Just Keep Swimming

“Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming.” If you have kids or grandkids I bet you’ve heard that line before. Dory said it in the movie Finding Nemo. Monday night I got hurt playing softball. I went to the doctor on Tuesday, and I don’t need surgery (praise the Lord), but I have a long road ahead of me. So I will, “just keep swimming.” I may not be able to swim (walk) as fast as I normally do for a few months, but I will “just keep swimming.” Life is like that for all of us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We get hurt, we get knocked down, we get delayed, or we get derailed, but we “just keep swimming.”

We need help. We need encouragement. We need support. Sometimes we need to be challenged, and sometimes we need to be corrected. We need each other. We need a shoulder to cry on. We need a shoulder to lean on. We need an ear to listen. We need arms to fall into. We need…and God, our Heavenly Father, supplies…all our needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). He is a good, good Father!

Some of you are spiritually tired. Come be refreshed…and “just keep swimming.” Some of you are spiritually wounded. Come and be restored…and “just keep swimming.”

Some of you are spiritually complacent. Come and be renewed…and “just keep swimming.”

Jesus said, "Come unto Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

May I Have Your Attention Please

Focus, focus, focus. Stay with me. Are you listening? Wake up. Pay attention. Eyes this way...

These things I have heard all my life, and now I find myself saying them from time to time. Most of the time it's not bad, but at times it can be.

I was reading a short article by Dr. Billy Graham this morning and something caught my attention. In the midst of this article he said, "Don't worship the work." I read and reread that statement several times. "Don't worship the work." It got my attention.

The work is not worthy of worship. Repeat that to yourself, "The work is not worthy of worship."

Nothing is every worthy of worship. It's not about what we worship but WHO we worship. Worship should never be a "what" kinda thing. The object of our worship is a person. His name is Jesus. Don't get so caught up in "working for Him" that you miss the wonder, the joy, the comfort, the glory and majesty of Him.

In and Out

There are numerous things that could be summed up with the words "In and Out." I will just let your mind pursue that for a moment. I was just watching a short video by John Maxwell on empowerment and he shared something in the video that I want to expound upon.

He said that empowering people as a leader is like breathing air. You can't take a huge breath and then hold it in forever. Your body wasn't designed to function that way. Empowering people to lead is the greatest way to expand your own influence and leadership. Help make someone else better by giving them the opportunity to grow through trial and error. You aren't actually lessoning your leadership but growing it by empowering others. In and out...

As I listened to those words my mind went to a spiritual place and a spiritual reality. Our faith is like air, our message, the hope of the gospel is like that as well. In and out...you will never lose what you have received by giving it away. There is an abundance of grace, mercy, and love. You can't just take it all in. King Jesus didn't design our salvation, His grace and redemption, to operate that way. Take it all in...Give it all away, and you will find that there's always been enough to go around.

The Comparison Game

Games are fun. I've played games all my life. Some of them I've been good at and some...well you can imagine. I've played different kinds of games at different stages in my life. Some games that were fun to me when I was a kid are not fun anymore, and the opposite is also true, some games that were not fun to me as a kid are now very enjoyable. Some games are fun because there is no real pressure to win, the fun is just playing the game with people who also want to play. Competing and winning are also fun, and sometimes you play those games for the intense competition. When it comes to those games, Winning is fun, and second place is really just first loser.

There is one game that we all have a tendency to play in life from childhood through adulthood, we never seem to win, and it's not really a fun game to play at all. Yet we play it on a daily basis. The "comparison game" is a killer. Very rarely is it beneficial and encouraging to play this game. It is harmful, and yet we are masters at it. We compare ourselves, our lives, our possessions, our station in life, and so many other things with those types of things in other people's lives, and we walk away feeling cheated and short-changed because we don't have, don't get, can't go like those people whom we are comparing ourselves with. It's the dumbest game I've ever played. I struggle on a daily basis to quit playing, and the struggle is real!

