We live in a day when we want instant success and immediate victory. We think we deserve the trophy before taking and passing the test. We desire the accolades without ever actually having to put on and wear the armor. We all want to go to heaven but nobody really wants to die. Oh if it were only that easy for Jesus. What if he could have just fast forwarded himself to the empty tomb without having to suffer the excruciating pain and shame of the cross? But it doesn’t take long for one to learn that if you want to participate in Easter, you can’t skip over Good Friday. You have to start in Gethsemane to get to Golgotha if you ever long to wake up in a graveyard without a corpse.

 Our salvation might be free but it doesn’t come cheap. Grace and mercy were purchased to be packaged as a present to us here on earth from God up above but it was all made possible only because Jesus was willing to pay the greatest of prices to offer the most treasured of sacrifices. The Lord laid his life down so we would have one to pick up. If Jesus wasn’t willing to bleed then we could have never been freed from the chains of sin and death. But because the Lamb of God was compelled by love and took our beating- we hopeless sheep discovered comfort and joy in the Shepherd’s arms. But I never want to forget that it wasn’t a cross of gold that won my soul but a bloody wooden one that mixed with splinter and skin purchased my redemption from the prison that could no longer claim me as one of its own.

 Maybe forgiveness doesn’t mean what it should because you have never invested your heart. It is one thing to consider love from a purely intellectual standpoint and a whole other ballgame when you engage in reconciliation from the depth of your broken and unjustly mistreated soul. Most of us respond positively when another drops charges against us or decides to not hold a grudge when it might well be within pure reason to do so. But when we ourselves have been wronged, it is not that easy to come back by responding with a right. Yet studies show that if somebody has experienced for themselves personally the power of unconditional love, they are more apt to spill over what they were filled with.

 Easter is not about religion at all. All ceremony can do is focus in upon how inadequate we are to be godly in our dealings or able to keep the commands on our own. We must receive something of significance first if we ever want to be able to pass more than just ritual and routine along. All my life I had heard about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Every year I would practically live in the church during holy week. I wanted to feel something. I longed to be engaged but it never went beyond my brain to my gut. Then I finally heard the gospel. It was about God loving me when I had nothing to offer him at all. It centered on Jesus doing what he did not out of duty but because of pure devotion to the Father’s plan to redeem the human race. Jesus loved not just the world but also me. He knew me inside and out and still invited me to join his family. When those nails were driven in his hands and his feet on that tree in Calvary, he took that hit for me and if I would just humble myself and believe in him, I could have everlasting life at the moment of conversion. My salvation was a free gift from God but that doesn’t mean I just grabbed the package and hurried out the back door on my merry way. No! If Jesus was willing to go the distance for me, I knew that I had no other higher purpose than to give my life to following him.

 You can’t have deep communion in a moment or two. You can’t know somebody without investing the best of your attention. You can’t claim to be a Christian if you have no intention of listening to and obeying Jesus. Without a full commitment on your part, how else can there be true communion between you and God? Can you get in physical shape by avoiding exercise? Can you learn to play a new instrument without practice? Can you speak a foreign language without study? Can you love the Lord the way he loves you without spending some quality time together? Growing up I had spent a lot of time in buildings talking about God but when I came to know Jesus- I now knew how to use my time talking to God and learning from his word how to please him with the daily decisions I made and the steps that I would now forever take with him leading the way.

 The empty tomb was not the destination but the launching pad. Easter is not the end of the road but the beginning of a new journey. This week shouldn’t be about just coming back to church to check in, but the start of living the dream by practically jumping in and becoming an active participant in the body of Christ by daily walking with Jesus. God is not the last resort but your first move. If you dedicate your heart to follow him, I guarantee the trajectory of your story will begin to change for the better. I am not saying it will be easier because a life of faith never is. But I am promising that your relationships will grow in passion; your days will exude a clear purpose and your spiritual walk will demonstrate heavenly power right here on earth.

 Jesus didn’t do what he did so we could eat candy, eat ham with family and pray for spring. He wanted us to know that there is more to this life than making money, having fun and trying to escape the fray with the least amount of bruises necessary. When hearts are allowed to come out of their protective shells, you can be sure there will be damage done. Since I gave my life to the Lord, my heart has taken more beatings than some of our Eagle’s Quarterbacks have in the last few seasons- still I know that I am fully alive. You won’t be able to judge it by the amount of possessions gained or by a series of successful ventures. As a matter of fact, there have been months along the way in my pilgrimage when God seemed rather absent and the storm flooding looked like it was about to submerge my soul and then- right when I believed I was about to drown in my sorrows- my Savior saved my day! And what I am trying to say is that maybe the most loving symbol of the Easter Season are the scars that remain on the hands and feet of my Lord.

So if you are longing for an easy ride to Paradise, maybe Christianity is not for you. But if you, like I, have come to the realization that this world has nothing lasting and authentic to satisfy the yearning, hunger and thirst in your weary spirit then Jesus has a ticket to ride with your name on it. Yes- the tale will conclude in the celebration of an empty tomb, but there may still be those intense times of crying out in prayer marked by blood, sweat and tears along the way and there may even be your own cross to bear that will inflict a scar or two in spots that you won’t be able to ignore. But if you want to be there for the party, you can’t escape all the pain. Real life just doesn’t work that way. It never was meant to be that simple. It was always meant to be extraordinary! Amazing grace makes it all a reality. Your answer to God’s invitation will make it real for you! It has been oh so real to me! Happy Resurrection Day! 

