Hava-Cuppa-Joe

Jesus responded, “Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!”
Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.
Matthew 8:26

This story we’ve heard and read so many times…The Disciples caught in a storm see Jesus strolling toward them on the water. Peter asks if he can join Jesus on His stroll. Peter jumps out of the boat, looks at the storm, gets frightened, Jesus pulls him back and asks Peter why he was afraid, Jesus tells the storm to “sit down and be quiet”.

I can relate with Peter. Even though I know Jesus is with me always, I still have sleepless nights from anxiety, worry, and, yes, fear. The enemy likes to come whisper into our hearts, spreading his lies that Abba doesn’t REALLY have everything under control. And in my weakness, I begin to wonder and THAT is all the enemy wants…for us to be even a little afraid, anxious, stressed, depressed.

“How am I going to make it through the month?”

“What if my I get sick?”

“Why can’t I seem to do ANYTHING right?”

“What if I lose everything?”

Jesus is right here with us gently asking: “Why are you so afraid?” He’s not rebuking us, He’s pointing out that, as Abba’s children, He WILL take care of us.

Consider this:

Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear.
It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.
1 John 4:18

What would happen if, every time we realize we are experiencing Stress, Anxiety, Fear and/or Depression, we stop…drop…and give it to Abba?

“Holy Abba…he’s at it again trying to tell me YOU don’t have everything in Your plan. Please SHUT HIM UP! Thank You for Your loving plans for me. Thank You for protecting me. Wrap me in YOUR armor of love! Grant me YOUR peace and protection! In Jesus’ Name and in His Blood!”

Be careful what you think,
because your thoughts run your life.
Proverbs 4:23

I remember learning about an impregnable castle that had stood undefeated for a hundred years. No matter how many armies tried, it never fell. Until… someone figured it out. The invading army was relatively small. They set up camp just out of arrow shot of the walls. During the day, the army would simply practice their fighting skills. At night, they would engage in normal soldier raucousness.

The soldiers manning the castle walls would spend day after day guarding their posts with staunch discipline.

Finally, the day came when the commander of the invading army approached the castle walls demanding the castle surrender or be destroyed. The castle guards laughed. The commander said, “Can’t say I didn’t warn you.” And went back to his camp.

That very night, at the moment of the changing of the guards, there was a muffled “WHUMP” near the castles walls. Within seconds the walls began to crumble and break apart. The invading army had conquered the undefeatable. How? All this time, they had been digging tunnels toward the walls. They had placed large barrels of gunpowder right against the base of the walls. The changing of the guard was their cue to fire the barrels. When they exploded, the walls came crumbling down. Subtle…yet effective.

This is the same tactic our enemy uses on our thoughts. We become complacent thinking our thoughts are incorruptible. We read our Bibles, memorize Scripture, pray, until it becomes just another habit. Perhaps we decide to take a day off to watch games all day. Perhaps we see pictures we shouldn’t but we don’t look away. Perhaps we hear some piece of gossip. We let our defenses down until our castle is ready to crumble.

How do I know this? I just described myself. When I became complacent, my mind lost focus on what is important and started to worry about things I should have turned over to Abba (and left them with Him). GUARD your hearts and minds. In this we must become relentless. We must encourage each other. Abba didn’t bring us into His family so we could go it alone! It’s time to snap to and rebuild the walls!

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:5-11

Over the course of my existence thus far, I have had the privilege to meet all kind of people. There are some who are very easy to love and then there are the “porcupine people” who, for whatever reason, just make my head and heart hurt. Permit me to explain, some people have been taught that in order to survive in this world, you must have “attitude” or you’ll never make it. “Attitude” are the porcupine quills always in defensive mode. Always challenging everything and everyone. But look what the Apostle Paul is telling the people of Philippi: “You must take on the attitude of Christ.”

Abba didn’t have to send Him. Jesus already knew how His earthly life would go, yet He came anyway. Not as a warrior or a king. He came as a servant. That did not make Him weak…it made Him relatable. As a servant, He taught the Intellectual Giants in the Synagogue at age 12. As a servant, people were drawn to Him. As a servant, He touched lives no one else wanted to. As a servant, people actually listened to Him. As a servant, He washed the feet of the Disciples. He was invited into the homes of the rich, powerful, and sinful. And as a servant, He was obedient to Abba to accept the death He did not deserve. And now, as a servant, He invites us to be servants with Him.

I have mentioned before that 2003 has had a number of challenges: health, disappointment, discouragement being among them. Yet regardless of this, Abba constantly reminded me to turn everything over to Him. He reminds me continually that He cares for and loves and provides…BUT He will not force it on me. Abba never forces His gifts on us, because they are FREE!

Think about what is written in James 5:13-16:

Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray.

Are any of you happy? You should sing praises.

Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

My point is this: Talk with Abba! And more importantly…LISTEN to Him.

To all who need to hear this today:

THIS note from Captain Joey Pellicci has been a source of encouragement.

Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple.

A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees

brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him,

but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”

“No, Lord,” she said.

