Acorn Build Up: Joy

Joy

1Thessalonians 5:16
Be joyful always...

I thought I might spread some joy by relating to you a new job interview technique with which I'm experimenting. This is a true story that happened on November 16, 2007.

I was well into the interview when the interviewer accepted a phone call. Sitting across the desk from the interviewer I decided that this was a perfect opportunity to grab another breath mint. In order to access my front pocket I leaned back on the two back legs of the chair in which I was sitting. I couldn't quite reach the mints, so I leaned back a little farther. Just as I reached the point where I could access the mints I simultaneously reached a point in my lean where I was balanced, not falling forward or backward. I balanced there for what seemed like hours not knowing if I would return to my normal upright position or fall over backwards. Unfortunately, the latter transpired!

I fell straight back with my feet up in the air! The interviewer looked up from her phone call and all she could see was the souls of my feet. She shrieked, thinking I needed medical attention and her shriek caused me to think that she may need medical help, too! So I unceremoniously rolled from my flat on my back position to a very funny looking crawling position, stood up, righted the chair, and tried to look like I'd planned the whole thing.

When she concluded her phone call she said, "Well, I thought I had seen it all, but I have never seen this before in an interview!"

I would recommend that you wait to try out this technique until we find out if I get the job. Until then, have a great day and keep all four legs of your chair on the floor!

Be joyful always!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Gratitude

Gratitude

1Thessalonians 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

I want to take this opportunity on the eve of Thanksgiving to express my gratitude to the Lord for His amazing provision.

I thank God for:

* Jesus who said, I "have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life..." (John 6:38,40)

* my beautiful wife and partner in Acorn Ministries, Julie

* my amazing daughters (Gina, Kassidy, and Katie) who bring joy to my life every day

* my friends and family that support Acorn Ministries with their prayers and their finances

* the privilege of encouraging and equipping church leaders

What are you thankful for?

Please send me your thoughts of gratitude so I can post them on this blog. You can send your thanksgiving thoughts to me at: Lon@AcornMinistries.com or you can post a comment on this blog. Subscribers can post comments by clicking on the "Daily Build Up: Gratitude" link above and then click "comments".

God is good! ~ All the time!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: God Box - Suffering

God Box - Suffering


Romans 5:3-5
...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.

Suffering is a part of the human condition. I haven't met a person yet that couldn't describe in some detail a time of suffering. Actually, most people can tell you about an area of their life in which they are currently suffering. Suffering is natural. What we do with it makes all the difference.

The temptation when we suffer is to let it overwhelm our entire life. We focus on the suffering so much that we block out everything else, including God. When my suffering occupies all of my thinking, then I have effectively placed God in a box and then sealed it and put it on a shelf.

Suffering provides an opportunity to seek God like no other human experience. Seeking Him, we find strength in His power. As we learn to depend on the Lord our character changes. Ultimately, we find the only real, sustainable, and perfect source of hope; God.

Unbox God - seek Him in suffering!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: God Box - Logic

God Box - Logic

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good pleasing and perfect will.

Have you heard the expression "putting God in a box"? The concept is that any time we place limitations on God - we put God in a box. Once we box up God we are, in effect, removing Him from the throne of our life. With the throne vacant, we very naturally assume the role as lord of our life. As cool as that sounds, the consequences are severe and eternal!

The logic of our mind often does the work of placing God in the box. We study the world around us and begin to draw our own conclusions. We see the consequential nature of events and determine our own strategies. We recognize the activity needed for our prosperity and we act. We look to the future and figure out how it ought to look and then we invest our resources in attaining it. We think, therefore we box.

2Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead , to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Renew your mind - unbox God!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Submit (encore from 11/06/06)

Submit (Encore from 11/06/06)

Hebrews 12:9-11
...we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

My three-year-old daughter wants to do EVERYTHING herself. She needs adult help in many of the activities or she will likely get hurt or break something. Often I have to discipline her because she's just not ready to perform the tasks safely. Over time she will be able to do it herself, but in the meantime she must submit to my teaching; my discipline.

In my relationship with God, I'm (far too) often just like my daughter. I want to do it myself! The hardest life lesson for me is to submit to God. I don't know if it is my Marine Corps background, fear of what might happen, or just plain old everyday pride. Regardless of the cause, submitting is difficult for me. However, if I don't submit to His training, I'll never learn what I need to learn. If I don't accept the training, then I'll never receive the "harvest of righteousness and peace".