The word “submit” has become a hot potato in our present day culture that’s for sure, but it is not a swear word! And when surrender is understood properly, it actually becomes a godly act! Let me ask some hard questions: Are you a submissive person when it comes to respecting godly leadership? And as a Christian, are you submitting daily to Jesus as your Lord in every area of your life? Also as a believer, are you submitting yourself regularly to any specific brothers and sisters in Christ? If I asked you right now, could you actually name two or three individuals that you have given full access of your private life to; including the right to speak the whole truth to you no matter how hard it might be to handle?

I can’t tell you how many so called Pastors, Leaders and Teachers there are that have shut themselves off from any accountability. They are not teachable in any way, shape or form and when they are forced to face the truth, rather than humble themselves and receive the teaching, they flee! What is worse yet is when I hear these people boldly spout off how committed they are to God and God alone. The contradiction is plain though when one reads the Scriptures that command us to be submitted to one another in the family of God. If you don’t allow the privilege of another spiritual man or woman to be able to challenge you, don’t expect to grow at the pace that God would have hoped you could experience.

Do you pray for God to use you to practically meet the needs in others? Are you willing to serve others even if it might mean participating in what you would deem doing menial tasks? Nik Wallenda walked across Niagara Falls on a high wire in 2012 and became the first man to walk across the Grand Canyon in 2013. Nik is a strong Christian and has a unique way of actively handling pride. He literally spends hours cleaning up garbage left behind by his fans. Nik says: “Three hours of cleaning up debris is good for my soul.              Humility does not come naturally for me. So if I have to force myself into situations that are humbling, so be it.  I do it because it’s a way to keep from tripping. As a follower of Jesus, I see Him washing the feet of others. I do it because if I don’t serve others, I’ll be serving nothing but my ego.” How about you? Are you too proud to scrub a toilet in Jesus Name?

If you are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, your relationships should be marked by a joyful submission to others that flows out of your committed connection to Jesus Christ. Now in discussing this topic of submission, Christians and Churches run the risk of being misquoted, misunderstood and vilified as monsters in all the mayhem! Contrary to what some old time religion Bible thumpers may shout- none of these verses give any man permission to treat their wives as slaves and servants as they order them around as if these guys were the Grand Poohbah of the Water Buffaloes of Bedrock! If as a male you conclude that you’re your definition of “submission” means acting like Jabba the Hut or General Patton or the proverbial Caveman Joe dragging his woman by the ponytale, you best stop and think again. These applications only come from insecure and disordered men who have perverted God’s Word to stroke their own ego! The big idea of proper submission is not that it is driven by power; but by love. God’s agape love is the love of a heavenly kind that can be shared on earth when we allow ourselves to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. It is the same unconditional love that was shared and modeled by Jesus when he walked this planet some 2000 years ago. The New Testament reminds us that the path to true fulfillment means taking actual steps in pursuing opportunities to serve one another like Jesus would!

This is why it is essential that as disciples of Jesus we must walk by faith and not by sight so we can keep our priorities straight! Because if you don’t intentionally keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, it is way too easy to lose Him in the crowd and when you do, before you know it, you have opened the door to your pride pummeling any chance of positive community! As Christians, we are not to allow our behavior to be squeezed into the world’s mold in the way we deal with one another! You are not to seek power and leverage over one another. Instead of creating a chain of command, we should be practically looking to foster an environment of servant hood. Instead of trying to grab all the marbles to dominate, we should be giving our best away to incorporate a new philosophy to live by. We should be part of building a healthy environment where every individual has equal value. The example for us is in The Trinity. Too many people falsely assume that the Father is the CEO, Jesus is the Field General and the Holy Spirit is the Gopher. But God is in a perfect and equal relationship within the Trinity. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have always shared a closeness and intimacy that we humans can only dream of! We long for intimacy and relationship because we were made in the image of a Godhead who has just that! As a man of God once said, “God does not need the Creation in order to have someone to love because within Himself love already thrives!” Real Love creates a generous environment of unconditional value. We were created to desire to share life, not hog it to ourselves and we got that quality from the God who made us!

Christ’s love can’t compel you, if you don’t choose to repel your own ego! One of the great reversals in Christianity is that the more we focus on ourselves, the more disillusioned we become! But the more we forget about ourselves and concentrate on Jesus, the more our lives become meaningful and purposeful. Today’s Churches have too many bosses and not enough Jesus! If Jesus really is running the show then the church should be the most honest and yet the safest and loving place on earth! Is it, and if not, why not?

Is it time to wave our “white flag” of surrender to the Lord? Real worship begins by submission to the Lord! It takes us falling down before the Father and abandoning all of our desires and commitments to Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. If you don’t surrender to God, you won’t submit properly to anyone and it will become the very curse you had hoped would never cross your heart! Miracles are only available to those who give God room! Maybe taking the word of Mother Mary might be the best advice of the day. At the wedding feast in Cana, she made it known in John 2:5 “Do whatever He tells you.” If you really are serious about your desire to commit, it all begins with a decision to submit; first to the Lord and then to one another.

