Let me first say that I am very excited about today’s blog. This marks the 100th blog here at Theonelesstraveled. I look back and can’t believe it! I have been blessed beyond belief to have had the opportunity to share what God is sharing with me. For those of you who read it, I say “Thank you!” Thank you for going down this road with me. You have allowed me the opportunity to do what I believe the Lord has called me to do. Over the past year, the blog has been an outlet for me to share what God reveals to me during my devotional times. It is an honor for me to be able to share that with you. I pray that you will continue to take this journey with me, and that the Lord will speak to you through the words He gives me to give to you!

This morning God gave me some powerful insight. If you are like me, you look at what is going on in the world and wonder how much longer we can last. Surely, Jesus has to be returning soon! The earthquakes are numerous; the situation in the Middle East is, well, dangerous. The unrest and wars and battles leave little to be at peace with in any situation. I look at all of it and wonder why He hasn’t come back already. Not that I’m particularly anxious; there’s a lot that I still want to see and do. While I want to see my kids get older and graduate and get married, and all that life can offer them, I shudder to think of what the world will be like when they get there. Are you there, too? Do you look at today’s happenings and wonder what God’s plan is? Where is He?

Peter addressed this in 2 Peter 3. This was as if Peter was reading my mind today. When you hear people say that we are living in the end times, what do you think? Well, the “end times” span the first and second coming of Christ. So, since He left this Earth to take His seat next to God, we immediately began the era of the “end times.” So, when Peter talks of this time, he, too, was living in the end times. Peter explains pretty well both the time frames and the reasoning of God.

In 2 Peter 3:8, Peter says, “But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” See, God’s time table isn’t anything like ours. He is patient, and He is constant. He is the beginning and then end. But, if you’re like me, you know that He sees the current condition of the world. He sees the state of even the US. How many different ways has the nation failed Him? Turned its back on Him? How perverted and twisted our society is has surely made Him angry. So what is He waiting for? Why not come now and make this right?

2 Peter 3:9 is where Peter gives us the answer.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”

God isn’t late. God hasn’t forgotten. God isn’t leaving us. He is being patient. He is being merciful. He is giving everyone an opportunity. He sees what is going on around us. He sees the conflict in the world. He sees the way so many have turned their backs on Him and His ways. Because of that, He is waiting. It is not his desire that people should perish, should suffer, and should be doomed to an eternity separated from Him. That’s the last thing He wants. He gave His SON so that we would not be separated from Him. But, He also understands that there will come a time when everyone will have made a decision.

When that day comes, Peter says, it will be sudden with no second chances, and the world will be judged. In verse 10, Peter paints this picture.

“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.”

No one ever expects a thief. No one ever walks into their home expecting to see that it was robbed and ransacked. It happens suddenly, while you are away doing whatever it is that you do. It happens while you are sleeping. It is never expected. That’s what it will be like. It will be unexpected, sudden, and final.
So what are we to do? What do we do while we wait? Do we get in our “holy huddles” and stockpile water and sardines? No. We go out there and live our lives in a way that brings others to Him. We live out our faith in a way that is light in the darkness, even if it seems weird to the world. Peter’s advice here is found is verse 14.

“And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”

Make every effort. Live a life that is peaceful and pure. Be the difference. Christ could return today, tonight, or 20 years from now. If He is being patient and waiting to give everyone an opportunity, it could be that someone you know. It could be that child, your spouse, your neighbor, your coworker, and yes, it could be you.

Prayer: “Jesus, Lord, Savior, Abba, thank You for Your patience. Thank You for the opportunity we have because of Your patience. Father, there is someone out there I know who doesn’t know You. You have placed that person in my life somehow, and I pray that You would open that door to speak truth and love into their life and heart. Help me to have that opportunity to let You speak through me to them. Father, if it is me, then I ask now that You would forgive me for the time I have been away from You. I accept You as my Savior, my Lord, my God. Help me, Jesus, to live the life that makes a difference. Help me to be a light in the darkness, and to have the courage to stand up when the world bows to lesser things. I love You, Jesus, and I ask these things in Your powerful, Holy Name, Jesus…Amen!”

