Become..

In Mathew 23:37 Jesus laments -"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing..."

What a sad scene! .. Seeing all the potential in people, yet none of it in motion..Reduced down by life and its trials only to see what was left..What they had BECOME..

I can identify with Jesus here.. We all see people who are hurting , and yet instead of seeking comfort and solace - they lash out in anger and malice..People who are capable of great things and yet too apathetic to act or care..People who have every blessing that would be considered "good" , and yet are NEVER satisfied with what they have.. People who will always find a complaint , rather than a kind word.. People LIE for gain , and then LIE to avoid consequences..People who demand TOLERANCE, but TOLERATE NOTHING in return... People who go to war with EVERYONE in their life because they HATE who they have BECOME...

I see people who have bought what the world is selling and traded their souls for it... and by doing this have been CHEATED.

But I also see people who are fighting... Fighting the private wars inside all of us.. Fighting the desire to be selfish and instead be generous.. Fighting apathy and instead being caring..Fighting the desire to be malcontent and instead being content with what they have..Fighting the urge to be hateful and being KIND instead.. Fighting to be honest NO MATTER the CONSEQUENCE... People who are fighting the GOOD FIGHT because of who it means they MAY BECOME!..

I see also people who gave the world back what it was selling, because they know that there is something BETTER.

Which will you be? The slave to sin the world wants to you to be?
Or , the Fighter God wants you to be?

The truth is , we are all flawed...and we are all broken... and our scars beg for us to succumb to the ugliness that life sells us - but in fighting the ugliness ... comes TRUE beauty.

In fighting the good fight , we can be the people we were intended to BECOME...

The invitation to study the bible is STILL open... Wont you join me?   ;)

Bittersweet..

It’s funny , I have probably driven  up this road more than a couple of thousand times in that last 11 years and yet today I noticed things that I hadn’t before… Not that I hadn’t ever seen them before , but I supposed today I really appreciated them.  The small horse farm between our neighborhood and the grocery store seemed to reach out and pull me in – almost as if I was moving in slow motion so that I could fully take in the charm of the old barn , the horses and the tiny house.  I thought to myself of how awesome it was nestled here in suburbia between the ever-growing development of new neighborhoods and shops  , that right here in this 1 mile stretch of road  -  beauty still remained…I appreciated the 3 dead oak trees that I have wondered for years would ever fall , and marveled at them because they hadn’t… They just stood there stoic against the backdrop of  changing fall leaves ,almost as if they were putting on one last show for me before I go…

I just took it all in… Because in a week , my scenery will change. Not that I don’t look forward to the move and the opportunity before me to work with the church there – I mean I still can’t believe that this work will not only be the thing that sustains me and my family ,but it is the work that I truly ,truly love to do… I can barely stand the anticipation of waiting to just to “get there” , and yet –  there is sadness..though I wouldn’t  exactly call it sadness ,but I suppose more of a” nostalgia in real-time” …. It’s bittersweet  - not just leaving  my friends and family ,but my surroundings..my memories here..my road…my grocery store… my town. … Sugar Hill Georgia.

These things will all be new for us in a few weeks ,and while I am riddled with excitement of what our new places will be to us THERE, I’m caught up in a meld of moments of what these places have been to me HERE … For instance –  I obeyed the Gospel of Christ here.. I kicked addiction and got sober here.. I fought for my marriage ,  and won it back  here.. I raised both of my kids here , and this has been their home as long as they can remember…In a very real sense , I too have grown up here!  It should be no surprise to me that in the  last few weeks  I have noticed MORE of what I have taken for granted for so long , and taken advantage of the time left here – and really  , really appreciated this place…

