Musings of a Prodigal Son - Anticipation of Heaven

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)


"He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you....." (1 Peter 1:3-4)


"Joy is the serious business of Heaven." (quote by C.S. Lewis)




Heaven. It is the "out there" or the "what happens next." It is defined differently by different people. It is a mystery. It is a vale that we haven't looked behind. It is the basis for many motion pictures recently.

Is it real enough to live your life in anticipation of? So much of our faith is built on the premise that what comes after must be better. How else do we reconcile suffering. What happens when we pray for someone to get well and it doesn't happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do children die? Why do some people grow up seemingly having everything they need and others with not enough from the first day they arrive? What is the meaning of it all. Why did Solomon write Ecclesiastes with a theme of life as a "vapor" and the overriding truth that there is nothing new under the sun?

I think we would all agree that life is marked by loses. Of people and things. Of health and wealth. Even memories fade with the passing of time. I know I sound pessimistic but we live in a fallen world. Everything is in a state of decay in one way or another. What remains? How long does it remain? 

The Apostle Paul's life was marked by a focus on the greater reward. Jesus told us to store our treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt. Scripture is marked by words telling us that this present life, in joy and in suffering, does not compare with the greater glory of heaven. Paul even told struggling Christians that we are not like those who have "no hope." What is our hope? How do we place our trust in things unseen? Are we preparing our children for this life or the one to come? When Jesus said, "What doth it profit a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul?" He was not just talking about wealth, he was speaking of wisdom, of a knowledge of how to "make it" here. He said it is futile to learn to navigate this world successfully and lose our own soul.

I recently watched the movie on the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. She gave up everything to serve the poorest of the poor in one of the poorest countries of the world. She suffered greatly. What makes a person give up everything and adopt a life of suffering? There must be a realization (revelation) that some have received that has eluded many of the rest of us. Mother Teresa had a sure hope in something.




As Facebook has become more and more popular, I often see comments by people (I have made them myself) talking about loved ones being together in Heaven. Some mention that they will join them there. As we are reminded of the certainty of death (from the death of a loved one or through our own lives), heaven and the "hereafter' become more of a focus to us.

How do we grasp so much "there" that it becomes more important than our "here?" That is the question that naturally follows if we say that we believe that there is something greater out there. 

Every ancient culture has been marked by basically two approaches to life: either prolong life here in this present realm and make the most of it or invest in what comes after. The premise of this view is that what comes after must be better than this present order of things. Today we still have the group that says, "Let's live it up for tomorrow we die." We also still have those who say to deny everything because this world is not my home."


When I am traveling and about to visit a new place, I get as much information as I can about the place. I read it's history, study it's points of interest, invest time in getting to know the place for which I am headed. Should "what comes after" this world be any different? Shouldn't we learn as much about heaven as possible?


What do we know about heaven? Revelation  21 tells us that the city of New Jerusalem in Heaven is over 1400 miles long, over 1400 miles wide, and over 1400 miles high! That heavenly city is larger than the country of India! The fact that the city is that high means that gravity is obviously not an issue. There are no negatives there. No pain, no tears, no depression, no poverty, no neglect, no abuse, no jealousy, etc. The streets are made of pure gold that is of such quality that it shines like pure glass. The pillars for the gates of that city are each made of  a SOLID pearl (imagine a pearl that big). There is no sun or moon because the Father and the Son are the light there! John, in his revelation, says that the things he saw were of such a grand scale, words did not exist to describe them. There is praise to Jesus constantly with no inhibitions! There is no shyness or discomfort. There is a complete understanding of why the residents of heave are there (because of Jesus).


Are there waterfalls there? Are there canyons such as the Grand Canyon? Imagine the most peaceful place on earth to you? What are it's characteristics? Heaven will contain all the elements that were created by God as they were originally intended prior to the entrance of sin and sickness into this present world.


I had someone to ask me one time, "Will there be baseball in heaven?" I don't know the answer to that, but I believe that the emotions and feelings that are generated when your team wins the championship will be constantly available to you. The only difference is that there are no losers in heaven. Everyone is a winner.


This place called heaven is a mystery.  It is so grand that we cannot even understand it with the limitations of spoken and written words. Should we learn as much about it as possible? Yes. We need to be reminded that it is more real than our "real" here.


How do we get there? Simple. Jesus. Only Jesus. Accepting what he did on the cross for us. I am not good enough to enter on my own. I will trust Him (Jesus). I accept what Jesus did for me. Will you?


