"Laying In Wait"

i was tired of waiting, playing all the games and,
living in a place that was not for me.

so i thought it was time, for me to get what's mine,
and to do it all everything i dreamed.

what i thought was the best of me turned to be,
all the worst i could find.

if i run to you (Lord), will you hold me in your arms forevermore?

now i got a feeling, that i got to leave and,
find a way back to where i came from.

though i don't deserve it, i know it's unheard but,
living here without you my life is done.

i confess that i shouldn't have run from you, now i know i was wrong,
nowhere to run to,

and no one to turn to, i'm dying out here on my own,
long before i even thought of returning,

your arms are wide open, waiting for me to come home. 
"Run To You"  by  Third Day

the words of this song express the way i was feeling when i finally came to the end of myself.  i felt that i had nowhere to go.  prior to this i was a proud, tough guy, who tried every vice that came my way.  but, i knew without a doubt that something was missing in my life.

"The night is far spent, the day is at hand.  Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."  Romans 13:12

this week i'd like to continue with a story i've entitled "Laying In Wait".  once again i want to make clear the reason for sharing these events from my past.  my intention is not to paint a picture of this lifestyle in a positive light or to draw attention to myself, but instead to show God's grace (undeserved favor) and mercy (kindness and forbearance) towards me.  which is also available to all who would believe.  God's desire is that we all would turn from our lifestyle of sin and 'run to Him'.

"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance."  Romans 2:4

"Laying In Wait"

the peace and quiet of the early morning hour was shattered by the sound of what seemed like a hundred windows breaking.  it was a terrifying way to be awakened from a deep restless sleep.  my first thought after my head cleared was "here we go again".

i jumped out of bed and ran for the front door, i met my father and brother in the hallway.  we all ran outside just in time to see the taillights of the culprit's car turning the corner.  we turned around to see the damage that was done this time, for this was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that our house and cars would be targeted for a sneak attack by the homeboys from the neighborhood to the south.

this time it was the rear windows of the two pontiac's in the driveway belonging to my brother and i.  as we walked up to the cars we could still hear the crackling sound of the tempered glass splitting and falling out.  this time they had dented the car with the bat or bumper jack they had used to break the window out of my car.  the trunk lid and interior of both cars were filled with thousands of little pieces of glass.  this wasn't going to be any fun to clean up later this morning, it never was.

this was typical living in my life back in the seventies.  there were many nights we would be waiting up into the wee-hours of the morning, with the garage door open, guns ready, for these guys to come back by for another visit.  they did come by quit often, if not to break the windows from up close, it was to shoot at the house and cars as they drove by.  there was usually three or four of us sitting in the dark on folding chairs, talking and telling jokes, laughing and waiting.  it was not a matter of "if" they would come, but rather "when".  

 

at that time i was working in westminster at a hamburger joint, usually until midnight.  this one particular summer night, in the middle of the week, i had a near death encounter with some of the homies from that barrio to the south.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."  Psalm 32:7

it was about 12:45 a.m. when i exited the freeway by my home and a carload of guys were laying in wait.  as i pulled onto the main boulevard the other car fell in behind me and began to follow.  looking in the rear view mirror i recognized the car and immediately knew there was going to be trouble, i only hoped that my brother and some of our friends were at my house waiting up as had become our practice lately.

i sped up to put some distance between us, trying to come up with a plan to make it home safe and alive.  of course we had no cell phones back then, so i couldn't make a call of warning, if just figured i would drive by my house and hope someone was out there to see what was happening.

as i turned onto my street i sped up a little more and began flashing my headlights off and on, trying to get my brother's attention.  when i was directly in front of my neighbor's house i put my car in neutral and stepped on the accelerator to rev the pipes as another way of attracting attention to my predicament.  

i passed by my house followed closely by my stalkers; my brother and friends were outside waiting.  i put the car back into drive and continued on to the end of the street.  i figured if i could get around the block and come by again i would give the guys and opportunity  to get some shots off.

i made a left turn at the corner and another left turn onto the next street, still being chased, now at a higher rate of speed.  i drove to the end of the block, made a skidding left turn, and another.  back on my own street my pursuers began to shoot at my car from behind, ducking down now, i kept on going straight ahead, knowing i only needed to get to my house.  when we passed my house my homeboys allow me to go by and then they open fire on the car behind me.  as i got to the corner, i again made a left turn, thinking we would do it all again, but my pursuers went right and disappeared into the night.

i cruised around the block, ever vigilant, expecting their return, it didn't happen.  i had made it home safe and alive thinking as before, how slick i was to outwit death once again.   but it was God who was present looking out for me, preparing me for a day i would run to him.