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It’s hard trying to break a habit. It’s even harder trying to break the stigma attached to that habit. If you smoke, you’re a smoker. If you give up, you’re a quitter. If this, then that. The labels come as the world sees your actions. That’s why today’s Christian has to understand that our actions speak volumes.

I’ve often heard of the person who wants to live life their way; rough, restless, sinful. They believe that in the end, they will ask God for forgiveness, and all is well. While some may be given that opportunity, it is dangerous to temp God, and then have the desire for that forgiveness after a life turned away from God.

On the flip side, there are those who say they are Christians. They had that moment when they believed they asked God to be the leader of their life, asked Jesus to be their Savior. Then, nothing changed. They continue to live life as they had before. It’s like buying a fire-insurance policy and then playing with matches in your house. Well, God doesn’t exactly operate that way.

I read out of 1 John 3 today. I usually read (and blog) from The New Living Translation of the Bible. Today, I will use that one as well, but I will also use The Message version as well. I like the modern paraphrase of some of today’s reading.

John sends us a warning in this chapter. When we come to Christ, we have to change.

In 1 John 3:4-6 (TNLT), he writes,

“⁴ Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. ⁵ And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. ⁶ Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.”

See, if we call ourselves Christians, but continue to live as if we are not, then we either don’t understand who God is, or just do not know Him at all. There is no sin in Jesus, so to continue on that path doesn’t make sense.

This isn’t to say that we don’t occasionally sin. We are human, we are flesh. We screw up, and that’s normal. The difference is we shouldn’t be doing it willingly regardless of what we know God says about it. Intentional repeated sin is a life that is not turned toward God.

Now let’s look at The Message version. Again, I like the paraphrase here.

“^4-6All who indulge in a sinful life are dangerously lawless, for sin is a major disruption of God’s order. Surely you know that Christ showed up in order to get rid of sin. There is no sin in him, and sin is not part of his program. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.”

Wow. Well put! No one who calls him or herself a Christian “makes a practice of sin.” We can’t continue live in any way that doesn’t show a direct reflection of Him!

Now, John continues. He honestly could have just stopped right there. He didn’t have to go any further. It was pretty well explained. But, all scripture is God-breathed, and so, God had more to say on the subject!

In verses 7-10 of the NLT, John says,

⁷ Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. ⁸ But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. ¹⁰ So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

That’s pretty right-between-the-eyes isn’t it? It’s not just that we don’t know God or are confused about who He is when we continue sinning, but in fact, we don’t even belong to Him! If we maintain a sinful lifestyle, we maintain our allegiance to satan. We would then belong to satan! How’s that for Gospel Truth? Verse 9 explains why. ⁹ “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” We can’t keep sinning because we are God’s children at that point!

Now, let’s go to The Message. Again, this one is well-put.

^7-8So, my dear children, don’t let anyone divert you from the truth. It’s the person who acts right who is right, just as we see it lived out in our righteous Messiah. Those who make a practice of sin are straight from the Devil, the pioneer in the practice of sin. The Son of God entered the scene to abolish the Devil’s ways.

^9-10People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. It’s not in the nature of the God-begotten to practice and parade sin. Here’s how you tell the difference between God’s children and the Devil’s children: The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God, nor is the one who won’t love brother or sister. A simple test.

Are you starting to like this version yet? I really do. Not as an everyday Bible, but I really like it when I need to hear some modern in-your-face type discussion.

This verse is great. “The one who won’t practice righteous ways isn’t from God…”

See, we have to consciously, voluntarily, dogmatically, and purposefully make a change. If we won’t, then we can’t be considered a part of the family!

