forward

often i become aware of the gap between where i am and where i want to be.  the gap usually is not just in one area, but in several.  at other times i find myself looking back or drifting in reverse to things of the past (habits, hurts, hang-ups, etc.)  in both cases (of the gap or the drift) the problem is that i’m not moving forward and forward is where God is always calling me.

God’s Word is crystal clear that He wants us to go forward:

• God’s first words to adam = take dominion over everything (that means go forward & conquer)
• first words of Christ - “follow me” / He has invited us to a life of forward
• Jesus also said, “My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me”
• last words of Christ = “go” into all the world / go everywhere, tell everyone
• david sang a song that had these lyrics - “my soul followeth hard after thee…”
• paul said, “follow me as i follow Christ / “press on”, “this one thing i do (this is my one aspiration) forgetting what lies behind and straining (reaching) forward” / “run to win”

whisper

often in life - i find myself in a place where i desperately need to hear from God.  of course we hear from God when we open up the bible and listen, we hear from God as we listen to a inspired teaching (in person or in a podcast) from a spiritual leader we value, we can hear from God in many different ways. but lately i have been expecting God to really speak loudly to me - to shout, to broadcast guidance, to direct me by His thunderous voice - but, it hasn’t happened (and i’m just now starting to figure out why).

here is an incredibly insightful passage of scripture - check it out - i kings 19:11-13, “go stand on the mountain at attention before God.  God will pass by.  a hurricane wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn’t to be found in the wind; after the wind an earthquake, but God wasn’t in the earthquake; and after the earthquake fire, but God wasn’t in the fire; and after the fire a gentle and quiet whisper.  when elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave, and stood there.  a quiet voice spoke… God said…”

maybe you have been expecting God to show up in an obvious way and get your attention with some big manifestation.  but let me encourage you that God is ready to speak to us - but on His terms - in His way - and what he wants from us is to be close to Him - to draw near to Him - to lean in and listen.  see the only way we can hear God whisper is if we are close to Him and that is exactly what He wants - He wants you close!  it’s impossible to hear a whisper from 100 feet away, from 50 feet away, from 25 feet away, even from 5 feet away - you have to be right next to someone to hear them whisper.

i’m guessing you need some serious guidance in your life right now - right?  well the good news is God is ready to reveal your next step, your next move - perfectly articulated and crystal clear.  but he is revealing it in a whisper - so that you will move in and be still and know that He is God.

like david in psalm 55:1, we need to pray, “open your ears, God to my prayer… come close and whisper your answer, i really need you.”  if that is your prayer, then run to God, get near Him, get as close as you can - because He is whispering.

may you get close to the God that can stir up a hurricane, shake the earth, and rain down fire from on high… may you hear His gentle whisper and experience His perfect plan as He guides you along His path for your life.

press on

ever felt like God didn’t show up the way you thought he would?  how many times have you been at the breaking point where you wanted to give up and quit?  when was the last time you needed to sense God’s powerful presence, but instead felt his absence?  have you found yourself secretly ticked off at God because he didn’t come through for you or for someone you love and care about?

here are my answers:  yes.  to many to count.  recently.  often.

i have a suspicion that your answers might be pretty similar to mine.  the fact is that we all find ourselves lacking the faith that will carry us through.  we all feel alone, even though we know (deep down) that God is always present.  we all have more questions than we do answers.  we all struggle to truly believe and overcome doubt.  we all want to push through the pain and press on even though we feel like throwing in the towel.  we all have days where the only thing to do is to press on.

