The Heaven's Declare...

It's only July 21st and this summer has been a summer of ministry like I have not experienced.  There have been days of stretching, days of filling and days of pouring.

God's grace has required more.  He has stretched my willingness, challenged my motives and revealed my shortfalls...all for His glory.

God's grace has given more.  He has opened my eyes, softened my heart and filled me with greater discernment...all for His glory.

God's grace has been poured out more.  He has caused some to desire Him, shown His people greater depths of His fullness, and has placed a constant flow of servants in my path to pour my heart into...all for His glory.

This summer has had plenty of struggles, plenty of victories and plenty of circumstances that were and some that remain uncertain.  Closing out a couple of months of ministry unlike anything I have experienced...I share this picture.

This picture (taken by Jason Carlton) captures the essence of everything experienced this summer.  Six months ago as I was praying about how God would desire NEXT camp to spend it's Tuesday night, I desperately hoped for an avenue to describe the glory/majesty of Christ.  After a few days of prayer, a verse popped into my mind that would decide our Tuesday night plans, "The heavens declare the glory of God..." (Psalm 19:1). We would spend the evening under the stars in a time of worship with song and Scripture.  For six long months, the major thought was, "God, let there be clear skies...otherwise this night will never work."  In the end, the stars serve only as a reminder of the lesson learned this night.  

You see, this same Tuesday we lost electricity at camp 30 minutes prior to worship.  As we adjusted the worship and preaching time to be held outside on a hill, there was no concern as to what would be done after the sun went down.  God's people were at peace as the plans God had given for the night were the ONLY plans that could have happened without electricity.  For six months I was concerned about clouds in the sky...but in hindsight, God knew that the lack of electricity would steal the show.  

We are all going through a lot in our lives, we have many reasons to fret and be concerned.  We think, "If only this one thing will work out, then it will be okay!"  Allow these stars to remind you of the lesson I learned Tuesday night.  Whether God's grace is stretching, filling or pouring you out...It is not about you, but it is all for His glory.  

His plan is good, perfect and complete...the details have been considered and accounted for before you knew a thing.  The heavens truly do declare the glory of God...find peace in your place as you gaze into the skies tonight.

Things Have Changed.

I'm really not sure when and not sure how, but things have changed.  I don't know if the change is due to age, phase of life, or the growing size of our family.  It doesn't feel like I have hit a mid life crisis, I don't feel depressed, but I definitely feel different.  The other day I woke up and realized that I was less concerned with what I can build and more thoughtful about what I will leave.  Without an intentional thought, I have given up the "gaining ground" mentality in order to adopt the "leaving a legacy" mentality.
To be honest, I have never been all that good at the "gaining ground" mindset to begin with. I have struggled to be hard nosed in the game of business.  Money has never been something I have seen much of.  Back breaking work seems to have come more natural than innovative thinking.  As I have accepted the fate that I will never gain as much ground as the other guy, my territory has increased anyway.  I have been given way more than I could have ever earned in my own strength, provisions have never run dry and resources have always exceeded the need.  Maybe this is why I can now turn my mind away from gaining ground and toward leaving a legacy...the ground was never mine to gain, it is only mine to steward.

I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot.  For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?  Ecclesiastes 3:22

Who can bring me to see what will happen after my time is gone?  All that I have worked for, gained and achieved will belong to another and all that remains is not what I left behind, but what I invested...the legacy I leave.  These three amazing kids in the picture above represent the greatest gain of my life.  Apart from my wife, who is my crown, these kids will be my main concern after my time is gone.  How will they turn out?  Who will they give their love to?  Will they be able to handle this life on their own?
Who can bring me back to check on these?  No one.  If I am truly concerned with these beautiful children after I am gone, then I will begin leaving my legacy with them today.

The legacy Shelli and I are hoping to leave is this...
There is One who loves you more than all others.  He desires you, seeks you, waits for you, is compassionate toward you, He will and has already done everything He can for you...
His name is Jesus and you can trust Him.
With all He has done for you, you now do for others.  Micah, Brandt and Justus...
We pray you love others as Jesus loves you.

Confessing what we already know.

Excuse me for a moment while I think out loud.
The past week I have re-realized something that I have known for quite some time.  It is no hidden secret...in fact it is often the focus of many jokes and subtle (or not so subtle) stabs at me from those I love the most.
Once again, it has been in the front of my mind that I struggle most with...get ready, here it comes...

