Ever made a bad casserole? Sometimes its just perfect. Tastes out of this world. But sometimes its very average and once in a while you just want to throw it out and start over. The ingredients are not the problem. The cook (ME) is the problem. Sometimes my faith is like that. It is not very good. And sometimes I feel like I need to throw it out and start over. The ingredients (Jesus) is not the problem. The recipe (The Bible) is the same as it has always been. The problem is me. I just sometimes have a bad day, week or even month. I wander away from Jesus and my life sucks. It just happens. I’m broken. My Lord Jesus is not. His word is righteous and His love is unconditional and His Grace is epic. I’m just a bad casserole sometimes and I need to get back at it and know that I can make things right again just by keeping my eyes on Jesus in all circumstances. He is the way. And I can make that perfect casserole again. Along with some stumbles along the way.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith……..

In the Holy Bible there are many passages that refer to our doubting of Jesus. We doubt who Jesus is and we doubt what He is capable of doing. From the beginning of the Bible and creation to his death on the cross and resurrection it seems like an impossible story that leaves us with questions and doubts. Jesus knows this and continues to love us unconditionally and meet us where we are at. Faith is big word in the Bible and if we don’t lean on it big time we will have a difficult time understanding Jesus and who He is and how He relates to our lives. I just feel that it is impossible to understand the greatness of the great “I Am”. We need to be alright not knowing everything because Jesus is alright with us not knowing everything. We don’t need all the answers. We just need a lot of trust and boldness to enter “into the mystery” of a great and wonderful and loving God.

Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Strive for excellence in thought, word and deed. Acknowledge the Almighty in all that you do. Love your friends, speak the truth, practice fidelity and honor your Father and Mother. These Godly Principles are the foundation of self-mastery. They make you strong of character , give you hope, and put you on the path to greatness.

John E. Peterson

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is….his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen. Reinhold Niebuhr

Proverbs 3: 5-6 TRUST IN THE LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will direct your paths.

There are a lot of folks who believe that living a good life, believing in the Ten Commandments, not sinning, treating people well, giving (maybe even tithing) to charities, etc. are the keys to God’s Kingdom. While these are all good things they in themselves are not the keys to God’s Kingdom. The key is Jesus. Jesus plus nothing equals everything. Jesus is the way. The only way into God’s Kingdom. I know that people don’t want to hear this but it is the Truth. We don’t make the rules……Jesus is everything. He is the King. He loves us unconditionally. He extends endless grace. He is the absolute truth. If one wants to live a life full of purpose and meaning then Jesus and his teachings are the answer. Jesus is everything and nothing at the same time. He will give us what we need and not what we want. So if you are asking Jesus for money and fame then you will probably get nothing. If you are asking for his will to be done in your life then you will get it. Welcome into the mystery!

John 14:6 – Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

The following are words from author James Bryan Smith concerning Christ’s commitment to us. “For most of my Christian life I related to Jesus on the basis of what I did for Him. If I prayed well, studied hard, served much and sinned little, then I felt reasonably sure Jesus was pleased with me. I was paralyzing my ability to love Jesus, love myself, and ultimately love others. I was afraid that Jesus would look at my faults and withdraw his love. I was afraid my weaknesses and sinfulness would separate me from the love of Jesus. I see now how foolish it was to think that my feeble attempts at righteousness had anything to do with how Jesus feels about me. For too long I was impressed with my commitment to Jesus, now I am impressed only with Jesus ‘s commitment to me.”

Romans 8: 38-39 – I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In sports we talk a lot about events that are “game changers”. In history we also look at events that have changed history. The greatest of these in all of time was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we celebrate as Easter. Many, many, people still don’t get the significance of this event. From a faith and spiritual standpoint the death and resurrection of Jesus was the biggest “game changer” in his and our stories. It ushered in forgiveness, grace and unconditional love for all that call upon the name of the Lord. The song Amazing Grace says it all with these words…” Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found t’was blind but now I see”.

John 11: 25-26……I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

HE HAS RISEN!

“There is a gap between where I am and where I need to get and God has to fill that gap”…..Ronnie Baker, US Olympian

In life I believe all of us are trying to “get” somewhere. Kind of like we are running a lifetime race. In the Bible, the scripture Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us….” Our lives last for 70-80 years on the average and our hope is that we find meaning and purpose in our lives. If someone asked me what is my greatest achievement in life I would say my faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Jesus continues to fill the gap for me everyday. My entire family has answered Jesus’s invitation to trust him with their lives and believe that He is the Truth and the Way. Jesus is Word and the Word is God. I pray that Jesus continues to fill that same gap that Ronnie Baker talks about every day because I am broken and need a Lord and Savior everyday and Jesus is the one! The Great I Am!

1Corinthians 9:24 – Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

If one does not have a faith in Jesus, who does he turn to in tough times, times of uncertainty and grief. When the world just flat out sucks…….who does one turn to. If one does not believe in Jesus and His Truth, where does he go for answers….In her song “Hold on to me”, Laura Daigle sings “when doors are closing, when one is sure they have reached the end, when one is tired of pretending, when the weight of expectation is ready to break one and when one doesn’t feel like they are worth defending, she turns to Jesus to “hold on to her'” Think about it. Life is a rocky road. We all struggle in this world. At some point the weight of this world seems unbearable. So who does one turn to. The Truth of Jesus or some temporary “fix” to our problems. We all have to figure this out. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus. No one loves us better than Jesus. God Bless and stay safe.

Joshua 24:15 – As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

God forgives us of our sin, but still has concern for us. Why? Because He knows our behavior has consequences. Thus, our sin has consequences. The Bible is full of wisdom on how we can better live our lives to avoid the pitfalls of sin. Some have called the Bible the greatest psychology book ever written. Others have called the Bible the Greatest instruction manual on how to live our lives ever written. Sin will always be there, like a lion roaring at our door. Therefore, the wise choice is to use the resources our faith and the Bible give us to live the most purposeful and meaningful life we can. I think we can all agree that we would like to do that.

God Bless and all Glory and Praise be given to Jesus.