"And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."  Galatians 2:20

for the next few years my neighborhood was very hot, the two gangs clashed quit often.  alot of fighting, many drive by shootings, and a great deal of death.  by the time i was 18 years old i had experienced eight deaths of friends and homeboys and many more from the other side.  lives wasted for no good reason, sons, brothers, and friends.  family's torn apart never to be the same again.   God's enemy, satan, was suceeding in the barrio.

"In their case the god of this world has blinded the mind of unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."  2 Corinthians 4:4

this type of lifestyle might seem unbelievable to you, almost surreal, but it's real i assure you.  although you may not relate to the experiences i'm describing here i know there are things happening or that have happened in your life that are just as destructive.  satan uses many avenues to tempt us away from the life we were all called to live, that is a life pleasing to God our creator.

wherever you find yourself today, whether life's good right now or your in the midst of some kind of trial, maybe financial, relational, physical or emotional, God loves you and He is there for you.  He awaits you - call on His name - just run to Jesus!

"There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to man by which we must be saved."  Acts 4:12


God Bless and Press On
Larry

Cracks At Jack's

This Is Who I Am
I'm a son of a good man.
I'm a child of an angel.
I'm the brother of a wild one,
and I'm looking for direction.
I'm the lover of a beauty.
I'm the father of blessings.
I'm the singer of a love song,
but is that all I'm good for?


 This is who I am, this is who I am,
so take me and make me so much more.
This is who I am, this is who I am,
so change me and make me someone better than before.

I'm a saint and a sinner. 
I'm a lover and a fighter,
I'm a true believer, with great desire.
I'm a preacher of grace, prophet of love, teacher of truth.
I've fallen down so many times, but here I stand in front of you.

This is who I am, this is who I am,
so take me and make me so much more.
This is who I am, this is who I am,
so change me and make me someone better than before.

Take me as I am but please don't leave me that way,
cause I know that you can make me better than I am today.
Song lyrics from  "This Is Who I Am"  by Third Day

"I have a plan for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."   Jeremiah 29:11

In a conversation I was having last week with a fellow Christian, the discussion came around to some personal stories of God's divine intervention in our lives.  After sharing a few of our own experiences we were amazed at how faithful God had been to us, even when we had yet been saved.  The both of us also said we knew of many similar stories shared by other brothers and sisters in Christ, and in each case God's sovereign hand was revealed in preventing either death or great harm.  It seemed like such a shame that God's love and power were not being shared with such stories.  That our own children had probably not heard how God had shown himself real to each one of us.  Even though we may not have recognized it at that moment, we eventually saw clearly God's hand in each encounter.

"And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.  And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die."  Revelation 12:11

In the coming weeks I plan on writing some of my story.  Through this part of my testimony I want to express my love and appreciation for God's faithfulness to me, and in doing so give Him the glory for the man I am today.  I'm certainly not perfect, far from it, but I think you will see, Jesus has made a dramatic, powerful, and yes, even a miraculous change in the person before you.  I want to share with you a few true, life experiences I had leading up to my salvation.  In no way are my intentions to glorify the lifestyle I was living in my BC (before Christ) days, nor do I want the devil's devices to be perceived as anything but destructive and deadly.  God's word says that Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and if you or I give him the opportunity he will do just that.  I've entitled my first story:

Cracks at Jack's

In the mid 1970's I was running with a group of guys from my neighborhood, today we would be called gang members, but back then we didn't see ourselves that way.  There were a lot or crazy things going on in L.A. at the time, a lot of violent things.

The previous summer one of my homeboys was shot and killed at the wedding of another.  A young man from a neighboring barrio, recently released from prison, got into an arguement inside the reception hall.  He pulled out a handgun from underneath his Pendleton and fired, missing his intended target and hitting and killing my friend who was standing with his girlfriend on the other side of the room.   That incident would start a firestorm of violence between these two barrios that is still going on to this day.

