Merry Christmas

For those of you who have been in our home, you know that Christmas is a big deal to us. Peggy and I love to prepare for Christmas. We have five trees decorated, a christmas village, and snowmen everywhere. Christmas is important to us and it is important for a number of reasons. Let me give you a few. It is so much fun to celebrate Christmas with our children. Decorating our house is just part of the preparation. Putting presents under the tree reminds of the expectation of what is to come. Reading the Christmas story on Christmas morning prepares our hearts. And opening presents with a flury of flying paper gives us joy.

We also  love to have big Christmas parties or friends over for dessert during Christmas. We will fill this holiday serving our guests and making them feel at home. We love to have our family in and share a meal together. People are a part of this special season. It is fun playing Christmas games, exchange cheap presents (Some of them are things that you didn't want any longer) and laughing together as friends and family. Christmas is not a time to be alone but to fill our home with special people.


If Christmas is only parties, decorations, friends, and family then we missed the true joy of this special holiday. God gave us a gift. That gift came wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger. Jesus is the reason for Christmas. I know that some of you have heard that Christmas was really the celebration of the sun god, that christmas trees were a pagan ritual, and that December 25th really isn't Jesus' birthday.  If you want to use those excuses to keep you from celebrating the birth of the greatest gift known to man, that is your choice. But for me and my house, December 25th is the birth of the King of the universe. On Christmas, I celebrate the true Son of God becoming flesh. Every tree in our house with a star or angel on top is a reminder of the angelic anouncement saying, "God is with us!" And every gift represents the greatest gift mankind ever received: Salvation came to man! The baby wrapped up and placed in a manger is my Savior.


It is Christmas; the birthday of the King. So put up a tree, have some friends over, tell the Christmas story, buy some cheezy gifts, throw a ham in the oven, sing a Christmas carol or two, and celebrate the greatest gift you will ever receive. Merry Christmas!


In His Love,
Pastor Aaron

Cup Half Full?

A number of years ago, I had a friend that was the eternal pessimist. The minute I ran into him he began telling me about all the bad things that were happening, what was wrong with his life, and what was wrong in the world. Actually, this person was more of an acquaintance that seemed to cling to me like a leach. The funny thing is he was also a pastor. I told Peggy that every time I was around him I felt like a vampire had sucked me dry. Thirty minutes with this guy and I was a shriveled up prune.

The problem with this pastor friend is that he was a glass half empty kind of guy. He looked at his life, his family, his ministry, and the world through a lens that only showed him the negatives. He never saw the good in anything or anyone. He only saw what was wrong and he was more than willing to share his pessimism. Now, I am a fixer at heart and wanted to help this guy to change his perspective. So I made it my mission to point out a good thing for every bad thing he mentioned. I was bound and determined to change his way of thinking. Do you know what happened? He stopped hanging around me. I guess he didn't like my optimism. 

Thanksgiving is a time to see the glass as half full. There is not a doubt in my mind that we can all come up with things to gripe about. There are plenty of bad thing in this world and in our lives that we could spend our time focusing on. But why? What good does complaining do? Do we just like to be down in the mouth? Or is it our goal to make everyone around us miserable too? It seems to me like seeing the glass as half empty is a futile and a waste of time. I have yet to see my complaining amount to any change. But my thankfulness makes a difference.

Here is what I believe. The main thing that is changed, by my seeing the glass half empty or the glass half full, is me. The world is not changed by my perspective. My complaining doesn't make the world any better. And my thankfulness doesn't make the world any worse. But my attitude does affect me. If I want to go around complaining, griping, and whining, I will just feel miserable because of my attitude. I may even make others miserable in the process. But, if I decide to be thankful in any and every situation, I will feel better and maybe improve the quality of another person's day. Hebrews 12:28 says, "Since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful!" As Christians, we are going to inherit a kingdom set up by our heavenly father. And that kingdom cannot be shaken. I have a reason to be thankful. I get a heavenly home.

I wonder if we will celebrate Thanksgiving in heaven? If we did, some may still have things to complain about. "Turkey for the 1,247th year in a row! Why can't we have ham! No devil's food cake!" Hopefully not. How about this Thanksgiving we get truly thankful for what we have, who we are spending it with, and what the future holds. The glass if half full! Maybe the glass if overflowing because Jesus loves you. And I think that is more than enough reason to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Pastor Aaron

Stinky Feet

I am sitting at my desk this morning laughing about my stinky feet story yesterday. At least my shoes don't smell today. The room seems fresh and clean and my feet are still present. LOL! If you don't understand this story then you must have missed church yesterday. It was good for a laugh and hopefully a point. There are lots of people that really feel cruddy spiritually. Most of those people don't know what to do about it. We have the answer and his name is Jesus.

What will you do to clean up a stinky world this week? That was really the point yesterday. I don't have to tell anyone that this world stinks some of the time. You don't have to look very far to find smelly people doing stinky things. While watching the news this morning, I saw where a 13 year old Ohio teen was found bound and gagged in the basement of a man's home. Her three family members are still missing. Stinky! A hit and run killed five bikers and injured six others and the driver has not been found. Stinky! Resuable shopping bags found to contain lead. Bags are from China: suprised? Stinky! Stinky! Stinky! This world is pretty stinky some times. What can I do about it?

The problem with these stories is that I feel helpless and unable to make a difference. I can't make the creep that kidnapped the girl, the hit and run driver, or the company in China that made the bags change. These are big issues. So often, the stink seems so stinky that I don't feel that I can make a difference. It is as if the world is made of limberger cheese. And in these three situations maybe I can't. But let's reframe our thoughts for a minute. I may not be able to change the world but I can change the world for one person. Think about that for a minute. I may not be able to change the world but I can change the world for one person. Jesus didn't change the world when he washed the disciple's feet. He only changed the world for twelve men. Funny thing is, only one of those men even recorded the event for future generations. Jesus bowed his knee to twelve men and washed their stinky feet. In that moment, there were only twelve men who felt the cool, refreshing water. And the service those men received helped them to go out and serve others.

What will you do this week to wash someone's feet? Some of you may want to plan something. Maybe you know someone who can't afford groceries this week and you will pick them up a sack or two. It could be a single mom that needs baby sitting for one evening so she can get some work done. There are lots of opportunities at the Emmaus Center, the Salvation Army, or even with members of our congregation that could use some help. Or maybe this week you just need to walk around with your eyes open to opportunities. There are feet everywhere that need to be washed. Don't pull off a shoe but give a helping hand. Seek out an opportunity or see an opportunity and respond. Bend a knee and serve someone who has a need.

Missional Toe Jam

I was driving down the road the other day and noticed a bunch of trash along side the road. There were plastic pop bottles, papers, grocery bags, and some fast food cartons strung along the road side. First, it looked like someone cleaned out their back seat. But the farther I drove, the more trash I found. There was so much stuff that the back seat would have had to be full. I don't know what happened, but the beautiful landscape had been covered with filth. Now someone would have to help get that trash picked up or it would blow around covering more and more of God's creation. But who would pick it up? Whose job is it to solve the problem of littering along the side of the road? The street department? The police? The owner of the property? Who will remove the rubbish from the roadside and make the world a more beautiful place?

If the only problem we faced was garbage in the gutters wouldn't life be wonderful. But is seems that the struggles people face far outweigh the trash along the roadside. Let's face it, the world is a little stinky some times. Scratch that, it stinks a lot!The world can smell like feet on a hot and sweaty day. Pack a lot of garbage together and it starts to stink. All the problems this world produces creates a stink. Pack your feet into a pair of hot shoes all day and they start to stink as well. Jesus had an answer. In John 13, Jesus gets up from a meal with the disciples, takes off their shoes, and washes the feet of the men he had been training. The bible says, "Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love...Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with the towel." I want you to think about the stink for a moment. Dirty feet, covered with the dung, dirt, and grime of 1st century roads. Feet only covered with sandals that had walked with Jesus for three years are now cleaned by the first born of all creation. Think of what the water smelled like as Jesus washed the dirt and crud off their feet.

When the event is over, Jesus tells the disciples that they should go and do likewise. Not meaning to literally wash people's feet, but to love people enough to care for their needs. It was like their mission was to help a stinky world not stink so bad. That was the mission that Jesus called the disciples and us to--To stop the stink by serving the world.

Here is a thought; is the stink this world produces the result of the Church not washing feet? Has the church of Jesus Christ grown so inward and uncaring that the world is smelling worse than ever before? I don't have an answer to the world's problems, but I do know what Jesus calls the church to do. He says, "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one an other's feet." God wants us, the Church, to help stinky people not stink so bad. He wants the church to serve in a way that will make the world a better place.

