It's my turn...

to thank God for the people who continue to touch my life in unimaginable ways. I won't go into a list of names because that could get me into trouble.

If you are in the youth center on Sunday nights, I love you and thank God for you.

If you are at Benji's on Friday nights, I love you and thank God for you.

If you call yourself a JGenner, I love you and thank God for you.

If I make you so mad that sometimes you want to punch me in the face and you share ministry leadership with me, I love you and thank God for you.

If you have a son named Isaac, I love you and thank God for you.

If you are the only ordained minister on staff at my church right now, I love you and thank God for you.

If you date a girl who lives in Kentucky 5 days a week, I love you and thank God for you.

If you are the girl who lives in Kentucky 5 days a week, I love you and thank God for you.

If you are the second born of three sisters, are a masseuse, and always give me a hug and a smile, I love you and thank God for you.

You are the people who have captured my heart. You are the people who walk with me through Heaven and Hell. You are the people who I would walk through Hell with and for. This year has been one of refining us as a group. And it's been a trial by fire. But, as Benji would agree, the things that are coming are nothing short of glorious.

Mostly, I thank God for His love. It saved me, it sustains me, it teaches me, it disciplines me, it grows me, and it is the one constant in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Flew the coop

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3)

How do you flee from the presence of the Omnipresent? It's a self-answering question - you don't. God doesn't play hide-and-seek. Where's Waldo? How about "where's Jonah?" No. It doesn't work like that and Jonah, as a prophet, knew this well. I don't think he was running scared. I think he was running because of anger, frustration, and rebellion. He wasn't afraid of what God was asking, he was mad about it. God's call didn't fit in with Jonah's agenda.

So Jonah changed his itinerary. Instead of Iraq, he went to Spain, possibly to run with the bulls. The way verse three is worded, it almost sounds like God's presence didn't reach to Tarshish.

I wonder if Jonah thought that God was giving him a way out. I mean, there was a ship available to take him to the western-most part of the (known) world. It must have looked like a blessing to Jonah. Maybe he thought that God was indifferent to his disobedience.

How often do we think this way in our own lives? Do we justify our sins and rebellious attitudes by thinking that God will actually provide a way to escape His conviction? That doesn't sound like a God of infinite love to me.

Sometimes things arise that seem like providence. We probably ascribe to God things that He wants nothing to do with. The truth is this - there are no shortcuts with God. The situations he uses to correct, discipline, and restore us cannot be dodged. He will never bless or honor our disobedience. Providences to the contrary of His word are not from Him.

So here's my heart on this matter --when we disobey God, it's like a chain-reaction. The first time is the hardest. After that, it gets easier to say no to Him. And we won't always recognize the things He is doing. But we won't recognize what Satan is doing either. What seems like a good opportunity may be a trap.

"...for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
(2 Corinthians 11:14)

Resolving Jonah

Jonah--was a prophet, had previously prophesied for God (2 Kings 14:25), ran from God's call to Nineveh because of his selfish desire for Israel to stay superior to Nineveh, disobeyed God, which brought God's wrath on all those around him in the form of a violent storm, tried to commit suicide, was saved by a giant fish sent by God, reluctantly obeyed God the second time around, complained to God when his worst fears were realized, begged for death again because things weren't going his way, found relief under an overnight-growing tree, begged for death a third time because the tree died, and still never found compassion for the Ninevites.

God sure can pick 'em.

So why do we look to Jonah for inspiration and spiritual lessons to be learned? Because Jonah is us. You and me. The important thing is this:
Even though Jonah didn't want to be used, he was used. And as God planned to use Jonah to reach the Ninevites, he had to reach Jonah first. We can only assume that the unwritten part of Jonah's story found him ever-growing in the Lord.

The story of Jonah seems to be the part of God's word that is being used to reach a group of us at Stock Creek right now. So now that we have torn Jonah down, we will begin to build him back up in the coming days.

More to come.

Free Ride

Today, while driving home from work, I had another one of those "clarity" moments with God. I call it that because it's like every so often God decides to show me how things are in His perfect world instead of my sometimes vague world. (click here for another example)

I can't wait to get home and get changed out of my Arctic gear that I've had to wear all week. I'm really tired, too. So I'm driving and listening to Audio Adrenaline, Underdog or Bloom, not sure which, and "It is Well with My Soul" comes on. One of the best renderings of this old song, by the way. It's always been one of my favorite hymns, anyway. I turn up the volume and begin to sing along (a frequent event in my truck). Then I notice that I'm singing "is it well" instead of "it is well". And not because I don't know the right words.

