Unexplainable

“Unexplained Infertility.”  Two of the most painful words that can ever be put together; and these are the words that have been told to my wife and I for the last eight years.  Unless you have been there, it is really a difficult thing to explain, but trust me when I say that it hurts.  Infertility is a plague for couples around the world and when it is “unexplained” it is as if we are walking around with black and white question marks hanging over our head.  Like a small storm cloud that follows you, pouring down rain upon your head all day, every day, unexplained infertility is a burden upon your heart, soul, and mind. 

As a man, I take it very serious that I am to provide for my wife; protect her, guide her, meet her needs, and meet as many of her wants as possible.  My wife’s greatest desire is to be a mother, and for some “unexplained” reason, we have never been able to make that happen.  Through eight years of trying to have children, pain and sadness have been the result.  Of those eight years, two were spent going through procedures, tests, surgeries, pills, injections, more tests, and more procedures and month after month . . . . . . . .

“Why us God?”  “Why can’t we do this God?”  “Any teenager in the backseat of a car can have a baby, but why not us God?”

Words like inadequate – failure – unworthy – not good enough – bad – unable – all of these have come across my mind throughout this journey.  Then God reminds me of Abram.  Abram and his wife Sarai had faced infertility for over 60 years when God went to Abram and told him that he would make a great nation from him; that his descendants would be like the stars.  Unlike Abram, I have nothing of great value to pass down to my descendants.  No cattle, no sheep, not much land.  I have no kingdom, no servants, and no great fortune.  So I cannot relate to the great need to have a male heir, however, I can empathize on a small level with the frustrations that he and his wife must have felt all those years. 

So here is this husband and wife, who for nearly a century bore the curse of infertility, and it is them that God chose to make into a great nation.  That is “unexplainable.”  And if I were to guess, there is an area of your life in which you feel inadequate, unworthy, unable, and not good enough.  Could it be that God wants to use that exact piece of who you are to do something great?

Each week I have the opportunity to minister to 60 or more students who call me “Pip Daddy” and who call my wife “Mama Dawn.”  Eight years of “unexplained infertility” and God gives us young people to love on every day….. that’s “unexplainable.”  Also, God has a beautiful young girl somewhere in Bulgaria that is our daughter, and she will be with us one day: unexplainable.   Furthermore, if you really know me, you know that I am not the most interesting person to engage in a conversation.  I’m just not very good at it.  Yet God allows me to stand up each week and talk to tons of students, and sometimes hundreds of adults.  That’s “unexplainable.” 

·      Abram could not have kids --- God made his descendants too many to count.

·      Moses could not talk very well --- God used him to speak freedom for his people.

·      David was a runt --- God used him to kill a giant.

·      Peter talked too much --- God used him to clearly speak the Gospel.

·      Saul persecuted Christianity --- God changed his name, and made him a missionary.

And then there was Jesus who . . . well . . . he had no inadequacies so he decided to take on yours and mine.  He took on my sins and your sins so that we might be free, so that we might be righteous, so that we might be used for His glory.  You know what that is . . . . that is “UNEXPLAINABLE”

So, how do you feel inadequate today?  Maybe God wants to do something unexplainable with your life today.  Will you let Him?

First of all...

Imagine for a moment that you have just eaten the sweetest cupcake you have ever tasted in your life.  Imagine the delicious icing that sits atop the most scrumptious and fluffy cake in the world.  This cupcake is so good that you cannot wait to get your hands on more so you decide to go home and make some for yourself.  The only problem is, you have no clue how to bake.  In fact, pretend you have never even set foot in a kitchen.  But you are smart, talented, and you usually do things on your own so you just dive right in.  Since this is new to you, you may pour some flour into a muffin pan, throw in some milk and eggs, and even put some nice Betty Crocker icing into the pan as well.  And, just for looks, throw on some nice sprinkles.  Now throw it in the oven for a few minutes.  YOU’VE MADE CUPCAKES!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!  Ok, so not really.  What you have done is made a nasty mess in your muffin pan.  What went wrong?  Well, for one, you did not mix your ingredients.  But most of all, you did not consult a master.  Don’t you think you should have looked on the cake mix box first?  Or don’t you think you should have asked mom or grandma first?  We so often think we can do this thing called life on our own.  We so often think we can be faithful Christians on our own.  We so often think we can change the people around us on our own.  But why don’t we consult the master. 

