Itch's Desk- Ramblings of Pastor Jeff

Life Lessons-King Saul

2010-09-14T16:33:00.002-04:00

The more life I live, the more I seem to realize that I'm not quite the man of confidence that I sometimes think I am. That isn't easy to admit, but if most of us guys were honest with ourselves, we'd come to that conclusion. Case in point: a couple months back I decided it was time to change the rear brakes on the minivan. Brakes for me have become a rather easy job. Disc brakes, anyway. And since I had just a couple months before this occasion changed the front brake pads, I thought that this would be a quick, easy fix. After all, the rear has disc brakes, too.

Boy was I wrong. Not in the actual brake job. The pads were easy to fix. But the last place to put tires on apparently cross threaded the lug nuts on 3 of the studs, and when I cranked the tire iron, it snapped the studs. I lost a couple studs on the right side after successfully changing the pads on the left side. I decided I'd better go buy the studs and prepare to replace them. I did my homework, and found videos on You Tube teaching how to replace broken wheel studs. Finally, I was prepared. I presumed for sure that I could handle it.

I went to do the repair behind the church office, and got the 3 remaining lug nuts off. I now had one good stud. But I didn't have a hammer big and heavy enough to knock the broken studs out. Finally, after a couple hours of trying, I gave up and called help in from one better equipped for the job. He drove over, and with one swing to each, he removed the broken studs. I was happy, though I had been humbled. I learned some things that day.

Today's reading of the Bible took me to 1 Samuel 11. Samuel was the newly appointed king of Israel, and already an enemy picked a fight with a town. Upon surrounding the town of Jabesh-Gilead, they demanded that all the men have their right eyes gouged out. Sounds painful, eh? Humiliating, not to mention it would render them useless in battle. So they sent for help. When word came to the new king, I was stunned by what I read:

"When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud. Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, "What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?" Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said." 1 Sam. 11:5

Did you catch that? I'm pretty certain the bold type doesn't appear in the Hebrew. But it sure jumps off the page as if it did. This wasn't just a regular guy-at least not anymore. This was the king! This was the newly anointed leader of God's people. Like an old Sesame Street segment, I think I need to find the one thing that just doesn't belong. Why on earth is a king plowing the field with oxen? Shouldn't the dude have people for that? I mean, if I'm king, y'all, I'm appointing people for that kind of work. I'll sit in my air conditioned throne room, with my mega 1080dp 16:9 man screen and watch ball games (obviously translating this to modern times!) while the more laborious tasks are done by others. Maybe it's a good thing I'm not the king, eh?

But that isn't what we find Saul doing. He was king, yet he was plowing the field. What humility! The Bible says that at his coronation, he was hiding, even though he stood head and shoulder above everyone else. He was hiding among the baggage. Samuel had to search him out. He reluctantly took the crown. With all the bad (and deserved) press Saul gets in the Word of God, the man had a good start. He was a humble, broken man. I think we'd do well to study this early period in his life as leaders. Pastors, take note. Youth workers, this applies to you. In fact, I don't care if you head the janitorial staff in your ministry or workplace; all leaders need to study this. True leaders aren't born that way. They start really as good followers. They start as good learners, taking direction from those over them. This isn't a place for a presumptuous confidence like I had when it came to those pesky wheel studs.

That isn't all, though. Look at what Saul did when the news of the besieging of Jabesh-Gilead reached his ears. He burned with a holy, righteous anger, and he mustered the troops and rushed to the defense of his people. And did they ever clean house. But what's interesting is that for some reason, Saul is given another conronation, Samuel again emceeing the event, as he did the first time. Why did they do this twice? Isn't it a bit redundant? Not really. Let me explain.

Saul was no question king. Yet, in the eyes of the nation, he had proved himself. When trouble came, Saul got busy and executed a plan (not to mention the enemy!). He didn't just wear the title; he showed that he had the intestinal fortitude to do what had to be done. How many leaders today have this? How many pastors and ministry leaders really have the guts to make the tough decisions when the need arises? Do I? I have to ask myself that. I may be a pastor, and my church may accept me as such, but when push comes to shove, do I show it by my actions? It could be as simple as returning a phone call, or paying a visit to the hospital to see a sick or dying person. It may be stepping up to the plate against the false attacks of the enemy as he uses those around us. A leader isn't a leader in name alone; he/she is a leader in deed.

This is a time personally for me to examine my own motives for why I do what I do. Why am I a pastor? Am I operating in the humility God requires? Am I able to make the tough decisions to cause God's Kingdom to grow? Am I proving, not just to those I'm charged to lead, but to myself that I'm who I should be? That I'm truly walking in the call on my life?

If you're a leader, no matter the area, I implore you to reflect on these questions. Let the light of the Word of God illuminate your heart and your motives.

God bless!

Off The Deep End

2010-06-28T22:00:00.001-04:00

Two Saturdays ago was a really special day in the Richard household. After a fun time of rotating my tires, we took the kids to the mall for a bit of shopping in preparation of the girls' trip to Michigan in a week and a half. (Even I got some stuff. A couple shirts and a cool pair of shorts!) After that, we swung by Toys 'R Us for Jayden's gifts for his birthday, and some good grade gifts for all. We rounded out the trip by grocery shopping at Walmart.

That was when the fun was to begin. After returning home, we put the swimsuits on and headed to the pool. Timmy and the girls spent some water time in water wings. But then the girls took them off and practiced swimming. I have to say, I'm impressed with their progress. Machaela was doing great, actually off swimming all by herself. That's a big deal. She just learned how to swim in the past couple weeks.

Timmy took a big step, too. Usually, he hangs not just in the shallow end, he stays on the pool steps. He was afraid of the water big time. And he'd freak out if I took him out deeper and away from those steps. Even with the water wings, Timmy wanted nothing to do with deeper water. So today, I took him screaming out of his comfort zone. I took him out in about 3 1/2 feet of water and made him swim to me with the water wings. He spent most of the time screaming and begging for the stairs. But by the time I needed to move on to his brother, he was having a blast. But the story isn't over just yet...

Machaela was next. She's come a long way, but she needs to practice where she can't touch bottom easily. So, I made her get out with me, and I jumped in the 9 foot end off the deck. I helped her in the pool, and she was swimming in the deep end! Not only did she successfully do it, she wanted to go back!

I think that God is a "deep-end" God. God calls us, like Peter, to step out of the boat-the boat that represented safety and comfort. He calls us to follow Him in faith.

Faith is total trust in God. Thanks to much of Christian media these days, we get a skewed version of faith. We are taught by many preachers that faith is the magic formula to get the things we want. We're told that if we have enough faith, God will shower us with our desires, like money, cars, etc. It always seems to be material things that are pushed. Or it's healing. "If you only had enough faith, God would heal that cancer!", or whatever disease plagues us humans. Friends, God does bless us. And God heals. God does honor faith. But faith isn't the magic wand that moves God. Faith is trusting God. Faith swims where our feet can't touch bottom.

Jonathan represented this kind of total faith. While the army of his father, the king, sat idly around waiting for another sign from God, Jonathan decided to simply attack the enemy God commissioned them to destroy. With only his armor-bearer with him, he stepped out in faith and went to battle. His only thought prior to advancing? "Perhaps God will work for us." Notice that he didn't sit down with his men and discuss it. There was no board room session or counsel to guide him. It was total trust in God, not knowing the outcome. He dove in the deep end. And God honored Jonathan's faith by giving him and his armor-bearer a huge victory.

It's easy to sit on the pool steps all day. And you can feel as if you are really swimming. But you aren't swimming till you leave the poolside and get your legs off the bottom of the pool. A life of faith isn't meant for the shallow end. My kids took a chance and trusted their daddy. They had the blessing of success. Won't you do the same with your heavenly Father?

Healing Hearts and Naming Stars

2010-02-23T13:31:00.001-05:00

I love being outside in nature. I'm not an environmentalist by any stretch of the imagination, but there is just something about seeing this natural world in all its fullness. I think of the whale-watching trip I went on in off the coast of San Diego, as huge grey whales surfaced and shot blowholes of water dozens of feet in the air. I think of the trips to northern Michigan with my family as a kid, camping out in the wooded campgrounds and state parks. The beauty of nature, the trees, the sand dunes, the wild animals, it all gets me. Even today, I love making beach trips in my current state of Florida. I enjoy wading out into the Gulf of Mexico, standing still and letting the force of the surf hit me. Or simply standing still in the water and watching the schools of tiny fish encompass me thrills me. I love what the natural world has to offer.

But when I see this beautiful world, it isn't simply an end in itself to enjoy its splendor. No, I take it one step further. When I see the beauty of this world, I think of the God who made it. The perfect order, the complexity point to one thing: nothing like this could simply come out to be on its own. Obviously, a brilliant Mind was behind it. That Mind belongs to the Lord God Almighty. So all the majesty of the mountains, the power of the sea, etc., are evidences of the work of God.

Think of the stars for a moment. All the stars in the universe are literally beyond our ability to count. A light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Since the speed of light is 186,000 miles per second, that means that light travels nearly 6 trillion miles a year. If that isn't encroaching on mind-warping for you, then get this: the Milky Way Galaxy's diameter is 100,000 light-years! And that's just our galaxy! It's only one of the billions in our universe that we can observe! Is your mind burning out yet? Mine is!

That, my friends, all falls under the category of creation. God made it. That means that God is separate and distinct from His creation. He is all-powerful, far above this universe that to us is unfathomable! There is a fancy theological term for this. It's called the transcendence of God. God is not only separate from creation, but far greater than it. The Bible states this fact unequivocally and unapologetically when it says it simply, "In the beginning God made…"

The Bible, in Psalm 147:4, makes the statement that God determines the number of the stars, and (get ready) He names each one! (See the 4^th verse). I get my kids names mixed up all the time, and there's only 4 of them! That speaks to God's transcendence. But the verse prior to it says something equally profound. Its says that God binds up the brokenhearted, and heals all their wounds. (See the 3^rd verse) There's also a fancy theology word for this one, too. It's called the immanence of God. That speaks of God's involvement in His creation, in our lives. Let me tie this all together now. We all have heard how God cares for us. We know He understands our hurts, our pains. We are familiar with the 3^rd verse, some of us rather intimately. But I want to challenge you to look at verse 3 in the light of verse 4-that is, God not only cares about you and your problems, He has the means to do something about it! Don't think God is too busy with other issues, like keeping the stars in their proper places. He holds the stars, but friends, He holds you too! God is not an unconcerned landlord over this universe, and that includes you.

Friend, I believe the ultimate expression of this All-powerful God's immanence is found in Calvary, as God in the flesh (see John 1) hung on that cross in the person of Jesus Christ. God got intimately involved with His people that He made, making a way for us to be free from sin. He died on that cross for our sin, and His blood that He shed washes away the sin and the guilt that comes with it. He loved us enough to intervene and save us!

God bless!

Multiple Miracles

2010-01-18T07:56:00.001-05:00

I had an interesting thought this morning that may possibly been a God-thought. Bear with me, I'm still working this one out, but I think something is there.

As I sat in church Sunday morning, the preacher, overseer of the Spanish Churches of God here in Florida, spoke out of John 9, about the healing of the man born blind. It was a great message, but as sometimes happens when someone is preaching, one little part caught my attention. If I were to ask you what the miracle was that happened in this chapter, you would most certainly tell me it was Jesus healing the poor blind beggar's eyes. And you'd be right. But I'd like to offer that while the opening of his eyes was indeed a powerful miracle, there is another here that I've never really thought of until now. The miracle of note wasn't the blind eyes opened, it was what God did in the life of the man who was blind. He didn't just go on about his merry way when the Lord healed him. He had been deeply touched by Jesus, and he minced no words about it.

Names were important in the Jewish culture. When a child was born, he was given a name that had significance. It could have been a prophetic name, like Moses. When Pharaoh's daughter found him in the basket, she gave him the name Moses, which means "drawn out". To her, it simply was commemorative of how she met the baby. What she didn't know was that it was a prophetic name, for Moses would be used by God to draw out the people of Israel from under Egyptian slavery. Some were named to mark something significant, usually to the bad. Jacob made his grand entrance into this world trying to one-up his twin brother, who was the first to pop out. He had has hand on his brother's heel. Some he was called "heel grabber", which can also mean "deceiver". It was also prophetic, as much of Jacob's life was spent trying to con and deceive others. Then there is Jabez. We are all familiar with his story, and I'm not going to talk about his prayer. You can read that book. Jabez was given a name that surely welcomed scorn. His name meant "pain". His mom maybe had an especially painful birth, or maybe the birth was accompanied with some kind of hardship. Whatever it was, Jabez's mom decided to remember it forever in the name she gave her baby. The cool part is, Jabez didn't let that name stop him. He didn't let it become prophetic. He did something about it, and he was honored for it in the scriptures.

What does any of this have to do with a guy in the first century who was blind? He was also a man with a destiny of pain established for him. His lot in life had been set. He didn't do anything to deserve it. He was born that way. Much of his life was spent begging for a living. When the disciples of the Lord found him, they asked Him whose fault it was that he was born that way. His, or his parents? I love the reply of Jesus. "Neither this man, nor his parents sinned. But he is blind to show the works of God in him." (paraphrased) Jesus healed him, and the next thing we know, the guy is preaching to the Pharisees! Usually the healed couldn't go away quietly. They told everyone they saw what Jesus did for them. So this guy is brought before the religious leaders and interrogated as to how he could now see. He looked those preachers square in the eye and told them what Jesus had done for him. The miracle I see is really the change of heart and boldness in his life. He could have remained quiet. But it's hard to stay quiet when the Lord has touched you.

Like I said, this is still incomplete, but I'm journaling it out here. There is much more to come. God bless!

Paper Airplanes

2009-12-26T00:04:00.002-05:00

Its Christmas Day 2009, with just about 1 hour left in the day. And, like every Christmas, the kids made out like bandits with gifts from mom and dad, grandparents and great-grandparents, and a great-aunt and uncle. Among the spoil were Legos, Lincoln Logs, some RC cars with ultra-bright blue and red LEDs, a Dippin' Dots maker, a Pixos art machine for each girl, and jewelry boxes. But one gift emerged as daddy's favorite. It's a book of paper airplanes! Specifically, it has ten different airplanes to make, some gliders, some darts, some stunt planes. There's even one plane, called the Hurricane, which is a circle. Timmy and I had a lot of fun making airplanes and throwing them across the room. As I sat there tonight folding paper, I found myself taking a venture back to the wonder I experienced as a kid making airplanes. Not just the fun of tossing them across the room, but the work that goes into them. To make a good plane, you just don't fold paper any old way. Each fold must be precise. What is done on one side needs to be done on the other. A paper airplane, to fly properly, requires symmetry. It's really kind of cool.

As I was flying the last plane I made tonight, it hit me that paper airplanes brought out in me something that makes the Lord Jesus very happy-a childlike faith. He said to His followers, "If you want to enter the Kingdom of God, you must have faith like a little child" (my paraphrase). When I think of childlike faith, I'm not just thinking trust. While that is a huge part of faith, it's not the only part of faith. Think back to you childhood. Think back to that sense of wonder that you had. How was it that dad could mow the lawn, and instead of dying, a week later it was flourishing and in need of another mow? How could that Space Shuttle make it from that launch pad in Florida to outer space? How is it that a caterpillar morphs into a beautiful butterfly in about 2 weeks time in that tight chrysalis? Those are just a few of the things that put a sense of awe in us.

When you go out tomorrow, I want to stop and look around. So much of God's creation simply passes by without us giving it much thought. We adults get so focused on "important stuff" that we become colorblind to the wonderful things the Lord has put here. We need to stop and smell the roses, to use a very tired cliché. Remember the commercials for a popular allergy medication? The one where someone is outside, but the shot is blurred and dull? Then the person pulls out the allergy med box, and the dull, blurry image peels away to reveal a vibrantly colorful and clear picture. That's what I think we need from time to time. Call it a spiritual antihistamine. Why spiritual when we're talking about a physical world we are in awe over? Because we need to see the world as it really is. It's the creation of our all-powerful God, who happens to be Spirit. When we can let our minds take in the wonder and majesty of creation, then we in turn should let it translate into praise for the infinitely creative God who made it. Instead of stuffy noses, we have stuffed up spirits. We need to get our sense of wonder back.

I believe that we honor God when we explore and experience this world He made for us. He's made this whole universe as a vast backyard for us to explore. We not only have the technology to see the deepest places on earth, and the now unfolding catalog of new species to find in them, but we are getting glimpses of the awesome things outer space is full of. Distant stars exploding and imploding, beautiful nebulas, and new planets dazzle us. The psalmist was right. The heavens really do declare God's glory! I know that sadly, many of those who see these things daily don't translate it to faith a really big God. Honestly, I don't see how they don't. But the more I learn, the more I explore, the more I want to praise God. Why, just the human body alone is so impossibly complex that all I can do is give God glory.

I never thought I'd find inspiration in a few paper airplanes. Till next time!

God bless!

Primal: The Review

2009-12-22T21:24:00.001-05:00

OK, this is officially my second review of a Mark Batterson book (or any book for that matter!). As an avid reader, I have several authors that I enjoy. But I don't have too many that I can relate to on a level that is "real", for lack of a better term. I'm not a lot younger than Pastor Mark, and on that point alone I have a lot more in common with him than other authors I read. Pastor Mark's first book challenged me to chase a lion in the biggest move of my then 30-year old life, uprooting my family from our comfortable home in southeast Michigan to sunny central Florida, where we have really seen the providence of God in our lives and ministry. Now comes the chance to review yet another great book, Primal: The Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity. So here goes.

For some time, deep inside me, I've sensed a longing for what Mark conveys in the pages of this book, though I couldn't quite place a finger on it till now. Do you sense in your spirit and heart the need to reflect back on what a relationship with the Lord should be? That is exactly what this book is doing for me. It is a call for us to get past a surface faith that can develop in even the most seasoned Christian. This book calls us to descend back to what the heart of our faith is all about, namely, loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

So, taking the Great Commandment referenced above that the Lord gave us, Mark takes us on a journey through each one, looking at the ways we love God in them. Do the things that break God's heart break ours? Does the wonder of God's creation awe us? The soul of our faith is often expressed in the wonder and amazement of what God has made. How about loving Him with our minds? We have the ability to continually grow in knowledge. But too many of us allow ourselves to stop learning at some point in life. God is honored when we don't stop trying to understand Him, His ways and His universe. Finally, love God with all our strength. In other words, putting some elbow grease into our faith. I used to attend a church that operated a large warehouse for benevolence ministry. We stored food and drinks there that we gave out both locally and around the world. But people had to maintain the warehouse, lest it fall into poor shape. Things needed to be put in order. I did that for a while, and each time I went home, I left with the sense that I had done something of value eternally. I was tired, but I felt that I had loved God with my strength.

Our faith isn't simply reading a few verses, saying a few prayers and calling it a day. Our faith is living and real. It finds outlet in our experiences and practices on a daily basis. Primal
takes you to the place that you look at the foundational things that make our faith. So pick up a copy today and start digging down into the primal roots of Christianity!P

Every Step I Take…

2009-11-17T23:08:00.001-05:00

In my fast track through the Bible that I recently began, attempting (I said attempting, now!) to read the entire thing in 90 days, I am finding it both refreshing and amazing at the what I am picking up along the way. I haven't really come across things I've never seen, but I am being wonderfully reminded of many truths I've known for years, yet somehow ended up in the dusty reaches of my mind. Sure, from time to time, as situations would warrant, those truths would come out, but they aren't things that I'd thought and meditated on, at least not on any regular basis. Suddenly, the joy of God's Word, the pull of His Spirit, and the growth that results are overwhelming me. I love to pull out the truth of God's word, and get it into my heart.

One of those times came this morning as I read of the patriarch Jacob, and his mad dash out of Caanan, running as far from his brother that he had cheated as he could. As he made the journey to the far Haran, to his uncle Laban's house, he had a powerful encounter with the Lord as he slept. He saw a ladder that spanned from heaven down to earth. On that ladder, Jacob saw angels going up and down on it. The the Lord spoke to him, and promised to him the same thing that he had promised to his Dad, Isaac, and his grandfather before that, Abraham. He said that he would give him the land on which he was sleeping, the land of Caanan. He promised that his descendents would be innumerable, and that through him, the families of the earth would be blessed. And then God told Jacob what has stuck with me all day long now:

"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land…" (Gen. 28:15)

That is the part that gets me. When I read about the life of this man called Jacob, I am not reading a lot that says he was a man of faith that always made God happy. In fact, Jacob spent much of his life scheming, lying nd cheating to get his way. That was why he was on the run from his brother, Esau. Yet, in spite of his mistakes, his plans, and his scheming ways, God was with him! Even though he messed up royally, God didn't give up on the plans He had for this man. Friends, that is a comfort to me. I may not be a cheat, but let me be honest. There are times I let my own ideas get In God's way. There are times that my worries push me to lean on my own understanding to fix my messes. That is a big no-no, when one considers that the Scripture teaches that we are to trust in God, and not trust our natural understanding above God (Prov. 3). Yet, as much as I've messed things up, God is still directing my steps and making me that man He's called me to be. What does the New Testament say? "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Rom. 8:28) That means to me that God isn't afraid of my mistakes. He doesn't wash His Hands of me when I fail. He picks me up, dusts me off, and uses that experience to mold me. Friends, God isn't joking when He tells us this precious truth. How amazing and how deep is His love and grace for us!

Now, I know that God isn't trying to bring us into a physical piece of real estate as He was with Jacob. The Lord Jesus has place of promise for us, though. He has a destiny for us. He alone sees the final picture of what we are to become. So let Him work out His will in your life through this time of testing. It may be painful now, but the time will come later on when you will look back and be thankful for what you've endured. Once you've passed through, you will be able to say with confidence, "It was worth it all!"

God bless!

Burnout

2009-10-13T18:35:00.001-04:00

Have you ever had a really, really bad day? I know, that's like asking if you've ever been bitten by a mosquito or had a flat tire. We've all had days we wish never happened. I had one of those days this past Sunday. We had just come out of a string of revival meetings in which I had to play guitar every night. As a guitarist, you'd think I'd be thrilled to play that much. And I do love to play. But, once the revival closed out, I didn't touch my Strat but for a few minutes on day. I just got burned out. You'd think that after a few days respite I'd be ready to rock once church rolled (no pun intended-for real!) around Sunday morning. (I love being able say I'm gonna rock in church!) But this time I wasn't. It was evident, at least to my ears and fingers that I was still vegetating in the funk from pouring out and pouring out. I was off my game, and I just didn't want to be up there. That's how it was all day long. Even last night was tough. I made myself pull the guitar out and practice. I put my iPod on and pulled up a practice track on it. Nothing I played sounded right. My guitar didn't feel right. I just wanted to give up. But it was me. I was in a down time, a period where I was still coming out of some discouragement. Even though I wanted to give in and just watch TV, I needed to keep on pressing forward. And tonight, I plan on continuing that. I need to press on. You see, music in a real sense is part of my job. When I had to constantly do it as work, it burns me out. I needed to take time and get back to why I play music, even though it was somewhat painful. I play music because I love music.

We get that way in all areas of life. We spend and spend and spend, whether it's for work, ministry and even family. We need to take time to ourselves just to get recharged. If I've had a long day taking care of sick kids and keeping the well ones on task with homework and chores, I need to have some time to get away from the rush and clear my mind. I need to relax. I have a tough job in ministry that not many folks are lining up for. Keeping the books isn't very fun, and it can be intensely stressful at times. When I come home (often late), I want to forget numbers, checks and payroll and melt on the couch. I need recharging. And in ministry, I need that time that I can get alone with God, not waiting on cell phones and church needs. I need to simply get in prayer, soak the presence of God up, and let Him fill me. You'd think that in a revival, I'd be able to do that nightly, but when you are pouring out, it isn't easy to do that. Sometimes pastors really need revival after coming out of revival!

That time for me began Sunday night. I had some good time alone with the Lord at the altar. I am getting my battery recharged. And I need to remember why I follow the Lord. It isn't so I can do ministry. I love Jesus, and I want to spend time with Him. He's my savior. I do ministry because the love that I have for Him compels me to reach out to others. (And for that call I can't escape from.) My relationship with the Lord is not one and the same with ministry. But ministry flows from that relationship. Simply put, when I pour out of myself, like any old pitcher, I need to be filled back up if I am to be of any use. I let myself get poured out dry. I am now refilling.

This isn't the deepest message today. But I pray that it is just what you need. And it's the first blog in forever. But keep surfing over, friends. I'll do my best to have something here for you all.

God bless!

Sometimes I Just Need Daddy

2009-07-15T11:04:00.001-04:00

A month or so back, my wife and I found out about a local football and cheerleader organization here in Lakeland, called the Lakeland Saints. They run football teams from ages 4 to 14. My boy, Timmy, who is 5 ½, has shown interest in football, so we signed him up for flag football. His first practice was this Monday, and he did great. The coach had them running, and got them familiar with blocking. It was a proud moment for me when I watched Timmy turn into a brick wall blocking another boy! Yesterday, they practiced running with the ball, then receiving. Timmy did great catching passes from the coach, even throwing the ball back. It was shaping out to be a great practice.

That's when it kind of turned around on the poor kid. The coaches lined them up in formation, and they got to run plays, going after the kid with the ball. They block and are really physical during these drills. Well, Timmy got caught off guard, and was run over by another kid. Shaken, he got up, and I saw immediately that he was upset. He saw me, and made a bee-line for me, tears flowing. He clutched on to me, and wouldn't let go for anything. He said he hurt his leg, and was so shaken that he didn't want to go back out on the field. It tore me up inside to take him back out there, but how else can he learn if he doesn't try again? Fortunately, practice was nearing its end, and we soon headed home. Before we left, the coach talked with him about remembering to block, and Timmy was ready to go for the next practice, which happens to be tomorrow.

Timmy will learn of the years that life doesn't get any easier. Today it may be a lineman knocking him down, but later on it will be something else. I've had some real experience in that lately. I've found myself under stress these past couple weeks that's been nearly crippling. I was at the point that I dreaded getting up in the morning. While I had to press on, I admit that I did what Timmy did yesterday. I ran to my Daddy. More specifically, I ran to my heavenly Father, or as Jesus told us to call him, Abba. That's Aramaic for daddy. It was an intimate word that a Hebrew child used when he talked with his father. Last week, having been knocked on my rear, I found myself running to the sidelines of life, crying out for God to cradle me and somehow, make everything better. While God didn't change the circumstances, His loving touch on me did give me the strength to carry on. I just needed my Daddy.

Running to Daddy is one secret God's men and women throughout the scriptures have employed throughout time. Abraham did when he was told to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice. Jacob did when he was facing the brother he cheated years before. Moses did when the nation cried against him. David did when raiders burned his town down and ran off with his and his men's families. Elijah did when the fear of Jezebel had crippled him. And Jesus did in the garden, just before He went to the cross. Friends, if all these found comfort in "the God of all comfort", how much more should we? We have a promise that whenever we need His grace, we can boldly come get it. Jesus is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities". He understands what we endure, and He is ready to give us the comfort and grace we need. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28). The Lord is waiting, friends. He is ready to hold you in His Arms and give you the comfort and the strength to press on.

Sometimes, we just need our Daddy.

That Out-Of-Place Feeling

2009-05-01T11:04:00.002-04:00

For the past month or so, I've have been making a concerted effort to get in better shape. As a pastor, I know stress that many people don't face. I don't just deal with my own issues; I've got other people to help, too. All a minister has to handle can take a great toll on him. That is why so many defect from ministry and work secular jobs. That's also why many are overweight, out-of-shape, or have health issues. Knowing that before I go into the senior pastorate, I felt I needed to do something about my health.

I had been going to work out in my townhouse's little gym of universal machines three days a week. Then one of the other pastors here at the church got a deal at a local gym for staff members to work out for free. I was stoked when I got my card. So, on Monday of this week, I ventured for the first time since high school into a real exercise place, with tons of free weights, Hammer Strength Machines, and every other piece of equipment under the sun. You should have seen me. I looked lost when I first darkened that door. I didn't know where to begin! I think I spent the better part of 2 hours working out, using equipment I'd never even seen before! But the thing I quickly noticed when I got there was that of all the guys there working out, I was decidedly one of the small ones. I thought I stumbled onto an ESPN weight training competition! Bulging biceps, protruding pectorals, and colossal calf muscles abounded. I'm not a small guy. I've seen some definite change in strength and definition in the past month. I do have some muscle hidden somewhere under a protective layer of blubber. I know how to lift. But I felt so out-of-place! With all those monstrous, gargantuan men, I think even Arnold Schwarzenegger would have been somewhat self-conscious!

I know I've written several times on a guy named Mephibosheth. I don't want to beat it into the ground, but it's such a beautiful picture of the grace of God toward us. Here was a young man who was born royalty. He was the grandson of the late King Saul, Israel's first king. When his dad and granddad were killed in battle, Mephibosheth's nanny took him and ran. The custom in those times was for the incoming king to kill off any possible heirs to the throne, protecting their position. So the nanny took the small boy and fled. Somehow, Mephibosheth ended up a cripple, unable to get around without assistance. His legs were useless. Some years later, when he had grown up, King David was reminded of a covenant he had made with his best friend, who just happened to be Mephibosheth's dad, Jonathan. The promise was that whoever died first, the other would care for his family. David found out about Jonathan's son, and he sent for him. He was living in destitution, a place called Lo-Debar. I've said before, it meant a "place of no pasture". It was desolate, dry, and depressing. Imagine what Mephibosheth must have thought when he saw a royal guard arrive at his house. Whatever happened, he was taken to Jerusalem, and there he met the king face to face. David dropped on him the news that he was going to be taken care of, because he made a promise to his daddy. "You shall eat at my table continually!" David declared. All he could do was bow to the ground and say, in essence, "Why me? Who am I, King? I'm nothing, and you are making me royalty!"

