Everything

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Matthew 16:13-16 (NLT)

“Who do you say I am?” This is a question we must all answer at some point. Notice Jesus asked them what everyone else thought and then he made it personal. Because it is personal. Who you know Jesus to be is the most important thing you will ever decide.

Some would answer “He’s my Savior.” This is true.

Some would answer “He’s the Son of God.” This is also true.

Some will throw out fancy titles like “He’s the Sacrificial Lamb. He’s the Bright and Morning Star.” All of these are true.

But I don’t think that Jesus wants to know what we can verbalize. We can all talk a good game. I think He wants to know what’s in our hearts. I think He wants to know who we, deep down where no one can see, think about Him.

I was having a conversation with someone a little while ago that I can’t get out of my head. I was talking about something and I said “The focus has to be Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” And the person said “What about love?” I’ll be honest, this question shocked me. How can you have Jesus and not have love? Who was Jesus to this person?

I keep thinking about that conversation. You see, I think we give platitudes to Jesus. I think we try to say all the right things but I don’t think He’s real enough to us. Who exactly do we think He is? It’s almost like we see him as a figurehead that has no real impact or control on our lives. That’s not what He wants.

Jesus wants to be our Everything. What does that look like? There is nothing that He doesn’t control; there is nothing in our lives that are not His; there is absolutely nothing we would not give up for Him or offer Him. We are so filled with love for Him that it drives and motivates everything we do.

So let me ask you. Who do you say He is? If He is not your Everything, you are missing out on the greatest joy you’ve ever experienced. Spend some time really getting to know Him - personally. It will change the way you see…well….Everything.  

Seeing Important

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

Everyday there seems to be something. Lately, it feels like there are a ton of “somethings” going on at work. Honestly, it’s like a minion is in the middle of things stirring the pot. And now that I say that out loud, it’s probably true. Satan likes to distract me from what is important. So he does stuff. He’s a pain in the-you-know-what.

Anyway, yesterday started out as a pretty calm day. There were things I needed to do (as in required) for work but I could not get my brain engaged in the tedious tasks at hand. So, I did what every good procrastinator does; I did other things.

At 4, I was scheduled to spend time with someone who needed human interaction. Today is her birthday so we decided to meet up and walk together. At 3, chaos erupted. My stress level climbed and I was trying to get a ton of things done before I left the office.

I managed to eek out a prayer as I arrived late to the walk but God was good. We walked and talked and it was really nice to catch up. I got back home to more chaos and another scheduled meeting at 7 via Zoom. I quickly went into my office and spun out a few emails trying to control the earlier chaos and then downstairs to set up a separate Zoom meeting for my husband before rushing to start mine. In this chaos, I became overwhelmed and went into “get the tasks done” mode. I am very task oriented. It’s my natural bend to put tasks on a priority list while sometimes completely missing the people involved in those tasks.

As I was rushing to finish one task so I could start the meeting at 7, I completely did not acknowledge someone standing in the very same room I was working in. Walked right past him. Didn’t say hi. Didn’t even look up. This morning when I woke up, God brought this to my mind with the overwhelming feeling that I needed to spend time praying.

The evening before had been a whirlwind of activity. I had stuff to do and I needed to get it done on a timetable. I succeeded in that but I failed in the most important thing we are given to do each day; Love one another.

As I knelt there and rested in Jesus, I asked God (again) to help me with this. There should never be anything happening in my life that causes me to “not see” someone standing in the same room with me. And if I have given my tasks and my day to God, I can rest knowing things will get done the way he wants them to be done. I can stay focused on the people….the most important thing.

As I knelt there this morning, I realized that this is an area I need to grow in. When things get hectic, wait….I should say when things get more hectic, I need to stop, drop and pray. I need to trust that God’s hand is all over my day. I need to have confidence in what he will do and let go of what I think I need to do. When I open my eyes again, I will see more clearly what should always be my focus; God’s children.

This is a journey for me but God is faithful. As Philippians 1:6 says God’s got this until the day Jesus comes.

Glimpses in the Journey

I said, “Here I am. Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (NLT)

I am a co-vocational church planter. What does that mean exactly? It means that I have two jobs. One is my day job and one is church planting. When all this started I wasn’t sure how it was going to work. Surely there would be days when the demands were too much and I couldn’t handle it. But over the years God has been processing how this actually works with me. He’s allowed me to ease into it.

When he first said that he was calling me into ministry, I had no idea what it looked like and that journey is its own story. But here we are, co-vocationally planting a church. Of course, we are in the baby step phases. I am sure it will get more challenging as we go but one thing I’ve learned, God is in control of all of it, including the crazy schedule. Each day (that usually has too many things in it), I’ve watched God move this, cancel that, open up pockets of time and at the end of the day, what gets done is what He wants done. It’s actually fascinating to watch.

Recently, as I’ve been more comfortable with the uncertainty of it all, another layer was added. Some opportunities came up that are in line with ministry but in a slightly different way. I started praying. As I prayed, I asked God “How in the world did we get here?” And He said “You asked me to use you.” And of course, He was right. I did. Many times over the years.

