Author Archives: drsteve73

Isn’t God Good?

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A few years ago, I heard the story of a woman who went to her pastor and asked that he would pray for her husband, who had been ill for quite a while and was growing worse day by day. The pastor assured her that he would add her husband to his prayer list, which he did.

A few weeks passed, and the woman went back to her pastor to thank him for his prayers, stating that her husband had been completely healed. She then added the exclamation: “Isn’t God good!” The pastor responded in the affirmative by agreeing that God is indeed good, but then added a question: “Would God have not been just as good had He not healed your husband?”

I was thinking about that story this morning as I sat in the surgery center waiting room while my wife underwent gall bladder surgery. This type of surgery is pretty common, and the chances of something going wrong are minimal, but, surgery is surgery. There is always the possibility that an unforeseen problem could arise and a common, everyday surgical procedure could possibly go terribly wrong.

Teresa’s surgery was performed by the surgeon with no problems, and she is now sitting in the recliner across the room from me sleeping soundly and peacefully, for which I am thankful to our loving Father in heaven. And yet, during the procedure, as I waited for the text message that the operation was over, I knew that there was that possibility, be it ever so small, that things would go amiss.

Last night, as Teresa and I were talking about today’s surgery, she looked at me and said, “If something should happen…” I won’t share the rest of the conversation but suffice it to say we both committed her into the hands of God and trusted Him with the outcome of her procedure.

I certainly don’t want anyone to misunderstand the gist of this blog. Had something gone terribly wrong during the procedure and things did not turn out the way they did I would have been crushed to lose my soul mate. But at the same time, by God’s amazing grace and strength, I hope I would have given Him the glory for being a good God, never-the-less!

I remember years ago when I was about to be put under for surgery, the anesthesiologist came in and asked if I was nervous to which I replied that I was not. He then said that he would check my blood pressure to make sure everything was good, and when he saw the results he said, “Wow, you really aren’t nervous, are you? How can you be so calm?” This was one of those divine appointments in which God gave me the open door to share a quick word of witness with him, so I said, “In just a few minutes you are going to put me to sleep for my surgery. When I open my eyes, the first person I will see will be either my wife, or my Lord. Either one is fine with me.”

Admittedly, my faith is not always that strong, but on that day it was. Teresa’s was strong today. Why? Because God always gives grace that is equal to the situation at hand. If you are His child then it can, and should, be true of you. God is good, all the time. This morning Teresa and I experienced that reality once again as He brought her through this surgical procedure, and for that we give Him all the praise. Next time might prove to be different, and, by His grace, we will continue to give Him praise.

God is good – all the time.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Where are You Looking?

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If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

It is so easy to become enamored with stuff – whatever “stuff” represents in your life. It might be cars, or houses, or bank accounts, or vacations to exotic places, or people, or what other people have, or a million other possibilities. Things, “stuff”, can become the driving force in our lives, consuming every waking thought, captivating our every wish, dominating our drive to attain. Stuff. Just stuff.

Please understand that the accumulation of stuff is not bad in and of itself. There are a lot of individuals who have a great amount of stuff, and they continue to maintain a proper balance, a healthy perspective, toward their stuff. But the danger is crossing an imaginary line between having stuff, and stuff having us. If, as I said in my opening paragraph, “stuff” dominates our drives and desires in life, then we have crossed that line – our stuff is no longer our possession, but rather we are possessed by our stuff.

A good question to ask ourselves occasionally is on whom, or at what, do I focus most of my attention? In the verses quoted above we read two admonitions: “Seek those things which are above,” and “Set your mind on things above.” There is a tendency for members of the human family to look in the wrong direction. Instead of seeking those things and setting our minds on those things above, the tendency is to seek those things and set our minds on those things of the earth. And when we allow that to happen, the things above lose their appeal.

