A Headlight Moment

According to the scriptures, Jesus was a carpenter’s son while here on earth. Matthew 13:55 says: “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?

As a carpenter’s son and a carpenter himself he would be very familiar with wood and its characteristics and how to get the most use from each piece.

I can tell you from personal experience that God will and does use various wood products to get our attention sometimes. Let me explain:

Often it may be a “little” splinter in our finger and sometimes he might even use a 2x4 up side the head (metaphorically speaking of course) God will use these pieces of wood to say “HEY what are you doing?, listen up, wake up!”

Whatever he uses rest assured that God knows exactly how much and what size piece of wood is necessary to get his message across.

God will always use these “encounters” for our own good. If heeded, they help to get us back on track and back into a right relationship with him.

With that said, did you know that God is also called in the scriptures the Great Physician and Healer? (Exodus 15:26) “I am the Lord who heals you”

Funny isn’t it, that God, the one who allows us to be afflicted and or injured, is the very same God who is the first one at the scene of the “accident” with the ointment and the bandages to administer first aid and speed us on our way to a complete recovery!

If we allow Him to, God will prescribe the necessary medication and we will be able to come out on the other side of the injury, scared possibly, but definitely stronger for having been thru it.

Our “Suffering Savior” Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17) knows all about our pain and I am convinced that nothing will come into our lives that has not first passed thru his loving hands.

Christ has the scars on his body that show his love for us. Is it any wonder that we would not have a few of our own? (John 16:33) “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Amen!

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· Tolerance: Sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or

To tolerate something is noble, but, to acquiesce to it in spite of your firmly held beliefs is cowardly!

God accepts us, any of us, “just as we are”. But he loves us to much to leave us that way.

Acts 10:34-35 (NIV) “Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.”

Romans 14:1 (NIV) “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.”

Romans 15:7 (NIV) “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

Notice however at the end of verse 1 of Romans 14: “disputable” matters. There are some things we must not acquiesce to, some things that are not disputable.

We are sinful (Romans 3:23) God is Holy (1 Samuel 2:2) Christ is the Way (John 14:6)

Yes, believe it or not, there are some things that are black and white, true or false, right and wrong.

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I was playing softball the other night. One of my teammates was running toward the center field fence at full speed to catch a fly ball over his head

I remember yelling, fence!, but it was too late. He crashed headfirst into the fence with his forehead and nose taking the blunt of the blow. It was scary to watch.

In the Christian life we are to be “watchmen”. (Ezekiel 3:16-21) As watchmen, we not only “watch” we have something to say as well.

We watch the movement of the enemy. (1 Peter 5:8) and sound the alarm! We are to be in a military state of readiness. (2^nd Timothy 2:4)

The work of a good soldier of Christ is to take notice and give notice. (Isaiah 21:8)(to give warning). It’s a dangerous occupation, being a soldier of Christ. Be aware, some men will curse you if you are faithful in your duties.

But warn them we must. The enemy is crafty and most often the attacks are subtle yet just as damaging. He is always chipping away at our front lines, testing our defenses.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”

Our family, our friends, our best buddy or girlfriend… Relationships don’t just happen; they must be developed over time and nourished to maintain closeness. We have to invest in our relationships if they are going to become anything more than mere acquaintances.

Time: time invested talking, more time invested listening and then some more time listening is always a good investment with our friends.

Let’s make it a priority in 2007 to invest in our relationship with our most trusted friend, Jesus Christ.

Time invested in our personal relationship with the King of Kings, the Savior of our souls, (Rev. 17:14) will be the best investment we could possibly make in the upcoming year.

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Getting used to the Dark

Funny isn’t it, how we get used to the dark?

There is a slow, subtle, sinister brainwashing process going on and by it we are gradually being desensitized to evil.

Our magazines, the internet, even our television sets are dumping it into our very living rooms.

We get used to it, acclimated to it. We learn to live with it without inner protest.

(Luke 17:28-30)

Remember the time when sin shocked us? As the brainwashing progresses, what once amazed us now only amuses us.

We are not here to learn how to live in the dark but to walk in the light! We are not here to get along with evil but to overcome it with good. (Romans 12:21)

Our business as Christians is to let our light shine (Ephesians 5:11)

This is no time to get used to the dark; it’s time to turn on the light!

We need to get our candles out from under the bushels and the beds and let them shine in our hearts, our homes, our businesses, our churches, and in our communities.

(Matthew 5:15)

Ride Free &

Let your light so shine so that… Matthew 5:16

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Call me old fashioned, old school, whatever. But when I ride my bike I prefer the sound of that “rumble” and the wind in my face.

I have nothing against stereo systems, iPods, headphones and the like. But, for me, just let me hear that big twin growl.

With that said however, there is something I do miss while out riding, my Christian radio. More specifically, AM830 Truth talk live and the preaching, the teaching, and hearing the word of God proclaimed over the airwaves.

I did not realize how much I missed that part of being in a “cage” until the other day when I borrowed my wife’s car to ride down to Southern Wesleyan University and watch my son, Mitch, play baseball.

Just sitting there with the radio on letting it infiltrate my mind like that (Psalm 119:97). It changes things.

God’s word, whether written or proclaimed out loud, has a transforming power unlike any other media I know of. (Romans 12:2)

Now I am still not ready to get a sound system for my bike or a set of headphones but…

I do have a radio and a bible at home and maybe, just maybe, Theresa will let me borrow her car sometime again soon.

(Matthew 21:10) “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”

This is a question that we all must ask ourselves sooner or later in our own lives, preferably sooner than later.

What will be your answer? Not your neighbors answer, not your parents answer, not even your children’s or your spouses answer but how will YOU answer this very personal question, Who is this Jesus?

Pilate, the Roman governor, asked a similar question during the days of his leadership. In (Matthew 27:22) he asks: “But if I release Barabbas, Pilate asked them, “what should I do with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” and they all shouted, “Crucify him!”

And now each one of us must answer the most important question ever asked. The very same question that Jesus asked Peter and the other disciples in the gospel of Luke.

Jesus speaking: “Then he asked them (the disciples) who do you say I am?” (Luke 9:20)

My prayer for each one of us is that we can answer like Peter did in the same verse, without missing a beat, “you are the Messiah, (the anointed one) sent from God!” (Luke 9:20)

If you can’t say; yes I know Jesus and I have accepted him in my life, or maybe you just have some questions, then I encourage you to visit the web site listed below and watch the short video and/or get in touch with us at Noah’s Tribe.