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Wednesday, April 28, 2010

God Is Your...

God is everything you need.

Seriously. What do you need? Everything and anything you need is met perfectly in God. There’s absolutely nothing you truly long for that isn’t found in God.

Let me take a moment to show you this from Scripture. The Book of Psalms is a collection of 150 songs/prayers penned in the crucible of the seasons of life. Celebration, conflict, catastrophe, etc. You name it. The Psalms contain beautiful songs and burdened sighs. Yet, in all of them, God is the answer for the longing soul.

And if you search through the Psalms, here are just some of the ways God is described.

God is your…

• Shield (Psalm 7:10).
• Righteous Judge (Psalm 7:11).
• Deliverer, Refuge, Stronghold (Psalm 18:2).
• Savior, Hope (Psalm 25:5).
• Strength, Ever-Present Help in Trouble (Psalm 46:1).
• Fortress (Psalm 46:7).
• King of All the Earth (Psalm 47:7).
• Guide to the End (Psalm 48:14).
• Mighty Rock (Psalm 62:7).
• Great God, Great King above All gods (Psalm 95:3)

So, again, what do you need? Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to Him and find rest. Peter says in 1 Peter 5:6-7 to humble yourself under God’s mighty hand and to cast your cares upon Him.

Simply put: God is your everything. Run to Him first instead of last after all your other attempts to fill your longings fail because He’s all you need.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Miracles Still Happen

[The following story occured last Summer when I was on a mission trip in Peru.]

The cool, crisp air in Huancayo, Peru should have signaled to me and the others on our mission team that God was about to do something truly special. Yet, no one could imagine just how miraculously He was going to work as we prayed.

You see, the local Peruvians informed us that a “transportation strike” may take place on the day our mission project was scheduled to begin. At best the strike would limit our work, and at worse it could put our team in danger. If the strike took effect, we would have to walk a mile one way to the mission site with potential threats lurking around every corner.

So on the day before it appeared the strike would occur, the men on the mission team decided to walk the streets of Huancayo and ask God for a miracle.

Well, we walked. We prayed. And we waited...

But what happened? The transportation strike did indeed take place across the entire country of Peru except in Huancayo! God demonstrated His power in a miraculous way, and I immediately remembered the story of how the Lord protected His people from one of the plagues sent on the Egyptians (see Exodus 10:20-23). Just as God draped a thick blanket of darkness over all the land of Egypt but shielded His people with light so they could move about freely, He made a way for us to move through Huancayo even though the transportation strike restricted everyone else in the country.

I’ll never forget the miracle in Peru. It’s another clear and constant reminder that God works in truly miraculous ways all over the world as His people seek His face in prayer.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Bible Puzzle - Part Three: Observations and Application

You’ll remember in a previous post (see The Bible Puzzle – Part Two: New Testament) we mentioned making some observations and application from the Bible Puzzle. So it’s time to make those now. Of course, we’re still staying very general.

Okay, here we go. Let’s start with some observations first. But before we do, we need to keep in mind we’re working on the Bible Puzzle. In other words, every puzzle has edge-pieces and inside-pieces, and each piece of a puzzle is important.

Let’s take a look at some observations from the Bible’s edge-pieces and work towards the middle of the puzzle.

It’s interesting to notice in the first two chapters of the Bible (Genesis 1-2), God creates the heavens and earth. Then in the last two chapters of the Bible (Revelation 21-22), you get a glimpse of the new heaven and the new earth.

Also, God put the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden and told Adam and Eve they would die if they ate of it (see Genesis 2:16-17). Then God put the tree of life in the Holy City, Jerusalem, which came out of heaven (see Revelation 21:10; 22:2).

Now, let’s “move in” a little bit from the “edges”. In Genesis 3, Satan enters the picture, tempts Eve, and sin devastates the whole world and every natural-born person in it. Then in Revelation 20, Satan exits the picture. That’s right. He’s cast into the lake of burning sulfur.

Of course, the entire message of the Bible between Satan and sin’s entrance and God’s deliverance focuses on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. In fact, in Genesis 3 – the very chapter where sin enters the picture – you also see God promise deliverance in Genesis 3:15. Scholars call this verse the protoevangelium or “first Gospel” because it announces Jesus would be born to crush Satan and sin. So it’s no surprise when the writer of Hebrews says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:14-15).

At this point, we see the one main application we need to take away from the Bible Puzzle. But before we do, let’s remember a puzzle’s message centers on what its picture shows, and naturally, the “center” of its picture is its main message on its inside-pieces.

So when we work in from both edges of the Bible Puzzle and come to its center, we should find its main message. And we do. What is it? Or, better yet, WHO is it?

