Pull the Emergency Brake!

Driving home from vacation this past weekend gave me quite a bit of "windshield time," as a friend once identified it.  This time simply involved staring into the vast sky and admiring its beauty, while at the same time, continually pumping the brakes because of the tumultuous holiday traffic overwhelming the interstate.  I found my mind consumed with the reality of heading back into "reality."  The full calendar of events December brings.  The battle against materialism that ensues.  The constant reminder to "Keep Christ in Christmas."

And that is where I camped out in the perplexing array of my thoughts - what does it even mean to "Keep Christ in Christmas?"  Don't use an X and write out Christ in Christmas?  Make sure to have a nativity set on display during the season?  Say "Merry Christmas" instead of the more general appeal of "Happy Holidays?"

I tend to believe that at least preachers mean it to remind us that it would be easy to lose our focus on the One for Whom the celebration of the season revolves.  The One Who left the glory of Heaven to become a helpless babe, born in the most humble of circumstances to one day grow and die the most humble of deaths as the Shepherd laying His life down for His sheep.  How does He remain a focus for us?  

Some attempt to tell us that we need to "slow down."  I admire the sentiment and understand the suggestion.  However, if you are like me, my calendar doesn't get extra days added to slow down the pace at which I run in the holidays.  There is always another event that one feels obligated to attend.  Another run to the grocery.  Another family gathering.  Another gift to buy.  Another text to make.  Another call to take.  The same amount of hours in a day to accomplish more in this time of year than potentially any other.  And it's supposed to be "jolly?!"  So, how?  How do we slow down?

I think the suggestion should shift from "slowing down" to simply making an attempt to STOP at times.  Diligently scheduling blocks of time where we can protect a time to keep Christ as focus.  To engage with the Prince of Peace and Lord of Lords in fellowship with His Word and Spirit.  To plead with Him to aid us in focusing less on ourselves and more on Him and others.  To insist that continued devotion expressed to Him actually brings JOY in the midst of the season.  To enjoy Him.  

Wow.  

What a concept.  To ENJOY our Maker.  To bask in His character. To relish in HIs Truth.  To rest in His sovereign grace and purposes.

So, STOP instead of slow down.  Intentional times of pause.  I think about how often we use our brakes to slow us down while driving forward through the terrain of life.  Yet, how often do we use our emergency brake?  Whenever we need to park and protect our vehicles from back-sliding.  Perhaps this is the word picture we need to help us this time of year.  That we schedule a break, pull over in the hustle of life, and utilize the emergency brake to help us ensure a COMPLETE stop - instead of sliding back into the attitude we despise, rest to obtain an attitude we desire.  Perhaps then we can honor the words spoken by the Psalmist in Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Friend, I feel the need to declare that I LOVE this time of year.  I LOVE honoring the birth of my Savior.  I LOVE the Christmas cheer of carols and colors.  I LOVE the enjoying of family and the giving of gifts.  But to survive it in a way that truly honors God, I believe its not just about slowing down, it is about taking time to completely BE STILL and KNOW He is God.

May you be able to "deck the halls with boughs of holly" as your heart stays steadfastly focused on the Giver of Life, God Almighty, Lover of your soul.

Merry Christmas.  Truly.  Merry.  CHRISTmas.

4Hisfame.

Crammed, Cluttered, and Crowded

While sitting this afternoon in the parking lot about to pull out of my coffee run, I observed a car in front of me that was literally filled to capacity in both the back and passenger seats with what appeared to be belongings from home being moved.  The lamp shade was smashed against the front window.  The boxes were being crushed in the back.  Bags and bags were filling any open space (at least from where I was able to see).  The scene was overwhelming.  And I sat and wondered in that brief moment, as the Lord impressed upon my heart, what do I carry around that clutters my life? What past failures do I allow to crowd my present?  What baggage that I should have surrendered to Christ still crams my heart and mind today?

And I said to the person next to me, how is there space for anything else?  Anything new?  Anything fresh?  As Scripture promises, "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:22-23).  If our lives are so full of yesterday's baggage and mistakes, of yesterday's hurts and sins, then how do we have room to embrace the newness of His mercy today?!  The car drove off carrying all of the heavy load being moved from one place to the next, and I was grateful of the reminder that in the faithfulness of the Lord, He has taken my sin from me and cast it as far as the east is from the west.  Now I move on in the freedom of Christ...still aware of the past, but not bound by it in my present.  He has poured out His steadfast love to ensure that my heart would be His home.  And that the clutter of sin would be trumped with the washing and renewal of His Word.

