FIVE THINGS FRIDAY: FATHER’S DAY EDITION!

Hello Friday and welcome to the Father’s Day Edition of FIVE THINGS FRIDAY. This weekend is Father’s Day and since I recognized the mother’s for Mother’s Day, it’s only appropriate that I recognize the dads for Father’s Day. I understand that as I write this that not every single person had the same experience that I did with their father. I do not take for granted one bit the example, influence and impact that my father has had on my life. I know many that grew up with either an absent father or a disconnected father and celebrating Fathers Day conjures up a lot of past memories. That is why I am thankful that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us, cares for us and guides us in His ways.

Psalms 10:14 says, “But you yourself have seen trouble and grief, observing it in order to take the matter into your hands. The helpless one entrusts himself to you; you are the a helper to the fatherless.” (CSB)

God is a Father who will never leave us nor forsake us, today, tomorrow or ever for those who have trusted in Him. Let’s celebrate that this weekend and rejoice in our good, good, Father.

I am thankful for my father and the impact that the has played on my life. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for him and his constant support. Yes, there are most definitely times that I got on his absolute last nerve growing up (and probably still some today). I am thankful for all the time he took everyday to just play catch with me in the backyard or at my grandparents house on Sunday’s. I know for a fact that this is why I enjoy passing a soccer ball with Gracie, it’s kind of like our own version of playing catch (even though baseball will always be better than soccer!) Dad always found a way to make it to all my sporting events, even though he knew that I would be “riding the bench” and may not get to play, he was still there. He is still there for Gracie, always showing up for every game or extracurricular activity that she is involved with. He was always there to lend an encouraging word when I was down and defeated. One of my best memories growing up happened one summer when I was 12 years old. My baseball team was playing in the playoffs and one of our games was on a Wednesday evening. Well, my parents made it a point that regardless of what sport or activity I was involved with, I could not miss church… period. So, this one particular game was the semi-final game, if we won we played the next day in the championship game. However, there was more than that at stake. We had a shot at making the state playoffs, but you had to be present during all your tournament games or you were not allowed to play in the state playoff games. Well, with our game starting while we were at church, I was devastated that I was going to miss this huge chance and I was beyond mad. However, as soon as church ended, my dad skipped choir practice and we rushed to the game in hopes that we would make the last couple of innings and we made it. We won the game, we won our championship game the next day and we secured our spot in the state playoffs (even though we would lose, but we made it.)

I am thankful for the sacrifices that my dad made for our family and still makes for us today. I am thankful that I am just like him in almost every way. (It’s pretty scary how close our mannerisms are and even our joking personalities.) So many people get offended when you tell them they are just like their mother or father, but I that has never bothered me. I am thankful to be just like my dad and he has always been the one person that I look up to. I am thankful for his life, his relationship with Jesus, his heart to serve Jesus, to serve and provide for his family and the way he loves his granddaughters. So, dad, Happy Father’s Day to you and thank you for the example and witness that you have shown me and passed down to me.

I am also thankful for my father-in-law, Pop. He is a man with a heart of gold. He would give you the shirt off his back if you were in desperate need and he wouldn’t think anything of it. He is a man that loves his wife, his daughters and his hoard of grandkids. His laugh is contagious, his heart is filled with love and compassion and he is someone that I pray I never let down. I love that Pop is an Air Force veteran and I have enjoyed hearing of his adventures during his time in the military. It is a known fact that Pop has to have dry socks on to this day because of always having wet feet while in Vietnam. It thrills my heart to see him love on his grandchildren and to spoil them as much as he can. I am thankful for all that he has done for my family and for being there for Gracie every single morning while she was in the hospital. See, Pop worked at the hospital and he would begin every morning with going in and being with Gracie. It was always encouraging to hear the nurses say when we arrived, “Pop was here again this morning.” Knowing that you were there made it easier for us and I am thankful that the Lord used you in those moments. At the end of the day, I could not have asked for a better father-in-law. Happy Father’s Day, Pop!

