Are You Trying To Lend God a Helping Hand?

Good morning!  I hope you had a great weekend.

Genesis 16:1-4 (NASB)
1  Now Sarai, Abram's wife had borne him no children, and she had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar.  2  So Sarai said to Abram, "Now behold, the LORD has prevented me from bearing children. Please go in to my maid ; perhaps I will obtain children through her." And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.  3  After Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Abram's wife Sarai took Hagar the Egyptian, her maid, and gave her to her husband Abram as his wife.  4  He went in to Hagar, and she conceived ; and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her sight.

Have you ever tried to give God a helping hand?  I think at some point all of us are guilty of doing that very thing.  Abraham and Sarai were a perfect example.  God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great and mighty people, even though his wife Sarai had been barren and they were advanced in age.  The fulfillment of that promise was not immediate in coming and as the years passed it seemed to be out of the realm of possibility.  So Sarai decided it was time to give God a helping hand.  She offered her maid Hagar to her husband, that she might give birth to a child for him.

In the end, Hagar did end up giving birth, but this was not the joyous celebration Sarai had imagined.  In fact it became a source of great conflict and resentment.  When we seek to assist God in bringing about His promises, we often end up in the same place.   The plans that made sense in our minds create pitfalls that we never imagined.

The walk of faith requires patience and obedience.  What God has spoken, He will accomplish in His perfect timing.   We have to trust in the validity of His words to us and not deviate simply because we get impatient or the fulfillment of those promises appears to be impossible.  It is in these moments we must cling tightly to the words of Jesus:

Matthew 19:26 (NASB)
26  And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

It is through these situations of impossibility that God brings forth His glory through our lives.   When the impossible becomes reality there is no other choice, but to give Him the credit.  

Today you may be impatient in waiting for the promises of God to be fulfilled in your life.  Take a deep breath and remember that He has your best interest at heart.  By trying to lend a helping hand, you will only create new problems in your life.  In the end, the glory of the promise fulfilled will be well worth the wait.

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

Carl

What's Under Your Hood?

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Over the past few days I have been engaged in a battle of determination to get my old pickup truck running, so my oldest son can use it for transportation at college. Just about the time I think I have the problem resolved, I find that there are yet other problems to be dealt with. There are unseen things in the mechanical systems of the truck that are causing it be of no value as a vehicle in its present condition.

I find it fascinating how often we see these patterns in our own lives as well. Look at the following statement made by the Lord about King Saul:

1 SAMUEL 16:7 (NASB)

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

From all outward appearances, Saul seemed like the ideal candidate to be king. He was tall, he was handsome, he seemed to have the proper bearing for royalty. Unfortunately Saul was not fit to rule, because there were problems deep within him. His heart was not fully yielded unto God. His unyielding heart would ultimately become visible in his actions and decisions.

It is critical in each of our lives that we regularly undergo a diagnostic process with the Lord. We need to allow Him to examine the “systems” with in us. Where he finds values, ideals, goals and relationships out of tune with His perfect will; we need to allow Him to make the necessary adjustments. After all you wouldn't settle for a misfiring, non-running vehicle; so why settle for a misfiring, out of alignment life.

Today I encourage you to plug into the Holy Spirit's diagnostic presence and allow Him to give you a thorough review.

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

Carl

Waiting on God

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

Waiting is one of the most difficult things we are asked to do in our lives. Often we know the promises of God, but we find ourselves wavering in our trust in those promises. This failure in our faith often comes when the pressure of our circumstance overrides our willingness to trust in the Lord and wait fully upon His promise. It is at these times that we begin to look for our own solutions. An example of this scenario is found in 1 Samuel 13:

1 Samuel 13:8-14 (NASB)
8 Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came about as soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, that behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him.
11 But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash,
12 therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering. “
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

King Saul knew that he was supposed to wait for Samuel, but Samuel was not on time and Saul’s circumstances were quickly deteriorating. King Saul knew that he would be in trouble without the favor of the Lord, so he took matters into his own hands. The end result was not the securing of God’s favor, but instead King Saul lost God’s favor and his rule over the nation of Israel.

