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?”