David was on the run from King Saul for quite a time, and for part of it he actually went and lived amongst the Philistines. Have I told you how God has a sense of humor?
He eventually did become king though, and ruled from the age of 30 for 40 years. He conquered all who would take Israel on and he brought the Ark back to Jerusalem and set in motion the rebuilding of the Lord's temple which would be completed by Solomon. He also managed to make his share of mistakes, to be certain. Everyone who has ever walked the Earth outside of God (Jesus being God in human form) makes mistakes.
But I guess the thing that really strikes me in reading about David is that, no matter what highs or lows he experienced in life, God was always openly at the center of it. They say it takes more courage to be thankful to God when things are going bad, but I don't know that it isn't the other way around. When things are going horribly, nobody expects anything from us. We obviously can't handle it ourselves or things would have gone better, right?
When things are going really well, though, is when we're more likely to take the credit and the admiration people want to pile on us. Maybe it's harder in those times to humble ourselves and give all of the thanks and credit to God, out loud and where everyone can see and hear it.
You can read the entire story of David's reign as king in 2 Samuel but I want to focus on two verses here. In 2 Samuel 6, David is bringing the Ark back into Jerusalem and, for obvious reasons, is rejoicing. In verse 16, his wife sees him and is less than enthused:
As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
And after the party had died down and David came back home, here is what happened in verses 20 through 22:
When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, "How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!" David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD's people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor."
He wasn't afraid to offend people or humiliate himself when celebrating with God. In fact, he was proud to do so. It's funny how we'll get completely fired up and out of control for a ballgame but most of us when faced with the miracles and blessings of God tend to get reserved and introspective. If God has just done something amazingly wonderful in your life, celebrate it! Shout it from the rooftops! It's OK to be a fool in other people's eyes when you are so happy and so close to God that you can't contain it.
The next time you experience God's greatness, I challenge you to let people know about it. Celebrate it like you would if your favorite team just won a championship. Share it with the people you love. Revel in it for just as long as you can. You never know how long the time of happiness and peace will last, but you can surely make sure you remember the victory.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Not In The Plan
When we left David yesterday, he was standing over Goliath's body. He had to feel like he was on top of the world. The king was well pleased with him. The king's son, Jonathon, and he were rapidly becoming the best of friends. He truly had it all. That whole believing in God thing seemed to be working out wonderfully. 1 Samuel 18 says that Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.
And then it all changed. On the way back home, the people came out to sing songs about Israel's victory. The problem was, their song gave more of the credit to David than to King Saul. Saul became so jealous that he decided the only way to keep David from killing him and taking his throne would be to kill David first. Very quickly David had gone from nobody of consequence to the rock star of Israel to a fugitive. He would spend the rest of Saul's life on the run, constantly having to look over his shoulder to see if the king's men were on his heels.
It doesn't make sense to us why our lives can go from low to high to low and back again. We feel like once we've figured it all out God will bless us and life will be rosy from then on. David must have had some of the same questions we do. What David didn't do, however, was lose faith that God had a plan for him. Twice during his time on the run, David had the opportunity to kill the king. He even had his companions urging him on and telling him he should. In 1 Samuel 24:6 David says, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD."
You and I cannot forget that God is there and his plan is being carried out even when things seem to have gone terribly wrong. And when a potential way out presents itself to us, even if our closest friends and family are telling us to go for it, we have to stop and take a look at the situation. God isn't going to ask us to do anything that collides with his love and will for us. David knew that killing God's appointed king was wrong even though it seemed like the answer on the surface. Likewise we have to remember that the easy way out isn't necessarily God's plan for us.
And then it all changed. On the way back home, the people came out to sing songs about Israel's victory. The problem was, their song gave more of the credit to David than to King Saul. Saul became so jealous that he decided the only way to keep David from killing him and taking his throne would be to kill David first. Very quickly David had gone from nobody of consequence to the rock star of Israel to a fugitive. He would spend the rest of Saul's life on the run, constantly having to look over his shoulder to see if the king's men were on his heels.
It doesn't make sense to us why our lives can go from low to high to low and back again. We feel like once we've figured it all out God will bless us and life will be rosy from then on. David must have had some of the same questions we do. What David didn't do, however, was lose faith that God had a plan for him. Twice during his time on the run, David had the opportunity to kill the king. He even had his companions urging him on and telling him he should. In 1 Samuel 24:6 David says, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD."
You and I cannot forget that God is there and his plan is being carried out even when things seem to have gone terribly wrong. And when a potential way out presents itself to us, even if our closest friends and family are telling us to go for it, we have to stop and take a look at the situation. God isn't going to ask us to do anything that collides with his love and will for us. David knew that killing God's appointed king was wrong even though it seemed like the answer on the surface. Likewise we have to remember that the easy way out isn't necessarily God's plan for us.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Sling And A Stone
As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. -- 1 Samuel 17:48-50 NIV
OK, so pretty much everyone regardless of faith or background knows about David and Goliath. I'll bet you can't hardly find anyone who can't tell you that David used a sling and a stone to beat a giant named Goliath. That's the easy part of the story. We could pick it up right there and be perfectly content. But David's story really plays out so much more dramatically than that...it could have been the story of one of the Rocky movies!
Yesterday we looked at how God anointed David early on and read how the power of the Holy Spirit came upon him. If I was David, I'd have been looking for the royal assembly and a pretty girl to put a crown on my head. Instead, David's immediate reward was to return to his job shepherding sheep and being the little brother of the family. He certainly didn't see a big-time match with a giant in his future. But in between his anointing and striking down Goliath he did plenty to be prepared for that moment. Take a look at a few of the verses prior to the very famous ones I quoted above.
In verses 17 through 19 Jesse sends his son David to the front lines of the war with the Philistines to take supplies and bring back news of his elder brothers' well-being. God is putting David in the right place at the right time.
In verse 26 David, now there on the front lines hears Goliath shouting his insults at Israel and asks, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" God has placed the passion in him to take action when he hears or sees a need. Israel's warriors were scared, but David knew God was on their side.
In verses 33 through 37 King Saul tries to tell David he doesn't stand a chance against a trained warrior. David enlightens the king (and us) that being a shepherd trained him for this. It turns out that lions and bears really like sheep and being the good shepherd that he was, David would chase the animal down and rescue his sheep. He recognizes that his ability to slay lions and bears was God's work and fully believes that God will do the same for him against the giant. What faith!
Listen to me very carefully. I've said it a bunch and I'm going to keep saying it until you completely believe it. There is absolutely nothing you will encounter in your life that is too big for God. There is almost nothing you will encounter in life that is small enough for you. It's all about God!
Things that seem like hardships, like having to chase down and face a lion or bear simply to save one sheep, are very important parts of your life. Most of us, were we to find ourselves in David's shoes, would probably sluff it off and say that it's just a sheep. I'll keep watch over the rest of the flock and let that one go. Nothing I can do for it anyway. But God leaves the flock and chases after each one of His sheep that gets captured by a predator or that wanders off on it's own. We're God's sheep, so know that God will come to your rescue. But also understand that accepting Jesus' gift means there are times when we will be the means that He uses to do the rescuing. We must be as willing as David to accept our calling and do our duty having full faith and belief in God to protect us.
While the sling and the stone may be the thing most people know about David, a close second is that he became King of Israel and was an ancestor of Jesus. Tomorrow, we'll look at what happened between the time he defeated Goliath and actually became king.
OK, so pretty much everyone regardless of faith or background knows about David and Goliath. I'll bet you can't hardly find anyone who can't tell you that David used a sling and a stone to beat a giant named Goliath. That's the easy part of the story. We could pick it up right there and be perfectly content. But David's story really plays out so much more dramatically than that...it could have been the story of one of the Rocky movies!
Yesterday we looked at how God anointed David early on and read how the power of the Holy Spirit came upon him. If I was David, I'd have been looking for the royal assembly and a pretty girl to put a crown on my head. Instead, David's immediate reward was to return to his job shepherding sheep and being the little brother of the family. He certainly didn't see a big-time match with a giant in his future. But in between his anointing and striking down Goliath he did plenty to be prepared for that moment. Take a look at a few of the verses prior to the very famous ones I quoted above.
In verses 17 through 19 Jesse sends his son David to the front lines of the war with the Philistines to take supplies and bring back news of his elder brothers' well-being. God is putting David in the right place at the right time.
In verse 26 David, now there on the front lines hears Goliath shouting his insults at Israel and asks, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" God has placed the passion in him to take action when he hears or sees a need. Israel's warriors were scared, but David knew God was on their side.
In verses 33 through 37 King Saul tries to tell David he doesn't stand a chance against a trained warrior. David enlightens the king (and us) that being a shepherd trained him for this. It turns out that lions and bears really like sheep and being the good shepherd that he was, David would chase the animal down and rescue his sheep. He recognizes that his ability to slay lions and bears was God's work and fully believes that God will do the same for him against the giant. What faith!
Listen to me very carefully. I've said it a bunch and I'm going to keep saying it until you completely believe it. There is absolutely nothing you will encounter in your life that is too big for God. There is almost nothing you will encounter in life that is small enough for you. It's all about God!
Things that seem like hardships, like having to chase down and face a lion or bear simply to save one sheep, are very important parts of your life. Most of us, were we to find ourselves in David's shoes, would probably sluff it off and say that it's just a sheep. I'll keep watch over the rest of the flock and let that one go. Nothing I can do for it anyway. But God leaves the flock and chases after each one of His sheep that gets captured by a predator or that wanders off on it's own. We're God's sheep, so know that God will come to your rescue. But also understand that accepting Jesus' gift means there are times when we will be the means that He uses to do the rescuing. We must be as willing as David to accept our calling and do our duty having full faith and belief in God to protect us.
While the sling and the stone may be the thing most people know about David, a close second is that he became King of Israel and was an ancestor of Jesus. Tomorrow, we'll look at what happened between the time he defeated Goliath and actually became king.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Anionted!
Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." -- 1 Samuel 16:5-7 NIV
I've written a bunch over the past few days about us embracing our true nature which is God's nature. I strongly believe that is key to realizing a life that is fully devoted to following Christ and that being fully devoted is the way to Heaven. With that in mind, I want to take the next few days taking a look at the life of David.
David began life as simple shepherd, the youngest of Jesse's sons. Our story picks up with the verses above after Samuel has been sent to Bethlehem by God to find Israel's true king. King Saul had proven himself unfaithful to God but he had been the king the people wanted, so God gave them their wish. Now, it was time to set things in motion to put the blood line on the throne that would lead to Jesus.
