Build UP: Sufficiency

I had a small case of writer's block tonight, so I asked the Lord to guide me to a topic. The response I received was this:

2Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Had I, with a great exercise of will, determined and written a brilliant post, then I would have been tempted to wrestle the Lord for the praise. After all, I put all my mental powers to work discerning and crafting my thoughts.

My sense of my own power gets me in a lot of trouble. I feed my pride, until God takes me to the limits of my power. He takes me to a place where I come to the end of my strength; to a place of weakness.

It is there that the Lord reminds me of my limited power while simultaneously showing me the limitlessness of His. It is then that my pride is surrendered. It is then that I lift praises to the Lord.

And the next thing I knew, God had created this post!

Praise the Lord!
Lon

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith - The Door

I have been a little preoccupied with doors as of late. We built a deck last fall and are in the process of choosing a door to lead from our kitchen to our deck. I never knew I had so many choices in a door: French, sliding, single entry, double entry. So I have started to really look at all the doors I go in and out of. This morning I opened my bedroom door, closed the bathroom door, locked the house door, opened the garage door, slid the van door and pulled out of the driveway. Five doors and I hadn't even gotten to work!

All these doors have different appearances but the same purpose. They serve as a swinging or sliding barrier intended to keep us safe, to let in friends and keep out burglars, to protect us from the cold and wind. With out a door, I will just have a huge gaping hole in my kitchen! As I shop for a door that is functional and beautiful I am reminded of the one door that never wears out and always protects, a door that fills all of my huge gaping holes.

I will try to see Him in every door I use today.

John 10:9 (English Standard Version) I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.

Build UP: Forgiveness

Psalm 51:4
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight...

When I sin I tend to focus on the person toward whom I acted inappropriately. Yes, I've done that person wrong, but the hurt of my action doesn't stop there. When I sin, I sin against God. I cause Him pain.

I heard of an activity once where the participants were given the opportunity to write their sin on a piece of paper. Next, they were instructed to step up to a wooden cross and literally nail their sin to it. Pretty dramatic stuff, but it gets the point across!

As we approach the cross of Christ this next week, let us remember our sin. Let's remember with humility that we are not guiltless. However, let us also more deeply embrace the forgiveness purchased for us by Jesus on that very same cross.

Grace and peace,
Lon

Build UP: Who?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Easter is fast approaching! If you're a leader in a church, then you are likely experiencing a great deal of busyness! And there are a lot of unanswered questions:

How should I organize the coming services?

What shall I talk about in my message?

When will I find time to prepare?

I have recently been reminded that the most important question doesn't begin with how, what, when or even where. NO, the most important question as we prepare for Easter begins with the word "who".

Who died that I might be saved?

Keep your eyes on the Who!
Lon

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith - Chosen

Do you remember what it feels like to be chosen?

Picture this: a playground of ten year old boys and girls standing around, anxiously looking at the dirt and shuffling their feet. One holds a muted red kick ball. The team captains are choosing sides for the big game. You hold your breathe, close your eyes tight and secretly cross your fingers behind your back.

"Please pick me, please pick me, Oh God please just let them pick me", you mutter a secret silent prayer.

I'm glad Jesus always chooses me to be on His team.

I know He wants to pick you too. (Oh and guess what, we win!)

Ephesians 1: 11-14

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of his glory.

Build UP: Confidence

Philippians 1:6
...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

One of the many issues that the Lord hammers me on is my self-reliance. It's not really my fault. After all, God gave me these gifts! How can I help the fact that I draw a significant level of confidence from them?

All kidding aside, God gave us every one of our gifts. And its the Giver of the gifts that we should look to for our confidence, not the gifts themselves.

God started a "work" in each of us. The cool message in this passage is that God will see us and that work through to the end. God is perfectly worthy of our confidence.

Be confident in the Lord!
Lon

Build UP: Wrecking Ball

James 3:8-10
...no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

I see it in the eyes of my daughter. Even though I only wanted to correct, I see in her defeated expression that I did it again! I crushed her. My words were meant to guide and teach, but when I'm not careful those good intentions amount to nothing but hurts and wounds.

I've seen the other possibility, too! On occasion I'll compliment a dance move, a new drawing, or a particularly creative outfit and the results are awesome! She gets a puffed up, proud, and confident.

We have the same power to inflict pain or build up adults, too! We can be a big old wrecking ball to everyone we meet. Or, we can be the person that encourages and strengthens those around us.

Speak building words!
Lon

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith - Attitude

The speed limit on the highway between our small town and the next major town is 65. It’s the law to go 65, however, most people go 70 to 75. I do it too.  I justify this in all kinds of ways.

“It’s only 5 miles over the speed limit. They expect you to go at least 5 miles over”

“If I don’t go 70, I could actually get hit for going too slow”

There are all kinds of justifications for my breaking this law. In fact, most of us think of the speed limit as more of a guideline. The bottom line is if the law says 65 and you go even one mile over that, you break the law.

However, we all realize there is nothing magical about the number 65 in keeping us safe. Safety is the intent of this law.  You can’t change an attitude with a law. You change attitudes by affecting people’s lives. Case in point, if you have ever lost a loved one in a collision due to excessive speeds, you are more likely to drive the speed limit.

God knew we would not be able to adhere to the law, that our stubborn attitudes would not change just because we were given the “do’s and don’ts.” Our attitudes are changed, when our lives are changed and we understand the intent of the law makers’ commands. When someone we know and love dies because we broke the law, then our attitudes change.

Philippians 2: 5-8

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:   Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Build Up: Praise

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Thank you for your prayers as I traveled to Manchester, Iowa.  What a weekend!  The leaders of the United Methodist church there invested over 10 hours seeking the Lord for His direction for their church.  The Holy Spirit moved in a mighty way and revealed a compelling vision for the future of their ministry.

My role in the retreat was to guide the group through a process of discernment. We prayed, sang, studied scripture, and worked in small focus groups.  In the end the group gave a huge ovation and many compliments for my work.

This is the kind of work the Lord has me doing.  My purpose for sharing this is found in today's scripture: "let your light shine before men".  Typically when we share such things it is for our benefit.  My motivation here is to give God the glory.  Every scrap of "my good deeds" came from the Lord.  I could have accomplished nothing without His guidance and wisdom.

I'd be very curious to know how God has accomplished good deeds through you.  Please leave a comment on this post, or send me an email, that describes how you let your light shine.  I'll post them so we can all praise our Father in heaven.

Praise God!

Lon

Build UP: On the road

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

I am leaving in the morning (Friday) for Manchester, Iowa. I will be leading a two-day visioning retreat for a church there. Together, we will be discerning God's plan for this church over the next 4-5 years.

Please pray that God will give me the wisdom, courage, and strength needed to accomplish this task. And, that the Lord will keep me safe during the long drive (5 hours one-way) with winter road conditions.

In advance, thank you!
Lon

Build UP: Serve

Matthew 23:11

The greatest among you will be your servant.

One of the most difficult principles to understand is Jesus' teachings about service.  Jesus not only taught it, He lived it out.  Jesus could have chosen to reign as a king.  Instead, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, healed people, and, in the end, died for us.

This is a difficult teaching to emulate.  It's unnatural for us to look to the needs of others when our needs seem so glaring.  We put so much effort in meeting our needs and preparing for our futures.  It's very tough to set that all aside for someone else.

Today, let's take 30 minutes to concentrate on serving the needs of others.

Humble yourself. (Matthew 23:12)

Lon

Build UP: Be Careful!

Ephesians 5:15-17
Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

I don't believe that the caution called for here is the kind that suggests we dig a big hole somewhere and crawl inside where it is safe. No, I believe this kind of careful is the kind that recognizes the fleeting nature of life and guards against wasting it.

Bill Allison, founder of Cadre Ministries, states it something like this: "Life is so short and I want to invest every minute of it for Jesus." I agree! And the more I try to live this out the more I'm losing patience with things that waste time.

I want to "make the most" of the time I have left. My time may be measured in decades or it may be measured in minutes. I truly don't know which, either way I'm choosing to invest whatever is given me in building up the body of Christ.

Here's a challenge: Pay attention to how you "spend" today. If you really want to track your "spending", take a piece of paper and divide it in two columns with the headings "unwise" and the other "wise". Then make notes as to how you use the time God gives you today.

You have one earthly life, spend it wisely.
Lon

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith - Meaning

Meaning

Mark 3:1-6
Another time he went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up in front of everyone."

Then Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent.

He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

I emailed my blog entry to Lon last Friday. When I sent it I had a typo of one little letter that changed the whole meaning of the last sentence. We were able to catch it before it was submitted to avoid any confusion. But this seems to happen more and more with email and instant messages. I get to typing my thoughts and the next think I know I have typed a whole different word than what I intended. OOPS- the next THING I know… see, happens all the time. With one ‘k’ thin becomes ‘think’ or switch that ‘K’ to a ‘G’ and you have ‘thing’. It’s pretty easy to do. Usually the readers can decipher the intent by filling in the gaps. Our brains try to put things in context to understand them. But sometimes confusion abounds. (At this point if you are scratching your head in confusion, re-read the whole first paragraph slowly.)

My handwriting is so bad my grocery list has read “bird and mold” instead of “bread and milk”. Boy was I glad to get what I intended rather than what I asked for on that one! Some times we get too stuck on the exact wording of things and forget the intent. We often get upset with a short sounding email or a poorly worded statement rather than slowly thinking what the other person meant.

Today try to ask “what do you mean by that?”

Build UP: Word Power

Acts 15:32
Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

I spoke at a meeting of pastors from my home town this week. I shared with them information about Acorn Ministries. Everything went according to my plans until I came to the Q&A time. Then, without provocation, pastors that I've worked with began telling about their positive experiences with my ministry.

It was AWESOME! I felt so affirmed, blessed and encouraged! Once again it occurs to me how much power our words contain. In this case I felt the power of my friends words as they lifted up the work God is doing through this ministry.

But they didn't have to say these things. They could have kept their thoughts to themselves. It still would have been a good meeting. Man, but what a difference their good words made.

Today, let's look for opportunities to say positive words to the people we encounter.

Build someone up!
Lon

Build UP: Who me?

Who me?

Colossians 4:2-4
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ...Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

I know that the leaders in my church are under a great deal of pressure. And, I realize that they don't get much positive reinforcement. And yes, their job is tough. But what can I do? After all, I don't have any power in the church.

The truth is that we have incredible power at our disposal. The challenge is accessing it, but it's really not that tricky. God holds all the power the universe can muster. All we have to do is ask Him to send some of it to our church leaders. We do this through prayer.

Please consider adding your church leaders to your daily prayers.
Lon

Build UP: Finishing

Finishing

2Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

On Tuesday (2/19) I will be involved in my third funeral in as many weeks. Facing this much death has had an impact on my thinking. This passage written by Paul came to mind. I really want to make that kind of statement at the end of my "race".

I think the biggest challenge with finishing well is that we really have no idea where the finish line is. If I could see the finish line and it's very close, then I could muster up my strength for a finishing "kick". On the other hand, if I realize that the finish line is a long way off, then I might pace myself for the long haul. Both strategies have a down side.

Seeing so much death and the unpredictable nature of its timing, I'm starting to think that it's not about pace. Rather, finishing well, no matter how long the race, seems to depend on a faithful effort. If every day I get up and faithfully follow Jesus, then when my final day comes I will have kept the faith, no matter when that day comes.

Keep the faith!
Lon

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith - Treasure

Treasure

My husband and I have two young boys ages 8 & 10 and lately we have been into treasure. It began with pirate’s treasure but the movie National Treasure sparked an interest in other things that might have hidden value or meaning.

 

I admit I have a competitive streak and I love being a participant in scavenger hunts of any kind. (Our team took second place in the last one!)  Looking for that item of value or accomplishing the tasks on out list faster than the other teams sparks some enthusiasm deep inside me. My heart races, palms sweat and I start talking very loudly and quickly. I find myself willing to ask people for things I never once considered important or valuable before. The hunt takes on a life of its own as I hasten in my quest for a two dollar bill, an unused toothbrush, a Kentucky state quarter of some other equally important item. 

 

The treasurer hunter has a single minded focus spurred on by the promise of the coveted prize at the end of the journey. The journey itself is exciting, but the prize is what sets the pace. As I think about historical treasures, pirate’s gold and other things of value, it begs the question. “As we push through the race of life, what are you hunting for?”

 

Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

Treasures in Heaven

 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Build UP: Encouragement

1Thessalonians 5:11

“…encourage one another and build each other up…”

Dread. That was the feeling in the pit of my stomach all morning long. I was scheduled for a mandatory meeting with a committee that would determine a significant aspect of my future. This group had the power to continue or discontinue my license as a pastor. I have faced this experience two previous times and I did not enjoy the experience.

The coolest thing happened! The four people I met with were delightful. They complimented me! They gave me positive feedback! They were, in a word, encouraging! What a difference their encouragement made!

Let’s seek to encourage someone today!

Lon

Build UP: Love One Another

Love One Another

John 13:34-35 

"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."

Jesus called us to love one another. The way we love people should act as a distinctive of discipleship.  Our love is expected to resemble the love modeled by Jesus.  This is a tall order! Jesus-style love is selfless and sacrificial. 

Love One Another.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Lon

Build UP: Never

Never

Deuteronomy 31:6

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

“Never” is a pretty comprehensive word. Seems to me that one could never construct a circumstance within which God would not be present. And if that is true, then no matter what happens God is with me.

Then why do I become so quickly discouraged? Why do I fear? Why do my thoughts turn sour at the drop of a hat? Why do I get so frustrated with my circumstances?

The answer is simple: I forget! I forget that God “will never leave [me] nor forsake [me]”. I forget that God is with me every step of the journey.

Remember that God will never leave us!

Lon