What do you hold in your hands?

I remember the first time I heard the song, Moses. We hosted the Chorale from Grace College in Omaha, Nebraska one Sunday; I was the church’s Minister of Music. The chorale’s conductor and I got along great and the more I learned about him the more I found myself looking forward to the concert he and the Chorale would be giving in our sanctuary. It was a great room for choral music, nicely-live acoustically, but not too much.

This song was the last on the program and it took me by surprise – caught me off-guard. I was first impressed with the musical skill required to do this selection well, then with the storytelling ability of these 36 singers and one skilled accompanist at the piano! What focus, energy and emotion! When they came to the song’s conclusion I was moved. Everyone in the room was. Silence prevailed. It seemed inappropriate, somehow, to break the silence with applause. The conductor and I exchanged glances, silently agreeing to let the moment linger so God could finish the work He was doing in our hearts.

When the time finally came to thank the Chorale for their ministry with us the applause was loud – and long!

Here’s the song, performed by the composer, with full orchestra.

• Press play
• Turn it up if you won’t disturb anyone nearby
• – let the song finish.
  (The video slips out of synch after a while; close your eyes and lose yourself in the song)
• See if hearing it once is enough. (My guess is it won’t be.)
• Above all, listen to see if God whispers anything to you while you listen:

What do you hold in your hands?

Excellence – Efficiency – Economy: Pick Two

In 1993 I was invited to join a small task force formed to study online community, or group dynamics in cyberspace (that was the buzz-word in ‘93) and make recommendations in this growing venue.

We discovered early-on that online business activity can promote two of the three E’s above, but not all three. The most successful, it seemed, major on only one. As we discussed it further we agreed that the same is true in “real-time” business and community life. Excellence, Efficiency, or Economy. You can have two, but not all three.

I came in contact with a live-example of that principle recently, a company that has majored in Excellence for 20 years and is thriving as a result. When they say “we use only state of the art components” they mean it. I heard the owner tell about situations when he has had to say “someone will probably be able to sell you something cheap, but I’m afraid it won’t be us.” They don’t have any salesmen; they don’t need any. “It’s all we can do to keep up with the requests for our services.” Their advertising budget is primarily word of mouth – and they’re international in their scope. Pretty impressive record! What’s more, they’re personable!

Yes, it can be done. Not overnight, naturally, but it can be done.

I’m thinking about that principle today as it relates to my life and work:

Do I want to exemplify Excellence? Absolutely.  I have, I do, and hope I always will.
Perfectionism is a liability, but the pursuit of excellence is a virtue. Absolutely. I want to be an example of excellence in my work with people, in my writing, in my relationships with family and friends, in my walk with God.

Efficiency? Yes, but not at excellence’s expense. Efficiency can be an expression of Excellence; no wasted time, no wasted motion in the accomplishment of a task or mission. Sometimes Excellence just takes longer. I want to always take the time to reach for it. Efficiency? Yes. Provided it doesn’t pull Excellence from an A to an A-.

Economy? Personally, this isn’t a word I want to describe me or my ministry. “He’s cheap – so are his results.” No way, I’m not selling that. I’ll buy less expensive so I can send my money in a better direction, and there are vendors I frequent because they put a decent product on the shelf for less than their competitors. They’re not marketing excellence, though. They’re pushing economy and there’s a place for that – no doubt about it.  Buying economical over here can help reach excellence in another facet of life or ministry. When people look in my direction I want to be associated with the word Excellence. I really don’t want them to associate my work or my ministry with inexpensive; “he got by with minimal effort and expense”.

I want my name to be a synonym for excellence among those who know me well. To do that I need to maintain the “Whatever It Takes” mentality I adopted as a high-school student.  I need to intentionally apply it spiritually, relationally with my family and friends, and vocationally.

How about you? When interested friends and associates look at your goods, what’s the tag say? What would you LIKE it to say?

If “glorify God” means “draw attention to Him” how would your life best do that?
Think about it a bit, see what the Lord impresses on you to do. It’s never to late to adjust.

Encouraged

One of the benefits of reading Scripture is being blessed and encouraged by something originally written for another. Reading Paul’s second letter to Timothy spoke to me today; things originally intended for another rose off the page – and encouraged me:

KINDLE AFRESH the gift of God which is in you. 1.6

God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. 1.7

JOIN WITH ME. 1.8

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus 2.1

The things which you have heard from me … these entrust to faithful men who will be able to tach others also. 2.2

No solder in active service entangles himself.  2.3

Be diligent … unashamed … accurate. 2.15

Self-cleansing results in honor, sanctification, usefulness, preparedness 2.21

CONTINUE in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whome you have learned them and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the sidsom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 3.14-15

Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. 4.2

and the clincher:

FULFILL YOUR MINISTRY. 4.5.

Wow! I’m humbled this morning. And encouraged. It’s rare when so much stands up off the page as it did with me this morning. I couldn’t stop reading! There always seemed to me one more as I read Paul’s letter to Timothy.

God has plans for me.  Mine is to stay obedient, faithful and optimistic in Him while He works. It will be exciting to see what He has in mind

Lord, THANKS for your Word! Always alive, always there for us!

Psalm 23 – the Verbs

Have you ever noticed the verbs in Psalm 23? Most are things God does, and nearly all are ACTIVE verbs!

Read slowly, notice the verbs. God is actively involved in our lives; how easy to respond to Him! (formatting and emphasis are mine)

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousnessfor his name’s sake.
4 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.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Only two “passive” verbs in the entire Psalm, and they are about God. He IS my shepherd, you ARE with me. I think I’ll “accept” that there’s no movement on those, no change, no reason to wonder if He’s still the same!

The others are “active” verbs; God is at work and involved on our behalf.

Take a minute and re-read the Psalm, taking a moment to let the meaning of those words soak in like a gentle all-day rain.

My response is the same as David’s – at least it should be -
I will not want, I will fear no evil, I will dwell with Him.

How encouraging. How reaffirming!

No wonder we call Him “The Good Shepherd” (see John 10 for more)

Heart’s Desire

It wasn’t a presumptuous move, was it? Tonight I filled one of my fountain pens again – an expression of hope perhaps – or maybe faith – or the return of something I love – maybe all of the above.

I used to write with a fountain pen every day. F.B. Meyer kept a pen on his desk that refused to be filled as a spiritual reminder. I bought a similar pen 20 years ago, but fixed it some years later and it became my favorite. It’s been the only active one; all the others I cleaned and set aside several months ago. I didn’t want to lose one in my travels or damage one on the job.

Ink flows freely from a fountain pen, as fast as I can think. A fountain pen feels elegant in my hand. There’s a link to family and dear friends, depending on which pen I hold. It seems I think loftier, higher thoughts with a good pen in hand. Strange, I know, but it seems so.

So I’m hoping the ink flows again in this next season. I’m believing -I’m asking- God to open the doors to full-time ministry again. And not to just open them, but to THROW them open ! He says in His Word that when we delight ourselves in Him He gives us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37). I’m taking Him at His word.

____________

Don’t fret … trust in the Lord and do good. [Check]
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. [Check]
Delight yourself in the Lord (which I am) and He will give you the desires of your heart. [Yess!]
Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him. [Check]
and He will do it. [Yes! Amen]
And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. [Christ's actually, I have none but His. And noon is pretty bright!]
Rest in the Lord [Check]
and wait patiently for Him. [Check.]

v 25
I have been young and am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or His descendants begging bread.

____________

Father ~
God ~
Abba ~

Would you open the door for me to serve You again full-time? Would you supply abundantly for my -for our- obligations? Would you let me write things that encourage Your people and edify the church at large? Not for my name’s sake, but for Yours (Ps. 143.11a).  Draw attention to Yourself (be glorified) in my life.

Thank You!

..

James 1.5-8

(This is a copy of last night’s journal entry, a glimpse of what’s going on deep inside. The original was written with the Schaeffer fountain pen that was my dad’s.)

Red Sea Rules – Revisited

It’s been nearly a year since I summarized The Red Sea Rules here.

The principles drawn from Robert Morgan’s book are timeless, primarily because they’re drawn from Scripture. I still recommend it, and continue to review Morgan’s 10 points from time to time. They form a concise a checklist for me when life begins to feel like it’s a bit out of hand. I know that never happens to you, but it does to me once in a while.

If you’d like your own copy check your local Christian book store, or order The Red Sea Rules online. Used copies are sometimes available at ABEbooks.com.

The Red Sea Rules is definitely worth your time; helpful, practical, and encouraging.

If you don’t have time to read that much right now, let Psalm 46.1, 2 and 10 & 11 help.

God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear…

Cease striving and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.

We Fight FROM a Victory, Not FOR One.

I remember the first time I heard Chip Bernhard say about the Christian life:

“We fight FROM a victory, not FOR one”

I’d heard others say “I read the end of the book – and we win”, “Go to the last chapter, we win.” etc. But saying it this way affects right here, right now.

We fight FROM a victory (Christ’s)
not FOR one (ours).

Fighting FROM a victory

• when discouragement and uncertainty knock at life’s door,
• hen temptation says “psst! over here!”,
• when faith wonders if it should think more about the size of the waves than the words of the Savior.

Fighting FROM a victory, not for one, means I don’t have to wonder if it’s going in, it’s as good as a slam-dunk when God has the ball.

Fighting from a victory makes a huge difference. It makes it easier to stay the course when life pulls at us. At me, anyway. Knowing I am clean and pure before Him means a lot when life’s tentative the way it is here at our house right now. Ten days ago I received the phone call some of you have received. “We can’t afford to keep you – we’re letting you go.” I’ve faced the same mis-givings, doubts, fears, anger and frustration you have. And I’ve found that our Lord is just as stable now as He was the day before the call – as you will, if it ever happens to you. I keep hearing myself say “I’m with YOU, Lord, what should I do next? Anything?” Then sensing a nudge or reading a directive in His word, I inch forward at His direction.

“Nothing ever occurs to God” is more than a cliche. It’s the truth.

