"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him." Luke 15:20
There is a fairly famous and somewhat controversial worship song by John Mark McMillan called "How He Loves." The controversy behind the song resides in the fact that John Mark McMillan used the lyrics "sloppy wet kiss" and many people felt that this wasn't reverent enough. Whether you agree with his lyrics or prefer David Crowder's "unforeseen kiss", it doesn't really matter. The heart of the song stays the same. God has so much love for each of us, and He went to incredible lengths to show it.
My favorite line from the song actually comes directly after the "sloppy wet kiss" line. It says, "I don't have time to maintain these regrets, when I think about the way that He loves us."
There comes a time when we just have to understand and accept that the love of the Father is so great that we can't continue to carry the regrets and mistakes of yesterday with us anymore.
In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of the prodigal son. If you are unfamiliar with this story, I will give a brief explanation. Jesus is telling a story to let the Pharisees and scribes know exactly why He hung around with sinners and allowed them to interact with Him so frequently. He tells the story of a father who has two sons, and the younger son tells his father that he wants his inheritance before the father dies. This boy feels like he needs to get out and experience the world and see what it has to offer him apart from his father's house.
His father agrees to this and splits the inheritance between the two boys, and a few days later, this younger son leaves the house and moves off to a "far away country." He then begins to spend all of the money that his father gave him and he winds up going broke squandering his finances on reckless and prodigal living. It so happens that the land that he is in experiences a great famine, so he winds up hiring himself out to a pig farmer and would have eaten pig slop if anyone would have given him any.
Jesus says that eventually the boys comes to his senses and realizes that even servants have enough food to eat and are well taken care of at his father's house, so he comes up with an idea that he will go home and ask his father to make him a slave. "I have sinned against heaven, and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son, make me a slave." Luke 15:19
This is where we pick the story up. He goes home and his father sees him a long way off and runs to him and has compassion on him. The son tries to explain to his father that he isn't worthy to be a son, but his father doesn't even pay attention to him. His father calls for the best robe, his signet ring, and sandals for his feet. He then orders that they take the fattened calf and kill it and celebrate because "this son of mine was dead and is now alive, he was lost and is found!" vs 24
Do you have regrets? Do you have shame and embarrassment because of things you've done in your past? Have you been carrying around the past like a suitcase everywhere you go?
This son came home dirty, broken, embarrassed, and seeking slavery. His father put the best robe on him, gave him a ring, which, acted as the family credit card, and put sandals on his feet, which, showed that he was a son. Slaves didn't wear shoes. Sons wore shoes. His father ran to him. In Jesus day, a dignified man would never run anywhere.
You know what the father never mentions to the son? He never brings up the fact that he left. He never brings up the fact that he requested his inheritance. He never mentions the fact that he squandered the money on prostitutes. (The older brother somehow knew about this and was quick to inform the father about it.) The only thing that the father is worried about is the fact that his boy is home!
When his son tries to tell him that he isn't worthy to be called a son, it's almost as if the father, by disregarding the statement, is saying, "Son. We don't have time for that. I need to love on you right now."
Romans 8:1 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." The fact that the word 'now' is in this verse is so good. You can't say the word now without it being now. People get so caught up in the failures and the problems of the past, that they fail to see that Jesus' forgiveness and His sacrifice was once for all. His sacrifice and His resurrection covered all sin! It covered your past sins, it covered your present sins, and it covered your future sins! His grace is so great! It's better than they every told us.
So, I ask, what are you still holding on to? What past experience or pain are you still holding on to that you think disqualifies you from the love of the Father? There's no time to maintain those regrets when you actually encounter His love.
On Sunday my pastor said something that really resonated with me. "You can't go back and change the past, but, you can start now and change your future." You can never go back and undo the wrongs that you've done. You can never go back and alter how you've behaved. You can however start today and make tomorrow better than yesterday.
The Father's heart is always for you. His love is great for you, and He stands waiting, watching, and scanning the horizon to see His sons and daughters come home. When you're a long way off, He will run to you, have compassion on you, and hug and kiss you. Drop your regrets and allow Him to love you like His child.
It's never too late to start over. You're Father in heaven loves you with a perfect love, and perfect love casts out all fear. The best is yet to come.
Be ridiculously blessed!
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Saturday, December 29, 2018
Deception and Disguise
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has deceived you? Perhaps it was something as simple as a sleight of hand, and someone convincing you that they were magic. Maybe it was something as serious as a person lying about who they were and eventually being discovered for who they really were.
Do you remember how it made you feel when the illusion crashed down? As a child believing in magic and finding out it was just a trick the whole time, it may have caused you to stop believing in magic. As an adult being tricked into believing that someone was one person and it turned out they were someone completely different, it probably caused you to distrust people in general. Either way, there was a loss of trust and a lack of belief in something after.
The bible tells us that the devil goes about "like a roaring lion". Why would he do this?
I used to think that he went about like a roaring lion so that he could scare us. A lion's roar can be heard from up to 5 miles away, so there is a TON of sound coming out of this animal. I've never been in the presence of a lion in the wild, but, I'm sure that if I were to hear one roar I would be terrified and probably need a change of pants. It made sense that he was going around roaring and trying to pick off the weak people that get separated.
I don't think that's the case any more. A lion roars for a few different reasons, none of them being for hunting purposes. In the animal kingdom it makes no sense for a lion to roar at a herd of buffalo or antelope. It would scare them off into running away, or turning and trying to defend. They hunt as quietly as possible, so that they can make a kill with as little energy as possible.
The purpose of the roar is to show their location to other lions, to show their stature, and to show lions from other prides to back off because they are getting too close for comfort.
Now, why would satan go about like a roaring lion? Who is he trying to communicate with? And what is he trying to communicate?
The Bible speaks of another lion and His power and prowess. He is referenced as "The Lion of the tribe of Judah." This is directly referencing Jesus Christ. It was no accident that C.S. Lewis chose Aslan to be a lion. The lion is known as the "King of the Jungle", and Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He never seeks to devour, rather, He seeks to give life and life abundantly.
The enemy goes about like a roaring lion because he wants to deceive us into thinking that he is the real thing. The enemy can counterfeit and fabricate things well, but he isn't the real thing. He is looking for those of us who stop being sober-minded and drop our guard. He's looking for the ones who aren't being watchful, who only pay attention occasionally. Once he has you in his grasp he will only try to kill, steal, and destroy.
"And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Most people believe that the Hollywood depiction of satan is the way he actually looks. You know the look. Horns, pitchfork, red beard, terrifying. That's not at all what the scripture describes him as. He was and is incredibly cunning. He is always going to try to make himself look as attractive as possible to us so that he can lead us astray.
