Here is Love

One week ago today, Eden launched its first-ever Vacation Bible School.  I am so blessed to have been able to take part in this wonderful week!  How awesome to see the excitement on the faces of each and every child and VBS volunteer.   The participation from the body of believers at our church was phenomenal! 

Originally, I was assigned to work in the Recreation Barn.  However, the need for a “trail guide” came up on the first night, so I joined the 2^nd and 3^rd graders in their trail ride through Cactus Canyon.   Trail guides have a fun job-we stayed with the kids as they went to crafts, snacks, and “campfire” sessions (Bible study).  It was a joy to watch the kids interact with each other and with their leaders throughout the week.  On the last night, the big focus was John 3:16, and salvation of course.  I couldn’t contain the excitement inside when a sweet girl named Grace raised her hand and asked the Bible study leaders “How do I have a relationship with God?”  WOW!  It was one of the coolest moments out of the whole week.   Her leaders and I talked with her some more and tried to best answer her questions.  She even chose to stay behind to talk while the rest of her group went to recreation.  At the end of the night, an invitation was given and Grace went forward.  She also went forward, along with three others, this morning at church to make public her decision to follow Christ.  WOW!  There’s no thrill like seeing a little child come to know Christ.

I shared with a couple of people that this week at VBS has renewed my interest in working within the children’s ministry.  I can remember the blessing of the first time that I taught Vacation Bible School, which was several years ago at a church in Bourbon, MO.   I also led a Kid’s Club during a mission trip to South Carolina, which was a blast.  It is such a blessing to be involved in the Worship Team with the sound and worship software, but VBS this week absolutely refreshed the thirst in me for working with kids.  I began praying about that very thing and I asked God to use me in any way He sees fit.  I asked Him to guide me and show me if this is something I should be involved in.  I certainly never expected that prayer to be answered so quickly-I was asked tonight to teach a Wednesday night discipleship class for 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th graders.   I accepted that with open arms, and on the way home I thanked God for presenting this opportunity!  I am so excited I can hardly wait for September to come!

It’s so cool to look back and see God’s hand in things.  We lost one of our pastors on the first night of VBS…Jim Francis passed away suddenly in the parking lot at church.  He will be greatly missed by many, and has certainly left behind a legacy in his children and wife and all of the lives he touched.  When someone passes away, I tend to think back to the last time I interacted with that person.  The last time that Jim and I conversed, he stopped by the computer and asked me if I was teaching any discipleship classes.  When I told him no, he asked if I had ever taught before.  I shared that I had, and he encouraged me to begin praying about teaching, because when we move into the new building and the size of our congregation grows, more teachers will be needed.  I have thought about that conversation several times since then, and I certainly thought about it after he passed away.  Bro. Jim was an incredibly Godly man and we are all fortunate to have known him.  His words were playing through my mind tonight as we discussed the new class I will be teaching.

I am so excited I can’t even describe what I’m feeling.  To watch God work in the lives of so many children and adults through VBS and through ministering to the Francis family, and then to start this week with God opening a door so fast I didn’t even see it coming!  This morning’s worship service was amazing, as was tonight’s.  I cannot wait to watch more of God’s amazing work!  We serve an awesome, mighty, powerful God. 

We sang “Here is Love” this morning at church (which totally rocked with the new drum setup!)  When I look around, I see His love everywhere.  I see His lovingkindness  and it will never cease to amaze me!

Here is love, vast as the ocean
Lovingkindness as the flood
When the Prince of Life, our Ransom
Shed for us His precious blood
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
Throughout Heav’n’s eternal days

 

 

Packets of Time

Packets of Time

 

For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away James 4:14

 

Like a sudden wind, the sting of death awakens us to reality. Why is not the question, but rather when. As believers, we see the bigger picture in life and still somehow manage to let precious moments slip by us as if they will present themselves again. We are here but for a moment and then we are gone. We have one small window to make our mark on this world for all eternity. Most believers anticipate with excitement the thought of finally meeting the Savior, yet we are not ready for our own family members to do the same. The gift of life becomes one of selfish obsession and I readily admit I am about as guilty as can be when it comes to my family.

