Lately I’ve been reminiscing, as middle aged guys are prone to do, about my childhood.  Guys, do you remember all the rites of passage we had to go through on the way to adulthood? Things like learning to ride a bike, or a skateboard. Remember the first time you did something as basic as climb over a chain-link fence or build a tree house? These were simple things, but they were important to us.  One of the big challenges came when school let out for the summer. Backyard pools were uncovered and the local plunge opened for business. We couldn’t wait to hit the water and almost had to be pulled out of the pool by the ear when it was time to go in.

     Learning to swim was something we all wanted to do. Some of us took lessons, but most of us just figured it out for ourselves. After swimming, learning to dive was the next great hurdle to overcome. Not jumping in feet first, any kindergartner could do that, but diving in head first. I remember one summer when I was about seven or eight. I was at the local public pool with several of my friends and classmates on a Saturday afternoon. Most of the boys my age were already confidently diving from the edge into the deep end. Some of the braver ones were diving from the low dive, and already eyeing the high board. I guess I was a little behind the curve that year because I hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to dive.  A few of my friends were encouraging, which is to say taunting me, to dive in. They began to call out words of encouragement like “chicken! “and “you baby!” and “go back to kindergarten!” This gave me all the incentive I needed and in I went. And you know what? It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. After the first couple of times, diving head first became second nature and something I enjoyed.

     You know, the thing about diving is, it seems so difficult at first, and a little scary. But after you’ve done it, you realize how simple it really is. You really don’t have to do anything. You just stop holding yourself up. You just let go.  It’s all about surrendering to gravity.

     I recall one older boy, who was diving from the high dive for the first time. As he left the board, he panicked and started to flail around and he ended up doing a painful, though hilarious, belly-flop. You see, he had second thoughts and tried to save himself and just ended up making things worse. If he would have just given himself over to the force of gravity, he would have been fine. And you know, giving your life to God is like that. You must be willing to let go completely and rely totally on Him. If you struggle and try to keep some control for yourself, you will end up doing a spiritual belly-flop.

     Here is an example of what I mean from the Gospel of Matthew;

And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 
And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 
And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 
And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 
Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Matthew 14:22-33

     Like so many of us, Peter was eager to jump in. But as soon as he looked around and saw his situation, his faith weakened, and  he took his eyes off what kept him afloat.  And when his faith faltered, he began to sink. And what did Jesus do? When Peter cried out to Him, He reached out and pulled Peter back up. This teaches us two things; first, it is okay to ask great things from God. It may seem presumptuous of Peter to ask to walk on water, but Jesus didn’t rebuke him for asking. Secondly, we must strive to keep our eyes always on Christ. Even, in fact especially when things seem darkest and the most out of control. When life’s storms threaten to pull us under, Christ will lift us up, if we let Him.

     Our trust in Jesus Christ must be complete and it must be without thought or reservation. We can’t afford to hold anything back or to try to keep control over some things. If we start to think things through, if we stop to consider what we are doing, we risk losing sight of Christ and sinking below the waves. And Jesus will ask us “why did you doubt?” But even then, He will come to our rescue, just as He did to Peter’s. Always remember to look to God for all things, large and small. The Lord wants to protect and provide for His people. But we must be willing to trust Him.

5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5

Well, looks like the pool is open for business. Now, where did I put my swim trunks and floaties??

Randy Metcalf

     With Memorial Day coming up and the Fourth of July just around the corner, summer has almost arrived. Cooking out is something most people look forward to all winter. Folks everywhere have hauled out their grills and barbeques. They’re spending hours cleaning them and making sure they are ready for another season of backyard cooking. They’re buying charcoal or filling their propane tanks, and stocking up on wood chips and marinades. Recipe books come down off the shelf and people can’t wait to try that new dry rub or sauce. I know a lot of guys who would ordinarily be content allowing their wives to do the grocery shopping are scouring the supermarket flyers looking for deals on their favorite cuts of meat. We go to bed dreaming of rib eyes, grilled chicken, and smoked brisket.  Getting perfect grill marks on a steak becomes an art form and a passion. Fish, beef, brats, potatoes, corn on the cob, all find a place on the backyard grill. The sweet smell of charcoal and cooking meat waft through the neighborhood accompanied by the sounds of lawnmowers and ball games on the radio.  No doubt about it, summertime is almost here.

