Leadership

August 21, 2013

Seven Ups to Take You to the Next Level

Valley Fellowship Church continues the AWAKE series with twenty-one days of intense prayer during the month of August. As I was studying for my soon-to-come sermon from the Book of Jonah, I stumbled on notes from a message I shared more than a decade ago. I don’t recall where I may have gotten the original idea. I think I heard someone share something similar when I was still in high school. Or, maybe, I was just inspired while drinking a carbonated beverage – 7Up!

I was encouraged by seven points I had jotted down, and so I thought I would elaborate upon them today. As Christ followers, we are always on the way up – hopefully, changing day-by-day into the likeness of Christ. Here are some unassuming tips – seven ups – to take you to the next level.

1. Wake Up

Decide to have a good day. Let the joyous strength of God arise in you. The Psalmist puts it simply: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24 HCSB) You are alive; live like it.

The late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill shared a story:

An Irishman went into the local bank to get a loan to buy a house. The Yankee banker looked up the record of the Irishman’s bank account, then he looked over the application for the loan, and then he addressed the applicant. “I have a standard test,” he said. “I have one glass eye and one real eye. I’ll give you the loan if you can tell me which is my glass eye and which is my real eye.”

The Irishman studied each of the banker’s eyes carefully. “The glass eye is the left eye,” he finally said.

“You’re correct,” said the banker. “But how could you tell?”

“It was easy,” said the Irishman. “The left eye had warmth in it.”

2. Look Up

Start your day with your attention set on heaven’s Lord. Focus on the Lord, not your problem. “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2 NLT)

3. Dress Up

Put on clothes that encourage you to be successful. In college, I discovered that I would perform better on exams when I was dressed up. You don’t have to put on a tuxedo to advance in life, but you might want to consider how your attire impacts you.

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I like this story:

My friend Helen has twelve children, and she dresses all of them alike. “When we had only four,” she explains, “I dressed them alike so we wouldn’t lose any. Now that we have twelve, I dress them alike so we won’t pick up any that don’t belong to us.”

4. Lift Up

Lift your voice in prayer. Get into a real conversation with your loving Heavenly Father. Your prayers unlock the path for your next level. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

5. Shut Up

Make a conscious decision to listen and then to choose to say pleasant things. Hold your tongue from releasing that ready cut-down. Instead, let your words encourage your listeners to move on up to the next level. And, don’t be so quick to give full voice to every thought that flies through your head. God gave us two ears and one mouth, so He must have meant for us to do twice as much listening as talking. Wisdom counsels, “Whoever controls his mouth protects his own life. Whoever has a big mouth comes to ruin.” (Proverbs 13:3 NOG)

6. Stand Up

Stand for what you believe in, for what you value, for what matters. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.” (Galatians 6:9 AMP)

7. Reach Up

Reach for something higher than you currently are. Don’t settle; don’t stop moving forward. God isn’t finished yet, but He is faithful to finish what He started (Philippians 1:6). Hold out for what God has ahead. John Maxwell astutely quips “Circumstances do not make you what you are – they reveal what you are!” Several years ago, a classified ad in the Great Falls, Montana, Tribune offered: “Uninspired fat guy wants to sell intimidating exercise machine. You can reach me in the evenings on the couch.”

With that – I think will get up and take a walk.

August 20, 2013

Dad Baptized Me

I remember the Taiwanese swimming pool where I was water baptized and made a public proclamation of Jesus Christ as my Lord. My mom managed to get a picture through the rain.

Was it 1975 or 1976? At the moment, I don’t recall the calendar designation, but I do remember it as a very special moment. My dad was the pastor who led me through the sacrament. My mom, brother, and sister stood at the side of the pool. Surrounding them were numerous friends from Morrison Christian Academy and church family from Immanuel Baptist Church in Taichung. I wanted everyone to know that I was sold-out to Jesus.

