A Survival Guide to the Storms of life

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Make haste to help me, O Lord! Let them be ashamed and confounded who seek my life; Let them be turned back and confused who desire my hurt. Let them be turned back because of their shame…” -Psalm 70:1-3

Is there a storm brewing?

Do you have burdens?

Are you going through a storm right now?

How do we get through these situations? How do we overcome them, when possible? These are difficult questions and unfortunately there aren’t any easy answers here. But what I do know and what others know is that going through the storms and surviving requires a supernatural power to journey with us.

Cue Bob Marley and his song “Don’t Worry About a thing – three little birds.” We need to understand that when we are aligned with God’s will and his power that our burdens and our problems become His burdens and his problems. That makes it so much more clearer then when we read what Jesus said about our burdens and his burdens:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

What Jesus is essentially saying is that though burdens exist, though we face them, that if we allow him access to them and surrender them we will experience a lightening of our load and our worry. We were never meant to carry these things on our own.

Here are three prescriptions that will help us when we face and weather the storms of life. If we adhere to these prescriptions we will survive and even thrive!

1) Prayer!

Don’t think for a minute that prayer is a last resort or that prayer is like casting out wishes into the universe and hoping that someone will hear you. It is not like being on a deserted island and throwing a message in a bottle out into the sea hoping someone will find it…no! Prayer is so much more powerful than that! Prayer isn’t just hoping someone will hear you utter some desperate words, prayer is knowing we aren’t alone and that God’s power is accessible through all of life’s situations and mysteriously and amazingly they transcend time and space. Meaning if there was one thing that could penetrate the science realm of space and time prayer is it. God doesn’t work the way we do via a linear approach, God is outside of time and space and will intercede and protect us even before we utter the prayers that keep us connected to him. When we pray, make sure it’s not just prayers in crisis…but pray to Him as a daily, even minute by minute conversation. As difficult as this may sound, communing and conversing with him can lift many a burden before the storms arrive. Do not underestimate prayer and its essential nature, nor its power.

2) Intercessory Prayer & the Fellowship of the Believers:

We are not alone in this world…so why do we continually think that we cannot share our burdens with other Christ followers in whom we trust? Do we fear ridicule? Do we fear being vulnerable before others? We need the body of Christ more than just in the storms of life, but we ought to recognize that if the early church and its Apostles needed support then who are we to assume that we do not need help? The fellowship of believers is vital to our continuation in the faith and another prescription by which we can weather the storms. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” It’s pretty clear isn’t it? We are in this together and so we should be there for one another through thick and thin. Do you have a home church? Do you trust other believers within your church to help you? If you don’t have a church or a fellowship in which you belong you are missing out on the amazing support and care that comes with the connected body of Christ.

3) Service

I know, it sounds strange. How can we serve when we are riding each ebb and flow of this present storm surge? The answer is faith. If we have this continued prayer conversation with our Lord, and we have or are continually surrendering our burdens to him in the midst of the storm then what service does is put feet to our faith. What we are essentially saying is that despite the storms we will serve the Lord. We can’t stay stuck or static in the process of the tumult. We have to get on with it and serve him the best that we can. Service in the storm is two fold: a) We let his praises be glorified despite our circumstances and we acknowledge that it’s not about us but it’s about him. b) We will be so immersed in serving God that there will be times that we will forget about our present storms. This isn’t to say that they will go away if we ignore them, but rather when we are serving him, we are fulfilling the Lord’s prayer when we say the words ‘your will be done’…we are living it in this manner.

These are just three prescriptions to help us amidst the storms of life. There might be more helps along the journey, but these are central to our victories through the power of the storm tamer – Jesus Christ.

Here’s to survival and to thriving in the midst of our burdens and storms:

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in (victory) triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him.

May 14, 2013 2

YOLO?

It’s been around for a while, but I think the significance of this four letter acronym should be explored. “You only live once” is what it tells us. What does it mean? People have used it as a hashtag signifying & justifying poor judgement and bad decisions with this excuse “you only live once”. There is even a ‘YOLO’ clothing line that has been started. We’ve gone from ‘Just Do It’ and ‘No Fear’ to ‘YOLO’. Hmm…it seems to me that what culture is telling us is that it’s okay to do what you want, when you want, where you want because you only live once.

