No one wants lukewarm coffee, and I believe the only acceptable use for it is .. when I have a splitting headache with two Excedrin in my hand and I spot a cup of LWC near me to help wash down the meds before my head explodes.

Of course our Bibles speak often on the topic of coffee (ie Hebrews  hahaha), and even tackles the specific  topic of LWC in Revelations 3:15-16 where the angel of the church of Laodicea speaks out.. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth (like a cup of lukewarm generic instant decaf coffee with non-dairy creamer and a sweetener substitute). 

​note: If you did not guess, the part in parenthesis was not from 'The Message'.. I added it myself to emphasize my LWC point.

"I am off to pick a fight." is one of my favorite lines from one the movie.. ‘BraveHeart’.. not to be confused with Brave-Bird.       see picture -->

BraveHeart is the story of William Wallace of Scotland fighting for the FRREEEDOMM against the oppressive rule of England.  At one dramatic scene from the movie BraveHeart the Scots who were greatly outnumbered by the English are about to do battle.  The well armed, well trained English did not take this rag-tag Scottish army seriously. But then after declaring.. “I am off to PICK A FIGHT.” .. in rides William Wallace (Mel Gibson) on his horse to mess with the peace negotiations between the Scots and England.

​I won’t get into the details, but Wallace taunts and mocks the English until.. yes THERE WAS A FIGHT… and the Scots win!

The significant message of this movie is a call to do what is right no matter the cost, even the cost of maybe their lives.

Of course as modern day Christians we are not called to look for a fight, but we should NEVER be afraid to FIGHT for God's Truth. We answer to God, not to man.  Some may cry out.. No, no, not the Crusades again…I go to church, I am a good person.. Please no Crusades 2019 unless they are like the Billy Graham Crusades. Billy Graham is good and I don't remember him in a fight.

Others recall..  "Jesus was about love.  That's the Jesus we like.. the one about love. we don't associate with Christians who speak out against abortion, Planned Parenthood, gay marriage, or the LGBTQ like claims that there are more genders than Baskin Robbins has flavors of ice cream (31). Then the media beats their drum of secular outrage with stories about the dangerous bigoted 'religious right'. They guilt many for wanting to build a wall, owning a gun, or for even being white.  Why should I feel guilty that my parents were white?  Then every election year like lemmings we are pressured to run full speed off either a republican or democrat/socialist cliff following our political allegiances before considering God's Truth. 

Cliff notes on Cliffs - Umm, cliffs are dangerous?
In Psalms 118:13, the Psalmist writes.. I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when God grabbed and held me.  In Luke 4:29 we read of the unruly mob wanting to kill Jesus by throwing him off a cliff.

Dangerous Roads are.. umm dangerous too!
Then Matthew 7:13 shares.. Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

So far, you are thinking.. Thank you Captain Obvious.
​

Next let's, combine 1. those dangerous roads, add.. 2. a steep cliff, next add.. 3. a sea far below our cliff crashing into the rocky coastline, and finally add many many.. 4. lost souls on this path running off a cliff to their deaths.. this is where you find the infamous LEMMING.

Being a literal lemming is nothing to brag about.  They are part of the rodent family and their claim to fame (or infamy) is for their suicidal cliff diving method of population control.  So it goes without saying, being called a lemming is not considered a compliment.

I don't know what it is like where you live, but The rain that fell over the course of the last 24 hours officially bumped 2019 up to the second-wettest year on record in Minneapolis Mn, with 29.64” of rain, behind 1892 with 31.75”. Ok, not ARK building weather, but still the 2nd wettest year on record.

Of course back in Noah's day they didn't think they needed an Ark either.  There wasn't even a Marina in town, but God grew tired of the true wickedness of man and decided to wipe out all mankind by a flood except for Noah and his family who would sail safely on an Ark.  
​
Genesis 6:5-6 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieve

So we all know the story, the people mocked him Noah's Ark project, until that day that rang out in infamy where the floods covered the Earth killing all living creatures except Noah, his family, and a literal boat load of animals.

This is one of those stories learned in Sunday School where God saved Noah and all the animals of every kind.  Cute story for kids, but a powerful story for the rest of us.

While some Christians feud over the flood being local versus universal, or where the Ark is now.. the greater message is to a wicked world that was not SAVED on-board this giant Ark sized petting zoo.  Death versus Life was the choice of mankind back in Noah's day, and death versus life is our choice today. 

Supersized and drive through meals ... delivered freaky fast your way that are finger lickin' good. These are a few fast food 'conveniences' for our fast paced lives in the fast lane.  I am guilty of participating in both ordering my share of supersized McArtery Clogger Value Meals, and using the drive through for lunch, lattes, and my banking needs. Life is busy and there is a time and a place for fast food, and fast service but there is a time and a place to SLOW DOWN.  

Now as I segue to my faith journey.. I find awkward parallels to our fast food society.  
1. I want the blessings on my life supersized now please, 
2. I sometimes pray like I am using a drive thru window. I don't even slow down to say hello to God but place my order/prayer list with the angel stationed at my drive thru prayer window. And..
3. my patience for His answers rivals my belief that microwave popcorn still takes waaay too long. 

Where do you think you are going (or yer goin' for us rednecks at heart).?  Honest question that can be asked of most of us.  And many times the answer is.. "you can't get there from here."

This is true on many a road trip where I was lost, or took what I thought was short cut.  This is true for many a college graduate looking for a high paying job in Corporate America with a Masters degree in 'Cartoon Art History' with a minor in 'Bagpiping'. Or being mountain climber aspiring to climb Mt. Everest, but afraid to leave your home state of Nebraska.  Or taking a road trip from California to Hawaii. In all these cases and more.. the answer is .. you can't get there from here.