     But while we’re feeding our bodies, how about feeding our souls? While we are feasting on barbeque are we also feasting on the word?  Food is important to us, we can’t live without it. But we need spiritual nourishment as well. Food is a frequent topic in the Bible. Some of the most famous verses involve food. Let’s take a look at a few.

     From the beginning, God has provided food for us.  God loves us and wants us to prosper;

29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

                                                                                                                               Genesis 1:29

     God is good! He promises to provide for us abundantly;

 “Therefore you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him. 
For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, that flow out of valleys and hills; 
a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; 
a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 
When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land which He has given you.           

                                                                                                        Deuteronomy 8:6-10 

       God wants to give us everything we need; food, water, and materials with which to build.

And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat.
This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it according to each one’s need, one omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’”

                                                                                                                            Exodus 16:15, 16

  But, do we trust in God to see to our needs? Or do we trust in ourselves. God provided manna for the Israelites to eat while they were in the wilderness. But even then, they did not trust completely in the Lord.

Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 

                                                                                                                  Exodus 16:27, 28

    They wanted to stock-up on the manna God gave them, to hold onto some in case the next day, there was none.  Now anyone who has ever gone hungry would understand. But God promised to provide enough everyday for their needs. He told them to take only what they needed for that day. This was not just about supplying physical needs. It was about teaching the Israelites to trust God for everything. Shouldn’t we trust God for our every need, both physical and spiritual, everyday?    

“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers.
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.
And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.     

                                                                                                              Deuteronomy 8:1-3

     God offers more than just physical food to nourish our bodies. He offers us spiritual food as well. To the Prophet Jeremiah, God’s word was as good as food.

“Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts.”

                                                                                                                            Jeremiah 15:16

     Jeremiah devoured the Word as though it were the best meal he had ever eaten.

     In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us the importance of spiritual nutrition.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 
And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 
And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

                                                                                                                                 Matthew 4:1-4

     This is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible.  Jesus was hungry because the Holy Spirit led Him to be. The Word was His sole sustenance during His forty days in the wilderness. Satan was trying to get Jesus to act on his own to relieve His hunger. But this would have been in defiance of the Father.  Jesus was facing hunger not as God but as man. And He would not allow appetite to control Him.

     In John chapter four, Jesus says to the woman at the well;

     Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

     What a gift we are offered here! Think of it, to never thirst again. The Lord will fill us with living water to sooth our parched souls forever. The things of this world, however sweet, do not last. The Word of God is eternal.

     So get out there and grill those rib eyes and burgers. Make potato salad and roasted corn on the cob and try out that new recipe for baked beans. Tune in a ball game, sit back in your favorite lawn chair, pour a tall cold glass of iced tea, and relax. But remember to thank the one who made it all possible. God has given us food to nourish our bodies and the Word to feed our souls. We are blessed. Now pass the potato salad, would you?

     For centuries, men and women worked from dawn to dusk just to survive. People got up with the chickens, sometimes literally, and worked all day. They would eat supper and go straight to bed. Then they got up the next day and did it all over again.  Few people had time to spend on anything that didn’t relate directly to everyday survival. Gradually, over the centuries, changes in technology, forms of government, and societal conventions brought the concept of leisure time. For many of the world’s people this meant they now had time to spend as they pleased. They no longer spent every waking hour plowing fields, tending crops, or just staying alive.

     Over time, people began to find new ways to fill their spare time. This led to the development of recreation, hobbies, and pastimes. Different cultures around the world have invented many creative ways to use free time. Some early pastimes were hiking, nature walks, boating and canoeing; they were simple and relatively inexpensive ways to spend leisure hours. Later as incomes began to increase, more elaborate ways to relax were found. Activities such as hunting and fishing, once a means of sustenance, became hobbies for many.  Collecting things is another pastime with a large following. Some collect stamps or coins. Others collect old bottles. There are people that will collect just about anything.

