Before You Make Your Next Decision - Read This.

I think I will start adding Daniel to the characters in my Nativity scene.  Weird you say?  Heresy?  "Daniel wasn't there the night Jesus was born" you yell.  Well, neither were the wise men.  In fact, I would say that Daniel plays a larger part in the Nativity story then the wise men do.  Now, I can't be 100% sure because the Bible doesn't spell it out for us, but it sure makes sense to me...  Follow the trail for a minute.  How did the wise men get to Bethlehem?  Well, Matthew 2 says they came from the East.  What was East of the Holy Land?  Only one of the largest nations of the world at the time, Babylon... Persia... or we could call them, Chaldean.  

Six hundred years before the birth of Jesus Daniel was taken as an exile from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon under king Nebuchadnezzar.  He was taken along with those three fire-proof guys, furnace testers, I think they were.   When they got to Babylon they were placed among the kings wise men.  But Daniel refused to eat the food the king ordered, instead, he asked for vegetables and water.  After a short test Daniel and his friends were found to be in better physical and mental shape then the men who had been eating the kings food.  And it began there...

That one choice to remain faithful to God in the midst of a crummy set of circumstances set a chain of events (directed by God's own hand of course) and resulted in Daniel being placed in charge of the province of Babylon AND head over all the kings wise men.  The fiery furnace causes the king to issue a decree that anyone in any nation who says something against God be cut into pieces and their houses destroyed because, "no other god can save in this way."

Later, under king Darius, the king is tricked by some fellow wise men of Daniels and Daniel is thrown into a den of lions.  The next morning Darius goes to the lion's den and shouts down to Daniel to see if he is still alive. After a moment of panic, Daniel responds that God sent His angels to shut the mouths of the lions and he is fine.  Which causes king Darius to proclaim, "in every part of my kingdom people must fear the reverence the God of Daniel.  'For He is the living God and He endures forever; His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end.  He rescues and saves; He performs signs and wonders...'"  Even into the reign of king Cyrus Daniel found favor and God was honored through his life.

Six hundred years later, because Daniel refused to eat the kings food and instead trust in God, the pagan Babylonian and then Persian kingdoms came to know God.  These Chaldean wise men probably were from the same group that Daniel led so many years before.  And because of Daniel's faithfulness they believed and were willing to make the journey to find Jesus and salvation.

Are you willing to follow God even when it might be difficult?  Are you willing to trust him even if what is going on around you doesn't make sense, maybe isn't even your fault?  Just think, trusting God today, on your journey no matter that finds you, could be the catalyst that causes people hundreds of years after you are gone to seek Jesus for themselves.  And isn't that what we are called to do?  To point to Jesus through our lives?   Only GOD could make your legacy stretch over hundreds of years, but only YOU can decide to follow Him in your next decision... perhaps the one that leads to a nation acknowledging Him.

What Happens When God Lives Here

I'm reading in the Old Testament this year and LOVE some of the prayers that King Solomon and his dad, King David prayed.  Reading in 2 Chronicles 6 today as Solomon dedicates the Temple to God and I can see that God did indeed give him incredible wisdom.  And I long for Real Life to inspire as the Temple did, not because of the architecture; the gold and dressed stones or the sheer size of the structure but because of God presence in what we're doing. 

Let me give you some background on what is going on so you get the full-effect.  King David stockpiled massive amounts of dressed stone, lumber, gold, silver and bronze for the construction of the Temple.  Then right before he died he gave massive amounts from his personal wealth to the cause.  Then when Solomon began construction he gave even more and the people of Israel contributed as well.  Think of it like, Fort Knox meets the Taj Mahal.  Yea.  Impressive.  Solomon was building a place for God, The God, to dwell so he knew it had to be the best. And now he is dedicating it to God in the presence of all the people of Israel who have come to see and to worship.

But Solomon didn't just dedicate it to God as His residence on earth, he dedicated the people TO God in this place.  And I think, as incredible a moment as this is, I love Solomon's vision and heart for God more than the pomp and circumstance the day required.  Let me quote the part of Solomon's prayer that I am just digging today so you can see what I mean.

"...And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation-people are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonderworking power-and who come to pray to this Temple.

Listen from your home in heaven and honor the prayers of the foreigner, So that people all over the world will know who you are and what you're like, And live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do, So they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is."

In the midst of dedicating this great Temple to God Solomon was looking forward to what this place would mean to people who were NOT Israelites.  The foreigners who would come from great distances because of, "Your reputation."  He knew that people around the world would be attracted to Jerusalem, in part because of the magnificence of the structure, but also because a God that would warrant such a great home must indeed be a GREAT GOD!  He even asks that God "listen" and "honor" the prayers of the foreigners so that, "people all over the world will know who You are and what You're like."  And then, because of God's Greatness they would, "live in reverent obedience" before Him, just like God's chosen people.  

But the last line is my favorite... "so they'll know that YOU PERSONALLY MAKE this Temple that I've built what it is."

It's not the brick and mortar, or the fancy band or the preaching or the nursery or restrooms or even the volunteers and people (sorry) that make a church great so that people from around the world would want to come (if it is then it will result in nothing).  It is the very presence of the God of the Universe.  

God, may people be attracted to Real Life because of YOUR reputation, not ours.  May they come here because of YOUR wonder-working power.  May they know who You are and what You're like and may that knowledge change their lives like it has ours.  May the people of Butler County and the whole world know that You personally make this church what it is.

Reminder to Parents

Just had a simple reminder today from Deuteronomy 31:9-13 I thought I'd pass on to those of you with children or if you're expecting children some day.

Children believe what we tell them as their parents.  We have the ability, through what we chose to say, to totally destroy their self-image, by being negative.  Or to build them up and encourage them to be the best they can be.  But this also works with our faith.  Moses told the people of Israel just before he died to, "make the children listen so that they will learn to live in holy Awe..."

Have you talked to your children about your faith?  Have you told them how God has worked in your life?  Do you share stories with them in the car or at dinner about how God is working in your life or what you learned about Him in a Bible study or prayer time?  The more comfortable you are in sharing your faith with your children the more they will see faith as a benefit and privilege instead of a boring or dead part of life that could be tossed aside.

If they see God working in your life, they will begin to look for Him working in their lives as well!  Don't assume that they "get" it at church or in Sunday School.  You have the power and the responsibility to instill faith in your children's lives, the earlier the better.

Here's how I have tried to remind myself to be conscious about this issue.  If I am instrumental in leading hundreds, even thousands to faith in Jesus through my ministry and life, yet see my children far from that faith I will have failed as a father and as a pastor.  My first faith responsibility is to MY family, then yours.  I will not trade their souls for any others.

Have you talked with your children about Jesus?  Next time you see a beautiful sunset talk to your kids about the God who spoke that into being.  At the first snow discuss with your children how no two snowflakes are alike and while super tiny, each one is beautifully created and nearly perfectly symmetrical.  God set that plan in motion thousands of years ago.  When God answers a prayer or works a miracle, no matter the size, in your life, let the family be the first to know!

By doing these simple things you will teach your children to live in holy Awe of the creator and lover of their souls.

There is Hope (Think Napoleon, not Uncle Rico)

I am generally a pretty critical person.  I think that we should pay for our mistakes and not just expect that God will get us out of the situations we get ourselves into.  God is not a genie who will appear and grant a wish every time we get in a tough spot.  I guess I've thought of God more like Uncle Rico, who constantly points out the stupid decisions I've made.  He may offer me a job selling DuPont woven fiber bowls door to door, might even let me drive his van, but he's always gonna make out a little better and I'm always gonna be counting my change on the kitchen table.  That's kind of the God we see in Deuteronomy 29 where Moses is listing the curses that will come on the people if they do not follow God with their whole heart.  It's a depressing chapter and kinda makes we want to throw grapefruits.

