“For There Stood By Me
The Angel of God…
Whose I Am.”

These words of Paul’s were penned in description of his trip from Crete, when a storm rose in the Adriatic.

Read those words again from Acts 27:23.

Do you know this has been the case with you
many times…and you might not have known it.

The God Who guided Paul guides you.

The Spirit that guided Paul, guides you.

The Angel of God Who stood by Paul…..
stands by you.

In 1988 on the way home from Church and from engaging in a spiritual struggle…the car in front of me swerved left leaving me open to hitting a car parked on the freeway. Traveling at 60mph+
I swiped the car and retained control of mine.

At that speed,
with that velocity and possibility…
I could have hit the parked vehicle head on and been severely injured or worse,

I was not.

I believe with all my heart that ” there stood by me
The Angel of God whose I am”.

Two weeks ago in Atlanta, crossing a street next to CNN I stepped out, knowing that the traffic was coming from the right…
and happened to look left.
It possibly saved my life
as I saw a vehicle coming the wrong way…
and hopped back onto the curb.

Was I being protected?

I believe so.

The Angel of God protects you more than you know.

You have stories like these as well

He protects and guides not only our physical bodies…
but our minds and hearts at the same time and in similar ways.

Ways are paved for us to walk away from temptations.

Scripture comes to our remembrance to direct our choices.

People and relationships are in our lives to support us and lift us when we fall or are in grief.

The Spirit of God guides you daily…
Just hear Him and be aware.

He cares for us as we do for little children….
watching and being aware.

As he had intentions for Paul to be in Rome.

He has intentions for us.

“There stands by me
The Angel of God,
whose I am.”

Terry
December, 2015

I bet you have done it.
I have.

Think back on your life and consider how many times you have cheated the gifts you have.

Could you have had more success had you worked harder…
smarter?

Could you have developed a relationship
to a greater level had you not been distracted by whatever seemed more important at the time?

If you are over 45 and been involved in athletics you have most likely heard of Steve Prefontaine.

One of the best distance runners ever, “Pre”, as he was called, set records in high school, at Oregon and was a favorite in the Olympics. He died at 24 in a car wreck.

In spite of living a short while…”Pre” affected and still affects many with some thoughtful quotes about running.

He said once…
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift”.

I also heard it as “cheating the Gift”.

Fairly good wisdom for a young guy.

How many times in my life have I “cheated the Gift”….of an ability or talent gifted to me?

How many times have I “cheated” the Gift given me by Christ?

How have you “sacrificed” or “cheated” the gift of relationship between you and a great and close friend?

Have you ” cheated” the gift of the love between you and your spouse?

Not immorality…
But giving less than all of yourself…
withholding affection or intimacy to get your way or to win an argument… or just manipulate the other???

If we have heard The Word or heard from the guidance of The Holy Spirit …
and then rationalize away what we KNOW to do….
we are sacrificing the gift of intimate communication between God and us, earned and achieved by Jesus on The Cross.

My encouragement would be to treasure each Gift and give it prominence in your life.

As Steve Prefontaine always worked beyond a good effort to never cheat his talent, his “gift” ….
may we hold the Gifts given to us…
those talents and abilities within us, as well as the Gifts we have in people and relationships….. in high esteem.

May we treasure them and sacrifice anything but them.

May we…
at a time of reflection
be able to look back
and say that we did not sacrifice or cheat the great Gifts we have.

Right now…
think of the two or three greatest Gifts you possess…
and purpose to never cheat them.

As our Great Example did…
may we give to the full extent,
may we do what we are lead and instructed to do…
in spite of what might lie in front of us
and allow The Gift to be
put to greatest use.

Terry
December, 2015

Allow this to be the motto you live by

What better testimony than this for your days.

The verse gives Glory
where it’s due.

It gives credit where it’s deserved.

It gives honor where it’s earned.

Read Isaiah 41:20

Live today to where those around you know where your gifts come from, where your abilities arise from.

