Frank’s Reflections

I’ve never seen a real igloo. I can only imagine living in an icehouse. I cannot think how it would be without heat, and the front door is always open.

Nomadic people living above Canada’s Arctic Circle experience mostly sunshine or darkness, depending on the season and wind. Oh, and lots of ice! My emphasis is on their living style. Isolated, withdrawn.

Their isolation aspect is similar to that of a portion of our society. Age, health, loss of family, or introversion are only some of the reasons for their isolation. 

Yet, in our close-knit social circles, we can invite people to birthday events, picnics, and various celebrations, but church—well, that’s another story. Have you ever wondered what makes us hesitate to invite others to join us in worship? 

Let’s look at the other side of not extending an invitation to attend your House of worship. Jump forward to eternity, to the White Throne of Judgment, and your friend stands there! This judgment is where all people without Christ will receive their official eternal sentencing to the Lake of Fire. Your friend stands there wondering, “Why didn’t someone tell me about Jesus?” It’s a haunting scene. But now it’s too late—nothing can change the condemnation from Jesus. 

The eternal consequences of not sharing our faith are grave. So, do we stay in our isolated igloo, or do we crawl out? The time is now. If you have the ability, will you join the few who will tell others about Jesus or not?

It’s a choice we make-to stay isolated or to reach out to those who need encouragement to listen to the message of salvation. Remember, it’s only you who can give the invitation. 

Why me, Lord? It’s a question that every believer has asked at some point when we think about our adverse circumstances. We have no explanation. There’s no connection to our past, and indeed, we can’t see the future. We wonder what the Lord is doing in our lives. 

We reason within ourselves that there must be a purpose, but what? We can’t come up with a conclusion. Sometimes, we ponder too much. Then there are times we search for the answer to no avail. Other times, we forget the thought and move on with life. 

Some people pray about their thoughts, seeking the Lord’s guidance. Often the conclusion is “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV). 

By faith, we accept God’s answer to our hearts without understanding the why. We trust the fact that God, in His sovereignty, knows what He’s doing and why. The Lord always knows the timing of each of our happenings. He also knows the reason or lesson for us to learn and share. 

Maybe our experience is to accept the fact that God knows what He’s doing. Perhaps God is connecting our actions and thoughts so that we can apply them to our own lives. Oftentimes, the Lord’s maneuvering is for us to trust Him even when we don’t understand.

We all need to accept that God knows the future. He wants us to trust Him. His purpose is an application of encouragement. We also need to recognize and take comfort in the fact that it’s the Holy Spirit who brings those thoughts into our lives while guiding us in our faith journey.

You should recognize the fact that God always knows what He’s doing. There are no surprises for our God. All things do work together for good. Even though we can’t see or understand them, we know that we will see His perfect timing in eternity for the things going on in our lives.

“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). 

John was one of the Lord’s twelve disciples. This disciple was the one whom the Lord gave the responsibility of caring for his mother. John was also the only apostle to witness Jesus’ death. By God’s grace and leadership, he wrote five books of the New Testament: John, First, Second, and Third John, and Revelation. He wrote more scripture than any other disciple. 

What were some of the forever things written by John? 

First, let’s pay tribute to our heavenly Father. John 5:19 states, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things.”  Our heavenly Father is our ultimate source of strength. Even Jesus admitted that He could do nothing without His heavenly Father. 

Secondly, Jesus acknowledged His eternality. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “the one who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Jesus admitted He is the beginning and the end. (Alpha is the 1st letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last letter.) In other words, Jesus has always existed. 

The Holy Spirit, as John described, is our counselor and truth-giver, who is the third person of the Trinity. Scripture records Jesus stating, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16-17). 

For anyone to believe, they must recognize that God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are always honest, and their truth is permanent: “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand”  (John 10:28-29). 

The reason you are reading this is that you have experienced salvation. The following is the fifth of the six forever’s in this blog. Second John 2 states, “Because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever.” This verse reminds us that nobody and nothing can ever remove salvation from us. 

The life that Jesus extends towards His children is eternal, never to be removed. The Bible recorded, “I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). 

These six verses reiterate that every child of God is His forever. No one can take salvation from you, nor can you ever lose it. 

Now, armed with the knowledge from God and the Bible, you can be certain that you have eternal life. 

All of the above scripture is from the CSB

An open-door approach to opportunities is before you. As you trust in God’s plan for you, it isn’t just about some opening. But your faith in God will guide you through if you allow Him. The devil will do what he can to distract you.

Some individuals work hard to create opportunities, while others have circumstances fall into their laps. Chance is a haphazard way of accomplishment. If you believe God is in your situation, then accept whatever’s before you and do it to the absolute best of your ability to please Him. Waiting doesn’t mean sitting and resting, but doing what you know is right in His eyes. If perchance the Lord wants to increase your status, He will open the doors in front of you. Then you have a choice to make. Stay where you are or go through His open door to serve Him. 

Instead of standing, waiting, or looking for a sign, be diligent where you are. Trust in God’s unique way of leadership and serve faithfully. When the time is right, God will lead you to the door of opportunity. Then it’s up to you to open it. 

