Not A South Paw, But Lesson Learned

There is a saying which goes like this, "Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." and while that is a true statement, it doesn't really paint a very rosy picture for our lives now does it?

Jesus said in John 16:33 that in our lives we will have trials and tribulations, but to be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. We were never promised that our days would be without challenges, but we are promised that when we stay connected to Jesus we can overcome all the obstacles that do show up.

You know, the devil will make a run at us every chance he gets. The one thing I have learned in my own life is that he never challenges me in any area where I'm strong. It is always the areas where I exhibit weakness that he exploits.

I was with a group of friends the other night watching the Bedlam football game. For those of you who don't know, this is the football game between the two state colleges in Oklahoma. It's a crazy game with over the top fans on both sides. Now I'm not a real fan of football, I can watch it, and even enjoy it, but I have no true loyalties to either team.

What I do love to do however is to harrass the guys who do have loyalties to their team. When people I know reveal an area in their life that aggravates them, I love to zero in on that and exploit it for pure enjoyment. Now, this has come to bite me in the butt from time to time, especially when someone I've done this to finds an area to exploit with me. But if you are going to dish anything out, you've got to be able to take it in return too.

One thing I figured out, while writing this blog actually, is that this is exactly what the devil does too. (And yes I realize that by saying this I am putting myself in the same breath as the devil) The devil goes around as it says in Job 1:7 to and fro in all the Earth. The Bible also tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 that he is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He's just looking for any weakness in us, and when he finds one he will exploit it for all it's worth. And he doesn't care either, anything that will let him get to us is good enough for him.

A few years ago this happened to me. One day, I had a customer in my store that rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure why, but she did, and as she left the store I passed a six foot, wooden end cap as I was walking towards the back room when my anger got the best of me, and I swung out with my right fist and punched it as hard as I could.

Now I have taken Karate classes with my kids, and know the proper way to throw a punch, but this day I hit that end cap square with my pinky knuckle and for all my efforts ended up with what is called a boxer's fracture. The knuckle right at the base of my pinky finger fracturing from the impact.

I'm not sure why I let that lady get me so worked up that day, but I am starting to realize how and when the enemy pushes my buttions. Some days I do better than others, as I am still growing and learning. The real interesting thing is that when it gets really cold, or I am doing something strenuous with my hands that pinky knuckle reminds me of that day.

My friend Joe McGee offered me the following wise words when I was talking to him about this incident in my life, "It's a hard lesson to learn Dave, but now that you have learned it you will be able to help someone else when they are struggling with the same thing." And I guess that's kind of what I've hopefully done with this blog today.

Stand strong against the wiles of the enemy, because with Jesus in your heart you can do that, if you choose to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit when those situations arise. I know that I'm going to from now on. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Are You Sure That You See?

I was reading a chapter in the book of John this morning, when something jumped off the page at me. Take a look at John 2:18-21;

"18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body."

This was right after Jesus had run out the livestock, overturned the money changer's tables and told those who sold doves to get them out of His Father's house and to stop making it a marketplace. The Jewish leaders are hacked off and demand that Jesus explain Himself. What's interesting is that they are looking for Him to perform some type of miraculous sign to prove that He is being led by God.

Now what caught my attention this morning is the sign that Jesus talks about is His resurrection. Which is something that won't happen for almost three years. The timeline for this setting is right after He turned the water into wine, which was the first miracle that Jesus had done. I think sometimes we, like the Jewish leaders ask Jesus for something, and expect that He will be "Johnny on the spot" with it. When most of the time, we have to wait a while for the answer to our prayer.

You see, the Jewish leaders got their answer from Jesus, they just missed what He was saying. They didn't actually see what He was talking about. We find that Jesus used this way of talking to the religous leaders in Matthew 13:13, where He quoted Isaiah 6:9-10. Talking about them seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not. What they didn't realize was that Jesus did give them the sign they were looking for, they were just unable to see the answer for what it was.

Interestingly enough, they were the spiritual leaders of the Jewish race, and they were focused on the here and now (the Temple) more than what Jesus was actually telling them (His body would be raised up in three days). Is it any wonder that they were aggravated at every turn when they dealt with Jesus?

The real question now is, are we sure that we are seeing? Are we focusing on what's around us, or on what Jesus is really trying to get us to see? A good exercise would be the next time you are talking to the Father about something, ask Him to reveal to your spiritual eyes what is going on. I'm reminded of 2 Kings 6:17:

"Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire."

Elisha's servant was all panicky and thought they were going to die, but Elisha prayed and the Father showed the servant what was really going on. We need that some days, and we can have it if we will only ask the Father to let us see with our spiritual eyes, and not stay focused on what we see with our natural eyes.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

God Is Not A Socialist

I heard something that set my mind to wandering around thinking. This Jewish Rabbi named Daniel Lapin was talking about the Hebrew language with his wife on a streaming video I was watching on his website. He made the comment that socialism did not come from God and that indeed He doesn't mind us having things, why else would He have put Exodus 20:7 in the Bible.

Now for those of you who don't know what Exodus 20:7 says, let me tell you:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Rabbi Lapin's comment got me to thinking. Of course, how had I never seen this before? If we are not to covet things, then we must be meant to have things. Because if we have nothing, or if everyone has exactly the same things, then there is nothing TO covet. Now I know what you are going to say, but what about in the New Testament over in Acts where all the believers had everything in common. (Acts 2:44-45)

I see in this Scripture that they did indeed sell their possessions and property, but apparently not all of it because in verse 46 it says that they continued to eat in their homes. So, they didn't all sell their homes. They must of still had some stuff.

I see the tendancy for people to say, "Well everyone should have the same thing, and we should all share what we have." To which I say, "Nope. We should not all have the same thing. We should be able to go and work and buy the things that we want, and if someone looks at us and says that's not fair, then they should get up off their backside and go work so they can get some stuff too."

