Bucket Lists and PrayerDo you have a bucket list, a list of things you want to do, places you want to see, things you want experience before you die? What’s on it? Climb the highest peak on every continent? Drive a race car? Swim with the dolphins? Cruise around the world? Play golf at Augusta and Saint Andrews? Run with the Bulls? Dive on the Great Barrier Reef? Build your own airplane? See the great pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China? Write a book? Visit all of the great art galleries? Run a marathon? Sky dive? Train a horse? Travel with your family? Buy a ranch? Learn an instrument? ….? What would be the two things you would put on top of that list? The two things you absolutely hope to experience and come to pass before you die?Someone’s bucket list is very revealing, both for what’s on it and what’s not on it. It gives insight into your interests, passions, and dreams. It shows what you care about, what gets your juices flowing and what leaves you cold. What you would be willing to spend your time and money on (Bucket lists seem to take time and money, that’s why many have two bucket lists, the one they can afford and the one they would have if money were no object)?Self-indulgent they are for the most part, our bucket lists. They are about what the “I” wants, the “me” likes. I wonder if Agur, the hireling, the gatherer, the collector, was working on his bucket list before he crumbled it up, tossed it in the trash, and replaced it with a bucket list prayer? "Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God” Proverbs 30:7-9 (NIV). What are the chances you and I would have put something like that not only on top of our bucket list but also our prayer list? Integrity, honesty, genuineness, submission to God, the honor of God, how important are these to us? How much do we want to experience them? How much do they influence our desires, our dreams, our prayers? Maybe your bucket list is already what Agur petitioned God to keep him from: an exclusion of God from our desires, our dreams, our plans; God is not needed nor wanted? Maybe it is time to rewrite both our bucket list and our prayer list? Maybe the two should be compatible? Maybe we are lying to ourselves when they are not?To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Apples of Gold
“Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word spoken in right circumstances.” Proverbs 25:11 (NASB)I just finished my morning chores, one of them is taking care of my daughter’s horse, and one of the horse chores is dealing with horse pucky. In German horse doodoo is sometimes called “Pferdeaepfel,” which literally means horse apples (road apples). It seems that horse has a knack for depositing his apples liberally and right where he shouldn’t. He is not at all like his predecessor who was nice and tidy. I can tell you this, dealing with horse apples is not my favorite, it is a stinky unpleasant chore.There is something worse than Pferdeaepfel, rotten verbal apples. They not only stink, they sting, they hurt, they wound. Careless words, angry words, ugly words, discouraging words, mean, malicious, manipulating words, devious, destructive, deceptive words, false, lying, bitter, gossiping words. Stinky road apples carelessly or deliberately dropped in the wrong circumstances, at the wrong time, for no or the wrong purposes. Words that someone has to muck up, deal with, and overcome.God’s word instructs, encourages, and commands us to do the exact opposite, to deposit apples of gold into the circumstances, the situations, the lives of others. Words that need no mucking up, words that are true and loving, words that bless, words that encourage and enlighten, words that help, words that can be trusted, words that care, words that refresh, that have no need to be deodorized and be disposed of, words that that are welcome to linger, words that can be treasured.So what are my words? Apples of gold or apples originating from the backside of a horse? Words that cheer or words that corrupt? Words of value or words of vitriol? Words that heal or words that hurt? What does my mouth deposit into the lives of others? Do my words bring smiles or do the hearers need to grab shovels?You and I can deposit words that are like apples of gold in settings of silver into the circumstances, the struggles, the pain, the confusion, the hopelessness, the bitterness, and the hardship of others. To do so we have to care, to empathize, and to want to make things better. We have to give as much thought what we shouldn’t say as to what we should say (saying nothing at all is still better than horse pucky). We have to consider what God would want us to speak into the lives of others.There is one more thing even better and more glorious than we have sense enough and a heart loving enough to speak apples of gold. It is when God himself speaks into both the circumstances of others and our own, when the eternal Word deposits his words into our ears, into our heart and minds, and into our circumstances. And sometimes He uses our mouths to just that.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Peace Beyond Understanding
Peace Beyond UnderstandingWe like for things to make sense, to fit, to work out. But things don’t always make sense no matter how hard we try, no matter how much we strain our minds. Even if we find some logic our hearts might not buy it, because in order for something to make sense it is not only the mind which has to be convinced.It is because things don’t seem to make sense that we worry, get anxious, and fret. If bad things only happen to bad people and good things to good people it would be a lot easier to make things fit. If the innocent were protected and the evil were apprehended it would be easier. If we would only reap what we sow it would be easier. But disaster, tragedy, evil, injustice, hardship, disease, suffering, pain, and even death are not evenly distributed, strike with unpredictability, mangle our understanding. So we try hard to make life as safe and predictable as we can, we try hard to protect ourselves against pain, especially if it has already injured us. It doesn’t work. Even if our worrying, our anxiety, our fretting has some success they in themselves afflict us, twist us, pain us.Senselessness, not being able to understand, hurts, carries no peace, continually assaults the mind. Its casualties are too numerous to count. “What should I have done?” What did I do to deserve this?” “Why didn’t I recognize …?” “Why me/us?” “Why would God do this to me/us?” “If only I …!” “How come ...?” “Why?” Endless questions, endless second guessing, real and imagined regrets, the absence of soothing answers, an inner bleeding spins and dizzies us like clothes wrung out and stuck in the spin cycle of a washing machine.We try to cope the best we can, life does go on. Some drink, medicate. Some cling to tighter control, ever greater carefulness. Some surrender to senselessness cynicism, or some other ism. Some remain shattered and broken. But what we really need is peace. We can’t conjure up peace no matter how hard we try, we know immediately when it is fake. No, for some things we need peace that “surpasses all understanding,” peace that exceeds the capacities of our minds, peace that it is able to wrap its comforting arms around our emotions, peace that returns strength, courage, hope, and joy.Where is that kind of peace found? With God alone, with him who is infinitely wise, infinitely good, whose purposes are not upset by the evil and arbitrariness of our existence, who knows how to hold and fully comfort a child – you and me. We are invited to come to him, broken, confused, hurting, angry, despairing, afraid, exhausted, torn and worn. We are invited to cry, to wail, to sob, to shout, to scream, to pour it all out. We are invited to ask, to request, to address the fullness of our needs, of our pain, of our fears, and of our sorrow. We are invited to come without any confidence of our own and yet be confident that in God, through Christ we can find real peace for our hearts and minds. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV).“May the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way” 2 Thessalonians 3:16 (HCSB).Love you, Pastor Hans