As I sit here in front of the screen thinking of how next to word my next sentence, a  thought enters my head that I just can’t ignore – I wonder how Jesus felt in his last days? I wonder , did he take in all  his surroundings? Although he had left heaven and ultimately emptied himself as deity to the form of a human – surely he appreciated his creation? Surely he took a good look around and saw that it was indeed  , GOOD (Genesis 1:31)…Or his relationships with those that he loved ? His mother? His brothers and sisters? John? …Peter? No question that Jesus dreaded the fate that awaited him –  we see the evidence of the sweat drops of blood as he prayed in the garden for it to pass from him(Luke 22:44) – so how much more did he soak up all the little moments leading up to that dreaded tree? Although he was God – he also was human.. He felt joy and happiness…  as well as pain and anguish and its only my humble opinion ,but he HAD to  have taken a really good look around and said to himself ” It’s gonna be hard to let this go”…

But I’m only presuming , and I wouldn’t dare to make a statement for him that he didn’t say  nor would I assume to know his thoughts on these things – they weren’t revealed in scripture… I suppose its me and my humanity desperately trying to relate to his… But after all – earth is NOT heaven , but man -

It sure does have its moments…

In the last month , I have subjected myself to situations that normally I would not have. Work situations that I normally would turn down due to personality conflicts or control issues… I have done this only for the purpose of  aiding me in the move of my family to another state for the great opportunity that awaits us there to serve our great God and to help others who may be seeking him. Enduring these moments with the knowledge of what waits has been nearly unbearable at times  , and admittedly burdening on my soul…

But today – I drove up my road , on the way to my store , in my town  and took in my surroundings .Maybe for the first time since I have lived here – I made the backdrop the subject , and not just the wallpaper of my mind while I drove from one place to the next …In doing so , it made the events of the past month a little easier to swallow and the taste that will be left  in my mouth of this place , a little sweeter than yesterday.

Maybe for the first time , Sugar Hill GA lived up to its name – It has provided me with a sweetness that has over come the bitterness of leaving , and a regained appetite for the journey to come..

Philippians 3:14  -”I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

And press on , I will….

DamageControl

Whether we want to admit it or not , we all damage our kids. From the argument over money right in front of them , or dealing with them sharply for no other reason than you’re not in the mood” to deal with with them – we damage them. Granted , these things wont scar them for life but they certainly have influence over who they become. We all do it , and there is no way to avoid it –  we are human ,  and we are flawed… we too , are damaged.

It’s a hard thing to admit.

I woke up from a sound sleep this morning at 2 a.m with this sobering thought and wrestled with myself for an hour before I could get back to sleep. Have I REALLY done the best I can with my kids? I’m already aware of mistakes I made with my oldest  ,but the truth is  - I couldn’t be happier with who she is right now.. She is confident , smart ,talented and beautiful – not mention armed with a quick wit that allows her to hang with ANY of her older boy cousins and absolutely SLAY them when necessary! She is INCREDIBLE and I love her more than I can express – but do I deserve credit for that? I have given her many reasons to fail because of my own damage and yet she continues to blossom…

But , what about my son? – The day I found out we were having a boy , it literally paralyzed me…. I was scared to death…  How was I supposed to raise this baby boy into a GOOD man  , when I wasn’t even sure myself if I was a good man?.. and then it hit me ,like it always does. I’m usually a little late to the party and this was NO exception -

God has given me EVERYTHING I need to raise my kids right in SPITE of who I am or fail to be …This sobering thought brought me to where I should have already been  -  My knees.



As I prayed that afternoon , I asked God to help me help him and my daughter.. To help me become the man I want my son to model after ….and to become the kind of man my daughter will look for in a husband one day.. To help me be the husband I should be to my wife so that we together can be a model of what BOTH of our kids will look to for future relationships and NOT what  the entertainment world says relationships are, but what GOD says they are!!  Help me be the kind of man that despite my own damage and despite my own flaws – raise good children ,who will raise good children that will raise good children!!

To be the kind of man who can say he is sorry when he is wrong ,and forgive himself so he doesn’t drag that baggage into the equation as well… because THAT’S where all the damage we do comes from ANYWAY…

Isn’t it?

