Feasting in the Desert

Exodus 16:3 - "If only the Lord had killed us back in Egypt," they moaned. "There we sat around pots filled with meat and ate all the bread we wanted. But now you have brought us into this wilderness to starve us all to death."

God had promised the Israelites that He would free them from slavery and deliver them to the Promised Land, a land filled with milk and honey. On paper that sounds great. Notice how He didn't give them the road map ahead of time?

So here they are, one month into the journey. Thirty short days. Where is this Promised Land anyway? I'm ready for milk and honey. My feet are tired and if I have to sleep one more night on the ground my back is going to rebel. On and on and on, complaint after complaint. So God answers. In verse four we read, "Look, I'm going to rain down food from heaven for you."

Rock on. Turkey with all the fixings - stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberries, pumpkin pie. Or, maybe steak and baked potatoes. I'd even settle for a Big Mac! Whatever was coming...and I know that I'd build it up in my head...the King of the Universe, who has chosen my people to make into a nation, is going to provide in a miraculous way (think about the Red Sea, the Angel of Death, frogs, gnats, hail). Clearly this is a God who knows how to do it right. It's going to be awwwesommme!

The next day comes and what do we get...wings and crackers. You heard it right. Wings and crackers. Really God? Not even peanut butter for those Ritz crackers?

Have you ever wondered why God seems to under deliver? Don't get me wrong, a miracle is a miracle. But if we've been promised the Promised Land, why not turkey instead of hot wings? Why not an instantly healed marriage instead of one you have to keep working at? Why not a job we love instead of a crazy boss who steals all our joy? Why not a million bucks instead of just enough to pay the mortgage? A BMW instead of a Yugo?

Maybe it's because God knows our tendency to slide toward the comfortable. If we got turkey in the desert we'd never want to leave the desert. Like the Israelites we'd forget that freedom with crackers is better than slavery with a big ole' slab of meat. We'd forget that we're on His journey, not our own. His care for us keeps us longing for our arrival at the Promised Land.

So the next time you're tempted to complain that God hasn't pushed the easy button and given you what you want, remember that He's given you what you need; which is just enough to remind you tomorrow that what you need is Him!

Rebuilding Jerusalem

I've been working with a young man who is trying to kick an addiction. He has been working very hard, trying to do things the right way. For several months he's made the right choices. Today he failed.

The good news is that he is discouraged with himself. If his heart was hardened, and there was no hope for change, he wouldn't be discouraged.

I wouldn't be writing this if I were only talking about this one young man. Addictions come in all sorts of flavors, and I work with multiple addicts. In fact, to be honest, I was born with an addiction to sin, that I have been fighting all my life. And, since the flesh never gets better, I'd guess I'll be fighting it for some time to come.

Jesus died knowing that we would spend our earthly lives as recovering addicts - drugs, alcohol, sex, pornography, gossip, anger, self, self-righteousness, judgmentalism - you name it, the list goes on and on. We all struggle.

Good news can be found throughout the Bible, but today, Psalm 147:2 seem appropriate. It says, "The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel."

Obviously this was written for the nation of Israel. BUT, if Jerusalem is significant because God has chosen to dwell there, then it could be said that since God has chosen to dwell in our hearts that they also represent a Jerusalem of sorts. AND, if Israel is the Promised Land, blessed by the Almighty God, THEN: "The Lord is rebuilding my heart and bringing me out of exile and back into the Promised Land of right living with Him." It doesn't say He is done, just that He is rebuilding.

Jesus did the hardest part on the cross. His work is complete. We are in right standing with God if we have believed in Jesus. But our sanctification (the process of becoming righteous as we learn to live life God's way) won't be complete until we cross the finish line and enter Heaven.

A step in the wrong direction doesn't have to be an about face, it can just be a step backwards. Yes, setbacks can be disappointing, but they do not have to define you. Character is not living life perfectly. Character is what is built when you mess up. Don't give up the fight. He is calling you forward. Take a step that direction today!

Psalm 136 Redux

Sometimes as I read the Psalms it feels like the difference in time and culture rob the rich words of David, Asaph and others of the meaning behind their poetry. For example, whenever David talks about his enemies trying to kill him, I think, "I've got it good. I don't think I have any enemies and even if I do I'm not running for my life because they are trying to kill me." So every now and then I work through a Psalm line-by-line, re-interpreting the meaning (at least what I think was meant) behind the words, and translating them into my life.

Psalm 136 is a great Psalm on its own. As I read it a few days ago I got to verses 19 and 20, where the author talks about Sihon and Og, and thought this is one I should redo for myself. Maybe it will encourage you as well.

