Don't Relieve the Tension

Like a rubber band being stretched as far as it can go, often we find ourselves being stretched to the same point of tension.  When I experience tension, my knee-jerk reaction is to try to relieve the tension.  In fact, that seems to consume my thoughts: "How can I get out from under all of this tension?"  I would argue that we all have our own ways of trying to cope with and/or relieve the tension.  Some of us hit the gym and others of us hit the bottle, but what if any attempt to relive the tension, healthy or unhealthy, is really a way of avoiding the good God has for us on the other side of the tension?  What if our desire to relieve the tension is keeping us from the greater good God has for us?

Anna is studying Genesis in Bible quizzing and the other day she was recounting the story of Abraham being asked by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Genesis 22).  Surely, Abraham wanted to relieve that tension.  Certainly, Isaac, must have felt the tension as he unknowingly followed his father up the mountain. 

"Where is the lamb for the sacrifice, Dad?," Isaac asked. 

"The Lord will provide," answered Abraham.

How heavy Abraham's heart must have been...how confused his mind must have been--why would God ask him to sacrifice the boy who was God's miracle gift of blessing?  With every step they took, the tension grew. 

Finally, Abraham built an altar out of stones.  He then tied up his only son and lay him on the altar.  Can you imagine looking into the terrified eyes of your child as you lift the knife to sacrifice him to God?  This is more than tension, it is devastating.  But Abraham would not relieve the tension for himself or his son.  He lifts the knife...

Then, just before the knife cuts through his son's heart, the angel of the Lord cries out, "Abraham, stop!"  Suddenly, a ram's, "baaahhh," is heard.  There in the thicket, God has provided a ram.

God relived the tension and Abraham and his son experienced the provision and faithfulness of God in a way that they never would have, if he had relived the tension himself.

Will you and I learn from Abraham?  Our culture teaches us to relieve the tension.  We don't need God.  We have prescriptions, credit cards, Dr. Phil, the Internet, divorce and 1000 other ways to relieve the tension in our lives.  But what if every time I insist on relieving the tension myself, I miss out on experiencing God's provision and love? What if God does not allow us to experience tension to harm us, but to free us?  What if every time I walk up the mountain of tension's sacrifice trusting the Lord to provide rather than me trying to figuring a way to avoid it, I will get to experience something from God that will not only impact me now, but help me the next time tension stretches me beyond what I think I can bear? 

Of course, Abraham and Isaac's story foreshadows another story that gives us all the more hope for the tension points of life.  God the Father did not provide a lamb to take his only Son's place on the cross.  Jesus endured the full weight of the tension of pain and loss sin brings into our lives and world.  The tension broke and killed him so that the tension, not even death itself, need not break us.  Look at Hebrews 4:14-16.  It reminds us that Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses and now intercedes to the Father on our behalf.  When the tension comes, rather than try to relieve it ourselves, we can turn to the very one who overcame it for us and now prays for us.  He is the lamb in the thicket we need, not the tension reliving device we are so tempted to use.  "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16).

Fragile but Eternal

Sunday we received word that Kimberly's cousin's husband (Michael) died from injuries sustained from a fall from a ladder while at work.  Michael was only 40 years old and leaves behind two elementary age boys.  I just keeping thinking about those two little guys.  How does a Mom tell her boys that Daddy won't be coming home?  How do boys at that age even begin to process what this means for them now and for the rest of their lives? How does the widow have time to grieve when she has two little boys who are grieving?  How does the family celebrate Thanksgiving when the following two days they will face calling hours and a funeral? 

I am sorry to be somewhat of a downer during a season of thanksgiving, but perhaps it is this honest dose of reality that will allow all of us to take the meaning of this season all the more seriously.  You see, when I think of this 40 year old dad's death, I am reminded that life is fragile.  As much as I want to believe that I am invincible and that it is other people who get sick and die, the reality is my life is just as fragile as that of anyone else.  And that means your life is fragile, too.  The Bible says, "It is good for a man to think of his own death."  It is good because until we accept just how fragile life is, can we ever truly appreciate what a gift life is? 

The more I see how fragile life is the more free I am to let go of what does not matter and more fully embrace all the little things that truly do matter.  Like the kiss of my beautiful wife of 11 years.  The giggle of my son as I tickle his belly.  The smile of my baby girl as I tell her she is beautiful.  The phone call from an older sister in Christ who I know has my back.  The email from a friend that speaks truth in a way that makes me want to be more like Christ.  The presence of Christ showing up in that intimate way that no one and nothing can take away.  The more I see how fragile life is, the more I can embrace what makes life worth living.

But I am even more thankful that life is not only fragile, but eternal.  Michael knew Christ and the Bible says in Romans 8 that not even detach can separate him from the love that is in Christ Jesus.  The more I accept that life is eternal, the more I have reason to give thanks.  I am living for more than I can cram into the timeline I have been granted.  Our purpose is bigger than a birth and death date.  Our value, according to God, is infinite.  And when I can take account of my life from an eternal perspective, my life not only takes on more meaning, but it also gives me all the more reason to give thanks in all circumstances. We serve a God who refused to let death have the final say.  He broke out of the grave just to show us that life may be fragile, but it is also eternal!

I know that most people who read these "Random Thoughts" of mine already have a personal relationship with Christ, but today if you are reading this and you are struggling with how fragile life can be and desire to experience eternal life even before you die, I hope you know that I am here and I would be honored to talk and pray with you. 

I pray for all of you a Happy Thanksgiving as you celebrate all of God's gracious gifts in this fragile life and God's forever gift of eternal life!

God's Will for Your Life

Over the past 14 1/2 years of Pastoral ministry, I have watched countless people struggle over and strain to uncover God's will for their lives.  I am sympathetic because I also used to see God's will as some sort of great mystery that only the super-spiritual types among us could ever truly discern.  Furthermore, I use to see God's will as a tight rope; it was this very narrow line you walked and the slightest deviation would leave you plummeting into the darkness of being "out of the center of his will."  Many people over the years has confirmed that my past view of God's will is a common one, if not the prominent view. 

But then, several years ago, C.S. Lewis, in his small allegory, "The Great Divorce," along with some other wise College and seminary professors began to challenge my perception of God's will.  What if God's will is less like a tight rope and more like wide open spaces?  What if God's will is less a mystery and as simple and plain to see as the nose on your face?  What if the point of God's will is not to bring about great anxiety and discouragement, but to be the place where we tap into the depths of God's power and love?  Suddenly, God's will was not something I dreaded seeking, but something I found myself desperately hungry to explore. 

So, let me ask you a question:  Do you know God's will for your life?  If your answer is anything but certain, I have good news for you. I know the answer to that question.  You no longer need to fret over it because I am going to tell you plainly and clearly, right here and right now, what God's will is for your life.  Are you ready? 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, spells it out this way: "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  What if God's will is less about where you work or where you live or what car you drive or where your kids will go to school and more about how you live where ever you live.  The Bible says it so clearly.  God's will is not a mystery. His will for your life is that you will be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances.

