We bought a 200 gallon order of oil and 3 of the people in our church, not knowing how much the bill would be, gave just $2  more than the bill!  Then, after calmly praying and believing for Father to provide the rest, He did!  A local church prayed for us and then wrote us a check to cover our losses for the rest of this winter.  God is amazing.

We saw Him provide for a sound booth computer that died by having someone donate the money for a GREAT new system!

We watched Him provide healings… cars… new people to the church… finances to pay our bills… supply my paycheck and more.  The coolest thing is to see someone become a new believer putting their trust in God/Jesus Christ. OR seeing someone filled with Hioly Spirit come alive!  Or watch a disciple grow up another step and blossom in faith and confidence in what God can do through them.

 It’s an adventurous journey.  Come with me and join in the trip of a lifetime.

See you soon, God willing!

Pastor Che’ 

Quit Going To Church

Quit going to church.

That’s right… if going to church means that you have a membership card and you put a little something in the offering plate for the privilege of singing to live music and then get a good feeling for putting in your time tolerating the sermon and nodding in agreement… then stop wasting your time.

Personally speaking, I am so hungry for more of the presence of God to come and cleanse me from my sinful, compromising and lazy ways.  I want His love and peace to fill me up and give me the boldness and wisdom to grasp His perfect will for me, my/His church, our community and to see revival and renewal break out and change people radically.

There is so much more of Father’s holiness and presence available for us to experience.  He hungers and desires for us to come closer and then LIVE within His presence.  He wants us to KNOW Him and allow Him to fill with His glory so that the world is changed.  His Light burns away sinful desires, attitudes, selfishness, jealousy, rebellion, and more.  When His Glory Light fills us, the world takes notice.  People begin to draw nearer to us to experience the love light… the warmth that the world can’t quite duplicate.  When our hearts are filled with the compassion of Christ, we think and feel and act like Him and people flock to hear, see and taste the life they are hurting to discover.

How long before we give up our agendas and just take His hand and walk like Jesus?

When we give away light bulbs, smoke alarm batteries, clean public bathrooms, feed the hungry, offer reduced priced groceries to all and visit the prison to share the love of God with hurting people, we make a strong start.  Pastors need the prayers of the people… every Moses/leader needs Aarons and Hurs/intercessors to hold them up and give them support in the battle.  Pastors pray and suffer sorrow and misunderstanding for lovingly correcting and watching over the people… Pastors are not meddling or insulting you when they correct, rebuke and teach… they are doing their ordained work to help you grow and become better disciples.

There are so many in need… truly the harvest is great and the workers are few.  The Church is to be in the planting/cultivating/harvesting mode at all times.  When we turn inward and worry about self preservation or lazily cater to our own desires and rituals we miss the boat. 

People outside the church see us as money hungry, greedy, pushy, religious and sour.  Jesus wasn’t any of those things!  We are to live so that they actually experience the living Christ!!  He was joyful, giving, gentle, kind, patient, peaceable, selfless and offered deliverance, healing, life,  peace and hope to those He met… without being pushy or religious.

I think time is very short before Jesus actually comes back for His Church.  What will we do when we stand before Him?  I do see great moves of hearts and minds in the church these days and many are getting involved in their Father’s business… loving others in practical ways that alleviate pain and suffering and offers hope.  However many others are doing business the same as usual.  What will it take to change?? 

As I said, quit going to church!  However, let’s get back to BEING the Church!  The world is dying to meet Jesus.  The Church is His body. We are His hands and heart extended to the people around us.  Let’s make the time we have left count!  Jesus is counting on you and me! 

O ~ yes! Let’s hear it for October!!

I love the fall.  I love the changing of the smells.  I love the tastes of apple dumplings with cinnamon and spicy pumpkin pies.  I love the feel of the warmth of the sun with the coolness of the fall breeze.  I love the falling of the leaves like fairies on the wind.  I love the colors of the leaves as the green recedes and the true colors of fire make the trees look like they are combusting on the hills.  The changes stir my heart in expectation of what is to come!

First is October – full of color and excitement and my birthday!  The coolness, colors and flavors of the harvest stir my spirit to action.

Then comes November when the focus turns to thankfulness as family and friends gather to give the Creator, our heavenly Father thanks for all He has given us, delivered us from and for who He is.

