I have not been writing much lately because on Sunday, I woke up with a characteristically bad sore throat, which usually heralds a sinus infection coming in. But I was particularly concerned as I have a special trip planned for Saturday and wanted to be well, not snuffly and sore. So, I call the health center that is part of my plan and they say, "Next week!" Next week, when I have a fever? Finally they sent me to another health center, where they did say I had a sinus infection and... strep throat.

Oh great, I haven't had strep since I was in high school (in a far away galaxy a long, long, long time ago.) So the first question I ask the nurse is, am I able to go? She told me I am contagious for two days and with five days to go, I should be feeling fine by then. Whew.

We in our church have begun the second to the last week of the 40 days of purpose, and I have been working on my notes for the third week, to be posted soon, I hope. I am thrilled to see how this book is affecting so many lives!

The time spent not blogging has been spent doing some blog walking, and my next post will highlight one that offends my Christian values. It isn't the blog that offends, its the story told in the blog. Stay tuned.

Changes are afoot at the blog house. Continued unemployment has forced me to put my home up for sale. Predictably, my son is not happy about it, so some time will be spent in sensitivity interaction with him. This could change, if my employment status goes "green" soon. I have been told I have done extraordinarily to hold onto the house. It may actually feel good to not have to mow the grass (or wait for my son to do it.)

A la prochaine!

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Well, the week is finally over, and if you've been following the 40 Days series, I put last week's up and will be working on this week's this weekend (that makes sense.) Oh well.

My blog walking has been doing pretty good this week, and it is always good to see some friends. Leigh found this quiz that I took and had interesting results:


What Color is Your Brain?
brought to you by Quizilla

BLUE: At work or in school: I like to be with people, sharing with them, inspiring them, and helping them. I work and learn best when I can take into consideration people and the human element. I flourish in an atmosphere of cooperation. With friends: I always look for perfect love. I am very romantic, and I enjoy doing thoughtful things for others. I am affectionate, supportive and a good listener. With family: I like to be happy and loving. I am very sensitive to rejection from my family and to family conflicts. I really like to be well thought of and need frequent reassurance. I love intimate talks and warm feelings.

Blue, blue blue. Joni Mitchell sang that song back in 1971 and it's refrain still lingers in my head. I've commented many times on Joni's songs, and she has quite a following over at the Joni Mitchell Discussion List. Here, her fans are gathered and gather themselves into gatherings, like the JoniFest. If you are a real die-hard fan and want to meet the die-hard fan of your dreams, there is even a dating service.

With the weekend comes no word on work but lots of time to spend with my son and family. Baseball tomorrow morning at 8:30 am - wake me when its over.

A la prochaine!

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Protecting Your Church


The last part of the second purpose for your life is to preserve the unity of your church. What’s that, you say? Isn’t that the pastor’s job? The New Testament gives “unity in the church” more attention than heaven or hell. God deeply desires that we experience oneness and harmony with each other.

Unity in the church is its lifeblood, the soul of fellowship. When this fellowship is interrupted by strife, discord and enmity, it is Christ’s body that is ripped out. The supreme model for unity is the Trinity; the Father, Son and Spirit are unified as one. God himself is the highest example of sacrificial love, perfect harmony, and humbleness.

Nothing on earth is more valuable to God that His church. To bring us to our churches, God paid the highest price for it, and He wants it protected, especially from the damage that is caused by division, conflict and disharmony. If you are part of God’s family, it is your responsibility to protect the unity of which you fellowship. You are specifically commissioned by Jesus to do everything possible to preserve the unity, protect the fellowship and promote harmony. How can we do this? The Bible gives us this practical advice.

• Focus on what we have in common, not our differences. It was God who gave us our differences; in personality, race, backgrounds and preferences. Paul said, in Romans 14:19, ”Let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of one another’s character.” We believers have one faith, one hope, one baptism, one Spirit and one love. We also share the same salvation, the same life and the same future – more important that any differences we could enumerate. These are the issues, not the personal differences, that we should concentrate on.


• Be realistic in your expectations. When you discover what real fellowship is, it is easy to become discouraged by the gap between the ideal and the real in your church. Don’t long for the ideal, or settle for the real without striving for the ideal. Maturity is living without the tension. It has been my experience and that of others that believers will let you down, always, perhaps because of the higher expectations we have of them. Remember that they are your family, even when they don’t act like it. Other people can become disillusioned with the church, and we must remember that the church is made up of sinners like us, and we hurt each other, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. But instead of leaving the church, we need to stay and work it out if at all possible. Reconciliation, not running away, is the road to stronger character and deeper fellowship. Perhaps an ideal sign for your church should be, “No perfect people need apply. This is the place for those who admit they are sinners, need grace, and want to grow.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was martyred for resisting Nazis, said, “He who loves his dream of community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter…” We need to give thanks for the Christian fellowship we have been placed in, even when there is no experience, no discovered riches, but much weakness, small faith and difficulty. If we keep complaining about the paltry and the petty, we hinder God from letting our fellowship grow.


• Choose to encourage rather than criticize. Rick Warren says, “It is always easier to stand on the sidelines and take shots at those who are serving than it is to get involved and make a contribution.” We need to curb severely the criticism and work to help.


• Refuse to listen to gossip. Gossip is passing on ‘information’ where you neither are part of the problem not part of the solution. You know spreading gossip is wrong, but you should not listen to it either. You cannot trust a person who spreads gossip, because besides gossiping to you, they can gossip about you.


• Practice God’s method for conflict resolution. Jesus gave the church a three step process:”If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him – work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church.” Matthew 18:15-17.


• Support your pastors and leaders. There are no perfect leaders but God gives leaders great responsibility and the authority to maintain the unity of the church. This is sometimes a thankless job, as they have the position of serving as mediator, conflict resolver, and trying to make everyone happy. Pray for your leaders, knowing that prayer honors them and supports their tasks within the church.

You are challenged to accept the responsibility to protect and promote the unity of your church. Put your complete effort into that, and God will be pleased. Sometimes you will have to do what’s best for the Body, and not necessarily for you. That’s one reason God puts us in a church – to learn unselfishness! Let’s not let our church lock their doors but continue to grow in the love and fellowship of the Body of Christ.

Next time: Purpose Number Three – You were created to become like Christ.

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Restoring Broken Fellowship

Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value our relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt or a conflict. The Bible tells us that God has given us the ministry of restoring relationships! The New Testament is devoted to teaching this and how to get along with one another. Remember also that Christ wants our family to be known by their love for each other.

The Apostle Paul was shocked by the members of the church in Corinth and their attitudes, splitting them into factions and hauling each other to court. He wrote, ”Shame on you! Surely there is at least one wise person in your fellowship who can settle a dispute between fellow Christians.” 1st Corinthians 6:5. He couldn’t believe that no one in the church was mature enough to resolve the conflicts. Paul told them urgently, to get along with each other.

To gain God’s blessing on your life and to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Jesus, in the Beatitudes, did not call us ”peace lovers” but ”peace makers,” meaning “blessed are those who work for peace.” Peacemakers are rare because it is hard work! Because you were formed for God’s family and the second purpose for your life is to learn to love and relate to others, peacemaking is one of the skills we must learn. But for most of us, we were never taught how to resolve conflict in our lives.

Peacemaking is not avoiding conflict. When you flee from a problem, pretending it isn’t there, or being afraid to talk about it is actually cowardice. Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace was never afraid of conflict, and in fact, on occasion he provoked conflict for the good of everybody. Sometimes we need to avoid conflict, sometimes we need to create it, and sometimes we need to resolve it. That is being a peacemaker with the Holy Spirit’s continual guidance.

Peacemaking is also not appeasement. Always giving in, behaving like a doormat, and allowing others to run your life is not what Jesus had in mind! He refused to back down on many issues, standing his ground in the face of evil opposition.

How do you restore a relationship? There are five steps, and it is wise to study these in the book “The Purpose Driven Life” for a complete understanding.

• Talk to God before talking to the person. Pray about your conversation first, instead of talking (or possibly gossiping) to another person. You may find that in praying, God will change your heart or He changes the other person without your help!
  
  Part of talking with God is to be able to tell Him your frustrations and your hurts. David did that with the Psalms, as he cried out to God so many times. And if you are not seeing resolution, be sure you are praying about it, as James tells us in the Bible.


• Always take the initiative. It doesn’t matter whether you are the offender or the offended; God expects you to make the first move. Restoring broken friendship is so important, Jesus commanded it to take priority over group fellowship! And acting quickly also reduces the spiritual damage to you; which means blocking your fellowship or even hurting your testimony.


• Sympathize with their feelings. Listening is an art that takes practice. Use your ears more than your mouth before you can attempt to solve any disagreement. Focus on their feelings, not the facts. Begin with sympathy, not solutions. Just listen and let them unload emotionally without being defensive.


• Confess your part of the conflict. If you are at all serious about restoring a relationship, you should begin by admitting your own mistakes or sin. “Get rid of the log in your own eye before taking the speck out of your neighbors” is what Jesus said. Confession is a powerful tool for reconciliation. When you begin by humbly admitting your mistakes, it defuses the other person’s anger and disarms their attack because they were probably expecting you to be defensive. Accept the responsibility for your mistakes and ask for forgiveness.


• Attack the problem, not the person. You cannot fix the problem if you are consumed with fixing the blame. Blame is a hurtful action that sometimes puts someone on a defensive tact. You will never get your point across by being visibly angry, so choose your words wisely. How you say something is as important as what you say.


• Cooperate as much as possible. Peace always has a price tag. Sometimes it costs our pride, and often our self-centeredness. Do your best to compromise for the sake of the fellowship, and always show preference to others and what they need.


• Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution. It is unrealistic to expect everybody to agree on everything. Reconciliation focuses on the relationship, resolution the problem. When we focus on reconciliation, the problem loses significance and often becomes irrelevant. We can reestablish a relationship even when we are unable to resolve our differences; to disagree without being disagreeable. Remember that God expects us to be different, but in unity. As Rick Warren says, “We can walk arm-in-arm without seeing eye-to-eye on every issue.”

Think about who you might need to reestablish fellowship with. Don’t wait another minute! Talk to God about this person, and then pick up the phone. Know that these seven steps weren’t easy, but the benefits are enormous. That’s why God calls “peacemakers” His children.

Next time: Protecting your church

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Cultivating Community

Community requires commitment. You can’t, by yourself, create the real fellowship that God desires without the Holy Spirit. Even then, there are still choices and commitments that you need to make, and these are plain to see. There is a dual responsibility, Paul said, that takes both God’s power and your effort to produce a loving Christian community.

Rick Warren notes that unfortunately, many people grow up in families with unhealthy relationships, and so they lack the skills in relationships needed for real fellowship. They must be taught how to get along with and relate to others in God’s family. And fortunately, the New Testament is filled with instruction on how to share life together. If you are tired of “fake” fellowship, and you’d like to cultivate real fellowship in your small group, Sunday school class and church, you’ll need to make some tough choices and take some risks. “The Purpose Driven Life” illustrates five principles that govern the community of believers.

1. Cultivating Community takes honesty. Even though it is easy to remain silent in a group, it will take love, caring and an open heart to be honest in a community. When we remain silent when others are around us practicing a sin or harming themselves, it is not the right thing, not the loving thing to do. It is sad to think that most people don’t have anyone in their lives that will be totally honest in a loving way to them, and that means telling the truth, no matter how much it may hurt at first. Your place in the community of God is to help others, your purpose. Our fears often stop us from speaking out, yet we allow self-destructive behavior to go on, and that kills fellowship in a group.
   
   Honesty triumphs over people who “never rock-the-boat,” people who don’t want “to get involved,” and people who “sweep-it-under-the-rug.” Speaking the truth in love brings real fellowship, by showing real love. And until we care enough to practice candor and honesty, tearing down those barriers of silence and acceptance, we will never grow close together in real fellowship.


2. Cultivating community takes humility. Remember the first lesson, where we said, “it’s not about you, it’s not about me?” That is you, humbling yourself before God. And when we are with our family, we need to tear down the pride and self-importance to speak with a humble attitude. Humility is no thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others. Rick Warren says,” Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don’t think of themselves.”


3. Cultivating community takes courtesy. What courtesy is in cultivating community is respecting our differences, being considerate of each other’s feelings, and being patient with people who irritate us. The Bible is clear with the command to ”…bear the ‘burden’ of being considerate of the doubts and fears of others.” You probably know of the ‘difficult’ person in your small group, church, or work. They might have special emotional needs, deep insecurities, irritating mannerisms or poor social skills. God puts these people in our midst for both our benefit and theirs. They present an opportunity to minister, grow together be a test of fellowship. Will we treat them with the dignity they deserve as a fellow member of the family of God? And you know, we may have some annoying quirks that irritate others, but community has nothing to do with compatibility. Learn to respect the differences, study their history and you’ll be more understanding.


4. Cultivating community takes confidentiality. My son is in a group of young people that each have lost a parent or sibling. In that small group, he feels validated in his personal grief feelings, and knows it is a safe place to talk. That’s because, the group he is in has a strict confidentiality policy, so the children will know their feelings are not spread beyond the room they are in. We as adults feel freer to share when we know our expression of our pain or praise will not be spread out beyond the small group or class we are in. God hates gossip, and even when it is disguised as a “prayer request,” sometimes it is not the news that violates the confidentiality of the small group. This does not mean remain silent when a brother or sister sins, it means that private information, spoken for the prayers and the affirmation of the group, does not go beyond the group, making it a safe place to share.


5. Cultivating community takes frequency. Real fellowship is not made by meeting once a month! You must have frequent, regular contact with your group in order to build community and genuine fellowship. Relationships take time, and it is too easy to forget what we talked about or promised to pray about when we last saw someone three weeks ago. Meeting often provides the glue that holds believers together. The early Christians met together every day! Meeting frequently takes commitment, and not convenience; commitment is a conviction to spiritual health.

When you examine these five points, you begin to realize that genuine fellowship is rare. It means giving up our self-centeredness and independence in order to be come interdependent. The benefits of sharing our lives together are many for this life, and prepare us for a heavenly eternity!

Next time: Restoring Broken Fellowship.

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Experiencing Life Together

You are meant to share your life! One of God’s purposes for our life is to experience life together. “Fellowship” is what the Bible calls it. But real fellowship is more than casual conversation, socializing, food and fun. It is more than just showing up at services. Rick Warren, in “The Purpose Driven Life” says, “Real fellowship includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, practical serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting and all the other ‘one another’ commands found in the New Testament.“

One thing that struck me about how God intends for us to fellowship is to do it in smaller groups of people. I’ve often heard of the “megachurches” and how many thousands of people come to services every week. But the secret of many of those huge churches is that the real work, the real close worship and fellowship is done in smaller groups of perhaps eight to twelve people.

There is a Biblical model for small groups; Jesus chose twelve disciples. It is known that in groups larger than about ten people, that some people will stay quiet and not participate – and some will tend to dominate the group. And God has made His promise to us about small groups of believers: ”For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20.

Why small groups instead of one large weekly meeting? Please don’t misunderstand; the weekly gathering of all the people is important for different reasons. We are focusing on how your purpose for real fellowship is best met in a small group during the week.

• In real fellowship, people experience authenticity. God intended for His family to be close and able to share heart-to-heart, genuine sharing. That occurs when people are honest about who they are and what is happening to them. In sharing their hurts, revealing their doubts, confessing their failures, admitting their fears and asking for prayer, they are showing their authenticity. That is the exact opposite of what we find in some churches, where an air of honesty and humility is instead superficial, role-playing, politicking and shallow. Only when we can become open about our lives can we experience real fellowship. The Bible says, in James 5:16: ”Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed.”


• In real fellowship, people experience mutuality. Mutuality is the art of giving and receiving, in other words, depending on each other. This is the heart of fellowship; building reciprocal relationships, sharing responsibilities and helping each other. We can always be more consistent in our faith when we are walking with someone else who can encourage us. Remember that you are not responsible for everybody in the body of Christ, but you are responsible to them.


• In real fellowship, people experience sympathy. Sympathy is not giving advice or offering quick cosmetic help; sympathy is entering in and sharing the pain of others. I’ve known what real sympathy is, when I lost my wife. Genuine sympathy was experienced when I talked with people who absolutely knew what I was going through, not the kind of off-hand “I’ll pray for you (sometime)” kind of sympathy. But you don’t have to experience exactly what the person who is being comforted has gone through. Mutuality meets two basic human needs; the need to be understood and the need to be validated. In my personal example, I needed to know that the person who was talking with me understood the deepest hurt, and told me that what I was feeling was not crazy or strange. When you can build mutuality, you build deep relationships. But often, we are in a hurry to fix things and don’t consider how much time we need to take to sympathizes with people. Self-pity also masks sympathy for others.
  
  Rick Warren writes that there are three levels of fellowship, each appropriate at different times. The fellowship of sharing and studying God’s word together are the simplest levels. Deeper than those are the fellowship of serving, when we minister together on mission trips or mercy projects. And the deepest, most intense level is the fellowship of suffering, where we enter into each other’s pain and grief and carry each other’s burdens. Christians who understand this level best are those around the world who are being persecuted, despised and often martyred for their faith. It is in times of deep crisis, grief and doubts that we need each other the most. And small groups are the best place to experience that fellowship of understanding when the Body of Christ is real and tangible even when God seems distant.


• In real fellowship, people experience mercy. The importance of fellowship is made real when it’s a place of grace, where mistakes aren’t rubbed in but rubbed out. Mercy is real fellowship when it triumphs over justice. We all need mercy, because we stumble and fall and require some help to get back on track. We all need to be able to offer mercy and be willing to accept it from others. The key word is “forgiveness.” The Bible says, in 2 Corinthians 2:7: ”When people sin, you should forgive and comfort them, so they won’t give up in despair.” And you can’t have fellowship without forgiveness. God warns, Never hold grudges,” because resentment and bitterness are an enemy to fellowship. We are not perfect and without sin, and sometimes we hurt people, intentionally or not. Either way, it takes a lot of mercy to create and maintain fellowship. God’s mercy to us is the picture and the motivation for showing mercy to others.
  
  Many people can’t show mercy because they don’t understand the relationship between forgiveness and trust. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness must be immediate, whether a person asks for it or not. Trust must be rebuilt over time and requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you must forgive them immediately as God requires, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, nor are you expected to let them hurt you again. For trust to be rebuilt, they must prove that they have changed over time. And the best place to restore trust is in a small group where encouragement and accountability are most available.

Next time: Cultivating community.

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A Place to Belong

From “The Purpose Driven Life:” “You are called to belong, not just believe.” I’ve been hearing a phrase, from scripture in my head for a long time, “It is not good for man to be alone.” It is usual that that scripture is used in the context of marrying and not remaining single. To me, it also means that man should not go through life without God and without family. And when our purpose is that we were made for fellowship, then we realize that God formed us for relationships, and family. We were never meant to be alone.

No one is described in the Bible as being solo for the work of God. There was no isolation from other believers, no one deprived of fellowship. There are a number of scriptures that describe our relationship with other believers as ‘togethers:’ put, joined, built, fitted, members, heirs, held and ‘will we be caught up.’ You are not alone and on your own anymore.

We’ve often heard messages from our churches describing the ‘body of believers’ that couldn’t function if one part was missing. The analogy is, of course, the church that works in service together. We were created to be part of the whole that is our local church.

Did you know that in all of the New Testament, that the books assume membership in a local congregation? All of Jesus’ life story, all of the apostles and Paul’s ministry revolve around the community of believers, the local church. And the Bible says to ’love your spiritual family. So, what if you are not in a local church now? Five quick points as to why you should be.

1. A church family identifies you as a genuine believer. The Bible says that you can’t claim to be a follower of Christ if you are not participating in a church home. And your membership in a church identifies you with the body of believers.


2. A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation. The church is where you learn to grow, to see examples of others who are living the selfless life, to get along with others and work with them, side by side. It is a place to see how God shows you that you are important to Him to be working with the rest of His family. And it is a place to be committed to each other as much as you are committed to Jesus Christ.


3. A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle. Rick Warren says, “You will never grow to maturity just by attending worship services and being a passive spectator. Only participation in the full life of a local church builds spiritual muscle.” It is through the combined worship, prayer and service to each other that His plan for your life is fulfilled.


4. The Body of Christ needs you! God formed you for a purpose, that of relationships with other believers, and in that, the local church provides the place to form those relationships. And in that church family, God wants you to participate in the work of the church; that work is your ‘ministry.’ The church is where God will help you discover what your talents for the work of the ministry are; in other words, your ‘spiritual gifts.’ You can’t see what those are or use them by yourself unless you are using them for the benefit of God’s family.


5. A church family keeps you from backsliding. Although our lives are changed by His grace when we become saved, it is still possible to succumb to temptations. God knows this, and He planned for us to be accountable to others, so that our lives are kept on the spiritual and moral track. “Mind your business” is not a Christian phrase. We are commanded to be involved in other believer’s lives. As Rick says, “if you know someone who is wavering, it is your responsibility to go after them and bring them back into fellowship.”

It is your choice: being a church attender or a church member, the difference is the commitment you give it. Attenders are spectators from the sidelines, says Rick, members get involved with the ministry. Attenders want the benefits without the work; members reap the rewards of doing what God expects them to do.

If you are not a member of a church family, find one soon. God’s second purpose is for you to be in fellowship with other believers. And commit yourself to a purpose-driven life to know how to live your reason for creation.

Next time: Experiencing life together.

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What Matters Most

”No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.” That’s Paul speaking, in 1 Corinthians 13:3b (The Message.) Life is all about love. And because God is love, the lesson He wants you to know most is how to love. God’s very foundation in relationships is love, so love is the base for every command he has given us.

As anyone who has been married can attest, learning to love without regard to self is one of the hardest things we need to learn. Our self-centered sin nature is responsible for that. God wants us to love everyone, but He is especially concerned that we love everyone in His family. As you know, this is the second purpose for your life. Peter tells us, Show special love for God’s people.” But why does God insist that we love and attention to other believers? Think about this: if you didn’t love your family; your spouse, your children – how would that look as an example to people looking to begin a marriage? God wants His family to be known for love for each other - not what we believe in our church – as that is our greatest witness to the world.

God wants us to be in close fellowship with Him, so you can learn what unconditional love is all about. Love itself is not merely a good part of your life, it is the most important part of your life! Through fellowship with God’s family, we learn three things:

1. The Best Use of Life is Love Love needs to be the number one thing you do, your top priority, primary objective and greatest ambition. Rick Warren, in “The Purpose Driven Life” says, “It’s not enough to say, ‘One of the things I want in life is to be loving,’ as if it is in your top ten list. Relationships must be the priority in your life above everything else. Why is this?
   
   A life without love is worthless. We speak of relationships sometimes as checkmarks on a calendar or something to be squeezed into our schedule. We speak of “finding time” for the kids and “making time” for other people. That really gives the impression that you are putting love behind something else in your life. But God says that relationships are what life is all about. Not the acquisition of things, not in our achievements, it is love that matters most.
   
   What isn’t the best use of life? Being busy is an enemy of relationships. If we are preoccupied with getting ahead, making the most money, sweating our bills and getting goals accomplished, we are not putting love first. The point of live is learning to love God and others. Live minus love is zero.
   
   Love will last forever. The second reason God wants us to make love our top priority is that it is eternal: ”These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13. Love leaves behind your legacy. How you treated other people, not your accomplishments or how much you’ve accumulated in life, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. Love is the secret of a lasting heritage. Rick Warren says, “In our final moments we all realize that our relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning that truth faster, sooner than later! Don’t wait until you are on your deathbed to figure out that nothing matters more.”
   
   We will also be known for our love when we leave this earth to spend eternity. One of the ways God measures our spiritual maturity is through our relationships, the quality of them. When you leave the earth for eternity, you won’t be taking any of your possessions or accomplishments with you, of course.



2. The Best Expression of Love is Time How important things are to you is measured by how much time you give them. Some time ago, I heard a preacher say, “Think about the most important thing in your life, the thing you’d never give up, the thing that occupies your mind and your time the most.” He asked that question of his congregation, and hands shot up with lots and lots of… wrong answers. He concluded, “Everything you’ve told me is your God. Not wanting to give Him all of your attention, your desire, your honor to your Creator is… well... shameful.”
   
   It is not enough just to say relationships are important; you must prove it by investing time in them. Words alone are worthless. Rick Warren says,”The essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others, but how much we give of ourselves. Men, in particular, don’t understand this. Many have said to me, ‘I don’t understand my wife and kids. I provide everything they need. What more could you want?’ They want you! Your eyes, your ears, your time, your attention, your presence, your focus – your time. Nothing can take the place of that.”
   
   I’ve been guilty as charged of the offence Rick talks about, with those exact words. A loving wife set me straight and in a hurry. Time is love and love needs time. But remember, time well spent is focused time. Love concentrates so intently on another that you forget yourself at that moment. You can give yourself without loving, but you cannot love without giving.



3. The Best Time to Love is Now From “The Purpose Driven Life:” “Sometimes procrastination is a legitimate response to a trivial task. But because love is what matters, it takes top priority. “ Why is now the best time to love? Because you don’t know how much longer you will have the opportunity. Children grow up; circumstances change, people grow older. If you want to express love, do it now. The best use of your life is to love, and the best expression of love is time.

Next time: A Place to Belong.

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You were formed for God’s Family.

Consider this: you were born to be part of our Creator’s family, because He has a purpose for your life. He knew about you today, long before you were even born, because He created you to be a part of His plan for His family.

Because God is love, He treasures the relationships that are love. His very nature is relational, He created us in His own image and He identifies Himself in familial terms such as Father, Son and Spirit. The Trinity is God’s relationship to Himself. Rick Warren says that “It’s the perfect pattern for relational harmony, and we should study its implications.”

Remember that every person is created by God, but not everyone is a child of God. The only way to be a part of God’s family is to be born again into it. You became a member of the human family by your human birth, and you became a member of God’s family by your second birth. God ”has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God’s own family.” 1 Peter 1:3b.

What is more important than your physical family is your spiritual family, God’s family, because they will last forever! The family we have here on Earth is a wonderful gift from God, but they are fragile and temporary, often broken by divorce, distance, growing old, and inevitably, death. Our spiritual family- our relationship to other believers – will continue throughout eternity; more permanent than our blood relationships.

“The Purpose Driven Life” describes the benefits of being in God’s family. Consider what the Bible says: ”Since you are His child, everything He has belongs to you.” Galatians 4:7b. When you are born into God’s family, you receive the family name, the family likeness, family privileges, family intimate access and the family inheritance. The New Testament gives much emphasis to the “inheritance” that we receive! No only does God promise to “meet all our needs” but we receive the “riches… of His grace…kindness…patience…glory…wisdom…power…and mercy.” In eternity we will inherit even more.

What does this mean to all of us? To me, it is what Paul said, “I want you to realize what a rich and glorious inheritance He has given to His people.” Ephesians 1:18b. It is not what we have on Earth, but what we are building up in Heaven for eternity. Our eternal inheritance is protected, priceless and pure. The eternal inheritance is what we should be looking forward to, not our earthly retirement.

We identify with God’s family by baptism. In families that are very close and connected, there is no shame in being identified as part of that family, even if your name is Jim Smith! In God’s family, baptism identifies you as a member His family, it is part of the second purpose for your life – participating in the fellowship of God’s family. Baptism symbolizes death to your old life, declares your faith in Christ, shares His death and resurrection and announces your new life in Christ and your inclusion in God’s family. Baptism is a physical picture of a spiritual truth, representing what happened the moment God brought you into His family. The Bible tells us, ”Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13.

The Bible also says, “Jesus and the people He makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why He isn’t ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters.” Hebrews 2:11. Wow. That carries the amazing truth that we are part of our Creator’s holy family, and because Jesus made you holy, God is proud of you! It is most humbling to me that God chose us to be in His family, and is the greatest privilege we could receive. Remember that when you feel down, or unimportant, or insecure, remember to whom you belong!

Next: What Matters Most.

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Why does Sunday feel like the end of the week? It should be a glad day, a celebration of goodness and the American way. But I'm always too tired to really enjoy it, and today, it is full of stuff to do.

Let me back up to last Thursday. I saw my way through all of that and have been waiting for a particular phone call that hasn't come. So, I forward my phone to my cell and take a walk. And on that walk, my Achille's tendon begins to act up (and its not doing Rigoletto) and I'm in real pain by the time I get back. Friday, I limp into Panera to meet my friend S and we talk as we have done for every Friday for two years. I'm going to miss that when I go back to work. That afternoon, more work on the audio/visuals for church today and I try to stay off my feet.

Saturday, I take my son to Wal-Mart to buy some shorts and shirts (it was 86 here and he outgrew all his old shorts. Yikes.) He then had a baseball game, and I got some sun sitting on the bleachers. Off to the ice cream stand, where Andy gets a double mint chocolate chip cone, and I have visions of it falling into the lap of his new outfit. It did. Well, some of the chocolate chips did.

We drove to the cemetary, so Andy could visit Joann's grave site, and I was happy/sad that he wanted to (and thought it was a sign that he is really dealing with his grief on a concrete level now.) Today would have been Joann's birthday and our 23rd anniversary. I moved away from him, and saw him bent down next to the marker, with his knees up in his chest, in kind of a fetal position, rocking a bit and tracing the letters on the marker with his finger. I couldn't look anymore.

Back home, I put the chocolate-laden outfit through the Zout and washed it (and wondered why I didn't have any chocolate in the house.) It was fine, thankfully. Thank Zout.

Today, its a rapid-fire day, and I must get going! Church, then straight to my best friend son's graduation party, then back home to baseball practice. 40 Days of Postings, er Purpose will return tomorrow as I catch up. See you on the flip side!

Have a beautiful Sunday!

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Thinking... what is it good for? Absolutely everything! Well, it helps to know you can think anyway. But I know some people don't think, don't think at all. Some examples are the perpetrators that Charlie apprehends and writes about over on Call For Cover. Some others that don't think are the ones who end up on Yahoo's "odd news" page. And some are those who abuse others. Like the terrorists who decapitated Nick Berg and displayed it for all those to see. The best comment on this came from a blogger who said something about the hooded men- who must hide their faces. Where is the honor they supposedly will gain? Why not show your face proudly! I'm being facietious here, of course. They know we, the coalition, would hunt them down knowing what they look like. Running scared, I'd say.

I talked recently with my friend J, about the old covenant and the Ten Commandments versus the new Covenant and Jesus's succinct command to the Pharisees and to us. The Ten were not so much a list of "don't do that" as it is "don't take your eyes of of God and what He gave you." That's why Jesus's command to "love God with all your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." That is the greatest of commandments. He then follows it up with "Love your neighbor as yourself." By putting God first and loving everyone, there would be no murder, adultery, theft, hate, jealousy or self-absorbtion. And that, my friends, is the ideal that is impossible without God. When sin is born into each person, so is the idea that it's all about you; you control your destiny. When God comes into a persons' life and they submit to His love and authority, the focus shifts, and it is no longer about you or me. It is all about God's love for us and Jesus's sacrifice on the cross for our, that is all our, sins.

A recent article explores what Godly character is all about. And when you read this article, you might struggle to find people who fit all of those characteristics. Remember that only a person who puts God first in their lives could possibly reach to attain this kind of character. And, using that as the litmus test for our leaders and the people who lead others, it is sadly evident that very, very few have even the slightest appearence of character, let alone Godly character.

I've been thinking too, about many other things. It has been a busy week, and the job interviews I have had were very positive. I know I would love to work for this company, and know I could give all that I know. My son is nearing the end of the school year, and is doing better in all his classes. And he continues to shine in baseball, his team winning yesterday 10-8.

Finally, one person I have been thinking about more and more is the one that I love and cherish. My life has begun again like a new book, putting the old book on the shelf. The pages are added every day, some things wonderful, some thoughtful, some exciting. And what I love most about her is the way we worship and pray together. I am amazed!

Thinking's done for this hour. We now return you to your regularly scheduled Purpose Driven Life updates, which are a few days behind. I hope you stay with me for the whole series, it is changing the lives of many people, including me!

A bientôt!


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When God Seems Distant

God is real, no matter how you feel. In my life, there have been dry seasons of apparent Godless interaction, the last in the weeks following the death of my wife. Those seasons always end with God's affirmation that He was there all along. And that episode of grace was very special for me, which I've written about before.

It is always easy to worship and praise God when things are going well. Your circumstances are easy, the money is flowing, you have your health, the kids are good. But when those times are not good, how do you worship God then? What do you do when God seems a million miles away?

Rick Warren, in the book "The Purpose Driven Life" puts it this way: "The deepest level of worship is praising God in spite of pain; thanking God during a trial; trusting Him when tempted; surrendering to Him while suffering and loving Him when He seems distant."

Think about your friendships. What makes them fragile or tenuous? Silence or separation perhaps; you may be divided by distance or unable to talk. But with your friendship with God, He is always there, thought you might not always feel close to Him. God will test your friendship with Him sometimes by providing periods of seeming separation - when God seems to have abandoned or forgotten you. But these times are given, not to make us push us away, but to increase maturity in our friendship.

David probably had the closest relationship with God after Jesus. God was pleased with His friendship with David, calling him "a man after my own heart." But David complained of God's apparent absence in his life, such as is described in the Psalms: "Lord, why are you standing aloof and far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most? 10:3. Why have you forsaken me? Why have you remained so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help?22:1 Of course, God never left David, and He doesn't leave you. His Word says "He will never leave you or forsake you!" But God has not promised "you will always feel my presence." There are times when God seems to be missing from your life.

In "The Purpose Driven Life," Floyd McClung is quoted as saying, "You wake up one morning and all your spiritual feelings are gone. You pray, but nothing happens. You rebuke the devil, but it doesn't change anything. You go through spiritual exercises... you have your friends pray for you... you confess every sin you can imagine, then go around asking forgiveness of everyone you know. You fast... still nothing. You begin to wonder how long this spiritual gloom might last. Days, weeks, months? Will it ever end? It feels as if your prayers simply bounce off the ceiling. In utter despiration, you cry out, "What's the matter with me?"

There is nothing wrong with you! It is a normal part of the testing and maturing of your friendship with God. I know how painful and disrupting it can be! And was I glad to be taken out of that wilderness to know that God was there all along. And that I am a stronger person in Him than before.

To combat this feeling of distance from God, follow these three principles:

1. Tell God how you feel. Pray and pour out your heart to God. Let everything come to Him, every deep feeling and emotion. Did you know that by admitting your hopelessness to God that it is a statement of faith? David was feeling despair but also trusting God when he wrote, "I believed, so I said, 'I am completely ruined.'" That sounds like a contradiction; I trusted God but I am wiped out! But David's candidness revealed deep faith; he believed in God, and he knew God would listen, and he believed God would let him say whatever he felt and still love him.


2. Focus on who God is - His unchanging nature No matter what you feel, know that God never changes and He is always loving you! Remind yourself of the unchangeable truths about God; that He is good, He loves me, He is with me, He knows what I am going through, He cares and He has a good plan for my life.


3. Trust God to keep His promises No matter how long you are facing a spiritual drought, you must patiently rely on God's promises, not your own emotions. Know that He is developing a deeper level of maturity in you. A friendship based on emotion is shallow indeed.


4. Remember what God has already done for you This is the hardest thing to do when you are in continual pain, but the truth of His word and His actions come clearly; even if you think that God didn't do anything for you in your life, remember that He sent His Son to die for you! This is the greatest reason for worship! The recent movie, "The Passion of Christ" reminded many of the supreme sacrifice that Jesus died for, and the torturous details of His passion. If you never saw the movie, remember these three things: that Jesus, the "suffering servant" was abused and tortured like an animal, that in His weakened state He carried His cross to Golgotha, and as He died, the weight of the worlds sins were taken from us to Him.

Jesus gave up everything so that you could have everything. We will live forever because He died on that cross. That along should be worthy of all your praise! Never again should you wonder what you have to be thankful for.

Tomorrow: Beginning Purpose number 2: You were formed for God's Family.

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Worship that pleases God

We talked about what worship is and it isn't, and it is no surprise then that God wants all of you. Not a part of your life, not even the biggest part of your life, all of you. Mark 12:30 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." It is important too, to realize that where you worship is not as important as why you worship and how much of yourself you offer to God when you worship. Here are four points to see when God is pleased with the worship you offer.

God is pleased when our worship is accurate. Rick Warren says that "People often say 'I like to think of my God as..' and they share what kind of God they want to worship. But we cannot create our own image of God to worship, that is idolotry! God's true image is in the Scripture, and we must worship Him as He is revealed in the Bible.

God is pleased when the worship is authentic. God wants to know that your worship comes from your heart and not echoed in vain. When Jesus said you must "worship in spirit," He wasn't referring to the Holy Spirit, but to your spirit. You were made in God's image, so you are a spirit in a body; and God designed your spirit to communicate with Him. God can also tell when your worship is flat or unemotional, as the Bible says in 1 Samuel 16:7b: "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Unemotional? True worship stimulates the emotions, so we can worship God with deep feeling. But remember that God hates hypocrisy, and can see when we grandstand or worship with pretense. He wants our honest, real love!

God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful. God is not pleased with thoughtless worship; as Warren relates, "thoughtless singing of hymns, perfunctory praying of cliches or careless exclamations of 'Praise The Lord,' because we can't think of anything else at the moment." Jesus commanded us four times in the New Testament to "love God with all of your mind." Here is something you can try to avoid "vain repetitions:" instead of using the words praise, hallelujah, thanks or amen," make a list of synonyms that use fresh words like admire, respect, value, revere, honor and appreciate. And throw repetition out! If I walked up to you and said "I praise you!" ten times, you'd probably walk away after the third. You don't need to hear repeated, vague acclamation; neither does God. Be specific in your worship.

God is pleased when our worship is practical. Romans 12:1 says, "Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." Warren answers the question, "Why does God want your body; wouldn't he want your spirit instead?" God wants all of you, your body is useful for anything you do! Without it, you can't do anything. Even though in eternity, you will have a new body without the aches or discomforts of the years here on earth, God wants you to give Him what you have! Another thing that Warren writes is that of-used statement we say when we can't make a church meeting: "But I'll be there in spirit!" Guess what: your spirit is attached to your body! So your spirit is working wherever your body is. Keep it practical.

God doesn't want us to abandon Him during the week, either. Being a "living sacrifice" means we are to live for Him and not the world! Real worship does cost, and David knew this and said, "I will not offer to the Lord my God sacrifices that have cost me nothing." One thing true worship costs is self-centeredness; you can't please God and yourself at the same time. It's not about you, it's about Him.

Next time, when God seems distant.



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Developing Your Friendship with God

Rick Warren begins this chapter with the statement, "You are as close to God as you choose to be." Why do you think you need to be close to God? Because He wants that relationship with you, and though it will take your time and energy, the results will be worth it. Like a best friend, you need to be willing to share your deepest thoughts, innermost feelings and be able to trust Him when He asks you to do something.

Choose to be honest with God Why do you need to be open and honest with God who knows you inside and out? Because He wants that communication with Him, and that you can open yourself to trusting Him with your deepest thoughts and fears. God is a patient listener, as Abraham and David found out. Remember, God doesn't expect you to be perfect in any way but He does insist on complete honesty.

Choose to obey God in faith Whenever you trust God with His wisdom and do whatever He says, you will deepen your friendship with God. We normally don't equate obiedience with friendship, but Jesus made it clear that it is a requirement for intimacy with God. Jesus said, in John 15:14, "You are my friends if you do what I command." Sometimes, people who don't believe God's promises in salvation and faith think that Christians obey out of obligation, fear or guilt. Because we are forgiven, we do so out of love. Because of that forgiveness, our obedience brings great joy!

Choose to value what God values. Friends care about their friends, and what is important about them. The more you become God's friend, the more He will care about you! Remember that what God care about the most is the redemption of His people, and that is one of the purposes we will talk about later this month.

You must desire friendship with God more than anything else. The Psalms are full of examples of the desire of friendship with God. David passionately desired to know God above all else, he used words such as longing, yearning, thirsting and hungering. He craved God. Paul was another who was passionate for a friendship with God. Nothing mattered more to Paul; it was his first priority, total focus, and the ultimate goal of his life. This is the reason God used Paul so much in such a great capacity. Remember, intimacy with God is a choice, not an accident.

Next time: Worship that pleases God.

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...will return on Sunday, as I take a bit of time away! Have a great weekend, everybody!

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Some fun for a Thursday. Invent a memory of me and post it in the comments. It can be anything you want, so long as it's something that's never happened. Then post this in your journal so that people can invent memories for you. (I consider the last bit optional if you’d rather not use it in your own blog.)

Seen at Busy Mom.


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Becoming Best Friends with God

Does it surprise you that God wants to be your best friend? I thought it profound that the Creator of the universe wants to know me personally, and that He wants us to love Him back the same way. We see God as the Maker, the Lord and Master, Judge, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and more. But what he wants to be most is your friend!

God made us to reside in His continual presence, but after the fall of Man, that ideal relationship was lost. In the Old Testament, only a few people had that close relationship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God," David was called "a man after God's own Heart," and Job, Enoch and Noah had intimate friendships with God. But fear of God, not friendship, was more common in the Old Testament.

Jesus changed all of that. When He died on the cross to pay for our sins, the veil in the temple was torn from the top to the bottom, a symbol of separation between God and man that now indicated that we had direct access to God once again.

Friendship with God is possible because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus said, in John 15:15: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from My Father I have made known to you." The word for friend in this verse does not mean a casual friendship but a close, trusted relationship. The same word is used to refer to the best man at a wedding (John 3:29,) and a king's inner circle of intimate, trusted friends. In royal courts, servants must keep their distance from the king, but the inner circle of trusted people enjoy the close contact, direct access and confidential information.

How do you become a best friend of God? Through two means; constant conversation and continual meditation.

Constant Conversation. You can never grow a close relationship to God by attending church just once a week or even having a daily quiet time. Friendship with God is built by sharing all your life experiences with Him. Of course, it is important to have a daily quiet or devotional time with God, but He wants more than a slice of your day. God wants to be included in every activity, every conversation, every problem, and even every thought. You can carry on a continual conversation with Him throughout your day, talking with Him about whatever you are doing or thinking at that moment. I find that my best time to communicate with the Lord is on a walk; which I try to do a few times a week. There is no one else to talk with, and the sights and sounds of His creation stimulate my thoughts in thanksgiving to Him. It can be so easy to do.

Did you ever think about the verse that says, "Pray without ceasing." How can we do that, you might think at first glance, stay on our knees all day like a monk? No, it means having that constant conversation with God in everything that you do, constantly! This is God's ideal landscape. In Eden, Adam and Eve were in constant contact with God. Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than where you are right now.

Another way we can stay in constant conversation with God is through conversational prayer, shorter prayers said througout the day rather than one long, all encompassing prayer. And of course, when we celebrate an event that requires thankfulness, a short "Thank you, Lord!" is a prayer; so is " You are with me," or "I'm depending on you," or "Help me trust You."

Practicing the presence of God is a skill a habit you develop. It might surprise you that once you start, you are literally praying all day! When God is the focus of your life, conversing with Him becomes easier and easier!

The second way to establish friendship with God is through continual meditation. This is thinking on Bible verses in His Word throughout the day. The Bible repeately asks us to meditate on His word, and that is the best way to know what He says. You can't love God without knowing Him, and you can't know Him unless you know His Word.

Of course, you can't read the Bible all day long, but you can think about it throughout the day, recalling verses that you've read or memorized and thinking about them in your mind.

Rick Warren reminds us that "Meditation is often misunderstood as some difficult, mysterious ritual practiced by isolated monks and mystics. But meditation is simply focused thinking - a skill anyone can learn and use anywhere." When you think about a problem over and over again in your mind, that is called worry. When you think of God's Word over and over in your mind, that's called meditation! So you already know how to meditate if you know how to worry! You just need to switch your thoughts from the problems to the Word.

What is one thing close friends do? They share secrets, and God wants to share His secrets when you develop the habit of thinking about His word throughout the day. I've been amazed at how much more I've understood when I am thinking about a verse again and again. Reviewing the truth will help you know God better and consider Him your best friend.

Tomorrow: Developing your friendship with God.

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The Heart of Worship

A new song we've sung in our church captures what the heart of worship is: it is surrender. That may be an unpopular word to some, but when you realize that it's not about you, it's about God, surrender isn't like losing. It's how we love God, and the natural response to His love and mercy. We give ourselves to Him, not out of fear or duty, but in love, "...because He first loved us." ! John 4:9-10.

Paul, in the book of Romans, spent the first part of the book explaining God's incredible grace, and in chapter twelve, He tells us to fully surrender ourselves in worship: "So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us... offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to His service and pleasing to Him. This is the true worship that you should offer." Romans 12:1.

Giving, or offering yourself to God is what worship is all about. This act of personal surrender is called many things: consecration, making Jesus your Lord, taking up your cross, dying to self, yielding to the Spirit. What matters is that you do it, not what you call it. God wants all your life - all of it.

Rick Warren, in "The Purpose Driven Life" tells of three barriers that can block our total surrender to God; fear, pride and confusion. We don't realize how much God loves us, we want to control our own lives and we misunderstand the meaning of surrender.

1. Can I trust God? You must trust in order to surrender. You can't surrender to God unless you trust Him, but you can't trust Him without knowing Him better. Fear keeps us from surrendering, but love casts out all fear. The more you know how much God loves you, the easier it is to surrender. How do you know He loves you? There is a lot of evidence in the Bible, He created you, He is interested in the details of your life, He gives you the capability for pleasure, He has plans for your life, He forgives you and He is patient with you. But the greatest expression of His love for you is the sacrifice of God's Son for you. Look at Christ on the cross with His outstretched arms, saying to us, "I love you this much! I'd rather die that live without you!" That's how much God loves you. Remember, God gave you the will to choose, and will not force you to accept Him. God does not use tactics that force us into submission; He is a lover and a liberator who brings freedom, not bondage.


2. Admitting our limitations.The second barrier to total surrender is our pride. We don't want to admit that we're just created beings and not in charge of everything. I've seen cults who promise what seems to be the answer to those prideful people who can't surrender control of their lives: they believe "they'll be like God!" There is only one winner of that contest. There is only one God, and He is in control of everything, you and your surroundings, you and your friends, you and your job. People who struggle with pride are really struggling with God. Rick Warren says, "We aren't God and never will be. We are humans. It is when we try to be God that we end being most like Satan, who desired the same thing." We want to have it all and do it all and become upset when it doesn't happen. Then we notice that God gave others characteristics that we don't have, and we respond with envy, jealousy and self-pity. That's a life surrendered to self; God wants to give you His plans and His love; surrendered to Jesus.


3. What it means to surrender. What surrender to God is not is resignation, fatalism or an excuse for laziness. It is not accepting the status quo. It means the opposite; sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what must be changed. God often uses surrendered people to do battle on His behalf. "Surrendering is not for cowards or doormats," says Rick Warren. And it doesn't mean you give up the intelligence you possess, as God would not waste the mind He gave you. He is not trying to change your personality, He wants you to use that unique part of you for Him. Rather than it being diminished, surrending to God enhances it. Surrendering is best demonstrated when you say "Yes, Lord." Saying "No, Lord" is a contradiction; you can't call Jesus your Lord and refuse to obey Him. Rick uses the illustration of Simon in Luke 5:5; after a night of failed fishing, Simon modeled surrender when Jesus told him to try again: "Master, we've worked all night and haven't caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets." Surrendered people obey God's word, even when it might not make sense. One final point: surrender is best demostrated in obedience and trust. Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill Your purpose and glory in my life or another's, please don't take it away." This kind of maturity doesn't come easy. We have often faced situations where what we thought was best was done, but ultimately, it wasn't the best thing to do. God's plans always start and end for His purpose, not ours. We benefit from the glory and mercy of His purpose for us when we embrace all of God by surrendering to Him.

Tomorrow: Becoming best friends with God.

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What makes God smile?

When I was a little boy and became aware of God for the first time, I knew that I couldn't hide under the blanket or in the secret fort away from God. And I knew that when I was doing right, that God, like a father, smiled because He was happy I was good.

Making God smile is the goal of your life. And that makes your most important task to discover how to do just that. The Bible, in Ephesians 5:10 says, "Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Noah made God smile. When God looked at the whole earth and couldn't find anyone but Noah who wasn't living for pleasure and morally bankrupt, He wanted to wipe it all out and start again. Noah's dedication and love of God made God smile.

There are five acts of worship that make God smile:

1. God smiles when we love Him supremely. Noah loved God more than anything in the world, even when no one else did. That is what God wants most from you: a relationship! Rick Warren writes that it is the most astounding truth in the universe; that our Creator wants to fellowship with us! God, in Hosea 6:6 tells us, "I don't want your sacrifices - I want your love; I don't want your offerings - I want you to know me.


2. God smiles when we trust Him completely. Noah trusted God, even when it didn't make sense. Imagine this scene: Noah hears from God: "I can't trust anyone in the world but you, Noah. You are good and faithful to me. I'm going to destroy everyone in the earth except for you, your family and two of each animal that is in the earth. I'm going to flood the earth and you'll ride out the storm with all the animals until I bring dry land back to you." Noah, talking to God, says something like "how am I going to gather all the animals, and what kind of whatever will hold them in a flood?" Noah had never seen rain, and the nearest ocean was hundreds of miles away. Noah couldn't think of everything he could do to finish this task. So he trusted that God would show him what to do.

God smiles when we obey Him wholeheartedly.God gave Noah the plans and the decisions to accomplish the task, and Noah did what God said, because he trusted God. And God was smiling, because Noah did exactly what God said to do. When the rains came, Noah and his family were safe because He trusted and obeyed God completely.

3. God smiles when we praise and thank Him continually. We feel great when someone thanks us for a job well done with heartfelt appreciation and praise. God loves it too! He smiles whenever we express our praise and adoration to him. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, we don't have animal sacrifices anymore, but instead offer the sacrifice of praise and the sacrifice of thanksgiving. And an amazing thing happens when we offer this praise and thanksgiving: we are filled with joy, because we are making God smile.


4. God smiles when we use our abilities. We are given natural talents and spiritual gifts, and when we are using those talents and gifts, God looks at us and smiles, as a doting father would of his child. You may think that God is pleased with you only when you are doing something spiritual, like church or simply praying. But everything you do, every human activity except sin, can be done for God's pleasure, if you do it with an attitude of praise. As Rick Warren says, even "washing dishes, repairing a machine, sell a product, write a computer program, grow a crop and raise a family, all for the glory of God." God also is pleased when He watches us enjoy His creation! He gave us the senses to enjoy all that He has made. Every act of enjoyment becomes an act of worship when you thank God for all of it!

Parents don't expect their children to be perfect to enjoy them; in the same way God loves us and enjoys us at every stage of our spiritual development. You may have had parents or teachers who were unpleaseable. Don't assume God feels that way about you! He knows you are incapable of being sinless or perfect. God looks at our heart attitude to see whether pleasing Him is your deepest desire. That was Paul's goal. Will you make that the goal of your life? There is nothing God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.

Tomorrow: The Heart of Worship.



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Diane found an interesting blog game going at her place. Here's my contribution.

The Rules:
1. Go into your blog's archives.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.

I found out that my 23rd post wasn't until July 24, 2003. And I began this blog in October, 2002. So much for prolific writing.

So here we are:

1) The Gulf War, redux. Now that Saddam's two sons have been exterminated


Now, your turn…

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I went for a walk early this morning, over the same route I take almost every day. Spring is indeed here, and the beauty that exists in the flowering dogwood and apple trees, the green grass and the frogs beginning to sound in the brooks makes me appreciate all there is in creation.

When I got home, an email from a friend told me about this site. Take five minutes, sit back and enjoy the wonder.


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First Purpose: Worship
You were planned for God's pleasure

Imagine this: The moment you were born into this world, God was an unseen witness, smiling at your birth. Rick Warren continues: "He wanted you alive, and your arrival gave Him great pleasure. God did not need to create you, but He chose to create you for His own enjoyment. You exist for His benefit, His glory, His purpose and His delight."

That puts a whole new spin on where I was in my Christian life. Knowing, sure, that everything in my life was part of God's plan, but that my decisions, my chosen paths were sometimes not where God would lead. Knowing now that I am here for His glory, His purpose has put new emphasis on my life as one who strives to be knowledgable of God and to know His will, so I will make the right decisions in everything.

"The Search For Signifigance" made a splash in the Christian book world a few years ago and became a popular study among women. God cannot be enclosed in a book, and the signifigance He gives you and me is awesome. We are that important to God! And He wants us for eternity!

In today's devotion, we learn that one of the greatest gifts that God gave us is the ability to enjoy pleasure. Five senses, all working with emotion to experience pleasure. And the reason He gave us this gift of pleasure is that He created us in His own image! Think about this: God too feels things very deeply. The Bible says that God gets jealous, grieves, gets angry, shows compassion, sorrow, pity and sympathy as well as happiness, gladness and satisfaction.

Bring pleasure to God is called Worship. We discussed this point in our small group meeting tonight, and the concept, if you've never heard of this before, is terriffic. Everything we do that brings pleasure to God is an act of worship. Taking the neighbor to the doctor, volunteering at your daughter's school, allowing a car to pass ahead of you through the intersection, helping someone in need; all of these are acts of worship, as you bring pleasure to Him.

The problem can be, though, if we are not bringing pleasure to God with what we are doing, we find a substitute, and that is failing God. Whatever you value most, whatever your passion is, is your god. Notice the small "g," not God.

Worship is not just music (as in the Worship time and the Message being separated in a service,) or a description of a person (i.e. worship leader; shouldn't this be the pastor, and not the music leader?) Worship is a lifestyle, not even just a church service. Every part of a church service is worship too.

Remember this: Worship is not for your benefit. We worship for God's benefit! We can split hairs here, with some people saying "I didn't get anything out of worship today," well, you worshipped for the wrong reason! Don't let the word 'worship' limit you! It is not part of your life, it is your life!

How is it possible to do everything to the glory of God in worship? By doing eveything as if you were doing it all for Jesus and by carrying on a continuing conversation with Him while you are doing it! The Bible says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:23. And that is the secret of a lifestyle of worship - doing everything as if you were doing it for Jesus. Work becomes worship when you dedicate it to God and perform it with an awareness of His presence.

Tomorrow: What makes God smile?



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The Reason for Everything

It's all for God. The ultimate goal of the universe is to show the Glory of God. I've often written about how I see God, in the beauty of the world around me, the wonder of how everything is fit together in nature perfectly (even mosquitos, as God doesn't make mistakes!) God made everything, seen and unseen, you and me, past and present for His glory. Without the glory of God, there would be nothing, absolutely nothing.

What is the glory of God? "The essence of His nature, the weight of His importance, the radience of His splendor, the demonstration of His power and the atmosphere of His presence," writes Rick Warren. The Glory of God is the expression of all that God is. And it doesn't take but a glance through opened eyes to see his glory. Everything created by God reflects His glory and His master design, from the smallest microscopic plants to the distant planets in the Universe. His design sets the perfect gravity for the earth, the seasons so we can grow food, the abundant water so we can refresh our bodies, made mostly of water. Sunsets and storms, babies and forests, mountains and seas, it is all God's glory. Warren writes, "In nature we learn that God is powerful, that He enjoys variety, loves beauty, is organized and is wise and creative."

The glory of God is best seen in Jesus Christ. He, the Light of the world, illuminates God's nature. When we know Jesus, we know what God is really like. The Bible, in Hebrews 1:3, says, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory." Now, how can we bring glory to God?

Jesus in His time on earth gave glory to God by fulfilling His purpose on earth. We honor God the same way. When anything in creation completes its purpose, it brings glory to God. For example, Rick Warren says, "Birds bring glory to God by flying, chirping, nesting and doing other bird-like activities that God intended." Everything in nature brings glory to God by fulfilling the purposes God set for them, and they are all connected.

We can bring glory to God in many ways; The Purpose Driven Life summarizes five purposes for your life, and that is what we wil be looking at in detail over the next 33 days. They are:

1. We bring glory to God by worshiping Him


2. We bring glory to God by loving other believers


3. We bring glory to God by becoming like Christ


4. We bring glory to God by serving others with our gifts


5. We bring glory to God by telling others about him

What will you live for? Living a purpose-driven life in Christ that glorifies God requires change, in your relationships, your priorities, your schedule and everything else. It will sometimes mean choosing a difficult path instead of an easy one. Even Jesus struggled with this; knowing He was about to be crucified, he cried out: "My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour?' But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify thy name." John 12: 27-28.

It's time for a decision - who are you going to live for; yourself or God? You might think that it would take too much to decide, whether you will have the strength to follow Him. God will give you all you need when you make the decision to follow Him. God made you to fulfill His purposes, you are not an accident! The real life begins when you commit yourself completely to Christ! If you have questions, please email me!

Tomorrow: week 2 begins with purpose number 1: You were planned for God's pleasure.

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Life is a temporary assignment

Have you ever thought about life on earth being just temporary? That eternity would render our time on earth as a brief second in time. The Bible in Job, 8:9 says, "For we were born but yesterday... Our days on earth are as transient as a shadow." Making the best use of your life on earth requires two truths: that life here on earth is extremely brief, compared with eternity. And second, that earth is only a temporary residence. As Rick Warren said, "You won't be here long, so don't get too attached." We must ask God to help us see life on earth as He sees it.

The Purpose Driven Life asks you to imagine living as an ambassodor in a foreign country that is an enemy of your country. To complete the assignment, you'd have to learn the language and the customs of your host country. You'd be aware of these differences, because you have a home country to return to, and being in a foreign country would simply not isolate you from the enemy. But you would have to contact and relate to the people of that country.

Suppose then, that you fell in love with the country and adopted their ways and ideologies as your own. You'd end up preferring it to your own home country. Now, your duties as an ambassador are compromised as your adopted country's priorities are your own, not your home country. Because it is an enemy nation, you become an enemy of your country by your actions. You'd be a traitor.

The Bible says that we are "Christ's ambassadors." Sadly, many Christians have betrayed their King and His Kingdom. They have foolishly decided that as they live on Earth, it is their home. It is not. The Bible makes this clear in 1st Peter 2:11: "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul." God is warning us not to get too attached, because it is temporary.

Don't assume that because you have obtained material success or popularity that it is God's goal for your life. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or ministry. Don't focus on temporary crowns, rather, the focus must be on those activities where your life will prove abundantly in heaven.

Warren presents one more thought: "You will not be in Heaven more than two seconds before you cry out: 'Why did I place so much importance on things that were temporary?' What was I thinking? Why did I waste so much time and energy, and concern on what wasn't going to last?"

Tomorrow: The reason for everything.

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Last night, my son had a baseball practice scheduled at a different field than he is used to. I met with several of the mothers who shuttled their sons to the school, which had three fields and no coaches. No one knew where the practice would be. Soon, the coaches arrived and practice began. Talking to one of the moms, who called the Vice President of the league to find out if he knew where exactly the practice was to take place, he asked her what team, then exclaimed, "That team doesn't even need to practice. The last team they played is still crying about it (the loss.)"

That game, Thursday night, ended with a score of 16-2. It was actually 19-2, but those 3 runs came on bases-loaded walks and were forgiven by our team. I am happy to report that fair teamsmanship happened at the end of the game, when each team passes each other and gives each the "high five." I can't tell what is being said in each team now. Next game, next Thursday.


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