End of Year Inventory

Well, here we are…another New Year is almost upon us. There are many blogs being written about resolutions; things we can learn from our past and what to expect for the future. So as I sat down to write this blog I knew that I needed to take this to the next level. We need to take inventory of our lives.

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 2 Corinthians 13:5

Being in the computer business can really try your patience. I was on a technical support call trying to install some software for a senior….ummm…experienced customer who really had no experience with computers. I think she literally walked into Best Buy one day and said, “What’s that?” The representative said, “That’s one of those new-fangled computers Miss.”  After explaining what it does to her she bought one and took it out of the box; plugged it in and waited for it to do something. That’s when she probably called me.

After a few hours of showing her how things worked and what things do, I then attempted to install our software. I tried every workaround and technique I could think of after the normal install didn’t work. Finally, after 4 hours…I was ready to give up! My faith in her computer system had run dry. I was convinced it was a lemon.

Now you’re probably wondering where I am going with this and how can God even write about computers in the bible? Well he actually spoke about the bible in the book of Genesis. You know the part where Eve gave Adam an Apple? You know he wanted a PC and we probably wouldn’t be in the mess we are in now if he had….of course I’m kidding.

Sometimes we feel like our lives just never seem to be installed correctly…we think we got a lemon for a life…or is that a fig tree?   Jesus said that a certain man planted a fig tree. He dug about it, fertilized it and cared for it. He expected fruit from the tree, but year after year it was barren. Finally he said to the keeper, “Cut this tree down; it cumbers the ground.” The keeper interceded, saying, “Give the tree another chance, please. Give it just one more year and then if it doesn’t bear fruit we will cut it down.” The man agreed to spare the tree for another year. (Luke 13).

Sometimes we feel like that tree. We have a great experience with God and we promise to be faithful: be fruitful.  God has watched over us, cared for us, and blessed us down through the years. But we can disappoint Him. Sometimes were not faithful; we may not bear any fruit. We can always be cut down before another year is over. Thank God but he seems he is giving us another year. He is eternally the God of second chances.

We need to take inventory though, see what God has given us; see what we have to work with and remove the things we don’t use anymore and recognize those we do. A true spiritual inventory not only includes a look backward, but also involves a careful examination of our present lives. In order to do this, two things must be inventoried; our attitudes; our actions. Is our faith up-to-date? If it is then we will pass the test. Inner attitudes always determine outward performance. The Lord works from the inside out.

One can be for something and yet not with it. For example, you can be for marriage and yet be single. You can cheer for your favorite team and yet not be a part of them. Like the customer I refer to above….you can buy a computer but that doesn’t mean you can use it. We need to really inventory and examine ourselves…what is your heart condition?

Each New Year we need to take at least a two-way look so that we can have a proper appreciation of the past and a bright outlook for the future. Another year is dawning—a path unknown, untried. Another year with Jesus! Another year to trust Him!

As you inventory your life, what plans do you have for the New Year? What changes? What goals? What resolutions are you going to make with God’s help? May God grant us to so live that the world of which we are a part will know that Christianity is the most powerful and life-changing force in the universe!

As for my 4 hour technical support call; it wouldn’t install because a particularly tough version of an Anti-Virus program was scanning the computer and not allowing her to do anything during this period. A simple reason but to think about it…we have to put things on hold or maybe fast in a specific area as we inventory our lives as well.

Once that’s completed, faith can be re-installed quite simply.

Accept no substitutes

As I do every year, I write a blog about Christmas. Last year it was about why we celebrate Christmas and the year before that what Christmas means to me. This year, what do you do for Christmas every year? This question has a lot of implications with in it but mainly, as Christians; we will need to be prepared to answer this very question. Not just from other Christians either…how we answer can impact those who have not received Christ into their hearts yet.

Just by answering this simple question, we can lead others into knowing the true meaning of Christmas and the fact there is a God that really loves them. With that being said….what is the true meaning of Christmas?

As I type this, there are people asking….What will I do for Christmas? The general answers I’m hearing are: Were going to have dinner with friends; My spouse is getting off work and so we plan to spend Christmas together; and my children are in town and so we will get together. Deep answers….don’t you think? We expect to take time to spend with our families and friends. We celebrate by giving gifts to each other.

Is this truly Christmas though? Is this what is to be expected from the Holiday season? The word holiday is taken from the words “Holy Day”. What should you and I be doing this Holiday season then? Is it more than just giving gifts (or expecting gifts?) Is it more than spending time and money going places so that we can say that we visited important people? Is this Christmas?

Some of you know how I favor drinking Dr. Pepper. Believe it or not, Dr.Pepper was the first soft drink invented. Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 but the Doctor, 1885. It was invented in Waco, Texas at the Morrison’s Old Corner Drug Store. The name supposedly came from a Confederate Army Doctor named Charles Pepper.

There are many substitutes for Dr. Pepper…There is Mr. Pibb; Mezzo-mix (German brand) and they all taste similar but there not the same as Pepper. While there may be competitors that try to act like this soft-drink brand, no one can compare. The same is true for Christmas. We try to do things that come close to the real substance of Christmas. But they are just imitations and poor substitutions. So what is the substance of Christmas?

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. While the celebration of the birth of Christ is not a written law; it’s not even what Jesus said we should celebrate. Jesus said to remember His death, not His birth. Yet we do it in this gift-giving and family-visiting way. Is this really Christmas?

