I’m back in Fort Collins. I arrived home at 8:30 p.m. last night to rainy weather. Today was a nice fall day with temps under 50. Too bad we are approaching the Memorial Day weekend. But I’m sure before too long we will be complaining about heat. Such is life.

I did get out to mow the lawn which continues to grow without an abundance of sunshine. My plans for a summer garden keep getting put on hold, but the strawberries are doing well.

I attended a “Professionals Working with Seniors” meeting in Loveland this morning. It was interesting to see a group of about 100 individuals representing a cross section of services for seniors together for networking and communication.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Your prophets had nothing to tell you but lies; Their preaching deceived you by never exposing your sin. They made you think you did not need to repent.” Lamentations 2:14

God’s people have gone into exile. The land is devastated and lays in ruin. In the natural it is a conquest by a world power, the Babylonians. But spiritually, it is God’s judgment after hundreds of years of idolatry and disobedience. The short book of Lamentations is the “post mortem” on all the years and events that have led up to this sad day.

During the years Judah had Kings that were good, some good and bad and some very bad, as far as leading the people according to God’s ways. But the group that is singled out as the most culpable, are the prophets. We are familiar with the names of a select group of the most well known Godly and true prophets, but there were many prophets during these years. But the majority of them failed in their duties to be “God’s mouthpiece.” We don’t know much about these men. We do see a few of them that interacted with Elijah or Jeremiah or Isaiah or some of the others.

While the test of a true prophet is to speak God’s truth, these prophets are condemned as only telling lies. And in doing so they deceived the people by never exposing their sin. As a result, the people did not see their need to repent and became confused about whether events good or bad were coming from idols they worshiped or from the true God. There was no clear voice, there was no consistent voice to the people.

We see the, “what now, what’s next” response in chapter three. It is one thing to understand part of the answer to the question “why?” but what is important is to know, “what know?” Here are the words and call of Jeremiah:

“Let us examine our ways and turn back to the Lord. Let us open our hearts to God in heaven and pray, “We have sinned and rebelled…”  Lamentations 3:40-42

When false voices fade into the backdrop, the true voice of God’s Word still stands. True prophets don’t say, “I told you so…” they show the road to recovery.

The confidence of restoration is seen in these familiar verses,  “…hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord‘s unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope. The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him, So it is best for us to wait in patience…”   Lamentations 3:21-26

What we find is a similar situation predicted in the days before Christ returns, “For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.“  (2 Timothy 4:3)

Just like prophets of old who declared, “peace and safety” and “…peace, peace, when there was not peace”  there will be those who want to hear that, “all is good, when it is not good.”

It is important to remember that the gospel is “good news” because it is that antidote to the “bad news” that our sins separate us from the Lord. We need to face the reality and consequences of life lived according to our own way, in order to embrace the new way of life, freely offered and made possible through Jesus Christ.

Don’t be afraid of hearing “difficult or challenging words.” Some one once pointed out, “before the truth sets you free, it makes you uncomfortable.”

The weather has been nicer today in Atlanta…better than the colder temps back home. I have made it safely to the airport and am awaiting my return flight to Denver.

This morning we returned to school to meet Mason for lunch. I’ve noticed that in a cafeteria with a couple of hundred elementary children, ear protection is advised!

This has been a good trip and I have plans to return next month. Mason will be involved in a tournament during that time. After last night’s game I took a picture with Mason in his uniform. Mckenzie wanted to be included as well.

Considering some of my days before this trip, I’m pleased that I have felt as good as I have.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.  3 John 11

John in his letters repeated puts out the call and challenge to “love one another.” The reason for this becomes clear in his third and final letter. There were some who were not “living in love” or in truth. False teaching and rejection of others, even John himself, were evident in those in positions of leadership and influence.

John contrasts two men. The first Gaius he commends in these words, “…you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God.”  3 John 5,6

Gaius was showing God’s love and acceptance to others, even strangers   in need of hospitality. As a result, reports of his kindness were being shared with others.