Revelation 21:4 - And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.John 14:2 - 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.Revelation 22:1-5 - And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.   

Luke 23:43 - And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.Hebrews 11:16 - But now they desire a better [country], that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.Revelation 21:22-27 - And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.   

Revelation 21:21-25 - And the twelve gates [were] twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city [was] pure gold, as it were transparent glass.   

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.John 3:13 - And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, [even] the Son of man which is in heaven.2 Peter 3:13 - Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.Revelation 21:1 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.Luke 12:33 - Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.Hebrews 13:14 - For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.Revelation 21:1-5 - And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Your Moment

Many of us waste so much of our time. Sometimes it would be great if we could live life in reverse. What I mean is to be able to see  life from the wisdom of years and experience. To be able to know the consequences of wrong choices (sin) and to choose differently as a result. Time, unfortunately, is not something that can be bought or gained. Many famous people have spent their lives searching for a way to buy time in one way or another (examples: fountain of youth, time travel, ways to bend the time-space continuum). The Bible often speaks to the importance of time.

I wrote recently in one of my blogs about a friend whose wife told him that what he was really asking for was a "do over." Unfortunately, life does not come with a rewind or reset button. Yesterday is history and so it shall remain. Today is all we have. One thing is sure. I have one less day today than I did yesterday. As has often been said, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, today is all we have." How do we make the most of this MOMENT in time (our today)?

I think we can find guidance in God's Word from someone who probably spent a great amount of time wishing he had many "do overs." That someone is found in the Book of Judges in God's Word and his name is Samson.

Samson was given many gifts, not the least of which was his great strength. He was a mighty warrior. We are told of his exploits which even included killing a lion with his bare hands. He was a Nazerite (consecrated or separated) which during that time meant that his life was dedicated to God and he was to live his life accordingly. One of the things that was required of him was that he was "never to get a haircut". Herein lies one of life's great lessons:

"If you hang around the barbershop, you will eventually end up getting a haircut." 

So it was with Samson. If you are disobedient long enough, your sin will find you out. As a result you, and usually others, will suffer because of it. I will not go into great detail about the story of Samson and Delilah other than to say that he lost many things, including his great strength. He spent many years in the prisons of the Philistines. He was blind and probably spent many hours thinking about all the things that "could and should" have been. He could have accomplished so much with his life.

I have met very few people in my life who have few regrets. Most I know would change a thing or two (usually more) if they could. But I have good news. God is a God of redemption. This word literally means, "to buy back." It means that God is timeless and He is always  the God of the moment (the "I AM" [notice present tense]). As long as we are in this world, our purpose plan (our moment) is still possible. When Samson stopped looking at what could have been and turned to God and asked that He (God) be glorified with what remained of his life, his moment arrived. He killed more Philistines in his death than he did the whole of his life while he was operating in his gifts!

I know.....He died. Remember life is a fleeting, passing journey. At its longest, it is still very brief.  I believe that those who have placed their faith and trust in Christ have a barometer that wants their journey to mean something regardless of how long or short that journey may be. We want to leave a legacy of being able to fulfill God's purpose for our lives which often extends beyond decisions we make along the way whether good or bad (see Romans 8:28). It is "the final curtain" that makes the difference. Paul, at the conclusion of his life stated, "I have finished the course, I have kept the faith....". The moment is NOW.  The good news is that if we are still here on this earth, our moment still awaits us. Each new MOMENT ushers in the next. It is true that the best is yet to come!

Let each of us make the most of our "Moment" so that our impact will remain on those who ours lives touch and those who follow after us. We have an eternity to celebrate those combined moments as the people of God with a great cloud of witnesses. Jesus makes each MOMENT possible. Even the ones beyond this present world. To God be the Glory!

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Missing the Mark

While riding my bicycle this past Saturday, I had one of those "take a look at your life" moments. You know the kind I am talking about? You know the ones where you say, "I really need to take a long look at my life, I really missed that."