·        Christmas is not about getting gifts, but about giving gifts and serving others. Just as the shepherds took care of sheep and were called out by the angels to visit the Savior, so you and I are called out to serve. We need to take the time of Christmas and serve others. You can do that by simply offering a place for others who have nothing. You can do that by inviting people to your home and celebrating Christmas together.

·        Christmas is about visiting God. We need to take time to get to know Him and celebrating Him. Soon after the Shepherds visited the baby Jesus they go tell someone else. When you become a Christian, you follow Christ. When you visit God and realize the good things He has in store for you through His Son Jesus, you want to naturally tell someone else? Have you struck up a conversation with someone this month about Christmas? Did that conversation include telling them that you follow Jesus? Did that conversation come to a point of inviting others to visit with Jesus? This is part of what Christmas is about.

No matter how you celebrate Christmas this year, spend that time focusing not on the material gains in gifts, or the requirements of family expectations. Instead, focus this year on Jesus – He is the reason for Christmas.

I love God and serve him and can’t see myself EVER doing anything else.

See…everything else is just a poor substitute.

 

Nice!

“I can only please one person a day and today isn’t your day. Tomorrow isn’t looking good either.”

Most of us have seen this phrase on signs and t-shirts. Yesterday, while at the post office, some guy with an arm load of gifts he was mailing….had it on his shirt. Around his neck and boldly standing out was a large crucifix and he had a smile from ear to ear.  I didn’t get the message he was trying to send.

I was going to ask him about all this but they make you stand in lines at the post office. Any form of line cutting was not permissible and punishable to the full extent of the law… especially at Christmas time. As I hurried with my postal errands, I saw him walk out the door. Running to catch him I was too late. He had gotten into his Black Ford Explorer and was pulling away. On his License plate it said…”WWJD”.

I don’t think he would have worn that shirt.

Some people have the mistaken notion that a Christian should be nothing but sweet, mild and nice. Nice guys do not have to finish last. They do not have to be like doormats, wallflower or tofu. Jesus was a nice guy… well maybe with one exception. The Temple incident was kind of not so nice but he didn’t lose his temper. When we lose our temper we lose control. Jesus did not lose control. This was a deliberate act with a specific meaning.

He turned over the tables, drove out those who were thieving and his message was this, don’t mess with my house. Don’t mess with my people. In particular, don’t do it in the name of religion. Those who came in the name of religion were the very ones deceiving the people. And Jesus says, I will not stand for it. He was sick and tired then, and he’s sick and tired now of people who come in the name of Christ, yet do not live according to that name.

Doing some research on this incident at the Temple, I found out this occurred on a Monday. That explains everything!!! Who can be nice on a Monday? I can relate to being sick and tired on a Monday.

Philippians 2:1-4 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than you. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

These verses speak volumes to me. I know that I don’t live this as well as I ought to live it. However, I know that this is true. It tells me how to view others. It tells me how to view you. It tells me how to view my family members. It tells me how to view people in the businesses around me and how to view people I run into in life. I have to esteem them as better than myself. That way, I’ll treat them with dignity and respect and won’t be treating them as less than myself.

How often have you felt treated as less than someone? It doesn’t make any of us feel good, does it? But when you’ve been treated well- better than you expected to be treated- how does that make you feel? Good, right?

There’s so much good we can do for others and that we need to do for others. It’s time for us to get out of ourselves and get out there doing, for others and for the household of faith.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and essayist, declared, “You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.”

It’s ok to be a nice guy or gal. That’s how we make a difference in this world. It’s stated that our bodies are a temple and we need to overturn the tables, we need to represent ourselves as Christ has taught us. Being nice is good, letting others set our tables, not so good.

We need shirts that read… “I can please many people per day…today looks good for you. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

 

 

Service or Serve-Us?

For those who know me, I love to serve and give of my time. Lately though, it seems I no longer have the time for this. Between working 60 to 70 hours a week, spending time with my loved ones and attending Church… there doesn’t seem to be any time left at the end of the week. I have a lot going on, and I currently don’t volunteer within the church but I still serve.  This brings me to my question… What’s the difference between serving (being a servant) and volunteer?

The difference is: A volunteer picks and chooses when and even whether to serve. A servant serves no matter what. A volunteer serves when convenient; a servant serves out of commitment. Basically, a servant does what he/she is lead or told to do whereas a volunteer does what he feels like doing when he/she feels like it.

I see it all the time: people are asked to give their time at church. They are cornered, coddled, coerced and convinced to volunteer. I don’t mean this in a sarcastic or rude way but some people just need a little push to get them to volunteer. Jesus didn’t seek out volunteers he called us to be servants. Jesus never asked his followers to give a few hours of their day. He called them to give everything for the sake of his kingdom.

Luke 17:7-10 “Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? Would he not rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get you ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.”

The issue is not whether we will serve but where we will serve.

In Luke 17 there are 4 aspects to being a servant:

1.      A servant’s work is not always sensational. (v7) Believe it or not but we are called to be faithful in some pretty ordinary tasks. Serving is hard work, if you strut around bragging on where you serve…you better check your motives. Serving is difficult…you may not have much fun but the joy God gives as a result is unmatchable.

2.      Serving must be sustained. Service never ends…you may be tired, sore and running out of energy but the Master has set a place for you at his table. When your service is done the rewards are unfathomable. One of the best places to serve is your family. How would marriages be changed if husbands and wives would serve each other instead of finding fault with one another? Think of what could happen in a home if siblings would look for simple ways to serve a sister or a brother. How would things be different if children would serve their parents? Or if parents looked for tangible ways to serve their kids? In addition, can you imagine what would happen in this community if families would not only serve one another but would serve as families at 2^nd Saturday or by helping someone move?

