Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas, it's really pretty amazing

So tomorrow is Christmas, hard to believe. I remember as a kid being really excited about it, but now, with how commercial everything has become it kind of feels like just another day to me. I honestly don't know the last time I really felt the Christmas spirit around the holiday. But maybe that's the problem. Maybe the problem is that we look for a feeling in the few weeks leading up to December 25. When instead Christmas is part of the story we live, or rather are called to live, everyday.

The reason for Christmas is the birth of Jesus Christ. That is why we celebrate tomorrow, but it is a celebration that is to continue. But I wonder how much of life is lived from holiday to holiday. How often do we reflect on the birth of Christ after December? How often do we think about the death and resurrection of Christ aside from the few weeks leading up to Easter? And how much have we missed the point of the holidays?

I'll be honest, I'm a little biased toward Easter. It is on that day that we celebrate victory in Christ over sin, death, and Hell. It's a pretty significant day, I've even called it the most important day in history, and I don't think that's out of line. Without Easter we wouldn't celebrate Christmas, if Jesus had never risen, why would we celebrate His birth? But of course when you say that some one always, without fail, has to say, "No Christmas, no Easter. He had to be born first."

As I've thought about that over the past few years I don't think I buy it. Jesus didn't have to show up as a baby. He could have come down as a man one day, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and brought salvation. He could have, but He didn't. Instead, He came as a baby. This time of year we hear the stories that He came as a baby, born in a stable and placed in a manger. Shepherds we the first to welcome Him to the world. We see that Jesus is for everyone, the least of these, the outcasts and social rejects. But what if there is more to it than that?

As I've thought about this over the past few weeks I've started to see Christmas in a different light. Jesus came to earth as a baby, so that He could one day die on the cross to pay for the sins of the world, and then rise from the dead conquering sin, death, and Hell forever. He came to die so that we could have eternal life, He died so that we could have new life. But when He came at Christmas, it was to give us something so much greater than the path to new life. Jesus didn't just give us salvation, He gave us an example to follow.

Jesus came as a baby, so that He could grow up and live life as God would live life. He showed us what it is to live righteously, and in a relationship with God. Jesus' birth was about so much more than His eventual death, it was about the 33 years of life leading up to it. In those 33 years He showed us how to live once we accepted salvation. He showed us what new life looks like. That is what Christmas is about. God became a man so that He could die as the ransom for humanity, but before He got to the cross He showed humanity how to live after the cross.

When we come to Jesus we go through the cross. We die with Him, and then we are born to new life. We grow and live in a righteous relationship with God. Tomorrow is about so much more than a baby born to die. It's about God becoming human to show us how to live life, and then sacrificing Himself to make it possible for us to live the way He did.

So as you celebrate tomorrow, may our focus be on what Christ has done for us. He died to and rose to bring us new life, but first He lived to show us new life. It's really pretty amazing.

Merry Christmas

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Why do people fear death?

For the last few weeks death has been on my mind. It's approaching the two year anniversary of the first funeral I performed, and it's nearing the seventh anniversary of the death of a close friend. Maybe that has something to do with it, but whatever the reason I've been thinking about it for a while. My last post got me thinking a little bit more about the subject, and so I want to add some of what I've thought about since then.

I once heard that the two things people fear most are public speaking and death, public speaking being first. So that means at a funeral, more people would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy. I get the public speaking fear; you're standing in front of people, all eyes and ears on you, and messing up when you have that much attention focused on you would be embarrassing. Some people worry about losing their place, other's about stumbling over words. It's something you have to live with, but probably not for as long as you think in the moment.

But why do people fear death? Is it the unknown of what's on the other side? Is it the uncertainty of what the experience will be like? Is it because of the unfamiliarity with all of it? Or is it because we see it as the end to something good? I'm willing to say it's a bit of all of them, but the more I think about it the more I lean towards the last option.

This life is all we've known, and the reality of it is that it comes to an end. It wasn't supposed to be like this, and I think that's part of the reason for all the mystery with it. Death is foreign to the way things are supposed to be. But sadly, it's a reality we all must face. But it doesn't have to be something we fear, and for the follower of Christ it doesn't mark the end, but rather the beginning.

I remember sitting with the man whose funeral I performed before he died. We talked about what would happen, and I reminded him that even though he had never experienced it before, Jesus had, and He would hold his hand the entire way. And when it comes to death, I honestly don't think we're really going to notice at first. If you read The Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle, you find that the main characters are dead and they don't even realize it until Aslan informs them. And I think it's going to be like that.

We have a soul, part of us that is eternal, and makes us who we are at our core. It is most essentially us. That part does not die. I think death is going to be like falling asleep. Then you wake up in this place that is very familiar, yet different. You'll know at that point that something is up, and then you'll see Him. Face to face for the first time the reality of it will hit you, the old has gone, and the new has come. Finally, you'll be in the place you were meant to be, as you were meant to be. And here, at the beginning of forever, you find perfect existence and unity with the Creator that will never end. What is there in that to fear? Yes, death does mark the end of a journey, but it is the gateway to a new beginning.

I haven't been through it personally yet, but based on reading, prayer, and insight, I think it's going to be something pretty similar to that. And so the follower of Christ has nothing to fear at all. And remember, Jesus has tasted it first hand, and He isn't going to leave you in the middle of it. He'll be by your side every step of the way as you enter into forever. There is no fear in death because of the power of Christ.

But for those who haven't experienced the new life that God offers, there is uncertainty and no peace. There is no one to guide them to the other side. You can experience the freedom from fear that Christ offers, and when the time comes, you can face death with peace and confidence, knowing that on the other side is the life you were meant to live. And that life is one that death cannot steal away. There death will be dead, and only goodness will exist.

Why do people fear death? Because they don't know Jesus, or if they do, it's because they don't realize that death is simply the beginning. There is no reason to fear death with Jesus. He will be with you through it, and on the other side welcome you into paradise.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, November 11, 2013

Death and Heaven

It's been a while, and I've had a couple different things on my mind. A few of them I'm still sitting on, but I've really felt like I need to write something on here.

A couple of weeks ago I was walking my dog, and I watched a squirrel attempt to run across the road. The key word there is attempt. It didn't make it. I watched as the car hit it, and it's body once so full of life now lay motionless in the road. I'll be honest, part of me was saddened. The older I get, the more death saddens me. I'm at the point where I don't even like hunting anymore because I don't want to take life of any kind.

It's not that I'm afraid to die, honestly the older I get the more part of me looks forward to it. I'm not suicidal, and I'm not wanting to die, there are things I still want to accomplish. I want to see my children and grandchildren. I want to own my own piece of land and plant on it. I want to be able to really enjoy this life with my wife, and look back and laugh at the hardships, like so many people tell us we will. But I know what is waiting for me on the other side of death, and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was just a little excited about it.

But death saddens me because it is something that was never meant to happen. It's a result and reminder of the fallen state of the world. Watching a squirrel get hit by a car reminds me that this world is not how it was supposed to be. Death is bad, and it was not part of God's plan or creation. But one day, death itself will die, and never be seen again. One day everything will be as it should be again. And on that day all who believe will be with Him forever in glory.

And so we come to the second point in the title, Heaven. I am blessed to be able to work with another Christ follower, and over the last few weeks we've been able to talk a little about topics of faith. One of them involved talk of Heaven. I don't know exactly what Heaven will be like, and what I'm about to write are thoughts I've gained from Scripture, but don't hold me to it if I don't get it exactly right.

I think Heaven is going to be a very personal place. Jesus said in John 14.1-3, "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Each of us was made uniquely by God. Each of us is different, and God loves that about us. I believe Jesus is there, preparing a place specifically for each of us. A place that speaks to your heart. I think my place will involve a large piece of ground to cultivate, a garden just like the beginning.

If we look at Genesis 1-2, we get a picture of what Heaven will be like, because there we see what life was intended to be. We see perfect unity with each other and God. We see peace and life. If we look at the end of Revelation we see many similarities between the two. We see that everything is moving back towards the beginning.

