Decorating for Christmas

I love Christmas. There truly is something magical about it. More so than any other season, Christmas, makes us want to to transform the world into what we wish it was.  Doors are opened and food is offered freely to complete strangers. Decked out houses are cleaner, in preparation for parties and visitations.  Despite being busier than ever, people try to be nicer. Decorations are everywhere. Lights of all colors pierce the darkness making the world a brighter place. Then there is the Christmas tree. It's wrapped in lights, with specially placed ornaments in just the right spots to fill the "holes".No matter how perfect a tree looks, there are always holes to fill. Our lives have been decorated by Jesus. He has transformed us into lights. He uses us, by carefully placing us into lives to help fill the holes that only He can fill. No matter how perfect a life seems, there are always holes to fill. After salvation, as a part of worship and in spreading the gospel, our purpose may very well come down to simply decorating someone's life. Even if only briefly, make a difference. It's the best combat against depression I have found. No doubt the enemy will remind us of our failures. He'll tell us we should have come farther by now. He'll say you're not fit for decorating. God places his ornaments when and where he wants them. His decorations are always up, it's always our moment to shine.

Is Seeing Believing?

There's an old saying "seeing is believing". A saying, that will probably soon disappear because we live in a day an age when we cannot trust our faculties. The boundary lines of reality have been blurred by the film industry. "Reality tv", movies, and video games have disconnect us from our imaginations and have robbed us of our creativity. With smart phones, we can create videos that rival the special effects of Hollywood just a decade earlier. All that is needed to escape reality is an avitar or a x-box. If you don't have time for that, you can always tweet or post about how dreadfully wonderful your life is on Facebook. Perhaps, that's one reason God has reminded us that we should walk by faith, not by sight. He knew there would come a day when we could not trust our vision. But I say we never could.  

We don't see with our eyes, we see with our minds. Need proof? That last dream that you remember, you saw that in your head right? Was it real? Our eyes process light along the optic nerves into our brains but what we see is our own perception. No two perceptions are just alike. That's about 7 billion " how I see it is" or opinions on planet earth. Makes you long for some absolutes, doesn't it?

Thankfully, God hasn't left us to our own devices when it comes to understanding him. He has chosen to reveal key information about Himself to us in His word. Over and over, He tells us to give little attention to the things we can see. Jesus even told Thomas blessed are those who believe who have not seen. Paul had this to say in 2 Corinthians 4:18" So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Finding an invisible God isn't all that hard if you know where to look. The key is you have to be looking. The wonders of God may be hidden in creation but the God of wonders isn't exactly hiding. He tells us, if we seek him we will find him, if we seek with all our heart Jeremiah 29:13.  Seeing isn't believing because belief isn't a visual response. Belief is a response of the heart.

You might find Jesus anywhere. Well, almost. You can't find Him in a manger. That's been done. Incidentally, all those who found Him there were looking toward heaven. You won't find Him on the cross either. "It is finished". It couldn't hold Him. You won't find Him in a tomb. That rock rolled a long time ago.  The grave couldn't keep Him .Those places have two things in common. All were forever changed by a brief encounter with the savior and all are empty without Him .Whether you're looking through a telescope or walking through a valley, gazing at something fascinating or just having a busy night at the office tending your sheep, Jesus can be found. When you find Him, it will be your heart, not your eyes, that is mesmerized. Unlike the manger, the cross, and the tomb, Jesus doesn't make brief encounters with the heart. Only Christ can fill a heart. Your heart is uniquely designed to hold Jesus. A heart He encounters is never again, empty. However, it will be forever changed. There will be decorations. Merry Christmas.

You Don't Scare Me Anymore.

 

Not much scares me. On my trip to Africa, I walked, climbed, and crawled from the plains to the mountains, for a glimpse of the dangerous wildlife. Knowing parasitic insects, three of the worlds deadliest snakes, large charging animals, and many feared predators, lived where I was walking, climbing, and crawling. Never once was my faith stifled. I've ridden horses and even an ostrich. I've been cave diving. I have crawled into a shark cage to observe great whites up close. I have no fear of flying. My job involves working with live electrical circuits from time to time. I live in a house where the ratio of men to women is one to three. Public speaking, considered the number one fear, rated higher than fear of death, it's a piece of cake for me. Belief in an infallible God's perfect plan, affords one many freedoms. Yet, I dread every Halloween. I don't do scary movies. I don't do masks. (By the way, I am always packing, so you might want to pull that practical joke on someone else). Halloween, I literally hate it.
Even though I know the history behind Halloween, this isn't some attempt to condemn those who celebrate. I want people to have fun. I don't care what night it is.  However, I could actually see you put on a mask and it would still creep me out. Silly, I mean, all that stuff isn't real, right? While it might be true there are no monsters underneath my bed, our faith teaches the existence of demons is real. Over the years, studying the bible, I found the stories of Satan and his demons most disturbing. To be honest, it scared the crap out of me.' I guess, knowing those who worship demons count Halloween as their most sacred day made me a little nervous. Ephesians 6. reminds us our enemy supernatural.  Somehow, I keep forgetting, living inside of us is the supernatural creative power of the universe, the Holy Spirit. The same power that kicked Satan's butt out of heaven, kicked the door in at his house and stole his keys. I keep forgetting, all the verses that belittle our enemy. Like, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. 1 John 4:4 God has given is a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind instead of fear.2 Timothy 1:7 There's more, lots more. From time to time, when I get the wind knocked out of me, I look through the word for some ammunition to use against the evil one. Recently, while still shaking in my godly armor, I swung my sword when I came across a passage in Isaiah 14 :12-17 . It basically says, one day we will look at satan and wonder how we could have ever been afraid of him. Come to think of it, he does look a little puny when you compare him to how big God is.

Change

 For as long as I can remember, I have lived on Knotty Branch Road. Even before it was Knotty Branch Road. The United States Postal service changed my address three times on Route 2 before Knotty Branch got its name for some almost always invisible flowing body of water, supossedly behind my property. Now after forty years, you get used to things. You come to depend on them. Like the old house I grew up in. Or the forty foot plus magnolia tree that was in the front yard.

 My great grandfather built this home. It managed to survive four generations, four familys, Hurricanes Hazel and Hugo, and two close calls with tornadoes, despite the fact it wasn't engineered or inspected. But it was a cold house. So cold, the commode froze occasionally. Sometimes, we would all sleep on den floor by the gas heater. I could go on. Funny, I couldn't wait to get out of it but miss it so much now. But the yard was my stage. The magnolia tree was my favorite toy. Split in half, at the expense of my father's butt, had created the tree's huge twin trunks. I can almost smell the lemony aroma from the blossoms from the screen porch. It takes me back thirty four years, when a little boy will force himself to overcome his fear of heights by climbing to the top of that tree. Underneath, a brother and sister will bury treasure, in the form of a Snoppy piggy bank. That til this day, has yet to be discovered.  Magnolia cones make the best make-believe grenades, by the way. We barely scratched the surface of what all the leaves could be used for. Landmarks for 75 years or longer, the house and tree greeted me like two old familar souls until two weeks ago. Now, all that remain are the memories. They aren't all good memories, but some are wonderful. Watching the destruction of your original home is emotional.
 Like most of my emotional experiences, God shows up with His little lesson plans. This time, I was ready for Him. I was drawing the obvious parallels. "Material possessions are temporary. I know, Lord. Nothing here last forever. I know, Lord, you never know what you got till Yada, yada, yada.( NEVER yada,yada,yada Yahweh). "
 A week goes by, I still can't hardly recognize the road leading to my home.  Pondering how things will never be the same always exhaustes me. Then it hit me. I can't recognize my county, or my country anymore. Everything changes.  So this morning, in the spirit of change, (really to just avoid it) I decided to look down Knotty Branch the other direction, opposite of my old home. Just as I did, a  bald eagle landed in my yard! It's a rare sight. My first, and I could have missed it doing the same old thing.' It reminded me of Isaiah 41:10
"but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."" By the way Clint, this is not and was not your home. And the only thing you should come to depend on is me." God always has the last word.
Change is inevitable, but I don't have to like it. Our God, however, never changes. Constantly, leading us. Constantly asking us to wait on Him, while he changes, us.

Right Under My Nose

Growing up in the hardware business has afforded me many life lessons. Many of those, spill over into examples of how my Christian faith works. For God often uses the things right under our noses to teach us. Allow me to share my most recent.

Over the years, I set myself on auto pilot when it comes to customer returns. I simply take it back and the manufacture gives me credit. No griping about how the customer could have made this item work with the effort or the imagination of a snail. Because of this, I have aquired items I would never have been able to otherwise. I have repaired many of those returned items and restored them to their intended use. Rescuing them from the dump. Since I know this , I also know people will reject new items for the slightest imperfection. Thus, the begining of my love affair with factory reconditioned tools.

 Factory reconditioned tools are no longer in their original packages. Someone else has discovered something wrong wrong with, and rejected it. The factory, rather than abandoning its creation, takes the tool  and bears the extra expense of repairing it. Once the tool is functioning correctly, the tool is stamped "recon" and placed into service. This time, the tool has had special attention from the factory in making sure it operates as if it were new. Still many will miss the big picture. They will only see the recon stamp and simply never give the tool a chance. Consequently, they miss out on a great tool at a great price. Honestly, a factory reconditioned tool maybe less a risk than an unused tool still boxed.

 Every Christian out there has been factory reconditioned.  Returned to our maker, at his expense, to create something new, and to preform the task we were specifically designed for. Rescued from the dump, we are sealed by the factory, by the blood of Christ, placed into His service.  Forever looking for those,who like us, are rejected by this world. Who, although they are still wrapped in their pretty packaging, need that special attention and that reconditioning by the the savior.We must not miss out on this great deal. What's funny, is how God reveals blaring little metaphors in things you see everyday. However, up until that moment, you amazingly managed to miss it. Perhaps, He chooses to reveal things right under our noses to remind us to walk by faith and not by sight.

Revelation 21:5

Something the Little Birdie Told Me

Directly in front of my work station is a monitor. The nine screens display the most mundane videos on the planet.  Just a constant parade of trucks and customers coming and going in and out our warehouse. Nothing unusual ever happens. Unless, you count a blue bird  trying to make the outside camera housing his home. I first noticed the extremely large blue blur on my monitor when the bird would hover infront of the camera. He tried desperately, to no avail, to get inside the camera housing which looks similar to a bird house. Frantically, he would peck the lens cover, until overcome by exhaustion he'd find rest on top of the camera pole. Then, with his strength refreshed, he returned to his futile mission. He continued and repeated the process for three days. Hopefully, he found a proper place to live. The whole thing reminded me how Christians, myself included, sometimes try desperately to to find a home in a society that cannot possibly accommodate us. It's sort of like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. We simply don't belong here. But why would we want to? Heaven, sounds so much better  yet we want to keep one foot and one eye on this world. God's grace is sufficient, I keep forgetting.

    While, our investments afford us plush accommodations, God rarely seems concerned with our being comfortable here. We try to find creative ways to appeal to a public that hates us. Even though, Jesus told to expect just that, since it hated him. It should be enough that he loves us. We must learn to love them without expecting, or even wanting, their love in return. Over and over, we spend our energy on this world, as if we believe it's our final resting place or permanent residence. Throughout the scriptures, God reminds us it's not.Click here for my favorite example.

 Sometimes, when I see something I want but do not need, I can hear God whispering to me.

 " That is not for you. You're just passing through and that's too much for you to carry on this journey." Sometimes I ignore him. Sometimes I foolishly try to negotiate the terms with Him. As if, I could fence with God.  But every once in a while, in child like wonder, I set down that thing too big for me to carry. I look up to the Lord and ask, "Where are we going, Lord?"

"To your mansion", He replies
" I know, a little birdie told me.", I chuckle, walking away from my would be burden.
 He, nods and smiles, then whispers " I told him what to say."

The God of Klingon Warriors

In case you haven't heard, scientist have discovered hundreds of planets outside our solar system. As recently as April, they claimed to have discovered 3 new planets located in what they call the Goldilocks zone. Click here for the article.The Goldilocks zone is the "just right" distance from a star to support life. Even in an age where technology is growing astronomically, it is doubtful if we will be able to take a voyage into the final frontier. In our lifetime, the obvious scientific questions will go largely unanswered. We will continue to walk by faith. Who knows, maybe there is life on other planets. Sometimes, I think  TV preachers are from Vulcan. They always seem to be telling me how to have health and long life. Hinn, has to be from another planet. That is proof enough for people like me.  But what about real questions of faith conjured by these discoveries?  No doubt they would prompt an atheist, like Gene Roddenberry, the creator of  "Star Trek" to ask, " If intelligent life beyond our solar system exists, did Christ have to die for them as well?"  To which I would reply, " I don't know. I only know that He died for you and me."I'll be the first to say this world is not my home.  The opening words of " How Great Thou Art" now echoes prophecy stating "Oh lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds thy hands have made."  The bible talks of creatures that are without a doubt out of this world. If you haven't seen that, reread it. Well, do that anyway. God is the god of space, the god of time. He is the god of endless possibilities. He is not just a god of a galaxy far, far, away. He is a god of here and now, to infinity and beyond. He alone is God. The begininig and the end. Hebrews 11:3  says " By faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible." Psalm 19 says it all. Check it out. Whatever is out there, Christ made it.

Honestly, there is a lot I don't know about the universe. A lot I don't understand about God.

 But I know Him and He has all the answers. He has commanded us to boldly go and proclaim the good news to every creature. Hey, for all I know, Klingons, (the warrior race on Star Trek) exist. If they do, God is their God too.For now, the only ones I can reach are here on planet Earth. So, that is what I am going to do. I'll be on a continuing mission to seek them out.

 

Don't Hate the Desert.

I love to travel. One of the greatest blessings was my trip to Africa in 2008. Flying into Africa, we crossed over the Sahara. At better than 500 mph it took about three hours to cross. From 30,000 ft, it looked like a big tan ocean. Speaking of an ocean, nothing is more beautiful than a coral reef. The colors and marine life are absolutely breathtaking.  Get out of sight of that reef and you know what you see? The equivalent to an underwater desert. My point is, we are never far from a desert. Despite the breathtaking sunsets and rugged landscapes, deserts aren't exactly at the top of my vacation destinations. Then again, God doesn't take vacations.
A desert's the kind of thing you marvel for its size but wonder what purpose God would have for creating it. I mean, when is the last time you heard of someone having a spiritual retreat in a desert? Grab the good book and head to the Mojave. I don't think so.

So, I am wondering why Jesus was led into to the desert to be tempted?  It's not like temptation can't come in a tropical paradise. You could argue temptation is more readily available in a garden than a desert. After all, Adam and Eve were sure in a beautiful paradise and temptation was in no short supply there.
The best thing about deserts, they offers little in the way of distractions. Except that big distraction, yourself.  Nobody wants to go there. Nobody wants to even talk about the desert. But the desert has a lot to offer.
I don't think Jesus went into the desert looking for temptation but rather knew that it was going to come and wanted it in the desert. Here's what I have drawn from the Bible's desert stories.

 The spirit leads, we must follow. Even to places we don't want to go. The desert is the forge God uses to shape the hearts of man. No matter where you are or aren't, you are where God has placed you now. That job you hate. That pulpit you love. That stage you wish you were on. That thing you can't seem to finish. That project God told you to start. That grave you're crying over.  Don't take His sovereignty for granted. Don't hate the desert.
 Alone in the desert, we are forced to remember only God supplies our needs. Only in the desert does the manna fall. When resources are in short supply, miracles we take for granted seem much larger. God gets bigger in the desert.
God's people sacrifice to Him in the desert. Focus on pleasing God rather than your comfort.
The promise land is just beyond  the desert.   I was reminded of this today, when the unpleasant memories of the circumstances of my friend's untimely death, helped me to comfort and lead a stranger in a prayer for salvation. These encouraging words from Deuteronomy 32:9-14. remind me of what God is doing while I'm in the desert. God is leading us to the promise land. He is building that stage for you. The desert is just on the way.

Placing my bet. Going "All In".

I was "all in" or at least I thought I was. Love God. Check. Love people. Check. Do something. Check. I mean, I love my church, the Rock. I love the people, my small group, our pastor. I volunteer. I even have a picture of the planned campus at the top of my dream board. So, how could I be one who is having doubts about the whole building thing?

 Because, I just love staying afterwards to stack that closet. I will miss that closet.  Let's be honest, we are talking about money and lots of it. Can't we build something cheaper? Is this the right thing to do? Is now the right time to do this? Then it hit me. I had not picked up the prayer guide. I had an opinion, yet hadn't bothered to get God's. So I asked, "God what do you think?"
. Here is some things He showed me.
It is only seven verses from "blessed are you...the rock on which I will build my church" to "get thee behind me Satan."  Check it out click here. Spiritual forces are warring against us. That's a good sign but I hate it when they work through my short comings. Peter and I have a lot in common. Both of us need to get out of God's way. I am betting that day, Peter wasn't sure about the whole church idea either.  So, just in case you're worried about our leadership, God built a church on a man that denied Him three times, anyway. I trust in our imperfect leaders. I trust our perfect God, even more . I am providing nothing except my obedience. If I am obedient to God, I am in no way obligated to make this a success. (but I trust it will be ) He is doing the building. I trust God but...
Could we build something cheaper? Absolutely, but then we would be building it. If God has unlimited resources, can we afford to settle for mediocre? I believe God wants to show up, but will He, if we dream small? Right about now, if  Moses was here, he'd say, " be careful this could cost you forty years of wandering". It was a strange set of circumstances that led me to the Rock, a church I didn't  want to go to, and didn't like at first, but now love. It has been life changing for me. I can't put a price tag on that. Just like I can't put a price tag on the soul that we might not reach any other way without this building. One soul escaping hell is worth a hundred buildings. When Jesus went " all in" for us, the cost was much higher.
Are the stakes high? You bet. No you check, I'll bet. I'll go "all in". As with any "all in" bet,  I am praying. I'm not betting on my pastor. I am not betting with my money.  I am betting with Jesus. I am betting on God. All bets are final. It's the only safe bet.



 

WHO'S DOING THE INVENTORY, YOU OR THE BIG MAC?

Every first of year at the hardware store we do the most dreaded of all things. Inventory. There's nothing exciting about counting 20,000 different items. Especially with some items quantities reach into the thousands. It's also depressing to find thousands of dollars worth of theft, dead stock, and overstocked items. Still, it must be done to accurately access where you are or forecast where you are going. Inventory usually invites truth and change. Truth isn't always pretty, and change is rarely easy. About the only thing with inventory I look forward to is finishing it.

   You know who needs to do inventory? Our nation. Collectively and individually we need to take personal inventory. We need to not only to compile the data but to apply real efforts to make changes. Cut the dead stock, write off the theft, trim the fat. Grow the good things. It's biblical. Psalm 139 says:
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts;
²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
 To avoid disaster, to reach our goals, we have to be honest. If I say I want to loose weight, I am trying to loose weight, while holding a BIG Mac, who do you believe me or the Big Mac? When the media tells me we have avoided the physical cliff, I believe the numbers. All 16 trillion  unpaid dollars growing faster than the average mind can comprehend says something different. We have fallen over the cliff with no bottom insight and with no plan to climb back up the mountain. Still, some of us know of ever larger debts that have been forgiven. Over our heads and in the grip of sin, we where born already fallen over the spiritual cliff, already at the bottom. Now we know the grasp of grace and our fate is held in the hand of the creator. He alone supplies us.  He alone can save us. He dispatched His son, Jesus, to bottom of the abyss to rescue us. By the way of the cross and empty tomb he provides a way up and out from the pit. We need only to take an honest inventory of ourselves to know we need him. I pray you join with him and He increases our lives abundantly in 2013.