9.God knows what needs to be done to get us where we need to be.
Another short point. It's really kind of a summary of all the previous ones.
God lives outside of time. Should we refuse His calling, and reject His path He knows just how to get us back to where we need to be. It could take a combination of drastic measures, clearing out excuses, using another to intercede on our path, a dream, or any number of things. God loves us, and knows more about us than we can know ourselves.
He created us. He knows us. He knows what needs to be done to us. He knows what we need to see. He knows what we need to do. He understands our struggles. He knows our pain. He can help us through them. We can come to Him through prayer, and He will listen. He will push (not force) us to make sure we are able to find our way to where we’re meant to be.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Mistakes, part 8
8. God will take drastic action if required.
Similar to point 6, but distinct.
It’s possible for us to get our heads so wrapped into the alternate path we’ve created for ourselves that even if we want to follow the right path we can’t see the way. Maybe life has beaten us up. Maybe there are too many people around us telling us too many different things. Maybe all the TV, music, games, and other media around us just gets in our head all the time. Maybe there was or is someone in our lives whose voice in our head keeps us from realizing the truth. Maybe there’s a sin we just don’t think we can overcome.
This can even happen in church. We may listen to different pastors, and each one tells us a different thing about what it is to be called. We may read different Christian books, and each one tells us a different way to interpret the same scripture. Everything sounds like good advice, but our attempts to apply everything we’ve learned together messes with our heads. Maybe we can find a hundred reasons to go in one direction, and a hundred reasons to go in another. Maybe there are countless directions you could take your life in and feel justified because you’ve compiled so much information to help you justify it.
This is essentially what happens when we try to use human logic to determine God’s will for our lives. This is what I tried to do, and is why I’m currently in Korea. We look at all the evidence, and determine what logically makes sense for us to do. I’d compiled a long laundry list of reasons that I used to justify teaching overseas that I used to convince myself and others it was the right thing to do. My head had gotten cluttered, and it became difficult for me to realize the truth. I applied human logic to the decision, and ended up here.
The problem with that is God is a lot smarter than we are. Our own human logic cannot compete with God’s divine revelation. Sometimes what God wants us to do is what seems most illogical. Is it logical for a boy in no armor to use a single stone to fight a giant? Is it logical for someone who was sold into slavery by his own brothers to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt? Is it logical for the only sinless man to ever walk the face of the earth to die for the sinning masses? No. It is not logical, but God doesn’t usually work in logic. He works in miracles. His understanding surpasses our own, but we can sometimes get so wrapped up in the situations of our lives, our own excuses, the things of this world, or the voice in our head telling us we’re not good enough that we cannot see the truth even when it’s right in front of us.
If we really want to do the Lord’s will with our lives He is going to make sure we find out just what that is. Things had gotten so messed up in my head that God had to bring me to Korea in order for me to be able to see through all the clutter that had made it nearly impossible for me to see the truth. He took drastic action with me, and the scriptures show us countless times where he took drastic action with others. This could be a big fish moment as it was with Jonah, or it could be just helping you get to a place where you can clearly hear His voice.
Jesus walked this earth as a human. He understands our struggles, and the things that keep us from seeing the truth. If we authentically pray to Him that we want to know the right path for our lives He will take such drastic action to help us see the truth. He took drastic action with me. I don’t say this so others will think I’m important, or will pat me on the back. This isn’t about me. I’m just one man, and God took drastic action with me to get me back on the right path. He will take such measures with all who would call on His name.
Similar to point 6, but distinct.
It’s possible for us to get our heads so wrapped into the alternate path we’ve created for ourselves that even if we want to follow the right path we can’t see the way. Maybe life has beaten us up. Maybe there are too many people around us telling us too many different things. Maybe all the TV, music, games, and other media around us just gets in our head all the time. Maybe there was or is someone in our lives whose voice in our head keeps us from realizing the truth. Maybe there’s a sin we just don’t think we can overcome.
This can even happen in church. We may listen to different pastors, and each one tells us a different thing about what it is to be called. We may read different Christian books, and each one tells us a different way to interpret the same scripture. Everything sounds like good advice, but our attempts to apply everything we’ve learned together messes with our heads. Maybe we can find a hundred reasons to go in one direction, and a hundred reasons to go in another. Maybe there are countless directions you could take your life in and feel justified because you’ve compiled so much information to help you justify it.
