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September 4,2008 Thank You for blessing me with one hour of prayer from 2:12 to 3:15 this morning. Father, at that time You impressed on me that You might want us to stay here (at the Drahner Rd apartments) for the year and let Steve and Robin come to Semloh. Allow me to know for sure that this is Your will by some spiritual fruit soon.  Jeremiah 24:8 to 10 The naughty figs (KJV)  The BAD I wills - make them a horror - the word horror is used just 29 times in the Old Testament and 17 times in Jeremiah! - Make them to be a reproach  - Make them to be a byword - Make them to be a taunt  - Make them to be a curse (a scattered curse at that)  - Send the sword upon them  - Send famine upon them  - Send pestilence upon them. Until they are utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to their fathers.  God (Jehovah) had given them the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.. But they had abused the privilege and thus, after nearly a millenia ...

September 4, 2008 Thank You for blessing me with one hour of prayer from 2:12 to 3:15 this morning. Father, at that time You impressed on me that You might want us to stay here (at the Drahner Rd apartments) for the year and let Steve and Robin come to Semloh. Allow me to know for sure that this is Your will by some spiritual fruit soon.  Jeremiah 24:8 to 10 The naughty figs (KJV)  The BAD I wills - make them a horror - the word horror is used just 29 times in the Old Testament and 17 times in Jeremiah! - Make them to be a reproach  - Make them to be a byword - Make them to be a taunt  - Make them to be a curse (a scattered curse at that)  - Send the sword upon them  - Send famine upon them  - Send pestilence upon them. Until they are utterly destroyed from the land that I gave to their fathers.  God (Jehovah) had given them the land He had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc.. But they had abused the privilege and thus, after nearly a millenia...

Wednesday September 3, 2008 At Pontiac, no make that Drahner Road apartments. Still in a bit of jet lag. Its 8:50 so I'm really late. But, Father, I need and want (because You let me want) Your direction for this day and the beginning of this year home.  My head is spinning. I know that there are many things that I need to be doing. And there are many things that will vie for my attention. My tendency is to allow the fog to take over my thinking.  9:35 later after several distractions!!  Wow! But it is early in my tenure here and there are many things that will take time to resolve. Thank You Father for being with me in and through them all.  Jeremiah 24:1-7 Jeremiah sees a vision of two baskets of figs: good and bad. The good are representing the exiles whom God has taken to Babylon. They are good in the fact that God has "rescued" them by taking them captive. "The LORD God of Israel" is the name God uses to speak to Jeremiah.  Jehovah, the God of Israel is My ...

I haven't written about this in two years and actually just this morning discovered that I had jotted down my thoughts over a period of several blog posts. Since that last post, Dawn and I have invested in six other properties. We currently have a total of ten single-family homes, one of which is our primary residence. Of the ten, six are owned outright and four have low percentage 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. So, how on earth does one come to own even more than one home? Let alone TEN! I've recounted some of my journey in the past posts and want to continue that story here. I have made some big blunders along the way, but I've also discovered that blunders are a part of the learning process. What blunders did you make, Mike? One of my first mistakes was that I didn't insist on raising rent on the house we rented while in Brazil. It is customary for a landlord to raise rent on a regular basis, especially over a period of 25 years. In my inexperience, I felt like I was ...

What are you Worth?  Have you ever thought about what you are worth? In investing circles there is a term used to gauge this exact question, it's called Net Worth. You take all of your assets, like property owned, funds in your bank account, clothes, jewelry, car, etc.. You total all of these things. You then take everything you owe, like mortgage, car loan, and credit card debt, and you subtract these items from the first total. This gives you your net worth. That number represents where you are financially. Most people never stop to think about this number because they don't understand anything about it. They never have two nickels to rub together. They live from hand to mouth and know (or at least believe) nothing will ever change so, they fall into the "daily grind" mentality. Psalm 49 should be a great encouragement to such as these. The sons of Korah write about them. These sons write about all of us. They call all people everywhere to listen to their wisdom. Bo...

God Talked  Well, the new year is here and it's time to begin reading through the Bible again. It seems like I just finished Revelation, and it's time to start again. Are you going to read through the Bible this year? I hope so. Actually, I started a tad early and am already ten days into a reading plan. Which brought me to Genesis 25 this morning. While reading through this chapter, the following text caught my attention:  "And Isaac entreated Yahweh on behalf of his wife because she was barren; and Yahweh was moved by his entreaty. So Rebekah his wife conceived. But the children struggled together within her; and she said, 'If it is so, why then am I this way?' So she went to inquire of Yahweh. And Yahweh said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger'." (Genesis 25:21-23 LSB) This is a crucial passage that explains th...

