I received an email last week that stated, “What do you do when all hope seems lost?” Basically the email was about what do you do when it seems as if God has let you down? Last week I had a week in which it seemed (notice I said seemed) as if God let people down. There were several families that I either met with or heard from who were going through extreme trials and pain. Some were concerning financial difficulties, some were concerning relationship issues, some were going through the grief of the unexpected loss of a baby, and some were in the middle of a marriage crisis. What do we do when it seems as if God has let us down? This is no easy question to answer and maybe it’s not even the right question to ask. I think part of the issue in America with God is that we have made Him to be a fairy. He is our wish commander. We expect God to do what we ask whenever we ask it. We expect God to be that person that gets us out of every bind we put ourselves in. We see God as that person that is supposed to prevent us from every hurt and pain. I believe this is faulty theology. I think far too many Americans think Gods purpose is to make their lives easy, great and comfortable, if that is you, you are missing the boat. The opposite is true God is not to make us great but rather we are to make Him great. A constant prayer I pray for myself and family is God do whatever you need to, whatever it takes God to keep us dependent and relying on You. God do whatever is necessary for us to have complete reliance on you. What do we do when it seems as if God has let us down? Well we make Him great in those times. John Piper often says, “God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied in Him.” That’s part of the answer to the question of what do we do when it seems as if God has let us down, we keep finding our satisfaction in Him and not our circumstances. See when that email came and when all these people went through this hurt and pain all at once it was a great reminder to me. God is not a puppet. God is not obligated to answer selfish prayers. God is not obligated to take away pain from our lives. God is not obligated to make a believers’ life a bed of roses. We are obligated though to make Him and His name glorious. We are obligated to truly rely on Him and Him alone. We are obligated to walk in faith that all things do work together for the good for those who believe and Love Him. All those families that I had the great privilege to minister to last week was a great reminder to me because I found myself for a minute asking, “Hey God what’s going on here, these families love you and these families are serving you?” It was personal for me. Some of these families Les and I have been on a monthly basis fasting and praying specifically for them. So you think God we did what you told us to do, and they are doing what you told them to do, yet look right now their hearts are getting ripped right out of their chest they are hurting and struggling so bad. See it was also personal for me in the fact that one of our reason for fasting to pray was for ourselves. Our middle daughter Ari is in need of getting some orthodontic work done. She desperately needs this. With our insurance the dentist said they will either approve the work at 100% or 0% so we fasted and prayed and confidently went to the Lord and asked that the insurance would find favor with her case. We prayed with assurance that it would be covered. We received in the mail last week a letter from the insurance saying they have denied the claim, 0% covered. What do you do when it seems like God has let you down? Shortly after I received that letter I went to the doctor office to get a shot and on the way I heard from My Savior and so I texted Lesleigh this. “My Savior said everything is going to be Ok. So you need to know lester everything will be OK.” With that she responded, “you just made me smile because at first I said God we prayed with such assurance and faith you’d take care of it and then I immediately thought He will provide and be glorified even greater through this than if the insurance will take care of it.” So we are learning to make God most glorified when we are most satisfied in Him. We have made arrangements for Ari to get braces it’s just money and will get taken care for someway. But we have also gone forward with something else. See we have been praying for a while now about being foster parents and also fostering to adopt or just adopting. It seems like an impossible thing to do right now, especially financially with this added bill of the braces. We are claiming Proverbs 16:13, Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.” We will be taking the classes and getting our home visit set up so that we will be certified. We would love to finish our attic for more living space so we can the most space to take in the most kids. We are committing these plans to the Lord and so they will be established. The reality is God doesn’t let us down. There is nothing that has come into our lives that hasn’t come into it for the purpose of making God great and glorifying His name in it. Remember that everything in your life is in it for a God purpose. When we begin to see everything, good and bad, in our life as opportunities to glorify God we will be most satisfied in Him. Please join me in praying that as believers we make it our goal not to be safe but rather to say whatever it takes God make me to make you great! This can be done. A family just miscarried their baby boy at 20 weeks and in the midst of it they have said over and over, God is enough, God is great, God is our peace. They have said over and over, It is well. It is well. Listen this glorying God and making Him great. It can be done. Recently a wife comes to me and tells me her husband has had an affair on her. Today we are planning on renewing their vows this October and baptizing as a part of their wedding renewal. They are more in love today than they have been in there 20 years of marriage. They are more committed to Christ today than they have been in a long, long time. This is glorying God and making Him great. It can be done.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
How are you abiding in his word?
The Christian who is careless in Bible reading will be careless in Christian living. I think we all believe and understand this. I think we would all agree that is indeed a true statement. The more time I spend in the word is going to directly relate to the kingdom life I live. Read little, live little. Read much, live much. Yesterday at FBC one of the verses that I preached from is John 8:31, 32, which says, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV). Jesus gives us some clear instruction here about what we should be doing with his word; he makes it clear if you really are my disciples you are going to abide in it. Then he says as you abide in it you are going to know the truth and the truth will set you free. This is great news for the person who realizes that they in prison, in need of being set free. For those who do not realize they are enslaved it is not much news at all. This was the reaction of the Jews Jesus was speaking to. We are not slaves, we are not in need of being freed. As believers in Jesus Christ we need to realize from this verse that some of the keys to our kingdom lived life is directly related to our bible reading life. Even more important is the implications for struggling believers. For the believer who is struggling with an addiction, with a relationship problem, with finding joy, with all those things that seem to keep us enslaved this is very important because there is a direct correlation to you abiding in Jesus' word and knowing the truth that sets you free. In context Jesus is speaking to the crowd about understanding, believing and putting their trust into what Jesus was saying about himself to them in this chapter. For us today we can apply this verse to how we allow the bible to enter in us by reading it. I am not sure if you have a person in your life that models this to you. I do. My role model is my wife, Lesleigh. Lesleigh has committed herself to having daily time of reading the Word and also reading Christian books. Myself and our kids know that when they see mom sitting in her chair upstairs that she is off limits.(at least we are suppose to know this) Without fail my wife no matter what has gone on or what is going to go on that day has her time with God. She is such an encouragement to me, showing me that it can be done. Thinking about this I thought of some practical suggestions for abiding in His Word.
1. Quality over Quantity- Choose quality time in the word and not necessary quantity. Many people read through the bible in a year and it's very rushed. Others use the Daily Bread or other short devotionals. I am not knocking these practices. I am just saying for me personally the times I have done this I find myself just trying to check a box on some reading plan so I can say I did that or feeling frustrated by the lack of substance in devotionals. I find myself not really reading for growth just reading to get it done. I think that the best thing to do is the read the bible a book at a time. Study a whole book at once. Take your time and learn and grow and read for growth in and for your life.
2. Consistency- The goal should be everyday but this is not reality in the world we live in. All thought no matter how busy we are, we never fail to eat, sleep, watch TV, etc. We should strive to be steady eddies. Slow and steady wins the race. If the habit is read 1 day miss 7, read 2 days miss 3, read 5 days miss 20 etc its going to produce in you the same kind of kingdom living. You will live out the word just as inconsistently as you read it. You can set a time and try to stick to it or be flexible with what going on in your life. Many people love to get up in the morning and spend time in the morning reading the word. If that is you that is great. I am more of a noon guy myself. And some are more of night people. The time doesn’t matter, the consistency does.
3. Mediate-I think this is really something many believers miss. A major point of your reading should be so that you can ponder on it. Think of the cow with his food. He eats it and shallows it, pukes it up and chews some more and then swallows it again. OK maybe don’t think about to much. Read your bible in a way so that you remember it and chew on it through the day and week. It does little good to read and then not to think about it again. For all of you married folks where both are believers, this is a great marriage builder. Les and I haven’t to many weeks go by since we were saved that we don’t mediate on scripture together by talking them through.
4. Be selfish-. This is the simplest yet the hardest to do at times A couple of weeks ago I asked Les if she wanted to play domino's and she said she would really like to but was just getting ready to go read so she said I’ll pass. Be selfish. Say no. Say no to your husband, your kids, your friends. Guard some time for you to hear from God. And don't feel guilty over it.
5. Don’t give up- When you get and are inconsistent just don’t give up. When you have those stretches were you aren’t reading like you should don’t give up. Set it in your heart that you are going to get back at it, pray for the ability and determination to get going again and then just do it. Whatever you do don’t get in a rut and then think you can’t get out of it or that is doesn’t matter or that God wont forgive you.
1. Quality over Quantity- Choose quality time in the word and not necessary quantity. Many people read through the bible in a year and it's very rushed. Others use the Daily Bread or other short devotionals. I am not knocking these practices. I am just saying for me personally the times I have done this I find myself just trying to check a box on some reading plan so I can say I did that or feeling frustrated by the lack of substance in devotionals. I find myself not really reading for growth just reading to get it done. I think that the best thing to do is the read the bible a book at a time. Study a whole book at once. Take your time and learn and grow and read for growth in and for your life.
2. Consistency- The goal should be everyday but this is not reality in the world we live in. All thought no matter how busy we are, we never fail to eat, sleep, watch TV, etc. We should strive to be steady eddies. Slow and steady wins the race. If the habit is read 1 day miss 7, read 2 days miss 3, read 5 days miss 20 etc its going to produce in you the same kind of kingdom living. You will live out the word just as inconsistently as you read it. You can set a time and try to stick to it or be flexible with what going on in your life. Many people love to get up in the morning and spend time in the morning reading the word. If that is you that is great. I am more of a noon guy myself. And some are more of night people. The time doesn’t matter, the consistency does.
3. Mediate-I think this is really something many believers miss. A major point of your reading should be so that you can ponder on it. Think of the cow with his food. He eats it and shallows it, pukes it up and chews some more and then swallows it again. OK maybe don’t think about to much. Read your bible in a way so that you remember it and chew on it through the day and week. It does little good to read and then not to think about it again. For all of you married folks where both are believers, this is a great marriage builder. Les and I haven’t to many weeks go by since we were saved that we don’t mediate on scripture together by talking them through.
4. Be selfish-. This is the simplest yet the hardest to do at times A couple of weeks ago I asked Les if she wanted to play domino's and she said she would really like to but was just getting ready to go read so she said I’ll pass. Be selfish. Say no. Say no to your husband, your kids, your friends. Guard some time for you to hear from God. And don't feel guilty over it.
5. Don’t give up- When you get and are inconsistent just don’t give up. When you have those stretches were you aren’t reading like you should don’t give up. Set it in your heart that you are going to get back at it, pray for the ability and determination to get going again and then just do it. Whatever you do don’t get in a rut and then think you can’t get out of it or that is doesn’t matter or that God wont forgive you.
Monday, April 4, 2011
When The Game Is Over Everything Goes Back In The Box
But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.” John 8:23,24
As a pastor a reality I am reminded of on a consistent basis is the reality of death. When the game of life is over we all end up in a box. There is no discrimination to this reality, all who live will someday die no exceptions. The question I think we need to ask ourselves is when we do die what will our death mean? Will our death count because we made our lives count? The fact is there are many things that are worthwhile that we can fill our lives with while we are living that seems like we are making it count. The fact is the only worthwhile thing to fill our lives with that will make our life count is Jesus Christ. When you take your last breath and die the only question that you are going to be concerned about is- Was Jesus Christ my all consuming passion and desire? Everything else will become so pale in comparison with this question. I want to help as many people as possible to have Jesus Christ as their all consuming passion. This is why I preach the word as hard and as passionately as I do. This is also why I try to live the word as passionately and hard as I try to. The sad reality that I hear from people is this. They consistently feel as if they are not making their life count. The feel defeated when it comes to Jesus being their all consuming passion and desire. They feel as if there is no joy or growth in their spiritual life. If this is your struggle here are a couple of practical suggestions to help you.
1. Focus on today. This is old news I know but it is rarely really practiced. Think about how much time you spend thinking about your past and how it keeps you stuck in the present. I know many people that are stuck in their past failures and past mistakes. A key to living a life that counts is to realize that in Christ you have indeed been forgiven of your past. You no longer have to be held in bondage from old baggage. On the flip side of this we also struggle with the fact that we become anxious about tomorrow. We begin to think of all the things in the future that might come into our lives and we allow it to freeze us in present. I know in my life most of the stuff that I become anxious about is stuff that pertains to the future and 99% of the time in never comes to pass. I worry most about possibilities that never become a reality. A practical thing we can do as believers is to focus on today and live for the day. We can wake up each morning realizing that we have been forgiven of yesterday, realizing God has the answers for tomorrow, giving us the power to live for today.
2. Cherish the gift of people that God has surrounded you with. Don’t waste your life by wishing for all the things you want or all the people you would like to have around. Instead cherish the things and relationships that you have and pour all your efforts into enjoying them. Focus today on the people God has placed in your life to share your life with. Spend some time thanking God for the people in your life and then spend time growing in relationships with them. Nothing gives life more purpose and joy than when you are investing your life into loving and knowing people in a intimate way like Jesus did. The greatest gift we can give is the gift of giving and pouring ourselves into the lives of others.
3. Be selfish. This sounds weird doesn’t it? What I mean is be selfish to guard alone time with God. You should have some time in your life in which you say this is me time to connect with God today. My wife is a master of this. She sets aside time daily in which she reads her bible and reads Christian books so that she gets connected with God everyday through scripture and meditation on scripture. She doesn’t compromise this time. She sets it aside and during that time the kids and myself are off her radar and we know she is off limits. It’s just her and her great God and Savior. This is one of the most important things she does to keep her life focused on making it count and it is also something of great importance for you to do.
This is by no means a check list. It is not do these three things and you will make your life count. It is however three practical things you can do to help you run the race of life well so that when you die you will have ran well. After all that is our goal as believers.
As a pastor a reality I am reminded of on a consistent basis is the reality of death. When the game of life is over we all end up in a box. There is no discrimination to this reality, all who live will someday die no exceptions. The question I think we need to ask ourselves is when we do die what will our death mean? Will our death count because we made our lives count? The fact is there are many things that are worthwhile that we can fill our lives with while we are living that seems like we are making it count. The fact is the only worthwhile thing to fill our lives with that will make our life count is Jesus Christ. When you take your last breath and die the only question that you are going to be concerned about is- Was Jesus Christ my all consuming passion and desire? Everything else will become so pale in comparison with this question. I want to help as many people as possible to have Jesus Christ as their all consuming passion. This is why I preach the word as hard and as passionately as I do. This is also why I try to live the word as passionately and hard as I try to. The sad reality that I hear from people is this. They consistently feel as if they are not making their life count. The feel defeated when it comes to Jesus being their all consuming passion and desire. They feel as if there is no joy or growth in their spiritual life. If this is your struggle here are a couple of practical suggestions to help you.
1. Focus on today. This is old news I know but it is rarely really practiced. Think about how much time you spend thinking about your past and how it keeps you stuck in the present. I know many people that are stuck in their past failures and past mistakes. A key to living a life that counts is to realize that in Christ you have indeed been forgiven of your past. You no longer have to be held in bondage from old baggage. On the flip side of this we also struggle with the fact that we become anxious about tomorrow. We begin to think of all the things in the future that might come into our lives and we allow it to freeze us in present. I know in my life most of the stuff that I become anxious about is stuff that pertains to the future and 99% of the time in never comes to pass. I worry most about possibilities that never become a reality. A practical thing we can do as believers is to focus on today and live for the day. We can wake up each morning realizing that we have been forgiven of yesterday, realizing God has the answers for tomorrow, giving us the power to live for today.
2. Cherish the gift of people that God has surrounded you with. Don’t waste your life by wishing for all the things you want or all the people you would like to have around. Instead cherish the things and relationships that you have and pour all your efforts into enjoying them. Focus today on the people God has placed in your life to share your life with. Spend some time thanking God for the people in your life and then spend time growing in relationships with them. Nothing gives life more purpose and joy than when you are investing your life into loving and knowing people in a intimate way like Jesus did. The greatest gift we can give is the gift of giving and pouring ourselves into the lives of others.
3. Be selfish. This sounds weird doesn’t it? What I mean is be selfish to guard alone time with God. You should have some time in your life in which you say this is me time to connect with God today. My wife is a master of this. She sets aside time daily in which she reads her bible and reads Christian books so that she gets connected with God everyday through scripture and meditation on scripture. She doesn’t compromise this time. She sets it aside and during that time the kids and myself are off her radar and we know she is off limits. It’s just her and her great God and Savior. This is one of the most important things she does to keep her life focused on making it count and it is also something of great importance for you to do.
This is by no means a check list. It is not do these three things and you will make your life count. It is however three practical things you can do to help you run the race of life well so that when you die you will have ran well. After all that is our goal as believers.
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