First and Foremost I Am A Preacher

I was drinking a cup of coffee alongside Cathy at a wedding reception where I had officiated the ceremony.

A man came up to me with his hand extended to tell me just how much he appreciated what I had said at the ceremony.

He had been one of so many who came up to me at the reception that night to talk to me and tell me their thoughts on what I had said. The Lord used him and many others to remind me of what I was called to do.

“Keep preaching” he said to me, “Don’t ever stop”.

I flashed back to when I first heard the call. The year was 1986; the place was St. Paul, Minnesota. I was getting ready to leave the Sunday morning church service and I heard it: THE CALL TO PREACH.

No, not audibly, but deep in my spirit.

That was over thirty three years ago. I hadn’t yet been ordained or attended Bible school or seminary. I had no idea how to get there or what to do.

But there it was; for me to respond to. And I said; “YES”

And the Lord was faithful to get me “there” and has continued, on my best and worst days, to keep me “there”…the calling to preach.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

A friend of mine wrote the following. He continues to also be reminded what both of are called to do; PREACH!

No matter what else I do...I'm a preacher.

Preaching is my joy, my agony, my passion, and my pleasure.

To preach is to be a messenger of goodness especially in the angry face of evil.

To be an angelic voice of possibilities, even in the noise demonic cynicism.

The best preaching puts a warrant in the air of possibilities yet unrealized.

So, I'm a lifer; until no air is left in my lungs and no vocal chords to resonate, I will remain... a preacher.

Written by and used with permission from Pastor Randy Dean

https://www.randydeanministries.com/

Happy Hockey

Two weeks ago, I was sitting poolside in Sunny Florida basking in 85-degree weather.

This past week, the temperatures in Minnesota dropped and snow coated the ground. In fact, on one day the snow was actually deep enough that I had to use both a brush to sweep of our vehicles and a shovel to clean our sidewalks.

And all across social media I saw posts complaining about the snow and cold temperatures as though something strange was happening.

I realize that for some people who live in the northern region of the USA, this is not a happy time of the year. It is the season when leaves, temperatures, and snow fall and all reminders that this region is a very lush and green place to live are gone (for at least for the next five months or so).

But for me, I am HAPPY and excited because that means that outdoor hockey season in Minnesota is a few weeks away. Soon all across this great state outdoor rinks in parks, lakes, and ponds will be filled with hockey games of all levels of age and experience.

This year marks my fifty first year of playing ice hockey. And for most of those fifty-one years, hockey has been one of my “happy places”.

I have many other happy places such as spending time with the Lord, my wife, children, grandchildren, friends, my workshop, at/on any body of water; as well as being outdoors simply enjoying God’s creation.

So where is your “happy place”? If it is hot, sunny weather and you live in Minnesota it will be subjective. If it is with people who always make you happy; again, it will be subjective.

It may surprise you that the word ‘blessed’ in the Bible means “happy”. We see it in Matthew 5 when Jesus gives His famous “Sermon on the Mount (Mathew 5-7). “Blessed are…”

We find it in Psalm 1:1 which says; “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.”

BOTH the Hebrew and the Greek word used in those passages means ‘happy’.

In fact, those of us who KNOW Him are SUPPOSED to be HAPPY! We are told in the Bible; “Happy are the people whose God is the LORD!” (Psalm 144:15b)

In other words, our happiness is not based on our circumstances or activities, but rather, based on whether or not we are in the center of God’s will for our lives because it’s in the center of God’s will that we will be happy.

And, it is in this place that not only are we happy in our happy place(s), but our lives become a testimony to our friends and all those around us.

When they see you glowing and happy in spite of the circumstances, it speaks to them; it causes them to think; “Why is this person happy? Why is their response to life different from mine?”

 

When you walk in His will and follow His direction, you shine with His light, His joy; His happiness.

And it is a powerful testimony because no matter what is going on around you, others will see the abundant life that Jesus came to bring each one of us who call upon His name (John 101:10).