The other day I got in my Chevy Cruze and made the long drive up the snowy Garden State Parkway to get to the northern part of New Jersey which happens to be the area that I was born and grew up in. The reason for my journey was to visit a childhood friend that I used to live just two streets over from in the Morris County town called Cedar Knolls. I wish I could say that it was for a happy reason that I reconnected in person with Aprile. But unfortunately that terrible disease that begins with a “C” has wreaked havoc in the Predmore Family. There are only so many things you can write in a Facebook message. Some moments must be experienced face to face.

 I have to tell you that my former Junior High classmates are an amazing breed. Jan, Vivian, Melba and other talented women put together what they have labeled, “The Traveling Quilt.” Put together by bits of material donated by its participants, the quilt has been sent to those who receive it in a time of special need. Accompanying it is a journal where the recipients share memories of yesteryear and anecdotes of the present. There is also a “Male” version of the bon voyage blanket making its rounds which includes a piece of New York Mets memorabilia from Yours Truly. As divine love would plan it, the Ladies quilt arrived at the same time I did and while I am in no way as beautifully put together as their tapestry of love, I did come with a heart full of gratitude for a wonderful gal that is courageously navigating her way through a challenging diagnosis.

 Even though I am a Pastor who is directionally challenged and too stubborn to humble myself and use a GPS gadget, after my typical time of wandering aimlessly up by the Newark Airport, I did finally arrive at my destination. Flanked by my Fifth Grade Buddy Jan who was actually taller if not smarter than me back at Mountainview Road School and her hubby Mike whose brother John was a part of my congregation when I was a Minister in Randolph, we greeted Aprile’s spouse Ed and her teary eyed daughter Nicole at the front door. I knew right away we were on holy ground. Having already been assigned to Hospice care, it took a little while for Aprile to come out and be with us but when she finally did, I could see the glow in her eyes in spite of the frailty of her body. When we hugged, Aprile said to me, “You are much taller than I remember.” That comment made me laugh out loud since I hadn’t seen her since I was twelve years old!

 She got herself settled in the hospital bed in the living room and Janette immediately presented Aprile with the quilt. Even though I was intensely shy back in my junior high days, last Tuesday I was bold and courageous in expressing my heart and faith with my childhood comrade. I prayed that through me, Aprile would sense God’s presence in the midst of her pain. I hoped that she would know that the Lord had not abandoned her in this her greatest time of need. I shared with her my own trials and tribulations and season of sufferings and how hard this crazy world can be but nothing that this earth has thrown at me had been able to separate me from the infinite love of God.

 I have to share with you all an insight that God had given me lately. The reason we have internal struggles at times is because we were created to be eternal. God made us to live in relationship with him. Sin threw a wrench into that communion and we have been struggling ever since. Only by grace via faith can any of this chaos make sense. Only biblical belief gives purpose to our suffering. Only our trust in the resurrection gives us any hope after we die. Our physical bodies are passing away. From the moment we were born, we were destined to die! But have you ever noticed that it is only our outer self that is passing away? Does your Spirit ever feel like it is aging and falling apart? The answer is a definitive, “No!” Even in our elderly stage, we still feel like we are seventeen in the soul! This is because we are spiritual beings! When we die, only our bodies are left behind to be buried. Our immaterial selves have graduated somewhere! When Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life and he that believes in me even though he dies, yet he will live!” makes all the sense in the world to those of us who have become dependent upon the Lord for our every move. Because of Jesus and all that he did for us, Aprile’s days are not numbered at all. The last breath she will take here will be her first breath in a new location and in that environment; all that has hindered us here will be kicked to the curb for good! The things that steal, kill and destroy will be no more! And that is the day I am longing for because I am sick and tired of being sick and tired! And I can’t wait to arrive at the venue where we will never have to say, “Goodbye” again.

 Every day Aprile has this side of heaven I will fight on my knees for her life. I know God only has to say the word and she could be miraculously healed for more adventures on this planet. But let us look closely at the words of our prayers. Ultimate healing will be heaven for me! If I get to be in the presence of Jesus and dwell in a paradise that is perfect in every way; don’t waste a tear crying for me and don’t you dare resuscitate me! I don’t want to spend just ninety minutes in glory! I want to remain there forever and a day!

 Life is a precious gift and most of us wait until it’s too late to get our priorities straight. Priorities are love God first and then love others! Worshiping stuff and wasting hours acquiring junk you can’t keep anyway is overrated. Only one life will soon be past and only what is invested in eternity will last. Please pray for my friend Aprile. Pray for relief from her pain and for wonderful hours multiplied miraculously as she spends memorable minutes with her family and loved ones! And please don’t wait until cancer or some other disease darkens your door before you turn on the light bright in your life! It may be February on the calendar but today is Aprile’s day and because of her courageous countenance etched in my mind- I celebrate her and all of my blessed friendships made even more meaningful by my relationship with my God.   

I love snow but what we all experienced this past weekend was something that resembled a winter hurricane more than a good old fashioned blizzard. Ice, sleet, rain, wind, power outages, tidal flooding and more made for one challenging adventure for those of us who live down the shore. This is not a complaint as much as it is a guttural sigh of the not so nice side of where we reside. The Jersey Peninsula never fails to leave us in a, “Your guess is as good as mine,” stupor. But this Superstorm Jonas Character just rubbed me the wrong way. And while there is nothing much I can do about what has already been done, I do want to just give a positive shout out to all my friends and neighbors who live here in Cape May County. There is no other place like it on this planet and I am blessed and grateful to God that he has allowed me to call this home since 1997!