I recognize that everyone makes mistakes in this life but if we don’t learn from them and acknowledge that we’ve made them we run the risk of never growing and maturing. As a Christian I don’t believe that I am going to live just once and then nothing, I believe that there is an eternity and that this life we live leads us to the next, and what we do here and now counts…it matters! So if I adopted ‘YOLO’ as my philosophy , what I’m saying essentially is that the only thing that matters in life is the ‘here and now’. The problem with that is that it doesn’t account for the consequences. For example if someone sleeps around aren’t they more likely to contract an STD than someone who waits until marriage? If someone starts smoking and burns through at least a pack a day aren’t they opening themselves up to a slew of medical problems down the road the worst being cancer and death? I could add so many more examples of choice = consequence here but these are just two examples.

YOLO isn’t really a new phrase, it’s just wrapped in new packaging. Some have taken scripture out of context as well when they quote passages like “Let us eat and drink,” you say, “for tomorrow we die!” Isaiah 22:13 (NIV) The meaning behind it has been eliminated and taken to mean ‘well what the heck, we can do what we want because we know we’re all going to die someday’.

I’m not too keen on living that way because I recognize that one day each person is going to have to account for the life that we’ve lived before the Father in heaven. That doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy life, on the contrary God has given us this life for enjoyment and pleasure but we ought to recognize that He also wants us to include Him in our lives. When we forget consequences and forget about the future, we lose focus on what is at stake.

One of my favorite bible verses is a good guide for each of us in how we ought to live.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8 (NIV) If we are walking humbly with our God we will enjoy this life so much more than the emptiness of comes knocking on our doors after we have lived it up and gone down roads that we now regret.

On the plus side, perhaps there is merit to ‘YOLO’…perhaps you can take this phrase to mean ‘hey you only live once in flesh and bone so make it count, do what you can to live a godly life and glorify the Lord in your living’! I think if I were to embrace YOLO that is what I would take it to mean. Will I make it count? Can I live a God pleasing life? Can I help lead others to Him along the way? ‘YOLO’!

-Just a thought for today!

Here’s some humor for your Monday:

May 13, 2013 0

A Supernatural Hero – Resurrection Power!

Ironman 3 news article

The superhero zooms in, a little beaten and bruised…but something keeps him going. With determination in his eyes he faces off with the sinister villain who is intent on destroying anyone in his path. The hero, moments before, had been beaten and considered vanquished. Now he stands before the shell shocked villain ready take him down once and for all.

I have to admit, I’m a sucker for superhero movies! If one were to look at my movie collection one would find a slew of hero films, in fact it’s probably the biggest collection of all of my movies. I love a good versus evil story plot! It evokes in me justice and peace with just a little action and mayhem thrown in. This past week Ironman 3 debuted at theaters all around the country & world. It blew the competition away in that it was the top grossing film of the weekend (probably a few more weekends to go too). What that says to me is that I’m not alone in my love of superhero movies. There are millions out there who line up, pay for film tickets and see these films with me. Why? Why are superhero movies such a popular draw?

Here’s my take – because everyone at heart is looking for a hero! Everyone wants not just to escape into fantasy, but they want some sort of rescue in their own lives. We want to see evil vanquished! We want to see good stand triumphantly over the fallen maniacal villain! At heart, we long for heroes in our lives today!

The man stands in front of the grave of his good friend who is four days dead. The dead man’s sisters are not happy with the visiting teacher. Why hadn’t he come sooner? He is a healer, he could have done something to save him…but now it’s too late, he’s gone! But Jesus stands there and tells them to open the tomb. They must have thought to themselves; ‘Are you kidding me? Jesus he’s been dead for four days, it’s going to smell horrible in there!’ But Jesus insists and after the tomb is open, reeking of death, Jesus does something astonishing. He calls out loudly to his now dearly departed good friend. “Lazarus come out!” The people gathered there with the sisters must have exchanged confused even worried looks at each other. “Why is Jesus doing this?” Some must have wondered, “Haven’t Lazarus’ sisters suffered enough?” And yet something remarkable and awesomely supernatural takes place…there are shuffling sounds coming from the tomb.

What seem like hours pass by from Jesus’ words to what happens next…but it’s mere moments. Everyone is clinging to this last ounce of hope as death has been the unwanted house guest for more than four days. Another moment passes and then there is a sharp intake of breath and then a gasp as the dead darkens the door way of his own grave. Jesus has done the unthinkable, He has risen Lazarus from the death. A body in full rigor, decomposing in the tomb has been reanimated. Where stillness had been claimed within vacant lungs, now breathing and motion has gained access once again. Lifeless is replaced with life. Lazarus is no longer dead…he is alive!

Imagine being one of those witnesses that day? They experienced something they couldn’t quite explain; they see the unthinkable take place. A very dead person is brought back to life! Jesus, God’s one and only son, displaying His very real power over life and death! Is there any other person who has walked this earth and lived human life done more? Jesus who is the Lord of life and death? One who actually has supernatural power? A true hero for all of humanity? It is wondrous to think that not only did Jesus heal the sick and give life to the dead, but He also went to the extreme and laid down His life for all of humanity. When He hung on the cross for the sins of all of us, He went to hell and conquered sin and death! But the story didn’t end with a heroes sacrifice and finality of a mournful death…NO! He brought himself back to life! Jesus even said that He would do this for us: “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life (for my sheep) –only to take it up again.” (John 10:17 NIV)

Is Jesus your superhero? Not in some corny or silly way, but in the very real sense that He has displayed His love for you, He has conquered sin and death for us and that He is the only way by which we can find our eternal home in heaven with God. Jesus wants you to experience this supernatural salvation and deliverance. He comes to each of us and asks if we will accept Him as our savior. I have chosen to follow Him, will you?

John 11:25-26 (NIV)
²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

May 6, 2013 0

At the finish line… (Poem)

From the gathering souls

who long to cherish our days

the light parades upon

the fallen ones.

While in the darkness

the blind, content to remain

not knowing there is so much more

settling for anything…losing identities

given at the creation.

I don’t wish to just make

it through

skin of my teeth peeled off

my hair beating me to the finish line

a split second dividing us by.

I don’t want to settle for mediocrity

for being just average

for fitting into a mold

that thousands have already

passed through…

to do so cheapens it

makes who we were created to be

so much less…and limited.

We are not limited to the air we breathe

I will not be held back by the

‘You can’ts’ and the ‘It’s can never be dones’

If I am held back, if I restrain but for a moment

this whole meaning of existence

loses its significance…this isn’t arrogance

this is faith in the One who sustains

and provides our proddings onward,

not our ploddings out into nowhere.

we are on a journey,

but there too is a destination…

So I’ll keep going…how about you?

May 3, 2013 0

On the journey

Like the sorrows of the sea

drifting back and forth,

froth with foam

deep as the midnight sky

a firmament of wonder

that stretches out far beyond

our eyes can see…

there we find our humble

existence.

There we recognize

just how finite we are

within an infinite realm.

As the ebb and flow

the undertow

and the currents of time

cast us about messages in bottles

and washed up wreckages

we tell our tale, a story to share

existential clarity

never charity but love

centered and fine.

This pure hope resounds

keeps stillness at bay,

at arms length the death knell

is silenced.

Thankful

I close my eyes…

and enjoy this journey.

May 2, 2013 0

Whose ‘Will’ is it?

“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10)

It’s from the ‘Lord’s prayer’. You’ve probably recited it any number of times, but have you really thought about what you’re actually saying?

When we say to God, “Father you are holy” we acknowledge two things, the first is that He is our heavenly Father and that secondly He is holy. Kinda obvious isn’t? But when we get to the next line of the ‘Lord’s prayer’, what we begin to realize is that our prayer to God isn’t about what we can get from Him, but rather what we can give Him.

A few verses back Jesus even tells His disciples not to pray like the hypocrites who love to hear their own voices and want others to hear them as well. Our prayers can be corporate but they should also be private conversations with God throughout our day.

Back to His Kingdom:

What we mean when we say “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is this: God you are God of my life and I want to be a part of Your kingdom. We are also saying that God’s Will is more important than that of our human will. Essentially what we are saying is ‘God I trust you and I surrender to you!’…but do we really? I don’t know about you but letting go of the control that I have on my life isn’t something that I’m good at. It’s a powerless feeling to let go, and yet when we pray this prayer or something similar to it, we are implying exactly that. If we don’t mean what we say then why are we saying it in the first place?

I liken it to parenting. I’m a father of four children. They mean the world to me and I am proud of each of them for who they are. As their father I want what is best for them. I want to see them succeed in every area of life. In school, I want to see them get good grades and flourish. In social settings, I want my kids to have healthy friendships and strong bonds and connections with others. As future adults I want them to be wise with their resources and smart with their money. I want to see my children succeed and so I guide them and provide them the wisdom that I have learned since I’ve been on this earth longer than they have. In the same way isn’t that what our Father in Heaven wants from us? He wants us to love Him first, but next there is that deep longing for us to succeed in this life! He wants to guide us, He wants to provide for us and show us how to live better lives. The key is that we have to listen. We have to subjugate ourselves, or submit ourselves to His kingdom and His will. When we view this submission not as negative thing or that we are losing our freedom, but rather we are gaining our freedom then it becomes clearer as to how important it is to submit to the will of God.

We don’t pray this line to mean, God wipe out all of my enemies and crush them with your kingdom. We aren’t turning prayer into another selfish edict of our wills…but rather we are first saying, “Lord it has to begin with me…right here, right now…teach me, I am submitting to your will not mine anymore.” When we can say this and actually mean it there is freedom. When we find ourselves willfully submitting to His will great things can and will take place. The world might become fiercer because of it, you might face stronger opposition in your life but you now are fully engaged in the workings of God and not your workings any longer. Our Father in Heaven wants us to trust Him, and He wants us to allow His wisdom and will to guide our lives. He wants us to succeed because He cares and loves us.

This isn’t some magic phrase that we say to make things work better in our lives. This isn’t some mantra that we utter habitually and thereby willing our essence to perform amazing tasks either. No, what we mean when we say these lines to our Father is “Here I am at your feet ready to submit all that I am to your kingdom and your will.”

What does that mean to you today?

Have you submitted yourself, your will, your desires, you hopes and dream to Him?

It won’t be easy, but if you let Him reside in you and allow His kingdom and will to replace yours, you will be amazed that you didn’t allow Him to do so earlier. Make it your private prayer today to say “Lord, your kingdom come (in my life) your will be done (in my life) on earth as it is in heaven.

-Blessings on your day today!

Prayer:

Lord I confess to you many times I have not allowed you access to my entire life. I have held back and tried to force my will not your will to be done. Forgive me and show me today how I should submit myself to you. I know that you want what is best in my life. I know that you want me to succeed. Help me to follow you, help me to trust you with everything in my life. I want to turn it over to you today. This I pray in Your name, may your will be done and your kingdom come in and through my life. –Amen.

May 2, 2013 0

At the Construction Site:

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)
²⁴“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
²⁶But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

When I was a child I used to enjoy watching construction workers build things. I could sit for hours watching them work away at mixing concrete, hoisting support beams, laying rebar…it all fascinated me. I longed to see the finished product, a completed project that took hours, even days to complete. I would go by the construction site day after day on my way to school just to see how much progress they had made in the hours that I had been away. I was invested in witnessing the completed project, though it wasn’t my house, I still wanted, I longed to see it finished.

By the time the construction of the remodeled home was completed, the workers there knew me by name. Why? Because I wasn’t content in just watching, I wanted to know why and how they were doing any and every task. I was insanely curious…and so I asked a lot of questions. Luckily, the foreman (who must have had children of his own) was a patient man who didn’t mind giving me an answer from time to time. He was competent and considerate of my age and so explained it as a parent would to a child; in simple terms. He explained why they put wire mesh in with the concrete or why rebar was there at all…it would make the structure stronger and would last longer. He also explained why the bubble on the level had to be in the middle so that the work they did would stand and not fall down because it was uneven. I asked many questions and thankfully that foreman answered most of them with the patience of a saint.

Why talk about this experience? Why mention it? Am I just trying to relive my childhood? Perhaps…but it’s more than that. It makes me think of what kind of foundation I am laying in my own spiritual with God. Many times in my life I have thought about those conversations with that foreman in the context of my spiritual journey with Christ. Am I living a balanced life? Have I continued to be firmly rooted in His word? Is the foundation of my life what it should be? Introspectively I have asked myself these questions many, many times. I don’t say this in boasting, by any means, but a right relationship with God is that important to me. Is it to you?

Years later I tried my hand at building stuff…turns out I’m just not that gifted at construction with my hands. But I will never forget those lessons that I learned as a child by simply passing by a construction site day after day on my way to and from school.

How is your foundation? Has it been reinforced with the rebar of fellowship with other Christians? Are there cracks forming along the walls of your faith because of wear and tear and pressures of life? At our conversion we align ourselves with Christ. We accept His sacrifice on the cross for our sins and we essentially say God rebuild me. Tear down the old, remove the dirty and broken, and start again. In that process we gain new life, a new construction takes place and there is life on our spiritual property. But here’s a big issue: Many remain at the altars of their lives professing Christ and declaring “I’m a Christian”, but they never grow from there. God expects us to mature in our faith. He has provided us the best foundation in His son Jesus Christ, but we have to allow the Holy Spirit to begin the transformation within us. We can’t remain baby Christians…or essentially just a foundation without a structure built on top. God’s presence within us, which is the Holy Spirit, wants to develop in us a deeper, stable structure of maturity and faith.

