Inspirations from the Funny Farm

Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord.

Yesterday afternoon, we received a call from a neighbor who lives a few miles down the road. Her husband was sick in the bed, recovering from COVID-19, and his blood sugar level was elevated above 300. One of their cows had gone into labor, but there was a little problem. The calf was in breech presentation. Our friend could see one lonely hoof extruding, and it was upside down. The mama cow had calved three times before without any problem, but she wasn’t going to be able to deliver her calf this time without a little help. We worked together to get the cow into the head gate. My husband gently pulled both of the back hooves out and tied a rope around them. The rope was then hooked to a come along, and utilizing the come along, the calf was gently pulled from his mother’s womb. She fell to the ground and took her first breath. Jeff quickly wiped the secretions from her nose and mouth, and she took her first breaths of fresh air. We released the mama cow, and she went straight to her new baby, and she began cleaning her up and claiming her as her own. How awesome it is that God allows us to participate in such wonderful aspects of life! But it is even far more wonderful to realize that God is ready, willing, and able to pull me out of any and every circumstance that we find ourselves in.

Do you ever feel like you are sinking in a pit of mud, and you just can’t pull yourself out? Last weekend we were trying to move a calf to another field and as we were walking through the muddy area of the field, my boot sunk down deep into the mud, and I almost fell over trying to free myself. It is quite easy to get stuck in a rut. We may fall into habits which we never intended to develop, and before we know it, we are stuck. We are stuck in circumstances in which we can not figure out how to pull ourselves out.

Consider King David’s words. He waited patiently for the Lord, and the Lord heard his cry. He pulled him out of the pit of his despair. Yes, the Lord pulled him out of the mud and the mire, and set his feet firmly on a rock to stand and steadied him as he walked along. That same God that pulled David out of the pit of despair is the very same God that we serve. He hears our cries, and when we patiently await Him, He will pull us out of our pits too!

Don’t you just love the Lord’s response to David’s cry. David said, “I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.” He didn’t say, I cried out to the Lord, and He lectured me, scolded me, or fussed at me. No, he said, I waited patiently and the Lord turned to me and heard my cry. David didn’t have to prove himself to God. He didn’t have to earn grace. He only had to cry out to the Lord and wait patiently for Him, and our great God saved Him from despair.

We are all human, and as such, we are all born into sin. We are going to get bogged down in the mud and mire of sin from time to time. We are going to try to jump into situations feet first now and then, without praying about the situation and asking God to take the lead. Thankfully, we have a loving, caring Father who is full of grace and mercy. Our Father will gladly place a rope around us and gently pull us out, telling us to come along and follow Him. He sets us on solid ground. He guides our paths. He pulls us out of desperate circumstances. He cleans us up, and claims us as His, and He gives us a new song to sing.

If you are finding yourself stuck in a rut of despair this morning, don’t stay there. Cry out to the Lord, and wait patiently for His deliverance. God is waiting for your call, and He is ready to answer just as we answered the call of our neighbor. Don’t live in the despair of your circumstances, but rather rejoice in the joy of the Deliverer. Won’t you let Him pull you out today?

Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.

Romans 10:12-15 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Two days ago, we picked up the most beautiful little, mini Schnauzer puppy. I named her Holly. She is a parti blue merle, and she has the cutest little face. I fell in love with her immediately, and she has become a new member of the Hodge family. I love animals, all animals! My husband and I have been referred to as the crazy critter people on more than one occasion. Yes, I do love my critters. They are very well fed and cared for, and they eat better than a lot of humans. I talk to my critters, and sometimes they listen to what I have to say. They give me great joy and comfort, but they don’t give me eternal peace. As much as I love them all, I realize that my critters do not have souls. They won’t spend eternity with me, and although they listen to me preach to them from time to time, they can’t receive the glorious gospel message. That message is reserved for my human Peeps.

C. H. Spurgeon once said, “Great numbers of persons have no concern about eternal things. They care more about their cats and dogs than about their souls.” When I read this, it saddened me tremendously. I do care greatly about my critters. I go to great extent to make sure they are comfortable and cared for, but do I care as much about the souls of man? Do I go through great extent to reach others for Christ? Is not sharing the gospel more important than cats and dogs and critters? I know that it is. So then why is it so much easier to talk to my critters than to share the gospel with the lost? It probably has a lot to do with being in the zone…the comfort zone that is. Yes, we tend to find our comfort zone in life, and it is hard to step out of that zone, but my friends, it is imperative that we do. It isn’t just life or death. Sharing the gospel doesn’t merely make a difference in the life of someone here and now. It has eternal consequences. Peeps, it is time to get out of our comfort zones. Lives depend upon it!