Turning water into Wine
Turning water into Wine"Whatever He says to you, do it" John 2:5 (NASB), that’s how water got turned into wine, that’s how God provided after they ran out, that’s how they got something better than what they had, that’s how they ended up with more than they started with.Jesus didn’t ask them to do a complicated thing, but it took some work hauling over 150 gallons of water. Jesus asked them to do something that didn’t make sense; you get wine from grapes not water. They had no idea what Jesus could do, although his Mama seemed confident, she made the statement you read at the top.I know I would have been skeptical; for sure I would have been skeptical. How many people are there whom you can trust with everything they tell you to do? The party continued because they did whatever Jesus told them to do. If you count five regular bottles of wine per one gallon then they ended up with the equivalent of around 750 bottles of finest wine. It doesn’t sound like they didn’t start out with that kind of quantity or quality.You ever wonder for how much less we settle because we are unwilling to whatever Jesus tells us to do, God tells us to do? How much of what Jesus/God tells us to do seems too trivial, too ridiculous, too much work, too much in the realm of faith?God can turn curses into blessings (Nehemiah 13:2b), mourning into dancing (Psalm 30:10-11), death into life (John 5:24), darkness into light (John 12:46, 1 Peter 2:9), and water into wine. The best I can afford is not better than the best God can provide. How often do we let our lack, our embarrassment, our stubbornness to believe and act on “whatever” God says stand in the way of us experiencing God at his best?What needs turning with you? What have you run out of? What simple instruction of God have you not been willing to do? Where do you lack blessing? Where have you settled for less, for curses, for a quality of life that lacks the excellence and ability of God? Maybe it is time to realize that Jesus Mama knew what she was talking about when she said, "Whatever He says to you, do it"? But will you?To God be all glory. Love you, Pastor Hans
My Little Big Brother
My Little Big BrotherI have two older brothers. One is my big big brother, Michael, and the other is my little big brother, Andreas Paul. Andi, is the little big one, little because size-wise he was the smallest of us five, big because other than his size there really wasn’t anything little about him. He was big in his influence, certainly on me. He was big in faith, big in heart, big in generosity, big in smarts, skill, energy, people skills, and huge in will power and tenacity. He was big enough for someone to model their life after him, big in true friendship, big as Dad, big as a husband, big as doctor. Like I said, he is my little big brother. In my opinion everyone should have a little big brother like that because you if you have one your life is so much better, so much richer. A LBB (Little Big Brother) is great to have if you want someone to ditch Kindergarten with for the very first time. A LBB is an excellent companion to sneak out of the house with in the middle of the night to do stuff you shouldn’t do. But an LBB is not just good for doing stupid stuff when you’re young, you learn of his real value as you go through life you can talk with him, pray with him, worship with him, and lean on him. A LBB gives you all kinds of reasons to be proud of him, you can brag on him and it is not really bragging because it is true (mostly, except when you get carried away – but no one will blame you).My LBB is down to his last few breaths, too soon, much too soon. Soon he will be buried; fortunately he began digging a long time ago and buried things in my heart, in my mind, in my memory. It is treasures he buried there, it’s what LBB’s do, they make you rich, they leave inspiration, they leave life, they never leave things empty. But have to warn you, it’s hard, very hard, to say goodbye to your LBB. I think it is because they are so precious, so irreplaceable, so darn easy to love, but that too is typical of my LBB.Faith, faith in Christ changed him, challenged him, keeps him. You would have a completely false picture of my Little Big Brother without his faith. When he surrendered his skepticism he also surrendered himself. When he drank from the cup of God’s grace he didn’t just sip and so he anchored it all in Jesus, his soul, his marriage, his family, his giftedness, his work, his passions, his days. When towering flood waves overran the shoreline of his life and swept out to sea his health, his career, his speech, and so much more, that faith remained. In the struggle to reclaim, to rebuild, and in the relentless pounding surf of “Why? Why? Why?” that faith remained. And so my LBB is not just leaving behind precious memories but real hope, the hope that comes when you can call Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the one who lived, and died, and rose again, your brother, “So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters” Hebrews 2:11 (NLT).My Little Big Bother’s last words to me were, “Liebe dich sehr” (love you so).To God be the glory, Pastor Hans
I didn’t learn everything I ever needed to know in Kindergarten
I didn’t learn everything I ever needed to know in Kindergarten. I did start ditching though and I learned about bullying. I didn’t learn everything in first and second grade either, but I did learn to read and that there are some terrific teachers. I didn’t learn everything in grades three and four but I learned to both fear and respect Herr Weiermueller, aka Kaiser Red Beard, who was tough as nails and cared at the same time. After 4th grade things seemed to spiral downward and it seems that if I had learned everything in Kindergarten then grades five through 10 would not have been such a struggle, but if you would have asked me back then I would’ve claimed to know pretty much everything and that my teachers, parents, and everyone who disagreed knew nothing (but there really were some dinkeldorfers among them). I learned a lot during my year as an exchange student but a far cry from everything I ever needed to know. College, graduate school, seminary taught me a lot, including stuff I never wanted to learn but someone thought I should.Besides all of this formal education, like you, I was enrolled in the school of life from the day the midwife spanked my behind which caused me to cry out, “Present!” However the school of life doesn’t teach everything either. It lets you make the same dumb mistake over and over, you don’t have to advance if you don’t want to, it might even turn you into a twisted, tortured, scared, and scarred soul. But I have enjoyed some of its courses tremendously, like being a husband, Dad, brother, friend, or hard work, helping, and enjoying good.Somewhere along the path of my life I learned to love learning. My parents played a part in that, as did my aunt, a number of teachers and professors played that role as well, as did my wife and my children. And there have been so many whose knowledge and skills I admired, and often needed, who were willing to take the time and effort to teach me simply for the asking. I learned that even though I might not be the brightest or most skilled, I could learn. What a tremendous gift.I almost missed learning what is most important, not