Presence vs. Presents

Have you ever been to the beach? Have you ever seen the ocean? Have you stood waste deep in the seemingly endless waters of the ocean?

Water is an incredibly mysterious force of nature. I can swim in it. I can dive into it. I can walk in it, but not on it. I can splash it around. I can even drink it. I can freeze it. I can evaporate it. I can barely hold it in my hand. YET, if I hit it at a high enough velocity, it would be like crashing into a brick wall. It wears away rock, creating valleys and canyons. It destroys entire cities and islands. There’s nothing like it.

If you have spent time in ocean waters chances are you’ve also probably experienced the not so gentle force of the ocean’s waves. There are small waves you hardly notice. Then there are waves that topple ocean liners. As a child swimming in the ocean waters of Mazatlán I found myself toppling head over heels under water, eating a great deal of sand in the process, struggling to resurface, as the result of being overwhelmed by a LARGE wave. I was helpless. The waters were unpredictable. There’s no telling which way a wave will travel or how big it’ll get or how strong the current will be that pulls you under it.

THERE’S NO CONSISTENCY.

I was reminded this morning while reading, while reading James, that I too (and you as well) can be like these ocean waters. We can be unpredictable. We can be simultaneously pushed and pulled in different directions. Our hearts can be divided. Our minds preoccupied. Our bodies weary. Here’s what James says…

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
James 1:5-8 NLT

#1 Do not WAVER – Be SURE of where your faith is, where your heart is, where your mind is.

#2 Division equals INSTABILITY – If your, if my, if our faith is divided there’s no stability, there’s no consistency. You’re torn, broken, fractured. Let’s not even get started on division within the church.

#3 Waves are controlled by an OUTSIDE force – Who or what is speaking into your life at the moment? Where are you choosing to find truth? Are you being tossed around by the wind? Are you being led by the enemy?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be like the water that causes destruction, the water that pulls you under and makes you fear for your life, the water that feels as if I’ve crashed into a brick wall. I want to be like the water that GIVES LIFE! To be this water, to be like Jesus (living water), I’ve gotta make sure my focus is on the cross and the freedom I’ve experienced as the result of HIS SACRIFICE.

This year for Christmas focus on His PRESENCE and not my presents.

Your Time is Valuable, Our Time Together is Optimal

One of the highlights of my week is brief 20-30 minute visit to a local school simply to read. I’m surrounded by about fifteen children, all around the age of 5, and allowed to share a story with them. They join me as we travel through lands where WILD THINGS roam and CATEPILLARS eat everything in sight and SANTA nearly wakes up the children. They ask questions and offer their thoughts, sometimes unsolicited…mostly unsolicited, but it’s awesome nonetheless. For 30 minutes I’m allowed to speak into the lives of the future. Now, I know, it’s a world of fantasy and make-believe, I’m not communicating biblical truths and trying to introduce them to Jesus…we simply share some time with each other.

They willingly give me their time.

They eagerly give me their attention.

They allow me to share a moment in their lives.

Getting around children is probably some of the BEST medicine I can get in this world. I LOVE the absolute raw honesty of a child. They aren’t held by the possibility of offending. They don’t comprehend the concept of inappropriate.

When they laugh, it’s because something is funny.

When they cry, it’s because their feelings are hurt.

When they hug, it’s because they LOVE you.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul speaks a good bit on the subject of love. Here’s some of what he had to say:

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love is not jealous.

Love is not boastful.

Love is not proud.

Love is not rude.

Love does not demand its own way.

Love is not irritable.

Love keeps no record of being wronged.

Love does not rejoice about injustice.

Love rejoices whenever truth wins out.

Love never gives up.

Love never loses faith.

Love is always hopeful.

Love endures through every circumstance.

Love will last forever.

Love is the greatest of these.

30 minutes out of my week is set aside to be love to those who may not FEEL loved. For 30 minutes out of my week I’m able to connect with the very people whom Jesus said my faith should model: children.

God give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and a heart that is open to what these children are to TEACH ME.

How are you spending your time this week?

6 Things I Want To Share With You

Here are 6 things I want to share with you today:

1. The veil’s been torn, you can ROLL RIGHT IN. See Hebrews 10:19-20. I don’t think we understand just how GOOD we have it! I have three kids. I will do just about ANYTHING to ensure they get to have and experience the VERY BEST! I don’t care what it is, I’ll fight for it. This is what God did for us the moment He put on an earth suit and lived among us. He forever changed the course of history. Freaking calendars are based on his presence here on earth, HELLO! When Jesus died on the cross the veil was torn. The barrier, the obstacle that separated us from the presence of God, that kept us out of the holy of holies (Scripture or Pulp Fiction…hmmm?), was made obsolete. Because of God’s gift, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we can now go straight to the man. It’s the same as if we could simply roll into the White House to see the president or any Fortune 500 company to see the CEO…only is exponentially BETTER!

