New Year's Beseechment

Beseeching is like begging.

It is very rare that someone in a prominent position would beg.  They are more used to demanding or commanding.

It would have to not only be something extremely important... it would have to be urgent.  There would need to be a sense of imminent necessity... as if what was being asked for was a life or death situation.

Some things should be treated with this type of urgency.

Paul certainly understood this.

He felt so strongly… felt that it was so important… that he was willing to parakaleō (beseech, implore, beg…) the Corinthians…

The day after Christmas

There is always a day that follows Christmas.  A day when the shepherds go back to the fields, the census continues, and you find yourself… as Joseph must have… facing the responsibilities that were there before the delivery.

We focus a lot on Jesus at Christmas (or do we) and rightly so… but I think we need to pause for a minute on this day after Christmas and realize that Joseph gave us a great example as men, husbands, and fathers.

Joseph was what was termed “tsaddiq” – righteous.  He had upheld the Jewish law his whole life and attained a place of prominence in the community.

But when the law would have required him to stone Mary for adultery… even before knowing what had happened… Joseph was ready to forfeit all of what he had worked for… all of what he had “earned”…

His status… his position… his accomplishments… his reputation… and perhaps his family.

Think about it… would you be looking for a hotel in the town where your family lived?  Why didn’t Joseph feel that he would be welcomed if he sought out an aunt or uncle… a cousin or even a close family friend?

The height of success

“Now there was a man of Benjamin,… a mighty man of power. And he had a son, whose name was Saul,… from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.” 1 Samuel 9:1,2

I remember reading an article regarding the average height of CEOs for Fortune 100 companies.  At the time none of the men who held these positions were under six feet tall.  Coming in a hair below that (OK… maybe a head below that) I didn’t stand a very good chance of getting a desk in the corner office.  Add to it that I had a beard and I wouldn’t make the cut even if you extended the list to Fortune 500… or the Less-Than-Fortune-8.

There is just something about tall men that makes people look up to them.

(I’ll pause while you let that set it.)

Israel had wanted a king… someone they could look up to.  So God granted there request… literally.  Saul was the tallest Israelite.  And something about that was appealing… until that is…
 

I have another hand

“Remember I have another hand.”

This was what the Lord spoke to my heart when He gave me a picture during worship this past week.

A picture that reminded me that we are instruments… instruments of ten strings as the scripture call us.

Instruments in the hands of the most skilled Musician.

I saw the neck of a guitar and on that neck a hand…

I couldn’t tell you the cord the fingers formed but I knew that they were holding the strings firm.

And that was when He reminded of His other hand…

The hand playing…

The hand releasing the sound…

The song of heaven.

"But that... was not... the prayer."

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a prayer you prayed is… well… sort of answered?  It isn’t exactly what you asked for… but who are you to complain?

Maybe you didn’t ask for the right thing.

Or maybe you didn’t ask the right way.

Or maybe God said, “No.”

Or, “Not yet.”

And when it doesn’t happen you try to keep your chin up and have an attitude of gratitude.

Maybe your mother’s voice plays in the back of your head, “Be grateful you got that!”
So you offer up a “Thank you” to Jesus that is more forced than natural.

I did that recently.

I had prayed a pretty specific prayer.  It’s a more detailed story that this… but I’ll give you the highlights.

“I want a my last day of work to be June 28^th.   I want to have a week off to be with my family (our son was visiting from Brazil).  And I want my new job to start July 8^th.”

God moved… fast.

Get primed...

“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” Acts 19:21

I recently had a plumbing problem.  It has been ongoing.  The condensation pump for the AC unit has a tube going from it to drain to the outside.  Unfortunately, when the tube was installed and the hole was drilled to put it through the concrete, it was placed too high on the wall.  The pump doesn’t have the power to push the weight of that much water to that height so it winds up overflowing and draining into the house.

Not good.

Once it has been primed though, it works fine.  I just have to keep it primed.

All the pieces were in place.  Technically it should have worked… but what needed to come through the tube was more than what had been planned for.

The difference between purposing in the flesh and purposing in the spirit is that while one may prepare us… the other primes us.

When you have been primed (backfilled to remove all of the voids, empty spaces, dead air) God can send through you so much more than what you are expecting.

What you would be unable to make happen in your own strength… what your “pump” could not handle… will flow.

Are there things you have planned for… things that you feel that you are ready for… that it is time for…

The appearance of authority...

My father was in the Army.  When he was in basic training he quickly learned, as did all the GIs, that you had to avoid the people who could assign you work… or they would!  So he took an interesting approach to the problem.  It was called “ghosting.”  He got himself a clipboard and a pen and carried it with when he was walking around base.  People who could assign him work thought someone already had… and everyone else avoided him because they thought he could assign it to them!

He had the appearance of authority…

But he had to act the part.  He couldn’t just sit down.  And he couldn’t avoid anyone… that would give it away.

