Underr the Banyan Tree

I want you to think back to your childhood and specifically to your early church experience. Many of you attended Sunday school and other children’s activities as a child. If church attendance was not part of your childhood life then think about the elementary school you attended. Identify in your mind one or two memories that really stand out from all others in your childhood, whether good or bad. What is it that you remember the most about going to church or attending school?

Do you remember a particular Bible story or lesson from school that forever touched you? Do you recall a special event or field trip that was a top memory maker for you? Or was your most vivid memory a person? As we think about the defining moments of our life most often they center on a person.

Mine was Mr. Friedell, the Elementary Music Teacher and Choir Director at the church I attended. Although this man had a wife and two kids he always made time for the kids he taught. He always had a smile; was firm but fair; and seemed to see each kid as special in their own way. At least he did to me and my brothers. My fondest memories of him were Christmas caroling every year as we all piled into his van.

The realization that much of whom we are the result of the investment of others is what this blog is all about. So let me ask you this: what life are you investing into today? What person are you making a difference in? Does someone come quickly to mind? My prayer is it’s youth centered.

2 Timothy 2:2. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

This verse is a summary of what Paul has been saying all along to Timothy. You were entrusted with a mission…so complete the mission. Timothy was wavering and Paul is directly calling him to finish his job to complete his mission. Timothy is then to entrust them to other faithful men who in turn will complete the cycle and entrust them to others.

Recently, I had the joy of vacationing in Hawaii. I discovered a tree that grows in the tropics called a Banyan Tree. This is a tree whose property it is to plant itself.  As it grows, roots shoot out of its arms to strengthen and branch out new trees. I posted a picture of a Banyan tree at the top of this page.

Our church must have this nature to plant itself. Spread its arms throughout Florida and bring forth new life in Christ. The Banyan Tree is a good picture of God’s call to us to be investing in the lives of people to the point where the original source becomes difficult to see.

We must teach the youth.

Can you imagine our church investing into the life of one person? Can you imagine a neighbor child finding Christ in the midst of a dysfunctional family? Can you imagine a struggling young adult discovering true manhood or womanhood? Can you imagine our children learning to manage their money God’s way?

Investing in the next generation will make demands on our time, energy and resources. The next generation needs to know as well that the work will be demanding. But remember: It’s Christ and His work that drives us forward. The work ahead is not so much about us as it is about Christ. When we remove our eyes from him, our eyes tend to wander back toward ourselves. In those and all moments, remember it’s all about Christ.

We endure not because the work is always enjoyable but because it is significant. An investment in the next generation.

It matters in eternity.

It matters to God Himself.

Be Radical

(The picture shown is a Kamikaze One Man Submarine. In other words, it was made for a one man, one way trip.)

I have experienced a wide variety of emotions this past week. I’ve been in shock, disbelief, horror, anger, and outrage. And I’ve been ambushed by a flood of tears on several occasions as I try to imagine the grief that thousands of families experienced.

As I walked through the memorials at Pearl Harbor Hawaii, I saw a lot of pain, death, fear and hopelessness. It was a “day of infamy”! I reflected on this radical attack and realized, it wasn’t the only “infamy” day. September 11, 2001 has become another one of those radical days.

In James 4:14 "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

Even though life may seem to be long; when we think back, years fly by that seem like only weeks or months ago. How quickly one’s life can be snuffed out by our own actions or of another such as the events at Pearl Harbor or September 11th.  Psalm 46 was written in context of problem’s, stress and uncertainty. In this Psalm, God demonstrates his dependability.

In the midst of whatever we’re feeling today, God desires to be our refuge, our strength, and our help. God is our refuge even when what seems permanent is demolished. When the world crashes in around us, God is still there, protecting us. If God is your refuge and strength, you don’t have anything to worry about!

Even though the “earth gives way,” or the landscape suddenly changes, we don’t have to be afraid. The Psalm is saying that when that which is secure is suddenly gone, we’re to seek refuge in God Himself. Our sense of helplessness and fear should drive us to Him.

No matter how bad things get, God’s presence means that He will help us. When we wake up to start a brand new day, we can experience what Jeremiah did in Lamentations 3:22-23:

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

God is present with His people even when “nations are in uproar and kingdoms fall” (Psalm 46:6)

As a nation, and as a church, according to verse 8 we’re called to “come and see the works of the Lord.” I’m amazed at how people are seeking the Lord right now and I assume they did so after Japan attacked.

Life is way too unpredictable and too brief to live it without God at the center. The truth of the matter is that everybody is just one heartbeat away from eternity.

Proverbs 27:1 “do not boast about tomorrow because we don’t know what a day will bring forth.”  

When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, there was a feeling of radical exhilaration among our enemies. But one man knew better. Japanese Admiral Yamamoto knew that rather than victory, Japan had instead sowed the seeds for its final defeat. In his famous quote he said, “We have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve.”

While these attacks  awaken America, my prayer is that the sleeping giant called the church will wake up and resolve to exalt God through instruction, ministry, prayer, adoration, caring, and telling others the gospel… no matter who they are. Friend or foe, we need to love all. We forgive because God first forgave us; we love because God first loved us; we sacrifice because Jesus sacrificed for us all.

Matthew 5:43-45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven…”

This is radical.

I’m on Vacation

You ever see the movie, “What about Bob”?  Bob’s Psychologist decides to take a vacation. Bob is afflicted with some serious issues. The Doctor writes Bob a new prescription…it states, “I’m on Vacation”! And he said, "Bob, from this moment on, you are on vacation. Not a vacation from your job. Not a vacation from your daily life. A vacation from your problems. Every time a problem comes up. Every time you start to get worried. You pull this prescription out and tell yourself, "I’m on vacation. I’m not going to worry about it.”

