Life Lessons

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 3: Respect)

This is part 3 of a 4 part series entitled, “Where’s The FIRE?”

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

In the first post of this series I wrote about the Fuel needed for a life “on FIRE” and the second post covered the Ignition source necessary.  Now we turn our attention to an important, but often overlooked, part of a campfire — and of being “on FIRE” — Respect!  A campfire can be a beautiful, warming, even a calming and peaceful thing to watch and experience.  It is a great tool to aid in relaxing, reflecting on the day, and even cooking the day’s meal!  Without the proper respect, however, the same campfire can quickly take a destructive and deadly turn.  Many fires ranging from the small grass fires to the massive wildfires can be traced back to a simple phrase, “I didn’t think it would spread — I thought I had it under control”.  A lack of respect for the conditions, purpose, and need for the fire can allow a small blaze to rapidly spread out of, and beyond, control.

So, what role does Respect have in our being “on FIRE” for God?  My first thought goes to how do we use the burning combination of God’s Word and His Spirit?  We need to have a respect for the power represented through the name of Jesus!  Throughout the Bible there were people who thought they could play with fire — literally and figuratively — and get away with it.  People thought they could manipulate the power of God for their own glory and benefit only to be “burned” in the end.  Without respect, or reverence, for God it is far too easy to attempt to put ourself into a position that only belongs to God.

We also must understand and respect the specific purpose of the fire we represent and any point and time.  Once the Word of God is ignited in our life, how we use it can bring healing and warmth to a person or harm and devastation.  We are told to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within us.  That verse goes on to tell us to do so with “gentleness and respect”.  Many times we need to evaluate the situation before us and determine just how big of a fire is needed!  When I build a campfire at camp, I’m always assessing the surroundings, the weather conditions, the purpose of the fire, and other elements to determine where to build the fire and how much fuel to use so that the fire meets its purpose and is useful.

Respect is the element that keeps you from “torching” someone with your use of God’s Word!  I pray that as you and I live in the power of the Word through the Spirit of God that we would do so with a reverence for God and a respect for the people around us!

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 2: Ignition)

This is part 2 of a 4 part series entitled, “Where’s The FIRE?”

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

So, if you’ve read the first post in this series, what’s the next question?  If the fuel source is plentiful and readily available, why aren’t more of us on fire for God?  Sometimes it is because we don’t make use of the fuel available to us.  It’s like many of the fallen trees at camp.  They’re out in the woods — I know they are there yet I’ve not taken the time to take ownership of them by cutting and splitting them and adding them to the “storehouse” of available fuel.  How often do I inventory the “spiritual woodpile” and realize I need to do some serious work of bringing into my mind the fuel of God’s Word?  Am I disciplined enough to spend the time in prayer and fasting for the sole purpose of knowing God and His will?  While all of this needs done, I believe that for many Christians the problem isn’t as much in the collecting of the fuel as it is in the igniting of the fire!

I can collect, stack, and store as much fuel as I want but until something ignites it, it simply remains fuel and never becomes a fire.  There were many in the days of Jesus — religious leaders, in fact — who were amply supplied in fuel and even experts in its storage.  Yet their fuel never caught fire.  In their hands, God’s Word simply remained a bunch of sticks that they used to beat the people with.  They never allowed the breath of God to ignite the fuel so that God’s Word would bring warmth and healing to all people. 

A big part of ignition requires the presence of both fuel components.  With a campfire, the obvious fuel is the wood.  However, without the additional fuel of oxygen obtained from the air, there is no campfire!  The religious leaders had an overflowing supply of the solid fuel of God’s Word but they seemed to be completely lacking in obtaining the “oxygen” component of God’s will through prayer and fasting.  As I consider my fuel supply, am I balanced in both collecting the word of God in my mind and life and in pursuing God’s will through prayer and fasting?

So, if my fuel supply is adequate and balanced, why am I still not on fire for God like I ought to be?  What was it that ignited the fire of the early disciples so that they gained the reputation of “turning the world upside down”?  I believe that the ignition of our fuel supply is done by and through the Holy Spirit — the breath of God given to each believer as God’s indwelling presence.  Many times we are not on fire for God because we have quenched the ignition source of his Spirit in our life.  It is God’s Spirit that empowers the fuel — the Word that dwells so richly within us.  It is His Spirit that counsels and instructs us in His will — His good and perfect will.  At some level we become so afraid of God being in charge that we never allow the ignition source to be anywhere near the fuel we have been collecting.

To be on fire for God we must walk by the Spirit even as He is in the Spirit.  We must let the consuming fire of our God ignite His Word and will in our life so that His fire is seen in us.