He had to walk.  He had to carry himself as though he had been appointed to the task.
As Christians I think we need to do some “Holy Ghosting!”

We need to carry ourselves as though we have been given all power and authority…
Wait a minute… WE HAVE BEEN!!!!

Rather than an empty clipboard… we have the Word of God… which is also the sword of the Spirit.

We are more than conquerors because of the victory we have been given in Christ!
In Christ… we outrank the enemy. 

The limit God will push you to...

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

Maybe your experience is different, but sometimes for me things don’t go so smooth, or as planned.  Sometimes there are bumps in the road.  Little surprises that appear like pot holes… at night… on a sharp turn.  They just can’t be avoided.

And if you are like me you try to understand why God would allow such things to happen.
You may even try to remember all of the encouraging things people have said about suffering or trials or temptation. I know that these are not typically associated with word “encouraging,” but who wants to hear discouraging words when you’re going through them?

I find that I recite the promise of the above scripture often… reassuring myself that He will not push me to my limit… that in all of this I am receiving a left-handed compliment… a “Job-ism” if you will.

I know that in order to build more strength you must be pushed to that limit.
But then I began to realize…

That would still be my strength… my limit… my growth… if even from Him.

Yes, He would be making me or you or anyone else stronger… but I don’t think His goal is to necessarily have us demonstrate our strength…

But for Him to demonstrate His.

I realized that I can’t read the above scripture apart from the following:

Like Aaron and Hur

“And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.  So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.  And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.” Joshua 17: 9-12

Moses was not a man free of mistakes or imperfections.  He was a murderer and a coward.  He showed moments of lacking faith.  He had problems with delegating his authority. (Jethro helped on that one!)  He stuttered.  He questioned God.

But when he lifted his hands… when he exercised the authority God gave him in an act of both surrender and worship… God brought victory.

Aaron and Hur had one job… to lift up the arms of Moses.  They were there to support him… to reinforce his authority… the position God had given him. 

Your wave is coming

When I was younger… much, much younger… yeah, much younger… I used to enjoy going in the ocean.  That was before “Shark Week” was big and I became more “buoyant.”  If I were to ride a wave in now I think I would dig a trench in the sand with my stomach.

Back then though I could spend hours in the ocean.  And though I didn’t surf (I did try mind you, it just wasn’t one of my “strengths”) I loved having the waves bring me in to shore.  “Body Surfing” was the term that allowed us non-balanced people to maintain our dignity at the beach.

But the same rules applied to us as did the “cool”  kids who had the surf boards.

And they apply to us now.

That is… you and me… and anyone waiting on the promises and plans of God.  These are not necessarily in order… but they all teach us something about living out our faith.

Dual Citizenship

I drive down a particular stretch of highway every morning on my way to work and pass an interestingly named diner… the “Scotchwood Diner.”  I pass it on my way home too… strange how that happens.

But anyway, back to the point.  There is no “Scotchwood” in NJ.  It is not a town or a city.   It’s a dual identity.

The Township of Scotch Plains and the Borough of Fanwood both share a school district and so the area has developed this shared identity because the children ultimately filter into the high school together.

And so, the diner… wanting to belong to both areas… and maybe to save some lettering… crunched the name down to “Scotchwood.”

It’s fine for diners…

But is right for Christians?

Take the promotion

There are few times when you are “offered” a promotion that you do not take it.  Of course there are the rare occasions when you wouldn’t… and the less rare occasions when you wish you hadn’t… but for the most part, when you get offered a promotion you accept it.

At least in the physical.

But what about the spiritual?

We are reminded in Colossians 3 that when we work we are to do everything we do as unto the Lord.  And He watches us.  He sees everything we do.  And that which we do in secret He… HE… rewards. (Matt 6:4)

Our God is the God Who promotes.  While the one whom God has set in authority over us (our pastor, our boss, etc..) may communicate the promotion… it is God who gives/provides the promotion.

“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6-7

I want to remind you today that God has promoted you… and He wants you to accept it.

His declaration over your life is that you are more than a conqueror, that you are His child.

He has declared you righteous through the cross.

When leaders throw in the towel...

I wonder what Saul’s motivation was for letting David face Goliath?  Think about it for a minute.  There was a lot… I mean A LOT riding on this little one-on-one showdown.

If Goliath won, Israel would lose its freedom.  They would enter slavery once again.  And Saul’s legacy would be that he was the first… and last king.

Maybe that was what it was.

Saul’s motivation revealed his heart.  He had gone from being the anointed king of Israel to being the annoyed king of Israel.  Samuel had already told him that he had lost the kingdom, maybe he was just cutting his losses… pulling the Band-Aid off quickly.

Maybe he figured that if the only person in all of Israel that was willing to fight was a little shepherd boy… being the king of Israel wasn’t such a good gig after all.

So, what the heck… let the little shepherd fight and lose… get it over with.  Throw him under the bus.  Let him take the fall.