On Sunday, November 14th I am beginning a new series called "Missional Toe Jam, Bowing a knee to a World that needs Christ." We are going to spend some time dealing with God's call to the church to be servants. We can't solve all the worlds stinkiness but we can do something about some of it. Jesus calls the church to serve in stinky places. Will we take up the call? Will we pick up the trash? Will we take care of some of the stink? Will we wash the world's feet?

Hippie Sunday

What a hippie party we had yesterday! Cooking out, playing games, listening to 60's music. It was a blast from the past. I had hoped a few of you would wear tie dye, but that crowd of red, blue, and yellow made me feel like we were at a Christian Woodstock. It was 'groovy man.' Thanks to all of you that came, cleaned up, brought food, and planned a great day.

Well, my summer Tie Dye Series has ended. It is always bittersweet ending a sermon series. I am ready to move to a new subject but I wonder if anyone has learned anything. Is there something else I should have covered or maybe I covered too much. It is one of the hard things to know as a pastor. How much is too much? I could second guess myself every day if I allowed it but the series is over and it is time to move on; or is it?

I tried to answer all your questions, but there were some that were short answers and not a full sermon. So I thought I would take the next few blogs and pick up on some of the subjects that just were not quite long enough for a full messages. Let's take a quick look this morning.

One of the questions I received was about Jesus staying at the temple while his parents left. The story is in Luke 2:41-52. If you remember, Jesus' parents went to celebrate the passover in Jerusalem. They were there with a bunch of friends and family. When time came for them to leave, Jesus did not go with them. After a day of travel, they found out that Jesus was not with them; Panic! They returned to Jerusalem and spent three days looking for their 12 year old boy. They finally found Jesus in the temple. The question was this, "If Jeremy was missing three days, how could you not consider that being disobedient. Doesn't that mean that Jesus was disobedient (As is every child). But that would mean that Jesus was not without sin." Great question. Let me begin with this; yes, if Jeremy is gone for three days and did not tell us where he was he would have been disobedient and will probably be grounded until his 33rd birthday. But if Peggy and I left him some place that would be a whole different story.

The story of Jesus goes a little deeper. Families traveled in packs back in the first century for safety. The men traveled in the front group and the women brought up the rear. Boys 13 and up traveled with the father and boys 12 and under traveled with the mother. That was just the custom of the times. It is interesting that Luke points out that Jesus is 12. He is between the age of being with his mother or his father. It was a time of transition. Jesus is becoming an adult in the Jewish world. So the group leaves and Joseph thought Jesus was with Mary and Mary thought Jesus was with Joseph. Now, I am sure that Joseph and Mary felt that Jesus had been disobedient. You know this state parents get in, It is called worried mad; worried about their safety and mad as a hornet. Mary says, "Son, why have you treated us this way? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." Jesus responds, "Didn't you know that I would be in my father's house?" (Aaron's rendition) They left him behind and he went to the best place of safety; His father's house.

Do you need to run to a place of safety? When you feel lost and alone there is one place that is always your home. It is your father's house. You are always welcome, Dad has invited you to return, there is someone to greet you, and a family that loves you. If you find yourself lost and in need of some direction, come to the Father's house this Sunday. God is waiting for you and your family would love to see you there.

Crack Open a Fortune Cookie

My kids were watching a television show the other day that caught my attention. It is about a bunch of teenagers who are on a comedy show. The star of the show was having a difficult time making decisions. When someone asked him a question, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a fortune cookie, and did whatever the fortune said. It was a cute story line that led to a lot of laughs.

What if it was that easy to get the answers to life? All you had to do was crack open a fortune cookie, read the answer, and do what it said. Think about it for a moment. If you were deciding on whether you should buy a new car or not. Open the cookie and it says, "Red is your lucky color." The car is red, it must be a sign from God. Should you propose to your girlfriend or not? Open a fortune cookie and it says, "It is time to start training for a marathon." Buddy, run for your life. Or maybe you wonder if it is time to quit your job and retire. Open the fortune cookie and it says, "Take some time to relax, you deserve it." Cash in your Roth IRA and move to Florida.

I read a story about a young man that used his bible much like the guy in the television show used fortune cookies. He was wanting some direction in life and wondered what God wanted him to do. So he decided to use the "flop your bible open and stick your finger on a verse" method of discernment. He flopped the bible open and it fell to Matthew. He stuck his finger on a verse and it was Matthew 27:5, "Judas threw his money in the temple, went away and hanged himself." "What does that mean?" the young man said. So he decided to try again. The bible fell open to Luke and he stuck his finger on verse 10:37 and read, "Jesus said, 'Go and do likewise.'" Surely this couldn't be. So the young man decided to try this once again. The bible fell open to the book of John. They young man put his finger on a passage from John 13:27 which read, "What you are about to do, do quickly."

