“For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.” – Jesus

I recently returned from a country where I saw and heard of unfathomable pain and suffering. Story after story broke my heart about what humans can do to fellow humans.

After just a few days of arriving home, I was up to teach at the “Sunday Service” where I am one of the pastors. I was asked, “How are you doing?” Truth? I was extremely angry. But, would I tell them the truth or just say what they might expect from a pastor, “I’m good. Thanks for asking.”

I wasn’t though; and, I knew it. I had a faith choice to make at that moment. These people love me. And for years, we’ve shared the same journey to love and become more like Jesus with each choice we make.

These people were praying for me while I was on that trip. Thus, I told the truth, “Nope, I’ve got a lot of head noise at the moment.” In fact, during the message, I even said, “I’m working through some anger.”

I knew they could handle the truth because we practice being church. This group of people/church were just as concerned as I was. And, they had my back in prayer! Ohhh yeah, there were times I really felt it too.

It’s been said, “You can travel faster alone, but farther together.” It’s not an easy journey to follow Jesus on this planet, especially in the days in which we find ourselves. I pray you have a group of people like I do that you can be church.

And if you don’t, start taking responsibility for your choices – staying away from being church and making excuses for why you are running fast, but alone. Learn to forgive and then go find others with whom you can travel farther and closer to Jesus. You need them!

The reality of this world only backs up the truth of Scripture.

Life is not always fair or just. And at times, it seems that evil downright wins. Yet, for the believer in Jesus, we know that whoever appears to be winning at the moment, Jesus wins in the end, which brings hope.

The story of a woman who lost everything, literally, is rooted in this hope. Her home was completely destroyed by her country’s enemies. All she could take were the few belongings she could fit into her car. Months later, she still didn’t know where she would set down roots.

Despite all this, however, she continued to help others work through their current and past losses to keep going forward in life. She quite literally, at times, had to drag people out of bed because of their lack of hope!

How in the world did she do it? In her own words, “I didn’t let anyone take my spirit, my values, who I am.” Her enemies could touch her physical items, but not her, her soul.

She learned this lesson from her grandfather, who also lost much due to war. In his case, it was not only physical items, but also 27 family members. He told his granddaughter that he could either focus on the past and stay stuck in anger, which would slowly eat him up from within robbing him of his soul.

Or, he could focus on his values, the man he was and wanted to be to give him hope for the future. He chose the latter option and built a great life for himself and his new family.  

Because he did, he passed on this valuable life lesson to his granddaughter – your enemy may seem to be winning in the present, but don’t let them win in the end. This is a choice. You can focus on past loss or the hope Jesus brings.

Life can indeed stink, big time. But you become what you focus on and what you focus on only gets bigger. Will you focus on your past hurts, past mistakes, past injustices, past loses, etc.?

Or, you will you focus on who the Father is creating within you – Jesus Himself, the only thing you can take with you into the next phase of life, tomorrow and heaven, which others can’t take from you?

It’s time for faith choices. Focus on your future in Christ.

The gran dream is to live the life the Father has for you.

I recently heard the story of a person who lost their leg below their knee in war. This person was still having shrapnel removed from various body parts, which was causing them pain; and yet, they had a great attitude about their future. This person smiles and laughs as they tell their story of pursuing their life ahead.

This attitude came from a singer, who auditioned for one of the many TV talent shows. Though he didn’t have to, after hearing that his country was at war, he returned home where he was killed in the defense of his country.

Before returning he wrote, “I imagined this year differently, a year of ambitions and fulfilling dreams. Now I am living an old dream to fight for the country … a new dream and another will have to wait a little.” The afore person caught fire with this statement. They still had a reason for living, though different than maybe they envisioned.

What a life lesson for us all! We can focus on the pain of living or the purpose of life the Father has for us (the “good work” [Eph. 2:10] of making disciples [Matt. 28:18-20]). Are we pursing our dreams or His? One drags us down, while the other pushes us forward and upward.

Pain, however, will be part of this process, no matter who you are or where you live. Walking with your Father in the pursuit of His purpose will keep you going forward despite the pain.

We all have dreams of what we think life should be. Living God’s dream for your life, no matter the personal cost, will bring greater meaning to and fulfillment of life today, tomorrow and into eternity.

Jesus knew the art of living the Father’s dream. He kept moving toward and through the purpose the Father had given Him – the cross, the suffering/pain. Yet, He experienced then and now the sense of fulfillment and accomplishment of God’s purpose for His life – the resurrection, the basis of our hope.

Follow Jesus in living the dream.

The God of the universe lives inside and is walking with you!

The immense God, which the universe is too small to contain, lives inside you. The Father, the Son and the Spirit dwell within you because of your faith in what Jesus did.

Let’s put the importance of that in perspective. There is an entire book that talks about this very thing, Exodus. Chapters 1-24 are about God taking a people/a nation, not just individuals, for His own. He gets this nation out of slavery. Fights their battles. And, provides their creature comforts despite their constant ungratefulness.

A dating life that probably should have ended for lack of mutual desire, God brings them to Mt. Sinai. He writes up a marriage contract between Himself and this nation, which is signed in blood. And wouldn’t you know it, the nation promptly commits adultery while the ink is still wet (32-34)!

What He does next is incredible. He makes plans to build a life with them! Exodus 25-31 speaks of the blueprints for a home that the Israelites in Exodus 35-39 used to build a dream home. Then in Exodus 40, God moves into that home to live among and walk with Israel, just as a husband and wife would do.

God has those same designs for us. Our flesh is His Temple, 2 Cor. 6:16, where He lives in and wants to walk with us. Therefore, life should be one gran adventure after another with this immense God living inside us.

Like Israel, we don’t deserve this gran adventure because of our ungratefulness. He has given everyday life, however, meaning and purpose like never before. We get to walk with this faithful God every single day.

This doesn’t mean life will not be without its aches and pains. We know, though, these stretching pains are an opportunity to experience our God just like the nation of Israel.

How we view each day is crucial to our peace of mind and heart. Is it just another day to get up, go to work, complain about the day and then go to bed? Or is each day another opportunity to walk with our God, in maybe new ways?

Check your perspective. Life is indeed a gran adventure if you are looking for one.

Faith is not asking God to stop the storm. It’s trusting Him to get you through it.

I remember my brother and I playing darts as kids. After hanging the dart board on a gate, he stepped back to throw while I stepped to the side.

Well, wouldn’t you know it. As I looked at the board, he planted one square in the side of my head above my ear! No blood. No foul where we came from. I should have been behind him or at least looking at him so I could have moved out of the way!

We have an enemy who loves to throw darts at us, the thoughts that seemingly come out of nowhere from without. And guess what those flaming darts are? Lies, as Satan is the father of lies and can say nothing but lies. Though some, at times, sound pretty believable!

How we defeat them is ingenious on God’s part – the shield of faith. Notice it is the shield (Eph. 6:16) that puts out the flames, not the person’s head! Yet, for them to be put out, they must hit the shield. This means the believer must be on the lookout for them to know where to put their shield.

This takes faith. Faith in the Spirit to give you the truths needed to win the battle. Faith to actually listen for them. And then faith to actually use them in a real-life battle for your mind and heart.

This is where the rubber meets the road. You can say you believe the Bible, but it’s not faith until you actually use them when attacked. Your belief is weak at best or useless at most until you use those truths in action.

Your enemy will use all kinds of lies to destroy your life. But you have to know where to put your shield. This way the truth of Jesus can douse those flames leaving you unscathed and victorious.

The days are coming when our faith will be tested. Hopefully, we will be the last ones standing victoriously. Start winning now!