Day 121 - Here's a Tip

"I was glad that Jess and I were able to get away for lunch today and be together. Our waitress was awesome and even shook our hands and said it was an honor to serve us. We tipped her 40% and invited her to church on our receipt."

I really enjoy seeing people who do well at their work. There have been a few waitresses and waiters who have dazzled me. This lady really caught our attention. I try to be generous and tip well. I also never leave an invite without also leaving a good amount of money as a tip. 

I know that if I was a waiter and someone left me an invite card to a church as my tip I would probably be cursing the name of that church and wouldn't attend because I would suppose the people there are stingy. On the other hand if someone tipped me well and invited me to church I would at least look into what that church was all about and would have the opinion that it must be a good church because the people are generous. 

Do you have any tipping rules you abide by? What are the qualities of a hard worker that catch your attention? 

Day 120 - It Never Gets Old

"I always love looking into the eyes of the people getting saved. It never gets old seeing the faces of people ready to be brought to life. Some smiling, some in tears, some afraid, some ready. I pray they all are fruit that remains."

I get the unique privilege as a preaching pastor to give altar calls and to see the fruit of my labors in the gospel. We cast the net and then we gather in the results. The most wonderful part of it all is that it never gets old. We do an altar call every service and it never gets old. 

I never tire of seeing the joy of someone who is happy to be in church giving their heart to the Lord. I never tire of seeing the tears of repentance streaming down the faces of men and women who are leaving behind a world that chewed them up and spat them out. I never tire of seeing the broken and the hurting come to Jesus for healing and restoration. 

My prayer is that every one becomes a disciple, following Jesus for the rest of their days.  It is a heartbreak to think that thousands walk our aisles every year but only hundreds return and commit. Don't get me wrong, I am happy for the hundreds. As a pastor, and a Christian, I want to see people locked into Jesus for all their days. That is why I do what I do, why I preach and teach with passion, why I pray for the lost. 

It never gets old. 

What blesses you most when you see people make a decision to follow the Lord? How can we encourage people to come back to church? 

Day 119 - Someone to Love

"One guy was talking to everyone and probably was strung out. He would repeat himself and eventually was singing a song pretty passionately."

I know you have been there too. You're waiting in a line for something and it is hot outside. People are standing around with frowns on their faces and no one wants to talk. Everyone just wants to hurry up and get home where they can get some relief. 

From nowhere a guy walks up and has no clue about lines, personal space or non-verbal communication. He breaks every rule and when he is told there is a line he politely goes to the back and engages whoever will talk to him in conversation. 

Here is where it gets tough. No one wants to talk. So he continues to talk and look around trying to get eye contact so he knows someone is listening. 

I was raised to be polite and to look people in the eye when they were addressing me. You know what that means? That means that I am the guy the talker wants to talk to. The only respite I get is when the line moves. If I don't look back then my name could potentially become 'Buddy' or 'Dude' so that he can get eye contact again. 

I remember looking at the guy (not the proverbial one we were discussing a moment ago but the real one from last year in the line I was in) and thinking to myself while he passionately sang a song no one knew, "He must have been neglected as a child." 

It is sad but many times people make choices based on a wrong view of love. "Maybe if I do this they will love and accept me." Actions, style of clothing, style of music, systems of thought and morals are all on the table if someone will love them. People will run into bad decisions that lead to bad places in their search for love and acceptance. 

The saddest part is that Jesus is continually there to offer both. Jesus will listen and laugh and weep with them. He will never leave them nor forsake them. They just don't see Him when they are looking for someone to make eye contact with them so they move past Him. That is why it is so important that we slow down, endure heat, step outside of our social rules of engagement and love with the love of Jesus. We can't be the friend that sticks closer than a brother but He can. 

So I guess the fact that I am the only one who will make eye contact isn't such a bad thing. God uses the available and the obedient. Let's love with the love we have received. 

How do you do in situations like the one I described? In what ways can we engage people with the love of Jesus? 

Day 118 - Going Through the Motions

"I had to go through all the motions."

No one likes to go through the motions but sometimes we have to. Things don't always work and duty calls us to our post. Some life occurrences require steps one two and three before you get results.

I like to play golf. It is a relaxing game. Being outdoors and looking over the views of the course is calming and clears my mind. As much as I like the game I am not the best player. I can hit the ball well at times and I am sure with more practice I would get better but at times I have a nasty slice.

What makes all the difference is the motions. Mentally I have to slow myself down to think through the game and what I need to do in order to hit well. Distance, club, stance, hands, swing. If one of these is off then when I hit the ball I won't reach the hole. So I go through the motions.

In life, our habits can help us and the motions with clear thought can actually benefit us. If we can identify the goal, look at the process to get there and take the time to go through the motions we will end up where we want to be.

What are the motions you dread but know you have to go through? Are there any motions you enjoy going through?

