Author: Tim

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An Ordinary Fella With an Extraordinary Legacy

The college I went to was more than four hours’ drive from where I lived. When I first showed up, I wasn’t familiar at all with the region surrounding the campus, which was out in the boondocks. I was fortunate enough to have a car during my freshman year, so once during some free time, and before I even figured out who any of my friends were going to be, I headed out for a drive.

The college was, truly, out in the middle of nowhere. Cornfields and forests surrounded the place. My natural inclination was to become familiar with the town that would have the nearest movie theater, Walmart, and a couple of cheapish restaurants to choose from. I figured out how to get there and headed in that direction.

While I was driving around the place, my car stopped working. I don’t remember what the problem was, but I think the clutch fell apart, so I couldn’t shift gears. This wasn’t a problem I could limp back to campus with; I couldn’t drive the thing at all anymore.

Now, this was way back in the dark ages when I didn’t have a cell phone or a GPS. I ended up calling home from a pay phone somewhere (remember those?) and getting some advice. Fortunately my folks had set me up with a Triple A membership before I headed out to school, so I was able to get linked up with a tow truck that came and found me and drove my car and I back to school.

That solved the immediate problem, but I didn’t know what to do next as far as fixing the car. College wasn’t cheap, and neither were mechanics. I hated dealing with garages and auto shops because I knew so little about car maintenance that they could be ripping me off and I’d have no idea. My parents got in touch with the parents of someone who had just recently graduated from the same school, and asked if their son had ever dealt with car issues at school. They recommended I get in touch with a man named Bob that worked in the college’s maintenance department.

I looked him up, and it turns out that his wife Martha worked in an administrative position in the science building, and she had signed for many packages I delivered during one of the work/study jobs I wrote about previously. I told him about my problem, and he was open to taking a look. He was a super nice guy and helped put me at ease. I told him the make, model, and location of my car, gave him the key, and he went to survey the damage.

Bob somehow got my car into the workshop and fixed it for me with no fuss. When I met up with him to settle the bill, I was mentally preparing myself not to flinch when I heard the number. It was very low, though. It turns out that this sweet, white-haired, soft-spoken man, probably in his early 60s, only charged me for the cost of the parts, and he fixed my car without charging me anything for the effort he put into it. I was incredibly grateful, because money definitely was not plentiful, but I had to do something for him. He wouldn’t take additional money, so I went to the store and bought a bag of candy for him. When I gave it to him and told him to have a great day, he gave me a big smile and said “can’t help that now.”

I don’t think I ever interacted with Bob again during the rest of my time at school, but just recently I received an alumni magazine in the mail. It’s interesting to look in the sections that give alumni news by graduation year. I like looking to see things like who got married, who had kids, who had some kind of notable career development. There’s also the dreaded “in memoriam” page that lists fellow alumni that have passed away. As I perused the pages, I was startled to find that both Bob and his wife Martha passed away this past fall, just over a month apart from each other.

Bob was a special guy. I have no idea how many students he helped during the course of working at the college. The poet Maya Angelou had a quote that said something like “at the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they’ll remember how you made them feel.” I believe that through Bob, God made me feel as though He were saying “look, don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

I’ve written before about sweet, ordinary people that God has used in my life during a time of great need. The sad news I received from this magazine reminds me to pass along some encouragement to you. You might not feel like you have anything special to offer to God’s service…you may not be well known, and you may only have limited means…but if you’re faithful in your pursuit of Christ and in the employment of the gifts He’s entrusted to you, rest assured that He will use you for good in the lives of others.

Lord, I thank you for Bob and Martha, the lives they lived, and the legacy they left. Thank you personally for the way Bob blessed me, and please use this example from his life as a way of blessing, encouraging, and even spurring others on as they live for You. Please give the two of them a hug for me, and let them know that they’re still affecting people down here for the better. Amen.

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You Just Don’t Know the Third Option

Sometimes you think you have all the eventualities gamed out. Then something comes along and blows you away.

It’s hard to read the Bible and not get annoyed with how quickly the Israelites forgot about God’s provision for them. Israel is the nation God holds dear. After repeated bouts of stubbornness against Him, God finally had enough of the Israelites and had the people carried off as captives to foreign lands. At some future date, though, He’ll bring them back and use them to carry His message of salvation throughout the globe in the End Times.