Be happy my friend as you take steps to be and remain in the center of the LORD's will for your life. Allow your happiness in Him to emanate from your life to others.

An Open Letter to My Canadian Friends

Oh Canada!

I love you, but I don’t understand why you are pushing me away.

I have supported you and openly received the great gift of hockey that you gave to the USA (and the world). It was the greatest gift that any country could give another; and I have played the game for fifty years!

I have stood up and proudly sung your national anthem at every game that a team from Canada was playing in. I even made plans to move to your country if I would have been drafted in the mid-seventies.

I have shed tears each year when a team from Canada wasn’t playing in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Canada, I love you, but I don’t understand why you are pushing me away.

I realize that you Canadians didn’t take lightly President Trump’s decision to impose tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum; especially when he labeled your country ‘a national security threat’.

And, because you are a kind and loving people, I want you to know that it is ok to be insulted by his comments.

Canadians aren’t only polite; they’re incredibly humble too, and reluctant to take credit for even plainly heroic acts.

I, too, was taken aback by his comments and wondered if he forgot that your and daughters fought alongside the boys and girls from the USA in Afghanistan?

But, why are you pushing me away?

I have even defended and revered the outlandish suits worn by Don Cherry and have helped my fellow countrymen to honor him as a revered hero of your country.

I consider it a true honor to have been able to walk the same continent as Mr. Cherry; something that I will always cherish (pun intended).

I raised my children to drink maple syrup out of the bottle and to shop at Tim Horton’s.

Before they left home, I taught each of them to spell “Canada” without using flashcards….C-eh-N-eh-D-eh

I even taught my children English so that they would be able to talk with people from the Great North and told them that it was ok to take money from your country…

I even supported people who threatened to move to your country if Trump was elected. I told them that you would greet them with open arms.

So why Canada, why? Why are you sending me signals that you don’t love me anymore?

Why Canada, why did you have to send the thick clouds that are blocking our sun? What did I ever do to you?

The thick haze caused by smoke from more than 100 Canadian wildfires is causing unhealthy air quality conditions across a large part of Minnesota.

And we need our sun, without it we will become like the Eastern section of the USA and think up bad thoughts about Canada.

Minnesotans with lung or heart disease, older adults, children, and people participating in activities that require heavy or extended exertion may experience adverse health effects. This includes physical activity like playing sports or working outdoors.

This past weekend I coughed, and I am still coughing today because of your smoke. It’s enough to make me get upset and to….

Oh Canada, I don’t mean to have blown my top and gotten so harsh with you; you don’t deserve that.

I’m sorry (I learned that word from your country, since you Canadians say it so very, very often).

Everyone knows that Canadians are without any doubt one of the nicest populations on earth; maybe are too nice for this bad, bad world. 

You know that I love you… Of all of the adjectives that I could use, “nice” suits you best! Canada is to niceness as Saudi Arabia is to oil.

So, I ask you to please send a wind from up north to blow the smoke away so once again Minnesota can be clean like Canada and people can once again go outside and practice being nice.

The world, I think, would be a better place if we were all a bit more Canadian.

This Is Our Ice

This past hockey season, the Minnesota Wild had a new campaign that was called; “This Is Our Ice”.

This campaign included a day in September when fans from all over Minnesota were invited and encouraged to each bring in a jar of water (3oz) from their local pond, lake, or ice rink to the Xcel Energy Arena.

The water was filtered, poured into a Zamboni, and frozen to help make ice at Xcel Energy Center for the Minnesota Wild's 2017-18 season.

Minnesota Wild President Matt Majka explained that every winter, the ponds and lakes freeze over and become sheets of ice where young and old play hockey.

“This Is Our Ice” campaign is built upon a tradition that began during the inaugural season (2000).

At the beginning of every hockey game, a young hockey player skates out and plants a MN Wild flag at center ice to let everyone know that THIS IS OUR POND!

It is as much of a tradition at the start of every game as singing the National Anthem(s) or shouting; “Let’s play Hockey!”

Players and fans are hoping that this symbolic gesture sends fear into the hearts of every opponent that steps their skates on our pond. THIS IS OUR ICE!

We are saying to all who oppose us; “Not here, not now, not ever! This is our place; and you can’t win here. We are dressed for battle! We are equipped for war! Nothing or no one or no weapon that you bring here will prosper! We will defeat you and you must flee!”

Now that the season is over, I’m really not sure if it made any difference because even though the Minnesota Wild have the third-longest active post-season appearance streak in NHL (6 seasons), they have yet to go very deep into the play offs or come close to winning the Stanley Cup.

Or did it?

Everywhere that I went this past season, I saw it on shirts and jerseys on fans. In their yards were signs proclaiming; “This Is Our Ice!” On their cars were banners waving proudly as they drove them.

Fans were pumped, not just in hope that this was the season that we would do it; but because fans had a sense of something bigger than themselves.

Fans collectively were telling anyone who would listen that we were a team and that this was our town and they best leave Minnesota without a victory.

We (fans) would not cower!

As Christians, we have a banner that we can plant before each and every “game” that we face. In the Old Testament (Exodus 17:15), God is revealed as Jehovah-Nissi; God is my Banner.

We are saying to all who oppose us; “Not here, not now, not ever! This is our place; and you can’t win here. We are dressed for battle! We are equipped for war! (Ephesians 6:10-20). Nothing or no one or no weapon that you bring here will prosper! We will defeat you and you must flee!”

The Lord said it best through the Prophet Isaiah (54:17);

No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.

 

This is not based upon whether or not we “play the game perfectly. It is based upon Jesus who already defeated the enemy once and for all on the cross through His death, burial, and resurrection.

We have a hope because we are a part of something bigger than ourselves.

And because Jesus was victorious; each and every time we are opposed, we can remind ourselves and Satan that we are a part of a team and this is our town (family, finances, health, etc.) and Satan had best leave Minnesota without a victory.

Because of Jesus, we too can shout out in confidence; “This is Our Ice!”

GUARDening Your Heart

We are living in perilous times. All around the world members of the human race are plotting and carrying out new ways to afflict harm on innocent people. Daily we read about news stories of mass shootings and suicide bombers destroying people and those connected to them.  

Even as I write this I realize that tomorrow there will be new situations, new crisis, new shootings, and violence that will fill our air ways. So on one hand, it doesn’t matter when you are reading this; the same will apply to today’s news.

The more I read or listen, the more my flesh wants to react like we did in the seventies by raging out or protesting or some other form of verbal or physical outrage to combat that which should NOT be taking place in our world. 

And yet, the Bible has always been clear that there would be days like these:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

Even though it is what the Bible says, it isn’t enough to calm my flesh from rising up. After all, I must do something! I find myself wanting to get on a soap box...

Yesterday, I found myself in this state of mind after two weeks of police officers being shot in two different cities, and a two year old killed in the cross fire from rival gangs, and protests over another man shot by police after a random traffic stop…

I found myself starting to be led by my flesh until I stopped and listened to what the Holy Spirit was saying. I found myself once again asking that there must be something that I could do...

The answer came deep in my heart; “Guard your heart” and “Don’t let a root of bitterness spring up”.

I recognized this as the voice of God because my mind recalled two passages of scripture:

“Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” (Hebrews 12:14-15)

I realized that what I was being called to do was not react in my flesh but to guard the garden of my heart so that none of these sorrowful stories would cause me to react in the flesh; which rarely ends up doing any good.

And I was being called to pray:

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Those two things would do more to help those who are grieving and wanting justice. That would be more fruitful than the alternatives.

So, what is growing in the garden of your life?

What takes up the most amount of space?

What occupies your time and attention?

What has gained prime place as your priority?

What is the chief outgrowth and production in your life? *worthless weeds or eternal fruit?

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.