No Way Out

Good morning! I hope your week is off to a great start.

In each of our lives we come to points of deep crisis and trial. These points take us to our “limits” and most often far beyond those limits. These times come in all shapes and sizes…financial hardship, relationship difficulties, critical health issues and teenage rebellion to name a few.

At times like these we often find ourselves crying out to God for some relief. We may question why He doesn’t simply remove us from the situation or make the situation go away? The longer these situations go on the more desperate we often become.

Using the backdrop of these points of crisis and trial we have the opportunity to see something about God’s activity in our lives. Let me share a few examples with you from scripture:

Daniel 3:19-22 (NLT)
Nebuchadnezzar was so furious with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego that his face became distorted with rage. He commanded that the furnace be heated seven times hotter than usual. [20] Then he ordered some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. [21] So they tied them up and threw them into the furnace, fully clothed. [22] And because the king, in his anger, had demanded such a hot fire in the furnace, the flames leaped out and killed the soldiers as they threw the three men in!

Daniel 6:16-17 (NLT)
So at last the king gave orders for Daniel to be arrested and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to him, “May your God, whom you worship continually, rescue you.” [17] A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed the stone with his own royal seal and the seals of his nobles, so that no one could rescue Daniel from the lions.

Luke 22:39-44 (NLT)
Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. [40] There he told them, “Pray that you will not be overcome by temptation.”
[41] He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, [42] “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” [43] Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. [44] He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow to the idol that King Nebuchadnezzar had built. Their commitment to honor God left them in the face of peril and certain death. Daniel had refused to forfeit his devotion to God, even in the face of a royal decree. Daniel also found himself at a place of personal peril. Jesus would soon be handed over to His enemies. He prayed for God to remove the coming pain of torture and crucifixion, but above all He was resolved that God’s will be done.

In each of these situations the road led to a place of apparent ruin and death. There was no hope of escape. No opportunity to go back and make different choices. The outcomes were already set in motion, but wait…the outcomes of each of these events is much different than anyone would have guessed. Take a look:

Daniel 3:24-27 (NLT)
But suddenly, as he was watching, Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in amazement and exclaimed to his advisers, “Didn’t we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace?”
“Yes,” they said, “we did indeed, Your Majesty.”
[25] “Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire. They aren’t even hurt by the flames! And the fourth looks like a divine being!”
[26] Then Nebuchadnezzar came as close as he could to the door of the flaming furnace and shouted: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!” So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stepped out of the fire. [27] Then the princes, prefects, governors, and advisers crowded around them and saw that the fire had not touched them. Not a hair on their heads was singed, and their clothing was not scorched. They didn’t even smell of smoke!

Daniel 6:19-23 (NLT)
Very early the next morning, the king hurried out to the lions’ den. [20] When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you worship continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”
[21] Daniel answered, “Long live the king! [22] My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.”
[23] The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him because he had trusted in his God.

Luke 24:1-7 (NLT)
But very early on Sunday morning the women came to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. [2] They found that the stone covering the entrance had been rolled aside. [3] So they went in, but they couldn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. [4] They were puzzled, trying to think what could have happened to it. Suddenly, two men appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes. [5] The women were terrified and bowed low before them. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking in a tomb for someone who is alive? [6] He isn’t here! He has risen from the dead! Don’t you remember what he told you back in Galilee, [7] that the Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again the third day?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego walked out of the fire unsigned and without even the smell of smoke. Daniel exited the lions den without as much as a bite mark or claw mark. Jesus stepped forth from a sealed tomb, death could not hold Him.

So what is the point of all of these examples? More often than not, God doesn’t remove the source of your crisis, nor does He take you above it. God’s glory is best revealed by taking you through it. You become stronger and your faith is much deeper, because you have gone to the depths of despair and found God waiting there for you.

Psalm 34:19 (NLT)
The righteous face many troubles,
but the Lord rescues them from each and every one.

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

Carl

A Beautiful Mosaic

Good morning! I hope you have hit the ground running this morning.

We are surrounded by people. People of all sizes, shapes, colors, beliefs, habits, abilities, quirks, etc…. Even though we say we appreciate diversity, when we get honest with ourselves we generally appreciate diversity as long as it fits our values, thoughts and ideals. Those that don’t quite fit our mold raise suspicion within us or tend to rub us the wrong way.

