The Altar, By Vicki Leonardson

"Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid." Ezra 3:3-6

The returning exiles were fearful. The task of rebuilding the Temple was daunting and overwhelming. They dug through the ruins and found the site of the original Altar. They rebuilt the Altar and immediately began offering up morning and evening sacrifices. 

Are you in a spiritual funk? Are you not quite feeling it? Have you allowed the cares of this life to crowd out your joy?

This can happen so quickly. Why? Because we are humans, temporarily stuck on Earth. 

Despite your fear of whatever and whoever has stolen your joy, simply go back to your spiritual roots. The altar where you first found Jesus. Fall down on the altar and offer yourself a living sacrifice to God once again. 

Start with morning and evening prayer. Find a spot where you can devote to your altar of sacrifice. 

Begin with an honest, humble offering of praise and honor to God. Followed by honest and humble repentance. Pray Psalm fifty-one, allowing God's Word to wash you. Speak in tongues, allowing His joy to strengthen you. 

God will honor your morning and evening sacrifices. He will show up and accept your offerings. He loves you. He will lead you, step by step, and prayer by prayer, back into communion with Him.

I've been doing a lot of painting. At times, I feel overwhelmed with the task at hand. Beginning a big job is the hardest part. After plodding along consistently, I start to see the results of my labor.

We complicate things. Rebuilding our life is an overwhelming task. But its totally doable when we simply begin with morning and evening prayer. Start small. Build from there.

"Dear Jesus, please draw all of us back into close communion with you. We all slip into routine, ho-hum prayer at times. Thank You for continuing to draw us. I love you, Jesus. AMEN."

Life Is A Desert, By, Leonard Woeppell

The desert is not a place to get lost. The trails are few and often disappear after a wind or rain storm. Permanent sources of water are few and far between. Tanks of accumulated rainwater can run dry unexpectedly during a long hot summer. Food sources are few and far between in the desert. The lack of water changes the environment for all plants and animals brave enough to live or travel through the desert. If you make a mistake you will die from thirst or starve to death.

A desert filled with oasis. Some of the oasis have water. Sometimes the water is good. Sometimes the water is bad. When the water is bad it may make you sick or it may poison you and you will die. Our struggle is to know the difference. Pools of crystal clear water that looks so inviting are actually filled with poison. Trails are few and often vanish due to environmental problems. Trails are often lined with the bones of the unprepared. You need to have a good map to know where and when to go. The desert is a changing environment and you got to know your stuff when you travel through the desert. It is not a place for the foolhardy or the untrained.

Animals are the desert is unique. Many are poisonous. Many have adapted and need very little or no water. Many are active only a night or just before sunrise or just after dark.  Snakes and other reptiles abound. Many animals of the desert are found nowhere else. Many of the plant's horde water and will only bloom after heavy rain.

The culture we live in today is changing rapidly. The values (roads) of 5, 10 or twenty years ago are no longer valid (useful) for a large portion of society. The morals (climate) of today are getting worse by the minute. The maps are becoming outdated faster than we can change them due to poor morals. No one is really sure about anything.

The Christian stands out in modern society. The followers of Jesus has a good map (the Bible) to follow. Based on Scripture we know where the water holes are; and which ones are poisonous (Filled with sin). The trail is clearly marked by the life of Jesus Christ. The Bible is full of stories (wisdom) that give us real-life examples of people who have walked the trail before us. The rest of the world may be foolhardy but Christians are trail wise and have a fund of practical knowledge (older Christians) to rely on.

We are not alone on our journey because the Holy Spirit is within us and will not forsake us in times of trouble. We may be on a trail that is long and difficult; but we know we can make it if we will follow the concepts and commandment that our guidebook; the Bible; provides. This world is not our home and Heaven and eternity call to us. We will persevere. We will triumph. We will win the race as long as we put our trust and faith in Jesus!

The Hardest Part- By, Leonard Woeppel

Most folks know that the item offered for free really isn’t free. In most cases, a hidden CATCH means you are going to be stuck with something else you really did not want. Everything has a price. It may not be written in bold letters or numbers but the actual cost of so many things is too high when you realize the hidden cost is there as well. A lot of people do not learn this lesson until it is too late and sin has entered into their lives. Scripture tells us that the wages of sin are death. Once you plant the bad seed it is usually too late. The crop is going to grow and will not be stopped by wails of distress.
We tell others who we are by the way we act towards them. Scripture tells us that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It sounds so simple but for many, it is the hardest part of their Christian walk. Do you have a neighbor who allows his dog to use your yard as a toilet? Does your neighbor play his music too loud? Does your neighbor keep his yard cleaned up? It doesn’t take much to get most of us on the warpath. It may be that a little help from you on a Saturday could lead to an opportunity to invite your neighbor to church and church could change their life for the better. Helping out a neighbor can turn a neighbor into a friend.
There is a cost to everything we do. As long as we are spending money or time on ourselves we are happy. Scripture tells us that it is more joyous to give than to receive. Are we closing ourselves off from a lot of joy and happiness because we are too stingy with our time and money? If you want to bless yourself; bless others. You will find more peace of mind if you stop worrying about what you have or what you may lose and allow Jesus to multiply your joy by helping those who really need it.
What is the price for your soul? How much time, money, and effort were expended by others to bring you into a relationship with Jesus? What was the cost to save you from Hell? Was the cost worth it? Stop looking for a free ride in life. All of us have to help pull the cart. We have a mission from Jesus that is not completed. Every opportunity we waste is not only a loss for Jesus; it is a win for Satan. We need to understand that the other side of the coin is always there in every decision/action we take.
What you pile up in life is not as important as what you give away. Riches on earth are not as important as the spiritual riches we store up in Heaven by our efforts. It is an odd fact that a rich person on earth is often the most unhappy person you will know while the poor person is often the happiest person you will encounter. The poor person has to depend on Jesus and has developed a closer relationship as a result.
There is a Hidden cost to all the choices we make. The hardest part is to determine the spiritual cost of our actions to ourselves and others. Jesus can discern the intent of our hearts. How will Jesus judge our behavior? Our actions will always speak louder than our words!!

Pastoral Perspective - Open Doors

Ecclesiastes 9:10   Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Where is the Lord calling you?
What have you found that you can do?
God has something specific for you to do so He is definitely calling you somewhere.
It may not be for the rest of your life–it might be for just a short season, but He is opening doors today!

Doors with higher technology than those that only open when you get close to them.

Doors like Moses encountered after his best efforts resulted in him fleeing for his life.

Doors like the one Gideon encountered in his hiding place after he went on a rampage for righteousness and turned everyone against him.

How many stories in the Bible and in life begin with somebody wanting to something great for God, and then have their zeal, passion, and efforts seemingly backfire on them?

Peter was preaching the Gospel in Acts 12, but that didn’t keep Herod from locking him up. God knew he was there – and sent an angel to wake him up. There were locked doors that prevented him from walking out, but as he began to walk towards them they all opened.

In Acts 16 - Paul, Silas, and Luke launched their second missionary journey with the noble intention of evangelizing Asia Minor. With this in mind, they headed for the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, only to be forbidden to speak the word “by the Holy Spirit”. Their response was to set their sights on Bithynia, but Luke notes that “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them” to evangelize there either. They then did what all of us would have done. They kept looking for a place to evangelize, so they set out for Troas. When they got there, Paul indicated that he was uneasy about that locale as well.

The doors kept slamming shut on the best of their intentions.

It seemed that they were repeatedly being shut down.

You can relate!

You have had a desire to do something for the Kingdom of God!

You have made plans and went to work – only to have doors slammed in your face!

You have wondered if you ought to accept what seems to be the obvious: you have missed God’s will and need to retreat.

Closed doors do not always mean that you have missed God’s will!

Shut doors certainly do not mean that God is through with you!

If they did, Paul and company would have never completed their journey, nor would they have seen God’s miraculous hand of provision and anointing upon their lives and ministry!

So what doorknobs are you turning today?