The morale of this story could be “Be careful what you pray for.” Or maybe “What it looks like to pray dangerous prayers.” But I don’t think so. And even though they pop into my head, those thoughts are way too limited.

As I look back on the years that have passed since God first called, I see a consistent movement to get me more dependent on Him. He has grown my trust in ways I didn’t think possible. He’s taken away what I thought I was in control of to the point that I’ve realized I am not actually in control of anything….even my time. He has consistently shown up and showed off (I love it when he does that!) He has lovingly allowed me time to take it all in so I don’t run screaming from the room when something new pops up. He is exciting and challenging. Sometimes, it’s downright scary.

God is dangerous. He is not predictable. If you say “Please send me.” He will. He might give you a little time to learn more and He might not. But you can always depend on Him. You can trust that He loves you and that he is good. He will stretch you but man, it’s the most “fill you up until you burst inside” thing you will ever do. And you realize no matter how much you are doing, it pales in comparison to what Jesus has already done.

I will never fully know who God is in my lifetime. He is too awesome for that. But I can promise you, if you seek Him, you will find Him. He will love on you in ways you cannot imagine! So go ahead! Ask Him to use you. Ask Him to send you. Then sit back and relax and watch Him come alive in your life!

Dangling Secure

Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
    do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

Not sure if I shared this with you but our church is doing a 40-day fast. We started Easter weekend. As I was praying about how to fast, I was also reading this book called Dangerous Prayers: Following Jesus was never meant to be safe by Craig Groeschel. Great book. Somewhere in the book he talked about a routine of praying about how to step out in faith every day. And that became my fast. Each day, I ask God how I can step out in faith that day and I do what I think he is telling me.

At first, it was easier. Email this person. Reach out and talk to so and so. Introduce this idea. Move forward with this business idea. Then, it started getting harder. And I could begin to see a problem. The problem wasn’t in what God was asking, the problem was in my response.

One day, I was praying about some training I wanted to attend for ministry. I’ve gone before and God always uses this training to grow me as a leader and in my walk with him. Funds are tight though so I was thinking maybe I shouldn’t go. I believe I heard God say I needed to go. My mind wandered back to “there isn’t any money”. And then, I heard him say to submit the form to sign up. (You submit the form and pay a little later.)

As I was praying, I found myself saying “Well, if you submit the form and then the money doesn’t come through, how are you going to pay for it?” I started pondering ways to "make this work”, just in case. And then I clearly saw the problem.

You are not taking a step of faith if you walk to the edge of the cliff and build a barrier around the edge to keep you safe. You are not taking a step of faith if you are doing something you can handle on your own. And if you are figuring out ways to “make it work”, you are doing it, not God. You cannot keep one foot on the ground and the other dangling over the edge. When we do this, we are still relying on our footing, not God’s miracles. That might be faith but it is faith in what I can figure out, not trusting what God will do.

You know the really sad thing. When I have faith in my plans, I totally miss the heart-pounding excitement when I see God move….because I don’t see him move. I see me move. Seeing me move isn’t nearly as much fun! I want to see amazing miracles and in-explainable outcomes! I want to see God in all his glory doing what he does best…take my breath away!

So I submitted the form. I don’t have a plan. I have no idea what’s going to happen but I am not relying on my own understanding. I am acknowledging that God’s got this and I can’t wait to see what he does.

All Together

David grew stronger and stronger, because the Lord Almighty was with him. This is the list of David's famous soldiers. Together with the rest of the people of Israel, they helped him become king, as the Lord had promised, and they kept his kingdom strong. 1 Chronicles 11:9-10 (GNT)

We planted a church on April 1 in the middle of the COVID pandemic. I have always known God has a sense of humor but seriously? It doesn’t look like I thought it would. Everything is virtual. We’re figuring it out as we go. Some of the stuff I thought we’d figure out early on has been tabled and other things have moved to the forefront.

One thing I know for sure. We are all in this together. Each member of our team brings something unique to the church. And we need each and every one of us to be about His Kingdom. Each of us is designed with our own ministry style (APEST) and each of us brings talents to the group that allow us to serve individually yet for the collective good.

For example, my top scoring ministry styles are Apostle then Teacher. This is great except if we went forward with only these, there wouldn’t be the level of love and nurturing that is needed. The ‘heart’ of the church would be lacking. And God knew this. I found it interesting in 1 Chronicles there are a lot of chapters that talk about the band of men around David, their talents, what they brought to the Group. And in those verses was today’s verse.

David was a great leader. He loved God but without God being with him and without his famous soldiers and the “rest of the people of Israel”, he wouldn’t have been able to do what he did.

In the New Testament God spends a lot of time talking about the body. We need each other to accomplish the mission he has given us. We are to work together, complement each other and be one with him. We cannot do what he has called us to do alone. And when we serve this way, the miracle of God’s unity is seen by all. It is truly mind-blowing.

We might be in the middle of a pandemic but God is still working. He is still bringing together a body of people to be about his mission. He is still, even virtually, using the talents and gifts of everyone to knit us together with the Holy Spirit to move His Kingdom forward.