But if he was going to send him to his death, at least let him go in some armor.

Have you ever been “under” a Saul?

One who has assumed defeat and throws you “token armor”… that little bit they felt necessary to walk away with a clear conscience and say, “Well, I tried… gave it my best shot… sometimes things just don’t work out.”

What Saul thought was the end… was just the beginning.

Under New Management

It happens quite often… the proverbial promise of higher quality, better service, friendlier atmosphere… a change… for the better.

I have seen it most often hanging in the windows of restaurants or diners… banners that beg for you to come in and give it a try.

And with the sign comes the implied confession…

“The old management just wasn’t cutting it.”

But don’t worry, we are assured… the establishment is now “under new management.”  You will no doubt gladly pay the bill and tip the server handsomely after such a pleasant and fulfilling experience.

Or will you?

Are these just words… an empty promise to play on our appetite, or generosity… or has there really been a change?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”  2 Corinthians 5:17

When we are in Christ, having accepted Him as our Personal Savior…  for He takes it personally when we accept Him… we are new.

But “under new management” means nothing if “being managed differently” is not part of the deal.

A Fatal Attraction

Of all the terms or phrases that have been used to describe God’s love for us… I wonder how many have chosen “A Fatal Attraction.”

But that is exactly what it proved to be.

Even though we ran… He pursued us.

Even though we just kept taking… He never stopped giving.

Even to the point of giving His life.

His attraction… His desire… His love for us has never failed and never will.

It never decreases.  It can’t be measured.

He knew from the beginning what it would take to demonstrate how much He loves us.

He knew that it would become fatal…

That it would require His life.

At He chose to give it.

On any given day, at any given moment… the lie of the enemy that would say you aren’t worthy is easily rebuked with the declaration,…
 

"Mike, you have a big head!"

“Mike, you have a big head!”

This was what our daughter-in-law said to me when she and our son were home visiting.  They live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Our son began laughing and leaned into his wife to explain that something was lost in translation.

“When you tell someone they ‘have a big head’ it means that are prideful or arrogant.”

Of course, I have to admit that sometimes I can be prideful or arrogant (If I fail to admit that it’s sometimes true, it would always be true!)

We all got a good laugh as she explained that the Brazilian “saying” she translated literally was a compliment that meant “you are very smart.”

We could laugh because I never thought she was trying to insult me.  I know her well enough.  And the comment didn’t come out of nowhere.  It came as we were all discussing an assignment I needed to complete for school with seemingly little time to do it.   It was obvious that she was trying to compliment and encourage me.

But I could have chosen to take it a different way.  I could have chosen to believe that she wanted to insult me, that she was that cruel of a person.  That I deserved it.

I wonder how many of us choose to look at our lives and the situations we go through and think, “God is mad at me.  He’s punishing me.  He is trying to insult me.”?

The butterfly effect

I looked it up on Wikipedia.  The “butterfly effect” is the “sensitive dependency on initial conditions in which a small change at one place in a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.”

It is a mouth full.

It basically says that something small can have a big effect.  The term comes from the concept that butterflies flapping their wings in one area can have a dramatic effect on the weather conditions across the globe.

Unlike the domino effect or the ripple effect… which are seemingly more predictable in pattern… the butterfly effect is much more unpredictable and exponential.

As Christians we are meant to be the butterfly effect in the world.

While we may seem like just one person… or small group… or church…

But we have a power behind us that cannot be measured.

One prayer… one declaration… one step of faith…

A kind word… a hand offered… a listening ear…

Can change everything.

He did it.  With one act.

What's the point?

Beep… Beep… Beep
Snooze.
Beep… Beep… Beep

Coffee on.  Shower.  Coffee down.
You are up.
And the day starts… again.

If you ever feel like your life just seems to be one day repeated over… and over… and over again…

If you ever wonder what lasting impact you may have in the kingdom of God…

If you ever think that there could be more you are doing… something bigger… something better…

Remember…

The only difference between a rut and a groove is who you are when you are in it.

The Father's gift TO His Son

“You can have this… but only if you promise to take care of it and never lose it.”  These were my words as I handed the stuffed Mickey Mouse over to my grandson.  I only added the caveat because of what it meant to me.

It had been mine when I was a child.  But I was willing to give it up because I knew how much he wanted it, and needed it.  I told him that if he ever out-grew it or didn’t want it, that was OK… but I would want it back.  The attachment, I admit, is a bit stronger than normal.

He still has it today.  He plans to pass it down… just as I did.

…

I have this coin that my wife gave me as a gift.  It has the image of an eagle on one side and a verse from the Bible on the other. Isaiah 40:31, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength and mount up with wings as eagles.”

Knowing that this verse is one of my “life’s verses”, when she saw the coin she had to get it for me.

I carry it on me always.  When I can’t find it I go crazy.  Throughout the day I will put my hand in my pocket to check for it.  It reminds me of her and how much she cares about me.  About the love she expressed when she purchased it.

