Todays Beginning

Friday... We miss out on so much. We are living in a difficult time and we miss out on so much because of our view of people. Jesus was so good at putting us and others in our and their place. And He did that in Luke 10 (NLT), with a tremendous story. In the story there was a Jewish man, a priest, a Temple assistant and there were some bandits. And at least two of them would have been used as heroes in the story that we would tell but Jesus had a different purpose in how He told the story. In verse 33 He says, "Then a despised Samaritan came along." And we have so many out there that we despise too, don't we? and in no way would we make them the heroes. We miss out on so much. Now there were many reasons why the Jews despised the Samaritans and that is true of us with so many others that we also despise. But Jesus even loved the bandits. He gave His life for every one of us. He didn't despise us, He died for us. We miss out on so much when we live with wrong preconcei...

Thursday... There is more to it. You have possibly heard of how Jesus took five loaves and two fish and He fed 5,000 + people. Now that was a tremendous miracle but there was more to it. Luke tells of this happening over in Luke 9:10-17 (NLT). It was a tremendous miracle but look at what verse 14 says, "For there were about 5,000 men there. Jesus replied, 'Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each." Now how many groups would that possibly be and how many disciples were there? Well, we don't know how many groups because it says there were 5,000 men not counting the women or kids but there were only twelve disciples.  He goes on in verses 15-17, "So the people all sat down. Jesus took the fives loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples pi...

Wednesday... He knows what we are and will be going through. He really does. The writer, Luke in chapter 8:22-25 (NLT) in his book tells us of an experience that shows this to be true. He writes, "One day Jesus said to his disciples, 'Let's cross to the other side of the lake.'" Now He knew what was going to happen but they didn't. He knows what is going to happen in your life today. "So they got into the boat and started out. As they sailed across, Jesus settled down for a nap." He knew that He could handle what was going to happen. That is called faith.  "But soon a fierce storm came down on the lake. The boat was filling with water, and they were in real danger." Now understand, Jesus was in the boat and there still was a fierce storm. He may be in your life but fierce storms still come. They do. Verse 24, "The disciples went and woke him, shouting," We do a lot of shouting when bad stuff happens, don't we? We lose control ...

Tuesday... Here is another good one. I read at least three chapters in the Bible everyday. And my first one is always in Psalms and so many times my thought for the day comes from Psalms. It is usually where I get that word of encouragement. And today is no different. In Psalm 28:1 & 2 (NLT) David writes, "I pray to you, O Lord, my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die. Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary." Does that speak to you? "I pray to you, O Lord my rock." Some pray to a god who is a rock. The NIV says, "To you, Lord, I call; you are my Rock." I don't pray to a rock I pray to one who is my Rock.  He goes on. The NLT says, "Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die." So true, so true. I won't because He is alive and He hears me and He speaks to me. And then verse 2,...

Monday... Here it is again and are we ready? Good question!  So how ready are we to face a new Monday, a new week?  David asked two very good question that we need to look at and answer. Psalm 27:1 (NLT) says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation - so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?" If it is true then, why, why? Over in Luke 6:46-49 Jesus gets right to the point by asking a question and then He gives an answer. He says, "So why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord!' when you don't do what I say? I will show you what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house tight on the ground, without a ...

Saturday... A different day but for some the same challenges. Some face each new day with the same heavy load.  Yes, it is a new day but it seems like it is the same. They feel like David in Psalm 25. In verses 16 and 17 (MSG) he says, "Look at me and help me! I'm all alone and in big trouble. My heart and mind are fighting each other; Call a truce to this civil war." Yes, David was honest in his emotions but in verse 15 he knew what he needed to do. He said, "If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet." I have highlighted that verse. I love that verse. "If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet." In the beginning verses, verses 1 & 2, of this Psalm, he writes, "My head is high, God, held high; I'm looking to you God; No hangdog sulking for me." Yes, what we are facing is heavier than we can bear but what are we doing? Where are we looking?   I love David. He is very honest in his emotions but he doe...

Friday... What do you love to do? What does it cost? Pastor Drew, our Pastor, loves to climb mountains. He really does. Now I love to see them. I am sitting right now looking out on some beautiful mountains. And I do love to hike on them. Now in order to climb and hike some mountains in the Sierra Madre Mountains in California and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado you need a permit. It will cost you something. Psalm 24:3 (NLT) asks a very good question, "Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?" There are some requirements. Did you know that? Well there are. There are some costs. It goes on. "Who may stand in his holy place?" Verse 4, "Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies." Wow, you can't tell lies? Yes, you must be honest. What would happen in this world if everyone told the truth, they never told lies? What would it be like? It really would be a good world to live in, wouldn't it? What about everyo...