Think about how our lives and those we come in contact with would be changed for the better if we grabbed hold of this as God's will for our lives and became absolutely determined to let God makes a person who lived joyfully, prayed continually and gave thanks all the time.  Wow!  Talk about the power to change your home, your work place, your kid's school, your community, our country, the world...!  This is God's will for you!  Don't cheapen his will by turning it into tight rope details!  Rather, let this, his will, spelled out for us in 1 Thess. 5:16-18 expand his purpose for us into the wide open spaces, where no matter how far we run, we can never reach the boundaries of the joy, fellowship and thanksgiving we can experience and lead others to experience in Christ Jesus! 

Floating Fire Ants

Living Hope Member, Justin Moorman, shared these words with me this week. I thought there were so good and applicable that I asked him for permission to pass them on to you. I pray this speaks to you as it did me.  Thank you, Justin!

"I once did a science lesson with my students about fire ants.  They live in some very dry places.  Whenever there is a downpour in areas like that, it actually causes what is the equivalent of a massive flood for a fire ant, because the ground simply can't absorb the water quick enough.  If a single fire ant is trapped out by itself when this happens, that individual ant will unfortunately drown.  What is unbelievable, though, is what happens to the ants that are a with the colony.  Instead of setting up shop in their hill, digging in and hopping for the best, they come to the surface to face the flood.  But they don't drown.  They lock legs, hold on to each other with their mouths, and refuse to let go.  And, contrary to what seems to make sense, that colony of fire ants floats.  They float right on top of the flood, in the middle of the downpour, and flow wherever the current takes them.  They are in it together.  Once the flood is over, and the waters finally soak into the ground, the fire ants do another cool thing.  They don't start marching back to their old hill.  The let go of each other, and set up shop right where those flood waters carried them.  That place is their new home. 

Dr. Cubie ( A Professor Justin and I both had at Mount Vernon Nazarene University), I believe, once said to me that God's love is bigger and deeper and wider than any ocean we could ever imagine.  That sounds awesome, but what he said next really made me think.  He said, "And, if you've ever heard stories of people stranded in the ocean alone, you know it is a terrifying experience."  You know all too well that you can't be in God's love on your own; it is way too overwhelming.  You can't be in that kind of flood by yourself, because you'd never make it.  It's sad to leave what you've known; what is your home.  And believe me, it's sad for us to have you leave.  But you're not the fire ant that got caught away from the colony, and neither is Living Hope Church.  You have a whole group of ants that are going to keep you afloat, and keep each other afloat, as God's terrifying, awesome love washes over us during this next step.  And, while we won't be physically floating with you up to Canton, we're absolutely all there with you, praying for his waters to guide you and your family."  

A Walk to the River

When I was a little boy, my best friend was my Grandpa Clyde.  Sometimes we would walk down to the shores of the Great Miami River, which was less than a 5 minute walk from his home.  Once at the river Grandpa would find an old can that the river had washed ashore, cast it upstream (Don't judge us; this was before we were as environmentally sensitive as we are now :-) and then the two of us would pick up stones and try to hit the can as it floated away.  Grandpa could hit the can three times before I even found a rock and made my throw.  I don't think I ever hit the can.  It always seemed like the river swept it away too quickly for my ability.  But I sure did love casting cans and rocks with my Grandpa.

Can I let you in on something?  God the Father, wants you to love casting things much bigger than cans and rocks.  And he does not want you to cast with him, but to cast ON him.  1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Can't you just see Jesus taking your little hand and walking with you down to the Great Miami of life.  He says, "Go ahead, pick up a can of your best anxiety.  What keeps you up at night?  What breaks your heart?  What makes you want to scream?  What do you have no power to change, but you are desperate to see changed?  What do you worry about?  What scares you?  Yes, that can of anxiety. Pick it up.  OK, now cast it.  With all of your strength, cast it as far as you can."  So, you muster up as much strength as possible and you cast that can into the river of His Spirit.  You pick up some rocks to throw at your can of anxiety, but before long it is gone.  At first it is too far away to hit with a rock and before long it is too far away to even see. 

That is what Jesus invites you to do with all of our cares and anxieties.  Why do we hold onto what he invites us to let go of?  Why do we try to control what we can't?  Why do we dig our heels in when he has made us to run free?  Why do we take on the weight of the world, when he has already died for the world?  Why don't we just pick up the can of anxiety and cast it on him.  If we will do that, then he will carry it away like a can in the Great Miami River.

Doesn't that sound good?  It does to me.  But, then there is a part of me that thinks, but this is my anxiety, why should I bother him with it?  He answers those kind of questions at the end of 1 Peter 5:7, "Because he cares for you."  He wants you to cast your cares on him because he wants you to experience the truth that he carees for you.

OK...ready?  Jesus is here.  He wants to take a walk down to the river with you.  I don't know about you, but I have a can of anxiety I can't wait to cast. 

Straight Ahead

Kimberly refers to me as a "distracted driver."  I wish I could argue with her, but it is true.  When I drive I like to read signs, bumper stickers, take in the view and do just about everything but keep my eyes straight ahead.  And those stupid rumble strips on the side of the highway are a dead give away every time I look too long to the right or left.  We'll rumble across them and the whole car-- wife, kids and all--will echo, "Daddy, keep your eyes on the road."

In the men's Bible study/accountability group I am in on Wednesdays (By the way, these men are incredibly courageous in their honesty and they crack me up), we have been studying the book of Proverbs.  I have not been able to get away from what we looked at a couple of weeks ago.  Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.  Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm.  Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

In other words, what gets me in trouble in driving will get us all in trouble in life.  The wise one of Proverbs warns us to not even look to the left or right.  Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead.

As I was reading this, my mind was then drawn to another part of the Bible.  It is the story of Jesus walking on water.  Peter cries out, "If it is you Lord let me walk out to you."  Jesus tells Peter to come to him. Peter steps out of the boat.  He is walking on water!  Its amazing!  Its a miracle! 

But then the Scripture says Peter took his eyes off of the One he was walking toward and looked all around at the waves.  As soon as he saw the waves he began to sink.  Jesus rescued him and rebuked him for his lack of faith.  The reason Peter's faith failed was because he looked to the right and the left. And when we look at the waves of a storm it is scary.   Had Peter kept his eyes fixed straight ahead on Jesus he could have continued walking on water.  

I encourage you today!  Jesus wants you to walk on water with him.   Keep your eyes fixed straight ahead.  Jesus invites you to step out of the boat and its only scary if you take your eyes off of him. 

A Bold Teen

Bold is not just something people exhibited for Christ in the past as we have seen in the stories of Stephen, Nathaniel and John. 

Bold is not something that is only attainable by a few courageous men like Pastor Saeed Abedini who has been imprisoned for his faith in Iran while working on a government approved orphanage. 

