It's Never an Accident

Met a friend at the gym today who I had been with the day before. We participated in a Memorial Service for a mutual friend at a nursing home. I had the privilege of  preaching while my friend covered most of the other details. She and others highlighted special moments they had shared with the deceased woman. It was a blessed time for all who attended.

When she met me at the gym the following day she said she was thankful that God had sent me and my wife her way for that Memorial Service. My response to that was "nothing is ever an accident when it involves the Lord."

I recalled moments of ministry when dozens would show up for some group study. And then the following week maybe a few were able to make the study. The first reaction is typically disappointment. But many times among the few were a powerful move of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the attendees. I recall vowing back then not to dismiss small beginnings or what seems like inconsequential gatherings. My ministry motto has always been ,"It's never an accident who God assembles."

I am convinced today that the neighbors we have are not an accident. The people we work with are not an accident. The family God has provided each of us is not an accident. They are all ordained for a purpose, but determining that purpose is not always easy.

Jeremiah 29:11 says: "For I know the plans I have for you,":declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

When group gatherings are disappointedly small, remember in the midst of smallness are great and Godly plans. So dig deep, persevere, and let the Holy Spirit move.

Robert Parlante
September 2015

You Will Have Trouble

Years ago when I was involved in pastoral ministry, I recall a young woman who had recently become a Christian. It was a difficult time in her life as a single mom barely working enough to pay the rent. With family help the person was able to finish a college degree and secure a position as a high school math teacher. It was a blessing from God that affirmed her faith. The salary was excellent, and her schedule coincided with her daughter’s school schedule. What more could one ask for considering the woman’s circumstances?

The joy was short-lived. She was not happy with the employment atmosphere. I recall her saying, “There are no Christians in the high school!”

My response was, “Well that might be just the reason why God provided this job opportunity for you.”

She persisted in the teaching position for a while longer and then resigned.

John 16:33 reminds us: “… in the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world.

When Jesus entered this world as man, he did not send an advance team to “clean” it up, sanitize it, or make aesthetically attractive. Ministry is messy … and it’s supposed to be! We are called into the trenches where “no Christians are working here.” We may not like the place where God has placed us at moment. But that may be where God wants us for the moment.

Don’t pine away your life with “what ifs”. Take a look around beyond the surface, remember Jesus has already overcome the situations you face, and begin ministering to the lost, the downtrodden and the sick.

Robert Parlante
September 2015

Up from the Ashes (Part 2)

Just received the artwork for my book two titled Up from the Ashes, part of my Patch Town series. The new book will go Kindle Live first followed by the print version being available late summer.

The cover is dark and ominous. The story has many twists and turns while someone tries to kill the main character Martin Gilmore. Some of the new book characters are a carry-over from the first book. You don't have to read book one (A Letter from Miss Wingate) to understand book two. But if you do read the first book in the series I am confident you will enjoy book two even more.

Just saw a announcement board outside a small Christian library in my hometown which read, Travel the World, Read a Book!

Here is my take. Solve a crime from the comfort of your armchair! Check out Up from the Ashes.

Robert Parlante
August 2015

A Handcrafted Gift

This year was a busy transition year for our family. Two granddaughters graduated from university, married and started their careers. One grandson returned to college, and another grandson will begin college for the first time in a few weeks.

One of the grandsons requested a sendoff lunch of sushi before returning to school with his new family member (a dog named Lucy who is a mix of vizsla and Rhodesian ridgeback). The other grandson suggested a movie night (Mission Impossible) followed by a burger. Each of them received a special handcrafted gift from their grandmother … a fleece throw with their college logos. The blankets are warm and cozy, and are hopefully reminders of family, grandparents, and to seek the comfort of God in times of need.

Here’s a great Scripture verse for returning students and those just starting new careers: “…Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Two of our other grandsons will begin their senior years in high school.

Looks like we have another busy year coming up! Our family is not unique. Yours is surely as busy. I pray every time you desire a nice warm fleece blanket it will be a reminder of Joshua 1:9.

