Archives for May 2017

Galatians 1:6-7 – “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all.”

Those who know me understand that I’m not a theologian. Not trained in the ministry in any way. In fact, I come from a humble background and suffered, mostly due to my own choices a difficult road to get here.

However, when you write posts as I’ve been sharing these last few months – some give me credit for knowing and/or being more than I actually am.

For as long as people have walked the earth, we’ve had this tendency to change our minds. Some change their core beliefs, or at least those they espouse as their truth – as often as others change clothes.

Many profess to be in love one day and even commit to living in love with that person forever. The next day they divorce the same person and pursue something different.

It’s also true in the ways people pursue God. And apparently, after reading Paul’s lament in his letter to the Galatians – it was true then too.

In our society, we enjoy the freedom to worship as we see fit. There is a smorgasbord of choices, especially when it comes to religious preference.

Today I’ll have some of this – but tomorrow decide I don’t like that anymore and will have something very different.

But underlying all of it, in my opinion, anyway, is one God. And he gave us one Gospel as the guidebook for our lives. It chronicles the life of Christ, God’s only son. It tells us of the things he did, and the lessons he taught.

Some choose to believe that they worship a different God. I personally believe that when we arrive at our home in heaven, God will let us in on a secret. One that he and his disciples laugh about often.

It’s that all people – of all faiths are actually worshipping him. Regardless of what they call him. All of the so-called “holy wars” are about is a difference of opinion on what they should call him and how to worship him.

Want proof? Just look at the list of names God uses to describe himself. One was “I AM”.

He’s also been known as Elohim. others have called him El. I often refer to him as Lord but also call him Papa, Father, and Jesus. Others call him Yahweh, Jehovah or Christ.

But it’s still one God. No one name is needed. All that is required is to believe that he exists. He will know based on your heart. And that’s enough.

Philippians 4:13 – “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

I’ve noticed something in my life of late and it’s created some thoughts which I’d like to share with you. Maybe the same is happening in your life too.

That something is that, no matter how hard I try, my list of ‘to-do’s’ never seems to get any shorter, no matter what I do. There seems to be no connection between how diligently I work at it, and the length of the list.

It reminds me some of the movie “Fantasia – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (Disney 1940).

It has probably been many years since you last saw it but in the story, Mickey Mouse is working as an apprentice to a wizard/sorcerer. He’s assigned a simple-enough task, to fill the cauldron with water. But it’s hard work, so when his master steps away, Mickey takes it on himself to cast a spell over a broom and command that broom to carry the water for him.

While he figured out how to accomplish this – he didn’t know how to make it stop. So he uses an ax to destroy the broom thinking that would be the end of it. However, the spell was powerful and each splinter soon became a broom in itself and now an army of brooms with buckets continued the work to which it was assigned.

Now, we’re not talking about the ‘black arts’ employed by Mickey, I’m only talking about how, no matter what I do to shorten the list I’m working on, it only becomes longer.

Here’s a better idea. Much more effective than sorcery too. It’s prayer. In the passage above, Paul is describing the long and challenging list of tasks he’s been asked to accomplish.

He instinctively asks God, knowing that through him, he’d have the strength to endure. It’s a good lesson for us. For me in this moment.

No matter what I DO, in my own strength; with my own ‘power’, I cannot do everything I’ve been tasked with. But through Jesus, I CAN do it. For that I’m grateful. Praise his mighty name!

Proverbs 11:24-25 – “One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”

Talk about a paradox that thoroughly confuses many believers in Jesus. Some believe that the resources in their life are finite and limited. Therefore giving them to others means that I’d be depleted by that amount.

Others, who understand the principle I cited in Proverbs today have found that they cannot out-give God. The more they share what they’ve received, the more they get themselves.

This is because none of what we possess actually belongs to us. No, we are merely stewards of the resources, all of which belong to God.

We do have a generous God.

I recall one morning going for a walk in the neighborhood where I lived. I came upon a pack of Ibis, birds that are native to Florida and similar climates. As I saw them the Lord called my attention to them and asked me if I noticed what was going on?

They were using their bill to dig into the soil and eating the bugs they found there. “They’re eating, Lord,” I said.

He said, “yes – they’re eating.” Then he added, “I provide food for them every day, as I do for all of my creations.”

This reminded me of Jesus words, which were recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 6 when he said, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”

Is it easy to live this way, especially when things are tight? No, at least not for me.

But I try to remember that what is in my hands is only there because God gave it to me. And he reminds me that by sharing even from the little I have in the moment, he would reward me with more and that I myself would never lack because I helped another from what I was given.

So let me encourage you today that you’ll find it impossible to out give God. And if you share what he’s given you in your role as the steward (not the owner) of things, you’ll never want for much. Try it, and let me know what happens.

1 Corinthians 1:18-20 – “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: ‘ I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.’ Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

I remember when I was growing up hearing family members and even friends who suggested that I was smarter than many of my peers. “Oh, you’re so smart” or “I could never be as smart as you.”

I was a good reader, yes – but those who are smart rarely find themselves facing the kinds of difficulties I brought on myself. The more I was lauded for being wise, the more foolish I tended to act.

In that sense, I was the foolish, wise man.

I was raised in a conservative, semi-religious home. Rarely did we miss going to Sunday school and to church each week. My Dad would studiously listen to the pastor sermonize about one thing or another, then upon leaving would check the box “yep, I went to church” and go back to his life.

In the 15 or so years I went to church before joining the military, I never once was introduced to Jesus.

I finally met him when I was traveling on business as a man in my late 30’s. I was in Mobile, AL and working to promote an event that we were bringing to the city. In one of my meetings, I met the Pastor of a non-denominational, charismatic, Christ-centered church. Having only known the routine of a Lutheran church service, I was both invited to see what their ‘worship’ services were like but also cautioned how different it would be.

There was no pulpit – no choir. Instead, there was a stage and a rock band. When they started playing, there were no hymns, but people instead were dancing in the aisles.

Upon first hearing it, the message of the cross seemed foolish to me. Yet in my personal life, I was suffering and indeed perishing.

In the days and weeks to follow, Jesus showed up here and there in my life. He made it clear that he was real and that I was being invited to worship him instead of the religion I had known since birth.

Initially, I was frustrated but slowly opened my heart up to it. Then as I started to explore his scriptures and studying it for myself, I found that what I had thought of as wisdom was in fact foolishness. In pursuing an understanding of all that happened on that fateful day when Jesus paid my debt on the cross, I found the power of God was available to me.

That day in Mobile people were worshipping their Savior, Jesus who had offered them a path to eternal life. He had paid the debt for their sins and they were set free from the bondage they had lived in. Out of their joy, they danced.

My life was transformed by it. In the nearly 20 years since I’ve only been back to the Lutheran church where my roots were and was sad to see it dying off like so many of its members. They were church people, religious in every way – but they didn’t know or worship Jesus.

Fortunately for me (and you), a path exists out of the foolishness of organized religion, and if you take it will find yourself on a path to real freedom. One centered in Christ.

Praise God today for that and when you have an opportunity, maybe even dance a bit. It’s ok, you know.

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Can you remember a time when you really felt like your back was against the wall? Where your options to escape what appeared to be pending doom were slim, and slim had just left town?

What did you do? Pick up the phone and call friends and family to ask for help?

The message from Paul today tells us what we SHOULD do. Approach the throne of grace. Jesus, our Lord, and Savior sits on that throne and he wants to help.

I remember a day when things were very grim for me. Resources were tight and bills were past due. My business was failing and I had not yet found a job. But car payments, rent and utility bills all needed to be paid.

I legitimately had no hope of paying them. My car was within days of being repossessed and I was terrified that on a bridge too far, I would perish. Friends and family had limited resources themselves and no inclination to help me if they could.

That day I cried out to Jesus and asked him to help.

With but only a few days remaining until the mess would hit the fan, I found a letter in the mail. It was from the company who held a 401K I’d had with an old employer. I had completely forgotten about it.

They were writing to tell me to roll over the account to another provider or cash it out because they were no longer going to host it for me. I called the 800 number on the letter and was told that one easy way to resolve the issue was to cash out what was in the account and they’d send me a check.

When she totaled up the funds available and backed out the taxes that are owed when you close a 401K account prior to retirement, the amount I was to receive was enough to get current on those crushing bills and stock my house with food.

The company overnighted the check and I had it the next day.

Once again, Jesus saves the day! Yet almost every time I find myself in a difficult place, I attempt to get help from the people in my life. This was a reminder that I have a Father in heaven who is very much aware of me and my plight. He’s never short of funds either and is generous beyond measure. All we have to do is ask him.

So if today you or someone you know is stuck and really needs help – point them to Jesus. Approach the throne of grace seeking mercy and with faith, ask!

You may be shocked but I would not be surprised one bit if your prayers are answered in a way that cannot be explained without God the Father providing the answer you needed.