If your life needs some renovation, some rebuilding…will you allow God to begin that in you today? He’s the best foreman for the job and He can be trusted to finish that construction of holiness in you! The foundation is already firmly laid. But without a strong, stable structure on top, which is holiness and spiritual maturity, we are still vulnerable and unstable in the temptations and elements of our old lives.

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, thank you for your Son who made it possible for me to be redeemed, I ask now that you would continue in me Your work. Transform me through the work of Your Holy Spirit, grant me the strength to address issues that still exist within my life that are yet remnants of my old ways. Allow me wisdom and discernment to study your word and to apply it in my living day by day. I want to be the creation you have intended for me. Deliver me from sin and from temptation, as I know I must avoid their trappings in order to mature and to grow in Your grace. May it be so in my life today. Amen.

May 1, 2013 0

The Path and New Directions (Poem)

The road drags on

Out into the vast distance

Its dust, blanket enfolded

Stretching out its forked

tongue, sometimes cumbersome

sometimes joy beyond refrain.

Often to the lowly traveler

beckoned forward out past

horizons never fathomed

snaked upon winding roads

sometimes curved, and sometimes rugged

yet no blame can fall

upon the chosen path.

All devices and illusions

brought together by our choice

from departing consequence

to arriving destination

we, not the path are its creator.

Some, though waylaid, stop

along the trail a time or two

a destination -not the goal

but rather in the journey itself.

What of my journey?

Is there joy? Fulfillment?

How often have I become consumed?

Overtaken by life’s ebbs and flows?

Can I start again? Certainly not

from the original beginning…

but I know I must and so I take

the next turn and with the breeze

at my back, I smile and take

in each breath, each moment

a gift and not a curse.

April 29, 2013 0

On God’s Grandeur (Poem)

In the silent whispers of the morning kiss

Beneath still breezes laying heavy on the barren field

The cattle are all huddled together lowing softly

taking comfort in the cold autumn morning

beyond the field and dancing waves of grain

empting themselves again and again

in harvest moons, now since past

The farm house sits, buffeted by

thick firs a family, a copse of trees.

On the cusp of this morning

The sun is lazily taking its time to rise

While the duties of the farmer is long over due.

Now rife with cup, steaming in pre-dawn briskness

Hand grasping the responsibilities passed down

From father to son to son again

He walks into the day

His office with a view

John Deere for a desk

Overhauls for his three piece suit

With more at stake than corporate interests

And stock portfolios.

In the silent whispers of the morning kiss

His feet, crunching sun burnt grains

Will begin again, taking each stride

One moment at a time

Ready to stretch God’s grandeur

Further and grander than his yesterdays.

April 28, 2013 0

Got Faith?

The other day I was driving down the road when I realized that I had neglected to fill my van with gas. I was on ‘E’ and the warning light was on giving me an indication that I had less than ten miles to an empty tank. It is never fun to be stuck in traffic only to realize that you have to get off somewhere and refuel. For a time, panic set in and I was hoping I wouldn’t run out in the middle of moving traffic…I kept thinking of embarrassing It would be.

Are you running empty today in the faith department? Is the warning light on in your life?

Faith.

What is it? Why is it so hard to grasp at times, and other times the only thing that makes sense?

You’ve heard it said that faith is like the wind, you can’t see the wind but you can feel the effects of the wind. So too it is with this thing we call ‘Faith’. It is vital that we possess it, yet many people lack enough of it to sustain their walk with God.

Does God supply us with faith? Yes, Romans 12:3 says, ” God gives varying measures of faith to his people” So how do we get more of faith when we lack it? Because if you and I were honest with ourselves and with God we would find that there are times when we are lacking in the faith department. James 1:5 says “If any of you are lacking wisdom let him ask God and He will give it liberally.” The same goes for faith. Do you lack faith in your life right now? Is your faith tank on ‘E’? Ask God to fill you again.

The key is that we must ask! It’s not that God doesn’t already know, it’s that He wants us to verbalize it in our lives to Him. He wants us to make it personal, to realize that we need Him. We are lost without His sustaining power and grace. When we ask, the scriptures say that He will supply.

Today, perhaps instead of asking for anything else we should ask God to fill our tank of faith. We all could use an added dose of it, am I right? The issues we face, the struggles, the stress, the doubt are nothing in comparison to the might and strength of our Father in Heaven. If we allow Him access to our lives by asking Him to enter we will be amazed at what takes place.

Do you lack faith today? Let this journey of yours begin by asking Him to fill you up with His grace and to grant you more faith. He will glad supply it to those who ask without agenda or selfish intentions.

Seek Him, and ask Him today.

April 23, 2013 1

Tag: Life