Help me, I’m sinking!

 

Have you ever started a project, a new job, took on a challenge only to experience real doubts about your ability to finish it? In 1977, Bev and I believed that God was giving us a new assignment for ministry in a town 2,000 miles away from home. Full of dreams and faith, but mostly penniless, we prepared for the move. In spite of some people telling us that we were crazy (yes, they did!) we were excited, anticipating God’s blessings.

On the day we started our move, we had not gone more than 40 miles on the road when I was overwhelmed with fear.  “What have I done? Why did I do this? It’s going to be a disaster!”  I admit that I wept as I drove.  My beloved wife, just 23 years old at the time, reached out to put her hand on my hand and prayed for us, asking the Spirit to renew our faith and joy, to refocus her fearful husband on the dream.  And, the next year proved to one of the most interesting times of spiritual growth for us.

Here is one thing I know for certain – IF you decide to live in faith, to step out of the mainstream of life, you will be told that you are “ too young, too old, too dumb, too poor, too smart...” to follow your heart’s calling!  The moment we let the nay-sayers and doubters take up space in our head, we will retreat, fear will grow. Unless we focus on God’s possibilities and receive His gift of faith, we will put His call and our vision on the shelf and go home to our recliners to watch TV alone night after night: safe but dead while we still live.

 This story from the Gospel of Matthew is one of my go-to’s, giving me much inspiration over the years.  The disciples had a great day with Jesus and saw an amazing miracle. One boy’s lunch was multiplied to feed 5000 people!  This is how Matthew tells about what happened next. "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:22-33, NIV)

Have you ever walked on water or are you one of those people who stays put in the boat where it's safe? People who always play it safe do not make much of an impact.  Why? Because risk is an integral part of success!  Those unwilling to fail cannot succeed.

Let’s be clear. That faith story of Peter’s adventure on the Sea of Galilee isn't a story about a daredevil who spit in the face of fate, who threw all caution to the wind, or who had a secret death wish. It's about a man who wanted to know His Lord and whose passion for Jesus drove him to total obedience. Peter asked Jesus to call him and when the Lord did, Peter responded -- against all good sense -- by getting out of the boat. He walked on the water until he focused on the impossibility of his situation and only then  he failed... or did he? Yes, he started to sink, but Jesus took his hand and refocused his faith. That stormy night provided a lesson of faith that Peter never forgot for the rest of his life.

Are waves kicking up around your little lifeboat today?

Are your kids rebelling?

Is your marriage strained?

Is some sin pulling hard on you, so much that the temptation is nearly overwhelming?

Have past financial decisions created a situation you can’t control? 

Are you afraid of aging, the future, the government? 

Truthfully, we all have problems that rock our boat. That's life!  Jesus walks with us. He's passing by, and He’s inviting us to walk on the waves! Will you accept the challenge to grow a bigger, deeper faith?  When you hear His voice, get out of the boat.  Oh, yes, be careful about getting so impressed with yourself that you start to show off.   The moment you take your eyes off of Him, you’ll suffer a Peter moment;  you’re sunk!

And, if you fail, adopt the attitude of Jonas Salk, the person who saved millions from polio when he developed the polio vaccine. He failed hundreds of times before he got it right. Somebody asked Mr. Salk, "How did it feel to fail 200 times?" Salk said, "I never failed 200 times for I was taught not to use the word, 'failure.' I discovered 200 ways not to vaccinate for polio!"

Your greatest failure won't be if you happen to sink in the waves,
it will be IF YOU NEVER GET OUT OF THE BOAT!

Here’s the word from the Word.  Pray for new faith, for hope, for courage today as you receive the promise of ‘immeasurably more.’

 "Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more (NLT)  (immeasurably more (NIV), exceedingly abundantly (KJV), than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21, NLT)   Now how about walking on the water today with Jesus?

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Lord I Need You

Lord I come I confess
Bowing here I find my rest
And without You I fall apart
You're the one that guides my heart

 

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

 

Where sin runs deep Your grace is more
Where grace is found is where You are
And where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

Where You are Lord I am free
Holiness is Christ in me

 

So teach my song to rise to You
When temptation comes my way
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay
And when I cannot stand I'll fall on You
Jesus You're my hope and stay

 

Lord I need You oh I need You
Ev'ry hour I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You
My one defense my righteousness
Oh God how I need You

 

Christy Nockels | Daniel Carson | Jesse Reeves | Kristian Stanfill | Matt Maher

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EOTWAWKI? (Translation? See last line!)

 

The election hype, the dire warnings are issued by both sides promising that our country is doomed if the other guy is elected. Are there differences between the Republicans and the Democrats? Sure there are, more than ever, with our very divided nation. Will the election of one party or the other have a real and lasting affect on our lives?  Yes, I believe that is true. Public policies will change as a result of legislation.  National security, even world history, will be directed by leaders. Our schools and roads will reflect the policies of those we put ‘in charge.’  So, this blog is not meant to minimize the importance of participating in our election privilege, but rather to set the whole things within the context of God’s reign and truth.

God says - "I am in charge of history!"  Stretch of faith for you?  Sometimes for me, too.  So let’s consider Daniel. This man was carried from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon where he was put in the service of a pagan emperor. It must have been hard for Daniel to reconcile the truth that God was revealing to him concerning His control of human events and the fact that his homeland was in ruins and that young Jews like himself were in captives in a foreign land. Yet, he stayed faithful to the revelation. Daniel, despite tragedy, remained God's man. As a result he was amazingly effective as God's spokesman in that God-less culture.

One time, Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his counselors tell him what he had dreamed and the meaning of his dream. Impossible? Sure it was. But, Daniel went to prayer, received the revelation, and went to tell the king what God was saying to him. God showed Daniel that He was still in charge. Remember that dream? It was a large statue with golden head, silver chest, bronze belly, iron legs, and feet of clay. It represented the kingdoms of men. The key part of the dream was the Stone that was cut out, not with human hands, that smashed the statue. The meaning? All earthly kingdoms will come to an end when the King of Kings sets up His reign.

Later in the king's life, he had another terrifying dream. He saw a great tree in the center of the earth. It was cut down by a heavenly messenger, but the stump was left. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar that it was a message that he was about to be cut down because of his arrogance. "They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses. "And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after you come to know that Heaven rules." (Daniel 4:25-26, NKJV)

God rules! For the Christian, that is a word giving great comfort. The Scripture consistently calls us to be responsible, proactive, and engaged all the while reminding us that we are not in charge and that we need not be afraid. Though we are aliens in this world, passing through on our way to our home, the Spirit is with us and God is guiding us.

Disciple, I want to urge you to trust that revelation today. Steady yourself in faith in God, that He is capable of keeping you in the palm of His hand, no matter what happens to our economy, no matter who controls the Congress after next Tuesday, and no matter who sits in the White House. God has not left us to ourselves. Pray for eyes that see what God sees and a mind that thinks as He thinks as the Spirit gives revelation. In this election year when there is so much anxiety about the future of this country... remember the Truth!

"Blessed be the name of God, forever and ever. He knows all, does all: He changes the seasons and guides history, He raises up kings and also brings them down." (Daniel 2:20-21, The Message) He has charged us with responsibility to pray for His will to be done, and then we will obey Him and live with heart-deep faith and rock-solid assurance.

I hope you will go to the polls, exercising that privilege of democracy. I urge you to pray, as the Word directs.  The word from the Word today says "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV)  Peace will own your heart and mind, God’s wisdom guiding, and the world will be richer.

Oh, yes:

EOTWAWKI means- End Of The World As We Know It

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Battle Belongs

When all I see is the battle
You see my victory
When all I see is a mountain
You see a mountain moved
And as I walk through the shadow
Your love surrounds me
There's nothing to fear now
For I am safe with You

So when I fight I'll fight on my knees
With my hands lifted high
O God the battle belongs to You
And every fear I lay at Your feet
I'll sing through the night
O God the battle belongs to You

And if You are for me
Who can be against me
For Jesus there's nothing
Impossible for You

When all I see are the ashes
You see the beauty
When all I see is a cross
God You see the empty tomb
(An) Almighty Fortress You go before us
Nothing can stand against

The power of our God
You shine in the shadows
You win every battle
Nothing can stand against
The power of our God

O God the battle belongs to You

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham
© Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])
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CCLI License # 810055

Knowing Who You Are

 

Would you like to be happier in life, be better at what you do, and enjoy richer relationships?  Sounds like an ad for a self-help book, doesn’t it? There is a choice we can make that will help us to achieve those things, as well as to serve and please God better. Here it is -  Know who you are and be content.  Trying to be someone else, creating a fake public image, and/or lying to yourself about your reality will only make you miserable.

Socrates, the ancient Greek philosopher, said that a life of self-awareness was the key to success.  He said it simply - ‘Know thyself.’  People who learn to understand themselves gain the ability to respond rather than react, to choose to maximize their strengths more than to try to minimize their weaknesses, to anticipate challenges and prepare than to become overwhelmed.

There is a story from young David’s life. He went to see his brothers who were serving in Israel’s army.  At the battlelines, he saw the Philistine’s hero, Goliath, sneeringly challenge Israel to send a man to fight him. David saw the man’s words as an affront to the living God and volunteered to go to battle. His brothers mocked him but he knew his true strength was his faith in God, not his muscular might.

When King Saul tried to give David his own armor for the coming fight, the teenager told him -  “I can’t go in these,” he protested. “I’m not used to them.” So he took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across to fight Goliath." (1 Samuel 17:38-40, NLT)  God gave that humble kid a victory that day!

 In the Gospels, we meet a man whose choice to know he was, to live within his calling, should inspire us.  His name? John, the Baptist.  He was Jesus’ cousin, a preacher who gathered crowds, with a message of spiritual renewal. He was well into his public ministry when Jesus came along. When Jesus had called some of His disciples and began to preach, His crowds were larger!  "John’s disciples came to him and said, “Teacher, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you said was the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.” John replied, “God in heaven appoints each person’s work. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all. The bride will go where the bridegroom is. A bridegroom’s friend rejoices with him. I am the bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:26-30, NLT)

John could easily have allowed pride to overtake him. He could have felt jealousy over the success of this newcomer. He did not because he was aware of his calling, his identity, and his spiritual gifts.  When he says, “He must become greater,  I must come less,” he meant it because he was content to be who God had called him to be, fulfilling the ministry to which God appointed.

Are you trying to wear another’s armor for your battles in life?

Are you secretly wishing you were someone else, perhaps even being an imitation of that person?

Do you measure your life by the ‘success’ of somebody else instead of faithfulness in your own place and with your own opportunities?

There’s nothing wrong with desiring excellence, reaching higher, but be careful about trying to do it by walking the road prepared for someone else. God has made you, given you unique gifts and abilities. He will forgive your failures, lead you to develop your life in a richer way, IF you will humbly walk with Him, beginning right where you are.

Self-awareness is not gained in a moment or a day. Old habits do die hard.  Values and ideas are planted in our consciousness long before we are mature and they shape us from the shadows. Disappointments and failures, successes and victories, continue to wield influence long after the event. But, growth is possible, at every age, for every person.

God, the Spirit, will make us ‘new creations,’ a possibility that Christ Jesus offers to us through faith. In Him we are no longer slaves to sin, no longer without choice.  The Spirit wants to lead us to full lives, to the exercise of our unique gifts, and to be fruitful and effective in our service.  Know thyself, God helping you.

The word from the Word encourages me.  Meditate prayerfully on it and ask God to make you content in your own skin, even as He leads you to faithful service.

"As God’s messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are all parts of his one body, and each of us has different work to do. And since we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other, and each of us needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you. If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. If your gift is to encourage others, do it! If you have money, share it generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend that you love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.

Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.  Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful." (Romans 12:3-12, NLT)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Have Thine Own Way

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Thou art the Potter I am the clay
Mold me and make me after Thy will
While I am waiting yielded and still

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Search me and try me Master today
Whiter than snow Lord wash me just now
As in Thy presence humbly I bow

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Wounded and weary help me I pray
Power all power surely is Thine
Touch me and heal me Savior divine

 

Have Thine own way Lord have Thine own way
Hold o'er my being absolute sway
Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see
Christ only always living in me

 

© Words: Public Domain

A Thoughtful Faith

 

It’s election season and those awful commercials are back, you know the ones that address complex issues in just 30 seconds. Illegal immigration, which is a real issue with many causes, both economic and political, becomes about ‘them,’ those who are ‘different.’  Our current economic state resulting from multiple causes both foreign and domestic, is turned into a ‘tax the rich,’ or ‘cut our taxes’ argument.  We are fed a bland soup of easy answers and simplistic solutions, that mostly blame the ‘other side.’  I watched a ‘debate’ last night, hoping for at least some thoughtful exchange of ideas. Yes, I was disappointed.  It was the same repeat of attack lines and catch phrases, words designed to get a spot on the news. 

This same kind of ‘thinking’ can creep into our Christian practice.  If we choose to avoid thinking about the hard things preferring our favorite Bible verses that comfort us, we will lack a solid grasp of the wisdom of God and a mind capable of dealing with the complexities of life. That can make us easy prey for empty religion, cultish leaders, and a shallow faith that cannot survive the inevitable crises that come to us all.  Here is the truth, dear friend. 

An authentic Christian Life and the kind of faith that leads us to joy in the Lord will require thought, dialogue, meditation, and a circle of friends who think with us. Those unwilling to exist in the mystery, who will not admit “I don’t know,” will either escape into a superficial faith shaped around slogans or they will become functional agnostics, believing God is out there somewhere, but unreachable.

The Lord of the Universe is not a vending machine that spits out goods when we insert our prayers!  He is not bound to do what we ask, though He delights in us and desires to lead us to lives that are, in Jesus’ words, ‘abundant.’  From where we sit, He appears to be infuriatingly unpredictable.  Looking at suffering we cry -  “God, why is one dream realized and another shattered?” There are not enough answers this side of Heaven to satisfy every question.  

 Job, that Old Testament guy who lost everything – family, wealth, and health, might have turned bitter insisting that God must bless those He loves with perpetual prosperity.  Instead, he wept, experienced the full range of emotions, and trusted the Lord completely.  We see the whole story and see that God had a purpose in it all and was with Job.  But, does it seem right that He allowed such horrific things in the life of a faithful man?  Perhaps not, but it IS the truth.

In another story, we meet Joseph, who received God’s promise with faith as a teenager. Immediately thereafter, his life turned into a nightmare – sold by his brothers to slave-traders, carried to Egypt, falsely accused of attempted rape, imprisoned, forgotten by friends.  His trials went on for years. But through them all, Joseph lived with faith and excellence. Did he weep? I am sure he did. Did he wonder why? Certainly.  But, he kept faith and eventually became Prime Minister of Egypt. When those same brothers showed up in his court decades later, he told them this: "Don’t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation. Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh—manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt." (Genesis 45:5-8, NLT)

Life is filled with nuance, subtle themes, and sometimes situations that defy our understanding in the moment.  If we want to please Him and find His grace in such moments, the temptation to accuse God of unfairness must be leashed and faith loosed!  When God allows us to go through awful circumstances, to walk in the dark, we have a critical choice. Will we wait for a new dream to replace the shattered one OR will we descend into bitterness and unbelief?

How I love this prayer of a desperate father who brought his son for healing to Jesus. "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!" (Mark 9.24)  This is no slogan; it is Truth.  IF we will trust Him, He can give us a new dream, a new life that recovers JOY.

Honestly, to please Him, we must surrender our notions about ‘fairness.’  We must let go of the idea that we have a right to live a perfectly balanced life where the pain is always offset by the blessings, where the hard times are offset by the good times. Full faith is God-focused, not self-centered;  trusting that He is able to keep us secure in His love through the shattered dreams!

God’s answer to your prayer won’t fit on a bumper sticker! Don’t adopt slogans to cope. They cannot support you. Instead, reach out to people who will love you and hold you up until your faith is strong enough to touch the heart of God again. Reject the ‘out of context’ Scripture quotes, the simplistic answers, the psycho-babble, the half- truths… but do not reject God. Ask Him for courage to weep yet keep hope and faith intact as you pray --- "I do believe, but help me not to doubt!"

Here is a word from the Word -"In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth. I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD. I will be glad and rejoice in your love, for you saw my affliction and knew the anguish of my soul.

You have not handed me over to the enemy but have set my feet in a spacious place.

 …But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love." (Psalm 31:1-16, NIV)

(Video of this blog at this link)

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Living Hope

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb

In desperation I turned to heaven

And spoke Your name into the night

Then through the darkness Your loving-kindness

Tore through the shadows of my soul

The work is finished the end is written

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Who could imagine so great a mercy

What heart could fathom such boundless grace

The God of ages stepped down from glory

To wear my sin and bear my shame

The cross has spoken I am forgiven

The King of kings calls me His own

Beautiful Savior I’m Yours forever

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Hallelujah praise the One who set me free

Hallelujah death has lost its grip on me

You have broken every chain

There’s salvation in Your name

Jesus Christ my living hope

 

Then came the morning that sealed the promise

Your buried body began to breathe

Out of the silence the Roaring Lion

Declared the grave has no claim on me

Jesus Yours is the victory whoa

 

Jesus Christ my living hope

Oh God You are my living hope

 

Brian Johnson | Phil Wickham © 2017 Phil Wickham Music (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

Simply Global Songs (Fair Trade Music Publishing [c/o Essential Music Publishing LLC])

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CCLI License # 810055