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Strep Throat, Light Afflictions & The Weight Of Glory

I've been away from the blogging world for the past couple for of weeks. Not only has things been a little busier here, but my family and I got hit really bad with some sickness. The men of our house (me and my two boys) all got sick. My youngest got Strep Throat and my other son got the Flu. 

I was blessed enough to catch BOTH at the SAME TIME!

Even now, I sit here with a burning throat, on my second day of MEGA ANTIBIOTICS that are struggling to give me some relief! II've spent much of the last few days shivering on the couch and in bed and my fever spike and made is feel like my house was freezing, when it wasn't. 

Yeah, it's been a tough week or so!

But something struck me yesterday in the midst of all this, that I wanted to share real quickly. 

Let me paint a picture for you:

I've been SICK! 

You say "You said that already!"

No, I need you to understand. I have not been this sick in YEARS!

Not a little sick, I mean SICK! 

I have lost 10lbs in about 5 days! I have had a fever over 102! I have had my throat feel like lava was being poured down it! And because of the afore mentioned lava feeling, I slept about 4 hours in 3 days! I have not been able to go to work, church or even really be with my family. This has been a miserable time. 

So there I was yesterday, taking 10th shower in 3 days, trying to just let the water cool me off from the fever and rinse away some of the "funk" from just lying around for days on end in the same clothers and I was just feeling misrable, kind of moaning under the weight of this sickness. 

Then a thought came into my mind:

I want to let Jesus know I love Him, no matter who I feel! I want Him to know I love Him and am thankful for Him, whether I am having a GOOD DAY or a TERRIBLE DAY!

So there I was, sitting in a tepid shower, feeling like death warmed over, telling Jesus I loved Him! (Very quietly mind you, because of my throat). And as I did, it felt like some of my purest worship in a long time. 

I had no worship leader, no lights, no words projected on a screen. I was just a man in pain, choosing to tell God I loved Him no matter what. 

It felt right to break away from the focus on myself, and my pains and my struggle, and just tell Jesus, I love you...no matter how I feel. 

And while I would love to tell you I got INSTANTLY HEALED, (which I didn't) something beautiful did happen. 

A verse came to my mind that I hadn't thought of in a while. 2 Corinthians 4:17

"For our light affliction, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but the things that are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but things which are not seen are eternal."

When you are sick or hurting or alone, it's so easy to be heads down. To ONLY see this moment. To only be aware of the pain and the suffering. 

But, as Paul was wrapping up his famous 2 Corinthians 4, I love this verse that he kind of RECALIBRATES us!

Here he reminds me that the things I whine about, cry about, wallow about, worry about, fear about...are but LIGHT AFFLICTIONS compared to the GLORY of what is to come on that day when we stand in the presence of the risen King Jesus!

Afflictions are so heavy when we only see TIME and not ETERNITY!

But, when the lens of tomorrow, is used to view today, these are but LIGHT AFFLICTIONS and those days coming are WEIGHTED IN GLORY!

We all will go through things on this earth. Painful things. Hurtful things. The kind that leave us with limps and scares. Even Jesus said "in this world you will have tribulation". 

But, that is not the end of the story for us...

No, these are by LIGHT AFFLICTIONS compared to the days to come. 

I don't know about you, but I want to lived anchored in that day, pull me through this day, until I stand in that WEIGHT OF GLORY. 

Sound Bites VS Sound Tracks

When it comes to relationships, I am far from a Jedi! 

Unfortunately, I have hurt and offended more then my share of people in my life. And even worse, almost none of them did I mean to hurt. I said things or did things in a moment that broke trust, broke hearts and hurt people. 

And the older I get, the more I am sorry for those.

And the older I get, and the more I pursue truly living from the heart of Jesus, the more I value relationships. The more I desire them in my life and am finding myself working harder then ever to have them. 

But the truth is, relationships are not easy. Relationships are two people, both of whom are broken and human, trying to live together. And, it's often painful.

And because they are painful, the truth for me as been that I have let a lot of relationships go. I reached a point where I wasn't willing to fight for them more then the pain they caused. So, I've lost contact with some pretty important people in my life. 

But, I believe God is calling me to restore some of the these. I realize that the glory of God is seen in redemption more then any other thing. He is the God who restores! 

