The Last Supper. It was Holy but at the same time it was human. Artist render it as Holy, we view it as Holy and it was, but there was so much humanity in the moment. As the disciples entered the room they had failed to follow the custom, to make sure guest feet had been washed. Setting in the room, the conversation was not about scripture or sinners, but about who would be on the right and left of Jesus, who would be important. Jesus enters, and without condemnaiton or judgement, takes a basin of water and towel and begins washing the feet of those that in less than 24 hours would turn on Him. One would betray Him, another would curse Him and nearly all would abandon Him. Though He knew their future, He washed their feet, broke bread and had communion with them. Twelve very imperfect men; men looking for power and position and men that had faith but would fail, and yet, Jesus by His actions was saying, take this communion, because you believe in me and undestand you need me. Communion is not about your perfection, but His. It’s about understanding, acknowleging and saying, I believe in and need the work of Jesus in my life.
Some Time with God
This week much of the Life family will be participating in a fast. Fasting is a time when we pull away from the pleasures of life and turn our focus on God. Some will fast all food for a few days while others will restrict their diet like Daniel. Fasting shows God our hunger to know and grow closer to Him. When we fast we should try to mute worldly influences and focus on things that enhance our spiritual life. Even if you are someone who is unable to fast it is a good time to step away from social media, secular music, entertainment (movies, television) and sports. Taking a few days, a week, and for some, the next 21 days to read, watch and listen to media that will enhance your spiritual awareness will reap benefits through 2018. Read the Bible, books like Draw the Circle 40 Day Prayer Challenge by Mark Batterson, The Book of Mysteries by Jonathan Cahn and Storms by Jim Cymbala. In addition you can watch messages by Jentezen Franklin, Anthony Mangun and others on Youtube and make inspirational music the music of choice. While you will always be loved by God, fasting brings His favor and brings blessings. Lets take 2018 to another level!
Embrace the Winter
Winter, we sense it coming; for many it is with dread, but there’ nothing we can do to stop it. There’s a chill in the air, leaves are falling and soon there will be a blanket of snow covering the ground. A quick look at the landscape and it would appear that many trees and plants have died, but in reality, they are very much alive. Life is no longer visible, but know, growth is happening. While many hate it, Winter is important to life. The best time to plant trees and plants, is the end of Fall and the beginning of Winter. While we love the spectacle of Spring with the flowering trees and shrubs, love the spade in the Summer and marvel at the fireworks of color in the Fall without Winter none of it would happen. It’s what happens in Winter, that makes every other season possible. Roots grow deeper, wider and stronger, stamina for the heat of Summer is developed and the eventual growth of the trunk and branches all happen in the Winter. While we see nothing, in reality everything is happening.
May I suggest that each of us need “Winter” in our lives, times when it may appear that we are dormant but in reality, great growth is happening. Maybe you sense a Winter coming or you’re going through a Winter right now, often it doesn’t make sense and others may misjudge your season. It’s the “Winter times” of life when it may appear that we are dying, that nothing is happening in our life or that we are “just existing.” In reality, your likely in one of the greatest seasons of your life; your growing deeper in faith, stronger in your relationship with God and developing spiritual energy that will bring an explosion of growth when the Spring of life returns. It’s in the Winter when we lose the old, grow deep and prepare for a new season. Let me encourage you to embrace the Winter times in your life. Kings had Winter homes where they retreated, Paul paused his evangelism for Winter and scripture even records that Jesus dealt with Winter. Are you in a Winter? Settle in. Build a fire, grab a blanket and get a good book. Enjoy the pause, embrace the rest and take time to grow deeper in God’s Word, prayer and your walk with God. No need to worry and fret, Spring will come, but only when God says your Winter is over.
Surviving Spiritual Drought
As the drought has taken over here in central Indiana I’ve watched how trees responded to the lack of water. Basically, there has been four responses. Some have dropped their leaves to protect the leaves that remain, others have held their leaves but reserved more water for the base causing the top leaves to begin the change color, then there are those who have held water in reserve and have been able to protect all their foliage; no leaves lost, no color change. Finally, there are trees who didn’t have any moisture reserved, they lost their color, lost their leaves, became brittle and died. What made the difference? All had ample rain through most of the year and all enjoyed a very mild August. If the trees didn’t have someone watering them it came down to two major factors, preparation and location. Some trees absorbed enough water for the dry times and some trees were planted close to a water source. If those two factors weren’t in place then leaves fell, color changed and sadly, in some cases, some died.