The smile on Dad’s face felt no doubt that he was proud of me. My dad’s glasses were foggy from the humidity of a light rain and his funny-looking white robe was soaked, but he had a big smile on face. His voice boomed, reflecting back from the surface of the broken water. “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Splash, then back up. What a moment!

After coming to earth as a baby and living a sinless life until adulthood, Jesus sets the example for us in water baptism. Before the release of Jesus’ public ministry, He goes to the Jordan to be baptized by John. As Jesus’ earthly relative, I bet John grew up being compared to Jesus! I can easily picture Elizabeth (Mary’s relative) saying, “Why don’t you act more like your cousin, Jesus?” Can you imagine John the Baptist’s surprise as Jesus enters into the Jordan to be baptized? John knows Jesus doesn’t need to repent, but he yields to Jesus’ request. I wonder if John was startled by the voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased (Luke 3:22 NIV).”
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Father God publicly announces Jesus’ identity and commends Him before Jesus does any public ministry. No healings, no exorcisms, no resurrections, just the exemplary act of baptism – and Father God issues praise.

Jesus never had to be depressed on a good day because His relationship with His Father was just fine. Jesus never had to worry on a bad day because His relationship with His Father was still just fine. Jesus did not depend on His performance to settle His identity. His Father affirmed Him before He performed the first public miracle, before He healed the first person, before He died on the cross and rose again.

Jesus’ identity was never performance-based; rather, it was grounded in Father God. Jesus’ identity was built on ministry-performance but upon real relationship. Upon what is your identity rooted?

August 16, 2013

What’s Inside of You?

When you get bumped, what spills out? Whatever you are full of! Make sure that when you get bumped, the right stuff spills out of you.

Serving the Lord will always bring adversity. Paul acknowledged as much: “A huge door of opportunity for good work has opened up here. There is also mushrooming opposition.” (1 Corinthians 16:9 MSG) You will be bumped.

Your life is a lot like a sponge. What you soak up comes out of you when you get squeezed! A sponge soaked in orange juice drips out orange juice. A sponge dipped into vinegar yields vinegar. When you get squeezed, what comes out of your heart?

The final moments of my dad’s life illustrated what was inside of him. Even after been shot three times, my dad prayed in the Spirit, quoted Scripture, and praised God. The final moments of his life on earth (over an hour after being shot) were filled with worship.

What’s inside of you? What spills out when you get bumped?
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Thanks, Dad! You taught me well. I appreciate the example you set and the price you paid. May I live filled with Christ.

May 9, 2013

BIG or little Name – Live For God’s Fame

If you are famous – great – use your fame for God’s glory. If you are unknown – fine – use your anonymity for God’s glory. Most of us will never have the fan-following of Tim Tebow (Forbes.com survey’s recent designation as the 2013 most influential athlete), but that’s no excuse for failing to honor the Lord with your reputation, your work-ethic, your lifestyle. You can be the difference in someone’s life!

Our contemporary society loves superstar personalities. Media attention swirls around the latest happening in the life of _______(fill-in-blank with latest fad). Much too often, Christian society imitates the world’s fascination with celebrity and fails to appreciate significant faithful service of relatively unknown folks.

The names listed in the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth – Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Aquila, and Priscilla – don’t easily roll off my tongue. For most folks, I don’t think the five names would be quickly recognized. I have studied God’s Word for over thirty years, but only two of the five stick out in my memory. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned several times and I recall how they taught Apollos, but the rest? I guess their names would make great answers for a Bible trivia game.

You know that Stephanas and his household were the first of the harvest of believers in Greece, and they are spending their lives in service to God’s people. I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to submit to them and others like them who serve with such devotion. I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well. The churches here in the province of Asia send greetings in the Lord, as do Aquila and Priscilla and all the others who gather in their home for church meetings. All the brothers and sisters here send greetings to you. Greet each other with Christian love. Here is my greeting in my own handwriting—Paul. (1 Corinthians 16:15-21 NLT)

Perhaps, you are familiar with all five. If so, I am surprised, because there aren’t a lot of sermons preached about these individuals. However, Paul thought enough of them to include their names in his Spirit-inspired letter. Paul and the Holy Spirit recognized their peculiar importance, instrumental for what God was doing on earth. They were highlighted because of the investment of their lives into the Kingdom of God – unknown by most, yet noticed by heaven.

Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Aquila, and Priscilla received written applause and documented appreciation, forever recorded in the pages of the New Testament. They served – refreshing Paul, encouraging the saints, advancing God’s purposes. Paul doesn’t detail the service specifics, but acknowledged they served the Lord and served the people around them.

You may never be written up in the newspaper or interviewed on a news program. Your name may never highlight an advertised Gospel crusade. Your name may never head the deacon’s list. You may never receive earthly accolades worthy of the sacrifices you have made for Christ body the church. Nevertheless, God knows your name and notices your efforts.

Give yourself fully to God’s work:

“knowing and being continually aware that your labor in the Lord is not futile [it is never wasted or to no purpose].” (1 Corinthians 15:58b AMP)
“God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” (Hebrews 6:10 NASB)

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You have a vital place in Christ’s church. Every child of God has an assignment, a gift, a mission, an obligation. The work of ministry isn’t relegated to a few paid pastors. Every Christ-follower must contribute to the growth of Christ’s body.

“He [Christ] makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)

It doesn’t matter if your name is recognizable or not. God knows your name. You matter to God. BIG NAME or little name – make sure you live for God’s fame.

May 8, 2013

God Knows Your Name

The Lord knows you better than you know yourself. He knows what you ate for dinner and why you like eating it. He knows why you are timid in front of your boss. He knows what you thinking during your last disagreement with your spouse. He knows how long it took you to prepare for that recent speech. He knows the tears you cried when your child was sick. He knows everything about you. He even knows your future.

“The Lord looks down from heaven and sees the whole human race.” (Psalm 33:13 NLT) I’ve heard people joke about how busy God is and think that somehow He is too busy to care about everything going on in the world. Even Christian students joke about it.

David Seamans, author and professor at Asbury Seminary, tells a story about the campus where the seminary shared cafeteria facilities with Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky. On one occasion, students moving through the cafeteria line found near the beginning a large basket of bright red apples. The cafeteria staff had placed a sign above the basket, quite appropriate for a Christian college campus, “Take one only please—God is watching.”
As students made their way through the line selecting meat loaf or taco salad, and peaches or chocolate mousse, they found at the other end a large box of broken cookies which the staff had put out. Attached to the box was a piece of notebook paper containing a note obviously scrawled by a student. It read, “Take as many as you want; God is watching the apples.” (Holman New Testament Commentary: Acts, p. 257)

I laugh at that joke, but the reality is that Heavenly Father never loses His focus. The Lord in His omniscience sees everything you do and knows everything about you. That isn’t meant to scare you. He is more concerned for you than He is for birds – yet, He still cares for birds, too. “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do.” (Matthew 10:29 MSG)

He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head!” (Matthew 10:30 MSG)
“He knows about everyone, everywhere. Everything about us is bare and wide open to the all-seeing eyes of our living God; nothing can be hidden from him to whom we must explain all that we have done.” (Hebrews 4:13 LIVING)
Job rhetorically asked, “Doesn’t he see everything I do and every step I take?” (Job 31:4 NLT)

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Amazingly, people matter to God. YOU matter to God.

As I type this conclusion, I’ve got a worship album cranked up with Tommy Walker’s “He Knows My Name”. Several people have recorded it and the message will encourage you. Look for the song online and purchase it for yourself. The lyrics are:

I have a Maker; He formed my heart.
Before even time began, My life was in His hand.

I have a Father; He calls me His own.
He’ll never leave me, No matter where I go.

He knows my name

He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call; He hears me when I call. [He Knows My Name by Tommy Walker © 1996 Doulos Publishing (Admin. by Maranatha! Music)]

Why not call out to God now? He knows you. He knows your name. He would love to talk to you – right now!