paul was the guy that made the “press on” slogan stick - not because he came up with it, but because he lived it!  he’s the one that told us to rejoice when we run into problems and trails - he said they were good for us - that they develop strength of character - that they build up our faith (see romans 5:3-4).  his life was on the line on a weekly basis, he suffered greatly for the cause of Christ - he had to endure massive hardships and setbacks and failures.  but still he is the one that encourages us to press on.  he said, “since God has so generously let us in on what He is doing, we’ve not about to throw up our hands and walk off the job just because we run into occasional hard times.  we’ve been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we’re not demoralized; we’re not sure what to do but we know that God knows what to do.  so we’re not giving up.  how could we?  even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without His unfolding grace.  these hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us.  there’s far more here than meets the eye.  the things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow.  but the things we can’t see now that’s going to last forever.” 2 cor 4:1, 8-9, 16-18 (msg)

paul also said, “i think you ought to know about the trouble we went through… we were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it.”  2 cor 1:8 (nlt)

the truth in paul’s story is the exact same truth in your story - GOD IS MOST POWERFULLY PRESENT EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS HE IS MOST APPARENTLY ABSENT!  so regardless of any problem, challenge, setback, hardship you are facing right now - the only option for you is TO PRESS ON!

storms

for the past 18 years, i have lived in southern california and (mary, the girls and I) have become very fond of the amazing weather that we have here.  but, the first 8 years of my life i lived in michigan and wisconsin (with serious snowstorms and long winters) - 2 places with climates much different that socal.  the next 10 years of my life i lived in tulsa, ok - a place that had some pretty crazy weather (thunderstorms / hail / tornadoes / floods / ice storms / plus unbearable humidity in the summers).  i also spent a year in sweden (and relied on public transportation) - it was so cold and so dark - i literally had to fight off depression for the first time in my life.  the average amount of sunshine per day for the majority of the time while i lived there was only 2 hours - a massive change from coming from california.  we also experienced 2 blizzards in 1989 and had 5 months of the average temperature less than -2 degrees celcius.

ok, enough about all the tough weather i had to deal with as a kid (or as a bible school student).  we all have been through natural storms, but i want to share a few thoughts about the most intense storms we face - the storms of life - when pressures, problems, negative circumstances hit us and we experience pain, defeat and failure - the storms we hate to be in.

if your life is anything like mine…. then you you have either just come out of a storm… or you are in the middle of a storm… or a storm will be coming your way soon.  i realize that sounds pretty negative, but i believe it - this is reality.

so here are some facts about storms that will (hopefully) encourage you:

• storms are INEVITABLE - they are going to happen, so don’t be surprised when they do.  Jesus said, “in this world you will have trouble…”  there will be times of frustration, fatigue, suffering, sorrow, discouragement, despair - it is part of life - storms will blow in and try to blow you away.
• storms are UNPREDICTABLE - they always seem to happen at the worst time (kinda like a flat tire).  they just happen - usually when you’re totally unprepared and when it’s most inconvenient.  it would be awesome if we could schedule a storm so we had plenty of time to prepare and gear up for it.  this summer we took the family to southern utah and stayed at a ranch.  all 4 days we were there it rained for a little bit, but the cool thing was that we could see the storm coming.  we were at a vantage point where you could see for 20 miles or so and we literally saw the ominous clouds coming and the distant lighting flashing - and we could easily get inside and ovoid the downpour.  it would be nice if this happened in life, but it doesn’t - storms just happen and we have no way of predicting when they show up.
• storms are IMPARTIAL - they hit all of us, no one lives life insulated from suffering, pressure or challenges.  everybody gets hit with stormy weather.  the bible is crystal clear that “it rains on the just and the unjust alike”.  Jesus said good people and bad people all experience difficult times.  usually our first response to a storm is “why me?”, maybe we should start saying “why not me?”  i’ve realized that i’m not immune to all the problems that happen in this world, i’m going to experience tragedy, loss and pain - it doesn’t mean i’m bad - it just means that i’m human!
• storms are TEMPORARY - thank God that storms don’t last forever - they stop.  in 1984 our family had almost 5 feet of water flood into our house and through a freak accident the flood also caused a fire to burn up our garage and my older brothers first car (i realize this sounds crazy… a large gas can was tipped over by the rising flood waters, the gas floated on the top of the water and ignited when it hit the pilot light on the water heater - and caused a raging fire).  our family went through a horrific tragedy that day, but it was short-lived and within a few weeks everything was back to normal.  2 corinthians 4:17 says, “our troubles are short-lived and their outcome is an eternal glory that outweighs them all.”
• storms are PURPOSEFUL - 1 peter 1:6-7 says, “at the present you may be temporarily harassed by all kinds of trials.  this is no accident - it happens to prove your faith.  never forget that God is in the storm with you - He will never leave you, never forsake you - He is the ever-present help in times of trouble (psalm 46:1) - and as the storm rages - He is healing, He is cleansing, He is building, He has a purpose behind it.  just like when Jesus experienced suffering, tragedy, hurt, pain, criticism, discouraging news, loneliness - God was building Him up, preparing Him to be able to weather greater storms.  God is way more interested in our character than in our comfort.  the storms we face and endure build a depth of faith and character into us that could not get there any other way.