Bold is something that the Holy Spirit is willing to let any of us live in and for Kingdom of God.  You are in a church family filled with people who are daring to be bold for Christ!  And it is not just adults, but even our teens!

Ben Durbin is one of the teens who participates in our teen ministry.   About a month ago, he took a bold move.  He decided to initiate prayer on the football field.  He approached his team with an idea to have a prayer circle before every game.  The team willingly followed Ben's bold leadership!  For the past month, teen age Ben, has been boldly leading other students in this public-school, football setting to encounter Christ.  Ben's Dad said, "It has been amazing to watch!  Ben is more excited about leading this prayer circle than playing football." 

Ben, as I was praying for your bold influence to continue to be spread and used by God I was reminded of a Scripture verse that is a promise for us all:  "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit  of power, love and of self-discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7).

I want to thank all of our teen ministry leaders and parents who understand that a win for our teen ministry is a win for our whole church family and beyond!  This story is a great example of that. For those parents who have not yet gotten your child involved, I challenge you to let Ben's boldness embolden you!

Spider in the Urinal

We have a spider living in one of the restroom urinals here at LH.  He has been there since Sunday.  I give him credit because that is the one place I am not putting my hand to kill it.  But, I can't help but wonder why a spider would chose a urinal for its home?

Of course, are we really much different? Its not like we people always make much better decisions.  I have found myself setting up camp in some place no better than urinals.  Do you know what I mean?  Why do we put ourselves in situations that stink of sin?  How do we get comfortable in places that any outsider would look at and say, "What were you thinking?"  What makes us stay stuck in habits, hurts and hang-ups as if that's our only choice?  If we are honest, I think we can all say we've lived like a spider in a urinal.  May be some of us are there right now. 

The Apostle Paul writes about this in Romans 7:14-20.  I encourage you to check it out.  I have never had some one read it who has not related to it.  In verse 15 he sums it up, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do."  Doesn't that sound like life lived in a urinal? 

Like I said, everyone who reads that has always said to me, "That's how I feel.  I relate."  Sadly, it seems some of us read a passage from the Bible like that and justify our existence in the urinal.  But Paul does not write those words so we will stay stuck, but so we will desire to be free.  I encourage you to read what Paul writes in Romans 8. In that chapter he describes the freedom Christ makes possible for us as individuals and as a church. He describes with great detail and passion what it is like to discover life in the Spirit.

God has made us for so much better.  Romans 8:15 says that we have received a spirit of sonship.  We are permitted to cry out to God as "Abba" (Daddy).   And no son or daughter of his need settle for living in a urinal. 

Because

It seems to be a "parent-ism"  The child asks why one too many times and the parent says, "Because I said so."  I heard my parents say that to me a time or two.  I could not believe it the first time I heard those words come out of my mouth as a Dad.  Now that I am a Dad, I now understand that sometimes it really does feel like "Because I said so" is the best and only answer available at times.

In Psalm 91, God the Father gives a different kind of "because" that not only makes sense, but is powerful to hear as his child.

Let me back up a bit.  In the margin of my Bible, next to Psalm 91, I have written, "God said remember this. June 8, 2003."  Since that time I have remembered Psalm 91 and regularly turned to it during challenging times.  Each time since that date I have wondered, "God is this why you said to remember this Psalm."  It now seems he led me to saturate myself in this Psalm in preparation for the last two years.  These last two years have been a learning experience to say the least and every step of the way I have been hearing God speak his truth through Psalm 91.  This Psalm is full of promises for you and me and in verse 14 he tells us why he makes us all of the promises listed (check out these promises for yourself in Psalm 91: 1-13).

"Why do you promises these things, Father?"  His answer comes in verse 14, "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver and honor him."

Did you hear that?  "Because you love him,"  he will rescue, protect, answer, be with, deliver and honor!  Will you receive that today?  All of his promises are available to the one who simply loves him!  I don't know...I can't seem to find the words...all I can say is those promises and his "because" has given me great hope this week. 

I am sorry, I cannot write it better today, but I am convinced that someone else needed to hear the Father's "because" today. 

Full

Once, a long time ago, there was a people who lived in a land that everyone called the Land of the Full.  In this land everyone carried a large cylinder, which was expected by all, to always be full. 

 I guess you could say they had great optimism, perhaps even faith in that way.  They simply believed every person’s cylinder in their land “should be, ought to be, and had a right to be full.” At least that is how the Mayor of the Land of the Full put it each year in his annual address.  Full cylinders were not just a matter of personal importance but a matter of civic duty and pride. 

That is why the Cylinder monitors played such an important role in the town.  The Cylinder monitors did just what their title said, they monitored everyone’s cylinders.  You see, once your cylinder was full you would take your fullness to the Cylinder Monitor who would enter you in the town data base as now being full.  At that moment you would be given a cylinder cover and the Cylinder Monitors would say, “I here by declare your cylinder to be full.  From this time forth your cylinder must always remain covered as that is the only way to keep said cylinder full.” 

Round and round the days and years went like the circle of their cylinders until one day a stranger walked into town.  It was no surprise to see visitors in the Land of the Full because outsiders often came with their empty cylinders hoping to find the secret to being full.  But this stranger was different. He did not come with an empty cylinder.  His cylinder was full.  It was not only full, it was uncovered.  This Stranger quickly became the talk of the town.  The mayor learned that the Stranger was drawing a crowd. Like any good politician, the Mayor was never one to miss the chance to make a public appearance. 

When the Mayor met the stranger, he found himself without words for a moment, which was not at all like him.  He was not accustomed to seeing people with full cylinders walking around with them right out in the open.  Collecting himself, he asked the Stranger to join him for lunch.  As the Mayor and the Stranger sat in the out door seating of the fullest of full restaurants in town, the Mayor said, “I admire your fullness, but why do you not cover your cylinder? After all, the only way to stay full is to keep it covered.”

The Stranger smiled and said, “When you are truly full, you have nothing to hide.”

Before the Mayor could respond, the Stranger stood up.  His eyes were locked on something across the street.  The Mayor tried to ask him where he was going, but all of the Stranger’s attention was now elsewhere.  The Mayor followed the Stranger across the street to an alley side door where people who were full just did not go, but the Stranger would not be stopped until he reached the object of his gaze.  It was a man.  Well, what was left of a man.  He was unshaven, dirty, wreaked with alcohol and sitting beside him was an empty, bone dry cylinder. 

“What is your name?”  The Stranger asked. 

“My name is Pete, but people call me Rocky…” he paused…”they use to call me Rocky.”

“Why don’t they still?” asked the Stranger.

“Because I use to be full.  I use to be somebody. In high school and college I was a star.  The best at everything.  But then, the real world was different. My best didn’t seem to be enough.  No matter how hard I tried it seemed my cylinder kept loosing its fullness.  Then my son got sick.  He died.  My wife left.  And I have nothing left. You can see it…my cylinder is empty.”

The mayor interrupted, “That’s because people like you want to wallow in your loss rather than stand up and be full again.”

