I Hit Santa Claus

This week’s post is a story I wrote last Christmas. I hope you enjoy the repeat; it’s one that means a ton to me. God bless and Merry Christmas!

Before my small group pastor days, I worked for a little company called United Parcel Service. I was a delivery driver with the brown truck and the brown uniform. Now, UPS is a wonderful company and I’m very grateful for the 16 years I had employment there. But, there was a certain time of year that I dreaded—it was Christmas. From Thanksgiving until the day before Christmas, UPS was a tough place to work because certain difficult elements collided all at once, making a perfect storm of misery for me. First, the work load jumped dramatically because of holiday shopping. Second, the time changed, making daylight hours shorter. And third, snow began to fall. Lots of packages and long, cold, snowy, dark days combined for enormous pressure. My cynicism grew every December and to be totally honest, I grew to hate Christmas.

On one of those cold, dark evenings, my cynicism busted open. It had been a long day. It had snowed all day and I was way behind. I knew I was going to be working deep into the evening. The streets were dark and house numbers were hard to read. My feet were wet and my soul was dark as I approached yet another house with package in hand. I placed it on the dry porch, rang the door bell and began to return to my truck, all the while smelling someone’s supper cooking. All I could think about was why I wasn’t home enjoying a warm dinner with my wife and kids. But as I stepped off the porch, a bright object caught the corner of my eye. It was a Santa Claus lawn ornament—you know, the Santa with a big grin, waving at all who pass by. It was as if this particular Santa was laughing at me that night and I realized at that moment—that stupid Santa represented my misery. Then, in a weak moment, something in me caused me to act on my distain. So...I cuffed Santa. Yeah, I hit him. The back of my hand smacked Santa so hard that he toppled face first into the snow. For a half second, I felt bad and almost went to pick him up… but I didn’t. I left his stupid grin, face down in the cold snow.

For years, I wrestled with the whole concept of Christmas. What’s the point? Why celebrate the birth of Jesus? It just gets twisted and out of hand anyway. And, other than Easter, we don’t celebrate other things that Jesus did. We don’t have Transfiguration parties. We don’t rejoice on the day that Jesus was baptized. We don’t have Miracle Mondays. Why Christmas? Why all the big commotion for his birth?

Oh, I knew all the right answers, but each year I had to find a time to slow myself down and let the real significance of Christmas resonate deeply in my soul. If I didn’t, I’d get caught up in the trappings and cynicism of the season. For many years, a chapter from Max Lucado’s book, God Came Near helped me. Each time I read it, I was reminded of the greatest thing that God ever did for human beings—he became man. God incarnate. God in human skin. God dwelling with us. God dying for us. As I type some words from this chapter, tears still flow from my eyes as I reflect on how God came near for me. I hope they encourage you as well.

It all happened in a moment, a most remarkable moment. As moments go, that one appeared no different than any other... It was one of the countless moments that have marked time since eternity became measurable.

But in reality, that particular moment was like none other. For through that segment of time a spectacular thing occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware, Divinity arrived. Heaven opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.

The Omnipotent, in one instant, made himself breakable. He who had been spirit became pierceable. He who was larger than the universe became an embryo. And he who sustains the world with a word chose to be dependent upon the nourishment of a young girl.

God as a fetus. Holiness sleeping in a womb. The creator of life being created… God had come near.

It all happened in a moment. In one moment…a most remarkable moment. The Word became flesh.

There will be another. The world will see another instantaneous transformation. You see, in becoming man, God made it possible for man to see God. When Jesus went home he left the back door open. As a result, “we will all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.”

The first moment of transformation went unnoticed by the world. But you can bet your sweet September that the second one won’t. The next time you use the phrase “just a moment,” …remember that’s all the time it will take to change this world.

Excerpts from “Just a Moment” by Max Lucado, 1987 (Multnomah Press) To read the entire chapter online, go to http://www.maxlucado.com/articles/topical/it_began_in_a_manger.

Ordinary... Extraordinary

As is the custom, when someone new comes to our small group, we go around the room and introduce ourselves and tell a piece of our story. On a particular night this fall when a new couple joined us for their first night, I asked the group to share who had been the three most significant people in their lives. I love listening to people answer this question because it brings out some great stories and it shows who people value most.

When the time came for my wife to answer the question, I knew who one of her choices would be—me! Well, I hoped for that but I knew there was someone else who had a huge impact on who she become as a person. It was her Grandma Lottie. Janice had grown up on one of those country roads where family farms and farm houses scattered the landscape. Her grandparents lived just a short walk from her home. Lottie was a quiet woman, yet was very emotionally strong and stable. Her husband, a former farmer and carpenter, had a massive stroke when he was in his sixties that left him physically debilitated. Though he was unable to walk and struggled to communicate, Lottie remained his primary caregiver in their home. She served his needs for several years without ever a word of complaint until he peacefully passed away in their home.

If you were to have met Lottie, you probably wouldn’t have been overly impressed at your first meeting. She was quiet, simple, and very ordinary. She would not stand out in a crowd and would be a wallflower at a social gathering. But, her impact on people was profound. You could say it was extraordinary. Lottie’s home was an open refuge to her grandkids. She would always stop what she was doing to make a relational connection with someone who walked in her door. This was especially important to Janice during a tumultuous time in her high school years. When Janice was 14, her mom was involved in a head-on collision which left her hospitalized for several months. During that year of her life, Janice’s mom went through a ton of adjustments dealing with the aftereffects of her accident. As you can imagine, this had a tremendous impact on Janice’s world as a teenage girl. She needed a safe place and her grandma’s house was always that for her. A few years before Lottie’s death, Janice wrote her a beautiful poem of gratitude. The poem now hangs framed in our bedroom as an intimate reminder of Janice’s wonderful heritage. Now eight years after Lottie’s death, Janice can’t read that poem without a tear coming to her eye. She knows that her grandmother had much to do with the person she has become.

As I read scripture, I’m always impressed with how God chose to use very ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Just look at the characters in the Christmas story. There are the lowly shepherds, a simple carpenter, and teenager girl. These regular people are living very regular lives. Even God enters the story as something ordinary to any family—a baby. Mary would intimately carry the baby through pregnancy. She would nurse and care and love this child. Joseph would protect and guide this young, vulnerable family. And the sheep watchers, they got to be the first witnesses and guests of Jesus. This is a personal and ordinary setting with some very simple and ordinary people. Yet, God chooses this intimate place to do something as grand and cosmic as he has ever done in history.

So how does God do the extraordinary with those of us who are pretty ordinary folk? Well, as you read through Mary’s story this week in Luke 1, you may find one key answer. A message is delivered to this girl through an angel that she’ll become divinely pregnant with God’s Son. This Son will be the long awaited Messiah who will sacrifice himself to take away the sins of the world. Though Mary is overwhelmed with this news, and I’m sure filled with a lot of questions about her role, her response is beautiful:

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Luke 1.38

What a profound statement from an ordinary girl! “God, I’m yours. I’ll do what you ask. I want your plan to work out.” Perhaps being used by God in an extraordinary fashion begins with humble statements driven by a willing and submissive heart.
Lottie and Mary were probably a lot alike; humble and ordinary women whom God used extraordinarily to impact future generations. Today, start with Mary’s humble statement as a prayer for this day and this season. Then ask for something extraordinary.

More Than Imagined

Haiti is a hard place in which to sleep. On a mission trip this summer, I learned this in a profound way. It was still 90 degrees when we went to bed. The small fans we shared gave minimal relief. The bed felt more like a summer camp bunk than my comfortable bed at home. The excitement of the day swirled in my brain as I closed my eyes each night. The sounds of the street—car horns, goats, chickens, barking dogs—were constant disruptions. But then there was one more thing—a 17 year old American kid named Zac in the bunk next to me. Every night, he’d sit on his bunk and journal page after page about his experiences of the day. He wasn’t noisy at all, he just needed the light on.

I thought about asking him to find a time earlier in the evening to do this, but it seemed that this was an important time for him. I learned later that journaling was not something he did at home, but rather this was special to his week in Haiti. It was evident that something very personal was happening to him. I sure didn’t want to disrupt that. So, I would pop in my headphones, close my eyes and listen to some music as I reflected on my experiences that day. The light would eventually go off and sleep would come to everyone.

Last week, I got to sit with Zac and talk about the trip. It has been four months since we were in Haiti. Zac was preparing for a presentation he will make to his high school about his trip. He asked me for some help in preparing for his talk. We brainstormed outlines, outcomes, and stories. At the end of our conversation, he went to his car and came back with his journal. He asked me to read it to see if there were any stories I thought needed to be highlighted. He had so much to tell and needed some help narrowing things down a bit.

As I read his journal, I was impressed with the words that had been penned in the bunk next to mine. I was intrigued by how a high school senior was processing the sights, smells, sounds, and experiences of such an intense place as Haiti. As I read, I could tell that something very personal and profound had happened in this young man’s soul. I could even sense that something bigger was happening with this experience; and that through Zac’s experience, others would become engaged in God’s work in Haiti. He wanted this experience to impact others.

