"HE WHO FINDS A WIFE..."

"The man who finds a wife finds a good thing, she is a blessing to him from the Lord"  Proverbs 18:22 (TLB)
 













I was competing in a track meet at a rival high school (Gahr), and stopped to watch the junior class girls practicing for their "Powder Puff" football game.  A friend and I hung around to talk to a group of these girls; one in particular caught my eye.  She was short and slim with long flowing black hair, I thought to myself "Wow, she's beautiful, I'd like to get to know her."  But, she was the quiet one; I don't think she said one word to me.  It was 1975 - little did I know ten years later she would become my wife.

Patsy and I started dating the following year at Christmas time and we've been together ever since.  It hasn't always been bliss; we virtually grew up together, experiencing all of life's ups and downs, not always agreeing on how to handle things and making more then our share of mistakes.  But our love for each other was strong enough to get us through the many break-ups and make-ups and today we look back and wonder how it was that we made it through those early years.

I attribute our success to the Lord, for without Him in our lives we would have folded the relationship many, many years ago.  I was a hotheaded homeboy and she an obstinate young girl from a family of twelve children.  She definitely had learned how to fight for what she wanted and I just loved to fight, period.  This made for an explosive combination and boy did we have our battles.

All that started to change when God got a hold of our lives.  We were at a turning point in our relationship in 1984, we had just come off a six-month separation, we had two children and Patsy was pregnant with our third.  She wanted me to leave again and I wanted to be the man in her life, but it was clear that it wasn't going to happen the way I was living.  Violence, partying with my friends and drugs were the things that made up my life at that time and I was ready for a change.  During that separation time I began to realize what was really important in life and it wasn't what I was doing, my heart was ripe and ready for a change, a change for the good.

"Behind every good man there's a woman, pushing him"  
no, wait, that's not how it goes.

"Behind ever good man there's a woman, rolling her eyes." 
no, no that's not how it goes either.

"Beside every good man is a good woman." 
yes, I think that's more like it.

Through a promotion at work I was put directly under the supervision of a man who was a committed Christian.  By his invitation Patsy and I joined he and his family at church.  It was Sunday October 14, 1984 and we both gave our lives over to Jesus, we got "saved" and that was the beginning of our restoration.

Life didn't all of the sudden become sweet and pleasant.  We both had so much baggage (more me than her); Things that took years to work through, but with the help of God we worked through each issue and we are on the other side now, the last 15 years or so have been the best of our lives together.

"House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent (wise) wife is from the Lord."  Proverbs 19:14 (NASB)

We were married on May 18, 1985, with our three children present, a year and a half later our fourth and final child was born.  We are now coming up on our 25th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking once again of how very blessed I am.  Patsy truly is my best friend.  I know without a doubt that she loves me and that she always has my best interest at heart.  As we've grown up together and are growing older together we have become partners in life, we share most everything and have "become one flesh" as the scripture says in Genesis 2:24.

I don't know how it's possible that our love has grown stronger over the years, but it has.  I think of her throughout my day, wondering how she's doing.  I call her on the phone for a quick "hello, how are you doing today?"  and I feel better just because I spoke to her briefly, she tells me she feels the same way.  I really enjoy her company and miss her when we're apart.

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband"  Proverbs 12:4a (NKJV)

One thing that I've noticed also, she knows how to love me.  What I mean by that is; she knows the things in our home, our family and our relationship that are important to me, and she puts a great deal of effort into doing those things.  She does them to make me happy, to bring me joy, she is a very giving person.  And because she does all this for me it makes me want to love her more and show her more and give her more.

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."  Proverbs 31:10

To some of you I probably sound like a sap, or a love struck schoolboy.  But that's all right, I have found joy and contentment in this life and I'm not ashamed to share with others where it comes from.  For me it comes from three main sources: first and foremost is my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, next, my relationship with my wife Patsy and finally my relationship with my family.  If these areas are okay than I'm okay - everything else will take care of itself.

Patsy my love, Happy 25th Anniversary, I want you to know that I love and appreciate you.  I truly consider you a gift from the Lord, and I look forward to many more years together.  To anyone else who may read this, my prayer is that you find the same love, joy and contentment in your life that I've found in mine, and it all starts with a relationship with your creator.
  

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Matthew 6:33

God Bless and Press On
Larry

The Treasure of A Friend

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him with friendship."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Greetings my friends,

Last week I wrote my blog entry and called it "The Brevity of Life", I was considering the death of a family member and the hope that comes from knowing Jesus.  In it I described the uncertainties of this life, and mentioned the importance of expressing your love to those you care about, those who are important to you.  I also mentioned taking the time to visit and spend time with them, not merely having the intentions of doing so.

"Go often to the house of thy friend, for weeds choke the unused path."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Friendship is something to be treasured and a good friend found is a treasure.

Treasure: 
1. wealth or riches stored or accumulated, 
2. valuable things 
3. any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized, 
4. to regard or treat as precious: cherish.

I decided my writing this week would be short.  To use it as a reminder of the precious people in our lives and how significant they are.  Treasure each day and the good people the Lord has blessed you with along the way.