At first I chuckled. Then I kept singing it wrong and thinking about how transposing two small words changes the whole meaning. It goes from a song of praise and thanksgiving to a song of doubt and struggling with faith. So I started talking to God about it. "Is it well, God? I mean really well, with my soul? Can I honestly come to you day in and day out and mean it when I praise you? Or am I just psyching myself up? Am I actually holding on to you and following or am I fooling myself with a false faith, a faith based on self? 'Cause You've put some real big mountains in my path lately and even though I know You have directed my steps and made some things happen, am I really okay with it all?"

God said, "You tell me."
"I'd rather You tell me. Isn't that how this relationship is supposed to work? I ask, You tell. You lead, I follow. I mean, You're Lord, right?"
"Am I? Am I really your Lord?"
"Crap."
"Because if I am your true Lord, in control of all you have and all you want, then anything and everything is well. That's how My Love works."

Then the peace came. The wonderful, incomprehensible sense of well-being that lets you know you are inseparable from Him. Because that is how He designed the relationship. No matter what comes along, if we remain in Him and follow His leading, He stays with us. Even when times are difficult or impossible to understand, He does not let us out of His care.

"Let Me ask you again. Is it well?"

Yeah. It sure is.

Then I rocked it out to "Free Ride".

The Blame Game

The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. (Ezekiel 18:20)

I don't know about you but I kinda get tired of hearing people blame others for the crap going on in their lives. Believe me, I am not blameless, but it seems like when things are unstable and the "road is rocky" the first reaction of some is to start pointing fingers. I notice this the most at church, ashamedly.

Let's face it, our church is in a time of uncertainty. Maybe that's the wrong word. It's not at all uncertain; I believe God will take care of His church. But we are in a difficult time. From the stories I hear, it just seems that people are all too quick to find fault with other people but never, not once, do they stop and consider themselves. Maybe a little perspective wouldn't hurt, huh?

Anyway, this passage just spoke to me in this way. Whether it is sin or some other crisis going on, I think we should first look at our own hearts before we jump to the conclusion that the problem is with someone else. It all comes down to a prideful, self-centered attitude. The bible says, "as much as depends on you, be at peace with all men" (Romans 12:18). The part that depends on us is to evaluate ourselves. We can't be at peace with anyone if we think they are always in the wrong.

I like the last verse of Ezekiel 18, also: "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord. Repent and live!"

Is God a large black woman?

"When we three spoke ourself into human existence as the Son of God, we became fully human. We also chose to embrace all the limitations that this entailed. Even though we have always been in this created universe, we now became flesh and blood. It would be like this bird, whose nature it is to fly, choosing only to walk and remain grounded. He doesn't stop being the bird, but it does alter his experience of life significantly."

"A bird is not defined by being grounded but by his ability to fly. Remember this, humans are not defined by their limitations, but by the intentions that I have for them; not by what they seem to be, but by everything it means to be created in My image."
"The Shack" William Paul Young

This is my favorite part of this book because it makes the point that God, Creator, Master of all, Eternal and never-ending, chose to limit Himself to redeem us. He purposely decided to suffer human existence, including death, the ultimate human limit, so that we could have a relationship with Him.

That's big, y'all. God grounded Himself for me. He spoke creation, but wouldn't even speak His own salvation from the cross. Because He loves me, and I guess you, too, enough to want to restore our relationship.

So what defines me is not my limits, it's my purpose in Him, my likeness to Christ.

Actions speak louder

"How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:15)

No one wakes up one day knowing about Jesus. I heard about Him from my family, and church family as a child. I know people who heard about Him later in life from a preacher or evangelist. No one comes to Christ without hearing about Him. So then, who are the preachers?

Every single one of us who have believed.

It's not just the guy in the pulpit. It's not just the guy on television. It's the entire body of believers.

If it is so easy as to just talk to people about the One we love the most, then why aren't more people accepting Christ?

Because, I think, we don't live it. Oh, we talk it, alright. But if the lost people around us see strife and arguing, if all they see is God's family hating each other, complaining and seeking only the things that benefit the individual, why would they even want to become part of that family? Would you want to join a Jerry Springer family? I should hope not.

