Thursday, March 27, 2014

REFLECTORS


You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Matthew 5:14

My son took the bicycle reflectors into a dark room and closed the door.  Much to his surprise they do not glow in the dark.   Baffled by this he asked, “Mom, what is a reflector?  I answered, “They are small objects that reflect the light.  They work just like a mirror that allows you to see your reflection.  It’s not really you but it looks just like you.  So for example, if you are riding your bike at night and the headlights of a car shines in your direction their light will make your reflectors appear as lights so that the car will see you.  The reflectors do not have any light of their own. They only reflect the light that shines on them."

This made me think about Christians. We are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14).  The light shining through us is not our own.  We are to reflect the light from and bear witness to the light of the world, Jesus. (John 8:12).  Light has a way of dispelling darkness. The more we empty ourselves the more visible the light. We are jars of clay.  When we are filled with our own goals they color and  expand like coke bottle glass, our purposes thicken and diminish the reflection.  On a rare occasion others may witness the work of God by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.  Nevertheless, as we lose our lives our personal ambition grow slim.  As we are weak, and transparent the light of Jesus shines ever so brightly through us.

In Judges 7:15-21, Gideon knew that God had thinned his army but he was willing to go the battlefield with only 300 men.  Instead of carrying physical weapons they carried empty jars with torches inside of them.  They also carried trumpets.  Gideon told his men to follow his lead.  It was around midnight when he led them to the edge of the camp and they blew their trumpets and shouted, “For the LORD and for Gideon.”  They broke the jars that were in their hands. And all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

At the darkest hour, Gideon’s army blew trumpets and shattered vessels and the light surrounded and confused their enemy.  The enemy was planning to destroy God’s people with weapons but God turned that thing around.  God's army used the enemy’s weapon to destroy the enemy!  The supernatural power that believers experience is reserved for worshippers who are willing to risk and steps of faith.  Gideon and His men were willing to obey God.  This sounds like worship:  the broken  vessels , standing in faith, praising God and shining the light.  Consider the bright light that was shining that not only startled their enemy but confused them.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7 we are reminded, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” Yielding to God is not always the most natural thing for us.  However, when we yield to Him, God does the supernatural. If you are facing a difficult situation or impossible circumstance I want you to know that this is when God does His finest work.  Although the situations may be impossible for us they are never impossible for God.  All things are possible with God. In fact, many times our limitations set the stage for us to praise and glorify God.

Can you imagine the story being told by the 300 men to the amazement of the listener?  What God will do with men and women who trust Him?  Who knows what God would do with us if we would set our hearts to be reflectors?  Who knows how great a blessing God could make us if we had a single goal…to reflect His light. You and I are reflectors. Our lives bear witness to an invisible God who defies odds, uses less to accomplish more, and gives victory over enemies. Let us not seek to have a light of our own but to be reflectors of the true Light.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

THE SUBSTANCE

THE SUBSTANCE
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
 
According to Merriam Webster, the word substance is a noun that can be defined as a material of a particular kind. And so a substance by its definition something that is tangible. And so I find myself with a dilemma. In the last few weeks I have been asked over and over the same questions regarding my future. Every person that inquires cannot be satisfied with my plan. It is to follow Jesus and trust Him and I don’t have all of the answers. And so they keep asking me what’s my plan and I keep trying to show them my faith. 
 
The problem with showing your faith is most people cannot see it. I don’t have any evidence of what I’m hoping for. Nevertheless, I have faith that has materialized itself in a very tangible way. It is very real to me. And so I’m not sitting around twilling my thumbs as if God won’t come through. I’m living on purpose believing God will do exactly what He planned. I’m trusting that I am who God says I am, believing that I can do what God says I can do and that I will accomplish what God has planned.

 
I believe the rich blessings of God are not when we live at arm’s length away from Him but are in His presence. I’m agreeing with God that His plan far exceeds my own. It may appear weak because I do not control my own destiny to those who appear to be in control. Why won’t I take control of my future? God is in control and those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.
 
I’ve learned that although the pieces of the puzzle may seemed scattered and out of sorts God is always working and fitting them together to bear witness to His goodness and His grace. I die daily to my will so that I may live in His. Greatness in God is found in our willingness to serve others. The astonishing thing is that God’s plans for our lives exceed our own. We have believed the lie far too long that living for God restrains and restricts us when it liberates and delivers us. God is longing to be gracious to us. His plan always includes blessing us.
 
The life of faith stretches us, strengthens us, deepens us, and delivers us from self centeredness. There are many things that I regret about my life but following Jesus is not one of them. He is the Author and Finisher of my faith. Far too long have I ignored His creative plans and failed to follow the story line—it’s all about Jesus. For this reason I fix my eyes on the One who has begun a good work. Not knowing can be hard at times because it is not an acceptable answer. 
   
As I cooperate with His plans, little by little He discloses more to me. By faith, I build my life in consideration of God’s will for it. I have never been more on track, so to speak. I know that without faith it is impossible to please God. And so, I may lack tangible goals or dreams but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. I’ve tossed aside my “good” dreams for “God-size” dreams. And so, I live by faith, and it is the substance that is very real. God is building something beautiful and the material He uses is faith.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Spreading Fire


Spreading Fire

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 the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:6-7

When we follow the prompting of God, yielding to the plan of God, we also experience the presence and power of God.  Faithfulness is being committed to God while loving and serving others.  Paul admonished Timothy to be faithful to the call of God. In fact, Timothy is encouraged to walk in the power, love and discipline infused by the gospel. And like Timothy, sometimes God calls us out, move us around and stir us up for His name sake. I experienced an illustration of this while grilling on a windy day.
With a few match light charcoal and a brand new bag of regular charcoal it became clear how the body of Christ spreads the gospel. The right side of the grill became very hot while the left side was slowly warming.  I waited to see if the left side would respond to what was happening on the right side.  When there was little change, I chose to do something different.   To my inconvenience, I took all the racks off the grill and moved the hot coals around so that the fire would spread. As I moved the red hot coals around they begin to light up as well as warm the other coals. Instantly the temperature of the grill steadily increased. And sometimes God allows us to experience change and transition because He is spreading fire.

There are times in the life of a believer that you may called out of a job, city or even a church so that you can be His instrument in a new place. God begins to add what’s lacking to your faith as well as add your faith to the new place. Our human inclination is to count faithful to God by years of service in a particular place but the true test of faithfulness is our willingness to follow God.  Even at the expense of being misunderstood, ridiculed, and even insulted. Whenever God moves a man or woman wholeheartedly devoted to Him, He rekindles and spreads fire. 
 
The revival the American church so desperately needs starts with personal revival.  Church revival begins when individuals fan into the flame the gift of God.  Sometimes God moves us to strengthen, add to, and share our faith.  By His grace, He uses us and uses others to equip us at the same time. 
The gospel of grace is a consuming fire.  The prophet Jeremiah explains it to us in chapter 20 verse 9, but if I say, “I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name, ”His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.” True revival occurs when we are fanning into the flame and spreading fire.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Holding It Together When It All Falls Apart




Holding It Together When It All Falls Apart

But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.   Acts 27:41-44

Did God entrust you with a storm?  Are you experiencing one disappointment after another?  Do you feel like you aren’t going to make it?  Did God say everything was going to be all right smack dab in a situation where nothing seems right? Has He  previously shown Himself strong on your behalf?  Do you know that you know that He is the Way Maker?  Have you ever experienced a miracle in an awful situation?

I once heard Bible teacher Beth Moore discuss times when we are in awe.  She mentioned that sometimes the awful and the awesome leave us in awe of God.  Sometimes God will allow us to experience storms of cosmic proportion. I’ve found that I trust Him more not in spite of my trials but because of them. When it all falls apart and your faith remains then your greatest asset is intact. 

Without faith it is impossible to please God.  By faith, we receive the miracle of salvation as well as God’s healing, restoration and abundant living.  There are times that the vehicle that God uses to transfer us to a new place is completely destroyed. For example, the job that brought you to a new city may lay you off. I’m reminded of how the Lord visited Paul and encouraged Him and told him to go to Rome in Acts 23:11.

Paul then travels on a ship that was driven by the northeaster wind into a stormy situation.  The trip to Rome that the Lord sent him on (due to His appeal to Caesar) was a turbulent journey to say the least. He did arrive in Rome but the ship that was carrying Him was completely destroyed near the shore of his first destination, the island of Malta.  Paul was not shaken the least by the external situation due to His internal consecration.

Your five senses can experience the facts of what is happening around you but that does not impact the truth of what God will do for the man or woman who trusts Him completely. If God allows something that brought you to this place to be destroyed then He has a plan.  At times the opposition we face is the indicator that we are heading in the right direction.  Quite often we are strongly opposed when God is giving us an opportunity to witness a miracle. 

Cleave to God when the waves are tossing so that you can experience peace and joy in the mist of the storm. We know that Jesus Christ is irrefutably above all, because in Him we can experience life in dead places. We can experience peace in chaos, destiny in detours, and joy in suffering. Surrender to God when the devour roars!   God alone will hold it together when it all falls apart!