Glory

Psalm 8:1 says:
Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens. 

We saw this glory expressed as we were out on the boat one evening.  The picture of it is here on the left.  The cloud formations,  the fire-like glow of the sun, the reflections on the water, all point to the glory of the Lord.  It was awe-inspiring to us all.  Like other things last week, it got me to thinking.  

Glory is something that belongs to God alone.  He is worthy of it.  He chooses to share it with us through His creation.  He allows it to be reflected in us, similar to how the moon reflects the light of the sun.  But the source and object of all glory is God alone.

Many people spend life seeking glory for themselves.  Accomplishments, career goals, financial achievements, social standing, or as we watched the past two weeks, earning gold in sports.  As I read Ecclesiastes this past week, all these things are a "chasing after the wind."  They do not satisfy for long.  While working so hard at seeking our own glory we can miss out in enjoying His glory.

Last week invigorated me to bring Him even more glory.  He is deserving of it.  I am not.  

As Ephesians 5:20-21 states:

²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.   

   We traveled for vacation yesterday.  I have a new app for my iPhone and thought I would give it a try.  Along the way we wanted to stop to see our daughter.    I turned the app on and was ready to head directly south.  It told me to head west.   It took us a way that no other map program suggested but indicated that if we went this way we would get to our destination in amazing time.  So with that anticipation, I followed its directions. 
   As we traveled, and time passed slowly, I began to doubt this app.  This doesn't seem to make sense.  It felt as if we weren't getting there as quickly as it said.  If we took our "normal" route it would have brought us to the same point we just passed.  We were getting a little stir crazy and ready for the trip to be over.  And to our great joy we finally arrived.
   This morning I have been using other programs to evaluate what happened yesterday.  To be fair, the program indicated that the time was the "travel time."  It did not include our stops to eat, get gas, and stretch.  If I took those times off, it was right.  I used map quest to check mileage.  My new program was right.  The fastest and shortest route to our destination was the way it led us.  And as we traveled my new program warned me about upcoming traffic slow downs and problems.  So despite my feelings, the program was right all along.
   I see people take their first journeys of faith the same way.  They have a new "app" to use called the Bible.  They have been used to traveling a particular path to try to reach a destination and suddenly this new app says to go a different direction.  It feels weird.  And it seems that it is taking longer to get there but they forget that along the way there are needs to address.  And when they reach their destination they find the Bible was right all along. 
   Next time I take a trip, I will have a little more confidence in my new program.  It didn't fail me.  My initial perceptions of what it was telling me were wrong.  What it was saying was right, I just didn't understand it well because I was hearing it based on my former frame of reference and personal experience. 
   I pray that if you are on your initial journey of faith that you can also learn to trust the Bible and what the Holy Spirit is directing you to do, even if your experience and former frame of reference tell you that this can't be right.  You will find it is and it will give you confidence as you take the next leg of your trip.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

Perspective

I had the fulfillment of a nice gift yesterday.  I was given a Groupon to do a Discovery Flight.  I was given 10 to 15 minutes of "training" at a simulator on the ground and then we went up in a four seat Cessna airplane and I actually got to run the controls and fly.  It was a blast. I did notice that the instructor asked that I ease up my grip on the controls as we approached for the landing.  Wonder what that meant??  :-)

Pam, ever my faithful partner, sat in back and took marvelous pictures.  The thing that struck me while up there and also from her pictures was the perspective.  We saw Buffalo in a whole new way.  When we are on the ground, things look totally different.  They are congested or run down or gray.  But from above, it looks exciting, fresh, alive.  We saw the harbor, the Niagara Center, the Coca Cola Field.  We watched trains, buses and cars winding their way.  We noticed the gold dome of the M & T Center glistening in the sunshine.  What can feel dead or insurmountable on the ground looks different from above.

That is why we encourage people to consider God's perspective about their lives.  To us, on the ground, things can look rough.  But from above, God sees things, people, and places He has planned for us to bring us life.  His perspective is always better.

How's your perspective today?  I encourage you to look to the One who stands above it all and ask Him to show you His pictures.  Life will look far different for you too.

Below the Surface

I was sitting on our porch this morning watching and thinking.  The hot winds were blowing the young trees in the courtyard around pretty well.  Some were bending slightly but remaining steady.  We saw numerous trees uprooted in Indiana over the 4th of July from that freak storm that went through.  It was obvious that their roots weren't deep enough to help them stand.
This morning I was thinking through Jeremiah 17:

⁵ This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
    who draws strength from mere flesh
    and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
⁶ That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;
    they will not see prosperity when it comes.
They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
    in a salt land where no one lives.

⁷ “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
⁸ They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.” 

The time to determine where the roots of our trust lie is not in the midst of the storms, but before.  When our roots are deep and deepening in the Lord, we will stand.  But if we consistently trust in ourselves and other people, we will be uprooted when the storms come and then turn around and blame God for the storm.  

The purpose we are doing the House of Prayer and the Grow Discipleship classes as well as our Sunday offerings is to help people go deeper.  Many choose to want a more passive role and just "enjoy" a service.  But roots don't go deep with passivity.   It is in the storms of life and the development times in between that causes our roots to grow.  


Make sure you are growing.  There are storms coming.  Will you stand?
 

Too Busy

You don't have to talk long to someone or ask many questions until inevitably the issue of time or schedule comes up.  I hear stories of how overtime, games, parties, hobbies, and homework are stressing use of time to the limits.  For Christians, this can cause more stress because of the guilt felt by all the things that "should be" included in the schedule that are not.  It seems that time for prayer, studying of the Bible, meaningful conversations with our family members, and even church attendance get left out when time gets tight.
We all have 168 hours per week, 24 per day.  All of us have to make choices.  All of us will have a myriad of good things presented to us as possibilities.  So how do we determine which things we will do?  Here are some suggested guidelines for deciding.

1.  Put the non-negotiables in first.  The things that are essential for your well-being as a disciple of Jesus.  You will eat at some point.  You will sleep at some point.  Put in there that you will take time to study your Bible.  You will set aside time for your family to be together without interruption.  You will set aside time for spending time alone with the Father.  Church is a high priority.  Exercise is important.  Put these things in your calendar first.

2.  Put your required responsibilities in second.  We have to work or go to school.  There may be a few other things that you "must do."  Careful here.  There are things that we can do and might do and even feel pressure to do.  But they really aren't musts.  Put the things that are responsibilities in second.

3.  Decide what activities or people are the most important places to invest your time in.  Consider time as valuable than your retirement funds.  Since you have limited time (like funds), make choices based on what is going to be most beneficial for you and for honoring Christ.  You may react to the idea of being discerning with people.  But the reality is that there are very needy people who will monopolize all your time if you allowed them.  They need a team of people to deal with them, not you alone.  Plus if you invest time in a few key people they in turn will help you deal with others.  Learn to say "NO" to some good things so you will say "YES" to the most important.

4.  Don't forget to schedule some margin.  You don't have to be busy 24/7.  That is why God established the concept and requirement of Sabbath.  He knew that by nature we would be workaholics or busyholics.  So He scheduled a "time-out" once a week, once a quarter, once a year, and once every so many years, so we would stop and have some margin.  Read for enjoyment or improvement.  Have some no background noise think time.  But schedule some no schedule time in there.  Its ok.

Some years ago, my schedule got out of control and it was causing friction for Pam and me.  It was a defining moment for us in addressing the animal we can call the tyranny of the urgent.  All the things I was involved with were good. But they were not all necessary.  We sat down and worked through the process I listed above.  I began to say "NO" to some very good opportunities so I could focus on the "BEST."  Life changed.  Stress levels came down.  Enjoyment increased. 
I will tell you that this animal does not die.  You must constantly fight with it.  But by putting these guidelines in place, the battle is easier.  So go for it today.  And see how life can improve for you.

Stay on Target

Do you remember the Star Wars movies?  I enjoyed watching every one of them.  There is one line that rings in my head today.  It comes from the scene where the rebels are making their run to attack the Death Star.  There is one means of destroying this terrible weapon of the Empire.  It is to hit a small vent shaft with torpedoes.  The Red Team leader makes his run with two comrades by his side.  As they are approaching the shaft, they are attacked by fighters from the Empire.  As their leader, he continues to shout, "Stay on target.  Stay on target."  If you have no idea what I'm talking about or want to see it again, you can go to this link.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v5VahaEL7s&feature=related

In the church we have diverse family situations.  We have singles.  We have marrieds.  We have married with children.  We have empty-nesters.  We have divorced.  We have single parents.  We have folks who are separated and not divorced.  And the enemy, Satan, would love for us to get distracted by attacking us while we stand against his evil empire.  So what does he do?  He separates us according to the "needs" of our circumstances, keeping us focused on those, and not on the real target of keeping Christ at the center of our lives.  The Bible is clear that there are unique challenges and blessings in every circumstance of life.  The single person can devote all their energies unilaterally to whatever their focus in life is.  There is no one else to consider or make decisions with.  Yet singles also face the felt needs of coming home to an empty house; not having someone to share the day with; loneliness; etc.  To explore some of these issues from a Biblical and single's viewpoint, see Luci Swindoll's book Wide My World, Narrow My Bed.  The married person has the joys of sharing life with someone yet also has the need to please their spouse and use their time, energies, etc to fulfill responsibilities to their family.  They are not as free as the single.  The single parent and widow have the need to fully trust the Lord because of the weight of their circumstances.  The other situations listed above have a mixture of all these.  If we solely keep our eyes on the needs, it distracts us from the relationship with Christ and disjoints us from each other.
   I'm not being simplistic.  Just pleading the case to "stay on target."  Its not about my "needs" as a single; its about Christ.  Its not just about pleasing my spouse.  Its about us together as one serving and honoring Christ.  Christ first.  Christ last.  Christ in all.
   We can help and encourage each other about how our needs can be met.  They are met in the context of the family of God.  We just can't allow the felt needs to replace the true core of keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus.  If we do, the enemy has won and we are distracted.  Surprisingly enough, when we keep our eyes on target, all the needs get met.  I plead with us all, "Stay on target."

What A Privilege

With Billy Graham at BGEA Headquarters, Charlotte, NC

Someone asked me recently if we received our picture of us with Billy Graham.  We received it a week or two ago and I've posted it here.  While his body is weak (at 94 he's allowed) his mind is still sharp and still focused on the mission.  Everything about his library and the Association headquarters points to Jesus Christ.  The man and his team are mentioned but the obvious intention is to give glory, praise and attention to the grace of God and the salvation provided for us by Jesus.  We felt so privileged to have this opportunity be a part of our journey.

   We will never have a library built in our honor.  But I did think about what we have hanging on our walls, written in our journals, seen in our picture albums, and known from our conversations.  If people walked through the imaginary library of our lives, what would they see and hear?  My prayer is that Jesus would be as centrally evident in our lives as He is in Dr. Graham's library.  What is in your library?