Day 117 - Questions on the Battlefield

Before you read this post it would be a good idea to read 2 Kings chapter 3. It tells the story of kings going to battle and running out of resources along the way. One of the Kings is a godly man and asks if there is prophet nearby so they can hear what God says about their situation. The prophet gives them instruction that, when they follow, brings them a supernatural victory. It is from this passage of scripture that the following thoughts came last year.

"What battle is there to fight? What need has risen in the fight? What is the Word of The Lord? What work can I do in the natural and believe God for in the supernatural? God came through not only with provision but also with a supernatural victory. They defeated the enemy from where they were to the enemy's own territory."

The right question can often get us to the right place. The inner contemplation of the heart will show where we are at and where we need to go. Notice the progression of the questions:

"What battle is there to fight?" There are battles worth fighting and there are battles worth passing up.

"What need has risen in the fight?" Sometimes we are blind to our own need and other times our need is screaming at us. Our need will drive us to God or to despair. The wise will go to God because they know only He can take care of our needs.

"What is the Word of the Lord?" There is no way to proceed without a Word from God. We might as well turn back and get out of the fight without it.

"What work can I do in the natural and believe God for in the supernatural?" You put in the natural and God puts in the super. Together it makes a supernatural experience. Never despise hard work or effort. God used digging trenches to bring a victory.

What questions should you be asking? Is there a next question you would add to my series? 

Day 116 - A Grateful Heart

"Oh that my praise and thanksgiving could match the blessings that The Lord has poured out on me."

Try. 

I dare you. 

In the same measure that you are blessed... praise the Lord. That is the challenge.

Eventually you will run out of words. There are always more blessings than ways to say thank you. Maybe that is why the psalmist gave instruction to praise Him with instruments, loud shouts and applause. It is not the words that God hears anyway, it is your heart. 

So go on. Try to praise God more than you are blessed. I promise you will still have an abundance of blessings and run out of words. That is where you simply give your heart to the Lord and let Him listen to the inaudible praise that comes form the deepest part of who you are. 

Have you ever tried to praise the Lord more than He has blessed you? What other instructions on praise do you see in the Bible?

Day 115 - I Believe in Science

"At the mall as I was walking there was a woman outside of Victoria's Secret with a clip board. She saw me walking up and said hello and I said hello back. She told me she was raising money for pro-choice and women's rights because she didn't believe the government should tell women what to do with their bodies. I told her I was a Christian and a pastor to which she said a prompt goodbye to me. I asked why she was dismissing me and she said she didn't want to fight. I told her I didn't want to either and asked her why she didn't want to talk about God. She said she was an atheist because she believed what science says and then said goodbye to me again. I told her that there was a God who loves her passionately and she is missing out on a great relationship with Him. I ended my comments to her by suggesting she watch the movie "God's Not Dead" because it talks about science and then said goodbye."

My heart broke for this girl. She was so eager to talk to me until I said I was a Christian. She literally shut down. There was a passion for her cause and pep and a spark about the political issues until that moment and then it was all gone. I don't mind a good debate. I don't even mind a heated argument when appropriate. But this wasn't even a conversation. 

When I think back on what she did say to me it brings to my remembrance the scene in the movie Nacho Libre where his wrestling partner Esqueleto says that he believes in science. Nacho ends up semi-baptizing him with a bowl of water in a forceful sneak attack. While we may laugh at the ridiculous approach in this scene I think many people view Christians this way when it comes to serious questions they have about God, science, religion and the church. 

I could have fought to get my point across or pressed the issue but in these situations it is best to leave it alone and let the seed of love and the power of prayer take over. We can only change the opinion of people we are trying to reach by the methods Jesus gave us. Love and prayer. 

I would think that Jesus would have been more forceful in His approach. Even the disciples were waiting for Him to take His place as King and Messiah who would deliver Israel. And yet the methods Jesus used were love and prayer. To those who would listen Jesus would teach, speak, heal and bless. 

But what about those who wouldn't listen? Jesus said that we shouldn't cast our pearls before swine or give to the dogs that which is precious. It is so freeing to know that we can simply love people and not have to argue or be responsible to convince everyone that what we are saying is the truth. We can quietly wait while their hearts are softened so they can hear the gospel. 

I pray that girl at the mall I met last year has had other laborers sent across her path to water the seed I sowed. Hopefully I will meet her in Heaven and we can laugh about Nacho Libre together. 

What indicators do people give when they are ready or not ready to receive what you are presenting? How can we love them while we wait for the right time to speak to them again?

Day 114 - Vacation

"Today was what we dream vacation to be."

It is so important to get away. Sometimes we get compassion fatigue and stop caring. Sometimes we get giving fatigue and our generosity is sapped. Sometimes we get serving fatigue and we end up grumbling while we work. 

God left us an example that on the seventh day He rested. We should take notes and follow His lead. Jesus said that man was not made for the Sabbath but Sabbath for man. God knew we would be workaholics and needed a mandate to take a break. Even in the life of Jesus you see Him taking a break, pulling His disciples aside to rest and napping while they traveled by boat (in a storm nonetheless!). 