psalm 62

a few weeks ago i was just doing some casual bible reading and ran into this amazing psalm.  since then, i have been meditating on it and it has completely floored me (in a good way) and built up my faith and trust in God.  it is the start and the finish of the psalm that really speak to me, here are the first two and the last two verses:

Psalm 62 (NIV)

¹ My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

¹¹ One thing God has spoken,
two things have I heard:
that you, O God, are strong,
¹² and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

so many times we find that we’re in need of rest (and peace) for our souls.  david reminds us that there is only one that can really satisfy that need.  we’ve all made the mistake of looking to self, looking to others, looking to escape - to try and find rest/peace/breakthrough somewhere other than in God - but it never works.  in God alone we find what we need, what we’re longing for.  he alone is the rock that we stand on, he is our strong tower, in him we are unshakable (because he is unshakable).

we have an enemy that is desperately trying to shake us/defeat us/destroy us/annihilate us.  when the attack is on and when the enemy is breathing down our necks…. remember that God will protect us/deliver us/save us/rescue us from anything the enemy tries to do to us.  this psalm echoes the truth found in isaiah 54:17 (gwt) - “no weapon that has been made to be used against you will succeed… victory comes from me, declares the Lord.”

we can trust in God alone because he is strong!  but we can get seriously encouraged by the fact that he is also loving!  what good would it do us to know realize that God is strong without the fact that he loves us (and will use his unlimited strength to rescue us)?

God is so incredibly strong and so incredibly loving!  in knowing this my soul finds amazing rest.  may our strong, loving Father reveal himself to you and flood you with perfect peace.

****consider downloading “your love is strong” by jon foreman.  it is based off of psalm 62.

turner summer vacation (mexico)

mary, the girls and i just got back last week from 9 days in mexico - we had a blast.  God is so good to us… theres nothing quite as nice as a free vacation… we got all 4 plane tickets by using miles and super-generous friends gave us a 1,700 square foot (brand new, right on the beach) villa for 7 days. the trip was amazing and we came back rested and refreshed (but a little sunburned).

we did a ton of family activities… horseback riding (on the beach x2), snorkeling (and brought back some coral we dove for - is that illegal?), body surfing in the pacific and the sea of cortez, flea market souiveneer bartering, and enjoyed some amazing meals together.

trip highlight:  creating memories that we will cherish forever.

trip bummer:  having to put sunscreen on 3 times everyday (God created all the turner fam extremely pasty).

check out some of our vacation videos…

Turner Girls Swimming

Abby and the Iguana

Hannah dunking Madison

Turner girls at the beach

Horseback Riding on The Beach

Horseback Riding on The Beach - Part 2

surrender

surrender is defined as “giving oneself up into the power of another”.  following Christ is not just a moment of surrender, but a process of surrender.  i think many people think that you surrender one time and God smiles… you get saved… everything is great.. and life goes on.  i don’t think that surrender is a one-time deal in my life.  why?  because there is a constant battle that rages between the kingdom of me and the kingdom of God.  the kingdom of me is scott trying to live life the way i want to… to do what i want… go where i want… make my own decisions…  chase after my own dreams… to basically live “me first”.

