We Will Not Fear

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  Psalm 46:1-2

During the summer of 1998, I took a missions trip to China with five other people from our church.  We ministered in the underground churches which are not sanctioned by the Communist government.  A friend of mine and I traveled to Shanghai where we were asked to preach in an underground Christian gathering. At the end of the service, a group of us went to a house in the village.  It was late at night and the owner of the home suddenly warned us all to be quiet and to go into one of the bedrooms. 

Outside, the Chinese police combed the area with flashlights. My friend and I prayed quietly and put our trust in the Lord. We were the only white-skinned individuals in the area.  Our lives were probably not in grave danger, but if we were caught for proclaiming Christ under the Communist regime, we could be forced out of the country. The Chinese Christians who were with us were in much greater peril.

We waited in silence for about 20 minutes till we were told that the officers had passed us by.  Then my friend and I called for a taxi and made it back to our hotel.

God protected all of us and, although adrenaline rushed through my body, I was not afraid.  I believed God would take care of us.  We later learned that a minister friend of ours in the States was praying for us at that exact time. I am sure my lack of fear was a direct result of our friend’s prayers. 

You too can trust the Lord in difficult situations.  He promises to take care of you.  God is forever faithful.  When trouble comes, we can choose not to fear.

Dear God My Refuge,

I thank you for always being there for me.  No matter what, you never leave me.  Help me to place my trust in you during difficult times.  I thank you for your hand on my life and your peace in my heart.  In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

One Summer day a boy and his older cousin were wading in the salty waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Greece. The young man said to the four year old boy, “You can swim! Just move your arms and kick your feet like this.” He motioned with his arms.

The boy dove into the deeper waters. He began to inhale alkaline liquid while coughing and flailing his arms and legs.

His father, Jim, spotted his son, whose feet pierced through the waves. He grabbed his son and thrust him above the waters. The boy violently coughed up water while squeezing his father. In minutes he resumed normal breathing. All was well.

This was a true story. That boy was me. Jim is my father.

The story reminds me that we should place our trust in the Lord and not in others. My dad is like Father God in this story. My cousin represents other voices.

When we place our trust in the Lord He’s quick to save us.

Who are you trusting in?

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there. God Bless you for all you do!

The Morning Sun

The morning sun rises in the east

Your mercies to me each day are free

You've given me eyes to see

Your beauty

You came to cleanse me from my sin

My heart's unshackled from within

The Spirit fills me to the brim

In this battle I win

God is more than enough

You overflow my cup

Nothing's impossible with You

All your promises are true

The evening sun fades in the west

Because of You, all my days are blessed

In You I stand the test

For You are my righteousness

A Two-Edged Sword

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

We know from Ephesians 6 that the sword of the Spirit is an offensive weapon used for Spiritual warfare. It is a weapon in our mouths against Satan and his forces. It is the spoken word of God. But God also uses His word to encourage us and to disciple us.  

The word of God is a two-edged sword. It builds up and it tears us down. It declares who we are in Christ and it corrects us so we can better conform to the character of Christ.

The Bible is also a mirror. When we look into it, we see how God sees us. We see ourselves victorious in Christ. We see ourselves healed. We see ourselves blessed, but God also shows us our sinful habits and attitudes so He can transform us.

God’s word brings life to our spirits but death to our flesh. It is a two-edged sword.

We need God’s word desperately. It is food for our souls. Let’s spend time daily reading, studying and meditating on it. It has the power to encourage, strengthen and change us.

Dear Father God,

Give me revelation knowledge of Your word. Let it reveal to me my identity in Christ. Let it highlight areas in my life that need to mature. By your grace and by your Spirit enable me to change. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Faith is a Rest

Faith is not feverish striving

It is not wrestling a greased pig to the floor

It is not a forever war

Or a Mount Everest climb without a reprieve

Faith is a rest

The battle is won

Faith is a hammock in the shade

We rest on His promises to us.

In the midst of the storm

We can sleep

Trust in the Lord

And you will never be ashamed

Trust in Him and be freed from all fear

The Seed

The yellow seed once rested in the cob of corn

Surrounded by a leathery husk

Summer gave way to Autumn leaves

Soon the seed plummeted to the ground

Death overshadowed it

The cold air breathed over it

Then rain and sun took their turns

Death gave way to life

And the small seed sprouted

Over time the plant matured

It gave birth to two cobs

And multiple seeds then festooned both of them

Our faith is like a seed

We must die to ourselves

To bring forth a harvest

Are you ready to dive into the soil

To produce multiplied fruit

Obedience to and oneness with  the Master

Is the only way

Happy harvest

Our Great Refuge

Seasons come and seasons go.  Our lives can be humdrum or they can feel like rollercoasters on steroids. These past few weeks have been challenging to say the least.  For the past two-and-a-half years my Dad has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  The disease has been steadily progressing.  My wonderful and kind father has had the need for a caregiver for some time now. 

He has recently become more unstable on his feet.  After a few minor falls, we realized he needed a caregiver round-the-clock to help him.

Within days of this new change, we received a phone call.  Our caregiver said that my mom was seated on the foot of her bed and was acting unusual.  She could not speak normally but instead was babbling.  Lou, my wife, told my caregiver to call 911.

After arriving at the hospital, our suspicions were realized – my mom had had a stroke. The doctors performed several cat scans.  The results showed damage to the left hemisphere of her brain.  This meant that the right side of her body was affected.  It also meant that the part of the brain that controls speech and language were impacted.

Thankfully, my brother John was visiting from California at the time.  He was a big help.  He extended his flight a number of days to stay with mom and to be of assistance.

 

My wife has also been a gigantic blessing and support.  Since she practiced medicine in the Philippines, she has a great deal of medical knowledge.  And she has helped in numerous other ways.

I am so grateful she is in my life.

Lou and I asked for prayer from a number of people and we too called out to God for His assistance and healing presence.  The Lord has been a refuge for us in our time of need.  During my quiet time on the day my mom had her stroke, the Lord gave me Psalm 46 which starts out like this: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”  The Lord gave this to me before the event occurred (the date was December 29, 2018).

Mom has taken great strides in her recovery. She has been moved to a rehab hospital.   Her speech is fairly clear though she still struggles to say things at times.  She is walking with a walker and can go up a few stairs at a time.  She is scheduled to come home on January 18 and then will go to outpatient therapy.

We ordered a hospital bed for my Dad and it arrived today.  He seems to like it.  It has guard rails that keep him from falling.  He can no longer travel upstairs to his bedroom.

I am thankful to God for his unseen hand.  He has truly been at work.  We know He will continue to amaze us.  For those who have been praying for our family, we can’t thank you enough.  We feel the effect of your prayers.

 

This is a season in our lives where trouble seemed to have the upper hand but God showed us He is our great Refuge.

Jesus is bigger than our need. 

He is taller than our mountain,

And deeper than any sea.

He will help us when we call to Him

On bended knee.