Last week we took a family vacation and I could say the same thing I said last year; it was what we dream vacation to be. The neat thing is that we not only rested, turned our brains off, connected with our children and did something different than the norm, but we also came home refreshed and ready to approach life and work with a clear mind. Even my creativity and writing have been better since I rested. 

If you have been going too long without some rest it may be time to retreat, refresh and refuel. Plan your rest as well as your work. 

Do you have any fun vacation memories? How do you feel after vacation?

Day 113 - Prayer Reminders

"I started the day early because Jess and I woke up around 4 am and I couldn't get back to sleep. I prayed and said “What would you say to me Lord?” “Get up.” Was His response. I sat for a moment and then got up and went out to listen but I think I did most of the talking. I think God just wanted me with Him and I needed to be reminded to spend time with Him."

This morning, a year later I woke up at 5 am. I thought about praying and also thought about how my days have been going. Rest and prayer are two things I need. I ended up choosing to go back to sleep and thought I could pray later. At the end of the day on my way home I realized that I had prayed throughout the day but not as I need to. 

For all of us we need to look at the example of Jesus. There were times he would turn aside to pray or go up to the mountain to pray. It boggles my mind that God in the flesh would need to converse with God the Father who is a Spirit. It makes sense when I look at the internal dialogue I went through this morning with myself over if I should pray or not. I was talking to myself. In a greater way I believe that Jesus, God in the flesh, was so committed to the human experience that He placed Himself in a position where He would have to pray and connect with the Father. We get a picture of this when in John 17, as Jesus is praying, He talks about the oneness He had with the Father. Now that Jesus is ascended He enjoys that oneness again. 

Jesus prayer for us is that we be one as His body but also that we be one with the Father. God in us and us in God. That can be amplified with our prayer life. As we connect and talk with God our hearts are changed by the time we spend with God. Even if we feel we did all the talking or if we simply listen and say nothing God is at work. Take some time to pray and really connect with God in prayer today (and every day). 

What are your prime times for prayer? How can we connect with God on a deeper level in our prayers? 

Day 112 - Coming In Hot

Last year we were at one of our favorite restaurants and the following took place:

'A lady came in with a bunch of kids and her littlest girl was screaming and crying. Our waitress looked over and said “That can't be good, coming in hot already!”'

Maybe you can relate. You are enjoying your day and suddenly it is interrupted with something coming down the pipeline. It could be a person or a situation. News, especially bad news, can travel in this way. You could say like our waitress 'That can't be good. Coming in hot already!' 

It doesn't take much to set us on our guard or get us worried does it? I know personally I see certain people with a concerned look on their face and I know the next words out of their mouth will be 'I need to talk to you.' While my flesh would like to respond by saying 'Oh boy, here we go. What now?' I know that the right response is far different and ultimately far better. 

When we respond in faith saying 'We can do it' or 'I know whatever comes God has this' it makes for a much better experience. Even if it is really bad, and believe me, there are times when it has been really bad, God doesn't work on complaints, fear, doubts and unbelief. God works with faith, courage, hard work, love and uprightness. We choose where we respond from. Fear or faith. Complaint or courage. 

What is your reaction when you see problems coming your way? How can we switch from the negative fleshly responses to a faith filled response? 

Day 111 - Confidence

"Our son is full on swimming and isn't afraid at all which is a bit scary and a bit good. Once we are as confident in his abilities as he is it will be okay."

Last year we were adamant about getting our youngest son proficient in swimming. Past the obvious reasons parents want their children to swim we knew that as he had confidence he would be able to do many things that would open new opportunities to him. For instance; if he could swim he could play in the pool with his big brother and sister. He could also be safer at the beach. Additionally he could experience snorkeling should we be somewhere with a reef (which we were this year and he enjoyed seeing all the fish!). 

Confidence is the great catalyst to action. If we have confidence we can accomplish great things and new arenas of life open up to us. This confidence is not limited to ourselves but also to others in our life. If I am confident my son can swim then I am able to go out swimming with him. If I am confident in my wife then I never have to worry about her speaking on my behalf or her use of our finances. Confidence will make for a great marriage, business and life. 

The greatest confidence we can have is in our God. If we are confident in Him then we won't worry about anything. Think about it this way, God is always with you. If you are confident in Him then you are always going to have the right open doors (and closed ones too), the right protection, the right wisdom available and on and on. It makes for a worry free life and great peace. 

What have you been able to accomplish with confidence? How can we build confidence in ourselves, in others and in God?

Day 110 - Every New Day

Today's thought is not something I wrote myself but is from a scripture that I noted in my journal last year on Easter Sunday.