As many of you know, Teresa and I took a 50-day trip to celebrate our 50th anniversary in the summer of 2023. One of the simple pleasures of that trip was viewing the star lit nights in areas of dark skies – areas where there is little to no light pollution from the lights of cities. When you are in an area that is in close proximity to a large city, then the night sky is polluted with man-made lights. You can still see the stars, but very few in comparison with dark sky areas.

The point is simple, yet it has a profound message for us. The pollution of the appeals of earth will diminish the brightness of the “things above” by drowning out the light. That is the reason the Apostle John gave us the somber warning found in his first epistle:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

We are to maintain an upward look, seeking those things and setting our minds on the things that are above. We are to be captivated by the glories of heaven, not be enamored by the temporal treasures of earth.

Let’s enjoy the blessings the Father has given but never allow ourselves to become so attached to the things of earth that heaven loses its appeal. Our treasures should be laid up there, not stored and hoarded here. Let’s keep our attention focused on those things above.

Until next time:

Blessings!

The Turning of a Page

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It may be a one-day calendar on your desk, or a weekly calendar in your purse, or a monthly calendar hanging on the wall, but no matter what kind of calendar you use, today marks the turning of a page. A single page. The one-day calendar goes from December 31, 2024, to January 1, 2025; the monthly calendar goes from December 2024, to January, 2025. Regardless of which you use, today simply marks the turning of a page – one page – nothing more and nothing less.

None of us knows what the days of 2025 will bring our way. Each day brings its own share of certainties and uncertainties. There are things that we will all assume will happen – even though there is no guarantee that they will – and there are things that may catch us completely off-guard. A daily task is to maneuver through each day as best we can, accepting those things for which we are prepared, and responding to those things that catch us by surprise.

Perhaps one thing that will help us with this task is to remember that every day is a gift from God. The psalmist said, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” This day, and every day, is a gift from the Lord. Each day that we live is a precious gift from God.

But today we are thinking about the gift of life itself. Your life, my life, is a gift from God. We are His craftsmanship – created by Him, and for Him. Our lives are to be lived to His glory. So, the turning of the page of the calendar marks another day that He has made, and given to us to use for His glory and praise.

Your life is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to Him.

Someone made the following statement: Your life is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift to Him. This is a statement that we would do well to commit to memory and rehearse in our minds throughout each day that we live. My life is a gift of God. Each individual day that I live is a gift of God. Each breath that I take is a gift of God. Every sunrise and sunset that I see is a gift of God. The sustaining of my life for yet another day is a gift of God.

Now, what will I do with this precious gift? That choice is mine – and yours. Each day offers me yet another opportunity to give my life to Him, or to hoard it all to myself. I can go selfishly through life, making every day all about me, or I can go selflessly through life, giving my life in surrender to Him, making it all about Him and using every moment to bring glory to His name.

Perhaps we could all start on this very first day of 2025 by offering today, January 1, to God. Perhaps we could make it a habit of doing that every day, at the very beginning of each day. Perhaps we could verbally say to Him, “Lord, I acknowledge that this is yet another day that You have made, and that You have granted me the gift of this day to use in whatever way I choose. So, I choose to gift this day back to You. Bring whatever You desire into my experience today and enable me to use it all for Your glory. I choose today to yield myself to You so that others might see You working through me, and that I could be a living testimony to Your grace.”

So today I say, “Happy New Day,” a day that the Lord has made and given to each of us. Let’s use today for Him, and tomorrow let’s do it all over again, and the next day, and the next, and – well, you get the picture. I pray that the days of 2025 will be vehicles through which He might use each of us to serve His purposes, and to bring Him glory.

And, yes – Happy New Year, everyone!

Until next time:

Blessings!

ThanksLIVING

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Thanksgiving is once again upon us. The official day set aside as Thanksgiving is one week from today. As I think about the many, many things for which I am thankful, there is one thing in particular that I would like to write about in this blog.

Teresa (my wife) and I, as many of you know, are full-time RVers. We have been living the RV life since my retirement in 2018. About 10 years prior to my retirement, we began planning for this new adventure, and for these past seven years it has been a huge blessing to see this dream come true.

