faith

Structured Persistence

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I’m a regimented person. I know it. I like structure. A lot. To a fault. Sometimes this quality serves me well; sometimes it doesn’t.

One of the ways it doesn’t is when I’m in a season of life or in a situation in life where things are chaotic. My new job at Love In the Name of Christ (Love INC) is like that right now. They’ve never really had someone doing the things I’m doing (and going to do), so there’s no blueprint on how to do the job. There’s no job manual and no job description, per se. That really doesn’t mesh well with my structured personality, but with God’s help, I’m adapting.

But one of the ways this trait works well for me is when I participate in structured programs, like memorizing Scripture while reading a 30-day devotional book which coincides the memorization. I’ve succeeded at others that were similar, like 40 Days of Purpose by Rick Warren, 90-day exercise programs, and now, The 40-Day Prayer Challenge – Draw The Circle by Mark Batterson.

Tomorrow will be Day 1 on this 40-day journey, done with all the folks at Love INC, all of whom also have the book Draw The Circle. We are doing it together, believing that God will do great things in us and through us. We expect to be different on Day 40 than we are on Day 1.

Mark Batterson, the author of Draw The Circle says:

“The goal of the 40-day Prayer Challenge isn’t to get what you want by Day 40. In fact, the goal isn’t to get what you want at all. The goal is to figure out what God wants’ what God wills. Then start circling it in prayer and don’t stop until God answers.”

That’s what I’m going to do and that’s what we’re going to do at Love INC.

(Love In the Name of Christ [Love INC] is a national network of non-profit organizations which are committed to meeting needs and transforming lives by the love of Christ through the Body of Christ, His church. To find out more, visit our local ministry Facebook page HERE, or hear the story behind the ministry HERE)

Click HERE to find the book, Draw The Circle by Mark Batterson on Amazon.com.

Using faith on the road again…

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Tomorrow morning, my long-distance riding buddy, Paul Prince, and I are headed out west on a long motorcycle trip. 18 days, 5300 miles, and 14 states. Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, the Tetons, Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, and everything in-between. We’ve taken several long trips together, but this one is going to be different.

Paul and I have been praying for God to place in our path folks that need to hear the Good News. We’ve been praying for the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, empower us, and embolden us to minister to folks along the way. Our antennas will be up, sensitive to His leading. We are even bringing “tools” with us. Paul, as a Gideon, is bringing Gideon New Testaments. I’ve had business cards made up with my blog website on them. But more than that, we are journeying with hearts wide open.

We’ve done some of this in the past, but it hasn’t really been our focus, to be frank. We’ve happened across folks that are hurting and, for the most part, we’ve been faithful to minister to those the Lord has placed in our path: a waitress in Niagara Falls, another waitress in Lexington, KY, and a cashier behind the counter somewhere in Colorado come to mind.

About a week ago, Sharon’s daughter, Christy, gave me a gift: a study on the Holy Spirit. Church on the Hill is beginning a study soon on the same Person. Coincidence? I think not. I believe God is trying to grow me and stretch me. He is trying to pull me away from my own agenda and schedule to open me up to more of Himself. Oh, how I long for that! I am desperate for it!

So, we leave Sunday morning to enjoy this great country, God’s creation, but more than anything, we are traveling with eyes wide open, looking for opportunities to bring Good News to those who desperately need it.

We cherish your prayers.

(Follow the route via Spotwalla: https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php…e53652a20f29b5 or click on the map at the bottom of this page)

Out of Control?

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Do you think the world is just out of control? Reading the headlines, watching your favorite news channel, and hearing others speak, it would certainly seem so.

Ground assaults. Airliners shot out of the sky. Senseless tragedies. Wildfires. Endless, mindless stabbings. It seems so out of control.

But take heart and take heed…

Who else has held the oceans in his hand?
Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers?
Who else knows the weight of the earth
or has weighed the mountains and hills on a scale?
Who is able to advise the Spirit of the Lord?
Who knows enough to give him advice or teach him?
Has the Lord ever needed anyone’s advice?
Does he need instruction about what is good?
Did someone teach him what is right
or show him the path of justice?
No, for all the nations of the world are but a drop in the bucket.
They are nothing more than dust on the scales.
He picks up the whole earth as though it were a grain of sand.
(Isaiah 40:12-15, NLT)

God is trust-worthy. He is worship-worthy.

I’m trusting Him today. How about you?

A Perfect Storm…

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During the Inspiration Cruise to Alaska that Sharon and I were on last week, Dr. David Jeremiah was the headline speaker. Phillips, Craig, and Dean each had morning devotions, and Michael W. Smith and Nicole Nordemann also spoke. The theme or main topic seemed (for me) to be dealing with fear.

Dr. Jeremiah preached three times and each time spoke on fear: “What Are You Afraid Of?”, “Fear of Failure”, etc. Although I’m not the fearful type (at least I thought so), my ears were perked up the entire trip because I was anticipating hearing from God during the trip.

In one of the sessions, Dr. Jeremiah taught from Mark 4:35-41 where Jesus calms the storm. We’ve all heard the story plenty of times and we think we know it well. I know I did.

