Who is the greatest

The setting is the upstairs room of a house, and Jesus sits at the front of the table surrounded by His twelve disciples. Everyone is talking and laughing enjoying dinner, then Jesus drops a bomb on the conversation. He tells them that that very night someone at the table is going to betray Him. The room grows quiet murmurs of “Who is it?” and “Surely, not I Lord!” begin to move around the table. One would expect that in this moment the only thing you could think about was Jesus, but scripture says that thoughts of Christ quickly disintegrated into conversations of who was the greatest among the 12 of them. Suddenly, Jesus wasn’t as important as they were!

Some of us might be indignant about what the disciples did. We may say, “If I had been there, I would not have ignored Jesus.” Yet the truth is that we ignore Jesus everyday. The problem is that we think we are more important than we are. We run around trying to keep up with the Joneses, working all day and ignoring our families, sitting in front of the TV when we could be sitting in front of the Bible. We spend hours shopping for the latest fashion, checking our social media for “likes,” or growing our ministries so that people will be impressed!

We choose each day to make Jesus not that important by putting ourselves first. The problem is that we have gotten so accustomed to this that we don’t even realize that we are doing it. It has become second nature, all to familiar. Yet God is putting opportunities in our paths every day to hear His sweet words, but we allow His voice to be drowned out by the noise of our own importance. Don’t miss what Jesus is saying to you because you are concerned with your own greatness! Jesus is speaking, it is time to listen!

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Luke 22:21-24

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Luke 22

Noticing the rabbits

One day I was praying to God all about me.  “God I want this, God I need that, God help me to become this.” I was praying this while beginning my walk at a local park.  I was in need of some QT with Jesus and was looking forward to our time about me.  Not far into the walk I came across an abandoned pet rabbit near some trees.   Out of curiosity I went over to the rabbit and determining that it was tame picked it up and being the good guy that I am brought it to a pet hospital.  Now understand that I was not excited about this rabbit because it was taking up “all about me time” with Jesus. I had thought about just leaving it and someone else picking it up, or just letting it get eaten, but something made me stop and care for this animal.

As I drove home and I thought about the whole event I felt God slowly speak to me.  That at times I am consumed about what I am accomplishing in this life and what name I am making for myself, that God could care less.  That it is what God wants me to be that is important. I was so focused on myself that God was reminding me that even something as small as a rabbit is important to Him.  That sometimes I get so caught up in me that I fail to notice the beautiful things that are important to God.  To God it is not always about the big things in life, more often it is all about the little things.  God was reminding me to not lose sight of all that He is doing around me because of what I am wanting Him to do for me.  He was teaching me that if He wanted me to only focus on something as insignificant as a rabbit that it was worth while.

Jesus had come to rest at the home of two sisters Mary and Martha. Martha begins running around making sure everything is perfect and Mary simply sits at Jesus feet and listens to Him.  Martha is understandably upset that Mary is not helping and tells Jesus to tell Mary to help!  Jesus responds,

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Today notice the “rabbits”.

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Luke 16:10

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Luke 10

Ask God first

2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” (Nehemiah 2:2-5)

I love this because Nehemiah states that he is afraid.  He knew what it was that he wanted to ask the king but such a large request, with a man that could easily end his life, Nehemiah was understandably afraid!  Notice though that Nehemiah prays before answering the king.  In the midst of the intensity of the situation He prays to God.  We don’t know what he prayed but it was probably along the lines of “God give me strength cause this is crazy!”  Nehemiah was bold and courageous because he knew what needed to be done in order to save Jerusalem, yet Nehemiah knew where His courage comes from and who was in control.

What I have learned from this is that I should do absolutely nothing without God.  That my life should always be a conversation with Him and any decisions need to start and end with God.  That even if I am afraid I am to follow through, because I have confidence that I have placed God first and that He is going before me.  To often I try and do it without God or ask Him to come in at bless it after I have already done everything!  God needs to be first in all of my undertakings and not last. Even if that is a simple prayer before asking a King for permission to build a wall!

