Turning Age 66 Today and My Thoughts Looking Back

Wow, 66 years old today. A lot of years and hoping for many more.  Papaw Hepler always told me  his granddaddy, if I can still remember correctly, lived to be 3 days past his 100th birthday. Papaw's goal was to live past 100. He died at 93, but he would probably have made it if he had not smoked 2 packs of cigarettes a day and instead of drinking all that whiskey had left it in the bottles.

I have started getting in my office at 5:00 every morning to study and write. This morning I paused my writing project for a few minutes to reflect back on my 66 years. Looking back, the time has flown by much quicker than when I was way back there living it. My time is much more valuable to me now than it was back then, because I do not have as much of it left.

Reflecting back on the good times is easy, but acknowledging my failures, not so easy. But my failures have driven me to something I love doing.  I honor those failures as teachers, along with the other great teachers I have had from first grade through college. Today I am jotting down some thoughts of what I have learned, some funny, some sad, and some I just don't know how to categorize. I imagine many of you could do the same. Remember, these are my thoughts and I am accountable for them. I am going to go for it.

1. Friends are great to have, but the one's you have from childhood are always special.
2. I have had many great teachers, but my failures were the greatest.
3. I have cherished my courage to be vulnerable. My prior years I tried to please everyone.  My desire now is to please God and everything else will fall into place.
4. I try not to be as cantankerous, but it still slips up on me now and then.
5. Worry is an enemy and I am not going to give it my valuable time.
6. At 66 years old, I can't go back and start a new beginning, but I can begin today on having a great ending.
7. To the young and unmarried. Don't let your first blind date scar you for life. Go on and go on a second blind date. I did and married her. She is absolutely the best thing that has happened to me.
8. In life, we all need to hit a walk off home run, but if we never get up to bat we never will.
9. What I admire most about professional athletes, is not the money they earn, the way they play, but the discipline they have in getting there.
10. We were created by God in His image and His likeness. Don't let anyone teach you we evolved billions of years ago from some slime in the ocean. I had some college professors that probably thought I was stupid. They are dead now. Sad to say, they now know who the stupid one was.
11. I am not going to vote for someone who wants to kill innocent babies in the womb and doesn't want me to call a man a man and a woman a woman. PERIOD!
12. I don't follow the herd unless I know where they are going and I know the leader .  We have too much of that nonsense going on today as it is.
13. Live right and die right. This can only be done by living the way God has told us to live. In doing so, you will make a difference in this world and will have lived the purpose for which God has created you.
14. I am so glad that tattoos were not the fad in 1970. I would probably have gotten one, which I would now probably have regretted.
15. I have learned it is not my outside appearance that builds integrity, but what is in the heart. Remember, "The pure in heart will see God", and I want to see God.
16. You wouldn't give your children counterfeit $100 bills, so make sure you don't give them a counterfeit plan of salvation.
17. Humility, repentance, seeking God's face, and fervent prayers are the only things that will make our country better, not who we elect to govern it.
18. In 1970 there were about 90 percent or more people in this country who professed to be Christians. In that period of the seventies, prayer was taken out of schools, the law was established allowing women to murder their unborn child, and sensual living began to be the lifestyle of many.  Only a few got this started, with 90 percent professing to be Christians. I read the other day by the year 2020 that number will be around 66 percent. Old people we better watch it. It will be us next. We better get to looking useful in our old age or we will be euthanized to save the government money.
19. When I die, and I don't know when that will be, whoever does my funeral, please don't tell the audience that I was a faithful Christian and I loved the Lord. If they don't know it by then, Christ won't either. So it is not going to make much difference will it?
20. We live in a fallen world and life is not fair sometimes. 
21. Remember this. Everyone shouldn't get a trophy and everyone doesn't go to heaven. You must work for the one and live a life of gratitude, obedience and love for the Christ who made going to heaven possible.  Earning a trophy brings value to it. Christ dying in our place shows us how much God loves us. Oh, if we would only love Him as much.
22. Don't let their tattoos, addictions and felonies run you off. Yes, some are just plain evil, but some just made  several wrong choices. Christ said for us to even love our enemies and pray for them. I am not saying these are my enemies, but if I should love and pray for my enemies should I not also love everyone?
23. Looking back on my life, I have many regrets. Looking forward in life, I am going for what I used to think was impossible. I don't want to be good, I want to be great with what God has given me. I want to erase all my regrets, and to use them to propel me forward in living for God.
24. Just because I am 66 doesn't mean I am dead yet. I still have a lot of faults and weaknesses to correct with God's help. I want the fruit of God's Spirit to be seen in me, not because of duty or guilt, but because I love Him and this fruit makes this fallen world a better place to live for everyone.
25. Well, I think 25 thoughts are enough for now. Looking back is tough. Made lots of mistakes. I just have to work toward my goals today. One last thing. I want to live the rest of my life encouraging, loving and being a Christ-like example to all I meet. The greatest gift and example I can leave to my family, the day of my funeral, is many coming up to them saying, "Your dad had an influence on me to live a better life or your dad always prayed for me"..

Remember these are just my thoughts. Age has changed my thinking over the years. Hope you enjoyed reading. To my old friends, "Love you guys", you are part of my life. To my new friends, I am looking forward to knowing you better, loving you and making you part of my life.

I thank everyone who has wished me a "Happy Birthday" today and also for you spending the time to read what I write. I am working to be a better writer and the only way I get get better is to write more. Sometimes I may bore you and sometimes my writing may challenge you and me.

Thank you so much!
Rick Hepler

Please send comments to rhepler52@gmail.com .

