Glasses

Glasses

"And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may
see'. Then the Lord opened his eyes and he saw...."

It was fifth grade, 1961 for those wondering, when the blackboard became increasingly blurry and I got my first pair of glasses. It was before the days of tempered lenses and other more modern breakthroughs and before I knew it, I was wearing what we referred to as Coke Bottle glasses. But it was ok because I could see clearly.

Fast forward 48 years and the prescription has changed countless times, bifocals are now a part of every new pair of glasses but I never complain because being able to see clearly is a blessing that I am very thankful for. I haven't forgotten the days of always carrying a copy of my prescription in my wallet when I traveled because I was so dependent on my glasses to see.

That was never more apparent than last summer when, while swimming in the ocean, a wave knocked off my glasses and they were gone, in the surf of the Atlantic Ocean off of the Atlantic City beach. To say that I panicked, while lamenting my stupidity, would be quite an understatement. Over 700 miles from home, without the ability to find our car let alone drive at all, I was envisioning an end of the vacation that was not too promising. And when my wife said "Wait, I stepped on something" and fished my glasses from under the ocean water, I was one appreciative and thankful husband who would be able to see for the rest of vacation.

Maybe in some ways we all need glasses. Most of us lose our sight in some spiritual ways that can be very costly. We lose sight of all God has done for us and needlessly worry when God has proven Himself faithful time and time again. We lose sight of all God has promises and are burdened about the future when God has it all in control and has spoken that "He will never leave us or forsake us". We lose sight of His awesome power and love and think our problems are too big for God or, even worse, that He doesn't care.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could just a slip on a pair of glasses each time that happens and, in a moment, have our spiritual sight restored. That is really what Paul was praying for when he said "I pray that the eyes of your understanding may be opened so that you will see the hope to which He has called you".

At the risk of offending, can I say this morning, just as I heard my eye doctor say many years ago 'you need glasses!' The good part is they won't cost you anything. In fact, it will cost you if you don't get them. But you just might need to keep them handy and every time you are tempted to not trust God or to worry about the future, put them on so you can regain your sight and see clearly, see clearly how good and how faithful the Lord our God is, seeing clearly that His hand is upon our lives and we will order the steps of our lives.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

The Proof's in the Pudding

The Proof's in the Pudding


"Therefore show to them...the proof of your love."
II Corinthians 8:24

Proof of insurance, proof of ownership, proof of residency and proof of citizenship; what seems like a never ending need to show proof of something to someone, to establish beyond the shadow of a doubt the validity of something. Luke talked about it in Acts1:3 when he said that Jesus "gave many convincing proofs that He was alive". And Paul had to give proof that the Lord was speaking through him to the believers he was writing to in the city of Corinth.

The title, "the proof's in the pudding" is a saying that's been around a while and is still in use today when you're talking about believing a report you've been given. What it means quite simply is that the proof of how good something is comes when you taste it. It is often used when talking about a person changing or displaying some character trait; the proof's in the pudding. It goes right alongside "actions speak louder than words" and "I'll believe it when I see it" and has a sense of doubt associated with it.

In reality, we should not be surprised or offended by people wanting to see proof of our genuineness and sincerity. Our actions should confirm the work of the Lord being done in our hearts. Others should be able to taste of our lives and, in so doing, prove our love and the faith we live by. John wrote in I John 3:18 "let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth". And Paul was talking about giving when he said "show these men the proof of your love". Our actions will either prove or disprove the love we have for others; our willingness to sacrifice and give of our time, talents, and resources will be the proof of our love.

One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 34:8 where David declared confidently "taste and see that the Lord is good". God's love and faithfulness for each of us can be both experienced and proven. I pray that your words and actions will provide to the watching world evidence and proof of a changed life, one that is becoming more and more Christ-like with each passing day.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Two Wings Needed

Two Wings Needed

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."
Isaiah 40:31

From model airplanes glued together in the basement of a home to the latest jetliner manufactured by Boeing, from the smallest insect to the most majestic eagle, the truth remains the same; it takes two wings to fly. If you've ever seen a crippled bird, you know that there is no flight until the wounded wing is healed and both wings can be used to achieve flight.

A. W. Tozer, one of the great Christian leaders of the 20th century, said it this way:

"Truth is like a bird; it cannot fly on one wing.
Yet we are forever trying to take off with one
wing flapping furiously and the other tucked
neatly out of sight. Let's use both wings. We'll
get further that way"

The message he was trying to convey was one of balance in our Christian walks and in our lives. The most committed and faithful believer will eventually crash and burn if they do not get the rest and sleep they need. The most knowledgeable Bible scholar will struggle and make mistakes, some serious, in both words and actions, if they are under stress for too long a period of time.

The same truth can be seen in the spiritual realm. A person can be faithful in church attendance, serving and giving but if they allow sin and selfishness in their life, like a bird with one wing, they are going to have a hard time getting off the ground and making much progress in their spiritual life. We can't major on the minors in our walk with the Lord and we can't ignore the majors if we hope to "soar on wings like eagles" as Isaiah says. We are called to live a balanced Christian life.

The simple truth of needing two wings to fly may help you to discover what has kept you from taking off as a Christian, going deeper in the flow of the Holy Spirit, from being able to hear the voice of God and your coming to that place where you can trust Him without worry and stress constantly attacking you. Faithfulness in one area does not negate the need for balance and obedience in all areas of our walk. Like birds, we need two wings to rise above some of the situations we find ourselves in. Let's all try to find the balance we need to do that starting today!

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Turtles

Turtles

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if
any comfort from his love......if any tenderness and compassion,
make my joy complete by having the same love."
Philippians 2:1-2

With the awesome cabin we stayed in, the swimming pool with a slide and the hot tub, the lake for boating, great food, and a very nice game room, the highlight of this week's Kids Camp was none other than the turtles which populated the lake we were staying at. Those hard-shelled creatures were alternately described as cute, loveable, adorable, and friendly, as in "my turtle is so friendly". And because of that, five families now have a new pet or two to take care of.

We can learn much from nature and God's creation, and turtles are no exception. They have the ability to withdraw into their dome-shaped shells which serve to protect them from any predators that would try and sink their teeth into the little fellows. They hide behind their shell; a good system that keeps them inside and their enemies outside, protecting them from everything except the determined kids who come to camp with a big net and a soft heart.

I couldn't help but think, as I was observing the turtles, of the shells that we often form when we are hurt by others. They are invisible to the human eye, and often unknown by even the person who has them, but they serve as a protection to keep us from being hurt again by the words and actions of others. But our unconscious attempts at self- preservation come with a cost, keeping out not only people who might hurt us again but also those who love and genuinely care about us. And the ultimate problem with those turtle-like hard exteriors is that they can also keep God out when He is trying to come into our hearts and bless our lives.

We've been called to be tender, a word whose definition includes such things as soft and yielding, highly susceptible to emotions and impressions and having a sensitive character or disposition. God's mercy toward us, in fact, is often called "his tender mercies because it includes those qualities in his dealing with each of us. He is soft and yielding knowing our weaknesses and sensitive to the needs in our lives.

The loveable turtles can't do it but we can break up the shells that surround us, giving God and others free access to our hearts, asking God to make us tender and yielding, and in the process opening ourselves up to a greater freedom than we have known.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church