Regaining Momentum

Dealing With Life's Detours

The year was 1979. I was seventeen and my family had recently moved to Bradenton, FL, where my father had accepted the call to pastor First Baptist Church. We had left friends, family, home and schools behind in Lithia Springs, Georgia. In an effort to cure some of my loneliness, mom invited Scott, my best friend, down to stay with us for a few weeks over the summer. The unparalleled adventures we shared growing up in Georgia now turned a new chapter!

Scott decided to get a job at Chi-Fil-A at the mall. This was mutually beneficial, as it provided him with a paycheck and the both of us food. I picked him up after work one afternoon. The plan was to hurry home, grab the poles and go fishing. I decided to take a shortcut on some dirt roads behind a golf-course to avoid the afternoon traffic. What I didn't know was in Florida's coastal towns, most 'dirt' is sand. Sand that, during the dry season, you can hardly walk on, much less drive a car on. I promptly buried my '68 Buick Special all the way to the doors in a sand-trap.

Fishing now completely out of the picture, we walked to some nearby apartments, used a phone, called a tow-truck, and went back to wait with the car, dejected at the turn of events. The tow truck arrived, backed-up to our car, and promptly sank to the top of its wheel-wells! We just gaped at the driver, who gaped back at us, and then said some not-so-nice things. A 4x4 came along and tried to help, only to become yet another member of the "Mired In A Sand Dune" club. Finally, after 3 hours we were all freed, thanks to the efforts of a tow-truck designed to rescue and tow semi-tractors! This vehicle was huge! We laughed as it backed right up to each vehicle in turn, and pulled them right out. Sure, it sank a couple of feet into the sand each time, but when you have a 4-5' wheel-span, it doesn't really matter. We were even able to get a couple of hours of fishing in before dark!

Looking back on that experience, I realize how fortunate we were, and how the Lord protected us. The lesson is not lost on me, either. Sure, we were driving a less-traveled road, but we had no idea that the lack of rain combined with the traffic had rendered the road impassable. I'll never forget the sensation of that car slowly stopping, wheels spinning; having to climb out the windows, because we couldn't get the doors open; looking at our predicament with that sinking "what-do-we-do-now?" feeling; then bursting into hysterical laughter, because we were young, best friends, had no cares, and loved life! The confidence of youth blew worries out the window. We were engaged together in yet another famous "Mark and Scott" adventure (these were notorious among our friends in Georgia)!

Scott and I have grown up and apart (although we do run into each other occasionally on Facebook), discovering along the way - as well all do - that life's unexpected 'sand traps' aren't usually fun or adventurous. In fact, they can be exceptionally challenging and deeply painful. If we're not careful, we can find ourselves as stuck as my old Buick was, bemoaning the circumstances, the failure, the loss of time, relationship and life's momentum. We might have even pulled others in with us, and now we're all stuck, trying to figure out how to get out of the mess we're in (these situations can be particularly tricky and vicious, due to the human tendency to be unforgiving). Most of the time these 'sand pits' are our own doing. We've made them ourselves, ignoring the danger signs along the way! We've totally ignored the warning in proverbs, "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."

All of us at one time or another have taken a wrong turn; done or said something we deeply regret and desperately wish we could take back. We long for a new beginning, a fresh start, but discover these opportunities are rare, and more times than not we are forced to 'lie in the bed we've made.' We tend to see these times as negative, frustrating, and discouraging, when in fact they are wonderful opportunities, if we'll take the time to see things from God's perspective! This is what He says: "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His." (II Chronicles 16:9); "For I know the plans that I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

The older I get, the thing I have come to most greatly value (and what I find I lack the most, many times) is perspective. Few have the ability to consistently see beneath the surface of things and anticipate what might lie ahead. We are limited by our knowledge, our experience, our values and our culture. We develop 'filters' through which we evaluate our circumstances and the actions of those around us; trying to discern how we 'fit', in order to create as much security for ourselves as possible. The problem is, these 'filters' tend to focus our minds on ourselves, when our thoughts should be centered on the Father, the Creator, the One who loves us most and knows us best. It's for this reason that we must constantly immerse ourselves in His Truth. It's the one best way to avoid life's 'sand traps'.

The next time you're 'stuck', do yourself and those around you a huge favor: run to the One who made and redeemed you. Seek after Him, get to know Him and His purposes. Spend time reading what He has to say to you...it's all right there in the Bible! Learn to trust Him. He owns the largest tow-truck ever made.

Love In Christ,

Mark

Walk The Line

Where Spirit and Soul Meet

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13)

We are never in more danger than when we presume to judge the thoughts and intents of another person's heart; never more arrogant or prideful; never in a greater place of potential deception. Make no mistake, this temptation is from the evil one and dates all the way back to the Garden of Eden, "...did God really say 'you must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" Not only did Satan distort the truth (God didn't say that), but he led Eve into trying to judge God's motives. When we begin to judge and evaluate the motives of another person, we place ourselves in a position equal to or above the very living Word of God! This sin has caused more strife, more bloodshed, more wars than perhaps any other in man's dismal history.

All human relationship is based on how we connect at a 'heart' level, where our "thoughts and intents" reside; in other words, how the 'essence' of who we are - how God created us - interacts with the 'essence' of who others are. At the pinnacle of healthy human relationship is the understanding that we are, first and foremost, created beings. We are not some random coincidence. No human has ever been born or conceived by chance; there is no such thing as an 'x-factor' when it comes to human existence. Every person who has ever lived, lives, or will live has been strategically designed and placed on this earth by the Creator for His ultimate glory! Given this fact, it stands to reason that relationship with one another can flourish only as we flourish in our personal relationship with God.

Jesus Christ was Emmanuel - "God with us". The immeasurable vastness of our Creator diminished in size and form until He could be contained in the womb of a young virgin. From an infant in a manger, to a child, to a boy, to a man, Jesus grew and lived and walked among us, eventually giving His life freely, taking the punishment for our disobedient, rebellious, prideful ways upon Himself. He did this in an incomparable act of grace and mercy; all so we could be reconciled in our relationship the Father, God, the Creator! If we believe this, we will follow His ways, learn and obey His teaching, adopt His 'worldview' as our own. This will change us, we will be affected, different, as we come to know Him better (for He lives, you see, just as much today as He did 2000 years ago). This change will be evident in our relationships.

Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by the love that we have for one another. This love Jesus talks about is not human love, based on selfish needs and desires. It is a type of love we can experience only as we place ourselves in our proper station: created beings (and redeemed ones at that!). So you see, my friend, the circle is now complete. Unconditional love accepts without judging or evaluating the thoughts and intents of another person's heart (there's a great description in 1 Corinthians 13).

Amazingly, even the world understands at an intuitive level that God's love, unconditional love, exists and is critical to all human relationship. The Broadway musical Les Miserables ends with this sung dialogue:

VALJEAN

On this page
I write my last confession
read it well
when I, at last, am sleeping

It's a story
Of those who always loved you
Your mother gave her life for you
Then gave you to my keeping.

FANTINE
Come with me
Where chains will never bind you
All your grief
At last, at last behind you
Lord in Heaven
Look down on him in mercy.

VALJEAN
forgive me all my trespasses
And take me to your glory.

VALJEAN, FANTINE, EPONINE
Take my hand
And lead me to salvation
Take my love
For love is everlasting
And remember
The truth that once was spoken
To love another person
Is to see the face of God.

I went with my two oldest sons, Aaron and Hastings, to see James Cameron's Avatar last night. The essence of this movie is distilled down into 3 words: "I see you." It was impossible for the characters in the movie to speak these words outside an acknowledgment of "Eywa" the native Pandoran deity, who lived in and through everything (similar to "The Force" in Star Wars). Like Star Wars, Avatar is riddled with New Age, American Indian and Hindu theology, and serves no purpose other than sheer entertainment. Yet even in this totally humanistic effort exists the underlying the message for the need of unconditional love. When the humans and Pandorans set aside their differences and genuinely tried to accept one another, rather than judge each other, relationship thrived and they could say "I see you" with all their hearts.

The church will be remembered (and evaluated) not for great buildings, organizations, or evangelistic efforts, but for the love shared between her people. This is her greatest gift, her greatest legacy. The kind of love which refuses to judge the thoughts and intents of the hearts of others cannot exist apart from the direct work of the Holy Spirit within each of us. This work calls for complete surrender and obedience to the teachings of Jesus Christ - the Creator, God taking the form of human flesh - a form He created! It's time for the Church, the Ecclesia, the Body of Christ, His ambassador to this planet, to really get this; time for us to look at one another, full of the Holy Spirit, Truth, and grace, and say, "I see you".

Merry Christmas!

Mark

How, Then, Do We Live?

"Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." - Paul (Formerly Saul of Tarsus)

Sometimes we tend to dress-up and formalize Scripture to the point it feels 'iconic' rather than 'real'. This happens most frequently with very familiar passages like the one from which I quoted above (from Ephesians 5:15-20). To counteract the 'icon effect', let's take a look at the same passage from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible, a fairly decent paraphrase: "Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart. Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything." I chuckle when I read this version because I wonder how many pastors in America today could get away with making a statement like this - and meaning it - from the pulpit, without losing a chunk of their congregation. It certainly isn't a passage that 'tickles the ears'! Let's spend a few minutes breaking it down.

"Act like people with good sense and not like fools." If you're like me, the word "fools" jumps off of the page because of its strength. But I believe the most important word in this sentence is actually the verb, "Act". Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Sometimes I think the greatest disservice man has ever done to the cause of Christianity is the construction of church facilities. Not because church buildings are bad or wrong, but because when we identify our walk with Christ with a man-made structure, we tend to live 'inside the walls'. In other words, we compartmentalize our spiritual life, associating it with a physical location. This, my friend, is not what the Apostle Paul would call 'good sense'. Make no mistake, we will only be able to live 'outside the walls' if we embrace the words Paul also spoke in Colossians 2, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Living 'in Christ' means we become genuine disciples, obedient to His commands (you can read up on some of these by going to Matthew 5-7 and John 15).

"These are evil times, so make every minute count." We live in a day of unparalleled leisure. Statistics say that children accumulate more knowledge in one year, than they would have in a whole lifetime had they lived just 100 years ago. Nothing of any significance can happen in the world today without it immediately being broadcast globally (Tiger Woods, case in point). There is more vile, unmitigated filth available at the press of a few buttons to anyone who wants to view it, than those who suffered God's wrath for the same acts or less could have ever dreamed of. The average person today lives in conditions which historically have been reserved only for the most wealthy and powerful. Today's (unsaved) wealthy and powerful have a hard time not thinking of themselves as gods. And Paul thought the days were evil in his time! What would he say of these days? (He'd say "Look up, He's coming!) The only way we can make every minute count is to daily spend a significant number of them alone, in study of God's Word, and in prayer.

"Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do." Building off the end of the last paragraph, we will only discover God's plan for our lives as we seek His face; meaning we pursue the presence of Christ in our lives first, before anything else. Oh, my friend, this is so much more easily said than done! Jeremiah 29:11-14 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity." This was a prophetic word given to the children of Israel as it related to the Babylonian captivity, but there are some truths here that are applicable to you and me, namely the part about "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you." This 'seeking' is not an easy thing. You must be diligent, determined, devoted, and daring. Remember, "Aslan is not a tame lion!" (C.S. Lewis; The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe)

"Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life." (I love the way this whole passage builds upon itself.) If "getting drunk" means you indulge in excess to the point of losing control of yourself, then allowing "the Spirit to fill your life" requires that we do the opposite: live surrendered and obedient to God's Word, Ways, and Will. Getting drunk is a choice we make. So are surrender and obedience; not easy choices, mind you, for they are contrary to our stubborn human nature (which tends to get us into loads of trouble!). Ironically, only surrender and obedience will set us free...from ourselves! This is one of the greatest paradoxes of God's kingdom.

So far we've been instructed to "act with good sense, make every minute count, seek God's face, and live Spirit-dominated lives." We have (finally) come to the place where Paul encourages us to gather together in a way that pleases the Father! "When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart." "With all your heart." The last time we read these words it was in the context of seeking God's face. It seems that Paul is wrapping up worship, meeting together, and seeking God's face into a 'package deal'. This phrase is the pinnacle of the passage. But it is conditional on us taking seriously and building on what has already been stated (act with good sense, make every minute count, seek God's face, and live Spirit-dominated lives). Oh dear brothers and sisters, we have the potential to do ourselves and the name of the Lord such damage when we gather together with unprepared hearts! You see, Paul's little maxim (act with good sense, make every minute count, seek God's face, and live Spirit-dominated lives) is not a suggestion, but a directive. Our spiritual engine won't work - won't even turn over - if we're not doing these things first, before we gather together and meet as God's people. Yet how often do we get the proverbial cart before the horse? It's no wonder our churches get into such turmoil at times; and, sadly, it's no wonder the world has so little use for 'organized' Christianity!

What is the 'litmus test'? How do we know we are doing things in the right order? The answer to this question is in the last line of this passage, "Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything." The words that come out of our mouths evaluate us. Jesus said, "By your words you will be justified and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:37). I dare you to go through a day and listen - really listen - to the words that come out of your mouth. Are your words ones of blessing, praise and thankfulness, or are they words of criticism, self-pity, and gossip? Do they direct others into the presence of Christ, or do they quench the Spirit of God? In the same passage Jesus also said, "..out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." What is your 'overflow'?

Dealing With Life's Curve Balls

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Romans 8:26-28

When Your Heart Hurts…

The couple sat across from me in my office with tears in their eyes. The doctor’s office had called with an unexpected opening in the schedule and wanted to know if the wife would come in right away for an ultrasound. It was a routine procedure, and likely the child’s sex would be determined. Of course she would! Once at the office, the procedure went smoothly. It was determined the baby was a boy, but she could sense that something wasn’t quite right. “Oh, we’ll send you a letter,” the nurse assured her. A few minutes later, however, she found herself on another floor with another doctor. Suddenly this mom realized that she’d been thrown yet another of life’s curveballs: the unborn child she was carrying had the most serious type of Spina Bifida, Myelomeningocele. Both she and her husband had wrestled with this unplanned pregnancy from the beginning, trying to grasp God’s perspective on this circumstance. Now to wrap their minds and hearts around the fact that this child, if it survived at all, would likely be severely handicapped, had stretched them to their limits. They are believers, true disciples of Jesus Christ. They had been through difficult situations before. Nevertheless, they were plagued by the questions ‘How much more can we take?’ and ‘When is enough, enough, God?’ Fair questions.

As we prayed, shared and wept together, it occurred to me that this is the stuff of life. Adam and Eve’s sin wasn’t just about getting ‘caught’ doing something ‘naughty.’ We continue to reap the consequences of their sin every day. Let’s put it in a modern context: when your computer hard drive becomes corrupt and crashes, there is little you can do except wipe it clean and start over. If you are very fortunate, you can sometimes recover a few files, but typically the drive itself must be re-formatted. Life on this planet is not unlike a corrupted hard drive…the operating system no longer functions according to its original design. In real life, this is what the Apostle Paul calls the ‘wages of sin.’ But our Creator was unwilling to give up so easily; such was His love for us. He provided a means through which we – ‘corrupted files’ – can be rescued. He sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us and pay the penalty for our disobedience. All we must do is allow Him to reach into our lives and rescue us. But this can be much harder than it seems!

From time to time we will encounter difficult circumstances. It’s a given. It’s also likely there will be times when we feel we just can’t "take it any more". The Apostle Paul understood this perhaps better than anyone. In 2 Corinthians 4 he writes, "You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies."

This means that we look to Him as the object of our love and the source of our life. We follow the way of life He prescribed for us, and we – through the miracle of the Holy Spirit’s power – enjoy intimate relationship with the Father, our Creator, through surrender and obedience to the Son. We have to remember this! It’s not about us, our comfort, or our ‘rights.’ It’s all about Him. He promises that one day we will exist in His presence, all corruption removed far from us. In the meantime, Jesus promised, that as long as we are alive on this planet, we can expect trouble to come our way. And yet He encourages us to be of good cheer, reminding us that He has overcome the world!

We live in a day where popular theology is synchronized to a western mindset that accepts comfort as "good" and discomfort as "evil". Some teach that God does not intend for, nor wills us, to suffer. If we suffer, it is because our faith is weak, we haven't prayed enough, or Satan is somehow dominating our circumstances. This teaching is flawed, and inconsistent with Scriptural Truth. Earlier in the same chapter, Paul states, "We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know this." Jesus Christ has overcome the world. We, on the other hand, still live in it. John the Beloved wrote, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." "Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 4:1-5, 10-12)

This passage explains why the life of the believer is victorious. It is not because we are granted every whim and desire, always getting ‘our way,’ but because we who have received the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ live forever for His glory! Our lives will extend beyond this world's existence. That, my friend, is how we overcome the world! These present sufferings are temporary. They only last until the grave. We, on the other hand, are not destined for the grave, but to live all eternity in the presence of the One who loves us most and knows us best! We obey Christ's teachings in every circumstance, even the hard ones; understanding when all is said and done, through Him, we win. And this is the victory: His glory – not ours – is manifested in and through us for all eternity!

The Cost of Discipleship

Personal Renewal through Surrender

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Acts 1:8

The Way to the Cross, Part 2

Our selfish, human nature is such a difficult thing to change (or ‘allow to be changed’ may be a better way to state it). Our humanity – that part which the Apostle Paul calls ‘the flesh’ or the ‘sinful nature’ - so many times keeps us from experiencing all that the Father has for us, including the most important thing: His abiding presence in our lives. There are certain attitudes that Jesus spoke of which are non-negotiable for His disciples. Let’s look at a couple of these from the New Living Translation of the Bible: “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.” (Matthew 7:1-5); “This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:12-13, 16-17)

What is this ‘fruit’ Jesus speaks of? I believe that Paul gives us insight in Galatians 5: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

What about the ‘love’ Jesus talks about? Again, let’s read the Apostle Paul’s words on love in 1 Corinthians 13: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” Contrary to popular culture, the above passage wasn’t written for weddings…it was a directive from Paul to the church in Corinth. It is a description of how the Redeemed should and must live in relationship to each other. And it is not ‘optional.’ As Jesus said in John 15, “If you love me, you will obey my commands….this is my command: love each other.”

Now you’re probably thinking, “but…but…but,” because that’s what we tend to do. We make excuses and place ourselves above Christ by allowing thoughts to rule our minds that subvert His authority. Thoughts like, “But He couldn’t have meant me to endure this situation, or forgive this person;” or “Surely He doesn’t expect me to do that.” Actually, Jesus expects us to follow Him in all circumstances, and be totally devoted to His cause: Kingdom living. After all, the part of the reason that He suffered, died, rose again, and sent His Holy Spirit was so that ‘we would receive power.’ More next week!