Living in His Slipstream

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On Christmas Eve my son TJ called to invite me on a bike ride, he promised we’d back before the church service.  It was a perfect day to ride except for the fact I hadn’t been on my bike in awhile, but how could I say no. The ride brought back memories of the days when the kids were younger and we would go riding together. If one of them got tired I would tell them to tuck in behind me and stay in my slipstream to block the wind.  Now many years I tuck in behind their slipstream and let them break the wind for their old man.

Over the last several weeks I’ve been pondering slipstream from a spiritual perspective. With a recent milestone birthday and a few more ailments I’m more aware of my physical and spiritual weakness.  In reality I have always been spiritually weak and powerless over my sin and brokenness. Over the years, I’ve tried in my own strength to ride into the wind, to handle whatever life throws along the way, and even convinced myself I could power through by pumping a little harder. The truth is the winds of adversity inevitably leave me depleted. I simply am unable to make the spiritual ride on my own.

But there is good news! The Gospel message from Christmas to the Cross is that Christ has come and He is the One to tuck us behind His slipstream. We need His help battling sin, Satan’s lies, and the seductions of the world.  And I am so thankful He provides a way to make it to the end of the race!

The author of Hebrews depicts life as an endurance race where we are called to throw off the heavy weight of our sin and take the next steps of the race in the slipstream of Jesus Christ by – “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

There have been plenty of times biking up a mountain and my legs grow weary and don’t think I can pedal anymore, but then I fix my eyes on my son’s back tire-not what is ahead-knowing if I can change my focus and hold on the climb will be easier. Praise God we have a Savior who holds on to us through His powerful work on the cross to destroy the weight of our sin and shame and calls us to focus on Him not our circumstances. When we maintain our focus on Him we realize our Savior is no longer on the cross but reigns victoriously at the right hand of the Father’s throne in Heaven.

What a life can be like when we decide to live in Jesus’ slipstream! Jesus blazed the road ahead of us so that we can live and be seated with Him in the heavenly realm with our loving Father (Ephesians 2:6).  As we start 2026 will you join me in making our focus on Jesus!  We can draft behind His perfection, protection, power, peace, pleasure and His loving presence!  Oh what a glorious ride to live in His slipstream!

 

 

It is Good to Give Thanks to the LORD

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It was an unusually mild late afternoon and Patty asked if I wanted to go for a walk. After some coaxing I reluctantly said yes. As I slipped on my shoes she mentioned, “Why don’t we make this a thankful prayer walk!” To be honest I wasn’t in the mood for her plan but decided I couldn’t really say no to the idea.

For the first few blocks she started us out and eventually I thought I better offer up some thanks as well. Before you know it a dam broke and my mind was flooded with reasons to pour out praise. Even those painful places in the past year turned into reasons to thank a faithful Father for His Shepherding along the unexpected twists and turns.

The 3 mile journey ended up almost an hour and seemed like only a few minutes. We got caught up in a sacred place where our hearts found a river of peace that carried us along. Our thankfulness list was inexhaustible. We recalled miracles of our Heavenly Father’s faithful provision, His abundant grace, and magnificent displays of the sunset over the Rocky Mountains.

Right before I wrote this blog I was reading Psalm 92 during my morning devotions which starts out:

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD. To sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning and Your faithfulness by night…” (vs. 1-2).

A spirit of thankfulness and praise is truly “good” for the soul. It helps us enter into the rhythm of heaven where praise permeates everything. The source of our thanks and praise is the “Most High” who has brought us a saving love in His Son Jesus, such love will never ever let us go.

Psalm 136 is another that highlights the goodness of God and reminds us to give thanks.  It repeats this truth 26 times:

“For His steadfast love endures forever.”

Our thankfulness walk reminded me of how good it is to give thanks to a Father for everything especially for His enduring, and saving love that has been sealed by Christ’s finished work on the cross. There is no greater gift!!

As 2026 arrives I pray the Holy Spirt  will help us in this New Year to “continually give thanks to the LORD!” To declare His faithful love at the start the day, to continue to give thanks through out the day, and end each day with a  grateful heart.

 

 

A Grace Filled Christmas

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We went to see an absolutely amazing Christmas light display the other night and as I was taking the picture my granddaughter went up and hugged the cross. For me it was a holy moment which captured the most powerful message of Christmas, GRACE!