Because He’s never surprised by anything, He never leans forward on His throne in Heaven to look down here and wonder “Oh, NO! NOW what am I going to do?” Nothing ever occurs to Him. He knows. He’s never out of control.

Which means as a child of His, I still make Him smile when He looks in my direction (if I’m living obedient, that is, – which I am). I am still living in His favor, even though quite a bit of life around me is uncertain right now. To me, not to Him.

So I can be confident. Not presumptuous, but confident.
In Him.

I’ll admit, it feels a little strange, being “front-brain” like it is right now. I have to think about it to stay focused like He wants me to be. But it’s working, and it feels great! What’s more, I know I’m right with Him, and that’s a whole lot better than blaming Him for these circumstances and taking things into my own hands (which I’ve done in times previous – with poor, poor results).

Are you facing something bigger than yourself right now? Is part of life out of your hands completely?

Stick close to the Savior. He’s never out of control. He’s never panicked, He’s never lost any of His children; you and I aren’t going to be His first.

Listen for His whisper. “Ready? Now.” and obey right away. He expects us to. Living in His favor as obedient sons and daughters of His, we can move with confidence. His. And He has plenty. He’s already won. His is the victory from which we fight.

Freedom -

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5.1

We’re celebrating our Freedom in America today, the anniversary of our independence as a country. I can’t help but think of the greater freedom available through Jesus Christ. I, for one, am grateful that the freedom He offers is all-encompassing and available to all who trust in Him.

“I came to seek and to save the lost,” He said. “You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
He meant it.

I’m thankful today for this land of ours where we have so many liberties (I really don’t think of them as rights – more as privileges) including the freedom to do what is right, to worship and serve the Lord. I’m even more thankful for all that is ours/mine in Christ. He paid dearly for our freedom. It cost Him more than you and I will ever have. Yet He offers freedom to us and expects us to stand firm in that freedom.

- From the penalty of sin
Having paid the penalty once and for all with His blood, there’s nothing we can do to offer even a partial or token payment. He’d be insulted if we offered. The price has been paid. End of the matter. And all who place their trust in Him are granted a future free of sin’s penalty.

- From the power of sin
With a clean conscience, a clear record, and the Holy Spirit living within, we’re able to get from 9 am to 10, from noon to three, from after dinner to bed-time free from sin’s enslaving power. It allows us to face temptation toe to toe, whisper “you are not my master” and choose right over wrong. Sometimes the thing to do is resist. Sometimes it’s best to just leave. But Christ has set us free; we’re not subject to sin’s power when we live in His strength.

- From the presence of sin
I can’t wait! When we’re in Glory, enjoying Him forever, sin will be nowhere to be found. It’s hard to fathom sometimes, but I’m certainly ready, are you? The conflict of the ages will be history, God having proven once and for all that He was, is and will be God alone. Sin, death and Hell will be “all taken care of” and all will be well (see the end of Revelation 20 the beginning of Revelation 21 for details).

It’s humbling to think that Christ did it all. For us. Motivated by love we’ll not understand this side of Heaven. And given freely to everyone who believes He is who God says He is and places their confidence in Him for eternal life. But it’s true.

So today I’m enjoying and celebrating my dual citizenship. I’m a citizen of the best country in the world, and I’m a citizen of a land I’ve yet to see. I’m free here in America and I’m free in Christ. It’s time to enjoy and stand confidently in all we enjoy.

Happy Fourth of July!

“Correct” is an Uncomfortable Verb

Several years ago an interesting concept crossed my path at a men’s breakfast. I’ve seen it proven true several times since and am thinking about it again for some reason.

“Correct” is an uncomfortable verb
but it’s less painful than “reject” – by far.
When it comes right down to it, if you don’t correct your brother now,
you’ll be forced to reject him later.

Our speaker that morning, a pastor from a church in the heart of Milwaukee talking to men in white suburbia made a strong case for his words. I don’t recall the exact passages he referenced but I do remember he drew parallels between what Solomon wrote in Proverbs and what the apostle Paul did several times in his letters to New Testament churches. If you don’t correct your brother now, you’ll reject him later.

He knew he was talking to Christian men intent on following hard after God, being men of God at home and at work. His goal that morning was for us to grasp the concept that correcting each other, while uncomfortable, was sure to be less painful than having to reject a brother because of sin’s stronghold and spiritual defeat down the road. So check it now. “I believe in you, brother, and I want you to thrive spiritually. What can I do to help you fix this?”

I’ve seen this principle work over the years, and I’ve seen it neglected as well, perhaps because people didn’t stop to think about it, perhaps because they didn’t know. It’s a valuable concept so I share it here today.

Have a child with tendencies that are going to cause trouble if left un-checked?
Have a friend in Christ that’s drifting one way or the other?
Have an employee that’s increasingly off the mark?
Have a colleague that’s misreading things or becoming overly critical?

Maybe this principle will help you avoid heartache and pain later on:

“Correct” is an uncomfortable verb but it’s less painful than “reject” – by far.
When it comes right down to it, if you don’t correct your brother now, you’ll be forced to reject him later.”

Something to think about,
maybe something to do – soon.