What’s a Life Map?

Posted on April 18, 2019 by pastorpstephens

I have been making a life map for a class that I am taking.  A life map is meant to be a visual time line of key moments in your life.  I have been writing down the dates and seasons of significant and key moments in my life.  I have been trying to include both good times and those that I considered difficult times.  As I was looking at this life map the other day, I was struck by the way I can see God’s hand involved in my life at each point along the way.  As I reflected on this I was reminded of Romans 8:28.

Romans 8:28   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

As I look at my life map, I can see the good that God has ultimately brought about in every situation.  I can tell that God has used each and every moment to mold me and make me, to teach me and train me and to correct me and coach me.  I am grateful for God’s interest and involvement in my life; my life map reminds me of His great love and care for me.  I hope you know that He loves and cares for you too.

Posted in Being Thankful, Christianity, Church, faith, God Cares for You, God Loves Me, God loves you, God's Love, Life Map | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Blessings from Above

Posted on April 7, 2019 by pastorpstephens

This week I was reading about the time when Jesus got into Simon Peter’s boat and asked Simon to push out from the shore so He could preach to the large crowd gathering there.  Simon had fished all night and no doubt was tired and could have said no.  But instead, Simon did what the Lord invited him to do.  The crowd was blessed and so was Simon.  This passage has caused me to reflect on the way God wants to bless us.  Sometimes when we think of blessings we tend to think only of material things.  We think of wealth, possessions, and shiny, sparkly things.  Those types of things are things that most of us want and most of us consider blessings in our lives.  And those types of things can be blessings.  James reminded us that all good things come from above.  But my experience has been that God does not always bless us with what we want, but He blesses us with what we need.

Trouble is, we don’t always pray for what we need.  Sometimes we send up Christmas lists rather than humble supplications.  It reminds me of that old Janis Joplin song, “Lord won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz.”  Remember that one?  I am pretty sure that all of us have lifted up a prayer very similar to that song at some point in our lives.  I remember one time in the past where I told God that I would love to have a fast, sleek, shiny sports car.  Now, there is nothing wrong with driving a sports car that the Lord has blessed you with.  I’m just saying that God didn’t answer my prayer for one.  Actually, I think He did answer my prayer.  He said, “No.”  And I think He said “no” because of the difference between what I want and what I need.  After all, God has seen me drive.  He knows what I don’t need.

Better yet, He knows what I do need.  He knows I need His love, His joy, His peace, His patience, His kindness, His goodness, His faithfulness, His gentleness and His self-control.  He knows that I need people who love me, who support me, who encourage me, and who care about me enough to tell me the truth.  He knows that I need His forgiveness, His mercy and His grace.  God knows that I need all those things…and He has provided all of them to me in abundance.  He has blessed me.  He has blessed me richly.  Best of all, He has blessed me with His Son, Christ Jesus.

Posted in Being Blessed, Christianity, Church, faith, forgiveness, Galatians 5:22, God Answers Prayer, James 1:17, Luke 5:1 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What about Judging?

Posted on March 31, 2019 by pastorpstephens

One of my favorite passages contains one of the most misunderstood and misused verses in the whole Bible, “Judge not lest ye be judged.”  This passage from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7 has been used by some to say that no one ever has the right to speak truth, care or concern into another’s life.  But is Jesus saying that?  Is He saying that we should never share honest cares and concerns with others about their actions and behaviors?  I don’t believe that is the case at all.  In this verse and the passage that follows, Christ is instructing His followers about the way we are to think about, interact with and treat others.

A full reading of the passage reveals that Christ was addressing a self-righteousness and holier than thou type of attitude prevalent among the religious leaders of that day.  Sadly, it is a type of attitude that has been prevalent in many days, including ours.  Such an attitude leads to mocking and putting others down rather than ministering to them and picking them up.  And ministering to others and picking them up in a spirit of love and truth is what the Lord would have His followers to do.  This requires discernment and the sharing of honest, valid cares and concerns.   This requires making distinctions between that which is healthy and that which is unhealthy, between that which is helpful and that which is not helpful.  With that in mind, Christ tells His followers that we are to be humble and examine our own lives first.  We are to remove the logs from our own eyes so that we can see clearly to help our brother with the speck which may be in his.  When we judge, we are to judge rightly.  That includes the right time, the right place, the right motivation and the right spirit.  To “judge” in any other manner makes one a hypocrite.

Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? 5 “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Posted in Christianity, Church, doing the right thing, Judge Not, Judge rightly, Matthew 7:1, Minding your own business, Trust in God | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is a Good Day

Posted on February 24, 2019 by pastorpstephens

I hope that you had a great weekend and I hope that tomorrow when you wake up you are able to say, “This is a good day.”  I have found that some days those words roll easily off of the tongue and yet other days, those words can be difficult to imagine much less say.  On such days, I am reminded of what Paul said in Philippians 4:12 – 13.

Philippians 4:12  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Paul acknowledged that not every day and every season of our lives are easy.  Yet, even in the midst of difficult days, tough times and seasons of sorrow, we can still make it through.  We can make it through because Christ, our Savior will strengthen us.  He who promised to “never leave us nor forsake us” will be with us in the good times and the bad.  He truly is an “ever present help in the times of trouble.”  Christ is ready to strengthen us, comfort us, provide for us and help us to say, “This is a good day.”

Posted in can't go on, Christianity, Church, Draw close to God, God's Strength, Philippians 4:12, Philippians 4:13 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Count Your Blessings

Posted on February 10, 2019 by pastorpstephens

This past week I had a conversation with some kids and we got to talking about prayer.  One of them who is about 11 years old shared with me that he likes to count his blessings when he prays.  He shared with the group some of the blessings he gives thanks for.  It was a beautiful moment.  This moment of praise and testimony reminded me of Psalm 105:1 – 2.

Psalm 105:1  Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.

It is good for us to count our blessings and to thank God for the things He has provided for us and for the people He has placed in our lives.  It is good for us to remember that just as He has provided for us and blessed us in the past, we can expect Him to provide for us and bless us now and in the future.  Giving thanks not only strengthens our faith but it also sows seeds of faith in others as they hear us tell of the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Posted in Being Blessed, Christianity, Church, Count Your Blessings, Draw close to God, God Loves Me, Psalm 105:1 | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Need to Practice

Posted on January 26, 2019 by pastorpstephens

I have been practicing finger picking on the acoustic guitar for the last several months and I have really enjoyed it.  I grabbed a pick the other day to play a couple of songs and I could tell it has been a while since I used a pick.  It took me a while to get the feel for it again and to be able to pluck only the strings I meant to.  The situation served to remind me of the need for me to practice these things that don’t come so naturally to me.  It’s true, I am not a natural when it comes to music or playing the guitar.  I find that if I don’t practice consistently, I quickly lose the muscle memory and it takes me a while to knock the rust off and do the things I want to do.  Practice is important.

In Philippians 4:9, Paul speaks of the need to practice the spiritual things of God that he taught the Philippians.  He says that practicing these things will bring us closer to the God of peace.  Prior to that verse, Paul has shared with the Philippians the things they ought to practice: rejoicing in the Lord, demonstrating a gentle spirit, praying regularly, and focusing on things that are true, honorable, lovely,  right, pure, excellent and praise worthy, things of a good reputation.  That’s a pretty long play list.  And I don’t know about you, but for most of us, some of those things don’t come naturally.  And for me, that is a good reason to practice.

Posted in Christianity, Church, doing the right thing, Don't give up, Draw close to God, faith, God will help you, Philippians 4:9 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Need Directions!

Posted on December 28, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I have been doing some chaplaincy work at a local medical facility that has a large campus with several buildings. During my first couple of weeks I got lost on more than one occasion. Luckily an understanding staff member provided me with a map of the campus. That has helped immensely! Last week as I was walking across the campus a visitor stopped me and asked where the auditorium was located. I didn’t even know we had an auditorium! I remembered my map and took it out of my billfold. After some study and a little head scratching I was able to answer their question. I was so glad I had been given my map! And I was so glad I had it with me.

The situation served to remind me of the directions and instruction available to us in God’s word. I like how David describes the scriptures in Psalm 119 as “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God has given us His word so that He can provide us direction in all situations. I pray that in 2019 we will always keep His word with us and turn to it regularly so that the Lord can lead us and guide us.

Posted in Christianity, Church, Draw close to God, following Christ, God will lead you | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All the Right Moves

Posted on December 20, 2018 by pastorpstephens

We went to see the granddaughter’s Christmas dance recital last week and it was a lot of fun.  The girls looked beautiful and did a great job.  We are so proud of them!  I just wish my pictures would have turned out a little clearer.  The recital included a lot of performances by kids of various ages, from preschool all the way up to high school.  The little ones were especially fun to watch.  They are so cute!  I love how some of them wave at the crowd during the midst of their performance and even give a shout out to Mom or Nana during the song.  One thing that was also consistent with the little ones was the way they kept looking to the side of the stage so they could watch their teacher.  By keeping their eyes on their teacher they were better able to remember the next moves and the steps they were to take during the song.  The older kids didn’t really have to look to the side of the stage as much.  They were more experienced and had already spent enough time with the teacher, practicing the right steps and learning the right moves so that it came pretty naturally during the song.

As I reflect on these things, I see a good correlation to our spiritual lives.  All of us get lost in the music sometimes and aren’t sure what steps should come next.  We can easily find ourselves making the wrong moves or not being where we need to be.  Those are great times for us to remember to look to the Lord for guidance.  We are told in Hebrews 12:1 – 2, “…Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…”  Our Lord knows the steps we should take and the moves we should make during each and every song.  He is the author and composer of all things.  He will teach us and He will guide us if we look to Him.  May we always look to Him.  And may we spend enough time in His presence so that the right moves and the right steps will come more naturally to us.

Posted in All the right moves, Christianity, Church, following Christ, grandchildren, Hebrews 12:1, Hebrews 12:2, ministry work | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Preparing for the Day

Posted on December 15, 2018 by pastorpstephens

We have had some cold weather the last couple of weeks and I really don’t care for it.  I am ready for the weather to change.  I was totally caught by surprise the other day and left for the office in just a shirt and a pair of slacks.  The wind started whipping around a couple of hours later, the air was cold and damp and I felt like I was freezing!  Generally, when it’s cold I like to put on a coat and a hat and maybe even one of my “Mr. Rogers’ sweaters” before I head out the door.

As I was shivering on the way to my car after work, I was reminded by the temperature that I need to be better prepared and put on the right things when I head out in the morning to face the world.  Otherwise, it will be a long day.  God’s word reminds us that we should also prepare ourselves spiritually every day to face the world.  Paul tells Christians in Colossians 3:12

Col 3:12  “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. 14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”

I love Paul’s reminder to the Church.  We should never leave our house without a heart of compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience.  We are to head out the door prepared to help one another, love one another, and forgive one another just as Christ has done for us.  Every morning we should make sure we are appropriately dressed.  It makes for a better day.

Posted in Be Prepared, Best Dressed, Christianity, Colossians 3:12 - 14, God's Love, good advice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Get Up Close

Posted on December 5, 2018 by pastorpstephens

I was in a meeting the other day that was taking place in a large conference room.  Someone stepped forward to speak and they had a power point presentation that went along with their subject.  Each slide had a lot of things going on, so in order to be able to see all that was going on and to hear all that was being said, I moved closer to the front of the room.  I knew that if I was not closer physically, I would miss out.

I find that the same principle applies in a spiritual sense.  I know that there are a lot of things that the Lord is doing in this world, there are a lot of things He has to say.  So that I don’t miss out on all that He is doing and saying, I know I need to place myself close to Him.  For me, staying close to God happens best when I stay in His Word, in His Worship and in His Work.  The Bible tells us in the Gospel of John chapter one, “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”  If I want to stay close to God, I need to stay in His Word.  I also need to be involved in Worship.  We are told in Psalm 22:3 that God inhabits the praises of His people.  Our praise of the Lord elevates us and brings us into His Presence.  And last, but not least, we stay close to the Lord through His Work.  In Matthew 25 Jesus spoke of acts of service in His Name such as providing food to the hungry, drinks to the thirsty, clothes for the less fortunate and visiting those in prison.  And our Lord said in verse 40, “In as much as you have done these things to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto Me.”

I pray that you will have a blessed week.  I pray that you will draw close to God and that you will not miss out on all that He is doing and wanting to say to you.  I trust that will happen as you make time this week to stay in His Word, in His Worship and in His Work.

Posted in busy schedule, Christianity, Church, Draw close to God, faith, following Christ, inspirational, John 1:1, John 1:14, Matthew 25:40, Psalm 22:3 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment