Pass the Barf Bag

the anchor holds

though the ship is battered

the anchor holds

though the sails are torn

i have fallen on my knees

as i faced the raging seas

the anchor holds

in spite of the storm

So goes the chorus to the Ray Boltz song “The Anchor Holds.” We had a gentleman sing that song at our church Sunday night – and he did a wonderful job! That song really ministered to me Sunday night, and little did I know how much I would need it on Monday. 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.

I will not go into details now (I will save this one for a future blog of its own), but suffice it to say today has been a day of 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 Ray Boltz song is based on a precious Scriptural description of 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 grow us to be more like Jesus. Things that are over our head are still under His feet! To use a good Bible word, Jesus is STEADFAST. He isn’t going anywhere. He is not subject to the changing circumstances of life, neither is He surprised by them 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)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

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)

Timing Is Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1: “There is an occasion for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven.”
Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”
Galatians 6:9: “So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

Timing is everything. And nobody is better at it than God.

I learned that lesson by observation over the last several days. About 3 weeks ago, one of our most precious church members was rushed to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. The original diagnosis was pancreatitis. She was in pretty bad shape. And to make matters more interesting, she is 93 years old. Her name is Gertie Gumm and she is one of the most precious children of God you will ever meet. Of course we began praying for her fervently. Yet it seemed as though our prayers only made matters worse.

She lay in a hospital bed increasing in pain for over a week. Her gall bladder was the culprit and had to come out, but at 93 and in her weakened physical condition, surgery was a great risk. One of her doctors even gave up and told the family that all they would be able to do was make her comfortable. She was in such a weakened condition that when I would visit, she would know I was there, but was really not able to respond much at all.

Finally the time came that the doctor’s decided that even though surgery was a risk, not having the surgery was an even greater risk. She might not survive the surgery, but she would survive long at all without it. So it was scheduled for a Wednesday. She had been in such bad shape that for several days before the surgery she was not even allowed to have visitors – she was too weak.

I walked into her room the day of her surgery and much to my surprise, she was like a different lady. She was stronger, and not only lucid, but talking and carrying on with the medical staff. Her body miraculously was stronger and she was ready for the operation. The surgery went well, and hopefully, if all goes well, she will go home tomorrow after spending 21 days in the hospital. I visited with her today and it was pretty much like old times. The Gertie Gumm that we are used to was back, and this pastor was thrilled.

Here is the timing lesson I have learned as I have thought about and prayed for Miss Gertie. There were so many days when it seemed NOTHING was happening, that God was either not hearing our prayer, or choosing to answer “NO.” But there was another option. God was saying “not yet.” On the EXACT day she was to have surgery, her body was ready. Had the doctor ordered the surgery earlier when her body was weaker, she possible would not have survived it, and surely if she had would still be in some serious physical distress. But God knew exactly when the surgery should be and would be. He knew when her body would be ready and that is when our prayers began to be answered in the affirmative.

As I encounter difficulties in my life, it may seem as though there are times when NOTHING is going on. But I have learned that nothing is never happening. God is always up to something, even when I cannot see it. He will deliver for me ALWAYS at JUST THE RIGHT TIME. God is never a moment early, never a moment late. I can trust Him, even when I cannot see Him or sense Him. His timing is perfect.

I close with the lyrics to the chorus from a song by New Song titled “Trust His Heart.”

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don’t understand
When you can’t see His plan
When you can’t trace His hand
Trust His heart.

Amen!!!!!

A Strange Command

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35

Jesus told his disciples that this was a NEW commandment. Not one of the original ten, but a new one – LOVE. Doesn’t it seem strange that we would be commanded to love? I mean, after all, doesn’t love come naturally? I don’t know about you, but I love to love and I love to be loved. But why the command?

As I thought about this, it occurred to me that love only comes easily for those we want to love. But what about those others? Jesus was speaking to his disciples, and reminding them – and by application us today – of the importance of loving each other.

To some degree we have romanticized the notion of love so much these days that we have lost the true meaning of what love is. You see, Biblically speaking love is not a feeling or an emotion; it is a chosen course of behavior toward another person. The best description of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Let me list the characteristics of love we find there:


Patient
Kind
Not envious
Not boastful
Not proud
Not rude
Not selfish
Not easily angered
Doesn’t keep records of wrongs
Takes no joy in evil but in good
Always protects
Always trusts
Always hopes
Always endures
Love never ends


Quite a list isn’t it? Notice that those are not feelings but behaviors. We are COMMANDED by our master to treat each other by those behaviors.

Sadly Christians are known for being critical, selfish, and rude in their dealings with others. We gossip, we find fault, we take cheap shots. We can be ruthless in our dealings with each other. I believe more than anything we need a revival of NICE in our lives today. We need to quit being so disagreeable, quit insisting on our own way and defer in a nice way to others.

You see, unbelievers notice how we treat each other. When they see the same rude, ruthless behavior with which we treat each other, they take notice. The way we treat each other should make our faith more attractive to others, not more repulsive. In fact Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Not by our buildings, not by our community service, not be the name we try to make for ourselves, but in how we treat each other.

John also goes on to tell us in 1 John that how we love other believers is an indicator as to whether or not we are truly believers.

Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother. (3:10)

This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. (3:16)

Little children, we must not love in word or speech, but in deed and truth (3:18)

Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (4:7-8)

Yes, loving each other is important . . . and commanded. Let’s take care how we act toward each other. Let’s treat each other like Valentines ALL YEAR LONG.

Somebody Must Be Spraying Our Churches

We are dropping like flies.

I just got word today that another friend of mine has resigned his ministry position. That brings the total to four – in the last six months - who have resigned church ministry positions to seek ministry outside of the church setting. I know of two others who would only need a perceived nod from God and they too would join the ranks.

I remember when God called me into ministry. I was excited that God would see fit to use me and allow me to make serving Him not just an avocation, but a vocation as well. I knew it would be difficult, but had I known then what I know now, God would have had a more difficult task to convince me. (Kind of reminds me of a Rod Stewart song, but that is another blog for another day.)

I was just thinking tonight about the current climate for ministers. We have the privilege of partnering with God on the front lines of Kingdom work. Like Moses, we get the opportunity to see the glory of God in ways that others do not. But there is a distinct downside as well. And all of us in church ministry see it everyday. What is it that makes a man or woman walk away from what they once believe was a lifetime call of God on their life? Let me offer a few possibilities. (The names and characters are changed to protect the guilty. If you recognize yourself in any of these descriptions, don’t blame me . . . look in the mirror and then have a little talk with Jesus. That just might make it right.)

• There is the cold-water committee. When the preacher gets a word from the Lord and sets out to lead the church to follow God’s plan, this committee springs into action. They have a unique gift to imagine everything that COULD go wrong and warn that it will.

• Then there is the communications committee. It is this committee’s task to make sure that everyone knows about all the preacher’s flaws – just in case someone might have missed a few.

• Also we can count on the steering committee. This committee is the readiest of all committees – kind of like the Minutemen of the Revolutionary War. Meetings of this committee can pop-up anywhere, anytime, at a moments notice – a Sunday school class, in the parking lot, telephone lines. This committee has the responsibility to approve or disapprove of every plan and initiative (that is a strange word to use to describe church action) that the pastor or another minister may dream up. Never mind that the pastor or minister has spent infinitely more hours seeking the Lord in prayer about these matters than the whole committee combined.

• On top of these and other committees we deal with on a regular basis, there is also the constant pressure of unrealistic expectations, unjustified criticism, and unlimited scrutiny of the minister and his or her family. These pressures begin to mount after awhile. And there seems to be a fairly new development. For some reason churches mistrust their pastors. Even though the minister may tell them one thing, they must think he is lying because they continue to assert a reality other than the one the pastor is trying to portray.

So, what can you do if you are not a pastor? Let me suggest a few things:

• Support your pastor. If he says, “I believe God would have us do _______” then do ____________. If you have some practical wisdom that might indicate a different direction might be better, share it with the pastor. If he moves on with the plan, go along with him.


• Pray for your pastor. He is praying for you and for the church for hours a day, couldn’t you take about 5 minutes and lift him before the Lord.


• Protect your pastor. DO NOT LET PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH CRITICISM. If they don’t like things the way they are go with them to the pastor to talk about or else tell them to shut up. Nothing saps the heart and soul of a pastor like the constant petty bickering and griping.


• Encourage your pastor. Speak positive words to him and about him often. I promise you his head will not swell. For every positive word you speak to him, five members of one or more of the aforementioned committees will be on him as well.

And one last thing . . . the best way to get rid of a pastor: pray that God will make him a success. Then a bigger and better church will come along and take him off your hands.

If I sound a little irritated, well I am. I am tired of seeing my colleagues either feel forced to become something they are not to survive in ministry, or serve with broken hearts and stolen joy, or else drop out all together. Churches, whatever you are spraying . . . it is time to stop.

Palm Tree Believers

Not sure where this originated.  One of the real sharp college students at our church passed it on to me.  I think it is awesome!


Be a Palm Tree!
Psalm 92:12

We are alive with Christ. The palm tree is dead on the outside, but the heart of the tree is alive.
In other trees, the living part is on the other edge. This enables the palm tree to withstand the pressures of its environment and still thrive.

Most trees have a shallow root system as wide as the leaf span above. Even the Great Sequoia relies on the trees around it to stand tall. The palm tree, however, has roots that stretch 4 to 5 times wider than its leaf system and they run deep in the earth in search of water. Likewise, we should be firmly rooted in the Word and seeking God with all our hearts because He is our living water.

The palm tree also produces the biggest fruit of all the fruiting trees. Its fruit is hardy. Even if found a year after leaving the tree the coconut will still be edible.

All other fruit trees begin producing fruit after a short period. They reach a peak in their production about halfway through their lives and then the amount of fruit they produce decreases until the tree dies. However, the palm tree may take 15 to 50 years to produce the first coconut, but once it starts producing fruit, the tree will produce more and more fruit until the day it dies. We should be fruitful trees, too! Our fruit should be ever increasing and strong.

A New Hymn

A New Hymn . . .

(to the tune of Standing on the Promises)

Sitting on the premises, old hymns I sing
Once a month a wrinkled dollar bill I bring
Put it in the offering plate, it’s no small thing
Sitting on the premises at ease

Sitting on the premises, I fill my pew
This church is blessed to have me, how I wish they knew
I have lots of opinions and I share them too
Sitting on the premises at ease

Sitting on the premises, I do my part
I smile and nod my head and try to look real smart
I prayed and read my Bible daily - cross my heart
Sitting on the premises at ease

Chorus:
Sitting, sitting, sitting on the premises I’m awfully pleased
Sitting, sitting, I’m sitting on the premises at ease

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Know anyone like that?

Expectations . . . Disappointments

Because of the miraculous signs he did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many people were convinced that he was indeed the Messiah. But Jesus didn't trust them, because he knew what people were really like. No one needed to tell him about human nature.
John 2:23-25 (New Living Translation)

Expectations. We all have them. Disappointments. We all have them. We expect things out of other people and they let us down. Others expect things out of us and we let them down. We can all relate to the feeling we get when realize that suddenly a person or group of people no longer care about us as much as they once claimed to have cared. They had expectations of how they thought you would be and you did not live up to those expectations. So, at best they tolerate you, at worst they cast you aside. We have all felt that pain.

Prior to the verses above, Jesus had done some miraculous things. He had turned water into wine. He had run the money-hungry charlatans out of the temple. He had performed many signs and wonders and His fame was beginning to spread. Also, His following was beginning to grow. Jesus was fast becoming the fashionable, popular cultural icon of His day. People were flocking to Him, following Him, becoming His disciples. But He didn’t get caught up in His own celebrity. He didn’t become dependent – emotionally, physically, spiritually – on His followers. He didn’t need their affirmation. In fact, we see that because He knew what they were made of, He was cautious with them. He knew that only a precious few of those who now followed Him would be there at the bitter end. Most would just go back to their daily life, leaving behind the zeal they once had for this “revolution.” Others would become His enemies. Offended by the teachings they heard, they would change sides and try to silence Him. He knew what they were on the inside and knew that He could not depend on their support.

Let me draw out a couple of applications. Some of you will read this and know where I am coming from, and those who do not hopefully will still find the applications beneficial. First, we must be careful how much stake we put in the approval and affirmation of others. Let’s face it, there are only a very few people in this world – some family members and some close friends – who are going to love us unconditionally. Most people see us through the microscope of their own expectations and when we fail to measure up to those expectations we will be cast aside like a used up piece of furniture. We were comfortable and useful for a while, but we no longer fit the décor or the taste of the decorator. If we find our self-worth in the value others place on us we are destined to an emotional rollercoaster ride through life. We will constantly be in search of new friends who will give us the “affirmation fix” we desperately crave. There is really only One – Jesus – whose affirmation matters and interestingly His affirmation is the easiest to come by. Try reading Romans 8:28-39 and see how affirmed you feel. WOW, I love those verses.

Last application. If you were standing in that crowd implied in John 2:23-25, and knowing that Jesus knows what is in your heart, would you be one on whom He could depend? Are you faithful to Him? Or are you quick to return to the everyday routine of your life, leaving behind the revolution He wants to bring about in you and around you? I am sure you are like me . . . some days are better than others. Some days you are more revolutionary, other days you are more routine. Thankfully, He knows our heart, knows what we are made of. He does not DEPEND on us, but He still DESIRES us. He still wants a relationship with us. Praise be to Him for His unconditional love and acceptance.

The Reception

Weddings are cool things. I love to go to them. Think about it – you get all dressed up, get free entertainment (the ceremony), and you get FREE FOOD (the reception). The spread at a wedding reception gives you the opportunity to sample all sorts of little treats you would not otherwise get to eat. Also, at the last couple of wedding receptions I have been to, I have noticed a new trend that I think is really cool. Either instead of or as an option to the traditional wedding punch, many receptions now offer sweat tea! I love that! It is, after all, the house wine of the South

And wouldn’t you know it – Jesus’ first miracle (John 2:1-12) was to rescue a wedding reception from a major faux pax. The wine had run out and he saved the day. As cool as that is, it is important not to miss some pretty key spiritual lessons though.

First off, look at what Jesus used in his miracle – water in water pots that were used for hand washing. The people of Jesus’ day didn’t have some of the fancy antibacterial stuff we have today, so they religiously (literally) washed their hands all the time. This was done in large pots filled with water. People could dip their hands in the water to clean them and all of the gunk from their hands would settle to the bottom. After a while though, the pots and water in them could get quite nasty. So when the caterer ran out of wine, Jesus told them to top off the hand washing pots and start dipping from there. Now that sounds gross, I have to say it – and unsanitary too. This is a reminder to me that God wants to convert the yucky, ordinary, and mundane into something great. Sometimes it feels as though life has washed its dirty hands all over me. My circumstances may seem far from fantastic, but God has other plans for them. When I surrender those things to Him, He can make something of them.

A second lesson to be learned here is in the timing of the miracle. When they tasted this miraculous wine that Jesus had instant-brewed, they proclaimed it the best they had ever drank – and you get the impression these were some experienced drinkers. Apparently most people served up the good stuff first, and then when everyone got too hammered to notice the difference, they replaced it with the cheap stuff. Here is the spiritual lesson in this: with Jesus, the BEST is always YET TO COME. Whatever is going on in my life right now is not the final chapter – there is more to come, and it is better than I have ever had. When I let Jesus do His work in my life, things are always on a growth plane. They are always looking up. I don’t need to get too distressed over the way things are right now, because He has the “good stuff” on the way – and He will make the good stuff out of the yucky stuff that is already here.

Oh, and one final thing – the Bible says the reason He performed this miracle was to display His glory and so people would believe in Him. And that is exactly what He wants to do in my life and exactly what I want Him to do. I want to see His glory and I want to see people come to believe in Him because they see Him in me. WOW. Bottoms up!

ProLife

Pro-Life . . . am I really?  Now before you go any further, for today I am not writing about abortion, euthanasia, or the myriad of other moral and ethical issues that surround life in the clinical realm.  What concerns me today is life in the supernatural realm.  

In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that He came to give us a life that is perisson which in Greek gives the idea of something that is overflowing with more than it needs.  Do I think Jesus was speaking in terms of material overflow?  I seriously doubt it, since in other places He goes to great lengths to let us know that life is so much more than the abundance of our possessions (Luke 12:15).  No, I think He was talking about so much more than earthly, temporal goodies that will all be gone one day.  I think He was referring to meaning, purpose, and the spiritual value of life.

I think, now that I am 41, I have finally reached the infamous “mid-life crisis” that I used to make fun of.  If this is mid-life – and it could be, after all can I really expect to live to be older than 81? – then I have to ask myself the question:  do I want to spend the second half of my life doing what I did during the first half?  Don’t get me wrong, I love what I do.  I love being a pastor, I love serving God.  But a cold, hard assessment of what being a pastor has become is in order.

The role of pastor has undergone a lot of changes in my life time.  Pastors have been called on to be entrepreneurs, CEOs, coaches, chaplains, cheerleaders, and many other roles.  But unfortunately, what my role seems to have devolved into is something of a cross between fireman and complaint-taker.  It seems as though most of my spiritual energy is wasted on hearing who is upset about how we do the bulletin, what color we paint walls, what the youth wear to church, etc., etc., etc., all the way to ad nauseum.  

Is this what Jesus mean as the “abundant life”?  NO WAY!!!  So, bear with me and pray with me as 2006 unfolds.  I am on a journey to find where I belong in this world.  I have reached the conclusion that I do NOT want to spend the rest of my life listening to petty complaints and putting out stupid fires.  I want my life to make a difference.  I want to help people with the things that REALLY matter in life.  I want to see the power of God at work in my life and in the lives of those around me.

Do I sound a little frustrated?  I am, but by God’s grace, I want to see Him in all His glory and I will NEVER EVER be satisfied with petty human trivialities when eternity is at stake.  Here’s to 2006 – TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!!