It’s a lofty mission, and a tremendous honor for a nation that has repeatedly demonstrated their unworthiness. In that day the future Israelites will fulfill the mission God assigned to them long ago. Nobody knows what events will transpire in order to enable that remarkable eventuality to take place. Yet thousands of years ago this same group of people was perfectly willing to settle for a much lowlier lot in life, and we’d do well to learn from their story.

In Exodus chapter 14 we read about when Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt, and they were camped against the Red Sea when they learned Pharaoh and his army were pursuing them.

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” – Ex 14:10-12

You and I know, thousands of years later, how the story turned out, and we scoff at their unbelief. For just a moment, imagine being in that camp and shaking with fear at what you saw. “It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” I see why they thought that, but they could only imagine two scenarios…remain as slaves but having their needs met, and dying as a free people in the desert. They discounted the possibility of a third option. In this case God came through big time for His people, by using a way nobody saw coming.

What can we learn from this? How can we be encouraged by this story when we’re trying to muster the courage or the resolve to take the next step (or maybe the first step) on an endeavor to which we feel God has called us? When you find yourself thinking “Do I march out on this thing, probably into failure or ridicule, or do I stay in my comfort zone, where at least it’s not so bad?” remember that God doesn’t get boxed into situations where there are only two choices. The third option just might be Him saying “If you do this, I’m going to reward your faithfulness in a way you can’t even imagine.”

God has a life of adventure and reward waiting for you if you seek His will and follow His leading. I do, however, feel compelled to give a warning along with this post. If you choose to reject the calling God has for you…that is, if you’d rather live the life that takes no leaps of faith but at least you won’t have to do anything crazy, a life of Christian lukewarmth, do you know what will happen? In most cases, God will let you do exactly that.

God, I know You have two stories for my life…the one I’ll actually live, and the one I would live if I accept each of the invitations You’re going to offer me during this lifetime. It can be scary and uncertain, but help me to make the two as similar as possible. Amen

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Quick Hit #2

This past weekend I watched a movie where two men were being held captive by terrorists and forced to build something their captors wanted.

One of them, bemoaning his situation and ailing from a medical condition, complained to his fellow captive “They could kill you, they’re gonna kill me either way, and even if they don’t, I’ll probably be dead in a week.”

His companion, looking at the situation through a different lens, replied “well then this is a very important week for you, isn’t it?”

None of us knows exactly how much time we have left; it could be minutes, decades, or anywhere in between. The time we have here on earth is the only time that “counts” for making an eternal difference. Once we close our eyes for the last time and take our last breath here in this life, we’ll no longer be able to help save souls or build God’s Kingdom. The attitude we should have as Christians is “well then, the rest of this lifetime is very important, isn’t it?”

Are we making the most of the opportunities we have?

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Quick Hit #1

While there’s a time and a place for wordy posts, sometimes less is more. There’s even a Bible verse about that. Ecclesiastes 6:11 says The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone?

With that in mind, I introduce to you a style of post I’m calling “The Quick Hit.” Here’s the first one:

Did you know that the more time you spend in prayer and in meditating on the Bible, the more you become like Christ?

The more you become like Christ, the more your desires align to His will.

The more your desires align to His will, the more likely your life’s efforts and plans will be fruitful.

This helps explain the meaning behind Proverbs 16:3: Commit your works to the LORD, and your thoughts will be established.

What else needs to be said?

Lord, help me be patient but persistent in becoming more like You. Break my heart for what breaks Yours, and help me rejoice in what makes You rejoice. Help me go where You send me.

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Back to Basics: God Can Use You

Since my last post my family and I got to travel to see some relatives we haven’t seen in a long time, and even met someone that joined the family since I last saw them. It was a trip that involved a lot of driving and covered hundreds of miles, but it was wonderful to celebrate some milestone birthdays with loved ones.

We piled into the minivan in Northern Virginia, and over the course of several days drove up to Connecticut and back. The kids have never been that far north before, and it was a great reunion full of laughs and new memories. We celebrated the birthdays of my twin aunt and uncle, along with my mom.

During the trip we attended my uncle’s long-time church. It’s always interesting to go somewhere new and hear a pastor you’re not accustomed to hearing. His message was titled “God Can Use You.”

Regular readers of this blog know that one of my main goals behind my posts is encouraging you to embrace the calling God has for your life, and use the talents and resources He’s made accessible to you so that you can bring glory to Him. Hearing this pastor’s message reminded me that some people struggle with believing that “God Can Use You.” If you wrestle with that notion, I want to spur you on today: He can do amazing things with your life through your obedience to Him.

