Adoption: It's an Amazing Demonstration of Love - with a powerful video

Adoption is something that I can remember having a negative opinion of as a child. It wasn't because it was learned in the home, but there was something else that seemed to cause it to have negativity attached to it. Maybe it was the fact that it appeared the parents "didn't want" the child.  Maybe there was a sense of pity associated with the situation. I cannot nail it down to any one specific situation.

As I became an adult I discovered something new, fresh, and exciting about adoption. For one, my wife and I went through some trying times as we were wanting to have a child. We had an opportunity for a "shotgun" approach to adopting a bi-racial baby. We were excited and pursued the opportunity. Bottom line is that it didn't work out.

Then, as I had been in ministry a few years, I noticed something about the idea of adoption that I had not realized before. I had been adopted. I had not been adopted by my parents, as they were my biological mom and dad. However, I had been adopted by God. It wasn't because I was not wanted. Rather, it was because I was wanted and loved.

He had adopted me with my tattered past. He had adopted me with my deformities and subpar abilities. He had adopted me when most people would not want me. He had adopted me with such imperfections that made me feel giddy inside. Why, because of His love for me.

The other part of it is that He will adopt you, if you haven't already been adopted into His family!

I came across this video by accident. I won't spoil it for you, but it is amazing the love that is shown by two people to these kids. As I thought it was pretty special, I cannot imagine what it must be like to have my God love me that much more. I cannot imagine the human side of what it would have been like to feel no sense of hope and then receive this blessing of being adopted. So thankful for my adoption!

Now it's your turn...What is your view of adoption after seeing this video or reading this article?

AWAKENING: Confession and Assurance - A message about becoming closer to God through confession

We all have our ways of becoming closer to God on an individual basis. Some prefer music, some enjoy mediation, others may enjoy the spoken word, and others may become closer through the written word. However, I wonder if you have ever thought about becoming closer to God through confession?

To reconcile difference, admit your wrong, receive forgiveness and be able to release to weight of the wrong can be a great connecter between two parties. To come to God with a matter that needs confession and clean up your heart, will likely cause you to become much closer to Him.

Sunday, we looked at Psalms 130:1-2 where the psalmist is crying out of the depths to God to rescue him. When you are in the depths of your life, are you drawn to appeal to God or try to solve it on your own? The challenge is for us to know that we can come closer to Him, connect to Him, and have a time of worship all through confession. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Desperation Brings Humility ~ Oftentimes when we are in a desperate situation, we are likely to release our ego and seek Him. We realize we are not in control and it is God who is in control will help us release what needs to be fixed to the One in control. May we seek to release the things we cannot control to Him!
• Become Empty ~ Each day we need to release some part of our lives to God. Maybe it is our ego, our fears, our worries, or our control to Him and let Him be the driver of the day. Letting Him fill our void so it will be less of us and more of Him.
• Clean Your Heart ~ God needs to associate with purity. The blood of Jesus purifies the Christian continually. Is there anything that is clouding your heart and needs to be cleansed? Seek Him!
• Stay Strong! ~ As Joseph (Genesis 37) had no idea how long he was going to be in the pit that his brothers put him in, he appeared to stay strong to his God and was rewarded. Even when we have no idea how long we are going to remain in a "pit" may we stay strong and see what God is going to do with our life.

Just like two parties becoming closer through heart-to-heart connection, I think we become closer to God in similar ways. Confession allows people to know the inner us, as it lets others see our weaknesses. This can be tough because we don't want to appear as weak in front of anyone. However, know with God, He loves us through it all.

Thankfully, we have a God who is always there for us! Let us become closer to Him as time allows for confession.

Now it's your turn...when have you become closer to someone/God through confession?

How Do You Define Yourself?

Ordinary...a subjective word. You may even say that you want something out of the ordinary, on occasion. Which may mean food, entertainment, or way to spend your free time. As humans, we tend to become bored and ready to do something different as we go through life. However you define something that is "ordinary" someone else may find it "blah" or "extraordinary."

Knowing that the word is subjective, how would you label yourself? Would it simply be "ordinary?" Would it be "extraordinary?" Think about it while you read this week's quote...

I can’t believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary.

 ~ Lou Holtz

One of the exciting things for me is to be able to team up with God and get to do some extraordinary things. I may be "ordinary" in some ways, but with God I am extraordinary.

I love to be able to go through each day not knowing what may come my way that my God and I will be able to do that day. There are so many things that I may have the opportunity to do that I have no idea what it will be like. It makes me look forward to the next day and the next hour. What may come as interruptions may be exactly the opportunity I was anticipating.

I don't believe I was put on this earth to be "ordinary" because there are simply so many things that I can do that are "extraordinary."

Now it's your turn...what is extraordinary about you?

