So, with Halloween now in the rear view mirror, Thanksgiving is now within sniffing distance – in a good way. Turkey Tom and cranberry sauce are now on the horizon!

So what is the strangest thing you ever remember eating? My youngest daughter, at age two, tried to eat a worm, and my hubby once ate chocolate covered crickets. But neither of those comes close to what Michel Lotito devoured!

According to funfactz.com, between 1959 and 1997, Michel ate almost nine tons of inedible and dangerous junk. He consumed eleven bicycles, seven shopping carts, a metal coffin, a cash register, a washing machine, a TV, and sixty-six feet of chain.

Then he decided to tackle a big-ticket item; he ate an entire airplane – an old Cessna – which took him two years to consume. Michel died in 2007 at the age of fifty-seven, the official cause of death being a heart attack. I don’t know – fifty-seven is incredibly young these days – could he perhaps have been consuming “junk food” that, in the end, took him out?!

If you are living on this planet, you have no doubt heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” It dates to 1826 when Antheime Brillat-Savarin wrote: “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” It’s true so it stuck! Our physical health depends on good nutrition! If we eat lousy food then down the road we will pay the price. I mean, who wants to be a walking “candy bar” or an “airplane?” A body can’t function at its best on a diet of junk food, and this same principle holds true for our spiritual health.

Let’s face it – garbage in, garbage out. Just as there’s junk “food” in abundance, there’s junk news, junk gossip, junk TV, and junk media. What are we intentionally putting into ourselves? The Bible reminds us in Matthew 12, “Whatever is in your heart determines what you say,” and really, whatever you put into your heart eventually determines what you think and do.

As someone once observed: “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Your words become actions; your actions become habits; your habits become character, and our character becomes our destiny.”

Albert Einstein said he wanted to know God’s thoughts. I do too – that’s why I read God’s book – a bestseller, by the way! The Bible teaches us in Psalms that, “The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.” If we feed on this “bread of life,” we will end up spiritually healthy.

Most of you will remember the 2004 movie “Super-Size me,” featuring Morgan Spurlock. In it, he chronicled a radical experiment on himself that few would be tempted to follow. For an entire month, he ate all his meals at McDonald’s. He pulled up to the Golden Arches three times a day and ordered breakfast, lunch, and dinner, At month’s end, Morgan had gained 30 pounds, his cholesterol was off the charts, and his doctor warned him to immediately change his eating habits if he intended to continue living on this earth. Experiment over!

The good news with all this is that we can choose our influencers! Proverbs 4:23 urges us to “Guard our heart above all else, for it determines the course of our life.”

One translation advises us to “Guard our heart more than any treasure.” That’s how important it is.

I once heard of a man who borrowed a book from a friend, hoping it would prove to be a life-changing read. When the book was returned, the friend found the letters YBH written many times in the margins. Curious, he asked the borrower what YBH meant? His friend replied that the book was a terrific read and could have been life-changing except for one thing – it lacked the “how to’s” – thus the YBH – “Yes, But How?” abbreviation.

The YBH for people seeking spiritual growth and success is easy. In a nutshell – the word of God is the will of God. So please – choose your “food” wisely!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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Furious, Ford was on the phone immediately to complain to the fundraiser that he had been misunderstood. The fundraiser replied that they would print a retraction in the paper the next day. Unfortunately, the retraction read: “Henry Ford reduces his donation by $45,000.” Realizing the poor publicity that would result in, Ford agreed to the $50,000 contribution in return for the following: Above the entrance to the hospital was to be carved the Biblical inscription: “I came among you and you took me in.”

Sometimes in life we often feel like we’ve been taken in or we’ve been took! Ever make a horrible purchase? Ever buy a lemon? Ever give to a ‘worthy’ cause only to find it a hoax? Ever give to a person just to have them totally blow it? We have probably all experienced at least one of the above in our lives.

So – to give or not to give? That’s THE question. No – that is actually NOT the question. That may be the question for some people in our world, but it shouldn’t be the question for the Christ-follower! Giving should be a natural part of our lives. We should want to give because of God’s example to us.

A skeptic once said to a preacher, “I can’t stand this Christianity business. All I ever hear from you people is give, give, give.” The preacher thought for a minute and then said – “That’s about the best description of Christianity i’ve ever heard!”

Of course, it all started with God – “For God so loved the world that He gave…” Proverbs 3 urges us with this: “Honor God with everything you own; give Him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over.” In other words, if you honor God with your ‘stuff’ – you will be blessed. Pretty simple.

The stats are pretty interesting that show Christians in America give 4 billion dollars a year to their churches. Sounds pretty good doesn’t it?! And it is good. Sounds fabulous until you hear that those same Christian people spend something like 34 billion dollars a year on diet & exercise products. That’s stunning!! Think what our community churches could accomplish if tithes & giving even came close to those of our diet & exercise spending!