God is not a socialist, He doesn't say anywhere in Scripture that everyone should have the same amount of stuff. He does tell us to give to the widow, the orphan and the poor. We should give out of our abundance, and help those in need. That is a command, not a suggestion. But to say that the way that is done is by redistributing the wealth of everyone is ridiculous. God never said that.

Those who think the redistribution of wealth is the answer, almost always are talking about the other guy sharing his wealth with others, not their own. You know you can tell a lot about a person by what they do with their money; it's a real good indicator of what kind of person they are. This is one of the reasons employers now look at a person's financial records instead of former employer references.

I say go out and make as much as you can, tithe off of your increase and help the widows, orphans and the poor. Buy what you desire to have and bless the Lord the whole time that you are doing it. But when people try to make you feel guilty for the Lord's blessings, don't let them. Show them what you are doing and encourage them to do the same...that's what will change the world. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Your Tongue, the Strongest Muscle in Your Body

With Thanksgiving behind us, it is time for a little reflection. Two things happened for most people on Thanksgiving; eating and talking. Both of these require a tongue to be able to do that. But what is a tongue exactly? Here is the definition I found online:

"The fleshy, movable, muscular organ, attached in most vertebrates to the floor of the mouth, that is the principal organ of taste, an aid in chewing and swallowing, and, in humans, an important organ of speech."

We used our tongues to taste all of those wonderful comfort foods that we have come to associate with the holidays. A myriad of flavors and textures designed to be tasty and enjoyed. After all, how many bland diet foods did you see advertised for Thanksgiving? What a wonderful gift for God to have given us a muscle that not only aids in the eating ability, but makes it enjoyable at the same time. I love God for that!

Also most of us spent time with family and friends, and when people get together they talk. And boy do they talk! Conversations with family and friends can run the gambit from pleasant, to heated, from funny to sad, and with everything else in between. All of which is made possible by our tongues. (Now I know that those who use sign language use their hands, but for this blog I am specifically talking about those who use their tongues.)

In Proverbs 18:20 - 21 (MSG) the Bible says, "Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as gratifying as a good harvest. Words kill, words give life; they're either poison or fruit—you choose." This Scripture is one of the foundational Scriptures for the believer to follow. It tells us that our words (which are formed by our tongues) can either kill, or they can give life, and that it us up to us to decide. Do you remember that little ditty that we said as kids? "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." What a crock! One more lie made up by our enemy to negate what the Word of God says, and if our words mean anything, and they mean everything, then what we say with our tongue IS very important.

Thinking back to your holiday conversations; did they bring life to the hearers, or death? You might say, "But you don't understand my cousin Eddy, Dave, he's a doof!" That may be so, but there is another little Scripture that helps us with this type of relative or friend. It goes like this, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." (Matthew 7:12) We really aren't given the option of saying whatever we want to say, regardless of the person we are talking to, not if we are going to be true Christ followers.

It's interesting to me, (and understand I have not perfected this at all yet, I'm still growing) how people will spend hours and hours in a gym, take great care in how and what they eat to get their bodies into shape, and then just spew all manner of stupidity from their mouths. They take the one muscle in their body that can do the most damage to others and never exercise it. That one muscle is the strongest one in their body, and it doesn't get exercised very often, if even at all.

One other thing, that Scripture in Proverbs said that our words bring life, and our words also kill. That's not just talking about when we use them towards other people, that also works when we are talking to and about ourselves. We have the power in our mouths to make our lives better or make them worse, it is our choice. It is vitally important that we choose to say the right things about ourself each and every day. So what have you been saying about yourself? Have you been exercising the strongest muscle in your body? If not, then start today, put a reign on your lips, and force that tongue of yours to say the things that will bring life and not death.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Black Friday & God

I was just perusing through Facebook and saw the following status update: (the store name & dollar amount has been changed to protect the innocent) "...got $135 worth of clothes for my kids at (insert store name here), and only had to pay $23. We are blessed!!"

If you didn't realize this, I own and operate a retail shoe store, and for years I have been bothered by this little thing that is talked so much about in Christianity; how if we get "good" deals, then we are blessed.

I'm excited that the person who saved $112 on clothes got such a good deal, really I am because I also enjoy getting a good deal on stuff, who doesn't. What gets me is that we (talking about Christians here) cheapen God when we focus on the good deals. As a retailer, the fact that the customer got that much merchandise for so little money was not a blessing to the retailer. Sounds like to me the customer got blessed, and the retailer got the shaft.

I've always thought that if God in fact has the cattle on a thousand hill (Psalm 50:10) which He does, and everything is His, which it is, why can't He bless the customers with the full retail price of something? You see, as a merchant if I get the full retail value that's when I'm blessed. So if God was to give the customer the money to purchase what they want at full retail, then wouldn't both the customer and the merchant get blessed?

I know that they say the Friday after Thanksgiving is the best shopping day of the year. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, depends on who you talk to actually. For me, it's another day of helping customers, the funny thing is that I do the same thing the day before Thanksgiving as I do after, and every other day for that matter. I help my customers to the best of my ability each time I'm in the store.

Black Friday has become an event that a lot of people enjoy, and if you are one of them by all means go out and have a great time. Just remember to thank the Creator for your good deals, and not your savvy shopping skills. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

What Are You Thankful For?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. The day where we all set aside some time to be thankful for all that we have, and for those around us. But what does it mean to be thankful? Well, a basic look at the word would lead us to believe that we are to be full of thanks. Thanks for what? Thanks for whom? These are some important questions for us to ask don't you think? I was reading a passage in the Bible today, take a look at it.

