Who Wrote That? 

Greetings dear reader,

Are you like me? Sometimes asking yourself; where did that come from? I have a cherished Christian brother that "sees" less of himself than what others see of him through their eyes; in his mind his prayers, actions towards others, spiritual growth, etc., are less than what God is expecting of him because of his judgmental nature. I suggest being aware of a weakness is the first step towards fixing it.

      I believe many of us walk in a lack of discernment of when/how our father God has answered our prayer of needing spiritual enlightenment.

     I was attending a recent Bible study facilitated by this gentleman when he shared the beginning words of a song of love that was on his heart that he never completed because he couldn't find the words to do so. The starting words are: "Lord let your light so shine through me, that I'm impossible to see. When others look my way, they'll see Jesus." My heart opened to this man's written word that God had given him his answer many years ago, the song is complete! My friend, as all of us must put love in our heart as the first foundation towards complete unity with our father God. I quote from the Bible:

John13:34-35

"As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

1Corinthians 13 v 4-8

" Love is patient, love is kind. It does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."

Ephesians 5:2

"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

     My friend has the direction that God put on his heart to write many years ago, as the great apostle Paul said, die to self, I suggest when we do, let us be reborn with the heart of Jesus, a servant's heart.

All blessings, Joe the "Senior"

ANY QUESTIONS? HERE"S THE ANSWER

Greetings all,
     as we walk through our life with all it's highs and lows,joys and sorrows,have you ever asked yourself,like me,why am I here,what's my purpose,my impact,my defining word,defining action,Gods plan,the "end" game?Wouldn't it be wonderful if you had a mentor in your life that could clarify all of these questions and more,as a matter of fact,answer the ones you hadn't even thought to ask yet?
Here comes "THE GOOD NEWS."WE DO!!Here comes JESUS when you "Pick up the shovel" and make the decision to accept his guidance, brought to you with everlasting,immaculate love.
     I want to discuss in his own words why I can say he is all you need now and forever!Let's see what he had to say about himself.I will ask the question and Jesus will give the answer.

.Why are you here?
From the book of John,chapter3v16,17 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

.I want eternal life,what do I need to do?
From the book of John,chapter6v29 "The work of God is this;to believe in the one he has sent".
 Book of John,chapter3v3"I tell you the truth,no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again".

.Next question:what happens when I believe in you ,accept you in my spiritual heart,ask you to forgive my sins,and totally recognize you as my Lord and Savior,in other words,be spiritually born again?

From the book of John,chapter6v37-40"All that the Father gives me,and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me .And this is the will of him who sent me,that I shall lose none of all that he has given me,but raise them up on the last day.For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life,and I will raise him up on the last day".

Wow,such a gift from your love for me!Thank you.Now what do I do?

From the book of John,chapter14v8,12-17"This is to my Fathers glory,that you bear much fruit,SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES.My command is this:love each other as I have loved you.Greater love has no one than this,that he lay down his life for his friends.You are my friends if you do what I command.I no longer call you servants,because A servant does not know his masters business.Instead I have called you friends,for EVERYTHING I have learned from my Father I have made known to you .You did not choose me,I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.Then the Father WILL GIVE YOU WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME.This is my command:TO LOVE EACH OTHER".

My questions are over.How about you dear reader?Don't you want to be a disciple?

     My son,Joe and I were talking earlier today and we agreed Jesus wants us to have a living,breathing relationship with him.I suggest,a starting point is to know how he thought by knowing what he said."Pick up the shovel" start reading the bible .Understand he is waiting for you to make the move toward him.His arms are wide open,know his answers come from his love for you.
What great joy awaits you.
                             Continued blessings in his name,Joe

     

The Ultimate Contract

Greetings to all,
     I haven't posted in a while,not because I have nothing to say[my family and friends know better}.Toni and I have been busy with the end process of life.We were with Toni's father Frank for 3 months in Ohio loving,supporting and helping Frank transition from this life to his eternal reward.We spent two weeks in Arizona attending the memorial for my brother-in-law Ed,spending quality time with my sister Joan,Ed's wife,and their family,sharing the joy that Ed's pain and suffering are at an end and he ,like Frank,is praising and glorifying our Father God,His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit for all of eternity,thank you Jesus! We also spent great times with Toni's niece Randy Ann and her family,Christians all. My son Joe flew in to Arizona on business and he had an opportunity to spend time with his aunt Joan, his cousins,topped off with dinner with Toni and I to celebrate my 70th birthday.Joy mixed with sorrow,is that not the process of our life?
     Joan was sharing with me all of the paperwork she had to sign to complete the legal process of Ed's passing,I related with what she said after seeing Toni go through the same process on Frank's passing.Medical,social security,legal,funeral,etc.etc.All contracts to complete and finalize.
     Now the heart of the reason for this letter;WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE CONTRACT TO COMPLETE? We hear many times,particularly,in Christian conversations,God has a plan for you!I want you to consider the following as God's bottom line plan for all of us;our Father God says believe I exist,created all things,sent my son Jesus to die for your sins,to invite Jesus into your heart,ask Jesus to forgive your sins,and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.IF you do this,I your Father God promise you ETERNAL LIFE!I believe that is God's eternal contract  available to every one of his creation.
The word of God,the bible says;I quote from the NIV study bible:John chapter 5v24"Ïtell you the truth,WHOEVER hears my word and BELIEVES HIM who sent me has eternal life and will cross over from death to life".John chapter 6v29"The work of God is this:TO BELIEVE IN THE ONE HE HAS SENT".Are you looking for the ultimate contract to sign,to live by,to see come to fruition,I say sign me up Father God!I will read and follow the "fine print,"your word,the bible,to keep my end of the contract for all the rest of my life.At the end of my earthly life,I will be signed,sealed,and delivered to you,just as you promised.You are my heavenly Father,I want to spend eternity with you in your house.How about you,dear reader?Are you ready to sign THE ULTIMATE CONTRACT?
All blessings to you on your journey to Him.
With Christian love,Joe
    

Franks Transition Is Complete.

