Sharpening My Blades

sharpening bladeA couple of weeks ago, on rare day of heavy rainfall in South Georgia, I was having a conversation with the gentleman who landscapes our church grounds. I asked him if he hated to see this rainy day since it meant he couldn’t get out and work. He told me that while he doesn’t want too many down days, one every now and then is beneficial. “Since it’s raining today, I’ll spend the day sharpening my blades.”

While most of us would view a down day as an obstacle, he saw it as an opportunity to prepare for the coming busy days. Intentional preparation. When he is faced with his task of mowing, he doesn’t have time to maintain and prepare his equipment…and he keeps quite the hectic schedule. Rather than wasting a day when he couldn’t mow, he spent time preparing for the next day he would mow.

Although sometimes I feel like there is not time that I am not “mowing” spiritually, I have to make the time to step aside and “sharpen my blade.” I need a regular dose of God’s Word to align my life with Him and His plan. I need the down time of prayer to focus my heart and mind on Him. I cannot sustain the regular pace of constantly spending myself without giving God the chance to replenish my soul. Several times in Jesus’ ministry, He withdrew to be alone with the Father. He often called His disciples away from the crowd to be alone with them so He could nurture them as well.

Today, I resolve to be more intentional about keeping my blade sharp. I will set aside more time in God’s Word and prayer. I will allow Him through His Word to prepare me for what He has in store.

What about you? When and how will you sharpen your blade?

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. – 2 Timothy 3:16-17

In THIS Jungle The Lion Never Sleeps

In Daniel 6, we read the familiar story of Daniel in the lions’ den. Daniel 6:3 clues us in on the kind of man Daniel was – he distinguished himself above others because “an excellent spirit was in him.” Because he was that kind of man, he found favor with the king and was set to become second in command over the whole kingdom.

One truth we cannot escape, one that is illustrated throughout the Bible is that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). Daniel was in a position to receive God’s blessing because he consistently demonstrated whole-hearted daily commitment to God. While he found favor in God’s eyes, and in eyes of the king, he fell into disfavor with his colleagues who grew jealous of Daniel’s rise to prominence in the kingdom.

Living for Jesus will not ensure that we will avoid critics and detractors. In fact, Paul warned Timothy that all of those who desire to live godly lives will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). In Daniel’s case, through the scheming of those who despised him he found himself thrown into a den of lions. Miraculously, God closed the mouths of the lions.

If you are living a godly life, you, too, have your detractors. You know what it is like to be criticized for being who you know God wants you to be. Your detractors have their own lions – slander, criticism, negativity, ridicule, just to name a few. Just remember, if you are living a faithful life for Jesus, those “lions” say more about your detractors than about you.

My encouragement to you…stay faithful. The only “fault” Daniel’s detractors could find in him was his faithfulness to God (Daniel 6:4-5). Stay faithful and entrust your lions’ den to God. Pray that He will give you strength to stay faithful, that He will shut the mouths of your lions, and that He will deal with your detractors in His way and in His time.

What I Got from The Blood Moon

blood moonI missed the Blood Moon Wednesday morning. I went out to see it, but when I looked up all I saw was fog. It figures that the morning of such an interesting celestial event would also be the foggiest morning in South Georgia.

I am not so enamored with the latest fad of attributing the Blood Moons (total lunar eclipses) to end time prophecies. The Jewish Calendar has always centered around the moon cycles and full moons and lunar eclipses happen with enough regularity that over the course of 4000 years or so some significant things will align with those eclipses.

Every 27.32 days, the moon completes an orbit around the earth, and we tend to mark the beginning of that orbit as the “full moon.” Without fail…27.32 days…every month…for 6000 years since the earth was created. The earth completes a turn on its axis once every 24 hours, and a lap around the sun once every 364.25 days. Consistency created by a consistent God.

God is orderly and consistent – we refer to it theologically as His FAITHFULNESS. Just as we can always count on creation to remain constant, so also we can count on God to always be the same. He never diminishes, never has a bad day, never takes a day off, never comes in late. He never sleeps nor slumbers. He is always 100% “on.” The cycles of nature, including the lunar cycles, remind us that we can hold to His unchanging hand.

As for the end times… what if this string of “blood moons” does portend the return of the Lord? What difference does that make? How differently would we live our lives if we knew today were our last day on earth? Well, the truth of the matter is, we should live EVERY DAY as if it were our last. It could be. Let’s not wait for the two-minute warning to start trying to win the game.

Who Has Your Back?

“The only One who really matters has your back!”

That closing line in an email I received several years ago from a church member, friend, and dear sister in Jesus reminded me of an important truth.

Psalm 137:1-4 says,lyre

By the rivers of Babylon— there we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion. There we hung up our lyres on the poplar trees, for our captors there asked us for songs, and our tormentors, for rejoicing: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the Lord’s song on foreign soil?

While our captivity is not a physical one in Babylon, our hearts can yet be made to feel captive by even more formidable foes than Babylon – memories, failures, grief, disappointments, hurts, fear, bad health. While we remember better times when we were closer to God and filled with His joy, these tormentors and captors ridicule us, asking us why we aren’t singing those happy songs we used to sing. How can we sing those songs of joy we used to sing when these faceless enemies have taken our hearts and our spirits captive and led us off into a land of emotional exile? Sometimes it is just impossible to muster one of those old familiar songs.

Let me suggest 3 songs of Zion for you to sing when you feel you have been taken captive and tormented by that unseen enemy. First, try singing “How Great Thou Art.” Nothing makes our problems look smaller than when we compare them to the vast greatness of God. Jeremiah proclaimed “Ah, Lord God! You Yourself made the heavens and earth by Your great power and with Your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!” (Jeremiah 32:17) Those emotions, circumstances, and issue that hold us in bondage are no match for the liberating power of God. As we begin to praise Him and declare His greatness, the shackles begin to disappear.

We can also sing “Victory in Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 15:57 reminds us “thanks be to God who gives us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of His sacrificial death on the cross on our behalf, there is absolutely no foe that can defeat us, no power that can overcome us, no circumstance that can stop us. No, in fact, “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)

Let me also suggest singing “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells us, “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Your captors, whatever they may be, cannot prevent God from bringing to pass what He has planned for you. Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we can be confident that the One “who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

So take your lyre down out of the tree, tune it up, and start singing anyway . . . even if you don’t feel like it. In spite of your circumstances, the only One who really matters has your back!

When Setting the World on Fire is NOT a Good Thing

smokeyDuring my childhood, Smokey the Bear stood as a reminder of our responsibility to avoid letting campfires get out of hand and turn into a forest fires. His slogan was “only YOU can prevent forest fires.” Because of Smokey’s influence, I have always been careful with bon-fires, burn piles, and campfires.

I wish someone would create such a visually impacting image for Christians in light of James 3:5-12.

If the body of Christ has a problem with one body part, it’s the mouth. How can we sing praises to Jesus and condemn those whom He loves? How can we declare the goodness of God with same mouth we allege the badness of His bride? Ecclesiastes 3:7 reminds us that among the seasons of life ordained by God are times to speak and times to keep silent. Seems to me we have a hard time remembering which is which these days.

When will the church ever realize that the enemy is satan and not someone else in the church membership? What if we exchanged the words used to gossip and criticize our fellow believers for words telling hurting people about the hope found in Jesus? What if we were as ardent about tearing down the gates of hell as we were about tearing down a brother in Christ?

According to Jesus, our tongues are an indictment of our hearts (Matthew 12:34). Let’s check our hearts and make sure they are full of Jesus so that He will be what comes out of our mouths today. Let’s be full of the Holy Spirit, so HIS fruit will be evident in our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). When it comes to the raging infernos created by our words, only YOU can prevent forest fires.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
keep watch over the door of my lips! – Psalm 141:3

Motivation For A Frustrating Day

This blog is for the husband/dad or wife/mom who selfishly gives even when the rest of the family seems ungrateful and oblivious to the effort.

This blog is for the employee who goes above and beyond the call of duty yet the supervisors, bosses, and customers only respond with complaints.

This blog is for the pastor who serves tirelessly only to be opposed at every turn by the very ones he loves and desires to lead.

This blog is also for the church servant who gives precious time to serve the Lord only to hear the criticism of those who sit by and do nothing.

Why bother? Why do it? Why continue giving your best, putting your best foot forward when it doesn’t seem to do any good? There is ONE very good reason – you have an audience of ONE.

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. – Colossians 2:23-24

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. – Galatians 6:9

Hang in there, weary brother and sister. Don’t let the naysayers distract you. Don’t let the nuisances dishearten you. Don’t let the negative Nellies discourage you.

The only ONE who matters notices what you do and He will make sure you reap what you sow. Thank Him for the ability to “DO” whatever it is you do and look for ways He can gain glory from your effort. Give your effort to Him and know that even if no one else notices you, even if no one else appreciates you, even if no one else affirms you, He does.

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. – 1 Corinthians 15:58

Perspective That Only Time Can Bring

I am afraid that we fail to grasp fully the significance of the events of life when they are happening. Only after some time has passed and we have the opportunity to view those events in their context of related events in our life do we come to fully appreciate the role those circumstances play in shaping who we are.

I have recently thought about how differently I view certain difficulties now that I can relate them to my entire life context. What at one point may have seemed pointless and painful has proved instead to be necessary and beneficial. God has a way of revealing things to us in stages, illustrated in the way in which He healed the blind man of Bethsaida:weird-tree

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. (Mark 8:22-25)

In a couple of different ways, Jesus put off the man’s healing, creating drama in the story. He led the man out of town, away from the crowd, no chance of using the man and his condition to promote Himself. His first touch (a gross one at that) only partially did the job; the man did not fully regain his vision until after Jesus touched him the second time.

He works that way in our lives sometimes too. We ask for His help, His deliverance, His provision and He seems to delay the answer, separating us from our request by the distance of time. Then we wonder if what we see is really an answer to our prayer. After all, He is perfectly capable of fixing our problem in one fell swoop, so apparently what we see is either our imagination, rationalization, or just blind chance and coincidence. What we are really seeing is our own circumstantial equivalent of men who look like trees walking around.

All the while, God is revealing Himself to us, bit by bit, stage by stage, so as to build drama and test our faith and our resolve. Eventually He places His final touch on our need and we are able to see more clearly. We see that the difficulty that we went through was instrumental in teaching us about God and His purposes and ways in our lives.

Don’t be so quick to curse your hardships and suffering. Don’t be hasty in assuming God has not our will not answer your prayer and meet your need. Hang in there. Give God time and space to work. You will marvel at what He accomplishes in your life.

Maintaining Spiritual Momentum

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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

In my teen days, we used to sing a song at church that began with the line, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” Since I want my life to be “on fire” with the power of the Holy Spirit bearing His fruit in and through me, I need to tend the fire that He has started.

First, the fire needs to be fed.  To keep the fire going, I have to introduce a new log every now and then. The same thing is true in my life spiritually. I cannot continue to burn brightly with what God fed me last week.  I need God’s Word to address MY LIFE on a daily basis.  I need an intentional plan for studying, meditating on, and applying God’s Word.

Also, the fire needs to be fanned. As a flame starts to dwindle, I can blow on the red-hot embers and once again the flames rise. In my spiritual life, I need the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to blow in my life. I need to start everyday asking Him to control every thought, word, attitude, and action in my life. I need to ask Him to bear His fruit in my life. I need what only the Holy Spirit can do in my life. I need His filling, His empowerment, His activity or else my fire for God suffocates.

Then finally, the fire needs to be freshened. I can freshen a fire by stirring it around a bit, moving the logs, creating some breathing room. Spiritually, I need fresh challenges and experiences if I am to grow.  I need to be stirred on a regular basis. Granted, these freshening experiences are not always pleasant – after all, you freshen a fire with a pointed thing called a poker. Who among us really enjoys being poked and prodded?  The poker freshens the fire by stirring the fuel closer to the red-hot center of the fire. When God uses His poker to stir my life, He usually draws me closer to Him, the blazing center of spiritual vitality and fire.

So . . . what does your fire need? Fuel? Fanning? Freshening?

 

 

Heart’s Desire

Baseball players are notoriously superstitious. Players on a good run will not shave, change socks, routine, pre-game meals . . . you name it. Players on a bad run will change any and everything about their game in hopes that “luck” will come their way.

Lest we think too harshly of superstitious athletes and too highly of ourselves, we might be wise to consider if the faintest hint of superstition drives our Christian service. Think of it this way: why do you do the good things you do? Because you hope the principle of karma is true and that good things will come your way? Because you think as long as you are doing good things that God will do good things to you, but if you stop doing good things so will He? Where in that is GRACE?

John Piper, writing about heaven, posed this question (my paraphrase): if you could have all that heaven offers – reunion with loved ones, perfect healing, paradise, no more sin, but NO JESUS . . . would you still want to go? Seriously, if heaven were still all it is advertised to be, save the presence of Jesus, would you still long for it? The answer to that question diagnoses the condition of our hearts.

  • When Jesus is the longing of our heart, nowhere without Him could be heaven.
  • When Jesus is the longing of our heart, no activity without Him could be satisfactory.
  • When Jesus is the longing of our heart, no day without Him could be sunny.
  • When Jesus is the longing of our heart, no job without Him could be rewarding.
  • When Jesus is the longing of our heart, no life without Him could be fulfilling.

Written by a King who had it all . . . but was on the lam from his own son:

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land
where there is no water – Psalm 63:1

May HE be our heart’s desire.

Time to Stop Choosing Sides in Church

One thing we did when playing ball at school or in the neighborhood as kids always causes awkward and uncomfortable moments: choosing sides. I hated being the team “captain” and having to choose whom I wanted on my team. Invariably, someone would get their feelings hurt because a captain chose them after someone they thought was not as good a player. The strategy was not always to choose the best player, but to choose one’s closest friends. I always felt sorry, too, for the last person chosen.

As uncomfortable as that was for a childhood activity, it is equally uncomfortable, and infinitely more abominable in God’s eyes when we do it in church. You know the scenario: something doesn’t go someone’s way and that someone sets about recruiting people to be on his “side.” It is even more shameful when done by one in lay or pastoral leadership.

Our role as leaders is to equip the church to function efficiently and effectively as a cohesive body. Gathering “our people” to support our cause creates an “us against them” lose-lose situation. It’s not just leaders that stir up trouble, however, lay people often fall into the same trap. Emails, phone calls, secret meetings to plan strategy are worldly ways of conducting heavenly business.

In Proverbs 6:16-19, God tells us that there are 7 things that God finds abominable. The 7th item on the list is one who sows discord among the brothers. It is OK to disagree; in fact, disagreements usually prove beneficial as ideas are exchanged and insights shared. Not every one has to agree with everything all the time – that is an unreasonable expectation. The problem comes when we employ fleshly means to come to a spiritual conclusion. According to 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 God considers such behavior as immature and childish as choosing sides on the ball field.  It’s one thing to have a childlike faith, it’s something else altogether to act childish.

The Bible gives us both reactive and proactive instructions relating to divisions in church. First, in a reactive way, we are told to notice and avoid those who cause division (Romans 16:17, Titus 3:10-11). Then, in a proactive, prescriptive way, God tells us to seek unity not in a person, but in the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3). Rather than rallying people to our side, we should make sure we are on God’s side and we should seek to know and do God’s desire rather than any individual.

Let’s stop choosing up sides and recognize that God has chosen us to be on HIS SIDE. Let’s quit trying to win people over to our favor and work feverishly to promote the kingdom of God.

 

Quiet time exercise:  read the Scriptures linked above and ask God to help you see those who cause division for what they are and to show you how you can help bring about unity of the Spirit.