What Today Did Not Change

One year ago today, I lost a friend and fellow servant. I spent most of the night and following days at the hospital with the family that we had come to know through a Divine appointment. I clearly remember Marianne spending her last afternoon working in the preschool room with Shannon at our small store-front in the mall. Her eagerness to serve others and love for God was evident even on her last day with us. That day one year ago, changed a lot of things.

But there are some things that it did not change:

• It did NOT change my mission. I have little doubt that Marianne truly believed that the greatest offer that a person could make to someone else was to invite them to follow Christ. Though she is not here, my mission is still to give everyone, every where, every reason to want to follow Jesus.
  
• It did NOT change my resolve. It was a big blow to me, my wife, and everyone in our young church. Not to mention her family. She left a big hole. But like Paul, we press on. No greater honor could we show to Marianne than to continue with the work that she played a role in starting.
• It did NOT change my faith in God. He knows that life is often filled with curves that are sometimes hard to navigate. Yet, he knows our struggles and stands near us with a comforting hand reminding us that he is still near. (Lamentations 3:22-23 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.) The world is constantly changing but my faith rests in a God that does not change (Heb. 13:8)
  

Today reminds me that each day brings me one day closer to my last. May I live each one well.

Redefining Success (Sunday Recap 8/21/11)

Everyone wants to be successful. However, very few people even know what that means! Most people would likely define success in terms of their bank account or point to some of the things they own. Some might feel successful when their name gets recognized by others in their industry or if they have over 1000 twitter followers. Still others feel successful after they have accomplished a goal and have the picture to prove it. But there is a problem with these definitions: they always put us on a tredmill that saps a lot of energy but never really takes us anywhere.

You see, if you define success by the $, you will soon realize that $ will soon not make you as happy and now it will take $$. Then $$$. You get the picture. You may feel unsuccessful when you don't get the recognition you feel you deserve. Unsuccessful when you get "de friended" on Facebook. One great achievement is shadowed by the next and higher is always better. Pretty soon, with every beat of our heart come the words: more, more, more.

Even for a pastor, it is easy to get lost in the many definitions of success that compete for our attention. Many times in the church we look at two things: attendance and giving to define success for us. Over the years, I've seen this first hand and honestly I've been guilty at times. Tossing around numbers and figures while trying to look successful and at other times criticizing those who did it because their numbers and figures made me feel unsuccessful. Like my dad always used to tell me during a batting slump, "you will always lose at the game of comparison because there is always someone out there with better numbers than you. So just keep swinging."

I am so thankful that God does not hold us to that definition of success. His idea of success is very simple and straightforward. You can see it in Joshua 1. Here we find Joshua dealing with the pressure of being successful because he was following the most "successful" man to ever lead the nation of Israel, Moses. Moses had done it all but now he was dead and it was Joshua's turn to lead. Joshua thought of Moses' success only in terms of results but God had to remind him of the real cause of Moses' greatness.

In Joshua 1:7 the Lord says, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law...that you may be successful wherever you go." The Lord goes on to tell him that if Joshua would follow the Divine instructions that were given him, he would be prosperous and successful. The real definition of success is simply being obedient to God and his commands.

My prayer is that we would dump all those definitions that cause worry, nervousness, fear, discouragement, anger, resentment, and regret, and start living by the definition that God gives us. When we simply obey God's Word it is amazing how satisfied and fulfilled our souls become.

Day 17 - The way of the Cross

I can see nothing more relevant to today’s Christian than Jesus words found in Mark 8:34-38.

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? ³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

It is clear that the disciples had started to feel just a little bit of entitlement. They had already been a part of the miracle of feeding 5000 men with 5 loaves of bread and leaving 12 basketfuls left over. Most recently they were a part of the miracle that fed 4000 men with 7 loaves but there was only 7 baskets left over this time. So either these 4000 men had a voracious appetite or the bread didn’t go as far. What had changed?

Whenever we begin to take for granted the sacrifice of following Christ we find a lack of surplus. This idea was creeping into the disciples and Jesus recognized it. He warned them in Mark 8:15. The Pharisees yeast will ruin your bread! Any thought of serving Jesus without dying to self is wrong.

