ONETHING Challenge

Playing it Safe

2012-01-21T10:27:00.004-06:00

“Everything is going against me!” Genesis 42:36b (NLT)

Do you ever feel like “everything” is against you? In the car, running late, all the stop lights are sync’d to turn red. Every car ahead of you seems to slow to a crawl. At the railroad crossing, the train breaks down. Even the wind seems to be blowing against you no matter how many turns you make. Everything is against you.

Jacob had spent a lifetime benefiting from the blessings of God. At every turn, God seemed to work things out for Jacob. Now, as an old man, Jacob shows that he feels his “luck” has run out. He has known some defeats. Rachel has died. Joseph was lost. Dinah was raped. And now the pressure of the famine threatens to wipe them all out. Even though Jacob had faced long odds before and won. Even though God had constantly pulled him through, this time, he wanted to play it safe. He didn’t want to expose Benjamin to possible harm. But, if the family was to survive, Jacob would have to take a risk again. Better yet, he would have to show some faith.

The same is true in our own lives of faith. We never get to the place where faith is no longer needed. In fact, as our faith grows, so will our challenges. But, if God is for me…it doesn’t really matter if everything else is against me. Against all odds…and against all other gods, deciding to have faith in Jesus our Lord isn’t really a risk at all. It is the only way to play it safe.

ONETHING: Know that faith is the only way to play it safe.

The Habit of Knowledge could also be thought of as the habit of “experience” since the Greek word translated in 2 Peter speaks of a knowledge gained from experience. The passage in 2 Peter 1 has another kind of knowledge as well. It speaks of a “true-knowledge”. In all encounters there is experiential knowledge. Taking that knowledge and using it to build a big picture understanding of our life and the meaning of our life is a habit we all need to develop.

The Bible reminds us that God is always working for “good” and we need to look at our experiences to see what “good” they are. This kind of knowledge requires faith.

PlusONE: If God is for me…it doesn’t matter if everything else is against me.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2012-01-20T09:12:00.003-06:00

“When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.” Matthew 13:25 (NLT)

This story of Jesus is often referred to as the parable of the “wheat and the tares.” Jesus explains that the field is the world and that the “weeds” are the people who belong to the evil one. The good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. (v.38) Both are allowed to grow until the harvest. At that time there will be a great separating out with the weeds going to destruction and the righteous shining “like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom.”

The question then is, “what kind of seed are you?” Good seed? Weed seed? Be careful in how you determine your answer. Just because God hasn’t “weeded you out”, doesn’t make you a “good seed”. Just because you are blessed with “rain” and “sun”, doesn’t make you a “good seed”, as God causes those things to happen for both the good and the evil. The answer to whether we are “good seed” or “weed seed” is not one that we choose; it is simply evident by the fruit (or the absence of fruit) in our life.

James urges us, “so get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.” (James 1:21) Jesus came to sow good seed into your life, if you will receive it, it will grow and produce the fruit of goodness that God will harvest into His Kingdom.

ONETHING: Do some fruit inspection to ensure that my heart has received good seed.

The Habit of Virtue requires that we constantly check for fruit in our life. The Devil is constantly throwing “weed seed” out and it is possible for it to take root in our life. Although, once we have truly allowed our heart to be planted with “good seed”, we need not fear the harvest, but we will desire to avoid the embarrassment of a less than bumper crop. We should not, as the saying goes, “sow our wild oats and then pray for a crop failure.” Our aim is to be “good soil that receives the good seed which produces a great harvest.”

PlusONE: Do some “seed inspection” before we even allow it to be sowed.

Spiritual Markers

2012-01-17T09:28:00.003-06:00

“Jacob built an altar there and named the place El-bethel, because God had appeared to him there when he was fleeing from his brother, Esau.” Genesis 35:7 (NLT)

Jacob builds an altar. Jacob set up a stone pillar. Jacob set up a stone monument. (35:7, 14, 20) Jacob marked his trail and because of that, he was able to track his progress. God had originally appeared to him at this place he named Bethel and promised to bring him back there again. Jacob’s life took many turns after that, but they all led him back to this spot. The first time, he had marked it with a stone; this time he marked it with an altar. God was not leading him in circles; He was leading Jacob deeper into his faith. God had kept his promise to bring him back so now Jacob could move on.

Spiritual markers help us to see our progress in the faith. What are some markers in your life? Marking your trail will help others along the way.

ONETHING: Set spiritual markers on the path of faith.

There’s a stretch of road between Magnolia and Prescott that I have traveled on a consistent basis during my life. First as a young boy moving here, then as a young man off to college. Later, as a new minister, it was the road home from my ministry in North Little Rock. Now, I travel that road again, as a father to visit a child at Ouachita and as a traveler leaving my home, Magnolia, for a trip to someplace I will soon return from. It is kind of my own “Bethel” which reminds me of the journey of faith God has led me on. The Habit of Perseverance is dotted with spiritual markers which show us continued progress toward our ultimate home in heaven.

PlusONE: Mark my path well, so my loved ones can follow behind.

Science AND Religion

2012-01-16T16:33:00.002-06:00

“By wisdom the LORD founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens.” Proverbs 3:19 (NLT)

Many Christians are afraid of “science.” Many “scientist” are condescending towards religion. The resulting clash is usually not pretty. This view of “science” vs “religion” is not only unhealthy, but also historically inaccurate. It wasn’t until the late 19^th century that people even thought like that. John William Draper and Andrew Dickson White are the two men who essentially “started” the war. The truth is that religion has always held that God created the world according to “wisdom”, meaning that the world operates in ways that are discoverable and makes sense. But whereas “scientist” want to stop at that point, people of faith are willing to go further to affirm that it took “someone” to make it all happen.

One of the ways that Jesus told us to love God is with “all our mind.” We are not to dispense with any kind of critical thinking when we become a Christian. Instead, we are to think all the way through. Paul points to creation as the picture showing us “God’s invisible power.” We know by what has been created that there is a creator. That is using our reason to support our faith.

ONETHING: Love God…with all my mind.

The Habit of Knowledge calls for us to sift our experiences for truth. Not everything we “know” is “true.” We can be sincerely wrong. Our quest for knowledge must be an intentional search for the truth. Faith and reason work together to allow us to discover the truth of our creation and its Creator.

PlusONE: Know God.

Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right (But Three “Lefts” Will)

2012-01-14T10:49:00.002-06:00

“…he has cheated me…But God has not allowed him to do me any harm.” Genesis 31:7 (NLT)

Jacob had constant problems with his father-in-law, Laban, not the least of which had to be the infamous wedding day switch-a-roo. At every turn, Laban worked to out fox Jacob. Likewise, Jacob was on constant guard against the schemes of his elder.

The whole “speckled and streaked” deal is a perfect example. David asks for the “inferior” animals. Laban agrees. Laban pulls them all out and removes them far away so they won’t mate and multiply. Jacob concocts some kind of “superstition” process to increase his flock. Laban starts to figure out that he has been out maneuvered again when it becomes clear that God (not Jacob’s manipulation) has prevailed.

As the saying goes, “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but three “lefts” will. In the same way, everyone needs to be careful in trying to even the score. The back and forth of such efforts rarely gets anybody anywhere. When left in God’s hands, things always turn out right (according to God’s plan).

Jacob left his marriage to Rachel in God’s hands. Jacob left his wages from Laban in God’s hands. Jacob left his return to face Esau in God’s hands, and it turned out right. These “lefts” will go right in Joseph as he considers his own journey with God in the face of his mistreatment by his brothers. “You intended it for evil, but God meant it for good.”

ONETHING: Left in God’s hands, things always turn right.

Fully living the ChristLife requires the Habit of Virtue wherein we constantly review our behavior to see if it was “right”. We are to do “good”, always. The temptation is constantly there to respond to people and circumstances just like anybody would, but we are not just “anybody.” We are Jesus-people. Christ now lives through us.

It seems popular today, even among Christians, to “hate” on the church. I hear so-called “Christian leaders” saying stuff like, “I hate religion; but I love Jesus.” “I love Jesus, I just don’t care for the church.” “Don’t go to church; Be the church!” To me, all that shows a real shallow understanding of the way in which we are to live the ChristLife in connection with the “body of Christ”, that which Jesus referred to as “My Church.” Rather than “hating on” what you don’t like, why not do the right thing and leave all that in Jesus’ hands, and just make sure you are “doing good” like you should? Instead of “hating”, just love and forgive. You will be headed in the right direction, feel better and it will save a lot of time.

PlusONE: Don’t hate on “haters”, love and forgive instead.

No Thanks to Nothing

2012-01-12T08:36:00.003-06:00

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17 (NLT)

If you mismatch new wine with old skins—tragedy happens. If you mismatch old wine with new skins—nothing happens! Our fear of messing up cannot be allowed to keep us from growing up. I have seen church leadership so afraid of bad things happening that they are resigned to settle for “nothing happening” as they seek to pour old wine into new skins.

A new generation of believers must be won and filled with the Spirit of God. They do not need our pre-processed spirit; They need the powerful, whole-life possessing Spirit of the Living God. AND, His Spirit in His new people must be allowed to grow. Yes it will stretch, but that is all part of the process.

ONETHING: Never let me content for nothing to happen.

The Habit of Knowledge allows faith to explore, experience, and expand. True faith can grow, must grow, will grow. Even Jesus is said to have grown “in knowledge”. We are life-long learners and faith is our teacher. Daily we experience the truths of God’s creation and through those experiences we can learn that He can be trusted.

Plus ONE: Teach me, O LORD.

Think About It

2012-01-08T20:32:00.001-06:00

“These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly father already knows you need them.” Matthew 6:32 (NLT)

What dominates your thinking? Jesus says that most of what we worry about isn’t even necessary. God already knows what we need. Paul challenges us with a better way to spend our mental energy. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4:8)

What you think about says a lot about you.

ONETHING: Think about what you think about.

Forgiven and Forgiving

2012-01-07T11:08:00.003-06:00

“But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15 (NLT)

A forgiven heart is a forgiving heart. We do not forgive others so that we can receive forgiveness, but the other way around. The person who truly receives forgiveness cannot possibly withhold it from others. To be forgiven, we must own our failings and be ready to admit them. Further, we must come humbly to the one we have wronged, and without any demand or manipulation, offer to them, not our excuses but our acceptance of responsibility for our sin. We seek reconciliation and hope for forgiveness, but that is “theirs” to give.

When we have been on the receiving end of forgiveness, the giving end looks very different. We are able to identify with the one who has come humbly and repentant. Our hearts, though wounded, cannot help but reach back out in grace and love. We know what it is to “need” forgiveness and we cannot bear to tease another spirit by withholding it.

ONETHING: Show my forgiven heart by having a forgiving heart.

The Habit of Love, or what I otherwise call the Habit of Others, requires that I continually decide according to the best interest of others. That is the practical demonstration of “Agape” love. It is not an emotional feeling, but a tangible decision making that seeks the benefits of others. It is that kind of love for the world which caused God to send Jesus.

It is not just a love for the “others” in my life; it is a love for all “others”. We are to love—and forgive those people who are not a part of my life. This is the kind of love Jesus meant when he told us to “love our enemies.”

Plus ONE: Help me to have the Habit of Love and forgive when “others”… “don’t know what they do”.

Gotta Have Faith (and actions)

2012-01-06T11:02:00.001-06:00

“And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith.” Genesis 15:6 (NLT)

In the midst of his doubts, Abram still had faith. His mind could not conceive of how God’s promise to him would come about. He was old. He was childless. He was in a foreign land. All he really had was this “promise” from the LORD. It is at this point that faith becomes real. Faith sees clearly through the fog of doubt. The promise came from the LORD, and Abram knew that, despite his circumstances, God would keep His promise. Faith is believing the right things—and then acting on that belief.

ONETHING: Keep the faith in the right place!

The Habit of Faith requires constant attention and action. In our life, we all encounter many challenges and circumstances which threaten to weaken or destroy our faith. We must have the ability to look beyond the fuzzy years of our own lifetime and claim the promise of God in eternity. Faith must be more of a verb than noun. Faith is demonstrated in the reality of our actions. I have “faith” in gravity, so therefore, I don’t jump off of high places. I have “faith” in food, so therefore, I eat. (I may have too much faith at that point.)

Hebrews 11:8-19 describes the many actions of Abram’s faith, but they all started with the promise of God to Abram. Abram believed God—and acted in accordance with that belief—and by this kind of faith, Abram was saved.

Our faith (with actions) toward the promise of God will have similar results in our lifetime…and eternity.

Plus ONE: Keep doing the right things.

Preparing for WARship!

2012-01-05T19:45:00.002-06:00

“So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God…settle your differences quickly.” Matthew 5:23-24, 25b (NLT)

How do you get ready for worship? Along with getting your hair, face, and clothes ready, how much time to you spend on getting your heart and mind prepared? A big part of that preparation should be spent on thinking about others. Although people may think about others, it may not be in the proper way. Rather than thinking about how they feel about us, too often our thoughts are simply about how we feel about them.

We get offended, feel slighted, or just unappreciated and suddenly, this means WAR! We aren’t going to church (to be the church); we are going to war!

Jesus said that worship isn’t about our attendance, or our offering, but more about our relationships. The Apostle John will point out that “if we say we love God, who we have not seen, but hate our brother who we have seen”, then we are liars. And it isn’t to ourselves to whom we lie…but to our Lord. Lies have no place in worshipping in “spirit and truth.”

ONETHING: Prepare for worship instead of war.

The Habit of Friendship challenges us to be vigilant in guarding our relationships from ourselves. We are all just human, but among believers, we must take special care to maintain the peace within our church. Our collective witness depends on each individual taking personal responsibility for coming to worship ready to worship in “spirit and truth.”

Plus ONE: seek reconciliation quickly.

Don’t be such a “Ham”

2012-01-04T11:59:00.003-06:00

“Ham, the father of Canaan, saw that his father was naked and went outside and told his brothers.” Genesis 9:22 (NLT)

There is a great deal going on in this verse. First, this offense will cause the cursing of Canaan and lead to the conquest of the land of Canaan. Second, the breakdown of respect in the home, although inexcusable for Ham, is brought on by a breakdown of virtue by Noah.

Many are troubled at what appears to be a relatively minor offense (Ham mocking his father) which results in such extreme consequences (Cursing of descendants) for a seemingly innocent by-stander (Ham’s son Canaan). Many bible scholars believe that the account of Ham’s actions are euphemistic—meaning that he did more than just “see his father naked” and talk about it. In addition, Noah isn’t able to curse Ham because God had blessed him, so the sins of the father are placed upon the children. Further, many theorize that Canaan isn’t innocent, “like father, like son.” However, you wish to interpret this text, it is clearly a pivotal moment in God’s choosing a people to be His special possession.

Leaving the theological debates, I want to reflect on the second aspect of this story, the breakdown of the relationship between Noah and Ham. Just as nobody knows a child like a parent, conversely, nobody knows a parent like a child. Our true self can be seen in those unguarded, seemingly private moments when we think nobody is looking. But, somebody always is. Even if they aren’t earthly eyes, someone sees and knows what we are.

Ham saw his father at his worse, and decided that he would share that with his brothers. Ham’s actions do not excuse Noah, but neither does Noah’s drunkenness give license to his son. As Peter reminds us, “love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8) We are not to have a permissive love that refuses to hold any accountable, but an enduring love that doesn’t wish to add to the sin, or to be found “sinning” itself.

ONETHING: Don’t be a “Ham”, drawing attention to yourself by drawing attention to other’s failures.

The Habit of Virtue is something we need to add to our faith. If Faith is believing and doing the right thing, then virtue is doing the right thing—in the right way. We need to not only reflect on what we should do but also think about how we should do it. Our actions will impact others, especially where they are entangled in sin. We need to demonstrate the virtue of considering how we can demonstrate “grace” as well as “truth.”

Plus ONE: Do the right thing—in the right way.

Fruit Inspectors

2012-01-03T09:59:00.002-06:00

“Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God.” Matthew 3:8 (NLT)

Repentance means to “change”. True repentance then will result in a genuine, ongoing change in our way of life. There is a turning away from our “sin” and a turning towards “Jesus.” Too often though, this turning reverses itself. There is a turning away from Jesus and turning back towards sin which results in a perpetual turning in circles.

Real repentance isn’t a back and forth, on again-- off again kind of a lifestyle. The person who, in true sincerity, turns to Jesus may not always follow the straightest path but will keep moving in that same consistent direction toward Christ. Every day, their life gives the clear evidence of this change as they move further away from their old self and closer to their real Lord. Without this kind of proof, the assurance of their faith is in question for both the one who claims to have repented and those who try to discern if it is true.

The NIV translates this verse to say, “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Jesus will remark that a “good tree is known by its good fruit, and a bad tree is known by its bad fruit.” (Matthew 7:17) We are not judges; we are fruit-inspectors. How’s your fruit?

