Blessed

Passion, purpose and possessions

My wife just finished a book for her discipleship group, "Kisses for Kate".  We talked about it last night.  It's the story of a young woman who had a passion for giving everything up to serve God in Africa and trusting him while doing it.  It is an inspiring story and quite amazing.

The topic for us last night was this-  What is our passion?  Have we lost it?  What drives us?  What are we to be about? AND,  what are we willing to give up to do it?

Kate's story is one of giving up everything to serve God.  To be honest I haven't done that.  I have a lot of "stuff".  I know possessions are not really the issue, but rather our grasp of them is.  So for us the whole discussion came down to this- what has God called us to do and what will we give up to do it?

We are still working on this.  The discussion is not over yet.  I think we are both at a place in our lives where possessions have become more of a burden than a blessing.  We are both wanting to rediscover what God has put us here for....our passion, vision, purpose and the role of possessions in it all.

I'm not sure where this will all end.  We may sell everything, get an apartment and see what God does.  All of that is up in the air.  What we both want is what God wants....whatever the cost.....what an exciting place to be......

Yes, another coffee cartoon....

Focus

"So when all these things begin to happen, stand and look up, for your salvation is near!”"  -Jesus

Focus.  We all have one.  Each event, each day focuses our attention on something.  These words from the gospels give focus to those living in the end of days.  When the events around us begin to unravel, when everything begins to come apart....look up.  

This focus, this instruction is intentional.  It's anticipatory....it's an action of faith.  When you look up at the sky in a crowd others around you will look up as well....what are you looking at?  We don't normally look up...our normal focus is horizontal....we look around...at the events, the economy, the world in chaos.  It's at a time like this, when everything around us brings fear, when God invites a different focus, a different look....look up.

Why look up?  Jesus answers the question.  When the world is falling apart our salvation is near and it will come from above, from heaven....it will be the return of Christ.  When fear and anxiety overwhelms you begin to weave into your life a new habit...the habit of the upward look.  A look of trust in the promise of Christ's return.  When fear rises, when all seems lost...look up.   Jesus is coming!

Making a difference

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you."  -1 Peter

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." -Solomon 

In a culture busy about making plans, being a success, accomplishing something....being significant...whatever that means, the Bible invites us to sit in the back seat and let God oversee all of that.  In other words you need to know God's not interested in you being significant...he's interested in you finding your significance in HIM.  

Our plans, our successes, our accomplishments are only of value when we surrender them and turn them over to God.  It's only when we are no longer interested in "making a difference" that we really will.  

There is a wonderful book that puts this in perspective.  It's one every Christ follower should read.  It's titled, "Embracing Obscurity" and it deals with the conflict between God and culture, between success in this world and in eternity.  

Making a difference really has nothing to do with what you do, but everything to do with who does it.  It's a fascinating discussion I will be continuing in the days ahead, but for today this is more than enough to challenge your perception of reality and what really matters.

Donald Miller, Jesus and our culture

I love this video!  It's brief, but in it Donald Miller deals with Jesus and the conflict he presents for us in our consumer driven culture.

A note from a mentor

A dear old saint and mentor of mine for more than 40 years wrote a note to me in response to a question I had.  Here is part of his note. I hope his words encourage you in your new day,

"I've learned two fundamental truths in 79 years:  life is difficult and God is adequate--but it's painful anyway and yet God more than compensates for the pain.  A marvelous verse that has helped me a lot is Psalm 94:19 (KJV)   'In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.'  The long perspective gets us through as the Lord renews us day by day--and we only need sustenance for one day at a time."

Quiet time

I think our culture needs a time out....a quiet time out.  This morning, EARLY this morning, I'm reading,  praying, thinking...and in my ears is noise all around.  

The neighbors next door fighting, 

the neighbors behind me hollering at their kids, 

dogs barking in response, 

airplanes flying overhead,

will you all please be quiet!

Silence is something our world does not like.  We are a world of noise...noise 24/7.  Noise to keep the silence away.  There are few places where we can go to find a place without the noise of our world....because in the silence we have to deal with ourselves, we have to deal with God, we have to deal with the things we have done and so we turn up the noise.

It's interesting that in the bible quietness and peace with God are spoken of together.  Noise and sin are partners as well.  It seems that quiet is the posture of peace, of a right relationship with God...it's comfortable when peace with God is a reality.  But when we haven't resolved our relationship with God, when there is no peace with God we keep the volume turned up so we don't have to deal with him.

Isaiah wrote, "The Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, has said, “In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.”"

In Psalms God said to David, "Hush, be quiet and know that I am God."

As I listen to the noise all around me, volumes increasing as the sun rises, I am thankful for the peace, the quiet of a relationship with God that gives me calm in the storm of noise swirling all around.  

Living right sized

May God be big and may I be small.  

Oh to be nothing so he might be everything!

In a world looking for fame and success I pray I find none of it, but that God might be big because I was small.  

It's only when I'm nothing that he can be everything....it's only when I seek his glory instead of my own that people around me see God right sized.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." -John the Baptist

Who's in charge?

“I kept looking
Until thrones were set up,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat;

....And behold, with the clouds of heaven

One like a Son of Man was coming,

And He came up to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before Him.

“And to Him was given dominion,

Glory and a kingdom,

That all the peoples, nations and men of every language

Might serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

Which will not pass away;

And His kingdom is one

Which will not be destroyed."  -Daniel 7

I often go to this passage and one in Revelation to refocus the events of the world I see.  It's difficult, in the midst of the news all around, to have a sense of center, an awareness of someone who is ruling the events of man in spite of what I see.  If all I saw was the world around me I would be in panic mode most of the time.  But I know that there is a God in heaven, seated on the throne and that he has given dominion, glory and a kingdom to the one we know as Jesus.  Knowing that calms my fears,  focuses my vision and helps me as I live my days.

Who's in charge?  God is.  And  for that I am most thankful.

What's your view of "church"

These terms and concepts are hot discussion issues in churches today.  How would you view "church"?  Which best describes your church?

Verse of the day

 ^"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"  -Jesus

Welcome to our world!

Good news

Good News: The foundation of our faith is not a story in a book but an event in history.  -Andy Stanley

Sad news day

What has my attention today is the news....news of murder, war, sexual abuse.  None of it is new, none is surprising, but I am really tired of it!  

I look forward to the day, and it is coming, when sin, death, sorrow, tears, war and violence will be a forgotten memory.  There will be a day when God redeems the creation we have destroyed.  More and more, as I read the news and am saddened by what I see, I look forward to that day.  The day when all is made right, when Jesus is Lord of all.

Some say that day will never happen.  Many can't imagine a world without all we live with, but it's coming....it's near....soon the idea of death, of war, of violence or sexual abuse will be as foreign to us as the absence of it seems right now.  I long for that day when all will be made right.  I long for the day when there will be no more sad news days.