Roger

In the Gospels we read about Jesus’ need to withdraw from the crowds, daily life activities and the demands of ministry – those times when he got away to a “quiet place” to commune with His Father.  “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16).  If the Son of Man had to get away from it all, how much more do we? I’m concerned. It appears to me that life is too hectic and that many of us are experiencing emotional and mental burnout.   Many too, are forfeiting precious time in the Lord’s life-sustaining presence.   Someone aptly said, “If we don’t come apart and rest awhile, we will surely come apart!”   My wife and I were discussing this concern the other day when Lori asked, “Why does it seem that some people find it easier to connect with God than others?”   Lori then said, “God’s presence seems to intensify when we experience a 'forced disconnection.'” What is a “forced disconnection?”   Whenever we purposefully set...

Life has a way of pulling us down. Downward spirals into discouragement, depression and even despondency result when we fail to keep “looking up.”  The enemy of our soul wants to ground us.  He whispers, “I will use your circumstances to destroy you.” But he cannot as long as we look to the “Rock!” David, the psalmist-king of Israel, wrote in Psalm 61:1-3, “Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.   From the ends of the earth I call to you.   I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.   For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.” David was heart broken.   His son Absalom had staged a coup to overthrow him as king.   Like his father, the son was handsome and charismatic but Absalom was spoiled – a narcissist.   We read about him in 2 Samuel 15-17.   Because he listened to the wrong advice from self-seeking friends, he plotted against his father to take away the throne.   His pl...

(CONTINUED FROM MY LAST BLOG) I previously discussed the power of negativity, based on a story found in Numbers 13 when Moses sent 12 men to spy out the land of Canaan.   Let’s continue. What these ten spies reported were the facts.   There was milk and honey.   There was abundant fruit.   And the people who lived there were powerful.   The descendants of Anak were giants.   The Amalekites, Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites were all fierce tribesmen who were brutal.   They were warriors!   These ten spies were absolutely correct.   Ten of the spies reported on both the positive and the negative, but they got hung up on the negative!   They were amazed over the size of the grapes, but even more, they could not get over the size and power of their enemies! The real problem here is that Israel chose to keep their eyes on the negative.   They allowed their anxieties to paralyze them.   When they heard the report from the...

Today I want to discuss a story found in Numbers 13.   It’s a story about giants.   But first… On October 3, 1951, third baseman Bobby Thomson hit a one-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the National League pennant for the New York Giants.   Thomson’s homer wrapped up an amazing come-from-behind run for the Giants and knocked the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giant’s hated inter-borough rival, out of their spot in the World Series.   The Giants went on to lose the Series to the Yankees, but Thomson’s miraculous homer remains one of the most memorable moments in sports history. “The Giants win the pennant!” radio announcer Russ Hodges howled.   “The Giants win the pennant!” “The Giants win the pennant!” He kept screaming until he lost his voice. Meanwhile, inside the Polo Grounds, pandemonium reigned.   Fans flooded the field.   Thomson took curtain call after curtain call.   People in Manhattan and Brooklyn made ...