I had ridden almost 20 miles on a bike trail that cuts across our county. As I went past a point I had passed before, there were two young men sitting beside the trail with a brochure holder full of pamphlets and brochures. Many of you may have seen these stands in large cities at the corners where people are advertising or selling some product. These two boys happened to be a part of a religious organization that is known for going door to door "witnessing" to their beliefs. As I was approaching them on the trail, I remember thinking to myself, "I hope they don't say anything to me or try to get me to stop." That was all I thought. As I passed and they made no move to engage me in conversation, I remember feeling relieved and I moved on down the trail, forgetting about this encounter. On my return trip approximately 1 hour later, I happened by this same spot. I noticed that there were two bikes parked on the edge of the trail and a middle-age woman was introducing herself to the two young men as I passed. As I got even with the group I heard her begin to pray with them and for them while the man with her stood with his head bowed. Immediately, I was made aware that I had the wrong focus altogether. While I was worried about "me" and my morning ride, this man and woman on the trail had been willing to "let go" of their agenda to put others ahead of themselves (in this case these two young men) with a focus on the eternal instead of the temporal. Those two young men needed to hear the truth in love. I was convicted of this as I continue to ride along the trail. 

After I had passed these two young men earlier, I had not given it a second thought. Immediately the question came to my mind, "How many times have I been so busy with my own agenda that I have neglected those times when God has presented an opportunity for me to make a difference in someone else's life?"

I really missed it.

Father, forgive me for being so focused on me that I failed to see the needs of others. Please forgive me for those times of which I am aware and also for those times that I have been totally unaware of the needs of others and the prompting of your Holy Spirit because I have had the wrong focus. 

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Information Saturation

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:22-25)

.....we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. (1 Corinthians 8:1)

It seems that today we live in information overload. Le me share an example.  Today I was told about people in some mountain states looking for ginseng plants to make extra money. A quick search on the internet yielded results for what to look for, where to find, problems with harvesting, and other secondary issues associated with this topic. Within a short period of time I became what in the past would have been considered an "expert" on the subject. I learned in ten minutes what would have probably taken me years and much effort to learn. Does that make me a true "harvester" of ginseng. No. There are many things about this subject that I could only learn by experiencing the whole process even though I may be very cognizant on the "facts." In this example, I now "know" about ginseng harvesting but I am still ignorant of the wisdom to make it work for me in my life the way that a resident of White County Georgia (north Georgia mountains) is able to do. Many of those residents have become "doers" of the process. Doing elicits emotions and difficulties. 

The problem with many of us Christians is that we have so much information in our world. This includes being able to "hear" great truths and facts spoken from God's Word. However, we haven't spent the necessary time building a RELATIONSHIP with God and others. Relationships begat emotions and feelings. In other words, there is no LOVE (CHARITY) without relationship. No amount of information and knowledge substitutes for relationship. 

A friend of mine visited me this week and told me about a new approach to ministry that he start in one of the churches that he formerly pastored. He stated that he asked the people in his former congregation to think and pray about something that they were passionate about and let him know. He stated that the leadership would prayfully consider these passions as a possible ministry in the church. Something unexpected happened. He stated that a man approached him from within the church and stated that he had a passion for "making flys" (fly fishing). As he considered this, it began to dawn on him that this could be a really good avenue for ministry within the church. He stated that with difficulty he was able to cast a vision to the church with this concept. They began to hold a weekly group teaching interested people in the community to "make flys" for fly fishing. Participants begin to come to the church for this group held on a weekly basis. This in turn offered people (particularly this man who had the passion for "making flies") the opportunity to "build relationships" with people in the community. As people began to take part, the church suddenly was part of the community building relationships through mutual interests. Over time, people who otherwise would not have come to church, began attending some of the "Bible" ministries as they developed relationships with people within the church through common interests. My friend has used this model to help other churches since that time to get out of their rut of isolating within themselves. The solution did not come from more information, more sermons, but through common shared interests that fostered relationships.

Much has been shared about "lifestyle evangelism". What is that? Simply put, it is our lives (committed to God) lived in the normal stream of our existence and shared with others. This should include your interests and hobbies. They can be godly too!!!!! Being and acting religious has never won anyone to Christ. However, sharing common interests and passions with people have fostered relationships that resulted in caring for them. This has lead to concern and love for them. Loving people has brought many to the truth.

Our passions, interests, and hobbies are God-given when they are surrendered to Him. They are just as much a part of the Church as all the other "godly" things that we so often associated with church. (Remember, Jesus called many of the disciples while they were involved in their interests and passions). 

Ministries from the past have often focused on getting people the right information so that they have enough "information" to make life's most important decisions ("How shall they hear without a preacher?"). In our information saturated world, it now seems prudent to stress that information without relationship often is discarded before it has time to bear any fruit. There is so much "seed" available that we are only able to receive it from a trusting hand. When the church isolates from the rest of the world, we cannot be trusted by others. If I don't know you, don't ask me to trust you. If on the other hand, I know you and spend enough time with you for you to know me (regardless of the reason), And if I have no hidden agenda and am seeking to follow my savior, trust will develop between us. 