In Heaven, we will be in the presence of God. We'll enjoy unity and fellowship with Him that we have never known before. And I think that Heaven might not be all that far away. In Revelation 21 John talks about the new heaven and the new earth, because the first have passed away. What if when we die it's just like falling asleep, but then you wake up in a sort of out of body experience. You find yourself in a new, perfect body. You find yourself on a new, perfect earth, and you find yourself before God. I don't think death will feel like the end at all as we go through it, simply a new beginning.

And finally one other thought, I think animals will be in heaven. No, they are not made in the image of God like people, but they are part of God's creation. In Revelation 21.5 Jesus says, "Behold, I am making all things new." And we are told in Isaiah 11.6-7, "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox."

Again, I'm not stating this as fact, I could be completely wrong about all of it. But those are some of my recent thoughts on death and heaven.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

The Purpose of this Blog

Over the past few weeks I've had several thoughts for things to post. A few of them I've sat down and tried to write. There was a young man killed after a Dodger's/Giant's game last week, he was a Dodger's fan and the people who murdered him were Giant's fans. I've had a couple different thoughts about pride, the love of money, and how all it ties into the government shut down. I've started writing them, and then my mind just goes blank. I can't remember the point, and what I have down doesn't seem to capture the initial emotion that I felt. And then I can't even remember how I felt about the situation to begin with. And so my activity on here has been pretty infrequent.

In the last post I mentioned two things that I'm angry about. And whenever you're angry about something the immediate follow up question needs to be, "What am I going to do about it?" I write two blogs, and for right now that feels like about all I'm able to do. I don't really have a leadership role or influence to bring about change with. And outside of those of you who read this, I really don't have a voice that anyone wants to listen to. And so the question remains, what am I going to do about the Church, and reaching men?

For now it seems like the majority of what I'm able to do is with the blogs. Whenever my wife writes a post on hers she always prays, "God, let whoever needs this find it." And in many ways I feel that's what happens with a blog. I started this one almost five years ago under the prompting of God, and I can't believe how far it has reached. Thousands of people from around the world have read it; people from every continent with permanent human life, and from countries I couldn't find on a map if my life depended upon it. It's a humbling reality.

Anyway, back to the point, what is the purpose of this blog? The second blog I write is focused on reaching out to men. Currently I'm working through a book by John Eldredge, and once that is done I'm undertaking a task that seems a bit daunting. But it's fully focused on reaching out to men and helping them become who God created them to be.

As I've written the second blog, I've felt that this one has suffered. My activity on it has been lower than usual, and as I stated at the beginning, I've tried to write some things and just haven't been able to. And all of this has led me to the question I'm posing. For a while I've thought about just ending the blog. All things die, a fact that humans don't always grasp or accept. Everything has a life span, even things that don't breathe. Maybe this blog has run its course and I need to turn my attention fully toward my other blog. Preparing for and writing that one excites me, and it is fueled by my real passion. But as I've said, two things make me angry, and that blog's primary focus is only on one of them.

The purpose of this blog is to reach out to, and try to impact, the Church. For the most part I feel that's what I've done with it over the past four years, but now I really want to focus on that. I'm not sure what exactly it looks like, or how much of a difference it will actually make, but I feel that this is how I have to work towards making a difference at the moment.

I don't know if the frequency of posting is going to pick up, but I do know that every post is going to be focused on two things. First, pointing the Church back to Biblical Truth and God's original intent for it. We've gotten so far from this, and more and more churches exist simply because they always have. There is no fellowship, no discipleship, no community, and no genuine worship. It's just a group of people that meets once or twice a week out of habit, ritual, and some sense of obligation. I know not all are like this, but a good majority of the ones I've been in are.

Second, I want to help the Church fall more in love with Jesus. Too many people claim the name of Christ, but look nothing like Him. Too many people claim to live for Jesus, but do nothing to serve Him. Too many people claim to love Jesus, but do nothing to get to know Him. It's a sad reality, but a reality none the less.

That is why this blog exists, that is what I will focus on as I continue to write.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, September 30, 2013

What Makes You Angry?

This weekend in church I heard a different take on the David and Goliath story than I have in my almost 27 years. I encourage you to take some time and listen to what was said.

http://cvconline.org/index.php/site/audio (The message is week 3 in the series "God is for me" given on September 29, 2013.)

There were a lot of good things said, and I actually took notes on a message for the first time in years. At one point the question "What makes you angry?" was asked. We see that David is angry about Goliath, what he's saying and the attitude he has towards God and Israel. He takes action, charges the enemy, and takes him down. Then he cuts off his head and carries it through the city of Jerusalem.

His anger, righteous anger, moved him to action. He stood alone before a giant that no one else, not even the king, had the faith or courage to battle. He delivered his people from oppression, and saved them from death. He was angry and acted.

What makes you angry? Not what makes you snap and lose your temper, but what injustice lights a fire under you? What motivates you to do something to bring change? What moves you to actually do it? What makes you angry?

When that question was asked, two things came to my mind, "Church" and "Men". The Church has gotten so far from God's intention for it. And what's worse, many don't even realize it. There is so much about the Church and how it functions and interacts that I don't like or support. There is so much I want to try and change, so much I want to bring Biblical truth to, and so much I want to see transformed.

With men, I simply see so few. I see failed attempts, and empty shells. There are so many posers out there putting up a front. I want to help initiate them, and see them become all that God created them to be.

And so now the question is "What am I going to do about it?"

Honestly, I don't know. Part of the reason I blog is that I'm at least doing something, at least reaching someone. My other blog was started, and is written, out of a desire to reach men. This one is a general audience, hopefully the Church. But writing a couple blogs only counts for so much, they can only go so far. For a several years now I've had a thought that I'm supposed to plant a church. It's been something that's come and gone, something I've thought God was calling me to and then thought of every reason not to do it. And honestly I don't know that I've thought about it recently until the other night when I was talking to my pastor friend after the message.

I'm at a point where I'm really trying to figure out what to do, and in the meantime I'm working on just being satisfied with knowing God. But at the same time the anger in me over these two issues isn't getting smaller or going away. I don't know what is going to happen yet, I don't know what giant God has for me to take down in His name and power. But I want to be ready when the time comes to charge the enemy.

What about you? What makes you angry? What are you going to do about it?

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Friday, September 20, 2013

Back when I was a senior in college I made the decision with one of my best friends to be a co-leader of a freshman small group. Together we would be responsible for investing in the lives of about a dozen freshman guys through their first year of college. Honestly, we were the coolest small group. Guys left their other assigned small groups to join our group. It was one of the highlights of my senior year.

We'd meet as a group once a week, and throughout the week we'd each spend some time with the guys, just hanging out in the cafe, or in their dorm. And while I did spend time with each guy every week in some capacity, there was one who I connected with more than the others, and he's the only one I still have any contact with today. It has been awesome to watch him grow from the kid that everyone is when they begin college, to the man who had the faith to trust God and move to one of the biggest cities in the world.

He's finally started a blog, and I'm excited to see his insights and hear more about his heart, and see his insights from God. You can read about his journey on the blog The Fire in NYC at, http://thefireinnyc.blogspot.com/

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, September 16, 2013

Competition, It's a Good Thing

Sometime in the last two weeks I read an article that said a kid’s soccer league took removing competition to a new level by removing the ball from soccer. Someone later mentioned that the article is a satirical writing, but it wouldn't surprise me if at some point it actually happened. For some reason society has come to see teaching children to compete as a bad thing, and yet we allow grown men to make millions of dollars a year by doing just that.

Competition is a good thing. I was an athlete in high school, and with everything I've done, or dreamed of doing, I've wanted to be the best. I've never done something just to do it, and honestly never will, it's not who I am. And that isn't a bad thing. Competition isn't a bad thing. Some churches have started a sports program called Upwards, and in it no one loses, not a supporter. I'm all about teaching kids the basics of a sport, and how to play it well, but you can't remove competition from it, or the fact that there are winners and losers.

