I am thankful for a day where my energy and mood is matching the warmth and brightness of the sun. I was out early this morning to a time of prayer with some pastors and community leaders. After lunch I took the dog on a long walk. You know, the walk where to dog gets exercise and I ride my power wheelchair. We were gone about an hour and for a time I was getting concerned that my battery might run out. When we returned home out of sympathy for the dog, I took a nap.

I am sharing a picture of two of my “softball team buddies.” In the picture on the left is “Bobby” who is 84 I believe. During my first year of senior softball they sent Bobby out to run for me thinking I was injured (I think I was just slow or limping) When I came asked about “this guy and how old he was” they said “75 but don’t let that bother you.” “Why should I” was my response “after all I’m 53!”  On the right is Tony.  Tony has two or three rings from being on National Senior Softball Championship teams. He has been playing senior softball for over 20 years and has some great stories. These are two guys along with several others on the team who play in two leagues during the season. That means they play a double-header, twice a week. (They are my heroes and role model) I was usually tired after one double-header, but then when I was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, I found out why.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…  “…the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”           Isaiah 51:11

There is an interesting and bewildering dynamic that occurs when the ungodly benefit from the ways of the righteous and the righteous suffer with the ungodly. What I am referring to is the fact the when God’s people were judged by God and taken into captivity in Babylon there were those who were true to the Lord and whose hearts were devoted to Him. Yet they experienced the suffering that came on the nation as a whole.

We do see some stories on how God used some of these individuals even during this time. Men like Daniel, and Nehemiah and women like Esther to name just a few. I say this because Isaiah 51 opens with the words, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness, you who seek the Lord: look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.” (Isaiah 51:1) God is reminding those who have been faithful to Him to remember “their roots.” They may feel rejected but they are not forgotten. The prophet is writing words of comfort for His people that their sorrow will be turned to joy once again.

God’s people know some of the greatest “tribulation” times anyone could imagine. Attack from enemies, death, famine, starvation and finally chained like animals and led away from the land the Lord had given them. Weeping, wailing, the clanging of swords and the stench of death had become all to familiar. In the midst of it all  God promises to bring restoration.

“…he comforts all her waste places and makes her wilderness like Eden, her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the voice of song.”  Isaiah 51:3

In this chapter twice the prophet addresses those who “pursue righteousness.”  (v. 1,7) In the first reference he mentions, “those who seek the Lord.” In the second it is, “the people in whose heart is my law…” In the first God calls them to remember their past and in the second God tells them, “fear not the reproach of man.” These two together are a solemn reminder that God can overcome every obstacle and He can work in every situation.

Where there seems to be no hope, there is hope in the Lord. Where there seems to be barrenness, there can come forth new life and new beginnings. God is working when He doesn’t appear to be at work. He is restoring and bringing glory back to His people so that “….everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;[and] they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

This promise is for today; for those who feel they have suffered as the “innocent for the guilty,” it is for those who are suffering physically or feel like they are in the wasteland of suffering or facing a daunting future with dim prospects. Remember God’s faithfulness, don’t fear what others have done or what they say, the Lord is the “God of all comfort.” He is the God of restoration. He is able to blow away sorrow and sighing like leaves in the wind and replace it with everlasting joy!

This morning I took my final antibiotic for my most recent infection. It was nice in one way to take an oral antibiotic for an infection. Today has been a “Monday.” Somewhat of a lethargic day after a big weekend.  I did get out and mowed the lawn and enjoyed the warmth of another nice fall day. Even though busy we enjoyed the activities of this last weekend from dinner with friends to the trip to Denver with my softball team to our visit at Red Rocky Fellowship on Sunday. I am glad for the progress that I am making, but still have some reminders that I am still in the process of recouping my full strength and stamina.