Pastoral Perspective - The Power of the First Step

Stuck. Trapped. In a rut. The new day’s dawn slowly illuminated the same bleak landscape as the day before. All that stood between the two armies was a narrow valley floor, and the ground rose sharply in every direction. Like opposing teams in bleachers on each side of a playing field, the Philistines and the Israelites could clearly see each other. From their hiding places, the men of Saul’s army could tell that every trail and passage out was blocked by the enemy. As the sun rose higher, the contrast was clear. Piercing light glinted off the Philistine weapons on one side as the dull surface of farm implements was visible on the other. No light reflected off the tools the Israelite army used as weapons, and the countenance of each man in the army was even dimmer. But this day would be different.

The writer says the men of Israel were “in a strait”. It was a distressing situation and a literal example of being “between a rock and a hard place”. If the terrain would have been more level, perhaps the enemy would have already annihilated them all. It was much easier to keep the Israelites trapped, as “the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits” (1 Samuel 13:6).

This day would be different because Jonathan took a step towards freedom. One man acted on the belief that God could work on his behalf, and everything changed. One step lined him up with the God that did not need a majority to do the miraculous.

It began as a frustration with present circumstances. This prince and his companion slipped away to the enemy garrison with nothing more than an understanding that God could do what they could not. A great victory was won that day, and it all hinged on a step being taken even though everyone else was hiding. God didn’t need their skills, but He provided victory when they took initiative to align themselves with what He could do.

It’s a spiritual principle that applies to every area of our life. If you want to see improvement, God will help you when you do what you can first. It is not presumptuous to attempt the impossible if it is anchored in a desire to see the hand of God at work. It may seem absurd to think that God’s involvement is contingent on our initial action, but it happened with Jonathan and it still happens today. It matters not if an individual is stuck or fearful, He is looking for someone willing to take a step in the right direction.

God had a great plan for Abram, but the details weren’t revealed until he took the first step.
The journey to the Promised Land involved crossing the Jordan River, but the children of Israel didn’t cross on dry land until after the priests took the first step into the water. Simon Peter had an invitation to walk on water, but first he had to step out of the boat.

There is a time to wait on God, but many times God waits on us. We want the entire journey mapped out in advance, but often the light for our path only illuminates the next step.
Many times we justify our lack of action with faulty thinking.

If God wanted me to stop engaging in this harmful behavior, then He would take away the desire.

If God wanted my marriage to succeed, He would fix it.

If God wanted me to eat healthy, He would close all the fast food restaurants on my drive home.

But God will replace desires when we delight in Him! He will get involved in our relationships when we invest in them. And He will give strength to be an overcomer when we resist what we know is wrong.
To show our faith that He will do the impossible we first show our commitment by doing what is possible.

In the book Great by Choice, author Jim Collins shares the story of two explorers, Amundsen and Scott, who led separate teams on a 1,400-mile expedition race to the South Pole in 1911.  While both teams would be traveling the same distance as each other through extremely harsh weather conditions, each team took an entirely different approach to the journey. Scott’s team would walk as far as possible on the good weather days and then rest up on the bad days to conserve energy. Amundsen’s team adhered to a strict regimen of walking 20 miles every day no matter what the weather. While on good days Amundsen’s team were very capable of walking further, Amundsen was adamant that they walk no more than 20 miles each day to conserve their energy. They wouldn’t walk as far as they could every day, but they would daily try to move forward. Which one succeeded? The team that took consistent action; the team that took a first step every day

It really doesn’t matter what area of life you face challenges. Take that first step today towards improvement and watch for God’s involvement! Don’t wait until the conditions are perfect. God will bolster your efforts when you take the first step in the right direction. Then do it again tomorrow.

Pastoral Perspective - Proof of the Promise

It is incorrect to assume that the Christian journey will become easier the further you travel. Consider your attempts at climbing a mountain or reaching a higher elevation.

Every time I have climbed to Mystic Lake, the last push to the summit was the steepest and the most strenuous part of the journey. According to my “Day Hikes in the Beartooth Mountains” book, it’s a 7-mile roundtrip hike from the West Rosebud Trail with an elevation gain of 1,200 feet. It hasn’t mattered if it was sunny, windy, rainy, or snowing, it still gets harder with every step I take.