Then today I come to chapter 30 and maybe my view of God is not quite accurate.  See, in chapter 30 Moses tells the people what will happen if, while they are serving others and laboring and dying in other countries under the oppression of other nations, they turn back to God with their heart and soul.  He says God will restore EVERYTHING they lost, He'll have compassion and get them out of those nations and bring them back to Jerusalem and make them more numerous than their ancestors!

See I have this view of God sometimes, like He's just watching me suffer because I was the one who messed up and He wants to teach me a lesson.  But if God always let me suffer for the stupid mistakes I've made and the pain I've caused Him and others He would never respond to me again.  But He doesn't do that!  He doesn't let me suffer the full-extent of my own stupid actions.  See, even if I go off on my own and do things my way, if I realize my mistake and come back to Him He is faithful and just and will forgive and save me!  THAT MEANS THEIR'S HOPE!

But look at what else!  God will not only welcome me back into relationship, verse 6 says He will, "cut away the thick calluses on my heart and on my children's hearts, freeing me to love God with my whole heart!"  He not only forgives and welcomes, He actually makes it easier for me to love Him, cutting away all the crap I've let build up.

And the end result is that I am able to "make a new start, listening obediently to God..." (verse 8).

Here's the bottom line.  If you've messed up there is no point at which God ever says, "that's enough, I'm done with him/her."  He not only waits for you to come back to Him, He's watching for the exact moment so He can jump in and save you.  Maybe you've been burned by religion and so have left God.  The reality is that there are lots of religions out there that claim God - but He doesn't claim them.  Don't let what someone else said or did mess up your relationship with the God who loves you and died for you.  And if you're a believer but have made some bad choices, God is there to restore you, if you return to Him with heart and soul.

Do you need a new start?  Are you tired of being so grumpy and irritated and mad at the world because you think it's out to get you?  Turn (or return) to God, my God, He'll not only save you, He'll restore you!  He's full of compassion and love and one of His greatest loves is rescuing those who have messed up and come to Him for help.  So, if you're sitting in your truck and reading this - it's for you.  Open up a little and God will do the rest.  He hears you, knows you and loves you.

Turns out, God is a lot more like Napoleon then Uncle Rico... He's waiting until you realize you can't do it yourself.  That's when the music starts and He dances for you.

What's Your View of Church?

Has the focus of Church changed over the years.  It seems that church used to be about church.  Now there are social activist churches.  There are Pro-Life churches.  There are churches that take on current political issues.  There are churches that focus on self-help or self-improvement.  There are even sports or activity churches.  There are coffee churches and family churches and singles churches there are even churches that spend their time on the homosexual agenda, either fighting to promote it or to squash it.

I'm not saying that all these things are necessarily bad.  I think the church should have an impact on social, political and personal issues.  But too often these areas the church is supposed to impact end up being the main focus of our gatherings.  I personally know of a church that had a pro-life focus and the preacher actually got up in the pulpit and celebrated the fact that he had been arrested and spent a night in jail during the week.  (I thought we were supposed to obey the law of the land - like as a command from Scripture.  Romans 13:3-5).  In many cases the church no longer influences society as a natural expression of changed lives through the Holy Spirit, but makes a social issue the focus and uses it to teach some truths about God.

In my Bible reading yesterday I came across this passage from 1 Chronicles 29:1 (Great stuff in this chapter about humility; vs 14 and parenting; vs 19).  In this chapter and those leading up to it, King David is preparing to hand the reigns of the kingdom to his son, Solomon.  He's is talking to all Israel about God's decision that Solomon would build the permanent Temple for God, for which David has prepared most of the materials.  But it's in David's presentation about this building that got me thinking about how we view church today.

Here's what David said, "This place (the Temple) is NOT just a place for people to meet each other, but a house for God to meet us."  Profound.  Simple.  Perfect.  This building is not about getting together and catching up with those you haven't seen for six days.  It's not about fundraising or social/political conversations. Those things may happen at church and that's fine, but that is not what church is about.

No, church (not the building, but the gathering of God's people) is about a place for God to meet us.  It's where God's children come together to hear from Him.  To worship Him.  To honor Him as the beginning and the end.  To surrender to Him.  Confess their sins to Him.  To seek accountability so that we might receive more of Him.  To raise the call of holiness and righteousness that can only be found through Him.  It's not about us, but about Him.  So church should be a place where the heart of God is made known.  Where God's commands to love Him and love others are evident by actions.  Where people serve because He served and left us that example.

How would your view of church change if you really saw it the place where God was going to meet YOU?  Would it cause you to prepare for church differently?  Would you be more expectant when you entered?  Would you listen more intently?  Would your attitude be self or others focused?  Tell me how it would change your Sunday morning routine if you KNEW God was going to meet you in church...

...And then expect Him to meet you this Sunday.

Let Nothing Hold You Back

Deuteronomy 20
Moses is about to die and is addressing the Israelites before they cross the Jordan river and begin the assault on the people of Canaan to posses the land God had promised them.  He's talking about a whole bunch of important issues and how they are to be handled by people who follow the One True God.  He's talked of their Holy Days and how they are to worship.  And in the previous chapter he reminded them about the Cities of Refuge.  Now he deals with the subject of war.
The Nation of Israel was constantly at war.  Everything from full-out call all the troops, to little skirmishes that only took a division.  Somebody was always messing with them.  That somebody was Satan.  Satan owned the people in the neighboring cities and he is always looking to take out some of God's people.  There were periods of less peace and more peace or less war and more war, but it never completely came to an end.  Satan doesn't give up that easily.
So why do I fuss about the battles in my own life?  Satan never left the Israelites alone, why should he leave me alone?  I feel like I am constantly at war, even today, during a fast that is supposed to draw me closer to God I find that Satan is constantly trying to distract me.  He uses things that make me angry to get me angry.  He uses things that make me frustrated to frustrate me.  He uses this pretty severe hunger pain as a way to tell me, you're too weak, you can't do it and God doesn't care anyway.  I find myself wondering and asking, "God, where are You?  I'm struggling here where are you?"
Take a look at what the priests - God's spokesmen - are supposed to announce to the entire army of Israel as they line up and prepare for battle.

"Attention, Israel.
In a few minutes you are going to do battle with your enemies.
Don't waver in resolve.
Don't fear.
Don't hesitate.
Don't panic.
God, your God, is right there with you, fighting with you against your enemies.
Fighting to win."

When Satan comes after me he often tries to get me to weasel out of whatever I've told God I would do.  Like this fast, I really want to eat but I've resolved to finish out the day and break this three day fast at dinner tonight.  But a whole bunch of times I have almost had something to eat and thrown in the towel.
He also says the craziest stuff to us about what "might" happen.  He plays on our fears constantly especially the fear of the unknown.  What happens if I can't make my car payment or rent this month I'll get kicked out of my house and then what will I do?  Where will my next meal come from?  What if, what if, what if... all fears that Satan throws at us to try and get us to conclude that the risk is just to much greater than the reward.
And because he is so good at what he does we often hesitate and you know what happens then... yep.  It's all over.  So often I tell myself, get up now cause if you hesitate you won't do it.  When we hesitate it gives us the opportunity to quite and lets the enemy advance against us unchecked.
And finally he wants us to panic.  I've panicked before.  You freeze.  Unable to move.  You can't think straight and you become a very easy target.