Inside the door, there may be obstacles, big ones sometimes. Your history of dependability in your past locations is what God is looking for. We can look back on the life of Moses. He was a shepherd for 40 years. While doing so, he learned how to depend on God and Him alone. Moses protected sheep and kept them from harm, which was part of his leadership training. Yet, Moses offered God his excuses at the burning bush. God knew of Moses’s excuses and weaknesses years before.  

When the Almighty taps you on the shoulder and says, “Do that,” then rest assured, God knows what He’s doing by choosing you. The Lord already knows you will do His will. Yes, it may be unfamiliar territory for you, but our Lord knows tomorrow, your future, and He selected you. Stop for a minute and think. God would not have chosen you to be a failure. 

His opportunity is before you, and you will be wise to walk through His open door for His glory. 

I’m old enough to have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of the astounding attributes of the young is their imagination. The stuff of dreams with no limits. No power needed, just your imagination.

Man’s visualization of heaven will always brighten our days. Our eyes have no way of seeing what God has prepared for His redeemed. No words are adequate in describing the glorious essence of God and His heaven, even in our greatest moments of wondering. What heaven will be like is beyond our mind’s capability.

Our wonderful, holy, all-powerful God has prepared a glorious place for each of His saints. Then, it is beyond our mind’s capability to imagine just how great heaven is. My imagination will always fall short of what it’s like to see Jesus for the first time. The apostle John fell at the Lord’s feet as if he were dead upon seeing the glorified Jesus (Revelation 1:17).

The preceding verses in Revelation 1:13-16 describe the Lord’s heavenly appearance: holy, awesome, wonderful, and all-powerful. The Lord’s heavenly features are impossible for believers here to visualize—his piercing eyes and the voice that demands our undivided attention. The holiness of Jesus is beyond our earthly comprehension.

When we go before Him, we will answer for our lives and all our unforgiven words, thoughts, and actions, which is a reminder to believers that our prayers are paramount. Doing God’s Will should supersede all our other desires, yet He knows we get sidetracked with different things and lose our spiritual focus because of the temporal.

There’s a yearning in us to improve our service and relationship with the Lord. The question is, can we refocus our thinking and priorities? Our answer may be a yes or maybe a no. But always try to improve for the glory of God.

I’m old enough to have grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of the astounding attributes of the young is their imagination. The stuff of dreams with no limits. No power needed, just your imagination.

Man’s visualization of heaven will always brighten our days. Our eyes have no way of seeing what God has prepared for His redeemed. No words are adequate in describing the glorious essence of God and His heaven, even in our greatest moments of wondering. What heaven will be like is beyond our mind’s capability.

Our wonderful, holy, all-powerful God has prepared a glorious place for each of His saints. Then, it is beyond our mind’s capability to imagine just how great heaven is. My imagination will always fall short of what it’s like to see Jesus for the first time. The apostle John fell at the Lord’s feet as if he were dead upon seeing the glorified Jesus (Revelation 1:17).

The preceding verses in Revelation 1:13-16 describe the Lord’s heavenly appearance: holy, awesome, wonderful, and all-powerful. The Lord’s heavenly features are impossible for believers here to visualize—his piercing eyes and the voice that demands our undivided attention. The holiness of Jesus is beyond our earthly comprehension.

When we go before Him, we will answer for our lives and all our unforgiven words, thoughts, and actions, which is a reminder to believers that our prayers are paramount. Doing God’s Will should supersede all our other desires, yet He knows we get sidetracked with different things and lose our spiritual focus because of the temporal.

There’s a yearning in us to improve our service and relationship with the Lord. The question is, can we refocus our thinking and priorities? Our answer may be a yes or maybe a no. But always try to improve for the glory of God.

Are you famous? Probably not. Most of us are unknown outside of our circle of relatives, friends, and associates. Regardless of your location, God is watching you, not to spy upon you but to encourage you. He is watching, so when you are ready, He’ll use you. It may not be spectacular in the world’s eyes, but it is in His.  

Two Bible individuals stand out in my thoughts. For some reason, I can’t stop thinking about them, one in a crowd, and the other all alone. The lad, a young boy, is like a middle school kid today. He went to hear the Lord teach. But there he was in the crowd. Not a troublemaker, not demanding attention, just listening and learning.  

Then Andrew brought him to Jesus. He carried a lunch of bread and fish. Jesus multiplied his lunch to feed thousands.  

But what if the young man wasn’t in God’s place in God’s perfect timing? When God tugs at your heart, pay attention. The Lord is about to do something. Small in the world’s eyes but eternally rewarding.  

The second individual was a young widow with a child. Society paid no attention to her. No social programs, relatives, or neighbors to help. She’s gathered some sticks to fix her last meal. Let that point sink in. Her last meal. She’s not thinking of suicide, but starvation for her child and herself. Then Elijah, the prophet, by divine leadership, showed up. He asked her for part of her family’s last meal. It was not a selfish request on Elijah’s part, but a divine intervention. She complied. As a result, God supplied her family with food for the drought’s duration, three years.   