God's discipline shapes and molds us into the people God intends us to be.

Submit to His discipline!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Submit

Submit

Luke 22:42
Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.

Every act of Jesus' life is worthy of study. Jesus placed God's will above His own. In a world that elevates self, it is particularly important to study the Lord's submission.

Our culture screams at us every moment of every day a message of "you deserve..." and "it's all about you". Product names reflect this focus on "me", too! When we accept this message we put ourselves in the seat of the lord of our life. We then evaluate every aspect of life on how it serves the lord of our life, a.k.a. me.

That's not how Jesus lived. Think about it. Jesus had unlimited power on earth. He could have used that power to topple the governments of the day and then set Himself up as the ruler of the world. He could have. The devil tempted Christ with this very thing (see Matthew 4:8-10).

The world tempts us every day with the same promise of power and wealth. Jesus says, "Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." (Matthew 4:10b)

Submit to His will.
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Seeking God

Seeking God

Acts 17:24
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands.

Seems to me there is some general confusion on this point. It appears that some people go to church on Sunday to find God there. Yes, I believe God is there, at the church. However, God is also at the grocery store, the football game, and in the living room of our home. Seeking God can, and probably should be, a full-time effort. No matter where we go, because God is everywhere.

We spend amazing amounts of money building and maintaining these "temples". Even though God doesn't live there, we pour precious resources into upkeeping "the Lord's house". Please don't misunderstand my point. I love churches! Often times I do encounter God in these meticulously built halls. After all, God is there, too! My point is that we can seek, and find God, anywhere and everywhere. The key to successfully connecting with God is that we, in fact, seek Him.

Seek the Lord!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Church Conflict II

Church Conflict II


Matthew 5:23-25
Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Settle matters quickly with your adversary...

Since the church is made up of people it is completely understandable that we will have conflict in the church. It is in the resolution that the people in the church can distinguish themselves from the rest of the world.

I've noticed that the longer an issue remains unresolved the larger the gap grows between those involved in the conflict. Sides are chosen. Arguments are polished. Character is questioned. Faith is questioned. Jesus says, "Settle matters quickly..."

I've noticed that there is weight in carrying a grudge. It takes lots of energy to haul it around. Depleted, it is difficult to stand before the Lord. Jesus says, "...go and be reconciled to your brother..."

Jesus says, "...if...your brother has something against you..." Jesus doesn't mention who is "right" or who is "wrong" in the argument. Rather, if there is an issue, then resolve it, quickly!

If there is conflict in your life, resolve it.
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Church Conflict

Church Conflict

Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world...

One of my most shocking discoveries about the church is that sometimes church people disagree! Sorry for the sarcasm. However, the truth is at first I really was shocked. Frankly, it wasn't the fact that church people disagree; rather, it was the way they disagreed.

Here are the facts.
* Every church is made up of people.
* People are flawed.
* Therefore, churches will have conflict.

The question isn't "if" there will be conflict, the question is "when" will it happen. To me the more important question is "how will conflict be resolved?"

God calls us to live life differently than the world lives it, to follow a distinctly Christian pattern. When our conflicts in the church look the same as the way the world fights, then we are conforming to the pattern of the world.

Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35)

Conflict is a given. How we resolve it is the question. Jesus calls us to show the world we are His by loving one another.

Love one another!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

Psalm 9:11
Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.

I launched this blog on October 13, 2006. The Lord blessed this effort in a wonderfully surprising way by encouraging people all over the world! I praise God for the impact of the Daily Build Up experienced in the following countries:

China
Canada
United Kingdom
Singapore
Germany
Malaysia
Australia
India
Mexico
France
Brazil
Philippines
Italy
and others!

I estimate that just under 9500 posts (9479) have been read in this first year! Praise the Lord!

I want to express my gratitude to the "guest encouragers" that added their awesome voices to this effort of building up the body of Christ. Particularly, I want to publicly thank Rachel Smith and Sandy Egle for their contributions. I praise God for these great saints!

