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Back in the Summer of 1975, when I was a sophomore in High School, my Family moved from Chester NJ to a nearby town called Peapack. Even though it was still very much North Jersey, this incredible house that we acquired came with a pony, two goats and two sheep. I so bonded with Mama and Baby Sheep that I named them Sheep and Baby. Maybe I didn’t give these pets the most original of names but I did learn lots about sheep in general by just taking care of them both. As life would have it, Sheep died the day before I left for Philadelphia College of Bible where I was going to prepare being a Shepherd of people. Just a side note, when my Family sold the house on 44 Peapack Road, the powers at be tore it down to build three new modern monstrosities. I always wanted to let the owner of New Home number two that they built their residence right over my Sheep’s burial plot. I wonder if anyone has heard some bleating coming from the basement.

God had given me quality time working with real sheep. Real sheep do not just take care of themselves as some might suppose. They actually require more assistance than any other class of livestock. If you want to raise sheep, you must be prepared to do lots more giving than you probably will ever receive. But you do so because these creatures are so dependent upon you that you don’t mind giving them the endless attention and meticulous care they demand.

I also recognized the facts that Sheep behavior and that of Humans is similar in more ways than you might have ever thought. Both are susceptible to operating via mob instincts and crowd rule. It’s easy to get sheep and people to come together and act as a herd. Both are given to responding positively or reacting negatively because of fear, stubbornness and stupidity. Our habits parallel these wooly creatures in the manner of profound importance. God knew what He was doing when He called Jesus the Great Shepherd and we people the Sheep of His Pasture.

The title of Pastor comes from the Greek word “poimen” which means “shepherd.” One can’t truly be called to be a Pastor if he can’t stand people. Sheep have needs that include grazing on green grass, drinking fresh water, being lead to shade from the overbearing sun, moved to shelter in the midst of severe storms and being personally protected from ferocious predators who want to devour the flock in one big bite! A Good Shepherd is there to manage the sheep to life because on their own they have no chance to survive. Over the years, I have become increasingly aware of one thing when it comes to shepherding God’s children. It is this: the manner of ministry done by the Minister in the lives of those who encompass the church makes all the difference in the direction of the destiny the body of Christ will end up!

Jesus loved His Sheep so much that He gave us all Himself. It is in that divine love that we don’t find a program or a product or a process, but the only Person who will be the ultimate missing piece we’ve all been looking for. In Psalm 23 we read, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures.” The strange thing about sheep is that because of their very make-up, it is almost impossible for them to be made to lie down unless four requirements are met.

1. Owing to their timidity they refuse to lie down unless they are free of all fear.
2. Because of the social behavior within a flock, sheep will not lie down unless they are free from friction with others of their kind.
3. If tormented by flies or parasites, sheep will not lie down. Only when free of these pests can they relax.
4. Lastly, sheep will not lie down as long as they feel in need of finding food. They must be free from hunger.

It is significant that to be at rest there must be a definite sense of freedom from fear, tension, aggravations and hunger. The unique aspect of the picture is that it is only the Shepherd himself who can provide release from these anxieties. It all depends upon the diligence of the owner as whether or not his flock is free of disturbing influences.

Jesus makes it possible for us to lie down, to rest, to relax, to be content, quiet, and flourishing. A flock that is restless, discontented, always agitated and disturbed never does well. And the same is true of people. It is not generally known that sheep are so timid and easily panicked that even a stray jackrabbit suddenly bounding from behind a bush can stampede a whole flock. When one startled sheep runs in fright, a dozen others will bolt with it in blind fear, not waiting to see what frightened them.

As long as there is even the slightest suspicion of danger from dogs, coyotes, cougars, bears or other enemies, the sheep stand up ready to flee for their lives. They have little or no means of self-defense. They are helpless, timid, feeble creatures whose only recourse is to run. Two dogs have been known to kill as many as 292 sheep in a single night of unbridled slaughter. It is also a known fact that nothing so quiets and reassures sheep like seeing their Shepherd in the field. The presence of their master and owner and protector puts them at ease as nothing else could do, and this applies day and night. In the Christian’s life there is no substitute for the keen awareness that my Shepherd is nearby. There is nothing like Christ’s presence to dispel the fear, the panic, the terror of the unknown.

Finally, did you know that green pastures don’t just happen in Bethlehem? As a matter of fact, Israel, where David wrote this Psalm and kept his father’s flocks, especially near Bethlehem, is a dry, brown, sun-burned wasteland. Green pastures did not just happen by chance. Green pastures were the product of tremendous labor, time and skill in land use. Green pastures were the result of clearing rough, rocky land; of tearing out brush and roots and stumps; of deep plowing and careful soil preparation; of seeding and planting special grains and vegetables; of irrigating with water and caring for the crops that would feed the flocks.

Green pastures are essential to success with sheep. The Good Shepherd has supplied green pastures for those who care to move in onto them and there find peace and plenty. Every human being follows a Leader! Is your Shepherd worthy of that title? If not, it may be time to make a change! The Lord is my Shepherd and I lack nothing. I pray the same for you!

