Running With Friends.

My Crossfit coach had been bugging me to run the Mountain Heritage Day 5K for a couple of weeks. I finally relented and signed up late last night. So I was up early this morning heading to Western Carolina University where I met up with several of my friends from the gym. I got checked in, safety pinned my bid to my shirt, warmed up and waited to start. I ran with (more like chased behind) these guys for 3.1 miles of up and down (seemed like mostly up). I didn’t finish 1st or 2nd or even 3rd in our group but I did cross the finish line with the best 5K time of my life. I did pass a 9 year old in the last 50 meters so take that!

The point is these people push me to be a better version of myself. When I am ready to give up they are there to encourage and challenge me to keep pressing on. If you are the fastest/smartest/most successful person in your circle you need to make some new friends. God’s Word has a lot to say about our friends -

“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” - Proverbs 12:26

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” - Proverbs 27:17

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” - Proverbs 13:20

“One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.“ - Proverbs 18:24

“Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”” - 1 Corinthians 15:33

In every area of our life the company that we keep will determine the heights to which we rise. That my friend is one of the reasons why we need to be actively engaged in our church. Not as a spectator, or a consumer but as a connected, contributing participant.

Selah.

I remember.

9.11.2001

On the anniversary of the terrorist attacks I pause to reflect on that day and it occurs to me what I remember. As I scroll through the posts on social media with pictures and flags and memorials I remember.

• I remember exactly where I was.

• I remember hearing the news on the radio.

• I remember seeing the images for the first time.

• I remember that people gathered together to pray.

• I remember that people set aside their differences to focus on what unites us as Americans.

Today I remember that time is precious, tomorrow is not promised and we should love the people around us as if it were our last day. Or theirs. I remember that prayer is still important and I believe it makes all the difference in the world.

I also remember that they enemy's ploy is to divide us - racially, economically, politically, generationally and the list goes on and on. From broken families to a broken nation he is sowing his discord every chance he gets. Even in the church.

The Church is God's plan to share His redemption with all of humanity. Let's fight together - against the enemy and for one another. Let's forgive like we've been forgiven and love like we've been loved. Let's live with faith and not fear. Let's give the world a little glimpse of heaven and live like people's eternities hang in the balance. Let's remember that we matter, and remember that what we do matters.

“This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:14-17 NIV

Distressed or De-stressed?

My oldest daughter has been on a mission trip for the past month to Greece and this morning left for her next assignment in France. She had to catch an early morning flight from Athens so she got everything ready the night before. She grabbed her bags, left her key to the apartment on the desk, locked the door behind her and headed downstairs to meet her ride. Except her ride was late – 15 minutes, 30 minutes, she started making phone calls, knocking on the door, downloading a taxi app. Here mom and I started reaching out to everyone we could think of through Messenger, Skype, texting, carrier pigeon… 45 minutes late and no word.

Now mind you it is the middle of the night in Greece and everyone is fast asleep. We were all becoming increasingly concerned that she is going to miss her flight. With each passing minute and every failed attempt to contact someone the stress level was swelling. So with our daughter on speaker phone the three of us stopped to pray. I reminded my girl, my wife and myself that God was in control when we weren’t and that the worst case scenario, missing her flight, wasn’t really that big of a deal. We could buy another ticket for later today or tomorrow for less than a hundred bucks. That brought everything into perspective and we were able to collectively exhale. We shot out a quick message to our friends asking them to join us in prayer.

Within a minute or two the phone rang, my friend in Greece was making calls and her ride was 5 minutes away. We started checking travel times, boarding times and when the gate closed and she had JUST enough time to make her flight. Then we checked the flight. Wouldn’t you know that it was delayed by about 30 minutes and she had plenty of time?

God is in control of all things, well almost all things.