The Stranger and Rocky both seemed to ignore the Mayor who he was not exactly used to or pleased with that.

The Stranger said, “Do you want to be full again, Rocky?” 

Rocky, took offense.  “Listen; Stranger, just go on your way. I know I am empty; I don’t need you or the Mayor or anybody else making me feel like I have even less.” 

The Stranger was undeterred, “Do you want to be full?” 

“Well, of course, I want to be full, but I can’t be. Nothing will bring back what I have lost,” said Rocky.

Again, the Stranger asked, “Do you want to be full?” 

Finally, Rocky said nothing.  He couldn’t talk.  The big, gruff guy began to cry.  All he could do to answer was shake his head yes.

The Stranger said, “Give me your cylinder.”

Rocky shook as he handed over his empty cylinder to the Stranger.  And then Rocky saw that Stranger do what he had never seen anyone do in his life.  The Stranger poured his full cylinder into Rocky’s empty one. The more the Stranger poured out his cylinder the fuller Rocky’s became and when Rocky’s was full, the Stranger’s was still full as well.

The mayor did not see this for he had long since left to tell the Cylinder Monitors, but Rocky, full of joy and hope asked, “How did you do that?” 

The Stranger smiled and said, “Come follow me and I will show you.  You see, Rocky, the only way to be full is to be poured out.  For whoever tries to save what’s in their cylinder will come up empty, but those who pour out all they have will always be full.  What does it gain a person to have a full cylinder and yet forfeit his or her very soul?”  From that day on Rocky followed the Stranger everywhere.

One day, the Stranger and Rocky heard angry words, doors slam and tires peal.  They heard the cry of a woman and the panicked scream of a child.  Even empty people with empty cylinders in that empty neighborhood closed their doors and turned their heads, but not the Stranger. He asked Rocky if he knew her. 

Rocky said, “Who doesn’t know her? That is Mary. There certainly isn’t a man in town who doesn’t know her; even some of the fullest men in town know her all too well, if you know what I mean.” 

The Stranger stopped listening and Rocky got the feeling that some how he had crossed a line that the Stranger did not appreciate.  The Stranger walked up to Mary and her little girl with his full cylinder sparkling in the sun.  The child was the first to look up.  “Wow!  Said the child.  The Stranger ran his fingers through the little girls pig tales.  “Do you want some?” he asked?  “Really? Yes, please,” She said reaching for her empty cylinder until her Mother jerked her hand back.  The Stranger was gentle but firm, “Don’t stop this child from receiving what I have to give.  If we adults don’t become more like her, we’ll all end up empty in the end.” 

The mother did not know exactly why but she wanted to trust the stranger.  She let her child give him the empty cylinder.  The Stranger poured his fullness into her emptiness and once again his cylinder stayed full. 

“Did you see that mommy?  He filled my cylinder up and his is still full!”  The girl needed no explanation; she danced around the porch in her fullness. 

So, the mother asked for her, “How did you do that?”

The Stranger said, “The only way to be full is to be poured out, Mary.  For whoever tries to save what’s in their cylinder will come up empty, but those who pour out all they have will always be full.  What does it gain a person to have a full cylinder and yet forfeit his or her very soul?” 

“Its true”, Rocky said, “he did it for me too.”  “Let him have your cylinder.” 

“I don’t deserve it.,” Mary said, “I’m not a good person.  If you knew all that I’ve done…” 

The Stranger gently lifted Mary’s chin so her eyes looked into his, “I know it all, Mary.  I know all you have done wrong as a woman and I know all that was wrong that was done to you way back when you use to wear pig tales.” 

She was trembling now.   For one thing she was afraid…she always felt afraid around men, but she also hoped…she hoped that this man was different.  She thought to herself, “Does he want me for what he can take from me?”

 “No,” the Stranger said, answering her silent thoughts, “I want you for what I can pour into you.”

 And then he took her empty cylinder and began to pour from his fullness filling her emptiness, yet his cylinder still full. 

The Stranger smiled and said, “Come follow me, Mary, and I will show you that the only way to be full is to be poured out.” From that day on Mary and her daughter followed the Stranger everywhere.

And every where he went the Stranger did the same thing!  He poured out his fullness into emptiness and he stayed full.  People all over town who had never known what it was like to be full were now overflowing!  Laughter replaced crying, joy replaced anger, and hope replaced fear.  It was amazing! 

But then in to the joy came a heart breaking scream.  “NOOOOOOO”, came the cry of a Mother and Father.  The Stranger and his followers went straight to the place of the pain.  Beside the parents lay their dead teenage son.  It was too much for Rocky.  He turned to walk out full of his own memories of the loss of his child.  But the Stranger gripped Rocky’s arm.  He said, “They need what you have, Rocky” 

“I can’t help them, only you can,” Rocky said. 

But the Stranger said, “I can‘t help them, if you won’t.” 

Rocky stood still for what seemed like an eternity.  Then without a word, he picked up his full cylinder, walked right up to the young man’s corpse, grabbed the empty cylinder and poured his fullness into the dead boy’s emptiness and suddenly the one that was dead gasped for air.  The parents were shocked and then overwhelmed with relief.  And someone asked, “Rocky, how is your cylinder still full?” 

He just smiled and said, “Come follow my Friend and he will show you what he has shown me: the only way to be full is to be poured out.  For whoever tries to save what’s in their cylinder will come up empty, but those who pour out all they have will always be full.  What does it gain a person to have a full cylinder and yet forfeit his or her very soul?” The Father said, tomorrow, we follow, tonight we celebrate! 

During the celebration there was a quiet knock on the door.  The Stranger, that many now called Friend, answered the door.  It was one of the Cylinder Monitors.  The Stranger went out and the Cylinder Monitor shut the door. He talked quietly and quickly as if he were afraid of being caught. “I am Nick, I believe what you say is true.  I can prove it.”

He uncovered his cylinder.  The Stranger covered his nose.  There was the stench of death in Nick’s cylinder. The water in his cylinder did not sparkle, it was black and stagnate.  And most of all, it was not full. 

“This is why they tell us to keep our cylinder’s covered so neither we nor anyone else will see how empty we really are,” explained Nick.  “So, tell me, teacher, how can I be full again?”

The Stranger told Nick what he told everyone else, “The only way to be full is to be poured out.”

But, at least for now, Nick was too afraid of loosing what he had to risk having all that the Stranger promised.  But before he left, he warned the stranger that that mayor of the other Cylinder monitors were plotting against him. To which the Stranger said, “I know.”

Well, the story from here becomes unpleasant to say the least, but by the end of business on Friday, they had managed to unfairly and cruelly drain every last drop of the Stranger’s cylinder.  He had nothing left to give.  And when that was not enough for them, they took his very life.  Its always shocking and yet sadly expected when we see just how far people will go to keep what they have. 