And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
John 8:1-11

This is perhaps one of my favorite stories in Scripture. Every time I read it and meditate on it, I learn things.

For example:

· The “religious leaders” were bound and determined to make a HUGE show of this incident in hopes of humiliating Jesus into condemning the woman. After all…she was caught “IN THE VERY ACT” of adultery. She was ashamed, humiliated, and knew she was going to be stoned to death for that act.

· The “religious leaders” came at Jesus like a pack of wolves. Barking at Him “HOW SAY YOU?” Thinking they had Him in a no-win situation.

· Jesus merely started writing in the dust. He didn’t immediately respond to the barking wolves (who probably already had their “kill stones” in hand).

· When Jesus did respond, He was calm yet firm. “Whoever of you who is WITHOUT SIN, throw the first stone.” Then He went back to writing in the dirt.

· Remember, this is happening in PUBLIC in full view of the crowds. In today’s society, there would be cellphones out and filming this entire incident including the humiliation of the “religious leaders.”

Once the “religious leaders” had slunk away in disgrace…

Here’s what hit me:

· The woman never asked Jesus for forgiveness. She was ashamed and had, most likely, condemned herself. Something I am guilty of at times. I feel too ashamed to ask Abba for forgiveness.

· God IS love! And because of that love, He gave Jesus as our sacrifice to cleanse us.

· Jesus asked her where were her accusers. She answered, probably through tears and trembling voice, there were none.

· Pay close attention to the next words of Jesus: “Neither do I condemn you. Go and do not do THIS sin again.”

· What joy do you think filled this woman’s soul to know that she had been forgiven! How do you feel knowing that you are not only forgiven but loved beyond measure?

Thank Abba for His gift of forgiveness through Christ!

Today, instead of using a picture with Scripture, use your imagination (such as the voice of James Earl Jones). Also, emphasis mine.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

Where does your treasure lie?

For some their treasure is in their job.

For some their treasure is their children.

For some their treasure is in their bank account.

For others their treasure is in their music.

For still others their treasure is in their home and possessions.

Whatever you treasure is where your heart will be found.

Think about the greatest treasure that Christ gave us on the cross.

Abba saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Ephesians 2:8

At Christmas we like to give gifts to those we care about.
Grace is the unmerited gift Abba gives us.
Abba saved you by HIS grace!
We couldn’t earn it.
We didn’t deserve it.
We can’t take credit for it.
When we believed, Abba bestowed His free gift on us.
And for that, I will be forever grateful!

I didn’t deserve it. I didn’t earn it. I can NEVER take credit for it.

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31

I’m not the most patient person in the world, as my Bride can attest. I get impatient, even irritable having to wait. I don’t like getting stuck behind a slow driver. I don’t like chess, because there’s a lot of looking and waiting. I don’t like waiting behind the person at the pharmacy who insists on tell the pharmacist their life story and about every medication they’ve ever taken.

So when I read this verse for the umpteenth time, I asked Abba to show me why waiting is so important. I told Abba that He knows I’m not good at waiting. Guess what image and question He gave me? “When you are hungry, do you eat the roast raw?” My answer was simple: “Of course not. It has to cook.” Then it hit me…Abba’s plans are like that. Everything has to be in place and READY. That was like a finger poke to my forehead.

My Bride and I adopted a mix dog named Piglet (she makes a LOT of pig grunting noises and is ALWAYS hungry). I found myself getting impatient with her because she likes to wander into my crochet yarn while I’m working on a BUBBA. My ever patient Bride (who puts up with me) reminded me that Piglet doesn’t understand because she hasn’t been with us long enough and she just wants my attention.

I don’t know about you, but I’m slowly (after 61 years) to wait for all the pieces of Abba’s plan to be ready so I can soar like an eagle instead of squeal like an angry pig.

We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus,
the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him,
he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Hebrews 12:2

Remember when the Disciples got caught in the storm crossing the Sea of Galilee? Jesus came walking out to them. They thought He was a ghost until He spoke. Peter said “If it is truly you, let me walk out to you.” Jesus invited him to step out of the boat and walk over. All went well until Peter took his eyes off of Jesus. Yet Jesus reached down and rescued Peter.

We will be tempted to become distracted from Jesus, and we will sink. We may sink into depression. We may sink into the job. We may sink into temptations of all sorts. Yet when we, as the old hymn says, Turn Our Eyes Upon Jesus, He will rescue us

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, 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.
Hebrews 12:1

I’m not a runner by any stretch of the imagination. I’m more of a clumsy oaf running in clown shoes, but there’s that. But something I have noticed about runners is the fact they are focused. Seldom have I ever seen a runner get distracted by those behind or around them. They are pin point focused on the goal. And so should we! Our life is not a sprint…it’s a marathon. If we get distracted we will trip up.

I remember during rifle training, our range instructor would walk up behind us just as the target popped up and flick someone’s ear causing their shot to go where it shouldn’t. Then he would call for all of us to the bleachers to remind us that when we get distracted our shot “will NOT HIT THE TARGET!” And we’d spend the next several hours breaking down our weapons and cleaning them.

