A Coffee Break With Jesus

"Supposing We Really Found Him? It is always shocking to meet life where we thought we were alone. ‘Look out!’ we cry, ‘it’s alive’. And therefore this is the very point at which so many draw back—I would have done so myself if I could—and proceed no further with Christianity. An ‘impersonal God’—well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness, inside our own heads—better still. A formless life-force surging through us, a vast power which we can tap—best of all.

Did I marry the right person? That is a question that invades our thoughts when marriage disagreements and challenges appear overwhelming. For that reason we need something more than a relationship built on emotions of the moment. We need something big enough to envelop circumstances rather than be enveloped by them. Puritans called marriage "the little church within the Church," a place to test and also develop spiritual character. Every day marriage calls both p

Excessive knowledge can be exhausting. Being overly righteous can lead to pride, arrogance, and ultimately self-righteousness. Also, pursuing success without seeking God can lead to dangerous extremes. Ecclesiastes encourages us to find joy and contentment along our journey, accepting each day with its allotted share of work, food, and pleasure. The preacher says: “When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing tha

It’s difficult to understand God denying Moses entry into the promise land by one act of striking the rock twice rather than speaking to it. Moses was exhausted and angry with the people, with their continued complaining at every turn. God Himself became angry with the people and was going to destroy them and Moses interceded on their behalf. I think there is a much bigger story here. In today’s journalism we would call it breaking news. The Hebrew scholar, Paul the apost

I have found the Song of Songs to be the most captivating and honest love story I have read. Here comes a story of unabashed honesty about God’s gift of unadulterated love and sexual intimacy. And to think it all began in the garden of Eden. You can read it as poetry and miss the message of God’s ultimate plan for the sanctity of marriage. While two people bound together in marriage will never reach perfection and live without conflict, this song is a continuous reminder of

Proverbs 25:11 has been the guiding compass for how I communicate with others for as long as I can remember: “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.” To me, this imagery represents something of great value. I can picture golden apples artistically encased in twisted strands of polished silver. Whether you imagine it as a table centerpiece, a delicate piece of jewelry, or a striking work of art on a wall, it naturally commands attention. I have ofte

I leaned to produce results in the Air Force. I transitioned from 4 years of military service when I turned 21, to an insurance company operating in 42 states. I was results oriented, and that meant working when other agents stopped. Before I turned 23 I achieved the top agent position in Ohio. A couple years later I would move to CA and acquire an interest in a business opportunity. By the time I was 27, the God I wasn’t seeking showed up. To me it was a logical, reasonable

Our battle begins in the mind; it is here that the devil plants a seed of doubt and discontent. It is in my thoughts that this battle must first be fought; and it is here where God has given us a strategy for overcoming. I cannot always pinpoint why I have descended into the valley of gloom, but I have learned that staying there can be a most debilitating thing. When I am over my head in perplexing thoughts or spiritual warfare, I make a deliberate choice; I choose to b

It’s not easy to stay faithful to God. It requires humility, sacrifice, and trusting your future to God, who chooses to withdraw from us, so our faith is touching the invisible. We desire what we can see, trust in what resources we can control, and all along, God is pressing us to trust in what we cannot see. That is called faith. When I stepped aside from ministry after nearly 40 years, my most significant concern was, will those who come after me be faithful. Will they h

Locked Out It wasn’t until I stopped attempting to get God’s attention that I experienced Him up close. When I became a Christian, I began working on a plan to please God through works of service. Those were tough years, filled with times of great discouragement. I couldn’t seem to get Him to pay attention to the many ventures I started in His name. The more I said, “Look at what I am doing for you,“ the more distant He appeared. The door to God’s presence appeared slammed

I spent my first two years as a Christian studying the 39 books of the Old Testament. These 39 books shaped the way I see Jesus, and God's plan to bring us into a relationship with Himself. The Old Testament is like a large window with many individual panes of framed glass. As I look out the window, I see the broader landscape before me. Every single pane reveals a smaller portion of the whole scene. In the picture above, I'm looking out the window on the broader view, and

Awakening early in the morning, I am conscious of my breathing. I am breathing because God has breathed life into me. I am filled with gratitude as I take my first breath, and as I exhale, I am reminded of the goodness of God. Psalm 197:8, “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” No less than 4 times in this chapter, this verse is repeated. God is shouting to us, “Remember My goodness towards you.”

One of the wisest men I have ever known never attended school. Until he was nearly 50 years old, he couldn't read or write. I remember him well; the last time I saw T K Carroll was right after I was discharged from the Air Force, and he stopped to spend a few days at my mom's home. He told me he was a notorious sinner and ran with a rough crowd of moonshiners until he met the Lord at age 45. Picking up a Bible, though he couldn’t read it, the Holy Spirit taught him. "Bu

“How long will it be before this nagging temptation and sin no longer has any control over me,” is something I have asked throughout my life. Do you find yourself doing things that you hate? Unable to control the temptation to repeatedly do what you know is wrong but without knowing how to stop? You and I are not alone in this struggle! Paul said in Romans 7:15-18 AMP “For I do not understand my own actions [I am baffled and bewildered by them]. I do not practice what I wa

I live in the big house on the hill, it’s the one that JESUS owns. I have shared this thought many times during Sunday mornings. As an unbeliever I would pass by this big house; there was always a celebration going on inside. When I passed this way at night, the lights were always on, and I could hear the joy filled festivities. I desperately wanted to be a part of the celebration going on inside. Then one day I met Jesus personally and I was introduced to His Father. When

On cold winter mornings my uncle Lloyd would pick me up from our farm and drive me into town, where I would work at my Grandfather’s Sinclair gas station. At age fifteen I would open the station and pump gas, repair tires, do oil changes, and handle minor repairs. Upon reflection I can see God’s hand in my life from those early beginnings. One of my first real impressions of God was at Lake Ann Bible Camp near Traverse City, Michigan, when I was 11 years old. Over the years

We first learned about Happy and Sad when we were having a meal with our son Judah, daughter-in-law Angela, and our grandkids. Each day at dinner our grandchildren, along with their parents, share their happy moment for the day and also share a sad moment, whether it be a big thing or a little thing. I realized that we all have our own happy and sad, but most likely we keep it within ourselves and fail to express it. When I look back on my journey, my Sad was finding out th

I did not find it natural to walk in the supernatural. When I acknowledged that God’s love was revealed through Jesus Christ, both in His life and death, I stepped into the supernatural. This was way over my head, and when I read in the Bible that God requires faith to please Him, I was equally mystified. Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” G

Being thankful is one of the most liberating things I have ever experienced; it has freed me from preoccupation with self. Instead of focusing on disappointments and suffering that we have all experienced, I reflect on the good that has come out of my pain. To THANK GOD, I must first THINK GOD. I must choose to prioritize God in my thoughts. If I treat Him like a life preserver in the boat for emergencies, it may be some time before we connect. It may even be awkward approa

When I was a young boy, you knew that Sundays had a special significance. Shopping was limited as most stores were closed in deference to the Sabbath. Our family would go to church, returning home to rest, or share in family events. We looked forward to the feast that mom would prepare on Sundays, as this was when we would all gather for fun and leisure. Many times, guests would visit unannounced, and mom would invite them to share in our meal and family time. The Bible re