So, slowly but surely, I am taking the risk of stepping out in faith to reconnect with a few of them. And so far, God has paved the way with His grace.

One thing that has been helpful is I have started to listen to SOUND TRACKS instead of SOUND BITES. 

Do you know the difference?

A SOUND TRACK is a series of songs that make the moment and tone of the film. 

A SOUND BITE is one line or one phrase that describe A moment, but the not the whole film. 

Relationally speaking, SOUND BITES are the one liners that play over and over in our minds, reminding us of a MOMENT in the relationship. And my experience is, the SOUND BITES are hardly every POSITIVE!

Recently I felt the direction of God lead me to try to restore a relationship that I had cut off a relationship and was considering what my next move was to be. 

As I often do, I called a good friend of mine to seek some counsel and I said "How do I try to restore this? This person said this and that and this and I don't know how to get over it?" 

To which my friend said, "Yeah, but that's just a SOUND BITE?"

That made so much sense to me! 

I had been listening to SOUND BITES, not the SOUND TRACK! I had latched on to one or two (or ten in some relationships) painful sound bites and kept playing them over and over so much, that I forgot there was ever any other sound. 

The truth is, those were just statements for a moment. Yes, some were VERY painful, but the real question I had to ask was:

What was the song of the whole experience?

Immediately I realized I had been listening to a SOUND BITE for so long, that I began to think that's the only thing that was ever said! 

I had been listening to the SOUND BITE, but not the SOUND TRACK. 

That started me taking the time and REMEMBERING some of the high notes in a rather long score of that relationship. It was then that I realized that if I just changed what I was listening to, all of the sudden HOW I VIEWED that relationship changed!

As I set off on this journey to restore some of the relationships that I have broken, I am starting with off with the simple step of re-listening to the whole SOUND TRACK, not just the SOUND BITES! 

And you know what I am finding? 

Beautiful songs I have been missing out on for a long time!

HOW ABOUT YOU? 

ARE YOU LISTENING TO SOUND TRACKS, or SOUND BITES?

Making You Right With The Lord....

In my reading this morning, I entered into the book of Leviticus. 

This is usually a pretty monotinous book full of laws and regulations. In my mind, it is one of those books that, as I got through the One Year Bible, I just have to muscle through. 

However, today, as I was reading about God giving directions on what to do with sin and how to conduct the offerings, I was struck by how many times the scriptures said: 

"...through this process the priest will purify you...making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven..."

Turns out, these animals were JUST dying to cover our SIN...which they were!

It wasn't just PUNISHMENT though...it was for RESTORATION!

Did you see the RESULTS of the offerings?

"...through this process the priest will purify you...making you right with the Lord, and you will be forgiven..."

Wow! 

Does that STRIKE you at all?

Look at those words: 

PURIFY...MAKING RIGHT....FORGIVEN!

Could there be more amazing words to be spoken over you?

This has been God's LOVING, GRACIOUS heart since day one!

It would have been easy, when Adam and Eve fell, to do more then vote them off the island! If I had been God, I would have wiped man off the face of the earth! 

Who was MAN that He would disobey me?

Yet, that's not what God does. 

God didn't create man to PUNISH, but to PURSUE!

So, when man BLOWS IT, God doesn't take out His sword and slay man...NO, HE PURSUES BEING RESTORED TO HIM!

We find Him in the garden, covering man with the skins of animals to cover their nakedness!

Then, we find Him here in Leviticus giving a process of which man can be "...made right with Him..."!

And then fast forward to the NT and we find Jesus, the Lamb of God, "taking upon Himself the sins of the world"!

WHY???

To punish us?

To put our nose in our sin?

No...Jesus died for the same reason God started the sacrifices...TO MAKE US RIGHT WITH HIM!

Do you realize what that means?

Do you realize the POWER of BEING MADE RIGHT WITH GOD?

Imagine NO SIN between you and God!

Imagine NO BARRIERS between you and God's love and grace and presence!

Imagine FULL ACCESS to God's presence!

Imagine coming into prayer, not with our HEADS DOWN IN SHAME, but with FULL CONFIDENCE of coming to the "...throne of grace..." because of Jesus' work at the cross?

THAT IS HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US!

I am struck with GOD'S heart on display here!

So often, in our generation, God gets a bad rap of being judgmental and harsh and distant...