May 1, 2013

Don’t Give Up Yet

Three strikes doesn’t mean I’m out for good. I am so thankful Heavenly Father is the umpire of my life. When necessary, God has a way of allowing me to take tests again and again and again. He intends for me to ace the exams.

As a student, I hated failing assignments. Even when I went back for masters and doctoral classes at Oral Roberts University, I felt tremendous anxiety to perform well. Dr. Grizzle handed back one of my papers with dreaded words something like “Please redo this assignment following the attached plan.” Somehow I missed the email with the updated requirements, and so I was left to do it again – THE RIGHT WAY.

It may be cliche, but I felt someone had punched me in the gut. I did it to myself. It wasn’t Dr. Grizzle. No, he is a very kind and wise professor that meant me no harm at all. I was the one who didn’t live up to the requirement. Thankfully, I had the chance to complete it the right way for a good grade.

Somebody asked Winston Churchill one time, “What most prepared you to lead Great Britain through World War II?” For a period of time, Great Britain stood virtually alone against Nazi Germany as it dominated the Western World.

This was Churchill’s response: “It was the time I repeated a class in grade school.”

The questioner said, “You mean you flunked a grade?”

Churchill said, “I never flunked in my life. I was given a second opportunity to get it right.” [John Ortberg, “A Mind-Expanding Faith,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 126.]

Just because you’ve blown it, doesn’t mean you give up. Your life should be a sample of God’s work, showing His goodness and giving Him glory in every aspect of your life. Your life matters to God; He wants you to do good works to bring Him glory. There are things that you can do—that only you can do—that will bring Him glory. The Lord custom designs destiny.

“So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:7 NLT)
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

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Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jeremiah was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, [Paul had poor health], and Timothy was timid. That is quite a variety of misfits, but God used each of them in his service. He will use you too if you stop making excuses. (Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, p. 233)

Encourage yourself now. Don’t give up. What not make a loud confession of Micah 7:8? “I have fallen, but enemy, don’t laugh at me! I will get up again. I sit in darkness now, but the Lord will be a light for me.” (Micah 7:8 ERV) Come on! Say it out loud.

April 27, 2013

Work with the Time You Have

Time is fleeting. Life on earth is brief. Don’t spend your time foolishly. “To waste time is to squander a gift from God.” (John Blanchard) Do you have God’s perspective on time?

“Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12 NLT)

“There is nothing [which] puts a more serious frame into a man’s spirit than to know to know the worth and preciousness of time.” (Thomas Brooks, The Complete Works of Thomas Brooks, Volume 5, p. 11)
“Time lost can never be retrieved. Time cannot be hoarded, only spent well.” (Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, p. 94)

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The story is told of a man’s return to the doctor for a diagnosis. Sitting down, the doctor abruptly announced, “I have bad news and worse news.”

“What’s the bad news?” the bewildered patient blankly responded.

The doctor paused, “The bad news is that you only have twenty-four hours to live.”

The man leaped, spun around, arms flailing. “I can’t believe this,” the man shouted, “I’m not ready; I don’t have enough time! No! No! . . . If that’s the bad news, what could possibly be worst?”

“I forgot to call and give you the report yesterday.”

“Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right.” (Ecclesiastes 8:5b NLT)

You can’t just WANT to do something with your time; you must DISCIPLINE yourself to do something with your time. “The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, But the soul of the diligent is made fat.” (Proverbs 13:4 NASB) I always smile when I read Old Testament passages equating “fatness” with prosperity and success. American society reveres skinniness; Hebrew culture valued body fat. Here is Proverbs 13:4 more dynamically translated for today’s mindset, “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.” (NLT)

“The lazy person claims, ‘There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!’” (Proverbs 22:13 NLT) Unless there REALLY IS a lion out there! Or a shark?

“If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything and never harvest anything.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 GNT)

Don’t wait until the conditions are “perfect” or you are in the just the right mood. Feelings are unreliably fickle. Don’t let your emotions – anger, bitterness, sadness, insecurity, etc. – hold you hostage. Choose a constructive frame of mind; choose your attitude; choose to be productive now.

