I have friends and relatives who work in corrections and law enforcement. They tell me that they must stand in their place of authority. Although they show respect to the inmates and respect the danger of the criminal element, they cannot be “buddies” with them. To do so would put their lives and the lives of those they protect in jeopardy. They must stay in their position or place of authority.

As believers in Christ we have a place of authority. Adam once had dominion over the whole earth. (Genesis 1:26) When Adam sinned, he forfeited or relinquished his position of authority. (Luke 4:6) When Jesus – Immanuel – was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, he was given the legal right to regain what was lost.

Have you ever felt brain dead, burned out, stressed out, or just plain worn out? If not, stop reading, this article is not for you. But if you have experienced any of the aforementioned symptoms – you deserve a break today. A fast food restaurant tells you that “You deserve a break today!” But you need more than a quick and easy break. You need a regular, deep, quality break. You need a time of rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation.

Many Hispanic countries have wisely incorporated a daily break into their very culture. In hot climates, people take a siesta to rest and rejuvenate during the hottest time of the day.

Israel was chosen and blessed by God. After coming into the Promised Land they decided they wanted a king like all the other nations had. They weren’t satisfied that God himself was their Sovereign protector and provider. He redeemed them from slavery and dwelt among them. They were actually rejecting God as their Sovereign Lord and Father.

God let them have a king to rule over them. He sent the prophet Samuel to anoint the one that He had chosen. Saul was not from a great or renown family but notice what God said about him, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all of Israel is his equal!” (I Samuel 10:24 NLT)

Her big brown eyes could melt most hearts. Miki, our golden retriever stood looking at her leash and then back toward me. “Let’s go for a walk,” she said. While browsing through a Bible book store, I came across a magnet that had a picture of a golden retriever holding a leash in its mouth. The caption read, “Lead me, Lord.”

Ask yourself, “Who is leading me?” Does the world’s philosophy lead you? Does a person, your fleshly desires, or perhaps the enemy of your soul lead you? The mark of a truly victorious person is found in this sincere prayer – “Lord, lead me!”

They don’t produce television programs like they use to. Much of the early TV programming had moral themes inter-woven in each episode. But now Hollywood and our culture has lost its moral footing. As a child, one of my favorite heroes was the Lone Ranger. After righting wrongs and helping damsels in distress, the Lone Ranger would ride into the sunset on his white horse shouting, “Hi-ho Silver!” The rescued would be left standing and asking one another, “Who was that masked man?”

In a world bombarded with greed, terror, and destruction many are searching for an answer and asking, “Who is Jesus?” The Holy Scriptures reveals that God “masked” himself with humanity when he was born of a virgin named Mary. He was called Immanuel – God come in the flesh. (Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:23; John 1) Jesus came to bring redemption, mercy, grace, truth, and justice.

Who is Jesus to you? To some, Jesus is only a myth, or a mystical mantra to give them peace, or a magic wand to satisfy their wants. To some, Jesus was a good teacher or a prophet. Some refer to Him as “The Man Upstairs.” Sadly, to many, he is only a curse word. But who is Jesus to you?

The essence of Christianity is summed up in one mind-boggling sentence: Jesus Christ is God. (John 10:30) C.S. Lewis put it bluntly: “For Christ to have talked as He talked, lived as He lived, died as He died, He was either God or a raving lunatic.”

One has a lot of time to think and pray when you are sitting in the ER of a hospital. My mom has been sick and I found myself sitting with her in the ER waiting to see a doctor. I noticed a disabled and hearing impaired woman visiting with a doctor. Then out of the blue she asked him, “What’s your nickname?” Before he could answer he was called away and I never did find out the doc’s story. But the woman’s question got me thinking about nicknames.

When I was a boy I thought it was remarkable that many times total strangers knew my name. My parents gave me the nickname Buddy.

Victories don’t come without a battle. What battles are you fighting this New Year? Perhaps it’s the “battle of the bulge”. You’ve vowed to lose weight and live healthier – but it’s a battle. Some continue to battle life controlling or negative habits or sin in their lives. Many people battle increasing debt or mounting stress at work or at home. If you have battles to fight this New Year I have good news for you. You have an ally. There is one who has never lost a battle and he desires to stand with you if you will look to him. He is the Lord God – the Lord mighty in battle.