Isaiah 2:22 says Isaiah 2:22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? The Prophet is saying that we shouldn't put our trust in humankind because they are so finite. They are not like God, who is infinite. People are fickle. They change their minds. They love you and then hate you in moments.  God invites us to trust him completely with everything that we have. He doesn't show himself to us physically or as a spirit. He demands that we have faith. However, he also gives us the faith to trust him.  The universe shouts "Creator!" and yet we often ignore the proclamation. This ignorance does not make God's creation any less a physical demonstration of his grandeur. God's boundless being becomes more amazing in his presence within us. How can the infinite God dwell in the mortals he commands us not to trust?  Jesus said, "with man it is impossible but with God, all things are possible." 

Residing in Michigan for over half my life, I had heard about Paradise. Because Paradise is a small town in the Upper Peninsula, you may have never visited there in your life, but you knew it existed. It was WAY up there next to Tahquamenon Falls and nothing else. Where's Tahquamenon Falls? Next to Paradise and nothing else. It's a long way from home.  Why all of the talk about Paradise? Because Paul talks about it in 2 Corinthians 12. There was this guy who had been caught up to Paradise. Not in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but into the REAL Paradise. While there, he'd heard things that he was unable to repeat. What on earth was this? Who was this guy? Here's what was going on. Paul defended his position of Apostleship in chapter eleven and gave the Corinthians an idea of what Apostleship looked like in chapter twelve. It came with great wonders, like seeing or instead hearing unimaginable things. But, too, that position came with a terrible cost. God gave Paul a ...

Solomon had everything and was in constant despair. Paul had nothing and had learned "in whatever state he was" to be content. Who was the winner here? Paul lists the trials he had been through in 2 Corinthians 11:16-33. His was an extraordinary ordeal. Paul suffered for the gospel. His goal was to preach and teach Christ. Solomon's was an inward focus. The book of Ecclesiastes tells us a sad tale. All that Solomon did was to satisfy his slightest whim. He built, destroyed, invested, and sold his investments, yet he didn't find satisfaction. All was vanity. Who was the winner? Who accomplished God's will for his life? Whose life was worth living? I would say that each man left his mark on Bible history. Both men had successes, and both had their challenges. The wisest man in history made tremendous blunders. Paul considered himself less than ordinary, yet he wrote a third of the New Testament Scriptures. Solomon, like Mick Jagger, couldn't find satisfaction. P...

We've all heard or read the story of Zacchaeus. It's a cute story about a little man who has lunch with Jesus. He climbed up in the sycamore tree for the Lord he wanted to see. Right? So, that was a part of my Bible reading yesterday. I wondered about that story. It seems like Zacchaeus earns his Salvation by giving half of his stuff to the poor. However, this can't be the case because salvation can't be earned. So, what is going on then? How would I be able to share this story with someone? God knew. I got a nail in my tire and needed to take it to the tire guy down the street. We were chatting when I whispered a prayer, asking God for an opening to share spiritual thoughts. There was a slight lull in the conversation, and I said, "Where do you go to church?" That was pretty subtle. He said, "I'm Catholic. My dad was born Catholic, and I'm Catholic." A little later, I asked, "What does it mean to be Catholic?" The tire guy looked a...

Luke 17:32 is Jesus' shortest admonition. But what does it mean?  We must remember that context is key to any Bible study. The context of this short warning is talking about the coming of the kingdom. In a few short years, Jerusalem would suffer destruction. Jesus hearers would need to be ready to flee the city with no remorse or lingering yearnings. Lot had taken his family to live in the lush plain. They had become accustomed to the wicked city's lifestyle. Angels had warned that destruction was imminent and had to yank Lot and family from the house. They gave specific instructions not to look back at the firestorm from heaven. Lot's wife didn't heed the warning. She was too involved in the convenient life. Looking back at the horrible scene she suffered, the consequences and became a lasting reminder for us. How attached am I to this world? As judgment comes, will I look to Jesus' arrival or back at what I have to leave behind? My goal and gaze must be constantly...

  The other night we heard much shouting coming from the neighbor's house. In a way, we've become calloused to the noise because it happens occasionally. This time, however, we discovered that someone had attempted to break into the neighbor's house. We got that impression when three cop cars showed up. Oops. Something good may come of this. I mention this because we've lived here for over two years and have never had any contact with the neighbors. They come home from work, open and close their front gate, and pronto. They're in, and we're out. It's funny how a crook jumping a fence can shake a person's perspective. I remember how it was for me a few years ago when four thugs entered my home at night. It took a year for me to get over the trauma. We just had a short conversation and exchanged phone numbers with Cristiane. She wants to help us (and us to help her) if this uninvited guest ever comes back. She's suddenly become interested in friendship...

  Do you remember the kid's song from your junior church days? This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine. We sang with gusto as we held our fingers up and made it go in a circle, indicating a tiny candle that we would let shine all over the world. What is the origin of this song? You'll notice that the song doesn't mention Jesus, God, or the Holy Spirit. But I am sure that they were intended, right? The idea behind this little diddy probably came from Luke 11:33-36. This is what Jesus said there: 33 "No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a cellar or under a basket, but on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is ...