The priest of God would cover it all - all the tricks of Satan, every angle that he uses to get us to withdraw and hide and freeze and fear and wait.  But God wants you to know something.

He's right there with you.  Fighting against the same enemy you are!  And He's not fighting a loosing battle, no he fights to win!  If God is for us, who can be against us?  No weapon that is fashioned against us shall stand!  Put on the full armor of God so that you can "take your stand" against the Devil's schemes.  I will not be afraid because YOU are with me, Your rod and staff they comfort me.

Jesus said, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.  Let's stop standing on the battle lines and get in the fight, God is on our side, whom shall we fear?!

A Giant Slayers Manifesto

When David was a young man, before he was king of Israel, maybe 16 or so, he killed the giant Goliath with a stone and a sling.  Goliath was supposed to be unbeatable at least that is the way it appeared as he faced the entire Israelite army - men trained for battle - and not one stepped up.  Goliath was surely a great warrior, his size alone made the enemy run.  Countless times the Philistines had marched him out to face their enemies and countless times Goliath was victorious.  Goliath made that famous wrestler, Andre the giant, look like an elementary school bully.  But David didn't fear the outcome of his battle with Goliath.  He knew God would come to his rescue, not because he was such a righteous young man, but because he believed God would not stand for this godless Philistine mocking His Great Name or the people God had chosen as His own.  And he was right.
Years later, Saul is dead along with his sons.  David has been made king of Israel and once again the Philistines want to start something with God's people.  This time though David doesn't have to do the fighting, three of his mighty men (one his own brother Jonathan) defeated three giants themselves.  One was the brother of Goliath whom David had killed.  The one Jonathan faced was a "hulking giant" who had "24 fingers and toes - six on each hand and foot."
The Philistines continued with their same old tricks; Find the biggest baddest dude you can to fight for you.  It had apparently worked well for them because they kept doing it.  But what would have happened if David had not fought Goliath all those years ago?  David had already been promised the kingdom so he would surely have still been king.  But I wonder if David or his men would have been so eager to fight the giants had David not gained that victory years before.  David may have been king but the Philistines would have no-doubt remained the big kid on the block.
What giants are facing in your life today that your children or grand-children may have to face years from now? Satan is kind of like a one-trick pony.  He sticks with what works or has worked.  Perhaps your giant is addiction - in whatever form that takes, drugs, drink, food, television, porn, games.  Maybe it's abuse, having been passed down to you by the generations before you.  Perhaps your giant is anger or jealousy or hatred or bigotry.  Whatever name your giant has, he's been kicking you around long enough.  David didn't fight Goliath in his own strength or wisdom he fought Goliath knowing that God would fight with him.  Maybe your faith is small - use it.  Maybe you only have one person who will help you - tell them.  Your will may be weak, your struggle long, but with God's help your giant can come crashing down and when you cut it's head off it will not mock you again.
And years from now when Satan tries to bring another giant to control and belittle and make slaves of your children they will stand and fight because if you could beat him they can too.

So take your rock and your sling and run you're not just fighting this battle for yourself you're fighting for your legacy, for the strength of your children's children and in God's Name and with His help you will leave a legacy of faith and victory instead of defeat and slavery.  Let's be giant slayers who grow giant slayers.

Who's Fault Is It, Really?

1 Chronicles 9:1
Someone a lot older and wiser than I once pondered the dash (-) between two numbers chiseled into a headstone at the cemetery.  The thought was that there was a whole lot of life captured by one small, insignificant grammatical symbol that is used to connect one thing to another.
In this post I'd like to steal that dash and insert it into the passage referenced above and then look at what really lead from "this" - (to) "that".

"This is the complete family tree for all Israel, recorded in the Royal Annals of the Kings of Israel and Judah at the time they were exiled to Babylon" (-).

What we know right now is that the nation of Judah (after Israel split into the Norther tribes (Israel) and the Southern tribe of Judah) has been exiled to Babylon.  Which seems weird because these were God's people!  God's chosen Nation!  How could... how would God let them be destroyed and taken captive?!  This was the tribe from which Jesus would later come and they are nearly destroyed and the city and Temple left in ruins.  We might consider all the reasons for such devastating trouble... in fact, this is what I thought of (from experience with trouble of various kinds).
Reasons God would allow the people of Judah to be destroyed and exiled:

1. He didn't love them anymore.
2. He was just no match for the Babylonians and their gods.
3. He was busy taking care of some other pressing matters and just didn't have the time.
4. He was vengefully getting back at them for their sin ("I'll show them!").
5. He was tired of listening to them and thought they deserved a little butt-whooping.
6. He was angry for the way they treated Him, they hadn't called much and were too busy for Him.

Maybe this is not how you handle trouble.  But when it comes into my life but I'm pretty sure I've considered each of the above as viable reasons why God was letting me go through some painful experience.  And I usually combine several of these into one massive, "I told you so!"  

Maybe He just doesn't love me anymore because I looked at that picture on my computer too long?  

Perhaps He's angry because I haven't talked with Him in a while?  

Satan is really after me, maybe God's having a hard time defeating him in this area of my life?  

I'm sure I deserve this God - after all, I am the worst of all sinners.

But let's look at what we're told about who God is and why He does what He does.

God NEVER stops loving us, not matter what - 1 John 4:16, John 3:16, Psalm 136:1-26

God is not weak or powerless - Deu 3:24

God does not get back at us for some sin we've committed - Psalm 78:38-39 

God is never too busy or tired or sleepy - Psalm 121:3-5

God does not grow tired of us - Isaiah 40:28

That was the dash, here's the rest of the 1 Chronicles passage, "this happened, "because of THEIR unbelieving and disobedient lives" (emphasis and capitalization mine!)

Our problems come from two sources.

1. Our own desire for selfishness and sin.
2. The very real presence of Satan working in the world and in our lives.

Satan we will always have as long as the world turns he'll be working to steal, kill and destroy - that is what he does.  So deal with it.  Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to take your stand against him.

But Romans 6 tells us that we are not longer slaves to our own desire for sin! 

So we need to stop blaming God for every bad thing that happens in our lives.  Truth is, God didn't do it, He doesn't want you to have trouble or pain or struggle (had sin not entered the world through man's selfishness we'd all be living in perfection just as God placed the first humans).  So, it's NOT God's fault that you and struggling it's Satan's and sins.  Now, if you are in Christ you must believe that the Holy Spirit working in you will lead you out of sin and into righteousness so that should be improving.  But Satan will always be there trying to work evil in your life.  But God even uses the naturally occurring consequences of sin (which Satan knows but doesn't understand, he thinks it's gonna work out every time) as DISCIPLINE so that we might be "taught not to sin" again.  This discipline helps us put to death the desire to sin and grow the desire to please God.

I need to stop blaming God for my problems and recognize that God is my rescue and my strength and Satan is my pusher.  Get behind me Satan so that I might be wholly and holy Gods.  

Just a reminder.

1. No other gods, only me.
2. No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever...
3. No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter...
4. No working on the Sabbath; keep it holy just as God, your God, commanded you...
5. Respect your father and mother-God, your God, commands it!
6. No murder.
7. No adultery.
8. No stealing.
9. No lies about your neighbor.
10. No coveting your neighbor's wife. And no lusting for his house...nothing that belongs to your neighbor!