The season then naturally progresses into December when the Advent theme  – the expectation of the coming One – is woven throughout the message in the Church and all the carols sing of the coming of the King.

October is the beginning of preparation.  It is as though the earth dresses in glorious color to celebrate His coming.  The seasonal changes draw our hearts into an expectation that something wonderful is about to happen.  Even the snow dresses the graying scenery and we light the lights that twinkle and push back the darkness.  It brings the scents of holly berry and evergreens and cookies.  It’s a celebration of the Light.  The candle glowing in dark brings hope to those seeking to come home and those looking to find peace and sanctuary.

Be prepared!  Jesus is coming… soon!  His word in the Bible says exactly that.

As the seasons change, so should our view and lives… as we prepare for the One who is Love itself.  Are you ready? 

Living in the expectation of His return…  pc 

As a Pastor I have question:  WHY do YOU go to church?

I mean, I know all the reasons some use:  because I have always gone to church on Sunday, to see my friends, so that I can feel closer to God… for the free coffee & breakfast!

We are not supposed to GO to “church,” we are taught to BE The Church.  God’s word, the Bible, does say that we are not to stop gathering together with other Christians.  There is more comfort, wisdom, counsel, strength and healing in the group than can often be obtained by going solo.  There is the power of God where two or more gather together in agreement for God’s touch, too.

BUT… why do YOU go to church?  Or if you don’t, then why DON’T you go??

I want to know.  Don’t be shy. 

Ashes, Ashes… They All Fell Down

As a church we know that it’s not about religion.  It’s about relationship!  Religion is dead & useless without a living, vital relationship with our Creator – a.k.a. Father God – and His Son, Jesus Christ.  That relationship must be alive and real in the here and now to be effective.  The proof of THAT relationship is how we deal with people around us in and out of the Church.  Those relationships are the expression of our Family Relationship with Father God as His children.

Our Women’s Ministry Team is preparing to celebrate our monthly party, Heart2Heart, to share the love, friendship and relationship we have with God with other women in and out of our church… and some who have not yet become God’s family.  It’s not a religious Bible Study, but there are lessons shared and learned there.  We share a meal, laughter, games & prizes and get to know one another better.  It’s hard to be mean to people you get to know socially and with whom you team up with for games and laugh together! 

Each month has a theme.  Some are crazy, some are very active and some are genteel. This month is a Teddy Bear “T” Party.  We’ll wear silly, fancy, unusual hats, beaded necklaces and bring our Teddy Bear or other “friends”, sharing stories and acting like children together for a couple hours of civilized classical music, delicate, tasty finger sandwiches and dainty, colorful desserts as we play word games and challenge each other in fun.  One of the games has to do with nursery rhymes.  I was going over the Mother Goose material and remembered this oldie:  Ring around the rosies, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, they all fall down.  It turns out that this is a sick little ditty.  It came about during the horrifying Black Plague – the bubonic plague –  in Europe where uncountable numbers of people died from flea bites of infected rats spreading a deadly pestilence through the cities and countryside.  So many died that many women made their own death shrouds and sewed themselves into them because there was no one else to prepare them for their deaths.  The kids circled together in the rose gardens and kept pockets full of flowers to help sweeten the stench of the death that surrounded them.  The bodies were burned to rid them of the infection and there were also too few healthy men to bury people… ashes, ashes… the death came so fast that many literally, “all fell down” in the streets.  What a macabre thing for children to chant and imitate as they circle and then fall down mimicking death!

Then it hit me.  Today is Tuesday 9/11.  Not just September 11th or just Tuesday.  There are a group of children who lost their parents on a unique day of terror: Tuesday 9/11/01.  They are called Tuesday’s Children.  6 years later TODAY is Tuesday 9/11.  On that day the planes fell down.  The buildings fell down.  The bodies fell down.  And death prevailed.  Terror found a place in the hearts of a courageous people.  And life changed in the USA.

BUT GOD!!!  God was there in the lives saved.  God was there in the buldings that stood until many DID get out.  God was there in the ones who missed work.  God was there in the courage of those who saved others.  God was there in the hearts of those who offered salvation to those who were perishing and could not get out.  God wept for those who chose to kill.  God feels the sorrow of those who still grieve their losses. God was on the mound with the heart broken comrades and hopeful rescuers.  God was there in the free socks, boots, water, food, prayers , listening ears and hearts and more as others reached out to help provide for them.  God is there when He promises, “Vengeance is Mine.”  God is there when we reach to Him and ask to find healing for anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, fear, worries over the future, and more.  God never left.  He is Jehovah Shammah, “The Lord IS Here.”