ONETHING: May I be living proof of repentance.

The habit of faith is largely based on repentance. It is our “faith” that results in a “change”. Our faith is the reason for the change. The change is the demonstration that our reasons are serious and heartfelt. We all have many areas in which we know we ought to do better, but it is only those areas in which we truly do change that we gain any credibility for our reasons. To say, “Jesus is Lord” is an expression of faith; to change so that I only do what my Lord Jesus commands me to do is to “produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Plus ONE: The fruit of repentance is changing to fully live the ChristLife.

“I Have a Dream”

2012-01-02T10:13:00.002-06:00

“Then, after being warned in a dream, he left for the region of Galilee.” Matthew 2:22b (NLT)

“I have a dream” is that memorable line from the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, of his hope for a racially equal America. For him, it was such a powerful picture that he couldn’t just think it, but had to act on it. We all have dreams, but most are just wishes, pretty, nice thoughts. Although the vast majority of our dreams are simply fanciful desires, some are so compelling that they demand our actions. These kinds of dreams are what one might call visions.

Joseph, Jesus’ earthly step-father, was a man of dreams. Four times in the opening of Matthew, we are told how God used dreams as a way of directing him. (Matt. 1:20; 2:13, 19, 22) At each important junction, Joseph received divine instruction in the form of a dream. They were more than just “wishes”, instead, Joseph understood them to be clear authoritative “visions” of what he was to do. Thankfully, Joseph was a man who made dreams come true.

ONETHING: Commit to making the Lord’s dreams come true through faithful obedience.

Plus ONE: Adding the Habit of Faith to our life requires that we learn to respond to the Spirit’s leading in our life. Already, in our Bible reading we have encountered many different ways God speaks to us: in dreams, through the prophets (Jeremiah, Isaiah quotes), through the preaching of God’s word (John the Baptist), through instruction from godly parents (Proverbs 1:8). Discerning the Spirit’s voice must be followed by obedience to His leading. That is what “faith” is!

The challenge to faith is there too. As the serpent asks Eve, “Did God really say…?” (Gen. 3:1) She allows herself to become convinced that God said something he never did say. Further, Eve convinces Adam that he should eat what God told him not to. (Adam isn’t the first husband who listened to his wife instead of his Lord.)

Faith isn’t some kind of abstract “belief” system. It is a ruggedly practical sense of knowing what one ought to do and then having the courage to do it.

Enjoying the View

2012-01-01T21:29:00.002-06:00

“In the beginning…” Genesis 1:1. (NIV)

Let’s start at the very beginning…a very nice place to start. (That reminds me of a song) In 1989, I started using the OneYear Bible to read the Bible every year. Each January 1, I must admit a certain amount of mixed emotions. On one hand there is the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing another year of “paying attention to Jesus” by reading His word. Some sort of celebration would seem to be in order. There should be some way to commemorate and acknowledge that something significant was completed. And yet, there lies before me another hill to climb, another year of reading, reflecting, and applying scripture to my life. The task appears daunting. In that sense, today is really no different than yesterday—I just hold the Bible a little different as I read. The bulk of the book has shifted back to the right as I open to the front of the book…again.

But on this first day of reading, with the hill in front of me again, I allow myself to pause and peer through the trees and try to catch a glimpse of how high my Lord has led me already. O the view is beautiful. The air is crisp and clean. The valley lies below…but I do not tarry to long here, for as I look back to the path, I get the sense that the view to come will be even more spectacle!

Yes, it is the beginning…again. Come climb with me to new heights with the LORD.

ONETHING: Get started again.

Plus ONE: The Habit of Faith. The next word in the English translation is “God”. It is the great assumption. It is the first act of faith. Acknowledging God—that He exists and that He creates and that He cares. Make sure you add “faith” to your journey this year. You do not go alone. Jesus is with you.

ONETHING plus ONE in 2012

2011-12-31T10:52:00.004-06:00

I hope you will continue to take the ONETHING Challenge of "paying attention to what Jesus says" by reading the Bible daily...but this year go a step further and add something. The "plus ONE" emphasis comes from Lev. 2:13 which instructs us to "add salt" to our offerings.

What will you "add" to your life this year? That will be the direction the blog goes this year. Along with the "Onething" Bible reading, my intention is to explore "adding salt" to our offering, our relationships, our lives and truly being the "salt of the earth" that adds something to this world.

I am convinced that doing ONETHING plus ONE will add up to something special in 2012!

An Indifference Maker

2011-12-12T10:32:00.002-06:00

“So be diligent and turn from your indifference.” Revelation 3:19 (NLT)

Becoming indifferent is so easy. We just have to stop caring. A “hold your tongue” here, a “fail to notice” there, and a few “that’s somebody else’s problem” thrown in along that way, and soon we can honestly say, “I couldn’t care less.” Such an emptying of any passion requires that the indifferent must master the art of ambivalence lest they appear to be too careful about being careless. They must be able to speak about anything but mean nothing by it. And though they are able to appear to be stirred up, they have the ability to quickly settle out again. Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed. It is easy to become indifferent.

Caring, on the other hand, requires a great deal of work. There is the constant monitoring, updating, reviewing, pushing, praying, hoping, trusting and waiting that goes along with truly caring. If something matters to us, we cannot be indifferent. But because something matters, it doesn’t really seem that hard to care.

What really matters to you? Be a difference maker rather than making yourself indifferent.

ONETHING: Don’t be an indifference maker—make a difference.

Spiritual Speed Limits

2011-12-06T10:02:00.002-06:00

“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God…” 2 John 1:9 [NIV]

I am a confessed recovering “speeder”. For many years, I considered my vehicle a time-machine. The faster it would go the further into the future I could get. Who needed a Star Trek “teleportor” when they had an accelerator? However, maturity and State Troopers (and insurance agents) have a way of changing such behavior. But a change in behavior isn’t necessarily a change in attitude.

Although there are forces which dictated such a change in behavior for me, I have also had a change in attitude, so that, today, I am (mostly) content to stay within the speed limits. What helped change my mind-set about speeding? It was the GPS. Often times, I was speeding because I didn’t know where I was. I had no way of gauging my progress, so I would speed up. It seemed easier to let time catch up with me (get there early) rather than risking getting their late. Suddenly, with a GPS, I knew exactly where I stood in relationship to my goal. Traveling became much less stressful.

“Life” has speed limits as well. Just as you can arrive too late, there is also a danger of getting “there” too soon. The Bible is filled with references about “walking” with the Lord; “walking” in the light. Learning to pace ourselves is a spiritual art. We don’t really have a spiritual GPS we can put on the dashboard of our life, but we do have something that is even better. We have Jesus, who is traveling WITH us. Anytime we see Him in our rearview mirror, we should realize that we are getting too far ahead and that it is time to slow down.

ONETHING: Traveling with Jesus is the best way to be assured you are obeying the spiritual speed limits.

Who Do You Love?

2011-12-03T11:08:00.003-06:00

“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11 [NLT]

The message is the same: “love one another.” But also, the problem is the same: “we only love ourselves.” Think about who you love. Isn’t what we “love” about others those parts of “ourselves” we see in them? They have our political views; they like our favorite sports teams; they enjoy our hobbies; they agree with our opinions. It is at the point of “difference” that our “love” gets tested. Do we have the same “feelings” for people with different skin color; different religious views; different voting records; different tastes?

What is love? “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.” [3:16] Who could be more different, the sinless Son of God and sinful, fallen mankind? Yet, despite the difference, Jesus came to love us and to save us. His is not a condoning love. Love isn’t setting aside sinful differences but rather a recognition of a basic sameness. We are all sinners…who need a loving Savior.

Rather than just loving the parts of me I like in other people, the message is to love all people as Jesus loved me. Though we are different, He loved me enough to transform me to be like Him. May we love Jesus enough so that we can love one another too.

ONETHING: Love other’s differences so that, in Jesus, we may become the same!

Whatever

2011-11-26T12:00:00.002-06:00

“But even if He (Jehovah) doesn’t…” Daniel 3:18a (NLT)

What passes for faith these days is amazing. Most “faith” is simply a means of getting Jesus “to do” what we want Him to do. The kind of “faith” that truly believes “He doesn’t have to do anything” to prove Himself to me is a different kind of “faith” altogether. In fact, it is the only kind that can be truly called “faith.”

“Faith in faith” believes our faith makes things happen. “Faith in God, alone” recognizes He is LORD regardless what we want to have happen. True faith surrenders; all other “faiths” demand. True faith is based on the knowledge that He is God and that we can trust His will. The other stuff, often called “faith”, thinks we can manipulate God into doing things our way.

What does it take to have that kind of faith which can declare—“But even if He doesn’t…”? For me, it requires a thorough examination of what our “faith” consists of. Do we trust an all-powerful, all-knowing, every present, all-loving Savior? If all that is true, we can trust whatever He does…or doesn’t do.

Fiery trials will come our way. “Don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.” [1 Peter 4:12] True “faith” doesn’t allow us to avoid our troubles; it allows us to face them. As you face your “fiery furnace”? Do you trust Jesus to save you? Do you trust Him…“even if He doesn’t”?

ONETHING: I will trust Jesus—whatever He does…or doesn’t do.

Careless Care

2011-11-24T10:42:00.003-06:00

“Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7 (NLT)

Happy Thanksgiving. This morning, as I count my blessings and give thanks to God, at the top of my list is my wife. I am so thankful God placed her in my life.

Recently, my wife had major back surgery and has been almost totally dependent on me. There have been times before when such a responsibility made me irritable and frustrated. There were so many “other” things that seemed to be pressing in on me that having to take care of someone just added to my burden and caused me to offer careless care. I would do what I had to do, but only because I had to.

This improper attitude toward the woman I love really bothered me, so I did an extraordinary thing. I prayed about it. Somewhere along the way in my marriage, Jesus did a transforming work in my spirit. He helped me to get my priorities right; He filled my heart with compassion; He removed the “careless” and made me “careful”. And another extraordinary thing happened. He gave me further opportunities to care for her.

The simple truth is that our Christian walk begins at home. What kind of revival would our church see if every man could pray from a heart that was free from “careless care”? We should treat our wives in such a way that as they hear us pray all they need to say is “Amen!”

ONETHING: Care for my wife in a way that when I pray, she only needs to say “Amen”!

Leave Differently

2011-11-23T10:33:00.003-06:00

“They must never leave by the same gateway they came in, but must always us the opposite gateway.” Ezekiel 46:9b (NLT)

“Leave differently than you came.” That has long been one of my simple principles about worship. The prophet Ezekiel was instructed by the LORD to give the people an exercise that would remind them of the need to change at least something when they came to the Temple. They could not leave out the same door they entered in through. It was a simple physical action that would drive home a deeper spiritual point. “Being in God’s presence changes us. We can NOT leave the same.”

An encounter with the true, living, Holy God in scripture always produced a change. For most, it produced a repentance and empowerment. For some, it produced a hardening. But for all, they left differently than they came!

As I measure my own worship experiences, too often there is no difference. What am I to conclude? “I must be doing pretty good?” “God has no complaints?” “Jesus wasn’t really working for me today?” If my worship doesn’t result in some “change,” the only rational conclusion is that my worship really never encountered the true, living, Holy God. There is no such thing as casual worship with Jesus. He is Lord. And being in His presence is a terrible, wonderful, powerful—life-chainging experience. True worship in His presence will not allow you to leave the same way you came. Jesus changes your life!

ONETHING: True worship means you “leave differently than you came.”

An Audience of Angels

2011-11-22T09:07:00.002-06:00

“And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.” 1 Peter 1:12 (NLT)

There are angels in the audience. You live your life on a grand stage. It is not just the CIA or the FBI or the IRS who take notice of your movements. There is so much more. Santa Claus is watching but he is not alone. Beyond clever facebook posts and cryptic tweets, much attention is being paid to you. There are angels in the audience.

The saving work of Jesus Christ is the eternal reality-show that all of heaven is tuned into. The offer of forgiveness and eternal, abundant life through the sinless sacrifice of God’s Son is a powerful storyline. The acceptance or rejection of this grace gift by sinful, fallen humanity provides shocking plot twists which grab the attention of the heavenly host. We are participating in the ultimate drama. There are angels in the audience.

How will your episode turn-out?

ONETHING: Remember, there are angels in the audience.

How do you compare?

2011-11-21T11:13:00.002-06:00

“Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.” Psalm 119:6 (NLT)

The temptation to compare ourselves with others is constantly before us. We compare our looks, our clothes, our cars, our homes, our spouses, our kids, and on and on. In putting those things side by side, a reality quickly jumps out. In some cases, we measure up. In other instances we fall short. Discovering where we fall on the scale produces a sense of pride or shame. In truth, all such comparisons are carnality. They create jealousies and rivalries. Cain killed Abel over just such comparisons.

The problem with “comparing” is that we compare the wrong things to the wrong standard. As this verse reminds us, we must compare ourselves to the LORD’s standard. His approval is what we should desire. Even though we fall short of His standard, we can still receive His grace and live a life which doesn’t cause Him shame.

ONETHING: Compare myself to Jesus alone.

Systems of Motivation

2011-11-11T09:52:00.004-06:00

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24 (NLT)

Several years ago, a college professor gave my class the challenge to not just “solve problems”, but to put solutions “into a system”. His point was for us to not just be “problem solvers” but “problem removers.” “Solutions” only work if people are able to pick them up and use them, and they will only use solutions they can get their hands, heads, and hearts around. That simple little principle has motivated me to help people find ways to engage in “acts of love and good works”.

Over the past couple of months, life has been pretty hectic. At the top of the list of pressure points has been Laurie’s back surgery (which, praise the Lord, went well and we are now into the recovery), but there have been others as well. For the most part, they are the results of good things going on. But even “good things” can create their own problems.

My oldest daughter is off to a great start in her college career—and personal life; my middle-child is throwing himself into his studies (as well as pushing for his driver’s permit); my youngest is now cheerleading along with her school work. The church ministry has had its share of increased needed attention. Our search for a new staff person; our budget process dealing with increased giving; our Fall family emphasis; our deacon ordination process are just some of the added points of stress. Along with that has been going to Razorback games and doing home projects. Life is good—and busy.

However, in the process of handling all these things, some things have been slighted. On the top of that list I would put the ONETHING blog. Although I have been reading my Bible, I haven’t been writing my thoughts. To me, that didn’t seem like much of an omission, but today’s verse brought the issue into focus. The surprise has been to realize how many people the blog posts serves to “motivate”. Even further, the reminder is to be conscious of what a privilege it is for even one person to take time to read what is posted. The hope of having that opportunity motivated the start of this blog. I hope this blog will continue to serve as a “system” for motivation for all of us.

What about you? Do you have any “systems of motivation” that others would benefit from? Let me motivate you to share your system.

ONETHING: Continue to create a system of motivation.

Facebook Friends

2011-11-08T22:08:00.004-06:00

“Never abandon a friend—either yours or your father’s.” Proverbs 27:10a

Having been involved with Facebook for some time now, the word friend has taken on a new layer of application. It has always had that surface application; someone who is really an acquaintance but we call them “friend”. Now, though, through social networking, we have a new category of “friends”: our “Facebook friends.”

I remember an event that happened shortly after I got on Facebook. I was eating in a restaurant with my family when I noticed one of my “Facebook friends” being seated a few tables over. Though we had interacted on Facebook, we hadn’t seen each other in years. Suddenly, here we were with the opportunity to speak face to face—and the entire meal passed, he and his family paid and left, while we paid and left—and we never spoke a word. We never even acknowledged each other. He is still my “Facebook friend”, but every time I come across his posts, I think about that day. Are we really friends?

I have had other “Facebook friend” encounters. There are those friends who I suspect really don’t like me and I figure they just keep me around to keep and eye on me. That saying to “keep your friends close and your enemies closer” comes to mind. I have had other “Facebook friends” who suddenly vanish from my friend list. Without warning they are gone, only to show up in a column suggesting that I “add” them as a friend. Being “unfriended” is a weird experience for me.

Today’s proverb caused me to reflect on what it means to be a “friend”. It is more than being on somebody’s list and commenting on their posts or liking their pics. True friends prove themselves in more substantial ways. One of those ways is by standing the test of time. They have stuck with us. They have a track record. They have befriended us and by that relationship they have embraced our family as well. Those are the kinds of friends we should have on a list. Those are the kinds of friends we should strive to be.

Clearly, this speaks of more than just earthly friends. The wisdom writer is pointing to the “friend who sticks closer than a brother.” The New Testament will call Him the “friend of sinners”. Our truest and best friend is Jesus. May we never abandon Him.

ONETHING: Jesus is more than a “Facebook friend”.

How Do You Feel About Demas?

2011-10-25T14:55:00.005-05:00

“Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica.” 2 Timothy 4:10 (NLT)

I am not sure how to feel about Demas. The easiest thing to do would be just to condemn him. He is listed a couple of times as part of Paul’s trusted circle. He is clearly committed and effective and then, BAM! The next thing you know, Demas has run out on Paul. Takes off! Flees! Out-a-here! Paul gives only a brief summary of his actions, “he loves the things of this life!” How could Demas act like that? I want to judge him, but it isn’t so easy.

To render a verdict against Demas makes me look at what he did, and I fear that this hits a little too close to home. Demas counted the cost and decided that he needed to balance the ledger a bit. Thessalonica would be the “suburbs” today. It’s not that Demas left the “faith” necessarily; He just left Paul. It’s not that Demas denied heaven; Demas just kinda saw the value of earth. A case could be made that Demas saw the writing on the wall and just “heard the call” and moved on. In that sense, Demas scares me. I fear that he might be staring at me from my mirror. I don’t want to be a “Demas.”

In a deeper way, Demas brings out the frustration in me. There are plenty of “Demas” people around. They pass through our pulpits and Sunday School leadership and deacon bodies. Committed, gifted, fruitful people—who one day decide that they can find a better deal somewhere else, they desert their sheep fold, looking for greener pastures and larger flocks and more exciting shepherds.

But in the end, I want to maintain a hope for Demas (and those like him). It is Paul who reminds me to keep that hope alive. In the very next verse—after he has told about Demas “the deserter”—he makes an astonishing request. “Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.” (v. 11) Mark? Isn’t that the same Mark who “deserted” him and Barnabas on their first Journey? The same Mark, that when Barnabas wanted to give him another chance, Paul so strongly opposed the idea that he and Barnabas split ways? That Mark is now “helpful”? Well, if Mark can make it back—then perhaps there is hope for Demas as well.

ONETHING: Be careful how I “Demas”strate my love.

Wife Cycle

2011-09-27T10:28:00.003-05:00

For husbands…love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up His life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. Ephesians 5:25, 26 (NLT)

Husbands, we have some housework to do. We have the assignment of regularly washing our spouse through the wife-cycle. Promoting her holiness is our assigned chore, given to us by Jesus example. Having just purchased a new washing machine, I have learned that they have removed the “agitator” from the machine and clothes get clean just fine. So, developing holiness in our marriage doesn’t mean we are to “agitate” our wife, but to graciously and regularly bring the word of God into our relationship.

The Bible is a husband’s most effective resource for developing holiness in his wife. Release the word into your wife’s heart and mind and it will do all the heavy duty washing. We release the word of God into others first by releasing it in ourselves. We must be “washed” by it so will have clean hands to deal with her. Without the Bible powerfully working in us it will not have any power through us. By living the word in our life—it has the power of example, united with the power of truth, to form a dynamic duo of cleaning effectiveness.

ONETHING: Promote holiness by running the wife-cycle.

Weak Links

2011-09-27T09:26:00.005-05:00

“Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me…Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated, O God of Israel.” Psalm 69:6 (NLT)

Last week, UPS and I had a “problem”. They promised to deliver a package on time and I believed them. When they failed to deliver, two Razorback football tickets went to waste. As I contacted the “company”, I spoke with a manager named “William” who proceeded to hang up the phone on me. Needless to say, I was not a satisfied customer and UPS is no longer counted as a “trusted” company by me.

Reflecting on the sense of righteous indignation the whole episode created in me has caused me to consider the “business” I run. As a pastor of a church am I not the "manager" of a large work-force? Does this church “deliver” as promised? And when it does fail, how well do we respond to the legitimate complaints? I remember one of my comments to UPS. I wrote them, “How important is one dissatisfied customer to you? Apparently, about as important as one lost package, and from your response—the answer is 'not very.'"

As Christians couldn’t we be asked the same question? How important is one lost soul to us? Jesus said it is pretty important to Him. Don’t let me be the one who sends a different message. I don’t want to be the weak-link in His organization.

ONETHING: Don’t be the weak-link!

FoxWhole Faith

2011-09-22T10:16:00.003-05:00

“Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings to fulfill the vows I made to you—yes, the sacred vows that I made when I was in deep trouble.” Psalm 66:13-14 (NLT)

Emergencies have a way of getting our attention and forcing us into actions which, otherwise, we would not be able to make. Just as adrenaline can provide us with “super-human” strength, it can also push us to super-natural faith. In the crisis, we can act and believe in ways which before might have seemed impossible, but that doesn’t make it necessarily unreal.

“There are no atheists in foxholes,” wrote William T. Cummings in 1942. “While crouched in a trench with bullets zinging overhead, even the most reluctant heart begins to bargain with God- just in case He might exist. ‘God if you only get me out of this alive, I’ll…’” The reality of the danger triggers a deeper reality within us, the realization that we need something else, something beyond our strength, beyond our grasp and to obtain that “missing something”, we will pay any price. We will put forth the effort; we will sign the document; we will commit completely—because, the reality is there is no future if I can’t get through this moment.

In a way, nobody survives the foxhole. It becomes the reference point for the rest of our life. We come out with either a “Foxhole-faith” or a “FoxWhole-faith.” The old life ends there in the foxhole, and something else begins. We either discover a whole-faith life which has been saved through the experience, or we climb out of the foxhole and discover that our life has a hole in it, a hole through which all the blessings and joys can fall. It is a hole that allows life to leak out and drain away.

As Cummings writes, “Foxhole faith rarely lasts. The crisis passes and thoughts of God recede into the background. To the ‘foxhole Christian’ God is there mostly for emergencies.” The real test of faith is not what we promise to God in the foxhole, but what part of our promise we keep after we get out of the hole. We need whole-faith not just hole-faith.

ONETHING: Demonstrate Whole-faith not just hole-faith.

What Counts?

2011-09-19T09:50:00.003-05:00

“What is important is faith expressing itself in love.” Galatians 5:6b (NLT)

Albert Einstein is credited with observing that, “Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” We spend a great of our life trying to figure out what really counts and what doesn’t.

In Sports, It’s not a touchdown until the ball crosses the goal line. It’s not a run until the player safely crosses home plate. In business, It’s not a sale until the buyer signs on the line. As my realtor would often remind me, “Your house isn’t sold till you get the money.”

Now sometimes when the score doesn’t turn out in your favor– you might start looking for “moral victories”. That is when we count the stuff that doesn’t count. I hit it hard. I ran well. I caught some. I tried hard. It’s the thought that counts…isn’t it?

You can count all kinds of stuff– but does any of it really count?

What counts with God? He’s pretty clear on what doesn’t count? The flesh. Anything that has to do with this physical world doesn’t count with God. Any part we try to add to the experience or produce on our own. No style points with God.

So, what does count? Paul puts it rather plainly and simple. Faith expressed as love—is the only thing God is counting. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. Anything that does not come from faith is sin. Without love– it profits me nothing. Love sums up the law.

If you want to count today, your faith must cause you to love.

ONETHING: Count for God!

Let’s Roll, America!

2011-09-10T10:00:00.004-05:00

“Unless your faith is firm, I [the LORD] cannot make you stand firm.” Isaiah 7:9 (NLT)

With the 10-year anniversary of the attack on America which happened on September 11^th being tomorrow, there have been many different programs reminding us of that terrible day. The biggest surprise has been how fresh the emotions have been for me. The simplest of images, the subtlest of comments, the briefest of memories, and suddenly the feelings of that day come rolling back. All of which causes me to wonder, how far past 9/11 have I moved? It has been 10-years, but it seems like it was just yesterday.

Although the emotions of that day are still so easily stirred, the faith of that day has changed dramatically. We all feared that this was the beginning of a long, protracted attack. It wasn’t. We all worried that this signaled an end to life as we knew it. It didn’t. We all wondered if we had enjoyed our last good day. We hadn’t. In fact, we overcame. We adapted. We faced it. And it didn’t take ten years…or even ten days…or even ten hours.

Todd Beamer was a passenger on United Flight 93 which was hijacked. Through cell phone calls, he and others learned of the tragic events of the day and realized the intended destruction which awaited them. With a sense of sacrifice and valor, the passengers of United Flight 93 gave us all an example on which to fix our hope and which strengthened our faith. They determined to take back the plane, or at least, take back control of their own fate. The enemy could hit us. He could hurt us, but he would never be able to dictate to us. We would respond to his attacks. We would thwart his plans. Todd Beamer spoke for us all…spoke to us all…with those final recorded words. “Let’s Roll!”

The passengers of United Flight 93 gave us real hope we could believe in: The hope that Americans would persevere. It is a hope that is born of a faith. Hope is about tomorrow; faith is about today. Hope is about where I am going; faith is the way I will get there. Those passengers had the faith that caused them to act in their moment. They gave us all hope and strengthened our faith.

It has been 10-years. The emotions are just as raw as they were that day—but our faith, may it continue to grow stronger as each of us acts in our own moments to bring a brighter hope to our world. With tears in our eyes, yet with faith in our hearts that gives strength to our bodies, may we follow the example of those courageous passangers and in the spirit of those fearless, first-responders who ran into the buildings while others ran away, may we be seen as faithful responders as we face the challenges of our day! Let’s Roll!

ONETHING: Let’s Roll, America!

What Goes Around…

2011-09-07T16:34:00.002-05:00

“So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem will be meet,…and they will pray for you with deep affection because of the overflowing grace God given to you.” 2 Cor. 9:12, 14 (NLT)

We can’t give it away, it always gives back to us. Our sacrifice and service for Jesus which is done to others always rebounds back to us. That is what grace is; it is a gift which is given to us and through us and then for us.

I remember being prompted to pay for a meal for some strangers at a restaurant. They thanked me for the generosity and some days later I received a note that they had made a donation to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a “thank you” to me. Grace begets grace; giving begets giving. And God blesses those who bless others.

ONETHING: Share grace today.

Christ As Your Critic

2011-09-06T09:36:00.002-05:00

“…to guard against any criticism for the way we are handling this generous gifts.” 2 Cor 8:20b (NLT)

One of the best ways to avoid criticism from others is to be critical of yourself. Thinking through a situation or circumstance in advance and looking for the ways “you” might be critical if someone else were involved in it, creates a perspective that can help you anticipate criticism. Better yet, let Christ be your critic. Pray about things and ask for Him to show you the points of attack your critics will find. The important thing though, isn’t just to anticipate it but to actually address it before hand. Too often we do that just to make excuses when we would benefit more by making adjustments.

Just as we would all rather prevent our home from being robbed by guarding it instead of having to call the police to recover our property after it has been stolen, in the same way, we can spare ourselves much grief it we would avoid criticism by making adjustments rather than having to mount a defense after the criticism has been voiced.

As Christians, we will not be able to avoid all criticism. Seeking to witness…forgive…love…will always cause lost people (and even many Christian people) to criticize our actions. But we can limit their legitimate complaints by making arrangements that takes the critic into account. As 1 Peter 3:16 reminds us, “Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”

ONETHING: Let Christ be my critic.

Controlled Freak

2011-09-01T09:19:00.003-05:00

“Christ’s love controls us…” 2 Corinthians 5:14a (NLT)

We have all heard about “control freaks.” Those people who must micro-manage the details of everything and everybody. As a young seminary student, I once worked for a man that I am convinced even had a set order for the grains of sand falling through his hour-glass. His example is extreme but not uncommon. Many people just have to be “in control.”

Paul calls himself a different kind of control freak; he is a “controlled freak.” His life is spent under a radical commitment to the influence of Jesus. Christ’s love is the central controlling factor in all his actions.

What does a “controlled freak” look like? To others this looks “crazy.” To Paul (and those who have been transformed by Christ’s love) it is simply natural. Controlled by the love of Jesus means we forgive when wronged; bless when cursed; turn the other cheek; go the extra mile. Christ’s love controls our minds, hearts, hands, and habits. We always protect, always trust, always hope, and always persevere. Others may not know anything else about us—but they will know that we are different from anyone else they have encountered because we are not out to control them but to love them as Jesus would, because we are controlled by His love.

ONETHING: Be a controlled freak!

Holy Hideaways

2011-08-30T10:47:00.003-05:00

“If the good news we preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 4:3 (NLT)

Who are we hiding from? What are we hiding? Is this just a game of hide-and-seek or is there something greater going on? These are the troubling questions the Spirit laid on my heart.

Sometimes it looks like we huddle together in our holy hideaways and hope the world doesn’t find us. We have our favorite parking spot. We have our reserved seats. We have our comfortable routines. Every now and then, we have someone pass through but not so many that we ever feel threatened or challenged. Our “good news” might simply be just “nice news.”

Inside it’s nice; outside, it’s not so nice. Just looking at the headlines-- Irene disaster, unemployment, Libyan battles—you get the sense of how hard the world is. Driving around town you see people you know and realize that many of them are having a hard time as well. Again I wonder, “We got it nice, but is that really good?”

We have Good News to share. God loves these people who are having a hard time. Jesus is willing to help anyone who will come to Him through faith. The Spirit is interceding for each of them and ready to work in the minds, hearts, bodies, spirits, homes, finances, businesses…of any who will let Him. That is the Good News we are to share. If we hide that news from those who need it, well, that is not nice at all.

ONETHING: May my faith come out of hiding.

How Will You Spend Your Life?

2011-08-25T10:05:00.005-05:00

“And they are spending their lives in service to God’s people.” 1 Corinthians 16:15b (NLT)

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel through my childhood hometown for the first time in over 25-years. The highlight of my detour was visiting the church building where I grew up. I was able to go to the spot where I first knelt and prayed to give my life to Jesus. I sat in the old pew where I was stationed each Sunday as a boy so mom could watch me from the choir. I stood in the baptistery where I openly confessed my faith in Jesus. I knelt beside the pulpit where my childhood pastor would pray for us each Sunday.

The place was alive again for me. I don’t mean the building—because we all know the church isn’t the building—but the place where so many spent their lives on me and others like me was again pulsating with the power of the Holy Spirit. Although the building now houses another church body, and very few who poured their life into me where still there, I was overwhelmed with the sense that they had spent so much on me and I hoped it had been a good investment. How could you ever calculate the cost? The hours preparing to teach; the volunteering for trips and events; the opening of homes and hearts to hang-out and talk-out; the sacrifice to finance retreats, facilities, education; the time...O, the time they spent--with me, on me, praying for me; they spent too much. Is my life worth what they spent?

Lives have been spent on you as well. Show that it all has been a good investment. How you spend your life will reflect how you regard those who spent their lives on you. Is your life worth what they spent?

ONETHING: May I show a good return on investment for the lives that were spent on me.

Outliving Your Usefulness

2011-08-24T18:45:00.003-05:00

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

I sat in an emergency room with a dear, sweet Christian woman who is struggling with the common cold hard fact of “getting older.” Attempting to do the simplest of menial task outside had caused her to fall and it ended with an ambulance ride to the hospital. She discouragingly referenced her life-long prayer, “Lord, don’t let me outlive my usefulness,” and then wondered out loud if perhaps she had.

As a pastor, I felt the need to assure her that it was not so, and then to remind her of some things she could still do, but it was her family that gave the real powerful answer. “You can still be loved!”

How encouraging to realize that the smallest of acts count with Jesus. The “cup of cold water”; “the widow’s mite”; “the loaves and fishes”, when we give it to Jesus—in his hands—they all become useful tools. Even the daily living of our lives have a useful affect. The simple, ordinary acts—motivated by a desire to “do it for Jesus”, are useful. Honesty, integrity, faithfulness, humility model the character of Jesus in our daily living. Whether we love—or allow ourselves to be loved—it still counts!

To me, usefulness is joyfully recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it. According to Paul, we cannot outlive our usefulness as long as we “live” for Jesus.

ONETHING: Don’t outlive my usefulness by failing to live for Jesus all the days of my life.

Let’s Get Together…for Good!

2011-08-18T15:04:00.001-05:00

“For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together.” 1 Corinthians 11:17 (NLT)

I remember somebody describing the “church” as…”a place where people come together for an hour, to look at their watches so they can see when they can leave.” Sadly, that description fits many people I have encountered in the church house, but not everyone and certainly not the majority. I have found most Christians to be sincere, loving, and willing to be a part of the great commission work we have been given to do. Most Christians are committed to giving their time, talents, and tithe in support of the body of Christ. However, there are enough insecure, insincere, and inept church-goers to give Christians a real credibility problem among lost people.

My desire isn’t to condemn those who misrepresent Jesus; I want to guard against being one of them. Anyone can do that by refusing to “recruit” Jesus for their side and instead surrendering to His Lordship. Also, we must make His interests our interests rather than serve our own self-interest. Remembering His sacrifice for me ought to inspire me to sacrifice for Him. By regularly examining myself more than my neighbor will do me some good, and prevent me from doing more harm when the church gets together.