Paul tells Timothy that “First of All” we are to pray.  In everything we do, prayer should be first.  We should be focusing our lives on communion and relationship with the Father (the Master) before doing anything else, otherwise we may make a mess. 

I would imagine you have friends who you know need Jesus.  Let us all make sure that we are praying for them daily, and praying for opportunities to share our faith with them.  I would also imagine that there are things that you know you should be doing for God in obedience to Him, but you just can’t find the time or motivation to follow through.  Then let us make the time to pray to our Father FIRST and OFTEN so that we do not make a mess.  

Hall of Fame

If you're reading this you may or may not know how much of a sports fanatic I am.  Much to my wife's disdain I love watching almost any kind of sport that comes on T.V. and I especially love watching Sportscenter on ESPN.  Of all sports though, football and baseball top my list of favorites.  Like most, I enjoy watching excellence being exhibited on the field or court.  As a kid growing up in the 1980s I loved watching George Brett lead the Kansas City Royals to the playoffs every year and eventually the World Series Title in 1985.  His tenacity on the field and his eagle eye for hitting everything that was thrown his way made him a player for the ages and a first ballot Hall of Famer.  In football, I have been a fan of Tom Brady since the day he took over for Drew Bledsoe.  With a pile of records, 3 Super Bowl Rings, and statistics that are out of this world, he is sure to be a first ballot Hall of Famer when he retires.  Excellence is admired in sports.  Excellence is admired in all walks  of life.  We lift up the great communicators, we fight over our favorite politicians, we are in awe of the brilliant scientists, and we honor the great warriors of history.  There is no doubt, we love excellence.  And we therefore strive for excellence.  Do you know how much I would love to throw a football like Tom Brady?  Who doesn't want to have their name held high?  Who doesn't want to be famous?  Who wouldn't want to be in the Hall of Fame of something?  So....are you striving for excellence?  

More importantly are you striving for excellence in your faith.  Understand, you can seek the riches of this world.  You can seek fame in your home, your work place, your city, your school, your team, your state, even this world.  But what if instead of seeking this world's Halls of Fame, what if we sought the Hall of Fame mentioned in Hebrews 11.  From Abel and Enoch to Noah and Abraham, great men and women are named for their great steps (even leaps) of faith.  These heroes of the Faith experienced great and amazing things.  Some of which hurt, some of which were dangerous, some of which were risky, and some of which were just plain crazy.  But what got their name in this list is their willingness to put selfishness aside and follow God, no matter what the future held, because they had a deep and constant faith in Him.  I love verse 38:  "the world was not worthy of them."  WOW!!!

The author of Hebrews, after listing several giants of the faith, goes on to say beginning in verse 32:  "And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground."

 

Be warned....seeking a life of great faith is not always easy.  It will not always be comfortable for us.  It will not always be rewarding (as the world defines rewards).  It will not always be safe.  But it will be worth it.  George Brett and his legacy remains in Cooperstown, NY.  Noah, Moses, and Rahab and their legacy remain in the Holy Presence of God and will remain throughout eternity.  

So what will we all seek today?  Earthly fame or Godly faith?  World renown or the renown of Jesus Christ?  Today will you seek selfish gain or Godly sacrifice?

Image from:  http://www.garyt.com/work/brett.html

Image from:  http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/specials/sportsman/2005/

Awe and Reverence

If you know me very long you will know that some things just aggravate me.

• Apathy frustrates me. 
• Anger saddens me.  (even my own)
• Complaining infuriates me.  
• Non-Compliance can get under my skin.
• Politics....well...I'm not going there.
• Trash Talking makes me want to punch someone.  
• Losing at anything makes me angry.  (See above comment on anger)
• Selfishness and Arrogance = YUCK

Yeah, there are some things that bother me.  You know what's so bad about this list - I see them in others but I also see them in myself.  These things really can bother me, but there is another one that I came across today that always gets me a little riled up.  