You guessed it – Jesus Christ! He’s the center of God’s revelation and plan to save His fallen creation from sin’s devastation. In other words, everything in Scripture moving-in from its "beginning edge" towards its center points to Jesus. And everything in the Bible moving from its center towards its “ending edge” flows from Jesus.

Now, what’s the application? It’s all about Jesus! Simple, right? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 that his one message is Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Why? Because this is God’s one message.

Let’s make a commitment to proclaim Jesus Christ through everything we say and do. This is the center of the Bible Puzzle because He's the main message of Scripture, and He's our main message! In fact, just as every message of the Bible revolves around Jesus, every message we share focuses of Jesus, too. He's the key to the Bible Puzzle!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

The Bible Puzzle - Part Two: New Testament

Okay, you’ve already taken a glance at the Old Testament (see my previous blog called The Bible Puzzle – Part One: Old Testament). Now, let’s apply the same approach to the New Testament.

Ready? Let’s dive in. First, you need to find the historical edge-pieces for the New Testament.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John (The Life of Jesus)
Acts (The Life of the Church)

That’s it! Pretty brief, huh? Alright, let’s go ahead and put the inside-pieces in place.

1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2, & 3 John, Jude (Letters Addressing Needs in the Life of the Church)
Revelation (God’s Future Plans for the Church and the World)

Again, we could spend many hours studying all the pieces of the New Testament, but we’re staying very “general” at this point. All we’re looking for here is a bird’s eye view of God’s Word.

Of course, it may be helpful for you to take Part One and Two of the Bible Puzzle and fit them together so you can have an overview of the Old and New Testaments in one place.

In another blog, I’ll give you some basic observations and a point of application from the Bible Puzzle because, remember, our purpose is to apply God’s Word – this is God’s Word Applied! Stay tuned…

[For more information on an overview of the entire Bible, see 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders listed on the right of this blog under the heading “For Fellow-Bookworms…”]

Friday, April 23, 2010

The Bible Puzzle - Part One: Old Testament

When most Believers (new Believers, for sure) first start looking at the Bible, they’re overwhelmed. I mean, the Bible’s a BIG book. In fact, it’s actually a big collection of 66 books, and trying to wrap your brain around God’s Word is like trying to wrap your arms around a skyscraper!

But while you’ll never exhaust the Bible because it’s God’s inspired word (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17), there’s a way to make sense of what the Bible’s all about in general, and it’s the Bible Puzzle.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: The Bible Puzzle? Hmmm, what’s that?

Well, at the risk of over simplifying God’s Word, let’s just lay it out like a puzzle and try to fit the pieces (it’s 66 books) together in order to get a bird’s eye view of the Scriptures. While you definitely want to study the Bible more in-depth in the future, you have to start somewhere, and this is a great place.

Ready? Wonderful! Now let’s dive into the Old Testament. First, you need to find the historical edge-pieces.

Have you ever made a puzzle before? There are only two kinds of pieces to every puzzle – The edge-pieces and the inside-pieces. And one of the best (and easiest) places to start when you’re putting a puzzle together is with the edge-pieces. Why? Because you can quickly identify them since they all have at least one flat side somewhere on them!

So what books of the Bible are the historical edge-pieces? Here you go…

Genesis (From Creation to Egypt)
Exodus (From Egypt to Sinai)
Numbers (From Sinai to the Wilderness)
Joshua (From the Wilderness to the Promised Land)
Judges (Israel's Leadership Before the Kings)
Ruth (Life During the Judges)
1 & 2 Samuel (From Saul to David)
1 & 2 Kings/1 & 2 Chronicles (From Solomon to the Captivity/Exile)
Ezra (From the Captivity/Exile to Rebuilding the Temple)
Nehemiah (From Captivity/Exile to Rebuilding Jerusalem’s Wall)
Esther (Life During the Captivity/Exile)

There you have it!

Of course, you might immediately ask: Hey, where’s all the other books of the Old Testament? Good question. They all fit inside the edge-pieces because they’re, well, you guessed it – the inside-pieces.

And just like the inside-pieces of a puzzle have tons of shapes, sizes, and colors, the inside-pieces of the Bible have a lot of variety as well. For example, some pieces are “Law” pieces; some are “Psalm” pieces; some are “Prophecy” pieces; etc. While we can spend hours studying all these pieces closely and in-depth (which is a great thing to do, by the way), we’re only trying to get a bird’s eye view of the Bible, remember? So let’s stay simple and general.