“Our task is not to bring order out of chaos, but to get work done in the midst of chaos.” (George Peabody) Work with the time you have.

This is part two of God’s Perspective on Time. To view part one, click “God Owns ALL – including Your Time“.

April 26, 2013

God Owns ALL – Including Your Time

Paul’s statement in 1 Corinthians 4:2 isn’t optional or simply a suggestion, God REQUIRES us to be faithful with the things He’s given to us. “Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2 NLT) What’s been entrusted? Treasure, Talent, and Time!

“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.” (Psalm 24:1 NLT)
“Look, the highest heavens and the earth and everything in it all belong to the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 10:14 NLT)

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Ultimately, God owns ALL – including your time. Do you have God’s perspective on time?

“My times are in Your hand.” (Psalm 31:15a NASB)

Time is a valuable earthly asset given by God but wise management requires God’s perspective on time. Without appropriate assessment, time is recklessly wasted. Like other assets, your time is owned by God, and you will give account for how you manage His stuff.

“No one has more time than you have. It is the discipline and stewardship of your time that is important. The management of time is the management of self; therefore if you manage time with God, he will begin to manage you.” (Jill Briscoe, Before You Say Amen, p. 15)

Most would easily agree that every giving decision is a spiritual decision, but do you realize every financial decision, every possession decision, and every time management decision is just as important as your giving decisions.

Of today’s 86,400 seconds, how many will you surrender to His Lordship? Sincere submission to Christ’s Lordship is more than simply asking “Lord, what do You want me to do with my time?” A more compelling question is “Lord, what I do with YOUR time?”

April 25, 2013

EGGSactly What You Need

Have you ever had an object lesson go bad? I mean, really badly? So badly that you were are left speechless?

Object lessons can be a great tool when communicating with kids and adults. The use of physical objects aids the retention of a message as proven in my brother’s applied research project for his doctorate. (That’s the reason, we call Barry “Dr. Barry”!) But sometimes, the chosen object can change the message in unintended ways.

In my years of ministry, I have used object lessons in chapels, children’s church, camps, mission trips, banquets, weddings, funerals, kindergarten graduations, and Sunday morning sermons. When something works well, I try to remember and save the object for future application. I have boxes (and shelves and piles and stacks) of objects, tools, illusions, and toys hidden away in my office. Patti calls it “junk”; I call it “ministry material”.

During a recent sports banquet for Valley Fellowship Christian Academy, I was asked to speak and so I once again dug into one of my boxes to find my “indestructible” eggs. Because they look so similar to real eggs, I have used them various ways – juggling them, throwing them, rolling them. Each time, the eggs helped me to get my points across.

At the banquet I threw the egg onto the tile floor of the fellowship hall, envisaging a surprised audience amazed by an unbroken egg – reminding my listeners that God’s power within them was greater than anything the world could throw at them.

“Dear children, you belong to God. So you have won the victory over these people, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4 GW)

First and foremost, you need to remove the grille with care, so that the fan attached to the grille is in intact condition and no wire comes out. canada levitra Availability of high quality medication at the wholesale viagra online cheapest prices has increased the rate of ED treatment. The rate of progression depends on the body delivering – and trapping – the blood in the penis by blocking the arteries that allow blood to flow into and out of the penis, damage to the nerves that send signals from the body’s central nervous system to the penis, and, more rarely, a deficiency in the affluent degree of order generic levitra donssite.com oxygen. The research team of Chicago helped with the evidence saying that men detected with diabetes are not interested in having sex. canadian pharmacy cialis Unfortunately, my egg had never faced this particular tile floor and I was left with metaphorical egg on my face.

I fully eggs-pected the egg to bounce, eggs-ept it didn’t. I’m no eggs-pert, but I will try to egg-splain. You’re hard boiled if you don’t chuckle at this, but omellete go and not take egg-fence. I’m not eggs-aggerating. I was eggs-tremely dumbfounded my egg eggs-ploded like the eggs I usually eggs-change from the carton to construct my eggs-tordinary lesson.