Psalms 30:5 (NKJV) 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

It is significant that I wrote this verse on Easter Sunday because of all of the days and times that there was weeping this was the most bitter on the night before the resurrection. Jesus was dead along with the hopes of the disciples. I can only imagine the flurry of questions running through their minds. Doubts and fears were probably racking their brains and many tears were most likely shed.

But just as the verse says that the anger of God is for a moment we know that the moment was expressed fully on the cross. Jesus took the penalty for our sins. And now as we believe in Him for our salvation the wrath of God for our sin has passed on to Jesus and His favor now rests on us for a lifetime. The sorrow that was on Saturday while Jesus was in the grave has passed because Sunday has come and the joy of our salvation is found in a risen Savior!

We live in this reality now. Times may get tough and we might lose some sleep and shed some tears. That is okay to do every now and then. The good news is that even though weeping may endure for a night the sun will rise and with it the joy of a new day. God is working on your behalf for your good. His favor is on you for life!

How do you feel when you think about the resurrection? Have you ever had a time where you wept through the night and God brought a new day with joyous results?

Day 109 - Priming the Pump

"You have to get the pump primed sometimes. It takes faith."

My Pastor, and father-in-law, has often said of faith that it is like going to the fireplace and saying to it "Give me heat!" It doesn't work. You have to put the wood in first and then the flame and you will get heat. Faith is what we put in first and then the fire of God comes and brings us heat or results if you will. 

Our faith is expressed in our words and actions. The Apostle Paul quoted a scripture in 2 Corinthians and applied it to the believer today that we believe therefore we speak. Our words should reflect what we are believing God for. Similarly our actions should represent our faith. Just like Noah building an ark before there was ever a drop of rain we need to act on our faith. 

Today speak words of faith. Today act according to your faith. As you do the results will come. 

What steps of faith have you taken when you didn't see the results? How can we change our words to reflect our faith? 

Day 108 - A 'Good' Day

"Today while I was at the grocery store I saw a worker there who is a believer. I got in his check out line as I usually do when I see him. As I was leaving after I paid I said have a blessed Good Friday. He responded that his friend had text him that it wasn't good for Jesus. I think the contrary though. 

Truly today is Good Friday. Good because it pleased the Father to carry out His plan of redemption even though it cost His Son's life. Good because Jesus had the joy that was set before Him and endured the cross. Good because saints and sinners remember what was done this day. Good because the church gathers and remembers and celebrates her King."

What a contradiction that the day that God in the flesh is crucified has been named "Good Friday". And yet the Bible is filled with statements like this that to the natural mind make no sense. You have to die to live. You must be born again. He who is first shall be last and the last shall be first. The way to life is narrow and there are few who find it and the way to destruction is wide. Many are called but few are chosen. The way up is down (humble yourself and He will lift you up). 

To our natural minds we may ask questions such as "Why would God allow suffering?" or "If God is good then why is there so much evil on the earth?" The answer is that to our natural minds these things don't make sense. But to someone who has truly experienced the power of what happened on Good Friday who now has been born again by laying down their old life in death and being raised in new life we now have a new perspective. We don't blame God for evil we blame the flesh, poor choices, and the evil one for the things going on around us. We have a new perspective on suffering too. We see it building character and causing us to walk in love and in the Spirit. 

For us, any and every situation is now under the transforming power of the resurrected Lord. He is good and makes our worst days into good days too. 

Have you experienced the power of the cross? Has your life been made new? Are you born again? If your answer is "No" click here.  

What are your thoughts on "Good Friday"? How has your life been changed from bad to good?

Day 107 - The Tension of Transition

"We all are feeling the tension of transition."

In transition it's there. You won't always notice it but it is there. Tension. With it comes worry, fear, doubts and whole lot of insecurity. 

Life throws us a lot of transitions. Childhood to adolescence to young adulthood to adulthood. In those transitions there are others transitions. Single to married to home owner to parent to boss...and so on. 

In each of these transitions there are unique tensions. When I became a husband the tension was to provide for and please my wife. When I became a dad the tension was to raise a child and provide for my family while continuing to keep my marriage healthy. 

The tension isn't limited to individuals either. Organizations, groups of people, businesses and churches all experience these tensions in times of transition. 

What do we do with tension? Glad you asked. First of all we cast our care on the Lord. Second commit your way to Him. God will take care of you through every season of life. He is not caught off guard by what is happening. He knows the road ahead. Once you have done the first to thugs in prayer then it is time to endure and press through the tension. If you stay faithful and keep your eyes on the goal then the tension won't seem as harsh. 

A year later after writing this statement I am happy to say that the tension I was describing has let up. Oh it's still there but it's not so bad. If we know that tension comes with the territory it won't effect us as much and we will be able to make the transition successfully. 

Have you ever experienced the tension of transition? How did you go through it successfully? 

Day 106 - Healthy Hate

"In church tonight Pastor Jim brought up such a good point for Christians and ministers. We need to be afraid to go back to where our failures have led us. In other words the things which we stumble in we should avoid. The Bible says to flee youthful lusts and avoid even the appearance of evil. Jude said to hate the garment stained with sin. Such strong vivid language and yet we play by the mud hole and expect to stay clean."