For many people who go on mission trips, the impact of the experience is short lived. Life’s routines tend to choke out the potential changes in people’s lives shortly after they return. There are great stories to tell but their life doesn’t change much. But Zac was determined to have his Haiti experience live on through his senior year. His presentation to the student body will be to ask their help in aiding the people of Haiti. He is committed to creating awareness to the needs of Haiti and the work that God is doing there. He also made a great big goal of raising $5,000 to send to the ministry we served on our trip. This goal will engage him his entire senior year.

The Bible is filled with stories of God doing something personal with someone; but as read the story you sense that there’s something bigger going on. The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is a perfect illustration. Here’s an elderly couple who has never had children—a disgrace in most ancient societies. God comes to Zechariah to announce that he’ll be a father. Zechariah has some reasonable doubts and God gives him nine months of not being able to speak. We learn that his baby is not only a special gift to this deeply devoted but disgraced old couple, but he will be a gift to the people of Israel. This baby, named John, will be the messenger and forerunner to the Messiah, Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. The planet will be spiritually changed because of what God set in motion through John. Four hundred years of silence from God will end through this old couple and their baby.

There are times in life when we sense God giving us a very personal and intimate gift. But, he has a way of linking these personal gifts with something more grand, cosmic, and bigger than we could imagine. We are blessed to become a blessing. We are given gifts to become good givers. We are given life-giving truth to pass it on. We are encouraged to become an encouragement to others.

As you step into the Christmas season, take inventory of the beautiful personal gifts God has given you. Don’t just settle for having a sense of gratitude, look for something bigger. Could God be doing something more than you ever imagined with the gift he’s given you? Zac, who had a cool mission experience in Haiti, would tell you that God may be up to something bigger. Maybe we need to think bigger. Maybe we need pray bigger—this week!

Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart

After every baseball practice, Adam would do the same thing; he’d wander up to me with a shy look on his face, reach out his hand to shake mine and say, “Thanks, coach.” He’d then turn and walk off with his dad who was usually nearby insuring his son would follow through on this daily ritual. I always suspected that Adam did this because his dad asked him to. It just didn’t feel like this was Adam’s idea. But I always appreciated what this dad was teaching his son: he was teaching him to be grateful and to express his gratitude. Adam was learning that there are a bunch of things in life to be grateful for such as the health, ability, time, resources and the coaching available to him so he can enjoy baseball. But he was learning that he needs to express his gratitude. Though I know Adam struggled to muster the courage to do this, I grew to really appreciate his effort. Of all the kids I’ve coached over the years, he expressed his thankfulness more than any other.

Recently, I heard an old chorus that I grew up hearing in church. The key lyrics were, “Give thanks with a grateful heart.” This old song had become somewhat of a cliché to me but it’s truly a profound thought. True thanksgiving is first a condition and then an expression of the heart. They work beautifully together but often we don’t join the condition of our heart with the expression of our mouth. For instance, we may have the habit of saying, “Thank you,” many times a day. It’s called being polite—which is a good thing. But being polite doesn’t mean I’m grateful. This morning, the gal who toasted my bagel at Panera Bread said “thank you” when I gave her my money. Was her heart overwhelmed with thanksgiving because I actually had the funds to buy my breakfast? Was she experiencing a heartfelt moment of gratitude for me, who in some small way was helping her have money to live her life? Maybe. Maybe not. But, I doubt it. Most likely, she was just being polite; perhaps as she was trained by her parents or by her boss. Though words of gratitude can be used, it doesn’t always mean we are grateful.

There are times when we are truly grateful, but we fail to express it. This morning, I spoke with a friend who is mentoring a young man struggling in his marriage. He had been encouraging this young man to write his wife a note thanking her for the good things she does for him and his kids. He was confident that it would mean a ton to this young wife to hear some real words of appreciation. But as this man was telling me this story, my friend stopped in mid-sentence as he realized how long it had been since he had given his wife a tangible expression of his gratitude. Gratitude without expression just seems incomplete, doesn’t it?

But when we join a grateful heart with a grateful expression, we bring joy to our Father. Gratitude also unleashes other virtues in our life. I can’t be truly humble without having an appreciation of all that God has given me that I could not earn on my own. It’s tough to be content when my thoughts and words are riddled with ungrateful complaints. Everything in life works best, not when I want more, but when I have gratitude for what God has already given. Marriage works best when I love my wife because I’m grateful God has given her to me. I’m more patient, kind, and caring when my heart is filled with thanksgiving. And then there’s perseverance… I’m more apt to endure hardship well when I draw from stories of God’s provision with gratitude. Thanksgiving brings hope.

Give thanks with a grateful heart.

Humbled or Humilitated

I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity to impress the beautiful blonde on whom I had a growing crush. She was on a floating raft, enjoying her break from her job in a camp kitchen and I was getting the catamaran ready for sail. I was a 19-year-old camp counselor assigned to take a group of 8-year-old girls sailing on Pine Lake. It was a perfect day and the perfect setup to impress her with both my strong, manly sailing skills, and my tender, entertaining way with the fine young ladies on the sailboat.

There was a nice breeze that day, but not too strong to make the ride challenging or rough. The girls climbed on the boat all bundled in their life vests. They were excited about the ride and I pushed off with great confidence that they’d be telling fun stories around the camp about their ride. The boat was a big, heavy, homemade catamaran-style sailboat. It was kind of clunky to maneuver, but it was stable and virtually impossible to turn over. The breeze grabbed the sail immediately, but it pushed me in the wrong direction—toward the neighbor’s beach. I brought the sail down, hopped off the boat and pushed it out it again; climbed back on and pulled up the sail. The same thing happened again, this time blowing me into a marshy, weedy area of the lake. The excitement had worn off the girls’ faces and I began to hear words such as “boring” and “you don’t know what you’re doing, do you?”

Growing in frustration, I jumped off the boat again; except this time I didn’t make it completely into the water. My swim shorts had caught on an I-hook that was used to tie off the ropes when the boat was docked. My shorts hooked just above the bottom seam on one of my legs and tore all the way up to the waistband. When the hook hit my waistband, the tearing stopped and so did I. There I was… hanging by my torn shorts from the side of a rickety boat in the middle of cattails. I tried to shake myself free hoping the band would just break but it didn’t. I dangled awkwardly with more and more of my bare butt pointing upward at the girls. It’s safe to say that the girls were no longer bored… they were horrified. Awkwardly, I lifted myself up on the boat enough to untangle myself from the hook. Just as I was getting free from my mess, my buddy Bruce, sitting on his lifeguard perch, noticed my plight. Instead of sending help, he called out on his megaphone for all to hear, “Hey, Phil, everything okay?” With bare butt showing and girls crying, I looked up to see if one particular person on a certain raft was looking. And… she was.

With shredded but free shorts, I jumped back into the water and slowly walked the boat back along the shore toward the camp dock. When I was close enough, I pushed it to the dock and a friendly staff member helped the girls off the boat. There in the water I sat, hiding my ripped shorts while I convinced another counselor to run to my cabin to get me another pair. There was no way I was going to walk out of that water! The entire time, the jokes didn’t stop.

Some would say that circumstance was humbling. I would call it humiliating. There’s a big difference between humility and humiliation, isn’t there? Humiliation is associated with ridicule, shame, embarrassment, and failure. But humility is a virtue; something to cultivate in our lives. It’s something Jesus modeled for us. Look for the words or phrases that describe humility in the verses below.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2.5-8 (Message)

Humility is having an accurate view of yourself, and being willing to be honest with yourself. It’s living authentically—dropping any mask that protects your image. It’s releasing the demand to be honored, and releasing the power given to you toward the service and wellbeing of others. Through the virtue of humility, we grow and we look like our Savior God, Jesus.

By the way… the beautiful blonde on the raft…she eventually married me. That’s humbling!

Camera Snob

I’ll admit it, I’m a self-proclaimed camera snob. Just ask my friends or family members who have traveled with me. As soon as they pull out their camera phone or pocket-point-and-shoot thingy, I scoff at their feeble attempts to a capture a beautiful scene with such inferior technology. As they awkwardly hold their cell phone out in front of their face, they’ll hear me say in a condescending tone, “Are you really trying to capture that gorgeous sunset with that piece of junk?” You see, I have some really nice camera equipment that I’ve purchased over the years. In recent years, photography has grown past being just a hobby to being a second source of income.

So, there I am at the University of Michigan Big House, one of my favorite places on the planet, with my favorite camera and lens set-ups. I have solid hopes of capturing great action shots of my favorite football team. With incredible envy, I watch the pros move to their places on the sidelines. But as I watch the other photography “hacks” around me with their phone and pocket cameras, I’m feeling pretty good about my situation. I have the Canon 7D with a 70-200 mm 2.8/f lens that I’ve paid a bunch of money for with my photography earnings. I’m not on the sidelines with the pros (yet), but I’m certain people will be impressed with the shots I get in this great venue.

From the front row of the end zone, I began shooting warm-ups. My lens is zoning in tight on my favorite players. The shutter is firing off in rapid bursts. I’m in “the zone” as I scan the field through the camera eye piece looking for candid moments to capture. But, when I stop to check to make sure my settings are rights, I realize something is wrong. None of the images I shot were being captured. On the screen on the back of my camera was this horrifying message, “No CF card.” There was no memory card in my camera?! Panicked, I throw open the memory card door to be sure. This couldn’t be. How could there not be a memory card? But in fact, it was gone. With a sick feeling in my stomach, I remembered putting in my camera bag and planning to pop it into the camera later. But, at that critical moment, my camera bag and memory card were a mile away in the trunk of my car. It would take over an hour to retrieve it. So for the next three hours, that camera, valued over several thousands of dollars was worthless. With great irony, a kid carrying a $10 disposable camera stepped in front of me and snapped off a couple shots. My top end, expensive camera was a paperweight hanging from my neck, while his Wal-Mart special was capturing images of memories he’d enjoy later. Who would be the better photographer that day?

On the final stop on our tour of the seven churches of Revelation, we come to Laodicea. This city was known for its great wealth and independence. In 60 AD, the people faced a devastating earthquake but because of their wealth, they refused aid from Rome to rebuild. Their wealth staved off dependence on the Roman world power. But Jesus had something interesting to say to the church of Laodicea. He told them that though they seemed rich, they were not. As a matter of fact, they were spiritually poor. He called them lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—worthless water. Not hot enough to clean and not cold enough to refresh. They were lukewarm to the point where Jesus said he wanted to spit them out of his mouth. Strong words for people who had become enamored with themselves and their prosperity to the point where their spiritual hearts had grown dead and worthless. Laodicea had lots of bling but no spiritual value.

Does Ada Bible Church, an American church located in an affluent community, need to pay attention to Jesus’ words to Laodicea? Absolutely, because there’s incredible danger in success. What begins as God’s wonderful blessing can slowly turn to a curse when we become self-focused and distracted with our stuff and our programs. “ABC” could take on a new meaning: Attendance, Buildings, and Cash. How unfortunate would it be if we lose our heart for Christ and our love for people and become an expensive ornate paperweight hanging around God’s neck? I love how Jesus closes his letter to Laodicea: he invites them to dinner—one of the greatest gestures of friendship and community of that day. He invites them back into intimate community with him.

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. Revelation 3.19-20

Churches can grow lukewarm, distracted, and worthless over time but so can Christ-followers. We look at our wealth and prosperity and lose our humble approach to serving God and people. If this is you, hear Jesus’ invitation.

26.2

‎”26.2 club ....checked it off the bucket list.” This was my daughter’s Facebook post just a couple Sundays ago after she completed her first marathon. It’s always interesting to me what people put on their bucket list (the list of things they want to do before they die). Bucket list entries usually fall into one of three categories: places to travel (“I want to spend two weeks on a Hawaiian beach”), something adventurous (“I want to skydive”), or a significant accomplishment (“I want to complete a marathon”). I don’t know what else is on Kari’s bucket list, but I know that she just knocked off a huge accomplishment as an athlete. Less than 1% of the population has completed a marathon—which is interesting because most marathon experts believe that just about anyone can do it . . . if they submit and stay committed to a tested training regimen. . . if they stay injury free. . .and they adapt their nutritional habits to build muscles and stamina. The simple reason why 99% of us have never run 26.2 miles is because we are just unwilling to endure the training.

Our whole family gathered near the finish line to cheer Kari on at the end. We all hoped to see her healthy and strong after four hours of running. But as she approached, I found her in my camera lens. As I zoomed in, I could tell immediately that she was struggling. Her face was an eerie gray color, her shoulders were drooped, and her legs, though carrying her forward, were struggling with every step. As she passed by, we called her name, cheering her to the finish. She didn’t seem to acknowledge us as she passed with a very glassy look in her eyes. Later, she told us that she heard us but didn’t have an ounce of energy to turn her head. We caught up to her after she crossed the finish line. I yelled again to her, “Way to go, Kari!” I was hoping for a big smile, a thumbs up, or a victor’s hand raise; but instead, she just shook her head with a look that I interpreted as disappointment. I thought, “She looks like she’s regretting this whole thing.”

Once she got warmer clothes and some nutrition in her system, she started to talk about the race. She talked about hitting “the wall” at mile 18 and how “the wall” lasted for over 5 miles. Her pace had slowed dramatically as fatigue was doing a number on her physically and emotionally. At mile 23, she broke down in tears as she was completely spent. But in the final three miles, she was able to push through and pick up her pace at the end. I waited a few minutes to ask her about her time. I knew she had some time goals and was curious if she had met them. I said, “So, through all of this, are you happy with your time?” She looked down at her watch and with the first smile I had seen she said, “Dad, I killed it!” She had beaten her goal by over 15 minutes. A few days later, her aunt asked her on Facebook, “So would you do it again?” Her reply, “Initially, I say no… but the idea is slowly growing.”

Perseverance is a virtue that God loves to see displayed in us when life gets long and hard. As a matter of fact, Jesus commended the church in Philadelphia for obeying his commandment to persevere. Did you know that God commands us to patiently endure? The church in Philadelphia had gone through some incredible trials: their city had been devastated numerous times with earthquakes, and their people had been persecuted over and over because of their commitment to God. Jesus says, “You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and didn’t deny me.” You stayed on course. You kept your feet moving. “Hold on to what you have, so no one can take away your crown.” Hold on! Run with hope for something good at the end. It will be worth it all.

When Kari left the starting line for her marathon, she knew with certainty how long the race was and how her training had prepared her for this endeavor. Unfortunately, life’s marathons (relationship, financial, health and depression marathons) don’t always come with clear training logs or a finish time. We’re just asked to patiently endure with hope. Those who finish a marathon of any sort, finish because of hope. They are able to look past the pain and strive toward the day when they will find rest, encouragement, nourishment, relief, and joy again. People with hope have a conviction that when they patiently endure, somehow it is worth it all and there is something good to be found at the end.

Wake Up

When they were younger, two of my three kids were mild sleepwalkers. On any given night, Janice and I would be sitting in the living room watching TV or reading, and we’d hear a bedroom door open. Normally, one of our kids would walk down the hallway rubbing their eyes, and we’d hear a request for a drink of water or comfort from a bad dream. We’d give them whatever they needed and walk them back to bed. But on those few sleepwalking nights, their demeanor was much different and very strange to watch. We would hear their door open but instead of hearing them walk down the hall to us, we just hear them walking around. So, one of us would get up to see what was happening and we would find our child walking aimlessly or standing in some part of the house. We’d ask, “Hey, what are you doing up?” Often they would answer, but it would be a bit off topic and somewhat incoherent. Because they looked awake, it would take a minute for us to realize that our child was sleepwalking. Their eyes would be open, their legs and feet were moving their bodies, their hands were opening doors and picking up things, and they would communicate. But when we watched carefully, we would notice their eyes were unfocused and glassy, they were walking without purpose, and their communication was not clear or helpful. Gently, we’d lead them back to bed.

Have you ever wondered what happens in the brain of a sleepwalker? Here’s an explanation I pulled off the internet.

There is a 'sleep center' present in the brain which controls the sleeping and the waking of the body. When you sleep, the sleep center blocks off a part of the brain so that it goes to sleep and does not perform any action and it also blocks off certain nerves that brings in the messages to the brain thereby allowing your body to go to sleep. Generally, the sleep center and the body are connected but at times they can separate. Under such conditions, while the brain goes to sleep, the body remains awake. The people suffering from this condition sit up in their sleep or stand near the bed. Some even go about for a stroll but do not remember this incident later. (buzzle.com)

As common as sleepwalking is to kids, I think there may be a more common adult condition that can be called “spiritual sleepwalking.” Like the “sleep center” in the brain, we have a “worship center” in our soul. Its purpose is to connect the heart, the mind, and the body to engage God. Too often the heart is disconnected from the mind and body. Here are some possible symptoms of spiritual sleepwalking:

1. You mouth the words of songs and prayers in church without your heart engaging the meaning of the words.

2. Your mind drifts to other thoughts and plans when a friend is sharing something significant, heartfelt, or vulnerable. Your ears hear the words, your head nods politely, but your heart doesn’t connect or respond.

3. You eat your food, drive your car, and enjoy the safety and comfort of your home without speaking words of gratitude.

4. Your relationship with your spouse seems more like that of a roommate than a passionate companion.

5. Your Bible needs a good dusting.

If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms in the past, know that you’re not the first to spiritually sleepwalk.

To the church in Sardis, Jesus wrote,
…I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!

Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. Revelation 3.1b-3a

Questions to ponder:
1. Is there anything growing stale in your spiritual life that needs a breath of fresh air?
2. Do your relationships feel vibrant and alive or dry and routine?
3. What’s your delight factor in Scripture?
4. When you pray, do you truly believe that God is listening and cares?

Let today be the day you allow something sleepy in you to wake up!

Three Guys

Here are three stories of guys tempted to stray and how they’ve responded to the wayward pull.

Guy #1
I’ll call him Jim to protect the guilty. I had not met Jim until we had lunch together. His small group leader had connected us because, as Jim’s leader said, “He really needs to talk to a pastor about the decisions he’s making.” Jim agreed to meet with me. Honestly, it was an awkward conversation but once I asked a few direct questions, Jim became very honest about his situation. As we started into our sandwiches, he said, “So… there’s this woman.” Jim was a married man; I could tell “this woman” was not his wife. I probed for more details and he was remarkably forth coming. He had met her at an on-going social activity. She was very attractive and gave him lots of attention. She was married as well and they had found their struggling marriages to be something in common. When I asked him if his new relationship had become physical, he confessed to being involved in a full-blown affair. I confronted him with the biblical truth about adultery. Without excuse, he acknowledged this was against God’s way of living. But it was clearly evident that he was unwilling to end the affair and pursue his wife. He had finally found what he always really wanted and he was willing to face the pain and consequences to pursue his new found passion. He left our lunch together early.

