So Goes the Captain…so goes the crew!

 

Believe it or not…this is the transcript of an actual radio conversation between a US naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. The Radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on Oct. 10, 1995.

US Ship: Please divert your course 0.5 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

CND reply: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

US Ship: This is the Captain of a US Navy Ship. I say again, divert your course.

CND reply: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course!

US Ship: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS CORAL SEA*, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!

CND reply: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

Okay, so that is really an old Navy joke and never really happened.  However, it really is useful as we are starting a new school year here in Texas.  I began to think about this story as I had recently heard it and how to apply it to my life.  I have heard this story many times and wondered why it kept coming back up.  Well, I was in church yesterday and was challenged with a commitment to get into the Word of God on a daily basis.  The challenge was made to not just do it for yourself, but for your family.  As a Husband and a Father, it is my responsibility to be the Priest of my home.  I am responsible for setting the tone for my family, spiritually.  I have to admit, I have done well at this on the personal level.  But in all honesty, I have been very spotty to virtually non-existent in leading my family spiritually, well.  They deserve better.  So, with that moment of transparency and a ‘new’ school year starting, I am making efforts to captaining my family spiritually on the path we need to go.

When I don’t fulfill my role as Priest of my family, there are dangers that can arise that leads to dangerous outcomes.  So goes the captain, so goes the crew…Look at how 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 says it…

2 Chronicles 36:14-16

14 Likewise, all the leaders of the priests and the people became more and more unfaithful. They followed all the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, desecrating the Temple of the Lord that had been consecrated in Jerusalem. 15 The Lord, the God of their ancestors, repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them, for he had compassion on his people and his Temple. 16 But the people mocked these messengers of God and despised their words. They scoffed at the prophets until the Lord’s anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.

In this passage, we have the leaders of God’s temple and spiritual leadership becoming more unfaithful to the things of the Lord that they are supposed to be leading in.  Instead of doing the things of God that were prescribed in the Law, they began to turn to pagan religions that other surrounding nations followed.  The spiritual leaders desecrated the Temple that had been previously consecrated to the things of God.  The Lord loved his people and offered them prophets that would come to warn them of the path that they were going down.  He did this out of compassion for His people.  However, the people only mocked these messengers and hated the words that God sent to his people through them.  This resulted in the Lord becoming angry and His anger could no longer be restrained and nothing could be done.

As the spiritual leadership of a family, nation, team or church goes, so goes that family, nation, team or church.  When the spiritual leadership turns away from following the things set forth by God in His Holy Word, it sets into action a path that is not a desirable path.  While God loves his people, He also grieves when they turn from His ways.  This grief turns to anger and eventually God will turn those and its spiritual leadership over to their sinful, prideful ways.  Adoption of pagan spiritual practices that originate from people and leadership that do not follow the things of God, leads to a desecrated Temple.  Today, this is played out more frequently in the form of idolatry.  This idolatry is found in tolerance of pagan religions, relaxed morals, justifications for actions and so on.  These are just excuses for behaviors that are contrary to God’s Word.  This applies to you as an individual because you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  You have been set apart by God for His service and His plan.  When you turn away from following Him and choose to follow those outside influences of other religions, then you are desecrating what God has set apart.  This turning away and following outside religions in today’s society is called “toleration”.  When you tolerate the practice of other religions, then you have compromised your belief system and ultimately desecrated the Temple of God.  What you tolerate spiritually today, becomes status quo tomorrow.  As followers of Christ we are called to stand out, not blend in.

What is your plan for leading your family spiritually?

What steps can you take personally to prepare to lead?

How can I help you lead?

Still Haven’t Found What He’s Looking For

Ah yes, U2!  That incredible band from my homeland of Ireland.  Well, at least my ancestors were from Ireland.  I guess that would make me Irish-American.  I wonder if my daughter can get a scholarship for that?  Anyway, I love the origins of U2 and how they expressed their honesty in their quest for knowing God and His loving grace, mercy and power.  In fact, Bono and the Edge have called this song a gospel song.  This song comes from the 1987 Album named the “Joshua Tree”.