I have spent the last 36 years in full time ministry as a Pastor. I have observed Believers in almost every season of life. I don’t believe that I am going out on a limb when I say that most Christians expect to be hammered with some supernatural rod of judgment when they fail. Many people actually picture the Almighty loaded and ready to shoot lightning bolts of punishment at the first sign of failure or error. While I do believe that our God is holy and just in his nature, He more often than not chooses to respond to us with grace and mercy, actually sparing the rod as long as he can so that the child doesn’t end up destroyed by his or her own selfish immature choices in the long run. God is not one to mess around with, but he is no monster either.

Growing up in the 1960’s, corporal punishment was pretty much accepted and encouraged within our society. It didn’t just happen in the home, but schools too were pretty liberal with their slaps and their slams. I was actually 22 years old the last time my Mom attempted to use a wooden spoon on me. She demanded that I not drive from North Jersey to Lebanon, Pennsylvania to see my fiancé Terri. I told her I was going no matter what. She grabbed the spoon and began to whack me with it. I looked at her with my mouth wide open wondering, “Really Mom? I am not sure this is working!” The wood broke in two and so she proceeded to grab me by the collar of my shirt until it was ripped right off my body. I remember just shaking my head at the absurdity of what was happening. I went anyway, even without her blessing. I still believe I did the right thing as I honored my Mom by not fighting back in any way, even though she chose to treat me like a two-year-old. I still wish we could have done that whole crazy afternoon over again.

 If today, you choose to muster up the courage to approach God with humility and take full responsibility over the many ways that your behavior has been less than stellar in his sight, you don’t have to do so cringing in a pit of despair covered by guilt and shame. God never uses guilt to manipulate his children. As a matter of fact, nobody is cheering for you more than the Lord when we people come to the end of ourselves because with less of us we are now ready for more of him.

Believe it or not but your Heavenly Father desires you to come back to where you belong. He grieves for our pain, and his compassion is infinitely endless. He is waiting with open arms to embrace his wayward sons and daughters as they return to him. Salvation doesn’t culminate in a sermon but in a heaven wide celebration. All the angels in heaven rejoice when any stumbling sheep comes home to the fold. And do you know what? If we stop and think about it, the only way out is the only way in and it is the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Let me try to illustrate with the iron-mining town of Wabush, Canada, in Labrador Province which for many years was only accessible by railroad or airplane; there was no road leading to the town. Wabush was built in the early 1960s as a residential community for workers at the mines. But it wasn’t until the late 1980s that a road was built, making Wabush accessible by car. That road is still the only road into Wabush. If you want to leave Wabush, you must turn around and take that same road, moving in the opposite direction. Life is much like the town of Wabush. In our journey, if we attempt to do things only within our own strength, we will eventually reach the end of the road. We can go no further. It is a guaranteed dead end! If we want to get out of the place we’re in, we are going to have to turn around and go in the opposite direction. That’s what it really means to repent! It all boils down not to what we say but what we do. If we want to turn completely around and go back the opposite way, we must be willing to do a one eighty. Talking about it and singing about it doesn’t change our location. Turn around and instead of walking away, walk to the One who was willing to run to you. Jesus took our wooden spoon, the belt, the switches and all the other instruments that were used to beat us rather than build us back up.

Have you come to your own Wabush? Have you been going the wrong way, away from God? Now it’s time for you to stop, turn completely around, and take the road of repentance. God knows our pain and has tasted our bewilderment and has grieved over our tortured hearts! Can you be open to admitting that perhaps you have been wrong about God, wrong about life, and wrong about yourself. This is a tough lesson for all of us. There is no more bitter pill to swallow than the pill of finding you are wrong when you thought you were right.

Life has a way of changing our perspective as we grow older. Sometimes when people reach a certain stage of life, they look back on the convictions of their youth and the values they have stood for, the attitudes they have held and they realize that they have been wrong in their approach to life.

Looking back on your life, you may realize that what you thought was selfless love was actually self-centered pride and desire. What you thought was idealism was actually arrogance and egotism.

What you thought was truth was an illusion. In truth, it’s a difficult lesson for us all to learn. But if we don’t learn it, we will settle to be a slave to sin when we could have been a son or daughter of God!

 Anybody here want to correct some mistakes before it is too late?

Anybody here not wanting to spend all eternity stuck in Wabush?

Anybody here ready to turn around and come home?

As many of you know, I presented this article last week. Last Thursday I received a phone call from Carla von Trapp Hunter. Carla is a great-granddaughter of Baron Captain Georg von Trapp and his second wife Baroness Maria Augusta von Trapp. Carla was very gracious with me as she told me that she saw last week’s copy of my Cape May County Herald article. Carla did mention that while she loved the sentiment and the overall positive purpose of my writing, there were some discrepancies that she had hoped I would fix and correct the errors. I was quick to apologize and offered my services to do whatever I could to make things right. So here it is for Carla’s approval and our further education. While movies and literature take many creative liberties, the truth is still the truth and literally the best path to journey upon. I have asked Carla to join me on an upcoming Rudy on the Radio Broadcast. I do hope she will!

My Mother got a big kick out of the fact that I got to talk to Carla von Trapp Hunter last week. Before she took on the role of Mom, Joanne Tedesco was preparing to be a Nun in the Convent. While she left before taking her final vows, her devotion to God never wavered. When the Movie, “The Sound of Music” came out in the mid 1960’s, she resonated with it from head to toe. I think she dragged us kids to see it about seven times in less than two weeks. This included packing the family Station Wagon and going to the local Drive-In. Seeing the film wasn’t enough for Mom as she proceeded to line us all up when we got home and made us sing, “Do-Re-Mi!” You guessed it! I was “Doe a Deer!” While many of you know a little of the real-life story of the Trapp Family Singers; it does all come back to me every time The Sound of Music repeats on television.