Doctor’s orders!

I’m on Vacation. Tomorrow at 7am I get on a plane for Hawaii. I know someone who can give you the vacation you’ve always dreamed about. He’s someone who really does have the power to pass out this ‘Vacation’ prescription.

Mathew 11:27 - Jesus says, "Since I’m the only person who has been entrusted with what it takes to bring you into a personal relationship with God, come to me. All you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

When we think of rest, we think about taking a break from pushing the pencil, shovel or whatever you push in the daily grind. Maybe it’s plopping down on the couch and cracking open a can of beer after a hard day’s work. That is rest…of a sort. Yet Jesus is not just talking about giving us rest from our work. He’s talking about giving us a rest from our worries; rest from our weariness; rest from the burdens of life; and rest from all the anxieties and the annoyances that plague our daily lives. He’s talking about rest for our bodies and souls.

You and I aren’t in jail like Paul and Silas. You and I aren’t in the middle of a raging storm at sea. You and I don’t have the hectic schedule that Jesus had. But we all have burdens. We all have problems. We all have storms in our lives.

·         There’s someone reading this that is completely burned out. You’ve been working so many hours and doing so many different things for people. And you are bone tired.

Jesus says to you "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

·         There’s someone reading this that has a very stormy home life. It seem like you’re either fighting all the time. You long for a family atmosphere free from all the fighting and the friction and the frustration.

Jesus says to you "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. And I will give you rest."

·         There is someone reading this that feels they have been treated unfairly. Somebody said something to you that was way out of line. Or they promised that they would do something for you that they never got around to doing. And it’s eating you up inside weighing your heart down with weariness and sadness.

Jesus says to you "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

I want you to know that God doesn’t want you to hang on to that burden. God doesn’t want you walking around with your head hanging low. God doesn’t want you trying to navigate through life with a weighed down, broken heart.

Give your burden to the one person who can do something about it. Take a vacation from your problems.

Just in case you didn’t know this before, there are different types of vacations. One type of vacation is the kind where you sit by the pool in some tropical paradise.

Another kind of vacation is the educational vacation. Where you’re visit Washington DC or the Grand Canyon for example.

But a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the most restful vacation you can take. Because it’s a vacation you can enjoy 24/7. And it will last you throughout all eternity.

Come to Him, all you who are weary and burdened, and He will give you rest.

By the way, I’m starting my Vacation today…Doctors Orders! Dr Jesus!!!

How about you?

2 is company, 3 is a small group!

We need other people in our lives to accomplish God’s work.

Great Workout partners of the bible:

1.       Moses and Aaron

2.       Joshua and Caleb

3.       Daniel Shadrack Meshack and Abednego

4.       Ruth and Naomi

5.       David and Jonathan

6.       Paul and Barnabas

7.       Jesus Peter James and John

8.       Aquila and Priscilla

…all partners together in God's work.

                                                                                                                                       

Jesus sent the disciples out 2 by 2 ... never alone.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-4:12 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

When I went on my mission trip to Muskegon, Michigan, I was grouped with 3 outstanding brothers in Christ. We were a team; instructed NOT to leave each other’s side;  instructed to bring the word of God to the masses of Muskegon and to live a year totally dependent on God.

That year I learned five major keys of needing and being a Spiritual WORKOUT partner. Keys that should be used every day of our lives.

Key #1 Accountability: One of the great keys to escaping disabling sin is to become accountable to someone you trust.  Living with 3 other guys, in the same house….it was hard not to be accountable. “…Make me truly happy by agreeing whole heartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.” (Philippians 2:2)

Key #2 Routine: Forming of good habits. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) what kind of good habits do we need to develop? In developing the Spiritual Disciplines in our lives we need to establish routines that demonstrate our commitment. Doing that together defends us against excuses and slacking off. Philippians 1:27-28 “I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

In order to be our best, we must stand as one, contend as one. Again, on the mission, we couldn’t help but forma good routine…we had to!

Key #3 Challenge: When I tried to be alone in Muskegon, I still accomplished things. When I worked with my brothers (most of them were stronger than I was) we pushed each other to do and become more. “If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” (Eccl 4:10) Small groups are a place where you can practice being a Christ follower. If you are not connecting with someone of faith who will challenge you - then what happens when you feel weak? What happens when you want to quit? What happens when you are tempted? What happens when you feel like just cruising along the surface? Is there someone in your life to challenge you on specifics?

Key #4 Partnerships: There are things in life you can do on your own but many things you need to have a partner.  Matthew 18:19-20 “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” Some things in the Christian life demand that others are involved! One of my Muskegon brothers, Bruce, and I were inseparable. We worked at the same “Wendy’s”; knocked on doors together, etc. What we really accomplished though was the following:

1.       Praying together

2.       Giving together

3.       Celebrating together

4.       Communion

5.       Encouraging each other

Key #5 Community: “… if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? (Eccl 4:11). And again, as brothers we were a community.

Community is important because it helps us to:

1.       Overcome pride

2.       Overcome loneliness

3.       Overcome fear

4.       Grow spiritually, emotionally and intellectually, socially as we model our lives on the example set by others.

5.       Practice commitment

6.       Exercise respect for others

7.       Understand others and learn patience

“Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love…”(Ephesians 4:2)

In choosing a small group, partner or community, choose someone or something you genuinely enjoy. You’ll find that praying, sharing and working together can be challenging and rewarding.

(The idea for this blog came from my accountability brother in Christ!  Wor