1.  Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. He is on my side and in Him there is no darkness.
     His faithful love endures forever.
2.  Give thanks to the only God there is, was or ever will be.
     His faithful love endures forever.
3.  Give thanks to the God over our other gods - power, fame, money, sex, self.
     His faithful love endures forever.

4.  Give thanks to Him who parted the clouds - like He parted the Red Sea - over the stadium in Arzano, Italy as we were starting the last night of the crusade (insert your own miracle here).
     His faithful love endures forever.
5.  Give thanks to Him who already knew about the 'new' galaxy scientists just found - because He made it in the first place.
     His faithful love endures forever.
6.  Give thanks to Him who gave us the oceans, which remind us of His infinite power and love for us.
     His faithful love endures forever.
7.  Give thanks to Him who made the Big Dipper, which is the only constellation I can ever find,
     His faithful love endures forever.
8.  the sunshine which we don't get to see enough of here in Oregon and so appreciate ever more,
     His faithful love endures forever.
9.  and the full moon on a clear night which reflects the majesty of the sun, reminding us to reflect the majesty of THE SON.
     His faithful love endures forever.

10. Give thanks to Him who killed my innate self-focus,
      His faithful love endures forever.
11. and because of it brought me out of my slavery in the Egypt of my life,
      His faithful love endures forever.
12. and continues to show His strong hand and powerful arm as He guides my life along the straight and narrow path.
      His faithful love endures forever.
13. Give thanks to Him who continues to clear the path in front of me when I face obstacles,
      His faithful love endures forever.
14. and leads me through challenging times,
      His faithful love endures forever.
15. and protects me from the enemy from behind (and before and beside).
      His faithful love endures forever.
16. Give thanks to Him who leads me through the deserts I periodically find myself journeying
       through.
      His faithful love endures forever.

17. Give thanks to Him who has struck down so many of the "kings" of my life that steal my
      faithfulness and focus.
      His faithful love endures forever.
18. and they were strong and plenty as He cleaned house in my life...
      His faithful love endures forever.
19. the abuse I had experienced,
      His faithful love endures forever.
20. my insecurity and low self-worth.
      His faithful love endures forever.
21. God gave me emotional and spiritual health as an inheritance,
      His faithful love endures forever.
22. and they are a treasure to be valued and kept safe.
      His faithful love endures forever.

23. He remembers I am a puny human who still messes up,
      His faithful love endures forever.
24. so He continues to beat down my inner enemies.
      His faithful love endures forever.
25. He meets all of my needs - emotional, spiritual, financial, relational.
      His faithful love endures forever.
26. Give thanks to the God of Heaven who is never to big for my smallness and decided long before the beginning of time to notice me.
      His faithful love endures forever.

The Art of Disregarding the Expectations of Others

I had the privilege of teaching this past weekend in our services at Dayspring Fellowship. We are in a series from the book of Acts, and my assignment was chapter 13. With the help of a friend, who courageously told her incredible story (you can download it from the church website), I shared some principles about evangelism. Among many other things, I said that every Christian should know how to lead somebody to the Cross. And, if you can't, you should get a tract, memorize the verses and principles and practice.

I also talked about the importance of our personal faith stories (including, but not limited to our salvation story), and how God uses them in the lives of others. In this section I shared that all good stories have three parts (a beginning, middle and end). With regards to our faith stories they should include conflict/tension (why you needed Jesus to show up), resolution (how He showed up) and transformation (how you were different because He showed up). 1 Timothy 3:15 tells us to be prepared to share the hope of our salvation. Get that: be prepared.

I got some incredible feedback. God was clearly in the house. Val's testimony rocked!

But there's always a naysayer in the house...in this case two.

We hosted a couple who were visiting with their friend, who was just coming back to the Lord. After the service this couple decided that they needed to share their thoughts with me. After making sure I knew that they were very involved in their own church, in which he was a deacon, they proceeded to let me know how they wept as I preached because I was so inaccurately representing scripture. They told me that no where in scripture does it say to use a tract to lead people to Jesus. Nor does it say that a story should have a beginning, middle and end. And, in practicing our stories we relegate the telling to a performance.

My bad. They are right. No where in the Bible does it say to use a tract to lead someone to Christ. No where does it say that a story has a beginning, middle and end. For the record I never said it did.

