A Light Bulb Moment

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incandescent-lightbulbWhat do prepositions and a light bulb have in common? Let me explain.

All too often when adverse circumstances come our way, we use the wrong prepositions as we evaluate our situation and seek to move on from it. I have asked these questions and you probably have as well:

What about me? . . . Why did this happen to me? . . . What effect will this have on me?
What’s going to become of me? … What’s the next step for me? . . .

The more important prepositions, however, are in and through. Imagine how different our perspective can be if we ask instead

What does God want to do in me?
And, how does God wish to manifest Himself through me?

So what does a light bulb have to do with all of this? The other day, I was changing a light bulb in our carport when I realized that a light bulb is a perfect illustration of “in” and “through.” Think about how a light bulb works. A burst of electricity surges into the light bulb and heats the tungsten filament to such an intense temperature that it glows and emits light.

The electricity provides the heat, and without the heat the glow would not occur. That is the “in” principle. The amazing thing, however, is that the light bulb’s “in” experience creates a “through” effect. Because the filament heats to a glowing hot temperature and emits light, we are able to see more clearly and illumination occurs. That is the “through” principle. The heating of the filament has an effect beyond itself.

As we encounter difficult circumstances in life, we can let God work IN us. God will use the circumstances to refine us, teach us, stretch us, and reveal Himself to us. Then as He works in us, He will – because of how we deal with those circumstances – shine His light THROUGH us so others can see Jesus in us.

For my present painful and challenging season of life, I am choosing to allow God to work IN me in hopes that He will use my experience to manifest Himself THROUGH me. My circumstances are not about, to, on, of, or for me. It’s all about Jesus.

He must increase, but I must decrease. – John 3:30


Dollar Store Christianity

Because I like to save money where I can, I often find myself shopping at dollar stores. These stores provide “off brands” that are less expensive that the “name brands.”

Unfortunately, some believers in Jesus display a dollar store spiritual life. They settle for something less than a real and vibrant walk with Him. They settle for being believers without being disciples. Emotional highs become substitutes for a consistent devotional life. Business replaces holiness. Legalistic structure replaces spiritual transformation. Good ideas that we can develop on our own replace God’s ideas discovered only through committing to a season of prayer and seeking God.

Consider the words of the Lord through His prophet Amos:

For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek me and live; 
but do not seek Bethel, 
and do not enter into Gilgal 
or cross over to Beersheba; 
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile, 
and Bethel shall come to nothing.” – Amos 5:4-5

The pagan shrines at Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba amounted to dollar store substitutes for God. God’s people felt the temptation to find satisfaction by fitting in with their contemporaries. God challenged them to trade their substitutes for a real relationship with Him – seek ME, He said.

So where do we find God? First, we find Him in the pages of His Word. God’s Word is His revelation of Himself, His will, and His plan for our lives. There is no substitute for the systematic regular reading and study of the Bible. Every relationship depends on conversation, and God’s Word is His conversation to us.

Second, we find God in the quiet place of prayer and solitude. Even Jesus recognized the need to get away from the activity and the crowds to get alone with His heavenly father. If it was that important to Jesus, how much more vital is prayer and solitude to us? In 1 Kings 19:11-12, when Elijah needed to hear from God, he found God not screaming in a strong wind, earthquake, or fire, but in the low whisper of a still small voice. We can only hear the whispers of God when we quiet ourselves in His presence.

Additionally, we find God in the every day events of our lives. God is at work around us, and we can see His hand if we look for Him. We find God when we serve Him by serving others. Jesus reminds us that in feeding the poor, clothing the naked, giving water to the thirsty, and visiting the afflicted, we also serve Him.(Matthew 25:31-40)

So what are you substituting for the real thing? Why settle for dollar store bargains when you can enjoy a daily, vital relationship with the One who is of inestimable worth? Why settle for a cheap imitation when the real thing is yours . . . for free?

Four People Who Will Ruin Any Church

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There are four very dangerous members of every church I have ever seen. Admittedly, sometimes I have invoked their names myself, thinking that they were my friends and that they were on “my side.” But every time, I soon found out they were snakes in the grass – not my friends, but very dangerous adversaries.

Somehow, they manage to get appointed to every committee or ministry group in the church. They are the most faithful members of the church; they NEVER miss, NEVER get sick, NEVER take a vacation, and NEVER play hooky. They fill their pew every time the church doors open. At first glance, they seemed to be pillars of the church, but now I realize, they are pure poison.

Some of you reading may know them; you may be their kin. In fact, you may be them. At times, I have to confess that sometimes, I am “them.” Who are these four members? I, Me, My, and Mine. I call them “The Quartet.”

One of the most dangerous things that can happen in a church is for any one of the body parts to become overly “self-aware.” Church does not belong to me. It is not my church. In fact, it is not even “our” church. The church has been bought and paid for and is under singular management – we are the body of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 4, Paul warned us that unity would be a chore to maintain.

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. – Ephesians 4:3

Paul calls the task of maintaining unity an “effort.” It does not come naturally, easily, or automatically. Notice the hub around which the wheel of unity rolls – the Holy Spirit. We cannot have unity around the Quartet. Unity is not achieved by either unanimity or majority opinion. There has to be ONE singular central place where the buck stops, and in Jesus’ church the buck stops with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Soloist in the church’s performance. He is the Superstar. The best The Quartet can hope for is to be the backup singers, the supporting cast. The Quartet has to take a back seat to the Soloist. Church only works when you and I seek the will of the Holy Spirit even to the exclusion of our own desires and preferences.

In the ensuing verses of Ephesians 4, Paul goes on to use the word “one” seven times referring to God and His work in and through us. That is the basis for our unity. Not a preacher, not a deacon, not a class, committee, ministry, and certainly not The Quartet.

It’s not about Me… or I… or… My… or Mine.

He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease. – John 3:30

 

Post Election Thoughts

election

Election day is finally over. While I am thankful the mean TV ads and endless phone calls will cease for now, here is what is on my heart.

  1. Our greatest ills are neither economical nor international but spiritual. While it is true that most politicians of both parties ignore some very important Biblical principles (the right to life, the definition of marriage as being one man to one wife, among others), it is equally and painfully apparent that most Americans do as well. The reason our economy is failing is that we have forsaken the One who blessed us with such a rich economy in the first place. The reason the world no longer respects us is that we do not live lives that encourage respect. Remember what God said through Solomon

    Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people – Proverbs 13:34

  1. The reason our culture is in a spiritual crisis is because Christians are in a spiritual crisis. You don’t blame the darkness for being dark. In fact, darkness is merely the absence of light. Our world is dark because we ignored Jesus’ admonition and we have hidden our light. We have placed so many other things ahead of God – sports, leisure, work, entertainment. In today’s culture, one is hard-pressed to observe the lives of a group of people and determine which ones are Christian based on how they live and what they prioritize. We have lost our distinctiveness, and our culture has not guiding light to point them to the cross. Rather than transform our culture we have conformed to it.
  2. The current spiritual climate of our culture is an OPPORTUNITY rather than an OBSTACLE.
    If I remember my church history studies correctly, there was only one period in which the church enjoyed the widespread blessing of the state. That period was when the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church walked hand in hand down the road of corruption. In its inception and throughout history, the Church has actually fared much better under persecution than favor. Jesus taught us how to be a positive counter-culture in The Sermon on the Mount.Until we recognize and own up to our culpability, no elected official will ever straighten out this mess we are in. Our culture does not need a politician, economist, or social worker. Our culture needs a SAVIOR. We, the church, are the messengers God has called to proclaim His name. Election day is a once a year responsibility we should all take seriously, but proclaiming the good news of Jesus should be a DAILY occurrence. That’s what our country needs most.

Life on the Highwire

skyscraper-liveLast night, Nik Wallenda – of “The Great Wallendas” – walked between rooftops in downtown Chicago, blindfolded during one segment of the walk. Once, when asked why he always does his stunts without a net, he said there are basically 2 reasons. The first is the entertainment value. Without the risk of death, people would be less inclined to care and watch the stunt. The second reason, however, was personal. If he knew he had a safety net, he would not concentrate as intensely and he would actually be more at risk to fail. The risk of doing the stunt with no net makes concentration a life or death issue.

A believer in Jesus, Nik unapologetically gives God glory and testifies to Jesus verbally during his stunts.  What a forum for sharing Jesus, a forum he would never have if he settled for the safety of terra firma.

Most of us prefer to “play it safe” in our lives, and for the most part that is a good practice. No sense in doing foolish things. But what about our spiritual lives? Is the safe thing always the right thing? Is our comfort zone a place that pleases God? Consider what the Bible says:

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6

Don’t underemphasize the first part of that verse – without faith it is impossible to please God. If there is no challenge for us in the service we render to God, if there is no need for us to depend on Him to enable us to do it, it cannot and does not please Him. If we are content doing what we know we can do, what we feel confident in ourselves doing, we are not pleasing God. No matter how religiously active our comfort zone may be, if it is does not require us to trust God, He’s not impressed, and He certainly isn’t pleased. Operating in the faith realm is like working without a net.

Change brings opportunity for us to please God, because change requires us to trust God to make things work out for good – as His word says it will (Romans 8:28). I’ve never walked through circumstances like I am experiencing now, but I am confident of God’s providence, so I am confident in God’s outcome. If I “knew” how all of this would turn out, then why would I need faith? And, if I didn’t need faith, how would I please God?

What comfort zones do you need to crawl of out of? How can you stretch your faith today? How is God calling you to step out in faith and to trust Him to do a great work in your life? Beats the high wire!

Lessons Learned in the Most Difficult of Times

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Heartache and disappointments do not have to be a total loss; in fact, some of life’s greatest blessings come from some of its most difficult circumstances. Over the last week, I have experienced the humbling blessing of great and Godly friends who have come alongside my family and me to offer us prayer, strength, and comfort.

Some of those friends have experienced situations similar to mine (some even worse), and they have ministered to us out of experience. As I pondered the tremendous ministry of my friends – and even my friends’ friends – God reminded me of a familiar Scripture that I have often recited to others in their difficulty but on which now I can lean during mine.

Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows. – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Here are some lessons God is teaching me in this season of life hopefully will encourage you if you are going through trying times in your life.

  1. God is the Father of ALL comfort. There is no pain He cannot soothe, no fear He cannot calm, and no obstacle He cannot overcome. When words fail, God does not. When answers are not enough, He is. When all else is gone, He remains.
  1. God does not necessarily keep me FROM affliction, but He always comes to me IN my affliction. In times of difficulty, I will experience God in ways I could not have otherwise experienced Him. As disciples we are not immune to heartache, in fact, we are warned that we may receive more than our “fair share” of it. I have the Holy Comforter, however, present within me, to minister to me in ways I can neither fully understand nor adequately describe. Sometimes in hurts all I need to do is be quiet and just enjoy the reality of His presence.
  1. I cannot truly comfort others if I have never had to be comforted. Through affliction, I can move from being a theoretician to a practitioner. Through this experience I will be able to minister more compassionately and in a more understanding way. I am so thankful for friends who have stepped up to help me in practical ways because they KNOW what I am experiencing. While I would hate to see anyone go through difficulties, I long for the day when I can use my experience for something good and help someone else the way others have helped me.

Let me encourage you to learn from your hard times; don’t be so quick to despise them. Through fire and anvil the strongest steel is forged and in the greatest of difficulties God refines and prepares us.  Know that God has a greater purpose for what you are going through at the moment.  He has plans for you, and He will use this time for good in the future.

When Life Makes You Seasick

As I am sailing along this life journey, all of sudden I feel the need for a strong dose of Dramamine. My soul is motion sick from the ups and downs lately. The last few days have been rough seas on the open waters of this faith journey. It is amazing how life seems to ebb and flow like the tides of the ocean. One day can be filled with good news that leads us to rejoice and praise God, then suddenly you can be blind-sided with some harsh realities on the very next day that threaten to pull you down into the depths of despair. If we were left to navigate the sea of life on our own, we certainly would get bounced around and eventually lose our way, but the Bible describes Jesus as a “a sure and firm anchor of the soul.” (Hebrews 6:19)

Jesus is a sure and firm anchor of our soul because He is strong enough to withstand all the circumstances of life that otherwise would be our demise. In fact, those same circumstances are all part of God’s plan to conform us to Jesus. God is not subject to the changing circumstances of life, neither is He surprised or caught off guard by them. He does not ride high on the wave of good “fortune” nor does He get caught in the dangerous rip tide of misfortune.

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

We can hold on to the fact that in the middle of whatever is going on in our lives, God is working out a plan – His plan. It is a plan for our good not our harm; to give us a hope for our future.

So, if you are like me and you are caught in circumstances that are taking you for a ride – hold on, anchor in the fact that God is in control and THROUGH your circumstance He WILL come through and bring you to the other side. Take some spiritual Dramamine (the Bible) and hold on tight. Help is on the way. (Psalms 121 and 46)

Don’t Just Do Something…Sit There!

Don’t just sit there… DO SOMETHING! I’m sure you’ve heard that or even used it. We sense urgency in a situation and immediately feel like we must DO SOMETHING to FIX IT. It DEMANDS our action. That approach got King Saul in a lot of trouble and it can us as well.

You can read the story in 1 Samuel 13:1-14, but I’ll summarize for you. The Philistines lined up in an impressive battle array for battle against Israel. The Israelite army trembled in fear. Saul sent for God’s prophet Samuel who would offer burnt offerings seeking God’s intervention on their behalf. Saul grew impatient waiting on Samuel and offered the sacrifices himself. The Philistines were threatening. They didn’t have time to wait. It seemed to him that time was running out and if he didn’t act, they would not make it. He couldn’t just sit there…he had to DO SOMETHING.

Bad choice. No sooner had he placed the offering on the altar Samuel arrived and was furious that Saul had acted rashly. Moreover, because he had acted in this manner and reacted in the flesh, God removed the family of Saul from the throne of Israel. After his reign, his children would not succeed him, but as we know now, David would take the throne. Just like us sometimes, he couldn’t just sit there…he had to DO SOMETHING.

Many times in the Bible, God encourages us to wait – Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, Proverbs 3:5-6, and my personal favorite Psalm 46:10 just to name a few. Take a few moments and read them.

I am now in a waiting season in my life. What should I do in this time? As I wait I will pray, seek God, watch for Him to work around me. Biblical waiting is not passive.

Waiting on God does not mean we sit idly by but rather we actively engage God by asking, seeking, and knocking and not moving until we are sure He has answered, revealed, and opened. (Matthew 7:7) The worse thing I could do is jump before God says jump. Getting ahead of God is just as bad as lagging behind, either way you’re not following Him.

Are you tempted to DO SOMETHING to fix a perceived threat or danger? It may well be that the time for action has come, but before you act, make sure you have heard from God and that it is HE who has told you to move and not your desire to fix the situation.

Don’t just do something…SIT THERE.

Random Thoughts Sent from an Non-Random God

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Today’s blog will be a little different.  I want to share little snippets of what has occupied my heart and mind this week.  My prayer times and devotional times have been less structured and more introspective. I list these thoughts in no particular order and each thought is only a sentence or two separated by a blank line.

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  • Historical accounts allege that Nero carelessly played his fiddle while Rome burned and his empire fell.  Christians today have played church games while our culture has gone in the tank and souls have died and gone to hell.
  • How can some people be so clueless and live in such oblivious denial of reality?  I guess we can make ourselves believe just about anything that we want to believe.
  • I just realized that I no longer grieve my dad’s death.  I still miss him a lot, but actually, I am jealous of him.  He’s out of the drama and mess I live in and he gets to be with Jesus.  I am SO ready to go too.
  • Jesus always has been, still is, and always will be the ONLY HOPE for this world.
  • I have some awesome Christian friends and some pastor friends who that I count among God’s greatest blessing in my life.
  • God is incredibly patient with me.
  • Reaching lost people is hard work, often uncomfortable, and sometimes messy.  But it is what Jesus has called us to do.
  • God has blessed me beyond measure in so many ways.
  • I hate it when people I care about grieve.  I grieve with them.  But I am so glad this world is not all there is.  I am so thankful for the assurance Jesus gives.
  • It is required in stewards that a man be found . . .  faithful.  At the end of the day, may God consider me a steward.

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Maybe something there resonated with you. Maybe God is challenging you as He has me these last few days. Feel free to hit the comment button at the bottom of the blog and interact with me.

May God stir us to listen to Him every day.

Consider a Positive Side to Your Critics

An interesting story takes place in the life of David. As if he did not have enough on his plate running from his son Absalom who was out to kill him, David encounters a descendent of Saul who still held a grudge against him. The man’s name was Shimei and you can read the story in 2 Samuel 16:5-14.

Shimei stalked David and his men throughout the countryside, cursing him, ridiculing him for his rebellious son, throwing rocks and dirt at him, and calling him everything but a nice man. One of David’s loyal followers asked for permission to remove the talking head . . . literally. However, with keen spiritual insight, David recognized the possibility that God was using Shimei for a greater purpose in his life.

Imagine that . . . God is using those who oppose us for His glory and for our good. Only God can pull that off. All of us have difficult people in our lives, but even though they do not mean to, these “sandpaper people” actually help us in several ways.

First, they send us to our knees in prayer. That is ALWAYS a good thing. I saw a sign one time that read, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot in it, hold on tight, and pray.” Those who seek to harm us do us a tremendous favor by forcing us to rely on the resources of a loving, vindicating, and all-powerful God.

Second, they expose character flaws in us and give us the opportunity to allow God to grow us in those areas. Someone once told me, “In every criticism there is a nugget of truth.” We can use opposition positively when we find that nugget of truth and turn it over to God asking Him to help us grow through it.

Third, they challenge us to excel. Critics often incite us to prove them wrong. I am more aware of my weaknesses and strengths in times of challenge, and I am more careful to do the very best I can do so as not to give them even more fodder for criticism.

I have learned to thank God for those who oppose me because unwittingly they do NOT ultimately harm me, but instead help me. I wish they knew that – it would give me some satisfaction.

Oh, and one other thing… the David and Shimei story has a happy conclusion (see 2 Samuel 19:14-23). Shimei hurried to David and asked forgiveness. Responding positively to our  critics may eventually turn them into our supporters.