I’m not eggs-actly sure how I looked as I eggs-amined the thousands of egg fragments around my feet, but my failed eggs-periment really cracked up my daughter Kimberlyn. Patti saw my eggs-ruiciating eggs-pression, but Kimberlyn later said it was egg-citing. Perhaps, she thought it was eggs-actly what was needed to keep my speech from being eggs-austing. My thoughts were scrambled; my next point eggs-ited. Without eggs-ception, the audience’s attention eggs-pired, so I abruptly concluded – trying to eggs-tract what was left of my self-eggs-teem.

Eggs-amine your own object lesson and learn from my egg-ample. I pray your object lesson eggs-periences eggs-eed my eggs-ellent eggs-ample. I’ll be egg-tatic if you remember:

If you are empty on the inside, you are no match for a hard world. But, as a Christ-follower the Greater One is inside of you.

April 24, 2013

My Dad Died a Martyr’s Death

I still trust in God’s protection but my understanding about God’s care has grown. In the early 70’s, I lived with my parents while they served for three years as missionaries in Uganda during the evil regime of Idi Amin. Saudis liberally funded Amin’s attempt to make the nation Muslim. I was there as people lived and died for Jesus Christ.

Our family repeatedly was supernaturally protected while thousands and thousands of other faith-filled believers were being killed. When I was five and six years old, I thought it was normal to be stopped at roadblocks. It wasn’t strange to have heavily armed Ugandan militia surround my parents. I remember seeing machetes waved in my Dad’s face while AK-47s were pressed to the back of his neck. But, God intervened time and again.

It is paradoxical that twenty years later, a small caliber pistol would be used to kill my Dad just outside the Valley Fellowship Church offices – right here in the United States of America. On that hot August afternoon, the Lord’s hand of protection was obvious as other church staff, volunteers, and school students were safely shielded during the shooting.

Because Dad was a righteous pastor, he was targeted by a skinny lady with the malicious idea of pleasing satan. The Bible indicates some believers will be martyrs, and I believe that my dad died a martyr’s death. Dad was certainly not the last martyr to be targeted for loving Jesus Christ.

I still trust that God’s plans and purposes are good. As long as I live on earth there will be things that I do not fully understand about what God allows or commands, but I trust in God’s protection more now than I did before my father’s death.

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Perhaps the most common question I asked myself following Dad’s death was, “God, are you sure I learned all I was suppose to learn from my dad?” I frequently reminded myself that his death was not a surprise to God. I was surprised, but his death was no surprise to my Heavenly Father.

I found great encouragement and strength from God’s Word and from spending time in private worship. I had to personally deal with many questions following my dad’s death. Recognizing Dad was a Godly man, faithful husband, loving father and integral shepherd of our church, I knew there were no “open doors” for such an attack. I had to deal with the dilemma of how someone who is really righteous could be shot and killed by someone trying to please satan. I was forced to grapple with the reality that God’s plans may not always be my “preferred” plans.

My experience definitely changed the way I minister to suffering people. Yes, I grieved – all humans grieve when we miss something that we hold as valuable – but God comforted me in my grieving. Heavenly Father provided me with the grace and comfort I needed to go forward. My experience has given me a much deeper well of compassion for hurting individuals, and the comfort I received from the Lord has allowed me to minister to suffering people. I regularly sense a supernatural release of God’s comfort as I pray, releasing the comfort that I myself have received from the Lord, for other grieving individuals. I draw from the compassion and grace I needed in 1993 to minister God’s concern and care in 2013. The comfort I received, I pass along when praying–in congregational services, in hospital rooms, in funerals and memorials, in any situation where someone is in pain or sickness.

Today, April 24, is Jerry Simon’s birthday. I bet he’s celebrating it with friends in heaven. I remember Dad. I honor him. I miss him.