At the end of belief

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

As we go through life, we at times encounter places where our faith is stretched beyond its limits. These are the crossroads and crisis times where our trust in God’s ability to deliver us seems to be less than sufficient. These are the hours of desperation in which a person gropes for even the dimmest ray of hope to enter the picture.

Scripture gives us a picture of a father who was at this point. Mark chapter 9 describes the account of a boy who was possessed by a demon. The demon rendered the boy unable to speak and would often seek to drown or burn the child. The father of this boy saw a glimmer of hope when he encountered Jesus’ disciples, but he found only disappointment in their ability to deliver his son.

During this frustrating and desperate hour Jesus appears and the boy’s father makes a desperate plea for the sake of the boy. The father calls upon the compassion of Jesus, but at the same time reveals his uncertainty of there being any resolution. Take note of this father’s plea. It is both a heart cry that is transparent and the petition of a man who has not other answers:

Mark 9:23-24 (NASB)
23 And Jesus said to him, “‘If You can!’ All things are possible to him who believes.”
24 Immediately the boy’s father cried out and began saying, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”

Today you may find yourself in a place where your faith is being stretched thin. The solutions you have pursued to date have been only dead ends. You would trade the world for a change in circumstance, but you are not sure how much longer you can hold on. If this describes your situation, I encourage you to make this father’s cry your own: “Jesus, I believe you can deliver me, but help me in my unbelief!”

I leave you with one of my favorite promises of scripture:

Psalm 34:17-19
17 The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted, And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous; But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

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

Carl

Lonely Times

Good morning! I hope you had a tremendous weekend.

Have you ever spent an extended period of time alone? Most of us are surrounded by the touch and input of others. We can hardly imagine a day without the cell phone, television or conversations with others. I have taken a few extended times in silence and solitude, but never more than a few days, and those were of my choosing.

The times of silence and solitude that push you to the limits are the ones you don’t choose. These are the times when your support system falls apart; the times when no one needs your services; the times quite frankly when you are out of sight and therefore also out of mind. It is during these times that we find out what we are truly made of. We discover whether our faith has foundation and stability.

Some of the darkest hours of life come when the resumes go unnoticed, the social invitations stop coming, those who once journeyed with you are no longer present and the circumstances remain unchanging even after continual fervent prayer. It is in these dark hours that voices declare that hope is lost and shout at you to quit, give up or move on.

The Bible reveals that these dark times are not unique to us. Take note of Joseph’s life:

Genesis 40:23 (NASB)
Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Joseph had been sold out by his brothers, sent to a foreign land as a slave, raised to a place of prominence in his master’s home only to be falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Joseph’s life of favor has now been replaced by a life of confinement and solitude. His only hope was a flimsy promise from the king’s cupbearer that he would remember Joseph once he was set free, a promise that went unfulfilled for another two years.

We don’t know Joseph’s private thoughts during that time, but we can only assume they were filled with doubts, despair and a questioning of God’s love. What Joseph didn’t see was the larger plan. He needed to be in prison to meet the chief cupbearer, who would ultimately bring him before Pharaoh. It was his interaction with Pharaoh that would bring him into a place of prominence making famine provisions that would ultimately save his people. A difficult path indeed, but each step was necessary to bring forth the carefully orchestrated plan of God.

Today you may find yourself in a lonely place; a place that in many ways seems desolate and nearly abandoned. You may be questioning why God has allowed you to be cut off and wondering what heinous sin you’ve committed to deserve such a punishment? This is the place where the foundation of your faith will be tested to its limits as you trust in things which at this moment are unknown and unseen. It is upon this foundation of endurance and faith that God will display the beauty of His workmanship in your life.

If you find yourself in a place of isolation this week, I encourage you to spend a few moments thanking God for seeing the bigger picture. Acknowledge that He sees the things that you don’t and as best you know how articulate your trust in His greater plan.

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

Carl

Getting By with a Little Help from My Friends

Good morning! I hope your weekend was tremendous and that you are hitting the ground running.

Over the past several days, my family and I have been in the process of moving from one home to another. Each day last week, I moved a load of boxes from one location to the other. On Thursday I spent the day steam cleaning the carpets in the new house. On Friday, I finished steam cleaning and moved the boxes that were already in the new home from the tiled floors to their respective carpeted locations. Saturday was the major moved of the larger household items, the assembling of beds, hanging of curtains, etc… Sunday was more unpacking and shuffling of furniture.

These things are tiring for even the most energetic person, but for me I face the additional challenge of having an arthritic compression fracture midway down my back. As the day goes by the muscles in my back begin to lock up to the point that I can hardly move or stand up straight. For me to successfully accomplish a major feat such as a household move requires help from my friends.

As I was considering what to write this morning, the following example of scripture was brought to mind:

Exodus 17:11-12 (NASB)
11 So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.

The Amalekites had come to make war with the people of Israel. Whether the people of Israel were to be victorious rested in Moses’ ability to keep his hand held up with the staff of God in it. Naturally, over time Moses strength began to fade and his arms began to drop from weariness. Unfortunately these drops of the arm led to a surge from the Amalekites. The only way for Israel to be assured a military victory was for Moses’ hand to stay airborne. It was the help of Moses’ friends that made this feat possible. They gave Moses a place on which to sit and each man took hold of an arm and held his hands up high.

For me to successfully accomplish the task at hand this weekend was going to require more than my bad back on lone rusty pickup. I need friends with energy, who were willing to sacrifice their time and vehicles to make this endeavor possible. I needed them to step in to help carry the burdens I could not carry alone. The task was simply too big.

Sadly, too many of us are trying to accomplish the major undertakings of life alone. In our solo efforts, we find that we are running out of steam, determination and hope. The task ahead is simply more than one person can manage in their own strength. It is during these times that we begin to see the value of true friendship. A real friend sees the bigger picture. They realize that their hand holding efforts will ensure a greater victory for all involved.

My friends weren’t just responding to a guy with a bad back who needed a few extra pickup trucks. They were seeing the bigger picture. They know that my home is a place of ministry, a place where people find love, shelter and acceptance. My home is a place where others come to discover God’s greater purpose for their lives. It is a place where God transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Today I want to challenge you with this question: “Who is standing beside you?” I hope that you can readily name the men and/or women who stand on either side of you, holding you up when you just don’t have the strength within you to press on. If you can’t name those people, then I encourage you to seek God’s provision for the Aaron and Hur in your life. Their presence may mean the difference between victory and defeat in your next battle.

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

Carl

Examining Your Foundation

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

This past week I spent some time with a man who is both a friend and trusted advisor. He has taken a great interest in my work over the past 18 months, but has taken particular interest in the church planting ministry that I launched in November. As we were talking, he addressed with me his concern over my foundation. As I probed into his statement, he accurately assessed that I was beginning to rapidly put together a structure, but my foundation was not set. He further elaborated that I may even need to pull back the reigns on the ministry, because the monthly provisions for my family were not fully in place.

There was great wisdom in those words. A structure is only as good as the foundation it is built upon. The foundation determines to what degree and at what pace the structure can be erected. It also determines the longevity of what is built, and the types of adversity the structure can withstand.

This conversation has had me thinking about the following passage of Scripture:

Luke 6:47-49 (NASB)

47 "Everyone who comes to Me, and hears My words, and acts upon them, I will show you whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock; and when a flood rose, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
49 "But the one who has heard, and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house upon the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

The greatest detriment to the lives we are building is the poor foundation work, we all too often settle for. We may hear the words of God, but how often do we fail to implement those very things into our lives. We know we are cutting corners, but we don’t think anyone will ever notice the shortcuts. Unfortunately turmoil has a way of exposing our frailties, shortcuts and shortcomings. The places we chose to hear, but not obey become glaringly obvious as we watch the structures of our lives come crashing down on the shifting foundations upon which they were built.

Today, I encourage you to evaluate your foundation. Have you taken the time to dig deep and lay your foundation on the bedrock principles of God? If you have, the storms may be fierce, but they will not topple the things God has directed you to build. In the end the structure will stand, unmoved by the tempest, because the foundation never shifted.

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

Life's a beach

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Over the weekend we went with some friends to the beach. This was a milestone event for their family as their 2 year old daughter, Brooke, made her first visit to the beach. As they arrived, Brooke saw the waves rolling in and declared that she would stay in the car.

After joining up with us, Brooke got excited watching my kids play in the surf. Then her mommy & daddy went out into the water. It wasn’t long before Brooke transformed from reluctant beachgoer to seasoned beachcomber, but there was a catch. Brooke entered the water safely in the grasp of her parents. Even though she was overwhelmed by the waves, she was confident in the safe grasp of her parents. Before long Brooke was staring down waves twice her size, but confident that she would not be overtaken.

This event reminded me of a passage of scripture I had read recently:

Isaiah 41:13 (NLT)
I am holding you by your right hand—I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, ‘Do not be afraid. I am here to help you.

Many times we are like Brooke. The Lord has guided us to a new place in our lives. A place with great uncertainty that reminds us just how small and fragile we truly are in comparison to the circumstances of life. We see the waves of challenge and difficulty as they crash down on the shore before us. We watch as the landscape changes with each new wave. The shells deposited by the last wave are now swept out to sea and even the sand under our feet is shifting.

As we stand there looking at the intimidating surf, a reassuring voice says: “Come on, lets go.” You feel a strong hand grabbing hold of you and before you know it you are no longer on the shore, but now bouncing around in the surf. You see the waves breaking in front of you, but the strong hand lifts you up at just the right moment and the wave passes by never overtaking you. By the time it is all over this “beach” experience has become a special time in your life and you are almost saddened that you have to leave it. Your Heavenly Father has not only kept you safe, but He has enlarged your understanding and appreciation for the experience gained.

Today you may find yourself chest deep in the pounding surf of life. Follow Brooke’s example and place your hand into the strong hand that will never slip, never leave and never fail. Take confidence in the fact that your Heavenly Father will not only hold tightly to you, but He will lift you up at just the right moment so that no wave overtakes you.

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

Carl