When we as Christians approach the throne of God with a flippant attitude.  I always tell my students about the guy that once prayed for a group of us and he prayed to JC. I was a new Christian, I didn't know who this guy was talking to.  Some Heavenly Rapper??? Apparently, it was Jesus Christ. (JC)  Now I confess to you I am a nerd of the first degree and there is not a cool bone in my body.  My hipbone isn't even HIP!!  But really??? The one who died on the cross for my sins - the one who is eternal - the one whose name is above all names - and we're going to call him JC? I don't think so.

Now for most of us, we don't pray to JC, and if you do...well...keep reading.  But, we so often approach God in the same attitude. We act like Jesus is just this cool, loving dude in Heaven and His daddy is Santa Claus and when we need Him we ask Him for stuff.  We pray every now and then, only when we need something.  We come to worship services at our church looking to be entertained as if we are the audience, when we should be coming to worship services to sing to the Audience of One.  So what if it's not our favorite song?  It's not for us anyway.  We are afraid to lift our hands in adoration because __________________ (insert one of the many reasons why).

We approach God with such flippancy, apathy, and familiarity.  Do we see any of the Godly men and women in the Bible approach him that way?  Do we see Jesus approach the Father that way? Indeed we can cry out to God “Abba Father” but let us not forget that it says in “Hebrews 12:28 - since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, (29) for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Approach the throne today with awe and reverence.  Wednesday Night and Sunday when you attend your local church (and I sure hope you do), worship Him with awe and reverence.  Do not worship yourself.  Study His word with awe and reverence.  

Big Screen Christians

I love my big screen T.V.  Granted....it is more than I truly need, but I do love it.  Dawn and I love watching T.V. together.  I am a sports fanatic and we love watching t.v. shows (I still miss LOST by the way) and movies.  After a long day of work, or a stressful day of life, we enjoy sitting back, kicking back, relaxing, and escaping from the troubles of the day.  We are indeed part of a Big Screen Society in America.  What concerns me is that this Big Screen Society has now taken over Christianity.  What I mean is that too many of us are sitting back, kicking back, relaxing, and waiting to enjoy the show.  We have made Christianity about us.  Entertain me.  Comfort me.  Please me.  Spend my money they way I want.  Coddle me.

Is that really what Christianity was meant to be?  Far from it.  God calls us to action.  God calls us to live a life in pursuit.  Pursuit of others.  Pursuit of Holiness.  Pursuit of HIM.  When Paul writes Timothy he tells the young pastor in 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  Our lives should be in pursuit of the things of God.

Pursuit is an active word.  When I think of a pursuit I think of a manhunt.  Like the famous manhunts for John Wilkes Booth or Osama bin Laden, a pursuit is both intentional and intense.

So since I haven't blogged in well.....it's been too long to count....let's keep this simple.  Pursue the things of God today.  Pursue them intentionally and with intensity.  Sit back no longer.  Stand up and begin the pursuit and then enjoy the ride.  Stop sitting around waiting to be entertained and waiting to be coddled.  Take a stand today and pursue God.

Look Around - You Might Like What You See

Do you ever watch Fox News?  Or maybe CNN? Or perhaps you read The Drudge Report for your daily news?  Whatever your source for daily news, do you ever find it quite depressing and discouraging?  Famine in Africa, constant fighting and riots in the Middle East, Celebrities being weird, Sean Payton being suspended from the Saints, politics, politics, and more politics.  Murders, Amber Alerts, corrupt politicians, athletes getting too much money, and oh, did I mention politics?

If you spend very much time watching the news, you will walk away questioning if there is any good in the world.  It's not your fault by any means;  we must remember that "bad news sells", and when we immerse ourself in it too much, we can easily lose hope in the things of God in this world.

In the midst of this broken world in which we live Psalm 33 is a pleasant reminder for me today:  "The Lord loves righteousness and justice;  the earth is full of his unfailing love."  (NIV verse 5)  No matter what we see covered in today's news we can take comfort in knowing that the earth is FULL of God's unfailing love.  So if that's true . . . . how do we find it?

Honestly, it's kind of simple, we just usually don't do it.  All we have to do is look.  But it begins by looking at God:  "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love." (verse 19)  When we fear Him, when we revere Him, and we our hearts are focused on Him we tend to see things a little more clearly.