The one great miss in life when you play the comparison game is gratitude. If you are playing the comparison game you aren't grateful and you aren't thankful. Both of those things are so beautiful on people. We love being around people who are grateful and who are thankful. Let's be those people. Live your life with an attitude of gratitude.

If you woke up tomorrow with only those things in your life that you were thankful for today, what would you have tomorrow?

A Story in the Making

One day you will look back on the experiences of your life, maybe even something specific that has, is, or will happen today, and you will share it as part of a story. It may be an exciting part of the story, it may be a sad part of the story, or it may be difficult part of your story, but it is part of your story none-the-less. I have a question for you. What kind of story do you want to tell? You get to determine a great part of the story you will one day tell.

The way you think about today will help determine your story.
The way you think about yesterday will help shape your story.
The way you approach tomorrow will steer your story.

If you act irrationally and emotionally, you may look back on this part of your story and think, "Man, I wish I had done that differently. I wish I could go back and redo that or undo that." If you can slow down enough to step back, take a breath, and focus on the truth (Jesus-John 14:6) you might act differently, and that might change your story.

You are a story in the making! Make it an awesome story.

It May Have a Word...

Have you ever been part of something and new that you were seeing the end of that thing, whether it be a relationship, a business, an era, or something else? I have been witness to some things like that and many times I heard someone say something about the final word. When it comes to the final word one knows that nothing else can or will be said. It is, "the final word."

I've witnessed people give up on life because they feel like what they were going through, the news they received, what had transpired was the final word for them, and in the heat of the moment it may have SEEMED that way. I have also lived long enough at this point that I know that most of what people would deem as the final word really isn't the final word at all. It may be "a word" but it doesn't have to be the "final word."

That diagnosis may have a word, but it doesn't have to be the final word.
The bank may speak a word to you about that business idea or deal, but it doesn't have to be the final word.
That person may be able to speak a word, but it doesn't have to be the final word.

I believe there is only ONE final word, and it will be spoken to you and me by King Jesus. Until you hear from Him, just keep going.

The cross has the final word.

Here's Hope

When I think of the word hope my heart and mind are filled with two opinions: we need it and there's not much of it. Hope. I think you would agree that we need it considering all the stuff that is going around us. Shootings, drug addiction, alcohol problems, sex trafficking and slavery, and the overall moral decline of our culture are all evidences that we need some hope. All of these issues and the thousands more that could be listed are all evidences that people are hurting, people are struggling, people are willing to do some pretty shady and dangerous stuff, all in the name of finding relief, taking a break, escaping for a little while, and screaming for help and hope.

We are tired of feeling hopeless and yet we seem to be on the slippery slope of hoping less and less and less. We've tried almost anything and almost everything, but we are still hopeless. That's is such a sad condition for the human heart, for our families, and for our communities.

And yet the reality is there is hope. It is readily available to anyone and everyone. It doesn't matter where you've been. It doesn't matter what you've done. It doesn't matter where you are from or where you seem to be headed. It doesn't matter if you are male or female. Hope is available. 

Hope is an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes with respect to events and circumstances in one's life or the world at large. Hope is "to cherish a desire with anticipation: to want something to happen or be true; trust."

I believe hope isn't a human idea. I don't think hope came from the heart and mind of any human being. Hope has a source that's out of this world. Romans 15:13 says, "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Well, there ya go. Here's hope.

Get vs Give

Get or give, the struggle is real. You and I, we are bombarded daily by every means possible that the key to our happiness is by getting. Now what appeals to me to get may be different than what appeals to you to get, but the reality is that world is yelling loud and clear, "The more stuff you have the happier you will be." I would even admit that I've tried it. I bet you might just admit that you've tried the whole getting thing too. Question, "did it work?"

For me the answer is "No, It didn't work at all." As a matter of fact, it created a monster in my mind and heart that began craving "getting." I have hurt others, even people I love deeply, trying to get what I want. I don't like it when I see it me. It is painful, and it is costly.

Today I witnessed the opposite of getting, giving. Today is the halfway point of spring break in these parts, and I just left a small struggling church not far from here where two youth groups from two churches have been giving of their time and talents to help this little church get ready for its homecoming. They spruced up the church yard, mulched the flower beds. They have cleaned and painted. It has been amazing to watch. They aren't getting paid, and they are having a great time doing it. I'm very proud of them and their leaders.

So I saw with my own eyes that giving is better than getting. Now getting doesn't have to be bad, dangerous, or harmful. It's all in the heart. But giving, I have found, is always better than getting. The reason this is true is because the Bible says it is. From the very heart and mouth of God the Son, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Give it a try. It just might change your life.

The Hunt Is On

It's Saturday. It's the middle of Easter Weekend. For most of us, spring break is upon us, and people are hunting, people are searching. People are hunting for stuff to do, we must occupy our time. We must fill every moment of time and every space on our calendar. Kids are hunting Easter eggs all over. There is excitement in the air.

We had about 50 kids, plus parents, on our campus this Am hunting, and I pray they find more than they were expecting to find. The hunt is on.

Question--what are you hunting? What are you searching for? It might be a better job. It might be a better relationship. You might be searching for peace. You might be searching for joy and happiness. You might be searching for help and answers. The reality is that most people are hunting something. The reality is the most people have varying opinions as to what a person needs to find. There are probably as many ideas about what to search for as there are people who are searching.

I want to encourage you to search for things that last. Don't waste your time, don't waste you life hunting things that are temporary. To do that is like trying to grab a handful of water. You can try and try and try but you just can't hold on to it. But something that lasts, now that's something you can hold on to for the long haul.

People are for the long haul. Relationships are long haul material. Be a learner. Be a follower when it's necessary and be a leader when it's possible. Point people towards things that last.

I'm a Christ follower. I believe that nothing can outlast my relationship with King Jesus. I love the fact that He will be with me forever. He will be with you too, if you come to Him on His terms.

Character

In the last few weeks I've met and started to get to know a man who has a talent for drawing. He is an artist. I've seen some of his work and it's pretty impressive. His favorite work is comic book heroes and villains. He does great character work.

But the reality is that those characters aren't real. They are fiction. People might get lost in their stories, but it's all make believe. It saddens me to watch people waste lots of their time on fiction and make believe. I've seen it over and over again and it's never pretty to watch. I bet you know what I mean.

John Maxwell says, "Character is not about intelligence. It is about making right choices."

Character is not about intelligence. It is about making right choices.
Character is not about intelligence. It is about making Right CHOICES.
Character is not about intelligence. It is about making RIGHT CHOICES.

I hope and you pray you will be men and women of character. Your marriage needs you to be a person of character. Your children need you to be a person of character. Your grandchildren need you to be people of character. You need to teach people to be people of character. It will not happen by accident.

Make your kids work. It will make them responsible people of character.
Clean up your messes. It's about character.
Take care of your stuff. It's about character.
Lead them well. It's about character.

Broken but Unbroken

I am reading Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. It is the biography of Louis Zamperini. I've seen the movie, and it was very powerful. Now I'm reading the book. There is actually another movie that is coming out soon that will tell the rest of Zamperini's story. He became a Christ follower during the Billy Graham Los Angeles crusade in the 1950's.

The truth about Zamperini is that he was a broken man. He was flawed in many ways. He had numerous struggles. His story is common in that we are all flawed, broken, and desperate. I know that is an adequate description of my life. And yet, even in his brokenness, he refused to be broken. He suffered greatly, but wouldn't allow his suffering to brake him. He refused to surrender even when he was in captivity. He fought the good fight as a POW. He was a true American hero, but what made him famous was his refusal to break. Even in his weakest moments, he somehow found the strength to take another breath, another step, he chose to live another day.

I want to encourage you in this also. You and I, we are broken people, but we don't have to brake. We can keep moving forward. We can, if we choose, make it through the darkness of our situations. We can refuse to surrender. I don't know what you are facing, and I won't share what I'm facing. What we are facing is secondary. The struggle to fight and succeed is more important. But where will we find the strength to persevere?

I will find my hope, my help, my comfort, and my strength in King Jesus. He is my source. He has always been faithful. He has never let me down.

Acts 19-20 (19:11-20)

The War is Real

September 27, 2015

Things are continuing to get “interesting” in our country and in our world. One of the great religious leaders in the world has been in the US, the pope, and in my estimation, he failed. He talked more about global warming that the value of life and the need to protect it or the stance of the Roman Catholic Church on marriage. I am constantly reminded when I think of what we read in the paper, on the internet, and what we see on TV, that the war is real. Gandalf said, “The enemy is strong beyond our reckoning, yet we have a hope at which he has not guessed.” When we think of war I first think of winners and losers. I think of soldiers and battles, wounds, death, and family. In our text Paul is on his third and final missionary journey. He too is a soldier. He too has many battles to fight, the war is real and it rages around him. Satan is trying to stop Paul, destroy the church, and prevent people from being saved. Living as a disciple of Jesus in not easy. The reason is that to be a disciple of Jesus means you are constantly engaged in spiritual war. There is an increasingly common misrepresentation coming from preachers, especially on TV (Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, Jessie Duplantis, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Myers, Paula White, and others), that the Christian life will be easy (life on vacation at the beach). The Bible says the Christian life looks more like this (picture of soldiers moving out).

I Peter 5:8-10, James 1:2-4, Ephesians 6:10-18

READ TEXT Discuss the battles we see in these 2 chapters.

1. The losing side of the war. v. 11-12, 13-16
1. Satan and the demons are on the losing side of the war eternally but also now. Jm. 4:7-8
2. 7 Sons of Sceva were on the losing side. v.13-17. No relationship with Jesus. Guaranteed to lose. Eternal losers are outside the umbrella of God’s grace. Their attitudes and actions reveal their rebellious hearts. Proc. 27:19

1. The winning side of the war. v. 11-12, 17, 20
1. God wins. Jesus is triumphant. The Holy Spirit is victorious. The gospel advances. Every time someone gets saved God wins and Satan loses. Every time a Christian grows in his faith God wins and Satan loses.
2. God’s soldiers win. II Cor. 10:4-5, 11:16-12:10

1. What do you need to do to win? v. 18-20 Take only what you need to fight, to win, into the battle with you. Remember the pic of the soldiers, they didn’t have beach chairs and volleyballs, they had their armor on their weapons in hand. The disciples in Ephesus destroyed the things, the books of magic, because of the destructive nature of those things to their new lives and their new mission. What do you need to lose now?

1 Peter 5:8-10(ESV) 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Ephesians 6:10-18 (ESV) 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Coach or Critic

I don't know about you but I've had a lot of coaches in my life. I played sports growing up and had coaches on every team I've ever played on. Coaches are awesome. Coaches want to help you so they teach you new things. Coaches are awesome. Coaches want you to reach your full potential so they encourage you. Coaches are awesome. Coaches want you to succeed so they are honest with you but they are honest in a way that motivates you to do better and try harder. Coaches are awesome. Coaches see the big picture, they see more than you do because they've been around longer, in most cases, and have more experience. Coaches are able to communicate with you so that you are able to hear, process, and apply. Coaches are awesome. Coaches ultimately build you up.

Critics are people in our lives, and I believe they, for the most part, want to help, but what critics do is beat you up. Critics are present, but they see the negative, and repeated point out your mistakes and failures. Critics are present, but they feel it their responsibility to put you in your place. Critics are present, but they...really get some kind of sick pleasure out of seeing you fail.

You have a choice to make today: Coach or Critic. One is a person that anyone would want to have walk through life together. The other is a person no one wants to have in their lives. Determine that you will be a coach today. Build up or beat up.

