Do you ever feel like some people just do whatever they want and get away with it?  I know I do.  Many of us saw what happened with the financial melt down.  We know what it has cost this nation and many of us.  I want to stand up and scream and say throw them in jail.  They desreve it.  Even so, not all of them will face the consequences of what they have done.  We see it in all areas of life.  Somtimes people come against us and do and say horrible things.  They never say they’re sorry or try to make things right.  We want justice.  We want them to be held accountable for what they have done.  Paul says, do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath,  for it is written, It is mine to avenge, I will repay says the Lord.  Instead of taking revenge we are to do kind, even to those who have wronged us when we have the opportunity.  It seems abosolutely backwards to what we see all over the place.  That’s because it is.  God’s ways are higher than our ways.  We are to rise above the world and it’s standards.  It’s not easy but that is what we are called to do.  Jesus knew all about this.  He was very popular evena week before he was crucified.  Even as he hung on the cross his compassion was showing.  Let us continue to live as Jesus did and never grow weary of doing good.

Thanks for joining me.

Gary Kauffman

I started a series at church on God’s promises.  I know that God has given us many promises in his word.  The better we understand these promises the more confident and effective we will be in our walk with him.  He has given us these promises and has always kept his word.  That is important for us.  Our hope is founded in the promises that God has given us as people of faith.  If God would not keep his promises then we would not have a sure hope on which to stand.  Second, it is also a matter of trust.  If God had not kept his promises then how could we trust what he says for us.  How would we know he would do what he said.  Third, it is also a matter of integrity for him.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He is not a man that he should lie.  He keeps his promise.  Even when it cost him the ultimat price of Christ going to the cross.  Finally it is about his glory.  When God fulfills his promises he receives glory.  He does it in a way where only he can receive the glory.  Thank you Lord for fulfilling all that you have promised.  Thank you for being a faithful and true God.

Thanks, for joining me.

Gary Kauffman

I was reading tonight in the book of Colossians chapter 3.  It says Since you have been raised with Christ set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated.  Set your mind on things above not on earthly things.  That is an great reminder for all of us.  When we focus on the things of this world we lose our focus on the one who made the world.  One song that I like a lot is “Turn your eyes upon Jesus.”  It says that if we do this then the things of earth will grow strangly dim according to his glorious nature.  What an amazing thing.  When we truly put our focus where it belongs then we see with the eyes of Christ.  We see the things that are the most important.  We can put things in perspective a lot easier.  We get our priorities in order.  This doesn’t mean that things will always be easy or problem free but it does mean we will be able to handle them better.  We will have the wisdom and strength that God provides.  Keep your thoughts on things above.  God will keep you on the right path.

Thanks for joining me,

Gary Kauffman

I was reading in Phillipians this morning.  Paul said, Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe, as you hold out the word of life.  If we do our work and live life without complaing as Paul say, then we can be amazingly more effective.  I know that I don’t always do a good job at this.  I try to but, I let myself  get caught up in the day to day and the things that frustrate me.  When we do our jobs to the best of our abilitiy and strive to exceed expectations of our employers people notice.  People notice when we offer to help even when something isn’t “our job.”  I need to do a better job in all of these things.  The more we let the word be our guide the brighter we will shine.  Lord help us to shine in a greater way. 

Thanks for joining me.

Gary Kauffman

As men God has put us in charge of the home.  He has given us the responsibility of leading our families but sometimes we let the authority go to our head and don’t lead as we should.  We like the part of the Bible that tells our wives to submit to us but we leave it at that and go no further.  Eph. 5:22 says, ”Wives submit to your husband as to the Lord.  The husband is the head of the wife as the Christ is the head of the church.”  That sounds really good to us.  The verse before that and several after that should put a halt to any over confidence on our part.  We are told to submit to each other other out of reverence for Christ.  After that the husband is told to love his wife as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.  So, even though God has given us the authority to lead our family, that comes with much responsibility.  We are to lead by example.  We are to lead with humility and sacrificial love at the forefront of all we do.  Thank you, father for trusting us.  Help us to be faithful.

Thanks for joining me.