Over these years of RV living, we have been met with mixed reactions from people when we tell them of our present living status. We have met quite a few who have responded by saying something like this: “That’s exactly what we want to do when we retire!” Others have said that they envy us for living our dream. And we have even had a few who said they wanted to be like us when they grow up! It is always a joy to share our adventures with others who express their excitement over the prospect of living the nomad life.

However, others have not been quite so enthusiastic about our decision. Some, without realizing that this was our decision, based on our dreams, have asked if we were forced into this lifestyle due to financial restraints. Well, I can honestly say that we are a far cry from being wealthy, but we were not forced into this lifestyle because of finances. We chose this lifestyle. Others have become somewhat incredulous over the thought that anyone would ever choose to live as full-time RVers. But we did – and over these past seven years we have met so many others who have made the same decision.

Let me take a few moments to share with you some of my thoughts of thankfulness for the incredible journey. Teresa and I have been married since 1973 – 51 years! We have traversed these years together through 40 years of pastoral ministry, teaching ministry, marriage counseling and seminars, and a countless number of personal, one-on-one ministry opportunities. I am so blessed for these opportunities, and thankful that God gave us these special blessings as we have served Him together.

But these past seven years have offered us ministry opportunities we would have never had if we had not decided to become full-time RVers. We have now lived in just three campgrounds during these past seven years: Camp Wilderness Campground at Carowinds, Mill Creek Campground (Pigeon Forge, TN) while we worked at Dollywood, and now Wateree Lake RV and Marina (Liberty Hill, SC) where I serve as campground chaplain. We have crossed paths with people we would never have met had it not been for living the RV lifestyle.

We realize that this lifestyle is not for everyone. But it is for us. And we feel it is for us because it is God’s plan for us at this stage of our lives. We are thankful for the amazing way He has opened door after door for us to meet people with whom we have been able to share His love and grace.

This Thanksgiving season we want to give Him the thanks and praise He so richly deserves for allowing us to share in the blessings of showing His love to others who might not hear otherwise. To Him be the glory, great things He has done.

Until next time:

Blessings

I Really, Sincerely, Don’t Hate You

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Please read the title once again before reading this blog. I am dead serious: I don’t hate you. You may find that difficult to believe, and you may stereotype me along with others who are today applauding the election of Donald Trump as our president elect. But please do me the favor of reading to the end before making a judgment.

I, first and foremost, am a conservative, Bible-believing Christian who simply believes in the God of the Bible, His precious Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God manifested in three Persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. The plans and purposes of God are recorded for us in His Word, the Bible. In this amazing book He gives us specific instructions in how He would have us live. And then, He lovingly, graciously, and without prejudice gives each of us the ability to choose whether we will live by those instructions or if we will choose to reject them.

The Bible gives explicit instructions on the matter of the sanctity of human life. Psalm 139 speaks of being “fearfully and wonderfully made” – a reference to the formation of a baby in the womb of his/her mother. Each human being is a distinct creation of God, created in the very image of God, and has a God-given, God-assigned purpose to fulfill in this life.

Many speak of the right to choose in relation to what to do about the baby growing in the womb. Their mantra is, “My body, my choice.” But the fact of the matter is, you made your choice when you decided to engage your body in sexual relations which resulted in your pregnancy. That was your choice. But now, the baby growing in your womb is not your body – it is his/her body. A real, living human being. That baby has no voice to cry out his/her desire to live: he/she is seeking safety in the environment of your womb so that he/she may grow and develop until the day of delivery.

My vote, cast for Donald Trump, was not a vote for him as much as it was a vote against a culture of death that would ravage our great land. You might accuse me of having tunnel-vision, focusing on just one major aspect of the Democrat’s platform. However, that simply is not the case. Even if abortion was not prominent in the election. I could never vote for anyone who had the audacity to tell the person who yelled out in one of Kamala Harris’s rallies, “Jesus is Lord,” that they were in the wrong rally. That let me know that Christians were not welcome in her political platform. And on the other side of the political spectrum, Donald Trump stated in his comments after being declared the winner of the election that he knew God spared his life for a purpose. There is a vast difference between one who acknowledges God, and one who chooses to show Him the door!

