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.