We are on Mission.

I spent several years abroad on the mission field. I was a kid but actively involved in enrolling people in Bible correspondence courses at the ripe old age of 7 while I was living in Cameroon, West Africa. I was also living on some islands called Vanuatu in the South Pacific when they gained their independence from Britain and France in 1980. I’ve lived in the culture of many countries on short-term mission trips to places like Croatia and Jamaica. Every single opportunity has been a blessing and a rich back story for my faith walk. But you don’t have to be living on foreign soil to be on mission.

Acts 1 describes Jesus final moments on earth before he ascends into heaven. Jesus literally tells us that we will be his witnesses throughout the earth in a city, in an area, in a larger geographical area and to the ends of the earth. So what can be learn about being on mission today in our culture and right where you live?

First, be present. We can dream and plan for tomorrow and we should but you have today right in front of you and God is going to be there, opening doors for you to witness to those around you. I firmly believe God gives us multiple opportunities every day to share Jesus with those around us. It’s then our job to look for those moments when you can BE Jesus.

Secondly, be prayerful. Acts 1:14 tells us the believers where constantly united in prayer. Pray that God will open your eyes to the needs of those around you. Pray that you’ll discover your talent and giftedness so that you can start serving in the Kingdom. Pray that God will send appointments to you to interact with on his behalf. Pray that you’ll be the best parent and spouse possible in this dark, negative world. Pray for the community of faith of which you are a part, that it might grow and be a light on the hill in your community.

Be perceptive. God is putting people in your life every day to interact with. The crossing guard your kids use to go to school. Your kid’s teachers. The cashier at the grocery store. Your next door neighbor who just had surgery. Your coworker who is having trouble in her marriage. In 2008, a song came out called “Give Me your Eyes” by Brandon Heath. Every word of it rings truth.

We want to the eyes of Jesus to see the world how he does. We want his ears to be ready to hear those in need. We need to have his hands and his feet to serve those in need. We want the mouth of Jesus to speak words of compassion and peace to those around us. We want the heart of Jesus for a world in pain and darkness.

As disciples of Jesus, our mission is never over. We are always looking for the opportunities to go into world and proclaim who Jesus is so the world can know they have a God who loves them. Blessings on your journey.

Beating Depression.

Elijah was one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history. He saw God work by providing water and food when he was hiding out. He saw a little boy resurrected. He saw fire from heaven which melted his altar. Elijah saw prayer answered in the moment when rain came after a three year drought.

But even when you see power, position, and praise in your life, it’s possible to slip into a disappointed and a depressed lifestyle. When you read the story of Elijah (1 Kings 17-19), you see God’s power clearly in his life, just as he did. But in 1 Kings 19, Elijah makes some mistakes that lead him into a depressed state. We can learn from his mistakes and intentionally move into a healthy state of mind.

There are four things that lead to a depressed life and the first is that you can wear yourself out. We live today with no margin in our life. We hit the ground running in the morning and don’t stop until we drop into bed late at night. Each of us have our own burdens to bear along with our friends and family who want us to walk with them through their own difficulties. We try to balance our lives and do everything possible to not be left out or behind.

Secondly, we can shut people out. Many of us keep our closest family and friends at arms length, saying things like, “You’ll never understand what I am experiencing”, “I can’t tell you what I’m going through.”

We also tend to focus on the negative. Like Elijah, many of us dwell in self-pity. And we know self-pity exaggerates reality. We say things like, “I’m never going to get better”, “I will always have this addiction”, “I’ll always be stuck in this lifestyle.” Which leads us in the direction of the final idea…

We can forget all that God has done for us. God had provided Elijah with water and food. With God’s power, he had raised the dead. Elijah had seen fire from heaven convict an entire nation. But in chapter 19, Elijah thinks God is not going to help him anymore and he finds himself running away.

So, what is God’s prescription for our depression?

When you read 1 Kings 19:5-16, we see everything as God wants us to see. The first thing God calls us to is to eat and rest. For some of us, the most spiritual thing we can do right now is rest. Jewish culture was built around the 10 Commandments and one of those was to keep the Sabbath. Americans do not practice rest. We run all day long, seven days a week. God calls us to build in rest into our weekly calendar. God calls us to rest in order to be at our healthiest.

