Line Changes

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

One of my favorite sports is ice hockey. I love the action of the game and the high level of physical intensity demonstrated by the players. When you watch a hockey game for the first time, one of the unique qualities you notice is the line changes that each team undertakes. Midstream in a game you will see players coming over the boards onto the ice while others go over the boards into the player’s box. The coach directs these line changes to refresh weary players, more evenly match on ice players with their opponents or to focus talent for an offensive or defensive thrust.

Over the years, I have seen God perform many line changes in my life. The team that started an endeavor with me is not the same team that finishes the game. At other times a specialist entered my life for a brief time to help me through difficulties, hone my skills or point me in new directions. We see one of these personnel adjustments take place in the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.

Acts 8:39 (NASB)
39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

God placed Philip in the Ethiopian’s life for just a moment in time, but that moment was a critical moment. Philip’s presence was necessary to bring understanding to the man’s search of the scriptures. Philip was God’s specialist for this critical juncture in the Ethiopian’s eternal journey. Philip had been carefully prepared for just such a moment.

Today you may find yourself in the midst of a changing life roster. The support system you thought would always be there have gone their separate ways and new faces are appearing in their place. Don’t be discouraged over those who have gone, but instead thank the Lord for the influence they have been. Thank Him for sending in those new faces who will become the supporting cast members who are necessary for you to make the next leg of life’s journey.

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

Carl

Availability

Good morning! I trust you had a very Merry Christmas and were blessed by your time with family and friends.

Each year in the days between Christmas and New Years, I take a prayer retreat. Some years I have been able to go deep in the woods to a secluded cabin, other years I stay close to home, but seclude myself. It is during these times that I reflect on the year past and listen for God’s direction for the year ahead.

One of the issues that surfaces often during these times is the issue of availability. It is so easy to become worried about my abilities and how God is going to use them, but what God is truly interested in is my availability. Take a look at this passage from Isaiah:

Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to my people? Who will go for us?”

And I said, “Lord, I’ll go! Send me.”

More than God cares about my leadership skills, my speaking ability or my people skills He most cares about my willingness to go. Many of us say that “Wherever He leads I’ll go.”, but would we really? In one of the books I read on a past retreat the author mused that for every person who says they will go “wherever”, how many of them have their passports stamped and active? Do their actions really bear out their words?

There are many reasons that we unfortunately say “no” to God. God leads in a certain direction and we begin to withdraw our commitment. “I can’t afford it!” “I don’t know enough!” “I couldn’t leave my friends and family!” Do any of these sound familiar?

To follow where God leads requires complete surrender and a sold out commitment. In the story of Jesus’ birth, the shepherds were compelled to see Jesus. Nothing else mattered at that point. Are you in that same place, where following Jesus is the greatest passion in your life. I sometimes wonder what blessings I have missed out on by not going where I have been led.

This week I want to challenge you to be available. Are you willing to truly say, “Wherever He leads I’ll go?” Make yourself available to God and His purposes. Ask Him to invite you into the midst of His activity.

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

Carl

Being Transparent

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

This past week, I was asked a question that on the surface didn’t seem that penetrating, but in the end was life changing for me. The question was simply: “What do you need from me this week?” Now this wouldn’t seem like a difficult question to answer, but for me it was. After a few seconds of thought I gave the standard surface answer: “You can pray for me.”

It was from this exchange that God began to unravel my inner wiring and identified a short circuit in the system. The friend who had asked me the question seized the opportunity to speak truth into my life. He elaborated that his prayer for me was a given, but that his question was an offer to walk beside me as a brother.

GALATIANS 6:2 (NASB)
Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ.

My friend was seeking to help me carry the burdens of my life, there was just one problem. I was not allowing him to walk with me through my journey of life. The truth of the matter was that I had many needs. Let’s be honest, I just left a salaried ministry position to start a church and live by faith. The problem was, I didn’t want to be totally transparent. Something inside of me wanted to hide the fact that I had needs…some of them pressing in quickly.

When I got home that afternoon, my wife could see I was grinding on something deep within me, so she asked. I told her about my interaction earlier in the day and she immediately informed me that I had taken the easy way out. She elaborated that God was trying to provide for our needs, but I was allowing my pride to thwart those very provisions. Ouch! She was right; my pride was hindering the very thing I was seeking from God. I wanted to simply tell God all of my problems and sit back and wait for the provisions to flow in.

Unfortunately, that is inconsistent with the way God chooses to work in our lives. He has joined us with others who were put into our lives to help us carry our burdens. The channels of blessing are those who walk along side of us. We are truly dependent upon the other members of Christ’s body, if we are to function at a peak level.

The next time you are asked “what do you need from me?” Don’t pass off the question with a quick “pray for me.” Choose instead the route of transparency; allow others to see you needs and burdens. You will find that their presence beside you brings God’s comfort and blessing. God never intended for us to walk alone, so take joy in those who care enough to ask the “tough” question.

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

In Christ,
Carl

Wonder and Amazement

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

This past week my family and I welcomed Elishba, a friend of mine from India, to our home. I have done ministry work with her family for the past few years during my visits to India and was thrilled to have her join us this year for an internship.