I imagine what Mephibosheth felt that day was somewhat similar, but hundreds of times great than I have felt this week at the gym. Every time he pulled up to the table, I wonder if he looked under the tablecloth. Why would he do that? To serve as a reminder to him that he didn't get to that royal feast under his own strength. He had to be helped there. Someone had to pick him up and carry him. There were no wheelchairs back then. If you were crippled, you had to have a hand to do anything or go anywhere. Mephibosheth simply could not have made it to that table under his own strength. Certainly he had to feel out-of-place, sitting with the King and his sons. But the neat thing was that just as David's sons had certain rights, so now did Mephibosheth. David in a sense adopted him, and gave him his royalty back.

When I look at how I've lived my life before Christ came along, I have to say, I feel out-of-place. I was not worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made for me. But He died on that cross for me anyway, and welcomed me into His presence. He forgave my sins, and He gave me eternal life. Friends, not one of us could ever do that on our own. Not one of us could ever do anything to bring about our salvation. It was all an act of God's grace. So when I go into His presence, though I go boldly, I have to "look under the table". I was a cripple spiritually, unable to save myself. It was the grace of Christ alone that saved me. If it weren't for Jesus, I'd be nowhere, friends. I'm glad for that out-of-place feeling. It is a constant reminder that I may not have belonged, I couldn't get there myself. But by the King's grace and mercy, here I am!

God bless!

Staying Connected

2009-04-22T18:35:00.003-04:00

Something unusual happened today. I found myself sitting at my desk, and decided to take an email break from what I was doing. Normally, I get emails from my dad in Michigan all the time. Most recent was the photos he took at the Chelsea, MI Tax Day Tea Party. But today, I found a Facebook friend request from him. Not that friend requests are an uncommon event for me, I've been a Facebook subscriber for over a year. I get them constantly. It was funny to see that my dad had found the Facebook site at all. He is still learning how to use his new laptop! Before that, computers to him were cutting edge with the old Apple IIGS, 25 years ago. (If you read this, dad, just having some fun. I'll send you lots of meaningless applications for your FB page, like Retro Arcade games. Nothing like the original Pac-Man!)

The request set me off on a FB spree. I found my uncle, my aunt, a couple cousins, and even my grandmother! If I thought I had a lot of friends on that site before, they are coming out of the woodwork now. I hear somewhere out there, my mom has a page, too. I'll search her out soon enough. I like Facebook because it really connects old friends and family like nothing else. Not even Myspace comes close to the impact FB is having in this area. And, most of my friends and family are far away, out of state. Now I have one more way to staying in touch with those that mean so much to me. And I can send them cool pictures of Starbucks coffee, too!

When you think about all the ways we have today to connect, it can boggle the mind. We have instant messaging, email, cell phones, Myspace, Twitter, blogs and Facebook. But, let me take this and give you a mini-sermon. While it's great to connect with the people in our lives, we need to remember that we have a Savior who wants to stay in contact with us, too. With all the voices and things (even, dare I say, Facebook!) in the world that clamor for our attention, it can be extremely easy for us to forget that. I haven't even mentioned the worries, the stressors, and the cares of life, either. It's like a tug-of-war match is going on, and we are the rope!

I'm reminded of a church the resurrected Lord Jesus scolded in Revelation 3:14-22. It was the Christian Church in a wealthy city called Laodicea, in Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). These folks had money, they had security, they had expensive clothing. They lacked nothing material. But the Lord saw something that did lack. They didn't see that they had grown distant in their faith, and lost the passion that they once had for the Lord Jesus. They were blessed with wealth, and that wealth distracted them from the One who gives us "every good and perfect gift". Though they were rich in cash, they didn't realize that the Lord saw them as impoverished. Though they had designer threads, they lacked the righteous threads that only Jesus Christ could give them. They had let the tangible things they possessed rob them of their deep, spiritual fellowship with their Savior. Read what Jesus said to them:

"Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and with me." Rev. 3:19-20

Back then, people got together around the dinner table. Food played a big part in fellowship. What Jesus was saying to them was "Hey, guys, I miss your fellowship! But I never left you, you did. I'm outside the door of your heart, and I'm knocking loudly. I want that relationship back!" Friends, you hear Him "knocking", don't you? You can sense in your spirit that you aren't where you need to be with God. Do you feel something tugging on your heart strings, beckoning you back to the Savior who died for you? Don't pretend you can't hear Him, and don't turn the distractions up over the sound of the pounding. He desires to have that prime spot in your life. No, He desires to be your life!

A Lesson from Brownies

2009-04-19T15:33:00.003-04:00

**This was inspired by a message from Pastor Tim Dilena.

I have a secret that many guys would have a tough time admitting. Funny, I usually end up doing at night when not many can see it. Now, don't let your minds wander and think, "This preacher has some dirty secret!". No, I'm addicted to anything illicit, or even take part in such things. You see, I love to bake! I've been doing it for a couple years now, and I have to say, I am getting some kudos from my wife and kids. In fact, as I type this, the smell of fresh brownies lingers in the air. Mmmm...!

Last night, I made a batch, only to mess up and place the pan on a burner I forgot to turn off when I melted the butter. What a Homer Simpson "Doh!" moment when I swore an hour after baking them that I could smell them burning! One whole batch, charred and tossed out like moldy cheese. So, this afternoon, I took my culinary skills out in the daylight and baked a fresh, homemade batch. (And a store-bought batch of walnut brownies for the Mrs.)

When you are just buying a box of brownie mix at the local Kroger (or Publix or Meijer's), it's easy to forget the steps that go into really baking brownies. Rather than dump a bag of mix into a bowl, and adding some water, eggs and oil, I actually have to go through a process. I have to measure out the flour. Then there is adding the sugar, the cocoa, eggs and vanilla. Mix them together, add some heat, and viola! You have some kicking brownies. Likewise, God takes us through various processes as He makes us the people He's called us to be.

My kids constantly want to lick the mixer and spoons. Yours do to, heck, you probably do, too! But have you ever had someone come into the kitchen and ask to lick the measuring cup clean after adding flour? Or begged to slurp down a raw egg? How about scooping down spoonfuls of unsweetened cocoa? My guess is no. Who wants to eat those nasty things? I sure do love to have a spoonful of sugar, though. Likewise, we'd love to have nothing but good in life as Christians, don't we? Yet, the Lord uses the good and the bad to mold us into His image. We have to endure the flour and the bitter cocoa, and the slimy eggs, along with the sugar. Some pleasant, some not so pleasant, but all necessary for the finished product.

When this life is done, and we are forever in the Lord's presence, will be perfected. Not underdone, not overdone, just right in His image. I'm reminded of what happened when Solomon was having the Temple built. The stones for the building needed to be cut out, but when they were chiseled, it didn't happen on site in Jerusalem. The Bible says that they were cut and shaped while still at the rock quarry, so that the sound of the hammer was not heard in the actual construction. In other words, the rocks arrived ready for the presence of God. In this life, we have our troubles and our joys that all shape us. God is chiseling away the junk, to reveal the living stones (1 Pet. 2:5) that we are. When the time comes to stand in His Holy presence, we will be complete! "He who began a good work in you shall complete it by the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)

God bless, and have a great Sunday!

It’s The Little Things…

2009-04-16T16:56:00.002-04:00

Every day I deal with it. Life, that is. It seems to come at us from all sides, doesn't it? If it isn't the rent money being gone, it's the car breaking down. Life always seems to randomly toss out blows like a blind boxer. I remember several months back, as I was driving into Lakeland from Davenport, the van suddenly died on me. There I was, in the middle lane of I-4, in morning rush hour traffic. I had cars and a couple semi trucks surrounding me. I managed to coast the van over and stopped just about halfway to town. With 3 of the kids with me, I called my wife, and then called Pastor Johnny for a ride. Then I called the insurance company to arrange a tow. Finally, very late, I got the kids to class, and I got started on my day. It was indeed a frustrating time.

Yet, through it all I didn't lose my cool. I managed to stay calm, even after hearing the price for repair (well over $1400). The funny thing is, I can have something huge like that hit me, and I cope. Yet, when something small happens, I can go off the deep end. I can manage the car repair, but don't you dare spill the apple juice! To my shame, I've let too many juice and milk incidents rob my peace as I blew up at the offender, only to feel like a pile of poop. (Good thing my kids are resilient.) In reality, the problem I had was letting life's blows chip away and sweeping the frustrations under the rug, thinking I'd dealt with it. The small juice spills and artwork on the wall was simply the straw the broke the camel's back.

As I read through the book of 1 Samuel the other day, I came across a familiar story for any serious Bible student. That would be the encounter David had with a man called Nabal. This guy was one rich homeboy. He apparently had quite a spread. He had dozens of servants, and shepherds tending to his flocks and herds. He also had good taste in women, because the Bible says his wife, Abigail, was a knockout. She had brains on top of beauty, too. (Funny how so many ladies who could have the best fish in the sea end up with bottom-feeders-just continue reading!) David had his men, some 600 guys with him. They saw this man's flocks and shepherds, and when they could have picked the shepherds off and ate the sheep, they protected them. The shepherds themselves testified that David's men were a wall around them. So, with a feast approaching, David sent to ask Nabal (whose name means "foolish"-just an FYI) if he could spare from his immensely huge supply of goods for he and his people. David was met with scorn and vitriol from Nabal. "Nabal answered David's servants, 'Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water, and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers, and give it to men coming from who knows where?'" What a guy, eh? Who cares if your possessions were protected because of this guy David. What happened next was really a little piece of straw busting the camel's back. David had a conniption over Nabal's response. He commanded his men to strap on their swords, and off they went to utterly obliterate all belonging to Nabal. Only when the foolish man's servant saw what was coming did God intervene by sending Nabal's smart wife to pacify David. He relented, and soon God took care of Nabal.

The funny thing to me is that while David exploded over the Nabal thing, he was literally on the run from the king of Israel, Saul. He was being hunted down like a deer in the woods, Saul trying desperately to kill David out of his raging jealousy. David spent years running, sleeping in caves, and hiding out with the Philistines and Moabites for protection. If anything should have pushed him over the edge, it should have been that. But when Saul's murderous intentions failed to set him off, it was Nabal's petty insult that did.

David was a man who knew the comfort of God. God was gracious and merciful to him while he was on the run. More than a few times, God kept Saul from reaching David. And even while running, David knew to praise and worship his Creator, who was keeping him. In fact, the heading of Psalm 57, one of David's psalms, tells that he was hiding in a cave from the raging king. In that psalm David praises the One who alone could save him, even while danger was hunting him down. "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed." (vs. 1). I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; Selah God sends his love and his faithfulness." (vs. 2-3)

Did you notice that odd word in the third verse? Selah. It means to stop and think. Take in what you just read. David apparently did not do a "selah" in this situation. He knew the One had his back. And even then, he let something small drive him over the edge. Man, how many times have I been guilty of that? I know the Lord has my good in mind. Yet, when it comes down to it, it's so easy to forget and freak out and sweat the small stuff.

What's on your back today? Ask the Lord to help you with it, because tomorrow it'll be something different. It may be a lot smaller, but it could be the straw that broke the camel's back. Don't let the little things get you. But give the big things to the Lord who sees you through. Believe me, friends, it adds up.

God bless!

It's Late

2009-04-14T23:01:00.002-04:00

It's late. Here I am, getting ready to catch some z's, and I feel the need to write more than the 140 maximum on Twitter. I read today in the daily journey through the Bible of David, when he was on the run from Saul. In 1 Sam. 25, David had sought the aid of a man descended from the one and only Caleb, who at 85 was still kicking Caananite tail. He was a God-fearing man. Too bad his descendant wasn't. His name was Nabal, which in Hebrew meant "folly", or foolish. And he was. He mistreated David and his men who had been so kind to him, his shepherds and servants. They had been bodyguards to them in the wilderness. Yet Nabal foolishly shunned and scorned David.

My point tonight is that the apple fell far from the tree. What a Godly heritage to emulate, only to bury it selfishness and pride and bitterness.

I'll post again soon about this, but looking at David. Till then, I leave you with this thought: typing on a laptop is somwhat more difficult than a regular keboard.

Anti-climatic, isn't it?

He's Coming

2009-04-08T18:38:00.003-04:00

It finally arrived. A family member decided several weeks ago that he wanted to buy us a brand new laptop. He called us from up north and had us go to Best Buy, find a computer we liked, and send him the model numbers. So, we found a Gateway with 4 GB of RAM, a 500 gig hard drive, wireless card and a whole lot more. Well, he got the computer, and UPSd it to us. We got home yesterday to find a delivery attempt tag on our door, so I called to arrange a pickup from UPS on Tuesday night. After arranging the pickup, my wife was giddy. She practically danced around the house in anticipation of the laptop. It was humorous to watch. When it was time, I got the package, and I took it home. Just as she had been before I left, my lovely wife came skipping in excitement to the door, not because she was thrilled to see me. I didn't get even a little peck on the cheek. She snatched the package from my hand and had it opened before I got my shoes off!

While the computer is a great gift, and will be put to good use, the bigger lesson I think I got from what happened yesterday came through my wife. She waited in anxious expectation for what was coming. She couldn't wait for it to come, and looked for it almost daily. Friends, that is kind of how we should be in waiting for our Lord, who we have already been told is coming. Just before He was crucified, Jesus spoke to His followers and said, "I am going away to prepare a place for you. And guess what? If I am going to prepare a place for you, I'm coming back to get you!" (See John 14:2-3) After the Lord had risen and ascended into heaven, some angels appeared to the disciples, who just stood there, undoubtedly with mouths ajar, staring at Jesus as He was taken up before their very eyes. "Why do you stand here gazing into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken from you will in the same way come back." (Acts 1) The Bible teaches us that time is short, and that not only is the Lord coming back to reign on the earth, but He is first going to round up his people. That means me and you. Paul told the believers in the city of Thessalonica this:

"According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thess. 4:15-18 NIV)

Still, Paul taught us further that our Lord's coming will be "in a flash-in the twinkling of an eye" (1 Cor. 15:52 NIV). I've seen fast things in my time thus far. I've been to Indy races with cars racing of 220 MPH, as well as NASCAR races of nearly 200. I've watched the speed of hockey players with awe. I've fired a shotgun with amazement at just how fast that bullet travels. But that is a snail's pace compared to the Lord rupturing us out of this old planet. That is less than a blink of my eye, and I'm not talking about an intentional blink. I mean the involuntary blinks that our eyes do without us even noticing.

The question is, while we may know theologically of His return, do we show it in all we do? Are we so anticipating the Lord that we are going about everywhere, telling those we see of it? Are we living each day like it could be the day Jesus returns for us? Sunday night, a preacher came by and spoke to us. He preached on this very topic that is a cornerstone of our faith, yet strangely lacking from our pulpits. He posed a question to us all that night. If we knew we had exactly one week before His coming for us, how would it change things? Would we take care to be about His business? Would we reach out to family who don't know Him? What if we had only 3 days? Certainly, we would get off our spiritual sofas and get busy for His Kingdom (I hope, anyway). The fact is, friends, we don't have a set time of return. It could be tomorrow night. It could be at 3 AM tomorrow morning. We may not even see the eleven o'clock news. The Lord could come any time.

Friends, I'm reminded of the parable Jesus told of the servants who each was given money from their master, who then told them, "Do business till I return". His words in that parable, I believe are His words to us. "Do my work, do my will, preach my Gospel to everyone you see! I am going to return!" It is a serious reminder to me to be about His business, so He finds me faithful upon His return. I pray that this little blog today sparks a hotter fire under you, too.

God bless!

In The Waiting

2009-04-05T16:40:00.003-04:00

I’m a pretty impatient guy. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that I hate waiting. When I want something, I want it immediately, not an hour or even a minute later. Walmart drives me bananas, because more often than not, I’m forced to wait in an agonizingly long line. Then, if the people in front of me have two carts full of stuff (especially if it’s an item limited check-out), I want to pull my hair out by the handful! I know, this doesn’t sound too spiritual, does it? Now admit it, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about, eh?

As much as we humankind hate waiting, it sure seems like we have to do a lot of it. God Himself takes us through periods of waiting. Why? Because waiting does something to us- it changes us. God uses waiting periods to shape us, and to mold us. He uses those times to make us more like Himself.

There are many stories in the Bible of men and women of God had to endure times of waiting. In my trip through the Bible in a year, I recently read one such story. It was in the book of Ruth. The story goes like this: a man from Bethlehem, Elimelech, took his wife Naomi and their 2 sons into the land of Moab, because a famine had hit Israel. While living in Moab for 10 years, the boys married women from that land. Soon, however, Elimelech died. To add insult to injury for a grieving wife, Naomi lost both sons, too. In that time, this was doubly disastrous for a woman. It was a man-run society. Women didn’t have rights, they couldn’t even own property. They needed either a husband or a son to care for them. When she found herself without son or husband, it really was like a death sentence for her. She had no way to get herself back on her feet.

In the middle of all this, Naomi heard that the Lord had given bread to the homeland. She took her sons’ widows, Ruth and Orpah, and headed for home. Along the way, Naomi tried to get her young daughters-in-law to stay in their countries, find a new man and settle down. Orpah took her advice, but Ruth made a decision that day. She would not leave her mother-in-law. “Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God!” (See Ruth Ch. 1)

Ruth’s mind was made up. She was staying with Naomi no matter what. They made it to Bethlehem, and tried to get on their feet. The townspeople were thrilled that Naomi had returned, but Naomi had been depleted of all joy. “The Lord has dealt bitterly with me.” However, once they were home, they found out that God was working for them. There was a kinsmen-redeemer, a relative of Naomi’s late husband, who would marry Ruth and take care of them. He would father a child to be raised up in Ruth’s late husband’s name. But, it didn’t happen overnight. These two ladies had to endure a time of waiting.

Just how long they waited is unknown. It happened during the barley harvest. Perhaps a month, who knows? And during this time, even though it was certainly uncomfortable, God took care of them. Ruth worked gleaning the field Boaz, the relative of her dead father-in-law. He gave them food and protected Ruth in the field. In time, she revealed who she was, and that Boaz was the one to redeem her. He did just that, and after the waiting was over, Ruth walked down the aisle, soon had a son, and Naomi was set. But it came after a time of waiting.

Are you in a time of waiting? As one who has been through several, let me advise you not to despise it or squander it. Use this time to your advantage, for God is using it for your advantage, too. It’s in the waiting periods that God molds us and transforms us. He makes us into the people He has called us to be. The acid test of time really brings out what lies just under the surface. That’s good, because the stuff that exits in these times need to come out. It’s a time of refining. When gold or silver is refined, it’s heated till it melts. Impurities then rise to the surface, and the refiner skims it off. He knows when it’s done. It’s done when he sees his reflection in the molten liquid. Friends, God uses these times of waiting to bring the impurities out, so He can see Himself in us.

So, don’t be like I am in the Walmart check-out. Don’t get impatient with God. Let Him do what He needs to, and when He’s done, you’ll be prepared for His plans.

God bless!

In Training

2009-04-01T00:00:00.003-04:00

Back in school, I was on the wrestling team. It was the only sport I took part in, and I did so all 4 years I was there. That's not to say I was any good, though. (Honestly, I stunk.) When I first joined the team, I was clueless as to just how much hard work, sweat, and pain I was taking on. Here's how it started. In the fall, we'd kick off with about a month of what was called conditioning. We'd get out of class and get changed into shorts and T-shirts, and head upstairs to the main classroom area. It was one big square, with halls all around. The coaches had it all figured out. 7 laps was 1 mile. We'd start out with a mile, and after a few days, we'd have to start increasing. Eventually, we hit 5 miles by the season's end.

After all the running, we'd walk down to the wrestling room, where we'd run more, drop and do push-ups, sit-ups and down-ups (if it sounds painful, there's good reason), do a hopping drill on plywood boxes of varying heights, and slam each other around. If you came in to conditioning out of shape (and I was), you were in pain for weeks. My legs felt like they were on fire.

But it all helped us. It got us into shape for a sport that really is harder than it looks. And forget the cartoon-like WWE junk. This was real wrestling that drained you physically and left you to finish the match on nothing but pride and willpower. Other sports have similar training periods to whip the athletes into shape. But God too has His own time of conditioning. I'm in that time now.

Now, I pray daily, and I read the Bible daily, too. I spend time with the Lord, and I worship him daily, not just on Sunday. I love Jesus, and I want to get as close to Him as possible. But these past few weeks, I've been driven to kick the study and prayer up, and to spend more time praying, and that more fervently. The only reason I seem to be coming to is that God is preparing me, conditioning me, if you will, for some kind of contest, some kind of match and battle yet unseen. I know that I have a pastor's call. My heart is to shepherd God's people, and I know that there is a church out there God needs me to pastor. Just where is the current mystery. So, I've sensed the need to pull out the old textbooks from my internship courses from several years back. I have been reading and reviewing the New Testament Survey book, and even bought a used Old Testament Survey book I lost long ago on Amazon.com. I've been reading more from the theology stuff, and praying. God is running me on His track and in His wrestling room.

Scripturally, God seems to favor these training periods for the men He called. Moses spent 40 years taking care of sheep after his flight from the Pharaoh. Fitting, since God called him to be the shepherd of Israel that led them out of Egyptian slavery. God started David in training young, as an unnoticed shepherd boy watching his daddy's sheep. Eventually, David would become king, but not before undergoing God's training in fields, in caves, on the run. Let's not forget Elisha, the successor to Elijah, who spent time tending to the prophet. Then there is the Lord's Disciples, who spent more than 3 years in training under Jesus, learning from the Master of the Universe Himself. I could go on about Timothy and Titus, Paul's proteges, and John Mark, who learned under the Apostle Peter.

These are just some of those who underwent God's conditioning program. Everyone who desires to be used by God will endure it. Things may get intense, but if you are in it, stay there and let God do His work. Not only am I driven to study more, I am learning to deal with more pressures now. I'm learning the behind-the-scenes work that every pastor needs to know. Sometimes it hurts. But praise the Lord, I'm getting stronger.

Are you struggling through those spiritual push-ups? Feeling the burn of God's crunches? Are the down-ups you endure wearing you out? Keep up the training, friends, and don't let go. Let God build you up. He knows just where you need it, and He'll bring you to where He wants you.
Whether it's in a book or in bind, He has you right where He wants you.

God bless!

Sessions with the Master

2009-03-05T09:21:00.004-05:00

Every genre of music has its masters. You know, the ones who have truly mastered their instruments, be it the concert pianist, the guitar virtuoso, or even the opera singer, like Pavarotti. These people have spent literally years mastering their craft. Hours and hours daily are spent practicing, running scales up and down the strings or keys, till their fingers tire out. As a guitarist, I understand how taxing a good "workout" can be.

This morning, as I prepared to head to the office, I went to one of my favorite ministry message boards to see what my preacher friends had posted since I turned in for the night. One of them, another guitar player, said he was in the mood to play along with old BB King albums. He then asked who we enjoyed "jamming" with via a CD and a guitar. I mentioned my love of jamming with Stevie Ray Vaughn, the late Blues master. Another mentioned John Lee Hooker and Van Morrison. Why do we as adults want to do what we did as kids learning our craft, sitting alone in a room just playing along with people will never get the chance to play music with? Well, let me say, first of all, it's fun! I'll never tire of jamming along with my favorites. But, it also forces us to improve. Listening to a master only makes one want to become a master. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to Stevie Ray, or Eric Johnson (listening to him as I write!), and immediately had the drive to lock myself away and practice.

I think it works that way in most areas of life. When I see someone doing something I can do, but better, it doesn't really create any jealousy in me, but rather drives me to improve. Reading Max Lucado books drive me to become a better writer. I think it's the same spiritually. We would do well to surround ourselves with "masters of the faith". I've got several in my life, people who have walked this road much longer than I have, and have much more experience than I do. But, I've found that just like sitting in on a session with a master guitarist makes me better, so hanging out with a better Christian makes me a better Christian. One such man is a retired pastor from Michigan, living here in Lakeland. I call him Pastor G, and he serves our church. I've spent a good deal of time with Pastor G lately, just talking and picking his brain. Not only does he walk close to the Lord, but it pours out in his life. He lives for Jesus, and as such, he lives to touch those around him. And when I get time to hang with him, I get blessed, and I am driven all the more to let the Lord work in me.

Of course, Pastor G is a master in the faith to me, because he hangs with the Master, the Lord Jesus. He is a godly, praying man who longs to spend time in God's presence. And, like I said before, spending time in a master's presence drives you to become better. When I see the godly fruit flowing from believer's lives, it drives me close to the Lord who makes us all more like him. In fact, 2 Corinthians 3:18 says that when we spend time "reflecting His glory", we are actually being changed in His Image. We are becoming more like Jesus!

Back in ancient Israel, their greatest king ever, David, sat on his throne, surely reflecting back on his life. Certainly, he remembered the pasture he kept his dad's sheep in, and the lions and the bears that he took out when they came looking for lunch. He fondly remembered the day God used him to kill Goliath. He remembered the goodness of God, who protected him for years as he ran from jealous, murderous king Saul. And he remembered Jonathan, and the promise he had made to him. But something David said has really hit me hard. As he sat there, one of Saul's servants came to him, named Ziba. "Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God's kindness?" asked the king. Did you catch that? Those italics don't appear in the text, you know. He wanted to show God's kindness! God had been faithful and good to David. When he had nowhere to turn, he had the Lord. When he was living in caves and hiding in fields, he wasn't alone. The Lord was with him, providing and protecting him. David had been shown God's kindness his entire life. Now, it was his chance to show some of God's kindness. He found out about Jonathan's long lost son, Mephibosheth, and he was touched. He sent for him and brought him, a crippled young man, living in poverty, to come and live as "one of the king's sons". He poured out God's kindness on guy who lived his life in fear of being killed by him. After all, it was custom in those days to kill any potential heirs to the throne off, and Mephibosheth was the former king's grandson. Instead, he was shown grace and mercy. He was blessed abundantly, and "adopted" by the king. Why? Because David had so much kindness displayed to him by the Master, the Lord Himself!

I could talk about Peter, who witnessed the Lord Jesus' kindness to a little Gentile lady whose daughter was demon-possessed. He later showed kindness to a roomful of Gentiles, hated Romans at that, and saw them filled with the Holy Spirit. I could mention Stephen, who displayed the Lord's nature, and even His words, when he was being executed: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge". Sounds a lot like "For they know not what they do", eh? When we spend time with our Master, we become more like Him. So, today, get alone with the Lord Jesus. You'll find his promise is true. Get in His presence, and He'll rub off on you!

God bless!

Discontented Again?

2009-02-08T14:44:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I last blogged (Inauguration Day, to be exact). I've been quite busy in the office, and I also had to move again. Turns out that the owner of the house we moved into wasn't upfront about his mortgage issues. Oh, well, we are in a townhouse, and at least we have been able to settle.

But, I hate to say it, but I seem to be dealing some with that feeling of discontent again. Don't get me wrong, I love my work at the church. It's challenging on the finance side of things, and I get to use the writing and literary part of my on the newsletter. I am gleaning much from working on staff at a large church like Abundant Life.

But I have other callings that God has put inside me, like the ministry of the Word of God, and being a shepherd of God's people that I am not able to do right now. Before coming back to Lakeland, I was a Youth Pastor. I preached a couple times a week in youth settings, and sometimes in the sanctuary on a Sunday evening. It was a blessing to be able to do that. But now, in a much bigger church, I don't get that chance. I'm good with that. I realize that I am learning a different side of church ministry that will pay off when I am pastoring a church of my own. I am learning how to handle church finances, offerings, and simply paying the bills. Most pastors would have loved to get even a little bit of the financial exposure I am now getting. It would benefit them greatly to have a knowledge and good handle on it going in.

I want to be where the Lord has placed me, but it is real tempting right now to look around and see what else is out there. I don't want to get away from God. I don't want to step outside His hand and provision. I need to flourish in the field He has planted me in.

That's why I need prayer. I want to launch out, but I don't want to do it prematurely. Please pray for me, saints.

Just needed to get that off my chest.

God bless.

Inaugural Handouts

2009-01-20T17:40:00.002-05:00

Well, today marked a new chapter in America's history with the inauguration of Barack Obama as President. While I am no fan of President Obama, I will pray for him, as the Bible commands us to pray for our leaders. That said, I can't support the man's policies. I am a conservative, both socially and fiscally, and I find the new president is simply too far left.

But, it is interesting to note that Starbucks today was giving out a free tall coffee (that's a small one in english), to celebrate the obviously historical event, since President Obama is now the first African-American to hold the office. So, in the spirit of liberal handouts, I ventured out to Starbucks and got a free Inauguration Day coffee.

Hey, I may not agree with his policies, but who am I to turn down free coffee?

God bless!

Process...