This verse calls for you to be clothed in humility,
to reflect the One Who
gave you everything and to deflect any praise
away from you toward
Heaven and it’s
Chief Resident.

Terry
December 2015

It’s Never Enough

Are you reading The Word daily?

Please know….
the Word
you know now is good

You should rehearse it everyday

But there is more Word to learn.
There always is.

Never think or assume you have enough Word
for the remainder of your life.

You need food to a certain degree.

You require water more often.

You cannot exist without the organs working involuntarily in the body gifted you.

You make your mouth speak, your hands and feet move as you wish.

The heart works even when you are asleep,
You breathe as well without making it happen.

God gifted that to you.

Do not neglect the Gift of The Word …
deposit it into your mind every day.

The One Who gifted you so many and important things….
has more in store for you.

Terry
October, 2015

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I had never seen him before. He called me from the car and met me in the baggage claim area.

When riding in a taxi or limo I usually attempt to engage the driver in a conversation about himself or where he is from.
They will usually talk about their country, their family and their faith, if you inquire.

As you have experienced, the drivers are from any and everywhere.

As he pulled out of the airport I asked my usual question …” Where did you come to America from?”

“Christian Lebanon!!”

He did not speak softly.

He said it like I have seen fans almost shout out their phrases of allegiance to a college sports team.

“Christian Lebanon!”

He went on to describe being raised there and we began to talk about his faith.

I asked why he described it as “Christian” Lebanon.

He replied,
“There are those of us who worship Jesus Christ in Lebanon.”

I told him I worshiped
that same Jesus.

I just met a brother I never knew…

who I would now know throughout eternity.

He described how some family wanted to kill him.

He talked of how so many over there try to end their lives because of pursuing other prophets and other belief systems.

He stated “God gives us life to live …not to try and end it quickly”

I thought of how he had experienced a life I never had…and honestly would not want to.

He spoke of how so many lived in Peace for so long but that now no area was without constant conflict.

I asked him why he thought that was the case.

He stated “the enemy has them.”

Just like there….
our common enemy has
hold of many here as well.

That’s not demographic,
nor geographic.

Spiritual battlegrounds manifest themselves on every corner of our world.

There….it comes out in constant conflict and warfare between groups of people who have battled since Abraham made a bad decision.

Here…the battleground
Is not physical and visual as much as there….
it might be more subdued …
but it is warfare nonetheless.

The brother I never knew
has seen a family member put a gun to his
head and threaten him.

I have never experienced that,
Do not want to.

This spiritual brother not only drove me to my destination…he led me to see a Christian experience of struggle and turmoil much different and difficult than any I have felt or been through.

We both have a shared hope of Heaven.

We both have a shared Savior who experienced
the difficult walk my Lebanese brother has walked…
as well as the path I have tried.

The same Death cleansed us both.

The same Resurrection
saved us both.

The same JESUS suffered Death and walked out RESURRECTION for the two of us.

The same Kingdom exists within us and the same Heaven awaits us both.

The appreciation for the ease of my life and the admiration of those in desperate straits was increased beyond simple comparison,

Never hesitate to engage those you do not know when the occasion presents itself.

You may meet a brother you never knew you had.

And will have,  for Eternity.

Think About It

What attitude or tone comes out of your mouth when you give voice to your thoughts or feelings?

What is being heard by those around you as you speak, react or express yourself.

Sitting in the restaurant this morning I heard a group of guys talking. Politics. Sports…the conversation ran the gamut of male topics.

So much of their conversation was sarcastic and negative.
They made fun of and were lightly, and sometimes heavily, demeaning to most of the people who came up in the discussion.

What do those who hear your words….hear?

Is it uplifting?
Are your words cynical and cutting?

Think before you speak.

Think about the weight of your words.

Consider who is listening to you.
If it’s a locker room and the talk is jocular….that’s one thing.

But when you leave that temporary atmosphere…leave that attitude and those words behind.

Cutting up and cutting down can get old……quick.

Cynicism coming out of your mouth continually…. reveals a heart filled with spite and destruction.

Encouraging words filling your conversation gives evidence of a spirit full of Light and Joy.

What effect do you words bring?

What do your children hear when you watch television with them as your react or comment on the show?

What does your wife hear from you as you come in from work and comment on your day or co-workers or customers…or your boss, if you have one??

What do those in your house hear when you talk about those people who are your friends?

Consider your words.

Think before you speak.

Know that your spoken words reveal what lies beneath the surface in your life, in your mind and heart.

And when it’s spoken…Good or bad,,,Light or Dark…
It’s being heard and is effective to the positive or to the negative…in the hearts and minds of those hearing you.

Terry
October 2015

LIGHT

Read a devotion today which used the scripture from John 9….

“As long as I am in the world, I am The Light of the world”.

I will encourage you to see this statement extended to you.

As long as YOU are in this world…
and as Christ is in you…
YOU to are the light of the world.

In His initial Treatise on the mountain side He said this.

Because of Christs Presence in you
You are that same LIGHT

Read John 14:12
Matthew 5:14,15,16
John 17:23

You can shade that Light

Don’t.

If you think you do not have that Light in you,
and you are a Disciple of Christ…
you are filling your mind with incorrect information.

Read John 14:12
Matthew 5: 14, 15, 16
Read John 17:23

If you call yourself a believer…
Then allow the Light in you to be revealed.

If you think it’s not in you…talk to someone who you DO see that Light shining out of.

Man cannot see without Light.
Jesus came to literally and figuratively bring
“Sight to the Blind”.

Read John 14: 12
Matthew 5: 14, 15, 16
John 17: 23

Bring Light.
Bring sight..

Terry
October, 3015

I was in a hurry today, went to eat lunch, had to sit at the counter. > After about two minutes another guy sat next to me.
We have this sense of space and anything closer than about three to four feet is a bit abnormal and can be uncomfortable. Generally, people feel like they HAVE to say something…
but do not want to.

I tend to speak to people at these times.

In these circumstances….if you feel the PUSH to speak….you should.
If you resist and neglect the PUSH, you are silencing what could be an important moment in your life, or the life of the person next to you.

The biblical reference says not to “quench” this PUSH.

I asked the guys name, told him mine. Commented on the crowd at the restaurant.
He said he had not been to this establishment in years.
I told him to come back for breakfast and try the french toast, which I believe is the best in town.

Just simple conversation.

I then asked him the “man-question”….. “What do you do?”

Simple, general, everyday question.
He told me.
Seeing that we were roughly in the same age group I mentioned that many guys our age are aimed at retiring.
He nodded. I told him I loved what I do and do not plan on retiring.
He said that his current occupation used to be his hobby… therefore he would not retire because his hobby was now what he did everyday.
We talked about how liking what you do, along with being healthy is essential to working and not retiring.

I said what I say often….that the Bible says nothing about retiring. Retiring might be restricting the workmanship placed within you and it might be failing the gifts and talents we are meant to fulfill.

He then mentioned his health and how several years ago he had suffered injuries from a car wreck where a drunk driver hit him head-on. He talked about how the health issues restrict him at times.

General conversation with someone I had never met, ten minutes before…now was leading to this stranger telling me a very personal part of his history.

The PUSH I had felt earlier came into clear vision as my new acquaintance revealed some of the struggle he had with his earlier job and how it lead him to change things.

I then told him I would pray that his health improve.

He then said he believed that prayer works and he would appreciate the thoughts.
Then he told me he believed in prayer and that he followed Christ.

I had just met someone I had never known, that I would now know forever.

Never once did I refer to my Church or that he needed to do anything. I responded to the PUSH.

Respond to the PUSH.

Speak to people who come into close contact with you.

Never restrict what might be a vitally important moment in a life.
It’s not for you to judge why the PUSH occurred, it’s not yours to rationalize that you might be bothering or interfering with someone’s day.

What happened to the “women at the well” when she was spoken to? > Did she generate the conversation?

What occurred to the short, tax collector when he was told he would be hosting guests for Dinner?

Lives were forever altered.
Simple conversations can bring eternal changes.

It’s just engaging another in everyday dialogue …..
and allowing the knowledge and workmanship in you to be revealed.

Do not neglect the PUSH.

Just talk to those around you.
Allow what’s in you to come out.

These conversations are the most fundamental aspect of what The Nazarene did and what He desires those who have received His Workmanship to share.

Terry
October, 2015

Corners

You cannot have a dwelling that is secure
without corners holding up the walls and roof.

Corners can provide strength and security for
a building, house and any structure.

At the same time …
there are corners one can get into that lead to fear, depression and retreat.

I know someone who used to get into a corner financially and emotionally …
and his addictions would rise and flare and lead him into depths of drunkenness, loneliness and self hatred.

Corners can be a place of strength.
Corners can be a place where some feel trapped
with no way out.

I believe we are called to
be that strength for others when they are feeling trapped and without help.

We will not know that though unless we are involved in their lives before they get cornered.

Be a corner man before the need arises.

Open the eyes given you,

Open the ears placed near your brain to hear and understand .., and get involved in the lives of the people placed in your circle.

Be expanding that circle.

In someone’s corner
you can be a source of stability, of strength,
of consistency and of positive influence.

Your words can bring Light into the darkness they feel engulfs them.

Your willingness to listen allows them the chance to be heard.

Do you realize how valuable it is to feel as though someone is listening to you… and hearing you?

Your simple presence can give them reassurance in their value as a person.

In that Corner there is.a time for coaching,
for correcting
for encouraging,
for healing ….
and sometimes there is just time spent in their presence without any words.

As those angles in a structure …
you can be a source of strength, stability.

You might be the cornerstone in the
Construction of their new existence.

It can be that you are being the “fifth Gospel”.

The most successful fighters in the Ring or the Octagon would not be where they are without those in their corner.

Get there.

I would bet you know someone who needs you there.

Terry
October 2015

Jump The Route

With experience or just a sense of things, the defender senses the next few steps,  sees the glance of the quarterbacks eyes,  takes the forceful steps and jumps the route, intercepts the pass and heads off to change the Game.

The sport does not matter, I was instructed
to jump the route in basketball as well as football.

I was fortunate to see, sense and then jump the route several times in both sports.

I want to be found to have jumped the route in a few peoples lives.

It’s anticipation.
It’s having sight to see .
It’s experience.

We are in football season so football is the seasonal sport…and we are watching passes being intercepted and routes jumped.

 

Do you see tendencies in anyone’s life right now?
Tendencies leading them in the wrong way?

Do you sense anyone you know leaning the wrong way or looking too much in a direction which will lead them astray?

It’s about anticipation.
It’s about experience.
It’s having sight to see.

If you see or anticipate a leaning or misdirected steps in a life close to you…. Jump the route.

Insert yourself.

Get in the way.

Intercept and lead them to switch direction.

If you saw a defender wearing the jersey you care about …
In position to jump a route and change possession ..,
If you saw them in the position to switch the field….
and they didn’t do it…
you would yell at the television or rise out of your seat and scream.

Jump the route.

Switch the field.

Don’t be nice and stay away…
interject yourself to change the direction.

Dig in with your spiritual cleats …
Watch the tendencies of those around you, placed in your domain by the Author of the Game…
and be ready to jump the route leading them astray.

It’s the act of a shepherd.

It’s the heart of a Father.

It’s the care of a friend.

If you wait too long the opportunity is missed and the route will be on its wrong way.

We have to be willing to look bad…
We have to be willing to get beat….. as any good defender knows.

Yet…
those in our coverage area require
our attention,
our anticipation,
our experience and
our willingness to
jump the route we see and switch the momentum in their lives.

Jump the route.

Terry
October 2015