Psalm 33:12 says, “BLESSED is the nation whose God is the LORD…”

We have largely forgotten our faith heritage in America.  We were so blessed with so much for so long because of the saints, children of God who prayed and believed.  We have lost so much blessing because we accepted abortion & ungodly lifestyles, justice is perverted, there is so much greed and avarice, we no longer respect godly ministry leadership, school activities carry more importance than Church, the church has grown lazy and self-centered — isolated from those she was created to serve, aid & evangelize. 

YES there is hope.  YES we see Churches coming alive! YES there is hope because God is the God of 2nd chances and He will accept our repentance and restore us IF we turn and follow Him!  YES life is still offered to those who seek His face and trust in Him to deliver them.     

There is hope:  “joyful expectation of good from God” because God is alive and well.  He is working out His timetable and plans.  He still loves us.  He still desires to see us grow His Kingdom and succeed.  He is still reaching out to us and hears our prayers.

On that tragic day when lives fell in the ashes… the God of grace and love received them.  If we deisre to see them again, we must rise out of the ashes of our broken lives and stand.  Reach up to your Father’s loving arms and let Him enfold you in His healing grace and mercy.  Pour out your heart and let Him refill and heal you.  Let go of the anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and fear… they harm you more than anyone else and poison your life.  Invest your life in the One Who can make a miracle happen in your life and bless your years to come.

BLESSED is the NATION whose GOD is the LORD!

May we RE-discover the blessing of God ~ not Allah, not Buddha, not Krishna, not Confucious, not Nature, not some unresurrected goddess or god or Wiccan demon ~ but Yahweh: The God of all mankind and creation. 

In Memory of A Friend

At 2:30 A.M. Sunday my husband and I lost a member of our family.  He was only 10 years old, we had adopted him at the age of 5 years and we loved him dearly.  His name was Wishbone.  We didn’t name him… the other family who had him first did that. 

 Wishbone was a fiesty, grouchy Jack Russell Terrier.  He had an attitude only his family could appreciate.  But he was faithful…   and funny… a great lap dog… a better watch dog… my husbands agreeable companion in our moments of marital disagreement… and Annie’s friend (she’s our 5 year old JRT baby girl).  We have no other kids and they ARE our children in many ways.  We love them like people… even better sometimes!

We had a great vet health report on Tuesday when he got his rabies and bordetella/parvo/distemper vaccines, but by Saturday we had a very sick dog.  He was not well Wednesday, but it didn’t seem like anything important.   It was so fast.  A late trip to the vet ER and $300 in tests later said we had a dog in some kind of multi-system failure.  He was a stable diabetic… but what happened?  We drove home with Wishbone wrapped in a blanket like a baby as he nuzzled my neck and lay in my arms being hugged and prayed for.  A couple hours later we had to relieve him of pain, suffering and seizures when he lost control of his bodily functions and was bleeding.  My husband is wise, experienced, and merciful.  He did a lovingly humane thing to quickly and efficiently release his dear friend from the bondage of his body.  And then we both wept and sobbed. 

We buried him in the heat of a sultry summer morning at 3 AM with the crickets and “knee-deeps” singing a haunting song and heat lightning flashing around our heads.  

Like most of us who love our “children” so dearly, we wanted to stay home and grieve.  Even our Annie was forlorn and running around looking for Wishy.  It broke our hearts as she went to windows and doors and looked over at us like, “Where is Wish?  You forgot to bring him in!” 

Unfortunately, we had to go to work at 8:00 AM.  With no sleep and deep, sobbing grief wrapping us in a blanket of sorrow we went to the Church to prepare for services.  I had to sing worship songs, and greet people and make good on my role as Pastor.  My husband “hid” in the sound booth and politely greeted folks, but his heart was in his boots.  We just wanted to go home and deal with our grief.

