Just Between You, Me, & God 10/2/2012

"Be careful of what you ask for, because you just might get it." This is a statement that my Mom would use often when one of us three boys would wish for a circumstance to change in our lives, hopefully improving our situation. We've all wished for things to change from time to time like, I wish I was older (that's when I was young). That wish came true but now I can't go back. I wish I could play sports like that guy or sing like that girl or was as smart as that person or was as handsome or good looking as that one. Zig Zigler used to talk about wishing for other people’s talent. He would say, "What would you do with someone else's talent? The answer is, not a cotton pickin thing, if you're not already using the talent you've got." I wish I had more money. The famous multimillionaire John D. Rockefeller was once asked, "How much money is enough?" to which he replied, "Just a little more." It seems that we are never satisfied. God gave you the spouse that you asked for but now you tell Him, "That was OK God but, you know the one I really wanted is that one over there." I wish I was thinner, stronger, taller, shorter, and healthier; the list goes on and on. Here's another one I've heard a lot lately, "I wish Jesus would return." That's one we might want to think about a little more. Are you really ready for Jesus' return? Zephaniah tells us that we should be in repentance in Chapter 2: 1-3, "Gather together-yes, gather together, you shameless nation. Gather before judgment begins, before your time to repent is blown away like chaff. Act now, before the fierce fury of the Lord falls and the terrible day of the Lord's anger begins. Seek the Lord, all who are humble, and follow His commands. Seek to do what is right and to live humbly. Perhaps even yet the Lord will protect you-protect you from His anger on that day of destruction." (NLT). Jesus Himself tells us in Matt. 24:37-39, "When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day. In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. People didn't realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes." I am afraid that many in the Church are going to be caught saying, "I wish I had kept His commands, I wish I had studied His Word so that I would have been prepared, I wish I had lived my life as Jesus instructed, I wish I would have given my life to Him before He took mine from me." Just like Adam and Eve, we have the choice to follow and obey or to do it our own way. If you don't want to get left behind then it's time you got on the boat. There is only one way out and that is through Jesus Christ. Accept Him as your Savior, believe in your heart that he is the one true Son of God, that He died on the cross for your sins and that on the third day he arose from the grave to give those who believe everlasting life, and change your life today to give up your old ways because you have been reborn into a new Christian life of action, not just passively sitting by and waiting. Do this now and we will sit at His table together. Pastor Dean

Pastor Dean Hanssen is the Outreach & Ministries Pastor for LHF.

Just Between You, Me, & God 7/23/2012

I used to belong to a procrastinators club but I could never make the meetings. There was always something else coming up that I needed to do. I’m still waiting for them to refund my dues to me. It’s easy to put things off. For instance, I wanted to mow the yard this afternoon so I wouldn’t have to use so much of my day off tomorrow doing it but it’s still pretty hot outside and it’s cool inside and I can sit in my chair while I write so, I’m writing. Maybe it will be cooler outside tomorrow. We all put things off that we need to do every day. Some are rather insignificant, like mowing the yard, or one of those “honey do” things, or starting that exercise thing or diet. There is a difference between procrastination and good timing, I’ve tried to tell Jeannie that a lot of mine is good timing but she just won’t buy it. Procrastination is just putting something off because you don’t want to do it for whatever reason. Good timing though comes from experience, good observation, and uncommon wisdom. Jesus had good timing. How much more experience do you need if you were around when everything was created. John 1:3 reminds us that, “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Experience gives you a certain confidence that can be observed by those around you because you instinctively know how things work and what’s going to happen next, if you do this, then this will happen. Jesus observed our human condition and the fact that we are like lost sheep. Matthew 9:36, tells us, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus teaches us to be good observers by observing Him and how He relates to other. Jesus, of course, represents the wisdom of the ages. 1 Corinthians 1:25 tells us, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” With this in mind, here is one thing that you cannot put off any longer, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is a limited time offer that expires with your last breath. Don't let this pass you by, there is nothing more important on your things to do list today than to accept Jesus. Let's take care of this right now. Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I accept You as my Savior and I want to change from who I am to who You want me to be. Forgive me of my sins, mold me in Your image, and help me to share this Good News with others today, amen. God bless you, and 1000 years from now let's gather around Christ table and share this experience. Pastor Dean

Pastor Dean Hanssen is the Ministries & Outreach Pastor for LHF.

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.