The Shepherd, The Sheep and A Shrub

Recently I was writing the second chapter of a new book about a Christian life that is Built 2 Last.  In this chapter I was writing about the foundation of our life being built on Jesus Christ.  At one point I was talking about the hope that is found in Christ, and especially the role of the Shepherd with His sheep.  During this time God taught me a valuable lesson.  Isn't it amazing that when we are trying to write lessons to teach others God goes and decides to make it personal for us instead?  The lesson had to do with the Shepherd, the sheep and a shrub.

Have you ever thought about what a shepherd really does for the sheep?  He nurtures them when they hurt.  He protects them from harm.  He disciplines them when they stray.  And he leads them to green pastures.  And one thing about the leading of the sheep to pasture that struck me was that the Shepherd will always lead the sheep to the pastures that he has determined to be best for them at that moment.  Sometimes the pastures are lush and green, and sometimes they are full of nothing but shrubs.  Either way, the shepherd always seeks to lead the sheep to what is best for them at that time.

Now that truth hit me kind of hard.  I look at those times in my life when God has led me to a life with plenty of resources to live comfortably.  Life was good.  But then I think of times when life has not gone as planned.  There have been times when we did not know how we were going to pay the electric bill that month, times of want and uncertainty.  It seems that God at timers leads us into a time of shrubs and not so tasty grass.  But the real lesson that needs to be learned is that even the shrubs are good.  Why?  Because the Shepherd has led me to them.  When you are following the Lord He will always lead you to what is best for you at that time.  The real challenge is to trust His plan enough that even in those times of shrubbery and tasteless grass you can say...life is good.  Because life is always good when you are where God intends you to be at that time.

Father God help me to trust Your plan.  As I learn to live on the means You have provided, help me trust Your plan.  As we live a life of faith that is challenging and even at times discouraging, help us to trust Your plan.  When it does not make sense, help me to trust Your plan.  Thank You for all the times when my family and I have had to trust You to be our provider.  May we never forget that need, even when, or if, You finally lead us to lush green pastures.  Wherever You may lead us, help us to trust Your plan.  Amen.

The Man of God...What Ministers Tend To Forget

Let me share with you something God has placed on my heart.  I honestly wish that God would allow me to stand before a group of seminarians someday and preach this simple message.  I was thinking about the call of the ones who call themselves Pastor, or some other vocational minister.  What exactly is our call?  For that matter, are we living up to our call?  Of course there are passages of Scripture that come to mind when talking about God's expectations for His servants.  Such passages as the call for every believer to be about the business of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, making disciples (not just converts) of the Lord.  Then there is the gift of ministry from Christ found in Ephesians 4:11ff, where each of those gifted by Christ for the gospel ministry are expected to be about the business of equipping the saints for ministry.  And who can forget Paul's challenge to young Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, challenging him to preach the word, be ready in season and out of season and so forth.  God has certainly placed a high calling on those whom He has set aside for vocational ministry.

Then I realized that among the many other passages concerning God's servant there is one that stands as an indictment on many of us.  It is a simple one verse passage found in Habakkuk 2:1.  It says:

I will stand my watch

And set myself on the rampart,

And watch to see what He will say to me,

And what I will answer when I am corrected. (NKJV)

Within this passage are four aspects of the man of God that we tend to forget, or at the very least neglect in our ministries.  Let's look briefly at these four challenges.

First...The Man of God will be a Watchman (I will stand my watch)  When I first thought of this idea I was drawn to Ezekial 33.  God tells Ezekiel that he as been made a watchman.  The duty of the watchman was to be faithful to keep up the watch, looking for what threatens the people.  And when that threat arises, they are to speak out with all their mighty voice.  When the watchman calls out, if the people do not listen then they suffer their fate, and it is on their own heads.  But God warns Ezekiel that if the watchman does not stand their watch and warn the people, the people will still perish, but God will require their blood at the watchman's hand.  Wow!  How many ministers are so busy being popular and non-threatening that they are sitting by passively and watching thier churches crumble and the people around them die without Christ?  Habakkuk's statement was one of intentionality.  I WILL STAND MY WATCH.  It is so much more than writing an elloquent sermon, or doing some deep blog for your people to read and go "Gee look how great our Pastor is."  It is about being faithful to do your duty, which will supercede your comfort zone.  Can God count on us to do the same?

Second...The Man of God will be a Warrior (I will set myself upon the rampart)  I have always loved the image in Nehemiah 4.  As God's people were working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem they worked with the one hand while holding a spear or sword in the other.  No matter the task they found themselves engaged in they were always ready to do battle with the enemies of God.  Sometimes we as ministers forget that we are called on by God not to be popular or avoid conflict, but to fight for God, His people and His word.  Too many ministers are cowards, unwilling to rock the boat, unwilling to take a stand on something that might cost them tithers for the collection plate.  Tell me Pastor, are you ready to be a warrior for God; not just fighting the devil in the great battle scenes of history, but fighting his smaller battles in the trenches of your congregation and community?

