The Secret Weapon

Pardon the pun, but a year ago, I spent this week wrapping my mind around a brain tumor. First, they said it wasn't cancer. Then, they said it was. Since those days, the only certainty has been uncertainty. 

Few things in life are certain. For the most part, what we call a sure thing is just an illusion. What it really is, is a life most of us take for granted. 

I spent most of this year slaying the invisible monsters and battling the one I can see in the mirror. Cancer is a  disease certain to challenge your faith over and over. You might eradicate it from your body but it will plague you in the constructs of your mind. Satan will attempt to torment a soul in this life, even if can't in the next. Just ask Job. This week, I make an appointment for another MRI to see if the tumor has regrown. Last year they couldn't find any trace post surgery.  Praise God! In spite of that great blessing I've been given, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious.  It's a new spiritual battle I face everyday.  Like all spiritual battles, it's  one I can learn from and one I'll be victorious in, through Christ.

The monsters aren't the only thing invisible. There are battle scars you just can't see. No one can tell by looking, I've had brain surgery. Yet, I can assure you the scars are there, on the inside. They are still a source of pain, despite the fact that you can't see them. Reminding me, we can't see the scars on people's hearts. Especially those camouflaged with smiles and wit or the ones heavily armored with rudeness and indifference. Constantly now, God reminds me we were made from the dirt and I was always broken. Even before the revelation of this disease.

 Besides the spiritual armor discribed in Ephesians 6, Christ followers have a secret weapon to deploy in spiritual battle.

It's a weapon of mass construction. The only solution I've found. Praise. Thanking God in all circumstances. Praise reminds us of not only who is our Father, but also, who our Father is. Our creator, sustainer, defender, and redeemer. Our friend.

The enemy can't stand it. Can't stand for it. Can't stand up to it. Can't stand around it. 

Jeremiah 17:14 says"Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says

give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 

Praise changes everything. Praise leads to service. Service is just praise on steroids .

If you are in any spiritual battle , I encourage you to share them. Don't battle alone. Let's praise Him!! And serve Him!!! What are someways we can serve Him together?

Holiday Miracles

People get up in arms every year about Christmas overtaking Thanksgiving. It seems like It comes earlier every year. I notice the stores had Christmas decorations for sale before Halloween. Even though the world has commercialized the season, I loved seeing the pretty trees while I was recuperating from brain surgery. Knowing that I'd likely miss most of that this year, I enjoyed the moment.
 The first official proclamation of Thanksgiving in the United States came in the middle of The War of Independence. It was set for December the 18th, 1777 just one week before Christmas. You should read it, click here.Thanksgiving has always been my favorite time of year. For me, it marks the beginning of the Christmas season. I've never separated the two holidays because according to the bible we should be doing everything with thanksgiving. (Phillipians 4:6) and there's nothing I am more thankful for than when God shows up. Everyday should be Thanksgiving and we should be getting prepared for God to show up. Christmas is my favorite holiday because God finally does just that. He shows up. I know He's always been around but I am talking about in person. Mary wrapped the babe in swaddling cloths but God wrapped heaven's purest light in flesh. He became like us so we could become like Him.
I don't think it's an accident that our country's first proclamation of Thanksgiving comes in the middle of a war or that we are in a sermon series called Fight just before Thanksgiving.  In the bible many times songs of praise and thankgiving would go before the army into battle. Jesus's tribe, Judah, would go first. The name Judah even means praise. We do it every Sunday singing before the speaker's battle. We exit after a song to prepare us for our upcoming week's battle. God will show up in the battle if we first praise Him and the founding father's knew it. They knew the scriptures. They knew the biggest spiritual battles ever fought had been won through the praises of the Father by Christ. They knew Jesus had shown up Hell's war against Heaven. The devil brought that war to Earth. So the Father, sent his son to finish what satan shouldn't have started. Jesus arrived just in the nick of time to save the day.
So, it doesn't surprise me one bit that God shows up in the middle of my greatest battle so far. One thing I love about this season is the miracles that happen. Yesterday, as my awesome my group prepared for battle, at a benefit they planned for me, Julie lead us in one of those amazing prayers. The kind that invites the Holy Spirit and makes you just know "God's got this." As we held each other's hands, I could feel it. I can't tell you how many times I heard those words "God's got this" from people. I know He does.  Even better was hearing believers we don't go to church with saying over and over they could feel the Spirit there. Well, two or more were gathered in His name and He was definately in the midst. It was overwhelming as well as miraculous. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled together. Highlights of the day were:

No accidents, no bickering. No real problems. From the weather to the restrooms, everything worked out great. Everybody seemed to have a great time. With that many people, it's a miracle.

Kids getting their faces painted by my super talented sister. Her gift is one of God's miracles and so is she.

Seeing many of my friends love on me. It was like a real life ending to "It is a Wonderful Life". In life , you wonder if people really care about you. I have had the most amazing gift, the ability to know. To all of my friends and family thank you.

The food was great. So they say. Our entire my group didn't eat. They were serving. Isn't that just like them? We fixed 600 plus plates of Chicken Bog out of what was supposed to feed 500. A couple of guys can tell you how the pot seemed to grow Bog as they stirred the pot.
Maybe we should "stir the pot" more often and see if God will show up more often.

Getting an old friend to finally commit to going to church with me. I counted seeing him today as a miracle.

Helping out another family in need. Our small group donated to a family yesterday.  Sometimes you have to give to receive. To get a miracle you need to be one. After the event was over, the amount we shared was returned in more than ten fold. We raised $25,000. Call it what ever you want but I know that's a miracle. It's an answer to prayer. It's a defeated spirit of anxiety. I promise to spend it with prayerful consideration.

It's got to be a miracle that Diane's angel food cake didn't sale. It's crazy good but God knew I wanted it. At this point, He was just showing off but He wasn't finished.

Willie, gave two neat gifts. When we went out to eat, we had prayer for an expectant mother. It just so happens the highchair didn't sale at my event. You guessed it he gave it to her. It's either a great run of luck or a miracle. The second gift was to me, a road sign that says ROCKstar Rd. There's nothing miraculous about that. It did however, remind me of one or a dozen. It's a miracle I ever took the road to The Rock Church. One I am glad I didn't miss. Without that miracle, I know yesterday would not have happened. I know God did it but I know who God used to do it through. If you helped or came I am eternally thankful. Merry Christmas.

Spiritual Lessons From Shark Week

   Shark week. Every year it roles around just in time for beach baptism. I can hardly wait for two of my favorite things. I recollect several lobby conversations with Kevin Childs when the two overlapped. He had no problem telling me Chris Fallows of Air Jaws was "bat crap crazy". After finding out I had been shark cage diving with Fallows, Kevin had no problem telling me I was. Shark cage diving remains one of the most memorable events of my life.

    Rising out of South Africa's False Bay is Seal Island. It's nothing more than a rock with about 60,000 seals. 30 yards from shore is known as "the ring of death" where white sharks take seals.  Though gruesome, many of the predations are spectacular displays of great whites performing acrobatic full body breaches. It's truely an awesome experience that less than one hundredth of one percent of the population have ever had. It's also filled with symbolic lessons for believers .

     Safety is nothing more than an illusion. Dive equipment isn't infallible. The steel cage that keeps divers comfortable offers no real protection from the 19 foot sharks. Shark have penetrated cages and even sank boats. The only safe place is the rock. Even there, the seals fight among themselves. Interestingly, only those seals that get separated from their group get attacked. Usually, in the shallow waters near the surface. The best defense against the predators is to dive long and stay deep. Older, more experienced seals, scarred from battles with Great Whites, will teach some of the young this life saving technique.

    Likewise, the only security a believer can have is found on the rock solid foundation Jesus Christ. We shouldn't just stay comfortable thinking we are playing it safe. We are called out of the cage. Our best defense comes from diving deep and long into His word. A word that promises trouble in this life and anything but safety in complacency. We may argue amongst ourselves but we are less likely to become prey if we stick together. So, do not leave your group! Our job is also to teach the next generation. Few will experience what we have. We'll have the scars to prove it. When the wounds heal, they will just be a reminder of how wonderful it was even though it was scary.

Just a Little Thank You Note

 Dear Father,

Thank you for meeting me at church today. It was really awesome. I'm sorry that last week, even though you never left my side, I wasn't focused entirely on you. I confess listening to some of the cheap shots the enemy threw my way the last few days. He followed us to the gym tonight as I'm sure you are aware. During the three miles and 45 minutes of pumping iron, he spewed more lies. I told him everything I could remember from your word. I told him how you've given me a spirit of power and love. I told him how he can't use me since you've given me a spirit of discipline and a sound mind. I promised him I'd learn more to remind him things I don't even know yet. I told him how you are going to continue to use your church. He knows our community is going to become the hardest place on earth to get to hell from. So we'll be needing you now more than ever. Oh yeah, I told him how your word says perfect love cast out fear and how I'm not afraid anymore. 

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.

Where the Mountain Meets the Valley.

There are many mountains and valleys along every christain journey and mine is no exception. I don't think I have ever experienced as many highs and lows in any one month as May of 2012. The surprise birthday party with 50 + members of my family and friends was just awesome. If you had a part in that, let me say thank you. Still, turning 40 does something psychologically to you, and it ain't pretty. Coupled with that, I have been fighting my first ever long lasting infirmary, epididymitus, ( look it up later, for now take my word for it it's painful) for the last three months. In just a few days, my Dr. will decide if surgery is the answer. Between the pain, the uncertainty, and the incapitations that comes along with it, I  have been battling more than just a medical condition. I have been wrestling more than flesh and blood. I have tried to keep an open mind.  It is true what they say, " idol hands is the devil's workshop". Keeping busy, has afforded me easy victories in spiritual battles but during this ordeal , keeping " an open mind" has been my greatest enemy. Frankly, I have had some pretty sinful  thoughts, lately. Spiritually speaking, I  am exhausted. It goes without saying, I want nothing to hinder my relationship to Christ. Let me share some specifics of what kept these sinful thoughts from becoming sinful actions.
First things first, My GOD. Understand this is a honest opening of my heart and not an attempt to be self righteous. My problems are minute compaired to other people. But I know they are important me and  to God. It seems too easy to say God helped me.To simply admit to the fear of God, as real as it is, does not do justice to a relationship with Him. I feared a strain in our relationship just from the thoughts I was having. I recognized these thoughts were sins. Trying to channel self serving thoughts is futile in your own strength, I asked for His help and God interviened. Here is how.
My church. This isn't an advertisement for my church, but it is a great church.  God's plan involves it. For my protection and His purpose God has used this church. Get yourself to a Bible teaching church!!!I can't tell you how many one liners from sermons I thought I had forgotten came back as I contiplated. I never really cared what people thought of me but as a volunteer there, I felt a certain responsibility to walk the walk. My church lead me to my MY group.
MY Group. Here is where the story gets interesting,  I have never been a part of a close group like this before. I will never be without one again. Something happens in a my group. I can't explain it but there is a connection.You share your weaknesses and somehow the group gets stronger. Nothing helped me through this more than my group. Partially, because some of these same issues we had discussed at one of the meetings. And just by chance (right) I found that particular study guide at my lowest moment. Additionally, these personal connections were so strong, I could not possibly bring myself to shame infront of these godly men and women. I thank God for my MY Group.
Last things last, My God.  He is the first and the last. I had to force myself to pray and read the bible throughout this.I had to remind myself of many things God word says. Like Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. The key being take delight in Him.( that means He will be what your heart desires)
  One of the passages I came across was Proverbs 3 . The whole chapter was like water to a parched thirst but verses 7-8. really stuck out.

Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. 
   Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
⁸ Then you will have healing for your body
    and strength for your bones.

Charles Stanley once said" God did not call us to an open mind but to an open book." I'd do better to remember that.  
.  From the peaks you just enjoy the view of the valley.Mountains are appreciated from the valley. All mountain climbs begin in the valley.I am convinced that the deeper the valley that God brings you to, the higher the mountain He is preparing you to climb.  I am not sure this battle is over. I am sure God has already won the war. I am sure I don't have to climb this mountain alone.