Having seen my share of family deaths it always becomes a reminder to me that the fleeting breath of life is precious. We have been shocked to reality in the sudden death of one of our associate pastors and we are reminded once again that tomorrow is promised to no one. As Jen and I ponder the gift of time on this earth we are thankful for each moment; moments like these are a constant reminder that every breath is a gift. Day to day living has the tendency to lull us into complacency and when the unexpected happens, it tends to shock us. The truth of the matter is that we should always be living in the reality of today…and speaking for myself I get lazy and just allow the day to happen instead of actively participating in it. We each have our own little packet of time; some more than others, but each is to use what they have to the best of their ability. There is much work left undone for the kingdom and to quote a famous movie line:  we’d better “get busy living, or get busy dying” for our time too is coming to meet The King.

Rejoice, and again I say Rejoice Brother Jim, for your life has only just begun.

 

I know in all of this there will still be grieving and mourning as it is only natural. But as this was sent to me only the day before Jim’s death, I share it with you.

“If we can understand that death is not the end but is really a transition into the next life, the great part of life; that frees us up into receiving God’s courage and his help.”

-Max Lucado

 

Give me words to speak…

First Draft for the Winning Team

I am currently participating in the Wednesday night women’s study “Becoming A Vessel God Can Use.”  This has been a huge blessing to me so far and I am looking forward to the things that God will continue to reveal to me throughout the course of this study.

This week’s focus is “Getting To Know Your Potter.”   The writer makes an observation that really got me thinking:
I remember taking my daughter, Leah, to Disneyland.  When she saw a performer dressed up like Beauty (from Beauty and the Beast), she was overjoyed.  I thought she was going to leap out of her skin.  Now think about it: she could not contain her excitement in the presence of a twenty-something girl, dressed up like a fictional, animated character.  But we don’t even bother going to God.  And when we do, we can barely stay awake.  What’s wrong with this picture?

Wow.  That statement really got to me.   Since I have been off work this week, my daily quiet time has taken the back burner.  It’s been a struggle, which makes no sense-shouldn’t I have MORE time than when I am working?   You can bet that if Peyton Manning was signing autographs down the street, I’d be dropping everything to go stand in line.  For a person who will never know me, and could care less about me.  I have the opportunity to stand before the throne of the one and only Almighty God, who created the Universe, any time I want!!!  Where is the excitement?

A friend bought me a book about the life of Tony Dungy.  (In case you don’t know, he’s only the best coach ever in the NFL and he does just so happen to be a Christian who credits his successes to God.)  I remember reading about the excitement Tony had as an aspiring football player, waiting by the phone for a call that he’d been chosen as a first draft player.  Friends would invite him to do things, and he would refuse…he did not want to miss that phone call.  Days and days he would sit by the phone.   His life was wrapped up in a temporary fulfillment: to be a football player.  The average career length of a pro-football player is 4 years.  They receive pension at 6 years.  Our whole lifetime is but a vapor in the wind…what is 6 years?  God stands waiting, always with His arms open, for us to choose to be used by Him.  He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and completely sovereign.  He can accomplish anything with the blink of an eye.  Yet He chooses to use us as vessels to do His work.  Why, oh WHY are we not honored by that choice?  Why are we not jumping at the chance to serve Him, spend time with Him, and worship Him?

It seems so simple, yet so complicated.  I hope to become a person who chooses to be a vessel that God can use, instead of a dried-up, useless vessel waiting for the next temporary fill.  As Christians we don’t have to wait for a phone call.  We are already a first-draft pick, chosen for the winning team.

Simple Prayer

Simple Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full”. Matthew 6:5

 

This is a long read but I ran across this in my devotion time and thought it worthy to share. Too oft times we try to manufacture just the right prayer with just the right words as if to seek the approval of those listening on; yet when it comes down to what counts, it is merely the simple words coming from an honest heart. I think the simplicity of a child is key to a conversation with God who is not impressed by the eloquence of our speech.

So without further ado…

 

First of all with regard to words in vocal prayer. Doesn’t some part of your difficulty come from your desire to make a good prayer, one that will sound well? If you could be content to use ordinary language and just express the needs of your own soul and of those for whom you are praying, as they come to your mind, it seems to me you’d have the words you need.

For myself, I found it necessary, when I began to pray vocally and also to speak, to be willing to be extremely simple in my way of doing either. In prayer, for instance, to talk to God as though He and I were alone together, and I were telling Him in everyday language the things I wanted; and to ask for the same things over each time I prayed, if they were the things that came into my mind as my needs at the time. We must remember that there is no human being with whom we may be as free as with our Lord; and it is not beautiful prayers He wants but just for us to tell Him our needs.