Christians today see God like a gumball machine. Put in a quarter, turn the handle and out will come your bubble gum. That is a twisted system that has been created from a culture intoxicated by self interest. Jesus said that a life of following him would not be filled with entitlements and applause. Rather, a life that is saved becomes a life that has been lost for the sake the Gospel message. The applause we should seek is the applause of heaven.

Bruised Reeds

Day 8 for those who are even counting. At this point, I know that there are some of you who are thanking God with increasing measure for creating peanut butter (all natural of course). I just encourage you to keep it up. You are developing a new habit in your spiritual life and the side effect is that you are developing a new habit for your health. Both are important!

I am still replaying yesterday in my mind and it still brings a smile to my face. There were, shall we say, a few technical difficulties yesterday. Some more embarrassing than others (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you just had to be there. I think I will have them edit that story from the podcast!). I mean how many pastors in America were in the heart of their message and suddenly loud music begins to spontaneously play and it wasn't coming from our sound system. I saw 3 or 4 people jump up and scramble to the back door like a fire alarm had gone off. We finally got the theater to turn off the music and the Lord still spoke to people's hearts. Thanks for the save Lord!

When thinking about it all, I reflect back on one of the first words that I challenged our Journey Church leaders with a couple of years ago: flexibility. This word has been a motto that I have lived by. Some think that flexibility is the same as "shooting from the hip" or having a lasse fair attitude. But that is not flexibility, it is apathy. To me, flexibility is what happens when the rigidity of an object succumbs to the environment by making on the fly adjustments. I learned to live a flexible life by doing missions work. When you are overseas, NOTHING goes as planned. That IS the plan. There will always be spontaneous adjustments.

Why do we need to be flexible? Because God can use flexible people. It is the rigid and unmoving that God has trouble with. Trust me. When you begin to follow Jesus, your life will certainly have some bend and sway in it. Don't worry. He won't break you. Stay flexible. As a matter of fact without a little flexibility, you can't know Christ. Think about it, you probably didn't plan on giving your heart to Jesus the day you did. Your rigidity was adjusted.

Isaiah says it this way:
¹ “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice (Is. 42:1-3)

Jesus came to make things right. To make things the way they were created to be. Just. He didn't yell at creation to fix itself. He didn't scream at you to mend your life. He didn't break you off or throw dirt on top of you. Instead, he was faithful to you.

Lord, as we continue to seek You. As we remind ourselves daily of your preimencence in our lives. Show us your faithfulness. Bend us. Move us. Adjust us. Shape us to what you want us to be.

Higher Ground in 2011

As a kid I heard this song sung at church and I have always remembered it and tried to live by it. It is entitled Higher Ground.

I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining every day;
Still praying as I’m onward bound,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

Refrain:
Lord, lift me up and let me stand,
By faith, on Heaven’s tableland,
A higher plane than I have found;
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.

My heart has no desire to stay
Where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where those abound,
My prayer, my aim, is higher ground.

I want to live above the world,
Though Satan’s darts at me are hurled;
For faith has caught the joyful sound,
The song of saints on higher ground.

I want to scale the utmost height
And catch a gleam of glory bright;
But still I’ll pray till heav’n I’ve found,
“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

The verses of this song teach 4 important ideas about reaching Higher Ground.

1. Devotion to Jesus is required. Without a devotion to Christ, any effort to grow spiritually is a futile effort. As the philosopher Blaise Pascal so simply put it, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”

2. Desire for more. Coming to Christ is like walking into a huge 17th century castle. You can't recognize the awesomeness, beauty, and inspiration by standing in the front door. You have to go in and walk around. There may even be rooms that are hidden from the naked eye. But good things come to those who seek for them. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)j

3. Determination to move forward. Growing is never and easy process whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. I remember those growing pains in my legs. The aches that came simply because I was getting taller. (Now the pain is from growing older!) I also remember what it was like to wrestle with my feelings whether they were of sadness, love-sickness, or anger. I don't respond to these emotions the same way I did when I was a child. In your spiritual life, you will be challenged, most notably by the enemy. He will hurl darts and try to take you out before you reach a higher plain of growth. You have to stay determined. Keep singing the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus...no turning back, no turning back."