So instead of focusing on merely the bad of this world, try today to look at the good.  Instead of the inches of rain falling down in Mississippi today, give thanks, for God is nourishing the Earth.  (We will need this in July remember!)  When you see the suffering in a nation like Haiti, thank God for the many adults, college students, and high school students that have been and will be traveling to that nation to minister to the orphans of Haiti, and lift all up in prayer.  When the world around you is going way too fast, stop and take notice of God's creation.  The Dogwoods still bloom, the Azaleas explode in color, Japanese maples begin to come to life, a few Camellias still carry their elegant flowers, and Lilies have risen up from their winter rest and now begin to reveal their splendor as they sing their song to God.

We live in a fallen, broken, and sinful world, BUT, God's unfailing love IS all around.  We just have to see it.  So I leave you with this prayer:  "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you." (verse 22)

Sharpen Your Axe

You may have heard the story of the young man who was looking for a new job and went to the local timber company to apply.  He approached the foreman who told him "go cut that tree down and I will let you know."  So the young man approached a large pine tree and began chopping away with all the speed and accuracy he could muster.  In no time, he felled the tree with perfect precision.  The foreman, greatly impressed, immediately hired the new lumberjack.  As the week passed, and Thursday came, the foreman handed the young man his paycheck:  "I though we got paid on Fridays" responded the boy.  "We do pay on Fridays but I am going to have to let you go, so here is your pay for what you did."  The young man was shocked, "How can this be, I worked all week, extremely hard.  I was here before the sun came up, stayed late, and never stopped cutting. I even skipped coffee breaks so I could work."  The boss explained to him that with all that he was still falling further and further behind.  The boy was still in shock and continued to plead his case.  "I don't see how I could have fallen behind, because I worked much longer than anyone else."  With a sense of hesitation, the boss simply asked: "Well, did you remember to sharpen your axe?"  The boy answered back with a frustrating tone: "No I didn't have time because I was too busy working!"

Are you taking time to sharpen your axe?  Are you taking time to spend with God in prayer and meditation?  Are you taking time out of your busy schedule to spend in His word....getting to know Him?

The only way for us to not fall behind in our spiritual walk is to keep our axe sharp.  To stay in tune with God's will by staying in tune with God.  This only occurs through a desire to spend time with Him in prayer, and following that desire up with action.  In Psalm 27 David declares: "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple."  When we have that desire to simply gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (rather than just simply asking Him for things) our axe will be sharpened daily. 

When our axe is sharp . . . in other words, when our spirit is on the straight and narrow path with God . . . . we can cut through the dangerous forests of this life.  As David writes this Psalm his enemies are all around, pressuring him on all sides.  But because of his faith in God, and his time spent with God, he can declare "I am still confident in this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

Take time out of your busy life today and sharpen your axe.  Turn off the phone, close Facebook, and gaze on the beauty of God.  Praise Him for who He is and pour your soul out to Him today. 

Trust #2

Yesterday I talked about placing our trust in God and not in the "stuff" of this world.  Indeed it is very difficult to fully place our trust in God;  but oh the blessings that come when we do.  So many things in this world distract us, entice us, attract us, worry us, and confuse us that our trust is misplaced in things other than God.

Truly, we should be putting our trust in God daily.  But what does that look like?

You have been told "Trust in God" - you have been told "Trust God with it."  To me, it is all about a giving up and a handing over.  To trust in God, we are to give up what we are holding to.  Romans 15:13 says "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."  If God is to fill us, we must be emptied.  If we are to be filled with his joy and peace we must give up our selfishness, our pride, our anxiety, our fear, our greed....easier said that done right!  Maybe so, but that is what trust is about.  As we hand over our "stuff" and "ourselves" then we will "overflow with hope" given us by the "power of the Holy Spirit." 

What are you trusting in today that is not God?  Lay it down - hand it over - give it up and do a trust fall into the arms of Jesus.  Be brave enough to lay it down.  He will catch you every time and he will deliver you through each day, each moment, each second.  And when Jesus catches you he will fill you with all the joy and peace you could ever imagine - no matter the season of your life.

Trust

Boy it has been a while since I last posted.  My apologies. 