I am thankful that we don’t experience the plain awful traffic 365 days a year that I used to face living on the northern part of our beloved Garden State. Living so close to the Atlantic Ocean is a gift that too many locals don’t take advantage of enough. One of my favorite getaway “Prayer Spots,” is the North Wildwood Wall. How one could ever get too full of himself while standing in the presence of the absolute majesty of God’s creation is beyond me. And we don’t have to invest a fortune to catch this magic for only one week a year! We get it any time we choose to lose the blues and open our eyes to the utter surprise that awaits anyone who will give God attention to perform his wonders to amaze!

I like that we get a taste of all four Seasons here and I am not talking the Frankie Valli variety although we do get our fair share of the greatest hits and musical artists of all time here in the wonder of our Wildwood Days! I don’t think I would ever want to be in an environment where the weather never changed. Now don’t get me wrong, because I am the biggest whiner alive when it comes to the hot humid days and nights of summer! But I like getting a taste of it all and Lord if that means having to trust you to survive a nasty storm or two along the way, so be it! There have been many more good days compared to the bad ones in my memory!

Like many others, we too had to cancel our weekend Church Services at the Lighthouse. I hate missing church and not because of any religious guilt trip. I just love the people that God has sent so that we may share life together. Contrary to popular belief, we really do need each other to worship and be a family of brothers and sisters loving one another along our race of loving and serving God! Have you ever noticed that you can’t do all the “One Another’s” in the Bible as a solo act? And like any gathering of human beings, there will be those times where we get under each other’s skin and on each other’s nerves, but I can’t even imagine what my life would be like without the Flock that I am so honored to shepherd. And yes, it isn’t the same when we don’t touch base each weekend; and believe it or not, I do miss people when they stop coming! It has nothing to do with a numbers thing but everything to do with the fact that I really do care about those the Lord has put in my path! And when they hurt, I ache. And when they are doing well, I celebrate. But when we aren’t together, I certainly know that there is something missing.

I spent most of last Saturday at The Lighthouse Church because the power went out at our home in Dennis Township. When there is no electricity, it means that bathrooms don’t work and at my age this is no longer an option! We aren’t quite set up to be an “Official” Shelter yet at the church because of certain State rules and regulations but I have spent every major storm there since we opened its doors. I prayed lots this past weekend for those I knew by name and for those whose pictures I only saw as they battled the elements. This is where Facebook, Twitter and other venues of social media helped me stay in touch when other lines of communication just happened to be down. And did you know that something divinely holy happens to your connection when you pray for another? I always feel closer to others when I am lifting them up before the Lord! I also got to play some basketball with my son Joel in our church gym. Did you know that I beat him in HORSE but it took me making a crazy comeback to do so? My shooting arm feels shot to pieces! And when everything calmed down, we were able to come back home! I am thankful to fellow Dennis Resident, Al Dicicco who made sure that our little powerless neighborhood wasn’t ignored and I am sure sped the process to get the local refrigerators running again! I thank God and told him to forgive me whenever I take the little things for granted!

So by the time you read this, chances are everything will be back to normal or maybe not! Maybe like me, you will spend some extra time this week lingering in conversations or just being thankful to the many of our fellow citizens who have such thankless jobs! Maybe you will reach out to help somebody who is still trying to put the pieces back into place from the damage of the storm. But I do hope you realize that there is no perfect place this side of heaven. The thunder rolls and the lightning strikes in even the most tropical of paradises that call earth its home. But I am praying for a season of sunshine and growth to those who share Upper, Middle and Lower Townships and all the nooks and crannies in between! It was an ugly storm but you are still a special people who just happen to live in the midst of a beautiful place that still needs the divine protection of a redemptive God! Lord I am reporting for duty and I hope many others will join me today! Amen!         

Happy New Year Family! 2016 came in with a big bang for the Sheptock’s with the wedding of my oldest daughter Leah to Pastor Jeff Savage. Pastor Jeff oversees the Junior High Ministry and Communications here at The Lighthouse Church yet my relationship with him goes way back beyond the day that Jeff was born! Jeff’s Dad Tom who is also a Pastor and I went to Philadelphia College of Bible together and lived on the same floor of the Robert Morris Hotel when we were Freshman back in 1978! Both Tom and I married gals that we met while there at PCB. Who would have ever thought that someday Tom’s son would win the heart of my daughter and the two of them would get married. It is the stuff which Hallmark Movies are made of and we all lived the magic of their union on January 1^st as both Tom and I officiated the ceremony for our kids.                                         

During the unbelievably emotional Service, there was a section planned where Tom challenged his son Jeff and I gave a personal charge to my daughter Leah. From the time that she was quite young, Leah has always displayed an aggressive determination to go after her dreams. Leah is not very spontaneous and carefully scripts her steps to achieve her desired ends! Needless to say, she likes to be in control and doesn’t do very well when things begin to go haywire from her “to-do” sheet! It was to this behavior that I specifically chose my words with the hope that it would reach down deep and hit its mark from Father to Daughter!

With devotion in my heart, choking back the tears, I said, “Honey, I pray you can lighten up and relax so you will finally be able to enjoy what you will otherwise miss if you don’t know how to dismiss what you really have no control over anyway! There is nothing wrong with setting goals. Today is a day that is known for millions of Americans making their annual resolutions. It is good to have goals but be careful of those expectations! Expectations have a way of robbing many a positive experience! We must not fret about what we cannot control! Goals can still be accomplished despite missed expectations. We must learn to trust God and allow the Lord to adjust the load on the road!”