Many of you know that this Julie Andrews Classic Rodgers and Hammerstein Musical was based upon a real story not about the Sheptocks but the von Trapp Family. The patriarch of this Austrian singing family was Georg Ritter von Trapp (1880–1947), who served the 20th century Austro-Hungarian Navy for 24 years and was one of their most decorated commanders. When von Trapp lost his wife Agathe to a scarlet fever epidemic in 1922, he became the sole parent of seven children. One of his daughters who had also come down with the fever was slow to recover and had fallen behind on her studies. To help her catch up Georg hired Maria Augusta Kutschera, a convent novitiate, as the child’s math tutor. I can hear her sing, “I’ve Got Confidence” in my imagination even as I write this.

Five years after Agathe passed, Georg married Maria, who was henceforth known as Baroness Maria Augusta von Trapp. Maria was later portrayed as Maria Rainer in “The Sound of Music.” Here is something not everyone knows. Maria had three children that were not represented in the film. This would have made 10 von Trapp’s altogether and not just the seven portrayed in the film. But here is a very real fact and that is the von Trapp’s home was always filled with music, and the children learned to sing and harmonize at a professional level. The von Trapp Family performed in concert halls and festivals, becoming famous all over Europe.

During the 1930s, Georg Ritter von Trapp watched the rise of Nazism with sober alarm. When the Nazi’s annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapp’s knew there had to be some major decisions made about their future. Georg not only refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house, but he also refused to sing at Hitler’s Birthday Party. When offered, Georg refused to serve the party’s military efforts. The von Trapp’s weighed their options, deciding as a family that although it was heart wrenching to leave their home and everything familiar, they would not compromise their values. They up and left their beloved Austria by train heading to the Italian coast where they lived and toured from until they could secure a concert tour in America, providing them an escape from the continent. Instead of the fictional Uncle Max Detweiler, the overbearing musical promoter, it was actually the Family Priest, the Reverend Franz Wasner who would act as their musical director for over twenty years.   

When they arrived in America in 1939 by steam ship, there were nine children with the tenth on the way. They continued touring internationally as the Trapp Family Singers, performing frequently to make ends meet. In 1941, they would buy a large farm in Vermont in a countryside very similar to the Austrian landscape near Salzburg that they missed so terribly. The farmhouse they lived in was called “Cor Unum” which means, “One Heart” which they felt was symbolic of how they operated together as individuals forming one unit. They rented out the rooms in their home during the months they were away on tour and then increasingly so when skiing started to become popular in Stowe. When their singing career came to an end in 1956, after nearly twenty years of concerts in almost thirty countries, Maria returned to Stowe full-time to run what had since become a popular place to stay. Tragically, on December 20, 1980, Trapp Family Lodge burned to the ground. Maria and the children were devastated. They had endured so many trials and tribulations during their days and now there was yet one more mountain to climb. The lodge was gone. In their discouragement, they questioned whether they should rebuild.

As Providence designed it, the von Trapp Family Motto was already in place. In Latin it is, “Nec Aspera Terrent” meaning, ‘Hardships Do Not Deter Us’; or also translated as ‘Let nothing difficult frighten thee.’ The von Trapp’s heeded those words and persisted.

“Do Not Be Terrified By Adversity.” This has been one of the great lessons we have been learning in the Book of Job as I have preached through these treasured Scriptures at the Lighthouse Church. Adversity doesn’t mean the absence of God’s presence in your life. Adversity doesn’t mean that the Lord is punishing you or withholding his love. Adversity is just one more aspect of every individual’s adventure. Adversity doesn’t mean defeat. Adversity could very well be the launch to a depth in your life that could not be developed any other way through any other means. God will use adversity if you choose to look up rather than give up. The only way to avoid adversity is to check out rather than show up! What music is flowing from your story because you refused to allow any enemy force to steal your song?

One of my favorite songs from “The Sound Of Music” is “Climb Every Mountain.” Mother Superior sings it to Maria when she seeks to escape life rather than live it to the fullest. The lyrics include these inspirational words. “A dream that will need all the love you can give. Every day of your life for as long as you live.” Do not be terrified by adversity. Expect it and use it to grow up in your faith. If you are willing to go the distance, you too will add walking with Jesus as one of your favorite things! It surely is for me!

Thanks again to Carla von Trapp Hunter for making me dig a little deeper. I actually had the Movie, “The Sound of Music” on while I rewrote and revised this and it made me smile big. It also reminded me of the crush I had on Angela Cartwright back then! Please don’t ever erase the sounds of songs in your life and delete the tunes in your world. God gave us the ability to sing even as our hearts break and our feet dig in to stand our ground to hold fast to our convictions. When the world tries to force you to croon a melody that compromises everything you are, don’t you dare. The music of adversity is our ability to standardize our signature tune. Music and passion are always in fashion in me. How about you? 