Truth comes when we're open to it - not when we're prepared for it

Here's just something to ponder.

Here at Real Life we've been doing a series called Carbon Copy that has kind of taken on a life of it's own, at least for me.  We just finished week 4 and I have no idea how long we're gonna hang out on this series idea, I just feel like God is using it somehow (again, maybe just for me) to grow and draw us closer to Him.  The foundation text is 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.  And we're talking about how we ought to be Carbon Copies of Jesus in our daily life.

Last Saturday I attended Ozark Christian College's Building Stronger Teams conference with a friend from Real Life and I heard a guy say this, often the story on the inside doesn't match the story on the outside.  Isn't this the character flaw that Jesus called out in the lives of the religious leaders?  We need to be the same person on the inside and the outside.  This is not as easy as it seems though, I get that more than others.  I'm a goofball, I often say the wrong thing at the wrong time (which would be right, right?!) so me being the same person outside I am inside sometimes gets me in trouble!  Being a Carbon Copy means we avoid the issue of hypocrisy.  Hypocrisy only exists when we say one thing and do another. But if our inside and outside match up, hypocrisy looses it's power.

While preaching this Sunday I was getting this point across and while I was rolling this stuff out there was a little boy who got so excited during the music and stuff he just couldn't get all his wiggles out.  So while he danced around right in front of me God just spoke to my heart and brought a great truth to us all through this little boy.  Remember that Matthew 18:3 says, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Right there in the middle of the teaching I'm doing some theological thinking... Why did Jesus say that and what does it mean?  Well, I've heard a lot of things said about this passage and I'm sure someone, a lot of "ones" probably knew this already but it meant something to us right there on Sunday morning.  


Children are the same on the outside as they are on the inside.  Take your young child shopping to check out some of the "people of Wal Mart" and listen to what they say.  "God left them in the oven too long..."  beep, beep, beep, "watch out mom, their backing up!"  


How do we get to heaven?  We become like children, being the same on the outside as we are on the inside.    Carbon Copies are children - trusting completely, being the same on the inside and outside.

Try telling your fish to think outside his tank

Preparing for last week's message on love from the Carbon Copy series I'm doing I included this statement, GOD'S LOVE DOESN'T ALWAYS FIT OUR FRAMEWORK.  I was talking about how strange it was that the text could say, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was sick He stayed where He was two more days."  Does that make sense to you?  If you know the rest of the story it shouldn't, because it then takes Jesus even longer to get to Lazarus and once He does, Lazarus has been dead for four days.  How could Jesus love them and still wait?  I mean, it just doesn't make sense.

Here's the gist of the point.  God's love is so huge it's outside our framework for it.  Here's the love of our Savior.  John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He GAVE His only Son... and 1 John 3:16, we know what love is... Jesus Christ laid down His life for us.  THAT'S God's love.  Here's our love.  We say, "I love you" to our spouse and children and the family dog and the pizza on the kitchen counter.  We say, "I love you" to our spouse and then cheat on them in various forms.  Every child is born innately knowing that mom and dad love them, and then Dad beats them or sexually abuses them and Mom yells and tells them they had it coming and not to say anything or the bad people will come and take them away.  In Jr. and Sr. high schools its, "if you love me you will...(fill in the blank)" and then they say horrible things about the other whether they give in or not.  Is it any wonder we are messed up when it comes to love?

Our framework for love is so jaded, so skewed, so messed up that we can't possibly fully understand a love that is so all-encompassing and unconditional that our actions and attitudes have no bearing on it whatsoever.   God is the only person whose love is not dependent on what we do, what we say or how we (or He) feels.  No one... NO ONE else can say that.  Our love is absolutely affected by how we are treated by the ones we love- there are at times glimpses of incredible, supernatural love (as in the book, If I Perish) but we'll show this incredible love one minute and think something hateful the next.  God doesn't do that.

So there I am, it's Sunday morning, I'm preaching - in the middle of this point and it hits me...  Doesn't this principle fit every other aspect of our lives?  How we view and interact with the world is affected by the framework through which we see it.  Our experiences and successes and failures and understanding of love, forgiveness and kindness are all affected by what HAS happened to us.  How others treated our failures and successes.  Whether or not we experienced true forgiveness or unconditional kindness.  If someone has been abused by another person who was "supposed" to love them, do you think they ever truly experience love without that memory creeping in?

Now, we're told to think outside the box if we want to succeed or be innovative (huge word in church leadership circles right now - see, I'm hip to what's happening) in our lives or business ventures or churches.  The problem is, we can't.  We absolutely can NOT think outside the box, outside our framework for viewing the world around us.  We CAN, however, enlarge our box.  We can move our box to cut out less of this and let in more of that, (think of your box as a window frame.  If you stand directly in front of it, through your frame(work) you can see stuff, if you move one direction or another you see more of one thing and less of something else, get it?) but we're still looking at the world through the same framework.  Trying to think outside the box is like telling your fish to think outside his tank.  The only thing you can do is give him a bigger tank - he still won't be able to think "outside" it, but you've given him a larger framework in which to deal with his own fishy world.

God is infinite.  We are not.  God is perfect love.  We love imperfectly.  God is creative as part of His makeup.  We have flashes of creativity.

I don't want to leave you depressed here.  The Bible tells us that we see the world, God and others like we're looking in a mirror that is all foggy.  We can see shapes and movement but it's hard to make out the details.  But when we get to heaven we will see clearly - just as we are clearly seen (1 Cor 13:12).  But don't get discouraged while you're here.  Work to enlarge your framework, through study, through a deep awareness of the Holy Spirit's working in your life, through putting aside the deeds of the flesh and living a life of Christ with intention and purpose.  The Bible says to, "pray for wisdom" which will enlarge your frame.  Shift your focus so that you see more of Him and less of the world.  But don't feel too bad if you can't "think outside the box," remember, no one can - except God.  Here's to enlarging your framework and shifting your view (I'm memorizing Psalm 145 as a means to help this process!).

By the way, in the story of Jesus loving and waiting I mentioned in the opening, this is the same place where Jesus calls the four-day-dead Lazarus out of the grave and he listens and obeys - back to life.  Bringing dead people back to life doesn't fit in our framework, so I'm really glad that God's work has no frame.  And that He lets us participate in what He's doing, not because He needs us, but because He loves us.

How quickly our opinion can change. Opposition vs. faith

How many times have you changed your mind about something?  My cousin bought a cool foreign car that he hadn't seen anyone else with.  It should have been a show stopper, you know, the only one of its kind around.  Instead, what he thought was going to be this great car turned out to be a lemon.  Constant electrical problems and being towed.  Your excitement about a new car quickly turns to disgust and frustration when it doesn't work like it should.

Seems like our opinions of our situation in life can change pretty quick too.  I must confess that I've had days (more than I want to publicly admit, though I'm pretty sure my Mom is the only one who will read this...) when what started out great soon took a turn just because it took a few extra minutes to find my keys.  Or, I had to go back to the house after I had left to get something I forgot.  Neither of these minor annoyances was any big deal but I have had bigger issues.  I have worked hard to prepare for a meeting or a move or change or new plan at church and was really excited about it only to face a relatively small amount of opposition and my whole demeanor just tanks.  I go from really excited and looking forward to the future to depressed, angry, annoyed and, well, just ready to throw in the towel.

The Israelites opinion about their situation changed pretty quick too.