Over the course of this trip, we spent a lot of time sitting in traffic. On multiple occasions accidents caused two lanes of traffic to merge down to one, other times spring construction led to delays and backups, and sometimes the rain made us all slow down. My passengers were very patient and hung in there like champs. During one of our times stuck in a crawl, I looked over to my left and saw a bright orange Lamborghini creeping along in the traffic going the opposite direction.

Can you imagine? What a waste that was! Here’s a machine that’s built for speed, for curvy roads, for all-around high performance. Yet here it was, far from fulfilling its potential. It’s a perfect illustration of what life is like when you’re a Christian that doesn’t buy into the idea that God can use you to do something big. It’s untapped capability.

Maybe it’s something you’ve felt before, but fought. Maybe you know what God would have you do, but you fear the unknown. Don’t give in to the idea that you’re not (insert your favorite adjective) enough for God to use your life to make the world or His kingdom better. If, one day, you stand before the Almighty, and He asks you the question “what have you done with the tools I entrusted to you?,” do you want the traffic-bound Lamborghini to be the mental image that sums up your life?

Lord, Your version of success and the world’s version of success are two very different things. Grant me the insight to know what You’d have me do, the resources to do it, and the boldness to leave my comfort zone in order to take the next step. Amen

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She Loves You HOW Much?!

Today is my fifteenth wedding anniversary.

My wife is a special lady. Let me tell you a little bit about what she got herself into when she got married.

At the time, I worked 12-hour shifts in the Air Force, most of the time working overnight. My wife left her home in Ohio, surrounded by friends and family, and traveled to a place in Virginia where the only person she knew was her new husband, and he was often gone overnight or sleeping during the day.

When I lived in the dorms prior to getting married, I didn’t have internet in my room. I had cable TV, but that didn’t translate into always having worthwhile entertainment. I’ve mentioned previously that as a kid I enjoyed watching professional wrestling (WWF/WWE), and when I lived solo in the dorms, I found myself getting back into it, especially when I was wide awake and there was nothing else on at 3 in the morning on my days off.

So when my wife got married, she was marrying a guy who had been watching this stuff for awhile. She dutifully watched this junk along with me, having never seen it before, learning the different characters and storylines as we went.

Photo courtesy of World Wrestling Entertainment

Then we found out the show was coming to our town. We had a big convention center nearby, and a bunch of these characters were going to be performing right there in our town, 15 minutes away. Of course, we had to try to go! The only problem was that we didn’t have a whole lot of spare cash for something like that.

On the evening of the performance we showed up at the ticket office, not quite sure what we’d be dealing with. If they were sold out, well, that would be that. If stuff was too expensive, we’d forget it. We had to at least try, though! (You can probably guess which one of us was driving this train.)

As we looked around for the right place to purchase tickets, there was a guy standing nearby that noticed us. He came walking over to us, and he had on a shirt with the logo of the television network that carried the show. He asked if we’d be interested in a couple of free tickets to see the show that night. It turns out they weren’t the best seats, but his network didn’t want the TV cameras to see any empty seats. We (well, at least I) were/was happy to accept!

We went and found our seats, which were next to two very large guys that didn’t smell great and seemed to enjoy head-banging to the entrance music for certain wrestlers. I don’t remember much of what took place that night, other than a bunch of pumped up dudes talking trash and beating each other up. You know what though? It was fun to do once. I wasn’t intentionally testing her, but my wife demonstrated through her actions that she loved me enough to join me in doing the weird stuff I cared about.

We haven’t been back to see any more WWE events, but we HAVE had three kids, so there’s been plenty more experience with self-centered personalities and manufactured drama.

Babe, it’s just…easy…being married to you. I love you, I’m thankful for you, and I’m very glad God blessed me with someone that loves me even when I’m, well, me. Having a good marriage enables us both to lean forward into some of the other stuff God has for us, and I couldn’t do it without you. Thanks for everything over these past 15 years!

By the way, I’m looking online at tickets to Wrestlemania 38 this coming April…it’s kind of steep, but I think the kids will be at a great age to go see a show!