Did you know that out of all the creatures in the animal kingdom, storks are some of the most loving and tender of the species that God has designed? Mother storks aggressively watch over and carefully nurture their babies just like a human Mama would! Plus, the tender loving care that these birds have for one another never dies. Adult storks genuinely look out for one another and meet each other’s needs throughout life.

Even when a stork becomes old and gray, the bird is never banished to fend for itself. Studies show that when an elderly member has difficulty keeping up with the others, another younger stork will fly alongside the aged stork and allow it to rest its wings on theirs. These storks help each other fly more effectively, and they are constantly touching, nurturing, and protecting one another. It is no wonder that the Greeks used the word “storge” to both define and describe “family love.” The early church was known for its “storge” (pronounced store-gay) affection and connection for the entire Body of Christ. It is “storge” that speaks of nurture, empathy, affection, and tenderness. And they will know we are Christians by our “stork like” love for one another.

I have never really understood how an intelligent mind could adhere to the “Big Bang Theory” of the creation story. Not when there is so much intricate workmanship that is clearly seen in the animal kingdom alone. I don’t believe in Atheists because I don’t believe there is really such a category. I will agree to someone calling themselves an agnostic or a flat-out unbeliever but there is too much evidence of handiwork in our midst to deny there was a powerful touch behind it all.

I want to share three more lessons we can learn from storks. First is an affectionate touch. It is experienced among the birds and it is necessary for the human beings. People were created for affection. Doctors have scientifically proven that without touch the body and the emotions become unhealthy. Touching someone says to them that they are important to you; they belong, and they have value. If we did not receive affectionate touch in the right way as a child, then in our teenage years we may allow ourselves to be touched in the wrong way. The Family of God should be an affectionate, considerate bunch and with all the pushing and shoving going on in our culture, the church should be a place where holy hugs reign supreme.

Second is all about eye contact. When somebody has been living in shame and overcome with insecurity, they rarely are able to keep their heads held high. Jesus knew that the eyes are the windows of the soul, and he always dove headfirst in low below the surface! If we don’t see an understanding glance from those we need to notice us, we may end up feeling awkward, insecure, separate, and out of place in our relationships.

Finally, we need to take note of the tone of voice we use to communicate. Christians learn to bond and trust one another when Believers learn to speak words in an encouraging, gentle, tender, and empathizing manner. Loving tones nurture the spirit and help the family feel acceptance and value so they can walk free from the fear of rejection and failure.

So, let’s take a lesson from the storks. No, they don’t deliver babies or consume Vlassic Pickles, but they do give us an example of how we should behave as followers of God. Is there someone in your world today who could use a little tender loving family attention? Don’t wait until it is too late to walk like a stork and fly like an eagle.

When I was a kid, because of the power of commercials, I had to eat a bowl of Wheaties before every single Little League Game. I didn’t eat them because they tasted good because it was like eating cardboard covered with milk. I ate them because some advertising agency sold me the bill of goods that even when Henry Aaron didn’t partake in the “Breakfast of Champions,” he was going to come up empty in the batter’s box. Now you and I both know that I could have had Sugar Pops or Maypo Oatmeal and neither would have guaranteed me to hit for the cycle, but we people have a tendency to look for short cuts rather than train ourselves in the gifts that God has given us so we are ready to get out there when the Umpire shouts, “Play Ball!”

I’m convinced that this could be such a fruitful time for Christians if we would just be available to surrender our talents to God so He can use us. There are days that I am concerned that more Believers are looking to sit on the bench rather than hoping to get out on the field and show this world what we got!  Do you understand how gifted God has made us? Every single human being was created in the image of God and He never made anyone who didn’t have the capacity to shine their light so bright our culture would forget the darkness altogether!

 Are you daily using your God-given gifts to serve Him and others? Do you know what your God-given gifts are? Are you attempting to serve the Lord without loving Him first? In the Bible, the “Great Commandment” comes before the “Great Commission.” Loving God comes first and it stirs up a genuine love in us for others so much so that we are ready to do, go and be anything Jesus wants! When we get our priorities backwards, we treat privileges like they were nothing more than obligations. Are you viewing your faith in God as if it was nothing more than a religious checklist of tedious things to do?

When our faith was brand new and our love for the Lord was in its infancy, nobody had to tell us to read our Bible or go to church or tell others about Him. We couldn’t get enough of this relationship that literally transformed our hearts. But over time, we begin to take advantage of what God meant for us to celebrate.

Remember when your kids were young and they wanted to do things with you? But sooner or later, they act like they are doing you a favor by just being seen in public with them. They no longer appreciate your efforts to enjoy life by just being together. Let’s say that you had two tickets to this past year’s Super Bowl and the chance to see the Eagles beat the Patriots. You know the value of this opportunity and you share it with an individual you hand picked because you wanted to convey to them how special they are to you. You get to the big game and the first thing your companion asks is, “How long are we going to have to be at this thing? I want to go shopping at the Mall of America. I have to catch an early plane tomorrow; can we leave early?” I think you get the idea. You would be hurt. You would be at the very least disappointed. What you meant as a privilege, your comrade only saw as an inconvenience. Do we ever make God feel the same way? I would say that we do–and way too often.  