Secondly, God replaces our lies with his truth. Elijah says that he’s the only one who is left for God and that is not true. 7000 Israelites had never bowed down to an idol. Elijah is taking on responsibility that was not his to take. For many of us, we hear the lies our enemy tells us everyday and speak them to ourselves as if they were truth.

But Scripture tells us that all things are possible with God! That if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we can move mountains. Paul reminds us to take every thought captive for Christ.

God had showed himself to Elijah through fire and miracles but suddenly God appears in a still, small voice. Sometimes when we are at our lowest, God speaks the softest. Many of us are hurting today. We experience relational hurt; the loss of a life companion; the shortness of a bank account; the hurtful words of a co-worker. And in those moments, God is saying quietly, “I’ll never leave you”, “I am right here”, “You are enough.”

Finally, God gives Elijah something to do. You see, we are people who need a purpose. God tells Elijah to go back and do what prophets do. God is calling you into purpose as well. Each of us has a gift or talent and we are called to use it in Kingdom work. Whether it’s patience or mentorship or kindness or love, use it to the glory of God.

We beat depression by resting, replacing our lies with God’s truth, listening to God’s voice even when it’s quiet and discovering what God has called us to do. Alone, we are powerless. But with God we can do anything. Blessings on the journey.

No Atheist in Foxholes.

There is an age-old saying, “There are no atheist in foxholes.” I believe that every one of us has prayed before whether we are believers are not. We’ve all been in a tight spot and asked God to get us out of it. The odds have been against us and we’ve hoped a higher power would come to our rescue.

In 1 Kings 18, the prophet Elijah has just prayed for fire from heaven and God answered his prayer. After Israel saw that fire, they confessionally believed again that God was indeed the only God. There had not been rain in three and a half years in Israel. This happened because God needed to get the attention of Israel. But now, Elijah prays that rain would come to replenish the earth and fortify the people. As we look at the prayer of Elijah in 1 Kings 18:42-45, we see some elements that become important in our prayer life.

We see that Elijah’s prayer is a humble prayer. After he dispenses with the false prophets, he and his servant climb Mt. Carmel again. Once at the top, Elijah gets on his knees and puts his head between his knees. It’s a sign of respect and humility, outwardly recognizing God is greater than he is. It’s the attitude of John the Baptist in John 3:30 where John says, “Jesus must become greater and greater and I must become less and less.” James tells us in James 4 that God honors those who have humility.

Elijah’s prayer is specific. So many times we prayer generic prayers but I believe God wants us to be vulnerable and open with him. Elijah essentially says, “God, we’ve been without rain for over three years. We need rain now.” James tells us in James 4 that we don’t have because we don’t ask God. So be specific in your prayer life.

Elijah’s prayer is persistent. He has his servant go seven times to the mountain top to look to see if any clouds have formed yet. Trips 1-6 reveal nothing happens. It’s a reminder Elijah doesn’t let the outward circumstances deter him from praying for what he knows is needed. Jesus tells a story of the persistent widow in Luke 18. She wants justice but every time she goes to the judge, he declines to help her. Finally she just keeps coming and the judge says, “I’m going to give the widow justice now or she’ll just keep coming to me.” Jesus explains the parable by saying the judge is God and we are the widow.

So, what have you stopped praying for? Have you stopped praying the marriage will be healed or the adult child will come back to Jesus or the depression will go away or a better revenue vein will be found? Keep praying for the things you believe you need in life so that God will be glorified.

Finally, Elijah’s prayer is expectant. He expects God to give rain. Jesus says in Mark 11:24, “If you believe it and ask for it, it will happen.” And sure enough in Elijah’s story, God sends a storm of rain. So in our prayer life, pray with a spirit of expectancy. Expect the marriage to be healed; expect your kids to follow Jesus; expect your career path to be clear; expect the Holy Spirit to remove doubt, fear and worry; expect to be healed.

You and I as followers of Jesus, believe all things are possible. Pray with that spirit. Your Heavenly Father is for you and wants to reveal himself to you. Pray with that confidence. Blessings on your journey.