Let me pause, and say that I assume they were well intentioned. Their delivery wasn't hurtful. Their concern was real. In no way do I wish to bad mouth them. I prayed in that moment, as I continue to pray, that God's glorious grace would wash over them and give them understanding...both of scripture and the effect of their words.

I tell this three part story because we have all been on the receiving end of other people's expectations. Generally we only realize it because we let them down in some way, and they make sure that we know we've done so. How do you respond in this moment? Does anger overtake you? Does the unfairness make your back straighten? Do you feel pity? Do you want to use your own words to make sure they understand your point?

Would that really help?

When I am faced with these moments (and since I live my life on stage I have the privilege of facing them relatively often), I always search for any truth that God has for me in their words...regardless of the delivery. If he can use Balaam's donkey to speak truth, he can use a couple like I've described (in no way am I saying they are donkeys, just that God's truth can be found in unexpected places).

But note...it's about the truth that God has for me. Not their truth. Many years ago a mentor taught me some beautiful words, "I'm sorry. You have expectations for me that I won't be able to meet." How very freeing...and God honoring.

This weekend I said to them, "I'm sorry I disappointed you." And, truthfully, I was. But I wouldn't change a thing. I serve a Higher Power and I know He wasn't disappointed. They'll can have it out with Him. He takes all my complaint calls. God's truth for me in that moment was to laugh (inside voice...not outside voice) at the absolute insanity of what they were saying. And then I walked away free. No regrets.

How would you have responded? Words matter. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

The Cost of a Lost Opportunity

Hebrews 13:16 - "And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Galatians 6:10 - "Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers."

1 Corinthians 10:24 - "No one should see their own good, but the good of others."

_____________________________________________

I was talking with a good friend this week about regret. He related a personal story that went something like this: when his son was old enough to hunt, they went on a father-son hunting trip. They waited through the day and eventually a buck wandered into the line of sight. In the words of my friend, "I got greedy and took the shot."

Later that night, he realized that he had missed an opportunity to bless his son by allowing him to take the shot. He wept. He wept because he recognized that in the grand scheme of life, another deer killed by him would never be remembered, but his son's first kill would make a memory that would be treasured for a lifetime. And, even though his son shot his first deer the next day, my friend still wishes he could CTRL-Z the event and UNDO the moment to bless his son with that particular shot.

How many times in our lives have we done something similar...we had he opportunity to bless someone and we botched it. We neglected the expectations or feelings of others in favor of our own. We demanded our own way (or cajoled or was even friendly about it) rather than considering someone else's idea. It could be an encouragement left unspoken, a lunch where you didn't pick up the tab, a win you could have given credit for, a momentous occasion where you made the world revolve around you. In most cases we aren't talking about sin...just the lack of "good." It may be something that we had every right to have our own way. But is that really how we are called to live?

The verses above talk about a different kind of life. A life that does good. A life that sacrifices to bless others. The world is filled with people who don't look any farther than end of their nose. What should distinguish us, from people of the world, is the vision to see past our own junk. And love puts others first. Love gives opportunities.

In most cases the other person will never think about, or know that the opportunity was missed. This is very different from hurting someone. This isn't what these verses are talking about. The cost of the lost opportunity is only paid by our foolish selves. We live with the regret that there is no CTRL-Z in life. I'm sure it's not regret that will put us in bondage (hopefully), but who wants any regret at all?

Every now and then I sense the spirit telling me to bless someone by sending them a card. (Yes, actual snail mail...imagine anyone's surprise when they get something other than a bill or junk mail!) This past week I obeyed the call and sent a card to a dear older couple at church. The love that the husband exhibits for his wife with her failing health inspires me to be a better husband. So I told them that. It was a simple - though completely true sentiment - that cost me very little to convey. I could have just thought nice thoughts about them and prayed for her health and his patience. They would never have known that I missed the mark. But his watery eyes spoke more than his words as he tracked me down to thank me for the blessing they felt because of my simple gesture. No regret there...

Now it's your turn. Send a card. Buy a lunch. Give a gift card. Let someone else have an opportunity to shine. DO GOOD!

The best part...read the end of Hebrews 13:16...God is pleased (i.e., he's blessed)...which puts it in the category of worship. Go figure.

Shrinking Hearts

We watched "Machine Gun Preacher" this week, a movie I can't say I really recommend because there is too much foul language. Nonetheless, it was very interesting.

The Chris Voigt short version: An convict is released from prison to find his family has gotten religious. Though he rejects their change at first, he too becomes saved. He goes to Africa and upon seeing the tragic, criminal treatment of the children (slavery, forced conscription into the rebel army, etc, hunger, homelessness...) he decides to build an orphanage.

The movie finds him going back and forth between Africa and his home in the US. As he sees more devastation, his diatribes at home, including preaching at a church he built, becomes more angry. As the title of the movie indicates he carries a gun and isn't afraid to use it when saving children in Africa. His heart is shrinking. His family is breaking. Even in Africa he loses the trust of his team as they sense a hardening of his heart.

Of course, there is a turning point, found in the tender words of an orphan forced to kill his own mother at the hand of the rebels.

Philippians 1:9-10 says, "I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return."

In real life, all around me I see shrinking hearts. I have a friend who is anti- everything. He doesn't like the president, the congress, churches who don't preach politics, liberals of any type...and most conservatives. He's bought a generator, stocked his home with MREs, bought gold to use as currency when the dollar fails, purchased weapons (legally with a license to carry) and who knows what else. The world is coming to an end as we know it and he and his wife will be survivors. From his perspective he is being prudent. As I see it his heart is shrinking.

A shrinking heart squeezes out God. Anything that God is involved in will grow your heart. Your love will abound. When we do anything on our own strength our heart will shrink. We'll get cynical, burned out, angry, judgmental, impatient...

If you want to know if you're on the right track spiritually, track your love. If you love more...God is at work.

Read Paul's words again. He wants us to understand what really matters so that we may live pure and blameless until the world ends Christ's way. For that to happen love must overflow. It is one-third of the equation...love...knowledge...understanding.

Where is your heart?

Ruthless Christianity

I hate un-health. It makes no difference to me whether it is physical, emotional or spiritual. Un-health is sickness and I hate it.

Please note, for the record, that I do not hate the un-healthy person, just the un-health. If someone has physical cancer, I don't hate them...just the cancer. The same principle is true with emotional and spiritual sickness. Also, please note that I hate un-health in me as much as anyone else.

And while I'm being honest, it drives me nuts that people choose to stay unhealthy. Why would anyone choose to stay sick? If your friend came to you and said, "I've just broken my leg (see that bone sticking through the skin), and I've decided not to go to the doctor," you'd call them on the carpet. You'd make them get into your car and you'd drive them to the ER yourself. Why do we just put up with emotional and spiritual broken legs?

For the purposes of this blog entry, let's set aside sickness in the physical sense and focus on emotional and spiritual un-health.

I know people who used to be unhealthy and refused to stay stuck there. Over years they've applied the principles of scripture (which is the best place to find healing) to their lives. They've done the hard work of scrubbing out the dark areas of their souls, inviting the Master Soul Cleaner to disinfect and deodorize. I'd like to think that I am one of them. (Though like everyone else, this is a lifetime process...you'd be surprised at how many cracks and crevices there are in your soul!) But freedom, hard won, is sweet...and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

On the other hand, I've known people who have been "healthy" (or have they?) and slipped slowly - sometimes quickly - into the sea of unhealthiness. Their thinking slowly shifts away from the truth of God's Word, and they seem to lose their way. Why? Why would anyone give up freedom and health, and exchange it for sickness and bondage?


Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" The human condition never gets better. The flesh never gets better. There is no cure for our hearts which have mastered the ability to be deceitful.


We have an incredible capacity to lie to ourselves about ourselves. Pause and think about that statement for a moment. Don't miss the point.


Because there is no cure for the heart, we must be constantly working to keep the heart healthy. It will always move toward sickness. People get unhealthy when they either stop trying to stay healthy OR they stop using the Word of God - which is unchanging - to measure their health.


In an orchestra, the concert master (usually the first chair violin) tunes their instrument to a standard pitch (440-A I'm told...I've never been in an orchestra). The oboe (which is the only instrument that is never out of tune) usually provides the pitch. Then, the orchestra tunes to the concert master.


The Word of God is our concert master. We must constantly adjust our instrument (heart) - which has trouble holding its pitch - to the pitch of the concert master. When we use any other standard, we get sick...infected by the siren lure of sin. And any thought or pattern that doesn't align itself with scripture is ultimately sin.


I believe God calls us to be RUTHLESS CHRISTIANS. We are called to ruthlessly - relentlessly -  attack the un-health in our lives. The enemy is constantly on the prowl, deceiving...usually a pretty easy job because according to Jeremiah we have a natural bent toward self-deception.


It is a constant battle and too many Christians have given up...or are lying to themselves (that danged deceiving heart) about their spiritual health.


What about you? Can you take a moment to be ruthlessly honest with yourself?


But don't stop there. Do something about it.