It is time for us to stop just going to Church and start being the Church! What position in Jesus are you totally plugged into? Are you looking for some action or just another excuse to go on the disabled list? If you want to obey the will of God, you must not get in the way of God. The Holy Spirit provides the power that nothing any grocery store item can provide. Church isn’t a restaurant where we go to pick up a meal cooked to order. Church is a place where Brothers and Sisters in Christ encourage one another to love the Lord by humbly walking side by side as we serve the Savior. Who is He calling to do nothing today? Can you hear Jesus say to us, “Surrender to the enemies in your culture?” “If you can’t beat them, just learn how to fit in rather than make waves.”

“Don’t get better, stay bitter!” “Why be free when you can be a fraud and wear a man-made mask to hide from others knowing the real you?” Do you see God as a monster or as the ultimate Minister who will give you everything you need to see your past redeemed so that you can do some miraculous field work both today and tomorrow?

Today is a day when you need to move towards God so God can move in and through you. On the Cross, Jesus picked a fight with sin and hell on our behalf. Because of the Cross, you can experience the ultimate concert of praise where God has given you the ability to live a life in a state that is beyond your wildest imagination. You don’t do ______ and there will be no ________! Let God fill in this blank so your spiritual walk doesn’t come up empty.

I am a chronic apologizer. If I had a nickel for every time “I’m sorry” rolls off my tongue on any given day, I could buy a very nice car. I grew up in the midst of a culture where “guilt” was as available as the air that I learned to breathe. Let’s just say that I have never been one who had to be overly grilled to see the error of my ways. If it went wrong I just assumed that it was my fault. Rain showers ruining our family picnic, “I’m Sorry.” My Mother had a bad day, “What did I do?” Our local community didn’t meet its annual budget, “I know I will be blamed somehow!” Let’s just say that this is not a healthy or admirable trait.

I tend to chuckle when I hear legalistic preachers playing the role of moral policemen in their diligent attempt to make sure that everybody knows how sinful we are. I know the Bible is clear in its teaching that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God; but I also know that our Lord is filled with compassion, mercy and grace that He freely bestows upon His needy creation. Do I feel worthy of the everlasting love of Jesus being unconditionally given to me? Mark my words, “Not on your life!” I have battled my entire lifetime really believing that I could ever be receiving something I know I wasn’t good enough to earn. As a matter of fact, I think that I have been very guilty of working hard for what God longs to convince me I already have. Grace is the place that Heaven is inviting us to land our hearts. Still humanity is convinced that slavery to feeling bad about everything is a much better look for us when we inhabit the Sunday sanctuary.

I’m not thinking God is totally pleased with my expertise in sporting a non-stop confessional lifestyle. I can say all the right things theologically and still walk in bondage to the chains in my brain. How many of you grew up hearing gems like these? “You always disappoint me. You are so fresh. You never do anything right. You are so bad. Why can’t you be good? Why do you always have to mess it up?” I could go on but you get the gist. And I wonder why my first impression about myself and my abilities were always initially negative. I think that when I read in the New Testament, “You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength,” I can’t help but add, “That’s true for everybody but Rudy!” Just because it’s not printed in black and white doesn’t mean that this lie isn’t ingrained in the bowels of my heart.

God doesn’t love you because of what you do, but because of who you are! The joy of being a child of His has nothing to do with our performance. When you think about it, almost all babies are pretty selfish when it comes to their demands and yet healthy parents will do anything it takes to meet those needs. Living loved must precede any chance of our behaving well. Guilt makes a lousy goal. God’s kindness leads to our giving up on our self-reliance and come into a wonderful surrender of resting in Him. God loves us not because we are that loveable. He made the move towards us when we were about as disinterested as we could be. What draws me to Jesus is the immensity and intensity of His desire to have me be with Him. God doesn’t shame us into the kingdom. I love the Lord not because I have to but because I want to and I want to because I don’t have to. Me always saying, “I’m Sorry,” has at its root my inability to believe that God has erased the old tapes and given me a brand-new heart which guarantees a fresh start. The old me is gone and the new creation that the death and resurrection of Jesus has given birth to doesn’t have to operate driven by fear. If faith is to ever come alive then it must believe that God exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Would the Lord say you believe this by the way you behave?

The Lord loves me. I am finding my joy in rediscovering that fact. I’m a Pastor but that doesn’t make Jesus love me one iota more than He already does. I have good days and bad days but God’s love stays the same. He doesn’t tease us so we will please Him. It’s not some cosmic game of chess. It’s not a contest at all. Love is love or it is not love at all. I don’t have to apologize for being me. I need to jump into the fountain of life and splash to my heart’s delight. Yes, I need to say, “I’m Sorry,” when my deeds are destructive, but as Bruce sang, “It ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive.” Stop with the guilt and start with the grace! If we are going to do what Jesus did, then what are we waiting for? Go for it! You won’t be sorry you did!

Disney’s Pixar is bringing back The Incredibles to the big screen this summer. The story is quite simple. A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world. There is a scene in the 2004 original that has Lucius Best whose alter ego is the character Frozone frantically searching his house for his ‘super suit.” The whole clip is quite hilarious as he continues to shout out to his wife, “Where is my Super Suit?” Frozone’s better half is not that impressed with her husband saving the world. She doesn’t want him to miss a dinner party planned for that evening.

Don’t you wish Christianity came with a “Super Suit?” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all we had to do to flash the holiness of God through us was to duck into a nearby closet and put on our “Be Like Jesus” trusty Cape and Uniform? Dressed like that we could do no wrong and stamp out sin and conquer the injustice all around us.

