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Category: Hope

AN UNBROKEN CIRCLE

AN UNBROKEN CIRCLE

My wife Patty and I are grateful for the strong heritage of faith passed down to us from our parents. We see and take seriously, the importance of doing everything we can, to instill this importance within our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our unwavering faith in God through our relationship with Jesus Christ, is the substance of our lives. We recognize each person is on their own journey, and if they come to faith, they must do so in their own way and time. The Bible clearly declares God’s love and His desire for relationship with each person. We know, by Scripture, He is working in each person’s life to bring them to Faith in Jesus, and grow them to spiritual maturity. As such, we can believe, in faith, for the salvation of each member of our family and extended family. We can believe for it in faith, because we know it is God’s will.

Growing up on a dry land wheat and dairy farm in western Kansas, I was introduced to country music at an early age. I listened to a country station out of Dodge City, as I cleaned the milking parlor after milking was completed each morning and evening. I am not sure when I first heard the song “Will the circle be unbroken”. Johnny Cash and June Carter, along with many country and non-country artists have recorded various versions.. The song found a special place in my heart, and it is one of my favorites. About 20 years ago, the Lord began to impress to me, I was to begin to pray for AN UNBROKEN CIRCLE for my family. I came to realize this directive would continue throughout the rest of my life. I believe it is a directive God has charged me with, and one I cannot disregard or allow to go unfulfilled. In our Faith journey, there will be pivotal times and events, we know have special significance. This has been one of those occurrence’s in my life, and continues to hold significance for me. Patty has joined me, and it has become an important part of our prayer life together as well. We know we are praying into the work of The Holy Spirit in the life of each member of our family and extended family. While they must each travel their own journey, we pray with an assurance of God’s faithfulness. We are standing against Satan and his attempts to keep our loved ones from their destiny in God and His plan for their lives.

We look for purpose, and desire our lives to somehow make a difference in the small part of the world we occupy. I can assure you, this directive has helped accomplish that in my life. Acts 16:29-32 declares a promise of Salvation for those who will believe. Whether or not we see the fulfillment of the UNBROKEN CIRCLE during our lifetime, we have the assurance we are believing and praying into God’s desire for each of their lives. We see with spiritual eyes, an unbroken circle, and a joyous celebration of ETERNAL LIFE with each member of our family and extended family present! Because Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns, (an unbroken circle) Him being one with God the father and the Holy Spirit, hung and died on a cross. Through His obedience, He opened a pathway to eternal life for each of us, and the possibility of an unbroken circle for our family.

Yet to ALL who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12 NIV)

 

 

 

 

 

ARE GOD AND THE BIBLE RELEVANT TODAY?

ARE GOD AND THE BIBLE RELEVANT TODAY?

I became a follower of Christ in 1976. I strive to live out my faith based on the Word of God, the teaching I have heard and seen, as well as by the leading of the Holy Spirit. I have not spent much time in the years since I came to Faith, pondering whether or not God and the Bible are relevant. If I didn’t believe they were, there would be no need to live by those principles. The popular mindset today for many, seems to be, I want to be free to live my life the way I want. It’s not just God’s relevance in question, but his existence as well. Many believe the Bible to be outdated, choosing to believe some parts and to disregard others.

Something occurred which brought the question to the forefront of my thinking. Several months ago I stopped by a Starbucks one afternoon. Being mid afternoon, there were only a couple other people in the store. One of them, a gentleman, was engaged in a conversation with the young female barista. I was sitting fairly close by, and could hear most of the conversation. They were talking about God and the Bible. I do not know how the conversation began. It may have been sparked by a Christian movie being shown at the local cinema. What struck me is the barista was clear and rather emphatic. For her, God and the Bible were irrelevant! The gentleman was calmly stating he believed they were relevant. A couple of young men were also working behind the counter, and listening to the conversation. As I sat there that day, and in the months since, the experience has been on my mind, in a way much like a nagging toothache. I wonder what occurred in the young lady’s life, leading her to a belief of irrelevance? I wonder what the other workers and the gentleman talking to her thought, and how the conversation affected them.

Looking at our culture today reminds me of a general theme throughout the Bible. Over and over we read accounts which tell us, God’s people were blessed and prosperous when they followed God and lived by his principles. When they did not, it resulted in defeat, captivity, death and destruction.

