Faith, Abandonment and Other Easy Things

"I may not understand what Jesus Christ says, but it is dangerous to say that therefore He was mistaken in what He said. It is never right to think that my obedience to a word of God will bring dishonor to Jesus. The only thing that will bring dishonor is not obeying Him. To put my view of His honor in place of what He is plainly impelling me to do is never right, although it may arise from a real desire to prevent Him being put to open shame." -Oswald Chambers

I have been thinking about these words from Oswald Chambers that I read in my devotion yesterday. When the leading of God conflicts with our understanding of God we are left questioning how well we really know God. You may ask yourself, "How can this possibly be the voice of God? This doesn't make sense and either God is going to look foolish or I am." I love the above passage from My Utmost For His Highest because it puts in proper perspective this debate in which we sometimes find ourselves. We must never put our view in place of His direction in our lives. This is easy to give voice to but excruciating at times to do. What makes it even harder is when you are concerned that your obedience will tarnish His reputation in the eyes of people you lead, maybe even your own children. And that is where faith must kick in.

Chambers goes on to say that "Faith is not intelligent understanding, faith is deliberate commitment to a Person where I see no way." Absolute, unquestioning obedience requires total abandonment of self which is so much more than lip service to a particular creed. It doesn't just ask for involvement, it requires an absorption of who you are into Who He is.
So, no matter how out of place or uncomfortable His leading in your life may be, your only response should be complete trust and unwavering confidence that He can handle the resulting consequences of your obedience. I don't know about you but I wrestle with this. And sometimes, it is just not pretty. But when it is all said and done, I can't help but come back to the simple truth of an old hymn "I once was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see." He changed me from who I was to who I am. And using the language of a changed life, He can speak for Himself.

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Oh, The Things We Do To Entertain Ourselves

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Friday Jumbles

--So, I discovered the cure for migraine headaches this week. I like to call it my "I-feel-like -I'm-having-a-stroke cocktail". You take two Aleve, two Advil and two Tylenol and wash them down your pie hole with one liter of Mountain Dew. Oh, I exaggerate. A little. You really only need two cups of Mountain Dew. And you will be back to your old self in no time!

--I've decided that when you are fasting, watching Food Network is probably not a good idea. It is kind of like porn for the food-deprived individual. It might be wrong...but it feels so right!

--Fav quote of the week: "To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it." --Thomas Jefferson (read it a few times if you need to...it is a great truth for the times we live in)

--I sat down on the living room floor one afternoon this week to play Pick up Sticks (yes, people do still play that game) with my youngest son. Before he threw the sticks down he looked me right in the eyes and said, "You had better enjoy this because one day you won't have little boys to play games with. Jacob and David already don't like to any more." I promise you my lip was trembling and it was all I could do not to burst into tears on the spot. Rip a mama's heart out, will ya??

--And finally, Dave Ramsey, in cooperation with LifeChurch.TV, will be hosting a Town Hall for Hope Meeting on April 23rd at 8pm. This is a free event during which he will be addressing the state of the economy, how we got here and where to go from here. I am a huge fan of Dave Ramsey and I especially appreciate the positive approach he has to what is happening in our country. With so much doom, gloom and hopelessness, it is nice to hear truth wrapped up in hope. Click here to get the details.

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Social Media: How Much Is Too Much?

Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in "muchness" and "manyness," he will rest satisfied. --Richard Foster

We live in an era earmarked by the most astounding technological advancements of all time. The winds of change in this arena over the past three decades have been nothing short of a whirlwind. What is most remarkable about all of this change and development is the sense of connection to others it has brought us. And while our ability to click a button and connect with one another across the globe through various social media most certainly has its merits, there are pitfalls that should and must be considered.

As wondrous as Facebook, Twitter and iPhones are, it is imperative that we do not allow the "noise" of these portals of community to drown out the quiet voice of our own souls and the solitude that the soul craves. Richard Foster wrote about the importance of solitude in his book "Celebration of Discipline", and it is a practice that we are in danger of losing in our hyper-connected world. We used to have quiet moments to think, reflect and still ourselves throughout the day; waiting for our dining companion in a restaurant, in the carpool line at your child's school, in the library, at the dentist office, in traffic, sitting in a coffee shop, or even while using the bathroom! But now we can Twitter, Facebook, read blogs, check e-mail or talk on the phone anytime, anywhere. Does everyone really need to know what you are doing all day every day? Could it be that we miss out on some "living" when we spend so much time "reporting" on our lives?

Please do not read into this that I am against any of these things. I do, however, think we must be very careful to control the place that these "connections" have in our lives. Silence, solitude and quiet thought is essential to our well-being, to our growth and health as Christians and as human beings.

So, ask yourself-
Are you more "connected" than you should be? When was the last time you connected with....you?


"I love people. I love my family, my children . . . but inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up." -Pearl S. Buck

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What??? No Post???!

Please remember that I have changed my posting schedule.

I will post on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Sometimes....I will throw in a surprise one.

You just never know about me...

You can click here to see the original post about the schedule changes.

See you back here tomorrow...oh, how I love ya!

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Sexy Church

I read an article over the weekend about a church in the rural Alabama town of Good Hope that really grabbed my attention. Apparently Daystar Church's pastor of nine years, Jerry Lawson, has launched a month-long teaching series called "Great Sex: God's Way" and has even rented billboard space in their tiny town to advertise it. And some folks in Good Hope are feeling less than hopeful about it.

The concerns that were cited are, and I am nut-shelling here, that "sex should be discussed at home and in schools-not in church", "this is just a fancy marketing scheme to get people to come to their church", and finally-and I quote- "Paul said preach the Gospel. Talking about sex ain't gonna get nobody to heaven." The last quote was from another pastor in that town.

Jerry Lawson took over the leadership of Daystar Church, which was then running less than 100 in attendance, and has grown that church to over 2,000, which is more than Good Hope's total population. Forgive me for once again tossing my opinions about but, friends, as I read these criticisms of Daystar Church, I smell a Pharisee or two.

Certainly there is much debate about church growth strategies and then there is the whole "mega-church versus small church" discussion that I find more than a little tiresome. This is just wasting breath arguing over non-essentials when the church should be about making disciples-not critiquing how other churches are going about making disciples. Sheeesh! It would seem to me that the issues some are having with this church in Alabama are more about that issue than about sex. But for those who are troubled with the church addressing the topic of sex, I have just a few words. WAKE UP!!!!

As a former pastor, I have spent countless hours helping couples deal with sexual issues and it IS a topic the church should address. Jesus didn't just commission us to "preach repentance." He commissioned us to make disciples (Matt28:19-20) and, while that begins with repentance, it does not end there. We have to teach people how to live, how to grow in vital relationship with God and then in relationship with others. God made sex. He is not offended or embarrassed by it, and He wants married people to enjoy it like crazy!!! If the church refuses to talk about it, the problems won't go away and the destruction of marriages in the church will continue to be equal with those outside of the church. We must equip the people in every area of life and see each come to a place of wholeness and healing that each might, in turn, bring the very same healing and wholeness to those in their own sphere of influence. ( 2Tim 4:2)

What do you think? Should the church address issues of sexuality?

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I Am Confessing My Love Affair...

I lived for four and a half years in Lake City, Florida....a little town that did not have a Chick-fil-A. And it was torture. I wrote letters and e-mails to their corporate offices in Atlanta but always they said no to putting one in Lake City. I now live in Columbus, Georgia where there are three Chick-fil-A restaurants and I thank God for bringing this gift to me. Because, friends, I LOVE Chick-fil-A and I finally found someone who can express my passion...

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