Diotrephes, stood in sharp contrast, “…Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us….spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.”  3 John 9,10

Diotrephes, in contrast demonstrates an arrogance and judgmental attitude. He rejects and slanders the Apostle, doesn’t accept other believers and punishes those who do. He believed he had an exclusive “truth” that directed his life and behaviors.

When John writes and says, “I delight when my children walk in the truth..” I’m sure Diotrephes was on his mind. Here is not just an individual but a leader who is working at odds against what Christ called us to. John even addresses a growing false teaching about Jesus that was evident in his day.

It seems Diotrephes, perhaps like many today, believed he had a greater understanding of “truth” than even the Apostle John. But his “truth” lead to arrogance and rejection of other.

Perhaps that is why John in his gospel mentions Jesus came in “grace and truth.” Perhaps that is why John focuses on “love and truth” in his letters.

We still see these contrasting attitudes today. Our challenge is to live a life of “love, grace and truth.” Some believe that “truth” leads to rejection and slander of others. Living in love does not require a compromise of truth. Jesus showed the way. He came full of “grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

Mckenzie and I ran errands with Stephanie today. We went by her office to see some of the expansion that is underway. The rain came right on schedule at noon. We enjoyed a nice lunch out before returning home. (Took a picture with my Georgia girl.)

After a full lunch and rain and a dark bedroom, it wasn’t difficult to take a nap. This evening Mason had his first game of the tournament for the end of the spring season. He did well and his team won 11-1 in five innings. I will return home to Fort Collins tomorrow evening where Debbie tells we still have rain and cool weather.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “…Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”… Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well with us, for we will obey the Lord our God.”  Jeremiah 42:3,5,6

Jerusalem is taken captive by the Babylonians, the appointed Governor has been murdered, the land is in chaos and people are planning on going to Egypt as a place of refuge from war and provision of food and shelter.

The people come to Jeremiah with an earnest plea for him to seek The Lord. They pledge to obey…regardless of the message. It takes ten days for Jeremiah to return with a message. The Lord says, “stay in  the land…if you go to Egypt what you believe you are avoiding in Jerusalem will find you there.”  (Jeremiah 42:13-22) The message from The Lord is detailed and clear and reveals the thoughts and fears of the people.

The response of the people to Jeremiah is, “…you are lying!…” (Jeremiah 43:1-3) They accuse Jeremiah being influenced by human opinion and not The Lord. As a result they go to Egypt, where Jeremiah prophecies the overthrow of the nation by the Babylonians.

The pattern of human behavior in the Old Testament is interesting to observer. It challenges us today in our lives of trust and obedience and submission. It is easy to follow The Lord when it makes sense to us…when it is what we think should happen. But what is our response when the Lord’s direction seems to be one of hardship, difficulty and just doesn’t make sense or meet our expectations.

That is when true trust and faith is revealed. It is easy to follow in the light, it is another thing to follow in the dark.

Can The Lord’s will be in a direction and in a place that is against my plans and logic? Do I pray for an answer with an answer predetermined in my mind?

A verse from my reading today in 1 John applies here:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14,15)

That is true, even when the answer surprises us and calls us to a deeper level of trust and obedience.

We attended church this morning and walked out after the service into a light rain. It let up after a while and it seems Mason’s baseball practice is on as scheduled.

Today has been a more relaxing day and after an exciting game of video basketball and lunch it was nice to take a nap. We did get a group picture after Mason’s game yesterday…so here it is.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…We should love one another.  Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and your know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.” 1 John 3:11-15

John who in his gospel descries himself as, “the disciple who Jesus loved” writes about the importance of love in his first letter. This includes love for God and love for others. He says our love and life in Christ is demonstrated by our obedience to Christ and living as He did.  (1 John 2:3-6) He says it is also reflected in our love for “our brothers”.  Hate is the opposite of love and spiritual life.

This admonition from chapter 2 is elaborated on in chapter 3. In doing so he makes reference to the first brothers Cain and Abel. Cain’s hatred for his brother was driven by jealousy because of Abel’s acceptance to God; or perhaps out of conviction because Abel’s obedience revealed Cain’s heart. The later is reflected in John’s reference to being “hated by the world.”

