Psalm 103 OneTo Remember 1/31/2018

Good Moring,

I wish I could send all of you a cup of my Door County White Chocolate Cinnamon Dolce Coffee and we could sit and chat for awhile. That would be a great day.

 

 

 

This morning I want to take a look into Psalm 103. I go to this Psalm when I feel like no one cares or the world is dumping too much on me. If I am throwing myself a pity party I go to Psalm 103 and I am reminded of God's love and all He does for me. Print this one and post it in a spot that will be easy for you to view.

Psalm 103 New King James Version (NKJV)

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
² Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
³ Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
⁴ Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,
⁵ Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶ The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
⁷ He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
⁹ He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
¹³ As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸ To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.

²⁰ Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹ Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²² Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

 

I ask that you share this with someone who can use an assist to leave their pity party. This just might help someone in need.

 

God Bless,

Marty

He Calmed the Sea And Still Does 1/30/2018

Good Morning,

I am just sitting here waiting on a cup of Door County Jamaican Me Crazy Coffee. I forgot to set the timer on the coffee maker. So I write without my coffee. Who knows what might be penned without caffeine?

I am still reading the Book of Psalms and through years of study I have read the following passage many times. Today I will correlate it with the New Testament prophecy of Jesus.

Psalm 107:28-29 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁸ Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
²⁹ He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.

 

This same scenario played out many years later in the book of Matthew.

Matthew 8:23-27 New King James Version (NKJV)

²³ Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep. ²⁵ Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

²⁶ But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

It is thought that the book of Psalms, written by many authors was composed between 1500 BC and finished around 450 BC. Although some scholars disagree, the vast majority of researchers believe that Mark was the first Gospel to be written, sometime around the year 70. This scholarly consensus holds that the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke were composed, independently of one another, sometime in the 80s or 90s.

What is amazing to me is how God predicted what Jesus would do. For some reason this makes these verses mean so much more to me. They not only tell me that He clams storms, but it confirms that Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God.

We still call out to Him during the storms of our lives and He calms the waves of strife and struggle. He is in the middle of our storms right next to us.

Friend, is your life a sea of storms? Has a tsunami hit you? Cry out to Jesus and He is there riding in the storm. Take His hand in assurance and the storm will be calm. He doesn't want you to be overcome by the storms of life,

God bless,

Marty

German Chocolate Cake Coffee And Reassurance From God 1/29/2018

Good Morning,

Dear Friends let's embrace this day with enthusiasm that only God can lead us to. I just awoke to my first cup of Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee. What a taste!!!

Psalm 118: 1-8 New International Version (NIV)

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; Yes He is.
    his love endures forever. Yes it does.

² Let Israel say:
    “His love endures forever.” Yes it does. he loves even me.
³ Let the house of Aaron say:
    “His love endures forever.”It will never end and it is mine.
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say:
    “His love endures forever.” Fear of the Lord is true wisdom.

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place. He has rescued me many times.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me? Whatever happens in life it is not permanent.
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper. Imagine the Almighty as our helper.
    I look in triumph on my enemies. I see the end and evil does not win.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in humans. I trust You with my life eternally.

Every now and then even the strongest of Christians needs encouragement. In my goal this week to have God speak to us through the Psalms I wanted to read something that tells me how God loves me, how much and for how long.  Psalm 118 and God were happy to oblige. It was sweeet reading and helped to put the lid on a restful weekend.. Try to answer each statement in verses 1-8 like I did, but take time to recall the good things God has done for you. When He has calmed your fears. Recall when He served as a Helper to you. Then say Amen and know that His love endures with us forever.

Have a great day!

Marty

Better Is One Day Psalm 84 1/28/2018

Good Morning,

As I sip a cup of Door County Vanilla Crème Brulee' Coffee and peer out of the window I see a glorious array of sunshine and critter activity in our back yard. I am glad to be here.

I have been fighting off an illness for two weeks now and today is the first day that I feel like I am moving forward in the conquest. In order to win this fight Rene and I decided to clip my wings and have me sleep through the weekend. This included me staying home from our Saturday evening church service . 90% of the time I fill the pulpit and I was blessed to have a good friend in town who is a very good preacher. He offered to fill in for me and I knew God had sent him for a "rest assist".