2009-01-17T16:22:00.004-05:00

Ask anyone I know to describe who I am to you, and you'd get a smorgas-borg of attributes that make me me. One thing most would say is that I am an avid lover of fine coffee. Any of you out in cyberland that have been regular readers of mine know it to be true. I hardly ever will turn down a fresh, hot cup of coffee. Mind you, I'm not talking about Folgers or Maxwell House here. I need a good cup of joe, like Starbucks, Panera, or the pure Kona from the little Hawaiian coffee joint across the street from the church. There is something about the robust flavor of hot, black coffee I can't get past. It isn't the caffeine. There is just something about the taste of coffee.

It's made me think deeper into my coffee desires. One day, as I was looking into the cost of Kona beans from online distributors, I stumbled onto something I never really thought about. People out there actually order unroasted, or "green" beans. They actually take the time to roast their own coffee! Wow, that there is a real fan of coffee. I've had fresh java before, but not that fresh. The last time I ordered coffee online was from a place called Munn's World Coffee. You order online, and the good folks there at Munn's roast the beans you selected and UPS them to you in a couple days time. That's much fresher than even Starbucks. I found, though, that people actually use hot air popcorn poppers to roast green beans.

That wonderful cup of coffee you enjoy each morning had to go through a process to get poured into a cup. The beans were selected, the cherry had to be removed. There was a washing and a drying process. Then the beans had to face the heat. Some had to face longer, hotter periods of time, depending on the roast level.

I see real similarities with us Christ-followers. We too have to endure a life of process. Today, in the final segment of the Purpose '09 Pastor's Conference, my pastor's son, Tony Stewart, pastor of University Church of God in Tampa, preached about the processes God takes us through as He prepares us for new seasons in life. At the altar, as I played the guitar, and as we worshiped, I suddenly felt emotion welling up. I couldn't help but reflect on my own process I've endured for a while now. I'm not new to trials. Not by a long shot. But usually my trials consisted of financial things. I struggled to pay bills, I struggled to buy groceries. We are still having some trouble, but compared to where we've been, we are doing good in that arena. Our struggles lately have revolved around a place to call our own.

When we were living some 20 miles away, with nowhere to go, we found an eviction notice on the front door, giving us 24 hours to be out. Turns out the owner we rented from didn't pay his mortgage. God made a way, and we got a month extra. Then we dealt with the hard reality of finding a place to move to. Once we found it, we signed the lease, moved in, and found out 2 days later that the house was foreclosed on. The landlord forgot to mention that little tidbit of information. So, then began our saga again. Just when we thought we could settle down for a year at least, we are finding ourselves having to rent the U-Haul again and move. Today, what hit me was that I was indeed going through the process. Like the coffee beans, I felt the heat. But, I am certain that when all is said and done, I'll look back and see that God had His hand on me, and was making me into the man He needs me to be. I won't lie, friends. I am hurting. It never feels good to endure the flames. But I trust that when God is done, I'll come out better than ever.

I put the guitar down in that moment, and walked to the side of the platform toward the stairs to pray at the altar. That's when my pastor and his son yelled "Jeff!" I walked over, and they began to surround me and pray. They were pouring strength and encouragement into me. I needed that. I was in the process, and was feeling quite empty.

Our walk with God is progressive friends. He doesn't just push some button in heaven, and instantly change us. Listen to what the Bible tells us:

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Rom. 5:3-4

That, friends, is describing the process. It hurts. We would love for it to stop. But it's a necessary part of growing in the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. So, as you endure your process today, take comfort in knowing that God's hand is on you, and He is shaping you in the person He has called you to be.

God bless!

Dream Job

2009-01-13T10:12:00.002-05:00

This morning, as I opened up my Firefox browser when I got to work, I saw a very interesting tidbit of info that popped up on the Yahoo newswire. How'd you like to earn six figures for lounging around a tropical Australian paradise for six months?

This is a real job being offered to the right applicant. If chosen, you get to spend six months, starting July 1st, beach bumming, snorkeling the beautiful Great Barrier Reef, among a few "mionor tasks" on Hamilton Island, in the south Pacific. The person is expected to blog about the experience on the island, keep photo diaries, and post video updates. They put you (and family, if applicable) up in a three bedroom beach home, complete with a pool and a golf cart. And that six-figure income? $150,000 Australian, about $105,000 in US cash!

What would make the state of Queensland go to this extreme to promote tourism? They say that in these rough economic times, traditional tourism advertising doesn't always cut it. They are "thinking outside the box" by going this route.

I gotta say, I like what they are doing. (What's that? Is that the call of God to go to Hamilton and spend six months doing missionary work?) The reason I like it isn't because I want to go, but I see merit in the "outside the box" approach the Queensland govenment is taking. They recognize that the way it has always been done simply isn't cutting it anymore. They see the need to try something different, something imaginative. It actually reminds of what I believe is the Biblical ministry model.

When Jesus came, He did't come in the robed, pious and pompous fashion of the religious leaders of that day. They were masters of the status quo. Jesus was the Master Innovator. The Pharisees and other leaders of Judaism did ministry and religious activity from memory. Jesus did ministry from innovation. The Pharisees looked behind them to what once happened. Jesus looked ahead to what lied down the road. The Jews of the day would meet weekly in a synagoge, and listen to what God did in the past. And, think it's good and right to praise God for His blessings and for what He's done. But if all we do is talk about what He's done, and fail to see thta there are things that He wants to do now, we are missing something vital. Jesus, in contrast, surrounded Himself with disciples that didn't just listen to a sermon and go home. They listened, and then He sent them out do His work. He had a plan for things yet to come.

I am reminded about what I read from the pen (keyboard, more accurately!) of a young church planter in Detroit. On his blog, he wrote of the need to do ministry from imagination, not from memory. Times have changed, and while the message is timeless, methods aren't. In these times, we need to think outside the box. Economic times are tough. Worldviews are changing. Technologies are evolving. We need to recognize the change and capitalize on it.

I don't know just how. I'm not sure how it will look. But when I see young men and women out there in the world breaking boxes of perception, and yes, even tradition, I'm inspired.

God bless!

It's a New Year

2009-01-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

Well, it's here. We've just watched the ball drop in Times Square, and welcomed in 2009. We had a fun time in the Richard home, watching TV, eating popcorn, and playing Uno (Hannah Montana version-yay.) As we sat there passing the evening, 2 of our 4 kids fell asleep. Our 5-year old son Timmy went out like a light, and at 2 minutes to midnight, Machaela (our 9-year old) couldn't wake him, even rolling him across the floor! Gabbie, our almost 7-year old, also crashed, but we woke her in time for our New Year's tradition of a Welch's Sparkling Juice toast. She got one sip, said in a grouchy tone, "Happy New Year", and fell asleep.

This is also the starting block for resolutions. Millions of people the world over today are setting goals for everything from weight loss and eating better, to better money management. These are noble goals, too. The thing is, all to often, our resolutions end up in the dust bin of another year, a tribute to the things we set out to do, but let go by the wayside. Heck, I'm sure that many have forgotten their resolutions before the Times Square cleaning crews have even swept up the confetti!

I have to admit, I've never been one to come up with a list of resolutions. It's not that I don't have anything to change, I just attempt my changes midyear. But the whole "New Year's Resolution" thing speaks to me. For some reason, the whole idea of making a change in one's life reminds me of the Lord Jesus' baptism in the Jordan. Before that fateful day, the Lord was simply making his living as a carpenter. Maybe He built tables and houses. But that was his occupation. Till He knew it was time, that is. That is when he went down to the river where John the Baptist was baptizing people. They were doing it because they were being called to repentance. Yet, Jesus had no sins to repent of. Still, he came to the river and was baptized. Why, one would ask.

Baptism wasn't unheard of then. In fact, if a non-Jewish person wished to convert, it was required that they be baptized. History says that 7 days after a Gentile's circumcision, and a series of interrogations, the new convert was baptized in a pool of flowing water. Symbolically, it showed that the person laid aside their pagan roots and was a son of Israel. Really, it marked a new beginning for that person.

I think that is one reason the the Lord took the plunge. It was the start of a new chapter in the Messiah's life. He wasn't a carpenter any longer. Now He was launching out in His divine role as the Christ, as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. The old carpenter had passed away, and the new Savior had a task to do.

The Jordan seems to be a place of new beginnings. Some centuries before, when the Israelites were about to leave the wildness wandering, they were stopped by the Jordan River. Normally a small river, at this time it overflowed its banks. It was wide, close to a mile. God told Joshua to have the priests, who were carrying the Ark, to dip their feet in river. When they did, God miraculously parted the waters! The priests walked out halfway, and Israel crossed over on a dried up riverbed. Joshua did something interesting. He took 12 stones, and he set them up in the dry riverbed as a memorial. I have to ask why. Once the river began its flow, the memorial would be unseen. The Bible doesn't go into detail, but I think Joshua had in mind a new beginning. The old complaining spirit was gone, and the new spirit of conquest had come. They were no longer bitter people ranting about the desert, but faith-filled people confident in their God. The Jordan marked their new beginning.

We have various Jordan times in our lives. I think we can view January 1st as one of them. It's a time to start fresh and embark on a life that blesses God. Not that I want to pull out old fads and ideas, but I think it's a time for us to get more "Jabezed" with our lives-praying and desiring and reaching for more for the glory of God!

God bless!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T10:28:00.002-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've written. It's been a busy couple of weeks with moving and Christmas. I haven't written anything really deeply spiritual, either, and today is no different. I am in the office for a little while just to do the Sunday bulletin, print and cut it, and go. I have to stop by the old house for a few things, and go back home. I'll finish up everything there tomorrow, and arrange to turn in the keys.

The kids had a great Christmas. Our family in Michigan sent money rather than gifts, so we could shop for them. My oldest girl got something she has wanted for some time now- an electric guitar like mine, and a small 9-volt battery operated amplifier. The guitar is a Squire Mini Strat, built by Fender, who made mine. My younger girl got a "Fur Real" toy cat that purrs, meows and moves. The boys got a Black & Dekker toy tool bench, among other things.

We had some good food, too. I cooked a turkey, a ham, stuffing and mashed potatoes. We had apple and pumpkin pie. And we ended the evening with "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian".

I hope you all had a good Christmas, too. Till next time, God bless!

Is this cool or disturbing?

2008-12-12T14:35:00.006-05:00

I don't know if this is cool or disturbing. Some guy in the Toronto area made himself an android girlfriend! The man is a software engineer, and he designed Aiko, in the picture above. She is quite lifelike, isn't she? He has equipped her body with sensors, including, ahem, the private areas. OK, that settles it with me. This falls into the "disturbed" category!

While this guy went crazy with the sensors, the technology is cool. It would be neat to have personal robot assistants running errands and cleaning the house, wouldn't it?

Until later, friends.

Caught in His Arms

2008-12-11T15:26:00.002-05:00

This has been a whirlwind couple of weeks for us. It all started last Tuesday afternoon. Upon my return home to the house we rent, I found a huge eviction notice stuck to the front door. We were planning on leaving to move closer to the church, but I was unprepared for what I saw on that notice. It said we had 24 hours to get our stuff cleaned out of the house! I hadn't seen any notice, or gotten anything in the mail, yet we had a day to move. Talk about pressure!

A torrent of emotions washed over me. I experienced everything from fear to saddness to laughter. Mostly fear and saddness. I spent what seemed like hours on the phone with the Sheriff's office, the courts, and our pastor. We had a sleepless night or preparations for a sudden move, and the next morning I drove to Bartow to the circuit court to file an emergency stay of eviction. It was an unnerving day, to say the least. I eventually got the good news that the bank now owning the house gave us through the end of the month to find another home. That news alone brought me to tears of joy. All the torment of the past 24 hours finally let off. To say I was pleased would be a gross understatement.

To compound the matter, I had to deal with our minvan that was being serviced. It's fixed now, but then I had to spend my time looking for a new home. Well, that day has arrived. I got word yesterday that we were approved for a rental in Lakeland, and can start moving in Dec. 19th. We are excited!

But, what this whole ordeal has reminded of is that, though life may drop me, Jesus is always there to catch me. The whole time that I panicked and worried and cried, he was there. His hand was with me even when He seemed a million miles away. Those around told me that. My wife told me that. Somewhere deep down, I'm sure I heard the Lord Himself tell me that. But fear gripped me, and that was all I seemed to be able to process. But praise the Lord, He took me through that fire!

I didn't have a scripture in mind when I started blogging this, but now I do. Check out what Isaiah said-

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you."

God's people somehow and someway must have been dealing with a situation they felt they could not escape. I don't know the circumstances, but I love God's answer. No matter what the trial, no matter what the problem, if God is for us, who can be against us? What circumstance is bigger that Him?

I'm glad on this side of the trial to have gone through it. I'm thankful that God used a bad situation and walked us through it. I don't ever want to experience that again, but I learned how faithful God really is thorugh this. I think that was what Paul the Apostle was getting at when he said to "give thanks in all circumstances". And the Lord has shown us again and again that he is with us. I've been blessed with a new home. God has provided for us financially just this week in ways I never expected.

I don't know who this is for today. It certainly isn't my best writing. Maybe it was just for me, but if you are blessed by this reminder today, pass it on to someone else.

God bless!

Televised Suicide?

2008-12-10T08:38:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it, but it has happened. Over in Switzerland, on an assisted-suicide advocacy show, an American, who had been living in the UK, committed suicide. He apparently had some disease like Lou Gherrig's, or another motor neuron disease. It's a sick thing that we live in a time that we glorify such things on national TV. It probably won't be long before that stuff starts getting done on our own networks here in America.

While I find doing the deed on TV for all to see rather disturbing, what saddens me even more is the how this man viewed himself. Just read what he had to say before he died:

"You can watch only so much of yourself drain away before you look at what is left and say 'This is an empty shell,''' he said. "Once I become completely paralyzed then I am nothing more than a living tomb that takes in nutrients through a tube in the stomach - it's painful."

I understand the feeling that he useless. I feel down if I just have the flu and can't get out of bed. But I'm deeply troubled when I read this, because I know that God had a plan for this man, even in a paralyzed state. He viewed himself as nothing more than an empty shell. I wonder how this must make God feel. God can use anyone, he can do anything. He could have used this man.

When I read the Bible, I read lots of promises. One of my favorites is Jeremiah 29:11-

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord , plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."

This was written during a time that these Jews may have felt "paralyzed". They had been taken away captive to Babylon, far away from the Temple, far from their homeland. They desired to be back home, yet they would spend the next 70 years enduring the judgment for their sins. Yet, in the face of all that, God sent them a letter through the prophet Jeremiah, who was still back in Jerusalem. He told them to carry on with their lives. He told them to build houses, and plant gardens. He told them to multiply. He wanted them to keep getting married and having kids. He wanted them to be fruitful in their circumstances. And that is when God told them that He indeed had good plans for His people. They had a future, and they had a hope, even right there in a seemingly hopeless situation.

This man who killed himself on TV didn't realize this stuff. It didn't connect that even in spite of his crippling disease, God could have used him. For him, it's too late. He is gone, but I know of at least one man who was touched by his story. I have been challenged personally to live my life daily as to the Lord, who has wonderful plans for me that I can't even fathom in my mind. When I look at where God has brought me, I'm humbled. But when I think of what He still has waiting in the wings, it boggles me. One of my favorite scriptures goes like this:

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Cor. 2:9

I can't even begin to imagine what God has for me down the road. Neither can you. So let this story remind you that life is worth living, no matter what. God's plans for you are good, and He wants to pour out His good blessings and plans on you.

God bless!

Growning Pains

2008-11-30T19:14:00.002-05:00

Come on now. You know you watched it. You ladies, especially you ladies in you late 20's to early 30's watched it just to swoon over Kirk Cameron (I don't know why!). I'm talking about Growing Pains. It was a good show that dealt with family life with kids coming of age. They all made their share of mistakes, they had their downfalls and problems, they had their good times, too. I have to admit, I kind of liked that show, though it would be hard to get me to admit it in a crowd of friends.

But, with me learning how to run the office and the finances at this church, it seems to fit. I'll be the first to admit I've made a couple mistakes. Nothing too bad, but embarrassing. One of my responsibilities is putting together the monthly newsletter. It's a big job, but one I'm somewhat qualified to do, as I love to write. It requires editing and sometimes re-wording what ministry heads write for their spot. But, even with a couple set of eyes on it, stuff gets by. And this month, my first month doing it, some stuff got by, including the accidental exclusion of the Men's Ministry. Suffice it to say, I got a little red-faced over that one!

It's all part of learning, isn't it? I'll get it down soon enough, I know. But even the Lord's Apostles had some growing pains. I'm in the good company of people like Peter, who after a powerful revelation of who Christ is, rebuked Him for announcing that He was to die a horrid death on Calvary. "Get behind Me, Satan!" Ouch, that one had to hurt! Then there was James and John, the "Sons of Thunder". Jesus gave them that nickname personally. When they witnessed the Samaritans reject the Lord, they became indignant. They must've thought of Elijah on Mount Carmel, because they asked Jesus, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" I wish I could have seen the look on Jesus' face that day. He rebuked them, he didn't come to destroy people. He came to give life.

Then there was Thomas. He gets a bad rap from us Bible readers today. After the Lord had risen, He appeared to the disciples, and the were amazed. But Thomas wasn't there. When the others told him about what had happened, all he said was, "Unless I touch His scars and put my hand in His side, I won't believe it!" When Jesus came some days later, He looked for Thomas, and said these words:

Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed. John 20:29

Yet, I don't see where Jesus cast any away or got fed up with them. He was patient with them. He knew what they would do one day, and He taught them through those times of mistakes and issues. He does the same with us today. I praise Him for that.

That wasn't too deep, but I pray it blesses someone. Whatever you are going through, let the Lord show you His way, and you will come out all the better.

God Bless!

17-Gigapixels!

2008-11-28T10:52:00.003-05:00

Check out that picture. That is a panoramic view shot at Yosemite National Park. Here is the fact that boggles my mind-it was shot with a 17-gigapixel camera! Click here to go to the website, where you can see the zoom-able picture in such amazing detail and depth that you can see people on the mountain in the picture's center. The detail is so mind-boggling that you can see what color clothes those people are wearing!

I did a little research, and I found out what a gigapixel is. I have a 5 megapixel camera at home. 1 megapixel is 1,000,000 pixels. 1 gigapixel is 1 billion pixels, so that means a 17-gigapixel camera is 17 billion pixels! I can't even imagine how these are made! How do you place the hardware? And how do you come up with something so detailed that you can see what color pants someone is wearing that is miles and miles away? If mere man can come up with this stuff, it absolutely floors me to think of how big God is!

I get great comfort from some passages in the Bible that speak of just how great God is. One of them is Isaiah 40-

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?...Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust.

Imagine that! The hollow of the hand was just a cupped hand. God is so big, he can fit all the earth's water in his hand! The span of the hand was the distance between a man's thumb and pinky finger. God simply put his hand up and said, "The universe is this big"! Isaiah went on to say that the each nation on this planet is a drop in the bucket, and is like dust on the scales. How many of us go to the deli to get our ham or cheese, and first ask the person helping us to wipe the dust off the scale so we don't get overcharged? C'mon, for real, who would do that? That little bit of dust doesn't even register! That is how the nations are to God!

In Psalm 147:4, the psalmist said this:

He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.

That doesn't sound too big if the only stars you know are seen in NYC. Even on a clear night away from light pollution, the stars aren't innumerable. But that's just with the naked eye. God created more than just those stars we can see, after all. And scientists estimate that the number of stars is 10 to the 24th power. That is a 1 with 24 zeros after it! I can't fathom a number that big. Yet, God knows each and every star. But the real shock for me is that that passage says that God gave names to each one! Billions and billions of stars, and God knows each stars name! I have a hard enough time with the names of my 4 kids! "Machaela, stop that!" "I'm not Machaela, I'm Timmy!" In theological terms, this is called God's transcendance. Simply put, it speaks of how huge God really is. It speaks of how far above His creation He is. It transcends human understanding.

But God also in these passages speaks of his immanence. This speaks to the fact that God is inside his creation. Now, that doesn't mean that God is everything, as Hindus believe. It means that God is with us. Sure, He's big enough to create this vast universe, but cares enough about us that He gets right in the middle of our lives! That alone surpasses my mind. God is interested in me! It reminds me of another psalm-

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?(Psalm 8:3,4)

Wow, this God who is so far above us cares enough for us to get right in the middle of our lives. He climbs into your problems, you cares, your worries. I'm reminded of what Jesus did at the tomb of Lazarus. That's when he commanded the stone to be moved on a 4-days dead guy. It stank, but Jesus isn't afraid to go where it stinks. He raised up Lazarus, and showed us the unmatched power he has. And he'll get into your stink, and he'll work his miracles for you!

So, the next time you look at the night sky, imagine just how big God is. But remember that He wants to fit Himself into your life! The God who made everything loves you. Simply amazing to me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T17:41:00.006-05:00

Well, it's finally here. Thanksgiving Day! I got up about 7:30, got the turkey in the oven at about 8, and we had everything finished and eaten by 3:30. Dinner, anyway. That photo is one I took just before devouring the feast.

That picture also shows some good things that I'm thankful for. I'm thankful for my family. Of course, there's one more kid, my youngest, who refused to be in the picture. I'm thankful for my wife, too, but if I post her picture that I took today, she'll kill me! These people that God has put in my life bless me every day. Sure there are days that I want to pull my hair out for dealing with the shinanigans, but I really am blessed. It makes me think of all the good things God does for me.

I am in good health today. I have a roof over my head and transportation. There is food in my fridge (especially today's leftovers!). I'm no where near rich, but God is providing all I need. My family and I are blessed and prospering! I thank the Lord for his many blessings.

The Bible speaks much on being thankful. There were certain sacrifices in the Old Testament Law that were Thanksgiving Offerings. After times of victory and blessing, God's people would offer up thanksgiving for what the Lord had done. David displayed a thankful heart in 2 Samuel 7. Check it out:

Then King David went in and sat before the LORD; and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far?

David had been on the throne for a while at that point. God had given him victory and blessed him tremendously. So, one day, David probably just walked around and looked at how God had blessed him. He decided that he wanted to bless God. He wanted to build the Lord a temple, so the Ark wouldn't have to stay in a tent. The prophet Nathan affirmed David's desire, but then God stopped him, and told him that David was not to build a temple. His son would. Then that is where God decided to reveal just how he would bless David. David wasn't to build God a house, but God would build David a house-he would always have a decendant on the throne!

David probably struggled to find the words to express his thanks to God for his blessing. I know I would. All he could say was, "Who am I?" Just like that Casting Crowns song that asks, "Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth, would care to know my name...?"David was humbled in God's exaltation of him! (That will humble you when you realize how God has lifted you up!)

David must have flashed back to his early days in the sheepfold. Night and day, he'd watch over his dad's sheep, unnoticed by people, but seen by the Lord. When his own dad wrote him off as unimportant, God chose him. He was everything a king wasn't supposed to be. He was the youngest son. He was just a kid. He was a dirty shepherd. He probably wasn't 90 pounds soaking wet. But God took him from the sheepfold to throne.

Yeah, David had a lot to be thankful for. So do we! Think of what God has done for you. Just this afternoon, I picked up the latest CD from Casting Crowns, The Altar and the Door. As one song played, called "Slow Fade", I thought about the pits God has pulled me from, starting with salvation, to the times I wandered like a sheep and got stuck in the ditches of sin. Immediately, I began to tear up as I thought about how good the Lord Jesus has been to me. He pulled me from my sins, filled me with his Spirit, gave me my family, and called me into the ministry of the Gospel!

So, what do you have to be thankful for today?

God bless!

Apple Pie and Soft Pretzels

2008-11-26T21:39:00.003-05:00

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I'm enjoying cooking. I just finished the crumb top apple pie, and my wife is starting to make the potato salad. Then she'll cook the sweet potato pie, and prepare the cornbread stuffing. Then I'll get up at about 5 or 6, get the turkey in the oven, and kick back with a hot pot of coffee.

I decided to experiment with flour and yeast. I am waiting for some dough to rise, and I'm going to make a batch of soft pretzels. I'll let you know if it comes out good.

Well, I'll try to post something tomorrow with more substance. God bless!

Time Out!

2008-11-25T19:53:00.004-05:00

It's Thanksgiving week. That means it's one busy week! At the church things are really hopping, with the church newsletter deadline quickly approaching. Then there's edits in the membership logs, due by month's end. I still have to print off and cut the weekly bulletin for Sunday, get some much needed filing done, and make one more bank run. Add to this the fact that the office is running on a skeleton crew (me and another guy!), I'm doubling as the receptionist, and the week ends for us Wednesday, I'm running crazy.

How many of you can relate? I thought I was busy working a full time job and being a part-time youth pastor. Now that I'm a full-time associate pastor at a big church, I'm running from sunup to sundown. While I'm grateful that God opened a door to do this ministry, I'm ever grateful for a chance to slow down and get some quiet time!

Spiritually, we need this. I'm not just talking to pastors, I'm talking to moms and dads, employers and employees, to anybody with a pulse and a life. We get our lives and our schedules so full that we have no choice but to run nonstop till we either collapse from sheer exhaustion, or get sick and have to rest. In fact, we find that there are some our our Biblical heros of the faith that had to take time to get alone and pray, spending time with God undistracted. Just flip through your Bible, check out the story of Moses. 2 Million people sure know how to drain a guy. He spent weeks at a time in God's presence. I think of David, who needed to get alone with the Lord after he found the town of Ziklag had been pillaged and burned, and his and his men's families kidnapped. While his small militia panicked and even spoke of stoning David, he got alone with God and "encouraged himself in the Lord".

But I don't think we could have any greater example than that of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. I am just trying to put myself in his place, and it boggles my mind! Here was a man who had multitudes chasing after him constantly, all needing something from him. He had to deal with some rather hard-headed disciples every day. Then there were the Pharisees and Saducees that constantly grilled him looking down their noses at him. And this is all added on top of the knowledge that he was there on the planet with the purpose of dying the most brutal, tortureous deaths known. Can anybody say "stress"?

No wonder we read occasionally where Jesus had to sneak off to get some alone time with his Father. He needed a time out! While Jesus was fully God, let's remember that he was also fully human, and he dealt with human emotions and frustrations just like the next guy. Surely, with the issues he had hanging over his head, the Lord can understand the impending deadline on that make-or-break project at work. Certainly Jesus understands the bills that need paying, the kids that need doctors, the soccer games that need playing, the sermons need preaching. Add cooking dinner to that (maybe it's a pizza after a day like I've had!). Check out this verse in Hebrews 2...I pray that it gives you as much comfort as it does me.

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.(vs. 17)

I like that. That passage tells me that Jesus isn't my halfway high priest. He isn't even my 2/3 of the way high priest. I'd be happy if that was all he gave us! But that passage says that he had to be made like his brethren! He came to this corrupt planet, put on skin like us, and he faced life like the rest of us-and he came out on top! And because of Jesus, we can too! Hebrews says elsewhere that human priests understood what other people went through. They are all human. Guess what? Jesus is human, too, and he also knows what a rough ride being human can be! Only Jesus can do something about it. He gives us his Spirit, that he happened to call our helper!

So, whatever you're passing through now, let me encourage you to do the one thing that will give you the strength to make it-get alone with the Lord and let him touch you like only he can! Take a time out!

God bless!

Good Friday

2008-11-21T16:42:00.002-05:00

No, I don't have my calender confused. I had a pretty good Friday today. I made it in the office about 8 to do some work on the church newsletter, and print off and cut the Sunday bulletin. I did some accounting, then I was off to lunch.

That's where it got fun. I met up with a couple of my internet buddies for the first time. It was good to have some fellowship with Neil Smith, and Brandon Bowers. We were joined by another pastor from Winter Haven who is preparing to go to Kenya next week for 20 days. We had great conversation. I was blessed to spend so time with them.

Now I'm back at the office, working some more on the newsletter, since I finished up the bulletin. Now I just want to get home and spend some time relaxing with my family. I'll try to post something devotional this weekend. It will be our first Sunday back at Abundant Life since I've joined the staff. I'm looking forward to this season in our life and ministry. And I get to play guitar on worship team! I'm stoked!

Have a good Friday, too.

God bless!

First Wednesday Back

2008-11-19T16:13:00.002-05:00

Tonight is our first Wednesday back at Abundant Life. I was officially released from Kissimmee on Monday, so now we are all set in Lakeland. It's good to be back, this time doing ministry full time!

Today was a fun day, though. It started out at 5 AM like any other normal day. I fought the sleep to get up, made up the kid's lunches, got showered and dressed, and had some Frosted Mini-Wheats. After fixing up my hair, I went out into the living room, and that is when my younger girl, Gabbie, left a barf trail from the kitchen to the couch. Eeew. The poor thing had been feeling a bit sickly, and this was the wonderful culmination of it. After mopping it and having her get her PJs back on, we all climbed in the van. School was out for her, so she laid on a mat with her pillow, and drew pictures. She began to turn around, and I'm happy to report that at about 4:30, she seems all better.

I'm still trying to figure out what to do about my broken down van. I found out that I qualify for an auto loan. I applied online last night, and today got a call from Suzuki of Orlando about a loan. I don't know the rate yet, but I was told I qualify for a new car loan. We'll see. My credit is shot due to the foreclosure in Michigan. Man, they'll give anyone a loan these days.

Anyway, I'm pumped to be back in Lakeland. I have my guitar with me and ready for practice. I'll be jamming tonight with my old bandmates I played music with months and months ago before going to Kissimmee.

I thank God, and Pastor John for the many blessings I got in Kissimmee. I miss them already. I pray that God pours his favor out on that great church. If you read this, John, I'm praying. Oh, and I cut my long hair off. You'll see when I get back there to visit you all.

