Not Too Much To Say 1/14/17

Good Morning,

My coffee this morning is Door County Apple Cobbler. It is early and yesterday was a long day. So my eyes are a little heavy as I grab my cup and head out the door.

 

I remember introducing the new puppy to the older guy! There wasn't any love at first sight. But once they both sat in front of me sharing some dog treats one at a time and then a couple pieces of popcorn the relationship was on. When Fritz, the older dog passed away, Gibbs was lost for several days. He missed his big buddy. They just had to get to know each other.

I was able to catch some of the world news last night. I can't begin to figure out all the hatred around the world. I think if we were all able to sit down and meet a person from a country that doesn't agree with yours or mine and have a cup of coffee we would see that the other person is just another person. A person who wants to work, raise a family, and just eat dinner. There really is no reason to hate.

So today I will keep my oration short and let God say what needs to be said.

Luke 6:27-36New King James Version (NKJV)

Love Your Enemies

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. ²⁹ To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. ³¹ And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
³² “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. ³⁶ Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Wow that was a mouthful. I think the whole world could and should learn from this passage.

God bless,

Marty

The Light Of The World! 1/13/2017

Good Morning,

The day began with a cold blast of air and a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee. Thankful for a project at work that will be intense today. Big challenge with a great team!

I was listening to the news on the radio yesterday and the topic was the opioid overdose deaths in our state. For 2016 we hit the number of 301. The news I listen to is a talk radio program. People are invited to call in and offer their opinions. Of course people were outraged to hear that 310 people died because of opioid addictions.

Many of the callers were asking for the government to do something and make this a priority. I agree that these are dark times. I did not hear one caller ask for the churches in our state to hold prayer meetings for the epidemic. They all had suggestions that did not involve themselves doing anything.

Someone once said, "I would rather light a candle than sit and curse the dark".

 John 8:12English Standard Version (ESV)
¹² Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

All sin and destruction will win out unless people come along side the addicted and demonstrate the love of Jesus. We also have to tell them how Jesus is the one who can fill the void that the drugs are occupying now. It seemed that these callers wanted to sit in the darkness cursing it instead of being the light that leads to Jesus.

Are you in the dark, refusing to light a candle?

Only you can answer the question.

Marty

Meditation On God's Word 1/12/2017

Good Morning,

The icy roads almost introduced me to the airbag in my truck last night. But all is well and my mug is filled with Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee. Nothing like a ride on a slide.

Hymn writer Mary Ann Lathbury in her beautiful hymn "Break Thou The Bread Of Life" wrote .

Beyond the sacred page I seek Thee, Lord;

My Spirit pants for thee, O Living Word".

Following our conversion to Christ every believer has an insatiable hunger for the Word of God. I call this the "honeymoon period". But if we are wise we continue our hunger and thirst for the Word long after the conversion experience, desiring even more of it.

There has been a movement for people to do cleansing meditation. People are instructed to empty their minds and look within for happiness and peace. There is nothing in anyone's soul worth meditating on. Meditation apart from the Word of God is dangerous and opens our minds for the trickery of Satan.  This is dangerous and should be avoided. True meditation begins with the Word of God

A.W. Tozer wrote. "The Bible is not an end in itself. We were not given the Bible as a substitute for God until we get to heaven . Rather the Bible is to lead us straight into the heart and mind of God."

Many  Christians today read the Bible, yet avoid practicing the teachings within. We must come to the Word of God with holy expectations of meeting with God. To come to the Bible and not be fed is like looking into the refrigerator, passing on the lasagna and then saying "there was nothing to eat". This is the sad plight of many Christians today. They receive their advice from television talk shows and tune out the pastors teaching the truth. It is evident in their church attendance.  They try to fill the void with other activities instead of worshipping with others and dining together on the Word.

I can only imagine me looking into myself and emptying my mind. I would either fall asleep or bust a gut laughing.

The Bible is the source of:

• Truth: "Sanctify them by Your truth; Your word is truth" (John 17:17).
• God's blessing: "But He said, 'More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it'" (Luke 11:28).
• Victory: "...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians. 6:17).
• Growth: "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby" (1 Pet. 2:2).
• Power: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek" (Romans. 1:16).
• Guidance: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm. 119:105).

Meditate on the Word of God only. Make no room for yourself in your head. Pushing God to the side makes room for the rude entrance of the enemy.

God bless,

Marty

Cool Clear Water 1/11/2017

Good Morning,

I listened to high winds pounding the house last night until around midnight. It was quite the symphony of noise. Now I can hear the Door County Inn Keepers Blend Coffee trickle into the pot. I like that sound much better.

Last night I attended our church elders meeting and in order to do so I asked my good friend to lead our Men's Ministry Bible Study. Our elders meeting was very good and productive. When I got home I was very thirsty. I ran the tap in our kitchen for a minute and filled a glass with very cold water. I drank it down and could not believe how good it tasted and how it soothed my thirst. Where we live, there is a large source of clean fresh water. And during this time of the year it runs very cold. That glass of water was very refreshing.

My thoughts turned to my friends in Haiti where fresh water is expensive and is usually never cold or very refreshing. But it is still vital to life. I can turn on the tap for a cool drink or a shower. Many in Haiti still take showers with a small bucket. I will never take for granted a nice cool drink of water and a shower after my last trip to Haiti.

But I seemed to have more on my mind than a drink of water.  I took some time to sort it out through prayer. What was revealed to me is that although I fulfilled my calling at church by attending a meeting I was still missing something. I missed being in the Bible study learning with the other guys. I missed that 1.5 hours in the Word of God. I could drink all the water I wanted and my spirit would still thirst for time with Jesus. Nothing was going to satisfy my spiritual thirst but time in the Word, and prayer.

John 4:13-14New International Version (NIV)
¹³ Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

I took care of that thirst with time studying and praying. I was able to sleep and my thirst for God was satisfied for the night.

Do you thirst? Are you satisfied deep down inside? Does something seem to be missing? If so, drink from the well of God that overflows with love, guidance and wisdom. Let your cup run over.

God Bless,

Marty

Stooping Low Makes Us Taller 1/10/2017

Good Morning,

A little road travel awaits me on this day and the weather forecast is calling for freezing rain. What that calls for is patience and an insulated bottle filled with Door County Jingle Bell Java Coffee.

Have you ever imagined what a six foot man looks like to a two year old toddler when he is standing over them?  The little one has to look up and listen to the much larger person. It could be quite intimidating. I have found that when I wanted to teach a child something I would have to get to a small table or down on the floor eye to eye for them to listen. I had to stoop low and sit on a kids chair to be real to them when I taught Sunday School to 5 year olds many years ago for a short time.

Many families have at one time or another while hosting large dinners dedicated a separate table for the children. What a graduation day that was when you were finally allowed to eat at the adult table. It was always the fun aunt or uncle that would volunteer to sit with the kids so there wasn't a disaster at the children's table. They had to give up their rightful place at the adult table and spend it with the kids mopping up spills and cutting meat for the young ones.

But those are the aunts and uncles that the kids remember. Jesus did the same thing. He stooped to meet us. He stooped down to sleep in a manger, work as a wood smith, sleep in a fishing boat , hang around with crooks, prostitutes and lepers. He stooped low enough to be spat on, beat up, and nailed to some lumber. He stooped low enough to taste death, stay in a tomb, and then with a rumble stood tall and declared Satan's power over death to be defeated. He stood tall to silence the accusers of the prostitute.

He does the same for you and me now.

Romans 8:34New International Version (NIV)
³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Jesus is the perfect example of bending low and not considering His place as the Son Of God more important than us. He bent low, just to stand tall for others.

When was the last time you reached out to the down trodden, lived with them, fed a homeless person, took someone in, went without a meal so that others might have one? When was the last time you drove a drunk home without lecturing, but praying silently to yourself?

Let Jesus be your example. You have to meet people where they are, not where you want them to be.

In bending low, you become tall.

God bless,

Marty

The Empty Gas Tank Made Me An Odd Duck 1/9/2016

Good Morning,

It was a nice weekend and as all weekends do, this one came to and end. So Monday will be met with prayer, and Door County Inn Keepers Blend Coffee.