"But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8

Later that same year another friend was getting married; my brother, myself and three other buddies were to be in the wedding.  One Friday night, a month or so before the wedding, we attended a wedding rehearsal to practice the "wedding march" at the bride-to-be's home.  After the rehearsal all the guys and girls in the wedding decided to stick around and party.  We put some music on, sent someone to get some beer, and as usual somebody had some "yesca" or weed.  We spent the next three or four hours drinking, smoking and dancing.

By midnight it was time to leave, but we were all hungry, we had the dreaded 'munchies', so the five of us climbed into a 1965 Pontiac LeMans Lowrider and began our cruise.  Because of the late hour the choices for food were very limited, in fact the only place we were sure was open for business was the Jack-in-the-box in that neighboring city, which was now considered enemy territory.  I was riding shotgun, my brother and two homeboys were in the back and another was driving, and we decided to go for it, take our chances, and off the Jack's we went.

"The Lord will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life."  Psalm 121:7

We pulled into the parking lot, looking all around, so far the coast was clear, we backed the car into a stall, just in case we needed to make a quick get away.  My brother and I gathered the money and the orders and walked into the hamburger joint and placed our orders.  After what seemed like an eternity, our food was finally ready.  As we walked to our vehicle a car full of homies pulled into the parking lot yelling and screaming curses and challenges.  "What are you punks doing in our barrio?" and then I heard "quieren plato?" which is gang slang for "do you want to fight?"  We had been found out, so we moved swiftly back to our car.

By the time my brother and I got back to our car we were blocked in by a 1954 Chevy Belair.  With a block wall behind us and this Lowrider in front, we were trapped.  We put the bags of food down and told the rest of our friends to get out of the car, that we were going to throw blows.  Before anyone but the driver could get out I noticed a handgun sticking out of the passanger side window and it was pointed at me.

"But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."  2 Thess. 3:3

I was standing behind the open passenger door of the LeMans, my brother and the driver of our car was standing behind the open drivers' door as the shooting began.  I was facing the shooter who was less than ten feet away when I saw the small muzzle flash and heard the first couple of "crack-whiz-splat, crack-whiz-splat".

I froze in my tracks, standing there watching this guy shooting at me.  I heard the crack of the round going off, the whiz of the slug flying past my right ear and the splat of the round planting itself into the stucco covered wall behind us.

It seemed to me that it was all in slow motion. finally, through the mind fog I was in, I could hear my brother yelling, "get down! get down!"  As the shooter pointed his weapon towards the drivers' side of the car and took some shoots at them, I knelt down behind the door and stayed there until the shooting stopped and I heard the car drive away.

"Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."  Isaiah 41:10

I got up and ran to the other side of the car to make sure everyone was okay, they were.  So we grabbed our food, jumped in the car and got the heck out of there as fast as we could.  We feared they might come back after re-loading.

As we drove back to our neighborhood we were all laughing and shaking in fear.  We knew we had dodged a bullet, in fact, many bullets, but we still didn't really know how close they had come to killing one of us.  When we arrived at a buddy's house, we all got out and took a closer look at the car.  There were two bullet holes in the drivers' door and one hole in the passenger door.  How lucky we now thought we were, not understanding how God's hand of protection was surely on us that night.

By the time we went back to school on Monday morning everyone already knew of our adventure into enemy territory and the chaos that ensued.  I remember telling the story of my bravado.  Of my standing in front of the shooter, facing him down and dodging the projectiles he was hurling at me.  Telling of how tough and quick I must be to walk away unscathed by the attack, never even thinking to thank God for the opportunity of telling my tall tale.

"Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."  Proverbs 1:33

It wasn't until years later, after giving my life to Christ, that I realized why I lived.  It was only because He was there.  This turned out to be one of many occasions where God intervened and preserved my life.  In the years that followed there were many life and death moments where either the Lord saved my life or saved another's life from my hand, always protecting me and saving me for something.