Colossians 3:14 - 16 (The Message)
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

There is a lot of great stuff in here, but I want to look at the sentence, "And cultivate thankfulness." What I'm seeing here is that thankfulness is not an automatic thing in our lives. We have to make sure that we are walking in thankfulness each and every day, no body is going to do it for us.

We all have things that we can be thankful for, I'm reminded of an old saying I heard the other day; "I was unthankful for not having a pair of shoes, until I met a man who had no feet." In order for us to be thankful, we actually have to look at the things we do have, not the things we wish we had.

Tomorrow may or may not be a great day for you, for whatever reason. Maybe you don't like to be around your family, maybe you can't be around your family because they are too far away, or you have to work. Whatever the case may be, look around at what you do have, and be thankful for that. Thank God for what He has done for you, after all we wouldn't be breathing if it wasn't for Him.

Thanksgiving is more than just eating turkey, and watching football...remember to be thankful, and work at cultivating that thankfulness into a huge harvest. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

I Hate That Guy!

I stopped in at a QuikTrip (a convenience store in Oklahoma) to gas up my son's car this morning, and as I went to pay for my breakfast sandwich I noticed an attractive woman in front of me. I was a little embarrassed when the clerk from the second register said, "I can help you over here sir." Yes, I was looking at this lady and not paying attention to what was going on around me.

Now let me go on record right here that I was not lusting after her, or having any unhealthy thoughts about her. She is after all a speaking spirit as Jesse DuPlantis says, and my sister in the Lord if she is born again. To say that this lady was unattractive would have been to lie, and the Bible says that we ought not lie.

When the clerk spoke to me, it made me feel just a little like the kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I was embarrassed, and thought to myself, "I hate that when that happens. I am a Christ follower, and should be better than that. I hate that guy!" Whenever the poser in me shows up, and by poser I mean the guy that tries to be something that he's not, the phrase I like to use is "I hate that guy!" It's a way for me to get back centered on who I am in Christ.

But as I got back into my son's car and started to pull out of the parking lot, the Holy Spirit said, "David, you didn't do anything wrong." As I pondered that thought, it occurred to me that seeing an attractive woman and admiring her beauty is not a sin. Now of course if you cannot stop after the first look, then at that point you do enter into sin, and that should not be.

We find in the Bible the account of the creation of Eve (Genesis 2:20-23). I have heard it said that Adam was made from the dirt of the Earth, but that Eve was hand fashioned and crafted by God like a master artist creating a masterpiece. This work of art was so amazing, that Adam said, "Vavavavooom!" when he first saw her. I know that's not King James, but it must of been what he said don't you think?

Now what I see here, and have been taught over the last few years, is that seeing a beautiful woman, and taking notice of her is not a bad thing. It's like admiring the Mona Lisa, something that is beautiful, breathtaking and to be admired. Seeing that and giving praise to God for His handiwork is not a bad thing at all. Where we men fall into trouble is when we take that second look, and it's in that second look where sin begins to form in us.

So admire a beautiful woman, give thanks to God that He made women and then pray His blessings on her. I tell you the truth, it's hard to think wrong thoughts about a woman if you are praying for her to be blessed by God. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Regret VS. Godly Sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:10 (The Message) says; "Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets."

I was driving to church yesterday munching on a sausage roll that I got for free because I had taken in my movie ticket stub to the donut shop, in an offer that I had seen the week earlier while watching the previews before a movie my bride, some friends and I went to see. As I ate that sausage roll, my mind went back to the times when my kids were younger and I had stopped at the donut shop on the way to church.

There was always an excitement in their eyes as they grabbed their bottle of chocolate milk and surveyed all the choices of sugary wonderfulness, trying to pick that one perfect donut. All of a sudden I was filled with regret. Regret that I would never be able to take my youngest son Noah to the donut shop again. Regret that maybe I hadn't spent enough time with him in these little things like a trip to the donut shop. I must say, even now as I type this, there is some regret welling up inside of me.

As I thought about those regrets, the Holy Spirit prompted my spirit to think about the difference between regret and Godly sorrow. It was as if the Father was telling me that there is a difference and that I needed Godly sorrow, not regrets. The word regret means: a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc. "Remorse for a fault." The regret that I was feeling brought condemnation to my heart, not Godly sorrow for the loss of my son, but guilt like I hadn't done enough, or loved him enough.

It was then that I saw it, this regret wasn't doing anything for me but bringing me down, making me feel guilty...and I know where those thoughts come from. I am sorry for the loss of my son, and I do wish I could have him here with me, but feeling regret for the past is not heart healthy for me, or anyone else for that matter. I have to have that Godly sorrow that leads me back to God. For it is when I run to God in my distress that I find the grace I need to continue walking forward, one step at a time.

With the holiday season upon us, and everyone gearing up with the thoughts of spending time with family, it is not by chance that the Lord wanted me to understand the difference between regret and Godly sorrow. He is reminding me that when the regrets come, I need to run to Him with those, and find the peace that He has for me in the midst of any emotional storms.

I will miss Noah's laugh, and presence during this holiday season, but I know this...God is for me, and He has my family's best interests at heart. And even more as the holiday season comes and goes, I'll be thankful that my Heavenly Father is here leading, guiding and directing my family's steps each and every day. And we will let any distress or regret drive us back into the arms of our loving Father God, of that you can rest assured.

Arise, Shine For The Dawn Has Come

I love the early morning hours. My favorite is that time right before dawn, you know the one that seems to be etheral, with the sun just starting to make it's debut on the horizon. It's different than a sunset, there is something hopeful in the new day.

Psalm 118:24 says in the New Living Translation; "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." I like that! We will rejoice and be glad in it! There is hope in that Scripture, plus there is a command in it as well. Regardless of what the day holds for us, we will rejoice, and we will be glad in it.