I hate losing, to steal Brad Pitt's line from Money Ball "I hate losing more than I want to win, and there's a difference." But in losing we learn some important lessons. Lessons that we rob children of if we refuse to let them compete.

One, losing teaches humility and grace. I wasn't always a good sport. There were times when I lost, even in my early twenties, that I didn't have the best attitude. But in losing we can learn how to act with dignity. In a world where there are no winners and losers, how do people learn that things don't always work out for their favor? And with that, how do people learn how to deal with that situation? Losing taught me how to handle setbacks. It taught me how to deal with things that don't go my way. This is a crucial lesson to learn.

Second, losing shows us where we have room for improvement. When I was a young wrestler, back in eighth grade, I kept getting my arm caught and then flipped on my back. One moment I would be on top of my opponent, feeling in control, and then somehow the next moment I was on the bottom wondering how I got there. I had left my arm on the side and had gotten too high, and because of this I was getting turned. But by losing this way during practice, I learned a lesson that made me a champion. During the Conference championship match I was wrestling a guy, and my arm got caught, but this time I pulled my weight back, ended up getting a stalemate called, and went on to become a Conference Champion.

Third, losing opens our eyes to things we are better at. I played a lot of sports, but wrestling was what I was good at. I had dreams as a kid of being a big league ball player, but eventually realized it was never going to happen. And so I turned my attention to the thing I was best at, and something I enjoyed so much more.

Fourth, losing gives us determination. Again, I hate losing. Losing drove me to improve and get better as a wrestler, and still today losing drives me to get better as a minister and a person. Yes, there are the moments right after you lose where you don't want to do anything but sit and feel sorry for yourself, but they are simply that, moments. They pass, and then you get back to work. The bitter taste of defeat is one that I hate, and never want to experience, and so I am determined to get better, stronger, so that the next time I'm victorious.

Without competition, these lessons aren't learned. If everyone is a winner then what do we need humility for? If we're all equal, then what is there to push me to get better? Without competition I could spend my life doing something that ultimately is a waste of my time. So let's do society a favor and encourage competition. Let's teach our children that in life there are winners and losers, and let’s teach them how to humbly handle both sides of that spectrum. Let competition drive them to improve and be the best they can be in whatever area they excel.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, September 9, 2013

Satan's Only Tactic

Yes, he only has one and I'll tell you what it is. But before I do let me tell you he has several tricks and angles he works to accomplish this single goal. Sometimes he uses force and overwhelms us with difficulties. Other times he fills our lives with stuff, helping us to focus on the material and temporal. In all of it he feeds us lies, but all of it is focused on one thing. Satan wants us to believe that God does not have our best interest in mind. That is his tactic. It's been what he's been up to since his first strike against humanity in the garden, and it's how he continues to work today.

Where did I come to this insight you might ask, well I'll tell you. As I'm in between ministry assignments I'm trying to stay active and involved with ministry as much as possible. Keeping my sword sharp and my shield at hand for when I get called back to the front lines. My pastor mentioned a few weeks ago about teaching a "New Believer's class" and had me sit in yesterday to see how it all works. As the class was working through the first section of material, a section that draws heavily from The Story (see the link in the top right), it talks about the fall of man and in that section I saw the phrase, "He deceived them into thinking that God was not good and did not have their best interest in mind." And as I read that line I began to think back over the past week.

The biggest thing I've been struggling with right now if believing that God wants good things for me. Keep in mind, God does not exist to make me happy. It is not His job to make sure I'm comfortable and content having everything my heart desires. But I am God's beloved son, His precious child, and as such He desires the best for me. God wants to bless me so that I can be a blessing to others. God wants the very best for me, and everything that takes place is ultimately for my good, because all of it serves to make me like Christ.

Satan doesn't want this to happen. He doesn't want us to become like Christ because when we do we draw closer to God and see Him as the loving father He is. Keep in mind a loving father disciplines his children for their benefit. But if we doubt the goodness of God, we will doubt His desire for our best interest. If we don't think God has our best interest at heart, we believe we are left to fend for ourselves. And as we fend for ourselves we are us dependent and not God dependent. If we trust in ourselves we don't trust in God, and if we don't trust Him we can't serve Him. But we must serve someone and there are only two options.
That is Satan's tactic, getting you to doubt God's goodness and love for you.

I've fallen into this way of thinking over the past few weeks. The struggles and hardships have felt like abandonment, not the correction of a loving father. They seem like moments of struggling to survive, not opportunities to trustingly fall into His arms. In the struggles it's easy to forget about the blessings He continues to pour out. It's easy to be focused on the thing we long for so much that we miss everything other good thing God is giving us. We focus on what we can't attain more than what we've been freely given. Yeah, I'm really guilty of that one.

Satan doesn't want you to experience the goodness of God, and so he'll point out the one thing God is withholding so we focus on that rather than the abundant blessing we've been given. Think back to Eden. God said, every plant you can eat from except this one, but every other one you can enjoy. So where is the one place Satan draws Adam and Eve, the one place that is forgiven, and there he focuses their minds on what God is withholding, and in that moment convinces them that God doesn't want them to have the best because the best is the one thing He is keeping from them. The tactic hasn't changed; it's still the same thing because it's the only one he's got.

Where is your focus? Over the past few weeks as I've found myself constantly wondering if I believe God wants good things for me because I'm not able to live out my calling as a minister, I'm constantly reminded of the other blessings in my life. Where do I choose to focus? On the things that He has given me now, or on the one thing He's saying "Wait, not yet, but soon?"

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Friday, September 6, 2013

God's Crockpot

This past weekend in Church I learned something new (and all of this ties in with my last post). Over the summer the church we're attending has been working through the book of James. This coming week is the final weekend in the series, and this past weekend the message was on James 5.13-18. Verse 14 says, "Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;" and here is the new thing I learned. The word for "sick" in Greek is astheneo, and it means, "to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless".

So often we take that verse simply to refer to physical illness, and while that is part of it, we have to remember that we are not simply physical beings. We are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We have the physical, but also the mental, emotional, and spiritual. We can be "sick" more than just physically. We can be emotionally drained, mentally exhausted, and spiritually worn out. In all of these instances we call out to God relief, and when He doesn't deliver right away we feel forsaken, and that He doesn't care.

After the service Saturday night I had the chance to sit and talk with my pastor. I told him how I just feel stuck, and how I don't know if I believe that God really does want anything good for me. He knows a little of what I'm going through, but I got to open up a little more with him that night. And as we talked he shared an insight with me that I hadn't heard put like that before.

"Our generations don't know how to wait. We want God to do things instantly. We're wanting Him to cook us in the microwave. But God is using a crockpot." Cooking in a microwave is easy, anyone can do it. I almost want to put the word cooking in quotes. It's fast and it's simple, but if you've ever had a crockpot meal, there is no comparison. Microwave means can dry out, especially meat that gets reheated. But if you let a roast sit in a crockpot for hours it comes out moist and juicy. It's full of flavors that can only come from slow, constant heat.

God doesn't own a microwave, God doesn't rush anything. Everything happens for a purpose, and everything is working towards a goal. We're in God's crockpot. That knowledge doesn't make the difficulty any more bearable. It doesn't take away the weariness. Put it does serve as a reminder that God is always at work, and that nothing is wasted with Him.

I know that I'm in God's crockpot. Right now I feel that I'm being overcooked. I feel like my gifts are being wasted, and that my time has come and gone. Like I got one shot and I blew it, and that's all. I'm weary and worn out. But I have a pastor who cares. At the end of our conversation he put his hand on my shoulder and prayed for me.

I don't know how much longer God has me simmering, but I have to believe that He hasn't forgotten, and that the time is drawing close for me to get back out into full time ministry again.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Temple Run

There is this game on the iPhone that I have killed a lot of time with (sadly). In it you play as a character that is being chased out of a temple by these demon monkeys. You run along paths through the jungle collecting coins and power ups trying not to get caught by the monkeys. The game doesn't end, you just run until you fall off a cliff, run into something, or trip and get caught. You run until you die. There really is no winning, just trying to survive long enough to get a little farther than last time. Sounds a lot like life sometimes.

The last few years haven't been easy. In a lot of ways it feels like a game of Temple Run. Running as hard as we can, trying to get what we can, but still coming up short every time. And on top of that if feels like no one cares, or at least not anyone who would be able to do something to help. It feels like we're on our own, running through the jungle, hoping to survive. Part of me thinks I shouldn't write and post this, and the other part of me just doesn't care, and is sick of pretending and acting like everything is ok.

I know what the Bible says:

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1.2-4).

"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (Romans 5.3-5).

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4.11-13).

I know that, that's pretty much all people have told me for the past few years. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm still being chased and there is no relief in sight. And honestly, I'm tired of enduring and persevering. I'm tired of the struggle and the hardship while it seems like everyone else I know doesn't have to deal with any of it. And as I said, it feels like no one cares. People have asked me "Is there anything you need?" and "How can I help?" But I usually give some variation of "Nothing that I can think of right now." Because honestly, what would happen if I said "I need this much so my wife and I can pay off student loans, and begin to get on our feet."

I'm tired and worn out. The monkeys are closing in, and it feels like I'm just about done. That's what's on my heart most of the time. That's what I've spent a ton of time thinking about over the past year. That is what I've held in for so long. And now as I'm getting to the end of this part of me is wondering "Am I actually going to post this?" At this moment I'm not sure. I don't know who all reads what I write, and I don't know how sharing this honest feeling could help or hurt my future.

And as I've gotten to the end, I keep thinking about the verse at the end of every post, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread." This post tells of how forsaken I feel. But in some ways I feel that posting it shows a lack of trust in God. In other ways it feels like it's me showing that I'm not as strong as some people think I am. That my faith isn't as strong as some people see it to be. I've heard different things about when to share struggles and difficulties, most of the advice being years after it's been over, and then sharing how God brought you through it.

But at the same time part of me feels like waiting until then is a waste. Right now, in the moment, I want to believe God is going to come through. I want to believe that He is going to provide and do far more abundantly beyond all that I cans ask or think, but if I'm completely honest, I'm struggling to be able to. I want to fully trust God, but things just seem to get harder with no hint of relief. And maybe writing all of this out and posting it is God working to break my pride, show people my weakness, and humbling me to the point where I can ask for, and accept, the help of others.

Deep down I still have hope. I still pray, and I'll still close this post with the message of God's faithfulness.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Make a Garden

Yesterday I mentioned that if you plant a garden you need to be feeding the soil. You have got to replenish the nutrients that the plants consume if you want to have a fruitful harvest year after year. In comparison, it's like having a mentor for the Christian walk, someone who pours into you, and calls you to be more like Christ. We need a Paul in our lives. But there is a flip side to this. We actually need to plant the garden; otherwise we have a bunch of wasted space.

It's amazing what people will spend on their lawns. There is a fertilizing program consisting of four steps to be done throughout the year. Each bag costs between $45-$60, and only covers 15,000 square feet (about 1/3 of an acre). People spend hundreds of dollars each year on their grass. Grass really doesn't do all that much. Yes it helps hold the soil in place to prevent erosion, but it doesn't give you anything. It simply takes the nutrients you supply and gives you nothing in return for the work you do, except causing you to have to do more work by mowing it.

A lady I work with said a couple of weeks ago, "Your lawn is a desert." Set aside the requirement of rainfall and she makes a good point. Your lawn doesn't do anything. It doesn't produce food, it doesn't even produce a flower (dandelions and clover are weeds that step two of the four step program works to eliminate). You end up with a bunch of wasted space. And so the solution, make a garden. Let the money and nutrients you're pouring into the soil work for you. Let them work to produce something of benefit.

This, too, has a parallel to our lives. Just as we need a Paul to pour into us so we can produce, we also need a Timothy to pour into. If we constantly give without receiving eventually we have nothing left to give. And if we constantly take without pouring anything out we become a hoarder with wasted resources. We suck nutrients that could be used to feed something productive.

I've had the chance to float in the Dead Sea twice now. The second time was cool, but not as mind blowing as the first since I had an idea of what to expect. This amazing landmark and phenomenon occurs because of the geography of the location. The Dead Sea is nearly 1,400 feet below Sea Level, as the lowest place on earth that isn't in the ocean it is a location that everything flows into, but nothing flows out of. The minerals there are deposited and caked on the Sea floor and the beach. The fresh water that flows in from the Jordan River is immediately contaminated by the high salt content. Nothing can live in it, and if you were to drink any of the water accidently you would need to have your stomach pumped. And that is what our lives look like if we have no one we are investing in.

Is your yard full of grass? Why not turn part of it into a garden? It will be good exercise, save you money, and be a fun project for you and your family. The soil will be able to produce something useful and valuable. Do you have a Timothy? Are you investing in someone else, pouring into them, and helping them become more like Christ? Find someone, pray for God to send someone to you, open your eyes to who He has already placed in your life. Begin to encourage and teach about what God has done in your life.

Get a Paul, find a Timothy. Plant a garden and fertilize it.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Feed the Garden

Right now I have six or seven blog posts in my head. I want to do another set of four on songs from one of Matt Redman's cds, but haven't gotten to that yet. I have one or two that I'm debating writing and may or may not get to. And as the time for harvest grows closer my mind is full of thoughts on the garden. My water melons still don't seem to be doing much, it looks like I may end up buying seeds for next year, but the sunflowers my father-in-law planted looked good when I was down there last week, and hopefully soon I'll get to make a trip down to collect and roast the seeds.

Today’s thought comes from a lady I met at work last week. She came up to me with a problem. Her garden wasn't doing well this year. The plants didn't look healthy and nothing was producing any vegetables. She then told me that this is the first time in twenty years that her garden hasn't done anything at all. Every year for the past two decades she has planted her garden in this spot, and every year it has done really well, until now.

Before I found out how long it had been in the same spot I reminded her that it has been a very wet year, but then when she told me how long it had been planted I asked another question. "Do you fertilize or compost?" And she said no, she doesn't add any chemicals to the soil. At that point I knew her problem, her soil is shot.

After twenty years of planting the same plants in the same spot all of the nutrients have been sucked out of the soil. She has planted, she has harvested, but she never fed the soil. All of the taking and not giving can only last so long, and now her soil has nothing left to give the plants, and the plants in turn have nothing to give her.

If you garden in the same spot year after year, you've got to feed the soil. Like everything else, if you continue to use it without giving back it will eventually lose its ability to produce. And the same is true of our lives. If we constantly give without ever receiving, eventually we have nothing left to give. We must have something that pours into us. I've written this past month how prayer and Bible study do feed us, but I think we really do need more than just those two things, as important as they are.

I don't know where I first heard it, but the Apostle Paul's relationships are often given as a model for Christian's to live by. He himself was a teacher and mentor to Timothy; he poured into him and instructed him. But we also see that Paul had Silas, a friend and companion who journeyed with him. We need a Paul in our lives, and that means we need to take the role of Timothy. We need someone who will mentor us and challenge us. We need someone who will call out the best in us, challenge us to be all that we can be. We need a Silas who will walk with us and encourage us.

We need to be fed so that we can feed our Timothy. If no one is pouring into us, eventually we can't pour anything else out. If the well isn't connected to a spring, eventually it just becomes a dry pit. If you want a fruitful life, then find someone who will feed your soul. Find a person who has a more intimate and experienced relationship with Christ than you, someone who is more like Christ than you are. Listen to them, learn from them, and allow them to help you become more like Christ.

Find a Paul, feed the soil.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, August 19, 2013

Container Gardening

As I mentioned last week, another post from the garden is here. I don't know how long this method has been going on, I just found out about it a couple of years ago, but then again I only started paying attention a couple of years ago as my interest started. Container gardening is exactly what it sounds like, gardening in containers. Growing plants in pots, it's great for people with small yards, poor soil, limited space, or people with apartment balconies. It allows you to grow plants in places you usually couldn't.