St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel always. If necessary, use words.” If we want to reach people with the gospel, we must begin by showing them love. I can not tell you how many times we have had a difficult patient register for a clinic visit. The person begins with an awful attitude with the receptionist. He may be rude to the nurse. He may even be using a little foul language, and by the time it is my turn to see the patient, I have been warned about what an awful attitude this guy has. I then have two choices. I can gear myself up to go in there and give back just as much as I get from him, or I can choose to show the love of Christ. Through my many years of practice, I have learned that the latter choice is the way to go. If I go in with a smile on my face and try my best to listen attentively to what is bothering the patient, nine times out of ten, the patient’s mood and demeanor change before he leaves the clinic. We have to listen to those around us, and sometimes listening does not mean literally hearing the words coming out of their mouths. We must pay attention to body language, demeanor, and in turn, give a loving, caring response. We can’t simply go around preaching the gospel, folks. We have to live it. We can’t merely talk the talk. We have to walk the walk. We must show the love of Christ in all of our actions and deeds.

True, genuine love is not man made. We can’t fake it either. Genuine love comes from an internal transformation that is facilitated by God’s love for us. When we are influenced by the love of God, our attention shifts from self to others. When we spend time in God’s word, we learn what it truly means to deny ourselves for the sake of others. And when we learn to deny ourselves for the sake of others, we learn to truly love as God loves us. How then can we begin sharing the gospel with others? We simply begin by reversing our focus. The needs of others must come first. Look for tangible ways to show your love for those around you. Listen to others. Don’t always do the talking. Take time to really listen. Get to know people. Buy someone a coffee, and spend time listening to what they have to say. Give of your time. Oh, I know, none of us have very much free time to give, but that is what makes it such a valuable gift. Give your time to someone. Sit with someone who is alone. Run errands for a shut in. Offer to babysit. Give of yourself by giving of your time. These little acts of love and kindness show another person that you care about them, and it shows love for others and not of self. Use these opportunities to show the love of Christ and to share Christ with others.

It is totally okay to love your animals. I don’t think God would have given us all of these wonderful creatures if He didn’t want us to love them. However, His Word tells us, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) We must love our neighbors. Who are our neighbors? Our neighbors are every single person we come in contact with…the nice people and the rude people, the ones that smell good and the ones that smell bad, and even the bad ones. Yes, God says we have to love our neighbors, and there is no greater way to love someone than to share Christ with them. Continue to love those critters, Peeps, but don’t forget to love God first, and next, we have to love people!

Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

You didn’t mean for it to happen, but it did happen. It didn’t happen all of a sudden. It was a slow fade. Life got busy. Sporting events and activities started popping up back to back. Church doors closed temporarily. Your schedule was much too hectic. So you missed one Sunday, just one…and then another…and another. Before you knew it, you looked back and realized that it had been months since you gathered with your church family. You want to go back. The Holy Spirit keeps nudging you, reminding you almost daily that you need to find a way to get back, but how? How can you show your face after being gone for so long? What will people think? What will they say? Will they judge you for staying away? Will they shame you? No! Absolutely not! Your church family will be genuinely happy to see you again. They have really, truly missed you, and they will be so very glad to see you again. Do not let fear keep you away from the house of the Lord. You only have to take the first step and go.

Don’t get too upset with yourself. We have all had busy seasons in our lives, myself included. Don’t beat yourself up for getting away from church. The important thing is to get yourself back. How can we get back to church and stay in church regularly? First, take the step to go. Make up your mind that tomorrow will be the day that you will go to church. Then, find an accountability buddy at church. Find someone who perhaps has a similarly hectic schedule and partner with that person to keep both of you accountable. If you begin missing services, that person will bring you back, and if your buddy misses, you in turn will bring him/her back.

Next, you have to remember that your church family truly does have the best intentions. They really want you to return to fellowship with them. While you have been gone, things may have changed. There may be new members, new activities, and we may feel totally out of sorts. It may feel uncomfortable. When the eyes of of church family land upon us, we automatically think the eyes are judging us for being gone so long, but in reality, those eyes are noticing you. They see a long last family member returning to the table. They are so excited to see you back. They may say things like, “I haven’t seen you here in a while.” Don’t take offense to these words. Instead take these words as words of encouragement. That person noticed you weren’t at church. They cared about you enough to notice your absence, and they cared enough to notice your presence. It was not a word of condemnation, but rather a word of encouragement. We must see the words for what they mean, and not for what we think the words mean.

Finally, I encourage you to get involved in your church. Find your niche. If you are involved in the activities of the church, it is a whole lot easier to stay involved. Don’t over commit yourself, but you absolutely must commit. I realize that life is busy enough, but you must commit yourself. When I first married my husband and moved my letter to his church (now our church), I felt like an outsider for a very long while. I felt like I didn’t belong. I attended regularly, but I didn’t feel at home. It was not until I made the move to involve myself. I offered to teach a Sunday School class, and then my husband and I became involved with the youth activities. I became active in our Ladies’ Ministry, and eventually was asked to be the church treasurer. Now, when I walk through those doors, it isn’t a chore. It isn’t a strange land or strange house. No, my friends, when I walk through those doors, I am truly at home. I am in a place surrounded by my brothers and sisters of another mother, but of the same Father. I am surrounded by the children of God. I am at home with my faith family. And when I miss services, even for one week, I feel like I have missed out on an important engagement. I can’t wait to get back!

Whether you fell out of church in a slow fade or left abruptly, I encourage you today to make up your mind that tomorrow will be the day that you get back to church. God really wants you back, and His kids have really been missing you too! Come on back to church, y’all! You will be so glad that you did!

Romans 1:19-20 Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1-4 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,

I’ve often wondered about tribes in extremely remote areas. If no one tells them about God, how will they know Him? Are they condemned to hell because of the unfortunate remote place of their birth?If a missionary never reaches these people, are they doomed? What about those people that live in our cities and our towns who have never stepped foot in a church? What about the people who run in different circles, circles that never overlap with the circle of a Christian willing to share the gospel? Does God forsake them? His Word assures us that He does not!

We can’t confuse God with nature, but we must acknowledge that through nature God makes himself known. Living on a farm has removed any doubt about this. When we awake in the early morning hours and dawn has not yet overcome the darkness, there is stillness in the air. It is so quiet that you can literally hear the breath of God. The sky is filled with stars, and the moon shines brightly like a little night light to lend light to us as we await the dawning sun. The sun gradually begins to peak out. First, the sky begins to light up ever so slightly, and then colors begin to fill the morning sky. The sky above is filled with golden hues of yellow, rose shades of pink, and beautiful blues. God fills the earth with glorious color and paints a sky more beautiful that the greatest of art in the best museum. The sun doesn’t merely pop up every morning. God gives it a brilliantly colorful introduction that takes my breath away every time.

As the sun arises, and sometimes even before it peaks out, the critters begin to stir. The dogs run, and jump, and bark playfully. The turkeys gobble, the chickens cluck, and the emus make their little whistling coo. The peacocks squawk loudly so as not to be ignored, and the sheep and goats baa, baa, baa. Birds are joyfully singing and welcoming the new day. In the distance we can hear our cows lowing. As day breaks, we can see the beautiful trees, flowers, the clover on the ground, and grass in the fields. None of this came about by happen chance! It’s not the result of a big bang or evolution. No, my friends, this is the work of the Master!

God created the heavens and the earth. And every single day God’s glory is being proclaimed. The glory and majesty of God’s presence is a constant testimony to His greatness. With every rising sun, we are reminded of His existence. It isn’t a verbal revelation, but rather a complete non-verbal reminder of who He is, and there is no language barrier. God makes His presence known, and He reveals Himself to us through His spectacular creation.

Now this doesn’t mean we should stop proclaiming the gospel. God revealed the gospel to us through Jesus Christ, and we can not keep that good news to ourselves! It is our calling as believers to share the gospel. He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15) Let us continue to spread the gospel, and may we reach a great many people and people groups. But we must remember, our calling is to share the Word, but God himself will do the revealing!!

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Hebrews 9:28 So Christ, also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

Matthew 24:42 Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”

I Corinthians 1:7 So that you are not lacking in any gift, awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today I would like to share an excerpt from my devotional/inspirational book, Inspirations from the Funny Farm. I hope that you find a little enjoyment and see the truth in these words.

People find it funny when I tell them that I love to deer hunt. I don’t know if it’s because I am such a dainty little flower of a woman (not!), or perhaps it is because we have pet deer that I truly love. I, however, do not find anything funny about it. Deer hunting is serious business. We don’t hunt for sport though. If we kill it, we eat it, and eat it we do! I can close my eyes and smell the scent of some fresh backstrap frying up in a pan. Oh mercy! I can hear the sizzle of venison sausage cooking up for breakfast, and let’s not forget the hundreds of dollars we’ve saved eating ground venison instead of ground beef. It’s much leaner, and therefore, much healthier. Venison does a body good for sure, but it is also great for the mind.