The Two Paths.

Have you ever broken someone’s heart by choosing someone else over them? Maybe you took a friend’s viewpoint over your brother’s or decided to go out with the guys instead of your girl or listened to a coworker instead of your parents. If you are like me, there have been many times someone I loved got hurt because I chose poorly.

God says over and over in Scripture that his followers are to choose him first above everything else. In Exodus 20, where you find the Ten Commandments, the very first one is “No thing or other god is to come before me.” Jesus restates that in Mark 12:30-31 where he says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength…no other thing is more important than that.

Sadly, you and I put things in front of God every day. They are things we put our faith in but they all fall short. What we discover is that false gods promise what only the true God provides. We look for happiness, joy, peace of mind, and reassurance from things like money, possessions, sex, relationships, degrees and accomplishments but all of things fall short of what they promise.

Elijah has some words for us in 1 Kings 18 when he says, “Stop wavering between two opinions.” He then goes on to say “sell out” to the thing you truly believe in…if it’s money, then go all in…if it’s anger and entitlement, bet the house…if is that addiction you don’t want to shake, cash in but if you believe God will provide all things, then choose him! Stop going back and forth and follow the one person who has your back in so many ways. Follow the one true God who truly loves you and wants what’s best for you.

There is this epic showdown between Elijah and 450 false prophets in 1 Kings 18. At the end of the story, the false god, Baal, doesn’t answer his prophets at all while the true God sends fire down from heaven to liquidate Elijah’s sacrifice. It’s in that moment all of Israel proclaims that YHWH is the one true God. You might be saying, “Well yeah. If I been there and seen that, I would have most definitely believed.” But we had something even better.

2000 years ago, Jesus, not fire, came down from heaven and we know that story to be true. It changed everything for us. We now know true love and we have joy and peace and hope in our life for a beautiful tomorrow.

So the call is that you and I would say yes to Jesus and allow the false gods sitting on the throne of our hearts to melt away. It’s time to quit wavering…it’s time to choose Jesus. You and I want a better life and Jesus is the only one who can offer that to us. Blessings on your journey.

Total Dependence.

In 1989, I went to Air Force basic training. Once I got off the bus, the molding, shaping, and refining began. I arrived as one person but the DIs shaped me into someone new by the end of my time there. I’ve been forever grateful for the eight years I spent in the Air Force, wearing the uniform, active during Desert Storm and protecting my country.

In 1 Kings 17, we are introduced to one of the greatest prophets in Israel’s history…a guy named Elijah. His name means “My God is Jehovah”. He becomes God’s sounding piece for a king named Ahab and a queen named Jezebel. When Elijah comes on the scene, Israel had experienced 19 consecutive evil kings who took Israel away from God. That’s about 200 years of poor decision-making.

Elijah pronounces a drought on Israel to get their attention and right after, God moves Elijah into the wilderness to do some work on him. God tells him to go to the Kerith Ravine where God provides a source of water and ravines to bring him food. “Kerith” means “cut off” or “cut down”. I’m inclined to believe Elijah may have had a pride issue so God cuts him off from everyone else in order to cut him down or humble him. So Elijah goes through a season of isolated pain and solitude but God will use these moments to shape him into the Kingdom man God wants him to be.

With no one to help him (except the birds), Elijah has to become totally dependent on God for all things. See, God didn’t give him a week’s supply of food or even a 2-day supply but just enough for the day. You and I can learn from this story that God will give us what we need, not necessarily what we want.

And then God requires unconditional obedience to His plan. So, to move Elijah, God eventually dries up his water source. I can only image Elijah asking, “What’s the purpose of all this? Have I don’t something wrong? Did I do something I wasn’t supposed to do?” But I think for Elijah and us, God sometimes allows the “brook” to dry up in order to give us courage to leave and go where he wants us to live into his story. So many of us put our trust in money, job, friends, or surroundings but many times God allows these things to dry up to move us forward in His story.