Because of God’s love for his creation, he gave us the Word. The Bible shows us what works and results in a blessed life, and what does not work, leading to unhappiness and sorrow. Proverbs is a primer for living a satisfying and fulfilling life. We all encounter difficulties and obstacles. God’s promise in His Word, is he is with the believer, when we face hardships. We are not alone! He offers hope for this life and eternity.

Debating the relevance of God and the Bible will not change most peoples minds. Especially those who question the existence of God, and who do not accept the Bible as the infallible, inerrant Word of God. God promises, if we seek him with our whole heart, we will find him. He will reveal himself. In His Word, we have access to principles proven to work, which lead to a happier and more fulfilling life. God wants us to buy in to him and his principles. This means we do not pick and choose which principles we follow and which we do not. We each choose the way we believe best to live our life. God’s ways work. Man’s ways generally fall short.

My answer to the question is an emphatic yes! I choose to believe the whole Bible. I believe God is who the Bible says He is, and I am who the Bible says I am.

Scripture References: Jeremiah 29:12-13, Acts 2:28, Psalm 119:10, Deuteronomy 4:29 and James 1:2-18

FROM THE ASHES

FROM THE ASHES

If you have read my earlier posts, you learned my second marriage ended in divorce. Certainly both parties play a part in any failed relationship. None the less, for anyone not wanting a relationship to end, it is devastating. I was now living out the consequences of two failed marriages. Through the separation, which lasted two years, God was preparing me for the marriage to end. I was growing spiritually in the midst of my circumstances. In the pain of the death of the marriage, God’s grace and mercy enabled me to keep going. God masterfully takes our failures, and turns them around. Good ultimately comes from the rubble and ashes of our broken lives. A real life picture of Romans 8:28. One thing I do not want to do in writing my posts, is litter the page with christianeze.  Relating how God saw me through this experience, denotes the practical living out of my christian faith. We all are broken in one way or another, in need of His grace, mercy and salvation.

I was participating in a singles group at the church I attended. I met my beautiful wife Patty there. We both had experienced divorce. She was a single mom with three children. Our relationship grew and developed. We married about a year and a half later. This past January, we celebrated our thirty seventh anniversary. God faithfully has worked in each of our lives. He healed the deep wounds we experienced, and has helped us grow and develop individually. As a result, we deeply love one another , and have a wonderful marriage and life together.

There have been struggles along the way. A couple of years into our marriage, through circumstances beyond our control, a financial crisis developed.  Suddenly and unexpectedly, our income was substantially reduced with no replacement or alternative.  God saw us through this season, and we were somehow able to meet all of our obligations. Eventually we regained financial stability. We experienced God’s faithfulness and provision.

There have also been blessings we could never have imagined. I had been told years earlier, I would be unable to have children, which to that time had been the case. We had been married six years, and were on a ski trip with a group from our church. Patty did not feel well, and was experiencing flulike symptoms. After returning home, she still was not feeling well. When she went to the doctor, we learned she was pregnant. I had accepted what I had been told years earlier, and I had no thought or hope I would ever have a biological child.  God blessed us with a beautiful daughter. Between us, we have six children. We love each individually and dearly! The son and daughter I adopted, Patty’s three children and our daughter together. His, hers and ours as we like to say.

From the ashes of Patty’s life and mine, God has done what only he can do. He has brought forth something beautiful and lasting. We praise Him for what he has done in and for us!

FAITHFUL FRIEND

FAITHFUL FRIEND

God’s promise to me and every Christ follower is, He will never leave or forsake me. (John 15:13 AMP) No one has greater love [nor stronger commitment] than to lay down his own life for his friends. Jesus was speaking with his disciples about their relationships and interaction between themselves. (Hebrews 13:5 NIV)  Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Jesus’s sacrificial death was evidence of God’s promise to mankind. God’s desire to be our faithful friend. A friend who is trustworthy beyond common understanding. We read or see accounts of a person in the military sacrificing their life to save the life of a comrade. We recently saw the account on TV of a young man scaling the side of a building to save the life of a child. These acts of heroism, though not commonplace, occur on a fairly regular basis. Everyday examples of what Scripture depicts as the ultimate or greatest expression of love. Imagine the gratitude felt by the recipient when they begin to comprehend the gift given them.