Thursday... It is so familiar, but life can make it new. What is around you that you don't see anymore? I live in the desert and I can get to the place that I don't see the Sun until a cloudy winter comes to stay and then I appreciate it again and see it with new appreciation and anticipation. Life is like that. We don't really appreciate the good things in our life until trouble strikes.  Here is a portion of Scripture that if you have been a Christian for long you have read it with a, I really love it. But with changes in our life it can have new meaning. Look at this, Psalm 23:1-3 (NLT) says, "The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths." We read it and read it and read it and then life changes and it takes on new meaning, new importance, new significance.  Maybe that is where you are today. You were going along and then the snow cam...

Wednesday... Yes, He did, yes, He did! Today in Psalm 22 I read something that showed someone who can see into the future wrote the Bible. Verses 16-18 (NLT) shows a picture of what will happen way in the future. It says, "My enemies surround me like a pack of dogs; They have pierced my hands and feet," They drove nails into His hands and feet. "I can count all my bones. My enemies stare at me and gloat," He was on a Cross. "They divided my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing." Over in Mark 15:24 which is in the New Testament of the Bible, it says, "Then the soldiers nailed him to the cross. They divided and threw dice to decide who would get each piece." The Psalms is in the Old Testament. It was written way before the New Testament. Now I love the Bible. It has so much wisdom, it is such an encouragement and it is the Word of God. No one else can see into the future.  He has used so many as instruments to write what He want...

Tuesday... If we could ask for anything what would it be? I have read through the Psalms everyday for 40 years. Yes, I am old but this has been something that I have done that has really made a difference in the way I look at life. God through His prodding me and through His Holy Spirit has changed me through many ways but this has been one of the major tasks that has brought about great change in how I view life. I had many years ago asked God to change the way I viewed life and He introduced me to King David and his Psalms. I was a negative, fearful, pessimistic perfectionist that God changed into a positive, faith based, uplifting person who started each day with an outlook of exciting anticipation. Look at what David writes in Psalm 21:1 (NLT), "How the king rejoices in your strength, O Lord! He shouts with joy because you give him victory." Now that is the way to start each day. And then verses 6-7 says, "You have endowed him with eternal blessings and given him joy...

Monday... Each is so important. Each part of our body is important. It is. Now we can survive without many of them, but they each are important. Proverbs 20:12 (NLT) says, "Ears to hear and eyes to see - both are gifts from the Lord." Now seeing and hearing from a physical standpoint are really tremendous gifts, but the same is true from a spiritual standpoint.  Each morning, right after I give thanks to God for all the good gifts He gave to me the day and night before, the first things that I request are ears to hear and eyes to see. Not from a physical standpoint but from a spiritual. It is so important for us to see things each day from God's view. What is happening around us is way different when we see it from His view, from His perspective. I just read today the last chapter of the Gospel of Mark. In verses 9-11 (NLT) it says, "After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cas...

Saturday... So, how would we respond? What if you had gone through a very difficult situation and you had been rescued? How would you have responded? Who would have gotten the credit? Who got the credit in you mind of taking us through COVID? For many we know who gets the credit for the bad that happen in our lives. Well King David wrote and sang Psalm 18 to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from King Saul who was trying to kill him.  Here is how he began his Psalm. He sang in verses 1-2 (NLT), "I love you, Lord; you are my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me," I love that, "He is the power that saves me, and my place of safety." It is so easy to give others the credit. God may have used them, but "He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety." He then sings in verse 3, "I called on the Lord,...

Friday... We don't really understand. We don't really understand the way that we will respond to difficult times. We hope that we will respond as we should but we live too many times with the expectation that we will handle trouble in a good way. Peter, one of the twelve apostles felt that He could handle whatever was going to happen to him and so do we. Psalm 17:3 (MSG) says, "Go ahead, examine me from inside out, surprise me in the middle of the night - You'll find I'm just what I say I am. My words don't run lose." And that is what we really want, isn't it? Now back to Peter. In Mark 14:29 Jesus had just told His disciples that they were going to be going through some great trouble and that they would all desert Him but "Peter said to him, 'Even if everyone else deserts you, I never will.'" And then verse 30, "Jesus replied, 'I tell you the truth - this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times ...

