Live the do-over!

This past weekend, was the biblical Feast of Trumpets or what Judaism calls, Rosh Hashanah. Voices shout and trumpets blast on the first day of the seventh month (Lev. 23:23-25).

The number seven is the number of completion; thus, on the first day when something is completed, something new begins. It’s the ultimate reset to learn from and leave the past in the past in order to let God change you in the future – a new beginning.

Jesus gives us the ultimate reset…every single day. On the cross He said, “It is finished.” Paul’s commentary on this is that Jesus died once for all (Romans 6:10).

Jesus’ one sacrifice was enough. Let that sink in. Despite ourselves, we are at peace with the Father today because of Jesus. Yesterday is forgiven.

When the past creeps up, shout out, “It is finished!” Hit the reset button in your head and blast away with thanksgiving that you can experience a new beginning.

Then go live a God provided do-over by loving Him through making better choices to follow Him today.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

They could have known when the Messiah/Christ would come riding on a donkey into Jerusalem (Daniel 9:25; Luke 19:28-42), when He would be killed (Daniel 9:26; Isaiah 53:8) and that He would die with criminals (Isaiah 53:9).

All they had to do was read their Scriptures.

We can know the events leading up to our Messiah’s/Christ’s return. For example, the technology where someone can’t “buy or sell” without following the party line and the will to use it is here (Revelation 13:17). Just ask the Canadian truckers and the person behind the WikiLeaks who couldn’t access their funds even though they were never convicted of a crime in a court of law!

All we have to do is read our Scriptures.

It’s not politics. It’s not government. It’s not the environment. It’s not inflation. It’s not the anti-God value system being taught in our public schools and higher forms of education.

Jesus has spoken about all of these in the Scriptures. He did this for a few of reasons. One, so we are not caught off guard by these events. And two, so our trust in them will deepen.

If God can write about tomorrow with such accuracy, we can certainly trust Him with our choices today.

My friend, now is the time to be in and to know the Word of God experientially. Do this to increase your love for Jesus with each choice, which only increases your peace no matter what comes next on the world’s historical timeline.

We might not be able to change the course of history; but, we can change the world one life at a time. It starts with yours. Be in and walk with the Word of God, Jesus. Others need your experiences with Jesus to help change their lives as well.

“Deny your weakness, and you will never realize God’s strength in you.” Joni Erickson Tada

I owned a landscaping and handyman business many years ago. I learned many tricks and accumulated various tools to get each job done.

Recently I had two relatively easy tasks to accomplish: change the sun visor in my car and the faucet in my kitchen. I watched a how-to-video on the first; and, had done the second many times before. Easy-peasy, right?

Wrong, quite wrong. After struggling with both, and in one case, making the situation worse (I’ll leave it to you to guess which one!), I came to the following realization.

I could continue to struggle and waste tremendous amounts of time and energy only to end up in the same place – needing to replace both the visor and the faucet; or, I could ask for help. I eventually asked for help.

The moment we become children of God through faith in what Jesus did for us, we are placed into a family – God’s. We now have brothers and sisters who struggle just like us on our journey to become more like Jesus.

Scripture states that if we share those struggles with someone else who will pray for and walk alongside us, we’ll see our lives changed. It’s like the saying goes, “A problem shared is a problem halved.”

This is NOT a sign of weakness, but of strength.

Want to become more like Jesus and taste the “good stuff” He promises when you do? Stop wasting time struggling alone! Help is good.

Be transparent with a fellow Jesus brother or sister. It makes you stronger.

“Don’t wait for things to get better. Tomorrow is not promised. You only have this moment. Take it.” Charles Schultz

There was a man who wanted to see his hospitalized grandmother, but wasn’t allowed in to see her. He didn’t let that stop him. He kept asking and seeking people to talk to until he was finally able to get to the right person who allowed the visit to take place.

You should have seen the look of joy on his grandmother’s face when he came walking through her hospital door.

This story made me think of Noah. Scripture says that he was told something was going to happen that he nor humanity had never experienced before. And yet he acted, today.

I’ll bet when those storm clouds starting rolling in, he too saw the look of joy on his kid’s faces!

If something is important enough, one does not stop trying just because the odds are long. Success is never guaranteed. But one thing is clear: If one does not try, failure is guaranteed.

Start today on what Jesus has asked you to do. Smiles will come, guaranteed.

“Courage is what it takes to speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” Winston Churchill

There is a great lesson in the following story.

“Mendel, a barber, was hard-pressed for money. His faith was finally stretched to its limit when he gave in and cut hair well into the Sabbath, as was his conviction not to work. He felt bad, but he didn’t know what else to do.

“His friend, Moshe, who worked across the street, who held the same conviction, saw Mendel cutting hair as he was closing up his tailor shop. He went and reported it to their rabbi, who then asked to talk with Mendel after the service.

“Mendel, I am fining you one case of candles for the synagogue for working on the Sabbath,” the rabbi said. He then turned to Moshe and said, “I’m fining you two cases of candles. And I’m fining myself, five cases.”

“But…why?” Moshe asked. “If you really cared about what Mendel was doing, you would have asked him why he was working and helped him in any way you could. And for myself, how did I not know he was in such dire straits?” At this, the rabbi broke down crying.”

It takes guts to tell the truth and even more guts to help someone live it. Scripture tells us that as we walk in community, we are not to be hit and run artists.

Instead, we are to tell each other the truth and then help each other live it out. This is what it means to be church – a group of people walking toward Jesus together.

It’s easy to post your opinions on social media. It is much harder to share them in person to the person who really needs to hear it and knows that you love them enough to carry their burden with them as you both progress in your love for and faith in Jesus.

This takes courage. It’s time for courageous people to know when to stand up and when to sit down.