Rocky and the other followers were sacred and felt empty all over again. But Mary couldn’t take it any more.  She stood up and said, “I refuse not to show my final respect to the man who filled us all up.”  She stormed off to the cemetery where the Stranger’s empty cylinder was displayed as an example to all.  She fell on her knees and sobbed.  Her tears began to fill the Strangers now cold, empty cylinder.  Then, she heard a familiar voice, “Mary, why do you weep?  Have I not told you, the only way to be full is to be poured out.  For whoever tries to save what’s in their cylinder will come up empty, but those who pour out all they have will always be full.  What does it gain a person to have a full cylinder and yet forfeit his or her very soul?” Mary ran and told the others and they believed.  We know they believed because they lived the rest of their lives pouring their fullness it into the emptiness of others.  Many of them even gave their very lives to show that those who are full are those who are poured out.

And over 2000 years later there are still people, people like our brother from Liberia, people like you LH family, who dare to risk it all and discover for themselves that only way to be full is to be poured out. For Jesus says in Matthew 16:25-26, “For whoever wants to save his or her life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me, will find it.  What good will it be for a man or woman if he or she gains the whole world, yet forfeits his or her soul?”

Blind Man Fighting

Living Hope member, Jason Hall, introduced me to the song, "Eyes on You" by Shane and Shane from there album, "Bring Nothing."  I have listened to this song about 100 times in the past week.  I truly resonates with me at this season of my life.  Every time I hear it, I am reminded of the promise of Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."  The Scripture and the song remind me that in a world that demands clarity, what if faith is best experienced in those times when the only thing that is clear is God's faithfulness.  I hope the lyrics to this song speaks to some other fellow "blind man or woman fighting the world" out there today!  Here are the songs lyrics:

I don't know which way to go
But my eyes are on You
I don't know which way to turn
But my ears are to the ground
You say that I can hear Your voice
So I am listening

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

I still don't know which way to go
But my eyes are on You
I still don't know which way to turn
But my ears are to the ground
As long as You are lifted up
I don't have to understand

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

The battle is the Lord's
So I'll walk towards You in the dark
Cause I know that in the end we win
So I'm all in
Lead me I'm Yours

All I know is that I believe
It's not with my eyes that I can see
I'm a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me
There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

There's a vision now in another eye
You've given sight to a man inside;
Of a blind man fighting the world
Swinging back at me

Time for a Date

Last week I noticed that our daughter Anna (age 7) was having a hard time.  She seemed very sensitive and like she was trying to get my attention in all the wrong ways. Finally, on Sunday afternoon I asked, "Anna, what is wrong?  What do you need?" 

She started to cry.  "Daddy, I just think I need a date with you.  I miss you." 

Well, that's all it took...big, firm dad became a sap on the spot...My heart melted.  I pulled her close and said, "We can have a date tonight." 

A few hours later I was opening the door for her at the, always classy, and her favorite place for a date with me, Taco Bell.  She reserved "our seats" and for about an hour I stared into the big brown eyes of my baby girl as she downloaded everything that she felt like she had not had time to share with me.  We walked out of Taco Bell, she squeezed my hand and said, "I love you, Daddy."  All she needed was a little time.

Friends, I am eating that up for as long as I can get it because I know full well that time is growing shorter with every second.  But in the past year I have experienced a similar need with my Father in heaven that one will never outgrow.

The past year, for me, has had some very dark days, but in the midst of some bouts of tears, hurt and anger, it is almost as if I could hear the Father asking a question he already knew the answer to:  "What's wrong?  What do you need?" 

About a year ago, I cried out, "I just need you.  I need to feel your presence and hear your voice again.  I miss you."  God has honored that cry by allowing me to be deprived of sleep. Whether I have been awoken in the middle of the night or hours before what is necessary, the Father keeps inviting me on dates with him.  He gives me time to download all that is whirling around in me.  And like the psalmists teach us in the Bible, we can share it all with him and I have.  I have found myself engaged in uncensored prayers that would surely make even mature believers squirm, but not my Father.  He listens and then he leads.  I have been amazed at how he leads me to and through his Word gently speaking exactly what I need to hear.

I met with a new person to our church family this week.  She has this awesome story of how God has been courting her.  She said the other day she had been asking God how she could know his voice and she "randomly" opened her Bible to 1 Kings 19:11-13:

¹¹ The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
 
The new person to our church family said she read this and then she knew..."God is in the whisper."

If we can hear him in the whisper, we can hear him anywhere; right?  But to hear him in the whisper, we have to set aside the time to "date" him.  Time just to BE with him. In the book named after him, the half brother of Jesus, James, says, "Draw near to God and he will draw near to you."  

Do you feel disconnected?  Weary?  Frustrated?  Discouraged? Alone? May be what you need more than what you think you need is to simply, but desperately cry out,
"Daddy, I just think I need a date with you.  I miss you." 

And friends, if I, as a wicked earthly father, will answer that cry immediately for my daughter, how much more is the Father in heaven willing to answer that prayer for you, his child.  Go ahead.  You have the time and if not, then its worth making the time, ask the Father out on a date today.  I know he would love to share more than a taco with you.

Get Back Up

Last night I came home from work and our son, Seth (age 5) was ready to talk.  His Kindergarten teacher had shared about the all-school roller skating party that night.  He was so excited. 

"Daddy, can I go?  Mommy said she would have to talk to you.  What did you say?"  He asked. 

His sister did not want to go, so it became as he called it a "boys night." 

As we drove to the skating rink, he wondered which of his new found friends might attend.  He named all the kids in his class he could remember and described in great detail those whose names he did not know.  I love how people-oriented he is (He does not get that extroversion from me). 

"Hi!" he said with great enthusiasm to each of his classmates as we arrived.

We laced up his skates and he was off.  Or, I guess I should say, down.  He fell and fell and fell and no sooner would he get up that he fell again.  I actually began to hurt for the poor little guy.  I was even tempted to rush to his aid, but there is only one way to learn to skate and he was doing it:  Every time he fell, he got back up. 

He was determined to get to the middle of the rink where beginners were allowed to practice because two of his classmates had made it there.  He skated and fell and got back up again all the way across the rink.  Finally, he made it to his classmates only to fall again. Which is when the boy and girl in his class leaned down, said something to him and offered a hand.  Of course, they did not do that again because then they fell down, too.  In fact, they fell down and got back up again almost as much as Seth.

I wrote in my prayer journal last night that while I was watching Seth and his friends fall and get back up over and over again, it became an unexpected, meaningful moment with God for me.  I found myself saying, "Wow, Father!  Look how Seth keeps getting back up! I was never like that. Lord, you know I would have given up about 20 falls ago.  Thank you that Seth is not like me." 

And then, quietly, in that still small voice that was louder than all the roller skating party noise and music, God's Spirit whispered to my spirit, "May be the son can teach the Dad something tonight."  The Father always knows right where to get us, doesn't he?  I began to tear up, but I shut that down...no need to embarrass myself or my boy.  But as I kept watching him fall and get up, it was like the Father was saying to me, "It doesn't matter how many times you fall or you get knocked down as long as you get back up."  I wish I could explain to you what those words mean to me.  Certainly, He is speaking to something so close to my heart and so deep in my spirit that I won't even attempt to explain it, but I have a feeling a few of you may know exactly what I am talking about.  You know what I mean not because you know what this all means to me, but because it means something to you, too.  "It doesn't matter how many times you fall or you get knocked down as long as you get back up."

