I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13, NAS

"I know that one", you might be thinking, "It's one of my favorite verses!" And most of us do know this verse, and for many of us it is one of our favorites. But do we really believe it? Do we really believe that we can do anything through Christ?

How many times have we set out to do something that was truly noble and worthwhile? Maybe it was giving up smoking or perhaps it was losing a little weight. Or maybe we wanted to "clean up" our language. Maybe instead of giving up a bad habit, we wanted to acquire a good habit such as reading the Bible more or actually attending the worship on the first day of the week. But whatever the thing was that we wanted to do in order to make our lives better, we just failed in the doing of it. Because of these failures, we might have questioned the accuracy of the verse above: Is it really possible to do all things through Christ who strengthens us, or is it just a nice thought?

What's more, why is it that some people seem to accomplish the very things that we were hoping for, while we are left to pick up the pieces of another failed attempt to better ourselves? Does God love them more? Is He playing favorites and giving help only to those He secretly prefers? The answer to all of these questions is contained in the passage above!

Now some might dispute this. They might say that they have tried hard to accomplish something worthy of God's children, but that God simply didn't do His part. But this, of course, is untrue. God will always fulfil His side of the bargain, so if we are failing, we need look no farther than our own mirrors if we really want a clear picture of the one who is to blame. God has never told us that we could do all things; instead, He has told us we can do all things through Him (Jesus) who strengthens us. If we are looking for three wishes, then we need to be hoping we will find that fictional bottle that contains that magical genie. However, if we are genuinely seeking to do things that are of good purpose because they are God's will, then we have a useful beginning.

So, the first thing is to remember that the promise to do all things is connected to the entreaty that we do these things through Christ. Now, this doesn't mean that we cannot accomplish some worldly and sinful things on our own, but we must not associate God with our endeavors nor their outcomes.

The second thing to remember in this passage is that a decision is required. We cannot go through life just hoping that God will do things for us. Once we determine that something is truly worthy of our efforts in accomplishing - worthy enough to get God's help with - then we must decide to do it. This word "decide" is key. The addict can wish all they want to be drug and alcohol free, but until they decide to do what it takes to reach this goal, it will remain a wispy wish with little chance of success. It is the one who saves up his money, purchases a site upon which to build, and who acquires the blueprints to guide them that is the one who is most likely to build their dream home as opposed to the one who merely wishes that they will someday live in the home of their dreams. 

And, it is the one who actually decides to do something who will is most likely to succeed, not the one who just "wants" something really, really bad. 

So, to drive the point home, consider this: If we want to give up smoking or drinking, and we want the Lord's help in doing so, then we are going to have to decide to do it! If we want to give up bad language, we will need that same, firm commitment to do so. If we want to start reading the Bible on a daily basis, we must decide to do so and then pick up our Bibles and begin today. If we want to get up on Sunday morning to go to church, we are going to have to decide on Saturday night that we are going - no ifs. ands or buts.

You see, we really can do everything that God wants us to if we will decide to do them and humbly seek His help. Great things are not merely reserved for "great" men and women. they are reserved for those who will honestly commit their lives to God and who will then decide to do whatever it takes to accomplish them. No half measures nor wispy dreams will do. We must decide, and then we must commit that decision to God!

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3, NIV

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another.

Romans 12:15-16, ESV

Our community recently suffered a devastating loss. A young lady was involved in a tragic accident that took her life. She left behind three sons and two daughters, all in their teens, as well as her fiancé. She also left behind seven siblings and her mother. Her father had suddenly passed almost two years ago to the day that Mary died, and the family was still feeling the loss of that tragedy. While it is always difficult to deal with any type of death, it is particularly hard when the deaths are unexpected and out of season. Of course, we grieve even when we have had time to prepare ourselves for the passing of a loved one who has some terrible illness, as we do when a loved one goes on after a long life and it is simply their time to go. But when the death is like this...

Maybe that's why I have had such a hard time even writing about this. Even after a few weeks, it is difficult to know how to put my scattered thoughts into the right words, but I feel like I need to try, so here goes...

Her name was Mary, and her father's name was Kelly. I have known this family just about ever since I moved to this community some thirty years ago. I coached Mary for four years while she was in grade school and got to know most of the family pretty well. We got to know them even better when they moved across the alley from us when they were re-building after a tornado damaged their home on the other side of town. I have observed for many years how close this family is, and how happy they have been as a result of that bond. Such closeness and affection make times like this all the more difficult to bear in some ways, but it is this very closeness that is such a big part of the key to getting through such times of great tragedy.

And it is this very fact that I want to talk about today. 