I think it might be a bit easier if before our daily adventure with the Lord began, we would be able to eat a bowl of “Holy Spirit O’s” complete with all the fruit of the Spirit in every bite. After a healthy breakfast like that, nothing could stop us from shining bright for God wherever we went, whatever we did. Unfortunately, there is no cosmic underwear or sugar empowered Bible brunch that would make us live the victorious Christian life easily and conveniently. Daily we must look up and get filled with the Spirit before the ugly stuff begins to take over! If we want to make a difference as Believers, it is not so much about what we wear as it is about who we depend upon.

The most famous battle described in the Old Testament was not fought between two armies, but between two people. It was the battle in the Valley of Elah between David and Goliath. In this corner was the army of Israel and in the other, the army of the Philistines. This was the setting. First there was Goliath, whose size and appearance were so impressive that the writer describes him in exacting detail. We don’t measure things by a cubit or a span. We measure them by feet and inches. So, let’s put it into our lingo. Goliath was somewhere near 9′ 9″ tall and simply put an enormous man. The NBA would love him! And if you add to his height the length of his arms when he would lift them up over his head, you can imagine what an imposing creature he must have been. But it wasn’t just his size. The “Super Suit” he was wearing weighed between 175 and 200 pounds. Goliath had so much bronze on, we could have nicknamed him, “LeBronze!”

 Every morning and every evening for well over a month, he marched out there, flaunting his size and his strength, daring someone to take him on. How applicable to any “giant” we encounter!

That’s the way with the giants of fear and worry, for example. They don’t come just once; they come morning and evening, day after day, relentlessly trying to intimidate. And while Goliath once was content to the Israelites from a mile away, because nobody stood up to him, the monster ended up insulting the Lord right in the Hebrews’ back yard!

In the other corner stood our hero, David. Remember, the Shepherd Boy wasn’t going there to fight. He was just sent by his father to bring his brothers some lunch! David looks across the battlefield, and he sees this giant of a guy, encased in his super suit, shouting out threats and defiance and cursing God! And that made David livid! No one talks that way about my God!!!Why is everybody running away? David said to Saul, “Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” King Saul looked at David and said, “You don’t have the size for it.  You’re just a kid. Look over there at that giant!” David then describes to Saul how in the past God proved Himself faithful when David slew a bear and a lion. Saul said, “Now wait a minute, David. We have to fix you up for battle.” Imagine it! You can’t tell me the Bible doesn’t have humor, because it says that “Saul clothed David with his garments.” Here’s Saul, a 52 long, and David is a 36 regular. Saul drags in all this heavy armor and then says, “Put this on, David.”

Be wary when the world tries to get you to wear its armor to fight a heavenly battle! David says, “Saul, I can’t fight with this stuff. I can’t even walk in it, and I sure haven’t tested it myself in battle.” What works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else. We’re always trying to put our armor on someone else or put someone else’s armor on ourselves—but that’s not the way to do battle. David doesn’t look for a “Super Suit.” David trusts his “Strong and Supernatural Savior!”

Before I close, I have heard others mock, “If David trusted God then why did he need five stones? Why five? Wouldn’t absolute trust in God indicate only one stone was needed? In fact, in the story it only takes one to kill the giant. So why did he take up five? Goliath had brothers! Goliath had four of them (2 Samuel 21.19-22).

David lived by a very simple principle: nothing to prove, nothing to lose. He didn’t try to impress anybody in the army of Israel. He didn’t try to impress his brothers. He didn’t even try to impress God. He just ran to meet Goliath. And David put his hand into his bag and took from it a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. All David had was a sling and a stone against a giant wearing two hundred pounds of armor. It may seem silly, but that’s the way God operates.

I don’t know what your intimidating giant is today. It may relate to your job, your roommate, or your school. Maybe it is a person, a lawsuit, unemployment, a disaster or maybe even your own partner in life. Perhaps it is some fear that is lurking around the corner, sucking your energy and draining your faith. God is saying to you right now, “All I ask of you is five smooth stones and a sling of faith. I’ll take it from there. You don’t have to wear somebody else’s armor. You just trust Me. And I’ll strip you down to nothing but faith, and then I’ll accomplish a victory where I’ll get the glory.

It is God’s love for us that causes Him to bring us to an end of our own strength. He sees our need to trust Him, and His love is so great that He will not let us live another day without turning over our arms to Him, our fears, our worries, even our confusion, so that no super suit becomes more significant to us than our Savior.

Years ago I had the privilege to be part of a Youth Conference in Washington DC that featured both Nancy and Ronald Reagan addressing the audience. We heard Nancy on Friday night and the President on Saturday Morning. Among his many abilities, Ronald Reagan was a talented communicator and gifted story teller. One of the tales that he shared with us that I still remember was about a young, country boy who had just finished Bible school but had yet to preach a sermon.

When the newly appointed Pastor arrived at this Texas church, he walked in with the highest of hopes; but to his utter amazement, there was only one seasoned rancher present. The sanctuary was empty except for this one man. He was sitting about halfway back on the hard pew and the novice preacher walked back there, shook his hand, and asked quite sheepishly in cattle country, “What do you think I ought to do?” The old man answered, “Well, I don’t rightly know Reverend, I’m just a cowpoke. But if I went out in my field and found only one steer, I’d still feed it.” That’s all the new Parson needed to hear. He quickly climbed up behind the pulpit and delivered a sermon that went on and on and on and on. Over an hour and a half later he finally ended the marathon.