The same applies to our lives. When we lose our focus, we will miss the mark!

Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
Proverbs 4:23

There’s an old saying of my Gramma: “Be careful what you put in the soup.” I will be honest, people laugh at this, but I am highly allergic to onions. I performed a wedding a few weeks ago and they had the tastiest Barbecue…until I got home and my stomach reminded me that I am allergic. Put me down for two days.

We have to be careful what we allow into our hearts and our minds! What we allow in may come out later in the most unfortunate ways. Be careful what we see on Social Media. Be careful what we watch on television or the movies. Be careful what we listen to. Be careful what we allow in! Guard your hearts and minds!

This is the day the Lord has made.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Last year saw some real health challenges for me and for my bride, yet we are grateful to have seen each day through. Which brought to mind today’s verse. The part that stuck out for me the most were the words ‘THIS is the day the Lord has made.” And it reminded me of a sermon I heard many years ago in which the speaker emphasized the phrase “THIS DAY.” Think about it.

Yesterday is gone…we don’t live there anymore.

Tomorrow is not here…we don’t live there yet.

THIS DAY is the one Abba has given for us to rejoice and be glad in.

What do we do with this day?

Encourage others THIS DAY.

Love each other THIS DAY.

Help each other THIS DAY.

Pray for and with others THIS DAY.

Thank Abba for allowing you to live in THIS DAY.

Just something to ponder on THIS DAY.

God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
Psalm 46:1-3

Though the earth may fall apart and chaos become a diversion, keep your heart focused on Abba the author and finisher of our peace.

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
1 Corinthians 14:33

I have caught myself reading the news and getting agitated by what I read. Abba is not the source of agitation. Abba brings peace. Our enemy stirs up chaos as he has done from the very beginning. Our focus should be on the Author and Finisher of our peace!

In times of turmoil, look to Abba for peace instead of all the turmoil surrounding us. Turmoil distracts us from Abba’s peace!

God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9

I had a classmate in school who used to brag about everything. To listen to them you would think they were the greatest person to ever grace this planet. They would brag about even the smallest things. Yet according to today’s passage, Abba has so arranged our salvation to that it is a free gift from Him to us. We can’t brag about “Look what I did” because Abba did it…we didn’t.

Think back to when you accepted Christ. You were, like me, drawn to Him. I didn’t stroll up to His door and let myself in. He touched me and that instilled the need to surrender everything to Him. Grace is undeserved favor. We didn’t do anything to warrant it. We didn’t manufacture it. We didn’t have enough to buy it. Abba, through Christ, drew us to Him by His grace!

This passage is one of those that poked me right between the eyes. I’m a stumbler. Ask my Bride. There are times I can’t even walk into the kitchen without bumping into something or almost falling. But I also stumble in my thoughts and in my heart. And here’s the part I am SO grateful for, when I stumble (not “if” I stumble), Abba is so attentive to every detail of my life that He reminds me that I have stumbled and provides forgiveness and guidance.

I remember playing Hide-and-Seek with my daughter when she was a toddler. She would stand in the middle of the floor with her eyes closed and just giggle because she thought if she couldn’t see me then I couldn’t see her. This morning I realized how many times I do the exact thing. I think I can hide from Abba. I think I can hide my thoughts and my intentions from Him. I think He’s not always everywhere. And I am SO wrong!

There is no place we can go where Abba isn’t. There are no thoughts that He doesn’t already know. There are no words we can whisper that He doesn’t already know! Wherever we go, Abba is already there. That idea absolutely terrified me because I am fully aware of my own sinfulness and the thought that Abba already knows…and yet, He loves me, forgives me, protects me, and wants to have a relationship with me. With even me!

When the Apostle Paul reminded us to “Pray without ceasing” I believe he had this passage in mind. Prayer is a conversation we have with the Creator, Sustainer, Protector and Provider of all things. Prayer is a conversation we have with the Spirit of Endless Love. Prayer is the conversation with have with the one who sent His ONLY Son to this world to take our sins on Him. Prayer isn’t a quick “much obliged” offered to some entity who may or may not care about us. It is an ongoing intimate conversation with the One who loves us in spite of ourselves.

Ponder that with me for a bit.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander,
as well as all types of evil behavior.
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32

One of the most amazing feelings is being the recipient of a random act of kindness. One of the best acts of kindness is to forgive. It’s easy to become bitter, angry, hateful. Why? Because it’s our natural sinful response to interactions with others. It takes true strength to be kind to someone who has hurt us. It is a true mark of fortitude to be able to forgive. It takes incredible effort to be tenderhearted to someone who we don’t believe they deserve such a gift.



I was pondering today’s passage and the part the smacked me right between the eyes is the past part “Forgiving one another, JUST AS GOD THROUGH CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN YOU.” I began to think about those whom I needed to forgive, those I need to show kindness, those who need kindness, those who need tenderheartedness shown to them. Because I am in need of these every moment of every day. I can’t speak for anyone else except me, but my prayer has started to include “and Abba, show me those who need to see you through me today.” And guess what? Abba will bring people to mind