One of the fun things about this visit is the opportunity to learn about a new culture. Over the weekend we introduced Elishba to the local shopping mall, the supermarket and a minor league baseball game. It was fun to see her amazement over things we take for granted as being common and everyday parts of our lives.

This got me to thinking about the danger of familiarity.

Luke 5:26 (NLT)
Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe. And they praised God, saying over and over again, “We have seen amazing things today.”

In the early days of Jesus’ ministry the crowds followed Him everywhere. They were amazed by the miracles He was doing. They were astounded by His teaching. The people had never seen anyone like Jesus or anything like His deeds. As time went on, the tide shifted, before it was all over with the crowds were no longer cheering Jesus, but instead calling for His crucifixion.

We really are not much different. We were so excited when we got the opportunity to work for the company, but over time the wonder and amazement turns to dread and resentment. The person we couldn’t wait to be with is now the person we want away from.

So what happened? How did our heart do such a complete turn in the opposite direction? At some point, we lost our sense of wonder and amazement. We quit discovering the opportunities of our work and became entangled in the minutia. We quit discovering what made that special person so special and turned our focus back towards our expectations.

It has been eye opening to hear Elishba’s observations of American culture, retail establishments and even our church. She is seeing things I don’t even notice anymore, because her eyes are wide open taking in every experience with newness. Her observations have helped me see things, I haven’t thought of, because my lens of evaluation is clouded by my experience and familiarity.

Today I encourage you to take off your lens of experience and look at your surroundings once again through the eyes of a stranger. Take note of the wonders and amazements that surround you. Reacquaint yourself once again with the people and places that have become way too familiar. You will be surprised at the new wonders you discover.

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

Carl

Your actions define you

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Every one of us leaves a lasting impression. Others define us by what they see in our actions. A good reputation is something to be treasured, while a bad reputation is difficult to put to rest.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the following names:
• Abraham Lincoln
• Richard Nixon
• Vince Lombardi
• Mike Tyson
• Judas Iscariot
• Jesus Christ

The Bible reveals to us a simple truth:

Proverbs 20:11 (NLT)
Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.

The question becomes quite simply: “What are your actions saying about you?” Have your actions earned you the classification of selfish, arrogant, insensitive, bully, drunkard, etc…? On the other hand maybe you have been rewarded with the description of kind, honest, generous, capable or trustworthy.

The great thing about a reputation is your ability to change and improve that reputation. If the choices of the past have labeled you in a less than flattering light, you can simply commit to a change of behavior and in due time find that you are re-categorized. Your greatest tool to changing your label is to choose actions that demonstrate something different.

Recently I participated in a conference call with noted leadership trainer, John Maxwell. During that call John shared with us this thought that drives him every day of his life: “Your life will be summed up in one sentence, determine today what that sentence will be.”

Today as you consider your reputation, determine the sentence that will be written about you in the days to come. Your reputation is a statement of character, so handle it with care.

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

Carl

No Longer Afraid

Good morning! I hope you had a refreshing weekend.

Every person has within them dreams of greater things. This may be a dream to own their own business, to travel the world, to settle down with the love of their life or to set out on a great adventure. So what is it that keeps so many locked in to a mediocre existence? Why do so many forsake their dreams without even making an attempt at fulfilling them. The primary reason is fear!

All of us wrestle with fear in some form or another. We fear failure, ridicule, embarrassment and rejection just to name a few. For others it is physical fears such as flying, heights, spiders or darkness. These fears are not only very real to us, but they can be paralyzing.

Today, I want to share with you a verse that can help you overcome your fears and begin the pursuit of your dreams:

Psalm 27:1 (NLT)
A psalm of David.

The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord protects me from danger—
so why should I tremble?

They key to overcoming your fears is connecting with the One who supersedes those fears. One of my favorite questions I ask those who are searching for direction and purpose in life is this: “If you knew you couldn’t fail and money were no object, what would you be doing for God right now?” I ask this question to help unlock the dreams that have lain dormant for so long. Once those dreams are unlocked, the key is overcoming the fear issues that locked it away in the first place.

Here is the great part about tapping into God’s power. The fears that have paralyzed us can be eliminated. This happens in two ways. First of all when we realize that God’s strength is sufficient to overcome any obstacle, then we can have confidence that even when we are beyond the scope of our perceived abilities, we are not beyond the scope of His true power. If God is clearing the way for you to pursue what He has put deep within you, then nothing is going to stand in your way.

The second way we get beyond our fears is dying to ourselves. The Bible says this about truly living:

Galatians 2:19-20 (NLT)
For when I tried to keep the law, I realized I could never earn God’s approval. So I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ. [20] I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, we have made a decision to die to ourselves so that Christ lives through us. Here is an amazing truth…if you will truly grab hold of it. I have done many funerals over the years and I have yet to see the deceased wrestling with issues of fear. Dead men do not fear failure, ridicule, harm, spiders, darkness or any other fear for that matter. They are dead to their fears.

Today I am going to challenge you to pray in a somewhat unique way. Come into agreement with God that you have nothing to fear, because He is your light and salvation. Then acknowledge that you have been crucified with Christ…the things of the flesh and the fears of the past have all been put to rest. Ask God to bring the fullness of Christ to life in those areas where fear has abounded. Then stand back and watch God unlock the dreams that fear had hidden away for so long.

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

Carl