“One Man, One Woman”

I wrote in the past about being “One Man” at all times. I felt the Spirit call me to write about that, because I feel it is something we all struggle with, at least I know I do. I have always found it funny how we appraise people differently based on our exposure to them. Say for instance, you meet a new couple at church, they have just moved in from out of state because the man, let’s call him Phil has been transferred here by his firm.(It happens to be the same firm you work for, although Phil is in top management in a different division, so you do not interface). He and his wife fit in nicely with you and your friends and he seems to be a very Godly man from the exposure you have with him. He helps to lead the youth group on weekends, and after a time teaches a class for young married families on Sunday morning. His wife “Denise” is a similar version in her women’s ministry service. You attend the young married class and listen to his encouraging testimony of how he became a follower of Christ, and how he and Denise have found balance between their careers, Christianity and their marriage and have discovered harmony.

Wow, what a guy, a mentor even to have found such happiness, success, and balance in their lives by the time they are in their late 30’s. You strike up a friendship with Phil and Denise, and begin to socialize together a bit outside of church. At first things seem really great with them, but as time goes on, you begin to get the impression they are not completely as they portray. Denise confides that Phil is very driven to succeed at the office and is “expected” to do happy hours with the managers at work if he is to become one of the top boys. He is now having to stay out past ten at night a few times a week, and comes home smelling of alcohol and cigars when he does get home. At first, he was apologetic but as time progresses; he becomes annoyed if Denise is bothered by it. She readily admits that this is not how she imagined their lives to be at this point.

You are at work, and are busy in your cubicle as you hear a familiar voice coming down the hallway, only this time there is profanity laced into it. You choose not to speak up because it would be awkward, so you just listen. It is Phil and another manager and they are discussing the happy hour at Hooter’s last night and in particular the “hottie” waitress that was serving them. As Phil walks by, he glances into your cubicle and so you say “hi’, he looks uncomfortable as he says hi in return and keeps moving. As he walks off, you lean out into the hallway in time to hear “he’s just an acquaintance” as he walks off. You are hurt, you are stunned, but most of all you are disappointed.

The weekend comes and your wife says “Denise has asked us if we want to come over for dinner and a movie Friday, what do you think”? You say you would rather just stay close to the house this weekend and spend time with family. As time progresses Phil is promoted again at work, he is now over your division. He has begun to be called a “hatchet man” as he has a reputation of axing people’s jobs. He is known to have an extremely short fuse, and is known to be a man who doesn’t afford second chances to anyone. If you make a mistake on an account or have a customer that is displeased, you “do not meet expectations” and will be fired or laid off, period. You begin to fear your old friend. This man who was at your daughters’ birthday party last weekend may be the man who places you out of work. This is the same man who discusses Grace, mercy and how we are to forgive and show kindness to all at Sunday morning Bible class. There are at least two people you see coming from this one man, and very different these two people are.

Here is the sad part, this is a very common thing, and has always been a very common thing. People justify being different with words like “it’s just business”, or “you just have to do whatever it takes to succeed in this world”. Many of us have to struggle daily to be the same no matter what. In many cases it means we will not be promoted, in many cases it means we will not be liked, but that is what the scripture foretells anyway

Luke 21:17-19  All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.

Phil’s struggle of being pulled into different directions is one that many of us face throughout life. Phil is not a bad person, Phil is just misled and has some bad habits.

It is just very important to know who you serve, and to be one person as you do it, we cannot serve God and the world both, we must choose one or the other. James 4:4   You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Brothers and Sisters, as we go out into the world to spread God’s word, let’s remember that we are always being watched, first and most importantly by God, by wives and husbands, also by fellow Christians, by co-workers, and also by the lost that we will be seeking to evangelize. If they see we don’t walk the talk, we lose credibility with them, and they will never give what we have to say a second thought. Besides, it is really much easier being the same person all of the time, you don’t have to rely on your memory so much. God Bless You All

JFT

The People and situations in this story are fictional, written to make a point.

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“The Hole in My Heart”

I am so elated, my girl had just said “yes” to my proposal and we will be planning the wedding soon. She wants to have a nice medium sized wedding with all of our friends and family, you know, a couple hundred. I don’t care either way, small service at the courthouse would do fine for me, it’s really about the union right, not the ceremony. Well, it doesn’t matter, she is a girl, and girls think differently, so if she wants a nice wedding, that is just fine with me. I am just happy be marrying a great gal like Kim, life is going to be great from here on out. We will get married and start our new life, and I am finally going to be fulfilled, that hole in my heart, that strange emptiness will certainly be filled then.