Greetings,
My father-in-law,Frank Heck, made the transition from this life to his eternal reward at 6:00 p.m. Sunday 9/09.
     As a reflection on his life ,I want to share a story of two men,[Frank and Jesus the Nazarene] and an attitude of a "servants heart".
The first man in this story is Frank Heck ,and the legacy he left behind as seen through the eyes of several people who knew him for a substantial part of his life,or in the case of his daughter Toni ,and one of his grandchildren,RandyAnn all of theirs.
Ferd grew up in the neighbor hood with Frank.Owen came into Frank's life in the 9th grade.These men remained a major part of Frank's life right up to the burial of their dear friend.In answering the question as to why Frank remained their closest friend for so many years,their answer was eloquent in its simplicity;Frank left a legacy of loyalty,trust,honesty,and NEVER said a negative word about anyone,also,my interpretation from their words,Frank possessed a "servants heart".By the way,a consistent theme from everyone who knew him;from the post office men,Dan and Brett,where Frank worked right up to the DAY he was taken to the hospital ,to the ladies at the Dorcas Library of Carey,where Frank worked for over 25 yrs.Owen shared with me that Frank's passing was a 3 dimension event in his life;the passing of his youth,his connection to his home town of Carey,and most sadly,he lost his closest "bud".Toni will always carry in her heart ,a father that loved her unconditionally,no matter where or what was happening in her life ,never questioning,always answering.Randy Ann;the patient and loving answers from a grandfather who took the time to let her know ,from a little girl to a grown woman that she was important to him.Pam ,Shari and Randy,the stepchildren,to know that Frank,as Pam said it,"Frank made us feel as he loved us as his own".
     The most important part of this story is;the part where Frank found Jesus the Nazarene in his life through the ministry of Billy Graham,one of the most known evangelists of our time  and culminated in the giving of himself to Jesus,our lord and savior, at the kitchen table ,with his beloved daughter Toni and me several years ago.All glory to God!
     Jesus was the only man that said "I am God,You will kill me and three days later,I will come back from the dead,and he DID.That is why we have faith in being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.I quote from his word,the bible,John chapter 5v24"I tell you the truth,whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will cross over from death to life".John chapter 6v29"The work of God is this:to believe in the one he has sent".
Frank has made the transition,he trusted and believed Jesus told the truth,John chapter 3v16 "for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".
    When are you going to be able to say,I have been transformed to a new person,I believe in the words of Jesus the Nazarene?Frank Heck; a legacy indeed!
I am praying for all blessings on your journey towards YOUR eternal reward,Joe

   
   
   
   

Have You Seen Ed?He Was Just Here!

Greetings,
     One of my brothers-in-law Ed, is in the end stages of Alzheimer disease;a terrible,debilitating to both mind and body scourge for the person;and a physical sapping,faith challenging, trial for the family.
Eds mind is not there for us anymore.Where is it?Where has it gone?The only answer for some people is, we don't know,and we will never know.Can there be another truth,another answer,another something?You be the judge;based on the following experience my sister Joan,Eds wife, shared with me today.I want to give you some background,we have been praying that in spite of what we see,that our father God is letting Ed know, in his spiritual heart, that He is with him, and will never leave him. Jesus said,in Matthew,chapter11.vs29 and 30"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me ,for I am gentle and humble in heart,and you will find rest for your souls,for my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
     Ed, most often,  does not recognize Joan or his children.He does not speak coherently,however,this is what he said to my sister.'I want to go through the gate"My sister asked ;is there a light?Ed replied,"yes,it is beautiful,there are many people there."Is our prayer being answered?Is father God letting us know that we are not to worry?Is Ed protected by his promise,he will never leave us?God says his love for us is all encompassing ,does that mean Ed has spiritual peace?Psalm 23;verse4"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death ,I will fear no evil,for you are with me,your rod and your staff,they comfort me".
As a Christian,I believe Ed is being comforted by our God as he goes through this valley, the end of his earthly life.Who are we to poo-poo what we don't know,and not grasp what our father God 's word tells us?
   I pray for Ed,Joan and their family,when God speaks to us ,let's discern his truth from our unwillingness to hear it.Where is Ed?Where God wants him:In his arms.
May you find God's eternal truth in your walk through this life. Joe

Let Me Be Frank;About Frank

Greetings,
     My wife Toni and I are in Ohio visiting and caring for her father Frank,whom has various types of cancer throughout his body.The doctors give him anywhere from 3 to 6 months to live.
     Toni and I are comforted by the fact that Frank is a born again Christian, and with his body breaking down ,he is ready to leave this life and start his eternal one with Father God,his son Jesus,and the Holy Spirit.
     The purpose of this letter is to share with you,from my perspective, the legacy that Frank will leave behind.My vocation in life caused me to live in various states in my career and to travel to many company retail stores throughout the United States sharing my expertise to "partner"in  their continued success.I met and worked with many company executives all the way up to the CEO;also ,I was very active in various community areas which caused me to meet many community leaders and various politicians, to include the president of the United States.I am only sharing my experience background to give some validity to my comments about my father-in-law Frank Heck,valid observations,in my opinion.
     Frank has lived all of his 84 years in a little village called Carey Ohio,a community of approximately 4500 people ,with Toledo,Ohio 45 minutes to the north,and Columbus,Ohio,the state capital,one hour to the south.
Frank had a typical upbringing in an agricultural setting that remains basically unchanged to this day.He graduated from Carey high school in 1946,he served in the navy during world war 2[he doesn't know how to swim,pretty ironic,:)],he returned to Carey and had various jobs including,owning his own garbage pick up business,his own dry cleaning store, drove a school bus for the Carey school system for 20 some years,was a janitor for the same system ,head custodian for the Carey library,and lastly,CONTINUES to be employed at the Carey post office.Frank is, and I quote from the ladies at the Dorcas public library at his retirement gathering"One of the most knowing people on the ins and outs of Carey's most successful businesses and influential citizens".He has been inducted into the Carey High School Hall of fame, and is considered a man of trust and integrity by the whole of Carey,Ohio.
     The Bible says,and I quote from Mark ch8vs36,37"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,yet forfeit his soul?Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?"
I frankly say that Frank Heck has gained the love of the whole community of Carey Ohio,because of the generosity of his being, and Father God will welcome his soul to be with him for all of eternity. I also, am frankly proud to say I am the son-in-law of Frank Heck,a man to be emulated.
Until next time,all blessings to you,Joe