Our society has made hate such a bad thing. But if we hate evil then we will love good. It is such a simple concept and yet many struggle with it. I don't mind hating evil. Evil destroys people who Jesus died for. Evil breaks up marriages and leaves children without parents. Evil lands people in jails and hospital beds. I hate it. 

The Bible says we are to hate evil and cling to good. To hate something takes a willful opposition and bold moves against it. If I hate evil then anything contrary to the way of God will be my personal vendetta. I will shun it, run it out of my house, warn others about it, talk bad about it, get angry at it when it surfaces, and do everything in my power to keep it out of my life. 

How do you oppose evil? What other scriptures can help with this? 

Day 105 - Fanatics

"Our friends got a new dog and named him Rocky even though we offered all our suggestions (Shadow, floppy and pepper)."

We have some great friends in our church who are there almost every time the doors are open. They volunteer in various ministries and always have a smile and a good word to say. Good people!

Last year they got a dog and named him Rocky. I like the name. It is a good name for a dog. At the time I didn't realize it but they weren't naming the dog after a famous boxing movie. They named the dog Rocky because they love our church...The Rock Church. 

There is something that sparks a flame when people are passionate. I am often moved when I see people on their knees at the altar weeping before God and pouring out their hearts. I get joy when I see people passionately playing their instruments and praising God. I feel like giving when I hear stories of others who abundantly bless others or who sacrifice for the cause of Christ. 

We need more fanatics. We need people who will wear the t-shirt, paint their faces and scream at total strangers because they are sold out for Jesus. We can do it for all kinds of sports teams but not for God?!

 This past weekend for the first time we had people on the streets waving the signs that point to our church like they do for businesses and model homes. That is how it should be. We should have lines before church. And not just Easter. We need lines for the least recognized day of the year service. Why? Because God is worthy of it! If we are truly sold out we will be at every service we can, serve in various capacities, smile and speak good things about what the Lord is doing in church. Oh...and we would have a lot more dogs named Rocky too!

What excites you about church? What are some ways we can promote involvement? 

Day 104 - Getting it right

"The moon rose full over the Yucaipa ridge. It is supposed to be red at around midnight or 2 am tonight. I want to see it so I will either stay up or set an alarm. Or both!"

I should have went with both! It turns out that the website I was looking at to determine the time of the eclipse that would cause a blood moon that night was showing me Eastern time. I am in Pacific Standard time so I ended up getting up at 2 am and stood outside looking at the moon and waiting to see a total lunar eclipse that had already happened. 

Thankfully we are in a season of four blood moons in two years and just this past weekend I had another opportunity to see a blood moon. This time I checked and double checked the time for Pacific Standard. I woke up early and was able to see the blood moon and even got the cool picture at the top of this page. (My Instagram friends have already seen this @roth_dan) 

The lesson, and there is one today, is that if you mess up once it is not the end. Don't quit at failure. Move forward and get it right the next time. I have heard of so many successful people who used failure to get stronger and learn forward. Thomas Edison was asked about his failures in making a filament for the light bulb and responded by saying "I have not failed 700 times. I've succeeded in proving 700 ways how not to build a light bulb." Abraham Lincoln was defeated at the polls more than he succeeded. And yet he is one of our nations greatest leaders. 

So measure twice and cut one, take your time and learn the lesson. Don't stop at failure. Failure is where we grow from. 

Have you ever had an epic failure that you were able to learn from? What other examples of failure from history or the Bible do you know of?

Day 103 - Palm Sunday funnies

"We had a great Palm Weekend."

Looking back on this Palm Sunday there were a few stories worth sharing. 

First is that the baptismal fountain at our church was not heated up. We are such big babies in Southern California! I would imagine the water wasn't any colder than it would be if someone were baptized in the ocean or a lake. It is just the thought of an unheated baptismal that makes people here shudder in chills. I have heard of people in Russia and Ukraine that before the fall of the iron curtain had to go out into the woods at night and break the ice off the river before they were baptized. That is faith! People from our church did end up getting baptized that day and lived to tell the tale. 

The second story from last year is from our Children's Ministry. We started having a Petting Zoo for the kids on Palm Sunday to encourage the kids and tell the story with animals of the donkey and the sheep to bring the bible to life. The petting zoos also have chickens and turtles etc. There was one chicken last year that was following around a goat. The goat kept wanting to lay down but the chicken was always underneath it so our volunteers had to keep moving the chicken out of the way. Eventually the goat and the chicken were away from the watch of the volunteers and the goat laid right on top of the chicken sending it to the great chicken coop in the sky and popping an egg right out of it! 

Usually I have a life lesson or some spiritual application with my blogs. Today...well, try Proverbs 17:22. 