It costs less than a dollar to buy… but I would be willingly pay much more to get it back had I lost it.

It has sentimental value that cannot be measured.  Like the Mickey… the attachment has come to represent something more than just what it is made of…

But of the love that caused the exchange.

And you have that value to God.

God's inheritance

There are typically two things that must happen for someone to “officially” inherit something:

1.       There needs to be a will
2.       Someone has to die

While it is not always the case, was I to say, “I inherited…” immediately you would assume that it was from someone, and that someone had passed away.

And inheritance usually has some level of value that would cause a dispute.  There would be an argument over who got it if it weren’t clearly stated in the deceased’s last will and testament.

And, as we have seen many times… wills can be contested.

Siblings and close relatives will go to court to prove that they deserve, were promised, expected to receive something regardless of what the will had stated.

Sometimes people are on the edge of their seats waiting for someone to die… so they can receive their inheritance.

I know God was.

Born of Fornication

“We were not born of fornication; we have one Father…” John 8:41

 Sometimes God will choose the oddest times to bring up the strangest subjects.

 While at church, during the worship at the start of the service God asked me a question…

 “What is fornication?”

 Before you wonder, as I did, why He would choose such a time to discuss such a topic… let me continue…

…because He gave me an answer and following the answer… a great encouragement.

Fornication does not just mean sex outside of marriage… because for one, biblically, sex outside of marriage does not exist.  Marriage is the result of sex.  Specifically marriage is the union formed through consensual sex. (There is a difference between a wife and a bride… but we’ll get to that another time.)

A little help along the way

Have you ever wondered why Simon was pulled from the crowd and told to carry the cross of Christ?

Well I'm not really sure.

Maybe he was strong.

Maybe he had a look of compassion on his face that told the Roman soldiers he would be willing to help.

Or maybe, just maybe (well of course, definitely) it was a divinely orchestrated event…

…One that teaches us a wonderful truth about the Father's compassion, mercy and determination.

God will always provide a way for us to have help.

When we feel weak and unable to go on, He can provide someone to help us carry our cross.

Just as the Father had Simon called from the crowd to help His Son, He will call someone from the crowd, maybe someone we've never met, to help us.

And we need not be ashamed. 

Christ's sacrifice on Calvary was not tarnished by the fact that He hadn't actually carried the cross the entire way Himself.  And neither will ours be. 

Why do the wicked prosper?

“Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee: yet let me talk with thee of thy judgments: Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?” Jeremiah 12:1

You have to hand it to Jeremiah… he can really get to the heart of things.

He looks around and sees the wicked prospering… something I would gather he did not find particularly fair to those who were trying to not be wicked… and he wants to know why?

But notice how he goes about his little inquiry.  He starts with the statement that declares God’s righteousness, “Righteous art thou, O LORD, when I plead with thee.”

He doesn’t doubt God’s righteousness, His judgments, or His character.  He doesn’t cry “UNFAIR O LORD!” 

He doesn’t wallow in a sea of “woe-is-me’s.”  Or look for sympathy from people.

He confidently approaches the One Who has the answers and asks plainly, “Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper?”

The question might come a bit differently from our lips…

How well do you know Him...

“For all… fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

God’s glory is His very identity.  For Him to be glorified is for Him to be acknowledged, to be recognized, to be made known. 

Jesus glorified the Father…

And the Father, in turn, glorified  the Son.

Our very purpose in life… actually the purpose of every human being – for we have been made in the image of God – is to glorify Him.

We are to make Him known to a hurting, fallen world.

But how shall we do that if we ourselves have fallen short  of really knowing Him?

As well as we think we know Him… He is so much better.

When I read the above verse I do not feel condemned, and neither should you.  We are under a new covenant… we are under Grace.

Reaching out for His hem

“If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole.” (Mark 5: 28)

 

There was no precedent for what this woman did.  So where did she get this “thought” from?  At what point did she think, “all I have to do is touch His garment?”

This was something that only the Father could have told her.  He put it upon her heart, and she knew it. 

It was a promise that He had made… to her. 

A personal promise. 

A promise that only she could take a hold of.

Many people were touching Jesus… but they weren’t getting healed that way.

She had spent all of her living and had wasted so much time… and had only gotten worse.  She would have been considered unclean by so many because of this issue of blood.  She was at her wit’s end.  She was desperate. 

And in that desperation came the promise.  And it gave her hope.

She knew that all it would take would be that moment of contact… but she had a problem.

She had to get close to Him.  He had to be within reach.

Is India the new Greece?

“Indians are Asian.”

This was the answer I was given from and Indian friend who had invited me to and Asian Businessmen’s Association meeting where I was surprised to find only one person from China (my immediate response to “Asia”)… the rest were from India.