"I knew you before I formed you in your mothers womb.  Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."  Jeremiah 1:5

God had a plan for my life from the beginning, as I surrendered my life to Jesus Christ I began to see glimpses of my destiny.  Reasons why I was still alive.  There was new purpose for my existence and the purpose is something greater than myself.  I have a message to proclaim, one of hope and peace.  One of forgivenss and salvation, that's offered to each and every one of us, without exception, no matter how bad you think you are.  It's given as a free gift to anyone who will accept and receive it.  That message and that gift is found in the person of Jesus Christ our savior.  Are you ready to receive God's gift to you today?

"To all who received Him, who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God."  John 1:12


God Bless and Press On
Larry

Anchored In Hope's Harbor

“We have this hope as an Anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrews 6:19
The Bible has much to say about the eternal future that God’s people will enjoy. God speaks of our future in order to challenge true believers to decide once-and-for-all whether we will obey Him and be committed to Him, regardless of our circumstances.

History and experience both prove that it is difficult to make and keep a Christian commitment for the people of today. Many commit for a little while, but for various reasons they cast aside their commitment. Many once dedicated believers have stopped praying, stopped studying their Bible, stopped going to church and assembling with other believers. Is it right that this is happening? No. But, is it happening? Yes.

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.” Hebrews 6:17

First thing we see is this: God’s promise regarding our future is intended for us to be strongly encouraged. In what way are we encouraged? We are encouraged that God’s purpose for us is changeless, it is clearly spoken, and it’s affirmed with an oath.

“God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.” Hebrews 6:18

The writer of Hebrews tells us that God’s oath should be and is for us today. The word ‘have’ is used twice, showing God’s oath is in the present tense and intended for us to be, ‘strongly encouraged’ and ‘an anchor for our souls’ right now, today.

However, it’s only for those “who have fled for refuge to lay hold the hope set before us.” We all, as Christians, have fled something (the world), in order to lay hold of something (eternal life). God speaks of the future to give hope to the believer: that we will have an anchor for our souls: an anchor to hold us steadfast and firm, a hope in Him, Jesus our Savior.

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”. Hebrews 6:19a

God’s use of the word ‘anchor’ to represent the Christian’s hope gives us an accurate word picture. An anchor keeps the boat from drifting away, from being blown off course by the currents of the sea (everyday life) or the winds of a storm (life’s tragedies). So, using an anchor to describe the believers hope makes perfect sense.

When we have a clear vision of what lies ahead in our future, the reason for the hope that is in us, especially the rewards promised in God’s word, it helps to keep us for drifting away from our commitment and becoming involved in the sinful pleasures and abundant temptations of this world.

Let me share some interesting historical facts concerning the symbolism of the anchor as it pertains to the Christian faith. Some information found in “The New International Dictionary of Biblical Archeology” by E.M. Blaiklock and R.K. Harrison

The anchor was the earliest known Christian symbol. It was used to represent the hope of resurrection into everlasting life. At Pompeii, the Roman city buried in lava in 79 AD when Mt. Vesuvius erupted, a ring was discovered with a beautiful image of an anchor and the Greek word ‘elpis’ or ‘hope’ inscribed on it. Some of the earliest Christian graves have an anchor carved into the rock next to them.

Christians today use a cross as their common symbol, but there is no reference to the cross being a revered Christian image until after the Roman Empire became Christian. The cross was so abhorred as an instrument of torture that no early Christian venerated it.

Historically, the first interest in the image of the cross came after Queen Helena, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, reportedly found the ‘true cross’ on her trip to Israel in 326 AD. Before that time, the anchor was the symbol that the early church used to show their hope of resurrection and a wonderful everlasting future.

What an awesome symbol to represent our eternal hope! I think I will adopt it once again, now back to the Word.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure”. Hebrews 6:19a

The author of Hebrews tells us what we have laid hold of: the hope set before us. We have found refuge in this hope. The refuge concerns our hope for heaven, the thing to be fled, must be this world and it’s temptations. He is describing what we have already done. The writer says ‘we’ have this anchor – he and his readers, the followers of Jesus, all of us who have come to Christ. We may not truly appreciate it yet the way we should, but it is there for us none-the-less. It is still ours, it has been given to us, an anchor for our soul that is firm and secure, that is sure and steadfast.

