An Open Letter of Thankfulness and Appreciation

Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for, will thank you over and over and over. We’ll tell everyone we meet how wonderful you are, how praiseworthy you are!" Psalm 79:13, The Message Bible

My Dear Lord:

Today, my heart is full of thanksgiving and appreciation to You and You alone for these past 30 years that we’ve been together. Because of You, I was able to marry the absolute perfect person to share life with. This year we celebrated our 25th year of a marriage made in heaven and I am so thankful. I can honestly tell You Jesus, that I love her and You more today than I ever have. Thank You for guiding us through the lean years, and the years of plenty. The easy years—and the not so easy ones. Thank You for helping us stick together like glue.

I’m thankful that this weekend we will celebrate our 20th year of pastoral ministry together at Valley Family Church. From the early days at the Richland Lodge when we often felt like no one cared whether we were there or not, we always knew You did! Thanks for always having our backs. For always meeting our needs. For always encouraging us when we were down. For always being there for us when those we thought would be our friends for life—disappeared. For always kicking our butts when we needed it. And for helping us to always keep our eyes on You.

I’m thankful for the four incredible children that You blessed us with, and the one in heaven that we’re waiting to meet for the first time. Our hearts are so full and so happy as we see each one of our kids love You with such intensity and sincerity. It’s funny how lately we’ve received criticism for focusing some of our attention on this next generation, but You said that in these last days You would pour out Your Spirit upon our sons and daughters, and it’s so great to see You doing that. Thanks too for helping us to be parents who were able to direct our kids towards You in a way that was attractive to them. We couldn’t have done that apart from You Jesus, and we’re just so thankful for Your guidance every step of the way. They found the joy of knowing You on a very personal level, not just because mom and dad were in ministry.

I’m thankful for our ministry friends here and around the world. Friends who understand our lives because their lives are so much like ours. Friends who inspire us, who challenge us and love us for who we are, not what we do. Friends we can talk with, laugh with, cry with and change the world with.

I’m thankful for the folks who call Valley Family Church their home. I’m thankful for a staff that ALWAYS goes the extra mile. I’m thankful for our volunteers and interns who constantly give so much of their time and energy for eternal purposes. I’m thankful for those who have been faithful financial supporters for all of these years. But most of all I’m thankful for what’s ahead. I believe that our best days and years are before us. I’m thankful that we get to watch You expand our vision and influence to this generation and beyond. God, You’ve got massive things ahead, which gives us a reason to get up every day and put our hands to the plow and work on kingdom business for You our King. For that I am very thankful.

Finally Lord Jesus, thank You for becoming a man, for living a sinless life and for sacrificing Your life for ours. Because You gave Your life for us, we freely give our lives to You with hearts full of thanksgiving.

Yours forever-

Jeff

How Bad Do You Want It?

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, where he has enough to finish it?” Luke 14:28

Can I be honest with you? I didn’t feel like writing today’s devotional. It’s been a long and busy day and I feel like going to get some dinner and then go home and watch the opening season game of the NFL. But I don’t have that option right now because before I go I need to get this done. Ever been in a similar situation? If and when you do, you’ve got to ask yourself the question, “how bad do I want to succeed, how bad do I want to fulfill God’s will and God’s purpose in my life?” You know Jesus wasn’t just talking here about a building here; He was talking about counting the cost of building a life of significance.

It seems like too many of us aren’t willing to admit that the reason that we didn’t make the team, get that promotion, and the reason that we aren’t moving forward in life is that we aren’t willing to put forth the effort and do the hard stuff. It means that there are times when everyone else has gone home that we’re willing to stay after hours and get our work done. Come on now, isn’t it time for us to start counting the cost! How hard are you willing to work at life? Here’s something to consider—No one is going to work harder for your success than you are. Not your boss, not your peers, and certainly not those who work for it. It reminds me of an old saying, “If it’s going to be, than it’s up to me.” Now I’m not discounting God in all of this, but really, do we think God’s going to work harder at our success than we are? Do you think He’s standing by up there in heaven waiting to come down here and help you out because you’re a little tired? He’s the Redeemer of the lost, not the Rescuer of the lazy. Come on now; let’s count the cost!

If we’re going to ever fulfill God’s will for our lives than we need to count the cost. Have you figured out yet that living for Jesus is going to cost you something? And if you’re going to be a success in life that it’s going to cost you even more? Jim Morin, a dear member of our church family once said, “Everything that I value in my life, has cost me something.” It reminds me of that verse in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” In other words, whatever we put into life will cost us something, but there is a payback, a reaping based on the degree of our efforts.

