Leaving Your Comfort Zone

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths" - Proverbs 3:5-6

Everyone likes to be comfortable.  I can remember an occasions when Martie and I got to sit on a soft sofa after months of sitting on hard chairs while we served in Haiti.  Seems like a small thing, but the feeling was exquisite.  We all like to be comfortable. Right now, I get up first. I start the coffee. I do my devotion. Drink my coffee. Martie gets up. I prepare her coffee. It's a simple routine, but we find comfort in following it. We all like routine.  Mainly because we know what to expect.  There is no uncertainty in routine.  Each day is like every other day.  Each day, week, month and year like the other. Routine.  People find comfort in that.  Being around people who look like you, believe like you, talk like you, do what you do … it is a comfortable place to be.  Watching a news report about a war in a different land or the ravages of a natural disaster allows you to remain comfortable in your routine.  You may not be able to empathize – because you have never left your comfort zone – but you can sympathize – at least until the commercial, supper or your favorite program starts.  We like to be comfortable and we don’t like giving that comfort up.  

If you are a Christian – born again by faith in Jesus – even then you are most likely looking for the comfort found in a routine existence.  Going to church – sitting in the same seat or pew – talking to the same people – listening to the same sermons – routine.  We love it – crave it even.  But, like Pastor Rick Warren said in the Purpose Driven Life, “God is more interested in your character, than in your comfort.”   And how does God develop godly character in you? Not through routine.  God calls us out of the routine in this world into the uncertain world of faith.  Not knowing what will happen tomorrow – next week, month or year.  But we can live in confidence, by faith, knowing that God does.  

I have quoted this before but it bears repeating. It is from the C.S. Lewis book “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” Aslan is a type of Jesus. 

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.” 

God is not “safe” but He is good.  He has our best in mind.  Oh, He will disrupt your routine, if you allow it. That is correct – He won’t make you abandon what is comfortable – but He will invite you to leave it behind for something much better.  What you see as “dangerous” depends upon the maturity of your walk of faith.  For a child, putting their toes in the water may seem like a great accomplishment.  For an adult, jumping off of the high-dive is a challenge. Both require stepping into the unknown – the uncertain – the “anything but routine”  Jesus said 

“If anyone follows Me, he must deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)  

Are you a Jesus follower or Jesus watcher?  It is one thing to marvel at the person jump off of the high-dive and quite another to grip the end of the board with your toes right before you take that leap of faith. 

As a first step, the Bible tells us to abandon our affection for the things of this world and the comfort we find in them.  To turn to God, the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) He may tell you to leave your “nets” and follow Him.  There is a song that comes to mind. Knowing You Jesus – Graham Kendrick 

“All I once held dear, Built my life upon.  All the world reveres and wars to own.  All I once thought gain, I have counted loss.  Spent and worthless now, compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You. There is no greater thing. You're my all, You're the best. You're my joy, my righteousness. And I love You, Lord

Now my heart's desire is to know You more. To be found in You and known as Yours. To possess by faith what I could not earn. All-surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life. And to know You in Your sufferings. To become like You in Your death, my Lord. So with You to live and never die”

As a Christian God calls you to leave what is comfortable – what is routine for something greater – something eternal.  So come on – go ahead and take the leap. The water is fine and God is your lifeguard.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

God Knows Even If You Don't

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

There is a saying that I picked up while on staff with Promise Keepers in the mid 90's. "You can't teach what you don't know, you can't lead where you won't go, and you can only recreate what you are." It's true and can be convicting. 

So - on to my point. If you have been reading these posts then you know that Martie and I have been teaching Experiencing God which is essentially spiritual awareness training. You know at the point of salvation that God sealed you with His Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and your body is now the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Corinthians 6:19). But did you know that God speaks to you by His Spirit through the Word (when you hear it or read it), Prayer (when you pray to God), circumstances (life as you live it) and other Christians (who also have the Spirit of God in them). That brings us to a Crisis of Belief - do we trust God and will we obey Him? It requires faith (Hebrews 11:1) and action (James 2:14-17)

In our experience God has always spoken to us about what it is that He wants us to join Him in doing in  more than one way. By way of example I want to share a "conversation" that we had with God a few years ago. This was not the first time we experienced this, by the way. But I will save that for another day.

