Combat Infantryman Badge

A young man was in my office and saw the single wall that I display a shadow box with my father’s picture, his silver star, bronze star and combat infantryman badge.  Don’t get me wrong…..I love the silver and bronze star…..but the rifle with the cluster on the blue background…….the color of my wall…..that is cool.  The wall was designed just for this.  I am proud of my dad.

To get this…the person…(my father and many others)  had to have  … actively fought in active ground combat while assigned to the infantry.  Down and dirty.  In the trenches. 

The Psalter knew that God was with him and had subdued those in battle with him.    You see,….God knows the battle  you are in.  He knows what  you fight against.  He knows just how to subdue that which you struggle with.  God is with you and wants you to have a combat infantry badge.  But…well,…you will have to be in active ground combat……in the Lord’s army.

CIB.  louie

 

Foreclosure….Working From Inside Out

I was on a very long walk over the weekend in my neighborhood.  There has been this house in my neighborhood….well, many houses….all over…..in every town,….that are vacant due to foreclosure.  Some young working folks moved into this one house in my neighborhood.  They have been working on it really hard.  They are working folks….she is a medical person of some sort and he is in construction.  When I walk early in the mornings, I see them leaving for work.  They have a little girl and what looks like a grandfather living with them.  They have been working on this house for a month straight since they moved in.  I stopped as I was walking this weekend to tell them hello and praise them on what they have accomplished with the formerly run down….overgrown,….neglected house.

A neighbor saw me and after I left them and flagged me down.  She lives just across the street from this new family.  She asked me if I scolded them about the trucks, the lack of care and the unorganized look of the house.  She reminded me that these new folks were in violation of the homeowner’s association rules. 

I did not think of it that way.  I walk every day almost and have seen the progress they have made on the house.  I have seen the effort they have expended while both of them work all day, have a small child and an obvious grandparent living with them.  I have seen the paint, the drywall and the new curtains.  I just did not think about the outside appearance of the house, because I can tell…the family is working from the inside out…….just like me.

I asked the lady,….a retired, sits at home all day and looks at the house type person….if she would rather have the house vacant. 

Strange how we all view things differently.  I hope God still will work on me inside out…..rather than me being vacant.  God does not look on the outward appearance.  He looks at the heart. 

louie

 

You Think You Have Issues?

You have issues?  I know a woman that realized she had issues….Yep…a woman.  It was a bloody mess.  Sort of a sensitive subject.  So what.

There was this woman who had what the KJV says is….and “issue of blood”.  She had it for 12 years.  So, you think you have issues…..this lady had issues.  Her battle is described in scriptures in Matthew and in Luke….but my favorite version is in Mark. 

She had battled this issue for 12 years and Mark says that she spent all she had on many doctors but it did not get better but worse.  You see, …  she battled for many years with this and went every doctor she could afford.  She went to every primary care, every specialist, got multiple opinions, spent all she had…..and then when there was no where else to turn…. she turned to Jesus.  Me too!  Well, I mean that I seem to want to try to figure it out myself before I head toward Jesus.

She had probably seen the large crowds in town before.  She had probably walked right by Jesus while on the way to the doctors….and just dismissed him as a nut case…..because that is what the religious leaders of the day said about him.  She had probably rode by  him on I-95 on the way to Mayo, I-4 to Nemours… when what she needed was right there…..and immenently interruptible. 

Now….do not take me wrong.  I love Mayo, Nemours, Arnold Palmer, Moffitt….all the doctors…. but sometimes you have to get to where  you just have issues enough that you turn to Jesus Christ.  I have been there myself.  I have searched the web on “issues” I have had….and seems like I turn to the Lord…..when I am a bloody mess.

Think you have issues?  I do!  She did!  You do too! 

She was healed…. I have been healed…. you too?

louie

 

Speaking in Tongues finds Nadia Bloom!

 Tongues Finds Nadia

Ok.  You think I am a nut…but listen and watch the video closely. 

The rescuer says that praying in tongues …… in the spirit….. led him to Nadia.  That God led him to Nadia.

Jesus Christ said this.  If you do not believe what I say… then believe because of what you see….what I do…. my works..  This is recorded in John 10:37-38.  Jesus was saying this….. I can tell you that God told me and I can say it….just like this rescuer… James King…..  But words are hollow.  

James King said that God told him to pray in the spirit…in tongues…. he did it …  he believed…. he acted… he went out and found Nadia Bloom….. on the 4th day…..   same amount of time that Lazarus was in the grave…. another story for another day…. 4 days… 

I could go off here on so many teachings….and I want to ….