Okay. Here’s where the inside-pieces fit…

Leviticus & Deuteronomy (Inside the First Five Books of the Bible – Law Books)
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon (Stories, Songs, Writings on Life Primarily During the Period of Israel’s Kings)
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi (Prophetic Messages Preached During the Period of the Kings, Captivity/Exile, and Return from Captivity/Exile)

Again, we could spend a lot of time taking about which Prophets preached during the reign(s) of which Kings, when exactly did the story of Job occur (some people believe it may be the oldest book in the Bible even though Genesis describes "the beginning" and how God creates the world), and which Prophets preached and served during the Captivity/Exile and Return, but remember: We’re staying “general” here. So don’t complicate things for yourself.

Now you have the historical edge-pieces and the inside-pieces of the Old Testament.

We’ll deal with the New Testament in the same way in another blog: The Bible Puzzle – Part Two: New Testament. Check it out sometime when you get a chance…

[For a great resource on an overview of the entire Bible, see the book listed to the right on my blog under the heading "For Fellow-Bookworms..." by Max Anders entitled 30 Days to Understanding the Bible.]

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Coming Face to Face with God's Grace

[Have you ever heard the saying, "He's a poet but just doesn't know it"? Well, I'm no poet, and I know it! Nevertheless, I recently put some thoughts to a little rhyme-scheme about how my daily time in God's Word has a been a regular and powerful encounter with His life-transforming grace.

I must say that although I've been in ministry for 22 of the 23 years of my Christian life, I struggled for a long time to read God's Word daily. And then Jesus used a very difficult time in my life to show me, beyond any shadow of a doubt, my desperate need to read His Word every single day. While my time in the Scripture isn't always an "earth-shattering" revelation; it's definitely always beneficial.

I like to think of it like eating since Jesus says we don't live on bread alone but on every Word that comes from the mouth of God (see Matthew 4:4). Let me ask you: Do you savor every bite of every meal you eat as though it's the most amazing thing you've ever tasted? Of course not. Some meals absolutely melt in your mouth, and some meals are just, well, meals. But you don't eat only if the meal is a savory feast, right? You eat every day because you need to eat - it's necessary for normal health and growth.

And so it is with reading God's Word. On some days, you'll read God's Word and feel as though His truth shines through the pages of Scripture in a way that's brighter than the sun. In those times, His truth seems to literally leap off the pages of your Bible and transform your life! On other days, you read because you know you need to read, but you also know God's truth will always be beneficial since it's a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (see Psalm 119:105).

So, this following reflection isn't meant to be a "poetic masterpiece". It's just a simple moment of transparency describing how God uses His Word daily to sustain me with His all-sufficient grace. Oh, it's also a personal invitation from me to you to join me every day in reading God's Word so you can experience a face to face encounter with His grace, too!]

Everyday I rest in a familiar place
And come face to face with God’s grace.

Some days I wear a smile from ear to ear,
Since as far as my eyes can see, my path is clear.

But on other days, darkness closes in,
And I can’t even see what’s around the next bend.

But regardless of what I’m feeling on any given day,
God’s Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my way.

Still I must confess at times when I hear His voice,
I shut my ears and make my own selfish choice.

Yet, I know Jesus never gives up on me
Because when I turn around, I find His arms open wide continually.

The lesson I’m learning is as clear as day –
He’s always going to be there for me no matter where I stray.

So I’ve grown to find comfort in this place
Where I rest and come face to face with God’s grace.

You see, I’m the reader who daily inhales God’s life-giving Words
While He’s the “Breather” whose truth dispels all of life’s blurs.

So everyday when you look for me,
I’ll be drinking in His truth and being set free.

I’ve come to learn that in my weakness, He is strong –
That’s why being in His Word daily is where I belong.

And if you can nod your head to all I’ve said and say, “I agree.”
Then why not take a moment now from your busy day and join me?

We both know that the only way to make sense of life’s “rat race”
Is to read God’s Word everyday and come face to face with His all-sufficient grace.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Truth Triumphs!

[Scripture quotes are from the New International Version.]

The classic saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” is true because it’s confirmed on the lips of Jesus. Christ said in John 8:32b, “The truth will set you free,” and He prayed in John 17:17b, “[God’s] word is truth.” So it’s clear: God’s Word is true, and His truth triumphs over every form of worldly bondage.

Of course, the pages of history are littered with examples of many people who sought to shackle God’s Word, but they discovered His truth triumphs.

Consider the trial of Jesus. Doubtlessly dressed in his garb of Roman authority, Pontius Pilate threatened Christ with either release or crucifixion, but Jesus boldly responded to him in John 19:11a, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” Although Pilate asked Jesus about the “truth” (see John 18:28), he didn’t surrender to the truth (see John 14:6; 18:37), but while Pilate first washed his hands and then pierced Jesus’ hands, Christ died in freedom as His Roman captor apparently died in the bondage of his sins. The death and resurrection of Jesus sounded His victory over sin which has reverberated throughout the corridors of human history whereas speculations about Pilate’s reported suicidal death has been reduced to nothing more than an obscure footnote in secular historical tradition because truth triumphs.