On another level, it has been observed that “the more important the work, the more resistance you need to expect to feel.”

In Hebrews 10 the writer was addressing believers who had tasted fear. They were exhausted, their friends and family had been imprisoned or killed, and they were questioning their commitment. They were scared for their lives and families. And we read this encouragement - Hebrews 10:35,36 – Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

There is a time when there is a temptation to throw away what we have put our confidence in, and it is at that time when we need patience.

There comes a time when we have done the will of God and still not received the promise of God!

It’s not just you, and it’s not just now!

For every one of you that has trudged on up over that last steep incline before you rounded the corner and looked down on a mountain lake beach, no one had to tell you it was worth the climb.

For those of you who are currently on in an incline in your faith journey – it’s worth it!

You are almost to the summit and about to reach a whole new level in what you can see, expect, and receive in your walk with God!Stephen referenced a timeless truth we still experience today.
Acts 7:17-19 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.          

The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.

It had been 400 long years, and all during that time the people of promise grew and multiplied.
But when it was almost time for the promise to be fulfilled, they really began to feel forgotten.
They became slaves whose children were taken from them. Even though things were getting harder, the children of Israel were nearing the time of their departure from Egypt.

If things are getting harder for you it doesn’t mean it’s over.
If you are experiencing greater challenges in your walk with God, you are right on time.
It means you’re getting closer to seeing your promise fulfilled and your prayer answered!The promise is still valid, and the reward is still real!

Pastoral Perspective - God knows where you are and where you are going!

In Isaiah 43:2, God says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you pass through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned up. It will not consume you.”

The giant standing before you as a mockery to everything you believe in is a result of the last battle you fought. You brought this on yourself by trying to do the right thing, by attempting to honor God, to worship Him, and to be faithful to His call.

You’re trying to do right; you're the one that loves God and tries to please Him
Engage the lion who threatens your flock, destroy the bear who tries to make off with your lambs, and you get more than just a warm rug and coat; more than the admiration of everyone who gives you the title – lion slayer. You get to face the giant!

In reality, you are more prepared than ever to face the obstacles in your path. But you’re still recovering from the last battle, and would gladly trade the battlefield for the hillside. The loneliness and lack of pressure in the pasture sounds good, and you began to wonder if it is worth it all . . .

Joseph – you believed the dreams God told you, and you did all you could to share them, to explain them, and to act on them. Look where it got you! Betrayed by your brothers, lied about by your boss’s wife, isolated in a jail cell far from home, forgotten by your friends . . . but God knows where you are!

Moses – growing up in the palace, you always remembered that you were not an Egyptian; that God had a plan for you and his people. When you tried to act on God’s promises, you ended up running for your life. Now here you sit in isolation in a barren and desolate land . . . but God knows where you are!

In Psalm 73 we read the confession of the psalmist who says, “…even though God is good, my feet were almost gone out from under me because I saw the wellbeing of the foolish and wicked.”

It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary of God that it all came into focus.
It wasn’t until he went into the sanctuary of God that he understood their end.
It wasn’t until he got in God’s presence that He was reminded that the pressures of this life are temporary, and that in the end God would never forsake him!

It is disheartening when it seems that all is in vain, but you are in good company -and you will see another day!

Abraham, you were the one who obeyed God and left everything behind when you were 75 years old, but now there is a famine.

Gideon, if you wouldn’t have torn down the altar of false gods everybody wouldn’t be out to get you.

Moses, you wouldn’t be a wanted man in Egypt if you would have just turned your head and let things go on as they had.

Joseph, if you would have just kept your dreams to yourself, your brothers wouldn’t have gotten jealous and sold you into slavery.

Simon Peter, if you wouldn’t have responded to the beckoning call of Jesus, you wouldn’t be wet and cold right now.


You wouldn’t be where you are today if you didn’t have enough confidence in God to cast your cares on Him. He came through, even though it may seem that you got more cares thrown back at you, He’s still the wave walker, and He still speaks peace in the middle of the storms of life!

Your setback is just a setup! God knows where you are, and He will be with you where you are going!