Being Torn Down

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

My oldest son, Christopher, is currently away from home attending “boot camp” as part of his Navy Sea Cadets program. This boot camp is a two week sampling of the full boot camp that our military men and women go through.

Over the weekend we received our first letter from him since he had left. Christopher was definitely feeling the stress of the demands being put upon him. Some days are like that for us as well aren’t they?

This morning I want to talk to you about the humbling process. In the military it is necessary for the recruit to be torn down, so they can be built back up. Recruits come to basic training with a multitude of ideals, values and habits. Those who run our military know that they must rewire the thinking of the individual for that person to be an effective soldier on the battlefield.

Over the course of training the recruit no longer asks “why?”, but simply responds to orders with a quick “yes sir!” The recruit transitions from being self reliant to being team reliant. Ultimately the recruit no longer sees obstacles as something to be feared, but simply as something to be overcome. The recruit is equipped and familiarized with the tools of the trade and practices with regularity until they are proficient in their useage.

Sometimes God takes us through tearing down and building up process:

Deuteronomy 8:3 (NLT)

Yes, he humbled you by letting you go hungry and then feeding you with manna, a food previously unknown to you and your ancestors. He did it to teach you that people need more than bread for their life; real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord.

My mentor once told me, “Carl, God often crushes the man He uses.” The process of refining is not always easy. But with each instance of heat and pressure we come more pure and the glory of God becomes more radiant. Just like the soldier in boot camp, we learn that we alone cannot succeed. It is only when we rely fully upon God’s strength that we overcome and “soar on wings like eagles.”

I can identify several places throughout my life where God has taken me through boot camp. Each of those times has been painful and stretched me to my very limits. Looking back though, I see where God equipped me with some of my greatest strengths and skills during those times. On the backside of those times of breaking down, I have seen God work through my life in ways that I could never imagine.

Today maybe you feel like you are in boot camp. Everywhere you turn there are obstacles and people demanding much of you. Take heart and realize that this time of being “torn down” is for the purpose of building you back up, only stronger and more confident with a new found reliance upon God’s strength.

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

Carl

Points of Transition

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

A couple of nights ago, my wife and I went for a drive along the Ohio River. We decided to stop at a lock and dam and watch the towboats and barges go through. It was fascinating to watch the process of moving the boats from one level of the river to another. With each transition forward progress stops, while the lock is flooded or drained to raise or lower the level of the boat.

It is with this thought in mind that I would like to talk to you today about those transition points in life. If most of us had a choice we would choose to maintain a level course that doesn’t require change. Unfortunately for us, life is not a smooth level course it comes with a variety of ups and downs. With each change in level comes a time of transition. Sometimes this takes a day or two and other times it goes on for years.

One of the greatest examples of this in the Bible comes from the life of Abraham. God promised to make Abraham the father of a great nation, but it would be nearly 25 years from the time the promise was made until Abraham and Sarah saw the birth of their son Isaac.

Hebrews 6:15 (NLT)

Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.

We know from scripture that the wait wasn’t always easy, transition times rarely are. For a person like me, waiting is sometimes worse than torture, but it is in the waiting that God molds me and prepares me for His purpose in my life. This is where trust and faith must take the lead. God is always faithful to His promises!

Imagine if one of these boat captains got tired of waiting for the lock process and just decided to push forward. It would be a total disaster. The captain would likely lose his vessel and his cargo over the spillway, because he was not ready to push forward safely. When the captain waits for the lock to raise or lower the water to the same level as the river, he can move forward safely without loss of cargo or crew.

Today you may find yourself at a point of transition. I want to encourage you to wait patiently upon the Lord. You will eventually be at the proper place to move forward, but be thankful that God is not allowing you to move forward without his provision for your transition.

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

Carl

Are You Sure We Aren't Lost?

Good morning! I trust you had a good weekend. My family and I returned from our bi-annual trip to see family. Over the past 9 days we drove over 3,000 miles, but the opportunity to spend time with family was well worth the effort.