Samuel took one look at one of David's older brothers and thought that he would surely be the man God would appoint as king, but God tells him "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at." God had a much bigger plan than Samuel could see. As He always does, God chooses to transform the least of us into the strongest that His magnificence would be displayed and not ours.
I've been telling you repeatedly not to believe the things the world will say about you. You might think I was focusing on the bad things, but I meant the good things too. Don't let the world tell you how awesome you are for having done something good either! Listening to that praise and keeping it for yourself is just as bad for you as believing the bad things they say. Recognizing that every good thing we do comes from God is a means of staying humble and serves to spread God's love at the same time.
We were anointed, you and I, to do meaningful things throughout our lives. We may not be chosen to be a king or maybe not even famous, but our work is no less important. Think about it. Jesse receives very little credit for anything except giving birth to David, but he was a critical component in David's creation and upbringing. David's brothers certainly had a hand in his development as a young boy. We all have roles to play and that role changes as the circumstances of our lives change, but God is central to all of it. He doesn't see you the way anyone else sees you. He knows your true self and what your full potential is. He's prepared you for the things you've already done and is preparing you now for the things you have yet to do.
We'll learn more about David's life over the coming days but understand this. God knew David would be Israel's true king long before he appointed Saul to the post. He knew how David would need to be prepared to be king and be sure a variety of people and means were used to do just that and likewise with each of us. It's part of what makes God so awesome! For today, here is how the beginning of David's story ends...
So he (Samuel) asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down [a] until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. -- 1 Samuel 16:11-13 NIV
I've written a bunch over the past few days about us embracing our true nature which is God's nature. I strongly believe that is key to realizing a life that is fully devoted to following Christ and that being fully devoted is the way to Heaven. With that in mind, I want to take the next few days taking a look at the life of David.
David began life as simple shepherd, the youngest of Jesse's sons. Our story picks up with the verses above after Samuel has been sent to Bethlehem by God to find Israel's true king. King Saul had proven himself unfaithful to God but he had been the king the people wanted, so God gave them their wish. Now, it was time to set things in motion to put the blood line on the throne that would lead to Jesus.
Samuel took one look at one of David's older brothers and thought that he would surely be the man God would appoint as king, but God tells him "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at." God had a much bigger plan than Samuel could see. As He always does, God chooses to transform the least of us into the strongest that His magnificence would be displayed and not ours.
I've been telling you repeatedly not to believe the things the world will say about you. You might think I was focusing on the bad things, but I meant the good things too. Don't let the world tell you how awesome you are for having done something good either! Listening to that praise and keeping it for yourself is just as bad for you as believing the bad things they say. Recognizing that every good thing we do comes from God is a means of staying humble and serves to spread God's love at the same time.
We were anointed, you and I, to do meaningful things throughout our lives. We may not be chosen to be a king or maybe not even famous, but our work is no less important. Think about it. Jesse receives very little credit for anything except giving birth to David, but he was a critical component in David's creation and upbringing. David's brothers certainly had a hand in his development as a young boy. We all have roles to play and that role changes as the circumstances of our lives change, but God is central to all of it. He doesn't see you the way anyone else sees you. He knows your true self and what your full potential is. He's prepared you for the things you've already done and is preparing you now for the things you have yet to do.
We'll learn more about David's life over the coming days but understand this. God knew David would be Israel's true king long before he appointed Saul to the post. He knew how David would need to be prepared to be king and be sure a variety of people and means were used to do just that and likewise with each of us. It's part of what makes God so awesome! For today, here is how the beginning of David's story ends...
So he (Samuel) asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down [a] until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. -- 1 Samuel 16:11-13 NIV
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Mondays And Mustard Seeds
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. -- Luke 17:5-6 NIV
Mondays are pretty hard sometimes, aren't they? We've just finished up a week and it's time to begin again. Maybe it was a particularly busy weekend and you don't feel rested. Maybe there are things on your plate on Monday that you don't really want to deal with. Or maybe it was a really restful weekend and you wish it would could just continue a while longer.
Whatever it is, Monday is just the toughest day of the week. I'll bet if you polled 1,000 people that 990 of them would say that they usually just try to get through Monday, and while I can appreciate that and will admit to feeling that way a bunch of the time too, I also have to tell you that Monday is just as much God's day as the rest of them. Sometimes I think we get caught in that rut and we're just trying to survive. The Monday Blues carry over into the other days of the week. Haven't you had weeks like that?
Jesus responded to his companions' request to have their faith increase with something that had to have thrown them for a loop. After all, they thought they already had a good amount of faith and here is Jesus telling them that if their faith were even as big as a tiny, little mustard seed they would be capable of remarkable things. I'm not sure they believed it. We tend to focus on what the world tells us is possible or what we should do and by doing so we put limits on God. We shrink God to fit our perspective and in doing so put serious limits on our faith. We wonder if God can pull us out of a financial hole. We ask without really meaning it for God to heal a loved one, because we don't really think He can...or will. Maybe we're missing out on what Jesus was really trying to tell the apostles regarding faith!
What if, by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, had the power to do all of those remarkable things we so often decide are impossible? What if by believing God is capable of all things we could pray healing on someone and find them healed? What if we could pray something and simply believe it to come true and then sit back and patiently wait for it to come to pass? Do me a favor...go take a look at a picture of a mustard seed next to something else. Those things are tiny!!! And if we have faith that amounts to even that little bitty seed we are capable of doing incredible things. God is infinite, so let's stop putting controls and limits on Him and open our minds up to everything He has to offer...no matter what day of the week it is.
Mondays are pretty hard sometimes, aren't they? We've just finished up a week and it's time to begin again. Maybe it was a particularly busy weekend and you don't feel rested. Maybe there are things on your plate on Monday that you don't really want to deal with. Or maybe it was a really restful weekend and you wish it would could just continue a while longer.
Whatever it is, Monday is just the toughest day of the week. I'll bet if you polled 1,000 people that 990 of them would say that they usually just try to get through Monday, and while I can appreciate that and will admit to feeling that way a bunch of the time too, I also have to tell you that Monday is just as much God's day as the rest of them. Sometimes I think we get caught in that rut and we're just trying to survive. The Monday Blues carry over into the other days of the week. Haven't you had weeks like that?
Jesus responded to his companions' request to have their faith increase with something that had to have thrown them for a loop. After all, they thought they already had a good amount of faith and here is Jesus telling them that if their faith were even as big as a tiny, little mustard seed they would be capable of remarkable things. I'm not sure they believed it. We tend to focus on what the world tells us is possible or what we should do and by doing so we put limits on God. We shrink God to fit our perspective and in doing so put serious limits on our faith. We wonder if God can pull us out of a financial hole. We ask without really meaning it for God to heal a loved one, because we don't really think He can...or will. Maybe we're missing out on what Jesus was really trying to tell the apostles regarding faith!
What if, by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, had the power to do all of those remarkable things we so often decide are impossible? What if by believing God is capable of all things we could pray healing on someone and find them healed? What if we could pray something and simply believe it to come true and then sit back and patiently wait for it to come to pass? Do me a favor...go take a look at a picture of a mustard seed next to something else. Those things are tiny!!! And if we have faith that amounts to even that little bitty seed we are capable of doing incredible things. God is infinite, so let's stop putting controls and limits on Him and open our minds up to everything He has to offer...no matter what day of the week it is.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Old Man And The New One
We were meant to live for so much more, have we lost ourselves? Somewhere we live inside -- Meant To Live by Switchfoot
Hear me ringin'; big bell toll.
Hear me singin'; soft and low.
I've been beggin'; on my knees.
I've been kickin'; help me please. -- Can't You Hear Me Knockin' by The Rolling Stones
We often hear the term "born again" used to describe a person who has "found God". When we come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life it means that we die to our natural inclination which is to sin and we are alive in the grace of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Paul even refers to our old self as The Old Man.
I'm absolutely cool with that, but it's important to note that finding God doesn't at all mean that we went out somewhere searching like it's a game of hide and seek. God created us which means God has been there, an integral part of our being from the first millisecond of our being inside our mother's belly. The new creation we talk about becoming has been there all along! It wasn't God who was playing hide and seek with us. No, we just spent a period of time (some of us longer than others!) denying our true nature.
The reason Jesus had to die on the cross is because there is no way we can grow up in the world and not sin. We mess things up. We complicate them, sometimes only slightly and sometimes to an extreme degree...but complicated is exactly what life is and God didn't do that. He gave us free will and from the earliest time we have spent part of our time choosing incorrectly. The New Man (or woman!) inside of us isn't really new...but it is our true nature. It's the way we were meant to live. That feeling over the course of your life that you've gotten over and over again that something is missing or off-base is your true nature knocking to be let out, or back out in some cases.
Becoming like a child so you can enter Heaven means unlocking the door to your true self and letting the spirit God created shine through. Each day it knocks and wants to come out to play. It's up to you to unlock the door.
Hear me ringin'; big bell toll.
Hear me singin'; soft and low.
I've been beggin'; on my knees.
I've been kickin'; help me please. -- Can't You Hear Me Knockin' by The Rolling Stones
We often hear the term "born again" used to describe a person who has "found God". When we come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life it means that we die to our natural inclination which is to sin and we are alive in the grace of Jesus and His sacrifice for us. Paul even refers to our old self as The Old Man.
I'm absolutely cool with that, but it's important to note that finding God doesn't at all mean that we went out somewhere searching like it's a game of hide and seek. God created us which means God has been there, an integral part of our being from the first millisecond of our being inside our mother's belly. The new creation we talk about becoming has been there all along! It wasn't God who was playing hide and seek with us. No, we just spent a period of time (some of us longer than others!) denying our true nature.
The reason Jesus had to die on the cross is because there is no way we can grow up in the world and not sin. We mess things up. We complicate them, sometimes only slightly and sometimes to an extreme degree...but complicated is exactly what life is and God didn't do that. He gave us free will and from the earliest time we have spent part of our time choosing incorrectly. The New Man (or woman!) inside of us isn't really new...but it is our true nature. It's the way we were meant to live. That feeling over the course of your life that you've gotten over and over again that something is missing or off-base is your true nature knocking to be let out, or back out in some cases.
Becoming like a child so you can enter Heaven means unlocking the door to your true self and letting the spirit God created shine through. Each day it knocks and wants to come out to play. It's up to you to unlock the door.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Foolish Games
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. -- 1 Corinthians 1:27 NIV
The Bible is absolutely riddled with examples of God asking people to do things that would have seemed incredibly foolish on the surface. If it seems too risky, too impossible for us to manage then it is ripe for the work of God to be done. And if by chance we should follow through with that seemingly foolish action that God is calling us to perform...well, then there can be absolutely no dispute about the results. After all, it can't merely have been coincidence and we already admitted we couldn't have done it ourselves, right???
