My Apologies, My Weakness

I want to apologize for the abrupt end to My Garden Walk posts/emails last week.  Without any warning, the emails stopped.  I knew the list of older posts was drawing to an end, and I had intended to begin writing new posts a few weeks ago to continue the stream uninterrupted.

Over the past few weeks, however I found myself ministering in quite a few unexpected ways.  Ministry is often like this.  Schedules change.  People face moments of crisis.  Building problems, technical problems, and spiritual problems all try to redirect the focus of ministry.  The hours in a day run out.

I'm not complaining at all.  I love ministering to people.  Jesus had many more people vying for His attention than me and, God willing, I will have more desiring my time as the number of people I serve grows.  It is for this reason that I keep recognizing my need to follow some of the spiritual disciplines that Jesus did.

I'm not a very disciplined person when it comes to daily habits.  While I have a heart that desires to serve people, that desire to serve can pull me away from the priorities He has for my day.  A phone call, email, or Facebook message has the power to derail me into a day where I am serving others (loving my neighbor) but where I didn't take the time to seek His wisdom first (loving God with all my heart).

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35 NIV)

I need (yes, need is a strong word) to begin my day with consistent quiet time with God.  This is my "step" that the Not A Fan series has convicted me to take.  It's a pattern I have had at times, but it's consistency has often quickly faded.  I have reason to believe, though, that this time will be different.

I've been watching my calorie count, nutritional information, caffeine intake, and even quit drinking Mountain Dew.  These changes have been in place for almost two months now.  They are a habit.  My weight and qualitative health reflect this fact.  Now, I simply need to add a little more time and focus to my morning coffees with Him.

Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" (Mark 1:36-37 NIV)

I need to recognize that someone's expectations of me doesn't define my ministry to them.  While meeting expectations is an effective way to grow a church, it's also an easy way to get off track - especially if those expectations do not align with God's will.  Serving people needs to be from the overflow of my love for God.  Serving people needs to be less about doing their will and more about equipping them to do His will.

Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  (Ephesians 4:14-15 NIV)

That's when the puzzle pieces of life fit together in a way that brings about the fruit of His Spirit.  First, I align with Him.  Next, I help others align with Him, too.

...until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13 NIV)

What does that mean for this blog?  It means that it continues.  God has clearly called me to an eMinistry that includes technology (which is a big part of my background) and teaching (which is a reflection of my heart).  While writing has not traditionally been a strength of mine, I will continue to get better at it with His guidance and lots of practice.

Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:38 NIV)

So, the cell phone can stay silenced for a little longer each morning.  I will go where He calls me to go.  I will do what He calls me to do.  I am not a fan.  I am a follower.  That is why I have come.

A Year of Discipline

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (2 Timothy 1:5 NIV)

For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to walk together with God.  I've always been bad at being bad.  (Whenever I tried, I immediately got caught.)  Over the years, I've continued to learn what that looks like and, as a result, I find myself enjoying the walk more and more each day.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6 NIV)

In more recent years, I've been learning how to share this walk with others - helping them to walk together with God.  Sometimes I find myself using talents and gifts I knew I had.  Other times, I find myself stretching beyond my self-perceived gifts.

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.  (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV)

This past year, I have spend a considerable amount of time doing "behind the scenes" work.  Some of this time has been spent using my learned skills in computer programming and system design.  Most of it, though, has been spent writing - an area I've always considered a weakness of mine.  I've worked pushed through with self-discipline in both areas, though, with the same purpose in mind.

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. (2 Timothy 1:8 NIV)

The result?  A new web site is being created and Beta tested by some people at Life Bridge.  Lesson material has been written that covers 7 Weeks of topics, 45 Daily Chapters, and over 85,000 words.  While this only represents about 1/3 of the topics envisioned for this project, it's been a real exercise in self-discipline and a great start to the project.  Why?  Because...

He has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace... (2 Timothy 1:9a NIV)

His purpose is that we walk together with Him.  My purpose is to empower more people to enjoy this walk together with Him.  So, the project continues.

In the meantime, I've cued up some of my past blog-posts to serve you as a sort of daily devotion between now and Easter.  At that time, I will check back with you and share more progress on the project.  Right now, I am praying for you and your walk with Him.

I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. (Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT)

A Blast From The Past

When I began to blog back in 2011, I wasn't sure where God was going to take things but I did know it was time to start writing.  Now, a couple years later, I find God calling me to further this ministry by writing book(s) that will continue to empower one more to walk together with God.  That pursuit is becoming the focus of my summer this year.

In looking at my past blogs, I noticed two things - one of which I didn't realize.  

Paradise Today

And he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!" And He said to him, "Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:42-43 NASB)

As Jesus was hanging on the cross dying, he had criminals hanging on crosses on either side of him.  One was angry at Jesus and yelled at him.  The other was repentant of his sins and wanted to be forgiven for his wrongdoing.  Jesus forgave the second, promising that he would be in paradise with Christ that day.

Each day God gives me in this life, I have a choice.  Do I want to be with Him or not.  It really is that simple...and the choice is mine.  After Jesus rose from the dead, gave all his followers a mission - to go and make disciples of all nations.  Then he promised to be with us as we fulfilled that mission.  He would send His Spirit to help.

Now it is God who strengthens us, with you, in Christ and has anointed us. He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts. (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 HCSB)

His Spirit is a down payment?  What does that mean?  Let's try another translation.

[He] gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NASB)

This translation calls it a "pledge."  God is making us some kind of promise with pledge or down payment.  What is the promise?

...guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:22 NIV)

When we choose to join God, we become citizens of heaven.  We receive His Spirit as a down payment...a pledge...guaranteeing what is to come.  We get a little taste of paradise right here on earth until we can enjoy it all in heaven.  In the meantime, we get to bring a little piece of His Kingdom here on earth just as it is in heaven.  We get to live, and bring to others, a piece of paradise today.

Why Today?

Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:13-17 NLT)

I'm not sure the reason, but I've been having the same kind of discussion over and over again lately.  It usually takes place on a Sunday morning when someone attended church services who hasn't attended in a little while.  Maybe they've missed a couple weeks - maybe a couple months or years.

The conversations all seem to have the same components in them.  First, they find me to "touch base" after being gone a little while.  Then they tell me what an impact God made on them that day.  (I'm always glad to hear His Spirit was working in people during service.)  It's at this point that they seem to come to a self-realization.  "Every time I come here I wonder why I waited so long...why I don't come every week."  Clearly they are feeling some kind of conviction about their attendance - that God want's to meet with them more in this way.

Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God. (Hebrews 3:12-13 NLT)

This week I also had conversations giving me gentle reminders that I had not been blogging the last week or so.  During our "Builders" time on Sunday afternoon, we asked one another an accountability questions about reading Scripture:  "How often were you in The Word this week?  Is that the amount God want's you in Scripture?  What, if anything, are you going to change in this area?"

Being transparent, I had to admit that God was convicting me in this area.  I've been keeping up with my Bible reading plan, but not by reading every day.  I was letting several days "back up" and then reading all those days at once (like I did today).  I keep up with the reading, but I'm not in Scripture each day.  Now, I know that God doesn't command that we be in His Word each day, just like I know He doesn't command attendance at church services each week.  But, just like my friends, I find myself convicted anyway.

I think the reason for my conviction is that God teaches so many times about the importance of "today."  We're reminded that today will bring it's own troubles, challenges, and opportunities to minister to people.  Today will be different from any other "today" we have experienced or will experience.  Today was given to me as a gift, and I should live that gift today.  

God wants to walk with me today.

So, I've read His Word today.  I'm talking with Him (still) today.  I'm writing down what He has convicted me to say today.  Now, I will go about my day today for as long as He gives me today.  When "today" stops for me here, we will be able to look back and see what a difference "today" made.

For if we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ. (Hebrews 3:14 NLT)

Lights Out?

Yes, we did have a Superbowl Party for the students last evening during and our house was comfortably filled.  No one really had a "dog in the fight" on this one, so interest in the game seemed to surround more of the games we had attached to the scores at each quarter and whether or not someone said the word "football" during the first quarter.  Watching Beyonce wasn't exactly a positive half time show for a church youth group, although the nerd in me gives her credit for the CGI graphics employed in the show.

Then it happened.  The lights went out.  The biggest television event of the year which entices people to spend over a billion dollars surrounding the event...and someone forgets to pay the power bill?  No, the outage was a safety trip - one that I'm glad our power companies have built into the grid.  But it did cause a "delay of game" for about 30 minutes while students stocked back up on snacks.


"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV)

It got me thinking.  If an event of this magnitude, with 4-million-dollar commercials, pyrotechnics & CGI enhanced half-shows, and a contest between the two best football teams in nation can be stopped by light (or a lack of light).  What can be stopped by the light of God?

Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed by the magnitude of God's plan.  With over 7 Billion people on the planet, there is much work to be done to "go and make disciples of all nations."  It's even more overwhelming when you look at the things the world entices to watch, believe, and follow.  

How will His mission be accomplished in the midst of all this?  Light.  

Light stopped the Super Bowl.  

Light will change the world.  

Let His Light shine through you today.

This little light of mine -

I'm going to let it shine.

This little light f mine - 

I'm going to let it shine.

This little light of mine -

I'm going to let it shine -

let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Cold

So...the temperatures dropped again.  We went from temps in the 50's to a temp of 15 today.  Rain turned into ice, then snow.  The wind was blowing enough to dry out many of the puddles before they became frozen sheets of ice.  Nonetheless, it's still gotten cold outside - cold, wind, light snow, and ice.

It seems like I encounter people on a regular basis who are struggling with the "cold" in life.  Not low temperatures, but low spirits.  They battle against negative thoughts, feelings, or events in their lives that try to bring them down and knock them away from a walk together with God.

Singing cheerful songs to a person with a heavy heart is like taking someone's coat in cold weather or pouring vinegar in a wound. (Proverbs 25:20 NLT)

God wants me to love my neighbor as myself.  Expressing this love is more than simply "being positive" or "upbeat" around people.  It includes listening to and caring about where they are coming from.  When I talk all the time, I run the risk of running over someone who may be hurting.  When I take the time to listen, I have a much better opportunity to be a blessing to them. 

If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink. (Proverbs 25:21 NLT)

I want to be a person who notices when someone is fighting against the "cold."  I want to recognize when someone needs a coat, food, drink, or healing for their wounds.  I want to see people through the eyes of my Savior.  I want to help them to experience the love of God.

Weather Change

I've been talking about the weather quite a bit lately in my blogs.  That's because there's been quite a bit to talk about.  Cold and snow turned into rain storms that freeze when they hit the ground.  So much rain came that it created flooding.  Now, the temperature is predicted to drop 40 degrees within a 24 hour period - turning the rain into snow again.  I had a friend say to me yesterday, "I don't like this weather."  My response?  "Wait a minute, it will change."

Watching the weather has always been a part of my life.  My dad and I used to like looking out the window, standing in the middle of a field, or looking off the bow of a ship to talk about (and predict) the weather patterns.  I still remember the age-old sailor's saying that he (and, apparently, my grandpa) used to quote.  "Red sky at night is a sailor's delight.  Red sky in the morning - sailor take warning."


One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that He show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority. He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. " Then Jesus left them and went away. (Matthew 16:1-4 NLT)

Walking with God is a lot like learning to read and follow the weather patterns.  It's about reading the "signs" that God gives us.  I was just talking with a friend this week about what "signs" each faith system or religion offers to say it is true.  When you investigate most of them, though, you may find yourself as disappointed as my friend is about the weather.

God has given us many signs of His presence and communication to us through the ages.  He sent great miracles that were so far outside of the natural order that non-believing scientists today are still trying to come up with "explanations" how such things could have happened "naturally."  He sent prophets with those great miracles to explain what He wanted to say to us - giving us His message through their mouth and writings.  He sent His Son to perform miracles, teach us, then give the ultimate sacrifice of love so that we may live.  How do we know that this is true?  He gave us a sign.

When Jesus rose from the dead on the third day, he wasn't just doing another miracle.  He wasn't capping off all the other miracles with a "grand finale."  He was fulfilling the sign that would confirm for us who he was and what he was doing.  He is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and God Incarnate (in the flesh).  He was sent to die (taking the punishment for our sin) then offer true life to all who want to come.  When we do, he reconciles us to God and gives us His Spirit as a "down payment" in this life - so we may live life abundantly.

Can you read the signs?

Rain, Floods, and Rocks

"Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Matthew 7:24-27 NLT)

I've been keeping and eye on the weather forecast for my area today.  It's the end of January and the high temperature is going to be around 60.  This is significant for us today, because the weather also calls for lots and lots of water.  Since the temps are going to be so high, the water is not coming down as snow or ice.  We will have rain - thunderstorms to be more exact.  Flood warnings abound for our area.

As I walked out to the car this morning and into various buildings throughout the morning, I found myself looking at the ground around me.  I could see places where puddles were forming.  I could see where gutters were clogged.  I could see where pavement was loose and washing away.  I could also see the places that were strong and wouldn't succumb to the flowing water.

"Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.'  (Matthew 7:21-23 NLT)

It hit me today that I see the same kinds of patterns in people that I know.  Some find themselves trying to hold on to things rather than letting them "flow through" their lives.  Puddles form.  I see ones who let "junk" clog up their lives so nothing else can flow through.  I see some who are so uncertain, broken up, and loose that the smallest storm is able to wash them out.  Then I see still others whose lives are built on a solid foundation - the foundation offered by God - and they stand strong no matter what storms come their way.

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at His teaching, for He taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.  (Matthew 7:28-29 NLT)

Rain is a blessing.  We need water to drink and to cleanse.  It can also be dangerous - pounding away at and eroding the foundation of our lives.  It really is best to build our lives planning on rain.

Clean

"When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, 'I will return to the person I came from.' So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order. Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before." As He was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out, "God bless Your mother—the womb from which You came, and the breasts that nursed You!" Jesus replied, "But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice." (Luke 11:24-28 NLT)

I'm watching right now as people are cleaning out various areas of the church building.  It's always good to do "spring cleaning" (even when it's not spring) and get back to the original room.  It's a lot like the "factory reset" I talked about yesterday.

Once the room is cleaned out, though, (or the computer is reset), the next step is every bit as important as the first.  What are you going to put back in the room?  What programs are you going to put back on the computer?  Are you going to keep some of the same things or are you going to put new things in their place? Will you have the same amount of stuff or will there be less (or will their be more)?

Then the Lord said to him, "You Pharisees are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and wickedness! Fools! Didn't God make the inside as well as the outside? So clean the inside by giving gifts to the poor, and you will be clean all over. "What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things. (Luke 11:39-42 NLT)

A "clean room" is great, but it won't be long before it becomes cluttered again if we continue doing things the way we have always done them.  The real benefit in a deep clean (or factory reset) is the ability to choose what goes back in there.  The same is true in our lives.  Cleaning our schedules, starting over with budgets, and reevaluating our jobs is a good thing as long as we put the pieces in place that God desires for our lives.  Otherwise, we will be no better off than we were before.

Factory Reset

One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked Him, "Why don't Your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?" Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Matthew 9:14-15 NLT)

Today I decided to make a significant step forward with my "smart" phone.  You see, the phone had been acting up quite a bit lately.  Text messages aren't always coming through.  It would go into a "loop" where it looked like it was going to turn off but then it wouldn't.  To make things worse, it would do this constantly, overheating and wearing out the battery.

I would try to "reboot" the system.  (Smart phones, after all, are just computers, right?)  I know that's the first thing technicians would tell me to do.  When that didn't work, I started going through and removing excess data.  When that didn't work, I started removing "apps" that I suspected may be causing the problem.  Not of that helped my situation.

"Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. (Matthew 9:16 NLT)

So, I decided to do a "factory reset."  A factory reset is provided on many computing devices now because our computers (and computer phones) can get to the point that they are bogged down by all the fun stuff we tried to install since we got them.  Even if we uninstall a program, there's still junk left behind that slows down the system.  A factory reset erases EVERYTHING on the machine, then puts things back to the way it was when you first took it out of the box.  The computer is restored back to "factory settings."  You can start fresh.

"And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved." (Matthew 9:17 NLT)

Now my phone appears to be working fine.  I went back to factory settings and I've only installed a couple apps - ones I know are important for me to use on a regular basis.  The rest of the stuff is all gone.  Now, hopefully, I can use my phone in the way God intends me to use it.

Sometimes it's a good thing to do a "factory reset" on my life, too.  Life can get busy and bloated with schedules and activities that have been added in over the years, but that I've never really succeeded in removing from my life.  A new year gives me a great time to do a factory reset and erase all that stuff.  Then I put things in my schedule that I know God wants me to do and my walk together with God improves.  Factory resets can be good.

The Wind Blows

Well, winter has arrived in Northwest Indiana.  Today the temperatures are in the single digits and we see a little snow out there.  Travel further Northeast and our friends are getting as much as a foot of snow.  Travel further Northwest and you will find temperatures in the negative double-digits.  Yes winter has finally arrived.

It's easy on a cold day like today to want to stay inside someplace where it's nice and warm.  Some winters this kind of weather has continued over long periods of time.  After a long time of this, people start to go stir crazy.  They want to get out.  They're tired of the cold and snow and wind.

The wind blows south, and then turns north. Around and around it goes, blowing in circles. (Ecclesiastes 1:6 NLT)

Solomon was tired of the wind blowing when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes.  That wasn't the only thing he was tired of seeing.  He spent most of the book talking about how "everything is meaningless."  He wasn't talking this way because he was locked up in his house for a cold, long winter.  On the contrary, Solomon had every luxury and pleasure available to mankind.  Yet he still looked at it all and said "everything is meaningless."  It's as meaningless as watching the wind blow round and round in circles.

Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don't be surprised when I say, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8 NLT)

I'll never forget the experience I had when I first started learning Koine Greek (the original language of the New Testament).  I learned, among other things, that Greek words often have several possible meanings depending on the context of the sentence.  The word for Spirit (pneuma) can also mean wind, current of air movement or breath.  It was so cool to learn that the Spirit of God is as invisible, elusive, and yet perceptively present as the wind.  We can't see it, yet we know it is there.  We can feel it - even, to some extent, measure it.  Yet, we cannot see it, hold on to it, or capture it.  What a beautiful description of the Spirit of God.

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. (Ecclesiastes 11:5 NLT)

Solomon didn't conclude that everything is meaningless in his book.  He concluded that everything is meaningless without the existence of God.  He concluded that God gives life and breath and purpose to life.  We find meaning when we follow him.  That remains just as true today as it has ever been.  With God, nothing is meaningless.

And God has given us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us. (1 John 4:13 NLT)

Now that I hear the wind blowing outside, I remember God's Spirit.  I'm reminded that life is not meaningless but is filled with purpose.  I remember that He has given me His Spirit and, through His Spirit, a purpose for my day.  He has placed a calling on my life.  He has given me specific gifts to use in that calling.  He has given me the wisdom I ask to receive and the power to follow that wisdom...all through His Spirit.  That's what I think about when the wind blows.  What do you think about when the wind blows?