I pray that you and I will not simply store up the fuel of God’s Word and His will but that we will allow His Spirit to ignite that fuel so that His fire will burn brightly in each of us.

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Where’s The FIRE? (Part 1: Fuel)

Have you ever been so focused on doing something, or getting somewhere, so quickly that someone asks, “Where’s the fire?”  Perhaps you’ve done something so well that you hear the comment, “Wow!  You’re really on fire!”  Or maybe you’ve heard it said about you, or someone else, “They’re really on fire for God!” 

As I thought about each of these, and other similar phrases, I began to wonder what is at the heart of being on fire metaphorically.  What elements are needed to reach the point of “being on fire”, particularly in my relationship with God through Jesus Christ?  Perhaps looking at some elements of a campfire can help us start, or rekindle, a relationship with God that is truly on FIRE!

When I think about building a campfire, one of the first questions that must be answered is, “Where’s the Fuel?”.  There is no fire without some type of fuel source.  A typical campfire uses wood as its fuel source.  When the fuel is gone, the fire no longer exists.  The same is true if we want to be on fire for Jesus.  We must ask the basic question, “Where, or what, is the fuel?”  What is the next question?  My next question would be, “where, or what, was the fuel that Jesus used for his ministry on earth and in his relationship with his father? 

When Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread, Jesus responded, “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  When the disciples try to get Jesus to eat food that they’ve brought Jesus replies, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  Another time when Jesus casts out a demon that the disciples couldn’t they want to know his secret and he replies, “This type only comes out by prayer and fasting.”

Was Jesus “on fire” for God?  I would say, “Absolutely yes!”  So, what was his fuel?  What kept his fire for God burning?  I would say that even a casual reading and study of the life of Jesus would reveal his fuel was the word and will of God revealed to him through times of prayer and fasting!   He was fluent in knowing and understanding scripture in ways that amazed those who listened to him.  He was constant in his pursuit of not only knowing, but in doing the will of God.  He was consistent in seeking and finding time alone with God.

So, the answer to where’s the fire in your life begins with the question, “Where’s the Fuel?”.  To be on fire for God requires the correct fuel.  The early disciples gained the reputation of “turning the world upside down” because their fire was fueled by the same fuel that empowered Jesus.  They devoted themselves to the fuel of “the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  We live in a time that is in desperate need of a sweeping revival fire to turn the world upside down.  Could it be that the necessary revival has stalled out because the fire in you and I has gone out because of a lack of fuel?  May you and I examine our fuel supply, and source, as we seek to live for God

I pray that we would stock up on the fuel of God’s word and will through intentional times of prayer and fasting so that our fire for Jesus would burn brightly for all to see!

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What’s Inside?

I’ve been working at cleaning and organizing the maintenance shop at camp with the help of my family — well, MJ has been  helping and Susan has patiently watched movies while we worked. 🙂  As we have pulled boxes, containers, and items off shelves and out of corners one question keeps coming up, “What’s inside?”! 

If you’ve ever sorted through years worth of things others have accumulated, you probably already know the secret to finding the answer to that age-old cleaning question, “What’s inside?” — you  have to look, open, or empty the container and see what comes out!  You quickly learn that the writing or label can say whatever it wants– that may, or may not, have anything to do with the actual contents.

That is kind of like life and people, isn’t it?  We can dress up the outside and label ourself, and others, but at some point what  is really inside comes out and is revealed.  Jesus puts it this way, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”  (Luke 6:45) 

Carl Evans shared a sermon tonight at Deer Run that challenged each of us to allow God’s Word and Spirit to check us for heart trouble.  So, how do we do that?  How do we check the condition of our spiritual heart and what do we do about what we find?  Well, I have good news and even better news. 🙂

The good news is that this heart check-up is not difficult — it could be painful to see and acknowledge, but definitely not difficult.  God says that if you want to know the condition of your heart then you should carefully observe just what it is you say and do.  In Galatians, Paul writes that the actions of our sinful desires are obvious.  He goes on to list many actions and activities that we would often put in different categories of very bad, bad, not so bad, and somewhat tolerable.  Paul, however, says all of them are symptoms of a heart that is in trouble — so much trouble that God says if we choose to continue to live in these actions we will not have a place in His kingdom.

The even better news is that there is a cure to whatever heart trouble our spiritual check-up may reveal! 🙂  Paul follows up the list of actions that come from a bad heart with a list of characteristics that flow from a good heart — a Spirit-filled heart.  In Ezekiel 11, God tells his people that he will call them back to himself and they will put away the actions that were in disobedience and rebellion toward him and he will put within them a new spirit — he will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.  The cure for our heart trouble is to repent from the deeds of sin and rebellion and live by the Spirit.

To fully recover from the heart transplant, Carl pointed out tonight some instructions that are commonly given when a person faces a physical heart trouble.  To follow-up on our spiritual heart change, we need to change our diet and get appropriate exercise.  🙂  We must live, and feast, on a steady diet of God’s Word.  As we allow God’s Word to fill and satisfy us, we must get appropriate exercise by actually doing what it says.

I pray that your container, your jar of clay, really does contain what the exterior says is inside.  I pray that you spend time with God listening intently to what comes out of you that would reveal how accurate the label Christian is in your life.  I pray that you  are living with a changed heart and that you are maintaining that renewed heart with a healthy diet and plenty of regular exercise! 🙂

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The Right Thing In The Wrong Place

Life is full of things that are good and useful when used in the correct manner and place.  Many of these same things can wreak havoc on an individual, group, or society when used in ways and places contradictory to their intended purpose.  Lesson 6 of the study I am leading through 1 Samuel looks at this very thing as the Philistines capture the Ark of the LORD from the Israelites.  They believed that simple possession of this “right thing” would ensure God’s presence among them and His departure from the Israelites.

The Ark definitely was the right thing — it was to represent the very presence of God in the midst of the Israelite nation.  It was built according to the design and instruction of God Himself.  The directions from God for its care and treatment were very specific.  The very mention among the Philistines that the Israelites were bringing it to the battle front caused great fear and trembling among all the soldiers.  So when victory came to the Philistines they took the ark with them and set it up in the temple of their God, Dagon.

In 1 Samuel chapter 5, we see the results of the Philistines having the “right thing” in the wrong place.  As they arrive at their temple they discover their God, Dagon, lying face-down on the floor.  They set him back up only to find him on the floor again the next day missing his head and hands!  The area around the city was filled with devastation and the people were afflicted with tumors.  Yet rather than recognize they had the right thing in the wrong place, they passed the ark on to another city with the same results there.  So they in turn pass it on to a third city with similar results.  You might say the third time is charm because it is here that the people cry out to have the ark sent back to where it belongs.

So, I’m guessing that Harrison Ford’s search for the lost ark didn’t result in you obtaining the ark and keeping it in a place and manner contrary to its intended purpose. 😉  What, then, is the lesson in this scripture text that God would have for us?  The answer to that comes down to an understanding of right things, wrong places, and the connection between the two.  In talking about the freedom we have in Christ, Paul writes that “all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial”.  Through even a casual reading of Paul’s writings, it is obvious he is not dismissing the “thou shalt not’s” of scripture but is writing about matters of opinion and preference.  He is writing about doing things that are right, but doing them in ways and places that are wrong because of the negative influence it would have on a brother or sister in Christ. 

In connection with the 1 Samuel text, the question that begs an answer is “what do I do with the sacred things — the meaningful symbols — of my relationship with God?”.  In the sermon on the mount, Jesus instructs his listeners to not give what is sacred to the dogs nor cast their pearls to the swine.  He indicates that doing so not only destroys what is valuable, but it puts us in danger as well.  Paul writes in reference to our participation in the Lord’s Supper that there is a wrong place, or way, to do a very right thing.  Some were making a mockery out of the communion elements — eating and drinking to satisfy their own stomachs while ignoring the needs and the people surrounding them.  Paul writes that these individuals were not eating and drinking fellowship with Jesus Christ, they were eating and drinking judgment unto themselves.  He goes on to say that it is for this reason that some of them are sick and have even died. 

The command is for each person to examine themselves so that they are spiritually in the right place to do the right thing.  I pray that you and I would make good use of the opportunity that God has given us through the remembrance meal of the Lord’s Supper.  May our communion with Jesus Christ help us to do the right things and to do them in the right  places and ways.

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HOPE In The Valley

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 
    He makes me lie down in green pastures,
     he leads me beside quiet waters, 
      he restores my soul.
     He guides me in paths of righteousness
     for his name’s sake. 
 Even though I walk
     through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
     for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
     they comfort me. 
 You prepare a table before me
     in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
     my cup overflows. 
 Surely goodness and love will follow me
     all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
     forever.

 Psalm 23 is familiar to many and often looked to for comfort and encouragement in times of grief and great loss.  In preparing to preach recently at Deer Run, God helped me to see a connection between this passage and the statements of Jesus in John 10 where He identifies Himself as the good Shepherd.  As I look at these passages, I see four things that Jesus brings to us so that we can have HOPE in the valley.