So based on the road I have chosen for my life.. am I going to Heaven or not?  How about you?  It matters eternally what we believe so choose the God of our Bibles.  There is no other God.

But many are Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or simply believe in a 'higher power' and so we all believe basically the same thing, right?

I am the LORD, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, Is 45:5

Now you may argue with me that I am wrong, but this is what I believe. So the answer for me to the statement we all believe in basically the same thing is.. If you want to get to Heaven..  You can't get there from here.

So take these words for what it is worth.  I am sure I am preaching to the choir for the most part, but even us in the choir need to daily turn to God, serve Him first and foremost in our lives.. go beyond being a good person.   And for those not in the choir, I respect where you are at, but prayerfully take to heart the issue of Eternity.  It matters what you believe and where you place your faith.  Placing your faith in Jesus, and pursuing God first in your life, then with regards to eternity, and Heaven.. You CAN get there from here.

May God bless and use us all with our lives for his glory.  Amen.

​Jeff (a little bit lost sometimes) Larson

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.  For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”  James 2:2-3

<-- James 2:2-3 This is how it looks for me in Minnesota

So here I am convicted today.. and I thank God for this conviction. I now desire to be in the mess, and I will fit in as I am a mess.. together we are a beautiful mess that God is in the process of restoring. After church I don't want to be the guy looking past the guy or gal out of place to find my usual friends where I am comfortable, and I don't want to be the guy who stays home on Monday nights instead of attending Celebrate Recovery group with my beautiful mess.

I don't know exactly how this conviction on my heart will play out, but I pray God would speak to me and change me to serve him among the beautiful mess that are the people Jesus would be spending his time with.

May God bless you, care for you, and use you to serve Him in this world that is a mess. I pray for revival and restoration in America. I pray His church is sensitive and caring for the beautiful mess that we are a part of.

​Jeff (what a mess) Larson

note: One person commented last night.. If the church was honest, the seats in Celebrate Recovery would be full. It is not just for the alcoholic, it is for everyone that struggles with the very real issues of life. Depression, co-dependency, anger, sex addiction, anxiety/fear. I pray we allow ourselves to be honest, and allow God to restore the mess in our lives.

There are those grey overcast days where I think the sun will never shine again. Maybe a little foggy, drizzling still morning but then a spot on the clouds glows and just moments later the sun peeks out.  I now see the sun and feel it’s warmth.  Amazing how that feels especially on that cool grey day, but sometimes as quick as the sun appeared the clouds return and the sun is gone and so is it's warmth.  

This glimpse of the sun describes often my pursuit of God. I read, and pray and the story of God and the Gospel message makes sense.  This time of clarity is beyond refreshing until.. circumstances and the world distract me, along with my inconsistent pursuit of God until my perspective is clouded and poof my moment of clarity is gone.

In my defense I find Isaiah 55:9, and 1 Corinthians 13:12 . I feel like Winnie the Pooh, a Bear of very little brain creator of cartoons attempting to grasp Almighty God creator of the Universe.  Advantage God

• For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 1 Cor 13:12
• For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Is 55:8-9​

What happened? Was I out for 5 minutes when everything changed? Didn't up used to be up and down .. down.. not the other way around?  And I am pretty sure too that WRONG is now the new RIGHT.

Let's start with a few easy ones from where I sit observing our society. 

• Crass is the new clever/cultured, 
• Profane is the new profound, 
• Gender is now a fluid state of being, 
• Same Sex Marriage is the law of the land,
• The LGBTQ movement is an alphabet gobbling tour de' force adding a new letter/alternative life style on a regular basis.  And let's not forget 
• Abortion (the ending of a beating heart) is a woman's CHOICE.  Choice?, Such a gentle word for such a horrific violent end of the preborn child.

So you see.. Wrong is the new Right.

I agree Jesus is love, but this love included speaking directly about sin. He may have called the religious leaders a brood of vipers, but he also lovingly spoke truth to the woman at the well. How would Jesus have been loving if he did not speak the whole truth?  In fact I believe Jesus referenced Hell 46 times. Hell is the scary truth regarding sin.

Same with Paul, he was loving but so direct about sin not because it was on his legalistic DO NOT DO list but because sin is harmful to the body and soul.  

Let's even be more basic about TRUTH.  We as Christians believe there is one way to Heaven and that is Jesus. To share this truth should be the most important truth we can share.  BUT agnostics, atheists, Muslims, Buddhists, etc would disagree.  So do we quit sharing this truth because it might offend.. but let them go to Hell?

Do we just gently say, well we all believe generally in the same thing 'higher power' so.. peace be still..  Or remain silent because I respect your feelings so much that I would rather let you go to Hell for eternity than offend you today on Earth. This is so very Wrong, and.. the new Right

​I also believe there is a growing population in the church that doubt the inerrancy of the Scriptures. It's understandable to have questions on Bible issues we do not understand, but it is alarming to doubt that it is truly God's word.
-Insert Head Slap here-

I am one  of  those folks who likes my food ever so slightly overcooked.  I like the cheese on my pizza to be golden.. maybe even a 'dark' golden.  I like my bagel toasted dark contrasted with a spread of cream cheese. I  want it to hear a slight CRUNCH when I  bite into it.  And I like DUSK where the sun has  just dropped peacefully below the western horizon but before the  black of night,

Of course choosing dark over light in the weighty matters of bagEls and pizza is fine, but in matters of the SPIRIT.. always choose the LIGHT.