Love and Trust are good soil in which to plant our seeds. 

Musing of a Prodigal Son - Things that Remain

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. (James 4:13-14 NIV)




Please forgive what some of you may term my "morbidity".  I was reminded a little while ago of the fragility of life. It seems that much of my life has been spent trying to build things. Not physical things (don't have the talent my dad had when it comes to building things with my hands) but other things: reputation, credibility, knowledge, expertise, leadership skills, etc....the list could go on. I'm sure you have your list too. At many of these things, I failed. With others I have had a level of "success." As I sit here though, I am reminded of the briefness of life. As has been stated all too well, "Days born of a woman are few and full of trouble." When life ends, there remains none of these things. You may say, "My reputation will live on." Really? How long? How many of us really know what kind of "reputation" our great-great-grandfather had? With each passing year as one generation blends into another, old things are forgotten. No amount of land I own, no amount of wealth that I have accumulated, no amount of education that I have attained, no amount of respect I've gleaned will matter to those who come after me. Of course mine and your loved ones can benefit from those things now but even so, they can also choose to go their own way. Even our old "home place" was once the home place of someone long forgotten. In a matter of years, you and I will become the forgotten. Even those people who have a place in "history" are often far from the real person who lived due to the magnification/diminishing of one characteristic or the other. (I know many of you have practiced the exercise of the 'retelling' of a fact on one side of the room and being passed down in whispers to the other side of the room. By the time it reaches the last person, the 'fact' is much different than it was in the beginning). It won't matter if you have a college degree, a union job, gone to the moon, 100 acres of land, three husbands, five wives, six mules, are an Auburn fan, or a red firebird! NO ONE will remember in a very short period of time.


What does matter then? Solomon, in his lengthy and I might add, more eloquent way, discussed the things I have mentioned above in a book of the Bible called Ecclesiastes. It begins with the discussion of life as a vain endeavor (vapor) and concludes with the wisest man who ever lived stating, "Fear God and keep his commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgement, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiates 12:13-14) Paul, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, when Jesus' work of redemption was completed told us that "our righteousness is as filthy rags" (Romans 3:10) .... God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)...  and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:24)


What matters is the acceptance or rejection of a gift. That gift is Jesus and his sacrifice for my sin. Will you accept that gift???


Early in my life I attended a memorial service of someone and at that service I heard something that has repeated itself in my mind many times. One of the speakers at that service said, "I have never seen a funeral coach pulling a U-Haul trailer." On that final "move" we will not be taking any of our belongings or accomplishments with us. Our destination is already fully furnished. What will your furnishings be like? ----Remember it is ALL contingent on your acceptance or rejection of the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. Nothing else EVER really remains.

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Let's Get Real

"Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil. (Matthew 5:36-37-NIV)

This passage is from the "Sermon on the Mount". It was during a time of teaching great truths that Jesus uttered these words to his disciples and followers. In a discussion of "oaths" or promises, Jesus warned against speaking oaths or making idle promises. Much has been made of idle words but not much is often spoken about the deeper meaning behind Jesus' words. We are warned in this passage of scripture not to make oaths. An oath is a binding promise. Jesus was basically saying, "Let your word be true and honest." I had the discussion with a co-worker today about the lack of truth between what people present and who they really are, even in the work place. It seems that we often have different "personas" in different circumstances. There is the "work" self, the "father" self, the "mother" self, the "home" self, and the "church" self. These are just some examples but most people have some variation of one or the other of these. Sometimes it is a subtle change and is not intended to be deceptive, it is just a way we "adapt" to the environment that we are in. Let me illustrate by an example. When someone says in the workplace, "That's a shitty situation." Everyone usually goes about their business without a second thought. But.....if you make that same statement in church.....most have a reaction as if they have never heard it before. (Many of those with a "I can't believe he would say something like that in church" look on their face might have even said something similar themselves earlier in the week, but you'd never know it by their reaction. What's the difference? Jesus spent much time talking about the fact that THOSE WHO KNOW HIM ARE THE CHURCH, wherever they are. Why the difference in our personas when we are "at Church" or around certain people? Many people who don't verbalize it have those same inconsistencies in their minds but are reluctant to share what they are really thinking with others. Most of us have some inconsistencies in the way we relate to others and even to ourselves in different circumstances. I remember on one occasion when I was a pastor, another pastor who I respect very much looked at me one day while we were laughing about something and said, "Well damn, Rodney." I was stunned. I couldn't believe my friend, the pastor, had said such a thing! He was just being congruent with who he is. In other words, he is not perfect (BUT HIS SAVIOR IS). The imperfections in our own character are often what points to our need of the Savior. Those imperfections and the confession that Jesus forgives us and is our righteousness is also what draws many people to Christ. They, too, need him. Jesus was saying, [my interpretation] "Be real. Be who you are and ask me to help with the inconsistencies. Don't hide them.  Let your yes be yes, even to you. Don't sanction something with my name that you may be wrong about [you don't have the authority] but be real. If you had it all together on your own, I would not have had to die for you. I love you anyway and will forgive you for what you do that is wrong if you'll just confess those things that I reveal to you. Be real. You're not going to be perfect this side of eternity. Don't project it yourself and don't expect it of others."