Abraham couldn't have understood or been happy about the prospect of sacrificing the son he had wanted...the son he and his wife had in their nineties. Do you really think the warriors at the battle of Jericho were perfectly content to walk around the city blowing horns? They had to be thinking the universe had turned up on it's head! In 2 Kings Elisha throws a stick in the water to help retrieve an axhead that had sunk into the water...and the axhead floated to the top. A stick to retrieve an iron axhead...really? How about Jesus' disciples trying to figure out how to feed thousands on very little fish and bread. The Bible says it would take 8 months' wages to feed that many...but everyone ate all they wanted and there was more left over after the meal than they started with!!!
How freaking cool is our God?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
We work really hard a lot of times to make God fit into a nice, square hole. God doesn't work that way. He wants to us to forget that there are even holes there and follow Him. What would happen if we forgot everything we think we've learned about God? What if we became more and more like a little toddler with no preconceived notions about anything and boundless amounts of enthusiasm? Jesus tells more than once that we need to become like a little child to enter Heaven. He also tells us that many who think they will enter Heaven will not. The only deduction I can make from those two statements is that is is of utmost importance that we clear our minds where God is concerned and just live in complete awe of Him.
The bottom line is this: God loves you more than you've ever loved anyone or anything. God is infinite. God knows things about you that you haven't learned yet. When God tells you to act, it may seem foolish or risky to you but it is only the next logical step in God's lifetime plan for you. It's a plan that has you accomplishing miracles and wonders that may sometimes seem really small and insignificant to us and sometimes may seem far beyond our reach, but they are yours to accomplish.
God has you. He's had you from the beginning. He'll have you to the end. He's there when things don't make sense and He's there when things seem to go horribly wrong. But He's also there when things turn around and when you feel like you're on top of the world. The things God would have us do only seem risky or foolish because they don't fit into world's version of "normal". There is nothing normal or reserved about God which means at our core there is nothing normal or reserved about us either. So let it all go and love God with every last fiber of your being...and watch as His glory in your life unfolds.
The Bible is absolutely riddled with examples of God asking people to do things that would have seemed incredibly foolish on the surface. If it seems too risky, too impossible for us to manage then it is ripe for the work of God to be done. And if by chance we should follow through with that seemingly foolish action that God is calling us to perform...well, then there can be absolutely no dispute about the results. After all, it can't merely have been coincidence and we already admitted we couldn't have done it ourselves, right???
Abraham couldn't have understood or been happy about the prospect of sacrificing the son he had wanted...the son he and his wife had in their nineties. Do you really think the warriors at the battle of Jericho were perfectly content to walk around the city blowing horns? They had to be thinking the universe had turned up on it's head! In 2 Kings Elisha throws a stick in the water to help retrieve an axhead that had sunk into the water...and the axhead floated to the top. A stick to retrieve an iron axhead...really? How about Jesus' disciples trying to figure out how to feed thousands on very little fish and bread. The Bible says it would take 8 months' wages to feed that many...but everyone ate all they wanted and there was more left over after the meal than they started with!!!
How freaking cool is our God?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
We work really hard a lot of times to make God fit into a nice, square hole. God doesn't work that way. He wants to us to forget that there are even holes there and follow Him. What would happen if we forgot everything we think we've learned about God? What if we became more and more like a little toddler with no preconceived notions about anything and boundless amounts of enthusiasm? Jesus tells more than once that we need to become like a little child to enter Heaven. He also tells us that many who think they will enter Heaven will not. The only deduction I can make from those two statements is that is is of utmost importance that we clear our minds where God is concerned and just live in complete awe of Him.
The bottom line is this: God loves you more than you've ever loved anyone or anything. God is infinite. God knows things about you that you haven't learned yet. When God tells you to act, it may seem foolish or risky to you but it is only the next logical step in God's lifetime plan for you. It's a plan that has you accomplishing miracles and wonders that may sometimes seem really small and insignificant to us and sometimes may seem far beyond our reach, but they are yours to accomplish.
God has you. He's had you from the beginning. He'll have you to the end. He's there when things don't make sense and He's there when things seem to go horribly wrong. But He's also there when things turn around and when you feel like you're on top of the world. The things God would have us do only seem risky or foolish because they don't fit into world's version of "normal". There is nothing normal or reserved about God which means at our core there is nothing normal or reserved about us either. So let it all go and love God with every last fiber of your being...and watch as His glory in your life unfolds.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Playing Not To Lose
The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. -- Proverbs 28:1 NIV
Back in the first week of the college football season in 2007, a tiny school called Appalachian State took a trip from North Carolina up to Michigan to play the traditional powerhouse, the Michigan Wolverines. Often when a small school does this, they go simply because it's a really great payday for their school. They know they have no chance of winning. They play not to lose...too badly. Big schools often use very conservative gameplans for these games, not wanting to show anything fancy they may be saving for more worth opponents. They play not to lose the game and to get some work for their backups. Appy State, though, is a very successful lower division school. They have a tradition of winning just like Michigan. They didn't show up just for the paycheck. They showed up to compete. Somebody might have told Michigan!
Appy State took the lead early and built a big lead by halftime, only to see it disappear. Most teams would pack it in at this point, taking the moral victory (and the huge paycheck), and getting down the road. But these underdogs would have none of it. They blocked a Michigan field goal to hold their deficit at one and then proceeded to go on a drive that would make John Elway proud and got a field goal of their own to take a 34-32 lead with 26 seconds left. Michigan responded with a huge pass play, putting them just a 37-yard field goal away from victory with 6 seconds left. Again, most little guys would have prayed for a miss but expect a make and would take that moral victory and go. But our fierce underdogs would again have none of it. As the ball left the Michigan kicker's foot, Corey Lynch got a hand on it blocking it and returned the ball most of the way down the field to seal the victory. ASU receiver Dexter Jackson described it as "David versus Goliath". No sub-division team had ever beaten a ranked D1 school. Totally unheard of and for good reason.
They could have played it safe, but they didn't. When adversity struck, they could have packed it in, but they didn't. When they thought they had overcome and earned the victory, they quickly found their hopes being dashed again. They didn't quit when we all would have been OK with it. They did something nobody, except them, thought was possible.
We were not created to play it safe. God has no need to play it safe because He knows how the story ends. If we are created in His image, then how could it be that we are meant for the boringly safe lives most of us live? The proverb above actually goes so far as to say that we're wicked for fleeing (or cowering safely) when there is no one pursuing and then tells us the righteous are as bold as lions.
Lions don't play it safe. When lions go on the hunt they stay on the hunt until they catch their prey, and they don't just stop after wounding their prey. They stay with it until victory is achieved. Their survival depends upon it!
Would it be a stretch to imagine that our survival depends on us being bold like lions? Is it possible, do you suppose, that only fully devoted follower's of Christ receive the gift of eternity and that we aren't really fully devoted if we refuse to take risks? I may have never considered the thought until recently, but I have to tell you that I'm finding it hard to believe otherwise. Think of the story of the talents that Jesus tells in Matthew 25. The servant who refused to risk what his master had given him is called wicked and lazy! The servant's who took action with what they were given, who risked it all to gain more, were rewarded.
I had always looked at that passage and felt for the servant who played it safe. After all, to be responsible and safe is admirable...right? To risk in win is great, but what if you risk and lose? Better to pack it in and take care of what was given you sounds pretty good. After really focusing on reading the Bible daily and reading through all of it in 90 days (hard to do, but highly recommended), that passage really strikes me differently and a couple of lines in particular seem to me like Jesus is sending a clear message to those of us who would dare to play it safe with our souls.
First, the master tells the first servant:
'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
I know I want very, very much to hear our Lord Jesus Christ say those words to me one of these days!!! So maybe taking risks is good when God is calling us to take it...but what happened to the last servant who played it safe???
At the end of the story, the master says:
'And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
The word darkness and the phrase 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' are not so subtle references to Hell. In my mind, message received. Play it safe with what God has given me...my talents, my finances, my time, my loved ones, my health...whatever it is results in Hell. Taking the risks He has called me to take and fully trusting Him to provide for me...Heaven.
Look, not every situation that carries risk throughout the course of your life is going to be God calling you. I don't have the magic formula to help you (or me) figure that out. But I do believe that when it's God you will be given plenty of indication and multiple opportunities to figure it out. Part of our faith, and quite possibly the critical component, is believing God for the impossible and the improbable. God will ask you to take risks and trust Him which means you can't play it safe all of the time and be obedient. I say it's better to take a risk and be wrong occasionally than to risk nothing and lose it all.
Back in the first week of the college football season in 2007, a tiny school called Appalachian State took a trip from North Carolina up to Michigan to play the traditional powerhouse, the Michigan Wolverines. Often when a small school does this, they go simply because it's a really great payday for their school. They know they have no chance of winning. They play not to lose...too badly. Big schools often use very conservative gameplans for these games, not wanting to show anything fancy they may be saving for more worth opponents. They play not to lose the game and to get some work for their backups. Appy State, though, is a very successful lower division school. They have a tradition of winning just like Michigan. They didn't show up just for the paycheck. They showed up to compete. Somebody might have told Michigan!
Appy State took the lead early and built a big lead by halftime, only to see it disappear. Most teams would pack it in at this point, taking the moral victory (and the huge paycheck), and getting down the road. But these underdogs would have none of it. They blocked a Michigan field goal to hold their deficit at one and then proceeded to go on a drive that would make John Elway proud and got a field goal of their own to take a 34-32 lead with 26 seconds left. Michigan responded with a huge pass play, putting them just a 37-yard field goal away from victory with 6 seconds left. Again, most little guys would have prayed for a miss but expect a make and would take that moral victory and go. But our fierce underdogs would again have none of it. As the ball left the Michigan kicker's foot, Corey Lynch got a hand on it blocking it and returned the ball most of the way down the field to seal the victory. ASU receiver Dexter Jackson described it as "David versus Goliath". No sub-division team had ever beaten a ranked D1 school. Totally unheard of and for good reason.
They could have played it safe, but they didn't. When adversity struck, they could have packed it in, but they didn't. When they thought they had overcome and earned the victory, they quickly found their hopes being dashed again. They didn't quit when we all would have been OK with it. They did something nobody, except them, thought was possible.
We were not created to play it safe. God has no need to play it safe because He knows how the story ends. If we are created in His image, then how could it be that we are meant for the boringly safe lives most of us live? The proverb above actually goes so far as to say that we're wicked for fleeing (or cowering safely) when there is no one pursuing and then tells us the righteous are as bold as lions.