But listen to me.  God spoke to a man and his wife.  They listened.  They stepped out on what God told them to do…. went where God said….. saved Nadia.  Jesus says I come to save the lost.  Simple stuff.  Step out on what God says. 

louie

 

Breadcrumbs Are Enough

So, this woman is desperate….  she gets out of her comfort zone, out of her people, out of her church, out of her upbringing, out of her way of life and she begins to beg….   I mean, she is a Greek, she is educated, she is proper, she is not from the area,…..  she is used to getting it because of who she is…..  Maybe it is her color, maybe her race, maybe her social status, maybe her place in life, her pedigree.   But her daughter is sick and she hears about a healer.    The scriptures do not say it… but I do….  that she has tried everything (like another woman in the record…her next).  The last post shows that she was desperate. 

So now she goes to Jesus.  To the feet of Jesus.  Under the table.  Check this out.  She went to the floor.  She wanted the Bread of Life.  She went to the source…..and found that Jesus said that what he had…healing power….salvation….was for the people of Israel first…not her yet!  She was ok with it  because she had a revelation about Jesus Christ…the Bread of Life.  She had a revelation that whatever Jesus gave her was enough.  That revelation was this…….what is in the bread….is in the crumbs too. 

This woman knew that crumbs were enough.  She knew that what was in the bread….was in the crumbs.  She knew that if she only got a crumb…. that the crumb was enough. 

You need something from Jesus Christ?  Son or daughter, husband or wife, a sickness, money or a job..a house?  Get on the floor, do not depend on what you can do and ask God in the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  What is in the bread is in the crumbs….it is enough.

louie

 

Desperate for Breadsticks

 

 

We went to Olive Garden for lunch.  How about those bread sticks?  I think I can eat quite a few of them,especially when they are warm.  Get an order of that white sauce on the side,…dip them in….good stuff.  Sometimes I am desperate for bread sticks.

There was this woman….a woman from another country, from another faith, from another way of life, a woman from another belief …. that encountered Jesus.  This woman found out that Jesus would be at this certain location….this town….and she sought him out….because she had a daughter that was possessed by the devil. 

You have stuff possessed by the devil?  You have a child, a husband, a house, a workplace, a boss, a financial situation, a wife, a belief.. that is possessed by the devil?  Well, there is hope.  This woman begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her child? 

Do you have something that you are desperate enough to beg Jesus about?  I mean, if you are not desparate….then you can do it on your own accord….you can do it under your own power…you can do it under your own authority……  So Go Do It….Take Charge of it…..But…if you can not do it…if you can not fix it…if you can not make it happen…..then maybe….just maybe you need Jesus…. like this Greek, like this Syro-phoenician woman did……  She was outside of the faith…outside of the promised people…she was outside of the inside group…..  You ever been like that….the outcast, downcast, overcast?  She was….

This woman was desperate for help.  She was desperate for a healing, she was desperate enough to put aside her ethnicity, her pride, her upbringing to ask for help.   Are you desperate enough?  Because if  you are not desperate ……  then Jesus can not help you….

Today….Desparate.. 

Tomorrow…breadsticks…

louie

 

It’s God’s Will…..No It’s Not! You’re Wrong…No I am not…

Ever had that argument?  I heard that argument last week from a young woman that someone had told her she was not hearing from God.  The young woman said she was hearing from God to move to another town.  The other person questioned the move as not God.  I was ask my opinion…..a bad place to be sometimes.So I tell this woman….the rule I use.   (of course no one has crowned me keeper of wisdom so take this as you like….I am still trying)

If you feel God is calling you….you either find the guts to step out toward him or you do not.  If you find the guts to step out and follow….then you are being obedient.  Now, you may be missing the mark and it may not be God’s voice that  you are hearing.  It may be  your own wants.  I have made that mistake before.  And when I made that mistake before,  ..it is usually evident pretty early on and I reverse course. (if I am not too prideful and stubborn).

Second option is to believe you hear God’s voice……and you do not obey…..which is a nasty little term us puffy christians call disobedience.  God speaks and you don’t listen or obey.  That is usually evident pretty soon too….when you are out of God’s covering.  It is called disobedience.. Bad stuff really tends to happen there…. discontent, aggravation,….lack of peace.

So, this woman has a choice.  Do what she thinks God is telling her to do or not.  My vote is to do what she thinks God is telling her to do, despite the way others, including me, think.  If it is wrong….work on listening skills with God.  He will be there.  If it is right and it is God….then bingo…on the right path. 

louie

 

A Real Jerk

 

That is what I was tonight…a jerk…I was backing up in my truck and I almost hit a man walking through the parking lot.  I was wrong.  I was on my cell phone.  I was trying to coordinate a meal for a family in a nearby church that needed a meal due to medical reasons.  But I was distracted.  Then when I realized I almost hit the guy…he gave me this “look” and I gave it back and gave him the look of get out of my way…I am important….basically the screw you look. 