Sometimes when we read the Bible, the words we read are just that - words. We acknowledge that the Bible is the Word of God, but we still struggle to make the proper application when it comes to our daily lives. But it is times like these that the importance of "doing" and not just reading is so important, for these words have the power to not only make our lives better, but also to literally rescue us when times are at their most trying. Take the passage above: Paul essentially tells us to be happy with those who are happy, and to be sad with those who are sad. He goes on to tells us to live in harmony with one another! 

I'm not much when it comes to music, but I do understand that when we are harmonizing when we sing, we are basically blending our voices together and trying to sing the same notes so that the song sounds as it was intended to sound. It means that we are on the same page, so to speak, in order to accomplish something that can be beautiful when we sing the right words and the right notes at the right time. 

I believe I have witnessed a lot of that very thing in the past two years with this family, While they would be the first to tell you that they don't always see eye to eye on everything (especially when they were kids growing up in a large family) they are also the first to see how important this harmonious living is. They really are a family that rejoices with one another when the news is good, and they sincerely and genuinely grieve with each other when one of the family is hurting. This type of support means everything when we are trying to get through such times of devastation and grief as they have been going through during these past two years.

But, as important as leaning on family (and friends) has been during these trying times, there is something else that is even more vital: It is turning to the Lord to let Him help you through. He tells us to come to Him when we are heavy laden with the burdens of life - He really is concerned for us, and He wants to ease our suffering! He tells us if we will do this, that we will find rest for our souls (Mtthew 11:28-30). This is the very thing that we need, when we are experiencing such a depth of grief and pain as this family has been dealing with.

In short, we need each other, and we need God! And, while this will not take away the heavy load of grief that times such as this bring, it will make it bearable enough for us to get through such times. And when we finally do get past these times (and we will, eventually) it is then important for us to remember to help others when their time of need arises. It is not only our duty, but it is our privilege to help others when they need it the most. This means that we have to be attentive to others enough to know when they are rejoicing and when they are weeping, so that we can join them in ways that will actually be beneficial to them. 

I have watched a family and a community do just that. They have rallied around one another and have made this most difficult time a bit more bearable. More importantly, they have prayed for one another, and much of the family has taken Jesus up on His magnificent offer of bringing their burdens to Him. When we live life right, when we actually do what God wants us to do, life becomes better. It doesn't mean that it becomes easy, but it does become better, and sometimes that is the best we can hope for.

Our part is to remember to have enough love and compassion to actually be there at the times they need us the most. We rarely know what to do during times such as these, and we certainly don't know exactly what to say - but that's okay! For, it is enough sometimes just to be there so that we can grieve with those who are grieving. There really is great comfort in having friends and family who care enough to show that they care.

How do we get through times such as these? Only with the help of God and those who love us. So, let's do remember to be there for one another, and let us all remember to pray!

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what can light have with darkness?

II Corinthians 6:14, NIV (1978)

One of the biggest problems we have in life is when we believe we can accomplish any sort of moral agreement with the unrighteous. I have noticed a lot of headlines in recent weeks about those who have been removed from their positions of authority who now want a seat at the table when discussing the direction this nation needs to be taking. From male generals who wear women's clothing, to abortion rights activists who want to help with "health issues", to social engineers who want to choose the school curriculum for our children, there are a lot of people who want to compromise with the new direction. 

Our "democratic" side tells us that we should include such people when deciding on this new direction, but I believe that to be a trap. You cannot bargain with the devil and come out with anything good, and you cannot negotiate with people who hold positions that are the polar opposite of what God wants and expect to come out with anything that is remotely godly. The point is that righteousness and wickedness are on different teams, so if you allow the opposing coach to sit in on your huddles, you have to realize that he is not there to help you win the game.

I am currently reading "The Light and the Glory" by Peter Marshall and David Immanuel. The book is on the founding of America from the time of Columbus to the Revolution, and they have a lot of information that we no longer read of in our modern-day histories. This is odd, since they have used hundreds of original source materials that well documents this era, but when you compare it to the books currently being taught in the majority of our schools you will see some glaring differences. One of the main differences is the role that religion and religious people played in our founding. Prior to the mid-20th century, religion was placed in a favorable light, but after that it was always viewed with suspicion and outright criticism, if it was mentioned at all.

Why is that? In large part it is because of the difference in opinion between those who came into power (and therefore in charge of re-writing the history) and those who were in charge previously. It began with something as noble as giving both viewpoints a voice, but it ended up with the silencing of anyone who believed different than the new and improved regime with their new and improved agendas. In short, the unrighteous were given a seat at the table with the unrighteous, and it has ended up with everything we see now. The list of grievances is extensive, but numbered in the change of direction are God being removed from the public square, illegal drug usage, a normalizing of the concept of a Godless evolution, and abortion and perverse sexual lifestyles becoming mainstream.