It's a great thing; it allows plants to be moved based on the amount of sunlight needed. It also allows for mobility in the event that there is an unusually cold spring with late frosts like this past year. There is no tilling of a large area needed, nor is there usually the need for a ton of weeding. Sound good so far? Now for the rest of the story.

Container gardening is good, but at the same time it can be a real pain. Because the root system isn't in the ground and is limited in how much it can grow your plants growth is effected, which in turn affects the size and amount of the fruit or vegetables produced. In addition to this, since it's a small container it dries out quickly needing constant watering. Because of the small size you're limited in the types of plants you can grow, some things need more than just a gallon pot.

This year I didn't have the space to grow things like last year, so I attempted some container gardening. Last year I grew watermelons because I wanted to grow something but didn't want to do a ton of work. From one of the melons I kept seeds to plant the following year, only this year there was nowhere to plant them. As spring got closer I started to think, the only thing that needs to be in the ground is the root system. The vines and the melons all grow on the surface, so that shouldn't matter. I found a pot, about two gallons, filled it with soil, and planted the seeds.

The first round sprouted, but didn't make it, most likely a result of the cold wet spring we had. I had a couple left so I decided to try again not expecting it to work, but having nothing to lose tried again. This time I got seven vines that grew and began to spill over the edges of the pot onto the ground. I moved it to a spot in the yard and surrounded it with a small piece of fencing to keep the deer off of it. I've been watering it daily, and have added plant food as needed to increase the fertility of the soil.

I have five melons growing on the vines, but they aren't really what I'd call melons. One is about the size of a softball, one is about the size of a baseball, and the other three are like golf balls on weak steroids. They have full sun pretty much all day. They are well watered with proper drainage so the roots get enough but don't rot. And I've added nutrients into the soil so that the plants have energy to grow, but in spite of all of this, some things just weren't made to grow in a container.

(Side note: If you want to grow watermelons and have a confined space there is a type called Bush Sugar Baby which will grow in a pot. I helped my niece plant some this spring and her's are doing very well, 15 healthy vines with about a dozen and a half melons.)

So where am I going with this? I'm honestly trying to remember. This might be one of those things that seemed like a really good idea until you start to actually work with it. It all started with the fact that my watermelons, which are Crimson Sweet and not Bush Sugar Baby, are not seeming to do too well in the container they are planted in.

Thinking back to Psalm 1, the righteous man is compared to a tree that is firmly planted by streams of water which bears its fruit in its season and its leaf does not whither. A tree planted in the ground has room to grow. Plants need three essential nutrients to grow, Nitrogen which helps the part of the plant you see, Phosphorus which helps the roots, and Potassium which focuses on all around plant health. Phosphorus is something that is quick to drain from the soil, so in order to get it; the roots have to keep moving outward and deeper into the soil. The bigger the root system the more secure the plant is in the ground. In a container the roots can only go the edges of the pot. They aren't firmly rooted in anything, and they get to a point where they stop expanding because they no longer need to.

A pot bound plant is dependent upon someone watering it. Again, pots dry out quickly and without constant watering the plant will wither and die. But a tree planted in the ground by a constantly flowing fresh water source is connected to a source of life. It isn't dependent upon anyone, just its life source that is easily accessible. It will not wither. Because of this the tree can produce an abundance of fruit when the season is right. When the plant is free to grow, and empowered to grow, the possibilities are endless. I've asked before, how many pieces of fruit are in a seed?

The Christian life cannot be a container garden existence. We cannot limit our growth and fruitfulness by staying in a comfort container. If we don't allow ourselves to grow, if we don't challenge ourselves to grow, then we starve ourselves. If we don't have a real personal faith, a faith that is rooted in a personal relationship with God, we will wither and die. The Christian must be like a tree planted by a stream of water, otherwise it’s just a plant with a momentary existence.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Why do the Righteous Bear Fruit?

The righteous bear fruit which allows them to stand before God. Their lives produce something fit to be offered to Him. But as I said in the last post, it is not the deed that redeems a person and makes them righteous. The righteous works of a man are like filthy rags, fit for nothing. But the works of a righteous man are good and pleasing to God. So the question becomes, why do the righteous bear fruit?

The answer to this question is found in verses 2-3. "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers."

When I was reading this chapter earlier in the week something hit me for the first time. Verse 2 says that he meditates IN the law of the Lord day and night. In, not on. I think usage of the preposition in speaks so much more clearly about the key to bearing fruit. When something is on something it can be removed. A book set on a table can easily be picked up. A sock dropped on the floor is easy to move. When something is on something it is resting there, but it is exposed. A house built on a hill, though it has a solid foundation, is still on it. It is exposed to the elements and will be damaged over time, eventually falling down.

But the word in gives a whole new picture. When something is inside of something else it is covered and protected. My heart is located inside my chest, surrounded by my ribs, some muscle and flesh, in order to protect it. When something is in something else, it is covered and protected. In some ways it becomes part of that thing surrounding it. That is the idea of our relationship with God and His standards. We are to meditate in them day and night. They are to become a part of who we are, and we are to live according to His standards. The longer we meditate on them, the easier it becomes to live them out because they are that much more apart of us.

And as we become enveloped in God, something incredible happens. We become a tree firmly planted by streams of water. Apart from God we are confined to a container. Our growth is hindered, our supply of resources is limited, and our productivity is greatly slowed and diminished. But when we come to God, when we allow Him to save us, forgive us, and redeem us, He removes us from the container and plants us in good soil. Here we have limitless room to grow. The roots can grow deep and spread out, securing us.

Not only are we planted in good soil, but it is by a stream of water. There is a constant source of life that we can tap into and grow. And when this is the case, we produce fruit in season and the leaf does not wither. It is crucial to note that fruit comes in season. There is a time for an apple tree to give apples, and a time for it not to. Different types of apple trees produce fruit at different times of the year. And it's the same way with us. There will be times when we produce fruit and times when we don't. There will be times when we produce a great abundance of fruit, and other times when we produce only a little. But remember, the leaf does not wither. The tree is never dead. It is constantly growing, constantly sending its roots deeper. It is constantly alive and growing, and when it is able to, it produces fruit that is fit to be presented to God.

The righteous man can stand before God because he has fruit to offer. The righteous man has fruit to offer because he is connected to God and growing. If there is no connection to God there is no life, and therefore no fruit, only chaff. Where there is only chaff, there is no offering and therefore no way to stand.

What does your life look like? Right now I don't feel like I'm being very fruitful. I've seen some fruit in the past, nowhere near as much as I'd like to, but there has been some. But right now it feels like I'm not in season. It's frustrating to not be able to do the thing that you know God has called you to do. But at the same time it's crucial to remember that I am rooted in God, still alive, and still needing to grow so that when the season comes, I can produce an abundance.

Right now I'm trying to pour into some people that God has laid on my heart, and some others that He has put in my path. My situation isn't ideal by any means, but it is where God has me planted for right now. What about you?

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Why Can the Righteous Stand?

"For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish" (Psalm 1.6). Why will the righteous stand before God while the wicked cannot? Why does God know the way of the righteous while the wicked perish? The answer is found in what their lives produce.

We stand in one of two places, in the path of sinners or in the judgment with the righteous (all will face judgment before God, but the righteous will be welcomed into His presence forever.). Where we stand, how we live, determines what our lives produce. The reason the righteous can stand is because his life produces fruit that is fit to be offered to God.

"He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers" (verse 3). He will be like a tree firmly planted by water which yields its fruit. The life of the righteous has something good to show for it. It produces fruit that is useful, and pleasing to God. It produces something that can be presented before God, and it is offered by cleansed hands that can present the offering. The righteous stand because they have something good to show for their lives.

Salvation is not based on works; I know that this could sound that way. A man is not made righteous because he does good things on earth. The fruit is only produced because the righteous man is rooted in God (more on this in the next post). The fruit that is fit to be offered to God is only able to be produced in a life that has been cleansed and redeemed by Him. The Bible says in Isaiah 64.6, "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away." If you've read Crazy Love you'll know that the phrase "filthy garment" in the original Hebrew refers to menstrual rags, used tampons.