Let me share something with you that I can speak about because I have been in the position of Pastor and I have also spent a great deal of time in "the private sector" as an employee. God wants us to be honest and congruent. Even if our congruency is not always correct, it is helpful. Why? Because often the world is more congruent than the Church. At least they are consistent in their inconsistency. I remember a youth years ago when I was a youth pastor who was "unchurched", unlike many of the kids who were in the group. He cussed. Alot. I remember cringing when we were playing volleyball and he would say, "F**k." The point is, the young man was being congruent with who he was (he hadn't had time yet to learn to "hide" all the non-acceptable things[to learn to hide these things is not good].. Am I condoning Christians using "dirty words?" No. Jesus is still my Savior if I say, "F**K" a thousand times a day, however. I am just stating that none of us can change what we are NOT honest about. We don't just become "perfect" in this present world when we ask Jesus to save us. Sanctification is a process. It is significant to me that we are to be the light of world, which means we should spend a good bit of our time "shining" in the world (among those who don't know Christ-with our albeit imperfect light).  The only way I know what is wrong for me  is by  the Holy Spirit convicting me of what I am doing that is wrong. Even when I "know", I will still be imperfect in my relationships with others.  If we as Christians are successful in "hiding" our sins at church but allowing them to be seen in other contexts, that makes it difficult for the new believer to hear the Holy Spirit bringing conviction, because after all, other Christians are doing things that the Holy Spirit is convicting them is wrong. Hence we often see what I will refer to as "Behavioral Christianity" (sort of the same concept of Pavlov and His dog) for those of you who took introductory psychology in college. It would probably be beneficial if my brother who is searching for the TRUTH knows that I am convicted about a certain behavior and am trying to stop it because the Lord convicted me of it. It is not beneficial for me to say, "F**K" at work and then not say it on Sunday morning when I go to church. It confuses the seeker. That communicates that I am practicing "Behavioral Christianity [like the Pharisees].". Often people refer to people within the church as hypocrites due to non-congruence in the way church people behave in different circumstances, in dishonest communications, or a dishonest attitude. We shouldn't "put on" our best behavior when we meet as the Church of Jesus Christ. We should never be a Chameleon. Rather, we should be honest with one another and with ourselves, even crudely, so that we can change what needs to be changed and support one another in the changes that need to be made. In other words, if we are not careful, we are so busy trying to make ourselves look good to others that we miss the opportunity to be honest and congruent (as transparent as possible) so that others who need to know Christ can see that they are not alone in their need for a Savior. I have had people I work with tell me the following: (because now I ask), "The church is the most difficult place for me to be honest." Why is this true? This is the total opposite of the way that God wants it to be. Where did we miss it?