His whole game has always been to deceive so that we will walk away from the glory that God has in store for us. He did it and succeeded with Adam and Eve in the garden. He tried it and failed with Jesus in the desert.
He will try it everyday with you and I. Some days I am able to withstand the schemes of the devil, other times he will convince me to walk and behave in a manner unworthy of the calling that I've been called to. You know what the beautiful thing is about God and His grace, though? No matter how many times I fall for the tactics of the enemy, and walk outside of my character as a son of God, He is always there with open arms waiting to bring me back in and remind me that I'm still His.
So, be encouraged today. If you are maintaining your focus and staying sober-minded and watchful, then keep it up! Others of us need to see that there are those who are truly walking this out. If you have fallen by the wayside, or feel like you have walked away from Jesus and don't know how to get back to Him, just start by putting your thoughts and affections back on Him. Allow Him to walk with you through the mud and the muck, and let Him show you what the true Lion of Judah looks like. As always, with Jesus, the best is yet to come.
Be incredibly blessed!
Have you ever been in a situation where someone has deceived you? Perhaps it was something as simple as a sleight of hand, and someone convincing you that they were magic. Maybe it was something as serious as a person lying about who they were and eventually being discovered for who they really were.
Do you remember how it made you feel when the illusion crashed down? As a child believing in magic and finding out it was just a trick the whole time, it may have caused you to stop believing in magic. As an adult being tricked into believing that someone was one person and it turned out they were someone completely different, it probably caused you to distrust people in general. Either way, there was a loss of trust and a lack of belief in something after.
The bible tells us that the devil goes about "like a roaring lion". Why would he do this?
I used to think that he went about like a roaring lion so that he could scare us. A lion's roar can be heard from up to 5 miles away, so there is a TON of sound coming out of this animal. I've never been in the presence of a lion in the wild, but, I'm sure that if I were to hear one roar I would be terrified and probably need a change of pants. It made sense that he was going around roaring and trying to pick off the weak people that get separated.
I don't think that's the case any more. A lion roars for a few different reasons, none of them being for hunting purposes. In the animal kingdom it makes no sense for a lion to roar at a herd of buffalo or antelope. It would scare them off into running away, or turning and trying to defend. They hunt as quietly as possible, so that they can make a kill with as little energy as possible.
The purpose of the roar is to show their location to other lions, to show their stature, and to show lions from other prides to back off because they are getting too close for comfort.
Now, why would satan go about like a roaring lion? Who is he trying to communicate with? And what is he trying to communicate?
The Bible speaks of another lion and His power and prowess. He is referenced as "The Lion of the tribe of Judah." This is directly referencing Jesus Christ. It was no accident that C.S. Lewis chose Aslan to be a lion. The lion is known as the "King of the Jungle", and Christ is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He never seeks to devour, rather, He seeks to give life and life abundantly.
The enemy goes about like a roaring lion because he wants to deceive us into thinking that he is the real thing. The enemy can counterfeit and fabricate things well, but he isn't the real thing. He is looking for those of us who stop being sober-minded and drop our guard. He's looking for the ones who aren't being watchful, who only pay attention occasionally. Once he has you in his grasp he will only try to kill, steal, and destroy.
"And no wonder, for even satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." 2 Corinthians 11:14-15
Most people believe that the Hollywood depiction of satan is the way he actually looks. You know the look. Horns, pitchfork, red beard, terrifying. That's not at all what the scripture describes him as. He was and is incredibly cunning. He is always going to try to make himself look as attractive as possible to us so that he can lead us astray.
His whole game has always been to deceive so that we will walk away from the glory that God has in store for us. He did it and succeeded with Adam and Eve in the garden. He tried it and failed with Jesus in the desert.
He will try it everyday with you and I. Some days I am able to withstand the schemes of the devil, other times he will convince me to walk and behave in a manner unworthy of the calling that I've been called to. You know what the beautiful thing is about God and His grace, though? No matter how many times I fall for the tactics of the enemy, and walk outside of my character as a son of God, He is always there with open arms waiting to bring me back in and remind me that I'm still His.
So, be encouraged today. If you are maintaining your focus and staying sober-minded and watchful, then keep it up! Others of us need to see that there are those who are truly walking this out. If you have fallen by the wayside, or feel like you have walked away from Jesus and don't know how to get back to Him, just start by putting your thoughts and affections back on Him. Allow Him to walk with you through the mud and the muck, and let Him show you what the true Lion of Judah looks like. As always, with Jesus, the best is yet to come.
Be incredibly blessed!
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Water in the Wasteland
Have you ever gone through a season that just feels dead? I mean, everything seems like it's completely dry, and you have no idea if you'll ever get out. Sometimes, I feel like we encounter these seasons, and we feel like we have done something wrong. You begin to think that somehow, something you did brought on this weight of decay and isolation. You wonder if anything will ever have true beauty again.
Friends, I just came out of one of those seasons. I'm going to be very open and honest in this post. I'm going to talk about the journey that I've been on the last 8 months, and the very real, very tangible darkness that I was surrounded by. However, I will also point to the moment where everything broke open and light shined in my life brighter than I've truly ever seen it shine. Bear with me as I walk you through this journey.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way back from Colorado, and I was having a conversation with one of my favorite human beings I've ever met, Andrew Taylor. We were talking about his wedding day and how it was the happiest day of his life, and we were also reminiscing about trips that we had taken together in the past and talking about how they were some of the happiest and greatest times we'd ever experienced, but then the conversation took a turn and the subject of the worst days of our lives came up. He had a handful that he was sure were his, and my mind centered in on one single day. All the other bad days that I've ever had don't come close to comparing to the worst day of my life.
On November 30, 2015 my brother, Jonathan, passed away suddenly and without any real signs. He was 33 years old, and he had an infectious laugh. He was my first best friend. When we were kids we did everything together. As we grew up, we also grew apart. Time was not very kind to my relationship with him. I still loved him, but we didn't have much in common. I got the news of his passing around 9:30 pm and I immediately got in my car and drove to Friona to be with my parents and my oldest brother. My sister would come from Abilene the next day.
Hereford to Friona is roughly a 22 mile drive. Usually it takes me less than 25 minutes to get from my house to my parent's front door. That was the longest 25 minutes of my entire life, yet it went by in a blur. I had never cried that hard in my entire life.
The next few days were extremely tough. How do you adjust to a family member being gone? Life isn't the same. Won't be the same. Can't be the same. I met so many new faces, and forgot so many new names in the week after Jonathan passed away. I hugged so many necks, and had so many people come and cry real tears with us, because their hearts truly hurt with us. I never truly understood what real emotional pain was, until this moment. It felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest, and I didn't know how to feel any more.
This began my eight month journey, wandering through the desert.
