Pastor's Corner

Welcome to Pastor’s Corner, a space dedicated to the support of Two Kindred Hearts Ministry.  My desire is to encourage, challenge, provide insight & comfort, from my heart to yours. With that said, let’s blog…

April 28, 2013

Bucket list

When does one make a bucket list?  Then again, when does one even want to think about a bucket list? And even again… what is a bucket list?  I believe the 2007 American comedy-drama film The Bucket List, brought this concept to the forefront of Americans minds.  To make it simple from my perspective, one would want to create & complete their own bucket list before they kick said bucket.  The belief is, if you could accomplish your bucket list before you kick the bucket, you’d harbor no regrets... seemingly living life to the fullest… your way.

I believe most create a bucket list when they perceive that kicking the bucket isn’t that far away in their lives.  When you’re young, it’s kicking the can down the road… procrastinating.  When you’re older and procrastinating isn’t an option, regrets rear their ugly heads… our own mortality faces us in the mirror, and well-ah… a bucket list is born!

I experienced a bucket list moment recently while spending 9 hours in 2 different emergency rooms (ER).  I had a conversation with the Lord before the ER episodes and so I was already comfortable with His direction in my life… after I had already put in my 2-cents worth of druthers. Oddly enough, my bucket list moment came as they were transporting me between ERs in an ambulance.  I’ve always wanted to ride in an ambulance (weird, huh)! That desire to ride in an ambulance fulfilled something I would have had on my bucket list!  Can I say riding in an ambulance is over-rated?  I expected lights, sirens, and cutting through traffic!!!  All I got was the view of the ceiling from inside the ambulance… boring!!! My tip of the day is: scratch ambulance rides from your bucket list! If you get the lights, sirens, and cutting through traffic, you’re either in too much pain or unconscious anyway… so what’s the point? You’ll only see the boring ceiling of the inside of the ambulance anyway.

But what is the opportune time to begin considering a bucket list in the first place? My ER adventure revealed to me that I already had a bucket list started unbeknownst to me.  How’s that?  The desire to ride in an ambulance probably was born when I was a kid… like being a policeman as my father was. Or, even knowing when I was young that I’d be bigger than Michael Jackson… and we all know how that went, since weight wasn’t the determining factor. But we all have desires… and desires unrealized can lead to regrets.  And I believe we can chew on the bitter bones of regret long enough to spiral into a depression.  It’s when we finally get around to admitting that we haven’t acted on our desires or regrets that propels us into the bucket list mentality, which really can happen in all stages of life… it’s just more pronounced the older we get.

Are bucket lists bad?  In and of themselves I’d say no.  We all need hopes, dreams, and aspirations.  The question is: where do these hopes, dreams, and aspirations lead us… towards God, or away from Him. You see, He is the owner of the bucket we kick ultimately. If your bucket got kicked today and you stepped into eternity… would you stand before a loving Father saying, “…Well done, good and faithful servant…” Matthew 25:21 (NASB), or, stand before a Righteous Judge saying, “… I never knew you; depart from Me…” Matthew 7:23 (NKJV)?  I vote for the loving Father.

So what’s on your bucket list… health, wealth, eternity...?  You won’t have the regret of poor health on your bucket list if you take care of your health (rocket science?).  I’m diabetic largely in part of the wrong food choices I made over the years (good tasting vs. good for you).  Good tasting (the lust of the pallet) wrought me disease I most likely didn’t have to have.  Cause and effect… diet to diabetes.  If wealth is on your bucket list, the snares involved are best expressed biblically in 1Timothy 6:10 as, “For the love of money is a root of all [kinds of] evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (NKJV). Notice the love of money is a root from which all kinds of evil can sprout. It can impact your faith… separate you from God.  It can bring self-inflicted wounds. Think of how many families and friends have been torn apart because of this love for more and more money.  If wealth is on your bucket list for the furtherance of the Kingdom of God, then praise the Lord.

Lastly, is eternity on your bucket list? If it is, it’s misplaced. Remember the bucket list is what you hope to accomplish, not necessarily what you have accomplished.  When it comes to our eternity… our salvation and heavenly address… if that desire remains on your bucket list, when your bucket is kicked, your eternal address won’t have the word heavenly in it. That’s my concern as a pastor, where you spend eternity.

So, keep a bucket list if you must, but be sure your eternity isn’t on it.  Don’t procrastinate, Scripture says, “…now [is] the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV). We aren’t promised tomorrow… only where we’ll be after our tomorrows are over… with Jesus or without Jesus… Heaven or Hell.  And the amazing thing to me is… it’s our choice! We control our eternal destination.  If we admit we’re sinners in need of a Savior… believe in our heart that Jesus is that Savior, who died on the cross for the penalty of our sins, and rose from the grave on the third day breaking the power over sin in our lives.  Then we just confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, we’re saved and sealed and our eternal destination is secure (Romans 10:9).  I encourage taking your salvation invitation off your bucket list and responding to His invitation today.  For no one knows when kicking the can down the road becomes kicking the bucket… the ultimate game changer.

Be blessed and be wise,

Pastor D.

April 21, 2013

Social media is becoming the instant messaging tool that generations are utilizing to capture life’s moments… NOW.  With the fast paced lives we live, that pace has picked up tremendously.  You have blogs and tweets, IMs, etc.  Seemingly these mediums serve a purpose… but at what cost?  I’m reminded of mediums in the Bible (cool segway, huh?).  In Leviticus 20:6 is a warning to Israel that says, “As for the person who turns to mediums and to spiritists, to play the harlot after them, I will also set My face against that person and will cut him off from among his people”.  Contextually, God was talking about His chosen people, who by choice were turning their backs on God in favor of mediums and to spiritists to get answers to their life’s questions and concerns.  Likewise in our social “medium” environment, how many times are we turning our backs on God to conjure up answers to our life’s question and concerns?  Social media has its place, but so does God.  And the Creator of the universe is better equipped to give you godly counsel 24x7 than opinions from other outlets.  So…blog and tweet…IM, etc, but do it only after you’ve checked in with your Designer… your Heavenly Father.  After all, Father does know best.  BTW, to me BLOG can mean “By Leaning On God” (Proverbs 3:5); tweets can mean “Thankful Worshippers Eternally Edify The Savior” (Matthew 4:10); and IMs can mean the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  When you think of the Great I AM, overlay His Name in those situations that seem impossible.  Impossible becomes "IM" possible because nothing is impossible through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:13).  And lest I forget…to me etc. means “Eternally Thanking Christ” (Luke 2:38).

 Pastor D.