Third...The Man of God will be a Wise Man (And watch to see what He will say to me)  So often ministers will reach a point where they are so convinced of their "expertise" they forget to be teachable.  They can become convinced that they have the knowledge they need...often times even forgetting to listen to God.  I know a minister who's church has been in a state of steady decline for over 15 years.  From worship to Sunday School, people have been leaving out the back door far faster than the church is winning new believers.  In a conversation with him one day he basically informed me that he was a guru of church growth, knowing just how to grow the church.  I sat there stunned, wanting to ask him if he had looked at his congregation recently.  Job 12:13 tells us that: "with Him are wisdom and strength, He has counsel and understadning."  Tell me oh man of God, are you actively looking for what God may have to teach you?  A wise man never stops learning and growing.

Fourth...The Man of God will be a Willing Servant (And what I will answer when I am corrected)  Have you ever considered the fact that a true servant has to always be willing to adapt and change, meeting the needs and desires of their master?  I have known way too many Pastors who would never be willing to admit when they might be wrong, or have failed in some way.  No, they will assume that it is someone else's fault, or that the devil just won a victory today.  But the true servant of God is always ready to be remade and reformed by God.  We must be like the clay in the potter's hand that Jeremiah 18 speaks of.  When we fail or are marred, God must be able to remold and remake us into whatever He may choose.  It is curious to note that Habakkuk states that what he is most anxious to know is how will he respond when those times of chastisement and challenge from the Lord come.  Are we, as servants of God, willing to let God change us; remold and remake us?  Are we willing servants of His?

God has placed a great call on those who serve Him fulltime.  But perhaps greatest of all deals with their integrity as men of God.  We are called to be Watchmen, Warriors, Wise Men and Willing Servants. Dear Lord, make me into the man of God You have called me to be.  Here am I, send me.

Forgiveness, Holiness and Peace With God

 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.  - Hebrews 12:14

Over the past years God has been working in me to learn how to seek forgiveness for when I have wronged people or when my thoughts towards them have been unkind and uncharitable.  There are times, even  when we mean well, that it is possible to allow our thoughts and attitudes to become unloving.  When we realize this it becomes vital that we seek forgiveness from those whom we have judged, perhaps unfairly.  For every believer there is the need to stop and ask the question...do I need to seek forgiveness from someone else?  Or, do I need to forgive someone for the hurt they have caused me?

Why?

It is really very simple.  As God says in Hebrews 12:14 - unless you are at peace with others and living a life of holiness you cannot truly experience the Lord.  When you mislead, or slander, or in some other way fail to treat someone else with a Christlike spirit, then you harm you own relationship with God.  When you have unholiness in your life, be it in your actions, attitudes or agendas, your relationship with God will suffer.  Why do churches struggle to grow and see God's hand moving in powerful ways in their midst?  I believe one of the reasons is that they are not living in peace with others and exemplifying a holy lifestyle.  The church will get caught up in its programs and, dare I say it, policies and forget peace with God and man.  The minister, myself included, will become wrapped up in their own feelings, fallacies and focuses and forget faithfulness to their call.  And when we fail the Lord then we will miss out on so many of His blessings for our lives.

I most definitely do not want to miss out on the many great things He has in store for me and my family.  So, I have come to realize that each of us must be willing to swallow our egos and pride and seek forgiveness and the power of God to live at peace with others and Him as well as to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God.  Notice that the writer of Hebrews talks about pursuing peace.  It is a conscious choice, a proactive form of Godliness.

Dear Lord, make me pleasing in Your sight, holy in my walk and allow be to live at peace with those You have called me to serve.

When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his

enemies to be at peace with him. - Provers 16:17

God Always Wins

I had the privilege of interacting with one of my former youth this week.  She contacted me with a question of how to discuss salvation with someone of a different Christian faith group.  I have prayed and thought long a hard about this and keep finding myself being drawn back to one passage of Scripture.  So, let's hang out for a few minutes in Ephesians 2 as we seek to answer a couple of her questions.

The first question that she mentioned had to do with the belief her friend has that assurance of salvation and grace is wrapped up in his acts of religious service, works and sacrifice.  the belief goes that if they do not confess their sins to the priest, or do certain religious works then they can fall from the grace of God.  Now before we are too harsh on this individual think long and hard about it.  How many of us treat church attendance, missions projects, financial giving and so on as some kind of spiritual check list to prove to ourselves and others that we are really saved?  It is a trap that any can fall into.  So we must be oh so very careful.

With this first question in mind I am naturally drawn to Paul's word in Ephesians 2.  He reminds us in the earlier portions of this passages that we were all people who have been confronted with being dead in our trespasses and sins.  Everyone is a sinner.  The real challenge is in what can be done about our sins.  Paul tells us that it was in Christ that we are alive, by way of God's great mercy.  Then there are those great verses:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves;

 it is the gift of God, not of works lest anyone should boast. (vs. 8-9)

Lock this in my friends.  You can do nothing to earn, win or guarantee in your salvation.  It is only through faith (a trusting in God - giving yourself without reservation into His hands) that salvation happens and is assured.  You will never be able to do enough religious acts to gain or hold onto salvation.  What God looks for are people who will walk by faith, living lives surrendered to Him.