I will pray for those who have now been elected, just as I have been praying for those who are serving in the present administration. I do this because Christians are admonished in Scripture to pray for those in authority. I am praying that the transfer of power from the Biden administration to the Trump administration will be characterized by peace and respect. And I pray that as we move forward as a nation we will see clear evidences of the providential hand of God as He gives guidance and direction to those in office.

Jesus did indeed love everyone, but He did not accept everyone. Only those who came to Him on His terms, and those terms are clear for anyone who is interested in where He stood. His respect for individuals showed itself clearly as He offered His gift of grace, and then left the choice up to the individual as to whether they would accept His offer or turn and walk away. The choice is the same today. Please, choose Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Are You at the Wrong Rally?

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At a political rally in Wisconsin this past week, as presidential candidate Kamala Harris spoke, someone in the crowd shouted out, “Jesus is Lord,” to which Harris responded, with a smile on her face, “I think you are at the wrong rally.” I’m not sure how that makes you feel, but for me, personally, I think it was totally disgusting.

I’m not sure how we are to take her quick response. Was it something that just came to her mind spontaneously? We’ve all had those moments where we heard something and our mouth went into action before our brains kicked in. If you’re like me, you usually regret having said it five seconds after the words come from our mouths. So, maybe it was a knee-jerk reaction Harris made without giving it any thought at all.

Or, perhaps, this was something she was hoping to have an opportunity to say. Maybe she had been rehearsing this quick jab over and over in her mind, waiting for the perfect moment to interject those words into a political arena filled with propagandized rhetoric. We all love those types of opportunities, don’t we? I know I do. I love it when the door is opened for me to share my faith, to give my personal testimony, to share the gospel. We cherish those moments – those divine appointments – when that door swings wide open and we are able to give a quick word about our Lord.

I don’t know if candidate Harris is looking back on that moment with a spirit of pride, and a feeling of accomplishment, or if she is looking back with regret. I, thankfully, am not her judge. However, if I were her judge, my judgment would not be pretty. For anyone to stand in opposition to the clear Biblical teachings on the sanctify of human life is an affront to God Himself. But, that really shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who has listened to Harris, along with her running mate, give words of approval to the taking of innocent lives.

Some may be thinking that we should not base our vote for president on one issue. In my opinion, this issue is the cornerstone of the Harris/Walz platform. It is the solid foundation of their stance against a nation whose trust is in God. Historically our politicians have given verbal assent to the Bible as the foundation of our republic. But the Harris/Walz platform stands against so much that Christians hold dear.

For example, they are in favor of paying for prison inmates to have sex-change procedures. Also, they are in favor of men being allowed to play in women’s sports. The taking of innocent, unborn, life is the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

So, when one says, “I think you’re at the wrong rally,” it’s time to move on down to the other rally down the street.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Are You a Good Person?

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Are you a good person? Take a moment and make this very personal. Ask yourself the question: Am I a good person? If you answer in the affirmative, then follow it up with a second question: What do I base my goodness on? It might help to take pen in hand and write down your answer to that question. Why not stop reading right now long enough to do that.

Now that you have written down your response(s), let’s give some thought to this matter of goodness. The Bible actually makes an alarming assessment of every member of the human family:

They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. Psalm 14:3

No one, according to this verse, is good. And yet, we do good things. Even the worst among us can, and does, do good things occasionally. The drunkard, in times of sobriety, does good things for his children. The wife abuser, after a time of severe mental, physical and emotional abuse against his wife, may come back with pleas and cries, begging for forgiveness, promising to never do such an awful thing again. The habitual liar still possesses the ability to speak the truth. Yes, each member of the human family has the potential of doing good things.