God bless!

Fitting In

2008-11-18T16:11:00.006-05:00

A couple of months back, I took on the task of giving my minivan a much needed tune-up. New plugs, new wires, and a new ignition coil pack. What a job! It wasn't fun, all because I made a pretty serious mistake. After putting on a new coil, I had to put on the new spark plug wires. This is a very important job, because the wires need to be on in the proper firing order. After I put on the wires, patting myself on the back for a job well done, I fired up the engine. That is when it all broke loose!

It started rough. I figured it just for bugs in the system that would be corrected by the onboard computer. That's when the check engine light not only came on, but actually started flashing at me! I'm not even joking! Then, the engine sputtered out and died. I would be understating it to say I was freaking out. After trying several other combinations on the coil posts, I gave up out of frustration. I went to bed, and the next morning, I decided to use the old, numbered wires. All ended well.

Just like those wires, we try to find a place to serve, and oftentimes we end up doing more damage than good because we just weren't made for that call. Nothing like the wrong person to misfire a ministry! It happens in the secular world, too. How many good people took a job they just couldn't handle, even thinking they would learn the job, only to fall on their face and cause more trouble than good? I've done this in ministry, and gave myself a real headache of a time. Thank the Lord that my experiences only frustrated me, and didn't do any real damage. There have been other times I've tried to fit into spots God never intended to put me, but I'll stop there.

In my read in 2 Samuel, I got to the sixth chapter, and came across a familiar, yet shocking account. It's the story of a guy named Uzza. Here was this man, gladly serving the Lord and his king, David. The Ark of God had been away from its place for some years, first with the Philistines who captured it, then in a couple Israelite homes. Finally, David decided that it was time to bring the Ark back to its rightful place. It was a big deal. It was a time of celebration. It was a time of worship and high praise. But it turned sour real quick.

David had his men placed the Ark on a cart-mistake number one. Moses had given very detailed info on how the Ark was to be transported. That was on stakes threaded through loopholes on the side of it, and carried on the shoulders of the priests. David did what the Philistines had done years before, that is, place the Ark on a cart and tow it with animals.

As they marched on to the resting spot of the Ark, something bad happened (always happens like that, eh?). The oxen that were pulling the cart got a bit too rough, and they shook the Ark so that it wobbled and started to fall. That is when Uzza committed mistake number two. He reach out and grabbed a hold of the Ark to steady it and keep it from falling. At the time it surely seemed like the right thing to do. After all, we can't let the one thing that God used to represent His Presence fall and get all dirty, right? Too bad for Uzza that God didn't agree. He struck poor Uzza dead right there. Why? Was it really that bad of a sin to "help" God out? Uzza's problem is that he didn't stay in his place. Like Saul before him, who took for himself the duties of a priest and sacrificed, handling the Ark wasn't Uzza's job. Only the priests could deal with the Ark, and even they probably couldn't touch it with their hands. The trouble that day could have been avoided if everyone had just followed God's plan. But, when we step out of line and try to do what God hasn't called us to do, we cause problems. Actually, the best thing that Uzza could have done would have been to let the Ark fall on the ground-it was the only thing doing what it was supposed to! It was being the ground, just what God made it to be.

Uzza's actions didn't just affect him. Perhaps a family lost a daddy and a husband that day. David probably lost a good man. David himself did things wrong, and his decision that day cost a good man. Lesson learned for the king: do it God's way. The next time David tried to bring back the Ark, he did right. The priests carried it the way God said, and everyone was happy.

Am I saying that God will strike you down if you try to do something He hasn't called you to? Most likely not. God is patient, and in this age of grace, he will show you where you belong. But, while God judged with severity in Old Testament times, serving where you belong is still just as important nowadays. I can't tell you how much trouble, turmoil and heartache can be caused by the wrong man in the wrong spot.

So, if you are seeking out the will of God, and searching for that spot He has for you, keep praying. Keep working, and He will place you where he needs you.

God bless!

A New Chapter

2008-11-16T16:27:00.006-05:00

Today officially ended a chapter in our family's life. Today was our last day as the youth pastors at Living Waters in Kissimmee. Though I started officially in the office at Abundant Life last week, I now am about to dive in headlong, 100%. I am serving as an associate pastor, and handling the financial things, running Quickbooks, doing payroll and membership things. I'm also handling the monthly newsletter and weekly bulletins.

We still have to sit down and work out pastoral duties, but I'll be doing some outreach, and do I ever have ideas!

Life is full of "new chapters". The Bible gives us several examples of people who had a call from God, and had to walk away from something to fulfill it. I take comfort it that, because it can be a stressful time when you leave something familiar to venture into territory that you've never been to. I think of people like Abraham leaving the familiar and following after God to Canaan. I think of Jacob, after 20 years of serving his uncle, took his family and left when God said it was time. Then there was Elisha, whom Elijah found plowing in his dad's field with 12 oxen. Elijah tossed his cloak on him, and Elisha immediately knew what was happening. He killed the oxen, and cooked them up. He had a feast with his family eating the animals he'd work with. Why? He wanted nothing to go back to.

But my favorite "new chapter" story isn't found in the Old Testament, it's right there in the Gospels. Jesus, though he is God's son, grew up with Joseph as his guardian and step dad. He learned Joseph's trade, carpentry, and that was he did until he about 30. Then one day, Jesus knew that it was time. He went out to where his cousin, John the Baptist was. He was baptizing people in the Jordan River. Jesus walked into the water, and asked John to baptize him. John, knowing that he was the Messiah, objected to baptizing him, but Jesus said it was necessary. So John dunked him.

Why did Jesus need to be baptized? Sinners got baptized. Gentiles wishing to convert to Judaism got baptized. But Jesus? He had no sin to repent of. Maybe he was identifying with his people. But I want to focus on another idea. I think he was partly marking a new chapter in his life. He had been the carpenter. He made tables and chairs. Maybe he built houses and fixed them up. But those hands that once would make new furniture would soon make blind eyes see. Those hands would heal the lame. They would raise the dead. And, ultimately, those hands would be pierced on an old, rugged cross to make sinful humans new!

The Jordan marked it off. Significant life changes are "Jordan moments". We have those times when what we are used to, what's familiar to us has to move out, so we can go on to what lies next in God's plans for us. Mine now is crossing the line between Osceola and Polk counties, as I move on from Kissimmee to Lakeland.

Yeah, these times can be fearful. But, when we look at that great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12:1) from the Bible, it's more comforting to read their stories and know that if they made it, so will I. So press on to the Jordan, friends. Don't be afraid to face that new territory. God is with you!

God bless!

Listen to Your Heart (NOT!)

2008-11-14T12:04:00.002-05:00

I think every Christian at some point can identify with what I about to say. I have been in the school of hard knocks several times. That is a school I think I've flunked out of before. Shame on me. But let me tell you a story of a lesson I got loud and clear from my time in that wonderful institution.

Many of us, unless we were born to Bill Gates or some other uber-rich person, know about tough financial messes. I'm no exception. I've been in some tight situations in my day. Some have turned out good, others haven't. Let me talk about the latter.

It's real tempting to stop tithing when in difficult situations. To think of that money going to pay for that bill, or whatever, is tough to overcome when desperate. To my shame, I've let myself do it, though. And I found something out. It doesn't bode well to do so. I've allowed it happen, and seen things simply fall apart financially because I decided that God wasn't big enough to help me out. I decided that I had to come up with solutions all by myself. You'd think I would have learned when my ideas and plans came crashing down around me. Yet, I'd let the pattern continue. Finally, out of desperation, I'd cry out to God, repent and do it His way.

The same holds true for every area of obedience in life. God calls us to obey Him. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is replete with commands to obey the Lord: "If you obey the commandments of the Lord..."; "We must obey God rather than man...", and so on. Sadly, the Bible is also full of examples of those who walked in disobedience. I have a sad one in mind that I just read about in my trip through 1 Samuel. this comes from the 27th chapter:

"Then David said in his heart, 'Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.'"

David is called by God "a man after my own heart". God's own testimony is that David has God's heart. He loved God. He was the sweet psalmist of Israel. He would sing, dance and worship God with his whole heart. Yet, like the rest of us sinful humans, he allowed fear to creep in and it spoiled him. He walked out of God's will that day when he ventured into Philistine country. He took his problems into his own hand, and decided that God wasn't big enough to take care of him. God, who so far had a perfect record of protecting David from Saul was now being replaced by a mere human, ungodly king. (Imagine how God felt!) And so David left the land of promise, and sought refuge in the land of idols.

David was in Philistine territory for more than a year. And what a dark year of life it must have been for him. Out of fellowship with God, cut off from his fellow Jews, it must have been miserable. And beyond that, David lived life as robber and marauder. He would pillage the towns and cities of Israel's enemies, killing everyone, and stripping the bodies of anything valuable. And, to make matters worse, he'd lie to the king of the Philistines about it, saying he'd pillaged his fellow Israelites, making himself look better to the king. With no people left alive to tattle him out, he was free to keep us his murderous ways.

David's life was an out-of-control downward spiral for that year and four months. Finally, when he had sown the seeds of destruction, it all came back and bit him. While he was out pillaging, he himself got pillaged. He was living with his family and his 600 men (and their families) in the walled city of Ziklag. The Amalekites showed up when all the men were gone, kidnapped their wives and children, robbed them blind and burned the city. When David and his posse returned, they saw the city destroyed and everyone gone. They were understandably shaken and distraught. They even thought to kill David for the mess he brought everyone into. Sin has a way of doing that. You think that you are affecting only yourself, but you burn others, like spouses, kids and parents. Perhaps David learned a valuable lesson-as you sow, so shall you reap.

It took a major hit to finally get through to him, but it did the trick. David ran to God. He cried out to him. The Bible doesn't say what went on in his heart, but I'm sure he did some repenting. Then he asked God for help, and God heard him. He chased after the bandits that got them, and God allowed him to recover everything unhurt.

When we don't do things God's way, there is a price to be paid. I don't care what it is. You may be holding back the tithe, or you may be cheating on your spouse. Be sure your sin will find you out. God will allow you to reach a point that you are at the end of yourself, so that you can find Him. The good news is that you are never too far from God's hand. The Bible says in Isaiah 59:1 that God's hand is not too short to save. But you have to be willing to turn from your sin and trust him again.

I learned that lesson on tithing. I have found that God is faithful to those who obey him. Times haven't always been easy, and I've experienced some loss. But I've had the peace of God in my spirit that told me everything was going to be alright! Hallelujah!

Won't you trust the Lord today with your situation? It's time to walk in obedience, and see what God will do.

God bless!

Long, boring day

2008-11-13T17:00:00.002-05:00

It's been a long, boring day. Our receptionist is out sick, so I've had to be the receptionist today. I answered the phone the few times it rang, and did some writing that the job requires. I'm glad it does, since it keeps my writing juices flowing.

Got to hang a bit with some of the other preachers on staff, the 2 that were here. It's been a very quiet day. I spent a good amount of time talking to Fred, and enjoying his stories. Fred is our church custodian, and he is such an awesome guy. He'll bend over backwards for you. Such a cool guy with a powerful testimony. I may share it someday.

Well, the day is finally over for me. I get to go home. Friday is technically a day off, but I'll be in to work on the Sunday Bulletin for a while. Casual day for me!

God bless!

Free Coffee

2008-11-11T08:46:00.003-05:00

Today I went to kill some time at Starbucks with a cup of their Thanksgiving Blend and some time reading the Bible. I walked in, ordered the coffee and pulled out my wallet to pay when the barista stopped me. Since the coffee had not yet been brewed, today's cup was on the house! Praise God! The only thing better than a hot cup of Starbucks is a free hot cup of Starbucks! I sat down and waited for the coffee, and started reading in 1 Samuel 25. More that that later. My coffee was hand-delivered to me in the corner I chose, and I thought about God's goodness and favor.

A couple days ago, my landlord stopped by to pick up the rent. I told him that we were going to have to move back to Lakeland, as I am now on the job at Abundant Life Church here. Since we are going to have to break our lease early, he technically can't give us our security deposit back. But I do believe that God's favor shined on us, because he is letting us stay next month for free! When I pay, I pay for that month, so I paid for Novemeber. That means I have the rest of this month to save, and all of December. That will give us 2 months rent, or our first month in a new house, plus the security deposit. Praise God!

God is good to his people, in the big things like shelter and food, and even in the little things like a free cup of Starbucks. Check out what the Word says in Psalm 84:11:

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.

Who would have thought I'd find the blessing of God in a cup of Starbucks?

God bless!

Saying Goodbye is Tough

2008-11-09T16:06:00.002-05:00

Well, for the past eight or nine months, I’ve been serving on staff at Living Waters Church of God. I hired in as the Outreach Pastor, but after a couple of months I was reassigned to Youth Pastor. So, for the past six months, I’ve been serving there, and seen God move and really touch these kids. We’ve seen our share of struggles and even a bit of ugly attacks, but God has blessed us.

Then, out of the blue, something happened. I got offered a full time position in Lakeland, where I’ll serve as an associate pastor and office administrator. I start in the office tomorrow, and be there officially for Sundays on the 23rd or this month. I’m excited about what God is doing!

But that means someone inevitably will be saddened by the news. Indeed, some are. It was announced last Sunday that we are leaving the church. I was almost immediately confronted by a sad teen. My wife talked to a couple teens before service that saw the announcement in the bulletin. So it makes the whole thing kind of bittersweet.

On the one hand, I have poured myself into these kids, often not knowing if I was really making a difference. I saw signs from time to time, like kids reaching out to visiting teens, and telling them about our youth services. But, it didn’t really hit me that I was important until I saw the sadness in them. It reminds me of when Paul called for the elders of the Ephesian church for the last time. Check it out:

“And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again...And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.” Acts 20:25;37-38

The Bible goes on to say that the when Paul finished his address to the elders, that they wept, mostly because they would never see his face again this side of heaven. I wonder if Paul may have felt what I am. I wonder if he really realized that he had really made a difference.

Nearly two years ago, the pastor of the church in Lakeland was pastoring in Ypsilanti, MI. He announced on a Sunday morning that he was resigning and moving to Lakeland, FL. The church was crushed. They loved this pastor. The state overseer came that night to take a vote for the new pastor, and while there, he said these words that have stayed with me. He was glad to see that the church was sad, because it meant they loved the man who was leaving. That is why I am somewhat glad that the church and the teens are sad, because it means they love me. It means I did some good while I was there. I don’t want them to dwell on me, but at least I know I been effective. It would be bad if they decided to party because they finally got rid of me!

Well, tomorrow begins a new chapter for me. Pray for me as I step out into the will of the Lord!

God bless!

Men As Trees...

2008-11-02T16:17:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to my pastor for bringing this thought back to my mind!

I see them all over the place around my area. On street corners, shopping center driveways, or exit ramps, hardly a day passes without seeing a homeless person. They may be hoping for just a little food, a little cash, even work. And, even for a Spirit-filled Christian, it's really easy to just let these people fade into the scenery of the city. We make excuses, we ignore them, or we blame them for their own problems. But one thing I can't get past is that these are not faceless beings, but real people, created in the image of God. These are people for whom Christ died.

This morning, as my pastor preached about bringing in the harvest, he mentioned a curious passage in Mark chapter 8, in which Jesus actually laid hands on a blind guy two times. Check it out:

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" And he looked up and said, "I see men, but they look like trees, walking."
Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:22-25

When Jesus did this miracle, he may not have had in mind the homeless. Perhaps he was making a deeper spiritual point. But I think the what the Lord did illustrates what my point today is. Too many who have felt the hand of the Lord need another touch by him. We look around and see the homeless, the hurting, and we walk away. They become faceless entities that fade into the landscape. We see them, but we can't see them for who they are-real people that the Lord died for.

You know, Jesus said that when the end has come, and he is doling out rewards to his people, he will first separate the sheep and the goats. The sheep he blesses because of their care for those in need, and the goats he rebukes and condemns for their lack of concern. I don't want to find myself standing before the Lord Jesus at the end and find out just how calloused I was. I want to do everything I can to bless the Lord be blessing them now.

Let's look for those opportunities to be the Lord's hand in these precious peoples lives. I'm not talking about money, but simply helping those who need it.

God bless!

It Is Finished!

2008-10-31T23:49:00.002-04:00

It's been a long one. Up at 5 AM, worked till noon, and I spent the afternoon preparing the last minute stuff for our annual Hallelujah Nite Halloween outreach. We got to the church around 5 and the event got off the ground about 7:30.

Overall, it went good. Our kids in the church loved it, and a few visitors came from the area to see us. We didn't get the turnout of last year, maybe because we didn't really factor in the 8 PM curfew for trick-or-treaters.

I, for one, am glad that it is over! I am gonna get some sleep, and tomorrow we are heading to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa for my son Timmy's birthday treat. He loves to watch those fish.

God bless and good night!

Late night

2008-10-29T23:23:00.002-04:00

It's been a late one, folks. I'm pooped. We had a long business meeting at the church tonight covering everything from the building program to the church name. That last item was the most controversial of the evening, but it's all good.

After church, I had to run into Wally World for some Lunchables for the kids, as well as hair stuff for my wife. Of course, like any Super Wal-Mart, they were packed. I needed a Pepsi just to stay alert enough for the drive home.

I just had a quick late dinner of steamed broccoli and a baked potato with a couple slices of cheese. Not the tastiest, but enough to tide me over till breakfast.

Don't you love it when bloggers ramble on for no real reason?

Look for a post in the next day or so about some more nuggets found in my search through the book of 1 Samuel. I have a couple things that hit me between the eyes that I will be sharing soon. It will either be about momma cows or Ebenezer (no, not Scrooge!).

By the way, just in case you thought God has no sense of humor, think again. In 1 Sam. 5, when the Philistines had the Ark of God, the Bible says God afflicted them with tumors. Did you know that Hebrew word for tumors can also be translated "hemorrhoids"? No joke! I just saw the definition in the Strong's Concordance. God plagued them with hemorrhoids!

I needed a good laugh before bed.

God bless, and good night!

Opposite

2008-10-28T23:28:00.003-04:00

Think about the following words if you will. Fire and ice…black and white…wet and dry…dirty and clean. What do these words all have in common? Of course, they are all opposites. Well, usually, that is what each of my girls’ rooms is like. Gabbie, my six-going-on-seven-year-old, keeps her room nearly spotless. Every toy is in place, the toy boxes aren’t overflowing on the floor, and he bed is (somewhat) made. Not too bad for someone her age. She’s kind of a neat-freak when it comes to her bedroom. But, she has a big sister who isn’t as interested in a clean room as she is. That would be Machaela. She’s nine, and getting more “teenish” that ever. It is always a fight to get her to clean her room up, usually with my wife or myself standing over her making her clean. I could walk into both rooms right now and most certainly it would be a night and day difference. What a contrast!

The Bible offers up a good number of contrasts, too. I think of Cain’s murderous heart set against the righteousness of his brothers Abel and Seth. What about godly character of Abraham versus the compromised heart of his nephew Lot? Then there’s David and Saul. The Bible gives us lots of people from which we can easily see what seems like very deliberate contrasting of people in its pages.

One example I began re-reading this morning is a comparing and contrasting of Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phineas, against the very young but godly Samuel. Samuel’s mom, Hannah, after having had her miracle baby, when he was old enough, gave him back to the Lord, literally! She took the small boy to Shiloh, and gave him to the high priest, Eli. Samuel began to serve God there at the Tabernacle, and God started blessing him.

Interesting thing is that as I read in chapters 2 and 3, I see that contrast clear as my old Dell monitor. “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD..” (1 Sam. 2:12). The didn’t know the Lord? First, let me off on a rabbit trail for a second. What kind of people would want to be priests to God, yet not have a relationship with Him? (Some things just make you go “hmmmm?”) Yet, that is just what these two guys did. The Word goes on to say of these priests, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord , for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.” (vs. 17)

I like the comparison the writer pulls out next. He then shines the light on Samuel, and shows us a picture of a godly boy faithfully serving his God. As I read through this story, what hits me is that Samuel, even as a boy, had a tenderness of heart that would bode well for us. He didn’t allow the corruption he most certainly witnessed in Eli’s sons penetrate his own heart. There was a true purity to Samuel. I’m reminded of something Jesus told us:

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt. 5:8)

Back then, Israel watched the corruption of its leaders, and the sin they led the whole nation into. As a result, God judged Eli’s house, and the people of Israel. Even the Ark of God had been taken. God’s glory had left. Yet, Samuel continued to serve the Lord. Just like that small, impressionable boy, we need to press on in our relationship with the Lord, despite how those around us live. We may see people live for themselves, soaking in their hedonistic lifestyles, but we must guard our hearts. We must keep serving the Lord, keep praying, keep hiding the Word of God in our hearts. The battle is great, the temptations are real.

Though Samuel is a great picture to point to for one sold out to the Lord, we in New Testament times have a distinct advantage that Old Testament saints didn’t have…we have the power of God’s Holy Spirit living inside us. We have the one who not only gives us the desire to live righteously, but actually works in us to accomplish it. (See Philippians 2:12-13). So, when we see those around us failing, we can rest assured that God hasn’t called us this far to leave us to fend for ourselves. He commands holiness in the face of the world around us, but helps us live it out in the flesh. Praise God for His amazing grace!

God bless!

Hallelujah Night

2008-10-24T21:58:00.003-04:00

Tonight was a busy night. As a youth pastor and an associate pastor, I have certain responsibilities in my portfolio. One of those is organizing the church's annual Halloween outreach, called Hallelujah Night. It's designed to bring trick-or-treaters in off the street with candy, games, hot dogs and soda. I am told that last year 300 kids showed up. I'm looking for around that.

But, with a week left in prep time, it was time to hand out fliers. I took 2 of my youth members, Chris and Chris, and we hit the subdivisions surrounding the church. We handed out a couple hundred before the darkening skies forced us back to the church.

It's great to get my teens out actually doing something. They had some fun, too.

Remember to pray for this event. We need God's help to pull this off!

God bless!

More Than I Know...

2008-10-23T19:34:00.002-04:00

I love to write. That is naturally why in today’s computer age, I have a blog. I admit, I don’t keep up with it like I used to when I sat in a cubicle all day. Family, work and ministry keep me away more than I’d like. What I used to do daily (sometimes more like hourly!) I get around to monthly. But the desire to write hasn’t waned, I am happy to report.

Unfortunately, it seems the content has. I have been dealing with writer’s block some. That’s when I read a post on a blog I enjoy, called Evotional, by Mark Batterson, lead pastor of National Community Church in DC. Mark wrote of the experiences he’s been having as a writer. He’s now got 3 books published, and he is amazed at how God is using his pen around the world to touch people he’d never even dreamed possible to reach.

That got me thinking about my own (very) limited experience with this very thing. From time to time, it seems some things I write strike people and minister to them. It’s not like I got an idea, had a scenario in mind and a target audience. I simply wrote what was on my heart, and God did the rest. The reader happened upon my blog, read the post, and God touched them.

Like the time I received an email from a guy who read a devotion I’d written on God’s activity in us during those “silent times”, when he seems a million miles away. He said that God had told him that he would be entering into a period of what would seem like heavenly silence, but assuring him that He was at work in his heart. He went into that time confident that God was with him, even though he couldn’t sense it.

Then there was the time that a lady I’d talked with on a Christian message board in Tennessee had printed off one of my blog entries to give to a young Christian she knew who was struggling with her newfound faith.

Moments like these get me mad when I am dealing with writer’s block. Really, the reason is that I know there are souls out there who need a touch from God, and I want to be available for Him to use. I want to be that arrow He pulls from His quiver that Isaiah wrote of in the 49th chapter of his book.

I’m so glad I navigated over to Pastor Mark’s blog yesterday. It lit a fire under me, both to burn through writer’s block, and to use my gift to reach people. If you blog, don’t ever get discouraged that you aren’t reaching people. There are people out there, even if they don’t respond (something I wish I got more of, personally!), that are blessed by what you are saying. So, don’t lose heart. God is using you!

Resurrection Time

2008-10-23T19:32:00.002-04:00

No, I don't mean the upcoming resurrection of those who have died in the Lord. I have decided to bring back what worked for me. Seems I couldn't get any readers at Wordpress, so back to Itch's Desk it is!

Under the Fig Tree

2008-04-24T12:26:00.006-04:00

I enjoy traveling. There is something invigorating about leaving the familiar and venturing into unknown. I have gotten the chance to do some traveling in my lifetime so far. From Sandusky, OH, to Dallas, TX, to San Diego and Anaheim, CA to Mexico, both the east and west sides of Canada and the Bahamas. I've traveled a lot, mostly on family vacations and trips between Florida and Michigan. I have been able to see some cool landmarks, like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and Niagara Falls in Ontario. I even got to view Seattle from high atop the Space Needle, and hiked around Mt. Rainier with my dad. I have been fortunate enough to see some neat places around the country, and even a few foreign countries. Those represented some fun times for me. One was even a spiritual blessing on a mission trip in the Bahamas. I've also let my feet tread in places I had no business going, like bars, clubs and even adult-oriented places.

But, my travels haven't simply been of a physical nature. Sadly, I have allowed my mind, my thoughts, and even my beliefs to wander into areas that I had no business going. I have allowed my thoughts to bring me to places that were harmful, areas of thinking where I not only let my guard down spiritually, but practically handed the devil a foothold in my life. Things like meditation, hypnosis, new age spiritism. And, I am ashamed to admit it, but I have allowed my mind, thoughts, and even my actions to drift into more perverse areas like pornography and sexual immorality. Suffice it to say, I've been around the block a few times in my nearly 33 years on this planet.

There is in John's Gospel a passage of scripture that is very sobering to me. Check this out: Jesus is gathering up his followers, and he has really impressed Philip. Philip then found his good friend Nathanael and told him about Jesus of Nazareth. After a bit of apprehension stemming from where Jesus was from, he met the Lord. Let's pick up the passage there:

"Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!' Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.' Nathanael answered Him, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.'"

You see, we all know that Jesus wasn't just another joe on the street trying to make a living. He wasn't another average guy like me. He was divine. He was a human being, but he was all God, too. And, something he said to Nathanael here in this chapter shocked and shook him. Not only did Jesus read Nathanael's mail when he called him on his character (which Jesus himself said was good, solid character), he backed up that knowledge when he claimed to have seen him sitting under a tree. Jesus was not there when Philip went calling him. He didn't see where Nathanael was physically. Jesus saw because he is the Lord of Heaven and earth, the one who sees all and knows all. Hence, Nathanael's reaction to him. Not only did he know his actual location, he knew his heart. He didn't just know his physical locale, he knew his heart's locale.

In the field I work in right now, lawn care, some of my company's competitors have put a hidden set of eyes in the trucks. In order to keep track of their technicians, some have put both GPS and video cameras on board. So, now the employee has to watch what he does, and do an honest day's work, because he is being watched. If he decides to blow off work and just drive around, he'll be caught. If he just sits and sleeps in his truck, he'll get caught. There is always an eye watching. So much for picking your nose in private!

In the same way, we have an all-seeing eye watching us at all times. God is always watching. And, not only does he see where our feet carry us physically, he sees where our thoughts carry us. He sees what goes on in our mind. Just listen to David in Psalm 139.

"O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O LORD, You know it all." vs. 1-4

There is no escaping it. You can run, but you can't hide. You have been tagged by Heaven's GPS. Call it God's Positioning System. Call it Glory's Placement Satellite. God is watching you. Every step, every place, every thought. A heavenly TIVO is recording your life, inside and out. Spooky, kind of. I mean, those things we do in the dark of night, in the secret place of our minds, God sees.

Hey, but let's remember that this works both ways. It's real easy to talk about God's all-seeing eye and all-knowing mind when it comes to the bad stuff we do. But look at Nathanael's case. Look at what Jesus said to him. "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" I like that word, deceit. The Greek word used is dolos. It means a trick, or even decoy. Jesus was reading Nathanael's character and soundly proclaimed that this was the real deal. There was no fakeness here. In my work at fancy golf course subdivisions, I often see decorative decoy ducks floating in the ponds. They have been known to trick me, they were so life-like. But there was no tricking Jesus-Nathanael was the real thing.

You know, sometimes we mess up. We fall down. But, Jesus knows our hearts. He knows how we long to please him. He knows that at times, in this flesh we have to live in, we fall off the horse occasionally. Proverbs 24:16a says, "For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again". I fell at work the other day and rolled my ankle. It's a pretty good sprain. But I got back up. When we fall, the Lord expects us to get up and keep going. When we jump up and pursue after the Lord, we are demonstrating that we long for the Lord to touch us, to purify us.

Yes, the Lord is watching us. He most certainly has seen every aspect of our lives, and yet he loves us. He has seen the movie of our lives, and he still pursues us. His people with him and loving him are the "joy set before him", as Hebrews says. So, look up. Press on, because you have a Savior in Heaven who is cheering you on!

God bless!

Unlostness

2008-02-26T22:13:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been lost? I mean, drive around, get mad, pound the wheel, afraid of the neighborhood lost? That feeling of lostness (is that even a word?) where all sense of direction has fled? It is the most unnerving feeling. I have experienced that feeling before, myself, while driving from Ann Arbor, MI to Milwaukee, WI. While making the trip, we had just gotten to Kalamazoo, MI, when my daughter announced that she needed a potty break. Since we had just passed up the last rest area for a while, I thought that I had better get off I-94 at the next exit and find a McDonald’s.