This brings me to her second question.  This friend of hers has found that they suffer from great spiritual oppression.  There are nightmares and fears of @#!*% and suffering.  So many times people who are seeking for God will find that spiritual warfare will rage around them, after all the devil does not want to lose even one soul to the powerful grace of God.  Which brings me right back to Ephesians 2.  You see, Paul goes on to talk about how when we truly experience salvation through faith in the blood of Christ we become a part of His people.  He talks about being strangers and aliens who were without hope, being without God having to live in this sinful world.  Then these words:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by

 the blood of Christ.  For He Himself is our peace.... (vs. 13-14a)

In the blood of Christ is peace, victory and the true wonder of the grace of God.  Sometimes those of us who call ourselves "evangelical, born again believers" forget that.  It does not matter what the world might try to throw at you...if you are in Christ you are apart of something much larger than the world and its evil forces.  Remember one basic truth whenever you are being oppressed by this evil world...GOD ALWAYS WINS!!!  Do Christians have struggles that seek to overwhelm them?  Sure.  But God Will Always Win (and so will we when we walk in Him).  Do you desire to have victory over the trials of this life?  Then become part of His family.

Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,

but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. (vs. 19)

For those of us who are willing to have faith and trust in Jesus Christ (not the religions, religious laws, machinations of churches and saints - who are ordained by God but not infallible) we are part of His household, and God will fight for His own.  And GOD ALWAYS WINS.

His Workmanship

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" - Ephesians 2:10

I, like so many ministers before me, have always used this verse to speak of the fact that God's intention for those who have been saved by grace, is that they serve Him.  We are called to make a difference in people's lives.  Yet, this morning, during my personal time with God something else just kind of hit me like a ton of bricks.  You see, this verse has another truth built into it beyond just the call to serve God.  How does the verse begin...We Are HIS WORKMANSHIP....   God is constantly at work in our lives and has been doing so since we first called upon Him to be saved.  Actually He has been at work drawing us to Him even longer than that, it is what the United Methodist doctrine calls "prevenient grace."  God was/is at work drawing you to Him so that you could be saved and then serve Him.  You are His Workmanship...created the way He intended  you to be created.

Have any of us ever made mistakes or sinned...yes?  And with that sin comes guilt, hurt, the punishment of God.  And then His grace kicks in and we can turn to Him and find hope, renewal and a fresh start.  And not only for the new believer, but for us believers who have made mistakes too.  Why would God impart grace to us when we have blown it?  Because we are His workmanship, and He is not through with us.

Do you ever suffer from insecurities because of your looks, body type, socio-economic group, race or so on.  Well guess what?  You are His workmanship.  You are who He intends you to be.  He knew before He ever gave you life the choices you would make.  He knew before you were ever born exactly what you would look like.  He knew exactly what His call was for your life before you ever sinned.  Why?  Because you are His workmanship.  And through His grace the work continues.

This has really hit home with me over the past 15 years of watching my home denomination and the churches I come to telling me that I am a divorced minister...so I am no longer called of God to ministry.  But wait a minute.  I am His workmanship.  That means through His grace He still is at work in me and has a call for me.  That truth holds for all of us.  God's workmanship in our lives is not selective, giving grace to those of us with only certain sins.  His grace and foreknowledge of our path and call, are all encompassing.  If you have repented and placed yourself totally into His hands...then the work continues.  After all, He has already invested so much into you, even to the point of the death of His Son for your future. 

Friends.  May we never forget or allow the biases and judgements of others cause us to doubt that we are "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works."

I praise God that He isn't through with me yet.  And I stand in confidence that He has a place for each of us to serve.  Here am I Lord, send me.

Bath Time....Spiritually Speaking That Is

Whew.  Have you ever had one of those times when you had been doing something especially nasty, filthy or dirty and you (or your family) decided that you really stink?  I have had times when I had gotten, in all honesty, quite dirty.  I got home and decided I needed some clean fresh clothes on.  So I went into the bed room, stripped off those filthy garments and then put on some nice freshly washed clothes and they smelled so nice.   For a brief time.  For you see, there is one big problem with taking of the filthy clothes and putting on those clean clothes...if you do not bathe your body you will just carry the stink over to the clean clothes.

I share this for a reason.  Tonight at worship the passage was from Ephesians 4:22-30.  Even though the minister's message was about replacing the bad with something holy, I had something else that just kept coming back to me.  Verses 22-24 state:

"...that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

Now verses 22 and 24 speak about putting off the old man and putting on the new man that is created by God to be righteous and holy.  But I think for many of us, I know it is for me, the real challenge is found in verse 23.  You see, once we put off the old man we have to be "renewed in the spirit" - or to put it another way, we need to be spiritually cleansed in our inner most person.  I know I need to fight the bad habit of trying to replace the old man with a new one, without truly letting God cleanse the who I am deep down.  I realized, again, that just as in real life, we need to continually return to the cleansing power of the Spirit of God for our spiritual bath time.

In Titus 3:5 we read:

"not by works of righteousness which we have done (changing our outer self), but acdcording to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit." 

