April 28, 2014

Will you be my filter?

Early in my life, I learned who to trust and who not to trust. Grandpa was always the one you had to watch. My grandpa would always lean over during church and ask me strange questions like, "Do you have a dry pocket?" I never understood this question to have any solution to his next statement, which was, "cause I gotta go pee." I'm not sure why he thought this was funny, but it made me laugh.
Or maybe it was the uncle who claimed by grabbing the tip of my nose, he had stolen my nose completely. What ever the reasons people use in teasing children, we always knew Mom or Dad was trustworthy.
We could find comfort in their advice about life, girls, or how a spanking hurts them more than it did me.
This was a perfectly acceptable way to function when we were children, but most of us reading this are not children anymore. Most of us have families of our own. So, why do we still function this way. It's as if we still believe someone is always going to make all the tough decisions.
Paul addresses this very issue in his letter to the Corinthians:

"When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things." 1 Cor 13:11
I think most of us, including myself, have never got away from this thinking. When we got married, we either elevated our spouse to the Holy place or we kept our previous counselor as our Holy filter.

Every Christian marriage counselor will tell you that your marriage is like a triangle, with God on top and you and your spouse on the opposite corners. This triangle tends to be difficult in most marriages. The premise is that each of you should focus on God and God will draw you together. This proves difficult if you are still operating with your Holy filter. Even though your marriage may be close, someone is always dictating your decision making.
The breakdown is that most of the people given the authority of the Holy filter haven't realized they have been placed there. What happens when we take their advice and it fails? Certainly they are to blame, right?
This is what I call the "Adam and Eve Complex".
"The man replied, 'It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.'" Gen 3:12
As we learn from the scripture, Adam blamed Eve for causing his failure. How many of us seek the advice from others, just to blame them when it does't work.
As a child we always had the dumb kid in our circle of friends. This kid was the one we would pressure to try it first. If this doesn't sound familiar to you, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.
When we got older, somehow we still find someone to carry the burden of blame when life doesn't work out. By seeking wisdom from someone else with complete trust that they would advise us with our best decision in any situation, we are actually causing them to be accountable to a decision that is not theirs to make.
Too many times in the church we operate the same way. Our pastor is our divine filter of God, this way we can blame him when things go bad.
"It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble." Luke 17:2
Jesus is very serious about causing a child to sin. He says it's better that you were to die than to cause a child to fall. Have you ever thought maybe he wasn't referring to the age of the child, but those who think and act as a child?
This could be me. If I still seek advice from others before moving forward in obedience to what God has said, I am clearly still using that person as my Holy filter. What God desires, is that we draw from Him alone as the decision maker in our life.
When we draw energy from people, who are flawed and linear in their vision, we run short of resource. But, when we draw from the resources of our everlasting Father, the author and perfect of our faith, all-knowing, all-seeing, creator God; we are filled with an energy that refreshes us like the cool waters from a fountain.
What begins to change, is our trusted friends, pastors, teachers, and spouse; begin to be co-laborers in our walk with the Lord. The pressure of giving us critical advice is released, and they begin to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in our struggles.
Don't hear me as saying the burden of decision falls solely upon us. Quite contrary. God moves into the drivers seat of our lives and the tough decisions begin to seem effortless. They don't go away, but when we take the hand of our Heavenly Father, He begins to light our path. He promises us that in scripture.

"I am the way and the truth and the life....." John 14:6
What frustrates me the most, is that God never makes the decisions or tells me His decisions when I want to hear it. Erwin McManus writes in his book, "Chasing Daylight", that what we want is a map and God gives us a compass.
The only way you can produce things of God is to completely surrender all of your ways and thoughts to Him. It isn't until we get out of the way and submit to His authority in our lives can He begin to work.
 "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:30
His ways are not difficult. As a matter of fact, His ways are quite simple, but make no mistake about it, they are not easy.
I'm reminded of my favorite quote from A.W. Tozer:
“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us.”
Will you trust Him? Will you follow? 


April 10, 2014

Field of Dreams: The final out

When I began writing this series, I often could see the parallels within my own journey; but as I finish this series, those parallels do not exist. It is not because they are not true of the journey, it's just that I am walking in this right now.
It's always more difficult to reflect on the truth of an experience while forging through it, but when we come through to the other side things look very clear.