Yesterday while running some errands I saw a car stall out in front of me and barely get to the emergency easement on the highway. I noticed a young lady and a child in the car. It only took a second or two to pull over safely and then back up to offer assistance. My car was warm and with the weather we had yesterday it wouldn't take long for her car to get very cold. As I walked up to the car the lady made sure to lock her doors. She looked frightened as I approached her car. Now I am not a handsome dude at all, but she really did not trust anyone approaching her car.

My thought was this. "What a shame that this young lady needs to be afraid of a Good Samaritan offering help." This world is really run down. She let the window down a little and I asked her how I could help. She explained that she believed that she had run out of gas. She had called for road service and they were backed up for two hours. I had only just gotten on to the highway and was not far from home. I let her know that I could give her a blanket and within minutes be back with a can of gasoline. She smiled and said that if the police came first they would help, but she wouldn't mind me trying. I handed the blanket through the window for her and her baby. I was back in under ten minutes and put two gallons of fuel into her car. The vehicle started right away and I was walking away and just waved. The window came down and the lady thanked me and gave me my blanket back. She offered to pay me for the gas and my time. I refused and said the payment for me was to see her leave and get down the road and fill up her gas tank. She said she would.

She smiled for the first time and said. "You won't take payment? Sir you are an odd duck!" Obviously this young lady is not used to random acts of kindness. I for one felt sorry for her. I told her that someday she will be in a position to return the favor to someone else. I laughed and said "Thank you". I then left in my truck and called it a day. But my head processed this encounter all day. 

If performing an act of kindness makes me weird or odd. Then call me a odd and weird. I would rather be odd and weird than to have a frozen heart, never expecting good things to come. I waved, she waved and drove off, but my heart was as empty as that gas tank. I feel sorry for the world we live in.

Proverbs 11:24-25English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁴ One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
    another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
²⁵ Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
    and one who waters will himself be watered

Be humble and kind despite being weird and odd. I hope our children and grandchildren can experience more of the good things in this world instead of what they see daily. I just heard that a family cancelled a vacation because the kids are afraid to be in an airport. Can't say that I blame them for that.

Marty

Being Productive 1/8/2017

Good Morning,

I was up early today and was busy before the Door County Highlander Grog Coffee started to brew. With a couple things out of the way, a fire has been started and the house is warming up and now it is time to write.

Last night after our Saturday evening church service, Rene and I stopped to have a bite to eat. During dinner we both discussed what needed to be done today. Rene is headed out to assist her mother with some cleaning and laundry. Mother is up there in years now and just needs a little help. The cold spell we are in, depleted all of the firewood I hauled inside last week. I used the last of it this morning. There is plenty more outside but it needs to be brought in. That is one of my goals. I always like to send Rene with a meal or two for her Mom so the Swedish meatballs are simmering as I write. I also made up a big pot of Italian beef stew which will be our lunches for the week as well as a big pot of chicken soup. The bread buns I set out to rise at 2 AM have just come out of the oven.  But man does not live by Swedish meatballs, stew, soup, and buns.

So, I want you to know that I am not bragging about the accomplishments of the day so far. But what I want us to look at is this. In the middle of this busy day both of us set aside some time for Bible study and prayer. Our Men's Ministry at church is studying a great book and Rene decided to study it also. It is full of Christian theology in a format that leads to an in depth discussion and the truth on life after death. The book is named "The Paradise Of God" by Dr. Larry Ollison.  I am thoroughly enjoying it. It has many Scripture references and if you take time to look things up and verify all that is being quoted, the book will take a long time to finish. I read it through once already in a month, but now the actual study is taking me weeks and weeks.

I have a lot of other things on my to do list, but I needed to carve out quiet time with God. We cannot become so busy that God becomes one of many menu choices or options for the day. When God becomes and option He really has become no option at all. This is my number one goal for the day.

Matthew 4:4New International Version (NIV)
⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

If I accomplish the goals of the day and do not spend time alone with God I have wasted a day. It's like eating carrot cake without frosting. A good dessert but something is missing. The sweetness of the day, full of spiritual nutrition, love and guidance is found in time alone with God.

Slow down, God is waiting to hear from you today,

Marty