In many ways, our Christian life mirrors the seasons of life. There will be times of extreme heat and cold, there will be times where there is plenty of rain and times of drought. How we survive those seasons is largely dependent on two issues; our preparation and where we have planted ourselves. Recalling the parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins in Matthew 25, it’s important to remember that they all were virgins, they all had lamps and they all had oil. The difference was preparation, five anticipated and prepared for the potential of a delay or problems and the others didn’t. Often the difference between those who survive spiritual droughts and those who don’t is simply being prepared. The second great issue to surviving spiritual drought is staying near the life source. In John 6, when things got hard for the followers of Jesus, many stopped following him, after they departed Jesus turned and asked His 12 Disciples, will you also go away? I love Simon Peter’s response, “to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” We must understand that regardless of how bad or difficult life gets or how dry our faith becomes; Jesus is still our life source.
Feeling dry, burnt out and weak in faith? Every storm has its end; every battle comes to a close. Be prepared for the whole journey and remember it often doesn’t go the way we have it planned Stay close to Jesus, He provided mana to the children of Israel for forty years in the wilderness, bread to Elijah, oil that continued to a poor widow and food for 5000 men plus women and children with one little boys lunch. He is your life source! You will survive!
Leaving a Spiritual Legacy
Month of the Family 2017. Preparing the keynote for the month one man’s life came to mind, David. It was not David’s talent, skills, ability or accomplishments that grabbed my attention, it was David’s hunger and desire to know God and be in His presence. That hunger, desire and passion brought him a lineage that would bring the savior. Acts 13:22 says, “…I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart.” David didn’t seek fame, education, riches, kingdoms or even to reach lost souls, David sought the heart of God. David longed for a relationship with God, to know Him, His heart. He searched for Him, wrote songs and sang about Him, and prayed to Him with a desperate desire to know Him and to be in His presence. That kind of life brings blessings, favor and possibilities for generations that follow in your lineage.
My desire is to have a legacy that seeks God. If I could ask anything of God it would be that He would give me the promise that me, my family and my lineage would have the following four passions in our Spiritual DNA until eternity. First, that my lineage would pursue a relationship with Jesus with all their heart, mind and soul; that they would have hunger for a relationship with Jesus, to know Him, not religion or doctrine, but Him. That they would desire His presence, to know Him more than anything or anyone. Second, that they would have a passionate desire for prayer and the Word of God; that prayer and reading the Word would be about knowing Him. Third, I would ask that my lineage would have a knowledge, desire and passion to be filled with His Spirit with evidence of speaking in a language they do not know. That unknown language confirms in a way that no religion or man can that God has come inside of them and will, if they allow, transform them and translate them when the trumpet sounds. Finally, that my lineage would always believe as the Hebrews of the Old Testament were taught, “The Lord is our God, the Lord is one [the only God]!” (Duet. 6:4 AMP). That God is the Father, He is a son, He has and is a Spirit and His name is Jesus who has all power and authority. To understand, that through the name of Jesus, anything they ask is possible by the power and authority that is in His name.
What will your lineage look like? Will it be filled with people who were educated, great in sports, that had good jobs, lived in a nice home and drove expensive cars or were simply good people? My challenge this month is that you take on the responsibility of leaving a spiritual legacy. A legacy that will lead generations to eternity in Heaven. Return to God, make His house your highest priority. This month begin a new journey, fill your life and home with prayer, spiritual songs and seek Him with all your heart, in so doing you may leave a legacy that last until eternity!
Just Another Day
Just another day and another prayer meeting. For days, the apostles along with another 500 people had been praying together, but now its day ten and the crowd is smaller now. For many, doubt had crept in and they had chosen to go on with life, no longer believing the words of Jesus, “go tarry in Jerusalem until you are filled with power.” Outside, festive plans were being made; another bountiful harvest meant a joyous celebration of Pentecost, a time to give thanks for God’s blessings on the crops. Jerusalem is a buzz; merchants were seeing dollar signs flash before their eyes and music fills the streets as people from all parts of the world filter in for a time of festivities and celebration.
It’s early, about 9 a.m. Street vendors are setting wares out on the street and commerce is beginning to build when suddenly there is a buzz about a strange happening in a place called the Upper Room. The promise had come, the Spirit had visited those who had remained, about 120 and it was pouring out onto the streets. It was a suddenly moment. Overwhelmed by the events, reports are flying about the city saying those that had been praying in the Upper Room were acting like they had been set on fire! There was also news of men speaking in different languages and unable to explain or communicate about why. Bystanders called them drunk. But this is no drunken stupor, but the beginning of a Spiritual experience that will turn the world upside down and remain a powerful force 2000 years later. The infilling of the Holy Spirit, an experience for their time and every generation thereafter. An experience for every generation; an experience for you and me!