No matter what the day holds, and we never know do we? We might go sailing with some friends, we might be at the hospital with our family or we might just sit on our porch enjoying coffee with our neighbor, we really don't know. But whatever our day is; good, bad or indifferent we are commanded to rejoice and be glad.

One of the many things that I love about God is that He never tells us to do something that we are unable to do. If He tells us to rejoice and be glad, then He expects that that is something that we really can accomplish. John Eldredge wrote in his blog this week, this statement: "And so Doubt, masquerading as humility, has become a virtue." We are too quick to doubt in our lives I think. If God said it, then we "CAN" believe it.

If we are a believer in Christ, then that's what we do...WE BELIEVE...the enemy wants us to lay aside those things that God promises, by dismissing them. We cannot do that, we must hear what God says, and then do that. That's why the rising of the sun brings me such hope, because I get another day to walk out what God has for me.

So remember, this is the day the Lord has made. we get to rejoice and be glad in it! Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Jesus Said To Go And Compel Them

I was sitting at Whataburger in the drive through line waiting for my lunch to be prepared, and saw a newspaper box for the Tulsa World sitting by an entrance to the building. And on it was a sticker that someone had stuck on the side of it which read Jesus: The Way, The Truth, The Life, John 14:6.

And it made me wonder, is this what Jesus meant when He was telling the story about the man who put together the big supper and invited people from all around to it. (Luke 14:16 - 23)

Most of the people who were invited declined his offer, and so he sent his servants out to compel anyone they could find to come to the dinner. I have always heard this taught that we should go and compel people to come to the Lord.

But when I saw this sticker, it really set me to wondering if this is what Jesus meant when He told this story. Does sticking a sticker on a newspaper box compel someone to come to Jesus? I don't really think so. The word compel means, "to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly". Seeing this sticker does not compel me to do anything, well maybe it does, it makes me kind of want to find the person and smack them in the head and say, "What were you thinking?"

The thing that bothers me about this, is that the person who stuck this sticker on the newspaper box, probably walked away thinking that they did a service for the Lord. I'm sad to say that most people wouldn't see it that way at all. Let's get people in the Kingdom, but let's do it by getting to know them, forming a relationship and letting them see Jesus in us, the hope of glory. Then they'll ask us about why we're different, and decide they want that too.

My Life & Search For True, Authentic Brotherhood

For the last several years I have been on the search for true, authentic brotherhood. It was something that I first had a taste of in my fraternity years at Northeastern State University over in Tahlequah. (Yes that is a picture of me with a beer and cigarette in hand, but truthfully I'm more embarrassed about the straw hat, after all this was pre-Christian Dave). The times I had with those fraternity brothers were good ones that I remember with fondness.

After my time at college, I spent time with friends who came to hang out in my apartment, but really never developed any close brotherhood bonds. It was during this time in my life, that the drinking and partying began to play out in my life. It was all just so empty, and my life was just not very fulfilling. This is when my life took a major change for the better when I was introduced to Jesus, and for the first time was shown that the Bible was more than a history book, it was Jesus in print.

It was shortly after this that I met and married my bride Cheryl, and moved into the arena of being the head of our new family. This was all uncharted territory for me as I for the most part had been living my life mostly for myself. I remember asking my Pastor in Muskogee, Oklahoma if he would please do some teachings on what it meant to be a Christian husband and man because I was lacking in that area very much. It wasn't until years later that I realized that he probably never did that because he wasn't really sure what how that looked either.

Life moved on, and it wasn't too long before I was not only a husband, but my bride became pregnant with our first child., Micah. We were both excited for sure, but now I had a whole new dilema. I still really didn't have this whole how to be a husband thing figured out, and now I was going to have to add father to my resume' and that really scared me more than I would like to admit. I had made friends with a couple of guys from the church we were attending, but it was more of a casual let's have dinner and a movie type relationship.

Before long, we had a opened a new shoe store, and had our first baby along with moving into an entirely new city. Life was crazy for us, but we loved it, and a few years later we had added two more children. I really felt as if I had a tiger by the tail now, but not knowing anything different, I just kept moving forward. All the while, we played a vital part in our local church, training our kids to become the people that God wanted them to be. It was challenging to be sure, but I felt good about it, and had a few friends, but was still feeling like there was something more that I needed as a man, that there was more to brotherhood than I really knew.

It was a few years into my walk as a Christian that I decided to start helping out in the boy's group at my church. I felt a real strong call to help teach my sons what it meant to be a truly authentic Christian man, even though I still couldn't actually tell you what that looked like. A very dear friend turned me on to a book written by a guy named John Eldredge called Wild at Heart, and this revolutionized my life as a man. This one book, next to the Bible has had the biggest impact on my life as a man. All of the questions that I had been trying to be answered, were answered in this book. It was a dramatic change of focus and direction for me for sure. It was after walking out the things that John talked about in this book, that I felt an urge and desire to attend one of his bootcamps.

So in February of 2008, I made the day and a half trek to Colorado to meet with God in the mountains. And boy did He not disapoint, it was the best thing that I have ever done for myself in my masculine journey. It was while I was there, that God planted the seeds in my heart to develop my own personal Band of Brothers, something I'm happy to report I have done. I have a great group of men in my church that I do things with monthly, and that I have been developing through classes and times of fellowship. The six guys that are in my immediate Band of Brothers have been there through thick and thin with me. These are the men that if we were in battle together would be watching my back, and I'd be watching their's.

In the darkest moment of my life this past April when my youngest son killed himself, I was able to call on them in my family's most desperate hour and they stood with me literally lifting my family up, and battling for our hearts. On a comical note, these men went above and beyond the call of duty the day of Noah's funeral. Everyone was at the gravesite, and we were at least a good half an hour away from the nearest bathroom, and I had drank one too many bottles of water. Having an urge that could not be contained any longer, I spotted a tall dirt mound and called upon my brothers to stand guard as I managed to relieve myself a mere one hundred feet from all the family and friends standing by the grave. This is how you know you have true, authentic brotherhood. When your friends are ready to stand with their backs to you while you pee, that's when you really know you have true brothers.