Consider the apostle Paul at the end of the Book of Acts. When he arrived in Rome, a soldier guarded Paul, and he remained confined to a rented house for two years (see Acts 28:16, 30). But Luke declares in Acts 28:31, the final verse of his book which narrates the advancement of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, “Boldly and without hindrance [Paul] preached about the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” From both Luke and Paul’s perspective, political powers may confine men, but they can’t bind the Gospel because truth triumphs.

Consider Polycarp, an aged martyr in the early Church. When he stood before a pagan tyrant who demanded he denounce Christ, Polycarp confessed how he served Jesus faithfully for eighty-six years, and then he asked his judge, “How can I blaspheme my King?” History reports Polycarp next succumbed to a bitter and bloody death in the wake of his confession, but even though his elderly eyes closed in valley of the shadow of death, his eyes of faith opened in the light of eternity because truth triumphs.

Consider just a couple of other historical examples. For instance, John Wycliffe labored in the face of great opposition to translate God’s Word into English so every person could have access to God’s truth. But while his enemies have been dead, buried, and forgotten for many years, the truth of God’s Word is still setting people free. Also, Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to a Church door in Germany because the Biblical truth of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone liberated him from the futile attempts of his flesh to merit God’s acceptance. And though the dark clouds of religious bondage and political unrest gathered over the land of Germany, the brilliance of God’s truth pierced this darkness like a shaft of light because truth triumphs.

Yes, “the pen is mightier than the sword” because God’s truth can’t be bound. Luke wrote on four separate occasions in the Book of Acts how the Word of the Lord spread throughout the first-century world (see Acts 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20), and God’s Word is still advancing because Jesus said that He would build His Church and the gates of Hell would not be able to prevail against it (see Matthew 16:18). Believers don’t wage war as the world does (see 2 Corinthians 10:3) since their “sword” is the Word of God (see Ephesians 6:17b). So it’s clear God’s pen has been and always will be mightier than the world’s sword because His truth triumphs.

[Extra-Biblical information on Pilate in this article is adapted from Lorman M. Petersen, "Pilate," in The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, edited by Merrill C. Tenney (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1967), 656-657 and H. W. Hoehner, "Pontius Pilate," in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, edited by Joel B. Green, Scot McKnight, and I Howard Marshall (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992), 615-617.]

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Turning Problems into Positives

Have you ever heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, just make lemonade?” I have. And this little axiom is true. We all face many struggles in the world, but this is exactly what makes our journey a great adventure. Our perspective can turn problems into positives. Just listen to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9: "I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me."

Did you catch it? Paul's perspective allows him to speak of both a great door being opened to him and many who oppose him in the same breath! He can say this because it's true. We can often see how God turns problems into positives when we ask Him to help us see things from His perspective.

Let me give you a personal example of how the Lord once gave me a glimpse of this truth.

A couple of years ago my family purchased a used SUV and travel trailer so that we could enjoy the great outdoors together. After a few short trips to get used to things, we headed to the mountains for two weeks. But this is where things got interesting.

We were only about twenty minutes into our journey when we heard it – BOOM! One of the tires on our travel trailer exploded, and we found ourselves sitting on the side of the interstate for hours waiting for a repair. After I called Good Sam’s service and we got back on the road, my wife and I tried to help our two sons see that we could still have fun on our vacation. But remember that since we had one flat tire, we now had no spare.

About six hours later, we were crossing the state line into Alabama still trying to make our first campground when a trucker pulled beside me on the highway. He was waving frantically, and so I waved back. Then he just shook his head and moved on. It was at that point I noticed in my side-view mirror rubber flying into the air. You guessed it – another flat tire! Again, I pulled-off of the road and inched my way into a rest area.

Now by this time, it was getting late in the afternoon. So we turned on the propane tanks and started supper in the rest area parking lot while my boys rode their scooters and I called Good Sam’s again. But now I needed more than a tire; I also needed a spare. Thank the Lord, after hours of waiting, we found someone who could change our second flat and sell me spare. Although I had to buy the spare with about half of all the cash I had on hand, we were finally ready to get back on the road.

I guess it was about nine o’clock at night when my wife and I were smiling and laughing at the events of the day. I remember my wife saying, “Well, the worse must be behind us. We’ve had two flat tires in one day – we only have four tires on the camper.” Then I said, “Yeah, if we have another flat, I think I’m just going to keep on driving!”

I promise you that those words were barely out of my mouth when we heard it – BOOM! I glanced in my mirror, and I saw sparks flying. I pulled over, and my wife and I were crying because we were laughing so hard. This was just getting to be our routine for the day. In fact, when I called Good Sam’s again, things sounded about like this: “Hello, thank you for calling the Good Sam’s center in Minneapolis, how can I help you?” “Yes, this is Pete,” I answered. “Oh, where are you now, Pete?” “I’m still in Alabama!” I felt like I knew the wonderful people at Good Sam’s on a first name basis!

Well, someone repaired our third flat with our spare we just bought a few hours before. But by this time, it was almost midnight, and the campground was already closed. So we pulled into a Wal-Mart parking lot for the night. My sons were exhausted, but my wife was thrilled because I guess a woman’s dream-vacation would be to camp at Wal-Mart! Of course, I situated everyone in bed for the night while I went shopping for tires at one o’clock in the morning. Again, I bought two tires – I used one for a spare and used the other to replace the last tire on our camper which had not blown-out, yet. Oh, I also purchased a hydraulic jack. Since I watched people change three tires, I figured I could do it now myself if I needed to.

Then in the morning, I let my boys help me change the final tire with our new one, and we had some fun doing it. But here’s the main reason why our perspective helped us turn our problems into positives. When we were finally traveling to our first campground later that day, we were on a road without a shoulder or a railing but with a steep cliff on its side. I told my wife that if we had had a flat tire on this road, I may have tried to pull-off to the side not realizing the danger, and we could have had a tragic accident. We’ve all heard that “Hind-sight is 20/20.” Well, this perspective helped me to turn our problems into positives and to thank God for His protection.

We see this truth surface many times in Scripture. Here are a few examples. Even though Joseph endured incredible pain, he later saw how God turned all of his problems into positives. He says this to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." Also, although Jephthah, a judge in Israel, was cast out from his own family because of his tainted birth (see Judges 11:1-3a), he settled in the land of "Tob" which means "good" in Hebrew (see Judges 11:3b). Of course, God used this difficult time to prepare him to lead the Israelites out of oppression (see Judges 11:4-33). Finally, as the Psalmist learned to obey God's Word through His struggles (see Psalm 119:67-68), we can learn the same truth from our heavenly Father today. He's still working to turn our problems into positives regardless of whether or not we can or can't see it.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Trust God - He's "Been There Before"

Our world is filled with tons of uncertainty. Question marks are splattered across our economy, and the unknown looms large on the horizon of our international scene.

But I’ve heard it said that I don’t have to fear what tomorrow holds because I know who holds tomorrow. In other words, although I don’t know the future, God has “been there before” because He's not bound by time at all. In fact, He knows the end of my life from its beginning, and I can trust Him to guide and protect me. The Lord says in Isaiah 46:10, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (NIV).

Now, I’ve been aware of this simple truth for a long time, but I recently had a lighthearted experience that reminded me to rest in the palm of God’s hand. Here’s what happened.

One of my uncles passed away in the summer of 2008, and his funeral was scheduled to take place while I was in Mississippi at a kid’s camp. So I made arrangements to leave the camp and travel to south Louisiana to be with my family. While a friend suggested I take the interstate highways, I decided to take the “scenic” route instead. I figured that since I had a map and my GPS, there wouldn’t be any problems. Yeah, right!

I should have known something was wrong when I had to stop for directions at the first convenient store I saw. But I kept plowing ahead. Still things only got worse. The next “sign” that I was in trouble was when the lines marking the roads on the map kept changing. Do you know what I mean? The lines went from major roads to less than major roads to I’m-not-sure-if-this-is-even-a-road. Then I was really shocked when the road just ended! That’s right – I came face to face with a ferry boat. When I stopped and studied the map again, I realized I overlooked a little “blue” line intersecting my route.

Of course, I was committed to my course. If I tried to backtrack now, I would never make it to the funeral on time. So you guessed it – I kept on tracking.

But this wasn’t the craziest part of my trip. After I crossed the river, the road changed from pavement to gravel, and I started seeing signs like “Children at Play” and then “Stop or I’ll Shoot!” Well, maybe the signs didn’t have those exact words, but you get the idea.

Yet, oddly, my GPS kept prompting me in its nice, calm, aggravating voice, “Veer left.” Now, you might be asking, “Why didn’t you just ‘veer left’?” Simple, there was a levee to my left. Listen, I’m in south Louisiana, and the levee was about 15-20 feet high. While there were little dirt tracks leading up to the top of the levee every few hundred feet or so, I wasn’t sure it was legal to drive up there.

At this point, I turned my Altima around and tried to find someone who could give me directions. I stopped at the first “inhabited” business I saw, walked in, and asked how to get to the interstate. The kind folks inside pointed and told me to keep following the road – the same road I was just on. I politely mentioned that the road went from pavement to gravel. And to my utter shock they said, “Yeah, that’s why you probably want to take the levee if you’re in a small car.” I pressed, “The levee?” “Sure thing,” they responded without flinching. “Well, okay,” I replied with bewildered respect.

So I got back in my car and headed toward the levee, glanced at my trusted-GPS, and when it said, “Veer left,” I turned and pressed the accelerator.

It was awesome! Even though I was dodging mud-holes, I was traveling about 45 mph – I’m not sure what the speed limit is on a levee because I don’t remember seeing any signs or traffic until a certain point. That’s right! After a few miles the levee took a 90 degree turn, and I started seeing houses off in the distance. Just then I thought to myself, “People live here?” Of course, I got the answer to my question when a mini-van pulled out in front of me. I just kept following the van as it eventually exited off the levee, and I turned right to enter the interstate entrance ramp. In no time at all, I was at the funeral – a little after it started, of course, but I made it.

God used this crazy road trip to teach me that I can trust His GPS - God's Providential Sovereignty. He knows the way. Even though I doubt Him sometimes, I’m actually foolish to lean on my own understanding when traveling down a road I’ve never seen before. Instead, I should walk in the wisdom of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (NIV).

I’ve learned that even though life is filled with uncertainties, my best course of action is always following God’s directions in Scripture because “[God’s] word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (NIV). He knows the end from the beginning - He's "been there before," and He’ll guide my steps!

Tricky Talk

Have you ever watched a movie where two people are having a conversation, but both are unaware they’re talking about totally different things? It seems the longer they talk, the more tricky things get.


Well, you have to trust me when I say this kind of tricky talk isn’t just made-for-TV fun. It happens in real life, too. But if we never give up trying to communicate, things will eventually click. Talk can be tricky, but the reward is worth the risk. Believe me – I know this is true.


You see, I’m a pastor, and one afternoon a friend and I went to visit an ailing church member. When we arrived at his house, we parked in front of his open garage where he kept his antique Cadillac. This classic automobile was a beauty to behold. Its fine paint-job and white-walled tires would make anyone take a double-look. Anyone except me, apparently! Because I promise with God as my witness, I never saw that Cadillac. I must have been too preoccupied chatting with my friend as we got out of my car and walked toward the house to notice it sitting in the garage. And this is exactly why things got so tricky.


As we approached the porch, the church member was walking out his door. We met him on the steps and engaged in polite small-talk. Of course, you have to understand my back is now turned toward the Cadillac in the garage, but the church member’s electric three-wheel scooter is parked beside me. So I began to talk about the scooter which I jokingly called a “nice little Cadillac” while he was looking over my shoulder at the actual Cadillac in his garage. Since we’re both totally unaware of what was going on, our talk became real tricky. Just listen.


“That’s a nice looking ‘Cadillac’ you’ve got there,” I said glancing down at his scooter.


Referring to his antique Cadillac in the garage, the church member answered, “Oh yeah, I’ve been having it for years.”


Being a little confused with his response because I thought scooters were fairly recent inventions, I ignored his comment and continued questioning him about the scooter: “So, you ever think about selling it? I’ve thought about buying one for my ten year old little boy so he could play with it in the yard.”


The man raised his eyebrows and then looked at me puzzled. “That thing’s way too powerful for a kid to play with! He surely couldn’t drive it around in your yard!”


Well, I wasn’t about to budge. I just figured I’d stand my ground and make my case. So I fired back, “I don’t know. My little boy handles his dirt bike without any problems. I think he could definitely handle that thing, too.”


“I don’t believe so,” the man said, tilting his head to signal his reservations about the idea of giving my kid a “Cadillac” to play with in my yard.


Thinking I could still convince him that my idea wasn’t crazy, I pushed my point further with two more questions. “How much does one of those things cost, anyway? Would you be interested in selling it?”


I’m sure he was making his pastor a really good deal on his antique Cadillac when he said, “I guess I would take maybe $10,000.00 for it.”


My jaw hit the ground! Ten thousand dollars,” I thought. I couldn’t see how a scooter with three six-inch wheels and an electric motor could come close to costing $10,000.00. So I gently kicked one of the scooter’s little tires and voiced my confusion in a question: “How could it possibly cost ten grand?”


“Just think about it,” the man said as he looked over my shoulder toward the garage behind me. “The tires alone on that beauty are about $400.00 a piece!”


At this point, I thought I’d better end this conversation soon. It was getting more and more bizarre by the second. How could these little tires cost $400.00 a piece? There’s barely any rubber on these things,” I wondered as I tried to convince myself I hadn’t lost my mind.


So I quickly shifted the conversation away from “cars” at this point and asked him about his health. We talked for a few more moments, and then my friend and I prayed with him before we left.


When I got back in my car and put the key in the ignition, I lifted my head and finally noticed the antique Cadillac in the garage. With a stunned expression on my face, I turned and said to my friend, “Oh, he was talking about that Cadillac!”


My partner glanced toward the garage and then toward me with a blank stare. “What ‘Cadillac’ you thought he was talking about?” he asked. As far as he could see, there was only one Cadillac around.


Then I told him how I jokingly referred to the scooter parked by the porch as a “Cadillac” when our whole conversation began. Of course, things instantly clicked for both of us, and we caved into side-splitting laughter. We sat in the driveway for a while because I was unable to see, let alone drive, as I wiped the tears from my eyes.


My friend later told me that since he saw the antique Cadillac parked in the garage when we first pulled into the driveway, he sure thought my comments and questions were strange, to say the least. He too had no idea I was talking about the scooter the whole time.


So you see – talk can be really tricky. But we should never give up on talking things out with others. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:29b to speak “only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV). The benefits of good communication are worth our time and effort no matter how tricky talk can be.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Prayer Works Even From "Far Away"

I’ve been in ministry for twenty-two years, but I’m sure I’ve learned more about the Lord from my wife and kids than from anyone else. In fact, here’s how God used my youngest son to teach me that prayer works from anywhere, even from “far away.”


One day I was leaving for work when my wife said she wasn’t feeling well. I quizzed her for a moment to find out what was wrong and decided I’d better take a personal day and stay home. But she insisted everything was fine and told me to go ahead with my plans.


At this point, I had a bright idea. This was an excellent time to make sure my nine year old son knew how to call me in case of an emergency. So I asked him to come to the back of the house where I was making the bed, and I walked him through the simple process of calling my cell phone. Of course, I wanted him to give it a try right there on the spot to guarantee he wouldn’t have any problems later on.


Sure enough, he dialed my number from our home phone. My cell rang, and I answered. We spent a minute standing ten feet from one another and had a nice chat, wrapped up the conversation, and he left the room. Okay, I thought. If there’s any problem while I’m gone, the “little man-of-the-house” can reach me, I assured myself.


But in about three minutes, my cell vibrated again, and when I glanced to check the call, it was my home phone number. Still standing in the back bedroom, I answered the phone with a smile and said, “Hello.”


“Hey, Dad,” came a familiar voice. “I just wanted to call from the living room to make sure this phone works from far way!”


I chuckled and shared with my son that our house phone works very well. In fact, I told him that he could even call China from our phone if he wanted to. Then I immediately made it clear he shouldn’t necessarily call China just in case he got any ideas!


How does this relate to prayer?, you ask. I guess it was about a week later when God used this story to remind me of a simple truth in Scripture. Sometimes when I walk through a valley, I wonder if God hears me because I feel “far away” from Him. At other times, I stray from God, and I’m afraid He can’t hear me because I’ve drifted too far.


But I know prayer works even from “far away” because God always has His eyes on me no matter where I go. I agree with the Psalmist when he says to the Lord, “You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:2, NIV). So it really doesn’t matter where I go because I know prayer works even from “far away.”

Saturday, April 17, 2010

"Grrr" and Spiritual Victory

You might ask, "What could the sound 'grrr' possibly have in common with spiritual victory?" Everything - if you think of "grrr" describing the growl of a lion.

Wondering just where I'm going with this? Let me try to explain.

Interestingly, one of the Hebrew words translated "meditate" in the Bible is also used to describe a lion's growl (see Isaiah 31:4). Are you thinking this is a bizarre concept? Well, the idea is that Biblical meditation may involve quoting the Scriptures half-aloud at times. So like the low, growl of a lion, one of the ways Believers meditate is to quote God's Word softly aloud to themselves. And the way this is tied to spiritual victory is simple. As Christians meditate on God's Word and allow it to saturate their minds, they arm themselves with God's truth and experience spiritual victory.

This is the example of spiritual victory Jesus gave to us. For instance, Christ spoke God's truth when He was tempted. Actually, He quoted it without exception to quench every flaming temptation Satan fired His way (see Matthew 4:1-11). Do you remember the Devil's first attack on the Son of God in the wilderness? It focused on food, but Christ overcame Satan by voicing the truth of Deuteronomy 8:3b which says that "man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord" (NIV). Jesus doubtlessly meditated on God's Word which meant that He always had spiritual truth at His proverbial fingertips. This is why He experienced victory over all Satan's temptations.

Of course, you are also in a battle with Satan, and God's Word is your weapon. Paul teaches that the Word of God is "the sword of the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:17, NIV), and the writer of Hebrews explains that "the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing of soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12, NIV). Clearly, when you grab the sword of the Spirit with your fists of faith, you follow Christ's example and are postured for spiritual victory. As you meditate on the Scriptures and live by its truth, you confess with the Psalmist, "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalm 119:11, NIV).

So while you don't literally "growl like a lion" or say "grrr" when you practice Biblical meditation, you do fill your mind with the truth of the Scriptures. And when you do this, you're armed for battle and poised for spiritual victory! So do you see now? The sound "grrr" may be a very good description for how you can meditate on God's Word and speak its truth in order to overcome the attacks of Satan and experience spiritual victory!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Another Awesome Blog to Bless Your Soul

I want to direct you to another awesome blog that will bless your soul. It's my sweet wife's blog, and you can find it at http://www.4charpentiers.blogspot.com/.

I know you'll be blessed to read some of the amazing insights the Lord gives to my wife to share with others. Jesus has used her wisdom to cultivate my spiritual life for more than eighteen years now, and it's great to know you can be blessed in some of the same ways I've been and continue to be by reading her Biblically-based, heartfelt, insightful, challenging, inspiring, and practical words!

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for my virtuous wife (see Proverbs 31:10-31). "Many women do noble things, but you [Wendy] surpass them all" (Proverbs 31:29, NIV).

Ohhh, So That's Why!

I've had many "Ohhh, so that's why" moments reading through God's Word, but I'll never forget a recent one from the Old Testament.

I remember trudging through the first chapter of Numbers. Now let me just say from the outset that I believe every word in the Bible is God-breathed (see 2 Timothy 3:16) and is written to teach and to encourage (see Romans 15:4). So I know that all the details of Numbers 1:1-46 are given for a reason. I mean, I figured God had a purpose for teaching me there were 46,500 Reubenites, 59,300 Simeonites, 45,650 Gadites, etc.

"But why?" I honestly wondered. "What's the point that I know Israel had 603,550 young men twenty years old or more on their wilderness trek to the Promised Land?" I pressed.

As you might guess from the tone of my thoughts, I wasn't sure about the answers to my questions. But everything became clear when I read Numbers 13-14. It was there I had my "Ohhh, so that's why" moment.

You see, as I moved through Numbers 13-14 and how Moses dispatched scouts into the land of Canaan, I found myself "getting-into" the story. Then, when the spies relayed their findings to the rest of the nation and tension developed between most of the scouts who were fearful and the minority who were faithful, my heart started to race. I like a good story - conflicts, climax, choices, and consequences!

And this is precisely where things came together for me. As I read the record of Israel's fatal decision to react in fear instead of respond in faith at the report of the spies, a chill ran down my spine in light of God's sober judgment: "In this desert your bodies will fall - everyone of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me" (Numbers 14:29, NIV).

These words leapt off the page! Like a pair of literary hands cupping around my face in order to steady my gaze, the words "twenty years old or more" echoed in my heart. I frantically flipped the pages of my Bible back to Numbers 1:1-46. I knew I had read those words before. They sounded eerily familiar. And as my eyes slowly scanned the first chapter of Numbers again, there they were in verses 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, and 45!

But this time I read them drastically different. This time I "saw" more than words; another image flashed in my mind's eye. I saw the scene of a horizon dotted with thousands upon thousands of tombstones. And as this new picture crystallized in my thoughts, I pondered to myself, "Ohhh, so that's why."

I then realized that when I first read Numbers 1:1-46, I simply rattled these verses off like statistics in a demographic report. But when I reread them in light of God's judgment, I understood this was a roll call of the dead! These are not faceless "stats" but people, sons, husbands, fathers, and families. Every person in this unbelieving generation except Joshua and Caleb perished in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:30).

And again, this is when it hit me. Every word of the Bible is living, active, and sharp (see Hebrews 4:12). Yes, the Scriptures provide many "Ohhh, so that's why" moments because God reveals Himself through His Word so that I can embrace Him for who He is and for His "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV).

The Bible is God's self-portrait! It's not painted on a canvas with brushes and colors. It's etched in words I can read. It's wrapped in the stories of history, in the prayers of the Psalms, in the wisdom of Proverbs, and in the confrontation and consolation of the prophets. God reveals Himself in the incarnation - He is Immanuel, God with us (see Matthew 1:23), in the teachings of the apostles, and in the vision of the future. In all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, God reveals Himself. And when I stand on the threshold of forever with the light of eternity bursting back upon the stage of human history, I will exclaim again one more final time, "Ohhh, so that's why" (see 1 Corinthians 13:11-12)!

avandia