What Is The BB Club?

Greetings all,
     The transformation of my life from an "earthly"driven life to a" spirit" filled life has evolved over a period of time as I matured in my Christian faith.
     I promised our Father God that whatever amount of time I have left on this earth,I would spend it giving Him honor and glory by using my "gifts" to bring more of His children to Him .I asked the Holy Spirit to help me prepare my heart to listen to Him  as He guides me to fulfill God's plan for me.It was time for me to "pick up the shovel"and make myself available to see the opportunities.I have been teaching a Bible study at one of our manufactured home parks,I have been involved in my home church, Faith Assembly of God,He has given me a servants heart to follow through wherever the leadership felt I was needed.The heart to expand beyond the church family along with my brother in Christ, Mr.Ted Gaines.Our prayers are being answered as we recognize and develop new ministries involving other faith based organizations.We are starting a "Living Free"series Monday at our local mens Teen Challenge.We are in conversation with Lee County Correctional Center to start a program from" F.amilies I.n T.raining " out of Bradenton Florida.A program for men that are in the transitional phase towards being released into society.There is much opportunity and I am in a hurry.I humbly ask for your prayers as Ted and I embark on this journey.
     What does all this have to do with a BB club?What is a BB club?It all has to do with my being transformed {see first sentence}The BB club is this:
                                      "We are Blessed by the grace of God
                                        We are a Blessing by emulating Jesus."
This is the "Club" I want to belong to ;I recognize the wonderful gift of eternal life our Father God has given us through his son Jesus"s death on the cross;by his stripes,by his grace. I want to be a blessing by emulating Jesus for the rest of my earthly life.{recognizing the spirit is willing ,the flesh is weak},However,I will stay the course.
     Have you been transformed by his saving grace?Are you not blessed?Don't you want to emulate Jesus?If you answered yes to these three questions,you are a practicing member of the "BB Club".
For those of you who know me,you will hear me sharing the fact that you are a BB person,as I see you emulating Jesus through your words and actions.Now you know what it means.Let's spread the word!
                                                      With Christian love,Joe

I'm a Miracle;Why are You so Surprised?

Greetings,
     According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary a miracle is:
     1.an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.
     2.an extremely outstanding or unusual event,thing,or accomplishment.
   
What does this definition have to do with me or,for that matter,you?
      I know that without a study of God's word, our being "born again"by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior,asking forgiveness of our sins,and inviting Him into our hearts bringing the Holy Spirit to live within us could seem like an experience yes;not the life changing,I GET TO LIVE FOREVER
     I want to ask this question:why do you not wake up EVERY DAY,no matter what is going on in your life,with great joy because of the miracle of your choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior that through His grace,you are going to LIVE FOREVER?Does this not meet the definition of a miracle?Are you not a miracle walking because of what our Father God has done for us through His Son Jesus?We believe in God,do we believe His word?Here is what Jesus said;and I quote from the book of John chapter3v16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son,that WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE".We say we believe him,are you walking it?Talking it?Standing tall with his truth?or do you sometime wonder if you are really going to heaven ?He does not change his mind,only you can change yours,to follow or not follow.I submit the insecurity we have regards the question,am I going comes from a lack of knowledge of his word.He said it,WHAT DON"T YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHAT HE SAID?
     For those of you reading this letter who haven't concerned themselves with what happens when you leave this earth,I would suggest this is the most important question to find the answer to in your entire life!Research for the answer,work at finding the answer yourself,don't make "light" of the single most important miracle that will ever happen to you!
     I pray that you will experience the miracle of God's love for you,Joe