As the service started the music stuck in my throat.  But we got through it.  Then I scrapped my intended message for one I wrote at 6 AM… In Memory of a Friend.  It spoke of times when God had animals and birds care for us.  It reminded us of scripture that says we are to rule and take care of creation.  That with privilege comes great  responsibility.  To tend, care for, watch over, train, maintain… even love our creatures.  That includes humanely tending to their deaths and alleviating pain.

I believe that as God says that there will be animals, fish and birds of all kinds in the new order of creation… why won’t our loved 4-footed friends and  companions be there, too?  God created all creatures great and small and knows every time a sparrow falls dead or a doe births her fawn.  SO God knows our Wishy, too!  They have flesh and a soul/life force, at least.  I’m banking on seeing my best friends and family members again in heaven… the hoofed & pawed ones.

Many pastors say ‘No way!” but who is to say authoritatively?  If God is love, I can say that our Deli, Bojangles, Venus, Winchester, Eric, Ginger, Charlie… and Wishbone provided the finest and most perfect of Unconditional Love we have ever experienced outside of Father God Himself.  And where love is… God is. 

Go ahead and weigh in… share your story.  I’m listening and I understand.

       

For Free?

I was thinking…

Last weekend our church hosted a free car wash.  We advertised and posted signs up the street.  We even had 2 ladies holding signs at the entrance to the church driveway along the highway with “FREE CAR WASH” and “REALLY FREE!” 

Trucks honked… people waved… but few came in for the car wash!

Some people laughed and yelled out, “Nice try!” and “Yeah right!  What’s the catch?”  A few stopped and asked the ladies for the real lowdown — how much for the car wash?

After about 20-30 minutes an old friend of the church stopped in.  We washed his car and talked to him while we him offered a free soda and waited for the final rinse.  He is now a pastor at another church out of town.  He kept trying to give us a donation.  He said, “How can you make any money unless you take a donation?”

We said, “We do this to let you know that God loves you and cares for you.  You can’t pay for love.”

He’d say, “Take it for your missions fund.”

We said, “God provides in other ways, but today this is free for you.”

He’d say, “I don’t want to take this service without giving something in return.”

We said, “You can’t earn Father’s love and you can’t buy it.  You just receive it.  Like this car wash… just receive the gift!”

He scratched his head and said, “I just can’t get it through my head.  It doesn’t make sense to do this ministry outreach and not take at least a donation.”

We said, “If we take a donation, you’ve bought a car wash.  You might know God cares for you, but then this is all for nothing but money.  If we give it in love, it’s a gift of grace.  If you receive it freely, you EXPERIENCE His love.  Sorry… we can’t take your money.”

He scratched his head again and said, “Okay then!  Thanks.  This is crazy.  A strange idea, but okay!”

He couldn’t control the situation.  He had to receive the gift.  He left feeling a little giddy.  Half an hour later his wife showed up in HER car!

We washed the cars of only 9 people in the community in  2 1/2 hours.  Every one of them had to be convinced that we wouldn’t take their money.  Every one tried to give a donation anyway.  Everyone ARGUED with us!  One lady tried to hide a $10 bill on our table, tuck it in my pocket, and give it to another volunteer (who also turned her flatly down with a smile!).  She asked to speak to the Pastor and I told her that was me.  She was surprised and said, “But your little church must NEED the donations!” 

I said, “Every church can USE the donations.  But today this is a gift of God’s love to you.”     

Like the others, she also argued that she KNEW God and that He loves her.  BUT the money thing was a barrier… God doesn’t NEED our money.  If we do what He wants us to do, “Love Him and Love Others in practical, real ways” then He will take care of us, too.

Why is FREE so hard to accept? 

Jesus came to offer forgiveness and eternal life.  It is a FREE gift.  When I see how hard it is for people to receive a free car wash because they are suspicious of some ulterior motive or “catch” —- is it any wonder that people find it difficult to receive the grace and mercy of God in Jesus’ sacrifice?  “Nothing is for free” is often heard.  “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” is another one. But sometimes… and ALWAYS with God, it is TRUE!

Today, just accept the truth… the free gift of love God holds out to you.  Do you need a clean conscience?  Forgiveness?  Healing? Provision?  Love? Help? Father God loves you and cares for you.  He wants to place it in your heart.  Will you just take it?  Will you simply believe?  Free.  Just for the asking – in faith… even miniscule faith.

