Grace Like Water

When I was a kid in school we learned about the water cycle. The rain came down and the water fell into lakes, streams and the ever so humble homes of frogs and mosquito larva; the slough. If I were to pour out a glass of water or if it rained a giant storm I know which direction the water is headed...to the lowest point. Unless there is a lake on the mountain top the rain is going to try to head down the mountain to the valley below.

I know all of this seems rather simple and if you argued long enough you might be able to explain that not all of the water makes it down hill; I will give you that. The point I want to establish is that water seeks the lowest level that it can. Which brings me to the similarity between water and the Grace of God. Grace always seeks the lowest places and often drips past many of the places that we might expect it to stay.

Paul in the first chapter of 1 Corinthians explains that God has
not chosen the wise...
He has chosen the foolish things
not chosen the strong...
He has chosen the weak things
not chosen the noble...
He has chosen the base and the despised things
               
WHY?
So He can...
confound the wise
So He can...
confound the ones who are mighty
So He can...
prove that He can raise up something from nothing

Not many of us are mighty, wise, or noble. Many of us are however weak, foolish and despicable. God is very interested in weakness and frailties; look up, grace is falling like rain and it might be headed your way.

Insignificant Christianity: Live Somewhere Else

If you want to be a truly insignificant Christian it is vital that you live some where else other than where you are right now. Often insignificant Christians cannot see where they are (right now) nor do they understand the value that they bring to today.

If it is your desire to be a really insignificant Christian you must allow yourself to live in the past.

I know that "back in the day" 

The streets were safer

  The neighbors were kinder

    The food tasted better, because everyone ate at home

      The old church was preferred because of it's pastor, its songs, and the pot luck dinners

        All of the children behaved better...even the animals behaved better

          ...and the list goes on and on...

Who will take a stand in the middle of today and declare powerful Christianity?

It is certain that our culture has changed, and remembering the "good old days" may bring sweet thoughts and memories of your past; but at what price? I do think that we spend a lot of time wishing things could be the same as we remember, but those days are gone. If the truth were told we may have never understood the sacrifice that our elders may have payed for our days to be so sweet...thanks mom and dad.

What we need to do as vital functioning change agents for Christ today is to stand up and face our difficulties and be real men and women of God by obeying His word and living righteously. Living in the past will drain power from today; leaving us wondering why our lives feel so empty and meaningless.

The other place that we often make the mistake of living is the future. Certainly it is prudent and wise to plan for tomorrow and step into that day by faith. I have made the mistake of dreaming too much about what might be, waiting for some mysterious door to open only to find that I have missed opportunities to be a significant Christian. It is a little sad because I may never get those opportunities back again.

One day while leaving Jericho a blind man was crying out for Jesus to notice him; his name was Bartimaeus. His name meant "son of Timaeus". Timaeus meant one who was unclean, weak, (defective). Bartimaeus (the son of weakness and uncleanness)  was the son of a man of weakness; his father may have had a very similar problem. Perhaps this uncleanness and weakness may have been genetic. Bartimaeus was not allowed to enter the temple and was likely the scorn of the people around him because of his frailty and his past;  it is very likely that everyone knew all about this family.

When he cried out to Jesus he tossed aside the garment he wore that may have  identified his condition and decided to leave the past behind. Jesus asked Bartemaus what do you need me to do for you? Bartimaeus might have replied, "Lord, deliver me from my blindness and my past" and Jesus did.

Lord help me to get past my past to be a significant Christian.

A Few Thoughts On Envy (part2)

I have recently finished reading the book of Job; what an amazing book from the Bible. I will confess that for a number of years I just could not "get into" the real meaning and purpose of the book, and the depth of it's meaning. I am not going to try to expound on the details of the conversation between Job and his close enemies. The part that strikes me whenever I read Job is what God had to say to Job after all of man's wisdom has expired. God asked Job a few questions: "tell me if you can"; and Job couldn't

I am perfectly satisfied with the notion that I do not always understand God's ways. I do not have all of the answers and any attempts on my part to speak for God only ever sounds trite and hyper-Christian. I do not speak hype, I am somewhat fluent in faith; very big difference. God is God and He can do what He wants; I do not need to understand, so I may not have a lot comfort; but we can pray and seek God in our difficulties. Hype always tries to tie a pretty little bow on our trials, and hype always simplistically attempts to make a lists of what God does in certain situations. Word of Faith people used to say "you are sick because you are weak in your faith, or there is sin in your life", much like Job's friends did; God was not pleased with them.