Lions don't play it safe. When lions go on the hunt they stay on the hunt until they catch their prey, and they don't just stop after wounding their prey. They stay with it until victory is achieved. Their survival depends upon it!
Would it be a stretch to imagine that our survival depends on us being bold like lions? Is it possible, do you suppose, that only fully devoted follower's of Christ receive the gift of eternity and that we aren't really fully devoted if we refuse to take risks? I may have never considered the thought until recently, but I have to tell you that I'm finding it hard to believe otherwise. Think of the story of the talents that Jesus tells in Matthew 25. The servant who refused to risk what his master had given him is called wicked and lazy! The servant's who took action with what they were given, who risked it all to gain more, were rewarded.
I had always looked at that passage and felt for the servant who played it safe. After all, to be responsible and safe is admirable...right? To risk in win is great, but what if you risk and lose? Better to pack it in and take care of what was given you sounds pretty good. After really focusing on reading the Bible daily and reading through all of it in 90 days (hard to do, but highly recommended), that passage really strikes me differently and a couple of lines in particular seem to me like Jesus is sending a clear message to those of us who would dare to play it safe with our souls.
First, the master tells the first servant:
'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
I know I want very, very much to hear our Lord Jesus Christ say those words to me one of these days!!! So maybe taking risks is good when God is calling us to take it...but what happened to the last servant who played it safe???
At the end of the story, the master says:
'And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
The word darkness and the phrase 'weeping and gnashing of teeth' are not so subtle references to Hell. In my mind, message received. Play it safe with what God has given me...my talents, my finances, my time, my loved ones, my health...whatever it is results in Hell. Taking the risks He has called me to take and fully trusting Him to provide for me...Heaven.
Look, not every situation that carries risk throughout the course of your life is going to be God calling you. I don't have the magic formula to help you (or me) figure that out. But I do believe that when it's God you will be given plenty of indication and multiple opportunities to figure it out. Part of our faith, and quite possibly the critical component, is believing God for the impossible and the improbable. God will ask you to take risks and trust Him which means you can't play it safe all of the time and be obedient. I say it's better to take a risk and be wrong occasionally than to risk nothing and lose it all.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Unintended Consequences
If you remember the story of King Midas (maybe from the muffler commercials talking about the "Midas Touch"), you know that he loved gold so much that when Dionysus granted him any wish the king wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. Sounds pretty good, right? Sure it does! Solves a bunch of problems to just be able to turn anything into gold. The budget...is no longer a problem!
One rather large problem though...what happens when he needs to touch something that he doesn't want turning into gold? Ummm...oops! Can you imagine his reaction when he figured that out? Can't really get your hands around that burger, can you king? What about making little princes and princesses? Gonna be pretty tough when you go to hold your bride and she turns into a gold statue. People are always gonna know where you went too. They just have to follow the golden footsteps.
That illustrates the law of unintended consequences. It is the idea that sometimes getting exactly what we want results in unintended, and possibly disastrous circumstances. I'll bet that pretty much all of us are guilty of praying WAY too narrowly and that, were God not that omnipotent being He is, would quite likely result in unintended consequences if they all got answered.
We pray that God would alleviate our problems when we should really be praying for Him to show us what is to be learned from our circumstances and also to show us how we can use our plights to help others. We can't do that when we're narrowed so closely on ourselves.
Think about it this way. If you look through a camera to take a picture of a boy standing in front of the Grand Canyon, you can either focus on the boy or on the Grand Canyon. You can't focus on both of them at once. Our focus has to zoom way out which makes it possible for us to see what is going on around us. The work within us that God does happens when we learn how to interact with the world around us in a way that brings Him honor and glory.
I've talked before about The Courageous Prayer. If you don't know what that is, it's learning to pray at all times that regardless of our requests that we ask for God's will to be done and not our own. That isn't easy to pray because it invites seemingly negative circumstances into our lives. It'd be easier just to pray for health, wealth, and sunshine all of the time! Praying for God's will is the conscious recognition that we don't, and can't possibly, know it all. It's recognizing God's control and giving Him 100% of our trust. God is infinite, and because of that He always knows the endless stream of consequences of any action we take. Given that truth, how can we for even one second believe we are more capable of deciding what is best for us than He is? There is purpose in your circumstances, no matter how bad they seem to be. Allow yourself to see through them and focus squarely on God's will for you in them and you've taken a huge step in your journey to become fully devoted to Christ.
One rather large problem though...what happens when he needs to touch something that he doesn't want turning into gold? Ummm...oops! Can you imagine his reaction when he figured that out? Can't really get your hands around that burger, can you king? What about making little princes and princesses? Gonna be pretty tough when you go to hold your bride and she turns into a gold statue. People are always gonna know where you went too. They just have to follow the golden footsteps.
That illustrates the law of unintended consequences. It is the idea that sometimes getting exactly what we want results in unintended, and possibly disastrous circumstances. I'll bet that pretty much all of us are guilty of praying WAY too narrowly and that, were God not that omnipotent being He is, would quite likely result in unintended consequences if they all got answered.
We pray that God would alleviate our problems when we should really be praying for Him to show us what is to be learned from our circumstances and also to show us how we can use our plights to help others. We can't do that when we're narrowed so closely on ourselves.
Think about it this way. If you look through a camera to take a picture of a boy standing in front of the Grand Canyon, you can either focus on the boy or on the Grand Canyon. You can't focus on both of them at once. Our focus has to zoom way out which makes it possible for us to see what is going on around us. The work within us that God does happens when we learn how to interact with the world around us in a way that brings Him honor and glory.
I've talked before about The Courageous Prayer. If you don't know what that is, it's learning to pray at all times that regardless of our requests that we ask for God's will to be done and not our own. That isn't easy to pray because it invites seemingly negative circumstances into our lives. It'd be easier just to pray for health, wealth, and sunshine all of the time! Praying for God's will is the conscious recognition that we don't, and can't possibly, know it all. It's recognizing God's control and giving Him 100% of our trust. God is infinite, and because of that He always knows the endless stream of consequences of any action we take. Given that truth, how can we for even one second believe we are more capable of deciding what is best for us than He is? There is purpose in your circumstances, no matter how bad they seem to be. Allow yourself to see through them and focus squarely on God's will for you in them and you've taken a huge step in your journey to become fully devoted to Christ.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Top 10 - At Your Service
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. -- 1 Timothy 1:12 NIV
Paul says he was appointed to Christ's service, and I believe him. We are all appointed to the service of our Lord Jesus. What does it mean to you to serve Jesus? The ways to serve are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Don't limit yourself to just a few of them! The opportunities are everywhere and put in your path for a reason. Today, I give you 10 suggestions for ways you can serve your family, your friends, your grocery store checker, your barber...and anyone else. I don't feel any are more important than the rest, so no ranking them this week.
Paul says he was appointed to Christ's service, and I believe him. We are all appointed to the service of our Lord Jesus. What does it mean to you to serve Jesus? The ways to serve are as numerous as the stars in the sky. Don't limit yourself to just a few of them! The opportunities are everywhere and put in your path for a reason. Today, I give you 10 suggestions for ways you can serve your family, your friends, your grocery store checker, your barber...and anyone else. I don't feel any are more important than the rest, so no ranking them this week.
- Help with their yardwork.
- Free babysitting.
- Pay for the order of the car behind you in the drive-thru.
- Buy $10 gift McDonald's (or other fast food) gift cards to hand to homeless people on the corner. That way they can get something to eat and you know they won't buy alcohol or cigarettes.
- Take a sack of groceries (milk, eggs, cheese, diapers, etc.) to a young couple with small children. I promise you they could use them!
- Buy your spouse a small gift on a random day just to say "I love you."
- Volunteer...anywhere. Food banks, churches, hospitals...they all love to have volunteers.
- Regularly quote scripture on Facebook and Twitter. You never know when something that impacted you will have as much or more impact on another.
- Reach out to those who are alone, and especially the elderly. You never know when a simple knock on the door might be just what someone needs. An hour of your time can make a lifetime of a difference.
- Smile, laugh, and hug. These three things are always free, so easy to give, and are contagious!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Ready For Action
Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. -- 1 Peter 1:13 NIV
No offense to any of you with dogs, but I have the best...dog...ever. He is! I've had lots of pets in my life and I've loved them all, but I'm telling you this dog is special. There is no way to replace him. He's sitting next to me right now...waiting.
Even if my alarm clock were to fail, he's very good about waking me up...even on a Saturday. He comes and "pretends" to bark, snapping his jaws together to make just enough noise to get me up without being loud. Didn't teach him that. After a brief pit-stop outside, he's ready to come in because he knows Daddy is going to the barn to feed horses. He'll come in and sit next to me...waiting. Didn't teach him that either. Eventually I'll get up to get my shoes and he'll be right with me, making sure he doesn't get left behind. He's prepared for action, but controlled enough to wait for my word that it's time to go. Uncommon for a dog to have that kind of intensity and control. Didn't teach him that either...it's just who he is.
We have to be that way, too, as we ask God for opportunities to glorify Him. We have to be prepared to act when the word is given and controlled enough not to try to leap into action prematurely. That way, we're both spiritually rested and ready when we're called upon to act.
Have a beautiful Saturday!
No offense to any of you with dogs, but I have the best...dog...ever. He is! I've had lots of pets in my life and I've loved them all, but I'm telling you this dog is special. There is no way to replace him. He's sitting next to me right now...waiting.
Even if my alarm clock were to fail, he's very good about waking me up...even on a Saturday. He comes and "pretends" to bark, snapping his jaws together to make just enough noise to get me up without being loud. Didn't teach him that. After a brief pit-stop outside, he's ready to come in because he knows Daddy is going to the barn to feed horses. He'll come in and sit next to me...waiting. Didn't teach him that either. Eventually I'll get up to get my shoes and he'll be right with me, making sure he doesn't get left behind. He's prepared for action, but controlled enough to wait for my word that it's time to go. Uncommon for a dog to have that kind of intensity and control. Didn't teach him that either...it's just who he is.
We have to be that way, too, as we ask God for opportunities to glorify Him. We have to be prepared to act when the word is given and controlled enough not to try to leap into action prematurely. That way, we're both spiritually rested and ready when we're called upon to act.