Oh, and just for the record:  Free is not the same as Cheap.  Free means without cost to you.  Cheap is of little value/worth.  God’s love is incredibly FREE but by no means cheap.    It is actually extravagantly costly… but He thinks you are worth it.  What a deal!

Freely given… free to receive.

Pax, PC

15 minutes of Fame or A Star?

You’ve heard it before.  Someone in the news is getting local or national press time for some exploit or an unusual event that has taken place.  There is THE goal, the rescue, the lottery ticket found/lost/won/shared, the arrest, the new record… you name it and if it is gory enough, wierd enough, big enough or cool enough the press will let us know.  For one brief shining moment someone receives their”15 minutes of fame.”  And then it’s over.  The lights go out, the crowd goes home, no one really cares anymore.  You become an asterisk on some list in this life. 

But I came across a Word from God the other day.  Philippians 2:12-16 says, “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.  Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you can become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, IN WHICH YOU SHINE LIKE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE as you hold out the word of life…”  

Did you see that?  If you have a relationship with God, your loving Father and Provider and that relationship is based on trusting and having faith in His living Son, Jesus Christ, to forgive your past behaviors and wrong doings… then YOU can be a STAR! 

The thing is that it is not enough to just know God and Jesus.  It is to be an ACTIVE growing relationship! Look at that verse again, “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” is knowing that you are not perfect.  You are not done growing up!  We have to be aware that we can’t do anything good on our own, but with God NOTHING is impossible!  How cool is that?  The sky is literally the limit when we work with and for Father’s purposes! 

How hard is this? Well, that verse also says STOP COMPLAINING about it!  In the original language this gets interesting.  The word for “complaining” is the Greek word “goggysmos” meaning muttering, a secret debate, a secret displeasure not openly avowed.  This is having an attitude that you don’t even admit, but it is in your heart and you don’t like what’s being asked of you or what is required.  STOP COMPLAINING!  Get with the program and let Father bless you for obedience.  He loves a “cheerful giver”!

The other requirement is STOP ARGUING!  Now this seems obvious, right?  However when I checked the original Greek I found another gem:  “dialogismos” – like the word dialogue (discussion) – means the thinking of someone deliberating with HIMSELF!  Questioning what is true… hesitation, doubting, disputing.  Come on, let’s reason together:  if your loving Father & Creator says “Go” – “Do this” – “Get up” – “Get on” – “Get out” – “Trust me” – “Follow me” or anything else in your heart… then don’t argue!  Don’t question if He is right or if you can do it.  Stop questioning Him and doubting.  That is lack of faith and it won’t get you anywhere.  God says that faith is believing without initially seeing… it is believing that God exists and that He rewards and blesses those who earnestly seek for Him.  Don’t listen to all those voices in or out of your head.  Just obey His word — there are times that God talks directly to us, sure, but His word is permanently recorded in His Book, the Bible, too!

Just as the writer of Philippians said, we live today in a crooked and depraved generation.  The darkness of this world can be very dark, indeed, can’t it?  There are things we should pray we never encounter!  Jesus said that when we pray, we are to ask Father to deliver us from evil… or in Luke He said, “deliver us from the evil one.” 

BUT THERE IS NO REASON TO FEAR OR TO HIDE OR TO GIVE UP HOPE!

When you are walking with your heavenly Father His Light surrounds you.  When you receive His love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, you receive His Glory by His Holy Spirit inside you.  You begin to spiritually glow with His Glory!   The term “shekinah” is God’s Glory Light.  You shine like stars in the night sky. 

Thought:  Have you noticed ~ the darker the night, the brighter the stars?  Darkness cannot put out light.  Light makes the darkness retreat.  These are natural and supernatural laws of God.  Cool enough?  I think so.

Oh, and note the act for us to perform as stars in the universe:  hold out the offer of life to those who are still living in the darkness.  Jesus is the original Light of the World.  He passed His torch to us to illuminate us!  We set ourselves on fire with His passion and compassion and the darkness retreats.  Jesus is the answer to the world’s problems.  He is also the answer to every man, woman, teen and child’s questions and troubles.  Jesus works!  We work for Him.  Things change.

SO…. GO AND SHINE!  YOU don’t need any 15 minutes of fame.  YOU can be a STAR!!

  Living in the Glow… PC