When we got back to the house, Anna asked, "Did Seth fall any?"  I gave her the answer the Father gave me, "Anna, it doesn't matter how many times he fell.  What matters is how many times he got back up! And I am so proud of Seth for that!"

I certainly think this applies to this 911 anniversary today.  There will always be somebody or something that will blow up buildings and destroy lives.  Jesus said that such comes straight from hell itself (see John 10).  Certainly we will all get knocked down, there is no question about that...But what does remain in question is whetaher or not, in the name of Christ, we will get back up.  That is why Jesus was knocked down by the cross so he could show us that through God's love and power we can even climb back up out of the grave.  Praise be to God!

"Father, we pray for all those directly impacted by the loss of a loved one on 911.  By your love and power will you use your Church to help people get back up. Amen."

"If You Would Just Look" by Nicole Sizemore

This week my random thoughts are not mine.  They come from Living Hope Member and fellow Jesus Freak, Nicole Sizemore.  I can't say it better, so this one is all you, Nicole! 

"I have been thinking... you get what you look for. I remember my first time at Living Hope Church, I was sitting there an uncomfortable sweaty hot mess trying to gain my composure after the worship band's beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace (my chains are gone), and then Pastor Chad takes the stage and starts talking about how when he was little and couldn't find things Ms. Rose would always ask "well did you look?" Pretty soon he had me laughing and relaxed just enough to open up to his message about going through life blind. It was a life changing day for me, and I will never forget it. When I was little and I couldn't find something my ma maw would always say "Nikki! if you would just look" and then grab whatever it was right out from under my nose. So yesterday I was sitting in the drive through jamming out to "My Savior lives", letting lose in full worship mode and this older gentleman walks by and starts singing with me. Before I could die from embarrassment he shoots me a thumbs up...and I had to laugh. Then I thought "man I have never in my life came across as many Jesus freaks as I have the last few months or so" and then I heard my ma maw say "well if you would just look!" That got me thinking about how you really do find what you look for. There was never any shortage of trouble when I went searching. I used to know a million different ways to find a million different things that were terrible for me. And the saddest thing is you don't even have to be looking for really bad things like heroin or cocaine...you can wake up in the morning "looking" for your boss to be a jerk, or a terrible drive to work, or your kids to be bratty. You can look for all sorts of things that make you unhappy, or even discontent, and you will find those things. But say if you look at the job you are blessed with, the car you have to drive, the beautiful children whose crankiness will leave a gaping hole one day when they are all grown up, look at that stuff instead, look for the blessing behind every inconvenience and you will start to find those blessings. Look for miracles and you will see them all over and every day! I am not claiming that I got it all together by any means, I look for trouble all the time by worrying about things that I have no control over, but I have also spent a lot less time lately praying for all things I need and praising for what I have instead. I see blessings everywhere! and the more I see the more I look so the more I see... get it? I think Jesus said something like "seek and ye will find" or something like that (I will "look" it up later harhar), but pretty much I think what He said was you get what you look for. Peace, love and prayers my friends!!"

Small is Big

In Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. ³² Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

I was talking to someone today from another Church family who expressed what I think most of us at times feel.  He said, "Some times I see how big the needs are in our community and world and I think anything I can do is too small, so why try?" I can relate to that.  And that is why I am so glad Jesus explained that the Kingdom of God operates by a different way of thinking.  

In the Kingdom of God, which is at work through the Holy Spirit in and through the Church (and by Church, you know I do not mean a building but we the people), the smallest of seeds grow and grow and grow to become more than any of us could ever hope or imagine.

I was reminded of this reality this week as I heard several of you share about your gift bag delivery experience.  Each person shared how amazed they were at how that small act of encouragement helped people open up to them.  One couple gave their bag to a man they had never met in a restaurant.  They not only learned his story of struggle, but had a spiritual conversation with him about how if God would care enough to lead them to meet, he must have something more in mind for him.  Another woman shared about how she gave it to a neighbor with whom she had a dispute.  First the neighbor sent a text of thanks and then later the neighbor, who had not talked to her for sometime, was having a conversation with her that was positive.  A third person shared how the person she gave it to said thanks and shut the door.  A few seconds later, she opened the door, went out to her, hugged her as she said, "It is people like us that make this place better or easier to get through." 

See it!  There it is!  That is the Kingdom of God...the world looks and sees nothing big...in fact, its just a little white bag, but in the hands of the Body of Christ through his spirit, that little mustard seed is going to grow and touch people in ways that we will not know about this side of heaven.

It is not just true of seeds and bags, but of every small word, act of love, gift of generosity, pat on the shoulder, time of listening, prayer lifted up...they all seem so small, but not in the Kingdom of God because it is not just us at work, it is Him at work in and through us and with Jesus small is always BIG!

Back to School

Back packs, number 2 pencils and that unique smell that seems to linger in every school building...yes, it is that time of year.  For my life, those days are but memories, some good and some you could not pay me money to relive.  However, these days, back to school represents my children sprinting through life. 

People warned me this would happen, "Chad, you'll blink and the next thing you know your babies won't be baies."  I fear I blinked.  Today I wrote in my prayer journal, "Father, help me not to run through life."  I envy those of you who have the gift of living in the moment.  I struggle to be in the moment for planning for the next.  Sometimes that is a strength, but when it comes to not missing the moment, it can be a great pit fall. 

But it is not just blinking that back to school causes me to fret over, but clinging.  Each school year I find myself living in the all the more real tension of holding onto my children while not holding on too tightly.  I find myself tempted to think that I have the responsibility and even the power to protect them.  That is a job that is too big for me.  Only God has the power to protect.  My job as a parent is to prepare.  So, today I told Anna and Seth, there were only two Bible verses I wanted them to recite to: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" and "Do not be afraid or discouraged because God is with you wherever you go."  I said, "This school year when you feel like you just can't do something or learn something or deal with something, pray to Jesus  who gives you strength.  This school year when you feel sad or alone or scared, pray to Jesus who is with you everywhere and all the time.  And then I prayed over them...I spoke life--You are beautiful/handsome, you are so good at learning new things, you are kind and caring and Jesus please guard their hearts and minds with your truth."  As I shared and prayed these things with them I could feel my own struggle as a parent wanting to take on God's job of protecting and not to take responsibility for my job of preparing them to deal with the good and bad of life. 

And then, I smile. I smile because every year with my kids gets better.  I am having more fun as a dad than ever. The baby stage was great, but I love seeing them grow and think and imagine and dream. I love seeing their personalities unfold as they realize their strengths and weaknesses.  And right there, with those thoughts, God reminds me to not miss what there is to gain for what I must leave behind.  What I am loosing with my kids growing up is gaining me something new with them and Him. 