This is essentially what happens when we try to use human logic to determine God’s will for our lives. This is what I tried to do, and is why I’m currently in Korea. We look at all the evidence, and determine what logically makes sense for us to do. I’d compiled a long laundry list of reasons that I used to justify teaching overseas that I used to convince myself and others it was the right thing to do. My head had gotten cluttered, and it became difficult for me to realize the truth. I applied human logic to the decision, and ended up here.
The problem with that is God is a lot smarter than we are. Our own human logic cannot compete with God’s divine revelation. Sometimes what God wants us to do is what seems most illogical. Is it logical for a boy in no armor to use a single stone to fight a giant? Is it logical for someone who was sold into slavery by his own brothers to become one of the most powerful men in Egypt? Is it logical for the only sinless man to ever walk the face of the earth to die for the sinning masses? No. It is not logical, but God doesn’t usually work in logic. He works in miracles. His understanding surpasses our own, but we can sometimes get so wrapped up in the situations of our lives, our own excuses, the things of this world, or the voice in our head telling us we’re not good enough that we cannot see the truth even when it’s right in front of us.
If we really want to do the Lord’s will with our lives He is going to make sure we find out just what that is. Things had gotten so messed up in my head that God had to bring me to Korea in order for me to be able to see through all the clutter that had made it nearly impossible for me to see the truth. He took drastic action with me, and the scriptures show us countless times where he took drastic action with others. This could be a big fish moment as it was with Jonah, or it could be just helping you get to a place where you can clearly hear His voice.
Jesus walked this earth as a human. He understands our struggles, and the things that keep us from seeing the truth. If we authentically pray to Him that we want to know the right path for our lives He will take such drastic action to help us see the truth. He took drastic action with me. I don’t say this so others will think I’m important, or will pat me on the back. This isn’t about me. I’m just one man, and God took drastic action with me to get me back on the right path. He will take such measures with all who would call on His name.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Mistakes, part 7
7. God will turn your excuses into nothing.
God knows us well. He knows we don’t always ignore His calling through deliberate disobedience. He knows it could be fear, desire, sins we can’t forgive ourselves for, or any number of excuses that keep us from following Him to where He leads. He gets it, but that doesn’t make it okay.
The most obvious and best example for this is Moses (Jonah also works, but I talked about him enough last time). When God called Moses to free the Jews from Egypt he was full of excuses. They can be read in chapter 3 of Exodus. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to my voice;” “suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.” “I am not eloquent; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” “O Lord, please send by the hand whomever else you may send.” Moses had lots of excuses, but not nearly so many as we are capable of making up when we want to ignore our calling.
God heard every excuse Moses had, and He had an answer for all of them. He is the same with us. God will show us why our excuses don’t matter. He may not do it with a burning bush as He did with Moses, but He will. He may take hours, days, or even years to wipe out all our excuses. He knows just how to do it, and He will. If we lack faith in ourselves He will teach us how to have the faith we need. He will remind us He lives within us, and He created us for a purpose. He knew what He was doing when He chose that purpose for us.
Moses listened to God, and spent the next forty years of his life being one of the greatest examples for those following God there has ever been. He overcame his excuses, and did the right thing. Have faith in God, and learn to have faith in the person He made you to be.
If there is a sin you just can’t defeat He will help you defeat it. If He wants you to preach, but you fear speaking in front of others He will show you how. I had that same fear, and God helped me overcome it by allowing me to be a tour guide in Charleston, SC. Can’t really be a good tour guide without talking in front of people. It just doesn’t work.
This is just one way He wiped out excuses I had (I discussed more in my first post). I had a lot of excuses, and He worked on me a long time to destroy every single one. He has done the same thing for lots of people who were making the mistake of ignoring His will because of their excuses. He can do the same for anyone. God can provide for all our needs, and wipe away all our excuses.
God knows us well. He knows we don’t always ignore His calling through deliberate disobedience. He knows it could be fear, desire, sins we can’t forgive ourselves for, or any number of excuses that keep us from following Him to where He leads. He gets it, but that doesn’t make it okay.
The most obvious and best example for this is Moses (Jonah also works, but I talked about him enough last time). When God called Moses to free the Jews from Egypt he was full of excuses. They can be read in chapter 3 of Exodus. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” “But suppose they do not believe me or listen to my voice;” “suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.” “I am not eloquent; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” “O Lord, please send by the hand whomever else you may send.” Moses had lots of excuses, but not nearly so many as we are capable of making up when we want to ignore our calling.