Kim and I have been married for two years now, and it has been mostly good. I finished up college just before the wedding, and actually expected to go right into big business, after all, I am qualified right, and I have the degree. Well, it didn’t work out quite the way I imagined, I was still hired on at the bottom of the heap. I have worked days, nights, weekends, and now I am finally being noticed for my efforts. I am being promoted into a much higher paying and prestigious job on Monday, and I cannot wait. Kim and I could only afford a small apartment and we are getting tired of not having any room, and she is even talking about wanting a baby. Well, this Job will be the gateway to our future, and I will finally be fulfilled, that hole in my heart will finally be filled.

Kim and I have been married for seven years now, and most of it has been good, we have our problems like anyone else. Life is about to get much better though. We bought a house three years ago, a nice place in the suburbs after my first big promotion, I have had three now. Kim and I saved up for a couple of years after the first promotion so that we could put a sizable down payment on this house and not be house poor. Now comes the great part, Kim is eight and a half months pregnant, we are going to be parents. I am so stoked about being a daddy that I absolutely cannot stand it. We have chosen not to know what the child is, but the Dr.’s have assured us that it is a healthy child. I am now thirty one, and I just know this will be what it takes to complete me, to fulfill me, to fill that hole in my heart that has always been there, and hasn’t gone away yet. I know this will do it.

Kim and I have now been married for fourteen years, we have three wonderful children that keep us running constantly, all wonderful girls I might add. We are all involved in church pretty heavily, Kim is a great mother and wife, and I love her so much, but there is still something missing in my life. Kimmy supports me in every way, and we now openly discuss filling this hole that has plagued me for so many years. I have asked her if she has a hole similar to mine, and she say no, she is sorry she doesn’t understand but she just doesn’t. Kim suggests that this hole may only be filled by God, that this hole is something that was meant to be filled by the Holy Spirit, and anything else is just a substitution. I agree with her, and I think about something I heard announced at church, they are looking for someone to teach a young men’s class on leadership. I certainly should be qualified to do that, I am an executive, and lead many people at work, this should be a snap, but I am going to be giving back now, contributing. It all certainly makes sense now, this is it, and working in the church should fill that cursed hole I have been carrying for so long.

Seventeen years now Kim and I have been together, many ups and downs, mostly ups, but I am worn out, tired. I have been working so hard at the firm for so long now, I am just beat. The girls are all well, but I am depressed, I hate to say it, but is this as good as it gets? I have achieved in every corner of my life except one. I have been a good husband, a good worker, a good daddy, and I think, even a good Christian, yet the hole persists, it just won’t be filled. I slink into the bedroom and close the door, I walk to the edge of the bed, and fall to my knees leaning over the bed and scream at God in my heart “What do you want of me, Take it, anything, everything just tell me what you want me to do”?

I am fifty now, Kimmy and I have been married for twenty six years, and we have only one girl at home now. I am happier than I have ever been in life now. A few years back, the hole finally was filled, and it wasn’t marriage, fatherhood, career, church, or teaching that filled it. It was submission, giving everything back to God, because it wasn’t really mine anyway. That day when I crashed and burned next to the bed something odd happened, the Holy Spirit came into my heart for the first time in my life. I thought you got it by proxy of being a Christian, but boy was I wrong. He guides me daily now, takes me where I need go, makes my decisions, and helps me be a true leader, a Spiritual leader. The career I used to cherish, I found out it was just a job, and I no longer care about climbing the ladder, if God wants me somewhere, I will be led there. Kimmy and I now talk regularly about the next life we will have, the one in heaven. The hole was filled, and although I always tried to fill it with everything except what it needed to be filled with, I also kind of always knew what I needed to do to fill it, but was not obedient. If you have that hole in your heart, go to God with no demands and total submission and you will walk away a new creation.

God Bless

JFT

This story was written to illustrate a point, but based on factual events.

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“Dream Weaver”

Acts 2:17    17” ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.

 

Ahmad tossed and turned in his bed, failing to get comfortable enough to go into the deep sleep that provides rest. His wife Bousseh had enough and gave him the elbow she sometimes gives when he is snoring to the point she cannot sleep, so he obediently rolled over on his side and fought for sleep again. Somewhere before the dawn, the dream came again, the dream that haunted yet enticed him again and again. This was the third time this week he had dreamt it.

