Where are you?

Where are you at today?  Now, I am not talking about some existential philosophical "where are you"mumbo jumbo.  But literally, where are you?  Are you at work? Home?  The Golf Course? Wal-Mart?  

Wherever you are and wherever you spend most of your days, does your life let others know about Jesus Christ?  

In Acts Chapter 8 the church has just been struck with a great persecution that has scattered believers throughout the areas surrounding Jerusalem.  Acts 8:4 is very striking:  "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." In the face of bitter persecution and in communities that they may not have been completely comfortable, believers were proclaiming Christ.  

I wish that the same could be said about my life, and about the lives of believers all around me.  We face only minor persecutions and yet we do not often preach Christ to those around us.  I pray today that your life, and my life would preach the Word wherever we are.  

So where are you today?  And what is your life preaching?  

Identity Theft

I am currently leading my students through a series I call "Identity Theft," based on 1 Peter 2:9 where Peter declares "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (NIV)  This week we are focusing on the "royal priesthood" part of this passage and it has me thinking. One of the great responsibilities of the priest is to reflect God.  How good are we at reflecting God?  

How many times throughout life, in your quest for identity, have you changed something about yourself in order to be like another person or a particular group?  In middle school I remember tight rolling my pants and wearing "Dex" shoes in order to fit in.  It was the age of "Saved by the Bell", tight rolled pants, and Z-Cavaricci.  Honestly though, my parents did not like spending tons on "name brand" clothes so I never got the real "Dexters" so I had to wear a cheap knock off pair that was really uncomfortable....and really, not cool.  And as bad as wanted the "Z-cavs", there was no chance of that.  So I was a dork trying to be cool ... and I tried so hard.    I was never really "cool" but I sure tried to be at different times in my life.  I struggled with my identity and therefore often mimicked certain people or certain groups to try to be something I was not.

I doubt that I am alone.  Nor do I think that this is just a teenage problem.   I think people of all ages transform themselves in order to be like someone else, to look like someone else, to keep up with the Joneses, etc.  We are great at copying others through our language, fashion, houses, finances, and more.  However, rarely will we take the time to really try and be like God.  In 1 Peter 1:13-16 he writes: “(13)Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.  (14)  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (15)  But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; (16)  For it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

What if ... instead of looking for our identity in others, we looked to be more like Christ?  What if we stopped conforming to the world and began to conform to Christ?  If we would become the priesthood we are called to be and reflected God in all we are and in all we do we would see changes all around us.  

We would see changes in us.  We would find our true identity.  

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.