Matthew TwoSix:ThreeNine

"No one will be able to stand up against you all of the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you or forsake you." - Joshua 1:5 Earlier this week I found myself staring doubt straight in the face. In this world of uncertainty, the enemy had waged a war in my soul. His weapon was uncertainty and fear. He uttered the words, "You are not good enough. You are not strong enough. You cannot do this." It was a very real battle. I was powerless. The words of Joshua 1:9 have been a shelter for my soul. The promises resonate and remind me of the the truth. It says, "Be strong and filled with courage; do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua certainly faced doubt. Moses was dead and God was calling him to lead His people. He assures him that he will never leave him.  That promise rescued me from doubt. The promise that I am not alone and God...

This past week we had the chance to hold a worship service on a ship. For me it was a first. I love worship services and preaching. Worshiping on a ship with a group of guys who haven’t had the chance to share in corporate worship for months made it even more meaningful. Huddled up in the crew’s lounge space, we sang worship songs together (thanks to our intern, Gabe, and his willingness to play guitar and sing), shared in the word, prayed, partook in the Lord's Supper, and shared in a message.  The message I shared centered around the fact that God is always with us. It is something I think it is important to remind seafarers. Their time on the ship can be physically and mentally arduous. The solitude can be overwhelming. One of the blessings of being a follower of Jesus is that we are never alone. God is with us. Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” in Romans 8...

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. - 1 Corinthians 13:11 NIV I have always taken this verse as a nudge to grow up. It reminded me to act like an adult and accept responsibility for my actions. As a child I didn't worry about a roof over my head or question where my next meal would come from. I was truly blessed by my parents.  As adults we work hard to put a roof over our head and pay our bills. We focus on responsibility instead of fun. The worry-free hours of play get replaced with purposeful actions.   After seeing the incredible generosity of our kids at VBS, I find myself enamored by the love they showed in their giving. Their faith in Jesus and hope that others will share the same faith drove them to give. Love truly emanated from their actions.  Later in the chapter, the author of Corinthians says, "And now these three remain: faith...

I couldn't think of a better topic this week than rest. Chaplain Trish recently took a break from Anchor House and visited New York City with her daughters and grandson. It was the first real vacation she has enjoyed since COVID turned the world upside down.   If anyone deserved a rest it is Trish. She pours her heart and soul out on this mission. Each day she chooses to love God and love his people through Anchor House.   While she was gone, some of the regulars would ask where she was. When I'd share that she was on vacation, they would all say something like, "good for her" or "she deserves it." It was a testament to the respect they have for her.   Rest is a vital aspect of our Christian walk. Sometimes where God has called us to serve is demanding of our time. It can sometimes be difficult to take a vacation or take a day off. Jesus tells us to go to him. He says He will provide us rest.   In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you ...

The term mentor has been rattling around in my head. We all need someone in our lives who is willing to lovingly lead us. We all need someone who has been there and willing to invest in us.  We need that person who is interested in taking us on a journey of experience and breathing life into us through these experiences.  Paul understood the importance of mentors in our lives and discipleship journeys. He invested significant time and energy in those he mentored. In 1 Timothy, Paul shows us the personal and intimate nature of the relationships with those he mentors. He refers  to Timothy as "my true son in the faith." He views this relationship like a father would have with a child.  Father's want the best for their kids. It is a father's responsibility to lead his family. It is his responsibility to show them how a husband loves his wife. A father wants to share his knowledge with his kids so they benefit from his wisdom. Father's play a pivotal role ...

Have you ever thought about what you may want written on your tombstone? They are  final words that are written about you and intended to encompass who you were and how you lived.  They are etched into stone in hopes that they will stand the rest of time. They are powerful words. Years of living summarized in one short sentence. Recently, I read a verse and thought, "That would be an honor if it were used to summarize my life.  I'm not sure I'm bold enough to state it myself. I'm also not sure it has the same impact if I ask for it to be on my tombstone. Rather, it would be an honor if God said it about me." The words I'm speaking of come from Matthew 21:6, "The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them." I think space is limited on a tombstone. So, maybe it would better be stated as, "He did what he was told to do." To me, the goal of being a Christian is to follow.  The word follow shows up in the Bible over 400 time...

This past week we were blessed by Big Fish Technologies. For the longest time Anchor House has struggled to get internet speeds and stability that could keep up with today's demands. For the seafarer, it wasn't much faster than the slow WiFi they could get on board the ship. For us at Anchor House, we struggled to do the daily tasks of paying bills, reading email, and various other web based activities.   When I first started, we began the process to qualify for participation in the Giving Challenge. Doing so required uploading a significant number of PDF documents. This should be a task that is easily done with modern day technology. However, I found that one PDF file would take 10 minutes to upload or would completely fail to upload on the Anchor House internet. With slow speeds like we had, there is no way a Seafarers could download movies or an electronic version of the Bible to their phone to combat the countless hours of solitude.  But now things are ...

I saw this quote recently, “You glow differently when your confidence is fueled by belief in yourself instead of validation from others.” I found myself wrestling with it. I completely agree with the concept that the validation of my worth is not established by the thoughts of others. While I think a positive self image is important, I do not think that it is what really makes me “glow differently.” I hope I glow differently because of whom I believe in, rather than what I believe of myself.  The author of Titus says, “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7) . Love and kindness entered the world in the form of a m...