Behind the Scenes

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. (Luke 16:10 NIV84)

Yesterday and today have been filled with what I would call "mundane tasks."  They're the kinds of tasks that no one really wants to do or enjoys doing, yet they need to be done.  A lot of mine have been computer-based projects that will allow us to take "next steps" in some of our electronic ministry.  The tasks I'm doing, however, are the computer equivalent of cleaning out your garage, basement, or attic.

Traci is working with someone right now literally cleaning and organizing stuff in children's ministry areas.  My son is cranking away on his school work.  Oh yeah, my big excitement for the day was fiddling with the thermostat in the cafe area to get the heat working again.  It's a bit temperamental.

I'm not sharing these things to complain.  I'm sharing them to give some insight into the reality of walking with God and leadership.  Often times we think of leadership as somehow being the "big moments" in life when the leaders speak to large crowds or feed the thousands.  Jesus understood, however, that leadership really took place behind the scenes - often times when no one was looking.

Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. (Luke 5:14-16 NIV84)

Just when the crowds got big - Jesus took off.  He didn't wait around to enjoy the "excitement" of the moment.  Instead, he often took off at that moment.  His ministry and leadership seem strange to us today unless we understand Christ-like leadership.  It's not about power.  It's not about position or politics.  Leadership is about walking with God and helping others get there.  Jesus got this.  There were times he spoke with large crowds, taught them, and even fed them.  Those times seemed to be more the exception rather than the rule.  Much of his time, it seems, was spend behind the scenes: alone with the Father or teaching those closest to Him.  Jesus did a lot of leading behind the scenes.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mark 1:35-38 NIV84)

When I have days like this (when I'm doing things I know are important but really no one else knows about them), I've learned to look at it as "behind the scenes" leadership.  I'm doing the work necessary to build infrastructure, remove distractions, and empower others to walk together with God.  

How about you?  Do you work "behind the scenes" to empower one more?

Calling

Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, (2 Peter 1:10 NIV84)

Now that we are firmly in the year 2013, I have been purposefully praying for and working toward the spiritual well-being of the people of Valparaiso, IN and surrounding areas for ten years now.  I began purposefully working toward this end in the winter of 2003.

Over the past ten years, I've had many people talk to me about this ministry - those who participated from within, others who have participated from "outside," and still others who have "watched" from the outside.  Often times, the conversation revolves around words like "success," "growth," and "health."  Those on the outside looking in are often confused.  They see a church that appears vibrant, dynamic, and healthy.  They see weekend services that are engaging and point people to God through His Word.  The watch as the Body ministers to many more people than themselves and helps others even when they don't appear to be able to help themselves.  The church appears to be healthy and dynamic.  Why isn't it growing?

Often times the conversation will turn to me.  Sometimes they will try to understand what I am "doing wrong" to keep the church from growing.  Usually, though, they try to understand why I keep staying and trying after so many setbacks throughout a 10 year ministry.  "Why do you stay?" they ask.  I try to explain.

Early on in my ministry here, I was reading every book on church planting, church growth, and leadership that I could find.  I wanted to understand how the "big guys" did it so I could glean from their wisdom.  One of the books I read was entitled Courageous Leadership, by Bill Hybels.  This book contained a chapter entitled, "The Art of Self Leadership," which was actually from an article Hybels had written in the summer of  2001 for the Leadership Journal.  That article changed my ministry fundamentally forever.

You see, any ministry (or vocation or job or class in school for that matter) will have bad days.  There will be times when you simply want to chuck it all and go do something completely different.  You will wonder, "What am I doing here?" and fight the question, "Is it time to quit?"  In those moments you will have no one to help you...except God.  You will need to know He is calling you to that place and that time.  So, what you're really asking is the question Hybels asked in his article:

Is my calling sure?

On this matter, I'm from the old school. I really believe that if you bear the name of Jesus Christ, you have a calling, whether you're a pastor or a lay person. We all must surrender ourselves fully to make ourselves completely available to God. Ask, "What's my mission, God? Where do you want me to serve? What would you have me do in this grand kingdom drama?"

Remember what Paul said about his calling? "I no longer consider my life as dear unto myself. Only that I fulfill the mission or the calling given to me by God himself" (Acts 20:24).

What happens when you receive a call from the holy God? Your life takes on focus. Energy gets released. You're on a mission.

I have to keep my calling sure. So on a regular basis I ask, God, is your calling on my life still to be the pastor of Willow Creek and to help churches around the world? And when I receive reaffirmation of that, then I say, "Then let's go! Let's forget all the other distractions and the temptations. Burn the bridges!"

If you've been called to be a leader, it's your responsibility to keep your calling sure. Post it on your refrigerator. Frame it and put it on your desk. Keep it foremost in your mind.

Ever since reading this article, I've asked this same question on a regular basis.  "Is my calling sure?"  I make sure that I am doing what God has called me to do - everything revealed to us through His Word and everything I know is a personal call on my life.