Friend, let the baggage go.  Christ can handle it.  Then embrace His mercy.  Embrace His love.  Perhaps even better, feel His mercy and love embrace you.  Pray for Him to clean up your heart, so that it is fresh and ready for what today holds.

4Hisglory.

Kingdom Moments

(Adapted from an email I shared with the faculty and administration of the school of which I am employed...)

Question: How many things can you remember from yesterday?  Think about it.  How many details?  Restart your day in your mind.  Try to walk through as many conversations, distractions, meetings, tasks, to-do list items checked off, etc.  Try to make it all the way to bed time last night.

How much do you remember?  I bet you remember some of the highs of your day...like the taste of your home-cooked lasagna or maybe the breeze blowing while you took a walk around the block.  I bet even more you remember some of your difficulties of the day.  Maybe your plans didn't go through as you expected.  Maybe you received a hard phone call or email.  Perhaps you ended the day on a sad note, only to wake today revisiting the stinging emotions.

But amidst what you recall...let me ask another question.  How many kingdom moments do you remember?  How many times do you remember focusing your attention upon the Lord?  Whether while driving or walking from class to class?  How about the times you helped someone yesterday see Jesus in a new way or a real way amidst their circumstances?  When did you acknowledge His glory in creation as you saw the beautiful sunset or the smiles in the precious children we have the privilege to teach?  The reason I want you to remember those moments...is because those moments could potentially matter for eternity.  Far beyond the memory of yesterday...Christ's impact through you could have eternal ramifications for someone else around you.  

As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:14-16).

I pray that if yesterday was not showered with those kind of Kingdom moments...then may TODAY be different.  May today be a day filled with moments that matter for eternity.  That when this day is done, we will look back and remember God's handiwork amidst the craziness of our day.

May today matter for tomorrow.  For eternity.

4Hisfame.

Joy in the Moment

While driving the family van the other day, I had a beautiful experience with my middle and oldest sons.  My mind was preoccupied with a thousand to-do's, concerns, and prayer needs.  Selfish wants.  Praises here and there.  Thoughts on my Maker were rare in this particular outing.  I felt a heaviness in my spirit.  How to accomplish it all?  How to remember to pray for this and that?  And so forth.  My mind was going way faster than the van.

But then the Holy Spirit worked.  Many people say God doesn't force Himself upon us.  I tend to disagree.  I believe the Maker has the right to invade the lives of those He has made when and how He chooses.  As was this moment.  The Spirit had me look up into my rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of something special.

Joy.  Fantastic joy.  

Where?

On the faces of my two boys.  They were smiling and radiating with something that was very foreign to my thought processes during that drive.  The view was so stunning that it forced me to stop focusing on me (because essentially that was what was happening) and to take in the moment.

Out of the speakers blared a song from the movie the boys were watching - whereby an animal was being saved.  People were happy and emotional in the movie (I wasn't watching it - I have just seen it before - I do try to be a safe driver :).

And it was contagious.  And my boys were expressing that reality of joy that life was precious.  That great things are taking place.  That life is not all bad (although we live in a fallen world - God is still working redemption through the fabric of history).

They didn't see me watching, but I just stared.  In awe.  They were tapping into something at the ages of five and seven that I was choosing to ignore at thirty-six.  And because of their smiles, I experienced joy also.

It was contagious.  These two precious gifts that God had given me are a source of expressing joy by the Spirit within me.  I mean, as Paul wrote in Romans 15:13 - "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."  And man, does God give us reason after reason to abound in hope by the overwhelming joy and peace we have in believing in Christ!
 
And then...the thought came rushing in:

Do others experience joy when they look at me?  Am I a contagious source of joy for others to experience Jesus?

Conviction.  Yet, comforting.  I get to play a part in my Maker's plan to display the reason for joy, the source for joy.  Jesus Himself.  No matter the to-do's.  The wants.  The busy thoughts.  I get to express the ONE worth experiencing - and this holds such eternal ramifications.  I want JOY Himself to be displayed in me.  And when others see, may they too sense the contagiousness of His joy in my life. Through my life.  In spite of my life.

And with that, I looked back to the road ahead.  Still driving.  Still thinking.  But now...smiling.

Friendship - thoughts to consider...

In teaching, I have often instructed students and learners that I believe the three most abused words in our English language are:

Love

Hate

Friend

I love Taco Bell.  I love God.  Love just cannot have the same magnitude of meaning in the first sentence as compared to the latter.  This week, the subject of friendship has been put before my face repeatedly. I have even been asked, "Lance, do you consider [insert names] to all be friends of yours?" Intimate question. Relevant question. Eye-opening question.