But here is what I found out as I rested last night. My Saturday night just wasn't the same. I missed going to church. What I thought was at times a sense of obligation to our faithful Saturday attendees was more than that. I pulled out my Bible while sitting on the couch and that experience in itself was very good, but something was missing. God and I met through His Word and that is always priceless. But I missed being with fellow believers who are all like family to me. I turned to Psalm 84 and it summed up my feelings.

Psalm 84New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 84

¹ How lovely is your dwelling place,
    Lord Almighty!
² My soul yearns, even faints,
    for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
³ Even the sparrow has found a home,
    and the swallow a nest for herself,
    where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
    Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
⁴ Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
    they are ever praising you.

⁵ Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
    whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
⁶ As they pass through the Valley of Baka,
    they make it a place of springs;
    the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
⁷ They go from strength to strength,
    till each appears before God in Zion.

⁸ Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty;
    listen to me, God of Jacob.
⁹ Look on our shield, O God;
    look with favor on your anointed one.

¹⁰ Better is one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
    than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
¹¹ For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
    the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
    from those whose walk is blameless.

¹² Lord Almighty,
    blessed is the one who trusts in you.

In verse one I identify with the psalmist that whether it is a tent gathering or in our beautiful sanctuary where we meet the place where we gather and God is there is beautiful. The psalmist does not elaborate on the actual where and how it is adorned but declares it's beauty because of the glory of the Lord. This is indescribable. I feel the same way. And those who gather with me add to the loveliness.  We see the psalmist crying out, not with joy but because he is not there at this moment. He is crying like a hungry baby screams for food. I felt the same way last night. I longed to be there. Rene came home from church and said it was a blessing to be there. (verse 4) She told me that people there prayed for me and how nice it was to be united under God with them.

To sum it up for all of us. The psalmist prefers being in church with friends and family, worshipping God together, living the life of prayer  and considers it better than anything else the world has to offer. I agree totally. The psalm projects my feelings from last night perfectly. How about you my friend? How many things keep us away from church attendance? Pod casts and television church is not like being there. How lame are your excuses? Does missing church cause you to anguish, and almost faint with the yearning to be there? If it doesn't I would ask you to examine your heart. Are you a believer of convenience or one so in love with the Lord that missing time with His family causes you pain? Through common sense it was a good idea for me not to spread this illness to others. But the misery I felt last night was not from the illness, it was the misery of not being in God's house.

Get to church regularly and be part of others lives. Worship alone during the week and then gather to proclaim the glory of God together.

God bless,

Marty


mmmm

Psalm 37 Anger Management 1/27/2018

Good Morning,

My day has started later than usual and it is for a good cause. The extra sleep was much needed today. My cereal was washed down with a big cup of Door County Vanilla Crème Brulee' Coffee and now it is time to write.

I have been reading and listening  from the Book of Psalms and it has been very good for my soul. God has allowed me to capture some thoughts and put them to pen. This has been a sweet time.

Psalm 37:4-8 New King James Version (NKJV)
⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord,And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

⁷ Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret—it only causes harm.

The other day as we strolled into Psalm 37 we concluded that when we take true delight in the Lord He becomes the desire of our heart. As our relationship with God grows in intimacy and intensity we move into areas of deep trust.  Many Christians wear themselves out playing God. Something happens to us or to someone we care about and we put on our God hats and get angry. Then we spend a whole lot of time trying to correct the person doing wrong and at times we spend countless hours deriving the punishment that we think God should dole out.

We forget that our God already knows the situation and in verses 5-8 of Psalm 37 God gives us our action plan. This plan keeps us whole with Him and is actually heathier for our own, body, soul, and mind.

We must be in God's plan by committing to the plan. As we grow in the Lord, His ways become our ways. Whatever has happened, God will bring it to pass. If He brought us to it, He can bring us through it.. For sure we will triumph and our righteousness will prevail. But only if He leads and we submit.

Now when we are truly committed to God's plan for the wicked, we can rest in Him and not have to take on the job of playing God. Which by the way, none of us are qualified to do. Satan just wants us to think we are. So we are not to fret.

Now once a situation has made us angry, God expects us to cease from anger. It is assumed that certain things will anger us. Yet God says once we are angry we should stop and cease the anger. Our anger should never lead us to sin. Our anger should never boil over out of control.