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34 Bible Verses About White Privilege

There’s been a lot of talk about “White Privilege” lately. It’s a controversial topic that seems to be gaining traction, even at major corporations. For those that are unfamiliar with the term, the basic premise is that on average, white folks have advantages in life (either subtle or obvious) that non-white folks do not have. Many definitions say that it’s a product of years of white-imposed racism.

To me, it sounds suspiciously like we’re being led to a place where it will become acceptable to start concluding “the only fair way to proceed from here is to implement Communist policies, where everyone is treated the same.” If you start hearing that, push back hard. There is NO political system that’s been responsible for more human suffering than Communism. If that’s the route things are going, the effect would be to reduce (not end) racism by making everyone miserable, but would come at the cost of intensified class warfare, denunciation or banishment of all political beliefs other than a standardized core of them, and a government takeover of most, if not all, private property.

Still, it’s an interesting thought prompt. If I had been born to the exact same parents, lived in the exact same house, and my parents had the exact same employment situation, but all of us were Asian or Hispanic instead of white, how would things be different?

The answer, of course, is impossible to know. Things would be different I’m sure, but I have no idea how or to what extent. At the end of the day, God made me the way I am, and I’m not about to start arguing with Him about it, so in my view it’s unrealistic for anyone to expect me to be sorry about it. Since He doesn’t make mistakes, the only thing about me I’m ashamed of is my sinful nature, and the cross took care of that for me.

The Bible actually speaks quite a bit about how to obtain privilege, but it uses another term. I’m sure you’ve heard it used many times before. We often hear athletes, the well-to-do, various experts, and people that live joyful lives say that they’ve been blessed. Those various blessings are privileges that not everyone possesses.

There are a ton of Bible verses about people being blessed. In this context, it usually means that God, in some way, rewards an obedient follower by bringing something positive to their life that wasn’t there before. With the exception of Solomon, we don’t normally get to pick what our blessings looks like (he chose wisdom). Sometimes it means wealth, but more often it’s something less tangible. It’s a blessing to have enough to eat every day. It’s a blessing to have a clear conscience and sleep well at night, or to have a peaceful home. Contentment is a huge blessing. Some people take their good health for granted, but it’s definitely something you miss if it’s taken away. Effective medical treatment, a steady job, a happy heart, a pregnancy after a struggle with infertility, running water, air conditioning…they’re all various types of blessings!

According to the Bible, there are numerous routes to receive blessings in your life. It’s no secret; it’s out there for anyone to read. I’ll give you a bunch right here. These actions usually come with consistent Christian living, and manifest themselves naturally when actively living that lifestyle. We’ll probably someday hear “Christian Privilege” used in a negative context meant to help marginalize Christian values, so I’ll refer positively to it instead as “Christ-Follower Privilege.” It’s available to everyone, regardless of skin color, and without reservation I encourage everyone reading this to pursue it. If you choose not to, well, okay, that’s your choice, but I think you’re giving up some great opportunities.

The name of this post was misleading; it should be “34 Bible Verses To Help Any Ethnicity Gain Privilege.” Notice that none of these verses mention anything about race, meaning they’re applicable to anyone. Without further ado, here they are:

Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. Psalm 119:2

But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8

Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord. Proverbs 16:20

How abundant are the good things that you have stored up for those who fear you, that you bestow in the sight of all, on those who take refuge in you. Psalm 31:19

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” Malachi 3:10

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Matthew 5:9

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21

The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. Proverbs 10:22

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. Psalm 1:1

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Joshua 1:8

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:11

I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

Observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go. 1 Kings 2:3

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12

“If you do not listen, and if you do not resolve to honor my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse on you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.” Malachi 2:2

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. James 1:25

Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Luke 6:22

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Psalm 32:1

Blessed is the one whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. Job 5:17

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11

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Empty’s Never Felt So Full

This weekend is Mother’s Day. Gents and kids, if you haven’t made plans yet, the clock’s ticking.

Moms are special. Not only did I have a mom as I was growing up, but I’m also married to a mom of three kids.

Don’t get me wrong, dads are special too, but c’mon, when a kid needs comfort, Dad’s not the one they go looking for (at least in my experience). I’ve had at least one of my kids, crying, walk up to me when they’re hurt and ask where Mommy is. One night while Mommy was away overnight, my oldest came into our room after having a bad dream. Upon remembering that Mommy wasn’t there, she stopped to think about whether it was even worth waking me up. If Daddy’s the one that says “walk it off” or “rub some dirt on it,” Mommy’s the one that gets down on her knees, wipes away the tears, and knows how to make it all better.

