Trusting God When Life Stinks!

How can we experience joy that lasts, when...
I’m feeling the affects of a financial crisis?
I’m unemployed?

I’m dealing with a bad marriage?
I’ve just lost my spouse to death?

I feel so lonely?
I’m rejected?
I feel God isn’t listening to me?

Joy and happiness are not the same.  Happiness seems to depend on our external circumstances. If our circumstances are pleasant, our needs are being met, and we have the approval of family and friends, we generally feel happy with our lives.

Joy, however, is a Spirit-fruit quality that sustains us when the storms of life are raging.  It is a quality that believers can experience because of the working of the indwelled Spirit in our lives.  It is true, however, that joy can be zapped by our lack of trust in God, sin in our lives, horrific experiences, hardships or an undisciplined life. They way joy can be enhanced is to keep our trust in God and know that God knows what He is supposed to do and how to do it.

John 14:1-4, Jesus said, "Trust in God...." I believe that trust is earned. It takes time to trust.  It is over time and as we getting to know a person that a relationship of trust is being built. I’ve talked to many people who have asked me,   “How can I trust God when life is hard? When I’ve been abused? Raped? Abandoned? “  Doesn’t God care about me?”

Mostly, my response is:  God doesn't do bad things to people; people do bad things to people. Joy comes when we put our focus on a solution, rather than find someone to blame.  God isn’t in the business of making our lives miserable, rather he is rooting us on to see him as one who deeply cares and loves each of his children.  He is sad when one of his kids hurt another one.  He hurts deeply when we hurt.  He gets angry when lives are taken because of the selfish behavior of others.  God does not always stop the brutality of his children.  But he always has a solution to help each of us through the difficult and painful hardships. 

After hundreds of years in brutal oppression, slavery and hard labor, God heard the cries of the Israelites and freed them from a dictatorial regime.

It wasn't an overnight sensation of joy and trust that the Israelites developed with God; it was forty years of traveling, listening, and seeing that God can be trusted. After all, these people had been abused and neglected. No one can just turn off the switch and become joyful and trusting; it takes time. For the Israelites, they eventually trusted God and began to feel that God was in their corner.

The same is true for each of us.  When abuse has taken its toll.  When rejection has been so hurtful.  When a crisis overtakes our lives and no light at the end of the tunnel, it is hard to just turn everything over to someone whom we may not know very well or at all.  It is a journey to get to know them.    

God has many resources to sustain us, help us and lead us to a better place.  It is a willingness to travel the journey to find the inner joy we so desperately want.    Trusting God when life is at its worse.  It is trusting that God is our peace (Judges 6:4) and that he supplies all of our needs, when we need them (Genesis 17:1) and it's trusting that God will provide a way for a better day or medicines for illnesses or food when we are hungry (Genesis 22:14), it is trusting that God will lead us like a shepherd who cares deeply for us (Psalm 23:1) and it is trusting God to be our master when all of chaos is breaking out and the pain is so severe and the hurt is so deep.  The Master will make it better in the end. (Genesis 18:3)  Trust God even when life stinks! 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

The Mark of a Great Dad!

He isn’t your ordinary father.  He has always been around to lead and teach and to discipline and to protect and to love and to pass on values that will sustain each of his children through life.  His work ethic is extraordinary.  His devotion to his wife no matter the hardships has been inspiring and his desire to lead a godly life is evident in his speech and actions. 

On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig declared himself the “luckiest man on the face of the earth” to have played for the Yankee’s.  Today, I declare myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth to have been blessed with a father who helped shape me into the man I am today. 

My father was born on March 1^st 1938 in the little town of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.  His surroundings were farms of cotton, corn, beans and cattle.  The Black River provided a place of recreation and the one room school was his formal education.  His childhood wasn’t filled with all the gadgets we have today, rather it was filled with work and taking care of things around the farm in which he grew up on. 

My siblings and I have had the opportunity many times as children to visit my dad’s childhood places.  Some of us were taught how to swim in the Black River by my dad and we pretended we were the teachers at the one room school that had become over time a dilapidated building.   We walked the dirt streets where my dad once played and ran through the fields where he once worked. 

The older I get, the more I realize the impact my father has made on me.  The values, morals, ethics, integrity didn’t come by chance; rather, they came from a man who has been immersed in a relationship with God for decades.  As I write this, my eyes are filled with tears of joy because I would not be the man I am today without the father God has given me.  He is godly.  He is gentle.  He is patient.  He is loving.  He is respectful.  He is loyal.  He is a servant. 