because it was unavailable to me. There were two churches in my hometown, there were Bibles (God’s written word) in our home, we had “religion” as a subject in school, some of my relatives talked about it, but I wasn’t interested, I was distracted, I didn’t see much value in it. I did not understand the importance of knowing about God and Jesus Christ. Lots of people seem to live just fine without ever thinking about God, which is the exact opposite of what God thinks, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). How important is it to know where we have come from? Where we are going? Who we are accountable to? What we are responsible for? What we cannot afford to ignore? Who has ultimate power? And who values and loves us more than anyone? We are stuck in our sin and the dysfunctional cycles of human history when we are disconnected from God. We are spiritually and eternally lost outside a relationship with God. We are poorer without him. We lack any true and lasting foundation for life, hope, and justice without him. It is possible to amass vast learning and miss what is most important. It is through God’s written word, the Bible I learned:“Start with GOD—the first step in learning is bowing down to GOD; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.” Proverbs 1:7 (MSG)“All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Him (Jesus Christ).” Colossians 2:3 (HCSB, parenthesis mine)"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NASB)To God be all glory; love you, Pastor Hans (a fellow learner)
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn - Michael Brown, James Foley, Dr. Amevo Adedavoh
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4 (NIV)Michael Brown is dead, shot by a police officer. James Foley is dead, beheaded by a jihadist. Dr. Ameyo Adedavoh died after she contracted Ebola when she had to physically restrain an infected patient, American-Liberian Patrick Sawyer, who wanted to leave the hospital. We only know about them because they made the news but along with them scores have died whose names we will never know, precious only to those who loved and knew them or maybe to no one at all.There is no shortage of opinions on the death of Michael Brown, on James Foley, on the Ebola epidemic. There is no shortage of outrage, anger, propaganda, political agendas, and rhetoric. There is no shortage of onlookers, head-shakers, and “what is the world coming to”-ers. There is no shortage of anger, hatred, and violence. What is missing are the mourners, those who weep, those whose hearts are moved, those who feel the brokenness, the senseless, the loss.If I am not careful my observation about the lack of mourning is just my clever tack to have a novel non-involved opinion. Am I mourning? Is the death of Michael Brown causing me to mourn? Am I grieved that there is still a big gap between the treatment of people with different colors of skin? Do I weep over the fact that our police chiefs see a need to assemble military like forces to keep the peace? Do I open my heart to feel the loss of countless Muslims who, like James Foley, have suffered through senseless violence, war, corruption, sectarianism, and religion run amuck? Does my heart hurt so much I dream of better for black teenagers, radical Islamists, and disease stricken, impoverished Africans? Am I willing to plead their cases on my knees before God? Am I willing to get out my check book? Am I willing to turn my back on meaningless talk and opinionating and instead mourn openly, publicly?“Blessed are those who mourn.” There is no blessedness in anger, in violence, in injustice, in poverty, in oppression. There is no blessedness in apathy, on-looking, commentating, disengaging.“Blessed are those who mourn.” We don’t mourn over things we do not care about, we don’t feel their loss. The Prophet Jonah was rebuked by God because didn’t care if 120,000 little kids along with their families got wiped out, but cried and grieved over the loss of his air conditioner (Jonah 4).“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Mourners know how to help. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV). The Greek word for comfort paints the picture of coming alongside, the very word Jesus used to describe the Spirit of God (John 14:16-17). No wonder calls us blessed when we are willing to mourn, we act like him when we do.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans
Ultimate Authority
You and I can’t go where the President of the United States can go. Just try strolling into the White House next time you’re in D.C. Or try to go to the nearest military base on your next day off and demand to see the commanding officer right away. You can call me from jail and tell me how it went. We don’t have the position, status, or authority the President has. He has access to people, places, information, and power the ordinary citizen does not have. He doesn’t have to stand in line and wait. I am sure he’ll have a hard time remembering the last time he had take a number. There are things only the president gets to do while he is in office.Of course the power of the President is limited and most of us are quick to point out whenever we think he overstepped his bounds. Most of us would consider our private lives none of his business. Were we live, how we spend our money, the work we do, our opinions, and our lifestyles, and our love-life are all things most of us would not only consider none of his business but also beyond his Presidential authority.The President is not the only one who has had his authority questioned. Pretty much everyone who has ever held any authority has had his/her authority questioned, “You can’t do that! You don’t have the authority? Who do you think you are?”No one has had his authority questioned more than God, than Jesus Christ. When Jesus dared to address and forgive a paralyzed man’s sin people were aghast. He seemingly had overstepped two lines you just don’t cross: 1. the man’s private, personal sphere, and 2. Claiming authority that only belongs to God (Mark 2:1-12).Does God really have the authority, the right to make judgments regarding our private lives, our personal spheres, our morals, the way we spend our money, our thoughts and desires, our plans, our words, and our decisions? Can he really tell us what is right and what is wrong, what is just and unjust, what is good and what is evil, what is pure and what is impure, what is righteous and what is sinful? Of course you don’t have to like the answer anymore than the authority the president yields, but that does not negate the authority. You can try to get away from the President’s and governmental authority. You can move to another country, fall of the grid, or try a rebellion or revolution. All of these, however, will not work with God. His authority is absolute, infinite, and eternal. Nothing lies outside of his authority. He has rightful access over everything in our lives “… We are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand” Isaiah 64:8 (NASB). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable” Hebrews 4:13 (NLT). “Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Job 40:2 (NLT).Remember the paralyzed man mentioned above? This is what Jesus said and did to answer those who questioned his authority, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to (point out, define and to) forgive sins"—He said* to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, get up, pick up your pallet and go home.’ And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this" Mark 2:10-12 (NASB parenthesis mine).God/Jesus Christ has legitimate authority over your and my life. Thus the question becomes whether or not you and I are submitted to his authority.To God be all glory, pastor Hans