My passion for deer hunting has grown strong over the past few years. I’m not a great hunter, but nonetheless, I love to hunt. My husband and I have gone on draw hunts together. I enjoy those hunts because we get to sneak away for a few days just the two of us. We also get to spend those days out enjoying God’s beautiful country. It brings rejuvenation to the body and the mind. I like the draw hunts a lot. I truly do, but if I had my rathers, I would rather hunt out of the old Snaggy Pond hunting house on my husband’s dad’s land. Jeff’s dad, Paw Paw J.B., has 320 acres of farmland and timber. Over the years, Jeff and Paw Paw have built several hunting houses on his land. To me it is better than any state wildlife management area. It is cared for under the watchful eye and steady hand of Paw Paw J. B. He loves that place, and it shows. His land is like a huge wildlife park.

When hunting, I have to arrive early in the afternoon to get up in the stand before the deer start to move. It seems crazy to arrive an hour or two before “deer thirty”, but it is a necessity. I don’t want the deer to see, hear, or smell me as I ascend to the stand. Once I’m there, it’s hurry up and wait, meaning I hurry to get up there and then I wait, and I wait, and I wait. If you aren’t a patient person, this probably isn’t for you. Some days, I sit there for 2 or 3 hours and see nothing. When I say nothing, I mean N-O-T-H-I-N-G! Other days, there is wildlife galore. The afternoon may start off with me watching a flock of turkeys feed. I always enjoy watching them as I take notes as to how many turkeys I saw and how many of them had long beards because Paw Paw is going to need that information. Not only is he an avid deer hunter, he is also an amazing turkey hunter.

I’ve seen quite a variety of birds during my watchful waiting, and I’ve even seen a bobcat once. After the turkeys finally move out, it’s pretty much dead quiet for a while. That’s a great time to just sit still and be quiet with God. I do some of my best thinking during that quiet time, and God and I have some real good conversations from that hunting house. Those conversations are never boring. We’ve solved many a problem out there.

Finally, about 45 minutes before dark, the first doe will gradually sneak out to feed on the fresh green rye grass. It never fails, as soon as I get the first glimpse of movement, my heart skips a beat, and then it begins to race. Once I determine that it is a doe, the rate of my heart gradually returns to normal, and I sit back and enjoy the show. Does begin to come in one or two at a time. Some arrive with a young yearling at the side, and others arrive alone. A lot can be determined from watching the does.  For example, if she is quietly grazing and appears disinterested in her surroundings, there probably isn’t a buck anywhere in the vicinity. However, if she is looking around constantly, ears perked up, and acting nervous, there is probably a big boy nearby. When the does start acting skittish, my heart pumps a little harder and a little faster because I know that excitement is coming soon. I ease up on the edge of my chair, and I even catch myself holding my breath with anticipation. I feel that I just can’t wait even one more minute, but I can, and I do.

As the sun slowly fades away, I quietly beg for that big boy to peak out, even if it’s just for a moment. I can’t tell you how many days darkness has completely overwhelmed me without me seeing even one single buck. But even when I don’t see a big buck, time in that old hunting house is always time well spent and never a disappointment. For you see, even though I didn’t get what I wanted, I still got what I needed: time with God and His glorious creations!

What if we all sat anxiously awaiting the return of Christ with that same bated breath? What if we could hardly catch our breath and our hearts skipped a beat or raced because we caught a glimpse of what is to come? Jesus has promised us that one day He will return. We don’t know the day or even the hour of His return, but we know that He is coming. We should be waiting with great anticipation, awaiting the return of our Lord and Savior. Our hearts should quicken with excitement at the thought of His return, and we should be filled with excitement as we look forward to that glorious day. So many times, we get distracted by the day to day grind, the ordeals of our lives, and we take our eyes off of Jesus. Maybe we should sneak away, to a quiet old deer hunting house, and just sit still and just be quiet, and listen and talk to God a so that we can renew our excitement for Christ and our future as we remember His promises. If we are focused on Christ, truly focused on Christ, we can’t help but get excited because as children of the King, our futures will be bright!

I’m sharing a photo of a deer that I killed a little over a year ago. He was an old deer, 10 to 12 years old, that I shot at 55 yards through thick woods with my crossbow. That was truly God blessing me (yet again) because I’m not that good! I give all glory to God for every good thing in life!

Haggai 1:4-6 “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

Haggai isn’t a book we read often, and it is considered one of the minor prophets, not because he was minor in importance, but rather because the book Haggai is a pretty short book. In fact, this book in the Old Testament consists of only two chapters with a total of only 38 verses. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that just because it is a tiny chapter, it is not important. In this book, we are reminded that we must get our priorities in order.

