That Voice in the Dark

Our church is taking part in a study called the Amazing Race, and as a church we are reading through the New Testament together until the end of the year.  I thought I'd post my thoughts on the days readings, and I'd love to hear what you have to say.  If you don't attend SCC, I'd still love to invite you to read with us, and weigh in with what you are learning as well. 

Today we read Mark 14:53-Luke 1:25

In chapter 14 of Mark, we read about Jesus being drug around during his overnight trial.  Everywhere He goes, Peter follows Him at a distance.  Technically, Peter is still a follower of Jesus at this point.  But, as you read the story, the drama ramps up as Peter is accused of that very thing, three times.  Three times he is called out for knowing Jesus, and three times he denies Him.  Of course, Jesus told him ahead of time that he would do this.  When Peter remembers it, it breaks him.

What kind of horrible person would be warned by Jesus that they would deny Him, only to turn around and do that very thing over the next few hours?  I mean, Peter had told Jesus that no matter what, he would never run or turn his back on Jesus.  Then, he does.  How can Peter even call himself a follower of Jesus?!  He talks a good talk, but then when a little opposition comes his way, he bails on Jesus and just tries to blend in.  What a wimp!

Right?

Isn't that what we are supposed to think?  Maybe not.

Ok, we are not going to be accused by a servant girl standing next to a bonfire at three a.m. anytime soon.  In fact, most of us will never be accused of following Jesus at any point in our lives.

Which is worse?  Being repeatedly accused, and denying it?  Or never even earning the accusation?

Why don't we get lumped in with Jesus by people?  Why don't we make it far enough to earn the right to be called out?

Yeah, I know, that's a little tough.  Let's move on.

So, if we won't get outed by a fire pit, how does this apply to us?  You understand, it wasn't the girl calling Peter out and playing on his fear, it was Satan.  He calls us out all the time.  When things get rough, you hear the voice calling you to run to anything other than Jesus.  It calls you to turn your back on Jesus and run to the internet, Facebook, your friends, your spouse, your garage, that bottle, the TV, whatever.  It calls you to deny that Jesus is the answer, and look elsewhere in the dark for your hope.  Jesus warns us over and over that this will happen.  Yet we keep falling for it.

Peter saw Jesus about to die.  He didn't know about the resurrection.  Jesus had told him, but He didn't believe it quite yet.  His faith could have carried him through that night.  All he had to do was say, "Yes, I follow Jesus".  That's it.  One time, and he would have averted the whole thing.

The same is true for us.  When we are faced with that voice, that call, that push to run from Jesus, we need to stop, and say "No, I will stay here.  I am with Jesus.  He will see me through."

Where is the place you need to stand today?  What is it that you need to refuse to listen to?

Remember, the sun always rises.  Especially on Sundays.

When Jesus Won't Follow the Script

Our church is taking part in a study called the Amazing Race, and as a church we are reading through the New Testament together until the end of the year.  I thought I'd post my thoughts on the days readings, and I'd love to hear what you have to say.  If you don't attend SCC, I'd still love to invite you to read with us, and weigh in with what you are learning as well. 

Today we read Mark 12:38-14:52.

Jesus keeps moving towards the cross.  He is in Jerusalem, and the religious leaders want to arrest Him.  Think about what is going on in real life terms.  This is a crazy tense time.  His disciples have a sense of what is going on.  They want to keep Jesus quiet, to keep Him safe.  He just keeps going and teaching, putting Himself at risk.  You can imagine the stress and awkwardness that must have been going on with the guys.

What stands out is the contrast between Jesus and the disciples.  They are struggling to see what is going on around them.  Jesus is teaching about the end of time, about His betrayal, about His crucifixion, and they can't comprehend it all.  No wonder they can't.  We wouldn't have either.  They believe Jesus is there to take over the country.  It's the perfect time.  At Passover, the Jewish people celebrated God coming in and saving them from the Egyptians.  They celebrated it every year, and kept praying for God to do the same thing with the Romans.  The Jews wanted to be free.  Passover would be the PERFECT time for Jesus to declare Himself the Messiah, the One who came to save them, and take over from the Romans, setting the nation free.  It was a script already written, just waiting for the right actors.  And they, the disciples, were in on the ground floor.

But Jesus kept talking about the end of things, not the beginning of things.  Even when He is speaking about the end of the world, they think He is talking about His kingdom coming right then.  They miss it, because of their own dreams and plans for God.

In contrast, Jesus is all about God's plans for Him.  He is more in tune with what is going to happen in the future than at any other time in story.  He is clearly moving on a set path, and nothing will stop it.  But with His prayer in the garden, we see that it is His Father's plan, not His.  He is living in obedience to God's authority, at whatever cost, and it gives Him laser vision and focus.