My wife Beth, is by far, the hardest working person that I have ever known, and I’ve know a lot of people. There may be people out there that want to enjoy the benefits that Beth enjoys, but they don’t have a clue of how hard she has worked, over so many years. Literally, it’s quite common for her to work 16-18 hour days for weeks and months on end. Now that costs something, but the benefit is a very successful and fruitful life. She recently purchased a pretty expensive anniversary gift for yours truly, and she bought it with cash. You see, she’s reaping today because she was willing to count the cost and do the hard stuff, even when she didn’t feel like it.

So today, let’s tap into all that God has for us and work a little harder, stay a little latter, carry a little more of the load, and honor Jesus Christ by our work ethic, and our willingness to do the hard things.

For The Least Of These

"'I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" Matthew 25:35-40, NKJV

Just days ago I returned home from Guatemala, where I had the privilege to be a part of a thirteen-member team from Valley Family Church that went down to work with Pray America. (http://www.prayamerica.org) Its founder is a wonderful man by the name of Ron Morin. He is one of those unassuming guys, doing a massive work in that part of the world. They are located in an area called Chichicastenango or what we affectionately call, “Chichi.”

While there we built four homes for widows and their families, worked in Pray America’s feeding programs, distributed ovens, water filters, and gave away shoes to a bunch of kids in a school. The poverty and lack is staggering, yet the people were so joyful. Particularly joyful were the widows who were given a new home and a basket full of food and toys for their kids.

We were all touched in a deep way at the feeding programs. It wasn't just seeing the hungry kids; it was seeing them eat a little food off their plates and then happily stuffing ninety percent of it into a plastic bag to take home to their families. It was truly amazing to see a three or four-year-old more concerned about their family’s needs than their own. Like I said, it was very moving, knowing that this was quite possibly their largest meal for a week.

It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:12-13 (NKJV),

“I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Paul had learned to rely on his faith in Jesus Christ when he had little and when he had much. The joy of his faith wasn't dependent upon the things that he had or what he didn't have, his faith was in Who he had in his heart – Jesus Christ! In the midst of all of that lack, my heart is full because of my faith in the One who made this world, the One who loves us, cares for us, is there for us and the One who asks us to do what we can for those who don't have much.

As I left that place, I'll forever be more grateful and thankful for what I DO have than what I don’t have. Now don't get me wrong, I don't feel bad by what God has blessed my life with, but I feel challenged to do an even better job of sharing what I have with others.

Thanks for letting me share our experience with you.

Encourage Yourself

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:6, KJV

Ever made a decision that caused people to turn against you? In this particular story David made a decision to send his men into battle, but when they returned they found that the enemy had burned their city, stolen their goods and kidnapped their families, including David’s. Not what you’d call a good day. Instead of comforting one another they looked for a scapegoat and turned against their leader David. Have you noticed that when your decisions are good ones, people are quick to share the credit with you? But if the decision’s not so good, they are even quicker to point a finger at you? I’ve heard it said, that at times it can be pretty lonely at the top.

We’re a fickle bunch aren’t we? I wonder if sometimes we’re just way too quick to throw our leaders under the bus when we don’t agree with a decision they've made or, like David, when they've make a bad decision. Here in this story, these men who were affected in such a positive way by David’s leadership quickly turned on David because he hadn’t prepared for this one contingency. This band of brothers snapped and were now prepared to stone the very one who they had learned so much from. So, what was David’s response? “He encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”

We can learn a lot from David’s response. First of all, he didn’t have a pity party. You see, leaders don’t have the liberty for pity parties. As much as we’d like to, there’s no time…we have to lead, and keep leading even when we make mistakes. David had clearly made a poor decision here and although his men wanted to beat him up for it, he couldn’t beat himself up. He did what we all need to do if we find ourselves in similar situations – encourage ourselves in the Lord our God!

So, to be encouraged in the Lord we need to do two things.

First, we need to repent and ask God to forgive us. Ok, you blew it, you didn’t do your homework and you made a bad decision without thinking through all the facts. Join the club. We’ve all sinned and fallen short. But now what? We need to turn to the One who went to the cross for us! The One who understands us, and the One who will never leave us nor forsake us when we make good decisions or bad ones. 1 John says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, KJV) In other words, when people want to stone us, God has our backs and is willing to forgive. So we’ve got to be like our old friend Clebe McClary, who always says, "FIDO” – which stands for “fix it and drive on!” In other words, go to God and ask Him to forgive you. Get things “fixed” with Him and then drive on.

