The Right Idea For Christmas Decorating

Happy Thanksgiving

Giving Our Best

Colossians 3:17-"Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Everything! All! No matter what we say, no matter what we do, it is to be offered as a gift of thanks to God with Jesus' name, power, and honor attached! This makes all of life our worship and thanksgiving to God. There's no such thing as going to worship; if we live, if we talk, if we act it's worship. So how has your worship been lately?

Jesus Is Lord...He Never Changes

Colossians 2:6-7Just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Some things you don't change, swap, or update. In an age when computer processors make major leaps every few months and software companies release new upgrades every year, we get programmed into looking for the new and improved version of everything. The simple but profound truth is that Jesus is Lord. No update needed. No rival worthy. No change necessary. In fact, if we stray from this as the basis of our life, we put all we hold dear at risk. But if we continue, if we grow, if we root ourselves in this truth and make it the undergirding reality of our lives, then our future is secure and our victory assured!

God's Word to Today

Peace of God

Colossians 3:15-"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

Peace - that illusive state of grace that incorporates all of life's well-being. Because of Jesus, we have true shalom - wellness in body, soul, and spirit. His relationships with others, his victory over sin, death and the grave insures that we can have peace, too! So as we receive the Spirit of Christ into our hearts, we can live with our brothers and sisters, no matter how flawed, in a state of peace. Besides, as Paul changes metaphors on us, we are the Body of Christ and of course a body does not want to be at war with itself. So live in peace with others, and do so with thanksgiving.

Lord Touch Me

Mark 8:25-"Then again He laid His hands upon his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly."

One of the greatest personal crises I have faced in the ministry revolved around the issue of forgiveness and a board member. I struggled relating to this man, and I knew that I couldn't continue on the way things were. So I decided to resign my pastorate. The week after I read my resignation to the congregation, I got sick. I was flat on my back with a cold and to me it was easy to recognize that God wasn't pleased with my decision. I began reading the Gospels and came upon Mark 8:22-26 where Jesus healed the blind man. I noticed that after Jesus' first touch, the man said, "I see men . . . like trees" (verse 24). I suddenly realized that I saw this man like that: a big tree, an obstacle blocking my path. Then Jesus touched the blind man again and he began to see people clearly, not as trees. I got the message. "Lord, I don't love this man. I know You do, and I want to. But You will have to touch me like You did that blind man. Lord, I need You to touch me so I can be the person You want me to be." And God did! I chose at that moment to forgive the man completely. The next Sunday I went to church, withdrew my resignation and sat while my bishop preached the morning's message. Moments earlier, I confessed to the congregation my hastiness in resigning and my desire for the Lord to touch me, to see people as people, not as obstacles to my goals. At the end of the sermon, I invited anyone who desired a touch from the Lord to join me at the altar. Soon the altar area and the aisles in the front were packed with people. Eventually all but a few people had come forward. It was a breakthrough. Guess who was one of the few? To my knowledge he never changed, but I did. And I thank God to this day that He put me flat on my back to make me the pastor He wanted me to be. If I had had my way, I would probably be out of the ministry today.

Joy and Thanksgiving to the Lord

Psalm 95:1-2-"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song."

Joy knows no better explanation than laughter and song. We sing to the Lord because we are joyful! Our music is not inhibited or held back, but exuberant and as full of sound as it is of heart. Thanksgiving brings us into the Father's presence and it is our joy at being saved that leads us to sing.

How Faith Affects Our Lives

Ephesians 2:8, 9-"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

After Jesus claimed to be sent by God, some were seeking to seize Him, having come to the conclusion that He was not a good man. But others did believe in Him, "and they were saying, 'When the Christ shall come, He will not perform more signs than those which this man has, will He?'" (John 7:31). All the evidence was there. Some chose to believe; others chose not to. People do the same today. Faith is a choice. We choose to believe or not believe. Faith is the operating principle of life. It is the means by which we relate to God and live our lives in freedom. Notice the variety of ways stated in Scripture by which faith affects our lives. First, we are saved by faith (Ephesians 2:8, 9). Second, we "walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Third, being found faithful is a prerequisite for ministry: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service" (1 Timothy 1:12). Paul then adds, "And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). This is more than being reliable, since a person could be counted on to follow through on an assignment and not be a believer. The added ingredient in faithful people is that they know the truth and can be counted on to be reliable. Fourth, the quality of any relationship is determined by faith or trust: "Many a man proclaims his own loyalty, but who can find a trustworthy man?" (Proverbs 20:6). The words faith , trust and believe are all the same word ( pistis ) in the original language. The man who has faith believes in something. The one who believes also trusts, or he doesn't truly believe. There is no concept that looms larger in life than faith because what we believe determines how we live.

Overcoming Distress and Trouble

Psalm 119:143-"Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight."


This verse is hard for me, because right now at this moment in my life and ministry I know I am so blessed. Trouble and distress do not seem to be a part of my vocabulary right now. But I know in many places in the world, this statement is true of Christians who are under attack and live under the threat of persecution and death. But their love for God and their commitment to obedience is greater than Satan's threats because God's will is their delight.

