Poured Out

So I had to get a quick lunch today.  A quick trip to McDonald's and head straight back to the office.  Leaving the drive through I go for the quick fry or two (or three) while driving (don't tell anyone....I sometimes eat behind the wheel)!  Digging around in the bag I feel the fry box, but can't find the actual french fries.  Digging further, I find the straw, ketchup, bbq sauce but no fries.  Digging FURTHER, I finally find the french fries, poured completely out of the box into the bottom of the bag!!  COME ON MCDONALDS!! I'm one of your biggest fans, but how hard is it to actually keep the french fries in their box and SIT them into the bag without pouring them out?

So now, driving along, kind of frustrated but still eating, I find myself asking the question (like most everyone I'm sure) .... how can this apply to life?  It's obvious!! Our lives are like the french fries in my McDonald's bag?  We get so busy, running in so many directions, chasing so many things that we are just poured out and scattered.  Some of us face such tragedies that we cannot help but be poured out and beaten down.  Others of us may have just found out some terrifying news that has left us poured out in the bottom of our bags and feeling like there is no hope.

So when life gets very crazy at times; poured out even, let me point you to the words written by Paul in the Book of Romans.  Paul writes in Chapter 5 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (vv. 1-5)

Read this passage closely and many words will jump out at you.  Four that I want to stress to you are peace, access, hope, and love.  When your life is poured out due to stress, sadness, sorrow, or something else, look to the God of Peace.  When there seems no peace in this world, there is peace with God.  Take hold of the truth that if you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, then you have access to God the Father.  Who better to bring order to our distressed life than the creator of the universe?  Christian, you have access to this Creator;  take advantage of this access and find hope.  There is hope for the broken, hope for the lost, hope for the sinner, hope for the poured out....but only in Jesus Christ will this hope be found.

Finally, when life feels poured out, remember that God first poured out His love to us through the Holy Spirit.  God has poured out his love, peace, and hope in His Spirit into our hearts.  It is not impossible to find, just look.   It is not impossible to feel, just allow yourself to experience it. 

What will bring yours and my life back together again is the one who has poured out his love to us.  Will you allow him to this day?

Supremacy

The Bourne Supremacy - what a cool movie!!!  Jason Bourne is one bad dude, and he proved his supremacy in the movie by outsmarting, out-shooting, and out-dueling his enemies.  Jason Bourne is a great action hero, yet not real.  How about the Navy Seals?  Now that's supremacy.  They proved their supremacy over Osama bin Laden when they burst into his million dollar compound and .... well you know how that turned out.  Navy Seals reign supreme, but not supreme over the world. 

Colossians 1:15-23 tells us of the ONE who is SUPREME!! Jesus Christ!! "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.  And he is the head of the body, the church;  he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."  (vv. 17-18)  Prior to that Paul writes "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For by him all things were created:  things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or power or rulers or authorities;  all things were created by him and for him."  

I have tried to create things before.  Epic Fail!! I have tried to put things together.  Sometimes I even read the instruction manual.  Nine times out of ten, I mess that up too.  I am just not a creator and not a builder.  About the only thing I can create is a nice flower bed or landscape.  In the midst of my inadequacies is Jesus Christ who created ALL Things and ALL Things were created FOR Him.  That is supremacy!  That gives me Hope!  Anytime we fail; anytime we find ourselves beating ourselves up over our shortcomings; may we look to the one who is supreme and find our purpose.  May we look to the one who died on the cross for us, and find supreme grace, forgiveness, and mercy .... and then rejoice.

Have you ever found yourself thinking Jesus should play by your rules?  Or have you ever found yourself thinking that Jesus Christ is not fair in what He expects of you?  Or have you ever found yourself reading something from God's word and what it said just didn't feel comfortable to you so you manipulated it, changed it, and tried to justify your thoughts in the place of His?  BE CAREFUL!!  We all have done one of these at some point in our lives, but be careful.  Jesus Christ is Supreme over the entire universe and His ways are HIS WAYS and His rules are HIS RULES and His words are HIS WORDS.  We have no right to make up our own rules.  We have no right to change His rules.  We have no right to manipulate His teachings.

Let us all start acknowledging the fact that God is GOD.  Not a religion, not a custom, not Santa Claus.  God is GOD.  Jesus Christ is GOD.  He does not move at our command, and He does not bend at our will.  We breathe because of His grace.  We exist because of His love.  He deserves our worship, our allegiance, our praise, our service, our honor.....our lives. 

I love Jason Bourne.  I love the Navy Seals even more.  But I want to follow the one who is supreme over all things;  Jesus Christ. 

Find Your Power

If you want to read about a cool guy, check out the life of David.  What an amazing man of God!! And what an ordinary guy too!!!  Here is a guy who was labeled "A man after God's own heart" yet he can relate to the struggles of every ordinary man that has walked this planet.  He often came up short.  He often messed up.  He often sinned.  BUT.....what sets him apart is his understanding that he is nothing apart from God.  David's greatness, power, leadership, military genius, musical genius, and so many other great attributes all resulted from his understanding that God was his power source.

In 2 Samuel 5 we find a great truth.  David has become king over all Israel and Judah; "and he became more and more powerful".  But the great truth is not that he is king;  not that he became more and more powerful, but the last part of verse 10;  "because the Lord God Almighty was with him."  David killed Goliath, later killed his tens of thousands, and eventually became king, and then grew more and more powerful BECAUSE the Lord God Almighty was with him. 

Are you looking to be more successful?  Or are you looking to find something, even anything you can be proud of?  ....  Are you looking to find the courage to stand up for Christ?  Or maybe you are just looking for the courage to get out of bed each day? .....  Are you looking to heal your broken marriage?  Or maybe you are just looking for healing within your own heart?   Whatever your story, you can find the solution only BECAUSE and only IF the Lord God Almighty is with you.  We are simply nothing apart from the greatness of our Lord and Savior. 

David's story continues.  Later in the same chapter of 2 Samuel we read about David going into battle.  Twice we find David inquiring of the Lord.  He's praying.  Realizing that all answers and all success comes from His Father in Heaven. 

And then perhaps one of my favorite parts of this passage; verse 20.  "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me."  All credit is due God.  David's praise goes to his Father in Heaven.  Not to himself.  Not to his men.  Not to his plan.  Not to his abilities.  Only to his God.

Where do you find yourself today?  Is your power source your own, or is it the Lord God Almighty?  I urge you, plug in to the power of God.  Follow Him, Talk to Him, and Praise Him. 

Going M.A.D.

It is a beautiful thing when God teaches you something.  It may not always be comfortable or easy, but it is beautiful to be taught by the Creator of the Universe. It is even more beautiful when you have the chance to teach others what God has taught you, and even more humbling. 

This past year God has really been teaching me the importance of service to others.  I call it M.A.D. which stands for Making A Difference.  My students and I have been studying God's word recently and looking at the importance of Making a Difference and how we are "all called because all are worthy."  Recently, many of us were able to go out and hopefully make a difference in the lives of others as our students went and worked at the homes of some of the ladies in our church while others went to Homes of Hope for Children. 

Not many things make my heart happier than seeing my students use their gifts, knowledge, passions, and abilities to serve others.  Be it S.B. pruning plants (using something she learned from her mom), A.S. driving the zero turn lawn more (which he wants one now), A.R. jumping up and down on a shovel, J.S. working non stop to make sure that every piece of dirt was moved from around the house, T.R. working harder than anyone although she is just a bit older than the rest of us;  people were Making A Difference by using what God has given them.

M.A.D. is catching on.  God is allowing us the opportunity to serve in North Mississippi in the wake of the tornadoes that struck last week.  I look forward to seeing God glorified through the efforts of our church family.  Please understand why we must all serve....to glorify God.  By serving others, encouraging others, meeting the needs of others, and humbling ourselves,  God is glorified and His name will be praised.  2 Corinthians 9:12-13 says "This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the Gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else."

So how do we make a difference?  Doing whatever it takes to see that God is praised.