Just Weep

This weekend, I decided to sit down and read the book of Job. Of course, I made this decision before realizing that Job is one of the longest books of the Bible. In truth, had I done a page count first, I probably would have read the book of Jude instead, but that’s a story for another post. That being said, given the length of the book, I can’t touch on all of the themes of the story that struck me as relevant to our current times. Yet, there was one theme that hit home on such a personal level that I felt compelled to share it with my brothers … the counsel of Job’s friends.

When this very long book is summarized in a sermon, it’s easy to get the impression that Job’s friends weren’t really friends at all; that they used his misfortunes as an opportunity to cast stones at him. Yet, a careful reading of the text shows that they actually came to him in a true spirit of friendship. In fact, I think we might find something of ourselves in one of Job’s friends (or if you’ll like me, something of yourself in ALL of them).

The first friend, Eliphaz, interrupts Job’s initial tirade in a very respectful manner.

“Would you mind if I said something to you? Under the circumstances it’s hard to keep quiet.
You yourself have done this plenty of times, spoken words
that clarify, encouraged those who were about to quit.
Your words have put stumbling people on their feet,
put fresh hope in people about to collapse.
But now you’re the one in trouble—you’re hurting!
You’ve been hit hard and you’re reeling from the blow.
But shouldn’t your devout life give you confidence now?
Shouldn’t your exemplary life give you hope?” (Message Bible — Job 4:1-6)

Eliphaz then goes further to suggest that perhaps God is correcting Job for some sin that he is unaware of. Yet, he offers Job hope. He says that God will restore Job if Job will throw himself on the mercy of the Lord. In fact, Eliphaz even suggests that Job should consider his current troubles as a blessing.

“So, what a blessing when God steps in and corrects you!
Mind you, don’t despise the discipline of Almighty God!
True, he wounds, but he also dresses the wound;
the same hand that hurts you, heals you.
From one disaster after another he delivers you;
no matter what the calamity, the evil can’t touch you—” (Message Bible Job 5:17-19)

Now, you might be thinking, “With friends like that, Job certainly didn’t need enemies.” But is this advice really any different than the words you might hear coming from the pulpit on Sunday morning? How many times have we been warned that our sin could lead to disaster?

“Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.” (Ezekial 18:30)

Likewise, how many times have we been told that God’s punishments are those of a loving father?

“For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.” (Hebrews 12:6)

I contend that over the next 35 or so chapters, Job’s friends don’t say anything to him that our friends wouldn’t say to us today. I know that I’ve certainly offered this same type of counsel. To the friend who lost a job, I’ve said, “Be glad. This was God’s way of moving you out of a place where you weren’t living up to your potential and into a place where you can flourish.” To the friend who got sick, I’ve said, “Consider this illness to be a wake-up call to stop [smoking, drinking, eating pork rinds, whatever] and to get your health in order. It might not seem like it now, but this is going to be a blessing in disguise.” And I’ve given similar “words of encouragement” for friends going through family troubles, financial troubles, and the like.

Now, in my defense, I thought I was being helpful. For one, sometimes our problems are of our own making and we need to mend the errors of our ways to succeed going forward. Second, we often have our greatest victories on the heels of our biggest defeats so it’s important to keep hope that God knows what He is doing.  Yet, I may have been doing more harm than good, except unlike Job, my friends didn’t have the heart to tell me that I wasn’t being a jerk.

Obviously, Job didn’t suffer from such shyness.  Throughout the story, Job lets his friends have it with both barrels.   He calls them every name in the book (and I suspect several names that the ancient translators had to censor … it is the Bible, after all).  And, at the end of the day, when God steps in to sort out the mess, He takes Job’s side.  Sure, He admonishes Job for questioning His wisdom and sovereignty, but He reserves the harshest criticism for the three friends.  Speaking to Eliphaz, He says, “I’ve had it with you and your two friends.  I’m fed up!  You haven’t been honest with me or about me — not the way my friend Job has.”  God goes even further to say that He will only accept Job’s prayers to pardon their iniquity.

But why?  Why did God come down so hard on Job’s friends?  I think the reason is two-fold.  For one, just like Job, they presumed to know the mind of God.  They thought they had all of the answers as to why Job was suffering. “It’s the way you treated the poor.” “It’s the wicked lives of your children.” “It’s your pride and ego.”  However, sometimes bad things happen to good people and none of us is smart enough to understand why God does what He does.

Second, the friends inspired God’s wrath because, unlike Job, they weren’t willing to be honest about their feelings.  Rather than empathizing with Job about similar times when they felt bewildered by seemingly unmerited suffering, they just kept pointing to scriptural principles (“God is good,” “God is all-knowing,” “God is all-powerful”).  While it might be true, it doesn’t provide much comfort during a time of trial.  Sometimes, the best thing we can do for others is to be honest — honest about our ignorance and honest about our hurt feelings.  Rather than reciting our favorite Bible verse, we should just sit with them and weep.

After all, isn’t this exactly what Jesus did when He finally came to Mary and Martha after their brother, Lazarus, had died.   He didn’t lay into the sisters with a sermon on how Lazarus had gotten what he deserved.  Nor did Jesus tell the sisters that they should rejoice because “Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  Instead, He just wept; sharing in their pain and sorrow and confusion.  And only after He had wept for a while, did He then speak the words of God that would raise Lazarus from the grave.

Perhaps, we should do likewise.  Whenever we hear bad news from a friend, we should just shut up (easier said than done for me) and listen to their complaints and frustrations.  Rather than trying to “fix” the problem (or their attitude towards the problem), we should just sit and weep with them.  If after doing so, God reveals to us words of wisdom, then (and only then) should we share it with them.

In God I Trust

It’s absolutely amazing what God will do if we just get out of the way!  A few months ago, I was worried sick that the manna had ceased.  After having my Job moments (“God, I’ve been good!  Why did you do this to me?”), I finally decided to just trust in Him.  I trusted that what He said to Jeremiah was true for me too.  ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

So in the words of this blog, I decided last month to move in the moment.  I was no longer going to act in accordance to what God HAD been doing in my life, but in accordance to what He is doing now.  I began to search out NEW opportunities to use my talents on a larger scale.  Here is just the first display of how God is faithful.

Keep Pouring!

Today, my Bible reading brought me to another of my favorite Old Testament stories (Hint: If you’re looking for a great summer read, pick up the book of Kings).  Today’s story was the story of the widow’s oil found in 2 Kings 4.

In a nutshell, a woman approaches the prophet Elisha with her dilemma.  Her husband, who had been a prophet of God, has died and apparently hadn’t taken out a big enough policy with Middle East Mutual (or whoever it was that wrote term life policies back then).  As a result, she found herself with debt that she was unable to repay.  Her creditor threatened to take her two sons as slaves.  Apparently, her boys were better behaved than mine, because this actually troubled her.

In all seriousness, if I had stopped reading the story at this point, I would have been blessed because it reminded me that “the rain falls on the just and unjust alike.”  Although the husband had revered the Lord and served in the company of the prophets, it did not prevent his death.  Nor did his service to God keep his wife and children out of debt.  During this particular season of hardship, it’s comforting to know that financial troubles aren’t always a punishment for sin or unrighteousness; that bad things can happen to good people.

Of course, this story provides more than mere comfort but also, a strategy for deliverance.  The wise prophet Elisha responds to the widow’s report of trouble with an unusual question.  ”What do you have in your house?”  Perhaps it’s just me, but I would have attacked the problem from the other end by asking how much she owed; the thought being that the appropriate strategy would depend on the amount of her liabilities.  For example, a small debt could be paid with an offering at the next temple service while a larger debt might require something more drastic, like writing a letter to Orpah Winfrey.

However, Elisha approaches the solution from the other standpoint — her assets.  What does she have to produce the results she wants in her life.  That alone is enough wisdom for an entire book of the Bible and we’re just on the second verse.  How often do we see our problems in light of what we are lacking as opposed to what we possess?  In fact, I suspect that most of our troubles come from an improper perspective in the first place.  As Americans, we are the richest people in history of the world.  Yet, 99% of us think of ourselves as “poor.”  Why?  Because instead of focusing on what we have — an abundance of food, clothing and shelter, friends, family, good health, freedom, and the love of the creator of the universe — we focus on those few things we lack.

In any event, the widow replies that all she has is a small amount of olive oil.  Elisha then instructs her to “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few.”  If there are six words that I need to ingrain into my heart, these are the six: DON’T ASK FOR JUST A FEW.  All too often in life, I have asked for just a few.  ”Lord, can I have just a few clients?”  ”Lord, can you help me get my kids to church just a few times?”  ”Lord, can you let my attempt at evangelism reach just a few people in the audience?”  Elisha reminds me that if I’m going to go through the trouble of asking for something, don’t ask just for a few!

Elisha continues his instruction by saying, “Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”  I suspect that, at this point, the widow must have thought that the man of God had been sniffing too much incense.  Think about it.  He was telling her that she would receive more oil by pouring out the little bit that she had.  That doesn’t make any earthly sense at all.  However, it makes perfect heavenly sense.

Isn’t that how God always operates?  For example, when Elisha’s mentor, Elija, met the widow at the gates of Zarephath, she and her son had just a tiny bit of flour and oil. (1 Kings 11)  Their plan was to have one last meal and then lay down and die.  Obviously, this wasn’t the most well-thought out plan (unless Deon was doing the cooking … you know I’m kidding).  Fortunately, Elija came up with a slightly more optimistic plan.  He told her to make him a cake and then promised that her jar of flour and jug of oil would not run out.  In God’s economy, you receive by first giving.

And while this principle certainly works with regards to financial giving, I think it is even more powerful when applied to the giving of your talents.  The more of your talents that you pour out into others, the more you will ultimately receive for yourself.  I’ve found this to be true in regards to my speaking.  Over the years, I’ve given about 500 speeches and while I always thought that I was “hot stuff,” I know that I am a much better speaker today than I was back then.  I have a greater vault of stories to draw from.  I have more quotes and scriptural references to pull from.  I have more variety in terms of vocabulary, cadence and tone.  Why?  Because as I poured out my little talents, God filled me with more.

That is why I keep posting these blog entries.  As I pour out the little bit of revelation that God gives me, He fills me with more.  That’s why if you draw, you should pour out of your talents for others by … I don’t know … perhaps drawing the cartoon illustrations for someone’s new book for lawyers (hypothetically speaking, of course).  That’s why if you have marketing ideas, you should pour them out in … I don’t know … promotions for a new ministry (once again, hypothetically speaking of course).  Seriously, wherever your talents lie, you should pour them out so that you create an unending flow for your gift.

Of course, as always, there is a caveat.  You notice that Elisha didn’t tell the widow to just pour her oil onto the ground or into the river.  She had to pour her talents into vessels that could hold them.  Likewise, it’s important that we find “vessels” that can store our treasures.  For me, that means finding an audience for my talks and my writings.  God won’t furnish me with new speaking skills for me to preach sermons from my bedroom balcony.  What would be the point?  Likewise, God isn’t going to give you new drawing skills to bury in your sketch book or new marketing ideas to store away in your “one of these days files” or new recipes to just eat all week as left-overs (hypothetically speaking, of course).  We must find a way to pour ourselves out into something (or someone) that can receive what we have to offer.  In fact, in our story, the oil didn’t stop flowing until they ran out of jars.  And the moment one of the sons said, “There is not a jar left,” the oil stopped flowing.  

The good news is that, by the time that happened, they had filled so many jars with olive oil that they were able to sell the oil, pay off their debts and still have enough money left over to live on.  If you’re anything like me, that has to be a cause for rejoicing … and rededication.  It reminds me that if I just keep pouring out my God-given talents, I’ll build up more than enough man-made treasures.  But, as usual, it starts with me.  And it starts with you.  Start pouring and keep pouring.

“Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure– pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” Luke 6:38

It’s the Jesus YOU Know

Today, my Bible reading took me to what I think is one of the funniest stories in the Bible.  It involves the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, and begins in Acts 19:11.  In short, here is what happened:

For two years, Paul is in the Greek city of Ephesus training a group of twelve disciples.  During this time, Paul is doing his thing — healing the sick and driving out demons.  In fact, God is working through him so mightily that people are being restored by just touching a handkerchief or an apron that has touched Paul.  As Paul’s miracles are creating a buzz in the city, some local Jews attempt to produce their own miracles by imitating Paul.  For example, they attempted to drive out demons by saying, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”  Acts 19:13  

Here’s where it gets good …

One day, the hapless sons of Sceva try to go into the house of an demon-possessed man and try to drive out the evil spirit by invoking the name of Jesus.  Speaking through the man, the evil spirit answers, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”  Then, and pray for me for finding this funny, the demon-possessed man opens up a “can of whoop #$%” on the SEVEN sons of Sceva; so much so that “they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” Acts 19:16

In my twisted mind, I can’t help but to think of these seven fools walking into the house practically humming the Ghostbusters theme song.  ”I ain’t afraid of no demon!”  I can see them surrounding the bed and looking down at the man thinking, “This is going to be a piece of cake!  We’ll hit him with a couple of “Jesus names” and a “Hail Mary” and it’s Miller Time!  The next thing you know, the front door flies open and seven naked and bleeding men are running for their lives screaming, “Run away!  Run away!” like in that scene from Monty Python’s Holy Grail.

However, what I find even more comical is the fact that SEVEN men would come into agreement on such a ridiculous plan in the first place.  After all, they were not professed believers in Christ.  Their father was a Jewish high priest — a member of the religious guard that was persecuting Christians for professing the “blasphemy” that Christ is Lord.  It would have made more sense for them to try to drive out the demon in the name of some other fictional character like the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus or Rush Limbaugh.  Seriously, what made them think that they could possibly draw on the power of someone they didn’t believe in?

I think the answer is that they did believe in Christ — at least, in His miracle working abilities.  For two years, they had seen people being held by His power.  The truth was inescapable.  Of course, their tradition and even standing in their community would not allow them to publicly acknowledge Christ.  In fact, they might not have even privately acknowledged Him.  And they certainly weren’t following Christ.  They simply figured that they would get the benefits of being a Christian without the relationship with Christ.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?  It certainly sounds familiar to me because I came into the faith as a son of Sceva.  I had heard the promises of God from the mouths of the great televangelists of our day.  I had even seen His miracle working power in the lives of friends and family.  So I began confronting my enemies in a like manner.  ”In the name of Jesus whom T.D. Jakes preaches, release your hold on my finances … In the name of Jesus whom Joel Osteen preaches, release your hold on my marriage … In the name of Jesus whom Gary Kinnaman preaches, free me from my addictions.”  And I think you can guess what happened.  My poverty, estrangement and addictions would look at me and say, “I know Jesus, and I know about T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Pastor Kinnaman but who the hell are you?”  And then, it would commence beating me up like I was the white guy in a professional prizefight.

Yet, all of this began to change as I began to walk with Christ.  When I began to study His word and then … get this … APPLY IT, I began to exercise His authority over some of my demons.  As you know, God has authority over everything under heaven and earth.  And Jesus has been gracious enough to release his authority in some matters to his disciples.  For example, in Matthew 10:1, “And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

Yet, He doesn’t just release these powers to anyone.  I think this is important for us to understand as believers and to teach as disciples.  While I’m a firm believer that the gospel is “Good news,” it isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme or a “20 days to a brand new you” program.  And as people continue to search for a source of security during these uncertain times, we must be careful not to hold out an olive branch of hope based on empty promises and false hopes.

God, certainly “delights in the prosperity of His servants,” but the same doesn’t hold for those who think they are God’s masters.  Likewise, while “the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord,” the bad man is on his own.  Furthermore, “it is the Lord who gives you the power to get rich so that He may establish His covenant,” not so you can be on MTV Cribs.  In short, the promises of God are reserved for His disciples and not His fans.

As we encounter the sons of Sceva in our jobs and in our neighborhoods, let us pray to share with them (and more importantly, model for them), the difference.

Then the Manna Ceased

[I debated for a week whether to even post this entry, and finally, decided that I should.  You'll see why I hesitated when you read it.]

Recently, my business has experienced a significant downturn; at least, in regards to booking new engagements.  In fact, I have not booked a new speech in SIX WEEKS.  At first, I didn’t think much of it.  Every business has its ups and downs and, as someone who has experienced more than his share of ups in the last two years, I figured that I was due for a down week or two.  However, when two weeks turned into three weeks and three weeks into four, I began to worry.

Of course, I didn’t just worry.  I also began to work.  I reached out to old and new clients and frantically searched for ways to increase business.  And while I received some sincere interest, my efforts didn’t result in any definitive commitments.  I couldn’t figure it out.  Sure, the economy is having a negative effect on everyone, but I supply something that is needed more now than ever — humor.  I was quickly becoming panicked and my prayers were becoming increasingly bitter and distrustful.

Just this morning, I prayed, “God, why would you take me this far only to abandon me now?  You could have shown me that I wasn’t cut out for this a few years back when the economy was better and companies were hiring lawyers.  How am I supposed to feed my family now?  And, not for nothing, you can forget about Renee believing in the god who left us homeless.”  As you can tell, I was starting to LOSE IT.  That is, until a few hours later, the following four words came into my head: “Then the manna ceased.”

When I heard them, I searched my online Bible and came upon Joshua 5:12, which reads:

“Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.”

I then went back and started reading Joshua from the beginning.  Before long, it all started making sense to me.

As you know, the children of Israel were sustained by manna for 40 years in the wilderness.  Yet, just as soon as they crossed the Jordan River and had a taste of some of the produce of the land at Gilgal, God cut off their food supply.  At first glance, this seems a little premature on God’s part.  Why not wait until the Israelites had “gotten on their feet” before cutting off their most reliable source of provision?  Why not wait until they had taken a few cities and established their own farming and agriculture before shutting off their food supply?  

I’ll tell you why: Because they might not have ever left Gilgal if they had the security of manna to fall back on.  Once, the manna ceased, they had no choice but to go forward and claims God’s promises.

I now realize that the same holds true for me.  For the last six months or so, I’ve been camping out at Gilgal.  My original goal was to establish myself as a nationally-known speaker who entertains and inspires MILLIONS.  However, once I had a little taste of the Promised Land, I became complacent.  I began to think, “Hey, this is pretty good right here.  Why don’t I build a little tent here and ‘chill’ for a while?  After all, I’ve been marching in circles for years.  Why rush into the Promised Land?  It will still be there in a few years.”

For example, as I’ve mentioned before, the biggest impetus for me to lose the weight was my belief that God was moving me onto a national stage and once on that stage, I would want to look AND FEEL my best.  In anticipation of that move, I lost 60 pounds and created the sexy body that you all get to see on Wednesday nights.  

Then, remarkably, I get a call from a television producer in January wondering if I’d like to be the next TV judge — the first funny (and extremely good-looking) TV judge.  So what do I do with this potential opportunity to expose my talents to MILLIONS of viewers?  You guessed it.  I show marginal interest (I haven’t called the guy in MONTHS).  Instead, I focus my efforts on speaking to HUNDREDS of lawyers.  All the while thinking, “I don’t know why people are always ranting and raving about milk and honey.  Manna is quite tasty and it just falls from the sky.  What suckers!”

Then the manna ceased.  I now realized that God hasn’t forsaken me.  He is trying to get me to stop from living FAR beneath my privilege.  As a result, He is weaning me from my current source of financial nourishment.  And just like a baby, I’ve been kicking and screaming; fighting to go back to what was comfortable and what was easy.

Then the manna ceased.  And I’m glad it has!  Now, it’s time for me to claim ALL that God has promised for me.

What about you?  Has your manna ceased in some area?  It might not be financial, but perhaps, it is spiritual.  You’ve had a spiritual mentor who would “feed” you the Word  (perhaps by cutting it into small bites for you).  However, now that person isn’t available to you anymore.  Or perhaps, your manna came in the form of a job or a position in the church or a particular routine.  But recently, you’ve noticed that the manna has ceased.

If so, then I encourage you to join me outside the gates of Jericho.  And you might want to hurry while there’s still time because … and I mean this with EVERY fiber of my being … those walls are coming down!