Sometimes You Just Need to Go Against The Grain

"Going Against the Grain”

If you say that an idea or action goes against the grain, you mean it is very difficult for you to accept it or do it, because it conflicts with your previous ideas, beliefs or principles.  -Collins English Dictionary

I have made many mistakes in my life.  Consequences always follow wrong choices or decisions and they certainly do not discriminate. It doesn’t matter who you are, they will show up sooner or later.

Letting the crowd, peers, friends, and family formulate your ideas, beliefs and principles can cause unwanted consequences, guilt and regrets. Going against the grain can be very difficult.  So how can we go against the grain, why would we, when should we, and what are the benefits?

Today I am writing about someone who went against the grain of the traditional thinking of his time, producing impossible actions with amazing results. If you and I want to go from average to great in using the talents God created in us, we can follow the same pattern as he did.

That someone was the lowly shepherd boy David.  How did he prepare his thinking and develop the courage to go against the grain at such a young age, around 15 years of age, among all the naysayers?

 The Preparation: Knowing Who Created You.

It was the best thing that could have happened to him.  His father gave him the job of tending his sheep.  Evidently, the father thought it was a menial job. His father didn’t even think of David when Samuel came to anoint the next King of Israel.  Jesse sent David’s seven brothers, without David, for Samuel to choose and anoint the next king.  Why did he not send David?

I don’t know if David enjoyed being a shepherd or not, but in doing so, he was placed in a position to discover his God, know this God, and to highly reverence this God.  What was the key of tending those sheep? “Be still and know that I am God”. (Psalm 46:10)

Was Psalm 19 written because of David's spending lonely days and nights in the wilderness overseeing his father’s sheep?  I believe it was and influenced David to serve God and to reveal God’s glory to the children of Israel.  The first 6 verses of this Psalm reveal God in nature. The next 5 in His law and the last 3 reveal David’s belief and trusting in God by his prayers to Him.

God sought a man after His own heart (1Sam. 13:14) and said, "I have found My servant David." (Psalm 89:20) Again, in the New Testament, God is quoted as saying, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." (This is taken from 1Sam. 13:14 and quoted in Acts 13:22)

David was prepared by seeking the One who created him, having all trust in this Creator (God) and laying his heart out to this God in prayer.  A great pattern to follow if you want to bring out the best of yourself.

Samuel, the priest, attempted to go with the grain in choosing the next king, God wanted, by his outward appearance.  Don’t we do the same?  God plainly lets all of us know in this important matter, "For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:5)

Even David’s father Jesse, didn’t believe David needed to be with them at the sacrifice.  He left him uninvited with the sheep.  Evidently, this father did not know his youngest son’s heart either.  God knew his heart and out of this heart came devotion, trust, and desiring a relationship of fervent prayers to Him.

David was given something by God after Samuel anointed him. "…and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." (1 Samuel 16:13) David cherished God’s Spirit upon him. How do I know? The prayer of David’s repentance in Psalm 51: 10-11, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."

David learned about God in the wilderness while protecting his father’s sheep. He knew God’s word was truth, and more importantly he knew Him well enough that he unloaded himself in prayer daily.  He reverenced God’s glory and he would serve Him in honor and do his best to reveal to all His glory.  I believe that is why God said, “I have found David, a man after My own heart, who will do all of My will".  This is what God wants in you and me.  If we remember this, God’s glory will be shown by us in our generation and we will live to obey all of His will as David.

So, David was prepared to follow and obey God’s will wherever it would take him.  As Christians, we should expect no less from ourselves.


( In the next few post I am going to show how thoughts of living in this world can become so ingrained into our thinking that our faith is slowly, and sometimes subtly, dissipated. We as Christians have slowly allowed the ways of the world, (going with the world's grain of thinking and living) to influence our decisions of the way we act and the lifestyles we manifest with that line of thinking.

Is this important? Should we begin (and that we includes me) to notice how the world view is affecting our living as God would have us to live.  Do we delight in the Lord any more? Is our heart's desire to do His will.

Choosing to live by the ways of the world or the commandments of God is our choice.  In the next few post on "Going Against the Grain" I want to use the same pattern David did.

Our children and grandchildren, in a culture of instability, need to have a solid faith to stand on. They must first learn to love God and believe Him.

In my first book, "The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart" is a good book for your teenager to read on how David prepared his faith and love of God in order to face and defeat his giants.  Also, I write about the three giants that have taunted the moral fiber of this great country in which we live.  Have you listened to the news the last several months?  Do you want your  children to live as the world or the way God directs them?)

What motivates us to go against evil? Are we afraid of going against the grain of world view? David wasn't and the three giants we are faced with today can be put down just as David put down Goliath.  All we need are men and women after God's own heart. Don't you think it is time? Are you ready to be like David and have "A Cause"? The cost is only $2.99. You can click here to go to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW to purchase online.  This is a Kindle E-book.

Thank you!

Rick Hepler

 

Lessons From the White Car in Martin, TN

It was just like every other Sunday morning.  Deb and I were with her parents coming in to Martin, Tn. from Union City, TN.  The 15 minute ride over was quiet and peaceful. As we approached the stoplight in front of Walmart, something caught our attention from the field on our right.  It was a white car out in the middle of a muddy field.

Did you see the white car in the middle of the field?  Wonder how it got there and who was driving it? How did they get that far?  Another 100 yards and they would have made it.  It was stuck in mud up to the frame. I wonder what happened? These were questions and statements made in every restaurant, church, school, and any other place of conversation in Weakley and Obion County.  Social media had a field day (no pun intended) with it.

I still do not know any of the above answers, or at least the truth of what happened. I have heard every theory possible and even opined a few of my own.  Still no actual facts.  The only true fact I do know is this peculiar occurance has brought more people together with laughter than anything I have seen in a long time.  Strangers talking and laughing together.

We have all been unified in laughter and with the same curiosity. In a time when there is so much bitter division from politics to religion and terrible news of shootings, sexual harassment, actions or inactions in Washington, D.C., we have the "white car".

We owe it to the white car for bringing us together with laughter.  Maybe the City of Martin should purchase the car, get permission from the land owner, and place the car back in the field and let it serve as a monument.  A monument of the time we laughed together as a united people, being able to escape a few minutes each day from the burdens we carry.

Now let's move on to some serious questions.  Who (we're in the South, "Bless his/her heart") was driving this car and why did he/she drive it there?  We know someone put it there.  It is an actual fact the car didn't put itself in the middle of the field, just like the sun didn't put itself in the middle of our galaxy. Well maybe some folks down the road may think the sun did, but they are united with us in believing this car had a driver.

Now let's get back to the person responsible for all of this. I laughed, belly laughed, every time I saw it, but my laughter was at the expense of the driver of the car. I started thinking how it must be with everyone laughing at you.  Whether this was accidental, intentional, medical caused, or under an influence, the consequences are still the same. He/she was the main topic of laughter.

He/she could be a bad person, addict, felon, have medical issues, lonely, confused, troubled, or a good person, but he/she has something in common with us all.  We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) If this individual had made it to the end of the field, we would have never known.  It would have been between him/her and God.  Many of our mistakes and sins are only known by us and God alone.  If they were made public, we may be the talk of the town also.  Many of us strive for perfection, but like the car, we don't make it to the end of the field.

Over two thousand years ago, there was another man who was made a public spectacle. They laughed at Him, but they also hung Him on a cross. He was the only perfect and sinless person ever to walk on the face of this earth.  He went to the "end of the field" for us. We got stuck in the middle of the field (life) with mud (sin) all over us.

We all get laughed at. Not by each other, but by Satan. He knows we will never make it out by ourselves. He does all he can to deceive us into not following the only one that can present us righteous before God.  Evil works hard to keep us from following truth.

What is the truth that counters the evil that is wanting us to get mired down in the mud (sin)? God's word is truth and sets us apart. (John 17:17) Following this truth will set us free. (John 8:32) When David felt stuck, he wrote: I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth--praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord. (Psalms 40:1-3, NKJV)

All of us have a "white car" episode in our lives. Those episodes have been public and private, with each producing a consequence affecting us and those around us. How can we overcome these episodes?  We can overcome these and be pulled out of them by being part of the family. The family I am talking about is God's family. In this family, we laugh together, we cry, we forgive, and are forgiven by God and each other.

So, to the driver of the "white car", I  hope you are okay. If you want to be a part of a group of people, including myself, who have been stuck in mud (sin) before, come and be my special guest Sunday at the Martin Church of Christ. Morning service starts at 9:00 A.M.. We remember each Sunday what Jesus did for us. He suffered, bled, and died for us, because we were also stuck in the middle of a field of mud (sin).

This offer is also to anyone else who may also be stuck in that same field. We encourage each other and help each other when we get stuck with life's problems. Look forward to seeing you there. Tell them Rick Hepler invited you and we won't ask you if you are the driver of the "white car".

Thanks for reading. Please send comments to rhepler52@gmail.com  .  Also I was literally stuck in mud one time with my brother Randy. I wrote about it a few years ago. Please go to https://rick-hepler.blogspot.com/2011/07/blue-mud.html to read about it.

Hope you have a nice day!

Rick Hepler

Courage To Be Vulnerable=Changed Lives

Vulnerable: open to, or be liable to be hurt by criticism or attack. (1968 edition of The New World Dictionary of The American Language, The Southwestern Company, Nashville, Tennessee).

I have been enslaved almost all of my life with the fear of the above word.  The thought of allowing myself to be vulnerable in seeking to do what I love in life, produced a chilling fear of failing, rejection, being the topic of local conversations (gossip), people not liking me anymore, being broke and, most importantly the fear of just compassionately making the commitment to try.

I have just recently realized that it is so important for me as a leader, a father, grandfather, husband and a Christian, to have the courage to be vulnerable. The best life I have found to imitate is the life of Jesus Christ. From His birth to His death, He was always vulnerable to the world we live in. He faced it all with love and courage. Even his mother and those who closely followed Him, were openly vulnerable.

The first test of His ministry was His being vulnerable in the wilderness.  He then subjected Himself to the subtle and deceptive temptations of the Devil. His vulnerability did not stop there.  We have read of His speaking the will of His Father in heaven to the religious people of the time. This placed  Him in a dangerous degree of vulnerability. You can and probably have already read of His courage.

His courage in overcoming the fear of being vulnerable came from loving and wanting to do the will of His Father in heaven. And He accomplished this bravely, lovingly, and perfectly. How do I know? God said He did. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ''This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'' (Matthew 3:17, NKJV)

If we fervently and zealously seek to do the Father's will as Jesus, we will have the same courage to live vulnerably for the Master, without any fear or hesitation.

Now, I want to discuss the scriptures that surprisingly got my attention. The first one I have read all of my life and have never noticed the message that would so quickly allow me to be emancipated from the fear and battle I have from being vulnerable.

Please carefully read along. Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said,  "Let the little children come unto Me, and do not forbid them, for such is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 19:13-14, NKJV)  What is it that jumps out at you?

Have you noticed when your children or your grandchildren began to talk and put sentences together, how bold they were in asking questions or talking to someone?  Also they are very creative and enjoy being with others their age, but it doesn't last long.  We are the ones who teach them the fear of being vulnerable.  We teach them quickly to watch what they say. When they get older they realize in order for some people, even us, to like them, they have to act in a certain way to be accepted. An ego is born.

Do you think those little children heard the rebuke of Jesus's disciples? What if Jesus had not corrected them when He did?  Those children would probably have never  wanted to go to Jesus. Would the parents mentioned have ever tried again? The seed of feeling vulnerable was attempted to have been sown through the disciples and guess by whom? Don't you think it may have been the Devil?

Little children do not feel, nor have they developed the fear of being themselves.  We teach it to them for the rest of their lives.   Read what Jesus says, Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:4, NKJV.)   What does this mean? How many little children do you know who have a big ego or much pride?  At the earliest age they do not even know what pride or ego is.  Again, it is taught by us and others for the rest of their lives.

Why would Christ say we need to be humble as a little child? Before we had an ego and pride, we were humble.  We didn't live to protect ourselves from the criticism of others. We subconsciously followed the  pattern of others needing acceptance and fearing rejection.  Our egos wanted everyone to like us and when pride was introduced we wanted the best toys, best cookie, etc. and MINE! was vocally and forcefully stated.  We were taught of scarcity and not abundance.  So therefore as we got older, we fiercely protected what was ours.  We cared not to lose our ego, pride or "toys".  Thus vulnerability was introduced along with the fear to hide it.

So, we adults have to be humble like very young children.  With years of life behind us, living in the fear of rejection and toiling to be accepted, we now read that Christ wants us to erase this out of our habits and subconscious mind to be humble. How does He want us to do this? Does He tell us how.  Oh yes. But are you ready for it?

These, I believe are the scriptures He uses to instruct us how.  But you have to know where you are now.  Have you built up an ego along the way that tries to please everyone to get acceptance? Has this caused you to give up your values? Your courage?  Your dreams?  What has your pride done to you lately? Are you afraid of making yourself vulnerable?

Read these and see what he is asking and why. "For whosoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whosoever loses his life for My sake will find it". (Matthew 16:25, NKJV)  To me if I try to save my life, my pride and ego, I will lose it. I will not allow myself to be vulnerable.  I will compromise my values to appease my peers, who I feel like I so desperately need. I will say the words I think they want to hear.

Another scripture that goes along with the above is, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life'. (John 12:25, NKJV)  God created me to be Rick Hepler. He has given me talents to use for His purpose. I do not know what the commentaries say about this verse, but if I love my life of impressing my peers, doing and living a life of pleasing others not God, I lose that life Rick Hepler was created to be.

If I have the courage to be vulnerable and live as Christ has commanded me to live, that fake life I was living, instead of who I was created to be, will fade away.  I will then be living the purpose I was created for.  I will have the courage to be vulnerable in serving God the way He has commanded.  My Ego and pride will cease to be what drives my life.

When I have the courage to be vulnerable to criticism, rejection, and disappointment in serving God and spreading the gospel, Christ will not be ashamed of me when He comes. (Luke 9:26)  Yes, Christ's vulnerability to live and teach the truth, love, and will of the Father in heaven, resulted in His death.

Jesus, by His example, has shown me how to have the courage to seek not after the glory of the world,  (Matthew 4:8-10) but the glory He regained when He went back to the Father in heaven.  (John17:5)   

The Bible shows us other examples of courage and fear dealing with personal vulnerability.  Peter would have been the last person I would have pictured fearing vulnerability.  Yet he did it three times, even when he said he would never be made to stumble.  (Matthew 26:33-35)  When Peter was warming beside the fire with people of the world, his courage left him and at that moment he cared more of what they thought of him than Christ.

You and I have been placed in similar situations when we feared the rejection of the world by our decisions to speak up for the truth of the Christian values we have believed in. Sometimes I have remained silent and inactive in these particular situations.  Will God forgive me and still use me in His service for this? Yes He will. What can I do?  Just do what Peter did.  (Matthew 26:75) Did Christ ever use him again? Do you remember reading about the first Gospel sermon? Who preached it? What did he preach?  (Acts chapter 2) 

He will use us also, if we weep for having given in to the fear of what other people think of us when we follow Jesus. That weeping, as Peter did, produces repentance.  For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.  Peter had this godly sorrow, which lead to his salvation and introducing to thousands the path of that salvation.  On the other hand, sorrow of not pleasing the world continues a never ending cycle of living to please the world thus compromising the godly values you believe in. The courage to be vulnerable is lost in appeasement of others that do not desire those same values. Spiritual death then follows for you and others under your influence.

I want to be a better leader to my family, friends, people off the street, those in jail, those in the church  and those who I reach by my writings.  I cannot do this if I do not have the courage to be vulnerable as Christ, while He was on this earth.

God does not only expect His people to have this courage, but He commands it.  I have never read of His allowing Christians to compromise His commands to please others.

When Moses died and God told Joshua to cross over the Jordan river, leading His people to promised land, He expected him to do it. "Have I not commanded You?  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9, NKJV)

Joshua,like Christ, was not afraid of being vulnerable in carrying out the will of God. If you and I claim to be Christians, should we do any less? Joshua had faith and 100 percent trust in God's promises.  He never questioned nor was he afraid of his own vulnerability.

Joshua was told by God to take  people into the promised land and possess it.  What does Christ command us to do that takes courage, faith , trust and places us vulnerable to the world?

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20, NKJV)

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned". (Mark 16:15-16, NKJV)

As Christians in this country, have we done this? You may say we have. We send and support missionaries to foreign lands. That is great, but what do we do in our communities? Pay the preacher to do it? Yes we do and this is a good thing. When you and I send our money, are we not expecting them to be vulnerable for us? We think this relieves us of any type of personal evangelism.  We say we want to be like New Testament Christian, but do we really?

The early Christian were not afraid to be vulnerable in spreading the Gospel. Some of them died doing it.  To be honest, for years It made me uncomfortable.  I wanted everyone to like me.  My ego wanted nothing to do with it. I would just go to church every time the doors were opened. If I had died they would have said at my funeral I loved the Lord and was very faithful.  I was more faithful in avoiding the vulnerability of  talking to people about Christ, and fearing the rejection from people not liking what I said. Yeah, I know, very weak. What about you?

I see I need courage to be vulnerable living as God wants me to live in this fallen world. What will it look like if I do? Whose life will change because of it? How can I develop the courage to overcome this fear of being vulnerable?

How do we do this? Do we want to do this?

(To be continued)


Thanks for reading. Please send comments to rhepler52@gmail.com .

Rick Hepler

Thoughts From A Cold Winter Morning

I was up early this morning, before sunrise. I always enjoy the peace of my quite time early each morning. The reading, writing, praying and meditating seems to transform a small part of me each day.  This is when I have most of my creative thoughts on fulfilling my heart's desires. Courage to face any challenge comes from these moments.

It is so cold outside! I believe my phone said 7 degrees. The previous day's snow is still on the patio. Only a few melted places could be seen. Daylight finally appeared. Yes, the sun is shining. Then I noticed the birds flying around looking for water, that was not frozen, and something to eat. How do they survive in this cold? They looked like they were starving to me.

I wanted to feed them something. I didn't have any bird seed, so I got the bright idea of emptying the pantry of outdated boxes of cereal we had for our grandchildren.  I also filled a shallow pan with water, so they could have fresh water to drink.

I waited and waited for them to come. Finally, one bird came and then flew off, then he came back. A few others came, but with the least bit of distraction, they would quickly fly away again. After several minutes, one came back.  I guess he was the bravest one.  He was very hungry and thirsty and was going to risk eating my cereal even though he had never seen or tasted it before.

With his displayed courage, the others came. Now the patio is covered with birds eating outdated cereal and drinking water that I set out for them.

Don't laugh at the wary birds.  We humans are the same way. We trudge through every day with burdens and cares. Many spend each waking hour believing there is no hope for them.  Evil abounds and touches our lives each day.  We view and hear of hate, abuse, addictions, broken homes, heartaches, and many more atrocities in our world, country, communities, and even our own families every day.

As the birds are living hungry and thirsty on this cold and snowy day, all of us are living in this fallen world, hungry for something.  Could it be we are tired of the fruits of unrighteousness?  Do we even have a solution to our own emptiness?  We do, but we are afraid to taste it.  Are we like the birds, needing one brave bird to come in and show us it is different, but it taste really good? Are we so distracted by the noises of the world, that we fly away too quickly?

Our problems arise when we do not know we are starving spiritually. We are hungry and thirsty for something, but what is it?

What is it deep down in our souls that we truly are hungry and thirsty for?

I could have mentioned this parable, told by Jesus, forty years ago and probably the majority of people in our country would have already have read it or at least been told about it.  The hunger in our souls needs to be filled, yet many do not know what it is and how to get it.  Some have known about it, but the distractions of this life have caused them to forget. Please go to Luke chapter 15.

16 And he would have gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything, 17 but when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,  19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.  Make me like one of your hired servants". ...

The son did go back to the father. He remembered, repented, and was humble. He was asking for a meager existence  as a hired servant, but please continue to read in verses 20-23 what he received. The beautiful part of this story is in verse 24. 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' and they began to be merry.

Our Father in heaven is portrayed as the father in the above parable.  He has everything we need, but we like the son in the parable are so spiritually hungry we would be glad to eat the pods of the world fed to the swine.  We have allowed this fallen world to twist and toss us around so much, that we think we are not worthy of anything that is good. We just settle for less, not knowing what the wonderful blessings God has prepared for us.

What is it we are hungry for? Righteousness! Do we know it? Jesus came to earth so we could see what righteousness is. He was sent by God the Father. He was brave and not distracted from His purpose in coming.

The birds outside this cold, snow covered morning, are cold and hungry. What I gave them to eat, they never have seen before.  They liked it and ate all of it. Food for them is still scarce when it snows.   Humanity, outside of Christ, is cold, dark, unforgiving and experiences scarcity in many ways. 

Man looks searches in many ways for the world to give him peace and happiness, but many times the happiness and peace are consumed quickly by the fallen world we live in. This fallen world is like the fallen snow. It covers up what we need and unless we have someone to give us "food" we go hungry as the birds.

Christ said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Matthew 5:6,NKJV)  Why would we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Because there is none righteous before God. We all have sinned and fallen short of His glory. Please read Romans 3:10,23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

With this righteousness comes salvation. Does God want us to be righteous and have salvation? John 3:16 is a verse many of us had to recite in the first grade at school.  Please read John 3:14-21.  For me, these verses introduce  a loving God, a loving Son of God, salvation through this Son, and condemnation and perishing without Him.

Remember above how God is portrayed as the father of the prodigal son waiting for that son to come home. Upon his return, he finds the loving father waiting and watching for him.  I believe John 3:16 is the beginning of the many scriptures revealing to humanity the love God has for us.  After all, He created us in His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:27)

Are you cold and hungry? Imagine if you were the birds on this snowy morning, having to depend on the kindness of someone tossing them some food.  When I am cold and hungry, I am desperately trying to find both.  At times, my soul has been cold and hungry. The joy, I pursue and need, cannot be found in the world. I feel empty without it.

I am so blessed to have been shown and taught the Gospel "Good News" of God's love for me, and the way of righteousness and salvation through His Son. When life gets tough, I can rejoice in my salvation like the prophet Habakkuk did in Habakkuk 3:17-19.