When I'm sure of His calling, I get to work.  There's no other option.  

He's the God of the universe.  I am His creation.  "Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the One who created it, 'Why have you made me like this?'" (Romans 9:20 NLT)

He's the Lord of all creation.  I am His child.  "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ." (Galatians 3:26-27 NIV84)

He's the Ruler of Everything.  I am His friend. "You are My friends if you do what I command."  (John 15:14 NLT)

When we started this ministry, some new members of the church gave me a Scripture as an encouragement and a reminder.  I still have that Scripture as a reminder today.

for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29 NIV84)

Is your calling sure?  What's God calling you to do?

Normal

But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. (Luke 5:16 NLT)

So, I'm finding my last few days to be a little strange.  Right now, for example, I'm writing down thoughts and it's 2 a.m.  This isn't the normal pattern for me.  But then again, my "normal" pattern hasn't been very normal lately.

Prior to Christmas, I found myself battling some version of the flu virus that has been going around in our area.  Mine was the kind that knocked the energy out of your body, left you aching for 5 days, then finished up with some bronchial issues for another week or so.  I would feel "special" if I didn't know so many other people who fought very similar symptoms.

Christmas weekend, my fever broke and strength returned, so I was able to participate in most of our Christmas activities - although sometimes hidden in a camera booth or purposefully avoiding people so as not to contaminate them with my germs.

During this time, my daughters both came home from college.  Both of them have guys they are dating here in town, so the return of our two girls actually brought more two more into our home on a regular basis.  I loved having them all here.  "Normal," however, just got "busier than normal."

With the age of our children, their guys up here, and work/school schedules as they were; travelling to Cincinnati for the Christmas holiday simply didn't make sense this year.  So, we didn't.  Our moms, however, were willing to travel up to spend some time with us.  So they did.  That brought the total to 9 people (and a dog) coming and going from our house all day long.  We loved it.  "Normal," however, just went out the window.

Over the course of the next couple weeks, people began going back to school and home.  The last one just left town this past Sunday.  Monday, everything could get back to "normal."  But it didn't.

I found myself feeling strange with the lack of activity.  I also started thinking back over the events of the past month.  I realized how much I enjoyed spending time with family.  I also realized how much time I've been spending in prayer.  The added people, activity, and focus on Christ really got me talking to God more often than "normal."  I found myself thanking Him.  I found myself asking Him for wisdom.  I asked Him to control my tongue and open my ears so I would listen more than I would speak.  I found myself relying on Him much more than "normal."

On Monday, I didn't want to let go of that pattern.  I found my day craving time with my Lord and best friend, even though many of the others had left to continue their lives.  I prayed more than "normal."  It was good.  The day was productive.  Meetings still occurred.  Things still got done.  I enjoyed it more than "normal," though.  

Jesus, we are told, often withdrew to spend time in prayer.  I wonder if that was why.  I wonder if it was because he knew His calling was simply not "normal."  In any case, I find myself in good company.  I'm glad he prayed often, too.  Who knows.  This just may become my new "normal."  I'd be just fine with that.

Friends with God

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. (Psalms 1:1-3 NLT)

I've spent a lot of time over the years learning different perspectives, teachings and faiths.  Through that time, I've learned that walking with God not only makes sense - it just works.  I mean, it's always practical.  God's way leads to life.  Against God always leads to a mess - even death.  If there's someone's advice I'm going to listen to, it's Gods.  If there's someone I want to spend my time with, it's God.  If there's someone's friendship I value, it's God's.  I like being friends with God.  Life with Him really is awesome.

But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the LORD watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction. (Psalms 1:4-6 NLT)
 
This friendship with God really has affected my friendships in this world.  I've found a wife who truly wants to walk together with God.  Our children have seen the benefits that come from being friends with God.  My friends...well...it depends on their friendship with God.  When they want to hang out and do things that God would like, I'm in.  When they want to get together to figure out ways to help more people walk with God, I'm really there.  When they want to waste time doing things with no positive eternal significance or value...we tend to part ways.  It's really just that simple.  My friendship with God drives all my other relationships - just as the Psalmist suggested.  When I do things this way, it just works.

Angry at Myself

David consulted with all his officials, including the generals and captains of his army. Then he addressed the entire assembly of Israel as follows: "If you approve and if it is the will of the LORD our God, let us send messages to all the Israelites throughout the land, including the priests and Levites in their towns and pasturelands. Let us invite them to come and join us. It is time to bring back the Ark of our God, for we neglected it during the reign of Saul." The whole assembly agreed to this, for the people could see it was the right thing to do. (1 Chronicles 13:1-4 NLT)
 
David starts out his role as King with great wisdom.  He turns to God.  Not only does he turn to God, but he builds unity with his leaders and the people of the kingdom around the idea of following God.  He wants to put God in His rightful place as ruler over His people.  Everyone agrees.