to surrender means to put the kingdom of God first in my life… Jesus said to seek first God’s kingdom (and His righteousness) - His way of living, His way of acting, His way, not my way.  i’ve gotta surrender my lifestyle to Him and purpose to not let sin dominate me.  romans 6:13 - “don’t surrender any part of yourselves to sin… surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes.”  a life of surrender is a life of purity and freedom.

i’ve been starting my day by diving into God’s word (mainly the psalms) and seeking God in prayer and worship.  i have to surrender my day to Him and it off in joy and strength.  ”find out for yourself how good the Lord is.”  psalm 34:9   if i don’t seek Him in the a.m., my day will be chaotic and heavy.   a life of surrender is a life of intimacy and closeness.

God’s thoughts are higher than my thoughts, His ways are far beyond anything i can imagine.  i need to surrender my decisions to the Lord and seek His insights and trust Him to lead me.  proverbs 3:5-6, “trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure our everything on your own.  Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.  Don’t assume you know it all.”  God told jeremiah if people would seek Him, He would show them great secrets and insights that they could not get from anywhere else.  what an amazing God we have that will shower us with wisdom and help us make perfect decisions that bring victory to our lives.  a life of surrender is a life on track.

i get to surrender my resources to God.  every bit of increase that comes into my life, i honor Him by giving Him the first and the best.  i’m convinced that a Christian can’t be fully pursuing God unless they are generously giving to advance His kingdom in this world.  deuteronomy 15:10 tells us to “give generously… and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.”  a life of surrender is a blessed life.

finally, i need to work on surrendering my dreams to God.  so many times the dream that I have for my life, family and ministry is dwarfed in comparison to the big dream that God wants to make come true for me.  ”by His mighty power at work within us, God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope or dream.”  ephesians 3:20   scott sized dreams are way, way to small for my life.  God sized dreams are overwhelming, but can be realized as i surrender my heart to Him and expect the best.  a life of surrender is a life beyond our wildest dreams.

“offer yourselves completely to God… to be used for His good purposes.”  romans 6:13

guard your heart

sorry for not posting more regularly…  thanks for still checking out my blog… i will try to post more frequently

so many times (lately) i find myself thinking about the simple (but powerful) truth revealed in proverbs 4:23 - it says, “guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.”

God’s word is clear that we are in a spiritual battle and that we need to stay alert keep our guard up. the enemy works overtime to try to slip stuff past our guard and darken our lives.  he attempts things daily…. things like… pride, anxiety, laziness, gossip, bitterness, anger, jealousy, insecurity, lust, hate, and about 50 other sadistic schemes.

never forget that satan slithered into the garden and he continues to work to find an opening in our lives.  in a letter to the church, paul wrote, “leave no room or foothold for the devil (give no opportunity to him).” i clearly hear paul pleading with us to guard our hearts and slam the door on the devil!

over the past few weeks, i have seen so many others let their guard down and have witnessed the enemy penetrate and damage their hearts.  earlier this year, i was really struggling to guard my own heart and could feel the enemy trying to discourage me and get me to cave it.  his attacks are relentless, but God’s grace (His power & favor) is sufficient for us.  God is an ever-present help in times of trouble and gives us the courage and joy to press on.

i don’t know what the enemy is up to in your life, but i know you have to keep your guard up.  in a boxing match… when one opponent is worn out and struggling… he begins to drop his guard… then it is just a matter of time until he gets knocked out.  “so let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good.  at the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” galatians 6:9

never drop your guard… keep vigilant watch over your heart… don’t give the enemy an opening… shut him out and keep him out!  fill your heart up with God’s incredible word… ask God to fill you with His Spirit… keep fighting the good fight of faith… you are more than a conqueror… you can do all things through Christ who infuses inner strength to you!  tell the enemy, you may try to devour someone today, but it won’t be me.  there is no room, no foothold, no opening for you here!