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Nehemiah 2

Mirror, Mirror

When my wife was in the mental hospital there were only certain days and times that visitors were allowed.  The amount of time was an hour but when you are sitting across from someone you love that hour goes fast!  I will never forget the first time that I went and visited.  I cannot forget the smells or the uninviting room that we met in.  No one seemed to be happy or want to be there, especially the staff.  My wife and I sat across from each other at a table and for an hour we talked.  She looked like my wife and sounded like my wife but the woman I had married seven years earlier was gone.  In her eyes I saw confusion and frustration, they were cold and unwelcoming, void of joy.  For an hour I stared across a table at a woman that I did not know.

You ever wake up in the morning and look at yourself in the mirror and don’t recognize yourself?  Sure the face and all of the features are the same but it doesn’t seem quite you. You look and sound just like you always have but your eyes they seem like they have a little less joy. You don’t recognize yourself because you don’t like what you see.  You are not the same person you were, the person that you knew. When did you start to change?  Was it the hidden affair?   All those one night stands?  The never ending partying?  Long lonely nights in front of the computer? Has the fridge become your best friend?  Was it all the money you now make? Or all the attention you are getting from your new 6 pack? How about that unplanned pregnancy? Or all the drugs?

I will be honest, I did not like what I saw in my wife when she was sick and I was staring at her across a table.  Be honest with yourself and admit that you don’t like what you are seeing either.  Maybe it is time for a change?

 

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James 1:23-24

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James 1

Aint skeered

My daughter and my oldest son laid with me under the stars a few nights ago. We do this on occasion and it has become a favorite pastime. As we were gazing into the sky, looking for satellites and shooting stars, I asked them to be quiet for a while and listen to the sounds of the night. They did for a minute until they started getting the heeby-geebies. I assured them that there was nothing to fear and that daddy would not let anything harm them. This did not give them any peace and they both insisted that there was most assuredly a pack of wolves waiting outside the fence.

Since their father the protector was not going to be able to save them, and my son kept making scary howling noises (which were also scaring him), I figured we were nearing the end of our star gazing. Then, without prompting, my daughter spoke. With her most assertive voice she uttered, “Colton, we have nothing to fear because Jesus will protect us, we have nothing to be afraid of.” I laid there somewhat dumbfounded, because in this little voice truth rang out, and it spoke directly to me.

Standing on a hillside a giant of a man mocked the armies of the Lord, daring them to come and fight him. He did this day in and day out, and everyone cowered in fear. It wasn’t until a shepherd boy came, and upon hearing the slandering of this giant, decided to do something about it. He faced the giant with a sling and some rocks, and when the giant hurled insults at him this is what he said in reply: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.” To make a long story short, he kills the giant and eventually becomes the king of Israel.

Too often, I find that I am like the soldiers who were hiding–afraid to face the giant or a pack of wolves that is just outside my door. I put on a show as if it is wisdom that prevents me from facing them, not fear. For me the best thing to do is to merely let the fear go away, or pretend it is not there yelling at me! I try to convince myself, but I know the truth–I’m afraid. Fear is debilitating,crippling ,and leaves me unsure of myself. Jesus, on the other hand, fills my heart with courage and confidence. I become fearless because I know that I am not facing my fears alone. When we know Jesus, we have nothing to fear, it just takes a little girl or a shepherd boy to remind us.

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1 Samuel 17:41-47

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1 Samuel 17 (David and Goliath)

That far away feeling

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
    How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
    and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
    Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
    and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
    my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6 I will sing the Lord’s praise,
    for he has been good to me.

Psalm 13

“I want God with all the power of my soul — and yet between us there is terrible separation.” Mother Teresa

 

Hey God, Yoohoo over here! Just sitting here reading your Good Book hoping to have an experience with you. Listen, I don’t know what I did, but I am sensing some distance between you and me. No, I mean, it is definitely me, I  mean, I must have done something wrong? Honestly, God, I’ve been picking up on this for the last several months. Maybe you had someplace to go and needed to take some time off? Maybe I smell funny, or maybe I upset ya? But, listen, I am ready to get that feeling back–you have had your little siesta and now I am ready to feel ya again.

Give me a break! I mean, I am sitting down every morning and picking up your Word. I am telling others about you, I even told a squirrel just to make sure I was covering all of my bases. Still, it feels like a wall has been put up. Maybe you and old HS and JC are up there grabbing a latte or playing a game of squash? Seriously, though, you come out the winner regardless! Well, I will just wait down here patiently and continue to pursue You. I look forward to the time when I can feel you again! Between You and me God, I rather enjoy the joy of your presence thing–just sayin’. It always gives me the warm fuzzies. Like little Eskimos running up and down my spine! Know this, God, even if I don’t ever feel you again, I will continue to run after You! I guess it has always been a relentless pursuit. On both of our parts!

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Hebrews 12:1-2

I got it all together

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

Phil. 2:12-13

For me, it is so easy to present to the world that I have it all together. I realize this more as I write this blog.; it is tempting to present a flawless image of myself. I also do this in how I present myself as a father, in my ministry, as a husband, in almost every aspect of my life. Yet I know the truth in my heart. I know that I am conceited, selfish, arrogant, prideful, deceiving, lustful…the list goes on and on.

To be honest, I often feel inadequate communicating Christ to others because of how ugly I can be. The worst is when you are about to go have coffee with a guy and instruct him in growing in his faith and not 30 minutes before you had an argument with your wife or were yelling at your kids. Yet, you walk into the restaurant, Bible app open on your phone, smiling and Loving Jesus! On the outside you look calm and steady, but inside you are anything but.

The question is how am I supposed to represent Christ to someone when I don’t have it all together? The answer is that I will never have it all together! In fact, I don’t want to have it all together, because then it would completely eliminate my need for a Savior! I want to quit trying to make it seem like I do, because all I am doing is wearing myself smooth out!

Every day I am falling flat on my face and getting back up. Every day I feel inadequate and unworthy. Every day I am constantly working out my salvation with fear and trembling! I do not have it any more together than the next guy, and the more transparent I can be and realize my need for a Savior the better off I will be. If you read my blog, then know that this broken man behind the curtain is still just a man who is trying desperately to follow Jesus, and I would not have it any other way!

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Phil 2:12-15

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Phil. 2

You hear something?

Read these two passages:

The voice of the Lord is over the waters;

    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

Psalm 29:3-9

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lordwas not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.

Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

1 Kings 19:11-13

 

It amazes me how powerful God is.  How a simple word can break apart trees, shake deserts!  Yet with a voice that is described as both majestic and powerful He chooses to speak to Elijah in a quiet whisper.

If you want to hear God speak loudly into your life you have first got to learn to be quiet and listen.  Only than will you hear clearly how loudly He has been speaking to you all along.

 

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1 Kings 19

 

 

I Didn’t Start the Fire

I love all of the sights and sounds of spring. It is definitely one of my favorite times of year. Growing up in the Midwest, every spring brought the burning of grass. Grass is burned to remove the old dead brown grass and allow new green grass to grow. There is danger in burning grass, as it can quickly get out of control. Yet there is excitement in that danger–the thrill of something uncontrollable! Whenever a grass fire is out of control and it is burning acre upon acre you quickly understand how beautifully dangerous grass fires can be. Every time I smell burning grass it brings back memories and makes me think of something new, fresh, dangerous.

When Jesus enters into your life, you are a lot like the grass that is burned. He enters your heart and quickly burns away the old person you once were. He replaces your old heart and gives you a new one. He removes all the baggage that you were carrying around with you and lightens your load. He says that you are a new creation; the old is gone and the new has come. He does this because clinging to the old parts of yourself does not allow you to grow. He has to burn away the old parts of who you were so that you can grow into the person that you are supposed to be.