I mentioned previously that our guests on Friday night included Rod and Jenny Carlson. Debbie and I have known Rod and Jenny since our early years of marriage. We always enjoy reconnecting with them and have many fond memories of them and Jenny’s family that we know well. Rod and Jenny have been involved for over 10 years in a scripture memory presentation ministry called “Living Logos.” We hope to host them for a meeting with some friends at our home while they are in town. (Picture Summers, Luzinski’s and Carlson’s)

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.”     Esther 10:3

The Book of Esther is one of the great stories of the Bible. It provides the background of one of the holidays that still exists on today on the  Jewish calendar. It is a story about the Jews in captivity and the plot of one man out of jealousy and bitterness toward one man to destroy many.

What is of interest is that Esther’s name is on the book, but much of the story centers on her cousin and adoptive father Mordecai. It was Mordecai who put Esther forward as a candidate to replace the deposed queen. It was Mordecai who hears of a plot to assassinate the King and got the matter called to the King’s attention. Mordecai was a man of integrity and a man of faithfulness. Perhaps is it no coincidence that the book ends with a commentary on Mordecai’s life.

The greatest observation is that it takes both those in positions of power and leadership and those in positions of influence to make a difference in God’s economy. The reality that same principle applies to other organizational structures as well. In the Book of Esther we see the following lessons….

1. Esther’s submissiveness to Mordecai lead to her elevated status. Perhaps Mordecai saw potential in Esther she did not see in herself. Perhaps it was just God’s Spirit prompting both Mordecai’s counsel and Esther’s willing response.

2 . God’s had Esther in the right place at the right time. This is seen in both the revelation of the plot to kill the King, as well as the plot to kill the Jews.

3.  The appointments of man, may very well be God’s appointments. When Esther became the key to revealing the plot of Haman, we read the well known words, “who knows but that you were called to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

4.  Positions of power is not a replacement for the power of prayer. When Esther was summoning up the courage to approach the King, she and her “staff” committed themselves to prayer. Even though she was in a position where the opportunity presented herself to used by God, she still needed God’s favor to have the favor of the King in order to enter his presence.

5. Resentment, hatred and prejudice leads to a downfall. We can see a progression in Haman. He resented Mordecai, which lead to hatred that turned toward a prejudice for all the Jews and a plot to kill them. Haman was guilty of not bowing before Mordecai. That was his great transgression. We see Haman recounts his elevated status before the King, his wealth, his reputation, everything that should have brought comfort and satisfaction but he said all of it was meaningless because of his hatred and resentment toward Mordecai. In the end Haman was hung on the gallows that he had built to hang Mordecai and eventually his sons were killed and hung before the people of the land as well.

6. Wisdom is knowing how to handle challenging situations. We see this in the way Esther arranged for the banquet where she revealed the plot to kill the Jews. Wisdom is also seen in how Mordecai responded to the edict for the annihilation of the Jews. The result was authority was given to the Jews to defend themselves and fight their oppressors.

7. God helps His people and elevates His leaders. The Jews were so successful in defending themselves against the King’s army that many people “became Jews” because that put them on the “winning side.” We also see the end of the book with Esther as queen and Mordecai as second in command to the King.

God uses people, He places His people strategically in the right place at the right time. The way He uses people is often through the influence of others. Both roles are important in God’s economy. Whether you are a leader of an influence of leaders, allow the Lord to use you knowing that He will provide the wisdom and direction for the specific situation.

As I begin to write we have just returned home from our weekend trip to Denver. When I woke up this morning, I felt more fatigue and less strength than I had yesterday. But I was pleased to still be able to ambulate around with my walker instead of depending on my wheelchair.

We attended church at Red Rocks Fellowship pastored by Jack McCoullough. This church is located just east of Dakota Ridge Assembly where I served for almost 15 years. It was good to see their expanded facility and to connect with friends and individuals that have been praying for me and to see people that I represented during my tenure as a State Representative. We enjoyed a nice lunch and fellowship with Pastor Jack and Sharon. What a pleasant ministry couple committed to their community.