Let me encourage you today. Make a change. What is it that has your mind and your heart? What is distracting you and keeping you from committing to Him full time? I’m talking a life-style change? What sin is it that you just can’t give up right now? Is it a habit? Or is it something more than that? If it’s something that you can’t give up, then it’s a god to you. I heard this advice one time. “What ever it is that you won’t give up, God will eventually take it away from you.” How He does that varies, but it is something to think about.

Just know that He expects more from us. He expects a reflection of Him. He expects a life that reflects His love. He expects something different.

Prayer: “Heavenly Father, Lord, Jesus, I thank You today for Your word through John. How amazing it is to hear Your word in a way I haven’t in a while. Continue to speak to me, Lord. Show me what I need to change in my life. If I claim to be Yours, my life and my actions should show it. I need to make my life a reflection of You. Forgive if it is not, and give me the strength to make the changes I need to make. Convict me in this. I love you, Jesus, and I ask all these things in Your holy, precious name, Jesus…Amen.”

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It’s been a year. Is that even possible? A year ago today, my wife lost her daddy, my kids lost their PaPa, my family lost a love, and I lost a man that I truly loved to sit and talk to, laugh with, and hear the stories he told. Rick, we miss you.

A year has passed, but the air still seems strange. It still doesn’t make sense that we can’t call him, tell him a joke, or go see him. It won’t seem right for a long, long time. Sure, we know that ultimately, his life is so much better than ours right now. He’s with the King, doing all those things that he wished he could do here. My sister-in-law Amy put it this way:

“Dad’s been hanging out with Grandma and Jesus for one year today. I picture him on a huge lake, on a pontoon boat, fishing and drinking ice tea. He has no more back pain and no more heart trouble. He is young, healthy and happier than he has ever been.”

I love that scene. I think he is out there, fishing, talking to Jesus who is fishing from the same boat. It’s an awesome thought.

Here’s one other thing I have figured out in the year since. I never got to meet Grandma, but knowing what kind of impact she had on my wife, and the impact Rick had on them, it makes me truly wish I had known them earlier. I love to hear the stories about both of them. I can only say that these two were not just relatives, these were two people who had the hearts of others in mind. Their love and legacy still lives on.

Rick was the only one I knew to call for car problems. As many as we’ve had in the last few months, I’ve really needed some advice. Rick was the expert in all things Papillion (pap-ee-on). If you needed to know where a great place was for ice tea, he could get you there. If you wanted to talk about most anything, he could talk, ask questions, and be in the conversation with you.

If you needed the shirt off his back, he would gladly give it.

Why do I remember these things? It’s the time. The time he took to make sure that we knew these things. He was never too busy for any of it; to talk, to talk cars, to drink tea, to raise dogs, to care, or to give.

Here’s what’s even more remarkable. He managed to bring that out in those around him. My wife is Rick. She has so much of that same person in her. She is caring, will stop and talk, will get you where you need to go; and though she can’t work on cars, she will give you the shirt…from the little time that I got to spend with him; she is her dad.

Rick, we still miss you. That won’t change. We do rejoice in your new life, new body, and new abilities. We know you do not suffer, you do not hurt, and for that we are grateful.

 Phillipians 2:3-4 describes Rick perfectly.
 “3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.”

That’s him. We miss you, Rick.

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Have you ever gone to look for something where you thought you left it, only to find it where you were to begin with? I always seem to do that with my keys. I think they are in one place, and when I get there, they aren’t. It always seems like they are where I first started, but figured that they couldn’t be there because, well, they were supposed to be there. With three kids, my assumption is nothing is ever the first place you expect it to be.

In a couple of weeks we will celebrate Easter; a celebration from 2000 years ago when the disciples figured out that Jesus wasn’t where they thought He was going to be. Everyone thought He was dead and in the tomb, waiting to be embalmed. Though He had told them that He would not be there on the third day, they thought they knew where to find Him. They were wrong.