Open My Eyes

Psalm 119:18-"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law."

From our perspective of grace, having been liberated from law-keeping as a means of justification and righteousness, this is a very fitting prayer. We can look around our world and see the anarchy and brutality when there is no principle of law undergirding the soul of a society. God's law provided so many wonderful blessings, and can still bless us today if we will let it. But the greatest blessing of the O.T. Law is Jesus, in whom all of God's promises find their fulfillment.

Alive by the Spirit of Christ

1 Peter 3:18-Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.


As a pastor I have ministered and preached many funeral services and have stood over the open graves of friends, family members, and strangers, I know the appearance and feel of death's finality and our human frailty. But Christ's death is that great reminder that death is a matter of perspective and faith. I believe God raised Jesus from the dead and that he is the first fruits of those of us who believe in him. He is alive, not just in Spirit, but in bodily form and so we will also be!

Remembering Others in Prayer

Colossians 1:9-"Since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding."

In a world where we can feel so isolated and alone at times, it is so important for us to know that someone is praying for us and for our spiritual needs. As I think of the thousands who are a part of the Today's Verse ministry, I cannot help but pray that each of them, that you, are blessed by knowing that you share a spiritual journey with people all over the world, and that today, we will praying for each other. And of course there can be no better prayer than the one that Paul prayed for the Colossian friends he had never met -- "I ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Let's pray that for each other today.

Honoring Those Who Served

Today is a very special day here in America as we honor those who serve or have served in our armed forces. It's Veterans Day and I along with millions of other Americans want to say "Thank You" to our men and women in uniform. God bless you for your service to our country and we especially honor those who have given their lives and gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. God bless our Veterans and God bless America.

A Way of Escape

1 Corinthians 10:13-"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it."

First Corinthians 10:13 is the shining good news in the midst of our fears and concerns about temptation. Where is the escape hatch that Paul is talking about here? In the same place temptation is introduced: in your mind. Every temptation is first a thought introduced to your mind by your own carnality or by the tempter himself. If you meditate on that thought and consider it an option, you will eventually act on it, and that's sin. The first step for escaping temptation is to apprehend every thought as soon as it steps through the doorway of your mind. Once you have halted a penetrating thought, the next step is to evaluate it on the basis of Paul's eightfold criterion for what we should think about in Philippians 4:8. Ask yourself, "Does this thought line up with God's truth? Is it suggesting that I do something honorable? Right? Pure? If this thought becomes action, will the outcome be lovely and contribute to excellence in my life? Will other believers approve of my actions? Is it something for which I can praise God?" If the answer to any of those questions is no, dismiss that thought immediately. Don't have anything more to do with it. If it keeps coming back, keep saying no. When you learn to respond to tempting thoughts by stopping them at the door of your mind, evaluating them on the basis of God's Word, and dismissing those which fail the test, you have found the way of escape that God's Word promises. In contrast, if a thought enters your mind and it passes the Philippians 4:8 test of truth, honor, righteousness, etc., "let your mind dwell on these things" (verse 8) and "practice these things" (verse 9). "And the God of peace shall be with you" (verse 9), which is an infinitely better result than the pain and turmoil which follows when we yield to tempting thoughts and become involved in sinful behavior

God's Voice

Job 37:5-6-"God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour."

Isn't that a beautiful phrase! "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." Rather than spending a lot of time talking or thinking about how marvelous God is, let's praise him in prayer.

Brett Hull In the Hall of Fame

Tonight is a special night for me and every other fan of the St. Louis Blues hockey club as Brett Hull, undoubtedly the greatest player to ever play for the Blues, was enshrined in the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto. As a life long fan of the Blues, I can remember many wonderful and memorable moments watching "The Golden Brett" play for the Blues. He is third all time on the NHL scoring list and set team records for scoring and goals. I am so grateful to have had the privilege to watch number 16 play for many years with the Blues and we are all very happy for Brett Hull, Hall of Famer. Congratulations Brett and GO BLUES!

Relationships First

Romans 13:8-"Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law."

Many people demonstrate that their need to win when trying to resolve conflicts with others is greater than their regard for relationships. Why is winning so important to us? Why must we always be right? The person who is driven to win, to be right, or to be first is insecure. Insecure people are driven to perform. Security comes from relationships, not achievements. A secure person is a person who is comfortable with himself and others. It is easy to communicate with a secure person, but you often end up clashing with a driven person. Would you rather be a lover or an achiever? Which would you prefer your spouse, children, coworkers and friends to be?Relationships are more important than achievements to God. Jesus declared that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love people (Matthew 22:36-40). The purpose of the Word of God is to govern our relationships with God and man. If our achievements in life don't enhance our relationships with God, our spouse and children, and others, then we are not fulfilling God's commandments. Is there ever a time when we need to assert ourselves in conflicts? Yes, we need to stand our ground on moral issues. But we never have the right to violate the fruit of the Spirit in doing so. If what you do can't be done in love and self-control, then maybe it's better left undone. And remember: Your authority does not increase with the volume of your voice. When you resort to shouting in conflict, you are reacting in the flesh. You have lost control of the only person you can control: yourself. Anyone who accomplishes something at the expense of people or elevates tasks over relationships will sow the seeds of their own destruction and the destruction of those around them. Governments, institutions and organizations exist for the cause and needs of people. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. How easy it is to turn our priorities upside down.