I have found during the years I have been a Christ follower, as my understanding and appreciation of God’s love for me has grown, it has fueled my quest to experience to the fullest, the depth of His love through my relationship with Jesus. A living out in my life of my gratitude. The more I understand what He sacrificed, so I could be his friend, I am overwhelmed by how much he loves me. In earlier posts I mentioned my marriage being in trouble. This was a difficult and troubling life experience. There were many dark days when I felt alone and hopeless. During this time there was a lengthy period of separation from my wife.  What caused the most difficulty for me, was not knowing the final outcome and having my life in limbo. The marriage ultimately failed. It is a mystery to me how God manages to impart to my understanding, what I need, in the way I need it, at the time I need it, to navigate life. He faithfully saw me through this painful period. In the process, I learned to trust Him more and I became a stronger person, hopeful something good could come from the devastation of my broken marriage and life.

He has been my faithful friend. I have experienced and am living out that hope, on a daily basis.

Take heart in the words of Jesus from John 16:33 NIV “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A CLOSE CALL

A CLOSE CALL

Today, May 18th is the 38th anniversary of the catastrophic eruption of Mt St Helens. Fifty seven lives were lost. According to the U. S. Geological Survey, the most destructive volcanic eruption in U. S. history. In recent days I have viewed videos of the eruption and rescue operations following. I was fortunate to have owned a small cabin approximately a mile below Spirit Lake, and five miles from the mountain. My cabin was located on one of around two dozen privately owned parcels within Gifford Pinchot National Forest. I have always been drawn to the mountains, enjoying the beauty and serenity they offer. I enjoy the ocean as well, however for me, the mountains is where I feel closer to God. One of the reasons we love living where we now live in Central Oregon, is the view of the majestic Cascade Mountains. Spending time at the cabin was one of my most treasured experiences. Whether it was enjoying beautiful colors and hunting in the fall, snowmobiling in winter, or hiking and other summer activities, the cabin was a special place to enjoy life with the other cabin owners, friends and family. Those of us who owned property there, watched with interest what was happening at the mountain. A red zone had been designated for the area near the mountain, and access was restricted. It was good news for the owners on Saturday May 17th, hearing we were to be granted access. We could travel into the red zone to check our property. If conditions permitted, access would be granted the next day as well. Many owners gathered at the school in the small community of Toutle, to sign waivers and receive instructions. We were to be led to the site by a State Patrol officer, and have a limited amount of time to check our property. The authorities were concerned for our safety. There was a large bulge on the North side of the mountain which was growing daily. National Guard helicopters were standing by at Mc Chord airfield to our North, in the event the mountain decided to act up. A friend Don, had joined me. Upon arrival, we checked my cabin, loaded some personal items into the car, and then drove up the road to the parking lot at timberline turnaround to take pictures. We could clearly see the bulge forming on the side of the mountain. At 4:30 PM, Saturday May 17th, we stood just below where the destruction was about to be unleashed.

The last eruption of significance prior to 1980 took place in 1857, a span of 123 years.  In hours, 1,077,480 hours had elapsed. Those of us who traveled to the mountain were there just sixteen hours before the eruption! Oh my goodness, in perspective by comparison, perhaps one 10,000th of a second!  A close call indeed.

So what, you say. You and those other folks were really lucky, to which I would respond, I don’t believe in luck. I believe my God, who created the universe, holds my life in his hand. If luck were involved, the eruption could have started just as easily at 4:30 May 17th when my friend Don and I were standing on the side of the mountain. My conviction is that nothing exists or occurs which was not created or ordained by God. John 1:3, Proverbs 20:24, Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7, Job 9:7-9, Psalm 136, Psalm 147:4, Job 38, Psalm 33:9 and 1 Corinthians 15:38-41 are some scriptures I point to, which helped me come to my conviction. You can read the scriptures and come to your own conclusion. Clearly He placed the stars in the sky and the planets in motion. The universe functions just as God directed when he created it. For reasons known only by God, the eruption did not begin, one second before he chose to allow it.  Many lives beyond the 57, would have been lost had the eruption taken place during our visit.

The vastness and reality of God is beyond man’s intellect! I don’t begin to understand God. I  experience that He is real, when his Holy Spirit connects with my spirit, and I accept by faith, what I have experienced. If you think about your life, you may have had a close call as well. Thank Him for your life, and for loving you.

 

A DEFINING MOMENT

A DEFINING MOMENT

I suggest there are defining moments we experience, which help shape our lives, and can have a significant impact on the path our lives take. A career choice can lead to a job or profession which brings fulfillment, advancement and provides an adequate income, or leaves one feeling unappreciated, stuck in a job they dislike or struggling financially, unable to advance. I was fortunate to have a job I enjoyed, that was satisfying and provided a comfortable living for my family. I worked at several jobs before entering the insurance profession, which I worked in over 40 years. I was happy in the job I held at a local credit union when I was offered the insurance position. Had I stayed, it would have been a good career choice as well. The decision to accept the insurance position was a defining moment.