The truth is , God must be part of the equation with parenting – just like he should be with marriage. So on the days when I screw up , and the days when I get it wrong and the days when I have messed it all up – it all stays together IN SPITE of my best efforts to tear it apart…

I still pray that God will help me be that  kind of man.

As we go through life  ,we continue to grow…. We continue to learn.. and with learning comes mistakes. If you’re not making mistakes , you’re not learning – its part of it… But if you continue to make the same mistakes , you have missed the lesson and aren’t  growing at all. As a parent  , my worst fear is that I will do more damage than good to my kids – That as a human being capable of error , I may fail…But this has been my biggest failure by FAR.

Why ?  Because  fear is only an outward sign of distrust and if I trust my God the way I say I do , then I have  NOTHING to fear..

The reality is , I’m a good parent … My kids are proof of this… My kids are proof that my wife and I despite our flaws , we are doing it right… Our kids sleep more sound than anything I can think of because they KNOW they are loved…and they ,with God’s help will turn out not undamaged or unscathed  - but  physically and emotionally and most importantly SPIRITUALLY healthy!! In a single word – GOOD…

It is my hope that yours do too..

In the face of our flaws and mistakes , God forgives us – so forgive yourself also… Trust in him and HIS way and any fear of being a less than perfect parent will leave you. … We may not be perfect  , but HE IS….. And he don’t make no JUNK.



As always – the invitation to study the bible is open. We can study anything you like , trust – it’s all in there no matter what it is.



Read  - Ephesians 6:4,Proverbs 1:8-9 ,Psalms 127:3-5 ,Deuteronomy 7:14 and Proverbs 22:6

Who Prays for The Preacher?

Pray for me Preacher! he shouted as he was walking away..."OK" I shouted back  ,not really knowing what to pray for ,  just knowing  that God could fill in the blanks that  I may have left open as I prayed..

This is the scene all too often in with what I do.. ."Pray for Uncle Bob or Pray for Aunt Betty" , "Pray for My Mom of Pray for my Dad" or  "Pray for this ,pray for that"....pray ,pray , pray.... And so I do.  I pray for people I don't even know upon the request of someone I do know... I pray for our Leaders ,yes even HIM.

Why? - because if I can pray for people who I know NOTHING about , I can CERTAINLY pray for a man who is under the microscope of the American people especially when so many are unhappy with him and the decisions he has made in the last 4 years. I can't  IMAGINE the pressure he and his family must be under... SO even though I don't support his politics , his beliefs or his lackluster performance - I certainly can pray for him as a human being ,a father and a husband. He is human and humans need prayers to a righteous God who can save.... There is no doubt HE NEEDS IT.

So  , this got me thinking -  As and Evangelist , I do ALOT of praying..ALOT of encouraging...ALOT of caring - even for my enemies  ( Mathew 5:44).  I pray because I can't help myself... I pray because I'm helpless... I pray because the need flows out of me all the time both waking and sleeping...... I pray  NOT because it could ever  change God - but because  it changes ME.

I get discouraged. I get frustrated. I struggle with sin...and I fail - Just like everyone else. I am not immune to humanity..If anything I am numbed by it...almost made callous due to over exposure of it...and that's when I need God to prick my heart again and make me understand why Jesus Wept... to make me understand my need for Christ in my life ... to remind   me that I am NOT bullet proof , but rather frail and fragile as everyone ...and to make me see fully , the power of PRAYER.

So who prays for the preacher? Who prays for the one who continually prays for others? Who prays for ME when I need it?

The correct answer should be "Anyone I ask to"...

All too often we assume because the preacher is solid when in fact he may be the one that needs prayer the most at that moment. Handling rightly the word of God comes with a massive responsibility and accountability ,as it should. James warns us in chapter 3 verse 1 of his letter "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." There is no "almost right"...its right or its wrong when it comes to handling Gods teaching.  This alone is enough to call for the prayers of others on the Preachers behalf..