If you only need one thing, ask for that, if two, ask for them, and then stop. Never try to make a prayer. Some of the most effectual prayers I have ever heard, have been just two or three sentences spoken in the utmost simplicity. I think a willingness to be simple and direct will help you. If not, then you must obey the will of God in this matter, and must be willing even to be a fool for His sake, if He requires it. Do not at any rate let the lack of words make you disobedient. If the Lord puts it into your heart to pray you must be willing to kneel and say what you can, and be humbled and mortified, if needs be. I expect your long disobedience lies at the root of your difficulty after all, and that a prompt and cheerful obedience now will bring the quickest deliverance.

But however this may be, my dear friend, still you must obey. You have given yourself to the Lord to be His completely, and there is no alternative now but obedience. I am sure the Lord has been trying for a long time to make you into an instrument for His own purposes, but up to now you have hindered Him. Now, all that is past, and if you are only totally pliable in His hands, He will, I am sure, soon restore the years the canker worm has eaten.

—To Priscilla Mounsey, June 29, 1874

^[1]

^[1]Smith, H. W., & Dieter, M. E. 1997. The Christian’s secret of a holy life : The unpublished personal writings of Hannah Whitall Smith . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor

Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:15

 

I’ve been reading in John 17 and 18 lately. There’s a lot of information in there but one thing that really stood out was when they brought Jesus before Pilate and they wanted him to make the decision to put Jesus to death. They as Jews did not have the authority, but they wanted Pilate to do it for them. Pilate as you recall was reluctant and tried to excuse himself from the issue, but ultimately he had to make his call and stand by it.

 

When Jesus is put on us, we too have to make a decision one way or the other with what we are going to do with Him. Some people want to pretend He doesn’t exist (and hope they are not wrong), or maybe we try to push the decision making off on someone else as Pilate tried to do-After all, Jesus is in heaven and we are on earth…why should our lives have to intersect? Sometimes children try to ride on the coattails of their parent’s religion in hopes that somehow they will be found innocent by association. Ultimately however, the decision falls on us to make, and the blessings or consequence is also ours to bear. Like it not (just like Pilate) we will make a decision one way or the other; and if you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice. Let it be known that I have made my choice and I echo Simon Peter’s words: “You are The Christ, The Son of The living God”.

 

Give me words to speak…

Mighty To Save

If you make the Most High your dwelling— even the Lord, who is my refuge— then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; Psalm 91:9-11

Today I watched as a young lady’s life was taken in a car crash. As I sat stopped at an intersection I glanced in my rearview to see a pickup truck rushing up on me.  As he passed me on the right hand shoulder he blew through the intersection at about 50mph. There were two cars in the intersection and it was one of those moments when you just knew what was going to happen. It was a double lane and one car was going straight while the young lady was turning left. There were no brakes squealing only the image in my mind as this truck T-boned into the driver’s door. I will pause right here to say that what happened next defies any logic I can come up with. As the first car went straight, a gap barely wide enough for the truck opened and what was imminent did not happen. My mind’s eye saw one thing but God saw something different. The truck somehow made an impossible jog left and then right through the gap never touching either vehicle.  What should have been the death of this young lady; did not happen by the grace of God. It was a bit of a frozen moment as the lights changed and nobody moved. I think everyone present at the intersection was confused by the impossible. As I thought about this incident on the way home I pondered how often God actually intervenes in our lives that we are never even aware of. I can recount more stories about doing stupid stuff that should have landed me in a wooden box than I care to remember, but only God knows the number of times a flat tire or slow traffic or a slow clerk making change made the difference between me being here or not being here. Life is a vapor, and a very short one at that, but today reminded me that my time here is not finished and that means God’s plan for me is not finished either. Tonight I lift up my praises to The Merciful and Mighty God…The One who is Mighty to save…not just from physical death, but from eternal spiritual death.