One of my favorite books is The Shack by W.M. Paul Young. In it, the main character, Mack, suddenly and tragically loses his youngest daughter. He talks about how he walked around cloaked in what he could only describe as "The great sadness". There would be small breaks in it, but it never truly left him. This is the only thing I can find that makes sense to describe what my life felt like for 8 months. I was walking around cloaked and ruled by this great sadness that I could never truly shake.
I was so broken. I was so lost. I felt like I was so alone. I purposefully isolated myself, so that I wouldn't have to see people. On multiple occasions I felt like just giving up on God, because it just seemed easier than trying to walk through life pretending that I was serving Him. I felt like I was at a masquerade wearing multiple masks all the time. I would lead worship on Sunday mornings, but I wasn't committed to what I was doing. I almost moved away from Hereford so many times because I just felt like I needed to get away from anything familiar. I was in an extremely dark place, and I didn't see a way out. I had no joy, and no peace.
Fast forward to July. Every year for the past eight years I have taken teenagers to a conference in Colorado Springs called Desperation Conference. I honestly wanted nothing to do with the conference this year, but I figured that I might as well just go ahead and go. The first night of the conference, I finally allowed myself to actually worship Jesus with no inhibitions. I figured that I was there, I might as well just go for it. Am I ever glad that I did!
Jesus met me in my place of darkness. He restored my passion. He restored my joy. He restored my zeal. All it took was me finally coming to the end of myself and saying, "I've had enough. I can't do this anymore. I need You to take over. I need You to give me a new heart. I need You to teach me how to be joyful again." He gave me peace in my storm. He gave me His strength amidst calamity and chaos. I am not the same person that I was on November 29, 2015. I probably never will be that man again. I don't even remember who he is at this point. What I do know is this, my Jesus took me from darkness and delivered me into light. He was so patient with me. He was so kind to me. I gave up on Him, but He never ever gave up on me.
During that worship experience I had a mental picture of me holding something in my hand and being ashamed because it was the only thing I had to offer to Jesus. What I was holding was a small black lump of coal. This represented what my heart was and I remember thinking that it was literally all I had. It's the only thing I had to offer at that moment and I felt so small, and so unworthy. Jesus met that with an unexpected reaction. He was so incredibly happy to take my small lump of coal heart because He had what I can only describe as what a kid would give to their mom on valentines day. It was this giant red heart decorated with lace and glitter and all kinds of things, and it broke me. It seems silly now, but that was the turning point in my life. My brokenness for His fullness. My nothing for His everything. My hate for His love. We always get the better end of His exchange rate.
Friend, I don't know what your life is like right now. I don't even know how many of you will read this. I just want you to know that there truly is hope in the name of Jesus. There is freedom and deliverance in His name. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is peace for your storm. There is strength for your weakness. His grace is sufficient, and His heart is always, always, always for you. I can tell you today that I truly am blessed to live in the community that I live in. I'm blessed to serve in the church that I serve in. And I am blessed to have the family and friends that I do. I wouldn't have been singing this tune 2 months ago. I was a broken, depressed, defeated man, who had given up on his hopes and dreams because a tragedy had taken place. I almost stayed that guy. I almost made my home there in the darkness. Thank God that He offered a way out.
If you are struggling right now to find meaning in all of this, and you don't understand what you're going through, please understand something. God is big enough for your questions. God isn't going to be offended because you question your situation. God welcomes the questions because He can meet your questions with His love. He is always willing to listen to his kids. Don't give up. Don't let go. Don't lose hope. This is not the end. You will make it through. Your life isn't over, it's just beginning. Today is a perfect day to start over. Will you? Always remember, that with Jesus, the best is yet to come.
Be abundantly blessed.
Friends, I just came out of one of those seasons. I'm going to be very open and honest in this post. I'm going to talk about the journey that I've been on the last 8 months, and the very real, very tangible darkness that I was surrounded by. However, I will also point to the moment where everything broke open and light shined in my life brighter than I've truly ever seen it shine. Bear with me as I walk you through this journey.
A couple of weeks ago, I was on my way back from Colorado, and I was having a conversation with one of my favorite human beings I've ever met, Andrew Taylor. We were talking about his wedding day and how it was the happiest day of his life, and we were also reminiscing about trips that we had taken together in the past and talking about how they were some of the happiest and greatest times we'd ever experienced, but then the conversation took a turn and the subject of the worst days of our lives came up. He had a handful that he was sure were his, and my mind centered in on one single day. All the other bad days that I've ever had don't come close to comparing to the worst day of my life.
On November 30, 2015 my brother, Jonathan, passed away suddenly and without any real signs. He was 33 years old, and he had an infectious laugh. He was my first best friend. When we were kids we did everything together. As we grew up, we also grew apart. Time was not very kind to my relationship with him. I still loved him, but we didn't have much in common. I got the news of his passing around 9:30 pm and I immediately got in my car and drove to Friona to be with my parents and my oldest brother. My sister would come from Abilene the next day.
Hereford to Friona is roughly a 22 mile drive. Usually it takes me less than 25 minutes to get from my house to my parent's front door. That was the longest 25 minutes of my entire life, yet it went by in a blur. I had never cried that hard in my entire life.
The next few days were extremely tough. How do you adjust to a family member being gone? Life isn't the same. Won't be the same. Can't be the same. I met so many new faces, and forgot so many new names in the week after Jonathan passed away. I hugged so many necks, and had so many people come and cry real tears with us, because their hearts truly hurt with us. I never truly understood what real emotional pain was, until this moment. It felt as if my heart had been ripped from my chest, and I didn't know how to feel any more.
This began my eight month journey, wandering through the desert.
One of my favorite books is The Shack by W.M. Paul Young. In it, the main character, Mack, suddenly and tragically loses his youngest daughter. He talks about how he walked around cloaked in what he could only describe as "The great sadness". There would be small breaks in it, but it never truly left him. This is the only thing I can find that makes sense to describe what my life felt like for 8 months. I was walking around cloaked and ruled by this great sadness that I could never truly shake.
I was so broken. I was so lost. I felt like I was so alone. I purposefully isolated myself, so that I wouldn't have to see people. On multiple occasions I felt like just giving up on God, because it just seemed easier than trying to walk through life pretending that I was serving Him. I felt like I was at a masquerade wearing multiple masks all the time. I would lead worship on Sunday mornings, but I wasn't committed to what I was doing. I almost moved away from Hereford so many times because I just felt like I needed to get away from anything familiar. I was in an extremely dark place, and I didn't see a way out. I had no joy, and no peace.
Fast forward to July. Every year for the past eight years I have taken teenagers to a conference in Colorado Springs called Desperation Conference. I honestly wanted nothing to do with the conference this year, but I figured that I might as well just go ahead and go. The first night of the conference, I finally allowed myself to actually worship Jesus with no inhibitions. I figured that I was there, I might as well just go for it. Am I ever glad that I did!
Jesus met me in my place of darkness. He restored my passion. He restored my joy. He restored my zeal. All it took was me finally coming to the end of myself and saying, "I've had enough. I can't do this anymore. I need You to take over. I need You to give me a new heart. I need You to teach me how to be joyful again." He gave me peace in my storm. He gave me His strength amidst calamity and chaos. I am not the same person that I was on November 29, 2015. I probably never will be that man again. I don't even remember who he is at this point. What I do know is this, my Jesus took me from darkness and delivered me into light. He was so patient with me. He was so kind to me. I gave up on Him, but He never ever gave up on me.
During that worship experience I had a mental picture of me holding something in my hand and being ashamed because it was the only thing I had to offer to Jesus. What I was holding was a small black lump of coal. This represented what my heart was and I remember thinking that it was literally all I had. It's the only thing I had to offer at that moment and I felt so small, and so unworthy. Jesus met that with an unexpected reaction. He was so incredibly happy to take my small lump of coal heart because He had what I can only describe as what a kid would give to their mom on valentines day. It was this giant red heart decorated with lace and glitter and all kinds of things, and it broke me. It seems silly now, but that was the turning point in my life. My brokenness for His fullness. My nothing for His everything. My hate for His love. We always get the better end of His exchange rate.
Friend, I don't know what your life is like right now. I don't even know how many of you will read this. I just want you to know that there truly is hope in the name of Jesus. There is freedom and deliverance in His name. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is peace for your storm. There is strength for your weakness. His grace is sufficient, and His heart is always, always, always for you. I can tell you today that I truly am blessed to live in the community that I live in. I'm blessed to serve in the church that I serve in. And I am blessed to have the family and friends that I do. I wouldn't have been singing this tune 2 months ago. I was a broken, depressed, defeated man, who had given up on his hopes and dreams because a tragedy had taken place. I almost stayed that guy. I almost made my home there in the darkness. Thank God that He offered a way out.
If you are struggling right now to find meaning in all of this, and you don't understand what you're going through, please understand something. God is big enough for your questions. God isn't going to be offended because you question your situation. God welcomes the questions because He can meet your questions with His love. He is always willing to listen to his kids. Don't give up. Don't let go. Don't lose hope. This is not the end. You will make it through. Your life isn't over, it's just beginning. Today is a perfect day to start over. Will you? Always remember, that with Jesus, the best is yet to come.
Be abundantly blessed.
Friday, February 21, 2014
The Ascension
Who may ascend the mountain of The Lord? Who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.
Psalm 24:3-4
I used to read that passage and immediately come under conviction. If we're being honest here, I'm sure that some of you either used to, or still do read this passage and think to yourselves, "Well I don't trust in an idol...and I don't swear by a false god...but as far as having clean hands, or a pure heart...well, that's another story." I can honestly say that it was only recently that I truly understood the fact that if we have a relationship with Christ, and we have called Him Lord and Savior, the He has cleansed our hearts. He has purified our hearts.
You see, when we believe in Jesus Christ as the one true Messiah, then He comes in and He transforms us. He gives us a new heart. He gives us a new soul. He has done it, apart from us, because He knew that we would never be able to accomplish it without Him.
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence in the day of judgement: in this world we are like Jesus.
1 John 4:17
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we may become the righteousness of God in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus did everything for us already. Did you know that? There are a lot of people who really believe that they HAVE to do something for Christ. Listen, I'm not saying that we are not supposed to do good things. Just know that in doing these things, we are not working FOR Christ. We are working WITH Him. The bible calls us "co-laborers". We work alongside Christ, and accomplish many great things.
If there is one thing that I could get everyone to understand, it is this, righteousness isn't something that we can gain by working for it. You can't get more saved by Christ by working harder. You can however become incredibly frustrated and angry because life isn't working how you thought it was supposed to. We have become sin managers in the church. We think that as long as we can get this sin under control, we will be okay. Can I tell you a secret? If you are trying to do this on your own power, you will NEVER get that sin under control. It doesn't matter how much bible you read, how many hours you spend praying, how many dollars you give to the church, it will never go away. The only way to get rid of the sins that plague you is to have a shift in your thinking.
You will never live consistently in a way that is contradictory to the way that you believe. Let me reword it. What you believe about yourself, ultimately is the way you will live. If you believe that you are ALWAY victorious through Christ, or that you are MORE THAN a conquerer, than you will see victory in the areas of your life that you have never seen victory in. If however, you view yourself as just a lowly sinner saved by grace, then you will probably have a hard time being victorious in your walk.
One of my favorite worship bands is the United Pursuit Band. They have a song called The Climb. One part of the song says, "And I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open". I was listening to this song this afternoon in a time of prayer, and it hit me. We can ascend the mountain of God with our hands wide open, because God through Christ, has literally given us a position of victory. He has cleansed us. He has purified us. And whether we live in that way all depends on whether we will believe it. I absolutely do not for one second believe that God is in heaven angry with us. I don't think that He is waiting up there for us to screw up so He can pour out His wrath. I think He is in heaven waiting for us to embrace the love that He has already poured out on us.
I also don't think that we can disappoint God. The definition of the word disappointed is this: sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations. I've heard many people say that they don't want to disappoint God. Well disappointed comes from a place of unfulfilled expectations. Our God is a big God. Our God is so big in fact, that He knows everything. He knows everything from infinity past, and He knows everything to infinity future. He knows everything you ever have done. He knows everything you are doing. And He knows everything that you will ever do. If He already knows EVERYTHING, then how is something unexpected going to show up on His radar? God can't be disappointed, because that would mean that He didn't know something was going to happen. If He didn't know something was going to happen, then He would cease to be God.
God loves you. He really, really loves you. He gave His only Son for you. He poured out all of His wrath on Jesus on the cross. In fact the Word says that it pleased God to crush Him. Why in the world would it please God to crush His son? Because now God could relate to you and I one on one. Now He doesn't have to crush US for the sins in our lives. Because Jesus drank the cup, and took on our sin, now, we can stand boldly in the day of judgement because we are like Christ in this world.
We may ascend the mountain of the Lord, because He Himself has cleansed our hands and purified our hearts. He has given us an open door to meet with Him. What Jesus did on the cross was a beautiful thing. Our Savior is a beautiful Savior, and He is love.
Psalm 24:3-4
I used to read that passage and immediately come under conviction. If we're being honest here, I'm sure that some of you either used to, or still do read this passage and think to yourselves, "Well I don't trust in an idol...and I don't swear by a false god...but as far as having clean hands, or a pure heart...well, that's another story." I can honestly say that it was only recently that I truly understood the fact that if we have a relationship with Christ, and we have called Him Lord and Savior, the He has cleansed our hearts. He has purified our hearts.