Do You Believe? - A message that prods how deep your faith goes

Do you believe...in God/Jesus/Holy Spirit? In heaven and hell? That Jesus can make your burdens lighter? God will take care of you? He can heal all diseases? He will forgive ALL your sins (aka you are forgivable)? Someone you know wants to know about Christ? He will show you the way? And the list continues...

Do any of those questions start to step on your "faith toes?" They are ones that I have wrestled with in life. Usually, I guess if I'm wrestling with them, someone else will too.

Sunday, we looked at Matthew 9:27-34 as Jesus was healing two blind men. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Blindness ~ I think that any disability/flaw can become numb to the senses. In other words, it may cause us pain, but we become more and more comfortable with it. Maybe it is a chronic pain, over/underweight, disorder, scars, diseases, or disabilities. We can become figuratively blind to various areas in life, which can disable us from seeing the open doors around us to share our faith. Ask Jesus to remove that blindness so you can see the possibilities.
• "Yes, Lord" ~ Not all of life's questions are going to be easy to say "Yes, Lord" when we are posed with the question of "Do you believe I can take care of this?" However, for those hard questions, even if it is answered a bit sheepishly, may we have confidence in Him that He will take care of things and answer, "Yes, Lord."
• Don't Tell Anyone ~ Don't think about pink elephants. I would guess you started thinking about that or something pink or elephants. Jesus told the recipients of this blessing to not tell anyone and they told everyone. I hope you will take the chances to tell others about what Jesus has done for you. They need to have Him too!!!

I shared that sometimes the cross is like the sleigh bell from The Polar Express. The boy, along with some others, had a difficult time hearing it because they didn't believe. I hope that the cross will be come more "audible" to you as you go through life. Whether you need to believe on the tough issues or the easy ones.

Now it's your turn...what have you struggled in "believing?"

God Continues to Surprise

A month ago, I wrote an article for the local paper. After it was published, I received a handful of comments from people who told me how much they appreciated the article and topic. As a follow-up to what that article was about, I wanted to share some of my surprises from the month. My aim is not to be boastful, but to continue to foster the vision of the reader to see God in various situations.

To start off, the simple fact that people were willing to let me know they read the article and appreciated it was a surprise enough. It wasn’t the first article in three years of submissions that I had received any comments, but it was probably the greatest amount of compliments. One woman, who will likely read this, surprised me to say something to the effect of “Whenever I look through the paper and see your picture, I know I’m going to enjoy the article.” I was sincerely blown away by that comment. I am thankful to God that I have the platform to write for a wider audience. It is Him who gave me and continues to give me the opening of which to write. I thank those who I heard from this past month.

Probably the biggest surprise came a couple of weeks after the publish date of the previous article. It happened the Sunday of the time change. The day before, a Saturday, I sent out over 300 text messages to people I have in my address book on my phone to remind them to advance their clocks that night. I am kind of odd that way when it comes to holidays, time change, etc. If it is a holiday, some will respond with gratitude and returning the same greeting. This was one such that people basically said thanks. I did receive a couple that didn’t realize it was the day of the time change. The surprise came in the middle of the night after going to bed.

I woke up the next morning to have a message on my phone that read, “I don’t know who you are, but you just saved my life.” I thought, “What? You are in my phone book and a Facebook friend, of course you know me.” But upon further investigation, I noticed a signature the person uses did not match up with the name of my friend. This was someone completely different. Of course, I did not know them, as well.

I responded with a “You’re welcome.” I was left wondering “How did I save their life?” I don’t think it was literal, but when you help someone out with a big favor and it made a significant difference in their life.

Later, I probed a bit deeper. For one, I think that our crossing of paths did not happen by accident. I think that my friend changed her number and this person was assigned this number because God knew we needed to cross paths at one point, which is likely this point. Not only would we cross paths, but I would provide something she needed at that time. Kind of reminds me of a “woman at the well” scenario (John 4).

You see, when people have a need and you are open to being surprised by God, there are going to be times that you don’t even realize you are meeting a need. Nor do you seek out to meet that need, you just go about daily life and God does the rest by His Spirit putting things in place. I was meeting over 300 people’s need to remind to turn their clocks forward. His Spirit put it in place for me to cross paths with someone who I would “save someone’s life” by meeting an anonymous person’s need. That is the beauty of this whole concept!

Since I did meet such a “needed need” in this person’s life, I had an open door to communicate. I continued to foster that communication by inviting her to receive my free texts of encouragement that I send out each Tuesday. They are currently going to over 220 people from Scotland to the west coast of the America. She said she needed encouragement and looked forward to signing up. Also, having this open door, after providing a need, it allowed me to learn more about her faith or, in this case, a lack of faith. These are the types of scenarios I am hoping that will get you excited and cause you to look for the surprises in your life.