In the dream, he was walking a long and barren road during the summer, in the desert somewhere. No matter how far he looked or concentrated he could see no end to the road he was on. There were no other travelers on the road, just him, the sun, and the heat. He was very thirsty, so he stopped and removed the water bottle from his small satchel for a drink, and was horrified to see that it was empty. As he looked into the bottle for any errant drops that may have escaped his eye, he realizes he is no longer alone as he lowers the bottle. A medium height man in a white robe and hood with a simple sash stands before him; his eyes are kind and knowing. Ahmad is startled and steps back a couple of feet, fearing who it is that stands before him, but knowing who it is all the same. The man reaches out and takes the water bottle from Ahmad and looks into the end of it, then says “the bottle is full” and hands it back to Ahmad. Ahmad drinks deeply from the bottle, and finds one drink is enough to sate his thirst. The man then looks sternly at Ahmad and says, “Ahmad, embrace My cross and you shall never thirst again”. Ahmad stares back and says “how can I embrace Your cross, Allah will disown me and I shall be killed”. The man looks kindly back at him and says Allah is a myth, My Father in heaven is the one and only true God, all others are false and will lead to eternal death and punishment. The man then lays His hand on Ahmad’s shoulder and a calmness comes over him instantly. As he looks up to the man, he finds He is now gone, and the desert with it, he is now surrounded by green meadows and beautiful forests. And although he does not live in the forest, but in Tehran, he recognizes his home up ahead, so he takes one more refreshing drink and begins to walk to his home.

Ahmad opens his eyes, and sees sunlight coming through the curtains. He hears the call to prayer coming in on the breeze, and he rises from bed as he does every morning to answer the call to prayer, but this morning, he stops before kneeling on his prayer mat and thinks on his dream. He is confused, a good muslim will never miss a call to prayer, but he can’t get the words of the man in the dream out of his head “Allah is a myth; My Father in heaven is the one and only true God”. Bousseh is in prayer as he looks into the adjoining room, but he instead goes into the outer room and sits in a chair. He begins to think about a man at work who is reputed to be an apostate at the bank of Tehran. The man is a good man, kind and generous, but with a peace that surrounds him and all he does. People have suspected he was a Christ follower for months now, but have never asked him. Ahmad had a pretty good rapport with the man, they have had lunch together many times, and today Ahmad has decided to take a chance and ask if he is in fact a Christ follower, and if so, can he explain the dreams. Bousseh comes into the room and says “Ahmad, did you not pray this morning”? Ahmad places his arms around this woman he loves and smiles gently,” Bousseh, we must talk”, and she sits with him on the couch, concern etched clearly on her face.

Iran is an nation of growing underground churches. More people have come to Christ in Iran in the last fifteen years than in the last fifteen hundred. A surprising thing that seems to be happening to many muslim converts worldwide today, is that they are being touched by dreams. Many of the converts when asked what brought them to the foot of the cross will tell you that they were contacted during a dream by Christ and told to embrace the Cross. Please pray for these underground churches, as they live in danger every day.

God bless

JFT

This story was written based loosely on facts from a mission leader in the region who passed this story to me.

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“Unprepared in Azerbaijan”

I sit perplexed as I try to comprehend the study material and discern where the teacher Dr. Moenich is trying to lead our class. I signed up for this workshop on church growth over a year ago, was given the lists of scriptures and required book reading to prepare for the course, and began in earnest reading to prepare for the two week course shortly thereafter, but then I was interrupted. In trying to follow the rest of the class, it becomes apparent to me that I am not prepared, and will learn little from my time here. I sadly rise after class has ended for the day, and quietly walk up to Dr. Moenich prepared to throw in the towel. He is speaking with a young man that seems to have a Bosnian accent and explaining that it doesn’t matter the venue that one holds church in. I patiently wait until he is finished and then I smile and introduce myself as Laslos from Azerbaijan.

He greets me warmly and asks how he can help me, and I stammer as I explain that I am sorry, but I didn’t complete the required reading, and I do not feel as though I will be able to keep up as I am unprepared. An almost unseen look of annoyance flashes across his eyes before the calm understanding returns and he says “Son, why weren’t you able to complete it”, a look of concern crossing his face. I hang my head, hating to make excuses, but then explain that I did not have access to the Bible, or any other books, as I was in prison for almost a year, getting out only two weeks ago. Dr. Moenich looks me in the eyes, a steely look of concern etching his face, and said “son, let’s go get a cup of coffee”.

He asks me to recount my story, so I begin that It was a Saturday evening, and the small church I pastor was meeting in the building we had rented. The building has no windows, is non-descript and was perfect for our underground church. I was preaching the lesson, and there were about 30 people in attendance that night. I was about half way through my lesson plan when the door at the entrance was broken from its frame and split into three pieces and scattered at the back of the church. Six armed militia men stormed in and began to curse loudly at us Apostates for our infidelity. One of the men, the leader fired his Kalashnikov into the ceiling several times and screamed that anyone who does not want to go to prison should leave now. I then nodded to my congregation and told them to go home. They followed my suggestion and left quickly.

After they left safely, I then asked the leader why we were being persecuted, and he answered me with a rifle butt, knocking out a front tooth and sending me to the floor. I was then chained in hand cuffs and shackles at the ankles. Then for meanness they put a plastic cuff between, hog tying me. They dragged me outside, and threw me in the back of a truck and hit me again with the rifle butt, this time knocking me unconscious. I awoke face down on a cold hard stone floor, the smell of urine strong in my nostrils, it was then I realized that I was lying in a puddle of it. This terrible new home was a six foot by six foot cell that was six foot high, I am six four so I can not ever stand straight. No explanation was given of why I am here, other than the fact I know It is because I am an apostate, a follower of Christ.

I was brought food once a day, sometimes watery soup, sometimes bread, but never enough. I was never confronted to face any charges, just treated poorly in this cell. There is a small barred window that goes out to the exercise yard I am not allowed to visit, and sometimes a bird will land on the window for me to look at. I am beaten by the guards every week or two, I believe mostly because they are bored. The beatings consist of being hit with their fists until I fall, and then brutally kicked in the ribs and face until I am usually unconscious, because I am a believer. I prayed every day on and off, sometimes all day, not for deliverance, but for faithfulness, I just don’t want to be broken.

I want to know that I stay firm in my faith no matter what. As the weeks turned into months, I was dragged in one day to the warden’s office, and told I was convicted of meeting illegally, and sentenced to four years prison. I was stunned to say the least. During the next few months, I had three more teeth broken out and a total of eight ribs broken repeatedly. My nose was also broken in three places. After nine and a half months or so, I was awakened on the floor as two guards opened my cell door and began to enter. Suddenly, they both froze and whispered back and forth in a hushed tone. I could not hear all they said, but they mentioned the “Cross of Christ”, and said if they hurt me the Christ would certainly hurt them, and they both backed out of the cell and re-locked it. I struggled to a sitting position and looked around for what they may have seen. On the floor in front of the door, a shadow of moonlight through my barred window cast a perfect cross on the floor, surrounded with blue moonlight. I felt comfort as I lay back down and prayed until I slept again. When morning came, the cell door was opened, and the muslim warden and guards stood outside, and summoned me to come. I was led through passages I had never been through, until I stood in front of the prison, and the warden said I was released, with no further explanation. I looked, and a car with people I recognized from my church pulled up and parked at the curb. They embraced me in all my filthiness and many tears were shed as they drove me back to our church. They led me back in and to the front of the podium and begged me to speak to them about the Lord. I told them how He had protected me and wrapped me in His love while I was away.

That was two weeks ago, I spent some time in the hospital, had four new teeth implanted, and been treated for severe malnutrition. Dr. Moenich embraces me and as he pulls away, I see his eyes are full of tears. “Son, let’s get a bite of dinner, I am going to tutor you on what you missed, and you are going to pass this course with flying colors. I smile as he places his arm around my shoulder and we head off to dinner.

This story is based on a factual account that occurred in Azerbaijan. I have changed the names at the request of their colleagues as they are still in grave danger. Please pray for the persecuted church.

 

God Bless

JFT

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“The Spiritual Void”

The Spiritual Void

That is what I am feeling for the last few days, as though I am in a Spiritual void. For those of you who do not know, I work a strange schedule, a really strange schedule. I work a 12 hour rotating shift, switching from days one week to nights the next, and then back again, good side, I get a week off every month. Okay, you wonder, so what does that have to do with the subject of the Spiritual void? Well, I am working my last graveyard shift for this week tonight as I speak, graveyards stink and I get tired of working them, but this is my life, and a blessed one at that.

Spiritual voids can be dangerous for me, and I suspect for many other Christians as well. I begin to feel disconnected from God during these times, and it makes me have to work harder to keep close to Him. It becomes easy to get involved with selfish desires of this world in this time of feeling distant. When in the void it becomes easy to consume ones thoughts with want of worldly goods, with pride and ego, with worldly ambition, with anger and resentment, or with lust of the flesh, and worry, things I pray diligently every day to not be tempted by.

I often wonder if the Apostles ever dealt with a Spiritual Void, or were they always amped out for God. Matthew 26:40-41   ⁴⁰Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. ⁴¹“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

 

I am a bit encouraged by this, which makes me wonder why I would be encouraged by the Apostles letting down the Savior. What encourages me is that when faced with losing the Savior, the Son of God, the great I Am, and asked by Him to keep watch while he prayed, they chose to catch some ZZz’s. Why am I encouraged by that, because I know how much He loved them, even though they messed up all the time just like we do? He knew they would let Him down time and time again, yet He still loved them.

That was an isolated instance you say, that was just one occurrence, and you are right, so here is another verse in addition. Matthew 26:43-46  ⁴³When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.  ⁴⁵Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Life in service to the Savior does not mean that things are going to come up roses all the time. Being on fire for the Lord is a choice we make daily when we rise, and it requires discipline. Many of you may have jobs that you like or get great satisfaction from, but I have no doubt that there are days when you come in and your heart just is not into it. Those are the days that require discipline, buckle down, and put your nose to the grindstone whether you like it or not, and before long you find you are out of the funk and back to enjoying what you do again. Our walk is no different, we all have Spiritual voids that we have to cross to get to the other side, I already feel mine passing.

God Bless and Keep You-always

JFT

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“The Anthill”

Consider the anthill if you will. Many workers come together to make a home that many will dwell in. The “brutish” male ants work from sun up till sundown carrying boulder sized pieces of stone out of the way so that their families may travel unimpeded. Once the hill is built, with its extensive under-workings, then the task of daily life gets under way. The worker ants go off into the far reaches in search of food to feed the colony. It is funny sometimes you will see an ant carrying the much larger body of a dead beetle back to its home for everyone to feast on. Sometimes you will see a dead cricket being dismembered and carried back to the colony piece by piece, everyone helping one another, working together to get the job done.

I have even seen on occasion when an ant has become wounded, someone steps on him, the others will not detour around him and go about their work, but they will stop what they are doing and tend to the wounded worker. Countless is the time I have seen them come together and help a wounded comrade back to the nest. I have been impressed with this camaraderie since I was a child, truth known, they may be taking him underground to be dismembered and eaten, but they behave civilly while above ground. The ant is a creature to be admired in my book.

One thing that stands out in my mind about the ant is the lack of politics or ideology you observe in their community. Everyone is busy doing their share, trying to keep the food-stores up so that everyone will be fed, and have a home. There may well be someone jockeying for lead position in the community, trying to reach “king of the hill”, but in all of my considerable time observing anthills during my youth, I just never saw that. Now let’s say for a moment that there is politics in the hill, and that there are a few ants that are concerned with reaching the top. There is one ant (Let’s call him ant “A”) that stores up not for the community, but for himself. He has carved out a large underground room that is just for him, because he feels “space is power” and then he begins to fill his room with all of the food he would normally be contributing to the community. He reasons that when food runs low this winter, he will be sitting on a lot of it, and the other ants will have to come to him, which will make him powerful.

There is another ant (Let’s call him ant “B”) that is only interested in having the other ants follow his direct orders. He wants to be the boss of the other ants, because there is no power in being a follower, right. So he becomes abusive to the other ants that they may become fearful to him, and will follow his commandments out of fear. He is larger in size than most of the other ants, so they feel intimidated by his presence, and they begin to do what he says without question, because they fear him.

There is one final ant (Let’s call her ant “C”) she is impressed with pretty stones, she has a couple of male ants that begin to bring her pretty colored stones that they uncover during the excavation of the hill. They both like her and they are trying to curry her favor by bringing her stones for her collection. She begins to really admire the stones she has in her collection, and after a while, they begin to be her focus every day. She uses her charm to get many male ants to bring her new stones, as her hobby of collecting the pretty stones becomes an obsession. After a while, her little ant room is overflowing with pretty colored stones in all colors, shapes and sizes, but it still is not enough, she begins to force her neighbor out of her home in order to have more places to store her precious stones. Her stone collection has become her life.