I suspect that some of us feel like we’ve already put our time in. We’ve done the hard labor and now we feel like it’s time to sit and relax a bit. The location and intensity of your serving may change as the seasons of your life change, but no Christian has the option of sitting down to have his or her needs met, when there are still things to do. The key is to be a servant, not a slacker.

3.      Serving is a sacrifice (v9) we are not entitled to a word of thanks or appreciation. Our focus is often on our feelings whereas a servant should be focused on just doing his job. Too many of us serve with way too many expectations. This gets us frustrated and angry and mad and we determine to never serve again because no one thanked us, or because it didn’t go like we wanted it to. Remember that God does not need us to serve Him; it’s our duty and delight and He is under no obligation to reward us.

We live in a culture where we’re consumed with our “own rights” but Christ-followers must reject an attitude of entitlement that leads us to think we have a right to certain benefits or privileges.  God created us for His glory.

Romans 11:35-36: “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

1 Corinthians 4:7: “What do you have that you did not receive?”

I don’t think it’s wrong to show appreciation when someone is serving. In fact, we need to do more of that. Most people, including me, get discouraged and a word of encouragement can go a long way.

Hebrews 3:13 “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

4.      Serving is satisfying (v10) Instead of having a feeling of entitlement; we need to see ourselves as unworthy servants. It’s like when we pay our taxes and we don’t receive a thank you note from the government – we’ve simply done what was expected of us. Think of it this way – the Lord of glory has you in His service. In that sense, serving is very satisfying because it’s an honor and privilege!

 

Serving is not always sensational, serving must be sustained, serving is a sacrifice, and yet serving is satisfying.

 

As we start the New Year, we need to be involved in service, not “serve-us.”

Plate of Grace

I got up this morning and went through my appointments and work to be done for the day. Man….my plate is full! Sounds like a great theme for a blog, right? So sit back, take a deep breath and just relax…try and forget for a few minutes about YOUR plate.

If you think, once you accepted Christ in your life that the Lord is happy with your full plate…your wrong! The Lord cares for your full plate and in receiving him he gave you more plates. When it comes to plates, God is the perfect “Bed, Bath and Beyond”! He gave you a plate of Grace, not burden. He gave you a plate of Grace and Forgiveness not an empty plate. He gave you a plate of Grace and Thanksgiving full of love alongside your full plate.

Read: Psalm 23. “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house (and at the table) of the Lord forever!”

A plate of Grace because God gives us space and time; Space in which to back off from our labors; time in which to disengage from our duties. Grace is time and space in which it is no longer important to want things. Grace means that God creates for us so full a plate of possibilities that no longer are we obsessed with wanting. It is one thing to be poor. It is another thing to let poverty take us over and dominate us. Grace means that God gives us enough possibilities, enough hope.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."

A plate of Grace means that there are times when we do not have to do. We can simply be. It’s time to ignore the clock, time to leave off boasting about our ability to work ten and twelve hours at a stretch; Time to be with a God who is not all that impressed with our full plated efforts. Grace means space to lie down and listen; to enjoy what God has already given us; to rest.

There are some of us do not own up to having exhausted souls. We refuse to acknowledge our weariness. We do not listen to the rhythm of our lives. But God has placed on our plate gifts of the grace of restoration.

“He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters.”

A plate of Grace that enables us to discern the right choices and to do the right things and for the right reasons. The right of reasons is to decide what to do because of Him.

"He leads me in the right paths for his name’s sake."

A Plate of Grace gives us the ability to wait, not to feel compelled to do the impetuous thing, just because it seems good at the time. In being “anxious for nothing”, patient, until the right path opens up and the motive is pure, bound with our relationship to God.

A plate of Grace to lead us in choosing to stand in the dark valleys with and for others. We can help those who are facing severe trials and can face that with them. When we do so, it is not only that we are doing something for those who suffer; we are also appropriating grace ourselves. We are then in the presence of God. What comes to us when we support others entering into the valley of the shadow with those who suffer?

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me (us) all the days of my life.”

Our gracious God promises that in the very midst of hostility He will provide a plate of Grace, He will prepare us a table to set our plates on and be confident, right in the enemy’s camp.

If your life is very full, how do you squeeze in more? Well, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes you let others things go in order to accept what God wants you to do. Still, you say there is less spiritual danger in having too much than in having too little; I have observed that when people have too little to do they become even more disorganized than those with too much to do.

With a plate of Grace, God gives us the ability to choose what is important and to get rid of the rest.

Don’t you think it’s time to sit at the table of God and eat from his plate?

Spiders Bite!

Last week I was bitten by a spider while I slept. Brown, black, green, orange, I don’t know what kind of spider but I learned a very valuable lesson.  Now I could tell you the lesson “I learned” but I’m going to let you decide for yourself.

I got bitten on Tuesday night while sleeping and woke to a little irritation on my left forearm. Putting it off as just getting older pain, I left it alone. That evening I noticed it again, now it was a lump with a white head. Kind of like the ones you get from an ant bite…only bigger.

To make a long story… not so gross and shorter, it grew out of proportion from that point. On Sunday…yes I waited till Sunday, I went to the Doctor to have the abscess removed. Probably the most painful night I have ever endured. As I lay awake, in pain, all I could do was think about the spider. How such a little creature could spread so much pain. It was just a little bite or maybe a nibble, not even large enough for the eye to see…at first. It hurt though. I realized, by not paying attention to the small details it lead me to fall into greater pain and misery.