What a difference between the two sides.  As we read today, which are more like?  Are we like the disciples, looking for God to save us from the the things that scare us and worry us?  Do we want Him to be a superman, coming to our rescue, so that we can live our dreams, our way, happily ever after?  Or are we like Jesus, throwing ourselves into His arms, trusting Him to catch us, no matter what it costs?  The second way is much more frightening, but it is the only way to salvation.  The choice is ours today.  Which will it be?

I Guess the Yokes on You

I hit Jeremiah 26 today, and it's a tough chapter.  I've been following Jeremiah's story as a prophet, and God asked him to do such hard things.  In chapter 26, Jeremiah is told to go to the Temple and to warn the people that God is going to destroy the nation and the city.  It's not a new message.  He's been saying it for 25 chapters before this, and the people won't listen.

So, first of all, why would Jeremiah keep going?  No one is listening to his warnings, no one is taking heed to his advice.  He is made fun of, laughed at, and mocked.  On top of that, God keeps making him do crazy things as visual lessons for the people.  In chapter 26, he is wearing a yoke, like the ones they put around a cow's neck to pull a cart.  So, he's in the temple, preaching doom, with a yoke on.

Following God was not cool that day.

The reaction to his message?  The pastors of the temple decide they've finally hit their breaking point, and they are going to kill him.  They take him prisoner, and want to execute him.  I don't know about you, but at this point, I might need to reconsider my professional calling as a prophet.  One, he's failing, because no one is repenting.  Two, he's failing because people hate him and God more than when he started.  Three, he's failing because they want to kill him, and that is never a win.

But his response is to keep preaching the same message to the people who want to kill him.  He tells them to do whatever they want with him, but to understand that God is going to judge the city, and they need to repent.

For Jeremiah, there was only one way to fail.  That was to shut up.  A few chapters earlier he tells God that he wishes he could just be quiet.  He tried to quit the warnings.  But he said that God's words were like fire in his bones and he would burn alive if he tried to keep them in.  So, he speaks.  Jeremiah speaks when no one listens, when no one repents, when no one likes him, when his life is on the line.

Because of that, he wins.  He has God's favor, he is never alone, he is not afraid of what is coming, he finishes the race well.

I don't think that many of us are called to give such a message that someone is going to want to kill us, at least not today.  But I know God is calling each of us to take a step forward.  Fear, worry, embarrassment, uncertainty, laziness, or pride may hold us where we are.  Today, understand that if Jeremiah, who was just a teenager when God called him, could obey; then so can we.  The same God lives in us, loves us, gives us the power and the abilities.  Don't measure what you're called to do by what everyone else defines as winning.  Be faithful.  Trust Him.  He will see you through.

You Are a Master of Sabotage

One of the books I am reading right now is Mere Christianity.  One of my senior guys and I am reading it together.  It's written by C. S. Lewis, the guy who is famous now for "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" series.  He's amazing.

In the book, he is laying out an explanation for why Jesus is the best answer, in a logical, rational, scientific discussion.  But, Lewis is funny, sarcastic, and humorous as he does it, so it's a great read for anyone.

On page 51, he says this: "Enemy-occupied territory-that is the what the world is.  Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.  When you go to church you are really listening in to the secret wireless from our friends: that is why the enemy is so anxious to prevent you from going."

Lewis goes on to talk about how Satan spends a ton of time and effort trying to convince us that 1) he doesn't exist 2) we are just fine like we are 3) we don't need each other.  I LOVE this picture of an invasion taking place.  As you follow Jesus, you are taking part in a war of sabotage against His enemy.

Be brave today.  Be fearless.  Fight hard.  The battle is won, but we still have work to do.


If you want more C.S. Lewis, there are mulitiple ways to read his writing.  There is a blog that simply posts some of his stuff everyday.  You can find it at http://merecslewis.blogspot.com/

Taking the gods (with little g's) to the Dump

Cleaning out the junk in your room or house is such a mix of emotions.  On the one hand, you hate letting things go that at one time had some value to you.  On the other, it feels so good to clean out and have a fresh start.

There was a king named Josiah who cleaned house for God and the whole nation once.  He decided to follow God after generations had ignored Him.  The priests were ordered to clean up the temple, and they discovered a book that no one had ever seen before.  It was the Bible.  Yep, that's right, no one had seen it or heard of it.  THAT'S how far off the track the "children of God" had gotten.  Once they started reading it, and understanding what God wanted, they panicked.  Josiah decided to really clean things up, and went on a rampage.  You can read all about it in 2 Kings 22 and 23.  It's pretty fascinating.

The amount of junk that was in the temple, that was used to worship fake gods, is appalling.  I was amazed as I read everything that the kings had put in this holy house of God.  It was almost incomprehensible that they could get so far offtrack that they would cram that much trash into such a sacred building.  I mean, after all, this is where God was supposed to meet with the people.  But they turned it into a religious storage barn, cramming in it stuff to worship any god that they happened to hear about.

So, Josiah comes along and cleans house.  He has to tear down monuments his father, grandfather, great grandfather, and more had built.  He had to destroy places where people worshiped everyday.  He had to destroy people's misplaced hopes and dreams, and places they found comfort in.  It was all fake religion, and he had to destroy it.  So, he did.  Piece by piece, angry person by hurt person, he dismantled the mess that had been made, and returned things to a state of purity and focus.  It cost him greatly, but the reward was even greater.

I fully realize that you and I are not king of a country.  We don't have to clean out a temple.  Or do we?  Scriptures tell us that we are now the temple of the Lord.  He doesn't live in a building anymore, He lives within each of us who follow Him.  So, what junk is in the temple that needs thrown out?  How are you and I worshipping false gods of hopelessness, and messing up the relationship we have with God?  What habits do we run to for comfort that are not centered on God?  What images/videos/movies/websites/books/TV shows/etc. are we setting up to focus on that lead us, step by step, piece by piece away from God?  What god of power/money/authority/control have we set up a pole to bow down before and worship?  Which people in your life have become a little-g god to you?  What needs cleaned out in the temple today?

Yes, it may cost you.  Almost certainly, someone won't like it.  It will take focus and effort.  We will have to replace what we remove with the right things of prayer, Bible study, community, service, worship, etc.  You can't just toss out the bad and leave the room empty.  You have to refill the space with what was supposed to be there to begin with.

So, seriously, what is it for you?  What idol needs to fall?

Oh, by the way, Josiah was 8 when he became king.  He was 12 when he began cleaning house.  If he could pull it off, I'm pretty sure you and I can.  Just thought you'd like to know.

Free. Simply Free.

God makes a promise in Isaiah 46 to His people.  But it's a promise about who He is, what type of God He is.  Because of that, we can apply it to ourselves as well as to the people He wrote it to.  Check it out - 

9 Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me. 

10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’ 

11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do. 

Do you catch all of that?  Those are some amazing promises!  He will do whatever it is He sets His sights on doing.  He has known from the beginning of time how everything will play out, and He will accomplish His goals.  The beautiful part is He can allow us to be completely free to serve and love Him, or not to and sin, and yet He is unfazed.  I love that.  You and I really are free, because God has total control over everything.

We often think either we are free, and God sits back OR God is in control, and we don't really have any choice in how things go.  But it's not that way at all.  BECAUSE God is so powerful and mighty, BECAUSE He is unstoppable, BECAUSE He is amazing; He can give us total freedom to act and it doesn't impinge on His power.  

This takes a ton of worry and stress off of us.  God will accomplish His plans, and they are good.  He will win the day today.  And tomorrow.  And the next.  It's not up to us to make it all work, to be sure we hit everything perfectly.  He carries us.  This is why Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow.  God has it.  It will be finished.  He does win. 

We just need to be on His side.

So, whatever worry is holding you down today, whatever fear is stressing you out, whatever decision is making you cower; let it go.  God will accomplish His plans, in you, today.  Just trust Him.  He's promised. He's good.  What He has said, He will bring about and what He has planned, He will do.

When the Sphinx Can't Save You

As I was reading through Isaiah 31 this morning, it brought up an idea that is really, really common in the Old Testament.  Israel as a country would find itself attacked by a bigger, stronger nation, and over and over they would run to Egypt, pay them money, and have them come send the Egyptian army up to help defend the nation of Israel.  They were hired soldiers.  It seems like Israel did this over and over.

I had read that a ton of times, but I got thinking about how that must have felt to them.  They had been slaves in that country.  Egypt had owned them.  It took a ton of miracles by God to pull them out of there, and from the time they left, there were people who kept choosing to go back to Egypt instead of trusting God.  Egypt was a source of embarrassment for the country, a constant reminder that they were not a world power, that they were very little, and really struggled to even protect themselves, let alone be a threat to anyone.  I mean, if you're going to claim to be God's chosen people, you'd think you'd be the dominating force in the world.  They weren't.  They came close under David and Solomon, but that was short, and did not last.  And even then, they were only able to defend themselves.  They never went on a huge warpath and took over other countries to build an empire.  The best they could do was to just manage to be safe for a couple of decades.

As a country, that's embarrassing.

But to have to run back to the very nation you had to scrape and claw your way out of only made it worse.

Yet, most of the people and the kings would rather run back to Egypt with their tail between their legs than to depend on God to save them.  Why do we do that?

Why do we trust in habits, people, or systems that we know, 100% without a doubt, that they are broken?  We know those addictions don't set us free.  We know that relationship can't actually make us happy.  We know that habit only leaves us empty.  We know that grab for power is always temporary.  In spite of that knowledge, when we come under attack, and life becomes scary and unsure, instead of turning to God, we run to Egypt, the land of darkness.

Why?

God is trustworthy.  He always has been.  He always will be.  He is not the problem.

It's our expectations.  The nation of Israel couldn't understand that maybe God's plan didn't call for them to be a military powerhouse.  He didn't even want them to have a king.  He wanted them to follow Him, to be blessed, and to bless the people around them.  That is not what they wanted.  They wanted power and revenge, just like everyone else around them seemed to have.  So, they ignored God, and ran to the center of ancient power and revenge.  Even when Egypt was way past their glory days and were no longer a world force, Israel still ran to them for help.

What goals, hopes, values, dreams, or desires do you have that keep you from running to God?  Are they working out for you?  It's probably time to find some new ones, some dreams that come from Him, and that He will honor in your life.

Hide and Seek with a Dead Man

There is a crazy contrast of life and death between two men in 2 Kings 13 and 2 Chronicles 24.  Elisha is the prophet of God who pursues God at all costs, and it costs him alot.  He lives a life of deep, personal faith in God.  He withstands tough trials, he takes on people who hate him for his trust in God, and he sees great works of God done through his hands.  And he dies.

Joash was a prince who became king of Judah.  He was only seven when he became king, and he reigned for decades.  He was guided by a priest named Jehoida, who loved God.  Under Jehoida's guidance, he turned the kingdom back to God, and had amazing success as a king.  He lived out a public faith, pointed people to God, faced tough battles with enemy armies, takes on other nations who hated God, and saw great works of God done through his hands.  And then, he died.

But when Joash died, it was ugly.  Jehoida, the priest, had died years earlier, and Joash quit following God.  In fact, he ran the other way, and abandoned God.  Because of this, he was wounded in battle, and then later killed in his own bed by conspirators.  His faith was wide, but not deep.  It was a faith to be seen, but not to be lived personally.  When he needed God's guidance the most, his weak faith did not carry him, and he died a broken ruler who lost his way, at the hands of assassins.

Elisha died of a disease that slowly took his life.  But, through it all, he maintained a trust in God that guided his heart and decisions.  He died at peace, and was buried.  Later, some friends were transporting a friend's body to a funeral.  As they went past Elisha's tomb, some robbers came by.  They stuck their friend's body in the tomb to hide it from the bad guys.  It touched Elisha's bones, and the guy came back to life.  Even in death, God's power and blessing stayed with Elisha's body.

That's a contrast.

Which are you shooting for?  A faith that is a Sunday faith, once a week, make everyone like you, and live life your own way the other six days?  Are you living off of someone else's faith?  OR, are you working out a faith through tough times and trials that is deep, and just by being around you, people gain new life?

Two similar but very different paths.  Which are you on?

Eyes Wide Open

Throughout the years, I have asked God over and over to let me see the world through His eyes, to hear the world the way He does, and to love people with His heart.  In 2 Kings 6:17, the story of Elisha takes this idea to a whole new level.  Elisha is in a city surrounded by his enemies who want to kill him.  A huge army takes up defenses, and is going to destroy the whole city to get to Elisha, the prophet.  His servant panics, like any of us would.  But Elisha doesn't.  Instead, he prays for his servant.


17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.


What is going on is God's army is there to protect Elisha,  He never worried.  He saw the world around him through God's eyes.


We don't need the army of angels around us.  Jesus tells us that He will live in us.  He tells us not to worry, because He has us, and everything around us, covered.  But we forget.


A couple of weeks ago I was riding my mountain bike in Brown County State Park.  The trails there are sweet and fast.  But on a slow part, I took my eyes off the trail for a minute.  My glasses had fogged up, and I quit looking at the trail to look at the fog on my glasses.  In that 2 second window, I went over the bars, and I'm still healing up the wounds from that stupid fall.


When we take our eyes off of God, we fall just as fast, and just as hard.  What we focus on makes all of the difference.


So today, pray that prayer with me.  "Lord, open our eyes so that we can see."

Stolen Veggie Gardens and the Other

1 Kings 21 continues telling the story of King Ahab.  He was king over Israel, and was married to Jezebel.  They are a horrible couple.  They push God out of the country's mind, they set up idols to worship, they murder people, steal, and more.  Ahab is one of the most evil kings in the Bible.


And he's a wimp.  


In chapter 21, there is a dilemma for the king.  He wants to plant some veggies in a garden near one of his castles.  But he doesn't have enough land to do.  Naboth is the guy who owns the land, and doesn't want to sell his family farm for the king's veggie patch. Yeah, that's a tough, king-like problem....


So anyway, he resolves it by doing what any good leader does.  He pouts.  No, really, the Bible is clear that this is what he does.  Check it out.  "4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors.” He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat."


So, the king is pouting.  His wife meanwhile, takes a different route.  She sets up a plan to have Naboth set up, falsely accused, and killed.  The plan comes off perfectly.  Naboth dies, falsely accused, and the king takes his land.  


As I read this, I thought about how many times I act like Ahab, and how many times I act like Jezebel.  I mean, so many times life doesn't go exactly like I want it to.  Sometimes I get mad at God and pout.  I go in my room and lay on my bed sulking.  At least, in my heart that's what I do.  I try and milk the situation for sympathy from others, and I get upset with God for not giving me what I want.


Other times, when things don't go my way, I get mad, and create a plan to make things happen.  I simply take whatever it is I think I am owed or what I deserve.  I don't wait on God or anyone else, I just make it happen.  "I'm a leader, a do-er", I think as I justify my actions.  And I get what I want.


But I never stop to think why God is telling me "no".  I never think about the Naboth in my story.  I get so focused on what I want, that I honestly don't stop to think that God is telling me "no" because to tell me "yes" would hurt someone else.  I get so caught up in me, and my desires, I forget how intertwined my life is with everyone else.  


But God never forgets the other.  He always looks at my life with others in view.  Both Jezebel and Ahab got what they wanted with their actions.  They got another veggie garden.  But a wife lost her husband, children lost their father, people lost a friend.  Naboth lost his life.


When God tells us "no", maybe we need to remember the other, and trust Him.  Maybe we need to try and think of the other before we ask.  Maybe....

The Power of the *

I was reading in 1 Kings 15 today, and it is talking about the different kings of Judah and Israel.  One of the kings, Asa, follows God, and the writer compares him to his great great grandfather David.  So, a couple of hundred years after David has died, he is still seen as the standard.  Here is what the verse says about David:

"⁵ For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the case of Uriah the Hittite." 1 Kings 15:5 (NIV)

David has an * on his record.  He kept all of the commands of God, except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.  That was Bathsheba's husband, the woman he had an affair with.  Uriah was the general in his army whom he had murdered.

So many times today, we have athletes with great records, but there is an * on their sheet, either for cheating, steroid use, or whatever else.

It's the power of the *.

I really don't want to have a record that is 99% great, but then have an * after it.  "Jason did very well, and served God faithfully for decades, except for *".  God is working on my to understand that the little habits, the  small sins that I coddle, the things that no one sees today, those are the things that lead up to the *.

What is yours?  Is there one?  Are you forming habits, and babying sins because they are "small", that are going to lead to an * on your life one day?  Be ruthless.  Go after it all.  Because of God's generous grace and forgiveness, we always have a second chance.  I want my life to leave behind a !, not an *.

What about you?

Why Won't God Show Up on Cue? (new blog post)

Psalm 30 says:

1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit.
4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.
5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.”
7 Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
8 To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy:
9 “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit?
Will the dust praise you?  Will it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.”
11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever. 

I'll be honest, I'm only 50% with this Psalm today.  The part in verse 7 where David says "when you hid your face, I was dismayed."  Yeah.  I'm a bit "dismayed" today.  Some close friends are going through an incredibly tough time, and a ton of prayers are going up in their name.  But the bad news seems to multiply on itself in this situation.  

I'm frustrated.  


I want things to be better for them.  Happier.  More peaceful


I want God to ride in on the white horse and save the day.  Save the day, today.  Right now.


But it's not happening.


And I'm impatient.  Even as I write this, I hear Him lovingly telling me He has it.  I want the government to come to the rescue.  They aren't.  I want to be able to save my friends.  I can't.  My friends want to fix it all.  They can't.


Just Him.


So I can only pray "Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help."  Be our help today.


Please.

FOR SALE: 1 Slightly Used Chariot, and 50 Running Men (new blog post)

All of my life I've been a "planner".  I'm one of those people who have a plan, a back up plan, a contingency plan behind that, and a level four emergency plan.  I have tended to think in terms of five and ten years out at a time, and honestly, it's usually helped me out a ton.  I like having plans, because it has brought me a sense of comfort, security, and direction.

People around me have applauded my plans.  They have told me since I was little that I was wise, that I was a leader, that the plans I had were gifts God had given me.  And for whatever reason, God chose to be really kind to me and bless me in those plans.

But as I've gotten older, He has changed in how He is dealing with those ideas.  At first, He simply asked me to pray before I made any plans.  Then, a while later in life, He told me that I needed to hear his plans for me.  You know the verse out of Jeremiah, "I know the plans I have for you....etc."  But recently, he has asked me to let go of plans all together, and trust Him.  I'm not sure how to explain it.  I still have teaching plans for the youth group.  I'm still making schedules a year in advance for the ministries.  I am working on ideas for where, and when, we will go this summer as a family.  That isn't what God is after.

He's after the plans that "move" me somewhere else.  The plans that further my own position, renown, fame, authority, etc.  The plans that make me better known, more liked, more famous.  I realize fully that many people don't even deal with this idea.  But planners like me do.  It's the dark side of the whole planning thing.  It borders on scheming.  I found it in the Bible today too.

2 Samuel 15 is talking about David's son, Absalom.  Here is what it says:

"1 In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him."  


What's the big deal, right?  Well, this chapter shows how Absalom has decided that he wants to be king.  So, he begins making plans on how to win people over.  He's really, really good at it.  The whole chariot and fifty men running thing is a play to show his authority and power.  Now, let's be clear about something;


he has no power.


He is a prince.  His dad is king.  But he is engineering things to set himself up for a power grab. 


And it works.  


He takes over the kingdom in the next chapter.  His plans work.


But they were bad plans.  This is what God is working on me for.  Am I willing to let go of the "climb the ladder" plans in life?  Am I willing to be whoever God wants me to be, in whatever area of the world, doing whatever He wants me to, today?  Can I be happy in that?  Can I find real joy in my position as His son, and that be enough?


Well, yeah, I can.  But it hurts.  And it's hard to do.  And I don't always like it.


But that is where I am at.  


That's God's plan.


What about you?  What plans are you working out, what "dreams" are you chasing, that are about you and not about God?  Are they in the way?  Are you having a hard time hearing God's voice over the buzz you're creating about yourself?

Sitting and Waiting for the Start of the Show. (new blog post)

I've had a lot of conversations this morning with several people.  There is simply a ton of hurt going on right now.  I realize that is always true, but I am more aware of it just from hearing people's situations and challenges.  Sin is such a very ugly, ugly thing.

Then I sit down and read in Psalm 106 that David speaks of his great grandparents and says this:


"13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold."

David tells about how God had saved the Israelites.  They had great days as they came out of Egypt as slaves.  They were rescued time and time again in the desert.  God proved Himself faithful over, and over, and over, and over.  But they forgot, and they didn't wait.

So, in this case, what should they have done?  


Remembered.


And waited.


Remembered all of the times that God had answered their prayers and saved them.  Remember the feelings of a victory that wasn't theirs to own, of a time where God fed them, or cared for them, or spoke to them, or showed them a cloud of fire to lead them.  Remember that the God they follow isn't into what is fair, or even, but is into grace, mercy, hope, and generosity.  Remember how their heart felt when they realized that God was really, honestly for them.  Remember how their lives changed for the better when they chose to obey Him, and He turned everything on it's head in the most beautiful of ways.  Remember.


And wait.  When we know that God is a God who works, He is a God who is active, He is a God who hears and answers our prayers regardless of how worthy we are, then we can wait.  It isn't like waiting with no hope.  It's like waiting on the 4th of July, just as dusk settles.  The anticipation is huge, the excitement is palpable, you can barely sit still, just knowing that the fireworks are ready to light up the sky.  You know from years past how amazing the rockets will be.  You trust that there is a crew out there, somewhere, in the dark, setting everything up, just right.  They know exactly how to make it all work, and they are ready to go.  It all comes down to the guy in charge giving the signal, and then..... oooohhh.......ahhhhh!  It's magical.  That is the kind of waiting we need to step into.  We know God is out there, working, preparing.  We know He is trustworthy and true.  We just need to wait for Him to give the signal, and then......


Beauty.  Magical, darkness destroying, light up the night, take your breath away, wasn't it worth the wait, how unbelievable is this, beauty.


Remember.  And wait.

Waiting for God. (new blog post)

God and I are having a lot of discussions the last couple of weeks where I sit and am pretty quiet.  I'll ask a question, and then sit.  You see, He's not behaving.  At least not the way I want Him to.  I have some friends who need Him big time right now, people I love and care about.  Stuff is going on in their lives that I simply don't understand.  I'm praying, and praying, and praying.  But the movement I so desperately want to see for them isn't coming.

So, I keep talking to God.  And sitting.  Waiting.

Don't get me wrong, He's talking to me and loving me.  He's not absent.  But the things I am asking for; good things, Biblical things, things that honor Him, just aren't coming. 

I've been mad.  I've been hurt.  I've been afraid.  And I've been quiet.

I really don't like it when He is like this.  I want Him to do what is right, what is just, what is kind, and I want Him to do it right now.

But it isn't coming.  I have to choose now what to believe.  Will I believe in a God who seems to be sitting back and letting things passively move along, or will I dump it and take matters into my own hands.

I'm so broken hearted over all of this.  But I know better than to do anything but wait on Him and love as best I can.  I know He will work.  He always does.  But this waiting, this sitting, this quiet .... it hurts so much.

David in the Psalms talks about his bones growing weak and his soul being dry as he waits on God.  Jesus tells stories of perseverance and not giving up.  I never thought they actually meant it.  At least, not like this.  I want Jesus to be Superman, flying in and saving the day, right on cue.

But He's God.  His ways aren't my ways, His plans aren't my plans.  Again, who would have thought He meant all that stuff when He said it?

So, we wait.  He will move.  I choose to believe He is moving where I can't see.

Until then, I will keep asking Him for help.

And sitting.

Hot Dogs, Fine Steaks, and Jesus (new blog post)

Sometimes I think about giving up on God.  I do.  Life can get really hard, and I don't see God's plan, and I think about giving up.  It's part of loving people and caring for them.  When I see what other people are facing, the pain they are dealing with, sometimes it makes me ask questions to God about how faithful He is, and gives me thoughts about quitting.

David felt like this too.  In Psalm 73, David writes:

"1 Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

You see what is going on here?  He knows that God is good, but still he almost slipped.  He came close to blowing it, to giving up.  He looks around, sees how people who are not following God seem to be living, and thinks about calling it quits. 

We all do every so often.  We begin to feel like "What's the point?"  We try and try, and only seem to fall behind.  David puts it like this:


"13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply"

It's not the thought of quitting that is the problem.  It's what solution do we take?  Do we toss in the towel?  I've seen quite a bit of that over my time in ministry, that's for sure.  People give up, walk away, and don't come back.  Jesus even tells us that will happen.  So, what is it that separates those who quit from those who stay?


Here is David's answer to that one:


"21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever." 

Do we stop and remind ourselves of all that we have seen and experienced God doing in our lives?  Do we let Him hold us by our right hand?  Or do we pull away?  It's a choice.  It's completely a choice.  One is no harder than the other.  What will we do?

I've got to admit, those times I want to quit, it doesn't take long to come back around to David's point of view.  Who do I have in heaven, but You?  Who can I possibly hope in if I give up on You?  What on earth has any draw besides You?  Everything I can chase leaves me empty and broken.  You are it.  You are my hope.  I grew up around a goofy, silly phrase that actually fits here; "You can't go back to hot dogs once you've had fillet Mignon."  It's dumb, but kind of true.


Please, don't quit.  Remember what God has done for you.  Look around and see what He is doing today.  He is here.  Trust Him. 


Where else can we go that is better?

Judgement, Death, Pain and Love for Others (new blog post)

I'm not sure what to make of God sometimes.  When I think I have Him kind of figured out, He shows me another side that I don't understand.  For example, I've been reading in some of the Psalms today (7, 27, 31, 34, and 52).  They are songs David wrote about struggling with King Saul when the King was trying to kill him.  David is on the run, and has to leave everything and live in the woods and desert.

David prays that God will judge him if he is in the wrong, but he also prays that God will judge Saul if Saul is wrong.  King Saul has decided to ignore God and is living and ruling in his own way instead of God's way, even though it was God who made him king.  David can't stand it.  So he prays that God will judge Saul harshly, even with death, for how he is living. 

What gets me is it's in the Bible, and in the story, God does just this thing.  Saul is judged for his actions, and dies.  David becomes king.  God blesses him.  He prays for his enemy to be judged, for God to hold him very accountable, for him to die.  What?  What about grace?  What about love your neighbor as yourself?

I think that is the key.  David does show love to Saul.  He himself will not kill Saul, even though he has several chances to do it.  It would have even been "legal" since he had been appointed the new king.  But he doesn't.  He begs God to do it, so that he can be sure it's just.  He wants justice, but David is willing to wait on God's justice.  Not the other side of death/heaven/hell justice.  Justice here, in this lifetime, on earth.  He begs God to act.  But until God does act, David shows mercy and grace, even though he doesn't feel it personally.  He obeys from faith rather than feelings.

That's the part I don't understand.  That's the disconnect.  I'm willing to obey as long as I feel peace about it, as long as it's the logical decision.  David obeys in spite of his personal feelings, in spite of what he sees in front of him, in spite of what is expected of him, in spite of what everyone else is telling him to do.  He trusts God at a level that I really want to get to. 

What about you?  What is it that God is calling you to trust Him on?  Who in your life needs justice, and you are waiting on God to act?  Will you trust Him?

He's worth it.

Maybe Your Boxes Are Keeping Him Out, Not In

The Bible always amazes me, because it tells on itself.  I've talked about this before, but I'm still caught off guard by it.  Today, I read the book of Ruth.  If you aren't familiar with it, go read it instead of reading this.  It's only four chapters, and won't take long.

The story is a story of faithfulness, grace, hope, and redemption.  Ruth is the star of the story.  The kicker is, she is not a Hebrew.  She is a gentile.  It's not God's people who do what is right in the story, but someone who doesn't know God very well.  She even calls God "your God" when she talks to her mother in law, who is from Israel.  So, we have a story of a girl who is faithful to a God she barely knows.

The whole story happens during the time of the judges, when there was no king, and Israel was running around like a drunk, evil college fraternity house.  It was anarchy, and so very, very not God focused during that time.

So, do you see this then?  Ruth, not a Hebrew, does what is right, during a time when God's chosen people who knew better, are not doing what is right.  God doesn't even have a voice in the story.  He is mentioned, but doesn't play a direct role.

So, what do we learn about God?  He doesn't fit in our boxes, He doesn't play by our rules, and He doesn't act in the way we think He should.  This begs the question, then, when was the last time God surprised you with something He calls you to, or something He does, that doesn't fit the stereotype you have for Him?  If He isn't surprising you, could it be that you are not actually listening?  Could our boxes we keep God in, actually be keeping Him out of our lives?

It's worth asking.

Falling Isn't the Problem. It's All in How You Land.

Last night I had several conversations with students who were dealing with big things.  We have one student who is working hard to carry out what God is telling her to do.  She is trying to get a group of students together from all over the area, and put on a small Acquire the Fire type of conference.  It's a huge dream, and she is really serious about it.

I spoke with other students dealing with relational issues, hurts at home, struggles at school, fears, uncertainties, and pain.  Some of the students I talked to last night are trying to figure out their future, what they want to do with their lives, or simply how to handle prom.

Life as a high school student is tough.

I have adult leaders dealing with hurts, concerns for their families, personal pain, uncertainty, empathy for the kids in their small groups, job issues, schooling, and a ton of other stresses on their horizon.

Life as an adult is tough.

So what do we do with all of this?  Today, I was reading through the book of Joshua, and it was verse after verse and chapter after chapter describing the boundaries of the lands and which cities each tribe of Israel inherited when they went into the Promised Land.  It was pretty dry reading, to be honest.  Especially since I have no clue where any of the boundaries or the cities are, or were.  I was lost in the details.

Until I hit one verse, the very last one I read.  It was Joshua 21:45:
"45 Not one of all the Lord ’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."

That was why the long, expansive list of cities, peoples conquered, and land borders was given.  It was all proof.  Proof that God kept His word.  He had promised the impossible, that this rag tag group of wandering ex-slaves would conquer one of the most fortified, protected areas of the world, and that they would claim it all as their own.

They did.  It took five years.


Five years.


Of fighting.  Struggling.  Hoping.  Worrying.  Uncertainty.


Five years.


But God kept every promise, every single one was fulfilled.


So, what promises has God made us that you are still waiting on?  

Some of His promises are 

• He will never leave us or drop us 
• He knows us and loves us 
• He creates all the good things in life 
• He will give us wisdom if we ask
• He is our protection 
• He is a safe place to hide when we are scared
• nothing can ever separate us from His love
• nothing can ever take us out of His hand
• He knows what we need before we ever ask for it
• He takes care of the flowers and the birds, so He will certainly provide and care for us.

Is there a promise you're hoping for, waiting for, and uncertain about?  Don't be.  When the story of your life is told, there will be a chapter 21 verse 45 for you too:


45 Not one of all the Lord ’s good promises to (insert your name here) failed; every one was fulfilled. 

It's a promise.

Stealing a Dead Guy's Robe Will Get You Everytime!

Remember the last time you did something you knew you weren't supposed to do?  You had a plan, but you knew that carrying it out was wrong?  Or maybe you had a sense that God wanted you to wait on something in His time, but you forced the issue and carried out your own plan?  Yeah, me too.

I struggle so much with waiting on God sometimes.  I want something, often something that is actually a good thing, but God tells me to wait.  Then I have that crazy tough decision to make; do I wait and trust Him, or move forward on my own schedule?  So many times I've moved forward on my own, and pursued whatever it was in my sights.  Again, often it's a good thing.  It could be something good for my family, some part of ministry, an opportunity to serve, or a long list of other good things.  Sometimes it's not.  But it's the timing that is the big issue.  God says "Not now", and I say "No, now". 

It always ends up burning me in the end.

I was reading in Joshua 7 today.  This guy named Achan is a Hebrew.  They move into the Promised Land, march around Jericho, blow the horns, and the walls fall down.  Veggie Tales has a great version of the story in one of their videos.  I don't remember Achan being in any of the kids versions of the story, though.  You see, God tells them when they capture Jericho to destroy it completely.  Don't take anything out of it.  Achan doesn't listen.  He takes a robe, some gold, and some silver.  Then he buries it under his tent. 

He knows it was wrong to take the stuff.  There isn't anything wrong with a nice robe, or money.  But he wasn't supposed to take it.  He did anyway. 

Thirty-six Hebrews die because of his actions.  In the next battle, they get spanked in the fighting, and 36 people die.  Because of Achan.

God shows everyone whose fault it was, and he confesses.  But it's too late.  Achan is killed, along with his family, and then their bodies are burned.  God really wants us to obey.  He's serious about it.  If he let Achan live, he would pull down the rest of the nation. 

Here's the crazy part.  They march back to the city where they were beaten, due to Achan's sin.  They attack it, and capture it.  But before the battle, God tells them to take the good stuff out of the city, then burn it. 

Did you catch that?  God says to take the stuff.

Achan missed it by a couple of days.  If he had listened to God, no one would have died, and he would have received more stuff.  Just a couple of days.  Achan couldn't see down the road, and he decided to not trust God.  He did it his way, and he and his family suffered for it.  It killed them.

We can be the same way.  We simply need to learn that God is really generous, and loves to give gifts to those who trust and obey Him.  If we will listen to Him and wait, amazing things come our way.

I promise.