Check out this great ‘farmer’ verse in II Corinthians 9: “Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will reap a generous crop.” Robert Louis Stevenson wrote it this way – “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” Seeds to harvest – harvest by seeding! Either way you look at it, our nation is in desperate need of a spiritual harvest right now. It’s the only thing that will turn the hearts of people back to justice and morality. The only thing!

There’s an amusing story of a pastor who was in the middle of a new building project at his church. He decided to make a big appeal for funds one Sunday morning during the offering time. He had planned to have the organist play a great hymn following the appeal but forgot to do that. So, as he got up in front of the

congregation, he just told the organist – Mrs. Jones – “Just play whatever you think is appropriate.”

During his message, he emphasized the importance of giving faithfully to the Lord and the need for this building project. Then, at the end he told them, “If you are willing to shoulder greater financial responsibility by pledging at least $100 over your monthly giving, please stand as Mrs. Jones plays. He then nodded for her to begin, and to his absolute delight the ‘appropriate’ song that she had chosen was “The Star Spangled Banner” – our national anthem. Which in respect, we all stand for. Clever lady.

But we really shouldn’t have to finagle people to spur them to give. I love this insightful quote from Winston Churchill – “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” My advice? Get a life!!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPC

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Fortunately for us, John 10:10 tells us that although the thief has come to steal, and to kill & destroy, Jesus has come that we might have abundant life through Him. And one translation actually tells us we can have a better life than we ever dreamed of!

So many people struggle with purpose in their lives. If asked, many well-known public figures have ‘answers’ for us. Try these on for size:

Oprah Winfrey: “You’ve got to figure it out by yourself.” The Materialist: “Life is all about getting things”

Self-Group Group: “You’ve got to create your own purpose in life”

Carl Yung: “I don’t know the meaning of life or the purpose of life, but it looks as if something were meant by it.”

Joseph Taylor: “I have no answers to the meaning of life and I and longer want to search for any.”

It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland where Alice approaches a fork in the road. She spies a Cheshire cat nearby and asks him which road she should take? The cat replies by asking Alice where she wants to go — Alice doesn’t know. The cat responds with: “Then it doesn’t matter which road you take!” Profound answer. Purpose always has direction but how often do we simply not understand this? Life is a journey and every journey has a destination.

There’s an interesting story of a young 5 year old boy who showed up one day to play T-ball. It was now the last inning – bases were loaded and there were two outs and the other guys were up to bat. The hitter hauled off and swatted the ball way out into left field. Every eye watched it sail toward the new little guy. He saw it coming, ran toward it and just barely missed the game-winning catch. It plopped down in front of him rolling right into his glove.

One runner had crossed home plate but there was still time to throw home and tie the game. Everyone in the bleachers was yelling, “Throw it! Hurry up – throw the ball.” But to the surprise of both sides, the little guy pulled it close, hunkered down and held onto it like a prize trophy. He seemed to be saying, “I have waited all afternoon for this thing and I’m not about to let go of it now.” The crowd went nuts. “Throw the ball kid. Hurry up – throw it!” And the poor coach looked like he was just about to have a coronary right there on the spot. The entire game hinged on this play.

About this stately a tall, stately man came out of the stands and walked slowly toward him. Dad. His father stooped down and hugged the little fellow as he stubbornly clutched the ball. Then his dad spoke to him – and moved his hands at the same time. Sign language. A hush fell over the stands. “It’s OK son give me the ball.” I heard him say, as he signed the words.

Embarrassed heads bowed. The little boy looked his dad in the face; tears spilled out of his eyes but he slowly turns over the coveted ball. He simply did not get it. He did not understand the game. In his child’s mind he just wanted the ball. He didn’t hear the crowd – He could not – he was deaf. But not understanding cost the game.

Understanding! It’s a big deal. Proverbs 4 tells us this: “Write this at the top of your list: Get understanding! Throw your arms around her – believe me, you won’t regret it; Never let her go – she’ll make your life glorious. She’ll garland your life with grace, she’ll festoon your days with beauty.”

It’s easy to get comfortable and not understand our God-given purpose in life. Les Brown says it this way: “The graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid to take that first step, keep with the problem, or determine to carry out their dream.” Understanding – worth the get.

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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Finishing the meter check, the senior challenged the younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to their truck. As they came running up to the truck, they realize the lady from that last house was huffing & puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied, “When I saw two men from the gas company running as hard as you guys were, I figured I’d better run too!”

You must admit that’s an eye-roller! But for some reason, it made me think about the clash of kingdoms we have between good & evil — God & the Devil. Both are in hot pursuit of one main thing – your and my souls. It’s a race to see who will prevail with mere humans who are often clueless as to what’s really going on!

I recently read the Beatitudes again. The famous sermon was delivered by Jesus and recorded in the Book of Luke. The word beatitude comes from the Latin word meaning blessedness. Jesus repeats the phrase “blessed are” over and over – eight times total.

Up to that point, the Jewish people had been raised on long lists of strict rules taught by the Scribes through the law of Moses. But no one had ever been able to fulfill all the requirements of the law and obtain righteousness. Now, Jesus was taking these impossible laws – boiling them down to their truest essence – with promises of provision from God rather than judgment. The listeners were mesmerized. They could hear the truth in Jesus’s words – they could feel the difference.

Here are the first four Beatitudes: “You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all. God’s kingdom is there for the finding. You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry. Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal. You’re blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning. Count yourself blessed every time someone smears your name to discredit Me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort.” And the list continues . . . blessing after blessing!

Contrast those in the race for souls with the Devils beatitudes. Ohhh yeah – he has a list too. Here are just a few from his list: Blessed are those who are too tired or too busy to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians – they are my best workers. Blessed are those who are easily offended – they will soon get angry and quit. Blessed are those who are the complainers – I’m all ears to them. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God’s work – for they are my helpers. Blessed are you who, when you read this, think it’s about other people and not yourself – I’ve got you too!

The whole purpose of Jesus’s message was to offer a new way – revealed truth & everlasting life. Jesus was offering the seekers in his audience a glimpse of the power His Spirit could work through them. The Kingdom of Heaven was truly within their

grasp. Jesus showed them what it looked like so they would hunger for the freedom His salvation would bring! The truth is, there are two kingdoms and which one you eventually end up in is your choice!

There’s a fascinating story of Bishop Philip Brooks – author of “O, Little Town of Bethlehem.” When he was seriously ill, he requested no friends come to see him. But when an acquaintance of his – Robert Ingersoll, a famous a in right away. Ingersoll said “I appreciate this very much. Especially when you aren’t letting any of your close friends in to see you.”

Bishop Brooks responded, “Oh, I’m confident of seeing them in the next world, but this may be my last chance to see you!”

Choose your ‘blessings’ wisely ~    Selah!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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   Patton first saw combat and gained fame chasing Poncho Villa in 1916. He earned a Purple Heart in 1918 for combat wounds while under German machine-gun fire. And interestingly, his grandfather – Benjamin Davis Wilson – was the second elected major of Los Angeles (1851) – Mt. Wilson is named after him.  

   Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was aware of Patton’s fighting style and aggressive tactics, but also considered him “indispensable to the war effort.” A situation arose in 1945, around taking the city of Trier. Here is how the dialogue went between these two generals: Gen. Eisenhower: “You are to bypass the city of Trier, as it will take four divisions to capture it.” Gen. Patton’s reply: “Have taken Trier with two divisions. What do you want me to do? Give it back?” Classic George!

   Taking territory is an interesting endeavor and even more so when considering exactly what type of territory we’re talking about. Let’s understand that God’s territory and economy doesn’t operate by the same principles that the world runs on! 

   There was once a king in the Bible – Jabez – who prayed this prayer: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil.” God granted him what he requested. But notice what Jabez didn’t pray for – he didn’t ask for more power, more wealth, or more troops. He asked that the Lord would enlarge his territory. So what is that exactly?

   As it pertains to us, I would venture to say part of gaining territory is winning the lost to Jesus Christ. But gaining territory also means asking for more opportunities to share our good news. Romans 10 asks: “But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Hint: The simple rule of evangelism = Those who know, tell those who don’t.

   The story is told of a famous evangelist who was preparing for a meeting in a large city. He wrote a letter to the major asking for names of individuals who had a spiritual problem and needed help or prayer. The major responded with a copy of the city directory. 

   Lord – enlarge our territory – take us out of our comfort zones as we shop for groceries, stand in line at the post office, or go to the gym. The next time you wait in your car at a red light, watch the pedestrians as they cross in front of you and pray for them. It’s not that difficult. Enlarge your territory! Ask God for courage like Moses, a fervor like the believers in the early church, an obsession for showing Christ to others like the Apostle Paul, and a radical desire to spread the faith like Peter! 

   Once, while waiting in a cemetery for a funeral service, evangelist Charles Simeon (1759-1836) walked among the graves, reading the markers. He found one that especially caught his eye: “When from the dust of death I rise, To claim my mansion in the skies, E’en then shall this be all my plea- “Jesus hath lived and died for me.” 

   Simeon was so impacted with this gospel message that he looked for someone to share it with. He saw a young woman, obviously distressed, and shared it with her. He visited her the next day and found poverty & squalor. Her aged mother was dying and her two small children were dirty and trying to warm themselves by a small fire.

   Simeon visited again the next day, this time bringing assistance. Later, the young woman told him that she had been in the cemetery for five hours, trying to work up the nerve to take her life. Needless to say – Simeon’s interaction with her not only saved her life but I suspect her soul as well. It doesn’t get much better than that!

   Please – never forget – you may well be the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read!

Bob and Susan Becket pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

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