Many times when we think of the character of God, we think of things that we normally associate with males. What we sometimes forget though, is that Adam and Eve were both patterned after God.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them ‘Mankind’ when they were created. –Genesis 5:1-2

This may come as a shock, but males and females are different from one another. Even so, the traits God possesses are manifested in the two genders He made as described in Genesis.

Now obviously you can’t divide these traits into strictly “male” or “female” characteristics. The noblest attributes any of us display are merely a reflection, a result of God’s creating us in His image. That includes fairness, unselfishness, patience, righteous anger, compassion, tenderness, a comforter, and a sense of justice, among others.

To the moms in my life, I’ve seen you display many, if not all of these traits. I’m thankful God made you either with the attributes already built in or with the ability to learn them. Thank you for being godly examples.

I’m including a song that describes the kind of love a mom often displays (especially new moms), but it’s not a song you’d normally associate with Mother’s Day. “Poured out, used up, still givin’, stretching me out to the end of my limits…this is what love feels like.”

For all the moms out there, thank you for your constant love and support, thank you for being there, and thank you for believing in us.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

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When Actions are Dictated by What You Have on Hand

You may have an idea for how you’d like to execute a plan, but sometimes your resources dictate your strategy.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

In college a buddy of mine, Rich, and I both had paintball guns, ammo, and masks. The nearest paintball place was…I don’t know…forever away, and I’m sure it wasn’t cheap. Our school was situated in a pretty rural setting, and this was a generation ago, so stuff we could get away with back then probably wouldn’t fly today. The two of us figured “hey, there are acres of forest nearby, how about we do some one-on-one out in the woods?”

We were both game, so we went out to the woods one day with our paintball gear. We agreed on the boundaries, set up a time limit, and discussed some other rules. I had my Walmart special…a cheapo pump-action paintball gun that came with a 10-round tube and a mini CO2 cylinder that fit inside the handle. I don’t know where Rich got his, but I know it was a semi-automatic paintball gun with a hopper that held about 200 rounds and a CO2 canister that was just about as big as the hopper.

He could probably spray about a dozen paintballs in the time it took me to fire off two. The ratio was even worse if I wanted to shoot with accuracy. If I got into a firefight with Rich, he’d obliterate me. I’d be pink or yellow for a week. The only way I could win was if I somehow got the drop on him, but I needed a strategy.

Since the tools at my disposal didn’t give me a lot of offensive horsepower, I decided I’d find a good ambush spot and try to make my first shot be the only shot I’d need. Once we split up and headed into the woods, I took off running along one of the trails, looking for a spot that suited my needs. I forget the exact measure that we agreed on, but we were able to go up to five or 10 steps off the trail on either side. I found a spot that gave me a decent field of fire and was far enough off the trail that he shouldn’t spot me right away.

I pushed a bunch of leaves into a pile and then sort of crawled under them, spreading them out over me as best I could. The idea was to stay hidden so he’d get close enough for me to take my shot. Once I got my camouflage set up, I chambered a round, turned off the safety, and waited.

It’s funny how nerve-wracking waiting can be. Trying to lay silently under a pile of leaves doesn’t really work for a significant length of time, and any noise you make seems like it gets amplified. You don’t have the same quality of vision wearing a clunky mask, and it starts to get fogged up as you get hot.

Eventually Rich came into view, patrolling the trail. He was locked, loaded and on high alert, ready to grease anything that moved. As he approached, it looked like he was going to get close to me without noticing my position. I tracked him with the gun, lining up my shot as my finger tightened on the trigger. I went for it. I took the shot, hoping to end the game with one trigger pull.

I missed.

The shot gave away my position and Rich unleashed paint fury as he ran out of the kill zone. It all happened so fast I didn’t even try to load another round as Rich’s suppressing fire rained down paintballs all through the area I was hiding in. Then, he was gone. I blew my only chance. It turns out that aside from about 10 seconds, this wasn’t a very exciting paintball match. Time soon ran out and we were both still alive; it was a draw.

The thing is, though, I don’t see how I could’ve obtained a better outcome. My circumstances dictated that no matter how aggressive I wanted to be, I had to choose a path that considered the resources at my disposal and gave me greater odds of success.