Your Tongue

In James 3:5 - 10 the Bible talks about our tongue and how unruly it can be. I heard a good friend say today, that your tongue is hooked to your heart. It's just telling everybody what's in your heart. If you don't believe that, the next time you are having a conversation with someone, just shut up and let them do all the talking. You will be amazed at what all will come pouring out of their mouth.

My friend was talking about the tongue in the context of being married, and when you talk to your spouse, you are sharing what is in your heart whether you realize it or not. I also heard this friend say that a marriage license does not give you the right to say whatever stupid stuff hits your brain. Remember your spouse is your brother/sister in the Lord still, and you wouldn't just say whatever hit your brain to someone at church. (At least I hope you wouldn't do that. If you are doing that, then we have another problem to work on.)

We have to change what is in our hearts, not just what we are saying. Actually, if you don't change what is in your heart, then you will be unable to change what you say. If we will get God's thoughts deep down in our hearts, then we will say what God says. That is why it is oh so important that we read God's Word daily. God told Joshua to meditate day and night in His Word, and it would do us well to do so likewise.

I have been reading through the Bible in a year with my Pastor for the past couple of years. Okay, okay I have tried to do this for many years, and just accomplished it for the first time last year, and am on track to finish it again this year. (Yay me!) If you need a good Bible reading plan, may I suggest the one that our church uses. You can download the pdf version of it here. Then just print it every time you need one.

Ephesians 4:29 tells us how we should use our tongues, and I for one will say that it can be difficult at times. I know I'm not the only one who has ever struggled with saying what was on my mind, instead of keeping my mouth shut. Some people call that being honest, and while it probably is honest, most of the time it is just them not controlling their tongues.

Jesus said that we were salt, and we were light. (Matthew 5:13 - 14) Salt helps to preserve and make things more palatable, while light gives the ability to see where one needs to go. Let's not bring shame to the Kingdom of God, just because we can't control our tongues. Let's go out there and be salt and light to a dying world. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

The Hairs On My Head

I love a good haircut. There is something about the feeling of less hair on my head that makes me feel good about myself. I'm reminded of where Jesus said that the very hairs of our heads are numbered by God. (Matthew 10:30)

I have a lion's mane worth of hair. I've been blessed from my mother's side of the family to have a lot of hair, which grows incredibly fast. Some days I feel it is a curse to have such thick, fast growing hair. I do have some friends however, who would tell me to shut up at least you have some hair to cut. (This is not a slam against those friends, just a statement)

I have been going to a stylist for as long as I can remember. Way back in high school, when I first started getting my hair styled (it was the 70's and the feathered look was in) I remember some of my friends calling me names for going there instead of a traditional barber shop. I would just tell them that I didn't want to look like Sgt. Carter from Gomer Pyle.

Now if you like your hair high and tight, then by all means go and get it cut that way. I just never did like that style, maybe because I was never in the military, I don't know. As for me, I wanted to look cool like all the guys on television. The funny thing is now, that what I prefer for style is short, short, short. I want to dry it with a towel, throw some gel in it and head on down the road.

For the last I can't remember how many years, my stylist Rhea has been cutting my hair and making me look presentable to the world. I always enjoy hearing about what her girls are doing now, and since her grandbaby was born, well look out...she is one very happy grandmother let me tell you. I always appreciate her generous smile, as well as her warm personality. She just really makes me feel good.

Since God knows the number of hairs on my head, that tells me that He is really concerned about me and my well being. I think that while Rhea is cutting my hair, it's really God using her hands to number my every hair. Unbeknownst to her, she is being used by the Father to make me and the many others feel good about ourselves, and that is no small gift.

Actually, that is where I am fixing to head in just a few minutes, and I will walk away with much less hair on my head, and a smile on my face. But know this, no matter how many hairs we have or don't have, God knows exactly how many there are and that should make us smile.

Also, if you're in the Sapulpa area and need a good stylist, click Rhea's picture for a map to Mane Attraction & Company and ask for Rhea...you'll be glad you did!

How Do You Handle Disappointment?

Have you ever been looking forward to something only to have it fall through at the last minute? What was your initial reaction? What did you say or do? Were you angry with how things turned out, or did you just file it away with the thought, "That's how things always go." How did you actually handle that disappointment, or did you handle it at all?

One thing that I have learned is that things aren't always the way that we want them to be. We plan, make arrangements, but ultimately it isn't always up to us. Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulations (King James Version) I like it better in the New Living Translation, here is what it says:

(Jesus speaking to His disciples) "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

This passage of Scripture used to really bother me, and I'll tell you why. I used to read this as Jesus saying be of good cheer I have overcome the world. I used to say to myself, "Well that's good for you Jesus, but I'm still here dealing with the trials and sorrows." Yeah, I know pretty stupid, but one day He explained this to me.

The thing is that we are suppose to be "In Him" as Christians. If we are living and abiding "In Him", then we are going to be able to overcome the trials and sorrows of this world too! He was telling us, that if we will stay "In Him", then we will be able to overcome with Him. And that my friends is good news.

What we have to do in order to overcome in this life is to know who we are "In Him". There is a great little mini book that Kenneth Hagin wrote years ago that helped me with learning who I was "In Christ". Click here to be able to order this book, it tells you all about learning who you are "In Him". It also has all the Scriptures in the Bible that tell you who you are "In Him" listed in the back of the book so you can look them up for yourself.