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for 30 Years
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You30 years ago, on second Sunday in August, I officially began serving the Lake Don Pedro Baptist Church family as the Interim Pastor in place of Lowell Barnes, our church’s Founding Pastor, who had become too ill to continue. I think that calls for giving thanks.First of all “I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry”— 1 Timothy 1:12 (HCSB). Whatever good has happened, whatever blessings came, whoever’s life was impacted during these years of ministry the glory belongs to God alone. He is the one who kept me and us, He enabled, He protected, He has been faithful, gracious, kind, patient, good, and glorious.I also did not come here alone. Susie, Hansi, and six week old Betsie were at my side. Along the way we got blessed with Emily, Andee, Shaheed, and for a while AJ and Sarah. That made for a lively pastor’s family. I owe a lot to them, Susie above all. They have supported, put up with, sacrificed, helped, served alongside, prayed, encouraged, sharpened and blessed me and our church. They made sure I stayed grounded, humble, and real. I would not have lasted without being on their team. How I thank God for them.And I am grateful for all who have made up this local body of Christ, this family of Jesus followers, this church and I thank God for their support, their service, their love for Christ, their passion for His kingdom, their love, their kindness, their prayers, and their faithfulness. It takes people like that for a church to function, to have life, to be a joy. I have been blessed here, been loved deeply, been appreciated, was helped in innumerous ways, have experienced goodness, benefited from generosity, and was allowed to make mistakes and grow. I thank God for making my family and me part of you.30 years is a long time to make mistakes and blow it, so I ask for forgiveness if I have hurt you, disappointed you, dropped the ball, didn’t do it right, failed to be Christlike, came up short, got to proud, listened to little, or lacked in love. Please know that none of that was intentional, my heart is to be a good and genuine shepherd, a faithful preacher and teacher, a godly and dependable leader, an example worth following.I love what God has called me to do and be. I am blessed by this long-term appointment to be your pastor here. I still dream of us to be the best, most Christlike, real, genuine, and growing church, where love abounds, where the Holy Spirit works in power, where souls are saved, lives are changed, disciples are made and send out, and through which the entire community is blessed.To God be all glory, how I love you, Pastor Hans
Leaky Pipes
One ten foot section has no less than seven patches, and that does not count all the other patches/fixes on the waterlines underneath our church building. All of these patches were meant to be temporary, but some of them are years old. The problem is that someone got a “good deal” on some cooper pipe that is the wrong grade, cheap doesn’t always pay. Somebody else put in a hot water heater for the kitchen but didn’t think about electrolysis and improperly connected different metals. Finally beyond the frequent fixing of leaks and talking about permanently fixing the problem we really haven’t done what needs to be done, until we do it is merely a matter of time before the next leak. Maybe you have a ten foot section in your life that continually springs leaks and sports numerous patches from the past? Maybe you have things that are incompatible connected to each other that will cause problems as long as you refuse to disconnect them and start over doing it right? Maybe you too know exactly what needs to be done but never get beyond the temporary fix and talking about really addressing the problem? Maybe the spots of the next leaks and breakdowns are already beginning to show? How are your spiritual water pipes? According to God they are problematic, “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), they are leaky, the wrong grade, and faultily connected. They are continually decaying, held together by temporary patches, doomed to completely fail. They are a testimony to procrastination, misplaced priorities, bad habits, and a stubbornness that refuses to address the problem according to the knowledge, wisdom, and word of the Master Plumber. An Old Testament parallel is God’s indictment of the ancient Israelites, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water” Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV). Godlessness causes us to leak the most precious substance of them all, life.To permanently address the problem we need to first of all be connected to God the right way and that is only possible through God’s Son Jesus Christ, “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” 1 John 5:11-12 (NIV). Then we need to let the Master Plumber replace the old leaky pipes with new pipes that won’t leak even under pressure. We need our life to be re-piped with holy habits, right attitudes, and godly wisdom based on God’s standards and codes found in His word, the Bible, “…learn from me (Jesus Christ), for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (no leaks there)” Matthew 11:29 (NIV). How I pray our stubbornness, shortsightedness, procrastination, and pride will not keep us from finally letting God have a go at our pipes leaking life.To God be all glory, love you Pastor Hans
Of Paying Attention, Listening, and Obeying
In my experience parents generally like it when their kids pay attention to them, things just work better when children know how to listen and obey (Say, “Amen,” if you agree). But why should they pay attention, listen and obey? (You’d better have answer for that question because the likelihood of it coming up increases with your child/rens’ age, and with that increase in age they really can mess with your mind and heart.) Children should pay attention to, listen to, and obey their parents because:
- We love them, and in that love we have nothing but their best interests, their success, and their happiness in mind.
- We know what is best for them. We have insight, foresight, experience, maturity, and wisdom they do not yet possess.
- We provide for them, we pay attention to their needs, we can do things they can’t.
- We have disciplining power, veto power, privilege power, etc. (I regularly informed our great kids that they were living under a benevolent dictatorship run by Susie and me regardless of how much they clamored for a full democracy).
- Paying attention to, listening to, and obeying your parents is right before God (Ephesians 6:1).
In my experience life goes so much better when we pay attention to God, when we listen to him and obey him. Homes and families run much better when Dad, Mom, and the children all pay attention to, listen to, and obey God (Feel free to say, “Amen,” if you agree). But why should we pay attention to God, listen to Jesus Christ, and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit and his written word, the Bible? We should do so because:
- God loves us, and in that love He always has our best interest, our success, and true and lasting happiness/blessedness in mind.
- God knows what is best for us. Like children, it is our ignorance, pride, and rebellion that cause us to think otherwise. God has ultimate and infinite wisdom, insight, foresight, and perfection that we do not possess.
- God provides for us, every day is a gift from him, every good thing comes from His hands, and every plate of food we eat has God as its source. But God also knows that we have need for provision in regard to eternal things, forgiveness of sins, deliverance from judgment, victory over death, eternal life, all of which He provided for through his Son Jesus Christ.