If this blog encourages you, please consider passing it along to your friends. It's easy! Simply copy the following address and paste it in an email to your friends. I'd love to have the opportunity to encourage them, too!

www.dailybuildup.blogspot.com

If you'd like to support this ministry, please prayerfully consider making a donation by clicking on the following PayPal link. You can use (or set up) a PayPal account or your credit card.

Make a Donation

Gifts can also be sent by check to:

Acorn Ministries
PO Box 237
101 West South Street
Flanagan, IL 61740

Thank you for helping us provide this ministry of encouragement for another year!

Sing praises to the LORD!

Lon

Acorn Build Up: Fanning the Flames

Fanning the Flames

2Timothy 1:6-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.

One of my favorite things about camping is the campfire. In order to keep the flames going, I must tend the fire. I add wood, rearrange the placement of the logs, and, if needed, I blow air onto the embers to keep the fire going. If I leave the fire alone too long, the flames will die out and eventually the fire will die.

Our faith, like a campfire, takes effort to keep it "burning". We have to tend our faith or, it too, will lose its flame and eventually die out. Here are a few of the many ways to fan the flames of our faith:

* prayer - there's no better way to build a relationship than to talk with the Lord throughout the day
* scripture - read the Bible every day
* study - sit with others and discover God through His Holy Word
* worship - join with others in the presence of the Lord to lift our praises

Fanning is intentional participation in activities that add fuel, heat, and air to our faith. God gave us this awesome gift, now it is our responsibility to care for and feed it.

Happy fanning!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Disappointment

Disappointment

Hebrews 13:5-6
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

I sent out an appeal letter recently asking people to support Acorn Ministries through prayer and financial gifts. Our ministry currently ends each month with an average deficit (i.e., the negative difference between income and expenses) of $500-$600. In response to the appeal we received a $10,000 check which would have covered most of the debt incurred over the last 18-months due to the monthly deficit. To say the least we were thrilled! Then came disappointment.

We discovered that the check was a mistake. The giver had meant to write a $1,000 check, not $10,000! In my disappointment God led me back to this passage in Hebrews. I'm not really dependent upon financial gifts; rather, I'm dependent upon the Lord! I don't really love money; rather, I love Jesus! And, there is no reason to be fearful of our monthly deficit and the growing debt it causes, because Christ is my helper!

Please join me in lifting up to the Lord that which causes you disappointment today. Let's give it, whatever "it" is, over to Jesus. Then let us find peace from knowing that God will never leave us and He will never forsake us!

Trusting God,
Lon

Guest Encourager: Rachel Smith "Suffering"

Suffering - by Rachel Smith

Romans 5:2-4
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.

Music has a profound impact on our health and mental well being. Often a song touches our hearts in a place we could not reach on our own. The power of words paired with rhythm is truly a gift. I had the blessing of attending The Uprising Festival in Colorado this summer. I was pleased to see great bands like Third Day, Mercy Me and Jars of Clay. But God brought me all the way to Colorado from my home state of Illinois to hear a song. To have some comfort. To understand the “why” for even a moment.

My hardships are probably no worse than yours. They may have a different title or different people involved, but at the core pain is pain. I desperately try not to wear my pain as a badge of honor. I try not to compare and “one up” my life circumstances with those of others. My pain and my joy are to bring Glory to God.

If through a brief and momentary suffering I can somehow bring encouragement to others, comfort to the hurting and Glory to the Lord. Then bring it on!

Rachel

Guest Encourager: Rachel Smith "Morning Coffee"

Morning Coffee, by Rachel Smith

Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Often times we take for granted those people who always seem to look on the brighter side of life. You know the ones that can find that one positive thing in a pile of negatives. After a crazy morning of rushing kids to school and making a mad dash through the coffeehouse only to spill half of the steaming cup on your new white shirt, this friend smiles and says, “well at least it didn’t get on your pants too.”

Wow! What a way to look at life. Do you see the cup as always half full as the optimist does? Or do you see it half empty as the pessimist? Not being a perpetual optimist myself, I prefer to call the half empty cup, realistic. In fact, I slant towards the service orientation. This is a cup in need of being filled.

But what if that person who fills the cup for us awakes one morning to find their own cup empty? Every now and then even the optimist has a ‘cup is completely empty day’. This is why we are ALL to encourage each other DAILY. Some of us encourage with words, some with acts of service, and some with gifts or other methods. Find your way of encouraging and fill some ones cup today.

Rachel

Guest Encourager: Rachel Smith "Encourgement"

Encouragement

Acts 16:40
After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia's house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left.

Read that again. Yep, I highlighted it correctly. Paul and Silas get out of prison and they are the encouragers. Wow! I would think after spending some time in prison, I may be the one in need of encouragement. But that’s not what this passage tells us. It was after a time of trouble that Paul and Silas were able to share their experiences with others and bring encouragement.

I find this, well, encouraging.

Maybe my ‘time in prison’ isn’t a punishment or a test at all. Maybe, just maybe, it’s a gift of encouragement to you.

Rachel

Note from Lon: You can find more great "Build Ups" written by Rachel by clicking on the Rachel Smith label below. If you subscribe to this blog, you will need to click on the title (Guest Encourager: Rachel Smith "Encourgement") above, then find the labels at the bottom of Rachel's post.

Acorn Build Up: Reliance

Reliance

1Timothy 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.

Hope must rest upon something reliable. What in the world is trustworthy? Upon what can I truly rely? In what can I place my hope?

In my life I have relied upon many things, but none of them deserved my hope. Wealth, skills, personality, dumb luck, other people, good looks (this was a long time ago!) and organizations are a few places in which I've misplaced my hopes. Eventually every one of them let me down.

There is only One trustworthy enough for me to rely upon. That one is God. God will NEVER let us down.

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you."

F.R.O.G. (Fully Relying On God)
Lon

Guest Encourager: Rachel Smith "Home"

Home

2 Corinthians 5:6-9
Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.

Where do you want to live? Have you ever really thought about this? I’m sure you have. We have all toyed with the idea of relocation at one point or another. Sometimes these dreams are prompted by job turmoil or opportunity. Sometimes they are prompted by weather. I choose to live in Illinois. This is one of the few states in which you can run the heater and the air condition in your car on the same day! But even beyond the blistering heat or frigid cold wind, it is a longing to be with my mother or my brother which gets me to day dreaming of moving. On more than one day I have thought how wonderful it would be to go ‘home’ to the town in which I grew up.

The reality is I don’t really like that town. I have never cared for large cities or crowds and my children and husband are quite content in our sleepy little town. What I long for is my family, that feeling of ‘home’. God’s word reminds me I am never truly ‘home’ in a small town or a large city. My true ‘home’ is with the Father. When I am again reunited with the Father and all of my family, I will be ‘home!’ So, ask me where would I like to live?

At the feet of Jesus.

Rachel Smith

Note from Lon: Rachel's post represents the 200th post since I started this blog in October 2006! Praise the Lord for His blessings upon this ministry of encouragement! If you'd like to support this ministry financially, please click here.

Acorn Build Up: Another Quiet Place

Another Quiet Place

Mark 6:31-32
Then because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quit place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.

Tomorrow (Sunday) morning I am going away to a very quiet place. I am leading a group of men on a seven-day backpacking expedition on Isle Royale National Park. The park is an island in Lake Superior that can only be reached by plane or boat. We will take a 3-hour boat ride to reach the island.

Our purpose is to retreat and to spiritually recharge. My guess is that we will face an adventure or two along the way. Two requests:

1. Please pray for me and the other men throughout the next week.

2. Please excuse yet another absence from this blog.

God is good!
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Obstacles

Obstacles

John 7:38
He who believes in Me...out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Today's post is taken from Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest". Chambers teaches:

Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, "rivers of living water" will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even "to the end of the earth" (Act1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow - "This is the work of God, that you believe..." (John 6:29)

A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while is is blocked yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle.

Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into you life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty...simply remember to stay focused on the source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ...nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Lon

Acorn Build Up: Serve the Lord

Serve the Lord

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with all you heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Labor Day is drawing to a close. I don't want this day to escape without remembering for Whom we labor. No matter what work we do, let us remember that it is for Jesus that we labor. We bring Him glory when we excel in our work. We bring Him glory when we persevere through the difficulties of our work.

We bring Him glory when we perform our duties differently than our peers. We bring glory to Jesus when we avoid gossip, solve conflict in a loving way, and speak the truth in love. We bring glory to God when we approach challenges with the peace that comes from knowing Christ.

In today's labor let us bring glory to God!
Lon