The Pastor, now feeling pretty good about himself, finished with a benediction and walked right over to the rancher and asked, “Well, what did you think?” “I don’t rightly know, son, but I will tell you this. If I went out in my field and found I only had one steer, I wouldn’t feed him the whole warehouse in one sitting.”

There are times that we Christians may mean well, but we tend to come on too strong too fast when it comes to sharing our faith with others. We have such a passion for what we believe, we forget that we need to care about the who that we are talking to. This means that we shouldn’t be preaching when it comes to one on one conversations. Forget the monologue and be willing to enter into a dialogue. We must not only talk but be willing to listen. We should allow time and opportunity for feedback and questions. The connection should not be so much about finger pointing as it is about heart sharing. When Jesus shared the truth with others, He adapted the means that He shared the gospel even if the message stayed the same. The rule of thumb should be that we are not ready to tell others that Jesus loves them if we aren’t willing to love them too. It takes more than eye contact to make a genuine heart connection. Make sure your ears are all in too. 

There is another important principle that Believers should be aware of before they are ready to spread the good news. Too many Christians need to reexamine their motives before they start to dispense the message. Have you ever blurted something out in anger? During those outbursts we not only said things we wish we hadn’t said, we also probably said a lot more than we wish we would have said. Maybe we need to take a walk prior to the action of beginning our talk. Little is retained when smoke is shooting out of your ears and fire surges from the tongue. And more often than not, even though we may have actually communicated some truths that needed to be presented, our rage and rant ruined the rightness of our words.

Keep all of this in mind when you are preparing to deliver your next speech. We might have more time for action if we made for less words and more work! How long does it take you to get to the point? There comes a definite moment when we need to cease circling the airport and just land the plane! We should be precise and purposeful. What is it? Just say it.

Next let’s look to not be pompous but humble and available. Lead with respect. Allow for response.  

Don’t be so dogmatic when you should be delivering the treasure with love. Let me give you a tip. If it’s one-on-one or one-on-a-few, leave the preaching to someone else. If it’s with your kids, don’t preach. If it’s with your spouse, don’t preach. If it’s at work with your boss or somebody who works for you, again, don’t preach. Preaching isn’t appropriate in relational settings.

Finally, don’t be a “Know it All,” for nobody knows it all! There is something so refreshing about someone who is speaking and willingly admits, “I really don’t know all that I should know about this, but I am willing to learn.” It’s wonderful when you’re around someone who has a wealth of knowledge, but you hear them admit, “I’m not the final word.” I can honestly conclude that those who have taught me the most are the men and women who have been the most teachable. So, before you step up to the pulpit to preach your never-ending sermon, take the time to seek the Lord and let Him lead the way. Sometimes we really do say it best, when we say nothing at all and get off the stage so God can have the floor!

Another week goes by and another school shooting is in the News. Kids are dealing with severe and serious anxiety at an alarming and sobering rate. Recess is no longer a safe place and more than fretting over this Friday’s math test, young people are worried about whether they are going to survive another semester. While this happens, our National Politicians are busy playing partisan games. 

I don’t believe that this problem would be solved by simply enforcing stricter gun control laws. In my humble opinion, I see the root of this pandemic buried in the fact that too many children are growing up unchecked and unloved, literally lost within ill equipped environments. In the modern era of promoting political correctness at all cost, we have foolishly bankrupted our society spiritually. The law of the jungle may be laid upon a foundation of self-centeredness and survival, but the golden rule taught us that as God’s creation we should love the Lord and others before ourselves. If we could be more proactive than reactive, we might just save a life or two along the way.

I always taught my children to fight for the underdog and keep an eye out for those who are being bullied and abused. I was a Youth Pastor for 15 years before I became the Senior Pastor of the Lighthouse Church 21 years ago. I challenged Young People to walk their talk when it came to the Faith they claimed to possess. This included looking out for those who were sitting alone in the cafeteria or stuck outside on the peripheral of the so-called “in crowd”. I coached our Kids to make eye contact with others as they walked through the hallways, offering smiles and a kind word when called upon. I wanted them to look for opportunities to build somebody up when the world was in a tear down mode and to never let anyone go unloved on their watch.

I am calling on Christians to set the example when it comes to putting skin to love. Many Churches always need volunteers to help in the Children and Youth Ministries. Adults have a tendency to want to relax while in the Sanctuary while somebody else takes care of their family. The problem is that because there are not enough Helpers to go around, too many Sunday School Classes are overcrowded and understaffed and we are missing a golden open door to being like Jesus in this chaotic and crazy era.

 I can’t tell you how many Little Ones just need some unconditional love and attention. They could use some boundaries and structure and human contact rather than more video based experiences. If I could change one aspect of our daily routines it would be enough with the staring at the screens already. I grew up in a different time when Families ate together at the Supper Table every night. Communing like this wasn’t just about eating our daily bread, but connecting heart to heart! If the culture won’t do it, maybe the Church can fill in the gap. I love hanging out with the Children at the Lighthouse Church. To many of them, I am like an adopted Grandfather who fills their empty cups with all the qualities that matter most. Babies need to be held and sung to in the nursery. Children need to know that they are loved and designed with purpose and power. If Mom and Dad are no longer there, then I believe God is calling us to plug the gap, and not just with baby sitting, but with honest to goodness tender loving care. I believe that with the right amount of godly attention, a future tragedy can be averted and a happier ending rewritten.

