Bible Birds #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Bible Birds #RTTBROS #NIGHTLIGHT

Bible Birds #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Lessons from Bible Birds

Eagles - "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). Trust God's timing to lift you above life's storms.

Sparrows - "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father...Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" (Matthew 10:29, 31). Remember that if God watches over sparrows, He surely watches over you.

Ravens - "Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them" (Luke 12:24). Release your worries about tomorrow because God faithfully provides.

Doves - "Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16). Pursue gentleness and purity in all your dealings with others.

Hens - "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (Matthew 23:37). Run to Jesus when trouble comes, for He longs to shelter you.

Roosters - "And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter" (Luke 22:60-61). Return quickly to Jesus when you stumble, for His loving eyes are already seeking you.

"Rest now, knowing the God who notes every sparrow's fall is watching over your sleep tonight."

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Let Sleeping Dogs Lie #Nightlight #RTTBROS #Wisdom #Proverbs #Character

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Proverbs 26:17 - "He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears."

Geoffrey Chaucer knew something about human nature when he wrote in his medieval poetry, "It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake." He understood that sometimes the wisest thing you can do is leave well enough alone. There was even an earlier French version that said essentially the same thing: don't wake the sleeping dog.

Anyone who's ever been around dogs knows exactly what this means. You see an old hound sleeping peacefully in the sun, and common sense tells you to walk quietly around him. Sure, he might be friendly when he's awake, but startle him out of a deep sleep and you might get a very different reaction. Better to let him wake up naturally than to poke him and find out the hard way that he doesn't appreciate being disturbed.

Solomon understood this principle too, long before Chaucer wrote about it. He said that getting involved in someone else's fight is like grabbing a dog by the ears. You're asking for trouble, and you're probably going to get bit for your efforts. Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is step back and let peaceful situations stay peaceful.

Now, I'm not talking about ignoring real problems or turning your back when someone genuinely needs help. There are times when we absolutely need to get involved, times when love requires us to step into difficult situations. But there's a difference between helping someone who's asking for help and stirring up trouble where there doesn't need to be any.

We all know people who seem to specialize in waking sleeping dogs. They bring up old hurts that had been forgiven and forgotten. They ask questions that are designed to start arguments. They poke at sensitive subjects just to see what kind of reaction they'll get. They meddle in marriages and friendships and family relationships that were getting along just fine without their input.

Friend, sometimes wisdom means knowing when to speak up and when to keep quiet. Sometimes love means getting involved, and sometimes it means staying out of it. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is walk quietly around that sleeping dog and let him rest in peace.

Before you wake up an old controversy, ask yourself: is this really going to help anyone, or am I just satisfying my own curiosity? Before you bring up that past mistake, consider whether it needs to be discussed or whether it's better left buried. Before you get in the middle of that family dispute, think about whether your involvement will bring peace or just make things worse.

There are enough real problems in this world that need our attention. We don't need to go around creating new ones by waking sleeping dogs.

Prayer: Lord, give me wisdom to know when to speak and when to stay quiet, when to get involved and when to let sleeping dogs lie. Amen.

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All That Glitters #RTTBROS #Nightlight #Deception #foolsgold #Character

All That Glitters Is Not Gold #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart." — 1 Samuel 16:7 (KJV)

Back in the twelfth century, a French theologian named Alain de Lille wrote something that would echo through the centuries: "Do not hold everything gold that shines like gold." Eventually it became the phrase we know today: "All that glitters is not gold."

These medieval thinkers understood something we sometimes forget. Appearances can be mighty deceiving. Fool's gold sparkled just as pretty as real gold, but it was worthless when you tried to spend it.

We're so quick to be impressed by surface things. Someone drives up in an expensive car, and we assume they're successful. Someone speaks with confidence, and we figure they must know what they're talking about. Someone looks put-together, and we think they must have their life figured out.

But God showed Samuel a different way of seeing. When Samuel looked at Eliab, Jesse's oldest son, he thought, "Surely this is the one. Look how tall and strong and kingly he appears." But God said, "Don't look at his appearance or his height. I've rejected him. Man looks at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart."

Seven sons passed before Samuel. Every one looked like king material to human eyes. Then came David, the youngest, the shepherd boy nobody even thought to call in from the fields. And God said, "This is the one."

Friend, the world is full of glittering things that aren't gold. The only way to tell real gold from fool's gold is to test it. And the only way to see what God sees is to ask Him to give you His eyes. Look for character, not just charisma. Look for faithfulness, not just flashiness. Look for the heart, because that's what matters to the One who matters most.

Prayer:

Father, help me see past the glitter to what's really gold. Give me Your eyes to see hearts, not just appearances. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Nest Egg #RTTBROS #Nightlight #God #Heaven #legacy

NEST EGG #RTTBROS #Nightlight

Nest Egg

Luke 12:21 - "So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Medieval farmers knew something smart about chickens. When collecting eggs, they'd always leave one in the nest, what they called the "nest egg." That one egg kept the hen coming back to lay more. Take them all, and your chicken might hide her eggs somewhere you'd never find them.

By the fourteenth century, peasants used this phrase to describe their approach to the future: set aside a little now, find security later. It was about thinking beyond today's hunger to tomorrow's needs.

That's good wisdom, and there's nothing wrong with planning for the future and being responsible with what God gives us. But Jesus told a story that puts this in perspective. A rich man had such a good harvest that he tore down his barns to build bigger ones. He was planning for many years of easy living, but God called him a fool because that very night, his soul was required of him.

See, there's a difference between wise planning and foolish hoarding. The question Jesus asks is: what kind of nest egg are you building?

Are you laying up treasure in heaven or just on earth? Are you investing in things that'll matter a hundred years from now, or just things that make you feel secure today?

I'm not saying don't plan for retirement. I'm saying make sure your spiritual nest egg is growing too. Every act of kindness, every moment in prayer, every dollar given to God's work, that's your eternal nest egg growing.

Because friend, earthly nest eggs can disappear in a market crash, but heavenly treasure is safe forever.

Prayer: God, help me be wise with earthly planning but even wiser with eternal investing. Show me how to be rich toward You. Amen.

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A life well lived #RTTBROS #Nightlight #legacy #Ministry #Discipleship

A life well lived #RTTBROS #Nightlight #legacy #Ministry #Discipleship 

90 Years Young and Still Building 

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." - Galatians 6:9 (KJV)

Well folks, here we are celebrating a man who's turning 90, and I'm pretty sure he's already planning his next church plant. You know Jesse retirement isn't in his vocabulary, and honestly, I don't think the word "quit" is either.

I've been trying to figure out how to sum up Jesse Dunn's life, and I keep coming back to this: he's a builder. Not the kind that works with hammer and nails, though knowing Jesse, he probably could, but the kind that builds people's lives and builds God's kingdom.

When I think about Jesse going to California Christian College in his thirties with three little girls in tow, working full time and going to school... well, that tells you everything you need to know about his character. Most of us think we're busy when we have to work and watch Netflix on the same day. Jesse was building a future while raising a family and chasing after God's calling.

And can we talk about his church-planting record? This man has started more churches than some denominations have. Boise in the early '70s, Salem in the late '70s, then back to Boise to rebuild what he'd already built once. It's like he looked at the Great Commission and thought, "You know what? I'm going to take this personally."

I've been thinking about what I learned watching Jesse over the years, and I realized he gave us a master class in ministry without ever charging tuition. The man went to Bible college in his thirties, but the real education happened in the trenches, building churches, raising daughters, and somehow keeping his sense of humor through it all.

But here's what gets me about Jesse, and what I learned from watching him all these years: he doesn't just build churches, he builds people. He took a bunch of rough-around-the-edges teenagers in Salem and somehow convinced us we could be useful to God. I'm still not sure how he pulled that off.

Let me tell you what Jesse's classroom looked like: it was his living room where he'd counsel hurting people, his kitchen table where he'd study sermons while Joyce cooked dinner, and that old church bus where he'd pick up anybody and everybody who needed a ride to church. His curriculum was simple: love people, preach the Word, and trust God with the results.

The thing about Jesse is he never seemed to think anything was impossible. Church needs rebuilding? "Well, let's get to work." Three little girls need raising while daddy goes to college? "We'll figure it out." New town needs a church? "Pack the car, Joyce."

Watching Jesse taught me something that changed my life: "You can't make people love God, but you can sure show them what God's love looks like." And boy, did he show us. This man could find potential in a pile of scrap metal, and often did, if you count some of us teenagers he worked with.

Jesse, you taught me that discipleship isn't a program in a book, it's life on life investment. You opened your home, shared your table, and showed us what it looked like to follow Jesus even when it wasn't easy or convenient.

And can we talk about his longevity? Ninety years old and still preaching weekly. Most people his age are content to watch TV and complain about their arthritis. Jesse's still standing in pulpits, opening God's Word, and believing that the next sermon might be the one that changes someone's life forever.

You know what I think God is going to say when Jesse finally gets to heaven? "Well done, good and faithful servant... but what took you so long? I've been hearing about you from all the people you sent ahead."

Jesse, you've been a father figure to more people than you'll ever know, a mentor to countless ministers, and a friend to everyone you've ever met. At 90, you're still showing us what it looks like to love God and love people with everything you've got.

Happy 90th birthday, Jesse. Thanks for showing us that age is just a number when you're walking with the Almighty.

Purse Candy #RTTBROS #Nightlight #Temptation #Sin #Livingwater

Pocket Candy Christianity #RTTBROS #Nightlight

"For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." - Jeremiah 2:13, KJV

My poor mom had to raise four boys as a single mother, and there were times we'd be out in public getting a little rowdy when she needed to settle us down. She'd dig through her massive Samsonite sized purse to find some old candy or gum that had settled to the bottom what we called "purse candy." And let me tell you, it tasted quite honestly a lot like... well, purse.

But when you're hungry and that's all that's available, you'll take it. The problem was, that stale pocket candy would ruin our appetite for the good meal waiting at home.

God warns His people about this very thing in Jeremiah. He calls it drinking from broken cisterns instead of coming to the fountain of living water. The danger for believers today is that we'll satiate ourselves with the substandard, stale "purse candy" of this world and miss the spiritual feast God has been inviting us to all along.

We settle for the temporary satisfaction of worldly entertainment, shallow relationships, or material pursuits, things that taste okay in the moment but leave us spiritually malnourished. Meanwhile, God has prepared a banquet table for us. He's offering living water that truly satisfies, bread that actually nourishes our souls.

The broken cisterns of our culture promise refreshment but can't deliver. They're cracked, leaking, leaving us thirstier than when we started. But Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" (John 7:37).

Don't fill up on purse candy when the King has invited you to His table.

Prayer: Father, forgive us for settling for the broken cisterns of this world when You've offered us living water. Help us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to find our satisfaction in You alone. Draw us away from the stale substitutes and to Your abundant feast. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Where Are You? #Lonliness #connection #Nightlight #RTTBROS #Relationships

Where Are You? God's Search for Connection #RTTBROS #Nightlightht

"And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?" - Genesis 3:9 (KJV)

When my wife and I go to the store, I'll sometimes peel off and become like a bird dog, hunting down something she's looking for. But when I need to reconnect with her, I'll usually text or call and ask, "Where are you?" so I can find her again.

Now, I'm asking that question because I genuinely don't know where she is. But in Genesis, when God calls out to Adam, "Where art thou?" He's not asking for information. God knew exactly where Adam was hiding among the trees. This wasn't a question born out of ignorance. It was a question born out of love.

God was asking to reconnect. He was using the question the way Socrates used to teach his students back in ancient Greece, not to get an answer He didn't already know, but to help the student discover something about themselves. God knew where Adam was physically, but Adam didn't know where he was spiritually.

Adam had just experienced the first taste of shame, the first moment of wanting to hide from his Creator. He was lost, not geographically, but relationally. And God's question wasn't an accusation. It was an invitation to come back home.

This simple question points to one of humanity's biggest problems: loneliness. From the very beginning, God's heart has been to connect with His creation in a personal and profound way. Even after the rebellion, God came looking. He didn't wait for Adam to find his way back. He went searching.

Here's what gets me about this whole scene: God still does this today. When we're hiding behind our shame, our mistakes, our fears, we hear that same gentle call: "Where are you?" Not because He's lost us, but because He wants us to realize we don't have to stay lost.

Maybe you're hiding today. Maybe you've been avoiding that conversation with God because you know you've messed up. Let me tell you something: He already knows where you are. The question isn't for His benefit. It's for yours. He's giving you the chance to come home.

Prayer: Father, thank You for never giving up on us. Thank You for coming to find us even when we're hiding. Help us to hear Your voice calling us back home, and give us the courage to answer honestly. Draw us close to Your heart. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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