I have never seen this behavior in the ant world, and frankly, if you were standing over the anthill, and seeing this kind of behavior it would look silly at best. I would think, c’mon, you are ants’, you have a short life span, why would you commit yourselves to such worthless pursuits. Then, I think God must feel similarly when it comes to us. We have come to accept this type behavior as normal in our culture, but when viewed from afar it becomes obvious how ridiculous we have become in our selfish pursuits. As long as we live though, it is not too late to change.

God Bless and Keep You-Always

JFT

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“Fathers Day”

This little fathers day note was written by my son-in-law Sam about his father, it is cute, so please read on. To all of you fathers out there, may God guide you to be a Godly father to your children and a Spiritual leader in your household.

Fathers Day

I’ll never forget that one magical moment when the world around me finally began to make sense. I was a wide-eyed 18-year-old freshman to be at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. My father and I had just finished checking in and unpacking my things into my new room in Allen dormitory. I walked with my father back down to his car where he was going to get in and drive back home, leaving his eldest son on his own for the very first time.

As we approached the driver’s side door, Dad slowly stopped and turned around to face me. He reached up and placed both hands firmly on my shoulders.

I thought for just a second about how these were the very same hands that had disciplined me when I lied about marking on the walls in the bathroom. These were the same hands that had held me when I came home crying because I had been bullied at school. These were the hands of my father.

I knew then that this moment was special. I could just feel it, I mean, the air was thick with the weight of it all. Sure enough, I saw that look come over his face. You know, the look that dads get when they are about to drop a serious life lesson on you. Not just a fleeting comment about how “you should’ve studied harder for that test,” or how “you’ve got to be sure to double check that the garage door is actually closed behind you when you come in.” No, this was going to be advice of the epic and world-changing sort.

He made eye contact for a few poignant seconds. I could see him fighting back the tears welling up in his eyes. He patted me firmly on the shoulder with his right hand, cleared his throat, and then shifted his gaze right over my shoulder to the horizon behind me. It was as if what he was about to tell me went far beyond just us two, here and now, but rather this was some distant and eternal truth swirling around out there in the cosmos.

After a moment of gazing and gathering his thoughts, he reestablished eye contact and opened his mouth to speak the words of wisdom that I knew would immediately become my entire life’s guiding light and mantra. His voice shook a little as he fought back the tears to say, “Son, there are two things that every man needs to know about women…” Then he paused for a moment to regain his composure and continued, “… and nobody knows what they are.”

Wiser words were never spoken. Years later, I am still staggered by the deep and enduring truth of that one simple statement.

            All joking aside, today is Father’s Day, and I tell you this story simply because it is a memory, one of many that I have of my father and me. There is no moral lesson here, no admonition to be a better child for your parents, or anything like that. Just a memory. That’s all. The only encouragement that I hope you will take from this little snippet is to remember.

If you, like me, are fortunate enough to still have your father with you in this life, then take the time to see or call your father today. Of course, say “thank you,” and “I love you,” and all that jazz, but take the time to share a few favorite memories with him.

If your father is no longer with us, share your favorite memories with your family and loved ones. I can think of no better way for us all to honor our fathers on this very special day.

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“A Hard Lesson Learned”

A few years ago I purchased tires for my pickup truck at a local warehouse store. After having them installed and driving for a few weeks I noticed a vibration that seemed to be coming from the front end of the truck. As time went on, it got worse and worse until after about three months, I took the vehicle back to the store where I purchased the tires determined to get to the bottom of things. The tire department manager came out and I explained what was happening, and I also told him it had not happened before the tires were changed. I had him take the keys and drive it around so that he could see for himself. When he returned, he noted to me that he had heard and felt the vibration, but that he didn’t feel it was the tires that were doing it. I then told him again that it wasn’t doing that before the tire change and he said he understood. He put the truck up on the lift, and painstakingly examined the tires, rotated the front to the rear, etc..