I Want To Be A Godly Hero

Hi All,
     I had a dream last night where I was the hero ,you know,scored the winning basket in the basketball game,saved the family from the villain,etc..I believe most of us,certainly boys, grow up wanting to be the hero.
     I want to share with you today the fact that I want to be a different kind of hero;a "Godly" hero.I want you to also recognize that all of us have the same opportunity to be a "Godly hero.
     In a previous letter I asked the question"What are you preparing for?',my answer was ,we need to be preparing for eternity.This letter can be a starting guide on how to ensure our eternity will be filled with love and joy spending it with our Father God ,Jesus and the Holy Spirit .I refer from the bible,Hebrews,chapter11commonly referred to as the faith chapter.
     The first step in being a Godly hero is to have Faith in what God tells us, verse1"Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see".
verse5""By Faith Enoch was taken from this life,so that he did not experience death"
verse7"By Faith Noah,when warned about things not yet seen,in holy fear built an ark to save his family"
verse8"By Faith Abraham,when called to go a place he would later receive as his inheritance,obeyed and went,even though he did not know where he was going".
These are some examples of Faith in God's word please read chapter 11 for more examples.
     The second step is to be Commended by God;verse4"By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.By faith he was Commended as a righteous man ,when God spoke well of his offerings,and by faith he still speaks,even though he is dead."
continuing with verse5"Enoch could not be found,because God had taken him away.For before he was taken ,he was Commended as one who pleased God.And without faith it is impossible to please God,because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who earnestly seek him".
     The third step is to believe in Creationism verse3"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command,so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible".
     The fourth step is "This world was not worthy of them".verse7continues"By faith Noah when warned about things not yet seen,in holy fear built an ark to save his family.By his faith he CONDEMNED the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith."
     To review:
Believe in Creationism,God created ALL things,your 25% on your way to being a Godly hero.
Have Faith in God's word,by reading his word consistently."If you want to know me,know my word"your 50% on your way to being a Godly hero.
Be Commended by God,please know you are Commended by God when you follow his commandments,when you emulate his son,Jesus every day of your life.Your 75% on your way to being a Godly hero.
THE WORLD IS NOT WORTHY OF YOU when you follow what God says,the 10 commandments,emulating Jesus.Your 100% on your way to being a Godly hero.
     Please know,you are going to fall down,that does not take away your potential to be a Godly hero,just as it did not the heroes of the bible.
     I welcome all that are near Faith Assembly of God church in N.Ft.Myers,Fla. to join us for an in depth study of Hebrews chapter 11 each Sunday evening at 5:30-7:00pm through our Living Free ministry.
I pray each of you have found the spiritual truth of God's word in your life,God bless each of you,Joe
    

My Two Sense Worth!

Greetings all,
I received a message from my cousin Tony regards one of my posts where I referred to the impetus to write the letter came from the "Spirit"in my heart;my cousin suggested it was common sense.I have not taken the time to have a dialogue about his thoughts compared to mine,however,it did cause me to wake up at 3:30 the next morning where something-"spirit sense" or "common sense" suggested to me that I write a letter regarding the difference between the two senses.Knowing how my brain works,I know the "Spirit" in my heart was gently leading me to research the difference between the two
Common sense is defined by Merriam-Webster as "sound and prudent judgment based on a simple perception of the situation or facts."
There are many scriptures in the Bible concerning the "Spirit,spiritual discernment and knowledge of the spirit.For example, in 1Corinthians chap.2v13-14 the Apostle Paul writes"This is what we speak,not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit,expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God,for they are foolish to him,and he cannot understand them,because they are spiritually discerned."Later in 1Corinthians chap.12v1-11 Paul writes;"There are different kinds of gifts,but the same Spirit.There are different kinds of service,but the same Lord.There are different kinds of working,but the same God works all of them in ALL men.Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom,to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,to another faith by the same Spirit,to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,to another miraculous powers,to another prophecy,to another distinguishing between spirits,to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,and to still another the interpretation of tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit,and he gives them to each one,just as he determines."
Common sense can be a quick study;for example ,if someone says to you "don't put your finger on a hot stove,you will get burned" and you don't believe ,and do it because of your non belief; after your "OUCH,THAT HURTS",you will have common sense not to do it again.Spiritual sense takes a different path,you must know God through His word in the Bible,you must believe and have faith in what He says and receive the truth of his word through the Spirit that sits within us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.In other words there is nothing "common"about our spiritual sense,we receive it through the grace of God.
Until next time,God bless you on your walk towards Him,Joe

Thank You Father,For Your Patience

Greetings All,Thank you Caroline,
I was having Bible study with the "Boys" several weeks ago, we were having a discussion of how our earthly life, as we know it, is quickly coming to an end.It sure seems that we are hurtling towards the end times!One of the men stated that he wanted our Savior to come back right now and with all"saved" Christians would experience the great Rapture and we will be with our Lord for all eternity.
Later on that day the Spirit put on my heart how selfish all of us were at that breakfast!Jesus said"I tell you the truth,no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again"John3V3."For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son,that whoever BELIEVES in Him shall NOT perish but have eternal life"John3V16.Jesus continued in John11V25"I am the resurrection and the life.He who believes in me will live,even though he dies,and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.Do you believe this?A "born again"Christian believes His words,welcomes Him into our hearts and that by His death on the cross our sins are forgiven and we are "saved " by His grace.Why are we selfish?God,our Father wants to save ALL His children through the blood of His Son;just because we are ready we would fore-go this precious gift to all non-believers?How selfish!
I thank God for having me see His light!In 2PeterV9"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise,as some understand slowness.He is patient with you ,not wanting ANYONE to perish,but everyone to come to repentance"
I say thank you Father for your patience.
Until next time ,as the word says,"make every effort to be found spotless,blameless and at peace with Him".
With all blessings,Joe

Jesus ,The Man Said"Let This Cup Pass From Me."