Yeah, I was a little disappointed this evening when I learned that my friends couldn't make it to the fire pit we'd planned, but that's okay because "In Christ" I have overcome the disappointment, and me and the Lord have some stuff in the works to replace that disappointment. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

What Does Your Gauge Reveal?

I have been driving my truck to and from work for the last seven days with the fuel gauge idiot light shining.
At first I thought it came on just because I was driving down my steep driveway and the fuel had shifted. But the other night as I started my truck to make the drive home, I noticed that it came on just as soon as I turned the ignition.

Now I know what you might be saying, what is wrong with this guy, just stop and buy some gas already. And I have fully intended to do that every night as I drive past the gas station on the way to my home. But every night for some odd reason I just drive on by thinking that I will get gas the next day.

This morning as I watched the fuel gauge dip below the "E" marking for Empty I wondered if perhaps there was something a little deeper here. I live like five minutes from work, so I reason that I can drive for many, many days without fueling up. Is this how I'm treating my spiritual life as well? Do I just watch my interior life's gauge drop lower and lower towards the empty mark thinking that I am so close to my Bible that I can fill up at any time?

That fuel gauge in my truck may be not only an indicator of how much fuel is in the tank, but also how much attention I am paying to my spiritual life as well. When was the last time I spent a while in the presence of God, just enjoying time with Him? I mean, I read my Bible every day, but that now looks to me like I'm thinking, this will get me to where I need to go. Not much further than that, but at least to where I think I need to go.

If I was called upon to drive to Tulsa, I wouldn't be able to make it there because of the lack of gas in my tank. I wonder, if the way I've been with my spiritual life, if God called upon me to do something for Him, would I be able to make it? This kind of reminds me of the story Jesus told about the virgins and their lamps. (Matthew 25:1 - 13) Some of them had enough oil and got to go to the party, the others thought they would have enough, but when they left to buy more, they missed the party.

I don't want to miss the party, so I'm going to fill up my tank. Both physically and spiritually, starting with repentance. Father, please forgive me for my sin of ignoring You and not keeping my spiritual tank filled up. Please help me to spend that time with You, that I haven't been. In Jesus name.

Leading Our Family

Be strong and of good courage. This is what God told Joshua as he was fixing to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land. (Joshua 1:6, 1:7 & 1:9) The stories that we read in the Bible are there for our benefit. They are not just historical records; they are examples of how we as Christian men should be walking with the Lord.

Now why would the Lord tell us that we need to be strong and have good courage? Because He knows that there will be times when we are going to feel weak and fearful that's why. He told Joshua three times to be strong and of good courage in the same breath. This must have been some pretty important instructions for him, don't you think?

We may never lead millions of God's people into the Promised Land, but as husbands and fathers, we are leading our families. And to tell the truth, when leading my family, I'm not always the picture of strength and courage myself. There are times where I'm wondering what I'm doing, and having to fight the doubts of my own abilities. Thank God that the Holy Spirit leads, guides and directs me.

You know as men, we were never called to be perfect, (aren't you glad for that?) we were called to be lovers, leaders and providers. But we will only be lovers, leaders and providers as long as we are following the leadership of Jesus. We must be submitted to Him, in every area of our lives if we ever want to lead and be successful at it. And that means we may have to lay aside some things that we've always enjoyed to do that.

One of the ways that we can lead our families is through prayer. Now, I'm not talking about having a planned devotion at certain times. (Not that there is anything wrong with that.) I'm talking about finding those times where you can just say, "Hey family, will you pray with me for a minute? I need some wisdom in leading us where God wants us to go, and would really appreciate your prayers." Then don't pray a long wordy prayer, just pray the Word of God and make it simple. Then thank them, and go on about what you were doing. It won't be long until your wife and kids are coming to you and asking you to pray for their needs, and then you'll be leading.

We can do this, if for no other reason than the Father believes in us. After all, He didn't call our brides to lead us; He called us to lead them. And that's not because we're smarter, or better looking, it's just because that is the position that He has placed us in. So let's get out there and make a difference in our family's lives and in doing that, we'll make this world just a little better too!

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King...GodsFirstKnight...Dave.

God Is An Artist, Not A Scientist!

Okay, now hold on before you blast me out of the water for my title. I was driving to work this morning, beholding the beauty that is in the tree's leaves during this time of year. Every morning they look different, and it dawned on me. Trees could not have been designed by some random activity such as the big bang...and wallah, we have trees.

No, trees couldn't have just arrived. They must have been created, and if in fact created, then thought out first. Because no creation just is, it must first be seen in the mind's eye of the creator. Why do I say that trees must have been created? Well it's really quite simple. This one tree that I've been noticing for the last few days, started out with the typical green leaves, then turned yellow, followed by orange and today they are a very deep red color.

How could that have happened by chance? I just don't see it truthfully. Some random act of science, and then we have trees and they do that? Come on now, no way...they are a form of art plain and simple. Now, don't get me wrong I'm sure that God used science in developing the trees, so yeah He really probably is a scientist as well, but you have to give it to Him...it's His artistic side that gave us such rich colors to enjoy.

Where Do I Begin?

Life tends to be unpredictable doesn't it? But does it have to be, I mean really? The Bible tells me that God will order my steps and direct my paths. (Proverbs 3:6) The key is to acknowledge Him in all my ways and to trust in Him.

Now I had this interesting thought the other day; Jesus was never surprised by anything that happened to or around Him, ever. I don't know about you, but that is not the case with me. I am frequently surprised by things that happen both to me and around me. And before you say, "Well Jesus is God, that's why." Remember, that when He was here on the Earth He did everything as "the son of man", not the son of God.

So that leads me to a very simple conclusion; that Jesus never was surprised by anything because He had already been told what was coming. Remember how Jesus would go away from everyone and pray to the Father? I believe that in those times of prayer, Jesus and the Father were talking about His day, and the Father was giving Jesus the heads up about what was going to happen. Remember, Jesus always said, "I say what the Father says, and I do what the Father does."

