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My family and I recently moved and we now have some landscaping in the front of the house we just moved into. This is something new to both my wife and myself. The house is a newer built home in a nice and quiet neighborhood. The house had been vacant for sometime before we moved in. Needless to say, the landscaping/flower bed was completely grown up with fescue grass, thistle, clover, and various other weeds that do not belong in a flowerbed. As my wife and I were out in the "bed", we started to pull the weeds the best that we could. While we were working a certain saying that I have heard many times and has been made famous by Mike Bickle from IHOP in Kansas City. The saying is "pulling weeds in the hot sun." This took on a new reality as we were doing this very thing. I got to thinking about what this meant and then I started thinking about some of the kids in my youth group and how this would translate to them. This was an excellent object lesson in that these are a representation of the problems and difficulties that we may and do face. Some of them are big and will hurt you if you are not prepared to deal with them and have the right tools to deal with them. That is the thistle. Some of them come in clusters and are tall and if you deal with only one, the root is still there. You have to deal with the whole group of it at once and pull it up by the root. That is the fescue grass clumps. Then there are those that are seemingly small and insignificant and you try to get rid of it only to find that it is just one of several issues that are tightly interwoven together and will drive a person crazy trying to find the root and start of the problem. That is the clover. Lastly, there are the ones that look to be big and grown into somewhat of a mature state. You start to mess with it gently only to find that the roots are very shallow and it does not take much to rid yourself of these issues. These are the random weeds that just seem to grow wherever there may be a spare inch of ground. The more I thought about these as the evening went along, the more I realized that issues are there and must be dealt with, and just because I dealt with them at one point does not mean that I will never have to do it again. I just turned thirty and I am blown away by the kinds of things that I hear from teenagers and some of the issues they face on a daily basis. The things that generation Y are dealing with cannot be dealt with in a cookie cutter way. They need mature leaders to guide them and show them the way, and not just give them the old "it's a phase" kind of answer. We need to lift them up daily and pray for their physical and spiritual well being and for wisdom to navigate the troubled waters that lay ahead of them. Pray that they will cling to the Rock and not be tossed about by every wind and wave that comes at them. Please pray with me for the 20 and under generation. In Christ, YPM |
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My wife and I are leading a couples class where the study material is based off the movie Fireproof. In the latest session, we discussed the foundation of relationships. The common denominator in the discussion was that if the relationship is built on anything other than God's love, it will crumble.
Of course the main focus of the lesson was the relationship between a husband-n-wife, but I have been thinking about how God's love should be the foundation for all relationships. Feelings and emotions can be manipulated and in that, taken advantage of. Look at Hollyweird and see the marriages that last 6 months or less and you can understand what I am talking about. That is on a grand scale, so think about the friendships we had in school. To this day, my wife's best friend in high-school will not even talk to her when they see each other in public. This is because she got offended that Jolene chose to spend what little free time she had with me. I have asked myself at least a hundred times why that was such a problem and still haven't figured that one out.
Then we can look at all those "friendships" we have with the people we work with. I have 44 people that work under me, and I spend time with about 10 of them. Is this because I like or care about the other 34 less than the 10? Maybe it is because the 10 all have at least some kind of relationship with God and so we have something bigger than any of us in common with each other. We have a built-in relationship because we are sons and daughters of the living God. We have experienced the love of the Father to some degree, so we have an impulse to love each other rather than exist with each other. We are moving past acquaintance and toward relationship. The kind of relationship that can weather the storms of life and survive each other's bad days.
Jesus has to be the third strand in the rope for the unity to last in a relationship. Emotions and feelings can be deceived. 1 John 4:8 says that God is Love. 1 Cor. 13:13 says ...the greatest of these is Love.
I have been convicted of this- If we are going to show anyone the Christ in us, we must love them. No matter how they look or how they smell or where they live. We must show humble love with no strings attached. We love them because they are who God made them. Regardless of national origin or sex. We do not need to love their sin, but we do need to love them and show them that God loves them no matter what they may have done or where they may have been. LOVE has to be our impulse and not judgement. There is none righteous, not even one. God is the righteous judge, that is not our place.
Just some thoughts
Let me know what you think
YPM
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As I look around, there are more and more people trying to get rich. What's wrong with that, I mean we all want to live as easy as possible right? All the talk in the political news these days is of the billions of bailout dollars and some unknown financier making off with 50 billion dollars and everybody wanting more and more cash-flow.
This led me to dig in history and see if man's greatest conquest has always been to accumulate more wealth. In ancient Rome, the Romans wanted to conquer more and more kingdoms because along with security, it brought wealth. In Moses time, the Egyptians looked at the amount of slaves they had as wealth. Sure there have been wars fought over something other than wealth, but in many cases, the root of the conflict was riches.
Then I went to the Bible. Job was a blessed and wealthy man. His wealth did not look like what we would consider riches, but in his day, he was a rich man. Then I found Mark 10:17-26. 10:17And as he was going forth into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 10:18And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, `even' God. 10:19Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. 10:20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth. 10:21And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 10:22 But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions. 10:23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 10:24And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 10:25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 10:26 And they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto him, Then who can be saved?
This verse struck me in that the rich young ruler had followed the ten commandments all his life, but since he had great possessions, he could not bear to sell everything, and give the proceeds to the poor. How many people have I met that to talk to, they say all the right things, but live a different way. I am not saying that when God blesses us we should not be thankful and joyful. What I am saying is what is our reaction when we are told to part with all of our stuff, and live a fasted lifestyle. In verse 25, Jesus tells how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven. Look at the disciples response. Then who can be saved? Even in their day people were on the quest for wealth. If they were wondering who could be saved, that tells me that society as a whole was money hungry and were trying to amass more and more. Even in Jesus' time, people wanted to be rich, even though He just said that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
In the society and economy that we live in today, why would we put so much trust in dollars when everyday it becomes less and less valuable on the world market. It would seem to me that the only safe place for our trust and faith to be is in our Lord and Savior who never changes. I tell my youth group that if they can see it, one day it will be gone. Why would I put all my trust in something that can be gone tomorrow?