Once I got off the expressway, I soon realized that I was on unfamiliar turf. I think I was in Kalamazoo one other time as a small kid, having taken an Amtrak ride with my Dad and brother there. I was in a new area, and it looked none too safe! We found the McDonald’s, and my little girl got her potty break. That was when all the fun began. The road I had gotten off the interstate at was one-way. I had no clue how to get back to it. I saw no signs, and simply went in circles driving around a rough area like Clark Griswold from National Lampoon’s Vacation. It was one of the most frustrating times I have
experienced.

Well, that isn’t the only time I have ever been lost like that. While I am certain that there are lots more times that I was lost physically, there have been times that as a follower of Christ I have felt that sense of being lost and directionless. It is spiritually a very unsettling feeling. I felt that I was groping and grasping for some sense of direction from the Lord, or confirmation that I was on the right track. Heck, I would have been happy to hear from the Lord that I was all wrong, just as long as I knew I had heard from him! So, during those times, I simply did what I could, helping out the ministry where needed, and making myself available to the Lord, and to those over me in the Lord, like my pastor and leaders.

One thing I am sure glad for is that fact that God never gets lost. He never needs directions; he never needs confirmation or encouragement. God sees and knows all. That means he sees where we are at, even when it seems like nowhere. I like what the Lord Jesus told us in Revelation 22:13- "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." I like that. The cool thing is, the terms Alpha and Omega are actually the first and last letters and the Greek alphabet. What that tells me is that even when I don’t know where I am, or where I am going, Jesus is the end, and as such, he knows where I am going. He sees the big picture, while I only see what is right in front of me.

That reminds me of the life of Joseph, the 11th son of the Patriarch Jacob. Here was a young man who was highly favored by his father. His brothers knew it, and they hated him for it. While they worked the field, Joseph stayed home with Dad and often got sent out to check up on the others while they worked. And to top it off, Jacob gave Joseph something that he had not given his other sons. He gave the young man a bright, shiny coat of many colors. It must have been something to look at, because it didn’t get him in any better with the siblings.

Joseph’s story continues when he began having dreams. And these dreams weren’t because he had too many figs before bed. God began showing Joseph that he would one day rule over his family. Remember, in that Jewish culture, the oldest son became the head of the clan. So, for a younger man to have such dreams seemed to spit in his older brother’s faces. They finally got sick of little brother, and did something about it. They sold him down the river, and he went to the auction block in Egypt. They then took his precious coat and tore it, covering it in animal blood from the flock, and told Daddy that he was dead. What great people, eh?

I am sure that Joseph felt some of what I sense while in those “lost times”. (Or maybe I am feeling a bit of what he felt.) He must have found himself wondering where God was as he worked as a slave, and later in prison after being falsely accused of rape. The Bible doesn’t say, but I wonder if Joseph maybe, even in the depths of his heart, doubted, wondered, or feared? Did he ever once sit back and ask, “God, are you there?!” I know I have.

The good news for Joseph was that God indeed was there. He was for Joseph the Alpha and Omega, just as he is now for us. He was with him in that prison as he just kept on being the good, righteous, and trustworthy man he was. And God honored him in his own time. We know that Joseph was eventually released from prison, and immediately promoted from prisoner to Prime Minister in one day. And when his brothers were forced to Egypt years later for food during a famine, they met Joseph. They didn’t find him bitter. He wasn’t angry or even a little bit miffed. He was able to see on the other side of his “lostness” that God was there all along, and used the years of uncertainty as preparation. In fact, Joseph comforted his brothers when he assured them that what they meant for evil, God used for good, to save them in their time of need.

That makes me happy, friends! For years, I felt as though I was adrift on the sea of confusion, just trying to make my way through it. When I seemed to be totally perplexed and confounded, it was hard to understand that an Unseen Hand was guiding my path. Now, I am just starting to see that every step I had taken during those times was directed by the Lord. When I could not see him, he could see me, and knew just where he was leading me. Just see what the Word of God has to say about this:

“The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.” (Psalms 37:23)

So, friends, if this describes you right now, please be encouraged that God is with you, guiding and leading you and molding you into the person he has called you to be. Even when he seems a million miles away, just know that he is right there with you. Remember that he has plans for you that you cannot even fathom right now. Be blessed as I leave you with a final scripture that I used in last night’s blog.

“Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Getting Stretched

2008-02-25T22:15:00.001-05:00

I have a love-hate relationship with exercise. From time to time, I get an urging to work out, and usually when I get going, I hit the ground running. I keep it up for a couple of weeks, then, the hate part of the equation comes in to play. Not that I hated the process, but it is so much easier to do other things than it is to work out. I end up choosing the path of least resistance (literally!).

But, I am not opening up with this to talk about exercise per se, but to talk about what we need to do beforehand to prepare for the impact our bodies are about to take. That is, stretching. Yup, stretching-that painful, annoying activity that serves to make us more limber and cut down on the chances of injury. It is very important whenever we are about to engage in exercise that we properly stretch ourselves.

Did you know that the physical realm isn’t the only arena in which we need a good stretching? God makes sure that we who are following Him get all the stretching we need in a spiritual sense. He has so many amazing plans for each of us. One of my favorite verses of Scripture is 1 Cor. 2:9-“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” Yet, we can never realize those things he has prepared for us unless we are willing to put up with the discomfort of stretching into areas we are uncomfortable in or unfamiliar with. That is what I like to call “getting out of the comfort zone”.

I am reminded of something the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

When I read this passage, the verse that really stands out to me is the third verse. Paul came to this city in fear and trembling. Why was he so scared? Maybe it had to do with the fact that the people of Greek culture were known as extremely wise and learned people. Whatever the reason, it scared the pants off him. But God used this to stretch Paul, and he had a powerful ministry in that city.

Lately, God has been stretching me, as well. February 3rd marked a new chapter in mine and my family’s life. A door opened up to work as an associate pastor of outreach in a church in the Greater Orlando area. Now, nearly a month later, I am experiencing the stretching of the Lord. He is putting me into work that I haven’t had tons of experience in. I have of course worked in ministry outreach over the years, but not to the degree that I am now. I am the one coming up with ideas and plans on creatively reaching the lost of Orlando, and while I love the work, it is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone. And, to be honest, it is a bit unnerving. There are worries about doing good work with lasting fruit. But like Paul, I am pressing on in spite of the fears. I too know that I will see God’s blessings on my labor as I reach the harvest for my Lord and my church.

Keep me in your prayers, friends, as I continue to follow the Lord. I most definitely need them!

God bless!

I Want My Daddy

2007-12-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

It all started with an unfinished dinner. "What's wrong? don't you like hot dogs anymore?" I asked Machaela, my eight-year old girl. She shook her head know and said she was tired. She wanted to go upstairs to bed. So off she went.

This would have been no big deal regularly, but tonight was special. Machaela and her younger sister and brother were spending the night at their Grandma's house, who they don't get to see very often since we moved nearly 1200 miles away to Florida. Tonight was a special night!

I went upstairs a while later to say goodbye to the girls (the younger, Gabbie, was already out like light!). I nudged Machaela and asked her what was wrong. She was awake and crying. "What is wrong?" I asked. It turns out that she was sad that I was leaving her. She did not want me to leave her there. "I want to be with you!" she sobbed. Well, soon Grandma came upstairs and helped her feel better with the promise of movies and popcorn.

As her daddy, I can't tell you how much I wanted to scoop her up and love on her. It always breaks my heart when my children are sad. But, what really spoke to me tonight was my little girl's desire to be with me, her daddy. It served to remind me of what we children of God need to remember-we too have a Father in Heaven, and it should be in each of our blood-bought hearts to desire him above all.

I am reminded of what our Lord Jesus not only commanded us to do, but also modeled for us. Several times in the Gospels we read something like this that Luke wrote: "And Jesus resorted to a quiet place to pray." Jesus knew who his Father was. And he longed to be with him. He enjoyed an eternal fellowship with his Father. In fact, in his prayer to his Father in John 17, Jesus spoke of the glory that he had in eternity with his father, and his desire to be glorified with that glory again. Jesus had a burning desire to be with his father.

How true this is of us? Jesus knew his mission, but he still remembered that this world was not his home. He was here to fulfill his Father's will, and return to him. And in that special prayer of John 17, he made clear that were in the same boat. "They are not of this world, even as I am not of this world". Speaking of myself, the cares of life, the worries, the money, the immediate needs all have a way of taking my mind off of Heaven. They can make me forget that I am only a pilgrim passing through, and not a permanent resident of the world.

The fact is, we are currently not in our Father's presence in Heaven. But that doesn't mean that we can't have fellowship with him. The Bible is clear that we are to spend time with the Lord. We need his presence with us as much as any person we read of in the Bible. It is in his presence that we find his peace, his joy, his overflowing goodness and blessing. In fact, Psalm 16:11 says that in his presence is fullness of joy, at his right hand are pleasures forevermore. The Lord even told us that he has a table spread out for us, right in front of our enemies!

I am sure you've heard the saying "so heavenly minded, no earthly good". If not, it simply means that if we focus too much on Heaven and eternity with our heads in the clouds, we will be of no use in advancing the Gospel here on earth. But, I think it is equally dangerous to take our sight off of our eternal hope of being in God's presence. After all, Jesus died so that we might be saved, and spend all of eternity with him. A proper view of Heaven and everlasting worship of God should make us more earthly good as we save as many as possible.

So, where is your desire tonight? Are you longing to be with your Daddy in Heaven? I know that he is definitely longing to usher you into his presence. Hey, I know how much I wanted to pick my little girl up and take her back with me. How much more does our Heavenly Father long to take us home to be with him?

God bless!

Preparing The Way...

2007-10-01T13:49:00.001-04:00

Today I am at home watching over my oldest kid, Machaela. She has a bit of the flu that started yesterday. The worst of it has passed, and she is getting energetic again. So, to pass the day, I was given the task of folding all the laundry that as been washed. In fact, that is my youngest child, Jayden in the photo. He wanted to help fold! We get busy, and often we live with one hand in the clean laundry basket and the other on the iron. But, when one of us is home, we get the chance to catch up and get a clean slate.

So, when I am not online blogging, I am folding clothes and putting them away. I am doing my best to prepare the way for my wife to return to a home with every clean article of clothing folded and put away. It is really taking away a lot of clutter that builds up. It looks so clean!

As I have been folding, that theme of "preparing the way" has been in the front of my mind. It has some deep Biblical roots. It was foretold throughout the Old Testament that one would come ahead of the Messiah and prepare the way before him. Just read passages like Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3.

Indeed, it happened just as God said it would (was there ever a question of that ?). John the Baptist arrived on the scene and began to preach that people needed to turn from their sins, even calling for a sign of such repentance, that being baptism.
John's ministry was one of preparation for the Savior, Jesus Christ.

But the need to prepare didn't end with John. Even as born-again believers, we too have a real need to get ready for the things God has for us. We have hinderances and sins that hold us back. It reminds me of a couple of kings from Judah. One king, whose name was Ahaz, was a wicked king who did heinous things in worship to false gods, like child sacrifice. When he did these things, he pushed his religion by way of example. The people of Judah would follow, sadly. They worshiped false gods on what was called the High Places. These were places of worship set up like mini temples and altars. God despised such deplorable worship.

Ahaz eventually died, and his son Hezekiah became the new king. The Bible says that he did right in God's eyes. Now, one wonders amid such paganism how he grew up loving God, but he did. And Hezekiah set things right, clearing away the pagan places of worship.

The New Testament makes it clear that we are to lay aside the junk that clutters our walk with God, as well. Jesus taught us that hearts filled with the cares of this life and pursuit of riches and pleasure will keep the Word of God from producing any fruit. He also told us that our decision to follow him must be of greatest importance in our lives. We can't pursue Christ and our own ambitions both. He bluntly said it this way: "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kindom of God." (Luke 9:62) He calls us to "sell out" our own desires and wants for a life in passionate pursuit of him. Hear him in Matthew 13:44. "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

The writer to the Hebrews gave us a discourse in the faithful of the Old Testament in Hebrews 11. Then in the next chapter, he brings their walk of faith home in our own lives. "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. 12:1-2)

What is in your life today that is holding you back? What is there that God is putting his finger on and saying, "let it go"? Look, it may not be sinful in and of itself. But when "stuff" holds us back from God's plan, I believe it becomes sin to us. Whenever our "stuff", be it physical or even simply ambition, it keeps us from running this race called the Christ life effectively. Why do you think runners wear the thinnest, lightest materials possible while racing? Why do swimmers shave off exposed body hair and wear tight swim caps? It makes them quicker, and cuts down on drag. It has less resistance. That is why it is so imperative to lay aside every weight that would hold us back from chasing our Lord Jesus. We just don't need our cluttered with junk we don't need.

Well, who would have thought all this would come from a day of folding clothes?

God bless!

Redeeming the Time...

2007-09-29T16:44:00.000-04:00

*I apologize for such a long hiatus from blogging. I guess I have just been so busy that I haven't had time to do one of the things I enjoy so much. I will try to do better from here on.

Today we celebrated my oldest daughter's 8th birthday at a local park here in Lakeland called the Barnett Family Park. It really is a nice park, right on the shore of Lake Morton. The kids had fun in the park's "zero depth" water fountain playground as they got sprayed with water from all different angles.

We ate some pizza and had some good conversation with friends who brought their children to the party, then came the gift opening and the cake (baked it myself!). As the party was winding down, I was surprised when a teenage girl walked up to us and asked if she could have a piece of cake! I was there talking with my friend Matt when she approached us. The lady attending to the park and pavillion tried to dissuade her, but I intervened on her behalf. "She's OK", I assured her. The girl had been dared to asked us for some cake, it turns out. A lot of folks would get annoyed. I took it as an oppotunity from the Lord.

I invited the girl out to our church, and a she left to return to her friends with the cake. Something must have struck the two friends who dared her, because before I knew it, they had walked up to us. I started talking with them, and asked if they would like some cake too (we had plenty left over). They were actually surprised when I asked that. I brought them over to the table, and got to talking with them. Turns out that they had just moved to Lakeland from somewhere in Georgia. So, I asked if they had a church they went to yet, and when the said no, I invited them to my church, Abundant Life. I asked them about if they knew the Lord, and they then had to go. They were so receptive to us. I pray that I not only will see them in church tomorrow, but that they will dive into a greater relationship with the Lord Jesus.

It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul wrote via inspiration of the Spirit of God. He said,

"Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time". (That phrase, redeeming the time, simply means to make the most of every opportunity.) It is a sad fact that many Christians would not have followed such advice, but would have been annoyed that someone interrupted their time. I know, because I have been there and done that. But I had to realize that even those that come on the basis of a dare that is meant to annoy is an opportunity sent from Heaven to spread the love of Christ to those around us.

It also reminded me that I must have the mind of Christ. Life isn't about me and my family, even at my daugter's birthday party. God sends people our way who need what we have. That is why it is imperative that we show the love of Christ is all things. Christ had it made as he sat on his Heavenly Throne in eternity past. Here he was, the God of all that is, with everything at his word. All the glory, all the praise. Yet, the Bible tells us that he let go of all that glory and took on a human body. He became a man and was born into abject poverty. He went from the unspeakable glories of Heaven to the stench of an animal stable for us. And he took upon himself our sins as he hung on that cross, dying so that we can live forever with him in eternity. Talk about an inconvenience! But he was more concerned with our needs than with his own comfort! How is that for love?

I wrote all this to say this one thing: redeem the time. You may only get one shot at that person. Make it count. You may just make a splash in eternal waters for that person.

God bless!

Getting Simpsonized

2007-08-14T19:54:00.001-04:00

Here is my wife after a trip the Simpsonizer. Just wanted to share it. She looks good as a Simpson's character! I am doing us all, I'll post it when I finished them.

God Bless!

Spiritual Baxters

2007-07-31T16:35:00.003-04:00

This morning, I found myself being suddenly reminded of an old kid show I watched as a child. It was called The Great Space Coaster. The show featured a big clown named Baxter that drove his (human) friends around in a space ship.

My wife and I laughed at the cheesiness of the show, the goofy music, and the funny-looking clown named Baxter. But as much as I laughed at the show, the storyline I read arrested me. You see, Baxter was a runaway circus clown. He was abused by his circus master, who, after Baxter's escape, still hunted him down to take him back to his circus. Why? He had a unique ability to disappear at will.

He would use this gift to play tricks on his friends. But, his disappearing act also served as a defense mechanism. Whenever a situation arose that he didn't want to deal with, he simply disappeared. Sounds awfully human, doesn't it? Certainly, in the midst of the cheesiness, the show's writers were ingenious to make Baxter do this. How many kids deal with hard life issues and simply wish they could disappear? How many do disappear into a dark place in their soul?

I understand that feeling. I went through a tough time when my parents divorced. And my dad's subsequent relationship that only pushed me farther away. I often retreated into a dark place in my own soul. But, even us adults have our scary times that drive us into hiding. Whether it's death or divorce, financial hardship or family troubles, we too, like Baxter the clown, retreat into our hiding places. We shut ourselves away from people, from problems, and ultimately, from the Lord.

Thankfully, God has filled His Word with story after story of people that had their own times of trouble in which they wished they could escape. Check this list out:

Adam and Eve hid in the bushes.

Jacob ran miles away to hide from his brother.

Elijah ran to hide from the wicked Jezebel.

Jonah tried hiding in the bottom of a boat.

Peter hid in his fishing boat.

This is so far from what the Lord Jesus has for us. The only hiding place he wants us to retreat to is His Holy Presence. Just listen to the words of our Lord in Matthew 11:28:

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

When tough times arise, when our hearts are weary, what we need to do is "run to the Rock that is higher" than we are (see Psalm 61:2). There, our loving Savior is waiting to take the cares that so weigh us down. He is, as Hebrews 4:15 says, touched by the feeling of our weaknesses.

Friends, instead of retreating into that hiding place where even the Lord is locked out, run to the Savior. The God that was big enough to create this whole universe with just words is waiting to speak peace in midst of your storm.

God bless!

Who's Your Hero?

2007-06-14T23:21:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I was interested in a video that one of my best friends, Pastor Justin Stewart, did a year or so ago at the Church of God Michigan Youth Camp. He is amazing when it comes to shooting and editing videos, and he and another friend from Michigan, Dave Moore did this together. (Both are now here in Florida)

The theme is of course superheroes. I think you will all love the ending. I could come up with a devotion or sermon on it, but this video says it all. Enjoy!

I Did It!

2007-06-09T19:55:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to toss up a quick post to say I finally did it! For the first time in 4 or 5 years, I have fallen below the 200 pound mark! I now weigh 199 pounds.

Since moving down here to Lakeland, I have been working as a lawn spray technician. Working outside has really been a blessing. It has forced me to be mobile. I walk all day long, either dragging a 300 foot spray hose, or carrying a 40-pound backpack sprayer to kill off weeds. All the exercise has really paid off. In just about 4 months, I have dropped about 20 pounds.

The cool thing is that I haven't really changed my diet. I drink a lot more water because I need it in the hot Florida sun after a few minutes of that hose. I cut back significantly on soda pop, drinking it moderately. I don't really eat all that different, though I try to eat a little more in the way of fruits and vegetables. The stuff grown here is great.

Anyway, that is it. Nothing too deep today, I just wanted to shout out to everyone that I am losing weight and feeling good!

God bless!

The Day After Pentecost

2007-05-28T21:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Sunday, May 28th. It was not just an ordinary weekend. Yes, it was part of Memorial Day weekend, but that isn't what made it so special. Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. It's the day we celebrate the birth of Church Universal. On that day some two millennia ago, the disciples of Jesus Christ were in a prayer meeting that lasted 10 days. As they prayed and sought God, the Bible records this happening:

"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance."

I am sure that the 120 followers of Christ there in that upper room that day were taken by surprise. They knew that somehow they would receive power. The Lord had told them that 10 days prior, just before he ascended into heaven. And now here they were, suddenly empowered by the Spirit of God, and they began to speak in languages that they did not know. They spilled out onto the streets, speaking in these languages. The city was full that day of folks from all over that region for the feast of Pentecost. They suddenly heard these disciples speaking in their own native languages "the mighty deeds of God". God used this event not only to fill his church with his spirit, but to bring a whopping 3000 souls into his Kingdom that day.

How many times have I been in services not too unlike that? Times when I have witnessed people being baptized in the Holy Spirit? The times that I have seen people healed by God's power? Most importantly, seen people running down the aisles to accept the Lord Jesus as the Savior as the Spirit of God drew them? I have been in some great services where heaven really touched us. It is an amazing thing to experience.

But I think this is area we need to be careful. I have found from my personal experience that we can begin to think that the Spirit's power is for having great church services. There is a place for that, certainly, but that isn't the point. We have been empowered by the Spirit of God to be witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ, not to simply "have church".

Once the service is over, and we make our way back home, back to our everyday lives, is when the real work begins. That first outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as well as our fillings nowadays, serve to prepare us to minister to a lost world. The real meat and potatoes begin the day after Pentecost.

That is where we find Peter and John. They weren't back in the upper room trying to get what they felt the day before. They were on the way to the temple at the hour of prayer. In other words, life didn't pause at the initial experience, it went on. They were doing what all good Jews were supposed to do. Spend time in prayer. But that is when they found a need. That is where they saw him, the man who couldn't walk. He was a beggar. He sat at the temple gate daily, begging for money. He had no other way to make a living. But that was all about to change.

I suppose they could have run back to their friends and taken a collection. Preachers are good at that, aren't they? But that would serve to prolong his condition another day. He didn't need money, he needed a good set of legs. So, that is when we see Peter telling this man that he had no money, but something far greater. He said, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk". He stuck out a hand, and lifted him to his feet. The Bible says that immediately, his feet and ankle bones received strength, and we went leaping and running into the temple, praising God!

You see, we are empowered by the Spirit for this. It is for everyday life. Going to work. Taking our kids to the doctor. Shopping at Publix for groceries. You get the point. That is where the people are. There are souls out there in the balance, they need to hear the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We may not happen upon a lame man everyday, but we encounter spiritually immobile people every day.

That day of Pentecost, as Pastor Noland Colkmire, associate pastor at my church, said last night, was heaven touching earth. And indeed it was. But heaven desires to touch earth now, through vessels of human skin. Every time we meet someone where they are and show them the Lord Jesus in us, heaven touches earth. Every time we give a hot meal to a homeless person in Christ's name, heaven touches earth. Every time we lead a sinner to the Lord Jesus for salvation from their sin, heaven touches earth. We were filled so God can use his people to touch this world.

I hope and pray that you "make the most of every opportunity" as the Word of God tells us (Ephesians 5:16; Col. 4:5). God bless, my friends!

Bahamian Reflections

2007-05-17T08:24:00.000-04:00

Hey, all. Forgive me, I know that it has been too long since I've written anything. I have been so busy that I haven't got the time to blog much.

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since my trip to Freeport, Bahamas. In fact, that picture at the top of the page is one I took on the beach at Port Lucaya, right behind the Shearton resort. We had some time to hang out and swim, shop and sightsee on that Saturday at Caribfest. But, it wasn't all fun and games.

I have had some time to process the experience. This wasn't just another getaway. We went there to do ministry to youth that really need it. But, as I have so found to be true with ministry in general, I walked away from that weekend feeling like the one who was ministered too. Not just by the people who put the program together, but by the folks we were there for. And ultimately, by the Lord Himself.

I'd like to say that I was on top of my game all weekend. I wasn't. The day before the boat set sail, we had to drive to Ft. Lauderdale, where the port is. That is at least a 3-hour drive. I still had to work that day, so I was up at my usual 5 AM. We got to the church we camped at Thursday night around 11:30, and went to see Spiderman 3 (great movie!). Didn't end till 2:30, and we had to leave at 5 AM Friday. So, I stayed up with several others and played "horse" basketball in the church's youth area. So, by the time the Friday opening service was winding down, it was nearly 11 PM. I had been awake for 42 hours! So, as the man of God was preaching his heart out, I was nodding. We sent an early bus with me on it back to our hotel and I finally got some sleep. So, Friday was pretty much shot for me.

Saturday night's service, I was still tired, but God moved, and we ministered to the youth in Freeport. Then we all hung out in the pool and hot tub, and sat around with an acoustic guitar singing worship songs into the wee hours of the morning.

Sunday morning service is where I believe God really touched me. The pastor of the church that we held the event at was speaking with the congregation when he called on a sister to sing impromptu. What followed was absolutely heavenly. I saw in the people there on that island such a pure worship that I almost felt unworthy to even sit in the same sanctuary. As she sang and worshiped, the beauty of that worship in that building rubbed off on me, and I began to worship with them. Tears began to flow, and I could not stop them. Part in love and reverence for a God who loved me enough to die for me, part in repentance for shallow worship bogged down with the cares of this life.

One thing I believe that God showed me that morning was that I really was bogged down and focused more on this life and my own issues than on a Savior who gave his all for me. Worries will hinder our worship. They can hold us back from serving God with our whole heart. Just look at what the Lord told us in Matthew 6:26-30:

"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?...But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!"

Worry can kill our faith in God. That is where much of the church in America is. We worry about our children, our possessions, our money, and our health. We worry about countless other things. Yet, as Jesus himself said, our worry can't help us out any.

I have decided to not let my worship get hindered by my problems. God is much bigger than my troubles, anyway. He is able to take care of me.

This really was a life-changing trip for me.

God bless!

Missio-costal?

2007-04-16T14:20:00.000-04:00

I have been doing some thinking today. I found myself reviewing back on some of the history of the Church of God (Cleveland, TN). The COG has the distinction as the oldest Pentecostal denomination in the United States, going back to 1886. The people who started this great church had broken from the mainline churches of the day, Baptist and Methodist. They wanted a church that was free from man-made creeds. They wanted a church that was a true New Testament church. Early on, they were led by a man named R.G. Spurling and his son.

After about 10 years, the church, then called the "Christian Union", experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. 130 folks were in attendance, and they spoke in languages that they did not know, just as the early church did, as documented in the book of Acts. What they experienced was just was the Lord Jesus himself said that the disciples would experience. They received the power of the Spirit of God in their lives. And it showed. Really, the COG was a missionary church from its beginning.

As the members of the denomination would move, they would start new churches. They were Biblical pioneers. They began foreign missions when they sent their first missionary to the Caribbean.

Why do I take the time to write out a brief history of the church? Because I see in those few original members something that we need to retain in the COG today. They were missional, meaning that they were focused on the mission of Jesus. They preached the Gospel to all who would listen. They were outward-focused.

I think that we in the COG today need this reminder. I have been in quite a few churches in the COG, and some are mission-focused, while others are not. Not that the leadership of such congregations wants it that way, but people have a tendency to get comfortable and complacent with the status quo. We lose our drive and passion to win lost souls sometimes. As a result, some of our churches become a museum of the past, rather than pushing on to the future. A place that people focus on the great things God did "back then". But, friends, we serve a God who desires to move and bless us now.

That brings me to the 2nd part of this article. We have in the church world as a whole those who seem to swing far the other way. There are Pentecostal pastors that would rather its members not speak in tongues, or pray with gusto, in the services. They feel that such manifestations only push the unbeliever away that might attend. Now, I feel that all must be done decently and in order, as the Bible plainly tells us, but even the apostle Paul said that when the church is operating in the gifts of the Spirit, it will draw those unbelievers to know the truth. Should we act like monkeys in the zoo? No, but we mustn't stifle the Spirit of God, either. How in today's world can we remain Pentecostal in our practice, yet outward-focused in our mission?

Many churches today are doing what they can to reach those who don't know the Lord. I applaud them for that. There are many programs and ideas to facilitate church growth. But at what expense do we change? We are a Pentecostal church. We have a conservative view of the Bible. We believe it is God-inspired. Some churches, not COG's, have gone so far to "reach" the unbelievers out there as to take a lower view of the Bible, to begin to question the things of God. While I don't believe we can have "all the answers", we have all the answers that God's Word gives us. In a culture that questions everything, I feel that it is high time we had some answers to give them.

The title of the blog entry today, "Missio-costal", is not to be take to seriously. The only label we Bible-believers should go by is Christian. But, I think that we need to get back to the basics. That is just what our early COG forefathers did. It is called the Great Commission. Preaching the Gospel to every creature is what Jesus commanded us to do. Church growth will happen as we seek to do the Lord's will for his church, the Body of Christ universal.

How do we do that? By being the Body of Christ in this world. We need to reach people where we see them every day. At work, at school, at the doctor's office. You get the picture. And sure, they will even come to our churches, and we should be ready for them. We will win them as we reach out to them were they are at. One of my favorite scriptures is in 1 Corinthians 9:

"To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some." (vs.20-22)

I should cap off this article today by saying that there are many churches in the COG that are reaching the harvest without sacrificing our experience. I am blessed to be part of one that is. Churches don't have to sacrifice one or the other. Too many today hear words like "emerging" and "missional" and immediately, the defenses go up. If we stick to the Biblical model, I don't think we will go wrong.

Well, that is it today, folks. God bless!

I Want My Guitars!

2007-04-10T22:12:00.000-04:00

Hey, all. Now that I am down here in Florida, I go through some bouts of homesickness every now and then. I miss my family. I miss my friends, and my church family back at Victorious Life. While I truly miss everyone, one thing this evening has me a bit down. That is my guitars. Three months ago, when we moved down here, several items had to be left behind because we ran out of room in the moving truck and our van. Included were my guitars. I don't have a working amp, so in my dreaming of playing again, I have simply dreamed of the amp I played at church up there, the Line 6 Spider 112. How I wish I had one of my own!