Love is reflected in a spiritual life of righteousness and a proper response to correction. Scripture admonishes us to “spur one another on to love and good works.” (Hebrews 10:24) Hatred is revealed in rebellion against God and hatred toward those, whose lives of dedication and obedience challenge us in our actions and attitudes.

The evidence then of our life with Christ is our security in our relationship with Christ that does not reduce our life in Christ as a “spiritual competition” with others.

Here is what John says is the key to loving each other from a position of security in Christ’s love for us.

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.”  (1 John 3:21,22)

Our actions and attitudes reveal our spiritual condition. Do they reveal us as living in spiritual death or life?

Today has been a typical Saturday sports day. Carter played his final soccer game of the spring season. They won their game and he got a trophy at the end of the game.

Mason’s baseball game was this afternoon. They won as well and Mason played well, getting couple of hits and scoring two runs and making a throw from the edge of the infield grass that resulted in an out at home.

After this activity another trip to the swimming pool was a refreshing end to the afternoon. It provided me some good exercise as well.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Praise The Lord.”  Psalm 150:1

The one word that is found more frequently in Psalms than any other book of the Bible is the word “praise.” It is found 21o times.

Praise is the natural response to The Lord for who He is and what He does. In Psalms we see the love, mercy and faithfulness of the Lord. We see the Lord is a refuge, protector and deliverer. The list goes on and on.

The last five Psalms begin with the call to “Praise the Lord.”  Praise to the Lord is to be universal. “Praise the Lord all peoples…” “let everything that has breathe praise The Lord.” Creation itself is called to praise The Lord. Jesus as He rode into Jerusalem, said if the children were quite, “the very rocks would cry out” in praise and recognition of Him.

Psalm 150 the last Psalm, begins by declaring where the Lord is to be to praised. “In his temple and in the heavens…”  Praise to The Lord is not restricted to “His House.” Any place and in every place can be a place to praise the Lord.

Then we see a simple declaration of what the Lord is to be praised for. “…His mighty acts…His excellent greatness.” The actions and character of the Lord is a good place to start and a place to remain. A review of the Psalms will reveal the greatness of the Lord in His actions and in who He is. Praise is simply repeating these back to the Lord.

The majority of Psalm 150 is spent declaring, how the Lord is to be praised. What follows is a list of instruments from “harps to horns.” Praise can be quiet but it can be loud with rejoicing and dancing and the full expression of how the Lord has made us.

We often focus on prayer more than praising the Lord. But we see in scripture that “The Lord inhabits the praise of His people.” Where the Lord is there you will find His provision and all that you need.

Take time and review at least the last short five Psalms. Allow them to inform and challenge you in a life of praise.

A good day here in Atlanta. Enjoyed reading my Bible on the patio eating biscuits and drinking coffee. We went to the boys school for lunch. We just missed Mason, but were there for Carter.

After an afternoon nap, we went to the swimming pool in Stephanie and Nathan’s old neighborhood. Looking forward to grilling on the new grill Nathan installed today and en enjoyable time at home.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…. “Father! You have given them to me, and I want them to be with me where I am, so that they may see my glory, the glory you gave me; for you loved me before the world was made.”  John 176:24

John 17 is referred to as Jesus’ High Priestly prayer. He speaks to the Father about the fulfillment of His mission, He prays for His disciples present and future. Jesus prays for protection and unity for His followers.

In doing so He recognizes that they will live with their identity tied to “another world.” The world in which they live will not always affirm and accept them, but they had a mission to accomplish, just as Jesus did.

Jesus final request is for His followers to be with Him in eternity and to behold the glory of God and live in His presence as their new home.

This is a prayer that is being answered and will be answered. It is answered each time a follower of Christ passes from this life. For scripture declares, “..to be absent from the body is to be present with The Lord..”. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

It is a prayer that finds its final fulfillment when Christ returns. We see this pictured in the end of the book of Revelation in these words,

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished.  And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.”  (Revelation 21:1-4)

We can be thankful that The Lord has a plan and purpose for those who commit their lives to Him. We are those with a future and a destiny. And we have the opportunity to share that hope with others.