ONETHING: Do more good than harm.

Ad-Minister

2011-08-17T11:16:00.004-05:00

“So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making certain that each knew his work.” Nehemiah 13:30 (NLT)

Preaching can draw them in; shepherding can keep them together; but it is administering that will get them working. As ministers, our preaching/teaching is where we gain our audience. Our caring is where we gain our connection. It is in our “administration” that we gain our credibility.

For too long, I undervalued the role to “ad-minister”, thinking that the pastor should focus on the more spiritual stuff, only to discover that where “real” spiritual advances were made (or not) came due to the effectiveness (or lack thereof) in the area of administration. Budgets, calendars, agendas, organization, planning, and evaluating effectiveness of events are all necessary “evils”. In truth, they are not evil at all; they are building materials of successful ministry. In fact, as someone put it, "motivation without organization creates frustration." Motivation is part of organization and a successful pastor will ensure that the full plan is in place. That is what it means to administer. Administration provides the goal, the role, the know-how for the spiritual stuff we are commissioned and committed to do.

ONETHING: A real minister must ad-minister.

A “Conscience” Choice

2011-08-16T13:54:00.002-05:00

“It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.” 1 Corinthians 10:29a

Don’t we all need a “Jiminy Cricket”? You know, someone who can serve as our official conscience and to remind us that in our decision making, we should “let our conscience be our guide.”

We are aware of making “conscious choices”, those decisions we make with our full knowledge and of our own free-will. But what is a “conscience choice”? Those are decisions we make with our full knowledge and free-will according to our sense of right and wrong. Whereas putting on blue jeans or a blue suit is a conscious choice. Wearing blue jeans or a blue suit to a wedding might become a conscience choice. When our decisions have the power to “offend” or “affirm”, we have entered the realm of the “conscience choice.” It’s more than, “what will I choose,” but “what ought I to choose.”

On a recent road trip, we stopped to stretch our legs at a shopping center. As we approached a particular store, my daughter refused to go in citing a recent “political” statement the company had announced. The “conscious choice” had become a “conscience choice”.

In 1 Corinthians, as well as earlier in Romans, the apostle Paul seeks to help Christians with making “conscience choices.” Our ultimate conscious choice is to… “do it all for the glory of God!” (10:31) but that quickly becomes a “conscience choice.” People interpret our decisions to determine if they are “offended” or “affirmed”. Christian liberty--our freedom in Christ to live a life of love liberated from the condemnation of the Law of God—is not governed by the convoluted “scruples” of others. But neither does it allow us to disregard their “conscience”. The truth is that we will not be judged by our or other’s “conscience choices”; we will be judged by God! Paul states, “My conscience is clear, but that isn’t what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.” (1Cor. 4:4)

Truth is like the sun and our conscience is like a window. The dirtier the window, the more light it blocks. Keeping our conscience clear is like keeping the window clean. Sometimes the light will “offend”; sometimes the light will “affirm”—but neither of those outcomes is what we will be judged by. Our desire is to show the light of the love of God by living the truth of Jesus in all our relationships. We must be careful that our “conscience choices” clearly show our “conscious decision” to fully live the Christlife!

ONETHING: May my “conscience choices” clearly show my “conscious decision” to fully live the Christlife!

Change We Can Pray For!

2011-08-09T11:10:00.003-05:00

“The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; He guides it wherever He pleases.” Proverbs 21:1 (NLT)

Barak Obama campaigned with the slogan of “Change we can believe in!” I wonder if people are wishing they had asked what he believed needed to be changed first. The solution to our problems isn't to bash Obama, but to pray for him and all our elected leaders.

When it comes to “change”, there are three kinds of problems we will face, according to Christian Schwarz. There are information problems, personality problems, and there are world-view problems. To discover solutions to each of these problems requires that the type of problem first be classified. Once we understand what we are dealing with, the solution becomes clear. If we have an “information” problem, we must gather and present the data and facts to overcome the objections and prove the merits of our position. If it is a personality problem, we don’t need better information; we need a different personality.

When we are faced with a worldview problem, the solution is easier to identify but much harder to accomplish. A worldview problem cannot be solved by information or personality; it requires a monumental shift of perspective that cannot be humanly orchestrated. The solution for worldview problems is prayer—mountain-moving, faith prayers.

As we watch our current economic crisis play out, I am convinced this is a worldview problem. Many of our elected leaders just see it differently and no amount of “information” or carefully crafted personalities is going to change the view. People think the world works a certain way and until something happens to change their perspective—nothing will change their minds. People can become trapped in the self-perpetuating and self-defeating cycles of their opinions.

It’s like the story of the restaurant dishwasher who comes home and tells his family I have bad news and good news. “First, the bad news: the boss fired me and we have no money! Someone came in to eat but couldn’t pay so they made the man wash dishes to pay for his meal. But now the good news: get dressed up, because tonight we are going out to eat so I can get my old job back!” Likewise, we seemed locked in this pattern of “if we can just barrow more now, someone else will have enough to pay it back later.” Of course they wouldn’t say it like that and will accuse me of “seeing it all wrong.”

To change someone else’s “worldview” is impossible; only they can change it. And they will change it only when their world changes and their view doesn’t work anymore. That is why we must commit ourselves to pray for our President and other elected leaders. We don’t pray so that people will see it “our” way; we pray that all of us will come to see it “God’s” way. We don’t need “change we can believe in,” we need “change we have prayed for!”

ONETHING: Prayer changes things! That is the kind of change I believe in!

On the Other Hand…of God.

2011-08-08T09:51:00.003-05:00

“…the gracious hand of the LORD his God was on him.” Ezra 7:9b (NLT)

What does it mean to say that “hand of God” is on some one? Usually that describes a person who is especially effective in unexpected ways…as if “God” was working in the flesh. Such people are rare and often viewed as if they received an unfair advantage from the LORD by us “common” Christians. For them “seas part”, “fire falls”, “dead rise.” That is the mighty “hand of God” we often wish for. But for us regular disciples, the mighty hand of God seems tied behind our back. For us—bills mount, tension grows, dreams fail.

But…on the other hand of God, we encounter a different kind of “effectiveness” from the LORD. The Gracious hand of the LORD is open to all. Notice how Ezra holds that hand. After declaring that the “gracious hand of his God was on him,” in verse 9, we are told how God’s grip was strengthened in his life in verse 10. “This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the LORD and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.” Ezra used his fingers of knowledge, study, obedience and instruction along with the opposable thumb of determination to lay hold of the gracious hand of the LORD so that God’s power and influence was evident in his life. Gripping the gracious hand of God freed the mighty hand of God.

Are you trying to serve Jesus with both His hands tied behind His back? None of us can control and command the mighty hand of God, but we can grip the gracious hand of God. How is the gracious hand of God evident in your life? If you will free the gracious hand of LORD in your life, you will be amazed at what that does for the mighty hand of God as well.

ONETHING: May I grip the gracious hand of the LORD.

The Devil's Picket Line

2011-08-06T11:18:00.005-05:00

[Repost from last year]

"Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work." Ezra 4:4 (NLT)

The devil wants the world to go "on strike" against God's work. He has set up a picket line that every sincere believer must cross each day if they are to faithfully live the ChristLife. The picket line is manned by Satan's cronies. They have names: Frustration and Intimidation are always there. The twins, Ridicule and Mockery show up with their big brother, Scorn. The ringleader, Manipulation is always watching and ready to dispatch his number one lieutenant, Lies, to deal with any who are bold enough to venture to cross the line. And amongst the other ruffians the Devil has assembled, is that little, respectable looking fella known as Suspicion.

Good will always be opposed by evil. There is not a day that the Devil will allow you to walk unhindered to work for the Lord. We must constantly choose to cross the Devil's picket line.

ONETHING: I will cross the Devil's Picket line.

Little Talk with Jesus

2011-08-05T10:07:00.002-05:00

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with Me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” Psalm 22:8 (NLT)

My grandfather, who also was a pastor, died several years ago. How I wish I could talk with him now. I would love to share with him about my ministry and learn from him about how he faced the challenges of his own life. I look forward to a day when we will be able to sit down and talk together again. But it is so comforting to know that even though I can’t talk with my grandfather, there is someone I can talk to. The Lord has not left us just talking to ourselves.

It is the heart of worship that is able to hear the LORD’s voice. It is the heart of faith that returns the call. We are not just talking to ourselves; we are communing with Jesus. There is a difference between self-talk and spirit-talk just as there is a difference between talking to myself and talking to somebody else. It is more than just the words and perspective that an outside source brings, there is also the presence with us that we feel. That is what God has invited us to enjoy: his wisdom and his attendance with us.

Have you ever needed someone to talk to? Jesus invites you to visit with Him. You can have a little talk with Jesus.

ONETHING: Having a little talk with Jesus is really a big thing.

Famous for making Jesus Famous

2011-08-04T11:56:00.003-05:00

Some of you are saying, “I am a follower of Paul.” Others are saying, “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Peter,” or “I follow only Christ.” Has Christ been divided into factions? 1 Corinthians 1:12-13a (NLT)

Being “famous for making Jesus famous” can create some problems:

First, there is the problem of being a famous fallen star. Katy Perry, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus have all encountered the perils of mixing fame and faith. A rising pop-star too often becomes a fallen star in the universe of faith. Ted Haggard, Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart, all became Christian celebrities by being “famous for making Jesus famous”, but there is something about the spotlight that blinds the eyes of those who are supposed to walk in light of Jesus. Each of them went on to become “famous” for something quite different than faith. The list of failed Christian celebrities is extremely long.

Secondly, there is the problem of being star-struck. Many of us are tempted to walk in the “star-light” instead of the “Son-light.” The real problem isn’t that our “stars” burn out; it is that we make them stars in the first place. Certainly Paul, Apollos, and Peter are names worthy of respect but living the ChristLife isn’t a popularity contest. Our value system shouldn’t be based on “who we like the best”. Jesus hasn’t called us to be “groupies”; he has made us part of His body. Even though we can identify the different parts, they still must come together to form a whole body—with only one head—our LORD, Jesus Christ. Our value system must be based on something more than fifteen minutes of fame; it must be founded on the eternal truth of God.

Thirdly, there is the problem of reaching for the stars rather than the Son. Even though John the Baptist declared, “He (Jesus) must increase; and I must decrease”, there is still that terrible temptation to star in our own show. We run the risk of upstaging Jesus in the eyes of watching world. We block the view of those who need to see a truly awesome Savior with our childish, play-acting.

ONETHING: People need the light of the Son, not the “stars.”

The Church of Self-Interest

2011-08-03T11:58:00.004-05:00

Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. Romans 16:18 (NLT)

Earlier this year, a church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, acquired a historic home adjacent to its property and amidst a public outcry made the unpopular decision to have the home torn down so that the community would have an unobstructed view of the church. I wonder what the town will now see when it looks at those buildings?

My fear is the city will be blinded by “what is not there.” The ends don’t justify the means. There is nothing wrong with trying to improve the “view” of our church, but we had better be sure that what people see is truly attractive. Sadly, too often short-sighted self-interest is all that is put conspicuously on display.

As Christians, we must be on the lookout for blind-spots of self-interest. Here are some quick tests to discern the level of selfishness someone may be wanting you to look past.

1. Does it unify? In 1 Corinthians, Paul will openly acknowledge that there will always be divisions between truth and error, but among the “true”, there is to be a rallying to the good. If someone is trying to separate you from the herd, that is the work of predators. (Romans 16:17)

2. Does it agree? None of us knows everything but we should know enough to know better. When someone starts spinning stuff to the point that your head is spinning, it is a good idea to sit down and get your bearings back before you let them get you running in a different direction. Running dizzy doesn't end pretty.

3. Does it cost? Nothing is free in life. Sacrifice is necessary. But if the sacrifice is simply one-sided, then selfish, self-interest should be apparent.

4. Does it exalt Jesus? I remember a test for great preaching someone shared with me. Great preaching is having people say when they leave, “What a Savior; not, what a preacher.” So should our efforts be to promote the interests of Jesus ahead of our own self-interest.

I don’t want to be a part of the church of self-interest; I want to be a part of the body of Christ and do what is best for that body.

ONETHING: Be a full-service Church; not a self-serve stop.

10,000 hits

2011-08-02T16:47:00.003-05:00

Just noticed the counter went over 10,000 hits on the blog. Wow. Thanks for those of you who stop by regularly to read. None of these little musings is the final word on a subject but hopefully they spark something within you.

Having people check in has sparked something in me. It serves a wonderful accountability partner. Am I finding my "one thing" each day like I challenge others? Thanks to you...most days I do.

Again, thanks for stopping by.

Mike Seabaugh

The Thanks I Get?

2011-08-02T09:50:00.004-05:00

After Hezekiah had faithfully carried out this work, King Sennacherib as Assyria invaded Judah. 2 Chronicles 32:1ff (NLT)

The movie, the Karate Kid (the original—I haven’t seen the remake) has the great scene of “wax on; wax off.” The student, thinking the master is taking advantage of him finally explodes and complains and wonders when he is going to start learning karate. His objections to his treatment are quickly overcome with the demonstration that the master was teaching him all along. So it goes in our own spiritual development. We are often too quick to object when we really just need to continue to obey.

How many times have I been tempted to look at my life in ministry and think—“Is that the thanks I get?” A church leader stabs me in the back; some “well-meaning” person gossips about my kids; a kindness shown is portrayed as a weakness. Out of all the ministry contacts made, it is the one I “missed” by which my ministry is measured. No doubt, you have your own set of decorations to set out for your pity party. We all have those moments when we think we deserve so much more…and seemingly get so much less. How can we avoid getting our feelings hurt by God?

Hezekiah had “faithfully carried out” his work and the thanks he gets is…King Sennacherib invades. “Thanks a lot!” he could have thought, but instead of a pity party, Hezekiah throws a work party. The King of Judah knew the difference between blessings and entitlements. Rather than getting his feelings hurt, he continued to get his hands dirty working for the LORD. Notice…

He does everything humanly possible to prepare for what is coming. The restoring of the Temple and returning to worship wasn’t the “end” of his service to God; it was just the beginning. He consults; he organizes; he works hard; he repairs; he reinforces; he appoints and assembles; he encourages. And then he does even more…

He remembers his LORD. Notice his spirit. “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” [2 Chr. 32:7-8]

He prays to God. [32:20] Hezekiah’s prayer is answered in a mighty way. The Assyrian king is defeated and humiliated.

Any Sennacherib’s in your life? Are you feeling unappreciated after all you’ve done for God? The master has been teaching you all along. Instead of objecting to the “thanks I get”, be obedient in the “thanks you give” for all the blessings you have received.

ONETHING: Instead of objecting, continue obeying; that’s the best thanks I can give.

What’s on Your Nightstand?

2011-08-01T09:41:00.002-05:00

“Such things were written in the Scripture long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” Romans 15:4 (NLT)

“Leaders are readers”, is a John Maxwell saying. I would like to modify it a bit and say, “Godly leaders are Bible readers.” The discipline of reading is a great way to expand our minds and explore our understanding, but only Bible reading can bring “illumination” to our spirits.

I have often told the story of hearing my daughter’s first word, “Da-da.” What a thrill that was. Every time she would say it, I would just laugh and repeat it back to her. But as she prepares to leave for college, we have had many much deeper and more practical conversations. I am so glad that “Da-da” isn’t the only word she every learned. How limited our interaction would have been.

Bible reading is the vocabulary of the Holy Spirit. If we don’t read the Bible, we will always be severely limited in our ability to interact with God.

ONETHING: Have a little talk with Jesus—through reading His Word.

Accountable

2011-07-31T15:02:00.000-05:00

“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” Romans 14:12

With all the news about the “Debt-Ceiling” debate, very little seems to have been said about the fact that raising the limit doesn’t do anything about the debt; it only allows us to avoid the real problem. In this section of Romans, Paul challenges us to consider our own accountability to God. Pointing out how others are “worse” than we are doesn’t do anything about our sin; it only allows us to feel better about ourselves in comparison to others. The problem is that we must stand before God one day and give a personal account of our own life.

We need to stay mindful of our accountability to God. We don’t need a higher limit; we need a greater sensitivity to our own sin.

ONETHING: Be accountable.

Summer is about over

2011-07-29T20:44:00.002-05:00

I have been feeling really guilty about not updating the blog. This has been a crazy summer but it is just about over. We just returned from Camp Siloam where it was my privilege to serve as Camp Pastor for my 21st year. We saw 90 people make a commitment to follow Jesus as Lord and Savior. Jason Wilkie is the camp director and is doing a fantastic job.

My blog posting should be back into the routine real soon. Thanks for dropping by and checking in.