I am also thankful for the one that made me a dad and a coach of sport that I no nothing about. I see so much of her mom in her but then there are those moments that I see her “dad” come out and I don’t know if I should be proud or embarrassed. Either way, she’s my girl and I am glad that God has given me the opportunity to be her dad and to see her grow into the young lady she is today. She has a good mix of both her grandfathers in her and that is not a bad at all. I love coaching her soccer teams and seeing cheer on, encourage and laugh with her teammates. I love that she enjoys running 5K’s with her parents and beating us at the same time. I love hearing testimonies from her teachers and classmates of how she is representing Christ in everything she does and says at school.

Well, Happy Friday and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads this weekend. Thanks for reading and we will see you next Friday. Until then, have a blessed week my friends.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: The Whole Bible in 16 Verses – Part 3

Happy Monday, folks! I pray that you are doing well this Monday and ready to tackle another week. Also, if this is your first time reading this blog, then welcome and I am glad you are here. Well, let’s dive in with part 3 of our series The Whole Bible in 16 Verses.

“The woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom. So, she took some its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.” (Genesis 3:6-7)

Genesis chapter 3 is one of the most heartbreaking chapters in the entire Bible, because we see God’s creation that was good turn rotten. We see Adam and Eve, whom God made to love and trust Him, and to rule on His behalf, turn their backs on Him. But in order to fully understand this part of the story, let me quickly back up to chapter 2 of Genesis. As we read chapter 2, we see that God created Adam and Eve, but He also gave them dominion over everything in creation, but especially in the garden. The beautiful garden that God created, that had everything they needed. All they had to do was work it and care for it. They had free reign to enjoy everything in the garden except one tree from which God said they could not eat from.

God told them in Genesis 2:17, “but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

That is it! You can eat from a any other tree, enjoy its fruit, as much as you like, just don’t eat from this one tree. I mean, that sounds like a pretty simple and easy command to follow, right? After all, regardless of what fruit this tree had, at the end of the day, this was God’s command and He was protecting Adam and Eve. Just like any parent tries to protect their children from the dangers around them. For example, think about how a parent first helps teach their child to ride a bike. They want the child to take it slow for a reason. Not to “kill” their excitement or fun, but to make sure they are safe. They want their child to trust them as they guide and help them. This was true of God with Adam and Eve. He asked them to believe that what He told them was the best thing for them – just like we ask the same things of our kids.

Sadly, how do our kids often respond? They doubt our advice and act as if they know better than those in authority over them. Just like Adam and Eve did.

Then at the beginning of chapter 3 we are introduced to a creature called, “the Serpent” that made his way into the garden. Just like we do not know much about the tree, we do not know that much about the serpent except that he deceived Eve. Do we know if Eve was “shocked” to hear this serpent speak? We do not know, but we do know that the serpent started a conversation with her and Adam was not present to protect his wife. As the serpent talks with Eve, we see that her first response to him was a lie. I had never really thought about this until lately. Here is what she said, “We may eat the fruit from the trees in the garden. But about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat it or touch it, or you will die.'” Wait, what? That is not what God said at all. God said, “but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”

Eve added that God had commanded them not to touch it! As soon as the serpent saw that little opening, he quickly pounced on it and convinced Eve that God wasn’t truly protecting them but was trying to prevent them from being truly happy. The serpent convinced Eve to take the fruit and then her and Adam would be like God, knowing good and evil. One thing here and this is my own thought. If Adam and Eve were working the land and caring for it, maybe they were starting to see the beauty of the trees as they bore their fruit and this tempted to her to value the creation more than the creator. We know that she valued the tree because of the desire to make one wise just like God and the temptation swelled up , and she could no longer resist and she took the fruit and ate it. Then she turned and gave it to her husband, Adam. We sometimes think that Adam wasn’t around at this moment, but if we look closely at verse 6, “So she took some of its fruit and ate it; she also gave some to her husband, who was with her…” Adam was standing there the whole time! Adam stood idly by as the serpent deceived his wife to defy God’s command. But, he was also willing to be a partaker as well. Too many times we blame Eve, but this was on both of them, they both failed, they were both guilty, and they both had to face the consequences of their actions.

And those actions would be severe.

God told them, “for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Once sin arrived, death appeared. They didn’t face a physical death at that moment, that would eventually come. The death they received that day was far more serious. It was a spiritual death with their God and Creator. They were no longer able to walk with God in the “cool of the day.” They had severed the fellowship and relationship they had shared with Almighty God and because of this, God threw them out of the garden where they were never allowed again. The moment they ate of the fruit, they immediately knew they were naked and they took leaves to hide their shame and sin. However, we can never hide our sin from God.