It's funny, the bible has so many verses that you can make the bible say about anything you want if you try hard enough. It is called proof texting; taking a verse out of context so you can do what you want. Jesus says in John 10:16 that he has sheep that are not of this sheep pen. One fellow argued with me that this text tells us that there is life on other planets. That's out there, no pun intended. I also had a debate over the same verse with my great cousin who said Jesus was speaking of the Muslims, Buddhists, and all other world religions with this statement. It just makes more sense to me that Jesus was talking about gentiles, who were not included under the old covenant, and who needed a Savior, too.

So, how do you decide what God wants you to do if you can't flop your bible open or just pick a verse? Good question! I'm so glad you asked it. There are some verses that are a little more cut and dry. "Thou shall not kill" is kind of hard to get around. It is impossible to find a verse that condones adultery. And as for those little white lies that really don't hurt anyone, well, I think God says that liars go to the lake of fire. It's in Revelation 21:8 and lumps liars with those who practice magic arts and idolaters. Cut and dry things in the bible are still cut and dry. Even in an age of gray areas, the bible is still the heart of God for His people. But there are other issues that are not quite so easy. So let me give you some helpful steps in the process of discernment.

1. Find out what the bible says: You can know this, God does not change. If God didn't like a man coveting his neighbor's wife two thousand years ago, He still doesn't like it today. The principles in scripture are for your benefit, not so God can get what he wants. Divide the bible into sections. What does Jesus say about your situation? What does Paul say about your situation? What does the rest of the New Testament say about your situation? What does the Old Testament say about your situation? The Old Testament tells us to kill a son or daughter that is disobedient. If we did that, we would all be dead. But Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament have something to say about that and killing the kid is not it. (Even though you may want to at times.) Find a consensus in scripture on any situation you find yourself in.

2. Look for the Principles in Scripture: You will not find the answer to which car you should buy or if you should move into a different house; it just isn't there. But you may find some principles as to which car you should buy, how much you should spend, and if what you have is good enough for you. The bible may not tell you who you should marry, but it will tell you what kind of man or woman to look for in a mate. These are the principles in the scriptures that help to govern our lives. There are wonderful principles in Jesus' teachings and the book of Proverbs to live the best life now.

3. Ask for wisdom: James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault." God wants to give you wisdom in the decisions you are making. If you don't know what to do, just ask and God will reveal it to you in time. Now, let me say this, if God has already spoken, then don't expect him to speak again or to change his mind. Too often we know what God wants and we are looking for another way. Just do what God wants and life will get better.

4. Get Godly advice: This is a big one for me. I believe that God has put a number of people in our lives that can help us to make good decisions. My dad and mom have helped me so many times in life. I have had godly men and women instruct me time and time again. Professors, teachers, and friends have all been there with wisdom and guidance. BUT!!! Don't expect godly advise from ungodly people. They may have wisdom from past experience but that doesn't mean that their help will lead you to make a good, biblical decision.

I was out with my family the other day eating Chinese and opened a fortune cookie. I like what it said so well that I put it in my billfold for safe keeping. It read, "Happiness is not a reward, it's a consequence." When we make good, godly choices it sure helps us to be happy. So, quit making decisions based on your horoscope, fortune cookie, or friend at the bar and begin to seek Godly advice through God, His Word and His servants.

Keeping our Calm in a World that has Lost Theirs

I was talking with a friend of mine that works in the retail business the other day. She seemed a little frazzled while I was in the store, so I asked her what was wrong. "People!" She exclaimed, "People are so rude anymore, nothing is ever good enough, nothing is ever right. You can bend over backwards for someone and they won't even say thank you anymore. What is wrong with people now days?" Wow, what a question. What is wrong with people now days? It does seem that patience has gone out the door. People seem more demanding than ever. Road rage is definitely on the increase and etiquette has gone out the window. What is wrong with people?