In other words, dear Lord, wash, cleanse me and renew me that I may truly put on the righteousness that is from God.  Help me not be one that soils the new man and grament of righteousness that You have clothed me with.  Amen.

Having The "Want To"

Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:5-6)

I was in church last night and the story of the man near the pool of Bethesda was explored.  Throughout the message these two verses kept gnawing away at me.  "Do you want to be healed?"  Ouch.

How many of us are hurting?  Perhaps it is the pain of a lost loved one, like the hurt Michelle and I feel over the death of Janie Beth.  Or it could be over the loss of personal health, or financial stability or whatever our illness, injury or pain is.  And yet Jesus, who "knew that he had already been in that condition a long time" is keenly aware of our hurts and struggles and offers to us healing and victory.  And with that thought in mind it seems as if the question Jesus asks is kind of one of those "well duh" moments. 

But is it.

For so long one of the things that has helped me deal with the loss of our job has been the ability I have had to point a finger at those who did (and continue to do) us wrong.  It is easy to blame our denomination for its judgementalism and lack of grace.  To hold onto that pain and hurt (and the accompanying blame game) as a life line.  And then Jesus has to go and ask me - "do you want to be healed?"  If we are truly wanting His touch and healing how are we ever going to know how it feels to get up and walk?  If we do not have the willingness to confront our excuses and hurts, how can we even hope to see victory in our lives?

Dear Lord, hear I am, a man with many hurts and struggles.  A man with dreams crushed and pain that runs deep.  But You are still an amazing God who wants to heal my life and give us a future and a hope.  Help me to have the "want to" that will allow me to see Your healing power.  Confront my excuses and pains and make me whole.   Do I want to be healed..........YES!  And again I say YES!

The Problem With The Refiner's Fire

We often hear about God's work to refine our lives in the "Refiner's fire." I know for a fact that when God decides it is time for a little refinement that fire is defintely very hot. For a while Michelle and I have been praying for God to do His work in us and make us ready for that church He has prepared for us. The problem is, when you go through the Refiner's fire you have to deal with the dross.

The entire process of refinement entails a very hot flame which turns a solid precious metal, such as gold or silver, into its liquid form. Once it is liquified the impurities (the dross) will rise to the top. Dross is gross, nasty and sometimes a bit embarassing. But, in order for us to be refined all the dross, even those impurities which are buried deep and no one else knows about, must come to the top so it can be scraped away, leaving pure metal that the Divine Silversmith can work into a usable vessal. The Refiner's fire is unpleasant, as I have been reminded of recently, but it is necessary. We all fail God, sometimes with bigger failures than at other times, but God will always fight for His own. In Isaiah 48:9-11, we read:

"For My names sake I will defer My anger, and for My praise I will restrain it from you, so that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another."

Father God, please contiue to refine me, no matter how painful the process. May You and only You receive the glory and never me, things, desires, possesions or any other thing. Please God, expose all the dross in my life, scape it clean and mold me into a vessal of worth and value; usable only to Your purpose and none other. Amen.

Quibbling With God

This past Wednesday Night Brother Greg was talking about doing what the Lord tell us to do during his message. He gave the example of telling his son to empty the dishes out of the dishwasher. Well the boy did it, but later when Greg went to put dishes in the dishwasher, lo and behold the silverware was still in there. His son had only emptied part of the dishwasher and not all of it. After the message a number of people told Greg that, in all truth he only told the boy to do the dishes, not the silverware too. I made the comment to Greg, about what everyone was saying, that what they are saying fits right into what we tend to do with God. We quibble about the details.

Jesus told us to "Let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no,''no.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)

We tell God that we will do something, then try to quibble about what that really means. Or, we are told by God to do something and then we quibble about just what that means. When God says do it, we should do it.....all of it. When we tell God that we are trusting Him with something, or some area of our lives, then must need to trust Him...with all of it.

For Michelle and I the truth of our tendency to quibble with God has become personal. When we first heard that she was expecting we told God..."We give this child to You." When we found out that Janie Beth probably had a fatal form of dwarfism we told God..."We trust You, after all we gave her to You." When Janie Beth died, we found oursevles saying..."God, why did You take her away from us, after all You did give her to us." OOPS!!!

Here we were quibbling with God. If we truly gave her to Him and trusted Him then that means she was His, whether that meant to work an earthly miracle or to take home to be with Him, giving her a heavenly miracle. God knows the thoughts He has for us, and they are always for what is best for us. And when we tell Him..."Yes God, I trust You" then we need to TRUST Him..."Let your 'yes' be 'yes.'"

Well God, I may not know why giving Janie Beth to You resulted in her literally being taken by You, but I know You are trustworthy and true. Help me to be a man who is also trustworthy and true to You. I know You have a winning strategy and wondrous plan for our family, so please help us not to quibble with You, but rather let our "yes" be "yes." AMen

To Believe?!

On the marker board in our kitchen, the one Michelle keeps to remind us of important dates and items, the word BELIEVE has been written at the top for a very long time. When that word was first put there, we were looking at the fact that I currently do not have a Church to Pastor and we have been desperately praying that God would bring us to the Congregation that He has prepared for us. We truly believe that He will fulfill His calling on my life. Yet, we still do not have a church, right at two years after we began our step of faith and began the journey of following God's leading.

Well, then came Janie Beth's fatal diagnosis of thanatophoric dwarfism. And suddenly that simple word took on another focus. We started praying that God would work a miracle in Janie's life, and we truly believed that He could. But even if He didn't work that miracle, we truly were filled with the belief that God knows what is best. Yet, Janie still died and we still had to bury her.

So I sat there today and looked at that word one more time...BELIEVE!

Did you know what the word believe in the New Testament really means? We are told to believe in Him for everlasting life. Well the word being used is the Greek word pisteo, which is an action verb. The noun form of that word is the Greek word pistis, which our Bible translates...FAITH. I find it interesting that the is no verb form of the word faith in the English language, so the closest the Bible translators could come was to say BELIEVE. To have a proactive faith in God. To trust Him explicitly. I can stand at the bottom of a small stairwell and say to my child, jump, and they will. Why? Because they believe with an active trusting faith that I will catch them.

So I sat there looking at that word one more time...BELIEVE!

The journey before us is not about believing in some magnificent church for me to preach at. It is not about believing in some hoped for miracle. It is not even in believing that we will make it through the dark times of our lives. The journey before us is a simple question that I am convinced God is asking us...Do you believe ME?

You see, had God provided that Church when we wanted it, we would not have had the friends and unimaginable support and love network we have had during this time. Had God let Janie Beth have her miracle here on earth, the lives touched by Michelle's testimony blog would not have been as vast. The bottom line is that we are called on, as God's people, to believe on Him and not in the end result we may wish for, desire, anticipate, feel we need or whatever. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only born Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have everlasting life."

"Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:24)

Trips In The Desert

A few minutes ago, while preparing to pray with Michelle, I had one of those times when God says to me; "Do you see the possibilities yet?" Let me try to explain. As we prepare for Janie Beth's viewing and visitation tomorrow evening and the funeral the next day, Michelle and I feel as if we are walking through one of those never ending deserts where you just want some kind of relief to come. For those of you who have gone through times of deep grief and pain, you can understand that feeling of isolation, even when you are surrounded by life. It is not a deep depression, it is just simply grief and pain. I guess you could say that Michelle and I, for the last year, with the last week or so being the deepest point, have been journeying through the wilderness, in our own trip through the desert.

Well, it was with this discussion going on that God slapped me up side the head. Some years ago, while serving in my role as an Army Chaplain, I was traveling to see a group of soldiers in eastern California. My flight took me into Palm Springs, California and I had to drive several hundred miles. Part of the journey took me through the northern reaches of the Mojave Desert. As I drove I was looking out my window at the strangest sight; distant mountains covered with snow. Here I was in this hot, uncomfortable desert in the southern California summer and I could see snow-capped mountains. WOW!

Did you know, that not far from Death Valley (the lowest point in the US) is Mt. Whitney? Geologically speaking, it is not that far from the lowest point on earth to the highest. God reminded me that even when we are in those trips through the desert, His mountain top is not so very far away. It can seem far when you are in the valleys, but He will always provide a way and the means for us to reach those mountains and the relative cool of His living water in a dry and thirsty land.

I praise God that the Living Water is there for Michelle and I in this desert trip. And I find hope for the journey knowing that He has a mountain respite for me just down the road if I will keep the faith; keep pressing on; if I will trust His road map. For "every valley will be exalted and every mountain will be brought low." May God exalt our valley and bring the mountain to a point that we can reach it's peak and the glorious vision that awaits.

Relationships

Hmmmm. It seems that it has been a very long time since I last posted...perhaps because it has been a very long time since I last posted. Well, after being out of the blogging pocket because of some temporary work I had the privilege of doing (by the grace of God and a dear friend), I would love to share what God has reinforced in my life this last week.

I have believed for years that perhaps one of the greatest themes in Scripture is the one about relationships. We were created to have a relationship with God and one another. When we failed God by our sin, God spent the next several millennium seeking to reconcile us to Himself, so that our intended relationship with Him could be restored. And so on. And with this theme in mind I have seen the other side of God's work in relationships played out this past week.

When our precious, and might I say as a doting Dad - beautiful, Janie Beth was born and died this past week, mine and Michelle's world seemed to crash down around us. The hurt was and is real and ever so deep. I find myself just praying that God will somehow give me the strength, wisdom and depth of love to be everything my wife and children need me to be. I know that it is only by His strength and grace that we will make it through these dark days. Yet, I pray that He will allow me to be a part of His gracious love and support apparatus for my family. And that brings me back to relationships.

I have seen God's work of building Christian relationships everywhere I turn these days. I have seen it in the way Michelle and I find hope and assurance in the never wavering love relationship we have with our personal Savior Jesus Christ. I have seen it in the tender way that God has deepened mine and Michelle's walk and friendship during times that so often drives many couples to seclude themselves from even one another. I have seen it in the way that God's peace has settled into how Michelle and I deal with the little temper tantrums our kids have been having (well in how we deal with them most of the time). I have seen it in the way that God has drawn our family (both physical and Christian) together to give in such generous and truly unselfish ways. I have seen what strength truly comes from having a living relationship with the everlasting God that goes beyond mere religious words or thoughts. How that living, intimate walk with Him can draw His children together to love and support one another. After all, when part for the Body hurts, the whole body hurts.