Defining moments occur in our spiritual journey as well. The “No Matter What” moment I wrote about in an earlier post was most certainly a defining moment in my journey of Faith. Another, I believe worth mentioning, took place about two and one half years into my walk with Christ. I was attending a local Full Gospel Businessmen gathering. Along with lay person members like myself and people from throughout the community, in attendance were a number of local pastors as well as local and national Full Gospel officers. A family from the community, who were clients at my insurance agency were there. They had a son who had suffered severe injuries in an accident, was quadriplegic and in a wheelchair. The Holy Spirit drew my attention to the young man in the wheelchair. I felt strongly I was to go pray for him, and even that God may heal him! Being a relatively young Christian, I was not sure I was hearing from the Lord. I felt intimidated and self-conscious. Who am I to go pray for this young man when there are all these officials and pastors here! What will they think? What if God doesn’t heal him? Satan, my fear, self-conscious feelings and a host of other emotions won out that evening. This was a defining moment for me, because the Lord used the experience to teach me an important lesson. Almost immediately, I was filled with remorse for not having had the courage to exercise my Faith and pray for the young man. As a result I made a promise to God! Never again would I fail to act on His leading! No matter how silly I may look, when I felt the Lord was leading me to minister in some way, I would do it!

I was not condemned by the Lord for my failure! Instead, He lovingly helped me recognize I had failed. His conviction was accompanied by His love. Because of His love, compassion and long suffering, I learned a valuable lesson which serves me well, still today. Revelation 12:10 confirms, Satan is our accuser. When we feel condemned, you can be certain, Satan is at work, attempting to keep us from God’s best for our lives. God is sovereign. He does not need us, but chooses to allow us to play a part in His story. Psalm 100:5 NIV For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. God is our heavenly father and he is a good, good father! You can entrust your life to Him in the certainty of his love for you.

 

 

LIFE – A JOURNEY

LIFE – A JOURNEY

I view life as a journey in and of itself. We choose the course our lives will take. The choices we make along the way determine where the journey takes us. Like a road trip, we are sure to encounter unexpected curves, hills, ravines and detours along the way. Most of us, before beginning a trip, plan the way we want to go, by looking at a map to see the possible routes available to arrive at the desired destination. Why is it then on our life journey, we all too often, set out with no destination in mind and no idea how to get where we don’t know we are going? We often end up in a place we had no desire to visit. Like the photo above, we stare at the mountain before us, wanting to reach the top, but have no idea what path to take to get there. No wonder we often end up in the ditch, or perched precariously on the edge of a cliff, hanging on for dear life.  I have found if I plan my route, check the weather forecast, fill the car with fuel and plan for an unexpected delay, my trip is more enjoyable and much less stressful. I have determined there is a better way to travel my life journey than leaving the route and destination to chance. It’s important to me that I reach my planned destination.

If you were to gather 100 people in a room and ask them to list the top three things in life that are most important to them, happiness or being happy would undoubtedly show up on almost everyone’s list. Happiness is important to just about everyone. The definition is different for each person. A good job, a good income, a job I love, good relationships, a good marriage, children, being loved, having someone to love. The list could be seemingly endless. Happiness is subjective to every person. Something, or someone who would make me happy, could have the opposite effect for you. Bookstore shelves are filled with books that claim to hold the secret to happiness. Many of us depend on another person to make them happy. Most certainly, another person can add value to your life and contribute to your happiness. However, every person is responsible for their own happiness. To expect otherwise is certain to end in disappointment.

What I have come to realize is, God who created me and loves me with an undying, everlasting love, has provided the handbook for happiness. The Bible. He does not want my life to be boring, so he asks me to play an active part in unlocking His secrets to a happy, fulfilling life. His Word is filled with directions and landmarks, but we must search them out. We cannot understand His road map, without first entering into relationship with Him. An example He gives us is found in Jeremiah 29: 11 & 12. His handbook provides assurances the journey will be safe and our ultimate destination will be certain. It does not however assure us there will not be obstacles to encounter.  Proverbs are filled with sound advice for a happy and satisfying life. John 15: 7-14 is a portion of Scripture which provides an example of God’s love and promises to us.

Doing life God’s way works! The destination He promises for those who believe Him and choose his way is pretty amazing.  You will find a description in His handbook.