See he has given us control of our own perspective and that makes all the difference in the world. We can’t always control what is happening around us but we can control whether we react or respond. In the chaos of life we have the choice to become distressed or de-stressed.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” – Jeremiah 17:9 NIV

Sometimes things don’t go according to our plan, but rest assured they always go according to God’s.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:12-13 NIV

A Word Please.

One Word from God can change everything.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” - John 1:1-5 NIV

It can create the heavens and the earth. It can calm the fiercest storm. It can even bring the dead to life.

“… and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Last year I asked God for a word for 2019 and He spoke 3 things. The Holy Spirit said that 2019 would be a year of miracles, breakthrough and long awaited harvest. I know it was a word for me, my family and our church. I also believe that if you are reading this then it is a word for you as well. I am not a believer in coincidence, but I am trust absolutely in God’s sovereign guidance.

“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.” - Luke 1:37 AMPC

So now begins the journey of asking God what that means specifically for each of us and for all of us. If we are willing to ask I know that God is ready to speak.

Here comes the BOOM!

I was spending some time with the Lord the other day and I heard the Holy Spirit speak 2 specific things to my heart –

1. You are tougher than you think. 
2. God is bigger than you can ever imagine.

 The word God spoke to my heart wasn’t just for me. In God’s providence I trust that if you are reading this then it’s a word of hope and encouragement for you as well.

Let me expound. Some of us don’t feel very tough. As a matter of fact some of us feel like we are barely holding on by a thread. But here is the deal – we are still holding on. We are still alive and the devil has yet to defeat us. Despite his very best efforts here we are. We may have a taken a few licks but we are still in this fight. If there is still breath in your lungs then there is still fight in your bones!

And when we feel like we are on the ropes, when it seems like the enemy as the upper hand, when it seems like life is spinning out of control remember that the God who holds the universe in His hand is in control. Absolutely. Of everything. We may not see it with our eyes but we have to see it with our spirit.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” – 2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

It’s time to get back in the fight. It’s time to get prayed up, praised up and fight for what’s ours! The devil is a liar and he’s already been defeated. Jesus is victory and his Spirit lives inside of those who believe. His blood is coursing through our veins and His plans for us will come to pass!

“Don’t interfere with good people’s lives; don’t try to get the best of them. No matter how many times you trip them up, God-loyal people don’t stay down long; soon they’re up on their feet, while the wicked end up flat on their faces.” – Proverbs 24:15-16 MSG

So let me say it one more time – You are tougher than you think and God is bigger than you can ever imagine!

Too Many Tomatoes!

I was talking with a good friend this past week about sowing and reaping.

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. – Galatians 6:7-10 NIV

He began to ask me questions.

“What do you get if you plant tomatoes?“

“Tomatoes.”

“What do you get if you plant corn?“

“Corn.”

“What do you get if you plant a little tomatoes?“

“A little tomatoes.”

“What do you get if you so plant a lot of tomatoes?“

“A lot of tomatoes.”

“What do you get if you plant nothing?”

“Nothing.”

“WRONG. You get weeds!”

Let me share another passage of Scripture with you.

“Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.” – Matthew 13:24-28 NIV

You don’t have to do anything to grow weeds! And that applies to every area of our life. That is one of the things I really appreciate about what Paul said in Galatians. God’s law of sowing and reaping applies to natural things and spiritual things. It applies to relationships and money. It applies to this life and eternity.

Farmers plant every year so they can harvest every year.  And we need to keep sowing faithfully. We need to invest in our families, in our health, in God’s Kingdom, in friendships and in our walk with God. My friend also pointed out that we need to sow the most in our areas of need, not our areas of abundance. See if you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with maybe you should focus on something else like corn.

And that’s a sacrifice. When there is an area of need in your life it takes an act of faith to let it go. But faith is the real seed that moves God’s heart. When you plant that seed of love, of compassion, of forgiveness or of generosity you are putting it into God’s hands where it can truly begin to grow.