I cannot imagine how anyone could allow the distractions, trash and selfishness of the world prevent them from truly experiencing the wonder of an intimate walk with Christ that is full of the love and grace He gives. After all, it is in this relationship with Him, and through that relationship, our relationship with fellow believers that I truly have discovered that we can make it through any trial that comes our way. For, "if we walk in the light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1 John 7)

Thank you God for a relationship with You. Thank you Michelle for the growing relationship I can share with you. And thank you each and every one of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ for the relationship that has allowed us to circle the wagons as Michelle and I hurt. May God truly bless each and everyone of you.

Journeying Through The Dark Times (part 4) - Love

“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”- 1 John 4:17-19

Now, as I looked at this beautiful stained glass window I was at first drawn to the small picture at the top of the window; the cross. I thought of the love that God had for us, manifested in that ultimate gift of love, the death of Christ on the cross for my sins. I was moved by just how much God truly loves me. To know that He loves me so much that He would suffer the indignity and torment of the cross. How could I possibly have doubted Him? If He loved me that much surely He loved me enough to reach down into whatever dark pit I may find myself and guide me to the light once more. Who can possibly measure the depth of reach that His love holds? Who can possibly envision the shear strength of His love to overcome any dark time we may find ourselves? Who can possibly doubt the wonder of the love of God?

And as I sat there pondering great and deep thoughts, if I do say so myself, about the wonder of God’s love; He seemed to be asking me another question. It was that question that Jesus asked Peter by the sea shore so many years before. “Do you love me?” You see, love is designed to be reciprocal, or given back. It is not only that God loves you, but you must also deal with the question of your own love for Him.

When we are in those dark times of life and the questions begin, and the doubts assail our minds and hearts, we need to be reminded that love is there in the good times and the bad. That passage in 1 Corinthians 13 is called the love chapter. It speaks of love in such a way that we cannot help but to imagine a love that does not flea when times are bad. Now, we know God’s love is never changing, but I wonder if we have really thought about our own love being constant too. In those dark times we become overwhelmed with fears and doubts, yet still there is love. There is His love for us and our love for Him.

It was at that time, sitting not at the foot of the cross, but in the cross itself that I was reminded that to love God is to allow Him to cast away our fears. Contemplating the message of the cross I was reminded that God is so much greater than all the trials and struggles of life. He died for my hurts and failures. And He rose from the dead to shed light in those dark pits of life. He calls to you, no matter where you are in life and simply asks; do you love Me? If you do, then place your hope in Me.

Do you struggle with a relationship gone awry, place your hope in Him and love Him, and if you trust Him He will show you the answers [Proverbs 3:5-6]. Are you seeing your financial security falling around you, love Him, hope in Him and trust Him, after all, He owns the cattle on a thousand hills [Psalm 50:10]. Are you struggling with guilt, or hurt, or doubts; remember that you can love Him, the One who first loved you, and He, through the power of the cross will see you through [Psalm 107]. The struggle for faith; the focus of our hopes; they all begin with the wonder of love. Not only His love for you, but also in the assurance found in your love given back to Him. For when you truly love someone, then you can have hope of a future with that one and faith in that loved one’s love for you. In Micah 7:8b we find an interesting thought. Micah, talking about the enemies that surround us, stated that “when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.” Imagine that. It is not in the journey to find and experience the light at the end of the tunnel. The true love of God is found in the reality that He can and will be our light in the tunnel.

“But now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Journeying Through The Dark Times (part 3) - Hope

“Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.”- Psalm 64:5-8

As I looked at those big blue letters spelling out the word hope God seemed to be asking me; just where is it that you place your hope? Good question. I hope for a miracle that will see my baby girl live and not die. I hope for a good job. I hope for a new church where I can serve and preach and teach and so on. I hope for a nice home for my wife and children. I hope for stability and assurance in difficult days. Perhaps you hope for peace of mind; or for the renewal of a relationship. Perhaps you hope for the pain to simply go away; be it the pain of loss, the pain of sickness, or the pain of guilt. Whatever it is, what is it that you hope for. As I shared my hopes to God, in my mind of vivid imagination I could hear the heavenly buzzer going off. You know the buzzer of which I speak. You are watching a game show and the contestant have been asked a nice challenging question. They stand up straight and give the most insightful of answers and then…buzzzzzzzz. Nope; wrong answer. The question was not what I hope for, but rather what I hope IN.

But God, is it wrong to hope for these positive things for my life and family? No! But you see, what I had to learn is the same thing we all need to learn in our times of darkest night. When you are searching for the light at the end of the tunnel; when you are truly seeking to step out on faith; where is your faith. My faith is not in the light at the end of the tunnel, for that is what I am hoping for; my faith is found in my hope and belief that there is a light. When you are seeking to trust in God your hope has to be in God. The Hebrew word being translated hope here, “tigvah,” deals not with the word hope as we understand it but rather in where the hope is being placed. The Psalmist is telling us to find hope in God alone. We are, by the very definition of the Hebrew word being used here, to live with “expectancy” in God; who is who He says He is. He is the One we live for.