The second thing we need to do is be proactive and ask God for direction. That’s exactly what David did in 1 Samuel 30:8 (KJV) when he asked the Lord, “…shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” God’s answer to both of these questions was yes. He told David to pursue the bad guys, overtake them and that everything would be restored.

So, have you made a mistake? Are there people in your life who want to stone you? Then it’s time to encourage yourself in the Lord your God, repent, get God’s direction on what to do next and then fix it and drive on. Remember your best days are ahead!

With love-

Jeff

A Work In Progress

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." Romans 12:3, NKJV

Don’t you just love working with people? We’re all so different and on top of that we’re all works in progress. I put myself in that category as well…a work in progress…so as I share this with you today, I pray that it doesn’t come across judgmental or critical, but that it will actually help of few of us.

I’ve come across several situations in my work as a pastor in dealing with some people who can best be described as “thinking of themselves more highly than they ought to think.” Now don’t get me wrong, they are good people, but they are just not seeing themselves the way they should. I’ve tried to put my finger on it and I think it can best be described as the “teenager syndrome.” Do you remember those years, when you thought you really knew the score on life? The years when you thought mom and dad were just so out of touch with life, were complete idiots and totally clueless, if only your parents could be as smart as you? But then it happened – you grew up – and somehow they got smarter.

Did you know that if we’re not careful the same thing could happen to us spiritually? According to 1 Corinthians 8:1 (NKJV) when we gain a little knowledge it can sometimes puff us up. Ever seen a blowfish? They are the fish that puff themselves up so it looks like they are much bigger than they really are. Well, sometimes we can do the same thing and think that we’re bigger, smarter, or even more spiritually mature than we really are. The danger is that we stop listening to the very people that God has placed in our lives to teach us, and help guide us through life.

It’s unfortunate, but as a pastor I’ve seen this very thing shipwreck people’s faith. Imagine what would happen if you made a decision at home that your teenager didn’t like, if there was a conflict or they didn’t get to do what they wanted, and their response was, “Mom and Dad, I believe the Lord is moving us on…my season here is up.” As parents we’d send them to their room and tell them not to come out until they changed their attitude. But that’s not what us loving pastors do. Oh no, we just love on them and let them go. I sometimes wonder if that’s really the right thing to do.

So what can we do to avoid the spiritual “teenager syndrome”?

First, be honest enough to admit that it exists. Just know that it takes decades to grow up in the Lord, not months, or even a few years. There’s an old saying that to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

Second, stay little in your own eyes. That’s the warning that the prophet Samuel gave Saul when he took matters into his own hands in 1 Samuel 15:17 (NKJV),

“So Samuel said, ‘When you were little in your own eyes,were you not head of the tribes of Israel?And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel?’”

There’s no doubt that God was able to anoint Saul to be king because he was little in his own eyes, but then he got in trouble when he stopped listening to Samuel and decided to take things into his own hands.

Isn’t it really just an issue of spiritual pride? That’s why God reminds us of this in 1 Peter 5:5-6 (NKJV),

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”

Would you agree that all of this takes faith? Because sometimes we just don’t want to humble ourselves. Sometimes we just don’t want to listen to anybody but us, our own thoughts and ideas. But that’s not God’s way. So, let’s stay little in our own eyes, stay humble and teachable and trust God to keep working on us, because in the end, we’re all a work in progress.

Pray For Them-- It's The Least We Can Do!

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Ever wonder why God asks us to pray for those that are in authority? It’s because they need it! This became very real for me this week as I experienced two days of training exercises with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety. One my co-workers, Matt Munson, and I were invited to join a group of community leaders for what KDPS calls a “Citizens Leadership Academy.” For two days we were exposed to the various aspects of what it means to be a Public Safety Officer.

It was an incredible two days of hands-on experiences. Our first day began with a 2-hour discussion on the use of force, and ended with one of the officers being tazed to demonstrate how they are able gain control of an out-of-control situation with the least amount of bodily harm. We then went out to the fire tower for fire-fighting training. Until you’ve put on all that heavy fire gear, an oxygen tank and have gotten on your hands and knees and crawled through a smoke filled room, you’ll never fully appreciate what they do, and how they lay their lives on the line to save others. We then spent a couple of hours with the guys from K-9. We worked with the head of the K-9 division who trains both the officers and their dogs for duty. These teams are simply amazing, and so dedicated to one another. We met the officers and their partners and all I can say is they were both incredible. These dogs are all cross-trained to smell dope, track a suspect running through the woods, find a gun thrown into a field, and if necessary will bite once and hold their suspects, all at the command of their handlers. Then at the end of the shift they (man and dog) go home together and share their lives off duty. We ended that first day with some adrenalin pumping exercises with SWAT. Just one word…wow!