I was wrong and I was trying to justify in my mind that I was doing something good……and the fact that I was on my cell phone while in a parking lot (something I despise of others) did not matter at the moment.  I was doing God’s work!

Jesus spoke about that too….and as I drove away to get this meal situation settled…the Holy Spirit just began to speak to me about my offense to this man.  Jesus spoke about the religious folks of the time….doing God’s work and these religious folks were all about “God’s”  business, but did not love their fellow-man.  This is the way I felt.  I was doing God’s work, but I basically told this guy to get out of my way.  I am more important than you because of what I was doing.

I was ashamed of myself.  I stopped what I was doing….and after 10 minutes…went back to this shopping area…found this man……and apologized for what I had done.  I was a total jerk….eventhough I was doing God’s work.  I am glad he was there….he accepted my apology  as I had offended him.   Darn….it is tough backing up….and growing up. 

louie

 

Saturday Soccer and God

My buddy that has been battling with and won over melanoma sent me this Soccer Saturday email….I missed soccer this Saturday and just went to the woods with my son to mess around….I share this email from him about soccer and life with you…..

Louie, You missed a great soccer game this morning.  Prior to the game starting I noticed the other team members seemed a bit taller and more mature than our team. Made me a bit worried! The other team was lined up in the center of the field for the kick off. Three up front in a straight row and two evenly spaced right behind them backing them up. They were all focused and alert at the start. No smiles on their faces only stern looks of winning on every player. 

Our team was not focused. They seemed to be distracted and acting up. Our team had smiles on their faces and wanted to have some fun. Jumping up and down a bit. Again I looked at the opposing team and they were looking at our team as if they were going to eat our lunch. Made me a bit worried! The other team members were very focused and when they had control of the ball they immediately were kicking it in the right direction. When our team had possession of the ball they had to be reminded a number of times which way the goal was and to “turn the ball around”. Made me a bit worried! As the game progressed our team kicked the ball in and got a goal. WOW! I was amazed. Not too much later our team again kicked the ball in and got a second goal. The opposing team didn’t score once. Not once the entire game!

Such a life lesson for me today. Being to serious and having the hard look doesn’t win the game. Having fun for these kids while learning a number of life lessons along the way is well worth “not being as polished” as another team. In the end our team not only won but they had a blast playing the game. Even if they were not too focused, at the right time they made the strategic kick and that was what counted. Made me a bit proud!  They were not intimidated at all by the stern faces and focused line ups. Our team just wanted to have some fun. This morning was a reminder to me that God wants us to enjoy life… and still win the game! We know in the end we win. The Bible tells us that. In life’s difficulties I can sometimes be too focused and lose the joy during the journey. My last four years have been a very hard journey but I have always had reminders like today that God still wants us to enjoy our lives. He gives us the joy if we are willing to receive it and hold on to it. You missed a great game! God Bless, Bro Brian.

God is awesome.  Just enjoy life today.  Just today…have fun…  louie

 

Raw Sin Exposed

It happens even at 5 years old.  Raw Sin Exposed… 

It was a little late at night, my son is 5 and was tired….I was tired….my wife was tired…  When he did not get what he wanted….he began to become sarcastic with my wife…  We knew he was tired…we are experienced parents with a lot of kids, a lot of years, a lot of patience….but it was over the top the way he was acting.  I just pulled him aside….looked at him and told him, “I will not let you talk to your mother that way….it is wrong”. 

He began to cry.  I did not spank him, I did not grab him hard, I did not yell or scream at him.  I just exposed his sin.  It was even evident to  him…a 5  year old that his wrongs…his sin…raw sin was exposed. 

In the Garden of Eden,….they knew they had messed up.  They knew it was wrong.  They knew it was out-of-order.  Sin exposed…raw sin just made them feel naked….and they were.

My wife and I talked about Tyler after the incident and I could not help but reflect on how I feel when my raw sin is exposed,… my willful disobedience, my absolute disregard for God…..I feel naked, I  feel exposed….  I will sometimes get in my place of prayer and just cry to God to please understand, please don’t hold it against me….. He doesn’t. 

You see, our raw sin…we try to cover it up, like Adam and Eve in the Garden.  But what we do is insufficient.  God Himself covers us.  That is complete.  I am so glad He has it covered.  Because I don’t.  God has a lot of kids, a lot of years, a lot of patience.  When our raw sin is exposed….He loves us.  I am so glad. 

louie