You see, when we believe in Jesus Christ as the one true Messiah, then He comes in and He transforms us. He gives us a new heart. He gives us a new soul. He has done it, apart from us, because He knew that we would never be able to accomplish it without Him.
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence in the day of judgement: in this world we are like Jesus.
1 John 4:17
God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we may become the righteousness of God in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21
Jesus did everything for us already. Did you know that? There are a lot of people who really believe that they HAVE to do something for Christ. Listen, I'm not saying that we are not supposed to do good things. Just know that in doing these things, we are not working FOR Christ. We are working WITH Him. The bible calls us "co-laborers". We work alongside Christ, and accomplish many great things.
If there is one thing that I could get everyone to understand, it is this, righteousness isn't something that we can gain by working for it. You can't get more saved by Christ by working harder. You can however become incredibly frustrated and angry because life isn't working how you thought it was supposed to. We have become sin managers in the church. We think that as long as we can get this sin under control, we will be okay. Can I tell you a secret? If you are trying to do this on your own power, you will NEVER get that sin under control. It doesn't matter how much bible you read, how many hours you spend praying, how many dollars you give to the church, it will never go away. The only way to get rid of the sins that plague you is to have a shift in your thinking.
You will never live consistently in a way that is contradictory to the way that you believe. Let me reword it. What you believe about yourself, ultimately is the way you will live. If you believe that you are ALWAY victorious through Christ, or that you are MORE THAN a conquerer, than you will see victory in the areas of your life that you have never seen victory in. If however, you view yourself as just a lowly sinner saved by grace, then you will probably have a hard time being victorious in your walk.
One of my favorite worship bands is the United Pursuit Band. They have a song called The Climb. One part of the song says, "And I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open". I was listening to this song this afternoon in a time of prayer, and it hit me. We can ascend the mountain of God with our hands wide open, because God through Christ, has literally given us a position of victory. He has cleansed us. He has purified us. And whether we live in that way all depends on whether we will believe it. I absolutely do not for one second believe that God is in heaven angry with us. I don't think that He is waiting up there for us to screw up so He can pour out His wrath. I think He is in heaven waiting for us to embrace the love that He has already poured out on us.
I also don't think that we can disappoint God. The definition of the word disappointed is this: sad or displeased because someone or something has failed to fulfill one's hopes or expectations. I've heard many people say that they don't want to disappoint God. Well disappointed comes from a place of unfulfilled expectations. Our God is a big God. Our God is so big in fact, that He knows everything. He knows everything from infinity past, and He knows everything to infinity future. He knows everything you ever have done. He knows everything you are doing. And He knows everything that you will ever do. If He already knows EVERYTHING, then how is something unexpected going to show up on His radar? God can't be disappointed, because that would mean that He didn't know something was going to happen. If He didn't know something was going to happen, then He would cease to be God.
God loves you. He really, really loves you. He gave His only Son for you. He poured out all of His wrath on Jesus on the cross. In fact the Word says that it pleased God to crush Him. Why in the world would it please God to crush His son? Because now God could relate to you and I one on one. Now He doesn't have to crush US for the sins in our lives. Because Jesus drank the cup, and took on our sin, now, we can stand boldly in the day of judgement because we are like Christ in this world.
We may ascend the mountain of the Lord, because He Himself has cleansed our hands and purified our hearts. He has given us an open door to meet with Him. What Jesus did on the cross was a beautiful thing. Our Savior is a beautiful Savior, and He is love.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Pressing On
"I'm pressing on, pressing on, all my distress is going, going, gone, pressing on pressing on.
And I won't sit back, and take this anymore, I'm done with that, I've got one foot out the door.
And to go back to where I was would just be wrong. I'm pressing on."
-Relient K
For some reason, there is always a temptation to go back to where we came from. Maybe it's because we are creatures of habit. Perhaps it is simply that we enjoy being comfortable. Change is uncomfortable. Alterations to who we are, are uncomfortable. Sure, we say that we embrace the change. We say that we want the change to come, so that we can experience something new, but, when the change occurs, we meet it with apprehension and timidity. Well, maybe you're different than I am, but there have been numerous instances in my life that I have told God that I needed a change, and He will oblige me, and my situation changes, and I don't understand exactly what He's doing, so then I start to get unnerved. Usually when I'm asking Jesus to change my situation, I have a list of parameters set up, that I would really prefer He operate in so that the "change" that I want would be as absolutely comfortable as possible.
So here's the main point, if we are continually going back to where we came from in our walks with Christ, we will never grow. Growing is sometimes painful. Sometimes, we see the uncomfortable situations that God puts us in as punishment, when really, we are uncomfortable because of the fact that we are actually growing. Sometimes, in the growing stages in our own lives, we have gone through a growth spurt, and there is pain involved, because our bodies are trying to adjust to the change of structure.
When we came to Jesus, and accepted His life and forgiveness, He began us on a journey. Paul calls Him the "author and perfecter of our faith." While we are on this journey, there are obstacles. Sometimes there are roadblocks that have to be cleared or hurtled in order for us to keep going. It's always easier to go back to where you've already been. Being in a familiar place brings comfort. But, sometimes familiarity is absolutely not what Christ wants for you. Sometimes, He wants to be absolutely spontaneous and shake up everything that you thought you knew.
In the summer of 2012, our youth group went to the Desperation Conference in Colorado Springs. On the way home, we stopped at Seven Falls. It's a beautiful place, but in order to get up to the top of the falls, you have to climb hundreds of stairs. I'm definitely not in the most incredible shape in the world, but I figured I could totally handle it. I was very wrong. I barely made it to the top of the last flight of stairs, but when I got to the very top, I was absolutely glad that I had made it there. It would have been much easier to just go back down the steps and wait for the group to come back. However, if I wouldn't have kept pressing on toward the goal, which was the top of the last set of steps, I would have absolutely missed out on something spectacular.
Jesus is always trying to take us up, on, and over. He is leading the way, but He will also allow us to go back to where we have already been if we really push for it. He also knows, that if we really and truly keep following Him and pressing through everything that He is taking us through, our lives will be much more fulfilled in the end. So, let's embrace the change. Let's journey on with Him leading us. Let's not go back to where we were, but let's keep pressing on. Then, we, like Paul can say that we "fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith."
It's a beautiful adventure that we get to take part in. I recently began re-reading my all time favorite book, The Hobbit. In this book, hobbits are a group of people that are quite content with never having anything exciting happening. They are quite fond of knowing everything that will happen, and they absolutely do not like adventures. Well, the main character, Bilbo, allows himself to be dragged out on an adventure to find some buried treasure and to fight a dragon. In the end, everything winds up being a great story. He regrets going on the adventure when things are going wrong, but in the end, he comes home with a vast treasure, and one of the greatest stories ever.
Let us not be so content with staying comfortable that the journey God wants us to go on scares us out of following Him. I pray that we would all have the desire to follow Jesus wherever it is that He takes us. That when our friends who are okay with staying in one spot in their faith ask us what we're doing, we can answer them, "I'm going on an adventure!"
I hope this encouraged you. Keep pressing on to the goal. Keep your eyes focused on Jesus, and you will be able to face any and every obstacle in your path. You might even find yourself on the adventure of a life time, changing the world. Our God is not boring, and I don't believe He wants our faith to be boring either. Have a great day, and be blessed!
Monday, October 21, 2013
A Season of Uncertainty
Have you ever been thrust into a season that you absolutely did not understand? I think all of us at one time or another have encountered these times, and sometimes the reaction is to just quit. I have hit a number of uncertain spots in the past 5 years. I have encountered plenty of uncertainty in my life, but it seems like every time I run into another time of unknowns, I still have the same initial reaction. Freak the crap out.
My best friend, Justin, moved this week. He and his family moved from Hereford to San Antonio. So let's get to the main reason why this is so hard. I believed, and really still do believe, that Justin and I would work in the ministry together again. We had a short run together in 2008, but it was not a very long adventure. I hoped that we were nearing the beginning of our ministerial partnership. And now, it's in question. Suddenly, it feels like everything I was believing for is currently on hold.
When I made the decision to come back to Hereford in December of 2007, I came back with expectations of things happening a certain way. Things have happened nothing like I envisioned them. I've questioned God thousands of times, asking Him what the heck is going on. The last 5 and a half years have been an adventure to say the least. From incredibly high highs, to incredible low lows. But, through it all, I have learned one thing. Trusting that Jesus has this whole thing figured out, has absolutely set my soul at ease during the times of turmoil.
You see, when walking into all of the uncertainties over the past 6 years of my life, I've only been able to rely on Jesus to help me through it. If I tried all of this on my own, I would be a royal mess. Seriously, if I didn't have Jesus, my life would literally be meaningless. I could fill it with people, and with music, and with my job, or sports teams, or social networking, or television. Trust me, I have. I have tried to escape inside myself to get to the end of the troubles. I have tried to escape into friendships to escape the pain. No matter how far I dig, or how many friends I find, the pain and troubles are still there. It wasn't until I gave up trying to rescue myself that I really figured out what was going on.
No, Jesus Christ has not delivered me out of pain and out of sorrows. He hasn't given me some secret cheat code to life that allows me to walk through my entire life void of emotions. What He has done, is given me a way to handle to emotional and spiritual toll that uncertain times and insecurities bring.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."-John 16:33
He promises us two things in this verse. First, that we WILL have troubles. Most definitely in this world, we absolutely will have troubles. The world still works the same way as it has forever. Crap happens. Situations that really suck happen. All the time. Friends leave. Family members may abandon us. Our jobs may be pulled out from under us. The bonus didn't come. The loan wasn't approved. Someone we are close to pass away. These are all real life situations and scenarios. We all will have to deal with some, most, or all of these things in our lives. And being a Christian doesn't exempt us from these things.
The second thing He promises us is that we can take heart in knowing that He has overcome the world. All of the ridiculous and hurtful things that happen in life, can be met head on with the peace of Jesus. The storms that come in life, can be walked through because, when we allow Jesus to take control, we get His strength. His promise is beautiful, and His love is fierce. His peace is overwhelming, and His strength is unmatched.
So, because of the advice of a great friend of mine, I'm going to take the next few months and years as an adventure. Not knowing what comes next is sometimes scary, but it can also be exciting. The unknown is what makes it exciting. Am I absolutely heartbroken because my best friend moved to a city that is 7 hours away? Yes. I am. I wish that I could change things and put San Antonio and Hereford 10 miles apart. But, will I continue to sit around and mope because of it? Absolutely not. There are things here that still need to be taken care of. There is still work to be done in Hereford. I don't feel like God has released me from this community, and He may never tell me to leave, so I have to keep moving forward. I have to try to catch the vision that God is showing, and do my best to follow Him through it all.
If you are in a time of uncertainty right now, and your life isn't playing out the way that you envisioned it, don't give up. Don't lose hope. Turn to Jesus to give you the strength to make it through the trial. Allow God to push you through to the next destination on your journey. Don't fold. You never know when the tides will turn and you will walk headlong into your destiny.
I pray that this helps someone. I know that just while writing this, clarity has come to me. The answer isn't giving up. The answer isn't in trying to figure something else out. The answer is this, give it all to Jesus. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you."-1 Peter 5:7 Allow Him to wash over you in a flood of peace. Let Him show you His love. I promise, with Him, you can make it. You can do it. You will find yourself on the other side with one heck of a story to tell. Be blessed.
My best friend, Justin, moved this week. He and his family moved from Hereford to San Antonio. So let's get to the main reason why this is so hard. I believed, and really still do believe, that Justin and I would work in the ministry together again. We had a short run together in 2008, but it was not a very long adventure. I hoped that we were nearing the beginning of our ministerial partnership. And now, it's in question. Suddenly, it feels like everything I was believing for is currently on hold.
When I made the decision to come back to Hereford in December of 2007, I came back with expectations of things happening a certain way. Things have happened nothing like I envisioned them. I've questioned God thousands of times, asking Him what the heck is going on. The last 5 and a half years have been an adventure to say the least. From incredibly high highs, to incredible low lows. But, through it all, I have learned one thing. Trusting that Jesus has this whole thing figured out, has absolutely set my soul at ease during the times of turmoil.
You see, when walking into all of the uncertainties over the past 6 years of my life, I've only been able to rely on Jesus to help me through it. If I tried all of this on my own, I would be a royal mess. Seriously, if I didn't have Jesus, my life would literally be meaningless. I could fill it with people, and with music, and with my job, or sports teams, or social networking, or television. Trust me, I have. I have tried to escape inside myself to get to the end of the troubles. I have tried to escape into friendships to escape the pain. No matter how far I dig, or how many friends I find, the pain and troubles are still there. It wasn't until I gave up trying to rescue myself that I really figured out what was going on.
No, Jesus Christ has not delivered me out of pain and out of sorrows. He hasn't given me some secret cheat code to life that allows me to walk through my entire life void of emotions. What He has done, is given me a way to handle to emotional and spiritual toll that uncertain times and insecurities bring.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."-John 16:33
He promises us two things in this verse. First, that we WILL have troubles. Most definitely in this world, we absolutely will have troubles. The world still works the same way as it has forever. Crap happens. Situations that really suck happen. All the time. Friends leave. Family members may abandon us. Our jobs may be pulled out from under us. The bonus didn't come. The loan wasn't approved. Someone we are close to pass away. These are all real life situations and scenarios. We all will have to deal with some, most, or all of these things in our lives. And being a Christian doesn't exempt us from these things.
The second thing He promises us is that we can take heart in knowing that He has overcome the world. All of the ridiculous and hurtful things that happen in life, can be met head on with the peace of Jesus. The storms that come in life, can be walked through because, when we allow Jesus to take control, we get His strength. His promise is beautiful, and His love is fierce. His peace is overwhelming, and His strength is unmatched.
So, because of the advice of a great friend of mine, I'm going to take the next few months and years as an adventure. Not knowing what comes next is sometimes scary, but it can also be exciting. The unknown is what makes it exciting. Am I absolutely heartbroken because my best friend moved to a city that is 7 hours away? Yes. I am. I wish that I could change things and put San Antonio and Hereford 10 miles apart. But, will I continue to sit around and mope because of it? Absolutely not. There are things here that still need to be taken care of. There is still work to be done in Hereford. I don't feel like God has released me from this community, and He may never tell me to leave, so I have to keep moving forward. I have to try to catch the vision that God is showing, and do my best to follow Him through it all.
If you are in a time of uncertainty right now, and your life isn't playing out the way that you envisioned it, don't give up. Don't lose hope. Turn to Jesus to give you the strength to make it through the trial. Allow God to push you through to the next destination on your journey. Don't fold. You never know when the tides will turn and you will walk headlong into your destiny.
I pray that this helps someone. I know that just while writing this, clarity has come to me. The answer isn't giving up. The answer isn't in trying to figure something else out. The answer is this, give it all to Jesus. "Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares for you."-1 Peter 5:7 Allow Him to wash over you in a flood of peace. Let Him show you His love. I promise, with Him, you can make it. You can do it. You will find yourself on the other side with one heck of a story to tell. Be blessed.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Waiting With Purpose
"...but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
-Isaiah 40:31
Waiting. Patience. Two words that the American culture, and society are not very well acquainted with. Not any more at least. At one point, life wasn't so fast paced, or at least that is what my parents have told me. I've never known a time in my life that patience was really necessary. We have little boxes that we stick food in and 4 minutes later, something that should have taken 45 minutes, is now ready. It's not as good, but, what do we care? We have food in one tenth of the time.
We have a generation growing up who have always had instant access to any kind of information they could ever hope to come across. On a computer first, but now, in their pockets, on their smart phones. It is hard sometimes, okay, who am I kidding? It's hard all the time, to understand that with God, time frames don't really matter that much. We are always looking to meet a deadline, or accomplish a goal. We are running into time constraints and restrictions, and we are always in a hurry, hurry, hurry, to get to the next thing that we have to do.
I am absolutely 100% grateful that I grew up in America. I am so thankful that I grew up in a nation that allowed me to go to church and worship my Savior without restrictions. I know there are millions of believers who do not have the same luxury afforded them, that I have in my freedom of religion. I do however, wish that America would slow down. Allow people to live their lives. Allow people to take time. It would absolutely make living as a Christian much easier. And maybe that's why we are here. Maybe there is a group of young people in America, who are going to rise up and teach people the art of waiting. The art of patience. You see, in a microwave society and a, get whatever you want right NOW society, waiting, and patience are not viewed as good things. This translates to impatient, upset, angry, irritable Christ followers, who don't understand the fact that our timeline doesn't work exactly how Jesus' time frame works.
So, what does this have to do with you? Everything, really. Most of you that read this, know the call that Jesus has placed on your life. You know the direction in which you are supposed to be headed. You feel like you understand exactly how to get there, but the process is taking FOR-EV-VER. You are not alone. I know plenty of people who are absolutely in love with Jesus, and who follow Him with everything that they have, but feel as though they are stuck in a situation. I actually happen to be one of those people. "God! I thought You said I was going to be in full time ministry! I thought You said that I would be traveling, and speaking places!" And He did. He just never told me when. I think God leaves time frames open for a very important reason. If we knew when He would move, and when He would make the other shoe drop, we would be ABSOLUTELY useless for the Kingdom until that appointed time. God is very much a God of the now. If He were to give everyone their ultimate future today, nothing would get done today.
You see, God has things planned out along the path to our future, that must be accomplished. Just because you haven't walked into your full on destiny, does not mean that today is a throw away. Listen, Jesus knew exactly who He was at 12 years old. He spent 18 years training to become the Savior. Some of us have known our calling for a few years, but we have been fighting the entire time to try and push the process along. We don't take the time to actually sit back, and ask God, "What is the purpose of this process right now?"
Last night I heard Jimmy Witcher say something at Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo that absolutely rocked my world. "If you are praying for deliverance from a situation, and you have not been delivered, it's because God has you there on purpose." God has you where you are right now for a purpose. It's time that we start embracing the process. It's time that we start allowing God to mold us in our waiting times. Then, we will have our strength renewed. We will run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.
Why do sports teams have practice? Our high schools are about to begin two-a-days. It's not because the coaches hate them, and what the worst for their lives, so they put them out there in 100 degree heat and make them sweat all day long. The reason that they have two-a-days, is so they can prepare for the ultimate goal which is game day. The pain, and the frustration, and the blood, sweat, and tears, will pay off when they get out on the field under those Friday night lights. Imagine if a coach cancelled 2 a days, and cancelled practices, and just told the players that they were supposed to just go out there and wing it on Friday and hope for the best? First of all, this would be the worst coach of all time. Second, this would be the single most atrocious football team of all time. Absolutely no one would be prepared for anything!
Sometimes, God has to put us through spiritual two-a-days, so that we can prepare for the ultimate plan. If we haven't prepared for something, then nine times out of ten it will fall flat. We are, most of us, in spiritual training camp right now. We are getting stronger, faster, smarter. This process is necessary, because without it, we will surely fail. It's time that we start allowing God to mold, form, and shape us into who He wants, instead of being so absolutely frustrated by the process and questioning God at every twist and turn about timing.
I hung out at my worship pastor's house last Sunday evening. They have 2 little boys, and these kids think I am the greatest thing in the world. Which is awesome! I was playing Mario Brothers with their older boy, and the younger one kept asking if I would go in the back yard with him to look at their pet turtle. I kept telling him, "Give me just a little bit longer buddy." Thirty seconds later, he would ask again. And we did this interaction about 15 times, and I couldn't help but start to get tired of answering the question. Sometimes, I feel like we are the little kid asking God, "Well is it time yet?" Every. Single. Day. Over. And. Over. And. Over. Thinking that eventually we will wear Him down and He'll have to give us what we want.
I believe firmly, that God wants to gift us all patience, and a gift of waiting. Not waiting, and doing nothing, but waiting with purpose. Doing whatever it is that He is calling us to do in the waiting period. Ask anyone who has ever been in athletics. The games aren't the hard part. Practice is the hard part. That's where conditioning comes into play. That's where lifting weights comes in to play. Games are a breeze compared to practice! When you're in training camp or two-a-days, there is literally nothing more exciting for you, that getting to the end of training camp or two-a-days. You can't wait until it gets a little easier. Friday night is game night. Monday through Thursday is where the real work is put in.
Let's wait with purpose. Let's be intentional with our preparation and preparedness as we wait for our future to come. Let us not despise the purpose. Let us embrace purpose. Remember, if you've called for deliverance, and it hasn't come yet, most of the time, it's because God has you there on purpose. Allow Him to work. Allow Him to form, mold, and shape you. You will be better for it on the other side.
-Isaiah 40:31
Waiting. Patience. Two words that the American culture, and society are not very well acquainted with. Not any more at least. At one point, life wasn't so fast paced, or at least that is what my parents have told me. I've never known a time in my life that patience was really necessary. We have little boxes that we stick food in and 4 minutes later, something that should have taken 45 minutes, is now ready. It's not as good, but, what do we care? We have food in one tenth of the time.
We have a generation growing up who have always had instant access to any kind of information they could ever hope to come across. On a computer first, but now, in their pockets, on their smart phones. It is hard sometimes, okay, who am I kidding? It's hard all the time, to understand that with God, time frames don't really matter that much. We are always looking to meet a deadline, or accomplish a goal. We are running into time constraints and restrictions, and we are always in a hurry, hurry, hurry, to get to the next thing that we have to do.
I am absolutely 100% grateful that I grew up in America. I am so thankful that I grew up in a nation that allowed me to go to church and worship my Savior without restrictions. I know there are millions of believers who do not have the same luxury afforded them, that I have in my freedom of religion. I do however, wish that America would slow down. Allow people to live their lives. Allow people to take time. It would absolutely make living as a Christian much easier. And maybe that's why we are here. Maybe there is a group of young people in America, who are going to rise up and teach people the art of waiting. The art of patience. You see, in a microwave society and a, get whatever you want right NOW society, waiting, and patience are not viewed as good things. This translates to impatient, upset, angry, irritable Christ followers, who don't understand the fact that our timeline doesn't work exactly how Jesus' time frame works.
So, what does this have to do with you? Everything, really. Most of you that read this, know the call that Jesus has placed on your life. You know the direction in which you are supposed to be headed. You feel like you understand exactly how to get there, but the process is taking FOR-EV-VER. You are not alone. I know plenty of people who are absolutely in love with Jesus, and who follow Him with everything that they have, but feel as though they are stuck in a situation. I actually happen to be one of those people. "God! I thought You said I was going to be in full time ministry! I thought You said that I would be traveling, and speaking places!" And He did. He just never told me when. I think God leaves time frames open for a very important reason. If we knew when He would move, and when He would make the other shoe drop, we would be ABSOLUTELY useless for the Kingdom until that appointed time. God is very much a God of the now. If He were to give everyone their ultimate future today, nothing would get done today.
You see, God has things planned out along the path to our future, that must be accomplished. Just because you haven't walked into your full on destiny, does not mean that today is a throw away. Listen, Jesus knew exactly who He was at 12 years old. He spent 18 years training to become the Savior. Some of us have known our calling for a few years, but we have been fighting the entire time to try and push the process along. We don't take the time to actually sit back, and ask God, "What is the purpose of this process right now?"
Last night I heard Jimmy Witcher say something at Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo that absolutely rocked my world. "If you are praying for deliverance from a situation, and you have not been delivered, it's because God has you there on purpose." God has you where you are right now for a purpose. It's time that we start embracing the process. It's time that we start allowing God to mold us in our waiting times. Then, we will have our strength renewed. We will run and not grow weary, walk and not faint.
Why do sports teams have practice? Our high schools are about to begin two-a-days. It's not because the coaches hate them, and what the worst for their lives, so they put them out there in 100 degree heat and make them sweat all day long. The reason that they have two-a-days, is so they can prepare for the ultimate goal which is game day. The pain, and the frustration, and the blood, sweat, and tears, will pay off when they get out on the field under those Friday night lights. Imagine if a coach cancelled 2 a days, and cancelled practices, and just told the players that they were supposed to just go out there and wing it on Friday and hope for the best? First of all, this would be the worst coach of all time. Second, this would be the single most atrocious football team of all time. Absolutely no one would be prepared for anything!
Sometimes, God has to put us through spiritual two-a-days, so that we can prepare for the ultimate plan. If we haven't prepared for something, then nine times out of ten it will fall flat. We are, most of us, in spiritual training camp right now. We are getting stronger, faster, smarter. This process is necessary, because without it, we will surely fail. It's time that we start allowing God to mold, form, and shape us into who He wants, instead of being so absolutely frustrated by the process and questioning God at every twist and turn about timing.
I hung out at my worship pastor's house last Sunday evening. They have 2 little boys, and these kids think I am the greatest thing in the world. Which is awesome! I was playing Mario Brothers with their older boy, and the younger one kept asking if I would go in the back yard with him to look at their pet turtle. I kept telling him, "Give me just a little bit longer buddy." Thirty seconds later, he would ask again. And we did this interaction about 15 times, and I couldn't help but start to get tired of answering the question. Sometimes, I feel like we are the little kid asking God, "Well is it time yet?" Every. Single. Day. Over. And. Over. And. Over. Thinking that eventually we will wear Him down and He'll have to give us what we want.
I believe firmly, that God wants to gift us all patience, and a gift of waiting. Not waiting, and doing nothing, but waiting with purpose. Doing whatever it is that He is calling us to do in the waiting period. Ask anyone who has ever been in athletics. The games aren't the hard part. Practice is the hard part. That's where conditioning comes into play. That's where lifting weights comes in to play. Games are a breeze compared to practice! When you're in training camp or two-a-days, there is literally nothing more exciting for you, that getting to the end of training camp or two-a-days. You can't wait until it gets a little easier. Friday night is game night. Monday through Thursday is where the real work is put in.
Let's wait with purpose. Let's be intentional with our preparation and preparedness as we wait for our future to come. Let us not despise the purpose. Let us embrace purpose. Remember, if you've called for deliverance, and it hasn't come yet, most of the time, it's because God has you there on purpose. Allow Him to work. Allow Him to form, mold, and shape you. You will be better for it on the other side.
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