There is a bit more to the story, but I hope you get the point about God continually surprises. It is an exciting life to lead where you look forward to an encounter with people you meet rather than dread them. You never know when someone will need something you can provide and seeing it as a surprise which God’s Spirit set in motion!

My e-mail is ichthus_man@hotmail.com and I’d love to hear about your “surprising stories!”

"To Do" List...1) ___ 2) ____ 3)____

Do you have a list for the various tasks for today or this week? I do, even though I seldom write them down, but it's still a list. I sometimes simply cannot rest until that list is done. Sometimes the list is what to accomplish before lunch and when it isn't accomplished, I am often distracted through lunch.

Even as I write this, there are things on my list that I have not accomplished for the day. How do you deal with such complications to the day?

As I am a person who does a lot of "list" work, here's a fitting quote for the subject..

Whatever your "To do" list is, throw it away.. Let God give you His list for you. ~ Unknown

Ahhhh...get rid of my list! To some degree that will work. I think there are a lot of things that we must be willing to put into God's hands and not try to accomplish all on our own. Too often we go by a list which can prove to be very limiting.

Maybe today you have something on your list but God has something He'd rather you do with the day. It may come as an interruption or just show up during your day. Keep these in mind as you go through your day. Be prepared for God's list to trump your own list. Make sure you're open to it, too.

Have an ever-open list!

Now it's your turn...when has your list changed?

Stand Up Conversion

Conversion - a word that is often associated with religion. Some may convert to a new team to root for or a new food product to start using. However, I would say that most of the time it is associated with the religious scene.

What was your conversion like? Mine wasn't too exciting. I was too young to have done anything "bad" but knew what I needed to and was persistent about being baptized. Though I hope my "conversion" was before that - not equating it to my salvation.

It is interesting that in the story we looked at on Sunday, three men were able to convert a "god" believer into a "God" believer. Nebuchadnezzar was a king of which thought of himself as the person who was all powerful. He had a statue made, he made the rules, and he was in charge. Power can do that to a person. However, three men showed him that he was not in charge. They didn't bow to the statue, even under threat. They didn't fall. They stood up. Their "stand" caused King Nebuchadnezzar to be "converted." This taken from Daniel 3. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Behavior Makes the Difference ~ Being a parent, I am now in the role of showing behavior. I can "tell" behavior, but if it is against what I show, the effect will not carry much weight nor have much of an impact. The same goes for living out our faith. We can say we love God or He is first in our life, but when our peers start seeing that He is actually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in our lives, over job, family, sports, hobbies, etc. then we are not showing our faith much at all.
• Which "God"? ~ King Nebuchadnezzar challenges the 3 (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) of which god will rescue them? I am sure there have been times in which you have asked that same question. In a bind? Is it the god of self or of Heaven that will get you out of the bind? I am not describing the type of bind where you need to find your keys, but one that is causing your life to fall apart in matters that are just out of your hand. When the 3 were being confronted with the thought of going in the fiery furnace - which god was going to rescue them? Nebuchadnezzar was oblivious to the power of the God of Israel - sometimes we tend to be oblivious too...but He is WAY POWERFUL! Choose Him!
• Second Chance ~ The 3 (mentioned above) were given another opportunity to think about their actions. We have had times in our life in which we think about giving in to the "easy" side. I know I have. But to stay strong is where the rewards will be. The pleasures are just for a season. If the things that go against your faith or cause you to compromise are coming back around for second chances - keep holding them off. It will pass and then you will "win."

To stand up to someone of higher authority or even our friends for what we believe it can take a strong faith. Usually it depends on how close the relationship is or appealing the matter is to you.

In the movie, "Courageous" there is a gentleman who was offered a promotion, but was told to skew the numbers. He knew the benefits of the promotion but also knew his conscience. He chose correctly and was blessed with the promotion.

May we make the right choices in life and possibly cause someone to be "converted" based on standing up for what we know is right!

Now it's your turn...How hard would it be for you to "stand up" to a person/situation?

God First

What is the most important thing in your life?

You might say your family (a particular member, depending on your situation), your faith, your job, your house, or other material item. Regardless of what your answer is, you have a "most important thing in your life." It will come out sooner or later, and could possibly be evident to others. It may also change, due to life's circumstances.

The most important thing in your life is also something you put a lot of stock into. You also may or may not realize that you place some sort of security into it, too. As Jesus continues His teaching in Matthew 6:25-34 He points out that when we become anxious, to the point of consuming our thoughts, we are squeezing out God in our life. We start to place more emphasis in our abilities to try to handle our anxieties and less emphasis in Him. We stop giving our anxieties to Him, which we are told to do so (Philippians 4:6-7), in these situations.

The following are some applications to choose from to use this week in relation to being anxious (or worrying)...

• Compare and Contrast ~ This may be difficult for some, depending on your spiritual beliefs. Challenge yourself to compare the effects of putting your trust in something earthly or something heavenly. Earthly things fade away and are perishable. Heavenly things are forever and imperishable. The hard part is to trust something intangible - but the rewards are worth it!
• Look Around ~ Seeing things that appear better usually stops with the word "appear." They really are not better, they just "appear" better. Take a long look at the things you are putting your faith in or what your "most important" thing is, and see if it is something that gives you the assurance you are looking for.
• Let the Past Be Just That ~ The more of the past you can leave in the past, the less mind-baggage you are bringing into the future. See what you need to let go (even if it is only by God's help you can leave it in the past.)

Our challenge is to not place a lot of trust in the things of life, but rather in to the one who takes care of the birds and lilies. That challenge is an ongoing one for me...how about you?

The Package: Waiting

I am in the middle of waiting on God. Which, I would presume many are in a similar situation. I am waiting to see how certain situations work out. Maybe they will be a “no” or maybe a “yes” by the time it is all completed. However, in the middle of it, it is a “not at this time” answer.

God is truly amazing and “His ways are higher than my ways” and I say, “thank goodness” to that. I duff things up enough in my own life, I am glad that I have Him to be the constant in my life that never “duffs”.

How God deals with the distance between a point A and point B may surprise us sometimes. It may not be linear and/or it may be filled with several additional points of stop offs in the middle (i.e. A1, A2, A3,…)

Sunday we discussed waiting, from the point of view of waiting for a package. Hypothetically, the concept of the series, thus far, is…we order the item and we wait for it to arrive. What do you do in the waiting? That is a key part of this lesson. As we explore that, here are some applications to choose from to use this week…

• Hopeful in the Waiting ~ Waiting on someone to show up can be frustrating. You may give them the benefit of the doubt initially but as the minutes continue you realize they are not going to arrive. Sometimes, we treat God like that. If He doesn’t show up in our time frame, then we start to doubt that He is going to. In any given situation, He may not show up, like you prefer. However, our preference is not His. May we submit to His timing and remain hopeful in our times of waiting.
• Serving Him in the Waiting ~ When frustration sets in, the desire to quit increases. If you think you cannot get a bolt loosened, you may want to quit. If you are not getting the playing time you think you deserve, you may want to quit. If you are not getting the answers from God, you may want to quit. To continue on through the waiting process is important. May we serve Him while we wait for the answers.
• Worshiping Him in the Waiting ~ Waiting can be a very positive experience, depending on your perspective. Waiting enables time to pray, evaluate yourself, write a note, make a visit/phone call, read the Word, to get things done you have been putting off, etc. There are all kinds of ways to use our time of waiting. Each one can be used to worship Him. Let’s use it to our advantage but for His glory!

While you wait, may you utilize the time by doing things for Him!  The package is coming!

Must Be Willing to Move

Have you ever been one of those “I want to change” people?  However, the “want” to change didn’t really go much past that?  I want to be stronger, more faithful, lose weight, be smarter, be more athletic, and the list goes on.  However, a day drifted into the next and nothing ever was accomplished.  Your “want” stayed in the past and never went to the next level.  

Maybe you even prayed about it, asking God to guide you into the “want” that you have, however, things still didn’t progress…that brings us to this week’s quote…

Do not ask the Lord to guide your footsteps, if you are not willing to move your feet. ~Author Unknown

I received this quote the other day and it “hit me” as one of those subtle “in your face” kind of quotes.  The concept of wanting to do things or asking God to guide your footsteps is not uncommon.  However, we often want God to just take us by the hand, kind of like what I have to do with my two-year old, from time to time.

If we are wanting things done or wanting God to “guide us” then we have to be willing to move.  That willingness is going to be started over with each day and each decision.  So, the real question is, are you willing to move?

Being Salty

“That’s disgusting” were the words my 2 1/2 year old said after he sprinkled salt on his fork, after the fork had been wet from the juice of canned peaches he had just finished.  I said something like, “I bet”. 

It didn’t take much for him to taste the salty flavoring from the salt on the fork.  He was curious and tries to be as independent as possible, but in this case he didn’t like it.

Salt has many positive effects it can make food flavorful, preserve foods, melt ice, or keep things from deteriorating.  As we are challenged, from the words of Christ, to be the salt of the earth, here are some applications to choose from to use this week…

1. Salt to Taste ~ As each person has their own level of preference for salt, keep in mind when you may be putting too much salt on their lives.  You don’t want to cause people to be put off by your efforts of sharing Jesus by having too much salt.  With each encounter, give them enough salt to make the situation “flavorful”.
2. Melt “Ice” ~ It can be frustrating when you are trying to be evangelistic and your attempts seem to be doing nothing. Who you are involved with may have a “cold heart”.  The way to get through to them is to have their hearts melted before you can continue.  Think about using the Fruit of the Spirit as “salt” to melt hearts.  Use love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Another “granule” of salt to use is prayer, as a method of melting.
3. Sprinkle Liberally ~ This is not in conflict with the first one.  Do not limit where you sprinkle the salt.  A little here, a little there, a little over the shoulder… When we start limiting where we sprinkle we miss other places that may need the salt. You have the salt to use…so start sprinkling!

Don’t forget to be the “salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors” in people!

Sprinkle away and create a more flavorful and preserved world!

Prodigal God - Luke 15:1-10

Most people would like to have an abundance of money. Maybe not all at once, but just the peace of mind to know it will always be there, as much as one needs. Another way of thinking, which is similar, is food. A lifetime supply of food sure would take the worry off.

Have you ever thought to yourself that, for the Christian, there is an endless action of sin cleansing? (cf I John 1:7) That should cause you to definitely "take the worry off" when you look at it that way.

Yesterday, we looked at the final "Words of Wisdom From the Workshop" lesson, which was by Rick Atchley, titled "Prodigal God". Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. As God has given us so much to be thankful for, say a prayer of praise this week. Say something different each day.
2. Make a list of your blessings in your life, both material and immaterial.
3. Seek out someone to share Jesus with, who would benefit from the blessings that come as a result of being in the Kingdom.
4. As God stops at nothing to seek out a wanderer, take some moments to revel in this statement "He won't let you be a lost sheep or lost coin without coming to search for you" ...of what part of that statement do you appreciate the most?

God loves us so much that he'd give up companionship for people who would be better off with a Savior. What an AWESOME GOD, right?

Appreciate all that he has done for you!

Appreciating the abundance from Adonai...

Ten Suggestions for Keeping a Close Relationship Between You and God

If I was ever given the opportunity to meet someone "famous", and I mean someone that I would really like to meet, I think I would act starstruck. I would be a little lost for words, but I would eventually figure out how to actually talk to them like anyone else. A question for you is "would you act the starstruck or like your normal self?"

If given  more chances to talk to them, how would you act more normal? You would probably develop a set of guidelines to have yourself go by. Maybe you'd say "Don't say 'I can't believe I'm getting the chance to meet you" over and over again. Or, you would not ask all kinds of questions about them, and just treat them like you would any other person you met for the second or third time? 

That takes us into thinking about what we would do if we had the chance to meet God.  If you're like me, you've got a lot of questions to ask.  Why this? Why that? How this?  How that?  Would you think to just ask about Him?  Would you ask questions that showed you cared about Him or just questions that benefited you and your curiosity?  

Yesterday we looked at another lesson from the Tulsa Workshop, also by Randy Harris, titled "Ten Suggestions for Keeping a Close Relationship Between You and God".  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Appreciate ~ When you first start praying or talking to God, let Him know the things you appreciate, first, before you start asking
2. Enjoy the Journey With Each Other ~ The family of God is more powerful when we're together.  When we're splintered, we're weak.  When we're at odds with each other, we're being splintered...hence we're weaker.
3. Risky Business ~ That is a description of being a Christian.  Are you willing to take the risks?  Will you take the risks that are associated with this lifestyle? The best part of it is that you will develop a closer relationship with Him!
4. Slow Down ~ Life is too short not to enjoy the journey.
5. Find the Dark ~ Let your light shine in a place or with a person that needs it.  You don't need light in the light; but in the dark. That's where your light can shine!
6. Invest ~ Are there things in your life that you have committed too much time toward?  Maybe you need to think about what is taking you away from being an invested Christian.
7. Enjoy Now ~ What can you do right now, where you're at, with what you have to make a difference for God?  Depending on Him will draw you closer to Him.

You want to have a closer relationship with Him?  Take one of the applications to see if it fits in your life. A complete list of the ten suggestions are listed below.

#1 - Quit Whining, #2 - Form Covenant, #3 - Memorize the Sermon on the Mount, #4 - Take a Risk, #5 - Walk (vs. Run), #6 - Relocate, #7 - Calm Down, #8 - Simplify, Materially, #9 - Commit, #10 - Be Present

Let's work together in making our individual relationships with God stronger, which will make our entire relationship with Him stronger.

I Give Up...Something I Treasure - Ruth 2:8-13

I am such the father of a 2-year old that watches Backyardigans (a cartoon on Nickelodeon) because as I looked at the word "treasure" in the title, I started singing a song that the Backyardigans sing on one of their "adventures".

We all treasure things. By that I don't mean that it is necessarily one of the top ten things that is on our list of favorites. Rather, I simply mean that we value it greatly, whether we realize it or not.  Take for instance, complaining.  You may not realize how much you treasure it, but if you find yourself doing it a lot, you probably "treasure" it.  