Today I want to speak to you about your own journey. Each one of us is on a journey and no two people’s journeys are exactly alike. For some of you, the journey has had many twists and turns. For others, your journey has been over rugged terrain with many peaks and valleys. Still others of you have journeyed through vast deserts filled with intense heat and barren stretches. For others still your journey has taken you through the fruitful plains. No matter where life has taken you, you’ve also encountered the detours and roads under construction.

It is during some of those difficult times that we find ourselves asking the questions: “God why have you brought me here?” and “God have you forgotten about me?” Even great men of faith have had these types of moments; consider the following two examples from Moses and Elijah:

Exodus 5:22-23 (NLT)

So Moses went back to the Lord and protested, "Why have you mistreated your own people like this, Lord? Why did you send me? [23] Since I gave Pharaoh your message, he has been even more brutal to your people. You have not even begun to rescue them!"

1 Kings 19:10 (NLT)

Elijah replied, "I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I alone am left, and now they are trying to kill me, too."

All of us eventually face the slow downs, the barren times, the times of being disoriented and even the detours in the road of life.

The new thing today is to use GPS navigation, so that even when you are uncertain of your location, the navigation system knows right where you are at. Did you realize that your life is no different? Look at the words of one of my favorite verses:

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.

God knows right where you are at all times. That trip through the desert of despair was already planned for. Your stop at the Grand Canyon of grief was planned for too. Your detour down the road of loneliness has already been taken into account. In each of these situations, God was not caught off guard. He has been aware of what lied ahead, even before it came into your view and He has prepared you for just such times.

Ultimately God has already planned out your final destination. He knows the twists and turns that lie ahead. They do not lead to a place of despair, but instead to His glorious presence. Just as a trip of 3,000 miles is worth every mile to be with family, the journey of life will be worth every good time, bad time and all points in between when God welcomes you home with open arms.

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

Carl

Monday Morning Encouragement

Good morning! This morning I am writing to you from Oklahoma City where I am visiting with family.

As a pastor, one of the things that you don’t get to do very often is go to “church” and see things from the viewpoint of a parishioner, so when I am on vacation I look forward to those opportunities.

Yesterday, I had the unique privilege of attending the inaugural service of the internet campus of Lifechurch. Lifechurch is known as one of the most innovative churches in the country, using satellite technology to take the church to multiple locations. Their ministry has been life transforming and the church continues to see the blessings of God upon their ministry.

Something that struck me as I participated in this online church service was the idea of taking risks. This blessing for me yesterday came about because someone had been willing to take a risk. The history of Lifechurch is a story of taking faith risks.

Often times, however we miss out on God’s blessings because we are fearful of what a step of faith might bring. We become paralyzed by the “what if” scenarios of the mind.

Look at what happened when the Israelites were paralyzed by fear:

Deuteronomy 1:28 (NLT)

How can we go on? Our scouts have demoralized us with their report. They say that the people of the land are taller and more powerful than we are, and that the walls of their towns rise high into the sky! They have even seen giants there—the descendants of Anak!'

God had promised the Israelites victory and deliverance of the promised land and yet they were paralyzed by stories of “giants in the land.” Ultimately it would cost the Israelites another generation of wandering in the desert.

Think with me for a moment about all of the technological and medical advances that make your life better. What if Thomas Edison hadn’t taken a risk? What if Henry Ford hadn’t taken a risk? What if Dr. Jonas Salk hadn’t taken a risk? What if Bill Gates hadn’t taken a risk?

The reason most of us don’t venture out in faith is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of ridicule. Most of all we fear the unknown. We become comfortable in our comfort zones and the thought of getting outside of those boundaries is paralyzing.

Lifechurch took a risk yesterday and by the conversations online after the service, the risk has already paid off. Many lives will be touched and many will receive the teaching of a church, because someone was willing to take a risk.

Today you may be at a crossroads of faith. I encourage you to trust in God’s guidance and step out in faith with Him.

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

Carl