I was immediately reminded of how Paul, in the book of acts was “forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia.”  (Acts 16:6)

But Paul was not forbidden to enter other areas, of which one was Greece, where the people worshipped many gods.  Upon Mar’s Hill in Athens Paul appealed to the people and their recognition of the possibility of an “unknown god.” (Acts 17)

In a country that is nearly 80% Hindu and where Islam exceeds Christianity you can help but wonder… in a country where they worship many gods… a country of spiritually and mysticism… would they perhaps have an altar to the unknown god as they did in Greece when the Apostle Paul entered?

The question it drove in me was…

Always ready to be examined

“You will ask me nothing, but you will ask the Father in my name…” “The Father will send the Comforter, He will instruct you in all things.”  “And lo, I am with you always…”

When you fall in love with Jesus and accept Him as your personal Savior you kinda get attached to Him.  How could you not.  You’ll never have a friend that sticks closer.  When you think of what He has done… suffering and dying for you… opening heaven for you… you can’t help but feel appreciation.

And then He tells you not to ask Him for anything.  He tells you to ask the Father in His name.  And what’s more, you will receive what you ask for.

Think like Abraham

"And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb…” (Romans 4:19)

God had made Abram a promise… a promise that would take years to fulfill.  A promise that seemed impossible that would lead him down a path that seemed impassible.

And with the promise came a cost… Abram’s very identity was changed… He became Abraham… father of nations.

The thing was… he wasn’t the perfect candidate for the name change… at least in man’s terms.  Sure, he might have been easily cast in a play as the grandfather, or maybe Father Time… but to be a daddy, at his age… not likely.

The thought even made his wife laugh.

Three Steps to Biblical Receiving

    

“He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”  John 1:11,12

If we are to have anything from God we must learn to receive.

I worked in a warehouse for a spell.   There was a “receiving” department.   That department was responsible for three very important things.

Acknowledging a delivery, allowing the shipment to enter the building, and verifying the material was correct.

Even if the person in receiving acknowledged the delivery and allowed the shipment to enter the building, unless they verified that the material was correct, they could still refuse it.  It would be sitting on our loading dock, but it wasn’t ours.

The end of the process of receiving is a transfer of ownership.

Shaking off the snakes

“And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid [them] on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the [venomous] beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live.” Acts 28:3,4

Have you ever been in the position where life brings you a challenge… a test… an unfair situation… and you feel judged by others?

Have you ever been in the position where others (whether in the Body of Christ or not) are looking at you and saying, “God must be dealing with them… They must have done something wrong… God must be angry with them… They are reaping what they sowed!”

I know I have.

It can get confusing.  You go before God truly seeking to understand.  And when you don’t…

Why do we pray?

I read a book awhile back for work.  It was called The Question Behind the Question.  I don't remember much of it other than the title, which drove home the point of the book, that to begin to find an answer to a question start by asking a question about it.  It resonated with me very much because I saw it as a principle that Jesus demonstrated, often responding to people's questions with a question. 

I imagined myself asking Jesus, "Lord, do You do anything apart from prayer?" and wondered, "What question would He ask me?"

Perhaps He would say, "Why do you ask Me?"

An item you requested is on backorder

Backorder: a customer order that cannot be filled when presented, and for which the customer is prepared to wait for some time.

 

I have experienced this myself.  I remember ordering a few books from an online site and getting an email letting me know that one of the books  was not in stock and had been placed on “backorder.”  I was given the  option to cancel the backordered item, but I wasn’t in a rush, and more importantly I wasn’t able to get it anywhere else so… I waited.  It eventually came in the mail.

 

The rest of my order had already arrived.  And had I not known about the backorder I could have said, “I can’t believe they forgot one book!”  I might have gotten mad or frustrated and started complaining about the company.

 

Even though the item wasn’t readily available it was allocated to my order.  As soon as it became available, it would be forwarded to me.  It was definitely mine, even though I hadn’t received it yet.

 

Can you see where I am going with this?

Army Rank

One of my valued possessions is an Army jacket that my father gave to me.  It was the one he wore when he fought in Vietnam. 

At one point it fit him.  At one point it fit me.  Now it doesn’t get worn.  But I still have it.

It reminds me that I am a “son of a warrior/conqueror.” (Which, by the way, is the meaning of my last name.)

If you know anything about army ranks then one look at the jacket and you can tell me his.

Why?

Because of the number of stripes he has.

The number of stripes signifies the rank, and with that, the authority someone has.

Sometimes people in the army (or other rank and order structure like the police or of government) will say, “that is above my pay-grade” when asked to make a decision or take action on something that goes beyond their authority… past the number of stripes they have. 

They know that there needs to be the rank and authority behind they words, or nothing will get done.

And when it isn’t “above their pay-grade” they can act decisively, knowing that it will happen.

Stripes = Rank = Authority. 

When these are in line, when someone exercises the authority associated with their rank you have what the Bible calls in the Greek exousia which is translated power.