WHERE DO THEY GET THAT?

God is so GRACIOUS...pursuing us in LOVE and GRACE...even to the point of MAKING US RIGHT WITH HIM!

I am humbled by His love for me...

Making me RIGHT with Him!

I hope you are too!

I just got "Ready? Preparing For the Pressures of Church Planting" by the North American Missions Board today. Wow, what a resource for Church Planters. When I started my church, I was blown away by how "unfamiliar" the territory was, even though I had been in full time ministry in a Young Adult Pastor role.

The stresses and pressures of Church Planting, about which I could write numerous books, are something that catch many CP's off guard.

This new book gives real world insight on various topics: Enlisting Partners, Merging Family and Church Life in a Healthy Manner, Being Overwhelmed, Dealing with Discouragement and more!

It also comes with a companion books for your wife called "My Husband Wants to Be a Church Planters, So What Will That Make Me?". These are a one two punch that every church planter(s) needs to have.

To find out more, check out www.discoverchurchplanting.net !

The Pursuit of Fellowship...

The truth is, I just don't function right outside a consistent encounter with the presence of God. 

When I neglect the place of the presence of the Lord, I find myself dry and out of balance in life. My soul seems to wrestle with my spirit more. I feel more fleshly in my life. 

BUT...when I am in pursuit of God, not just to study or read the Word, but for FELLOWSHIP, my life makes more sense!

My spirit is so alive, and the strength of my life is the JOY of being loved and known by God. 

And that's where I want to live!

Can you imagine living in DEEP FELLOWSHIP with God?

Can you imagine living in CONSISTENT ENCOUNTER with the risen Christ?

I listen to an old Fushia Pickett tape the other day. And as she spoke out her "teacher", the Holy Spirit, I felt like I was listening to words from a deep well! Words that came from a woman who had no so long about been at the feet of Jesus and had left that place just to come describe it to me and invite me to follow her. 

It put a seed of vision to be a MAN OF HIS PRESENCE!

But here's what I've learned about REAL ENCOUNTER with God:

1. It's not found ON THE RUN.

To really encounter God, take STILLNESS!

And in our world of multi-tasking, we often find it hard to have a place of stillness. 

Often I find myself listening to a sermon or the Word on CD, as I am cleaning the house. And, while this does feed my spirit, the truth is, I can't seem to find real fellowship there. Yes, God's presence is near, as always, but I don't seem quiet enough on the inside to hear Him.

It's when I get STILL. When I become UNMOVED by the world around me that I find HE IS WITH ME!

For me to find God's presence, it often comes as I make HIS PRESENCE, the ONE THING I am after!

2. It's not found QUICKLY.

I often get frustrated in my prayer time... because I don't "instantly" sense the presence of God. 

I don't step away from my desk at lunch, and go into a time of prayer and INSTANTLY sense Jesus!

In fact, I've had times where I've prayed and sensed nothing and have gotten discouraged in my prayer life!

And it's not that it has to be "worked for or earned", but like connecting with my wife on a date. 

I don't feel a DEEP CONNECTION the moment we shut the door with the babysitter who is watching our 3 loud kids! I feel the connection after we've spent a few hours talking about the deep things of life and sharing time together.

3. It's not found WHEN I DO ALL THE TALKING.

I was praying last night and was about to say AMEN, when I felt God prompt me to LISTEN to Him for a second. I then realized I had spent the whole prayer time talking! I had requested, thanked, and praised...but I hadn't listened. 

I realized that God's presence (for me), is often felt in His voice spoken to my heart. 

And for Him to be heard, WE BOTH CAN'T BE TALKING!

(If you are interested in finding God in quietness, and need some guidance in this area, I suggest "The Way of The Heart" by Henri Nouwen. It is an amazing book!)

4. It's not found BY ACCIDENT.

For me, I find God best when I am purposeful about finding Him. 

Yes, we do have a few isolated instances where people found God when they weren't looking for Him (ie, Jacob at Bethel, Paul on the Road to Damascus, etc.), but, I think the verse that says "You will find me when you SEEK for me with ALL YOUR HEART...". 

All of your heart is a WHOLE HEARTED pursuit!