What about you? Do you hunger and thirst for the righteousness that leads you to salvation. A salvation promising your being with a loving heavenly Father for all eternity.  A righteousness that can give you joy as you live in this fallen world, no matter your circumstances.

How is this world really treating you? Is there something deep within you longing for something better? Have you ever stopped to think how much God loves you? Think about it.  If I can help, please email me at rhepler52@yahoo.com or  at rhepler52@gmail.com .

Are down trodden and heavy laden with burdens this life has given you? Have you ever tried the taste of God's grace, mercy and forgiveness?  Please do not ever give up, until you have someone tell you or you search in His word for it yourself what He has for you.

Are you broke, broken, addicted, incarcerated, burdened by pain and suffering, suffering the consequences of sin in your life, or just needing a few moments of peace to regain strength? This is what Christ is saying you to today. Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV) 

Are you going through any of these trials above or some that are not listed?  Is the world offering you what Christ has offered? What about your friends, neighbors, family, people you work with, politicians, and anyone else you come in contact with offering you a way to find the rest and peace you are searching for? I didn't think so.  I do! I want to help you. Why? Because someone helped me find this peace, the peace that passes all understanding.

Please pass along to someone who is hurting and help them develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Thanks for reading. Comments are welcome. Please share on
Facebook to those who are hurting.

Rick Hepler

She Was Broken and Needing Hope.

Who told her about Him?

Someone must have told her where He would be or she overheard them talking about it. Maybe she was in the city Nain when Jesus raised from the dead the only son of a widow. Was she there when Jesus made the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead raised, and the gospel preached to the poor? (Luke 7:1-22)

She was tired of people talking about her. She knew her sins and they were heavy on her mind. Life was beginning to be cruel to her. She must have thought this would be her last hope. This man called Jesus was doing the impossible. Did she think it would take the impossible to turn her life around and to have a peace?

She chose this as an action plan to change her life.

She would show her love to Him by being respectful, submissive and humble. She would show all of these by the actions she was about to perform. Was she used to the harsh comments others had about her?  Did her critics and accusers offer any solutions or show any affections for her as a fellow human being? What emotions caused her to place herself in such a vulnerable situation that could cause her more emotional pain? I don't know.  We just have to put ourselves in her shoes (sandals) and try to identify the emotions swelling up inside us.

This did happen a long time ago, when Jesus was on earth. Get your bible and turn to Luke 7:36-50. Follow along as I try to relate this same story as to how it could happen today.

This woman was so desperate, she entered into an arena of glaring and condemning eyes. She was placing her life on the line.  She had either been told of His love and compassion or she had witnessed it from a distance. Either way, it triggered an emotion, backed with courage, to seek Him out, no matter what.

After she got her audience with Jesus, here is what she did. She wept, washed His feet with her tears, wiped them with her long flowing hair, continually kissed His feet, and anointed His feet with a fragrant oil. She realized He was her only hope. By her actions, we can identify the precious value of this hope. (Please remember this.)

The Pharisee speaks to himself.

Now let me turn to the one who invited Jesus to his house. His name was Simon. Before I get too hard on Simon, I must confess. At one point in my Christian life I have spoken to myself as Simon did. I had his same thoughts, only in a different setting and time.

I was religious like Simon. I could identify those in our little town who had many sins, just like Simon did. If they came to a worship service, I would wonder why they came. I never mentioned Jesus loved them and would forgive them of those sins. I only, like Simon, looked down on them because of their sinful life.

I had the proud look, as Simon, instead of the look of this woman washing Jesus's feet.
My look was not one that would carry me or motivate me to go into all the world making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things Christ has commanded us to teach. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Simon spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner. (Luke 7:39, NKJV)

We all need to pay attention to the reply Jesus gave.

Jesus told Simon He had something to tell him. Simon agreed to listen.  Jesus then gave Simon an example we should also remember. He said, "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One who owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me therefore, which of them will love me more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom He forgave the more."(Luke 7:41-42, NKJV)

What would you say? If someone forgave my debts I would be forever grateful.  Especially if I had no way or income of ever repaying.  How about you?

In the following verses 44-47 Jesus tells Simon to look at the woman. He then reminds Simon of the acts he didn't do, but should have done. This woman, although she had many sins, did them.

Christ then speaks to the woman.

Christ then acknowledges before Simon and the others that her sins were many, but she showed Him much love. Simon and the others around the table showed Him very little love. Then Christ tells her, "Your sins are forgiven" and He said "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Does this happen today?

Have you ever been to a church service and someone comes in wearing old clothes and tattoos? How do we look upon them? In years past, ignorantly, I have spoken to myself as Simon, "What are they doing here? I wonder what they want? Most of the time people like that have come for rent money or money to pay an electric or utility bill. I have made that judgmental mistake before. No more.

What if one out of ten of these people came looking for Jesus and His forgiveness and the others would also have an interest if we told them about God's love, and the reason Jesus came to this earth? In my own regret, I wonder how many of these, drug addicts, unemployed, dysfunctional family members, and just plain broken people, have I ignored over the past several years. Only if I could have taken my time and shown them that in Christ they could be redeemed and start over with their lives. If I had only helped one that was like the woman above, what would his or her family look like today?

Looking for Christ can be stressful today.

Let me swap roles with one of the above.  Say I was addicted to meth., morphine or heroine, had lost my job, and have now lost my family.  I was at the end of my rope. Who am I going to turn to? My friends are in the same vicious cycle I am in, looking for the next high, enslaved to the cravings of the flesh in a most horrible way. What am I to do? Yes, it would be my fault that I was in that mess to start with. But, what if I wanted to clean this mess up?  Who will help me?