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power(exousia) is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Matt 28:18

There is nothing above His pay-grade because He has paid the price for our redemption through His sacrifice.

 He has the stripes…

“And by His stripes we are healed.” Isa 53:5

No greater Name in heaven and earth. 

All authority and power.

Whatever we ask… He is able to give.

In Jesus’ name.

SDG

Re-runs… again.

As you may know, I joy in speaking about the things of God.  I look forward to it.  I find purpose in it.  It edifies me.  I get so much from it (more than I think anyone else does.).

And there are times when I feel like I am in between seasons… like last year’s episodes are old news and we are waiting for the “Season Premier.”

And so I find myself all too often wondering “Is there anything new I can say?”

That might seem too commercial… like I am looking for a new product or a new gimmick… and to some extent it may be.

But it is a true desire of mine to minister the Word of God in a way that is fresh and relevant… in a way that connects to those with whom I am speaking.

I want revelation.

And as I was walking today and praying about this I felt the Lord move in my spirit.

“Look again.”

Two simple words that made me realize… in order to gain new perspective – a way of seeing something – you must look at it again.

If we want to minister the Word of God in a way that is relevant to our situation… to the situations of the people around us… to a hurting world…

We must look at the Word of God again.

We want the curtain to be pulled back so that we can see what is revealed… but do we take the time to look at the curtain? To be focused on the one place where revelation is certain to happen?

And so I realized… I don’t necessarily need something new to say or some new way to say it… I need to take the time to revisit what God has said in His Word, through others, and to me personally.

We all do.  We need to remember that He makes His mercies new every morning.  We don’t.

And so, if you have ever found yourself in the place I often find myself in… the place of “Lord, what would You say to me?”… consider for a minute that He may reply…

“What I have said before?”

Just before a new season starts for a TV program, often the network will replay the prior season over a few nights to remind viewers why they were watching and convince them to watch the new season as well.

 Don’t get discouraged when you have to watch re-runs… they just might get you ready for a new season.

Here are a few of my favorite “re-runs” from past seasons (you can follow the links):

Hearing from God in Sterizo

The Buggy Whip

Are You Going to Fight With Me…

By Prayer and Fasting

Time Under Load

I would love to know if you had a favorite, and if so, to share it with me.

SDG

A Very Good Friday

Good. 

What does that word mean? 

Simple, Biblically speaking “good” is perfectly in line with the will of God.

Today we remember the day that Christ was crucified.  And we call it “Good.”

And the term has rarely ever been used so correctly.

It was perfectly in line with the will of God that Christ should suffer and die for us.

The Cross signifies the most loving act ever, the most amazing demonstration of grace.

While the empty grave on Sunday demonstrates His Power…

The Cross today, just as it did 2,000 years ago, demonstrates His Purpose.

Jesus came to save sinners.  He came to redeem us… to pay the price.

It was ALWAYS the Father’s will – His desire – that the relationship that was broken in the garden be restored.

It was ALWAYS His desire that we walk with Him, unashamed, completely whole, and completely free, with unbroken, unhindered fellowship.

It was His will that Christ would bear our transgression; that He would die in our place; that all of our debt be erased through His obedience.

It IS His desire that we come to know His Son – to be redeemed.

What the law required… Jesus paid on the Cross.

And He paid it willingly. 

No one took His life… He gave it. 

As a man, He laid it down. 

As our High Priest, He offered it up. 

As the Lamb of God, He was the Perfect Sacrifice.

Today, what we remember… is good.

It is the Good in the good news that is the gospel.

Today we remember His death… but at the same time… our eternal life.

What a GOOD Day it is indeed.

SDG

I was raised Catholic

"I was raised Catholic."

This was the answer I found myself giving one day when someone asked me how I knew the stories from the Bible so well.

Yes, I had studied the scriptures, and I could have said that I knew them simply from reading the Bible… but the truth is that I was raised Catholic and had attended Catholic school all through high school.  So every day I had religion class.  And I learned about Abraham, Noah, and Jonah and their stories.

I was raised Catholic.  Along with the stories from the Bible I also learned about the Catholic tradition, the teaching, and the doctrine. 

As the single largest denomination in Christianity I not only run in to more Catholics than any other when I am talking about God, I am also asked if I am Catholic more than I am any other. 

When people asked me now if I am Catholic I say, “I was raised Catholic but I am not a practicing Catholic.”

You see… there are certain doctrines that I do not hold to and so I cannot, in good conscience, say that I am Catholic.  Just as there are certain doctrines or traditions in other denominations of Christianity that draw me to the conclusion that I am not those either. 

We cannot continue to define ourselves by what makes us different from our brothers in Christ…

We cannot continue to try to prove anyone right or wrong.

We must be one.  We must join hands and lock arms around the camp.  “Is Christ divided?” (1 Cor 1:13)

I am not a practicing Lutheran, or Presbyterian, or Pentecostal, or Anglican, or Methodist, or …

Truth is I don’t want to be a practicing anything.

