Look Back

It's hard to see where life is going when we are stuck staring at the path we are in. Don't you ever wonder where in the world it is leading. Maybe, instead of always looking ahead, we need to look at the progress and see how far we have come. Turn around and take a look back.

Today I found out that I have been staring down at the path right in front of me. Sometimes I pick up my head and look at the potential path that lies ahead, but it looks so huge... it scares me to even think about it.

But, maybe, what I need to do, is look back.

Psalm 143:5-6 say, "I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse at the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah."

After reading these verses a few times I started thinking about my life and all that God has done in it. In the very beginning of my life He placed me in a Christian home. He knew that my family and church family would teach me in the Way to go. They did. It wasn't until January of 2010 though that Jesus opened my eyes to my need for a Savior. I accepted, and on that day everything changed. My whole view on life was flipped around. I, all of a sudden, had a purpose for life and a calling... a calling to spread His love to those in my life. God is so good! On the day He saved me, He started laying down His plans for me.

LOOKING BACK now I can see it. He has been using every little detail of my life to bring about the plans He has for me. It's like a puzzle except it will never be complete... that is, until the day He takes me home. He keeps adding pieces to my life even when I don't see how they fit. When I turned around today, I could all of a sudden see it coming together.

So what I want to challenge you to do- not just when the times get tough, but all the time- is to look back on your life. See what God has done. Even if you don't see what He is doing in the now, you will see it... someday. It is hard to wait on the Lord, but His hand is always at work even when it feels like we are at a standstill in life. Keep trusting Him and keep seeking.

Be Obedient

My friend Darlene and I go to the nursing home twice a month to worship and share the love of Christ with the residents there. 

People have come and gone from this ministry. Many of them stopped coming because of discouragement. When there's not many people who show up to listen to your music and message it's easy to feel discouraged. When your focus is on numbers and not solely on sharing the love of Christ it is easy to be misled.

But when you take your eyes off of yourself and keep them fixed on The Lord, you are able to stand firm through the ups and downs of life and ministry. 

On a good day we have two or three of the residents come and join us to worship. Some people would say that it's not worth going if there's only two people showing up...but God says differently. 

In Matthew 18:20 Jesus says, "for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Jame 1:27 says, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this; to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world."

Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."

Philippians 2:4 "Let each of you look not only to his own interest, but also to the interests of others."

In other words...it is COMPLETELY worth taking the time out of my day to go and minister to these wonderful people! If we reach even one person PRAISE THE LORD! If I can ease the burden of a brother or sister in Christ, Praise the Lord!

Darlene is a great mentor to me. She constantly reminds me and those around her that what we are doing is for the Lord. She reminds us that God is in control and that He is faithful.

We got to the cafeteria to set up before we went to visit with people and there was no one there. She asked me if I was discouraged because of that. I said no, because I know that what we are doing is right and good.

God rewarded us today! We had many people come in and listen throughout our time there. Some of them sat for a while. Some of them visited with us. One man grabbed his guitar so we could play together. It was his first time playing since his open heart surgery 6 months ago (pictured below). I sang to Ida in her room and watched her smile as we sang and prayed for her.

When you're obedient to what God has called you to do, He is ALWAYS faithful...and He is able to work in ways you wouldn't have imagined.

God is good!

Faithful

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, who his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?  Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Matthew 24:44-46


The vast majority of my waking hours are spent working and going about the daily demands of life.  It is here where I too (most) often forget to consciously and deliberately seek and reflect Jesus Christ.  Every single minute of everyday He is observing me.  Does he find me faithful in all of those times or do I compartmentalize my Christian walk and focus on God into segments of my day or life?  Far too much the latter.  Many of the teachings of Jesus are hard and unequivocal. As Christians we are not to live in fear and anxiety of not living up to God's standard.  But life in Christ cannot be found passively while we are just getting through the day.  It is found in a minute by minute, day by day pursuit of God.

My life is not my own.  This is in complete conflict with my human mind and spirit.  For me this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Great and eternal Lord, forgive me - a sinner - a man of flesh and bone.  Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I can die to self and serve you faithfully in all things and at all times.  Amen

The Jeers of a Clown

And when he called the people to him and said to them, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth... 

"...what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and defiles a person"

-Matthew 13:11, 18

What comes out of my mouth?  Reading this scripture I of course focus on what is not good.  And when I measure the total of it I am disappointed to see that too much of it demonstrates a heart and mind conditioned by the flesh, popular media/culture and the underlying desire to be a clown.  I suppose we all find our "niche" in life from an early age.  Mine was seeing early that I could make people laugh.  What comes along with that is a certain attraction to humor from what you see and hear around you.  In our society this humor is usually attached to subjects which are not pleasing to God.  It most often comes at the expense of others and pushes the boundaries (or just jumps across them) of appropriateness.