We returned to Christian and Bridget’s home and I took a nap while Debbie did some work on her computer and took care of the grandkids. When I woke up from my nap, I was having a little trouble getting off the couch so Eliana (3 years old) got behind me on the couch and helped me up! As I have said before she is a great care-giver and enjoys helping her grandpa.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service….Remember me, O my God, for good.”     Nehemiah 13:14,31

The book of Nehemiah begins and ends with him praying. Nehemiah was used of the Lord to restore the walls around Jerusalem. He sought and received the favor of the King, but the project faced opposition and challenges,  from rallying people, to getting them organized to threats from enemies.

In spite of it all, the project was completed quickly because the Lord’s favor was upon them. But after rebuilding walls, Nehemiah found himself undertaking the project of rebuilding people. The Priest Ezra and the scribes read the Law of Moses and explained it to the people as the covenant was renewed. Then Nehemiah found one of those who created the most trouble (Tobiah) while rebuilding the walls, was allowed to occupy a room in the Temple. He then discovered that there had been intermarriage between the Israelites and women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. This had been strictly forbidden so Nehemiah had to address this issue. All of this took place while he was in the process of setting “God’s House” in order.

When I read some of these details, I think “and such is the life of  a pastor.” There are a myriad of leadership challenges and just when a major building project is completed you find there is still much more work to do and that taking a “breather” and sitting back and enjoying one success is met with the next challenge. A pastor not only feels the responsibility of leadership for the congregation, but for the spiritual development of the people in the church as well.

So we find Nehemiah at the end asking the Lord to simply remember him for the good that he has done. To me this can be viewed as the “pastor’s prayer.” No human leader is perfect, but all are committed to the service of the Lord and His house. When all the work comes to an end, they simply desire to hear the Lord’s commendation of “well done, good and faithful servant.”

October is “Pastor Appreciation Month.” If you are part of a local congregation, be sure to let your pastor and church staff know that they are loved and appreciated and kept in your prayers.

Today we made a trip to Denver to join my senior softball team for their end of season party. Even though I was not able to play this season they were gracious to invite me and showed a great deal of support and interest in my story. I hope to join them next season, if nothing else as the scorekeeper or designated base coach.

We took the scenic route to Denver on Hwy 287 because of an accident on I-25 that had traffic at a standstill. It worked out better than anticipated but did take extra time. There seemed to be a lot of fall harvest and pumpkin patch activities on a beautiful fall day.

I was pleased today with my level of activity and strength. The guys on my team that had visited me this summer were able to see some marked improvement so that is encouraging. We are spending the night  Christian and the grandkids and will attend church at Red Rocks Fellowship on Sunday.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY…   “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

How do you want your life to be summarized when it comes to an end? What will others say about you, what will you say about yourself? I think it was James Dobson’s mother who said her’s would be, “I told  you I was sick!”

Some people have the opportunity to give thought to this and some because of the suddenness of death don’t. So this is something that should be considered sooner than later in life. How you want life to end, has a great impact on how you live your life. In other words, you have to plan for the end today.

As the Apostle Paul came to the end of his life he summarized it as “…having fought the good fight…finishing the race and keeping the faith.” There is a difference between fighting and “fighting the good fight.” There can be many distractions in life that keep us from what our main focus is to be. In life we must choose our battles carefully. Be one who is long on opinions and short on convictions. Convictions are what you are willing to die for, opinions may change over the years or with insights from life and study.

Paul said, he “finished the race.” There are many with good intentions and strong ambitions, they may start strong, but like a sprinter running a marathon they burn out quickly. If strength and training are key to fighting the good fight, endurance is the key to finishing the race. Paul’s endurance was tested in many ways and for many years. It would be easy for him to give up. When I consider that he not only faced persecution and hardship from outside the church but from within the church that can wear on anyone.