Never underestimate the possibilities of what can happen in one moment in prayer…it might just change your world!
God’s on Top of Everything!
Just in case you forgot; God provided a lamb for Abraham and Isaac, a way of escape from Egypt for the Children of Israel, a road through the middle of a sea and river for an entire nation, caused walls to fall for Joshua, took 300 men and defeated a massive army, took a shepherd boy and made him king, protected three Hebrew men of faith in a fiery furnace, kept a man safe in a den of lions, turned water into wine, opened deaf ears and blinded eyes, cast out demons, raised dead people and took the keys to death, hell and the grave.
Now, what do you have going on in your life that your God cannot handle? We have a God that is on top of everything! Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” He never sleeps or slumbers and He is never surprised. He knows the end from the beginning and is the author of all things, including your life! And the great news is, He’s on your side!
Divine Purpose
Moses was a man born with divine purpose. When Egypt calls for the slaughter of all Hebrew boys, his life is spared, and instead of death, he finds himself growing up in the home of the Pharaoh. His passion for his people becomes his downfall when he kills an Egyptian who is beating a Hebrew and it might appear that his purpose is over as he flees to the wilderness for his life. Confused and dismayed, he is unaware that he is still in God’s divine plan. The loneliness of the wilderness will develop him as a man and is preparing him for more than he can understand in the moment. It is there in the wilderness God calls him to his life’s purpose, to bring God’s people to a land of promise. He will return to Egypt with a clear vision, will experience the miraculous and in one night six million Hebrews leave Egypt. The journey will not be easy, the Egyptians will pursue, people will get disgruntled, but Moses now knows his life’s purpose; save a generation, bring a people to the land of promise. People will rebel, get frustrated, have fear and complain about him, but regardless of what they think or say, he understands his purpose, his calling, he will not be deterred.
While not all of us are called to save a nation I believe we all have divine purpose. Your life here on this earth is not an accident, it’s not trivial, it has a destiny. Will there be frustration, hardship and difficulties? Yes. Will there be people who will ridicule and mock your choices and decision? Yes. But, if you understand your calling, your divine purpose, nothing can deter you from what God has set in your heart. I encourage you today, hang on to those things that God has put in your heart, those dreams, impressions and visions. You may not be sure where you are in the process, but know this, if God has put it in your heart, if you will stay the course, He will do something great through your life. You have divine purpose.
Outlive Your Life!
In the book, The Noticer, Andy Andrews writes of a man by the name of Norman Bourlag, who received the Noble Prize for creating a technique that created a hybrid corn that saved the lives of over two million people. Andrews reflects on the possibility that it might have been Henry Wallace, Vice President under Roosevelt that might have saved two million lives because he was the one that asked Norman Bourlag to come up with the process. Andrews then submits that it may have actually been George Washington Carver who saved over two million because he invested and taught Henry Wallace much of what he knew about farming. Finally, Andrews proposes that it may have been a farmer by the name of Moses and his wife Susan who saved two million people because they saved the life of George Washington Carver. What is amazing is most of these people went to their graves never realizing that their one action would eventually impact two million people.
I suggest that many of the biblical hero’s we read likewise had no idea that one act was going to change history. Abraham’s obedience, taking his son up a mountain, would lead him to being called the father of faith. Moses, listening to a small voice coming from a fire, leads people out of Egypt but likely went to his grave feeling like a failure for not getting them into the Promise land. Little did he realize the impact, that his willingness to trust God, would live on for dispensations. Might I suggest that Simon Peter will be stunned by the impact of one message, the message on the Day of Pentecost and that Paul will be overwhelmed by the fact that the letters he was writing trying to straighten out churches that were frustrating him with their inconsistency would end up in the Bible. These men, and so many others in the Bible, simply lived the life that was laid out before them, did what was asked, and were willing to walk and be led by the Spirit.
Like generations before us, we have been given an opportunity to Outlive our Lives. Like those we call heroes of the faith and like farmer Moses and George Washington Carver it is possible that we have been brought to a “such a time as this,” moment. An opportunity to invest in something that will outlive us, something that when we get to heaven will cause us to say, this happened because we gave, because we believed? What is your faith feeling? What is the small still voice saying? Will you Outlive your life? I want to be overwhelmed by what God did with my simple act of faith, obedience and giving. I want to be a part of something that Outlives My Life!