Guy #2
We’ll call him Joe to protect the innocent. Joe called me and asked to have lunch. I got the sense from our phone conversation that he wanted to talk about something significant. I was right. As we started into our sandwiches, he said, “So… there’s this woman.” When I probed for details, he was remarkably forthcoming. He met this other woman at an ongoing social activity for his kids. Her kids did the same activities as his and they, as parents, were deeply involved in this venture. She was very attractive and gave him a lot of attention. He wasn’t looking for an affair but her presence and affirming words were making him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long time. His marriage was struggling and he suspected hers was as well. “What should I do?” he asked. “I’m afraid if I pursue this, it won’t end well. But, I’m so drawn to her.” We spent our time talking about practical ways to create distance with this woman. We then chatted about new ways he could pursue his wife. Our friendship continues today and his marriage is improving.

Guy #3
A year ago this week, I got a call that my dad had passed way. He was a man of faithfulness, integrity and principle who had served as a pastor for 56 years. He was also a man who loved to share his faith with anyone who would listen. God had taken him quickly and peacefully.

A couple of years previous to his passing, a woman living in his assisted living facility asked to speak with him. She was in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s and her days were a combination of mental sharpness and debilitating confusion. She was struggling to remember some important tenants of her faith that she had believed all her life. She wanted dad’s help to understand who God was in her life as her mental capacity was slipping away from her. Dad agreed to meet with her in his room but told her that she needed to bring a friend because he couldn’t meet with a woman alone. It was a principle that dad had lived by for over 60 years. When I heard that, I thought, “Really, dad? You’re 93 years old. What do you think could happen?” That didn’t matter to dad. He had chosen principles of protection years ago and he refused to stray from them.

In our discussion of the seven churches in Revelation, we come to the fourth church: Thyatira. Thyatira seems to be a church whose people are split in how they will live out their faith. There are people who had once been known for their deeds of love, service, and perseverance but had been seduced into an “anything goes” theology of living. Some had given into a lifestyle of sexual immorality, thinking they could have their faith in Christ and still engage in immoral relationships. To them he says to repent or grave consequences will follow. Jesus points out those who had been faithful; to them he says, “only hold onto what you have until I come.” Stay on track! Keep doing what is good and right! Nothing new—just keep being faithful.

Questions to ponder:
1. Are you rationalizing sinful behaviors, patterns, or habits? Do you have a foot in both worlds?
2. Do you believe the biblical warning that consequences will follow sin?
3. Do you long for God’s smile and approval in your life? Will you pursue a heart of faithfulness?

The Art of Deception

I’m a big Detroit Tigers fan—have been since I was 10 years old. This is only the fourth time in my lifetime that the Tigers are playing the post-season; so I’m enjoying every moment, whether they win or lose. I’m not only a big fan of baseball but I’m also a high school coach. So when I watch the best players in the world play on the big stage, I tend to study their approach, their strategy, and how they handle given situations. Though baseball is played on a fairly large field, much of the game centers near a 60 foot, 6 inch stretch between the pitcher and batter. Anything that happens on the field is determined by what happens when the ball is thrown to the plate. Over the years, I’ve bumped into people who really hate watching this aspect of the game. They call it slow and boring because players have the tendency to do things to cause the fans to wait. Both hitters and pitchers do a lot of thinking, tugging, and scratching before they step on to the pitching rubber or into the batter’s box.

Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate what’s happening in these slow moments of the game. In these tedious moments a plot of deception is being crafted. The pitcher is scheming how he’ll use his arsenal of pitches to fool the hitter to fail. One of the Tigers pitchers, Justin Verlander (the best in baseball this year), has three effective pitches. His fastball often travels over 100 mph, the fastest in the game. He also throws a big bending curveball that looks like it’s coming high and inside but it ends low and outside. His other “money pitch” is a change-up. This pitch is the ultimate deceiver because it looks like a fastball coming out of his hand but it can be 10-15 mph slower. The hitter, fooled into thinking the ball is traveling 100 mph, will swing early, missing or hitting a weak ground ball. Good pitchers are good liars.

The hitter, on the other hand, is trying to predict or plan for the deception. Good hitters are able to hit any pitch… if they know what’s coming. But since this is not the case, good hitters have to understand how good pitchers deceive. So they study pitching patterns and they look for tendencies that could reveal what type of pitch is coming. That’s what’s happening in those nervous moments between every pitch. The pitcher is planning his deception and the hitter is trying to anticipate what’s coming.

In baseball, the art of deception is fun to see in action. In the series between the Tigers and the Yankees, crowds of over 40,000 people hang on every pitch. But in life, navigating through the art of deception can be tough and the outcome can be devastating. Each day, whether we realize it or not, someone, Satan, is attempting to deceive us. He uses powerful things that look like a 100 mph fastball. But, he can also throw a nasty change-up to knock us off balance.

This week in the sermon series, The Seven Churches of Revelation, we’ll look at a church called Pergamum. Jesus describes the city as being Satan’s city, inferring that this is the town he lives in. I think this is his way of saying, “Satan runs this place. He owns it.” The way Satan got such a deep foothold in this community is through deception. In the church in Pergamum, he’s deceived many of the people into ways of idolatry and immorality. Idolatry is placing anything above God. Satan has convinced them that the One True God is not enough and that there are other gods that need their attention and their allegiance. And in their idolatry, they became immoral, engaging sexually beyond what God had intended. In essence, they’ve believed the lies of Satan that God is not enough and that he is holding back.

Not everyone in the church was fooled by the big bending curveballs of Satan. Jesus commends them, “I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you remain true to me. You refused to deny me…” Revelation 2.13 NLT

The art of deception is making something false appear to be true. It’s making something bad look good. If Satan were to play baseball, he’d be a Hall of Fame pitcher. He’s a master deceiver. He has a way of making ugly, destructive things look attractive, beautiful, and life-giving. But, there’s good news. We have the Holy Spirit in us to help us distinguish between a fastball and a curveball— between truth and a lie. When we a walk in step with the Spirit, we can see a lie coming and knock it out of the park.

Some questions to ponder today:

1. Are you recognizing the lies that Satan is spewing in our culture?

2. Where are your weak or vulnerable points? Where are you susceptible to being deceived?

3. Jesus closes his note by saying, “Anyone who has ears to hear must listen to the Spirit…” How are you listening to the Holy Spirit? Are you quiet enough to hear him? Remember, Satan’s lies scream loudly, but the Spirit whispers.

But You Are Rich

You can tell a lot about a church just by watching how people function during their Sunday routine. Being the church-geek that I am, I have the tendency, when visiting a church, to quietly sit back and watch people as they go about their church business. How do they interact with each other as they come and go? How do they engage in worship? What’s the emotional tone of their gathering? How do they respond when the pastor is teaching? How do they dress and what does this say about them?

This summer I visited a church where all I could do was watch people. I really couldn’t participate because nothing was in English. The church was called Bois Neuf and was located several miles outside of St. Marc, Haiti. Because they speak Creole, I had no idea what was being sung, prayed, or taught. So I just watched… and this is what I observed:

• I saw over 150 people gather in a room better suited for less than 100 for a two hour service –and, it was hot in there!

• I saw men wearing clean white shirts with ties and women in beautifully colored dresses—a sharp contrast to their dirty, unkempt surroundings.

• I saw people physically, emotionally, and spiritually engaging with the worship music.

• I heard people audibly respond to the words of their pastor as he taught from his Bible.

• I saw beautiful children being lovingly taught. It was much later in the day that I learned many of the kids were from a local orphanage.

• I saw people who, I suspected, had very little put money in the collection baskets.

• I witnessed genuine expressions of love as people lingered an hour or more after the service.

As I watched this beautiful community of Haitian believers engage in their weekly gathering, tears flowed from my eyes. This was my fifth day in Haiti and by this time, I had soaked in so many troubling sights and had heard enough uncomfortable and disturbing stories for one week. I had never seen such poverty nor have heard such heartbreak. Just take a minute to think about what this church has endured in the last eighteen months: Four hurricanes and many more tropical storms have hit their region since the devastating earthquake in January, 2010. Though St. Marc was north of the earthquake devastation, they’ve had to aid their friends and family who were impacted in Port-a-Prince. Refugees have migrated into their community, swelling their already overpopulated city. A cholera outbreak recently started in their city and swept north into neighboring communities. Additionally, there is the constant threat of civil unrest from the daily impact of having a corrupt government that’s treated its citizens poorly for 200 hundred years. Oh… and then there’s Voodoo, which is an overt expression of the worship of ancient spirits. Christians there believe this is outright Satan-worship. The contrast between Bois Neuf Church and their surroundings was stunning.

As we continue our journey through the Seven Churches of Revelation, we come to the church of Smyrna. This town was a hotbed for persecution of Christians, and Jesus commends them for their endurance. This is one of two churches that do not receive correction from Jesus. Instead, Jesus encourages them in their hardship. I would bet that the people of Bois Neuf experience something very profound and encouraging when they read Jesus’ letter to the church in Smyrna. With Bois Neuf in mind, reflect on the words to Smyrna:

To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death. Revelation 2.8-11

The American church today may not be facing the troubles of Smyrna or Bois Neuf, but churches all around the globe are facing enormous hardship because of their faith in Jesus. Spend some time today praying for these churches. They have a great task ahead of them and are called to accomplish the same mission we have, but in the midst of difficult circumstances. God cares deeply for them. And, so shall we!

Lost Love

When I was in college, I picked up a part-time job at United Parcel Service to help pay my expenses. There was one period of time during my tenure at UPS where I found myself on the “sort aisle”—the place where packages are unloaded from semi-trucks and sent down a conveyor belt to be sorted to their next destination. Brett was a guy on the sort aisle that I remember very well. He and I spent a lot of time talking about God, religion, and life while we moved packages. Jesus, the Bible and church were fairly new concepts to him but he knew how to ask really good questions. We would talk about God as often as he wanted and as often as the sort aisle would allow. There were a couple other Christian guys on the sort aisle, so Brett would go back and forth and pick our brains about what we knew and believed. As time went by, his questions got more and more specific about Jesus, his sin, grace, forgiveness, and being right with God.

I’ll never forget the night when Brett came up to me on the aisle and said, “I gave my life to Jesus last night. I believe! It’s pretty cool to know that Jesus died for my sins and I’m forgiven. Phil, what’s next?” Brett’s new found faith became his greatest passion in life. He began to read his Bible, he found a church and he told anyone who would listen about his new relationship with Jesus. He was a passionate man with a passionate faith! Over time, our work at UPS caused us to part ways. I took a driving job and, though we tried to stay in contact, our drastically different schedules wouldn’t allow it.

A few years later, I found myself in a conversation with one of the Christian guys from the days on the sort aisle. I asked if he had stayed in contact with Brett and he said that ironically, they had just reconnected. But his face dropped as he said, “I’m not sure that Brett’s doing very well.” I wondered if Brett had stumbled into some bad habits or had walked away from his faith. But Joe assured me that Brett’s lifestyle was clean and his faith in Jesus was still intact. “It seems that Brett has become rigid with his beliefs and he sounds harsh and almost angry when he talks about people and the church. I think he’s isolating himself with other very rigid people. He still reads his Bible a lot, but it seems he’s lost his passion for Jesus and for sharing his relationship with others. His joy in serving God and people is gone.” A feeling of deep sadness came over me as I tried to imagine Brett’s faith lacking joy and passion.

Brett’s story is not uncommon to believers. Many start their walk with God excited and passionate about serving and reaching out to others. But, over time, their bright light grows dim. A quest for knowledge replaces love, and following rules replaces relationships. This not only happens to individuals, it happens to churches. Jesus saw this trend in a church that had an incredible reputation and track record for impacting their region for Christ. It was the church of Ephesus who had worked hard and had persevered through difficult times. They were diligent in identifying and stamping out false teaching that would corrupt the message of Jesus. Once a hub for the expansion of the Good News of Jesus, the church of Ephesus was on the edge of having their light snuffed out. What was the reason for their shift? It was love, or the lack of it. They had lost their ability to love God and to love people the way they did when they were young, fresh, and new.
¬¬¬¬
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. Revelation 2.4-5

Spiritual drift can occur when the things of this world pull us from what is good and right. But spiritual drift can also happen when good things replace the best thing. We become more focused on our family, our work, and our fun rather than on our relationship with God. We serve our church without a heart of service toward God. We do good things out of obligation or routine, but without love and passion for the people involved. We read books to know about God, but never truly fall in love with God.

Jesus’ call is for us to repent. To go back where we started as passion-filled followers of Jesus whose every thought and action stems from a love for God and people. In a selfish world this is a hard road to walk, but Jesus promises that this is where we’ll find the greatest impact as a church and as followers of Jesus.

The Job Review

Over the past 10 years, I’ve become fairly acquainted with annual job reviews. For much of the last decade, I’ve been someone’s boss here at Ada Bible Church. No one looks forward to their review; I have yet to meet anyone excited about this process. Some are downright afraid. Others approach them with a touch of cynical humor. But, no one has ever expressed that they’ve looked forward to their annual review. Even the ones who know that they’ve been doing exceptional work, tend to want to avoid them. Job reviews come with fear and anxiety. People fear correction, evaluation, criticism, and even compliments. But, I think most people fear that they will be asked to change something after a job review.

I’m not a boss any more at ABC. I’ve left my management position and have taken more of a pastoral role. And, ironically, I just endured my first job review in almost four years. To add irony to irony, my new boss, Dan, is someone I hired a handful years ago and was my employee until just a few months ago. I did his last job review. Now he did mine. I think both of us carried some significant anxiety into our meeting. He had the terrible task of reviewing his old boss. I was walking through the anxious steps of transitioning into a new boss, a new role, and new responsibilities with new people at a new campus.

I won’t bore you with the details of our discussion, but you need to know that I left our meeting feeling very affirmed in my role and in my relationship with Dan; and I felt challenged to engage in my job in a passionate manner. Because Dan knew me, he was able to genuinely affirm my strengths and to bring out the areas in which he felt I had been successful. Because Dan cared about me, he was also able to draw out areas were we both knew I may struggle. It was an authentic and honest conversation that was based on relationship. I knew that Dan was for me, that he cared for me, that he appreciated my effort and that he wanted to help me work through the challenges I was going to face in my new role. If our relationship lacked respect and trust, my review would have been hollow, inauthentic, and kind of awkward.

Being reviewed is tough, but it can be necessary and helpful. Most of us are not able to accurately self-evaluate. We tend to wear selfish-tinted glasses that make us feel better than we are; or we wear blinders that prohibit us from seeing ourselves and our work completely. We need help to see ourselves for who we truly are—the good and the bad. But it’s hard to hear someone talk about us whether in an affirming tone or a corrective manner. We feel vulnerable because the person reviewing us has the authority to alter our work. What if they don’t see us accurately? What if they do, and I need to change?

Over the next eight weeks, we get to sit at the conference table as Jesus does a job review with seven ancient churches. These seven churches all had the same job: to carry out the mission and message of Jesus to the world. Though they all have the same task, they are all very different. They all had unique sets of circumstances, people, cultural contexts, and challenges that threatened their effectiveness. But, they all had a “boss” who cared enough for them to tell them the truth—the good and the bad.

Throughout this series, notice how Christ relates to his church. Look for how he affirms them. Listen for words of warning. Pay close attention to how he corrects them. Experience the love he has for his church. But, don’t forget, we are now his church. His words to the seven churches will apply to Ada Bible Church. And because churches are made up of people, they will apply to us. It’s time for a job review from a boss who loves you enough to tell you the truth about yourself.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Revelation 2.7

I'm a Rock-Climber?

I heard recently that the perfect physique for a male rock climber is 5’10” and 135 lbs. I haven’t been 5’10” and 135 lbs since middle school. So what was I doing harnessing up to climb a 40 foot rock face? Great question. But there I was off a boon dock road in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan getting prepped for my accent. This wasn’t one of those walls built in a gym with screwed in hand and foot holds; this was a God-made rock face that had been there for thousands of years.

Grant, my son-in-law, is a certified climber and loves to take climbers to their first assent. Grant began our Saturday adventure by lead-climbing the rock, using safety clips pre-set in the rock by other climbers. When he reached the top, he secured a rope and pulley to the clip at the top of the rock face. That was our goal… to get to that clip. He made it look fairly easily, but I wasn’t sure this experience was for me. I grabbed my camera and confidently stated that I would be the event photographer capturing memories made by others.

Through the course of the morning, my son and his three friends enjoyed climbing this rock with various degrees of success. My camera was busy and I was happy with my role until I heard, “Your turn dad.” I’m not sure if I felt pressure or encouragement. In watching the kids climb, I realized that there are three possible outcomes if I were to give this a shot. First, I could climb successfully to the top. Second, I could get tired and/or frustrated and quit. Third, I could fall. But no matter the outcome, at some point I would have to put my trust completely into one person—the person belaying my climb. This person’s job is to remove slack from the line as I climb, to secure me if I fall or to help me repel when I want to come down. They stand at the bottom, fully harnessed with an ATC (belaying device) clipped to their harness. They must know what they are doing and how to work the equipment.

As I began to harness in, Josh (who would belay me) and Grant began to explain some things. Perhaps they saw fear in my eyes. They explained how each piece of equipment was rated to be several thousand pounds more than my falling weight. They also spent time explaining Josh’s role, his experience level and his confidence in making my climb successful and enjoyable. I clipped in and began to climb. I knew that fatigue would be my first enemy, so my plan was to navigate the face as fast as I could. I felt a sense of freedom and confidence as I found places to grab, stand, and move upward. This was going better than I expected. But the higher I climbed, the smaller the holds seemed to be, and my hands and feet began to hurt and tire. I wanted to move through this tough spot but I could feel my weight pulling me off the wall. As I made a quick move to get to a more secure spot a few feet higher, everything slipped off the wall and my entire weight fell into the harness. That uneasy falling sensation rushed through my stomach and throat for just a brief moment until I felt the tension and bounce of the rope. It had been several minutes since I thought about Josh but at that very moment, he became a very important person in my life. I looked down and made instant eye contact with Josh. Both his hands were locked on the rope above the ATC and he smiled confidently up at me and said, “Got ya!”

As I read through the Gospels and see how Jesus interacted with his disciples, it’s clear to me that Jesus was developing three significant qualities in them. First, he wanted them to understand and to believe that he’s the One. He wanted them to see him for who he truly is—the Divine Son of God who has the authority and ability to direct their life. Second, he wanted them to trust him. It was vital for them to be assured he had their best interests in mind. And third, they were not God, they were not self-sufficient, and they had no strength and safety to climb the rocks of life on their own. Perhaps rock climbing and following Christ come down to three important words: belief, trust, and submission.

Do you believe that Jesus is who he says he is? Do you trust that he knows what he’s doing in our world and in your life? Have you submitted fully to him whether in success, fatigue, discouragement or in falling? God won’t climb the rock for you, but he will hold the line. He takes great joy watching you stride and accomplish the route he has planned for you.

Sight to the Blind

In June 2010, ABC News reported an amazing medical breakthrough that would help people who have been blinded in tragic accidents. The procedure involves harvesting stem cells unaffected by the accident from the patient’s eyes and then using them to re-grow the cornea in a laboratory setting. The new cornea is then placed back into the patient’s eye and in a matter of months the person’s sight is restored. Researchers were finding enormous success in this new procedure. One patient, who had been blinded for over 50 years before the procedure, had his sight restored to 20/20 quality.

Can you imagine being blind for most of your life and then being given the ability to see colors, faces, and nature? I can’t imagine too many things being more exciting. But, what I found interesting about this report was that the story did not interview anyone who had received the procedure. Instead they interviewed doctors and professors who had been involved in this breakthrough. Their excitement was off the charts as well. “If you’ve seen one of those patients (regain their sight), then you have reason to wake up in the morning to start running to do your job. Just one patient is worth it. You have purpose in your life,” said Professor Graziella Pellegrini from Italy.

It’s no coincidence that Jesus paid attention to the blind. Jesus was the Master Healer whose deep compassion led him to use his divine power to heal the sick and afflicted. On several occasions, people whose sight had been lost were helped by Jesus. But, it seems that Jesus had more in mind when he touched the physically blind. Jesus was even more concerned for their spiritual blindness. His compassion was even greater for those that were wandering blindly in a dark world with no spiritual sight. Healing the physically blind was a massive object lesson for his greater mission—giving sight to the spiritually blind.

Last week, I returned from a mission trip to Haiti. That weeklong experience continues to captivate my thoughts. Our purpose in Haiti was to assist with a construction project on a school connected to a local church. We arrived on a Tuesday and for the first five days we did our work while experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of Haiti. Frankly, I saw Haiti as a very sad place. Poverty is stacked on top of poverty. As we traveled back and forth from the work site, there was no relief from the visual displays of the poor and destitute. Other than the natural beauty of the ocean, mountains and jungle, there was nothing “nice” about Haiti. Our host, Marcel, a Haitian pastor, told us of how the people of Haiti had lived for 200 years under a corrupt, inept and selfish government which compounded the extreme poverty over time. The struggle seemed so large. The problems ran so deep. At times, it felt hopeless.

Then Sunday came. That morning, we loaded into Marcel’s truck and began to wind through the dusty streets of St. Marc. Every few minutes, someone wanting to go to church would jump into the back of the truck with us. As we got closer to church, I asked one of our team members who was standing on a bench in back of the truck to get a head count. A minute later, he reported that we had 41 people in the open vehicle including six in the cab.

When we arrived at the church, which was next to the school we had been working on, I noticed something very new and different. There was genuine joy in this place. It was in stark comparison to the images we experienced on the streets of St. Marc. These people had spiritual sight. They saw their world through eyes of joy, love and hope. There was light in their eyes and smiles on their faces as they greeted each other. As I entered church, I noticed a large banner that read, “Hope for Haiti.” As I watched this group of people “do church” together, I became convinced that these wonderful people would change their world. They may never make a dent in the massive poverty or bring political reform to their government but I’m confident they will bring sight to the spiritually blind around them. God had given them a 20/20 vision for their world and they were poised to make a difference one spiritually blind person at a time.

Haitian Hope

The setting was welcoming and filled with loving hospitality, even though within a stone’s toss was an eight foot wall topped with razor wire and spiked bars. Dust from the road on the other side of the wall billowed from time to time as a truck or motorcycle passed the house. Noises of people, goats, chickens, and truck horns interrupted our conversations. We had just been served a wonderful dinner of Creole rice with fresh fruit. Even though we were outside, fans were blowing to move the still, muggy, hot, tropical air. As we sat on his patio in front of his home, I wanted to know more about what made our host tick. I felt safe and at peace in this new place, but there was so much I wanted to learn.

Our host was a gentle, passionate man named Marcel. His home was in the bustling, crowded city of St. Marc, Haiti. I was there with a group of Ada Bible folk hoping to make a small difference in a broken place in the world. As it turned out, Marcel and his Haitian friends would make a huge difference in the broken places in our hearts. That night we listened to Marcel tell his life story of how he came to be part of helping 11 churches and seven schools grow to be overcrowded, joy–filled places of hope and faith in his community. We also listened to his countless frustrations, struggles, and points of discouragement. He’s an honest man who has worked tirelessly to do what he believes God has asked him to do.

Marcel grew up in a Haitian Voodoo home. After too many dark and evil circumstances, including the death of Marcel’s twin brother, Marcel’s mom left that world and pursued Jesus Christ through the influence of some Christians Marcel’s family knew. Over the years, Marcel fell in love with Jesus, the Bible, and church. He grew to understand that the only lasting change that could ever be brought to his country would come from Jesus through the church. The church would be his hope. Marcel spoke with passion, joy, and a consistent tear in his eye as he described the churches and the people that he’s privileged to serve. It was obvious how much he loved the people of Haiti.

We had been in Haiti for a couple days before we were able to find the time to hear Marcel talk in length about his life in Haiti. We had seen plenty in our first couple of days to realize the extent of brokenness and poverty that has plagued his country. I asked him, “Do you ever struggle with discouragement here? How do you handle the constant struggles of living here?” Marcel didn’t sugar-coat anything. He talked about daily problems with a corrupt and selfish government. He talked about the lack of identity, self-respect, and personal ownership that his fellow citizens have. He talked about the devastation from the earthquake, the hurricanes, and disease. He talked about his life being threatened by people who didn’t want him to succeed. He talked about Satan’s schemes to thwart his efforts. He talked about the pain of being separated from his family so his kids could receive an education in the States. In all this, you could hear the pain in voice. He was visually angry as he talked about all the opportunities for discouragement, failure, and quitting.

The tone in his voice changed as a familiar, gentle smile formed on his face again. He talked about joy being a choice that he makes every day. “Joy is never dependant on your circumstances,” he quipped. Marcel had come to learn the contentedness that the Apostle Paul spoke of in his letter to the Philippians. He had also come to grips with the fact that his personal safety would be found in the smile of God’s will. Joy, contentedness, and safety in God’s will were the lessons we all learned from Marcel’s story. As the week played out, we got to see these virtues in action. We also got to see the fruit of living with this mindset in the people he serves. Joy, contentedness, and safety were displayed beautifully in one of the poorest, most corrupt, broken places on the planet. How does this happen? Marcel realized he was redeemed to bring redemption. He was saved to bring salvation. He was given light to light up his world. He’s a beautiful example of Paul’s works to the Ephesians.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2.8-10

No Matter What

There are times when you read Scripture and find a story that’s a spectacular display of God’s glory and holiness. God enters the everyday life of a fairly average person and shows himself in an amazing fashion. The person is left changed forever.

Several hundred years before Jesus, the prophet Isaiah was given a vision of God that left him physically and emotionally “ruined.” The image he saw was the Lord seated on his throne in majestic fashion. All around him were angels singing the words, “Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty.” The place filled with smoke and shook with an earthquake. Isaiah declared himself unworthy to see this site. His sin or uncleanness forced him to feel completely out of place. But when an angel touched his unclean lips with a hot coal, he was declared clean and his guilt was removed; a redeemed Isaiah who had encountered a holy God offered himself as a messenger for God’s news to his people.

During Jesus’ ministry, a cosmic battle between God and Satan continued and a glimpse of that battle was seen when Jesus interacted with a demon-possessed man. The story tells of a man who lived in the tombs. The people in that area called him Legion because they believed he was possessed by many demons. When Jesus passed by, Legion came out to greet him, but not to pick a fight. The demons knew that Jesus was the Son of the Most High God. They recognized him and pleaded with Jesus not to be tortured. The demons saw their evilness in light of his holiness and fell in fear. Jesus’ response was to cast the demons out of the man and into pigs which then ran off a cliff to their death. The freed man was forever changed and accepted an invitation to become a messenger for Jesus’ Good News.

As we reflect on these amazing stories, there are times we crave a vision or an encounter like these. As scary as these scenarios must have been to anyone who witnessed them, many of us long to see God in his full glory and holiness. And, if we’re honest, we’d admit that if only we could have an experience like Isaiah or Legion, we’d be better messengers for God. But, is God’s holiness only displayed in the dramatic?

Recently, I attended the funeral of a friend’s 72 year old father. My friend’s dad’s name was Chuck and he passed away due to complications from a brain tumor. I had only met Chuck a couple of times but I knew him from the stories his son had told me. The funeral was a packed house, always an indicator of someone’s impact in life. My friend spoke first, giving touching and personal words of honor to his dad. Chuck’s pastor spoke next and he read fond memories that the grandkids had compiled. But, it was Gary, Chuck’s friend and longtime colleague, who really captured my attention.

Gary and Chuck were school teachers together for many years in a Detroit suburban area school. Gary said that Chuck always wore his Christian faith on his sleeve; and in the early years of their friendship, Gary resented Chuck’s discussions of God, Jesus, and salvation. Gary claims to have tortured Chuck and set out to make him miserable in his attempts to lead Gary to Christ. But after four and a half years, Gary gave in to God’s calling in his life and he received Jesus as his personal Savior. Gary’s life was forever changed. He said that before Christ entered his life, “you wouldn’t have liked me very much and I wouldn’t have given a nickel about you.” Gary has spent the last 32 years being a vibrant messenger for the Good News of Jesus, telling anyone who listens about God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice so our sins can be forgiven. He thanked Chuck for being a patient, persistent, loving friend but made it very clear in saying, “it wasn’t Chuck, but it was Christ in Chuck that changed me forever.”

Chuck’s pastor had mentioned that after the diagnosis, Chuck stood in front of their little Baptist church and proclaimed, “No matter what, God will be glorified.” He was determined to allow God’s glory and holiness to be clear and evident even in a battle with a killer of a tumor.

There’s a cosmic battle being waged every day around us. It’s a good versus evil, God versus Satan story. In this battle, God can display his glory and holiness in any way he wants. It can be spectacular or subtle, but my job is to see his holiness as he displays it and not to demand it to be as I want to see it. As I write, I’m wearing an inscribed rubber wristband given to me by one of Chuck’s daughters that reminds me today to look for God’s glory. It says “No Matter What.” His holiness can be seen in countless ways today. Just this morning I saw God’s glory through some subtle but valuable things: a tiger lily on the side of the road, the loving smile of my wife, a convicting word found in Scripture, and the reflection on a eulogy from a man’s old friend. These things renew my desire to be a messenger of God’s Good News.

Misplaced Expectations

What comes to your mind when you hear “summer vacation cottage on Lake Superior”? How about a quaint log cabin nestled in an Upper Peninsula forest with a wraparound porch that overlooks a sandy beachfront? Do you think of warm days of sunshine with cool evenings ripe for a bonfire and a sunset? Yeah… that’s what comes to mind. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?

A few years ago, my sister had the great idea of gathering our family members for a weeklong vacation together in the Marquette area of the U.P. She had an acquaintance with access to a “Lake Superior cottage.” I loved the idea as I needed a week of peace, nature, quiet, and rest. So, I allowed my exceptions for this place to climb.

As we drove through the U.P. the day we arrived, my excitement increased more and more. The anticipation of hanging out with my family in this perfect setting was growing with every mile. As we neared our destination, the beautiful blue Lake Superior was in full view. Beautiful cottages sprinkled the roadside and I wondered with each of them, “Will ours be like that one?” But as we turned into the driveway of the “resort” where we’d find our cottage, I realized that my dream and reality were not on the same page. My expectations quickly faded as we explored our home for the week. The resort, as they called it, was a charter fishing resort. Old rickety boats, trailers, and boat parts were scattered over the property. It looked like a place where boats went to die. It looked like a place where seasoned fisherman would bunk up before a fishing excursion. It looked nothing like the place I had envisioned.

As we made our way into our cabin, my hopes continued to decline. The cottage was a refurbished modular home, well out of view of Lake Superior. It was adequate, but not very nice. It smelled musty from old furnishings and a leaky basement. Even the mattresses were disappointing as they were covered with plastic, making for noisy nights of sleep. “How would this place work for helping my family have a memorable and relaxing vacation?” I wondered.

What happens to you when life doesn’t pan out as planned? What happens to you…when the offer for the job you know perfectly fits you, never comes? …when the very best doctors scratch their heads in confusion about your medical situation? …when every home for sale in your neighborhood sells but yours? …when your scholarship athlete busts up his knee before his senior season? …the stupid car breaks down for the third time in a month? Even more, what happens to you when you grow disappointed in God?

Recently I talked to a man who, in a matter of minutes, described his life as “not panning out.” He was a broken man in his 60s living with a continual sense of disappointment. He said, “I have a lot of agonistic in me right now. I just don’t think God gives a ____ about me.” Here’s a man who let life’s disappointments defeat him. Because his expectations in life were not met, he chose to stop following God. He’s a man who is missing the opportunity to grow in his relationship with God.

Back to that stinky little cabin in the U.P. for a moment. As it turned out, that week of vacation has radically shaped the Niekerk family. In that week, my oldest daughter chose to attend Northern Michigan University. She just graduated this spring and she and her husband still live in that area as he finishes his schooling. My second daughter will be starting her third year at NMU this fall. She has fallen in love with school and that area. And, my 17 year old son is making plans to attend NMU as well. Needless to say, we have spent, and will continue to spend, many of our vacation days in that area—though not in that particular cabin. We love every minute we spend in the U.P. It’s a place of joy, family, peace, and rest to us. Ironically, that was my original hope, wasn’t it? God gave us more in that trip than I ever dreamed. Looking back, I now see that my expectations were misplaced and my dreams were too small. God had something much more valuable to give my family that week.

Fear and Phobias

Just for fun, I did an internet search on the word phobia. What a mistake! I learned all the things that I could possibly be afraid of and one site placed hundreds of phobias in alphabetical order for my convenience. Here’s a sample of some of my favorite phobias that all start with the letter “p.”

Pagophobia- Fear of ice or frost.
Panophobia - Fear of everything.
Papaphobia- Fear of the Pope.
Papyrophobia- Fear of paper.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia- Fear of Friday the 13th.
Pediophobia- Fear of dolls.
Pedophobia- Fear of children.
Peladophobia- Fear of bald people.
Pentheraphobia- Fear of mother-in-law.
Phagophobia- Fear of swallowing or of eating or of being eaten.
Phalacrophobia- Fear of becoming bald. (http://phobialist.com/)

It seems we have a lot to be afraid of, don’t we? Interestingly, almost 80 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the topic of fear in the midst of one of the darkest times in American history. In his first inaugural address in 1932, FDR needed to comfort a suffering nation deeply entrenched in the Great Depression. Many had lost much, and some had lost all. FDR realized the paralyzing grip of fear on the American people. The nation would not regain its economical foothold if governed by fear. This was the context of his famous quote: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” Today we’d call this Phobiaphobia- the fear of fear.

It shouldn’t surprise us to learn that the most common command written in scripture is “Do not be afraid.” This tells us two things: first, we have a propensity toward fear; and second, God cares deeply about how we respond in opportunities of fear. I’m not a psychologist but I’ve made some observations when it comes to fear in people’s lives. Fear is typically brought on by a surprise, a threat, or the possibility of pain. We fear something bad is going to happen to us or to someone we love. Or, we fear it happening again. We fear the unknown and we fear what’s out of our control. So, we go on guard to protect us from what we fear. Sometimes our fears are warranted and our protective actions are reasonable; but other times fear causes us to become paranoid, overly cautious, self-doubting, panicky, and even hurtful in our self-protection. Fear can immobilize and even paralyze us.

In Jesus’ quest to teach his disciples how to follow God with their whole being, he addressed the topic of fear. In Jesus’ mind, fear and lack of trust work nicely together. So Jesus put them in situations where fear could easily take control and their trust would be tested. In Matthew 8, Jesus leads his disciples into a boat after a long day of healing and teaching. Jesus is tired and falls asleep. Matthew tells us that a storm came on very suddenly and began to swamp the boat. Four of the disciples were professional fishermen and had seen many rough storms before—but this was a doozy. They cried out to Jesus, “Lord save us! We’re about to drown!” Jesus’ response to them is interesting. First, he corrects them by calling their fear a lack of trust. Then second, he gives them a demonstration that he is not only God, but he is God worthy of their trust.

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. Matthew 8.26

Jesus used the fear generated in the critical moments of the storm to develop something spiritually vital in their hearts. In essence, he was asking them these questions: do you know who’s in the boat with you? Do you realize that all of nature bends to my voice? Do you trust me when the winds are strong and the waves are high? When you are losing hope in your own strength, will you rely on me?

We should not be surprised when life brings us storms that are hard to bear and fear and desperation build in us. It’s part of living in a broken world. But storms also provide some of the best opportunities for us to learn to trust the God of the Universe who cares deeply for us. So, if the clouds are beginning to thicken or the waves are crashing over the bow of your life, ask these questions: do I know who’s in the boat with me? Do I believe that all storms bend to his voice? Am I willing to trust that God is teaching in the storm?

Lawn Chair Guy and a Kidney Stone

It hit me on a Monday afternoon as I came home from work. It started as a dull ache that made me nauseous, but grew to a violent burning sensation deep in my side. I was home alone that afternoon and had no idea what has happening to me. After an hour of trying to find relief in a variety of ways, I came to the conclusion that I needed help. I needed to go to the hospital and I needed help getting there. My wife was on her way home from work, but I couldn’t stand it anymore so I called 911.

When the paramedics arrived, they quickly assessed that I was not in grave danger but was, most likely, struggling with a kidney stone. My blood pressure was high so they were interested in getting the pain under control and decided to transport me to the hospital. I was all for it. I wanted this to stop as soon as possible. Later, I learned that women who have endured both kidney stones and natural childbirth would rather endure labor pain! As much as I wanted relief, I was a bit embarrassed to have so much attention given to a little stone; and sure enough, the ride down my driveway on the ambulance gurney was what I would later call, “The Ride of Shame.” Concerned neighbors had gathered on my yard to see what was happening, wondering if I was having a heart attack or if a home repair project had gone bad… again. As they rolled me down the driveway I could hear my wife reassure them that I would be fine but we needed to get the pain under control.

As they got me to the back of the ambulance, I noticed something across the street that caught my attention and later stuck in my mind. Across from my house, are five baseball fields and it was the time of evening when teams were warming up before their games. What caught my eye was a dad who had planted himself in a lawn chair near a scoreboard for the evening. He had a small cooler next to his chair and an open newspaper in front of him. When I first noticed him, he was reading his paper, facing the baseball field. But when they wheeled me to the ambulance, I watched him stand up, turn his chair to face my driveway, sit back down, grab a beverage from the cooler, and begin talking to who-knows-who on his cell phone. I’ll be honest with you, in the depth of my pain, I had thoughts of using a finger gesture and yelling sarcastically, “Thanks for the help buddy! Glad you could be entertained by my little fiasco! Show’s over!” But, I refrained.

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve thought about that guy. Why did he bug me in that moment? Did I really expect him to come to my aid? What if I was lying bloodied, alone, on the side of the road? Would he find a way to help me or would he crack another Diet Coke and grab the sports section? Would he serve or would he stay a spectator? It seemed he was comfortable, if not entertained, in the latter.

Several days later, I was still struggling with this stupid kidney stone. Instead of being in pain, I was doped up with narcotics. The good news was the pain was under control. The bad news was I wasn’t able to function much because of the pain meds. When my issues began that Monday, I had just loaded a trailer of books and items from my office at the Cascade Campus to be moved to my new office at the Kentwood Campus; I was not able to unload the trailer that day. All week, my things were in an uncovered trailer in my driveway. So when Kevin, a friend and colleague, called to see how I was doing, he asked if I needed anything done. When I mentioned my books in my driveway and how I was growing concerned about a storm rolling in, without hesitation Kevin rearranged his schedule, drove from the north side of town, picked up my trailer, filled my car with gas, unloaded all my stuff in my new office and returned.

Perhaps God allowed me to notice the “lawn chair guy” just so I could experience the sharp contrast between someone being a spectator and someone being a servant in a time of need. It seems to me that was one of the major points that Jesus was making in the story about the Good Samaritan. I know that too often in my life I walk past people in need, thinking they should be someone else’s problem.

Spectator or servant? Who will you be today when another person’s need crosses your path?

Buried Treasure

It’s a modern day story from the likes of the Indiana Jones and National Treasure movies. Secret vaults were opened recently in a temple in India. Uncovered were a staggering amount of gold coins and statues of gods and goddesses studded with diamonds and other precious stones. An early and conservative estimate of the value of this discovery is growing beyond $22 billon. Over hundreds and hundreds of years, temple visitors and devoted followers have donated countless number of valuable items to the temple where a royal family has been charged as the temple custodian. A lawyer, who suspected there was a considerable amount of treasure hidden there, and who also was gravely concerned about the security of the temple and the valuables, won a court case ordering the vaults to be found and opened. The amount was far more than anyone guessed. As you can imagine, this discovery has spawned a massive debate regarding the treasure’s true ownership and what to do with the new found wealth.

Politicians, religious leaders, and historians have made a host of suggestions as to the future of the treasure. Of course, everyone has an opinion. Some believe the treasure should be handed over to the national trust, used to help alleviate poverty in India. Others believe that the government should use the funds for developmental purposes. Of course, both suggestions are raising distrust in the government’s motives. Some historians believe that the treasures should be stored and displayed in a museum because of the historical significance of the find.

But there was one more opinion I found very interesting in this story. One of the top elected leaders in that area believes the treasure should be left alone. "The treasures are the property of the temple. We will ensure the utmost security for the temple and its wealth," Chief Minister Chandy told reporters. In essence, his idea is to keep the treasure buried and hidden in the six discovered vaults. He vowed to provide adequate security of the temple if it was left as temple property. In a country riddled with impoverished areas, couldn’t that treasure be used in a productive way, rather than leaving it buried? Is that the best use of $22 billion? (Story adapted from FoxNews.com, July 5,2011.)

Jesus once told a story of hidden treasure as well. In the story, before he leaves on a journey, the master entrusts some of his wealth to three servants. One gets five bags of gold, the second gets two and the last gets one. When the master returns, he gets a report from the servants about what they did with their stash. The first two report that they doubled their money, but the last servant says he just buried the gold in the ground because he was afraid. The first two servants get high praise as well as more responsibility from the master. But the last servant gets scolded and run out of town for being foolish with this opportunity. It seems, in the mind of the master, the very worst thing he could have done with the entrusted treasure was to bury it out of fear and excuses.

So, what treasures have you been entrusted with? Maybe you’re sitting on $22 billion that you need to figure out how to best use. No? Then, perhaps you have more than what’s in the temple in India. You have gifts, talents, and resources that have been uniquely entrusted to you by the God of the Universe. But these aren’t gifts to you, they are gifts to be used through you for others. These are the precious treasures that God uses to build his Kingdom. They are gifts of encouragement, hospitality, service, generosity, leadership, creativity, mercy, empathy, compassion, truth, discernment, and many more. To those who chose to shove their gifts under the ground, his words are harsh and filled with disappointment. The servant who buries his treasure eventually loses his opportunity to serve the Master. But when these gifts are used, the Kingdom looks like the Master. And the Master loves to express his pleasure. “Great job! You are a good and faithful servant! Here’s more!”

The Parable of a Cornstalk

Last summer, an interesting thing happened in one of our flower gardens. We noticed a cornstalk growing up on the edge of a small area we had surrounded with rocks and mulch. It shot right out of a crowded area between some rocks and plants that we had actually purposed to be there. I was so curious as to why a single cornstalk was growing there. We live in a suburban area where there’s not a cornfield anywhere in sight. The best we came up with for the origin was that a bird had visited a nearby feeder and had dropped a single corn kernel between the plants. Somehow, it got nestled in enough dirt and moisture to germinate and turn into a plant. We chatted about pulling it out but voted to keep it for awhile to see how it would do.

Over the course of the summer, we watched it slowly grow but from the start it appeared to be weak. It was getting the same water, sun, and nutrients that the surrounding, healthy plants were getting; but our little pet cornstalk just didn’t seem to be thriving in this environment. Around July, the top of the cornstalk tasseled right on time but the stalk was only about two feet tall. It was a dwarf of what it should be. But, the biggest problem with the plant was that it had no corn. “What good is a cornstalk that doesn’t have corn?” I asked. The experiment was over and I pull the plant out of the ground and threw it in our yard waste bin. It was obvious that this was a poor place for corn to grow. It needed space. It needed a different type of soil to be a healthy cornstalk. There was too much competition for the needed nutrients to help my cornstalk experiment grow.

Jesus loved to use everyday images to illustrate spiritual truths that shape our lives. These illustrations or stories were called parables. In one of his parables, Jesus compares people’s hearts to different kinds of soil. God, (the farmer), throws seed (his Word) to the ground (people). The soil then determines whether seed will grow. Some seed lands on a hard, packed path and is gobbled up by birds (Satan). Other seed falls on soil that is surrounded by rocks. That seed takes root but the plant dies because of the hot sun (problems and persecution). A third group of seeds falls on soil that is riddled with thorny weeds (the desire for wealth and the worries of life). The weeds are too much competition for the good plant and it dies. But, when the seed finds its way to good soil—it grows and multiplies over and over again.

As in many cases, Jesus would tell a parable to a large crowd of people but would not explain the meaning of the story until he was in private with his disciples. In doing this, he was grooming his disciples for their future job as Apostles—sent ones to share the Good News about Jesus. Here, he’s schooling them on the hearts of people. In other words, Jesus was saying, “Fellas, you’re going to interact with four different types of people. Each will respond differently to your message about me. Look for those who have hearts like good planting soil. You’ll know who they are because they’ll listen, accept, grow, and bear good fruit. They are the ones who will multiply this message. The other three types of people will need to make some significant changes to be my followers who produce meaningful fruit for my Kingdom.”

God has created each of us to produce fruit in our life. That fruit varies from person to person; but what is true of all of us, is that we are called to have the spiritual purpose of multiplying that fruit. The beautiful thing about this is that God plants the seed and he desires us to grow to be healthy, fruit-bearing people who impact our world for the Kingdom. The sobering side of this is that God asks us to cultivate the soil (our heart). We are the ones who are responsible to keep our lives from being hard packed, rocky, and thorny. I don’t know about you, but rocks and thorns appear in my life fairly easily. They don’t need much to bubble to the surface.

How would you describe your heart today? Is it cultivated, soft, and receptive to God’s truth? Are you ready for a season of growth? Any rocks? How about thorns? Anything stealing your time, energy, and passion from following God better?

It may be a good time to do some weeding.