God Completes What He Starts 6/7/2014

Good Morning,

This comes to you from Door County Wisconsin today. Of course I am drinking some Door County Coffee Company " Breakfast Blend" given to me by our host on a bright sunny morning. I can't wait until I hit the coffee shop and pick up a good supply of Cherry Crème Coffee and a bowl of baked oatmeal.

This morning I want to encourage all of us. We all have personality traits that annoy us and others. We don't like the way we act or handle certain situations. These traits often cause issues within the family, at work, church, or with friends. They raise their ugly heads and cause chaos, hurt, fear and disappointment.

One thing I do know for sure is that if we are serious about "self improvement" we have a resource that doesn't quit on us until the job is done. I have to say that for some of us these battles might last a life time. But they do not have to plague us that long.

There are a few simple steps to "self improvement Xanadu."

First admit you have a problem with a personal trait and come to God and ask for help.

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

 

 Secondly you have as a Christian the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now here's the question. Are you a Christian? Have you received Jesus Christ by faith into your heart and experienced the forgiveness of your sins through his death, burial, and resurrection? If not do so by praying and inviting Jesus to come in.

 

John 1 10-13 (NKJV)

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own,^[c] and His own^[d] did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

 

Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

¹³ For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”^[a 

 

Now we can move on. If you just asked Jesus into your hear I rejoice with Heaven for you.

 

You now have the Holy Spirit dwelling within you giving you the power and help to overcome your issues. He will remind you that your trait is starting to show and that there is a better path to take.

 

Ezekiel 36:27              

"I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.

 

I have seen immediate changes within people and then there are some that it seems to take a long time. But here's hope for everyone. God does not quit and He sees it through to completion

Philippians 1  (NKJV)

 

1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops^[a] and deacons:
² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ⁴ always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, ⁵ for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; ⁷ just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. ⁸ For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.
⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰ that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

We are not in our struggle alone. God will provide accountability partners if we ask him to. I believe that is the third step if you are serious about changing.

Why go another day, month or year not liking the "you that you are"? If it needs to go, now can be the day.

God bless,

Marty

 

 

Walking Away 6/6/2014

Good Morning,

It is Friday and I knew there was something I always loved about Thursdays. They are just a day ahead of Friday. My coffee is hot and tasty. This morning my flavor of choice is Door County Heavenly Caramel Coffee.

Well yesterday was a highlight. I finished a project that started 9 months ago in a small town in Wisconsin. One of the hospitals in our system needed help and I was asked to go. Yesterday as we finished up and the big inspection was passed with flying colors, it was time to head home and take care of business at the new hospital I have been assigned to.

When this project started a group of my friends and relatives started to pray for me and the project. Many times last winter I would call them in a snow storm asking for more prayer as I tried to make it home. Many, many times the two hour trip would take four to five hours because of road conditions.

When the inspector called today and said he would be there in the afternoon, I was two hours away. Again my friends prayed and I arrived in the parking lot just as he showed up.

When all was finished there were big smiles on everyone's face as I left. We had accomplished a goal together. ( Maybe they were just happy to see me leave). We thanked each other and I walked away to the parking lot. I looked over my shoulder at the sun setting in the West. I felt empty. I remembered who I had forgotten to thank. I stopped and looked up, remembered all those who prayed for me, and the One who answered their prayers. I spoke out loud and said. "Thank You Father God. You brought me through this storm". I then knew the job was complete.

Psalm 7:17

I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

Have a great weekend. God bless,
Marty

French Fried Authority 6/5/2014

Good Morning,

Up with prayer for a day that hopefully will see the end to a successful project. My mug is filled with Door County Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti Coffee and I am out the door and headed North to Sheboygan Wisconsin.

Yesterday I had kind of a food theme going so I will continue with that thought for today.


Romans 13:1-7        
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

Authority? In the average Christian home how would you imagine that respect for authority is taught to the children?

Let's take a look. Tax time, do we include all dollars made on the side as income? Or do we burn the authority of government like a cheap hamburger? What do the kids see?

