Monday, July 26, 2021

The Doubt

 

The Doubt 

 

For 9 years I’ve been doing the Batcave blog in one form or another.  It doesn’t belong to me it belongs to God.  See Thursday night I was sent a video by my friend Jeanne and in it this guy talked about the struggle to continue doing his Bible study videos on YouTube.  He mentioned how he almost quit so many times.  I can relate to his struggle and doubts about continuing.  See I have a goal about keeping this blog with a mission for people to find hope in God’s Word and a prayer that they are drawn closer to God.  God calls Christians to go.  Each of them shares in different ways.  I never started out wanting to blog.  I had every intention for something simple.  I wanted to have a small group Bible study for people like me who worked nights.   I had three people who encouraged me to start and one of them was my Dad.   I very awkwardly advertised it at church with a video of me holding Alex Ross’s, Justice version of Batgirl.  I’m specific about that for this reason I use comic book related things in the blog.   I also talk about video games, cartoons, movies, and pro wrestling just whatever it takes to get the point across and point people to God.  I never aspired to be a teacher.  If asked I still don’t think I’m the type of leader that could lead and ant out of a paper bag.     So, I met with a couple for about a year at Denny’s at midnight.  We ate and studied the book of Psalms.  Through events only God could make happen my friend Rebecca came to me, and she was the life group leader at the time.  She said I think it is time you went online with this.  I had been emailing it to a friend but never as widespread as it has become.  No one had signed up to meet in person except for Marion, my now wife.   So, I started writing and emailing it to family and friends and people from church who signed up.  Marion can tell you there are so many times over the last nine years I have considered just quitting.  I’ve wanted to walk away.  I take breaks maybe once or twice a year.  I rarely get feedback in emails.  I don’t know who reads it.  My church has so often acted like I don’t even lead a group because I can’t take attendance.  It’s online it’s not possible.  If I took any kind of attendance, I would actually feel like I was trying to get some form of pride out of doing it.  I’ve become my own advertiser because the church again thinks the group doesn’t exist.  I’m not even complaining I’ve just accepted it. I send it to about 120 people via email and I know of maybe a handful that do read it.  I share the written portion on Facebook.  One person saw my advertisement and said they didn’t bother reading it because they thought I was just talking about comic books.  Like I said I’ve thought of giving up a lot.  It’s been a blog designed for all but not all understand.  I share scripture and music and observations.  As of two years ago I started also doing it as a Facebook live video.  That is so scary.  I took a public speaking course in college.  Had to give a five-minute speech.  For two minutes I breathed.  But guess what when I put my reading glasses on, I can’t see those in the crowd.  I found that out reading a poem I wrote at my Paw Paw’s funeral.  Recently I did a video and was attacked by someone.  It hurt.  Like I said earlier God has Christians sharing his Word in different ways.  But this blog is about being real and honest.  If you watch it or read it, I am sharing this personal side to let you know I know what it’s like to almost give up.  I’m here to encourage you not to!  It’s not easy to have something to say every week.  I struggle and one of the biggest lies the devil tries to throw at me is to get me to believe I’m a failure.

 

I will tell you every time I have nearly stopped doing this blog God always sends someone with an email, or words of encouragement or something to remind me to keep going.  I don’t know what God has you doing as far as sharing his love and his word but I’m here telling you don’t give up!  You can take breaks or a refresher but don’t quit.  We live in a hurting world that needs hope and Hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.    So, I’m going to share some verses that have helped me keep going.  

 

Galatians 6:9-10

“So, let’s not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone— especially to those in the family of faith.”   

 

God has given us all gifts to use mine is to encourage and share hope and I do so in a way that doesn’t always make sense.  Online Bible study blog that you don’t know when it will be read or watched.  It doesn’t make any logical sense but I know God uses it.  How do I know that because people respond.  Another way I know is this.  It’s a promise of God.  

 

Isaiah 55:8-11

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord.  ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.  For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your thoughts.  The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth.  They cause the grain to grow.  Producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry.  It is the same with my word.  I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.’”

 

This is another passage that has been so true with any work I’ve done on this blog.  

 

Ephesians 3:20 

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us.”  

 

God has used it in ways I don’t even understand.

I continue to share God’s Word in ways that don’t always make sense because God takes care of the hard part which is changing people’s lives.  I’m a mess I need God to change me just as much as anyone else.  I will tell you often.  I’m the least important part of the blog.  I don’t want any importance.  I want God to be glorified.  But to do so I have to be willing to share.  If you share God’s Word in some way if you get anything from this don’t give up.  

 

Philippians 1:6 is our reason not to give up.     

 

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He who began by Steve Green 

Keep breathing by Kerrie Roberts 

Never look back by DeGarmo and Key

Face the Nation by 4 Him

Monday, July 19, 2021

Enough?

 

Enough?

