Tag Archives: Jesus

May 28, 2013 · 9:23 AM

The Grace of Transformation

One of the earliest definitions of grace I ever heard was: God’s Redemption At Christ’s Expense. That acronym helped me to remember it all through the years. Because that became my definition of grace, it limited my understanding of grace. I always thought of grace as what God used to cover my sins and nothing more. I’m learning that while that is part of it, grace is so much more.

I’ve been reading “Life with God” by Richard Foster and that book has really challenged what I thought about grace. Grace is what enables to have a relationship with God. It’s what empowers us in our walk with Him. It’s more than what covers our sins. For me, it is like air in my life with God. Without it, I would not survive.

We each need grace daily as Christians. Whether it is to cover our sins and to make up the difference in our short comings or to propel us forward in our relationship with God. Richard Foster described it as the road beneath our feet in our walk with God. Psalm 37:23 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” Walking in grace is what it is to be directed by The Lord.

I love the other part of that verse that is rarely quoted. God delights in the details of our lives. He’s not someone who has left you alone and doesn’t know what’s going on in your life. He’s intimately familiar with every aspect of your life. He knows what you have going on today. He knows about the challenges you face and the things that are stressing you out. That leads me to another thing that Foster mentions about grace: it’s what forms us.

Difficult circumstances, tragic loss and other things we face are what God uses to shape us. They aren’t necessarily a punishment from Him. They are used to form us into who He needs us to be. No one I know is truly excited about going through the times that form us. I’ve been there. I’ve hurt so bad that it would have been easier to die than to deal with the pain. I’ve cried so many tears that I ran out of them.

When we look back on those times of formation, we can see God’s grace in it. While we are in it, we are blind to what God is doing. We want to blame Him, accuse Him or turn from Him in that blinding pain. We really just want out of what we are going through and to find an escape from the pain. But once we’ve endured, grace makes us stronger than before. Grace allows us to help others who are walking through the darkness of formation.

I’ve heard it said that we are either in a time of formation, just coming out of a time of formation or about to go into a time of it. Where are you? If you’re in it, hold on. God has not forsaken you. He’s there with you even though you feel blind right now. If you just came out of it, recover and learn how God wants to use that time in your life to help others. If you’re about to walk into it, trust in God’s grace to get you through it. Decide now that you will trust His grace even when you can’t see it.

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May 27, 2013 · 8:22 AM

Memorial Day Prayer

I heard a statistic last week that one third of all Americans don’t know that Memorial Day is the day we stop to remember those who gave their life in the line of duty. It was frustrating to hear that. If you have a loved one who died in service to this country, I say, “Thank you.” I may never understand the sacrifice they made for me and my family, but I’m eternally grateful.

Here is a Memorial Day prayer offered by my friend Michael Moak. You can follow him on twitter here.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I come to you this morning to invite your blessings, love, power, and presence to inhabit my home, my family, and my choices today.

However, before I continue I would like to take a moment to express the deep gratitude, humility and thankfulness that we feel for your many blessings upon this great nation.

Thank you for allowing we, the citizens of the United States of America, the privilege of living in the greatest nation on Earth. Thank you for empowering us with the knowledge and resources to build the most powerful democracy in the world and greatest military force on the face of the planet. As we celebrate Memorial Day, we pause to thank you for the brave and courageous men and women that have gone before us and laid down their lives as the foundational stones that support the freedom that we now enjoy!

We thank you for the committed men and women that currently serve with faithful and tireless dedication to uphold the liberty, justice and freedom for all that we call the “American dream” and ask you to be with them and their families today. And we thank you for the generation ahead of us that will heed the call and take up their duty to defend and serve the constitution of the United States of America!

It is those freedoms and privileges that allow us to worship in powerful religious expression. The Bible tells us in…
(Psalm 37:23 NKJV) “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.”

Therefore, I know that you have ordered my steps and the steps of every other follower of Christ across planet Earth. I ask that you would grant your people favor in the areas of government offices, school campuses, and community events. Raise up a remnant that will continue to honor and proclaim your name and bring glory to your kingdom through powerful acts of service to those who need your love the most. Help us to not forget the widows, the poor, the orphans and the homeless as they are dear to your heart. Help us to raise this generation of children to love and obey your Word so they might fulfill your will for their lives!

So, once again I invite you to help me as a father to my children, a husband to my wife, and a pastor to this youth culture to represent your name with honor, integrity, and love. May this day be full of joy and laughter. We ask all these things in the mighty name of your son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

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May 24, 2013 · 8:07 AM

Kingdom Thoughts

I read one of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s prayers last week and a phrase he wrote is still echoing in my mind. Here was a man who left the comfort of America to go to Nazi Germany to be with his fellow Jews. He was captured and sent to a Nazi prison for two years. Before he was executed in that prison, he wrote many prayers and poems. The last line in the prayer I read was, “Think Thy kingdom thoughts in mine.”

I have been making that my prayer this week. I don’t want to think my thoughts. I want to think God’s thoughts. Better yet, I want Him to think His thoughts in me. To do that, I have to yield my mind to Him. I have to give Him that control. It has to be more than a prayer. It requires action on my part. I know my thoughts and they’re not always kingdom thoughts.

If I truly let Him think His kingdom thoughts in me, how would that affect everything I do? I know it would change my priorities. What I consider important right now, doesn’t line up with what’s important to His kingdom. If I truly thought kingdom thoughts, I would be doing everything I can to get as many people into the kingdom as possible before my time is up. I’d sacrifice all that is secure now for what is eternal.

Knowing what needs to be done and knowing the sacrifice that will take creates a struggle. It creates a discontentment within me for where I am knowing where I need to be. I want to hold on to the things that my earthly mind thinks bring me security. The kingdom mind says, “Those things are temporary. Let them go and find real security.” Real security is found by having faith in what we cannot see over what we can see.

It’s difficult to have that kind of faith. We are raised in a world who’s culture is the opposite of that. Our culture says, “Acquire as much as you can so that you can retire comfortably.” Jesus said, “Sell all you have, give the money to the poor and come follow me.” Many of us hear that statement and are like the rich, young ruler who originally heard it. We walk away sad because our faith, trust and security are in the temporary things.

I wonder what would have become of him if he had done what Jesus said. He clearly loved God and had obeyed all the commandments since he was young. He was a good “Christian” but he asked what he lacked to be great. He wasn’t willing to make the sacrifice required to be truly great in God’s kingdom. In reality, most of us aren’t. We aren’t willing to adopt His kingdom thoughts that would require the sacrifice necessary that leads to greatness.

I’m trying to get there. I have made Bonhoeffer’s prayer my own even after I’ve understood what that means. I’m not content to be a good Christian. God has called me and you to greatness. He leaves the choice up to each one of us though. Are we willing to sacrifice what we think makes us secure in this world so that others can truly live? Are we really willing to make the prayer, “think Thy kingdom thoughts in mine” our own?

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May 23, 2013 · 1:47 PM

Stepping Out of Your Boat

Sorry for the delay today. My schedule has not been cooperative. This is a repost from one of my earlier posts.

Have you been in that place where you felt like God wanted you to do something, but were unsure? Maybe you felt the timing was off or the conditions weren’t right. God often calls us to do things in His timing, not ours. If we wait for things to be just right, we will never get them done. He is looking for obedience.

In my life, when I’ve felt that tug, I have stepped out in faith at times and done what was asked. There were other times where I missed the mark and immediately felt the regret of not doing it. I let that opportunity pass me by without acting.

In Matthew 14, Peter had an opportunity to step out in faith. His opportunity shows us three things that we can do when we are asked to step out.

1. Make sure it’s God asking

In the middle of a storm, Jesus came walking to the disciples on the water to comfort them. When they saw him coming, it scared them. Peter said, “Lord, if it’s you, ask me to join you.” When the Lord told him to come, Peter did as he was told.

Life often presents opportunities for us to step out in faith. Many of us recognize them, but won’t act without checking with God first. I’m a firm believer that it is scriptural to ask God to show you if something is His will. Gideon set mats outside his tent to test if he was hearing God. If you are unsure if God is asking you to do something, ask Him to prove it.

2. He stepped out of the boat

If we wait for the right time to step out of the boat, we will never move. When Peter got out of the boat, the waves were crashing against the boat and it was raining hard. Conditions were not ideal for him to step out. God doesn’t wait for things to be perfect to ask us to step out. It’s when we are in a storm or someone else is that we are asked to step out of the familiar and into the unknown.

A minute before Peter stepped out, he wasn’t even sure that it was Jesus who was asking. As a seasoned fisherman, he knew that his survival rate was minimal if he wasn’t able to walk on water. He took the step anyway. If your faith doesn’t defeat your logic, you will never get out of the boat. There were 11 others in the boat who listened to fear and logic. They will never know what it’s like to walk on water.

3. Stepping out doesn’t mean things will go perfectly

After getting completely out of the boat, Peter began to sink. Even in our greatest acts of faith, we still run the risk of failure. It is not one step Jesus asked Peter to make. It was multiple. Getting out of the boat was step one. We have to understand that while taking that first step is important, it’s not the last step of faith you are to make.

When Peter began to sink, he knew what to do. He called out for Jesus to help him. Jesus reached down and lifted him up. If you are sinking on step two wondering what is going on, call out for help. Jesus is there waiting to help you accomplish what He asked you to do.

What is it that God is asking you to do? If you can accomplish it on your own will and strength, it is not an act of faith. What is keeping you in the boat? Don’t let fear and logic keep you in the boat. First, make sure it is what God has asked you to do, then step out in faith.

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May 22, 2013 · 9:57 AM

Flawed Failures

If you are perfect, then you don’t have to read this today. If you are a flawed failure like me, you can keep reading. The good news is that you are just who God is looking for to use. He rarely picks anyone perfect to carry out His plan. If you look at the list of people God has used to do great things through, it’s full of flawed failures. It’s full of people who you probably wouldn’t want to work with.

Moses knew his own flaws and tried to use them as an excuse to not do what God was asking him to do. He stuttered. He murdered. He ran away. He was orphaned as a baby. He had excuses. God sees our excuses as opportunities to connect with others. He sees our flaws as ways to build dependence on Him. He’s ok with you not measuring up to what you think He wants. You actually have what He wants. That’s why He chose you to do His will.

Each of us have a purpose to fulfill. God has a desire to use you despite your flaws and excuses. He has a purpose for your life that only you can fulfill. God is not concerned with your past if you’ve gone to Him for forgiveness. He’s taken your past into account when He planned your future. He knew the struggles you were going to face. He knew where and how you were going to fail and still planned to use you. It’s hard for us to understand because what disqualifies us humanly somehow qualifies us spiritually.

God’s ways are higher than our ways. What we consider wise is foolishness to Him. When we point to the scars, disappointment, failures and sin, He points to the cross. It’s in our weakness that He can truly work. If we rely on our strengths and abilities, we get in His way. When we think we can’t or shouldn’t be used by Him, we are ready to be used by Him. If we had the ability to do it on our own, we wouldn’t rely on Him.

Look at Gideon. When he was approached by the angel, he was greeted with, “The Lord is with you, mighty man of God.” He had strength to accomplish what God wanted. He had the ability and the man power to do it. God took those things away from him so that he would not be able to say it was his ability that defeated the enemy. It could only be The Lord that allowed 300 men to defeat an entire army.

God can and will use our strengths, but He’s really interested in our flaws and failures. He uses those to bring healing to others and to show them that He can use them too. Be open about your past. Tell others about your scars. Your story (testimony) brings hope and healing to others. When you hide who you were, you hide the grace that God bestowed on you. Others need to see that God can forgive a past that’s dark and full of sin. Others need to see that God can use someone as flawed as you.

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May 21, 2013 · 9:07 AM

An Uncontrollable Fire

There are some lyrics to a song we sing at church that keep burning inside me. They say, “Set a fire down in my soul that I can’t contain and I can’t control. I want more of you, God.” We had sang that song at church many times before, but on a balcony in Haiti, it became my prayer. As we were having a time of worship in Gonaives, we sang that song and I started listening to the words. I began to internalize what they meant. I began to sing the song with more of a passion than a compulsion.

What does that look like to have a fire set in your soul? What does that feel like to have it burn without being able to control it? What would happen to me if I truly wanted more of God in my life? Do I really, truly want that and what is the cost? We sing songs and read scriptures a lot without giving much thought to the words we are saying or reading. We rarely dig down deep and plant those words in our heart and mind.

A fire that burns uncontrollably takes out what it wants whereas a controlled burn only takes out what I want. Have I given God real control in my life to take out the things He wants to or do I have protected areas that I’ve not let Him touch because I’ve tried the control burn method? If I truly believe that my life is not my own, why do I try to control what God can and cannot do in my life? Why do I fight to keep the things I want instead of taking the things I need from Him?

It’s a struggle that many of us fight. We want to be used by God. We want to give Him our lives. We want to trust Him. Our actions show differently though. Our mouths say one thing, but our actions show something completely different. I don’t want that. I’m not content with that. I can’t be, not if I’m praying that He will set a fire in my soul. Not if I’m willing to let that fire burn out of my control. Not if I want more of Him. Not if He wants more of me.

God gives Himself to us to the extent that we allow room for Him. Too many Christians are like the inn keeper in Bethlehem. They have no room for Him, but they want Him, so they put Him in the stable of their lives. He doesn’t just want to be in your stable. He wants the entire inn of your life. He wants to come into every room you have locked up. He wants to fill you up, but He will go where you put Him. Are you only offering Him a room in the stable?

For me, I want more of Him than I have today. I want to give Him the keys to my inn. I want to kick out the guests of control, security, lack of faith and fear. I want to give Him those rooms in my life too. I want Him to set a fire in my life to burn the things He wants to burn. I want Him to use that fire to purify me, to cleanse me and to make me who He wants me to be. Will it hurt? Probably. Will it be easy to do? No. Will it be worth it? Absolutely!

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May 20, 2013 · 7:05 AM

The Gift of Blessing

Since I was a child I have read in the Old Testament how fathers prayed blessings on their children. I always loved that concept. Somewhere along in history, people failed to pass that along and children have been living without being given a generational blessing. I decided when I had a child, I would bless them in the way that Abraham blessed Isaac.

After my mom died, I was distraught. I was young and still had a need for a godly mother in my life. My best friend’s mom fit that bill. Rocio was an incredible woman of God. She took me in and called me her son. She always knew when something wasn’t right with me. She would pull me aside and ask what was wrong. She would point to scriptures to help me and then she would pray over me.

It wasn’t many years later that Rocio got cancer too. One night, as she knew her time was short, she brought her children and I into her bedroom. She wanted us to sing hymns that were meaningful to her. After we sang, she wanted us to go in a circle and share one of our favorite scriptures. After the circle was completed, she wanted to do it again. We continued to go around that circle for more than an hour until none of us could quote scriptures that hadn’t been quoted yet.

After that she made the biggest impact she ever made in my life. She had us all leave her bedside and brought us in one at a time. She then asked each of us individually, “Have I done anything to offend you?” After that, she asked, “Are there any grudges you are holding against me?” Then she got more serious, “Is there anything you want to tell me that you’ve never told me, but always wanted to?” After we talked some more, she laid her hand on us and gave a blessing to us individually of who she wanted us to become in her absence. After that she prayed over us.

She will never know what a profound impact that had on my life. She gave each one of us gifts that we are unworthy to bear. She gave us the gift of freedom by allowing us to forgive her or to be forgiven by her. She gave us the gift of no regrets by giving us a platform to tell her something we had held back. Then she gave the most important gift of all, the gift of blessing.

I want to give that gift to my son every day. I believe in the power of words, especially God’s words. It is very humbling to be given such a gift. As a parent there is no greater honor than to bless your children and to pray over them. I have chosen different passages of scripture to bless my son with in order to help him become who God wants him to be.

Here is the blessing I pray over him:

May The Lord bless you and keep you and cause His face to shine upon you.

May He sing and dance over you because you are His child.

May He bring peace to your life and to your mind.

May He heal you of any disease and keep you from any sickness that would harm you.

May He give you good dreams and help you to live them out.

May you come to know Him at an early age and serve Him all the days of your life.

May you be a lover of His Word and find understanding in it.

May you find favor with God and man.

May you grow to be a man of integrity and a leader among men.

May you be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath.

Amen.

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May 17, 2013 · 7:44 AM

What Determines Your Worth?

I read an article yesterday about a server at a Steak ‘n Shake who got a $446 tip. The lady was clearly excited to receive it. She said some of her other tables had been giving her a hard time and she thought that was the reason behind the tip. In the article, she said something that stuck out to me. She said, “I didn’t think I was worth $400, but that customer does.” She valued herself at less than $400. I started thinking, “How many people value themselves so little?”

If you don’t know, let me be the one to tell you that you are worth well more than $400. How you see yourself or how others see you does not change your worth. It may affect your self confidence, but not your worth. You are a priceless work of art created by God to fulfill a purpose that only you can fulfill. You are valued by God above all other created things. Don’t let your mind or anyone else keep you from seeing that.

I can say that because God didn’t sacrifice His son for any other created being. Think of the angels and how highly we regard them. When Satan got a third of them to rebel against God and God cast them out of Heaven, did He pay a price to redeem them? No. Yet for you, He paid the ultimate price of sending His son to this earth to pay for what you and I do against Him.

Why would He do that for you and not for an angel? It’s because you are worth it to Him. Your life matters. What you do matters. Even if no one else around you values you or who you are, God does. Ultimately it’s His opinion that matters. I know it’s difficult to see when everyone around you values you less than $400. It’s easy to get that mindset when you’re verbally and physically abused. It’s not hard to believe that when those you love don’t appreciate you.

It’s hard to fight those thoughts and believe your worth doesn’t depend on others when everything around you is making you feel lower than dirt. I know. I’ve been there. I used to allow others to determine my worth. Not anymore. I find my worth and my value in who God says I am. I’ve learned to combat those thoughts with the Word of God. I’ve had to recognize when those thoughts come in so I can stop them and replace them with who God says I am. It’s a battle, but one that is worth fighting.

Your worth doesn’t depend on a tip, what someone else says or how they treat you. It depends on the price that God put on you and that’s a high price. You can not be replaced. There never has been or never will be another you. This is your time on earth to do what you were made to do. You have a purpose even if you haven’t found it yet. Keep looking. Keep believing. Keep trusting in Him. You are loved beyond measure and worth more than all the gold in the world.

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May 16, 2013 · 8:11 AM

A Deeper Answer

Yesterday at work I asked a question to a group of people. A lady answered, but it was only a surface level answer. I prodded her for more to think about what I was asking. I asked her to give me a deeper answer. She sat there with a blank stare for a minute. I offered the question in a different way, but still letting her know I was expecting her to answer. She gave me a “What are you doing” look. I explained, “I’m asking for more from you because what we’re currently doing is not working. If we are to change our results, we have to change how we think and approach the problem.”

I’m kind of in that place right now where God is asking for more from me. I’m the one sitting on the other side of the table with that blank stare saying, “What do you mean ‘more’?” It’s uncomfortable to sit here and not have the answer. To know that somewhere inside me lies the answer and not know how to get it can be disturbing. Knowing that God is waiting makes the situation even more intense.

I wonder if that’s how Peter felt when they were sitting on the shore of Galilee and Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” Peter answered, “Yes. You know that I love you.” Jesus responded, “Feed my sheep.” He turned around and asked Peter the same question. I imagine Peter sitting there thinking, “Is He joking? Is this déjà vu?” He amused Jesus by answering a second time exactly as he had the first. Jesus wasn’t content with that. He wanted more. “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt that He asked him a third time, and again said yes.

There have been many sermons regarding this and I’m not about to preach another one to you. I just want to stop and look at the emotions of what was happening. Jesus was pushing Peter beyond a surface level love. He was ensuring Peter knew in His heart that he loved Jesus because He was about to ask for more. What Peter had done in the past was not going to be good enough for what he was going to do in the future.

If you skip down a couple of verses to John 21:19, Jesus did something I hadn’t noticed. He again called Peter to follow Him. Peter had been called three years earlier to follow Jesus, but this call was different. This “follow me” was into a deeper relationship. One where Peter would be given the responsibility of raising up the early church and leading thousands to Christ. The dynamic of their relationship just changed in that exchange.

That’s where I am right now. Where are you? What is God asking of you? Are you giving Him a surface level answer when He is calling for a deeper more meaningful answer? Are you scared of what “more” means? Me too, but I won’t let that fear keep me from answering His call. I won’t continue to give the answer I’ve always given. I don’t know the answer yet, but I’m willing to follow Him into that deeper commitment until I do.

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May 15, 2013 · 7:59 AM

Participating in the Impossible

I had some extra time before dinner yesterday, so I went down to the bay side in Pensacola. I climbed over some rocks so I could get away from the road, people and noise to be close to the water. As I sat there, I decided I wanted to read some scripture of when Jesus was by the water. I went straight to John 6 where Jesus was on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. There were thousands around Him hanging on His every word. It was evening and the people were hungry, much like it was for me.

Jesus asked one of the disciples where they could buy food for so many people. Andrew came over and said, “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with such a huge crowd?” He had everyone sit down, blessed the bread and gave it to the disciples to distribute. Later He had them go pick up the leftovers.

I know you’ve heard this story a thousand times. I have too. As I was reading, I started thinking about how He made the disciples distribute and pick it up. Jesus had the ability to perform the miracle by Himself, but He involved the disciples. I wonder what went through their minds as He said, “Go give this to the people.” That wasn’t enough food for the disciples, let alone thousands of people.

I believe their obedience activated the miracle. It’s Just like the widow who used her last bit of oil to make bread for Elijah. It was her obedience that activated that miracle. When she poured out the oil to make him bread, there was more in the bottle for her and her son. Another instance was when a widow approached Elisha for help with her debts. He told her to borrow as many jugs as she could, fill them up with what little oil she had, sell the oil and then pay her debts.

God does not need us to perform miracles, but He chooses to allow us to participate. Our acts of faith allow us to be a part of His plan. When He asks us to do the Impossible, He’s really looking to see if we’re willing to believe or are we going to question. The disciples took the food from Him and started distributing it. I imagine as they went from person to person, their grin and their faith got bigger.

Then Jesus went a step further and asked them to pick up the left overs. They went from not having enough to feed twelve to feeding thousands and having leftovers. Our God does exceedingly more, above and beyond all we can ask or think. He has the ability to meet the needs you face today. He has the desire to do more than you can even imagine. Do you have the faith to believe? Do you have the courage to step out in faith to participate in the impossible?

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