n0klu's Rants

  Nov 25, 2021 at 1:44 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Not According To Plan! Not According To Plan! “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow…. Instead, you ought to say, If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:14-15 Scripture Focus: James 4:13-17 In my conversations with soldiers, I find they usually have a defined plan for what they want out of the Army. Perhaps they want educational benefits or character growth. Many aim for the professional stability and retirement pension that come after 20 years. For some, it’s an opportunity to serve out of genuine love for their country and its ideals. But then things happen. A soldier breaks his leg jumping from a plane or messes up his knees through countless ruck marches. He gets pulled over for a DUI. The Army downsizes, and thousands of soldiers lose their livelihood. There is some stability in Army life, but not as much as people think. Soldiers—not unlike anyone else—are devastated when life takes unexpec

  Nov 24, 2021 at 12:11 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Do Things Differently? Do Things Differently? “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Genesis 4:26 Scripture Focus: Gen 4 As an pastor, I asked several at random church people what they would do differently from their parents. A number of them had to go out for a smoke before they could answer because even thinking about their upbringing was painful. Many young Christians can relate. It seems they have so little to build upon. How in the world do we begin to start putting together a better future for our families? We are not the first to build upon ruins. Through biblical and world history, God’s people have been called again and again to start anew with little to build upon. Even at the beginning of time, as idolatry and cruelty crept in to dominate the earth, God gave Adam and Eve a son, Seth. Seth’s family was a sign of hope, for in that day people began to call upon the Lo

  Oct 10, 2021 at 12:22 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     How Do I Handle Grief? How Do I Handle Grief? “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:24-25 Scripture Focus: Romans 7:14-25 A pastor was asked about his many recent hardships. Which one was the most severe? He responded that the most painful struggle was found in how slow his sanctification was progressing. In other words, the greatest hardship was the fight of his own heart against sin. As a pastor, I am much better at telling others how to live before the Lord than I am at actually doing so myself. I can’t wait until I am that suave, polished minister who has everything together; that guy everybody will want to emulate. It’s fool’s gold! I will never arrive this side of heaven. Your goal must not be to glory in the here and now, but to further know the grace of your Savior. If you know His grace, you will show His grace. You will always feel the war

  Oct 10, 2021 at 12:22 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     How Do Handle Grief? How Do Handle Grief? “For that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Jesus Christ might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” 1 Timothy 1:16 Scripture Focus: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Every day you see your weaknesses before you. They’re reflected in your work, in your family, and in the hollows of your own heart. You might be wondering, what did God get Himself into? Did He know that I would be such a wreck? Would He take His offer of salvation back if He could? What good is someone like me to the purposes of the perfect Lord? My friend, you must realize that indeed, you are not worthy. Christ saved you because you are a sinner, sick, weak, and foolish. He has washed you by His own blood and made you worthy because He is worthy. Our Lord wanted you exactly because you are a wreck. When people see His love for you reflected in yo

  Oct 10, 2021 at 1:36 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Dinner For Three? Dinner For Three? “But they urged him strongly, ‘Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.’ So he went in to stay with them. Luke 24:29 Scripture Focus: Luke 24:13-35 We can find plenty of reasons to avoid inviting others into our homes. I am too busy. My house is too messy. We are too messy. I would be sacrificing time with my family. Yet hospitable situations often were the setting for Christ’s saving work. The disciples on the road to Emmaus invited Christ into their home where He broke bread, and their eyes were opened to see their Savior for who He was. In our age of locked doors and fenced-in yards, it can be hard to show hospitality, but it is worth it. When a family invited me in for a meal during college, I thought it was a foretaste of heaven! So what if your house or your lives are messy? Doesn’t Christ minister through weakness? Your family is your priority. That’s rare. Wouldn’t it be he

  Nov 8, 2021 at 12:32 AM CST Topic: +DEV+     Do I Neglect Others? Do I Neglect Others? “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together… but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25 Scripture Focus: Hebrews 10:19-39 If we are honest, many of us have to admit we strive to live Lone Ranger lives though God created us to be in relationship with others. While families and communities collapse around us, and while neighbors, friends, and relatives struggle with loneliness, we are not exactly seeking to do anything about it. Perhaps these are excuses you have used: People have hurt me. The church has hurt me. I can’t trust anyone. At the heart of it all, we long for relationships that will not fail. When we withdraw from the community, we think we are protecting ourselves from new abuses and betrayal. But our human relationships will always fall short in some way. We need t