The same may hold true for you in your Christian walk. After Christ gets hold of you, He usually has some things He wants you to accomplish in your life. It may be as simple as forgiving someone you feel has wronged you. For Saul (later Paul), the plan after his salvation was to be a missionary and church planter. For us, reading the Bible almost 2,000 years later, we say “well, yeah, it’s Paul…being a missionary and planting churches is what he did.” Sure, but there was a time when that plan wasn’t so clear. Paul didn’t know right away that he was going to make four missionary trips, get shipwrecked three or four times, get bitten by a poisonous snake, receive 39 lashes on five different occasions, endure an earthquake in prison, and be stoned and left for dead. By the time he died, he had survived all of those things, but before he even encountered the first one of them, he had to start somewhere.

Maybe you’ll one day be a giant of the faith. Maybe you already are. Here’s the thing though: God sometimes limits your resources, or removes opportunities from your life so He can steer you toward something you wouldn’t have otherwise chosen. We usually think of it as something bad, but it’s more like a divine course correction.

All that to say…if you’ve been looking for a way to serve God but aren’t quite sure how to get started, consider this question instead: taking into account the time, skills, and other resources at your disposal, what CAN you do? The fewer the options, the clearer the choice.

Lord, I know in my head You have a plan for my life and You want me to use the tools I have to bring You glory. Help me to see the direction I should go, what I should do, and how You want me to get started. Please also help me to realize and accept that even if I don’t get it exactly right, I’m not going to ruin Your plans. Amen

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A Whole Bunch of People Straight up Vanished – What Just Happened?!

This week’s post isn’t geared so much toward my regular readers as it is the people that have just witnessed an astonishing event, and who are absolutely freaking out right now. If a sizable portion of the human race has just flat out disappeared without a trace, and you’re still here, this post is meant for you.

Right off the bat, I can offer you hope, but it’s going to come with a hard dose of reality. I’m breaking this into two sections: what happened, and what you need to do now. You’re going to think what I’m saying is crazy, but crazy just became your new norm, friend, and the things I touch on can help you start to understand this new reality.

So what happened? I can’t put a number on it, but a ton of people around the whole world just up and disappeared, right in the middle of everyday life. Cars driving down the road suddenly had no drivers, and airplanes lost their pilots, which caused additional chaos, I’m sure. Despite what’s being reported, it wasn’t aliens and it wasn’t some weird new disease. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the people that disappeared are Christians. That is, they believed and trusted in Jesus Christ. Sure, there are still some church-goers and religious people that didn’t disappear. Ask them why others are gone but they’re still here. If they can’t seem to articulate their thoughts, ask them about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Not their head knowledge, as in their knowledge of or about God, or the money they give or the things they do for the church; ask them about their relational/experiential knowledge…the relationship they have with God. Odds are that they didn’t have a meaningful one.

Here’s the quick and dirty: after Jesus left, the Church (capital “C”) started. Throughout the Bible’s New Testament, the Church is described as the thing preserving the world (the “salt and light”). The Church is what perpetuates society’s collective morality. Yeah, things progressively get less and less like the way God wanted humanity to act. Churches give in, get “woke,” and endorse things that God himself would not endorse. Morality becomes less black and white and becomes increasingly gray. There are some churches and some folks that stand up and try to point the way back to Biblical morality, but over time those voices get drowned out, silenced, or labeled “hateful.”

Eventually (this is the part you’ve witnessed), God says “That’s enough; the evil is too much. I don’t want it to corrupt my people any further, so I’m pulling them out of there.” I don’t know when He’s going to do it, but I know that none of the people who disappeared are perfect; they just chose to love Jesus and trust Him as their savior and are now with Him in Heaven.

So where does that leave you? Well, you’re heading for some very rough waters. As it turns out, the Church was the speed bump that slowed down the moral degeneration of the human race. Now that it’s gone, there’s nothing holding back society’s decay. It’s like defunding the police and trusting that everyone will just get along and live happily together without problems. Things are about to get more insane and deadly than you imagined could ever happen.

If it hasn’t already happened, there’s a guy about to come on the scene that’s the most articulate politician/leader you’ve ever seen. He’s going to seem like he’s got all the answers and people will thrust him to global leadership. It’s a meteoric rise. The Bible calls this man the Antichrist. Circumstances will be such that you are encouraged (and maybe in some cases forced) to worship him. He’s empowered by satanic forces and will be able to do amazing supernatural things, and will perform counterfeit versions of the actual miracles Jesus performed.