A life that has not been cleansed and forgiven by God cannot produce anything good enough the cleanse itself. No amount of good deeds can cleanse the stain of sin. It is only by the blood of Christ that we are forgiven. And that forgiveness, the new life that it produces, the being transplanted from a confining pot to good soil by a water source (another garden post is coming soon), results in good works, fruit fit to be offered to the King.

James 2.26 says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead." Without action faith is useless. Without producing apples, an apple tree is worthless. When we enter into righteousness by the blood of Christ, when the sin and wickedness is pruned, and when we are transplanted, we begin to produce fruit in our lives.

But the life of the wicked doesn't do that. "The wicked are not so, but they are like chaff which the wind drives away" (Psalm 1.4). The life of the wicked produces nothing fit to be offered to God. In fact what the wicked produces is nothing more than the husk that is beaten off of the kernel and blown away by the wind. It cannot be offered to God because it is unfit for any use. And without the redeeming blood of Christ to sanctify it, every deed is nothing more than chaff to be carried off by the wind.

The righteous stand because they have fruit worthy to offer to the King, and clean hands to present it. The wicked have nothing to offer, except some worthless dirty rags they have tried to clean up.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Where Will You Stand?

Right now I'm doing a personal study of the book of Psalms. Unlike last month where I blogged on every chapter of Proverbs, I am not undertaking the task of writing a blog on each of the 150 Psalms, at least not right now. During July there were some days where I definitely wrote because I had to, and not necessarily out of inspiration from what I was reading. Because of this I know that some posts were not my best work. And so for the rest of the year my focus is going to be on the things that stand out to me and inspire me, which was why I started this blog almost four years ago. Some chapters will have a few posts over a several days, others won't get any attention.

My reason for this study is a search for Fathering by God. On my other blog I am working through The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge, and he presents the material as a map for the masculine journey. In chapter four he talks about finding healing/Fathering in Scripture, and one of the Biblical examples he points out of a man of God is David. And so for the past week I've really been feeling God leading me to really dive into this section of Scripture more than I ever have before. And so over the next few months you are invited to join me on this journey.

Psalm 1 is where I begin; this will be the first of three posts from this chapter. I couldn't tell you how many times I've read this chapter, but I think it may be one of the Psalms that I've read the most. And even though that is the case, something new has hit me this time around. Verse 1 says, "How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers!" As I kept reading something hit me in verse 5, "Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous." Do you see the similarities?

In these two verses we see our options. Righteousness and wickedness, and the question is where will you stand? Will you stand with the wicked and the sinners, or with the righteous when judgment is passed? Do you stand in the path of sinners or in the assembly of the righteous? Really these are the only two options we are presented with, the only real choice we have.

The man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked does not run the risk of standing in the path of sinners, and ultimately sitting in the seat of scoffers. If he keeps his way pure and upright he is blessed because he will be able to stand at the judgment, and dwell among the righteous when they are gathered together before God.

We will all stand somewhere, where will you stand?

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

One of Those Posts from the Garden

Pruning, it's one of those crucial things to do with several plants. It's something I need to do with my wife's roses, and two of my raspberry bushes right now. And it's something I'm procrastinating on getting to. It's one of those tasks that is vitally important, but it takes some time and effort to do correctly. Plus there is always the clean up afterwards. And I only have three plants to work on right now!

Pruning is important because a plant can produce one of two things, wood/leaves or flowers/fruit. A plant only has so much energy that it is able to put towards growth and production, and if pruning doesn't take place that vital energy is spent on the previous option. If I want my raspberries to be able to give me a late season harvest I have to go out and cut away the dead and dying branches. If I want my wife's roses to continue to bloom I need to get my clippers and cut away the dead flowers and excess shoots. Otherwise I'm just going to have a couple green bushes for the deer to munch on.

I'm a big fan of plants (if these couple posts on gardening haven't told you already), but I'm not a big fan of plants that don't produce edible material. We have the roses because they are my wife's favorite flower, and I have one or two other decorative plants I'd like to put on a landscape at some point in the future for looks, but I'm not one of those people who will have flowers growing in every open spot in the yard. I hate annuals (the plants that live for a single season and die) because they are too much work for so little enjoyment. It's crucial that I do my pruning so that big, healthy fruit can be produced, otherwise I end up with a landscape that I really don't want.

As you're reading this you probably think you know where I'm going. "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 7.19), but no that's not what I'm getting at with this.

I want you to think of your life as a seed, a seed with unlimited potential. At some point someone came along and planted the seed in sunny spot. It was watered properly, and it began to grow. As it matures it get's taller and stronger, soaking up the sun light and pulling water and nutrients from the soil. And then it buds, the flowers begin to appear, and as the seasons change those flowers begin to transform into fruit. But the fruit is small and limited. Too much of the energy has been spent producing branches to help the tree stand out and get more sunlight. It is concerned with it's own life, and everything goes to self-preservation.

And now imagine that moment when you came to know Christ. The land the tree is on is bought by a farmer who knows who to care for plants, keep them healthy, and make them productive. He pulls out a saw and begins to cut away branches. He strips the tree down to what it needs in order to survive. He cuts away the limbs that do nothing but suck life. He adds compost to the soil, improving it and adding nutrients to it. The next year the blooms come again, and as the seasons change this time the fruit is large and abundant. The tree has produced something useful for others, and within each piece of fruit are new seeds that can be planted. The tree is not useful to others.

As I said, our lives are like that tree. The farmer is Jesus, the pruning is Him cutting away everything that doesn't look like Him from our lives, the things that don't lead others to new life. The compost is the things that make us stronger, Christian fellowship, Bible study, prayer, the things that help us learn who God is and connect with Him. All of these things not only make us more fruitful, but the fruit that we produce has limitless potential in each seed that is planted.

Pruning isn't an easy or pleasant task, sometimes the things Jesus is trying to get rid of are things we have held onto for years. Things we have used as defense mechanisms to protect ourselves, can be huge hindrances to our fruitfulness. When we focus on self-preservation, we halt ability to invite others to new life in Christ because we are not living in new life with Christ. We must be willing to let Jesus prune away the branches that we don't need, because they are sucking the life out of us. He is an experienced gardener, and knows what He is doing, we're in good hands.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, August 5, 2013

Bullied by the Devil

For the last five days I have been.  I have been hit with doubt and discouragement which has led to small divisions.  It came on pretty quickly and it has been a couple really intense days.  And sadly they have been needless days of struggling.

In the book of James it says, "Submit therefore to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  The fact that we are told to resist implies that we are going to be targeted.  Satan is a fallen angelic being who is working to destroy all things good, and he is able to lay a beating on us, spiritually, emotionally, even physically.  He wants to take all people out, and if we claim to be followers of Christ, if we strive to be more like Him, then we hang a huge sign on our backs saying, "Here I am, hit me."  And of course he does.  He strikes quickly to try to prevent any counter attack.  He hits hard to try and demoralize us.  He strikes often to keep us down.  Each blow has his full weight behind it and is carefully aimed for maximum effect.  

Time after time we take it.  We try to get up only to be knocked down again.  We try to run only to be tripped up.  It seems like a hopeless assault we are powerless to do anything about, and on our own we are.  This is what happens when we try to live by just the second half of the verse.

On our own we cannot resist the devil.  Alone we cannot stand up to him or overcome him.  He is too strong of an adversary for any man.  The only way to have the devil flee is for us to submit to God.

In God we find the ultimate big brother.  We have someone bigger and stronger than the devil.  Don't think that God and Satan are equals, too many people make that assumption.  God is the eternal creator, Satan is a created being.  God is all powerful, Satan has what power God allows him to possess.  But Satan is no match for God.

Submitting to God, is like walking down the street with your big brother.  The bully hides and waits for you to walk around the corner, but when you have your big brother with you he runs away.

Are you walking down the street by yourself?  For the last  few days I have been.  For whatever reason I've allowed myself to lose sight of my big brother, and I've taken a beating.  I've tried to stand up to an enemy that over powers my feeble attempts to resist him, and I've even found myself mad at God and blaming God  even though its my fault for trying to do this alone. 