     Sports such as baseball and basketball graduated from the school yard to become pastimes for many adult Americans. Soccer and other sports are popular in other countries. And Around the world, millions of men and women enjoy a silly little game that involves chasing a small white ball around a meadow and hitting it with a stick. The funny thing about this game, golf I think they call it, is that they hit the ball as hard as they can with the stick and then go after it.  And when they finally catch up to it, they just hit it again. The object, as near as I can tell, is to lose the ball in a pond or in the trees, then beat on the ground with the stick (which they call a ‘club’). Some golfers get so excited beating the ‘club’ against the ground; they keep doing it until the stick actually bends or breaks. I guess this is a good thing because it makes the other players smile and sometimes even laugh.

 Sometimes a player will lose his ball down a gopher hole. Now they put a flag in the gopher hole to warn everyone, but some manage to get the ball in the hole anyway. The odd thing is, when the ball goes down the hole, they seem happy about it. Sometimes, when the television networks run out of real programming, they will actually televise golf games. I almost watched one the other day, but I had just painted the back fence and wanted to watch it dry. Anyway, golf seems like a strange way to relax, but apparently a lot of people enjoy it.  

     One of the most popular hobbies since the beginning of the industrial revolution is model building. The models were made of wood and later plastic. Airplanes, ships, and cars are the favorites, but you can find models of almost any subject.  Years ago some of the most popular models were sailing ships.

 They were complex and time consuming to build and took a lot of patience. The sails and rigging could be tedious and frustrating, and painting all those little cannon took forever. It took a great deal of dedication and persistence to finish one of the bigger ships like the U.S.S. Constitution. In fact I’ll bet for every one completed, ten sit on a shelf in a closet half built. By the way, if you’ve ever finished one of these, my hat’s off to you!

      One of the nice things about model building is that it doesn’t necessarily need a lot of space, and when you are done for the day, you can put it back in its box and put it on the shelf until you have time to work on it again. If work or life in general gets in the way, you can put off working on your hobby for awhile and it will be there waiting for you to get back to it.

     But what about your faith in Jesus Christ? Is it a hobby you take down off the shelf when you have a spare hour and nothing better to do? Or is it a fundamental part of your life. Do you work God in to the schedule after work and play are done, or is He involved in every aspect of your life from the time you get up in the morning until you go to bed at night? Faith is not a hobby, pastime, or passing interest. It is so much more than that, and God can be part of everything you do. In fact, God wants to be part of your everyday life. He can guide you through whatever you encounter, whether you are at work or on the golf course or working at some other hobby. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior and to redeem us from our sins. But He also sent Him to be an intermediary and a counselor with whom we can have a personal relationship. Jesus is with us always no matter what we are doing and wants us to share our lives with Him. So go ahead and whack that little white ball all you want to. Build that ship with all the rigging and sails.  Start collecting beanie babies or scrapbooking or whatever you like. But remember to pray to God and walk with God. Spend time in the word and in fellowship with others. Let God into your life always, not just in your spare time. I can’t promise He’ll help you with your back swing or follow through, but then, you won’t know if you don’t ask Him.

Randy Metcalf

     I got out of jail and struggled a few more months with addiction. I started to pray for more help and finally after twenty years of addiction, I felt a desire to get clean. I have been blessed with so many miracles this past year. The Lord gave me back my son after seventeen years. He gave me back my dad after eighteen years. I’ve been blessed with a very big Christian family. And best of all as of March nineteenth, I have been clean and sober for one full year, 365 days. That is all thanks to my higher power and savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Teresa Henshall

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” –1 Corinthians 15:58b

     What is the “work of the Lord?”  Have we forgotten what it is actually like to live on purpose?  Are we aware of the greater will and purpose of God in our everyday lives?

“…for it is God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose.” –Philippians 2:14

     A typical Sunday morning for me is waking up around 5am, grabbing breakfast at a fast food drive thru, eating it in the car, arriving to church before 6am to prepare myself and the worship center for our worship service, and finally welcoming the worship team around 7:30am for a Bible study and prayer time before we practice for the service that day.  Now, like anybody else who is a morning person, when I get up, I get going.  I have my plan and I follow it closely and it keeps me on task all the way through the morning.  It never dawned on me that something wonderful could occur between the hours of 5 and 6am.  Being available to God at any moment is crucial.  It is an act of obedience.  I believe that God calls his people to live on purpose and not haphazardly.