Now to be honest with you, I probably mostly pray for what my family or I need more than just listening prayers, spending time waiting on the Father. And why is that? I mean if I know that the source of everything good comes from the Father (and it does), and I would stand to benefit from listening to Him tell me what to do for the day (which I would), then why don't I do that? And why is that so opposed in my life?

I mean I know I should pray and fellowship with the Father but instead I just read my Bible, write some blogs to encourage myself and other people, then check that off my list moving out into my day like a sailing ship gliding through a narrow channel with a blindfolded pilot. Even as I write this, I think what is wrong with me? Am I just a doof who doesn't get it?

One of the reasons that I think this is so opposed in my life, and why I have a real hard time just doing it, is because of the performance based society that I live in. Now don't think I'm just making excuses, because I'm not. But I do think subconciously though, that sitting in my living room for a long period of time just talking to the Father, (whom I cannot see) and then listening in my spirit for Him to talk back to me seems like a waste of time, time that I could be using for something else, something more productive.

I'm reminded of that passage of Scripture in John where Jesus tells us that we will do the same works that He did, and even great ones. (John 14:12) My question to myself is this then, if I want to do the works of Jesus, and even greater ones, how can I do that without spending time with the Father? I can't. So where do I begin? By spending time with the Father each and every day, asking Him to show me things to come (John 16:13) and being ready to follow His lead.

I mean I want clarity in my life, but won't go to the source of all life to get it? Wow, I really do sound like a doof...well that changes today. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Tolerance...the New Face of the Enemy

I was reading a blog writtem by John Eldredge this morning, called "Of Course" and it got me to thinking. The world that we live in right now is obsessed with everyone getting along and doing what they feel is right for them, regardless of whether it is seen as the right thing by anyone else. The old mantra of "If it feels good do it!" is living large in our society today.

There is a bumper sticker that kind of reflects what John was saying in his blog. It reads "coexist" in various religious symbols. And while that does sound like a good thing, that we should all live together in peace and harmony, it is a pipe dream. We already do coexist, but at what cost?

I seem to remember Jesus saying that there will be wars, and rumors of wars. (Mark 13:6-8) He did not say that everyone would get along, because if they were all going to get along, He would have said something like, "When you see everyone living together in peace and harmony..."

I don't think we need to be rude and call people names or anything like that, after all Jesus did tell us that they would know we are Christians because we have love one to another. Like the Scripture says that John quoted; James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

To quote from John's blog: "We are really, really big on the social justice part right now. That is super cool. Very "in." But we are unsure if we want to deal with the second half of the passage. That part is not so cool at the moment." We don't seem to care whether or not we are polluted by the world and its influence in our lives, as long as we are doinig good to our fellow man.

I don't know about you, but I want to stand before Jesus one day and be able to say that I was not polluted by the world...how about you?

It's The Most Blankity Blank Time Of The Year

The holiday season is upon us, and I'm not sure what this year's Thanksgiving and Christmas will bring. There is always something in me that is like Clark Griswold in the movie Christmas Vacation.

I have always sought out that elusive "perfect Christmas" wanting to have the family around, the perfect meal and everyone rejoicing in how thankful they are for being a part of my family.

Yet every year so far, has never quite made it to that point. There are sqabbles about ridiculous things, more television watching that should happen, and the eventual drive home thinking; maybe next year.

I know that going into this year's holidays I've already got one strike against me because it will be the first time to celebrate without my youngest son Noah being with us. And if I thought there was pressure before, well then I've got to be on guard this year against the thief who will try and pressure me even more.

The holidays are supposed to be about family. At least that's what all the Norman Rockwell paintings show us. But how are we suppose to make our lives seem to be as he painted? I don't think we truly can. It's like trying to keep up with the Joneses, the more you try to be like them, the less you truly do that.

What I'm going to go for this year, is love my family just the way they are. I'm not going to try and work up what I think our holidays should be, but just enjoy them for what they are. I'm going to work harder than I ever have to love each and every person in my family that I am fortunate enough to get to see, and let the holidays take care of themselves. How about you?

Counterfeit or Real...How Do You Know?

I had the opportunity to talk with a lady last night before going home from work. She asked how my family and I have been doing, and that she knew with the holidays coming up that we would probably have a hard time with them since my youngest son died seven months ago. It was all well meaning, and I appreciated her concern, but she made the statement about how she didn't know how a person could keep going on. I answered her very simply, without Jesus we wouldn't be.

The conversation continued, and I explained to her that my son had been killed by the enemy of all mankind, the devil. She had a puzzled look on her face, so I continued. I told her that if when tragedy happens you don't have the enemy in the equation, you will only have two people to blame, God or yourself. If you blame God, you shake your fist in His face and say, why did you do this? If you blame yourself, then you wonder what it was that you did wrong.

The problem with this is that God didn't kill my son, and nothing my family did or didn't do was the cause of his death either. I told her that according to John 10:10, which states that the devil is the one who kills, steals and destroys, the only option was that the enemy came and lied to my son and caused his death. Yes, Noah made the decision to end his life, but it was the enemy that lied to him, thereby causing Noah to make that stupid decision.

You see, we must know the Word of God. This is not a game, if we don't know the Word of God, we will not understand the things that are going on in our lives. And if we don't understand, we'll place blame where it does not belong.

At a bank the people that work there are not taught what all the counterfiet money looks like. They are taught what the real bills looks like, that way when a fake comes past them they will recognize that it is not real. It's the same way for us, if we don't know what the Word of God says, we will not realize who it is causing the challenges that come up in our lives.