Have a beautiful Saturday!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Moving In Stereo
Life's the same moving in stereo. Life's the same except for my shoes. -- The Cars
Over the past couple of days I've written about new things...how God can transform us at any (and probably more than one) time in our lives. I've also written about seeing the opportunities God puts in front of you to help make those transformations happen and how that often requires us leaving nothing behind in our pursuit of them. That all sounds really great on paper, doesn't it? I make it sound like you should just wake up tomorrow and throw off your entire life and start all over. Much easier said than done, I know. The world has a way of dragging us back down and putting us back into the neat little niche it's carved out for us. So when God steps in and sends your life down a new path, how do you successfully follow that path without allowing the world to put you back on lock down? I think the answer is complicated but what it boils down to is breaking stereo-types.
I talked about Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to the leader of the early Christian church. Over about a 5 minute read of the Bible he goes from one to the other. You have to know it wasn't that simple. Do you really think that all of the people who knew Paul were ready to just pat him on the back and say well done and good luck with the new career? Imagine that happening in today's world of 24 hour news cycles and social networking sites. No...when the world categorizes you maybe the toughest thing to do is change your image. Paul was a persecutor, not a preacher, and it would have been very hard even in the world of his time to change that. For many, it probably never did change. But for many more, it did and their lives were changed because of God's work in Paul...and that's the whole key to this.
You have to understand that it's God making a change in you. Not you, not your friends, and certainly not the world. For God to make that change, you have to give him the chance. You have to realize that, while there most certainly will be detractors and skeptics try to pull you off course, you are on God's course. God will put the people around you to support you. God will put the people in front of you that need to be impacted by what He will do through you. God is in control. The whole trick to busting the stereo-type is God!
To illustrate my point, take a look at what went down when Paul went to Athens very early on in his ministry.
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. -- Acts 17:18
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." -- Acts 17:32
The experts were there and didn't want to hear what Paul had to tell them, so they dismissed him. It would have been easy for Paul to leave and write them all off as hard-headed. But he taught them about Jesus and when he was done some of them still laughed him off but some of them wanted to learn more. The truth is, you aren't going to change everyone's mind about you when God changes you. But there will be those who will see the difference as something super-natural and be curious to learn more. So when God steps up and resets your course, embrace it with a passion. Be resolved to speak the truth no matter who ridicules you for it. You do what God has set for you to do and don't worry about the world's view of you!
Over the past couple of days I've written about new things...how God can transform us at any (and probably more than one) time in our lives. I've also written about seeing the opportunities God puts in front of you to help make those transformations happen and how that often requires us leaving nothing behind in our pursuit of them. That all sounds really great on paper, doesn't it? I make it sound like you should just wake up tomorrow and throw off your entire life and start all over. Much easier said than done, I know. The world has a way of dragging us back down and putting us back into the neat little niche it's carved out for us. So when God steps in and sends your life down a new path, how do you successfully follow that path without allowing the world to put you back on lock down? I think the answer is complicated but what it boils down to is breaking stereo-types.
I talked about Paul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to the leader of the early Christian church. Over about a 5 minute read of the Bible he goes from one to the other. You have to know it wasn't that simple. Do you really think that all of the people who knew Paul were ready to just pat him on the back and say well done and good luck with the new career? Imagine that happening in today's world of 24 hour news cycles and social networking sites. No...when the world categorizes you maybe the toughest thing to do is change your image. Paul was a persecutor, not a preacher, and it would have been very hard even in the world of his time to change that. For many, it probably never did change. But for many more, it did and their lives were changed because of God's work in Paul...and that's the whole key to this.
You have to understand that it's God making a change in you. Not you, not your friends, and certainly not the world. For God to make that change, you have to give him the chance. You have to realize that, while there most certainly will be detractors and skeptics try to pull you off course, you are on God's course. God will put the people around you to support you. God will put the people in front of you that need to be impacted by what He will do through you. God is in control. The whole trick to busting the stereo-type is God!
To illustrate my point, take a look at what went down when Paul went to Athens very early on in his ministry.
A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others remarked, "He seems to be advocating foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. -- Acts 17:18
When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." -- Acts 17:32
The experts were there and didn't want to hear what Paul had to tell them, so they dismissed him. It would have been easy for Paul to leave and write them all off as hard-headed. But he taught them about Jesus and when he was done some of them still laughed him off but some of them wanted to learn more. The truth is, you aren't going to change everyone's mind about you when God changes you. But there will be those who will see the difference as something super-natural and be curious to learn more. So when God steps up and resets your course, embrace it with a passion. Be resolved to speak the truth no matter who ridicules you for it. You do what God has set for you to do and don't worry about the world's view of you!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Going For Broke
Yesterday I wrote about it never being too late in your life to be radically transformed. I hope you've had some time to ponder that and see that, no matter where you are in life, God can and will shape you and guide you straight to the door of His will. All you have to do is walk through it.
If you've accepted that as truth, then I have questions for you today. For you, how does selling out for God look? If you allow yourself to believe that nothing is out of your grasp with God, what is it that you most want in your grasp? God put your passion inside of you for a reason. If something has been holding you back from pursuing it then maybe you need to let God clear the road for you.
Looking back on your life, I would imagine that there have been things you really wanted to happen. I would also imagine that there have been times when it didn't happen which left you disappointed. I'm also going to guess that through that disappointment came something that ended up being far better anyway. God works like that, you see? It's because He understands even more than you what the desires of your heart are and He knows when you thing you strive for isn't the absolute best thing...so you get to be disappointed for a time so He can give you the best. That's the kind of Father we have, you and I.
I had a girlfriend all through high school and into college. We did everything together and I think we both really thought we'd found the one...and I messed that up royally when another girl decided I needed to be with her. That relationship didn't end well (BIG shock, right?) resulting in a series of relationships where I think I tried really hard to recapture the magic I had the first time.
I was engaged twice in that span of time, sure each time that this was the girl for me. I couldn't understand why God wouldn't give me the family I so desperately wanted. It's pretty easy looking back to see that God knew what He was doing.
God had the perfect woman for me already picked out. He had a son prepared for us to raise that I couldn't love one single bit more and a daughter for us to raise who consistently stretches and amazes us as parents. God had a life for me that was everything I had imagined and so much more!
The thing is, though, I had to work to make it happen. I saw the opportunity God put there and just knew that it was right. But Suzanne wasn't always so sure and we had family and friends telling us we were moving too fast and that it just wouldn't work. We're two strong personalities which means she took a bunch of convincing. I had the opportunity and I had no choice but to sell out, to go for broke to get it.
God has a plan. It's the best plan. He knows exactly what you long for in your life. Your opportunities will come. The only question that remains is, when it does will you go for broke?
If you've accepted that as truth, then I have questions for you today. For you, how does selling out for God look? If you allow yourself to believe that nothing is out of your grasp with God, what is it that you most want in your grasp? God put your passion inside of you for a reason. If something has been holding you back from pursuing it then maybe you need to let God clear the road for you.
Looking back on your life, I would imagine that there have been things you really wanted to happen. I would also imagine that there have been times when it didn't happen which left you disappointed. I'm also going to guess that through that disappointment came something that ended up being far better anyway. God works like that, you see? It's because He understands even more than you what the desires of your heart are and He knows when you thing you strive for isn't the absolute best thing...so you get to be disappointed for a time so He can give you the best. That's the kind of Father we have, you and I.
I had a girlfriend all through high school and into college. We did everything together and I think we both really thought we'd found the one...and I messed that up royally when another girl decided I needed to be with her. That relationship didn't end well (BIG shock, right?) resulting in a series of relationships where I think I tried really hard to recapture the magic I had the first time.
I was engaged twice in that span of time, sure each time that this was the girl for me. I couldn't understand why God wouldn't give me the family I so desperately wanted. It's pretty easy looking back to see that God knew what He was doing.
God had the perfect woman for me already picked out. He had a son prepared for us to raise that I couldn't love one single bit more and a daughter for us to raise who consistently stretches and amazes us as parents. God had a life for me that was everything I had imagined and so much more!
The thing is, though, I had to work to make it happen. I saw the opportunity God put there and just knew that it was right. But Suzanne wasn't always so sure and we had family and friends telling us we were moving too fast and that it just wouldn't work. We're two strong personalities which means she took a bunch of convincing. I had the opportunity and I had no choice but to sell out, to go for broke to get it.
God has a plan. It's the best plan. He knows exactly what you long for in your life. Your opportunities will come. The only question that remains is, when it does will you go for broke?
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Old Dogs And New Tricks
The basis for today's post is Acts 9 in case you want to go read the whole story for yourself.
That old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks comes from the idea that the older we get the more set in our ways we become. Being on the plus side of 40 I can tell you there is truth in that. As we get older and gain more experience, we tend to become more and more fixed on a path. In other words, we stick with what we know no matter how "good" or "bad" that may be. Once something or someone has been determined to be a certain way, that's it. We've made our decision and we're sticking with it. Even something as simple as food...if we don't like it then we absolutely don't like it and it isn't going to change. Something I've learned is that is exactly at the moment when we say something isn't possible or that something is an absolute sure thing that God chooses to show up and work miracles!
Paul was chosen by God to carry the bulk of the message of the New Testament. He was the one who led the expansion of Christ's church. He was called by Christ to be the conduit for Jesus' continuing message of love and grace. For a lot of us, that's what we know of Paul or what we think of first even if we already know the whole story. But I think Paul's most significant impact comes not from anything he wrote but for something that happened to him...a remarkable transformation that took place in him because of Jesus.
Act 9 begins with this: 1 - Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.
Then he is confronted by God: 4 - He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 - "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 - "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
And after a short period of time, here is what he did next: 19 - Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 - At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
Paul was a principal player in the persecution of Jesus' followers. He had it all going on...you might even say he was a star. Even back then, society had him neatly labeled and categorized. Paul = Religious leader and persecutor of those crazy Jesus people. And just when it seemed like the surest thing God showed up and turned the one they would have been saying could not possibly be turned. To merely cause this transformation to happen would have been a cool enough miracle, right? Instead God took it another step and Paul became the primary author of the New Testament and leader of the early Christian church.
With God nothing is impossible. Without God nothing is possible. It's a recurring theme even today. It is never too late for you. No matter how set in your ways you think you are and no matter how bad you think you've screwed your life up, Jesus' gift to you is an endless stream of love and goodness. His sacrifice is the best eraser you've ever seen run across the white board of your life!
Every day that begins with you still having breath in your lungs means you have another day to allow yourself to be transformed. He makes old things new...He teaches old dogs, like you and like me, new tricks.
That old saying that you can't teach an old dog new tricks comes from the idea that the older we get the more set in our ways we become. Being on the plus side of 40 I can tell you there is truth in that. As we get older and gain more experience, we tend to become more and more fixed on a path. In other words, we stick with what we know no matter how "good" or "bad" that may be. Once something or someone has been determined to be a certain way, that's it. We've made our decision and we're sticking with it. Even something as simple as food...if we don't like it then we absolutely don't like it and it isn't going to change. Something I've learned is that is exactly at the moment when we say something isn't possible or that something is an absolute sure thing that God chooses to show up and work miracles!
Paul was chosen by God to carry the bulk of the message of the New Testament. He was the one who led the expansion of Christ's church. He was called by Christ to be the conduit for Jesus' continuing message of love and grace. For a lot of us, that's what we know of Paul or what we think of first even if we already know the whole story. But I think Paul's most significant impact comes not from anything he wrote but for something that happened to him...a remarkable transformation that took place in him because of Jesus.
Act 9 begins with this: 1 - Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples.
Then he is confronted by God: 4 - He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" 5 - "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 - "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
And after a short period of time, here is what he did next: 19 - Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 - At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.
Paul was a principal player in the persecution of Jesus' followers. He had it all going on...you might even say he was a star. Even back then, society had him neatly labeled and categorized. Paul = Religious leader and persecutor of those crazy Jesus people. And just when it seemed like the surest thing God showed up and turned the one they would have been saying could not possibly be turned. To merely cause this transformation to happen would have been a cool enough miracle, right? Instead God took it another step and Paul became the primary author of the New Testament and leader of the early Christian church.
With God nothing is impossible. Without God nothing is possible. It's a recurring theme even today. It is never too late for you. No matter how set in your ways you think you are and no matter how bad you think you've screwed your life up, Jesus' gift to you is an endless stream of love and goodness. His sacrifice is the best eraser you've ever seen run across the white board of your life!
Every day that begins with you still having breath in your lungs means you have another day to allow yourself to be transformed. He makes old things new...He teaches old dogs, like you and like me, new tricks.
Anytime, Anywhere
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.-- Romans 14:1-2 NIV
Something I've sort of always struggled with is knowing the right time and, more importantly, the right manner in which to share my love of Jesus with others. I'm pretty good at actions; doing things to help others to show them Christ's love and kindness. I'm not always so good at verbalizing it, and I feel awkward at times when I try to actively seek a way to bring it up. I know that I've seen what happens when people come on too strong. You can almost see a person switch off when a "crazy Christian" approaches with the hard sell. Maybe that's why I am reluctant to bring it up in conversation?
Over the last few months what I've found to be true is that, as I get more and more in touch with God in my personal life, the opportunities seem to come both more frequently and easily. I'll be talking with someone and it will just surface, making it so much easier for me to share what I know without knocking the other person over with it. It doesn't really matter how differently we look or feel or believe, either. Our job is to speak the truth about Jesus and to pray for those we've talked to about Him. Let the petty stuff go by the wayside and concentrate on what matters.
For example, last night I headed up to GameStop to pick up our copies of the new Halo game. It's become a tradition that I take a couple of days off work and go pick our copies up right at Midnight when they get released. I walk up to the back of the line while I'm talking to a friend in North Carolina who is doing the same thing. But after I get off the phone me and the guy in front of me start up this conversation and we end up talking for a couple of hours while we wait for Midnight to strike. I learned about him, his job, his family, and his faith. I learned that he lives in Bethany and is looking for a good church to call home. I got to tell him about my faith, my family, and my church. We talked about the importance of reading scripture. I even got to meet (formally) the guy we ended up taking our cat Shades from at the grocery store a couple of months back. Believe it or not, grocery store guy and this guy I had been talking to for 2 hours are great friends! I don't know for sure if these guys believe in Jesus or if they say they do and don't live like it...or if they are model Christ followers. But they know what I believe and why.
The point is that you never know when God has another opportunity cocked and loaded for you. What you can do is be open to the possibility and ready to hop in and share when it happens. You'll find that taking it easy and just being honest goes a long way, and you'll also find that it gets easier and easier the more you do it. God has big plans for you. If he didn't you'd be nothing but a greasy spot! God put me and this guy together tonight. I have no idea what, if anything, is to come of it. What I do know is that I walked away from that store tonight shaking his hand, knowing I had done what I was there to do...and it wasn't just picking up a video game.
Something I've sort of always struggled with is knowing the right time and, more importantly, the right manner in which to share my love of Jesus with others. I'm pretty good at actions; doing things to help others to show them Christ's love and kindness. I'm not always so good at verbalizing it, and I feel awkward at times when I try to actively seek a way to bring it up. I know that I've seen what happens when people come on too strong. You can almost see a person switch off when a "crazy Christian" approaches with the hard sell. Maybe that's why I am reluctant to bring it up in conversation?
Over the last few months what I've found to be true is that, as I get more and more in touch with God in my personal life, the opportunities seem to come both more frequently and easily. I'll be talking with someone and it will just surface, making it so much easier for me to share what I know without knocking the other person over with it. It doesn't really matter how differently we look or feel or believe, either. Our job is to speak the truth about Jesus and to pray for those we've talked to about Him. Let the petty stuff go by the wayside and concentrate on what matters.
For example, last night I headed up to GameStop to pick up our copies of the new Halo game. It's become a tradition that I take a couple of days off work and go pick our copies up right at Midnight when they get released. I walk up to the back of the line while I'm talking to a friend in North Carolina who is doing the same thing. But after I get off the phone me and the guy in front of me start up this conversation and we end up talking for a couple of hours while we wait for Midnight to strike. I learned about him, his job, his family, and his faith. I learned that he lives in Bethany and is looking for a good church to call home. I got to tell him about my faith, my family, and my church. We talked about the importance of reading scripture. I even got to meet (formally) the guy we ended up taking our cat Shades from at the grocery store a couple of months back. Believe it or not, grocery store guy and this guy I had been talking to for 2 hours are great friends! I don't know for sure if these guys believe in Jesus or if they say they do and don't live like it...or if they are model Christ followers. But they know what I believe and why.
The point is that you never know when God has another opportunity cocked and loaded for you. What you can do is be open to the possibility and ready to hop in and share when it happens. You'll find that taking it easy and just being honest goes a long way, and you'll also find that it gets easier and easier the more you do it. God has big plans for you. If he didn't you'd be nothing but a greasy spot! God put me and this guy together tonight. I have no idea what, if anything, is to come of it. What I do know is that I walked away from that store tonight shaking his hand, knowing I had done what I was there to do...and it wasn't just picking up a video game.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Top 10 - Celebration Revelations
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. -- Acts 2:42-47 NIV
I got to participate in two very cool, very momentous events this weekend. First, we got to go out to my folks' house and be a part of my Dad's 60th birthday party. It was a great time and I'm glad I could share it with my Dad, our family, and some very good friends. Second, we had a celebration of the first year of All Things Fellowship today. The rain begged off just in time and we set up the grill, the volleyball net, the sound system, and a couple of footballs and chairs and did it up right! I enjoyed both of them very much and I learned some things at both of them, so I'm here to share with you the top 10 things I learned at these two celebrations this weekend.
I got to participate in two very cool, very momentous events this weekend. First, we got to go out to my folks' house and be a part of my Dad's 60th birthday party. It was a great time and I'm glad I could share it with my Dad, our family, and some very good friends. Second, we had a celebration of the first year of All Things Fellowship today. The rain begged off just in time and we set up the grill, the volleyball net, the sound system, and a couple of footballs and chairs and did it up right! I enjoyed both of them very much and I learned some things at both of them, so I'm here to share with you the top 10 things I learned at these two celebrations this weekend.
- 10 - Big speakers make big sound. Hopefully the neighborhood around our church enjoyed being serenaded for a few hours.
- 09 - Delivering my first toast (to my Dad) was a little intimidating and also very, very neat. Having that kind of role model is priceless. Thanks Dad!
- 08 - My neice and nephew are quite silly, but very entertaining. I'll be shocked if my nephew doesn't end up in show business because he's already figured out how to put on a show.
- 07 - The older a picture is, the more hair everyone has and the funnier everyone dresses.
- 06 - I'm reminded that God doesn't answer prayers on our time, but He surely does answer them. We were afraid it would quit raining today right up until time for the party...but it did quit.
- 05 - I can fit about 40 hot dogs on my grill at one time...and the Bethany football team can eat them almost as fast as I can get them cooked!
- 04 - Worshiping God under a partly cloudy sky is one of the coolest ways to do so.
- 03 - I have NO business playing football with those high school footballers I talked about...but the old man surprised them a few times too! It was a blast...even though I am already paying for it.
- 02 - Getting to meet new people and also getting to be of some help to them is really cool to experience.
- 01 - I learned that fellowship, like that talked about in Acts 2, can happen anywhere and with anyone if we let it.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Ugly Love
I read a story tonight about a tomcat. This cat had only one eye and one ear from one too many fights and a broken foot that caused him to forever walk in semi-circles. Had had matted hair and half a tail. His unofficial name became Ugly because anytime he was seen people could be heard yelling "That's one UGLY cat!" The kids were told to stay away and the grown ups would throw rocks or spray Ugly with a hose to chase him off.
But Ugly would have none of it. He wouldn't be chased away and was always ready to forgive. He'd see kids playing and run up to them, bumping their hands to request their affection. Should anyone pick him up, Ugly would immediately start suckling on a collar or earring or whatever else he might reach...just happy to have someone love on him.
We've all been in Ugly's shoes at one time or another, I suspect. I know I have. We've been shooed away and called names. We've been cast out on our own when all we really wanted was a spot to blend in to the group. We've felt battered and bruised and alone, seeking for any small amount of love and affection to help us feel better. We've very likely all walked a mile in Ugly's paws, so we can relate.
Unfortunately, Ugly's story doesn't end well. You see, he got careless and wandered a little too close to a couple of huskies with ill intentions and they mauled him up like never before. They hurt him terminally. As he laid there bleeding, dying all too slowly, a lady who had heard the commotion came and found him...probably one of the many people who had thrown rocks and sprayed hoses. As she bent down and picked him up to try and care for him, an amazing thing happened. Ugly, you see, had one more moment of love and forgiveness left in him. With a series of wheezes and gasps for breath Ugly bumped her hand, offered a meager purr, and began trying to suckle. He passed a short time later before the lady even had a chance to get inside and attempt to doctor him.
It's easy for us to love the outwardly pretty people and things in life, isn't it? We see a gorgeous sunrise or a beautiful person and it's really easy to admire that beauty. But what about the Ugly's in life? We see a sorry looking, matted cat and we don't want anything to do with it. We see someone who doesn't look the way we think they should look or doesn't "have it together" and we summarily dismiss them. How quickly we forget that we've been Ugly at one time or another and that we're all God's creation and beautiful in His eyes regardless of society's definition.
