Tag Archives: trust

Double Birthday, Again!?!?

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Yes! It is my birthday again! Not really but I did celebrate my 50th like I have never done before. Click here to read last week’s post. It will all make more sense.

On Sunday this past weekend, I crossed off a bucket list item. I jumped out of an airplane!

This picture is not me but that is precisely what I did a few days ago!

So…how do I transition to the Day of Atonement after talking about skydiving?

I will just jump right in.

As I stated last week, the second of my birthdays involve the Day of Atonement.

In the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus details the sacrificial system set up for the Israelites.

I will try and summarize this for you.

When God created Adam and Eve, there was a perfect relationship between God and man.

Adam and Eve broke that relationship when they ate the forbidden fruit.

Since that time, yes, all the way up to now, that relationship has not yet been mended.

God desperately wants the relationship to be restored.

He also wants us to desire that perfect relationship as well.

He provided a sacrificial system in the Old Testament that foreshadowed a relationship that has been restored to perfection.

When we get to the New Testament, Jesus was sent to earth as a baby. We could now identify with God.

After Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, he departed this world and returned to heaven.

The Holy Spirit then replaced Jesus as the presence of God on this earth.

And this is where we find ourselves now.

We are still in a fractured relationship with our God even though He has been attempting to bring us back together. For the last few millennia.

Sin is a separator. It puts space between us and God. All through human history, He keeps trying different ways to get back to us. But we keep separating ourselves from Him.

And the Day of Atonement was how that relationship was restored, if only for a brief period of time.

Next week, I am going to share some details about this special day. My hope is that it will educate and encourage you.

So let me wrap this post up with this thought.

You and I cannot restore our relationship with God. We are unable to do anything that would fix it. It is literally impossible for us.

But there is hope. That relationship can be fully restored. But it takes 100% trust in God. Just like I had to trust 100% in my parachute this past weekend.

Stay tuned next week as I unpack and expound on an Old Testament ritual, with present-day ramifications.

Good night and God bless you.

Lent, pt. 37

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Tests, Exams, Quizzes…it seems that every students hates them.

Today, I gave a quiz to my Chemistry students and a test to my General Science class.

test taking

I was bombarded with the usual excuses about not enough time, some students gone, etc.

But I was strong and confidently handed out the papers. It was fun. =-)

Part of Lent involves being tested. Many places in scripture reference tests, trials, or temptations.

I think that Lent can be a good place to go through these tough times.

We know God is gracious and faithful.

If we do fail, there is the safety net of grace to catch us.

I don’t think Lent is about making perfect people. It’s about making trusting people.

As we near Easter, remember that God does not require perfection of us.

He desires our trust.

Do you trust God? Do I?

Let your actions answer that one.

trust

Lent, pt. 33

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I had a cool conversation today.

While getting my phone updated, I was chatting with the employee.

cellphones

He and I hit it off.

And then the conversation went deep.

We discussed topics ranging from death to God’s sovereignty to parenting.

But it was also a great time! I felt like God orchestrated the whole thing.

We both agreed that at the end of the day, God is God.

Things happen in life that may confuse us. We don’t always know why.

But God is God.

Another thing we agreed on is that God does not need to be questioned.

He is God and we are not. Trust that fact.

God is God.

So next time you get your phone updated, stand in line at a store, or wait for your coffee, God may have an encounter designed for you.

Maybe, just maybe, it could be just what you (or the other person) needs.

Lent, pt. 24

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I met someone at the Olive Garden today.

Wait, I always meet people at the Olive Garden when I am working.

I am a waiter so meeting people is part of my job.

og soup and salad

But enjoying non-food conversations and liking them is a whole other story.

Enter Laney.

Seven women (2 adults and 5 teens) came into the restaurant today.

I had the privilege of waiting on them.

It was a great experience.

And then I learned that Laney has cancer.

Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma. EHE, for short.

But you would never know it. She was funny and sarcastic. She seemed perfectly healthy.

It is not fair that an 18 year old girl should get a terrible disease.

I always wonder why God lets these things happen.

But I am not going to focus on that. Instead, I want to focus on the goodness of God.

Who am I to doubt the King of Kings?

Who am I to wonder if the Creator of the Universe can handle cancer?

Who am I…?

As I go to sleep tonight, two thoughts will swirl through my mind:

God, please heal Laney

Thank you for being good.

Anatomy of a Miracle

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Miracles. What are they? How can they take place? What can we do to make them?

I think it is safe to say that anybody would welcome a miracle in their life. I mean, why not? Healing? Fixing of relationship? More money? ______________________?

Why do miracles take place? As far as I am concerned, God does a miracle as He sees fit. ONLY God can do it and He does not always explain the circumstances!

But I think we have a part. When following a cake recipe, it is important that you get all the ingredients otherwise the cake won’t turn out right.

cake fail

The difference between my wife and I decorating cakes! Ha!

While I am not baking a cake here, I am listing the ingredients for a miracle.

And for the miracle to take place, to actually happen, all three of these need to be present. Let’s go back to the Jordan river to see the Anatomy of a Miracle.

  1. A miracle consists of an Objective Impossible for you to Obtain. The Israelites had a promise given to them many years prior to this point. Literally, God had told them that He would take them to the Promised Land. They had their eyes set on an objective. We all need something that holds our attention. Call it a goal, desire, objective or whatever; you need to be looking at something ahead of you or you will never move forward. Flip the coin. That objective that you want-it must be impossible for you to get. For a miracle to take place, you first need to be looking at something that you cannot get on your own.  
  2. A miracle consists of an Obstacle Insurmountable for you to Overcome. There was a river in the way. A fast-flowing river that would prevent them from entering the Promised Land. Is there an obstacle in your way? Is it something that you cannot overcome? Good. You are on your way to a miracle. If you have a goal but something is blocking you then I see that you are two-thirds closer to God doing something great in your life. Whether that obstacle is a person, an idea, a negative thought, a physical thing, it must insurmountable for you.
  3. A miracle consists of an Opportunity Included for you to Obey. Yes, the dreaded ‘O’ word. The older I get, I keep coming back to the idea that all I can ever do is obey. That is all God asks of me. Yes, He wants my heart and mind but my obedience is that handing over of those things to Him. Every time I get stuck, I get an opportunity to obey. Standing before the river, the command was to step into the river. When facing an obstacle, do I obey and take the step of faith? For the Israelites, it was a literal step. For me, what is my step of faith? For you, how can you obey God today?

It is my opinion that someone would need all three of these”ingredients” for a miracle.

However, one thing I need to make clear is this: God can and will do miracles in His sovereignty. I can’t force God to do something. This might be debatable but I feel like God will do what He pleases when and how He pleases. That is part of what makes Him God.

Let me end 2018 with a recap:

  • A miracle consists of an Objective Impossible for you to Obtain. 
  • A miracle consists of an Obstacle Insurmountable for you to Overcome.
  • A miracle consists of an Opportunity Included for you to Obey. 

Or, just simply obey God with all your heart. No matter how small or unimportant it may seem, trust what God is telling you.

Who knows, you may be experiencing more miracles in this next year! So go ahead and take that step of faith!

step faith