He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “ ‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ (Luke 8:10). For many years I thought that Jesus taught the parables so that the people could understand a heavenly meaning by hearing an earthly illustration. That is what I'd been taught in junior church. My understanding was way off the mark.  Jesus began to speak in parables to confound the unbelievers. Those who had rejected him as Messiah would be left scratching their head in confusion. As illustrated in the parable of the soils, even his followers didn't get what he was saying.  It's the same way today. Many people read or hear the Word and it doesn't make sense to them. It might be in simple English, or whatever their language, but they can't understand the meaning or the application. This fact shouldn't discourage our evangelistic work, it should hel...

 27 “But to you who are listening, I say:  Love your enemies,  do good to those who hate you, 28  bless those who curse you,  pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek,  turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat,  do not withhold your shirt from them.  30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.  31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.  32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.  33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.  34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.  35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back.  Then your reward will be gr...

The Ten Virgins - Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus tells the story of ten virgins, five prepared and five not prepared. What have you understood about this parable? The five unprepared bridesmaids are symbolic of people who will not be ready for Jesus’ return? That’s what I’ve always understood.  The setting was that there were ten “bridesmaids” who were waiting for a groom to arrive. Apparently, in a Jewish wedding, the groom would go to the bride’s father’s house and fetch his bride. Afterward, there would be a procession to the groom’s house, where a wedding party would occur.  In this case, five maids were prepared for the groom’s possible delay, and the other five weren't. Five brought extra oil for their torches, and five brought just enough to go in when they got to the procession. However, the groom delayed his coming until midnight.  When he finally did come, the prepared virgins went into the party with him while the unprepared girls were seeking oil. When they returned, t...

  The first paragraph (John 1:1-3) that John the Apostle wrote has to be one of the most incredible paragraphs ever written. The favorite disciple describes Jesus Christ's origins and man's problem in an extraordinary economy of words. The "Word" describes God's communication with man. This Word was Jesus the Christ who was with God in eternity past. However, this Word also became man at the incarnation. (Incarnation = God being born. God taking on flesh and walking among us.) His presence as Creator among His Creation seems as if it should have demanded automatic acceptance. But John tells us that His own didn't receive Him. His own, being the Jews, rejected Jesus, their Messiah. Some people, these days, are talking about AI (artificial intelligence) taking over the world. Machines, created by men and women, are already able to respond to our questions. If you haven't heard Google, Alexa, or Ciri answering your comments, you may not be up to snuff on all ...

Haggai brought a needed message to a comfortable people. They had returned to the promised land from a seventy year hiatus. Their initial objective was to rebuild God's Temple, but they had gotten side tracked. They had begun to invest in their own businesses, homes and families. They had completely forgotten about God's Temple.  So, along comes Haggai, the prophet, to remind them of their lapse in memory. He asked an initial question, Haggai 1:4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" The message continued with a reminder that, all that the people held so dear, had come because of God's blessings. And that the recent dearth had also come from God to spark them to action. This indeed, was an act of mercy.  God, through the prophet, gives us good advice for our own plans, when he says, "give careful thought to your own ways" (vv 5,7).  So often we think that we are giving much thought to our ...

"I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth," declares the Lord. 3 "I will sweep away both man and beast; I will sweep away the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea— and the idols that cause the wicked to stumble." "When I destroy all mankind on the face of the earth," declares the Lord...  When did God say this?  You might be tempted to think that God spoke these words to Noah, or to the Apostle John in the Revelation. But you'd be surprised to discover that he revealed them to Zephaniah, one of the minor prophet, some 600 years before Christ.  When did what God talked about happen? It's drastic stuff. Just the first line is difficult to imagine even though it is stated in simple language. This is the stuff of study Bible notes. Mine says the following: " Basic Training for Satisfaction  Because Yahweh's day of fury is coming, Judah must repent and wait upon God. The prophet calls the people back to the basics as the only...

This poor man cried!  Men crying seems out of style these days. Men are to be brave tough and stoic. "Real men don't cry" is the battle cry, so to speak.  Yet we all know that crying is a natural reflex for either of the sexes. If you don't believe me, then just let a man watch a good "dog-rescue" video and you will see what I mean. There is a trigger point in every one of us, whether male or female, that when sprung, makes the tears flow.  However, in Psalm 34:6, David is talking about another type of crying. There he's speaking about a desperate call for help. It is the type of shout that we hear Peter squeal as he began to slip beneath the boding waters of the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 14. David was in deep doo. According to the suspect, title of this psalm, he was brought before a pagan king and accused of treason. An act that would bring instant death in most cases.  The title is suspect because this lovely psalm it doesn't fit that weird circum...