I am certain you know about hurricane Irma paid a visit to Florida in 2022. And you probably know that Martie and I have been  involved in Disaster Relief work in 2005.  Well, a friend of ours, Sherry, posted that she was in Florida with the ministry she is connected to helping with the relief effort. I contacted her to check on her and to see how things were going.  Her response was that Martie and I needed to come to Florida to help.  I wasn't "feeling it" and so didn't think much about it. But I did tell her that our oldest daughter was available to help. Mandi went to Florida that October.

Martie and I talked about Florida and still nothing.  Then, out of the blue, Martie talked to me about reconfiguring our RV so we could use it better. I asked her why, since it was in Louisiana being used by another ministry, and we would not be using it in Texas. But it got my attention. It told me that something was going on in her mind and heart. She expressed concern that we did not have the money to go to Florida. We know that where God guides, God provides.  We have a sedan that is 11 years old and is having some electrical issues.  We would need a truck, an F-250 equivalent to support pulling the trailer and supporting the work and maybe an SUV to replace the car. We know that God provides, but still!

So here is what happened next.

We received a letter from the Harris County Tax office. Martie told me that she had just paid our property taxes and figured it was a reminder that the taxes were due. A couple days later she was about to throw it in the trash and she thought she should open it before she did.  Inside was a check for $1000. We had overpaid our property taxes in 2019. 3 years ago. 

That same day, I picked up our mail for Pathfinder at our post office box.  There was a letter from the IRS/Treasury. I thought, "oh great!, now what!" I opened the envelope and in it was a check for $2700 for another over payment! Whaaaaatttttt!! Of course I called Martie. We have been on this path before. We knew what is happening.

At the time, I was on the board of Stormwise - a disaster relief ministry that was helping 8 Days of Hope in Lake Charles, Hurricane Laura. There were 1200 volunteers working on 100 homes.  I was talking with the Stormwise team and told them that we were considering going to Florida to help. They all said -"Go to Florida!" Do you see a pattern here?

I called friends of ours who live in Florida. They had served with us in Mississippi. Ray and Darla. Ray told me that just the week before he was thinking about us and perhaps we might come to Florida to help. Ray said that he was no longer physically able to do recovery work, but he could connect me to some people that might help me understand the scope of the need. When I hung up, I checked our mailbox. There was a Christmas card in it. From Ray and Darla. Coincidence? I think not. It was what I call a God-incidence. Something that was nota  result of chance, but orchestrated by God.

So Martie and I yielded to God's call to join Him in Florida. But to do what. Sherry had owed me a call back. When she did call she said, "Let me tell you why you are coming to Florida!" To which I said "Sherry, Wait until we have shared what we want to tell you. "We are coming to Florida!" Then she said you are coming to Florida to build sheds like you did in Mississippi. We did not see that coming! Talk about a Crisis of Belief. Yes, we built sheds. Yes we can see where there would be a need in Florida. But we figured we would be doing rebuilds. And we probably will. There are some mountains that need moving.

This morning at church my heart was "pierced" by a song we sang called Do It Again.  I wanted to share some of the lyrics with you. I am certain you can make that connection. When I heard it, I leaned over to Martie and told her "This song is for us".  She nodded agreement. So - Here we go!

Do It Again by Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Matt Redman, Steven Furtick

Your promise still stands
Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness
I'm still in Your hands
This is my confidence, You've never failed me yet

I've seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe, I'll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way

We served in Florida for 6 months - built 60 portable sheds and 20 sets of bunkbeds for a volunteer camp. We trained a local disaster relief organization on shed construction and left materials, plans and some tools to help them continue the mission. Then we returned to Texas waiting for our next adventure. I will save that for another day.

So what is it that god would have you do?

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

Letting Your Past Hold You Back

 "You shall not go out with haste,…for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."  —Isaiah 52:12

 “…God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of [every] year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him." - Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest 

The remembering of our past failures (sins) has two edges.  On the one hand, they remind us that we have a sin nature and that nature has been a powerful influence in our lives.  We have proven the truth of the Word … all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and there is none righteous (Romans 3:10).  Our past failures remind us that we do not deserve God’s favor.  

But on the other hand, we also know that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”  (Romans 5:8).  We know that we have been redeemed.  

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (from the judgement of God) by becoming a curse for us”. - Galatians 3:13 

That does not mean ours sins are somehow, “OK”, but it does mean that we have been forgiven. 

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." - Romans 8:1

 It does mean that we have hope.  It does mean that we have help - even the Holy Spirit.  

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." - Ephesians 1:13-14 

It does mean that we have a certain future - eternal life.  

"And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." -  1 John 5:11-12

Don’t let your past hold you back.  Don't allow your past to send you on a guilt trip. You are a child of the King.  Focus on your future and rejoice!  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

 

Hearing God’s Voice

"And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” – 1 Samuel 3:3-10

Samuel was not ready when God spoke to him – will You be?

According to Dr. Henry Blackaby in his book, Experiencing God, the Spirit uses the Word of God, your prayers, life circumstances and events, and other born-again Believers as the means of communication with you. 

The means by which God speaks to us are not mutually exclusive,  but are mutually supportive. God uses one means to reinforce another. In other words, God will speak to you using more than one of these means. 

As I read the Word of God, the Spirit may impress a truth on my heart. Perhaps I have read the verse many times before, but in that moment in time, God had a word for me. Then the same day I will hear the same verse or someone will address the same issue with me. Or maybe two people, not related in any way, will talk to me about the very thing that God addressed in my heart while I prayed. 

The challenge is to have the discernment to know when it is the Spirit at work and not merely our flesh.

I was on staff with a ministry called Promise Keepers for a season in the mid-90’s. During the 1996 Promise Keeper’s Pastors’ conference in Atlanta there was a time of prayer – a solemn assembly if you will. 

We were called to a time of reverent silence as all 39,000 pastors prayed. As I stood there with my eyes closed, I asked God, “God, how are you going to show yourself? Are you going to split the roof of the Georgia Dome open and send down your Shekinah glory? Or maybe send a great rushing wind and flames will appear about the heads of your saints?” And even though they told us to close our eyes, I must admit that I peeked. 

And when I looked up, all I saw was a single dove flying in circles above the great throng of pastors. I closed my eyes again. After the prayer I looked up, but the dove was gone. I figured it had been my imagination running away with me. It was just then that the guy standing next to me said, “Hey, did you see that dove flying up there?” Guess it was not my imagination after all. And then I was reminded of Elijah in the cave.

“And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ So he said, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.’ Then He said, ‘Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earth-quake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.” – 1 Kings 19:9-12

God does not speak to us in the way we might expect. With Promise Keepers , it was as if God was confirming His presence through the dove. The next day I was at home. It was early morning, and as I do nearly every morning, I got up to put the coffee on. I looked out through our patio doors to the deck, and there, sitting on the deck rail was a dove, looking back at me. 

Seem odd? For the next week, I was convinced that I was being followed by doves! 

Sound crazy? I would drive down the road, stop at a corner and a dove was sitting on the ground at the corner. This didn’t happen just once, but many times. And you know what, it is still happening. Does that seem odd? It did to me, until I remembered what an optometrist friend would say. That is not odd my friend, it’s God.

Perhaps there was a time when God has spoken to you; during prayer, while reading or hearing the Word, through life’s circumstances, or through other Christians. 

Dr. Henry Blackaby said that it is not knowing that it is God speaking that we struggle with.  

Our struggle is obeying what He is telling us to do.  Do you remember a time when you knew that God was speaking, but you did not want to obey Him? I sadly remember times in my life when that happened.  We all struggle with going where God wants to lead us. Sometimes we need help knowing that it is God who is speaking

“While Samuel was lying down, that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, ‘Here I am!’  So he ran to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ And he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ And he went and lay down. Then the Lord called yet again, ‘Samuel!’ So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ He answered, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” (Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him.) And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. So he arose and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you did call me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.’ ‘ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.’” – 1 Samuel 3:3-10

Sometimes we miss the fact that it is God speaking to us.  It takes someone with more maturity to recognize it and help us to see.  Do you have someone like Eli in your life? Who is it? How have they helped you in the past? Are you open to them speaking into your life.  

In my experience, when God speaks He uses more than one of the methods I mentioned.  Sometimes all four.  

When God was sending us from Mississippi to Haiti was just such a time.  Through the Word and prayer, the Lord had been impressing on me that it was time to leave.  Our time in Mississippi was done. We had been there 5 years. It was then that three people, who did not know each other, living in different states, talked to me about leaving Mississippi and going to Haiti. I was talking with a friend in Mississippi who was not a Christian. When I told him we were going to Haiti, he drew close, looked me in the eyes, and asked “Are you Crazy?”  You see, he didn’t know it was God, he only heard thunder.  I told him, “It’s not my idea; it’s God’s.” 

Listen - You may not see doves, but you might.  And You probably won’t hear a voice from heaven or walk up to a burning bush.  But if you seek Him, He will be found.  Listen and you will hear. Then obey.

I so hope that when God speaks to you, you will have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to obey.

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone

What God Really, Really Wants From Us

King David wrote Psalm 51 after he was confronted by the Prophet Nathan over David's sin with Bathsheba – David understood what God really wanted from David.

David wrote “you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm chapter 51 verses 16-17 

And that begs a question for each of us - what does God Really……. REALLY Want From you and me?

The Prophet Micah asked ... 

“With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? [And the Lord answered] ... He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:6-8

 I often quote Micah 6:8. In fact it is one of my favorite verses – along with Joshua 1:8-9, Galatians 6:2, James 1:27, Philippians 4:13 – come to think of it, I guess I have quite a few favorites. Anyway, as I was contemplating what this podcast would be about today, my thoughts went to Micah 6:8 but then I read the verses before it and they gave context to the text. Did you ever consider the word “context”? In Spanish “con” means “with – so I guess we could say the other text that goes “with” the text.

Micah was asking what he could give to atone for his transgressions. What could he do so he might be in the presence of the holy creator God? The answer – he needed a heart transplant – to love God and love others. Don’t you think it interesting how often that idea comes up in the scripture.

“Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” – Matthew 22:37-40

Jesus said the whole Law hinges on those two commandment. Do justly – love mercy (loving others) Walk Humbly (love God) It is not enough to think good thoughts. By the way, telling someone to “think good thoughts” is euphemism the world uses to avoid saying, “Please pray for someone.” When I hear someone say - “Think good thoughts” most often on TV.     It makes me sad, really.

So what does God really really want from me – from you?

He wants us to actually love others not just in thought but in deed and to love Him sacrificially, not just in thought but in deed. That means less of me and more of God. We can’t love other people, the way that God intends, unless we first love God the way God demands.

Paul wrote - 

“I [beg] you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2

 God wants your heart totally devoted to Him. A heart turned toward God and away from the world.

And the result of that turning away will be that we love others the same way that God loves us. With mercy and grace. Pretty simple really.

So why then if it is so simple isn’t it easy? Simply stated – it is because of our old nature – our desire to do what we want to do naturally.

Jesus, Micah and Paul were telling us to do what man cannot do ….. apart from God. Certainly it started with a decision when we are born again – but continues with needing to make that same decision every day – with every breath we take – choosing God and not the world. So what will you choose today?

Jesus told His disciples ……

“If anyone comes after Me (Jesus), let them deny themselves, pick up their cross (every day) and follow Me.” – Matthew 16:24

Joshua told the people ….

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

I so hope that you will choose to serve the Lord

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone