grieve

i came across something today that was shocking.  a verse that i had read hundreds of times (i know that makes me sound really spiritual), but never really understood the full meaning of it.  the verse is ephesians 4:30 (NLT) - “Do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.”  the message translation says, “don’t grieve God, don’t break his heart.  his Holy Spirit moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself.  don’t take such a gift for granted.”  ok, here is why i was shocked…  i looked up the greek word for “grieve” and found that it was ‘lupete’ (loo-petee). It means pain a husband or a wife feels who’s just discovered that the love of their life has been unfaithful to them. That’s got to be a very serious kind of pain (a pain that i pray i never have to feel in my marriage).  the hurt experienced when your heart is shattered by someone you trusted and loved with all your heart.  

think back on a situation where someone you love betrayed you or was unfaithful to you.  this verse is a harsh reminder that every time we rebel and sin against God - it grieves him.  when we pull a “lupete” - God is deeply wounded.  paul was not sharing this as a suggestion.  paul was commanding Christians to stop sinning, to quit living for themselves and to purpose not to hurt God with their dark thoughts, wrong attitudes and sinful behavior.

the best thing that we could do this year is to focus our energy on pleasing God, obeying him and living the way we know he wants us to live.  paul encourages us in hebrews 12:1 (cev), “we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially the sin that just won’t let go.  and we must be determined to run the race that is ahead of us.”  

i pray right now wherever you are - you would take a minute to let go of anything that you know has grieved God.  maybe you feel like God is distant or that he is not paying attention to you.  i’ve found in my life that it is usually because of sin that is hindering my relationship with him (aka grieving the Holy Spirit).  isaiah 59:2 (cev) says, “your sins are the roadblock between you and your God.  that’s why he doesn’t answer your prayers or let you see his face.”

jesus said, “if you love me, then you will obey me”.  prove your love to God by living obediently and free from stubborn sins.  in 2009, determine to bring pleasure, not pain, to God.  

regrets

2008 was a horrific year.  it seems like everybody i’ve talked to lately has regrets.  they play the “if only” game - if only i had not done that, if only i would have not bought that new car, if only i had not bailed on that relationship.  regrets are the bad feelings we have about the mistakes we made, the disappointments we suffered, and the sins we committed.  we usually try to bury our regrets, blame others for regrets or (if you are like me) we beat ourselves up and inflict self punishment.  “i am ashamed of my past… will i ever break free?”  jeremiah 31:19

have you ever heard someone tell you “you have to bury the past”?  it is impossible - you can’t bury your past regrets.  just like in a horror movie, everything you bury seems to resurrect and come after you.  if we can’t bury them, we blame others (”you are always ready to accuse others and find fault with them.”  psalm 50:20).  usually we find the 10% wrong someone else has done and focus on that.  but the reality is that we are 90% at fault and as we accuse others we excuse ourselves.   most of us simply beat ourselves up with the mistakes and mess-ups of our past.  after david sinned, he wrote “i am drowning in the flood of my sins, they are a burden too heavy to bear.  because i have been foolish, i’m utterly worn out and crushed, my heart is heavy.”  psalm 38:4-8

there is only one antidote to past mistakes and regrets - to confess it and move on.  psalm 32:5 says, “then i let it all out; i said, i’ll make a full confession to God.  Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved my sin disappeared.”  as we confess our faults, mistakes and regrets to God we suddenly get forgiveness, relief and peace.  God forgives us instantly, completely and permanently (”…i will remember your sins no more…”  jeremiah 31:34).  “No matter how deep the stain of your sins, i can take it out and make you as clean as freshly fallen snow.”  isaiah 1:8  

i want to encourage you to give all your regrets to God by accepting his forgiveness, forgiving yourself and focusing on the future.  ”the Lord says, do not cling to the events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago.  watch for the new thing i am going to do.”  isaiah 43:18-19.  “no one who hopes in me ever regrets it.”  isaiah 49:23

as 2008 fades away and 2009 unfolds - i pray you look up, let go and have the greatest year of your life!  

dark days

the winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year - this just happened 24 hours ago.  the sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice.  the bottom line is that we are in the darkest days of the year right now (in our physical world).  everyone has dark days (in the spiritual world) - days when it feels like we are surrounded by darkness, forgotten by God, hurting, alone and oppressed.  

Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer wander in darkness.”  John 12:46  

Jesus is the antidote to our dark days.  on days when we are feeling discouraged, full of doubt, distressed or just down - remember what david said in I samuel 22:29, “You Lord are my light, you dispel my darkness.”  

Jesus (the light) encourages us when we are down, guides us when we are doubtful, comforts us when we are stressed, lifts us up when we are down.  How do we find this encouragement, comfort and strength - easy - in God’s word.  “Your words are a flashlight to light the path ahead of me and keep me from stumbling.”  psalm 119:105.  when you are having a dark day - grab God’s word and and as you open it up it will illuminate you and flood your soul with light.

my prayer is that the darkness in your life will dissipate as the light of our savior shines on you.  i pray the light brings warmth, healing, joy, strength, passion, wisdom, and life to you.  

“…The darkness in our lives disappears and the new light of life in Christ shines in.”  I john 2:8.  

e/i

emmanuel is usually only a word we hear and use around christmastime. it’s only used once in the new testament in matthew 1:23 - “behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel–which, when translated, means, God with us.”  it’s only used a couple of times in the old testament. isaiah 7:14 says, (777 for you numerology geeks) - “the Lord himself will give you a miraculous sign. the virgin is going to have a baby. she will give birth to a son. and he will be called Immanuel.

emmanuel/immanuel reveals the simple truth that God sent Himself to this dark, broken, chaotic planet to rescue us from ourselves, sin and the evil one.  e/i says it all - God surrounds us with himself… God is ever-present… God never leaves us or forgets us… God chooses to be near, to be personal and present… God is with us!  e/i brings us such security, joy, strength, peace, hope - when we get ahold of the depth of this - everything changes.  how can we fear if God is near?  why would we complain if the almighty is within earshot?  how can we get discouraged when we realize e/i is (literally) right next to us?  when would it be appropriate for us to doubt when the creator is in the room?  

when you understand e/i you understand everything you need to know.  e/i is a way of life.  e/i is an eternal promise to grab ahold of.  e/i is everything.  may we be more aware of e/i.  no matter what the world, the enemy or anyone else throws at you, remember e/i.

“i’ve called you by name.  you are mine.  you will pass through deep waters. but I will be with you. you will pass through the rivers. but their waters will not sweep over you. you will walk through fire. but you will not be burned. the flames will not harm you.  because i am God, your personal God, the holy one of israel, your savior.  i paid a guge price for you.  that’s how much you mean to me!  that’s how much i love you!  i’d sell off the whole world… trade the creation just for you.”  isaiah 43

God is personal & present

“God is a bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live.”  psalm 18:2 (msg)  it is crystal clear that david believed in God, thought about God, imagined God, talked to God, sang to God and listened to God.  david was totally immersed in God.  in acts it reveals that david was a man after God’s own heart.  david sang songs and wrote poems to God often.  phrases like - God i love you, i live in you, i can’t live without you, i thirst for you, i run for dear life to you are a few expressions of david’s heart.  david had a relationship with God that was authentic.  david made his share of mistakes, but always sought God for mercy and help.  david had plenty of enemies (some in his own house), but trusted God to defend him.  david had many victories, but always directed the praise and glory upward.  david purposed to obey God and live according to God’s law.

am i immersed in God?  do i sing songs and write poems to God.  do i seek and search and talk and listen to God often?  am i a man after God’s own heart?  God, help me have a deep, intimate relationship with you.  be the bedrock under my feet, be the castle in which i live.  be my personal and present God.  i ask you to forgive me for trying to accomplish things on my own (pride) and for not seeking you with my whole heart (apathy).  God i want to be immersed in you - i pledge to talk to you, listen to you, sing to you, cry out to you, seek and search for you, dance and look foolish for you, love others for you and inspire many for your glory. 

my prayer:  ”God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! …and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.”  pslam 51 (msg)

squander

the bible uses several metaphors to remind us how short our life is here on earth.  our days on earth are described as a puff of smoke, a fog, a mist, and a vapor.  the psalmist hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “i am here on earth for just a little while” (psalm 119:19).  every week (recently) I find myself telling Mary “wow, this week just flew by”.  i look at my daughter Hannah and it seems like yesterday she was born (but it was over a decade ago).  i look at a picture from high school (admiring my awesome mullet and how good of shape i was in) and it hits me - that was more than 20 years ago.  I’m reconnecting with friends on facebook that i have not talked to for countless years.  I’m approaching my 16th wedding anniversary.  I’m seeing more and more grey hairs appear.  i actually have some wrinkles now.  in 10.5 years i will be 50 - life is moving at the speed of light for me.  this all may have something to do with the book we gave everyone in our church recently (one month to live).  i think we all need a wake up call to make sure we are fully alive - living life passionately and with purpose.  psalm 39:4 needs to be our prayer, “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  remind me that my days are numbered and that my life is fleeing away.”  never forget (that as followers of christ) we are on this planet as aliens, foreigners and pilgrims.  this world is not our home.  each day we must focus on why we are here and do what God wants us to do - to love Him, love others and bring a message of hope and forgiveness to those around us.  Paul (in 2 Corinthians 6:1) wrote, “i beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given you.”

16 random things

james ridgers challenged me to do this… hope you enjoy:

1.  i’ve been run over by a car (not kidding, a 1977 vw bug)

2.  i did not loose a soccer game my entire high school career (played on 2 teams and won 76 games in a row)

3.  i got caught stealing something at 15 and spent a night in juvenile jail

4.  met my wife in sweden (she is from Kentucky)

5.  love 80’s video games (top 5:  ms. pacman, galaga, donkey kong, spy hunter, defender)

6.  i could eat mexican food for every meal

7.  best 2 moments in my life were the birth of my daughters (nothing even comes close)

8.  i have a dog (west highland terrier) named mac

9.  my mom has been to over 100 nations

10.  i have been to over 30 nations (thanks to my mom)

11.  i’ve lived in michigan, wisconsin, oklahoma, california, minnesota, vancouver b.c., indiana, and sweden

12.  favorite band:  U2 / favorite album = the unforgettable fire / favorite song = too hard to pick

13.  i got in a car accident before i had my drivers license (and totaled my older brothers car)

14.  i had a sweet red mullet in high school (at the time it was called a bi-level)

15.  i’ve blown up a car (on purpose - it wasn’t my car)

16.  i’m extremely loyal to people

better days ahead

sometimes life is just unfair.  the scriptures reveal that rain (not the good kind) falls on the just and unjust alike.  circumstances seem to come out of nowhere and try to frustrate, discourage and defeat me.  i don’t know about you, but there are plenty of days when i feel like giving up, throwing in the towel and calling it quits!  i have to remind myself that the enemy works overtime to bully me, pressure me and tries to get me to submit to problems and set-backs.  his entire plan consists of lying to me, blowing things out of proportion and trying to wear me down and wear me out.  he is always looking for an open door, for a foothold, for anything he can use to take me down and knock me out. 

thank God that deep down i know there are BETTER DAYS AHEAD!  i know it is darkest before the dawn. i realize that the enemy brings a vicious attack right before God brings a glorious victory (i have seen it 100 times in my life).  as i take my eyes off the problems and put them back (where they belong) on my provider - encouragement fills my soul.   the psalmist said,  ”i look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.”  My help comes from God - the God of the breakthrough.  God gives me joy, God gives me strength, God gives me the energy to get up and breakaway from the oppression of the wicked one.

God is an ever-present help in times of trouble.  the pain, the pressure, the problems you face will fade.   so no matter what you are dealing with right now, remember He is with you and He has guaranteed better days ahead for you.  don’t give up, look up! 

aunt lana / my hero

my aunt lana passed away last week.  she was 67 and had an incredibly tough life.  at 17, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (ms) and little by little it took over her body and caused horrific physical issues (numbness, loss of balance, lack of coordination, weakness, blurred vision, slurred speech, and sudden paralysis).  she was confined to a wheelchair for over 45 years.  she lived in a nursing home.  she suffered everyday of her adult life.  she refused to let ms win.  she lived a life of compassion and servanthood (she always helped others and genuinely cared for anyone she could).  she read her bible, prayed and sang hymns everyday.  she trusted God for healing and never let go of her faith in Him.  she never complained, never blamed God or others.  she was the life of the party and would light up the room when she rolled in.  she had an eternal perspective and knew that one day her savior would fully restore her and give her a new body.  

aunt lana is my hero!  she will always be.  i will forever remember her as a warrior.  she inspires me to: trust God more, to not let set-backs get me down, to stop making excuses about what i can’t do, to keep my joy in the midst of the battle, to refuse to quit and to get my eyes off of myself and my problems and touch the life of someone nearby.

revelation 2:3 (MSG) says, “you have patiently suffered for me without quitting.”  God help us to live our lives the way aunt lana did - patient, joyful, and with a fierce passion to never give up, to never give in.  ms couldn’t hold you back, paralysis couldn’t stop you, even death wasn’t able to conquer you.

aunt lana, i realized when i looked in the casket that you were long gone, that you had fought the good fight of faith, you had kept the faith, that you finished your course on earth.  aunt lana i love you, miss you and can’t wait to see you in the life to come. 

hope = God is in control

you look at the world and you immediately see (now more than ever) that people seem hopeless. Hopelessness is an epidemic that is spreading at an alarming rate.  this weekend I got a note that said, “i can’t even find one tiny piece of hope left.  i’m actually beginning to fear.  i have more downs than ups and i feel totally hopeless.” 

i can relate (at least a little) to how this person feels.  when our church trailer was stolen, i can honestly say that mary and i both immediately trusted God and knew that he would take care of the summit.  but, this past week, i found myself putting my hope in other people to step up and help us out financially.  i realized that my hope had somehow slightly shifted from God to people (from looking up, to looking out).  huge mistake, should have known better, but thankful that the Holy Spirit helped me to identify it quickly.  

the best definition of hope (in my opinion)  is simple, but powerful - hope = God is in control.  God is fully in control of my life, my family, the summit, and this world.  earlier today, i read psalm 121 - “i look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains?  no, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.”  my hope is not in anything or anyone in this world, my hope is in the creator of everything and everyone in the world.  

i sincerely pray that regardless of what is going on in your life right now (or no matter how hopeless you feel) - that you would simply look up and remember that God is in control.