2. The stain of Christ’s blood is one you can’t wash out…it washes YOU. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a blood stain, but they are one tough mess to clean up. Living in West Virginia these past few years I’ve seen my share of mangled deer spread across the roads. It’s gross. It’s disgusting. The stain remains for days, weeks, months. I’d mention the smell, but I’m failing to find a connection. Here’s the thing, our sin, the very nature of our being, is messier, more disgusting, and IMPOSSIBLE to clean out…on our own. Please read Hebrews 10:22. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross blots out the stain of our sin, replacing it with HIS MARK, his blood. His death, his sacrifice, was essential for our forgiveness. This is why in Christ we are made NEW.

3. Hold TIGHT. Life sucks sometimes. Seriously! Let’s name some of the things we are currently facing: joblessness, homelessness, abuse, addiction, cancer, AIDS, war, death. We ALL have a sob story to tell. We ALL have a struggle to share. We CANNOT allow the suckiness of life determine WHO we are and HOW we live. Read Hebrews 10:23. Where’s your trust today?

4. Nobody walks away from the Church, away from the Body of Christ, and grows CLOSER TO HIM. It’s possible to walk away from the Church, from your faith in Jesus, and have a decent life. You might make some money. You might get the stuff, the material possessions, you’ve always wanted. You might have kids that grow up and seem to do well. You might even have a marriage that appears to be healthy. In the end, what’s it all matter when you wake up in hell? Did you ever really know Jesus to begin with? I cannot answer this for you.

5. Community is ESSENTIAL. Read Hebrews 10:24-25. It’s when we step away, it’s when we try to simply live life by our own standards, it’s when we try and wrestle back control that we find ourselves simply doing the same ol’thing. Do you have someone that’s willing to not only encourage you, but speak truth into your life? A REAL friend doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, but what you NEED to hear.

6. Accountability is a NO-BRAINER. This brings us to the last and final thought today. Check out 2 Timothy 4:3, it’s good. Without community, accountability remains elusive. You find yourself drinking again, looking at pornography, sleeping with a co-worker, gossiping, beating your kids…and you JUSTIFY it! Who’s speaking into your life right now? Are you surrounded by enablers or friends? If you’re going to grow, if we as a church are going to grow and make a difference in this world, we’ve gotta invest in deep, meaningful relationships with one another.

A Word of Encouragement During This Christmas Season

Hey New Life! Christmas is just around the corner! As the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Granted, that’s a rather broad statement to make. It sorta places us all in the same category. Makes us all out to be a people full of Christmas cheer. Unfortunately, this isn’t true for ALL of us. In fact, the holiday seasons can be rather difficult for some.

I have many fond memories of Christmas. I remember BIG Thanksgiving dinners. I remember playing board games. I remember opening presents. I remember the joy of eating with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents…the ENTIRE family. I also remember the first Thanksgiving and Christmas spent as little family cell groups, no longer gathering together, but divided because grandma died. I also remember receiving the news that my dad had died just weeks before Christmas.

Good.
Bad.
Life.

We are shaped by our experiences. Memories of the past guard our actions in the present and typically determine our future. We hesitate to trust. We shy away from opening our hearts. We pray for the seasons to pass quickly. We dare not stir up old memories. We dare not rekindle the pain. We refuse to let go. We wonder why nobody cares, why nobody calls…yet we isolate and dare not answer the phone.

This WAS me. I remember saying things like “I hate Christmas” or “I don’t care about the holidays.” I was cold. I had turned my back on any remote sense of joy or cheer. I allowed my past hurts to undermine any possibly of future happiness. I CHOSE to clothe myself in depression.

I had no hope.

Therein lays the key to the holidays: HOPE. I lacked any sense of hope. I was surrounded by family. I had the opportunity to experience all the joy of big meals and presents, but I chose to wallow in my hurts. It sucked! But here’s the deal, that all changed for me when I realized what the seasons were all about. When I realized what THANKSGIVING actually was! When I realized what CHRISTMAS was all about!

The memories that once brought darkness, depression, and tears now brought joy because I was reminded of the GOOD times and no longer focused on the pain of the bad. I learned to be THANKFUL for the time I had with my grandma, with my dad. I learned that true story of Christmas is a story of redemption and reconciliation. It’s about HOPE and LOVE. It’s about GRACE and MERCY.

I’ve learned to find joy.

Granted, I still struggle from time to time with the holidays. I still cry when I think about my grandma, my dad…even how little time I’m afforded to spend with my brother, my sister, my LIVING family. The difference now is that I don’t STAY there. I no longer dwell in the dark, but run to the light. I remember that I have EVERYTHING I could ever want or need in Jesus. I have PEACE.

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled
everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.
Colossians 1:19-20 NLT

If you struggle with the holiday seasons, if Thanksgiving and Christmas are merely triggers for painful memories, know that my prayer is that too will find PEACE.

Stop Scrambling for Control

Bah! New Life I am NOT one who likes, enjoys, or even remotely considers being sick as something I’d like to try. With that being said, “Thank you Jesus!” that I’m better. The past few days were difficult for me as I was very intentional about resting and medicating. I like to get up and go, to DO stuff. I have a tendency to run full speed ALL the time and this typically leads to my body breaking down, which includes my immune system, and I become ill. Instead of having this stretch out for a week or two…I’m better after TWO days!

God is good.

Do you read the Bible, do you engage in God’s word to actually HEAR from Him? Are you actually interested in what He has to say about your life? The way you are living? The things you keep doing? The way you manage your finances? Is there a desire within you to KNOW Him more?

I’d like to be able to write that I ALWAYS read to hear FROM Him, but sometimes I simply read out of habit or some sort of perceived obligation. If we’re honest I’m pretty sure most people would say the same. The crazy thing is that I KNOW He’s always got something new for me. He’s always got a blessing waiting for me. God knows we need guidance and direction…why else would He call us to meet with Him?

So, as I sat down this morning I was pumped to be feeling better, but also very intent upon hearing FROM God. After praying I opened his word to the book of Romans and started reading. Granted there’s a LOT of good stuff in the book of Romans, but what stood out the most, what seemed to leap from the page (or rather SCREEN of my iPhone; thanks YouVersion!) was Romans 8:28:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Romans 8:28 NLT

Here’s the deal, you can read and read and read and read the same verse a million times in your life and it could mean something different each and every time. I was overwhelmed with a sense that God was saying, “See what happens when you let go and trust in Me?”

Something as simple as allowing my body to rest while sick, at least for me, is a BIG deal. I was determined to NOT control the situation, but allow God to do HIS THING. Is this you today?

What is going on in your life that you just need to release to His care and control? What is situation has you living in stress? What circumstance is holding you down? Who around you is being hurt as a result?

Stop trying to control it. You can’t. It’ll only get worse.
Allow God to intervene. He CAN. He’ll make it work for the GOOD.

STOP! Joy Is On The Way!

I’ve had such an AWESOME week! I’ve been afforded opportunity after opportunity to just be WITH people. Laugh. Cry. Hug. Encourage. Be encouraged. More laughing. More crying. I think my iPhone is currently looking for an open-share group to deal with some abandonment issues…

Ok. You ever have those moments, those days, those weeks, maybe even months or years when it seems like nothing goes right? It’s crazy right?!? I mean how much can REALLY go wrong? But for some reason it seems like snowball method, you at least SAID you intended to use to get out of debt, transferred to your life and all the small troubles have grown into MASSIVE ones!

What? Did you think you were immune to trouble? Did you think you were going to somehow escape tough times? Am I stupid? No. Well, at least I’m not ALL the time…I’ve learned recently that troubles are always somewhere in my life.

I’m either IN trouble, LEAVING trouble, or HEADING TOWARD trouble.
Here’s the deal. How will I, how will YOU, respond when these times of trouble surface and resurface? I know how I WANT to respond. I want to scream. I want to yell. I want to throw a fit (Yes, I totally understand the behavior of my little children now). I want to get all defensive. I want to fight. I want to CONTROL…

I’m not stupid; I just lack TRUST.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
James 1:2 NLT

God says to consider troubles an opportunity for great joy. Now THAT sounds stupid! There isn’t even a tiny fraction of my brain that says this verse makes ANY sense. My brain says consider troubles to be, well, trouble. Read a bit further…

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:3-4 NLT

It’s not about ME! I want to CONTROL. I want to MANIPULATE. I want to GUIDE and MOVE the pieces. I want to FIX. I’m pretty sure that I can list a multitude of “I want” statements here (much like a multitude of sins…just sayin’). I can try and try and try and try all I want, but the only thing I’m going to do is merely add to the mess. Because of me, it’ll actually INCREASE. That is not how I would define JOY.

No. Instead I must learn to trust in God and in God ALONE during these situations. The circumstances ALWAYS seem insurmountable when you’re stuck in the middle. The disciples freaked out on the boat because they realized they couldn’t control the storm. They were in the MIDDLE of what they perceived to be a life-threatening situation, a test. Job went through 41 chapters of test! When it was all said and done, all Jesus had to say was, “Where is your faith?”

So, what’s up?!? Are you going to keep trying to CONTROL the situation or are you going to HAND IT OVER? Are you going to remain STUCK in the situation or are you going to GROW?

Jesus is asking, “Where is your faith?”

How will you answer?

FOLLOW-UP: 12 Steps

No Turning Back

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Mark 8:34 NIV

What does it mean to FOLLOW Jesus? This is a question that has been plaguing me for a few weeks now. Can we ever truly know what it means? Are we to DO the things he did? Are we to SAY the things he said? Is following him synonymous with being LIKE him? OR is it a continual process of renewing and refreshing, revealing his ways and his will? Is it a process of listening to his word and obeying his direction?

All these questions, my desire to KNOW, has been the driving force behind studying, planning, and preparing for December’s First Wednesday (Wednesday, December 7 at 6:30pm).

He’s called me to follow him…he’s called you. I want to FOLLOW him. I want to KNOW him. Do you? Let’s light up this city, this county, this state.

Be there. Be here.

There’s no turning back.

4 Things I Want To Share With You

Here are 4 things I want to share with you today:

1. God wants you to SEE His miracles. The master of the feast had no clue where the BEST wine came from. He shared in the blessing, but missed out on the MIRACLE. The servants, on the other hand, saw the miracle and shared in the blessing because they worked directly WITH Jesus. (John 2:6-10).

2. God wants to work THROUGH you. As His people, as His church, we are commissioned to work for Him, alongside Him, and He through us. We do this through SERVING. The Bible is filled with a ridiculous amount of God’s miraculous signs and wonders AND each one typically appeared as the result of our obedience to FOLLOW His direction and He working through our actions. Moses stretched his hand out over the sea….God parted it (Exodus 14:1-31). Joshua and the children of Israel marched around Jericho, blew trumpets, and shouted…God brought the walls down (Joshua 6:1-27). The servants filled the jars with water…Jesus turned it into wine (John 2:5-9). Peter preached…God saved 3,000 people (Acts 2:14-47). You are no different! There’s a miracle on the horizon! You act, God will show up!

3. The BEST is YET TO COME! I spent numerous years of my life chasing after illusions of grandeur…lies depicting what I THOUGHT would bring happiness and joy. It wasn’t until I surrendered my life, surrendered my heart, surrendered my everything to Jesus (who, just in case you were wondering gave HIS ALL!) that I realized I already had everything I needed IN Christ! I could stop running, stop chasing after stuff, and simply stand and meet with my Savior face to face. Since that time he has blessed me in MORE WAYS THAN I CAN COUNT! I thought I spoil my kids!?! He saves the BEST FOR LAST. He did it for Job and He’ll do it for you, for me, for all of us He calls sons and daughters (Job 42:12; John 2:10).

4. You CAN'T, God CAN! God loves you. He's here for you. He's BIGGER and GREATER than whatever circumstance or situation you're facing right now. Stop TRYING and start TRUSTING!

I Want To Follow Jesus

New Life, I can’t…I don’t know where to begin or even HOW to express how freakin’ EXCITED I am about our upcoming First Wednesday (December 7th, 6:30pm). It’s partly selfish: I’m teaching. It’s partly others-focused: it’s for you, for me, for us. Most importantly, it’s ENTIRELY JESUS!

I’m going to be tackling the topic of what it means to follow Jesus. We say that we’re FOLLOWERS of Christ, but what the heck does that mean? Can you explain it to me? Can you put it into words? Is it more than just a feeling? Is it more than raising a hand or checking a box? Is it more than making your parents happy? Is it more than a family tradition?

I’m going to be covering a LOT of Bible—so bring one if you got one. I’ll be sure there are some on hand. Listen, it’s not about what I think or I say…it’s ALL ABOUT JESUS!

Here’s the deal. Grab your friends. Grab your family. Grab your neighbors. Grab your co-workers. Grab EVERY stinkin’ person you know and bring them with you. I’m expecting God to radically change the face of New Life. I’m expecting God to shake the very ground. I’m anticipating life change, or rather, life to be FOUND in obedience to Jesus.

If you’ve ever questioned WHAT it means to FOLLOW Jesus, WHO Jesus IS, WHY we get BAPTIZED, or HOW to do it…be there. Show up with a desire to learn, a desire to know him, a willingness to hear him.

I’m going to offend some people and I KNOW this is true because I’m getting offended in my prayer and study. I’m tired of settling for table scraps when I’ve got a lifetime pass to ___________ (insert your favorite place to eat).

What’s up New Life? Don’t just say, “I’ll pray about who to invite” or “I’ll pray about whether or not to attend”…how about the next time you’re at Outback and you start choking on your steak, I pray whether or not the give you medical assistance...ACT!

Let’s fill this place up. Let’s make a difference.