But Ugly would have none of it. He wouldn't be chased away and was always ready to forgive. He'd see kids playing and run up to them, bumping their hands to request their affection. Should anyone pick him up, Ugly would immediately start suckling on a collar or earring or whatever else he might reach...just happy to have someone love on him.
We've all been in Ugly's shoes at one time or another, I suspect. I know I have. We've been shooed away and called names. We've been cast out on our own when all we really wanted was a spot to blend in to the group. We've felt battered and bruised and alone, seeking for any small amount of love and affection to help us feel better. We've very likely all walked a mile in Ugly's paws, so we can relate.
Unfortunately, Ugly's story doesn't end well. You see, he got careless and wandered a little too close to a couple of huskies with ill intentions and they mauled him up like never before. They hurt him terminally. As he laid there bleeding, dying all too slowly, a lady who had heard the commotion came and found him...probably one of the many people who had thrown rocks and sprayed hoses. As she bent down and picked him up to try and care for him, an amazing thing happened. Ugly, you see, had one more moment of love and forgiveness left in him. With a series of wheezes and gasps for breath Ugly bumped her hand, offered a meager purr, and began trying to suckle. He passed a short time later before the lady even had a chance to get inside and attempt to doctor him.
It's easy for us to love the outwardly pretty people and things in life, isn't it? We see a gorgeous sunrise or a beautiful person and it's really easy to admire that beauty. But what about the Ugly's in life? We see a sorry looking, matted cat and we don't want anything to do with it. We see someone who doesn't look the way we think they should look or doesn't "have it together" and we summarily dismiss them. How quickly we forget that we've been Ugly at one time or another and that we're all God's creation and beautiful in His eyes regardless of society's definition.
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Level Ground
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” -- Psalm 143:10
If you set out walking or running on level ground and then after a period of time you come to a big hill you have to run up, you are going to have to labor harder to cover the same distance due to the elevation change. Likewise, if you come across a big hill that you have to run down you are going to have to labor harder to keep from picking up too much speed and hurting yourself. Moving across level ground is the easiest way to get from where you are to where you are going.
I talked a couple of days ago about teaching vs. admonishment. There is definitely a time and place for admonishment, but the level ground of the Holy Spirit is reached by learning from God's teaching. If God were so focused on reward and punishment, we would spend a lot more of our time being admonished than we would being taught. Plus, why would God reward those who skirt the rules and ignore His teachings while many of us who diligently obey are seemingly made to suffer? It just doesn't make any sense no matter how you try and slice it. The counter, of course, is the old 'Well, God works in mysterious ways!" Yeah, He sure does...but there is a big gap between mysterious and backwards.
No, God just loves us the way any loving, caring father would love his children. Even if one of my kids was so far down the wrong path that they refused to believe in God I would love them just as much and pray for them just as much. How much more, then, do you suspect God loves us and wants desperately for us to 'get it'?
God loves us, all of us, unconditionally...but in order for us to receive the good Spirit and be led on level ground we have to give ourselves completely to Him. We can't do it just on Sunday or just when we are hanging out with friends who believe in God and then turn around and act like a fool the rest of the time. We can't do it completely in one area and not in another. To not be thorough about results in us having to climb yet another hill wondering all the why God would let that happen to us. Until we throw all of our pride away and seek first and always to obey what He teaches us, we can't be completely broken and ready to His will.
But once we do that...then we become absolutely unstoppable warriors for God. Through God we will do more good than we could ever know. It may not always be painless for us, don't get me wrong, but a painful day in God's will is better than a thousand painless days without it.
If you set out walking or running on level ground and then after a period of time you come to a big hill you have to run up, you are going to have to labor harder to cover the same distance due to the elevation change. Likewise, if you come across a big hill that you have to run down you are going to have to labor harder to keep from picking up too much speed and hurting yourself. Moving across level ground is the easiest way to get from where you are to where you are going.
I talked a couple of days ago about teaching vs. admonishment. There is definitely a time and place for admonishment, but the level ground of the Holy Spirit is reached by learning from God's teaching. If God were so focused on reward and punishment, we would spend a lot more of our time being admonished than we would being taught. Plus, why would God reward those who skirt the rules and ignore His teachings while many of us who diligently obey are seemingly made to suffer? It just doesn't make any sense no matter how you try and slice it. The counter, of course, is the old 'Well, God works in mysterious ways!" Yeah, He sure does...but there is a big gap between mysterious and backwards.
No, God just loves us the way any loving, caring father would love his children. Even if one of my kids was so far down the wrong path that they refused to believe in God I would love them just as much and pray for them just as much. How much more, then, do you suspect God loves us and wants desperately for us to 'get it'?
God loves us, all of us, unconditionally...but in order for us to receive the good Spirit and be led on level ground we have to give ourselves completely to Him. We can't do it just on Sunday or just when we are hanging out with friends who believe in God and then turn around and act like a fool the rest of the time. We can't do it completely in one area and not in another. To not be thorough about results in us having to climb yet another hill wondering all the why God would let that happen to us. Until we throw all of our pride away and seek first and always to obey what He teaches us, we can't be completely broken and ready to His will.
But once we do that...then we become absolutely unstoppable warriors for God. Through God we will do more good than we could ever know. It may not always be painless for us, don't get me wrong, but a painful day in God's will is better than a thousand painless days without it.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
Me? What About You?
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” -- Colossians 1:28
Reading that verse, my mind immediately focused on the two words 'admonishing' and 'teaching'. Those two words might seem like they go together, but I look at them as two completely different entities. Admonishment isn't inherently a positive thing...it's a reminder that you aren't doing what you know you are supposed to be doing. It's a negative criticism of one's actions or behaviors. Teaching, on the other hand, is to share what you know with someone who doesn't know. It's a positive action taken to help another. I'm afraid that we, as Christians, are all too easily led down the path of admonishment when teaching may be what is required.
I heard a story that is absolutely crushing tonight. A Facebook acquaintance of my wife has had a very rough 9 months. It all started when she lost her father followed only three short weeks later by her mother. Her aunt followed a few months later and just a few days back, her oldest sister. Complicating matters, she was unable to attend her sister's funeral due to health complications. That is heart breaking enough, but what really gets me is that I know there are "Christians" out there (maybe even someone reading this) that believe this woman has sinned against God and is being punished for it. I'm here to tell you...DO NOT BE THAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!
The last thing in the world this woman needs is someone thinking, much less saying, that it's all her fault. Now, I don't know if she believes in God or not. If she does, I don't know if she believes in Christ or not. As far as a Christ follower's behavior towards her goes, it simply doesn't matter. She needs to be showered with love and prayer, to be given Bible verses of compassion...in a manner of speaking, she needs to be taught. Taught that perfect strangers care about her because God cares about her. Taught that it isn't her fault.
I don't even like using the word Christian much (I prefer Christ follower) because it has negative connotations from people who speak without thinking and don't really pay attention to the teachings they profess to believe in. These are the people who need admonishment because they are not holding to the duties assigned them by Christ when they confessed Him as Lord and Savior. If any of you ever catches me forgetting who I'm called to be, I fully expect you to get on my case about it.
We're called to love everybody...without condition. We're called to teach everyone what we know...without condition. We're called to accountability by our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as when we don't hold to our calling. So be on guard for yourself and also for your peers. Teach Jesus' love without fail and hold each other to our duty as His followers. No matter the circumstances, it's what we're here to do.
Reading that verse, my mind immediately focused on the two words 'admonishing' and 'teaching'. Those two words might seem like they go together, but I look at them as two completely different entities. Admonishment isn't inherently a positive thing...it's a reminder that you aren't doing what you know you are supposed to be doing. It's a negative criticism of one's actions or behaviors. Teaching, on the other hand, is to share what you know with someone who doesn't know. It's a positive action taken to help another. I'm afraid that we, as Christians, are all too easily led down the path of admonishment when teaching may be what is required.
I heard a story that is absolutely crushing tonight. A Facebook acquaintance of my wife has had a very rough 9 months. It all started when she lost her father followed only three short weeks later by her mother. Her aunt followed a few months later and just a few days back, her oldest sister. Complicating matters, she was unable to attend her sister's funeral due to health complications. That is heart breaking enough, but what really gets me is that I know there are "Christians" out there (maybe even someone reading this) that believe this woman has sinned against God and is being punished for it. I'm here to tell you...DO NOT BE THAT KIND OF CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!
The last thing in the world this woman needs is someone thinking, much less saying, that it's all her fault. Now, I don't know if she believes in God or not. If she does, I don't know if she believes in Christ or not. As far as a Christ follower's behavior towards her goes, it simply doesn't matter. She needs to be showered with love and prayer, to be given Bible verses of compassion...in a manner of speaking, she needs to be taught. Taught that perfect strangers care about her because God cares about her. Taught that it isn't her fault.
I don't even like using the word Christian much (I prefer Christ follower) because it has negative connotations from people who speak without thinking and don't really pay attention to the teachings they profess to believe in. These are the people who need admonishment because they are not holding to the duties assigned them by Christ when they confessed Him as Lord and Savior. If any of you ever catches me forgetting who I'm called to be, I fully expect you to get on my case about it.
We're called to love everybody...without condition. We're called to teach everyone what we know...without condition. We're called to accountability by our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as when we don't hold to our calling. So be on guard for yourself and also for your peers. Teach Jesus' love without fail and hold each other to our duty as His followers. No matter the circumstances, it's what we're here to do.
Monday, September 06, 2010
This Is Home
“Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” -- John 14:23
I like home. Suzanne and I have gone to great lengths to make home the place to be...and we enjoy it so much that we rarely take vacations! Home can be a refuge from the world or it can be a place to entertain. It can be incredibly quiet or filled with laughter. But whatever the conditions, home is always ours. That's a good thing.
Jesus tells us in that verse from John that if we love Him then we seek to obey His teachings and that God will come and take up residence with us. So what does that mean? What if it means that, no matter what is going on inside of us whether it's joy or sadness or excitement or conflict, God is literally bound with us and going through all of it right alongside of us? How would that change the way we approach our lives?
So you are going through a period of true financial stress...and God is there guiding you to tithe and to be disciplined, and the stress will pass.
Maybe you are dealing with some health issues...and God is there with you as you listen to the doctors. He hears you when you pray for healing and even if it isn't His will to heal you, that just means He has bigger plans for you to do His work through the sickness. It never for a second means you are in trouble or that God has simply left you.
Maybe you are riding high right now and things couldn't be going any better...and God is there with you, smiling at your joy and contentment.