Read these lyrics in the song and realize the search that is going on…

You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Of my shame
You know I believed it

The chorus then follows with, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”  Its kind of a sad indictment of what goes on in Northern Ireland as the battle that rages between Protestant and Catholic.  I know that I will never understand the tension there or the why’s and what for’s.  But I do know this, there are plenty of people who are walking through life with this same sentiment that are living in our neighborhoods, in our classes at school, in our places of employment or even on our teams.  Bono has stated numerous times, his frustration with the church and the inconsistencies that are lived out by the ones that are supposed to be leading the flock.

At times, it really reminds me of the Pharisees.  They were the sticklers of the Law.  They had been trained, taught and experienced in enforcing the letter of the Law.  They were good at it.  However, they missed the heart of the Law.  Scripture says in Mark 8:11,

When the Pharisees heard that jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with Him.  Testing Him, they demanded that He show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove His authority.

Being teachers and keeper of the Law, the Bible says, “the put heavy burdens on people concerning the Law but never lifted a finger to help them live the Law.”  In the passage of Scripture, I find it interesting that the very  people who should have embraced Jesus as Messiah began to argue with Him.  They did not believe Him to be who He claimed to be.  They tested God!  They made demands from him.  They were faithless people wanting physical proof of who Christ was.

Similarly we have that very thing happening today.  Pastor’s, Evangelist, and teachers of Scripture putting demands upon people for personal reasons.  If anything, these are the very people who should embrace the ways that Christ walked the earth…leading by example.  When Jesus walked the earth, he flipped the pyramid of success.  Instead of the Pharisee being at the top of the pyramid, Jesus said he came to “serve all”…  He took the attitude of a servant becoming a human to seek and save the lost.  He gave all…to all…for all…once and for all!

I don’t ever want to become a person who argues with God.  In reality, who are we to ARGUE with GOD?  He created the universe and we think it revolves around us.  I never want to put those things that are holy (religious items, traditions, etc.) in front of my faith in God.  Faith is a powerful thing that leads us to TRUST God and who He says He is, without any signs or wonders.  The greatest sign we should ever need is summed up in a picture…

Embrace and welcome the Savior without demands of proof of identity and trust Him without reservation!  This IS what Christ is looking for.  He looks for those whose belief is pure of heart.  God, increase our faith, help our unbelief!  YOU are ALL we NEED to LOOK for!

Are you still looking for God?

Does your faith need to be increased?

What holy THINGS have you put in front of your FAITH?

Right Actions Bring Heavenly Responses

I love catching my kids doing things right!  In fact, I like to reinforce their right actions by giving them words of encouragement when they do things right.  Don’t get me wrong, I also give them words of correction when they do wrong, but I get more excited when they do it right.  In fact, I have started to employ the 3:1 ratio of 3 words of encouragement to 1 word of correction.  It seems to be working…at least for now.  My three kids all play either softball or baseball.

Both softball and baseball are games of failure.  If you want to be considered for the Hall of Fame, if you hit .300+ for an average, you are incredible!  But what that means is that you either were put out or missed 7/10 times.  I believe that hitting a ball with a bat is an art!  It is also a discipline of constant tweaking and experimentation.  Hitting is the great equalizer.  One of my personal favorite hitters is Wade Boggs.

I tried to pattern my illustrious baseball career after Wade Boggs.  I learned to hit to the opposite field, I played third base, I was even #26 on my…uh…slow pitch softball jersey.  Of course, that was when the dream was over.  On the field, he did right things!  He hit .328 lifetime average and won 8 Silver Sluggers.  He was also the AL batting champion 5 times!  The dedication and right disciplines led Wade Boggs to becoming everything he dreamed of as a kid.  He entered the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005.

Mark 1:10-11 says,

As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven and said, “this is my dearly loved Son, and You bring me great joy.”

Jesus, upon doing what was right by being baptized, saw heaven open up to him.  In this passage, we see all three persons of the Trinity in full force and on the scene.  God’s response to Jesus’ baptism is one of fatherly pride.  The Holy Spirit is celebrating the occasion by resting upon Jesus.  Here we have a clear example of the ultimate encouragement.  God is not only proud, but He voices His approval.  He voices His joy!

We need to realize that our actions bring one of two responses from God…joy or sorrow.  I want to give you 3 steps to bringing Heavenly Responses.

• Be Righteous! 

When you live a life that puts an emphasis on making righteousness the priority, it leads to right decisions and right decisions lead to right actions which bring joy to God.  The opposite of this is also true with the exception being sorrow felt in heaven.

• Be Vocal!

I have had to learn the value of being vocal with my praise to my kids.  By nature, for me, it was strange at first, but now I love to give encouragement.  I need to practice giving my kids and wife encouragement.  They need to know that they really do bring me joy.  Especially when they do things rightly.  I also need to do this in front of people.  My kids need public encouragement and the people who I am around need to hear me praise my kids if for no other reason…to be a vocal example!

• Be Present!

The Holy Spirit was on the scene.  He was silent in this passage, but He was there.  Whenever possible, we need to be present in our family’s lives but also when we are spending time in worship, prayer and devotion.  Our presence in a relationship brings joy to those we are spending time with.  That is what God wants.  He wants our attention.  He wants our relationship with Him.  Like the Holy Spirit, we need to be present!

My prayer for you today is to be righteous, be vocal and be present.  I pray that you would try to model this passage daily.  I pray that you would make holy decisions.  I pray that you would be a vocal rewarder of right actions and be present for the important things in the lives of those we love.

What actions do you need to employ to bring Heavenly Responses?

Who can you become an encourager to?

How can you become Righteous, Vocal & Present in the lives of those you love?

Alone with an Audience

I am becoming more of a creature with a routine.  It wasn’t always this way.  When I was younger, I would sleep until who knows when and get up with no agenda for the day except to get out of the house and with friends as quickly as possible.  Usually my long-term planning was only as long as my nose.  I never really liked the mornings when I was younger.  In fact, I used to joke about my life motto being,

Mornings should come around about noon.

I think I read that in a Garfield cartoon.  Anyway, now I have come to embrace the early morning.  Maybe this comes with age.  Maybe it is because I now have three kids and this is the time of day when it is quiet.  Whatever the reason, I am now one of those dreaded morning people.  In fact, I have been known to join my running group at 5 am for a 5 mile run.  Don’t judge me…join me!  The early morning has become a refuge for me to talk with God.  I find that I am more focused, have clarity of thought, plan better, retain more information and am generally more productive the earlier it is.  I have also discovered that I love sunrises!  They are new each day and never quite the same each day.  They bring hope for the day and blessing of getting to share that day with those I love and friends I care for.

This year, I am reading through the Bible.  I have also started doing my devotions a little differently using the S.O.A.P method of study.  It is so simple.  Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.  Yes, I have been writing down my prayers.  My dachshund, Floppy, usually gets to hear what I am reading and studying that morning as she stares at me as I am finishing up.  I think I have almost convinced her to become a Christ follower.  She usually becomes my audience.

Mark 1:35 says,

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.”

What I learned was that Jesus practiced solitude.  While His purpose on this earth was to seek and save the lost, there were times when He needed to be alone with His thoughts, His prayers and His Father in Heaven.  What i find interesting is the time of day Jesus selected.  he went before daybreak.  Before the sun rises is when our world is still at rest.  The hustle and bustle of life has yet to really start for the day and things are generally…quiet.

This passage really challenged me.  I realized that I needed to look for opportunities to practice solitude.  We all need those moments in life to get alone with our thoughts, prayers and our Heavenly Father.  We need to find that place of solitude, that quiet place that is still at rest before the world around us gets going in full motion.  We live in a crowded world.  There seems to always be an audience.

We need to not be like these birds on the wire, we need to seek out the audience of One.

My prayer for today is that we would all find our place of solitude and that we would look forward to spending that time with our thoughts, prayers and heavenly Father just like the anticipation of a new sunrise.

Do you currently have a place of solitude?

What can you do to create more margin in your life for being alone with an audience?

Heart Check

For me, winning and losing has always been a huge player in my life.  I love to win, but I am not the best at losing.  In fact, that was ingrained in my mind at a very young age.  My dad always used to say,

Show me someone who likes to lose and I will show you a loser!

My coaches would tell our teams, “Second place is first place’s loser.”  or “No one remembers who came in second.”  I grew up with a desire to do my best at all times.  That is where I learned my definition of excellence.  Doing the best I can with the talents, resources, and time that I have in the place where I am.  Coach John Wooden has a  great definition of success,

Being the very best ‘you’ that you can be.

I always wanted to be on the best teams.  In fact, I had never played baseball in my life when I tried out for the best team in Dixie Youth Baseball.  I heard things from friends like, “You won’t make that team, you have never even played baseball.”  “You can’t play for them, they are too good, they haven’t lost in 2 years.”  When I came across this little sign, it reminded me of those days.

You may have heard it said, “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, tell others they can’t either.”  All of those people who I thought were for me, were really just afraid to try.  I am convinced of this…we have an enemy that will do everything in his power to convince us that we aren’t good enough, we aren’t talented enough, we don’t have what it takes in our marriages, parenting, occupation, hobbies, recreation, or friendships.  He will do everything possible to make you hate yourself…it is all based out of fear.  It is the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of man.  2 Timothy 1:7 says this,

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We can be sure that when ‘fear’ enters into the equation, it is time for us to check our heart and see what the root of the problem is.  I can guarantee you that it doesn’t come from God.  When you think that you can’t, you can!  Paul wrote to the Philippians in Chapter 4:13,

All things are possible!  Does that mean that you shouldn’t or won’t have dips in the road?  No way!  But it does mean that there is someone who loves you and cares about you and will help you to overcome those obstacles that you face.  Believe it or not, there are actual real human beings that are in your corner too!  There are people who want to see you succeed.  There are people who believe in you!  When you are given the “You Can’t” speech, give your heart the EKG test…

 

1.  Evaluate whose you are!  1 Corinthians 6:20 says,

for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

You are important enough to God for His Son to be sent to die for you!  He doesn’t bring fear!

2.  Keep honoring God with all you have!

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  Matthew 22:37

Feelings come and go!  Emotions go up and down.  Regardless of what you are feeling or what peak or valley you may be facing…honor God with your whole heart!  That is the most important thing you can do…EVER!

3.  Give your worries, fears and opportunities to Him!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

When you hold on to your fear, worry or things that cause you stress, in essence, you are saying to God that you can handle those things better than He can.  Guess what?  You can’t!    Give it to Him and let them go!  It sounds easy, but it is one of the hardest things to do.  Trusting God just rolls off the tongue so easily and it actually sounds good…but its harder to do.

Don’t let others tell you, you can’t…because a lie believed as truth, becomes truth!  Don’t fall victim to a lie!  Don’t let it take you to depths you were not intended to go.  As the old saying goes, “You can’t soar with the eagles if you are scratching with the chickens.”  Its time for a heart check!  It is time for you to soar to heights you never dreamed possible!  Remember this…A heart is a terrible thing to waste!

What dreams have you put on the back burner because someone told you, “You Can’t…”?

What steps can you take today to rid yourself of the weight that is slowing you down to attain your divine destiny?

How can you help someone else reach their dreams?

When will you take action and begin to soar?

FAITH, FOCUS, FINISH

Stay off the Sidewalk!

If you are like me, you have probably heard the old saying,

“If you don’t like how I drive, stay off the sidewalk!”

Okay, time to start today with a confession.  Yesterday, I was driving through the Walmart parking lot and almost ran over a lady who was standing partially in the road and partially on the sidewalk.  It was scary and its not what you think…I couldn’t get over.  Had she not dove into the arms of her husband, it could have been really bad.  She got up and stared at me.  I stopped to see if she was okay and her husband said it was fortunate that I was able to swerve…okay, here is the lesson behind this…when you pay attention to the road, there are always going to be things that will cause you to turn left or right…things that you don’t want to hit because it will cause damage.  Damage to you and damage to others.

Interesting story huh?  Jesus would tell stories to the masses of people that would follow Him and they would become confused by the stories and what He was actually trying to teach.  Even those closest to Him had a hard time deciphering what He was trying to teach in the story.

I want you to understand, even those closest to Christ, sometimes, have hard times understanding what He is trying to say.  Nevertheless, we should always try to live according to His will and His ways.  Today, I want to share with you a thought that I got from looking at root systems.  Without  strong Biblical roots, living the life that Christ wants you to have can become a huge uphill battle.

READ:  Luke 8:4-18

In this passage, Jesus tells of 4 different types of soil.  Here is what I find interesting about these soils…I really think He was speaking about 4 different heartitudes of people.  Yes, I just made that word up…Heartitude=heart attitude…now…back to the devo.

4 Types of Soil (Hearts)

1.  The hard soil(vv. 5, 12).  This soil represents the person who hears the Word but immediately allows the devil to snatch the seed away.
2. The shallow soil(vv. 6, 13).  This soil illustrates the emotional hearer who quickly responds to the message, but his interest dies and he does not continue (see John 8:31-32).
3. The crowded soil(vv. 7, 14).  This soil illustrates the person who does not repent and “weed out” the things that hinder the harvest.  There is enough soil so the roots can go down, but not enough room for the plant to grow up and produce fruit.
4. The good soil(vv. 8, 15).  This soft alone is fruitful.  It illustrates the individual who hears the Word, understands it receives it within, is truly saved, and proves it by patiently producing fruit (see 1 Thess 2:13; 1 Peter 1:22-25).

I want you to understand, not everybody produces the same amount of fruit (Matt 13:8), but all true believers will produce some fruit as evidence of spiritual life.

My Caution to You:  Don’t Assume You Are Good Soil!

“I think most American churchgoers are the soil that chokes the seed because of all the thorns. Thorns are anything that distracts us from God. When we want God and bunch of other stuff, then that means we have thorns in our soil. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.” – Francis Chan

What gets me about this story is that 1 in 4 of the soils are “good” soil.  Only 25% of the soils produced a desired result.  Think about that.  You can read the parallel version of this story in Matthew 13.  In that account of the same parable, Matthew, records that some produced “30, 60 and 100 times” what was planted.  If we look at it in the negative, then 75% of Christians won’t produce anything.  My prayer is that you are not in that number.  I want to be a 25% soil.

How do You make sure you are good soil?

What “things” do you need to weed out of your life in order to be the best soil you can possibly be?

Prayer:  God help each of us to be good soil.  Help us to take your Word and be lights to the world. Help us to produce the desired results that you want us to produce.  Amen.

1063 Degrees Fahrenheit…That’s HOT!

So here we are…in the midst of Winter and all I can think about is heat!  I now get COLD!  All the time.  Believe it or not, I am actually looking forward to the Texas Summer.  It is just around the corner, but today, it is the winter and yes, I am cold.  I am trying to warm up.  I am wearing a beanie, long sleeve shirt and this is what I am picturing in my mind’s eye…

As summer is approaching and the heat will be coming back!  The heat can definitely take its toll on an individual.  I began thinking about heat and how it is used.  I know, just get to the point.  1063 degrees…this temperature can definitely have an effect on your live if you will let it.   I want to give you a couple of things to think about as it relates to this temperature and how it relates to your journey with Jesus Christ.

Fire is mentioned all throughout Scripture…for example, the burning bush, fires of Sheol(Hell), Lake of Fire, Fiery furnace, tongues of fire, etc.  I want to give you 2 types of fire we need in our life:  one that attracts but in the end destroys and  one that will burn but at the end will purify.

1.  A Fire that Destroys

Proverbs 6:27– Can a man play with fire, and his clothes not be burned?

Each of us have either heard of or even used this saying before, “You are playing with fire, you are gonna get burned.”  Where do you think this saying comes from?  Duh,, The Bible!  This verse is talking about the fire that attracts but in the end destroys.  When I was a kid…okay, even now…I am mesmerized by a flame.  I have no idea what it is about a fire that just makes me want to sit and watch it burn.  I love the smell of a fire.  I love sitting around a fire and talking and mostly staring into it.

I will never forget when a friend of mine sat too close to a fire and had on his rubber boots…he put his feet to close to the fire and the bottoms of his boots started to melt.  One of the funniest things I have ever seen…He was playing with fire…his boots got burned.

We play with fire all the time.  Oh, it may not be a physical fire…but spiritually, we do the version of Russian Roulette.  How?  What we do, where we go, things we say.  Most of all the things we tend to neglect.  We think that if we miss church one day or reading the Scripture or taking time to pray or be with our families and nothing bad happens, then we must not have hit the chamber with the deadly bullet.  Then, one day, financial crisis hits, marriages crumble, health issues take place, friendships dissolve and we run to the outstretched arms of the Great Physician.  It doesn’t have to be that way!

In our own personal life, a fire (that destroys) is very rarely started by accident.  IT IS A PROCESS!

James 1: 12-15 – Blessed it the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him.  13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts any man:  14 But everyman is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15 Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin:  and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death.

Out of these verses we can see a process:  Temptation occurs + desire conceived (thought of)+ sinning begins = death (the final conclusion)

So if there is a process, its easy to recognize how to stop it…simply put…get rid of the dead wood that so easily catches fire. (temptation)

Proverbs 26:20 – Where no wood is, there the fire goes out:  so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.

 2.  A Fire that Purifies

What are some of the different things that you know of that have been purified by fire? Trees, a metals, boiling dirty water, engineering/doctors tools. One of the obvious things that are purified by fire is GOLD.  GOLD can and is purified, but it takes and incredible amount of heat.

It takes 1063 Degrees Fahrenheit!  This is the temperature needed to draw out ALL the impurities from the gold that is being heated.  Maybe you have some “impurities” in your life that need to be put into the 1063 degrees and get rid of them.  I can’t answer that for you…that is up to you to do a little soul searching.

1 Peter 7 – That trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found to give praise and honor and glory a the appearance of Jesus Christ.”

So, what is it that tells us how to purify the “gold” in your life?    TRIALS

So, go ahead…ask yourself the questions…I mean the tough ones…

What impurities do I have in my life that need purifying?

What trials am I facing that is really just the heat being turned up in my life to purify?

Is there any area in my life that I am “playing with fire”?

Am I being totally honest in my assessment?

Now, strike the match and pray that God would reveal and remove the impurities!

I am praying for you!

Costco, A stuck wheel and a bag of Fruit Medley

I recently took a trip to Costco…okay, so I am a regular there…who is keeping track anyway?  It was a windy and rainy Monday and I was kind of pressed for time as my ‘to do’ list looked like Santa’s naughty/nice list.  I was kind of in a hurry because of the cold water falling from the sky when I reached the friendliest greeter in the world.  Her name was Anna and her smile was as wide and white as the crescent moon.  She said cheerily, “Hi and welcome to Costco…do you have your membership card?”  It was at that moment I reached for my card only to realize that I had left my wallet in the truck.  I told her of my plight and she turned that white smile upside down into a frown and said, “Well, you’ll just have to hustle back out there and get it.”  I shook my head and muttered something like, “Heaven is easier to get into than Costco…”  Really, salvation is more easily attained than a Costco card…thank you, Lord, for your son Jesus and His work on the cross.

Now that I am back to the door, Anna, greets me like it was my first time and she had the worst case of short term memory loss on God’s green Earth.  The same conversation takes place but this time…sopping wet…I show her my card that allows me through the pearly aluminum door of Costco.  I am finally just getting over my faux pas and grab a buggy to do some Costcoing!

Televisions, Blu Ray players, Computers, Cameras, Clothes…all inundate my senses.  I think to myself…I hope there are samples today…As I am pushing my buggy, one of the wheels gets stuck and starts making that awful sound of a wheel not doing what God intended it to do…you know, TURN…

It was then I realized, I should probably head over to the bedding area and just take a nap.  However, I felt the spirit of NASCAR Pit Crew member come over me and decided to flip the buggy and work on the wheel right there.  I had to unstick the wheel.  I couldn’t just let it go.  Even some ‘Associates’ admired my initiative in executing a shopping cart pit stop.  Finally, after borrowing a box cutter from one of the paid admirers, I was able to free the wheel and let it going back to doing what it was created for…rolling!  Which is what I needed to do in order to get the kids picked up from school on time.

Sometimes, I have to admit, in my spiritual life I feel like that wheel sometimes.  We were created to have fellowship with God yet so many times I feel stuck in my spiritual growth, prayer life, study life, personal life.  Sometimes, I need God to do a little pit stop on me to get me unstuck.  He does this through a book, a blog, a friend, an overheard conversation, a phone call…really, any number of ways…I just have to be willing to have my life flipped upside down in any place…even the aisle of Costco if need be.

Back to Costco.
I am steering down the aisle with all the agility in the world and some of the best defensive buggy driving known to mankind.  I am grabbing samples left and right not even hesitating to hear the worker’s spill about why I need to buy this product.  I was hungry and in a hurry.  That is when I saw it…a 2.5 pound bag of Fruit Medley.  I love fruit.  I love medley.  What could be better than a huge back of both…and it all mixed up?

I grabbed one and considered two.  I couldn’t wait to pay and get back to the truck, rain or not.  I unpacked and literally threw everything into my truck as quickly as I could.  I ripped open the fruit medley and promptly ate some kiwi, strawberries, raisins, walnuts, mango, pineapple and of course, bananas.  It was my little piece of heaven.  Each piece of fruit different flavors, different sizes, difference thicknesses…it was AWESOME!
Recently, I took that bag of fruit medley to the deer blind with me.  It was so great to sit there and watch deer and eat fruit medley.

I began to think of all the people that I have crossed paths with in my life.  Those friends are a lot like that bag of fruit medley.  Different backgrounds, different personalities, different thicknesses…okay, sorry…
But I began to think…God created each of us for a purpose.  For His purpose.  He also created us to produce fruit…it just so happens that all of us that are followers of Christ are a part of His big bag of Fruit Medley.  I must admit…I am glad I am in that bag.  If you aren’t, I want you to seriously consider Christ.

Romans 5:8 says that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I love that!  It is because of that verse that we don’t have to have a Costco card to get into Heaven.  Our wheels (lives) are freed to become whe He wants them to become and we are a part of the Heaven Fruit Medley (different flavors and sometimes mixed up).  Nonetheless, God loves you and I am truly glad that He place each of you in my life at one time or another.

Are you stuck in your life right now?  Do you need to be flipped upside down and have a spiritual pit stop?

What is your role in God’s big bag of Fruit Medley?  Why do you think God placed you in the job, family, town, school or relationships that you are in?

Do you have your Spiritual “Costco” card?  Is your membership current?  Do you frequently visit the store (church)?  It is at the store that you get the necessary supplies for your life for sustenance, Church is the place for the spiritual needs to be fed…just a thought.

Discipline…the root of Discipleship

I must admit, this is not the most fun word to deal with.  Discipline…when I hear this word, I think of having to go shopping with my mom and grandmother when I was a kid only to find myself in trouble by the end of the day.  Okay, if you are a male, try staying in the women’s department of any major retailer ALL DAY LONG!  Now my plight might be understood a little better.  Anyway, discipline was always at the end of my shopping experiences.  However, I want to address another type of discipline in this writing.  It is the discipline of Bible Study.  This is one of the foundations in the Christian faith…well, it should be.  Without studying the Word of God, growth in the faith becomes stagnant.  When water becomes stagnant and has no inflow or outflow, it begins to stink!  So it is with our faith…when we don’t have any inflow (study) or outflow (faith in action) we begin to stink as followers of Christ.

We have a great example in Scripture of people who studied the Holy Scriptures.  The Bereans were a group of people who did not take every word they heard as truth…let me repeat that…they did NOT take every word they heard as truth!

The Bereans Did Their Bible Study Daily

Bible study is not optional, unless you enjoy stumbling in the dark. The Psalmist says, “Thy (that is God’s) word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalms 119:105).

So without a little Bible study, a person might not even realize that God has provided illumination for his path in His Word.  Today, cassettes, CDs and MP3s are ready sources for God’s audio message. Most of us provided we have an iPod or Mini-Disc can listen for fifteen minutes on our way to or from work .

The Bible says that those committed to Daily Bible study have an advantage over those who ignore it. In the Acts of the Apostles, those who practiced daily Bible study are commended. Contrasting the habits of the Thessalonians with the Bereans we read,

“These (the Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed…” (Acts 17:11, 12).

Did you notice the benefit of daily Bible study?  “Therefore many of them believed.” Also they didn’t just accept what they were told, they found out from Bible Study if it was true.

The Psalmist (David) informs us,

“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God” (Psalms 14:1).

Bible study is a great antidote to foolishness.

The New Testament book of Hebrews has this comment:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb 11:6).

Evidently, according to God’s word, Bible study provides an answer not only on how to live now but also holds the promise of a life to come. As a matter of fact, how we live now is the deciding factor in obtaining a permanent position. The writer of Hebrews concludes his discourse on faith with these words,

 “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

Bible study should be a part of everyone’s day. As Jesus repeated a quote from Deuteronomy,

“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

If you really want to live, start studying God’s word.

When will you start this daily discipline?

How can you lead your family, friends or people you influence to study God’s Word?

How is your discipline in discipleship?

Margin…Making Room In A Crowded World

MARGIN…

we hear about it, we say it easily because it rolls off the tongue so well, we recommend that our friends, family and loved ones have a little in their lives.  We even dream of the days when we will have plenty of the ever elusive margin in our own lives.

What is this thing called margin?  I like the definition of margin that I heard a pastor say…

“margin is the amount available beyond what is necessary.” 

I remember when I was in college majoring in Business and we always had the definition of margin in the financial, business world.  Buying stocks on borrowed money, profit margins and so on.  I have been dealing with this thought of margin in my life.  I talk to countless people who are so consumed with task lists, appointments, kid’s sports leagues, jobs, house, car, retirement, financial security, and the snowball continues downhill until you reach the grave.  It is when your life is slowing down that you realize that life and living it to the fullest, has passed you by.  Your kids are grown and have their own kids.  You remember the days of family vacations when you packed up the family in the old station wagon or minivan and learned the famous arts of compromise, arbitration, mediation, hostile takeovers, love, and corporal punishment (usually administered from the front seat with one hand reaching the side of a leg.)

 I want to encourage you today in 3 areas:  Personal, Professional and Spiritual Margin from the Biblical story of Mary and Martha…

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

Personal Margin – Here is the deal…Jesus is coming to your house to dinner, I mean, this is the Son of God.  You have dirty clothes, dishes, trash to take out, dusting to do, all the things that go with cleaning.  Your guest arrives and your only help is now sitting down listening to your guests story while you go down the checklist.  Your help gets to hear all the stories, all the things that are happening in your guest’s life and you are spraying 409 on everything while they are in the other room experiencing a highly relational time which is was the purpose He was invited to come over anyway.  YOU MISSED IT!  I love how verse 40 says that Martha was “distracted“.  She was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  Guess what, preparations are to be done BEFORE the guest is there…He was already in the house!  What is being said here is that the distractions are no longer necessary.  This is an invitation to personal margin.

Fast forward to the 21st Century…how many of us make time for those relational moments with our neighbors, friends or (drum roll please) FAMILY?  How many of make margin for our relationship with God?  Too busy to pray?  Too busy to stop and let God speak to you?  Too busy to realize that your creator is trying to show you how to slow down and realize that He is for you?  You need margin!

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  Matthew 11:28-29

Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10

Professional Margin – I watched a movie starring Jim Carrey that dealt with professional margin called, “Liar, Liar”.  In this movie, he was an incredibly successful attorney while being a total failure in his marriage and raising his son.  While trying to work his way up the corporate ladder to becoming a partner, he lost sight of those he loved.  Great message behind the movie.

Let’s face it, we all have some portion of control of our schedules.  We all MAKE time for those things that we WANT to do.  It is up to you to determine your priorities just like Jim Carrey’s role had to do.  One thing that I have had to do recently is to learn to BE in the MOMENT!  That means, my focus has to change.  I work from my home, and it is easy to get up from dinner and go over to my office and go back to work.  However, that is operating on ZERO MARGIN!  It is wrong!  It is unfair to my family.  It is unfair to me.  It is definately unfair to God.

Spiritual Margin – Every morning I try to get up before my kids and while my wife is getting ready for her teaching job and take some time to just read from God’s Word.  It usually only lasts around 10-20 minutes.  But it has revolutionized my spiritual life.  I do it first thing in the morning.  I exercise my spirit.  Then I head to the gym to exercise my physical.  Create a time, a place that is familiar to both you and God…a secret place.  It may be a chair, it may be the front porch, it may be in your car before your commute.  You are the only person that can control your spiritual margin.  God is not going to call you aside and say…”Don’t you think you should spend time with me?”  He will always be RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT HIM!

11 The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Isaiah 58:11

Remember one thing: No matter how hectic your schedule, no matter what the bank statement says, no matter what circumstances you are in…ALWAYS keep some margin (dedicated time) in your life for God to work IN you and THROUGH you!