Haggai begins with a call for the people to rebuild the temple of God. The word of God came to the prophet Haggai in which God informed Haggai that the people were saying that the time had not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord, and God asked the people if it was a time that they could live in their comfortable homes while the house of God lied in ruins. After seventy years of captivity, temple construction had begun. In the second year, the foundation had been built, but it did not continue. The people were distracted and pressured by the people in the surrounding lands to give up the work (Ezra 3-4). Then the work of the temple came to a standstill for twenty years. The people had become apathetic and complacent. God used Haggai to rouse the people to begin building the temple again and to remind them of their priority.

We must remember that the significance of the work rebuilding the temple does not lie with the building of the Temple itself, but with the restoration of a proper worship of God. The people needed to have God as the center of their lives. Without the Temple of God, there would not be worship of God, and without the worship of God, the people are left without a spiritual compass. The people were living only for themselves. They lived for their own comfort and enjoyment. Their only worldview was a materialistic one, just like many today. They lived for themselves, and everything revolved around them. They had lost their focus on God, and they had begun focusing only on themselves. If we want to have the abundant, fulfilling life that God has promised to us, we have to make God a priority. We must make God the center of our lives.

Through Haggai, God reminded the people of their priorities. They planted much, but harvested little. They ate but were never satisfied. They drank but continued to thirst. They put on clothes but didn’t have enough to keep warm. They put their money in their pockets, but their pockets had holes in them. God gave these words to Haggai the prophet many years ago, but they still ring true today. This world we live in has become a world in which the people do whatever makes them happy. I wouldn’t doubt it if there was a law currently being written in congress stating “the people can do whatever they want as long as it makes them happy.” I’m serious. It has come to this. We have lost our focus. Our priority has become one of pleasing self rather than serving God, but make no mistake, God is not going to allow this self-pleasing lifestyle to continue.

How do we get back to the basics of simply being the children of God that He created us to be? How do we get our priorities in order? First, we have to remember what our priority is, my friends, and that priority is God! The term priority can be defined as the fact or condition of being regarded or treated as more important. Is God important? Yes! Should He be regarded and treated as important? Definitely. But we can’t merely put God on the top of our list of priorities. When we do this, we give Him a place, but we intertwine His place with a whole bunch of other stuff that we also consider important. Take God off of that list, folks. Yes, you read that correctly. Take Him off of your list of priorities. God shouldn’t be at the top of the list. He should be the list. He should be our absolute one and only priority. Everything else pales in comparison. Take some time today to reflect on who God is. Spend time in His Word. Remember His glory and grace, His mercy and love. Consider what God truly means to you, and make Him a priority in your life today. This is no time for apathy and complacency. Now is the time to make God our priority!

John 3:16 For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

I woke up this morning from a dream. In my dream, I was rushing around trying to find the perfect gift for a friend’s birthday. I was dreaming that it was her birthday that very same day, and I still did not have a gift to give. I was searching high and low, yet I still had not found the gift when the beeping of my alarm brought me back to reality. I had not forgotten her birthday. It is not today. It is not even this month, but still the search for the perfect gift was on my mind. What is the perfect gift? I’m quite sure what is perfect for one person may not be so perfect for another, but I do know of one very perfect and also priceless gift. It is a gift that literally keeps on giving, and this gift lasts forever. What gift is this? The gift of salvation.

We all know someone, a friend, a relative, a colleague, or just an acquaintance who doesn’t know Jesus as their Savior. We may live in the house with these people, we may work right beside them, we definitely see them at the grocery store, and we may even go to church with them. It could even possibly be you, my friend, reading this today who hasn’t yet made that decision to follow Christ for whatever reason. I’m here to tell you that there is no better day than today to share this wonderfully perfect gift with someone and to accept this gift if you have not yet accepted the glorious gift of salvation.

I know what you are thinking. “It’s too hard to share the gospel.” “I’m not very good at it.” Or perhaps, “It will feel awkward, and I don’t do awkward.” But friends, those are simply excuses we make to ourselves when we don’t want to get out of our comfort zone. I know because I have been there. If you are a born again Christian, think back for a moment to all of the people that poured into you before you made that step of faith and accepted Christ. Each person that pours into us plants a little seed. Others come along and water those seeds, and eventually the Holy Spirit moves within us. Peeps, we must be busy about planting and watering. We must continue to daily pour into others just as our friends, family, and loved ones poured into us.