Care to share a funny church story? What spiritual application or life lesson do you see here?

Day 102 - An Education in Healing

"A few days ago in church I had the thought that sometimes, in order for a person to get healed their mind needs to be educated and their spirit edified in order for their body to be healed. We see this in Mark 6:5-6 that Jesus couldn't do many miracles except lay hands on a few sick people to heal them and He marveled at their unbelief. The next thing Jesus did was to travel in a circuit teaching so that faith would rise and people could get healed. Today while driving to church I had the thought that in the Bible we also see the reverse. Jesus sometimes healed the body so that the spirit would be edified and then the mind was educated. This was the instance of the man in John chapter 9. He was first healed. Then because of his healing he could boldly testify of what Jesus had done. Finally he had to be educated about who Jesus really was so Jesus revealed Himself."

This post pretty much speaks for itself. I think the thought that comes today is that there is a process that we must go through in our faith. Sometimes that process is education to faith (faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God) and then receiving the promise. Other times the process is a miracle beyond our understanding that catapults us into a realm where progress comes through education. 

We need to patient and endure the process. I find that healing is one area that people have a difficult time waiting. The simple answer is pain. I don't blame them either. Enduring pain for prolonged periods of time can bring doubt, discouragement and even depression. 

The answer is in what the Bible describes as endurance. The original word is a compound word that means to stand under a burden. If we have the Word of God as one leg and the grace of God as the other we will be able to stand under the pain of the pressure and process as long as it takes. May the Lord educate us Himself and give us grace to endure the pain of the process.

Have you ever been healed and then God showed you truth from that healing? What scriptures help you when you are believing for healing? 

Day 101 - Leadership 101

"Today I had an unusual day in the sense that I had nothing on my calendar and yet worked late because of all the meetings I ended up having."

Leaders have to know themselves. They also have to get their finger on the pulse of what is going on under their care. In order to know both of these things there has to be communication with people. 

On the one hand to know yourself involves more than yourself. In your prayer time and study of God's Word you must listen to who God says you are. If you know who you are in Him then you will be more confident to lead. Also you must listen to what others say about you. I am not just talking about the nice stuff either. It is good to know when people recognize strengths in you and just as good to hear encouragement. We all need to be encouraged or we would give up! But we also need to hear constructive criticism from people we trust whose interest is in our growth. One of the meeting I had on this day last year was with my mentor. He spoke wisdom and encouragement and helped me in my decision making process. 

On the other hand you must know the pulse of what you are over. This takes gathering information, hearing people's hearts and looking ahead at what is coming. The Bible says we should know the state of our flock. We should see where we are strong and where we are weak. We should have a handle on numbers and the resources we are stewarding. It takes diligence but it also takes communication with people. When people know you care enough to listen to them and see you involved the morale rises. I don't just ask people about their jobs I also ask about their families. I want to make sure my employees aren't struggling or hurting at home. And not just so that they will be a better worker but also because I want them to be blessed and prosperous in life. 

If leaders will know themselves and the pulse it will allow for better decisions, better placement, better use of time and resources, and better productivity. 

How can we know ourselves better? What ways do you use to know the pulse of your organization? 

Day 100 - Growing Forward

"Thank God for spiritual progress! Not only in people but in me! I don't want to ever stay the same. May I grow and may my prayers grow with me."

This is an appropriate entry for the 100th Thoughts From Last Year post.

I started this blog for a lot of reasons. Little did I know God had His own reasons. I am amazed that after only 100 days of this blog that thousands of people from dozens of nations spread over 6 continents would have visited and read my little thoughts.

Even with all that it is not the end of what God is doing. He is doing something in me. I am growing through this process of writing and sharing these flashes of inspiration from last year. I see how history really does repeat itself. I see that hindsight really is 20/20. I see that if we don't deal with an issue the right way that the issue will come back to deal with us. I also see how God is in and through every part of our lives.

God often takes what we do and makes more out of it. That is growth!

When you look back on last year until now how have you grown?

Day 99 - Folly and Belief

"Jess met a person who was a Christian by title but not attending church. This person also spoke of a friend who is believes that sound waves will help you if you can be still enough to hear them. They said that they didn't believe in these things and yet when in need of help to find a lost animal or wanting direction called this friend to pray and seek good vibes for the animal or for guidance. Their actions tell the true story that they indeed do believe in these things. In the same way Spurgeon wrote of the people at the pool waiting for the angel to stir the water and yet could have looked to Jesus for their healing. They were content with the pool side instead of the side of the savior. May we seek Him in truth and not follow the err of the world's folly!"

Too many people mix their Christian faith with popular worldly beliefs. This mixture waters down faith and the power of the gospel. 

The longer I am a Christian and the more I read the Bible the more I believe God at His Word. It can be taken at face value. It is a simple gospel. We could sum up the Bible with the words God's creation, Stan's deception, the fall of man, Jesus death, burial and resurrection, our restoration. 