My second thought on envy is based in the realization that I do not always understand. Why others are blessed and it seems like I have been looked over...again. Remember King David had a similar dilemma; why do the wicked prosper?

"If I truly believe that every good and perfect gift comes from above; gifts to me, and gifts from God to others. I refuse to compare myself to others; my gifts are from God, to me, so I will work with what I have been given".

I am a minister and an assistant pastor I see other men my age and many younger with seemingly less gifting who seem to be blessed with big churches, successful ministries and Biblical titles; why not me? Envy might try to raise it's hands and slow me down with questions about why always others. Honestly I am blessed beyond what I could have imagined. I do not need to be part of a big church I only need to walk in the confidence and gifting that God has given me. I am not a great anything but God has given me me gifts. Comparing myself to others is a trap and a pit; I will not be envious of others. God has generously blessed my life.

A Few Thoughts On Envy (part1)

Let me say before I begin that I am a middle child, I am also a phlegmatic personality type (I love peace and unity...and naps...it is true), I grew up in a very modest home, and I never knew I was poor until after I wanted "things". But I also want to say that I do not feel like envy has ever been a problem for me. I am glad when others succeed; having said that...

Envy is a very sinister desire, we suspect it in others, but we seldom identify it in ourselves. It often displays it's ugly little disposition in trivial ways, but the root of it seems to be, that we do not have what we want our what we think we deserve. So, envy should be foreigner in the Christian community, but sadly it is not. We want to impress other people, or at least have what others have. We want to be on a level field with other believers and things should never be unfair; I want what you have.

It seems like envy, jealousy, and covetousness are like brothers, and they are very close. Often discontentment with things like possessions, status, and a perceived level of success, contribute to our feelings of entitlement and self-centeredness. When these feelings rise up we often think unkind thoughts, say unkind words, and we do stupid things to gratify our ego. Then we sink into the darkness of self-pity, bitterness, and depression. What a sad state of affairs. Is anything really worth all of that.

My number one thought concerning envy in my life is this:
"I will not envy because I know that God is generous and gracious. If a man or a woman is blessed in ways that I am not...I know that all of my (and their) spiritual blessings come from heaven".

We serve a very generous God. Much more generous that we deserve, our problem is (I think) that we do not always trust God's wisdom, or understand His economy.

So Why Am I Afraid?

A little scary

Not everyone loves Ronald

There are a million reasons for a person to be afraid. Without the proper perspective and frame of mind a person can find a reason to fear in almost any arena of life. Some people fear clowns (coulrophobia); they are afraid of the unknown. Why do they have such big pockets, and what is inside? Why do they wear so much make-up; why is their nose so big? Why are they so happy?

Fear can grip us to the point that we become paralyzed; afraid to move ahead, afraid to stand still and afraid to go back to what we have always done. Fear is irrational. Fear is never your friend. Fear will keep us locked up in a house of loneliness. I read a book at a time in my life when fear had a strangle hold on my daily thoughts; I know a little of fear.

The following is from a book by Jenetzen Franklin;
40% of the things we worry about never happen.
30% of the things we worry about are in the past and can't be helped.
12% of our worries concern the troubles of others, and we have no part in them.
10% of our worries concern illness, real or imagined that may or may not have happened.
8% (Only 8%) of the things that we worry about are things that might really happen.

The words fear not, or be not afraid, occur over 360 times in the Bible, that is enough don't be afraid's for each day of the year. When we frame plan and view our lives through the lens of God's word and His promises for and to us we find far fewer things to fear. Trust God with your concerns and don't allow them to become fears that paralyze you.

Behold God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid. Isaiah 12:2