But even in the small things of life - Money troubles , family stress, keeping up appearances  or possibly -  even moving your family to another state   to serve with a congregation there (yes , this one is about me) - Prayers are not just welcomed  , they are MUCH needed.

There is no sound louder than that of a prayer not heard on your behalf ... especially when it has been requested.

So pray. Prayer FOR our leaders AND  about our leaders ,  The Lord knows they need God's guidance whether they think they do or not.  Pray for the Preachers everywhere fighting the Good fight , we are human bleed just like you do...

And pray for each other. James 5:16 says "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

They can ....  and they do...

But no prayer at all accomplishes just that - nothing.

I will pray for... so please - Pray for me.

The invitation t study the bible is still open.....  ;)

Read the book of James.. yes, all of it.

Second Best

With 20 years in the construction industry , there is no doubt that every facet of the work is grueling . From the seemingly mundane task of “rolling out” the tools at the beginning of the day to “rolling em’ up” at the end , to the stress of trying to both please the client while maintain affordability to promote future business ..and of course, lets not forget the pure physical exhaustion that comes from doing all day what most do at the gym for an hour( I’ve always said that you gotta be a fool to pay for cross fit training when you can can come work for me and get PAID while you TRAIN!…but I digress) – It’s beyond tiring …beyond exhausting…its draining , in every way.

My wife often said earlier in our marriage that “The world gets the BEST of you , and we get the REST “…And for a long time she was right… sometimes , she still is. In the last few years I have focused on whats REALLY important , what I’m REALLY working for – Our family. The bible says ” If a man wont work  , let him not eat”(2 Thes.3:10) and I believe that to be true ,like the rest of the Bible…But when work is put before family , then the family suffers – and I fail not only as a Husband and Father ,but as the Spiritual leader of my home… I made a decision several years ago to not make my family “Second Best” ,but rather give them “My Best” , and not “The Rest”…but even like this , like many of us – I still fail….

How?

Because If I put My family first and work Second – WHERE DO I FIT GOD INTO THE EQUATION?

Does my God deserve any LESS than FIRST in my life ?Did he HOLD anything back from me? Did he not give us HIS BEST?

Give my God “3rd Best” in my life? – God FORBID…

This however , is where many of us end up..Trying to fit God in…. in our “ EXTRA “ time…and its a DISGRACE. ….Ok , so the answer is moving God into “Second Place”...right?

Second Best looks like it ought to work ,but it never does. Second Best feels warm and comfortable ,but leaves us cold and unfulfilled. If we settle for Second Best ,we will never TRULY be satisfied – with Second Best we are destined for failure.

In so many ways we have accepted “Second Best” as an acceptable shelf to sit God on and only come to him when its convenient for us… and this also is a DISGRACE.

You see , the TRUTH is – when I put God FIRST before EVERYTHING ELSE – it gives both a proper order to my life as well as PRIORITY…How So?…

Example 1 – As I have already stated , the line of work that I chose often leaves me with a lackluster attitude to bring home to say the LEAST…but , if I love God MORE than my wife and kids – I will dig down deep to find the guy they NEED me to be for them when I get home… Not because I want to – but because GOD SAID TO! Colossians 3 :19 tells me to “Love my wife and not be harsh with her” and in 1st Peter 3:7 it says
“Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an UNDERSTANDING way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”…. These are commands because they are NOT easy.

Example 2 – Knowing that I will not always be able to uphold the commands above because of my own weakness , there is an understanding on my wife’s part…. You see – if she loves God MORE than me ,then the days that I can’t uphold these simple commands , the days that
I let her down , the days that I am SIMPLY UNLOVABLE – not only will she love me anyway..but she will STAY WITH ME…(Titus 2:4-5)

With divorce so common in our country today  , its evident that many don’t follow this principle ,but that will be a different post

The Truth IS – when I put God FIRST – then my family is NOT “Second Best” ,but rather an extension of me , and I in them….united in the love of Christ and service to our Creator..