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure."  Sirach 6:14

On Monday evening upon returning home from my Men's Bible Study I received some heart breaking news.  A very dear friend of mine had passed away that morning at his home in Santee, California.  Pastor Jay was a tremendous friend and mentor to me and my family.  Yet, it had been a good while since we last spoke.  My own words from last week's blog came back to mind and my heart ached for the loss.  The loss of the opportunity to express my appreciation for his friendship.  The loss of the opportunity to express my love for this brother in Christ and the example of his witness.
  

"A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."  Proverbs 18:24

For years now I've told my children to treasure their friendships, not to take them for granted and not to take advantage of them.  When you're young you tend to have a lot of people coming in and out of your life.  Some of these people become good friends, but if you don't pay attention to them and cultivate the relationship you lose touch too soon and the true friendships that might have been are never realized.  

"Sometimes people come into your life and you know right away that they are meant to be there; 
they serve some sort of purpose, 
teach you a lesson, 

or help you figure out who you are" 

As for me, there are a few men in my life that I consider true life-long friends.  Guys who accept me for who I am and never place any undue expectations on the relationship.  Although we may not see each other for weeks at a time, we seem to pick up right where we left off without missing a beat.  These are the men I know I can turn to for advice, prayer and fellowship, whose company I enjoy and whose loyalty I can count on.  These are brothers who, although they accept me for me, can, if they felt the need, speak into my life or rebuke me and I  would accept it because I know their intentions are righteous.

 "A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."   Arabian Proverb 

I just want to encourage you again to pray for those most dear to you, for their health, safety and spiritual well being.  And, I want to challenge you also, to spend some time in the next day or two and make some sort of contact with those that you love but you haven't told in a while.  Tell them how important they are to you  and what kind of influence they have had in your life.

"A friend is one who strengthens you with prayers,

blesses you with love and encourages you with hope." 

Finally, I want to say this; Brother Jay I truly love you as a friend and a brother and I'm sorry I hadn't told you recently, you will be greatly missed.  For the rest of you reading this; Those I know, thanks for your friendship and know that you are appreciated and loved.  Those of you I don't yet know, thank you for considering what is on my heart today and my prayer is to one day get to know you, if not here then in heaven.

I want to leave you with some quotes from various sources about the importance of friends in our lives.  If you have some thoughts or quotes to add feel free to put them in the "comments" box below.

"Friends always show their love.  What is a brother for if not to share trouble?"  Proverbs 17:17

"Faithful friends are beyond price: No amount can balance their worth."  Sirach 6:15

"Those who live in the Lord never see each other for the last time"  Unknown

"Iron sharpens Iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance."  Proverbs 27:17

"Treat your friends as you do your pictures and put them in the best light."  Unknown

"Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends."  Jacques Delille

"The only reward of virtue is virtue; the only way to have a friend is to be one."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them."  Ralph Waldo Emerson

"One loyal friend is worth ten thousand relatives."  Euripides

"Grief can take care of itself, but to get the full value of joy  you must have somebody to divide it with."    Mark Twain

"Thus nature has no love for solitude, and always leans, as it were, on some support; and the sweetest support is found in the most intimate friendship."  Cicero

"Too late we learn, a man must hold his friend unjudged, accepted, 
trusted to the end."  John Boyle O'Reilly

"Do not save your loving speeches for your friends till they are dead; 
Do not write them on their tombstones, speak them rather now instead."  Anna Cummins 

God Bless and Press On

Larry  

The Brevity of Life

"We say the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future.  It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance."     Marcel Proust

Too often we take life for granted.  We get so caught up in our everyday busy-ness that we fail to say and do the things that are most important.  There are phone calls we intend to make and people we intend to visit, to let these most important people in our lives know how much we love and care about them.  But, things come up and we put it off saying to ourselves "I'll take care of it tomorrow", never really stopping to think that tomorrow may never come.  How many things have been left unsaid over the years?  How many times, after the loss of a loved one have we said "I wish I had __?  Or, I should have ___?  You fill in the blank.  Contrary the lyrics of a once popular song by the Rolling Stones, time really is not on our side.

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.  You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."   James 4:14
 
I spent three days this week out of state at a conference for my job.  A co-worker and myself drove to Nevada and spent the time getting acquainted.  We discussed our jobs, personal backgrounds, and families.  I was already aware of his recent battle and apparent victory over cancer.  What I hadn't known was the current ordeal he has been dealing with concerning his wife's health.

Sometime in the middle of last year it was discovered that she had a very serious heart ailment, which was only revealed after a number of fainting episodes.  Her heart would begin to flutter and get out of rhythm and stop momentarily, she would then faint and go into convulsions.  After the third incident she was admitted to the hospital for observation and hooked up to various heart monitors.  During the observation period she had another episode that allowed the doctors to observe and identify the cause.  It was determined that a portion of her heart was dead or dormant, it just wasn't doing it's job.  They immediately inserted a pacemaker and put her on the national heart transplant list.

"Man who is born of woman is of a few days... He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue."  Job 14:1-2


First his cancer and now her heart problems, talk about facing head-on the brevity of life.  We spoke of death's inevitability and how quickly things can and do change.  Most of the time, when you least expect them too.  This couple's life has been turned upside down in the last two years and it would be easy for anyone in this situation to become negative, beaten down and angry.  But, he wasn't, he said he knew first hand of God's miracles and credited God for his intervention.  He finished this conversation by telling me the good news they had received just last week; his wife's doctors had removed her name from the transplant list, not because they had given up hope for her, but because her heart had started working normally again.  That part of her heart that was believed to be dead came back to life - now that's a miracle!