Then David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (also called Kiriath-jearim) to bring back the Ark of God, which bears the name of the LORD who is enthroned between the cherubim. They placed the Ark of God on a new cart and brought it from Abinadab's house. Uzzah and Ahio were guiding the cart. (1 Chronicles 13:6-7 NLT)

 The intent was great, but the follow-through was not.  David was returning the Ark of the Covenant to the place it belonged - at the center of God's people.  The transportation method, however, was not what God prescribed.  You see, His Law detailed how the Ark was supposed to be transported.  Poles would slip through rings on the side of the Ark and men would carry it with the poles on their shoulders.  Whether David was trying to make it easier on the men, use the latest technology, or simply lazy - putting the Ark on a cart with wheels was never approved by God.

David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, singing songs and playing all kinds of musical instruments—lyres, harps, tambourines, cymbals, and trumpets. But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the LORD's anger was aroused against Uzzah, and He struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God. (1 Chronicles 13:8-10 NLT)
David blew it.  A day of great celebration quickly turned into a day of mourning.  A party became a funeral.  David had good intentions, but good intentions aren't good enough when it comes to walking with God.  If we love Him, we will follow His commands.  It's that simple.

David was angry because the LORD's anger had burst out against Uzzah. He named that place Perez-uzzah (which means "to burst out against Uzzah"), as it is still called today. (1 Chronicles 13:11 NLT)

Have you ever been angry at God?  I have.  When I take the time to consider the reason for my anger, though, I usually figure out what's going on.  In this case, David's anger was not really at God.  David was angry at himself.  David didn't follow God's instructions.  David sinned.  Not only that, he did it publicly.  Everyone was watching when he blew it.  In the same way that a large crowd watched God strike down Goliath through David's obedience, a large crowd watched God strike down Uzzah through David's disobedience.  David blew it and it cost a man his life.  David was angry at himself.  Not only that, he realized there was a problem with his relationship with God.

David was now afraid of God, and he asked, "How can I ever bring the Ark of God back into my care?" So David did not move the Ark into the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-edom of Gath. The Ark of God remained there in Obed-edom's house for three months, and the LORD blessed the household of Obed-edom and everything he owned. (1 Chronicles 13:12-14 NLT)

When I blow it, my first reaction is to hide from my mistake, hide from God, and not want to face the consequences.  What God wants me to do is admit my mistake, repent and face the consequences, and return to God.  David would wait three months before he would be willing to do the later.  Meanwhile, Obed-edom enjoyed the blessings of God while David waited to return.

I'm learning to admit, repent, and return much faster now.  I still make mistakes, but, through the grace of God, even those are growing fewer over time.  The less time I spend getting angry at myself, the sooner I can see Him, join Him again, and walk with Him.  And walking with Him, well, that's right where I want to be.

Harmony

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem. A psalm of David. How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalms 133:1 NLT)

I enjoy singing.  Many people have caught me over the years (especially my younger years) singing just because I could.  Growing up, my dad would sing in a barbershop quartet and in a chorus as well.  At the ripe old age of 13, the chorus let me join and I began learning to sing four part harmony with no instruments other than our voices.  It was pretty cool.

Each of the four singers had their own part to play in the chord when we sang.  The Lead typically carried the melody line that you would hum later when remembering the song.  The Tenor usually sang 1/3 higher than the lead, floating the note up high to give the light feeling to the music.  The Bass would give the rock-solid low note to the chord, often filling the room with sound.  That left the final of the four parts in the chord: The Baritone.

The Baritone would get whatever note was left over to fill in the chord.  Sometimes the Baritone would have a note lower than the lead.  Sometimes it was higher.  Sometimes it was even higher than the Tenor.  The Baritone was expected to maneuver his voice to jump all over the place with his non-melodic part and "fill in" the chord without anyone really knowing he was there.  The Baritone needed to be a technician.  As you might be able to guess, Baritone was my favorite part.

For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron's head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. (Psalms 133:2 NLT)

Your job as a Baritone was to make the chord ring.  Hitting the note wasn't enough.  You needed to sing on the "right side" of the note depending on it's placement in the chord.  You needed to match the tone of the Lead and other two singers.  If you did your job well, your unique part seemed to disappear but the overall chord and song just exploded with sound.  A quartet singing well together will stop being four different individuals.  Their individual parts become one chord, one song, and one amazing experience.

Walking together with God functions much like a quartet.  God designed us to be separate and distinct - singing our own parts.  The parts we are given by Him, though, are in harmony with all the other parts.  A husband compliments his wife and vice-verse.  Parents are given the exact children they need to build the "perfect family" He had in mind.  The church is described as His "Body" with separate parts all working together perfectly so that life is possible.  It's no wonder that most translations don't refer to this as "harmony" but as "unity."  The parts work together so well that it's really hard to discern where one part ends and the other part picks up.  The parts work together to create an amazing experience - the life God has always wanted for us from the beginning.

Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the LORD has pronounced His blessing, even life everlasting. (Psalms 133:3 NLT)

Get To Work

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, 'You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be Israel's leader.'" So there at Hebron, King David made a covenant before the LORD with all the elders of Israel. And they anointed him king of Israel. (2 Samuel 5:1-3 NLT)

I remember going through grade school, high school, and college.  I always had a sense that I wanted to "get on" with my life.  All this learning and preparation was fine, but I wanted to get out into the world and start doing whatever it was that I was going to do.

Once I entered the business world, I still had a sense that there was something more to my life and calling than the job I was doing.  I tried to fight off the feelings, but they would never subside.  I worked and received promotions.  They feeling didn't go away.  I changed companies and worked my way up.  The feeling didn't go away.  I changed jobs in the company.  The feeling didn't go away.  I always knew there was something more for me to be doing that somehow all this work was still "preparation" for something else.

I wonder if that was the way David felt.  He slayed Goliath when he was still a boy.  Even before that, he was selected by God and anointed by Samuel as the next king of Israel.  David has been waiting for a long time to fulfill his calling as king.  But everything he has encountered in life prepared him to take the next step in front of him.  Now, he is finally king.

David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in all. (2 Samuel 5:4 NLT)

You can read the rest of the chapter on your own, but what you'll find is a man who is ready to do what is called to do.  He sets up a headquarters: the city of David.  He begins clearing out their enemies and setting up fortifications.  He gets married.  He has children.  More than anything, he makes sure he's walking together with the LORD.  It was clearly time to dig in...time to get to work.

I'm so grateful for the last 10+ years of my life.  It was time when I was able to transition from "preparation" to "digging in."  God let me be a part of starting a new church where before there was none.  He let me be a part of thousands of lives and hundreds of decisions for Christ.  I've gotten to live a part of my life where it didn't just feel like I was preparing for something, but I was doing something worthwhile - every moment - every day.

Looking back on the last ten years, though, I realize that "doing something" has also served as preparation as well.  God continues to use our past experiences to prepare us for the next step He has in store for us.  This is still true for me today.  It's time to dig in.  It's time to get to work.  It's time to more effectively "empower one more to walk together with God."  

Thank you, LORD, for the life you've given me.  

I'm so grateful for You, Your Mission, and that Your Plan includes. me.  

Thank you for Jesus - the one who lived his part of Your Plan perfectly. 

 It's through him that I pray.  Amen

Down, Not Out

A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD... (Psalms 102:1 NLT)

Before Life Bridge opened to the public, prayer was an intricate part of the vision-fabric.  People prayed about this church even 10 years before it began.  Traci and I found this ministry led by God through prayer.  Over one hundred prayer partners prayed Life Bridge into existence.  Now, every week I find myself praying for the heartfelt requests of the people who call this their church home.  I love lifting up people in prayer.

LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea! Don't turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to You. For my days disappear like smoke, and my bones burn like red-hot coals. My heart is sick, withered like grass, and I have lost my appetite. Because of my groaning, I am reduced to skin and bones. I am like an owl in the desert, like a little owl in a far-off wilderness. I lie awake, lonely as a solitary bird on the roof. My enemies taunt me day after day. They mock and curse me. (Psalms 102:1-8 NLT)

The process of reading the requests and lifting them up, however, quickly became overwhelming.  It wasn't difficult keeping up with the volume of the requests.  It was the content of the requests that overwhelmed me in the early years.  People would be crying out to God over loss, addictions, hurt, fear, anger, financial burdens, lost souls, and even death.  I would read the requests and wonder how people face these burdens in life and continue on from day to day.

But I cried to Him, "O my God, who lives forever, don't take my life while I am so young! Long ago You laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with Your hands. They will perish, but You remain forever; they will wear out like old clothing. You will change them like a garment and discard them. (Psalms 102:24-26 NLT)

Then I would remember why I was reading the requests in the first place.  People weren't expecting me to fix the problems they were facing.  They were asking God.  I simply had the privilege of coming along side of them and lifting them up to Him.  My shoulders weren't big enough to carry the burden found in these requests - but Gods were.  He created the heavens and the earth.  He holds all things together.  He can carry their burdens.  He can help.  He loves us.  He wants to help us get through anything we face.  He his God.

But You are always the same; You will live forever. The children of Your people will live in security. Their children's children will thrive in Your presence." (Psalms 102:27-28 NLT)
 
Then, and only then, would I find peace.  When people around me did the same thing (turning their troubles over to God), I saw peace in their eyes as well.  They were down, but not out.  And so was I...down but not out.  It all worked when I turned things over to God.  I found peace.

God really does want to give us the fruit of His Spirit.  God really does want to empower us.  He really does want to help us through this life.  He wants to help us live in security.  He wants our children's children to thrive in His presence.  Praise God!