Give me words to speak…

Geocaching

Geo-caching

This weekend, we discovered a new (and fairly inexpensive!) way to entertain ourselves and our family.  It’s called “geo-caching,” and with the right tools, it can be a really fun adventure.  Basically, you visit and set up an account at www.geocaching.com .  Through this website, you can either search for a place to hunt for a cache or list one yourself.   You can search for “caches” all over the globe!  We started by searching for local caches and we were surprised at how many popped up!  There are different levels of difficulty as far as terrain and location.   You are given a brief description of the area and GPS coordinates leading you to the hidden cache.  Obviously, the items people have hidden aren’t valuable, or they would be found and taken by the first to find.  Our first cache find was just a plastic box with odds & ends items in it, and a log book.  There is always a log book for you to sign, and then you go back to the website to report if you found or did not find the cache and you can make comments about it.

Dan, myself, and the boys headed out on Saturday to search for our first cache.  We knew that it was located at Blackburn Park in Pacific, which is not that large of an area.  Since we don’t own a hand-held GPS (this is a must for serious geo-cachers), we decided we would just try to search for it based on the clues we were given.  It’s a good thing we don’t work for C.S.I., because we searched and searched and found nothing.  We decided to come back and grab the laptop and our GPS receiver.  The GPS led us almost right to the cache, if not for the trees blocking our weak signal.  We were finally successful, and headed to the Pacific Park, GPS and laptop in hand, to search for another one.  Unfortunately, with our GPS signal being weak and flaky, we were unable to determine the exact location of the second cache.  We also failed to really research its location and decided it best to look at the coordinates on Google Earth before trying to find it again.  Lastly, we searched again last night for a different cache.  We ran into the same problem and agreed that we need to invest in a hand-held GPS receiver.  Ours is intended for travel in the vehicle, and just doesn’t provide the guidance we need in the wooded areas, where most caches are hidden.

I was thinking about our geo-caching adventure on my way home from work today.   I expected the GPS to lead us to the coordinates we were given instantly, without even taking the time to research and learn about what we were doing.  Sometimes I expect God to guide me at the very instant I ask Him, rather than spending time in prayer and Bible study.  I find myself excited about the things that He lays before me, and I want to take part in it, but all too often I rush into it and then wonder why I’m left wandering aimlessly around. 

Deuteronomy 4:28-30 says “There you will worship man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.”

I have really been struggling with my devotion and prayer time lately.  I have found myself expecting big things when I do read His Word, yet I haven’t given the prayer, thought, time, and preparation I should be giving.  The Bible says I will find Him if I look for Him with ALL my heart and with ALL my soul.  It says nothing about a half-hearted, thrown together, quick attempt to find wisdom.   That works no better than an unprepared search for a geo-cache!

Enough

As I reflect back on my devotions from this past week, a particular passage stands out above all the rest. We are studying the book of Psalms in our Wednesday night class, and I strayed off the course of the book one morning and chose a Psalm that we weren’t studying.  Psalm 17 was written by David and is one of many where he pours his heart out to God.  At the end of the chapter, he speaks of those who find happiness in the treasures of this world.  This hit home for me this week, as it seems like financial struggles have become a regular part of our life.  Even so, God always provides.  Our needs are always met, it is our wants that get left behind so often.  One of the biggest “wants” in my life right now is a house, and I find myself consumed with this want at times.  I feel like that is a slap in the face to God, who has provided shelter for us and then it’s just not good enough for me.  I do that with so many things, not just the “big” ones.  These last few verses of Psalm 17 stuck with me this week, especially verse 15:

¹⁴ With Your hand from men, O Lord, from men of the world who have their portion in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.  They are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes.  ¹⁵As for me,  I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness.

David doesn’t say that he will be satisfied when all of his bills are paid and he is financially secure.  He doesn’t say he will be satisfied when he lives in a big beautiful house.  He says he will be satisfied when he awakes in God’s likeness.  There are many things in this life that bring satisfaction, but not the kind David speaks of.  The truest form of satisfaction can only be Him.  Other ways to describe satisfaction include: please, suffice, make happy.  The things I desire on earth may please me, suffice me, and make me happy, but it’s only temporary.  It is overwhelming to consider that when we are in heaven, we will not want anything but our God.  Why is it that so often He is not enough for us now?

Barlow Girls “Enough” is an absolute favorite song of mine. (which, by the way, I just discovered was written by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio!)  I bought the sound track a couple of years ago and I never tire of singing this song.  He truly is enough and I need to be mindful of that each and every day.

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need, You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

 You are my supply, my breath of life
 Still more awesome than I know
 You are my reward worth living for

 Still more awesome than I know

 All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need, You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You’re my sacrifice of greatest price
Still more awesome than I know
You’re my coming King
You’re everything
Still more awesome than I know

All of You is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need, You satisfy me with your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

Facing the Giants

 I’m not sure why I just got around to watching this movie, since football is my favorite sport in the whole world and this movie ties football in with a very inspiring story about faith in God. What could be better? At any rate, as we watched this movie tonight, I was touched by more than one of the lessons it conveys. In one scene, which I included in this post, from YouTube, the coach teaches the team how they can accomplish more when they aren’t doing things with an already defeated “This is too hard” attitude. I cried as I thought about how defeated I allow myself to feel at times. My lack of faith is a slap in the face to the God of the universe, who has no limits and can move or change anyone or anything. Also in the movie was a man who walked the halls daily praying for the prayers. He tells a parable about two farmers who both pray for rain. One waits for it hopefully. The other waits for it while “preparing his fields.” His concluding question? Which one is truly trusting God? I don’t want to be the untrusting farmer. I plan to prepare the fields…and “win” or “lose” I will praise God.
We talked this morning in Sunday School about forgiveness of sins. We discussed how God forgives us, and we continue to hold on to the guilt of those sins. This is also something I struggle with. At the end of the movie, one of my absolute favorite Casting Crowns songs reminded me (again!) of the Voice of truth:
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I’ve tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. “Boy, you’ll never win!”
“You’ll never win!”
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, “Do not be afraid!”
The voice of truth says, “This is for My glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
He IS the voice of truth, and He is bigger and mightier than anything I have ever or will ever face on this fleeting earth.
Lastly, another quote from the movie: “You can’t judge people by their actions and then yourself by your intentions.”

A WORSHIP-HUNGRY HEART

^{ 1} As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. ^2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? Psalm 42:1-2

 

I reflect on some moments of conversation last night…

How important is Christianity? I mean, does the fact that God redeemed you from an eternity of separation and set you in a place of honor to reign with His Son Jesus Christ for all eternity have any significance? Is there an overwhelming gratitude that wells up within you that Christ died for you or is there just apathy? Does it motivate you to worship Him at every opportunity or do you just bear through sitting through another service? My heart, like many others can fall so easily into complacency when it comes to the daily walk with Christ. I ponder the King who offers forgiveness in my weakest of moments. I have to constantly remind myself of the King who gave up everything in order that I might live. Such a great sacrifice cannot go un-noticed in my life because it disturbs my heart to the point that I must worship. In the church setting, worship comes when I can remove my personal preference from the morning service and seek to learn from the message being spoken rather than evaluating the delivery. My worship comes when I can strip the melody from the songs we sing and speak the words to God as though no one else is present. Worship comes when I stop seeking to be gratified and just sit in awe of my God.

 

One last question…What creates the desire in some for endless worship and for others to be content to occasionally dabble in Christianity? I don’t have the answer unfortunately, but I suspect it lies somewhere in how real your faith is…

 

I leave you with a good analogy from one of my favorite authors, Max Lucado.

 

*****

 People on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common.

  All are on a journey. Most are well-behaved and presentable. Some doze, and others gaze out the window. For many, the mark of a good flight and the mark of a good worship assembly are the same.

“Nice,” we like to say. “It was a nice flight/It was a nice worship service.”

A few, however, are not content with nice. They long for something more. The boy who just passed me did. I heard him before I saw him. I was already in my seat when he asked, “Will they really let me meet the pilot?” The question floated into the cockpit, causing the pilot to lean out. “Well, come on in.” With a nod from his mom, the youngster entered the cockpit’s world of controls and gauges and emerged minutes later with eyes wide. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “I’m so glad to be on this plane!” No one else’s face showed such wonder. I studied the faces of the other passengers but found no such enthusiasm. I mostly saw contentment: travelers content to be on the plane, content to be closer to their destination, content to be out of the airport, content to sit and stare and say little.

 

Do you see why I say that people on a plane and people on a pew have a lot in common? Enter a church sanctuary and look at the faces. 

Content to be there. Content to sit and look straight ahead and leave when the service is over. “Seek and you will find,” Jesus promised (Matt. 7:7). And since a nice service is what we seek, a nice service is usually what we find.

A few, however, seek more. A few come with the childlike enthusiasm of the boy. And those few leave as he did, wide-eyed with the wonder of having stood in the presence of the pilot himself.

 

Give me words to speak…