Over a century ago, Charles Shelton penned a book entitled, "In His Steps." It is now a Christian Classic and has been re-written by his son in contemporary language so that this generation can benefit from its great message. A homeless, destitute man came into the main "First [substitute your denomination here]Church of a city and walked to the front of the church and confronted the congregation about their ignorance of his plight although he had interacted with many of them previously. He [the destitute man] was honest. He subsequently died and the book's main plot outlines the effect of his death on various members of that congregation. The famous statement, "What would Jesus Do?" comes from this book. I mention this in the context of the things that I have written about above to drive home a point about our concept of  Church. Are we so busy supporting the reputation and projecting the image that we think we are supposed to be projecting that we lose sight of the words of Jesus? Let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no.  Honesty and congruence, even when it doesn't put us in the best light and makes things look "messy," changes things. Seek to be honest and congruent with yourself and others. This is often the difference between religion and spirituality. Spirituality is about relationship, honesty, and congruence. Religion is about form, projection, and distance between the individual and God. Religion reminds us of our distance from God and attempts in futility to reach Him. Spirituality reminds all of us how close HE really is. Honesty and congruence of character are spiritual. Think about the impact of times when you have been in church and someone you respect as a Christian gets honest about something they have been convicted of by the Holy Spirit that they are STRUGGLING to overcome. It is rare but when it happens it causes many people to examine themselves in light of their Savior and it also gives freedom to those who may not know HIM to also examine themselves. When we present ourselves as we really are, we magnify HIM [Jesus].......After all, isn't that our true purpose?

JUST AS I AM without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bid me come to thee, Oh Lamb of God I come, I come.......

Are you coming everyday AS YOU ARE?

Musings of a Prodigal Son - Living in the Present, Looking to the Future, Overcoming the Past

I haven't posted in awhile (a little over a month) but I want to write briefly today on a subject that has recently been on my heart. As many of you know, I have been going through what I will call a "restoration" period. I am not seeking to "lead" people at this point in my life, I am merely seeking to listen to My Father as He helps me to "be still and know that I am God." I have written much about my past in previous blogs and will continue to do so as I feel the Holy Spirit leading me to do so. I want to reflect on some recent revelations that are impacting my life and by sharing may be of some use to you. It goes without saying that all of us have a past, present, and a future (which has yet to be revealed but that exists in this realm or the one to come). The object of life it seems is to make the most of our PRESENT. It is the only thing that we have the power to truly live in. Our past is our past. We can go through the process of regret, serious contemplation about the decisions we have made, but we cannot change any of it. All that we can do is "make peace" with it by listening to God, accepting his forgiveness, and forgiving ourselves. We can also learn from our mistakes and help others who may be struggling with some of the same issues that we have struggled with in our past. Many people also live with worries about the future. How am I going to make it? What can I do about this upcoming problem? Where can I go to have peace? These are all questions that result from trying to "live" in the future. A point needs to be made here, living in the present does not excuse us from planning for the future but once we have prepared everything within our power to face the future, we must trust it to God. We cannot plan for every eventuality or circumstance. Jesus said, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they {fret or worry-my paraphrase} yet your heavenly father clothes them with great beauty. How much more will he meet your needs?" This scripture is often quoted in one translation or another to address the issue of worry and fretfulness. As a substance abuse counselor in one of my former careers, I heard someone who struggled with addiction once say [forgive the language here but it is so correct], "If I keep one foot in yesterday (the past), and one foot in tomorrow (the future), then I'll end up pissing all over today (the present)." This is so accurate. The present is where God does His work in us. It is where changes are made that affect our future and the future of others who we touch with our lives.


I have recently been reading Chuck Swindoll's book on the life of Moses. (his "great lives of the Bible" series is great if you haven't read any of those books). I love the fact that much of the old testament is devoted to the lives of great men and women of faith as well as those who aligned themselves as the enemies of God. Moses was one of those great men of faith but we are allowed to see his flaws. Why? Because we all have them. Chuck Swindoll said in his book, "Moses spent the first 40 years of his life thinking he was somebody, the second 40 years of his life thinking he was a nobody, and the third 40 years of his life learning what God can do with a nobody." I don't know about you but that encourages me. I am a little over 40....a little (laugh). Not that most of us will live to be 120 years old like Moses, but he was 80 years old when God gave him the "burning bush experience" and even then he was reluctant to surrender to one of the greatest missions in the history of the world. But....God (in his great Love) helped him get to the place of greatness.....The only thing required of Moses was obedience. We are called to obey God in the present......the rest is His business. Sounds simple doesn't it? Why don't we do it? What has God called you to do? Are you obedient to Him daily? Have you told Him you want to be obedient? Have you asked Him to speak to you because you want to know what He wants you to do? You may not see the "whole" picture of the future but God promises to let you know what to do NEXT. Has he already told you and you didn't like it or thought it was too difficult? Did you rationalize with your mind that it doesn't make sense to you? Are you willing to do the NEXT thing so that the thing after can be revealed? Join me in asking God to reveal to you what to do NOW. Remember, simple decisions made NOW have far reaching consequences on the yet to be revealed future.