I absolutely love the words of this psalm. “He alone is my rock and salvation...Trust in him at all times…God is our refuge.” Perhaps life has kicked you and left you struggling with how to make it through…only He can be your Rock and Salvation; not your money, looks, dreams or best intentioned family and friends. So you find yourself in the midst of a deep dark pit…trust in Him. You find yourself hurting in ways that cannot be imagined by people who have not been there…He is your Refuge and Strength. To trust Him is to live in faith that He can and will see you through the dark times and so you put your hope and expectations in Him and Him alone.

Once again, it sounded so very good and plain to me. After all I had placed my hope in so many things that I had forgotten that one simple truth. As Jesus had said, without Him we can do nothing. Yet, I still found myself having still another question. How do you take all your dreams, desires and struggles and place the hopes for them squarely in God and God alone? What is it that drives our hopes in the first place? And then God bade me to turn around and look to the head of this cross in which I sat. I may have entered at the foot of the cross, a simple man with hurts and needs, but now I sat at the heart of this cross, between faith and hope and looking up at one last stained glass window. And there, written in those big blue letters was one final word…LOVE.

(to be continued)

Journeying Through The Dark Times (part 2) - Faith

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”- Hebrews 11:1

So I began to ponder the question; what is faith? This question would seem to be an easy one. After all it is one of those words that have been a part of our language and culture since time on end. How often have we sung; “Have faith in God though your pathway is troubled?” I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have told one of my children or my wife that I have faith in them. We speak of it, but do we really know how to define it? The writer of Hebrews says that it is the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” I don’t know about you, but that definition kind of leaves me scratching my head and trying to figure out the meaning of the meaning.

You see, in that description of faith we are told that it is found in something we cannot see but hope will come about. Sounds good, but how do I put faith into reality? So, let’s do a little word study together. The word being used in the New Testament for faith is the Greek word “pistis.” As I was studying this word I found that it comes from the root word “peitho” which actually means that you rely on, trust in, and have confidence in something. And out of this word comes pistis or faith. To have faith in something is to quite literally have the moral conviction that it is true. And then, out of this conviction you act on that truth. If you say that you have faith in your spouse then you should act as if you have faith in them, you should trust him/her.

Let’s put it in a more concrete example. Many of us have had the opportunity to fly from one place to another. Sometimes that experience is a positive one, and sometimes not so positive. But in every single instance of getting on a plane and flying through the air you have exercised faith. You have placed trust in the mechanics to keep the plane in airworthy condition. You have acted on the conviction that the pilot is not an idiot and actually knows what he or she is doing. Sometimes our faith is misplaced and the experience is a bad one, but more times than not we find that our faith has been vindicated by the successful outcome of the flight. You were not there when the mechanic checked over and worked on the plane. You were not a part of the pilot’s training, nor were you there before the flight to see if the pilot was in a sound frame of mind. You simply had to trust in things you could not verify and act on the confidence that you would arrive safely.

So welcome to the world of faith. At that moment, as I looked at that stain glassed window I was reminded of the reality of faith. I read one time that if you want your church to be a growing church then act like it is growing, live out of the belief that God is and will continue to do His good work in your church. Faith is not that I know how things will come out, it is found when I act on the belief and conviction that God is in control and will solve the problem. God seemed to be saying to me; do you have faith in Me. If you do, act like it.

When you are in the dark places in your life and you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel you have a couple of choices. You can sit and wallow in your grief and pain. Or, you can get up and move. Recently I was reading the book The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien. There is a point in the book where the main character, Bilbo Baggins, was lost deep underground in a dark tunnel. He was thoroughly miserable and just wanted to lay down in the dark, too tired to move forward. But then he realized that he did not want to live out his days in that dark hole. He knew he could survive and that there had to be a way out of the dark. He then got up, and started moving forward. He did not know how it would end, but he was not going to give up, he was going to have faith that he would find the light at the end of the tunnel. And that is the beginning of finding our way out of our dark times. To have faith that God knows our situation and can bring us into the light once more. And then, not only do we need to have the head knowledge and that belief in God’s ability; we must then act on that belief. We must have faith.

Now that sounded good to me. I wanted to have faith in God’s call and plan. But I was still sitting there, in the dark. How do I act on this faith? In the case of Bilbo Baggins, he had a Hobbit’s unerring sense of direction. I do not. So God, how do I know which way to go in the dark place? You may be ready to say to Him that you trust Him and are prepared to step out on faith, but we still need to have a direction to step. As I sat there pondering this slight problem I then looked to my left. And there at the other end of the cross beam of the cross was the second stained glass window. And on it, once again, was one single word…HOPE.

(to be continued)

Journeying Through The Dark Times (part 1)

I would like to take some time and share a part of the lessons that God has been teaching me during this journey I call the "walk of faith." Over these four posts I want us to experience together the assurance that even in the dark times we can find peace. We can journey through the dark times.