"There is nothing certain in a man's life except this: that he must lose it."  Aeschylus Agamemnon

God's Word has much to say about the death of both the true believer and non-believer.  The Bible speaks of salvation or judgment, of reconciliation or condemnation, simply speaking, heaven or hell.  I know this is a subject that we usually shy away from, not a real popular topic of conversation, but what on earth is more important than the condition of our heart in relation to eternity.  Have you got your salvation worked out?  Great, what about the people you love and care about most?  What about the lost souls that God puts in your path daily?  Are you saying the things that need to be said?

"We understand death for the first time when he (death) puts his hand upon someone we love."
                                                                                                                       Madame De Stael

I received a phone call from my mother on Monday afternoon, she wanted to let me know that one of my cousins had passed away that morning.  I started thinking about my conversations over the past few days, the death of my cousin, as well as some recent deaths within my family and my church family.  I thought about the unpredictability of this life and of the comfort of God's Word for the believer.

"Then I heard a voice from heaven say, write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."
                                                                                                                                 Revelation 14:13

Death is not something to be feared, not for the believer anyway.  We are promised a place in the presence of our Heavenly Father, a place of rejoicing and peace.  Paul the apostle actually looked forward to dying, speaking of it as a far better condition to be in.

"For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what shall I choose I cannot tell.  For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart to be with Christ, which is far better."       Philippians 1:21-23

Yes we mourn for them.  Why?  Because God made us that way.  We are emotional beings made to feel pain and sorrow, made to get excited and to love.  It's our love for that person that causes us to think about our life without them and we mourn because of the missing.

Our faith doesn't prevent the mourning but it comforts us to know where our loved ones will be until we see them again.  They are at rest, if they are a true believer.

So if you are sick or someone you love is, don't be discouraged or lose hope, God is still in the miracle business.  If you have recently or maybe not so recently lost a loved one, I pray you find peace.  You need to know and believe that he or she is precious in God's sight and that they are in His presence - a far better condition.

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones."     Psalm 116:15

To sum it all up: life is too short and unpredictable, live well, love well and dedicate your time here to doing God's will, for you were made for this.

"For we are His workmanship (poem, masterpiece) created in Christ Jesus for good works, Which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."   Ephesians 2:10 

God Bless and Press On
Larry 

Are You Still Running?

Anytime that we choose to disobey the Lord's specific instructions to us, we are running from Him. The story of Jonah illustrates what can happen when a person rebels against the Almighty.

The Lord tells Jonah to go to the gentiles of Nineveh and call the people to repent. But because of his dislike for them, an enemy of Israel, he refused and got in a ship headed in the opposite direction. The narrative teaches us a powerful lesson about the foolishness of resisting God's will.

The Lord does not withdraw His command simply because we are unwilling to obey it.

Although Jonah ran from God's will, the divine command remained unchanged and the Lord was about to get Jonah's attention. If you don't hear the Lord's voice, ask Him to communicate in a way that you can understand. The Father speaks to us through His Word, through our conscience, and through the Holy Spirit.

It is impossible to run from God successfully.

Jonah took a ship "to flee to Tarshish and from the presence of the LORD" (Jonah 1:3).

When God sent a fierce storm that threatened to capsize the boat, the prophet told the sailors to cast him overboard if they wanted to survive. Apparently, he was willing to die rather than obey God (v.12). Only after Jonah found himself in the belly of "a great fish" was he willing to obey the Lord (2:1-9). Why are we so stubborn?

How do people today attempt to run from God?

They act to please themselves rather than do what the Lord desires of them. For example, they ignore wise counsel regarding a potential marriage partner or refuse to discipline their children. Instead of serving God with their talents they seek out fame and fortune in this world and turn their backs on Him. You cannot disobey God without it costing you in some way.

Running from the Lord results in painful circumstances.

The greater the call on your life, the more guilt you will feel when you choose to rebel. Jonah felt so uncomfortable that he was willing to die. He told the sailors, "Throw me into the sea" (1:12). Sin always results in loss of some kind. We may lose abilities, time, money, opportunities, or relationships.

When you run from God, your disobedience will often bring pain and loss to others.

Jonah's rebellion cost the sailors their cargo and, therefore, their profit from the voyage. He also endangered their lives. We like to think that sin is a private matter and no one will be hurt by our disobedience. But when we rebel against the Lord, there is always a price to be paid, by ourselves and the people that love us.

The Good News: The Father's grace frequently provides a second chance.

Many times the Lord gives us another opportunity to obey Him.

After the sea creature deposited Jonah on land, the prophet traveled to Nineveh and preached to the people. They responded to the divine warning and turned from their evil ways (3:1-5).

The Lord isn't looking for perfect men and women; rather, He seeks those who are available to serve Him.

Jonah was angry that God would have compassion on an enemy of Israel. He wanted God's goodness to be shown only to Israel not the gentiles. When judgment didn't fall on the wicked city, the prophet was so angry and depressed that he asked the Lord to take his life (4:1-8). But God used Jonah despite his attitude.