I'll take a few more coaches and would love to get rid of a few critics. I choose to be a coach to others. I want to be a builder-upper.

Dig A Little Deeper

I just finished reading a blog by Seth Godin, I want to give credit for the initial idea of what I'm about to write. His idea was shallow vs. deep.

We are on information overload: emails, blogs, social media, apps for news, weather, sports, and stuff for all our hobbies and pleasure. I know when it comes to social media and all it's glory I'm a skimmer. I very seldom go deep. I don't want to get bogged down with the endless chatter and debates. Most of it is simply ridiculous, immature, and completely unnecessary. I also realize that people are, most of the time, presenting a picture of themselves that's not quite as real as real life, much like "reality TV." People let others into the best 5 seconds of their lives, and those watching actually think that that picture represents the norm for the presenter. NOT TRUE!!! We should dig a little deeper before we start wishing we had "their life." If you dug a little deeper into the lives of others you would come to realize pretty quickly that what's going in their lives isn't all that great, and you would might just start appreciating your life a little bit more. You might start investing in your own life, digging a little deeper, a little bit more so that you grow to maturity and are able to do some good and maybe even help someone else along the way. Dig a little deeper.

If all of these this is true in our daily lives I wonder if it's true in our spiritual life as well? Could it be that the reason our physical lives are what they are is that we have often failed to dig a little deeper in our spiritual lives? Have we really gone as far with Jesus as we hope others think we have? Do we spend our days with our religious, spiritual friends trying to make them think we are spiritual giants when we can't see over the dashboard yet? I bet if we spent as much time with Jesus as we spend trying to convince others we are spending time with Jesus we might just grow up in the faith, catch that first glimpse over the dash at the road ahead, be filled with wonder and amazement at our Heavenly Father, and develop a hunger to dig a little deeper.

I pray your hands get a little dirty as you dig.

The Leader is Dead

I try to read a portion of the Bible every day. I have done this most days since the fall of 1999. It has become a great spiritual discipline in my life. I am also training myself to journal. I haven't gotten to the everyday normal part of my routine, but it's becoming more common than not. It's amazing what flows through that pen from time to time. Today I was reading in the Book of Deuteronomy. It's in the Old Testament, and it's the fifth book in the OT. Moses wrote this book along with the four books that precede it. I read chapters 31-32 today. In these chapters Moses has finished reminding the Israelites of all that God has done for them. He has seen them through many trials and difficulties. God has protected them. God has fed them. God has sustained them. God has given them water to drink when there was no water to found. It's been an amazing ride. But sadly, it's time for Moses to die. He is 120 years old at this time, and it seems like he is still vigorous and strong. Nothing about him would lead anyone to believe that it is his time to go, and yet God says it is. Moses had messed up. He got angry and he disobeyed the instruction of the Lord, haven't we all done that, but his failure to obey was such a great offense to the Lord that God told him He would not allow him to enter the Promised Land.

God takes Moses up on mountain to show him all the land that the Israelites would take possession of. God passes the mantle of leadership to Joshua who will lead the people to victory in the Promised Land, and then Moses drops dead. The leader is dead. The one who, in human terms, led them out of slavery in Egypt is dead. The one who stood in the presence of the Lord is dead. The one whom they had depended on for 40 years is dead. He is gone. God buried him in a place that no one knows. God didn't even leave a marker. But understand, the next step was not back for God's people it was forward. God wasn't about to give them another reason to hesitate. They must trust Him. They must obey Him. They must follow Him.

Joshua, it's your turn. Step up to plate. Take a great big swing. "Don't be afraid. Be strong and courageous. I am with you." I love the fact that God never asked Joshua to be Moses. God never asked Joshua to be like Moses. God wanted Joshua to be Joshua. God wanted him to be just like He created him to be. That is refreshing to my heart and soul. God doesn't want me to be someone else. He wants me to be me, but me completely surrendered to Him.

An Open Door...

For the last few days those words have been bouncing around in my mind. I've actually had them on my heart for a while now. As I look around at my community, county, and across the country, for some reason, I see an open door.

Open doors are cool. It speaks of access and availability. It speaks of trust. It is welcoming. It speaks of acceptance. Open doors feel like home. You are welcome here. You are wanted here. No pressure. That sounds absolutely fantastic.

I'm a Christian, and I'm not ashamed of that fact. I'm not ashamed of the Christ that I have identified with and the Christ who, most importantly has identified with me. His identifying with me and accepting me is what makes me a Christian. It's an open door! I'm accepted. I have found my value and purpose by walking through that open door. It is a door that only Jesus could open, and man, did He open it! He opened it as wide open as a door can open. He made a way when there seemed to be no way. That sounds absolutely fantastic to me too.

I'm not just a Christian, I'm also a pastor of local church in a rural community in North Carolina. I love the life God has graciously called me to. It's an open door, and I'm as free as bird living this life. It's an honor and a privilege to serve King Jesus in this capacity. I can't imagine doing anything else for all my life. I've been serving King Jesus in this vocation for 18 years as a senior pastor and am celebrating 20 years of serving the church in ministry. Talk about God's grace and mercy, I'm living proof. It's an open door.

I've been serving Highland Baptist Church for 6.5 years now, and although it hasn't all been easy, I wouldn't trade God's call to shepherd this congregation for anything in the world. There is no way to describe with human words a shepherd's heart. The only way you will ever understand it is to become a shepherd yourself. And King Jesus has placed before us an open door (Rev. 3:7-13). He is giving us an opportunity to serve Him, to be His hands and feet. We are the only Jesus some will ever see, and if they were watching us Sunday, they saw the real deal. I'm so thankful for my church family and I'm so proud of you all. God bless you. I love you.

Who You Marry Matters

At Power Hour this past Wednesday I talked about the power of influence and decisions we make. We are currently in Genesis 24 as we study the life of Abraham. In Genesis 24 we find the story of Abraham sending his servant to get a bride for Isaac. If you grew up in church you’ve probably heard this story quite a few times, but on Wednesday I talked about the decision and impact of who you marry. I said, “Who you marry matters.” I didn’t ask for testimonies, but I could have. I wonder how you think about the truth of that simple statement, “who you marry matters.”

Abraham looked around at the culture and practices of the families of Canaan. He saw how they worshiped. He saw how they worked. He saw a lot of stuff that he didn’t like, and he said, “I don’t want that for my son, no way, no how.” He knew those influences would more than likely pull his son Isaac away from worshiping and serving the Lord than he pull them up toward God. So Abraham said, “I won’t have that in my house. I won’t allow that for my son.” Abraham was looking, not only at his immediate family, but at the generations to follow. Abraham wanted the generations of his family that would come long after he was dead and gone to be people who would worship and obey and serve Jehovah. He was determined to do everything in his power to make sure that Isaac was encouraged to follow God rather than led astray. Abraham knew that "Who you marry matters," He knew the impact of that decision on his life and he knew it would have a profound impact on Isaac and his family. Influence is powerful. Influence is critical. Influence is directional.

I'm not sure that I like, in any way, shape, or form, the current practice of dating in our culture. Not that hanging out is bad, but it is influential. Decisions are made and lives are altered. Why would I want one of my daughters allowing that kind of influence from someone they probably will never marry? I know this for sure, they won't marry the wrong person if they aren't dating the wrong person. And I think that's just part of my job as "Daddy," to keep they from hanging around, hanging out, and/or dating the wrong person. "Not my kids, and not at my house."

How about you and your family? Are you willing to stand up and say about your house, considering the ways of the world, “Not in my house! Not for my sons and daughters!” Are you willing to say like Joshua, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”? I am willing to lead my family like that. Will you join me? Will you do all that you can to raise a family that worships and serves the one true God? I pray that blessing on your family and mine.

As long as there is Life there is hope. -Steven Hawking

The title of this blog is a quote Steven Hawking made. I saw yesterday morning that he has died at the age of 76. No one had given him a chance of living with the debilitating disease he had, and yet he defied the odds and lived a long and "productive" life. He was very productive from the world's perspective. He became one of the most brilliant physicists the world has ever known. He influenced generations of mankind. His work will continue to influence generations in the future.

Mr. Hawking was a renowned scientist and he was a renowned atheist. He didn't believe God existed, and he spent his life trying to prove that God doesn't exist. He hated the very idea that God might exist, and he did everything in his power to lead people away from event entertaining the notion that God exists. And yet on March 14 Steven Hawking entered eternity. He died never having found any concrete evidence to validate what he believed to be true. One of his goals in life was to figure out why the universe came into existence at all. This is an impossible task to accomplish having "determined" that it came into existence accidentally rather than by design at the hand of a Master Creator. He proposes that order came from chaos, and yet we have never found that to true in any other reality at any other time. There has never been one proof that order has ever come from chaos. It is impossible. Order comes and functions because it is designed that way.

Take the order of something simple...the human hand. It is absolutely impossible, even if you give a clump of grey matter 10 billion years, to evolve into something so complex as the human hand. Order and complexity come by design, and if something comes from design there must therefore be a Designer.

Now back to the title of the blog...the great quote by the brilliant scientist. "As long as there is life there is hope." As I read that line I began to think on it for a while. "As long as there is life there is hope." I couldn't agree more. As long as someone is alive there is hope. "Hope for what?" you might ask. Just hope. Hope for a better life. Hope for a better future. Hope for a better job. Hope for a better relationship. Hope for a cure. And the list of "Hope for..." just goes on and on. What are you hoping for today? What are you hoping for tomorrow? What are you hoping for while there is still life in your hands and breath in your lungs?

I remember the words of an old song we use to sing in church, "My Hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand."

Jesus told us these simple truths in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE, no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me." In essence Jesus is saying, "Because I am life, I am hope. I died so that you could live. I rose from the dead, and I am alive forevermore. Nothing can kill me. Nothing can dethrone me. As long as I am...there is hope. You have hope." But the Bible also says this, "It is appointed unto man (each man, every man) once, to die, and after that, the judgment."

Steven Hawking died. There is now, no hope for him. As he left this world, the condition of his heart, so he will be for all eternity. He made his choice. He lived his life. He now knows the truth, but there is nothing he can do to change his current and eternal destination and reality. If you are reading this, there is still hope for you because you are still alive. "As long as there is life there is hope." Let the words of Hawking bounce around in your mind for a while. Think about it. Ask yourself some serious questions about that quote. If Hawking was right and death is the end and there is nothing after, then I have lost absolutely nothing. I have only chosen to live a good moral life helping people. But if Hawking got it wrong, and I believe through personal experience that you can't argue with and I believe with every fiber of my being that he did get it wrong, then he took his last breath on earth, death came, he opened his eyes on the other side of death in a literal, real, and eternal place called Hell. It's not a party. It's not fun. It's more horrible than anything you could ever imaging on earth, and he is there.

"As long as there is life there is hope." When Hawking said this he was right. There is still hope for you. Reach out to Hope, His name is Jesus. He will hear you. He will save you. He will extend grace to you "that is greater than all your sin." Jesus would have done the same thing for Steven Hawking had he asked, and He will do it for you if you will only ask Him.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

That song by Casting Crowns has been on my mind today. As I sit here reflecting, could it be that I am sinner and I need a friend? The answer to those two questions is "Yes," a big fat YES!

It's Friday and I came up to my office to make sure my sermon notes are just the way I want them. I emailed them to my wife and asked her to look them over. (Probably need to do that more often.) I'm preaching the second part of a message I called The Humanity of Jesus Christ. We will be looking at the empathetic Savior on Sunday, and I that phrase, "Jesus friend of sinners" just keeps going through my mind.

What a friend we have in Jesus!