Just Between You, Me, & God 11/5/2012

As a kid I loved going to Six Flags Over Texas. They had a great variety of rides, from things that went round and round and then the bottom fell out, to river rides where you never knew what was around the next bend, to roller coasters that went fast and slow and up and down while taking hair pin corners. There was also rides like the carousel that went around and around but nothing exciting ever happened or the Spelunker Cave that lazily floated along a relaxing stream in cool comfort with no surprises. I was thinking about my Christian walk over my lifetime the other day and couldn't help but notice the similarity at different times between that and the rides at an amusement park. There have been times when it seemed like I was in a whirl wind being swept around in circles and the ground was falling away from under my feet. That was when I felt far from God and there seemed to be no answer to my prayers and pleas. There were times of excitement when I couldn't wait to see what God was going to do next in my life. There are times when I seem to be struggling just to get up the hill and then God makes things move so quickly and change direction in an instant and you get so excited you can't catch your breath. Sometimes I feel kind of stuck, just going around and around in a circle, not making any real progress and I know that I need to spend more study time with God in His Word. Then there is always worship time when I feel so relaxed and open. It is a time of comfort, like being held by my Savior as I tell Him how much I love Him and appreciate everything He has done for me. No matter what is going on, how long it last, or how up or down I feel, I know that I am not alone and that whatever happens, it is God’s perfect will that counts and not my own finite expectations. Philippians 4:4-7 tells it like it should be, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” What is your walk like and are you willing to let go and let God?
God bless, Dean Hanssen

Just Between You, Me, & God 7/9/2012

I'm not much of a techy guy. My kids and wife keep trying to drag me into the 21st century but I'm not convinced it's a safe place yet. We recently got Netflix. We run it through the Wii so we can pick and choose our movies to watch whenever Jeannie's at home. I'm not restricted from watching when she's not here, it's just that I haven't learned how to work the thing yet. When we look at a person's lifetime we often associate it with all of the technical advances during that same time period. I remember doing that with my Grandparents. In their lifetimes they went from the horse drawn wagons to traffic jams on super highways, from the Wright brothers to the first man on the moon, from black and white silent movies and radio shows to a color TV in almost every home. They lived through a depression, two World Wars, the Korean War, and the Vietnam war. They raised two sons that raised families that continue to multiply families of their own. There have been a lot of changes in this world and it seems like they just keep coming faster and faster. The latest in high tech devices today is bound to be obsolete and on the clearance aisle in a couple of months. But throughout the ages there has been one constant, one stable that never changes: God. John 1:1-5 explains it all in a Cliff Notes sort of way. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." I am always impressed at night when driving up on a town or city and you look out and see all of the lights shining in the neighborhoods lighting the streets and yards providing security in the night darkness. Our world is dark with sin and I like to think that Jesus looks out and sees all of these little specks of light shining in this dark sin-filled world representing all of those who have seen His light and accepted Jesus as their Savior. Only Jesus offers us the beacon of His salvation, the security light of His mercy, the flood lamp of His forgiveness, and the unchanging floresence of His love. If you find yourself wandering around in the dark in this fast-paced high-tech world, can I offer you a light? The light of the world, Jesus Christ. Pastor Dean

Pastor Dean Hanssen is the Ministries & Outreach Pastor for LHF. Eventually, we may even get him to get an iPhone, perhaps even before iPhone 7 is revealed.