Mike

Become More Attractive

2011-07-21T11:02:00.004-05:00

“Loyalty makes a person attractive.” Proverbs 19:22 (NLT)

A sailor was asked, “What would you do if an officer fell overboard?” His answer, “Depends on which one.” And there it is…the question of loyalty. What you do and how you respond is greatly impacted by your sense of loyalty. Is your highest loyalty to an ideal? A group? An individual? Most people have some vague sense of loyalty as something that is owed to others if we want it for ourselves, but that is simply loyalty to ourselves. This kind of loyalty is doled out in a reciprocal relationship. Loyalty in this instance is a version of “I’ll stratch your back AS LONG AS you scratch my back.”

True loyalty is the extent to which one demonstrates commitment to others ahead of personal reward. A willingness to sacrifice personal interest to advance shared interests is a very attractive trait. Team players have this kind of character. Jesus is the ultimate example of loyalty. He demonstrated His commitment to save lost people by making the ultimate sacrifice. His life is supremely attractive.

Loyalty has an opposite: Betrayal. It is the refusal to act in accordance with what was seen as a “shared passion”. It is looking out for number one. We’ve all seen that before and recognize how unattractive that can be. Judas, Christ’s betrayer, shows us the ugliness of a lack of loyalty.

Where do your loyalties lie? By looking out for the interests of others you become much better looking and interesting to others.

ONETHING: Improve my looks through loyalty.

Well, Excuse Me

2011-07-16T10:10:00.004-05:00

“Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God…the law simply shows us how sinful we are.” Romans 3:19, 20 (NLT)

Steve Martin used to use the catch-phrase, "Well, excuse me!" It was good comedy but if we attempt to use that approach with God, we will discover that it is no laughing matter. God doesn't think that sin is funny, so He gave us a standard to show us just how sinful we are.

How do you measure up? If you use God’s law, it quickly becomes apparent that, “we all fall short of God’s glorious standard,” [3:23] so why isn’t there a great revival? The answer to that is because we don’t use God’s standard, we use excuses.

What’s your excuse? “I never knew God’s law”; “I’m as good as other people”; “I don’t believe like you do”. You may have a great excuse—but that’s all it is, an excuse. You can offer it to God, but He has made it clear that He isn’t interested in our excuses. There is only one way to be right with God. “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” [3:22]

ONETHING: No Excuses; No Exceptions!

Anonymous Notes

2011-07-15T10:17:00.003-05:00

“The wicked are stringing their bows and fitting their arrows on the bowstrings. They shoot from the shadows at those whose hearts are right.” Psalm 11:2 (NLT)

The topic of Anonymous notes reminds me of the story regarding Henry Ward Beecher. After moving into his pulpit, he discovers a note with only one word written on it--“FOOL!” He looks at the note and then comments to the congregation. “This is odd. I've known of people who have written a letter and forgot to sign their name, but this is the first time I've known of someone to sign their name and forget to write the letter."

I have never had to deal with “anonymous notes” in my ministry (Although I’m sure this post will encourage someone to “bless” me with one real soon), but I have had my share of the “somebody-said-but-I-can’t-tell-you-who” kind of criticism. “Shooting from the shadows” expresses a kind of wimpy-ness that is hard to defend. When you aren’t willing to engage enough to attach your name to the issue, then you can’t be counted on to help find a solution. In a true sense, “shadow shooters” are the real problem. They are just looking for targets, not resolutions. They put “friends” on their bowstrings and zing them off to hurt their target. O they are careful; they feign their concern and compassion; the lament their weakness and timidity—but they do their damage, as intended.

There is a place for criticism, AND…there is also a healthy, holy way to express it. Nobody enjoys being reminded that they aren’t as wonderful as their mother always told them they are, but receiving unpleasant analysis is much easier and infinitely more helpful if there is a face and a name attached to it by which your response and improvement can be gauged. Nobody wants to just be a target for criticism, but most people will appreciate being a goal for improvement. Development is something we all should be willing to put our names on.

ONETHING: Don’t just look for targets of criticism; look for goals of improvement.

Are you Someone Else’s Excuse?

2011-07-14T11:04:00.003-05:00

No wonder the Scriptures say, “The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.” Romans 2:24 (NLT)

If excuses are “the lies we tell ourselves to avoid the truth,” then hypocrisy is “the lie we tell to others hoping to hide the truth.” The tragedy of hypocrisy is that it gives others an excuse to lie to themselves. If we don’t live what we profess to believe then we become “unbelievable”. It doesn’t make our “truth” into a lie, but it shows us to be liars about the “truth.” It like the hypocrite that Abraham Lincoln described; “the man murdered both his parents... pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.” He was indeed an orphan, but since it was by his own hand—he had no right to ask for mercy.

Failing to live up to our highest ideas isn’t what makes us a hypocrite. “Falling short” just makes us human. Having high ideas and never even intending to try to live up to them—that is what it means to be a hypocrite. Elbert Hubbard states, “Many a man's reputation would not know his character if they met on the street.”

I don’t ever want to be someone else’s excuse. Is it possible for me to never stumble; to never error; to never be found guilty of falling short of the high ideas of the Bible; to never so poorly represent the person of Jesus that He is unrecognizable in my life? No, it is not possible to be perfect, but that isn’t an excuse. Although we cannot be faultless, we can avoid hypocrisy. Any flaws are mine; any goodness belongs to Christ. If Jesus doesn’t look “good” in my life—it is not His fault. He is good. So good, in fact, that despite my sin, He loves me, forgives me, and continues to transform me into His image.

My prayer is that even though people can see my sins, they will not see a hypocrite who is trying to hide the truth; instead may they see the truth that Jesus welcomes sinners to come and be made “better”. So, what’s your excuse? It won’t be me.

ONETHING: Don’t let me be someone else’s excuse!

No Excuses

2011-07-13T10:21:00.003-05:00

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20 (NLT)

Don’t we all love a good excuse? They are like a “get out of guilt” free card. We may have failed, but…it wasn’t my fault; I have an excuse. It’s like the little saying I heard, “Two wrongs don't make a right, but they make a good excuse.”

However, the truth is that excuses are really just lies we tell ourselves to avoid the truth. The greatest truth that people want to circumvent is the existence of God and all that His existence implies. If there really is a God then He is God and I am not. This thought infuriates people. They hate God. They hate the idea of God. They hate that God has control over them and they can do nothing to thwart Him. They hate that God is perfect and that he is justified in judging and condemning their sin. They hate that God is eternal and that they cannot wait Him out.

So instead of turning to God, they run from Him. But denying God doesn’t disprove Him. Refusing to deal with Him doesn’t erase Him; it simply blinds us to the truth. Paul reminds us that our denials, our blindness, our refusals are no excuse. We will be held responsible for our irresponsibility. We have been given a narrow-way, but it is clearly marked. If we miss the exit to eternal life we will have nobody to blame but ourselves.

ONETHING: No Excuses.

Good News

2011-07-12T10:13:00.003-05:00

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16 (NLT)

In Preaching and Ministry, Henri Nouwen wrote “the last thing [people] expect to come from the pulpit is NEWS.” It seems that the gospel—the good news-- has suffered much like the Newscast. With 24-hour News channels—there is a huge need to report things whether it is news worthy or not. What is news? News is “important and relevant information that affects people’s lives.” Does the gospel meet that standard. Oh yes!

The Gospel is “Good News”, but it is more than that…

It is powerful news. It is saving news. It is available news. It is believable news. So what is there to be ashamed of? Some are ashamed that in an educated world, the Gospel can sound uninformed. Some are ashamed that in a “tolerant” culture, the Gospel can sound narrow-minded. Some are ashamed that in a relativistic society, the Gospel can sound too exclusive. Some are ashamed that in a permissive civilization, the Gospel can sound judgmental. Some are ashamed that among indulgent people, the Gospel can sound too demanding. Some are ashamed that those with politically correct sensibilities may be offended by the claims of the Gospel that we are sinners separated from God and headed for eternal hell.

We should be ashamed…of our sin. We can celebrate in the Good News that God, through Jesus, has done something about it. Let us not be embarrassed to share that Good News with others; it is the important and relevant information that will affect their eternal life. Not sharing this Good News is the only thing related to the Gospel that should cause us shame.

ONETHING: I will not be ashamed of the Good News about Christ!

God in the Hands of Angry Sinners.

2011-07-11T11:09:00.004-05:00

“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” Proverbs 19:3 (NLT)

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, is the title of a classic sermon by Jonathan Edwards in which he challenges people to consider the peril of living in sin and facing God’s wrath. Today’s Proverb seems to turn that thought around and challenges me to consider how sinners, who want to live in sin, will end up treating God. Just as Adam wanted to blame his sin on Eve, and ultimately God, by reminding Him about “the woman, you gave me…”, so I can be tempted to act as if God is responsible for my sin. “That’s just the way the Lord made me,” I might rationalize.

The truth is that there is no excuse for my sin. In fact, God has provided a way for me to NOT sin. “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Cor. 10:13 (NLT) I am not flawed; I am sinful—and I have to take responsibility for my sin. I should acknowledge my sin and not blame God. I should repent of my sin and not expect God to repent of His holiness. I should change my ways and not be angry because God won’t change His standards.

Choices have consequences; foolish choices will produce ruinous circumstances. It’s not God’s fault because He gave us freewill; His grace has granted us the ability to make choices. And If we choose to make idiotic decisions, then we will be the ones to suffer. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption..." (Galatians 6:7-8). If you want better crops, plant better seeds. If you want a blessed life, make better choices.

ONETHING: Don’t be angry at God. Learn to become angry with God by hating sin as the Lord does.

Truth, Justice and… Just Any Old Way?

2011-06-30T10:42:00.002-05:00

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because…they had followed the practices of the pagan nations the LORD had driven from the land ahead of them, as well as the practices the kings of Israel had introduced. 2 Kings 17:7, 8 (NLT)

Superman is having his own pledge problems. His famous motto, “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” is about to change. He declares, in the new issue of “Action Comics”, that he intends to renounce his American citizenship and become a citizen of the world. “The American Way isn’t enough anymore,” he flatly states.

Of course, that isn’t the voice of the Man of Steel; it’s just the figment of someone’s imagination who has the power to put their ideology into the mouth of this iconic figure. But those “One World” ideas aren’t just found in comic books.

In Eugene, Oregon, the Pledge of Allegiance sparks another disagreement. At issue are those two words—just not the two you are thinking. It is the two words “One Nation” that is stirring the controversy. In a failed attempt to have the pledge recited before each city council meeting, Councilman George Brown, who voted against the idea, claimed, “People can say it in their front yard or backyard. It really doesn’t help move the city business forward. It does not unite us.” Eugene resident Anita Sullivan stated the issue this way, “So you say ‘I pledge allegiance’ and right there I don’t care for that language. It sort of means loyalty to your country; well, I feel loyalty to the entire world.”

In the arena of concepts, you are allowed to live in such idealistic worlds, but in the real world there is no “Superman” and there isn’t some “entire world” to which we can pledge our loyalty. In the real world, there is evil; there are agendas which run counter to one another. There is sin; there is power and control. In reality, “we can’t just all get along.”

Reading the fall of the nation of Israel ought to stir each of us to reflect on their fate and the parallels we can see in our own nation. God had called them to be “His People”. They were to be a holy nation. They were to be a nation of priests who would bless all nations. They were to be separate from the other nations while at the same time they were to have a role with the nations. So it is for us in America. We are not the new Israel, but we are one Nation that God has blessed. Out of the religious freedom this Nation has established has come great blessings for the world. “One Nation…Under God” still works. Let’s not tear it apart.

ONETHING: “One Nation…Under God” still works. Let’s not tear it apart.

Innovation Isn’t the same as Salvation

2011-06-29T12:12:00.001-05:00

Then King Ahaz removed the old bronze altar from its place in front of the LORD’s Temple between the entrance and the new altar, and placed it on the north side of the new altar. 2 Kings 16:14 (NLT)

Innovation can go very wrong if the question “Can we?” isn’t followed up by the question “Should we?” When we confuse the “possible” with the “prudent”, we may be setting up the “profane” to replace the “proper” for the sake of “progress.” There is a legal maxim which prescribes that “every innovation occasions more harm and derangement of order by its novelty, than benefit by its abstract utility.” Paul puts it this way. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”--but not everything is constructive. [1 Cor. 10:13]. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

King Ahaz decides to bring “innovation” to the Holy Temple. He sees a “new altar” and wants to redesign the worship center and bring innovation to worship his nation follows. This is not an “innovation” from the Lord; this is change at the whim of the king. Exodus records that Moses was to follow the exact pattern shown him by the LORD on the mountain to construct the Tabernacle. David is given, by the LORD, the plans for the Temple which was to be patterned after the Tabernacle. Solomon was to build the Temple according to the LORD’s directions. King Ahaz is following something he saw somewhere else and really liked.

The “worship” world today is filled with many “innovations.” We are so saturated with media and the performances that they bring to us which we enjoy; we are constantly tempted to implement what we like into our own worship. But it is then that we must ask not just “Can we?” but “Should we?” Worship is not for us; worship is for God. He must be allowed to determine what He likes and we must be faithful to offer it to Him that way. Just as Cain learned, worship must be acceptable to the LORD for it to be worship at all. Otherwise, what are we really doing? We are just worshipping our own images that we have created and enjoyed.

The other reason that we must be careful with worship innovation so that we aren’t offering to God what He doesn’t desire, is that our changing of the worship can change the meaning in our worship. The Bronze Altar signified judgment and the need for sacrifice. It was the place where the innocent blood was shed for the sinner. Putting something else in its place was suggesting that there is another way that we can come to God. The Bible is clear; there are many ways to come to God, but there is only one way to come to God and be saved and that is through the sacrifice of Jesus. Every other way will bring us before Him, but it will be only to receive the condemnation that our sins have earned us. There is no innovation that will improve on Jesus.

ONETHING: We don’t need innovation; we need salvation.

People with Special Abilities

2011-06-28T09:27:00.007-05:00

When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him [Apollos] aside and explained the way of God even more accurately. Acts 18:26 (NLT)

Hero’s was a television series that explored the lives of people with “special abilities”. These “abilities” made them “super-human”, but you don’t have to have “superpowers” to have special abilities. Perhaps the most special ability one can have is “teachability.” Apollos was an effective communicator, a talented public speaker, a knowledgeable instructor, an enthusiastic personality. He was capable in many ways, but he was also teachable. It is something I demand of myself and I value in those with whom I work. My definition of “teachability” is the ability to demonstrate a willingness to receive coaching from others. It requires a simple humility and a graciousness of spirit that can reflect on one’s own understanding and open itself up to enlightenment from others.

One of my favorite quotes says, “The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage.” (Arie De Geus) The church is designed by God to be a learning environment. Our discipling mission calls for us to be constantly coaching and mentoring others as well as being mentored and coached ourselves. Certainly the Holy Spirit is our main source of insight and transformation, but He uses the “Priscillas and Aquilas” in our life to accomplish His goal.

One additional thought from this passage focuses on this wonderfully encouraging couple. Notice how they tapped into Apollos’ willingness to learn. It says they “heard him”, “took him aside”, and “explained…more accurately.” They did not hear “about” Apollos. They did not catch wind of someone who was saying stuff and set off to set him right. They invested themselves in hearing what he had to say.

They also didn’t call him down in public and confront him openly. They took the initiative to have a private discussion with him. [For those who participate in public, social media, this might be something to think about next time you start one of those “discussions.”]

They didn’t debate or attack Apollos. They knew enough to be able to present their own views in a compelling convincing way. The result being that a dynamic, gifted personality was effectively equipped and engaged to serve in the building up of the Kingdom of God.

Do you have a teachable spirit? Consider some areas in which you would benefit from some coaching. Do you have the ability to coach someone “in the ways of Jesus?” Look around and see who might need some help from you and let the Holy Spirit use you in building up a fellow believer.

ONETHING: Have a teachable spirit.

Shake Off the Dust

2011-06-27T12:13:00.004-05:00

But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent.” Acts 18:6 (NLT)

There are times when the most “loving” thing we can do for someone is to let them go to hell. Although we don’t want them to go there and we have tried our best to show them how to avoid an eternity separated from God, they are so thoroughly opposed to the saving knowledge of Jesus that continued attempts to reach them will only push them even further away. The hope in “shaking off the dust” is that they will recognize the peril they have placed themselves in and heed this final warning by ultimately turning to God in faith. If not, then at least others have had the opportunity to hear and respond to God’s good news rather than all our time and effort having been wasted on those who insist on perishing.

Knowing when to “shake off the dust” is a real challenge. In Paul’s situation, this wasn’t just resistance; this was an “organized campaign”. This was a military type strategy set in place to discredit and destroy God’s message and messenger. Paul was not expressing an unwillingness to suffer or to struggle in his decision to abandon the Jews of Macedonia to their fate. Paul was recognizing the inevitable outcome and weighed it against his ultimate responsibility to carry the message of salvation to the Gentiles. Paul understood that it was time to “move on.”

“Moving on” can and should be a very painful decision. We are only on this earth for a short period of time and we have been entrusted with the gospel to share it with everyone. The people who refuse the good news must not be allowed to prevent others from at least having the opportunity to hear it by consuming all our time and energy. Although we can pray that they will someday turn to Jesus, we must not be afraid to turn attention away from them. Sometimes, we just have to move on.

Some verses about freely “moving on”.

Ezekiel 3:19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

Ezekiel 33:4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head.

Ezekiel 33:6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.

Luke 9:4-5 “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.”

ONETHING: You got to know when to hold ‘em; and know when to fold ‘em

Nuff Said

2011-06-26T16:29:00.003-05:00

“Even fools are thought wise when they keep silent; with their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.” Proverbs 17:28 (NLT)

What more needs to be said?

ONETHING: Know when you've said enough.

One Way

2011-06-25T10:14:00.002-05:00

Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30 (NLT)

“Be saved?” What does that mean? Although other religions will give different responses to that question, for those who trust Biblical Christianity for those answers it means to be “saved from the punishment for our sins.” It is the question of the guilty who seek to somehow escape the rightful consequences of their choices and actions toward a holy God and to be restored into relationship with Him.

Jesus declares, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” [John 14:6] It is an exclusive claim. There is only “one way” to be saved and that is through “faith” in Jesus.

It is a historical claim. It is “true” in the sense that there is evidence and confirmation. Jesus is a fact of history and His offer is still valid.

It is also a rational choice. Earlier in John 14, Jesus is talking about heaven and declares—“If it were not so, I would have told you.” The eternal life which Jesus offers is not just something we made up to make ourselves feel better about death; it is the teaching of Jesus Himself. The “life” he gives is real life.

When asked by the jailer, “what must I do to be saved,” Paul answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” [Acts 16:31] It is not enough to believe His teachings, or to regard Him as a good man. He is “Lord”; He is “Truth”. It is His way or the wrong way. We are lost without Jesus but through faith in Him, we can be saved.

ONETHING: Only one way is the right way.

Forrest Gump of the New Testament

2011-06-24T13:48:00.004-05:00

Barnabas…wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. Acts 15:37,38 (NLT)

John Mark is the Forrest Gump of the New Testament. He is the “simple man” who unwittingly plays a role in the course of history. For anyone who has failed, let me remind you of John Mark. For anyone who has been disappointed by a fellow believer, let me point you to John Mark. We find him turning up in all kinds of places: in the garden of Gethsemane, helping out the Disciple Peter, traveling with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas. His story is hopeful, ironic and inspiring.

John Mark is a hopeful figure for those who know failure. He fails on a grand scale but time and faithfulness bring him back. His story should make all of us hopeful that our failures don’t have to be final or fatal. God’s perfect plan is built on our imperfect ways. May even my failures be blessed to bring glory to Jesus.

John Mark’s story depicts the irony of our faith. Paul, who had his own issues early in his Christian life (Acts 9:28-30) is unable to give John Mark another chance. Although Paul will finally come to regard John Mark, “as useful” (2 timothy 4:11), he is slow to extend to John Mark the grace he himself had enjoyed. May the grace I have experienced be abundantly extended to those who still need it.

John Mark’s story inspires me to be part of stories like his. Barnabas has long been one of favorite New Testament personalities. The rescuer of Saul/Paul, the restorer of John Mark, he sets an example I aspire to model myself after. Barnabas is one of those rare and special people who really does live a life of grace towards others. Without Barnabas would we have had Paul’s letters? Without Barnabas would we have had the Gospel of (John) Mark? Without Barnabas we would be missing so much.

I have been the failed John Mark. I have been the hard-line Paul. I hope to be the graceful Barnabas.

ONETHING: Receive, Give, and Spread Grace.

Doing it the Hard Way

2011-06-23T10:47:00.001-05:00

But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 2 Kings 5:13 (NLT)

I read this morning that “help-himself-to-your-money” guru James Arthur Ray has been found responsible for the deaths of three people who participated in his ill-fated, high-priced sweat lodge purification ceremony. This news kept rolling through my mind as I read today’s Bible passage. Ray preyed upon those who were so desperate to solve their problems that they would do “anything”. They are modern Naaman’s.

Why do people want to make it harder than it has to be? The most obvious answer to me is “Pride.” If my “healing,” or “solution,” or “breakthrough,” is dangerous, costly, difficult, challenging, then I am heroic and powerful for accomplishing. I can take credit for my well-being. I can own it myself…and I don’t have to thank anybody for it. In retrospect, doing it the hard way is easier.

In reality, simply obeying is much harder. First, I have to admit it is MY problem. I am not the hero; I’m not even a victim. I am responsible for my miserable situation. I made stupid decisions. I shunned good advice. I was stubborn and insisted on going my own flawed way. It is my sin; it is my fault. I am helpless and hopeless. Not much pride saving stuff there.

Secondly, I have to ask for help. Someone, somewhere, knows something, can do something, can cause something I can’t. I can make a mess, but I am powerless to clean it up. Help…please. How humiliating can it get? I have to admit and ask and then I have to wait to see what will happen because I am not even able to demand help.

Thirdly, I have to obey. Perhaps I will be told to conquer a kingdom. That would be hard, but kinda cool. Perhaps I will be told to plant a tree, or build a house, or ride a bike, or any number of random acts of obedience to prove my genuine willingness to do “whatever” it takes. Most often, I will be told to simply swallow my pride and admit my need and acknowledge my Lord.

Jesus has shown us the simple (yet so challenging) way of faith. Our problem is sin and the healing is through God’s forgiveness. As the saying goes, “Forgiveness is available but it is not automatic.” We must be willing to accept it. For so many, that is the hardest thing to do.

ONETHING: Sometimes it is easy, but it still can be the hardest way to go.

Look Who’s Talking

2011-06-22T10:15:00.002-05:00

“Why are you coming to me?” Elisha asked the king of Israel. “Go to the pagan prophets of your father and mother!” 2 Kings 3:13 (NLT)

Who do you listen to? When you really want to know; when you really care about something; when you are driven to understand something; who do you turn to? Our culture has built vast industries on creating “mouthpieces”: The Queen of talk-shows, Oprah; the King of talk-radio, Rush Limbaugh; the King of all media, Howard Stern to name a few. Entire Kingdoms are built to supply constant voices for us to listen to: NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox. We can even get in on the game by tweeting, posting, blogging, friending, texting, etc.

Look who’s talking by listening to what they are saying. Although there are countless mouthpieces, there are really only two voices. There is the King of kings, and there is the Prince of the airwaves. There is God and there is the voice of evil, Satan. The Voice of God constantly proclaims to us that we must choose to which voice we will listen. The Devil wants us to think that there aren’t any voices to listen to except our own. Jesus acknowledges the Devil’s voice; Satan wants to deny God has a voice at all.

The recent NBC editing out “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance in their introduction to their coverage of the US Open is just another example of Satan’s voice trying to drown out the other. The TV network apologized later in the broadcast for offending anyone by omitting the phrase, without mentioning which words were left out. Said NBC announcer Dan Hicks, “Regrettably, a portion of the Pledge of the Allegiance that was in that feature was edited out. It was not done to upset anyone and we’d like to apologize to those of you that were offended by it.” Did you catch what he was saying? My interpretation is, “We don’t want you to be upset that we left it out, but we didn’t want to upset anybody by leaving it in.” What voice is speaking when it is more offensive to mention “God” than to omit “God”? You should be able to answer that.

The Prophet Elisha rightly asked, “Why are you coming to me?” The king of Israel had no regard for what God had to say about anything else in his life, but now that he was desperately in need he wanted to hear from another source. We have piled up countless pagan prophets to build our self-esteem, to guide our public policy, to satisfy our lustful desires, to entertain our bored spirits, to sooth our guilty conscience. Yet, none of them can speak to us the words of truth and life. There is only one voice who can speak those words to us. His voice is not an earthquake, or wind, or fire; His is that “still small voice” which the world wishes to silence. God isn’t in a shouting match with Satan. God is still speaking, but I fear fewer and fewer are listening. My prayer is that we will attune our ears and hearts to His voice and turn back to Him before we get out of hearing distance.

ONETHING: Acknowledge there are two voices, but choose to listen to the Holy One.

Lead Beyond

2011-06-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on the grace of God. Acts 13:43 (NLT)

The real goal of a godly leader must be to “lead beyond,” rather than to simply “lead on”. Gaining followers can be gratifying but it is not glorifying. The standard of success for the leader is to be “counted on” to point others to something greater, something grander, something beyond himself, more than being able to “count up” how many point to them as their “leader.”

Paul and Barnabas gained followers but they insisted that they rely on the grace of God and not on them. They understand that human leadership was fallible but that God’s grace was infinitely trustworthy. Paul and Barnabas were committed to “lead beyond” themselves to Jesus. May we all learn to “lead beyond” ourselves as well.

ONETHING: Lead beyond myself.

Facing Criticism

2011-06-17T16:10:00.001-05:00

Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. Acts 11:1-2 (NLT)

I once read of a WWII bomber pilot who kept a plaque on his desk that read, “If you encounter flak, you’re probably over the target.” Criticism is a constant threat for anyone who dares to do “anything.” If you are truly committed to making a difference in this world, you will encounter criticism. Aristotle is quoted as saying, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”

Criticism is that experience where we learn that mom was wrong; not everybody thinks we are wonderful. Not everyone finds us adorable. Not everyone agrees we are perfect. Criticism can hurt. It is especially painful when we know it is unfounded and wrong. It can also surprise us where the criticism comes from. When those who we would expect to celebrate with us instead criticize us, the effect can be devastating.

Peter had followed a clear direction from the LORD. He had witnessed a great work of God. His reward was to return home to “criticism.” Here are Pastor Mike’s rules for facing Criticism:

1. Remember why you did what you did. Doing the right thing isn’t often popular, but you don’t do it to be popular. You do the right thing because it is the right thing.

2. Consider the source. There are friends and then there are “critics.” When your friends point out something, you should trust their love for you. When the critic takes aim, well, what did you really expect? That’s what critics do.

3. Search for the truth. The real secret of facing criticism is to understand how helpful it can really be. Sometimes your friends won’t tell you what you really need to know. Though their motivation may be all wrong, sometimes your critic can be a great source of helpful information.

4. Stay humble by showing grace. Whether founded or unfounded, whether fair or unfair, whether friend or foe, criticism is often God’s way of allowing us to grow in grace. The grace of giving and the grace of receiving.

Criticism is not fun, but it is inevitable. Learn how to handle it and you will be truly blessed.

ONETHING: If I must face criticism, let it be for doing something worthy.

Be Careful Little Mouth…

2011-06-14T16:24:00.000-05:00

But the Old prophet answered, “I am a prophet too, just as you are. And an angel gave me this command from the LORD: ‘Bring him home with you so he can have something to eat and drink.’” But the old man was lying to him. 1 Kings 13:13 (NLT)

We need to be discerning about what people say to us. The Man of God from Judah had been commanded by the LORD. The old prophet claimed to be commanded by an angel. When we know what God said to us, it is better to stick to obeying the LORD than rather than giving in to the word of an “angel.”

We need to be careful about what we say to others. The text doesn’t seem to imply any intended malice on the part of the old prophet. He seems to be offering just a “little lie.” Perhaps he rationalized it to himself by saying, “what harm could it do?” Clearly, for the Man of God from Judah, it produced devastating consequences.

When we tell people that the “Lord impressed upon me” or “the Lord led me” or “the Lord told me,” it is imperative that we be sure that it was the Lord. Otherwise, we may be unintentionally setting others up to disobey the Lord.

ONETHING: Discern the LORD’s voice for yourself.

Pieces of Peace

2011-06-14T12:00:00.001-05:00

The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers. Acts 9:31 (NLT)

Peace has many pieces and when we experience pain, it is hard to fit those pieces together. Whether it is “growing pains” or simply a “pain in the neck”, any kind of hurt has the potential to grab our attention and cause us to lose sight of the big picture. Saul was a major pain for the early church and threatened to shatter any hope of peace for the church.

As a fanatical persecutor, Saul brought much suffering to the believers. As an even more zealous convert, Saul brought a whole new set of heart-ache to the church. Saul’s boldness and passion seems to have been just as troubling for the church as his whips and chains. The situation becomes so severe that the believers have to send Saul away.

It is after his departure that Luke records the little summary passage at the top. Peace, strength, growth come from Saul’s “absence.” The man God will use to take the Gospel throughout the world finds himself having to “get out of town.” And instead of raining down judgment on that early church, the Holy Spirit brings encouragement and growth.

I am not sure what to make of all that but I offer a few thoughts:

One. It’s not how you start but how you finish that really counts. Though Saul never lost his boldness or passion, as Paul, we see his growth in maturity and grace. May none of us allow our past failures or struggles to serve as excuses for compromising in our life but instead may they spur us on to reach our fullest potential.

Two. Let us work towards “peace” in the church. We will face persecution from without and pressures from within. There will always be those who are still “in process” of becoming what Jesus wants them to become—and often times those people will be “us.” May we dwell with one another and deal with one another in a manner that brings about peace, encouragement, and growth. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to work.

Three. Guard against “assessing” people to early. Saul looks like just another religious hot-head. Many probably said, “good riddance” when he left. But Barnabas did not forget about this young man and would later bring him back. And by bringing him back, the gospel was brought to you and to me.

Peace has many pieces. We must trust the Holy Spirit to fit those pieces together since He is the One who sees the big picture.

ONETHING: Allow the Holy Spirit to fit together the pieces of Peace.

More Than a Prayer Request

2011-06-04T21:58:00.003-05:00

"Pray for peace in Jerusalem. May all who love this city prosper." Psalm 122:6 (NLT)

We tend to call them "prayer requests". Those items of concerns we petition the Lord to consider. But there are some prayers which go far beyond "requests." We are commanded to pray for Jerusalem. We are instructed to intercede with God for peace to be maintained in the Holy City. The name "Jerusalem" means "city of Peace". This peace is more than just the absence of war but a complete state of well-being in which all is right.

This Psalm comes from the time of David, but it hasn't stopped being a specific point of prayer. It is with great concern that I hear President Obama playing politics with such an important issue for Christians--and Americans as he advocates for a Palestinian State and a dramatic reduction of the land which Israel holds. I believe that the Jews are still "God's people" and that the end times will feature them. May we prosper as those who love that city and may we be found on the right side of eternity.

The LORD’s Help

2011-06-03T14:54:00.001-05:00

“I look to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD who made heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1-2 (NLT)

Where can I find help? It is so encouraging to realize that anything—and everything—I encounter today is under the control of the one who created my life. No problem is too big for God. No concern is too small that it escapes His notice. The LORD can be trusted to help His children.

Certainly, when the LORD’s enemies come against His children, His help is there. But what about those times when the LORD’s help is needed between His children? How does the LORD choose which one to help and in what ways, He will help? How does the LORD help there?

Sadly, there have been too many times when I have needed the LORD’s help in dealing with fellow Christians. As I have prayed to Jesus for help, I have often wondered what my “fellow Christian” might be praying as well. “Help” is doing for someone what they cannot do for themselves. God will “help” all His people. He helps us “understand”. He helps us be strong. He helps us forgive. He helps us go on. It is the LORD’s purpose to “help” each of us to fully live the ChristLife so that we are like Christ and accomplish His will through our life.

The Grace needed to do that doesn’t come from us. That is the “help” we can expect. God gives us the grace, but we must still apply it to our lives—as well as to our relationship with others. Though God will “help” every one of us, there are some things God will not “help” us with. He will not help us “sin.” He will not help us refuse to forgive. He will not help us avoid showing love. God will help us do His will. Anything else we do, we do on our own.

Help is available. Whether we are dealing with an enemy or a brother, the help is the same. He gives us His grace. If you are in a conflict right now, the LORD is willing to “help” each one. Sometimes that grace will help us overcome. Sometimes that grace will help us work through it. Sometimes His grace just helps us go, even in different directions.

ONETHING: Let the LORD help.

Love/Hate Relationships

2011-06-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

“You seem to love those who hate you and hate those who love you.” 2 Samuel 19:6 (NLT)

The rebuke from Joab of King David, as he mourns the death of his rebellious son who died in a revolt against his father and has set the stage for a national civil war, exposes the problem of confused loyalties. Although Jesus commanded us to “love our enemies”, we are not to “hate our brothers” as a consequence. In fact, 1 John forbids that. How do we manage these Love/Hate relationships?

Being able to reach out to those who oppose us is certainly a great virtue, but if that causes us to neglect or abuse those who deserve our love, then it is no longer admirable but rather pitiful. David made those who fought for him ashamed because of his extreme grief over Absalom. David forgot “who he was.” David reacted as a father—but he was more than a father—he was the King. He was more than a King; he was a King at war. More than a King at war; He was a King putting down a revolt led by Absalom, the very son for whom David was grieving. The people’s loyalties had been confused by Absalom and now David was confusing them even more.

The lesson is for us to be clear in our loyalty. David needed to remember “what he was about.” Loyalty is the extent to which we demonstrate commitment to another ahead of personal reward. Because our roles in life are so varied and trying to sift our many conflicted motives leaves us “loving those who hate us and hating those who love us,” we need to identify that for which we are willing to lose everything. We need a loyalty which can transcend both our private and public life; both our professional and personal life; both our strengths and our weaknesses. In short, we don’t need a list of top priorities; we need a single loyalty.

David was described as “a man after God’s own heart.” Yet, for all of David’s devotion to LORD, he failed to maintain that devotion with his family. His heart may have been right with God, but his home wasn’t. David had been a good King, but a lousy father. His “fathering” threatened his “reigning”. We are all “flesh and blood” with our own limitations and weaknesses. No one man is above another. However, the roles and stations in life require different things from us. The many demands of life can only be only be successfully navigated with a single loyalty. We must pursue the heart of God in every aspect of our life. Love God in all that we do. That is where our loyalty should lie. Then, in spite of who loves or hates us, we will treat them all the same.

ONETHING: Love God in spite of who loves or hates me.

Mike Seabaugh xvid

2011-06-01T10:16:00.000-05:00

Pressure and Stress

2011-05-31T10:19:00.002-05:00

“As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your [Jehovah God] commands.” Psalm 119:143 (NLT)

A verse for our time. Pressure and stress are certainly familiar sensations. In my own life, going through these recent days of having two house payments (along with all the bills associated with that), moving to a new ministry setting, having a daughter graduate High School and preparing to enter college in the Fall, has brought a fair amount of "pressure and stress" into my life. A very recent study from the University of North Carolina reports that 19% of young adults [24-32] already suffer from high blood pressure. A CBS reports shares that hypertension is already a $73 billion burden on our health care system. With hypertension increasing with age, this younger generation is only going to “stress” the system more. The physical effects are just the beginning.

The emotional strain of economic bad news, ongoing disasters, political turmoil are only the background to the up close and personal pressure and stress of so many lives. Struggles between spouses, difficulty with rearing children, demands of aging parents, personal health problems, are common challenges to just about everyone. Pressure and stress bears down on us all.

How can we “bear up” under so much? Many do not survive. They break down under the stain. The Psalmist though gives a different approach. Pressure and stress do not drive them away from God but closer to Him. “Joy” is found by them in the commands of the LORD. Some use pressure as an excuse to give in. The Godly relieve pressure by trusting the proven wisdom of God. “We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” Pressure and stress are required to form diamonds. In life, they also make people precious—if they allow pressure and stress to transform them into the image Jesus by faithfully following the instructions of Jesus.

ONETHING: May “pressure and stress” press me into the image of Jesus.

Am I “That” Man?

2011-05-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

Then Nathan [the Prophet] said to David, “You are that man!” 2 Samuel 12:7 (NLT)

It would be so easy to sit here and look out my window at the world this morning and begin to list off all the “sins” I have seen in 20+ years of ministering. I could go on a tear against all the injustices and immorality that others have given themselves over to and the heartbreak they have received because of it. There is a big part of me that desires to expose all the hypocritical “church” leaders I have had to deal with and the pain and suffering they have caused me.

I am suddenly stopped from doing that when I realize that I am not looking out through a window; I am staring into a mirror. It’s not that I have “done” all those things, but that I am too keenly aware that I am capable of doing those things. “There but by the grace of God go I.” It is not judgment I would be spewing, but condemnation. And it would not even be condemnation of sinners, but of me. I don’t want to be “that man.”

Jesus declares that the job of “judging” the world rests with the Holy Spirit. “And when He [The Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” (John 16:8) My role is to listen to the Holy Spirit, to acknowledge my sin, to receive God’s righteousness by faith, and to help prepare those under the control of this world for the coming judgment. Showing God’s love, granting forgiveness, spreading grace as Jesus did is the best way to do that. That’s the man I want to be. I want to be God’s man.

ONETHING: Don’t be “That” man; Be God’s man!

Sermon in the Studio [Oprah’s Farewell]

2011-05-26T11:42:00.002-05:00

“Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.” Psalm 119:37 (NLT)

After 25 years and over 30,000 guests “the Oprah Winfrey Show” aired for the final time. In her final show she shared the “theme” of her heart. One writer dubbed it the “Sermon in the Studio”. Her self-help theme of “You are not alone,” and “You are enough” has gained her a prestige and platform any “preacher” would envy. She also praised God. When asked “which god she praised”, she declared “I’m talking about the same one you’re talking about”. [Although she never addressed that we aren’t all talking about the same G-O-D.] “Everybody is called” she proclaims. “All life is energy and we are transmitting it every moment.” All anybody wants is “validation.” She summed up the lesson of her 25-year show into “you are responsible for your life.”

This isn’t Oprah bashing. As far as television goes—you could do MUCH worse than Oprah. There is no denying the positive impact that she has had on so many lives and the courage she has displayed in taking on unattractive issues along with the power to affect change in the American culture according to her vision of “good.” Oprah has helped people. Or, better yet, Oprah has helped people help themselves. As people turned their eyes to Oprah, she turned our eyes to ourselves.

Oprah has us looking for love in all the wrong places. The problem is that we don’t need to be helped; we need to be “saved”. Our problem isn’t that we feel “unworthy”, it is that we ARE unworthy. We are sinners separated from God. We don’t need validation; we need forgiveness. We don't need to assert ourselves; we need to confess and repent. We don’t need a new “car”; we need new life. Jesus didn’t give us a surprise “under our seat”, he gave himself for us. He took our place. He took our punishment. He took our sin away. You are, as Oprah declared, “responsible for your life,” but you are also hopeless to fix it apart from the transforming power of God’s loving forgiveness. Where do we look for that?

“Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. But now…he has spoken to us through his Son.” [Hebrews 1:1-2] “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” [John 1:14] True Life is found in the Word. The Bible records that message for us.

Although the “Church of Oprah” is far more celebrated than the “Church” of Jesus, it will take far more than a network, a studio, a few pious sounding platitudes and some big “giveaways” to ever replace the One who first declared, “they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If the true “Church” thinks it has something better to offer than a “talk-show host”, rather than debating “Orpah”, let us be declaring “Jesus” by living lives that manifest His love.

We need to turn our eyes away from worthless things. Stop looking at your TV. Stop looking at yourself. Instead, “let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.” [Hebrews 12:2] Oprah will help you, but only Jesus can save you.

ONETHING: Stop looking for love in all the wrong places.

Two Feet Away from Jesus

2011-05-23T11:45:00.003-05:00

“And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet.” John 13:14 (NLT)

What a tragedy that most Christians stay “two feet” away from Jesus because they refuse to serve others. For Jesus to wash the feet of His disciples was an act of humility. The natural response would seem to be for the disciples in return to wash Jesus’ feet. Washing the feet of Jesus, for the disciples, would have been an honor. However, this wasn’t a demonstration of proper hygiene. Jesus was modeling humble service.

Jesus was showing them that to be like Him, they must act like Him. To serve Him, they must serve others. If they really wanted to “wash his feet”, they would have to “wash each other’s feet.” As Jesus said, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these…you were doing it to me!” [Matthew 25:40]

How seriously do we take Jesus’ example? Our “service” can quickly become a pretext to pride. Serving those with the means to return the service isn’t really service at all. Jesus did for others what they could not (and would not) do for themselves. He showed us how to humble ourselves by insisting on helping rather than demanding our rights to help. Jesus put others ahead of Himself. May our service also flow from a heart of genuine humility. The only way we can “wash Jesus’” feet is by washing each others. Until we serve each other, Jesus is “two feet” away.

ONETHING: Jesus is just “two feet” away. Won’t you serve somebody today?

A Real Shame

2011-05-17T09:31:00.001-05:00

“Jonathan left the table in fierce anger and refused to eat on that second day of the festival, for he was crushed by his father’s shameful behavior toward David.” 1 Samuel 20:34 (NLT)

Have your parents ever embarrassed you? I don’t mean in that natural, social blunder kind of way which we have all endured. Every kid has known the shame of those times when parents tried to use the “lingo”...and totally missed it, or when parents gave full vent to the fact that they could care less about the current sense of fashion…or any sense of fashion. That kind of embarrassment is just the by-product of generations co-existing. It happens and we learn to deal with it.

The kind of embarrassment I am probing for is that true sense of dishonor and shame which a parent can bring on their children. A deep-seeded prejudice, a blatant chauvinism, a bold bigotry, an iron-clad narrow-mindedness, a besetting sin which debilitates and manipulates their every decision is the kind of shameful parental behavior that can be a life-long burden hoisted upon a child.

King Saul wanted the best for his son Jonathan. He wanted him to be king. The problem was, Saul had already lost the kingdom through his disobedience. The kingdom wasn’t his to give. His hatred for David stemmed from Saul’s own insecurity and the consequences of his own failure. Saul had embarrassed himself—and now he was embarrassing Jonathan.

It takes real strength of character to be able to endure and overcome parental shame. Jonathan was able to move past this because he had a clear sense of loyalty. David and Jonathan had promised to demonstrate commitment to one another ahead of personal reward. This loyalty was bound by their loyalty to the LORD. Jonathan also understand that “the LORD is the witness” [20:42] of our lives and we should fear having to be ashamed in front of him by failing to obey His principles.

Jonathan would be true and loyal to David. He would also remain faithful to his father…in spite of Saul’s shortcoming. Not condoning Saul’s prejudice, but committing to God’s principles in his own life, Jonathan would go on to die with his father. Though his father embarrassed him, Jonathan did not embarrass himself.

ONETHING: May I not shame my children or my parents by embarrassing Jesus in my life.

Stuck with Jesus

2011-05-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” John 6:68 (NLT)

I often times fear that we are not reaching people, just simply recruiting them. “Look at our convenient service times.” “Consider our youth program.” “We have an amazing children’s program.” Though true, such statements seem to convey that we should choose our church based on “consumer” values. Kind of like asking, “Where can I get the best spiritual deal?”

There was a period in Jesus’ ministry when he enjoyed popularity and the signs of worldly success. He had “crowds” following him. But then he started saying stuff that many found “offensive.” He started making demands. He started acting “exclusive.” Let’s be honest, that stuff never markets well. “Give the customer what he wants;” after all, “the customer is always right.” Well, Jesus wasn’t selling a commodity and he was not following a marketing plan. He was stating “Truth” and demanding genuine faith. The crowds abandoned him.

He turns to the disciples and asks what they were going to do, “Are you leaving too?” Peter, though we are quick to point out his failures, nails the answer. “Where else are we going to go?” Can I paraphrase here? Peter says, “Jesus, we are stuck with you! We don’t have any other options.”

It is this idea of being “stuck with Jesus” that truly marks a real disciple. Like it or not, we are all stuck with Jesus. We are stuck with the whole Jesus! The “love your neighbor” part, as well as the “pray for your enemy part.” The “they were amazed” Jesus goes with the “they deserted Jesus.” It is the Jesus they shouted “Hallelujah” for as well as “crucify, Him.” We cannot “recruit” for this man, just as we cannot simply hang-out with him for awhile. We are either converted and committed, or we are nothing.

We are stuck with Jesus, and thankfully, he sticks with us.

ONETHING: Glad to be stuck with the One who sticks closer than a brother.

Hurting Back

2011-05-10T11:47:00.001-05:00

At Meribah, too, they angered the LORD, causing Moses serious trouble. They made Moses angry, and he spoke foolishly. Psalm 106:32-33 (NLT)

If you have ever been “caught in the middle”, you understand this scenario. The people have “again” rejected God and His spokesman Moses. Rejection hurts emotionally. Emotional hurt manifests as real physical pain. Pain makes us angry. Now here comes the foolish part: Anger shuts down hurt. Not feeling “hurt”, we hurt back.

In our anger we feel like “hurting back”. Whether it is with emotional hurt or physical hurt, the cycle begins again. Hurt to pain; pain to anger; anger to shut out hurt; Not hurting—we hurt back. When we analyze it, we can easily see the problem with such a perpetuation of “hurt”, but when we are “in it”, sadly, it makes perfect sense to us. In fact, too often, being angry is easier than being hurt.

“Getting even” is no way to ever “get ahead.” We must “get over it” by breaking the cycle of anger through dealing with the hurt.

Healings hurts is never a simple matter, but here are some beginning thoughts to help you in the process. First, acknowledge the hurt more than the anger. This makes us vulnerable but also accessible. We won’t ever get together if we get so far apart in our anger that we entrench into defensive postures.

Second, be sad more than mad. Yes, we are upset, but anger leads us to seek a vindication. If we “win” then somebody else must “lose.” I don’t know anybody who likes losing—especially if it means the surrender of their self-worth. [That usually just makes them more angry.] We are not looking for someone to fight. We are needing someone to help.

Third, comfort ahead of confronting. Sadness seeks comfort. Comfort is something that we can both appreciate and fully participate in. The goal isn’t to condone or to enable but to help and to heal. As long as there is sin in the world, we will never be rid of anger. There is a time to draw the line, stand, fight and die. Just don’t draw the line in foolish places.

ONETHING: Stay out of serious trouble by avoiding anger.

Pass the Test

2011-05-09T11:01:00.001-05:00

He was testing Philip, for he [Jesus] already knew what he was going to do. John 6:6 (NLT)

Whatever you are facing today, think of it from this perspective. It’s just a test. Jesus already knows your situation. He already has a plan in place. He is totally capable of doing what needs to be done, and in his love for you, is completely ready to work it out. But…Jesus wants you to choose faith. It’s just a test.

We have been given God’s principles to apply in faith. We have been given the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. We have been surrounded by family and friends in our faith. We have been shown examples of faith living. So now, we will be given the opportunity to use our faith.

Philip came to Jesus with his problem. That is a pretty good way to deal with all our problems.

ONETHING: Pass the test!

Light Judgment

2011-05-03T10:41:00.003-05:00

And the judgment is based on this fact: God's light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. John 3:19 NLT

“Do it right, and do it light!” My football coach would bellow as we were pushing the blocking sled. “Do it wrong and do it long!” We understood exactly what he meant. He was going to get it out of us one way or the other. The choice was ours. Give me your best, and we will be done. Slack off, use poor technique, let others do the work, and we were going to be there all day long.

Nicodemus came to Jesus at “night.” I guess that makes this the beginning of “Nick at Night”! [Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.] As a Pharisee, Nicodemus had felt the need to be careful about being seen with Jesus. He chose the cover of darkness to hide his actions from those who would not approve. Jesus confronts Nicodemus with his mixed motivations. On one hand, he wanted to know the truth about Jesus, but on the other hand, he wanted to maintain his reputation with those who had already decided that Jesus was “evil.” So when Jesus started talking about “light” and “darkness”, Nicodemus knew exactly what Jesus was talking about.

The choice is ours. We can choose the light or the darkness. However, we will be judged by that choice. Just as someone who jumps off a building will be judged by the law of gravity, so will those who willingly operate in darkness rather than light be judged by their choice.

Jesus is the light. Choose Him and be judged in the light of His grace. We will all face “light” Judgment. Hear our spiritual coach, “Do it in the Light, and you will do it right!”

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 9:5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."

John 12:46 I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

ONETHING: We will all face the “Light” judgment. For many, it will be a very dark day.

Crossing the Line

2011-05-02T16:36:00.003-05:00

When he [Samson] woke up, he thought, " I will do as before and shake myself free." But he didn't realize the LORD had left him. Judges 16:20b (NLT)

What a tragic realization finally dawned on Samson. He had presumed upon God too many times. Always before he had been able to overcome any obstacle. He had been able to escape any consequences. He had been able to meet any challenge. But this time, he had gone too far. He had crossed that line and left God on the other side.

Why is it that people feel compelled to live so close to the line? Why do we run the risk of crossing the line with one false step rather than getting as far away from the line as possible? That is not to suggest that we should play it safe, but that we should not "tempt" God. Staying in the center of God's will is the safest way to avoid crossing the line.

ONETHING: Live in the center of God's will and you won't be anywhere near crossing the line.

Against the Wind

2011-04-27T15:01:00.001-05:00

“But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed.” Luke 23:23 (NLT)

“Prevailing winds” describes the single directional pattern of air-flow over particular parts of the Earth. In the spiritual world, the prevailing wind is always “fear.” Pilate, having decided that Jesus was innocent, feels the hurricane blast of fear which blows away any conviction and carries him along with the crowd.

The Bible reminds us it is difficult to run against the wind. Paul talks about those who are “tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching”. [Eph. 4:14] James describes those who lack faith as being “like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” [James 1:6] Fear rages into our life and drives us along with the “prevailing voices” of the crowd who refuse to acknowledge Jesus and the Truth of His good news.

But as William Gurnall, the 17th century author who wrote The Christian in Complete Armour, states, “We fear men so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man’s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God.” If fear is to be our “prevailing wind”, let it fill our sails with the fear of God, which shall blow towards greater faith. Jesus said, “Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” [Matthew 10:28] Too often, it is the mob whose voices prevail in our life. May the Holy Spirit truly be the prevailing voice in my life.

ONETHING: Fear God, and men suddenly aren’t so scary.

Why NOT me, Lord?

2011-04-26T15:33:00.001-05:00

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us?” Judges 6:13a

With the reports of the devastating tornados in our State and the impending warnings of even more severe weather tonight, it is natural to consider the meaning of it all. It is not just evil, mean people who are affected by such things. Often, there are good, God-fearing people who are caught in it as well.

When tragedy strikes; when times are difficult; when circumstances seemed to have conspired against us; we naturally wonder, “why me, Lord?” Our sense of justice almost always rules that we have been victimized. Although we admit we aren’t perfect, we do believe we are better than most and besides, God loves us. He wants me to be happy, so I don’t understand why the Lord would allow something bad to happen to me.

Unconditional love does not mean unconditional approval, and it certainly is no guarantee of unconditional blessings. In fact, true love must manifest itself in discipline. The fact that “the LORD IS with us” should make us all stop and consider what that means. As a holy God, He demands righteousness from His people. As a forgiving Savior, He requires repentance from us all.

The presence of difficulties does not necessarily indicate the LORD’s absence. It may be a truer sign of His loving attention focused on making us Holy.

ONETHING: Why NOT me, Lord?

Star Wars

2011-04-25T11:21:00.001-05:00

“Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there every day. But this is your moment, the time when the power of darkness reigns.” Luke 22:53 (NLT)

“We are all starring in our own show,” is a thought I heard from somebody else. [Can’t remember who though.] Each one of us sees ourselves as the “star” and everybody else is just the supporting cast. Although we must share the stage, we are constantly in the spotlight ready for our close-up. It is easy to see how this attitude can create “drama” as everyone is constantly upstaging everybody else. In truth, it casts us all into the same movie—“Star Wars.”

Jesus is the central figure of humanity. As God in the flesh to redeem mankind, He showed us how to truly get into character. “Not my will, but Your [Heavenly Father] will be done.” And when Judas came to steal the spotlight, Jesus let Him have his moment. Unfortunately, it was not a shining moment for Judas; just a tragic one.

We need to understand that we are all caught up in each other’s “moments” and though we may seek the spotlight, it just may be lit with a blacklight. Jesus warned, “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness.” (Matt. 6:23)

Beware the Dark Stars in your life, those people who operate with a light of their own which is truly only darkness. They cast everything according to the light of their own play, which keeps them looking good to themselves, and requires that the lights stay off. If Satan can cast himself as an “angel of light” and yet remain the Prince of Darkness, then his servants will too. They will have their “moments.” But when we make Jesus the star of our lives—the true light shines…and the darkness must flee.

ONETHING: Make Jesus the star of my life’s story.

Prepared for Peace

2011-04-20T11:53:00.001-05:00

“So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. First, however, they sent a delegation…to talk…” Joshua 22:12, 13

How much strife could be eliminated if preparing for war included making sure that we understood what the war is about? How many unnecessary casualties result from battles that should never have been fought? Yes, there is a time to draw the line, stand, fight, and die, but how tragic to have the line drawn in stupid places!

Not every offense is a capital crime. Not every act is one of aggression. Not every perception is reality. Sometimes we have simply misspoken, or we are mistaken, or we have misunderstood. We need to be able to prepare for war so that we are also prepared for peace. As the saying goes, “if the only tool you have is a hammer, then you treat every problem like a nail.” So it is in dealing with others. If fighting is the only means we have for “working things out,” then we will treat every difference as a prelude to war.

The community of Israel was prepared for war so that they might have peace. They took time to talk with the other tribes so that each side was clear on what they were fighting for. Knowing what you are fighting for is more important than knowing what you are fighting against because then you know if you have to fight at all. This is true between individuals as well nations and groups.

Are you prepared for peace as well as for war? Do you know what you are for as well as what you are against? Are you as prepared to embrace as you are to engage? Only those who are ready for peace are truly prepared for war.

ONETHING: Properly preparing for war means we must be ready for peace.

Turn to Jesus

2011-04-19T17:01:00.001-05:00

"My Temple will be a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves." Luke 19:46 (NLT)

[This is a repost from last year. Just thought it was worth repeating]

Jesus enters the Temple during this week leading up to His crucifixion and begins to drive out those people whose business was making money off of others who come to worship the LORD--to such an extent that it would be considered "robbery". The O.T. law allowed for the purchase of sacrificial animals. The priest of the Temple had the right to receive a portion of the offering. That was God's gift to the Levites. But somewhere along the way, the whole business had just become corrupt. They had totally missed the point. Jesus tells them what the Temple is supposed to be about--but, they had turned it into something disgusting.

I wonder how He feels about "church" today? What have we turned it into? Just some rambling thoughts about that.

For some, the church has become a "clique." It is where "my family, and my friends" hang out.

Some have turned the church into a "network." They go there looking for customers, dates, connections.

For others, the church has turned into a "job." We have to go to church. We have to go to meetings. We have to give our tithe.

The church has turned into a "nuisance," for many. "Freedom of religion means freedom from religion. Go away and leave me alone," they can be heard saying.

How about a "museum?" Ever seen a church turned into one of those? Don't touch. Don't change. Don't expect anything but what we have always done.

Take some time today and think about your "church" and what you are "turning it into". If you find that it is not what it should be, go there. Get on your knees--and "turn" to Jesus. It will turn into something special pretty quick.

ONETHING: "Turn" to Jesus.

What We Really Need

2011-04-19T10:55:00.001-05:00

Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.” Joshua 17:15

People often get confused at the difference between “needing” and “wanting.” The descendants of Joseph declare that they “needed” more land. Joshua responds, what you really “need” is to claim the land you already have.

It was Steve Ford, Central Baptist’s Education Minister, who made the observation that most people already have all that they “need”. They possess the resources in their lives to accomplish great things. Those resources, however, lie in the unclaimed forest areas of our lives. They do need to grow but they have not “wanted” to unclutter their lives so that they can fully utilize those areas to grow.

Where do you “need” to grow in your own life? Look and see if you can identify some overgrown or unclaimed spaces that you can expand into which you already have. We need to fully possess all that we own before we start asking for more, because you just might get it. Notice that when Joshua does “give them more,” he gives them more of the same. Joshua declares, “The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish and live there…” (17:18a)

ONETHING: What we really need is to clear and claim what we have before wanting even more to clear and claim.

What’s Your Sign?

2011-04-17T20:43:00.001-05:00

Send me a sign of your favor. Then those who hate me will be put to shame, for you, O LORD, help and comfort me. Psalm 86:17 (NLT)

What a bold prayer we can pray. When we are sincerely seeking the LORD; when our heart is content with Him, we can ask for a sign—of His favor. And God, in His goodness is inclined to give it. This is not a sign to convince us but a sign to demonstrate to others how awesome, powerful and loving our God is toward us.

It takes real faith to prayer that prayer. It requires that we trust Jesus to be pleased with us and to actually be deserving of His favor. By deserving, I don’t mean to imply that we have earned it, but that by our life we have done what He has asked of us.

God has given me “signs of His favor” in my life. And I pray for one again. Not for my sake, but for the sake of His glory and for the hope that others will see His goodness and desire it for themselves.

ONETHING: Asking for a sign that will glorify Jesus!

PUSH

2011-04-16T08:41:00.001-05:00

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Luke 18:1 (NLT)

“PUSH” prayers are something that a fellow minister introduced me to several years ago. PUSH stands for “Pray Until Something Happens.” This is the kind of praying that Jesus is wanting His disciples to do. It is the kind of praying we need today as well. Paul puts it this way. “So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.” (Galatians 6:9)

PUSH prayers aren’t “pushing” God to act; they are pushing ourselves to “ask, seek, and knock.” Rather than discouraging us, PUSH prayers test to see how badly we want it and how committed we are to it. They also test our faith. In the face of “nothing happening”, do we give up on Jesus or do we PUSH even harder for His will to be done?

PUSH prayers help us push through opposition. Remember, we have an enemy. It is not “flesh and blood”, but Satanic. In Daniel 10:1-14, we learn that his prayer was answered the first day he prayed, but the answer was delayed by Hell’s antagonism.

What are you praying for? If you are asking in Faith; Seeking the will of Jesus; Knocking with pure motives—then keep on till you get an answer. PUSH on! Pray Until Something Happens!

ONETHING: Pray Until Something Happens.

Going out of business—As Usual

2011-04-15T10:45:00.002-05:00

“Yes, it will be ‘business as usual’ right up to the day when the Son of Man is revealed.” Luke 17:30 (NLT)

Just as the optimist who fell off the Empire State building was overheard saying as he fell past an open window on the 24^th floor, “so far, so good”—so do many people today want to think that they are headed in the right direction since, “so far, so good.” But just because God doesn’t strike us with lightening every time we tell a little, white lie, doesn’t mean that we have gotten away with it.

The ‘business as usual’ attitude shouldn’t comfort us; it should deeply disturb us. When we see individuals, or families, or groups, or even nations making horrible decisions, contradicting natural consequences, denying any accountability, refusing any corrections—because, “so far, so good,” Jesus suggests that it might not be a bad time to “run for the hills.” A “business as usual” attitude IS a sign of unusual dealings ahead.

However you interpret the revealing of the Son of Man, it is clear in this context that it will be the final “Going out of Business” fire sale. It will not be a time of everything is ok. “One will be taken, the other left.” Like Noah entering the Ark; like Lot leaving Sodom, It will be the beginning of the unusual business of God’s judgment.

God’s judgment is unusual but not unnatural. I don’t know anybody who has fallen off the top of the Empire State building. It would be an unusual circumstance. But if I did, I have no doubt of the natural outcome they experienced. So it is with God’s final judgment. It will be unusual for God to finally say, “Enough! Time to judge mankind.” At the same time, I have no doubt of the natural outcome of that experience. “And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:16

With the end of “business as usual”, what will your natural outcome be? Business as usual will end with a “going out of business” fire sale.

ONETHING: Business as usual will end with a “going out of business” fire sale.

Something to Think About

2011-04-15T09:55:00.003-05:00

“If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead.” Luke 16:31 (NLT)

As Dallas Willard, in Renovation of the Heart, points out, thoughts and feelings go together. “Thoughts” are those things that the mind considers; “feelings” are the sense of attraction or repulsion that the thoughts create as we consider them. So closely related are “thoughts and feelings” that when people speak of the “mind”, it is this interaction of thought and feeling to which they often referring.

“Indifference” then, isn’t an absence of feeling; it is the failure of a thought to generate any powerful reaction within us. [I would distinguish indifference from objectivity in that “objectivity” is the ability to suspend strong reactions in order to consider a thought.] Abraham’s statement, told us by Jesus, is referring to the sense of “indifference” people must overcome when it comes to spiritual things. If thinking about spiritual things doesn’t generate any strong feelings, then even when you encounter “spiritual” power—such as a resurrection—you still won’t “feel” anything. It is only when you “feel”—such as the rich man in Hell—that you begin to reconsider the way you have “thought” about spiritual things.

The rich man, along with so many others, judges his thoughts by his feelings. In fact, his feelings are the test of his truth. If a thought doesn’t disturb him, then it must not be true. But our “feelings” are not what make things true or not—they are what make us “act” or not. As Paul declares in 1 Cor. 4.4, “My conscience is clear, but that isn't what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.”

Hell doesn’t bother you? Sin doesn’t disturb you? God doesn’t convict you? Scripture doesn’t convince you? You feel pretty good about yourself? The way you see it—that’s all just a bunch of superstition, and you’re not going to lose a bit of sleep over it. But…what if you are wrong? How would you “feel” then? It’s something to “think” about it.

ONETHING: Think about how “Hell” makes me feel.

Shrewd Move

2011-04-13T10:36:00.001-05:00

“And it is true that the children of this world are more shrewd in dealing with the world around them than are the children of light.” Luke 16:8b (NLT)

When we start listing the “fruit of the Spirit,” you know—Love, Joy, Peace, etc—we don’t usually think of “shrewdness”. Jesus, however, tells a parable which laments the lack of “shrewdness” among the children of light. What does it mean to be “shrewd”? The definition includes the ability to adapt a means to an end. It is being able to turn a circumstance to one’s benefit. It involves being clever and calculating. In brief, shrewdness is understanding how things work and being able to work it to your advantage.

Shrewdness, if I understand Jesus, isn’t sinful in and of itself, although someone can be shrewd in their sin, they can also demonstrate shrewdness in seeking the Kingdom. We are challenged to understand “how things work” in the spiritual world as effectively as others understand “how things work” in this world. We are not to be manipulative, but strategic in our actions. Our goal is to build the Kingdom of God. Using all our earthly resources to do that is a shrewd move.

ONETHING: Serving Jesus is a shrewd move.

Prodigals

2011-04-13T08:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterdays post about prodigals seemed to touch something in people. My hit counter doubled. What is it about "prodigals" that is so compelling?

Are you a prodigal wondering if the light is on? Are you a parent looking out the picture window down the road? I would love to hear your story.

Leave the Light On!

2011-04-12T10:43:00.003-05:00

“When he [the prodigal son] finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger.!’” Luke 15:17 (NLT)

The turning point—or should we say, the re-turning point—in the story of the prodigal son happens at the most subtle of levels. It isn’t the loss of his wealth, it isn’t the bruising of his pride, it isn’t even the pangs of hunger. The difference is made by a simple realization. “Home is better than this.” He starts “thinking” for change. So many prodigals are out there in the world—lead away by “feelings” and “lusts” and “false promises” and by simply failing to take the time to think about the consequences of their actions. The prayer has to be that they will finally come to their senses.

But, just because the prodigal comes to their senses doesn’t mean they will come to their home. Sadly, they figure out they are lost but they can’t find their way back. That is why it is important to “leave the light on.” The prodigal doesn’t need the light to be dimmed by our indulging their choices, nor do we need to turn the light off by totally abandoning our beliefs and standards. Leaving the light on reminds them there is a place they can go and in the darkness of this world, it helps to guide them as they return.

ONETHING: Leave the light on!

An Overnight Success

2011-04-11T10:16:00.001-05:00

“That day the LORD made Joshua a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites, and for the rest of his life they revered him as much as they revered Moses.” Joshua 4:14 (NLT)

Joshua became an overnight success—forty years in the making. He was the commander at the first battle after the Exodus against the Amalekites. He accompanies Moses on Mt. Sinai. He is one of the original spies sent into the Promised and the only one along with Caleb that believed God would give them the land. He is the appointed successor to Moses. With all these accomplishments, you would think he had already secured “revered” status. Joshua is probably about 80 years old and might have been ready to retire. However, it is the LORD’s anointing which carries one from being good to great and Joshua was just getting started.

Perhaps you have labored long and well. You have a good record, but “revered” status has never been yours. Not that status seeking is your goal, but you have desired to be “successful” for the LORD. Being an overnight success can take a long time. When the LORD decides it is time to go from good to great—you had better be ready.

ONETHING: Spend another day getting ready to be God’s overnight success.

Teach the Values

2011-04-07T09:39:00.002-05:00

“Do this [Read God’s Word] so that your children who have not known these instructions will hear them and will learn to fear the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 31:13 (NLT)

“Every generation must be taught the value of Christian education,” was something I remember hearing from my instructors during my days at Ouachita Baptist University. The saying could be applied to the value of anything. If we want it to continue to be valued, we must remind the future generations of its importance. The point is that “why” we do something is just as crucial as the “what” we do.

When I look at Corporate Worship, Sunday School, Bible reading, prayer, tithing, missions, fellowship, evangelism—I see things that are very valuable but which seem to NOT be valued by younger generations. What was once held to be essential has been relegated to being optional. When we don’t value them, we soon won’t even do them.

Through our ONETHING Challenge, we are seeking to restore our value for reading God’s Word. We have read about 25% of the entire Bible already for those who have consistently taken the daily challenge. But if you have fallen off, the exciting thing is that you can get back in right away by just picking it back up and starting today.

Every generation must be taught the value of God’s Word. By reading the Bible, you will discover ALL the values that the LORD desires for us to have. It really is our most valuable possession. Remind yourself of its worth. Teach its value to others through your daily example of reading God’s word.

ONETHING: Value the valuables.