I had a friend who was a veteran sailor, and occasionally he would take us out on his sailboat. And I learned that when my sailing friend said it was time to go in, I'd better listen. There were times when we were out and the weather was beautiful, and I thought it was going to stay beautiful. But, man, his instincts knew better. He'd say, "I think we'd better go in." I'd say, "On a beautiful day like this? This is a ten." He'd say, "It isn't going to stay that way."

You know, there has been more than one occasion where I sailed with him into port and entered the harbor just as the storm broke loose. His instincts were amazing! You might be in a storm right now, or maybe you're headed for one and it just doesn't look like it yet. I have some very critical advice before you set your course or before you sail any further.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Navigating Stormy Weather."

Now, our word today from the Word of God is found in Luke 5:5, and the occasion here is where Jesus has asked Simon Peter to go out and fish again after he had fished all night and caught nothing. And Jesus said, "Look, I know it's the middle of the day. I know that it's hot. I know it doesn't look like a good time to go out, but I want you to." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything, but because You say so, I will let down the nets."

See, the way it looked would have led Simon Peter to a fruitless conclusion...or let's say a fishless conclusion. It looked like there was no point in going back out again, but Jesus said do it. And just because He said it, Simon Peter did it. And what Jesus said, led to victory.

I watched an interview that was recorded on an anniversary of the D-Day Invasion - the greatest military assault in history - June 6th, 1944. General Eisenhower told about how the decision was made to go on that date. He wanted to go on June 4th or 5th, and June 4th, 1944, was a beautiful, starlit night. The commanders of the allied troops were gathered with General Eisenhower at their Southwick House command post in England. Colonel Page was the Chief Army Meteorologist, and General Eisenhower was told by him that gale-force winds and high tides would soon be assaulting the Normandy beaches; actually by the next morning.

Well, should Ike believe what he saw - this beautiful, clear starlit night? Or should he listen to the man who knew? His answer, "No go." Even though it would cost them their first choice and it would prolong the wait for 180,000 troops who were waiting on ships anxious to move. Now the next day - opposite weather. It was stormy as predicted and Colonel Page came in and said, "We're going to have improved weather the next day with moderate winds and tides. It's going to be a good day to go." Okay, should General Eisenhower go by his senses, or by the man who's the authority? Ike paused for about 30 seconds, and then he said two words that are emblazoned in history, "Let's go." The room was clear in two seconds, and the rest is history.

Now, you have a decision right now to make whether to believe what your senses, and your feelings, and your environment are telling you about a moral choice, about giving up on a person, about giving in to a temptation, about giving up on a commitment like a marriage, or about running into a decision. Don't base your life on what's going to change in 20 minutes - which is your feelings. Base it on the Word of God which hasn't changed in 20 centuries.

Do it His way, no matter how it feels.

Okay, try to picture it. Maybe you don't have to picture it. Maybe you've been there. It's the Friday morning after Thanksgiving, just before doors open at, let's say, Walmart. It's still dark, but a lot of people are lined up, anxiously waiting to enter. It's the day of those fabulous sales that stores like this have to encourage your early Christmas shopping. And for a short time after the doors open, there are some absolutely amazing prices on many popular items. But you have to move quickly and scoop them up. One year recently, I remember the crush of people was so great, at one store a lady was nearly trampled to death when the doors opened. And at another store, another year, a man actually was trampled to death. Once you're in the store, you know what to do. No browsing. No chatting. You're on a mission! Just look for those sales opportunities and grab them while you can!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Grabbing Opportunities to Save a Life."

Aggressively seizing opportunities because time is short - that's not just a picture of a sale day shopper. That's supposed to be the picture of every follower of Jesus Christ. Not just browsing and cruising through our days, but really making them count...really making a difference with your life.

If you read our word for today from the Word of God in the original language of the New Testament, you can see just that kind of urgency and intensity. It's Ephesians 5:15-16 - "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise, but as wise" - now what follows is God's definition of what it means to "live smart." "...making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." The original Greek conveys the idea of aggressively buying up every opportunity you have to do something about the darkness around you.

Near the end of this letter that Paul wrote from a prison cell, probably chained to a Roman guard, he gives us a living example of this "make a difference" mindset in action. He says, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel...pray that I will declare it fearlessly, as I should."