Romans 15:7 (NLT)
So accept each other just as Christ has accepted you; then God will be glorified.

Along those lines I would like to share some thoughts that came to me during one of my recent prayer times:

Today I was in our auditorium praying. I found my focus fixed on the stained glass window at the front of the auditorium. As I looked at the glass I listened to what the Lord had to say.

The stained glass is a uniquely created mosaic of shapes and colors. Each pane of glass is different from the one next to it. Each of these panes is joined together to form a beautiful picture in light. The job of each pane of glass in this particular window is to bring the beauty of the cross prominently into focus.

The Lord shared with me that His church is much like this window. Each person is uniquely made, each one having different gifts, skills and abilities. When we are all put together we form a beautiful picture that brings the beauty and glory of Jesus into focus to the world around us.

This week as you are noticing the differences in the people around you, take a step back and see the bigger picture. A beautiful picture is being formed by this tapestry of uniqueness, and through that picture the glory of God is on display.

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

Carl

Critical Decisions

Good morning! I hope your weekend was refreshing.

Many times in our lives we come to critical decisions points. These may be a financial decision, a career decision, a relationship decision or some other issue that has far reaching effects. Some decisions would seem to be “no-brainers”…one outcome has positive implications, while the other outcome has negative implications. The no-brainer decisions would seem to be the easy ones. Other decisions are a little more complicated as both outcomes have positive implications or both outcomes have equally negative implications.

The danger in decision making lies in the basis of those decisions. Let me explain this idea further. There are many decisions facing me these days that would be very easy to justify. These same decisions would also be very easy to spiritualize. What I mean is that I can find a Biblical basis for making a decision one way or the other and on the surface it sounds good. However, let me challenge this thought process with scripture:

2 Samuel 2:1 (NLT)
After this, David asked the Lord, “Should I move back to Judah?”
And the Lord replied, “Yes.”
Then David asked, “Which town should I go to?”
And the Lord replied, “Hebron.”

The Bible shows us that we need to take one step above all others…an inquiry of the Lord and His will for our lives. All too often we settle for what we think is best or what others suggest we should do. Don’t get me wrong these are helpful and often God will use them to help answer the dilemma at hand, but ultimately we need to ask ourselves: “What is God saying to me?”

One of the things I admire about King David is his constant asking of God’s direction in his decisions. It is no wonder that when all was said and done that David was counted as “a man after God’s own heart.”

Today you may find yourself at a point of decision. Your head is full of thoughts; your ears are full of advice and counsel. The real question for you today is this: “What is God saying to you?” I would encourage you to get alone with God …seek His heart on the matter. Stay there until you have a certainty of His answer.

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

Carl

Victorious Underdogs

Good morning! I hope you have come away from your weekend refreshed and well rested.

Like many of you, I spent yesterday evening with friends watching Super Bowl XLII. The underdog New York Giants faced off with the seemingly unstoppable New England Patriots. The Patriots were expected to win after a stellar 17-0 run through the regular season and playoffs. The Giants on the other hand were not seen as consistent and quarterback Eli Manning had struggled some during the season.

When it was all said and done the Giants came out victorious. Their defense had risen to the occasion to shut down the high powered offense of the Patriots. Eli Manning came through by pulling away from what seemed to be a certain sack and throwing a game changing pass late in the 4th quarter. The quarterback who had previously been called “inconsistent” is now the Super Bowl MVP.

This game makes for great thoughts about the way God works in our lives. Consider the following passage of scripture:

Instead, God has chosen the world’s foolish things to shame the wise, and God has chosen the world’s weak things to shame the strong. 1 Corinthians 1:27 (HCSB)

Time and time again throughout scripture we see God using the most unlikely of people to accomplish the most extraordinary of things. Those who society would consider ordinary become so much more in God’s hands.

Think of some of the people who have had the greatest impact on your life. If you are like me, these people were not the movers and shakers of the community, but instead quiet, ordinary people. The thing that made them extraordinary was the way they allowed God to use their lives.

Today, take time to reflect on this thought:

Others may label you an underdog…but with God on your side the label “champion” is just around the bend.

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

Carl