Yes…was and still is the answer

This past Monday (May 21) marked 15 years to the day that I asked Wendy to marry me. (Our anniversary is January 3.) I am going to use our date for a little marriage insight.

For that date I took her to a prayer garden. I read some Scriptures about marriage. Got down on one knee. And asked her to marry me. I had gotten both of our parents and my sisters to write us a letter to read. We read those. We wrote one to ourselves and God. And we went out to the Monroe Steak House to eat.

This past Sunday, I tried to recreate the date a little. We went out to a beautiful garden in Baton Rouge that I had never been to in 11 years living here. It is the Windrush Gardens at the LSU Rural Life Museum. A friend came out took some pictures of us. I even used the same Bible to read a passage and make Wendy a promise. Then we went out to eat at Outback Steakhouse.

It was a good night. A great way to remember. And a good way to take some pictures that make me look better because my wife is so stunning in them everyone forgets to look at me. (I have included a few.)

If yes is and will always be the answer…it is because you choose to say yes when no one is looking and the stakes seem to not count.

Marriage is not an easy deal…the passage I read Sunday calls it a profound mystery. But it is a great mystery. It is fun to figure out. It is at times difficult to work out. But it is always worth it. But you have to remember the answer is yes not when you are posing for some pictures or planning that special occasion. You have to remember the answer is yes when the laundry needs to be folded and the kitchen needs to be cleaned. You have to remember the answer is yes when you disagree about money…or at least the use of it. You have to remember the answer is yes when you are tired but your spouse could use some attention and some time.

The answer is still yes because you say yes not only when all is still but when life is crazy and wild.

Wendy, thanks for the yes. Thanks for the years. And thanks for the many yeses that have filled them. You might be a profound mystery, but your still my favorite read.

Safety or Save Me…choose

“God is not cruel, but He is not lenient. He is true; but He is not safe. He is unchanging; therefore we must change.” (Wayne Cordiero in Leading on Empty page 29)

He is true; but he is not safe. Is that true?

Does this type of life sound very safe?

“Whoever finds his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matt. 10:39

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov. 3:5-6

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. John 15:20a

The problem most of us have with the truth…the real truth…is that it is not safe. Or at least not our version of safe. Our version of safe always comes with one stipulation…we are in control.

Many people turn to their own personal version of Jesus seeking safety. There is no salvation found there. Salvation is not found in safety; it is found in absolute abandonment.

Jesus has not promised you safety nor prosperity…He has promised you eternity.

But you can’t choose both.

Sunday Recap

Here is a recap of the sermon Sunday. Acts 8:26-40. The story is about Phillip and his experience in sharing the Gospel with an official from Ethiopia that was going home after worshipping in Jerusalem.

Basically, this is the gist of the story. An angel tells Phillip to go the Gaza Road. Once there the Spirit leads him to run next to a chariot. In the chariot this Ethiopian is reading out of Isaiah. Phillip asks if he understands. He says no. Phillip gets in the chariot and rides with him and tells him about Jesus Christ starting with that prophecy from Isaiah. The Ethiopian sees some water and wants to be baptized. Phillip baptizes him under the water and as he comes up, Phillip is teleported by God to another place.

Here is the main point…
Hear the Lord…Head out.
Head out…Hear the Lord.

When you hear from God, do what he says. When you do what he says, you hear more from God…at least that is how it typically works. This is a principle from a narrative not a law from instruction.

There are two types of callings and two types of obedience for Christ followers. General call and general obedience. Specific call and specific obedience. The principle…typically you must be generally obedient to the general call of Scripture before you will hear a specific call from God.

One of the biggest obstacles people have in living faithfully is that too many believers believe a lie. People somehow believe that God always provide specific calls to general obedience. He does not. Phillip did not have to stop and pray about whether he should share with the Ethiopian the Gospel. Jesus told us to “Go and make disciples of all nations…” The call already exists. Does the obedience?

So, basically, quit doing nothing until God tells you something specific to do. Do what he generally told you to do and he will get more specific as you go. You will never know the specific until you are faithful with the general.

Probably the point that I have heard repeated back the most is this one…

You will never know the depths of your giftedness until you walk in the shallow waters of obedience.

I will flesh that out more in another blog this week.

Also we announced the move to 3 services in August. God is doing great things at Fellowship.

Show yourself a Man

This quote is from 1 Kings 2:2. In this passage David is leaving his son, Solomon, final instructions on how to be a king. It starts with be strong and show yourself a man and leads into observing the ways of the Lord. I wonder what young Solomon thought it meant to show himself a man? Perhaps he was confused on this and that is why he ended up with over 1000 wives and concubines. I don't think that is what was meant here, but we can confuse such things easily. The instructions that continue in this passage are a grave set of instructions for a young king with a lot of promise. Promise that is not really because of him. Promise that is because God made a promise to his Father. A promise that if your descendants will follow me you will never lack a king on the throne of Israel. What promise...what potential. Promise and potential always come with responsibility and stewardship. Israel's kings and David's descendants squandered that promise that potential running after other gods. Will you waste yours? (I hope all you Fellowshippers out there plan on being here Sunday. We will be discussing some needed decisions to squander promise and potential. We are in the place we are in because of faithfulness, but the influence we desire in this community will be the result of continued stewardship and responsibility. See you Sunday.)

When the Tree is Green

“For if men do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when the tree is dry?” Luke 23:31

These are the words Jesus speaks right before he is crucified. He is speaking to the Daughters of Jerusalem who are weeping over the cruelty being brought upon Jesus. He foretells of a day it will better to have a barren womb than to give birth.

Now that we have this uplifting and inspiring moment defined, lets deal with depth of the statement Christ makes. The reality is that when we see tough times we never imagine tougher days. When things are not going the way we want them to go, we rarely consider how far they may go. Jesus is foretelling of a day in which humanity has such little regard for God and the things of God that it will be even worse than the day he was crucified.

I think this statement has powerful implications in our lives spiritually and practically. If men will do these types of things in a season in which the tree is green…meaning the tree is alive and bearing fruit…if men are evil in those days how much more evil will they be in the days of drought?

Let’s apply it to our lives a little.

For example…
If a man is a jerk when your love is new and fresh, he will not be a servant husband when your relationship is old and in a drought.
If a person cannot be obedient to God with their finances when they are blessed and have plenty, they will never be faithful in times of trouble.
If a person is too busy to be faithful to serve God when life is good and the blessings of family abound, they be unfaithful to God when times are hard.
If you don’t have time to spend with the Lord when the schedule is full because you have great opportunities, a lack of opportunity will not cause greater faithfulness.
If your run up piles of debt when you make little, you will not be a wise steward when you make much.

Basically, I am challenged by the fact that most often today the excuses (or reasons) I hear from people about why they believe they have little time, talent, and resources to be faithfully serve God with is because of all the blessings in their life.

They are too busy at work….or too busy with the family….or too busy buying new things…etc.

Well if we are unfaithful when the tree is green, how unfaithful will we be when the tree is dry?

Don’t allow the blessings of God in your life to cause a drought in your life.