 “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

     God has a purpose beyond my regular routine.  By being attentive to Him, I found myself participating in His activity on Sunday mornings before I even got to church.  If I was not paying attention, I may have missed it.

     I found myself regularly showing up to a local fast food drive in and being attended by the same young man every time.  I ordered my breakfast sandwich, thanked the young man, wished him a good day and zoomed onto the freeway.  This became habit.  Why didn’t I notice the opportunity before?  Was I that unaware?  One morning I decided to engage in conversation for some reason and as I left the drive thru that morning I realized that I had an opportunity that God set before me to share the Good News.  I told God that I would be on purpose every Sunday morning and engage in conversation with this young man.  There were days when he wasn’t there and I was disappointed.  There were days where I wasn’t able to stop by and I wondered if he missed our conversations.  We would talk about his schooling and I would offer to pray for him on that specific matter. 

     Well, one Sunday morning I decided, in a response to God’s prompting that I would be bold enough to share Christ with him.  I know that I had been on purpose with building a relationship with him for a few months now.  He knew I was a pastor and he knew I cared about him.  After ordering the same breakfast sandwich I always ordered and knowing he was waiting for me to receive my $1.09, I pulled up to the window with the intent to be bold and share what Jesus has done for me.  I wanted to be a blessing to him but I always wanted him to know the truth.  To my surprise, he wasn’t at the window.  I waited and waited and he did not come.  Another car was behind me now and I thought that we would not get to engage in any conversation that day.  I was starting to get very disappointed.  All of sudden he rushes to the window, opens it open and hands me my food.  I thought it was odd because he had not taken any money from me yet.  He looked straight at me and said, “I hope you have a great day.”  That was it.  He didn’t want money.  The food was on him.  He blessed me.  I was shocked.  I had no words at that moment.  I had no chance to bless him and share with him that day.  But he got to bless me.  I drove away and started to weep and realized one simple truth:  If we are on purpose, the world knows it and they will eventually respond to the love we offer through Christ whether by our words or deeds.  It wasn’t my words but the words that were accompanied by deeds that made the difference.  He knew I cared for him and that I prayed for him.

“In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden” -1 Timothy 5:25

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions in truth.” -1 John 3:18

     My Christian love for this young man was a result of God’s love for me.  Because of God’s prompting and my obedience, I was living on purpose.  God gets all the glory.

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. –Matthew 5:16

     I had left on vacation for a few weeks so I was unable to visit him.  When I was finally able to visit again, I pulled up to the window to find him very somber.  He looked at me and with a tear in his eyes told me that he had given his two week notice.  I know that the time we spent visiting meant something to him.  He was going to miss me.  He knew the love of Jesus through me.  I looked right at him and told him I needed to know if he knew Jesus as his personal Savior and Lord.  God opened the door.  The rest was in God’s hands.  For one final time we said good bye.  I didn’t know if I would see him ever again but I knew that I found myself living on purpose at 5am in the morning and it made all the difference to that young man who would, “May I take your order?”

     I wish I could say that I live like that in every moment.  The truth is that I don’t.  But, I am more sensitive to living on purpose than ever before.  I never saw that young man again and it was a few months before I went back to that drive thru.  However, I have visited regularly again.  A voice comes from the box, “Hello, my name is Irma. May I take your order?”  Irma calls me pastor.  Irma knows I pray for her.  I am living on purpose at 5am again.

 Pastor Mike Seewald

Warren Wiersbe

Therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’

Isaiah 28:16

     From the very beginning, God had drawn up the plans for our spiritual house. Here in Isaiah, God foretells the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ who will be the foundation on which we will build. As any earthly builder knows, without a firm foundation, properly built of the right materials, no house will stand for long. Even if the upper floors are well made, with beautiful hardwood floors, custom moldings, and granite countertops, the building won’t last. The first earthquake or high wind and down it comes. Our lives are like that, if we stand firm on the strong foundation that is Christ Jesus, we can weather storms and calamities that would otherwise overcome us and bring our lives crashing down.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 
In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:20-22

You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 

1 Peter 2:5

     Just as we come together in a material building, our church building, to worship God, we have come together in a spiritual home as well. In this spiritual home, we are the stones that make up the building. When you answer the call and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, you are set and mortared in to become part of the building. Each of us retains a separate identity, but when put together we form a strong structure that will last all eternity. Together, we are more than we could ever be alone. We become the Church of Jesus Christ.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 
Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—
each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 
If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 
If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