Running from God can be eternally disastrous.

Scripture says that we reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-8). Those who run from the Lord by Choosing not to believe in His Son will reap eternal separation from Him.

Conclusion: When believers rebel against God's will, they bring pain and loss upon themselves as well as other people. The good news is that the Lord often gives second chance to obey Him. Have you been running from your Creator in some area of your life? If so, return to the Father and give Him complete control. He delights to work through available, obedient servants.

God Bless and Press On

Larry

*from sermon notes by Charles Stanley

"The Costly Decision to Run From God"

He Is Faithful!

“Any Promise given is only as sure as the character of the one giving it.”

The character of the promiser is what gives the promise it’s value.

“Character is like a tree and reputation like it’s shadow, the shadow is what we think of it, and the tree is the real thing…” Abraham Lincoln

I recently had a conversation with my eldest grandson about his latest report card. He was telling me how well he did in each of his classes, the grades he received and how happy he was. When he finished I told him that I was happy with him also, and how proud I was of him, which gave him a huge smile. Then I asked him about the grades he was given in citizenship for his behavior and he told me those marks as well. Then he asked me, “Grandpa why do you want to know that?” I told him that those grades were just as important to me. I said, “It’s a reflection of your character, what type of a person you are.” “The class grades tell me what’s going on in your head, and the citizenship grades tell me what’s going on in your heart.”

“The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.” Thomas Babington Macauley

How we act when people aren’t looking (in his case when his parent’s aren’t looking), is a good gauge of where a person’s heart is. Building character in an individual’s life is a life long process. It must begin when they are very young, it’s not something that just happens it’s something that’s taught and modeled. It’s something that is encouraged and reinforced through parental expectations and discipline.

“But man is born to trouble, as surely as sparks fly upward.”

Job 5:7

As naturally and as generally as sparks from a fire go up into the air, the heart of mankind is drawn to or even seeks out trouble (sin). And it doesn’t stop with the very young.

With my youngest son’s permission I want to share some of his story. He was raised in the church, went to Christian school from K through 12^th grade, and was a quiet, mellow and God loving young man. He graduated from high school in the spring of 2005 and in the fall of that year went away to school at a university in Missouri on a wrestling scholarship.

Sometime during that first year away from home he started partying – drinking, smoking pot, hanging out with his teammates and the girls. Not real conducive to an athletes training. He was a “Red Shirt” that first year, and wrestled at a few independent tournaments but only did “so-so”. This, from an outstanding high school wrestler who placed 5^th in the nation at the High School National Championships, which earned him All American status.

He came home that first summer a different young man. Distant and elusive, always out with friends, “just hangin out” was his explanation. Doing just enough of what was required to stay in my house, just enough to appease me.

I found out some time after his return home that first summer that he did not intend to return to school in Missouri, but in fact had been offered and accepted another scholarship to a college in northern California. The biggest reason, I realized later was to be closer to his girlfriend (my take on it, not his).

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

My wife Patsy and I pray for our children every day, we always have. Even more so when they left home and went away to college. This was our fourth child to make this transition into the world. We knew full well the temptations they would each have to face and the percentages were not in our favor that their faith would remain intact, for three of them it didn’t.

Within the first month of my son’s sophomore year, his first at the new school, he was arrested for DUI, went to jail, and was expelled from school (this is the abridged version). He had gotten into some pretty serious trouble.

“O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness.” Psalm 143:1

When I eventually found out about it I, along with my two older sons drove the 6½ hours north to be present at the final Disciplinary Committee hearing, where his expulsion would be finalized. I prayed all the way for God’s favor to be with my son and for an opportunity to address the committee. My prayers were answered.

“I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; be merciful to me according to Your word.” Psalm 119:58

I was given an opportunity to address the committee, and made an appeal to allow my son to remain in school. It was granted. He was put on probation and had many other restrictions placed upon him, but he was in school. With court proceedings, First Offender classes, AA classes, community service, a job, school, and trying to wrestle, he was overwhelmed. He struggled but made it through the school year.

He came home for the summer broken and angry. He continued with his AA classes and got a job in a warehouse to pay all the bills he had accumulated from his troubles, court fees, lawyer fees, class fees etc. He expressed to me many times feeling like the weight of world was on his shoulders. He felt like he was always being treated unfairly. Life wasn’t so easy anymore, not like it was when he was a kid under dad and mom’s watchful eye and protection. Not like it was when he was living right and following the Lord.

Patsy and I have spent a lot of time on our knees over the years. All of our sons have struggled and gone through there own personal issues. As parents you hurt when your children are hurting. You cry with them and for them. Our faith provided for us an outlet, a place to find peace. God became our refuge and our strength; we purposed to put our trust in Him.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Hebrews 10:23

My son decided not to return to school for his junior year, to walk away from his scholarship, to continue working and eventually he moved into an apartment with his girlfriend. Six months later he was out of a job, moving back home and his girlfriend was pregnant. Talk about a tailspin! I believe God was trying to get his attention in answer to our prayers.

His son, our latest grandson was born in March of last year, eight weeks early. He weighed 3 lbs. 5 oz. and remained in the NIC-U for nearly a month. When he got out of the hospital he came home to our house. And what a blessing he has been to us. My son’s relationship with his girlfriend soon dissolved and custody of the baby became an issue of contention. With police and courts and lawyers involved he felt like his life was literally falling apart. Me and Patsy felt overwhelmed as well.

What did we do wrong? What could we have done differently? Is this our fault? God where are you? These are just some of the questions a parent in my position would naturally ask himself or herself. We had to stand on God’s promise to bring our son back.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

This verse provides a ray of hope to those who, having reared their child in the best way they knew, have had their hearts broken as their child rebels and goes astray. They agonize under the pain that God recognized to be one of the deepest sorrows of human existence (Proverbs 10:1; 15:20; 17:21,25). To those parents this verse gives hope that when he is old the prodigal will return.

A PROMISE is only as good as the person who makes it.

The essence of God’s character is in itself a promise. Who He is determines what He will do and how He will act. Through the Scripture, each time God reveals something of His nature, He is promising us that He will be true to that nature in any circumstance.

“God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

God has always dealt with His people by communicating promises to them. By promising first, then performing what He has promised, He awakens in us the desire and expectation that find their outlet in the prayer of faith. His promises prompt prayer.

We prayed for our son to return to us, the quiet spirited, joyful, happy, God loving son that had left our home years earlier and we did believe God for no less.

God makes promises to us for the reason of letting us know what He has available to us, if only we would ask. His promises are meant to ignite faith and expectation and desire, and then to point us to Him. His promises act to bind our hearts to His. His promises turn our eyes toward Him.

It’s been a few months now since our sons return, Hallelujah! I see him getting stronger each day in his walk with the Lord. I have also noticed a smile on his face more often, something I hadn’t seen in a long time. In talking to him recently, I heard him articulate clearly his thoughts about the valley of darkness he has just recently immerged from, and his understanding of how he got there. This is the beginning point of a full restoration. Thank you Lord!

I was truly blessed this past Sunday to stand beside him and my oldest son as part of the Easter choir at church, singing praises to our God. It brought tears to my eyes as I praised the Lord for His faithfulness to His promises. God is so good.

God wants to fulfill the desire of your heart. A person who is seasoned in praying the promises knows to let God fulfill the desire of your heart in His way at His time. If we are focused on God, then we will never be disappointed.

“God who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord is faithful.”

1 Corinthians 1:9

God Bless and Press On

Larry

Passion:

It's hard for me to fathom that someone would intentionally and purposely lay down his life and die so that I might live. What's even more amazing to me is the fact that He did it even though He knew about my wicked heart.

I have asked myself many times whether I would give up my own life for those most dear to me. I'd like to think I would, but no one truly knows the answer to this question until the moment you're put in that position. The 'thinking' and the 'doing' are just not the same. Our instinct for survival is so great that we may not be able to run into the burning building or push someone out of the path of an on-coming bus, only to put our self in harms way. But, there is One who made a choice to do just that for you and I His name is Jesus.

His entire life was lived for this one ultimate purpose - to be the spotless sacrifice so that you and I could receive forgiveness and eternity with the Father.

This week in Christian churches all over the world believers are observing, remembering and celebrating the historic last week on earth of Jesus "The Son of Man". We call it "Passion Week". Why? Let's consider that question for a moment. What is passion? According to Dictionary.com;

Passion: 1) related to an emotion applied to a very strong feeling about a person or thing. 2) An intense emotion compelling feeling, enthusiasm, or desire for something. 3) A lively or eager interest in or admiration for a cause, activity or love.

Passion can be expressed as a feeling of unusual excitement, enthusiasm or compelling emotion towards an idea or person. A person is said to have a passion for something when they have a strong positive affinity for it. A love for something and a passion for something are very similar. This compelling feeling of love and desire is exactly what drove Jesus to the cross.

Jesus has a passion for you and I, for our eternal souls, a desire to bring us all back into a right relationship with our creator.

As you read this right now, you might be saying, "there's no way, I'm beyond help!" or "If you only knew where I've been and what I've done." Believe me I know the feeling well, I was there once myself. There was a time that I lived a gang member's life, drive-by shootings, drugs and alcohol, violence and criminal activity, that's what I lived for. But something was missing.

Then one day I transitioned from that lifestyle to one of a Pot grower and drug dealer. I moved to Humboldt County (Northern California), lived in the mountains, and carried a gun everywhere I went. I had a descent size plantation, doing the whole marijuana farmer thing, living outside the law. I made a pretty good living that way but there was still something missing.

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

Twenty eight years ago I discovered what that missing component in my life was. It was grace and forgiveness and it came in the person of Jesus Christ. I had a difficult time believing that God cared anything about me. That the creator of the universe would include me in His promises of forgiveness and salvation, me this wicked, mean, uncaring person. Yet, the more I heard, the more I read and more I trusted, I became convinced that he did have me in mind when he intentionally and purposely allowed Himself to be nailed to that cross two thousand years ago.

This week as we look forward to Easter Sunday I wanted to take a moment to ask you this question. Is there something missing in your life? And if you are already a believer, to simply remind you of what it's all about. It's about love. It's about acceptance. It's about compassion. It's about God having such a passion for your eternal soul that he became a man, lived on this earth for a relatively short period of time, for the sole purpose of dying as a sacrifice for our sins. We are offered forgiveness and the gift of everlasting life only because of His passionate love for you and me.