The Gospel of Luke describes a story of a son who wanted his inheritance before his dad died so that he could experience the world.  The father granted the inheritance and the son left to sow his wild oats.  The story goes on to say that the son spent all the money and wanted to go home.  The father saw the son from a distance and had compassion on him, ran to him, threw his arms around him and kissed him.  The father was thrilled his son was home and they had a big party of eating, music and dancing.  You see; the father was more in love with his son than he was with his farm.  He was overjoyed that his son was now safe at home.

I’ve seen my dad do the same for one of his sons.  Day in and day out he would wonder where one of his children was.  One night he gets a call.  “Hi dad, this is Keith…can I come home….” The next morning my dad takes off and drives hundreds of miles to bring his lost son home.  My father has helped all six of his children to success in life.  Whether it was financial help, comfort in times of struggle or spiritual advice, he has been there through the thick and the thin. 

For 30 plus years an alarm clock would wake him up at four in the morning to start his day at General Motors in St. Louis, MO.  For 50 years of my life, I have witnessed a man who has admired Jesus so much that he can’t help but tell others about him.  My father has taught hundreds and hundreds about Jesus; mostly though, he taught all six of his children the importance of godly living and faithfulness to Jesus. 

The mark of a great father isn’t in how much he can purchase for their children, rather the mark of a great father is teaching and loving and disciplining and walking the second and third and fourth and fifth miles with each one. 

I am blessed to have a great father.  I love you with all my heart, DAD!

Brian

Loved to Hate

A couple thousand years ago a man entered the scene of a clannish group of elites who had the market on the know-it-all.  I mean; they knew the law inside and out.  They lived it.  Breathed it.  Talked it.  Commanded it.  To veer one iota of it was to break all of it.  The religious elitists pompous attitudes were not attracting those searching for a better life; rather, they were hindering those searching. 

Jesus comes on to the scene with a new kind of message.  An attractive message.  A grace-filled message.  A hopeful message.  Jesus was Kind.  Compassionate.  Patient.  Jesus sees the searchers as an opportunity to steer them toward God.  He made them feel better about themselves and about the future.  Jesus was an optimist.  A Can-doer.  A mercy man.  Jesus was the light in the darkest of moments.  Jesus was the open-door for those who were being hindered by rejection from the religious elite who prevented them from seeing God as one who was a provider, a comforter, a caregiver, a protector, and a lover. 

Jesus’ messages put the religious elites on the defensive.  The elites came out swinging at him and looked for every opportunity to take him out…permanently.  However, No matter the attempts, Jesus still stayed focused on the plan, God’s plan.  The plan was to help people like the Samaritan woman whose life was in chaos in John 4.  She had five husbands in her life and now she is living with a guy.  Jesus saw passed her past and gave her hope.  Not just hope for her, but others as well.  Because of Jesus’ compassion to a woman who needed it the most, the people of the town said, “We’re no longer taking this on your say-so. We’ve heard it for ourselves and know it for sure. He’s the Savior of the world!” John 4:42 (The Message)

The Samaritan revival was just one of many life-changing events that happened because of Jesus.  His desire to build relationships and point people to God was the hallmark of his ministry.  His desire to teach and model what he taught made way for countless people to become Jesus followers.  Jesus was a change-maker, a storyteller, and a salvation giver.  However, Jesus’ goodness ultimately became part of the reason many of the “religious” people hated him with a vengeance.   Their hatred grew to murderous thoughts and to eventually killing him in front of a slanderous mob whose only purpose was to make a spectacle out of him. 

The murder of Jesus seemed hopeless to those who loved him.  The days to follow were filled with sorrow and grief.  Dismayed.  Hurt.  Disappointment.  Defeat.  Depression.  Lost.  Could it be that Jesus is really gone for good?  His life’s work all for naught? 

Any hope?  Is this it? 

Could it be that the one who claimed to be the bridge-builder, the better life inventor, the Holy Son of God was taken down by those who loved to hate him without a fight? 

Is this really it?

Not a chance!  Something extraordinary is about to happen.  It will blow your mind!  Get ready!

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Life is About What is and What Can Be

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.” William James

There is a story told of identical twins: “One was a hope-filled optimist. “Everything is coming up roses!” He would say. The other was a sad and hopeless pessimist. He thought that Murphy, as in Murphy’s Law, was an optimist. The worried parents of the boys brought them to the local Psychologist.

He suggested to the parents a plan to balance the twins’ personalities. “On their next birthday, put them in separate rooms to open their gifts. Give the pessimist the best toys you can afford, and give the optimist a box of manure.” The parents followed these instructions and carefully observed the results.

When they peeked in on the pessimist, they heard him audibly complaining, “I don’t like the color of the computer…I’ll bet the calculator will break…I don’t like this game…I know someone who’s got a bigger toy car than this…”

Tiptoeing across the corridor, the parents peeked in and saw their little optimist gleefully throwing the manure up in the air. He was giggling. “You can’t fool me! Where there’s this much manure, there’s gotta be a pony!” (Excerpt from Chicken Soup for the Soul)

There are two kinds of people: Optimists and pessimists. Some will see the wonderful works that are being done everyday, while others are always looking to find the bad.

Christian living isn’t about what isn’t, but rather, what is and what can be.  We are so blessed with brothers and sisters who see us for who we really are, but they also stick with us for they have an eye for who we can be. Jesus is the perfect model of taking a bad situation and making something good out of it. There was no joy in suffering, separation, or sin being splatter all over Him. However, Jesus took our suffering and our separation, and our sin and created the most spectacular opportunity ever! Jesus healed us spiritually by His wounded flesh. By His bloody body, and by taking the sin bullet for us!

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was not a prayer of pessimism, but rather, a prayer of humility and service opportunity for mankind. Jesus didn’t see the last days of His life as doom and gloom. Jesus saw the last days as an opportunity to show case His Father’s limitless and unquenchable love for mankind. Romans 5:8 say, “God demonstrated his own love for us….”

The Jesus walk isn’t about whether we have all the latest gadgets, but rather, do we really have a joy for Jesus living? Do you love people for who they are? And, do we see people as an opportunity to show case God by the way that we live our life everyday?

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Worship is NOT just on Sunday!

"If you will not worship God seven days a week, you will not worship Him on one day a week"  A.W. Tozer

"To worship is to experience Reality, to touch life.  It is to know, to feel to experience the resurrected Christ in the midst of the gathered community."  Richard Foster,

Foster also wrote, "Worship is our response to the overtures of love from the heart of the Father." The Scriptures says in Romans 12:1: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your act of spiritual worship."

Worship is the way we show our love and respect to God for who He is and what He has done for us.  Disciplining ourselves to studying the Word of God, praying to the Father on a daily basis, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit,  will lead to the desire to worship Him daily, not just on Sunday morning.

Worship is a lifestyle!  We don't start and stop worship to God; we live it daily.  24/7.  365 days a year for a lifetime.  The newest Jesus followers in Acts 2 disciplined themselves to a daily worshipful lifestyle:  (42)"They devoted themselves to: Teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer."  (46-47) "Every day they continued to meet together...praising God...."  Worship to God for the earliest Christians was a daily lifestyle.  No short cuts.  No time limits.  No restraints.

Worship is spiritual focus.  Colossians 3:2 says to "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."  Right thinking will lead to right focus.  When the Words of Christ dwells in our lives, we are able to focus our minds upon God.  We put to death all the things that rob our relationship and worship to God.  When we focus on being spiritual, it will give attention to good works and worship to God – Matthew 5:16

God is worthy of all of our adoration, praise, and attention.  Each day, he provides us with all the resources that will sustain us in life.  He opens up doors for us to walk through so we can experience joy and feel the presence of hope.  He gave up his son so that we could have a relationship with him, personally.  God is creative.  God is generous.  God is trustworthy.  God is dependable.  God is loyal. 

If we only make a Sunday morning church gatherings the totality of our worship, we will set ourselves up to fail Monday through Saturday.  God made each day, not just Sunday.  Give all your attention to the inspiring artist who paints the most beautiful sceneries and provides for us all the resources we need to get us through each day.  Praise him.  Honor him.  Respect him.  Revere him.  Bow before him.  Live for him.

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Acting up in Worship

Worship gatherings are a wonderful place to fellowship, celebrate, and be edified.  I love to attend them and listen to laughter and music being made from the hearts of each attendee as they lift Jesus up, and to cheer on those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus and to joyfully sit around the supper table and eat the bread and drink the wine that represents Christ sacrifice.  Each gathering gives us hope and encouragement and gives us a boost.

I’ve often heard it said that there are five acts of worship in the gathering:  Giving.  Singing.  Preaching.  Lord’s Supper.  And, Praying.  I have searched the Scriptures to find it, but am not able to.  What I have found in Scripture that are acts of worship pertain to our daily lives. 

When I was a kid, we all attended our church gatherings.  When we were younger, we all had to sit with our parents.  For a while, six kids lined the hard wooded pews.  My dad was the lead and then my mother and then we followed from youngest to oldest.  We did not dare “act up in worship.”  If we did, somehow, my father’s arm got pretty long and we felt a pinch on our leg.  We had to stay still.  Listen.  No sleeping. No eating snacks.  No! No! No!  It was a time of strict silence.  Oh, we could sing when we were supposed to and we could give our quarter when the basket was passed and if we were baptized, we could take the Lord’s Supper.  Other than those activities, we didn’t dare make a sound or movement that was distracting. 

Years later, I have found that worshiping God is so much more than sitting idle in a building and going through “acts” of worship.  Worshiping God isn’t confined to a facility once a week and then it is over until the next week; rather, it is a daily opportunity to demonstrate to our God that all we have and all that we are is appreciated.  I love what Romans 16:1 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”  (NLT) Whatever each of us do on a daily basis, whether it is working, sleeping, or simply walk about in life, give it as an offering to God first.  Once we give it to him, there is no taking it back.  This is worship!

While praying and singing and giving and preaching and taking the Lord’s Supper are all beneficial, they do not solely capture the essence of daily worship.  If on one particular Sunday I could not sing, does that mean I did not completely worship God?  Or, if I left before the sermon started, was my worship cut short, therefore, I did not fully worship?  If that were the case we would have a lot of people who do not fully worship God.  On the other hand, if worship is viewed as Ephesians 5:15 describes, “Be careful, then, how you live your life…” (NIV) our entire life would change.  Our music to God would be everyday, not just confined on Sunday.  Our giving would be everyday, not confined to Sunday.  Get the point?  Plus we would live Hebrews 10:24 out, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.” (NIV)

Let’s act up in worship…EVERY DAY!  When worship is our life, then it will be much easier to gather with our people to celebrate and fellowship and be edified on a Sunday!

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

I'm Searching for a Church, Which one is Right?

Nothing can be more confusing than to drive around looking for a new church to connect with.  Nearly on every corner, there is a type of “church.”   One may question:  Why so many?  Why so many of the same type of church? Who is right?  Who is wrong?  Can all of them be right or wrong? 

When one is searching for a church, there is more than just seeing what types of “programs” they offer.  However, “programs” can be a starting point to reaching and connecting with those who are seeking to better themselves, their children, or the entire family. 

It was in the early 1960’s that my father was searching for a better life and more meaning to his spiritual life.  One day, he got a knock on his door from some people who attended the Lemay Church in St. Louis, MO.  They were having their yearly Vacation Bible School (VBS) and had invited him and the family.  My dad accepted the invitation and attended with his family (I wasn’t born yet).  The invitation to the VBS changed his life, my mother’s and our family.  My dad and mom surrendered their lives to Jesus and they resurrected into the new life, which Scripture calls baptism (Romans 6:3-4).  From that invitation to attend a VBS, all six of my parent’s children are born again believers.  Two of the six kids are preachers.  And, most of all the grandchildren are born again believers and some of them serve in a variety of ways in leadership with the church where they are attending. 

Never underestimate the power of inviting someone to your church “program” or worship gatherings.  It just might change their lives for generations to come. 

In seeking the “right” church, one must conclude that there is no perfect church.  We are all sinners in the need of God’s grace.  However, there are at least a couple of important factors one needs to consider when making the final decision as to where to go.

First of all, is Jesus the center?  No one should attend a “church” if Jesus isn’t the centerpiece of it.  Colossians 1:18, “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.” (NLT)  If the church is run by man’s philosophies of what you can and cannot do and who you can and cannot associate with, then stay far way.  That means, Jesus isn’t the center, man is. 

Secondly, is Jesus the leader?  There have been many who have built facilities to worship in or have started a church for one reason or another.  Just because one started a church, he/she isn’t the boss; Jesus is.  By boss I mean, lead builder.  Matthew 16:18, says that Jesus will build his church.  The church is not a literal building, but rather, a spiritual one.  It is inside the hearts of people who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord and Savior and those who have resurrected in the new life.  God does the adding to the “church” and it is relationship based. (Acts 2:41)

“Churches” are everywhere!  No one has the market on who is the most right.  For all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  However, there are many who strive to be the very best they can be biblically and spiritually.  Always ensure in your search that you compare what the preachers, teachers, and their periodicals say with the bible.  Never let anyone tell you they are the only ones going to heaven.  For if they do, they have just made themselves the perfect church.  There is no such thing as the perfect church!  But there is a perfect Savior! 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian