A Storm Is Coming

No one can avoid it.

I don't know when, but a storm is coming. What it will look like remains to be seen, but without a doubt, it approaches. Dark. Foreboding. Dangerous.

Something is going to happen. To me. To you. To everyone.

How do I know?

Because life is what it is.

Storms come. That is the inevitable, unavoidable truth. As long as you live, you will face storms. Some you see coming in the distance, others spring upon you unexpectedly. They may rumble and roar, they may shriek and howl, or they may engulf you silently like a flood.

Whatever their nature, you will have to deal with them. The storms of life show no favoritism. The rich and the poor, the old and the young, the faithful and the non-believing--everybody has storms.

Your storm may be health issues, or marital problems. Finances or relationships. Stress, worry, fear, insecurity, persecution--storms have many names, and life is full of them.

Yours is coming.

Perhaps you've had calm weather for a long time. Prepare. Be ready. Your turn is coming. It's a fact of life.

Whether it be God sending a trial your way to strengthen you, or Satan testing you to tear you down, it's going to happen. If you're in the middle of a storm now, you know what I mean. It can be frightening, even terrifying. You may feel small and helpless. Storms always seem bigger than us, and they usually are.

You don't beat a storm. You can weather it. You can ride it out. You can survive, and even thrive, but you can't beat it. How can you defeat the wind? How do you stop the rain? What power do you have against onslaught?

None. At least not of yourself.

What will you do?

What should you do? I can't answer that, because I don't know what your storm is, or what it will be. I don't even know my own to come. I only know that come they will.

Personally, I depend on God to get me through the storms. He is my shelter, my rock, my strong fortress. I really don't know how people face the storms of life without Him. Sometimes they don't. I've seen many crushed and destroyed. Strong men and women, swept away by a flood of desire, or greed, or fear. So much pain. So much suffering.

I don't want to see you go through that. I don't want to lose you.

I want you to know God is there.

He's my fortress. He's willing to be yours as well.

No matter the storm, no matter who you are or where you are, He is there.

Remember that, when the winds start to rise.

A storm is coming.

Be ready.

Easter's Over . . . Now What?

It's a long time before Christmas rolls around again.

What are we Christians supposed to do? We celebrated Christ's birth, three months later we celebrated His death and resurrection. That's it, right? That's the whole story. I mean, some denominations recognize this or that special day in our faith, but those are the big two. Christmas and Easter (or Resurrection Day, if you prefer). It's nine months before the cycle rolls around again.

What are we supposed to do until then?

As the picture above seems to indicate, does Christ fade away into the background, disappearing in the wilderness until the calendar rolls to December? Did He give us the booster shot we needed for another year? Is His hand raised in blessing, bidding us farewell 'til we think of Him again just in time to pay off last year's Black Friday credit card binge?

I hope not. Oh dear Lord and Savior, I pray let that not be the case. All too often, though, it is.

Are we Christmas and Easter Christians?

You know, the people who make time to go to church on those two occasions, enjoy the awesome messages of Christ's birth and our salvation, and spend every other Sunday in reverent worship of NFL, MLB, NASCAR, HBO, or simply themselves.

I'm not saying going to church makes anybody a Christian, or even a better Christian than someone who doesn't, but lets face facts: We give of ourselves to what we believe in. Our money. Our attention. Our time.

How much time did you spend shopping and decorating for last Christmas compared to time spent praying, reading the Bible, serving, or even thinking about God the rest of the year? How much time this past weekend was spent coloring Easter eggs, preparing food, and keeping up with March Madness? And how much of your precious time have you given God since Christmas?

Oh, and let's face some more reality--Summer isn't any better. What with kids home from school, ball games, vacations, yard work, projects, hobbies, recreation . . . It's a good thing Christmas really isn't in July! I don't think we'd have time for it.

Christ doesn't want us two days, two weeks, or even two months out of the year. Christ wants us every day, every hour, every second. Each breath we breathe in comes from Him. How many do we use for Him?

Christ didn't quit after His resurrection.

Believe it or not, even though He said, "It is finished" when He was on the cross, He wasn't done with us. He came back to the disciples, met with them for another forty days before ascending to heaven to wait for the time of Judgment. What did He do those forty days? He told us what we should be doing.

Maybe the most obvious of these lessons is at the end of the Book of Matthew, what we call the Great Commission. Go make disciples. Not in nine months. Not in a year. Now.

At the end of his recording of the Gospel, Luke tells us that Jesus instructed the disciples to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until He delivered them the gift His Father had promised and clothed them with power. What gift? What power? The Holy Spirit! Why? So they could go make disciples! When? As soon as they got it.

For me, the post-resurrection message of Jesus that most speaks of His desire for us to continue what He started is found at the end of the Book of John. It is a conversation between Jesus and Simon-Peter. Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?"  Of course Peter answers that he does. Jesus then says, "Feed my lambs." But to be sure Peter got the message, Jesus asked again, "Do you truly love me?" Peter reaffirms his love for Christ, who answers, "Take care of my sheep." 

That would seem to be enough, but it wasn't. A third time Jesus asks if Peter loves Him, and a third time tells him to keep working by caring for the sheep (people). Then Jesus tells Him, "Follow Me!"

That speaks to me because Jesus didn't quit teaching and working after the resurrection, and He made sure His disciples knew their work wasn't done either. It had just begun.

Now what?

That's the question I asked in the title of this blog. What do we do now that Easter is over?

We do what Christ did after the resurrection, and what He told His disciples to do. We continue His work. We take care of His sheep. We make more disciples. Endlessly. Tirelessly. Selflessly.

Every. Single. Day.

Through Him and for Him.

That's what.

Three Goals For Life

Did Paul lead a quiet life?

I mean, he gave this advice to the Thessalonians, so we would assume that he would not ask someone else to do what he was not willing to do himself, right? But do you think of Paul's life as quiet? I sure don't.

Paul stirred up passions and emotions, called upon people to be bold in their faith, and stood up to authorities everywhere he went. He was beaten, thrown in prison, and ultimately killed for not being quiet. So what did he mean?

In Greek, this passage of Scripture has the meaning of not being ostentatious, proud, or boastful. Paul isn't saying to be a wall flower; he's saying our goal should be to prove ourselves not through what we have, but what we do.

Leading a quiet life, then, means not showing off. In the next verse, Paul tells us the goal of such living is to win the respect of outsiders. Not by what we have, but rather by how we live.

That makes a little more sense.

But what about minding your own business?

Paul is all about telling people what they're doing wrong, and what they should be doing instead. Many of his letters are written to groups of people who are living sinfully, and Paul isn't having it! Is that minding your own business?

To get a sense of what Paul is saying, I think we need to back up a few verses, to I Thessalonians 4:3. If you start reading there, you see that Paul spends some time talking about sexual immorality, and not taking advantage of our brother or wronging him in such a manner.

Some translations say we should strive to mind our own affairs, and I think that's an interesting play on words, given what Paul just said. He's telling us to keep our nose out of our brother's tent. Let's face it: if our goal is to win the respect of others, it's hard to do that with your pants around your ankles. Blunt, but applicable to today's world, wouldn't you say?

Finally, work with your hands.

Paul's logic behind this one is plain, as seen in verse 12: So that you will not be dependent on anybody. I know some people can't work for a variety of reasons. Paul isn't talking to them. He's talking to the able bodied who can provide for themselves. Paul was a tent maker, and he worked throughout his ministry. Could he have lived off the generosity of others? Sure. Would he have gained as much respect? I don't think so.

You're not going to win much respect if you're able to earn your own way and simply choose not too. Nobody I know likes leeches, either the black, slimy ones or the other kind.

Three goals to strive for.

Lead a quiet life. Mind your own affairs. Work with your hands.

Seems to me like pretty good advice.

God Knows

You might fool yourself, but you can't fool God.

Want to talk yourself into doing something? It's not that hard. Spend enough time thinking about something, even something you know is wrong, and you can convince yourself it's not wrong after all. If it feels good, and no one gets hurt, then what's the problem, right? After all, it's not nearly so bad as what that other guy did.

You can also convince yourself that as long as you do the "right thing," it doesn't matter how you feel about it. It doesn't matter that you're mad at the world because you had to give up your golf outing to go to your kid's ballgame. You did the right thing; that's all that matters, right?

It's pretty easy to convince yourself. It's something altogether different to fool God.

God doesn't just look at what we do.

God looks at our heart. He investigates our motives. He sees down deep inside us, all those unspoken thoughts, all those dark musings about what we'd rather be doing. What we do is just the tip of the iceberg. God knows what lies beneath the murky waters.

Isn't that a scary thought? Knowing that God not only sees what we do, but why we do it, and what we truly would have rather done? It's scary to me, because that means I can't just do the "right thing," I have to do it for the right reasons, or not do it at all.

Yesterday I said, "Just do it . . . for the right reasons."

Today I say, "If you can't do it for the right reasons, don't do it at all!" You might think your ways are innocent because you did what you were supposed to do. But why did you do it? Did you do it so other people would see you? Did you do it to win favor? Did you do it so you wouldn't have to sleep on the couch that night?

Motives matter. Doing the right thing is important. You cannot, however, do the right thing with the wrong motive. The "why" is as important as the "what."  

Before you decide to do something, check your heart. If your motivations are less than pure, don't do it. What are pure motivations? A desire to serve and please God, obedience to His Word, compliance with what His Spirit is telling you to do.

Go outside that box, and God will surely know.

Today, as you are deciding what to do, remember this:

God's not only going to see what you do, He's going to know why you're doing it.

 

Just Do It . . . For The Right Reasons

What should I do?

How often do you face that dilemma in life? I face it every day. One day its a small decision, the next a monumental choice that has far reaching repercussions. Should I make that phone call or not? What should I say? Is this the right job for me? Relationships, money management, kids, time, and even what I'm going to wear in the morning--the decisions are endless.

I've come to the conclusion there is not a "right" answer or a "wrong" answer for every situation we face. At least not in God's eyes. I don't think He really cares if we wear plaid with stripes (though my wife certainly does!), nor do I think He agonizes over our decision to choose between two equally good job opportunities.

I don't think the decisions themselves are what God is concerned about. Now, don't get all flustered at that. Stay with me, and I think we can come to an agreement here.

I think we're asking the wrong question.

I don't think we should ask ourselves, "What should I do?" I believe the more important question is, Why am I doing it?" 

Why am I pursuing that promotion? Why do I want to wear that tight fitting outfit instead of the baggy sweatshirt? Why am I going to call that person, or not pick up the phone?

If I want the promotion to better provide for my family, that's not wrong. If I want the power, attention, and pride-satisfying accomplishment of climbing the corporate ladder, on the other hand, I'd better take a step back and think about it.

Good choices are not so much about what we do, but rather why.

It is really hard to make the wrong choice when you honestly pass the decision making process through the filter of do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus. Imagine if every word you said, every thing you did, and every thought you formed first had to meet that standard. How many bad choices do you think you'd make?

Not very many, I'd say.

I truly believe our wrong choices, our sins, come about when we get our motivations and priorities screwed up. Put yourself first and you will drive the decision making bus off a cliff. Put God first, and you'll keep your ride between the lines.

It really is as simple as that.

Simple, not easy.

If I truly did this all the time, the pile of decisions I make every day would be so much simpler, because the hard part of making a decision is often the question, What's in it for me? Take that out of the equation, and all of the sudden the field of choices is greatly narrowed. Call it dying to self, if you will. When I'm out of the picture, choosing what to do becomes a whole lot easier.

That's simple, not easy. Running a marathon is simple--one step, one mile at a time. Is it easy? I can't say from experience, but those who have done it say not hardly.

The same is true of putting God first. It sounds so simple, but it's awfully hard to do.

What to do, what to do?

I think the answer is just do it, but do it for the right reasons. Whatever it is, if done in the name of the Lord, for His glory, and with thanks to God, it will be the right decision.

If You Could Ask God For Just One Thing . . .

I ask God for a lot of things.

This isn't wrong. It isn't necessarily selfish or self-centered. I'm not a bad Christian because I lay out to God the desires of my heart and ask Him to provide for me according to His will. That's Biblical.

What if, though, I only asked God for one thing. What would it be?

Would I pray for my marriage, or the health and well being of my family? Would I pray for security, safety, success? What is the one thing I would lift up to Him?

I'm not sure.

Really, I'm not. Some might say I should pray for salvation,  which is certainly true if you don't have it. Others may say I should pray for faith, which isn't a bad thought at all. There's obedience, and strength, courage and perseverance, love, hope, humility . . . The list goes on and on.

None of these are bad. I'm just not sure any of them are the one.

What did David pray for?

In Psalm 27:4 David said there was one thing he asked of the Lord, one thing which he sought. He wanted to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of his life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to see Him in His temple.

That sounds good. But what does it mean?

David spent a lot of his time fighting with Saul, the Philistines, and other enemies. This often put him at a distance from the tabernacle, from the physical representation of God's presence on earth, from the site of communal worship and fellowship with his people. David missed that. At the time he wrote the 27th Psalm, it seems to be the one thing he missed the most, the one thing he asked God to give him.

David wanted to be in the presence of God. He desired, more than anything, to be as close to his Lord as anyone could be. In His house. No wonder God considered David to be a man after His own heart.

David knew what was important.

He didn't lift up his kingship. Winning a battle didn't come first to his mind. Even his own safety and security were secondary to this one request. God, I want to be with you.

That's insight. That's faith. That's having your priorities in the right order. Because if you have that, if you have a closeness with God, everything else is going to be just fine. It may not end up how you thought you wanted it, but when you are in the presence of God, you have a different perspective.

I'm going to try to follow David's example. I'm going to try to put being in God's presence at the top of my prayer list every day. I'm going to try to get my priorities straight, to realize and understand that the one thing that really matters is God in my life.

I believe, when I do that, everything else will be just as it's supposed to be.
 

God Doesn't Think Like Me

Thankfully!

The verse above from Isaiah is often quoted or paraphrased when life doesn't go our way. When we experience hardship or loss, we pull out this truth from Scripture, and rightfully so.

But have you read Isaiah Chapter 55 to understand what that verse means in context? If not, you might be surprised.

You see, it's about forgiveness. When you read Isaiah 55, I hope you'll understand why I am so thankful for this verse.

God thinks in terms of truly forgiving.

The chapter begins with an invitation to all who are spiritually thirsty to come to the fountain of God. Beginning in verse 6 we see to whom God is truly calling out. Not the righteous, nor the godly. He is calling out to the wicked, and the evil.

Why?

So that He can pardon them. Forgive them. Give them a new start.

Because His thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways.

We often think of rewarding and serving those who please us. God thinks of saving those who are His enemies. That is a fundamental difference in thinking, a completely different modus operandi. We tend to reach out to those with whom we have much in common. God seeks those who don't know Him at all.

Who among us would actively seek out those who have wronged us so that we could forgive them? Not I, at least not of myself. My thoughts are dark and evil when I am wronged. I may act out of the presence of the Spirit in my life, but those are not the thoughts of my human nature.

That's one way God doesn't think like me.

Thank you, Lord! For not so long ago, I was your enemy, too!

Who Am I To Question God?

Job questioned God.

Many of us are familiar with the story of Job. In short, he was the most righteous man on earth during his time, and because of that he caught the attention of both God and Satan. God holds Job up as an example, and Satan contends that if God were to take away what He had given the man, he would curse God.

God disagrees, and allows Satan to torment Job by destroying all his possessions, his family, and even his health. That happens in the first two chapters. The rest of the lengthy book records conversations between Job and three of his friends as they discuss the matter of his fall from might and grace to desolation and despair.

Now, Job is usually held up as the standard for how to act in difficult times, and I don't argue with that. What is not often talked about, however, is the fact that Job questioned God. He goes to great lengths to explain why he should not be suffering because he has been righteous his whole life. He closes his argument at the end of chapter 31 where, in verse 35 he says, Oh, that I had someone to hear me! I sign now my defense--let the Almighty answer me; let my accuser put his indictment in writing.

That's pretty darn bold! And, as it turns out, dangerous.

God answered.

Job laid out a great defense for himself. He gave to the poor, cared for widows and orphans, was faithful to his wife, feared God, served Him--everything he was supposed to do. He saw no reason for God to be treating him the way He was.

God saw it differently.

Chapter 38 is the beginning of God's response to Job, and it is as expansive as Job's defense of himself. What it boils down to is this: God told Job to brace himself like a man and prepare to get the answer for which he asked. God then basically said, I created everything. I control everything. I am everything. What are you?

Job got the point.

Four chapters later in Chapter 42, sufficiently chastised, Job gets it. The Bible doesn't say, but I'm pretty sure Job is down on his knees as he says, more or less, I get it! You're everything, I'm nothing! I'm sorry!

The end of the story tells how God, after Job had repented of his questioning, returned to him all that had been taken away and more. He survived the test and came out glowing. Just remember that part of that glow was the red-faced embarrassment of being put in his place by God Almighty.

What's the point for us?

The point for us, or at least me, is in God's answer to Job's lament that he was being treated unfairly. It doesn't matter how good I think I am, how important I think I am, or how well I think I'm doing. Compared to God, I am nothing. If God chooses or allows me to go through this or that trial, who am I to complain?

Who am I, who is nothing, to question God, who is everything?   

Someone's Always Watching

Ever make a stupid mistake, and hope no one saw you?

Here's the bad news. They did. I know. I've been there, and done that.

Here are some examples. Some of them are mine, some are anonymous. I'll let you decide which is which.

We're all harebrained at times.

Ever pull in to the gas station with the pump on the wrong side and try to stretch the hose over the top of the vehicle? Usually doesn't work.

Ever push the button on a vending machine about 50 times before you realize you haven't put in enough money? Forget your PIN at the ATM? Go to the store, get to the checkout, and realize you don't have your wallet/purse? Or not enough money?

Ever been caught with your fly open, shirt buttoned wrong, or a hole in your pants? Get out of the house with your shirt on backwards, or inside out and someone will notice. Every time.

Lock you keys in the car? Guarantee someone will be there to witness it. Get pulled over by the police? Half the people you know will drive by, even if you're out of state. Lose your car in a mall parking lot and at least a dozen people will see you wandering around, pushing the lock button trying to hear the horn.

Get a flat tire in rush hour and no one will look your way, but stop to utilize God's latrine in the middle of the night and 3 people will stop to see if you need help.

When I get it right, no once notices. But one little slip . . .

Someone's always watching.

Like the person who buried their car in wet concrete in a highway construction zone. They ended up on the news, and about a million Facebook shares. The person who ran their convertible--with the top open--through a car wash? 5 minutes of fame--or rather infamy.

Drive your car in a lake, leave your kid at the store, enter an exit ramp on the interstate (I know someone who did that!), send a get-well card on funeral flowers (it's happened),  or a sympathy card to a wedding and someone's cell phone will capture the moment.

The moral of the story?

There is no such thing as privacy out there. Keep that in mind, or you just might end up on Facebook. 

My God Cares

God is good . . . all the time.

I don't know everything. Sometimes I don't know much. There are, however, two things I know. Maybe even three.

First, I know that God is good. This is a simple, but all encompassing statement that probably has less impact on us than is deserved. Part of the reason is because we use the word good to describe pretty much everything. That was a good meal. That was a good ballgame. I had a good time. Oh, and God's good, too. Good grief!

To say that God is good is not to comment on His quality, but rather to describe His nature. God is inherently good, no matter what. A burger isn't so good when it's burnt, blow-out ballgames aren't that fun to watch, and a good time can be ruined in a moment.

God's not like that. No matter what, no matter when, no matter how, God is good. Nothing can change that.

That's number one.

I will have times of trouble.

As much as I'd like to think I won't, I'm going to have bad days. Life is hard. I'm going to screw it up some days, and others it's not going to be my fault at all. Doesn't change a thing. I'm going to have trouble at home, trouble at work, trouble with others and trouble with myself.

When I was younger, a neighbor of ours said my middle name should be trouble. Maybe they were right.

Trouble seems to follow me around, but I don't feel so bad about that because I know it follows you as well. I don't even know who you are, but it doesn't matter. Everyone has had trouble, has trouble, and will have trouble. That's called life.

That's two.

God is there for those who trust Him.

This may actually be a result or an extension of number one, but is big enough it earns a spot of its own (and I'd rather say I know three things than two!). In our verse above, this idea that God is there for those who trust Him is brought out in the words refuge and cares.

That God is a refuge in times of trouble means that He is there as a place of safety and shelter when your world wobbles on its axis. Like an injured child runs to his mother for comfort, so can we turn to God when we are hurt, afraid, confused, or whatever. When trouble strikes, God is our safe haven.

When we get to Him, when we reach that place of refuge and safety, we find a God who cares. Not a distant, impersonal, uncaring deity who has no interest in the mundane matters of humanity, but rather a loving and caring Abba Father who will wrap His loving arms around us and make everything feel right again.

A simple verse with three important lessons.

God is good. I will have trouble. When I do, God is there for me.

If that's all I know, I'm not doing so bad after all. 



 

Better Times Are Coming

This life hurts.

You could even say, at times, life isn't fair, fun, or even worth getting out of bed. People get hurt. They get sick. Sometimes we even lose them completely. There is pain. There is sorrow. There is the constant shadow of death hanging over us.

God gets it. He really does.

We could say that this wasn't God's intent, and we'd be right--God created the world perfect, without pain, or sorrow, or death. We're the ones who mucked things up. But what good does knowing that do us now? What good is knowing what was meant to be?

We are hurting. We are suffering. We are afraid. That's now. That's where we are. This isn't Eden. This life isn't perfect. Not by a long shot.

Better times are coming.

God understands our hurts, our pains, our losses and fears. He gets it. He's been there. When Jesus was here in the flesh, God looked at Him every day knowing He was going to die. He knew the pain and suffering His Son would face. He understands the apprehension of watching a loved one near their time. He's walked that lonely path.

He also knows better times are ahead.

God's plan is for us to live once again in a world of perfection. A world without pain. A world without fear. A world without suffering, sorrow, and even the shadow of death. You see, God did not create us to die. He created us to live. And live we will!

A time is coming when there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Never again will we fear losing someone we love. Forevermore will we know the joy of being together, walking hand in hand with those we love without the restraining specter of death peering over our shoulder.

Those are better times. That is God's plan for us. That is our future.

When?

I don't know. No one does. What I do know is this: I have hope.

Today is hard, but tomorrow--whenever that tomorrow comes--will be worth all I go through today and more. I can endure the hurt of today knowing that once tomorrow comes, I will never hurt again. I can say goodbye knowing it is for only the briefest of moments. I can let go today knowing I will never have to do it again.

It's not easy, all this waiting, watching, worrying. Even knowing what is to come, I feel the pain of today. But that hope, that knowledge that one day God will wipe away every tear, comfort every fear, and whisper soft words of love to my aching soul helps me get through.

This life hurts, it is true.

But better times are coming.

 

God's Talking--Are You Listening?

God's not listening.

Ever feel that way? Have you felt like it didn't matter how much you pray, God's not going to answer? In those times when you most want to hear Him, do you get mad because He seems distant, uncaring, silent? Are you frustrated because He doesn't answer? Do you think He's not listening?

He is.

But are you?

God does hear, and His answers are probably clearer than we think.

When I pray for guidance from God, I'll often ask Him to make the right choice clear. I'll ask Him to clearly show what He would have me do (because I'm fairly dense and often need a picture to get the message). That's probably not necessary.

See, I don't think God is shy about telling us what He wants us to do. Nor do I think He's hesitant to make clear His intentions or desires. I don't believe God is at all detached and uncaring, or lacks the confidence to tell us exactly what He thinks we should do.

I'm not at all sure, however, that we always want to hear it. In fact, I know I don't.

I've asked for things that, as it turns out, were not in God's plan. I prayed for God's will to be done, and asked Him to show me what He wanted to happen. I then turned a blind eye and deaf ear to every answer except the one I was looking for.

As a result, I never heard a thing.

Communication is a two way street.

If you send someone a text, and they call you instead of responding by text, does that mean they didn't answer? If you message someone on Facebook, and they respond by email, did they ignore you? If you ask someone a question and they simply nod their head, did they not respond?

My point is, God doesn't always speak the way we want or expect. I'd love for God to answer me out loud. That'd be a whole lot easier! That's not how God has worked in my life, however. God uses different forms of communication. It's up to me to pay attention and hear Him, however He speaks.

All of creation is at God's disposal to use. Why do we have Facebook, Twitter, Snap-Chat and Google+ in addition to text and phone? Because each is specially suited for certain times and uses.

 I think that's how it works for God, too. Sometimes the best way for Him to communicate is through His Word. Other times, He might use another person. Maybe a dream, a thought, a feeling. We speak of God opening and closing doors of opportunity, and that's a way He speaks as well.

The world and everything in it is in God's hands to communicate with us. He speaks all the time.

Are we listening?

Hear This

The Day is coming.

A day of darkness, despair, fear, and rejoicing.
A day of judgement. A day of wrath. A day of salvation.

He has delayed. He has tarried.
His patience grows thin.

Why do you think He would not keep His word?
Why would you believe it will not come to be?

Because He has waited?
Because He is patient?

Know this:

My God of patience
Is a God of judgment.
My God of mercy
Is a God of wrath.

He will have mercy on those whom He would have mercy.
He will destroy those whom He would destroy.

You cannot hide.
You cannot flee.

He is coming.

Remember

He has told you these things.
You have been given fair warning.

From the beginning of the Ages He has revealed His plan.
His mouth has not been silent.
His Word has not been kept secret.

When He comes, you will have no excuse.

Prepare

Take refuge in the only place safety can be found.
Hide yourself in the cloak of His mercy and grace.

Do not think you can avoid Him.
Do not be fooled by false teachings.

When Judgment comes, He will see two things:
Death.
His shed blood.

When His fiery gaze falls upon you,
Which do you want Him to see?

What's Your Goal?

Everybody has a goal.

The runner's goal is the finish line. The quarterback seeks the end zone. Lovers want love, workers want paid, parents want obedient children and children want to grow up (or drive me insane, whichever comes first!).

You get the point. Everybody has a goal.

Let me ask you this: What is yours?

Maybe you don't have one?

Wrong! Everyone has a goal. Be it power, money, strength, intelligence, or serving Almighty God--everybody is working for and towards something.

So let me ask you again--what is your goal?

Your goals reveal your faith.

Whatever you are striving for in this life--your goals--reveal what you believe in. If your goal is to be rich, your faith is in money. If your goal is a certain level of authority, you have placed your faith in power, and so on.

I'm not talking about career goals, retirement planning, or other, lesser goals. I'm talking about the overall purpose for your life. You can seek power, wealth, knowledge and many other things without placing your faith in them.

The problem arises when your goal in life becomes something that doesn't really matter, when you put your faith in things which will ultimately let you down.

There is only one goal that counts for eternity.

That goal is the salvation of your soul. And there is only one faith that can bring about that goal--faith in Jesus Christ.

If the goal of your faith is anything less than that, and if your faith is placed anywhere else, you're in for a big surprise--You're going to lose.

The reality is this--everything else, be it fame, fortune, beauty, or the world itself--is going to pass away. It's all temporary, folks! Only you will last forever. And if your goal hasn't been the salvation of your soul, what will you have left?

Nothing.

Goals matter.

Having goals is a good thing. We never strive as hard as when we know what we are working for.

So one last time--What is your goal?

 

Be The Best You Out There

Ever been picked last?

Remember how we used to pick teams, where the two "best" at whatever game you were getting ready to play acted as captains, taking turns choosing their teammates? Sometimes being the last man standing isn't so great after all.

Ever rode the bench, guarded the water bottles, or otherwise watched from the sidelines? It can be hard. I know.

Maybe you've always been a starter.

Perhaps you're that guy or girl who's always been the captain, always been picked first. Maybe you're the one who made the crowd sigh and look anxiously at the coach when you came out of the game.

Then you know it's the leader who gets the blame, the captain who accepts the trophy, or gives it away. You understand the pressure of expectation, the true agony of defeat.

That's not easy, either.

Either way, you're the only you out there.

In some ways, life doesn't change a whole lot as we get older. We still have leaders, teams are still chosen. Games continue to be played, with one team winning, another losing. Someone gets the glory. Another gets the blame.

Despite the overwhelming message of the world, I think winning still matters. It's not everything, but it's something.

What you cannot let it be is the definition of who you are. What I mean is, if you're picked last, you're not a loser. If you're the captain, you're not necessarily a winner. Playing the whole game doesn't make you better than the guy on the bench.

Whatever your role, you are the only you out there.

Be the best you you can be.

If you're not picked to lead that team project, contribute everything you can. If you're passed over for that promotion, fill your role to your best ability. Whether picked first or last, work your hardest.

Do not let your position in life define you. Define yourself by what you do where you've been placed.

As the Bible says in Colossians 3:23, Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. 

That passage doesn't say to win, or succeed, or be the best, it says do your best. The next verse is a continuation of the same sentence and reads, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. 

You see, God doesn't just reward winners. He rewards workers. Those who do their best. But lest you think I've gone all soft on winning and losing, let me leave you with two more verses, these also from Paul, in Philippians 3:14, 15.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.




 

Playing In The Mud

Remember how you played when you were a kid?

Not the organized, school or Little-League sanctioned games, but the pick-up football, baseball, basketball, or soccer games that happened in the backyard or the neighborhood park? Remember tag, hide-and-seek, cowboys and Indians (sorry, we were not PC in the 70s), or 1,000 other games you played?

Let me ask you something . . .

How often did those games get cancelled because it rained? How often did you stay inside because it was too hot, or too cold, because you were tired, or had something better to do?

If you were like me and the kids I grew up with, not very often. In fact, unless your parents told you otherwise, you played no matter what.

What happened?

When did we decide we could only play if and when conditions were perfect? When did TV become so important, or doing nothing become a pastime?

When did mud become toxic, rain poisonous, heat unbearable, and cold intolerable?

When did we get so soft?

Life lessons learned.

I really believe playing is practicing for life. We could go into the lessons I learned as a kid playing all those games, but I don't have to . . . you already know. A few are worth mentioning, though, because they still apply. To start with, you played whenever you had the chance, and you did the best you could.

Always.

I truly believe those lessons carried over into my adult life. Playing in the rain taught me to be tough, and that the playing field of life wasn't always going to be perfectly manicured and maintained. Sliding through the mud taught me to get up when I fell, and that dirt washes off.

Cold hands and numb fingers taught me to keep my eye on the ball. 100 degree days taught me a little sweat never hurt anyone. Winning taught me hard work pays off. Losing taught me humility.

Those are lessons for life.

We need to get back out in the mud.

When we stop playing because it's too hot or too cold, too muddy or too dry, too this or too that, we start forgetting those lessons. We forget to work harder when life gets tough, to play smarter when you're outnumbered, to swing for the fences sometimes, to get up and try again.

Striving for success in conditions that are less than perfect pretty much defines life, doesn't it?

What better practice could there be than getting out there and playing in the mud?