I know that often it feels like the time in the valley is so desolate, and you’re so alone, that there can’t possibly be anyone else that is in the valley or could even understand.  Unfortunately, or fortunately depending how you look at it, that is just not true.  We all walk through the valley at times — many times more often than we admit and for most, more often than we like.  Some of our valleys are much easier for others, and ourself, to identify.  In the 23 Psalm, David writes of the “valley of the shadow of death”.  It is one of the reasons this Psalm is used so often to comfort families and loved ones at funeral services as they walk through that valley.  It is a valley that we all walk through from time to time but not the only valley we are likely to experience.  There are the valleys of loneliness, rejection, hurt, anger, illness, poverty, hunger, need, exhaustion, despair, confusion, . . . I hope you get the point, the list goes on and on.  You’ve probably seen yourself in one or more of these valleys as well as others that you have experienced.  The good news is that God can, and wants, to bring HOPE to your valley.

The first quality that God desires to bring to our valley is Healing.  Jesus states that it is not the healthy that need a physician, but the sick.  He came to bring a wellness to the lives of those who realize they are sick — a healing to those who are hurting in the valley.  David describes that in this Psalm as restoring the soul.  As our Shepherd, God wants to bring healing to the innermost part of who we are.  Healing is needed when we walk through our valley.  God’s desire is for us to find and depend on Him as the one who heals.

Secondly, we find Opportunity in the valley.  This can be extremely hard to grasp while we are in the valley but God can use our hardships and heartaches to prepare and refine us for greater things.  It has often been said that an advantage of hitting rock bottom is that there is nowhere to go but up.  While I wouldn’t suggest reaching that point purposefully, as Christians our valleys ought to cause us to evaluate where we are at and to look up.  It is in the valley that we often have the opportunity to learn greater trust and dependence on God.  The life lessons learned in the valley, while often the hardest, are usually not learned anywhere else.  God’s gift of opportunity in the valley is a key component of the hope that we all long for.

Protection in the valley can often seem like a great mystery and contradiction to us — particularly while we are in the valley.  Our mind often thinks that if God were providing protection, I wouldn’t be here in the first place.  As one who had been in the valley numerous times, David realized that even when he walks through the valley of the shadow of death there was no need to fear evil because God was with him.  David spent so much time being tracked down and hunted with Saul trying to kill  him.  He, more than many, understood the protection God could give as he speaks of God preparing a table for him in the presence of his enemies.  I don’t know about you, but for me it takes a great amount of confidence in the One protecting me for me to be able to sit at a table while my enemies are watching.  God’s protecting us from the evil one went all the way to Calvary where the “Good Shepherd” laid down his life for His sheep — you and I.  Holding fast to God as our protector goes a long way in bring hope to our valley.

Additionally, we have Encouragement in the valley.  David realized that the rod and staff of his Shepherd were not meant to harm or frighten him but to bring comfort to his life.  Sometimes it is in our valley that we are quiet and still enough to feel the comfort of God’s rod and staff in our life.  David recognized that God’s presence in  his valley was an encouraging reminder that His goodness and mercy would be with him all the days of his life.  But it didn’t end there.  It was in the valley that he was reminded of the great encouragement that comes with the promise of dwelling in the house of the LORD forever.  Encouragement in the valley provides hope as we recognize the great love and faithfulness of the God we serve.

Do you need HOPE in your valley today?  I pray that you would lean mightily upon God for insight into His Healing, Opportunity, Protection, and Encouragement that He desires for you to have. 

But wait, there’s more!  Whether you are currently in a valley or not, you have a job to do!  Spread the HOPE that God has brought into your life.  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians and instructs us to comfort others with the same comfort we have received through Jesus.  Part of the opportunity of our valley is in the receiving of comfort and hope from our LORD so that we in turn can offer comfort and hope to others.  We learn through scripture that Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are, yet without sin.  He walked through the same valleys we find ourselves in.  He knows our sorrows and our pain first hand.  It is through His greatest valley that we find the foundation for HOPE in our valley.

Praying that you and I both receive and share HOPE in the valleys of life.

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What’s In Your Box?

“What’s In Your Box” was the title of lesson 5 in the Bible study I am leading through the book of 1 Samuel.  In this study, we found the Israelites heading out to battle against the Philistines only to get thoroughly defeated.  Their solution is to regroup and take the ark of the covenant with them into battle.  The ark represented God’s presence among them and although they had been given very specific instructions from God on how to treat the ark, their desire to have God with them in battle seemed to outweigh any obedience to His instructions.  Rather than seek God and listen to His plan, it appears they thought that if they could take “God in the box” (an ark is by definition simply a box, or chest) with them into battle then victory would be assured.  We know the result though — the Philistines not only defeat them again but they capture the ark and take it away from the Israelites.

It is easy to look at that from our point in history and think, “What did they expect?  You can’t contain God in a box.”  Yet how often do we have a “box” that we try to keep God in so that we can bring Him out on special occasions and when in desperate need?  Sometimes our box is a physical item.  If we just have our Bible, that special cross necklace, a sacred keepsake, then God is with us — He has to be because we have the item that we carry him around in.  Sometimes our box is a little less tangible.  Perhaps a talent or ability, a giftedness or personal strength, even a friendship or relationship with another person — we think if this is present then we know God is with us.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with any of these — remember the ark of the covenant was God’s idea! 

The problem is that when we allow them to become more than reminders and tools to know God — they become our god.  When we replace a relationship with the living God with anything else, we have settled for a cheap (and ineffective) substitute.  If we carry our Bible to show God is with us yet never open it, nor read and do what it says, we will likely find that our “box” does us little good when we face temptation and the enemy.  If we carry our giftedness from God as a badge of honor yet never seek out His wisdom in how and when to use it, are we really worshiping God or just ourself?

So, what is your box and what is in it?  Do you spend time with God or just with the objects that remind you of God?  When trouble comes, and it will come, do you find strength in the confidence and faith that God is really with you or are you left defeated and wondering why God didn’t show up when you have “His” box with you? 

I pray that the “box” of your covenant with God is a constant reminder of the vibrant and growing relationship that you have with Him.  I pray that when the day of trouble comes that your box is not empty but it is filled with the tools necessary to draw you into communication with God for the purpose of knowing Him, His plans, His will, and His direction in your life.

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Hearing Voices

“Hearing Voices” was the title of lesson 4 in the 1 Samuel study I am leading on Wednesday evenings at Deer Run.

Have you ever answered a phone call where the caller immediately launches into a full-speed conversation assuming you know who they are — and you don’t?  You listen intently for clues to the caller’s identity.  There’s a familiarity to it but you just can’t place it.  Your mind races through a mental checklist of the people you know.  The name . . . the name is on the tip of your tongue but it just won’t quite come out of your mouth.  And then it happens.  The pause.  The awkward silence just before the inevitable statement/question that you know is coming, “You don’t know who this is, do you?”.

“Wow!  I should have known.”  “How did I not know?”  “I’m so embarrassed.”  “How could I have not known?”

Granted, sometimes it is all about the phone connection and poor acoustics which make the person not really sound like themself . . . sometimes.  More often than not, we must admit that we were not as familiar with the person as we thought.  Regardless of the amount of time spent together, we’ve not really listened to them.  We’re not used to the sound of the voice.  The words spoken do not flow in a manner that we recognize.  The “voiceprint” is strange and unrecognizable to us.

While this can be mildly embarrassing and somewhat awkward when it takes place between friends, what about when we don’t recognize God’s voice?  This was the case with Samuel as he came to serve God as he lives with Eli the priest.  We read that “the word of the LORD was rare” in those days.  It is in that setting that God calls to Samuel with a message.  As God calls Samuel’s name, he does not recognize the voice and assumes that it must be Eli calling him.  It took three attempts before even Eli surmised that it must be God calling to Samuel so on the fourth call Samuel finally acknowledges God and listens to what He has to say.

Before we come down too hard on Samuel, what about us?  How often do we miss the message God is trying to speak into our life?  How often do we struggle with the questions of life and how God should be involved in each aspect of it?  We have the advantage of God’s Word and His Spirit to lead us and teach us about the very nature of God.  Yet still we wonder, we question, we even doubt if God has anything to say at all.  

We hear many voices in our life but struggle to recognize which belongs to God.  So many of them sound reasonable, but which one sounds most like God?  Which one really is God?  If we’re trying to figure it out with our own reasoning or intellect, we will likely fail every time.  The way we know isn’t that complicated.  We spend time with God.  We read His Word.  We listen to what He says to us through it.  We allow His Spirit to fill us and continually remind us of the nature of God revealed through His Word and the life of His Son, Jesus.  The more we know God, the easier it becomes to recognize His voice.  In John 10, Jesus calls himself the “good shepherd”.  He says that the sheep will follow the shepherd that they belong to, and that cares for them, because they recognize his voice.  It is time with the shepherd, and the shepherd with the sheep, that makes this recognition automatic and without question.

As you consider the direction of your life, are you hearing voices?  Are you spending deliberate time with God with the purpose of knowing Him?  I pray that you and I are “sheep” that hear His voice, recognizing and obeying it because it is a voice we are very familiar with.