And yet, none of us are good. Without assistance from outside of ourselves, we are incapable of doing good. So, what hope do we have of ever being good? What gives us hope to live good lives in light of the fact that the Bible asserts that none are good? It is possible because of what God has accomplished for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

It is possible because of what God has accomplished for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Let’s get back to the question I posed at the outset of this blog: Are you a good person? And let’s suppose for a moment that you answered yes to the question. Your mind may have been instantly flooded with “good” things you have done – and perhaps you could make a rather long list of your good deeds. Now, let’s go a little deeper. Why did you do those “good” things? Was it because you can still hear the voice of your long-departed Mother, who instilled in you teachings about right and wrong, and about how to treat others? Was it because you are striving outwardly to live a “good” life in obedience to the teachings of a precious saint of God who invested his/her life into yours in a child’s Sunday School class? Was it because of a sense of obligation?

Or, was it because you have now inherited true, sincere, genuine goodness through your commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ? Do you now do good things because you have had His goodness imputed to you, so now, you do good things because He is doing those things through you?

This is the only sure way for us to be truly good: Jesus Christ living His life through us. It brings us to the point in our lives in which we are no longer doing good things out of duty, or obligation, or to honor the wishes of our parents, or to please our spouse. All of those things may play a part in our “goodness”, but they are not the root cause of that goodness. Jesus Christ is the source, and He deserves all the praise for making it possible that we should bear His likeness as we go about our daily lives. So, let’s let His light shine in us and through us so that others might be able to see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Life’s Many Uncertainties

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The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene has been beyond anything I have ever witnessed. Lives lost, entire towns swept away, roads washed out, rainfall and flood waters historically high. As I write this blog, the death toll has now exceeded 180, and the number of missing persons is not known at this time. Hundreds of thousands of people are still without power, and communication to some areas has been completely cut off.

Even with all the warnings issued prior to the storm’s landfall, no one expected the unbelievable destruction that was left in its wake. Our hearts go out to those who suffered loss of loved ones, and loss of property. And our thanks and gratitude go to those who are working around the clock in these devastated areas, and for those who have donated to the needs at hand.

I do not want to minimize this awful tragedy in any way. I would simply like to point out that life is filled with uncertainties that oftentimes catch us off guard and completely unprepared. Even with all the modern technology that allows weather prognosticators to give some of the most accurate forecasts, they still cannot predict exact outcomes or even precise storm paths. They do the best they can, but storms like Helene are totally unpredictable.

Life is like that: unpredictable. One thing is for sure: uncertainties are a certainty! They will happen, and they will catch us unprepared when they do. So, what are we to do in the face of this fact? How can we prepare for something that we have no clue is coming? The answer is quite simple, and yet so very difficult: keep our eyes on Jesus! The writer of Hebrews gives us insight into this important concept in the following words:

…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1b-2

Jesus ran His race with endurance – all the way to, through and beyond the cross. How did He accomplish this amazing feat? By keeping His eyes on the joy that was set before Him.

There is joy set before us if we are children of God. As we make our way toward that ultimate joy, we have to traverse through many uncertainties in this life. Some are devastating and destructive, while others bring a sense of contentment and satisfaction. Regardless of which route they take us on, there is joy set before us as we anticipate seeing Jesus face to face in that wonderful place He has gone to prepare for us.

Let’s continue to pray for the rescue efforts and those who are responding to this catastrophic situation. And let us keep our eyes on Jesus – the author and finisher of our faith.

Until next time:

Blessings!

Are You Ready?

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I am writing this blog while sitting in a hotel room while we await the arrival of Hurricane Helene. As most of you know, my wife and I are full time RVers, and an RV is not the safest place to be during a storm with the potential of high winds and the possibility of tornadoes. So, we checked into a hotel to sit this one out.