“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”- 1 Corinthians 13:13

Imagine yourself sitting in a dark corner of a darkened room. Though the environment is somewhat gloomy, you feel that it matches your heart and emotions rather well at that time. For, you see, you are in a time of heartache. Now this heartache could have been caused by any number of factors, but however it came to be, you still hurt. For some, you have seen the breakdown of a relationship that you thought would last a life time. For others, well you and your family have been caught in the financial crises that have enveloped your world and community. Perhaps your hurt is one so much more deep; for you have seen that one you loved so deeply be taken from you in the cold embrace of death. And then, there are so many of us who have come face to face with our own sins and shortcomings and wonder how we will ever crawl out of the holes we have dug around ourselves.

Whatever may be the cause of our hurt, pain or shame we find ourselves coming to one inescapable question; God, are you there? For anyone who has ever found themselves in those dark moments of life they can begin to feel alone and separated. For many this is the beginning of a depression so deep they wonder if they will ever find their way out. Yet, for many it is not a “clinical depression” with which they struggle, but rather a time of spiritual oppression when they can feel as if their entire belief system is coming apart. They have believed in and given their lives to Christ. They have sought to live their lives in a way that honors and pleases Him. Yet here they are, in the quagmire of life and just trying to find solid ground on which to stand.

Recently, this is where I found my own life. Life’s situations and struggles had brought me to a point of just wanting to know if God still cared. Is He really going to let my unborn baby girl die before she even has the chance to experience life? Did He still have a call for my life and somewhere that He wanted my family and me to serve? Was there still a message He wanted me to preach and lessons He wanted me to teach? And during this time of hurt, doubt and questions I found myself sitting in a small chapel just talking and sharing my heart and thoughts with God. I literally asked Him if He had taken His call from me, was I ever going to stand in a pulpit again and preach His word. And then, He decided to answer my question with a question of His own. “Do you believe the words of 1 Corinthians 13:13?”

Let me explain for you how this simple question came to be and how He used it to encourage and brighten my dark days. In this small chapel, as I sat on the steps of the platform trying to sound all spiritual in my questions and thoughts I began to really take note of where I was sitting. This chapel had been built in the shape of the cross. At the foot of this cross you found the doors through which God’s people would come into His presence. Needless to say, when I came through those doors that is exactly what I needed to do; come into His wonderful presence. Now as I sat there taking in the feel and design of this place of worship I looked to my right and there at the rightmost point of the cross’s “cross bar” was a beautiful stained glass window that had one simple word enmeshed in its design…FAITH.

(to be continued)

Life's Journeys

WOW! Have you ever noticed that God always seems to find a way to get your attention and teach you something new? Michelle and I have found that God is doing just that and doing so in a very powerful way. As I journey into the world of the "blogosphere" I find that I will be sharing what God has been teaching me and doing in my life in a number of "threads" or topics.

For those of you who know Michelle and I you will understand some of what we are dealing with in our personal journey and lives. Two of the threads through which I am going to be journeying with you will be in the area of my walk in, and understanding of, "ministry"and also, on a far more personal note, our journey into the impact of "Janie Beth" on our lives.

For you who do not know, Michelle and I have discovered that Janie Beth, due February 7, 2010 has been diagnosed with a rare form of dwarfism that is almost universally fatal. In other words, barring a miracle from God, she will be preceding the two of us into God's glorious presence shortly after her birth. Let me tell you that God has been teaching me all kinds of lessons during this journey that I will be sharing on my "Janie Beth" thread.

Two other areas, or threads, that I will be sharing from my walk with God have to do "marriage" and the "Master." You can find out more on these topics as their threads begin to take form.

The title of my blog is "Living The Experience." I believe that the call for each of us is to experience a living faith that is so much more than just a religion or a set of do's and don'ts. It has been said, by people with much bigger brains than me with far deeper thoughts; that the Christian journey is usually lived out in one of two ways. The first is evidenced in the efforts that Christians have in trying to live out their faith by following a rigid adherence to a system of right and wrong (deontology). These Christians believe that their faith is judged by following God's commands to the letter, being "holy in all" their conduct (1 Peter 1:15). There are other Christians who live a faith based walk with Christ that is focused on the goal of seeing God's promise fulfilled in their lives (teleology). They are seeking to "press towards the goal" of the "upward calling of Christ" (Philippians 3:14). Their faith rests in the belief that God keeps His promises and we look to the fulfilling of our faith realized in our hope in Jesus Christ.

Well I have come to realize that the Christian life is so much more. Yes we are called to be holy in all our conduct as well as to press towards the upward calling of Christ Jesus in our lives. At the same time, the Christian life is also meant to be lived and enjoyed. The Christian life is meant to be experienced in a personal and real way. We are called as His people to move beyond our religion and into an active and vibrant relationship with Christ. We are called to live the experience that is our faith walk.

So, come with me as we journey together by "Living the Experience." Be it in the struggles of life, or the victories; the experience of the Christian life is blessed and glorious.