These two illustrations are in the Bible because God cares about His children. Especially when times or circumstances are scary. God wants to use each member of His family. In a small way or a huge way, the choice belongs to Him. The main ingredient on our part is the willingness to trust the Lord. The Bible calls it faith. Will you permit God to use you when it doesn’t make sense? 

When the line is long and the clock is ticking, do you like to wait? Or do you say to yourself, the Lord must have a reason for this delay? Do you look around, and you say to yourself, “I should have planned better.” That’s placing the blame on yourself. What if God is in the delay?

Noah spent decades building the ark. On the Sabbaths, he shared the Word of God, evidently to no avail. When God said, “Enter the ark,” only Noah’s family did so. Eight people in the entire world avoided destruction.

Let’s look at this event from a different perspective. Noah’s neighbors were going into eternity. This community and the world rejected God’s warning, message, and messenger.

God waited patiently for Noah to build a 450-foot vessel. It was three stories high. Can you imagine the number of trees needed for this endeavor? When one of Noah’s sons yelled T-I-M-B-E-R, another community member rejected God’s message of the coming judgment.

Patiently, day after day, t-i-m-b-e-r after t-i-m-b-e-r echoed through the land as our Lord waited for individuals to accept Noah’s message. The ark was big enough to receive thousands, but only eight believed the message of judgment. Noah remained faithful. Discouragement surrounded him, but God’s presence kept Noah and his family focused on obedience.

What does this illustration mean to you? Your godly labor may seem fruitless. The harder you work, the fewer results you see. So, what do you do? Take a lesson from Noah. Keep being faithful. The result of your dedication may not be yours to see in your lifetime. But afterwards, the tree of encouragement will bear fruit for others to eat.

Focus is the key. The harvest time is in the Lord’s hands, not yours. But faithfulness is a decision that only you can make. What will you do?

God waited. 

Noah constructed the ark. He was faithful. 

The rest is history.

This week, I’m introducing my latest book, They Had To Trust. Below is the preface. At the end of this blog, I’ll post where you may secure it as a paperback or e-book. 

Saying yes to God is easy for some but difficult for many.

The book you hold in your hands reveals the life stories of 31 individuals, each presented as a unique episode-one for each day of the month. The personalities were young, like Hezekiah and Joseph, teenagers like Shadrach, and older adults, including Mrs. Noah. God intervened in each of their lives in profound ways, interrupting their daily routines. For some, the Lord allowed them to wander for years before they surrendered to His leadership.

What’s so intriguing about God’s selection is the variety and ages of individuals. God uses kings, farmers, widows, harlots, and politicians. Our excuses are never valid in His eyes.

If you’re pursuing your purpose in life, the enclosed episodes may give you direction. Certainly, the adventures of their lives will encourage you to live for the Lord. God already knows your weaknesses, strengths, and excuses-and He still wants to use you.

Saying yes doesn’t guarantee fame, wealth, or health, but it does promise divine companionship and eternal rewards.

As you turn the pages and read, will you listen to His quiet voice and say yes to His leadership, so angels can record your journey for eternity?

Barnes and Noble:

ebook version: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-had-to-trust-frank-caudle/1147939154

paperback: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/they-had-to-trust-frank-caudle/1147939154?ean=9798988459507

Kobo:

ebook version: https://www.kobo.com/ww/en/ebook/they-had-to-trust?srsltid=AfmBOop2wOEMR32VMTYs_VUyeGRlr0phERlUJXThXvfq8qHLjOuYJoW9

Amazon:

paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMMZWGMC/

You were sitting on a hillside, surrounded by thousands of people on the lush green grass. It was late afternoon. All were listening to the Master speak. The disciples were concerned for the crowd. They needed to go before sunset. Besides, they came in such a rush to hear the Lord that they didn’t even prepare food for the day.

The Lord, on the other hand, didn’t want the crowd to grow weak on their journey home, so He asked the disciples how much money they had. They replied, “Not enough to feed this crowd.” 

Andrew spoke up. “There’s a boy over there with his lunch.” The disciple got up and headed towards the lad. Weaving through the crowd, he approached the boy. He reached the lad with five barley loaves and two small fish. That was a poor boy’s lunch, but his lack didn’t deter him; he wanted to share what he had with the Lord.

The lad came to hear the message of Jesus and see the Lord perform miracles. But now he was about to witness a miracle unlike any other—the multiplication of his meal. The young man approached the Messiah and delivered his lunch—the 5,000 sat on the grassy hillside. Jesus prayed. Then the Lord began to break the barley loaves. The disciples distributed the bread to the crowd. The lad sat in amazement as his bread kept multiplying, enough to feed this multitude with leftovers.

Nothing was too small for the Lord to bless, not even bread. Giving to the King of Kings was an opportunity of a lifetime to see God work. 

Today, like yesterday, all it takes on our part is a willing heart. Allowing God to work through us is our greatest blessing. Whatever Jesus does with or through His people will always benefit others now and eternally.

Being available and submissive are our greatest assets. So, when the Lord asks what you are willing to do for Him, answer “Whatever you want. By your grace, I will do it.” When we offer what we have with a compliant heart, we open ourselves to the miraculous work of God.