What if I remembered a verse of scripture that I heard long ago, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.(Matthew 11:28, NKJV) and also remembered the scripture that said, ...with God all things are possible, (Matt. 19:26,NKJV)? Where would I go to find out how to find Jesus and God to help me out of this impossible and sinful lifestyle?

What are the chances, living in the environment I would be living in, of someone coming and showing me the God of second chances loved me, sent his Son to die for me, wanted to forgive me of my sins, and then they patiently taught me how to live as Christ wants me to live? I am afraid very slim. So if I wanted to search for this Jesus to help me, I would have to go find Him. Where would I go?

Would I choose the largest, finest, newest looking church building in town or the smallest? What name on the sign would I choose? Would I go to these buildings to just see, from a distance, what the people looked like that attended there, as they got out of their cars and went in?

What if I did choose the largest church building to attend and I sat by you? How would you react? Would you be uncomfortable? Could you identify I needed help by the way I looked? Now get this.  At this moment, there is no margin for error. I do not know if you are an unfaithful member of this church or the most faithful.  All I know is, I am looking for someone like Jesus to help me. This may be the only time I ever try to get my life straightened out.

 I am sitting here beside you, in this large and beautiful auditorium, in the middle of all of these nicely dressed members, feeling all of my failures, feeling unworthy of even  sitting next to you, and my mind is racing of what you and other people are thinking about me.  Also, to heighten my stress, I do not have a Bible, I do not know the songs you are singing, and when they are serving communion I do not know what to do. Don't you think I am more uncomfortable at this point than when I came in?

If you do not show me any compassion or love or even take the time to talk to me, do you think I will ever be back? If the pain of sin and addiction is less stress on me than looking for Jesus in your church building, which do you think I am going to choose?

This is why Christ said for us, His disciples, to go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that He has commanded. (Matt. 28:19-20)

Remember, He said for us to go, not the sinners to come to the church building.

What if the person next to me was like me at one time?

Let's now look at this a little differently. What if by God's providence, I walked into this church building and the person I sat by quickly identified my problem and told me I was in the right place. He said I have been clean for five years and I know what you are going through. The people here at this place sought me out while I was in jail. They taught me God's word, I repented and was baptized for the remission of my sins and I am doing all I can to help people that are in the same dark place I was in. Did you notice He said someone came to teach me?

Which one loved Him more?

Jesus asked Simon in verse 42, Which one will love me more? .  We can tell by their actions and humility, who loved Him more. Of course, the woman showed her love more. Whether I have one sin or many, I still need Jesus to forgive me. My religion will not do it for me. If I love Him, like this woman, I will follow His commandments and live the rest of my life as He would have me to live.

Think about it.

Of the two above, who do you identify with? I was like Simon, but I have changed. You? Are you broken and needing Jesus? Please let me know.


Thank you so much for reading and sharing with your friends.  In this fallen world we live in, we need Jesus and each other.

Please send your comments to rhepler52@yahoo.com or rhepler52@gmail.com . If you know of someone struggling with an addiction or just broken down, please send me their email address and I will send them a post each time I post it.  Also please share on FaceBook with your family and friends.

Thanks again!

Rick Hepler

 

Have You Worked Any 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzles Lately?

Every Thanksgiving my wife, Debbie, gets a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle to work on during the holidays. She and her family get a large square board, place it on a card table in her mother's living room, and dump the 1000 pieces right in the middle of it.

Next, they separate all of the border pieces and corners.  Then looking at the picture, they starting putting the outside, straight edge, pieces together and the four corner pieces.

The final step of their organizing is to try an match the different colors and sceneries of the picture. They each have their little piles and then the fun begins. Putting the pieces together may take until New Year's day, but those who work on it, enjoy finding and fitting every piece. It takes all of them and they eventually get it finished.  I think it was last year they finished it, and the last piece was missing and I don't think they ever found it.

One thing about working a puzzle, the piece either fits or it doesn't; No in between, no deception, only a true fit.  And you must have all of the pieces to complete the picture!

I do not do jigsaw puzzles, whether they are 25 pieces or 1000 pieces. I seem to be too impatient. Well, it is just not my favorite thing.

 It seems living in this world is like a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle. Looking back over my life, the puzzles I have completed were the ones I looked diligently for the right pieces to fit the situation. Those that I failed in completing were the ones, I either lost my confidence, or interest in finishing.

Yes I have failed miserably in trying to put some of my life's puzzles together. I will write about those another time. Those I failed at, I just could not find the right pieces to connect. I know where they were hidden now. I'll tell you about it maybe someday, so it might help you from making the same mistake.

There is one of my life's puzzles I did finish.  This was one I had always pictured in my mind to have. I had seen my parents put theirs together and many of my friends' parents do the same. I saw in them what I wanted and knew I could have the same.

What was my puzzle and what did it look like. Well here goes.  I wanted a beautiful wife, children and grandchildren. We had our picture made at Gulf Shores. The kids had it made into a puzzle.

 

 

This is my family. All of the pieces fit together beautifully.  But I did not work this puzzle alone.  This puzzle is was started when Debbie and I were born.  We have parents that are still married after 67 years. The picture in our minds was to have a family like we came from.

I met Debbie on a blind date. Coincidence? I don't think so. We married two years later. In 1978 Beth Anne was born and 1982 Besti was born. From the day they were born we prayed for each to marry a faithful Christian man, raised by Christian parents.

Debbie and I both had a vision of what our family picture puzzle should look like.  We began the day we married finding the outside pieces. The outside and corner pieces were from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Our future family would be pieced together within these boundaries.

Pieces from the world did not and would not fit together with these outside and corner pieces. They would not form the picture we had in our heart and mind of the way we wanted our little family to look.