Over the previous weeks or maybe months, they had seen incredible sights.  Lighting bolts shoot to the ground and then roll around.  Hail stones that killed cattle and people.  A black sheet, completely cutting off the sun, drop on an entire nation without affecting anyone around them.  They had seen that same nation filled with frogs and gnats and locusts but no one else was touched.  They had seen some incredible sights.  And then, on their way out of Egypt, after all 10 miraculous plagues, they went to their neighbors and asked for whatever they could give them - they plundered Egypt and it was all just given to them (I can't even get a neighbor to help me load the moving truck - let alone give me money, gold, or some cattle!).

Now they are camped at the edge of the sea, just like God told them to do, waiting for direction from God through Moses as to what they were to do next.  And all the sudden they see the dust storm from the chariots of Egypt coming their direction and they complain to Moses, "didn't we say 'leave us alone. let us serve the Egyptians?'" Now, here's what I find odd.  In verse 8 of Exodus 14 it says that the people of Israel were, "marching out boldly" (NIV).  Imagine, all the people, done with their slavery, done with making bricks AND having to gather the straw to meet their quota.  Done with nothing but fish and onions every day for dinner.  Done with Egyptians killing their children, raping their women and beating them if they didn't perform. All of it was over and on top of that they are loaded down with gold, silver, livestock, flocks and herds, clothes and everything they could carry.  Of course they were marching out boldly!  Their God had just unleashed incredible plagues on Egypt and left Goshen (a border area) untouched!  Amazing!

All of this and then someone sees a cloud of dust and their day goes south in a hurry.  What changed?  What happened between boldly to "leave us alone!"?  Opposition happened.  Isn't it easier to say, "God is great!"  when life is great?  But when we face opposition from the enemy pretty soon it's, "leave me alone, God!"  Even the evil king of Israel blamed God when his city was under siege and his people dying (2 Kings 6).  When opposition comes we quickly forget all that God has done and wonder what God IS DOING.  And if He's not acting fast enough, or doesn't get us out of trouble before it really hits then we're upset with Him.

But what would have happened if the waters would have parted when there was no fear?  Well, God would not have had opportunity to once again gain glory for Himself through the Egyptians (honestly, any one of the plagues or the parting of the sea could have caused Egypt to repent) who He certainly wanted to save.  The sea was just another chance for the Egyptians to believe while proving God's providence and power once again to the Israelites.

Look, without opposition there can be no strengthening of faith.  If you knew everyone would accept your invitation to attend church and would be saved and thank you profusely you invite everyone, right?  But there is opposition so that our faith might be built-up.  If you knew God was going to heal every person you prayed for, even strangers in the street, you'd stop everybody who had a problem and pray for healing.  If the enemy totally left you alone once you accepted Jesus how would your faith be built.

Without opposition there is no increased strength.  Without opposition our faith would atrophy, wither and die.  If I knew God would always provide, always heal, always do everything I asked I wouldn't need faith, it wouldn't exist.  Faith is being sure of what we HOPE for and certain of what we do NOT see.  Faith says, this opposition is fierce, this mountain steep, this river wide, this problem consuming... but God is stronger, tougher and bigger than any opposition we may face.  I just need to remember that.

I'll take option #3

Recently my family and I were watching the first National Treasure movie.  There's a part in there where Benjamin Gates has been arrested by the FBI and is talking with one of the agents who gives him two options, go to jail for a very long time (for stealing the Declaration of Independence) or help them catch the guy who has the Declaration now and then go to jail for a very long time.  Ben doesn't like either of those options so he asks for option three.  The agent, unamused tells him, there is no third option.  Well, later, while trying to get the Declaration back, Ben says, "I've found option three and I'm taking it."  He then jumps off the top deck of an aircraft carrier into the Hudson river - OUCH!  The two agents refuse to jump and Ben gets away.

Why the recap of Nation Treasure?  I want to live my life looking for option 3.  Here's what I mean, let me use Numbers 14 and Exodus 14 to explain.

When the Israelites leave Egypt God tells them to, "turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon" (Exodus 14:1). They were to do this because God had a plan that would, "gain glory for" Himself through Pharaoh. When the Israelites were right where God had told them to go they were caught between the sea and the Egyptian army who were coming after them. They cried out to God and asked, were there "no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?" It seems to me the only saw two options: stay in Egypt and be slaves or die in the desert.

Then in Numbers 14 the Israelites are once again exactly where God wanted them, a place called Kadesh, South of the promised land. Moses sent 12 spies to scope out the land God had promised to give them but ten of the spies said it couldn't be done - and the people believed them. They said, "Why didn't we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness?3 Why has God brought us to this country to kill us? Our wives and children are about to become plunder. Why don't we just head back to Egypt? And right now!" Once again they see two options: Die in the desert or trying to take the promised land from it's inhabitants, or go back to being slaves in Egypt.

In both of these cases the Israelites only saw two options - but God saw another way... option three. I think we often get so caught up looking at the realities of our lives that we fail to realize God is not limited by our reality. In fact, Romans 14:17 says that God, "gives life to the dead and calls things that are NOT as though they WERE" (emphasis mine). In both of these cases, Exodus 14 and Numbers 14, God wanted to do something else that the people couldn't see - and option they didn't catch. God wanted to display His power to accomplish the impossible among them. In Exodus He parted the sea so they could get to safety and then drowned the entire Egyptian army in that same sea. And in Numbers He was going to supernaturally drive out the inhabitants of the land so that His chosen people could poses it. But they didn't see it.

I think that I will live the rest of my life looking for option 3. Perhaps I'll call it the God Factor. Whenever I get in a position that I think is hopeless or where my sight it limited to only the realities I can see - I'll chose option 3 and believe that it's in that precise moment that God wants to know if I'll chose Him and His ways over what I "think" will happen. Instead of choosing the lesser or two stinky options, I'll pick option 3. I'll go with the God Factor and trust that He wants to do something through me that is beyond me and above me but completely within the realm of possibility with God.

Are you in one of these situations where all you can see are bad options? Either you do this one stinky thing or that other stinky thing. Are you stuck between a rock and a hard place or maybe between Egypt and the Sea? Well, why not determine to chose option 3. I mean, if you're gonna die anyway what have you got to lose? I'll tell you what you could lose. You could lose the reconciliation of your marriage. You could lose the career that you were perfectly suited for in Christ. You could lost your child for good. You could lose being a part of some incredible move of God. Simply because you refused to believe that He could and that He would act on your behalf. You refused to see the God Factor in your situation. You refused to take option 3.

As for me, I'm gonna be an option 3 man of faith.

God overheard their talk

When my kids were younger they would often get together and come up with schemes.  Schemes to trick dad.  Schemes to get to go swimming.  Schemes to get a trip to Wal-Mart.  Schemes to get desert before dinner (which actually comes first in alphabetical order!).  The problem they always ran into was that they would scheme, in their whisper voices, right near me!  So, I did what any good dad would do, I squashed their hopes and dreams and schemes - I was an equal opportunity squash-er.  Now, once in awhile I let them get through with their scheming and then, because I heard their plans, I could do the opposite of what they thought I would do and I would confuse them so much they never got around to what they really wanted.  Overhearing their little talks was very helpful in combating their schemes.

Aaron and Miriam were apparently scheming something while Moses was looking or listening.  It had something to do with Moses' wife, she wasn't an Israelite, so they could have been a little upset about that.  Why does he get to lead when he's got this foreign wife?  People come up with the dumbest reasons for scheming against someone when their trying to accomplish some agenda.  My father, a pastor for more than 30 years, was once told he shouldn't be a preacher because he was color blind and had a hard time telling the difference between the hot and neutral wire when working on the church wiring (btw - hot and neutral don't matter much, its the ground that you have to worry about!).