King Saul’s story echoes many of our own. We know the promises of God, but we allow our circumstances to become seeds of doubt in our own minds. With good intentions we try to take matters into our own hands, but in doing so we become disobedient to the Lord’s instruction. When we take matters into our own hands, we are essentially saying to God: “I don’t trust You.” In essence, we are trying to lend God a hand, as foolish as that may sound.

Today you may find yourself in what seem to be impossible circumstances. I encourage you to stay the course and remain faithful, even when the outcomes are uncertain. Ask God to help you in your lack of trust and to strengthen you where you are weak. God will resolve your circumstances in His timing and in His way. If you jump the gun, you will miss out on His best, and the end result may in fact be disastrous.

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

Carl

One Step at a Time

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

“How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time,” the answer goes. This question and answer is often used when discussing an overwhelming challenge that looms larger than life in front of another. It is a reminder not to focus on the totality of the challenge, but instead to conquer it one step at a time.

In life, we face many challenges that are so much bigger than we are. Circumstances that seem insurmountable bring to the surface a host of fears, doubts and worries that we never knew were lurking deep within us. Often we find ourselves unsure whether we should charge, flee or just remain frozen in a catatonic state of indecision. Looking back at the workings of God in the lives of His people can give us great insight into what our own responses should be.

Joshua 3:13-17 (NASB)
13 “And it shall come about when the soles of the feet of the priests who carry the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, and the waters which are flowing down from above shall stand in one heap.”
14 So it came about when the people set out from their tents to cross the Jordan with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant before the people,
15 and when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest),
16 that the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho.
17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

The plan seemed simple enough. The people of Israel would break camp with the Ark of the Covenant out front. They would cross at the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? It is the details that bring the “elephant” of the situation into view. For the Israelites, the point of crossing would not be visible until the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant stepped into the water. Scripture also reveals that the Jordan River was at flood stage.

It is at these places in our lives, that we have to rely on faith for the confidence to take the next step. The priests had to trust that they would be able to stand once they stepped into the water and they would have to remain in that place until dry land was before them. This brings out an important point for our lives. The miracle of the Jordan River parting began as soon as the priests stepped into the water, but the miracle was not visible until the water had piled up at Adam and been cut off in the direction of the Sea of Arabah.

Today you may find yourself staring at a challenge that is frighteningly large from your perspective. You are now at the place where you must walk by faith and not with sight. Take confidence that the steps God has led you to take up to this point are the beginnings of greater things to come. It is your obedience and trust in taking the next steps, which will allow you to see the challenge dissipate before your very eyes as God intervenes in ways that you cannot even begin to understand.

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

Carl

Learning to Swim

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

This weekend I had the opportunity to spend some time in the pool with my daughter. She is still in the process of learning how to swim and has become pretty proficient with a life jacket on. This weekend I determined that I needed to work with her on floating without a life jacket. I began by holding on to her hands and instructing her on how to lay out in the water, how to hold her breath and how to lift her head when she needed to breathe. After a while she had mastered these foundational tasks and it was time to try it without her daddy holding her hands.

This was the place that she had to work off of her trust in my ability to keep her safe. She knew that if she got in trouble I would be there to lift her up and keep her from harm. It is from this example that I would like to bring forth this morning’s encouragement.

Psalms 56:11
In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

My daughter has learned that she can trust me through experience. Throughout her life she has seen me provide, protect, instruct and assist her through many situations. These experiences have built that unshakable confidence in my ability to sustain her. She also swims with me regularly, so she knows my confidence and skill in the water. As I gave her instructions, she never doubted the reasoning behind them or questioned why she needed to do these things. In her mind she realizes that I am taking her through a process that will allow her to swim without the aid of a life jacket.

In our lives, we must display the same confidence in our Heavenly Father. As we acknowledge His faithfulness in our lives, we find the stepping stones of trust that allow us to venture into the new adventures before us. We are able to undertake these new experiences with the confidence of knowing that God is always present to protect us if we get over our heads. This does not mean that He won’t allow us to struggle, because it is through the struggle that we learn; however, He will never allow that struggle to destroy us.

Today, you may find yourself treading the waters of life without a life jacket. Take heart God is with you, ready to keep you afloat when you begin to sink and through it all He is patiently and lovingly teaching you the principles necessary to swim.

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

Carl

Into the Fire

Good morning! I hope you had a great weekend.

There are times in life that we find ourselves captive to our circumstances. We can see the peril ahead of us, but deliverance doesn’t come. Maybe you’ve been there, praying for a way out, but instead you find yourself headed straight towards the thing that is going to ruin your life.

The Biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego fits this profile:

Daniel 3:19-27 (NASB)
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with wrath, and his facial expression was altered toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He answered by giving orders to heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated.
20 And he commanded certain valiant warriors who were in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, in order to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire.
21 Then these men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their caps and their other clothes, and were cast into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.
22 For this reason, because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace had been made extremely hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego.
23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he responded and said to his high officials, “Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “Certainly, O king.”
25 He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!”
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the furnace of blazing fire; he responded and said, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, come out, you servants of the Most High God, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.
27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s high officials gathered around and saw in regard to these men that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men nor was the hair of their head singed, nor were their trousers damaged, nor had the smell of fire even come upon them.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego knew that staying faithful meant they would have to refuse the King Nebuchadnezzar’s command to worship an idol. They also knew the consequence of refusing this command could be death.

Once these three men made their choice to stand firm, they found themselves with no options but to follow the course of that decision. They were bound up and thrown into a blazing furnace…a punishment that surely meant the end of their lives. Something miraculous happened at that furnace. Unlike their captors, they survived the heat of the furnace and once inside were no longer bound, but free to move around. It was also in the midst of these flames that they found their deliverer. He met them at their point of need and brought them through what seemed liked certain destruction. God even went a step further…no singed hair, no charred clothing and not even the smell of smoke.

There are times that God chooses not deliver us before the uncomfortable situations of life, but instead He allows us to enter into the flames of refinement. It is in those flames that we find ourselves set free and accompanied by the very presence of God Himself.

Today you may be wondering why God isn’t removing you from your circumstances. I want to encourage you to begin looking around in those circumstances for the presence of God. Once you see Him, you will experience freedom in the flames and you will come out on the other side without a hint of char or smoke.

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

Carl

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

Change of Course

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

This past week I was invited by a friend to go out on the streets with him to share with those we encountered the life changing message of Christ. When we got together, we took a few minutes and prayed, asking the Lord to direct to the place where He could best use us. As we drove around listening for God’s prompting we came upon a small church not far from the Sunday meeting place of the church I pastor. Both of us felt the prompting of God to stop there and join those who had come together for Bible study.

Acts 13:4 (NASB)
So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

The other night was a shining example of the mysterious ways of God. Our intention was to go and share our faith with people who were looking for true hope. Instead, God led us to a little church to watch and listen. In fact for me, the journey was not for what was said in the service, but instead for two brief statements the pastor made to me during a 10 minute conversation on the sidewalk afterwards.

Many times we set out in a course or direction at God’s leading, believing we are going for, what is in our minds, a clearly defined purpose. As we continue on this journey we realize that our intended purpose was not really the purpose at all, but was instead the means of positioning us for things that God wants us to experience. For example, when I left law enforcement in 1997, I went into banking thinking that this would be my profession for the remainder of my days. In reality, God used the bank to position me in the right place to be groomed for my call to the ministry that would come 2 years later.

Today, you may find yourself in a place where you are asking the question: “What am I doing here? This was not the purpose I came here for.” When you trust God’s prompting, you can always be assured that you are in the right place at the right time; even if you cannot readily see that truth from your current perspective. Realize that God may simply be using this time and place in your life to position you for the things to come.

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

Trusting Without Understanding

For the last few months Carol and I have been looking for a new place to live. Each time we thought we had our answer we would go down that trail, only to find a dead end. As the clock counted down to our moving day this coming weekend, we found our stress level getting a little higher with each new day. As we would pray over our housing situation, the Lord seemed to always lead us back to these two verses:

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight

Every time we would hear these verses we would see so many different ways it could be applied to our search, but we just weren’t getting any further clarity on where we needed to be looking.

A few weeks ago, my business partner asked me if I would consider living in a mobile home and he even went so far as to go on a fact finding mission for me at a local mobile home park. As doors continued to close in front of Carol and I we decided to explore this option. Last Thursday night Carol and the kids toured several parks, but came away without a real sense of peace about any of the trailers they looked at. This past Friday, was our last real day to look at housing options, so we decided to go back to one of the parks after looking at some houses this morning that just didn’t fit our needs.

Carol showed me the trailer she had viewed the night before, but both of us came away with the same sense that this particular trailer wasn’t our answer either. As we were driving away, she pointed out an attractive double-wide that was for sale by owner at the far end of the trailer park. We called the number on the sign, and low and behold they were home (I must warn you, there is a twist in the unfolding of events…you haven’t solved the case yet Sherlock Holmes). We went inside and met the owners who were moving due to the husband’s terminal illness and his need for in home care. As I looked around, the trailer was nice, but there were large gaps between the two halves of the trailer and part of the ceiling was breaking away.

Carol and I left, dumbfounded and asking ourselves “now what?” As we were driving away, the phone rang. It was the wife from the trailer we had just been in. She told Carol that her sister, who had been at the trailer when we were there, had a house on Padre Island that had been wrecked by the previous tenants. She said that if we were willing to paint and clean carpets she would be willing to reduce the rental. As we turned back around, I told Carol: “this sounds like a God thing taking shape.”

When we returned to the trailer, we were met by the sister of the trailer owner’s wife. She jumped in the van and said, “Let me show you the house.” As we drove towards Padre Island, we learned that her husband had passed away a couple of years ago and that she didn’t want to live there anymore. She said the previous tenants had ruined the carpets and the walls, requiring a lot of elbow grease.

When we arrived, we found a 4 bedroom brick home with a pool and ample space for our house church ministry. The work needed was primarily clean up and cosmetic. When I asked her what she wanted for rent, she named a figure in our price range. When I asked her what the work was worth, she indicated that it was worth at least one month’s rent, but she also stated her need for some rental income from it. I told her what we were currently paying and asked her if we could pay her that same amount for February and March, discounting for the clean up work. We agreed to begin paying the full rental amount in April. She suggested we put it in writing, so on a notepad we drew up those terms and she handed us the key. No pet deposit, no rental deposit and just what we needed when we need it.

God being the loving Father that He is, went far above what we needed. We are now 3 blocks from my favorite fishing spot, I have a place to exercise daily with my favorite activity…swimming! And by positioning us on the Island, our ministry now has placement in 3 key areas of Corpus Christi.

These past few months have been a practical exercise in not leaning on our own understanding. This housing scenario could not have been designed by us on our best day. Maybe today you find yourself in the middle of a lengthy search for answers. Your best guesses and efforts are falling short. I encourage you to let go of the wheel and watch where God takes you. You may find that the answer had never even crossed your mind.

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

Carl

Trusting Your Guide

Good morning! I hope you had a terrific weekend.

Last week I went on a deep sea fishing charter in the Gulf of Mexico with my wife. After 2 hours of travelling across the water, our captain brought the boat to a stop and told us to let our lines out 80-90 feet.

Within a matter of moments the words “fish on” were heard up and down the deck. Fishing rods were seen bending and bouncing as our enthusiastic group of amateur anglers began reeling in their catch. Before long large game fish were seen coming out of the water and onto the deck. Before the day was over we had reached our limit of King Mackerel and Atlantic Sharpnose Shark.

The success of the trip had nothing to do with our skill, ingenuity or hard work. The real determinant of our productivity was the wisdom of our charter captain. He was the one who knew the waters, the behavior of the fish and the right fishing techniques. Without his guidance the outcome of our journey would have been much different. Our day to day lives are really not that different either.

John 21:6 (NASB)
And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you will find a catch .” They cast therefore, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish.

In many ways our success in life is more about our dependency upon the Lord’s direction and less about our talents. When we trust His guidance to the right prospect, conversation or client, we see our efforts multiplied exponentially. Unfortunately, too many times we become overly confident in our own skills and abilities. We assume we have grown beyond the need for guidance, only to find in the lean times, that we need guidance more than ever.

Because God sees the past, present and future, he has perspective that you and I do not. He sees the storms, the mountains and valleys that affect our journey. He knows where the bounty is located and how to grab hold of it. Our only responsibility is to follow his lead. It is when we trust in him with all of our heart, leaning not on our own understanding, that we experience the limits of his abundance.

This week you may be wondering why the journey is taking so long. You may be unsure of why you have been given the tools that are currently in your hand. It is at these times that you rely upon the wisdom of God as your guide, knowing that he is leading you to the fullness of his blessing.

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

Carl

Preparing for the Unseen

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with friends and family.

The talk on the lips of the American public these days is the economy. I’ve been chuckling every weeknight during The Tonight Show as Jay Leno breaks into a short burst of one-liners that begin with “The economy’s getting bad I tell you…” The forecasts for the next 18-24 months do not look good for the American economy to say the least.

So the question becomes this, “what preparations have you been making with the resources God is making available to you?” This question got me reflecting upon the story of Joseph this morning. Joseph was sold into slavery, jailed under false accusation and generally mistreated, but Joseph never lost sight of God. Joseph’s faithful service to those who held him captive ultimately led to his rise to prominence in Egypt. It was through this rise to prominence that Joseph was able to provide for his people during 7 years of famine. Look at Joseph’s words as recorded in Genesis:

Genesis 45:5-7 (NASB)
5 “And now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
6 “For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting.
7 “And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance.

Sometimes in life we get so self-absorbed with what is wrong in our own piece of the picture that we fail to step back and look at the bigger picture. Joseph heeded the warnings of famine and made adjustments in the land of Egypt that ended up being the provision for the inhabitants of the land when food was scarce. He got beyond the “wrongs” of the past and turned a negative into a positive.

So what has God been doing to prepare you and your family for the things that lie ahead? Perhaps it is time to step back and look at the greater picture. God may have allowed you to go through a job change you didn’t want, because your industry was getting ready to fold. He may have moved you to another part of the country, where the provisions of life are not as difficult to come by. He may have denied you the loan, so you wouldn’t be weighed down by a debt you couldn’t maintain. Of course the preparations are not all negative. Perhaps the bonus or raise you received was given so you could build a cash reserve if things get lean. Maybe that same windfall was given so you could provide more fully for those in need.

Whether the worst fears of the economic forecasters come to pass remains to be seen, but no matter what the outcomes may be, God is already putting the resources and people in place to see His people through the lean times. Today, I encourage you to evaluate the tools that God has given you for provision and care. Thank Him for already making the adjustments in your life that are needed to whether the storms of the future.

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

Under Your Nose

Good morning! I hope that you had a refreshing weekend.

I meet with a friend of mine every Thursday for lunch. During our time we talk about life and he allows me to challenge him in his Christian walk. Often times I am the one getting challenged as we dialogue back and forth. This week was no exception, as our dialogue helped me to see an opportunity right in front of my nose.

Two weeks I ago I began a new ministry called Simplicity. The basic concept of Simplicity is to develop a network of groups that meet in homes, offices, coffee shops, etc… as macro level church bodies. As my friend and I were talking I was discussing the groups that we have already established and the opportunities we had on the horizon. As part of that conversation I mentioned that I would like to have a group going in the downtown area for business people by January of 2009. That’s when I had my “duh” moment. My friend said, “Why don’t we make our meeting that group?” My friend was seeing the obvious that for some reason wasn’t even crossing my mind.

Numbers 22:31 (NASB)
Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way with his drawn sword in his hand; and he bowed all the way to the ground.

There are times in our life, when we simply don’t see the opportunities right in front of us. I find that the reasons for this come in a variety of forms. At times it is my preoccupation, tunnel vision or lack of awareness of my surroundings that is the issues. Other times it is not the right time for God to reveal those opportunities, or, as in the case of my friend, God wants to use someone else to speak into my life.

The truth of the matter is that we are surrounded by opportunities every day. These opportunities have the potential for lasting impact on our lives and the lives of others. The only barrier is our ability to recognize them. Unfortunately we miss some of our best opportunities, simply because we are not looking for them.

This week ask the Lord to open your eyes, so that you see the landscape of your life and surroundings as God sees them. Listen carefully to the conversations that you find yourself involved in and listen for the open doors of opportunity. You will be amazed at the opportunities you have been missing that have been in front of you all along.

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

Carl

Journey into the unknown

Good morning! I hope your weekend was restful.

There are times in life when we find ourselves setting sail in faith for unknown destinations. This may come about through disaster, illness or other means. The optimist in us says this is an opportunity for me to spread my wings, but the pessimist inside of us wonders how we will make it.

This brings me to one of my favorite accounts of a journey into the unknown:

Genesis 12:1 (NLT)
Then the Lord told Abram, “Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you.”

Abram was plugging along through life, minding his own business when the Lord made a course correction. Notice the wording of the Lord’s directive. Abram is instructed to leave the familiar surroundings of home and family to undertake a journey with no clearly defined ending point.

Now let’s be honest, most of us would stop right there and say something along these lines: “Ok, God so you want me to go on a road trip. How many days does this entail? Have you already booked my airline reservations? What about the hotel? By the way, where am I going? What is the purpose of this journey?”

Notice that God didn’t provide an itinerary, only an opportunity to trust and walk by faith. Abram had a choice to make at this point. Would he trust the God whom he worshipped and claimed to follow?

We find that because Abram had taken the times to not only know about God, but to develop intimacy with God, he was willing to launch out in faith. In the New Testament book of Hebrews, Abram is counted as one of the heroes of the faith, an example for others to follow.

Today you may find yourself setting sail to a destination unknown. Take heart, God has already selected your place of arrival. Trust Him with your heart, even when you don’t see with your eyes.

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

Carl

Elephants, Acrobats and Life

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Over the weekend, I had the privilege of going to the circus with my wife and two of our children. I have always enjoyed the variety of the circus with its various animal acts, clowns and displays of human daring. The physical capability of many of these performers is simply astounding.

One of the intriguing things for me was to see the children of performers I had watched nearly 30 years ago performing. These acrobats and daredevils have grown up in the life of the travelling circus. Their unique feats of human ability have been passed on from one generation to the next, but these abilities didn’t just happen because mom and dad had those abilities.

From a young age these performers are taught the fundamentals of their particular skill set (trapeze, tightrope, juggling, etc…). Once the fundamentals of balance, hand-eye coordination and timing were mastered other components of the act could be added. As these more difficult components were mastered they were enhanced with other feats of daring. Our lives operate in a similar vein:

Philippians 4:9 (NLT)
Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

The Bible instructs us to put into practice what has been learned. Our knowledge of God and His ways is of little use if we do not transfer it into our daily lives and apply it. It has been said that “knowledge without application is simply information; however, knowledge with application brings about transformation.” An amazing transformation takes place when we put into practice the principles of Scripture and the example of those God has placed before us. We move from a place of inability to a place of victory, because we have followed God’s timeless principles for life.

Today you may find yourself high above the arena floor stepping out on the tightrope of life. Remember walking the tightrope is no different than every other step you’ve taken in your life, it occurs one step at a time with one foot going before the other. Trust the foundation that has been developed in your life and step forth with confidence. Keep your focus on fixed point in your life…the very presence of God.

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

Carl