While the road to this point in our lives has not been so black and white , it never the less continues down this path – focused on him and by extension each other..Learning ,growing ,forgiving and loving… It has been a difficult path at times ,but the best paths are…

As we plan to leave the construction industry behind us to focus on working for the cause of Christ – I cant help but think that these past 20 years will only aid us with the lessons we learned along the way about putting our priorities in line and leaving “Second Best “, where it ought to be….behind us.

Baggage

Baggage....

Problems = Opportunities
Obstacles = Challenges
Struggles = Strength
Weakness = Patience.

Most people run at the first sign of difficulty...I'm not most people. As long as people gather in one place , there will be problems. For me , a problem is simply an opportunity to teach.. an obstacle simply becomes a challenge , and through these challenges and struggles that are rooted in weakness ,comes patience and strength... and then understanding....and ultimately Glory to God for his purpose has been accomplished.

Its not about THIS life , it's about being EFFECTIVE in this life...

Mathew 28:19 says - "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"..

He doesn't say "Preacher Go"... he simply says - "Go"... that's me , and you..

That's ALL of us.

In "going" , we will encounter people with more baggage than Samsonite and more excuses than the desert has sand.. We will also encounter people within the fold who have issues and are either in denial , or ignorant.... There will be kids that have parents with issues , and Parents whose kids have issues and every other imaginable combination of issues ,problems and baggage - BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS IT...

Put that baggage down...and walk away from it...

One of my favorite quotes says " And the day came when the risk to stay the same was MORE painful than the risk to CHANGE"

...but make no mistake -

It WILL be ugly ,because SIN is UGLY...It WILL be dirty , because SIN is DIRTY...it WILL be difficult , because SIN makes EVERYTHING DIFFICULT... It may even be PAINFUL ,because sometimes CHANGING IS PAINFUL....

Because when you invite the Devil to a fight - He - SHOWS - UP..

..and he will make it DIFFICULT.

BUT..

... If we have faith..and hope... and LOVE - These problems become opportunities ....and through PATIENCE - We gain our brothers and sisters..!!
We can help each other carry that baggage to a place where it can be set down and forgotten(Galatians 6:2)..
We are able to help mend the broken hearts with the Love of God , and with that SAME love create bonds with each other that are stronger than STEEL...and the fight will have been WORTH IT..

....I have been called ....and I will answer... I WILL FIGHT....
Study the bible with me! The invitation is STILL open.. ;)
Read 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Knowing the Difference

Knowing ABOUT God and KNOWING God are two entirely different things...KNOWING the difference is the key...

The Psalmist tells us how he delights ,meditates and loves Gods precepts all though out Psalm 119..
In verses 15 -18 he says " I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.. Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.."

And then again in verses 159-160 he says " See how I love your precepts; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your love. All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal."

David here is pining... nearly begging for God to give him instruction... begging for him to be constant in his life...and DELIGHTING in it..

Do WE do that? Are we THANKFUL for God's teaching , or do we despise it?

Be honest with yourself....but if the answer is the latter , we are in trouble.

We give our kids RULES or TEACHING because WE KNOW WHATS BEST FOR THEM ....not to be mean or unjust ,but the exact opposite. We give them teaching and boundaries because we LOVE them and we KNOW whats over there where they "aren't allowed"...and we want to spare them the pain of it... and in return we know that they love us back by obedience to our teachings.

Although they may not understand them at the time , if our kids follow our rules they come to KNOW us and our LOVE for them in a much deeper and meaningful sense... and when they have grown and have their own kids - THEN  see what we saw -  THEN  they will understand and KNOW our love for them was stronger than imaginable, and that the "rules" were a pure expression of love...maybe the purest!

So,where do you think this pattern came from?

Gods teachings aren't burdensome...they are a PURE  expression of HIS love for US....and our response should be nothing less than total obedience.
David KNEW the difference in KNOWING God and knowing ABOUT him... and it convicts me to try harder.

How bout you?

Study the bible with me...

The invitation to Study the Bible is still open.... ;)