PRIDE.

Here are the signs that have brought this to the front of my mind...

• I wait for compliments when I think I've done well.  Not with obvious obsession, but quietly anticipating to be patted on the back.
• If I don't get complements, I question myself.
• No amount of compliments satisfy me...like lays chips, "you can't eat just one."

Here is the reason I find myself concerned about the issue of being proud...

     "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."  Proverbs 16:18

The fall is always one step away.  One wrong move and all we work for can be gone.  This is why Moses and Joshua were constantly reminding the people, "do not turn to the left or the right!"  

There is the flip side to this whole story...the one where the overly humble do nothing in the name of "meekness."  The message of "do not turn" was not an excuse to not move!  

Here are the positive things I've noticed as I teeter between pride and faith...

• I do things I've never done...inexperience is not an excuse, but I often feel like anything is possible.
• I find myself over my head...this is good!  It's when I have exceeded my ability that I've gained first-hand knowledge of the power of God.
• There are no regrets...no I should haves or could haves.

Many godly men have fallen in the name of pride, "How the mighty have fallen!"  

On the flip side, no godly men have left a legacy by sitting on the couch.  

Final Thoughts Preceding 13.1

In only about forty-one and one half hours, I will be participating in my first half marathon.  These are my final thoughts following my last four mile run prior to race day...

1.  Brrr...  Advantage Aaron Johnson and the others who have trained in the Northeast.  It should not be this cold in March, race time is expected to be about 30 degrees.  But one thing I've learned about the cold and other elements is that focusing on the finish line disables distractions. 
"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith."  Hebrews 12:1-2

2.  Glad the neighbor chained his dog...  Between doberman bites, shin splints and nausea, the past five months have offered sufficient deterrents.  No matter what we do, there are always plenty of reasons to quit but I am glad to say I chose to continue.
"I beat my body and make it my slave so that...I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."  1 Corinthians 9:27

3.  My legs feel strong...  I truly am surprised at how good my legs felt today.  This last four miles was my fastest four miles and not because I pushed hard...from being faithful to the process.
"...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."  Romans 5:3-4

4.  I am slow...  My mom informed me a few months ago that according to her running days, she would easily keep up with me...I have not got much faster since then.  The good thing for me is this race is not against anyone else but against the finish line.  Sometimes victory is not determined by how many are behind you, but having nothing left before you.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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."  2 Timothy 4:7-8

 

Focus on the finish...don't quit...stay faithful...recieve the reward. 

I hope we all stay in the race which Christ has placed us today.

The Original Starbucks

The original Starbucks in downtown Seattle doesn't have near the decor or appeal as does everyone which has come after it.  This Starbucks is full of brown cardboard boxes, they don't sell travel mugs or coffee cups off the shelf, and there are no bistro tables where one could take advantage of free wifi for hours on end.  Quite simply, this store just sells coffee.  There is a quiet confidence that comes from  saying, "We are a coffee shop, and we will sell coffee...not an image." 

During my recent travels to WA I spent many hours on a plane and just about as many in a car named Danica, she was a beaut!  During my time on the plane I had the honor to spend a significant amount of time getting to know Brett (on the way to WA) and Clint (on the way home), both of which were from the Seattle area.  These men are very different from one another, yet very similar at the same time.  Sometimes as we interact with people in our hometowns the relationships turn into productions...like extravagant local coffee shops.  But these two men carried a quiet confidence which I appreciated, much like the coffee shop that decides to "sell coffee" I found an honest realness that was not intimidated by the views we held that were different.

There was an amazing hope that swelled in my heart as I shared the depths of the gospel which I imagine these great men had never heard.  They listened with attentiveness, asked questions with inquisitiveness, and considered every word of the Scriptures.  For a moment, the gospel encountered a world which has not made room for the God of the Bible, and I will continue to pray for Clint and Brett, that they would trade in the fears of a self led life for the hope of a life in relationship with the Creator of the world. 

The gospel of Jesus is not is not in need of our fancy productions, free wifi and bistro tables.  What God has revealed to me is that the gospel of Jesus needs the homes of the Church to be less like the Starbucks chain closest to your neighborhood and more like the original...please consider how your home can become less dependant upon the gimmicks of decor and mass appeal and begin to carry a quiet confidence as you merely train your spouse and children to trust everything to the One who gave you everything.

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."  Ephesians 6:4

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2:5-11

Chicken and Waffles

There are two extremes when it comes to a food diet...starving and excess.  Last week was my vacation week and I should probably use this time to repent!  What on earth is a guy to do when his condo has three kinds of brownies, ice cream, and a key lime pie?  That would be like putting a boy in the dirt and telling him not to get dirty!  I was even tricked by someone in Satan's army into eating chicken and waffles with some sort of butter sauce!  But I am very pleased to say that after a week at home on a normal diet and week one of training for my first half marathon...the bloated and sluggish feeling is gone.

All that to say that there is a similar diet that we are in great need of maintaining.  Many of us are dying of starvation, our lives are weak and we do not even know why.  The answer is found when Jesus tells us that we are to live not only on steak and potatoes but also the Word of God (Matt. 4:4).  I am learning more and more every day that to take in the instruction and encouragement of Holy Scripture is exactly what it takes to strengthen my weakest areas in life.  Whether it be relationships which suffer, emotional struggles, or a lack of hope in life...taking in the God breathed words of Scripture never fail to fill the void of life.

The flip side of this conversation is the chicken and waffles, three kinds of brownies, ice cream, and key lime pie.  Just because I eat does not mean I am nourished or able to push through the day.  In my creativity I could justify the dairy and fruit of this diet...this is two of the major groups!  But it is the excess combined with idleness that does me in (surely I am not the only one to overdo a pie to the necessity of loosing the belt because it has fruit in the name!).  In John 4, the disciples were concerned about their rabbi as he had neglected his diet.  In a very odd response to a request for him to eat, Jesus tells them that he is quite satisfied by a food they don't know about.  What Jesus did here is take Matt 4:4, put the Word of God to action, and claim that this is the most strengthening his body could experience.   “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work." (John 4:34).  Calories without activity makes you sluggish, we are to put God's Word into action so the instruction does not sour in our stomach.

Over the past few weeks I have experienced a great fulfilling of this statement in my life.  It is my prayer that you too would engage in the Word of God, receive the promise of life, and have your feeble knees strengthened by the voice of our God which strikes with flashes of lightning!  (Heb 12:12, Psalm 29:7)

If you are in need of assistance in your daily diet of God's Word...contact me here or through facebook.

THE ART OF FILMS AND JOSHUA

The art of movies is able to rise up in a viewer a wide range of emotions.  As a good boyfriend does, I recall watching the notebook with my soon to be bride as she wept and sighed over people she never knew, and that weren't real for that matter.  Can you remember the outrageous laughter of a young teen who is enthralled with Monty Python's "Search for the Holy Grail" during the first of many viewings?  Whatever the film, the big screen has the capability of digging in deep to pull out a heart felt response as unique as the viewer itself.

The action packed, romantic drama that is recorded for us in the writings of Joshua have been increasingly tugging at something deep within myself...in a way that few storylines have been able to.  For your encouragement as well as my own, I will share with you what I've experienced as the storyline plays out...

Leading God's People.  Part 1.  Joshua 1:1-6
Many of us in leadership know the all too often used "everything rises and falls on leadership" quote from John Maxwell.  Well as Joshua's life unfolds through the pages of Scripture we see just how relevant leadership is in the life of God's people.  Joshua was a leader of leaders and had a list a mile long to speak of his reputation and qualifications...

Joshua's leadership began as "encourager" despite "discourgaers."  (read Numbers 14:5-10)
  -  Discouragers create doubt through why and why nots
  -  Encouragers generate courage to fulfill God sized visions
There are enough discouragers in this world telling you why God's vision for your life won't work.  I don't know if my 7th grade basketball coach was a Christian or not, but he knew what Joshua knew when he told us, "Excuses are like a rear end, everybody's got one and they all stink." (phrase cleaned up for the purpose of my readers)
God's people are living full of fear while they should be the boldest and most courageous in all the world...let us be generaters of courage through our words.

Reasons for courage:
  -  When God's people pursue God's purpose, they enjoy God's provisions (Joshua 1:3)
  -  God's promises are not if...they are when (Deut. 7:9, Romans 8:28)
     ...every place your foot WILL TREAD upon I HAVE GIVEN to you...
          I'm not English major, but it appears as if God put the cart before the horse...
          victory was won before the battle started according to His promise!
  -  God visions are not limited by man's ability (Romans 8:31)

I'll keep you in the loop as the plot thickens and the story unfolds.