 

Every day we wake up God has provided a sun and moon and the world around us and the very air we breathe.  We take it for granted.  I know this because I’m guilty of it.  I complain way too much.  There’s two questions asked in the passage I’m going to share with you.   Questions that bear pondering.  

 

Psalm 106: 1-5

 

“Praise the Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord?  

Who can ever praise Him enough?  

There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.  

 

Remember me, Lord when you show favor to your people; 

Come near and rescue me.   

Let me share in the prosperity of your chosen ones.  

Let me rejoice in the joy of your people; let me praise you with those who are your heritage.”  

 

With all God does each day with creation alone we can’t list all his miracles.  We definitely don’t praise him enough.  I’ve said it before and I will again.  Praising God is a perspective shift.  It gets us off our negative thoughts and on the positive things God does.  I mention often that the blog is designed backwards to a church service because I give you the message first and links to the music last.  That’s because I feel a lot of church services neglect giving the participants a chance to praise God after hearing good news.  

 

Lamentations 3:22-23

 

“The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.”

 

Be thankful!  

 

“Praise Him in the morning

For tall and lofty trees

And praise Him in the evening

For children on their knees

Oh and praise Him in the noon day

For gentle birds that sing

Oh praise Him all ye people

Praise the King

 

And praise Him for a peaceful porch

And rocking chairs that sway

Praise Him for the rolling hills

Where children laugh and play

Oh and praise Him for the wandering soul

That never lost their way

Oh praise Him all ye people

Praise the King

 

And praise Him for the blood that fell

And bloomed a rose that day

And praise Him that He suffered through the guilt, the grief, the shame

Oh and praise Him that His tender love will still forgive today

Oh praise Him all ye people praise the King”

 

 

 

Praise the Lord by the Imperials

Made me glad by Sandi Patty 

Praises forevermore by Point ofGrace 

Praises by Newsboys 

Praise the name of Jesus 

Praise the King by Cindy Morgan

Evidence of God by Geoff Moore and theDistance 

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Something to be thankful for

 Something to be thankful for 



God gives us mercy when we don’t deserve it.  In Romans 6:23 it says this.  
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  

Before Christian musicians DeGarmo and Key stopped recording altogether they had a song called Selective Amnesia about God’s mercy and forgiveness.  Part of the song says this.

“He searches the soul and he pierces the conscience 
And I’m not proud of everything that he’s seen
But when it come to the past, he’s a mercy machine 
He knows it all and there’s news that’ll please ya
When it comes to the past, he’s got selective amnesia.”

We should be thankful that because of Jesus death on the cross we can be made clean and forgiven of our sins.

I want to show you Psalm 103:8-19 so you can realize you have something to be thankful for.  

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.  He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us , as we deserve.  For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.  He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west.  The Lord is like a father to his children tender and compassionate to those who fear him.  For he knows how weak we are, he remembers we are only dust.  Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.  The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.  But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him.  His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!  The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.”

We definitely have something to be thankful for!  

I want to conclude with this by the group Hawk Nelson 

“In the wonder
In the heartache 
In the good times
And in the mistakes
No matter what I’m going through 
I can always say thank you
When the blessings 
Are in disguise 
Let gratitude open my eyes 
‘Cause I’ve just been given too much.”






Monday, July 5, 2021

Your Comfort

 Your comfort 


I’ve been in work situations where people have said things really bad about me as a person.  I’ve even gone to work and each time I went it felt like spiritual warfare was taking place at that work site.  I’ve had things happen that caused me to often seek God.  Those that know me well know me to be a huge comic book fan and these verses I’m about share talk about God defending his people and I love that. There have been times I know God has fought on my behalf.

Psalm 94:16-19

“Who will protect me from the wicked?  Who will stand up for me against evildoers?  Unless the Lord had helped me, I would soon have settled in the silence of the grave.  I cried out ‘I am slipping!’  But your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.    When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.”  

The psalmist had a problem.  Did you notice where he got help and comfort?  It wasn’t from drugs, alcohol, or another person.  It was hope and comfort he got from God’s unfailing love!  The passage was written many years before Jesus told the disciples that he would leave them with the Holy Spirit who is also called the Comforter.  This is a blog that has always pointed to Hope found in God’s Word.  I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it one of the most important verses in the Bible is 1 Peter 5:8

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 

Next I want to share some song lyrics from Cheri Keaggy and Addison Road that are helpful too.  

“Cause there’s a source of help
 in every need 
There’s a place to dwell
Down on your knees
And if I could tell you how to find peace
You’ve got to lay it down.”

“Everything rides on Hope now 
Everything rides on faith somehow 
When the world has broken me down 
Your love sets me free!”  

If you need hope, verses 18 and 19 are why you’re reading this blog or watching it as a video.  Every single one of us on this planet needs God.  

“I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’  But your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me.  When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me hope and cheer.”  

We’re all slipping! Where are you reaching out to for Hope?  God still offers it if you seek him!