Thursday... It pays, it really pays. Margaret and I spent some time in LA this week and as we were coming back home yesterday to Las Vegas we saw on the other side of Interstate 15 a wreck. And it was a bad one. And the line of stopped traffic went on for miles with no way to turn around. We could see all of that. The stopped line of traffic was all the way back across the state line of Nevada.  Now we stopped in Jean, Nevada and as I was going into the store I was going in with two guys and I mentioned something about the wreck. They were headed to California and it was not a good thing for them to do so they went in and talked to someone in the store and they got some information. As I was going out I went out with them and they told me they were going back to Vegas and then headed to Arizona. They were headed a different way than what they has planned. They still had a chance to change directions. It payed for them to listen to me and change their plans. Proverbs 16:20 (MSG) say...

Wednesday... Everything is better. It really is. Proverbs 15:17 (NLT) says, "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate." Hate in no way makes anything better. There are three comic strips that I read everyday in my newspaper. Oh, yes, I read two newspapers everyday. I know, I'm old. But I also have a computer and an IPhone and I use both. But back to the comics. The other day in the Family Circus comic strip one of the little boys asked the waitress in a restaurant, "Dose Children's Plate mean no vegetables?"  Good question.  I heard Pastor Andy Wood of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California say that a better translation is "A bowl of vegetables and steak are better with someone you love" and that is true but that is not what this proverb says. "A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate." Hate spoils everything. It really does. Now ther...

Tuesday... There are so many buts. There really are. Look at what Proverbs 14:4 (AMP) says, "Where there are no oxen, the stable is clean, but much revenue [because of good crops] comes by strength of the ox." This proverb gets my attention each month when I read it. Yes the stable would be clean but and there are so many buts in our lives. We are driven by our priorities. If your priority is to have everything clean then there are a lot of other things you won't have. Like children, or dogs or a mate or friends. And you might say that you can have both and up to a point that is true. But if all of my time and effort is to keep the stable clean then what about getting food for the oxen or taking them out to work in the field and then bringing them back from the field. They will be so dirty. Now if everything I have is clean all of the time then how do I make a living? How am I productive in being used by God in the priorities He has for me?  Verse 4 in The Message says, ...

Monday... Maybe, this is what you want, today. Could it be that you have been down-in-the-dumps for so long and it shows on your face. And you know like David that you need to be honest with yourself and God and pray this prayer. He writes in Psalm 13:3b, (NLT), "Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die." Is that how you feel, is that what you want? I love that David knew that he had lost something, he had lost his sparkle, he had let the cares and the difficulties of life get him down and it showed on his face and in his eyes. In verse 1, he says what you may want to say. He says, "O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way?" We may feel guilty when we feel that way, but David was honest and we should be too.   He goes on in verse 2, "How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand?" And that can really take the sparkle out of your ...

Saturday... This could be the day. Have you ever awakened on a new day with excitement? You have a sense that something good is going to happen? This could be the day? Now some always it seems wake up with dread, with fear but now you, this could be the day. That thought came to me as I was reading Mark 10 in the New Testament. Verses 46-48 (MSG) says, "They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by," Now that was something to know isn't it? He had to be thinking, this could be the day. And that could be true of us today. Have you heard that Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God is passing by where you are? With that in mind, if that is really true, that could and should change our day. So what will we do? Blind Bartimaeus did something. It says, "When he heard that Jesu...

Friday... We definitely have a part to play. Yes we do. We took our family in Colorado last week to brunch at Lazy Dog. Now it is good to see a lazy dog. They are saving their energy for play down the way. But a lazy person is something different. Proverbs 10:4 (NLT) says, "Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich." And then verse 5, "A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace." We too many times sit back and say, "The Lord will provide" and never do anything. My dad was a tremendous Christian and he was the example of a hard worker.   A hole will never be dug without someone digging it. Yes God will provide the strength and the shovel and He will also give you the reason and the desire to dig it. Verse 26 says, "Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar or smoke in the eyes." And that is so true.  It is imperative that we as Christ followers are the hardest workers. We need to realize th...

Thursday... It really is a good thing to do. It really is. It really is a good thing to start your day by looking back on yesterday and thanking God for the good things He did for you. Psalm 9:1 (AMP) says, "I will give thanks and praise the Lord, with all my heart; I will tell aloud all Your wonders and marvelous deeds." The Message says, "I am thanking you, God, from a full heart, I'm writing the book on your wonders." I know, I know, I don't usually do what someone says to do either but it really is a good thing to do. For sure the enemy will let you know all the bad that happened to you and he'll put a blame in there for what God didn't do. That is usually how we start our day. But starting your day with not having a place in your heart for the bad but having it filled with the good is really a good thing to do. I know it is hard because usually we start the day with turning on the bad news and then see what people are saying on the internet and ...

Wednesday... It is so easy for us to forget. Not when it is a fight with your husband or wife. We remember that and when we have been hurt by someone else but it can be different when something good has happened to us. It can be so easy for us to forget when God has done something for us, has taken care of us.  Look at this story in Mark 8. In verse 1 (NLT) it says, "About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again." And then in verse 4 the disciples said to Jesus, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them here in the wilderness?" And they said this to Jesus, the one who back in chapter 6 had fed 5,000 + people. There are just 4,000 + people this time.  Why do we forget what Jesus has done for us? We wake up each morning in despair facing a new day with its problems that are a lot like yesterday's problems. Oh, yes, God took us through yesterday but it seems we forget that. And that is the way our enemy works. So...

Tuesday... How we see Him makes such a difference. There are two different situations in the life of Jesus in Mark 6 that shows this to be true and they are examples for us today. The first was in His hometown of Nazareth. Verses 2-3a (NLT) says, "The next Sabbath he began teaching in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. They asked, 'Where did he get all this wisdom and the power to perform such miracles?' Then they scoffed, 'He's just a carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon. And his sisters live right here among us.' And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him." The Amplified Bible says, "and their disapproval blinded them to the fact that He was anointed by God as the Messiah." They saw Him as a common man who had wisdom. And verse 5 (MSG) says, "Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there - he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all."...

Monday... This could be what you need to hear today. Jesus was out in the middle of a crowd and a man named Jairus came up to Him to tell Him about his sick daughter. And some others came up to the man to tell him that he didn't need to trouble Jesus because his daughter was dead. Not very good news. Maybe you have had some really, really bad news. Maybe not that bad, but it's bad. Mark 5:36 (NLT) says, "But Jesus overheard them." Do you realize that Jesus hears every conversation that comes to you? He hears the good stuff but He also hears the bad. And that is such good news. But it goes on. Here this man had gotten the worst news a father could ever get. "But Jesus overheard them and said." He knows exactly what we need to hear in those difficult no way can I handle this news times. "But Jesus overheard them and said, 'Don't be afraid. Just have faith.'" That without a doubt could be what you need to hear today. "Don't be afr...

Saturday... So many people wonder. The Psalmist in Psalm 4:6a (NLT) asks a question and it's a question I'm sure, people ask today. He says, "Many people say, "Who will show us better times?" And that same question is being asked today. Especially in these past difficult years. Who knows if there are better days ahead? Who is there that we can turn to who knows the answer? Well, King David was the writer of this Psalm and he didn't end with the question. He goes on in verses 6b- 8. He writes, "Let your face smile on us, Lord. You have given me greater joy than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine. In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."  God is the answer. He is the One who gives us joy. He is the One who keeps us safe. He is our Provider. We may look in so many different places for joy, for happiness but they don't last. They can become addictions and they don't last. They can weigh u...

Friday... It comes around again. With my reading Proverbs each month depending on the date I read, chapter 3 with its encouragements comes round on the third day of each month. And today is March 3 so I just read chapter 3 again. I do the same with Psalms but it take 5 months to read the 150 chapters. And I also read a chapter in the New Testament each day. I read Mark 4 today. Look at this. Proverbs 3:25-26 (NLT) says, "You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked, for the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap." Now this is a new month of a different year and your situation is not the same. Each day is different but God and His Word is the same and you can depend on Him, that is if you have a relationship with Him. Did you see what it said? It said, "You need not be afraid of sudden disaster or the destruction that comes upon the wicked." If you don't have a relationship with God the...

Thursday... But is it a bad thing? Yes it can be but does it need to be?  I found this word this morning in Psalm 2:3 (NLT). It says "'Let us break their chains,' they cry, 'and free ourselves from slavery to God.'" And the word is slavery. And it is in one sense a very bad word. We as a nation fought a war over this word. Churches have people meeting together that are there to free people from their slavery to addiction. There are people who are in marriages who need to be freed from the slavery of abuse. Many people are slaves to the memories of their past. Yes slavery can be very bad. But not in all ways. I am a slave to my wife, Margaret because I love her. I do not want to be freed from that slavery. We are a slave to the responsibility of our dog, Turner. We are going today to see our kids in Colorado and we are not just leaving our dog all alone. He is going to be with our daughter and her family. And we can trust them because they also love him.  And I...

Wednesday... I love this. It was one of my firsts. I love Psalm 1, it was the first chapter in the Bible I memorized. And that was a big deal for me. Memory is not one of my strengths but it was worth the effort because it has stayed with me all of these years.  Now I memorized it in the King James Version with it's walketh and sitteth. I now spend time in more than one version which opens up new visions of what it means. Look at this. Verses 1-2 in The Amplified Bible says, "Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example], nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers). And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night." Some would say, "I don't know how to meditate." And Pastor Rick Warren said, "If you know how to worry you know how to meditate" and that is so true. We...