I like how Paul told the Corinthian church that while he was with them he was determined to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified. If all we had was a simple gospel without the rest of the Bible it would still be enough to save, deliver and restore people. Let's seek Jesus the Healer, the Lover, the Restorer, the Deliverer, the Counselor, the Teacher...God's Word to you and me. 

How can we guard ourselves from straying from the truth? What are some ways we can focus on the simple truths of God's Word?

Day 98 - The Power of Praise

"He had a bad doctors report but is still praising God."

There is a man who attends our church who by all natural means should be dead. He has cancer and issues with his heart. Every time we call for people to stand to be prayed over for healing he is right there. The doctors have given him several grim reports and months to live. Despite all of this he is alive and feels better than ever. Every time I see him he praising God and speaking faith. 

There is power in our praise. Praise opens the door for God to do mighty and wonderful things. When we praise it releases our faith and God moves. 

The Bible is full of illustrations of people who praised and God moved on their behalf. 

Think about Jehoshaphat. Not only does he have one of the most memorable names in the Bible he also has one of the most memorable testimonies. He had multiple armies coming against him. There was no hope in the natural. A prophet speaks the Word of the Lord to him and he worships and prays. Then he does something unusual. He sets people in front of the army to sing and praise. The Bible records that as they sang and praised God that the armies that were coming to destroy them actually turned and destroyed each other. 

What about Paul and Silas who were imprisoned after the cast the devil out of a little girl? Here they are in the middle of the night singing in stocks. Everyone in the prison could hear them because they were singing so loud. Suddenly the stocks are released and all the prison doors open! Through these events the keeper of the prison and his whole family are saved. 

The point for all of us is that we should praise instead of complain when adversity strikes. God will win the battles we face, loose our bonds and set us up for His purposes as we praise Him. It may not be easy and you might have to praise through tears and pain but as you do God will move on your behalf. 

Do you have a story of how God moved when you praised Him? What scriptures encourage you to praise?

Day 97 - Love After Sin

"From the Word: 2 Sam 12:24b-25 David and Bathsheba have just lost a child. David accepts the Lord's judgement but Bathsheba is obviously distraught because David comforts her. They conceive again and this time it is not an adulterous relationship it is a covenant relationship and God loves this child. Even though David had named his son Solomon meaning 'peace' signifying that he and The Lord were again at peace, The Lord sent word through Nathan the prophet, probably as a comfort to David and Bathsheba, as well as a voice to Solomon, that his name was Jedidiah, meaning beloved of Jehovah or loved by God."

What a comforting thought that after the sin and judgement comes the overwhelming love of God. We now have peace through the cross. With that peace is the love of God. We are no longer sinners but saints, sons and daughters. We have been made acceptable by the blood. 

Thank God He left this story in the Bible. Even though it is hard to look at sin and shame and embarrassment come with it we need to realize that sin was paid for. Punishment was given at the cross. The wrath of God for sin was poured out and now we are Jedidiah and Solomon in one. The son (or daughter) of the King at peace with God and loved by God. 

Which name do you identify more with when you think about your relationship with God; Solomon (peace) or Jedidiah (loved by God)? How can we experience more of the peace and love of God? 

Day 96 - The Sweet Spot

"In the morning services we had 57 salvations! I don't think we realize what a move of God is going on at our church. Our prayers are heard for the lost and are being answered."

In sports the sweet spot refers to a place where your greatest strength is achieved. For us as Christians there is a sweet spot as well. It is in our weakness. God says that His strength is made perfect in weakness. That means that when we are weak yet dependent of God it is the sweet spot. 

When I read the numbers of people who responded last year to our altar calls in the morning services over one weekend I am overwhelmed and humbled. Recently I preached a weekend and before I ever got to the message in any of the services I gave a simple call for salvation and dozens of people ran to the altar. 

I am not bragging on myself. How could I when I hadn't even preached the message yet? It wasn't my eloquence or influence. I was simply in the sweet spot. Totally relying on God. In my weakness He showed Himself strong. 

In your weakness pray and lean the whole of your person on God. Totally depend on Him and His strength will come through. 

Have you seen God come through in a time of weakness? What does it mean to depend on God? 

Day 95 - The Mind of a Child

"We finished our time at the petting zoo. I used to go there as a kid and I guess I didn't realize how plain it is there. It seems in my mind I had built it up to be exotic with a wide variety of animals. The variety was in sheep and goats. To their credit they also had a variety of chickens and some llamas and alpacas."

There is a running joke in the movie "Indian Summer" where one of the campers at a summer camp returns and continually is amazed at how different things look now that he is an adult. He loudly remarks at the different places around the camp that he remembers it being so much bigger. By the end of the movie the other campers who returned with him are all up to their ears with his comments and yell back at him that they know and he can stop with the comments. 