Very quickly, here are some other things that will happen: Crazy, unexplainable signs in the sky…sun, moon, sky, and stars will all act strangely (Revelation chapter 6, verses 12-14, along with Rev 8:12). Imagine peace in the Middle East. This guy will orchestrate a 7-year treaty with Israel that brings peace to the region. Halfway through, though, he’s going to break it for his own benefit, desecrating Jewish holy sites in the process (Daniel 9:27, although there’s a lot more reading to do in order to grasp this meaning). Also, you’ll be unable to buy or sell or otherwise conduct normal business without receiving a mark on your hand or forehead. I don’t know if it’s going to look like a bar code, a QR code, or something else, but odds are it will somehow have the number “666” associated with it. (Rev. 13:16-18) Additionally, even aside from the disappearances, there’s going to be widespread death on a massive scale (Rev 6:7-8). Interestingly, there are going to be two guys that show up in Jerusalem that, for three and a half years speak out against the way folks are living and the way the world is conducting itself, pointing the way to Jesus Christ. People are going to hate hearing the truths these two guys are spreading, and will even try to kill them in order to silence them. During this time, these two will be invincible, but at the end the Antichrist himself will kill them both and their bodies will be left in the street as people celebrate their death by giving gifts to one another. Three and a half days later, however, both men will come back to life in full view of everyone. God then calls them to Heaven, and the two men will leave after that. (Rev. 11:3-12)

Look there’s a whole lot that happens, and I just don’t have the space to go into it all. Here’s what you need to do:

  • Accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. You’re not perfect, but you don’t have to be. I realize that “accepting Christ as your Savior” sounds kind of wonky for someone who’s not accustomed to “churchy” language, so I’ll say it differently. Talk to God; pray this prayer: “Dear God, I need you. I’m humbly calling out to you. I’m tired of doing things my way; help me to start doing things your way. I invite you into my life to be my Lord and Savior; fill the emptiness in me with your Holy Spirit and make me whole. Lord help me to trust you, help me to love you, help me to live for you. Help me to understand your grace, your mercy, and your peace. Help me have the strength for what lies ahead. Thank you Lord, Amen.”
  • If it hasn’t already, it’s probably about to become illegal to possess a Bible. You’re going to need one, though, along with a place to stash it. The Bible is a very complex book, with lots of stuff that you’re probably not going to care about (so many lineages!), and you’ll need help understanding it. There are lots of different translations of the Bible, but the most important thing for you is to get one that you can follow and that is an actual translation (not paraphrased). If it says that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, you’re probably on the right track. If you’ve never read the Bible before, start out in the New Testament. If you’re new to this, start with Matthew. (The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are in the same group of books, and they cover a lot of the same material. Don’t read all four and wonder why they killed Jesus four times!) Some of the books of the Bible that will pertain the most to you (Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel) are also some of the most difficult to understand, so it’s best to get either a study bible (with notes) or separate commentaries that can help provide explanations of what the text is saying. At this point you’re living in a time that’s past civility, so I’ll say this and you take it however you’d like: the homes and bookshelves of the people who disappeared are your best shot at obtaining the biblical resources that can help you the most, and those folks sure don’t need those resources anymore.
  • The Bible is your single best source for learning what you need to learn, but it can be very hard to understand. For a lot of people, sermons from pastors/priests or additional Bible study materials will help increase understanding of biblical scripture’s application. If you can obtain those resources, do it.
  • Find others like you. God empowers His followers with special talents called “spiritual gifts.” They could be things like teaching, faith, leadership, administration, or the gift of helps (this isn’t an exhaustive list). If you accept Christ, you’ll gain something that you can use to help other Christ-followers, and others will likewise be able to help you. The Bible says that wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He’s there (Matthew 18:20). Take comfort in that, help each other learn about Christ, and help each other survive. You would not believe what God can do when He wants to get something done, and you may very well see it up close.

There are very hard times ahead. You will personally understand desperation in a way I can only vaguely imagine in April of 2021. My hope is that this post will float around online long enough to reach the people that need it, starting to orient you in a time of unprecedented chaos.

I’m not out to con you. I can guarantee that I have nothing to gain by passing this information along. In fact, if I’m right about all this, I’m already gone. You, on the other hand, have everything to gain!

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:17-18