It had to be you!!!  You had to be the one picked!!!  WHY????  You're at children's camp or a youth retreat, or maybe a company retreat and the director tells the group that you are about to do a fun exercise to create trust among the group.  So the director goes on to describe what is commonly called "The Trust Fall".  You're thinking to yourself "SWEEEET - I finally get to drop that punk on his head and make him pay for what he has done to me."  But then, the director looks at YOU, not the punk, but YOU and asks YOU to go up on the incredibly high platform and he asks YOU to put your trust in your friends, youth group, coworkers, and he wants YOU to fall backwards into the group.  "WHY?????"

Trust is difficult isn't it?  We often do not trust others, because we have seen them let us down before.  But why is it that we do not trust in God?

Psalm 20:7 says "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the Name of the Lord our God."  I know you're probably not like me, but so often in my life I have put my trust in things.  I have placed my trust in my job, my money, my home, my car, and my stuff.  I trust that these things will bring me peace, happiness, security, hope, and so on.  Therefore, when times are a little difficult, my stress level goes through the roof, because my trust in my stuff.

As my Pastor Shane Freeman has reminded me quite often lately, "All this is gonna burn!" Indeed it will.  All this STUFF will burn, and is going to burn one day.  What remains is God.  What remains is 'Faith, Hope, and Love.'  David reminds us so beautifully in Psalm 20 that our trust is to be in our God.

I think most of us would gladly "say" that we trust in God and that we want to trust in God alone.  However, we are so often guilty of trusting in God, but trying to trust in other things at the same time.  What a dangerous game we play!!! Our trust is to be in God alone.

So where is our trust today?  Are we trusting in our stuff?  Or, will we trust in the Lord our God.  

Our Shield

I love movies.  A good movie provides great entertainment and can even provide an escape from a difficult day.  Of all the movies that I enjoy watching, there is one (well really three) that is/are my absolute favorite:  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  The battle between good and evil, the growth from foe to friend, the struggle that Frodo has resisting evil, the RETURN OF THE KING!!  Man it just does not get any better than that.  (By the way, the books are amazing too!!)  In one of the final scenes of the third installment, The Return of the King, the good guys are standing outside of the gates of Mordor (that's the place of evil) and find themselves in a brutal battle.  Outnumbered, they quickly become surrounded by the enemy with no hope for escape.  Their leader Aragorn is about to be squashed and killed.  But, as it turns out, when all hope seemed to be lost, evil is destroyed.  Good wins out.  They are rescued.  I am not sure about you, but I find myself feeling like this scene a lot.  Surrounded by enemies, overcome by weakness, caught in fear . . . all hope lost.  

King David found himself in a situation not unlike the one pictured above.  King David found himself in a situation not unlike the one you may be facing today.  He was surrounded by the enemy.  Death was at his door.  However, hope was not lost.  Listen to his words in Psalm 3.  "O Lord, how many are my foes!  How many rise up against me!  Many are saying of me 'God will not deliver him.'  But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.  To the Lord I cry aloud, and he answers me from his holy hill.  I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.  I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.  Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God! Strike all my enemies on the jaw;  break the teeth of the wicked.  From the Lord comes deliverance.  May your blessing be on your people."  

Notice David's words.  First he proclaims that God is a shield.  He knows God is for him, and that God is protecting him and he proclaims it.  YOU ARE A SHIELD AROUND ME!  When you are surrounded by enemies today, proclaim that God is your shield.  God is with you;  believe it, proclaim it. Speak it.

David then cries aloud to God.  Do not be afraid to cry out to God.  Pour out your heart to Him.  Are you scared?  Tell him.  Are you weak?  Tell him.  Are you ready to give up?  Tell him.  Wherever you are cry out to God, and listen expectantly for His answer.  

I love the next part.  David lies down in sleep.  Thousands are around him ready to kill him and he sleeps.  There is no way he sleeps if he does not fully trust in God's protection.  He cries out, but he cries out in faith.  David knows that God is his shield and these are not just words to him.  He truly knows that God is protecting him and guiding him.  Therefore he can boldly proclaim that he will not fear his enemies.  

God knows where you are.  God knows what you are going through.  Do not fear the enemies that are around you.  God is with you.  Know also, that unfortunately, David's enemies did not go away immediately.  God does not always remove our enemies right away, but He does provide us the courage, confidence, faith, and spirit to "lie down and sleep; wake again" because the Lord sustains us. Let God be your shield today.  Let God be your strength today.  Let God be your sustaining power today.