“God, guard my life, for I am devoted to You.  You are my God; save your servant who trusts in you.”  psalm 86:2

(please) grow up!

recently i have been blown away by the lack of maturity i have seen in others and have been struggling to keep from just writing them off.  the truth is, i have seen some immaturity in my own life - and have come to the (challenging) conclusion that i just need to grow up.  sometimes it’s so easy to see immaturity in others, but we fail to identify it in our own lives.  it takes a big person to look in the mirror and say, “wow, i’m kinda immature…i really need to grow up.”  but this is exactly what we need to do!

“God wants us to grow up… like Christ in everything.”  ephesians 4:15 (msg)  ”we are not meant to remain as children.”  ephesians 4:14 (ph)  ”take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His character in you.”  ephesians 4:22-24 (msg)

how do we grow up?

1.  We grow by hearing, accepting, and obeying God’s word

“God’s gracious word can make you into what He wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need.”  acts 20:32 (msg)

2.  We grow by learning to cooperate with the Holy Spirit

“as the Holy Spirit works within us, we become more and more like HIm and reflect His glory even more.”  2 corinthians 3:18 (nlt)

3.  We grow by having close relationships with Godly friends (and connecting with them on a regular basis)

“become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.”  proverbs 13:20 (msg)

4.  We grow when we don’t give in to temptations

“run from anything that gives you evil thoughts… but stay close to anything that makes you want to do right.”  2 timothy 2:22 (lb)

5.  we grow by understanding the purpose of tests & trails

“we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”  romans 8:28 (nlt)

maturing in Christ and becoming like Him is a long, slow process.   there are no short cuts or easy fixes to becoming more mature.  friedrich nietzsche said, “the essential thing in heaven and earth is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction.”  don’t be a shallow Christian whose life is marked by selfishness and apathy.  determine to not let excuses replace progress and take a step towards becoming more like Christ.

take some time and look at your life (in humility and honesty) and identify which one of the steps above you need to focus on today.  may God help you to live out His word, to listen to His Spirit, to connect with other believers, to say no to sin, and to learn to be cheerful and grateful when you go through tough times.

be encouraged!

week after week i have the privilege of trying to encourage people who are down, defeated, depressed, and dismayed.  really, that is what being a minister is all about - lifting up those who are burned out, worn down, ready to quit, and totally discouraged.  i never get tired of trying to bring encouragement to those who are in need.  i always want to have people walk away from a conversation with me…. feeling listened to, feeling loved and hopefully lifted up (way up)!  this is what Jesus was all about - He listened, He loved, and He lifted people up.

we have an enemy that is relentless in his attacks and constantly tries to overwhelm us and bring us down.  we get discouraged when we start to listen to his lies and look at the things that are not going right.  the enemy comes immediately to steal God’s Word from us and stop God’s power from touching our lives.  so i wanted to provide you with some ammo to combat the evil one and breakthrough the demonic static that is in the atmosphere surrounding us.  so here are some of the most encouraging scriptures that i know, i hope the Holy Spirit releases a spirit of encouragement over you as you meditate on these…

• “if your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, He’ll help you catch your breath.”  psalm 34:18 (msg)

• “God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble.  God fights for us, God protects us.”  psalm 46:1,7 (cev/msg)

• “those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  they will fly high on wings like eagles.  they will run and not grow weary.  they will walk and not faint.”  isaiah 40:31 (nlt)

• “you (God) revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing.”  psalm 23:5b (msg)

• “there is wonderful joy ahead, even though the going is rough for a while down here.”  1 peter 1:6 (lb)

• “when you go through the deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up - the flames will not consume you.”  isaiah 42:2 (lb)