And then God moves Elijah to a village called Zaraphath where Elijah interacts with a widow. He asks her to cook him a meal but she says she only has enough flour for her son and her. Elijah is persistent and then tells her that if she does this for him, her flour and oil jar will never run dry, which is exactly what happens.

God changes Elijah. He molds him and shapes him into the Kingdom person God is looking for. In 1 Kings 17:1, we know Elijah only by WHERE he’s from (Tishbe). By the end of chapter 17, the widow calls him Elijah, man of God.

So know that if you find yourself in the wilderness and things aren’t going as you planned, God is doing something in you so that He can later do something through you. Blessings on the journey.

Living in Unity.

I played high school football. There were many things I enjoyed and learned by being on a team. One of those pleasures was having the unified backing of my teammates. During a game if you got hit hard or the other team began giving you a hard time, my teammates would come to the rescue. Our unified voice told others we did not stand alone.

The Apostle Paul and Jesus both prayed that as followers of Jesus, we would have one voice and stand together so that the world would know Jesus and the love the Father has for his creation (John 17:20-21, 23; Romans 15:5-7).

Tragically, we have felt many times the enemy is the group of other believers down the street. When in fact, our common enemy is Satan who only wants to kill, steal, and destroy. But if we ever finally lay down that thing we have been carrying all these years (hatred, agenda, unforgiveness) we’d discover that we can do infinitely more for God’s Kingdom together. So, we pray for unity and one voice for Jesus.

We pray for unity because we desperately need each other. Paul tells us in Romans 12:4-5 that like the human body is made up of many parts, so the body of Christ is also made of many parts. We can’t live without our body organs just like we can’t function without the diversity a church brings to the story of Jesus. We belong to one another. Think about the church universal. No matter the skin color, language or name over the door, we all worship the Name above all names, Jesus!

We pray of unity because the world will see God’s love for them. The word Paul uses in Romans 15:7, “accept”, is a word in the original Greek with beautiful imagery. The visual Paul gives us is this: we hug, pull each other in then walk hand-in-hand through life together. Jesus himself told us in John 13:34-35 that the way we love each other is the way the world will know we are his disciples. Jesus didn’t say, “with the right doctrine” or “with the right name on the building”…No! He said, “Your love for each other will point the world to me.”

We pray for unity because we can do infinitely more together than we can do apart. Because of our desire to be known as Jesus followers, together we positively affect churches in two foreign countries. We put Bibles in public classrooms in Eastern European countries. We partner with local para-church organizations to help homeless families get off the street and young couples make better decisions about their unborn baby. We partner with a local Bible translation group who puts the Word of God into the hands of people who have never read the story of Jesus in their local language. I really can’t do that on my own. I need you and you need me.

Acts 2 and 4 remind us of what one voice can do. Followers of Jesus came together to eat, worship, pray, and live. They supported each other and loved each other. Every need was met if you belonged to Jesus.

The truth is, the world is tired of hearing about Jesus…they want to see Jesus. How will they know? By the way we love each other. So, what do you need to change in order to be the follower Jesus prayed for? What thing are you hanging on to that is prohibiting you to be the person Jesus prayed for?

My hope is you will desire to live into Jesus’ prayer and love those who also believe. It’s our turn to roll up our sleeves and show the world the loving Savior you and I have. Blessings on the journey.

How to Share your Faith.

When it comes to sharing your faith, most of us hesitate. It is not because we don’t love our life or being a disciple of Jesus. Usually, it falls into one of three categories.

We just get busy. I mean, life happens. Most of us have no margin in our day to consider how we could share our faith. We hit the ground running in the morning getting kids ready for school with breakfast and sack lunches. After we drop them at school, we go to work and put in a full 8-hour day. Most of the time we don’t finish our work so we take it home with us. Once the kids get home, there’s homework, dinner, soccer practice. By the end of the day, we collapse into bed only to do it all again the next day.

Another is, we don’t want to be known as the weird Jesus-freak. I call them megaphone man. You see them on street corners with a megaphone calling down hate and judgment on people who don’t look like them. We just don’t want to be viewed as weird. I get that.