Before we left our RV, we did everything we could to secure all of those things that could easily be blown away by the high winds. It took us a while to make sure everything was safe and secure. Then, we checked our lists to make sure we had everything we needed for a night in a room away from home. We are now praying for the storm to pass without a lot of property damage, and even more important, without loss of lives.

As I sit here now, thinking back over the preparations we made for this move to a hotel room, it makes me think of preparations which need to be made for a far more important move that we will make in the future. There will come the day in which we will all take a journey through what the Bible refers to as the valley of the shadow of death. We will pass from this life to the next. And we must make preparations for that journey so that it does not catch off-guard.

I would venture to say that those in Helene’s path have been frantically making preparations and taking safeguards to make sure their belongings will be safe through the ravages of the storm. Sandbags have been placed strategically in an attempt to keep the floodwaters from damaging their property. Windows have been boarded up, hoping the efforts will protect their windows from being blown out by the high winds. After every safeguard has been put in place, they then take seriously the calls for evacuation, moving to safer ground to sit out the storm.

Have you taken seriously the warnings of Scripture? Have you realized your desperate need of safe passage when it comes your turn to pass through that valley? Have you placed your trust in the saving work of Jesus Christ, accepting His gracious offer of salvation, so that the valley will not catch you unprepared, but will be a welcomed friend who sees you safely through that valley into that place Jesus has gone to prepare for those who love Him and long for His coming?

Let’s let Helene be a harbinger of things to come. Let’s let this storm that is now passing through the night to be a vivid reminder of the necessity of being prepared, and to let it be a time of soul-searching to make sure that we know beyond all doubt that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

And, let’s pray for those in the path of this powerful storm. It is one of the worst in recent history, and may prove to be one of the most devastating of all time. Let’s pray for those first responders who put their lives on the line for those who are in need of rescue. And, let’s pray for loved ones who are not yet ready for the coming of that future date with the valley. They desperately need the Lord!

Until next time:

Blessings!

Where Do We Go for Guidance?

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In my previous blog I wrote about ethics and ethical standards. My conclusion was that as Christians, we are to turn to God’s Word for the standards we embrace in life. Read the following familiar verses slowly and prayerfully as we think about why we should turn to the Bible for guidance and direction as we make decisions concerning our behavior and lifestyle.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth… Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

Colossians 3:1-2, 5

The words of Paul in his letter to the Colossians are clearly directed to those who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ. Therefore, these words are not aimed at non-believers, but rather at those who would describe themselves as disciples of the Lord. So, if we profess to be His disciple, then the admonition is clear: we are not to turn to the “things of the earth” as we seek direction and guidance for decisions and choices. And then, just so we understand what he is striving to instill in the minds and hearts of his readers, he mentions a few things that are things of the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, covetousness, idolatry.

Add to this the injunction found in Proverbs: We are to trust completely and totally in the Lord, never depending on our own understanding. We are to acknowledge Him in ALL our ways so that He may give clear direction.

I realize that what I am about to say is somewhat repetitious, as my conclusion in my previous blog was basically the same, but I feel it bears repeating. The Word of God – His inspired, inerrant, infallible, irrefutable, unchanging Word – must be the source of our belief and behavior. And remember, these words are aimed at believers – followers of Jesus Christ.

If believers would, as Paul says, set their minds on things from above, and not things of the earth, there would be much less confusion on matters of acceptable behavior and lifestyle. So, it must be obvious that there is either a drought of knowing the Word of God, or there is a serious disdain and disregard for that Word.

Jesus said plainly that if we love Him we will keep His commands. Our love for the Lord will be on open display by the choices we make, and the decisions we live by. Our lives will be open displays of our trusting in the Lord with all our heart and trusting in Him in every choice we make.

The teachings of the Word of God may very well lead us to make decisions that go against our earthly desires, but the overriding desire to seek things from above will supersede our desires that are based on earthly, worldly motivations. Then, and only then, will it be clear that we are sincere followers of the Lord, and our utmost desire is to glorify Him in all we do.

Until next time:

Blessings!