As I have pondered each of those names, praying through them intentionally, I believe He has given me several insights to share on the subject of friendship, especially as I have praised God for the friends He has placed in my life.

1.  "I don't need friends.  I'm perfectly fine on my own."  FALSE.  Friendship is an invaluable part of our walk through our time on this earth.  Community (even at different levels of intimacy and significance) is also essential for the growth and sanctification of the believer.  We need others.  Now, I'm not saying that we have to have a ton of friends or even a lot of them; unfortunately, Facebook has added to the distortion of the meaning of "friend."  But it is worth asking, if the Lord Jesus needed friends - good friends - how much more do we?

Mary, Martha, Lazarus.  Three siblings that were close to the heart of the Lord Jesus (see John 11:5).  Obviously then, it was the will of the Father for Jesus to have those relationships with them, for as we know, He did nothing more and nothing less than God's will.  Who are the people meant to be in my life?  In your life?

2.  The will of God must always come before the desires of friendships.  This is one of the hardest things with which I think Christians struggle.  I know that I put the "needs" of my friends before what I know the Lord desires me to do.  His will MUST trump what we think is best.  For example, when Lazarus, His friend, died, how would one suspect that Jesus would respond?  Immediate departure to be with grieving loved ones.  However, the Scriptures state that He waited four days for His arrival on the scene (see John 11:17).  Why?  Real friends would drop everything to care for their friends.  But, as the story unfolds, we learn that Jesus responded this way so that they "would see the glory of God" (John 11:40).  Do we put the will and glory of God before the will and desires of our friends?  May we always check to make sure God is the ultimate priority in our friendships.    

3.  True friends are willing to speak truth to one another no matter the cost.  Many times I have told my wife that I strongly dislike having to "always" share hard truth with people I love, or brothers I disciple, or friends in my life. Yet she is faithful to remind me that this part of my life is an extension of the ministry of Jesus Himself, who did share hard truth with others whenever necessary, whether friend or enemy.  As in the case again with Jesus and one of the before-mentioned siblings, Martha, Jesus rebuked her for being busy with many things.  As she prepared to serve Jesus, Martha missed the main point of sitting at the feet of Jesus as her sister, Mary, did; she listened and worshiped as He taught  (see Luke 10:38-42). Martha expected him to stand by her side and rebuke Mary for "laziness," but He stood by Mary.  For Mary did what was most profitable at that moment; Martha let anxiety consume.  Jesus spoke what was hard to build up and refine His friend.  Do we?

4.  On the other hand, true friends affirm and encourage when one is right or obedient.  As in the previous instance, not only did Jesus correct Martha, but He also affirmed Mary.   She was busy doing the right thing.  I think this is huge.  Affirming with what is right in the Lord's eyes, not necessarily what we think is right in our opinion or feelings.  We must encourage friends to know God's voice and walk accordingly, only then to offer words of affirmation after they follow through with His desires.  

5.  True attitude of friendship, as in the attitude of Christ, is not "Will you be my  friend?" but instead, "I will be your friend."  As Paul quoted Jesus in Acts, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).   True friendships involve a giving of oneself for the betterment of another - it is not for the sole benefit of the betterment of self.  This is perhaps the one point that is tumbling most in the caverns of my thoughts and emotions.  In analyzing those that are or aren't to be in the inner circles of my friendships, this fact causes me to further consider how I am treating and loving others as a friend to them.  At the end of the day, am I really more concerned with who are my friends, or instead, what kind of friend am I?

I'm sure most of this is common sense Christianity for those experiencing genuine friendships.  However, I have just observed so much recently in my life and in the lives of others that would cause one to question the existence of authentic, truly selfless friendships.  

May Jesus do this work in me.  Make me a friend to others that honors His character.  May He do this work in us - so that He is MOST glorified through the display our Christian friendships present for the world.

The Heat is ON

At some points today, I'm pretty sure my body has undergone some temperature shocks as I have moved from the arctic tundra of my office to the blazing heat of southern Louisiana crouching at the door, waiting to consume me.  My body doesn't know whether to thaw out or chill out?!?!

What's interesting though...moving between church buildings or just sitting outside to read a bit (that would be a very, very small amount of time), I can sense the energy being zapped from inside.  Like the heat beckons any ounce of energy to escape my body from each and every pore, leaving me lethargic and almost lifeless in momentum.  And please understand, I KNOW there are so many in the heat.  All day long.  With no arctic tundra for an office or even air conditioning in which to momentarily rest...I simply mention this to paint a contrast of the climate around me.

So the heat settles in.  And besides the sweat pouring down, what else pours out and escapes?  First, my patience.  There it goes.  Next, my Christ-like attitude of contentment.  Complaining has taken hold.  Third, my will to honor the Lord by not letting the temperature gage my desire to do what He has called me to do.  Yep, the heat is too much.  Change of plans - on to my plans.

And at this point, I'm not talking about the heat measured in fahrenheit.  Now, I'm talking about the heat of circumstances that our Lord uses to refine our being.  The heat of intense situations that bring up from the depths within us the things we don't want to realize are still holding residence inside. It's like as the heat rises, so is the ease of putting on display the things we don't want to rise up in our flesh.  

So, as I wipe the sweat from my brow, I ask myself, as I ask you - should the temperature of the trials around us dictate how we respond in the heat?  Absolutely not.  If it does, we are functioning out of our flesh instead of the cool, refreshing life of the Spirit flowing from with us.  And so, within those trials and times that seem too much, when we must with everything within us hold fast to the Spirit of God strengthening us, perhaps we should remember God's Word in James 1:11: "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."  

I believe we can pass the test.  I believe we can withstand the heat.  I believe we can praise Him in the scorching nature of our trials.  And then, when we do get to chill in the calming springs of Christ, praise Him then also.

#4hisfame.

An Overwhelming Presence

There I was, settled in a creaky bunk bed in a state park campground dormitory.  We were on an overnight retreat with some high schoolers from school. But it's not the nighttime wildlife that I consider...not the sound of crickets chirping, or raccoons scrambling through trash cans, or even the rowdiness of guys playing a late night card game. My thoughts turn to the afternoon arboretum hike undertaken earlier that day. 

And while on that hike, amidst the array of plantlife - of fallen trees and hollowed stumps, I recognized a repeated "threat" that continuously consumed my focus.

The overwhelming presence of spiders. I mean, everywhere. Webs stretched across paths with small captured prey caught in the grasp of the arachnid traps.  Ducking, eyes squinting searching for possible silky threads hanging in my path. I continued along the uneven terrain wondering where the next mini-beast would appear.  And not just me...but many others noticed the uncanny amount of eight-legged creatures.  Which carried late into the evening, when prior to an outrageous game of capture the flag...I enjoyed the benefit of watching a black widow spider play capture-the-moth.  The spider won.

And so, there I was again in the coldness of the dormitory.  Laying in the bunk pondering how much my thoughts had been focused on those tiny, yet dark, creatures that had been allowed by God to "overtake" the wooded area.

And it hit me.  This is just what I do on a daily basis.  Not look for spiders, but focus on the "dark" things of life.  Looking for the next spiritual attack.  Focusing intently on the sin so obvious in myself or the lives of others.  Staring unswervingly at the difficulties or hardships along the path of the day.  Recognizing the overwhelming presence of the fallen world around me.

But what do I miss while doing so?  The Maker of all things beautiful.  Focusing intently on the victory of the cross and the power of the Resurrection which overcame the sting and power of sin and death.  Staring unswervingly at the majesty of my Lord who is sovereign over and working intimately in each and every difficulty or hardship.  Recognizing the overwhelming presence of the glory of God in the midst of a fallen world.

How sad...that I spent all that time looking for the tiniest of creatures at the cost of missing the splendor of the environment around me.  And too often, I spend time looking to the past, or the present shame-ridden steps, instead of gazing upon the One worthy of my attention, worthy of the love of my mind, worthy of the worship of my heart.

As the Psalmist declared, so too should we - "You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).  What a beautiful Truth of which to walk in constant consideration.

So with utter fatigue knocking at the door of my mind, I rolled over in the creaky bunk and praised God for changing my attention from the things of the earth to the Glory of heaven.  And that was how my day ended.  Aware of the overwhelming presence of the glory of God.  May that be how I rest today.  Aware of Him.

#4hisfame.

His Purpose Will Stand

Countless times I have felt that my efforts fall short of any form of magnificent ability to bring about the best results that could possibly come to pass.  No matter how much I study, prepare, plan, organize, save up, enlist, ask for help, cast vision, rest, stay busy, read, pray, disciple, be discipled, (and the list could go on) I find this law at work within me:

My efforts are never really good enough.  Never.

They might look good or seem beneficial, however, Scripture teaches that apart from Christ, as John 15:5 states, I can do nothing.  Nothing of any significant, lasting, eternal, valuable, meaningful, excellent, God-glorifying worth.