Life has a way of changing our perspective as we get older. This can be good and bad. Good in the sense that we realize what is important, valuable, right and true. Often our perspective on what we fear changes. But it is also bad in the sense that we lose some of the wonder of life. We can miss moments and let stress, pressures and new adult fears keep us from childlike faith. Risk, bravery, art, laughter and a slew of other wonderful things become calculated or die as we age. 

As I look back on last year's thought I think I need to lighten up. I didn't include my sarcastic remarks about the cost of the entrance to the petting zoo because although they were humorous they aren't worth repeating. What is it worth when my children remember that daddy took them to see the animals? What cost can you place on holding their hands and seeing them feed a chicken or a llama from their hand for the first time? 

When we step into smaller shoes and look through the lens of a child the world becomes a fascinating and wonderful place. Partner that with the blessings of age and wisdom and you will have a brilliant life. 

What do you remember from childhood as wonderful or fantastic? How can we become more childlike without being childish? 

Day 94 - Delivering the Mail

"I went off to work and studied for this weekend. I didn't get the message I thought I would but it is because the Word is speaking and not me. I can only speak what He speaks and not my own."

Jesus left us an example of true humility and meekness. He spoke and did only what He heard and saw the Father doing. We would do well if we followed that example. 

It takes attention to focus on what we see and hear from God. We must look away from the world and self to look up to God. We need a listening ear and a seeing eye. We need an undivided heart and undistracted gaze. 

Think of what life would be like if we lived this way. How many wrong decisions would we avoid? How many people would we touch with God's love? 

Day 93 - Keeping Up Appearances

"From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotional: “Let the dignity of your nature, and the brightness of your prospects, O believers in Christ, constrain you to cleave unto holiness, and to avoid the very appearance of evil.” A good exhortation to believers! Cleave to holiness and avoid the very appearance of evil. I like how the Bible puts it in 1 Thessalonians 5 saying to avoid even the appearance or hint of evil. We would have a much holier life and a better witness if we did (Myself included)."

The world is waiting for uncompromised Christians to stand up for their beliefs. People respect someone who will hold to their standards. If anyone should have a standard it should be a Christian. Our law is love and the Word of God. 

If we hint at worldliness we won't be a witness nor will we steer clear of the traps of sin. I heard and old saying that if you play near the mud hole you will eventually fall in. It is true. Many people try to live life as close to the edge as they can. 

Please don't get me wrong. I am not talking about extreme legalism. We still live here on earth. I own a television, watch movies and listen to music. That is not the issue. What I am talking about is our choices. We can choose what we watch and hear. We can choose to give an appearance of evil or of holiness. 

In our day and age social media has amplified this concept. Never before have our lives been more transparent or scrutinized. Think about it for a moment. I can go online right now and find out what my friends and family wore today, ate for lunch and what they did with their free time. With that kind of publicity it is no wonder people don't see us as any different than the world. We are watching the same shows and movies, listening to the same music and even having the same attitudes as the rest of the world. To be holy means that our lives are exclusive to God. That means there should be a marked difference in our activity. 

Maybe it is time to take inventory and do some heart searching. Ask a coworker how they view you or read your own social media posts from the perspective of someone who doesn't know you and isn't saved. What appearances are you giving? If it isn't one of holiness then it is time to make some changes. 

How can we be holy without alienating others? Is there a balance or mature way to handle standards of being a Christian in the world? 

Day 92 - Turning Away, Turning To

"King David messed up and had made the wrong choices and went the wrong direction. When he was called on it he repented and followed The Lord. A broken and contrite spirit is what God desires. We don't stop trying with God. We learn from our mistakes and do our best to not repeat the same things."

Repentance is a touchy subject for some these days. People either ignore it all together or have the wrong idea about it. Repentance really is a good word. Without it we would have no relationship with God. In fact "Repent" is the first word of the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom of God. 

Simply put repentance starts when we change our minds and turn away from our direction and go God's direction. That is why it is the first word in the gospel of the Kingdom; if you are going to Heaven you have to turn from the course you are on. 

Some people say you only have to repent once and after that you don't have to repent any more. I can understand why they would think this since Jesus blood cleanses us from all of our sin. The problem is that after we are saved we still war with the flesh and sometimes we make the wrong choices and sin. We still have to change our minds from the sinful state and turn from what we are doing and go God's direction. 

In 1 John 1:9 it says that if we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That won't happen unless we repent. We will stay dirty unless we go to God and confess. It is shameful and we feel guilty but God is so loving that he welcomes us as the father did the Prodigal son. He wants us to come to Him! And that bad feeling is actually a good thing. If you don't feel bad that you sinned you may end up doing it again. But if you feel bad about sin you probably will want to stay away from anything that would cause you to sin again. The Bible tells us that godly sorrow leads to repentance and to eternal life. That is what we want. 

Take some time and confess your sin to God. Get his heart and His direction. Don't give up because you messed up. Keep going with God! 

Do you see any other examples of repentance in the Bible? How do these examples speak to us today?