Sick days at work? Do we call in and say we are sick just so we can relax or go somewhere? Do we cheat the authority of our employers and toss aside  rules like a well tossed salad? A salad where we just eat any meat we find and throw away the rest of the salad. We like a pay check but don't want to submit to the rules?  What do the kids see?

How about that drive home after a Sunday Church service and while in the car we just rip the pastor for his sermon or plea? We French Fry the poor guy in front of the kids.

How about at school? Is the teacher ever right anymore? Or do we run and blame the teacher every time little Johnnie or Gertrude gets a bad grade? We come in and make enough noise to flop any cake in any oven.  That's teaching the kids respect.

I could go on for hours on this subject. But kids follow the examples we set. Think about that the next time you say "make sure your seat belts are fastened, we are late and we need to go very fast to get there". Now that's a winner! As you speed off setting the cruise control for just 6 mph over the limit. Now that's road kill for supper mentality. What do the kids learn?

It's your choice. They will respect you as much as you show respect to your authorities.

God bless,
Marty

A&W Root Beer 6/4/2014

Good Morning,

I am praying for a productive day and the positive close to a project at work. My coffee this morning is Door County Chocolate Meltdown.

Last night was a perfectly good night in the Milwaukee Wisconsin area. The weather was a picture of what summer should be. Not too hot, not too cold. It reminded me of nights when I was young and we would as teens do, hit our hang out spots. On my side of town there were plenty of good spots. We had an A&W Root Beer stand with car hops and ice cold mugs of root beer. We can still purchase the root beer and they still have restaurants, but not many close by with the old fashioned car hops. We could also drive over to Big Boy's for a burger and fries. If Custard was our choice we had a place named Leon's. If we were out late there was Suburpia Subs.  We used to hangout and cruise with friends. Our cars all had Thrush Mufflers (Glass packs) so we could hear the roar of the engines in those vintage 1960 cars . Your girlfriend sat right next to you. She was so close that you had to teach her how to shift so you wouldn't get slapped by being fresh. Or she had to move over and that wasn't cool.

So what's the point? How doe this fit a devotional? Well here goes. All those things took place many years ago. They were fun times and I would do most of them all over again. But we all grew in different directions, some to the military, some on to school and then work, some right into the work force, some right into marriage and families. We really don't get to drive to Big Boy's ( They all closed) Leon's is still there but a seat belt separates me from my wife. My car has so many emission gadgets that it doesn't roar but sounds more like a Hoover Vacuum Cleaner on steroids. A&W now serves breakfast and no one on roller skates waits on you. Well Suburpia is back but if I eat more than one in a week I have to take more Lipitor. Things change and we grow older and we can't stop it. But one thing for sure is this. God's Word will last forever. What Jesus promised will always happen.

Isaiah 40:8

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

It will stand a lot longer than my 1961 Ford did. 

God bless,
Marty 

Losing Your Marbles 6/3/2014

Good Morning,

Started my day with a cup of Door County Red Velvet Mocha Coffee. Come to think of it I haven't had any Door County Cherry Crème coffee in a long time. That's going to change soon.

There is a story told to seminary students wishing to become youth pastors. They are given a bag of marbles. Then they are told to fill their mouths with marbles and begin to teach and preach with clarity. Then every time a young teen can clearly understand what they said they can spit out one of the marbles. When they have lost all their marbles they are then youth pastors.

Seriously, the most underpaid in many churches, you guessed it the youth pastors. The ones who catch more flack from parents than anyone else in the church, you guessed it the youth pastors. The ones typically with the least experience???? The ones who tend to last only five years or less in the ministry???? Yup it's the youth pastors. The ones with the most souls to win or lose. Yup it's the youth pastors.

Today is a day I declared "Pray for the Youth Pastors, Lay Youth leaders, Short Term Leaders of Mission Trips for Teens  Day."

Let's take time to encourage them, love them, and assist where we can. In my many years of youth work  experience I can say that most of the time it is a long, long time before you see the fruit of your work.

There was a boy that I had to draw a hard line with a few years back. We actually asked him not to come to youth group because of his behavior. I now see him every Saturday night in church. He spends a lot of time helping others with computer skills that he learned in school. Now I look forward to seeing him every Saturday. He is a good man. God took him through some hard times and now he mentors others. I never thought I would see that one! But deep down, he was listening. He came back.

I see the food pantry in our church that three teen girls prayed into existence 8 years ago. It has fed so many. When I look back at those girls, there were times that they drove me bonkers.  Given the time and support, much can be done through youth workers and youth pastors with teens for the Kingdom of God.

Thessalonians 5:25 "Brethren, pray for us, greet all the brethren with a holy kiss, I adjure you by the Lord to have this letter read to all the brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

Paul writes "pray for us" . I think every youth pastor would scream that from the pulpit. Pray for us!!!!!!!!!  They have the future of the church in their hands. They are closer to stopping an abortion or suicide than anyone. Pray for them!

It is a difficult calling that God has given them. He has also given them us. Bring this subject up in prayer in your homes, in your small groups, in your prayer meetings. Pray, Pray and then pray again.

God bless,
Marty

June Already? 6/2/2014

Good Morning,

Monday Morning and I am headed out the door with my mug of Door County Highlander Grog coffee.

6 months into the year already. June is going to be a busy month at our house. We plan on getting away for three days, the grandson is coming to visit, new windows in the house, sending a mission team to Brazil, a family cook out and a charity trap shoot. Before you know it, July will be here. It seems as if the days just rush by. It won't be long until the boat, dog, and my shot gun will be traveling to North Dakota for duck season. Too much in June!

I need to make sure that I have time to stay grounded. This schedule could be a disaster if I lose sight of God as my priority.

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; (NIV)

In all that will go on this month it would be easy to shorten time with God. One needs to guard against that. That "one" is me.

This is sound advice to all. Slow down and remember Your Creator. Don't let the summer come and go and don't let it consume you.

God bless,
Marty

Enjoying The Quiet 6/1/2014

Sunday Morning and it started with a cup of Door County Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti Coffee. Let me say to all, good morning and God bless.

Earlier in the week I promised that I would post a picture of a chair that was re-purposed from trash to useful. It took a little more work than I thought it was going to take to get it just right for my wife.

I was up and out of bed before the sunrise this morning. With my coffee in hand, Gibbs (Our Bird Terrorist English Springer Spaniel) and I went outside to watch the sun come up and enjoy the quiet.

Last night after our Saturday evening church service we held our monthly prayer service. It was great and many people were prayed for as well as many righteous causes. I enjoy the prayer service.

But what I also enjoy is the quiet time outside watching this two year old dog chase birds through the yard. I swear those birds just wait for him to come out and play hide and seek. I enjoy the quiet time spent outside. This morning I reflected on the prayer requests of last night. I couldn't recall any that were spoken of that were for the people who gathered to pray. These prayer warriors were lifting up requests and interceding for others. The prayer service lasted about and hour and a half. The warriors gave up their time to pray for others.

Charles Spurgeon said, “All the Christian virtues are locked up in the word prayer.”

One of the main tasks of the Christian is prayer, to have direct communion with God.

Sitting in the dim light of an early sunrise with the world quiet around me let me have time to think. If I have any Saturday nights left in me I want to make sure that on at least one Saturday a month I allow myself the luxury of spending time in prayer with people like the ones who gathered last night.

It was a special time. God then gave me a peaceful setting this morning to relive the prayer experience in our yard. I realized that I don’t pray enough and I don’t pray very well. Yet prayer is so important. Indeed, every revival comes on the heels of prayer. For instance, God poured out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost after His new church was on its knees together for 10 days. And later, “When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit” Acts 4:31 NKJV. We need to pray more as a church and in our own lives.

Have a great day,

Marty