I went on to share how our darn expectations can actually paralyze us rather than propel us to getting to where we want to go, doing what we want to do and being what we want to be. Let’s say for instance that I have a plan that I am going to have a great Christmas. But unfortunately, I also have my own preconceived notions of what needs to happen for that glorious destination to be reached. The problems begin because no matter how down to the detail I have scripted the season, I have no control over the weather, my health, the actions or the reactions of other people and so on and so forth as we march towards the finished line. If I allow all these obstacles to have more power than I need to, chances are real good that I am in for one miserable conclusion. Can I still have a good Christmas if it doesn’t snow, or if I am sick, or if I have no money to my name? What if the turkey burns, or the gifts are robbed, or I don’t get the gift that I had my heart set upon? This is where expectations can become downright dangerous. If I am not able to adapt to the constant changing times, I may be in for a truly disappointing day. And bad days soon become weary weeks that are drawn out into yucky years and before you know it, you have missed so much of the magic because it didn’t come through the door that you appointed it to enter into.

I looked into the eyes of my Brown Eyed Princess and said, “It isn’t until you stop expecting people and places to be perfect, that you can finally begin to like and love and live with them and in them for who and what they are. Blessed are those who don’t love their expectations so much that they miss the experience of still celebrating life in spite of broken dreams and busted plans! When it pours, dance in the puddles. If he snores, thank God it means that he is alive and breathing. If the radio is broken, sing your own hit songs! If the car doesn’t start, get out and enjoy a refreshing walk. Basically, don’t sweat the small stuff and when life gets too hard, as it always does, make an official pronouncement that it’s all nothing more than tiny troubles in the whine that can become bubbles of blessings right in the nick of time.  

Congratulations Jeff and Leah! There is a whole new world of adventure that God has written your names upon and I want you to live it with your eyes, ears, hearts and souls wide open. But please don’t take on more of the responsibility than just being faithful to the steps that the Lord has put right in front of you. As the old hymn says, “Yesterday’s gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine, Lord help me today and please how me the way- ONE DAY AT A TIME!”

What was once a sought after quality, one that was respected, admired and even revered, today has taken a backseat to a generation that doesn’t know how to say “No.”  Unfortunately we have become a Society that has forgotten what it’s like to sacrifice, what it means to commit and how important it is to be open to receiving correction. Rarely do I witness anymore a Man or a Woman choosing to do the hard thing rather than opting for the easy way out.  Faith at its core is all about delaying temporary gratification to wait for an eternal treasure that God has promised us is coming. I don’t want to give up the glorious forever for the fleeting here and now.

Today I want to share with you the words of a young Counselor who has just begun his ministry. He went out on a limb and listed what he believed were the 10 biggest reasons for why he thought this present generation was the most difficult to disciple into a committed and mature relationship with Jesus. He knows the kids are not the only ones to blame. We Parents have actually hurt our children in many areas where we thought we were helping them, we in reality harmed them!

HERE IS HIS TOP TEN LIST:

• We are used to being spoon fed everything. Everything is too convenient for our generation; our parents are not the only ones at fault in this situation as Society is the culprit as well. We understand that our parents wanted to give us the life they never had, but that may just be the problem. We have been coddled from birth in this perfect bubble where we get what we want, when we want.
• We seek recognition for the dumbest things. From doing well on a test and demanding a sticker; to getting a good report card and expecting our parents to buy us a gift. And the worst of the bunch, everybody winning a trophy just for showing up and being on the team! This reward system has caused us to seek attention for everything that we do. Now no task can be done without our seeking some sort of reward for it; for example: even when we do tasks that are normally required of us at work or in our everyday lives, we seek recognition.
• There has never been an attention-thirsty generation quite like this. From elementary school, we had our teachers and parents kissing up to us and rewarding us for every minor thing that we did.
• We expect to work 9 to 5 and become successful. Becoming successful is going to take time and effort as nothing comes easy in this world. If you truly want to become successful, you’re going to have to go beyond the call of duty in order to show people that you are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals.
• We get too easily offended when someone criticizes us with the intention of helping us improve as human beings. Our generation has to be one of the most pampered and whine-y generations in history. This extends all the way to the manner in which people take criticism. It is impossible to give constructive criticism to people in our generation as we all think that we have the answers to everything.
• We feel a sense of entitlement, as if the world owes us something for being alive. The biggest difference between our generation and the generations before us is that we were raised in a time when this country was thriving economically. In those times, we were given whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted it. This has led to a sense of entitlement with everything that we do.
• We always look for the easy way out.In addition, we all look for the easy way out of things. No one wants to roll up their sleeves and actually get work done, as we are too used to having things served to us our way in our timing. 
• We have to be one of the laziest generations in history. Although we are smart and really skilled, our downfall is that we do not seem to work well in environments that don’t keep us interested.
• We are too easily flustered by the obstacles we face. One of our biggest faults as a group is the way we are easily deterred by obstacles. Instead of facing hurdles with grit and creativity, we allow them to conquer us with a whimper and not a war. What happened to all the people who enjoyed being challenged and solving problems?
• Our Culture rewards stupidity. Has there been a time where stupidity has been rewarded the way it is now? It is hard to believe that people can get national recognition for the dumb things they have done. For example think og Celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, The Jersey Shore TV Show Cast, Dating Naked Contestants and Reality Shows. If this isn’t enough to prove this point, look how much attention Miley Cyrus has gotten recently for her wild antics.
• Time Out was our only punishment. Nowadays, it’s considered child abuse if you even lay a hand on your child. This is a problem because we have gone from one extreme to another. The disrespect our generation shows to our elders is the proof of the pudding!
• We live in an era that is too politically correct. I like this! It has come to a point in our society where we have to be extremely cautious with what we say because people have become way too sensitive. You cannot speak freely without offending someone these days and this is really a nuisance. More terms have been labeled as offensive in this generation than at any time! People need to realize that not everything that is said is meant to be offensive, and agreeing with everybody is not a pre-requisite to love.                                                                                    He concludes with this sentence: If we want to change the way things are moving for our generation, we have to break old habits that are keeping us from growing into the well rounded and fully grounded Believers that God intends for us to be!