While I am playing the bass for the worship team that is going to the Bahamas next month, I really miss playing the regular 6-string. Tonight, I was on a message board frequented by other Church of God ministers and members, giving guitar advice to a guy who has only been playing for a couple years. In fact, there has been a lot of guitar talk on that sight, and it has only fired up that much more the desire to play my music for the Lord.

Really, that is what it comes down to. The Bible commands us to praise God and worship him in song and music. Just read what the 92nd Psalm says:

"It is good to give thanks to Jehovah, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; to show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night; on the ten strings, and on the harp, with sounding music on the lyre." (vs. 1-3)

Sure, I can still play the bass and sing, but I really wish I had my guitars. The Fender I got back as a sophomore in high school, and the old Gibson Acoustic that my dad bought back in 1965. Both are still sitting in my house up north. I really need to get those down here!

I am getting tired of visiting Guitar center in my spare time just to play a guitar like the one at the top of this post. It is a Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany. Simply the most beautiful electric I have played. That is my dream guitar. Actually, it is a pretty cheap dream as far as Les Paul's go. It's only $800, and the top of the line LP's can go for upwards of $2000!

Sorry to vent, but I just wanted to share my frustration with those of you who faithfully read what I write here.

God bless, my friends. Thanks for hearing me out tonight!

Dollar Store Treasures

2007-04-07T23:11:00.000-04:00

Well, the Easter Season is upon us. That means trips to the malls and stores of America are decorated to the hilt with colored eggs and bunnies. Kids will take part in Easter Egg hunts, gathering as many eggs and candy as possible. Hey, my kids did today!

Last night, my wife ran into the local Dollar Tree to get the stuff for our kid's Easter Baskets. She got the usual, like candy. But also things like little cheap toys and coloring books. To us, these are just cheap little time occupiers. Just a buck! But to them, they are treasures. Who thought a dollar store coloring book could provide such joy?

I kind of got a taste of that happiness myself this evening. After I cooked up some homemade beef stew, I realized we needed some bowls. So, off to the Dollar General I went. Once inside, I found the aisle with the cheap plastic bowls, and found something a bit more "treasure-able". I found a four pack of nice glasses, made of real glass, not plastic. They were only $3 (Dollar General isn't a true dollar store). But hey, for a decent glass, that's a steal. Who'd think I'd find happiness at a cheap store?

When I read the Gospels, and the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus, I read of a life that to those around him, seemed insignificant. Jesus was born to a poor family. He didn't have much in the way of earthly goods. He learned to work with his hands as a carpenter. In fact, Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus left the glory of heaven, to take on a human body. He became a bond servant. He humbled himself.

Jesus didn't come as a king in royal robes. Perhaps that is why the religious folks of the day had such a hard time believing that Jesus was the Messiah. He came in a package that the elite wouldn't recognize. Jesus didn't come as a spiritual "Saks Fifth Avenue", he came as a dollar store. I like what Isaiah says: "he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2) No one would have looked at him and thought, "Hey, there goes the Messiah!" Yet, inside his plain-looking package is the most glorious treasure we can have. And he laid down his life on Calvary to take our sin on himself and became our substitute. He took our punishment, and gave us his life.

Don't get me wrong. Jesus is the Almighty God who rules the Heaven and the Earth. Just read the book of Revelation. He doesn't appear as a lowly peasant, he is the Reigning King, resurrected from the grave. It was his sacrifice on the cross, and his glorious raising from the dead 3 days later, that gives us the eternal life we can have. It was that humbling sacrifice of the peasant from Galilee that made me alive when I was dead in my sins.

Jesus came to give us life. Won't you trust him this Easter as your Savior?

God bless!

I've Been Busy!

2007-03-31T20:18:00.000-04:00

Hey, all! It's been a while since I last posted anything. Sorry about that. I've been busy!

Don't let that photo of my son Timmy throwing a frisbee at Clearwater Beach fool you. Though we certainly did have fun (and Timmy can really throw that thing, even at 3 years old!), life hasn't been all beaches and waves. We've been keeping busy.

In addition to working all day, I have had the blessed opportunity of preaching in a local assisted-living home during our church's Sunday School hour for the past month. I absolutely love it! It had been months since I had last preached, and I had almost forgotten what it felt like. the folks there were blessed by my preaching, and I was blessed to be able to minister to them. Each week I look forward to seeing them and encouraging them from the Word of God.

Not only have I been overjoyed to preach to these good folks, but I have had the chance to hone my pulpit skills. And that is a good thing, because now we are possibly going to be pastoring a small church on the west end of town that our home church wants to plant. It will be a "satellite church", another church reaching another area of town. We are honored to be asked to head this up. In fact, a building is available, leased by a minister who attends the main church. It already has a sound system and a sanctuary! I took a tour of the facility this week. I am excited about what God is going to do there.

So, I have been one busy guy lately. God is on the move, opening up doors for us, and we are walking through them. I will keep you all updated on how things progress.

God bless!

No Regrets

2007-03-09T22:06:00.000-05:00

When I got down here to Lakeland, one thing I was hoping to keep quiet for a while was the fact that I am a musician, playing both the guitar and bass. It worked for a while. But I accidentally let it slip one evening as I was talking with the Youth Pastor from our church. I'm now playing the bass for the youth/young adult praise band. I even was asked to fill in for the absent regular bass man in the main sanctuary, in front of nearly a thousand!

But, God so cool. Since I've been playing, I have been asked to go to the Bahamas for a big youth convention called Caribfest, as part of the music team, playing the bass guitar. I have never been on a missions trip, and I am so excited about it!

I have to admit, it will be weird being away from my wife and kids, even if only for a few days. I'll be in another country. Historically, these kinds of opportunities don't come my way. But this one has, and I feel that God is in it.

I know not everyone feels the same way. I talked with my dad tonight, and I was telling him about the opportunity to go. He wasn't too thrilled. Not that he thinks anything bad will happen. His response to going to there on a missions trip was, "Why not just go help rebuild a Katrina house in New Orleans if that is the kind of thing you into?", or something like that. To me, that is the kind of attitude that keeps people securely on the ground next to the mountain and viewing it from there, rather than strapping the climbing gear on and tackling the challenge. I'm not content to just go through life ignoring the God-given opportunities and "surviving". I don't want to survive, I want to thrive!

This gave me a little poke tonight that reminded me that a God-call is a sending call. God doesn't call us to just hold down the fort till Jesus comes back, but to be soldiers of Christ that advance on the powers of hell with the Gospel of Christ, seeing the captive sinner freed. He calls us to be faith-walkers. He calls us to be holy risk-takers, like Jonathan, Saul's son who defeated the Philistines with simply his armor-bearer at his side. His only thought? "Perhaps God will move!"

I am reminded of something Pastor Mark Batterson of NCC in Washington DC said: at the end of our lives, it won't be the things we did, but wish we hadn't done that we'll regret. It will be the things we felt called to do, but never did, that will haunt us. I don't want to get to the end of my life when it's too late and have any "what if's". This trip is one of those things that I know I would regret not doing till I die should I stay home for those few days.

So, don't let anything stop you from that thing you feel God is calling you to do. Let loose, and do it with all your heart, mind and soul!

God bless!

Beaches, Parking Lots, And Box Breaking

2007-02-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

Since moving here to Florida, one of the simple pleasures my family and I have come to enjoy is an afternoon on the beach. The kids had never been to a real beach before, whether back home in Michigan on the Great Lakes, or an ocean beach. So, one thing I personally looked forward to upon our relocation down here was occasional beach trips. And there is such wonder in the eyes of kids who get to take in the greatness of the ocean. Even after seeing it a few times, they still get excited about heading to the Gulf of Mexico and splashing around the surf. Hey, I can’t blame them, I think it’s pretty cool myself, and I’m not new to the Gulf, having been here as a child on vacation, splashing in the same water I did some 20+ years before.

Well, Saturday was one of those special days that we took a family trip to Clearwater. And once we got parked and changed, we had a great time. The only downer was that I think we spent more time searching for a spot to park the van than we did actually hanging out on the beach! Man, if I learned anything from this trip, it was to be out of the house about sun-up so we don’t have to fight for a parking space. Everyone and the dog happened to be at that beach. Every lot we sawed was closed due to being full. And just when we saw the car ahead of us pulling into a lot, the parking attendants quickly put the sign back out saying that the lot was full again. Right in front of us! It was like being in a sit-com.

I have to admit, I was getting annoyed with all those parking attendants. Even when there were obviously open spaces in the lot they patrolled, they still wouldn’t let us in. They just waved us on. But tonight, as I thought more about the people working the lots, I realized something. These folks are regular people just like me. There isn’t really anything unusual about them. But they have something I don’t. They have the authority of the Clearwater Police backing them up. They have the authority to close off lots and wave us by. They are simply using the authority and power that has been entrusted to them.

We too as Christians have an authority backing us up. We’re just regular folks like those in the world that don’t know the Lord Jesus. By ourselves, we don’t have much to offer. But our power comes from who we have residing in our hearts. We have the Spirit of God Himself in us.

All day long, I have been reading and meditating on a portion of Scripture in the book of Ephesians. It is in the third chapter. Here it is from the NLT:

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.” (vs. 14-16)

The context behind these verses is that these non-Jewish Ephesian Christians had just as much of God’s favor as the Jewish Christians did. Many of the Jews back then, even those that had placed their faith in Jesus, felt that God looked down on non-Jewish people, who they called Gentiles. Yet, the Apostle Paul had been given the privilege to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and he was letting them in the city of Ephesus know that God doesn’t play favorites. He loves Jew and Gentile alike. And so because of that fact, he was telling them that the same resources that the Jewish believers had, and the apostles had, they too had. They had God’s unlimited resources backing them up.

I don’t know about you, but for me to think of God empowering me with heavenly resources via his Spirit, the possibilities suddenly seem endless. The roof has been blown off, so to speak. There is no limit to what God can and will do through us who love him. He is able to give us greater knowledge of Himself and His love, as the chapter continues to say. He is able to give us the strength we need to make a splash for him in this world. He wants to use us for things that we can’t even begin to imagine. I like what the 20^th verse of Ephesians 3 says: “Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” On my most creative day, I can’t even scratch the surface of God’s power working through me. God is so much bigger than me and my little imagination.

Friends, imagine what God could do through us if we could only grab ahold of this truth. Be encouraged today to let God break out of the box that we all tend to put Him in. Avail yourselves of the unlimited resources in Christ!

God bless!

It's A New Season!

2007-02-10T21:03:00.000-05:00

Hey, folks! I decided to make some changes here at the blog. Gone is the MPSoundingboard, really, since MP means Michigan Preacher, and I am in Florida now. I decided on the title Itch's Desk because Jr. Itch is a screename of mine on a message board I post on. I just thought it worked good.

Anyway, things are going good here in Lakeland. I am working and assisting in the church however I can. God is blessing us!

Keep tuned in to Itch's Desk. The name may have changed, but that is about all!

God bless!

An Active Silence

2007-01-23T13:30:00.000-05:00

A couple days ago, I had one of those days. The kind when the kids are screaming, running, and beating each other up, all while the baby is screaming and dinner is burning. You know, the kind of day that gives you flashbacks to that old Calgon commercial slogan, "Calgon, take me away!" Yup, that was where I was at. I had taken all I could. I had a migraine developing, and the kids didn't let up. Times like that, I wish I could have a life "pause" button, so I could just push it and get a few moments of respite. Unfortunately, life has no such button.

I like silence in times like that. But, there is another type of silence that I can't really say that I enjoy. It's God's silence. As much as he loves us, there are times that he remains silent. Those times when it seems that prayer is hitting the ceiling and bouncing back at you like a superball. Those times when the storms seem to be ever-increasing in their rage, yet the Lord is seemingly asleep in the stern of the boat.

David felt like that. In fact, he penned these words in the 22nd Psalm during his own time of silence that he endured: "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" David had lived for many years as a fugitive on the run from King Saul. David hadn't committed any crime to warrant such treatment. He was the target of an extremely jealous, unstable king. Saul knew that David had been called by God to replace him on Israel's throne. And, he resented him for that. So, David was on the run most of the time.

I can see how those times can get to you. They can make you think and believe things that really aren't true. Those times, and I have experienced them, can cause us to feel that even God has abandoned us. We get angry with him. "Can't you see what I am going through, Lord!?" has escaped my lips more than a few times, I must admit.

This verse from the Psalms was also spoken out by Jesus, as he hung on the cross, beaten to a pulp, resembling raw hamburger on a stick. Having the sin of the world hung on him, as he hung there dying, he cried out to his Father in heaven, "Why have you forsaken me?"

Of Course, Jesus knew why he was there on that cross. Yet, even while dong God's will, it can get lonely, can't it?

That brings me to my main point today. I have been thinking a lot about Jesus' trip into Jericho. He healed a blind man on the trip in, but once in the city, the Bible doesn't mention any miracles. Crowds followed him, yet he didn't heal anybody. We don't read of any demons being cast out. No dead people being raised. It would almost seem a wasted trip if it weren't for one event that day in the city. The salvation of Zacchaeus.

Here was a man who was despised by the Jewish folks of the day. He was considered a traitor, working for the hated Romans as a tax collector. He would rip off the people and force them to give more money than they were supposed to. He got rich on the backs of his fellow Jews. Not the nicest guy on the block.

Yet, something in him must have sparked when he heard that Jesus was in town. Maybe he heard of the miracles. Perhaps word had reached his ears ahead of Jesus of the blind beggar healed just outside of town. Whatever got Zac's attention, he decided he wanted to see this Jesus for himself.

So, he climbed in a tree, seeing he was rather short, so he could catch a glimpse over the crowd. And as the Lord walked by, he looked up, called Zacchaeus out, and the rest is history. He got saved, and showed it by his actions of restitution to those he had so shamelessly fleeced.

What would appear to be a just a casual, ordinary stroll through the town square was anything but. The heavens were moved that day more than any dead person being raised or sick person being healed. Salvation came to someone, and nobody saw it. That's what can happen in the "silent" times, when God doesn't seem to be working on our behalf. If we could just step back and get the mind of Christ in our trying times, we would understand that "all things work together for good for them that love God, to the called according to his purpose" Romans 8:28.

Friends, don't despise God's silence. If you truly love him, and seek him, he is with you. Keep your eyes on his Kingdom, and his Righteousness, and even when he doesn't let on that he is working, just know that he is. If God is for you, who then can be against you?

God bless!

Greetings From Florida!

2007-01-17T12:11:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Just a quick hello from the bright sunlit Central Florida. This is now my new home. We have been here in Lakeland for a couple weeks now, and we are getting used to it. We love it here.

Anyway, I am without internet access at home right now, so, I am restricted on blogging for a while. I am using the college pastor's office PC to write this. I am going through writer's withdrawal! Anyway, be praying for us friends! God bless!

Everybody Needs a Little Jolt

2006-12-17T22:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, it sure has been a long "blog hiatus", hasn't it? I sincerely apologize for this. It has been 1 month since my last entry. There is good reason for this, though. Things have really been kicking in our house as we are preparing for a big move, and a step into God's will for us. More on that later though, I have something write about right now.

Last Thursday, my wife and I found ourselves in the Southwest Airlines terminal at Detroit Metro Airport, waiting for our evening flight to Baltimore, and our final destination of Orlando, FL. We were going there to meet with the principal of a Christian school where my wife will be teaching this winter. But, as we got settled in the terminal, I could feel the long day beginning to catch up with me. I couldn't help but notice the Starbucks mini-coffee shop, and so, I made my way over there and ordered myself a Tall (medium for you fellow Americans) regular coffee. As I was waiting, I decided to try something new: I asked for a shot of espresso in the coffee. The friendly folks behind the counter happily obliged me, and I walked off after paying with my now turbo-charged coffee. I tasted it as I walked away. Not bad, a little stronger tasting than regular Starbucks, but not so strong I couldn't take it. At the gate with my wife, I finished the coffee, and too soon the effects of that little shot of espresso were all to evident. I was suddenly wide awake, and quite wired!

You see, that's what espresso is supposed to do. It gives an ordinary cup of Joe a kickstart. It's kind of an octane boost for coffee. I think that in our relationship with Christ, there are moments when we need a "spiritual espresso shot". We spend time in prayer and in study, worshipping the Lord. We go to church, and if we aren't careful, it will become more routine than relationship. Sometimes, we need to do something to snap ourselves out of our rut we get into at times.

So, what is a spiritual shot of espresso? To me, it is getting out of our comfort zone and deciding to become radical in our relationship with Jesus. It's realizing that there is more to life than simply sitting inside our little box and hoping that all goes well for us. I think there are times that we just have to get off our behinds and take a chance on God. Take a step of faith. Whether that step takes you to the street corner, the coworker, or Africa. Let's get out of the house and talk to the neighbors about Christ. The risk is you may get rejected and mocked, or you may see them saved. But either way, you stepped out of the boat and dared to walk on water. Hey, we all have ragged on Peter for sinking that night, but how many of us can say we walked on water, even a step or 2? What's that sound I hear, crickets chirping? That's what I thought. Peter sank, but at least he got out if the boat.

I like the story of Saul's son Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14. In that particular account, as Saul and his army sat around hoping for another confirmation from God of something they already knew to do, Jonathan and his armor-bearer did something so crazy, it would have been labeled suicidal today. They decided to attack the entire Philstine army by themselves, just the 2 of them. Jonathan's only thought? "Perhaps the Lord will work for us". Jonathan didn't get word from the prophet. He wasn't commanded to do it. He simply said, "let's just see what God does!". The result? God did a mighty miracle that day, all because someone decided to order that shot of espresso in their spiritual coffee.

This is just a simple thought that has been in my heart for a few days. I pray that it blesses and challenges you out there to live a turbo-charged life for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I'll post more about in the coming days about our coming move to Florida.

God bless!

The Non-Trivial Pursuit

2006-11-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

We chase after a lot of things in life, don’t we? Somehow, we humans seem to have a need for pursuit hard-wired into our genetic make-up. I pursued my wife. I got her phone number years ago, called her, and started the dating process. It must’ve worked, because we’ve been married for 8 ½ years now. I pursued the approval of peers in school. It was crucial to “fit in”, to know that I was accepted at all costs.

Now that I’m older, one thing I’ve written about recently is my health. I am pursuing better health. I am chasing after more strength. I am doing what I can to lose some much needed pounds from my midsection. This is a very necessary pursuit as I age my way through the 30’s, and one I need to stay focused on. That is one pursuit that is very easy to end.

But, these past few days have seen a different kind of pursuit. I’m not after this with this kind of zeal, but many are. It’s the pursuit of the Playstation 3. I have seen local news stories on TV all week about people literally camping out in front of Best Buy in tents to be the first in line to get their hands on one of these puppies. People are lined up at these electronics stores by the hundreds to get their hands on these and most stores will only get a few dozen in!

Now, I love video games. I am a child of the 80’s, and I grew up on Atari 2600 and the original Nintendo game system. I know Pitfall, River Raid, Super Mario and Donkey Kong. Even now, an Xbox sits in my entertainment center. And from what I’ve heard, this new system from Sony is absolutely amazing. But, is it worth camping all week in the rain for? Is it worth shelling out $600 for? I say wait a year and get it for half that. Not these brave, and may I say, crazy souls. I even heard today that one man was shot in the line for a machine at a Wal-mart because he refused to give up his cash (sad, and I pray for that man). Another was offered $3500 cash for his spot in line, and refused it! Yet again, I saw one on Ebay already. Want to hear the starting bid? Take your heart pills first. $25,000! Talk about a trivial pursuit! It’s not just a board game, friends.

People are creatures of pursuit, and we will pay dearly for it, whether that’s a game console or the thrill of free-falling at 5,000 feet. And, I believe that we as God’s creation were made this way by Him. He didn’t want to make a bunch of robots. He wanted people that would choose to love him. But that means we also have a million other choices besides God. Yes, I’m sure it pains God to know that people he created to love and enjoy Him forever ignore His goodness and chase after stuff that won’t last. But that is just how much He loves us. He loves us enough to let us choose to love Him.

I think of my own kids love for me. There are times I pick them up and hold them, demanding hug or a kiss, them in protest the whole time (Hey, the TV is more appealing them, you know!). Finally, out of frustration, they give me the hug and the kiss, and happily return to the tube, or the toy, or whatever. Then there’s the times that they seek me out, and climb in my lap, and give me hugs and kisses. The times they come just to tell me that they love me. You know, I’ll take the enforced hugs and “I love you’s”, but I rather have those that they freely give me. When they want to seek me out and tell me that they love me. Friend, if we feel that way about our kids, how much more does our heavenly Father about us?

This makes me think of one of my favorite verses: “…but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Phil. 3:12b. I love this verse because of speaks of the only pursuit with eternal value and blessings. It speaks of our pursuit of God, of knowing him intimately. I’m not just talking about theological knowledge. I mean a real relationship with God Almighty. We need to get our drive for pursuit going the right way. This is what that drive is about.

I don’t want to trivialize every other thing we go after. I wouldn’t have a wife or family if I hadn’t pursued my wife. I wouldn’t have a house if I hadn’t pursued a home. I wouldn’t have a job if I didn’t pursue employment. But the most crucial chase one can engage in is the one most neglected. Friends, it’s time to chase down God.

By the way, did you know that he is on a pursuit himself? But, tune in next time for that one!

God bless!

Here I Go Again!

2006-11-13T15:07:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm at again. I once again decided that I need to start taking better care of myself. I need to get back in shape, and tone up. I started last week, and so far I've stuck with it. I decided to try a combination of things to get myself into optimal health. I am doing a cardiovascular workout of Cardio-kickboxing. I did this years ago, and it really works wonders. You can burn up to 800 calories per hour!

I also have been doing research on isometric exercise as a means of toning up. Basically, one isolates the muscle at the point where it is worked out the most. In the case of a push-up or bench press, that would be with the arms almost fully extended at shoulder level. So holding a push-up that point does it, as well as putting your palms together at shoulder level and pushing against the other hand as hard as possible for at least 7-10 seconds. The result? In 7-10 seconds you have done the work of a set, isolating the muscle. It also reduces the chances of injury. There are no weights to lift up, no back to hurt, etc. You know, so far, I have the "workout soreness" that follows a really good workout. And so far, I am feeling better.
I addition to the exercise, I am also trying to eat better. You know the saying, "garbage in, garbage out". So, I'm cutting down on the snacks and junk like chips and such. I'm trying to get more protein, and good carbs. I'm trying to eat more vegetables like carrots and broccoli, and also peppers. I do feel better!

This of course is a reminder to me personally that as important that my physical health is, especially that I'm getting a bit older, my spiritual health is much more important. And, just as we have to decide to start getting the needed exercise, so we have to decide to keep our spirits in shape too. We need to take the time to pray, not just prayers, but to live our lives in communion with Christ. To "keep the lines open". How do we do that? Worship is one way. The Bible says that we should "sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord" (Eph. 5:19).
We tune up our spirits in prayer. I think prayer is summed up nicely in one particular verse: "Keep on praying" (1 Thess. 5:17). Now that doesn't mean to live on ours knees, but it does mean that we need to keep an attitude of prayer. It's keeping the line open.

We keep in top spiritual shape by reading God's word. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

And finally, I'll stop here. We keep in spiritual shape by giving. God is a giver. Just read the most well known verse of the entire Bible, John 3:16- "For God so loved...that he gave...". Just read this passage from 2 Corinthians 9- "And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, 'Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.' For God is the one who gives seed to the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will give you many opportunities to do good, and he will produce a great harvest of generosity in you. Yes, you will be enriched so that you can give even more generously. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will break out in thanksgiving to God." (vs. 8-11, bold emphasis mine)

Giving doesn't just have to be about money, either. Don't get me wrong, the Bible tells us to honor God with our money (Prov. 3:9-10), but we need to honor him with all areas that we can give from. Like our time, and our talents. When you learn to give, and let God work that giving heart in you, you will come away blessed many times over in every area of life.
So, here's to good health, both spiritually and physically. God bless!

Timmy's 3!

2006-11-02T14:50:00.000-05:00

Hey, all, well, it's hard to believe that my son Timmy is now 3 years old! It seems like just days ago that he was born. I remember the day vividly. It was Sunday, November 2, 2003. Our church's first service in our new building, and we weren't present because we were delivering Timmy. He now runs all over that building like he owns the place.

We are constantly learning new things as a result of having Timmy. Most readers know that we have 2 older girls, 7 and almost 5. But, as I guess I should know, boys are different. After all, I am one! Just yesterday, my dear wife was wondering why Timmy loves to seemingly painfully throw himself around the place, jumping, purposely falling, and sliding around. He seems play much rougher than our girls do. My only answer: he's a boy. We're different than you girls. Look, I've done my share of crazy boy stuff too. (Don't be too shocked if you read this, Mom!) As I mentioned in past blog entries, I once made a makeshift hanglider out of scrap wood and garbage bags, and tried gliding off the shed. Word to the wise: it doesn't work. I did my share of "smear the queer" style football, full-contact basketball, and attempting to invent "skateboard hockey". My brother and I would string our bedsheets across our room from one dresser to another and practice "diving over the line" with a football into the bed "endzone". So, yes, my wife can expect Timmy to venture off into much more physical play as he gets older (I really pray he doesn't try the hangliding thing!) Hey, at least we'll have a heads up for when Jayden starts getting mobile!

So, to Timmy, I love you buddy! I hope you have a great birthday today. Now go play nicely with your sisters!

Chasing Lions (My First Book Review)

2006-11-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

*This is my first ever book review. I have no idea how it should be done. I pray that this review makes you want to click the book title and buy up a copy on Amazon!

I've read a lot of books. I've read a lot of good authors. People like C.S. Lewis, Max Lucado, and John Piper. I have one more author to add to my list-Mark Batterson. Mark is the Lead Pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C., a church that is innovative even down to its multiple locations it meets at. The book Pastor Mark has recently written, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, is as unique a book as its somewhat odd title would lead you to believe. Taking an obscure story from 2 Samuel 23 about one of David's mighty men, who dared to chase down a lion and kill it in a pit all while in the snow, he begins to encourage us that there is a lion-chaser somewhere in all of us.

Now, chasing a lion is crazy. The first reaction to seeing a lion in its territory is one of flight. But Mark's point: a lion-chaser is a different kind of person. It's the person who realizes that life's biggest problems are all too often hidden opportunities from God.

Citing personal times of lion-chasing, and the experiences of friends and church members, Pastor Mark skillfully lights a fire that makes you want to take a risk for God, and his purposes. He encourages us to find our natural weirdness. To think outside the box.

This book is for preacher and parishioner alike. Everyone has a calling. Everyone Christian is a minister. And, in the end, the things you'll most regret in life are the lions you never chased, the chances you never took, the opportunities you passed up on.

So what are you waiting for? Chase that lion!

One Slimy Job!

2006-10-31T09:01:00.000-05:00

Last night, I spent some time outside on the deck with my kids, cleaning out a pumpkin. Of course, during this time of the year, that isn’t an uncommon sight. But, since we don’t do the whole trick or treat, and jack-o-lantern on the porch thing, one might wonder why I would be out there scooping out the biggest pumpkin I could find at the grocery store. In what has become kind of a little tradition for our family, we buy a pumpkin to get the seeds. What a tasty snack! I love roasted pumpkin seeds, and so do my kids.

There is one thing I really hate about gutting a pumpkin and separating out hundreds and hundreds of seeds, though. I hate the slimy, gooey orange gunk. It smells funny, and with the eczema I deal with starting every fall, it dries out my hands and irritates the skin. Plus, as much as I love those little seeds, when they are slime-coated, it’s like trying to grab a bar of wet soap. Seed-harvesting is no small task!

As I sat there hand-picking the seeds with my kids, the girls using spoons to keep free of the slime (once a girl, always a girl!), I got to thinking about how messy our lives can be. When I look at my life, and I see where I fall short, and the mistakes I’ve made, and the attitudes I try hard to ward off, it seems that God really has his work cut out for him. It seems that the slime just never ends. Thank God he isn’t afraid to go where it smells bad. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty to bring me of out the gunk. And, I rejoice, because in the midst of all that slime, there are precious seeds of blessing that God is harvesting. It reminds me of one of my favorite verses in the Bible:

“And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” Philippians 1:6

That is an immensely encouraging message for me. I know my shortcomings. I’m painfully aware of my sin. I see the areas of struggle in my life. God knows all that, too. What’s so amazing is that even though he sees everything I do, knows every thought, and hears every word, he still loves me. He cares. And he digs through the slime of my life, and tosses it aside, leaving his nature in me.

So be encouraged, friends. God is working, and he promised to see the construction job through till the end. We are works in progress, but one day, when we finally see the Jesus face to face, we will be completed works or Christ’s righteousness.

God bless!

Powerful Video

2006-10-30T08:04:00.000-05:00

Good morning, all. I decided to post a video today that I saw this weekend. It is by the band Casting Crowns, and the song is called "Does Anybody Hear Her?" This video a reminder to what we Christians are to do as the Body of Christ.

Unlikely Heros

2006-10-26T08:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my wife brought home a movie that she thought I'd get a kick out of, Napoleon Dynamite. I have to say, this movie brought back memories of my own time in high school. I appears to take place in the same era, the early to mid 90's. I gathered that from the hair and clothing styles. Also, I got a good laugh out of the cheesy saying of the geeky main character, Napoleon, because I remember people talking like that. Plus, you have to dig his moon boots!