Keep that in mind as you go about your weekly business and as you make it a point to go to church on Sunday morning. Be sure to thank Him and praise Him for all He has done. If you are on the bubble today, still searching for something but feel that maybe this is not for you I want to let you know with certainty that there is no sin to great that His love cannot cover. It's just a matter of recognizing your need of a savior and accepting His gift to you. So if you are one who is seeking that missing thing in your life, I want to tell you that it's not a thing, it's a HIM, and His name is Jesus.

"And the angel answered and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said.'"
Matthew 28:5,6

So far I've only told you half the story - the most important part, the reason we celebrate Easter Sunday is not because He died but because He is risen. "HE LIVES". He died so we don't have to, He conquered death and the grave so it would no longer have a hold on us, and so we no longer would have any reason to fear it. He was victorious in death so that we can be victorious in this life and the life to come.

"Death Is Swallowed Up In Victory. O Death Where Is Your Victory? O Death Where Is Your Sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." I Corinthians 15:54-57

God Bless and Press On
Larry

THE LETTER

This is an actual letter from a father to his adult son during one of the most difficult times of his life. Hear the father's heart, and know that if you're hurting or need some encouragement, this letter is also for you. God's "father's heart" of love is reaching out to you today. Be blessed.

My Son,

Just want you to know I am praying for you and that you are truly loved. Not just by your family, but, more importantly by your Heavenly Father. The Lord wants your attention to be on Him and the hope that He makes available to each of us. He tells us in Peters letter:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

We see here Peter's obvious emphasis on Christianity being a faith based on birth into a living hope. But, he didn't stop there. Hope in what? Next verse:

"And into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade, kept in heaven for you." 1 Peter 1:4

Did you get that? He said that our hope is for an inheritance, not on this earth, but kept in heaven for YOU.

In his summary of our faith Peter undermined all that we hold dear and try to cherish on earth, and pointed to everything we can't yet taste, touch or see - heaven (how disappointing, in an age when we want, we need, we demand everything now). But we do have something now, new birth, salvation, His peace, and a living hope.

"You, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:5

Peter is saying that we are saved, but that salvation won't be totally revealed until we go home to be with the Lord. In the mean time, we have great power through faith to sustain and protect us, but the goal is eternal life, not the fading pleasure of this life. There's more:

"In this salvation you greatly rejoice (as well you should), though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith, of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 1 Peter 1:6-7

Not only are the gifts of this world subject to spoiling and the pleasures to fading, but Peter is saying that we can expect grief and trials here. But not to worry, because it will all be worth it later, when Jesus Christ, our salvation, is revealed.

Christianity's foundation rests on a living hope that fills us with an inexpressible joy for that which is to come. Without this hope, our faith will fail; we won't have the power to withstand our trials.

"We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us." Romans 5:2-5 Jesus is our hope and He will never fail you.

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:18

We rejoice in what? HOPE. Not hope in an easy road paved wide by the good news that Christ came to set us free from difficulties, but the hope of glory. An eager expectation of that which will be unveiled, In fact, he set an agenda for hardships by stating that although this world will bring us suffering, it's okay, because that suffering leads us back to the grand prize. Hope. And hope will not disappoint. There can be no mistake, Christ has called us to hope in a very rich glorious bliss, and this is our inheritance.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23 Yes He is, Amen!!

So son, keep your eyes focused on Him, recognize your trials for what they are, try to rejoice and accept them, as difficult as they may be, and allow them to mature you. Always remember, you are not alone, we are here to hold you up, and let the Lord be your strength.

With The Love of a Father

Dad

I hope and pray the Lord will bless you as you go through the trials of this life. Set your eyes, not on your circumstances, but on our "blessed hope" which is eternal life in heaven. If you would like some additional words of encouragement check out my blog from Feb. 24th, entitled "The Valley of Brokenness".

God Bless and Press On

Larry

How Committed Are You, Really?

Remember the old saying, "When things get tough, the tough get going"?

Well today there seems to to be a new twist to it, it goes something like this; "When things get too tough, you should just go".

Whatever happened to committment?

Hernando Cortes had a plan.
He wanted to lead an expedition into Mexico to capture its vast treasures. When he told the Spanish governor his strategy, the governor got so excited that he gave him eleven ships and seven hundred men. Little did the governor know that Cortes had failed to tell him the entire plan.

After months of travel, the eleven ships landed in Veracruz in the spring of 1519. As soon as the men unloaded the ships, Cortes burned the ships.

By burning the ships, Cortes eliminated the options. He didn’t know what he would encounter on his expedition to the interior. He didn’t know the strength of the people he would be fighting. But he did know this: there were now no escape routes for his men. If the fighting got too fierce, or exhausting, there would be no talk of going back to Veracruz and sailing home. In one fell swoop, he had not only eliminated their options but had created an intensely powerful motivation to succeed. Like it or not they were now committed.

Burning your ships expresses commitment. Commitment is saying that no matter what comes in the future, you’re going to stick it out. Commitment means that you have obligated yourself to follow through on your word. A commitment is your personal guarantee that you will do what you promised.