Anyway, Aaron and Miriam are scheming against Moses who is out of ear-shot, so it's called gossip you know...  when all the sudden God gets involved.  He calls the three of them to come meet with Him at the tent of meeting (aptly named) and begins to get after the two schemers.  And I just love this last sentence in verse 2 that says, "God overheard their talk."  Wow.

I started thinking about the things I've said... the things I've thought, since God knows them too... No matter where I am or who I'm with God overhears my talk.  That's a sobering thought since I know what comes out of my mouth.  God overhears it all.  Those things I say to my wife in private about someone or something.  What I say at church to our leaders and partners.  What I think to myself when I'm around all those different people!  God overhears.  And in this story in 2 Kings 2 He doesn't just take it.

How would your talk change if God called you to account for what you'd said when you didn't think anyone else was listening?  I stopped and asked for forgiveness right there in my notes... and help in watching what I say, since someone is always overhearing.  God overhears our talk.  What's He gonna say to you?

The wall, the Fall and the Fact

So recently my oldest son and I ran our first Marathon.  Wow, still feels weird to say that.  In training I followed a book called 4 hours to a 4 hour marathon.  I made it in 5:17, I didn't say I followed it closely.  Near the end of the book the author, Dave Kuehls, talks about the wall.  It's a fictitious reality for runners.  A point somewhere between mile 13 and 20-something where you feel like you can't go on and you must give up.  Your body is spent.  Your mind fried.  Your muscles weak.  But, if you keep moving, keep running, you can regain your strength.  Renew your mind and refresh your muscles in order to finish.  The key he says is to remember that you can do this.  You've trained.  You've prepared.  You're ready.  It's just a matter of finishing now.

I noticed in the Bible that often times when someone does something great for God... let me rephrase that.  When God does something great through someone, that person often hits the wall next.  In this case, Elijah, in I Kings has destroyed the prophets of Baal and proven that God is God (God sent fire from heaven after Elijah's prayer, to consume the sacrifice, alter, water and dirt it was all on).  He's also told everyone that it would rain (which it hadn't done for three years) and has tucked his tunic in his shorts and run AHEAD of Ahab's chariot (he's the king, with lots of the fastest horses) all the way down the mountain.  The point is that Elijah, er, God has done some pretty amazing things through Elijah in a very short time.

Now Elijah is in the desert and sits down under a bush and asks God to kill him.  Why?  He hit the wall.  He reached the limit of his faith.  He'd accomplished so much, put so much on the line and now he's just done.  Imagine how you would feel in front of more than 400 prophets who want you dead.  Behind them is the Nation of Israel and the king - all of them want you dead.  "Oh God, please answer my prayer!"  Surely Elijah had already played the "what if" game.  What if there was no fire?  What if there is no rain?  What if the chariot catches him and runs him over (surely Ahab's plan).  Elijah, would have looked like a fool!  He would have surely been killed!  He would have thought he was a crazy person who heard voices... God?  didn't you tell me to do this?

There is always a lot on the line when we stand up for God.  But nothing is more at risk than the Holy Image and Name of the God of the Universe!

We hit the wall when we forget that it's all about Him and not about us.  It's not Elijah's strength, his prayer or his persuasive words that caused all that stuff to happen, it was the Holy Name of God.  It wasn't Elijah, it was God.  It's never us, it's always Him.

So, the next time you hit the spiritual wall remember, it's not about you.  It's not your strength, your power, your prayer or your name on the line.  It's His.  And in Him and through Him there is unlimited power to accomplish every plan He chooses.  He's working through you.  Its Him, not you, not me, not we, Him.

The Wall - we hit it when we try to accomplish God's plans in our strength.
The Fall - in our weakness we give up because we don't have the strength/faith to continue.
The Fact - strength comes FROM God THROUGH us to accomplish His plan and purpose.

What has He called you to do?  If you can't accomplish it on your own you've just taken the first step in doing something incredible for/with God.  Keep running.

Somebody's got to do the heaving lifting...

Ever get frustrated because you feel like someone isn't, "pulling their weight"?  I remember the first week or so of Basketball practice in High School, killing myself to keep the team from running more killers (ladders or suicides).  There was always a guy or two who just didn't seem to care.  Fortunately the hazing they brought on themselves meant they didn't stay out very long.

There are always those who will not carry their weight.  I guess that's just part of life.  But when something needs to be accomplished you really need those willing to carry the heavy loads.  We often want things to be fair and equal but the fact of the matter is someone is always gonna draw the short straw.  Incredible things happen though, when those who can, do.

In Numbers 4 God is giving instructions to Moses and Aaron as to how this huge machine called the Nation of Israel is to move about as they wander the countryside.  Think of it, two, three, maybe six million or more need to move together as a unit.  And not only that, the Tabernacle - the House of God - has to be broken down, stowed and moved so that the people would know where to Go.  They were to follow the Ark (part of the Tabernacle furnishings and housed the very presence of God) so where the Ark/Tabernacle went they people followed.

So God gave instruction for the families of the Levites, three clans who would each be given something to carry as the Israelites moved from place to place.  One family would carry the articles and utensils used with them.  One family would carry the poles, pegs, basses and frames.  But only one family was called to "serve by carrying heavy loads."  This family, the Gershonites, were to carry the clothes and curtains and coverings - many of them several layers thick of heavy woven and sewn fabrics - which covered the Tabernacle itself and made up the curtain that surrounded the entire Tabernacle compound.

This is how the Nation would move from place to place.  If the heavy loads (and all the other loads) weren't carried the Nation would not, could not move as God led.

What has God called you to do to help His people move from where they are to where God wants them?  Someone is going to have to carry the heavy load.  Has God called you to that task?  If so, don't argue, don't whine and don't back down because the work is difficult.  Instead, must your strength and rely on Him and carry your load.  You may be the one who helps many get where God is leading.  Your load may be heavy but the reward is often just as big.

Whatever God has called you to do.  Whatever skill or talent or aptitude God has given you, own it.  Carry it.  Lead so that others can get where God is.  And when it's time, get out of the way so that someone else can carry the load in your place.  Notice that everyone has a load to carry, but some get the blessing and struggle to be called to carry the heavy load.

Carry it in His strength and for His Glory and purpose.  For the Church and for getting where He wants to take us all, carry your load.

Mark Making

We leave lots of marks in our lives.  I carved a heart and my wife and my initials into a tree.  Our daughter wrote, "I love you," on our bathroom mirror.  I used chalk to write, "I love you," on my wife's dashboard in her car.  A not-so-good-friend left a piece of pencil led in my knee my freshman year of HS.  I have a scar on my hand from sneaking over the chain link fence into the little kids play area at church with my friend Jason - we then had to get out quick when we heard someone coming, hence the scar.

I have left marks on my children's hearts, their backsides and their minds - as they have also done to me.  We all leave marks.  Omri, an ancient king of Israel, left his mark of evil.  He reigned for 12 years.  And 1 Kings 16 says, "The rest of Omri's life, the mark he made on his times, is written in The Chronicles of the Kings of Israel."  This was not a good thing for the people of Israel since Omri followed in the footsteps of Jereboam's evil and was the father of Ahab who, "did even more open evil before God than anyone yet-a new champion in evil!" (MSG 1 Kings 16:30).