Finally, we don’t think we know enough about our faith. We think, “If I knew more about Jesus and my faith, I’d share more with the folks I interact with everyday.” But Paul’s prayer in Philemon 1:4-6 would indicate the opposite is true. He says that we share our faith in order to have a deeper understanding of who Jesus is to us.

With that in mind, I want to give you four ways to share your faith that you can do easily…yes, you! All of these ideas are loosely based on biblical stories from our New Testament.

You can be loving but direct. Peter used this approach in Acts 2 when we preached his sermon on the Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. He told the crowd the good news about Jesus and that they, the Jews, had killed the Messiah. He invited them into a relationship with Jesus. All they needed to do was change and allow Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. Now, you can’t have this voice all the time because then you simply turn into megaphone man and you’ll loose your voice.

A second way to share your faith is just to share YOUR story. How did you come Jesus? What did he do for you? You have stories of recovered health, broken addictions and healed relationships. You are a better spouse and parent because of Jesus. You have a more purposeful life because of the Risen Savior.

Third, you can invite people to church. Now, the church is more than just the four walls. There are lots of ways you can let people know about the family of believers you live life with and invite them to come and see how you do life together. Most churches have events like a trunk or treat or a Christmas event you can invite folks to. If you have an online presence on Sunday morning, invite them to check out the livestream before coming to an in-person service.

Finally, you can live a life others want. We all have chaos going on in our life. Whether it’s the loss of a family member, loss of job, dealing with cancer or the effects of COVID, the world is watching to see how Jesus-followers react. When you show joy and peace in your life no matter what is going on, the people around you notice. And they want what you have. It’s your opportunity to let them know, Jesus is the reason you have that joy, peace, and love in your life.

COVID has made it easy for us to sit back and blame the virus for not being active. But it is time we rekindle the fire and discover new ways to share our faith. You can do this with the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. Blessings on the journey.

The Power of Prayer

Have you ever prayed for strength and power to be present in your life? My guess is most of us believe in the power of prayer but know we don’t nearly pray enough. There may be many reasons why we don’t. Maybe you’ve heard others pray eloquent prayers and thought you couldn’t possibly measure up. Other times, you start to pray but you’re ADD kicks in so the ding on your phone gets you off track and you don’t finish your prayer.

I do think we have two major mistakes when we pray. We pray way too small and way too general. It’s probably because we don’t want to be let down. I mean, what if I pray and God doesn’t grant my request. I don’t want to risk it so we keep everything generic.

But we serve a God who goes before us (Deuteronomy 31) and who levels our mountains (Isaiah 45). Jesus said it you have the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. Paul said we serve a God with whom all things are possible. I wonder if we are undercutting our God by praying too shallow.

Paul wrote the house church in Ephesus from a Roman prison cell in 60AD. In the first 3 chapters of Ephesians, Paul reminds us what God did for us. In the last 3 chapters, Paul reminds us the type of life practically that we are called to live because of what God did for us. Right in that transition in chapter 3, Paul prays for the church, and us, to be empowered with the incredible power of God and the indwelling of his strength.

Paul in Ephesus 3:14-20 reminds us that we have every possible resource from our God to accomplish what comes our way everyday. Paul also said in Philippians 4 that God would meet all our needs through His glorious riches. Yet, you and I pray as if we are impoverished children. God wants us to ask for the good things which He will give us as it falls into his plan.

In this section of Ephesians, Paul uses the word “power” multiple times. The Greek word Paul uses is the same word we get the English word “dynamite” from. It means we have access to the miraculous, explosive power of God through prayer.

Paul’s prayer reminds us to be rooted in love so that we may have the power that only comes from God. When we are rooted in Jesus, we are able to live into the power of His glorious riches so that we have the ability to love the unlovable, be patient with our coworkers, and stay calm while others are abrasive in their interactions with us. We can do that because the power of God lives within us.

Verse 20 Paul says that through Christ, God can do more than we can imagine in our life. So my prayer for you is that daily, you pray the power and strength of our God dwells in you. Be specific for what you pray. Be bold and ask for things that only God will do. I know prayer changes things. I have seen it in my own life. May you pray with passion and may the Spirit of God dwell in you. Blessings on the journey.

God is Here and is Personal.

I loved playing football in junior high and high school. As a running back, it was nice to have the fullback or a tight end leading the way around on the sweep to clear defenders out of the way. I love what God says to his people in Deuteronomy 31. He says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Did you hear that? He will personally go before us. That’s comforting in a world that is full of chaos and misdirection. God KNOWS you and is for you.

The first time the word, “know”, is used in Scripture is Genesis 4:1. It’s the spot where Adam knows Eve. In other words, they are intimate and sleep together. There was nothing in the way. Nothing was covered. Everything was exposed.

The word of “know” in the original Hebrew language is “yada”. It means to know intimately. As you read through the Old Testament, it describes the relationship God wants to have with us. The word tells us that God knows you completely. That can be so very comforting or absolutely terrifying depending on your relationship with God.

King David knew how deeply God cared for us and knew us when he wrote Psalms 139. Reading the first four verses, you see how deeply God knows us. We are beautifully made. Did you know God knew you even before you were born? Jesus says in Matthew 10 that God knows how many hairs are on your head. That’s how intimately God is close to you.

In the Old Testament, Job is the story of a man who is asking if God knows him and what he’s going through. We each may be asking that same question right now. But at the end of Job’s story, he seems to land on the idea that God does know him and that thought does two things for Job. Job is comforted that God knows and Job is confident that God will redeem him.

Right in the middle of Job’s story in Job 19:25, he exclaims I know that my Redeemer lives and one day will make all things right. He’s proclaiming that everything going on in his life is temporary but God is eternal.

Because God is powerful and tender and personal, we too can proclaim that our Redeemer lives. So the challenge is to live like it. Let the world know by your words, your actions, your life you believe God knows you and is for you. He sees you and you are his. Blessings on your journey.

God is Here and Powerful.

Our current situation seems chaotic. A massive hurricane hitting the Gulf coast this week; Delta variant overwhelming hospitals again; Evacuations in Afghanistan; Christians being hunted down and killed around the world; Racial tension still evident; State and Federal government strong-arming one another; Rising flood waters in Tennessee killing innocent people. We look around and wonder where is God?

While we as believers know God has not left us, our human side wonders, “Is He in control?” “Does He even care about my situation, my anxiety, my story?” These past several months have revealed we are more fragile and vulnerable than we care to admit.

Job is a story about a man who worshiped the Living God. His story is found in the Old Testament. He’s living the American dream one day and the next, he’s lost everything: his business, his livestock, his children, his health. However, he never loses his faith but he does have some questions for God.

Job begins to ask God about his current state, wondering where God is in his story. By chapter 38, God has had enough and answers Job’s questions, not with answers but with more questions. God asks beginning in Job 38, ““Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you must answer them. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?Tell me, if you know so much.

Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy? Who kept the sea inside its boundaries as it burst from the womb, and as I clothed it with clouds and wrapped it in thick darkness?

For I locked it behind barred gates, limiting its shores. I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come. Here your proud waves must stop!’ Have you ever commanded the morning to appear and caused the dawn to rise in the east? Have you made daylight spread to the ends of the earth, to bring an end to the night’s wickedness?

As the light approaches, the earth takes shape like clay pressed beneath a seal; it is robed in brilliant colors. The light disturbs the wicked and stops the arm that is raised in violence. Have you explored the springs from which the seas come? Have you explored their depths?

Do you know where the gates of death are located? Have you seen the gates of utter gloom? Do you realize the extent of the earth? Tell me about it if you know!”

King David also knew that just be looking around us in nature and the cosmos, God’s presence is revealed. David says in Psalms 19:1-4 that if you and I would just slow down, go outside and look up, we’d see that God is with us. Nature itself screams the glory and presence of God.

As Christ-followers, we worship a God who is so much bigger than we are! He knows and sees what we do not. There’s something comforting about worshipping a God that big.

My prayer is we’d realize we are not in control but He is. At the end of Job’s story in Job 42:5, Job says, “I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes.” Job went from hearing about God to seeing God; from knowing about God to knowing God. May you truly know God is with you during these difficult times. May you feel the peace in your life that only He can provide. Blessings on the journey.