“It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” Hebrew 6:19b

Our hope is inside the curtain or veil. The curtain marked off the Most Holy Place in the Jerusalem temple, the place occupied by God. This really shows us what this hope is all about; it’s about being in the presence of God.

If we have an anchor in heaven, that means we can deal with our restlessness here on earth. We are restless because nothing seems to work the way we want it to in this place. If we think our anchor is in this world, our restlessness will never end. We’ll keep looking for a place to drop anchor, and when we find it, it will disappoint us. We’ll wander from place to place, job to job, person to person, and church to church – always looking for something better, always looking for some harbor worthy of our anchor. The reality for the believer is that our anchor is in heaven but our ship is on earth.

The writer tells us that God has promised us heaven and taken an oath to verify the promise. That seems to be all the evidence we need. God speaks. He tells us to believe Him. And as we believe, we know we have an anchor for our soul.


God Bless and Press On
Larry

additional resource; The Christian Hope;
The Anchor of The Soul
by, John W. Schoenheit

SWEET PEACE

"Your level of peace is directly related to your level of trust in God.  The more you trust God, the more peace you will experience.  The less you trust God, the less peace you will experience.  If you choose to completely trust God, then stress will not be a part of your experience."  J.B. Cisneros

Peace of Mind, What is it?  Is it possible?  How can I obtain it?

Peace is a primary principle and a prime virtue, it's inner tranquility and serenity of soul, so much more than freedom from conflict or cessation of war or hostilities.  The "peace of God that passes all understanding" is standing and enduring in joy.  "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."  Henry David Thoreau

Most of us have this idea that our peace of mind is dependent upon some person, position, circumstance or event.  We are looking for some special person, some particular thing or some significant event to happen, that will relieve us of all the pressures of this life and finally bring us joy and the peace we've so long been searching for. 

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."   Psalm 32:17

We say; If only I could marry this person, or be accepted by that group of people, get this loftier position at work, or make a lot more money, then I would find peace of mind.  If only I could win the lottery, or my political party would get into office, if only this particular thing or that would happen I would be happy and finally find peace of mind. True peace of mind is not dependent on circumstances, it comes form the inside.  Worries, fears, desires, restlessness, nervousness drive peace of mind away.

"If half a century of living has taught me anything at all, it has taught me that nothing can bring you peace but yourself."  Dale Carnegie

The truth of the matter is that this peace of mind we seek is elusive, it's something we must decide for daily, it's something that can change in an instant, and ultimately it's a trust issue.

We all have different thoughts and ideas of what it will take to find that all elusive "peace of mind."  But there is only one true way, one sure avenue to find that complete peace that mankind is searching for, that way is Jesus.

"The Lord blesses His people with peace."  Psalm 29:11

"Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy.  Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands."  Elisabeth Elliot

Our peace of mind is not determined by outside influences, but rather from within.  It starts in our own hearts not by the circumstances we find ourselves in.  In order to have peace, we are required to do our part.  The scriptures remind us that we need to be mindful of our own hearts as God's blessings always flow when we walk in obedience.  Living in peace is often an active choice of our will rather than a passive waiting for peace to fall in our circumstance.

"Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it."  Psalm 34:14

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."  Isaiah 26:3

We must choose to trust God with the position and circumstance we find ourselves in, knowing He is looking to do the best on our behalf.  It's a decision we need to make daily, sometimes multiple times in a day.  We have to chose to be at peace with others, we have to learn to be content in the situation we find ourselves in today.  I don't mean we have to be satisfied with every area of our life, but, we must recognize that this is where we are today.  Be content for today and do what you can to improve your situation, the right way with the right attitude, listening for God's voice.

"I will listen to what God the Lord will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints--but let them not return to folly."  Psalm 85:8

"Relying on God has to start all over everyday, as if nothing has yet been done."  C.S. Lewis

Do not allow fear, anger, confusion or desire to sit on the throne of your heart, but make a conscious choice to place the Prince of Peace on the throne of your heart to rule and reign forever.

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way, The Lord be with you all."  2 Thessalonians 3:16

"There are many things which are essential to arriving at true peace of mind, and one most important is faith which cannot be acquired without prayer"   John Wooden


God Bless and Press On
Larry