I think of these Olympic athletes we see right now...THESE ARE PEOPLE SEEKING SOMETHING WITH ALL THEIR HEART! It has changed the way they live! Evidently, what they wanted so possessed them, that they wouldn't settle for anything less!

It's that place of ardent pursuit that most clears away the noise and, for me, puts the priority back on the presence of God. 

I need the presence of God!

I need to encounter my Father!

I love that old quote from Samuel Rutherford "Too long out of Christ's presence is two deaths and two hells for me!" - While I am sure that is an overstatement on some level, the sentiment is true. 

I am...you were...created to be in His presence. 

And when we aren't...we don't function right. 

HOW CAN WE TURN UP THE HEART ON OUR PURSUIT OF HIM TODAY?

Think On These Things...

I love Joyce Meyer's book "The Battlefield of the Mind". Even if you never were to read it, you'd automatically identify with it. Because this IS where the battle is raged...in the mind!

I have found that my mind is stronger then I ever thought.

Win the battle for the mind, win the battle in life! At least it seems that way!

And I don't know about you, but, left to it's own will, my mind will drift from the things of God.

I know that's funny, coming from a Pastor, but the truth is, my mind can go to really dark places, really fast, if I don't tell it what to think. 

Images I saw before I was a Christian will easily be recalled! 

Arguments and words that hurt me from the past will instantly replay themselves. 

And if I am not careful, I can let those things effect me. Many times I have been going through a good day, only to find my mind thinking on some hurtful and painful things and then rest of the day I find myself in a "funk". 

I think many people's potential in life is ruined by their thought life. They could do so much more, accomplish so much, be so much, create so much MORE in life...but they are hindered by their thought life.

I think that's why I like Philippians 4:8:

"Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworhty - MEDITATE ON THESE THINGS." (emphasis mine)

Do you know we are supposed to be intentional about our thought life?

This scripture gives a grid for the kind of thoughts we allow. 

When you take notice of a nagging thought, ask yourself:

Is this TRUE?

That first question eliminates about HALF of the bad thoughts that come toward us. Satan is a liar, and often the thoughts that he attacks us with are LIES. They contradict the Word of God. If a thought doesn't line up with God's Word, which is THE truth, cast it away. Give it no place in your life!

Is it NOBLE?

Is it JUST?

Is it PURE?

Here again, lustful thoughts (and lust can be for a woman or a man...or a car or a dress...it really doesn't matter) are not PURE!

Is it LOVELY?

This is the best re-calibrating grid. Do you know what is LOVELY? JESUS! I love Song of Solomon 5:16 "...he is altogether lovely..."! Thinking on Jesus is thinking on the loveliest thing ever! Meditating on who He is...on what He is like...on how He interacts(ed) with us...that is thinking lovely. 

Is if of GOOD REPORT?

I have been so convicted lately on how DOUBT-FILLED much of my thought life has been. My thoughts showed "Bad-Report" thinking. To me, bad report thinking MAXIMIZES the power of the devil, and MINIMIZES the authority of Jesus! 

Is your thinking based on Jesus' victory at the cross? Or is it "What if THIS happens? Or THAT happens?"

Is it a VIRTUOUS thought?

Is it PRAISEWORTHY?

Does this thought HONOR GOD? Does this thought bring you closer to God in PRAISE? Does it make you want to WORSHIP God? 

IF NOT, THROW THOSE THOUGHTS AWAY!

Many of us have become daily companions to thoughts that violate the scriptures grid for what we should allow into our minds. We need to push those thoughts away. 

It might not be easy at first. If your mind has been used to having it's way, getting your thought life under control might be like trying to bridle a wild stallion! 

But, in time, using the grid of scriptures, you can change what you think about and in turn, change your life. 

Creating a Movement...

I have always been interested in creating a movement! To see a revolution! To be a part of something that changes the landscape around us. 

I have read about and been fascinated by all sorts of revolutions. 

I've even going to Whittenburg, Germany to see where Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis and started the Protestant Reformation. 

In fact, in my first public message preached in America, along with the Bible, I used "Letters From a Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. about the Civil Rights Revolution, to draw from as a parrell on how the church can rise up and change itself. 

I love creating a movement!

As a leader, I've come to see leadership as all about creating a movement. It could be as large as trying to change a nation to God, or as small as trying to lead our children to God. 

Both are revolutions in the making!