- God holds the power to hold each one of us accountable for every action, attitude, word, and thought. He not only has the power to discipline, but to judge and condemn. We do well to regularly remind ourselves that Heaven is not a democracy but a monarchy eternally ruled by the King of Kings.
- Paying attention to, listening to, and obeying God through faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to be in a right relationship with God, the only way to be a true child of His. “But to all who believed him (Jesus Christ) and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God” John 1:12-13 (NLT, parenthesis mine). “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” 1 John 3:23 (NASB).
To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Acting Truly Free
“If the Son sets you free, you really will be free” John 8:31-36 (HCSB)Americans really do enjoy and have been proponents of an uncanny conglomeration of freedoms: national freedom, political freedom, religious freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and individual freedom. I wish all people everywhere were afforded such freedom.Freedom is a beautiful thing; it sure trumps tyranny, oppression, and exploitation in all its forms. You can breathe, relax, rest, and be yourself where there is freedom. Somebody should say, “Amen!”We are not as free as we think we are, even in America. We love the notion of freedom being able to do whatever we want, but that is impossible because we share this planet with seven billion other residents and we have a responsibility to the generations to follow. If we do not link freedom with responsibility then we will soon forfeit and destroy it. As always, the written word of God, the Bible, has invaluable wisdom and guidance for us, “For you were called to be free, brothers; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” Galatians 5:13-16 (HCSB). Freedom, as the signers of the Declaration of Independence recognized, is a gift of God. It carries with it the responsibility to love my neighbor as myself, which in part means I cannot claim for myself what I am not willing to grant my neighbor and I cannot force my neighbor to give up what I choose to give up.Why would the Apostle Paul even have a need to tell the Galatians to not use their freedom in a wrong way? Because humanity is fundamentally flawed, we share a sinful disposition that bends us toward godlessness, self-centeredness, corruption, shortsightedness, foolishness, arrogance, and evil – “the flesh” as Paul summarizes it. It is by the flesh bright, educated men and women manage to steer nations into insurmountable, enslaving debts. It is by the flesh people who are well of become insatiable monsters of greed. It is by the flesh and under the mantle of individual liberty millions become slaves of addictions. Look closely, where there is violence, terror, war, oppression, exploitation, and entirely avoidable heartache, pain, and suffering, and you will witness freedom being destroyed, perverted, abused, and horded among a few, by the works of the flesh.Who is best qualified to set the boundaries for freedom? Who can legitimately assign the responsibilities of freedom? God and God alone, who gives it in first place. The majority has proven itself as incapable. Emperors, kings, presidents, governors, houses of government, and high courts all have proven themselves to be greatly flawed when at their best and outright evil at their worst. And even we, the small people, fail on our own home-fronts. We are all men women of the flesh. And yet, somehow in our flesh we insist that the answer lies in us, that God is not needed. The answer of the word of God is clear, only the Spirit of God can enable us, creatures of the flesh, to not be ruled by the flesh. Everything else is self-dilution and wishful thinking. It is the Spirit of God, imparted through faith in Jesus Christ, who enables us to be men and women of “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” Galatians 5:22-23 (HCSB) – to act as truly free men and women.To God be all glory, Pastor Hans
For a Better Community
Make the Master proud of you by being good citizens. Respect the authorities, whatever their level; they are God's emissaries for keeping order. It is God's will that by doing good, you might cure the ignorance of the fools who think you're a danger to society. Exercise your freedom by serving God, not by breaking the rules. Treat everyone you meet with dignity. Love your spiritual family. Revere God. Respect the government. 1 Peter 2:13-17 (MSG)There was one policeman in my hometown of Heiningen (at that time population 2,500), yup, just one. When our grammar school teacher took us on a field-trip to the Rathaus (city hall) we got to meet him and he showed us the two jail cells. They were full of boxes and paper. I don’t think they were used very much. I liked his uniform, which he filled out nicely, but I was especially impressed with his gun. I don’t know what all he did, but he did a lot of patrolling, when we rode our bicycles around he seemed to be all over the place, he kept watch.We were on vacation camping when severe weather hit. So in the middle of the night my Dad piled us all into the car to drive to our Great Uncle’s farm to sit it out there. On the way a fierce lightning bolt split the sky and hit the far corner of the roof of one of the large old farm houses in the distance. It was instantly on fire and my Dad wheeled the car around and raced to the farm, jumped out, woke up the sleeping family, and began helping with getting the animals out, while my Mom tried to restrain us in the car. It wasn’t long before fire trucks arrived and they were impressive. My Mom finally relented and let us go out into the rain to watch the fireman do their work. In the end everything living was saved but the farm house was lost.Why am I telling you these two old memories of mine? For one because my entire life I have thought of both policemen and firefighters as a positive and not a negative. Wherever I have lived things were not worse but better because of their presence. I don’t imagine life to be better without them, I am glad they are among us doing their work.I don’t know how it is that so many want to tell some horror story about how “the cops” did them or someone they know wrong, or how the fire department was too slow to respond and didn’t know what they were doing. It’s kind of like most everyone is always ready to tell some medical horror story, but boy when they are sick they are more than glad to visit a doctor. A few weeks ago I checked my facebook page (something I don’t do very often) and someone was complaining about how the “cops” had cramped their style at a weekend party, followed by are more general rant against law enforcement. I commented that I am not their camp. How many of us have to put on a bullet proof vest to go to work? Generally if I police myself I don’t have much to worry. In fact I don’t get up worrying about “the cops” (I don’t even like the word “cop/s”, to me it lacks respect). They have not cramped my style, but they and the fire department were there when my daughter wrecked her car. They were there when people acted stupid during fire season, when people were dying or died, when things got out of hand, and they have continually kept watch.However I have observed a trend over the past thirty years. We are increasingly shifting the responsibility of “watching” away from ourselves. A healthy family rarely if ever needs police intervention. Why, because in a healthy family each person takes responsibility to police themselves. The same is true in a healthy community, responsibility to watch isn’t shifted to just a few but is shared by all. Think about it, how many incidents, accidents, and emergencies involve irresponsibility, drinking, drugs, general butt-headedness, and outright evil.And since this is a “pastor’s note” I venture to add what few are still willing to recognize, namely, where godlessness increases self-centeredness and lawlessness increases (Matthew 24:11-12, Romans 1:28-32). In the absence of God we exalt ourselves and deceive ourselves in our sinful arrogance. The Apostle Peter in his first letter hits the nail on the head when he reminds followers of Christ specifically as well as anyone willing to listen to, “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God” 1 Peter 2:16 (NIV). And servants of God major on loving God and loving their neighbor, they focus on the things the Spirit of God would have us do and be, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV).I am fully convinced we will have better lives, a better community, and even a better country if we dare to practice the wisdom of God’s word.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Cooper Stanley Frei
“Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him.”Psalm 127:3 (NLT)Cooper Stanley Frei was born on Wednesday June 18, 2014, at 4:10 PM, all 20 ½ inches and 7lbs 10 oz of him. Is there anything as soft as a new-born? Is there anything as precious as that first cry?Cooper Stanley entered this world as a gift of God. For the rest of his life his parents get to unwrap him. Susie and I talked about it, you get that precious bundle of life handed to you but you have no idea what that little life holds, and there are times when you ask God if it is too late to exchange that gift, or get some store credit. But they come without a receipt (except for the hospital bill) and so the exchange idea usually doesn’t fly.Cooper Stanley came into this world blessed. He was wanted, not dreaded. He is a dream come true, not an interruption or inconvenience. He had grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, cousin, and friends show up to cheer his arrival; and they are already fighting over babysitting rights and holiday privileges. His parents have been preparing the “nest” for months. He wasn’t born into poverty but in into plenty as well as into freedom and opportunity. He has a Mom and Dad who follow Christ, worship, pray, and strive to please God. Yes, little “Mini-Cooper” is blessed.Cooper Stanley doesn’t know it, but he was born into responsibility, “to whom much is given much is required” (Luke 12:48). All this love, all this privilege, all this opportunity, all of the freedoms that greeted him when he popped out can be taken for granted or even be claimed as a birthright, or they can be recognized as precious gifts that call for giving thanks to God. They can be used for indulging self or an enabling to be a servant; they can be used for the pursuit of good or bad.Cooper Stanley was born a as a creation of God, as a son, as a grandson, as a nephew, cousin. He already has roles assigned to him. Hopefully he will have lots more of them, and hopefully he will embrace the roles assigned to him. Hopefully he will choose to use his roles to glorify God and bring joy, blessing, goodness, and positive influence as a son, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, ….Cooper Stanley came into this world exposed (quite literally). He, like all of us, came into this world that is filled with brokenness, corruption, disease, pain, injustice, violence, accidents, disasters, and death. He too is exposed to the decisions and the sinfulness of others, the workings of history, the machinations of evil, and above all the sovereignty of God. These will shape him. These can break him. But may they cause him to rely on, to lean on, and to trust in God.Cooper Stanley, 1000 times cute as he is, was born a little sinner. His Mom and Dad will not have to teach him how to sin or to embrace sin. No, in fact they will spend much of their parenting to keep that little sin nature from running amuck. God in his greatness and wisdom not only gave this little boy life and breath but in his mercy has already provided for him a Savior, Jesus Christ, who is able to forgive him, liberate him from sin, and give him eternal life. May he above all else come to know, love , and follow Christ, God’s Son.To God be all glory, one proud Grandpa/Opa, Pastor Hans
Waiting, tired of waiting
WaitingHave you ever been tired of waiting? Like when you are on hold on the telephone for the “next representative” (I think there really is only one who does lots of different voices)? Or maybe at the fast food joint where the food is so fast they can’t catch it? Or at the airport security line when you are pressed for time? Maybe it is for that tool, book, or GPS you loaned out? Or how about that apology, thank you, or a little help? Maybe it is for that break, that fortuitous change, that streak of good luck?Most Germans are not good at waiting (This German excluded). Next time you are at the airport look for a bunch of people wearing sandals and socks who sound like they’re arguing when they talk (and they might be). You can almost read their collective mind as they scheme, jokey, look for the passing lane, and quite literally will run you over if you don’t watch it. The goal is to be first, to outwit everyone else, to win, to be able to sit in your seat and watch all the losers dejectedly file in after you and try to find some space for their overhead luggage. Maybe you have observed people other than Germans behave in such a way, or maybe you strangely find yourself being described by the above. This can only mean two things: 1. you are more German than you think, 2. a bunch of Germans have bypassed you and you have not moved for an hour, so you have decided if you can’t beat them, join them.Being tired of waiting is often accompanied by desperation. Time is the most irreplaceable resource we have. While we wait we lose life, opportunity, and depending on what we are waiting for, hope. After all we don’t have forever. It feels strange that the scriptures encourage us to learn to wait. “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD”Psalm 27:14 (NASB), is King David’s advice when life pushes us to be desperate.Being tired of waiting is often the stage right before giving up. At what point do you throw in the towel, hang up, check out, cut your losses. You can’t wait forever, can you? There comes a time to move on, to no longer wait. Right? Yes and no. Some things we are waiting for we might actually need to let go, while some things we never meant to let go of, especially faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).Nobody is better at waiting than God. This doesn’t mean he always waits forever, nor does it mean God overlooks things, but his patience, his long-suffering, his kindness, his mercy, his grace, and his love are amazing. In a way we will run out of life before God runs out of patience. If you have breath it is clear evidence that God hasn’t thrown in the towel on you, given up on you, hoping to save you, change you, grow you, and use you for his kingdom and glory. It is a glorious and gracious reality, God’s waiting, even on our worst day, when we are tired of waiting, desperate, and even ready to give up, God has waited for you and me to engage us with his love, hope, strength, mercy, and grace.“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint” Isaiah 40:28-31 (NIV).To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
Simplicity
