God, why me?

I danced with self-pity on Wednesday afternoon. I moped around wondering “why me,” questioning the fairness of it all. In the process I lost my balance, failing to account for a thousand blessings, seeing only the pain.  Yes, the losses in my life are undeniably significant but it is also a fact that I enjoy many blessings and I own the promises of God through Christ Jesus. Fatigue plays a part in my loss of perspective. Thoughts like - "God, I can't take it anymore" or “You are so unfair to those who love You” tend to gain traction in my mind when I am tired. Discouragement takes over when I let the important things go because of the pressure of the urgent matters!

My reading in the Word this morning reminded me how wrong it is to think that I should be exempt from suffering because I am a Christian. Peter says, "Since Jesus went through everything you’re going through and more, learn to think like him. Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want." (1 Peter 4:1-2, The Message)  What wisdom!  Short-sightedly, we want God to treat us like indulged, spoiled children. Instead, He invites us to enter into the reality of the world, a place marred by evil, to ‘suffer’ just like His Son did when He left heaven’s perfection to be our Savior. The difficulties toughen us up, break our love of ease and Self, so we can joyfully say with Jesus, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Later in that same passage, Peter warns of confusing the suffering we bring on ourselves with sinful choices with the suffering that comes as a result of walking in God’s will.  In my own words, he says “If people get down on you because you are a miserable person, a thief who steals by failing to hold up your end of responsibility, or if you are sticking your nose into their business where it does not belong, don’t blame God for your troubles. But, if you are rejected because you love Jesus so much you won’t join the sinners’ party, then be joyful!”

The Bible has many reminders that make it quite clear that our commitment to Christ is one requiring patience and toughness! Timothy, a young pastor in the early church, met with opposition growing discouraged.. Paul kicked him in the seat of the pants with this challenge - "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:3-4, NIV) In another passage, he shifts the illustration to the marathon - "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." (1 Corinthians 9:24-25, NIV)

I sometimes start looking for that Staples™ "Easy" button!  Make my grief disappear, God.  Cause my sermons to write themselves. Fund the ministries without my efforts at leadership. Take all my temptations away so I do not have to practice spiritual disciplines.  The Word is abundantly clear that most of the time God does not miraculously remove the difficulties. Instead, He amazingly leads us through them and, as we trust Him, keeps us on our feet, reflecting His love and goodness into a darkened world.

With submission and surrender my whiny prayer, “God, why me?” shifted to a petition, “God, use this to shape me for Your praise.” Will you? The situations are the same, but my attitude is radically different.

Here is a word from the Word. Let it speak to you today. "So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you." (1 Peter 4:19, NLT)  "In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11, NLT)

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Blessings

We pray for blessings

We pray for peace comfort for family

Protection while we sleep

We pray for healing for prosperity

We pray for Your mighty hand

To ease our suffering

And all the while You hear each spoken need

Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

And what if trials of this life

Are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom

Your voice to hear

We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near

We doubt Your goodness

We doubt Your love

As if ev'ry promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desp'rate plea

And long that we'd have faith to believe

When friends betray us

When darkness seems to win

We know that pain reminds this heart

That this is not this is not our home

It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears

And what if a thousand sleepless nights

Are what it takes to know You're near

What if my greatest disappointments

Or the aching of this life

Is a revealing of a greater thirst

This world can't satisfy

And what if trials of this life

The rain the storms the hardest nights

Are Your mercies in disguise

Laura Story

© 2011 Laura Stories (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

New Spring (Admin. by Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing, Inc.)

CCLI License # 810055

Breakthrough!

Borrowed from military operations, the word ‘breakthrough’ is about that moment when an obstacle is finally overcome, when a scientific advance opens a whole new field of knowledge, when a level of achievement lifts a person to another level.  It was first used of that moment when an army penetrated the lines of the enemy, breaking through defenses creating the moment for final victory. Have you ever experienced a ‘breakthrough,’  a moment when you pushed through a struggle to find resolution or to discover new opportunities?

Spiritually, Christians need to know that breakthrough moments do come, but not without great opposition. When a military force concentrates on ‘breaking the line’ the enemy responds by shifting defenses to that point and the battle becomes fiercely intense.  If we sense God’s leading and choose to follow Him into the mission of establishing His kingdom – be it over some part of our life where we have been defeated by sin, in our community as we seek to build a church (not a building, but a body of people), in our world as we join some ministry initiative – we should not be surprised by a response of the enemy of God.  We will likely find ourselves in a major fight; as the enemy works to throw back the offensive.

My personal experience recently has borne this out. A few weeks ago, the Spirit stirred an increasing hunger in me. I intensely desire to see Christ’s Church come alive in new ways, to see God’s people made holy (not superficial piety, but deep commitment), to experience a profound kind of worship that touches people at the core of their being, not merely in their emotions.  In times of prayer, my heart cries out to Him to lead us on, to make us strategic, to give us resources for the work.   

Not strangely, as this desire grew in me, so did opposition.  Doubts arrived uninvited. Anxiety made a bid to own my mind. Depression came knocking with its darkness. Mental confusion stalked my reading of the Word. Critics planted seeds that caused me to question my fitness for service. Should I be surprised by any of these things? Not if I understand the principles of breakthrough. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has called for an offensive and the enemy has responded with a counter offensive.

Paul reminds us to listen carefully to the Spirit so that "so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes." (2 Corinthians 2:11, NLT)  He reminds us that we cannot mount the attack on our own, but only as we are armored by the Spirit. Do you take this passage seriously, as a call to arms?  “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." (Ephesians 6:10-13, NLT)

And there is the promise of breakthrough - "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you." (Romans 16:20, NLT)   But, none of this can happen to lazy, self-satisfied, compromised, or pleasure-minded people.  Personal breakthroughs as well as those within the Church demand that we enter battle. Paul called Timothy (and us) to understand the rigor of battle. "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer." (2 Timothy 2:3-4, NIV)

Are you in need of a breakthrough, a defeat of Self, Sin, and/or Satan in your life, your home, your church?   

Listen for orders prayerfully. Armor up with the Truth of the Spirit. Prepare for action. And, remember this word from the Word.  It is a critical part of the truth that we cannot forget.  Peter says that victory demands suffering.  Oh, you did not want to hear that, did you? Nor do I!  Jesus gained victory at great cost to Himself, surrendering His desire to know comfort for the path of obedience. So must we.   "Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God." (1 Peter 4:1-2, NIV)

Almighty God, lead us on.

Sound the call to battle and fill us with holy courage to respond.

Help us, as warriors of love, to be ready to die to Self,

To engage in the struggle without complaint,

And to follow You in the fight fearlessly,

Confident in Your promises that assure us that

No enemy can steal our eternal life.

Build Your kingdom in us, we pray.

In the holy Name of Jesus Christ, the Savior.

Amen.

Get Real, Live Best!

The man tried way too hard to be funny, engaging, telling bad jokes. He made himself ridiculous, his manner so forced that, at times, he was actually offensive. I felt sad for him, wanting desperately to pull him aside and say, “Give the act a rest and just be ‘you.’”  He is a ‘wannabe.’  The dictionary define ‘wannabe’ this way: "a person who aspires to a role or position, who imitates the behavior, customs, or dress of an admired person or group." Sometimes they are funny, sometimes pathetic, and in time a wannabe is just annoying. Wannabes are often indistinguishable from the authentic, a first glance. The difference becomes obvious when the wannabe has to actually produce results like the real person. The wannabe, because he hasn't put in the time learning the skills, getting the education, and developing the art, is unable to come through in the crunch.

Being a wannabe is essentially a fraudulent life. The lack of substance and/or accomplishment causes the pretender to live a lie, which erodes his integrity and steals his credibility. The wannabe knows another tragic result - he never finds out who he really is or what he is really capable of doing. Focused on trying to be somebody else, he misses the joy of being who God created him to be, joyfully filling the place in this world that God, through spiritual gifts, experiences, and opportunities, creates just for him.

Here's the direct question - are you a 'for real' Christian or a 'wannabe?' Have you submitted your life to Christ in full surrender, allowing for a complete transformation of heart and mind OR are you just trying to imitate the lifestyle of a Believer you admire?  God, the Spirit, does not desire that you merely copy a Christian experience that you admire.  He wants to make you a saint, inside out! The Word says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." (2 Peter 1:3-4, NIV)   “Be transformed, by the renewing of your mind.”  

The foundation that allows us to ‘get real’ with God, with ourselves, and with our world is the love of God for us. God will not love you more if you are thinner, taller, smarter, admired by others, rich, or dressed in the latest fashion.  He loves YOU.  He wants us to deal with our sin, to love Him back with obedience. What kind of obedience? Real!  Jesus told a story to a group of religious leaders who knew all the right words, who were wannabes, to illustrate that point.  A man had two sons to whom he gave a direction. The first son waffled about compliance, actually refusing the order, but then changed his mind and did as he was told. The second son answered him, “Of course, right away,” but did nothing.  It was not the words that mattered, it was obedience. Jesus then offers this amazing insight: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do." (Matthew 21:31, NLT)  

God made you a unique person with preparations to fill a place in this world that belongs exclusively to you.

Self-acceptance can be difficult. Looking in the mirror- physically and spiritually - reveals reality which isn't always pretty. But, we are basically worthless to God and ourselves until we face the facts, get real, and let Him begin to transform us. He offers us His Spirit to work on us but not just for a 'make-over' on the outside. He creates real disciples, full of the Spirit, marked by a depth of character that no one can deny! This transformational process is called sanctification. That just a big word for 'becoming like Christ' through the school of the Spirit! There will be blunders along the way, but - if we are committed to Him and to being authentic- we can be sure that His promise - "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV)- will be true!

Don’t be a ridiculous wannabe, trying too hard to copy the life or mannerism of another. Get real – with God, with yourself, and discover the amazing person He created you to be.

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Holy Spirit

There's nothing worth more that will ever come close

No thing can compare You're our living hope

Your Presence

I've tasted and seen of the sweetest of loves

Where my heart becomes free and my shame is undone

In Your Presence Lord

Holy Spirit You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your glory God is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your Presence Lord

Your Presence Lord

Your Presence

Oh God how we love Your Presence Lord

Let us become more aware of Your Presence

Let us experience the glory of Your goodness (Lord)

Bryan Torwalt | Katie Torwalt

© 2011 Capitol CMG Genesis (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Jesus Culture Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055