This is a post that I shared on FB a week ago so this isn’t really an “article” like I typically share that ends up in the Wayne Weekly; Monticello’s local newspaper… (that is a big paper that comes in your mailbox or you can buy one at certain places throughout town 🙂 that has news, happenings, police reports, ads, and some columns one of which is mine which again this is how this blog started. I had started writing for The Outlook in 1999 up until it closed down and that is when I started this blog re-writing some of my original columns from “back in the day.” Though in the past year most of what I put on the blog are the current columns I write.

I shared on my FB page last week that we had visited another church for the night service and from someone getting up to share a testimony, then singing, and then preaching I had something happen that had never really happen before. I have had times in the past where I will get a thought in my mind and I know if I don’t write it down I will lose it. Those thoughts if jotted down and expanded on will turn into a poem. As I was sitting in church and listening and trying to be attentive I began having thoughts and phrases “swirl” in my mind. I got out my small notebook I keep in my Bible and began jotting down phrases. Throughout most of the entire service I was thinking and writing from the things that had been said, sung, or preached. I would write a line and a thought would come to me and I may skip a few lines and then go back and add in another line. Some lines came before the others even though it ended up the way it will be shared here.

*************************************************************************************************

I took off from God when He was chasing me. Running through places so bad I couldn’t see. I thought I had the enemy under my feet. Though I was bound by his lies in defeat. Then I cried out waving my white flag in surrender. Knowing my past will only encourage and not hinder. Now I am running the opposite way. Seeking the presence of God being transformed each new day. There were times I’ve never felt loved and continued to run. Living my life in a state of rebellion. Conducting myself in the lusts of the flesh. Dreading each new day to start afresh. Living in pain straight to the heart. Coming to my senses I knew I needed a new start. Learning to keep my thoughts captive. Once His Spirit came into me to live. It’s all about love and His riches in mercy. Made alive in His grace to help me see. The pain was so great I tried to stay numb. The hurt of life strengthened my run. I used to be a runner. But since I waved my white flag I’m now an over-comer.

written 5/12/24 ~TRS

HWY 1230

I am not one who likes being up in front of others and I  especially do not like being videotaped.  After high school with no intentions of going to college back in the 90s I guess one could say that I was inspired to start college.  Most who knew me at a younger age knew I was the “quiet and shy one” that rarely if ever spoke to others whether I knew you or not.  As I changed my major to Psychology some of my requirements was to get up in front of class and give verbal presentations while being videotaped.  That was bad enough, but the worst part even yet was that we then had to re-watch the video in front of the class as the professor and class critiqued it. I came very close to dropping out over it.  I can now say that I am thankful I did not, but as I mentioned I still prefer not being on camera.

However, when the pandemic hit and for a time it was “discouraged” to attend church in person, this was before I became a pastor, when I was a youth minister and preached usually only once a month the Lord would still give me a “message,” so my wife encouraged me to share some “online.” I ended up doing 4 messages and then had the idea to make some “shorter” messages of words of inspiration and encouragement.  

I call them J.A.M. sessions (which stands for taking Just a moment) to expound on a Scripture or thought.  In the last 4 years due to my extreme dislike for being on video I only made 8 videos from 2020 to 2022.  In December of 2023 I had a thought to do another one but kept putting it off until April and then did another one May 7th of this year about a dream I had which is what this article started out being about.  I guess I thought you needed a backstory on how the videos started.  Anyway, I had a dream recently that I felt was one that needed to be shared.  

I was driving down a road and I was lost.  I had no idea exactly where I was in the dream though I thought I had an idea of where I was, yet I was still lost.  I would go down one road, then another.  Some roads were narrow, some bumpy, but none was giving me a clue to where I was at.  I got out my phone GPS and thought I could use it to find my way, but of course it wouldn’t work.  I then saw a sign that said JCT Hwy 1230.  I didn’t recognize that highway, but knew if I just got to that main highway even though I didn’t know if I should turn right or left, just being on that road I knew would help me find my way to where I needed to be.  Once I got to HWY 1230 I woke up.  

The more I pondered the dream in the days ahead I felt there was some meaning to it.  I had recently preached on Mark 12:30 which is the greatest command, to “love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength.”  Once I thought of that it was like the dream made sense.  Whenever we are lost and needing direction in our life even if we are not sure which way to go, just Love God with everything within us and that will lead us to where we need to be.