Finally he said, “I have kept the faith.” It is important to keep the faith and to remain faithful. As Paul wrote to Timothy he said, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” (2  Timothy 1:5)

Once again we see faith is something in our life that is tested. Peter refers to  “the trial [testing] of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7)

Paul in his life and ministry was witness to those who did not keep the faith. Their faith “became shipwrecked” or they “wandered from the faith.” But Paul had made the resolve that if others walk away, if others fail the test, he would keep the faith!

Paul’s epitaph for his life might not be yours. But fighting the good fight, finishing race and keeping the faith should be the goal of every believer.

Our weather is changing and the rain for most of the afternoon reminds us that fall is here. But at least it is not snow and it makes it easier to take an afternoon nap.

Today I made the trek to the Larimer County Courthouse to renew our license plates for our cars. It actually went quickly for which I was glad. I then went across the street to “Everyday Joes.” This is a coffeehouse, gathering place and a church that is a ministry of Timberline Church. I was able to connect with my friend Darren Fred who serves as the pastor of the congregation that meets there and directs this unique community outreach.

With the weather being warmer than anticipated for this time of the year Debbie was able to cut some of the remaining roses and bring them inside for us to enjoy.

BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “…O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray…” Nehemiah 1:5,6

Nehemiah was a man of prayer, he was a great leader, he was a servant. With all those descriptions he began as a servant in a trusted position before the King as a cupbearer. His prayers placed him in a position of leadership and we see that his leadership was sustained by prayer.

The book that bears Nehemiah’s name begins appropriately with his intercession. Nehemiah was not satisfied with all being well for him personally. His heart was with his people and with God’s city Jerusalem. I notice that the condition of the wall of Jerusalem compelled Nehemiah to days of mourning, fasting and praying. This was not a quick prayer and on with life. I notice in his prayer that….

Nehemiah recognizes God for who He is. (v. 5) He refers to the Lord as the “great and awesome God.” When we pray we need to understand the God we seek and the One who is object of our faith. Prayer is not an insignificant exercise, this is our audience before the creator of the universe, who is all powerful, who keeps His promises and manifests “steadfast love” to His people.

Nehemiah confesses his sin and the sin of God’s people. (v. 6-7) This was not prayer that focused on “them” but “us” and “me.” While Nehemiah was praying for God’s people who had “acted corruptly and not kept God’s commands” he was not pointing the finger but praying for forgiveness for his sins and sins of his father’s house.

Nehemiah reminds God of His promises. (v 8-10) Nehemiah knew God’s word to His people and he reminded God of those promises of restoration after rebellion lead to judgment and exile. This is the bold part. Nehemiah begins in worship and contrition, now he boldly reminds God of His promises and that these are the people who belong to Him that He redeemed by God’s “great power and strong hand.”

Nehemiah asks for favor. (v. 11) It seems that in his time of seeking the Lord that Nehemiah knew that if  God’s people were to be helped that he needed to be involved and that the King’s favor and action was needed. Like Esther, it seemed like the Lord placed him in a strategic position “for such a time as this.” Nehemiah was in the right place, at the right time. But he also recognized that without God granting him “mercy” before the King any request by a servant in his position could mean death.

Pastor and author, Mark Batterson, says, “Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers.” (The Circle Maker, pg. 13) I believe this is especially true when we “get outside of ourselves” and see the needs of our neighbors, community, country and world. It is easy to be fervent about that which concerns the comfort and provision of our life, but do we allow our heart to be touched by the “bigger picture” that God sees?

Consider the pattern of prayer of Nehemiah. Recognize and worship God for who He is. Confess your sins and agree with God that His judgement is deserved, seek forgiveness. But remind God (and yourself) that He is loving, faithful and  true to His Word. Learn to pray the promises of God. Seek the favor of the Lord in your circles of influence. The job where God has placed you, the position of influence that you have are not by accident. Allow that Lord to use you to make a difference through bold prayers and a winsome lifestyle.