The movie is about a few people that are the "invisble" types in school, those that the "cool kids" love to hate and pick on, coming together to do something that defies everyone's expectations. In this case, with the help of his shy friend Deb, they get his new friend Pedro elected as class president (Hence, the "Vote for Pedro" T-shirts seen from time to time).

Upon reflection this morning, the theme that emerges out of this movie is that the peole that seem the least likely to make a splash end up making the biggest splash. I think that God works in a similar way. He takes takes those that the world would consider foolish and weak, and uses them to put the world's perceived wisdom and strength to shame. That's why a young teenaged shepherd boy named David became a giant killer, and eventually a king. That's why a man called Gideon who thought that he was the weakest guy in his family really became a mighty warrior. That's how poor, everyday fisherman became apostles of Christ and mighty preachers of the Gospel. God takes the weak, and through Jesus Christ, makes them strong. Even the Jewish leaders that questioned Peter and John that day had to admit that there was something radically different about these men. Where they saw fear in them after Jesus was taken and killed, now they saw boldness.

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." Acts 4:13

Listen friends. There is a giant killer waiting in the wings of your weakness. You may feel that you are just watching sheep, but God is preparing you for greater things. Go with his flow. He is using everything you encounter in life to mold you into the person he's created you to be-for his glory. Remember Romans 8:28- "All things work together for good to those that love God, to the called according to his purpose." And look at the honor role of people that God used:

Jacob- an lying con man turned prince of God
Joseph- hated by his brothers, enslaved, imprisoned, exalted to leadership
Moses- from a prince to a shepherd to the deliverer of his people
Gideon- the least in his family, which was the weakest of the tribe of Manasseh, yet a mighty man of valor
David- shepherd boy, youngest son, yet a lion, bear, and giant killer, and a king

This list could go on and on and on!

God is in the business of making unlikely heros!

Guess what? That includes you!

God bless!

Imitating God

2006-10-20T12:57:00.000-04:00

Last year, I had been faced with a strong case of the flu. Body aches, a runny nose, and a fever. Oh, the misery! If there is anything my wife can’t take, it’s me sick. I can’t be sick silently. I share it with the world.

“My head hurts!” “No screaming, kids!” “Where’s the Tylenol?”

It annoys her to no end. When she gets sick, she refuses to get near me. I don’t think that she is really concerned that I stay well. Really, I wonder if she just doesn’t want to take care of another “kid” for a few days. I can’t blame her. I’m a bad sick person!

Well, toward the end of my flu bout, when the headache was subsiding and the aches and pains were finally over, I found myself with energy I hadn’t had in days. Plus, I had done nothing but sleep. But, there was a problem with the energy boost. As thrilled as I was to have some strength back, the timing was odd. It was about 3 AM when I noticed it! I was wide awake and rested. Oh well, may as well do something.

So, I got up. I walked into the living room, and saw what my poor wife had to contend with while my rear was out of gear. It’s hard keeping up on the house when both of us are on it, with 3 out of 4 kids mobile. I know how it is when she is out of commission. So, I did something that thrilled her socks off. I took my newly acquired energy, and cleaned the house. I straightened up the living room. I loaded the dishwasher, and started it. I swept the floor. I think I may have even mopped the kitchen! I was a cleaning fool. And after about an hour, I had it looking nice, and was feeling tired again, so, off to bed I went.

You should have seen the look on her face that morning when she got up. It was like the cleaning fairy had come while we were all asleep and cleaned house. She was in heaven! And, I might add, quite happy that her man decided to just do something to make the place nicer, and take a load off of her back. Can you say “brownie points”?

Sometimes I wonder if God feels that way when we do things to advance his Kingdom. Does he rejoice when we see that homeless guy on the exit ramp and joyfully help him out? Does it make him happy when his children reach out to the hungry with a meal and a kind word? I don’t think I’d be stretching the bounds of my authority if I said that God loves to see his children imitating him. In fact, I can pin scripture down on it:

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

God is pleased when he sees us do what his only begotten Son did-sacrifice. You see, it cost God to save us. It cost Jesus Christ. And he longs to see the love and attitude of Christ displayed in us as we grow in our faith. And following Christ means lives of sacrifice. Sacrifice doesn’t necessarily mean that we are laying down our lives, though that certainly fits the description. Every time we look beyond our own comfort, and look beyond our desires to see the needs of those around us, we sacrifice. For Jesus, since he is God, it was leaving the glories of heaven, his majestic throne, and service from myriads of angels to take on a human body, and be born in a smelly stable. It was a sacrifice for him just to grace us with his presence, though we didn’t recognize him. It was love that motivated God the Father to send his only begotten Son into this sin-infested world and die the most brutal death, and bleed on that cross. It was Christ’s love for us that held him on that cross. Sacrifice. It’ll cost something.

What are some ways that you can look beyond yourself to see the need of your neighbor today? In what ways can you splash some of God’s love around on those who need him? That’s what Jesus meant when he said to “take up our cross”. The imagery to the first century Jew or Roman was clear. The cross was a form of the death penalty. To us, the cross is a religious symbol above the baptistery at church. It’s a piece of jewelry on a necklace. Not then. It represented death; death to our own human wills; death to our selfish ambitions and comforts.

So, what has to die so you can be a Christ-imitator to your neighbor?

God bless!

Revisiting Spiritual Bungee Jumping

2006-10-16T09:35:00.000-04:00

Hey, all, I just wanted to take some time today and expound a little bit on just what taking risks means to me. I read the comments on my entry from Friday, and I am thankful for the words of encouragement, and Roughrider's "permission". But, I know that some reading the blog from Friday can come away with some concern, and I felt that it is approriate to take some time and dive a bit deeper into what it is I am talking about.

When I talk about taking risks for the Lord, I am not talking unwise or foolish risks. Scripture gives me a mandate to make sure that my family is provided for. So, if God is calling me (hypothetically) to a certain area of the country out of driving distance from my current home, I would do the obvious stuff like land a job and find a home first. Once in that area and established in work and home, then we would work on the ministry calling. Though God calls us to step out in faith, I don't think he wants us to lay God-given wisdom aside. My first and most important ministry is to my wife and children. In fact, the Bible says that to neglect my family makes me worse than an infidel, or an unbeliever. So, I must first consider my family.

So, what would be a "spiritual bungee jump" for me? It would be stepping out to start a ministry, such as a church in the Detroit area, as I do feel called to do. What make it so risky? To me, what makes it risky isn't really a money issue. I wouldn't be required to quit my job to do it. Such an undertaking is done usually with support from a local church that "mothers" a new church till it can stand on its own 2 feet. The risk for me is in the fear of failing. What if that new church falls flat? What if no one comes? What if no one supports it? If it does fail, will I be looked upon by those who supported it as incompetent?

When the apostle Paul arrived in the city of Corinth, it was a fearful time for him. That city had an "anything goes" feel to it that eventually infiltrated the church (just read 1 Cor. 5!). Paul himself said that when he came to that city, it was in "weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling" (see 1 Cor. 2:3). But, he faced that weakness and fear head-on and saw a great church eventually come together. But something to consider that is pure wisdom for potential church-planters is that Paul didn't go it alone. He had people that traveled with him, like Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Luke, who wrote the book of Acts. Though some have successfully done it, I don't think it's wise to launch something like a church without people coming alongside to help it out. We can be wise in our risks.

Anyway, I just wanted to add some more clarity to Friday's post. God bless!

Spiritual Bungee Jumping

2006-10-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot lately on being a risk-taker. It seems everything from books to sermons, taking risks for the Kingdom of God has been on the brain. I have been confronted in the past 2 weeks by Pastor Mark Batterson's new book, not even released yet, about taking risks. (You can read the first few pages of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day here.) Whether it was Moses stepping out and commanding Pharoah to let his people go, or Jonathan and his armor-bearer taking on the Philistines themselves, I've been confronted in my own spirit about being a risk-taker, being entrepreneurial for Jesus. Now, I don't mean becoming a business owner, but stepping out, sticking my neck out and taking a chance in what I feel God is calling me and my family to do. Frankly, it's scary.

Why is it so scary? As a kid, did I think twice about climbing ladders and hanging out on the roof with my dad as he did work up there? Nope. Did I stop to consider the consequences shed-jumping? Please! I even once tried to make a hang-glider out of some of dad's scrap wood and a garbage bag! Not only did I frame a rough glider, I climbed to the top of the 10 or 12 foot peak on the shed and jumped, thinking that I actually could glide. Instead, I fell like a rock. I mean, those endeavors included the possibility of serious injury, even death, but I didn't think twice about it!

Taking risks for the Lord for me means that I am safe from hanging gliding, skydiving and bungee jumping. But it does means risking total failure. It means I may possibly look bad to other people. For years, I have not only dreamed about starting a church, but I truly feel that God wants me to do it. But, truthfully, a fear rises up in me every time I decide to step out and do it. It becomes easier for me to simply wait for a church that is in operation already to come open, and become their pastor. It seems safer. But God doesn't necessarily lead us down a path of total safety. Remember, David wrote in the 23rd Psalm that God lead him into the valley of the shadow of death. That doesn't sound so safe and comfortable to me. But as long as God was leading him, he had the all comfort he needed. In fact, God has a habit of leading his people into situations that are less than ideal. Just ask Gideon, whose big army got reduced to 300 men by God himself. Or Elijah, who God sent to get in the face of one the most wicked kings in Israel's history, Ahab, and pronounce judgment that was really the king's doing.

So, here I am, once again at a crossroads. Will I step out and take that plunge of faith that I feel God is telling me too, or will I continue to weasel out of it, hoping that something "easier" pops up? You know, taking risks for God shouldn't be difficult for me. It isn't like I haven't done it before. Just the fact that this blog is here and has been for more than a year now is proof that I have taken the risk of being ridiculed, thinking that some may take one read of my stuff, and dismiss me as a literary wannabe. But, God has been faithful, and many have been touched by what God has led me to write. So, just a note to myself, taking risks for me is not an unprecedented thing.

This post may be more for myself today than anyone else. Sometimes, I just need a swift kick in the butt to remind myself of what I am truly called to do. But, just as the foreign languages that the 120 disciples miraculously spoke on the day of Pentecost served to preach the Gospel to the people visiting town for the feast of Pentecost, so this writing is hopefully going to be a blessing to someone else today, not just me.

Well, as the great Porky the Pig said, That's all folks! God bless!

How's Your Resume?

2006-10-11T12:15:00.000-04:00

Today, as I opened up my email, I was greeted by one of those job-seeking website emails that I subscribe to. The third position down happened to be with a former employer of mine. It's a great place to work, and the job was right up my wife's alley, so I called her and told her about it. She immediately began to refine her resume, and wanted my input. I am not resume expert, as a glance at my own will reveal. But, I did a little research, and found a website that specializes in helping us common folk write killer resumes. I found out something so obvious, yet it hit me like a 2 x 4 in a tornado. A resume is really an advertisement for potential employer to see. It's like a commercial in printed form. So, to get that coveted interview, it is vital to put your best foot forward, and really sell yourself in a way that captures the prospective employer's attention in the first few seconds. This first impression can make all the difference in the world. How does one do that? The site I visited suggested focusing on the employer's needs, and using power words such as "extraordinary", "highly qualified", and such. It's about making the recruiter want to read more.

If you think about it, as born-again believers in Jesus Christ, our lives are a kind of "resume for Jesus". When people watch us, and interact with us, what they observe can either make or break our Christian testimony. People judge the greatness of the Savior by those who follow him. That's why it's vital to live our lives in front of people in a godly manner. They need to see love demonstrated. They need to see patience displayed. They need to see a changed life that is in the world, but not influenced by the world. What good is Jesus to a lost sinner if the the Christian who follows him is seen as no different?

Paul the Apostle understood that his life was to be a "resume for Jesus". He took that truth seriously, and that's why he was able to tell the Corinthian Christians to "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1 NIV). He wasn't living his life in such a way as to lead people into sin. That doesn't mean that we are living in sinless perfection, but that we aim to be like Christ Jesus in all that we do.

Not only did Paul have such expectations for his own life, but he expected those under his apostolic authority to be "resumes" as well. In 2 Cor. 3, he essentially told the same people he had to rebuke sharply that they were "living letters" of not only Christ and the Gospel, but of Paul and his ministry. Their lives were now showing the changes that made them more Christ-like, giving more validity to Paul's message, and his standing as Christ's chosen apostle to the non-Jewish people.

In these past few weeks, I have really been focused on what it means to be a "missional-minded", or an outward-focused Christian. Our task is not to shut ourselves away and hold out till the rapture of the Church, but to hit the harvest fields of people needing Christ and win them to him. Jesus said that we are like that city on a hill, whose lights are visible in the darkness. In the dark world that we live in, we shine our light in the way we live our lives.

"...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Mat. 5:16 NIV)

So, shine that love that God has poured into you. Shine that mercy, that compassion, that joy that endures even the hardest trials life throws at you. When the lost people of this world begin to see that there is something different in you, they are sure to ask and, maybe, just maybe, you'll harvest that soul and see them come to Christ and become a "resume for Jesus", too!

I'm off to work on my resume!

No Gas Equals Forced Exercise?

2006-10-03T12:39:00.000-04:00

This morning it finally happened. I can honestly say that it has never happened to me, at least I can't remember it ever happening. I ran out of gas. First, I must give you all the pertinent information, so you will have a clear picture of what brought me to this point. I drive an older car, a 1992 Ford Crown Victoria. Great car, it has gotten me from point A to point B for a few years now. But the electronic gas gauage is broken. It tells me the miles till empty, which can literally read a full tank with only five or ten gallons in the tank. Or, it can read near empty with a good amount of gas. The gallons left feature is just as unreliable. Anyway, it read over 132 miles till empty, then dipped to 34. Then I ran out! I managed to get a good way to work, but still a half mile from the nearest station. So, I called my wife and told her to be ready to come with the lawn mower gas can. Then I decided to walk back to that station, and I had to buy a small gas can, plus $2 in gas. Then I walked back to the car, over a mile, total walking distance! I emptied the gas in the car, and it started up. All's well that ends well. My wife didn't have to drive the nearly 20 miles to help me out.

But, as you can tell from my title today, it forced me to get some exercise. Now, we all know that exercise is a good thing, but it takes determination and a will set like flint to make it a regular discipline. That's the hard part for me. Yet, funny how our circumstances can force us to take action. For me, it was an empty tank of gas. For others, it might me a threat of diabetes, or heart problems. But, someday, sometime, trouble will rear it's ugly head, and when it does, it pays to be in good shape. Today, I found out the hard way that I am not.

We do the same thing spiritually, don't we? We often let our spiritual tanks run dry. How often do we neglect our relationship with the Lord, neglect reading his Word, the Bible? How often do we neglect spending time with Him in prayer? We don't spend time in worship personally. We allow spiritual laziness to set in, and it dulls our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. There will be crisis times in our lives, and in the lives of those around us who may need our prayers, but we often are so stopped up with the cares of this life and our own stuff that we can't hear the still, small voice of God calling us to pray for people in what is called a kairos moment. Kairos is a Greek word from the New Testament meaning "an opportune or seasonable time". This is different than the other Greek word for time, chronos, which simply refers to chronological time. There are times when I sense that God is calling me to special moments of prayer. Maybe to pray for someone in particular, or for several people. Sometimes, I don't even know what I am praying about! But God calls us to these times. That is why it is so urgent to "not run out of gas" spiritually. We need to be shaped up for the task at hand.

So, are you low on gas today? Take the time to steal away with the Lord and pray. Grab a Bible and read it. Take the Word of God in your spirit. Spend some time in personal worship, just you and the Lord Jesus. You are "filling up the tank" when you do these.

That's it for today. I pray that this has sparked someone into investing more into their relationship with God today. God bless!

What's That in Your Hand?

2006-10-02T14:38:00.000-04:00

*I was inspired by Pastor Darrell Garrett today. Click his name, or the link to the Dawghowse on the right, so you too can read his thought-provoking blog today.

What are some of the names you remember from your childhood Sunday School class? Think back on those old Bible stories to recall some of the people, and their actions, that got them honorable mention in the very Word of God.

How about Moses? Shamgar comes to mind. Gideon. Samson. Jonathan and his armor-bearer. David. The list could go on and on. What is the purpose of listing a bunch names from deep in the pages of the Old Testment? To encourage you, the reader. How? Read on.

Each of these men were just average plain guys. Sure, Moses had once been a prince in Egypt, but after killing a man he fled to the backside of the desert where he got married, and kept his father-in-law's sheep. But he had something beside a call from God. He had a shepherd's staff, the very stick that God used to reveal his wonders to a hardened Pharoah.

Shamgar? Perhaps this is a name that simply blends in with the other judges of Israel with funny names that are hard to pronounce. But his actions are anything but boring. When the enemy Philistines were attacking, Shamgar won a miraculous victory using what he used in his farming career-an ox goad. Nothing but a sharp, long stick to poke lazy oxen with when they stopped, and a flat opposite end to clean off the plow. Yet this simple piece of farming equipment in the hands of a God-inspired man delivered his countrymen from the terror these heartless attackers brought with them. Six hundred Philistines met their maker that day, because one man took a risk and let God use him and whatever was in his hand (see Judges 3).

I don't have the time to write a chapter about it, but there's Gideon's small 300-man army, Samson and the jawbone of a donkey, Jonathan and his armor-bearer against the huge Philistine army, and David and his sling versus Goliath, nine feet of solid warrior. All of these people were used by God, having only the tools of the trade, so to speak. These men stepped out in faith and believed God to move on their behalf, and each saw the miraculous happen. They were Godly risk-takers.

So, what is my point? The Philistines of our day are coming against us. Not a real army, but the forces of sin, ungodly worldviews, perversion, greed, and materialism. Students, regardless of the grade or institution, are being subjected to radical ideas from fringe people that seem to flock to our schools. MTV, Hollywood and the media send messages that are absolutely contrary to Godly morals and Biblical teaching. Am I surprised? No, darkness has always worked against the light. But we have been called by God to shine as lights in a dark place. Newsflash-God wants to use you to make an impact on this world!

So, what's in your hand? God can use you, he can use your talents, giftings, etc., to reach a world that he loved so much, that he sent his only begotten Son to die for. Perhaps you have the gift of gab, like my 4-year old daughter, quite appropriately named Gabbie. Use it. Strike up conversation. Talk to those who need to hear the message. Are you a natural leader? Are people drawn to you? There's your platform, friend. Use that influence to lead them to Christ. Is your area of expertise in song? Then sing to the world about the Savior.

Me? Well, I have a fairly easy time with computers and the 'net, and I love to write. So, for now, this blog is my staff, my ox-goad. May God use it for his glory, and may many come into the light of Jesus Christ.

What it comes down to is being a risk-taker for God. Each of the men I profiled stepped out and took a major step of faith. That isn't easy to do. But, God rewards active faith. Just ask James, who told us in his slice of the Bible that faith without works is dead. In other words, if our faith is alive and kicking, there darn well should be some vital signs. Those signs are actions done out of our faith and love for Christ. And these men didn't have much. Just the everyday tools they used to get by. God still uses yielded hearts and simple tools in our hands.

So how did Pastor Darrell's blog inspire, exactly? Simply put, there is a world out there that needs to hear our message, but we seem to speak the wrong language. God didn't create us to be clones of the countless Christians sitting in pews across America. He made me to be me. He made you to be you. So, take that heart for Christ, and that staff or ox-goad in your hand, whatever form that takes, and reach out to those that God has placed you near.

God bless!

More Missional...

2006-09-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

I just finished reading the biography of the most influential missionary to China, Hudson Taylor. Talk about a man with zeal! He spent most of his adult life there, reaching out to the people of China.

At that time, missionaries did there work in there own westernized style. Taylor, however, was famous for adopting the clothing of the people he was ministering too. He wore native Chinese clothes. He was sensitive the culture of the Chinese people.

Taylor was a man that exemplied what today is called incarnation. Now, we all know about the Incarnation, that is, Jesus Christ becoming human, leaving his heavenly position, with all that glory. He "took on the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man" (Phil. 2:7). Christ identified with us people when he became a man. He knew what it was to be hungry, to be tired, to experience human emotion. He knew what it was like to be impoverished. He knew what it was to experience pain. Finally, he knew what it meant to suffer death. The Bible says that he is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities". He knows what we humans go through.

Jesus also showed us what God is like. He told his disciples that to see and know him is to see and know the Father. Jesus put a face on God that we people could understand. He showed us God's grace, God's mercy. He demonstrated God's love.

That is what Taylor did. That is the whole key to being missional in our faith. Look, every company with a product or service has a mission, right? And they take their products to the people via advertising. We Christians do the same, but we must also be able to identify with the people we are trying to reach. We have to meet them on their plane. In some areas, like an inner-city, that may mean food, clothing and shelter, and a listening ear. Hearing their struggles, being concerned for them. In some towns, it may be in a coffee shop during open mic night.

But just as Christ used his incarnation not just to "feel our pains", but to show us the glory of God in him, so we too must show those around us who Christ is. By coming alongside others to get to know them, we open up a door by which they can begin to see God in us, and that God truly cares for them. We open up a door to demonstrate God's love to them.

As Pentecostal Christians, we believe in being led by the Holy Spirit. Friends, is this not what the Spirit of God empowers us to do? We were baptized in the Spirit not to have great church services, but to be witnesses of Christ. I believe that the Spirit of God will help us to come alongside a sinful world so that we can show them who Christ really is.

I am thinking outloud again in this entry today. It is a departure yet again from my usual writing style, but necessary in my own growth in Christ. It helps me to put these thoughts into writing to make sense out of what God is doing in my life.

Thanks for being a listening ear! God bless!

Guess Who's 7?

2006-09-27T09:19:00.000-04:00

September 27, 1999 is a day that my life was changed forever. That day my oldest kid, Machaela was born, about 3:20 in the afternoon. It's so hard to believe that seven years have now passed.

It seems like just last week, I was holding that precious little girl for the first time, with tears streaming down my face. I remember so clearly seeing her all wrapped up in a blanket, that tiny pink hat on her head. I remember talking to her and calling her by her name (we had already decided on Machaela). She focused in on me when she heard me talking.

It seems like just days ago we were dealing with teething. Now I'm having to pull those same baby teeth out as they hang on by a little thread of gum. It seems like we were just cheering her first words on. Now she talks circles around us, and even pulls out vocabulary words I didn't know till I was older! It seems that we were just rooting her on as she took her first steps at ten months old. Now she's learning to ride a 2-wheel bike!

Lord, what happened? Our baby is growing up! I know I can't stop it, so I may as well cheer her on like when she took those very first steps.

I could pull a sermon out of this, but I will spare everyone today. Today, I just want to honor Machaela. She is growing fast, but she will always be Daddy's little girl.

Machaela, Daddy loves you! Happy birthday!

*This post was done purposely in Machaela's favorite color, blue!

Missional:Theory to Practice (Personally)

2006-09-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

A few day back I wrote a short article on what it means to be a Missional Christian. Well, lately I have been trying to come to terms with my calling and ministry in the light of realizing that true Christians are called to be outward-focused missionaries to those around us. I am realizing more and more that I have a growing passion to reach out specifically to the younger, post-modern generation. It's a passion for those who are in college, subjected more often than not to some professor with a captive audience that rails on about his wacky ideas, derailing the morals and beliefs of many instilled in them from the time they were born. I want to reach young families so they can know that there is so much more to life than pressing on toward the American Dream of wealth that leaves bitterness and emptiness. I want to reach young people that see no hope in this life, and show them the only true hope that we find in Jesus Christ.

Pastoral ministry is my heart's desire. It's almost like something is missing right now. Like a hole in my life that the Lord intends to fill with people that he has called me to love on, to pour into, to lift up and see them grow in the Lord Jesus. It almost feels like somewhere out there, there are people in need of me. Maybe those people are meeting in an established church. Maybe they've not yet come the Christ to be forgiven. But I know that God has people out there that he has called me to shepherd. I just don't know where.

Nor do I know why God has called me to do this. I feel like I can identify with the Apostle Paul's statement of being "less than the least of all the saints" (see Eph. 3:8). What do I have to give these people? What knowledge can I possibly bring? What accolades? I have no letters after my name. I have no degree. I have no real ability that I can readily see. But none of that matters with God. It doesn't make sense, but God's word tells me that he uses the foolish things to put to shame the wise things. He chooses the weak things over the strong.

I know what I do have. I have a willing heart. I am willing to do what God says to do, say what God says to say, go where God says to go. I have a love for these people that I don't even know yet. I have a desire to see them come to salvation in Christ, to see them grow in the faith. I want to help them become faithful ministers of Christ, not necessarily behind a pulpit somewhere, but to their families, on their jobs, at their schools.

This is where my frustration comes into play. The questions I keep asking God is "when?" and "Where?" But no answer. Even in my personal time of prayer, I can't get away from this calling. I sense it more strongly every time I pray. It is consuming my thoughts right now. I just can't shake it off. And whenever I try to pull a Moses and tell God he called the wrong guy, it comes back on me even stronger. I can't run from it. God doesn't call us according to our knowledge, our experiences, our talents, or our education. He doesn't call the qualified; he qualifies the called.

Pray for me, friends. I know that this is a serious departure from my usual blogging style. This entry is totally impromptu, and I'm sure it shows. I just hurt so much for this younger generation that has no anchor, nothing it can see worth holding on to. I wish I knew where to start.

God bless.

Getting the Roots Out

2006-09-25T09:11:00.000-04:00

Last week I got an instant message from my wife while I was working. She was doing laundry, one of her most favorite things to do, when while the washer was draining, water suddenly started backing up into the toilet and bathtub. Soap suds and dirty, linty water was cascading out of the bowl, and filling up the tub. So great was the mess that I had to actually leave work a couple hours early to look at what could be causing such a problem.

I dealt with this all week, and we were really starting to wear down our stockpile of clean clothes. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel was coming into view. Roto-Rooter, the plumbing service, came out Saturday morning. When the guy unscrewed the cap from the clean-out pipe, and shined a flashlight into it, he saw the problem.

The plumber went to his van and retrieved his sewer snake machine, and began rooting out our sewer line-literally! You see, what was causing all of our plumbing woes were tree roots. Our sewer line runs directly under a birch tree in the front yard. All those roots look for moisture to soak up so the tree can have plenty of water. Often, these roots find the needed moisture in the sewer lines that run through our yards, and the small roots find their way in through little cracks. They do this especially during times of drought and dryness. They can really cause a big mess.

I stood their talking with the plumber as he worked, and as we shot the breeze, I noticed the snake bring up a huge clump of roots. Then another. And then another again. Finally, when he could find nothing more, and the line was flowing freely, I paid the man and he went on his way. But I didn't just walk away with clean pipes; I walked away with an object lesson in maintaining our relationship with God. Let's read Galatians 5:16, from the NIV:

"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

You see, just like that sewer line, things can "get into our pipes" spiritually. We are always going to be faced with temptation. Temptation is not a sin, even Jesus was tempted. But our trouble comes when we give in to that temptation. The more we give in to temptation and sin, the easier it becomes to do so. Before we know it, we are finding ourselves totally clogged with the roots of sin. I would say that especially when we allow ourselves to become dry spiritually, we are at risk to getting our hearts clogged up. When we step back from the life -giving Word of God, when we draw from his goodness and mercy less often, when we don't spend time in prayer and communion with the Lord on daily basis, we start to dry out. In our dryness, we look for something to wet us down.

So friends, I just want to encourage you to recognize when sin comes knocking on your door. As enticing as it may seem, shun it. Run from it. Keep feeding your spirit on God's Word, spend your day with Him, in close communication with him. Stay in God's presence. In so doing, you will help keep your heart clear of spiritual roots that will only damage you.

God bless!

It's No Fad

2006-09-21T09:29:00.000-04:00

*My thanks to Pastor Neil for making me think about this some more!

What are some of the fads you remember growing up? Fashion is always changing, and it has had its memorable moments. Being born in 1975, I don't recall really any of the '70s. But, I do remember the '80s. Just a movie on TV from the era reminds me of the now embarrassing things we thought were cool.

Who remembers parachute pants? These were nylon pants loaded with pockets and zippers. What about stonewashed jeans complete with manufacturer holes? And of course, we couldn't just throw the jeans on, we had to carefully fold the pant leg over at the ankle and roll them up 2 or 3 times. Then I remember the Hypercolor T-shirts that actually changed color when exposed to the heat or water. Talk about cheesy! We had the tall spiked hair and jean jackets, and we thought we looked so cool!

Well, we in the Christian church have had our share of changes, too. And I don't mean fashion. I remember the Brownsville Revival. God truly moved and saved many at that very long running revival. Yet, preachers would actually study what they did in that revival and try to duplicate it at their churches, hoping that God would bring a massive revival to their towns, too. But Brownsville wasn't about the setup on stage, it was about a praying people that sought God to touch the city of Pensacola, and God shook a nation.

I also remember the Purpose Driven phenomenon, about discovering your purpose on this planet. Or the Prayer of Jabez. How many folks went out and bought these books hoping to bring lasting change to their lives, me included? And we got some good stuff from them. They were certainly blessings, but as fast as they hit the Evangelical scene, they faded into obscurity. You just don't hear much about these teachings nowadays.