4. There is a destination. You will never reach the top of a mountain until you first take a look at the peak. Every chance you get, remind yourself of your destination. It is so easy. I mean extremely easy to lose sight of our destination in our busy world and sinful culture. There is a finish line. Think about it often and it will keep your feet moving forward and your heart pounding!

Day 3 - New Every Morning

After seeing first hand the complete destruction and slaughter of his people, Jeremiah writes several poems of lament. We know them as the book of Lamentations. Jeremiah vividly describes the scene during the siege of Jerusalem. The city was starving. Strong men were walking around like skeletons. People got so hungry that some began to cannibalize their own children. It was a horrific sight to say the least. It was a day to day existence just waiting on the inevitable.

Wow, what a great story to think about. How inspiring! Actually, that may be the historical facts of the story but it isn't all of the human experience of the story. The prophet Jeremiah was hungry along with the rest of the Jews but he had a perspective that can really teach us something. Look at what he says,

"because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.' The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." (Lam. 3:22-26)

Every day God's mercies reset and because of this they are inexhaustible! You will never use too much of God's mercy. When we are living in "lack" he brings us to 100%. Every day! The key is to hope in Him. Wait for Him. Don't become nervous or antsy even in the middle of difficult circumstances. His salvation will come.

Let today be a day when you recognize the mercies of God in your life!

Quickening Day 2 - Tension

On my desk I have a multicolored ball of rubber bands. You might think it was a neat way to organize office supplies but really it is more of a thinking tool. (Have you ever seen the movie A Few Good Men? Remember Tom Cruise's baseball bat? Now you got it!) Well that ball of rubber is made up of smaller circular pieces that we commonly use to hold things together. But think about the job of a rubber band. When it is relaxed, it doesn't do much. Only when it seems like it is about to snap in half, does it fulfill the purpose it was designed for. As I have heard others say, "tension is good."

Tension is the act of stretching or straining. Most usually when tension is applied to something, it will end up reshaping it. Now think about what James said, "consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)

Let me boil it down to this formula:
A challenge to your faith + An "I'm not giving up" attitude = Spiritual maturity and abundance

Remember these things about tension:
1. In order to fulfill your Divine purpose, tension must be applied to your life.
There have been many times when I have found myself begging God to release the tension on my life. To take away the strain. To cancel the call of following Him. But then I realize that He is using my life in the middle of the tension to accomplish the purpose that he has for me.

2. After a while, the tension will reshape you.
If a rubber band has been stretched around something long enough, it won't return to its exact relaxed state. After a while, elastic doesn't return to its original shape. (Just take a moment to think about some of those long term items of clothing in your top dresser drawer!) For elastic that is a bad thing. But for a follower of Jesus, it is a good thing. When your faith has been stretched and you have not thrown in the towel, once the tension is released, your faith won't return to the same size. It will have expanded! God is constantly doing that to us. Why? Because stretch and release will bring about expansion. Expanded ability to believe God for the impossible. Expanded joy that extends beyond the daily grind. Expanded influence to touch others with the Good News that Jesus saves.

My prayer is that God will use the tension found in all of our lives for His glory and for growing us to reach new heights in 2011.

Quickening 2011 - Day 1

Today we kicked off Quickening 2011. A time of prayer, devotion, and fasting. I am very excited about what God is going to do in the lives of people at Journey. I am thrilled that there are so many who have expressed such an eagerness to draw closer to God and make this year a year of new heights.

Hunger is an incredible motivator. Think about how it influences our every day life. It effects our schedules, our energy levels, it even effects our moods! (I can get a little grumpy in the morning when I haven't had my Raisin Bran.) Hunger naturally causes us to develop habits that become so rote that at times, we eat without even really being hungry. It conditions our bodies to expect regular nourishment.

Jesus promised that a spiritual appetite would not go unrewarded. He says that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness WILL be filled (Matt. 5:6). The spiritual condition of a Christian depends upon the hunger they have for knowing God. My prayer is that the next 21 days will develop such "hunger habits" for God that it also effects our schedules, levels, and attitudes.

Scripture for today: Exodus 33:13,18 (Moses says) If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you...then Moses said, 'now show me your glory.'"