Yesterday, we continued our search into the idea of "giving up".  Not quitting, in the negative sense, but rather, in the positive.  Thinking of things that you might be able to give up for a "season" that will cause a void in your life, which, in turn, would hopefully, draw you closer to Him.  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Self-Reflect ~ If you haven't given something up, yet, think about some things that you value.  Foods, hobbies, habits, etc.  Then, decide that you would like to make a small change and choose to give that up...the series is only 2 more weeks!
2. Consider ~ Think about what God gave up in His only Son?  He gave up part of His "family" for you.  Think of the pain that was involved.  The tough love that was expressed in Him having to turn His back on Jesus so that His body beaten and pierced and blood dripped for you and me.
3. Imitate ~ I don't think anything will ever compare to Jesus' death for us.  However, as a way of imitating what God did, try to give something up so that you will experience a bit of discomfort for this short time.

Jesus said that even if we have to give up something as important as family, for His sake, there will be a great reward for us, in the end.  I would bet you have some sort of a family core that you value.  However, to think of them higher than Him is not what He desires.  Put Him first...Seek first the Kingdom...the rewards will follow.

May you see the benefits of trying to give up something in order to draw closer to Him!

"I Give Up!" - Introduction - Luke 14:28-33

Giving up is something that comes easy when it involves something you do not care that much about.  Maybe it is because you lost your passion/interest in the area, so you decide to just give up.  There are factors that may contribute to the losing of interest.  Maybe it is because you thought you weren't good at doing something, so you gave up.  Maybe it is because you had been absent from your routine (going to a group gathering) so you gave up.

On the flip side, giving up is more difficult when it is something that you are more passionate.  Going on a "diet" could be difficult because you feel you must give up all the foods you used to like.  Quitting smoking, quitting drinking, or the cessation of drug use may sound good on the surface, but it is quite difficult to do when it comes to actually following through with it and sticking with the commitment.  Giving up on sedentary a lifestyle can be very difficult to give up as you have to take time to exercise, especially when your schedule has a hard time allowing you to fit in the exercise regimen.

Yesterday, we began a series called "I Give Up" where I challenged the people to think of something that they would be willing to give up, that was important, but wouldn't make them "moan and groan".  It is to try to realize that the void is to allow you to cause you to be drawn closer to Him.  Whether that void is described as not doing a certain activity or choosing not to eat something, let it be something that you can use to connect with Him.  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Choose ~ First of all, you must decide what you will "give up" that falls under the parameters of "important, but won't make you moan and groan".  You are not doing it for others' benefit, but your's.
2. Pray ~ Whether or not it is that difficult, pray that you will be able to use this discipline for the purpose it was intended.  You will probably be a bit distracted throughout the time because you will be drawn to the thing you have given up, but use the times you are thinking about it to pray, as one option.
3. Encourage ~ Do you know of someone else that is participating in this discipline?  Take time to pray and encourage them as the go through the journey (even if you aren't participating).
4. Brainstorm ~ Think of alternatives from this discipline.  What can you do instead?
5. Don't give up ~ Sounds a bit like the opposite of the intent, but the point is that even if you mess up (hopefully accidentally) to keep up with it.  Don't quit the discipline even if you may make the occasional mistake.

Here are some options besides food to give up:

• Cell phone Usage - Certain time of day to turn off, unless emergency
• Profanity, Complaining, Gossiping - Watch your tongue - the little thing can do lots of damage!
• Internet Usage - Certain time of day to do something else or stay away from game sites (or worse)
• Television usage - Turn off either certain hours or days/nights so you can do something else

Maybe you can think of others. If so, please leave a comment with your idea.  I am looking forward to the journey to see what happens as I journey through this discipline.


You can also leave comments throughout the month to see how things are going as you journey through the next few weeks of this discipline.





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A Hero Found in a Baby

Whenever I look at babies, especially after becoming a father, I think about how our Savior came into this world as a baby. The preciousness. The innocence. The fragileness. The vulnerability. All these describe any and every baby that is born. It doesn’t matter if they were planned or not. They are all just waiting to be nurtured.


Jesus came in the form of a human, starting out as a baby. He came from a heavenly palace to an earthly sin-sick shack. God may have asked Jesus, “Hey, I need for You to leave here, go down to earth, experience pain, temptations, trials, and heart-ache for people who won’t appreciate it and who will abandon you. Are you up for it?” You and I would probably never agree to that kind of a deal. Humans have a hard time giving up their parking space for someone else, let alone giving up their life. However, thankfully, He did.


He came down to earth and He was found in an unexpected place – a manger. Our King, in a manger? Our hero, wrapped in His blanket? No paparazzi was covering this event, snapping pictures at each available opportunity. This was a quiet setting. This was God, the Son, coming down from His throne, abandoning His home. This was Him who was great becoming the least, coming to a world that needed a fix. Why did he do it, it was all for you and me.


Have you ever looked at a baby and wondered how God could have allowed His only Son to leave Him to die? What about thinking how Mary must have felt knowing that when she kissed Jesus, she was kissing the “face of God”? It seems so surreal to think about how Jesus came to be our hero. It seems difficult to comprehend how one could die to take the place of every single person who is born. It is unfathomable that the worst of criminals and the most respected citizen “all sin” and are doomed to suffer eternal torment if that unlikely hero, found in the baby, doesn’t grow up, remain innocent and die for the sins of others.


How many people would do that? Maybe a few would consider it, but how many would follow through with it? Only one needed to and He did it for you and me. May the hope that comes through the hero, found in a baby, make your Christmas a little merrier this year!


(article inspired by the song “How Many Kings” by Downhere)





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What's YOUR Answer - Joshua 24:14-15

You pull in to the drive thru, look at the menu, and you hear something like this, "Welcome to ___, may I take your order?" Then, in a matter of moments, you begin to say what you would like to eat for that day. Your answer to their question is the food you request.

What would you do if you pulled into a drive thru and didn't hear the message above, but rather heard something like "Welcome to ____, which god will you choose today?" And on the menu is not hamburgers, french fries, shakes, salads, or sodas, but rather, it is Self, Activities, Money, Job, Family, Self-Righteousness, Envy, Control, Jehovah and a list of others. Which one would you choose?

Surprisingly, we've all ignored the Jehovah part of the menu from time to time. Instead, we look over it and see what other things may entice our appetite for that moment and choose it.

Yesterday, Joshua told the people that his household was going to choose the Lord. He challenged the people with asking which one they will choose. We're confronted also with something similar on a daily basis. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week to help you make the choice to 'choose Him'...

1. Praise Him ~ "Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you" - Psalm 63:3 - If life is good, His love is better. If life is going south, His love is much better. Either way, experiencing a relationship with Him is better, so give Him a praise or two this week for the good things you have in life.
2. Serve ~ Do something kind for someone else, maybe even anonymously. Not because you want the credit, but because you are doing it because you care for them. It doesn't have to be buying anything. Serve someone!
3. Make a list ~ One thing my wife likes to do when making a big decision is to make a "pro-&-con" list. As you are deciding which god you are going to choose, make a list and see what benefits there are to serving the one besides Jehovah.
4. Pick One ~ God is a "jealous God" and cannot share your attention. He wants you to be solely focused on Him throughout a day. Don't let another day go by without focusing on Him and picking Him over other gods that may drift into your life. You cannot "serve two masters", let Him be the only one!

Life is full of choices. A menu board gives us plenty of choices, but we will most likely choose one entree by the time we are finished. As you think about your faith, you must also have only one choice as the one on the #1 line...the "Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like [Him], in heaven above or on earth beneath..." (I Kings 8:23)

Make a choice to follow Him, moment by moment...

Bowing Before Battle - Joshua 5:10-15 - (2)

As you woke up this morning, got ready for the day, and, possibly, drove to work, what all did you observe? What were some of the things that you took in, not only, with your eyes, but ears, nose, even the sense of feel? Your experience was unique, so what you took in was probably much different than mine.

As you took things in, did it occur to you that they were things God had created, in one way or another. You might have woke up to your beautiful/handsome spouse. Saw your precious kids. Breathed in the fresh air. Ate a delicious breakfast. Saw the gorgeous fall colors. Communicated on your electronic device. Pounded the steering wheel in traffic. All things that allowed you to have the morning you've had.

As Joshua is getting ready for battle, he is confronted by the "commander of the Lord's army", and Joshua falls down and worships. The idea of worshiping is where we are going with revering God. As we revere Him we are tuning our senses to Him. Here are some applications to choose to use this week...

1. Gaze ~The writer of Hebrews instructs us to "fix our eyes on Jesus", and that goes right along with this. May we find ourselves gazing with Him in mind. When we find ourselves looking at something we think is good, we could give God a little shout out of praise.
   
2. Observe ~ Take time to observe people this week. Look at them as people who God loves and that Jesus died for. Allow that to open your eyes to the fact that they are worth your time and effort to share Jesus with them. Look for the tired, the weak, the lonely. For they are in need of your boost. Look for the vibrant, the strong, the crowd-drawers. For they are in need of your boost. Sometimes the ones in the second category are passed up because we think they're OK. Oftentimes they are the tired, weak, and lonely, in vibrant, strong, and crowd-drawing clothes. Observation takes effort. Put in the effort to see who you can be a positive influence toward. Even if they are not tired, weak, and lonely, they all need Jesus!
   
3. Devote/Devotion ~ Complacency is the absence of devotion. When you do not have any devotion, you will become complacent. As you are looking at the things God has done, let it spur you on and lift you up to be more devoted than you were before were revering Him.
   

Joshua revered God before he was going into battle. He looked at Him and was devoted. Then, he removed his shoes, for the place he was standing was holy.

God is worth the effort of gazing, observing, and devoting. Use the effort and opportunities that He's given you to honor Him before you go into "battle".

Looking forward to the battle (aka big event) that is before me...

Clean Up Before Crossing - Joshua 3:2-5

Going out on the town? If so, you will probably make sure that you look nice - from head to toe. You will probably wear a special outfit, make sure your hair looks good, and put on perfume/cologne to top it off. As you head out the door you are feeling pretty good about yourself.

One thing is for sure, you won't leave looking just like you rolled out of bed or like you've been working in dirt all day. You want to make sure you're cleaned up before you go out.

Getting "ready" for the day seems to be a logical response before heading out of the house, especially if you are doing something social. You will probably do some things under the category of hygiene - wash your hair, bathe, shave, style your hair, apply cosmetics, brush teeth, paint fingernails/toenails, etc.

As Joshua was about to lead the people to the Promised Land, a land they had been looking forward to for years, they were told to clean themselves up before they crossed. Yesterday, we looked at this passage, focusing on verse 5 of chapter 3, where they were told this command. As one gets ready to approach God, it is important that they are cleaned up. Moses told the people to do this (Exodus 19:10-11). The Sacrificial System required this by the sinner, before approaching God. Jesus discussed this when He mentioned getting right with your brother before laying down your gift at the altar (Matthew 5:21-26). Paul mentioned it in I Corinthians 11:28 pertaining to the Lord's Supper. So it was pretty much a concept that spreads throughout the Bible.

As we think about applying the idea of cleaning up before crossing, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Clean Heart - One of David's famous Psalms is the 51st, in that psalm, the words "create in me a clean heart, O God" are mentioned. Occasionally, as you pray, ask God to help clean up your heart. Clean it of rage, malice, anger, gossip, hate, impure thoughts, resentment, self-righteousness, jealousy, envy, etc. Keep your heart clean so that you can approach Him.
2. Clean Mind - Sometimes when you speak of the heart and mind, you are thinking very similarly. The difference here is that I am speaking of just "clearing" your mind as you approach Him. Try to get rid of the distractions. Try to focus on approaching Him - whether it is in prayer, song, or listening.
3. Waiting on Him - One of my mom's famous lines when I was a kid was "your times comin'". I hated hearing it (because I heard it all the time). She would say this because I wanted to do things that my older siblings were able to do and I wasn't old enough yet. I have a tendency to treat God with a sense of impatience. I want things soon, if not now! However, there have been times I've had to wait on something which allowed me to focus on my needs rather than my wants. It allowed me to make a better decision, rather than going on an impulse.
4. God Will do Great Things - It is cool to see God work. I get goosebumps when He does things that just wow me. When seeds that are planted start to show first signs of life. When you get to see a result of the dots that have been connected through your interaction with people. When people's hearts are softened and changed.
5. (Great Things) Among You - God could be doing something great with you right now! Open up to the possibilities as where you're at, what you're involved in, and who's in your circle. You never know how, but it is exciting to watch it unfold. Don't be blind to the idea, enjoy what is going on and anticipate His workings among you!

Before you cross into your next venture or into tomorrow, be sure to "clean up before crossing". Consecrate (cleanse) yourself as you prepare for what God will do. He's amazing!

Looking forward to the future...

Touching Heaven, Changing Earth

This last weekend I had the privilege of attending a youth rally with the teens of our church. It was one I had been apart of before, but hadn't been for a few years. This year's theme was "Touching Heaven, Changing Earth". Among the three speakers, one of them described it in a way that I connected with easily.

He described those times when we are on a mountain, figuratively speaking, and we have an awesome experience...aka mountain-top experiences. But, inevitably, we have to come down off of that mountain, sometime.

We talk of heaven being 'up'. So, speaking from a perspective of mountains, we would be getting closer to God if we were up on a mountain. Several people in the Bible, like Moses and Abraham, all had grand experiences on a mountain top. However, they had to come down and be with the people, eventually.

The best part about their experience, was that when they came off of that mountain, they were changing people (aka earth). They had experienced something hardly anyone else had experienced. They were closer to God, literally. Some heard from God or 'saw' Him in some way.

You have had or will have experiences that take you closer to heaven...that is the touching part. However, since you've touched it, use what touched you or moved you, and allow it to help make a difference in others' lives. Help the motivation that you experienced to change something on this 'corrupt' Earth to point someone or several closer to Him.

May your day be filled with a touch of heaven, so that you will be motivated to change earth!

Touched heaven...excited to see how I can change earth!...