As I think about all of this, I realize something.  Back to school is not something of my yesteryear's, it something God calls me back to with every new school year my kids begin.  "OK, Father, I'm here.  Teach me.  Grow me. Change me this year because I have a whole lot to learn and you are the Master teacher.  Amen."

Respond or Resist?

Sometimes people ask me what I am reading in my personal time of prayer and Scripture meditation.  This week I have been in 2 Timothy.  As I read chapters three and four today I was reminded that every preacher and every church must decide if they will heed Paul's warning which applies as much today as it did then. Will we respond to or resist the truth?  My decision, as the preacher,  has been made.  What about you Living Hope Church family? I thank God for you and I am praying for you!

2 Timothy 3-4

New International Version (NIV)

3 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

⁶ They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, ⁷ always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. ⁹ But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.
¹⁰ You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, ¹¹ persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. ¹² In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures,which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:² Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. ⁵ But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

My Grandpa Use to Say...

My Grandpa used to say, "Life's great if you don't weaken."  I use to hear that as a child and think, "What the heck does that mean?"  The older I get, the more that saying makes sense. 

Just as many times as I heard my Grandpa say that phrase, I heard him ask a question like this:  "I don't understand why it seems those who live the worst and hurt the most seem to come out smell'n like roses.  Why is that?"  And then he'd say, "Well, I guess life is great if you don't weaken." 

As far as I know my Grandpa never finished high school, but wisdom has little to do with formal education.  He had come to the conclusion that the only way to live well was to not weaken.  I think of the Scripture that says, "Do not weary in doing good for you will reap a harvest of righteousness."  Any body need that promise today?  I do.  Go ahead, read it again.  Insert your name at the start of the sentence: "(Fill in your name), do not weary in doing good for you will reap a harvest of righteousness." 

Obviously, the Scripture is keeping it real because you would not be weary if doing good was always going to be easy. Opposition and obstacles are to be expected.  But the promise of God is also to be expected.  If you do not weaken, God will give you a harvest. 

May be some of us reading are like my Grandpa.  As much as we want to believe that promise, we can't shake the question, "Why do people lie, cheat and steal and still seem to prosper?"  God answers that question in Psalm 37.  I encourage you to read it for yourself.  It may not just answer that question, but it may also give you what you need not to weary in doing good because, as my Grandpa use to say, "Life's great if you don't weaken."

Sometimes it Takes a Worm

This week I was taking my daily walk, when I came across a worm laying on the sidewalk. As I walked past it, I thought, "If my kids were here they would rescue the worm from the risk of drying up on the sidewalk (some thing that a PBS show taught them to do)."  As I kept on walking, I thought, "I guess I could stop and do the same."  So, feeling some what foolish, I retraced about ten steps back to the worm, picked it up and released it in the grass.  I then turned around and right then, there was this huge, magnificently colored yellow and black butterfly. I would have missed the butterfly if not for that worm.  I don't know about you, but that seems to apply to my life:   Sometimes you have to stop and pick up a worm to see a butterfly. 

It seems like there are a lot of worms in this life.  Some of them are people, some of them are negative circumstances, some of them are worries that never happen, some of them come from my own poor choices...Yes, worms are drying on the side walk all the time.  The temptation is to try to ignore them.  I have actually heard people said, "May be it will all just work out on its own?"   (Sure it will...and then may be Tinker Bell will just happen to bring you some pixie dust so you can fly, too).  But for those of us who have tried denial and found it to be an unfaithful friend, we have learned to turn around, face the worm and become hands on with it. It is never fun.  Often times it is awkward and some times down right painful, but my experience has been it is always easier to deal with the worm than to step over it and then try to scrape it off the sidewalk later. 

OK..so may be I have run this analogy into the ground :-) , but I do believe that is what The Father is trying to get us to see in Hebrews 12:1-13.  I hope you will take a moment to give it a read.  It helps us be honest about our need to deal with the worms, but then it is incredibly full of promise for those who are willing.  Verse 11 puts it this way, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  There it is...see it...a remarkable butterfly.

Why not turn around and deal with the worm on your sidewalk head on.  You may be surprised by what follows than just all the things you are afraid will happen...dealing with that worm may just let you see a butterfly. 

An Invitation I Can't Refuse

Jesus said, "Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest."

Anybody weary?  Life is a wonderful gift, but it can also be wearisome.  Things happen.  Hurt comes.  Mistakes and sins are committed and consequences follow.  Things that we have no control over go wrong.  Other people make choices that negatively impact us.  And, we get tired.  Or at least I do. 

Anybody burdened?  I wonder how many people will read this and say yes as they feel the weight of the world bearing down on their shoulders.  Its heavy.  It feels like it will never let up.  You can feel its weight physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.  Yes, that is a burden. 

If you relate to one or both of the above, then get this: You are exactly who Jesus is inviting...I know, right? He is inviting weary and burdened people?  Is he sure he does not want strong and joyful people?  He wants we whose shoulders are sagging and eyes are on the ground.  Yep...you and I are exactly who he has in mind.  He knows you have enough on you that he makes the invitation very simple...its just three words..."Come to me."  Get that...let it sink in...Jesus wants weary and burdened people like you and me to come to him right now. 

Why? He invites us to come so he can give us rest.   I don't know about you, but that is an invitation I cannot refuse. 

This Sunday we will be talking about the rest Jesus invites us to enter.  If you or someone you know is weary and burdened, I hope you will receive the invitation to come. 

I Am a Warrior

Mary Miller is a part of the Living Hope Church family.  As we have been studying Ephesians 6, which describes the armor of God we, the Church, are to put on to bring truth, justice, peace, salvation and God's Word to the world, Mary was inspired to write the following poem.  She gave me permission to share it with you.  I believe God will use her words to encourage you as he has me.  Thank you, Mary!

I Am a Warrior

I live life in a fallen world

I battle to not survive but thrive and I have

Though not unscathed

My scars remind me of what I have conquered

I am a leader

Hope, faith, love, humility and perseverance are my superpowers

Each time I venture out to do more, to be who God created me to be, I am in the battle zone

Yet I do not fight alone for my faith in Christ is my shield

The church and God’s angles are my army

We all follow His lead

This life is a hazardous journey and

Everywhere you turn there is a battle

I fall – I pick myself up

When I am broken He carries me; He heals me

The best part is I learn to be more like Him

I begin to anticipate and expect trouble, to expect pain, to expect chaos

To expect all that Christ experienced and warned me about

And in the battle, in Him I have peace

So I keep going

I keep moving forward

I am a warrior

I am strong

My strength comes not from my physical body but my heart

My desire to help others to become whole in Christ– to become fellow warriors

At times I feel weak but I know that is a lie from the enemy of my soul

For Christ is my strength and through Him I am armed for battle

I could not become a warrior until I was able to see His strength in me

I used to shrink back, to isolate, to hide

I grieved God’s heart when I believed that lie

The enemy doesn’t want me to know I am strong

He doesn’t want me to fulfill God’s will for my life

He doesn’t want the injustice of this world to stop

Or for me to rise up, speak up, give a voice to the warrior’s anthem

I will NOT give up

I will NOT quit

I am a warrior

I fight injustice

I fight for my heart and the hearts of others

And though I know life is not a Disney movie

I know how this ends and

I am on the winning team

By Mary Miller, June 2013

Sweet Release

Have you ever found yourself driving on the highway between orange barrels and a concrete wall in the middle of a hard rain that makes visibility seem barley possible while some other driver is is being reckless?  I have.  In that experience, I find myself gripping the steering wheel tightly, straining my eyes to see and praying that I stay alert and careful. I can feel all of my muscles tightening as I drive in those unfavorable conditions.  And then, just when I think I am wound so tight I can take no more, the construction ends, the rain stops and the crazy driver speeds away.  And when that happens, I can physically feel all my muscles begin to relax.  My grip loosens.  My breathing becomes soothing.  My eyes no longer feel strained.  O, yes, that is a sweet release of stress and tension. 

I have a feeling there are a whole lot of people walking around gripping the steering wheel of life in the same fashion. Most of us, don't even realize we are doing so, but those who know us best can sure see it. Strained, stressed, tense people have a way of being irritable, worried and even afraid.  Not exactly qualities that make life fun for the person gripping the wheel or those riding with them. 

On Sunday night, I experienced a sweet release from God.  I have been wrestling in prayer over a particular concern for several months.  On Sunday night, God revealed to me that I was gripping the steering wheel as though I was in the drivers seat.  He made it clear that even my prayers were my attempt to be in control.  I asked why I was doing that and he showed me it was fear-based.  With that truth I went to a place of prayer with many others and I let go of this particular steering wheel. I put it in his hands.  And God, in all his love and mercy, broke through all my callousness of fear. 

When I got up from prayer, I could physically feel months worth of gripping leave my body as I rested in his hands. 

May be you are feeling the same way as I was? Today I invite you to fall before him.  Ask him why you are gripping the wheel so tightly?  Put that which has you strained, stressed and afraid in his hands.  And then...this is so good...experience his sweet release.

"The Light is Not At the End of the Tunnel"

The other day I received a face book message from LH member, Vickie McBride.  (You may recall her name from a fundraiser we participated at El Rancho Grande this past winter.  Vickie has been fighting cancer.  She has made it through chemotherapy and surgeries and now she is enduring radiation.  Please continue pray for Vickie and her family).  In her face book message she shared a truth from God that she had received that has been carrying her through this process and she gave me permission to share it with you. 

She said, " HIS light is only a step in front of me and not at the "end of the tunnel"."  Isn't that an awesome truth from God?! 

Life really can become dark at times, can't it? As we have been studying in Ephesians 6:10 and following, "our struggle is not against flesh and blood..." It is not against what we can see, but unseen forces of darkness.  And these forces can make things seem so dark that it appears there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Have you ever felt like that?  When I feel like that, I find myself saying things like, "Here we go again," or "This is never going to end" or "I just can't keep going" or "I give up."  It can be extremely overwhelming, scary and discouraging to not see any light at the end of the tunnel. 

However, God's word of hope to Vickie is for all of us.  It is straight form the Bible.  God never promised to be our light at the end of the tunnel.  He is not waiting at the end to see if we will make it.  No!  He promises to gives us light for each step we take.  He is walking just a step ahead of us, giving us exactly the light we need as we need it.  And when you are walking through a time of darkness, isn't that what is needed most--light for the next step, his nearness and his guidance?

I hope Vickie's word from God encourages you as much it did me.  Next, time I do not see light at the end of the tunnel, I am going to thank God and look at the next step before because that is where I will see HIS LIGHT! 

Sun Delay

Yesterday, I was driving to the office and heard the radio traffic reporter say that there were "sun delays" on 1-75.  Traffic was being slowed because the sun was so bright.  I thought to myself, I guess of all the reasons you could experience a traffic jam that sun delay has to be one of the better.

Since then I have been praying that God would interrupt my traffic pattern with his own "Son delay" (come one...you had to see that word pun coming...unless, of course, the sun was in your eyes and you couldn't see it...ha!  I'll be here all week!). 

What would change for the better in our lives, if we were forced to slow down because we God got in our eyes?  You might ask, how could i have this experience?  Jesus describes how to experience regular Son delays in Matthew 25.  Why not take some time to read that passage until His light begins to break through?

Too Big for 1, Just Right for All

I can remember a time, when occasionally, Seth would come clomping out into the room wearing my size 13 shoes.  He would say, "Look at me."  We would say, "Be careful," as he struggled to stay vertical in shoes in which he could more easily swim than run. 

Seth in my shoes is a good metaphor for our faith in Jesus Christ.  Some where along the way American individualism turned faith in Christ into a private, personal pursuit.  We read passages like Ephesians 6:10-20, which talks about putting on the armor of God and a lone soldier facing the elements and defending him/herself against the enemy comes to mind.  However, such a mind-set is not just an incorrect interpretation of that passage of Scripture, it is just plain ole bad theology.  To put it most bluntly, it is not even Christian or biblical thinking.

The truth is faith in Jesus Christ is too big for any individual Christian to wear alone.  When we walk around thinking its just me and Jesus, spiritually speaking, we look as silly and clumsy as a three year old in size 13 shoes.  Faith in Jesus is about putting on truth, justice, peace, faith, salvation and the word of God (see Eph. 6). Any one of those items are too big for us, but put them all together and there is no way we can stand let alone walk in a faith that is fitted for Jesus.

Therefore, Paul says in Ephesians 6 we must put this full armor of God on together so that "you" meaning "you all"; in other words, all of us toegtehr as the Body of Christ can take your stand against the devil's schemes.   That is why Baptism is so important.  Each person being baptized is putting on the full armor of God because baptism is what unites us with the Body of Christ.  The armor of God is too big for any one of us, but is just the right fit for us together as Jesus' Body.

Furthermore, that is why it is so important that the local Body of Christ make baptism services a priority.  This is not just about the one being baptized.  This is about us showing the one that they are now being fitted to the entire Body. Our presence this Sunday along with our worship and cheers gives witness to the reality that each one being baptized will never again be going it alone.  We make this journey to the summit together!

Please pray for those preparing to be baptized.  The Enemy fights any step we take with Jesus, especially one that overcomes the lie of individualism and accepts the truth that I am a part of the Body.  Thank you for those who plan to attend and support your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Your part on Sunday is as important as those being baptized.  Finally, for those of you who always choose not to come to baptism service, can I ask you a question?  This time instead of relying on whatever reason you use to opt out of a baptism service, will you at least take the time to pray and ask God to search your heart on this?  After all, faith in Jesus is too big for one, but just right for all and that is not just truth for some, but for us all.