I want to be a LIVING EXAMPLE of the love, and grace, and truth of the gospel.

I want people to see Jesus in me… not a set of rules or obligations.

No matter who’s they are.

I am not religious.  But if I appear to be because of my consistency or my spiritual disciplines… then praise be to God!  Because He is consistent.

No matter what denomination a person belongs to, no matter where they choose to worship, or where they are comfortable… if they do what they do out of gratitude for what Jesus has done… if they know that it is not what they do… but what He has done… that gets them into heaven… but they can’t help but do what they do BECAUSE they realize this…

AMEN! AMEN! AND AMEN!

Wherever you are… be there for Jesus.  Be a LIVING EXAMPLE.

We are to be ONE.  Our differences are not as important as the ONE we have in common.

If you call on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you know Him as Savior… you are my brother in Christ.

When you meet others who do the same… please see them as brothers as well.  We are going to have an eternity together… may as well get use to each other now.

SDG

Rough seas make for great fishing

Got a text from a brother in Christ this morning.  At one point the conversation went like this…

“I’m in the same boat.  The seas have been a little rough.”

To which I replied ,

“Rough seas make for great fishing.”

Of course, then, I had to Google it to see if I was blowing hot air.

But it turns out it is true.  For a number of reasons which include the barometric pressure, predatory fish go on a hunting frenzy… which means lures become more effective.

“And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matt 4:19

When our lives enter a stormy season maybe, just maybe, our focus should not be on what is happening to us… but on who is hungry... who is in the water with us.

Those predatory fish… the men who are hungry, looking to eat, primed to receive the lure of our testimony… are out there.  And if we don’t get to them, someone else will.  And they will miss out on a chance to eat of the Bread of Life.

Do not fear the storms… He can calm them.

But if He did… those fish might not bite.

Get geared up… the armor of God is water proof.

Remember, the storm you are facing is meant to bring others to Christ.  We need to know the times and seasons.  We need to look to the sky.

We need to cast the net of the Gospel into the raging sea.

We need to be the light that lets the Light shine through as a beacon in the night.

He wants us to be fishers of men.  He wants us to say “Bring the storm Lord! SO THAT the fish will come!”

How we see life… how we see the storm… determines how we ultimately experience it.

Don’t ask why the storm has come… look to see who it might be bringing toward you.

Ask the Lord for discernment to see the hungry ones.  And put Jesus on the hook.

 

SDG

 

My cell phone is disconnected

I try to look for a lesson from God… something He might be teaching me… in all of my situations.

This week it came when I was leaving the house in the morning and sent my wife a text to let her know I love her and to tell her I already missed her even though I had just been gone for a few minutes.

I got a quick message back, “Text message not sent.”

A little while later when I had a minute I tried calling… but I couldn’t…

the phone had been turned off.

I hadn’t forgotten to pay the bill… I just couldn’t.  It seems a season we are going through.

As I was driving the truck (delivering firewood to bring in some cash) I wondered what the lesson could be.

“My line is open… the bill has been paid,” was what I felt the Lord put on my heart.

What an amazing truth… that we can always talk to Our Father in heaven.  That no matter what our circumstances… no matter where we are… He is always available.

His grace is amazing like that.

It is not above God to use whatever circumstance available to bring us closer to Him.

“All those I love I rebuke and chasten.”

This shouldn’t be read the way the world would have it… “All those I love I judge and punish.”  No, not at all.

To rebuke and chasten means that God demonstrates His authority and power (rebukes) and draw close to in order to secure (chasten).

More than anything we can want or have… God wants us.

And He’ll do what it takes to get us.

So I spent the rest of the day speaking with Him… because my phone to everyone else was off.

Who know that a desert could exist in the cab of a box truck?

I have to go… He is beeping in on the other line.

SDG

 

I stand corrected

I was walking the dog and praying.  I realized that it had been a week already and I had not sent out an email on the things of God.  Time flies so quick.  I wondered how we even manage. 

And then He put the following on my verses on my heart.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation (paraklēsis), and comfort.” 1 Corinthians 14:3

“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction (epanorthōsis), for instruction in righteousness:” 2 Timothy 3:16

When I speak about 1 Corinthians 14:3 I say that to me it translates into saying that those who speak on behalf of God (prophesy) reflect his direction, correction, and affection. 

He knows that is how I read it… and so that is why He used it to speak to my heart.

As Christians we do not stand if we do not stand corrected.

Because correction in the kingdom of God is not like the correction men express.

It is not about telling you that you are wrong, that you screwed up, that you need to do something different.  It is not about shining a light on your weakness.

It is about sharing your strength.

We are co-labourers, and co-heirs with Christ. 

“Co” means together.

We are not simply told what we have done wrong and left to go our own…

We are not simply propped up and left to stand on our own…

“lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world.” Matt 28:20

We are co-rrected… We are lifted to stand… and held up by His strength.