Afterward, he explained that he found nothing wrong with the tires based on his examination. Now these tires were almost six hundred bucks, and I wasn’t happy about this one bit, but I agreed to give it a chance and see if the rotation aided things. So I went home, listening carefully for any change in noise, maybe it is a little quieter I thought, and I did go with a different brand this time, so I gave it a couple of weeks. This time I went back determined, after all I did give them a chance right, but the noise remained. I decided to go back to the tires I had last time, which were actually less expensive than these, yet I knew they were less noisy. Since I had paid twenty dollars a tire more for the more expensive tires that were bad, and I had decided to go back to the less expensive ones, I decided I should probably have the eighty bucks refunded back to me since the upgraded tires were defective, makes sense, right?

The tire manager was not in agreement with me, and was willing to give me a new set of the cheaper tires, but maintained there was nothing wrong with the original tires I had purchased, and implied (I felt) that I was trying to get something for nothing. I was furious, I went into the main store and sought out the store manager that I may file a complaint, who was this guy to question my motives. I relayed my story to the store manager in detail and let him know I was very unhappy and wanted to file a formal complaint. He agreed to go have a talk with the tire manager and get back with me.

The store manager returned a few minutes later, and while he had decided to pay the difference between the defective tires and the ones I was swapping out for, he told me he was standing by his man. He asked if maybe I may have misunderstood his response concerning the difference, and then he told me his man was a solid guy, a man of integrity that he would stand behind either way, because this man was a man of God. He then told me that the sticker on the back of my window of my truck, the one saying where I go to church, was the same one that he had on his back window, and also the tire manager’s back window. You see, we were all members of the same church, and that I needed to be sure I wanted to file a complaint against this man before he would proceed, but he thought I should know he was my brother first. He then told me that he himself was liable for termination for talking to me about this, but that he didn’t care, his brother was worth it. Wow, God growth moment coming!

I didn’t know what to say, but I told him to forget the charges and the price difference, although he wouldn’t as he had already refunded that to my card. I felt so bad when I drove out of there that day, but it was more than the fact I had judged a brother wrongly, but also because I was so eager to make life about me. I then realized it didn’t matter whether it was a brother or not, I needed to evaluate how I was treating everyone in my life, not just brothers and sisters.

The following week, the road noise and vibration on my truck persisted even with the brand new set of tires, so I headed to the mechanic. Turns out a wheel bearing was going out on both front wheels at the same time, it wasn’t the tires.

As the store manager was paged from customer service I felt like the worst person in the world. When he came over and saw me, he had a kind smile on his face as he said hello. I explained that the problem was in fact not the tires and that it was my fault completely, and I asked for the tire manager that I might apologize to him also. In the end, they were both very kind to me, although I didn’t deserve any of it. They patted me on the back and told me not to be so hard on myself and to just learn from it. I did learn from it, and it was a life changing lesson for me as I began to evaluate how I treated everyone I dealt with, waitresses, valet’s, car wash folks, retail sales people, anyone we come in contact with needs to be treated with kindness and dignity, and the love of Christ should show in our daily living. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it could have been much harder. I would love to tell you that being what I should be comes natural for me, but it doesn’t. I would love to tell you that I don’t have the urge to wave my fist when someone cuts me off in traffic, but I do. Sin is the legacy of the flesh, but the Holy Spirit and His Guidance are the cure, we have only to turn over the reins to Him and allow our submission to follow.

God Bless and Keep You-Always

JFT

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“Nudged by the Spirit”

One of our Blog group has asked me to tell how I am able to talk to people about God in all places I seem to find myself and whether I am feel intimidated. The answer is yes, I feel intimidated, that is the tool the devil uses, rejection and intimidation. I would love to give the formula for success, but there isn’t one, it is just simply not caring whether the world rejects me and knowing that if the world rejects me, God accepts me. I have decided to write a few accounts of encounters I have had recently in an attempt to explain.

As I walked across the parking lot towards my truck to unload my groceries, I noticed the man standing in the corner next to the store, out of the sun. He stood in the corner, a large nice looking backpack at his feet. I wondered if he was “on the road” although he did not actually look homeless. He just sat and stared out at the people passing by one by one. “Go say hi to him; see if he needs any help”. I don’t know this guy, he may be a psycho serial killer or a drug addict, he may be a sexual predator, besides, and I am already at my truck, unloaded and ready to leave. But I hear the Spirit gently whisper“whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”. As I unloaded the cart into my truck, I decided to not place it in the “cart corral” in the parking lot, but instead to take it back up to the front of the store. This would give me an opportunity to come into contact with this man without it looking like I was trying too hard.