This has resulted in everything from our boys sharing the most private of facilities with our girls, drag queens reading to our small children in classrooms and public libraries, and the aforementioned generals in skirts and heels leading our military. Those familiar with the Bible will instantly recognize such things as unrighteousness, but those who have watered down Christianity to the point that perverts not only have a seat at their tables, but also a place to stand in their pulpits, will view these things as righteousness.

And God has warned us what will happen if we allow the unrighteous to work hand in hand with the righteous.

Now, please do not misunderstand: All of us have sinned and all of us have fallen short of God's righteous ways. I am not talking about removing everyone who is a "sinner" in our eyes from important decisions. What I am saying is that we absolutely do need to exclude all who would say that their past sins were good and that we should incorporate such unrighteousness into the rules of society. It is those who refuse to give up their sin (or those who don't even know what sin is) who do not need to have a part in correcting past wrongs. Without repenting of their former ways and acknowledging that the worldly ways are wrong and that God's way is right, we are just going to end up going in the same deadly direction that got us into this mess in the first place.

So, what's the point? Just this: America has been on a reckless path, and it is time for a change of direction. This can never be accomplished by compromising with the ones who prefer the wrong paths. This is not a negotiation! Evil can never be compromised with for by doing so we will always end up more wicked than we were when we recognized that we had a problem. You don't let a homicidal cook who has been found putting large amounts of poison in your food, negotiate with you to continue to cook, but with smaller amounts of poison - you get rid of them! And we cannot compromise with those who have rejected God's standards for those of the devil and think that we can come up with anything that is good.

The fact is that the righteous and the wicked have nothing in common. Those of us who were righteous thought that we could compromise in order to be fair, only to find that those who were the most innocent ended up paying the price for our well-intentioned folly. If we want a change in direction, we are going to have to get those who prefer the old direction away from the steering wheel. We can (and must) do this in a kind and Christian way but do it we must. We have spent too much time negotiating with the unrighteous in the past. It is time now for a righteous direction and that necessarily means that we cannot negotiate with the unrighteous to accomplish that change.

Blessed is every one that fears the LORD; that walks in His ways. For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

Psalms 128:1-2, KJV

I became a daily Bible reader over forty years ago, and I have never regretted that investment of time for I believe it has paid handsome dividends far in excess of anything I could have imagined. It's like having invested in Bitcoin at $300 and waking up ten years later to find it worth over $100,000. The good thing about the benefits from God's Word is that no harm comes from its blessings, and the profits are not taxable.

An even better discovery was one I made some twenty years ago, when I decided to add to my daily habit of reading by beginning the day with one of the Psalms or a chapter from the Book of Proverbs. Talk about maximizing your investment! For one to five minutes of reading the first thing in the morning, I get a thought that I can take about with me for the rest of the day. It's far better than the newspaper or the stuff you hear on TV, for it is pleasant to the soul and beneficial to mankind. When, if ever, have you thought that about the news you get from today's sources?

This morning's passage is a great example: It starts with a promise of happiness and well-being to every single person who desires these blessings. All one has to do to get them is to fear God and walk in His ways. Admittedly, it is a big thing to fear God and to live in the way that He wants. It means we will first have to love and respect Him enough to find out what His ways are. Then we will have to make an adjustment or two to our lifestyle in order to walk in these ways. For some, these changes will be minor, for others of us it will necessitate a new way of living and a new way of thinking. But, regardless of the efforts needed, the results are worth it. 

After all, where else can you get a guarantee of a happy life that is backed by the full faith and credit of God Himself?

Just think about it for a moment: Are you happy? Is everything well with your life? I'm not asking if everything is happening exactly as you planned, and I'm not even suggesting that your days will not contain a certain amount of hard times and sorrow. What I am suggesting though is that God will not let you down, not one time, not ever! And while He will not bubble wrap your life in such a way as to never let you fall and scrape a knee from time to time, what He will do is give you a set of life instructions that are perfect, and He will help you through the times of pain so that you will not have to deal with them alone.

The overall result of this will be a happy life, and the effect of this happy life will be peace and contentment. For those of you who might scoff at this, let me just say that I had scoffed too when I was a younger man. I rejected His ways for the "wisdom" of my own and it didn't work out so well. But, like the prodigal son who finally came to his senses, when I came to mine, I discovered that God's way really does work, and it really does make me happy. For those who would disagree, I am sorry for the grief that you have coming - and you will have grief coming indeed. But for those of you who have tried it God's way, you know. And that knowledge has brought you a good life!

And for me, that good life has been greatly enhanced by just taking a moment or two at the beginning of each day to read from God's Word and get direction. It sounds too simple, I know, but don't knock it until you have tried it. And, having tried that perfect way, don't forget to take on more moment to offer Him thanksgiving for the great blessings that you have received. God is good!