1Cor. 3:10-15

     Contractors will tell you that everything they do must adhere to a specification. If they don’t build according to the right specs, an inspector will call them out on it and they may have to start over. Jesus Christ is the foundation on which we build, and the Word of God is the specification we follow. No other basis will work. We cannot afford to try to build on anything or anyone else, or to build by any other design.  Only by building on the foundation that is Christ Jesus, can we properly bring glory to God. And following God’s word as our construction plan is vital. But what we build with is crucial too. What we choose to build with will determine the quality of our work. Gold, silver, and precious stones symbolize not riches in a material sense, but rather the wisdom of God. If we use the word of God as our building material, our building will stand the test of fire. It will be earthquake proof, termite proof, and will last for all eternity. When we build with wood, hay, or straw, that means we are relying on our own wisdom. Surely our work based on this will not come through the fire. It is vital that we start with a sound foundation, Jesus Christ, and build with the wisdom of the Word of God as the mortar that holds us together.

     Now let’s change direction just a little with the next two verses.

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.

Psalms 127:1

     Anything and everything we do in life is meaningless apart from God. If our efforts in life are not centered on God and a desire to give Him glory, we are wasting our time. When we build a house, physical or spiritual, it must be done in partnership with the Lord.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 
For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.

Hebrews 11:8-10

     Abraham was a temporary dweller in this world and he knew it. He looked forward to the day when he would live in a real city, one built by God. Only then would he be satisfied. It is true for us today as well. We are only here for a short time, and then we will dwell forever in a new city built not by man’s fallible hand, but by God’s hand. We must focus on this so that we don’t deviate from the plan God has for us. We must never be satisfied with earthly buildings that rot and decay. We must always look forward to eternity in the presence of God in His Holy city.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Matt. 7:24

     In closing, we must remember that if we build our spiritual lives on anything other than the sound foundation that is Jesus Christ or with any blueprint other than the word of God, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Like a poorly built building, our world will come crashing down. So, will you build on solid rock or sinking sand? Oh and by the way, there’s a sale on power tools at the hardware store. Cordless drills again.  See you there!

Randy Metcalf

                                                                                                      Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

     A few years ago, I came to the point in my life where I had to make some decisions. I had to sort out what I really believed and how I would live my life in the future. It took a while, but when I was through, I decided to rededicate my life to Christ. This is the story of the immediate aftermath to that decision.

     I became a Christian over twenty years ago. I accepted Christ as my personal savior, and for awhile I lived as if I meant it. But gradually, I drifted away. I tried to live with one foot in the world and the other in the kingdom. Actually, it was more like both feet in the world while trying to keep one toe in the kingdom. When I finally came to the realization that I could no longer live in this shadow world, going through the motions but not truly following Christ, I felt a strong sense of urgency. I thought I had to make up for lost time. It seemed to me I had wasted so many years that I could have given to the Lord. I felt compelled to sit with my Bible in my left hand, a commentary in my right hand, and a devotional in my other hand, while at the same time watching every Christian movie and listening to every recorded sermon I could find. I was almost in a panic!  But after awhile, I began to understand that this sense of urgency I was feeling was coming from me and not from God. I realized there was no way to go from 0 to saint in 6.2 seconds. Only when I stopped trying so hard to become what I thought God wanted me to be, and started actually listening to Him, could I begin to understand His plan for my life.

     We know that God has a plan for each of us, and I think that like any good plan, there is a schedule; a proper time and order for everything to happen. I needed to learn to follow God’s schedule, even if it didn’t always agree with mine. Part of what helped me realize this was a few key verses that address the importance of timing. Let me share just a few of them with you.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.                                                                                                                                

 Galatians 6:9-10 NKJV

     I never saw myself as a proud, arrogant person. But I wanted to feel in control. I wanted to set the schedule and decide when things would happen. Then I learned I had to willingly place myself under God’s loving control, so that He can start working on me and through me, according to His schedule. I finally realized the importance of not being discouraged if things weren’t happening when and how I thought they should. I found comfort in the knowledge that He will care for me and when the time is right, He will bring His plan for me to fruition. I needed to remember that this is the guy who created the universe, the galaxies, and the solar systems. He made the planets and everything on them. I could trust Him; He knows what He is doing.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