It is always so refreshing to me to see someone who is experiencing the newness of Christ in their life. They are wild, untamed, and beautifully dangerous. Just like the fire, they are burning out of control. They want the whole world to know that they have a relationship with Jesus. They are refreshing to be around, they look different, act different, they are on fire. Then something happens as we grow into “mature” believers–the fire that was once so unstoppable suddenly becomes “controlled.” The winds of passion are not blowing and we are careful and cautious in our relationship with Jesus. We do not want to “burn” anyone with Jesus so we conceal that light under a bush and go around hiding the fire that was at one time burning so brightly. We become more worried about offending someone than helping them catch fire also.

Start embracing the beautiful, dangerous fire of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to reignite what has been smoldering inside of you. There are people in front of your eyes that long to be set ablaze by the love of Jesus! Release control, because this fire cannot be controlled, and no one can ever extinguish it.

 

Real Talk

I’ve been convicted of this lately. This post comes from a place of vulnerability, as I feel I have been “hiding” Jesus under a bushel. Not intentionally, but under the mantle of “being controlled” which in my mind translates into fear. I have forgotten what boldness with Christ looks like, what being unashamed of the Gospel means.

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2 Corinthians 5:17

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2 Corinthians 6

 

How do you smell?

I spent one summer working at a pig farm about 45 minutes away from where I lived. I got the job through a roommate that was working there and had put in a good word for me. My job was to clean the birthing pens after the sows and their babies had been moved to the next set of pens. These birthing pens were in an enclosed room and the floors were grated so that everything could be easily washed away. Each room contained about 10 pens, and a sow gives birth to 8-12 piglets, so over 100 pigs would be in this room at a given time. They would stay there for about a week and then the room would need to be readied for the next group. I would go in there with a power washer and remove all of the mess. It needed to be very clean because bacteria and disease could easily kill the piglets. So I had to wash the ceilings, the lights, the doors and remove anything still clinging to the grated floor.

It was very tedious, and I am not a tedious guy, so it was a stretch for me. I wore a yellow rubber coat, pants, and boots to help me stay dry–and for the most part they did. What they could not protect me from was the awful way that I smelled at the end of the day. Once I got proficient with the job, it typically took me between 2.5 and 3 hours to finish. I wa locked in this room in the middle of the hot summer months, with very little air flow, spraying poo off the floor and having the moisture and mist lock the smell into my clothes, hair, and skin. After a long day I would drive home and shower, but the smell remained. The problem was that I had grown accustomed to the stench and could not smell myself! I only thought that the shower had removed the smell! It wasn’t until one afternoon playing ball that someone finally spoke truth and told me that I smelled! Thankfully, I only spent 2-3 weeks spraying pens before my boss relocated me to doing outside jobs, much to my relief and my friends.

It is easy to become so accustomed to your own odor and that you do not realize you stink. Just as the mist and the moisture caused the smell to embed itself in my clothes, being saturated with yourself can cause a stench that turns others’ stomachs. We must be careful not to be too inward focused to see that we are turning other people away. We may just add more mess to people’s lives, requiring others to come behind us and power wash it away.

The Bible says, “…We are the Aroma of Christ and that to some it will bring death and to others it will bring life.”  We need to be aware of how our actions and words reflect the aroma of Christ everyday. We need to start taking notice of how we can help others clean up their lives and not make it messier. When someone smells good you want to stand close to them to draw near, so start dousing yourself with the Christ Eau De Toilette spray and start smelling better!

 

Real Talk

I have found that nothing is more attractive than the love of Christ. He is a natural attractor–that is why I am so drawn to Him. Something about Jesus makes me want to be closer to Him to get to know Him better. When I am drawing near to my Savior, I notice that others want to be near me, to ask what it is that makes me different. I am very aware that as much as Christ attracts, not everyone will want to draw closer.

 

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2 Corinthians 2:15-17

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2 Corinthians 2