Now, I know that God blesses us with gifts and talents that we are able to function in on a daily basis; however, if we are totally relying on ourselves in a moment for success, our flesh will feed us lies to think that we can rely on ourselves more of the time...and more of the time...until we wind up like the world, and find ourselves trying to do life on our own.  Apart from Christ.  Apart from His Spirit's power.  Apart from God.

So, what can I say to offer hope in the midst of this ever-present condition of the human nature?  What can we focus on to know what God desires of us in the parts we play in His glorious plan of redemption and obedience?  I think what is best to quote would be Scripture itself.

"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." - Proverbs 19:21

"Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it." - Isaiah 46:8-11

I can rejoice in knowing that what God wants accomplished, nothing I can do or NOT do will keep Him from fulfilling His purposes. And, as I trust in Him and rest in Him, I can be even more confident that He will use the obedience we bring Him in love to bring about "everything according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11).

Believer, today I encourage you to trust in the One who enables you to be filled with all wisdom and ability to obey for His honor and pleasure. And when you feel that you are not good enough, or that what you bring to Him is not good enough, remember that He is at work in you to do through you what He desires to take place. Praise Him today...His purpose WILL stand.

#4hisfame.

John 6 - Part 5 - A Sign and the Secluding Savior

As I reach the conclusion of my time in John 6:1-15, I am reminded so much of the richness of the Word and the reality of my need for the Spirit of God to illuminate the Truth to me.  So often, we:

1. ...hurry through Scripture, missing necessary elements of context and word usage - thereby causing misinterpretation of the text.
2. ...go to the text with our own agenda and read truth into the text, rather than taking truth out of the text - thereby again causing misinterpretation of the text.

Just as we can so easily misinterpret Scripture, we see in today's text that the people misinterpret a sign provided by the miracle of Christ.  Let's read again, John 6:1-15.

Again, John writes:

1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, about five thousand in number. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”

15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. (John 6:1-15, ESV, emphasis mine)

The Lord had just performed a miraculous wonder among the people - feeding the multitudes with a measly amount of bread and fish.  In awe, the people refer to it as a sign -  as should we.  But a sign for what?  Or better, a sign pointing to whom?

As evidenced in Scripture, a sign is an important event of supernatural effect that gives awareness to the reality of God as well as granting a sign of God-given authority to the one performing the miracle.  Often times, instead of seeking the heart of God in prayer and His Word, people solely search for signs to receive a "confirmation" of God's decreed will for their lives, as in the case of Gideon's fleece in the book of Judges.  I am in conversation often with individuals who love God and live for Him daily, yet their main tool for measuring what the secret will of God is for their future or present decisions is reading into signs; unfortunately, we often wind up doing just that.  We read into signs - making them say what we want them to say.  What's interesting about the sign here in John 6 performed by Jesus, is that Jesus wanted the sign to not be read into, but merely read.  The recipients of the miraculous meal read into the sign to mean that Jesus "is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world" (v.14).  Which prophet?  These would be referring to the one Moses would have foretold (Deuteronomy 18:15)...and therefore they read into that meaning they were to take Jesus and immediately MAKE Him king.  

My exhortation to you, believer, is that we are to be careful about how we read things in our daily lives.  Definitely, God is able to use people, conversations, events, circumstances, and an array of other things as a sign to lead and direct us.  However, do not let your faith be led by circumstances, but let your choices be led by faith.  In Scripture, signs were used to point people TO Christ...to see the God-man and His authority placed on His people He used to authenticate the Gospel being spread.  As declared of the Lord by Peter in Acts 2:22, "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst..."  The signs asserted that Jesus was in fact the Son of God come to be Savior for His people.  Therefore, when things are happening that seem to offer guidance, or you are praying for a confirmation and it seems to have arrived, please make sure not to miss the Giver of the sign.  He is to be worshipped and adored for Who He is, not just what He is doing.

Perceiving that the people had misread the sign and were ready to act upon their mistaken  interpretation, Jesus secluded Himself from the people, withdrawing to the mountain alone (v.15).  Like our secluded Savior, may we escape the temptation to be directed by the misinterpretations of our world, and instead, run to meet with God alone to determine and distinguish what His desires are for us in our daily obedience to His Word and His answers to our prayers.  

So, as we seek to see the answers in the signs the Lord affords us, make sure we seek and keep on seeking the Savior from whom all blessings flow and to whom all praise is to be given!  

#4hisfame.