In my case, for everything that actually comes out of my mouth, my mind had formed another 20 responses that I was "wise" enough to hold back.  I have spent 45 years honing this "skill".  I would like to think I have matured over time and show more discretion than years past.  I have worked to not be so cruel with humor to not hurt other's feelings.  But at the heart of it all is too much which is unpleasing to God and unfortunately does reflect a hear that has been filled with too much compromise over time.  

Scripture tells me that the words of a fool are many and I am not supposed to make foolish talk. So is humor wrong? No.  However, Matthew 12:36 says that we will give account for every careless word we speak.  So we would do well to consider some filters in the use of humor:

• Am I building up or tearing down?
• Is the subject appropriate and reflective of Christ? Is he laughing?
• Why am I saying these things?  Am I relying on them to be accepted or liked?
• What does the humor, whether stated or not, say about what is in my heart.

Ouch, I could get very quiet moving through the day at this point. But as Christians we know that it is not just about removing the things that displease God - we must replace them with that which does please Him. Humor and laughter should come from a place that reflects the love of Christ as the Holy Spirit transforms our hearts from the effects of sin.  

I can't think of a way to end today's blog - a little writer's block.  It seems a good joke might serve me well about right now.  But I think I will refrain and let God's Word just settle in my heart this morning.  I'll let Mark Twain have the last word instead.

"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Inadequacy of words...

Lord God, greater than I can ever describe here - let me use my feeble words to give you praise as I am able.  You are mighty and with me.  You bring strength and comfort.  You set my feet on the right path and equip me to walk it.  You ARE an ever present help in times of need. You should not be tested and at the same time you are long-suffering. Thank you so much for that.  I give you praise Lord God.  I give you praise because there is no other response to your majesty.  When I see the perfect sunrise, Mt. Rainier on a clear day when the mountain seems to loom, my incredible Issac Lake view - they all inspire me and bring an ease to my soul- these things cannot be compared to you.  You are alive and you created every one of them.  All were created by the perfect and most beautiful.  The best of this creation around me only reflects a negligible infraction of you.  

I don’t understand you God and your mysteries are deep.  Yet as I follow the clouds begin to depart and I see the sun, the mountain, the lake - and then beyond them the great giver of all life! Oh Praise to you God!  Praise to you!  I want to switch this over to my typical asking of forgiveness - and I need it - but right now my eyes are on you and I keep them there.  I am nothing and everything.  I am lost and I am found.  I am blind and I see more clearly than those around me.  I have sinned and your mercies are new every morning.  And here we are in the dark hours before the dawn and I am knowing your mercy and majesty.   I am unable to express the depth of thankfulness for that and no doubt do not even fully appreciate it as much as I should.

I am forced to grasp at words I know, images I know, comparisons that try to convey who you are and how I see you - and they fall short.  My mouth opens and the Spirit speaks in words that cannot be understood by me.  In groaning that has more meaning than my most eloquent phrases.  Not only do you bless me so much, save my life and set me on a path - you give me the tools to praise you beyond my own vocabulary and emotion.  You are everything.  The great I am.  And I give you praise.  It is what I was created to do.  The creator is worthy of nothing less.

K.I.S.S.

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

-Galations 5:16-17



Let me start with assuring you I am not about to provide you with a philosophical view of life from a 1970's rock band - though I have no doubt it is a few clicks away on Google.  That will lead you down a very different path from this one.  Since my boys are still too young to be able to read this I will feel more comfortable with the use of the "S" word this morning. For any who may be unfamiliar with this concept, the KISS principle is "Keep It Simple Stupid".  If you are more comfortable feel free to slip "Silly" as a substitute. 

Leaving that behind let's dive into in a simple truth (which I no doubt will make more complex...). The Spirit and your flesh are opposed to each other.  One leads you down a path which is pleasing to God. The other leads to death and destruction.  So, I for one want to live a life pleasing to God and deny my flesh.  Clearly, there is not a middle ground available to me as a Christian that is pleasing to God.  If I allow myself to be ruled by the flesh I will have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10).  So the stakes can't be bigger.  

Nice light stuff, huh? But isn't that the great thing about God and His Word?  It may be difficult to live out and sometimes challenging to understand - but the foundations for the Christian are quite straight forward. Here are a few of MY thoughts in summarizing my path to living a life controlled by the Spirit. 

1.  God is... (there are too many adjectives to put into one blog so I'll abbreviate for this morning)...God.  He is creator of all, perfect, is to be praised and adored, and cannot have fellowship with sin.

2. I am a sinner. God cannot have fellowship with sin.

3. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the world and is the only bridge between 1 and 2 above.

4. Your response to this should be profound and your only response should be "what do I need to do?"  (Acts 2:37-38).

5.  Repent and be baptized. Turn away from your rebellion from God and immerse yourself in Him. Enter the Holy Spirit to walk you through this Christian life in power to overcome the flesh.

So, why am I so challenged in living out the simple truth in Galations 5:16-17?  The steps are all there! I just speak for myself here, perhaps you will relate to some or all of this. Let me do it by the numbers above...

1.  I have to continue to press into the Word and relationship to God to begin to grasp the majesty of who He is.  I only understand it in part.  My life goal must be to know Him more!

2.  I think I have the sinner part down.

3.  The more insight I have into point 1 and 2 - the more I will latch onto the significance of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and my need for a savior.  It has to move from head knowledge to deeply embedded and saturated heart knowledge.

4.  This is the response of my heart.  But too often in my life that response has been weak.  It sometimes lasts no longer than a Sunday morning between summary of a good convicting sermon and the time I unlock my car in the church parking lot - moving on with my day.  This is a major problem! And without the proper response at this point - I cannot move onto #5.   However, as we grow in Christ that response becomes stronger and more desperate as each day we pick up our cross.  I want it to be the cry of my heart every morning. It IS the cry of my heart this morning.

5.  These steps are the only thing that will lead me to turn away from sin and put on the Holy Spirit who will become my guide and strength to live out this Christian life.

The cry of my heart is to be lead by the Spirit and not gratify the flesh.  I do not want to straddle this fence in ignorance of the reality of my condition.  

Lord God, you are almighty and greatly to be praised.  I am just a man of flesh.  Thank you for the gift of your Son.  I believe in the redemptive power of the blood of Christ and that he was raised from the dead and sits at your right hand.  Forgive me Lord as I choose this morning to turn from my sin and follow you.  Holy Spirit, be my guide and strength in this day in order for me to be pleasing to God in word, thought and deed.  Put my flesh to death and give me life through Christ. Thank you for loving me so much to provide this path!   - Amen

You can please some of the people some of the time...

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

 - Galations 1:10

In considering this verse it did not take long for me to draw parallels to my work life.  I have responsibility over a large number of employees who are in place for the purpose of meeting the mission of my organization.  You are hard pressed today to pick up a book on leadership and not see the importance of caring for and development of your employees.  Part of that thinking is that "a happy workforce is a productive workforce" (I put it in quotes because I am sure someone said it - if not, I just did).  This certainly makes sense and today we see this played out in ways no one would have dreamed about 50 years ago.  

Google is a great example of this philosophy in action and is one of the most sought after places of employment today.  An employee at Google has access to breakfast through dinner at no cost - right there in the workplace.  They not only serve you the food, but they pick you up from home in their own bus to get you to work.  And don't forget your dog Skippy, he can come along and join you for the day.  Need a few months off to climb Mount Everest?  That can be accommodated.  Don't worry, when you get back to work you'll have a massage waiting for you to soothe those tired muscles!

Of course, this is not just one big free ride.  It all is intended to ultimately achieve the company's mission to "organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful".  Oh, and I would be remiss to leave out the $16 Billion they made along the way in 2013. 

Meeting the mission is the primary driver for any organization.  While a productive work force is key to achieving that, organizations frequently need to make decisions which do not always please all of their employees.  I personally have experienced this in an organization which has had to make significant changes due, in great part, to forces outside of our control.  I have found that I cannot prioritize pleasing people ahead of meeting the mission.  

When we focus back on Paul's mission in Galations, the stakes are much higher than any organization - they are eternal and driven by the ultimate CEO, God himself.  There is no room for compromise of scripture in order to please people.  How would Paul respond to the condition of the church in America today?  How does your life reflect on these truths?  As a servant of Christ I must be unwavering in my commitment to the mission laid out before me in scripture.   While I need to demonstrate the love of Christ to a dying world, this cannot come at the expense of watered down truth; and ultimately means I will find myself alienated from much of the world around me.  There is one Gospel.  There is one truth. The least loving thing I can do is hold the full truth of scripture from my unbelieving neighbor or even the brother sitting in the chair next to me at church.

We need to embrace a sense of urgency in our own lives to abide in Christ and commit to striving toward obedience to the fullness of scripture.  It is then that the Holy Spirit will be our guide to do all of these things beyond the limitations of our own wisdom and strength.  Because I find myself this morning falling far short of righteousness, I embrace the encouragement of Paul....

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   - Phillipians 3:14-17

I pray we will press on today in Christ to further our mission to a world in need of Him.