What do you think? Email me pastorrudytlc@comcast.net I do believe that today is the day to submit to the Lord and be open to what He wants to do in us rather than forcing our own agenda and stamping God’s name on it!

Happy Birthday to my son Rudy! He is 29 years old today and it seemed like just yesterday that Terri and I welcomed our firstborn child. We were living in Morristown, New Jersey back in those days and I was serving as a Campus Life Director with Youth For Christ working exclusively with High School Students. We loved investing our hearts into the lives of teenagers, but we were so yearning for kids of our own. After two painful miscarriages in 1983 and 1984, we were both so joyful and very grateful to God at the safe delivery of our pride and joy- baby boy- Rudolph Peter Sheptock III! The year was 1986 which turned out to be a banner year, not only because Rudy was born, but the Mets won the World Series! Times were good! 

Today Rudy is already the Senior Pastor of Pike Grace Brethren Church in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I was a Youth Pastor for the first 15 years of my ministry and didn’t become the Lead Minister until I got here at The Lighthouse Church back in 1997. When Rudy’s church lost their Shepherd, the congregation turned to my son who really does show wisdom beyond his years. Needless to say I am very proud of him. He is married to a wonderful gal named Lindsey and they have two wonderful and lively sons named Jude and Gideon. There is a 3^rd baby on the way and we are already praying for a healthy arrival come next February.

I share all this with you because I thought today you might like to hear from the younger Pastor Rudy. He has become a very gifted Preacher and Writer. Here is a little sample of his work as my gift to all of you on Rudy’s Birthday! Enjoy!

A WORD FROM MY SON RUDY: “I have met many people who openly proclaim they don’t need church. They have an attitude that says, “Me and God have got our own thing going on.” Church is not a priority nor is fellowship with other believers. When it comes down to it, God has declared that we need one another. There are over 50 “one another” passages in the New Testament. God did not intend for us to live out our faith alone. He purchased us and made us one body (the Church) in the blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we are saved we are unified together with all believers. We are meant to live, breathe, and function in the community of other believers. When we forsake these relationships we miss out on tremendous blessing.

Many times the two reasons why fellowship is not a priority are privacy and protection. People are just not willing to get to know others or be known by them. Yes, relationships can be messy. Yes, they can also open us up to hurt and disappointment. However, despite these “ifs” God still calls us to love one another and bear with one another. The Lord knows what He is doing by commanding these things because He knows exactly what we need. Many times we convince ourselves that staying away from others is what is best for us. We think, “If I stay away than I won’t get hurt” or “If I stay away than people won’t know this about me” but the truth is when we stay away we are really only hurting ourselves.

One of the ways that we fight off sin is through fellowship. Paul teaches in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” There are actually three commands in this verse. One is to flee from youthful lusts. We are to run (at times literally!) from sin. We are to do whatever we can to get away from the youthful lusts of this world. John describes the things of this world in 1 John 2:16 as, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.” John goes on to say that these things will pass away and die along with the world. We are not to hang around these things, make them our practice or pursue them. Instead (here is the second command) we are to pursue the things of God, which are righteousness, faith, love and peace. Notice all of these things are not found in us but in Christ. So we are to run from ourselves and run to Christ. As Jesus said we are to “deny ourselves” and follow Him. There is a third command in this verse that is often missed. Paul not only tells us to flee from sin and pursue Jesus but he commands for us to do so “with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” We are to fight sin and go after Jesus not as lone rangers but as a band of brothers. We are lying to ourselves if we think that we can fight off sin alone. God has given us a provision in other believers to fight against sin and focus on Jesus.

God has also given us the opportunity for much needed encouragement in one another. The writer of Hebrews continues with the call of community in the New Testament with this passage in Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” There are times we may feel like giving up on church. We may be going through a rough time that drives us to seclude ourselves or we may just get caught up in busyness that we slip away from fellowship. See from this passage that we cannot make this a habit. The writer pleads with the people not to make this a pattern. Missing a few Sundays can become a destructive pattern in our lives that keeps us from valuable necessities for living. We need love, we need to partake in good deeds, we need encouragement, and we need to know that there are others out there holding onto the truth that we are so desperately trying to hold onto. This passage tells us that we find all of that in gathering together. You have more than you know to offer to this body of believers!