Then Dr. Jeremiah said something profound: “A perfect storm can follow perfect obedience. Just look at the disciples of Jesus. He said, ‘Let’s go to the other side.’ They followed. They were obedient. And a storm ensued.”

I had never thought of that.

Many times folks think that the perfect will of God is a safe place. While it’s true that God is with you while you walk in the perfect will of God and therefore, and you can trust Him fully, the perfect will of God may be a dangerous place. It may be a risky place. It may make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

In all likelihood, it will require sacrifice and huge steps of faith. And as Dr. Jeremiah points out, although a “perfect storm” may result, the words of Jesus and God Almighty ring true:

“Do not fear” (Exodus 20:20, Isaiah 35:4, 41:10)
“I am with you” “I will be with you” (Genesis 28:15, Exodus 3:12, Isaiah 41:10)
“Why are you still afraid?” (Mark 4:40)
“Be strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:6-7, Joshua 1:6-7,9,18, 1 Corinthians 16:13)
“I will go before you and be your rear guard” (Isaiah 52:12)
“I will never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6,8, Joshua 1:5, Hebrews 13:5)

Although a perfect storm may follow perfect obedience, the answer is perfect love.

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” (1 John 4:18)

Hanging on every word…

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When I (stupidly) mention to my dog, Bella, that we’re going for a ride, or use the word “go” or “going”, she hangs on every word I say thereafter. She looks expectantly, waiting on the next word I might say that she recognizes. She’s doing it right now, waiting for us to go.image

Our black lab, Sam, was a little different. He would perk up for things he heard that he recognized, but he lived to obey. Retrievers are wired that way. They love to obey their master, and they, too, hang on every word you say.

I wish I would live to obey my Master, Teacher, Father, and Friend! He is working everything out for my own good, whether it feels good or not. He can be trusted with every detail of my life. I just wish I could lie at His feet, hang on every Word, and look as expectantly to Jesus as Bella looks at me. She is obsessed.

I want to be obsessed with Jesus and following Him!

Not enough faith to persevere?

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I recently listened to a snippit (definition: a very short portion of a video or audio) of a recent sermon some pastor was preaching. What I heard was enough to make me push “STOP”. When speaking of those folks who had recently left his church, he used an analogy and said they were like the Israelites who didn’t have enough faith before they reached the Promised Land and perished. The folks who remained were those who had enough faith and were further encouraged to persevere.

Perseverence through trials is one thing. Saying that someone didn’t have enough faith to persevere is another. Saying that so many didn’t have enough faith is absurb. I find that offensive and so should you. It is so wrong on so many levels. It is dangerous teaching and it hurts the cause of Christ. It has the power to damage the faith of many, and I’ve seen this teaching cause people to lose heart and walk away from God altogether.

Beware.

Read more here: http://wp.me/p4hpe8-y

I have faith in the One who persevered and He’s all I need. All the focus is on Jesus please.

“In all things…”

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My friend, Cindy, is a prolific poster on Facebook. 99% of all her posts are about our Savior, Jesus Christ, and her love for God. She is a tremendous example of God’s grace and mercy. She exudes a strong and bold faith lived out for all to see.

She posted something yesterday that we should be reminded of everyday. Here’s what she wrote:

“Happy Sunday morning everyone!

“I know several of my friends are going through hard times, so I just want to remind you that whatever it is you are going through, it is not the end. It is only a small part of your story. The difficulty will pass and better days will soon come. God is working everything out for your good and His glory.”

As she continued, this is the part that stood out to me:

“And remember this: had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are in, divine love would have put you there.

“Keep your thought on things above and your eyes on Jesus. He is our very great reward, and He is always enough.”

I have to repeat that one sentence:

Had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are in, divine love would have put you there.

Wow. That is having an eternal perspective. That is living in the unshakeable Kingdom of God. That is living the words:

And we know that IN ALL THINGS God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, my emphasis)

IN ALL THINGS, including (of course):

… that pink slip
… that bad test result
… that unplanned pregnancy
… that miscarriage
… that dead-end job
… that lonely house
… that “Dear John” letter.

No, these things aren’t good and God didn’t cause them to happen. But God wants to work, as Cindy said, “for your good and His glory.” He loves you so much that He wants to make your character like the character of Christ.

Of course, ALL THINGS doesn’t end with just the major, life-altering events. They include small things, because small thing are included in ALL things. Things like:

… the traffic jam on I-81 that is making you late for work
… the flat tire that is making you late for work
… the talkative old lady at the grocery story line with too many items that is making you late for (you fill in the blank)
… the co-worker that won’t stop telling you about American Idol while you are trying to get your work done
… you get the point. IN ALL THINGS.

Remember who this came from yesterday. About 16 months ago, Cindy lost her beloved mom to cancer. It was crushing to Cindy and her family. To Cindy, her mom was everything. She still is. Her mom was (and is) a tremendous example of a follower of Jesus (and that is an understatement). And I understate how much Cindy misses her mom.

But as Cindy will tell you, in ALL THINGS, including her mom’s death, God was (and is) working to draw Cindy closer to Himself. And now I see a trophy of God’s grace. I see someone who is an awesome example of Jesus, like her mom. I see someone who lives in the unshakeable Kingdom of God.

If I could just live with that perspective everyday. If I could just remember that God wants to use what I’m going through right now to make me more like Jesus.

Kingdom perspective. Like Cindy. Like her mom. Like Jesus.

It changes everything.

The Power of Accountability

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Thank you.

“For what?”, you ask.

For holding me accountable.

“How in the heck am I doing that? What are you talking about!?!”

Let me explain.

At some point, over a year ago, I promised Donna and her daughter, Amanda, that I would pray for Donna as she began her journey through cancer treatments. We all promise to pray for folks, and if you’re like me, you’ve said the words, “I’ll be praying for you.” This time I wanted to assure her that I’d be praying every day.

So I began praying each morning and then I’d post an encouraging message borne out of my prayer time, tagging Donna and Mandy so they’d know I’m committed to pray each day. As I did this daily, God seemed to draw closer and closer. And I wanted Him more and more.

Then, to help my prayer time, I began a Bible-reading plan to read the Bible in a year. That sounds daunting, but was much easier than expected. I played an audio version and read along each day. It took about 15 minutes a day. 15 minutes. Seriously. I would then post a prayer on Facebook, birthed from my reading, tagging and encouraging Donna, Mandy, and their family. God continued to whisper encouragement into my heart and for the family, I believe, all the while, drawing me closer and closer to Him. He has been so faithful.

I finished that reading plan in January, and then I began journalling as a way to help the healing after leaving my longtime church. I would post my thoughts, prayers, and readings on Facebook as an encouragement to Donna, Mandy, and the family, tagging them each day. Journalling certainly has helped my healing, and, somehow, others like you have found some encouragement in them, too. Many have told me that I need to continue to do it daily, and so I do. I began this b
Og as a way to that.

Through writing, God has brought His love, acceptance, and healing into my life. He has shown me a new facet of His grace that I never knew before. He has filled me with a zeal for others to know His healing and wholeness. I am amazed by Him. To be frank, when I finish writing, I sometimes don’t really remember what I write. I have to look back and re-read it to remember. It’s almost as if I didn’t write it. Hmmm.

The point I’m trying to make is that what started as a commitment to pray and then progressed into a promise to not only pray daily, but also to post daily encouragement has served to draw me closer to God like never before. It is the power of accountabiltiy and commitment. It is the power of faithfulness… not mine, but God’s. He is so faithful.

I encourage you to be accountable to someone or to hold someone accountable. We all need it. We have been blessed to be a blessing. And the blessings from our faithful Father are immense.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8a)

Thanks for being my accountability partners on this journey of life and faith.

Trusting…

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As I was working at my desk, I heard a customer, as he looked at his phone, say to no one in particular, “Oh wow. The market is up again today.” He then proceeded to talk about investments, both long and short term, and about watching them closely.

Sharon and I have investments. We have a reputable firm which watches them. They have analysts which look for trends and potential dangers. These people are smarter than me. They live and breathe this stuff. I trust them to do what’s best for me, based on the goals I’ve given them. It’s not blind trust… I’ve done my due diligence. It’s a reputable firm, with a strong history, and a firm foundation.

So, when the market fluctuates wildly, which it’s been doing for a number of years now, I try not to watch. I try not to think about the impact a great day would have, or more importantly, what a lousy day in the markets would mean. It’s not that I don’t care, but I’ve been prudent and that’s all I can do. So, I don’t watch the markets or our investment very closely. Maybe that makes me stupid or foolish… I don’t know.

What I do know is this: My future is not based in financial security. Whatever I’ve been blessed with, however great or small, I’ve been blessed to be a blessing.

Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s easy for you to say. You’re not living from paycheck to paycheck.” That’s true. However, we did live paycheck-to-paycheck for a long time. And during that time, early in our marriage, my wife Sharon taught me about tithing. She taught me from the Scripture in Malachi. She taught me that all of it belongs to God, and He asks for a tenth. The word “tithe” actually means “tenth.” So we began giving a tenth, right off the top. It was (and is) the very first check (“firstfruits”) we write after getting paid. It is a tenth of our gross pay, before taxes.

When she taught me that, I was very hesitant to give that money away. After all, we needed it to make ends meet. But we started anyway, and then she lost her job and was out of work for 5 months. Somehow, we still tithed. Somehow, we never lacked anything. We were never late on a payment or a bill. Somehow.

It taught me to trust God. No matter what. It taught me to hold loosely to the resources He gives us. It taught me not to worry about the turmoil we face in this world, or worry how limited my resources may look. It taught me to look to the Prince of Peace and see His endless resources. I can rest in the knowledge that He loves us and cares for us. No matter what.

Whatever is in my wallet, my checking account or any other account is to be used as God sees fit. It is His money. If he says “Give”, I give. I don’t need to see what the markets are doing.

I just trust.