“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” - 1 Corinthians 3:7 NIV

All God asks is that you trust Him with your seed. You will reap what you sow IF you don't give up! I used to see that as waiting patiently, but then I noticed the 'therefore'. Not giving up isn't sitting around, it's getting up and sowing some more, "as we have opportunity."

That was quick!

I assume that most of the people reading this post are Jesus followers. Therefore I assume that most of us believe in the power of prayer. Now that that’s settled –

I usually begin my day by reading the Bible and praying. First things first right? I pray for all kinds of things, whatever is on my heart. But yesterday I had a burden to pray for very specific people in very specific ways. And so I did.

On the ride to take the kids to school we prayed together for the day ahead. As we do most days. Then I asked my girls if they thought that prayer made a difference. I got the right response but maybe lacking a bit of the whole-hearted conviction I had hoped for. It was after all morning and they were on their way to school so I’ll cut them a little slack. So I said, ‘If prayer makes a difference then let’s ask God to put someone in our path today that we can pray for specifically.’ So we did.

No joke we didn’t even get to the drop off at the school and God answered our request. Less than 2 minutes after we prayed someone we knew was walking through the parking lot so we jumped at the chance. We stopped the car, rolled down the windows and just prayed a simple blessing over her day ahead. On a side note she was getting ready to substitute teach at an elementary school so you know she needed prayer! We no sooner said amen to which she heartily replied, “I’ll receive that!!!”

Two things happened in that moment –

1. God answered our prayer by specifically placing someone in our path to pray for which built up our faith.
2. A sister in the Lord was strengthened and encouraged unexpectedly just as her day was getting started. You could see in her face and hear in her voice how much that little encounter meant to her.

So here is where the rubber meets the road. If you are a Christian then you are a minister of Christ. So ask God TODAY to specifically put someone in your path TODAY that you can pray for TODAY. Then do it. Right there, right then, out loud. You never know. God just might show up because after all prayer makes a difference right?

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16b NIV

That's your prayer!

Help is closer than you think.

I'm getting ready to run my first Spartan Race this weekend near Atlanta. It's basically a 4 mile long obstacle course with water, mud, ropes, walls, fire, etc. I've been training for 6 months and I'm really looking forward to conquering a new challenge. In addition to the physical preparation I've done I'm making sure that I have all the right equipment to succeed - trail shoes, running socks, quick drying clothes, a hydration pack and fuel. I've done a good bit of research since I'm new to all this and most people recommend energy gel packs to keep your body fueled and blood sugar up during the strenuous exercise. They're small, light and quick to consume so it makes sense. However in the little town I call home they are apparently not easy to find. 

My friend, who is racing with me, and I went out looking for them this week. We tried GNC. Then Walmart. Then the local backpacking store in town. Nothing. As we were walking around, in the bitter cold mind you, my friend has a great thought, "What about the bike store?!" We walked to the end of the block, down the hill, across the street and into the shop. Not only did they have EXACTLY what we were looking for but they had two displays full of them!

The funny thing is that the bike store is literally right across the street from where we work. I mean there isn't another building physically closer to ours than theirs. We spent all that time running around and the whole time what we needed was less than 100 feet from where we started. It took us 3 days, several miles and multiple trips to find it. 

I think life is like that sometimes. We forget just how close and how good God is. We spend more time worrying about things than we do praying about them. The more time we spend praising Jesus the less time we have left to stress.

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” – Psalm 46:1 NIV

Prayer shouldn't be our last resort; it should be our first response. Whatever it is that we need God has more than enough. He has aisle and aisle of displays full of physical healing, financial provision, emotional support, spiritual transformation and so much more. And God has given us brothers and sisters to wait with us and to pray for us. Our church family is there to share life together with all its ups and downs and unexpected turns along the way. Sometimes we just have to walk across the street. And sometime we just have to be willing to reach out. Who knows? Maybe we’ll find exactly what we need!

Driving along and then BAM!

The other day I was driving nowhere in particular and for no specific reason I just had this almost overwhelming feeling of how much I absolutely love life. It was so intense that it caught me off guard to be perfectly honest. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a pretty positive person most of the time but I’m certainly not one of those eternal optimists. You know the ones with a perpetual smile plastered on their face right? There are lots of great things in my life but there are also just as many challenges. But this was bigger than all the bad stuff. And somehow at the same time it was bigger than all the good stuff.

It was grace.

It was a revelation of God’s undeserved favor.

In a moment I felt like the Holy Spirit gave me a glimpse of just how good God REALLY is, just how much He REALLY loves me (us) just how incredible my (our) future REALLY will be! Like you I encounter the ups and downs of this life with all the accompanying emotions involved. But the longer I walk with God the more I realize that those things aren’t what really matter.

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” - Philippians 4:12-13 NIV

I want you to know that I have prayed and asked God to give every person reading this their own God moment. I think I have a new appreciation for what the Apostle Paul felt.

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” - Ephesians 3:17b-19 NIV

So don’t be surprised when God shows up and peels back the curtain to give you a glimpse of His grace. As a matter of fact I would encourage you to expect it!

Little things matter too.

Most people recognize when God does something BIG in there lives - perhaps a supernatural healing, the salvation of a loved one, divine protection in a situation where you 'should have died', etc. But how often do we overlook the 'little' things that He does each and every day? 

Let me put it in another perspective... My wife and I just recently celebrated our 20th anniversary. I cannot even begin to calculate the number of meals that she has prepared, the mountains of laundry that she has washed or the countless other 'small' things she does all the time for our family. Now to be honest I have come to expect to come home to a warm meal and wake up to clean socks just like she expects the grass to be mowed, the cars to be maintained, the gutters to be cleaned... you get the point.

Here is the deal - just because something is mundane doesn't mean it's meaningless.

Ponder that point for a moment. My wife is a GREAT cook for which I am very grateful and I make sure to let her know it. I think that the very least I can do when she takes the time to prepare a meal for our family is to say 'Thank you' and express my appreciation. I think it is my responsibility to make sure that our kids show the same gratitude. And I mean every time. To me the routine doesn't take away from the value but rather adds to it. 'Wow, you cooked another amazing meal?!' FYI 'Please' and 'Thank you' go a long way both with God and with man. 

So back to my first paragraph. I believe that God does big things and little things all the time. Our part is simply to ask and then to give Him the credit (read glory) when He answers.

     "You do not have because you do not ask God." - James 4:2b NIV

See I believe that prayer should be our first response, not our last resort. When it comes to big things we are willing to ask but what about the simple things? I ask Him for grace and favor all the time and guess what - I get it! You may think it's silly but I pray for great parking spaces and get them (front and center at Walmart on Christmas Eve baby!). On the same note when God does something huge we often give Him the credit but what about the 'little' stuff (not that anything is little when God is involved)?

Let's make sure our expectations don't devalue our appreciation!

So I want to wrap this up by giving God credit for a little thing. My wife and I and two friends were recently snorkeling in the Caribbean when she lost her snorkel. She headed back to shore and when I got there she told me what happened. I asked here where she lost it and she pointed toward the ocean and said, 'somewhere out there.' We had probably covered the area of 3-4 football fields so the likelihood of finding it was pretty small. Nevertheless I simply asked God to return it to us. My friend and I headed back out to continue snorkeling and after ten more minutes of enjoying the coral and fish we decided to head in. We turned around, swam about 20 feet and right below us was her snorkel sitting on the ocean floor. I might add in a location that was shallow even to dive down to. Good luck? I don't believe that for a second. God's love? Absolutely!

Why I quit going to church.

God’s presence has been incredible lately at LifeWay. I’m not talking about better than usual, but like at a whole new level. Worship is amazing, lives are being changed and people are getting saved every week. I love it! I’m not saying that to brag on us but rather to brag on Him and to ask a question…

What changed?

I think we changed. Scripture clearly states that God didn’t.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” - Hebrews 13:8 NIV

We started this year by calling our church to a 21 day fast and many people responded in faith. I believe that with our physical hunger came a deeper spiritual hunger for God. We came to church expectant and I believe placed a greater demand on the Holy Spirit.

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” - Mark 6:4-6 NIV

It absolutely amazes me that the Bible states that the very Son of God could not (COULD NOT!) do many miracles because of their lack of faith. I think a lot of people show up at church on Sunday because that’s what they do every Sunday (which is not a bad thing). The rub is that our focus is on what we do rather than who we are. Heart always trumps habit. We can either wake up and go through our routine OR we can stop, recognize that we are getting ready to gather together with the Body of Christ (the hope of glory) in the very presence of the Creator of heaven and earth. Anything and everything is possible! How we approach Him makes all the difference in how He approaches us.

A Fast To Put God First

Our church is in the middle of a 21 day Fast To Put God First in 2014. Fasting is a mostly misunderstood and often underutilized tool in our Christian journey and I wanted to share a few thoughts regarding the subject -

1. First it is not a diet because the primary goal is spiritual and not physical.
2. It is not strong-arming or manipulating God. Cut to the two year old throwing a tantrum in the Walmart checkout because he wants a candy bar.
3. It is not punishing ourselves or even sacrificing for the sake of sacrificing. You need to fast with wisdom and people with medical conditions or taking certain medications should talk with their doctor (sounds like a pharmaceutical commercial). Remember that God is not asking you to hurt yourself.
4. Fasting is a conscious choice to sacrifice something for a specific period of time in order to focus on something else.
5. It is aligning our spirit, soul and body in the right priority and choosing to put God first - see Matthew 6:33.
6. Fasting is not about bondage, it's about freedom.
7. A true fast is not just about what you don't do, it is just as much about what you do. Take a look at Isaiah 58 for more details.

If you've never fasted you really ought to try it. You might have a bunch of questions like 'What do I fast?', 'For how long?', 'When should I start?'. Why don't you just ask God? Start small, start where you are at but the most important thing is just starting. After all Jesus said "When you fast..." not if you fast (Matthew 6:16-18).

If you want more info there are some great books available and Campus Crusade for Christ has some really helpful online resources HERE.

Burger King Jesus.

I believe that prayer has the power to move mountains. I have seen it change hopeless situations, heal broken bodies, restore ruined relationships and so much more. I have also seen saints struggle after believing with all of their hearts for God to intervene in their situation and seeing nothing happen or worse. Why does God answer some prayers and seemingly leave others unattended? Is He too busy, or possibly playing some sick cosmic game with our lives? I am convinced otherwise. 

1. God has a purpose.
2. He is Sovereign.

His Word tells us that He knows the end from the beginning and that He had a plan for our lives before we were ever conceived. The problem is that we want what we want, when we want it, with a smile, hold the mayo with extra pickles and yes I would like that King sized all for $4.99 plus tax. 

Matthew 7 tells us that we can... "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."  But if you are asking for the wrong thing, seeking in the wrong place and knocking on the wrong door God loves us enough to patiently wait. He sees the big picture and orchestrates all things within His masterful plan for our ultimate good.

So what did Jesus mean when He said, "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." in John 14? I suggest it has everything to do with what He prayed in Luke 22 when He prayed, "not my will, but yours be done." The secret to having your prayers answered is praying according to God's will and not our own. I know it seems basic and obvious but then why don't we do it more often? It's because even though we call Him Lord we like to call the shots from time to time. Asking for something 'in Jesus Name' is not a magic spell we tag onto the end of our proverbial wish list. We might as well just finish with 'abracadabra amen'! It is literally praying for those things that line up with who he He and what He wants. Is it possible if we spent more time focusing on that, seeking His heart and His plans, that our prayers would become exponentially more powerful? Not only possible but probable and more profitable!