"Don't Give Up!"

Have you ever asked the question; "Why do bad things happen to good people?"
I know I have!

There is nothing more deflating then expending all your energy in doing good things only to have bad things happen to you.  It is during these times that we find ourselves getting the most worn down, frustrated and weary.  These moments have foothold potential written all over them...

"...and do not give the devil a foothold."

(Ephesians 4:27)

  

There are several instances in scripture where individuals have allowed themselves to lose focus because they have become weary of doing good despite "bad things."

One of my favorite stories in scripture, and one that we've all heard over and over in Sunday School is the account of Elijah on Mount Carmel.  In one of the most miraculous displays of God's power, fire is sent from heaven to incinerate an alter soaked in water.  Elijah had the ultimate standoff with the prophets of Baal, he had done exactly what he should have done, to perfection, and yet, he found himself on the run...for his life.

"Elijah was afraid and ran for his life. When he came to Beersheba in Judah, he left his servant there, while he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, LORD,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep."

(1 Kings 19:3-5)

Why is it that we allow ourselves to get so easily discouraged when things don't go exactly as we have planned?

Elijah, after one of the most incredible acts of power, is afraid for his life, he's tired and feels like he might as well be dead.

If it can happen to one of the most celebrated prophets in scripture, it can surely happen to us!  

We cannot allow the devil a foothold in those times when we don't feel in control, we must remember that God is, has been, and will always be on the throne, in control.

So today...

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." 

(Galatians 6:9) 

 Blessings!

 

"God isn't OCD: He just loves you THAT much!"

I can remember being at the fair or in Sunday School when someone would have filled a large jar with jelly beans or even candy corn. There would be a contest to see who could guess how many beans were in the jar. The one who guessed the nearest to the correct number would win a prize. 

I can also remember playing with the sand at the beach and being completely amazed at the amount of sand on the beach and even in the world.

It is amazing to think that while it is silly for us to imagine knowing the exact number of sand on a beach, beans in a jar, stars in the sky, birds in the air, or even hairs on your head......God knows the EXACT number!

"And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."

(Matthew 10:30) 

So is God trying to show that He is obsessive compulsive, or just extremely organized?  Probably not...

What it all boils down to is that God loves you so much that he knows every detail of your life and was so intentional about creating you, for a purpose, that he knows the very number of hairs on your head.

Not only did God create you, He created you in His own image!

Not only did God create you, He created you for a specific purpose!

So the next time you hold a hand full of sand or try to figure out the exact number of jelly beans in a jar, remember that God loves you so much that he knows the exact number of hairs on your head - - and that He knew long before you were ever knitted together in your mothers womb!

God has a specific and unique plan for your life!

Blessings! 

"The Whistling Wind of God"

It's been a  while since my last post, and I apologize!  I have never been a fan of excuses (no pun intended).  In fact, my high school basketball coach would always say, "Excuses are the testimonies of failure!"

However, we did recently move to Oklahoma City "Where the WIND comes sweepin' down the plain"  to take on a new position in The Salvation Army.  So maybe that's a good explanation as to why!

One thing I have noticed in the last few hours is the WIND!!!  We first noticed it walking off the plane, we could feel the WIND ripping through the cracks on the terminal ramp.  Then when we got out of the car, the door closed on it's own, thanks to the help from the WIND!  All through the night we could hear the WIND whistling through the trees and even as I sit here on my back porch in the smoldering heat I can feel the force of the WIND moving the trees back and forth and back and forth.

There has been a lot of bad WIND related weather lately in the country.  As I was thinking about it this afternoon, it reminded me of the way WIND was referenced in scripture to display God's power.

  "The LORD does whatever pleases him,
   in the heavens and on the earth,
   in the seas and all their depths.
  He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
   he sends lightning with the rain
   and brings out the wind from his storehouses."

  (Psalm 135:6-7)

I am amazed every time I witness the power and majesty of God through His creation, whether it be the beauty of the mountains, the colors of fall, or the power of the WIND.

We serve a powerful God......The Creator, Preserver and Governor of ALL things!

In scripture we also can recall the story of how God uses WIND in a different way to demonstrate his power.

³⁵ That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. ³⁷ A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸ Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

 ³⁹ He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

 ⁴⁰ He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

 ⁴¹ They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 

(Mark 4:35-41)

So the next time you go outside and you feel the cool breeze on your neck, or the forceful blow of the Oklahoma WIND at your back, remember the awesome God who is the architect and orchestrator of it all!

Blessings!

"Let your SHOES shine before men!"

 

I have a lot of great memories from my childhood; traveling around the country with my parents, meeting new people, discovering new places.  Over the years there have been several images that stick out in my mind, places I've been, things I observed my parents doing, and people I've met along the way.

One of the things I remember being fascinated by was the strange wooden box that was in my dad's closet.  For years I had no idea what it was, but I had fun trying to put my foot on the top and stand without falling.  Eventually I opened it up and found all sort of strange cans and brushes and discovered that it was a shoe shining kit.  I can remember sitting in the living room watching my dad sitting on his knees with his Salvation Army uniform shoes out, and all of the various items spread meticulously across the floor as he shined his shoes.

I never would have imagined as a child that one day, I'd find myself possessing a similar kit for polishing my own pair of "Salvation Army Shoes."  I even have a power buffer, because I love gadgets and tech toys!

I was thinking this morning as I was getting ready about the process of shining shoes.  The following familiar verse came to my mind:

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Matthew 5:16

There's just something about a well shined pair of black shoes.  Whether it's a labor intensive spit shine or a patent leather parade quality shine, people notice a well shined pair of shoes.

You see, there have been times when my shoes have not had much shine to them.

There have been times when others have noticed the lack of shine on my shoes and have mentioned it to me.

What happened in our lives and hearts is very similar to what happens when we allow our shoes to lose their luster.  When you get so busy in your day to day activity, hard at work, constantly on the grind.  We can give all sorts of excuses to justify the lack of shine due to our busy schedules, lack of time etc.

In the same way, it is so easy for Christians to allow the shine that comes from Christ living in us to lose it's luster.  We can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, even our ministry, that we lose that shine that people can spot from a mile away.

Jesus commands us to let our light's shine before men...

If we are not constantly On our knees...in the same way we are when we polish our shoes, polishing our hearts and minds with the Word of God, through prayer and scripture, then we will not be able to shine the way the Lord commands us.

Take a look at your shoes...
Take a look at your hearts...

What kind of shine do they have?

#SOULwinning

"Stand firm, and you will #WIN life!"

Luke 21:19

"Under New Management"

Have you ever been by a restaurant or business and noticed a sign in the window that read, "Under New Management?"  Sometimes this can be a good thing or a bad thing.  I noticed one the other day in one of my favorite restaurants and it made me wonder...

You see, we all enter this world under management.  We all live our lives under management.  And at the end of the day, we all die under management.  Sadly, too many people are living their lives--and too many people are dying--with the same management under which they were born.

The Bible says that we were all born into sin--which we have from birth a nature that is sinful. So many people around us are living and dying in that sin. But the Bible also says that you don’t have to live in sin... and you don’t have to die in sin.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ you are no longer under the old management.  Because of what Jesus did on the cross you have a new nature, and you have been placed under new management. 

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰ For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Ephesians 2:1-10

If we are in Jesus Christ, you WERE dead, but NOW you are alive.

You WERE unrighteous, but NOW you have been purified in the blood of the lamb.

You WERE objects of wrath, but NOW you stand before God forgiven.

Because of God’s love, we have been brought out of our past condition...

And he has given us a hope--an assurance for the future that can come about only though a decision to follow Jesus Christ.

I wonder today if this is a sign that you can honestly hang in the window of your heart.  Perhaps it may have been placed there long ago, but it's dusty or covered.

Blessings!

"Heart and Sole" Fellowship versus Factory

A few years ago I was at a conference where we honored a Salvation Army officer who was retiring after over 40+ years in ministry.  He was given an opportunity to speak briefly and what he said continues to influence me to this day.

He spoke of his childhood, of being a "troubled" young man, always in trouble.  He found his way to The Salvation Army as many a troubled young man or woman often do.  He began to notice the way in which the officer interacted with people in need and it had an affect on him.  He told a story about a time when he had seen a man come into the building without shoes.  The officer was down the hall unaware of the young man looking from a distance.  He saw the officer bend down, take off his own shoes, and put them on the feet of the man.  That simple act made such an impact on him that is was one of many things that led to him being an officer in  The Salvation Army.

I have reflected over this story for many years.  I believe we have to be careful in the church and in ministry not to lose that personal and sacrificial aspect of our ministry.  In today's culture of mega churches, government funded programs and state of the art facilities, when we identify a need like; a man without shoes, we are more likely to build a shoe factory or develop a shoe ministry than we are to simply bend down and take off our shoes.

I love the story of when the Holy Spirit came during Pentecost in Acts 2.  Towards the end of that chapter, we have a few verses 42-47 titled, "The Fellowship of The Believers."

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

Oh that we would be a fellowship of believers who are quick to respond to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Who give sacrificially from what we have been blessed with to those who are in need.

So the question is are you the kind of person who builds a shoe factory or who bends down and takes off your shoes?