God heard every excuse Moses had, and He had an answer for all of them. He is the same with us. God will show us why our excuses don’t matter. He may not do it with a burning bush as He did with Moses, but He will. He may take hours, days, or even years to wipe out all our excuses. He knows just how to do it, and He will. If we lack faith in ourselves He will teach us how to have the faith we need. He will remind us He lives within us, and He created us for a purpose. He knew what He was doing when He chose that purpose for us.
Moses listened to God, and spent the next forty years of his life being one of the greatest examples for those following God there has ever been. He overcame his excuses, and did the right thing. Have faith in God, and learn to have faith in the person He made you to be.
If there is a sin you just can’t defeat He will help you defeat it. If He wants you to preach, but you fear speaking in front of others He will show you how. I had that same fear, and God helped me overcome it by allowing me to be a tour guide in Charleston, SC. Can’t really be a good tour guide without talking in front of people. It just doesn’t work.
This is just one way He wiped out excuses I had (I discussed more in my first post). I had a lot of excuses, and He worked on me a long time to destroy every single one. He has done the same thing for lots of people who were making the mistake of ignoring His will because of their excuses. He can do the same for anyone. God can provide for all our needs, and wipe away all our excuses.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Mistakes, part 6
6.We may need to spend some time in the belly of the big fish in order for God to set us back on the right path.
I know I’ve mentioned Jonah a couple of times already, but that’s because his journey teaches us so much about mistakes. It’s taught me a lot, and been on my mind extensively as God has taken me on this incredible journey.
Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Before he was even there he was on a ship hit by a powerful storm. Jonah says right in verse 12 of chapter 1 “I know this great tempest is because of me.” That shows something significant. Jonah knew God was throwing stuff at him to keep him from running away from his purpose. Jonah still didn’t care. He didn’t want to go to Ninevah, and he wasn’t going to change his mind just because of a storm. What it took instead was him spending three days and nights in the belly of the big fish. Not pleasant for Jonah, but the end result of his repentance was remarkable.
God can and will do the same thing to us if we refuse him too long. He can put us in the belly of the big fish (figuratively) in any number of ways. Perhaps someone’s been ignoring the call of the Lord in order to get that big promotion at work. Maybe He’ll let them get it, and through that they’ll suddenly realize what they thought they always wanted was only going to destroy them. On the other hand, he could rip something away from them that was an excuse. They could lose the job they were never meant to have. There are countless ways God could give you a big fish moment, and He knows just how to make sure the big fish he sends your way has the maximum impact.
There will likely be warnings to this. God will usually try to help us see the truth the easy way on more than one occasion before He brings out the big guns. God used a storm with Jonah. With us He could use rejection, show us an opportunity to serve Him, or open our eyes to something we never knew. He could do a lot, but we could also be very determined to run. I was. God put churches like Northside, Seacoast, Emmanuel, and Elevation before me to help me see the truth, but I refused. His big fish for me was letting me come to Korea where I was finally willing to admit who I was, and what I was supposed to do.
Try to listen to God, and don’t make Him use the big fish. Jonah had to spend three days in the belly of the big fish. He could have repented immediately, but that didn’t mean he could just be let out right away. Sometimes getting out of the big fish takes time. Paul is another good display of this. It took Jesus directly speaking to him on the road to Gethsemane for him to change his ways. He knew the truth from the moment he was spoken to, but he still had to endure the scales over his eyes. I have to stay in Korea for a few months to make sure my mistake doesn’t negatively impact others. Anyone else who God has to big fish may have to stay in that big fish a while to clean up the mess. It’s just the way it goes sometimes if we are too hard headed to listen to God before he really has to step in, and knock some sense into us.
The final thing I’ll say on this point is do not be discouraged if God has to get you with the big fish. Remember that what this really means is that what God has in store for you is important enough to Him that he’s willing to do big things to us to make you see that. Consider it God’s big push to get you where you’re supposed to be. That’s amazing. Be thankful He loves you enough to pursue you in such a mighty way.
I know I’ve mentioned Jonah a couple of times already, but that’s because his journey teaches us so much about mistakes. It’s taught me a lot, and been on my mind extensively as God has taken me on this incredible journey.
Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. Before he was even there he was on a ship hit by a powerful storm. Jonah says right in verse 12 of chapter 1 “I know this great tempest is because of me.” That shows something significant. Jonah knew God was throwing stuff at him to keep him from running away from his purpose. Jonah still didn’t care. He didn’t want to go to Ninevah, and he wasn’t going to change his mind just because of a storm. What it took instead was him spending three days and nights in the belly of the big fish. Not pleasant for Jonah, but the end result of his repentance was remarkable.
God can and will do the same thing to us if we refuse him too long. He can put us in the belly of the big fish (figuratively) in any number of ways. Perhaps someone’s been ignoring the call of the Lord in order to get that big promotion at work. Maybe He’ll let them get it, and through that they’ll suddenly realize what they thought they always wanted was only going to destroy them. On the other hand, he could rip something away from them that was an excuse. They could lose the job they were never meant to have. There are countless ways God could give you a big fish moment, and He knows just how to make sure the big fish he sends your way has the maximum impact.
There will likely be warnings to this. God will usually try to help us see the truth the easy way on more than one occasion before He brings out the big guns. God used a storm with Jonah. With us He could use rejection, show us an opportunity to serve Him, or open our eyes to something we never knew. He could do a lot, but we could also be very determined to run. I was. God put churches like Northside, Seacoast, Emmanuel, and Elevation before me to help me see the truth, but I refused. His big fish for me was letting me come to Korea where I was finally willing to admit who I was, and what I was supposed to do.
Try to listen to God, and don’t make Him use the big fish. Jonah had to spend three days in the belly of the big fish. He could have repented immediately, but that didn’t mean he could just be let out right away. Sometimes getting out of the big fish takes time. Paul is another good display of this. It took Jesus directly speaking to him on the road to Gethsemane for him to change his ways. He knew the truth from the moment he was spoken to, but he still had to endure the scales over his eyes. I have to stay in Korea for a few months to make sure my mistake doesn’t negatively impact others. Anyone else who God has to big fish may have to stay in that big fish a while to clean up the mess. It’s just the way it goes sometimes if we are too hard headed to listen to God before he really has to step in, and knock some sense into us.
The final thing I’ll say on this point is do not be discouraged if God has to get you with the big fish. Remember that what this really means is that what God has in store for you is important enough to Him that he’s willing to do big things to us to make you see that. Consider it God’s big push to get you where you’re supposed to be. That’s amazing. Be thankful He loves you enough to pursue you in such a mighty way.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Mistakes, part 5
5. You can run away. God can follow.
God is everywhere. He can always find you. There is nowhere you can go where you are beyond His reach. You can bury yourself in all the sins of this world. He can dig you out. You can run to the other side of the world. He can call you back.
It doesn’t matter how much you hide the truth of your calling within yourself as you move toward your mistakes. God can and will find a way to make you remember what He’s called you to do. There is no better example for this than Jonah. Jonah tried to run. God followed him with a storm, and then with a big fish. He can do the same to any of us.
God is relentless in His love for us, and in His desire to see us become who we were created to be. He wants to keep us from making the mistakes ignoring His calling will lead us to. Even when we’ve made these mistakes He will not give up on us.
You can run, but you can’t hide. God will always be there. God’s plans for you will be the same no matter what you try to do, and however much you try to cover up who you know you were made to be. God knows you, and will work to make sure you know who you are as well.
God is everywhere. He can always find you. There is nowhere you can go where you are beyond His reach. You can bury yourself in all the sins of this world. He can dig you out. You can run to the other side of the world. He can call you back.
It doesn’t matter how much you hide the truth of your calling within yourself as you move toward your mistakes. God can and will find a way to make you remember what He’s called you to do. There is no better example for this than Jonah. Jonah tried to run. God followed him with a storm, and then with a big fish. He can do the same to any of us.
God is relentless in His love for us, and in His desire to see us become who we were created to be. He wants to keep us from making the mistakes ignoring His calling will lead us to. Even when we’ve made these mistakes He will not give up on us.
You can run, but you can’t hide. God will always be there. God’s plans for you will be the same no matter what you try to do, and however much you try to cover up who you know you were made to be. God knows you, and will work to make sure you know who you are as well.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Mistakes, part 4
4. God wants you to be who you are
Here's the shortest, but potentially most important point.
Ignoring your calling is trying to be someone you’re not. I understand doing this because it is what I wanted to do for many years. I wanted to run from my gifts, and be someone different. Someone better. I can now see the foolishness in this. We must embrace who we are. We cannot be better than who God made us to be. Trying to be someone different is a major mistake, and will never bring us true happiness. God is all knowing, and his plans for us are plans for good. He put us here for a reason, and made us into the unique individual we are not to destroy us, but to fulfill us. What He created us for is better than anything we can imagine for ourselves. Trust in Him. He gave you these gifts because of His faith in you. Be thankful for them, and embrace them. Be who you are.
Here's the shortest, but potentially most important point.
Ignoring your calling is trying to be someone you’re not. I understand doing this because it is what I wanted to do for many years. I wanted to run from my gifts, and be someone different. Someone better. I can now see the foolishness in this. We must embrace who we are. We cannot be better than who God made us to be. Trying to be someone different is a major mistake, and will never bring us true happiness. God is all knowing, and his plans for us are plans for good. He put us here for a reason, and made us into the unique individual we are not to destroy us, but to fulfill us. What He created us for is better than anything we can imagine for ourselves. Trust in Him. He gave you these gifts because of His faith in you. Be thankful for them, and embrace them. Be who you are.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Mistakes, part 3
3. The wrong path is the wrong path even if we try to make it pleasing to God.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” Each of us is uniquely made. Every one of us is granted a spiritual gift that we are made to use for Christ. Many of us, however, have different reasons to avoid using these spiritual gifts.
Jonah was given the gift to reach the people of Nineveh, but he didn’t feel they deserved salvation. Moses was able to free the Jewish people, but was afraid to even open his mouth to speak. I was filled with excuses, and consumed by fear of rejection. Many people feel a calling, but don’t want to do what they’re called to do.
Many of us desire to serve the Lord. Sometimes we just don’t want to serve Him in the way we know we’re meant to. We instead seek out an alternate path. We look for a different way to serve the Lord that we hope will satisfy Him. In our hearts we beg Him to change His mind, and to think it's okay for us to serve Him in a way that’s against His purpose. We hope he’ll change His will for us.
This won’t happen. The wrong path is always the wrong path no matter how we try to cover it up. You cannot hide from God within His arms. You cannot justify hiding from His will. No amount of human reasoning will make running from what you’re meant to do pleasing to the Lord. If He made you for ministry He will not think its fine for you to become a missionary instead. If he made you to teach you are to teach. If he made you to be an accountant be an account. Do whatever it is you were made to do, and commit it all to the service of God. If He blessed you with many gifts be sure to use them all for the Lord. Do not fear the responsibility that comes with the ability to teach, preach, write, or anything else. Embrace it, and remember that God has plans for you that are good. Do not ignore your calling. Do not forge your own path so you feel okay with running from God. Ignoring you calling is always a mistake.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” Each of us is uniquely made. Every one of us is granted a spiritual gift that we are made to use for Christ. Many of us, however, have different reasons to avoid using these spiritual gifts.
Jonah was given the gift to reach the people of Nineveh, but he didn’t feel they deserved salvation. Moses was able to free the Jewish people, but was afraid to even open his mouth to speak. I was filled with excuses, and consumed by fear of rejection. Many people feel a calling, but don’t want to do what they’re called to do.
Many of us desire to serve the Lord. Sometimes we just don’t want to serve Him in the way we know we’re meant to. We instead seek out an alternate path. We look for a different way to serve the Lord that we hope will satisfy Him. In our hearts we beg Him to change His mind, and to think it's okay for us to serve Him in a way that’s against His purpose. We hope he’ll change His will for us.
This won’t happen. The wrong path is always the wrong path no matter how we try to cover it up. You cannot hide from God within His arms. You cannot justify hiding from His will. No amount of human reasoning will make running from what you’re meant to do pleasing to the Lord. If He made you for ministry He will not think its fine for you to become a missionary instead. If he made you to teach you are to teach. If he made you to be an accountant be an account. Do whatever it is you were made to do, and commit it all to the service of God. If He blessed you with many gifts be sure to use them all for the Lord. Do not fear the responsibility that comes with the ability to teach, preach, write, or anything else. Embrace it, and remember that God has plans for you that are good. Do not ignore your calling. Do not forge your own path so you feel okay with running from God. Ignoring you calling is always a mistake.
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