Sunday, July 30, 2006

Time Away

Good morning! I hope you’ve had a great weekend and that your week is off to a running start.

Today I am preparing to head out to the woods with some friends for a few days of camping. I look forward to these opportunities to get away. These retreats give me the opportunity to turn off my cell phone & email, to decompress, dream, pray and rest.

We live in a day and age where constant activity is the norm. Even when we take days off, we still work ourselves ragged. For people like me who lean to the workaholic side of the scale, we even give up what should be our sleeping hours for a few more hours of productivity.

Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to get so busy that we lose sight of what is most important. As a pastor, I find that there are times when I get so busy doing “God’s work” that I neglect my relationship with God. I have at times found myself so busy doing ministry that I didn’t take time to be still and listen to God’s voice. I’ve seen other times when I’ve loaded my schedule with meetings and ministry activities, but didn’t build in time for God’s word.

So how did Jesus do it? When the crowds were pressing in and everyone wanted his attention, how did he keep first things first? Here is a great example:

Mark 1:35 (NLT)

The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.

Jesus knew the demands that would be placed upon him, so he planned accordingly. Instead of grabbing a few extra minutes of sleep, Jesus instead arose early and headed out to a secluded place. Jesus knew that he could not focus on intimacy with God, if he was being bombarded by demands and distractions. So Jesus went to a place in which he could slow down and focus his full attention on God. There were no other conversations to manage, no unplanned visitors, no urgent phone calls…only quality time seeking the heart of His Father.

This week, I encourage you to steal away for some quality time with your Heavenly Father. Find a place of seclusion and quiet. Go expectantly, seeking an intimate encounter with him and prepare to be refreshed.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Monday, July 24, 2006

Home Improvement

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend and that your week is off to a running start.

Over the last few weeks our family, with the help of many friends, has been working on remodeling several rooms in our home. As we renovate each room the landscape of the room changes. Furniture is removed, cracks in the wall are opened up and cleaned out in preparation for repair, woodwork is taped over and the order of the home is turned upside down. To walk into our home right now, you would observe a hodge-podge of paint brushes, drop clothes, sheetrock, plaster repair compound and paint.

Life can be this way sometimes as well. When God determines that a room of our life needs some renovation things can go topsy-turvy. I find that there are many times God has to remove the “stuff” from a room in my life. Once the contents of the room are removed He sets out to repair the damaged walls. This often requires further exposure of the blemished area. These times can be painful. Things that we cling to are taken away from us. Areas that we don’t want God to pry into, He exposes:

Hebrews 4:13 (NLT)

Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.

Once the flaws are exposed God begins the loving process of repair and remodeling.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

The damaged areas are filled in with the truth of His word and the presence of the Holy Spirit. God begins to refine our life so that we become a more accurate reflection of His glory. The room of our life that was once riddles with sin, guilt and selfish desires now reflects the perfect touch of the Master’s hand. When we see the change we are left awestruck, hardly recognizing this to be the same room of our life that was there before.

Perhaps today you find yourself in the middle of a time of inner remodeling. Trust God’s movement in your life. Know that even though He has removed the furnishings and is making repairs, in the end your life will shine.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Sunday, July 16, 2006

When It Rains...It Pours!!!

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that your week is off to a great start.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my home computer crashing. That was one of many adversities that have come our way in the past few weeks. Over the last 6 weeks we have had to replace a refrigerator, repair two vehicles, had the computer crash, and received a letter from the IRS that we owed more money on our taxes. As I am writing this my car is sitting up at the church needing repairs again.

So why am I telling you all of this? Not to have a pity party, but instead to focus our attention in on those difficult times of life. It is these seasons of life that have made the following verse one of my life verses:

Psalm 34:19 (NLT)

The righteous face many troubles, but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.

I don’t know about you, but some weeks it seems like I have my own personal rain cloud. No matter where I turn, something seems to be going wrong. We’ve all had times like that haven’t we?

We shouldn’t be surprised though. Look at the first few words of this verse: The righteous face many troubles… It didn’t say the righteous may face many troubles, but that they will face many troubles.

Why would life be so difficult? May I suggest that we do some of our greatest growing under duress? It is in these difficult times that we learn to trust. Our confidence is no longer in our own abilities and solutions, because quite frankly we are over our heads. The circumstances force us to bend our knees in prayer, seeking the mighty hand of God to pull us through.

This brings me to the promise of this verse and the thing that has made it so special to me: “…but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.” Think about this promise for a moment. No matter what the adversity is you are facing, God has promised to bring you through it. There is no obstacle too big, no circumstance too devastating, and no valley too low that God cannot bring you through it. I can face each trial with the confidence that God will see me through to the other side.

So what do I gain from such times of testing? The effort required to face the trial builds strength and perseverance. The time of waiting for God’s answers builds patience and trust. The lessons of the trial bring wisdom and understanding. The deep reliance upon God builds greater intimacy.

Today if you are facing difficult times, remember that God has promised to see you through. Look for His mighty hand moving in your circumstances and take comfort in the fact that He is with you every step of the way.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Are You Still Amazed?

Good morning! I hope you had a tremendous weekend and were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather.

This past Friday, I had the privilege of taking my children to watch a practice run of the Navy’s Blue Angels at the local Air Force base. This group of fighter pilots put on a breathtaking display of teamwork and precision flying that left the crowd applauding and wanting more.

Today I want us to focus on this idea of awe and wonder. Do you remember the first time as a child you saw a train or airplane? I remember being filled with amazement at those sights. The power, the noise, the size…they all seemed so large in my young mind. Now I must confess, I still am a kid at heart and I love to watch airplanes, trains and boats….I still find them fascinating, but because of familiarity I am no longer awestruck.

That brings me to this thought: Do I still find myself filled with awe and wonder when I think of the glorious power and majesty of God. Consider the following verses:

Luke 5:24-26 (NLT)

I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!"

[25] And immediately, as everyone watched, the man jumped to his feet, picked up his mat, and went home praising God. [26] Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe. And they praised God, saying over and over again, "We have seen amazing things today."

When I first gave my life to Jesus Christ, I was filled with amazement. The newness of life and the joy of forgiveness permeated every ounce of my being. Now I am much older and I find that often I get complacent. I have allowed my familiarity, even though I have barely scratched the surface on knowing God, to get in the way. My heart is not always stirred, because I look at life through jaded and hardened eyes expecting I know how God will move.

Watching my children on Friday was a tremendous joy. They had never seen the Blue Angels before, so they had no expectations. Each part of the demonstration brought with it new opportunities for amazement. I see more clearly why Jesus spoke of the importance of having a childlike faith.

Today I want to challenge you to put aside your expectations and “knowledge” of God and instead approach this week with the faith of a child. Ask God to leave you in wide-eyed amazement at His presence and power. Let Him wow you with his glory and leave you wanting more.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl

Monday, July 03, 2006

System Diagnostics

Good morning! I trust you’ve had a great weekend and hope your 4th of July holiday is a time of refreshing.

This morning I find myself wearing my computer repair hat. My home pc began crashing last night and I am currently in the process of doing diagnosis. It is with this thought that I want us to focus on our own lives.

Whether we would choose to admit it or not, each of us has issues in our lives that prevent us from being all that God has created us to be. These issues include such things as pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, complacency, etc… The presence of these things in our lives is a hindrance to the work of God within us. Many of these things are buried deep, because we are not ready to deal with them. Others we have just grown familiar with and are no longer troubled by their presence.

On my computer I use diagnostic software that looks at the integrity of the registry, the hard drive and the file structure. During this diagnosis even the hidden files and system files which are not normally seen are analyzed for trouble.

It is critical in our lives that we allow God to diagnose our heart on a regular basis. Look at what was written by the Psalmist:

Psalm 139:23 (NLT)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my thoughts.

When we allow God to search our heart and our thoughts, He will pinpoint those issues that need to be dealt with. He will take inventory of all that is housed within us, nothing will be left unchecked.

This is not always an easy process. We don’t like seeing some of what lies within us, but in the long run, the freedom of grace and cleansing far outweighs the burden of carrying sin’s guilt and shame.

Tomorrow is Independence Day. I encourage you to allow God to search out your heart and set you free from the bondage of what lies hidden.

Until next Monday, may God’s richest blessings be yours this week.

Carl