What a mark!  The father of the worst and most evil king ever was who he was because of the mark his father left.  Every one of us leaves a mark.  Every action.  Every word.  Every inconsiderate comment.  Every smile.  Every flare of road-rage.  Every gesture of kindness.  My oldest son just told me yesterday that sometimes he offers to help older folks get their groceries into their cars at the store.  "They look at me like I'm gonna rob them..." was his next statement, but at least he's offering!  And what a mark left on an older generation that often thinks those young folks don't care about anyone but themselves.


What kind of mark are you leaving on your family?  On your friends or acquaintances?  I got to help a lady stuck in the road who was out of gas, out of hope and out of work for the last 2 months.  Mark left.  What kinds of marks will you purpose to leave?  Marks that encourage and build up or tear down and create even higher degrees of evil than you thought of?  Everyone leaves a mark... what does yours look like?

Are you stuck?

Have you ever felt stuck?  Not, been stuck, but felt stuck?  I've been stuck in the mud, stuck in the snow and stuck in a rut... but all those places are easy enough to get out of.  A chain, a push (I recently got stuck in the snow and two very buff women pushed me out, thank you my amazon friends, whoever you are!) a pull and you're out and on your way!

But when you feel stuck it's a different story!  Depressed. Addicted. Oppressed. Abused. Exhausted. Confined.  Stuck. And no matter how hard you are pushed, how desperately you are pulled you still feel stuck.  You're sure everyone is out to get you, that God hates you and that the end is near.  Whatever you were running from... or running to has landed you smack dab between the baggage that follows and the uncertainty of what's to come.

That's where the Israelites were as a nation.  Stuck.  The baggage of their past lives as slaves to the Egyptian government was pressing hard after them.  Their lack of reverence and worship of the One True God had come back to bite them.  Their fears and questions and pessimism had pushed and pulled them right to this point.  Stuck.  Stuck between their past and their future, which in this case was a large body of water that dipped 5,000 feet below them!  Like you and I often feel they were not only stuck they were sure they were going to die!  There was no way out, water to the left of them the entire Egyptian army to the right.  Family problems.  Marriage on the rocks.  Disobedient, messed up children.  Flat-lined career.  Car won't start.  Bills piling up.  Laid off, beat up and kicked out you're sure of one thing, the end is near.

And just like the Israelites the only one who can get you unstuck is God.  Impassable obstacles don't mean anything to God.  Just like the water in the gulf he'll dry up whatever you happen to be currently drowning in and put your feet on dry ground!  And not only that, he'll destroy the baggage of your past in the very waters that threatened to take your life!  God loves to take people out of the grip of their enemies and turn your grave into theirs.

Are you stuck?  No where to go?  No hope?  No way out?  Then you're in just the right position for God to reveal Himself to you and show you that no matter what your past or the path you're heading on, He can not only rescue you but save you from it all!  He wants to give you a new start!  He wants to give you a new life! He wants to give you a new land and place to call home!

Here's what YOU need to do:
Tell God the truth - God I've screwed up my life 'cause I thought I could do it on my own without you but I've only made a mess for myself and those I love.
Ask God to help - God I recognize that I need You to help me, to take away the junk and baggage in my life and give me a fresh clean start because I can't do it on my own.
Give all of yourself to Him - So I give you myself, all that I am, I trust You to direct and lead me and I'll follow You from now on.
Thank Him - God I thank You for giving your Son to die for me so that I might live for You.  Please accept His sacrifice in my place.
Tell someone and get plugged in - Get up and tell someone you've made a decision to give your life to Jesus and then find a Bible believing/teaching church that can teach you about baptism and growing in your knowledge and walk with God.

Good advice for daily life

I like King David from the Old Testament.  I like him for several reasons:
1.  He's not some super-smart dude like his son Solomon which means I can relate to King David (he had only a handful of wives compared to Solomon who had nearly 1000! I know, not TOO smart!)
2.  David's life story is full of screw-ups.  As I said, I can relate.
3.  God used David in incredible ways to do incredible things David still messed up - which gives me hope!
4.  Even though David messed up often he still was very close to God and displays so many incredible character traits that are worth copying even today.

So the other day I was reading in 2 Samuel about when Absalom, David's son, staged a coup to try and overthrow his father and take control of Israel and Judah as king.  While David was fleeing Jerusalem with his family and personal body guard there was a guy Shimei who yelled curses at him and threw rocks.  When one of his military advisers said, "let me go cut off his head."  David actually says that God was using Shimei to "preach to him" and that he could not be cursing if God didn't let him so who was David to stop him.  Incredible!  David. KING David lets some peasant scream insults and curses at him and does nothing to stop him.  That's a guy I could look up to because my reaction would have been to take the sword and off his head myself!  (I've got a lot of work to do...).

Anyway, once David is safe back in Jerusalem with Absalom dead and the country again safe in his hands he sings a song to God.  And I love the way David lays it out, so plainly, so perfectly.
2 Sam 22
21 God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before him. When I cleaned up my act, he gave me a fresh start.22 Indeed, I've kept alert to God's ways; I haven't taken God for granted.23 Every day I review the ways he works, I try not to miss a trick.24 I feel put back together, and I'm watching my step.25 God rewrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to his eyes.

You can't break it down any more plainly then that!  When we lay the pieces of our broken lives before God He is able to make us complete, fill in the gaps and glue it all back together!  If we are willing to "clean up our act" by working to obey Him in our daily lives then He gives us a fresh start every day!  (come on now, if you're not willing to adjust your lifestyle but want salvation there's a problem.  Don't expect God to do His part if you don't do yours).  David then says that he pays attention to the way God works in our lives so that he doesn't take God for granted (giving luck or karma the thanks for what God is doing) and so that he will not miss what God IS currently doing - blindly flying through the day without recognizing God's hand at work (I need to pay attention to this more!).  The result is that David feels like his life is ordered, that it makes sense and his new life makes it easier to watch his steps as he tries to follow God.  And here's the best part!  God rewrote the text of his life!  Would you like your life text to be read aloud somewhere?  in front of your parents?  your spouse?  We all make mistakes but God can rewrite our stories so that He's the center and our lives become a living testament to His glory and goodness.  When we open our lives to Him and His scrutiny (eyes) He reveals the sin, convicts us of it, forgives it (been paid for in Jesus already) and then shows us how to live according to His standard.

How incredible.  God, reveal my sin, convict and forgive and rewrite the story of my life with You as the main character.

Now enabled for your phone!

That's right folks, this blog is now mobile enabled!  Which means that you'll get the same stuff on your phone that you can on your comp and it will look cool too!  Check it out now!  I know your phone is probably right next to you... in fact, you probably just got done texting someone about how cool this blog is so it will be handy to check it out!

In need of an Alignment

Awhile back I noticed that the tires on my wife's car wearing down in a weird pattern.  Bald in one place and fine tread in another on the same side of the tire.  After some time researching online I decided I needed to take it to the local shop and see if they could correct the issue.  I watched as the mechanic put the car up on the lift and then stuck these funny Austin Powers type lasers to the wheels and then checked his computer.  Sure enough the front tires were out of alignment.
Think about it this way.  Wherever I point my toes is the direction my feet take me.  To the left, I head to the left.  Point them right and I begin to move right.  But if my left foot was facing left and my right foot was facing right I would be hard to walk a straight line.  The left side of my body would want to track left and the right, right - I'd be heading in two different directions at the same time!

David made a similar discovery about his life in Psalm 86.  He prays, "train me God to walk straight; then I'll follow Your path..."  It's important to to walk straight if you want to follow God.  But it's so easy to get sidetracked in your life and pulled in different directions.  Children, Spouse, School, Career these can begin to take us off in different directions, maybe not completely at first, just pulling you away.  It becomes harder to find the time to get to church, read your Bible or pray because there are so many other things that are fighting for your attention and direction.  And being pulled in two different directions causes problems, life gets bumpy and rough.  It becomes increasingly difficult to stay on the road.  And if you don't get that spiritual alignment fixed you're headed for a blow out!

That's what the car was doing, fighting itself as we tried to drive straight down the road, each tire trying to pull the whole car in the direction it was pointing.  It was drivable but the car shook a lot and would have eventually worn clear through the tires perhaps causing a blowout and maybe an accident affecting others as well!

So David prays that he would walk straight and the way he is able to do that comes from the second part of his prayer, "put me together, one heart, one mind; then undivided I'll worship You..." That's what church, bible reading and prayer are supposed to do, put lasers on our life to make sure that everything is lined up, heart and mind, so that your whole body tracks together to keep you on the path God has laid out for you.

Maybe it's time for a spiritual tune up in your life.  Perhaps you've already noticed that things are getting worn and your life is getting rough.  It's time to get things lined up and tracking together.  Get your heart and mind squarely focused on God and His will for your life and things will start to move smoother for you and you may even avoid that spiritual blowout.

Is God Hidden in YOUR Hands?

So I'm reading in Psalm 77 the other day and I'm thinking to myself, I know EXACTLY how this guy feels!  He says, "my life was an open wound that wouldn't heal... my friends said, 'everything will be alright!' I didn't believe a word they said."  He goes on to talk about how he can't sleep, he's up all night playing music but it doesn't help... He wonders if God has gone off and left and in pity says, "Just my luck... the High God goes out of business the moment I need Him!"
Come on now, surely you've felt this way. You've prayed and prayed and no answer has come.  You're spinning your wheels and getting nowhere.  Do I turn right... or left... or keep right on going this way, God?  But no direction is clear to you.  It is so depressing, I know, I've been there too!  Come on God!  Hear me!  Answer me!  Show me!  Lead me!  I've yelled it all to a silent sky.  No voice.  No piercing light from heaven showing me the path.
The writer of this Psalm though tells us how he got through this major pity episode.  "Once again I'll go over what God has done, lay out on the table the ancient wonders; I'll ponder all the things You've accomplished and give a long, loving look at your acts."
And what happens when he does this?  He remembers!  Wow God!  When I look back on what You have done I am amazed at Your hand, ever-present in all my life's ups and downs!  There is no one like You who controls the natural and supernatural for the favor of your chosen people!  You alone are God and there is none like You!
But this post is not about pity parties and God's presence in our lives.  You thought it was?  Weird.
No, this post is about HOW God works and reveals Himself in the natural world and how YOU and I get to be a part of His incredible plan.
verses 19 and 20 tell an incredible story of God's presence... "You strode right through ocean, walked straight through roaring ocean, but NOBODY saw you come and go.  Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron, You led your people like a flock of sheep."
God's incredible power and plan and presence is hidden in the hands of those who follow Him completely.  Amazing.  I've heard it said that we, as Christians, are to be the hands and feet of Christ... but this is so much more powerful to me.  God - in all His power and majesty to work in the lives of people - is hidden in the hands of a few.  What we say to people.  What we do for them.  How we treat them, whether grocery store clerk, tire repair man or bank president our Mighty and Awesome God can be hidden in our hands.  Seen only with reflection and time and the Spirit.  How did you treat those around you today?  Was God hidden in your hands?
We have an obligation to the Creator of the world and Savior of our souls to use our lives as walking billboards for His glory - God might just be hiding in your hands to reveal Himself to someone today.  Will they see Him?

God's incredible love - a response to inadequacy

Got a note from a lady I'd never met before asking a question about Easter.  As she began her question she mentioned that she loved Jesus and believed but didn't know how God could love her because of her past sins.  She said she felt very unworthy and it seemed she had a hard time reconciling her life with God's overwhelming love for her.  I think like many she has some head knowledge of God's great love but doesn't fully comprehend it.  I believe it was Paul who prayed that we would know the, "height and depth and length and breadth of God's love" (notice that he spoke that in four dimensions - not just three).
So I thought I'd share my response to her concerning her feelings of inadequacy.  Perhaps it will amaze you as it does me!

"Glad to be of service! By the way... none of us are worthy of His love or sacrifice, that's the incredible and amazing thing about God! None of it is about us, ALL of it is about God. It's HIS goodness, HIS love, HIS mercy, HIS grace, HIS sacrifice and HIS glory - it's all from HIM! That a God like this would love us when we could give Him nothing is beyond our comprehension... but if we could understand it, then He wouldn't be God. You are worthy not because of what you've done (or haven't done) but because HE loves you and died for you. It's Jesus who makes you worthy. So live and function and breath in HIS worthiness and offer your thanks to God through a life lived for Him!"


Here's why we shouldn't feel inadequate to receive God's love... because we didn't do anything to earn it!  It didn't come from us or in response to anything we had done.  If I could earn God's love then I might feel inadequate (because I'd feel like no matter what I did it wouldn't be enough).  If I had to pay for it I might feel inadequate (because I couldn't give Him enough to repay Him for what He'd done).  But because it is His sacrifice that makes me worthy as His creation I can't do anything to earn it so I should feel an overwhelming sense of honor because He did this all for me... not inadequacy.  Inadequacy has to do with what I have done, honor has to do with what He has done for me.


So thank you Father for sending your Son and making me worthy because He is worthy.  Your love for me is amazing, may I give my life in response to your great love.

What, "never leave you" means...

Been MIA for awhile, hope to get back!

Can I make a confession that will likely incriminate me?  One of my favorite movies is Major Payne.  There I said it.  Admitting something is the first set, right?  Well, near the end of the movie Major Payne and the cadets are acting like a family (finally) when the Major gets called up for active duty and he accepts the position.  As he prepares to leave one of the cadets yells, "you said we were family!"  To which the Major replies, "but I never said families don't split up.  Don't you watch Oprah?"
We all make statements we can't really back up.  Nearly every family movie you watch has a scene where a parent says to a child something like, "I would never let anything happen to you."  Of course it's right when the parent is leaving the kid in a closet during a tornado to save something that wasn't very important to begin with.  We can't control the weather, or anything else.  But we talk like we can.
Or we tell someone we love, "I'm not going anywhere" or "till death do us part."  And then try to explain how Daddy and Mommy don't love each other anymore but it doesn't mean they don't love you or will ever leave you.  Unfortunately, kids are smarter than that.
I was reading the story of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel 20 today and came across this line that Jonathan says to David, "remember that God's in on this with us to the very end."  I love that!
The fact of the matter is that I don't always go the way God wants me to go.  I go my own way, do my own thing all too often.  I don't always go with God... but He always goes with me.  I'm like the friend who ALWAYS has to have their way.  You know that friend.  You have that friend.  The difference is that God's way is ALWAYS better then mine!  But it doesn't matter.  Even when I refuse to follow Him, He will always go with me.  Always trying to get me to go the right way, do the right thing.  Always urging me to be my best, do my best, give my best.  Always pointing out that narrow road over there that I should be on.
Even when we refuse to go with God He always goes with us.
You see, you and me, He meant it when He said, "I will NEVER leave you or forsake you."