My guess is that each of you who are reading this blog have had some trouble with people as of late. Maybe it was the lady that only filled your french fry box half full at the drive thru window because she was too lazy to reach over and put some more fries in the basket and press the button on the fryer to start the process of cooking up crispy goodness. But No! Instead she decides to just fill your fry container half full and stick it in the bag and hand it out the drive thru window because no one in their right mind would serve a half full fry container to a customer at the front desk out of fear of public humiliation. Instead she sticks it to you, loyal drive thru customer, and keeps you from enjoying your fill of its tasty goodness; requiring you to pull into a parking spot, go inside, and inform the french fry gal that the amount of fries in their large fry would fit nicely into the paper wrapper they use in their KID'S MEAL BOX! Glad nothing like that has ever happened to me. Okay, maybe it isn't easy to keep our cool these days. And there are times that I'm not sure if I am part of the problem or part of the solution.

There are a number of times during the course of any day that I can feel my face getting red, my blood pressure increasing, and the desire to say something not pleasant growing in my mind. How do we as Christians keep our calm in a world that has lost theirs? A scripture from Philippians often helps me when my fry container is only half full. Paul says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8. Is it possible that a half full fry container is something to be thankful for? Could a half full fry container be a message from God? I have found that even in the most stressful situation, when I have been wronged greatly, there is something that I can be thankful for. I just need to take a moment and find out what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy in this situation. I have found that I can be part of the problem or part of the solution. I think Jesus worked at being an answer to the world's problems and not an instigator of more sin. Jesus says that if someone asks you to go a mile with them, go two. That means we need to allow ourselves to be used once in a while. That we don't always have to be right. That being a servant is greater than being in charge.

This week, let's try to put on the attitude of Jesus Christ. Instead of getting mad, let's get glad. Instead of being angry, find something to rejoice in. Instead of demanding your way, allow someone else to get theirs. Instead of adding salt to someone's wound, put a little salve on it and give them a bandage while you are at it. Maybe a group of calm, caring Christians can begin to change the attitude of the world.

Who Am I?

Who am I? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I am not a great fan of horror flicks but when I was a youth, I saw a few of them at friend's houses. One that I have thought of often is Friday the 13th. Jason was a serial killer that wore a hockey mask. I remember scenes where you were looking through the mask. Now, usually those scenes didn't end very well for someone but that is not where I want to go. Instead, I want to think about living life through a mask. We put lots of them on in the course of a day. Often when we are depressed, we put on a happy face. When we are with our kids, we have to put on our parent mask. When we are at work, we put on our employee mask. When we go out with friends, we put on sociable mask. When we go to church, we put on a religious mask. It seems like the list is endless. We have to be so many different people in the course of a day.

When I start thinking about who I am, sometimes my head spins. I am a husband, father, son, uncle, cousin, friend, pastor, counselor, student, leader, preacher, teacher, and if I put some thought into it, I could probably find another twenty things that I am. And at times, being one of those things seems to require me to put a mask on. There are days that I don't want to be a father and would rather be the kid's friend. There are times that the kids force me to be a disciplinarian and I hate it when I have to put on that mask; that is not who I am. If you look close enough, you probably have lots of masks in your closet. Some of you have had to become caregivers of family members because of their health and had to put on a new mask. Some of you are working in jobs you hate and have adopted a mask to survive financially. Some of you have lost loved ones and the mask of sorrow covers you like rain. What mask are you wearing today?

Paul gives us a little advice in Galatians 2:20 that just may help, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me." When I read this passage, it says to me, "Aaron, it is not about you, it is about Christ. When I accepted Jesus as my savior I was suppose to die. When I walked through the waters of baptism, I was not suppose to live through it. Aaron's life was suppose to end and Chris's life in me was to begin. When I spend time with my family, I am suppose to be Christ. When I am being a husband, I am suppose to be Christ. When I am pastor, I am suppose to be Christ. When I am being a friend, I am suppose to be Christ. When I am counseling, I am suppose to be Christ. From the moment I arise in the morning to the moment I lay to rest at night, I need to remember it is not about me but about Jesus living through me. I died when I was eight years old and Christ took over my life. Now he gets to live His life through me.

If we take this passage in Galatians seriously, then we all need to get rid of our masks. The only person that I need to be is Jesus; and the only person that you need to be is Jesus. And if you think about it, do we really have anything better to give than Him anyway. So lets have a mask burning party today and decide to live our lives for Christ, being Christ to those around us. Be Christ as you go to work. Be Christ as you care for the hurting. Be Christ as you spend time with your kids. Be Christ as you love your spouse. Be Christ in your coming and be Christ in your going. Paul's identity was found in Christ and no one else. Sounds to me like being Christ is a lot easier than trying to figure out which mask to put on next.

Pastor Aaron

Dressed for Success

“Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. Give us success in all we do!”
Psalm 90:17

How do you begin your day? When the alarm goes off do you jump out of bed ready to tackle whatever comes your way or do you hit the snooze button hoping for a reprieve? Do you get up late and scurry around or do you get up early so you can enjoy the morning? Are you a prepare breakfast kind of gall or a grab a breakfast bar for the road kind of guy? Each of us have our morning routine but maybe we need to add one piece to our habit. We all need to ask for a blessing on the day.

The writer of Psalms gives us a wonderful piece of advice. He prays, “Lord our God, may your blessings be with us. Give us success in all we do!” Praying for success in your day; is that part of your morning routine? Do you include anywhere in your prayers a request that God blesses the day you are about to live. You know, it doesn’t matter if you are retired, a business owner, an employee of a small or large company, a college student, or even attending primary school we need success in what we do. And God wants to grant us success each and every day. But I wonder how often we actually pray and ask for God’s blessing on our day. When we get up in the morning do we truly give that day to God and seek his direction for what is about to come our way.

In the Message, a modern day translation of the bible, it gives a unique rendition of Romans 12:1. Paul says, “Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going to work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering.” Each day we get an opportunity to make our day an act of worship. Everything we do has a change to be a blessing to the Lord. But we need to allow it to be a blessing. And we need to allow blessings to flow in to our lives. But how do we make that happen? Let me give you some steps in the process.

1. Start your day out by giving it to God. Before your feet hit the floor in the morning tell God that this is His day and you will live it for him. Give all of your working, resting, and playing to God before your day even begins.
2. Ask for success throughout your day. God wants you to have a successful day. Too often our agenda gets in the way of his blessings. Pray that God shows you opportunities to be blessed and to be a blessing.
3. Live that day being Christ to others: Now you have to do what you prayed. Don’t give the day to God and then do what you want. Listen for his direction, look for his leading, and live as if you were Him.

God has great plans for each day of our life. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have bad days or that things won’t go wrong. Satan wants to mess things up for you. But God wants blessings to come our way. Live each day with God on your mind and his plan in your sights and you will find blessings both during and at the end of your day.

Gettin Down with the Good Book

Sixty Six books. Forty authors. A fifteen hundred year time span. Twenty five thousand ancient scrolls. Survived numerous persecutions. Withstood constant criticism. Proved accurate through archeology again and again. Translated into twenty two hundred different languages. Continuing to influence the course of human history. No, I am not talking about the Harry Potter series or Dante's Inferno. I am talking about the living word of God.

Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." God breathed: how did God breathe the scriptures. I see two ways that God breathed scripture. First, God whispered into the ear of the writer. Well, maybe not literally. But there are passages of scripture where God told the author what to write. A couple of examples would be the book of Leviticus, the Ten Commandments, some of the Prophets, and the book of The Revelation. We see God interrupting the course of natural events to speak through one of his prophets. Second, God influences the pen of the author. It is not like God took control of the hand of the person writing, it is more like he influenced their life in such a way that their words were his words. God used history, poetry, and narrative to tell His story in an inspired fashion.

Some would ask, "How do we know that the words we have today are even close to the words written so many years ago?" That is a good question. I don't know about you but I get e-mails that are not right and we have spell check. I have seen the same joke using doctors, lawyers, and preachers. if you read a texts, one word can be spelled in a variety of ways. Maybe the answer comes in understanding that God did not use these faulty levels of communication to instruct people in his word. Instead, he took studious individuals that were driven to perfection to copy his word. During my trip to Israel, I went to where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. I spent a little time learning about the Khirbet Qumram community. This group of avid followers of God were so precise at what they were doing. Hours with a pen and parchment in a small room preserving the word of God. It still amazes me that the text that had been copied for over a thousand years survived with such accuracy.

The point of this post is not to prove the accuracy of scripture or to expound on the historical reliability of God's word. If you don't believe the bible is God's word then just ignore these words and go back to surfing a world wide web full of inaccuracy, lies, and half truths. But, if you believe that the bible could be something more, then spend some time testing it for yourself. See if you find the words in the Good Book to be helpful in living a better life. And if you claim to be a follower of Christ, then study to show yourself approved. If the bible is the Good Book inspired for the human race then we as his followers should read it. So how about closing this blog down and pulling out a Good Book. Pick up that old bible you got for a wedding present or given to you by a Sunday school teacher and reading a portion of it. See what the Book of Psalms, the Gospel of John, or the Letter to the Corinthians has to say. And if you don't have a bible just click here and spend a little time with the Good Book.