On a wonderful fall morning I sat on our backyard swing wondering where all the beautiful birds were. On the ground below our birdfeeders was a flock of sparrows joyously feeding in the grass. I’ve honestly never been too excited about sparrows. They seem so common, colorless, and, you know – ordinary. This particular morning God began to speak to me about the sparrows.

Jesus drew the attention of his disciples to the sparrows. “’Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

What do Meriwether and William, Stan and Oliver, Ben and Jerry, John and Charles, Priscilla and Aquila, Richard Sears and Alvah Roebuck have in common? They all learned that by partnering together, they could accomplish much more than they ever could by themselves.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us how to pray with world-changing power, and also gave us great truths about God. (Read Matthew 6:5-18). Consider the first words in the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father.” Why did Jesus not say, “My Father”? Most Americans have the mindset of me and my. We are more individualistically oriented. Jesus told us to pray “OUR” Father. As we understand and incorporate the power of “our” in prayer, we will experience amazing things. Consider these four power points of “OUR” in prayer.

Two brothers running across America, as well as a young couple sitting on the steps of a subway station near the collapsed World Trade Center, all must face the question: “Where are you headed?”

A famous rock singer sang, “The world is a bad place, a very bad place to live. Oh, but I don’t want to die.”

Today we watch shattered children, the victims of war, groaning on the six o’clock news while we calmly eat our dinner. We hear people threaten one another and plot the bombing and massacre of innocent families. We suddenly realize that we Americans are also vulnerable along with the rest of the world. The enemy, the devil (John 10:10) is trying to rip apart our world of peace and freedom, leaving only a memory.

The tongue can produce terrible evil or tremendous good. The tongue can lash and libel or the tongue can liberate and express love. Recently two talk show hosts were fired because of their constant abusive tongue. Terrorists are fomenting mayhem and death through their rhetoric of hate. The Word of God tells us, “But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire and the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a world of wickedness corrupting your entire body. It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself” (James 3:1-12 NLT).

He was the son of a well digger. If you have ever lived in an arid land, you know how vital water is. In the old west, range wars were fought over water rights. Man or livestock could not live or thrive without adequate water. Years ago, well diggers were revered men. My grandfather once hired a well digger. Those that I’ve met seemed to have a certain mystique. Isaac’s father was a well digger. He knew where to find precious water and bring it up to quench the thirst of the parched and weary.

A popular brand of clothing that I’ve seen many people wearing is called “Bugle Boy”. Perhaps Christians should be wearing spiritual bugle boys. I believe we are living at the end of the age when our “blessed hope” shall be fulfilled.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery, we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised imperishable and we shall be changed” (I Corinthians 15: 52 NASB).

A few years ago, Michael Landon was cast as an angel in the popular television series, “Highway to Heaven.” As an angel, he was sent to help sincere, but struggling, people and urge them to take the “highway to heaven.”

In the United States, we are fortunate to have thousands of miles of the best highways in the world. We can travel just about anywhere in the country in a matter of hours or a few days at the most. But to reach your destination, you must make sure that you are on the right road, headed in the right direction. It doesn’t matter how smooth and scenic the highway might be, if you’re on the wrong highway, or going the wrong direction, you will not reach your destination.

Miki, our golden retriever, is always read and willing. If you ask if she wants to go for a walk, go for a ride, play fetch or even take a bath, she is eager and ready to go. Ask Miki if she wants to go to the bank and she is in heaven. She knows the teller has a doggy treat just for her. Some people are like Miki, always ready, upbeat and positive. They view God as generous, kind, positive and always desirous to bless people. Unfortunately, some view God as stingy, negative and a reluctant spoil sport.

Gene was the embodiment of the movie “A River Runs Through It”. He was an expert in the art of fly casting. He even tied his own flies. I longed to learn the art of fly casting from him. But, alas, we moved from North Dakota and I never did learn to fly cast.

What comes to your mind when you hear the word “casting”? It has many interesting and varied uses.