The lesson has been demonstrated all throughout the ages…Pandemic or not, we need each other.

And Yet

These are just the beginning of all that he does,
    merely a whisper of his power.
    Who, then, can comprehend the thunder of his power? Job 26:14 (NLT)

This morning I was reminded in a You Version Bible Plan of this line from C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series.

“Of course, He [Aslan] isn’t safe. But he is good.”

That made me really happy. I get excited when I remember that God isn’t safe. And it comforts me to know he is good. And then I realized there were a few other things about God that made me feel excited about who he was yet strangely comforted at the same time.

God, You are stable. Yet not predictable.
You bring security. Yet not always safety.
You are meek and gentle. Yet powerful and fierce.
You offer amazing grace. Yet you let us face our consequences no matter how painful.
You hold firm to your plan. Yet you delay so more can be saved.
You rule the universe with just a word…a nod even. Yet you make yourself small so we can recognize you.
You know the number of hairs on my head. Yet the vastness that surrounds you is mind boggling.
You know everything from the beginning to the end. Yet you want us to come share our day.
You always hear me. Yet you don’t always answer my questions.

Today Lord, I bow here before you unable to comprehend fully who you are but so thankful I get to see but a glimpse. That glimpse sustains me. Amen

Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    No one can measure his greatness. Psalm 145:3

When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
    the moon and the stars you set in place—
what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
    human beings that you should care for them? Psalm 8:3-4

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Three in One

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14 (NIV)

Lately I’ve been spending time with someone who wants to know Jesus more (via ZOOM, of course). We’ve been talking through questions he has. This past week one of the questions was about the Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

A lot of us have “grown up” with this concept but have you ever tried to explain it to someone who is just hearing it for the first time? One woman I was sharing this with was raised practicing Hinduism. She grasped the concept of multiple Gods but didn’t quite grasp the “One God” concept right away. Another person was raised in Islam. This concept was really hard for him.

As I was praying, an idea popped into my head. Now, I am not a theologian but this really seemed to help me get my arms around how to explain it.

Imagine you were suddenly standing before God. What would you do? My first inclination would be to drop to my knees or my stomach or crouch into a ball. To get as low as I possibly could in deference to the power that was before me. I would want to pay homage and show that I, in awe, understood who this was.

Imagine now that you were standing before Jesus. What would you do? In my mind I would sit at his feet with my head on his knee and talk to him and share with him as he stroked my hair or I would sit next to him leaning in, sharing my heart and listening for his.

And finally, imagine you were encountering the Holy Spirit. What would be your posture? I imagine myself standing on a mountain with beautiful vistas surrounding me with my arms wide open taking in deep breaths of the beauty that encompassed me.

Before each one the posture is different. Before each one the access is different. But with all of them, there are many things in common. There is a peace in my soul; there is reverence and awe. There is a mind blowing feeling of acceptance and a deep down understanding that this is truth. There is no fear. There is only a love that I cannot truly comprehend but it satisfies my soul.

As I said, I am not a theologian but to me, this is in a non-theologian way to understand the Godhead. You may imagine this differently. What are your thoughts?

Bringing My A-Game

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. Colossians 3:23 (ESV)

I have a couple of “projects” on my plate. I reference them like that because some of it is work related, one of the things is something God put on my heart a long time ago and some of it is ministry related. It feels like some days…okay a lot of days….that I keep working and working at this stuff and it is stuck. Nothing happens to move it forward. Honestly, some days it feels like I am walking backwards!

One day as I was praying I said to God “If this isn’t going to work, if it’s not going to move forward and we are just going to stay stuck here, why am I even working on this?”

And into my brain flashed the Bible text “Whatsoever you do, do it with all your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) That was quickly followed by “Even if you don’t think it is going to be successful.”

I had to ponder that for a minute. In our worldly perception, you don’t work on something if it doesn’t look like you are going to succeed. You keep working until you can see if it is going to be successful or not and if not, you stop. We are taught that everything has to be successful based on what we see happening.

But I think God defines success differently.

As I continued to reflect on this, I started thinking about what happens to us as we continue to put all of our might into something that may or may not work. First, we develop this incredible work ethic. It’s hard to get up every day and work at something you are unsure will pan out. We also begin to fine-tune the processes and learn to be satisfied with the work accomplished today and leave tomorrow in God’s hands. We demonstrate faithfulness in small things. We grow in perseverance, character and hope. All of this refining is happening while we are continuing to do our best when we want to give up.

But there is more. The other thing that changes is the perceptions of those around us. As the people in our world watch us continue to do our very best, they see Jesus reflected in our behaviors. As we don’t take shortcuts to make it easier, as we don’t hurt others to grow our bottom line, as we wait patiently for God to move, those things leave impressions about the God we serve. The changes in us and the perceptions of others are immeasurable.

Do I like feeling stuck? Nope. Do I wish things would break loose and move forward? Yep. But for now God is saying “It’s not time yet.” So for today, I will continue to bring my A-game to this day. I will continue to keep working at the last things God gave me to do. In the end, when it all unfolds, he will be glorified.