“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil.Better a meal of vegetables where there is love than a fattened calf with hatred” Proverbs 15:16-17 (NIV).Complications are not good.When your surgeon comes out during the surgery to inform your family that there are complications, that’s not good.When the pilot comes on the intercom and announces complications, that’s not good.When your mechanic calls and tells you your car has some complications, that’s not good.When your credit card company lets you know that there have been some complications with your account, that’s not good.When an officer at an airport in a foreign country tells you that there are complications with your visa, that’s not good.Complications are not good. We know that. Complications wear you out, are often costly, usually painful, sometimes deadly, a waste of time, and of course complicated. How many things can you think of that you wish were less complicated? The tax code? Check. Insurance forms? Yup. Women? Uh-huh. Kids, husbands, gadgets, buying a mattress, the DMV, getting through on the help line? Check them all.Uncomplicated is good, very good. Simplicity is where it is at. Unfortunately somehow simplicity seems to be hard to hold onto, complications always manage to invade, and if they don’t we have a knack for complicating things all by ourselves.It doesn’t take much to complicate things, one mistake, one wrong word, one lie, one moment of inattention, one stupid decision, one unwise response, rushing too much, waiting too long, stubbornness, selfishness, greed, anger miss-handled, too much assuming, ….God invites us to a life of simplicity with him. Adam and Eve only had to watch out for one, yes one, thing: stay away from one tree – that’s simplicity. Ten Commandments for an entire society to function by – that’s simplicity. Love God, love your neighbor, love one another as the core guideline for all of life, all relationships, all interactions, all decision making – that’s simplicity. Jesus Christ loving us and giving his perfect life to save sinners (sin is the ultimate complication) through faith in him – that’s simplicity even a child can understand.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
"I AM NOT TIRED!" - things this preacher isn't tired of
“I’M NOT TIRED!” was the angry scream of several of our kids, and it was a sure sign that they really were tired, very tired. Sometimes we are tired and don’t even know it, although it is no secret to those around us. But there really are things we don’t get tired of; this preacher hasn’t gotten tired of.Below the milk collective, where the farmers dropped off their milk in our little German town, they sold milk, butter, cheese, and whipped cream in a waffle cone for 10 Pfennig, a little over 2 cents. I was hooked the first time my Grandpa took me there (I had no idea whipped cream was addictive). I will scrape off frosting but to this day I am a sucker for whipped cream.I have not gotten tired of love, even though it doesn’t always make life easier. There is something incredibly beautiful about real love. To me it is more addicting than whipped cream. The most important things in my life all depend on love: Being a child of God, being Susie’s husband (HBoM – Hunking Block of Manliness), being our children’s Dad, my church family, my friendships, my family, being a pastor. There is nothing like loving and being loved.I love happy endings, not just in movies or books, but in real life. I don’t get tired of them, I pray for them, hope for them, haven’t given up on them. And it is not because I have not experienced grief, ugliness, evil, and the inexplicable. Maybe it is because of it. Great outcomes are rare, happy endings are precious, and they are worth it. I believe Jesus thinks so too.Angels rejoice, celebrate, over one sinner who repents. It is an awesome thing to see a sinner kneel at the cross of Christ and just for the asking receive forgiveness, eternal life, a heavenly birth certificate, and a chance of living every day with God himself. I haven’t gotten tired of telling about that day in my own life, and I am not tired of witnessing someone else’s day of salvation.Goodness I don’t tire of either. I vote for it every chance I have. I am still for honesty, for saying what is meant and meaning what is said. I am in favor of integrity, transparency, simplicity, and generosity. They scrub the air like rain in the summer; you can breathe deeply where there is goodness. And at the beginning and end of every single drop of goodness you and I get a glimpse of God, because when it comes to goodness he is involved in it. No, I am not tired of goodness or the glimpses.I don’t tire of God amazing me. "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?”2 Samuel 7:18b (NASB).To God be all glory, love Pastor Hans
When the preacher gets tired
When the preacher gets tired Since I am always encouraging others to not hide behind generalities, and because I can’t speak for every other preacher it is better if I let you know about when this preacher, when pastor Hans gets tired. I know this much, when I am tired I am not as efficient, I am more critical, am more negative, have less patience, prayer becomes a struggle, I let myself get sidetracked, procrastinate, and wonder if all effort, all that preaching, teaching, shepherding is making all that much of difference. When I am tired I am tempted to holler more from the pulpit, which is kind of like a frustrated parent yelling at their kids. But since I have been at this for a while I know that doesn’t do a whole lot of good, you end up having to holler more and more. There are different aspects to my tiredness but they are intertwined like night crawlers at the bottom of a worm can. Some of it is my own fault, too little rest, doing too much, my ministry habits and patterns. Susie and I were dirt poor when we got into this ministry thing. When you are dirt poor you fix things yourself, cut your own firewood, do your own pest control, and save wherever you can. When you pastor a small church start in a tiny community you work several jobs, are the janitor, service planner, youth director, and end up plugging the dam a lot. That has shaped me, maybe scarred me, and certainly has worn me out more than once over the years. Some of my tiredness stems from what I am tired of. I am tired of hearing someone who claims to be have been a believer for 25 years still claiming that they don’t know how to share the Gospel with their family, neighbors, and friends, or being afraid to pray out loud or for someone right on the spot. I am tired of watching brothers and sisters scale back or drop out all together, I don’t get it. I am tired of pussy footing, anonymity, outright gossip, and too many careless and trivial words. But I am hollering, ain’t I. I am tired of having to motivate those who profess faith in Christ to follow Christ, to be faithful, to commit themselves to growth, to service, to think missional. I wonder if that is my own fault? Am I preaching Jesus incorrectly, if people are not internally compelled to follow, to change? If there is not a heart constrained by the love of Christ, continually overwhelmed and grateful for the mercy poured out and received? I am tired of Christians talking Bible and flushing it as soon as there is conflict, hardship, change, or something they don’t like. Talking scripture without living it when it really counts is hollow, bridle, lifeless. I am tired of the level of conformity that is required in my own denomination and other denominations. There are too many Christian circles all requiring conformity, be it some form of patriotism, liberalism, activism, or some particular theological ism. So you have to watch what you say and do or you are outrageous, outdated, or simply out. There is a relentlessness to ministry, to being a pastor that is tiring to me. One sermon done another one coming (and it should be good, boring preaching is inexcusable). People don’t transform easily. The needs never stop. The spiritual battle never has a cease fire. There are always things weighing on my heart and mind. Some of my tiredness comes from the fact that a good deal of what I do I am neither gifted for nor passionate about. I know that’s like any other job, which means you know exactly what I am talking about. I am tired, shamed even, by my own slow progress, by the wide gap I still see after so many years between what is the present reality of my Christian life and what Christ, what scripture, calls me to be. Now, I haven’t penned this note to elicit your pity. You could write your own. Teachers, plumbers, police officers, doctors, parents, … all get tired. I wrote this pastors note because I want to live with you in real and transparent fellowship. I hate having to pretend, so I don’t want you or me to do so, not in regard to tiredness or anything else. Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them? Hebrews 13:17 (MSG)To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. I will use next week’s pastor’s note to let you know what this preacher never gets tired of.