But, Debbie and I did not put our family puzzle together by ourselves. The same time we were praying for our daughters, there were two little boys, a far off, with parents praying the same prayer. Those little boys also had the examples lived before them each day by their parents and grandparents, who also have been married many years.

Betsi, our youngest daughter, was the first to get married in May 2004. She married Jonathan Pettus, from Leoma, Tennessee. His parents contributed and helped in fitting their section of the puzzle. These wonderful people are Danny and Rose Pettus. There is no way we could have picked better in-laws for Betsi than these two. They also are wonderful grandparents and examples to Xander and Connor.

Beth Anne, our oldest, got married in August of 2004. Yes I know, two weddings in the same summer. Many helped us pull this together and aunt Janie Gill saved us a boatload of money getting and doing the flowers.  Beth Anne married Jarred Clayton from Dunlap, Tennessee. Jarred also has wonderful parents, Freddie and Tammy Clayton who wanted the same family for him that they have. Again, perfect in-laws for Beth Anne and grandparents for Anna Jewell and Grady. Freddie and Tammy Clayton, again I could not picked anyone any better.

Also Danny performed Jonathan's and Betsi's wedding ceremony and Freddie performed Jarred's and Beth Anne's. All I did was give them away and that was an easy task, because these were good young men from great families.

Debbie and I did not get our daughters to this point alone. Our daughters were taught by some of the best educators and coaches in the state.  They each had a section of puzzle to help us fit together.  They put pieces together we couldn't find. Our daughters, like many who have come out of the Union City School System, excelled in tennis, band, and academically. They were taught to pursue excellence by these caring people. Did they prepare them  for college? You better believe they did.

Both daughters went to Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tennessee. Not only did they get higher education at FHU they were taught Bible from some of the best in the country. The friendships they have made from attending FHU are priceless.

You will notice in the picture above several pieces. Debbie and I kept the pieces in Christ, the boundaries and corners, and numerous others helped in supplying the much needed piece for their expertise.  We could not have done it alone.

We cannot leave out our church families. They have been with us and loved us in the good times and tough times. Also both sides of our families have been so supportive.

Again, notice the many pieces of this puzzle. Some were of unconditional love, forgiveness, encouragement, several were prayers, all were based on truth. Each piece fitting with the one next to it was joined by a perfect fit. No deception or fake pieces in this puzzle. They all had to be true fits to produce a picture as this.

Did Satan try so slip a deceptive piece in? Yes he tried many times, but remember the edges and corners were from God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Satan's pieces would not fit in Debbie's and my picture. Did we have tough trials? Absolutely! We still do. Remember we live in a fallen world. Heaven is our real home. If we picture it and then put the pieces together God has given us, we will be there someday in a picture perfect puzzle.

You may think you cannot have a family picture puzzle as ours? Well the good news is you can. So you are a single mom or dad. Maybe you are addictive to drugs, even in jail for a period of time or divorced or living with someone not your spouse.
Yes you may have made a mess of your life compared to the way God wants you to live.  You are forgetting one thing.

The disciples were greatly amazed, and asked, "Who then can be saved?"  Jesus saw their amazement, and replied, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:25-26,TEG, Hugo McCord)  Did you get what He said. Your messed up life may be impossible for you and mankind to straighten out, but all things are possible with God.

You still don't think you can make a better life for you and your family? Read this!
And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28, NKJV)  That doesn't mean that my wife's Parkinson's disease is working for her good. That means God has a plan and a purpose for everyone of us. And the things in His plans and His words are working together to make us more like Him and His Son, so one day when we put the last piece of our entire life's puzzle in, it will be the piece that says,  faithful unto death. The good he is talking about is our salvation and being with Him in heaven away from this sin sick, and fallen world.

Has Satan convinced you that you are too sinful and God doesn't love you anymore. Read this! I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height not depth nor anything else in creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:38,NKJV) God still loves you, messed up life and all.

Still think you cannot, with God's help, clean up your life's mess? You are right in thinking that sin has messed your life up and probably the lives of people you love because of it.  Well your not the first nor will you be the last. Again read this: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.  Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Now look at this carefully. And such were some of you.  But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (Romans 6:9-11, NKJV) 
Sounds like some messed up lives, but notice some let God help them clean up their mess. And such were some of them. But they are not anymore.

Please read today Psalms 103 with an emphasis on verses 11 and 12.

If your life's puzzle is all messed up and you have lost pieces or just given up, don't! My family puzzle above was not worked by me alone. Many helped me and I am grateful for all of the help. So grateful I want to help you to put together your family puzzle. How do you want it to look?

Yes I know your family is probably fragmented by now in every direction. You may not personally get the same family picture as I have, but you can start right now and make sure your second and especially third generations can have the same family puzzle as I have.

Remember this quote by Maria Robinson-Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. What if you started today letting God be the straight edges and the corners of your puzzle and God's word give you the pieces to fit together the future families of your grandchildren. The circle of messed up families can end with you and that new family life's 1000 piece puzzle can begin with you, God and God's family.

How about it. I couldn't do it alone and you can't either. You have everything to gain to let me or someone help you and have heaven to lose if you don't. But you are not the only one that will lose heaven.  Your children and grandchildren may be following the same path you are on now. The big question for you is, do you want them to?

I am willing and wanting to help. You may email me at rhepler52@yahoo.com or rhepler52@gmail.com . Please share this with others. How do you want the rest of your life's puzzle to look? And no it doesn't cost anything but your time. I do it for free because that is what I enjoy doing.

Thanks for reading. Please share on Facebook or email this link : www.rick-hepler.blogspot.com to your friends and love ones.

Thanks again.

Rick Hepler