Ephesians 4:26New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁶ “Be angry, and do not sin”:  do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

Anger unleashed and unbridled often causes more harm. We see this at civil demonstrations that turn ugly. Righteous anger that turns to violence adds jail sentences to people. Some people lose their businesses and many innocent people get hurt. Only God can bring about true change. Family arguments that allow to unleash anger have caused deaths or unrepairable damage to relationships.
Our sinful response in anger only causes more harm.

As I move on through the weekend and next week I will continue to focus on the Book of Psalms. But for today I challenge us all to curb our anger if it arises and rest in the Lord.

Marty

 

 

A Few Thoughts From Psalm 37 1/26/2018

Good Morning,

Friday arrived and I feel the need to rest through the weekend. My lovely wife has pretty much grounded me from activities. I will however be able to enjoy a cup of Door County Lingonberry Tart Coffee today and I am sure a different flavor will grace my mug on Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday I decided to look through the book of Psalms. I stopped at Psalm 37 and decided that I would share a thought or two.

Psalm 37:1-4

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious of those who do wrong;
² for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

I chose the first four verses to give us some food for thought. In verse 1 I see God asking us not to fret over the evil of the world nor should we envy those who do wrong. In verse 2 He tells us that they will not last forever and will really not prosper for eternity. We can get wrapped up in all the evil we witness in the world and in some instances the impact of this evil takes it's toll on us through depression and plain shock. During these periods when evil draws our attention, our eyes are taken off of God.

In verse 3 God reassures us that He is the One to trust. He asks us to do good. While doing good things are eyes are not  on the evil of this world. Not that we take a blind eye toward those committing wrong, but in all the mess the world has to offer we are to continue doing good. Now when we are out there doing good in the name of God we find that we can take delight (verse 4) in working with Him. Our relationship with God grows stronger when we spend more time with God. This is a true delight foe every believer.

With taking delight in the Lord, there comes a promise. "he will give you the desires of your heart."
many people have interpreted this as God will give me a new boat, a better job, or a bigger home. This is far from the correct meaning. Once we take delight in the Lord and experience Him more and more. He becomes the DESIRE of our heart and He gives us as much of himself as we desire. It's a love without end.

Tomorrow we will look at a few more verses in Psalm 37 and see what God has to say to us.

Have a great day!!

Marty


mmmm

A Perfect Day 1/25/2018

Good Morning,

The Door County Cherry Crème Coffee has just filled the air with a sweet aroma and I believe it is calling my name.

January is just one of those months that exists and after the New Year, it just moves us along to February. Where I live, January can be icy, cold, snowy or rainy. "It's like a box of chocolates. You never know just what you're going to get".

But each day the sun comes up and we have daylight and the days grow a little longer. The night comes and sometimes you see the moon and on other nights you don't. That's January.

My description of January can be somewhat depressing. In reality though January is like every other month. It is filled with a certain amount of days and a few weekends. January is filled with perfect days, just like any other month. No matter the weather, our circumstances or our surroundings, every day is perfect for loving God. Who? I said God!

Our Heavenly Father. The Creator of All. The Great I am. The One who gives us each breath we take. The One who gives us the spring lilacs and apple buds. The One who gives us little babies. The One who loved us so much that He sent Jesus to atone for our sins. The One who causes the tides to move, and the Earth to spin. The One who gives us light and night. The One who added flavor to the sweet fruit we eat. The One we can take refuge in and Who can be counted on 24/7. The One who never sleeps. The One who is there to comfort us. The One who gave us family and friends.

 

Psalm 121 A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

Every day is a perfect day for telling God how much you love Him. When I think about all He does for us, every day is a perfect day for loving Him.

Have a perfect day!!

Marty

God Doesn't Ask Us To Innovate 1/24/2018

Good Morning,

It's that time again to rise and shine. This means that I need to make a trip to the kitchen for a cup of Door County White Chocolate Cinnamon Dolce Coffee. It is a trek that I eagerly await.