Mary, Jesus' Mama - keep investing
Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. John 19:25-27 (NIV)We are told that from the time Jesus was born his Mama, Mary, did a lot of “pondering,” a lot of wondering, being amazed at this child and what God was doing (Luke 2:19). I think a lot of people have wondered and pondered with her. Think about it. A baby, a child is amazing in and of itself, but some kids take it to extraordinary levels. Some are geniuses, some are monkeys, some are sweetness personified, some are “Lausbuben” (rascals, they give their Mama’s not much time for pondering but lots of reasons for worrying. If you’re wondering how I know- just trust me), and one was God incarnate. That’s the one Mary got. Can you imagine a toddler, grade schooler, teenager, young man who never sins? What kind of difficulties did that cause in the home, with his siblings?At age 12 he went missing. When his worried parents finally found him he was confounding the brightest, best educated minds in Jerusalem. What surprises me is that they didn’t get on him, they didn’t whoop him (they whooped kids back then). By that age his Mom and Dad obviously thought he had very good reasons for whatever he did. At twelve I didn’t have good reasons for a lot of things I did and was on a path of having fewer and fewer good reasons for whatever I did.Can you imagine how much joy and delight Jesus brought to his Mom and Dad? Kids can do that. Of course they can tear your heart out too. One thing I wish is that I would have grieved my Mama less.Can you fathom the sense and weight of responsibility of having the assignment to bring up the Son of God? Wouldn’t that automatically shift you into the overprotective gear? There is enough to worry about in raising children without that kind of pressure?How did Mary end up at the foot of the cross, at the execution of her son? Did she follow him around? Did they meet up because it was Passover? We don’t know, but we do know that one of the last things Jesus did is make sure his Mama was taken care of. I wonder if she pondered that too. I wonder if Mary, who knew a lot about costly obedience to God, ever imagined that obedience to God’s will could be this costly, this painful, and so horrific? Can you imagine what was happening to her heart?Guess who was there, looking right at him, when Jesus felt forsaken by even God the Father? Mary, his Mama. And Jesus made sure that someone would take care of her.We are blessed by what kind of Mama Mary was. Jesus was blessed by her. Being a great and godly Mom is still costly, still requires surrender to God’s will, still involves being there, and still requires a pondering heart. Mary couldn’t do what Jesus did, but no one standing there had invested more than she.Happy Mothers’ Day, keep investing.To God be all glory, love you, Pastor Hans
You Can't Shop for God
You can’t shop for God.We are inundated with choices. How many different car brands are there? How many different models does each automaker sell? I have been looking for tires, luckily for the odd size I am looking for there are less than 100 choices. How many different brands and kinds of soda does your supermarket sell? What do you like? Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Vanilla Coke, Cherry Coke? Or are you a Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Throwback Pepsi, Pepsi Maxx drinker? Maybe you prefer Dr. Pepper, or Dr. Pepper 10, or Diet Dr. Pepper? Who knows it might be RC, Mountain Dew, or 20 different flavors of store brand for you? Maybe you are a water only kind of person? In that case you will have to decide what brand, what size, and what flavor. You can repeat this exercise in every aisle of the grocery store, department store, home improvement store, and at every shopping mall. And if by chance you do your shopping on line then you have simply exploded your choices a zillion times.Way back there was a commercial touting cat food for the finicky feline. Of course it came in numerous flavors. Since then the choices in the pet food aisle have multiplied. However, manufacturers and merchants have obviously figured out that we are the most finicky creatures of them all. We know what we like and don’t like. We know how sensitive our taste buds are, how delicate our sense of fashion is, and even what our tender backsides prefer in the restroom.So when it comes to God, to spiritual things, we like to go shopping. God has to taste right, feel right, fit right, and preferably be on sale. He has to match our preferences, our lifestyle, our morals, and appetites. He needs to be helpful but not too demanding, accessible but not intrusive, loving and forgiving but not requiring anything, and of course always ready to bless, even a mess.The problem is you can’t shop for God. Whatever we pick and choose in the aisles of religions, world views, and philosophies is not God. If God is defined by what we think he should look like, feel like, and be like then he is as small as can of cat food. If God fits in a shopping cart or neatly into our lives then he is as insignificant as six-pack of whatever is your favorite. You can’t shop for God, he is not for sale, there is no store or mind large enough to contain him.One God, One Savior, One Way, One Truth, One Book does not fit into our approach to life. “There has to be choice! – Right?” The answer is, “No.” There is only one true, living, eternal, and almighty God, and the only way to come near to him and live with him is through his Son Jesus Christ, everything else is futile shopping. “… there is no other God besides Me, A righteous God and a Savior; There is none except Me” Isaiah 45:21 (NASB). “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” 1 John 3:23 (NASB).To God be all glory, love you, Pastor HansP.S. A word to all of us who claim to believe in and follow Christ. Before we say, “Amen,” and shake our heads at those who do not yet follow Christ, let’s ask ourselves, How often do we go “shopping” when we read our Bibles, attend Bible studies, and decide on the shape and content of our Christian lives based on what fits us, feels good to us, and seems right to us? How often do we pick and choose and in the process end up with something far less than God, than Jesus has in mind?