~TRS 5/12/24

In any relationship communication is key.  If there is a lack of either communicating problems will come.  One can Google how important it is to have communication in a relationship and some of this advice comes up. “Communication allows you to explain to someone what you are experiencing and what your needs are, and allows both parties to develop respect for each other.”  The website Very Well Mind wants all to remember that the “goal of communication is to understand one another.

If you have a relationship where only one person does all the talking this is not going to be a very balanced relationship.  There are probably many people who pray, which is a way to communicate with God.  It is their way of communicating their needs and requests to God.   Yet, there are also many who choose to never read the Bible.  If a person says they believe in prayer, but never read the Word of God they are basically in a one-sided relationship.  

They are doing all the talking and basically ignoring the one who created them.  The Bible is the way God has chosen to speak to people.  There are times He will communicate with us through other means as told by The Life Team at thelife.com such as; through teachers and preachers of the Word, life circumstances, through the Holy Spirit, through creation, and He can speak to us through whatever or whomever He chooses, but it will never be in disagreement with the Bible.  This means the number one way that God speaks to each individual person is through the written Word.  God lets us know what His will and everything we need to know to live a life He has called us to live with purpose found between the pages of Genesis to Revelation.  

One of my new favorite sayings is, “God doesn’t keep secrets.”  Everything we need to know He has communicated through the written word.  Wes King has a song with the verse, “written by hands of men, inspired by the Lord, the Word shall remain to the end.”  If you think that God has never spoken to you just know that He has a lot to say to you.  He has written you a letter to read that you both can fulfill the goal of communication…to understand one another. 

~TRS 4/21/24

There are many other scholars more knowledgeable than I that have done great in depth studies and theories on what I am about to write about. But, as I was reading this past week in the Gospel of Mark chapter ten and specifically verse 44 which states, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

Christ made this statement just after some of the disciples had been displeased with James and John for asking to be able to sit on either side of Christ when He comes in His glory.  Jesus tried to explain to them that they didn’t really know what they were asking for. They probably were still under the impression that Jesus was going to be setting up an earthly kingdom in their time and they were wanting to be His right (and left) hand men.  Even though He had multiple times explained to them what would be happening to Him as in being handed over, killed, but will raise again.  

He explained in the first part of verse 45 that He came not to be served, but to serve.  He has great compassion and love for all and has a desire to help them find healing and deliverance.  In verse 44 He stated that “whoever of you desires to be first shall be a servant to all.”   Jesus taught about being servant leaders. 

According to a 2022 study by Sendjaya and Sarros, “Servant leadership is being practiced in some of the top-ranking companies, and these companies are highly ranked because of their leadership style and following.  Further research also confirms that servant leaders lead others to go beyond the call of duty.”  

It was surprising to me that even when looking online to see what the history of this concept or business servant-leadership comes from it pulls up Mark chapter 10.  Wikipedia states, “The roots of the concept can be seen in much earlier texts such as Mark 10:42-45 in the teaching of Jesus.” 

The most important part of verse 45 is when Christ explained that His life would be a ransom for many.  A ransom is a payment for a prisoner or someone held hostage. As I read that part of the verse I could see us all being held hostage by “the world” and our own selfish desires.  The enemy of us who has had us bound or some still bound doesn’t really want the ransom.  The enemy doesn’t want us to be free, but through our faith in the One who knows how to be a success will make us free through our turning to Him.  

Then we too can take part in His successful business of telling others who are in bondage to sin, addictions, unforgiveness, anger, hatred, and the list could go on, of things that have people chained up and held hostage in their own minds of being able to find freedom. 

TRS 3/10/24

At the beginning of this year I had a motto that I personally want to strive for which is: Live Truth. Be Different. This of course would consist of knowing what truth is if you are going to live it.  Many have their own ideas and beliefs of what are true to them.  What I may believe is true you may not and vice-versa.  

I recently heard of a book I had never heard of before called, “Pale Blue Dot,” written by Carl Sagan, where he basically comes to the conclusion that all people in the vast universe are all very insignificant and not really special.  This was his perspective in the book as he has also been quoted to say, “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” There are many others who also believe as he does and will live their lives based upon that.  

Sagan also came to a conclusion that…”there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, (Sagan) it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”  This is an encouraging sentiment to be kind one to another and to take care of the planet on which we live.  I am sure some of the “Nones” would also agree with this.  

If you were like me I had no idea what a None is until I read about recent statistics that reports that someone who is a None is one who does not affiliate with any known religious beliefs. So, if they were asked to fill out a survey on the list of religions they would check the box None or N/A.  

I have heard it said by those with greater knowledge and wisdom than I that to believe in nothing actually takes great faith.  To believe the world just “happened” from a “Bang” and people “evolve” is a theory, not a true scientific fact.  Therefore, to believe that this world was created with a purpose by the God who calls us significant is a far better belief for me.  Then when one reads Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”  

It is all a free will choice that we were all given from the beginning when the human race was created.  The author, Sagan believes this pale blue dot will be our only home we’ve ever known, but there is a life to come of a new home that is being prepared for those who believe.  Believe what? The Truth. That God is. He was and is to come.  Sagan had stated, “there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us,” but the truth is someone already did.  His name is Jesus.  The Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

~TRS 2/25/24

This week many will celebrate love or at least their interpretation of it.  It has been said that in the English language there is only one word for love and that is…you guessed it, love.  So I could say that I love my wife and family, but I also love chicken and dumplings.  So which do I love the most if love means the same thing? 

However, in other languages there are different words to describe different types of love.  I never took Greek in College but now we have the internet to look up and explain the meaning of things so this is where my definitions come from.  

Philautia is “self-love.” The ancient Greeks saw as a healthy, necessary love of one’s self that made it possible to give and receive love from another.  Jesus Himself explained that the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul and the second is like it to love your neighbor as you love yourself.  This kind of love is not pride where one is in-love with him or herself, but a healthy love that helps one to have a healthy self-esteem.  

Pragma is a mature type of love typically only found in older people because it takes time to develop after going through troubles and trials and standing the test of time together.  Truly holding true to their vows as husband and wife; for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do us part. 

Storge is a love for family, but it does not always mean only biological family, it can be a kinship for people who feel like family.  2 Timothy 3:3 translates it as having a “natural affection.”  Philia is a friendly love.  It is a highly affectionate feeling shared with people, objects, places, and ideas.  This kind of love “comes and goes,” but it is also the love between close friendships. 

Eros is that love that gives you butterflies in your stomach when you see someone you are “in love with.”  This love is what romance builds from.  The Ancient Greeks also believed this type of love could be powerful and yet feared, because it could elicit a loss of control.  Ludus is a playful love or what some would call “puppy-dog love or a crush.”  

The best kind of love to share or experience is Agape.  It is the term for love in the Greek New Testament most mentioned.  It is a selfless and unconditional kind of love.  Those who are selfless, and self sacrificial for the sake of strangers, family, or even nature are sharing agape love.  God is love and this is the type of love that He is, so we can’t know or show this kind of true love without knowing Him.

2/11/24

~TRS

Starting a New Year many will look back over the previous year to see their own accomplishments or areas that still need improvement.  One area that is a continual growing experience is one’s own spirituality.  Some may think that they have never tended to anything spiritual and have no intentions of ever doing so, but even an atheist has a Creator.  

In the Gospel of Mark chapter four Jesus explains the parable of the soils with the question of how will people be able to understand any other teaching or parables He speaks if they don’t understand this one.  Some religions misquote John 1:1 and therefore deny the deity of Christ, but it states that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…v 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”   We have the benefit, like the disciples did of the answer to the key of the parable of what the sower was sowing.  The seed being sown is the Word, which is Christ Himself.  Depending upon how we respond to the seed sown in our lives will determine what harvest we will reap. 

There are 3 negative ways and one positive way to respond in regards to spiritual maturity.  People have 4 choices in how they will respond to the Word in their own life.  As Jesus explained the four ways are the wayside, stony ground, among the thorns, and on good ground.  The seed on the wayside are those who have hardened hearts and want nothing to do with “religion or spirituality.”  When they hear the Word, “Satan comes immediately and takes away.”  In Hosea it instructs one to “break up your fallow ground.”  Until we choose to have faith and believe our heart will remain hardened and unreceptive to spiritual change. 

The seed sown on stony ground are those who first hear the Word and receive it with gladness, but it doesn’t take root.  Then when life happens with tribulation or persecution they immediately stumble and go back to the ways of the world making comments such as, “I’ve tried that religion stuff and it didn’t work for me.”  Really it is the condition of the soil and the seed unable to take root is the issue, not the seed.  Then there is the seed sown among the thorns which are the ones who hear and then the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke out the Word making that person become unfruitful.  But, those who are the “good soil” are those by their free will choose to be receptive to what they hear and through faith and trust decide to follow Christ and their life changes and they are different than they used to be.

The Seed is the same in each scenario.  God is unchanging.  The Word never changes.  It is the condition of the soil that is different, so how does your garden grow?  If you choose to be in the good soil then you will bring forth a harvest all at different levels. 

Motto for 2024: Live Truth.  Be different.

TRS 1/7/24