A good picture for the word stimulate is a “spur.” When a horse slows down in the race, the jockey gives the horse a spur to push him on. There are times spurs hurt. There are times they are uncomfortable but that horse needs the spur to run in the right direction and win the race. In the same way we need the spur of one another. We need one another to challenge us, to love on us, to serve us and to encourage us so that we are each heading in the direction of Christ.”

A WORD FROM DAD AGAIN: I am proud of you Son! Keep shining your light bright and praying for many more fruitful years in your future! God was definitely gracious to me in giving me a Son like you! Happy Birthday!

In 1978 I began my training for the ministry at Philadelphia College of Bible that was located in center city on 17^th and Arch Street. The male dorms were in the Robert Morris Hotel and my room was up on the 14^th Floor. The guy that lived about 3 doors down from me during that freshman year was another newcomer to the school named Tom Savage. We became good friends back then and we also both met our wives during those university days.

Tom ended up marrying a young lady named Barb Crouthamel and our paths would cross again when Barbie’s Mom and Dad- Tom and Barb began attending The Lighthouse Church back in 1998. The senior Crouthamels have been so instrumental in the blessings of what God has done through the years while I have had the privilege of being a Pastor here in Cape May County. They have even become like Parents to me and what a kick we have had counting all the ways that our lives had intersected with one another even before we ended up here together! It actually got even more amazing this past Wednesday Night.

Terri and I have been given the privilege to raise four of our nine children and our second child Leah is our oldest daughter and a living miracle at that. There were several moments during the pregnancy with Leah that we weren’t sure that she was going to make it. I remember a terrible August night in 1987 that I thought for sure Leah was going to go right to Heaven but she survived and also fought her way through about 3 months of constant bed rest with her Mother! Then on January 28, 1988- in Dayton Ohio- the baby with the biggest brown eyes that I had ever seen was born into the Sheptock Family! Yes- we Daddy’s have a great bond with our sons but there are no words strong enough to define the connection between a Father and a Daughter.

Leah is an incredible young lady with a tough exterior but a tender heart. She is a spirited competitor and does not back down from a challenge. Yet she is so good with children and has spent the last 2 years teaching the First Grade in Santiago of the Dominican Republic. We have had many adventures together and of all my children, she is the one most like me from her olive skin to her determined soul. I have prayed through the years that God would raise up just the right man to be a godly husband and loving partner for her as I know she can be feisty and extremely hard to pin down.

A few years back we invited the son of my College Buddy, Tom Savage and the grandson of Tom Crouthamel to come and work at The Lighthouse as an Intern. Jeff Savage excelled at what he was doing in our midst; it was a no brainer to invite him to stay on and become one of our Assistant Pastors. But there was another relationship that has been brewing over this time. And who would have thought that all those years ago that someday Tom’s son Jeff would ask my daughter Leah to marry him! I am so grateful to welcome Jeff Savage into our family as well as seeing Leah Sheptock becoming a part of the Savage Clan! Thanks Barbie Savage and Barb and Tom Crouthamel as I have always hoped that we could be family and in a way that only God could have designed it all together, now we are!

So my daughter Leah is now engaged to our Pastor Jeff! I am not losing a daughter, I am gaining a Minister! When Jeff asked me for my blessing- I couldn’t have been happier. What a gift to be able to see my Princess being courted by a real Gentleman! I can only imagine the adventures that God has in store for them in the days to come! I couldn’t be more ecstatic and proud.

So there is a wedding to come sometime later this year and I can assure you that this Father of the Bride will probably blubber like a baby! But I promise that they will be tears of joy combined with many whispers of thanksgiving because God has faithfully answered the prayers of two Christian Parents who just wanted the best for their babies! It is never too early to begin to pray for your children’s future mates and my prayers for all of you is that you will know the joy that I have today in announcing this awesome news!

It was 18 years ago this past weekend that I excitingly accepted the call to become the Pastor of The Lighthouse Church! (For those of you who know that numbers and mathematics is not my strongpoint- this weekend marks 18 full years in the books and I am about to begin my 19th year as Pastor of TLC!) I remember being at the Seashore Campgrounds for an after church picnic with Terry Welsh grilling up burgers to perfection- when the Search Committee cornered me and extended me the invitation to come and lead the flock. I had already prayed about what I would say if given the opportunity and just the day before- as I stood on the Wildwood Beach looking out at the ocean, here was the verse that God gave me as I wondered whether it was his plan and purpose for me to come home to New Jersey. It was John 11:40 “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” So having no idea what my salary was to be and knowing that the move was going to upset the apple cart of my family’s comfort, I said, “Yes.” And here I am, only because of the grace and provision of a Mighty God, about to embark upon the 19^th year of adventure here in Cape May County.

People sometimes ask me why, in a day when Ministers seem to come and go and change and rotate churches rather quickly, how am I still here? They don’t know the back story that I want to share with all of you today. When I was about to graduate Philadelphia College of Bible in 1982, I had accepted the call to work with Youth for Christ in South Jersey! I was very excited about the challenge to work with young people down here in our neck of the woods! But shortly after graduation, I caved in to family peer pressure and resigned my position with YFC before ever stepping foot in the neighborhood. I did end up with Youth For Christ, but ministering in North Jersey where I had grown up. God did move wonderfully in those days and I loved every individual that I had the privilege to pastor! Yet there was still this gnawing in my soul that I had walked away from my first assignment.