But how? How do I step out of my comfort zone and share the gospel? There are many ways, and none of our plans will ever be perfect. We merely need to remember that God is perfect, and He will provide the words if we ask, and the Holy Spirit will provide the moving. We only need to be willing vessels. Probably the best way to NOT start the conversation would be telling someone, “You are going to hell if you don’t accept Christ as your Savior.” That statement is truer than true, but it isn’t likely to begin building a relationship that will allow the Spirit to move in that person. Scare tactics do not equal heart and mind conversions. We must build relationships. Get to know the person. Share yourself with them. Show them your sincerity. Also, it is important to just be yourself. Don’t try to speak with big eloquent biblical terms or words. Someone who has never been to church may not have a clue what you are talking about and this may turn them away. Share your heart. Share your testimony. Share how Christ has worked in your life, and share what a a wonderful change He has made in you. Don’t be judgmental, and don’t take their response personally. Everyone you witness to will not immediately accept Christ. Just remember that it is not your job to make a person a believer. You and I are the messengers. It is the Holy Spirit that takes that message and gives understanding. Answer any questions that come up, and if you don’t know the answer, don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know that answer, but I will get back to you,” and get back to them with the answer. Finally, pray. Pray with that person and for that person continually.

I know I’ve shared this before, but it is worth sharing again. Our pastor, Dr. Patrick Shane Moore, shared this evangelism tool with us a couple of years ago. He has taught us so much about evangelism, and this tool has proven to be valuable on more than one occasion. I still have this written in several of my Bibles, and it has come in handy. If you aren’t opposed to marking in your Bible, try it out. On the inside front cover of your Bible, write, “What does God require for a person to go to heaven? See John 3:16.” (Write the corresponding page behind the scripture verse each time and highlight the noted scripture on the page in the Bible). Turn to John 3:16 and highlight the scripture. On that page write, “God’s Promise: He loves you! See Romans 3:23.” Turn to Romans 3:23 and write, “The Reality: we all struggle with sin. See Mark 1:15.” Turn to Mark 1:15 and write, “The answer to sin: Jesus. See I Peter 3:18.” Turn to I Peter 3:18 and write, “Jesus died for you! See Romans 10:9.” Turn to Romans 10:9 and write, “Your God requires you to confess and believe. Turn to the back page of the Bible.” Inside the back cover of the Bible, write, “Prayer of Salvation: Dear Jesus, Thank you for loving me and for dying for me. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I am willing to turn my life over to you. I’m willing to live for you. I ask you to be my Savior and Lord. Amen.” This is a great tool to have in your arsenal. If someone asks how to receive Christ, and words seem to fail you momentarily, all you have to do is pray and grab your Bible and walk them through these verses. I have purchased a bunch of New Testaments and marked them with this information to distribute to others.

Sometimes sharing the gospel comes easy, and other times we feel like our words get all tangled up as we struggle to say the right things. No matter what, we must continue to share the gospel. Two things to take to heart. First, when we share the gospel, we are sharing the most perfect, wonderful, priceless gift in the world. We want everyone to receive that gift, and therefore, we must keep sharing it as often as possible. Second, we must remember that we can’t make someone accept this wonderful gift. Our job is only to share it. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. Won’t you share this perfect gift with someone today, and if you haven’t yet accepted this gift, I pray you accept this perfect gift today! God loves you, and I love you!

Mathew 14:25-33 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”  But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!” Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.  Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”  When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.

Costa Rica is our second most favorite place on earth, second only to our home. In this one small country, there are mountains, rain forests, and pristine beaches all within a short distance of each other. It is a quite beautiful place with brightly colored flora and fauna. They also have quite a few unique creatures hanging around such as many varieties of monkeys, sloths, and we’ve even seen a silky anteater once. On my first trip to Costa Rica, I saw a totally cool little dude whose genus is Basiliscus, but his friends call him the Jesus Christ lizard, or for short, the Jesus lizard. Why would one call a lizard a Jesus lizard? These little guys are small, and they are fast. Because of their light weight and rapid speed, they can literally run across water for good lengths before sinking. Yep, they walk (or rather run) on water. Pretty cool, huh?

Our scripture today reminds us of a man that walked on water. Yes, Jesus walked on water. He is Jesus, and although it is absolutely amazing that He can walk on water, it isn’t surprising when we recognize who He is. But Peter? He was a mere man, but he walked on water for a few moments too. The disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm struck. They had been battling the waves for hours, and were surely growing weary. Around 3:00 in the morning, Jesus came to them. He was walking on the water in the midst of a terrible storm. When the disciples first caught sight of Him, they were terrified. They perhaps thought that they were seeing a ghost. However, when they heard the voice of Jesus, they knew that it was Him. Immediately, Peter said, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” And Jesus said, “Come.” Peter climbed over the side of the boat, and despite the winds and the waves, he began walking on the water towards Jesus. However, when he took his focus off of Christ, and he began to take note of the winds and waves, he became terrified and sank.

We can glean a lot of good stuff from this scripture, but the most important take away for today is not that Peter sank, but that Peter climbed out of the boat to walk towards Jesus. We may be in the middle of the storm of our lives, paddling fiercely until our arms feel as though they are going to fall off, battling the winds and the waves, and feeling unsure of when or how we will be delivered from the storm. But when we are in the midst of the storm, we must remember that we are not alone. Just as Christ walked on water to rescue the disciples, He is walking on water towards you and I. He is there. He is always there. He is willing, able, and ready to save us, but folks, we have to climb out of the boat! We have to take that leap of faith. Even when our faith falters, He is there to grab a hold of us and save us. We merely have to trust in Christ knowing that He is our salvation.

Peter didn’t look at the storm when he climbed over the side of the boat. He climbed right out ignoring the storm and stepped out on faith. He didn’t look at the dire circumstance in which he was in. Instead, he kept his eyes and his focus on Jesus. Peter heard the voice of Jesus, and this gave him all the courage he needed. Another key thing to note is that Peter physically climbed out of the boat. Consider this for a moment. It would be hard for me to climb out of a boat and attempt to walk on water on a good day, but Peter did this in the middle of a violent storm. By stepping out, he further demonstrated his faith in Christ.

As Christians, we are asked to step out on faith…even in the midst of storms, perhaps especially in the midst of storms. When the storms are violently raging and the waves are crashing in, it is then that our faith is tested and purified. It is then that we meet our salvation. And even if we fail, which we very well may, we can always count on our salvation and the saving grace of Jesus. If Christ is calling you out of the boat today, even if it is in the middle of a storm, go to Him. Don’t focus on the raging storm. Focus on the Savior. Don’t walk. Run! Run like a little Jesus lizard. Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He is the Messiah. He is our salvation. He is calling you today. Won’t you come…come to the Savior today?

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.

My drive to work each day takes about 25 minutes, and I spend that drive getting my mind geared up for the day. In doing so, I keep my radio tuned to American Family Radio, and every time a song comes on that I like, I turn the volume up a little more. By the time I arrive at work, the radio is booming loudly, and I am full of joy and ready to start my work day. Yesterday, as I was driving in to work, a song, Start Right Now, by Casting Crowns came on the radio. As I intently listened to the words as if for the first time, I was overcome with a great need to share the words of this song. Take your time and read these words. Sing along if you want.

We want our coffee in the lobby. We watch our worship on a screen. We got a rock-star preacher who won’t wake us from our dreams. We want our blessings in our pockets. We keep our missions overseas, but for the hurting in our cities would we even cross the street? But we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel. the walls fall down and our land be healed. But church if we want to see a change in the world out there it’s got to start right here. It’s got to start right now. Lord, I’m starting right here. Lord, I’m starting right now. I’m like the brother of the prodigal who turned his nose and puffed his chest. He didn’t run off like his brother, but his soul was just as dead. What if the church on Sunday was still the church on Monday too? What if we came down from our towers, and walked a mile in someone’s shoes? Hmm ’cause we wanna see the heart set free and the tyrants kneel, the walls fall down and our land be healed. But church if we want to see a change in the world out there, it’s got to start right here. It’s got to start right now. Lord, I’m starting right here. Lord, I’m starting right now. We’re the people who are called by His name. If we surrender all our pride and turn from our ways, He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin. He will heal our land, but it starts right here. We’re the people who are called by His name. If we surrender all our pride and turn from our ways, He will hear from Heaven and forgive our sin. He will heal our land. It’s got to start right here. It’s got to start right now. Lord, I’m starting right here.
Lord, I’m starting right now.

Our prayer for the longest period of time has been, “Lord, please heal our land.” We pray for healing, but what are we as Christians doing to help bring about the healing? We want everything to be served up to us on a silver platter. We want healing, but we want God to do all of the heavy work. Christianity has turned from one of contribution Christianity to consumer Christianity. People want coffee shops in the churches and worship services on the big screens. People want Rockstar preachers who look great on stage but are careful not to step on any toes, and we want to hold on to our blessings and not share our tithes with the church. We support missions overseas, but we forget those lost ones right here in our own communities. We want changes in our government. We want the hearts of the leaders to be changed. We want walls to fall down and our land to be healed, but basically, we just want God to do it all by Himself. We know that He can. Oh yes, He can, but maybe, just maybe, He is waiting for us to start…right here…right now.