     I’m guessing I’m not the only one who is glad God is patient! Could you imagine if God’s schedule had a time limit on salvation? With a narrow window of opportunity to repent and come to Christ? But God’s grace is such that He wants everyone to have a chance to receive salvation. That said, the Bible tells us we must receive Christ into our hearts while we are still living. And since we have no real control over when we will leave this earth, we cannot afford to delay. If you haven’t already accepted Christ, don’t wait!

Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ. As a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

Eph. 1:9-10 ESV

     In this verse, Paul speaks of God’s will and how it will be revealed through Christ. All things will be united with God when the time is right, and not a moment before. Have you ever tried to rush something and ruined it? Have you ever put the cart before the horse? I know I have. God will not rush or hurry, but will complete His plan only when everything has been accomplished that needs to be. 

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

Acts 1:6 ESV

     God sees things from His perspective that we are blind to. He makes decisions we could never make. And even though we don’t always understand (and are not meant to understand) what He is doing, we can always trust that it is good. His plan is always perfect. When the time comes, the Kingdom will be restored. We don’t know when Christ will return, maybe tomorrow, maybe a hundred years from now.  We must always be ready, because we won’t know until He’s here! And while we wait, God will use us, if we let Him, to further the Kingdom here on earth.

     In his famous devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers wrote;

     Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.  Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.  

     You cannot undo the past. But what you have done with the past is not as important as what you will do with the future. Each day is truly a gift from God.  I have finally begun to understand that I have the rest of my life, from this day forward to grow closer to God. And whether I have a year, a decade, or several decades left to me, I can spend every day loving Him, learning more about Him, and serving Him. I have all the time I need, because I have all the time God has given me. Now, where did I put that commentary I was reading? I just had it in my hand.

Randy Metcalf

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.                                                                                                                                           Rev. 3:20

Me, Myself, and I

     I became a Christian over twenty years ago. That is to say, that was when I first asked Jesus into my heart. I was, I think, sincere and really did want a relationship with the Lord. But something prevented the relationship from properly taking root and flourishing. It was as though I had heard the knock, opened the door part way, but stopped right there. Something was coming between us. That something was me. Yes, I was worshipping a triune god alright, Me, Myself, and I. Now I didn’t think I was particularly selfish, or self-centered, at least no more so than the average person.  But pride and the desire to control my own life led me to hold back from God what was His. You see, I never could bring myself to truly give my life to the Lord. As a result, I was living in a no-man’s land between the world and the kingdom. I wanted desperately to believe and I wanted the things God had promised. But I held back from making a total commitment. It wasn’t that I didn’t give of my time or money, but I wanted to be the one to decide when and how to give. I would attend church services, when I felt like it. I would pray when I needed something.  I just didn’t understand why I should rely so completely on anyone to guide me, even if it was God. I was perfectly capable of living my own life, thank you just the same.

     The result of this unwillingness to give the Lord control of my life was a sort of underdeveloped relationship, almost stillborn. You sometimes hear people new to the faith described as babies or children, needing mother’s milk.  Well I was a spiritual preemie in NICU on oxygen, being fed by a tube. As time went by, I drifted further away. Things like church attendance, bible reading, and prayer went from being a (semi)regular part of my life to something I let fall by the wayside. I had my own ideas on how to spend my time and resources. I might spend Sunday morning in church, or I might spend it doing yard work or on the couch watching NASCAR. What was important to me was that it was my decision.  I was in control.  I told myself that as long as I claimed that I believed in Jesus Christ that was all that mattered. The rest was window dressing, all fine and good if you liked that sort of thing.  I lived this way for almost twenty years. Then one day I woke up to the fact that this just wasn’t working. I had some tough decisions to make.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”                                                                                                           Matt. 16:24