We are co-rrected… We are not only told what we must do… but we are shown what we must do.

Christ is our strength.  He is our example.  He doesn’t tell us what we must do and leave us… He does it through us.

God’s co-rrection is necessary for a Christian stand at all.

Because we were never meant to stand alone.

God doesn’t bring correction He offers correction.  He says, “I love you.  There is somewhere I want you to go… something I want you to do… someone I want you to be… And I will be there with you, always.”

Be for your brothers in Christ what Christ is for you… one who is willing to take the walk with you.

SDG

When you are at the breaking point

Have you ever been there? … at the point where you begin to wonder, “What is God thinking?”

At that point where everything seems to be against you… the point when finding something positive in the situation is hard?

You begin to hear only the negative…

Everything people say seems to be a personal attack… or a put-down.

You wonder if He is even watching.  You want to echo David’s sentiments of “God, are you just going to stand there?” (Psalm35:17) 

You want to yell, “COME ON LORD… DO SOMETHING!!!!”

I’ve been there.  Truth be told… I’m standing there right now.  I’m standing in the place of “How long?”

“Lord, how long wilt thou look on?” Psalm 35:17

 “O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! [even] cry out unto thee [of] violence, and thou wilt not save!” Hab 1:2

“O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people?” Psalm 80:4

“My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?” Psalm 6:3

“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever?

how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

How long shall I take counsel in my soul, [having] sorrow in my heart daily?

how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?” Psalm 13:1-2

 

When you have lost a lot… and stand to lose more… you always wonder… when will it all end?

But God is not gone.  And He is not standing doing nothing.  He is there.  And He has perfect perspective.

When we are in troubled times we tend to look at the height of the waves… and forget that He controls the sea.

When we are in a place of financial desolation we tend to focus on what we want… and forget that there is a brook and ravens that will provide what we need.

When we have heard the Word of God promise to deliver we tend to look at the calendar… and forget that He is not bound by time.

“How long?” is such a man-made term.

To God…how long… is in the past.

It is finished.

If you are going through a rough time, a time of uncertainty, a time of “how long” … I think it is good to hear that it will be at just the right time.

“And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,” Luke 9:51

When the time is come that the promise He gave you should be received… He WILL steadfastly set His face to you as well.

SDG

Time under load

I used to be in to weight lifting… a long… long time ago.   Was pretty good too if I do say so myself.  And I will… for demonstration purposes of course.  Not to drop any little facts like I was able to bench press 275 pounds when I only weighed 135.  (That’s more than 2Xs my weight)… that would be arrogant.  And not realty serve any purpose that to try and convince myself that in some lateral universe I can still do that.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, I remember.  One of the techniques for increased success in weightlifting is to change up your routine.  It keeps your muscles from getting used to what is expected and not growing.  Like when you have a job that requires you are on your feet all day… walking… getting up and down from your chair… and yet, with all that exercise you still gain weight.

But I was recently exposed to a new term… “time under load.”  In short it is this… the amount of weight doesn’t matter as long as your hold it long enough to reach to maximum time under load before failure (reaching the limit, when the muscle gives out)

It is the ultimate trick of the muscle… but there is a tremendous benefit.  One that became obvious to me when I saw a clip from the Olympics where a power-lifter dislocated his wrist.

If you use a light enough weight for a long enough time only the muscle will fail.  You don’t risk bones breaking or tendons or muscles tearing because they need a maximum peak load in a short time frame. 

“but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested) above that ye are able;” 1 Corinthians 10:15

I’ll cut to the chase… all other obvious weightlifting analogies aside… if you have ever wondered why God would allow things to go on longer than you think they should… if you questioned the “hard times” or asked “Why!?!?!?!”…   

“How long oh Lord, will You have me carrying this?!?!?!”…

consider this…

Time under load.

He is strengthening you… without breaking you. (And I am not talking about a “broken spirit”… I’m talking about a broken heart. )

And me.

I’ve been under a load lately.  About two years now.  At first it didn’t seem that heavy.  So I could handle it.

But as time went on I could feel my “muscles” shake.  And I get the whole “give it to the Lord” thing… but let’s be honest… some things He has us “take up” daily.

Because He wants us stronger.

When we say, “Whatever it takes Lord!”… and we mean it… He does bring “whatever.”

I also learned this… that it is too easy to look at what someone else is carrying and say, “that doesn’t seem so bad.”  You never know how long they have been or will be carrying it.

Chances are… like with me… long enough to strengthen without breaking.

Hang in there… if you are in a time when your encouragement has moved more toward discouragement… if the things that you have you don’t want and the things that you do want you do don’t have… if there are old friends who don’t talk to you and making new ones doesn’t seem like a good idea… If the whole “church thing” seems to get you more hurt than help…

Just remember… time under load.

He will strengthen you.

Carry on.

SDG