Gary Kauffman

Many times we might say, “Why me”, in response to something that has happened to us.  We have all probably heard others say it as well.  I think we could say it in the opposite sense as well when God uses us.  Why me God.  It is amazing to me that God would use us.  We are cracked and flawed vessels and many times we don’t do the cause any justice because of our attitudes and actions.  Even with all that we do wrong he still uses us.  It is a part of his plan.  He has decided to let us be a part of this great plan he laid out before the creation of the world.  “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God might be made know to the rulers and authorities, in the heavenly realm, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Ephesians  3:10-11.  So I say again, “Why Me”?  Because he chose me.  Thank you Lord.

Thanks for joining me.

Gary Kauffman

It is amazing as I look around and notice all the things around us how amazing they actually are.  I went on a hike with my son and our Cub Scout troop.  We went to a state park.  It was a big outing for scouts throughout the area.  I never really been that big into hiking or camping since I’ve been an adult.  Since my son is in the Scouts and we have been doing different things like this, I’ve really gotten excited about it agian.  Being out in  woods surrounded by all the beauty God made for us to enjoy seems like a great idea.  As exciting as that sounds, we don’t have to go to the middle of the woods to be near him.  We can experience him any where, because wherever we go he is there.  It is a wonderful thing and also a sobering thing.  It is wonderful because we can know that he is with us and watching over us at every turn in life.  It is sobering because we should also understand that we cannot hide anything from him.  He is not fooled by anything.  Do not be deceived God cannot be mocked.  In every event and turn God is there.  What is he seeing in your life.  Is it  a life spent seeking and glorifying him or is it a life lived for self.  He is there wating for you will you meet him today and get to know the one who knows you better than you know yourself.  The one who loves you more completely than you will every know.

Thanks, for joinging me.

Revgk

Our men’s group is talking about stress.  We are looking at how it affects us in our everyday life.  The session we had tonight was talking about the stress we have at work.  How are we going to deal with stress that we face each day.  We all face that stress it is just a matter of what we do with it.  Sometimes we let it get the best of us and we have a meltdown.  We may take it out on someone in our work place or worse on our family when we get home.  This is obviously the thing that we would all like to avoid and yet it happens.  We are not perfect so that is going to happen from time to time.  The one thing we can do is try to keep some proper perspective as we go through these times.  One of the guys remined us of a verse that somes it up well.  Col. 3:23 Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for God not for men.  Ultimately that is what we are doing.  When have to continue to move forward even when stress is high.  Ultimately we need to see that we have God with us to help us deal with all the things that come our way.  Another thing we need to understand is that we cannot control everything.  We need to understand those things that are out of our control.  When we do that we can stop spending stressing about it.  It is not that we don’t think about them but we can’t let them completely control us.   I am continually trying to move forward in this area.  It is a never ending battle because stress is always in our lives.

Thanks for joining me.

Revgk

Tonight both of our children diplayed some rather disappointing behavior.  I was with my son and my wife was with our daughter.  We were at different places and yet having the same problem.  We both ended up grounding our kids from one of their favorite activities and sending them to bed early.  In all of this we were frustrated yet we wanted them to understand that we loved them very much.  We were not just doing this out of anger but becasue they needed to be reminded what it means to obey and why it is important.  I don’t know that I did as good a job as my wife did because I raised my voice a little to my son.  I didn’t do the out right scream but it was a little more stressed than I wanted it to be.  I always want to do it with a calm demeaner.  That is the way God deals with us.  He gives us grace but he also disciplines us when we need it.  He is not waiting up there to strike us down when we mess up but he will let us know when we stray.  He shows us our wrong by speaking into our heart and mind.  He doesn’t condemn he convinces.   He does this because he knows that if we continue on that there will be worse consequences for us down the line.  He is trying to keep us from hurting our selves and others.  He has a heart for his children.  That is the heart I want from my children and for all of those God will bring to my attentin.  Thanks, God for your love.

Thanks for joining me.

Revgk

I have been having a lot of fun working with the cubs scouts in the last couple of months.  It was a little hectic at first and I felt like a fish out of water but now I am settling in and it’s pretty fun.  It is my son’s first year.  We are having fun with it.  There is a lot for us to learn and a lot of time for us to spend making memories.  I alos want make a special time with my daughter at least once a month.  I feel like their growing up way to fast so I want to have really special times for them to remember.  We try to do stuff on a regular stuff as a family that build memories.  I just want to add something special from dad so they will know exactly how much I love them.  The will also be encouraged to start these special traditions with their kids.  I have been very inspired by my family as I grew up.  My wife has done a great job as well.  She is always looking for ways to build memories as well.  They grow up too fast so enjoy it.

Good to be back. 

Rev GK