Being Phony or Real?

As a pastor, I often have the opportunity to talk with lots of people and often I will invite them to church on Sunday. However, one such person told me that she wouldn’t go to any church because she simply couldn’t trust people. As I talked with this young woman, her comments indicated that she was uncomfortable with a component of Christianity where people act a certain way in church but a different way outside of it. Many of us look really good on the outside but are falling a part on the inside. In other words, we put on a good show. The problem is when we put on an act before the Lord. We honor Him with our lips but our hearts are far from Him. Jesus wants the truth of what is in our hearts, not how we portray ourselves on the outside. Once such example in the Bible is found in Mark chapter 7 which reads, “Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men*--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." Mark 7:5-8. The Pharisees kept the law and man's traditions to the strictest of standards. Their hands were ceremonially cleansed before they touched any bread to eat. Even their utensils were cleansed with the same ceremony. The outside looked spotless to the point that they believed themselves to be more spiritual and pure than those who did not perform these rituals. The same is true for people in the church today. Many Christians work hard at being righteous and look the part to those around them, but God knows what is in their hearts. If our activities are whitewashed by man's traditions, then the fruit of that will be seen in our behaviors. There will be a lack of sincerity and realness with people. Not only does the Lord see through it, but so do others. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 15:3-“The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” Where is your heart today? Are you worshiping with your lips or with sincerity in your heart? Do not just keep going through the motions, whether in your ministry services, church activities or daily checklist of religious do's and don'ts. Get real with the Lord today. Be careful in following the traditions of man to the extent that the Lord is far from your heart. Pray that your outside will match your inside and ask the Lord to remove your fears about how real that might look. If we all would commit to this process, we might just see a lot more people in Bible studies and church and impact our world for Jesus Christ. BE REAL....

Praying for Others

1 Timothy 2:1-2-"I urge, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone - for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness."

God wants us to be a praying people. But more than that, God wants us to pray for people. The blessing of that kind of prayerful life is that we get to live peaceful and quiet lives full of godliness and holiness. So pray, dear friend in Jesus, pray as if world peace depends upon it, because it does

Christ is the Head

Ephesians 1:9-10-"He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment - to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."

Jesus is Lord! God's plan was purposed in Christ. It centered on Christ coming at the right time. God's plan was to bring unity in Christ by making him Lord of all! What's more, this plan that brings our salvation brings God great pleasure. God is the only saving God and Jesus is both our Savior and Lord. So the real issue we face today is this: What area of our lives, our hearts, our secrets, our sin, our rebellion, have we not submitted to his lordship?

A New Covenant

2 Corinthians 3:6-"He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant - not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

I often marvel at how wonderful God's plan is for us. God willingly entered into a new agreement with us, his creatures, sealed it with the blood of his Son Jesus, and sent the Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant. God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and competent to share that covenant with others. Now wonder it is life-giving: it brings life to us and through us!

Our Only Valid Weapon

John 8;31, 32 -"If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

We are more vulnerable to Satan's deception than to any of his other schemes. Why? Because when he tempts you or accuses you, you know it, but when he deceives you, you don't know it. If he can enter your church, your home, or your mind undetected and get you to believe a lie, he can control your life, home and ministry. Sad to say, he is doing just that across our land by deceiving many people. You cannot overcome Satan's deception by human reasoning; you can only do it by God's revelation. Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31, 32). Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). It is critical that when you put on the armor of God, you start with the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14). The light of truth is the only valid weapon against the darkness of deception.

On the Winning Team

1 Peter 2:9-"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

We've been picked to be on God's team, and we were picked first! We have an important role to play in the unfolding of the world's history. We're here to declare God's praises to those who don't know him so they can find his marvelous light and leave their world of darkness.

Praise the Lord...The Rams Win

Hallelujah! The RAMS WON today....they defeated the Detroit Lions 17-10. The win put the Rams at 1-7 on the season. The players congratulated coach Steve Spagnoulo with a Gatorade shower to celebrate the victory. Thank God they won because I couldn't live with 0-16. I'll leave that dubious honor to last season's Detroit Lions who went 0-16. GO RAMS!

1 Peter 5:8-9-"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

In spite of the many images and portrayals of Satan as some impish, mythical character who sits upon our shoulder and whispers things into our minds. This is not a clear picture of who Satan truly is. He is our enemy for a reason. Satan is evil and Satan is real. He and his power are intended to harm. But rather than spending our time worrying about him, let's resist him when we are tempted and focus on Jesus. He's the one who won the big showdown at Calvary, triumphing over Satan. He took Satan's greatest tool and disarmed it. Now we can resist and Satan will flee.