The Word of God instructs us in the art of casting in many scriptures. Jesus even taught His disciples how to cast their nets for a great catch of fish. (Luke 5:5; John 21:6) How much time, work, and energy we would save if we would follow the Lord’s direction and in faith and obedience cast our net where He tells us.

God loves the city. Not only does He love us, and not only does He love the church (Ephesians 5:25-27), God love cities. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not know “the time of God’s visitation” (Luke 19:41, 44). God loved the great and ancient city of Ninevah and sent the prophet Jonah to preach repentance so that He could bless it and not have to judge it (Jonah 4:11 TLT). There are over 500 references to the city in the Bible.

If God cares so much about the city, then we should love and take pride in our city. Pride can be negative or positive, destructive or healthy. “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2 TLT). We will use the word pride in the positive sense, such as having pleasure or satisfaction in something, as when one takes pride in keeping their house or yard clean.

What is the sense of suffering in the world? Young lives are snuffed out by a drunk driver, grieving family members stand by the grave of their loved one and ask the age old question – why? Crying children and a brokenhearted wife sit in the cold and confusion of the after math of a broken marriage and a shattered family.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden up to the present time through tears we still ask, “Why do bad things happen, even to good people?” Many have become estranged in their relationship with God because of this one issue. But instead of asking why bad things happen, we would do better to ask, “How should we respond to suffering?” How does God respond to tragedy and suffering?

Her brother was gravely ill. An urgent message was sent to her brother’s best friend. “Please come quickly, your friend is dying.” Lazarus died. Martha and Mary were devastated. Why did Jesus not come? He, the miracle worker, could have healed their brother. Was Jesus so uncaring that He refused to take a short walk to Bethany? Why did he wait four days? Why did he wait until Lazarus was already dead?

Jesus said something astounding to His disciples, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it is for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this” (John 11:14, TLT). How would God be glorified? Because Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, proving He was who He claimed to be – the Son of God. (See John 11:1-44.)

I smelled the sweet fragrance of spring as I excitedly guided the U-Haul rental truck into the sleepy county seat of Eldora in north central Iowa 31 years ago. We were thrilled to be taking our first pastoral assignment. If the church board had not offered us a modest salary, I probably would have gladly paid them or some church to let me preach.

Many times first experiences are very special or memorable. We had many “first” experiences in the three and a half years we pastored our first church. It was there that our first child was born. Our first doctor’s Corvette was stolen by one of the young men we had brought to church. My first wedding lasted a total of five minutes. The wedding party ran to the front before my wife could play the first couple of measures of the processional. They wanted it simple and short.

Looking through a veil can be frustrating. Through the veil you can see the shadow of a thing but the real substance is hidden and unobtainable. Jacob worked for seven years to obtain his promised bride Rachel. Finally, on his wedding day, in joyful anticipation he took his bride. But after the veil was taken away, he found that his father-in-law had tricked him. Jacob was given Leah instead of the promised Rachel whom he loved. He had to work for another seven years to obtain his beloved bride. (Genesis 29) Evidently, Jacob could not see through the veil and was prevented from receiving the promised love of his heart.

A few years ago a movie was produced with an intriguing title – “Dead Man Walking”. The movie dealt with inmates on death row and the death penalty. As an inmate is escorted to the death chamber an announcement is made, “Dead man walking!” All the other inmates on death row watch the inmate walk the last few yards to their execution.

It was a sad movie without a lot of hope offered. But the Word of God teaches us that we are all “dead men walking”. “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The world has been blessed by many great men and women throughout history. These great men and women, while passing through this world, have left it a better place. On November 11th our nation has set aside Veteran’s Day to remember and honor those who selflessly served our country in the armed forces. They helped maintain the liberty we enjoy in the United States of America and around the world. Many of them are unsung heroes and patriots. Our hats go off to them! We say, “Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for our freedom.”

Being lost can be frightening. It can cause a person to become disoriented and desperate. One night as a teenager, my cousin and I had to admit that we were indeed lost. I was a bit miffed that Tom, being an avid coonhunter and woodsmen, could get us lost while only hunting a short time. It had become so cloudy that there were no stars visible to guide us back to our truck. So, after much wondering around for a while, we decided to stay put and wait for daybreak. After daybreak, we quickly found our way out.