We live in an era where commitment is cheap. It’s cheap in marriage, business, politics, and even in athletics. Commitment is cheap in professional sports when a running back will sign a six-year, multi-million dollar contract, and then stay out of training camp in his trade year because the team won’t renegotiate his contract. Why does he want to renegotiate? He wants to renegotiate because his contract is no longer personally convenient, and he refuses to keep his commitment until he gets his way.

Just by watching the news these days you'll notice some disturbing trends in our society. Statistcal evidence pointing to a lack of commitment in most all areas of life.

People aren't committed to their marriages. According to Enrichment Journal, "the divorce rate in America for first time marriages is 41%, for second marriages is 60%, and for third marriages is 73%." Just the fact that the statistics are broken up like this is telling.

People aren't committed to their children. More and more parents (mainly fathers) are leaving their children behind after a divorce. According to Custodial Mothers and Fathers and their Child Support: 2007, released by the U.S. Census Bureau in November, 2009, there are approximately 13.7 million single parents in the U.S. today (84% of custodial parents are mothers), and those parents are responsible for raising 21.8 million children, about 26% of the children under 21 years of age. Judy H. Wright, parent,educator and author says one out of every four American children lives in a single-parent home..., divorce, incarceration, drug and alcohol abuse are just some of a myriad of reasons that parents are absent in the life of a child.

People aren't committed to their job. America's workplace productivity and quality is waning. In a City Journal article by Steven Malanga, entitled "Whatever Happened to the Work Ethic?" he says: "After flourishing for three centuries in America, the Protestant ethic has begun to disintegrate, with key elements slowly disappearing, from modern American sociey..." and, "As the editor of the American Work Ethic noted, affluence, hedonism and radicalism were turning Americans away from work and the pursuit of career advancement, resulting in a sharp slowdown in U.S. productivity. "

People aren't committed to their faith. Church attendance and involvement is on the decline. According to research done by the Barna Research Group, "Church attendance across denominational lines has suffered a five-year decline and has sunk to its lowest level in two decades. In telephone surveys of 1,004 U.S. adults 18 and over, 37% of Americans now report going to church on a given sunday. Attendance peaked in 1991 at 49%." "Increasingly, we are seeing Christian churches lose entire segments of the population: men, singles, empty nesters... and people who were raised in mainline Protestant churches," wrote pollster George Barna.

The spirit of this age, whether expressed in marriage, parenting, work ethic, or our faith, maintains that commitment should be honored only while convenient. When a commitment becomes inconvenient, bag it. Burton Hillis once said, “there’s a mighty big difference between good sound reasons, and reasons that sound good.” Our society believes that only one commitment sounds good: our right to be happy.

How about you? How do you live out the committments in your life?

We are called to be different, The Word of God instructs us in Colossians 3:23

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

It's easy to just quit, to give up when things get tough. However, it's in those times of difficulty, pressure and struggles that our faith is put to the test and our greatest spiritual growth occures. We are not supposed to be looking for the easy way out, but rather the proper way, the righteous way to accomplish all that we put our hands to. In the life of a believer this is what honors God.

"Commit everything you do to the LORD, trust Him, and He will help you." (NLT) Psalm 37:5

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (NIV) Proverbs 16:3

God Bless and Press On
Larry

What Do They See In You?

Do people come to you for answers?

Do they trust your judgment?

Do people rely on your honesty?

Do they trust you with their secrets?

Do people ask you to pray for their private, intimate concerns?

Why? or Why not?

We tend to open up to people we can trust. But what is it about a person that causes us to trust them? If we were to stop and answer this question about each person that has gained our trust, the ones we know we can rely on, I believe we would come to the conclusion that they have something that sets them apart from others. There's something obvious in their life, something that's not so common these days. That "something" is called integrity.

Integrity means keeping your word, being faithful to your commitments, doing an honest days work, not doing in the dark what you would never be caught doing in the light. It's being loyal, trustworthy, and faithful. It means being true to the Lord, yourself and honest with others, being genuine, authentic and real. How do you measure Up?

A man of integrity stands up for what is right, no matter the consequence. He lives it out in his life every moment of every day. It's who is, not what he does. He is not swayed by his emotions or feelings, nor by political correctness or personal gain, he doesn't change his mind because of other peoples feelings, thoughts or opinions. He lives by a high moral standard and doesn't deviate from it. Honesty and righteousness are paramount in his thoughts and conduct, but always tempered with love.

Sound impossible? It is when you try and be a man of integrity in your own strength, you will soon let your gaurd down and falter. Jesus provides the path to integrity; He will work out integrity in your life if you allow Him to have full control.

Luke 9:23 says, "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me'."

We should expect normally, following Jesus would make us better husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, sons, daughters and so on. The disciple must follow Jesus even to the place of taking up his cross; when a person took up a cross in Jesus' day, it was for one reason only- that was to die, for the cross made no negotiations, no compromises, no deals. There was no looking back when you took up your cross, and your only hope was in a resurrected life.

Matthew 10:38,39 says, "And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake shall find it."

Your "cross" isn't really your particular trial or trouble; the cross means one thing, death to self, death to the flesh. the follower of Jesus lives in a paradox; he can only find life by losing it, and he can only live by dying; resurrection life can only come after we've taken up our cross to follow Jesus.

Isaiah the prophet wrote in chapter 33:15,16 "He who walks righteously, and speaks uprightly, He who rejects unjust gain.... He will dewll on high, his place of defense will be the fortress of rock."

God promises nothing but good to a man who lives a life of integrity. But how will you know if you are walking righteously and speaking uprightly? What is your standard? Read your Bible, let that be your standard. It will tell you what righteousness is. God's Word will help you identify and maintain integrity in your life. When you chose to follow Christ instead of your own path you can't help but change into the person God created you to be, others will recognize it, and hold you in high regard because of it. And, in that God will be glorified.


God Bless and Press On
Larry

KOINONIA - Fellowship

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need somebody, help.

Sound familiar? No, not the song, we all know the song, "Help" by the Beatles. I'm asking if this has ever been a familiar cry of your heart?

It's so important to be connected to somebody. Not just connected to anybody, but to people who genuinely care about you, people who love you. It's these relationships, with people that care about you, that will hold you up in difficult times.

Recently my wife Patsy and I went through an emotionally draining and anxious time in our family. It was a situation that we had little or no control over, and no say in the outcome at all, yet it would affect our family for years to come. We were feeling paralyzed. During this time, all we could do was cry out to Jesus and pray. Thank God we have positioned ourselves to be in a place of fellowship, or "Koinonia" where there are caring people who love us enough to hold us up, and believe with us for God's best outcome.

The New Testament church used the Greek term "koinonia" to describe this type of fellowship, or community. These early Christians had a communion with God that allowed them to share their common experiences of joys, fears and sorrows. Because of this fellowship, those who were bound together in Christ believed their true wealth was not in what they had, but in what they were able to give to each other (not necessarily material things). Koinonia is never passive in its correct application, it is always linked to action, not just being together, but also doing something together.

I recently taught a message on a Sunday morning using the Gospel of Mark, chapter 2, verses 1-11, as my text. The story is about a paralyzed man who needed a healing. Jesus came to his town teaching and healing people. It paints a mind picture of Jesus standing in a house full of people, so many people in fact, that they are crowded outside the doorway and around the outer walls of the house. The paralyzed man had four friends, people who cared for him and obviously loved him, they loved him enough to carry him on a stretcher to the place where Jesus was. You see, because of his physical condition, the man was unable to get to the Lord on his own and needed his friends to carry him there.

These friends went to some extraordinary steps to put their buddy in front of Jesus (read the story, it's an awesome display of love, perseverance and faith). What happened next was the main point of my message: verse 5 says, "When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, 'son your sins are forgiven you'." and then in verse 11, "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." He was healed!! And Jesus stated plainly that it was because of their faith, the faith of his friends that he healed him.

Couldn't we all use friends like these? Someone to stand in the gap for us when we are going through our own personal trials? Yes, of course, because we never know when we will be the one on the stretcher, layed out with some form of paralysis. But where do you find such people, and how do you know they will be there when you need them?

The guy in this story suffered from a physical paralysis but, there are other types of paralysis that people suffer from that are less obvious to the casual observer. Things that can devastate us and bring our normal everyday life to a screeching halt. It could be an emotional paralysis, a social or relational paralysis, or even a spiritual paralysis. Regardless of the issue, it could make you feel like you can't move and you don't know what to do next.

It's at this time in a persons life that koinonia is needed. It's fellowship in action, it's a loving friend carrying you to the foot of the cross. A friend or group of friends whose faith you can lean on, people who care about you and will encourage and support you through your difficult times. Friends that can pray for you and bring you to Jesus so your healing can take place and your needs can be met. In order to have this type of friend though, you have to be this type of friend.

Philippians 2:1-5 says..."If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."

This verse describes Koinonia! So where do you find such fellowship? How can you be sure people will be there when you need them? First of all, you must position yourself around folks that share the same values and priniciples you believe in. People who abide by the standards that you live by, that believe in and serve God and his Word. Next, be a part of a church fellowship where you're involved in ministry. Then, be a person who uplifts others in their time of need. That's how it comes back to you, that's how others will know when your hurting and in need of a helping hand. When your connected on a regular basis you get to know people and they get to know you. You become that type of friend, you become a part of that fellowship in action, that Koinonia.

I'm so greatful for the fellowship of the believers, the friends I have in the faith, and my church family that are always there when needed. It's a blessing to know that I don't have to deal with all of life's challenges alone. To know that there are people who care enough to carry me to the Lord, when necessary. It's also a blessing to be used of God to lift others in their time of need.

What about you? Do you have this Koinonia fellowship available to you right now? Have you positioned yourself to be blessed and to bless others? Or, would you say that you've gone through some difficult times in your life lately and felt like you were all alone? Well, I want to encourage you to be a part of a church family in your community. Find a place to be connected. Are you in a place like that today? If not, or your in the area, you're always welcome to come and visit us at Desert Reign Church in Downey, allow us to minister to you, or just be your friends in the faith. Nevertheless, there is no need for you to stand alone any longer, but be proactive and get connected.

God Bless and Press On!

Larry

This is just one aspect of the importance of being part of a church family, of having that Koinonia fellowship.