Staring Into the Abyss

     One of my hobbies, one that I have pursued for many years is woodworking. I love to look at a piece of furniture I have built and think that a short time ago it was a just pile of boards collecting dust in some lumber yard. Several years back, I was building a pair of night stands for my wife and myself. I used all the skills and techniques that I had mastered over the years. I was so proud of the way they turned out. After I finished the second one, I had it sitting on my bench in the garage while I slouched on a stool admiring my handiwork.  As I gazed at the nightstand, a thought formed in my head. The thought was; this table will just end up in a landfill. Now this thought came out of nowhere, I was feeling generally pleased with myself and my work and had no reason to be thinking things like that. I tried to shake it off and go back to feeling self-satisfied, but I couldn’t. I began to think that all the time and effort I put in was a waste. We would use these tables for years and maybe our children would too. Who knows, maybe they will wind up on the 2111 season of Antiques Roadshow (probably not). But sooner or later, the result of all my hard work would be gone, as surely as if it had never existed. Maybe consumed by fire or flood, or maybe just worn out and no longer wanted, quietly turning into compost in the county dump.

     This thinking stayed with me for awhile. It started to creep into everything, at work, at home, everywhere. At this point, I began to reexamine what I believed in. Why was I here? Where was I going? And did it matter anyway? I began to wonder, what if this is all there is? What if when I die, the lights go out, the curtain comes down, and the show is over. I wondered why I couldn’t have the kind assurance that others had. Why didn’t God seem so real to me anymore? Honestly, I was terrified. If there was nothing more than this worldly existence, then nothing really mattered, did it? Why make any effort? I found myself standing on the edge of a deep, dark pit staring into it.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.                                                                                Matt. 16:25

I Surrender

     I carried this around with me for a couple of weeks. I didn’t always dwell on it, but the feeling never completely went away. I was searching and examining my life for meaning. I looked at my job. I liked it well enough, but did it give my life meaning? Not really. I looked at my possessions, nothing there either. Hobbies? Nope. Then one evening my wonderful wife came to me and asked me to watch a movie with her. She had gone to a Christian book store a few days before and bought this DVD without knowing anything about it. She said she just had a feeling. It was called “Another Perfect Stranger” and my first thought was, oh no, not another Christian movie! But she is a good sport about watching movies I like, so I couldn’t say no. I had no idea as I sat down to watch what was going to happen in the next ninety minutes.

     Now I have watched many Christian movies with her, from “The greatest Story Ever Told” to “The Passion of the Christ”. I have been moved by some, bored by others, and was indifferent to many of them. I was hearing the message from these movies, as well as sermons I had heard and books I had read and my heart wanted to believe, but my head just didn’t want to go along for the ride. What was different about this movie? Why was it special? I honestly don’t know. I wish I could tell you exactly why this movie, more than the others I had seen affected me so much. I think maybe it wasn’t so much this particular film that made the difference; it could have been almost any movie at that point. I think it was just the culmination of many things that happened during the time leading up to that evening, it was sort of the last straw. You see, I believe now that God led me to the edge of that abyss, or at least He allowed me to go there. (I also believe that the whole time I stood there, He kept a hand firmly on my shoulder.) I believe that God has been “setting me up “for awhile now and was ready to spring His trap. All I know is that sitting there on the couch watching the movie, a change crept over me. As I watched, my resistance faded, my defenses crumbled, and things became much clearer than ever before. A feeling of peace came over me and I knew then that God had finally gotten past my barriers.  So I lowered my flag, laid down my arms, and surrendered. I am so thankful that God is a loving, forgiving, and patient God. A few weeks later I came across this prayer from John Wesley;

O Lord Jesus,

I give thee my body,

My soul,

My substance,

My fame,

My friends,

My liberty,

And my life;

Dispose of me and all that is mine,

As it seems best to thee.

     It all made perfect sense at last. I finally understood. In the end, it came down to this; surrender. It meant total submission to God in all things. Not just the things I was willing to give Him, but all things. By holding things back, I missed out on many of the blessings that could otherwise have been mine. Now I’m still very much a work in progress. The Lord has many things to teach me yet, and sometimes I still catch myself holding things back. But now, at last I’m on the right track and day by day, little by little, I’m growing closer to God and more obedient. It is a wonderful and amazing journey that I am so blessed to be undertaking.  I am on this journey because of the love, the prayers, and the years of patient understanding by many people in my life, not the least my loving and beautiful wife. And most of all, because of the abundant grace of God.

 Randy Metcalf