To think about God's Spirit actually residing inside of you ought to change your thinking a little bit. Addictions and bad habits that seem impossible to overcome are easier when you remember that He is there with you, urging you on.
Like a stereo amplifier, God's presence should amplify things for us. When we revert to old habits and sin manages to sneak in, which it will, we're going to feel worse about it with God's presence than we will without it. Likewise, when we encourage or give or serve we're going to experience an emotional high unlike anything we can get anywhere else because God is there cheering us on and telling us "Well done!"
I like home. Suzanne and I have gone to great lengths to make home the place to be...and we enjoy it so much that we rarely take vacations! Home can be a refuge from the world or it can be a place to entertain. It can be incredibly quiet or filled with laughter. But whatever the conditions, home is always ours. That's a good thing.
Jesus tells us in that verse from John that if we love Him then we seek to obey His teachings and that God will come and take up residence with us. So what does that mean? What if it means that, no matter what is going on inside of us whether it's joy or sadness or excitement or conflict, God is literally bound with us and going through all of it right alongside of us? How would that change the way we approach our lives?
So you are going through a period of true financial stress...and God is there guiding you to tithe and to be disciplined, and the stress will pass.
Maybe you are dealing with some health issues...and God is there with you as you listen to the doctors. He hears you when you pray for healing and even if it isn't His will to heal you, that just means He has bigger plans for you to do His work through the sickness. It never for a second means you are in trouble or that God has simply left you.
Maybe you are riding high right now and things couldn't be going any better...and God is there with you, smiling at your joy and contentment.
To think about God's Spirit actually residing inside of you ought to change your thinking a little bit. Addictions and bad habits that seem impossible to overcome are easier when you remember that He is there with you, urging you on.
Like a stereo amplifier, God's presence should amplify things for us. When we revert to old habits and sin manages to sneak in, which it will, we're going to feel worse about it with God's presence than we will without it. Likewise, when we encourage or give or serve we're going to experience an emotional high unlike anything we can get anywhere else because God is there cheering us on and telling us "Well done!"
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Top 10 - Questions I Have For God
Growing up, I always sort of believed that it wasn't OK to question God. I don't know that an adult ever actually went so far as to tell me I shouldn't, but that is what I picked up as a young lad in a small church. The general feeling was one of "how can someone so small and insignificant DARE to question the Almighty?"
Part of growing into an adult is questioning the things we've grown up believing. We all start to question our beliefs; to examine them more closely. We wonder why certain things happened the way they happened. We make plenty of mistakes because, as it's been for every generation through history, we definitely know better than our parents!
God did not give us that inquisitive nature and then expect us not to use it!!! Humans desire to learn, to stretch horizons, and to better ourselves. We can't do any of that without asking questions and lots of them. Just look around at all mankind has accomplished and realize that someone, somewhere asked questions and then set about figuring out the answers. Somebody figured out that wood floats and could be made into a boat. Somebody thought it might be cool to see the stars up close and figured out how much energy it would take to propel a rocket into space. Somebody saw people dying of disease and figured out how to create medicine that could heal them.
Yes, we're created to question our surroundings and to search for the answers. How could we not have questions for God, and why would He prohibit us from asking them? I am a Christ follower, so I have already managed to answer the questions of salvation, but I am going to list ten of the questions here (I have sooo many more than that!) that I would like to have answered someday. I hope you enjoy them and that you have a greatly blessed week!
Part of growing into an adult is questioning the things we've grown up believing. We all start to question our beliefs; to examine them more closely. We wonder why certain things happened the way they happened. We make plenty of mistakes because, as it's been for every generation through history, we definitely know better than our parents!
God did not give us that inquisitive nature and then expect us not to use it!!! Humans desire to learn, to stretch horizons, and to better ourselves. We can't do any of that without asking questions and lots of them. Just look around at all mankind has accomplished and realize that someone, somewhere asked questions and then set about figuring out the answers. Somebody figured out that wood floats and could be made into a boat. Somebody thought it might be cool to see the stars up close and figured out how much energy it would take to propel a rocket into space. Somebody saw people dying of disease and figured out how to create medicine that could heal them.
Yes, we're created to question our surroundings and to search for the answers. How could we not have questions for God, and why would He prohibit us from asking them? I am a Christ follower, so I have already managed to answer the questions of salvation, but I am going to list ten of the questions here (I have sooo many more than that!) that I would like to have answered someday. I hope you enjoy them and that you have a greatly blessed week!
- 10 - Why are the prettiest flowers the kind that don't grow back the next year...and if they don't grow back the next year how is that I can buy more of them at the store next year?
- 09 - Is free will really free or did You already know exactly which way I would go on every decision I ever made...or both?
- 08 - Do You spend more of the time being proud of us or disappointed in us...or both?
- 07 - Is there a more loving and obedient heart anywhere in creation than a dog's?
- 06 - Were cats your example of both stubbornness and arrogance?
- 05- How many of the failures of my life were purely self-inflicted and preventable?
- 04 - We all have gifts, but it seems like everyone should have common sense. Do only some people have it or do they all have it and they just don't use it?
- 03 - When I get to Heaven, will I still be able to enjoy things like ice cream...and can I eat all I want? in a good
- 02 - Did You cry when we killed Your Son, even though You knew it was going to happen...and what was to come next?
- 01 - You created all of us, so why do we spend so much time fighting over our differences when You are the thing we all have in common?
Friday, September 03, 2010
Now Is The Time To Worship
I will praise you in the great assembly. I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. -- Psalm 22:25
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. -- Psalm 29:2
O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. -- Psalm 48:9
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. -- Psalm 89:15
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker... -- Psalm 95:6
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. -- Psalm 100:2
Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. -- Psalm 132:7
Clearly, there are tons of ways to worship God. We can worship together in church or not. We can worship by ourselves in a very intimate setting. We can worship in prayer or in song. We can worship in joy or when we need comfort. I am firmly convinced that there is no such thing as a bad time to worship God.
Worship God for all that He has done and for all that He is yet to do. It isn't about reward and punishment. It's about grace and love. Worship is the recognition that it is not by our own hand but by His loving guidance that we are successful. It is an expression of our obedience to and gratitude for Him.
Spend a minute and reflect on your life. Look to the times when a remarkable series of events took place that resulted in you being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. If you are married, think back and marvel at how blessed you are to have been paired with your soul-mate. Remember times when you thought you were a goner but miraculously survived. Remember the prayer you prayed when your son was born and things didn't go right. Remember the losses of loved ones and how cool it is that as time goes on you seem to only remember the best of times.
The truth is, whether you realized it or not, God has been there with you for every single second of your life. He has surely been frustrated with your stubbornness at times. He just as surely been overflowing with pride at others. He's been filled with unending love for you for all of it.
If that doesn't make Him worthy of your love and worship, I don't know what would!
Honor the Lord for the glory of his name. Worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. -- Psalm 29:2
O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple. -- Psalm 48:9
Happy are those who hear the joyful call to worship, for they will walk in the light of your presence, Lord. -- Psalm 89:15
Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker... -- Psalm 95:6
Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. -- Psalm 100:2
Let us go to the sanctuary of the Lord; let us worship at the footstool of his throne. -- Psalm 132:7
Clearly, there are tons of ways to worship God. We can worship together in church or not. We can worship by ourselves in a very intimate setting. We can worship in prayer or in song. We can worship in joy or when we need comfort. I am firmly convinced that there is no such thing as a bad time to worship God.
Worship God for all that He has done and for all that He is yet to do. It isn't about reward and punishment. It's about grace and love. Worship is the recognition that it is not by our own hand but by His loving guidance that we are successful. It is an expression of our obedience to and gratitude for Him.
Spend a minute and reflect on your life. Look to the times when a remarkable series of events took place that resulted in you being in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. If you are married, think back and marvel at how blessed you are to have been paired with your soul-mate. Remember times when you thought you were a goner but miraculously survived. Remember the prayer you prayed when your son was born and things didn't go right. Remember the losses of loved ones and how cool it is that as time goes on you seem to only remember the best of times.
The truth is, whether you realized it or not, God has been there with you for every single second of your life. He has surely been frustrated with your stubbornness at times. He just as surely been overflowing with pride at others. He's been filled with unending love for you for all of it.
If that doesn't make Him worthy of your love and worship, I don't know what would!
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Sometimes You Need A Good, Solid Laugh
There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. -- Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4 (NIV)
It seems like it's awfully easy to allow life to sour our moods and to turn us into really serious people. The things in life that require our thought and attention can build up so quickly that we don't see a way to ever get out from under it all...and that makes it really hard to be the joyful beings we were created to be.
I think sometimes all we really need is a couple of hours in good company with a bunch of laughter to make a lot of that go away. We spent last evening among friends and while we definitely shared our stresses with one another, we also laughed so hard we cried. All of that junk that has managed to clutter up all of our lives lately just ran away and hid and there was pure joy in the room for a good, long while.
The Bible tells us there is a time for everything, and certainly those every day concerns will come back tomorrow needing to be dealt with but we know that laughter we so desperately need is a simple phone call or short drive away. Part of remembering God as the controlling force in our lives is to remember that He has put a number of people around us to help us remember to smile and laugh every day.
The world can really stink...and it seems it does it's best to drag us into the mire. But God says that we were created in His image. He says that we are joyful beings at our core...and our core is where God is to be found, underneath all of that other stuff we allow to be piled upon us. Make a point of sharing a good laugh with those you care about today, and let your cares go by the way-side...even if only for a few moments.
It seems like it's awfully easy to allow life to sour our moods and to turn us into really serious people. The things in life that require our thought and attention can build up so quickly that we don't see a way to ever get out from under it all...and that makes it really hard to be the joyful beings we were created to be.
I think sometimes all we really need is a couple of hours in good company with a bunch of laughter to make a lot of that go away. We spent last evening among friends and while we definitely shared our stresses with one another, we also laughed so hard we cried. All of that junk that has managed to clutter up all of our lives lately just ran away and hid and there was pure joy in the room for a good, long while.
The Bible tells us there is a time for everything, and certainly those every day concerns will come back tomorrow needing to be dealt with but we know that laughter we so desperately need is a simple phone call or short drive away. Part of remembering God as the controlling force in our lives is to remember that He has put a number of people around us to help us remember to smile and laugh every day.
The world can really stink...and it seems it does it's best to drag us into the mire. But God says that we were created in His image. He says that we are joyful beings at our core...and our core is where God is to be found, underneath all of that other stuff we allow to be piled upon us. Make a point of sharing a good laugh with those you care about today, and let your cares go by the way-side...even if only for a few moments.
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