Someone's @ the Door!

 The view from our front door this am. Great reminder...hmmmm, think I'll "pray." 

S.O.A.R. in Twenty-13

The first day of Twenty-13 included watching the movie: The Hobbit.  WOW...I am a J.R. Tolkien fan and own the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I believe The Hobbit will be added to the DVD collection some day.  

The Hobbit is packed full of adventure with a constant tension of survival.  Just when you think all is lost, something or someone steps up to turn the inevitable into a way out!  The Eagles are one of those characters.  They come at just the right time, make their rescue and take their  passengers to a better place.  Each time I see this type of scene I can't help but think of Isaiah 40:31 ...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles....  I want to soar in Twenty-13.

One of the reoccurring things that I hear from people is the frustration with reading and studying the Bible. I have had the same frustration over the years and it's not from a lack of trying or discipline.  But over the last year I have come across a way to S.O.A.R. when it comes to spending time in the Bible.  I keep a journal and jot down the acronym S.O.A.R. on the left side.  Here's how it works:

S   Scripture: select the passage from the Bible I want to read/study.

O  Observation: what questions, thoughts, or something that stood out to me while reading the passage?

A  Attributes: what attributes of God are either mentioned or inferred in this Scripture.    Ask, who is this God?  One of the biggest mistakes I've made over the years has been to approach the Bible with the question: how does this apply to me instead of who is this God.  It's in the character and attributes of God I can then discover who I am and what I am to do. Besides, the Bible is God's revelation to help us know who He is!

R  Response: based on what I read, observed, and discovered about God, ask: how should I respond?  My response maybe: prayer, an attitude I need to work on, an action I need to take, or a person I need to talk too.

Over the last year, my time in God's Word has become more meaningful and full of revelation of our Great God.  In Twenty-13 I'm wanting to soar to new heights of understanding the God who loves me more than I love myself.

Happy New Year's and get ready to SOAR!

Marty  

Coffee with a Bite!

-->

The other week I was doing some reading and having a cup of take-away coffee from a local café.  I decided to enjoy the cup of Joe just outside my office on the veranda.  It was a pleasant day with the sun shining, birds singing, and white fluffy clouds floating by. (my attempt to rub it in to the northern hemisphere readers…it’s summer here)  I set my take away cappuccino cup down on the cement next to my chair.  As I finished the drink I did what I normally do, took the lid off the cup and began licking the froth that had settled on the inside of the cup. (I normally do this in seclusion, not in public) All of a sudden I felt a sharp sting on my tongue as if I had cut it.   Investigating further, I took my tongue and began rubbing it over my teeth trying to determine exactly where the pain was coming from.  The spot was right in the middle of my tongue.  Resigned to the fact that I had probably sliced it on the seam of the cup I went back to my reading.  A few moments later I continued my investigation by sticking out my tongue and touching the spot and discovering a tiny lump.  As I continued to examine the lump the sting grew in intensity.  It was then I looked down where my cup had been setting and knew immediately what the cause of my pain was.  ANTS!  Yep, an ant had climbed into the cup and was now holding on to my tongue for dear life!  I quickly performed an ant-ectomy. 

Here are some of my observations:

1.     Don’t put my coffee on the veranda floor.

2.     Use a spoon to get the remaining froth from the cup.

3.     Discovered the ancient secret of ant’s hyper activity…caffeine!

Have a great one,

Marty

A Tragedy on So Many Levels

Words are not adequate to express the deep sorrow and sadness that permeates the tragedy that happened in Newton Connecticut.  Two things come to my mind as I try to process this horrible event. First, is the degree of grief for those who lost precious children and loved ones.  As I type this blog, Natalie is in flight from the U.S. to Australia for her Christmas break.  The plane cannot go fast enough for this father to embrace his daughter again.  Thinking of the families who have lost that chance seems almost unbearable.  The level of grief, anger, frustration and the replaying of the day’s events would send even a strong person into despair.  My heart goes out to those families.  I pray for God’s presence to overwhelm them.  For those who in the midst of this crisis who don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, my hope is that Christ-Followers will surround them, grieve with them, love them, and appropriately point them to Jesus.

The other thought is the depth of brokenness we live with in this world.  Behind the acts of violence and murder was a broken, troubled, and very confused young man.  What was his past? What was going through his mind as he pulled the trigger repeatedly?  What level of deception had overcome his mind to act with such random violence that changed the lives of so many parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, teachers, and friends?  He was someone’s son, brother, nephew, neighbor, and friend.  How many people will look back and wonder if there was anything they could have done to somehow impact his life?  There is so much to process with this.  I can’t help but think how God’s heart is breaking for not only the victims and their families but also for the perpetrator who demonstrated yet another convincing act that reminds us all, life has gotten so far out of whack from what God intended.   

When tragedy like this occurs I wonder how I would respond if this happened in my family?  Then, I wonder how I would respond if this happened in my community?  I hope I would respond with the grace, love, and appropriateness of Jesus.  I, and I know a lot of you reading this; pray that God’s will, would be done on earth as it is in heaven.  One of our responsibilities as followers of Jesus is to live, love, and act in such as way that brings up there, down here.  I don’t want to wait for a tragedy to nudge me in that mission.  Who knows whom I may impact away from acting out evil?  My prayer is that each day I will pursue life to that end…bringing up there, down here!

Be assured of His Presence even in dark times,

Marty

Just Wait!

This morning I was in a waiting room.  My car was getting serviced so I camped out at the dealer with a book, smart phone, and computer!  I was waiting but I was productive!!!  As I was pondering deep issues this morning it occurred to me I have never heard anyone say: I just love to wait. Or, I have the spiritual gift of waiting! But, there is so much of life that entails waiting: the wait to be born, the wait to go to school, the wait to get your drivers license, the wait to graduate, etc.  Each day there seems to be time consumed in waiting, even for the most trivial of things.

We are in the season that for some, waiting becomes hard: Christmas.  I can remember the agony of waiting until: the Christmas eve meal was eaten, the dishes were all done, and mom and dad got settled before presents were opened.  Those few hours seemed like days to a 9 year old!  One Christmas I caved into the temptation not to wait.  In our family, Sunday afternoons were times of rest and relaxation.  The routine was predictable: mom and dad would retreat to their bedroom for a couple of hours while my older brothers held up in their bedrooms.  I was left all alone in the living room with the TV usually on a basketball game and a Christmas tree loaded with gifts!  On one quiet Sunday afternoon as I lay on the floor near the tree I notice one of my gifts.  There was a flap of wrapping paper where the tape had given way, exposing the end of my gift.  I perfected on that wintery afternoon the fine art of peeling tape back without ripping the paper and meticulously re-applying the tape after I had discovered what treasure lay beneath the tree.  I couldn't wait!
 
Christmas is about waiting isn't it?  Think of the many years the faithful of Israel waited for the Messiah.  I'm sure there were times they wanted to peel back the future to just see what was coming!  I have come to realize over the last several years the hardest part about waiting.  Want to know what it is?  WAITING!!!  We have had a few times when waiting seemed to drag on: waiting for Natalie to be born and waiting to know where the next ministry takes us.  Yep, were on a journey of waiting and discovering where we will be next.  Our time in Australia will come to a close no later than the end of April 2013.  So now we wait.

Here are a few things I've come to realize about waiting: First, waiting doesn't mean inactivity, neutral, or doing nothing.  While I'm waiting I can use this time to be productive.  Three things I can do without knowing what's next are: Listen, Learn, and Love.  I can listen for God's voice as I wait.  The Psalmist says: Be still and know that I am God (Ps. 46:10).  Next I can learn.  When I'm waiting time seems to be a luxury that leaves when direction is clear.  I can use the time to read, review what I have learned or learn something new. In this case learn to play the didgeridoo...concert information will be available soon!  And last but not least, I can love.  The world is full of tons of opportunities to express the love of God.  While I wait, I need to get my eyes off myself and onto what God sees!  Serving, encouraging, helping never go out of style!

The last thought goes back to the waiting that happened over 2000 years ago.  Once Jesus entered this world the wait for the Savior was over and the reality of His Kingdom came to life.  Even in the midst of my waiting right now, I don't have to wait for a Savior, Redeemer, Friend, Lord, and King to arrive and bring hope to my wait.  He's already here.  Waiting with someone is so much better than waiting alone.  So, for now, I'll wait, how about you???

Have a great Christmas!

Marty 

The Prodigal

I recently heard a message about the Prodigal that rocked my world.  Tim Keller, at a Willow Creek Leadership Summit spoke about the Prodigal God.  Here's a few thoughts from his talk:

"The definition of a prodigal is recklessly extravagant."

God is not only the God of the prodigal son but he is also a prodigal God.  He is recklessly extravagant in his love for a broken humanity.  To bring it closer to home, he is recklessly extravagant in his love for ME!  Sometimes I cringe at just how selfish, proud, arrogant, angry, bitter...you get the point, I can be.  I don't know how many times I've read the parable of the prodigal son and just assumed the definition of prodigal meant: "one who squanders wealth and is unwise." 

"The main point of the parable is that both the younger and older brother are alienated from the father.  Neither really loved the father but they loved the father's things."
 

"Elder brothers are obeying God to get things.  They think they offer Jesus a righteous record and then they get things.  People who believe the gospel think differently.  Jesus gives us a righteous record and then we live for him.  We have every spiritual blessing."

I've always seen the older brother as a Pharisaical representation but I haven't attached how closely I resemble the older brother.  The older brother was counting on his goodness, his faithfulness, his relentless pursuit of doing the right thing to pay dividends in the end.  I have caught myself in the past lamenting why certain things don't go my way, I've been faithful, good, do the right things, shouldn't God bless me? Have I slipped into the mode of an older brother?
 

An interesting point about the Prodigal parable; the father had given half of his wealth to the younger son.  When the younger son returned, where did the father get the resources to kill the fatted calf, put an expensive robe on his shoulders and place a ring on his finger?  It had to come out of the older brother's estate!  Maybe that's why the older brother wasn't too excited about the younger bother's return!  

Tim states we need to get to a new level of repentance.  The Pharisee's repented but only saw it as another thing to do on their list.  They didn't see repentance as the key to open up the gates of grace and freedom from things.  I need to repent for the "right doing" with the wrong motives.  Instead of doing right to leverage God, I do right and remain faithful because of what Jesus, my true older brother did for me.  He gave up his place, paid the price for my sin, gave up everything so I could have an eternal inheritance.  

Just some things I've been wrestling with,

Marty

  

OK, NOW WHAT???

The election is over, here are a few things I’ve been thinking about:

1.    No matter who won, I’m responsible for my own words, attitudes, and actions.  As a Christ-follower, I can either choose to talk and walk in love, grace, and perspective of eternity or I can become consumed with putting my hope in people, governments, policy and the “now what will happen?” 

2.    One thing I’ve been convicted about has been my lack of prayer for those who are in government office.  Here’s a question:  Do I pray for those in government as much as I criticize?  Even if I don’t like who is in office is no excuse not to pray for them.  I think I can contribute more on my knees than posting on facebook or engaging in debate with people who are set in their ideology.

3.    Regardless of my political views I must be driven by a higher calling and mission.  With that said, I cannot wait for, depend on, or expect the government to do what I am called to do by God.  Compassion for those who are disenfranchised, broken, and the least of these must characterize my life.

4.    This is NOT my home or final destination.  My hope and future are in God’s Kingdom not anything manmade.  Because of this my time must be spent in pursuing His Kingdom through the ministry of His Bride, the Church.  Since I mentioned the church, now is an opportunity for the church to rise up like never before and bring “up there down here!”  What would happen in communities around the country if people truly became the hands, feet, and heart of Jesus? 

5.    I will continue to support those who have chosen to give their lives to serve our country through military service.  I will also chose to support those candidates who best reflect my principles of how a society should be governed.  As an American I have been given a great privilege and opportunity.  I will continue to stay informed but refuse to allow this to consume me at the expense of my mission as a Christ-follower.  With this, I will choose to respect others who hold differing and at times opposing views.  To do anything less would be to fall into the trap of alienation of those who like me are made in the image of God.

In 1972 there was a block-buster film, The Poseidon Adventure.  This film utilized at the time state of the art special effects, a cast of notable stars, an intriguing story line, and an Academy Award winning song: “There’s got to be a morning after.”  The story was about a cruise ship turned upside down during a brutal storm and the passengers attempt to survive.  The theme song spoke to the need for hope:

There's got to be a morning after
If we can hold on through the night
We have a chance to find the sunshine
Let's keep on looking for the light

Oh, can't you see the morning after?
It's waiting right outside the storm
Why don't we cross the bridge together
And find a place that's safe and warm?

It's not too late, we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It's not too late, not while we're living
Let's put our hands out in time

You may feel as though things have been turned upside down with the election.   Take heart, there is a morning after that is sure, His name is Jesus and He is in the process of making all things new again.

And for those of you who are not disappointed, take heart when disappointment does come, there is a morning after.

Be Blessed,

Marty