Our second day began with a large screen computer-training simulator called MILO, where we experienced “shoot, no shoot” scenarios just like the officers will face. Not sure my heart has raced quite like that in my 50 plus years. Next was traffic stops where we again experienced first hand some of the tough and very tense situations that can occur in any traffic stop. Our day ended at the shooting range, and not being a guy who has spent much time around firearms, I was shaking like a leaf. The last exercise of the day was a “shoot, no shoot” drill with live ammo at paper targets in a darkened room. Oh my, I’m breaking out in a sweat just typing these words. I can’t imagine what it would be like in a real life situation.

You may not be aware of what a Public Safety Officer is and how that role differs from that of your standard Police Officer. It just means that each Officer has received cross training in police work, fire fighting and emergency medicine, and can be called upon at any time to exercise one of these disciplines. Honestly, I was shocked that one person could be proficient at all three of these. They carry all of the equipment they need in their patrol cars and will actually change their clothes on the run. But on top of that, some officers also volunteer to train to become members of the SWAT team, the bomb squad, or work K-9 on top of their normal duties.

So let me break down what that actually means for one of these officers on a typical 12-hour shift. They can start their days on road patrol, be called to fight a fire, go back on patrol, receive a call to end a domestic dispute, follow that with a search through a building because an alarm has gone off, and then end their night stopping a bar fight. Then they go home to their wife and kids. Are you getting the picture yet? Can you see why they absolutely need our prayers? These super-human men and women do this day in and day out for the good of our communities; for people who are typically against them, and if they are not against them, they are at best neutral toward law enforcement personnel. How many folks out there are for them, I mean really for them? Personally, I have always been a fan of law enforcement, but my appreciation has grown 100 fold. Will you join me today and pray for the law enforcement officers of your community and our nation? Let’s join our faith to lift them up in prayer so that you and I can “live a quiet and peaceable life,” and that these officers return safely home at the end of their shifts.

Then, I have one final request: Today, if you come across an officer, please take a moment and shake their hand, give them our thanks and let them know that we’re praying for them. It’s the least we can do.

Love to you-

Jeff

Jesus, Can I Have Some Time With You?

"To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Acts 1:3, NKJV

I need to spend more time with Jesus, how about you?

Ever wish you could just run away from the demands, the noise and the busyness that always seems to be swirling around you. I mean come on, our faith needs to be built on something more than attending church. We talk about having a relationship with Jesus, but have we allowed it to become a religion? Are we just going through the motions of Christianity or are we really having a vital, heart to heart, life-altering relationship with Jesus Christ?

On the church calendar we’re in what’s known as “Paschal Time,” which includes the 40-day period between Jesus’ resurrection and His ascension to heaven. Ever wonder why the resurrected Jesus walked around the earth for 40 days after He was raised from the dead?

I’d like to believe it was so that all of us would learn not to look back at who He was, but be continually reminded of who He is. According to Hebrews, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8, NKJV) That’s the Jesus I want to know; not the historical Jesus, but the Jesus that’s alive today, the now Jesus – the today Jesus! I want my heart to burn within me like those guys He came across on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-32. After He was raised from the dead, Jesus joined up with a couple of guys as they were talking about Him, only they didn’t recognize Him. You see they were talking about the Jesus who was…He was a prophet, He was a teacher, He was…only Jesus is a whole lot more than someone who was, He is! He IS a prophet, He IS a teacher, He IS our redeemer and He IS alive.

Later that same day, Jesus opened up the Scriptures and began to explain to these guys who He is, and that the plan has always been for God and man to have their relationship restored. Now here’s the cool part:

“Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him and He vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24:30-31, NKJV)

That must have totally blown their minds. Can you imagine just sitting there and then realizing that Jesus, who you thought was dead, is sitting across the table from you and wham – He disappears? But I love their response:

“And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’” (Luke 24:32, NKJV)

When was the last time our hearts burned within us as we worshipped, as we prayed, and as we spent time in the Word? If it’s been awhile, it’s safe to say that it’s not God’s fault. Maybe we just haven’t taken the time we should to really focus on the reality of our relationship with the Jesus who IS. He IS real, He IS alive, and He IS here for us. Let’s take a walk with Jesus this weekend and spend some time with Him.

I know He’d like that.