Greetings,
Have you ever thought that you have had enough,You couldn't handle any more,the affliction was more than you could bear,the trial of fire was beyond your capabilities to get through it?The Biblical quote pertaining to what Jesus asked His Father was from Matt:Ch.26v39"O my Father,if it be possible,let this cup pass from me:nevertheless not as I will,but as thou wilt."This passage comes from the night in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus knew they were coming for Him to die on the cross for our sins.In verse41 Jesus says to His disciples"Watch and pray,that ye enter not into temptation:the spirit is indeed willing,but the flesh is weak."Verse42"O my Father,if this cup may not pass away from Me,except I drink it,thy will be done."It is important to note that the HUMAN Jesus knew what His "flesh body"was going to go through and did what?Asked His Father to take this task from Him if it was possible!From time to time I have been beating myself up for being weak,lacking faith,not trusting God enough to see me through the consequences to my body of radiation and chemotherapy in order to reach my body's healing point.My "flesh" is beginning to feel the debilitating effects of the treatment.The Holy Spirit put on my heart to go to these passages in the Bible;certainly NOT to compare my trial with what Jesus went through for us,however,to understand that even God the Son,because He was made "flesh",as us,and knew what His body was about to go through asked to be released from His trial of fire.God the Father,however,had the big picture in mind;His Son's death on the cross would bring eternal life to all who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
What is the big picture for me?I believe it's very easy to praise our God when things are going smoothly.How much praise do we give God when we hit the rough patch?What are our prayers then?how strong is our faith?Do we fortify our foundation of His love for us by studying His word?Can we see the blessings our affliction can become if we turn our situation over to Him;and let Him show us the way to walk through our fire?I know that God is with me,I have experienced too many spiritual awakenings during this trial to think otherwise,however,my spirit is willing ,my flesh is weak.The Holy Spirit reminded me of all the things I have been led to do from the beginning of this affliction; starting a journal focusing on finding God's immaculate word through the Bible, writing a blog to share my experiences[I/you do not walk alone],teaching a weekly morning class sharing my "walk"both earthly and spiritual with others.In other words,I need to STOP beating myself up for my weaknesses and see the strength of God's love for me to carry me through.God is leading me to have my affliction be a blessing to others by showing me this life is nothing compared to eternal life with Him.
I/we need to recognize all disease is from sin.We are all going to leave this earthly life.We Christians have the faith of knowing God cannot lie and Jesus said '"I go to prepare a mansion for you in my Fathers house."I hope that you who read this letter can relate to my frailties as a human being with it's doubts and fears however,more importantly ,to take into your spiritual heart the truth of the necessary sacrifice that Jesus completed for us;even though His "flesh" was weak He stood firm on His Fathers' will.I/we need to remember our big picture;to prepare ourselves through God's word in order to spend eternity with Him.
Until next time,with Christian love,Joe

The Clean Slate/No Eraser Needed

Greetings,
I was laying in bed this morning letting my mind wander,not thinking about anything particular,just enjoying the warmth of my wife,the relaxation of a good nights sleep and praising God for giving me a new day.Bear in mind I didn't have any requests on my heart for God to hear,just praise for His goodness towards me and my family.All of a sudden comes the thought into my heart"You have a clean slate/no eraser needed"write about it!
In previous letters I have shared the fact of the joy available to all of us by recognizing the amazing gift of grace given to us by Jesus dying on the cross for our sins"By His stripes we are healed."My letter today will focus on the fact that God says in His word that when we ask Him to forgive our sins coming from our contrite heart He will!His word is very specific,here are some examples of this truth from His Word;
.They are blotted out[Isa,44:22;Acts3:19]
.Forgiven[Ex.34:7;1Jn.1:9;2:12]
.Made white as snow[Isa.1:18]
.Purged away[Ps.79:9;Heb1:3]
.Freed from them[Rom.6:7,16-23;8:2]
There are many more references in the Bible regarding the forgiveness of sin.
The point is ;we don't need an eraser,God provided the "clean slate" through His Son Jesus,His dying on the cross was/is all the "eraser"we would need FOREVER MORE!How can it not bring tears of joy to our hearts when we grasp the magnitude of this truth?Each day we start anew,with out blemish,thank you Jesus!Here we have a God that loved us so much ,He gave us a "free"will wanting us to choose Him ,and sacrificed His Son on the cross because He knew we could not reconcile our souls to Him on our own,HOW GREAT A LOVE IS THAT?
I humbly ask each of you,like me,to start your day praising and glorifying God for this wonderful gift from Him"A clean slate/no eraser needed."
Until next time,may God continue to bless you on your walk towards Him,Joe

The Process Of Life vs The Process Of God In Our Life

Greetings,
While I was receiving my chemo treatment today,I was thinking about my process of life;you know,a review of my past;my accepting Jesus and my "heart change",the ups, the downs,the blessings,my family,my friends etc.Those of you that know me are aware that one of my commonly used phrases is"that's the process of life".The spirit put on my heart to talk about,and compare that phrase to God's process in our life.
Now this letter will be interesting,because I don't know where I'm going with this.I suppose that has been true of all my letters.The Holy Spirit guides me and I write;I haven't shared that thought with you before,however,I am sure you would agree it's much easier on the "set up" if you know what your goal is.All I know is this voice in my heart says,write about this subject and I will guide you.AMAZING!
I will use just one example in my life to compare the 2 processes;I know there are many I could use,however,my diagnosis of cancer has changed me so many different ways,lets use "it" as a starting point.
.The life process
The statistics show one out of every two men born in America today will die of cancer,and one of every three women.I mention this, because I am sure most of us have experienced someone in our life "getting"cancer or dying from this terrible disease[perhaps it's the treatment that's so terrible-different subject]
Upon diagnosis,my life process for my wife Toni and me was,share the shock,ask the questions,take action.To include,notifying family and friends,seeing specialists,making decisions on course of treatment etc.More importantly,seeing my mortality,and carrying 24/7 the weight of the diagnosis.As part of this life process,there are many "afraid"moments,[hardly shared],many minutes thinking of the dire future scenarios,the trusting of the "earth"specialists.I could go on but, I'm sure you get the point.I'm thinking that this life process is probably the most likely scenario for an Agnostic,an Atheist,or someone that is unsure of whether or not there is a Creator God and if there is,He has to be too busy to worry about me..I would ask you now to take a few minutes and ask yourself,have you ever had a situation in your life that has caused you to have a similar life process I just described?Now the God process,the joy of finding Him many years ago,and the peace of knowing He will NEVER leave me,ALWAYS love me,I am heaven bound!Thank you,Jesus!
.The process of God in our life
God ,through the Holy Spirit,came to me as a quiet voice at 1:30am the very first night of my diagnosis.I couldn't sleep,I was prowling around the house;He said"write a journal"I said "what?,I never have liked to write"He said "do it,I will guide you"Wow!as Pastor Goss has asked"Is it me?God?or the devil?"I prayed for the answer,the quiet voice insisted for several hours,I started a journal!!for a period of several days,always in the wee hours of the morning{the voice in my heart would wake me up,it is time to write,weird huh?]I wrote about,not only the cancer but,my life up to that point as follows; ;my team[with God in the lead],my fear[He took it away,using my sister Mary as His intermediary].I wrote about how to pray for healing[His truth from the Bible],about His glory,about my day of atonement[all the times I walked away from Him],how to enjoy each day[His perspective from the Bible],about being"born again"and my heart change,and finally,I choose God's House. Get behind me devil!
All of this writing was done prior to surgery.Several weeks went by and all I heard from the Holy Spirit was trust me.Then came the day when the Holy Spirit told me to start a "Blog"sharing my life's experiences.So here we are ;my desire to share ,your decision to read.In the end,like me you will have to decide what does my earthly/spiritual walk have to do with you?Can it change how you think about things?Can my weaknesses keep you from making the same mistakes?,and more importantly,which process will you choose?The life process or the God process? More importantly, will you find the "True God" before you take your last breath?I want you to know I got it!!Will you?If so,All glory to God!Until next time,with Christian love,Joe

The Focus Is Not What You Missed;It's What You Found

Greetings,
I was talking with my brother Ray last night,the conversation covered several subjects; from our health ,family updates,and generally the process of our lives on this earthly journey.I know from my perspective,and I'm sure Ray's ,the most important time was spent in the prayer we shared asking our Father God to guide and lead us on future decisions we will make,and more importantly,that we would be given the Spirit driven words to bring our unsaved loved ones to Jesus our Lord and Savior.
I was reflecting this morning of how much time my brother Ray and I have missed sharing our life's experiences because of our personality differences ,thought process differences[mostly leading to angry arguments]and vocational choice differences[management vs. union].I am sure we both would have preferred an "adult" conversation ,however,we could not stop ourselves from the big brother/little brother rivalry,me being the big brother.I must admit,however,that I carry the burden of knowing that part of my problem was my own disease of "self righteousness" and I'm always right attitude.
My change to the better ,having found God in my life,for the past 25 years was unseen by Ray because of what happened before the spiritual transition.As I was reflecting on this the Holy Spirit put on my heart not to FOCUS ON WHAT WAS MISSED,IT"S WHAT YOU FOUND".The healing process has been a gradual happening over time as we stayed away from any "heavy"subjects and just shared "light"conversation to include Rays' hunting and fishing adventures,my retirement activities,and family updates.In my mind,the epicenter of the transition came when Ray and I had a spiritual conversation highlighted by my leading him in the sinners prayer to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior.My brother is a strong follower of the Roman Catholic Church,however,I was concerned that their teaching on being "Born Again" was less specific than what God required;it was a very emotional time for the both of us,I never felt closer to my brother !The crux,the point,the purpose of this letter is ;you can't go back and lament what was lost,but to enjoy the new relationship that was found!How many times have we "robbed"ourselves of the joy of a new ,improved,fulfilling relationship with someone we love by rehashing the old? God,in His infinite wisdom,said when we accept Him and ask for forgiveness of our sins,He not only will forgive us ,He will NEVER bring them up again" as far as the east is from the west". The bottom line is, if it's a good enough truth of our Heavenly Father,it should be good enough for us!Until next time,enjoy your new found relationships and don't waste time on what was wrong before you found the delight in this "new"love experience.God bless all of you on your journey towards Him,Joe

Where Did The Joy Come From?

Greetings,
I wonder how many times in our life I/We "shorted"ourselves on joy because we didn't take the action to accept it when offered!We need to set up the scenario for a "joy"experience;because we never know when it's going to be available.Examples of possible joy situations not experienced, for whatever reasons, are necessary to get us started on "Where Did The Joy Come From?".I will list a few;
.A social event with friends-not attended.
.A wedding,graduation,birthday etc.-not attended.
.Time spent with the children,just because.-not finding the time.
.Time spent with your spouse,just the 2 of you.-not doing it.
.Time spent with your Christian family[church]-not getting involved.
There are many instances in our life where the potential for joy is missed,because we made the decision to NOT be part of sharing our life with others!I know each of us has had the experience of saying "Wow!I'm glad I decided to attend that gathering,I had a great time."Joy came to us because we made the decision to take part!
I am in the midst of my "process of life" where my body is causing me to make decisions that have the potential to rob me of "joy"situations.I,along with many others who care for and love me continue to pray for receiving God's healing on my body.I am a blessed man!I have written in an earlier letter how our afflictions can become a blessing by allowing our faith in God to raise us up to see the big picture;our earthly mortality versus our eternal soul life with Him. The purpose of this letter is to share the joy that can come in the least likely places.
Toni and I had our first chemo treatment last Wednesday,an 8 hour event.There are 22 reclining chairs in the "treatment"room ,people come and go,all ages,some healthier than others,however,all with one thing in common;cancer.I am an observer by nature,and to pass time ,I observed personalities/attitudes of the patients,nurses,visitors,etc.A patient by the name of Bob was in the chair close to mine and I knew from the conversation with the nurse that this was his first treatment and he was nervous and somewhat fearful,in spite of his attempt at humor the nurse was very "standoffish" and "curt".At a point in time I started a conversation with Bob and offered him 1/2 of my sandwich[he was by himself and didn't bring anything to eat or drink,the treatment is long and certainly no picnic:)]The point is,because we started to laugh and "share",both of us experienced joy from each other.I found out later from the nurse,as she was changing my IV,that her attitude was negative for two reasons,2 of her favorite patients had died and she was "burnt out"from not having a day off.Once she unburdened herself to me,surprising me, when I asked her an innocent question "Are you OK?"her light of goodness came flowing from her and she became a joy to me and the other patients;she also shared that she was a "born again" Christian and this particular day was so unlike her.I am amazed that sometime in the most negative of circumstances,that joy can be found if we just reach out and look for it.
I am thinking now of the spiritual joy that God brings in to our heart when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior;when I am lower than low,when I've reached bottom,when I don't know where to turn,THERE HE IS,bringing me the greatest joy known to man!By His grace I am Healed!I know there isn't any greater joy than this truth from Him;NEVER to leave me!!I/We are His creation,I am sure HIS joy is great when We CHOOSE HIM!
Until next time,look for the joy possibilities in all your circumstances,after all,God IS in control,with Christian love,Joe

I Want To Be Just Like?

Greetings,
How many of us remember the commercial "I want to be just like Mike"?This commercial had to do with Michael Jordan,the basketball player,and because of his basketball skills we should desire to be just like him.
I've been refining my thought process through the years and have come to the conclusion that In my truly younger years ,even though I was not aware of it ,I wanted to be just like my dad,further more,my mother was the standard for what a woman should be.Let's see if I can "flesh out" why most of us end up with many of the positive/negative traits of our parents.I will start from our birth beginning;most of us have had a typical child hood;nurtured and raised by our birth mother and father.Our parents met most of our needs from the time we were born until the time we leave their home and "strike out" on our own,oops,that could be a Freudian slip!!I have concluded that our parents are the"adult" foundation we want to emulate as we grow into our own adult life.You might ask why is that?My opinion follows;my dad was the first adult male in my life;at some point in my cognitive brain activity,I thought he represented what a man was supposed to act like with his neighbors,relatives and friends,how a father treated and loved his children,how a husband loved and treated his wife.The same is true regards my mother,what a woman was supposed to be as a wife and a mother.I ask you to pause reading this letter now and concentrate on this last paragraph.Can you "see"the influence your parents have had on you, as an adult, because they were the first "grown ups" in your life?I wonder how much better a parent we would have been or can be, if we looked at ourselves through the eyes of our children!I am not writing a letter to cast aspersions on my parents, that all my flaws as an adult rests on their shoulders;what I AM saying is ;if we as adults would recognize more consistently that our children are watching and emulating what we do in the most formative time of their life perhaps we would change some of our actions and decisions in that light.
The writing of this letter started from the experience I have had coaching and refereeing basketball in our church's "Upward Basketball" program.This is a Christian program for boys and girls using basketball and cheer leading as a tool to bring children and family's' the word and love of God.The children are taught the basics of playing basketball,cheer leading skills and teamwork involved,also ,how to develop a "Christ Like" attitude.Passages from the Bible are learned with the goal of the child learning who God is and that Jesus died on the cross for all of us .The family of each child is asked to participate in all aspects of the program.What a blessing this program has been for me,and a further recognizing of the impact we adults can and do have on our children.To "bottom line"this letter 'Upward" has reminded me ,once again,that ALL of us need to be more "CHRIST LIKE" in our dealings with our fellow man,and particularly ,with our children and young adults in our life.Remember,they are watching us and looking to emulate!WHO DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE JUST LIKE?
Until next time,remember,God is with us always,are we emulating Jesus in our thoughts and actions?with Christian love,Joe

I Was Arrogant In My Ignorance Of God's Word

Greetings,
I can remember the setting very well.I was attending church ,this was a between service Bible study,approximately 10 years ago.The conversation had to do with why some people are healed and some are not;after a period of time ,with no resolution to the question,I said ,and I quote"I am much more likely to pray for healing of the sickness of my soul from sin than I am from disease of my body,our earthly life is going to end,our spiritual life is forever".This statement sounded good at the time,however,I WAS ARROGANT IN MY IGNORANCE.Let's fast forward to the present and my diagnosis of cancer.This medical condition became the definitive moment in "yours truly" studying the word in the Bible in ascertaining God's immaculate word on the subject of prayer for physical healing.I have written a previous letter regards praying entitled "I Didn't Know How To Pray",you can find it by scrolling through older posts.My purpose for today is to simply explain how I didn't give equal credit regarding physical healing, as compared to my spiritual healing.That credit is;I quote from the book of Exodus23:25,26"I will take sickness away from the midst of thee....The number of thy days I will fulfill"Psalm 102:24 "Take me not away in the midst of my days" and Exodus15V26 "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes,if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees,I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians,for I am the Lord who heals you "Through Biblical teaching I knew that Jesus's death on the cross opened the gate for our salvation by our receiving Him into our "changed heart",asking forgiveness of our sins and declaring Him as our Lord and Savior, we would spend eternity in Heaven with God the Father,Jesus the Son,and the Holy Spirit as a "Born Again"Christian.F.F.Bosworth in his book"Christ The Healer"asks this question:"Has not every believer the same redemptive right to call upon Christ as Jehova-Rapha[The Healer of his body]as he has to call upon Him as Jehova-Tsidkenu[The Healer of his soul]?Is not His name given for healing as well as it is for salvation?
We can and must have 100% faith that Jesus's death on the cross "healed"our sin diseases.Perhaps we are less than 100% sure He Healed our physical body diseases because of lack of study of His word on physical healing.In the new testament, referring to the book of John14v12-14, the writer says "I tell you the truth ,anyone WHO HAS FAITH in me will do what I have been doing He will do even greater things than these ,because I am going to the Father .And I will do WHATEVER YOU ASK IN MY NAME ,so that the Son may bring glory to the Father .You may ask me for ANYTHING in my name and I WILL DO IT".I would suggest you read and STUDY the following book on physical healing ,"Christ The Healer" by F.F.Bosworth.This book lays out a concise thought process using specific Biblical passages to support the fact that God WILL heal our bodies if/when we reach the criteria He has set for us.
I didn't know why some people are healed and some are not,prior to my study. I'm continuing to seek enlightenment,as I use His guide for us,the Bible.I ask you to find out for yourself, by doing a Bible study on His Word from the Biblical perspective.
In closing ,I know the doctor doesn't understand how my pathology report came back negative for cancer in my throat when he knows he didn't get all of it when he operated in Nov. of 2009.Good news!The bad news; there is new cancer growth in my neck.I believe,as my son Joe says "the devil doesn't give up"and maybe my faith was only 75% that God would heal me,I know I had some doubts from time to time.How about a partial healing?I'm starting over and redoubling my efforts to study His word and believe what He said "Ask ANYTHING in My name and I will do it"None of us should be "ARROGANT IN OUR IGNORANCE"
Until next time,God bless each of you on your walk towards Him,Joe

No One Could Love Me/Us More Than This!