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." (James 1:22)

We can talk all we want but lost people should see us living the things we talk about. They should see us loving, caring, and burden-bearing (I really didn't mean to rhyme). Our words are only as good as the proof of them. And our actions are the proof that we believe what we are trying to get them to believe.

So, how about it? Is it really so hard to live like we believe? I really, really hope not. Because if we don't believe it enough to show it, then our words, His Word, falls on deaf ears. And deaf hearts.

A.P.W.B.D.

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Wise words. Sometimes we dream too much. Life becomes part of the dream. The problem with that is that dreams are not real. They are wishes and wants but when they become reality, the dream is ended. Then it's time for other dreams. Dreaming is for the future because that's where dreams reside.

Dreams are healthy. I hope everyone I know has dreams, desires, and hopes for their future. But to live for the dream is destructive. Life is happening now, not later. If we dream to the point of forgetting to live, we risk losing the dream as well as the things we are doing now. Because the things we are doing now are paving the way for that dream.

Our dreams must be handed over to God. All good things come from Him, including fulfilled dreams. He knows if our dreams are right for us because He knows that His will is right. His word says to not worry about tomorrow, but to focus on Him and let Him worry about tomorrow.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Nowhere to run

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
(Psalm 139:7-10)

I like knowing that I am never out of God's reach. From the heavens to the depths, He is there to guide me. That's comforting.

But there's another side to this.

What about when I'm trying to run? What about those times when I don't want to obey Him? You guessed it, I still can't get away.

Sometimes God asks, no commands things of us that we don't like. Sometimes we would rather disobey Him and live by our own decisions. Moses tried this. So did Jonah and King David. In each of those situations, as well as many others, God allowed them to continue in their disobedience for a while. But He eventually caught up to them and they suffered consequences for running from Him.

I've done this and you have, too. Maybe even now. But what God has asked of us, He still wants done. He will see it done. If we are wise, we will listen. We will stop running away and start running toward Him. That is where the blessings are, that is where HE is. The time He allows us to run away is also time He allows us to repent and turn back to Him. You can't outrun God.

Don't get distracted

I think that sometimes our distractions can fool us into thinking we are serving God well when really we are missing the point altogether.

She had a sister named Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me!"
But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:39-42)

How many times do we think we are serving better than someone else? That's really self-serving. Martha was distracted. She had other things on her mind, like preparing the meal and hosting the party, so to speak. In other words, she was more concerned with doing something for Jesus than with spending time with Him.

Mary, on the other hand, was sitting with Him, listening to His word. I can visualize her wide-eyed, hanging on every word, almost giddy as He shared with her. She desired Him, whereas Martha desired to do for Him.

Aren't we like that? Don't we focus more on what we can do for Him, not realizing that He wants us to choose to be with Him? It's about priorities. He said that Mary had chosen what is better and He wasn't going to jump down her throat just because Martha was having to do all the work. He came to their home for them, not just for supper.

So while we are worried and bothered and distracted, let's not forget that what Jesus wants most of all is just us. No extras, no sideshows, just us. The service and the things we can do on His behalf He will bring our way when it's time. But He is the focus, not the works. The works are not ours, anyway. They are His, too.

The next time we pat ourselves on the back for what we think we're doing for God, maybe we should stop and think if we are serving Him or if we are just serving us. Like He said, "Only one thing is necessary." He'll take care of the rest.

I don't have to fail all the time

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry. (Luke 4:1,2)

The passages that follow these are the three temptations of Jesus that we all know of: Satan telling Him to turn the stone to bread, to bow and worship him, and to jump off the temple so the angels could rescue Him. But what got my attention today about the Scripture above is that it says Jesus was tempted for the full forty days before He became hungry and faced the more widely known temptations.

I have always heard and believed that Jesus knew and suffered the same temptations that I face. But I honestly thought, "I've never suffered hunger to that degree, I've never considered bowing to Satan, and I've certainly never stood on the pinnacle of the temple and wanted to jump off."

But now I understand that these were just three of probably dozens of things that Satan used to try to get Jesus to give in. Who knows what other things Jesus faced in that time of temptation? Well, we know. Because we suffer them daily, or at least sometime in our life. And that is what makes Him the Perfect Sacrifice. He faced those trials and never gave in.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)

This, dear friends, is why we can identify with God. Because He came down, limited Himself, just for us. Just to redeem us to Himself. And the fact that He had our same weaknesses, but overcame them, is why we can rely on Him to see us through. But, more importantly, this is why He can identify with us. He isn't just an observer. He's a player/manager.

And if you think being close to God and strong in Him is relief from temptation, notice that this occurred when Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit. Does that mean He was full of Himself?

I've been avoiding this...really I have.

I really, really hate to go here but, I swear, I can't help it. This has been on my mind for weeks. Politics.

For all who read this, all who celebrate or argue or complain around watercoolers or cubicles, all who suffer through the inevitable tsunami of e-mails that will start going around today, I have one thing to say: It doesn't matter.

Whether you consider yourself victorious or defeated after the presidential election, let me assure you, you didn't have alot to do with it. The impending doom or prosperity of our nation is completely unaffected by the president-elect. And, yes, I believe this without question. The only thing we voted for was the target of the jokes and which party laughs at them.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. --(Romans 13:1)

This doesn't mean that God endorses candidates. It means He has a greater plan in mind. And it means He is in control, still. He sees time all at once. He sees the beginning and end and He sees His plan for this world, not just this country, as it pertains to His will.

Joseph submitted to the Egyptians. Daniel submitted to the Babylonians. And Jesus submitted to the Romans. You won't find much godliness in those governments, but they existed as God designed for His higher purposes, and, ultimately, for His glory.

Jesus told Pilate, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." (John 19:11) So, relax. It's still a two-party system. His party and everyone else.

Open your eyes

Then the king of Aram sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of Elisha got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O Lord, open his eyes so he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. --(2 Kings 6:14-17)

Sometimes we fear what we see because we don't know what it is we aren't seeing. Clear as mud? What I mean is, Elisha's servant was afraid because he saw the Aramean army surrounding the city. He knew that they had been sent there because the king of Aram wanted Elisha dead. But Elisha wasn't the least bit scared. He knew that God had his back. He simply prayed for his servant's eyes to be opened so that he could see the army of God that was assembled around them. After this, Elisha prayed for God to blind the enemy, which He did, and Elisha led them into the city where their sight was returned and they were captured. Voila! Happy ending.

I often fear things because of what I see. I was thinking about this today. What we see, and visualize, is frequently the source of our fears. But God doesn't dwell in our visualized world. He has other things going on; things we are unaware of. Faith, not sight, remember? We can't see His presence surrounding us and sometimes we can't feel it. But that doesn't make it any less "there." He is with us, ready to defend us. If we can't see that, then the real trouble is with our spiritual eyes.

Another thing I like in this passage is "those who are with us are more than those who are with them." This reminds me of 1 John 4:4 - the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. Some fears are real and justified. They lead to some of our most earnest prayers. I'm not suggesting we be flippant and casual about everything. But I am suggesting we pay a little more attention to what God sees instead of only what we see.

I think I just stepped on my own toes.

No offense to Isaac C. Thomas

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." Early the next morning Abraham got up and saddled his donkey." (Genesis 22:2,3)



This has always been one of my favorite parts of Scripture. I think this may be one of the greatest acts of obedience in recorded history, second only to Jesus going to the cross. After waiting decades for his promised son to be born, God asks Abraham to sacrifice him. But that doesn't mean just killing Isaac. As a burnt offering, that means slaughtering him, draining the blood, and burning his body.



As if that isn't enough for Abraham to look forward to, God's command starts with a heart-wrenching description: "your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love." As if Abraham didn't know. Then He tells Abe to go to Moriah. So Abraham has 60 miles - three whole days - to dread what will happen. Three days to visualize the horror of sacrificing his only son.



But that didn't stop Abraham. I don't know if he thought God would stop it. That seems counter-productive to me. I think he went simply out of obedience, not knowing the outcome. All he knew was that God had always been faithful and had always fulfilled His promises. That was enough for Abraham. So he got up the next morning, no questions asked.



Is that enough for us? If God asks us to make a sacrifice of the things, or persons, we love the most, will His faithfulness to us in the past be enough to prompt our immediate obedience? We talk a good game most of the time, but when it comes down to crunch time, I, for one, am not always so obedient.



Things are happening all around me right now. I see things that would make a really good Old Testament miracle story. But with that comes sacrifice, for all of us. So it's gut-check time. What will we give up? More importantly, will we give up everything? It wasn't just God's track record with Abraham that led him to obey, it was Abraham's love for, and devotion to, God. More on that later.