A Hill Far Away, Moved Closer

Yesterday at sunrise, I stood on a hill at the foot of a cross with 300-400 early risers.  We sang, prayed, and proclaimed the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.  It was a celebration that was full of excitement and opportunity.  The weather was perfect with a gentle breeze blowing as the sun rose over Hanging Rock.  I held the tiny hands of two little girls and watched them take in the excitement of this great gathering of believers.  Just like the old hymn, I stood amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazerene.  Yes, Jesus was there.  I heard Him in the chirping of the birds.  I saw Him in the faces of brothers and sisters who know Him personally and obviously weren't ashamed to show it.  I felt Him as the breeze blew and as I snuggled with two of my daughters and my wife. In just a few minutes, I experienced all of these things.  Then I looked at the cross.  Even though I knew this hill on a Christmas Tree farm in Avery County, North Carolina was not Golgotha, just for a moment in time that "hill far away" was suddenly very close.  I was there and that cross was real, but what I experienced in the greatest of ways was its emptiness!  The cross extended towards the beautiful sky and the cross beam pointed toward the ends of the earth; the symbol of all the pain of humanity becoming reconciled with the Holiness of God.  The reconciliation was complete, the price was paid in full, and forever more the cross would remain empty.  This particular Easter morning, I was able to be reminded of a powerful truth that the Psalmist wrote about thousands of years ago: 

 

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;

your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

                              Psalm 57:10 (NIV)

How did he know, centuries before this happened, that God's love could be so great?  How did he know that it would reach to the heavens and God's faithfulness reaches the skies?  Obviously, the Psalmist experienced this great love and knew of His faithfulness first hand.  I wonder though, could the Psalmist have pictured the height of the cross as God's great love reaching to the heavens?  And could he have pictured the width of the cross as God's faithfulness reaching across the skies?  Works for me!  How about you?

 

A History Lesson

We have heard with our ears, O God;

our fathers have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

The Holy Bible  : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 44:1

 

Have you ever had the privilege of sitting at the foot of a grandparent or great-grandparent telling stories about how God worked in their lives?  I was fortunate to have two sets of grandparents that loved the Lord and were faithful church members as long as they were able to do so.  I remember my Pa-pa Marlowe sharing with me how he found Christ in an old saw-dust arbor one hot August night during the annual revival at Hebron Baptist Church.  His life was changed forever because of that Hot August Night.  I was able to serve that church many years later for two summers as a Youth Minister and I experienced first hand those revivals in that arbor.  I remember hearing from Pa-pa Mitchell the struggles they experienced in building Harmony Baptist Church but yet how God continued to provide.  I can still hear him talk about tithing when they had absolutely nothing because they knew and had experienced the faithfulness of God and wanted to thank Him through their tithes and offerings.  I remember looking at my Granny Mitchell's Bible and asking her why she had all those check marks on each chapter throughout that well used copy.  She would smile and answer "Every time I read a chapter I would check it."  There were multiple check marks on chapter indicating to me that she spent a great deal of time reading God's word and had read the Bible completely over and over.  My Granny Marlowe taught the primary Sunday School every Sunday as long as she was able.  I can't help but wonder how many lives were changed over the many years she planted seeds of God's word on those young hearts.  One day I just may see the glorious fruit of her telling the great stories of the Bible and see just how many lives were changed as a result.

 

This verse certainly reminds me of the benefits of sharing God's word and the stories of His faithfulness over the years.  It certainly seems to be an art that is not prevalent today.  Perhaps we are too busy to sit and listen.  Perhaps we are too much in a hurry to even ask.  The amazing thing is that God still is faithful.  His stories are still changing lives.  There are stories to be told.  Maybe we need to just ask.  Father, help me to hear the stories from your faithful servants who have seen first hand Your glory.  Help me make the time to ask, then to sit and listen!

What are you waiting on?

There are country songs that I can't relate to, but there are also lots to which I can relate well!  For example, Brad Paisley's song "Waitin' on a Woman" is definitely one that I can relate too well!  In case you have stumbled on this blog for the first time, I have four daughters, a wife, two sisters, a mom, and a female dog.  So, I am always "waitin' on a woman" it seems!  Of course, there are other things I seem to wait on these days.  I have become Mr. Impatient in drive thru's, waiting for ATM's, and then there is the check-out line at Walmart.  Oh yea, this writing is about waiting not anger!  I am sure that there are many other areas in where I grow impatient waiting.  I admit, I do have a tough time waiting and perhaps you do as well.  When I read Psalm 37:34, these visions of waiting popped into my mind.  However, I am not so sure that this waiting is such a bad thing.  I will tell you that in my experience it is a hard thing, but the rewards are heavenly! 

Wait for the Lord

and keep his way.

He will exalt you to inherit the land;

when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

(The Holy Bible  : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 37:34)

See how it works?  You wait and keep His way,  He will exalt you.  Did you catch that?  He will exalt you!  He will exalt you!  HE WILL EXALT YOU!!

Remember the words of Jesus? 

     “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

(The Holy Bible  : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Jn 14:1-4)
See the punchline?  Trust and Wait are synonymous!  In this passage, trusting and waiting also hold a promise:  Jesus is coming back for us!!  In the BIG PICTURE, the waiting is just for a little while!  So hold on!  Stay true!  Keep on keeping on!

Life, Love and the Pursuit of Happiness

Why do you exist? Seriously....why are you here? Many of us have pondered that question at some time or another. Perhaps you have asked, "What on earth am I doing? What is life all about?  What does it mean to live, love and be happy?  Is it possible to be happy?"  Many in this world would say a resounding no...that it is not possible to be happy.  Others would emphatically say, "Yes....it is very possible to always be happy!"  Somewhere in the middle, there is a place where we can rest and do so quite comfortably. 

Life, love and the pursuit of happiness is found only through a restored relationship with Christ.  If you go any other way, you will find yourself falling short, being incomplete, and essentially empty.  So why do we exist?
God has designed you and I to Glorify Him! All that we do, all that we are, should exist to Glorify Him. It is interesting to note that even those that claim to not know God are used by Him to Glorify His Name! Take Pharaoh of Exodus as an example. In Exodus 9:16, God specifically told Moses to tell Pharoah that "I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." With good folks and even with bad folks, God desires that He is glorified.  Somehow, some way, He is going to make that happen.  We can be for Him, or against Him.  Pharoah chose to be against Him, yet God used Moses to tell Pharoah that "you are here so that I can show my power and my name proclaimed!"  Can you imagine what Pharoah was thinking?  I bet he was livid!  I am certain that he was furious and wanted to punch Moses in the face!  I must admit that there have been too many times when I have developed Pharoah-like thinking.  Sometimes I feel that I know what is best and it is my way or the highway.  It is funny when I do that!  I am like a big dog whose bark is worse than his bite.  I make noise but run with my tail tucked between my legs when something jumps out of the bushes of my life.  I have come to realize that God is bigger.  God is better.  His way is perfect.  His way is marvelous!  His plans for me are much more than I could ever dream of doing on my own.  He has created me to glorify Him by showing me His power and proclaiming His name in all the earth.  Guess what?  He has created you for that very same reason!  Whatcha gonna do about it?  

Dealing With Regrets

I have used this phrase made popular by Dandy Don Meredith on Monday Night Football in the 1970's many times. Dandy Don, known for his wit and his heavy Texan accent, stated "If if's and but's were candies and nuts, we would all have a Merry Christmas!" Obviously, whether Dandy Don originated this statement or it came from someone else, I am certain the reason it was stated first was all about regrets. Something happened and someone responded, "If only I had done this" or "But what if I had gone down this path?" I could spend hours perhaps even days thinking about poor decisions I have had in my life. Some have been life changing. Some have changed the lives of others. Some were good. Some were bad. Some have made me say, "whew!" Some have made me shout with joy. Some have made me cry. All however, have made me into the person I am right now. Am I the best I could possibly be? I am far from perfection. To assume so would mean that God is finished with me. If (there goes that word again!) I believe in the Word of God, it tells me that I continue to be a work in progress. So shall I live with regrets or shall I anticipate rewards? If scripture in verses like Philippians 1:3-6 are true, then the best is yet to come! Verse 6 in this great passage states, "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." This presupposes a good work has been started, in spite of my misgivings, shortcomings, and regrets. So we have to press onward and upward! The Philippian theme of a greater future continues in chapter 3 with verses 12-14. Here is my paraphrase: "Forget the past. There is nothing you can do about it both good and bad. But you can keep going. You can have hope. You can know that God has a purpose and a plan for your life! So press on! Don't stop! You have a huge plan from a huge God because of a huge sacrifice made by His Son." Therefore, when I allow myself to begin to regret, I shall strive to become more like Paul who has determined that in all states...yes even the most regrettable, I will be content and I will rejoice. Why? Because living with regrets stinks! Been there. Done that and I have several of those t-shirts! My prayer is this: Lord help me to live in your will, your way, your wisdom and with no regrets.

Horses and Horsepower

Recently I watched the 1969 version of TRUE GRIT on AMC. John Wayne just can't be beat! As I watched this great western, I watched as the character portrayed by Glen Campbell (the Rhinestone Cowboy)shoots the horse out from under the bad guy. I remember thinking, "don't you know that PETA would have had a field day with this movie!" Then later on in the movie, John Wayne's horse is shot and falls on the Duke, leaving him just out of the reach of his Winchester. Of course, he is able to retreive his gun and shoot the bad guy as well as get out from beneath his fallen horse. After watching the movie and totally enjoying dreaming about being a cowboy, I turned over to ESPN to watch the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona, the race where modified Porsches are driven by Indy, Grand Prix, and NASCAR drivers for a 24-hour period. I must admit that being a cowboy is still a dream but so is being a race car driver!As I watched, I saw one driver stall his car in a curve because his clutch went out and then couldn't start it because his battery had died. His chariot had failed him.

In this adventure from horse to horsepower, I found myself reflecting on my recent reading in Psalm 20:7. The passage in the NIV reads "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." The Duke and the bad guys in True Grit trusted in their horses. The professional race drivers were trusting in their chariots and their horsepower. Both ended up in predicaments that indicated failure. Fear, disappointment, and many other emotions prevailed. I could not help but think about the many horses and chariots I have had in my life in which I have placed my trust. Relationships, paychecks, vehicles, toys, selfish desires, all of which had led me down a path of disappointment. The Psalmist once again reminds me to place my trust in the name of the Lord. If I could trust just the name of the Lord, is it possible that I could also trust the Lord Himself? The answer is a big YES! Lord, help me to not put my trust in horses or horsepower or things that I could label as such, help me trust You completely, wholly,and with the understanding that it is You that works for the good of all things of those who are called according to your purpose. Thank you for being such a God that just with the mentioning of your Name, lives are transformed!

Got Counsel?

I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984, S. Ps 16:7Where do you get your counsel?  Do you trust the daily horoscope?  Does your political party make your decisions?  Do you have friends on Facebook or Twitter that help guide your decisions? I once heard author John Eldredge say something like this: "Are you trying to figure out what God wants you to do?  Just ask Him!"  When I heard this I was mad!  Surely there is more to this I thought! man  I mean seriously, this man is speaking to thousands of people right now and is a proven best-selling author and he says "Just ask Him?"  As I regained my thoughts and began to tune in more, I realized that I had once again been guilty of trying to make life and the will of God too complicated.  Then I got mad because I wasn't the one up on stage sharing this incredible truth. 
We are so bad at going everywhere to learn God's will for our lives except going to God Himself.  The Psalmist knew that his counsel came from God.  The amazing thing reality is that when one's heart is aligned with God, we can follow Him with our eyes closed!  Okay, it doesn't literally say this, but it sure is implied.  Notice the truth of this verse, "even at night my heart instructs me."  In my mind, I am thinking that at night time one sleeps and the eyes are closed.  So, if I am receiving counsel from the Lord, when I sleep with my eyes closed, my heart or my inner most being that is connected to the heart of God, will instruct me!  Talking about "peace that passes ALL understanding!"  No wonder we call Him Wonderful Counselor! 
So how does the Lord counsel?  The answer is simple.  He counsels through His word.  Want the counsel of the Lord?  Want get it even when it is nighttime?  Get into His word.  Hear it. Read it. Study it. Memorize it.  Meditate on it. Better yet, do it!