After pushing the cart into the line and walking back the way I came, I made it a point to make eye contact with the man. When that happened, I gave the guy a head nod and said how’s it going, slowing down my walk until I stood before him. He said good and smiled warmly. I asked him outright is he was “on the road” and he nodded that he was. Now it get’s pretty hot here in Phoenix, and it is that time of year so I asked him if he was staying hydrated, and he said yes. I introduced myself and shook hands with him and we settled into a comfortable talk.

He was going to head to Flagstaff next, and I told him it would be much cooler up there in the mountains. He said he would probably stay there a day or two, but then he would get on I-40 and head west to Barstow. He was on disability and was not able to receive his checks in Albuquerque where he had been, so he needed to head back to where the claim was and get his money. His name is Bill and he plans to settle in Barstow and get an apartment when he gets his first disability check. I asked him if he had any family, and he says he has a mother in Northern California, but she doesn’t want to see him.

We sat and talked for quite a while, I asked him how long he had been on the road and he said ten years, he had started when he was fifty. Knowing Flagstaff well, I told him that there were certain areas of the town to beware of, as there are violent homeless there who will rob anyone who they come in contact with. He nodded that he had heard the stories also, and that he would just probably pass through. I then asked him if he needed any help, and he said he could always use a little help, so I opened my wallet. I didn’t have a whole lot, but what I had was his as a smile of gratefulness came over his face. He said that he might get out a sign and ask for help so that he could earn enough money to ride the bus to Barstow, which would be going in style. He asked if I was a Christian and I said “yeah” and he smiled and said “figured so”. I had the tug to go inside and take out more money to give to him, but I didn’t follow the tug, and I wish I had. I stood and stuck my hand out again and he shook it, and pulled me into a hug and said “God bless you” quietly. I left and went on my way and Bill on his. Sometimes sowing the seed isn’t about preaching, it is just about showing compassion and helping to meet someone’s needs, making their lives a little easier so that they don’t have to scratch so hard to make it. God will shine through our compassion to others, and His message will be delivered through our love. We just have to be listening when the Spirit whispers “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.

God Bless and Keep You-Always

JFT

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“Fellowship”

Fellowship, this word has always been one that is fond in my in reflection. Fellowship conjures up memories of pot luck dinners, going to church camp as a kid, spending time with the youth group as a teen, getting together at someone’s house after church or on a Friday night, having a devotional and singing hymns, getting together with the men at church for a pancake breakfast once a month, these are all things that come to mind when thinking about fellowship. Spending time with my peers at church. Wikipedia defines a fellow as the following.

 A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who work together as peers in the pursuit of knowledge or practice.

As a child, then a teen, young man, then middle aged man fellowship is something that has been responsible for countless fond memories, but fellowship is something we must also be careful of. We must be careful so as not to be defined as “an elite group of learned people who work together as peers in the pursuit of knowledge or practice”. Fellowship is friendship among followers of Christ, but if we are not careful, we may begin to think we are fulfilling the desire of Christ by meeting and fellowshipping one with another, when that simply is not even near enough.

To Illustrate what I am referring to, I used to really admire my wife’s working conditions. She works at a fairly large Christian school, and of course all of her co-workers are Christians like her. I used to think it would be nice to work in an all Christian environment like she did. I could imagine the deep talks on faith that would crop up, but I just really thought it would be nice to be somewhere where everyone believed the way I did, an all Christian environment. I was caught up in it too.

One day the following words were placed on my heart. “Jim, if everyone you hang out with is a Christian, you need to get out more”. I then began to see the blessing in working where I do, this big old power plant with lots of unchurched men employed there. I didn’t even have to go very far to find the lost, I was surrounded by them. The Pharisees questioned Christ on why he was spending time with the “sinners” and Jesus answered  (Mark 2:17) ¹⁷On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Simply put, we need to be careful about confusing fellowship with doing God’s work. Fellowshipping is very vital to a healthy Christian lifestyle, but fellowship is about us. That is why many times when we think about fellowship there are memories of good times that go with it. The work is not at the church, it is out in the neighborhoods, it is in the workplace, it is in the car wash, or the grocery store. Consider Matt 5:46-47

⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

 

So meet, fellowship, love one another, then go out and become fishers of men, because much in the same way a fish will not usually jump into a boat on their own, a lost person will not usually wander into the church to be ministered to. We need to abandon our comfort zone and begin the work of “The Great Commission” that we have been charged with.

God Bless and Keep You-Always

JFT

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