You may be familiar with the illustration Jesus gives his disciples in Luke 11; Where he tells this story; you have visitors late one night, and you don’t have any food to provide them, so you go to your neighbor’s house to ask to borrow some food. The neighbor tells you to go away because he and his family are already in bed. You keep on knocking until finally your neighbor gives in and gives you some food, not because he is your friend, but because you are so persistent; the NIV versions says “..because of your shameless audacity, he will get up and give you what you need”

What I had not realized until recently, is that this illustration is immediately before this familiar passage in Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” NIV

The Living Bible writes it this way. “…And so it is with prayer—keep on asking and you will keep on getting; keep on looking and you will keep on finding..”

It is pretty clear that Jesus was saying, “pray with persistence,” even “audacity” which the dictionary defines as, “bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints.” This is probably a little uncomfortable for some, including me; being pushy and persistent with God, but that is what He told his disciples.

Dear Lord, help us remember to come to you boldly asking you for the things we need, and want to help us live our lives to glorify you. Help us also pray boldly for you to help our churches, and those in need of your healing, peace, protection, and joy. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I am told that horses can tell where the rider is looking, and good equestrian riders guide their horses just by looking where they want to go. Similarly, with many activities, race driving, flying, skiing, and many others, where one looks is where he or she will end up going, whether that is a good direction or not. A skier focusing on the obstacle is likely to hit it.

In a similar way, In Hebrews 12:1-2 Paul tells us, ” ..let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.”

When we keep our eyes on Jesus, on his example, his will, and on being with him, we will avoid and overcome the obstacles that would lead us astray.

Dear Lord, You are our hope and salvation. Help us keep our eyes on you so that we may run the race you put before us that leads to you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Happy Father’s day to all the fathers reading! Yes, this is a day set up to recognize us and our fathers, and we should take the moment to accept and be grateful for the attention that may be given. We should also show our thanks for our fathers.

It is an incredible joy and an incredible responsibility to be a parent, a father. It is another level of influence we have to shape our world. As an individual, we have only our own actions to affect things, but as a parent, our influence can continue for generations, just as our fathers and mothers are influencing the world by how they raised us.

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:1-4, “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”

Some may not have had fathers that were good examples, but it is still a lesson that can be learned, by not repeating it.

My brothers and I have been incredibly blessed to have a father and mother who are amazing Christian examples. We can only hope and pray we will be parents like them.

Happy Father’s Day dad!

Dear Lord, how blessed are those of us who have and had fathers who brought us up to love and follow you; Fathers who provided us example of your loving instruction and discipline. Help us all as parents learn from these examples, and from Jesus’ example of loving instruction and raise our children to love, trust, and follow you. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

If you have traveled internationally, to places where the primary language is not your primary language, you may have experienced the feeling of being a foreigner, in a place that was not your home.

This is how Jesus describes his followers, us, when he prays in John 17:16 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.”

The closer we get to Jesus, the more we feel like strangers in our world, but the closer we feel to other believers and to our true homeland with Jesus.

Dear Lord, it is a joy to know we are citizens of your world. In Jesus name. Amen.

It is amazing to think about the changes that have occurred in recent years, and in our lifetimes. The first hand-held personal mobile phone was available just 35 years ago, and the first IPhone was introduced only 12 years ago, now virtually everyone in the developed world has one. The internet as we know it is only about 25 years old. The first earth orbiting satellite was launched in 1957, and now there are nearly 2000 orbiting the earth. 150 years ago, there was no electricity, there were no cars, and only 40 million people lived in the entire US (about the same as California’s current population)

As amazing these changes are, things are changing even faster every day. The speed of change can be scary to us, however, we know one thing that does not change. In Malachi 3:6 God tells us “I the Lord do not change.” and Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

We can have confidence that the promises God has made and the salvation we receive through Jesus Christ has not changed for thousands of years, and will not change.

Dear Lord, when all earthly things around us are changing, what peace and joy it provides us knowing that you and your love for us will not change. With thanks and praise, we pray. Amen.