It's not easy to get back to Him as you're being hit from all sides, but as we work towards Him, He comes to our rescue, and tells the enemy to back off.  He picks us up and brings healing to our wounds.  

The enemy is real, and he is waiting for the opportunity to take you out. Stay close to God and though he'll try, he won't be successful.  God will not let you be taken out.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Glorify the Lord

Proverbs 3.5-8, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones."

Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Two verses I've been reading a lot recently. The command to trust and the results from trusting. Then we have instructions on how to trust and more of the results. But perhaps the greatest proof of our trust in God is found in the third verse on my list.

Ephesians 3.20-21, "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

I've been reading this one a lot this year, trying to remind myself of the great things God is able to do in my life. Things that are greater and far beyond my wildest imagining. It shouldn't come as a surprise that God can do more than we think, after all we are finite and He is infinite. We are temporary, He is eternal. And yes, God should be glorified for the things that He has done and will do. But today as I thought about this section something really hit me, I am to glorify God for the things He is able to do, that is what this is saying.

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think," God is limitless in His power and potential. The only limit is the faith and the trust we put in Him, because it limits what we are able to receive from Him. But if we dream big, if we pray big, if we hope and trust big, then God is able to do bigger and beyond, because we are willing to trust Him as He leads into the unknown. We must realize that everything, even the things beyond our expectations, is simply a glimpse of all that God can do.

"According to the power that works within us," God is at work in us. Philippians 1.6 says, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is at work in us to mold us into the image of Christ. The deeper we go, the more trust is required, but I think in some ways it becomes easier to trust. The more we see God come through, the more confidence we have in Him to come through again. The more we trust and rely upon Him, the more like Christ we become. God is at work in us to do abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.

"To Him be the glory in the church in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." And so to God alone be the glory simply for who He is. Let God be glorified simply because of all that He can do, whether He chooses to act or not.

As I wrote that last line my mind went to Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego are sentenced to be thrown into the furnace for refusing to bow before the image Nebuchadnezzar set up. When given a final chance to bow and save their lives they respond, "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up" (Daniel 3.17-18). They know that God can save them, and they glorify Him for that. But even if He chooses not to act on their behalf, they still praise Him.

Right now my wife and I are in a situation where if God doesn't come through for us, I don't know what's going to happen. I know that God is able to do everything for us and work everything out, and for the last few days I have been crying out to Him in deep desperation. I know God can do far more than I am asking, and if He does I will praise Him. But what if He doesn't, will I have the same response?

It's human nature to be bitter and feel sorry for ourselves when things don't work out. But I am called to be like Christ. I don't want to be resentful if things don't work out the way I am hoping they will. I want to give God the glory that He alone is worthy of no matter the outcome.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Friday, August 2, 2013

Pray to the Lord

Yesterday I made a note with three different verses on it, verses I really need constant reminding of right now. The first one listed is Proverbs 3.5-8, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." As I wrote yesterday's post my mind kept going to the second verse I added to the list.

As I said yesterday, there is a lot on my heart and mind. I'm a more calm today than I was yesterday, but still a lot up in the air. Definitely need to be trusting God, and not worrying; otherwise I'm going to drive myself crazy. How can we know and show that we trust God? How can we live lives without worry? Philippians 4.6-7, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"Be anxious for nothing" yeah, that's what I need to listen to right now. Anxiety is not of God, and it has no place in the lives of His children. It's easy as humans to be anxious, but it only comes when we don't trust God. We are anxious when we think that God might not come through for us. We are anxious when we feel we've made too big a mess of things for God to fix. We are anxious when we believe we have to make our own security for the future. Anxiety is the opposite of trust. If trust is giving our problems to God, anxiety is taking them right back. And so we are told to be anxious for nothing.

"But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" I love that it says "but". Don't be anxious, but instead to this. Rather than worry, which only makes things seem worse than they are, we need to talk to God. We need to pray. The word "supplication" has also been translated as "petition" I believe in the NIV, it means "humble prayer." We are to come humble before God, and share what is on our hearts. God wants to hear our requests, it says "let your requests be made known to God." God wants us to pray to Him, He wants us to make requests of Him. Requests, not demands. And our requests are to be made with thanksgiving. This is only possible with humility. We thank God for the chance to come before Him. We thank God for listening to us. We thank God for all that He has done and is going to do. We don't worry, we give it to God.

"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." The result of humble prayer offered with gratitude, is peace. Trust brings healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones, that is what the peace of God does. It goes beyond all worry and reason, and assures us that God has this. It's a reminder that no matter what happens, we always have Christ. Paul says just a few verses in latter that "Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (verses 11-13). Contentment in Christ is found in the fact that no matter what we go through, we always have Christ. This is the peace of God.

Trust and healing, prayer and worry free life. Straight paths walked with Christ. This is what comes when we trust in God, and God will do it. The last verse on my list says so.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Trust in the Lord

After a month of blogging through the book of Proverbs the thing that stands out to me the most from the book is from day 3. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." The book talks about wisdom and discipline, humility and hard work, but I think the foundation of all of that is Proverbs 3.5-8, and in fact, I believe these few simple phrases are the heart of Scripture.

Right now, there is a lot on my heart and mind, more than I can say in a blog post. These are the words that I need to keep in mind, and this has been pretty much all my wife has been telling me for the last 18 hours.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart" fully trust God. Don't hold on to anything, and hold nothing back from Him. Give Him every concern, every uncertainty, every hope and dream. Let God be God.

"And do not lean on your own understanding" don't try to take God's job. I'm my own biggest critic, and left to myself I can worry, panic, become discouraged, and shut down. Left to my own understanding I come up with futile solutions that don't really help all that much.

"In all your ways acknowledge Him" seek God first. No matter what the outcome of a situation, realize that God has your greatest good in mind. Everything that happens is Him working to mold you into the image of Christ so that you can glorify God. In everything we do, we must give the outcome to God and give our best. As we seek Him in everything He will be near to us.

"And He will make your paths straight" God has got this. The future is not a mystery to Him. Your life and circumstances are not unknown to Him. He knows your needs and struggles. He knows your gifts and passions. He knows the path we must walk, and as we acknowledge Him, He will make that path straight. He does not remove the hills and the valleys. He doesn't cut down the forests we must walk through or dry up the rivers we must cross. God does not remove the hardships from our lives because they help mold us into Christlikeness, but He does straighten the path we walk so that it leads directly to the destination.

"Do not be wise in your own eyes" don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Humility is essential to walking with God. If we feel that we are wise enough, and gifted enough, what do we have need of God for? If we feel capable and sure of everything we undertake what do we need to acknowledge God for?

"Fear the Lord and turn away from evil" realize the power and greatness of God. We must come to see our utter dependence upon Him. Without Him we are nothing. Apart from Him we can do nothing. Away from God there is no life, no hope, and no meaning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and it is what keeps us from evil.

"It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones." Trusting in God, acknowledging and fearing Him, humbly fearing Him, all of these offer healing and refreshment. When we trust in God we free ourselves from worry. We take our problems and give them to God, freeing ourselves to serve and worship Him. When we trust in God we free ourselves from the uncertainty of the future. Trusting God means we walk securely ahead as He leads us. There is no need to worry yourself sick over anything because God has got it.

This is the attitude I am praying for. This is how I want to live. Whatever happens, it will not catch God of guard or unprepared. He knows my situation and my heart, and whatever happens, He will mold me into the image of Christ. So trust in the Lord.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Daily Wisdom, Proverbs 31

Proverbs 31

This is it, day 31. This month has gone by so fast. And here at the end of Proverbs we find closing remarks on men and women. Women in the Church hold the woman discussed in the closing verses of this book as the model to strive for, but I have never heard a message on, or a conference focused on, the man mentioned in this passage. Last year or the year before I wrote a few posts on the verses that tell us of the Proverbs 31 man, but as I read this morning, I realized I missed two key verses.

Proverbs 31 Man

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy" (verses 8-9).