Greetings,
In my last letter I referred to how much God must love us;by creating a human being with a "free will".I would like to expand on that thought.Think of you/me having the power to create a "something "that you have complete control over how that "something" comes out.Let's focus on what we would definitely want from our creation.Here are some thought starters:
.Loyalty,that is ,to do whatever I/we demanded without question.
.24/7 availability[I/we never know when we might need something.
.Always saying,your right,no matter what we do.
I would like you to take a few minutes and think of your creation and add to the list.
I am thinking of the movie "Stepford Wives" the concept was that the men in Stepford,Connecticut didn't appreciate their wives "free will" so they created a robot wife, to replace their human wife, that was PERFECT to their needs about everything they desired!I would venture to say wouldn't that be true for most of us,to create a "something"that does exactly what we want,when we want it?Wow!What a concept;as the song goes"What's love got to do with it?"
Now THAT question brings me to our creator God,love has EVERYTHING to do with His creating us!Think of a Creator that through His love for us ,He gave us a "free will",wanting us to reciprocate His love for us,by us choosing to love Him as much as He loved us[Impossible]knowing full well that so many of His creation would do just the opposite[turn away from Him]starting with the very first;Adam and Eve!God says in the book of Genesis"Let us make man in our image,in our likeness"The Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it,and the Lord God commanded the man,"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,for when you eat of it you will surely die."Now here we have the first "Love "commandment,isn't God saying ,choose me or suffer the consequences;in other words ,I give you everything because I love you,now choose to love me,by not doing this one thing.As an aside,people can say God knew what Adam and Eve were going to do,let's talk about predestination!I say ,true He DID know what they were going to do,however,let's remember FREE WILL,Adam and Eve made the decision ON THEIR OWN!Over and over again in the Bible, God showed His love,compassion and patience with His creation.He loves us so much He warns us every time about the consequences,if we don't choose Him;all the way through the book of revelation.Some people would say how could your God be so mean,look at the terrible things He says He is going to do!I say ,look how much He loves us,to warn us of the dire consequences of going against His word.What child could ask anymore from a loving parent?By the way,when was the last time the devil told you what was going to happen to you if you followed him?
I would like you to consider that no human being could ever love you more than our Creator.How quickly would any of us have our only child put to death for the common good?God asks us to have faith in Him through His Son Jesus,isn't it also true that He created us because He had faith in His beloved creation?
Until next time,with Christian love,Joe

This Won't Take Long---Did It!

Hi All,
My family and I just returned from the marriage of my oldest granddaughter,Lyndsay.The ceremony was beautiful and joyous,Lyndsay's father,my son Joe,an ordained minister married Lyndsay and Billy in an outside gorgeous New England "Fall" setting.I was so joyful in watching my son walk his firstborn down the beautiful stone path towards me,where I had the honor of asking "Who gives my Granddaughter to this man?",where upon my son and I changed places and he "wed" the 2 people into "One flesh"according to God's word.
I reflected during part of that day how quickly the days of my life and it's experiences have taken place;it seems like only yesterday I was holding Lyndsay in my arms as a new born.I can remember my mother saying to me ,when she was 88 years old ,how her life had past "Like the blink of an eye",isn't it true of all of us,when we reach a certain age in our life that we come to the same realization? As I approach the Fall/Winter of my life I find myself wondering if I truly enjoyed with a completely full and joyous heart all the blessings God has bestowed on me in my earthly walk.This letter is not meant to be a dissertation on how I missed the "all I could be" in the happiness area of my life,however,it IS to share the new dimension of seeing life's experiences once God enters into my/your life.
God put it on our heart to search Him out.I know in my life,no matter how "the world" perceived me and my earthly success,there was a vague "somethings missing" following me around in the bosom of my inner heart.I quote from my mother,once again,"Put God first and all else will follow",I might add all peace will follow,life's experiences will be shared with your family and loved ones from a new eternal love perspective.The richness of our life will be enhanced, because we understand the reason for our existence is to use our free will to find our God and give Him the glory for creating us and that we choose His House forever .
I know for most of us when we attend a funeral or wedding the older members of the family invariably say "We only get together anymore for weddings or funerals" isn't that a sad commentary on all of us ;who better to share our everyday life and it's experiences with our immediate "blood" family as well as, our Church family.How many of our family is even going to church?Now that's another story!
I have written earlier letters on the blessings of my life and the wonderful tapestry woven throughout it by my shared experiences with family and friends.I ask you to reflect on this question:Are you "seeing"from your heart all the fullness life has to offer because you know the "real"reason for your existence and you found God and your putting Him first in all you do,including helping your loved ones to find the reason for their existence,to choose Jesus as their Lord and Savior?We are commanded to love one another,what better way than being a disciple for our God in Heaven"No greater love has man ,then giving up his life for another"I might suggest we also show greater love to man when helping "save"another by leading other people to God through our Christian walk with Him.
In closing,please remember"This life won't take long---Did it"!so enjoy the time you have left,sharing your love of God with all those that are part of your life's experiences.Until next time,Joe