Grace has permeated the month of December for us with memorial services for Patty’s brother Randy and my mom just days apart. Both services pointed to God’s life changing grace giving as a free gift. My brother-in-law used to say “I don’t understand all the mystery of grace but I know I need to believe it and receive it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

The text my mom wanted me to read and share was from 2 Corinthians 12:9:

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you,  for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

When you lose a loved one life slows way down and your spiritual focus becomes super intensified. Those things that seemed like such a big deal before suddenly meaningless as you stare death in the face. What brings comfort, hope, peace, and yes even joy is knowing the gift of grace. The grace that comes to us as a free gift from Father God given to us through His only Son Jesus. Jesus, who became a helpless baby in order to identify with our weakness and eventually to destroy the power of sin and death through the cross and resurrection.

Yes, Grace is “mysterious” because we have nothing to do with it. Our works and efforts to reach God’s love and acceptance is worthless. Even receiving the gift of grace is grace! We need the Holy Spirit to open our hearts to believe and receive this precious gift of Jesus’ work on our behalf.

“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)

As I was scrolling through my pictures of the Christmas lights and landed on the one with our granddaughter hugging the cross I said to Patty, “that is the best Christmas present of all!” The picture reminded me to cling to the cross of Christ which is the greatest gift of Christmas and will last for all eternity.  And before you know it GRACE will lead you and me to our forever home joining other followers of Christ and best of all spending eternity with our Abba Father!

On behalf of Oceans Ministries we thank and praise the Lord for so many of you who have been God’s amazing grace to us and all we are called to share His grace with. We pray that you will have a deep sense of His grace poured out over you this Christmas season.

 

 

 

A Devotional on John 13-17 – “To the Place Where I Belong”

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A devotional to help grasp the mystery of “Jesus, our Immanuel”:

Every Christmas millions of people sing, “Jesus, our Immanuel.” This glorious prophetic promise from Isaiah 7:14, that God will to come dwell with His people. But do we really understand in our hearts these life changing words we sing?

One of the greatest sections of Scripture that has helped me grasp the mystery of His loving presence dwelling within me is Jesus’ teaching in John 13-17. We’ve been created to have the Father & Son make their home in our hearts, God with us forever.

The 31 day devotional, “To the Place Where I Belong,“ is the result of years of dwelling in these sacred passages. My hope is that my journey to understand Jesus, our Immanuel will be a blessing to you as well.

More info about the book:

 

Sample two-page spreads from the book:

 


Click here to purchase the book!

 

November 26, Gloriously Home!

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I was writing in my journal early on the morning of November 26, giving thanks to the Father for my spiritual birthday. Recalling that Sunday night many years ago, I gave thanks to God for my mom who faithfully had us go to church morning and evening. And on that November 26th evening the Holy Spirit opened the eyes of my heart to hear the simple Gospel message of the cross and resurrection. I entered into that church an angry, bitter, insecure 13 year old with a hard heart, and left filled with the transforming love of Christ. I thought about how my mom was present at the two most important moments of my life: my physical birth and my spiritual birth.

I was able to talk with her on the phone the night before and could tell she was suffering and knew her time on earth was getting short. I felt I needed to text her and thank her again for being a gift to my life.  This is what I texted:

“Hi Mom, hope you are feeling better and we pray nausea decreases. Also today is Nov. 26. Back on this date in 1978 you took us to Sunday night service at the Naz. church. I was thanking the Father for your faithfulness in bringing us to church and the impact it had. How you came down to altar as I wept tears of joy for the gift of salvation given to me that night. Thank you for all you did to point us to Jesus (♥️❤️)!”

At a little after 9 PM, my step dad, Pastor Bill called and said, “Your mom went home to Jesus.” Bill and his daughter Lori were holding her in bed and singing the words to an old hymn when she made it gloriously home:

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

My mom’s faith became sight as she beheld the loving glory of her Savior welcoming her home. As I write this I’m preparing a message for the memorial service for Patty’s brother Randy, who passed away way too young in his sleep. What gives us hope and even joy in the midst of losing people we love is knowing the glorious homecoming my mom and Randy are experiencing. They are encountering a new world of perfect, glorious love welcomed by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They also are with the great cloud of witnesses, which includes loved ones who went before them. What a victory celebration they are having!

Now November 26 has another special meaning for me as I think of the gift my mom received when she saw her Savior face to face and she was welcomed gloriously home. It will be a constant reminder to “turn my eyes upon Jesus…” and live with the great anticipation of the glorious home that is to come.

Hold these words of Jesus deep in your heart as you await your home coming:

“I Am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:26