The women were first to find out, and the first to get the reminder. As they showed up to prepare His body, they found that He was gone, and were suddenly visited by two angels. In Luke 24: 5-7, the women realized they were with the angels, and they fell to the ground, only to hear the angels say,

“Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”

THIS is the reason for our celebration! It’s not just Easter. It’s not just a holiday. It’s our faith! This is the cornerstone of our beliefs! It is at this moment that Jesus defeated satan, because the only thing that satan could do to Jesus was have Him killed. Even that didn’t work. Jesus defeated death, and in so doing, He defeated the enemy. There’s nothing left for satan to do; his days became numbered, and his future has been written.

Catch this if you catch nothing else. Jesus IS who He said He is, and He did what every prophet in history said He would do. Hebrews 13:8 puts it this way,

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Where is Jesus in your world? Is He still buried? Is He in a tomb? Or is He the living, breathing, Savior? How do you know? Simple. What’s your relationship like? If you can do an honest evaluation of your relationship, and see that there is a lot of doubt, or that you basically have no relationship, then in your heart, He is still in the tomb. It’s time to let Him out of there. He isn’t in there! He is with us, with you. Today, make that change. Realize that there is nothing to doubt. There is no reason to wonder. Start that open relationship today. And it’s just that—a relationship. It’s a two way relationship. Realize that He is here, not there.

Prayer:

“Heavenly Father, thank You for defeating death, for defeating the enemy, for being who You said You are. I want a relationship with You. I want to know You better. Help me to start that today. I realize that You are risen and not in the tomb. You ARE the risen Lord! I love You, and I pray in Your name, Amen.”

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 There are some things that I wouldn’t trade for anything. There are some things that are just too valuable to be given up. My wife, my kids, my family, my friends—they are all so valuable that I would place them above all other things. Then, there’s my relationship with Christ. After a little bit of soul-searching today, I realized a few things.

My relationship with Him should be the single most important thing in my life. It is not for sale, trade, or otherwise. He is number one, right? Well, something I read today took on a whole new meaning.

In Luke 23, Jesus has been handed over to the religious leaders and has bounced around from Pilate to Herod, and back to Pilate, as each is asked to pass judgment against Jesus. Neither of them was able to find anything against Jesus. But those in the crowd demanded that He be put to death. In fact, they wanted to make a trade. In Luke 23:18-22, this story is told.

¹⁸ Then a mighty roar rose from the crowd, and with one voice they shouted, “Kill him, and release Barabbas to us!” ¹⁹ (Barabbas was in prison for taking part in an insurrection in Jerusalem against the government, and for murder.) ²⁰ Pilate argued with them, because he wanted to release Jesus. ²¹ But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

Did you see who they wanted to trade for? They wanted Jesus to be killed and in exchange receive a murderer! They had completely lost sight of what was true, fair, and even logical. Their disdain for Jesus was so great that they would rather make this type of trade than to continue to have their hearts exposed for who they truly were.

Back to the original point. There are some things that are just too valuable to trade for, and my relationship with Christ should be one of those things. But, I believe that too often we trade in that relationship for convenience, for selfishness, for all types of things that we have started putting first in our lives. When that happens, we not only trade that relationship for something that is temporary, but we ultimately sacrifice our relationship with Him for something we have unknowingly or subconsciously put in His place. When that happens, we crucify Him, we sacrifice Him, and we ask for Barabbas. It’s nothing that we realize that we are doing, but something that sneaks into our lives, and slowly but surely, we have created an idol.

What is it that needs to be sacrificed today? What is it that needs to be put back into its place so Jesus can be put in His rightful place? Or are we going to be weak, as Pilate was, and give in to the demands of the public, the demands of work, the demands of life?

We are called to be strong! Be bold! Stand up and say that enough is enough! Don’t sacrifice your relationship with Him for anything. He isn’t going to do that to you. He is there all the time. Tell the world that when it comes to Him, there’s no trade.

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