 

 

 

IT’S A LIFELONG JOURNEY

IT’S A LIFELONG JOURNEY

 

The journey begins when we accept Christ as savior. The Holy Spirit comes to life within us and we gain more understanding of scripture. (1)  Our desire to learn more, a Spiritual hunger of sorts, becomes evident. We each are unique, and while the process normally has similarities, it usually is different for each person who chooses a Faith journey. For me, about a year after I became a Christian, I undertook a comprehensive Bible study. The wife of a good friend, and fellow insurance agent, was teaching the Bethel Bible Series. Developed by the Institute of Lutheran Theology, the course is an overview of the Bible from Genesis through Revelation. I have found the more I study God’s Word, the clearer my understanding of Jesus becomes. In turn the more desire I have to grow closer to Him. A healthy relationship is like a living organism. Getting the right food, in appropriate amounts, results in healthy growth. As in the natural, so in the Spiritual. (2) Reading God’s Word and listening to worship music are two ways I nourish myself Spiritually. I like to explain the relationship I have with Jesus as a life change for a lifetime. It’s not a weekend outing! Romans 12:2 NIV Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. The Holy Spirit works in our lives to transform us into the likeness of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit should become evident in our lives, as we grow and mature Spiritually. (3) The more I study God’s Word, the more I realize there is so much I don’t know. I have but scratched the surface of knowing God. An activity I find beneficial is spending time alone, quietly, in the presence of God. In this atmosphere I am able to think on His goodness, His faithfulness, His provision, His majesty. I continue to be amazed at how the Holy Spirit connects with my spirit, and I am able to sense His presence. He desires our pure and heartfelt worship and devotion. Our busy lives can make it difficult to slow down and quiet ourselves as we should. It takes determination, at least for me, to achieve some success. I like to go out on our patio where I can shut out life’s numerous distractions and spend time in His presence. Your desire to grow in your relationship with Jesus will increase as you experience His presence. My journey has been worthwhile and filled with His blessings. I pray and believe you will find the same will be true for you.

(1) 1 John 4:4, 2 Timothy 1:14  NLT                                                                                                                                                                                                                   (2) 1 Corinthians 12:12, John 3:6 NLT                                                                                                                                                                                                             (3) Galatians 5:22-26 AMP

 

 

Launch

Launch

Welcome to walkingwithjesussrs. I am going to talk about my life in a bit of depth to give some insight and provide you with background for better understanding of future posts. I have and often will, mention the faithfulness of God in my life these past 41 years. I was a few years into my second marriage when I became a Christian. I had made a decision to allow my first wife and her husband to adopt the son she and I had adopted., and I had adopted my second wife’s two children. My doctors advised me I would be unable to have children. I was all in, so to speak, with the marriage and it was not going well. I had seen a poster for the Dave Wilkerson Crusade. As the date approached I felt compelled to attend. My wife and children did not wish to go, so I went alone. The crusade was being held at my old high school. I was late because I had to pick up a piece of rental equipment I was needing for the next day. I went into the auditorium and was seated on the upper level, off by myself. It proved to be a good thing as the night wore on. I cannot recall the message, but as Dave Wilkerson spoke I was sitting with tears streaming down and when it came time to go forward, I don’t believe anything could have prevented me from responding. I believe God knew I would need the exact experience I had that evening, to cement the reality of what was happening to me. On the path I would be walking, He knew I would need to know my experience with him was real. It is just as real now as I write this, as the night I went forward.  Not everyone has the type of experience I had. Most of you will not need to be thumped as hard as I did. God is a personal God. Your experience will be what you need, tailor made for you. My experience speaks to me of the personal nature of God in my life and how he is faithful to meet me right where I am at any given moment.

I wish I could tell you my marriage began to improve and life became better after that night. As the weeks and months passed, unfortunately the opposite was true. I was thriving Spiritually, but my marriage was not.  As the spiritual hunger grew in me, I started attending a full gospel church and also Full Gospel Businessmen meetings. I was literally like a dry sponge soaking up everything I could. I was reading book after book. Two which still resonate with me were In His Steps and From Prison to Praise.

I was believing God for healing and restoration of my marriage. As time went on and the marriage continued to deteriorate I was faced with what I would do if my marriage didn’t survive. If that was the final outcome, would I continue on this journey. Even during this difficult time, when everything seemed to be falling apart, God was faithful to bring people into my life to encourage and strengthen me. Once  again, a testament of His faithfulness.

The decision I was facing would prove to be an important cornerstone on my journey of Faith.