After leaving Campus Life in North Jersey, I landed in Ohio as a Youth Pastor in Dayton and the Akron area. We made incredible friendships and many unforgettable ministry memories; I can’t complain because God moved and lives were challenged, and I rejoiced and wouldn’t change a thing about those years. I eventually was serving God in Omaha, Nebraska as the Youth/College/Singles Pastor when I knew that there was something undone in my spirit. In June of 1997, I received a call from our District Superintendent for the Metropolitan Area of The Christian and Missionary Alliance inquiring if I had any interest in pursuing an open Senior Pastor position in- yes, you guessed it- South Jersey! In our Denomination, you are not blindly transferred from parish to parish without any input. We are asked if we would want to consider being part of a candidating process that works with the church that is looking. My Dad was actually in Omaha when I received the first phone calls from wonderful men like Gerry Stout and Art Hall and I can’t lie- my heart was jumping and doing somersaults as these men introduced me to the potential of what they believed the Lord could do through the vehicle called The Lighthouse Church.

I was at an awesome church in Omaha that had 2700 people coming to it, 14 full time Pastors on staff, a plethora of Administrative Assistants and a Facility that made newcomers’ mouths drop wide open. My peers asked me, “Are you out of your mind?” It didn’t make sense to anyone who sees ministry as a career of always moving up to bigger and better things! The Lighthouse Church had no building, no staff, and no functional copy machine and yet I saw what only faith will allow you to see! Plus, I knew what nobody else knew- that this was my second chance to get it right and to go to where the Lord first invited me- back to South Jersey! God moved miraculously in selling our home in Omaha before we even had to put it on the market and in the Summer of 1997, Rudy and his family were coming home! My oldest son Rudy III who is today a Pastor himself in Johnstown, Pa was in 5^th Grade at the time. Leah was in 4^th Grade, Abbie was in 1^st and Joel was still a distant dream. All my children have grown up in Cape May County and have loved the experience. Now my Grandkids come back to enjoy the life that we who call this area home treasure. But the real lesson is that sometimes God will allow us to take our own detours- even having to go via Ohio and Omaha to get back to where we first belonged!

I have no intentions of retiring or resting on any laurels. When Christians cease to go forward- they cease to grow inward and upward! As amazing as God has moved in our midst in the days gone by- I really believe the best is yet to come! I am not talking about buildings or budgets–but changed and transformed lives! Men coming back to being the Husbands and Dad’s they were meant to be! Women being set free from abuse and Kids growing up knowing they are designed masterpieces in the eyes of their Creator! Church is not about a place you go to be informed. It is about coming together under Jesus to be transformed! He makes us what we could never accomplish on our own!

I also love being part of a community! Thank you for reading these weekly articles! I enjoy my times on the radio- Praise FM- Lift FM and 98.7 The Coast. I love interacting and lending a helping hand to our local officials and businesses! I get energized talking to my neighbors and friends in WaWa and Wal-Mart. I guess I see myself as a County Pastor and not just somebody who only tends to those who are part of his local flock. It is not about anybody coming to The Lighthouse Church as much as it is all about showing people Jesus! In a day when the moral compass of our Nation is going haywire- I think it is good to know that some things never change! Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength and love one another! And no matter what the latest opinion polls may point to- Jesus said it best when he stated, “The Truth shall set you free.” It has set me free to be content where I am with who I am for such a time as this! How about you?  

When my son Joel was about two years old he amazed me one day by an observation that he made that showed advanced discernment way beyond his age. I happened to be sitting on the couch with him by my side when all of a sudden Joel exclaimed, “You Sit Back Daddy! You Sit Back!” He had noticed that my posture was different than normal because I rarely recline anywhere but always seem to be on the edge of my seat so I can be off to my next appointment. Not that morning though! Joel had sensed that because I was comfortably relaxed- I was going to be there to spend more time with him. It has been ten years since that experience but I have never forgotten his challenge to me! I have attempted to be more conscious of what messages my body language sends to those I love! This past weekend I began to reflect on what my posture has been communicating to the God that I proclaim with my lips to love beyond measure. How often do I take my shoes off and long to linger in his presence on genuine holy ground? How long had it been that my only goal was to be able to be with the Lord with no time limits to hinder us? When was the last time that I sat back with Jesus? The following is the result of my quality time of being rather than doing! I hope and pray that it might bless somebody. I also challenge my readers to make time this coming week to sit back with loved ones and the ONE who loves you more than words could ever express! I call it: JUST SIT BACK: 

You sit back and come to just be with me… Get me on track and open my blind eyes to see. You sit back and trust my hand to care for you… It’s faith I lack and I must run to all that’s true. Always running- trying too hard- moving too fast…Never winning- losing too much- nothing to last. Now I’m coming- humble in heart- lowly in soul… And I’m praying- God will take back- what the enemy stole- and restore the joy in me.  Just sit back! It was raining- storms moving in- floods rising high… Things were shaming- hiding my face- muting my cry. Now I’m hoping- love will return- faith becomes new… No more groping- forcing his hand- time to be true- and restore the life in me.  Just sit back! So much time- so many troubled years! Words don’t rhyme- and a trail of painful tears! But I’m here now- like a little child in need! Please hold me Jesus- It’s to you alone I plead! You sit back and come to just be with me…Get me on track and open my blind eyes to see. You sit back and trust my hand to care for you… It’s faith I lack and I must run to all that’s true.