It Is Finished

Of all the things that we can learn from the life of Jesus, perhaps the most powerful lessons are His lessons on prayer; more specifically, His lessons on how to pray.  In Luke 11, the disciples ask Jesus how to pray and He gives them the Lord’s prayer.  Later, in John 17, Jesus gives an even more practical example of prayer during the Last Supper.  After explaining what was to come, Jesus looked towards heaven and began to pray out loud.

Very soon into the prayer, Jesus said something that struck me as odd.  In John 17:4, Jesus tells the Father, “I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.”  Wait a minute!  How had Jesus finished the work God gave Him to do?  At this point, Jesus hadn’t been beaten with many stripes, crowned with thorns, nailed to the cross, pierced with a sword, or risen from the grave.  How had He possible finished His work?

At first, I thought that Jesus must have just been speaking prophetically.  After all, as God Himself, Jesus knew how the story would end.  He knew that He would fulfill prophesy and make a way for our salvation.  He was just speaking the truth as it would unfold in the future.

However, interestingly enough, as Jesus continues His prayer, He doesn’t speak the same way about the disciples.  In John 17:15, Jesus prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”  Please note that Jesus doesn’t thank God for having already protected His disciples.  Instead, He is asking God to do so; presumably, now and in the future.  The same is true when Jesus prays for the wider circle of believers.  ”May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21).  Once again, this is a prayer for believers to convert others in the future.

So why does Jesus prayer about Himself in the past tense, but about others in the future tense?  After all, Jesus knew that His disciples would eventually go out and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.  Why not just say so in His prayers?  I think the answer to that question is answered by the fact that Jesus was praying for the benefit of His disciples.  He was trying to show them and us (people who are NOT all-knowing) how to pray.

In doing so, He demonstrates two different types of prayers: (1) man prayers and (2) god prayers.  By “man prayers,” I mean the type of prayers in which we are praying for God to give us strength to do our part.  And by “god prayers,” I mean the type of prayers in which we are asking for God’s supernatural strength to accomplish what we can’t do on our own.

For man prayers, Jesus seems to indicate that we should pray for them in the past tense as He did by saying that His work was finished.  In essence, Jesus said, “I just want to thank you in advance for giving me the strength to face this horrific death so that I can bring you glory.”  This might not seem like much of a distinction but I think it can make a HUGE difference in the life of a believer.

For example, let’s just suppose that Jesus had publicly prayed something like, “If it’s in your will, Lord, give me the strength to grow through this ordeal.”  And then, two hours later, Jesus finds Himself in the Garden of Gethsemane literally sweating blood.  He knows that He has the power to stop his execution, but if He does, He will destroy the fulfillment of prophesy and ruin the plan for man’s salvation.  Also, He will prove Himself and God to be liars.  After all, just a few hours earlier, He had publicly declared that had finished his work.  How could Jesus go back to His disciples and say, “Well, you know, guys, when I was talking about finishing my work, I really didn’t mean that it was ‘finished finished’”?

In essence, by praying in the past tense, God put one more obstacle in the way of retreat.  There was one more reason for Him to finish His mission.  And while Jesus didn’t necessarily need the “backup,” you and I do.  When we are tempted to give up on God’s plan for our lives, we need all of the reasons we can get to “finish our course.”  And not wanting yourself (or worse, God) to lose face can be just the reason you need to get you over the finish line.

This motivation certainly got me over the finish line with regards to my health last year.  I was able to quit smoking after being a literal slave to nicotine for almost two decades.  Why?  Was it because I finally learned that it would kill me?  Of course not.  The label of every pack I ever bought read something like: “Cancer causes cancer, heart disease, lung disease and you are an idiot for smoking this!”  I knew the risks and I was willing to bear them.  This is despite the fact that I was risking not only my future, but the future of my family and all of those God has called me to lead home.

However, while I was willing to risk almost everything for nicotine, what I was not willing to risk was losing face with others.  Let me explain.

Being the loud mouth that I am, I told everyone of my decision to quit smoking on December 31, 2007.  I told my family.  I told my friends.  I told my doctor.  And I even told my audiences.  And I kept telling them all through January and February and even after.  As a result, I put myself on the spot.  How was I going to go back to, say, my clients, and say, “You can’t trust me as far as you can throw me with regards to keeping my promises, but I want you to give me a big check now and I promise to show up at your event in nine months”?  In short, by having a big mouth, I put my credibility on the line as well as my health.  And interestingly, that was just enough to tip the scales in my favor and allow me to break free of that bondage FOREVER.

I utilized the same strategy with regards to my weight loss, except that I took it to the next level by adding a “dash” of God to the recipe.  I know I need to explain that one, so bear with me.  Late last summer, the Lord began nudging me to lose the extra 50 pounds I had been carrying around.  He explained that, for the distance He wanted to take me, I needed to travel light.  And, once again, here is where insanity has its perks.  Not only did I believe Him, but I opened my big mouth and told everyone that I was going to lose 50 pounds in the next six months.  Not only that, but when the situation was right (and sometimes, when it wasn’t right), I would tell people that God told me to lose the weight.

As you might remember, I had a hectic travel schedule last fall (thank God).   Very often, I would wake up early to give an all-day seminar.  Afterwards, I would hop on a plane to my next city and finally arrive at the hotel; often at 10 or 11 o’clock at night.  As you can imagine, the very last thing I wanted to do was to spend the next hour in the hotel gym.  I would have preferred to hop in bed with a tray of nachos, a cheesecake and a Diet Coke from room service and doze off to SportsCenter.  Yet, I couldn’t do that because, earlier that day, I had added 200 people to the number of people who were expecting to see a skinny Sean at next year’s event.  Even worse, I had told a few select people that I was acting on God’s orders.  So for those people, not only would I be a weak man, but a weak Christian.  I could just imagine one of them saying, “Well, if God can’t depend on him, then I know our company can’t!”  In essence, I lost the weight not so much because I am strong and self-disciplined, but because I had declared “It is finished” and I had no choice but to follow through.

What do you need to be “finished” in your life?  It is a bad habit, like smoking?  Is it a pattern of behavior that leads to poor results, like being quick-tempered or a procrastinator?  Whatever it is, it’s time to put on your WWJD bracelet and follow in the footsteps of the master.  In private prayer and in public conversations, declare that “It is finished!”  It will give a boldness, power, and in my case, a sexiness, that passes all human understanding.

Can I get an amen?

See Your Way Clear

I’ve been confused for a couple of days now (nothing new there).  My confusion stemmed from 1 Samuel 8, in which the children of Israel asked Samuel for a king to lead them.  I just didn’t get why they thought they needed a king and why then.

After all, it had been almost 400 years since they had been brutally oppressed by Pharaoh.  Coming out of Egypt and into the wilderness, you think they might have asked God to make Moses their king.  After all, he had delivered them from their captivity.  But they didn’t ask for that.  And let’s be clear here.  The Israelites were not afraid to make their requests known to God.  For example, they not only asked God for quail, but complained that it didn’t come with enough flavor (remember, how they longed for the leek, onions and garlic of Egypt … Numbers 11:5).  Yet, even though, they were more than willing to tell Moses, “Hey, ask God to throw down some hot sauce,” they didn’t ask him to ask God for a king.

After entering into the Promised Land, they were led by men like Joshua and Gideon and ultimately, by the judges of Israel.  And while each of these leaders has a measure of power, none of them had the all-encompassing power of a king; and the Israelites seemed to prefer it that way.  However, at some point during the time of Samuel, the people began to clamor for a king.  They said to Samuel, “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

I couldn’t quite grasp what had changed in their situation to make them want to be ruled by someone other than God.  That is, until a few chapters later, when I came across Nahash, the king of the Ammonites.  As the 11th chapter of 1 Samuel opens, Nahash and his army have besieged the city of Jabesh Gilead.  Of course, the Israelites being attacked by their neighbors is nothing unusual; it’s actually the norm.  However, what is unusual here is that the normally brave Israelites actually beg for peace.  They say, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.” (1 Samuel 11:1)

If you think that is strange, check out Nahash’s response. “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.” (1 Samuel 11:2)  Talk about driving a hard bargain!  It wasn’t enough for Nahash to be given complete control and authority of the city, but the men had to give up one of their eyes as well?  And to this ridiculous demand, the men of Jabesh Gilead replied, “Can we have a week to think it over?”

I kept thinking, “What was it about Nahash that made men who had been fighting their enemies in the Promised Land for 350 years so fearful?”  I just didn’t get it until I read a footnote explaining that the Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible goes into a little more detail about Nahash.  In short, before laying siege against Jabesh Gilead, Nahash had defeated the Gadites and Reubenites, gouging out the right eyes of all of the men.  A small number of these men then escaped to … you guessed it … Jabesh Gilead.

All of a sudden, the picture started to get a little clearer.  I could understand why the men of Jabesh Gilead were so willing to surrender to Nahash.  They had seen the consequences of standing up to him.  Likewise, it was becoming clearer as to why the children of Israel were so desperate for a king of their own.  While afraid of Nahash, they were strangely drawn to his power.  They wanted a Nahash of their own.  In fact, the men of Jabesh Gilead were willing to serve Nahash directly as their king.

Furthermore, as I studied Nahash a little closer, I began to realize that he was different from the other foreign rulers that the Israelites had clashed with in the past.  In ancient Hebrew, the word “Nahash” means serpent.  And, not coincidentally, Nahash used the tricks of the serpent in yet another attempt to get God’s children to forfeit their most precious gift — the gift of sight; or more specifically, the ability to see things as God sees them.

After all, the very first consequence of Adam and Eve eating the apple was that “the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.” (Genesis 3:7)  Of course, they had been naked all of the time, and they had been fine with it so long as they saw themselves as God saw them.  However, once the serpent obscured their vision, they saw things differently from the way God sees them. 

By insisting upon gouging out the eyes of his opponents, Nahash was trying to accomplish the same result.  With just one eye, the Israelite soldiers would be far less likely to succeed in a future battle against Nahash because they would lack the proper depth perception for effective hand-to-hand combat.  However, Nahash wasn’t just out to hinder the Israelites’ physical vision.  He wanted to hinder their spiritual vision as well.

One of the things that made Nahash so successful was that he was just as concerned about P.R. as he was about military prowess.  I have no proof but I’m convinced that he let the 7,000 Gadites and Reubenites escape to Jabesh Gilead so that they could tell their story and raise fear in the city.  I suspect this to be true because he agreed to let the men of Jabesh Gilead send messengers to the other tribes telling them about the situation.  He was trying to pave the way for his next conquest.  He knew that if he could affect the perceptions of the other tribes, they would also be willing to give up without a fight.  And it was working!  They were so scared that they were asking the almighty God for a king to fight their battles for them (sounds ridiculous when I put it that way, huh?).

However, that is what can happen to a people who have their vision distorted.  In times of crisis, they begin to look to men when they should be looking to God.  As a result, they begin to make “deals with the devil.”  That’s exactly what is happening in our churches today.

Last fall, the recession began to afflict people in earnest.  We began to see people losing their homes, their jobs, the savings in their 401(k) accounts, etc.  And these weren’t just anonymous faces on television screens.  Many of these people were our friends and neighbors — members of our tribe.  Seizing the opportunity, the serpent began to lay siege on Christians.

After witnessing the financial devastation faced by others, many of us lost sight of God.  Instead of heeding the words of James 4:7 (“Resist the devil and he will flee from you), we asked for terms of surrender.  And just like Nahash, the enemy chose terms that would ensure future victory.  In this case, he went after our tithes.  He told millions of Christians, “I can let you make it through this recession, but you’re going to have to cut out the tithe.”  And sadly, many of us accepted these terms of surrender.

According to numerous reports, church giving has decreased over the last year, despite the fact that church attendance has increased.  We’ve seen this phenomenon in our own church and just about every other church in the valley.  Why?  Because many Christians aren’t seeing their situation clearly.  They have bought into the lie that they can weather the economic storm if they just “batten down the hatches.”  If they can just cut expenses, they will be okay.  And when they looked at “discretionary” expenses to cut, their tithes seemed like the most logical place to cut.  And the devil shouted, “Hallelujah!”

Why?  Because like Nahash, the enemy knows that he has the best shot of ruling over us if he can distort our vision of our true salvation — God.  If he can get us to see God as a liability instead of an asset, he rules.  If he can get us to break the covenant of putting God first, he can sever the promise of His provision.  And not only is he out to rule during this crisis, he is striving for long-term victory by reducing our ability to fight back through prayer.

After all, when we don’t see God properly, we don’t pray effectively.  After all, we can’t effectively speak in the name of Jehovah-Jireh (“the Lord will provide”), if we see God as just another financial burden we must endure every month.  Likewise, we can’t possibly call out to Jehovah-Shalom (“the Lord our peace”), when we are constantly worried that we’ve “wasted” money by sowing it into the Kingdom.

As Christians, we must get our vision restored.  We need to see God with perfect clarity.  But how?  By following the example of the blind man who Jesus healed at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26).  As you remember, Jesus led the blind man out of town and partially restored his vision (“I see men walking as trees”).  So then Jesus touched him again, completely restoring his vision.  And then … don’t miss this … Jesus warned, ”Don’t go into the village.”

Likewise, if your vision is not 20/20, you need to ask God to “touch” you again.  In prayer and meditation, ask Jesus to give you a clear vision, to let you clearly see all of the times He has delivered you in the past; to let you clearly see that He loved you enough to die on a cross for you.

And, after He has restored your vision, don’t go into the village!  Your village might be the nightly news or the daily newspaper filled with countless reports of layoffs and foreclosures.  Your village might be naysaying friends or co-workers.  Regardless of whoever is bringing the bad reports from the last battle with Nahash, avoid them whenever possible.  They are obstructing your view of King Jesus.

Can You Hear Him Now?

I often speak at resorts located on lakes or in the mountains.  As a result, I will fly into a major city and then drive 100-200 miles to my ultimate destination.  During these drives, I rely on my TomTom GPS device (I call her “Tammy”) for directions.  It’s so much easier than unfolding (and trying to refold) a bulky map or trying to decipher hand-written instructions (“Is that a 4 or a 9?”) or calling ahead for directions (“When I past the eighth bait shop, make a left?”).  Instead, I simply follow Tammy’s directions as she tells me in a sultry voice, “In one mile, turn left on Main Street.”  It takes so much of the stress out of my travels.

And just imagine if we could hear as clearly from God.  If only we could hear His commands, then life would be so much easier.  Rather than trying to map out our course through books and self-help tapes or calling friends and mentors for advice, we could simply coast along on autopilot until God gave us our next instruction (“In one month, move to Chicago”, “In two years, marry Sue Ellen”, etc.)  Think about it.  Not only would life be so much less stressful, but we’d get to our destinations quicker and more consistently.

The good news is that we can hear God more clearly by learning from Samuel — the last judge of Israel.  As you remember, in 1 Samuel 3, young Samuel is lying in his bed in the house of the Lord when he hears a voice calling him.  Thinking that he is being summoned by Eli the priest, Samuel dutifully runs to the old man and says, “Here I am; you called me.”  A sleepy and irritable Eli responds, “I didn’t call you.  Now, take your crazy butt back to bed.” (Obviously, I’m paraphrasing here)  Samuel gets back into bed and once again, hears, “Samuel!”  He goes back to Eli again, who tells him that he didn’t call for Samuel and tells the young man to go back to bed.  A little while later, Samuel hears his name being called again and rushes to Eli’s bed.  However, on this third occasion, Eli realizes that Samuel must be hearing from the Lord so he instructs Samuel to go back to bed and to respond to the next call of his name by saying, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Now, whether this was incredible insight on Eli’s part or the desperate attempt of an old man trying to get a good night’s sleep is debatable.  However, what is not debatable is how this simple advice changed Samuel’s life and could change our lives as well.

Sure  enough, when the Lord called Samuel a little while later, the young man responded as he was instructed: “Speak, for your servant is listening.”   God then began to pour out revelation on Samuel.  First, he revealed the ultimate fate of Eli’s family.  However, this is just the beginning.  For the rest of Samuel’s life, he received direct instructions from the Lord that allowed the Israelites to defeat the Philistines time and again.  Furthermore, God told Samuel to appoint Saul and then later David as Israel’s first two kings.  Samuel definitely knew how to hear from the Lord, but that wasn’t always the case.

As you remember, Samuel came to live with Eli shortly after his birth.  He was raised in the house of the Lord and trained as a priest.  As a result, it’s safe to assume that Samuel had been studying the scriptures for years.  His training might have even included copying the scriptures by hand.  Yet, 1 Samuel 3:7 reads: “Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.”  As you can see, it’s possible to know the Word, but not the sound of the author’s voice.

Speaking of which, this story tells us something important about the sound of God’s voice — It is familiar.  Remember, Samuel knew Eli’s voice.  It was very likely the voice he knew best.  And when God spoke, Samuel heard a sound so familiar that he mistook it for Eli’s voice.  Likewise, I suspect that when God speaks to us, it must initially sound familiar.  In fact, you will often hear people say things like “I can’t get my mother’s voice out of my head.”  Perhaps, they are hearing the voice of God and just not knowing it.  Well, that was just a thought.  Nevertheless, Samuel’s encounter gives us a few concrete steps to train our ears to hear God.  

For one, we need to turn down the background noise so that God’s voice can be heard.  After all, God didn’t try to speak to Samuel while he was in the marketplace or even during religious services.  He spoke to Samuel late in the evening when everyone had gone to bed.  It’s often said that God speaks in a “still, small voice.”  Many times, we drown out that voice by surrounding ourselves with noise and then we wonder why we can’t get the instructions we need from God.  It would be like me driving down the road wearing my iPod headphones with the car stereo cranked on full volume and with the windows open and then being surprised that I didn’t hear Tammy’s instructions about the exit 200 miles ago.  We often drown out the voice of God by blaring our car stereo on the way to work, going to sleep with the TV on, and spending all night talking on the phone or e-mailing friends on the Internet and then we wonder why we “God is silent.”  He isn’t silent.  He just can’t be heard over all of the static.  Therefore, at the very least, we must turn down the noise.

Second, we must be receptive to God’s message.  As we see from the story, God waited until Samuel was listening before pouring out his revelation.  The word of God is simply too powerful to be poured upon the ground in a spirit of Onan (see Genesis 38).  God’s Word is life-giving and life-restoring.  God gave birth to the entire universe with four little words, “Let there be light.”  Jesus called a man from the grave with “Lazarus, come forth!”  Therefore, unlike a certain disciple in training, who might spend an hour writing blog entries that nobody reads (hypothetically speaking, of course), God isn’t going to waste his time speaking to someone who isn’t listening.  Until we make ourselves available to Him and say, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening,” we aren’t going to get much revelation.

Third, we must keep going back to God for His word.  Just as my Tammy doesn’t shout out all of the instructions at the beginning of the journey, God parcels out the information on a need-to-know basis.  God didn’t tell Samuel everything he needed to know in order to be judge over Israel.  He didn’t tell him where to keep the ark or how to find Saul or David.  God gave Samuel just a little piece in the puzzle.  Likewise, God isn’t going to lay out your entire life story for you the moment you say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  Quite frankly, none of us could handle the complexity of his master plan.  Instead, we are going to get turn-by-turn instructions.  ”Call Steven!” “Tell your wife that you love her.” “Buy the man of God an iPod.”

Therefore, we must continually seek His word and guidance.  And we do so by clearing out the distractions and making ourselves available to hear the Word of God.  Can you hear Him now?

Call It Out!

Today, my daily Bible reading took me to the story of Lazarus, as told by John in the 11th chapter of his gospel.  (On a side note, I get my daily reading assignment from a website that Chris shared with me last year.  It takes about 15 minutes to read through the selected passages each day and I highly recommend it.)

As you know, the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is one of the most common topics for preachers and rightfully so.  These 44 verses are packed with wisdom and truth.  From the story, we begin to understand why Jesus will sometimes wait before answering our prayers.  We also learn that, even if we faithfully serve the Lord like Martha and Mary, we aren’t exempt from trouble.  Nevertheless, we learn that Jesus weeps with us during our low points, even when He has already ordained to restore us in the end.  And, ultimately, we learn that there is often a purpose to our pain and that, in the words of Paul, “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

However, the part of the story that resonates the most with me is Verse 43: “Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’”  I get goose bumps every time I read it.  I can just picture Jesus standing outside of the tomb amongst the crowd that had gathered.  People are murmuring and asking, “Why are they rolling back the grave stone?  Who does this Jesus think he is?”  And then Jesus starts to speak in that thundering voice that quieted the storm with “Peace be still.” (Matthew 8:23-27, Mark 4:37-41, and Luke 8:23-25). He says just three little words and Lazarus is released from the prison of death. Even more, in this shortest of sermons, Jesus teaches us everything we need to know in order to overcome defeat in our own lives.

Jesus’ sermon can be broken into two parts: (1) The necessity to speech; and (2) The specificity of speech. As for the first part, Jesus gives a “pre-sermon” in Verses 41-42:

“Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’”

In essence, Jesus is saying, “God, I know that you have already agreed to raise Lazarus and that your will be done, but for the benefit of the skeptics, let’s make sure that there is no confusion as to how Lazarus is raised, so I’ll say it and you do it.”  Jesus wanted to make sure that there was no question as to the source of the miracle.  Likewise, we should make it equally clear about the source of the miracles that God works in our lives; and that means calling them out, even in the face of the skeptics.

We need to speak out loud about getting a new job, growing our businesses, finding a mate, growing our ministries, etc.  We should do so not as a way of bragging about our abilities or as a means of self-promotion.  We should do so for the same reason that Jesus did — so that the people can see the glory of God.  When you’ve prayed for something and have received word from God that He will bring it to pass, you should call it out.  (“My family is coming to the Lord this year!”  ”My business is going to double despite the recession!”  ”God is healing the cancer in my body!”)  That way, when the miracle occurs, there can be no doubt as to who gets the glory.

The second thing is that Jesus was specific.  He called out Lazarus.  From a practical standpoint, it would have been safer for Him to just shout, “Come out!”   That way, if God couldn’t raise Lazarus but instead, God could raise someone who had been dead, say, for just a day or two, Jesus could have claimed that victory for God as well.  And you might find that example absurd, but as Christians, we make these type of vague pronouncements all of the time.  We say things like, “God is opening doors in my business” or “God is strengthening my relationships” or “God is growing me in wisdom.”

And while there is certainly nothing wrong with any of these statements, they are just a tad weak for such an awesome God.  I suspect that we say them to give God an “out” if He fails to come through for us.  In doing so, we demonstrate our unbelief and assure that we will NOT receive the promises of God.  As Jesus said in Verse 40, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”  Obviously, the prerequisite here is to believe.  You must believe to receive.  Furthermore, you must communicate it to others so that when (not if) God comes through, they will believe as well.

The First Fruit

When looking to the heroes of the Bible for inspiration, we tend to focus on the faithfulness of men like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, Peter, Paul, John and the like.  And while these men are certainly worthy of our admiration, we must be careful not to miss the lessons to be offered by the women of faith in the Bible.  While very few of these woman have books of the Bible named after them (and some like the Samaritan woman at the well and Samson’s mother weren’t even referred to by name), we can draw just as much strength from their stories.  In fact, I’m going to argue that, in some cases, these women were better role models than the men.

Take, for instance, Hannah, Samuel’s mother.  As you remember, Hannah was married to Elkanah but had not borne him any children.  In contrast, Elkanah’s other wife, Penninah, was having babies like the Octomom on steroids.  To make matters worse, Penninah was a … well, let’s just say that she wasn’t very nice to her “sister wife.”  Instead, she would taunt Hannah and make her cry.

One day, Hannah reached her breaking point.  And while no one would have really blamed her for opening up a can of “Whoop ass” on Penninah, that isn’t what she did.  She didn’t even complain to Elkanah or confront him with an ultimatum.  Nor did she call her girlfriends.  ”Girl, Penny is working my last good nerve!  If she calls me Hannah Bar-barren one more time, it’s on!”  Instead, she took her troubles to the Lord.  ”In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10)

Just as an aside, we should note that Hannah didn’t come to the Lord with one of those false King James prayers that we are tempted to pray.  ”Thank thee Father for thou great and exceeding grace!  Thou holiness and righteousness …”  To the contrary, like the young kids say, “She was keeping it real!”  She wept and mumbled with such fervor that Eli the priest thought she was drunk.

In her desperation for a child, Hannah even went so far as to strike a bargain with God saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:11)  If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking that Hannah went too far.  After all, what’s the point in asking God for something that you are just going to give back to Him anyway?  It’s seems kind of pointless.

That is, unless we take into account that everything belongs to God in the first place.  ”The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1)  As a result, when we ask for any blessing from Him, we really should be saying, “Lord, please entrust me with this child (business, ministry, job, etc.) so that I may use it to honor You.”  Otherwise, why should God entrust us with blessings?

Now, if you’re like me, you’re thinking, “That makes sense but why her only child?”  After all, it would be one thing if she had, say, four sons (hypothetically speaking, of course).  In that case, she might be glad to let one of them go, particularly if he had, say, poured Coke all over Daddy’s new laptop over the weekend (hypothetically speaking, of course).  Seriously, none of us would have a problem with donating, say, our fourth million dollars to the church or even our summer home to be used for a church retreat.  However, to give God the first blessing seems a little much.

Yet, this is precisely what God wants — our first blessing.  In Deuteronomy 18:4, He commands the Israelites, “You shall give him the first fruits of your grain, your new wine, and your oil, and the first shearing of your sheep.”  This is commonly referred to as the “first fruits” offering.  However, God goes much further than that.  In Numbers 3:13, He lays claim to something even more precious.  ”When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set apart for myself every firstborn in Israel, whether man or animal. They are to be mine. I am the LORD.”  It doesn’t get much clearer than that.

That being the case, why is Hannah such a hero?  After all, she was just doing what God required.  Well, as I see it, that simple act of obedience alone would have qualified her for the Bible Hall of Fame.  Yet, she went much further than just doing her duty.

Remember, she specifically asked for a son.  She could have asked the Lord for a daughter, who she would have been able to rightfully keep.  Yet, she didn’t.  Furthermore, even bearing a son, she did have an option of keeping him for herself through the process of Pidyon HaBen.  In short, Numbers 18:15-16 provided a process for parents to redeem (buy back) their first born son from the Lord for five shekels.  It certainly appears that Hannah’s husband, Elkanah, had the means to effect the redemption.  And even if he didn’t, Hannah was likely eligible for one of the many exceptions that the Israelites had built into the law over time, such as an exception for mothers who had previously miscarried a child.

Yet, Hannah didn’t try to get out of her obligation to honor God with this very special first fruit — Samuel.  As soon as the boy was weaned, she took him to Eli the priest and said, “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28)  Knowing how much my wife loves our sons (even the Coke spiller), I can’t even imagine how hard this must have been for Hannah.  I’m tempted to wonder how she had the strength to give up the one thing she wanted most in the entire world and then … get this … walk away singing a song of praise to God.

However, I know the answer.  She didn’t give up Samuel at all.  Instead, she simply entrusted the boy back into the Lord’s care.  In a sense, she said, “God, you know how to raise this boy better than I could ever know how to do, so why don’t you raise him for me?”  And she was right.  As a result of being raised in the house of the Lord, Samuel went on to become one of the greatest prophets of Israel, specifically selecting its first two kings — Saul and David.   I doubt that Hannah could have raised him any better, although she did get a chance to exercise her parenting skill as God later blessed her with another three sons and daughters.

So what does this have to do with you and me?  Am I suggesting that we all drive our first born sons to Pastor Terry and shout, “Numbers 3:13!  Read it and weep, Terry”?  No, I’m not suggesting that (as tempting as it might be in my case).  However, I am suggesting that we should give God our first fruits by entrusting them into his care; at least, in two areas (for starters).  From a financial standpoint, that means trusting God with the first installment of a new raise or increase.  From a time standpoint, that means trusting God with the first hour of our day.

And while I know that neither of these things is easy to do, I truly believe that, in the long run, we will be glad that we did.  After all, can you take care of your money better than God can?  Likewise, can you manage your time better than He can?  Of course not!  I truly believe that if we sow our money and time first into His kingdom, the harvest will be greater than we could have ever hoped for.  Second, as a side benefit, I truly believe that the Lord will bless you with additional fruit.  After all, He gave the previously barren Hannah five more children.  Likewise, if you give God the first fruit of a new contract or a new promotion, he just might give you five new contracts or promotions down the line.  Likewise, if you give God the first hour of your day, he just might redeem that time five-fold by showing you the proper course of action over your day.

And if you’re still skeptical, why not test it out?  While the Lord certainly does not like to be tested (“You shall not put the LORD your God to the test” Deutoronomy 6-16), He provides one exception for us.  In Malachi 3:8-12, we read the following:

“Will a man rob God?  Yet you rob me.  But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’  In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. ¹¹ I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty.  ”Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.

This is your one chance to test God to see if He is true to his word.  Why not take advantage of this unique opportunity?  I can tell you from experience that you won’t be sorry!

Daniel Fast

How many of you are going to participate in the Daniel Fast?

I am, and I thought it was funny Tom Moffett had his hamburger to get ready for the fast. I did the exact same thing-ate lunch  at Cheeburger Cheeburger (had a semi-serious 1/3 lb, half order frings-french fries and onion rings, and three vanilla pepsi’s;mmmm….it was good).

But for the next three weeks it’s fruits and vegetables, no breads, meat, etc.

Seeing With God’s Eyes

I absolutely LOVED Pastor Terry’s message on last Sunday (November 23th).  I particularly liked the part where he talked about how much God loves each of us.  With all of our imperfections (of course, in my case, I’m speaking hypothetically but let’s just assume for this purpose that I am not perfect … I know it’s hard so use your imaginations) … Anyway, with all of our imperfections, it gets hard to see just how “fearfully and wonderfully we are made.”  As a result, it becomes hard to expect the best in life.  After all, if we’re honest, we know we don’t deserve the best.

That is why it’s so important to “lean not upon your own understanding” but to borrow God’s glasses … so to speak.  Remember, every great man of faith from the Bible is someone who had to borrow God’s glasses.  For example, at first, Moses didn’t think he was eloquent enough to speak for his people.  But God could see Moses standing up to Pharaoh and saying with power and conviction, “Let my people go!”  Likewise, Gideon couldn’t see himself as a “mighty man of valor.”  After all, he was from the smallest tribe and the least of those, yet when the time came, Gideon was all God could see that he was.  And it happened time and time again.  Didn’t Abraham’s wife, Sarah, laugh at the angel when he said that God would give her a child?  Didn’t John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, become unable to speak after disbelieving Gabriel when he told him that Zechariah would have a son in his old age?

What is my point?  My point is this … If you want to accomplish something great for God (and I suspect we all want to do that), it starts with getting His vision of you.  One of my most persistent prayers is for God to show me just a glimpse of how He sees me.  And whenever He does, I find that I have the strength and stamina to walk in His vision.  In fact, and here’s the weird part, it takes almost no discipline and will power to do it because God’s glasses are so powerful that they distort reality.

I had a great example of that just this weekend.  I went to the Men’s Wearhouse to buy a couple of new suits (the designer suits were 2-for-1 and that’s good “stewardship”, right?).  I ran into my normal salesperson and she was shocked at all of the weight I had lost.  She kept making such a big deal about the fact that I had lost 40 pounds since my last visit.  When she measured me, she couldn’t believe that I had taken 6 inches of my waistline but here’s the weird part — I was slightly disappointed.  Why?  Because when I look in the mirror, I don’t see a 210-pound man.  I see the 190-pound man that God has shown me.  In fact, I’ve seen it since I started dieting and exercising in September.

At 250 pounds, I was prancing around our bedroom in my underwear (don’t picture it, you’ll go blind) and saying to Renee, “You’re just jealous!  Admit it!  You wish your belly was this flat!”  Now, mind you, I was saying this to woman who weighs 110 pounds.  And get this!  At first, I was a little upset that she wasn’t seeing it.  When she finally did see it, I was tempted to have an attitude but then I remembered that I was wearing God’s glasses.  In fact, just today, I was wearing a skin tight tanktop at the gym.  When Renee saw me come home in it, her look said, “No, he didn’t!”  Yet, she knows me well enough to know that I’m not seeing reality clearly, so she just bit her tongue (you have to love a good woman!).

Seriously, as the New Year approaches and we begin to shift our focus to walking into our destinies in the New Year, I want to encourage you to spend some time in prayer asking God to just give you a “peek” at the 2009 model of the Aaron 3000 or the Deon XLT or the Chris 735i … well, you know what I mean.  All you need is to see what God has in store for you, even if it’s just a piece of the picture and it will be enough to get you stepping in the right direction.  By no means do I have the whole puzzle put together, but I find that as I start working on the little corners and circles and squares that I can see, the big picture is beginning to come in greater focus and guess what … it is PHENOMENAL!  But, of course, what other destiny would God have in store for one of His very favorite sons?

Oh yeah, just so we’re clear, all of you are His other favorite sons!

“Out-gracing” God?

I recently terminated the relationship with one of my two employees.  As our relationship wound down, I found myself becoming increasingly bitter, feeling that I had been “cheated” by a lack of effort on her part.  When it came time to calculate her final paycheck, we had a slight disagreement over the correct amount considering that her employment ended during the middle of a pay period.  The dispute was over a measly $166, but I found myself becoming incensed by the “nerve of that woman!”  [To be honest, I'm not sure those were my exact words.  Pray for me!]

I was really getting upset when God spoke to me.  Our conversation went something like this:

God:  ”Sean, just pay her the higher amount and be done with it!”

Me: “No way!   She’s not entitled to it!  In fact, considering the crappy work she did over the last month, she owes me money!”

God: “Maybe so, but I want you to be the bigger person here!”

Me: “Why do I have to always be the bigger person?  I want to just pay her what she deserves.  Why should I be better to her than she has been to me?  I should treat her no better or worse than she treats me, right?”

God: “Okay, if that’s how you want to do it.  By the way, when should I start treating you no better or worse than you treat me?”

Then it hit me!  God is INFINITELY better to me than I am to Him.  Here I was complaining that the woman who worked for me for an entire year was going to get $166 more than she deserved when God has blessed me so much more than I deserve that it can’t be numerically calculated.  I was terrified to think about what my life would be like if I got what I “deserved” from God.

As you can imagine, I quickly changed my tune by saying, “You know, God, since you put it that way, I guess I will just pay the extra money.”  In fact, I wrote the check and sent it off within the hour (I guess I was trying to act before God changed his mind).

Here are the two things that struck me about that episode:

1)  IMMEDIATELY, I felt a sense of peace.  I was really mad and resentful but the moment I wrote the check, I felt better about the whole thing.  I even started to see her side of the situation and started to see her in a better light, realizing that she had done a lot to help grow the business and a $166 “bonus” was the least I could do.

2)  When I thought about how good God is to me, I began to realize that I have NO excuse not to treat other people well.  As I see it, if I were to give “unearned” money to every person in need, “unearned” encouragement to every person in pain, and “unearned” friendship to every person in loneliness, I would still be in the red in compared to all of the unearned blessings that God has bestowed on me.  As a result, I’ve made it one of my daily goals to treat everyone I meet better than they treat me.

Needless to say, I haven’t been completely successful with this goal (I do so enjoy my pampering) but I have taken some small steps (e.g., holding doors open for people, helping women lift their bags into the overhead compartments on the plane, etc.).  For you guys, this stuff comes naturally but the idea of serving others (without the expectation of anything in return) is foreign to me.  I can’t believe that it actually feels good to go out of your way to help a complete stranger.  Who knew?

Michael W. Smith’s ‘It’s A Wonderful Christmas’ tour w/Melinda Doolittle

Went to the MWS ‘It’s A Wonderful Christmas’ tour last night at Christ Church of the Valley. Melinda Doolittle from American Idol was also there. He had four other singers, two men, two women backing. One of the men was also a former American Idol contestant.

It was a nice concert, although the logistics could have worked a bit better, only in that there seemed to be a bit of confusion with respect to where to stand in line prior to being admitted (it was general admission, all seating areas, and people didn’t really know where to stand). Other than that, the church itself is very nice. It probably holds about 4,000 people.

The concert was sold out. Smitty played with the Arizona State Symphony orchestra and had his own backing musicians (electric guitar, bass, drums). He and the others sang a total of about two hours, some of his work, and other Christmas favorites.

The main thing he stressed was that we take with us that this was about Jesus, and to remember that He is the reason for this season of Christmas that we are celebrating.

Very enjoyable. My sister and I took my parents to the concert for one of their Christmas presents.

We were able to eat a quick meal at Applebee’s, who performed spectacularly in both seating us near immediately and getting or order out in just about 10 minutes.

Smitty is 51 years old; I didn’t realize.

Throw Your Budget Out of the Window

I recently received a disturbing letter from a church in Gilbert that I have been supporting for the last year.  The senior pastor explained how the church has grown in membership by 50% in the last year but it is now losing money every week because people are giving dramatically less as a result of the economy.  According to a recent article, this is a trend at churches across the country as 20% of households have reduced their religious giving.  And it couldn’t be happening at a worst time.

This economy presents a wonderful opportunity for us to take back territory as people lose confidence in the worldly ways of “success” and “security”.  As they see their jobs and the value of their homes and retirement plans diminish, they will be looking for another source of “consumer confidence.”  In short, where do they place their faith when they lose faith in the Fed or the dollar or their employer?  Of course, we have the answer to where to place their faith, but I fear that they won’t see it when they come stumbling into our churches.

After all, our decreased giving shows that where we place our faith, and it’s not in the Lord.  When times get tough, we are as likely as anyone to start tightening our belts — to hold on tightly to what we have.  This is despite the fact that Jesus taught just the opposite.

When times get tough (and they were ALWAYS tough in Jesus’ time), He didn’t say, “The Lord is leading me to Samaria, but we’re going to have to wait on that guys.  Have you seen the price of sandals?”  Nor did He say, “You guys want to have a Last Supper?  Are you crazy?  We don’t have the budget for that.  Let’s just do a pot luck thingie.”

Jesus didn’t let His budget determine His mission.  In fact, He did just the opposite.  He let the mission determine the budget.  He did what the Father led Him to do and let the money take care of itself.  A great example of this is the most famous sermon of all-time — The Sermon on the Mount.  This sermon has served as inspiration for BILLIONS but it would have never occurred had Jesus been limited by His budget.  After all, they didn’t have a catering budget to feed the multitude that day.  However, Jesus didn’t let that get in His way because He knew that He was bigger than their budget and that He had the power to do miracles.

We have that same power, my brothers.  Jesus showed us how to obtain financial provision for ourselves in Matthew 17 when the tax collectors came to Peter wanting a two-drachma tax from Jesus.  Being God in the flesh, Jesus could have just materialized the money out of thin air, but He didn’t.  He showed Peter how to get it for himself.  Jesus said:

“… go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” 

Think about this for a second.  He tells Peter — the fisherman — to … get this … GO FISHING.  While Jesus could have put the money anywhere — in a cup, buried in the ground, or wherever — He put the money in the one place where Peter was uniquely qualified to get it.  After all, Peter could catch fish in his sleep.

I truly believe that the same level of provision is available to each of us.  As a result, we can give as God wants us to give because when we need more money — we can go fishing (or go speaking or go farming or go catering or go teaching or what have you).  And I’m not just giving you some pledge-a-thon lines from a TBN preacher here, I’ve LIVED the truth of this lesson.  I still do.  

For years, my budget determined my giving.  And guess what?  I had very little of either.  I’d hold back from God and say, “I’m not sure what next month is going to bring so let me hold onto this money and if I have any left over, I’ll give you a cut.”  And not surprisingly, there was never any money left over at the end of the next month.

Finally, last year, I stopped letting my budget determine my giving.  I set aside a certain amount of money that goes to God NO MATTER WHAT.  Furthermore, during the month, if I feel led to write a check on Miracle Sunday or to give to an orphanage in the Philippines or tip the cab driver a days’ pay, then I obey knowing that God has a lake full of coin-mouthed fish waiting for me.  And He has been faithful 100% of the time.  In fact, more often than not, I find 10 coins for every coin I give (and I’m not counting all of the non-financial blessings that He seems to throw in as a “bonus”).

My brothers, we have been called to be a light to the world — to show them whom to trust and whom to follow.  But we can’t show them how to follow Christ when we couldn’t find him with GPS, Mapquest or a seeing eye-dog.  Christ didn’t “tighten his belt”, “cut back” or “become a good steward.”  He boldly went about doing His Father’s business.

In 2009, let us do likewise.  Let us take advantage of this opportunity to meet the Great Commission by consecrating ourselves (setting ourselves apart) by living differently than our peers.  As the world frets and stresses over finances and figures out how to do with less, let’s throw our budgets out of the window.  Let’s live by faith and not by sight.  Let’s advance the kingdom during an economic decline.

Amen?

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year…

Had a great Christmas–I’m on vacation until 1.05.09. I’m starting to gear up again for school (starts 1.12.09) by reading two chapters a day (no notes, just reading for now).

As I have been taking care of things the last few weeks, my thoughts are beginning to turn towards what things I want to accomplish in 2009. I’ll start revisiting my goals, dreams, and plans, and what I need to do to make these things happen. Some things are set (for instance, in school until 9.11.09) and others will need to be worked in (like finding a girlfriend, getting out more often, and working on my house in between classes and work).

Stay tuned, Sean my be sharing with us his timeless wisdom from one of his future webinars, “How To Achieve More Than Ever Before in 2009″. Of course as exclusive members of this City of Grace small group, you’ll be the first to hear it.

Blessing the Man of God?

Quick question: Do any of you give directly to the Man of God?

In other words, rather than just writing a check to the church, do you instead give directly to the pastor?

If so, how often?  On Easter?  On Christmas?  Do you also honor birthdays, church anniversaries, etc.?

Finally, in what amount?  Is the gift equal to, say, your weekly tithe?  Or is it the size of your monthly tithe?

Most importantly, is there any Biblical guidance for giving directly to the Man of God?

Let God Set Your Goals

As I have spent the last few days reflecting on 2008 and planning for 2009, I have come to a shocking conclusion: I HAVE BEEN WRONG!  I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.  Let me explain:

For years, I have leaned on Psalm 37:4:

“Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

I mistakenly believed that this verse meant that God would give me what I wanted (the desires of my heart).  However, I’m beginning to realize that it isn’t all about me (just mostly … hehe) and specifically, God is not here to serve my agenda; but vice-versa.  It isn’t about what I want.  It’s about what He wants.

Instead, I now believe that when the verse says that God will give me the desires of my heart, it means literally that … God will put those desires in my heart.  Therefore, rather than giving me every THING I want, He will give me my actually wants — wants that are in line with His will for my life.

As I think about the miraculous year of 2008, I realize that God didn’t just help me reach my goals but he actually set many of the goals within my heart.  At the beginning of the year, it wasn’t my goal to lose weight.  He put that goal into my heart in August.  The same is true for the improvements in other areas.  Not one of these goals was in my day planner in January.  God moved me in that direction at some point during the year.

The really cool thing about God giving you the desires of your heart is that success is simple.  Unless you think our God is a sadist, you should have every confidence that His goals will be achieved.  After all, which one of you would set an impossible goal for your child; one that you know will only lead to heartbreak and disappointment?  Well, if you wouldn’t do such a thing, then certainly our all-loving and all-knowing God wouldn’t do so either.

Therefore, as you set goals for 2009, I suggest that you get you out of the equation.  Rather than deciding on what you want, ask God,  ”What do you want for me in 2009?”  

Of course, the trick is to distinguish His wants from your own.  I must confess that I have often substituted my desires for His.  My prayers have often been like this: “God, I really, really, really want this thing, but I only want to do what is in your will, so let’s do this: Unless you strike me dead in the next 12 seconds, I will assume that you really want me to have it too.  Amen!”  Sadly, I’m only exaggerating a little bit.

In any event, I think the key to learning God’s will in this context can be found in the first part of the verse: “Delight yourself in the Lord.”  That’s why I think it’s so important to spend some time reflecting on what the Lord did for you in 2008.  This does two things for you:

(1) It gets God’s attention.  Scripture tells us that God “inhabits the praises of his people.”    In fact, the Lord’ prayer tells us to first acknowledge and praise God before getting to the daily bread part.

(2) It reminds you of how good God has been in the past and that you can trust in Him.  This is particularly important when God gives you a goal that doesn’t seem to make sense (at least, in relation to what you want to accomplish most).  For example, the Lord planted a desire in me this summer to clean up my credit (which I did).  In relation to my other goals, this seemed like an irrelevant goal at the time, but now, I’m beginning to see why God pushed me to deal with this problem (one I had suffered from for the last FIFTEEN years).  As the Lord continues to bless my speaking and grow my business, I can’t be limited by poor credit.  I need the ability to open office space, obtain a line of credit at the bank, purchase property, etc.  All of these things are made much easier with good credit.

Therefore, as the year ends, I encourage you to spend some time delighting in the Lord.  Think back to all of the things He has done for you in 2008.  Think about how He has kept you and your family safe from illness or accidents.  Think about how He has protected your job or company despite a horrible economy.  Think about the about how He has guided your path in your relationships with your spouse, children, parents, co-workers, etc.  If you spend some quality time in thought about these things, I truly believe that God will give you the desires of your heart so that your 2009 will be even greater than your 2008.

Changing the metaphor of your life…

I just bought a new laptop last month and as I’m transferring files, applications, pictures and miscellaneous pieces of data I’ve accumulated over the last several years, I’m noticing some things about my personality. As I’ve gone through my life, living it out, “life happens”. I accumulate, but don’t always follow through.

I think part of the reason has to do with an element of fear being present. Not always knowing how to put it all together, sometimes I don’t even try. Thus the explanation for the unfinished files, the started projects, all without any follow through.

This is a pattern I’ve followed in my house as well. As some of you know, I’m coming up on my seventh year of home ownership, and although substantial improvements have been made to the structure since I bought it, it still has miles to go before it will be the kind of home I want it to be. I started thinking about this the other day as I was looking around the house and my father and I were patching a place where the neighborhood cats have been retreating into to get out of the cold (they found an entrance into the storage room where the water heater is).

So the metaphor, as I see it, is not finishing things (for instance, plans, hopes and dreams that I’ve started to log in files on my computer; and the house–with its unfinished rooms, floors, lack of furniture, etc.) out of a fear of the future, unknowns with respect to my  job, the economy, etc.

But as I read Sean’s post about budgeting and trusting God for the provision of my future, I started thinking (and I’ve been evidencing some of this anyway over the last year or two, but it’s starting to come into focus now) there really isn’t any reason for me to doubt God. Going back over the years of my life, even in the bad times, I always had a roof over my head, health insurance, a car, good health, and never really lacked for anything.

So as I move ahead in 2009, I am changing the metaphor for my life. You will begin to see progress in all areas of my life, not just educationally. Spiritually, physically, mentally, and especially with respect to relationships (yes, I’ll expect all of you to be at the wedding; don’t know when or with who yet, but she’ll be a beauty–remember the verse in Genesis about Rachel (Genesis 29:17 (New International Version) 17 Leah had weak ^[a] eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.) I’m asking God for a wife that is lovely in form, and beautiful; that includes her mind and personality)

God has provided for me before, and continues to provide, but this year is going to be the year to out-do all years. As for the recession/depression/whatever it is, I’m not going to participate.

I’m praying for all of us that God continues to show himself strong in our lives, relationships, finances, health, and every other need we may have. He is mighty!

Happy New Year, everyone.

Still thankful–what about you?

Guys,

In October of 2007 I proposed that we start sending each other e-mails whenever we have something we are thankful to God for. Steveo just added his thanks for the New Year’s Eve/Day experience with his family.

I’d like to see continuation of this via this weblog. You’ll need to create an account to post to the weblog. It’s easy to do. Once you add a new post it comes to the administrator (me) and I post them immediately (sorry I haven’t figured out yet how to get you direct posting access–I’ve tried). I check the weblog daily, and any pending posts I publish immediately.

I’ll start off…

I’m thankful to my father God for my wonderful family, the blessings of time off from work, a the chance to experience the sights, sounds, and flavor, of Christ’s birth over this Christmastime. Thankful I was able to meet with Sean, talk to Adam, Steve, and Mark Barry. Thankful I was able to spend time with my parents, sister, and relatives.

Thankful I’ve been blessed financially, physically, spiritually, and mentally. God really does, like Sean mentioned, like to show off. I just finished a twelve day vacation–nice. I was able to begin getting ready for my next term in school, do some housework, and lots of shopping. I’m also thankful that God is beginning to take my previous experiences and present me with opportunities to use them in new and exciting ways. I’m am truly blessed. Thank you Jesus!

At one point Aaron suggested naming the weblog ‘Iron Sharpens Iron’ or something similar after the verse, Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. I agree with Aaron. I believe as we share our gratitude and thankfulness to God for what He’s provided us with, we each learn from, and grow spiritually.

Looking forward to becoming sharper each day with fellowship and encouragement from each of you.

Put Your Foot In It!

While it is not my practice to pray for others because that takes mental energy away from my favorite subject of prayer — me.  Nevertheless, I can’t help thinking about Deon’s new ministry opportunity — to show the world that we serve an awesome God who “shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

Deon has such a glaring opportunity to show the glory of God; that He can prosper His servants even in “the worst economy since the depression.”  Just imagine how the world will look at this.  I have to believe that some of them will put away their financial guru books and motivational tapes and pick up a Bible — the only place they will ever find the true recipe for “good success.”

This can be such an exciting time, not just for Deon, but for the rest of us as well; provided that we learn from the children of Israel when they finally entered into their promised land:

“So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that isbeside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.” (Joshua 3:14-17)

Of course, it was nothing new for God to part the waters for His people.  He had done it 40 years earlier when they crossed the Red Sea.  However, that time, He parted the water before asking them to step foot into it.  But, this time, He basically says, “Before I dry up a single drop of water, I want you to put your foot in it.”  In other words, God would only move after they stepped out in faith.

I certainly don’t claim to fully understand the mind of God, but it seems to me that God might have wanted His people to step out in faith as a display to their enemies, who would know that the Israelites were walking by faith and not by sight.  After all, everything that God commanded was contrary to the “smart” way of doing battle.

For one, a “smart” invader would have waited until the Jordan wasn’t overflowing during the harvest.  At other times in the year, they could have easily crossed the Jordan.  But God picked the most inopportune time (like, say, in the middle of a recession to ask someone to make a career change).

Second, they were crossing into enemy territory to reclaim land, by force if necessary.  So who does God chose to lead them into this battle?  Priests!  Maybe I’m mistaken here, but I don’t think that the U.S. assigned priests to lead the invasion of Normandy or Iraq; at least, not in the first wave of troops.  And it’s not like these priests were special forces priests armed with rocket launchers or even slingshots (or Super Soakers); not that it would have done them any good as they had to use all of their strength to hold the Ark of the Covenant.  What kind of fools would rush into battle this way?

God’s fools!  Godly leaders are willing to look foolish — to put their foot in it.  When God said march around the city walls seven times and blow a trumpet, Joshua put his foot in it.  When God said dismiss the greater part of your army and take just 300 men to attack the enemy, Gideon put his foot in it.  If you and I are willing to do the same, we can achieve great things for the kingdom.

In my view, one of the most promising things about the crossing of the Jordan is that God didn’t require all of the Israelites to step into the Jordan.  He only required twelve priests, one from each of the tribes.  In a sense, the whole tribe received the full blessing of crossing into the promise land because of the belief of their priest.  As “priests” in our families, we have the same opportunity to bless them through our obedience, if we are willing to do the “foolish” thing, whether that foolish thing is to start or expand a business in the midst of an economic downturn, or to pursue a more active ministry in spite of pressing family and work commitments, or to use our God-given talents even if they might have become a little “rusty” for lack of use, or what have you.

Now, you guys know that I have no problem with playing the fool (I’ve had lots of practice), so I’m not just cheerleading for Deon, but I will be running right along with him.  My question for you is: Will you join us?

Moving In The Moment

Awhile back I wrote about changing the metaphor for my life and how this year things would be different. Moving ahead in my life, continuing to make progress, and more. That post was written beginning of 2009, and now we’re nearly to the end of February already. Maybe I’m waxing poetic a little bit because today’s my birthday, I don’t know. I’m beginning to reflect on what I’ve been doing so far, and if things are actually changing.

Well, the great news is yes–things are changing–and they’re for the positive. Now, similar to Sean’s post about putting your foot in it, I (after Deon’s suggestion) call it ‘moving in the moment’. I am moving in the moment.

You see, for so many years, I was stuck in the moment, or worse yet, looking back at the moments past. I wasn’t moving at all.

But as I’ve grown up (both physically and spiritually) I’m beginning to make the progress that I need to get where I want to go. I too am not always sure where God is leading me, but things are starting to become clearer. I can see opportunities on the horizon.

In the next week or so I will find out if I am given a severance package as part of a downsizing (one of Sean’s favorite terms, I know). Of course I think I’m indispensable to the company, but they may, in fact, see things differently. I’ll know soon enough. If I am downsized, this will bring other opportunities that are waiting in the wings, and may just be my opportunity to ‘put my foot in it’ or begin ‘moving in the moment’. It would just be a little faster than I’d planned. That can be a good thing though, because sometimes in life, we don’t take action until we’re forced to, or absolutely have to.

Starting with those English classes I took in 2007, I began to move in a forward direction, without a complete knowledge of where things would be leading me. The overall idea is to work in some sort of marketing/advertising/entrepreneurial business area. Whether that is with my present employer or not remains to be seen. But wherever it is, I know that God will take care of me and provide for me.

But Sean is dead on when he says that these challenging, interesting, or whatever you call them times are when God can show himself strong through us to others for them to see His miraculous works in our lives.

Sometimes song lyrics can aptly describe my feelings about an issue like this–moving when I don’t want to–Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘Dive’ is one such song…

My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
Thats telling me its time to take the leap of faith
So here I go

I’m diving in I’m going deep in over my head I want to be
Caught in the rush lost in the flow in over my head I want to go
The rivers deep the rivers wide the rivers water is alive
So sink or swim I’m diving in

Here’s to putting your foot in it and moving in the moment–I’m diving in.

Come!

I was listening to a sermon while working out this morning before work (by the way, just the thought of ME being at the gym … and early in the morning at that … could be the subject of a post on miracles).  In any event, the pastor was retelling the story of Peter walking on the water.  As I just posted a message on “Putting Your Foot In It,” I thought it was an interesting coincidence.

What I found particularly interesting is that Jesus’ “sermon” to Peter consisted of one word — “Come!”  Now, remember, this is Jesus we are talking about — the greatest preacher of all-time.  Jesus could preach so well and so long that people would begin following him and end up hours away from home with no food (thus, the miracles of the fish and the loaves).  He used parables that were so layered with meaning that we are still deciphering them 2,000 years later.

However, when the Master Preacher wanted Peter to do what no person had ever done before (or since, for that matter), His sermon was just one word.  And when you think about it, Jesus always seem to make his commands very short, especially the life-changing commands.  He rose Lazarus from the grave with three simple words — “Lazarus, come forth!”  Jesus healed the paralytic with the simple command of “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”  According to John’s gospel, this man had been infirmed for 38 years.  Yet, Jesus changed his entire life in a matter of seconds with a short and simple command.

I bring up this point because I know that some of us are looking for Jesus to work a miracle in our lives during this season.  In particular, we are waiting on a word from the Lord.  If He would just tell us what to do, we could walk in assurance of His blessing.  However, I want to point out that, if we’re not careful, we could miss it because His command might be very short.

Unlike me, God knows how to make a point quickly.  Right now, He could be giving you just a one word answer to your prayers.  While you’re pouring out your heart about your wants, desires, concerns and fears, He could be simply saying, “Cook!”  Or He could be saying “Teach” or “Draw” or “Forgive” or “Leap.”

In any case, I wouldn’t count on Him to say a whole lot to you.  I certainly wouldn’t wait for him to lay out the entire plan.  If He did, you wouldn’t need to “walk by faith and not by sight.”  And you certainly wouldn’t be building the kind of testimony that will draw people to Christ — the kind that will cause others to follow your lead when you tell them to “Come … to the Lord.”

On Your Mark! Get Set! GROW!

During this morning’s workout, I listened to a sermon on Zecharias, John the Baptist’s father.  While listening to his story, a thought occurred to me — God gives fair warning.

All throughout the Bible, God told his children what He had planned for them well in advance.  He told Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation 25 years before he had his first child.  He told Noah about the flood 120 years before it happened.  He told David that he would be king when he was still a sheppard boy.  And I could go on and on.

The point is that God doesn’t just spring your destiny on you at the moment it happens.  He doesn’t say, “Okay, I’ve just decided that you should be the ruler of my chosen people as of right now.  Here’s a crown and some business cards.  Enjoy!”

He gives us fair warning.  That’s the good news.  It’s also the bad news.  Why?  Because God isn’t foretelling your destiny to show off his “psychic powers.” He’s telling you so that you can get ready …. NOW.  RIGHT NOW!  This is true even if you are YEARS away from your destiny.  Think about it.  God’s warning to Noah would have done no good at all if Noah hadn’t started building the ark well in advance of the flood.  Noah had to get started even though the nightly forecast was “Clear and sunny … again!”

In fact, here’s the interesting part … to my knowledge, God never told Noah when the flood would occur.  Perhaps, this is because God knows that we tend to put off things to the last minute.  I suspect that if He had told Noah that the ark wouldn’t be needed for 120 years, Noah wouldn’t have been so diligent on Day 1 or Day 2 or Day 30,000.

Or maybe God doesn’t tell us the “deadline” because the date hasn’t been set.  Perhaps, we set the date by our actions.  Maybe God unleashes the flood gates on our blessing only after we’ve built ourselves up to being able to receive (and sustain) the blessing.  For example, perhaps God would only make David king after he had shown himself faithful in protecting his flock; until David had learned to be the “good shepherd” himself.  That way, when it was time to face Goliath, David had built enough confidence within himself (and the Lord) that he could go into battle with just a slingshot.

In that last year, I have felt a particularly strong pull from God to make preparations for his promises.  Whether it was quitting smoking, losing weight or fixing my finances, I’ve felt that the timing of my future blessings was tied to my current actions; that in so many ways, God is anxious for me to grow up so he can grow me.

In the same way, if God has shown you a “flood” of future blessings, then I urge you to start building your ark today, even if in just small ways.  If He has shown you a future ministry, then start learning Bible verses (or, say, blogging faithfully to your brothers in Christ).  If He has shown you a new business, then choose a name, file your incorporation papers, draw your logo, etc.   If He has shown you a new wife, then start getting your surroundings ready for her (hint: Women tend to enjoy living in finished dwellings).

And trust me, this is a message that I need to read more than I need to write.  There are still quite a few areas where my greatest enemy is, as the old saying goes, “in o’ me.”  Yet, as a begin clearing away these hurdles, I can see smooth sailing head.

On your mark!  Get set!  Grow!

No Pain, No Gain

As I stood in the mirror staring at my new, sexy body (pray for me), I wondered, “How in the world did I go from that to this?”  Of course, the answer was simple — by lifting weights; by repeatedly struggling and straining until my muscles ached; by purposefully enduring pain.  Then, it hit me.  Why don’t I take this same approach in other areas of my life?

The sad truth is that almost all of my prayer life is devoted to asking God to help me avoid pain.  ”Lord, magically send me tons of new clients so I don’t have to go through the pain of attracting them myself.”  ”Lord, magically fix these kids so that I don’t have to go through the pain of disciplining them myself.”  ”Lord, magically fix this audience (and make them like the last audience who loved me) so that I don’t have to go through the pain of learning how to adjust my talk to accommodate different types of audiences.”  And the list goes on and on ….

It’s embarrassing to admit that I’ve been so silly.  And “silly” is the right word for it.  I’d never go into the gym and say to myself, “Okay, I’m going to bench press 10 pounds today to make sure that it doesn’t hurt at all.”  Nor would I say, “Okay, I’m going to run on this treadmill but the moment I get tired, I’m going to stop.”  Going into the gym with this attitude would be a complete waste of time.

Yet, I go into prayer with this kind of attitude.  And in the same way, I am completely wasting my time.  For one, God is too wise and loving to answer these prayers, because if He did, I would become fat, weak and lazy.  The only way that I will grow as an entrepreneur, father, husband, speaker and, most importantly, disciple, is to strain under the weight of problems.

Therefore, my new prayer is going to be just the opposite.  I am going to pray for opposition and challenge.  Of course, I’m also going to pay for the strength to overcome them.  Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get back to staring at my reflection in the mirror … so sexy!

Can You Follow the Leader?

Last night’s meeting got me thinking about “covenant friendships” and more precisely, my inability to form one.  I couldn’t figure it out.  After all, I’m lovable.  Truth be told, I’m downright adorable.  So why haven’t I found my Jonathon or my Ruth or my Elisha or my Timothy?  It finally occurred to me that the problem is that I have it bass-ackwards.  I’m looking to find someone to follow my lead when I should be seeking out just the opposite.  I should be looking for my David or my Naomi or my Elija or my Paul.

I know that you’ll find this hard to believe, but there is probably someone out there who is more talented, witty and good-looking than I am (I doubt it too, but for the sake of argument, go with me on this one).  If I had the good sense to attach myself to such a person in covenant friendship, I would grow so much.  After all, the real winner in the Ruth-Naomi relationship was Ruth, the younger woman.  By following Naomi’s instructions, she became the wife of the rich and powerful Boaz and become forever part of the lineage of the kings of Israel (starting with David and following all the way until Jesus).  Likewise, Elisha got a double portion of Elija’s spirit and performed twice as many miracles as his mentor.

Even Jonathon was richly rewarded for serving David, although that reward passed down to his son, Mephibosheth.  As you remember, Mephibosheth was paralyzed when his nurse dropped him in her haste to flee the royal palace after Saul and Jonathon were killed in battle.  Years later, David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”  When he learned about Mephibosheth, David had him brought to the palace and said … and I LOVE this … “Don’t be afraid, for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.”  I don’t know about you, but I’d love to pass down an inheritance for my sons so that they could always “eat at the King’s table.” (2 Samuel 9:6-8)

So what stops me?  For one, pride.  You might have noticed that I have my struggles with being prideful (although I do a good job of keeping it hidden … yeah right).  To attach myself to more seasoned man in covenant relationship would force me to constantly face the fact that I’m not “all that.”  That just hurts to think about.

Even more … and this is the big issue for me … is that you only truly establish such a relationship by following your mentor and leaving behind what you have become accustomed to.  Ruth had to leave Moab and everyone she had ever known to follow Naomi.  Elisha did the same.  In fact, his story is amazing because he was out plowing a field when Elija came up to him and threw his coat on his shoulders (as a way to show that Elija had adopted the younger man as kind of a son).  To my knowledge, the two men hadn’t spoken a word, but immediately, Elisha goes back home, slaughters the oxen, and then doesn’t even stay to eat the meat.  He gives it away to the people and goes running after Elija. (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Would I do the same thing?  If Pastor Terry came up to me after the sermon and threw his coat on my shoulders, would I give up my speaking business and follow him into the ministry?  Or would I say, “Wow!  What a nice coat!  I’ve been looking for one of these, but I’m going to have to take the sleeves out an inch or two”?   Since this is being published on the Internet, I’m going to lie and say that I would follow him without hesitation (call me if you want the real answer).

But seriously, that is the real challenge to covenant relationship — being willing to follow another man’s lead.  And I don’t just mean in terms of something as radical as a career change.  As believers, we will change churches (not that I’d ever do such a thing) for reasons as trivial as the choir doesn’t play the “right” type of music or communion isn’t served every Sunday or the pastor’s wife didn’t visit our second cousin (twice removed) in the hospital.  We do the same things as friends.  ”I used to hang out with Bill, but then he started listening to country music.  I can’t hang with that!”  ”Ted and I used to go skiing every year, but then he got into snowboarding and I’ll be damned if I’m going to buy a new board!”

In the end, the real question is are you willing to follow someone else’s lead for the sake of the relationship or is it your way or the highway?  I’ll get back to you on my answer.

Let Us Pray

Lately I’ve been spending my lunch hour in my car reading and snoozing before I go back for the last hour of the day. It’s been relatively cool out, so I can do this without getting too hot or too cold due to the weather, and it’s quiet and I get to read and study. It gives me a chance to refresh a bit before going home for the day.

Today after I woke up from my snooze, I started praying. But I didn’t really know what to pray for or about, I was really just crying out to God about several things in my life. Work, school, relationships (and lack of female thereof, especially). Alright, maybe I was mostly complaining, as in “God, you’ve got to get me out of here” or “God, you’ve got to do something about so-and-so situation”. As I was praying, I was reminded of a Bible verse in Genesis (I just started reading through the Bible again and I’m a bit behind, so still in Genesis). Here’s the story. Abraham wanted a wife for Isaac and sent his chief servant off to Aram Naharaim to go wife hunting. When he got there here’s what happened:

¹² Then he prayed, “O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. ¹³ See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. ¹⁴ May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,’ and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

¹⁵ Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. ¹⁶ The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

Before he had finished praying.

That’s the part the stands out to me. God knew what the servant was going to be praying (or needed to pray), and answered before he even finished. Pastor Judith mentioned at last week’s service that God is always there, waiting to hear from us. We just have to call on Him. I can’t tell you how many times I have not called on God’s name, because sometimes (alright, most of the time) I’m caught up trying doing it myself (or at least attempting), when what I really need to be doing is talking to God about it.

Even though I didn’t know what to pray for at the time, no more than a cry to God for help, I believe He heard and will answer that cry. Sometimes before I even finish praying.

How many times have I had a revelation, thinking I came up with it myself, but it was really God giving me His knowledge and wisdom at just the right moment. Now of course I do have brilliant ideas, but let’s just say the majority of brilliant ideas come from God (even though I might want to, I know I can’t take all the credit). But the most brilliant are the ones God puts in my mind, and gives to me for my own good.

Note to self: pray more, pray often, pray hard, pray without ceasing.

Another Steven Curtis Chapman lyric reference, but I think it fits:

Let us pray, let us pray, everywhere in every way
Every moment of the day, it is the right time
For the Father above, He is listening with love
And He wants to answer us, so let us pray

So the next time you are praying, stop and see how many times God answers your prayers before you even finish praying them.

Let us pray.

The “No Grace Zone”

A few months ago, I received a photo radar ticket for speeding while driving to Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Of course, I was totally “innocent” of this very, very minor crime.  Yet, rather than pay an additional $400 in annual insurance costs, I bit the bullet and went to traffic school.

I spent six hours in a shabby office building sitting on a chair so uncomfortable that I imagined it was originally designed for Gitmo but the CIA determined that even terrorists had some rights.  Afterwards, I began the excruciating four-mile drive home.  It was four miles in which I examined every action and wandered if I had violated a traffic rule and whether that violation would be captured by one of the cameras that seemed to be positioned at every corner.

I thought to myself, “Is this how it’s going to be from now on?  Will I be fined $200 for every mistake on the make on the road?  Will my driving be held to a zero-tolerance standard?”  Needless to say, this thought made me uneasy.  

While it might be hard to believe, I am not perfect.  I have made mistakes in the past (like that Gitmo joke) and I will make them in the future (keep reading).  Yet, as the number of cameras increases, I will pay for every mistake I make.  At $200 per mistake, my next “educational experience” will be at the MC Hammer School for the Newly Bankrupt.  

In fact, I began to seriously consider leaving Arizona (and I’m not kidding).  I just couldn’t stand the idea of living under the constant pressure of being perfect.  It then occurred to me that many unbelievers probably feel the same way about God.  They rebel against Him because they think that, if they let Him in their lives, He will be like those traffic cameras — always looking for some technical violation of the Law so that He can mete out His punishment.

Of course, we know that God is nothing like that.  He doesn’t punish every transgression; far from it.  If the transgression is small enough and unintentional, He’ll very often “let it slide.”  At other times, He’ll pull us over to the side of the road; yet, even then, He usually lets us off with a warning.  And even when we are cited, the punishment is almost always far less than we truly deserve.  Simply put, our God is graceful.

As a result, it’s easy to follow Him.  In fact, I wonder how people can sleep at night without a relationship with God.  How do they get any rest knowing that they didn’t give 100% effort on the job?  How do they relax knowing that they were overly harsh with a loved one or uncaring towards a stranger?  How do they have any peace without God’s grace?  Given the number of people in our society who must take medication to sleep, I suspect that for many the answer is that they can’t rest in their imperfection.

In my view, this is one of the greatest “selling points” for a relationship with Christ — grace.  Of course, some believers object to “selling” grace because they think that people will use it as a license to sin.  After all, if people know that they will be forgiven even if they disobey God’s word, why wouldn’t they just sin all of the time?

Well, for the same reason that I wouldn’t run a red light or drive on the wrong side of the road; even if I knew there were no cameras or cops around.  I wouldn’t drive recklessly because I could get hurt doing so (or hurt someone else).  The same is true when we engage in sin, particularly, if we do so willfully and consistently.  We’re just asking for trouble because, like driving recklessly, sin has consequences.

Yet, I think that there’s a big difference between portraying Christ as a god who won’t necessarily save you from your reckless behavior and painting Him as the traffic cop of the universe.  The first portrait is a god who people can embrace and make a commitment to follow, even if imperfectly.  On the other hand, the second portrait will cause people to not only avoid Christ, but to equip themselves with radar detectors so they can be warned of His presence and take evasive action.

This was certainly my experience.  I wanted no part of Christ because I thought he was a “party pooper” and I knew that I had more partying to do.  I figured, “Hey, when I get too old to have real fun, I’ll turn my life over to Christ.  My life won’t be any use to me by then anyway, so he can have it.”

Fortunately, I met a person who told me that I didn’t have to wait; that Christ could handle the muck and mire of my sin.  She told me that I didn’t have to get clean first, but that Christ would make me clean.  As it reads in Ephesians 5:25-27:

“Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

This is the Christ we must show people; the one who sacrificed Himself for our sakes and the one who washes us clean through his word until we are without stain or blemish.  We can show this Christ by emphasizing His grace in our witnessing to others and, more importantly, by demonstrating His grace in our own actions.  In practical terms, this means not yelling at the struggling trainee at work who just botched up your copy job.  It means not telling the rude cashier at the supermarket where she can go.  It means inviting the gay couple next door to the neighborhood block party (for those of you who like your theology to rhyme, “God just doesn’t love Adam and Eve.  He also loves Adam and Steve”).

In short, if a holy God can show grace and mercy to sinners like us, then we sinners can certainly show grace and mercy to fellow sinners.  And no, I don’t have a rhyme for that one!

Slacker

The other day another member of our group and I had a meeting at his office. The purpose of the meeting was for me to get some background information to use for a paper I’m writing for one of this term’s classes, Advertising & Marketing Promotions.

 

You may be familiar with this member, his name is Sean Carter. He occasionally shows up to our meetings. But you know, I wouldn’t actually be able to verify how often he attends, because I haven’t, ahem, been to group myself in over a year, since I started Ottawa in January, 2008. Well, actually, it hasn’t been that long between visits, maybe only six months or so. But you get the idea.

 

Now, in all fairness to Sean, it isn’t really possible for him to be at the meetings when he isn’t physically in the state, so don’t think I’m singling him out alone for rebuke.

 

The interesting thing to come from that meeting was from a comment he made to me after we’d finished discussing my project.

 

We started talking about our small group, and he was mentioning how important each of us has been and is to the group, and how he feels that God has brought each one of us together for a specific purpose. We may not know exactly what the purpose is for now, but God’s placed us together for a reason (Deon has mentioned this too). Then, he mentioned that he (and he has told me this before) doesn’t know how some people don’t make the time to come to our meetings every week. Somehow, the topic of my attendance came up, and I said something to the effect of “Well, you know, I’m in school, and that comes first”.

 

In all fairness to me (since I was fair to Sean, I think it’s only fair that I am fair to myself), the term before my current one, I had to physically meet at the Chandler campus Wednesday nights, so there was no way I could attend our meetings.

 

But all the other times I’ve been away because I didn’t plan to make the meetings.

 

I get a break between terms, and sometimes my schedule otherwise happens to (at least in my mind) work out so I can make the meetings.

 

But what I’m finding, and this may not be as much of a revelation to some of you as it was to me, that if I actually decide to plan and prioritize my week so I have the time to make it to group, that I actually make it to group. What a concept.

 

But Sean’s keen insight was the following: we all have 168 hours in a week, and these meetings and what each of us gets from them is so important for building us up and keeping us on track, that he couldn’t really understand how someone wouldn’t want to make the time to be at our meetings each week.

 

Then he added something else. Some people might consider it a taunt.

 

In response to my (I think) somewhat justified response of “I have school”, he said,“Oh, so you’re just being a slacker.” To which I didn’t really have a response other than to agree. “Yeah, I guess sometimes I am.”

 

Slacker???

 

Hmmmm….slacker

 

Yes, he called me a slacker.

 

This really stuck with me. I know sometimes people will sometimes say things kiddingly, and not really mean it, but words mean things, and this statement made an impact.

 

And, I didn’t like being called a slacker.

 

Probably because he was right.

 

Now, I don’t know if his intension was to spur me into making major lifestyle changes and actually creating an Entourage scheduled appointment for my homework and everything else so that I could purposefully attend our meetings (then again, maybe he did. I never did ask him), but that was the net effect.

 

See how much impact we can have on each other’s lives? And in this respect, I think Sean as well as the rest of you are positive and Godly influences on my life.

 

Now, in fairness to everyone else, who may not be able to make group every week, I realize each of us has their own things going on as we live our lives, and sometimes we just can’t be at group. Prior commitments, family, school, not physically in the state, sick, or any number of other really good reasons.

 

But as for me, Sean got me thinking, and I am going to try and purposefully make our meetings if at all possible. God willing, unless I’m in school (physically), or have another really good reason, I’ll be at the meetings. And if I don’t, please show me mercy.

It Is Written

I hate to admit it but recently, the spirit of fear has come upon me.  Despite possessing good looks, charm, wit and God’s favor, I still have times when I think, “Whoa is me!  The economy is going to downhill faster than a shopping cart carrying Rush Limbaugh, Rosie O’Donnell AND Al Roker.  What if it starts to affect my business?  I am responsible for not only my wife and kids, but my employees and their children.  What will become of us all?”

Fortunately, whenever I feel like this, I turn to one of my favorite pastors and closest friends, Christopher Burge.  In his teaching on fear, he provides one sure way of fighting the enemy.  And let’s be clear.  Fear is from Satan, himself.  It doesn’t come from God.  Paul tells us explicitly, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (I Timothy 1:7)  And Peter warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

But anyway, how do we fight the spirit of fear?  By doing what Jesus did when He was confronted by Satan in the desert — speaking God’s word. In Matthew 4, Satan attempts to tempt Christ three times and each time, Christ starts his reply with , “It is written ….”  He then goes on to quote the Word in answer to Satan.  After the last such reply, “the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” (Matthew 4:11)

This is one of the things I love best about Jesus — he shows us how we can achieve victory in our lives by following His example.  Think about it.  Jesus could have outwitted the enemy or engaged him in physical battle or some other contest.  The problem with these solutions is that you and I would be in a world of trouble if we tried to do the same thing.  Therefore, he shows us how to have victory on our terms — by rebuking the devil with God’s Word.  Whether you are a rugged He-Man (like me) or slight of build (like Chris), this will work for you.

Therefore, my challenge for each of us is to show up tomorrow night with AT LEAST three versus to rebuke the spirt of fear that we are facing.  And then, in the company of our brothers, let’s rebuke the enemy once and for all.  I want to see him turn tail and run when confronted by God’s sons armed with the Word of their father.

And if it sounds personal with me and him, IT IS!  He has been trying to keep me from the promises of God — from entering my promised land and experiencing the peace that passes all understanding.  The enemy has placed himself between me and God’s Word and it’s on!

Who’s with me?

Failing Forward

Years ago I read a book called Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell. His titles usually capture my imagination, and this one was no exception. The main idea in this book is that how well each of us does in life is a result of how we perceive and then respond to failure we experience.

How do you respond to failure? Over the years, I have not responded as well as I could. Throughout some failures, I’ve learned to move forward, but others not. My natural reaction to failure is to try and insulate myself from having the failure ever happening again. This sometimes causes me to completely withdrawal from an activity altogether, reasoning it’s not worth the hassle, or effort. But that kind of response ends up causing other problems, namely, that I don’t move forward in an area of my life.

I was reminded of this the other night at group when I was asking for prayer to be able to move ahead with a relationship with the opposite sex even though what I have experienced so far (and observed in others’ lives) has been failure.

Now, the prospect of another failure doesn’t exactly excite me, but what is the alternative? I could remain single the rest of my life, which is NOT my idea of fun! Or, I could be successful, and find my dream mate. I believe she’s out there, just waiting for me. But I will never know if I don’t try to find her. Even if I experience another failure, I’ll learn from it, and as long as I keep moving forward, I’ll eventually be successful (assuming, that is, that I learn from my failures–which I will).

2 Timothy 1:7 (King James Version) says:

7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If there’s something you want to be, do, or have, go ahead and try. Because you’ll never know if you can do it unless you try. The worst you can do is fail. And if you do, try again, or try something else.

Let’s all start to fail forward to get to where we want to be.

You and Your Big Mouth!

Last Friday, I spoke in Nevada for a group of divorce lawyers.  Before the talk, the chairman of the group asked me how I would like to be introduced.  I told him to make my introduction as flattering as possible — to build me up as the greatest speaker they had (or would EVER) hear.  The guy looked at me in shock.  ”You’re kidding, right?”  I assured him that I was deadly serious.

When it came time for my introduction, he nervously told the audience about our conversation.  As he told them how “great” I was, he was also trying to communicate “Hey, don’t blame me if he sucks.  He’s making me say this.”  Meanwhile, I was sitting in the front row praying to God, “Please help me to be BETTER than he’s saying that I am.”

And guess what?  I was!  I don’t know why, but God granted me incredible favor in their sights.  It was one of my best speeches ever and two HOURS later, the audience broke into wild applause when I finished the talk.  As I left the room, people rushed to shake my hand and tell me how much they enjoyed themselves.  The organizer asked if I would come back for another event in June and asked if she could write me a check for the deposit on the spot.

Later that day, the chairman told me how nervous he had been in giving my introduction.  He explained that he would never want to build up such high expectations for himself.  He asked, “Isn’t it better to under-promise and over-deliver?  Why not let people be pleasantly surprised if it goes well?”

I then kindly explained to him why his suggestion was so stupid (like I said, I was kind about it).  For one, people might have tuned me out altogether if they had suspected that I was another boring speaker.

Second, and this is really the important part, creating such a huge expectation up front makes me work harder to fulfill it.  It’s not very hard to give a “good” speech.  However, good isn’t good enough — not after my introduction.  The audience is expecting a great speech, which requires me to dig deeper and even pray for God’s help.

I strongly suspect that God likes us “big mouths.”  I think so because His Bible is full of them.  Big Mouth Joseph tells his brothers about his dream of ruling over them.  Big Mouth Elijah taunted the prophets of Baal when they couldn’t get their false gods to rain down fire.  ”Cry aloud; for he is a god; either he is musing, or he is gone aside, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.” (1 Kings 18:27)

And perhaps the best example of a “big mouth” belonged to David — the man after God’s own heart.  When David came into the camp to join the battle against Goliath, he wasn’t taken seriously at first.  His own brother rebuked him.  Then King Saul doubted David’s ability to battle Goliath and David replied:

“ 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

  35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

  36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.” (1 Samuel 17)

Notice that David was very clear in pointing out his past credentials and make a future prediction (“this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them”).  He didn’t try to under-promise and over-deliver by saying that he would do “his best.”  He claimed victory beforehand.

He took the same approach when he confronted Goliath.  After Goliath sneered at him in distain, David said, “I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth.” (Samuel 17:46)  And isn’t that exactly what he did?

I don’t imagine that the story would have turned out the same way if David had walked out onto the battlefield and said, “Goliath, we’re going to fight a close battle, but I really think that I will eventually pull it out by a split decision, or maybe, we’ll end in a draw.”  David was bold in speaking to his enemy.  Are you?

Are you speaking to the enemy of lack and proclaiming, “I will so utterly defeat you that you will be scattered in so many directions that you will never be a part of my life again”?  Or are you saying, “Well, lack, I’d prefer if you’d leave me now, but if you don’t, I understand”?  It makes a difference.

For one, a bold proclamation puts you on the hook to deliver.  There were many times when I wanted to slack off on my diet, but I had told so many people that I would lose the weight that I couldn’t.  I wasn’t about to make myself (and God) a liar.  However, I wouldn’t have had this pressure if I had just told people that “I might start eating better and exercising and let’s see what happens.”  I would have felt free to blow off my plans at the first sign of inconvenience.

In fact, that’s exactly what I’m doing now with a few other projects that I have been “meaning” to get to.  I just keep putting them off because “What’s the hurry?  It’s not like anyone is expecting them or anything.”  In other words, because I haven’t proclaim victory to others, I don’t feel the pressure to secure it.

Secondly, God gets the glory when we proclaim our trust in Him and then experience the victory.  It becomes a powerful testimony to unbelievers.  They see that we serve a mighty God.  In fact, it’s such a powerful testimony that God will sometimes grant us unwarranted favor just for the example it sets for others.

Take, for instance, the time that Israelites melted down all their gold to pray to the golden calf idol.  God was livid and He had every right to be so.  He had just delivered these people from Pharaoh and this is how they show their obedience and allegiance?  He told Moses, “Step back, Mo!  I’m about to have a barbecue down there!  I hope you like yours extra crispy!”

Yet, Moses intercedes for the children of Israel.  And part of his argument for leniency is “Why should the Egyptians say, ‘It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth’?”  (Exodus 32:11-14)  In other words, Moses said, “It’s not going to look too good for you, God.  I can’t imagine that the Egyptians are going to be very jealous that they don’t have our God.”  And God spared all but 3,000 of the Israelites.

Now, don’t get me wrong!  I’m not suggesting that we can disobey God with impunity (at least, without first being some asbestos underwear).  Nor am I suggesting that we can manipulate God by putting His “credibility” on the line.  However, I am suggesting that if we line up our will with His and then boldly proclaim the victory, we will see much more of it than ever before.

So start blabbing, Big Mouth!

High Five!

On Saturday morning, I woke up and decided to go for a run.  However, rather than running my normal route, I decided to challenge myself by taking a different route that would add another mile to the run.  About 10 minutes into the journey, I thought that I had made a mistake (yes, it happens from time to time … just not often).  I was already started to feel the strain in my legs and a pain in my side and I still had three MILES to go.

Immediately, my internal GPS went to work to find a shorter route back home.  Now, both my mind and body were working and achieving about the same miserable results.  My pace was slowing and I couldn’t figure out a way to shorten the trip that didn’t involve either climbing a gate or crossing through the golf course.  I was fading fast UNTIL …

I came across a woman who was jogging the other way.  With a grimace on my face, I raised my hand to wave in passing.  In return, she flashed the most inviting smile (Who can blame her?  Did I mention that I was wearing shorts and a tank-top?).  In any event, she smiled and yelled, “High five!”  She then raised her hand high in the air.  I don’t know what made me play along, but I high-fived her as we passed.

I then started to chuckle thinking about the absurdity of high-fiving a complete stranger for no apparent reason.  I then wondered what made her do it.  Is that how she greets everyone she passes while jogging?  Or maybe that’s how she greets people in general — even, say the cashier at the grocery store?

“Would that be paper or plastic, ma’am?”

“Plastic.  High-five!”

Of course, even with my laser sharp intellect, I didn’t receive any great insight into her personal greeting habits.  However, I did come to realize one thing — I was no longer fatigued or in pain.  In fact, before I knew it, I was running easily and my pace was getting faster and not slower despite the fact that I was three miles into the run.  A little while later, I finished the run with a sprint and felt that I could have probably run another 4 miles (although I decided to stop so as not to intimidate my brethren who aren’t as wonderful fit … and sexy … as yours truly).

In any event, here is my point (and yes, I have one).  This complete stranger got me to forget about the fatigue and pain with two tiny words of encouragement and a simple gesture.   In doing so, she did three things that are necessary if we are to likewise heed the instructions of Paul, who exhorted the church at Thessalonica to “encourage one another and build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

1)  She shared my struggle.  I really don’t think I would have responded as well to a high-five offered by someone riding along in a car.  However, because I knew that she was experiencing the same challenge, I felt that we were in it together.  I think the same is true for the people who we are to encourage.  They need to know that we are in the fight with them.  They need to know that we have struggles in our faith, difficulties in our marriages and challenges in our businesses.

2)  She was cheerful.  Remember, I was originally drawn to her smile and cheerful voice.  I can’t imagine that I would have taken encouragement from the person who was wincing and hobbling along (i.e., another person like me).  I certainly wouldn’t have reached out and high-fived them, if for no other reason that I wouldn’t want to catch their “suckiness” (I believe that’s the technical term for it).  However, with this woman, I was hoping that whatever she had would rub off on me.  The same is true for others.  They will be drawn to our good cheer and want what we have to rub off on them (in our case, the promises of God).  I suspect that means that, in some cases, we will have to smile even when we don’t feel like it.

3)  She celebrated victory BEFOREHAND.  After all, isn’t that the purpose of a high-five — to celebrate some achievement?  ”We just made another sale!  High-five!”  ”I just got an award from my industry group!  High five!”  I took her high-five to mean two things: (1) “Congratulations on getting onto the course in the first place.  High-five!” and (2) “You’re going to make it!  High-five!”  We need to do the same for others.  ”Way to start that business!  I know it’s going to be a huge success!  High-five!”  ”Congrats on paying off that first credit card!  You’ll be debt-free in no time!  High-five!”  ”Three days without smoking is incredible!  It will be six months before you know it!  High-five!”

So, in closing (yes, finally), I’m going to resolve to give spiritual high-fives to those whom God brings across my path.  I’m also going to resolve to start running in baggy clothing.  Otherwise, I’m afraid that next time, she’ll want to encourage me with a “chest bump.”

Don’t Be a Sandler! Or Me!

Last night, I sat down with my family to watch the movie Bedtime Stories (http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3765436441/), starring Adam Sandler.  No, I’m not proud of it, but being a father often requires that level of sacrifice.

In any event, after the movie, Austin and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Austin: “You know, Dad.  All Adam Sandler movies are just the same.”

Sean: “Stupid?”

Austin: “Not just that.  He keeps playing the same dumb character.  Just like in Click, this character got into trouble because he was trying to use his special powers for his own purposes.”

Sean: “Huh?  Who is he supposed to use them for?”

Austin (rolling his eyes): “Other people, Dad!  That’s the whole point of having them!”

Ouch!  It’s a sad day when you realize that your 14-year-old son understands life so much better than you do.  Perhaps, the only thing sadder is realizing that I’ve spent my entire Christian walk as a character in a bad Adam Sandler movie (as if there is any other kind).

Seriously, for whatever reason, the Lord has granted me tremendous favor.  He causes circumstances to work out in my favor and for people (often strangers) to go out of their way to be kind to me.  It’s almost embarrassing just how much favor I receive on a regular basis.

Perhaps, the only thing more embarrassing is how selfish I’ve been with that favor.  I often pray for favor before a speech; that the audience will be receptive to my message.  But why?  So that they will catch my underlying message of the redemptive love of Christ and our hope of salvation through Him?  Yeah right!  I pray for favor so that people will catch my underlying message of hiring me for another speech (at which I will also disregard the purpose for which I was sent).

The bottom line is that I too often treat God as if He was a genie, whose sole purpose was to grant my every wish.  For me, the point of being a Christian has been to make MY life easier.  Yet Austin, who isn’t even a Christian YET, understands better than I do.  The point of being a Christian isn’t to bring God’s awesome power to bear for my benefit, but for the benefit of others and ultimately, the kingdom.

This is what Peter did in the early days of the church.  As you know, Peter was anointed by God, delivering perhaps the most effective single sermon of all time, when he drew 3,000 believers to Christ on the day of Pentecost.  However, here is how he used his “super powers.”  At the gate called Beautiful (Acts 3), Peter heals the lame man, drawing a large and eager crowd to them.

Peter now has a group of people who are enamored with him.  So what does he do?  Does he sell them healings to line his pockets so he can buy his wife a new camel (with fancy rims)?  Or perhaps, he could have just basked in their adoration and enjoyed being put up at the Ritz Zebedee while ordering room service and watching pay-per-view on the flat panel mirror (or whatever the spoiled and pampered did back then).

Of course, Peter didn’t do any of this.  He used his power to preach the gospel.  And instead of being given the Governor’s Suite for the night, he and John went to jail instead (Acts 4:3).  However, it was worth it because “many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.”  Peter brought 2,000 souls to Christ by using his powers for someone other than himself.

I resolve today that I will transform myself like Peter did.  From now on, I will use God’s favor for His purposes and not my own.  From now on, Jesus will be truly my Lord (and not just my savior).  And most importantly of all, I will never rent another Adam Sandler movie as long as I live!

Amen!

Real Men Do Cry

My daily Bible reading has me in the book of Psalms this week (and probably for the next few weeks).  As I read through many of King David’s psalms, I’m amazed at his level of vulnerability.  In short, David lets it all hang out.  When he is scared, he says so.  When he is weary, he says so.  He even freely admits to crying in Psalms 6.  And he’s not talking about getting “misty” or having a lump form in the back of his throat.  We’re talking about some all out “I’m Jesse Jackson and Obama has just won the election” crying.

“I am worn out from groaning; 
       all night long I flood my bed with weeping 
       and drench my couch with tears.” (Psalms 6:6)

Now, THAT’S crying!  And, by the way, I’m not naive enough to think that even a warrior like David never got scared or suffered sadness.  However, what surprises me is that he admitted it so freely.  After all, these psalms weren’t written into his personal diary that he kept under his pillow or under lock and key.  These were songs set to music and meant to be sung in public.  In fact, after victory over the giants at Gath, David is reported to have broken into song.

¹ David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. ² He said: 
       “The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; ³ my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, 
       my shield and the horn of my salvation. 
       He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior— 
       from violent men you save me. (2 Samuel 22:1-3)

By the way, if those words sound familiar, it’s because they are part of Psalms 18.  And we can only assume that David sung other psalms to the Lord.  After all, he has been called the “sweet singer of Israel.”

And while it’s not hard for me to imagine David singing songs of glory and triumph to the Lord, it is hard to imagine him singing his songs of sorrow and woe to God.  After all, we are talking about possibility the single greatest warrior in the Old Testament.  He killed Goliath with a slingshot and then cut the giant’s head off and then … get this … brings it back to Jerusalem as a souvenir (“You like that human head hanging about the mantle?  That old thing?  Oh, it’s just something I picked up in Socoh!  You really like it?”).  And that was just the beginning!  Later, women were singing songs about his killing prowess (“Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” 1 Samuel 18:7).  David shed so much blood during his lifetime that God wouldn’t let him build his temple.

In short, David wasn’t a quiche eater.  He was as much of a “man’s man” as there ever was.  Yet, he had no problem admitting his weakness to God and to men (through his psalms).  Can you do the same?

I admit that I struggle in this area.  In my efforts to demonstrate that I have “great faith,” I often hide my insecurities.  I would never admit, for instance, that I was scared that the massive layoffs in the legal industry might affect my business.  Nor would I ever admit (and this is just another hypothetical … wink-wink) that I worry about how my children will turn out.  I’ve always thought that admitting such fears was not only a sign of unbelief but an invitation for the enemy to strike.  (“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.” Job 3:25)

Yet, I think I had it wrong (just this once, of course).  For one, not admitting your fears is not the same thing as not having them.  I haven’t been protecting myself from calamity by living in denial.  After all, the scripture doesn’t read, “For the thing which I admitted is come upon me.”  It’s the thing Job feared, whether he admitted that fear or not.

Second, great faith doesn’t result from acting when there is no fear.  That doesn’t take faith at all.  Great faith comes from acting in spite of the fear.  Great faith often comes after a tearful night, when you can wipe your eyes and finish your song by saying, “Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.” (Psalms 30:5) 

David did this time and again in his psalms.  As one commentator wrote, “They begin with a sigh but end with a song.”  In doing so, David shows us how to deal with our fears.  Likewise, I think we have a duty to do the same for others.  It’s not enough to just show them our faith walk.  We must show them that we too have fears; that we also fear lay-offs, foreclosures, trouble in our marriages, wayward kids, and even our besetting sins.  And we must show them that we lean on the promises of God during these times of doubt and trust in His word as a way of moving forward in spite of our fears.

Of course, doing so requires humility.  Now, for someone as wonderful as myself, humility isn’t an obstacle, but I will pray for my proud brothers (you know who you are).

What are you waiting for?

Recently I was thinking through some issues that have been going on in my life for quite some time. Most have been ongoing for several years. And I do mean several. Two biggies include finding my life’s purpose – translated into a career that I absolutely love, and a relationship with the opposite sex – that translated into a wife and kids.

As I was thinking these issues through, I began to wonder how much further along I would have been had I made the decisions at least twenty + years ago. Maybe I’d already be the president or CEO of a major company, or have a wife and the five kids I’ve always imagined I’d have. But then my thoughts turned to what God has to do with all this, and I believe that He has placed me in the right place at the right time, whether I’m a CEO or married or not, and that it’s not too late for these things to happen. They’re just on the way, a little late arriving.

And more importantly, now I’m taking action, and actually have been for the last few years since I became involved in LifeGroups at Word of Grace and then City of Grace. It started with a small one, then our men’s group, and now Compass singles at COG/Scottsdale. I started back to school in 2007, and now I’m under six months away from my Master’s degree. I have no doubt (and here I’ll give credit to Sean for his prediction–I’m wholeheartedly agreeing with this one) that this time next year I’ll be in a satisfying relationship with the woman of my dreams, working in the career I’ve always dreamed of.

All along the way there have been obstacles. I’m too busy, I’m too lazy, I don’t feel like it. I’m more comfortable hanging out with the guys than trying to meet new women. I don’t have the money, I don’t know what to do, where to go, how to proceed. But when you have the creator of the universe on your side, there aren’t really any excuses.

It’s a given that there will always be obstacles and challenges no matter what we try in life. If there were no challenges, we’d never grow. Taking no action means nothing’s going to happen. By deliberately moving forward, seeking God and His will for my life, and taking action, I’ve made progress. Not always or near as fast as I’d like things to move. If it were up to me, I’d blink my eyes like “Jeannie” on “I Dream of Jeannie” or twitch my nose like “Samantha” in “Bewitched”, and everything would be instantaneously taken care of.

But now that I’ve begun taking action, things are starting to move faster than ever before, and I’m enjoying seeing things begin to fall into place. And you can too. Just start. Ask God, dream your dreams and plan, then take action on your dreams. You’ll move further and faster along the road and get to where you want to go.

Let’s go. What are you waiting for?

Yeah, What He Just Said!

Almost 17 years ago, I stood before a pastor and most of my friends and family taking my marriage vows.  The pastor, a very eloquent man, instructed me to repeat after him as he reciting flowery language about my promises and obligations as a husband.  I wish I could remember what he said but, quite frankly, I wasn’t really listening for content.  I was simply trying to accurately parrot his language.  He’d pause every ten words or so and I would dutifully repeat what I had just heard.  That is, until he came to the conclusion of my vows and rattled off the last 50 words or so in a dramatic fashion.  He then looked at me expectantly.

Uh oh!  I couldn’t possibly repeat what he had just said.  I couldn’t even determine what it meant or if it was in English for  that matter.  The silence was becoming deafening.  I could feel the eyes of the entire church searing into the back of my head.  I nervously giggled and said, “Yeah!  What he just said!”  Now, you’re going to find this hard to believe, but the pastor wasn’t amused nor was Renee or my soon-to-be-ex-father-in-law.

To his credit, the pastor avoided preceding over both a wedding and a funeral on the same afternoon by restating the passage; this time, stopping every third or fourth word to make sure that I could keep up with him.  I must admit that it was kind of embarrassing being married in a “remedial ceremony” but I am beginning to see the pastor’s point.  It isn’t enough to just understand the words.  You must also speak them.

This point become clear as I was reading through the Psalms this morning and came across Psalm 22.  I was immediately struck by the first verse: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Wait a minute!  Where had I heard that language before?  Of course, it was the same words spoken by Jesus as he hung on the cross.  (Matthew 27:46)

It got even spookier as I got further into the psalm as David began to describe Jesus’ death in startling detail.  This is particularly true considering that David wrote this psalm 600 years before the advent of crucifixion.  Here is just some of the description:

¹² Many bulls have surrounded Me;
         Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
 ¹³ They gape at Me with their mouths,
         Like a raging and roaring lion. 
 ¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
         And all My bones are out of joint; 
         My heart is like wax; 
         It has melted within Me.
 ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
         And My tongue clings to My jaws; 
         You have brought Me to the dust of death. 
 ¹⁶ For dogs have surrounded Me;
         The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. 
         They pierced^[c] My hands and My feet;
 ¹⁷ I can count all My bones.
         They look and stare at Me.
 ¹⁸ They divide My garments among them,
         And for My clothing they cast lots. 

Obviously, from a prophecy standpoint, this is truly amazing.  However, it says something else about one of the methods of Christ.  In his dying moments, He wanted to be certain that the people understood the significance of His sacrifice; that He was the Messiah.  Therefore, rather than give an eloquent sermon or respond to his critics with a miraculous sign, he quoted the Word.

By quoting the first part of Psalm 22, he points us to the remarkable accurate prophecy of the circumstances surrounding his death.  And, if that wasn’t enough, His last words were, ”Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46), which … you guessed it … is another direct quote from Psalms 31:5.

In short, Jesus didn’t try to prove His identity and purpose through the use of sophisticated arguments or displays of power.  He proved who He was (and whose He was) by pointing to the one source of all truth — the Word.  Given that none of us are as smart or powerful as Christ, it might be a good idea if we did likewise.

When the “bulls” surround us gaping bad news about the state of the economy or our health, we should respond with scripture.  ”The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalms 23:1)  ”If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” (Exodus 15:26)

For one, by staying focused on the Word of God, we can navigate our way through troubled waters.  ”Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalms 119:105)  Second, it makes a wonderful testimony to the power of the Lord.  God gets so much glory when you proclaim His promises and He turns them into realities.  Unbelievers take notice of his power.  And just as importantly, you are reminded that its not by your might or your strength but by His power that you received the victory.

Of course, there is one precondition to following in Jesus’ footsteps in this regard — we must know the Word.  That’s why I’m committing myself to 30 minutes of Bible study everyday.  I’m determined to develop this discipline in my life because I’m trying to be a disciple.  Who’s with me?

Add More Weight

It happened to me again!  I was reading the Bible in my office, minding my own business when I came across another Bible verse that I didn’t like.  The “offending verse” in this case is Psalms 34:19:

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.”

Now, you might ask, “What is wrong with that verse?  It promises deliverance out of all your problems.  What more do you want?”  I’ll tell you what I want.  I want to avoid the problems in the first place.  I’d much prefer that the verse read: “None are the afflictions of righteous (and Sean too), because the Lord has hooked them up.  Selah!”

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m grateful that the Lord will eventually deliver me and that I will have a happy ending, but I’m not so crazy about going through that horrible middle.  Why can’t it be a happy beginning, middle and end?

Interestingly, I think that God answered that question just a few psalms before in Psalm 31:6 when David said, “Now in my prosperity I said, ‘I shall never be moved.’”  The sad truth is that, without trouble, we tend to get cocky and arrogant (you’ll find this hard to believe, but this applies to me too).  We tend to “lean upon our own understanding.”  After all, things are working out pretty well.  We must know what we are doing, right?

Maybe it’s just David and me, but I find that it takes trouble to get me to really seek God.  In the good times, I might give God a quick “shout-out” while driving to the airport (“Oh yeah, I’d like to give a big up to my man, J.C. and the Heavenly Posse.  Good looking out, guys!”).  

But when troubles come, it’s a whole different story.  I’m in my office at 7:30 a.m. with my nose buried in a 5,000-page Bible commentary while simultaneously searching the Web for the original greek translation of the book of Amos.  I’m no longer saying those cutesy prayers before a meal.  My food is now getting cold as I’m reciting Psalm 119 (which has 176 verses) in the Burger King drive-through lane.  In short, I get serious about seeking God when I’m in trouble.

And, in the process, I become stronger.  My knowledge of the Word increases as does my knowledge of the author.  In a sense, spiritual growth is a lot like muscle growth — it requires a struggle.  After all, you build muscle through resistance — pushing against heavy weights.  As you get stronger, the weights began to feel lighter.  So what do you do if you want to build more strength?  Do you just keep pushing effortlessly against feather-like weights?  Of course not!  You add more weight.

The same is true in our spiritual workouts.  As we build spiritual muscle, it becomes easier to push against the things that used to present a struggle — bad habits, besetting sins, spending time with the wrong people or watching the wrong movies or whatever.  To get us to the next level of strength requires … you guessed it … more weight.  We need physical challenges, emotional troubles, relationship turmoil and (I really hate to write this) financial struggles.  These trials force us to dig deeper, pray harder, and read more until we reach a level of strength where we can bear up under this weight.  And then guess?  It’s starts all over again; that is, if you want to continue growing in your faith.

And I don’t know about you but I don’t want to walk into heaven as a 98-pound weakling.  When I get to heaven, I want Samson to think, “I better not mess with Sean!  He might pick up the jaw bone of an ass and wear me out!”  So I say, bring on the trouble!  As Paul said in his second letter to the church at Corinth:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Don’t get rain rot

As I was working through some homework for an online E-Commerce class, I was directed to a web site that Martha Stewart runs (http:www.marthastewart.com). As I scanned the opening page (we’re reviewing it for elements of good web design), a blog entry caught my eye. The headline was “The importance of sticking to a grooming schedule” (http://www.themarthablog.com/2009/04/the-importance-of-sticking-to-a-grooming-schedule.html). I’m thinking, “hmmmm…maybe Martha is going to go over the virtues of daily bathing and keeping your hair and nails clean” or something like that.

It ended up being about grooming her horse, who has begun shedding its winter coat because we’re getting into springtime now. If the horse isn’t groomed every day and the old, shedding hair gets wet, the animal develops a condition called “rain rot” where the old hair on top of the skin becomes matted and develops a rash. Doesn’t sound too fun, does it?

Then I start thinking. Maybe we develop our own “rain rot” when we don’t read and study God’s word, the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with others on a regular basis.

Could it be the reason that I’ve been making such (to me) incredible progress these last three months is because I recommitted to fellowship (first our men’s small group, and now Compass singles), and reading, studying the Bible, and spending time in prayer? I think that the forward progress, is a direct result of taking action.

Could it be if you’re not making the progress in the areas you want it’s because you’re developing a case of rain rot? You may be shedding the bad things, but not replacing them with the good things you need to.

Start to engage in the things that will keep rain rot away so you never develop it in the first place!

If you’re already doing these things, congratulations, keep it up.

If you’re not, get going so you don’t get rain rot.

Sticks and Stones … But Words Will Kill You!

As I continue my journey through David’s psalms, I’m amazed by how often this great warrior is absolutely distraught about the verbal attacks launched against him.  He seemed to handle the challenges of fighting against all of the people of Canaan with no problem.  However, when someone slandered him or gossiped about him, he would wail and moan and cry out to God for help.

So if the mighty King David was so susceptible to criticism and attack, how much more vulnerable are the rest of us?  As I contemplate this question, it makes me question my own words and how they affect those in my life.  Are my “suggestions for improvement” for my employees serving as a source of encouragement or source of despair?  Likewise, are my “God-inspired insights” building up my brethren or cutting them down?  And most importantly, do my words show unconditional love and support for my family or condemnation?

Given the powerful effects word can have on people (even great ones like David), I need to be more careful in my speech.  What about you?

Just a happy thought to ponder for the weekend!

The Signs of Aging

Last weekend, I was visiting my mother in Maricopa when I saw a picture on her mantel of a remarkably handsome young man dressed in his high school graduation cap and gown.  I must confess that I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.  He was simply gorgeous!  In fact, I would have begun to question my sexual orientation if it weren’t for the fact that the picture was of me (Come on!  You had to have seen that one coming!).

Eventually, I did something that is even ridiculous by my standards.  I grabbed the picture from the mantel and stood before a mirror comparing the two images.  I was struck at the difference between the two of us.  Now, we all know that I have aged remarkably well (especially compared to some of you), but I am not the smoothed-faced 17 year old (who really should have pursued a career in modeling).

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  ”God, is it fair that You gave Sean brains and looks?” You might also be thinking, “Does he have a point to make?”  The answer to both of your questions is “Yes!”  As for the latter, let me explain:

My current face shows definite signs of aging.  There are lines and wrinkles that simply weren’t there 20 years ago.  When I looked at the two images side by side, it was obvious who was the older man.  My current face is, to put it kindly, more mature.

This striking contrast got me thinking about whether the rest of me shows the same signs of aging, particularly in my walk with God.  If I held up a spiritual picture of me from six and a half years ago and a spiritual picture of me now, would I notice the same signs of aging?  Would the contrast be as stark?

In 1 Corinthians 13:11-12, Paul writes: “When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.  Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.”  From this scripture, we can see that there are at least two phases of maturity.

In Phase #1, we put away childish things.  We put away the “toys” that served as mindless distractions (e.g., poor entertainment choices, drugs and alcohol, cigarettes, promiscuous sex, etc.).  In other words, in Phase #1, we start acting like a man.  And in Phase #2, we start thinking like one.   We stop viewing life through the “cloudy mirror” presented by the world and begin seeing things as they truly are; as God sees them.

Needless to say, Phase #2 is the hardest part of the process.  In fact, in the above passage, Paul seems to indicate that we probably won’t get there in our lifetimes (“THEN we will see everything with perfect clarity” refers to when we get to heaven).  However, I truly believe that, over the course of our walk with Christ, our vision should become sharper.  In fact, I will go so far as to say that it angers God when we don’t grow improve our vision.

This point was illustrated by God’s reaction to the children of Israel as they left Egypt. Within just one month after leaving Egypt, the Israelites were fearful that they would die of thirst when they came upon the bitter waters at Marah.  Now, remember, they had just witnessed God working miracles on their behalf with the ten plagues against the Egyptians and the parting of the Red Sea, but they still didn’t trust Him.  However, God doesn’t get mad.  Instead, he shows Moses a piece of wood to throw into the water to make it sweet, promises that He will keep the Israelites free from sickness, and then leads them immediately to a place with TWELVE streams (I love how my God likes to show off from time to time).  Exodus 15:22-27

Amazingly, two weeks later in Exodus 16, they are at it again.  This time, they were whining about starving to death.  ”If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”  Once again, God was patient with them.  To reassure them, He showed His Glory in a cloud (Exodus 16:9) and started them on their daily diet of manna.

For the next 15 months, the Israelites follow the cloud by day and pillar of fire by night and, with the exception of a few incidents (the water from the rock incident, the quail fiasco and the whole “let’s get naked and worship this golden calf” thing), they were largely faithful; that is, until they get to the doorstep of the Promised Land – Kadesh-Barnea.  Ten of the twelve spies come back saying that they shouldn’t take what God said they could have and when the people side with them, the Lord is no longer patient.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it be before they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?  I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.” (Numbers 14:11-12)

As a side note, Moses did an amazing thing next.  I must confess that I might have been tempted to say, “God, you want to make me Israel 2.0?  If you say so.  Who am I to argue with God Almighty?”  Of course, Moses didn’t do that.  He begged and pleaded with God to show mercy.  In the end, God’s wrath relented (somewhat) as He decided not to kill them all (well, except for the ten gutless spies who died right then and there).  Instead, He made them do laps in the desert for 40 years until they died.  However, He did let their children enter into the Promised Land.

Now, what accounts for these vastly different responses from the same God — the one “who changes not”?  I think the difference is that, in the beginning of their journey, God allowed for an extra grace period for the Israelites.  They had lived under Pharaoh’s tyranny for so long that He could understand their initial skepticism, even in the face of incredible miracles.  However, after they had walked under his constant protection for more than a year, the grace period expired.  By then, they should have been able to trust in God and because they didn’t, they suffered the consequences of never reaching the place God had for them.

I suspect that the same thing will happen to us if we don’t show the signs of aging.  As new believers, God will show patience when we act in unbelief and are tempted to turn back to Pharaoh (in whatever form that takes) for comfort.  However, I don’t think He will be so patient if, after seeing God work miracles in our health, families, finances, character, etc., we now get frightened by the giants in our path.  

In fact, I know that there is at least one area in my life where I am doing “laps” (going through the same problem over and over and over again) because of my disbelief.  And while that might have been okay when I was a fresh-faced pup of a Christian, it is no longer going to cut it.  I must start acting my age if I don’t want to die on this side of that particular “Promised Land.”

In the same way, are you doing laps?  Is there an area where you are reluctant to trust God?  You trust in God’s might and power in most areas but you think that even God is powerless against your ex-wife or your boss or your wayward child or your addiction.  If so, then like me, you are tempting the fate of the children of Israel.

One of the really sad parts about their story is that, once God reached his breaking point, there was no going back.  He didn’t march them around the desert for a while and then give them another chance to show their courage (something they might have done in, say, Year 28).  Instead, he said, “Next!” and appointed their children to fulfill the promise.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be passed over.  I don’t want my kids to have to fight battles that I should have already won for them.  I want them to be able to enjoy the “milk and honey” of good health, happy relationships and financial abundance.  In that vain, I’M READY TO GROW UP!

How about you?

Who Cares for the Lost Children?

A little while back, I took Austin to an evening event at his school.  While Austin and his classmates were engaged in some activity, I sat with the other parents and engaged in the usual small talk.  “Why, yes, I am looking very handsome these days.  Thank you for saying so!”  “No, I’m sorry, but I won’t leave my wife for you, but thanks for asking.”  At least, that’s how I remember the small talk going, but I must confess that I don’t remember everything about the event all that well.

However, there is one thing I do remember quite clearly.  The school had hired someone to emcee the event and coordinate the activities.  At one point, the emcee was directing a group of younger children through some activity or another, when he abruptly made an announcement: “Has anyone seen a little boy named Timmy?  He is three years old.  He is wearing blue jeans and a red shirt.”  Just as abruptly, the emcee went right back to the previous activity.

It took a second or two for the rest of us to realize what was happening.  Then it hit us: Someone’s child was missing!  At the same time, every parent sprung to his or her feet.  One parent snatched the microphone from the emcee and began barking out orders for us to spread out in our search for the child.  With our hearts in our throats, another parent and I raced to the back parking lot in search of little Timmy. 

The good news is that Timmy was found shortly thereafter.  He had been playing in the sand box in a corner of the school.  As things returned to normal, the emcee began to continue the previous activity, but not without first getting a stern rebuke from one of the mothers.  She practically screamed at him.  “You heard that someone’s child was missing and you were going to go back to playing some game?  What kind of monster are you?”

Yes, what kind of monster was this man?  How could he possibly continue on with some mindless game when a child was missing?  Didn’t he have any sense of compassion?  Couldn’t he possibly fathom how scared the lost child must have been?  Couldn’t he appreciate how much more fearful the parent must have been?  What could have possibly been more important than returning this lost child to his parent?

The obvious answer is that nothing could have been more important than returning a lost child to his loving parent.  This man is a monster … and so am I.  Just like him, I have been far more concerned my own childish games while FIVE BILLION of God’s children are missing.

The heavenly father loves us with a “perfect love” (1 John 4:18) and an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).  So, if you or I would be grief stricken if our child was roaming the streets lost, how much more must God grieve when one of his children is wandering in the wilderness of sin, ignorance and despair?

If you’re like me, then you might be tempted to think, “But God has so many children!  What’s a lost soul here or there to Him?”  The answer is “Everything!” After all, Peter tells us clearly that God “is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9).

And as usual, Jesus illustrated it best in Luke 15 when the Pharisees and the scribes were criticizing Him for welcoming and eating with sinners.  In answer, Jesus gives them two illustrations.  In the first, He asks his detractors to pretend that they are shepherds with a flock of 100 sheep.  He then asks that if one of the sheep went missing, would they not leave the other 99 behind and go in search of it.  In the second illustration, He asks if a woman with 10 drachma coins, would just shrug it off if she lost one of them or would she sweep the house until it was found.  Of course, in each case, they would look after the lost item even though they had plenty others.

In the same way, God is frantically looking for his lost children.  Yet, we often bombard heaven with requests on every subject but the one that is most pressing on His mind.  We’re monsters!  Think about it.

Imagine that your boss’ child is abducted over the weekend in a local park.  You read about it in the paper and then call your boss at his home.  When she picks up the phone, would you blurt out, “Can I have a raise?”  Would you then go on to ask for a corner office, more stock options and better coffee for the break room?  Of course not!  The entire focus of your conversation would be on how you could help in the search for the missing child or, at least, how you could help the family while they waited for the return of their loved one.

Shouldn’t we approach God the same way?  “Father, I know that BILLIONS of your children have been abducted by false teachings and can’t find their way back home.  How can I help them to get back on the right path?  How can I be of service to our family while we wait for the return of our lost brothers and sisters?”

At times like this, I really wish that you didn’t know me so well, because I’d love to pretend that this is how I pray.  Yet, I won’t even try because: (1) You know that I would be lying; and (2) I’m on an airplane right now that I would prefer didn’t get struck by lightning.  In fact, if the truth be told, I am BY FAR the worst offender amongst us in this regard.  Not only do almost all of my prayers center around my trivial pursuits (career, finances, comfort, etc.), but I’ve often chided all of you for not being more focused on these childish concerns.

However, I now want to push you in the opposite direction.  If we truly love God, then we should be concerned with what concerns Him most – the return of his lost children.  In fact, all of heaven is consumed with this one issue.  Jesus ended his illustrations by saying, “Even so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” (Luke 15:10) 

As for me, because of God’s favor, I’m often given the chance tell jokes and spread cheer amongst people in high places.  I’ve addressed governors, senators, judges, and corporate CEOs and it’s been really fun.  Yet, I can’t even fathom how much more fun it would be to make all of heaven laugh and cheer by bringing one of God’s children home.  Well, I want to find out how much fun it will be.  How about you?

Toto, We’re Not In Mexico Anymore!

One of my worst habits while on the road is to watch the (bad) news networks.  I really should know better, particularly now that the media has found its latest “fear factor” — the swine flu “pandemic.”  With 100 deaths reported in Mexico, FOX, CNN and MSNBC are all convinced that the remaining 6 billion of us are as good as DOA.  And if they don’t first create an even more terrifying “natural disaster,” they just might get their wish.

I’ve spent the greater part of the day in the Newark airport.  At one point, I saw two young men wearing surgical masks.  My first thought was to ask them if they would agree to perform liposuction on me.  However, I suspected that they probably wouldn’t get the joke.  After all, two healthy young men who were spooked enough to wear surgical masks in an airport more than 1,000 miles from the Mexico border probably didn’t have the greatest sense of humor.

The discipline-in-training in me said, “Pray for your fearful brothers!”  However, that voice was drowned out by the sinner-in-residence that yelled, “Look at those idiots!  If they’re not careful, those surgical masks will cut off the oxygen to their brains; not that it will do them much harm at this point.”  Like I said, I’m in TRAINING.

Besides, I shouldn’t be too harsh with these young men.  They are simply reacting to the “roaring of the lion.”  Their reaction to the news of calamity has been the typical human response for THOUSANDS of years.  In fact, Peter warned us about it 2,000 years ago when he said, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

A lion’s roar is probably what distinguishes him as the “King of the Jungle.”  There are other animals which are larger, stronger and even faster.  Yet, the lion possesses one advantage — a terrifying roar.  The lion’s roar scares off rivals and paralyzes its prey.  As a result, the lion wins most of its battles without a fight.  Perhaps, that explains why the enemy “roars” in opposition to us — because it gives him such a huge advantage.

I know that, in my life, I have lost most of my battles without putting up a fight.  Most often, I heard the “roar” of disapproval, the “roar” of rejection, the “roar” of limited resources, the “roar” of the “the way it is,” and I turned tail and ran.  Other times, the roar has been so frightening that I didn’t do anything at all.  I just stood still in horror and let the enemy devour my dreams for a business venture, the next level of intimacy in my marriage and even, my ministry.

Yet, it never had to be this way.  After all, Peter said that Satan is “seeking whom he may devour.”  This implies that there are those whom the enemy can’t devour; at least, not easily.  However, Satan is not looking for them.  He is looking for the “easy marks.”  Just as the lion will seek out the sickly and lame wildebeest, so will Satan seek out those who are weak and infirm in their faith.

Isn’t that exactly what he was doing at the beginning of the book of Job?  As you remember, God asks Satan, “Where have you been?”  And Satan replies, “I’ve been going to and fro on the earth.”  In other words, he says that he has been pacing back and forth sizing up his prey (just like a lion does).  And then God asks, “Have you considered my servant Job?”  And Satan immediately balks and says, “Oh please!  He’s too hard to get!  You two are so tight that I can’t even get close to him!”  Of course, I’m paraphrasing but the point is that Satan doesn’t want a challenge.  If it isn’t easy pickings, he’d just as soon to move onto the next victim.

In truth, behind Satan’s roar, you will most often find the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz.  If he doesn’t scare you off with his initial roar, you can defeat him with just a swat on the nose.  Remember, Jesus drove away Satan and his demons on numerous occasions with a simple order to “Get thee hence.”  Face to face with the Master, Satan turns tail and runs.

So how do you and I defeat the Cowardly Lion?  Not by our own power.  That’s for sure.  I don’t care if you have more muscles than a bodybuilder or more guns than a rapper, you can’t fight the devil by yourself.  For as Paul said, “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

I could be wrong, but I don’t think they make a pair of night vision goggles to battle against spiritual wickedness in the darkness of this world.  At least, I’ve never seen them at the local sporting goods store; at least, not on sale.  However, we don’t have to look for weapons to fight the enemy if we will humble ourselves.  James tell us, “‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’  Be subject therefore to God. But resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you…. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.” (James 4:6-10)

In other words, James tells us to not be so full of ourselves (I think he is speaking more to me than the rest of you on this point).  Become obedient and subservient to Christ and your master will fight your battles for you.  In fact, the Cowardly Lion will flee from you altogether.

In the current situation, I think this means that we must continue to draw near to God and the purposes He has for our lives.  And when the lion begins to roar, we need to “cast all our worries on him, because he cares for us.” (1 Peter 5:7)  Practically, this means that we don’t run out to get surgical masks or start hiding in our homes.  Instead, we become obedient to our missions to “make disciples of the nations” and follow God’s leading, wherever it takes us (even if it means getting on crowded airplanes or going on mission trips to Mexico).  We trust that God will fight our battles for us, knowing that “He who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)

Of course, I’m not a Bible scholar, but I think this promise holds true even in the face of swine flu, avian flu or the cooties.  So let’s get going!

“Don’t Ask Me! Ask Your Daddy!”

In our home, my wife tends to be the disciplinarian.  All too often, after spending several days bouncing from city to city, I just don’t have the strength to come home and start pronouncing harsh judgments and meting out stiff penalties like Judge Judy during Sweeps Week.  As I result, I tend to be slightly overindulgent with the children.  ”You want to have bacon and cookies for dinner?  I don’t see why not!”  ”You want another game for your video game system despite the fact that you just failed your last two history tests?  I don’t see why not!”  ”You want to take the car and go out tonight with your friends despite the fact that you are only 14 and don’t have a driver’s license, any money or any sense?  Okay, but make sure you pick me up a six-pack on your way home!”

Sadly, I can honestly say that I’ve actually said two of the above statements (I’m not saying which two).  However, neither was a recent pronouncement because I’ve learned from my mistakes.  And by learning from my mistakes, I don’t mean that I’ve actually developed the maturity and fortitude to be a good father.  Instead, I’ve learned to take the easy way — by punting the issue over to a higher authority — mom.  ”You want to stay up late to watch Bolt for the 2,000th time?  Go ask your momma!”  ”You’d like to set the house on fire as part of your chemistry assignment in school?  Go ask your momma!”

Needless to say, my wife (who the kids call “The Abominable No-Mom”) thinks this is no way for a father to act.  And she’s absolutely right (See!  I can admit it!).  However, as a child of God, I’m becoming increasingly convinced that this is precisely the way I should act; at least, in my dealings with other believers.  Let me explain.

Perhaps, the thing I like most about our small group is the opportunity to learn from the wisdom and experience of godly men; men who in all cases are more mature in their Christian walks.  Seeing how you guys deal with financial, career, relationship, parenting and health challenges broadens my perspective on who God is, what He is able to, and most importantly, how I can serve the Kingdom.  And on occasion, I’m able to overcome my extreme shyness and humility to offer guidance of my own with the belief that as “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Yet, in my haste to sharpen my brothers, I might be cutting you to the quick.  ”Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” (Proverbs 12:18)  The more that I study the Word, the more I realize there is a HUGE difference between “human wisdom” and “godly wisdom.”  And needless to say, more often that not, I dispense the former (and sometimes, it’s not even wisdom, it’s just human [you fill in the rest]).  Therefore, it occurs to me that I should more often take the approach with my brothers that I take with my children — punt to a higher authority.  

Rather than going on and on (and on) with MY opinion about the wisdom of your new business venture or how to deal with a parenting or relationship challenge, my new response is going to be to shrug and say, “Go ask your daddy!”  This will not only make our meetings hours shorter, but it’s the best advice that I (or anyone else) can give you.  In the book of Isaiah, the Lord says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)  I don’t know about you, but I want His thoughts and His ways.

And I hate to admit this, but you’re not going to get them from me or by leaning on your own understanding.  You’re going to get them the same way that Joshua and the children of Israel got them when they stormed into their Promised Land.  ”This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”  (Joshua 1:8)

As brothers and friends, the best thing we can do for one another is to point out God’s word and not let the Book of the Law depart from our mouths.  In our gatherings, the only word that should count is His word.  After all, if we are to transform our ragtop group of believers into a mighty weapon in God’s arsenal, it can’t be about what we say.  It has to be about what He says.  Only God can see past your many faults and failures (and my one or two) and call us forth as “mighty men of valor.”  Who’s with me?

And before you answered that ask, “What did your daddy say?”

Treasures in Earthen Vessels

One of my favorite Old Testament people is Gideon — the mighty man of valor.  If I had two days to compose this blog entry, I could only scratch the surface in unearthing this hero in the faith.  Perhaps, as much as anyone in the Bible, Gideon’s short story (he only gets three chapters — Judges 6-8) demonstrates the many phases in a believer’s journey from zero to hero.  Yet, as a re-read his story this morning, something new struck me.

As you know, Gideon gets his call to deliver Israel from the Midianites.  After some initial doubts, he amasses a fighting force of 32,000 to defeat their oppressors.  This is contrasted with the Midianite army, which all told, “The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.”  And this was just their camels.  Estimates of their troop size seem to fluctuate between 120,000 and 200,000 soldiers at a minimum.  In the best case scenario, Gideon and his army were outnumbered by 4-6 to 1!

Of course, for our God, that’s too much of a fair fight, so incredibly, He tells Gideon to reduce the number of his troops by dismissing the fearful ones.  This reduced the fighting force to 10,000.  However, being outnumbered 20 to 1 was still too “even” for God so He has Gideon reduce his force to just 300 (1% of the original force).  God then says, “Okay, now we have a fair fight!”

To make a long story short, Gideon spies on the enemy and discovers that they are just as scared of him as he must be of them.  He then formulates a plan.  His men march to the fringe of the camp, each with a trumpet and a clay jar with a torch inside.  On Gideon’s signal, the men blow their trumpets, break the clay jars so that the light is visible and shout, “The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!”  And, as you know, the Midianites lose their minds and start … get this … stabbing and slashing at each other.

In the past, I’ve heard sermons preached on this battle that made me want to do cartwheels and backflips like Jake and Elwood Blues from the Blues Brothers movie.  I don’t know about you, but I love serving a God who can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.  I can’t tell you the number of times that I’ve been brought back from the depths of despair by the thought that “if God be for me, who can stand against me.” (Romans 8:31)  I feel like kicking off my shoes and doing the Electric Slide just thinking about it and I would, except that it’s probably against my office lease (and, oh yeah, I still don’t know how to do the Electric Slide despite seeing it done at more than a dozen weddings, including my own).

However, the new thing that struck me today was the significance of the clay jars holding the torches.  More than once, God has referred to these “earthen vessels.”  Take, for instance, Jeremiah 18:1-6:

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ”Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”  So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  Then the word of the LORD came to me: ”O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.”

Likewise, in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10, Paul tells us, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

I hate to be the one to tell you this, my friend, but you are just a work of clay; and so am I.  We are clay pots; cheap ones at that.  After all, it’s important to remember that, during these times, clay pots were extremely common and perishable.  They would easily chip and break and as a result, they would have to be replaced often.  In a sense, they were the plastic cups of their time.  Think about it.  In one sense, you and I are nothing more than Big Gulp cups.

I don’t know about you, but this isn’t the most comforting image.  I’d like to think of myself as an exquisite champaign flute or a jewel-encrusted goblet or at least, a mason jar.  Yet, that isn’t true.  I’m just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill clay pot.  But I can become more, right?  If I just take another business course or spend an extra 10 minutes a day on the tread mill or spend another half hour each morning in prayer, I can become more than just a crappy clay pot, right?  I don’t think so.

Paul tells us that our treasure is what lies within us — “this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  In other words, the real treasure in each of us is Holy Spirit living on the inside of us.  God isn’t so concerned with the outer package, even one as pleasing to the eye as, say, my own.  After all, as God told Samuel when he was a little “man crush” on Saul, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

The light of Christ shining within is the best part of you (and me).  But here’s the ironic part — it shines and serves as a beacon to others best when the outer vessel has been broken.  In other words, people will see Christ most clearly when they don’t have to past (or through) you.  And while it is a simple thing to say that I will let the love of Christ shine through me, it isn’t the easy to do because it requires me to be willing to break the outer package — the one I’ve spent the last 40 years shining and polishing and adorning with trinkets.  Not only that, but I’ve slipped my jar into a silk sleeve and encased it in a foam protective case.  I even carry around my jar in a stylish leather carrying case that has wheels (with 22″ inch chrome rims).  As the young kids like to say, “I’m ballin’, ya’ll!”

And that might have been fine before, but now, I have a callin’, ya’ll.  And that calling is to shine the light of Christ into the dark recesses of our society — to brings God’s lost children home.  In the past, I’ve tried to rationalize my desire for the things of this world by saying that unbelievers will be attracted to my “bling.”  If I can just fasten another jewel to my jar or make it shine a little brighter, than I will be better equipped to do God’s work.

Yet, Gideon’s story shows that it’s just the opposite.  In battling the enemy for territory, God didn’t encourage Gideon to use the ways of the world — the conventional forms of warfare.  After all, God could have influenced the heart of Israel’s neighbors to join in their fight against the Midianites and therefore, even out the troop levels.  Likewise, God could have supernaturally blessed the Israelites with more camels or superior weaponry.  However, in truth, these tactics would have increased the enemy’s odds of victory.  After all, Gideon already had the greatest tactical weapon any commander could ever have — the favor of God.  He simply had to release it and the enemy destroyed itself.

The same is true in our battle for territory.  Our enemy controls a great deal of territory in our society through the use of “the things of this world” (i.e., money, possessions, sex, fame, titles, etc.).  As we reclaim this territory, our strategy shouldn’t be to entice unbelievers into the kingdom with promises of greater “trinkets.”  That gives the enemy a fighting chance.  He might be able to withstand us in a Madison Avenue PR battle for earthly riches.  However, he doesn’t stand a chance if we can show people heavenly riches.

But we can only do that by breaking our jars and letting Christ’s light shine through us.  And, of course, that first requires us to strip off all of the protective and decorative layers we’ve built around ourselves — titles, possessions, reputations, etc.  Only when we are bare and unadorned will people be able to see that it’s not the jar, but it’s contents.  Besides, if you’re looking as sexy as I am these days, your “nakedness” will be an added benefit in a hurting world.

Sorry, I couldn’t help but to go there!

Fear vs. Faith

Today, my daily Bible reading took me to the story of Samson and I was excited.  After all, you don’t have to be Billy Graham (or even Teddy Graham) to “preach” about Samson and the evils of “sleeping with the enemy.”  I was ready to just whip out the standard message and go about my day BUT (and with me, there’s always a “but”) I was struck by the initial reaction of his father, Manoah.

As you remember from Judges 13, Manoah’s wife is barren when she meets with an angel.  The angel tells her that she is going to give birth to a son who is going to have a HUGE Afro (she is not to cut his hair) and will deliver the people from the Phillistines. The woman then hurries home to tell Manoah, who to his credit, believes most of her story.

After all, we can assume that he and his wife had been trying to conceive a child for years.  Then, all of a sudden, Brad Pitt comes along (in the NIV, the wife says, “He looked like an angel of God, very awesome”) and says, “You’re going to have a baby!”  If I was Manoah, I would have been tempted to say, “Back off, pretty boy!  Why don’t you try your pick-up lines on someone else’s wife?”  Instead, Manoah humbly asks God to send the man back to them so that “he may teach us how to bring up the boy who is to be born.” (Judges 13:8)

As always, God is gracious is sends the angel back again.  After getting a second set of instructions for the wife not to drink wine or eat anything unclean and to not cut the boy’s hair, Manoah asks the man to wait around so that he can prepare a young goat for him.  The angel declines the offer but tells Manoah to offer the goat as a burnt offering.  Manoah agrees but then asks the man for his name so that they may honor him when the prophesy comes true.  Once again, the angel declines to accept any honor for himself.  Finally, while goat was being burned in the offering, God rose the angel up with the smoke to heaven.

Then it finally hits Manoah.  That was no man.  He was an angel of God.  Now, you would think that this revelation would have really pumped him up.  After all, if Manoah was excited about a man’s prophesy that he would finally get the thing he most wanted in the world, then he would be ecstatic when he learned that prophesy came from God.  Right?  Wrong!  He turns to his wife in horror and says, “We are doomed to die!  We have seen God!”

And as crazy as this reaction seems, it appears to the normal reaction to receiving a truly prophetic word from God.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  We don’t mind when the prophetic word comes from the “man of God.”  If the pastor in church prophesizes that “Everything is going to be great in 2008″ or “Things are going to be just fine in 2009,” we will raise our hands to heaven, shout an “Amen” and throw an additional $20 in the offering plate.  Or, if we all hold hands in small group and agree that one of us will get a new Lexus or another will get a promotion at work, we’ll leave the meeting with a smile on our faces and a kick in our step (particularly, if we’re the one getting the new car or job).

However, for some reason, if we learn that the word is coming from God Himself, then our reaction is totally different.  Manoah loses it and thinks they are going to die.  Likewise, Ezekiel sees the glory of God and falls on his face (Ezekiel 1:28).  Even more remarkably, while John is exiled on Patmos, he has a revelation in which he sees Jesus and “falls at his feet like a dead man.”  Remember, just a few years earlier, John was laying all over Jesus at the Last Supper (perhaps in an attempt to get a good spot in the picture).

Seriously, John was the “disciple whom Jesus loved.”  He was the only one who stood with Jesus through his crucifixion.  He had spent another 40 days with Jesus after the resurrection and had faithfully followed Jesus’ command to preach the Gospel.  He had no reason to fear Jesus; well, just so long as Jesus looked like a man.  However, as soon as Jesus was stripped of his human facade and the truth of his divinity was apparent, John was afraid; as was Ezekiel, as was Manoah and as are you (and me).

In truth, I am a lion of faith in God so long as I keep God out of it.  When I hear an inspiring message from Joel Osteen or T.D. Jakes, I can walk through troops and leap over walls.  The same is true when Deon lays one of his intercessory prayers on me.  I can take on the world!  And while I pride myself on being willing to step out on faith more than most, I must confess that God has shown me some things that have scared me almost to death.  On more than one occasion, I’ve awoken drenched in sweat from dreams where I was on stage speaking to a crowd of tens of thousands.  After all, it’s one thing to listen to sermons or prayers that foretell “enlarging my territory,” but to see it is another story.

And I’d be willing to bet that I’m not alone here.  You’re willing to believe God for the little things — the things that have the appearance of man-made miracles.  You can believe him for a slightly better car or a slightly better job or a slightly better marriage.  After all, we see men accomplish this type of things all the time.  In fact, if we go to the bookstore, we can buy books from other men who tell us how to do these things in “90 Days to a Better Life” or “10 Steps to a Turnaround.”  However, believing the really big things require us to see the face of God.

For example, if you’re going to birth a ministry that greatly impacts the kingdom despite having no formal training, a checkered past and current struggles (hypothetically speaking, of course), you’re going to need to see the face of God.  Likewise, if you’re going to build a successful business despite limited starting capital and a fear of failure, you’re going to need to see the face of God.  Likewise, if you’re going to marry the woman of your dreams despite trepidation and past setbacks, you’re going to need to see the face of God.  And when you do see His face, you can’t fall out or become fearful to the point of death.

But how do you and I avoid fear when heroes of the Bible couldn’t do so?  By learning from their experiences.  Interestingly enough, the nameless person in Samson’s story — Manoah’s wife — has the answer for us.  When Manoah lost it, she turned to him and said (and I’m paraphrasing), “Cut it out, fool!  Do you really think God would show us all of this and accept our offering, just to kill us?  Get a grip!”  In the same way, we must continually remind ourselves that God has promised to never leave us or forsake us.  That He has promised that “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

In short, we must fight fear with faith.  Sure, God’s vision for our lives might be scary at times, but we can trust in it and in Him.  

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm, plans to give you a hope and a future.  (Jeremiah 29:11).

It Ain’t the Hair!

In 1991, Nike made an advertising splash with its “Is it the Shoes?” promotion for its Air Jordan sneakers.  As you probably remember, in these ads, Spike Lee tried to answer the question of why Michael Jordan was so great and kept coming back to one conclusion: “It’s gotta be the shoes!”  As you would expect, millions of consumers paid $100 or more to learn what should have been obvious — it wasn’t the shoes.  Now, before you get too judgmental about these “gullible” consumers, I’ve seen the church be just as confused as the world about the true nature of cause and effect.  

Take, for instance, the story of Samson and Delilah.  When you read this story, it’s easy to think, “It’s gotta be the hair.”  Before Samson’s birth, an angel of the Lord told his mother, “No rasor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb.” (Judges 13:5)  His mother obeyed and Samson grew up to perform amazing feats.  He killed a lion with his bare hands (Judges 14:6), slew 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of an ass (Judges 15:15), and just walked off with the gates of Gaza as if they were a sack of flour (Judges 16:3).  However, immediately after Delilah’s henchman shaved off Samson’s hair, the Philistines were able to defeat him, putting his eyes out and throwing him in prison.  Later, after his hair had grown back, Samson was able to perform his greatest feat of strength — dislodging the pillars from the palace and crushing all of its inhabitants.  It’s gotta be the hair, right?

Well, I’m not so sure.  Interestingly enough, it appears that Samson wasn’t perpetually strong but rather that his incredible strength came to him at certain times.  In Judges 13:24-25, we read: ”And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.  And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him AT TIMES in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.”  This seems to indicate that there were times in which the spirit did NOT move in.  That thought is supported by the fact that the Bible is clear to point out TWICE that prior to a great feat of strength, “the Spirit of the LORD came upon him.” (Judges 14:6, Judges 14:19).

Finally, the clearest indication that Samson’s strength came and went occurs at the very end of the story.  When Samson was first brought into the palace, he didn’t have enough strength to even fight off his few handlers and suffers the humiliation of dancing before the Philistine lords.  This is despite the fact that his hair had already grown back.  However, his strength only returned after praying to God: “O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.” (Judges 16:28)

Now, if Samson was weak at times even when he had hair, then it ain’t the shoes, baby!  It was the spirit of the Lord coming upon Samson that gave him superhuman strength.  But you might be thinking, “What’s the difference?  When Samson had hair, God gave him strength whenever he needed it.  When Samson’s hair was cut, God didn’t give him strength.  The bottom line is that he shouldn’t have let Delilah cut his hair.”  However, it’s just this type of thinking that gets us into trouble.  We think we can pretty much do whatever we want provided we don’t cut our “spiritual hair.”  We think, “I can lie, but I just can’t steal.”  Or, “I can curse out people on the freeway, just so long as I don’ take the Lord’s name in vain.”  Or, “I can covet my neighbor’s house, car, boat or whatever, so long as I don’t covet his wife.”

This is exactly what Samson did.  As a Nazarite, his devotion to God required more than just not cutting his hair.  As you remember from Numbers 6, Nazarites were to consecrate themselves to God by vowing not to eat anything from the vine, not cut their hair and not come near a dead body.  And, of course, this was in addition to following all of the other requirements of the Law of Moses.  Yet, Samson broke these vows from almost of the very beginning of his story.

At the beginning of Judges 14, Samson is attracted to a Philistine woman.  He immediately thinks, “Forget the Law, I’ve got to have me some of that!  And since she lives in Timnath, I’m thinking roadtrip!”  On the way there, he kills a lion and then … get this … returns three days later to eat the honey produced by bees living in the lion’s carcass.  That isn’t just against his Nazarite vows.  It’s plain nasty!  Later, he tries to trick 30 Philistines out of their clothing and when that fails, he kills 30 men in Ashkelon and takes their clothes to satisfy his debt (“You ever hear of Men’s Wearhouse, Samson?”).  And the sin just keeps coming.  He visits a prostitute in Gaza and later hooks up with Delilah.  

In Samson’s mind, he had a perpetual “Get Out of Jail Free” card.  He could be a con artist, a thief, a murderer and even visit prostitutes and God would give him the strength to get away with it, just so long as he didn’t commit “the big Sin” — cutting off his hair.  However, he was wrong.  If that was the case, he probably wouldn’t have lost his strength even after his hair was cut.

After all, as a technicality, Samson wasn’t at fault for losing his hair.  He didn’t cut it off himself nor did he walk into a salon and say, “I just can’t do a thing with my hair.  Cut it all off, Blaine!”  Samson’s hair was cut without his knowledge while he slept.  Should he have been punished for that?  After all, I don’t think that God would treat the victim of sexual assault as an adulterer.  Likewise, I truly believe that if Samson had lost his hair while running into a burning hut to save a group of orphans, God would have restored his strength when the Philistines attacked.  However, that’s not how Samson lost his hair.  His hair was cut while he slept in the lap of a wicked woman in a land of wicked people.  For more than 20 years, he broke God’s commandments and eventually God had enough of it.

I think this is a lesson for the rest of us.  I don’t know about you, but I depend A LOT on “the spirit of the Lord coming upon me.”  In order for me to give an effective speech, I need the spirit of the Lord.  In order for me to be a good husband and father, I need the spirit of the Lord.  In order for me to advance the kingdom, I need the spirit of the Lord.  In truth, without God’s spirit, I’m as weak as a baby.

Samson learned this lesson the hard way.  He thought he was strong in his own power.  He thought, “It’s gotta be the hair!”  In the same vain, some of us are tempted to think, “It’s gotta be the humor”, “It’s gotta be the cooking,” “It’s gotta be the business,” “It’s gotta be the degree,” or whatever other thing we confuse for the real power in our lives.  The danger in this confusion is that we will turn away from the Lord.  We’ll think, “Why do I need God and all of His demanding rules when I have good looks, talent, money, reputation, etc.?”  And if we’re not careful, we’ll end up just like Samson — bound in sin and blinded to the truth.

It’s gotta be the Lord!