We can compare this to our Christian walk. We need to pay attention to the small details or temptations as they may lead us to fall to greater temptations. These temptations may not grow as fast as my abscess did but eventually they will. In fact, these temptations can bring others to peril.

We need to be mindful of who we are and who we belong to. We are Gods own dear children and as such we are enemies to the devil who wishes to ensnare us.

A spider will make a web and when he catches a small insect, will let it live. This is so to attract larger insects into the web. Much like when we go fishing, we use little fish to catch big fish. Satan will let a few of us get caught up into temptation and let us live there seemingly unharmed in the hope that he might draw others into greater peril.

We all share this same struggle to live our lives for God and to struggle against the spiders and things that bite in the dark. How easy is it to let our guard down to become wounded and weary from the battle? Just as the spider left a barely perceptible mark or wound on my arm… I never saw the spider. Satan lies in hiding seemingly out of sight waiting to sink his fangs in us!

We’re not unarmed; God has given us the tools to fight.

Ephesians 6:13

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

These temptations or spider bites may be common to us all and they can and will happen. What I should have done from the beginning though, is let Doctor God lance at the heads of my temptation and drain away the impure things. Then accept the antibiotics God gives us all freely so we may remove the infestation and heal.

 

Spelunking

When I was a young boy scout, my Assistant Scoutmaster was really into spelunking. That is the fancy term for cave dwelling by the way. I absolutely loved climbing in and exploring the different caves within our area and we even drove to different states to visit some of the most famous caves in the areas.

One of my favorite caves was the corkscrew cave in Virginia; you climb on your belly from one end to another. Just enough room for a large adult to squeeze through….what a thrill that was. No places to stand or turn around, once you committed to the climb…you were in it to the end. So your probably wondering what I am getting at here, why am I talking about caves.

Caves are where people find themselves when all of their life supports, all of the things they relied on, all of their dreams, are stripped away! Caves are where people find themselves when they had thought to do great things, to have a wonderful family, to go "boldly where no man or, woman has gone before," only to realize or discover that things simply were not going to work out as planned! Caves appear to be the place of choice for those of us who would engage in having major "pity parties”.

King David found himself in a cave. 1 Samuel 22:1 – 5 When David got to this cave he had lost his wife; lost his friends; lost his job; lost his prestige and self-worth; lost his income; lost his dreams; lost his income; lost his dreams and lost his confidence. David was at an all-time low and probably the furthest he has ever been from God.

Can you relate to any of his “being lost”, I am sure you have been in one or two of those situations yourself and climbed into your own caves. I lived in my “man cave” for almost 2 years before I finally realized what I was doing and climbed out. So….how do we get out of the caves we have crawled into? I’m glad you asked.

Psalms 142:1 – 7 I cry aloud with my voice to the LORD; I make supplication with my voice to the LORD. I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou didst know my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. I cried out to Thee, O LORD; I said, "Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. “Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. "Bring my soul out of prison, So that I may give thanks to Thy name; the righteous will surround me, For Thou wilt deal bountifully with me."

Here David prayed…You can cry at the Lord, or to the Lord. Make it about God’s name. Spread out your complaint before Him, not complain to Him. God will make us to see what we have, and to stop focusing on what we don’t.

You remember the show, “Beverly Hillbillies”? {Singing}…Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed, Then one day he was shootin’ at some food, And up through the ground came a bubblin’ crude…Oil that is…Black gold…Texas tea. First thing you know old Jed’s a millionaire...

It is the story of poor hillbilly who had millions of dollars right under his feet, yet lived in poverty, until one day by accident he discovered it. In like manner David needed to see what he had, not to focus on what he didn’t have. Since David had no work he concentrated on the spiritual part of his life. He wrote and sang Psalms.  David wrote three Psalms while in the cave. Paul wrote numerous epistles while in prison. Make down time financially work for you as up time spiritually. What defines you and your destiny is not your circumstances, it is not your past, but God’s promises. 

David did 4 things to get out of that cave: He prayed; he focused on what he did have; he left the cave of sulking and he humbled himself. When David left the cave he was still smarting from what happened to him, especially the situation with his wife, there is evidence he carried that pain for a very long time. The important thing is that he didn't let it stop him. We all have had difficult things happen, should we let them stop us?

My future is not determined by the troubles of my past, but by God’s promises of my future.

Pray for the Cave Dwellers, it’s time to stand up - right!

A Wave of Life

Psalm 42:7, 8 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me-a prayer to the God of my life.

This is an interesting verse, speaking specifically of the “waves and breakers have swept over me” section. When we view waves, the typical interpretation is of violent and heavy cascades of water sweeping down and removing and destroying most things it touches. This reference that David gives is not referring to the destruction but to the refreshing, purifying and strengthening aspects of the waves. This is the cleansing of the “Spirit of God” washing over him and we can view this as a renewing of ourselves in God. God wants to pour out waves of powerful healthy refreshing power over his children – not the destructive or threatening waves of despair or turmoil!

A wave starts somewhere…we will never physically see the power of a forming wave. All we see is the calm before the storm. In this calmness, as the wave is building, is where we prefer to be but not where God wants us to be. There appears to be no activity in this calmness, life is good or at least on the surface it is. Even in this calmness… underwater, powerful action is taking place. The storm is brewing!

As the wave starts to build, a lifting up and a depressing down occurs. We see the uplift but not the downward depression. Personally, the depression is normally never seen until someone else shows it to us or even sometimes when it is too late. On top of the wave, life still seems very good and calm but there are indications that things are not as they should be. As the wave begins to form an uneasiness or sea sickness begins to form within.

Now we can see the full wave as it begins to crest. Again, life is still okay but we can also see where it will easily spill over if we don’t get a handle on it now. We either need to make preparations to ride the wave (Prayer and reading the will of God) or get knocked over by the spilling wave (think we can do it ourselves). We are now in the midst of the decision making process, trust in God or trust in ourselves.

For those of you who “ride the wave”, God is working in you through outreach and expanding your horizons. You are enjoying the ride and you’re growing/changing with the environment. You can see further than most because at the height of the wave the visibility gets much better. Your goals and vision have clarity; God’s has revealed more of his plan for you.  Even if the wave breaks to the shore you can easily step off safely and turn back to ride another wave.

If you choose to ride the wave but doubt in its midst, you get caught in the tunnel or possibly spill into the wave. You can no longer see what direction you are heading, the closeness of the water can make you fearful. Your only desire is to get out. Fear can overcome you and you can be enslaved by the churning water around you. You no longer have control; every current pushes you in the direction of its choice.  Your fear intensifies as you realize how close the reef really is. If you don’t get back to riding the wave (trusting in God) you could be tore apart by the reef. It can inflict wounds that only God can heal.

As the wave eventually touches the shore you can and most likely will be swept back into the ocean. It’s a choice again, be swept back into the other thundering and violent spilling waves or allow God to guide you over the tops and bring you back to the calmness…at least until you’re ready to ride the wave again.

By the way, there’s no avoiding the waves of life, God is making these waves.  That’s the good news though and there is even better news. Through riding the waves you gain experience; you gain understanding on how the waves work; through prayer and insight God gives you waves to ride; and this is the Christian ‘wave’ of life.

Just like surfers who let the waves do most of the work. In the waves that God gives us, let God do most of the work!

Are you ready to catch a wave?

 

 

 

 

It’s ok to laugh.

Back when I was attending the Episcopal Church, I heard a sermon that probably changed my views on religion and possibly also sparked my sense of comedy. I'm not sure of the title of the sermon but it dealt with how Christians are to be serious folk. The pulpit was no place for humor; it was a place where we battle heaven and hell together. I think he even used the verse in the Gospel were Jesus wept… then stated nowhere in the bible does it say Jesus laughed!

Now we always sat in the very back with my parents, on the wooden pews commonly found in these type churches. During the middle of this sermon, someone up front broke wind…..um, Farted! Wooden pews have a tendency to amplify this naturally occurring phenomenon. It got me and my brothers giggling as well as a few others of the not so dignified (and some of the dignified) members of the congregation.

Thus I made it a personal vendetta to find humor in God’s word. I did find some accounts of the Laughter of God and even some situations in the bible that were pretty whimsical. But the one account that gets me is Sarah. In Genesis 18, Sarah laughed. Hold on a second though, it’s not as funny as you may think… picture this Sarah was ease dropping on the Lord and Abraham’s conversation. The Lord told Abraham, in one years’ time, Sarah will have a baby!”  

Why would she laugh at this? This should be a joyous announcement from the Lord except that she is 90 years old. She describes herself in this chapter of Genesis as ‘worn-out’ old lady! So why did she laugh?

You ever laugh because you weren’t happy? You ever laugh because you were bitter about life or feeling cynical? Kind of like the old expression, “If you didn’t laugh, you’d cry?” It’s my opinion this is why Sarah was laughing.

Then God, in his loving way goes to Sarah and says, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” Is anything impossible for God? How do you answer a question like that? If you say yes, you’re denying the very power of God! Of course nothing is impossible for God but that brings me to the next question. Why did he wait so long and make Sarah suffer with her infertility? And for us, why does he allow suffering and pain?

God didn’t even save Jesus the pain and the suffering yet Jesus believed there was nothing impossible with God. Jesus suffering was not in vain….God was working out his plan. Sarah was as unaware of the final outworking of God’s plans as we are, she would be long dead before her ancestors would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. We don’t know God’s plans, but we do know his character, that he works for good for those who love him.

Have you ever found it funny God called people like us to spread his word, to tell those around us of the Good News of Jesus Christ? Have you ever worried that you were not good enough to witness to people, to tell them about the Gospel? Have you ever had someone tell you that you are a hypocrite for calling yourself a Christian after all the things that you have done?

He chose Abraham and Sarah, who laughed because they could not understand the power of God. Instead of picking the great intellectuals of his day to spread the word Jesus chose some fishermen, a terrorist, a man whose previous job involved extorting money from people by force and a bunch of other unlikely characters.

God did not pick us for this job because of any great skill or talent that we might have but he chose us because he wanted to demonstrate that it is purely by his grace that we become Christians, not through any ability or good works of our own and once we have become a Christian we do not live by our own strength, we don’t work for God in our own strength but we should rely 100% on him.

Yes, there may be pain and suffering in our lives and we may not understand it now. It’s not funny but sometimes it’s easier to laugh than cry. Laugh because even though life can be tough God is tougher and we are his kids.

In the end it is God who will have the last laugh!

50

50

So, a few months ago I turned 50. For fifty years I sought after life, joy and happiness… well, I pursued it with great energy. Let me say that again, I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off.  Yet once I turned 50, I get the impression that someone or something wants me to slow down. Instead of running after things in life, I get this message in my brain that I need to let things start coming to me. I’m not afraid of getting older but maybe a little afraid of the change that it involves.

Thinking deep down, I’m afraid of making the same mistakes as I get older or maybe making new ones. The experience and wisdom I’ve gained so far is good….but the mistakes I’m talking about are denial and complacency.

In other words, we try to deny or disguise the fact that we’re getting older. So we use anti-wrinkle cream, tummy tucks, face lifts and use oil of delay – all in an effort to disguise that we’re getting older. Remember, the authority on popularity states, “Life begins at 40” and/or “Those really aren’t wrinkles, they’re expression lines!”

We also tend to think that when we get older we’ll be relieved of all responsibility… you know, we can just kick back; do nothing and drift off into the sunset. When I was younger with the stress and demands of life…I looked forward to vacation I stayed up as late as I wanted and did anything I wanted to do (yeah, right). It was life in the fast lane, right?

As I think on this, I also remember fantasizing about retirement and relaxing for the rest of my life. Wouldn’t that get boring after a while? Thinking about retirement… I’d get up, read the bible, dust off my brain, grab the paper, read the obituaries, eat breakfast and go back to bed. Boring…

Philippians 3:12 – 21 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.  Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

When Paul (The Apostle Paul that is) wrote these words he had some major burdens going on. First, he was in prison, awaiting trial and possibly…death. He was also an old man; life was starting to wind down. He states, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

He says, “Forget the past” and Paul was a man with a lot of past. He was Hebrew and a strict Pharisee. His Jewish credentials were faultless but still he says, “When I compare all that to knowing Christ, those things are trash!” Paul was once a blasphemer; a persecutor and a very violent man! Yet the grace of our Lord was poured out on him abundantly…

Jesus Christ came into the world for one reason, to save sinners and Paul says, “I’m right there at the top of the list. I’m the worst!’

There’s a bumper sticker that say, “If Satan reminds you of your past, you remind him of his future.” I like that. He’s going to hell. But if your sin is covered by the blood of Jesus, you’re headed in a different direction.

Moving on Paul then states, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on…” Then he says, “All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.” Yesterday is the past. Tomorrow is the future. And today is a gift. That’s why we call it ‘the present. Each day is a present from God.

In Psalms it states, “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

In the 16^th verse Paul states,   “Let us live up to what we have already attained.” He is talking about personal growth, he’s saying, “Even though I’m older I want to continue growing.” There is no retirement from doing what is right in God’s Word. We are to do right until we die or the Lord returns.

So what about my statement of letting life come to me for once? Life always comes to us; it took me 50 years to realize this. Yes, we are still to pursue our faith; love and service to the Lord but God doesn’t want us stressed; tired; or weakened by conditions. He wants us to accept the daily events in our lives with faith.

So here’s even better news…We’re going to get new bodies someday. No more wrinkles. Nor more aches. No more pains. No surgery required. Everything will be new!

We have a choice: We can either eagerly await the Savior’s coming, or fearfully wait the grim reaper. That’s our choice. We can live out the last days of life fearful of growing old, fearful of being helpless, fearful of being a burden on somebody else or we can live in great expectation of our Savior’s return.

It’s my decision to not be a “Hyper-Christian” anymore, but I don’t want to “go with the flow” either. Yes, we all have burdens but thinking back on our lives…didn’t the burdens make us stronger? I think this next 50 years I’m going to let life come to me and save my energy in the pursuit of God’s will and not my own.

There is no “I” in God

There is no “I” in God

Fear: It causes us to think irrational thoughts and make irrational decisions; it brings paralysis; it imprisons; it enslaves it’s a powerful weapon in the hands of our enemy.

Hebrew 13:5, 6 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

 

I have an interesting fear… fear of what tomorrow will bring. I realize that that is a pretty general and bottomless fear but that’s how I best describe it. You could say it involves fear of the unknown, yes you could say that. You could say that it’s a fear that I have absolutely no control of, yes you could say that too. The last sentence in this verse really hits home for me though…”What can man do to me?” Every time I read this verse I want to replace this sentence with…”What can man and “I” do to me?”

Do you know why we have fear? We think our needs are not going to be met. We fear that the things we think are meeting our needs are going to be taken away from us. However, the deepest need of man’s heart can only be met in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Most fear bears a lack of contentment, companionship and confidence in his promise. The promise I just shared from Hebrews.

Contentment is not getting what you want, but it is wanting what you already have.

I Timothy 6:6-7 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.”

Whatever money and material possessions we gain in this world will be left behind at the grave. I find it interesting when I hear speak of someone passing away and then they ask, “”What did he leave?”… Silly question, he left everything! God doesn’t have a Moving Company!!! You can’t take it with you!

Knowing Jesus Christ, we should have contentment. If we have Jesus Christ in your heart, we’re rich! We need to be content with what He provides for us!

The second word I used as a reason of my fear was companionship. I don’t know what I’m going to face next year. I’m afraid I’m going to have to face something I don’t understand, and I’m going to have to face it alone.

When God’s Word promises that God will never forsake you, it means what it says. He will never abandon you. It could be stated like this, “I will never, never, no never ever forsake thee.” I need to practice the presence of the Lord for tomorrow. When the devil comes and knocks at my heart’s door, I can simply say, “Jesus, please go answer the door.”

The last word I used was confidence…of all the things I have listed, this is where I struggle the most. I say God I don’t have the strength…God says, “he will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” I say, “God I’m afraid of what’s going to happen next.”…God says, “he will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”. I say, “God I don’t know what to do”…God says, “he will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

You seeing a pattern here?

Like the old saying goes, “There is no “I” in teamwork”…well there is no “I” in God.

When you wake in the morning and say “I just can’t do this again today”…

When you look at what has to be done for the day and say, “There’s no way I can accomplish this”…

When life hits you hard and you say, “Now what am I going to do”…

Get over it, there is no “I” in God. There is no “I” in you! God will never leave you nor forsake you!

Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Psalm 63:7 “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings (God’s wings) will I rejoice.”

When you find your contentment, companionship, and confidence in Jesus then you’ll find your comfort and courage in the Lord.

 

 

 

 

 

Cancer: When God sighs

Cancer: When God sighs

Some say you should never question God; he’s sovereign; his plan is perfect. If you have faith you shouldn’t question God. You may not yet see it but you need to believe God is using our suffering to produce something beautiful. It’s kind of like embroidery….beautiful when done correctly on the outside but a tangled mess of knots and cross threads behind it. I believe God is like that….someday we will see the beauty from the outside looking in.

Us Christians pretty much know that we get to go home to a beautiful but mysterious place eventually. Why does it seem though, here on earth, when God adds another stitch we get jabbed with the needle? Suffering is like that…it hurts! It’s one thing to try to see God’s beauty but yet another to be the sufferer.

Jesus taught that not even the smallest detail escapes God’s attention or falls outside his plan. He said, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are numbered" What if it’s not just a sparrow that falls? What if it’s a person you love dearly? And what are you supposed to say when the God who numbers the very hairs of your head allows every last hair to fall out during chemotherapy--and even then allows the cancer to continue its deadly work?

Believing that God is in control doesn’t take away the pain or make the questions disappear. In some ways it makes the questions even harder. Why does a loving and powerful God allow all this to happen? If God is omnipotent and all things are possible through Him, Why didn’t He create a world without sin and suffering? Well…..he did! When God created the world it was good. There was no cancer, there was no disease, and there was no sin. Evil and suffering’s source is not found in God’s power, they are found in man’s freedom.

Yet if God created a world without freedom then that would have been a world without humans. There can be no human being without it. The alternate to free will is to be an animal or machine. If God did created a world with no free will, then it would be a world with no hate, but it would also be a world with no love. Love can only proceed from free-will.

Genesis 3, we find that mankind abused the freedom we have and as a result, we now live in a fallen tainted world. So this is the source of suffering, but the next question we need to ask is this: If God is in control of this world, then isn’t His will always done?

Yes and No. There is a difference between what we call the ultimate will of God and the circumstantial will of God. The ultimate will is always be done. For example: prophesies said that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem and that He would grow up. Now remember King Herod tried to foil those plans by having all the babies under 2 years of age slaughtered, but it didn’t work. God’s ultimate will be done.

God’s circumstantial will is different. God’s circumstantial will is often frustrated here on earth by man’s free-will. God doesn’t force us to do His will, He persuades us but God gives us the choice to either obey or disobey.

Some may think that our destinies are already written. Believing this would be like believing a bully who beats you up at school is God’s will. The truth is that God has allowed us some leeway in our free will to go against His will temporarily. Is cancer part of God’s will or part of God‘s plan? Neither. If suffering and disease was from God, why did Jesus spend almost every day of his three year ministry on earth healing the sick? If Jesus is who he says He is why would Jesus undo what God did? Was Jesus fighting God’s will by healing the sick? The same dilemma is found in doctors. If sickness is God’s will, are doctors who are trying to save a person’s life fighting against God’s will? I don’t think so.

Mark 7:32-34, “There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (Which means, "Be opened!").

Why did Jesus sigh? It’s because it wasn’t supposed to be this way. So is it God’s will for people to get cancer?

Deuteronomy 29;29: ’The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law’.

When people are sorely suffering, people are like hurting children looking up into the faces of their parents, crying and asking, "Daddy why?" Those children don’t want explanations, answers or reasons why, they want their daddy to pick them up, pat them on the backs, and reassure them that everything is going to be okay. God, like a father, doesn’t just give advice. He gives Himself.

God does not stop the carnage and suffering, but uses the devil’s moves to further His plan and win the ultimate match. As a human I can’t see the benefit through the pain, but faith enables me to trust God. The cornerstone of this faith is that I can dimly see, and know in my heart, that God is building and strengthening my family and their salvation. The earthly dreams are wasting away and what is left is truly precious.

The tragedy of cancer has hit a lot of people. I am thinking of one specific child that was affected by cancer but as I looked at this tragedy I also saw:

Children came to know Christ through it.

There was tremendous strength, courage and amazing faith.

Most of all, this child got to look into the eyes of Jesus…face to face.

Think about your life right now…things may look dim…but God can work something wonderful through it.

 

 

Ther Honeymoon Diet

The Honeymoon diet

That’s it, it’s over…the honeymoon has ended! Now you may think I am talking about marriage and in a way I am.  In marriage the honeymoon always seems to end to soon yet the honeymoon should never end. Marriage should be categorized by a love that is always fresh and always filled with passion. Not just physical passion though but a heartfelt passion (mental and spiritual).

This honeymoon applies to the spiritual life as well. When we first accept Jesus into our heart it’s like a honeymoon…there is passion, zeal and enthusiasm. But like marriage, this “Love” can diminish and often does.

This happens every day and it even happened in the Church at Ephesus. Jesus said they left their first love!

Revelations 2:1-7 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolai tans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

They had activity without intimacy. They were an active church but Jesus said they had "left their first love." Sometimes we are so busy doing activities but we lack intimacy with Jesus. The church at Ephesus had been faithful in the midst of many trials and faced many false teachings. They did not give in to these pressures. Jesus commended their faithfulness but criticized their lack of passion.

Jesus acknowledged this church for standing firm against false teaching. They took a strong doctrinal stance but lacked intimacy and spirituality. It is so easy to stand strong against doctrinal impurity but lack a love relationship with Jesus Christ. This is true of many people who claim to stand for "fundamental" beliefs. In many instances fundamentalism is nothing more than being a legal eagle. A legalist is a liberal turned inside out. Doctrine without spirituality is death!

This loss of passion can be a result of neglect. If you leave a camp fire burning and don’t tend to it, eventually it will go out.

This loss of passion could also be due to distractions.  If your garden has a lot of weeds, it will choke out the fruitful plants.

Consider the honeymoon analogy; we should go back in our minds and ‘remember’ the time when passion prevailed in our lives. We need to ‘repent’ from our backsliding. We need to ‘return’ to the first love we experienced. Returning requires we make a diligent effort.

Some of you know that I am a diabetic (type 2). When I was first diagnosed they had me on 3 different pills to control my disease. I hate taking pills! The doctor explained that this was necessary to control my sugar but if I lose weight (I weighed 275Lbs at the time) and ate a proper diet, he would take me off the pills.

I did lose the weight…. I now weigh 195lbs and at 6 foot tall, this is my ideal weight (probably could stand to lose another 10). I eat correctly and with the exception of a DR Pepper issue, I stay away from sugar. The result is the Doctor took me off ALL the pills and my diabetes is now diet controlled.

This took determination, effort and commitment. The same goes for our spiritual life. We need to lose the weight of sin and regret; we need to put ourselves on a diet of God’s word, prayer and fellowship.

Our faith and spiritual lives need to be diet controlled!

 

 

Works:He’s not impressed

 

 

Works: He’s not impressed

 

You know we all have little scripts that we expect our lives to continue along. We will graduate High school, go to college, get a good job with benefits, find a great person to marry, have healthy children, see them grow up and be healthy well-adjusted Christian people who will marry healthy well-adjusted Christian people, etc. We have these expectations and we connect them to God in our hearts. After all we know He loves us, and wants the best for us, so it only seems logical.

What happens when life deviates from our scripts? What happens when the plans and expectations we have of God concerning our life are suddenly radically different? It is a horrible thing to have faith and trust in the Lord for something and then it doesn’t come to pass. What happens when our reality is not changed by prayer?

You ever throw a party or plan something special for someone and have it go horribly wrong? A few years ago, I wanted to start a small group. I went through the training, made a plan, sent out invites and the first night…no one showed up. I was so sure God was going to provide for this small group because it was all about God! Quickly I learned, just because something is good does not mean its God’s will or that He has to bless it. Just because something seems to line up with the principles of God, does not mean that it is His WILL or TIMING or even the WAY He wants it done.

You ever avoid asking for something because you were afraid they would say “No”? I have been notorious for that. I have been a “make it happen” kind of guy many times in the past. God is working on me in allowing God to change me into more of a “let it happen” kind of guy.

God is not some ambiguous Person a million miles away. He is not some amorphous blob of force in the universe. He calls us into relationship, and that relationship fundamentally is Creator to creation.

The Bible is one long story of God breaking into our realities. God is the initiator. Following Him does not mean asking Him to bless what we have set ourselves to do, but laying prostrate before the Lord and seeking His will.

There are times where we lack specific direction in life, and in those cases we make the best and wisest choices we can according to the principles found in His word. But we can get used to that and comfortable and stop seeking His specific will for us, and as a result we stop listening. We stop following and start leading. In effect we tell God to follow our actions and pour out His blessings upon them.

God is more concerned about how we respond to the journey, than whether or not we reach a destination. God is more concerned about forming the character of Christ within us who made Himself of no reputation, but took on the form of a slave.

Have you ever prayed for someone you care about to be healed, but then they got worse and died? Have you ever stepped out in faith with your finances in giving only to find not financial reward, but instead have more bills or even perhaps lose your job? What do you do? Stop believing? Stop praying for healing? Break your commitments? Do you turn away from the Lord and separate yourself from His presence?

This life is full of suffering. We experience it all the time, and when tragedy strikes we find ourselves looking upward and asking “why?” If we are going to live out a relevant faith to this world and even to ourselves, we must be willing to dig deeper than silly little answers that hold no comfort.

I have seen many people through the years including myself, when they slam head on into a wall that shakes them to the core of their being, they fall into the practice of trying to divide up their lives into sections and stuff God into one of those sections. We put up walls when we get hurt.

Men like to compartment their lives.  Kind of like an orange….we segregate the goodness (and not so good) into sections. The Lord wants to have preeminence in EVERY part of our lives. Our lives aren’t like oranges…it’s more like chocolate milk! You stir it all around until there’s no distinction between the milk and the chocolate. We need to stir our lives up so there is no distinction in our walk with Jesus.

We must learn to embrace God even when He says no, even when our expectations are dashed. He is the Lord! If we want to grow up and not just grow as a Christian we must learn to follow HIS lead.

God’s not impressed by your works, He just cares about you. He is more interested in the way you respond to the journey than whether or not you reach your point of destination. He is more interested in forming Christ within you, than in your works for Christ.