The reason I know the devil took my son out, is because I know how he works. And I know how he works because I've learned his M.O. by reading about it in God's Word. John 10:10 is the best Scripture I've found for finding out who is behind the challenges or situations in my life. It's pretty simple, God's good, the devil's bad. If there is anything bad happening, then it is because of the devil.

This is not to say that I look for a demon behind every bush, I don't. But I do judge everything in my life by which influence is trying to persuade me...God or the devil, and you would do well to get your face in God's Word and learn what the real is so that when the counterfeit shows up, you'll know it. Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

What Question Are You Asking?

In John 9:1-2 it says, Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" As I read that I noticed something that made me sit up and say, "Huh?"

I think that it is just human nature to want to know why. The disciples have been walking with Jesus for a while at this point in the Scriptures, and have seen Him do some pretty amazing things; changing water into wine, healing the man at the pool of Bethesda, the feeding of the 5000 and even walking on water. What I found interesting, was the question they asked was who sinned, not will You heal this man Lord?

I know that I've been there. It's easier to try and figure out why a certain thing happened to someone more than looking to be the answer for them. I wonder if Jesus was waiting for the disciples to do something, and if so, was He disapointed at their response? How about you, when you see someone facing a trial or test in their life, do you rally to their side to support them? Or do you wonder and ask the question, "What did they do (who sinned?)to have that happen in their life?"

I felt this morning that the point of this story is not so much written for our benefit to teach us that Jesus heals (which of course He does) but for us to see what our response is to someone in need. Which question are we asking, who sinned or how can I help?

Thoughts That Aren't My Own

I have been studying a lot the last few months on our thought life and how the enemy tries to come in and wreck havoc with us. The one thing that I know is that he only has access to me through my mouth. He places a thought in our minds and tries to get us to say them. The Scriptures tell us that we are to take every thought captive. That we are not to just say whatever pops into our heads. Yesterday I had the opportunity to live out what I've been studying, and I just want to say that it was not one of my finest days. I share this with you in the hope that you will learn from my mistake and not make the same one.

It started out early, around 6 am with coffee, prayer, Bible reading and comics, you know my usual morning routine. I got ready, prepared my clothes for work, drove to work listening to KNYD, the Oasis Network and some ministers teaching God's Word. I opened the store, had some business, checked some emails, etc. It was a good day...then it happened.

An older lady who has a habit of buying stuff, and bringing it back came in. This time she brought two pair of shoes back, one with a box and one without. Shoes she had purchased in June, and now she wanted to return them. Realizing that this was probably a trap of the enemy, I decided to not take the bait. All good so far, then as I went to the back to look for a shoe I bit into the lie and got angry.

The dialogue in my mind I should have realized was from the enemy, but I took the thought as my own, and then began to vocalize it. (Stupid David) By the time I came back out to the check out counter, I was red in the face, and just refunded the lady her money so that I could get her out of the store.

Now here is the interesting thing, she starts thanking me, which of course makes me madder. She leaves, and I get mad and start saying all manner of stupid stuff. It's at this time I realize that not only did I refund her money, I refunded her too much money. Now the thought that I took as mine (even though knowing that it was the enemy's) and vocalized has caused me to make an even bigger mistake.

Today looking back on it, I see what happened. As they say, "Hindsight is 20/20." and it is, but dang how I wish I would have had today's clarity yesterday. I see now that the conversation that played out in my head, while sounding like my own, wasn't. As I said earlier, I had decided to take the high road, but by the time I came back I was on the low road. Why the difference? I listened to what the enemy said, took it as my own thought and vocalized it. Once I had done that, it opened the door wide for the enemy to do what he does, kill, steal and destroy.

I know that God gave us our emotions for a reason. What I found out from yesterday's life lesson is that even though I had spent time in the Word and prayer, when I let my emotions get away from me, I still went stupid. I have told people before, you can sin and be praying while you do it. Just because you pray and read your Bible does not mean you can let any stupid thought run its course. We have to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ
(2 Corinthians 10:5).

The battle really is for our mind. The enemy whispers thoughts to our minds, and as I can attest from yesterday those whisperings are so subtle that we will think the thoughts really are our own. This is why it is imperative that we know God's Word and apply it to every thought that we have. If it is a stupid thought, we'll only know that if we know what God says about that subject. Holy Spirit help me to know the difference between what I think and what God says. In Jesus Name.

How Highway Driving Changed My Life

Driving my bride and daughter to school this morning, I was struck with an interesting thought, at least interesting to me. As I merged our Dodge Caravan onto Interstate 44, the early morning commuter traffic seemed heavier than normal.

Accelerating my little four cylindar school bus towards the 75 mph speed limit as quickly as possible, I realized that I had become a part of a pack of vehicles in the passing lane trying to pass several semi trailers. Wolves usually run in packs, they do so because there is safety in numbers. It is unusual to find a wolf running alone, or "lone wolf" as it is called. Also, normally being described as a lone wolf is more of a deragatory term, rather than a good one.

However driving down the busy thoroughfare with semis on my right and six cars in front of me and three more behind. It was at this time that I decided while driving on a busy highway, I would prefer to be alone without anyone around me. This also revealed something in my heart; that I do have the tendancy to want to be on my own, rather than running in a group.

Even though I can easily justify my desire on the highway; seeing the safety factor of not being dependant on the abilities of those around me, and the possibilities of them making a mistake which could cause harm to my family and damage to my property. In view of my own personal life however, this lone wolf attitude is not something that is good for me. When trying to apply the same reasoning to my personal life, it comes across as selfish and short sighted.

What this surfaces in my heart is the need to delegate more; to try not to do everything, but allow those who are running with me the opportunity to use their gifts and talents. Thank You Jesus for revealing things in my heart to help me to grow, and to help those around me have the opportunity to grow as well.
Who could have known that me driving my van on a crowded highway could have brought change to my life? It's the little things in life isn't it?