Today has been a travel day for me. It was the first time for me to drive myself to the airport and fly on my own. It went went well because I traveled only with a backpack.

Nathan, Mckenzie and Carter met me at the airport and we plowed our  way through Atalanta traffic. I have an HOA meeting tonight that I will try to participate in through Skype.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “When I am ready to give up, He knows what I should do…” Psalm 142:3

This verse is straight forward and to the point. Have you ever felt like giving up? We all have at some point. It may be a task, a calling or job, a relationship or for some it may be as severe as life itself.

Often at that point in our frustration and despair we may say to ourselves, “I just don’t know what to do!” That is where the psalmist was in his situation. But he realized that while he didn’t know what to do The Lord did.

Since we don’t know and the Lord does, what do we do? “I call The Lord for help…I tell Him all my troubles…” (Psalm142:2,3) That is what the Psalmist did. Even when it seemed there was no help from any other source his reliance on the  Lord was, “Lord I cry to you for help, Lord, you are my protector, you are all I want in this life.” (Psalm 142:5)

In your situation when you are ready to give up and don’t know what to do, turn to The Lord. And then take time to wait and listen.  You will find no greater source of strength and refuge.

As I write this afternoon, we are experiencing a downpour of rain. It did rain a little earlier in the day, after more pleasant weather. I have spent most of the day getting ready for another trip to Atlanta. I fly out tomorrow and will return next Tuesday. It will be good to see Stephanie and family once again. As they moved to their new house, we told them perhaps it would allow us more of an opportunity to make some frequent visits.

I am always a surprised at my level of strength and energy. Perhaps I am trying to get into some old patterns and Debbie reminds me that I might not be awarer of how much I try to get done.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts. You see me, whether I am working or resting;  you know all my actions.…Examine me, O God, and know my mind; test me, and discover my thoughts.  Find out if there is any evil in me  and guide me in the everlasting way.^{“  Psalm 139:1-2,23-24}

Just recently I was reading some verses that were a vivid description of God’s omnipresence (God everywhere, at the same time). Here in this well known Psalm is a vivid description of God’s omniscience (God knows everything, about everybody)

The first verse of this Psalm and the last ones form two bookends that reinforce the theme throughout these verses. It is clear that the Lord know us and has known us even before we were born. What is difficult to comprehend in our minds is not impossible for God. That is why the Psalmist declares, “Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.” (Psalm 139:6)

It is one thing to grasp the infinite knowledge of God about our lives, it is another to invite the search light of His Spirit to shine into our lives and to allow us to see ourselves as we are. When we know that there are areas of disobedience in our lives, it can be difficult to admit and confront those. On the other hand, when we feel like we have our “act together” it is important for us to be open to the Lord showing ourselves to ourselves as He sees us.

The Lord’s watchfulness over our lives can give us the comfort and reassurance that He is with us to guide, protect and provide for us what is needed. When we face challenging situations we can trust the Lord to help us, to be with us. When we send children off to school or away from our watchful eye we can take assurance that the Lord is with them and aware of their actions and activity.

However, for them and for us, that may cause more conviction than comfort. I recall our Pastor recently mentioned how his youth pastor when he was a teen, had all the youth group, take with them a physical reminder of God’s presence as they made their way through their day. That visible reminder was to help them understand the spiritual reality that we are never outside of God’s care of watchful eye.

That in itself can conjuncture up images of a God with arms folded across His chest and a frown on His face. I don’t believe that is the case as much as a God with a broken heart if our ways are not pleasing to Him. God know us and all about us, can bring both comfort and conviction at various times in our life.

The final statement though is the key, “….lead me in the everlasting way” or as The Message paraphrase states it, “…guide me on the road to eternal life.” The goal is right relationship with God and others and the right direction for our lives. When we keep our hearts open, we can not only know if we are on the right path, but we can trust the Lord to guide us in the way we are to go.

As Psalm 27:11 puts it, “Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path…”