In another letter, we learn that there were believers ultimately in Caesar's household; likely some of those soldiers Paul spent so much time with. He saw his imprisonment, not so much as an ordeal, but as an opportunity to tell people there about his Jesus and to rescue them from evil.

Life is full of life-saving opportunities for those with eyes to see them; for those who understand that we're supposed to be looking for them wherever we are. I know when one member of our family was in the hospital, the reason seemed clear. There was a patient who left a trail of Jesus all through that hospital. There just to get well? No. They were there positioned by God to help spiritually rescue some of the people in that hospital.

If you want to make the greatest possible difference with the rest of your life, and I hope you do. If you want to help some people be in heaven with you, and I hope you do. Then each morning pray for natural opportunities to bring up your Jesus. "Lord, open a door." Then look for those opportunities to open up. Buy them up like an alert shopper.

When someone shares a burden or a concern with you, don't just promise to pray for them. Ask if you can pray with them right then. Chances are they have never heard their name in a prayer all their life! I've never had anyone turn down that offer by the way. And if God opens the door, tell them after you pray that you weren't always able to talk to God like that because there used to be a wall between you and Him that Jesus took down.

Look for opportunities to share your personal hope story, which is the story of the difference Jesus has made for you in certain life situations, particular needs, and certainly your eternal situation. Look for those opportunities. Pray for those opportunities. Grab those opportunities. Why? Because God is putting people in your life so they can have a chance at Jesus...and a chance at heaven. That's an opportunity you just must not miss.

I don't know if you're like me, but have you ever wondered where children learn all the psychology they seem to know? They use it pretty effectively to get their way. Oh, we adults have to take courses in child psychology. They don't take courses in adult psychology, but they do pretty well. Kids learn very early how to maneuver, and motivate, and manipulate to get what they want. They use division. You know, like divide and conquer. Kind of get Mom and Dad played against each other. They use guilt sometimes to do it; sometimes, they even use, yeah, deception.

Now, I've traveled a lot in my lifetime, and my wife had to be especially alert for one particular tactic as the kids were growing up. They'd say, "Oh, we're going to do such and such." And she'd say, "Well, who said you could?" "Daddy." Of course I wasn't there, no verification possible. So maybe Mom might be fooled if you said it just right, unless I called, until I got home. Then kids learn an important life lesson, "Don't put your Father's name on something he does not approve of."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Father Never Said You Could."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Samuel 15. I'm going to begin reading at verse 10. Understand that King Saul has been asked to lead the Jews in the eradication of a cancer called the Amalekites, and to destroy not only their armies and their leadership, but also all of the loot that might be taken so there would be no trace left of the poison that they had become.

Well, the Bible says, "Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, 'I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he's turned away from Me and has not carried out my instructions.' Samuel was troubled and he cried out to the Lord all night." Well, then we read in verse 13, "When Samuel reached him, Saul said, 'The Lord bless you. I have carried out the Lord's instruction.'"

He had not. "But Samuel said, 'What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of the cattle that I hear?' 'Oh, but I did obey the Lord' Saul said. 'I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder. The best was devoted to God in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God.'"

Well, that just doesn't work. God isn't fooled! You notice here, though, that he tries to make something rebellious into something religious. He's talking about the Lord all the time, but he's disobeying Him. Saul is trying a child's trick to justify something wrong: putting your Father's name on what you're doing. That happens a lot. You can justify almost anything by saying, "The Lord led me."

I talked to a man who divorced his wife not too long ago to marry a relative of his, of hers really. And he said, "Well, Ron, the Bible says love is of God, and I love this woman. So it must be right." Come on, it's bad enough to break God's law. Don't put God's name on it. Don't try to put a spiritual makeup job on leaving your husband or wife when God says, "I hate divorce." Don't rationalize materialism by saying, "Well, I want to make more so I can give more to the Lord's work." Don't make a decision to do what you want to do, and then dignify it by calling it "the Lord's will." Don't try to dress up undisciplined living by calling it, "following the Spirit's moving." That's taking God's name in vain.

We Bible folks have this way of dressing up sin rather than dealing with it. Saul learned that it doesn't work to put spiritual names on sin and religious words on rebellion. Oh, my kids learned not to put their Father's name on something that their Father didn't approve of. God's kids need to learn that about their Father.

Don't dress up a sinful choice in God-words. Your Father never said you could do what you're doing.