The Bible says that everything that can be shaken will be shaken. That means if our faith is in something other than Jesus and His eternal Kingdom, it is liable to shake right out from underneath us.
I want to be somewhat comfortable, but more than that, I want to be humble and contrite before God. Able to leave the things of this world behind and press on to my great reward, and He is Jesus.
In Christ,
YPM
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This has been a very trying year at some points and a very good year at some points. The amount of valleys and the mountain tops that can fit inside one year are amazing. I have shed many tears of joy, of pain, of frustration, of sadness, and of being overwhelmed. The tears come from the birth of my fourth child and second son, Isaiah. They come from seeing the teenagers in my youth group reaching new heights with God in the spiritual life. Tears also come from seeing those same teens in the battle for their life and watching them make the wrong choices on what ever level. Promotion at work is a big step and with it bring feelings of frustration and of being overwhelmed. Sometimes it can start to be too much. Tears came from nerve problems down my back and into my leg. Sometimes even big boys cry from pain.
Some of the pain is emotional. This year I watched as my parents who had been married for 36 years got divorced. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life as I did during this whole process. As this season was upon me, it led me to much soul searching. Afterall, everything I had been taught my whole life was now brought into question. This led to many tears. The divorce is final now and the issue is not who is at fault. The issue is how to continue in relationship with both of my parents when one lives here and the other moved six hours away. They are not a unit anymore. They are now mom and dad instead of parents. I am still figuring this one out.
As I look back, the one thing that never changed was my heavenly Father. In a time when I felt like I was losing everything that made me who I am, I realized that He made me who I am. What my parents taught me shaped and molded my character, but God is what defines me. My identity is not in my doctrine and it is not in what position I have in the church. My identity is in that I am a child of the Uncreated Master of the universe. I can rest in His peace. I can hide in the shadow of His wings. I can run to Him for He is my strong tower.
This year has taught me that many things you can never prepare for are going to happen. It has also taught me that when I am at my weakest, God has not changed and is still strong. God has done some things in my life this year and while some have hurt, it has all been necessary for me to go through to become the person and leader that God has called me to be. Thank You God for molding me and shaping me into your plan for me. May You never be finished as long as I breathe. Amen.
In Christ
YPM
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Silence IS Golden
Silence truly is golden (of course that's my opinion). I am a father of four beautiful kids that really are gifts from God. The oldest is Sarah and she is eight. She has a wonderful singing voice and is the big sister she feels like she needs to be. She cares for the rest like they were her own, even down to trying to be the boss and letting all the others know she is around. The next is Noah and he is six. This boy does not run out of energy. He is the typical little brother that pesters Sarah at every opportunity. Then there is Moriah. She is two and absolutely full of vim vigor and vitality. She is sweet as a gumdrop, but ornery like a pitbull. She has a glass shattering squeal that she tries out every so often just to make sure she's still got it. Finally, there is Isaiah. He is ten months old so naturally, he cries often. He has recently gotten mobile so that helps, but now he ends up getting stuck or high centered which leads to cries for help. He is the typical rotund and healthy little boy. That is at the house.
Now at work. I am a restaurant manager with McDonald's. No matter how much noise there is at home, it pales in comparison to what lay in wait for me at work on a daily basis. Teenagers, adults who act like teenagers, and customers who want to make sure they are heard when they speak tend to make a pretty loud day. Regardless of where I am, there is only noise. All the machines and equipment make all sorts of hums and beeps and grinds and whirrs all their own as well.
I was studying and came across 1 Kings 19:11-12. Elijah was in the cave and was seeking God.
Elijah is told to go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. As the Lord passed by, A mighty wind came a broke the rocks into pieces. God was not in the wind. Next was an earthquake. God was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake, was a fire. God was not in the fire. After the fire was a still small voice. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his tunic and went to stand at the entrance of the cave. I will let you dig for the rest of that story.
This seems like a good parallel for our lives sometimes. All these things cause so much confusion. Whether it is a job or the rigors of raising kids, something is always there to take our time away building up our spirit-man. In this story of Elijah, it was not until after all these things had happened did he go out like he was instructed to to start with. We tend to try to balance all the stuff in our life so everything has a turn. Ball practice, dance class, play practice, and after the kids finally get home, dinner and homework. By the time all these things are finished, so are we and our day is as well. We have to get some sleep so we can do it all over again tomorrow. What I really got to thinking about was all the noise. When do we ever have a chance to turn the world off. Turn off the tv and the stereo and the cell phone. How often do we set aside time to turn our own mouths off and get quiet before the Lord so we can hear what He is saying. I go to work at around 4:30 a.m. so i can usually get at least a few minutes of quiet time every day. By the time I get home, I am drained. The kids are wound up, so it is time to play and be a dad. I cannot help but to think that some of the distractions are there on purpose help me realize that I NEED time alone with God when I can be quiet and listen to what He is wanting to speak to my spirit by His spirit. When we make time for silence as we do with many other things, the limits to what God can do with this time are gone.
When I was growing up, I used to hear my folks say," Hurry up and wait". I think I am going to try a new approach to my closet time with the Lord. I am going to hurry up and get silent and listen for that still small voice.
I know it was long and thank you for reading this.
What are some of your impressions of this meeting between God and Elijah?
In Christ
YPM
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