Well, now we have talk going on about the Emergent Church, or Emerging Church. While I don't fully understand what this is, the aim is to engage a post-modern, post-Christian society and meet them where they are at. And, some are yelling that this is just another Christian fad. I don't think that this is the case. But I am going to dig a bit deeper than simply talking about the Emergent Church. I want to talk about what drives them. The driving force is the realization that the church is to be missional. That is another buzz word being tossed around lately. I'm sure some are calling it faddish. But I'm not. I call it getting back to the roots of what being a Christ-follower is. Christ called us to reach out to the world with the Gospel. Just listen to Matthew 28:18-20:

"Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: 'God authorized and commanded me me to commision you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up the end of the age.'" The Message

I think that we get too inward-focused as Christians. We live for Sunday. We come in the back door of the church house, sing some songs, praise the Lord, listen to a sermon, and leave waiting for next week. We push through the week, concerned with our own issues and problems. How often do we think of our coworkers? Our extended families? Our neighbors? These people need to hear the life-changing message of Jesus Christ, but we pass them by. The church, from the text I quoted, is to be outward-focused. In fact, the Apostle Paul said we are to follow the example of Jesus, who left the glory of heaven to become a man and die a torturous death for us on a cross. He thought more of me and you than he did of his own comforts. How much more should we be more concerned with our neighbor than ourselves? (See Philippians 2) Being missional means being outward-focused, a missionary in our own sphere of influence.

So, I am a man on a mission. I have loved ones, friends and coworkers that do not know Jesus Christ. I can't sit any longer in a nice little Christian sub-culture, insulated from the world Jesus died for. I have realized my place as a missionary. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, I am going to show people who Jesus Christ is, through my words and through my life. It is time to emerge out of the four walls of the church to realize that we have been equipped to reach the lost.

So, friends, make no mistake. This is no fad. This is learning to become all things to all people so that we may see them saved (see 1 Cor. 9). This is learning to reach people in relevant ways that show them the love of Christ. I am missional. Are you?

God bless!

Modern-Day Psalm 46

2006-09-18T13:39:00.000-04:00

Fearful. Anxious. Worried. How many of us could add some additional words to make a more complete picture of what life on earth has the potential to be? Humanity, it seems, is always finding its fair share of struggles. The book of Job puts it nicely: “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (14:1). Yup, we people know how to find trouble. Or, sometimes the trouble seems to find us. Layoffs, divorce, cutback or cancer, we go through the storm. And such has been our existence since Adam and Eve decided that they knew what was best.

The days certainly to the casual observer seem dark. The problems we face can seem like such a cruel tormentor. And we Christians are not in anyway exempted from the storms of life. In the 46th Psalm, the writer also seems to be describing a time of trouble. Whatever that trouble was, the nation of Israel was under some kind of distress. Yet, the writer found himself looking above the battle to see the God that held them in his Everlasting Arms (Deut. 33:27). He reminded them that even if the world seemed destined to fall apart as the mountains shook and the waters roared, God was with them, and he was their refuge. He was the help they needed, always ready to come the aid of his people (vs. 1).

Not only did the psalmist speak of God’s hand helping them, he spoke of the joy of the Lord. “There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God” (vs. 4). We New Testament believers can look at this and see its fulfillment in us as the Church. Jesus said that out of us believers would rivers of living water. He spoke of the Holy Spirit, who comforts us in all our trials. Friends, whatever the battle, we have the Spirit of God to bring us comfort and joy.

When I think about my problems, I often do what I can to help myself out of them. However, sometimes there is simply nothing I can do. So, what to do when there’s nothing to do? Do what God says to do, which is “Be still, and know that I am God”(vs. 10). Huh? How can I be still when the whole world is coming against me? But friends, according the Word of God, if all things are against you, you are still in great shape because the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing God is with you! Sometimes, we just have to sit still, relax (really what that phrase, “be still” means) in God’s wisdom, and trust him to bring us through. When we do, we are really telling the Lord that he is big enough, smart enough and caring enough to know what to do, always with the promise that whatever he does will work out for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Perhaps it was a foreign army that was coming against Israel. May it was some natural catastrophe. But whatever it was, God made it clear that it was no match for him. So, whatever battle you find yourself in today, realize that God hasn’t forgotten you. He knows where you are at, and is more than ready to give you the grace you need. God bless!

P.S.

I just realized that I seem to beating the same drum lately. But this was in my heart to write, so I pray that it is a blessing to someone, even if it seems a bit monotonous lately.

When Trouble Comes...

2006-09-11T08:37:00.000-04:00

5 years ago today. I remember that day clearly. I was at work when someone came in the back door and said a plane hit one of the towers at the World Trade Center. At first it was thought to be a freak accident. We didn't know what was happening. At least till the other tower was hit with another jet, and the Pentagon as well. It became all too obvious what was happening. Terrorists had hijacked 4 planes that day. Three hit their targets, and the fourth was downed in a Pennsylvania field when passengers rose up and fought back against the terrorists that took over United Flight 93. It was thought that the terrorists that were stopped on that flight intended to hit either the Capitol Building or the White House in Washington, DC.

That day was a day that trouble came to both Christian and non-Christian alike. The monsters that took over those planes saw no differences in the people they murdered. And the effect was far-reaching. More than 3000 different families were forever changed directly because they lost a loved one in the attack. Many more were affected by the devastation. It didn't matter who they were, what standing they had in the community, or what faith they had. The victims all met the same fate, and the families all were crushed by the same grief.

What am I getting at? Simply, we Christians have the promised Holy Spirit, the Comforter that Jesus himself said he would send to us from the Father. He is sent to comfort us, encourage us, convict us of our sin, to embolden us to preach the Gospel. But, friends, the Spirit of God isn't given to those who don't know Christ. "And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ" (Rom. 8:9 NIV). To put it bluntly, friends, we have something the world doesn't, God himself indwelling us. We have Jesus Christ himself taking up for us before the Throne of God in heaven, as I talked about this past Friday. That should make us rejoice, yet it should also make us look out to those who don't know the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider this from Matthew's gospel:

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." Matt. 5:43-45 NASB

I added emphasis to the last part of that passage to bring out something I don't think we pay much attention to. That is that everyone on the face of this planet has to endure hardship. Whether that is the death of an innocent child or victim like on 9-11, devastating natural disasters like the tsunami that killed over 200,000 people in Indonesia, or stresses like financial problems and depression. We all go through stuff. It rains on us all. But when it rains on us Christians, we don't endure it alone! We have a Comforter who will come alongside us and help us through. Literally, that word, comforter, is the Greek word parakletos, which means to come to one's side. When storms churn up our lives, we have One who comes to our aid and gets us through it. Friends, those who don't have Christ don't have this blessing in their lives, but they can. The mere fact that God comforts us should motivate us to reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and tell people that there is hope!

I believe it was Benjamin Franklin that said there are two definite things in life: death and taxes. True words indeed, but he should have added one more, spoken centuries before by the Lord Jesus: "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33). Friends, we aren't promised tomorrow, or even the next minute. We are, however, promised that trouble will come to us at some time. So won't you take the time to go to someone today and tell them that there is hope for them in Christ? He doesn't promise to take away their pain and hard times, but he will forgive them and help them through this stormy life to an eternity on the other side where the storms will end and the tears will be permanently wiped away!

God bless!

Always on the Clock

2006-09-08T13:50:00.000-04:00

I don't exercise like I should. I know, I just wrote about an exercise bike that was given to us and I still haven't gotten off my lazy rear to start riding it. But that is for another day. At times, I do get bitten by the workout bug. And when I do, watch out, because I dive right in to it. Maybe at times too hard, but that is for another day too.

It never fails. The day after I start exercising is excruciating. I know, duh! Of course it is. Those are the times when we press through the pain and keep going with the program. We're supposed to, anyway. But I don't. By the time my body aches have subsided and I can move my arms again, the desire that I had is gone. I should press through the lack of desire and keep going. But I don't. It's simply easier to be lazy and not work out. I fall away from the shape I want to be in because I won't endure the pain and work, and so it's easier to sit down and watch House on TV and eat popcorn.

Now, while I deal with the exercise bug spray of laziness, hear where I'm going with this today. The early church had problems of endurance, too. The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians that were facing extremely hard times because of faith in their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Most Jews hated Christ, and hated anyone who was a Christ disciple. They, along with the Romans, made things very hard for the Christian believers. Just read the book of Acts and see the things they went through. From prison to whippings to stonings to beheadings, they felt the heat. And that heat was starting to get to them. Many were starting to feel that it was just easier to leave the faith and go back to Old Covenant Judaism. "If I just turn back to the Law, I won't have these people threatening me anymore."

That's when Mr. Unnamed Author wrote a divinely inspired letter to them that we call the book of Hebrews. It was written to encourage these hurting Christians to continue in the faith. It reasons that if one thought Judaism was good, Jesus has it beat on all points. He is better than the angels God used. He was better than Moses. He better than the human high priest. The blood he shed on the cross was better than than the blood of the millions of sacrificed bulls and lambs throughout their history. Jesus was simply superior, because absolutely everything God used in the Old Testament acted as a sign to point us to Christ.

If there is one main idea that Hebrews puts forward, I think that this would be it: Jesus knows what you are going through, and he cares. This writing tells us that he is a great High Priest that is touched by our struggles. He is "touched with the feelings of our infirmities". He knows what we have to endure. He knows our temptations. In fact, he experienced temptation, and came out sin-free. So now we can come to the Throne of Grace and he will give us what we need. You couldn't get that from a man acting as high priest, because he had his own problems. But, Jesus is better.

In the seventh chapter, the writer in comparing Jesus with the earthly high priest, makes this statement, from the Message paraphrase:

"He's there from now to eternity to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them." Heb. 7:25 MSG

You see, not only does Jesus know your stuff, but he is always on the clock! How many times have I had a sick kid at night and had to call the doctor, only to wait for him to call back because someone else had problems, or he had to wake up? With Christ, there is no calling back! There is no leaving a message hoping that Michael the Archangel will post a sticky-note on Jesus' desk! There is no heavenly voice mail telling you that Jesus is on the celestial back nine playing a round with the 12 apostles! He's right there. He hears you when you call. He sees your tears. And he has something for you. It's called grace, and it's God's strength when you are weak yourself! (see 2 Corithians 12:9)

Friends, don't let the adversity of life, and the struggles we face, whether that is persecution for faith in Jesus, or just life land punches, beat you down. You have a immense well of grace to draw from. Jesus is waiting. Won't you let him pour into you?

There is another part to this message, but you'll have to come back for it. Look for it this coming Monday, the five year anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

God bless!

Michigan Mountains

2006-09-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

Hey, everyone! I am not going to get too deep today. After all, it's the unofficial end of summer. At least the travel season. So, I have posted a picture of Lake in the Clouds, in Michigan's Upper Pennisula. It is in the Porcupine Mountains. How about that? Real mountains in Michigan! You all thought you had to go south or west to find mountains!

Enjoy this picture of God's beautiful creation. Have a blessed and safe Labor Day!

The Exercise Bike

2006-08-29T10:29:00.000-04:00

It sits upstairs. In the room that we’ve nicknamed “the blue room” sits our newest addition to the Richard household. It is the exercise bike that my mother-in-law gave to us. It’s big and heavy, and it didn’t get upstairs to the blue storage room easily, but it got up there. It’s a nice bike. It has a nice digital display that estimates calories burnt and the speed one is riding. Plus I like the nice fan effect from the blades on it. It even has the cross-country ski style handles to work the upper body. Finally, I have just what I need to get back into the shape I should be in.

So, why don’t I get up on that thing and exercise like I should? There it sits in the blue room, but I don’t grace its comfortable seat for any workouts. If it weren’t for my wife, it would be a huge dust collector. I have been given the equipment needed to exercise, but I don’t seem to be motivated enough to do it.

We do the same thing spiritually. We have the Spirit of God indwelling us. We have the Bible sitting on our nightstands and bookshelves. We have access to the Father through Jesus Christ. We have our praise and worship CDs, prayer journals, devotional books, online sermons, not to mention our churches. Most of all, we have the freedom to use these, yet they sit as unused as my exercise bike upstairs. I think that there is a spiritual problem at work here. It’s called laziness, and my first finger point is at myself.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that we should exercise spiritually? Really, it does. We’re saved by grace through faith, but to grow in our faith, we have to intentionally work at it. Just listen to Paul:

“But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Tim. 4:7-8

To exercise means to exert yourself, to strive. It means to vigorously work yourself into shape. If you want to lose weight, you have to really exercise. Spiritually speaking, we exercise when we spend time with God in prayer. We exercise when we take the time to have meaningful worship. We exercise when we put into practice the word of God, doing what it says, not just hearing it. We exercise when we get together with other believers and encourage one another.

Another problem is that we are constantly looking for shortcuts and easy ways to get in shape. How many weekend and late-night infomercials have you seen that advertise “quick and easy” ways to shed off the pounds? Ab-rollers and Ab-sliders may have some benefit, but not without the additional discipline necessary. There are no shortcuts to physical fitness, and there are no shortcuts to spiritual fitness, either. If you want to be strong in Christ, you have to get busy and exercise. Look, God uses Joyce Meyer books and CDs, but if that is all you do to strengthen up, you’ll won’t get yourself into the shape you need to be in.

Of course, we have to eat right, too. That is why it is so important to fill ourselves with God’s word. There is so much junk out there that we seek to fill our spirits with. From the shows we watch, to the books we read, to the music we listen to, we fill our hearts with the spiritual equivalent of pork rinds. Remember, garbage in, garbage out. When we take the word of God into our hearts, we are giving our spirits the proper nourishment to strengthen up.

So, do you have an unused exercise bike in your life? Are you sitting on equipment that you can use to get yourself into better shape spiritually? Are you as stationary as that bike? Then it’s time to get on the bike and “lay aside the weight” as it says in Hebrews 12:2.

God bless

He Speaks Your Language

2006-08-28T11:33:00.000-04:00

Have you ever been faced with having to explain something to a person in a way that they can easily understand? I have, and it isn’t always as easy as some may think. One instance that stands out in my mind was when I was trying to teach the concept of sanctification, or being set apart for God’s holy purposes, to a Junior High Sunday School class. Now, that can be a tricky subject for anyone, let alone an 11 or 12 year old, to grasp firmly. At that age, kids still think in a concrete way. They can’t easily grasp an abstract thought like that. I remember seeing the blank stares of the kids when I brought the subject up. I could tell that I was going to have to really break it down for them to get their brains around it. Then, an idea suddenly appeared in my mind from out of nowhere. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out my keys. Grabbing my car key, I held the whole keychain by that one key.

“Does everyone see this key I am holding? Who knows what this key is for? This is the key to my car. It is specifically made to open and start up my car. Try as I might, I can’t shove it into my front door. I can’t use it to start up another car. It is completely set apart to start up my car.”

That did the trick. I realized that to effectively communicate the concept of these kids, I had to bring it down to a level that they could understand. I had to meet them where they were at.

God does the same thing with humankind, too. Throughout scripture, we can see where God used analogy and object lessons to make sure that we understood what it was he was trying to say. From Jeremiah’s lesson of the potter and the clay (Jer. 18) to the day of Pentecost, God has met us where we are at. I am reminded of the ministry of Jesus Christ. He would do this, too. One time, he had a huge crowd of people around him, and they were hungry. Using only the small sack lunch of a little boy, he miraculously multiplied the bread and fish, so that everyone, about 5,000 men, plus uncounted women and children had enough to eat. That was upwards of probably 15,000 folks! The next day, that same crowd came looking for him, and he used the miracle meal to preach the Gospel to them (see John 6).

The Lord did it again on the day of Pentecost. Now, as one who is a Pentecostal Christian, I look at that day 2,000 years ago and think of it as a heritage. I see that this is where we Pentecostals base a good portion of our teaching and beliefs. This is where the teaching of what is called the “initial evidence” comes from. That is, that whenever someone is baptized in the Holy Spirit, it is outwardly shown and heard in that the receiver will speak in a language unknown to them. Every time you read of the Holy Spirit baptism in the book of Acts, you read that they “spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance”. On the day of the initial outpouring, there were folks from all over the surrounding region in Jerusalem, celebrating the feast of Pentecost. When the 120 disciples were filled with the Spirit, they went out into the streets of the city and they were speaking in the native languages of those in town for the feast. The Bible says that they heard them “declaring the wonderful works of God” in their own languages. They were flabbergasted! But God “met them where they were at”. He could have had the disciples run out of the room and speak Hebrew. But would that have caught the attention of the people that day? No, they would just have seen 120 crazy people running around and shouting. God used the languages they spoke at home so that they could know without a doubt that God was behind this.

God knows how to “speak our language”. He will get his message across in a way that we can grasp. To a thirsty Samaritan woman at a well, Jesus spoke about living water that quenches thirst forever. To a crowd that was full on miracle bread, Jesus spoke about the True Bread from heaven, that is, himself. And to a weary fisherman-turned Christ-follower, he used a miracle catch to tell him that one day he would catch men like he caught those fish. A promise, by the way, that was realized on that great day of Pentecost, when Peter, the once weary fisherman, preached the first sermon of the infant Church of Christ and saw 3,000 people repent of their sins and trust in Jesus. (Not bad for a rookie preacher!) Interesting to note that Jesus didn’t talk to Peter about living water, or the woman at the well about bread from heaven- he knew what these individuals needed to hear.

Okay, here is the big send-off. Follow the example set by God himself. He reached out to you one day in a way that you could grasp. Now, to borrow a Bible phrase, “go and do thou likewise”. Go meet someone where they are at and make the Gospel real to them. How you do that depends on who you talk with-each person understands differently and has a different view on things. But, you will be following a long line of ministers that reached out to those around them and managed to effectively win them for Christ, such as the Apostle Paul. In fact, I will leave you today with Paul’s inspired words from 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

God bless!

Astronomical Love

2006-08-25T10:48:00.000-04:00

I remember hearing the story on the radio when it happened. It was in 2004, while President Bush was on the campaign trail. A man from Ohio named Lynn Faulkner had been given an extra ticket to attend the president’s campaign rally by his neighbor. So, he asked his teenage daughter Ashley if she would like to attend with him. The young woman accepted the offer, and the three of them, Ashley, her dad and the neighbor, Linda Prince, made their way to event.

They arrived early, so they could get a good seat near the front. After the president gave his speech, he began to work the line, shaking hands and greeting supporters. Mr. Faulkner got an autograph from President Bush, and as he moved on to the next person, the neighbor, Ms. Prince, said something to the Mr. Bush that changed everything.

“This girl lost her mother on 9/11.”

They said that president’s entire expression changed. In a second, the most powerful man in the free world wasn’t President Bush, he was a loving father. He stopped what he was doing and walked back to young Ashley, and, forgetting everything else, he embraced her.

“I know it’s hard”, Bush said to the young woman. “I’m okay” was her response, as she simply was held by him.

This was no publicity stunt. It wasn’t another photo op. In fact, the only picture taken that moment was taken by the girl’s dad. The press corps had been sent back to the bus to await Bush’s next stop. Of all the concerns that this president had, the war in Iraq, concerns in Afghanistan, an election to win, what mattered at that moment to the most powerful man in America was Ashley Faulkner, a young girl who had lost her mom to sick terrorists on that unforgettable day in 2001.

What a story. The President with all that was on his plate was concerned for a one young girl who had been affected by those perpetrators on September 11. What a fitting analogy for us as Christians. Listen to what the Bible says in Psalm147:3-4:

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.”

Think about what these 2 verses are saying. God is the all-powerful creator of the universe. From every star to the minutest molecule on Earth, nothing exists without Him. Look at what the 4th verse again. “He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them.” Have you ever looked at the sky on a clear night? How about with no light pollution to hamper your view? They sky is absolutely full of them. Why, in just the Milky Way galaxy alone, there are literally billions of stars! That is billions with a “B”! Not only does God know exactly how many there are, this passage actually says that He has given names to each one! I have a hard enough time getting the names of those in my own home straight! “Machaela, brush your teeth!” “I’m not Machaela, I’m Gabbie!” It is absolutely mind-boggling to think about His greatness and His infinite wisdom and power!

Yet, in all His wonder, in all His power, that very same passage tells us that he cares for us. He cares about our hurts. He understands our pain. He can identify with our struggles. As I said in my last post, he is a faithful High Priest that can sympathize with our struggles. And He not only knows our pains, He said that He would heal them. He binds up our wounds.

Friend, God sees that pain that plagues your heart. From finances to family issues, divorce to death, He sees, He cares, He acts.

What is your struggle? What is your pain? Reader, you have a Friend that sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). Sure, He is powerful enough to suspend stars in space, but close enough to wipe the tears running down your cheek right now.

Won’t you come to him today?

God bless!

It Behooved Him

2006-08-23T09:34:00.000-04:00

As I was reading the second chapter of the book of Hebrews, in the Bible this morning, I came across the 17th and 18th verses that say:

"Wherefore, it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor (help) them that are tempted." Heb. 2:17,18

So, what does this all mean? The book of Hebrews was written to Christians that were facing very hard trials. They were considering a return to Judaism because of the pain that the name of Jesus was seemingly bring on them. This letter was written to encourage them to stay the course and keep on living for Jesus. The writer wanted them to know that Jesus understood what they were going through. This chapter tells us that Jesus took on a human body, and became a man. What it is saying was that not only did Jesus become a man to die for our sins on the cross, but that he felt compelled to do so. That old word, "behoove", carries the meaning of owing something. And why did Christ feel compelled, that as other translations say, he had to die for us? We are his creation. In fact, the Bible says that he was made like his brothers, referring to us as mankind.

Perhaps an analogy is appropriate here. I have an older brother. He is about 2 years older. Now, he did typical older brother things, like pick on me and stuff. He knew, like an older brother should, how to get under my skin. There were many times that we must have given our mom a migraine from our constant bickering. But, inspite of all that, there was a bond there that remains till this day, and will always be there. As much as he knew how to bug me, he was my biggest defender. I remember one time, when I was little, I threw a GI Joe into the street (don't ask me why!). One of the neighborhood kids saw it and declared the old "finders keepers, losers weepers" claim. My brother knew it was mine, and he promptly set out to get it back. He and the other kid duked it out in the street and he won back my beloved action figure.

Another time, when I was in middle school, he came to my aid again. There was a huge crowd of skateboarders walking and skating through the area around the house. We were playing some hockey with a couple friends out back, when someone in the crowd started messing with a friend. Well, they started to fight right in my yard! I stepped in to break it up, and one of the guys friends raised his skateboard at me as if he was going to hit me with it. My brother ran up behind him when he saw that, grabbed the skateboard out of his hand, throwing it into the street. He then grabbed the kid by the back of his shirt, swung him around and tossed him. The kid sheepishly retrieved his skateboard and rejoined the crowd.

Why did my brother come to my aid like that? Simply put, it behooved him to help his little brother. He felt a sense of responsibility to take up for me. We are family. That is what Hebrews is saying about the Lord Jesus. It behooved him to take up for us, and, as this chapter says, to "destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (vs. 14). You see, God loves us as his creation. Isn't that what John 3:16 says? "For God so loved the world...". Christ loved us too much to just let us go about in sin with no hope. He became a man and died in our place on that cross.

What's more, because he became a human being, he got to taste firsthand what we struggle with, what tempts us. The 18th verse says that he himself has been tempted, and he is able to help us who are tempted. Hebrews 4:15 says it like this:

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin." (NIV)

What this means is that Jesus knows our struggles and temptations. He knows what we go through, and it behooves him to take up for us. He will give us the grace we need to overcome that temptation that seeks to destroy us. That is why we are told to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Heb. 4:16).

So, whatever you are going through right now, rememeber that Jesus is your elder brother. He is able to take up for you, and more than that, he will. He did not bring you this far just to leave you. Won't you let him pour his grace into your life today?

God bless!

2006-08-22T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well, today is August 22. That means that it is Pennesha's birthday. For those who don't know, Pennesha is the beautiful woman in the picture next me, at her graduation this past April. She is 31 today. Also, today marks 8 years of marriage for us, as well! Time goes by so fast. It seems like just last week when we stood in front of Pastor Stewart and recited our vows. That was back in 1998.

Hey, Pennesha, sweetie! Here's to many more years! I love you!

Do I Look Like My Father?

2006-08-21T10:16:00.000-04:00

I hear often from both my mom and my wife how much my oldest child, Machaela, looks like me. So, to demonstrate of likeness, I put some photos of us on today. The little guy holding the toy screwdriver is a very young me, circa 1978. I was about 3 years old. Machaela is in the other picture holding the newest addition to the Richard family, Jayden Michael. So, you be the judge. Does she look like her father?

I was reading last night in 2 Samuel 6, where David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, to set it up in the tabernacle where it belonged. The Ark had been away for years, at first taken by the Philistines, but after God had stricken them with tumors, which in Hebrew means hemorrhoids, they got rid of it. (Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?) Now, years later, King Saul dead, and David installed as the new king of Israel, he decided to bring the Ark back.

It was a festive event. There was rejoicing and praise to God. David began to dance and whirl around as he praised God. But, there always has to be a party-pooper, doesn't there? This was no exception. Her name was Michal, his wife and Saul's daughter. Well, Michal, in all her royal snootiness, took serious issue with the way that David had behaved himself. Here was David, coming home to bless his family, and he is met with a snarl that would make a rottweiler whimper. "How glorious the king of Israel looked today! He exposed himself to the servant girls like any indecent person might do!" (2 Sam. 6:20) What could explain Michal's horrible attitude in the face of such a joyful occasion? Simply put, she looked like her father.

Now, I don't mean a physical resemblance like my daughter to me. They shared the same heart. They suffered from the same attitude illness. And why not? This young lady had grown up on knee of one the worst kings in the nation's history.

So, do we look like our Father? As Christians, we have a Father in heaven. So, how do we know if we look like him? God is a Spirit, and we can't look on him. But Jesus could be looked upon. He could be touched, he could be known. One day, one of his disciples, Philip, asked Jesus to show them the heavenly Father. This was his answer:

"Jesus answered: Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?" John 14:9

You see, Jesus looked like his Father. He put all the glorious attributes of a holy God into human skin so we could see just what the Father is like. And because Jesus shows us what the Father God is like, we can now, through the work of the Spirit of God in us, look like Him too!

So, do I look like my Father?

Am I merciful?

Am I loving?

Am I gracious?

Do I find joy in what God finds joy in?

Do the things that grieve God grieve me, too?

Does a sin-sick world compel me to lay aside my comfort so I can pull some out of sin's grip?

Do I look like my Father?

So, friends, look to Jesus, and let him make you like your Father! God bless!

3000!

2006-08-11T09:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, today I turned 3000 hits on my blog. I am blessed to have so many people that come and read what I have to say. I have met some very good friends though this blog thing, and been able to be a blessing to you all through my little piece of the information superhighway.

So, thank you all for allowing me to minister to you. I truly love and appreciate you, and the friendships that I have made. So, nothing to deep this Friday, just a heartfelt gratitude to the Lord Jesus and to all who faithfully read the Soundingboard.

God bless!

Ahhh, The Smell of Starbucks!

2006-08-03T08:44:00.000-04:00

I am a lover of good coffee. I’ll drink almost any coffee, as long as it doesn’t come out of a vending machine. There is just something gross about getting my coffee out of the same spout that hot chocolate, mocha, cappuccino and tea come from. It can pollute the otherwise wonderful taste of a good cup of coffee.

Last month, I celebrated 31 years of life on this planet. My parents had us over to have a birthday dinner complete with a Dairy Queen ice cream cake (my favorite cake!), and some apple crisp, by special request of my daughter, Machaela (she just loves Grandma’s apple crisp). After the dessert, I got to open my presents. Oh, how I love my birthday! One of the gifts I got from mom and Don was a 40 ounce bag of Starbucks House Blend whole bean coffee, and a very nice coffee grinder. Knowing my love of coffee, they knew just what to get me. That evening, once we got back home, I immediately set up the grinder, and reached for the big bag of heaven we call Starbucks. I remember opening the bag up, and being greeted by a wonderful rush of aroma! There is just something about opening that bag up the first time that is great. All that vacuumed-sealed smell comes rushing out and the smell envelopes the whole kitchen.

You know, it’s kind of an analogy of the Christian life. As I sat here this morning drinking a coffee, I recalled that day, and the fresh aroma of those whole beans. It reminded me of a passage in the Bible, told actually in 3 of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark and John. It was just days before Jesus would be whipped beyond recognition and nailed to a cross. While sitting in a house with his disciples, and his friend Lazarus, who he had just raised from the dead, and Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary, something odd happened. Let’s read it:

“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” Mark 14:3 NIV

The Gospel of John tells us that it was Mary who brought this alabaster box and poured it on Jesus. I won’t get into all the discussion that goes on about this passage. I want to focus on one thing only-the box. You see, she had to break it to get the scent of the perfume out. I believe that God wants us to be like that box. He wants us to be broken, not in the sense that we must need to be fixed, but opened up for the aroma of his life in us to flow out to those around.

You see, life has a way of dishing out hard times and struggles. It can deal out painful blows like the loss of an innocent child, or cancer. Yet, the promise of God is that he will somehow work all things out for good to those who love him. You can come through your storm stronger than when you entered it. And when you come out stronger, with a stronger faith, it is like an aroma that others around you can smell. God has used the struggles of this life to “break” you, and his work in your heart is evident. Trials can either make you better or bitter. Let God use them, and you will be better!

You know, for those beans to be of use to us, they had to face the heat. They had to be roasted. So, friends, submit yourselves to the heat that you face, and let God break you. He will use that beautiful scent of Christ in your life to touch those around you. God bless!