As I pondered the actions of today's churches in order to reach the lost I see everything from removing the emphasis on the Bible, to in some instances watering down the Gospel in the name of the Kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 4:3New King James Version (NKJV)

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

Although my argument against these things comes directly from the Bible, (The Word Of God) I choose to stand on the Word not the opinions of man. Jesus reached thousands of people in His lifetime by meeting the needs of others, yet speaking the Words of truth. His Gospel message of Good News was carried on by the Apostles and millions have been reached with the Truth. Now when some generations are resistant to the status quo we seek to develop methods to appease itchy ears. The only reason this seems to be needed is somewhere along the way, we chose to be innovative instead of imitators of Christ. Instead of going back to what God's message is and was, we elect to change it. We want to change the recipe for success because our careless approach to living the example of Jesus and a love relationship with Him is not that important to us. It should be.

Ephesians 5:1-2New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Be Imitators of God

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

 

 

We need to get back to the basics and Jesus is the cornerstone of the basics. There is nothing that needs to be added or subtracted to His message. We just need to mean what we say and imitate God and His love. In this we failed a generation and we will do it again by giving them what they want instead of what they need. They need to see real Christians, who love God. Count the Bible as God's Word and it comes full circle because they love the Author. We have fallen short and we must not do it again by walking away from the Message of Christ.

John 14:6New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The message is sweet, it is simple and it is the only one. The name is Jesus.

God bless,

Marty

A Security Blanket 1/23/2018

Good Morning,

I want to say that this morning rolled in like a train that hasn't any brakes. But I believe a little Door County Highlander Grog Coffee might set things straight.

I have been battling the flu for the last few days and my sleep habits are to say the least "erratic". I have been getting most of my sleep on the couch. To stay warm, my lovely wife equipped me with a blanket that we placed at the foot of one of our beds. The blanket was made by my mother and works just right to remove the chills and keep an ill body warm.

When I covered up with the blanket the other night I wondered if when my mother made it she envisioned her 60 year old son wrapping himself up on a cold winters night, fighting off an illness. I will never know, but there was something about being wrapped up in a blanket my mother made that made me feel good. I took some time during my prayers to thank God for giving me a mother who loved us and  in a way was still taking care of me. I guess you could say that Mom's baby had his blanket. 

A little later I found myself warm but not able to sleep. I turned on a light and began to read my Bible. I ran through the pages and looked at a lot of the notes etched inside. Years and years of notes jotted down when God spoke to me are there. I could hardly believe that an hour had passed and I was still reading my notes. I reached the book of Isaiah where I have many, many  notes,  and God spoke again.

Isaiah 49:15-16 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!
¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are ever before me

The blanket reminded me of my mother's love and it gave me a sense of security. Then I read about the love of our heavenly Father and those words just seemed to take the blanket and pull it up around me and shortly after that I fell asleep for a few hours. God's Word was a heavenly security blanket that soothed my soul and actually provided rest.

We all need to go to the medicine chest called the Bible from time to time and let the Great Physician provide a Word to soothe the soul. It's there and you don't need a prescription.

God bless,

Marty

Loving Where He Has Placed You. 1/22/2018

Good Morning,

My eyes are still a little blurred from my night of rest. I can hear the Door County Heavenly Caramel Coffee brewing in the kitchen. The aroma hasn't reached me yet. Time to write.

1 John 3:1New International Version (NIV)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

Today we will all be someplace. We will all run into someone. It could be family , co-workers, shop keepers, the mail delivery person, the bus driver or a fireman. We all will be someplace today. God knows exactly where we are. Don't be confused by the title for today. I am asking the we make love a verb today and love those people, where we are. Make love an action. It could be giving up your seat on the bus to someone else. It could be that you need to spend more time listening to someone's problems. You might be part of the solution to their problems. You are someplace right now and will be someplace later. Ask God to show you an action of love. Love those where you are today. You have the Holy Spirit within your heart and your heart is basically filled with love. Go ahead and give it a try. Let's represent God from our hearts with some Godly love

1. Love began with God when he created the world and us. Without Him, there would be no love in the world because it came from Him.
2. God's primary nature is to love as shown by His rescue plan for us through His Son Jesus Christ. The cross of Jesus is the greatest demonstration of God's love for us.
3. God's saving work of grace in the heart of the sinner is the true source of love. God sent his Holy Spirit to us to transform us and make us new in love.
4. God's greatest commandment for us is to love the Lord and to love one another. God calls us to be the love in our world that He created us to be.

Have a great day.

Marty

The Flu Bug. The Best Day Of My Life 1/21/2018

Good Morning,

Today I find myself moving slow and under the weather. My Door County Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee was served extra hot and it not only tastes good but it feels good. It seems that as hard as I worked to avoid this flu bug, it found me.

I have been given plenty of  "cures" from my friends and family who mean well. I have used each one. I think this illness just needs to run it's course which means I need to give it time. The fight for health will include juices and rest.

One bonus to this time when I am laid the flat is that I have more time for reflection and prayer. As I write I can hear the soft music from my radio and the tune brought to mind our daughter and my wife. I prayed for both of them. I started to let my mind wander to the day Kristy was born. It was a snowy day and extremely cold. I remember going home from the hospital. I said to myself that "this has to be the best day of my life". I remember saying the same thing on a September day 1000 years ago when Rene and I were married. "This has to be the best day of my life." On July 7th 1981 Jesus found me and I invited Him into my life. That night was called the " best night of my life". That night made the other two days even more special. I now could see others through God's eyes.

I have had a lot of wonderful days in my life but those three are the standouts. I have one more day to look forward to some day. It will be the day that I take my last breath on Earth and am welcomed into heaven by Jesus. I do long to see the face and touch the hand of the One who died for me. I don't know the day, but I know this for sure. it will be the "best day of my life".

John 14:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV

14 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. ² In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

The memories I had today are priceless and so I guess this flu bug has an upside.

God bless,

Marty

Thoughts For A Saturday 1/20/2018

Good Morning,

I can see the steam rising from my cup of Door County Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee and contrasted behind the mug is the window in our den. I see the cloudy skies and some birds eating in the neighbors feeder.

In the background I have some easy music playing on the old radio. The other thing I see in the yard are the footprints from our dog Gibbs in the snow. Next to his are Rene's foot tracks. When she gets home from work , Rene takes Gibbs to the back yard to let run and play. This has become a daily ritual for the two of them. Seeing those tracks reminded me to pray for them and to be thankful for family, which led me to pray for the rest of our family.

Philippians 4:6-9King James Version (KJV)

⁶ Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

⁷ And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

⁹ Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Here's the short thought for the day. The footprints in the snow are special to me, because those two have placed tracks of love across my heart. Then there are the others who have placed their tracks on my heart, each leaving a track of love. I took some time to think about all of those who have shown me love and kindness. Well, as many as this feeble mind could recall. I asked God to bless them in a special way. What He will do, I have no idea. They will never know they were prayed for. It's a secret between Our Father and me.

So take some time and recall memories on  this fine day. Slow down and enjoy a good time. Think about the positive things in life. Don't dwell on the ugly. Pray for those who have laid tracks on your heart.

God bless,

Marty

Living FoolishlyToday 1/19/2018

Good Morning,

Here it is! Right on time. Friday arrived and I for one embrace the day. I just raised my voice in prayer and now it's time to sip a cup of Door County Heavenly Caramel Coffee and write.

Psalm 53:1-5

¹ The fool says in his heart “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile there is no one who does good.

² God looks down from heave on all man kind to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.³ Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good not even one.

⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on God.
⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you; You put them to shame, for God despised them.

There is no doubt that the times we face are difficult and they seem to be getting worse every year. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God". This is quite a statement and is heard more now than ever. We see families torn apart, and lives ruined by selfish personal choices. We know babies are murdered every day in abortion mills. There seems to be no remorse for actions that at times are beyond belief. Those who murder for a pair of tennis shoes and would do it again are basically saying "There is no God". Ironically though in Romans 1:20-22 we see that there is a declaration within nature itself that points to the existence of God. In other words it means that everyone will stand before the Lord without excuse.

Romans 1:20-22New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools.

Many people are living beyond foolishly today and will on one day stand before God and realize the love He has for everyone. Yet in a moment they will live separated from that love forever.  This is living foolishly. We need to be dedicated to teaching others the way to God and pray for them. A person can change but they must want to and it starts with a change of heart toward God.

These are difficult times and it's time that we got serious about those who have declared by their unrepentant actions "There is no God". We must be people of prayer and action that leads others to change. It starts with a change of our own hearts and the fact that we whitewash our brains to think that we have forever to get involved with others . Jesus will come back. I know not when. But He keeps his promises. If we believe that and yet do not heed His word and become prayer warriors and instruments of the Good News we too say, "There is no God".

Time to wake up folks,

Marty

Meat Lovers Pizza 1/18/2018

Good Morning,

What a roller coaster the weather has been. First frigid cold and then a warm up three days later. But don't we all pay more money to ride the roller coaster at the fair? At least this ride is free. I just heard the Door County Kona Blend Coffee start to brew in the kitchen. I am blessed beyond measure.

One nice thing about pizza is that it now comes with many different toppings, more than when I was kid. There is quite a variety of pizzas including one with ham and pineapple. I had a slice of that style last week. I can't say I would eat it again. For me fruit on a pizza is like eating pickles on ice cream.  I for one like plenty of meat on my pizza. I like sweet Italian sausage and plenty of pepperoni topped with onions, olives, mushrooms and green peppers. I go light on the cheese. But I expect to have every inch of my pizza covered with meat.

To me, anything less than meat is just an appetizer, not a pizza. Now in all seriousness, everyone should order or make what they like best. We all have different tastes, to each their own.

When it comes to reading a Bible, I never tell anyone what version to read. My personal goal with the Word of God is to dine on the meat of the Word. What does that mean?

1 Corinthians 3New International Version (NIV)

The Church and Its Leaders

3 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

The word “milk” in the above quote (Greek gala) means the basic, elemental teachings of Christianity first learned by new believers according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments. The word “meat” in 1Corinthians is from the Greek word “Broma”. Its’ Strong’s number is G1033. It means the deeper, more complete teachings of God’s Word.
Paul addressed several church-related problems in his first letter to the Corinthians. There was one problem that he knew was carnal. This problem was evidence of their spiritual immaturity. Some in Corinth had aligned themselves to certain teachers (Paul, Apollos, Peter). They were causing contentions and divisions in the church by arguing about which preacher was the most spiritual (verses 3 – 23)! Paul thought that teaching the church the deeper truths of God would be a waste of time. After all how could they understand the deeper principles of the scriptures if they continued to entangle themselves in petty debates over who was ‘the greatest!’

They had not grown beyond living for themselves. They were not ready to dig deeper into their relationship with God. They were stuck on the emotions of religion and not a resurrected faith. Their lack of maturity was holding them back from the real spiritual food.

As we teach babies to feed themselves, we are patient and allow them to dine on the easier things to eat. We all know that eventually for growth and health they must move beyond milk and cereal.  But they have to be taught to chew well and for a time they need someone to cut the meat. I suggest for those who want to grow in their faith and walk with God, they should  attend a Bible study on a weekly or daily basis. There you dine on the meat and do not have to choke on anything. You can learn as a group and ask questions if need be.

Meat anyone?

Love ya,

Marty

Nothing Like A Good Candy Bar 1/17/2018

Good Morning,

I am glad to be here and sipping on a cup of Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee. This just happens to be Wednesday and it means we are half way through the work week. I foresee some ham and eggs for dinner tonight after a few chores are finished. Everything in between now and then is just filler for the day.

I have been known to skip lunch and instead of eating my sandwich or salad I will purchase a candy bar. I then take a short break, with a half cup of coffee and enjoy the snack. I have a few favorites but my all time favorite is a Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar.

                                               

I purchased one yesterday and while I was dining on the chocolate delight my mind wandered to my childhood and an Uncle of mine. He lived next door to us and would often take me along to the grocery store with him. My mother would give me some money and I would go with my Uncle and he would do a little shopping and I would pick up whatever it was that my mother needed. I used to watch my packages pretty closely but somehow he would  toss in two candy bars now and then. One for me and one for my sister. My brother had not arrived on the scene yet. I would come home and there they would be, two chocolate desserts. My mother would quiz me as to how those candy bars were purchased and then she would let us eat half. We had to save the other half for the next day. I believe she knew where the candy bars were coming from. It's hard to believe that two people I loved were messing with my young mind. Ha.

I remember those days fondly and really don't have any kids around anymore to treat with candy bars. But from time to time kids will appear at our door selling candy bars for a cause. I watch Rene who is diabetic and cannot eat the bars ask the child which one they like best. When they reply, she purchases their favorite and then gives it back to them and says, "Enjoy". Now most kids have no idea as to how to respond. Rene gets a thank you and the kid leaves shaking their head, but with a candy bar.

Friends, even kids have a bad day. You never know what is going on in their life. Just every now and then a kid needs a candy bar. By treating them to a snack you are showing them unmerited kindness and that the world can be a nice place. She has me doing the same thing. She does it because she is a nice person. I just enjoy watching the kids leave, shaking their heads in disbelief.

1 Peter 4:9       

 Be hospitable to one another without complaint.

Have a great day. I pray you do!

Marty

The New Snow Blower Of Forgiveness 1/16/2018

Good Morning,

The Door County Christmas Coffee is finished brewing and my mug is awaiting the first pour of the day. I think I will stop at two cups today and share the rest of it with a friend or two.

Yesterday we received our first real measurable snowfall. The lack of snow is like a winter drought for us. But it came and I was able to pull the new snow blower out of the garage and that big mamoo moved some snow in a quick hurry. The snow we received could be considered the                  "maiden voyage"for this machine. There is just something very peaceful about a cold night, the roar of a hot engine and a man on a mission.

But what does that have to do with an inspirational blog? Here you go. The snow had accumulated all day and needed to be taken care of when I came home around 8.PM. I considered leaving it for tomorrow but I know that with more snow coming I would have a big project come Tuesday night. The smart thing to do was not to procrastinate and take care of business last night and then take care of whatever the weather brings for today. Why? because I don't know what today will bring. I do know that I was afforded enough time to do what I had to do last night.

There is some snow in all of our lives. The snow of life is the inability to apologize for our wronging someone else. We feel uncomfortable about approaching them so we wait and then, we wait some more. The person waiting on an apology starts to freeze up toward us like unremoved snow will ice up. Once we have an icy mess it is hard to remove.  For some the ice isn't removed in time and that person moves away or can even pass away. We don't know the future and we took for granted that we have more time. But when we wait we run the risk of losing the chance to apologize. We need to do what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, without procrastination.

Proverbs 27:1 

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

An act that needs to be done, and is not done, is a sin.

James 4:17New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

So get out there and clean off some snow covered and icy hearts today. Don't wait.

Marty

A Tear Stained Letter 1/15/2018

Good Morning,

The Door County Cherry Crème Coffee is brewing in the kitchen and I can just taste it from the aroma lifting itself my way. Nice way to start a snowy Monday.

2 Timothy 3:16New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,

There are 66 books to the Bible and I believe in each one as the unerring Word of God. I consider the Bible to be a letter from God with many pages to it. The letter has many instructions and moments  of invitation for us. There are pages within the Bible with reassurance and compassion for us. Yet I am sure there are pages within that if God hadn't used divine inspiration and men to pen His word there would be some pages that would contain His tears. I would imagine when He laid out the plan to save the world and it is written in Isaiah chapter 53 the pages would be stained with tears. This gift of eternal life paid for by His Son Jesus would be rejected by many.

When I think of all the love contained in 66 books and that it speaks to all of us individually I tear up myself. My thoughts today are  based on Jeremiah 14:17 where God speaks of shedding "tears day and night" for the "daughter of my people" (KJV). Calvinists insist that it is Jeremiah, not God, who is crying. However, it was God who told Jeremiah to tell Judah that He, God, was crying for their plight.
Only God could say the "daughter of my people." The generation of Jews living in Jeremiah's day were the "daughter" or descendants of God's people, Israel who came out of Egypt. In verses 17 and 18 God, as a loving father, deeply feels the chastisement inflicted on His wayward people.

Jeremiah 14:17New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ “Speak this word to them:

“‘Let my eyes overflow with tears
    night and day without ceasing;
for the Virgin Daughter, my people,
    has suffered a grievous wound,
    a crushing blow

So I see the Bible at times as a love letter sent with tear stains. There are times while reading the Word, my own tears have dripped onto the pages. I guess I sent a return letter.  My point today is that the Bible is more than a set of instructions. It shows us the heart of God and it is intimate to each of us, each love letter written for us to cherish and enjoy.

So today when you read your Bible say thank you to the Author. He loves you.

Marty