But even in their sin, God did not leave them naked. He provided them with clothes and in doing so, He gave them a picture of hope of the redemption He would eventually provide for them.

How would you respond to God today if He were to ask, “Where are you?”

What sin do you need to confess that you have been trying to “”manage” on your own?

Will you stop hiding today, confess your sin and turn to Jesus and follow Him. If you haven’t done that, it’s not too late. In fact, you can do that today by admitting that you are a sinner, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and confess your sin to Him and be made into a new creation.

Thanks for joining me today and have a blessed Monday. See you next week!

MIDWEEK DEVOTIONAL – BE THE CHURCH

“As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:20, CSB

What is the church? Is it more than just a building or a gathering on Sunday? The word ‘church’ comes from the Greek word ‘ekklēsia’ which means “a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting or Christian community or an assembly.” Jesus calls us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are called to be different and set apart from everyone else, therefore when someone looks at you they should be able to say, ‘Hey! There goes a Christian, there goes the church.’

When people look at the church, they should see a group of people who have committed their lives to Jesus. Therefore, it is each individual’s responsibility to represent the church in everything that they do, so that Christ, in turn, is manifested to others. It’s a simple formula, if you follow Jesus, then you are the church. 

Photo courtesy of William Drew Photography

It would be remiss of us to think that it is only the job of the Pastors, elders, and leaders of the church to represent Christ to the community. But in fact, it is the job of every member of the congregation of believers to use their talents and gifts for the spreading of the gospel. As citizens of God’s kingdom, we are to be examples of His love.

Being the church means that we live in a way that other’s can see Christ in us. Have a blessed Wednesday and I pray that your life will have an impact on someone today.

MOTIVATION MONDAY: The Whole Bible in 16 Verses – Part 2

Happy Monday, folks. Welcome back to part 2 of our study on The Whole Bible in 16 Verses. This weeks verses are difficult for some in our culture to accept as absolute truth today. So, before we dive in, I want to ask that you take a moment and pray, asking God for guidance and understanding as we work through these two verses today. Thanks for joining us and let’s go…

“So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…” Genesis 1:27-28, CSB

Never before have two verses created such conflict in our world, but more on that in a minute. If we are not careful, we will miss the wonderful blessing found within these verses. God, despite His sovereign power and absolute right to rule, chose not to do it alone. God created Adam and Eve as the pinnacle of His creation! God created them in His image, but He didn’t stop there.

He told Adam and Eve that they were to “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it…”

Be fruitful: Adam and Eve were two separate individuals who were joined together by God. After this union, they were now free to help fill and multiply the earth together. This was one of God’s first commands and it is still true today. God created man and woman in the very beginning to be His image bearers. That was His plan and His purpose. It was not by chance or a mistake when He created them male and female, two separate sexes. Some in our culture today have serious issues with this part of God’s design. Many today feel like it’s okay if they form a union with someone of the same sex or worse yet; they feel like God made a “mistake” and they have given into the lie of satan that they were meant to be the opposite sex than what they were born as. We have manipulated the truth for a lie!

The other part in verse 28, we see that God created man and woman to subdue the earth or have dominion over it. This means that we were created to help take care of the world and everything in it, that God gave us. Adam and Eve were commissioned with the task to take care of the land that God had created. Us, like Adam and Eve, have been tasked with ruling all the animals on the land, sea and air. We are to rule over them in the same way that God rules over His creation. Adam and Eve were to care for and be good stewards of the things that God had given them and to bring glory to Him in the way they did this. The same is still true with us today. We are to care for, be good stewards of the things that God has given us and seek to bring glory and honor to Him.

Sadly, we have seen a jaded view of what it’s like to be under authority of a good and wise king. Many churches, church leaders have been hit with scandals and abuse of power, so we can understand where the mistrust is coming from. However, at the beginning, it wasn’t this way! God in His love and goodness, created Adam and Eve to echo His loving rule in His creation/kingdom.

Creation is special, especially creation of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God. HE created them, placed them in the garden and gave them important tasks. God brought them into a covenant with Him, but something went wrong with the way humans interact with creation. This leads us to next week where we will look at the fall.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week. Until next time, blessings.