But then God....

Okinawa, Japan

It hardly seems possible that less than two months ago we were planning a vacation with some friends in Europe, Italy in particular. But then God....

This really has been the story of our lives. But then God....

But there we were on Feb 5th, minding our own business. Bev had watched and episode of "I'll Have What Phil's Having" earlier in the week. It was an episode about the food in Tokyo, Japan. And unlike her previous desires to avoid Asia in our travels, she had a change of heart. "I think I could enjoy that!" came streaming out of her mouth. I almost dropped dead in my tracks. "What have you done with my wife!"

So then on Thursday 5 Feb I was up early as usual studying and praying. I felt the LORD say to me, "Begin to prepare sermons." That was odd. We have spent the last two years pouring into our children and grandchildren, as well as providing marriage therapy as part of our church counseling center. But we had no openings for sharing the Word. We had no connections that would facilitate an opportunity. We had put this in the LORD's hands. If something came it would have to be Him. We had no way of making anything happen.

And yet, I distinctly felt Him tell me to prepare sermons. So I began to prepare.

Bev and I were heading to MacDill Air Force Base to do some shopping that morning. As we started out on the journey I mentioned to Bev what I had felt the LORD tell me that morning. "Begin to prepare sermons." She responded, "OK." But how else could she respond. If this was from the LORD, it was from the LORD!

To speed this up a bit, but then God....

That evening we received an email from a friend in our Sunday School class. Their son, a missionary in Japan, needed someone to fill their pulpit for three months this Summer so they could return to the States and reconnect with their supporting congregations. The congregation in Japan was primarily American military and their families.

Bev is ready for Asia. I'm preparing sermons. We are free this Summer. We can afford to travel there. We know the needs of the military. But then God....

We both felt a confirmation from the Holy Spirit that HE was opening this door.

So this is where we are, Okinawa bound.

Do you have any "but then God ...." moments in your life? I hope so.

We'll keep you updated as we go along. Watch for ministry updates, food recommendations, and links to sermons. And lots of pictures of "But then God ...." moments.

More Than A Feeling

1 John 3:24

          Some people confuse a physical feeling with the presence of God. If the music is just right, and the light is just so, and the meal is repeating, then God must be present. But the reality is, feelings lie, feelings change. Feelings are a source of information, just like sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. They add something to the mix, but they can’t be the only source of information if we are making decisions.

          Do an experiment for me. Think about one of the happiest moments of your life in recent years and notice the feeling in your body change. (Stop and do it!) Now think about a very difficult moment in your life and notice the feeling in your body. (Stop!) Did you notice that the feeling changed based on what you thought. Nothing else changed in those few moments other than what you were thinking. Feelings shouldn’t drive a train. They change tracks too frequently.

          We have all had mountain top spiritual experiences, but that doesn’t mean that the LORD is absent in the valleys and on the plains. The feeling we get when the LORD is working in our lives is not something to be sought after as an end in itself. The feeling is a byproduct of God’s presence, not a substitute or an add-on. 

          And yet, some churches make the feeling the most important part, or at least it seems that way. Everything is orchestrated to get people to their feet and raising their hands, shouting or weeping. But the feeling isn’t worship. I don’t mean to say that their motives in worship are impure. I don’t know their motives. But if their success point is an emotion rather than an encounter with Almighty God, then they need to change their success point. Emotions are no substitute.

          The problem with equating a feeling we get when we are in God’s presence with the Holy Spirit’s work is that we demean the person of the Holy Spirit. Instead of being co-equal with the father and the Son, we make Him just a feeling. We can’t be honoring to Him when we demand that a physical feeling be the primary reference point for His presence. He wants His presence acknowledged even when the feeling isn’t present.

          The problem with feelings is that they get old. We want more and more thrilling experiences as time progresses. And if the feeling isn’t there, then we feel like something was missing. So our feelings end up driving our actions, rather than obedience to His revealed will shaping and molding our feelings and choices. We put the cart before the horse. Feelings are supposed to follow actions not the other way around.

Something New on the Menu

1 John 2:8

          The culinary arts have become very popular in recent years. The cooking competitions and travel shows devoted to finding different flavors and techniques have flooded the channels. Cooking schools and cooking classes have flourished. Every chef wants to become famous for their signature dishes. They want that five star rating. They want those who taste their food to be wowed by their creations.

          The reality is that they rarely create something new. They just combine existing ingredients in a new and flavorful way. They tweak recipes by adding a pinch here and there. Cakes are still made with flour. Soufflés still contain eggs. Lobster bisque still has bisque, I mean Lobster. And yes, I freely admit I don’t know the chemistry behind really good cooking. Some new things do get created as chemical reactions happen.

          Our text tells us that in the message John preached there was something new, something that hadn’t been seen before, something hidden but now revealed. And this new thing is in the form of a command, the command of love. It is not that love was not part of the Law. It was! But love was hidden under the layers of Law. It could be hard to see.

          But now in Jesus love is easy to see. It is out in the open. He loved to the point of death and beyond. Love was not a word placed on a greeting card. It was an obedient action carried out by the Volunteer of Heaven. He chose to come, to live, to die. And He lost everything and gained everything, even though He had nothing to gain for Himself.

          What is different is that in the Gospel we have more than the promise of forgiveness, we have the experience of forgiveness. We have assurance of salvation, not just the promise of it. In the Gospel we have love demonstrated. Freedom from sin promised and the power to make it a reality. There is hope for the nations that can’t find peace. There is reconciliation for the estranged. There is healing for the sick and comfort for the broken.

          You see, in Christ we become the extension of His healing hands. His light shines through us. And when light shines, darkness must retreat. Where love is demonstrated, hatred melts away. And all this happens through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit moving in and through us. That is what is different. This is what is new.

          In the Old Testament the LORD would make His presence known in short bursts. He would show up and work through one person. His power would flash on the scene and then be gone. He was active in only a few people for specific missions. There was no infilling of great numbers of His people. Occasionally a group of prophets would be filled for a short period of time.  

          But now the Spirit is present and working in all His people. That presence is with us as we live our lives in a dark and dying world. No wonder John says that the true light is already shining! This is different! This is new! And we can be a part of this today.

On Trial

Mark 13:9-11

      I’m not a real fan of going to court. But I know it is necessary sometimes. It can seem that so much is out of your control when you sit there next to your lawyer facing the judge. You can’t talk when you want to talk. There are very strict rules applied to every aspect of the proceedings. And the judge is in charge. What they say, goes.

      And that is in the best of times. When persecution starts, or anarchy takes hold, even the smallest bits of justice and fairness can get thrown to the side. Mobs drag and carry out what they think is justice, but is more likely to be revenge or just plain evil. People exercising power of the lives of others when they can’t exercise power over their own.

      Jesus tells of a day when persecution, religious persecution, will be carried out against the disciples. It is taking place around the Muslim world today. They gather Christians and give them the opportunity to convert to Islam. And if they don’t...! Jesus tells His disciples about their days in court, both civil and religious courts. They will end up in the highest courts in the land, testifying before the most powerful people of their day.

      But one thing puzzles me. Jesus tells them not to prepare for these appearances. Wow, that takes faith. That takes a level of trust that goes beyond praying for a good grade on a test, or that the weather would be nice for the upcoming event. Life is in the balance, and Jesus says to trust Him with the words to speak. Don’t prepare, just read from the Holy Spirit’s teleprompter.

      Reading from a modern day teleprompter is a learned skill, unless you don’t mind sounding like you are reading from a teleprompter. But it takes practice to get good at it. Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say in that moment, live before the cameras. Wow, that is going to take a lot of faith. He just wants me to stand there and wait for the Holy Spirit to give me words. Wow.

      How will I know it is the Holy Spirit telling me what to say, and not just my own mind making up stuff in that moment? Practice! What do you mean, practice? There are many times when the Holy Spirit wants to lead us, especially in our witness of the Truth. All those encounters with others that could lead to opportunities to share are times when we can listen to His voice and practice following His teleprompter. He will give us a few words at a time. We speak, and then He advances to the next words. It takes practice.

      Life will hand in the balance. Your life and the eternal destinies of others will hang on our ability to listen to the Holy Spirit in those moments. So practice now. Learn to listen now. Learn the Shepherd’s voice. Respond today to His promptings.

Friends

Proverbs 12:26

The people we choose as friends can determine a lot about our future. Even if we stumble into a friendship we should evaluate it carefully. Will this person lead me closer to Christ or further away from Him? Is this an opportunity for me to lead them closer?

So there must be different kinds of friends. Some friends are brothers or sisters in Christ. We are there for each other, encouraging and challenging each other to live more fully for Christ. We support each other in our spiritual journey and are there to catch us before we fall. These kinds of friendship can grow deep and long without fear of them going adrift. And we need these to keep us connected to Christ.

Other kinds of friendships are cultivated for the purpose of being a witness to Christ. Choose these friendships based on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. These are cultivated over time giving the non-believer the chance to see Jesus lived out in the flesh. These relationships are not coercive in their witness, but rather authentic expressions of the God who loves them enough to walk beside them in their life’s journey.

Our proverb’s lesson is simple. We must choose our friends. We don’t just let them happen by accident. That is how non-believers get themselves in trouble. Friendships of convenience can easily lead us astray. We need to be purposeful in cultivating friendships, knowing why each one is being cultivated.

I know too many people who are led by peer group pressure. This isn’t something that only teenagers face. Many work relationships pull and push us in directions that we would normally not move. We allow the pressures to move us often because of our own fear of non-acceptance or loss of income. We are not choosing the friendship, it is happening to us. Someone else is making the choice.

The wicked just wander through life allowing others to make these kinds of decisions for them. They have little purpose and direction, or their purpose and direction is misguided. So their friendships often mirror their lack of definition about the role and purpose of friendships. Friends are people you party with! You hang out with friends.

Take time to examine your friendships. Are you choosing, or being chosen and for what purpose?