At the end of the movie we find our main character, Ray Kinsella, returning home to his family with his two new friends.
Terence Mann and Archie Graham are more important to the story than Ray's could ever be. You see, as I stated this before in the series, our journey is never just for us. Our journey always involves a community or fellowship. This is by design. God did not create us to be alone, thus the reason for woman. However, what we miss, is that God seeks fellowship with US.........I want to pause there and reflect for a moment.
Why then, does God not just make us be his friend? Would you feel an authentic connection with someone you made be your friend?
This will lead us down a slippery slope in a debate of freewill, but ultimately God seeks fellowship with you.


At the end of the day, our hero "Shoeless" Joe, tells Ray the players are going to call it a night, but stops before leaving and asks a question.
"Do you wanna come with us?" Joe invites Terence out with the players. What!!?, Ray asks. He doesn't get it, why would they want Terence and not him. Terence tells Ray why he is being invited instead of him, "I'm unattached, you have a family."
Ray is frustrated. It's not enough that miracles have happened, he wants to be a part of it all. He did everything he was asked to do, and never asked "What's in it for me?" until now.
"Is that why you did this, for you?...I think you better stay here Ray."
So many times we lose focus of why we started our journey in the first place. Someone else reaps a benefit we want, and selfishness takes over. This is the part I find myself in.
The journey is not over. My time has not yet come. I don't want to miss one thing, but my desires may be more of a distraction from the promise.
Ray did his part, but because of his willingness to bring others with him, he has expanded the influence of the Kingdom. This is not always evident when we seek our own understanding.
Because of Ray's boldness, Terence steps out into the unknown, and begins his own faith journey.
When we step out in faith and trust Jesus with our lives, we become a magnet for people who seek peace. The light of Jesus shining from our lives draws them like a moth to a flame. It's how we respond that makes the difference.
Ray's wife Annie tells Ray, "If all these people are gonna come, we got a lot of work to do."
"The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." Luke 10:2
People will come, people will most definitely come.


Then Joe smiles at Ray and says..."if you build it he will come." Ray sees his father, at a much younger age, but marvels at the miracle laid before him.
"Ease his pain" Ray says about his father...but Joe tells him, "No Ray, it was you."
Many times we set out on our journey to bring healing to others, but eventually we discover it was us who needed healing. Many people who return from the mission field, tell stories of redemption in their own lives because of the people they thought THEY were serving.
Once Ray realizes all that has occurred has brought him to this moment, his heart wells up with the joy of redemption and asks, "Hey Dad....you wanna have a catch?"


Since the beginning of creation to the present day, all God has wanted is to spend time with His children.
  • "If you build it, He will come." Our obedience brings us into an intimacy with our Creator that we all find ourselves longing for. He wants to know you and you to know Him, and He does this through a shared task.
  • "Ease His pain." Ever since the fall of mankind and the entrance of sin and death, our Creator has grieved for us, longing for an intimacy He once had. But out of His perfect holiness, He recognizes the grief in us, that He sent His one and only Son to pay the price for OUR sin.
  • "Go the distance." The journey to find peace needs to walk through the purifying steps of pain. Only through pain do we remember the healing. Don't give up, don't ever give up!!
  • "People will come." No matter what you experience on this journey, it is never just for you. We are being made useful so that God may bring salvation to others. We are His light bearers.
God will never tell you the whole story, nor will He explain His ways, He just wants to give you life and to have it more abundantly.
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."  
Psalm 119:105
Will you trust Him?....Will you follow?

April 5, 2014

"Dark, have been my dreams of late."



Have you ever felt dark? Watch this clip and see if you can identify the lies.
Most of us have listened, at one point in our lives, and darkness is where we find ourselves. 
We face a real enemy. He seeks to devour us like a hungry lion. Do you need release from his clutches?
Listen for the promises as you watch this clip. 
Lies of the Deceiver
Gandalf Releases Theoden from Sarumans spell



Call out to Jesus, for He is the light. 

"I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life." 
John 8:12