Robert Parlante

August 2015

ARE YOU NOSE-BLIND?

Is it okay to profess you’re a believer, attend a few worship services, occasionally relax and maybe read a few Christian books and call it a day?

The answer to that question is “yes” and “no”. Yes, because there will always be times when we need a break and choose to coast through a day or two. The Bible remains unopened, misplaced somewhere in the house. Our iPhone is muted. And our eyes turn sightless to the needs within our homes and the outside world. Even prayer is temporarily put on the back burner, so to speak, and you promise you’ll get to prayer as soon as your favorite TV show is over.

Speaking of television, I like the Febreze TV ads showing people “nose blind” to the smelly environment they may be living in. Apparently if we hang around smells long enough we adjust and no longer detect offensive odors hanging over our heads. The ad suggests we take action (like using Febreze!) because we get complacent with our environment. It's amazing how fast a slice of cold cuts in the refrigerator can turn and develop off-smells.

The answer to the question is also “no” because we quickly adjust to complacency and become comfortable coasting with our Christianity. There is no quick fix to believer complacency like spritzing some Febreze into the air.

In James’ epistle he reminds us that faith by itself is not enough … unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless (v2:17).

Have your coasting day … don’t get complacent … open you eyes to the needs looking into your face. But just don’t look, respond!

Here’s your question: How do you deal with believer complacency? Let me hear from you.

Robert Parlante
July 2015

Up from the Ashes

Book two in my Patch Town series is in the final stages of editing and design. The Christian fiction book title is "Up from the Ashes" and should be published late summer. Here is a preview of the back cover which gives the reader a hint of what the book is all about. Hope this piques your interest!

 "Someone is trying to harm Martin Gilmore. First a white jalopy with a missing tailgate tries to run him down. He encounters road rage involving a dark blue van. Then an oversized black truck stalks him for the final kill.

 As Martin follows clues leading to the suspected killer, he receives startling news. His young daughter Ruthie faces a diagnosis of breast cancer. Martin’s world collapses, having lost his wife three years earlier to cancer. And now will Ruthie face a similar nightmare?

 Employed by a real estate development company, Martin is drawn into a web of corporate deceit as Ruthie’s illness overwhelms him, and the killer zeroes in on him.

 Martin must confront hard choices. Be a supportive dad to Ruthie, try to live as an ethical believer, deal with his feelings for his friend Linda. In the end, Martin faces an inferno of hatred where his life hangs in balance and his trust in God is challenged."

Hope you enjoy the book. I had a blast writing it!

Robert Parlante
July 2015

Pick and Choose

James reminds us in chapter 2, verses 11 and 12: So whatever you say or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law that sets you free. There will be no mercy for those who have not shown mercy to others. But if you have been merciful, God will be merciful when he judges you.

James reminds us we will be judged by the full measure of the law that set us free, not pieces of the law that suit us best or puts us in the most favorable light. Sin is sin no matter the type, size or gravity.  All sin is an offense to God.

One thing is clear in the reading of these two verses. We cannot pick and choose what we decide to believe or what applies to our life. We cannot select what criteria should be used to judge us in the world and when we stand before the Lord one day. We cannot assume we will be judged by only certain parts of the Scripture and not others   Believers whose words and actions demonstrate that they are under the influence of the world, rather than Christ, delude themselves into a false sense of security.

We all stand before God in need of mercy. We can’t earn forgiveness by forgiving others. But when we withhold forgiveness of others after receiving it ourselves, we show that we did not understand or appreciate God’s mercy toward us. The law that set us free is not like standing in a cafeteria line: I’ll take a dollop of that, a slice of this, but forget the broccoli.

Societal pressure is building around us to adjust Scriptural criteria for judging any situation. We need to stand firm and do our best to live out the full measure of the law, no matter the pressure to do otherwise.

Robert Parlante

July 2015