Both are about SHOWING people something new, LEADING them to do it, CELEBRATING when they join in, and waiting for the TIPPING POINT. 

I saw this video from David Severs  talk from the TED Conference. In less than three minutes, using this video (see below), he explains the genesis of a small movement.

I've been the LONE NUT, and I've been the FIRST FOLLOWER. Both are fun! Both are important to creating a movement!

WHETHER YOU'RE A PASTOR OR A PARENT, WHAT MOVEMENT ARE YOU CREATING TODAY?

 No matter who you are, I hope that today you join a revolution somewhere!

Seth's Blog: Phoning it in

I was talking to a religious leader, someone who runs a congregation. She made it clear to me that on many days, it's just a job. A job like any other, you show up, you go through the motions, you get paid.

via sethgodin.typepad.com

I loved this blog by Seth Godin. I have done that so many times. I have "phoned it in". I have gone through the motions. I have been there in BODY but not in SOUL!

I have done it with work, I have done on a date with my wife, and most regrettably, I have done it with my kids. I have been there, but not "been there". I was going through the motions in the things that matter most!

That hurts even to type!

It's tough to look back and see where I phoned it in. 

For me, it always ties back to VISION!

Whenever I lose sight of my vision...I begin to lose focus and momentum on the moments at hand!

I love what the bible says "Without a vision, My people perish" ...HOW TRUTH THAT IS!

So often, when I lose my vision in a specific area, my potential in that area PERISHES! I am less then who God has created me to be there! 

But, when I have a VISION...I seem to be the best version of myself!

When I have a vision, be it for work, worship or weekends, I am more engaged! Or, I should say FULLY ENGAGED! 

When I go to WORK with a VISION, then each call matters! Each meeting MATTERS! Each customer MATTERS!

When I have a vision for my MARRIAGE, then each CONVERSATION matters! Each DATE matters! Each NIGHT matters!

When I have  a vision for my KIDS, then each PLAY TIME matters! Each MEAL matters! Each BED TIME matters!

Losing vision is a scary thing! Oh what a travesty it would be to get to the end of your life, and find out you "Phoned it in". 

I don't know about you, but I think sometimes, we need hang up the phone, and do the hard work of doing life!

WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHERE DO YOU NEED TO RE-ENGAGE YOUR VISION?

Cooking: Chicken Carbonara and Warm Mint and Honey Peaches with Whipped Cream

Ok, if you've been to my blog over the last few months, you know I've taken up gourmet Italian cooking. It's become a real fun hobby. 

Turns out, I love to cook! 

There's something about setting out to create something and having a finished product before your eyes.

I'm not planning on doing this for a living, but I like the art and rhythm of it. One some level, it's soothing to cook. Something about everything coming together and having it's place in the dish. I'm really looking forward to growing in my culinary skills. 

Anyway, tonight I made two new dishes: 

Chicken Carbonara and Marinated Grilled Peaches with Whipped Cream

Chicken Carbonara is chicken sautaed in Garlic, Olive Oil and Pancetta then put over Pasta with a Cream Sauce made of cream, parmesiagn cheese, egg yolks, Italian Parsely and fresh Basil. It was topped with walnuts and lemon zest. 

Since I got my new Pasta maker, I made my first batch of "from scratch" Semolina pasta...AND IT ROCKED! The texture and the taste was awesome! I can't see a time when I will go back to buying pasta!

The chicken dish as a while was very good. I'd say a 2.5-3 star kind of a dish. 

However, it was VERY heavy and had a bazillion calories from fat! I at just a bit and I was stuffed. But, as a once-in-a-blue-moon dish, it was fabulous. The lemon zest made the meal. In the future, I would use cracked pepper in it as well. 

However, the real show stealer was the dessert!

I haven't had a dish in a long time that was so satisfying. It was light, yet filling and had the right amount of sweetness. It seemed like it was a dessert that was made for a winter day.

Honestly, I am going 4 stars on this dish! IT'S A KEEPER!

If you are interested in finding the recipes, the chicken is HERE, and the desert is HERE.

PS: Every night when I cook, my kids do two things: 1. They cook with me (tonight Madison helped with the Pasta), and 2. They critique my food to tell me if I would get CHOPPED or not! Yep, we need a TV fast from the Food Network :-)