This morning Kimberly came back into the house from the garage and said, "The car won't start." Those are not the words I want to hear to start the day. To make matters worst, the reason the car did not start was because of my doing. When I arrived home from work yesterday, I left the keys in the ignition. I did not leave the car running, but I left the key in the on position meaning the battery was used up all night. So, this morning the battery was dead.
What in the world was I thinking? Why did I leave the key in the ignition and the battery running? The answer is simple: my mind was not focused on what I was doing. My mind was dancing with other thoughts about 100 other things rather than the task at hand. As a result this morning the battery was dead.
God used that dead battery to remind me that I was doing the same thing to myself this week. Monday and Tuesday I was "too busy" to really stop and meditate on God's word and to talk and listen to His Spirit in prayer. While I was allowing my mind to dance with 100 other things, I was letting my battery go dead. I am thankful that the Father loves me enough to warn me when my battery is running low.
This morning I was reading in Acts 13 and the last verse grabbed my attention. It reads, "And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit." If you take this verse out of context, one might be led to assume that something really good must have happened for the disciples to experience such joy and filling. However, just the opposite is true. Right before this verse it says, "The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited God-fearing women of high standing and leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."
How could the disciples be filled with joy, let alone the Holy Spirit, when their circumstances were providing any reason but joy and filling? Why isn't their battery dead in light of persecution and rejection? Apparently, they realized what I forget...joy is not dependent on one's positive or negative circumstances, but on one's connection to the Holy Spirit who has the power to keep us full in the face of draining circumstances.
How is your battery this week? Are you plugging into the circumstances of this week? If so, then your battery is as good as dead. Come, with me, unplug from everything else that you have to do this week and plug into the Holy Spirit. Trust me...the time you you think you don't have to do this will be more than made up for by the fresh charge of joy the Holy Spirit will pump into your battery.
Holy Spirit, forgive me for thinking I can run on my own power. Holy Spirit, thank you for turning me back to you before my battery went dead.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
"A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words"
If you are a fan of Living Hope on “Face Book” you have seen this (if not, I invite you to join us on FB). Today, my thought is the same as what I posted on FB yesterday: If you had to draw a picture of the Church, what would you draw?
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I could not agree more. Thank you to everyone who has responded so far…you are painting an incredible picture! Anyone else have a picture come to mind? Send it my way!
I can’t wait to be with you this Sunday as we explore the next part of the story of God. This is where it gets really exciting! Also, we are going to do something this Sunday that we have never done. Its been 10 years and God is still doing new things among us! Invite a friend and come and see. This would especially be a great day to invite friends who have a poor opinion of the church or have been disappointed by the church. It shouldn’t be hard to find folks who fall in that category. See you Sunday!
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I could not agree more. Thank you to everyone who has responded so far…you are painting an incredible picture! Anyone else have a picture come to mind? Send it my way!
I can’t wait to be with you this Sunday as we explore the next part of the story of God. This is where it gets really exciting! Also, we are going to do something this Sunday that we have never done. Its been 10 years and God is still doing new things among us! Invite a friend and come and see. This would especially be a great day to invite friends who have a poor opinion of the church or have been disappointed by the church. It shouldn’t be hard to find folks who fall in that category. See you Sunday!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
"Storm of the Century"
I suppose I have reached that point in life when I now join with those who have gone before me and say, "When I was younger..." You know...the whole, "I used to walk in snow up hill to school with no shoes" routine. Be that as it may, I must say it...when I was growing up, a few inches of snow, a little wind and ice did not constitute a winter weather emergency. Honestly, my mind is clear on this...we did not consider 3-5 inches a big deal. It was not big news. As a child, you went to bed with no hope of school canceling. But now, if the threat of snow is on the radar we go into winter storm advisory mode two days before the snow is to hit.
So, just humor me and say that I am on to something...that we now consider a little, snow, ice and wind to be a major storm...if that is true, why is it true? Hang with me here...could it be that for a people that have relatively little threats and problems, small problems like a few inches of snow seem huge?
For instance, a year after the earth quake in Haiti, people are still dieing. People in Haiti are dieing in their tents (they have no hope of rebuilding their homes)of cholera because they still do not have clean drinking water. (By the way, for a one-time gift of $55 you can purchase a filter system that will produce clean water for 60 people for life...Star 93.3 is talking about it today). And it is not just in Haiti...one child will die every fifteen seconds today because they do not have clean drinking water.
The examples could go on and on...40% of the world's population (outside the US, of course) live on less than $2 a day. 143 million children live as orphans every day.
15 thousand Africans will die today of preventable, curable diseases because they do not have access to the medication we take for granted. 30,000 children...half of Paul Brown's Stadium...will die today of starvation in a world that throws away 30% of its food. Over 25% of kids who age out of foster care in Montgomery County become homeless.
Do you see where I am going with this? What if the reason weather storms are such big news to us is because our problems are so small compared to the problems of our world. As we have been studying the Story of God, I keep hearing the words of God to Abraham in Genesis 12, "I will bless you to be a blessing to the whole world." There is no doubt about it...if we see a little ice, snow and wind as the storm of the Century, we are blessed...and so the question for us to ask is, are we being a blessing to others for God?
It is an important question to ask considering what happened to the people of Israel when they chose to stop being a blessing and start oppressing as King Solomon led them to build the temple on the backs of slaves (1 Kings 9:15). God has shown us what happens when his people forget to be a blessing so that we do not have to experience exile. Will we choose to listen?
I thank God that you are a Church family that is open to learning to listen. I praise God that you are growing in in what it means to be a people of both righteousness (love God) and justice (love others). Last Sunday was a great demonstration of your heart and action for being a blessing. This Sunday, we will share the details!
So, just humor me and say that I am on to something...that we now consider a little, snow, ice and wind to be a major storm...if that is true, why is it true? Hang with me here...could it be that for a people that have relatively little threats and problems, small problems like a few inches of snow seem huge?
For instance, a year after the earth quake in Haiti, people are still dieing. People in Haiti are dieing in their tents (they have no hope of rebuilding their homes)of cholera because they still do not have clean drinking water. (By the way, for a one-time gift of $55 you can purchase a filter system that will produce clean water for 60 people for life...Star 93.3 is talking about it today). And it is not just in Haiti...one child will die every fifteen seconds today because they do not have clean drinking water.
The examples could go on and on...40% of the world's population (outside the US, of course) live on less than $2 a day. 143 million children live as orphans every day.
15 thousand Africans will die today of preventable, curable diseases because they do not have access to the medication we take for granted. 30,000 children...half of Paul Brown's Stadium...will die today of starvation in a world that throws away 30% of its food. Over 25% of kids who age out of foster care in Montgomery County become homeless.
Do you see where I am going with this? What if the reason weather storms are such big news to us is because our problems are so small compared to the problems of our world. As we have been studying the Story of God, I keep hearing the words of God to Abraham in Genesis 12, "I will bless you to be a blessing to the whole world." There is no doubt about it...if we see a little ice, snow and wind as the storm of the Century, we are blessed...and so the question for us to ask is, are we being a blessing to others for God?
It is an important question to ask considering what happened to the people of Israel when they chose to stop being a blessing and start oppressing as King Solomon led them to build the temple on the backs of slaves (1 Kings 9:15). God has shown us what happens when his people forget to be a blessing so that we do not have to experience exile. Will we choose to listen?
I thank God that you are a Church family that is open to learning to listen. I praise God that you are growing in in what it means to be a people of both righteousness (love God) and justice (love others). Last Sunday was a great demonstration of your heart and action for being a blessing. This Sunday, we will share the details!
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