Men are to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. They are the stand up for the rights of those who are overlooked. They must not keep quite as injustice tramples the innocent. A man was made to be strong. He was made to be a defender and protector, a leader. A man must do what is right, and stand up for righteousness because if a man doesn't no one can. God gave us strength to use in service to Him and others; we must not compromise it and turn a blind eye.

"The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain... Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land... Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 'Many daughters have done nobly, but you excel them all.'" (verses 11, 23, and 28-29).

Husbands, trust your wives. Know who she is and what she is capable of. Trust her gifts and watch how God blesses her as you support her. Husbands, live with integrity. Be the leader you were called to be. Husbands, bless and encourage your wives. Let them know that you are captivated by them, and this means so much more than physical attraction. Give her your words and your strength.

Proverbs 31 Woman

I read in a book that if we look at most women in the church we'll see that Christian woman are exhausted. They don't feel captivating or pursued, just overworked and underappreciated (Wild at Heart). This model woman held up here is what they strive for, but don't feel they will ever attain. I believe for a wife to be able to be the woman mentioned here two things must happen. One her relationship with God must be intimate (as it must be for a man if he is to be the man mentioned here). Without the relationship she is left to try and give, and to come short and never be filled. But with God, she will constantly hear His truth spoken into her. She will see her beauty, she will know she is loved and fought for.

Second, her husband must be the man he was created to be. She can be the woman without the man, God is enough if she will let Him be. But a husband can cripple or heal his wife. He can nurture her so she blossoms, or trample her so she wilts. His words are often louder and clearer than God's, and he can even shape her perception of God. A man must play the man if his wife is to be the woman.

We see this woman works hard, and speaks truth. She is wise and frugal. She is captivating and blessed. Her family loves and appreciates her. How many women do you know like this?

God had a plan for the roles of men and women, and when each plays their part, it's a beautiful thing. But it all begins with wisdom and humility that is found in the fear of the Lord. It all begins with God. If we are to be the people we were created to be, it begins with Him. We were created in His image, made in His likeness. It is only by His workmanship that we can be molded into what we were created to be.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Daily Wisdom, Proverbs 30

Proverbs 30

"Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar" (verses 5-6).

These verses make me think of Paul's words to Timothy, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3.16-17). God is the author of truth, and everything He has said has stood the test of time. The more I learn the more I see how much God really does know what He is talking about.

Today, it is crucial that His word not be compromised or watered down. Too often this happens, it happened back in Paul's day. Immediately after the words above he says this, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4.1-5).

God's truth is not always popular, every day it gets less and less so. But those who hear His words and ignore them will one day have to answer why. Those who speak falsely and lead others astray will one day have to give an account for what they have done. Those who add to His words, those who miscommunicate them, will be revealed as liars. But those who dwell in His word. Those who take refuge and intimately learn what God has said, He will be their shield and security. They will stand in His presence and receive honor.

"Two things I asked of You, do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion, that I not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the LORD?' and profane the name of my God" (verses 7-9).

Here we see glimpses of the Lord's Prayer from Matthew 6. "Feed me with the food that is my portion", "Give us this day our daily bread". "Keep deception and lies far from me", "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil". The prayer to be kept from things that would lead you astray, and the prayer to have your needs met. This prayer shows the desire for intimacy and dependence upon God. This is how we were meant to live.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Monday, July 29, 2013

Daily Wisdom, Proverbs 29

Proverbs 29

Side note, it really bothers me that the last post is in a different font. I have a slight amount of OCD with certain things, but I had to try a new tactic for writing on my phone, and so the different font is the result of that. But I will be setting that aside because I don't know if there is any way to change it, and I'd probably make myself more crazy if I tried to. Anyway, moving on to today.

It's interesting how different things hit you at different times of life. When I read this chapter on my phone before work I highlighted things that aren't highlighted in my Bible. And there are things highlighted in my Bible that I didn't highlight today. But one thing that is highlighted in both is verse 11, "A fool always loses his temper but a wise man holds it back."

This statement shows an aspect of maturity and control that comes from an intimacy with God. It is easy to lose your temper. Things come up hourly that can set you off, and it's not hard to let them. It's easy to shorten a fuse. But part of the Fruit of the Spirit is self-control. Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, and it continues as we grow in grace into new life in Christ. As we grow, the fruit of righteousness, the Fruit of the Spirit, is produced in our lives. And as the fruit matures, wisdom increases.

The more we grow in Christ, the more we become like Christ, the more self-control, or Spirit-control since it is of the Spirit, we are able to exercise.

"The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother" (verse 15).

When a child is given discipline and correction, they learn self-control. It is the job of the parents to teach their children to fear and love the Lord. It is their job to set their child's feet on the path of wisdom and righteousness. Self-control begins at an early age when a child is taught that they cannot simply live for them self. You ruin your child if you spoil them and let them walk all over you. "Correct your son, and he will give you comfort; he will also delight your soul" (verse 17).

"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law" (verse 18).

How many churches have a solid vision that more than the pastor is aware of? If not, the church isn't growing and thriving. Without vision you have a group of people that show up out of habit, enjoy their comfortable routine, and go home around noon on Sunday with a check next on their Spiritual to-do list.

But when there is God-centered, Kingdom-focused, vision, when the leadership is passionate about it, when the people know it and live it out, you have a Church that is expanding the boarders of the Kingdom. When there is vision to follow and get behind you have direction, you have a heading. Vision is so important, because without it there is chaos.

"A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor" (verse 23).

Humility is the key. Without humility we can never come to God. Without humility we can never find wisdom. Without humility there is no life.

"The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Many seek the ruler's favor, but justice for mans comes from the LORD" (verses 25-26).

Fear of man is crippling. It keeps you from living and risk taking. If we are too afraid of failure, of not impressing someone, of letting others down, we play it safe and don't really live. There is no passion, just existence. But if there is trust in God, we follow His leading into the unknown.

Men can be bribed, and justice then is corrupted, but God is the righteous judge. He is the source of justice. Every deed will be laid before Him and judged, and no one will be able to escape His sentence. No one can bride or talk their way out of the judgement of a good judge. Those who have been given injustice on earth, those who have been taken advantage of and abused will have justice from God. He will defend the defenseless. He will speak on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. And no one who does wickedness can escape it.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Daily Wisdom, Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28

"Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand all things.  Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich.  He who keeps the law is a discerning son, but he who is a companion of gluttons humiliates his father" (verses 5-7).

The fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and apart from god there is no understanding.  Those who practice evil live selfishly, and cannot understand justice.  They live with a sense of entitlement and untouchable arrogance.  Whatever is good for them is what is right.  Whatever brings them gain is good, no matter whose expense it is at.

That is why he who keeps the law is a discerning son.  He who lives justly is a source of pride for his father.  He who lives justly is praised by society.  But he who is a companion of gluttons brings humiliation.  The glutton never has enough, he is never satisfied or content.  They ways need more and don't care how they get it.  There is only shame and death here.

That is why it is better to be poor and full of I Gehrig than crooked and rich.  It is better to live in righteousness than wealth.

"A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days... He who rebukes a man will afterwards find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue" (verses 16 and 23).

There is a lot I could say here, following the instructions of verse 23, but I will limit it to this:  anyone in leadership, government, business, ministry etc. needs to read Proverbs and take in the warnings and instructions.  These are serious truths that should not be taken lightly.

"An arrogant man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.  He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered" (verses 25-26).

I have been through a rough stretch of life recently, but it looks like this time of wilderness wandering might be nearing its end.  But in this time I have learned a great deal about humility and trust.  I have learned about the fear of the Lord and wisdom, and if does mark the end of my wandering a I take these lessons into the next stage of life.  If there is farther to go, then I have seen God come through, and know that He will continue to provide until the time comes to enter the land of promise.

"He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses" (verse 27).

Again we are reminded of our responsibility to help the poor.  I don't know how God will lead you in this way, but just remember you obligation is to obey what He says to do.  God will always provide for what he tells you to do, it will require trust, but He will not let you down.

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you