It is indeed well past time for a change, my friends, but that change needs to start within the heart of every single Christian. We have to stop being consumer Christians who want to be served. Consumer Christians feel entitled, and they point fingers at everyone but themselves when there are problems. Consumer Christians focus on what we are going to get out of this relationship with Christ or from our church, and they often have trouble finding a church home. Instead, it is time for us to become contributing Christians! Contributing Christians come to serve. Oh yes, a true Christian has the heart of a servant, and we should each have a desire within us to serve others. There are many ways to serve, and sometimes you just have to find your niche. If you haven’t found it yet, keep searching, but while you are searching, keep serving! Serving others allows others to see Christ in you, and when we serve others, rather than blessing those we are serving, we often find that we are the ones who receive the blessing. Contributing Christians have hearts of gratitude and gratefulness. Rather than feeling entitled, we feel grateful for the blessings that God has so graciously bestowed upon us. Contributing Christians take time to look around for the needs of others, and even ask others what they need. What does the church need? Are the needs of others within the church body being met? Contributing Christians realize that it is not all about “me”, but it is really all about “God and people…all people.” Rather than asking what I will get out of this, a contributing Christian gives without expectation of return trusting completely in God and His plan for their lives. Contributing Christians don’t have trouble finding a home church, but rather they find a church family that is an extension of their own family.

We must keep praying and petitioning for God to heal our land, but I feel within my heart that God wants each and every one of us to be an active part in the healing process. We can’t continue to sit back and consume. It’s time to start contributing. It is time to surrender our pride and turn from our ways. It is time for church on Sunday to still be church on Monday…and every day of the week. It’s time for us to come down from our high towers and walk a mile in someone’s shoes. It’s time to not only contribute to foreign missions, but to make an effort to walk across the street to help someone in need. It’s time to share the gospel. We can’t keep on keeping the Good News to ourselves. It’s time to start right here, right now!

1 Peter 1:5-9 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

These sure are some scary times we are living in. I’ve reached a point in my life that I almost don’t even want to watch the news and see what is happening, but rather just put all my trust in Christ. We often ask why does God allow crisis into our lives? We know that He is a loving God, full of grace and mercy, yet still crisis comes upon us again and again, one trial after another. It is our natural human instinct to think that crises are bad, but that is not necessarily true. God often uses trials to bring about something good for us.

Peter reminds us in the scripture reading today that through our faith, God is protecting us by His power, and therefore, we should be glad when we are enduring trials. Glad? He is kidding, right? No, Peter reminds us that when we endure trials, the genuine nature of our faith is revealed. How genuine is your faith in God? Put a little fire under your faith and see. Peter uses the example of our faith being tested as fire tests pure gold. Have you ever thought about or seen the purification process of gold? Purification comes from the gold being plunged into the heart of the fire — the place where fire is harshest and turns blue — and being kept there until the gold which is being purified loses any resemblance to what it once was. The end result of the process is pure gold without anything added to it, no debris, no filth, no dirt — just pure gold. Now consider this in relationship to testing faith. When we undergo a trial that is too much for us to endure, we recognize that we must place total faith in Christ. We fully trust that God will be our salvation, and our faith is genuine, pure, without any doubt to hinder our trust in Him.

I can’t help but think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when I think of purifying faith through fire. Nebuchadnezzar had a statue of himself constructed that was ninety feet tall and ninety feet wide, and he had commanded all people to worship the statue any time they heard the sound of music played. Young Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego only worshipped the one true God, and refused to worship this statue. They were brought before the king and given the opportunity to bow again before being thrown into the fire, but they still refused. They responded, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”  (Daniel 3:17-18) These young men were tested by the fire, and their faith was most genuine. They trusted that God would save them, and they said that even if He didn’t, they still wouldn’t worship the gold statue. That, my friends, is true faith by fire.

Right now, our faith is being tested by fire, but rather than asking, “Why is God allowing this to happen to me?”, we should be asking, “What is God trying to teach me through this situation?” When we are going through a trial, we get good practice at sniffing out the very presence of God in the middle of a circumstance that otherwise just stinks! We can’t resist this kind of faith. When we do, we miss the whole point. But when we follow God’s lead, place full and absolute trust in Him, we soon discover a blessed richness that last long after the terrible crisis has ended. Basically, we have two choices when it comes to trials. We can sit back and whine and complain, throw a pity party and sulk, and fuss about how unfair our life is, or we can place full and complete trust in God knowing without a shadow of a doubt that He will bring us through the trial. He will show us the way, and through the fire, our faith will be purified as we see that every trial is for our good and God’s glory.