One of the goals that I champion as a Pastor is that I believe the Body of Christ should be cross generational. There are too may silo constructed Churches today where everyone is the same age and in the same boat with too much in common. As I read the New Testament, I read where those older should invest and mentor the younger. I also see that nobody should look down on the kids just because of their age. I believe there should be appreciation and understanding and respect for the differing Seasons of Life represented in any given Congregation. How can we get together if there are no avenues for the ages to intermingle? I love learning from our youth as I also teach them to look up and glean from me. My body may be almost 60 but  my heart is forever young; and just like Jesus proclaimed to let the Little Ones come to Him, I receive such joy when the kids dive bomb into my arms when they see me at The Lighthouse.

So as the Beaches in our area become flooded with swimmers, there are Life Guards on duty. Will you become a Rescuer of this Generation? Will you make the first move and reach out to that someone who may appear disinterested and unreachable? There are three things I pray daily in my own soul and they are that the Lord would rescue, redeem and restore me. Who in your sphere of influence needs a rescue? Is there somebody that God has allowed you to cross paths with that could use a Somebody to believe in them? And what if because of your willingness to risk the rejection to make a connection, you actually save lives along the way? It all begins with us! Now let’s get out and about pursuing to save a life! 

Here’s a question you’ll never read in the Bible: a Believer asking another Believer and it is, “Where do you go to church?” Did you know that there is also no place in the Bible that ever commands you to, “Go to church?” The New Testament challenges the Disciples of Jesus to be the church but that is a bit different. There’s a simple explanation for this and it is simply that the New Testament letters were being composed, nobody thought about calling a building a church. The church didn’t even have any buildings then. It just had people.

But, over the years, something crazy happened. What should have defined a body of Believers came to be the name of what we titled a building. Just the other day, somebody came by The Lighthouse and complimented me by responding, “You have a beautiful church.” I replied by saying, “How do you know? You haven’t even met any of the church yet?”  

I love what John Ortberg writes. He eloquently informs us that the first Christians never even conceived that what Jesus described as His Bride would be lowered to just labeling their meeting places. I love this next line. Ortberg says, that it would have made as much sense as if someone inspected a crib alone and concluded, “You have a beautiful baby.”

We all know that babies are people. The crib is just the piece of furniture where you place the baby and even that is a temporary resting destination. We put the baby in the crib so that he or she can rest up and recharge so he or she can be ready to be released to life itself. Living is not nestling in for an eternity of doing nothing more than being stuck in a resting pattern.

If you have a toddler, would you want him or her in the crib 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Actually, if you have a baby, you might want to be in the crib 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. This spot of rest and relaxation is only a temporary fix. We don’t gather as the Body of Christ to live in a building where we meet for worship! We don’t neglect our habit of meeting together to rest up, recharge, and get nourished so that we can get back out into the world and be living representations of the Savior we claim to love.

Our western culture has redefined “Fellowship” as just eating cookies and drinking coffee together, but it is so much more. Fellowship is all about community and connection. Biblical fellowship means that you get close enough to another you even know what they smell like. When I was a younger man, before I became allergic to everything, I used to wear the cologne, Brut. As a matter of fact, my wife Terri always knew when the kids were with their Father because she would say, “You smell just like Daddy.” When was the last time somebody said, “You smell just like Jesus?” You can’t give out what you don’t put in. Too many of us smell like a building when we should have the aroma of Jesus! I guarantee that if you jump into the arms of your Lord, the intimacy with Him will produce a fragrance of life to others. What are we waiting for?

So much of the Ministry of Jesus had nothing to do with lecturing in a conference room. Jesus was always inviting someone to share a meal with Him. Matthew, Zacchaeus, and every imperfect seeking sinner had the opportunity to have a meal with the Master. Growing up in the 1960’s, our Family had Dinner at the table every night. It was so much more than just stuffing fast food down our throats we just received at a drive-through as we rush on our way to the next event. We shared stories and laughter as we passed the meat loaf and freshly baked biscuits. The current generation has no idea the depth they are really missing because they have traded in authentic communion for convenience.

In the Book Of Revelation, when Jesus was standing outside of the Church at Laodicea, He promised that if someone would open the door and invite Him in that He would come on in and do what with them? He didn’t say, I’ll come in and teach you. He made it clear that He wanted to share a table where quality time was treasured. Who wouldn’t want to have lunch with the Lord? Believers–we are His Bride and not His building. When we gather together, it is such a privilege to come to the table so that we can go out refreshed, recharged and renewed, ready to bring others to such a relationship with the God who loves us so!

Are you ready to make the paradigm shift? Burdens aren’t lifted at a building. Burdens are lifted at Calvary because you have connected with the Jesus who loved you so much. Do you know the best way to receive love? It is by giving love away. When we are truly loved by God, we are filled to be spilled so that those on the outside come on the inside and know what an amazing community the Family of God really is. I don’t want to smell like a musty building when I can represent my Master so much better. How about you?